I Am Forever Grateful

1 Thess 5:18  In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

I give praise and honor to God for His grace that covers me each day. Above all things I thank God for a mind and a will to obey Him. I know without the power of Christ, which is the Holy Ghost, I would not be able to serve Him on my own. I know that I am saved by the grace of God and not my own doing. When I tried to "do right" it would only last for a short while(and by that I mean only a few hours, if that!) When a situation would arise I would quickly revert back to my fleshly nature, and now I understand because there was no other power working in me, it was impossible for me to operate any other way! The bible says man's righteousness is as filthy rags, (Isaiah 64:6). Our righteousness is nothing but smeared dirt!! But when God wash us and makes us clean we are clean through and through. Our dirt doesn't come off on Him, it is no where to be seen. There is no trace of our sins, because the word says He has thrown them in the debts of the sea never to be remembered, Micah 7:18-19). I am thankful because my righteousness could not save me.    

In August of 1993 the Lord came in and answered my soul's cry for help. It was only a few months prior that I prayed and ask God to please help me live a better life, and by a better life I meant a Godly life. I honestly didn't know how I would be able to do that. I soon found out that it would not be me at all but the power of God working through me.

   I am so grateful that 20 years later the same power that saved me is still keeping me! I am thankful that I have not had to go through these last 20 years of life in my own knowledge and  my own strength.   It is amazing that we think we have it all figured out. We think we are smart enough, strong enough, that we have all of the right connections, education and finances to build the best life any human being would be glad to have. But at the end of the day it all amounts to nothing!  We are nothing without the power of Jesus Christ working in our lives.  Thank you Lord for making me somebody. 

Dedicating God's Temple: It belongs to Him

1 Kings 8:22-30 – “My Name Shall Be There.”

This passage is simply beautiful! Now that King Solomon has completed the building of God’s temple it is time to dedicate it back to God. In  verse 19 we see that Solomon was chosen by God before he was conceived to build this house.  This tells us that whatever task God has called us to; He alone has already made provisions to see it through. In Romans 8:30 Paul writes, those whom he predestined, he also called; those he called he also justified, those whom he justified, he also glorified!  Now please note: God has called us to glory, not so that we can take the credit, but so that we can be glorified in Him!

Solomon was wise indeed. He had completed an amazing task in building this temple for God, but in dedicating it back to God he realize where all of his strength and gifts came from. 

On Sunday our Pastor preached “It’s all in you”, that is, the power of God to accomplish all God has put his stamp on. You, born again child of God have his stamp and He says my name shall be there!

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:19 “Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,” –NLT

As you read through these passages of dedication notice how Solomon asks God to honor the place where His name is.  He said when I and the people pray toward this place hear and answer us, because you live here! 

Holy of Holies

Do you know where God is? As Solomon said not even the heavens of heavens can contain Him, but if you are a born again child of God, He lives inside of you.  What a mighty God we serve!

 Your body is the temple of God, honor your body, dedicate it back for His service and you shall be glorified as God’s works are completed daily in you! 

Need a Refreshing, Refilling?

This song in the link below has been such a blessing to me, just click and  listen. Let God fill you up with His Spirit. He will refresh you and strengthen you all over again.  Listen to it over and over. We do our self a great injustice by not dwelling in the presence of God. He desires to be with us, and to show us great and mighty things, and we can't do that if we are full of ourselves. Fill us up God, until it overflows!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG1g3DoS6lM

 Below is another version that helps you to simply bask in the presence of God. Just soaking in His Spirit!  How I love His presence. Fill me up God!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWCgyMaWcDs

Jesus Lives!

When Mary and her friends came to give Jesus a proper kings burial, they were shocked to find that He was not there John 20:11-13.   

An empty tomb means that yes Jesus did die. But He overcame death! (Rev. 1:18)   And all who accepts Christ will also overcome death. An empty tomb means victory!! Jesus dying appeared to be the end, but it was only the beginning.  On this third day Jesus rose from the dead to live forever, and reign as our external king! 

King Jesus Lives Forever!

"I am He that liveth, and was dead. And behold I am alive forever more.  And have the keys to hell and of death.  

  

  

Die Now and Live forever!

He took our place!

Jesus died for us. Do you know what the means? It means that He took the rap, the blame, the fall, whatever it is that you call it. It should have been us on that cross, but He gave himself as a sacrifice for us, 1 Tim 2:6.

 See Jesus was a man that knew no sin.  Meaning, He was not guilty of the penalty that He had to pay. Death was our  sin debt, not His. We deserved to die, because we ALL have sinned and have fallen short of what God requires,  Rom 3:23.  See God knew that it would take more than checking off a list of do's and dont's to inherit His kingdom. If we were going to be heirs and joint heirs of what He had to share with us some one had to die, and Jesus was that somebody.

Jesus willingly gave Himself to die,  His life was not taken  Hebrews 10:5  says therefore when He came into the world, He said: "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me." [NKJV]

 Jesus dying on the cross in a natural body did not signify the end, but the beginning, for us!   Because Jesus died, we can die to our sins and be reborn in the spirit.  Death is no longer a sentence we have to face because Jesus already paid that debt! It is finished, (John 19:30). Jesus died, so Live!

Live for Christ  now, accept Him Now, and live forever. (1 Pet 2:24)

Please Remain Calm

A Calm Spirit 

I've been reading in the book of Proverbs lately. Whenever I feel like I need steady direction from God I always find my self in the book of Proverbs. Living in this world can be very confusing. With everyone living according to what they think is best and it "seems" to be working, It can really get you off track spiritually when you are not tuned into the voice of God.  Whenever your mind seems cluttered visit the book of Proverbs. It is packed full of wisdom that we can use in every area of life. Its absolutely timeless.

  Proverbs 16:32 says He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that rules his spirit than he that takes a city.

This is what I love about the wisdom shared in the book of Proverbs it takes the ways of the world and turn them upside down. Jesus' ways are always the complete opposite of the worlds ways of handling things. We can learn that by following his life throughout the Gospels!  

The way of the world says only a loud and confrontational person will be heard or  respected. But wisdom says any fool can lose control. The wisdom of God cause us to think before we speak, and to keep a calm spirit.  Holding off on anger and responding too quickly can keep us out of a lot of trouble physically and financially!  

 It takes a lot of strength to stay calm, hold your tongue and only respond to a situation after we've heard the whole matter.  Everyone has an opinion, and most of us don't mind sharing it! So how does that make us any different from the rest of the world? It doesn't. We just blend in with the rest of the loud mouth raging maniacs fighting to be heard.   

 Society labels a calm person as weak with no passion or drive.  But God calls this man Wise!   Lets all work on holding our tongue, being more reserved in our comments and hearing the conclusion of an entire matter before speaking. Lets practice keeping a calm spirit and see where it leads us on this up coming week.   

 May God bless you in your efforts to grow closer to Him! Until Next time! 

God's Strength is our Victory!

Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane

"2 Corinthians 12:9  My Grace is Sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness" this scripture is one that I have mulled over for years trying to understand exactly how knowing this truth is suppose to help me through physical pain. Here, the great Apostle Paul suffered from a thorn in his flesh, a seemingly physical ailment that he wanted God to remove. But he prayed several times, and the ailment remained.  No doubt like many of us Paul was probably frustrated and confused.  Isn't God suppose to answer all of our  prayers? Isn't that what His word says? Well yes. I believe He does answer, but in some cases like this one we don't like the answer that He gives!

I think I am finally accepting in the way of truth, that every victory or answered prayer is not manifested in a physical deliverance from a situation. (Pardon me as I let out a huge sigh  and a  Lord help me?!)  Just as Paul cried out for deliverance, and Jesus, the Son of God cried out in the Garden of Gethsemane we also cry out for the "removal" of pain and suffering. But as we know in these two examples the suffering remained. If God loves us so much why would He let us suffer so much regardless of how hard we pray to escape it?  I believe He is trying to get us to fully rely on Him and not ourselves. 

Faith in God is not solely believing that He will be there to deliver us out of something. It is not saying a few coined phrases and  tossing our spiritually around to get what we want and when "WE" want it. I've been saved long enough to know, it doesn't always work that way.    

 But it is trusting that even in pain and suffering His will is being done. In our weakness God is made strong. It is the Victory that God is looking for. A victory where He alone is glorified.  Only through the strength of God can a man do what Paul did in his ministry continuously knowing that all of His wants were not met. Paul suffered greatly, and without the Grace and strength of God he would have given up. Just like many of us.  

Only the strength of God can give a man enough resolve to decide, "Not my will, but thy will be done", when He was asked to die for people who didn't love or accept Him! Wow, now what was I complaining about again? Lord I thank you for Victory in your Strength. 

    

Where did God Go?

A world filled with confusion, disappointments, heartache, evil and despair will have you wondering where in the world is God? It could be that you were never that close to the Lord, or it could be that you were, and now He is no where to be found.  Where did He go? Or is the more appropriate question, where did you put Him? 

 Unfortunately I believe it is in the nature of God's people to seek Him more, when we feel we need Him. But, the reality is we always need Him, and above all we should desire Him!  In Deuteronomy 4:28 Moses warns the Children of Israel and foretells how they will forget God after He has blessed them to enter into the promise land. They began to worship other Gods, and began to pick up the customs of unbelievers. They did things that brought them pleasure, things that put a distance between them and God.  But, God never forgets! He says in verse 29 "If from "there", you will seek the Lord thy God, thou shall find Him, if you seek Him with all of your heart and soul".    From "there" is where you left Him! Where you decided your way was better, or the way of the world was better.    

What we have to realize is that when we decide to break the covenant that God made with us we step away from Him, and compromise the agreement? We do that.  Jesus never steps away, He never leaves us.  The farther we pull away from His righteousness, the harder it is to see Jesus.  If we don't understand anything else we understand that it takes two willing parties to have a healthy and prosperous relationship. No one wants to be in a relationship where they are not valued, respected, or listened to.  This automatically puts a wedge between the two. 

Jesus wants our whole heart, we can't serve and worship the values of this world and try to hold on to the values of God at the same time. It won't work, we cannot serve two masters. (Matt 6:24)   We will reap the benefits or consequences of whatever has our heart the most, bottom line. (Matt 6:21)

 Seek after God with all of your heart. Make Him and His ways your  first priority and you will never have to wonder where God is. 

Earth is NOT your home..

Heaven... is your Real home

Col 3:2-3 says Set your affections on things above, not on things of the earth . For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God!

I absolutely LOVE meditating on the home the Christ has prepared for us. Our limited minds can't even imagine what living in heaven would be like. But I love giving it my best shot trying to imagine the home God has already prepared for us! In St. John 14:2-3 Jesus says, in my Father's house there are MANY mansions, if it were not so, I would not have told you(meaning I can't lie, this is True!) Then he says, I go to prepare a place for you..that where I live you may be also!  Wow,  this is so very powerful to me! I can't help but smile, cry, and rejoice when I think about how much Jesus loves all of us to prepare a place as beautiful as what's described in Rev 21. Man, I tell you this is worth holding on For!  If there are many mansions then that means there will be many that will inherit this promise and I thank God that I am one of them because I am His Child born again by his spirit and adopted into his holy family! (Roms 8:15)

Praise be to the Lamb of God.  I will gladly set my affections on things above because what's above is my real life, it is my  real home, my final destination!