Childish ways ... child-like wonder

I read an interesting blog, http://10stepstofindingyourhappyplace.blogspot.com/2012/08/i-gave-up-childish-ways.html and realized it wasn't until many years after I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior that I saw God’s world with wonder and mystery.

I write what I perceive, but I now believe some of my perception is off. Every child, every person, is different, and how we view the world around us is perhaps more determined by our childhood, our family life, than simply saying at age 7 we’re a child and at age 21 an adult.   

When I wrote the following on Dec. 7, my description of childhood wonder was seen through the eyes and heart of a 61-year-old. 

A child,
filled with
wide-eyed wonder,
surrounding.
Gazing sweetly,
enjoying moments
enchanted with all before them.
Eager to search and see,
fear has no meaning.
The world is open to explore

My childhood wonder disappeared by the time I was 8. Santa Claus didn’t exist, my parents divorced, second grade was a nightmare I wouldn’t ask anyone to go through. I saw no wonder, no mystery, not much beauty, only pain and heartache and ongoing struggle.

I finished high school and graduated from college, started a career. Seeing some of the wonder, but not all of it; not knowing there was something better, not knowing what it was I needed.

By the time I found what I needed, I was 29 years old.  I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior at age 31. I married at 40. 

Twenty-one years later I have regained some of the childhood wonder I lost so many years ago. I see the beauty of God’s world. I laugh with less maturity and more childish delight. I understand, not like a child, but with more trust and faith in He who made me who I am today and who I have yet to become. I rejoice that Jesus came to earth for all of us, so lost, some still so far away. He came because of me and because of you.

I am still a child, yet not. I did mature. I did grow wiser, smarter. Yet in some ways I am a long ways from being mature, from being very wise or very smart. When I am smart, I study God’s word, I spend hours reading His word for me on a given day. When I am smart I know how little it is I do know. Only in Him do I become smart.  All alone, when I rely on myself, I do stupid things, say stupid words and act stupidly. I can see I have not given up childish ways. Anger and pity and fear and anxiety all strike and I am lost.

My parents are gone. I cannot rely on them. When I did rely on someone, it was generally my mom, to help me get past the so very dark days I often found myself in. 

But the reliance I truly needed was not to be found in any other person. Not my mom, not my husband. It could and can only be found in my Lord Jesus. He brings me through all my difficulties when I give it all to Him. Giving your whole life to Him is what needs to be done. Succeeding at giving Him your all is so much easier said than done. It doesn’t come all at once.  

God waits for us. He leads us, guides us, and if we are wise, we allow Him to do so and we gratefully follow and are obedient to His command.

Life is not easy. Sometimes you think living one place is easier than another. Sometimes you think living near loved ones will bring you comfort. You wonder how to cope when a loved one dies … human or pet … love is love. We are lost, so so lost.   

Have you ever stopped to think what God did just to bring us hope? He came to earth Himself, as a baby, the baby Jesus. Christmas is a time to celebrate His birth. It shouldn’t matter if He was born in December or June; Dec. 25 is the day His birth is celebrated.  We are reminded how great God’s love is for us in John 3:16-17 -- "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."

The birth of Christ Jesus is truly a miracle. A wondrous mystery, lying dormant, hidden from our hearts until we are awakened. That awakening is something splendorous to behold. The Light has come into the world and we have been given a glimpse. Our doubts turn to faith and trust. We believe in He, the Almighty  One.  We see the wonder, the mystery. We see His grace. We see His love. And we are forever changed.

We are a child of the King Most High. A child … we give up childish ways, but we retain child-like wonder as we look with eyes aglow at all of God’s magnificence and glory.

We wait for His coming

Christmas
Advent
The season of waiting,
a lifetime of waiting
for Christ Jesus, the Son of Man, to come,
to return,
with power and glory
on a wingless cloud.

He has redeemed us
Us who believe in Him
and follow Him
and obey His command.
He is our redeemer
His promises
have come and will continue to come
to fruition.

We reach out to another in hopes to bring them to the Lord.
We cannot push or pull or prod
But we can pray

The end is near
For centuries the end has been near
But nearer now is the time that is drawing to a close
Watch and wait and be still
Yet continue with His work, whatever He has set you about to do.
Do it wholeheartedly. Do not stop.

The Lord has sent you out into the world to be His  voice, His hands, His feet.
Do not delay.
Do not come to self-thinking conclusions that you are not good enough, have made too many wrong decisions.
The Lord forgives.
Do not listen to family members and friends and others who profess faith but cast doubt.
You are of God.

You believe Jesus, God's only begotten Son, was born to the Virgin Mary, born to die, born to save His people - every man, woman and child from the evil that keeps us focused on the dark side of life.

You are of God.

You have overcome, through Him, the powers that seek to destroy. God is stronger, mightier.

"You are of God. He who is in  you is greater than he who is in the world."
(1 John 4:4)

You have the spirit of truth in you. Do not listen to the spirit of error and deception.

Do not remember the lies that keep you locked in a house without doorknobs.

Go on. Move on. Follow the path He laid out for you. Go forth. Do the Lord's will. Stand against your foes, His foes.

You are of God.

God is stronger. God is with you wherever you go.

"With God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)

Do not become sidetracked. Do not give in. Do not let your fears take you away from all the Lord has for you. Age is not a deterrent. Health is not a deterrent. A lack of faith is what keeps us stuck in one place or moving backward.

Jesus knocks.
Standing wherever the least be He is
He waits
Waits for us to say yes, to become one of His

Believers wait too.
wait for Him,
His return
His second coming

Some wait for Santa
but even he waits for Jesus' return
even Santa knows the real reason for the season

It is advent.

The days of waiting are upon us.
We rejoice, looking forward to what is to come with great anticipation.

Christmas ... is the day Christians celebrate the birth of Christ.

But the days preceding are advent
and in those days we sing Alleluia! and praises to our King

Lift up our eyes, our hands
watch for He who is Faithful and True
He whose birth we celebrate,
whose death we mourn,
whose resurrection gives up hope and a new life.

The days of waiting will one day be finished
and there will be a new earth and a new heaven.
and we shall see Jesus.

The Lord will be with us -- believers must unite!

"I AM the Lord your God; do not fear the gods of the (Enemy), in whose land you dwell. But you have not obeyed My voice."  - Judges 6:10

We are fearful. We fear what we have, what may yet come under this one man's "democratic" rule as president. We fear the other candidate. We fear reports from the media. Each candidate bites the other, looking for ways to devour.

We are fearful.

What a sad state we are in. We are perishing.

The Lord says He would be with us ... IF we heed His commandments, IF we obey, IF we walk in all His ways, IF we serve Him with all our heart and all our soul.

That IF has the potential of becoming our very downfall or becoming the powering force to overcome the enemy.

IF our faith and IF our trust and IF our obedience to The One True Holy Living God remains in Him, He will be with us. He will fight for us.

Time and time again The Lord has come to our aid.

We are brought under another's rule. We are in bondage to another nation, another people, another belief! We are distraught. What are we to do.

And when the pain is strong enough, we cry out to The Lord. Why do we not cry together as one unit. Why are we so scattered? Where oh Where is our trust and faith and belief?! Have we forgotten to whom we belong?

We must turn to The Lord. We must come together. We will not be defeated when we are united as one in the Spirit.

I AM the Lord your God. Do not fear .... but you have not obeyed.

Fear comes when we are disobedient. Fear comes when we do not trust. Fear comes when our belief is absent.

Do not allow the enemy -- and there are many -- to become, to continue to be a snare and a trap for you, to be a thorn in your side.

We must unite as one body of believers and defeat our foe, and the Lord will be with us.

We must pray.
We must seek His wisdom and be obedient to Him and His ways.

It's predetermined -- God knows who will be the next U.S. president

More than one power is coming before a vote by the people of the United States in November.

Each is equally a snare, a trap, a thorn - presently and potentially.

Neither, it appears, has a personal relationship with God's Son, Jesus Christ.

Neither, it appears, worships the one Holy Living God -- to follow Him only,  to love Him only, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul.

But one will be elected. The man God deems right for this present time will be the next president of the United States. It may be one is re-elected or it may not.

Christians across the country are for or against one or the other.

God tells us we cannot straddle the fence.

He also tells us we are to remove ourselves from nations that are potential dangers.

God also instructs us to be a light in a fallen world.

One evil is not less or more than another. But still, one man will be elected.

Should we determine not to vote for anyone?

God also says to give to the government what is due.

And what is due?

We need to pray.

Prayer is the key to everything. Not just for the moment. But for every minute.

Serve with sincerity. Serve in truth.

Meditate on the Scriptures.

Commune with the Lord. Listen with your heart and soul.  Obey His teachings and then pursue His leading.

God is our eternal judge.

God places certain people in power and they are not necessarily Christian. If God says this man or that man is who will be president, then we must trust God and follow God's leading.

God's choice is not necessarily our choice.

We must strive to do the Lord God's bidding, not follow our own agenda nor another.

God knows the Way. He is the Way. We are only second-guessing.

The enemy lurks

The enemy of The Good

Who is The Good?

There is but one -- Jesus

We look for that which is good. We strive to be as that one. But our personalities clash and we often fail to see what He sees, or hear what He hears, or comprehend what He knows.

Our personalities -- one with another – clash.

The good we perceive in Jesus clashes with the Bad, the Evil, the Stupidity thrown at our feet and in our face.
Satan is at work.

Satan danced too upon The Good One, but for all his movement to and fro, he failed in his purpose.

Satan did not overcome God’s purpose for His Son, Jesus.

The enemy of The Good -- The enemy of Jesus still fights – he fights for the very soul of all who profess faith in The Good One. He fights for those who waver, for those still and yet unsure of where their allegiance lies. The enemy – Satan fights to prevent The Good of Jesus to permeate, to dwell within us. Satan lurks in the shadows of our mind and poses questions like “Are you sure? Did God really say that?”

Satan’s mission to overcome the faith, belief and trust of followers in Christ succeeds when we listen to his reasonings and believe and then act.

Satan’s mission to lead astray those who are uncertain succeeds when the desires, wants, choices and needs of me supercedes anything else.

Satan’s mission is to destroy, to point out our faults, to keep us locked in a world of regrets and fear and pity, sidelined with negative thoughts.

Satan’s mission does not have to be followed.

We have a choice. Yes, he preys on us. All of us have Satan attacking at any angle he can find an open edge.

He attacks daily. But Satan’s mission, Satan’s goal, Satan’s master plan does not have to be followed.

Satan failed in his mission, his purpose to overcome the Light of the World – The Good One – Jesus Christ. Satan thought he had won the victory – that with Christ’s death He was destroyed, but Satan was proved wrong.

And in his wrongness, we too can stop Satan dead in his tracks.

Christ’s purpose – bestowed upon Him by God the Father, in coming to earth to live among the living beings, whom He loved more than we can ever imagine – Christ’s purpose was to be the pure, selfless and without blemish sacrifice for all of mankind – that’s you and me. Jesus sacrificed His life for mine and for yours. And in doing so, when we have accepted this precious gift of grace, we are no longer condemned, no longer destined to be ruled by Satan and his warmongers.

Christ’s resurrection from the grace proved to The World He was truly King. Death did not keep Him in the grace. Death did not rule. Christ overcame death. He overcame Satan.

And we have been set free. We are new beings. We have been given a new life. We are not what we once were. We are alive! We have a new mission, a new purpose to fulfill – to be as Christ, to live and walk, to study His Word and meditate, to pray, to congregate with fellow believers, to seek guidance from the Lord, to be able to discern His words of wisdom, to be obedient to His call, to trust in His promises.

We are free.

Not free to continue to do bad, or evil or stupid things. Following that path is not freedom, but bondage. If we continue in following along the “me” syndrome highway, fail to follow the road set upon us by God, we remain condemned.  We are not saved from sin to a new life. We are destined to a life without hope, to one filled with destruction. Our end is final – we reign with the least – Satan keeps us on a short leash and we are forever doomed in the fires of hell.

The enemy of The Good does not stand a chance – not in the end times, not when Jesus returns. Yet Satan doesn’t rest, he staggers about, wickedly scheming ways to devour whoever he can, always looking for one to pull away from God’s righteousness and into an endless state of rebellion.

The enemy is always lurking. Make no mistake about it … it is not a sometimes thing. Seek the Lord while He is near. Pray always, never ceasing. Believe, Trust, Obey.

Stay true. Christ is The Good One. You are either with Him – Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior, or you are against Him and a follower of The Evil One.

I pray you follow and are obedient to The Good One. Only He has your best interest at heart. Only He cares about you, Only He truly loves you for who you are.

The Truth

I’ve been doing a Bible study on “What is True – The Word vs  Deeds” and today I was reading about truth in John 8 of the New King James version.

Starting with v. 26, Jesus says, “I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He (meaning God) who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him. ²⁸When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. ²⁹And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please him. ³¹If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. ³²And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”

To claim to be spiritual descendants of another, such as Abraham, you would do the works of him. We cannot say truthfully we are “children” of Jesus or Jacob or Abraham and not act accordingly. It is not the same as our physical relationship, i.e., natural descendants. Through our physical birth we are related to our parents, but that alone does not necessitate our works to be as theirs.  

⁴⁰”But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God… ⁴¹You do the deeds of your father.”

To claim you have one Father – God is all fine and good, but refusing to believe God has sent Jesus as His only begotten Son, refusing to believe Jesus and His Father – God are One, disputing His Word over our own, refutes any such claim.

Jesus says, ⁴²”If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.  ⁴⁴You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. ⁴⁵But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.”

We do not believe because we are engrained with the “truths” the world, i.e., Satan, has pushed us to.

⁴⁷”He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”

When we do not seek and search for that which we do not have, but become passive and non-resistant to the changes in the world, we cannot hear. It is just pitter-patter, like rain on a window pane. Comes in, goes out, and we don’t notice any difference. It is in our own personal alone time, when we reflect and fervently search for something more, something better. It is then that we may hear the still small voice of God echoing in our inner being.

When you know the Truth set forth by God and Christ as One, we are not bound by the prejudgments and deceptions of the world. We are not bound. That is the key.

We have been set free. As long as we abide in His word, His love, are obedient to His teaching, we need never consume ourselves with untold worry and frustration.

We must remain in Him. If we drift and become separated, which can happen and does happen, we must return. You do not need to live in the bondage that grips your entire being and seeks to control you.

We must remember – remember how it was when you walked with Jesus – when His love surrounded you, embraced you, when He walked beside you, in front of you, behind you, when His Truth, the Truth of The Gospel, set you free. 

An Ode to BeeJay

July 10, 2012

Mr. Tumbleweed
one of many
nicknames
for our boy
Twinkle toes
and Hot rod Harry
even Mr. Fluffball
and Bumblebee
deserve
a moment’s recognition


He's our Sweetie
that's for sure
But it's
Beeber or Mr. Bee
he's more often called

BeeJay and his Papa Daddy
at Clear Lake in 2011

His real name
The name given
at his adoption
in to our lives
into our hearts

is
BeeJay

BeeJay Bunny Boy

BeeJay and his Mommy
at Clear Lake

Why you say 


His mommy’s name
was Jewel

His daddy’s name
was Brandon

Hence … BJ
spelled out, of course

Today
He’s Mr. Tumbleweed
Today
he rests comfortably
amid coils of hay
strewn about
in his headquarters
his place of refuge …

The Hutch

Every morning
rain or shine
his Papa Daddy
his adopted daddy
comes in
picks him up
kisses him on his little forehead
and carries him
to the play area …

The Kitchen
where up to an hour
he scampers and hops
and when mommy comes in
they play hide and seek
or catch me if you can

BeeJay sitting on Papa Daddy's
sling after rotator cuff surgery
in 2009

Sometimes though
his mood is quiet
and withdrawn
perhaps the achiness of
bone and joint
bring more havoc

perhaps the extremes
of temperature rising -
100 degrees in the sun –
refuse relief
even in air-conditioned comfort

or  the season(s) of
shedding
bring untold discomfort
to his digestive tract

BeeJay at Christmas 2008

Sometimes too
he’s just plain
tired
like you and me

He likes to be held
soft gentle strokes
by his mommy and
sitting on her shoulder
to get a bigger view
of the world

He wonders
who that is
in the mirror
when he stares

It looks just like me
Is that me, Papa Daddy?

He sits on Papa Daddy’s lap
much safer there
a chance encounter up higher
brought him down
to the ground
so fast, too fast
Lap-sitting is the way to go

Family time
Saturday night time
sometimes too
Friday night time
or Monday night time
any time will do just fine
as long as we’re all together
to watch a movie
and listen to animal sounds
and music to soothe

BeeJay and "Our Children"

Mr. Bee
enjoys Papa Daddy and Bunny Son time

They share a couch in the basement
Did I say share?
Of course its shared
Papa Daddy gets one-half
and BeeJay gets one-half
plus one-half of PD’s too
And nothing but nothing
that he doesn’t want
should be on “his” side
No remote, no glasses
He’s adamant about what
is allowed, and what is not

Mr. Bee
likes treats
He likes yogurt treats the best
the ones you buy at the pet store
3 treats a day he can have
but more often than not
its 3 plus 3!

He likes Ritz crackers
salted nut rolls
oranges

bananas
grapes too

He likes the sweet
He likes the salty
and
He likes his water
as does his mommy

His begging skills
he’s got down to a science
up he stretches
on those hind legs
giving a sweet look
that seems to say,
“Please, pretty please”

How can you resist?

Mr. Bee
one cold November day
shortly before Thanksgiving
nearly 12 years ago now
He came
to live with us.
His brother, whom he never met,
Thumpie was his name,
had passed on,
passed over the rainbow.

   See the heart-shaped spot ...        
he no longer has it

Mr. Bee
5 months old
a tiny ball of furry brown
Siamese Sable
was what it was called
with a heart-shaped
spot on his left side

From Center Point
to Cedar Rapids
Iowa born
Iowa bred
Iowa all the way

Six years
he spent
in basement quarters
but then one day
he saw the light
 up the stairs he went
and a new world of
activity opened up

Always in our thoughts
Sung to or sung about
He wanted a phone
In case someone called
He has one
a bit big and he can’t get to it
But he has one
But then he wanted a computer
We had one each
Why couldn’t he?!
Indeed!

He’s rather photogenic
He has his picture on a stamp

And he’s rather particular
especially when it comes to
choosing friends
or not

Kwallie Marsupie Bear
is at the top of his
DO NOT LIKE list

But he loves
Miss Jelly Bean
and his Aunt Jani
and of course
his Mommy and Papa Daddy

He celebrates his birthday
on June 14

Mr. Bee
is an All-American boy
He was born in June
We recognize and celebrate
his day

on Flag Day,
June 14.
This year, 2012,
he turned
12 years old.

In years past,

when we all were younger
he vacationed
with his Aunt Jani
while his parents
took trips by
plane or train or car

He doesn’t much care
for  travel
isn’t always sure
just where he might end up

He doesn’t like the vet
it’s  just to get his nails trimmed!
just like his Papa Daddy
who goes for much the same thing

But travel is what he does
When he turned 10
we decided to take him with,
so off he goes
when we go.
He travels to Northeast Missouri
to see our friends there
Once he met some “giant” bunnies
who were renting space there
He travels to Cedar Falls
a town his Papa Daddy spent boyhood years
to stay a week at Bible Conference
Yep, he’s a Bible-thumping bear!

Oh yes, sometimes,

he’s called a bunny bear
or a bunny puppy

Just let it be known
He’s our No. 1 bunny
all the way.

"Mindful of Him" by Hollis Hughes

Chance events—the source of all that was or ever would be in the universe—has been a reasonably comfortable view for Rob McLain during the past two years in college. As he watches his parents’ caskets being slowly lowered into the grave, he wonders about his decision to discard God in favor of enlightenment. Without a belief in God, whom can he blame?

Besides his questions and his rage, Beth, his wife of nine months, is all Rob has left. Warm, loving, optimistic—Beth is the only source of light in Rob’s life now. With her, he might be able to make it through the next few months; without her, he is completely hopeless.

Following a shocking turn of events, Rob is stripped of everything he holds dear: marriage, friendship, and his future career. Embittered and empty, Rob relinquishes the last of himself and embarks on a wilderness journey to follow the Canoba River to its beginnings. At the end of his quest, Rob discovers the source of the river and someone he never expected—the Source of all truth.

Mindful of Him is a tale of heartbreak and triumph set in the 1950s, although it could easily be transformed to present day. Rob, in his 20s, is on a quest for answers to life’s deepest questions. But it is not only the young who search for meaning and answers.

This is a book for those who love the great outdoors and fishing, and even if you’re not all that fond of fishing (which I’m not), author Hollis Hughes takes you on a journey you will not soon forget and may find yourself currently traveling or having the desire to do so. He packs tall tales, common sense and a quest for truth into 265 pages that you won’t want to put down. He weaves words together that make you think and rethink … “Working all the time, like most do, ain’t living. We take time to live.”

Author Biography
On a cold February day in 1928, Hollis Hughes was born in a ramshackle house with no insulation, plumbing, or electricity. Growing up on a farm during the Great Depression, Hollis spent his youth chopping wood, tending the family farm, milking cows, and tending to livestock. Following college graduation, Hollis worked as a high school teacher and counselor for 38 years and operated a successful rhododendron nursery. When Hollis’ wife developed Alzheimer’s disease in 1988, he spent the next 12 years taking care of her. Today, Hollis is retired from education. He is a fly fisherman, hiker, and gardener. He is a member of the American Camellia Society, and a lifetime member of the Birmingham Botanical Society. Hollis and his wife, Lera, make their home in Alabama.

The book is available in paperback or ebook.



Check out Hollis Hughes’ website at http://www.mindfulofhim.com To order your own copy of the book, visit http://www.WinePressBooks.com

Act of obedience brings ministry to the nations

Do you believe? Are you obedient?

You are precious in His sight

Don't let despair seize you ... don't become despondent ... don't become bitter.
Go on.

Completely surround yourself with Christ - all of Him. Believe in Him, follow Him, be obedient to Him. Pursue. Do not stop pursuing because events in your life have darkened your path, resulting in increased hardship.

Hardships come and hardships go. We all struggle. We all suffer. At some stage in our lives we all are rejected -- BUT the rejection is from our peers, not from the Lord.

When we are one with Christ Jesus we understand better what it means to suffer and be rejected.

Jesus died for all - every one of us - those past, present and future. He died for me.
He died for you. He suffered. He was rejected. Yet He obeyed the will of The Father - His Father - God.

He had to suffer. He had to be rejected to fulfill God's promise. And we as believers in Christ can do no less.

"3He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 7He was oppressed and He was afflicted. Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth." (Isaiah 53: 3-7)

His death was not in vain. His life too, however much suffering and pain, was not in vain.

Our life, filled with suffering, pain, rejection, is also not in vain when it is to Jesus we cling.

All we do, as believers in Christ, show others where we stand - what we stand for, who we stand with. Is it for Jesus, with Jesus? Do we follow Him whatever the cost? Do we hear and respond? Do we say yes in our mind and no in our heart? Do we listen to outside influences? Has our subconscious swayed our thinking so much that whatever the Spirit of the Lord says to us "feels" wrong?

Feelings. Following Christ, obeying Christ, has nothing to do with feelings.

When we become One of His, we are called to a new life set apart for God.

We have been forgiven - God has forgiven us. What does it matter, of what importance is it really when our peers refuse to forgive us, when our families and "friends" bad-mouth us and turn their backs on us. Did Jesus receive any less treatment?

Jesus loves you.

If you profess to be One of His and wear His cloak upon you, then you must live and walk as He did, not as your peers.

You are just as precious in the eyes of the Lord
as a newborn baby.

You have been granted asylum..

You have received His grace.

He bids you go - to live, to walk, to pursue as He, to not stop to consider "did He really say.... did He really mean..."

His answers to our every question, every concern we face, is found in His Word when we study, meditate, pray, follow, obey.

Obedience is so very hard to do when we struggle to see the Light, when we allow thoughts of the world to penetrate our minds, when we find excuses, and we lose sight of Jesus.

He is our everything. Move Him to the forefront. Keep Him there. Don't allow those dark thoughts of despair to take control and rule your every move.

Live in the Light. Be fruitful. Be One with Him.

Walk with Him.

You stepped out once. Continue the steps, one foot in front of the other, being obedient to His demand, wherever it takes you. He is always with you.

Where there is obedience we find faith and our faith renews our obedience to Him who calls us.

Do you believe?
Are you obedient?

God is faithful ...

Blessings
Salvation
A Calling

Gifts
each given
each received
to you and you
and me too

You accepted and received His greatest gift
The gift of His Son
The gift of eternal security
The gift of a new life
Salvation

But what of other gifts?
What of that special calling He placed on your heart?
You heard the call
You responded to the call
And you followed a path you thought
was God's direction for fulfilling the call

But your new life got muddied a bit
So muddied it became unrecognizable
and the direction thought so clear
was now quite cloudy and overcast.

Trudging on,
we seek advice from another
perhaps individuals ill-equipped for such a task.

Our answers
may not be God's answers,
however,
our discouragement
has brought us to a
pit of deep despair,
so much so that
even our fellow Christian brothers and sisters
stand against us.

But God is faithful
We gave our hearts to Jesus.

God does not change.
God is able to do all things.

Why do we question God?
Why do we think His answers
are the ones we hear from another,
one we thought was on the same path
of striving for Godliness as we were?

God is not lower. We are.
God is above all.
He is the enabler -
not any one person, not a group -
only God can say NO! to us.

We don't always hear His response.
We hear our neighbor,
the man in the next pew,
the elderly woman in Sunday School.
We hear our subconscious.
We see scorn
and put downs.
And we withdraw.

Did God tell us to withdraw?
Did He say listen to them, they are my children, they know what is right?
Did He?

No, He didn't.
He said
Read My Word
Study My Word
Meditate on My Word
Listen to Me My Child
Follow Me
I AM able to do all things.
Trust Me.
Obey Me.
You are My Son, My Daughter.
I AM He who enables you to be all I desire you to be.

Who will we listen to going forward?

Are the messages we hear not taken to heart?
Do we think they are meant for another?
Is God not speaking to your heart?

God healed you.
Why do you continue to live
as though there is no hope, no future.

God forgave you.
Just because another has not forgiven you your trespasses,
just because grudges are held
and the open wound seems to stay forever open and fester,
does not mean God has turned His back on you.

God is faithful.

Our relationship first and foremost
needs to be with the Lord Jesus.
IF we stay true and faithful to Him,
our lives will be changed for the better
and no matter what another says or does,
it will not matter.

Jesus promised there would be suffering.
The thorns of life
would surround us on every side,
just like with Him,
but when we remain mindful of Him
and not listen to Satan,
remembering God is with us,
we can overcome.

Go ... tell what great things the Lord has done for you and how He has had compassion on you ... Go in peace ... be healed ... your faith has made you well ... Go and preach the Kingdom of God ... Go and do not look back forlorn ... do not lose heart. ("Go, and" study:
 http://windowtochristianministries-journeys.blogspot.com/2011/09/go-and.html)

Don't miss the "Light of Jesus" for fear of the darkness

It is our choice

The world was not fallen until one of God's creatures - the serpent - became an instrument of evil. That one acted out of his boundary to bring another of God's creatures - the humans - out of their boundary. A boundary set by God, rules to live by, a code of conduct.

Once the humans acted, or reacted, against God's commands, separation came into being and there was no way to return to what once was. It was lost, we were lost.
We became God's fallen creatures - what once He had been so proud of, declaring good, was no more.

Yet, we were still God's creation.

We fell into an endlessness that knew and knows no bounds, ever widening and deepening. Our disobedience to God, our Creator, keeps us separated from Him.

BUT, God, the Almighty God, who is and was and will forever be, had a plan.

He came to earth as Himself.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:16-17)

God's Son - Jesus Christ came to defeat the evil one, to die for the sins of mankind, to bring us new life and renewed hope.

It is our choice.

Do we choose to live for our wants and desires, continually separated from the Lord God our Creator, doomed to eternal torment in a place called Hell

or

Do we choose to be one with Him, our Lord and Savior, complete, obedient, giving Him all the praise and honor and glory and love He deserves.

When our time on earth has ended, will we have chosen heaven as our eternal home or will be remain in the eternal abyss of hell and damnation?


Have you accepted Jesus as your personal savior?
Have you Admitted to God you are a sinner ...
Do you Believe in Jesus Christ as God's Son ...
Have you Confessed your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord?
To view an interactive flash presentation of the Gospel: www.thekristo.com

How you can know you have eternal security: God's Promises

All belongs to God

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." - Genesis 1:1 NKJV

"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 nothing was made that was made." - John 1:1-3

"The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." - Genesis 1:2

"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." - John 1:4-5

In The Beginning
of time ... probably
of creation ... definitely

God - Jesus Christ - Holy Spirit

separate, yet united
One complete whole
yet
three distinct parts

What was first
remains
forever
What was the beginning
has been completed
What is the end
is still to come

The chicken came before the egg
How can that be?
God created it
On the fifth day
it was so.

The human male
and female too
came before the egg
How can that be?
God created them both
On the sixth day
it was so.

The sky, the waters,
the sun and moon, and stars
the trees and grasses,
seeds and flowers
came
before
and God
created it all.

But
as to what was before
the world
cannot be surmised

God does not share
what was
in the beginning
of time ...
only the beginning
of creation

God - Jesus Christ - Holy Spirit
The Trinity
Three in One
One in Three

God is
God was
God will be
The Alpha and The Omega
The Beginning and The End
Forever
Always

But the end,
although prophesied
and written,
is not complete

Waiting ...
The Second Coming
The Return of Christ
The Tribulation
The Judgments
The New Jerusalem
The New Earth

The end
still to come
God
the keeper
of all knowledge,
of time and space.

But what about the in-between
the beginning and the end?
Where life is
where life and death co-exist
in this middle realm.

Do we live recognizing to whom we belong -
our true Creator?
and abide by His rules

or do we refuse to believe,
refuse to accept,
refuse to acknowledge,
and live by our rules,
claiming allegiance to self alone?

The end times are closer

The longer you put off
turning your life around
and toward the Almighty God,
the more likely it is
eternal security will escape you;
the more likely
you will face
eternal damnation,
eternal agony.
And there will be
no release, no relief

Cathy Orrick Luders
1.16.2012

God does not deceive ... begin a new life today

God deceives no one
Others do
The Devil and his advocates do

Having to prove who you are
is not God-designed
He knows who you are
He can see into our hearts
How we live reveals who we are and to whom we belong
whether we follow Jesus –
The One who is The Way
or another
who is in the way of Him.

Deception.
Pretense.
IF you love me, give me a new place to live
IF you care about me, give me a baby
IF you want me more than anything, give, do, be

Oh why?

Why should we have to prove to another anything?
It should be apparent. One’s actions should reveal one’s motives.
One’s heart determines one’s true love.

Deception is an act of the devil.God does not deceive.

God tells us the way, shows us the way, is with us along the way through all of life, but the devil …

he tempts us, deceives us into believing that whatever we think is best,
our desires are more important than the truth. The devil gets us to thinking our loved one does not love us, could never love us, therefore
we’ll show them. We’ll go away and then they’ll be sorry.

Who will be sorry? Will they … or will you?

The devil enticed you, played upon your already depressed spirit and brought you to a place you truly did not want to be. He won. But have you? The devil succeeded in getting you to fall prey to him and all the evilness and insincerity in the world.

Hear what is written in the New Living Translation of God’s Holy Word, James 1:

“Dear brothers and sisters,
whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything. If you need wisdom – if you want to know what God wants you to do – ask him, and he will gladly tell you.  He will not resent your asking. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. They can’t make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do.” verses 2-8

“God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. And remember, no one who wants to do wrong should ever say, ‘God is tempting me.’ God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else either. Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires. These evil desires lead to to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death. So don’t be misled.” verses 12-16

“Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who created all heaven’s lights. Unlike them he never changes or casts shifting shadows. In his goodness he chose to make us his own children by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his choice possession.” verses 17-18

We – you and me – are children of God. But unless we have a personal relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ, who gave up his life on the cross at Calvary for your sins past present and future, we miss the mark.

We are God’s choice possession. He calls us to holiness, to a life set apart for Him, not onto our selves. When we ignore God’s welcoming hand, His love, and turn away from Him, we are effectively saying NO! I’m doing it may way. The life I live is my choice.

Yes, it is your choice. God gives us all free will. But we can choose to turn away from personal desires and turn to the Lord. We can choose to say YES! I believe YOU died for me. YES! I accept Your gift of grace. YES! The Lord’s birth, death and resurrection was all for me.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.”

John 3:16-17 NLT

We can choose to obey the Lord … or not to obey

“If you want to be perfect (complete), go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Matthew 19:21 NLT

We can choose to rely on the Word of Jesus Christ, we can choose to accept His Word as a more secure foundation than all the securities of the world. 

We can choose to hear His call, His tug on our hearts. 

We can choose to make a positive response, we can choose to follow Him and be obedient to every instruction He gives us. 

We can choose to listen, to be still and hear, really hear His response to us.

It is our choice, each one of us. Why not choose God, obedience?

Why not choose New Life and give up the old?

“He died for everyone so that those who receive new life will no longer live to please themselves. Instead, they will live to please Christ, who died and was risen for them.” II Corinthians 5:15 NLT

“So we have stopped evaluating others by what the world thinks about them. What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anyone, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!” II Corinthians 5:16-17 NLT

In that new life we have begun we must not forget His word – His promises, His truths, His commandments, His love, Him.

Every day is a new day – a day to remember, a day to not forget, a day to be obedient, a day to be loving – a day to turn again to God’s act of salvation so that again, we can move forward.

Won’t you choose to take that step forward, to depart from the old, to become new … today?

Have you accepted Jesus as your personal savior?

http://windowtochristianministriesiniowa.com/ReflectionsOnJesus.html 

How to know you have eternal security:

 http://windowtochristianministriesiniowa.com/GodsPromises.html

   

Adversity doesn't mean God has said stop

"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."

I Peter 5:6-7

Do not presuppose because you do not hear God calling you to continue (that) He has commanded you to stop. 

The calling came. He called you out of nothing to be His, to follow Him, to obey Him, to listen to His Word, to seek Him, to give Him all glory and honor.

And in response, you answered. But the response is not a one-time happening. 

Yes, you answered ... Yes, I will follow You. Yes, I will obey You. Yes, I will listen to You. 

But it is continual. There is no short rein on whatever God has called upon you to do. 

This is what I want you to do. This is how you will proceed. 

A little ... albeit a lot ... adversity (trouble) comes upon us. We find ourselves struggling with job concerns - perhaps we lost a job and can't find another, or have fewer hours or excessive overtime; health needs; relational confrontations with our spouse, children, siblings, parents, co-workers and even friends. We are persecuted for our beliefs. 

Jesus faced adversity. He faced persecution. Yet His response, in the face of all that was against Him, was and is to be obedient to His Father, at all cost. To go on, to continue. 

How can we do less?

God created us for His glory. To fulfill our God-given destinies, we must overcome all temptation to seek our own glory and desire His instead. We must allow circumstances and weaknesses and any thorns in the flesh God has chosen to leave  upon us ... so He, the Lord God Almighty can lift us up. 

Higher and higher we shall rise

when with the Lord our lives are no disguise