Monday, June 18, 2012
A day in God's Hands!
Well, this morning has started out wonderfully so far. Anaya woke up when I did and so, she stayed beside me while I read my Bible this morning! Today's plans are.... well, I'm not sure. I have an interview with a team of people. However, I would like to make one thing clear. No matter what happens with this job, God still has a plan for me, and I am going to trust Him. He knows what is best and will provide for me and my family! This morning I read about the unpardonable sin, but the thing that struck me about this was not that, it was rather the importance of believing that Jesus will get us through. He truly is the only way for us to be saved! He payed the ultimate price on Calvary that day for you and me. As I pause to think about what that means I am filled with hope! The verse for the day definitely has to be the verse from last night: " Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."
Sunday, June 17, 2012
A Day to be remembered
Lately my mind has been impressed that I should remember all of the good things that God has done for me in the past. A few days ago when I last posted, I realized that this shouldn't just be a one time event. This being said I should say a little about the day that I have had with my wife and kids. This morning I woke up and got dressed, just in time to be able to help make the kids breakfast and get them ready for the day. My Sweet Heart was still in bed, and I decided to let her sleep in! :) Today was a goodwill day. We went to two different Goodwill stores, each one on a different side of town. We were looking for red tags because it was 99 cent day, and if you found a red tag you could get a discount on your purchase. I haven't gotten a lot of school work done, but we did manage to have worship with the kids this evening :) For my devotions this morning I looked at the Crucifixion from Matthew's Gospel. What Jesus went through for me is absolutely incredible! He went through it for all of us, and offers us the free gift. My prayer is that we will all accept His gift, and that our lives would be transformed to be more like His. Tonight my wife was able to clean out the car. As I sit here typing this journal in, I am reminded about what Jesus said, about the white space of God's Mercy. Life is not all headlines, but quiet trust in God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Learning to lean on Jesus is not always the easiest thing to do, but it definitely is the most important thing to do. In case you are wondering about the sermon that I am talking about, I am including the link in this post. Here is the link: http://www.pmchurch.tv/article/59/archives-dvd-s/genesis-of-love. When you get to the page go to the sermon entitled Secret of the Twinkling Stars. Get that sermon, in whatever format you can and give it a listen. God's promises take time to see their fulfillment. Don't be discouraged if things aren't working out the way that you wanted to. Remember, that He can see the big picture, that we don't always see. He is so much stronger than we can imagine. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, all the gold and silver are His. So if you find yourself worrying, give those worries to Jesus. Let Him take care of those worries. " Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." (Psalms 55:22).
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Remember what He has done for us!
This morning as I was spending time with God something very
interesting occurred to me. Have you ever had one of those days where
you feel like God is millions and millions of miles away? Have you ever
had a day where it was hard to share Him with others. I know that I
can definitely, say that I have. In fact, I was having one of those
moments this morning, but during Worship, Jesus helped me to see that
sometimes we are not going to have those great feelings or even to know
if things are working out. This morning I was reading from Matthew 10
and I came across this passage:
I find that Jesus reply in this situation is very interesting indeed. He says: “Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see.” This shows me that I am a sinful human creature, and that it is a natural part of me to sometimes get discouraged. Yet notice Jesus remedy is the same as at the beginning. Go and shew John again…. A one time experience is not enough. Jesus has done lots of things in our lives, and I think that this is God saying to me, re-live some of the experiences that I have done for you. I am impressed that Jesus wants us to keep track of the things He does in our lives, and to keep track of the miracles. So that when we are in the prison house of discouragement or pain, we can remember all that He has done for us in the past. We have to be reminded of what He has done for us. So if you are someone who has just stumbled onto this blog, may you be encouraged to go back to Jesus and see anew the wonderful things He has done for you. Don’t be discouraged because you are “in prison” whatever that prison may be. Realize that even though you may be, the Gospel moves forward. Jesus is still on the throne, and that your pain and suffering is part of a greater plan. Remember that He is with you in the suffering. Remember the things He has done for you. When someone asks you for encouragement, remember to tell them all of the things Jesus has done for you! That is where the real encouragement comes in.
Finally at the end of my devotions, I came to the cross of Calvary! Jesus Himself went to the cross for you and me. He didn’t have to either, it was a choice to save humankind. He promises in His Word that if You believe that He has died for you and accept Him as Your personal Savior to forgive your sins, He will do it! (Whether you feel it or not!)
1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Jesus has been in a blacker darkness than we have ever been in, and has shown us the example of holding onto God. He clung to His Father’s Love the whole way, and on the cross was able to show love! On the cross!!!
” 2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? 4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: 5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.“The first thing that comes to my mind when I read this is what John said while in prison. Art thou he that should come or do we look for another. John the Baptist had been preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven for a long time, and now apparently forsaken by God he sends his disciples to go and find Jesus. John was having one of those moments where he was unsure about his life. He had followed Jesus all the way. He had proclaimed the message of the Gospel, and now was having a difficult time. He was in prison!
I find that Jesus reply in this situation is very interesting indeed. He says: “Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see.” This shows me that I am a sinful human creature, and that it is a natural part of me to sometimes get discouraged. Yet notice Jesus remedy is the same as at the beginning. Go and shew John again…. A one time experience is not enough. Jesus has done lots of things in our lives, and I think that this is God saying to me, re-live some of the experiences that I have done for you. I am impressed that Jesus wants us to keep track of the things He does in our lives, and to keep track of the miracles. So that when we are in the prison house of discouragement or pain, we can remember all that He has done for us in the past. We have to be reminded of what He has done for us. So if you are someone who has just stumbled onto this blog, may you be encouraged to go back to Jesus and see anew the wonderful things He has done for you. Don’t be discouraged because you are “in prison” whatever that prison may be. Realize that even though you may be, the Gospel moves forward. Jesus is still on the throne, and that your pain and suffering is part of a greater plan. Remember that He is with you in the suffering. Remember the things He has done for you. When someone asks you for encouragement, remember to tell them all of the things Jesus has done for you! That is where the real encouragement comes in.
Finally at the end of my devotions, I came to the cross of Calvary! Jesus Himself went to the cross for you and me. He didn’t have to either, it was a choice to save humankind. He promises in His Word that if You believe that He has died for you and accept Him as Your personal Savior to forgive your sins, He will do it! (Whether you feel it or not!)
1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Jesus has been in a blacker darkness than we have ever been in, and has shown us the example of holding onto God. He clung to His Father’s Love the whole way, and on the cross was able to show love! On the cross!!!
Saturday, March 17, 2012
What is a Witness?
What does it mean to be used by God? This question is something that I have pondered on a lot recently. Just a glance at the headlines tells me that things are not right with the world. With starving children all over and the terrible weather we have been having I can't help but think that Jesus is coming again soon. But the question that still rings in my ears is: How do I share my faith? In a world that just doesn't seem to want to hear about it, how do I go about sharing Jesus with people.
As someone who has had six months of Bible Worker experience, I realize that it is no easy thing to share the love of Jesus! In a post-modern age where whatever feels right must be right, it just doesn't come that naturally to share Jesus. When I was a little younger I seemed to have a better time sharing Him with those around me. I mean, after all, when one spends a lot of time with Him, one can't help but share Him.
I think of Jesus that night before His execution. It was probably a hot evening and everyone crowded into that upstairs room with their dusty feet. Twelve men all gather around the table with one question on their mind: Who is going to wash my feet. Where's the servant? Well, I'm certainly not going to was their feet. Each one not wanting to do the most humiliating job. Then enters the Master Himself, and one of the most amazing displays of love is played out in that room. When no one else wanted to "stoop" down to the level of a Servant we see the Lord and Creator of the whole universe, strip down to His waist and gird Himself with a towel and grab the pitcher of water and the basin, and pour water on those dirty dusty feet and wash them. What a an Example! The whole idea of Master becoming Servant blows my mind. Check out the Words of Jesus after He has washed their feet!
13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
John 13:13-17
Jesus wants us to share His love with those around us, and this oftentimes means that we may have to humiliate ourselves to others, but that is what our Master has shown us!
As I started writing this blog Jesus answered my very question by what happened to Him at the Last Supper. He is the example, and now my prayer for me and for anyone reading this is that we will be servants for our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus says it best in John 13:35 " By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
As someone who has had six months of Bible Worker experience, I realize that it is no easy thing to share the love of Jesus! In a post-modern age where whatever feels right must be right, it just doesn't come that naturally to share Jesus. When I was a little younger I seemed to have a better time sharing Him with those around me. I mean, after all, when one spends a lot of time with Him, one can't help but share Him.
I think of Jesus that night before His execution. It was probably a hot evening and everyone crowded into that upstairs room with their dusty feet. Twelve men all gather around the table with one question on their mind: Who is going to wash my feet. Where's the servant? Well, I'm certainly not going to was their feet. Each one not wanting to do the most humiliating job. Then enters the Master Himself, and one of the most amazing displays of love is played out in that room. When no one else wanted to "stoop" down to the level of a Servant we see the Lord and Creator of the whole universe, strip down to His waist and gird Himself with a towel and grab the pitcher of water and the basin, and pour water on those dirty dusty feet and wash them. What a an Example! The whole idea of Master becoming Servant blows my mind. Check out the Words of Jesus after He has washed their feet!
13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
John 13:13-17
Jesus wants us to share His love with those around us, and this oftentimes means that we may have to humiliate ourselves to others, but that is what our Master has shown us!
As I started writing this blog Jesus answered my very question by what happened to Him at the Last Supper. He is the example, and now my prayer for me and for anyone reading this is that we will be servants for our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus says it best in John 13:35 " By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
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