Let Your Light Shine….

Have you ever noticed that you can tell when someone is a Christian?  You meet someone in the store, or at the doctor’s office, and you just know they are a Christian? 

When I first became a Christian, it seemed like everyone that came my way was  a Christian also.  At the time, about five years ago, I thought it was a just a coincidence.  But now, I know that God actually put them in my path and continues to do so. 

I was studying my Bible last night when I came across the part of  Jesus’ ministry where He is telling the people gathered about the light within.   Luke 11:33-36 “No man, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a cellar, nor under a basket, but on a stand, that those who enter in may see the light.  The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore when your eye is good, your whole body is also full of light; but when it is evil, your body also is full of darkness.   Therefore see whether the light that is in you isn’t darkness.   If therefore your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly full of light, as when the lamp with its bright shining gives you light.”  (emphasis added) 

I notice the light shining in many Christians that I come in contact with.  I see it in their eyes, and I hope they can see it in mine.  As this world continues to become darker and darker, Christian’s light must shine brighter and brighter. 

Ask the Lord today, to refresh your light and fill you with the Holy Spirit so that you can be a bright light in today’s darkness.

God bless you today! 

 

Young ones standing…

Our 12 year old daughter had a major break through this weekend.  It was so exciting for her.  She was circling around singing, “I have no-oh th-oughts, I have no-oh th-oughts!”  Ok, so to the average person, she might have sounded crazy.  My husband looked at me like, “honey…is she ok?”

To give you some background, our daughter has been struggling with worry and trust for as long as I can remember.  She is afraid of the dark, she is afraid of her ears being touched, she doesn’t try new food, she is afraid of heights, and she is desperately afraid of the orthodontist. 

Our orthodontist is amazing.  He is gentle, kind, and has never hurt her in any way.  In fact, she has never felt anything he has done with her braces.  But days, and sometimes weeks, before her appointment she starts worrying.  This is not ordinary worry.  It is complete distraught, physically sick, crying, losing sleep worry.  Every time the appointment comes around, we pray and seek God’s strength.  She knows to trust God, but allows the enemy to keep her in fear.

Ok, so back to the break through.  Our daughter’s orthodontist appointment is coming up.  And, as she always does in the evening…she is taking a shower.  Which is where she normally ‘thinks’.  But tonight she comes running down the stairs with a glow that can not be explained singing her little song. 

When asked what she was so excited about, she just says, “I rebuked Satan today!  He started making me feel scared about my dentist appointment.  And I just said, ‘Satan, if God is for me who can be against me?  I am a child of God and you can not tempt me anymore!’ “, and she finished with, “I told him off Mom!”  She has not once thought about her appointment since that night.  I can not wait to see what God does with her new trust in Him.

I can not help but think of the verse, Matthew 18:2-3 “Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, ‘Assuradly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like little children, you will by no means enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”  Her excitement, her smile, she didn’t care what anyone thought.  She was just innocently trusting God.  In a way, I envied her.

Just wanted to share…

 

Simply Pride. (Just my thoughts for the day.)

Today I was having devotion time with my children, ages 12 & 13.  We are studying Joyce Meyer’s book, Life Without Strife.  I have read the book, but thought it would be a good book to discuss with the kids.  Each morning at 6:30, while we have breakfast, I read aloud through a chapter and we discuss the questions at the end. 

As I was reading today about the “doors” which allow strife to enter, we came to the door of pride.  The book explains how judgement, criticism, complaining, contentions, it all comes from the door of pride.  So, I’m sitting there reading this to the kids while inside I am completely convicted.  I’m thinking this book is a good book for the kids, and I have already read it, but yet I need to hear this just as much as anyone.  Convicted again!

I love to be convicted like that, because it sets me in my place.  When I get to thinking I am “doing something for someone else”, the Lord gives me a “kick” to say, “You need this just as much.”  It keeps me humble.  But, I wasn’t always able to see this.  I used to blindly think I was helping people see the error of their ways.  I would set out books I thought my husband should read. (Still a little tempted to do that.)  I would go around with many “words of wisdom”, and think I was helping people so much.  But, as I age in my Christian walk, I have learned of how little I actually know. 

Pride is a deceitful thing.  It makes you think you know, when you probably do not.  Just yesterday, I was going to set a book out for my husband, but the Holy Spirit stopped me.  The good thing is, I listened!  I am still tempted by this pride, this simple pride.  But I am learning, if  I think I am right, I better check with God.

God bless you all today.

 

Marvelous Musings

I have been tagged by time2standladies to participate in posting a verse that is challenging, shocking, or has impacted me greatly and then to share my thoughts on it if I would like.  I am supposed to tag five more people, but because I am new to tagging and also to linking with other bloggers, I hope you will all forgive me for not having anyone to tag today. (I am working on this.)

Here are the guidelines.

1. In your post include a link back to the person who has tagged you.
2. Post one of your intriguing, or shocking, or challenging passages/verses of scripture from the Bible, showing scripture references (chapter and verse) and Bible version.
3. (Optional) You may choose to state what you currently understand it to mean; You may also encourage others to comment or share on what they understand that excerpt to mean.
4. Tag new people to participate.

1 John 4:18 (NKJV) “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who has fear has not been made perfect in love.” 

 

The commentary for this verse reads as follows:  “If we are ever of the future, eternity, or God’s judgement, we can remind ourselves of God’ love.  We know that he loves us perfectly. (Romans 8:38-39)  We can resolve our fears first by focusing on his immeasurable love for us, and then by allowing him to love others through us.  His love will quiet your fears and give you confidence.”

 

My thoughts:

I get this verse regarding God’s love, but what I find jumps out at me is, “fear involves torment.”  When we fear we are tormented.  We are paralized, we can not move.  As a child of God, it is my belief that we are to always be moving forward in our walk.  If fear toments, and therefore paralizes, it stops us from moving forward.

 

I would love to hear what you think about this verse.

 

 

“I can do all things …”

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

This is one of my most favorite verses.  It is the first one I memorized, and it has been a verse that reminds me that I can be strong in Christ and I don’t have to rely on my own strength.  It especially helped me when I was saved and my husband had not yet accepted the invitation of salvation.  It helped me when we started homeschooling and needed to persevere to succeed. I could go on with examples, but you get the point. 

But on the other hand, I have to wonder if I sometimes misuse the verse in order to encourage myself in “all things”.  All things, weather in the will of God or acting in my own flesh.  I wonder if I rely on the verse to give me strength for volunteering at our church while negecting my home chores or my husband.  I tell myself, “This is difficult and it really isn’t working, but I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  I have done this several times, thinking that if I am doing something that seems like it is for the Lord, it must be.  But God has shown me, just this year, that I must pray before saying yes to commitments to make sure it is what He wants me to be doing, no matter how “good” it might seem.

I had to turn down a commitment this year because of this lesson, and I don’t like saying no to anyone.  (That really being the problem).  So, in obedience to God, I had to say no to my church.  Something that confused me at first.  But God is revealing to me the reasons for this each day.

I have learned to seek the Lord’s will first before making long term commitments.  And, I have learned that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, but those things must be His will for my life.  Only then I can receive His strength. But not just His strength, but also His grace, and His blessings which He promises to those who trust in Him and are obedient.

God bless you today.

 

Lest anyone should boast!

Ok, so today I am rereading Ephesians.  I love this book of the Bible.  Of course I love all the books, but this one just touches my heart every time.  The entire book will be completely underlined before too long.  But as I was reading, I came to the verse, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”  Ephesians 2:8-9

Every time I read that verse, I just smile.   I think of what salvation could look like if it were something we earned.  Could you imagine?  Everyone walking around telling everyone exactly what they did to get salvation and how that got them “in” to Heaven.  We know people like that in this world, and I have to tell you…being around them for any short period of time will  make you crazy.  How about spending eternity with someone like that?  No way!!! 

Our God is so good to know exactly how sinful man is.  He knew, if He did not make salvation a free gift, and provide the Holy Spirit to guide us in our life in order to change our hearts, it would be a disaster.  I am so glad He knows best in EVERY situation.  It brings me comfort and peace to know how He works.  And I know this from reading His Word.

I just wanted to share this with all of you.  First, just because it is an amazing thing that God has given us in our Lord Jesus Christ.  But secondly, because we need to make sure we are not “boasting” in our every day life.  It is so unbecoming.

God bless you all today.

 

Is all the sin cast out?

In the Old Testament of the Bible, the Israelites were told by God to conquer the entire region that He had set aside for them.  Joshua had done a lot to get this task completed.  But then the land was divided without being fully conquered.  The idea was that the land would continue to be conquered until the task was complete.  But, as we know, that did not happen.  So what was the result? 

To this day Israel fights to win the land that God had given to their father Abraham.  The war and fighting does not cease.  It continues to the end of time.  We know this by reading the Bible.  History proves it to be truth.  But how does this relate to the modern day Christian and his or her walk with the Lord?

The Israelites failed to cast out all the pagans in their land.  And so they fight to keep and control what was given to them.  It is the same for us.  If we do not cast out ALL the sin from our lives, we will continue to fight it and continue to try and control it until the end of time.  That is our battle.  It is spiritual, but it is real. 

What sin in your life has not be cast out?  Lying?  Covetousness?  Reviling in the pain of others?  Adultery?  Wrong thoughts?  Lust?  Pornography?  Addictions?  Whatever the sin…CAST IT OUT!  Get rid of it today and don’t go back.  Like they say, “don’t go there, man! ”  Even the shortest phone call can lead to gossip.  If you have a problem with that, don’t call people to ”chat”.  Don’t get on line if you have  a problem with searching out pornography.  Don’t go to the mall if you have a problem with covetousness.  Keep yourself guarded.  But most importantly,  find someone who will hold you accountable.  And keep to the Word of God for daily encouragement and “food” for your soul.

God bless!

 

A New Year, A New Life

It’s a new year!  That in itself excites so many people.  They dance in the streets, and sing, they even wish the best to people they don’t even know.  Of course the new year stimulates resolutions which are made in all good intention of completion.  But, within a few weeks, months, and sometimes only days, the resolution has been set aside.  I gave up on resolutions years ago.  Although I don’t condemn anyone who is seeking to better themselves.

That brings me to my point, how can we better ourselves?  We make the commitment, and then fall short.  But not to worry!  There is hope.  It doesn’t come in the form of a diet program, or fitness center.  No pill contains the secret ingredient, no special “low fat” foods.  Nope!  No friendship, not even “positive thinking exercises”.  And can you believe we fall for all this stuff? 

There is only one way to a new life this new year, and that is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Because the Bible teaches us, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. BEHOLD, ALL THINGS HAVE BECOME NEW..”  (2 Corinthians 2:15) All things.  All things.  I LOVE THAT!  No matter what you have done in your past, you are forgiven and God no longer sees it.  God forgets it.  And you are new. 

Maybe you have been involved in things you are ashamed of.  Maybe you have done something you think no one could be forgiven for.  Maybe you can not even forgive yourself.  But God will.  Take His invitation this New Year for a New Life.  One filled  with forgiveness, love, peace, and fellowship with others who have been where you are but are New today.

To find out more about how you can accept this new life follow this link.

God bless you all this new year!

 

Lord, what will You have me do?

Today as I was beginning to “blog”, I thought about what Iwould like to say.  I thought about what was going on in Israel, Palestine, Iraq, Iran, and right here in America.  I thought, “If I could just write something that would get a lot of other people to view my blog, maybe they would read some of my other stuff.”  So I continued to think about what Iwould be discussing.  But then the Lord spoke to my heart, “Hey…whose blog, whose words, whose stuff here on this site?” 

Oh boy, maybe that is why I haven’t had anything to write lately.  I have been asking myself for the wisdom and the words.  And so this blog post is just a reminder to all…every day, ask the Lord, “what will You have me do?”

Obedience to the Lord is key to peace and joy.  I keep learning that over and over.  It used to be the Lord would teach me these lessons through big situations and painful consequences.  But now, I hear Him before it gets too out of control.  I like that.

God be with you today.

 

Do not worry about tomorrow…

I wanted to check in to say, I am still dedicated to this blog site.  It has been a while since I have been able to sit down and write.  Call it writers block, or whatever. 

The current status of the country is somewhat overwhelming, and I have been caught up in the world events the past few months, as I am sure you all have been as well.  I listened carefully to all the debates, the ads, the speeches, and concerns of the candidates during the election campaign, and I don’t think any questions were really answered.  But something I can safely say is this, Obama is a tool to the Lord. 

As Christians, we know where the story ends.  We believe in that, and we know that the Bible does not teach us to believe in a world that progressively gets better and better until it is just the “Garden of Eden” again.  We do not know what role President Elect Obama will play, but we can safely say he has a role. 

I have heard that people are in somewhat of a panic; questioning, “what do I do now?” But I think it is important to continue doing exactly what we are doing right now.  Pray, fast, attend church, earn what we can, save, and just continue to put one foot in front of the other.  The bible tells us in Matthew 6 verse 34, Matt. 6:34 ”Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  We must continue to live each day as for the Lord.  Do not worry about tomorrow.  Meditate on the promises of God to those who trust in Him.

If you would like to know more about the promises of God and the life that is waiting for anyone who trusts in Him, please follow this link.  Know God

God bless you today.