Not My Own

I am not my own!

I am His alone!

With His blood He bought me

So now I can believe.

A new heart I have.

Given! Not one that I had.

He knew me from the beginning

Before even time began.

A heart made whole

To serve only Him again.

What is it in me that pulls me away?

This body of death, full of decay!

This heart longs to serve, please, and obey.

But this flesh.. constant in pulling away.

What can the Potter make of this clay?

Can I be molded with sin in the way?

When will I be free?

Carried away to be with Thee?

O what a day that will be!

You called my name!

Dispite my sin and shame.

Your wheel spins round. 

Steadily your hands make my shape found!

What a sculptor you are!

Patient as can be!

Somewhere in there is what you did see!

Help me to be still.

Allowing the shaping to be fulfilled.

Let this heart you gave me sing to you still!

Alone I am not. You promised to me.

Trust and obey is truly the key!

For I am yours, help me not forget,

It was your blood that paid my debt!

I belong to you now. Though I always have.

I just didn't know until my new heart began!

What a gift, what joy!

To be molded by you.

May your hands find in me

The heart that beats for thee!

What was lost, you have found.

May your praise abound!

Forever with thee,

What a joy that will be!

Posture Reveals the Hearts Condition!

Psalms 51:14a (KJV)

Have mercy upon me, O God,

according to thy lovingkindness:
according unto the multitude of thy tender

mercies blot out my transgressions.
Wash me throughly from mine iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions:
and my sin is ever before me.
Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,
and done this evil in thy sight:

How many times will it be? When will it ever end? Why is it like this daily?

Will a day ever come when failure is not the norm?

In shame, I cover my head and hide my face. But in grace I am lifted up!
The world knocks me down, tramples me under foot. But the Lord picks me up!
Life attacks, distracts, and pulls me away. But the Lord calls me home to a place of safety!

If you're like me, those questions arise often. Even daily. Failure just seems to be ever present.

So what do we do in these times, when the mind is pulled down in failure? Where do we go for help?

Kind David had it right in this verse. Go right to our God! Our ever present help! Our place of refuge. A safe place. But why is it so hard to call out? Why don't we reach for Him all the time, every time? Why do we have to fail first, be convicted of sin, and then come home? Unfortunately, it is in our sinful nature. Deep down in the core of our hearts. A place the Lord can see. A place we try to hide.

But like David in these verses, I am on my knees pleading with my Savior to have mercy upon me!

The nature to run may be present, but there is something else deep in my heart. A Light that cannot be put out. I know deep down in my heart that there is healing for my soul. Redemption in eternity through Jesus Christ! He is that Light deep in my heart. He has given me the desire to serve Him. He has given me the desire to learn more of His great Word! He has planted grace and forgiveness in me and has taken my place of punishment. He has restored me unto the Father. So now life is not hopeless. Yes, I will fail. But my Savior has given me a new home and a new heart. Now my desire is to know Him, come to Him in everything, and trust Him to complete His good work in me.

Do you hate sin? Do you desire to learn more about Christ? Do you want to know His Word? Is there a deep rooted desire to be in His glorious presence? These are desires of one who knows their Savior. Jesus Christ is the answer! He answers all the questions.. Yes, this life of failure will end, when He calls us home. It's like this today so we are reminded to be humble and to come to Him for all our needs. And yes! The day is coming when we will serve Him in perfection. When He comes, He will be praised by a redeemed people, a people made perfect. These people, washed in the blood of the Lamb will never see darkness or night. These people will never hunger, thirst, fear, fail, or die! Our forgiving God will be with us forever! And we shall know perfect peace!

Patience, Love, and Forgiveness! ( 5 )

1 Timothy 6:11 (KJV)
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Today, I am very excited, we get to the one word of three that has been laid on my heart to look into, Patience.
The dictionary defines patience as: "the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset."
Again the Strong's Concordance defines it in more detail as: "cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy: — enduring, continuance (waiting)." Some adverbs would include; enduring, patient continuance, patient waiting, steadfastness, constancy, endurance. In the New Testament definition it tells us it is the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings.
So it's safe to say that a person who is patient will endure what comes and will not compromise from the Lord's purpose. They will have faith and their character will mirror our Lord's character of love and reliance on the Spirit for power and always working to accomplish the Father's will no matter the obstacle. Someone that keeps truckin along no matter what.
If we truly look at our lives, I believe we will find an area that we don't endure like we should. An area where our response to trouble isn't quite up to par. So let's commit to stand firm, not allowing our responses to people or trouble to dictate our responses. Let's allow the Spirit to work a good work in our hearts so that we can stand for what is right and teach others how we are to live our lives. May we strive to be more like our Savior who is unwaveringly patient with us as we fail, and is faithful to pick us up again and again, showing us what is right and in line with the Father's will, and through it all, never giving up on us!
Next time we will look at meekness. A word that can easily be miss-understood or thought of incorrectly. And then we will recap the verse and see one very important take home of us all! Very exciting!

Patience, Love, and Forgiveness! ( 4 )

1 Timothy 6:11 (kjv)
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Today I would just like to leave you with a brief thought, as I am struggling with this subject and praying for guidance, encouragement, and a measure of joy.
The next words we see in this verse are godliness and faith. My thoughts center around the word faith and my heart is drawn to it. The word in Strong's Concordance means: moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation.

My mind is stuck on "the truthfulness of God". NOT that I question Him and His word (promise). But I question whether I believe it and trust that the Lord has a plan for my good. Doubt so often can creep in when you're not paying attention and you then find yourself somewhere where you don't want to be.

My question today is this.. Do you have faith in God's word (promise) that He has good planned for your life? Do you truly believe He is working all things for good? Do you trust Him for all things, seen and unseen?
Pray over that/those question(s). Ask the Lord to shed light where there might be doubt and question. He is faithful to teach us and the Spirit will mold us into the image of our Lord.
The Lord has good planned for us! Do your believe it?

Patience, Love, and Forgiveness! ( 3 )

1 Timothy 6:11 (KJV)
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Same verse, different word! Are you ready?
Remember last time we were talking about "following after" or should we say pressing on towards or pursuing. Today let's look at one part of what we should be pursuing.

Righteousness.. the dictionary defines it as: "the quality of being morally right or justifiable."

But the Strong's Concordance takes it further by saying: "the condition acceptable to God. Integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking feeling, and acting."

Now I know some questions are probably going through the heads of some.. Questions like, "what's right, or even correct?" "What really does purity of life mean?" "Who sets the standard that's imposed on us?" "What do we do when we have questions in any standard?"

The best answer for all of these questions is, the Lord Jesus Christ sets the standard. His Word is the authority in our lives. And of course prayer and daily walking with the Spirit prepares us and gets us ready to see, hear, understand, and apply the answers directly into our lives. Of course all that must come after a heart of true humility. An attitude of our hearts where we know and accept that we are not enough on our own. The Lord must complete the work in us. His Spirit has to teach us all things and empower us to be obedient. That's why we must have the attitude of pressing on towards the Lord, pursuing Him daily. And relying on Him to change our hearts and minds.

Don't stop reading God's Word! We must study it, learn from the Spirit, abide in Christ. Only when we stay close will we see joy in our lives and only in Him can we have correctness of thinking, feeling and acting! Seek and you will find! Knock, and the door shall be open unto you! May the Lord richly bless the time you spend with Him! May His Spirit mold you and give you wisdom today!

Patience, Love, and Forgiveness! ( 2 )

1 Timothy 6:11 (KJV)
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Today I was hoping to get right into the first of 3 Words, Patience. But my heart is so overwhelmed with this verse, that I have to take some time and dig in, study, and share what the Holy Spirit is showing me.. Overwhelmed and excited! Are you ready?
If you really want to experience what the Spirit can teach you, then don't JUST read the verse above. Look into what the words mean. The Strong's Concordance will help you see and understand what the translated words are really saying..
Let's start with "follow after"...
At first glance one might say it's like a sheep following a Shepherd. "LaTeDa, munch munch... O look, the guy is moving again... Guess I should go.." Kind of a funny way to see it, but it starts setting the frame work of how we understand, or should I say, miss-understand what this means..
The Strong's definition of "follow after" is this: "to pursue, ensue, given to, press forward.
To make to run or flee, to run swiftly in order to catch a person or thing, to run after.
Figuratively of one who in a race runs swiftly to reach the goal, to pursue (in a hostile manner)"...
Quite a difference in interpretative thoughts. And I've said this before, our lives should be a relentless pursuit of our Lord Jesus! A constant reaching out, straining to catch a grasp or get a hold of our Savior. Not that He's running from us, but a heart attitude to know more, be molded, and to abide or stay close to our Lord....Everyday, all day!
Spend some time with this verse. See what the words are really defined as. And pursue some time with the Spirit today. He will teach us. And there is joy in our time spent with God!
Next, we will look at righteousness. Yep.. the very next word.. and then right down the line through the verse.. Are you ready?

Patience, Love, and Forgiveness! ( 1 )

Romans 8:16-17 (esv)

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Who are we? Why are we here? What are we to look like to this world? How are we to live?

Just a few common questions that Christians ask of themselves and others.

So where do we go to find the answers? Obviously our answer is the Word of God! And the Bible clearly tells us that we are Children of God. Those who have wholly trusted in Christ Jesus as the only source of salvation, and look to Him for all things! Those who fully know that they have been taken from the domain of darkness and have been transferred to the kingdom of God's beloved Son! Colossians 1:13 (esv)
So if the Spirit bears witness that we are truly Children of God, then what do we do from there? How does the world view us? How do those around us speak of us? What sets us apart? The Bible also clearly answers that!
John 13:34-35 (esv) "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Bottom line... If we are the Lord's, then we will love like He loves us! Sometimes that will not be understood. Sometimes the world will call us crazy to love unconditionally, without want of recognition or praise, without conditions. But it's how we are called to live.
I believe there three basic principles, or words, if you will... that we can hold on to as we navigate life. Patience, love, and forgiveness. I will attempt to clarify and expand on those words, in the upcoming posts, in hope that God will be glorified and that His children will begin living the life of joy and fulfillment He has intended for us!

?? Father's Day ??

Happy Father's Day!

OK, I know it's late, but this last week has really got me thinking...

How often do we as Dad's get thanked for all we do on Father's Day?

Every year we get cards, gifts, video thank yous, etc.

But how often, on Father's Day, do we thank our Heavenly Father

for all that He has done for us in our lives? Or even mention Him in anything?

Ever since Father's Day, I have not been able to shake that question

from my mind, or even give it a good answer.. 

All this time, we as Dad's have our day, but we seem to forget 

the Father who made us all and provides so generously for us!

Exodus 3:4-6 (esv)

When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, 

"Moses, Moses!" And he said, " Here I am." 

Then he said, "Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, 

for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."

And he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, 

the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." 

And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

As we see above, having any encounter with the Father is a big deal!

Moses could not look once he knew what he was seeing! 

Neither could he stand!

I am often baffled at how we forget the awe and power of the Father!

He created all things! He holds all thing together!

He guides those who love Him to rest and peace!

But so many of us forget that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom!

Humility is a must! Who are we that we should even stand in His presence?

No matter how much we love Him, and no matter how much He loves us,

When we see Him, we will not be standing!

Bottom line... We all need to start thanking our Father in heaven

for all the wonderful things He has done for us!

Everyday can be like Father's Day! 

For each day that we thank and praise our Father in heaven is a good day!

So the next time Father's Day comes around, think of God our Father!

Thank Him for all the things He has, is, and will do for us!

He truly is a good good Father!

Colossians 1:16-17 (esv)

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, 

visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities 

— all things were created through him and for him. 

And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Is It Really Dark?

Try this for me when you get time...

When the sun goes down, turn off all the lights in the house.

Take a minute and sit in a room.

When your ready, open your eyes.

Spend a few moments focusing your eyes.

Take note of what you see.

I have done this many times and it really paints a wonderful 

picture that I will try to put into words.

Unless you are buried underground there is always light.

It may not be the brightest of light, but there is light.

The Lord made it that way. One light to govern the day.

And one light to govern the night. 

In order to pick up on the light, we need to spend a few

moments waiting for our eyes to adjust.

 When you look at the picture posted above, it really 

speaks to the type of light we see.

I purposefully removed the dominate light in the picture 

in order to see the more subtle light that we don't normally focus on. 

Playing around with the light can sometimes give unexpected results!

There is a Light that someday will replace the need for any other light. 

One that will make all other lights look dark!

Revelation 21:22-25 (esv)

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the
Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 

And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it,

for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 

By its light will the nations walk, 

and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 

and its gates will never be shut by day
— and there will be no night there.

We have the ability to know this Light and see it

before all other light is made dark.

Jesus is the Light I speak of.

You can know Him today! His gift of life is free
and available to all! No matter what you have done.

Don't stay in the dark!
Focus your eyes on the Light of the world, Jesus Christ!
He is all the light you need in this dark world.


 

Light So Bright!

Light So Bright!

Upon entering your home at night, what is the first thing you do?

If you are like most, you reach for the light switch.

We all have an inherent need to find light.

Do an experiment with me, please. It will take some time,

and you will need to do it more than once. 

But I truly believe it will drive home the point on what we are

truly searching for..

Do it indoors or outside. The only rule is, your eyes must be closed!

As you walk with your eyes closed, which way are you looking?

Left, Right, Up, or Down?

I have found after doing this over and over that my entire head

tends to look upward... I asked myself why am I always looking up?

The answer is simple.

We are searching for the Lord.

We were created to have a relationship with Him! 

You will search your entire life for Him.

The light of men is the Lord.

He shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it!

John 1:1-5

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, 

and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

All things were made through him, and without him 

was not any thing made that was made. 

In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

Give this experiment an honest try.

I truly believe our eyes always will divert to the Lord. Up!

He is our Light!

Our path is known only through Him.

No One else can show the way to redemption.

Forgiveness is in the Lord!

Accept Him and follow Him!

He is the Light of your path!

Provided Paths

There is a path where every step you take is with the Lord.

There is also a path where every step you take requires the 

Lord to reach out and rescue you.

If you are walking with the Lord, you will stumble, trip, or even fall.

But the Lord is right there. And you will be reaching for Him when you fall.

Don't worry, He is faithful to catch us and to pick us up!

If you are not walking with the Lord you wont be reaching out

for Him when you fall. Your hands will be out in front of you

in order to break your fall. This will undoubtably will leave

one frustrated, bruised, and questioning every step.

There is nothing like being picked up from a fall,

being brushed off by the Lord,

and set back up your feet by His loving hands!

There is however, nothing worse than falling, feeling totally alone

with no one there who cares enough to see if you are alright.

You don't have to feel alone!

Someone does care!

The Lord will rescue you no matter where you are,

no matter how dirty or bruised.

Trust in the Lord. Let Him into your heart and life!

Live your life to please Him, and Him alone!

Then life will have purpose, meaning, direction, protection,

and you will never again feel alone!

Walk with the Lord on the path He has set before you!

Don't walk away from Him!

The road will be rocky and treacherous, and you will need rescue!

But the road He has for you will shape you and mold you into His image.

It will teach you more about the Lord,

and it will leave wanting more of Him!

Respond, Trust, and Obey!

It will be the best decision you will ever make!

Good Posture

They say a good posture can be the difference between a healthy body and an unhealthy one.

Good posture before the Lord is just as important.

So lets see what a good posture before the Lord looks like. 

I will give a few "snipits" and then dig a bit deeper. Here we go!

Exodus 3:4-6 (esv)

When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, " Moses, Moses!" And he said, " Here I am." Then he said, "Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." And he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Matthew 28:9-10 (esv)

And behold, Jesus met them and said, " Greetings!" And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me."

Act 9:3-5 (esv) (Saul)

Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, " Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" And he said, " Who are you, Lord?" And he said, " I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

Revelation 1:17 (esv)

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.

In Exodus we see Moses in the presence of God in a burning bush. Once Moses knew what he was seeing he hid his face in fear.

In Matthew we see Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary after He rose from the dead, as they came to visit the tomb where He was buried. Again they fell at his feet.

In Acts we see Saul confronted by Jesus after he ascended to heaven. Here Jesus appeared as a great light and spoke to Saul, and Saul fell to the ground and lost his sight.

Finally we see John on an island as he is given Revelation. He fell at His feet as though dead.

So whats the point? We have a picture, some verses, and they all point to the best type of posture before the Lord. On our knees, with our face covered, at His feet!

None can stand in His presence! Those who think they can are foolish!

Those who arrogantly approach will find themselves hiding in the mountains

praying it will fall on them!

A day is coming when ever knee will bow and every tongue will confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord!

For those who know the Lord, there is no safer place than at His mighty feet in a posture of humility.

When we see His perfection and we see our sinfulness, we will fall to our knees and praise God for His limitless love, His unending patience, and His perfect forgiveness. Apart from these things, there is no hope. 

Knowing Jesus, accepting Him as your Savior, and giving all to Him will put your heart in the right posture to praise Him and thank Him for His grace!

Use your knees for what they were meant for. Kneeling!

Troubled Times

Troubled Times

Matthew 24:5-14 (esv)

"See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ' I am the Christ, ' and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains."

"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name 's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."

In these verses we see 2 thoughts.

The first deals with signs. Signs of the end of the age.

The second deals with tribulation or tests.

Many read the signs of the end and are filled with fear.

There are 3 main causes of this fear.

1. Lack of focus on the security we have in Christ Jesus.

2. Lack of knowledge of what the end times are.

3. Unwillingness to endure the tests that might come our way.

There are obvious solutions to these causes of fear.

1. Study of the end times. When we study the end times we find encouragement from God. He continuously tells us He is with us to the end. His perfect love casts out fear. All we need to do is rest in His saving grace and know that all things work for good for those who love Him. 

2. Salvation. For those who are saved, there is security in Christ. No matter what the world tosses at us, nothing can take us from His hand. There is no need to fear.

3. God gives strength in time of need and in times of trial. We are given everything needed to endure any trial, no matter how great. When the time comes for you to be tested, remember the Lord is on your side. Focus on Him, give Him glory, and thank Him for all that comes your way. If we are obedient, we will march into trouble like conquerors! The Lord is our strength!

Don't let Troubled Times cause fear.

Rest in the Lord. He has saved us!

Study His Word. Knowledge of His Word gives direction.

Pray. Our flesh is weak! But He is strong. He will carry you!

Be obedient. If you are truly His, trouble will come. 

Be ready for battle! He has given you all that you need to conquer!

Matthew 28:20b (esv)

"And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Converting the Heart

I have often wondered what the best way to witness is..? 

I have seen different methods work, and I have seen some methods fail. 

How do you determine the best way to present the Gospel to someone 

who may not know the Lord, or even you?.. 

How do you know if "true conversion" or "true repentance" has taken place? 

Some say FEAR. "Fear is the best way to change the heart."

They say it will last and give true results.

Some say PATIENCE. "Patience allows the Lord to work in His time."

To be honest, there is no one way to witness.

We as missionaries need to trust that the Lord will guide our hand.

If we rush in, not waiting on the Lord, we trip.

If we don't take the opportunities presented to us, we disobey.

We all are gifted according to will of the Father.

Revealed to us through the Spirit who guides and teaches us.

Matters of the heart are sometimes extremely personal. 

Many times judging creeps in and we decide for someone 

if they are truly saved or repentant. 

Only the Lord knows the heart. Only He is worthy to judge. 

Our job is to be obedient to Him, spread the word of what He has done for us! 

The Lord takes our obedience and multiplies it according to His will! 

Go out, have a conversation with someone. See what the Lord will do.

May His will rule in your life and mine! Don't judge.... Love. 

That is how they will know we are Christians.... By our Love!

Just as I am...... Still?

How can this be?

What's going on inside of me?

My thoughts, My actions...

The love I once had...
Where did it go?

The dedication, the Drive..

I never felt I had to hide.

But,

Now my heart hurts.

My life burns before my eyes!

I'm tired... I'm worn...

The questions, the doubt,
it all floods my mind.

I cannot see the end this time.

You reached down for me once,

In the dirt,
                   muck,
                              and strife,

you restored my life.

Are you still there?

Do you still hear my prayer?

Am I one of the many... Who seem to be fooled?

Or am I one of the few who are equipped and tooled?

One who stays true,

Wholly devoted to you?
Unwavering, relentless in study,

Constant in prayer?

When I knock, will You open the Door?

Will I be allowed in?
Despite all that knocks me to the floor?

Will you still pick me up now that I've fallen again?
Where do I start? I know not where to begin..

I'm here now... Is that a start?
I wish to give you my heart!
May I walk with you?
Or sit here by your side?
My heart longs to be close, and I wish not to hide.

In my tears I can hear you speaking to me.
Come closer my child, My grace is sufficient for thee!
Trust Me now, come take my hand.
I wont let you go. In My strength.. You can stand!

A Patterned String

A Patterned String

Is it possible to have a life reflect a string of loving acts?

A life wholly devoted to never ending loving deeds?

What would someone look like who was so devoted?

It can be argued that people who are wholly devoted

to the Lord will reflect Him. So much so that all

those around can easily see that Christ is central to their life.

John 13: 34-35

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: 

just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

By this all people will know that you are my disciples,

if you have love for one another."(ESV)

In verse 35 the word "love" means

affection or benevolence; a love feast; feast of charity,

 brotherly love, affection, good will, benevolence

It is a word by definition, requiring action.

So let's clarify... One act of love is great!

It can mend a broken heart, give hope,

and make you feel pretty good.

But the type of love described here is a repeating love.

Our lives need to be a pattern of loving acts

done consistently all throughout our lives.

Would someone say you were a reflection of Christ

when you did only one act of love in your life?

Of course not!

Christ's life here on earth was a daily sacrifice, and giving

of Himself in love to all those around Him.

Daily, Consistently, Sacrificially, and Purposefully.

We must love like He loved.

If we don't, the reflection will be of ourselves.

Be a reflection of Christ, Love, daily.

So that all those around will see you are 

a Disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Let your actions be like the string of Bleeding Hearts above.

I truly believe, the Lord has given us a picture of His

Love in creation.

One act after another, stringing a life together so that all those 

around have no doubt who you reflect.

Let our hearts bleed love, over and over our whole life through!

A World of Love

A World of Love

Have you ever said the world needs more Love?

No matter which way we go in life,

we find trouble caused from selfish ambition

and absence of caring.

We have all heard the famous saying,

"Love is patient, Love is kind."

Some know not where it comes from.
Something that good could only come from God!

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast;

it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way;

it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing,

but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things,

hopes all things, endures all things. (ESV)

I would like to concentrate on one particular part.

"It does not insist on its own way"

I truly believe if we remove our selves,

we will love others more!

We will fight less, care more, and endure.

If we are truly honest with our selves,

we should see the source of most issues is selfish ambition.

We want something and we are not getting it.
Countries go to war because they want something
the other country has, or has taken away.

What would a personal issue look like if you
removed self issues from it?
Take a look at the root of the problem,
admit the issue with the other person,
ask for forgiveness, and then listen to each other..
Real change is rooted in understanding.

I know from personal experience that I get defensive
when someone tells me I am wrong.
I selfishly want to defend and justify, instead of listening.
In these cases, I need to set myself aside
and listen to the other person.
Which I admit, is very difficult at times.

I do believe if we set aside our selves, and open our ears,
we will find ourselves being more patient and kind.
We would be more concerned about the other person,
and we would take better care of them.
And lets face it...
If we ALL thought more about the other person,
we would ALL be taking better care of each other.

Our world would be centered on LOVE!

And who wouldn't love that?!

Someday!

Someday!

As I walked through my life, where sin did exist.
I trusted my Savior, to make something of me.
Where daily I fail, His hand can be seen.
Guiding my moves and paving the way.
As I looked all around, His blessings did abound.

But,

Now my body lays silent, my spirit is moved,
A place of light, unlike the sun or the moon.

Where I am, I feel undone.
So much light, where can I run?

Witnesses all around, my secrets are told.
I fall to my knees, for the Father sits before,

Where no sin can hide, all can be seen.

The shame in my heart, revealing its weight,

A life deserving death, I cover my face.

One question He asks, the answer I cannot say.
Why? He asks again!
Why are you here?

No worldly act have you done,
To make you worthy before me!

His wrath is ready, I feel it now.
A feeling I cannot describe!

Not wrath, but calm,
Like a breath, Peace enters in!
 My Savior's hand I feel on my back.
As I look, in His arms is a book.
He opens it and takes a look.

Look here Father, We wrote down his name!
He trusted in me, and I took his shame.
Nothing more was said then,
The Father's wrath was held back.
He stood me up just as He did before.
 He wiped my tears, with a smile on His face.
Welcome home good servant, I've been expecting you!
 Your whole life through, I've guided your hand.

The praise from your lips, the love that you showed,
Gave praise to My Father, whom the world did not know.

But the end is the beginning,
Which rests only in Me.
Forever I will teach you.
Together, let us now walk.
A life now made new.
A body that lasts,
For eternity at best.
O, the things I will show you,
The things you will learn!
I have so much planned. Take now My hand.
Forever we will walk, My hand guiding you.
Let us start now, eternity awaits!
Sin is no more, death is now gone.

I see in your heart, your desire for Me.
Now see what is in store, what I saved up for you.
What you want, you will have.

To be next to Me.

Come sit with Me now,
A hug just for you!
I love you so much!
Forever I will be with you!

Courage and Obedience Required

Choices

Our lives are full of choices that need to be made.

People will say or do something that will 

push you into battle or retreat.

Daily as Christians we will make these choices,
and it will affect our walk with the Lord.

Ephesians 6:12

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,

against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present

darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (ESV)

Battle isn't always something you can see.
And it will come from places you least expect it.
Make your choice now. Choose to either fight the good fight
or choose to turn and walk away.
Just remember...

Obedience

Matthew 28: 19-20
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in 
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. (ESV)

We as Christians are commanded to move!
The command is simple. And it provides so many choices.

What do you do when...
-Someone tells your child that there is no God.
-A friend is confused about what the Bible is saying.
-Someone asks who Jesus is and what He did for us.
-Someone is trash talking your Savior on social media.
-Someone threatens you with harm if you are not quiet.

The list is really never ending.
That is why Choices and Obedience go hand in hand.

A day is coming, a day of reckoning. A day when light
will shine on all things. Everything will be judged.
Will your activities prove you Obedient?
Will the Choices you made prove that you moved?

We cannot afford any longer to be silent.
We can no longer choose our battles.
For those who can see, the battle is against us!
It has already started!
Is it knocking you down?
Or
Are you fighting back?

We are equipped. Fully armored!

Ready? Set? MOVE!

Matthew 28:20
And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (ESV)

Wrapped in Armor

The Wrap Up!

Well, it's taken a while to get through this! 

But here we are at the end!

We need to look at how all this fits together, 

and how we apply the Armor of God in our lives.

As we have looked deeper into each piece, we find 

the Armor, no matter what piece it is, is a gift from God!

Someone with the Helmet of Salvation can know

and understand all the other parts of armor!

Let's face it... The things of God are Spiritually discerned!

We cannot understand the wisdom of God or even apply

it in our lives without the understanding that the 

Spirit gives us once we are saved!

Our eyes are opened, and we move in the Spirit as 

we are directed to accomplish great things in battle!

We can live a righteous life protected by the Shield of Faith.

We can move forward with our feet protected by the 

Shoes of the Gospel of Peace.

We can pierce the darkness of this world with the 

Sword of Truth, the Word of God!

And we can expose anything false with the Belt of Truth.

A Christians life is filled with danger!

We fall into persecution and are mocked for what we believe.

But hold fast to your Salvation!

Be strong in the Lord.

Know and study His ways.

Be obedient to His calling for you.

If we can truly see all the gifts He gives in the armor provided,

we will appreciate and value every piece.

We will care for and learn to use each piece 

as if it were our very flesh!

When you look in the mirror, What do you see?

Do you see a vulnerable self, beaten down by the world?

Or do you see a Warrior ready to battle this evil world?

Don't let the world win!

We are more than conquerors!

Trust in the Lord, be strong in His might!

One day He is coming for His warriors!

Heaven awaits, and hugs that last for eternity are coming!

May God our Father protect and keep you,

bless you, and encourage you, all the days of your life!