As Christians we are adopted into the family of God. When I worked for the state we always made a point of letting pre-adoptive families know that you can dis-inherit your own kids, disown them, whatever, but you can not do that with an adopted child. When the child is adopted they are given a new birth certificate, with new parents, and a new identitiy.
II Cor. 5:17 states that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
If Christ makes all things new, why do we so readily keep people tied to the chains of the past. Not only to thier own past, but we tie them to the sins of thier family for numbers of generations. We need to let go of the past and acknowledge the new creature when someone accepts Christ. We need to focus on thier new identity, instead of the old.
When we become Christians, we take on a new identity, a new certificate is issued that covers our past sins - it is covered in the blood Jesus shed on Calvary, our Father is God and He will never forsake us.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Love Never Fails
I am often disappointed by people, especially by those I love and care about. I was pondering the happenings with one of the clients I am working with, and how she is not doing what she needs to. How she is failing her family. As I was driving down the road, and I started thinking about the things that are failing in our society. The economy, the government, marriages, families, laws, schools, businesses - the thought came to me from Gods word as a gentle reminder "Love Never Fails." (I Cor. 13:8)
So many times I set out to help people attain what they need to attain, or what I think they need to attain. I think when they do this, when they do that - we will be better, they will be better, things will be okay. But Jesus, he loved people right where they were. He set a standard for the people around him, but he loved them despite of what they were.
If we want people to succeed, we need to love people where they are. We need to set a standard before them with our life. We need to love them to Jesus. The reason that we love - is because Love never fails. Love never fails because God is Love (I John 4:8) and God never fails.
So many times I set out to help people attain what they need to attain, or what I think they need to attain. I think when they do this, when they do that - we will be better, they will be better, things will be okay. But Jesus, he loved people right where they were. He set a standard for the people around him, but he loved them despite of what they were.
If we want people to succeed, we need to love people where they are. We need to set a standard before them with our life. We need to love them to Jesus. The reason that we love - is because Love never fails. Love never fails because God is Love (I John 4:8) and God never fails.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Convenience or Compassion
Our world is definitely one of convenience, drive through windows, convenience stores, instant drinks and foods, automatic everything - we want things to be convenient for us. As Christian's we can not afford to live a life of convenience, we have to follow Christ, and his was not a life of convenience.
Take for instance when Jesus learned that John the Baptist had been killed in Matthew 14. Jesus sought solitude (Verse 13). But he was followed by a multitude of people. It would have been easy for him to snap and say "Look, I am grieving, leave me alone. I need my space. Let me mourn in private." But in verse 14 we see that even though what He wanted was to be alone, and that He had other things on His mind, he allowed himself to be inconvenienced. When the people came to him. He had compassion and he healed them.
The disciples (verse 15) had a different take on the scene. They wanted Jesus to send the people away because there was no food. They felt it was inconvenient for the people to be there. As Christians we have allowed ourselves to respond as the disciples, we don't want to be inconvenienced by the problems of the multitudes. We want to fit it into our schedules, and preferably on Sunday morning after ten and before noon. We want the multitude to come to us.
The multitude didn't follow Christ to a church. They followed HIM - because he met their needs. He met them right where they were, right when they came to him. He was compassionate. We have to step out of what is convenient and begin to show people the compassion of Christ. We have to go to them. We have to meet them right where they are. We have to be ready to do what we can to help them right there and right then.
And when we can't meet the need, we have to follow the example laid before us. The disciples didn't think they could meet the need of the multitude. So they gave what they could to Christ. He took what they had. He blessed it. He gave it back to them and it multiplied. (verses 14 - 20)We must take what we have to offer (The one thing we all have - our life and everything we have and can do) and give it to Jesus. He will bless what we give (He always does when we give with the right attitude) and He will multiply it to meet the need. We just have to have the compassion for others to want to, instead of the convenience of selfishness.
Take for instance when Jesus learned that John the Baptist had been killed in Matthew 14. Jesus sought solitude (Verse 13). But he was followed by a multitude of people. It would have been easy for him to snap and say "Look, I am grieving, leave me alone. I need my space. Let me mourn in private." But in verse 14 we see that even though what He wanted was to be alone, and that He had other things on His mind, he allowed himself to be inconvenienced. When the people came to him. He had compassion and he healed them.
The disciples (verse 15) had a different take on the scene. They wanted Jesus to send the people away because there was no food. They felt it was inconvenient for the people to be there. As Christians we have allowed ourselves to respond as the disciples, we don't want to be inconvenienced by the problems of the multitudes. We want to fit it into our schedules, and preferably on Sunday morning after ten and before noon. We want the multitude to come to us.
The multitude didn't follow Christ to a church. They followed HIM - because he met their needs. He met them right where they were, right when they came to him. He was compassionate. We have to step out of what is convenient and begin to show people the compassion of Christ. We have to go to them. We have to meet them right where they are. We have to be ready to do what we can to help them right there and right then.
And when we can't meet the need, we have to follow the example laid before us. The disciples didn't think they could meet the need of the multitude. So they gave what they could to Christ. He took what they had. He blessed it. He gave it back to them and it multiplied. (verses 14 - 20)We must take what we have to offer (The one thing we all have - our life and everything we have and can do) and give it to Jesus. He will bless what we give (He always does when we give with the right attitude) and He will multiply it to meet the need. We just have to have the compassion for others to want to, instead of the convenience of selfishness.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Take up your cross
I have always heard the verse from Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." But I never fully understood it. Jesus died on the cross, He paid the price for my sins - why would I pick it up? I mean I desire to know God and be a follower of Christ - but what this meant was beyond me.
I have been doing a verse by verse study in the book of Matthew - my goal is to go through the gospels and Acts. I am looking for what Christ told me to do (All Christians to do), what example he set. I have to say it has been pretty eye opening as I allow the Holy Spirit to help me understand and grow in my walk with Christ.
Well, I read that verse again, but I read it in the context of what it was written. Jesus had just rebuked Peter for telling Jesus that the things Jesus was predicting (his death) should not happen. Jesus said "Get the behind me Satan." Jesus knew what laid ahead of him, and as a man it was going to be a hard road to go, he certainly didn't need his friends telling him not to do it.
But right after Jesus makes this incredible statement. If you want to be my follower, deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow me. Well certainly as a Christian I want to follow Christ, But his next statement, I believe he was telling to deny what we want just as he had and deny his"self."
Christ certainly had to deny his flesh in order to take our sins upon him - some men might die for their family, but I don't know to many who would die for an enemy (Maybe our military men and women). He had his friends saying "Don't do it." He knew what was coming. But instead, he denied himself. He knew what allowing himself that pleasure would do to the world he came to save - he loved us to much.
So as he stood before his accusers, he denied himself so that he could pay the penalty for my sin.Then he said "take up your cross." Something that my pastor said made this click. Jesus was the high priest but he was also the sacrificial Lamb. He not only offered the sacrifice (as the High Priest) - he was the sacrifice (as the Lamb). When he took up the cross he acted as both.
We also have to be a sacrifice. He doesn't want our body on a Cross - He wants our life fully sacrificed for his cause. He wants us to be willing to offer our life to him, and our life is to be a sacrifice as we deny our self and follow the path he took.He then said "And follow me." He didn't just say "Oh I will die for them." He did it.
So often we say "Oh I will sacrifice .... for Christ" But when push comes to shove, it is Him that gets set aside. We think the sacrifice costs too much. We won't put the action behind our words. Well Christ wants us to follow him - he died - just as he wants us to die to self. He rose again, and He promised to give us a new life for the one we gave up. We die so we can live in Him. He died so we could live with Him. So deny your self, take up your cross, and follow Him. Deny your self, sacrifice your self, and die to self and you will be able to live in Christ.
I have been doing a verse by verse study in the book of Matthew - my goal is to go through the gospels and Acts. I am looking for what Christ told me to do (All Christians to do), what example he set. I have to say it has been pretty eye opening as I allow the Holy Spirit to help me understand and grow in my walk with Christ.
Well, I read that verse again, but I read it in the context of what it was written. Jesus had just rebuked Peter for telling Jesus that the things Jesus was predicting (his death) should not happen. Jesus said "Get the behind me Satan." Jesus knew what laid ahead of him, and as a man it was going to be a hard road to go, he certainly didn't need his friends telling him not to do it.
But right after Jesus makes this incredible statement. If you want to be my follower, deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow me. Well certainly as a Christian I want to follow Christ, But his next statement, I believe he was telling to deny what we want just as he had and deny his"self."
Christ certainly had to deny his flesh in order to take our sins upon him - some men might die for their family, but I don't know to many who would die for an enemy (Maybe our military men and women). He had his friends saying "Don't do it." He knew what was coming. But instead, he denied himself. He knew what allowing himself that pleasure would do to the world he came to save - he loved us to much.
So as he stood before his accusers, he denied himself so that he could pay the penalty for my sin.Then he said "take up your cross." Something that my pastor said made this click. Jesus was the high priest but he was also the sacrificial Lamb. He not only offered the sacrifice (as the High Priest) - he was the sacrifice (as the Lamb). When he took up the cross he acted as both.
We also have to be a sacrifice. He doesn't want our body on a Cross - He wants our life fully sacrificed for his cause. He wants us to be willing to offer our life to him, and our life is to be a sacrifice as we deny our self and follow the path he took.He then said "And follow me." He didn't just say "Oh I will die for them." He did it.
So often we say "Oh I will sacrifice .... for Christ" But when push comes to shove, it is Him that gets set aside. We think the sacrifice costs too much. We won't put the action behind our words. Well Christ wants us to follow him - he died - just as he wants us to die to self. He rose again, and He promised to give us a new life for the one we gave up. We die so we can live in Him. He died so we could live with Him. So deny your self, take up your cross, and follow Him. Deny your self, sacrifice your self, and die to self and you will be able to live in Christ.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Answered Prayers
I am ending this 2008 year with great hopes for the new year. You see at the beginning of the year I visited my cousin's church. I don't remember why I was there, just that I was over taken by emotion seeing my cousin, her spouse, their three children, their significant others, and their children all sitting there together. Just the year before I remember visiting with my cousin, and she wanted to go to the church, but didn't want to go alone. It was such a blessing to witness that, and I started my prayer that I too would see this in my own family.
Today, I got to experience that first hand. Of course, we were late so we were kind of spread out, but Tim was there with me, at my side. Billie Jo was in the kid class - along with Katie (My niece) and Malachi (Tim's nephew). Dallas was behind us with Shane (my nephew). Laurin was sitting next to Garrit (My nephew) and my mom was sitting next to my sister. And an added bonus, my adopted spiritual kid (Still waiting to see him adopted into God's family) was sitting next to Tim.
So I admit, Tim didn't come completely of his own free will - there were ten of us and while Laurin can drive, she can only legally drive with one person under the age of nineteen outside her immediate family. Mom doesn't drive very far, so that ruled her out - which just left Tim. But he was there! It is an answered prayer - especially since it was not one of those Christmas programs or Easter programs which he has to attend.
PS - thanks Christine Caine for the advice during the 2007 Joyce Meyer's Women;s Conference - it worked!!!
Today, I got to experience that first hand. Of course, we were late so we were kind of spread out, but Tim was there with me, at my side. Billie Jo was in the kid class - along with Katie (My niece) and Malachi (Tim's nephew). Dallas was behind us with Shane (my nephew). Laurin was sitting next to Garrit (My nephew) and my mom was sitting next to my sister. And an added bonus, my adopted spiritual kid (Still waiting to see him adopted into God's family) was sitting next to Tim.
So I admit, Tim didn't come completely of his own free will - there were ten of us and while Laurin can drive, she can only legally drive with one person under the age of nineteen outside her immediate family. Mom doesn't drive very far, so that ruled her out - which just left Tim. But he was there! It is an answered prayer - especially since it was not one of those Christmas programs or Easter programs which he has to attend.
PS - thanks Christine Caine for the advice during the 2007 Joyce Meyer's Women;s Conference - it worked!!!
Friday, December 12, 2008
temptation
I was reading in Matthew Chapter 4 about the Temptation of Christ last night and saw things with a fresh perspective. I mean most of us know about the temptation, but what the Word of God reveals is just really enlightening.
First I noticed that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. Even in temptation He was led by the Spirit; He didn't just waltz into a bad situation He was following God's will, most surely to be an example for us. If Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit, even in temptation how much more do we need to be led of the Holy Spirit?
Second, I read in verse two He was hungry. I know Jesus was fasting for forty days, but I always think of Him on this earth as a super human deity, not a mere man sent here to walk out life just as we do.
Satan tempted him first in the physical. Your hungry, meet the need. So many times we give in to the temptation to compromise for worldly things - maybe to meet our basic needs or just to meet physical needs in general. We give in to the temptation. Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. He wasn't saying "I'm not hungry," just that his first command is to obey every word from God; Jesus knew that was His purpose in the wilderness that day. He obeyed His Father.
Then I noticed that in the second temptation the devil took him. I still believe that the Holy Spirit was with him guiding and directing him, just this time God gave Satan permission to led Jesus into the temptation. I think a lot of times instead of following the Holy Spirit, or being led into temptation, we put our selves into a tempting situation knowing it is a problem, plugging our ears, heart and soul to the Spirit's prompting of "STAY AWAY" and Satan just follows along coming in the door we opened for him, at which time He has free reign.
The second temptation Satan tempted Jesus to prove who he was. So many times we compromise who we are to prove something to someone. The fact is we are who God says we are. We can put that to the test, it will always come out true. However, as Jesus answered, we can not test God. I think that is one of the reasons that Shadrach, Meshach and Abendigo made the statement "Even if God doesn't." They believed their God would save them, but even if He didn't they would still follow Him. We do not need to prove who we are; we are everything God says about us. He can not lie, so it is true - no need to prove it, just live it. T.D. Jakes made a great comment - we can see a black box and if we say it is green, it doesn't change the fact that it is really black. If God says that same box is white - it will be white. That is how we must be; we must accept the reality of what God speaks about us in His word. He can not lie, He is just a gentleman and waits for us to let go of the lies we have told ourselves about who we are so He can reveal in us what we already are.
The last temptation was for power and control. Satan wanted the same thing that day on that mountain that he wanted when he was kicked out of Heaven - to be worshipped. He was even willing to give up something that wasn't his to give to get it.
How many times do we end up worshipping something that isn't even "all that?" We put the guy, the job, the celebrity, the church, the newest toy on a pedestal we think if we devote all our time and energy to it that it will be all we ever hoped and dreamed for. But the fact is their all tools of Satan because we are to 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only. Satan sidetracks us even with church to keep us from worshipping God and serving Him.
Another thought that came to me is "serving Him." How do we do that? The Bible says that if we have done it to the least of these we have done it unto Him. So we serve others. We serve those less fortunate, more fortunate, and everything in between.
When Jesus was done being tempted the Bible says "Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him." Eventually when we prove that we can stand up to the temptation it will leave us. Then we can be ministered to by the angels around us. Sure Satan will come back, but we just have to remember Greater is He who is in me, than he that is in the world.
First I noticed that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. Even in temptation He was led by the Spirit; He didn't just waltz into a bad situation He was following God's will, most surely to be an example for us. If Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit, even in temptation how much more do we need to be led of the Holy Spirit?
Second, I read in verse two He was hungry. I know Jesus was fasting for forty days, but I always think of Him on this earth as a super human deity, not a mere man sent here to walk out life just as we do.
Satan tempted him first in the physical. Your hungry, meet the need. So many times we give in to the temptation to compromise for worldly things - maybe to meet our basic needs or just to meet physical needs in general. We give in to the temptation. Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. He wasn't saying "I'm not hungry," just that his first command is to obey every word from God; Jesus knew that was His purpose in the wilderness that day. He obeyed His Father.
Then I noticed that in the second temptation the devil took him. I still believe that the Holy Spirit was with him guiding and directing him, just this time God gave Satan permission to led Jesus into the temptation. I think a lot of times instead of following the Holy Spirit, or being led into temptation, we put our selves into a tempting situation knowing it is a problem, plugging our ears, heart and soul to the Spirit's prompting of "STAY AWAY" and Satan just follows along coming in the door we opened for him, at which time He has free reign.
The second temptation Satan tempted Jesus to prove who he was. So many times we compromise who we are to prove something to someone. The fact is we are who God says we are. We can put that to the test, it will always come out true. However, as Jesus answered, we can not test God. I think that is one of the reasons that Shadrach, Meshach and Abendigo made the statement "Even if God doesn't." They believed their God would save them, but even if He didn't they would still follow Him. We do not need to prove who we are; we are everything God says about us. He can not lie, so it is true - no need to prove it, just live it. T.D. Jakes made a great comment - we can see a black box and if we say it is green, it doesn't change the fact that it is really black. If God says that same box is white - it will be white. That is how we must be; we must accept the reality of what God speaks about us in His word. He can not lie, He is just a gentleman and waits for us to let go of the lies we have told ourselves about who we are so He can reveal in us what we already are.
The last temptation was for power and control. Satan wanted the same thing that day on that mountain that he wanted when he was kicked out of Heaven - to be worshipped. He was even willing to give up something that wasn't his to give to get it.
How many times do we end up worshipping something that isn't even "all that?" We put the guy, the job, the celebrity, the church, the newest toy on a pedestal we think if we devote all our time and energy to it that it will be all we ever hoped and dreamed for. But the fact is their all tools of Satan because we are to 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only. Satan sidetracks us even with church to keep us from worshipping God and serving Him.
Another thought that came to me is "serving Him." How do we do that? The Bible says that if we have done it to the least of these we have done it unto Him. So we serve others. We serve those less fortunate, more fortunate, and everything in between.
When Jesus was done being tempted the Bible says "Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him." Eventually when we prove that we can stand up to the temptation it will leave us. Then we can be ministered to by the angels around us. Sure Satan will come back, but we just have to remember Greater is He who is in me, than he that is in the world.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Change your Perspectives
Have you even been on the mountain one moment and then felt like you were in the valley?
First you are on the mountain looking around and everything just looks great. Not that everything is perfect, but you just have that clear perspective looking out and can see the plain before you. Your perspective is one looking out and because things are in front of you, they seem possible and attainable. You are on top of the world.
Then without notice, you are in the valley. You feel like you couldn't go any lower. It feels like the world is coming down around you. Walls are surrounding you on every side, and you have an overwhelming sense that nothing will ever work out for you.
But if you stop to think about it, you realize that you never moved. Things changed because you allowed Satan to get in and change your perspective. You are still standing the same place that you were the day before. The only thing that has changed is your perspective.
You allowed Satan to draw your focus to what is surrounding you, the walls that surround where you are. He has drawn your focus to the place straight ahead or maybe behind you, the mountainous walls. He has chosen to get you to focus there, because he knows it will discourage you and stop you in your tracks.
But then you look up. You see that you are not in the valley, but on the mountain peak, right where you were before. You look up to see God on the next peak up desperately trying to get your attention "Hey, look up here" He shouts. His hand outreached, waiting for you to look up and in faith take His hand, to reach the next level in your journey.
At that point you have a critical decision to make - do you allow Satan to keep your focus on the mountainous walls surrounding you so that you feel overwhelmed or do you tell Satan to get under your feet and use him as a ladder to reach up to God's outstretched hand to reach the next peak in the path God has for you.
Change your perspective. Start looking up, no matter what you think you see before you, God will always bring you up to the next level if you reach up in faith!
Wrote Dec. 2, 2008
First you are on the mountain looking around and everything just looks great. Not that everything is perfect, but you just have that clear perspective looking out and can see the plain before you. Your perspective is one looking out and because things are in front of you, they seem possible and attainable. You are on top of the world.
Then without notice, you are in the valley. You feel like you couldn't go any lower. It feels like the world is coming down around you. Walls are surrounding you on every side, and you have an overwhelming sense that nothing will ever work out for you.
But if you stop to think about it, you realize that you never moved. Things changed because you allowed Satan to get in and change your perspective. You are still standing the same place that you were the day before. The only thing that has changed is your perspective.
You allowed Satan to draw your focus to what is surrounding you, the walls that surround where you are. He has drawn your focus to the place straight ahead or maybe behind you, the mountainous walls. He has chosen to get you to focus there, because he knows it will discourage you and stop you in your tracks.
But then you look up. You see that you are not in the valley, but on the mountain peak, right where you were before. You look up to see God on the next peak up desperately trying to get your attention "Hey, look up here" He shouts. His hand outreached, waiting for you to look up and in faith take His hand, to reach the next level in your journey.
At that point you have a critical decision to make - do you allow Satan to keep your focus on the mountainous walls surrounding you so that you feel overwhelmed or do you tell Satan to get under your feet and use him as a ladder to reach up to God's outstretched hand to reach the next peak in the path God has for you.
Change your perspective. Start looking up, no matter what you think you see before you, God will always bring you up to the next level if you reach up in faith!
Wrote Dec. 2, 2008
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