STRENGTH FROM THE LORD

STRENGTH FROM THE LORD
9/11/13

We all have days and situations that we go through that make us feel as if we can’t go on. We feel weak, tired and run down. Our strength has been depleted and everything just seems overwhelming and too big for us to handle. I know I’ve felt this way many times in my life. If it wasn’t for the Lord being by myself and giving me the strength that I need I would never make it. Isaiah 41:10b (NIV) says, “I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” I don’t know about you, but I find great comfort in those words. There’s also a verse in Matthew that says, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b. If we hide these truths in our hearts then difficult times or situations won’t be such a struggle.

Will you cling to these truths the next time you feel weak, tired and run down?

Stressed? Stop Worrying!

Stressed? Stop Worrying!

September 6, 2013
Read Matthew 6:25-34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Each day has enough trouble of its own.
~Matthew 6:34

It seems like in our society today a majority of us seem to be “stressed.” I believe stress often comes from worrying… and we worry a lot, whether we think we do or not. We often worry about decisions, finances, relationships, health, kids, etc… According to Matthew 6:25-34 we are not supposed to worry about anything. Matthew 6:33 says, But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you. It doesn’t say that He will give you some of these things, but ALL. This verse promises us that if we seek the Lord, He is going to provide ALL that we need. If we truly believe the Lord, we should be able to find comfort in that. We need to put our faith above our worry and walk by faith, not by sight.

I encourage you today to mediate of these scriptures. When a hint of worry comes to mind tell yourself that you are not going to worry, but you are going to seek God.

Will you walk by faith today or let worry hold you back?

HIS LOVE IS THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL!

EMBARKING ON A NEW JOURNEY

EMBARKING ON A NEW JOURNEY
June 18, 2013


About two months ago I embarked on a new journey. I was unsure that it was something that I wanted to do. Well, to be honest it was something that I did not want to do. After praying about it, thinking about it and being advised that it’s something that I need to do I finally agreed to give it a go. On this journey I have come together with a small group of ladies that I did not know, not even one of them. The ages all differ and we all come from different backgrounds, but we all have something in common.


As I have met with these ladies and have gotten to know some of their hurts and fears our relationships have grown. There is some sort of special bond between all of that I can’t really explain. A couple weeks ago I met one of the ladies on a Saturday. We both have a creative/crafty side so we went to a craft/hobby store and had lunch together. At lunch we talked about how we have just met two months ago and don’t really know each other, but we feel like we do. The other lady said, “It’s almost like a sisterhood.” And, she is right. Due to the one thing we have in common we share a bond that is unlike any other.


I have never been one to just let people in my life and get close to me, but I couldn’t feel closer to this group of ladies. I can’t really explain what I feel, but it’s pretty special and something that I need at this point and time in my life. They are a group that I feel like I can be myself with and know that they are not going to tell the world all of my little flaws or struggles. I can relate to them in a way that I can’t relate to anybody else. At this point in my life the group is one of the most important parts of my life. I am very thankful for each and every one of them.


My point in sharing this with you is because we need to be more open to things that we do not want to do. If I would have not reconsidered and not had someone advise me to this I would have missed out on what has now become so important and special to me. The friendships that I have made would never have happened. The next time something there is something that you do not want to do and immediately shutdown I would encourage you to reconsider. Don’t give a final answer until you have really considered your options, prayed, thought about it, sought advice, etc… What you are saying no too, could very well be one of the most important parts of your life.

WHERE'S THE LOVE?

**This is a blog that I wrote 3 years ago and it describes exactly what has been on my heart lately. Please read and share. Where's The Love? 4/4/10 There are so many scriptures in the Bible where the Lord tells us repeatedly to love one another. Here are just a couple, but there are several throughout the Bible. 1 John 3:23 And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us. John 13:34 " A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." If you have accepted Christ as your personal Lord and Savior you are to love EVERYONE just as Christ loves you. It doesn't matter what they look like, what they have done, who they are, what they have or what they don't have. It is not up to us to pick and choose who we are going to love and who we are not. How are you going to share Christ with an unbeliever (which you are called to do) if you don't love them? It seems like time and time again people who proclaim to be Christians, and some who are even leading in ministry get upset at someone and blast bad stuff about that person or the whole church all over facebook and to everyone they see. Where's the Love in that? Is that what Christ died on the cross for? Scripture clearly tells us in Matthew 5:23-24 "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to that person; then come offer your gift." The same goes for when we are the one with something against another brother or sister. We are to go immediately to that person and make it right. Ephesians 4:26-27says "In your anger do not sin"; Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. When you are putting negative stuff on your facebook or talking to people about other people or church you are obviously angry. All that is doing is giving the devil a foothold in your life to bring you down and to cause separation and division in the church... It is not solving the problem, so why do it? As a young Christian it saddens me to see this happening over and over again. The more I am growing in my faith I am learning that this is not the way that we as Christians are supposed to be. We are supposed to be different and set apart. Why would someone want to go to church when the people in the church are acting like this? For years now I have been inviting a friend (much older than I) to come to church with me just once and she refuses to come for this exact reason. She tells me that she doesn't have to go to church to be around a bunch of back stabbing hypocrites; she can get that outside of church. Is that what we want to be known as? I didn't see it until I truly gave my heart to the Lord and started growing in my faith. Now it seems as if I see it all over the place. There is so much that we do and don't think about how it ruins our witness. We need to be the same person outside of the church as we are inside the church. Before I had really accepted Christ and started following Him I did not realize how important these things are. You never know who is watching you. Here is a good example of how people watch us and when we don't realize it. Friday night at our Good Friday concert and drama a lady came up to me and thanked for being a friend and encouraging someone she works with, who is a new Christian and recently started attending our church. I have not spoken to the lady that she mentioned other than saying Hi to her, but she has been watching me at church and told her coworker one day at work that I was encouraging her by my walk with the Lord and she even called me a friend. How awesome is that? But look how it could easily go the other way had I been acting in an unchristian manner, because I didn't know someone was watching me. Here are a couple other things that we "Christians" do that ruin our witness: Alcohol- It is the same thing with Christians who think that it is okay to go out to the bars and drink... Everyone is always fast to say it's not a sin to drink and Even Jesus drank wine. You are right, it is not a sin but why would an unbeliever want to accept Christ if you who say you are a Christian are doing the same thing as them? How is Christ going to change them if He apparently hasn't changed you because you are still the same things? Joy- I am still working on this one (smile). When you accept Christ as your personal Lord and Savior the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of you. Our Joy is supposed to come from the Lord. Does this mean you are going to be continuously happy? NO. But it should change how we act to others. We should be a Joy to be around and not someone who is continuously upset, angry or complaining. Sex outside of marriage- This is one that I am learning a lot about. God is very specific about this one and it is the only sin that you can commit that is against your own body, remember your body is the temple. 1Corinthians 6:18 “flee from sexual immorality.” All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. When you have sex with someone you then become one with that person, how many people are you going to become one with? You may not realize it, but a part of you is now always going to be with that person and a part of them is always going to be with you. You may think you can have sex with someone and that it’s okay if nobody knows, but guess what, God knows and He is the one that should matter most. I know that nobody is perfect and believe me I know that I am far from it. I just want to challenge you if you are a Christian to look at things you are doing in your life. Do you live a life that reflects Christ? Can people look at your life and know that you are a Christian? Are you the same person outside of church as you are inside? Many "Christians" think that just because they have said a prayer that they are saved and are Christians. They may even go to church for a little while, but they never change. When you truly give your life to Christ and allow Him to control your life He is going to change you. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come. I know this to be true because I have said a prayer and just kept on living the way I was. I even went to church every Sunday and sang in the praise team. I professed to be a Christian, but I was no different from anyone in the World. I did all of the things I talked about above and I did not feel guilty about it, because I wasn't a Christian. I knew who the Lord was and I prayed from time to time. But it wasn't until I truly gave my life to the Lord that I really got to know Him and that is when He started changing my life. Some things changed faster than others and some things were harder to let Him change than others, but it feels so good to not have to worry about my life because I know that the Lord is in control. I have lost a lot of friends because of my decision for the Lord and for my changed life, but that is okay because the world is going to hate us. 1 John 3:15 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. If you have not allowed Him to come into your life and change you I pray that you will. Being a Christian doesn't mean your life is going to be all fine and dandy because that is far from it. Being a Christian is tough when we are living in an unchristian nation, but the rewards are so much greater. Are you willing to sacrifice these things for Christ? After all, He made the ultimate sacrifice for YOU

HURT, PAIN AND SUICIDE

Lately I’ve had a tough topic weighing heavily on my heart. I have been praying consistently about it and asking the Lord to show me what it is that I am to do with this. I feel as if I am supposed to just share my heart on the topic and to be open to what the Lord brings my way. Suicide isn’t something that people like to talk about, but the fact of the matter is that it’s all around us and happens daily. We live in a fallen world and people are truly hurting but many of us are too busy to notice. I think sometimes we notice people hurting, but we are scared or don’t know what to do, so we do nothing. Sometimes we just don’t want to be bothered with helping someone else and we let them continue down the road of pain alone. I have struggled with depression off and on since I was young and have been told that I probably will for the rest of my life. Thankfully the Lord has given me some tools to use to help me handle different situations when they come. No matter how prepared I am sometimes the depression still gets ahold of me and I struggle. It wasn’t long ago that I went through another season of severe depression. It was the first time in a very long time that I felt so hurt and alone. It was hard because I knew that I wasn’t alone and I knew and believed the Truth’s that the Lord has given me, yet I still found myself stuck in the dark hole with no way out. I continued to go to church, work and went on with my daily life the best that I could. I did not want to do those things, but I knew that it’s what I needed to do. I hid my real feelings from just about everyone and nobody knew what I was going through, except for the few that I let know. My point in sharing that with you is to show you how the person right next to you could be hurting to the core and you may not even notice. After about the third week or this last depression I began look at the calendar and just cry. I didn’t know how I was going to get through the rest of the day, let alone another day. I didn’t want to die, but yet it felt like it was the only way to escape the pain that was covering my life. I can remember talking to a friend and saying, “one thing that is keeping me going is knowing that I’ve been here before and it’s not going to last forever.” What about the person that doesn’t know it’s going to get better? They see the dark and they don’t feel they have another way out. I challenge you to take time to look at the people in your life. Are there friends that you normally hear from often but haven’t heard from them much or seen them? Perhaps they need someone to talk to, but feel that nobody cares. There are many people that you come into contact with daily that just need someone to say hello to them or ask them how they are doing. I love the saying, “You may be the only Jesus someone sees.” You never really know how much impact you have on someone else’s life, so let’s make it a good one. John 3:16 says, for God so loved the world that He gave his only one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. God gave his son so that we can have eternal life… Will you give your time to help save someone else’s life?