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Bringing people together in love and faith
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Nobody worries about Christ as long as he can be kept shut up in
churches. He is quite safe inside. But there is always trouble
if you try and let him out.
-- G. A. Studdert Kennedy
A Christian……..a follower of Christ……how do you follow Christ? How do you love Christ? Whose will………His will? How do you hear Him when He speaks? Do you hear Him? Do you listen?
Which are you…….one like the woman caught in adultery……..or the prideful scorner hurling stones?
Are you like the humble tax collector who comes before God admitting your brokenness……….or are you like the Pharisee…..better than the broken one?
Are you saved? You know the beginning…….you know the ending…….but what comes between?
What does this mean?
Luk 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
What does it mean to you?
I have to admit, there is nothing easy in being a follower of Christ. It’s easy being saved, easy reading the Bible, going to church, praying but when it comes to actually living our belief and faith……we fail miserably.
Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
I have taken these two verses to heart in a big way. Because being a follower of Christ is sometimes burdensome. Giving up your desires for His desires, asking for His will in your life as opposed to your own….this is not an easy thing. But He equips us, and gives us the strength we need to walk the walk with Him.
Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
When you ask God to create in you a clean heart…….it means sometimes He has to break you down, bring you to your knees……..and it hurts! Coming face to face with God with all your brokenness has got to be one of the most painful things you will ever do….but I can tell you from the depth of my heart that it is the most spirit refreshing thing you will ever do!
The closer you draw to God, the lonlier you feel as a Christian. There is nothing sadder than talking with a fellow believer about the wonders of the Holy Spirit, the amazing grace of God, and they look at you with glazed eyes. I know this because I too once stood with glazed eyes, just “not getting it”. When I talk about listening to His Word while I sleep, or listening to His Word on my IPOD as I walk, other Christians look at me as though I am whacko!
Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
What does that verse mean to you? It means exactly what it says to me.
And if we are mocked for loving God this way……….who is being mocked……is it me………is it God’s work in me……..is it God Himself?
Mt. 11:15
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| WHEN GOD'S PURE LOVE IS REFLECTED IN BLOGLAND |
Jun 14, 2008 6:53 pm
538 Views | I want to share something with you that is really precious to me, and reminds me of the beauty that lies within the hearts of men and women in the blogs.
Yesterday I received an email from a lady who has visited my blog. She gave me the most beautiful words of encouragement, words that I have no doubt, come straight from the heart of God.
My friend, if you are reading this, I want you to know that the words you spoke were a healing balm to my soul! They came as a timely reminder that God is moving...behind the scenes on my behalf. Your words not only assured me of His love and presence in my life, but were an assurance from Him to me that there is a purpose to what I am going through right now. Thank you for your faithfulness to Him!
Now this encouragement in itself would not have been unusual. I often receive beautiful words of encouragement from people here. My heart has been warmed countless times by the love that flows in this place!
What was unusual here was that this beautiful lady had lost her father the previous day, and she was enduring a grief far worse than mine. Yet she put aside her own grief for a moment, in obedience to God.....to encourage and strengthen me. How humbling this is for me!
It's a beautiful reminder to us all, that among us are the most amazing men and women of God, and it is such a priviledge to be in your company!!  Yes I am crying (again!) but they are tears of joy and gratitude to God for all of you!
I realise it is Father's Day in the USA this Sunday....please keep this precious lady in your prayers...and everyone else who is grieving the loss of their father through this last year?
Praise God for the blessings He pours on us through His children!  | |
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7 Comments | |
| Sorry seems to be the hardest word...... |
Jun 14, 2008 2:28 pm
421 Views | Yesterday a friend did something that hurt me. I confronted him with it, and at first it seemed I was about to get the same response I'm well used to...so much so that I retorted with those famous lines...."you are all blinkin the same"!
But then my friend did something that totally shocked me...he took responsibility for his actions! With Christlike humility, he said he was sorry for hurting me!
So a situation that could have resulted in bad feelings, actually had the opposite effect with that one simple word.....sorry!
It got me to thinking about that word...SORRY. It's such a small word...yet it carries a LOT of weight!
It's a word that brings healing...
Being contrite, having a sorry heart is what leads us to Christ....being sorry for the things we have done wrong leads us from sin to salvation!
Psa 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
When we hurt someone, especially for those of us who belong to the body of Christ...we feel it, it settles as unrest in our hearts. It isn't a nice feeling at all...and once we say sorry, ask forgiveness of the person we have hurt, a burden is lifted..it is actually a physical burden that we bear when we fail to be contrite. I say physical because I do believe it affects us physically.
Mat 5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
Mat 5:24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
On the other sign of that coin of course is forgiveness. When someone comes to you with a contrite heart...forgive them!
You know what? Our lives would be a lot less pain filled if people said "sorry" more often.
Got any thoughts? Feel free to share something that I may have missed..... | |
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9 Comments | |
| SPREAD THE WORD! |
Jun 14, 2008 2:50 am
370 Views | Isa 52 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
Let's not keep it a secret!
We are in the last days.....
Jesus could very well return at any moment! | |
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1 comment | |
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| OOPS!! I AM NOT FANATICAL.....my faus pas!!!! |
Jun 13, 2008 1:54 pm
500 Views | In my THINK YOU CAN HANDLE IT post I stated that I was FANATICAL about Jesus.....
BIG OOPS!!!!
A fanatic, as stated in the dictionary is a person filled with excessive and mistaken enthusiasm, esp. in religion.
I am not excessive and I am definitely NOT MISTAKEN!!! I love Jesus, I worship Him, HE IS MY EVERYTHING!!!
But I'm not a fanatic!!!
Hope that clears it for anyone who thinks I may need deliverance!!!  | |
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14 Comments | |
| Remember Carole King? |
Jun 13, 2008 1:24 pm
358 Views | My adopted son (not legal yet) Sabrefire, said something that brought to mind this song. The words are pretty meaningful!
The just are seeking justice
The meek are reaching out
For something only children
Can really know about
And some men cry for mercy
While they deny their brother's pain
And some men laugh for reasons
They can never quite explain
We are all in this together
And maybe we'll see that one day
When we conquer our fear together
When we finally find a way
And we all need forgiving
For all the damage done
For the things we do, not thinking
For the hurt we've caused someone
But me, I keep on living
Caught somewhere there between
The reason and the meaning
The vision and the dream
We are all in this together
Oh I know, that sounds easy to say
But I don't use the word "forever"
It's enough just to say "someday" | |
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4 Comments | |
| THINK YOU CAN HANDLE THIS POST? |
Jun 13, 2008 4:30 am
450 Views | As you know, I'm in the process of writing a book...about drawing nearer to God. I was mulling over something today and God gave me something worth mentioning.
GOD MEETS US WHERE WE ARE AT.....in our walk with Him, the choice is ours to stay where we are or go deeper.
Mat 7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Mat 7:8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
We often equate these verses with opening the door to salvation. But it goes so much deeper than that. It's an invitation to each and every one of us, in our relationship with Him. He DESIRES us to go deeper!
Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Look at that verse! He doesn't just want us to love Him....He wants us to LOVE HIM WITH EVERYTHING WE'VE GOT.....no half measures....this is a commandment!
When it comes to relationships, we find ourselves desiring to learn all we can about that person, we give them our time, our attention, our affection, etc.
Our relationship with God should not just equal that...it should excel that! To know the very heart of God...you have to give Him ALL OF YOU!
Is that easy? Nope! The closer you walk with God, the tougher life becomes.
Luk 12:48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
The closer you draw near to God.....the more He will reveal to you, and the more He will require of you....that is a promise!
I am the butt of many jokes and wide eyed shaking of heads among my Christian peers. They think I have gone a "little over the top" spiritually. Do I care? NOPE!! Am I a fanatic for Jesus? PROBABLY!!
I pray in tongues.....yep one of those wierdos you read about in the book of Acts!
Praying "in the Spirit"...one of those things I thought was only available to Pentecostals...
I spent 16 years of my Christian walk in (??)blissful ignorance....
If you want to go deep with God...and the choice is yours....He has wonders to show you that will make you so wonderfully overwhelmed!
So are you willing to take the risk?
Are you willing to give up "self" to follow Christ?
No matter what the cost?
I pray you do! | |
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12 Comments | |
| I visited Jeff....... |
Jun 13, 2008 2:01 am
473 Views | In his nightmare......
Actually I'm still there!!
C'mon Jeffy.....stop squealing like a baby...it's just meeeeeeee!!!
See this is what happens to men who don't offer their shoulder when a woman who is ill with the flu needs to rest her snotty nosed head....
TAKE HEED BC MEN.....I COULD BE VISITING YOUR DREAMS NEXT!!   | |
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16 Comments | |
| NEVER ALONE |
Jun 13, 2008 1:26 am
356 Views | Psa 121:1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
Psa 121:2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
Psa 121:3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Psa 121:4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
Psa 121:5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
Psa 121:6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
Psa 121 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
Psa 121:8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
I just read this psalm.....what a beautiful truth! He is beside me as I type this, He is beside you as you read this! | |
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8 Comments | |
| For you......my precious friend |
Jun 12, 2008 4:39 pm
Mood: sad, 483 Views |  | My friend, I see your broken, grieving heart and I am at a loss to understand why things are happening the way they are.
I don't understand why, for some of us the journey is so pain filled. Yet this is what we are given.....this is our life.
It doesn't matter that we don't feel strong....His strength is all we need to help us through.
As much as I don't understand why we are to walk this pain filled path, I do know that He does not give it to us for nothing. In fact, we must surely feel honoured that He would think us worthy of bearing the burden given us.
This song is for you, precious friend....to remind you, that through your tears the colours of the rainbow are forming....
Praise You In This Storm"
I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining
As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away
And I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to you
And you raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You
But as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away
I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth
I walk with you, and cry with you 
Mar 4:39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. |
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