3/30/09

journalizing


I vividly remember a moment in time when I consciously made the decision to step into the abominable sin. little did I know that in order to fulfill my desires and flesh, I would be giving up a lifetime of serving Christ and living in God's will. every time I would set my heart on committing that sin, the Holy Spirit would convict but I chose to quench His voice. over time it became easier to ignore until that still, small voice was drowned out by my pride, the flesh and sinful desires.

it took me being hurt just a fraction of how God, His Son and the Holy Spirit had been hurt by my disobedience to wake me up to my current location of being away from Them. only then could I truly repent. as my soul was pierced with that knowledge, I knew that God was the only one who could remove me from my situation. it was as if He had caught me with my hand in the cookie jar. Busted!

though my sin has been paid for on the cross, it is a constant reminder of where one's flesh, and the need to satisfy it, can go apart from God. a very humble reminder of how the Saviour loves me and wants me to be as far away from it as possible.

3/29/09

where I struggle the most

My Mind...
the devil consistently regurgitates past experiences in hopes of either luring me back or to just turn away even for a moment from my Saviour's face. it is at those times I lean more firmly on the Saviour from whom I obtain strength to resist. Praise God!


My Pride...
I am fully aware this was the stone that started the downward spiral. the devil knew exactly where to lodge the best offense and I listened. God has effectively been working on my pride. even from sources other that the Bible. the book Humility was only the jumping off point. pride centers around I and what I can do. God is in no need of an I in His work. He only needs willing vessels who realize that He does not necessarily need them, but has chosen to use them. if only to give glory and praise to Him once He has worked.

3/27/09

it is finished

once, by one man's pen;
twice: God ends sin.

I came up with this riddle based on a verse out of the Book of Revelation. it was presented to a fellow believer in the hopes of picking his brain. also in hopes that he might be able to see what God gave me. little did I know that it would be used to teach me a truth.

see God is working on my pride. not an easy lesson but one still vital and quite necessary for my Christian growth. many times the wound is deep as pride is centered around the “I”. this lesson was important on many levels but I will stick with the truth I gleaned.

Once – Adam, first human/man.
By one man's pen – sin, enslavement, bondage to self.
Twice – second Adam or Christ.
God ends sin – John 19:30 “It is finished”.

honestly I never thought that my riddle would be so deep, but God knew I needed a different lesson than the one I originally viewed. God used it as a tool to open my eyes, via the believer, so I could learn more about Him. isn't that just one of the coolest things about God? He uses fellow Christians to open our eyes to His knowledge. Praise God He does and praise God He has ended sin!

3/24/09

cast your crowns

II Perter 1:11
“For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

so to conclude; if we seek the Found, in thus Abound and find ourself on solid Ground in Christ we have the promise that once in Heaven our “entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly.” God is pleased every time one of His comes home. but those who have chosen to serve Him, and not self, those who learn to live the Found list, is more welcomed as they have already been talking with God down here on earth. it's as if a best friend is coming home to stay forever. those who live the Found list here also have more crowns, rewards, in heaven to cast at Jesus' feet. now how do we accomplish this task? John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” more of Him, less of me. everyday He must gain more of a square footage on my heart and I must submit more of it to Him.

if I obtain but one thing in life, let it be said that I was Spirit led.

cross reference verse: II Timothy 4:7 & 8.

ground

II Peter 1:10
“Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make sure your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall;”

now that the lost is Found, and in thus we Abound, God tells us we now have solid Ground. here's the good part! God will not only save us and guide us through this life, but will also keep us grounded daily while we walk! Hallelujah! the verse says, "for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall." WOW, I would say that God is pretty powerful to make that claim. I'm glad He made it and not me as I know my weaknesses. good thing about my weaknesses is that God knows them as well.

cross reference verses: Romans 8:13-15, Romans 6:18, I Corinthians 6:17, II John 9 and James 1:27.

abound

II Peter 1:8 & 9
“For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.”

now those things that are Found can only Abound they will make us fruitful for our Lord. How do we become fruitful? only by submitting to God and allow Him to mold us into what He wants out lives to become. hard to do as He has given each of us a will. but once we relinquish our will to Him then truly He can, and will, work. and oh how He works! the Almighty God that formed our planet, created every human both past and present, and will one day return in glory wants to actually walk with us daily. He wants to guide our footsteps. hold our hands and walk us through this life. and be there at every turn. truly a loving God would be that interested in this speck of a human. truly an awesome God would be that interested in each speck He creates.

cross reference verses: I Thessalonians 3:12 & 13, Colossians 2:6 & 7, and Romans 6:10-14.

found

II Peter 1:5-7
“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to you faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.”

these are the attributes every Christian should posses or be “found”. sadly they are not. God has given every child of His the Holy Spirit in which we are thus enabled to obtain these virtues. it can only be through His power. our human flesh is not only unabled to achieve alone but also cannot as the devil knows our weaknesses and is can easily stop us. Christ's blood covers not just our sins but gives each of us the strength to be accepted to the Father.

cross reference verses: Romans 5:3-5 and Galatians 5:22 & 23.

3/23/09

blessings

many times we seem to forget the many blessings God brings along our path. sometimes those blessings come in the form of other Christians and the kindness with which they show you. I am thank for those Christians and the blessings they allowed to flow through them from God. Thank you for being willing to be used.

3/20/09

about face

though from a line of soldiers, I have never enlisted in the military. true my father's generation considered it a reasonable duty. mine, well I am a product of the 60's and raised in the 70's so not enlisting was an afront to the system. by the 80's, military service was passe' as the cold war continued. not until the 90's did one realize that military service was an honor and not a duty. today our military is lauded as heroes as daily they put their lives on the line for us. my grateful thank you to our servicemen.

today's post is a continuation of an earlier post (read learning to press below).

I have found the secret to obtaining the prize daily! it begins at I Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” this ALL includes times of temptation. there is no other way to get through them. verse 8, “Be sober, be vigilent; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” if you watch throughout the day you will be aware of those time when the devil has approached you with temptation, and if you brushed them off thats when he's got you. the greater attack will come when you least expect it and then its over. you are his lunch!

now to verse 9, “Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” ahem, you are NOT the center of the universe. the same temptation that you are afflicted with is the same that another brother or sister in Christ is rising above. it is at this time that obedience and submission to God should be first and foremost. not satisfying your flesh, which should be dead. another post for that.

finally in verses 10 and 11, “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be the glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen.” the only way you become perfect, stablished, strengthened and settled is to submit and allow yourself to be purified by God's fire. He only allows the temptation in order for you to become a stronger Christian. and the only way you can become a stronger Christian is to be purified. one cannot withstand temptation while full of their dead self. God cannot get the glory He is due while Christians are full of themselves.

that's the clincher! God will get glory from you one way or another. it is so much easier to submit and allow yourself to give Him the glory while being purified, than to have Him wrangle it out of you. daily have an about face to the devil and towards God!

3/18/09

learning to walk


I don't remember when I learned to walk as a child. my parents and grandparents always said it was after my first younger brother learned. I guess he felt he had to catch up as he was the number two child. anyway, it is fact that I did eventually learn. Freedom! no more being carried, crawling on the ground, or scooting from place to place just to make it through this world. I was officially a biped!

my Christian life has been quite different. mainly crawling, scooting and being carried instead of walking. I was carried the first couple of years. hoping things would change but refusing to trust God to work. I crawled my way through Christian college instead of walking upright. giving the appearance of uprightness but still holding onto sin. lastly scooting from church to church seeking a place to feel “comfortable” in while I held onto my sin. odd how then I never seemed to understand that God was everywhere I was carried, crawled and scooted.

Matthew 14:29 tells of how Peter walked on the water to Jesus, “And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.” many people tend to overlook the fact that Peter actually walked on the water and quickly condemn him for sinking, verse 30. I say, Peter walked on the water! and to whom? to Jesus. if we are ever going to walk in this Christian life is HAS to be to Jesus! there is no other way to make it in this world. sin is everywhere with its baubles of temptation. the devil would love to just dangle something shiny in front of us just so we look away from Jesus. but we must keep our eyes on Jesus so we will be able to walk in His power.

just as my parents had to hold onto me for several months just to keep me upright, God holds onto us. not for a few months or years but for eternity. He is that involved in our lives. He wants us to walk but more importantly He wants us to do it through His power, strength, and love. He knows we can be easily distracted and so with Him going before, He asks us to hold His hands and keep our eyes on Him. that's the only way to walk.

3/17/09

my eternal Priest


I am Baptist. like died-in-the-wool, born and raised, till death removes me from this earth Baptist. the main reason I am of the Baptist faith is that it is the only one that I am able with which to align my beliefs. I've tried several evangelical churches but none that stay entirely true to God's word. the topic of today's post is one many have fallen away from.

Hebrews 7:15 & 16 states, “And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.” feel free to study this guy Melchisedec, or Melchizedek, as he was the recipient of Abraham's tithes. in Jewish tradition, sins of the people were absolved by the sacrifices made daily by the Levite priests aka commandment from Moses given by God. once Christ died on the cross, those sacrifices became null and void as He paid the once for all sacrifice for our sins. HALLELUJAH! hence He was the priest after the order of Melchisedec and not a Levite.

verse 27 states it quite clear, “Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.” because the payment on the cross was the final sacrifice, I no longer have to rely on an earthly priest to absolve my sins through an animal sacrifice. Jesus Christ is the Eternal High Priest so only He can absolve my sins, whether committed already or those to be. this cuts out any earthly priest and any earthly form of sin removal. no human can wash away my sins, see I John 1:7.

I thank God that I can go directly to Him and ask forgiveness for every sin that I commit. trust me, I sin daily and the Holy Spirit convicts daily which means confession is daily as well. though God already knows my heart, “He is faithful and just to forgive me and cleanse me from all unrighteousness” I John 1:9.

3/15/09

stirring up the gift

I love Christmas. I love the lights, the noise, the smell, and the good cheer. sure some of it could be the excess but mainly it comes down to family. getting that opportunity to spend time with the ones you love. now as a child it wasn't the family that I loved unless they were giving me a gift. especially when it came to my brothers. the only opportunity I took then was to sneak over to the tree and shake those gifts that had my name on them. true it never told me what was in the box as it only moved the gift around, but I felt I had a pretty good clue before my dad walked in on me.

today God is beginning to shake up another gift. one that I laid down years ago and chose to walk away from. a gift I didn't particularly want but was given none the less. II Timothy 1:6 states, “Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.” Preaching. I used to love it, used to do it and truly enjoyed being used by God while doing so. but I removed that mantle that God had placed on me years ago and chose to live for self. now as He teaches me to obey Him He is re-gifting it back. do I accept? verse 7 is the answer, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

the only way I can accept this gift is to whole-heartedly allow Him to live through me. accept the God-given power to preach what He gives me and trust Him to change the hearts of those receiving the message. it is humbling to realize that God wants me to finish what He has started. especially when I don't believe I am worthy. but as the pieces of God's puzzle come together one can only give Him the glory as it is only God that makes the pieces fit.

II Timothy 4:2 "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine."

3/12/09

faithful is He

when I was young my mom was faithful. who would wake me up every morning? Mom. who would make me breakfast? Mom. who would help me get ready for school? Mom. as I grew older I soon learned to trust her to help me with a host of other things. homework, projects, cleaning my room and when I had my first crush on a girl she helped me make a valentine. not to mention being a good “back seat driver” when I was learning how to drive. mom was always there.

now isn't that the exact place God wants to be in our lives? I Thessalonians 5:9 & 10 reads, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.” now we know we cannot obtain salvation any other way except through Jesus Christ, but once we have accepted Him we should be living with Him; daily. this should be done whether we wake (that means alive) or sleep (that means to be deceased). the totally cool part of this is if we skip to verse 24 of the same chapter reads, “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” HALLELUJAH! not only is God our salvation but He is faithful in helping us to be His children! our Heavenly Father wants to be there whether we wake or sleep in order to make sure we are living right for Him. this is good! this parallels with II Corinthians 5:9 "Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him." I once heard a radio preacher state that we shouldn't talk to God on every subject in our lives. WHY NOT! He already knows our hearts, knows what is going to happen anyway and I'm pretty sure He is the one who brought the situation into our life. um, why wouldn't you want talk to God on every thing in your life?

so what your'e saying is that Jesus Christ, who saved you, will also help you live for Him? bingo, I think you've got it! He is more faithful than my mom, no offense mom, as He is there at every step and every turn of my life. only God knows what's exactly in store for me every morning when I awake. just as He knows what step I should take at every turn of my life; God wants to be there to make sure my steps, turns and walk is with Him. if I am deceased then I am already walking with Christ in heaven. but as my heavenly life has not began, my Heavenly Father wants to walk with me in my earthly life. oh, how this makes one put their life into a different perspective.

I would rather walk aside the One who never fails than to step alone with the one who fails always.

3/10/09

learn to press

I am not muscular. true I work out, exercise and eat right but muscle mass still eludes my form. I've come to accept the fact that a physique worthy of the Greeks should no longer be on my 'to do' list. it truly is unattainable for me. at this stage in life good health is better than a “perfect” physique.

Paul must have been a true sports fanatic; if they existed back in the first century. he constantly refers to running, wrestling and fighting. I'm sure he must have been a fan of the Olympics or at least knew several of the athletes or even gladiators. no doubt we will get the chance to meet some he led to Christ. Philippians 4:13 & 14 states, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

for what are you pressing? Paul tells us to forget the past. hard to do as we are told to learn from our past, but this refers to our past life before meeting Christ. that life will either slow us down or back into it. we should reach forth to what Christ has for us in our new life. the fruits of the Spirit, His strength and power, and winning souls should be what we reach towards. pressing toward the end of our life, or mark, when God welcomes us home to heaven. and the prize? the priviledge of casting our crowns we won at the feet of Jesus. oh what a glorious day!

now that is something worth pressing for! earthly honor will only fade. what's stored in heaven is worth the wait.

3/9/09

consequences

A little look
Opens the sight,
Filled with wonders;
But minus the light.


A little touch
Senses arise,
Hearts are flushed;
But filled with lies.

A little crush
Emotions engage,
Arousal interests;
But ends in rage.

Oh eyes so full!
Oh touch so flushed!
Oh crush so engaged!

Had I but turned.
Had I but listened.
Had I but stopped.

Too late to change?
A life to mend.
God waits with love,
My rope to end.

Repentance in full
My sins to cast;
All to give,
To Him at last
.

3/8/09

where's the bondage?


have you ever had a verse of scripture simply jump off the page, slap you silly, then meekly return to the passage? well I have and let me tell you, it isn't pretty. actually I've had several do that and if you haven't had this same experience then I question your salvation. mine was Galatians 4:9. it reads, "But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?" now Paul the Apostle is asking the church at Galatia why they what to return to slavery under the law. in chapter 5:1 he tells of how we are not under the law because of Christ's payment on the cross. he even goes a step further as to refer to the law as "bondage."
now why it jumped off.


God, in His grace has saved me. in His mercy He took me back even when I left Him, despite the abominations I committed. last night I had a relapse with this sin (alone). I submitted to my feelings and emotions instead of submitting to the Holy Spirit. today we; ie: God, the Holy Spirit and I; had a chat. God slapped me around with that verse and serveral others in my Bible reading. the Holy Spirit then launched into a much needed tongue lashing. not fun on my end. I realize I need to stand on the promises God had given in Romans 6, 7 & 8. especially the verse stated above.


my sin was bondage. bondage to self, pride, the flesh and my lusts. God has loosed those bonds once and for all. now I need to claim, in His power, the liberty with which He has provided. now one topic I did bring up in this chat is the spring and summer months. very much a feast for the eyes and the flesh! I've been told to not worry about the future but to rest on God and let Him give me the strength to walk through the pending trial. it is scary. not in putting your trust in God but to see how He will work. we are so much a visual-based society that even faith gets tested more by us than externally.


now I am by no means perfect, just forgiven as a sinner saved by His grace. I agree with Paul as he states my bondage needs to be only to the Saviour who died for my sins than to this fleshly abode in which my soul dwells. even so come Lord.

3/7/09

cleansing


Psalm 119:9 "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word."

automatic ambassador

december 2007. it began to crumble like cookies succombing to a steamroller. I was realizing that the relationship with the person I had lived with for almost 7 years was swiftly coming to an end. love, or the likeness therof, was no longer evident. I was not flatscreened, widescreened, or pixelated by any means. hi-def maybe but not in the way that provided joy. I knew going into this 7 years prior that it would not last. God, via the Holy Spirit had made that very clear. it was a lust of the flesh that was being satisfied, solely and purely. the Spirit wanted no part in this sin. yet I chose to dive headfirst into it thus dragging Him through it. once in He constistantly whispered how to escape. I chose to ignore. the only reason the Holy Spirit gave voice was because at the age of 14, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour. I trusted in His payment for my sins and gave my life to Him. I was no longer mine own to do as I pleased. little to my knowledge I had automactically become an ambassador. II Corinthians 5:17 tells us, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." a new what? yep, a new creature. see I had given my soul to Christ but had chosen to keep my life for myself. I refused to accept the fact I was a new creature and had become an ambassador.

II Corinthians 5:20 & 21, "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made righteousness for God in him." see I enlisted as an ambassador whether I liked it or not. that's why it was crumbling. God was tired of His ambassador serving the prince of this earth, satan. Jesus Christ didn't leave heaven, be born into this world, live a perfect & sinless life, minister for 3 years, die on the cross for my sins, and then rise from the grave only so that I could be redeemed thus to continue in my sin. it wasn't going to happen.

so, december 2007. the beginning of the end? no, the beginning of my reconciliation to God and the start of my fulfillment as an ambassador.

3/6/09

a whosowhat?


Its plain and simple. Children can understand it. Teenagers have given into it. Adults of all ages have chosen to accept it. From tribes in the depths of Africa to the cold streets of Russia and even across the deserts of India people have realized this one prevailing truth. Jesus Christ died and rose again for everyone's (yours and mine included) sin. Romans 10:13 states, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved.” At the age of 14 in a Baptist church in Kokomo, IN, I became a whosoever. Now I had been raised in this church yet I never could actually pinpoint a time when I accepted Christ as my Saviour. Yes, my mother told me I had done it at the age of seven. That didn't make me saved. So I took that step of faith, realized I was a lost sinner, and asked Jesus to take away my sin and come into my heart.
Have you become a whosoever? Could you actually say there was a time in your life when you chose to accept Christ's payment on the cross for your sins? Not what the church, your parents or even your neighbor told you was the way to salvation, but what God Himself told us is the ONLY way to salvation. I wish you would accept this gift. It will truly determine where you spend eternity. First you must realize you are a sinner. The bible says in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” This includes everyone even myself. Next, Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death.” Death? Yes, as punishment for our sin we will die. Not just an earthly death but if we do not accept Christ's payment we will die a spiritual death in hell. Now I don't want to go to hell, do you? Romans 5:8 tells us, “But God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” What was that? While we were yet sinners... we weren't even born when Christ died. True, but God did know that one day you and I would be. So He made provision for that day by sending His Son to take our place and pay for our sin. I know I could never pay for all my sin, could you?
Now if at this point you have realized you are a sinner, you agree that you will one day spend an eternity in hell as payment for this sin, and you believe that Christ paid for your sins on the cross then there is only one thing left to do. What did I mention was in Romans 10:13? “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved.” Yes, simply say either out loud or to yourself: Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I know that my punishment is hell but I accept your payment for my sin on the cross and I ask you to some into my heart. I accept you as the only way to heaven and life everlasting.
Now if you prayed that prayer then you are now a whosoever! Praise God! I might never see you here on this earth but one day in heaven I will.

you and what army

I honestly think that warmer weather feeds road rage. over the winter one tries to drive carefully. watching the road and those who seemingly have never driven in an Indiana winter. odd how that at the first sign of tulips everyone pushes the speed limit. the mirror reflects our lives. we push the envelope with God just to see where it leads. will He bring the hammer down? is it this time He chooses to correct? living on the edge in the fast lane does not always bring the benefits one desires. just look at the multiple fender benders.

Romans 8:37 tells, “In all things we are more than conquerers through him that loved us.” who knew that when Jesus died for our sins we would become the benefactors of His death. we can be conquerers and live in His “lane” with His power. with God all things are possible so who is to say we cannot become obedient to His word by allowing ourselves to be Spirit controlled. the bible does say in ALL things. last I checked all meant all. so you and what army will stop me? if I yield to the Holy Spirit, none.

3/1/09

escape equals obedience

temptation. the Bible says that temptation is bound to happen to Christians. I Corinthians 10:13 "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man." if you are never tempted then you probably are not alive.

I love this part of the verse! "But God is faithful," praise Him for being faithful even when we choose not to be, "who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able."


here comes the good part! "But will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it." HALLELUJAH!

God always has a way to escape temptation, but only if you want to escape. He will not force you to escape and He won't even demand it. He does give us the Holy Spirit to convict us that we should escape. that is enough for me. escaping equals obedience. I choose to be obedient no matter the cost!