Today

Today – the first day of the rest of my life.

My actions get in the way of my thoughts, my plans, my desires, my wishes. My actions – often the result of Satan planting seeds of doubt, therefore I react – my reaction is not to my good, not positive, but very negative.

It is as Paul writes in Romans 7:14-23 (New Living Translation) …

“The law is good, then. The trouble is not with the law but with me, because I am sold into slavery, with sin as my master. I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good. But I can’t help myself, because it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things. I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn, I can’t make myself do right. I want to, but I can’t. When I want to do good, I don’t. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. But if I am doing what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing it; the sin within me is doing it.  It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart.  But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.”  

Jesus tells us in John 8:31-32, 36 (New King James) …

“If you abide in My word … you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”

FREE

Freedom from sin, freedom from the hold Satan has on you.

Satan strives every minute of every day to reduce us to slavery.

“He who is of God hears God’s words; " (John 8:47a)

We hear

We comprehend

But!

Our actions belie our hearing, our comprehending

Our actions give way to a single moment of desire and Satan has us hook, line and sinker. Our desire consumes us – it becomes of more importance than anything else.

We are of God

We hear His word

Yet, unfortunate it is, complete and total allegiance, obedience to Him is missing.

Who am I under?

God’s will

or Satan’s dart of contention warring within me

Who do I serve

Romans 8:5 tells us “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit the things of the Spirit.”

Who do I please

Who do I want to please

What do I want to please

The troubles of the moment will overwhelm us if we don’t look at the overall picture! - If we don’t look to God.

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)

“(Likewise) the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses for we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:26-28)

“If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31a)

Who?

“Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect?
Who is he who condemns?
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
What will separate us?

Not tribulation, nor distress, nor persecution, nor famine, nor nakedness, nor peril, nor sword.” (Romans 8:33-35)

I am complete in Him.

Our actions may belie our thoughts from time to time, but we are not to stay there.

Our thoughts must always bring us to Jesus.

Our actions must be a result of where God brings us, NOT into a corner where Satan continually strives to drive us.

We must remember to continually look to Him for our everything. For with Him, in Him, I can do anything. 

Without Him, I remain floundering in an open sea without a life jacket, without Hope.

Not of the world

Not of the world
But of the Lord Jesus
Yet whose inner voice do we hear and follow
We live in the world
Jesus lived here too
It was no different
He faced the same struggles we too face
Yet He persevered,
looked to His Father in heaven
for all His answers

We are wayward
We may persevere
but we do not always look up or even in His general direction
We look to our neighbor, our friend, our spouse,
at what the world says or suggests or rules

The Lord says do not fear
Yet we do fear
Our fear escalates
anxiety builds ...
oh what will we do,
relationships estranged, jobs lost, hours shortened,
savings depleted, retirement accounts dwindled,
bills higher and higher, oh how to pay
The circle is endless
There is no end
Round and round she goes
and where she stops nobody knows
Where to get off
How to get off
The merry-go-round of life
The world
We live in the world
But ...
But what?!
We live here
We work here
We play here
We have babies here
We get married here
We take vacations here
We do everything here.

Yet,
didn't we give our hearts to Jesus?
didn't we say Yes, we will follow You?
didn't we say we will trust and obey?
didn't we?

We are not of the world
Not of this world
but we darn sure act like we are

The Lord promises us His kingdom
But do we strive to do, to be ALL He wills for us
Do we listen to Him at all
Are we mindful of His commands or disobedient

Have we forgotten?

We live in the world
We are not of the world

The Lord God created the heavens, the world, you and me

He
My God
My Shepherd
My Father
My King
and yours?

He is in control
He knows the beginning from the end and all that is in between
He is
The Alpha and The Omega

He.
Not the world.
has everything under control.

We must rely on Jesus
Not  anything anywhere else
Only Him.
He will take us places no one else can dare.

We must
Come to Him alone
Follow Him alone
Stay the course with Him alone
Be complete in Him
alone.

Cathy Orrick Luders

9.15.2011

In Memory of Bridget

"I Loved You Best"

The end came
too soon,
always too soon
Never a timely moment
for death
Never too late
Always too early
Years and years
or months and days
Doesn't matter
The bond formed
lasts beyond time
Nothing is the same
ever again
But the joy and love
shared
brings a
spontaneous
laugh
and then
a tear.
Oh good-bye my sweet
sweet girl
Good-bye for now
but I'll see you
again ...
maybe just around
the next bend.

In Memory of
Dianne's
yellow lab
Bridget
1994 - 2011
Sept. 6

"The Rainbow Bridge"

Go, and ...

I often think “Go, Do” is the way, and perhaps it is, but to be sure and to perhaps change my thinking I decided to do a mini-study on Jesus’ command, “Go.” My study led me through the four gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

‘And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)
       

G

• o Go everywhere and preach the gospel – preach repentance, salvation, everlasting life – to everyone

 ‘These 12 Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying:  Go wherever the Lord sends you, not of your own choosing; (my words of Matthew 10:5) “go and as you go, preach, saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  Heal, cleanse, raise the dead, cast out demons, freely give. … And when you go into a household, greet it. Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up … and scourge you … but do not worry … do not fear.” (Matthew 10:5, 7-8, 12, 16-17, 19, 26)

·        Go wherever the Lord sends you and preach eternal life; as you meet another, greet them in the name of the Lord, but be wise, beware.

‘Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the Kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:60)

·        Go and preach the Kingdom of God

‘But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62)

·        Go and go forth and do, but if in going you look back, forlorn over what you have lost, you are not worthy to enter God’s heavenly realms

‘Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John (John the Baptist) the things which you hear and see: The blind receive their sight and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.” (Matthew 11:4-5, Luke 7:22)

“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.” (Matthew 18:15)

“Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” (Mark 5:19)

·        Go and tell

·        Go, forgive

·        Go, show compassion

‘But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” (Matthew 14:16)

·        Go, give what you have, give what they need

“And at midnight a cry was heard. Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him! (Matthew 25:6)

·        Go, meet him

‘So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Matthew 19:17)

The commandments –

“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31)

·        Go, keep the commandments

·        Go, love the Lord

·        Go, love your neighbor

Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect (complete), go, sell, what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come, follow Me.” (Matthew 19:21, Luke 10:37)

“One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 10:21)

·        Go, sell, give to the poor; and come, follow Jesus

‘And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, The Teacher says, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.” (Matthew 26:18)

·        Go, say

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

·        Go, make disciples, baptizing and teaching them

‘And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.” (Mark 5:34)

“Go your way; your faith has made you well.” (Mark 10:52)

·        Go in peace and be healed

‘And He said to them, “Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a cold tied on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it.” (Mark 11:2)

·        Go and find and bring

“Rise up, let us go. See My betrayer is at hand.” (Mark 14:42)

·        Go, go

 “And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.” (Matthew 5:41)

·        Go more than what you are asked

‘She said, “No one Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” (John 8:11)

·        Go, do not sin

     Jesus commands us to go, sending us; we go, we came, we went, we come back, we return.

When Jesus made the blind man see, He said: “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, “Go wash in the pool of Siloam.” So he went and washed, and came back seeing.” (John 9:4-7)

·        Go, obey

·        Go, believe

·        Go in faith

“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:14-15)

•  Go, do as I have done for you

“Where I am going, you cannot come.” (John 13:33)

“Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.” (John 13:36)

•  Go, be
•  Go, keep my commandments

Go forth and follow Me

“Lord, I will follow You wherever you go.” (Luke 9:57)

Will you?