I am a self tortured shut in with fibromyalgia which leads to other problems, the worst of which is restless leg syndrome which can cause deep aching pains all the way down one or both legs. This can happen especially in the coldest weather.
This new level of my torment, which I have suffered since 2007, will never stop me from writing, nor shall it ever keep my heart from beating for Christ alone. Even Job, who suffered even greater than I said, "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth." (Job 19:25).
Lately it's been so cold, that I have been in almost constant pain. The Dr's have done what they can do, but constant heat is the only thing that makes the pain go away.
Even at church I am most of the time in agony from either my back or my legs, or both, but I go anyway, praying for the miracle of healing so that I can once again be able to live a normal life. And believe me, if you've read this blog, you know my life is anything BUT normal!
Thus here we are, nearing towards the night we celebrate the birth of Christ, God, who humbled himself to become a man (Jesus), so he could walk amongst us and understand the temptations, trials, pain, etc., that we as His creation feel. He wasn't born into a palace but rather was born into circumstances that were humble in order that those who truly believed in the promise of a great Savior would know He had arrived. The star that lit up the sky, frightening even the most sturdy shepherd of the day, and causing 3 Kings who followed the star to bring Him gifts of gold, frankincence and myrhh were key events that bestowed upon Him a recognition that something very special had taken place. He was born into the humblest of circumstances, not with pomp and circumstance but in humility, born in a manger amonst common animals because there was no room for Mary and Joseph at the inn. And just as He was born amongst animals, Jesus hung out with prostitutes, tax collectors and those referred to as "animals" by the San Hedron and the Pharisee's, the wise biblical scholars of the day who felt they were beyond help. He knew they would see Him for who He was and a lot of them did. Fishermen, tax collectors, etc., who became his disciples, a woman about to be stoned for adultery, a woman who bled for years who knew if she just touched the hem of His garment that she would be healed and the list goes on and on. Oh, how I wish I could touch the hem of His garment right now! Can you imagine what the world would be like if God hadn't come here to see first hand what it was like for us?
Self confrontation at this time of year is difficult. People are bustling with gift buying, putting up the tree and worrying about which type of meal to serve for their holiday dinner or whether Johnny and Jane get the gifts they so coveted in their letters to Santa.
While I confront my sin, my self and where the road leads for the next year, which I fear will be fiercely worse than the past year for a lot of people, I struggle with how to make it through the holidays without feeling alone. And I am not the only one. It's one of the reasons I reach out on this blog.
I have discovered that this year, just like every other year in recent memory, especially since 2002, that I am in pain, physically alone, although not spiritually alone, and praying for a miracle just as I do every day of the year.
However, I do not consider myself equal with the families who have lost loved ones this time of year even though I lost my own mother to cancer the Sunday before Thanksgiving 3 years ago. I found a silver lining, even though she was abusive, and that was to be thankful to her for bringing me into the world! To honor your mother and father should be a lifelong thing. That's something I figured out too late.
I don't consider myself equal to those living in poverty around the world, for even here in our own country, there are those who go to bed hungry every night of the year, and I am grateful to have what little I have, and thank the Lord every day that I have it, for tomorrow may not be as plentiful.
I do not consider myself equal to any. Even those who have it good, are healthy, seemingly have it all and are fine upstanding citizens. And I especially do not consider myself equal with those who are spiritually superior to me in prayer, written word or thought, for they are wiser and much more humble than I.
Here at this place in time when we Christians celebrate the Birth of Christ, I, once again, have much to learn and pray that God will again pull me close to whisper in my ear, teaching me what He needs me to know.
All I can ask of Him who gave His life for me on Calvary's tree this year, is for his bountiful Grace in my life to continue, to forgive me for my transgressions, forgive my haughty, prideful spirit, and to help me become more like Jesus in the days, weeks and months ahead.
Merry Christmas & May God Bless Us Every One!
The world is an evil place, becoming more evil by the day. Because of this, there is one thing any parent will tell you and that is that they are always going the extra mile and expense, if they can afford to, to make sure their families, especially their children, are safe.
Just for a moment, try to imagine the anguish a parent can go through if they are for some reason separated from their child. Even if only for a moment, it is the worst feeling a parent can ever experience. What about the times when the child is never found? Or found, but their lives taken. Even though the parents may blame God for the evil that has befallen their family and taken the cherished child they have lost, sometimes in the most unspeakable of ways, God does understand.
In our grief and anger, we will always have a need to place blame. God seems to be the easiest target as a parent may sob uncontrollably, screaming inaudibly to the rafters as they pound something with their fists, asking "God, how could you allow this to happen to my baby?"
God is more than aware that the anger, while misplaced, needs to be let out, so He endures our attacks on Him because His love is everlasting, never failing and because, as a parent, who gave His only son for our Salvation, He, better than anyone, knows what we are going through.
While God would rather good things happen to our families and our loved ones, sometimes evil just gets the upper hand. It can take our innocence from us, which in some cases is never seen again. It can snatch away all the joy of life, muting it to a dull feeling, rather than the overwhelming happy feeling that it should be.
While it may be easier to blame God, there is something we all tend to forget in our moments of grief and despair and that is that God "... causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous," (Matthew 5:45b). I know it doesn't seem to be fair, but after years of searching the scriptures, I have never once found a verse where God promises that life will be fair. Only a life that promises, to those who believe on His name, will be eternal and filled with His love, His mercy, His kindness and that He will above all, always, through the Holy Spirit, be our comfort and our hope that all is not lost and that tomorrow will bring brighter days. He also promises that He will avenge the wrongs done to us. "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." (Romans 12:19).
The evil that lives and roams on this earth, may come in the form of the people who walk amongst us, but those evils that are done to us are without a doubt in every instance directly from hell itself. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, roams about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8).
Imagine the horror of a parent being separated from their child for just a moment, and then the joy they feel when they almost immediately find them. Has it ever happened to you? Maybe they wandered down the wrong aisle in the toy store and your heart and stomach were doing somersaults until you found them? If this has ever happened to you, then you know exactly what I'm talking about. The fear. The not knowing....the anguish...it's all there. Until they are found. I believe God feels those same exact feelings about us when we "wander off" too. Anguish, heartache and tears...all for us because we have gone astray, away from His word, or are just downright ignoring it, not believing what we have heard when the Gospel is given to us.
We wander away from God our Father just like a child in a toy store. All it takes is something irresistable catching our eye and our attention and our hearts are turned towards that something that might not be good for us. And all the while as He tries to remind us He is there, giving us warnings in our heads from His word, we continue to wander away from Him anyway. We don't listen, sometimes making very unwise decisions for our lives, hurting ourselves in numerous ways, which would grieve any parent, especially the parent who made us. Our creator, God our Father.
Sometimes we wander thinking we've been forgotten by God because of the choices we've made or by the evil things people have done to us, but in truth, He never leaves our side. He carries us! "
For the LORD your God goes with you! He will never leave you nor forsake you." (Deuteronomy 31: 6b). It's the devil who perpetrates the lie that God has forgotten us, and doesn't want us anymore.
All the Lord wants is for us to come around the corner in the toy store so we can be found! Just as a parent would rejoice, God will rejoice that the son/daughter who has wandered away, or who has never met Him at all, the child He thought was dead and lost forever, can be celebrated alive once again, and called His own! "For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry." (Luke 15:24).
God did give us free will, as shown by a child who wanders in a toy store. We are free to do whatever we want, but that freedom can actually lead us into a bondage that may take years to overcome.
Once we realize that God is still there, we can turn the aisle in that toy store of life and make the choice to come home, back to the safety of our Heavenly Father's arms, His word, better than any security system, making us safe against the snares of the devil.
This is a choice that sets us free from the bondage we have gotten ourselves into. Even if we don't understand it right away or the devil picks on us saying it isn't real, if we work diligently by studying God's word, especially about who we are, and how He feels about us, we will eventually understand that God has forgiven us, making us totally free! "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." (John 8:36).
When we make the choice to turn towards God, we can experience a freedom that we have never known. "What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?" (Romans 8:31).
Just like a child can wander away from us in a toy store, we can wander away from God. Sometimes we wander by committing a sin, whether we know it is a sin or not and by the time the devil has us right where he wants us, we try to turn around and look for God to help us but we cannot see Him! The devil blinds us from seeing him and all we see is a huge crowd of people standing between Him and us, and when we can't see Him anymore, it becomes easier to continue living a life of sin, despair and loneliness. We wind up feeling abandoned and alone, but that is the lie the devil wants for us to believe! The reason we are unable to see Him is the sin that separates us from Him! Then as things get worse, we blame Him for leaving us at the most vulnerable times of our lives, thus making us even more miserable than we were before.
All it takes is a prayer. Ask God to forgive you, and the crowd between you and Him will suddenly disappear and He will be all that you can see. His love, His mercy, His unfailing Loving Kindness are there, waiting for you! Come home dear child. Turn into that next aisle in the toy store of life and run into his arms. They are waiting to hold you again! He is waiting to rejoice and celebrate your home coming! He wants you back, just like any parent would stand in that aisle and pray their child is just a few feet away, just out of sight.
So think of it. The joy a parent feels when they realize their child is just in another aisle of the toy store looking at Lego's and the joy they feel inside at finding them, and then contrast it with how God must feel when we repent, ask His forgiveness and once again are in agreement with Him, and back in his loving arms! Just imagine if a parent can rejoice over finding their child, how much more will God rejoice when you decide to come home again. He loves you and He's waiting.
Make this your best Christmas ever. Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. Re-dedicate your life to Christ, and you will feel joy like you haven't in a long time.
God loves you and so do I. If you need counseling, please call. I am here for you. 1-888-359-5439 or Tweet me on Twitter @BeABarnabus or Send Me An Email! I will pray with you and for you and I know that the Lord will do great things in your life!
God Bless you all and keep an extra eye open in the back of your head while you do your Christmas shopping to protect those you love!
Have you ever noticed that when the things we desire most don't happen, we tend to get teary eyed, down in the dumps and just down right depressed? We snap at the people we love, we act like the world is coming to an end....but really? It's not. We just feel that way. Feelings are the devil's favorite way to make us feel like we are less than we are, and that we are doomed to constant failure whenever we suffer a defeat of some sort.
We are all God's children and no matter what we think of ourselves, we were created in HIS image, not the image everyone around us thinks we should be and especially not the one we think we should be ourselves! "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:27). Knowing this, I don't understand how I ever could've looked in the mirror and then constantly felt inferior or not up to the task, or just not as good as anyone else unless I achieved something really spectacular or important. Feeling ugly is a symptom of the world and it's constant demands to look a certain way or you don't fit in.
It's like sometimes we feel like we are less than God created us to be! Believe me, He knows what He's doing and you are a unique example of His love for us all!
I think we all know what I'm talking about when I say that the things we want to happen the most don't always go the way we expect. Like the promotion at work, or the job we were so sure we were going to get or those extra pounds that we just thought for sure would fall off with the new diet we are on. And what about that college scholarship we were sure we'd get but didn't? The engagement gone wrong? The marriage that failed? Sometimes it's the things we thought would never happen that brings us to the brink, causing us to fall upon our knees to ask, "What now God?"
The parents who raised us are suddenly divorced. The precious gift from God, the child suddenly stricken with a terrible disease that turns your lives inside out, upside down, and hurts your other children who just don't understand, making them feel left out and depressed, marking them for life as we sit and wonder, "Why us God? What did we do?"
Maybe it's the friend we've known for years who just changes so rapidly before our very eyes that we don't even recognize them anymore. And then the friendship ends one way or another because of a breakdown in commitment to one another as friends or even worse, a lack of the communication that we care, and that God cares about them, and how we don't like what we see, but that there is hope in Jesus. So afraid we will lose them as a friend we then lose them anyway because of our own cowardice to confront them about the way they are living and how they are destroying their life.
And then there's my tragedy. The one person I never thought would leave me did. Several adulturus affairs that tore our entire family apart. My mind constantly searching for a way out, but he won't file for divorce, and I am lost without work, no money and a mentality that refuses welfare or government assistance, so I wait patiently on God. I have no other choice but to be faithful to Christ, for my reward will be there for standing on His promises and not upon the worlds.
Then there is the worst possible tragedy a family or friend can face. The death of your spouse/child/best friend. Believe me, that one will take you down as far as you can go before God picks up the pieces and gives you the grace, strength and courage to face just one more day and to eventually move on with your life.
This type of tragic event leaves you feeling beaten, bruised and totally helpless because there is nothing you can do to bring them back. They are just no longer there, leaving a gaping hole in your life where they used to be. Whether it be a spouse a child or a best friend, it doesn't matter. It leaves you feeling helpless on so many different levels, your whole life is just a wasteland until you have the fortitude to, with the help of God, put it back together again.
What I don't understand is how someone could rush in and tell a person in this position to "just get over it and move on." That's just cruel and heartless. This is the type of loss that stays with you forever. It is something you simply never get over. Some people are lucky enough to have friends who never leave them, who take care of them after such a horrible trauma.
And yes, there are others like me who while going through much less, go through it in our stoic voiceless screams alone with only Jesus at our side. I know I am just one of many such people, who feel there is no way out but God and the mercy He provides to us daily to stand up under it. There are so many of us who have lost a spouse through death or betrayal that it boggles the mind when I look at the statistics.
Sometimes the pain will last for years, sometimes till the day we die, but yet we still, somehow are forced to move on. Some are blessed with another child, but it doesn't make the pain any less nor does it replace the child they've lost. Sometimes a spouse abandoned by suicide, adultery or just a husband or wife who's spouse just packed up and ran away will find someone new in God's timing and fall in love again, but it's all in His hands, not ours.
So my conclusion in this little exercise is that I got heated and upset over something that really has no relative meaning compared to what others around me are going through.
There are those of us who take a little time getting there, but when we do, we ask and receive God's forgiveness and then are ready to help someone else in need or are just simply humbled by the pain and the strength of others who are going through the unthinkable.
Sometimes, I just cry it out with God and then pick myself up, dust myself off and trudge through another day, hopeful that I will find solace and an escape from my sad and very lonely situation. I am so grateful for Jesus because otherwise, I sincerely don't know what I would do!
The level of pain we feel from the hurt is usually the way we are able to tell how long the hurt will last and in some cases, like the loss of a loved one, it never fully goes away. It can be the type of pain that lasts until we go to be with the Lord and the loved one lost to us on this earth. The pain we feel here, exists between us and God and can only be dealt with by a respect for who He is, what He did for us on the cross and a reverential fear that He has perfect control over our lives. His will is unquestionable to one who has such faith, and there is no answer except to trust Him fully for the fate that has befallen us.
It takes a lot of tears and a lot of time, and for someone who has never been there to say "get over it already," is just cruel and it makes me pray for them because to me? It leaves me questioning their true standing with the Lord.
I was ready to move on from my disappointment this evening rather quickly as soon as I thought of my dear friend who had this insult hurled at him. He is going through something much worse than myself or a lot of other people for that matter. Our days are numbered on this earth, and only God knows how many days, weeks or years we have left. It just isn't fair to tell someone else how to grieve even if you've walked through that valley yourself, because we each react to loss differently.
Watching my friend talk about this person telling them to "get over it," made me wonder how I would behave. I would probably scream, throw things.. but how long would it take me to once again get back to the frame of mind where I would Praise God for what He had given me and what He had taken away? While my humanity would want to break everything in sight and make someone pay, my Godly side would want something different. For "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be
praised." (Job 1:21)
It would take me awhile to get there, but in my grief I know I would remember God and all the good things He has given me. And even though a precious one is gone, I would still give Him praise and be forgiving of the one who hurt me.
So the next time you suffer a set back like I did, try to remember that there is always someone else out there who has it worse than you! Then? Go dance in the rain. When the rain comes down, it brings a new ground upon which to start re-building your life, even if it's just a bad day! And with God's help? Well, who can stop us?
Full immunity. That is what God offers to us through Jesus death, burial and resurrection. He died for our sins so that we would not have to suffer an eternity in hell for, "In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see
Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God,
but yourselves being thrown out." (Luke 13:28).
In God's Kingdom, full immunity applies to those who not only accept God's grace and accept salvation through Christ's redemptive work on the cross for us, but who through the humility of that gift live their lives in such a way as to please God, reproducing how Christ would have lived if He hadn't given Himself for us, taking our place on the cross at Calvary.
This principle applies to all those who have at one time or another in their life accepted the saving Grace of Jesus Christ's death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. And if we live our lives so as to please God rather then men, there are rewards!
For even if we believe, "even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself." (James 2:17). God requires someone who says they are saved to act like it! For those around us will know us by the fruit we bear, as will God! "By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them." (Matthew 7:16-20).
If you are confused as to whether you are saved, please pick up the phone and call? I'm always available, any time of day or night, to answer your questions and lead you to the truths that only the Bible can give you so that you will have peace and be able to live in the knowledge that you are for absolute sure, going to go to heaven.
Don't wait another minute, hour or day to find out for sure. There is definitely a way you can know and that is by the Word of God, which will never pass away! "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish (in hell), but have everlasting live!" (John 3:16). "If we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9).
Jesus is waiting. No matter what you've done, you can be forgiven. I mean NO MATTER WHAT YOU'VE DONE YOU CAN BE FORGIVEN! In fact through His death on the cross, Jesus has already forgiven you! You simply need to accept the fact that you are a sinner and that you need Christ because without Him? We can do nothing! "I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for apart from me ye can do nothing." (John 15:5).
Don't you want to lead a happier, less stressful life? I mourn and cry daily for those who simply deny God even exists and don't want to hear what I have to say! I've watched Him move in such powerful ways in my life as evidenced in some of the posts on this blog, and it astonishes me that the delusion that Paul talked of in II Thessalonians is so far underway that people don't even wish to listen anymore! It's why I am bold enough to push and push and try to get you all on board the boat that will never sink!
Just reach out and accept the gift! He already took your place on the cross to pay IN ADVANCE for every sin you would EVER commit throughout your entire life time! So why not take the gift He gave you and run with it? You can change your entire life with just one step of courage. Have faith in Jesus, and watch your life turn for the better. Find a true New Testament church and start learning more! Meet with the Pastor and learn more from him too! Go to Sunday School and be willing to learn from those in authority over you. A humble spirit will avail you much in knowledge and hope! The knowledge about our Holy Father, and His Son who came to earth to know how we really felt, and understand the struggles we faced in life, even though he sinned not, gave Himself for our transgressions as the perfect lamb of God who was slain for us! "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5).
I've discussed many times here on this blog about where I have been in my life and the pit falls, spills and disasters I've caused in my life over the years, and if I had to go through it to help others or to keep my kids from having to go through it, then I am grateful for those heartaches. I'm grateful to God for the trials, abuse, pain, and rejection I have gone through all of my life and am still going through and if it helped even just one person avoid the same outcome in their life? I will give God all the glory! If it saved even one, it was totally worth it!
Go and take a look in the mirror. Do you know whether you are saved? If so, then hallelujah and praise God! If not, call. Let's talk so that you can know for sure that you are going to heaven! I know the rapture is coming soon, when Jesus will remove His Bride the Church from the earth, and believe me, you don't want to be left behind! The 7 years that follow are not going to be a picnic. You think it's bad now??? Just wait, cause you ain't seen nothin yet!
Open your bible and start with the book of John, then read the new testament and go back to the old testament and read the stories of how God used even the weakest outcast to confound the strong! David and Goliath is a great story that shows the strength of faith in the face of death, and David had great faith in God! He didn't need an army, he had a slingshot, a smooth stone and he had God on his side as do we all if we will humble ourselves enough to admit it!
The bible says that "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment He shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD." (Isaiah 54:17).
Even if you feel you aren't worthy of redemption, when you read about all the people in the bible who were just as bad or worse than you, then you will understand that God uses all of us in whatever way He wills and He can use you too, no matter what your past is! Isn't that exciting?
God bless everyone who reads this, especially those of you who are unsaved. It is my prayer to bring you into the Kingdom of God where there will be no pain, sorrow, tears, fear, illness, discontentment or death! Just joy, like you've never felt in your life. And you will feel it constantly because we will be changed in an instant when He comes to receive us from the earth with the sound of a trumpet. We will be transported in an instant into the clouds with Jesus to be taken home! "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command,
with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and
the dead in Christ will rise first. After
that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together
with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be
with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).
In Heaven there shall be no more pain. No more sorrow. No more grief. No more worry and no more death! It's your choice. You could spend eternity in a place that is hot, horrifically painful, your flesh burning from the fire constantly day and night for all of eternity with no mercy shown to you or you can accept the gift God gave us through His son Jesus Christ. All you have to do is pray and ask Him to forgive you for your sins and to come into your heart and show you right from wrong so that you might live to the fullest for Him instead of yourself. It's really that easy!
It is your choice ultimately, but Jesus loves you and so do I, and I don't want anyone left behind. Nobody! So please pay heed? Jesus is coming very soon, but after that it will be too late and you will have to not take the mark to buy or sell, for those who take the mark cannot enter heaven! "And he (the anti-christ), causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond,
to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads, that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." (Revelation 13:17).
Scary days are ahead. Please don't wait? Get right with God, or please...kneel and accept Him as your savior? He wants to give you "blanket immunity" and call you His child, and He will protect you! For "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD." (Isaiah 54:17).
Have faith. Read the word of God and begin to practice it! It is never to late to start, for one day you will hear, "Well done, thou good and faithful
servant. Thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee
ruler over many things! Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." (Matthew 25:21).
Lord please bless all who read this post. You called me to write it because someone out there needed to read it. Please bless these words to reach far and wide and bring your lost sheep back into the fold, and also bring those who are still in the dark into the light of your eternal love for them, and the mercy and grace that awaits them! Thank you Lord Jesus for the opportunity to use my voice here for you. Praise you Father. You are my rock, my shield and my protector. I believe, trust and know in my heart that every step I take in faith is just one more step towards my ultimate freedom in You! For you shall take care of us all! Thank you Lord Jesus! We love you!
"Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18).
Pride. That five letter word that is the beginning of just about every sin we commit against God. You can be on a mountain top and still fall flat on your face several times every day, falling down the steep grade that leads to God, His grace, His love and His mercy.
But "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23). His mercy is new every day, so why not take advantage of that mercy, love and forgiveness? What is it that holds us back? Why do we keep sliding when we don't have to?
You see I have been the victim of pride many times. The devil uses it in our lives to keep us from the grace, love and mercy of God, sometimes for years at a time. It is hard to remember sometimes just to pray, to ask God's forgiveness, but if we are faithful to Him, requesting that mercy anew every morning, mid day, or evening, or even all three times of the day, we can find peace and healing! All we have to do is humble ourselves and confess our sins! "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9).
So what is keeping you from the Lord? What has you mired in despair, hurt, loneliness, selfishness, anger, murmuring and complaining? What is the hurt, or sin that has you sinking like a stone? Peter walked on water, but the moment he looked away from Jesus he sank under the waves! What makes you think you are any different?
Put your eyes back in the right direction! Look to Jesus, the spotless, sinless Lamb who was slain so that we wouldn't have to suffer through our times of sinfulness! He is there all the time and He carries you when you are burdened, in despair, causing destruction in your own life, hurt by others or hurting others with whatever destructive behavior you might be doing to yourself. He has His angels fighting with the devil and his demons that work day and night to keep you from humbling yourself so that you can meet Him right where you are, and those angels are there protecting you from further harm, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world,
against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:12).
So put that five letter word back where it belongs! Humble yourself. Kneel and ask God to forgive you for taking your eyes off of Him. That's always our first mistake, thinking we can do things on our own when the truth is that we can do nothing without Him. The bible says, "I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15:5). That makes it pretty clear doesn't it? We are human, born into sin and we are going to make mistakes, but even still, sometimes we just don't seem to understand that we are nothing without Him! "As for man, his days are as grass, as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone, and the place thereof shall know it no more." (Psalm 103:15-16).
Please come home? He's waiting! He wants to put salve on your wounds, wipe your tears, and hold you in His arms. Let Him. He's there, waiting for you to put your pride behind you and walk with Him in freedom again. He wants you to be full, till your cup runneth over! He has it prepared and waiting for you! All you have to do is reach out to Him, and accept His grace once again, or even for the first time! "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies, thou anointest my head with oil. My cup runneth over." (Proverbs 23:5).
I am so deeply in love with the Lord that He is all I need! I am sincerely amazed, humbled, and on my knees in gratitude that He would call my name. Out of all the people on this planet, and I know I am not the only one being drawn close in these last days, for I am not special in any regard. "
Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons." (Acts 10:34).
I don't think of myself as better than anyone else, and the bible makes it clear that we should be careful about those kinds of thoughts because the Lord does not play favorites! "Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem each other as better than themselves." (Philippians 2:3).
In April, the Lord drew me close once more, and I put my pride away! I still fall flat on my face. I do it every day, but I ask His forgiveness, sometimes several times a day. The Holy Spirit prompts me constantly when I do something God doesn't like! The coolest thing is that I feel free! I feel that I am safe and at home! Finally and forever.
Thank you Jesus. You are my redeemer, the lamp that lights my path, "God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble." (Psalm 46:1b). Lord Jesus, you are my everything. I am nothing without You, and the joy I feel in my heart outweighs all the pain I am going through, and all the pain I have ever gone through throughout my entire life! It is a never ending joy, full of blessings that will unfold before me throughout eternity! Thank you Lord Jesus! I love you with everything I am, everything I have is yours, even in my poverty, I am full of joy, love, mercy, and peace. Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord for your salvation is the greatest gift I have or will ever know or receive! It is a fountain of life that springs forth constantly and I praise you constantly for it!
May God Bless all who read this post and may He grant you a humble spirit so that you might know the joy of His mercy, grace, love and the peace that comes with it!
I'm hurting. A lot of people are hurting. The world is Satan's playground and he is causing more havoc than usual. From fractured marriages to men and women losing their husbands and wives, or a 25 year old Missionary coming home from Africa only to find out she has a brain tumor. Those are just a few things I know of personally and then there is the usual fare of murder/suicide, armed robbery, mayhem of all types including senseless violence, senseless abuse, verbal, physical and otherwise....so many things that are bad. It makes you just want to crawl into a hole and pull it in after you!
On the days that I feel overwhelmed and frozen, numb to the point that I feel like I can't move forward, I try really hard to remember what Christ went through on the Cross for me, for you, for all of us. He didn't want us to go through trouble, defeat, sadness, strife or any kind of pain or horrible circumstances alone. He did what He did so that the Holy Comforter, the Holy Spirit would be there for us to grab onto so that we would feel His protection and His love.
We must guard our hearts in Christ. "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." (Proverbs 4:23). Even when we are pushed passed the limits of what we think we can handle, we have to remember that He can handle anything and He will handle it for us if we just ask Him to step in, hold our hand and walk with us through whatever it may be that holds us hostage from moving forward and living our utmost for His highest!
When you find yourself empty and in despair, just remember that "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7). He can do anything. Even if you're tired of waiting, keep being patient, because He will reward you for it! "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." (Hebrews 10:36).
No matter what you are going through, there are others on this planet who are going through far worse. No matter how battered, bruised and helpless you feel in your situation, know that it could be worse and just be stronger than you have ever been before. "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!" (Philippians 4:13). This should be just one verse we bring to our minds on purpose the minute we wake everyday. The other one is, "This is the day that the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24). These two verses will automatically set your mind on Christ which will change your mindset for the day. If you learn how to change your "self-talk," you will already have a head start on the evil one!
I've got a lot of issues right now that have me up against a wall, but Jesus is standing between me and the problems I face so that they are not allowed to swallow me whole, destroying me and my ability to witness to others for Christ. He holds my heart, my mind and my soul, and He is never going to let go. If you believe that? Then no matter how tired, no matter how battered you are by this life, just put down your sword, and come and sit with Him for awhile. Let Him hold you, Let Him know your pain, because He does care. "Cast your cares upon Him, for He cares for you!" (1 Peter 5:7).
Talk to the Lord. I speak to Him out loud like He's my best friend sitting right next to me! I talk to Him constantly, in order to continue on in this life waiting for the day when He will come and carry me away. "Pray without ceasing." (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
If you need to be filled again because you feel like you're runnin on empty? Come to Him now. He is there waiting for you. He wants you to feel His love for you. Let Him love you. He will help you get to the finish line. "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win." (1 Corinthians 9:24).
We are all running a race, but when we run towards Christ in every situation, giving Him praise in the good times, and running towards Him as fast as we can in the bad times, the problems will seem to slip away into the ether. Even if it's just for awhile, He is still giving us relief from the problems that overwhelm us so that we can continue to "run so as to win" the race.
Wherever you may be on your journey, up or down, remember He is there and that He wants you to come to Him when you need Him. Don't miss out on the greatest friendship you will ever have.
Come and drink from the wellspring of life and be refreshed so you can make it through another day. He will be waiting!
