tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72257009643819874412024-03-08T11:46:39.058-05:00Aroma2 Corinthians 2:15 For we are to God the aroma of ChristHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09568744930345139093noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225700964381987441.post-85300586279266802102015-02-13T19:17:00.002-05:002015-02-13T19:17:43.424-05:00To obey or not obey?<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span> (If your like me you are already tired of hearing about a movie that doesn't interest you. So this is my humble opinion on a topic of our culture. I just feel the need to express what has been rumbling around in my head and heart over this topic.)<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> So there is a movie coming to a theater near you, it has been a conversation starter.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Although I am not sure the conversation always ends up good. I'm sure you know which movie I am talking about so I won't advertise it here. As always I am stirred to share my heart, and that is why I am writing today, as it has been a very long time since the last time I put thought to Blogger. I hope that my words come across with love. I have struggled with how to show a lost world the love of Christ, for me it is often about encouraging my fellow Believers in their walk. Consider this an encouragement.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> I am a little amazed over the way Christians are acting, and talking about this movie .Because they seem to be all over the place. There seems to be a lot of finger pointing and a lot of opinion on both sides but not much discussion. And I may be accused of the same, but hey, this is my blog. ;-) Talking about a topic goes much further than finger pointing and judgment. Let me start off by saying that I have not read the book, nor do I plan to. I also do not plan on seeing this movie. Ever. I will explain why I have made this choice and why I hope to encourage you to also chose this stance if you follow Christ. I had of a period of my life where my worth was wrapped up in sex and beauty. I believe that many women have also struggled with this sense of worth, although it may not have played out the way mine did. I am thankful to no longer be there, but it still tints the way that I view things. It is also a way that the enemy of my soul will attack, if I am not on guard all the time.<br /> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> This is where the post seems to take a strange turn, but stick with me. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Our church has been doing a study called The Blessed Life, by Pastor Robert Morris. It is a study about tithing and our heart condition. I really encourage you to watch videos or read his book, in a group. Tithing is a difficult topic to teach on, for years tithing was used as the church needs money, give us your money but God's plan was much different that just give me your money. Because of our different history's with tithing the discussions get very interesting. If God is not first in our lives He does not get the first of anything, correct? I am involved in 2 small groups talking about this topic. One is a couples group and another is a ladies group. And honestly I would be part of more if I could make it work, because I see that through discussion and truth, are lives being changed, strongholds being broken, and thought lives being reordered. Praise the Lord!!! Mine included! I have loved talking about this topic and listening to others thoughts on the subject. We don't always agree, but are able to voice our opinions with out judgment as we each wrestle this out with God.<br /><br /> Here is where the two connect. The one thing I feel impressed on me over and over is this, I am to 1-Trust God and 2- Obey God. That's it. Trust and Obey...wait isn't there a song out there that I remember singing as a kid? Trust and obey for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus than to trust and obey. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Anyway, now that the song is in your head... when I hear the different sides of this movie I am drawn to ask myself what does the Bible say about this topic? I am often drawn to Ephesians. I know I have used these verses before, about fleeing from sin. But what about this...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Ephesians 5:3(NIV) But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.</span></span></div>
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<br /> I am pretty sure that verse does't say this...if you are a mature follower and have all your sin issues under control you can go see, read, touch, smell things that have a hint of sexual immorality, especially if the couple gets married at the end. You'll be holy. (This would be true of ANY sin issues that we individually struggle with.)<br /><br /> No, it says there "must not be even a hint of sexual immorality". That right there is enough to stop me from watching some shows on TV that I might find entertaining, reading romance novels even if they are geared toward Christian women. I make mistakes, I watch/listen to things that have "even a hint of sexual immorality" in them. I have lived a life of sexual immorality, but now that I want to chose to obey God in my actions, deeds and thought life. I am trying to listen to what He says concerning the things in my life. This is written in the Bible. I am not saying to you "I have a message from the Lord, new decree..." No this is Paul encouraging Christ followers to live a life that is proper for God's holy people. <br /><br /> There is more...<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Ephesians 5:8(NIV) For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness,righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.</span></span></div>
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<br /> If I want to take the lessons that I am learning about tithing and putting God first in my heart and life my actions in EVERY other aspect of my life need to be a reflection of the Light. I am no longer a child of the dark, but I am a child of the Light!<br /><br /> In my small little corner of the world, I want my light to shine as brightly as I can. I want to walk as closely as I can to the holy life Jesus died to give me. I fail Him daily, but in this I want to make Him say, "That's my girl.". I have struggled with this "mommy porn". I have to be careful what I see and read, as we all do. I have an over active imagination at times I've had to reel in from time to time. And when I am intimate with my husband, I want to be with him. Not thinking about something "great" that I read and how that worked for them, because just like with "regular" porn, intimacy becomes unsatisfying and will not live up to our expectations. When I compare my real life to someone else's best, even if it is made up, it is set up or disappointment. God designed intimacy to be great between a husband and wife. Anything outside of that becomes a sin problem.<br /><br /> Can I trust that the Bible includes verses like Paul's in Ephesians because God knows what is best for me and my marriage? Can I trust that if God made sure to include a topic into the Bible that I should at least try and knowingly make steps to obey? Why obey God? <br /><br /> God sees every option and choice in my life, why would I not take His thoughts on the subject into consideration? He is my Creator, my Redeemer, my Lord.<br /><br /> Be careful what you allow, you can not serve two masters, or you will hate one and love the other. This is a slippery slope of a topic. I know.<br /><br /> Here is another thought for you. I recently heard of a missionary who said that people from outside of the USA think that because America is a Christian nation that Hollywood represents Christ and Christians. What?!? That struck a very deep cord within me. I do not stand with most of the stuff coming out of Hollywood and would say that Hollywood doesn't represent me or what I believe. This just adds to the long list of things that the world believes "Christians" stand for. <br /><br /> I am not judging you if you are a Christian and go to see the movie, that is for sure between you and God. I will still love you, a movie doesn't change who you are. I am just asking you to ask some of these same questions I have asked myself and examine the heart behind the matter. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Will I choose to obey or not to obey? Life or death? Blessing or cursing?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Deuteronomy 30:19 (NKJV) </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /> Today and for the rest of my life I choose to take steps to always obey. I am willing to examine my heart and see why I am hesitant to follow God when He is very clear on a subject, any subject. It is a constant growth, one that I am willing to go through to draw closer to God. I am willing to allow others to point out a sin issue I may not be aware of, to draw closer to God. </span><br />
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Check out The Blessed Life study or Pastor Robert Morris click here..<a href="http://gatewaypeople.com/" target="_blank">gatewaypeople.com/ </a></div>
Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09568744930345139093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225700964381987441.post-24862704739450974462014-03-30T17:41:00.000-04:002014-03-30T17:41:15.971-04:00Broken hearted... Good day to you! I am happy to say that the sun is shinning in Michigan today, and there is basketball on TV. Does it get much better? <br />
I think that maybe why my heart is so broken. As I think about what I am going to write, I am so grateful that God has blessed my husband and I the way he has. If you look back over your life, you will often see times that were so dark you could end up in the worst situation. I see those times, if I am honest with myself, a lot over my early 20's. I lived in a completely different state from my family, roughly 16 hours drive. And there were lots, I mean lots of days were I didn't have money to drive to the store let alone go home. And yet God sustained me, even in my very active rebellion. There were a lot of dark moments, where I just needed something to fill the empty space inside that only God can fill. I tried with some many other things to substitute God.<br />
Last night I read and saw pictures of a little girl, that really made me count my blessings. It original post is from <a href="http://www.boredpanda.com/drug-addicts-daughter-anfisa-irina-popova/">http://www.boredpanda.com/drug-addicts-daughter-anfisa-irina-popova/</a>. I then went to the website from the photographer here...<a href="http://www.irinapopova.net/">http://www.irinapopova.net/</a> (If you go to the photographer's website know that there are pictures of a man without his clothes on.) Here is the story in a very bad nutshell. The photographer saw this mom walking down the street after being out partying pushing a baby in a stroller. She then asked if she could come back and take pictures of their life. Document the mom and the dad of this little girl. They are drug addicts who often party at their home with their little girl.<br />
I'm not here to judge the parents or the photographer, my last post had enough judgment, and there is another call to action in these pictures. The photographer and her subjects are in Russia. But I know that Russia is not the only place where children are being raised in families like these. There is drug addiction here in America, even in the beautiful town that I live in. My heart breaks for the girl, but also for the parents. Where are the people who can help? And I don't mean the government, I mean God's people? Where is the church?<br />
This morning these pictures remain with me in their sorrow and in my sorrow that I can not go over and help. If you knew anything about me it is that I long to help. With not too many miss steps this could have been my life. And I am grateful God kept me from going down this path, but it is not just an "over there" problem. It is a here, now, in this place problem! In our town, it is hidden. I believe pride keeps it from being so in your face, but it is here. Ask those who work with various charities. This winter has been long and hard in Michigan and families who are homeless struggled a ton this year. All the area charities, homeless shelters struggled to provide food and coats to the people coming in for help. <br />
There are horror stories about living conditions of children in Michigan. I am thankful for friends I have that do foster care. I wish I helped them out more. That is a rough life...you open your home and life. Pour into these kiddos then when they leave you realize how you loved them and how hurt you are by their absence. They do something to your heart, and to the hearts of those around them. There are many, many children in Michigan who need homes, forever home. If you live in Michigan check out this site and see if God is calling you to help, in anyway. <a href="http://www.kidsbelong.com/">http://www.kidsbelong.com/</a><br />
The parents of the young girl...I don't even know where to start, except on my knees in prayer. God send someone who can help! That is my cry if there is someone here in Michigan or living in Russia. Nothing is more powerful than prayer. This is where I plan to stay until God says move. Prayer...for a child...for a mother...for a father...a city...a neighborhood...prayer.<br />
God change my heart, my city for Your Glory for your purpose! Let me, us not miss one opportunity to love someone deeply. <br />
James 1:27 (GW)<br />
Pure, unstained religion, according to God our Father, is to take care of orphans and widows when they suffer and to remain uncorrupted by this world.<span class="p"><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/jub/james/1.htm"></a></span><br />
I challenge you because of He who challenges me!<br />
<span style="color: #76a5af; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">Heather</span><br />
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<span class="versiontext" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/">www.biblegateway.com</a> for scripture</span>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09568744930345139093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225700964381987441.post-30689464251170868902014-03-25T19:58:00.002-04:002014-03-25T19:58:56.488-04:00Really?!? Tonight, I am feeling a little passionate. Not sure why tonight, as some of the thoughts I am sharing I have had for a while or have mulled over with my husband a time or two. My biggest guess is that I am feeling better after being sick for the last week. Some energy is coming back and I always get a bit more fired up when talking about God!<br />
So a few of you might now that MIM (Morality in Media) Dirty Dozen (<a href="http://pornharms.com/dirtydozen/">http://pornharms.com/dirtydozen/</a>) came out recently and I had a number of post that showed up on my Facebook were about how Verizon was on the list. Many of my friends posted that they would cancel their service with Verizon if they used them among other comments. We do have Verizon phones, and I have never watched porn from my phone, but I also know that if I was on any service provider, I could view porn of any title or content. It's pretty easy to come by these days. But as my husband and I were talking about it, he decided to look up the list and found Facebook was #3 and Google was #4. He laughed sarcastically and said "So, what does it say for those who used a Google Chrome browser (#4 on the list) to log into their Facebook account (#3 on the list) to post their disgust with Verizon (#2 on the list)." So pretty much all Christians should cancel their phone services, Facebook accounts, and no longer use the Google or for that matter the internet. Now that seems a little extreme and I am going to explain why I think that is a bit extreme. <br />
I am all for stepping back from what causes you to sin, if you are a Christ follower. We are to walk as close as we can to how Jesus walked. He even talks about plucking out your eye if it causes you to sin. (Matthew 5:29) But we are <u>not</u> to judge the world.<br />
<span class="text 1Cor-5-12" id="en-NKJV-28467"><span style="color: #76a5af; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">1 Corinthians 5:12-13</span> </span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-5-12"><sup class="versenum"> <span style="color: #76a5af;">12 </span></sup><span style="color: #76a5af;">For what <i>have</i> I <i>to do</i> with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? </span></span><span style="color: #76a5af;"> <span class="text 1Cor-5-13" id="en-NKJV-28468"><sup class="versenum">13 </sup>But those who are outside God judges. Therefore <span class="oblique">“put away from yourselves the evil person.</span></span></span><br />
And how could we anyway? We don't actually look much different from those who don't profess Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Our churches are full of people who look the same as the world, we listen to music that doesn't glorify God, watch TV shows that don't glorify God, we gossip, we have sex outside of marriage, we watch porn from the secret of our bedrooms, we drink, we smoke, the list goes on, and on, and on. For every one thing the "world" does, we also do inside the church. It is sad and it saddens my heart. But it is the truth. And if a church is stepping out and doing the right thing, other Christians think they are weird or have gone to far with the Holy Spirit or what ever excuse we could use to point away from our sins. <br />
My questions I wanted to post to my Facebook page and I didn't because I love my friends, and in my heart don't like to cause waves, but the questions is, Instead of using words to judge the world of porn, how are your actions changing the world? Some of these friends are very active in changing their communities, it just seems to me that more than anything "Love always looks like something." (Heidi Baker)<br />
I get the fact that we want to protect our children. I do too! If that was the only reason I felt this list got posted over and over and over again I might have had something better to say about the list. It is my job as a parent to teach my children, once seen never unseen, and make wise choices. Then pray, pray, pray!<br />
As Christians we have put on this mask for so long that we have got it all together, and you know what?!? Not a one of us does!!!! I have struggled greatly with sexual sin, instead of getting to know why I did what I did people from church called me a whore. (Yes, actually happened!) Which of course led me deeper into searching for someone to love me in a way that I understood, physical. So Church instead of judging those we are not called to judge, see above scripture, why don't we work on getting healthy from the inside out. Let get to know, really know those inside our church walls, find out what their struggles are and pray with them to be set free. Ask for prayer for your struggles, seek after the King of Kings together as a church. His Words and Breath bring healing. I know, I have gone the long way to healing, but I have received healing. So when I have a sin struggle now, it is much easier to trust that He is waiting, wanting to heal me. Once you are healthy it is much easier to reach the world, those outside of the church who are hurting and sinning. You can reach out to them from a place of health and compassion. Because once you realize all the bondage you are in now, you have compassion in those who walk in the same bondage. And you can truly love those who are hurting and broken, because you can admit to them that you once were right where they are. You can love them as Jesus love you.<br />
Fear is the real reason that we as Christians move in ways that are outside of what God is calling us to. We rant about the end times and all the sin and all the people going to hell, but we are not out there doing anything about it. We sit and wait for someone else to go into the bad parts of town and serve. Some of that is because we live in defeat of our own sin. If they knew that I struggle with sin how can I help them? It is not about us anymore! But it should be about them! <br />
<span style="color: #76a5af;">Ephesians 5:1-2</span><br />
<span style="color: #76a5af;"> Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. <span class="text Eph-5-2" id="en-NKJV-29307"><sup class="versenum">2 </sup>And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. </span></span><br />
<span class="text Eph-5-2"><span style="color: black;"> Actually the whole first part of Ephesians 5 is wonderful for this topic of who we are called to judge and how. Friends Let's walk in love, as Christ has loved us!</span></span><br />
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*If you were one of my friends on Facebook that posted the list, I love you, this is a call to action in my own heart that God moved me to write to others. There is no condemnation, only a harsh look at my life and how little action I have put out there, while I also rant about how bad the world has gotten. But my Jesus is constantly changing my heart and my life for the good of His plan. Praise the Lord!<br />
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I challenge you because He first challenged me!!!<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/">www.biblegateway.com</a> for scripture</span>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09568744930345139093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225700964381987441.post-79416337621610579672014-02-04T20:55:00.000-05:002014-02-04T21:37:08.662-05:00Tired...<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> Hello! I just have to admit that I am tired. Don't go just yet, I am hoping this ends up encouraging even in the midst of my tiredness.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> It has been busy in our household, especially now that the kids are back in school, no more snow days. Although my sons white crayon is still in the freezer. I keep telling him if they miss much more school they will be in school all summer long, but he doesn't believe me. So back into the freezer the crayon goes. But it is much more than just getting back into a routine, there is just the start of a new year, new plans to be made, new goals to set. And if you don't set them early they start looking like they will never be done, or even started. But even more than the not made plans, is that we have been battling some serious spiritual battles within our household. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> The winds of change they are-a blowin'. LOL, not sure where that came from. It is the truth in our house. Things are changing. We have taken over a very tough ministry that is quite frankly battling the gates of hell daily, but its not the outside ministry that has me tired but the inside one. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"> While I am not going to go into what is going on here, it is rough, spiritually. I pray and beg God and cry until my eyes hurt. Here is the thing I am noticing through out this "rough spot". My prayer life has never been sweeter! The words that my Daddy God speaks to me during our quite time is wonderful, and encouraging. Then I remember that what I am battling is not a war on flesh and blood but against</span><span style="color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: white;">principalities. (</span><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">Ephesian 6:12</span><span style="color: white;">) That is what I am battling. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> I am also encouraged by </span></span><span style="color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He gives strength to those who grow tired</span></span><span class="indent-1" style="color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-40-29" style="position: relative;">and increases the strength of those who are weak. </span></span></span><span style="color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(</span></span><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white;"> </span><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">Isaiah 40:29</span><span style="color: white;">) </span></span><span class="indent-1" style="color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Isa-40-29" style="position: relative;">Or that </span></span>He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Isa-40-29" style="position: relative;"> (</span></span></span><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-size: 16px;">Hebrews 11:6</span><span style="color: white; font-size: 16px;"> ) Or greater is He who is in me, than he who is in the world. (</span><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-size: 16px;">1 John 4:4</span><span style="color: white; font-size: 16px;">) Especially that He has overcome</span><span style="color: white; font-size: 16px;"> the world.( </span><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-size: 16px;">John 16:33</span><span style="color: white; font-size: 16px;">) </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> So when I am tired, just lay down on the kitchen floor and take a nap tired, I remind myself of these truths. So simple, yet they can get lost in the business of our lives. In that business is where we become weary, and burdened. So tonight I will lay it all at His feet, for all those verses and many more He is worthy of my love and trust. Tonight I will just trust. I will get back into a place of abiding within Him. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Not blow your socks off great, just real... real tired. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Great Vibes, monospace;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #9fc5e8; font-size: 28pt;">Heather</span></span></div>
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Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09568744930345139093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225700964381987441.post-36654663712417500922014-01-24T10:38:00.001-05:002014-01-24T10:38:11.459-05:00Kingdom Vision Good morning! I hope that is cold January morning is finding you in a warm place. It's cold here and our kids don't have school today...it's going to be a great day! No really it is. We will play some games, do some laundry, maybe a sleepover. I have learned, over the last few weeks, that I love snow days and having my kids home, we have had a few days off from school lately. I am sure that is because there are no more diapers to change and babies to feed, everyone is pretty independent now. Sad, but for sure a new chapter in our lives.<br />
I have struggles posting this post for awhile. I haven't wanted to offend, but I really believe that American churches have been asleep. Not all of them of course, but we have kind of misses the Great Commission here. We are pretty good about going overseas to minister, but we don't often go out into the streets to tell people about Jesus, or share with those who are in the church but have missed who Jesus really is. My heart breaks for them. To sit every Sunday and listen to pastors talk about reading our Bibles and spending time in prayer, listen for that voice that come from the Holy Spirit, is a hard thing when you open your Bible up and struggle to read. Being a child of God's was never suppose to feel like you are banging your head on the wall, not getting anything out of the Book. But I have a feeling that for many people in the church this is what it feels like. And you could get very discouraged because the pastor, and that crazy woman in the corner, they make it seems so easy. The talk about hearing from God like He was sitting on the couch with them. <br />
But beloved, it should be that easy. That was how God designed our relationships with Him. He created a garden in which He would come and stroll with us. But we live in a fallen world. And that means we have to work a bit harder on our relationships. In a similar manner, if we never talked with our spouse how would they know what we were having for dinner? What bills were paid? That we loved them? Just as we talk with our spouses we need to talk to God, that is how He designed us. When we ask Jesus to be the Lord of our lives we are invited in to a relationship with God, a walking, talking relationship. Here is a "vision" God gave me to share with a friend, I have asked if I could share it with you. It is a great picture of the Kingdom, if you are struggling...<br />
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<span style="color: #76a5af;">Imagine a large, beautiful, city surrounded by a metal bar fence. In the front of the city is a Golden door. There are people inside the city, and there are people outside the city. Some of the people outside the city are reaching their hands in through the fence, trying to touch something, anything from inside. Some are wandering around the city, looking for anyway in other than the Door. They look up, thinking that maybe they could climb the fence, but it appears to go up to the sky. They look down, but can not dig under the fence. Many look at the Door, knowing that the only way into the city is to walk through the door and yet they shake their heads and continue to look for other ways into the city. For some they boldly walk up and open the door and walk through the Door into the city, and when they do a party erupts at their entrance.</span><br />
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The city is Heaven, the Kingdom of God. The Door is Jesus. There are many who have asked Jesus to be Lord of their lives, but there are many, many "Christians" who are wondering around the outside of the city, wanting to be party of the city, but things like pride, deception, and religion have kept them out.<br />
There have been too many laws and expectations that no one could meet the standard (except Jesus). That is why sin is hidden, why people get burn out and leave. I personally believe that we have made religion so difficult, because Jesus is so simple. We had to add some laws or some pride, because it couldn't really be that simple. It couldn't be as simple as saying "Jesus, I have sinned. I want to be washed clean, and I want you to be Lord of my life." There just has to be more to it than that, right?<br />
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<span style="color: #76a5af;">Romans 10:9-10</span><br />
<span style="color: #76a5af;">9 If you declare that Jesus is Lord, and believe that God brought him back to life, you will be saved. 10 By believing you receive God's approval, and by declaring your faith you are saved.</span><br />
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And yet, there are so many people who call themselves Christians, but have missed that very first step. Maybe because no one explained it, maybe they felt they didn't need to "walk through the Door". We can't expect lives to be changed until they have exchanged their heart condition for Jesus heart. <br />
I was recently reading in Mark about the moments leading up to Jesus being arrested, and it made me think about some of this religious spirit inside the church. I was thinking specifically about Judas Iscariot. He walked with Jesus, he got to be apart of the miracles that Jesus preformed, but when it came down to religion or relationship, he unfortunately, chose religion. We often think to ourselves, if I just walked with Jesus in when He was on earth it would be easier for me to believe. But here we see one who walked in the shadow of Jesus chose the religious over relationship. Many didn't come to know God through Jesus because of religion then also. Again not a new problem.<br />
The people who are wondering outside of the city could be like myself where I understood God was a rule making God who see your life, but refused to become involved in the messiness of my life. The spirit of religion will do that to you. Flip you upside down and inside out so that you never understand the simplicity of Jesus blood in our lives. I struggled with that idea . I loved Jesus, but His father seemed unloving and didn't seem to care how hurt or sad I was. It is hard to struggle with this duality of Jesus who died for my sins and God who created the world, but don't care about me. Maybe this is how Judas felt. He walked in the shadow of Jesus and still didn't believe what He taught. .<br />
Let me say to you, if you are one of the ones who are wondering around outside of the fence, longing to get in, it is simple. Jesus came to make an exchange of your old nature for His new nature by asking Him to become Lord of your life. He will give you His nature. Here is the secret, it is a heart condition exchange. It will, for most, take time for things like sins to change in your life, but even sin is a symptom of your heart condition. (Another whole post itself.)<br />
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<span style="color: #76a5af;">2 Corinthians 5:17</span><br />
<span style="color: #76a5af;">17 Therefore, if anyone <i>is</i> in Christ, <i>he is</i> a new creations; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"> I really believe that God is moving and working in the hearts of the people represented walking around outside the city gate. I hear over and over from people in other parts of America that God is moving in the church. "Sleeping" hearts are being awaken and the realization that they have to walk through the door of Jesus in order to have that walking, talking relationship with God. I thank God that He loves us so much to not let us sleep, but awakes us even if it hurts for a bit to realize that what we thought was a relationship was a missed opportunity but the Door is always there and there is no condemnation in Christ (Rom 8:1). If you have missed the relationship, don't look back, look forward to what a new life with Him as a friend looks like, not what your past has told you, your relationship with look like. Ask God to make is Word come alive for you to really see all that He has for you. </span><br />
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Seeking a pleasing aroma!<br />
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<span style="font-family: Great Vibes, monospace;"><span style="color: #76a5af; font-size: 32pt;">Heather</span></span></div>
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Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09568744930345139093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225700964381987441.post-21889553342849365892014-01-20T17:19:00.002-05:002014-01-21T16:33:38.553-05:00Inconvenienced Happy New Year! 20 days in isn't too bad, lol. We have been busy getting back into some "normal" routine, we are still trying to figure it all out honestly. I don't know what happened over Christmas break, but we totally got messed up and it has been a struggle to get back on track. <br />
There has been going on a lot with our church that has affected our lives. My hubby and I agreed to take a leadership role in the prayer ministry, we have never done anything like that before. It has been pretty amazing how God is leading and directing our lives right now. My quite time has definitely been spent hearing how God would like me to pray for Him people. Then often I will remember a scripture verse that would apply to what He has spoken. Our church has gone to 2 services. Which, taking over a ministry that would pray for both services, it gets tricky as a family to figure out how we need to accommodate this "extra" time a church, especially since we were not involved in the prayer ministry before the 2 services.<br />
Which leads me to why I am writing today. I was starting to wonder if God would continue to give me things to post on here. I learn so much from what He speaks first to me then what the finished post looks and sounds like. But through the course of conversations with my family I came upon this idea that we NEED to be available to be inconvenienced for Christ if in fact we are Christ followers.<br />
Ohhhh, that kind of hurts a bit. Our lifestyles are busy and we barely find time to spend time with our friends, in person, not on social media. As I think about how this concept applies to our family it gets hard. We have 4 young children, who I want to love God not feel anger towards, we have obligations that may take time away from our "ministry" of prayer, but this is where I keep struggling within myself. I want to be available for inconveniences that God puts in my life. I want to be available to stay and pray for someone at 2nd service, I want to pray for the leadership and worship teams. I want to build relationships that could get messy. I want my family to feel the same way. I want to stop at the grocery store and pray for a woman in need. I want to give a bit of Jesus to that woman on the corner in the snow and freezing temps begging for money. I want to be inconvenienced for Jesus. I realize that is a desire that only God can actually instill in ones heart and make it that everything still works out on a daily basis. So I pray that God begins to instill this desire into each member of our family. To live out this "radical" inconvenienced lifestyle.<br />
I am going to share with you some of the people from the Bible who I believed were "inconvenienced".<br />
Noah, having to spend 100 years building a boat while everyone thought you were crazy. Abram better yet Sari, she had to stop what her daily jobs were and cook a meal for the angels that appeared to speak to Abram about his decedents when she was almost 100 yrs old. Then Abraham taking his nephew's side during the Sodom and Gomorrah deal. Samuel, trying to counsel Saul but being dismissed, going through all of David's brothers before finding the youngest would be the anointed king. New Testament people, the first one is Mary! Boy did her life become inconvenienced. She was willing to be inconvenienced for her Lord. Then there is the woman at the well. I love this story. Here is this woman going about her daily chore of getting water for her household and she has an encounter with Jesus.<br />
BUT that is what being inconvenienced is all about! Having an encounter with the Creator. After all that God has done for me, how can I not live a lifestyle that says yes I will skip my Sunday nap and spend an extra hour at church, so that I can pray for someone who is in need there. Or spend time in the Word, instead of watching TV, something that will help me hear that voice of God just a bit more. I want to hear God say "Don't speak to your child like that. It hurts him," when I am in the wrong so I can fix it right away, instead of dealing with the consequences later. Handing out food in the cold to the hungry. Taking in foster kids. Clothing those who need clothes.<br />
Why is this something that the modern day church does not want? We don't want a service to be longer that an hour. We don't want to go back on Sunday night. We don't want to do small groups, that might be the night our favorite TV show is on. We don't want our friends and neighbors knowing that we believe in God, or that Jesus is our "Lord" because we will be compared to the crazy lady who was praying for people in line at the store. ;-)<br />
Forgive that person who said all that nasty stuff about you, haven't you been forgiven? Didn't Jesus go to the Cross so that you could be free from your sin? Give, instead of loan that money to your family member, because God has given you enough, and maybe through that gift they see Jesus!<br />
I don't know about you but I really, really want to live a lifestyle of inconvenienced. This is what I would like my 2014 to look like, more encounters with Him and those He wants to encounter. <br />
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<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09568744930345139093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225700964381987441.post-90747883944579531672013-12-11T19:05:00.002-05:002013-12-11T19:05:11.152-05:00Offense Will Come Hello there! How are you doing today? Oh yeah this is a blog not a conversation. Sorry!<br />
I have some pretty serious things to talk about today, so before we begin let me just say that again I say these things because the One who loves me lover you and is calling you to something deeper than you are in right now. Whether that is a new relationship with Jesus, a worshiper or a pastor of a church. God always wants to go deeper with us, if we will seek Him. <span style="color: #93c47d;">Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. </span><br />
This post is about offense, so really no offense if I hurt your feelings. ;-) First of all God never promised us a life without hurt and offense in fact His word says offense will come.<br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;">Luke 17:1 Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come,"</span><br />
Oh yeah, offense is coming, hopefully not from me but it <u>will</u> come. So here is what got my mind rolling with the whole offense things. I was at a prayer meeting at our church and I got a word from God that I shared with the group. It had the word "now" in it. <i>I</i> know that when God was speaking to me about what our church is doing "now" didn't mean that it wasn't doing that same things years ago, just a confirmation that "now" we are currently doing what He has called us to do. Really had nothing to do with past actions of our church one way or another. There are leaders who have attended this church their whole lives, or pretty close to it. (For someone who has moved around as much as I have that is <i>so</i> hard to believe!) We have only been there over a year. After I got home I thought about what God had said and how what I could have said to make sure there was no offense at all. I don't believe there was any but again it could happen. Sometimes I speak about changing our lives using things in our past as our deciding factors, it could be that some would see offense. If I use past relationships or words that are spoken as indicator of our heart condition both past and present, I want it to always come from a place of love, His love, but I am human and sometimes a bit blunt.<br />
I have had past relationships in my life that I have had to repent from, in fact before my hubby and I got married we had to repent of aspects of our relationship. We didn't understand at the time the full impact of our actions but repentance was what God was calling us to do through our pastor. We did things wrong, we are human and make mistakes, but I know Someone in the restoring business.<br />
Here is the things, we all have past, something that we are not proud of and somethings that we wish would never be brought back up. EVER. Those things we wish we could hid in the darkness are usually the ones that cause the most offense. Quite frankly Satan would love it if you would keep those things hidden and be easily offend when people push those buttons, or hurts. It keeps you from the love of God and all the good things He has for you. Offense seems to momentary put a guard around our hearts protecting others from seeing the places we hurt.<br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;">Mark 4:22-23 "For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."</span><br />
There are moments when as Christians, we are the worst about offense. We walk around with our noes in the air. We know best. Or something. A few years ago we left a church we had been at for 4 1/2 years. It was a time of big change and there were lots of people who were leaving. I walked into the foyer and felt "This place isn't home anymore." drop into my Spirit. I prayed for 6 months before I shared with my husband what God told me. I didn't want to leave. I begged God for 6 months, on my knees and with tears, to change His mind. But He didn't, and we finally left. It was hard, we left friends that had become family for the unknown yet again. And even thought it was "only" our church and not our city or state, because of all the other people who had left, there were a lot of hurt friends who didn't even ask why we left, just spoke and felt bad about us, it felt like me move to a new city in a new state. We had to make new friends, put my outspoken self back out there to be judged and possible rejected. In those months of searching for a new church, which we were blessed is was very short, many of our friends and fellow church members left the same church. I really believe some left out of offense rather than waiting for God to call them out or doing the work that He needed to do there. The church where God planted us just went through, and continues to go through changes, as we are trying to bring heaven to earth. Again I have seen member leave over offense. It really breaks my heart because that offense can become a root, and before we know it, that root colors everything we see. Everything. We lose our way and don't know why we don't love church or Jesus the way we did before. If we do finally get pulled out of the oppression that comes with roots of offense it takes time to then repent of all the things said and done during the time of rooted offense. <br />
Offense is also a heart condition, based on our past hurts. We choose everyday to live in offense. Please guard your heart from offense, of every kind. It <i>is </i> going to come, could be in the color chosen for the carpet in a church renovations, or a new worship song, or a lie spoken about you by a friend. It could come from closer than that, a spouse. Those we love hurt us the most, right? Offense is going to come. Check you heart and see if there is offense there. Repent and be free then chose to live as much as you can offense free. Choosing instead to live in Forgiveness. Realizing that people who are walking in flesh will hurt us by their words or actions, or lack of. But our choice needs to be forgiveness.<br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;">Luke 12:3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven time in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you say 'I repent', you shall forgive him." </span><br />
I would challenge you to forgive even if they never come to you and say sorry. Better to live in over forgiveness than offense. <br />
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I challenge you because of the One who loves me also loves you! Seek first the King!!!<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Heather</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">As always scripture taken from <a href="http://biblegateway.com/">Biblegateway.com</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #93c47d;"><br /></span>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09568744930345139093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225700964381987441.post-43928327792920913822013-12-03T14:41:00.000-05:002013-12-03T14:41:09.737-05:00Heart Conditions and Our Fruit<span style="background-color: black;"> <span style="color: white;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> Good Afternoon! As I am writing this it is cold and rainy outside, my cup of coffee is almost empty, but there is music playing and my youngest is watching The Little Mermaid. Life is good!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> I have again a few things to share with you today. As always there are so many thoughts going through my head I often don't know where to start. So I am going to jump into it and hope that you can follow my thought patterns. :-) </span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> Looking at my heart condition (from my last post about being Enough) always leads me to looking at the fruit that my life produces. And I would have to say in the last few months I am blown away by the goodness of God and what he is doing with my family. I know that I had parts to play in the transformation of our family but God has done some very amazing things in the hearts of my husband, and 4 of my kiddos. Thank you Jesus that you loved us so much you would come down into our messy lives and lift us into your arms!!!! (My 2 oldest kids got baptized last Sunday!)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> Anyway, (sigh, life is good) back to our heart and our fruit. The Bible says in </span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #38761d;"> </span><span style="background-color: black; color: #b6d7a8;"> </span><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">Luke 6:45 </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">45 </span><span class="woj">A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart</span></span><span class="woj"><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"> brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. </span><span style="color: white;">Or from</span><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="woj"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #d9ead3;"> </span><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"> Proverbs 4:23 </span></span></span></span><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">23 </span></span><span class="text Prov-4-23" id="en-NKJV-16514" style="font-family: inherit; position: relative;">Keep your heart with all diligence, </span><span class="text Prov-4-23" style="position: relative;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For out of it </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">spring</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> the issues of life. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="text Prov-4-23" style="background-color: black; color: white; position: relative;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> If you got a chance to attend the Women's breakfast a few weeks ago I used both of the verse as we looked at the lives of Rachel and Leah, and you heard me say that I LOVE </span>descriptive<span style="font-family: inherit;"> words. Proverbs 4:23 has the words "springs". When I think of this word in context of what comes out of our heart I just imagine, or </span>literally<span style="font-family: inherit;"> sometimes see, joy, peace, happiness, or bitterness, </span>sadness<span style="font-family: inherit;">, </span>venom<span style="font-family: inherit;"> spring from our hearts and out our mouths. That would be our fruit. If the words that come out of our mouths are bitter and hurtful, if they are swear words, if they tear down instead of lifting up then that is what is in your heart. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. It doesn't matter if you have given your life to Christ. If your words and actions are bad then you are </span>producing<span style="font-family: inherit;"> bad fruit and your heart is </span>corrupt <span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span>Ephesians<span style="font-family: inherit;"> 5: 4 says </span><span class="versenum" style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">4 </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s not right that dirty stories, foolish talk, or obscene jokes should be mentioned among you either. Instead, give thanks </span><span class="trans-change" style="font-family: inherit;">to God</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> We all have had </span>corrupt<span style="font-family: inherit;"> hearts. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> I did and if I don't continually go back to God and ask Him to search my heart, it would become corrupt very quickly. It is part of our human nature to have corrupt hearts. They only way we know that our hearts are corrupt is if someone comes along and tells us that our lives are bearing bad fruit. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span class="text Prov-4-23" style="position: relative;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> God desires you to bear good fruit, for the words of your mouth to be good and holy, uplifting and full of joy. But the only way to do that is to let Him come in and clean up the darkest parts of our heart. We can not, no matter how hard we try cover up our fruit or clean our own heart. You could stop swearing and/or saying mean things, but the fruit will come out in other ways, if you don't go to Jesus and have him clean it up. A few verses later in </span></span>it says</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span class="text Prov-4-23" style="position: relative;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #d9ead3;"> </span><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">Ephesians 5:8-14 </span></span></span><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Eph-5-8" id="en-GW-29293"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">8 </span>Once you lived in the dark, but now the Lord has filled you with light. Live as children who have light. </span><span class="text Eph-5-9" id="en-GW-29294"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">9 </span>Light produces everything that is good, that has God’s approval, and that is true. </span><span class="text Eph-5-10" id="en-GW-29295"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">10 </span>Determine which things please the Lord. </span><span class="text Eph-5-11" id="en-GW-29296"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">11 </span>Have nothing to do with the useless works that darkness produces. Instead, expose them for what they are. </span><span class="text Eph-5-12" id="en-GW-29297"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">12 </span>It is shameful to talk about what some people do in secret. </span><span class="text Eph-5-13" id="en-GW-29298"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">13 </span>Light exposes the true character of everything </span><span class="text Eph-5-14" id="en-GW-29299"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">14 </span>because light makes everything easy to see. That’s why it says: </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Wake up, sleeper! </span><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Eph-5-14" style="font-family: inherit; position: relative;">Rise from the dead,</span><span class="indent-2-breaks" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span class="text Eph-5-14" style="font-family: inherit; position: relative;">and Christ will shine on you.”</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> If you have given your life to Christ at anytime in your life and you can see some bad fruit in your life, renew that commitment and ask Him to clean your heart.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #d9ead3;"> </span><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">Psalm 139:23 <span style="font-weight: bold;">23 </span></span></span><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Search me, O God, and know my heart; </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Try me, and know my anxieties; </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;"> He will come in and clean your heart, He wants to be invited in to heal the hurts and turn the faces of those He loves back to Him. That would be you! He loves you and He wants you to be set apart for Him, having a clean heart and bear good fruit. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;"> If you already have a clean heart and renew that daily, ask the Lord who you can help with the truth of their fruit. There is a world full of hurting people looking for someone to love them and help them find the Truth. Continue to set yourself apart for God service. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #d9ead3;"> </span> <span style="color: #b6d7a8;"> Ephesians 5:15-16 <span class="text Eph-5-15" id="en-GW-29300"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">15 </span>So then, be very careful how you live. Don’t live like foolish people but like wise people. </span></span></span><span class="text Eph-5-16" id="en-GW-29301" style="color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">16 </span>Make the most of your opportunities because these are evil days.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="text Eph-5-16"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I challenge you because of the One who loves me also loves you! Seek first the King!</span></span></div>
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<span class="text Eph-5-16"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">As always the scripture came from <a href="http://biblegateway.com/">Biblegateway.com</a></span></span></div>
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Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09568744930345139093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225700964381987441.post-11571956575231303062013-11-26T11:26:00.002-05:002013-11-26T11:26:27.436-05:00Enough Good Morning! This last Saturday I got to host a women's event at our church. It was wonderful! I spoke on being Enough in God. It has been quite the journey for me to realize that I am enough for God to use. I don't have to be like anyone else, I just have to focus on Him.<br />
We looked at the story of Leah and Rachel and how these 2 ladies really lived in an atmosphere of competition and striving and jealousy. If you have never read that story in such a way as to see their heart conditions, I would suggest that you do. There is so much "not enough" going on between the 2 women that they don't even know the difference between a good decision and a very, very bad one. Through out their story God remembered them. He loved them. I love that He never forgot them in the mist of their mess, of their own making, he remembered them and He chose to love them. He blessed them with the 12 tribes of Israel.<br />
As usual thinking about the impact that this story could have on our lives it leads me to think of the next step. How to we go from just believing that we are enough in Christ to living that we are enough. Not sure that I have that answer other than to say one step at a time. I need to continue to place one foot in front of the other and continue to move forward as I see that God is calling me. I love that He is often calling me from places that I would never go by myself. Because with out Him I am for sure not enough. There will be more related to the whole idea of being enough in Christ. There is more to knowing Christ, but for now just believe that you are enough and move forward in the confidence that He has called you. Don't let your past disqualify you from moving forward into a relationship with God, don't let it disqualify you from doing what God has called you to do. Whether it is reaching out to the orphans, feeding the homeless, or helping women believe that God loves them and has NOT forgotten about them. Move, move towards Him, looking at Him not on our situations. <br />
Read about how Leah and Rachel looked at their place in life, their situations and based their choices on the things they could see, instead of Him who is in control.<br />
Genesis 29:31-30:22. Go on read it, maybe God will reveal something about your heart condition, I know He did with me. <br />
Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09568744930345139093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225700964381987441.post-11196857182882762492013-11-11T10:07:00.001-05:002013-11-11T10:07:14.609-05:00Prosperity Gospel? Hello again! It has been awhile, and things have been crazy over here in our house. It would appear that the last time I posted was over a year ago. Well I am hoping that I will be able to keep this up a bit more as I only have one child at home. This has opened up a whole new world for me, as far at time goes. The last time I only had one child at home was 7 years ago when our #2 son was born. Wow how time flies.<br />
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I do have a reason for writing. I feel like I have grown spiritually so much since I started writing this blog and even more in the last year. God has done some really great restoration work in my life. I am so thankful to Him for loving me so much that He would come down into my dirtiness and lift me up!</div>
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So here is the reason that I went through the work to find passwords and get log back in...</div>
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I was recently watching a show that I am ashamed to say I watch (because of that I am not sharing what the show was).;-) Although I really enjoy watching it, it really does nothing good for me. My hubby was out playing basketball and I knew that I had about 20 minutes left before he walked in the door. So I watched the preview of an upcoming show on this channel. It is a show about a pastor and his family. There have been a lot of these shows and I really have only watched one episode and was pretty disappointed in the "pastors". But they are on TV so really what did I expect? It:s not likely they will show Jesus in a way that could actually change your life that type of show doesn't get as much ratings. Anyway...on this preview the wife of the pastor said If I had to live in poverty I would never have given my life to Jesus. (about 90% sure these where her exact words.) She also said she knew that God was calling them to the abundant life. She and her pastor husband went looking at a 2+ Million dollar air plane for personal use.<br />
Ohhh, I started to get hot under the collar. What are they doing?!? When you can blatantly say if I had to be poor I won't follow Jesus you have some serious heart issues. It seems like I remember a rich young ruler who asked Jesus about this very topic.<br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Matthew 19:16-20 <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.05em;">Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler</span></span></span><br />
<span class="text Matt-19-16" style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span class="versenum" style="font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">16 </span>Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b> </b></span>Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”</span></span><br />
<span class="text Matt-19-17" id="en-NKJV-23780" style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span class="versenum" style="font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">17 </span>So He said to him, <span class="woj">“Why do you call Me good?<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b> </b></span></span> <span class="woj" style="font-size: 16px;">No one <i>is</i> good but One, <i>that is,</i> God.</span><span class="woj" style="font-size: 16px;"> But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="text Matt-19-18" id="en-NKJV-23781" style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span class="versenum" style="font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">18 </span>He said to Him, “Which ones?”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Matt-19-18" style="background-color: black;">Jesus said, <span class="woj">“‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’</span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Matt-19-19" id="en-NKJV-23782" style="background-color: black;"><span class="versenum" style="font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">19 </span><span class="woj">‘Honor your father and <i>your</i> mother,’</span><span class="woj"> and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span class="versenum" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; vertical-align: top;"><b>20</b> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">What do I still lack?”</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">”</span></span></span></div>
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In this exchange with Jesus we see him say, "go, sell what you have and give to the poor." We also the ruler walk away, but he didn't just walk away, he walked about sorrowful, sad maybe crying. He had just been told that even though his whole life had be honoring to God, his possessions had control of his heart. He had a heart condition. He had great possessions, those things defined him. They made him the "Rich Young Ruler". He gave that up he gives up his identification to become another no body. A nobody who gave up for Jesus. His heart was not bent in a posture of submission, but of pride in his possessions. Feels to me like our country. We believe that the more possessions that we own the more important we become.<br />
My heart breaks for how many people these pastors misleading Jesus to. 100? 200 or 300? No I think they had a congregation of 4000 people and growing. Here is the thing that I have been learning about my Lord. He has called us to teach others about His love, not His hands. If everyone in their church, community and state is taken care of and not one in need, and then they wanted to buy that plane go for it! God for sure put people on this earth for Helps ministry, meaning they have the money to "help" a person in need. But here is the thing, for a person called to Helps ministry is going to struggle with money being an idol, they may struggle with another issue that they put as an idol but money won't be it. I believe that because of that I don't believe that they would mind being poor if that is what Jesus called them to. We are called to help take care of foster kids, widow and widowers, and the poor. I would love to hear about a community where hunger was no longer and issue, but I haven't heard that. In fact it is quite the opposite that more people are hungry and without jobs. <br />
Jesus didn't say this life would be easy or that if we wished/believed enough that He would give us what we want. He told us that He would be with us in times of trouble, but that this walk will make us look different than the "world". Here is the verse that prosperity is based off of...<br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">John 10:10</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span class="versenum" style="font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;"> </span><span class="woj" style="font-size: 16px;">The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have <i>it</i> more abundantly.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Abundant life is one where we are in search of the secret place with Him. Where we live our lives, abiding in Him, in rich or poor. Not depending on what our earthly lives look like, even if we have to work a job "beneath" us. Jesus came as a servant and we often forget how to serve. Our lives in America look so different than a servants life. We live to be served instead of getting down and dirty in areas of life where Jesus is needed the most. We all need Jesus, but Jesus doesn't show up in our things but in our lives. In our heart condition! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If I have misjudged this couple, and I am sure that I have because I don't know them there is a chance that what they represented on TV is NOT who they are in life, I am sorry. But as a re-presentative of Jesus, not just pastor but all Christians, they are leading people into hell, not heaven because they aren't re-presenting Jesus at all. When all I seek are the hands of Jesus and what I am wishing and hoping for doesn't show up and now I am worse than I was in the beginning, that doesn't sound like the Loving God I know. There will be times of testing and trouble to build our faith and trust in God, but God doesn't hand us things on a silver platter because those things are good in our eyes. They may take our eyes off the Face of God and puts us in a mind set of a genie god, which He is not. He loves us and wants us to have great things and an abundant life (a life spent in relationship with Him), but He wants to be first and only in our hearts. Be the One that our heart posture in surrendered to. Saying Jesus wants you to be rich is so superficial and not what Jesus wants! He wants deepness and relationship with you! He wants us so desperate for more of Him that nothing else matters. Talk with Him! Spend time with Him! That is what He wants and what He desires for us to want in return not what He can give to us</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So I will be praying for this family and their church members. That the Spirit of God would move and change their thought if they have wrong thinking. They have an amzimg oppertunity </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">All verse taken from <a href="http://biblegateway.com/" target="_blank">Bible gate way</a>.</span></h4>
Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09568744930345139093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225700964381987441.post-48273008184126237002012-05-02T21:04:00.001-04:002012-05-02T21:04:55.484-04:00Redemption UpdateWow, I had forgotten that I had posted while we were waiting for a house. Well let me update you on what happened.<br />
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So the Home Owner(HO) asked us to come back through with our family, and we did. While we were there she was telling us all the amazing things that God was doing in her life, why she was moving, how, etc. Is was AMAZING! Every step I could see how God was orchestrating her steps. She ask, how can I rent to you? We had no words for her. We would make the payments, our past isn't who we are. After all God had been talking about Redemption right?!? Well we left still not knowing anything, feeling weirdly numb to the whole thing. Praying that we could just ride on the coattails of what He was doing in her life, I would take somebody's seconds, especially this one! Praying that God would move on our behalf, because we were about 3 weeks away from the kiddos starting school, and about a 25 min drive away from their school from where we were staying with my mil. Nothing....for about 2 1/2 weeks nothing. So <i>we </i>made other plans, planning emails that would be sent to houses that has lease options in our area. As we stood outside on Saturday morning, talking over wording with my mil, the HO send my hubby an email. Do we still want the house? Can we meet to sign the lease? WHAT?!?! God really? With a sense that this wasn't really happening we drove to the house, met with the HO and signed the lease, handed over the agreed upon amount, and walked away with a house we could move into in 3 days, with only 6 days left before school started! Stressed out!<br />
But we have an amazing house that the Lord has blessed us with, and we are not going to ever forget what our Daddy has done for us! This house has everything that we have prayed for, when we found out we needed to move, everything and more...Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09568744930345139093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225700964381987441.post-70314065383707289712011-08-22T14:53:00.000-04:002011-08-22T15:09:24.468-04:00RedemptionWe have been looking for a new home. We had been renting a house for 2 yrs and needed to move. Not a big deal right, wrong. We have a large family and a very bad credit history. We have been speaking for the last 3 yrs that the Lord has a home for us here in our town that He is holding just for us. We were excited about moving into that home. Someplace where we could raise our children and enjoy our grand children. My family and I moved around alot when I was a child and I don't want that for my children. So anyway we have looked at a few homes but nothing really seemed quite right. Then we can across house "A" we liked house A, but it was listed for sale and the owners wanted to wait the summer and see if it sold. So we waited praying that this was the house, asking was this the house, why were we not finding anything else out there for rent/lease that would hold our family. Seeking Him, hearing nothing, prayerfully waiting for something, anything to happen with this house. Then just as we were getting the money together to put in another "bid" on house A it sold. Oh it was hard! But we knew that God held us in His hand and there was something else out there for us. Then comes along house "B". Everything that we had put down on a paper when we found out we needed to move. EVERYTHING. Hubby went to look at it, then we went back with our family. I loved the house, but didn't get our hopes up. Things were looking good, until the home owner ran our credit. The HO was confused, should she rent to us, our history doesn't look good. I mean who would rent to us in their right minds?!? But God has dealt with us about our financial past, we are not those people anymore. He has redeemed us, we are new in His mercies. So only God knows how this turns out, we are prayerfully waiting...Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09568744930345139093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225700964381987441.post-5279405301695938532011-01-23T15:57:00.000-05:002011-01-23T16:21:43.753-05:00Happy New Year!!!!Ok, well maybe it's a little late, but better now then never! :D It has already been a fun start to the year and we are only 23 days into it. Our family is healthy, but the Lord has been speaking to me about complacency, which is always a great. So the definition is...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; "><h2 style="background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: georgia, arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 20px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; ">complacency:1:</h2><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); line-height: 20px; ">self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px; ">2<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><strong style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); ">:</strong> an instance of usually <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unaware[2]" class="d_link" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; font-variant: small-caps; text-decoration: none; ">unaware</a> or uninformed self-satisfaction (borrowed from </span></span></span></span><a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/">http://www.merriam-webster.com</a>)<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); line-height: 20px; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">So here is the deal with why this has been a thing for me...last Nov. I started working for our church in the nursery. I love my job, it allows me to have my kids with me and I get to serve the families from our church. But sometime last year I lost my zeal, my passion, I think I moved into a place where I was serving and that was good enough, no need to do anything else. I love to speak encouragement in to women's lives, it's part of my Spiritual giftings. I know that when you don't use your giftings they start to dry up and soon you don't realize that you are even missing anything. It's crazy how quickly the enemy can come and make us complacent with our situation. Telling us that we don't need anyone to speak into our lives or visa versa. But it's just not true. We need that, especially if it is a gift. After talking with a women from my church and sharing my heart with her, God re-lit that passion of sharing God's word with people. I need that, to share what God is speaking to my heart, so here we are starting another year, and I am praying that He will continue to speak to me, about my life, so that I can share my heart with you. Getting out of that place that is comfortable and cozy is hard, and putting yourself out there, with what may sometimes be crazy thoughts and ideas is hard, but I am determined to open my mouth this year.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">So I hope that you also have a great year of moving our of complacency and into His arms.</span><br /></span><div><div><div class="d" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; line-height: 20px; "><div class="sblk"><div class="scnt" style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 20px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; "><span class="ssens"><br /></span></div><div class="scnt" style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 20px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; "><span class="ssens"><br /></span></div><div class="scnt" style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 20px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; "><span class="ssens"><br /></span></div><div class="scnt" style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 20px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; "><span class="ssens"><br /></span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09568744930345139093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225700964381987441.post-41065233908788054942010-01-09T20:24:00.000-05:002010-01-09T23:47:23.137-05:00InfluencesSo this is more of a sequence of thoughts based on something that I have read/seen. So here we go...<br />Sometime last week I read a headline "Pastor protests Lady GaGa concert" so because I like her music, although I realize that I can't listen to it all the time, I followed the link. So I read the story, and basically the pastor was handing our fliers that said God hated Lady GaGa and some other stuff that as a Christian made me a little angry. I totally understand where he is coming from w/ the protest I don't think he worded his message the right way. So anyway I follow a few more links and found a website that looks at the music industry and their connection with the occult. One the website was a video with Lady GaGa on the front so of course I clicked on it. Anyway it was snippets of MTV's 2009 VAM awards. All I can say was that I was horrified. I mean, I never watch more than a few secs of MTV, I really think their stuff is junk, but I could not believe what I was seeing.<br />Now the VMA's happened in Sept, I believe and until this day the only thing I had heard about was what happened to Taylor Swift. So anyway, Lady GaGa sang her song Bad Romance, which is just a little disturbing by itself, but the "show" that she put on was horrifying and my Spirit Man was just going <em>crazy</em>. I mean I was seeing something very evil and it was televised on national tv to our teenagers!!!!!<br />So this website talks about the Illuminate and occult and stuff. And how the music industry is involved in passing this onto our kids. And two thoughts continued to go though my brain.<br />1-It is a lot of time, attention, and money for someone like Lady GaGa, or Jay-Z to go through to incorporate all the illuminate/occult stuff in every video. Plus you are really playing up to a small group of conspiracy people.<br />2-Man the devil is no longer hiding in plain sight. He is just showing himself outright. Not a single thing that this website showed as occult stuff was blatant. I mean there was a prayer to the devil on the vma!!!!<br />HELLO AMERICA!!!! WAKE UP!<br />The enemy of our souls is real and alive and walking among us. He is devouring our children and we have become complacent about it. Don't think that just because he/she has that in the video that they are not involved in the occult. Lets see what the Bible says about the occult.<br /><br />Deuteronomy 18:10 (New King James Version)<br />10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,<br /><br />1 Samuel 15:23 (New King James Version)<br />23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king.”<br /><br />What bothers me the most is that we are in the end time, yeah that right I said it, and we are seeing how people are lovers of themselves. Don't just think about yourself. What about your son/daughter? Your neighbor? I am writing this because my heart cries out to see people go to heaven for eternity. I don't want to see anyone go to hell.<br /><br />Join me in prayer for this woman. Right now she is one of the hottest music artist. She needs our prayers. My heart aches for her. I don't believe that she could not be wrapped up in her "image". It becomes so much of who you are when you become a star.<br /><br />2 Timothy 3:2 (New King James Version)<br />2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,<br /><br />Numbers 14:19 (New King James Version)<br />19 Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”<br /><br />We need His mercy, now!<br /><br />P.S. I was really thinking that maybe mtv, the artist, etc. were just playing up the occult symbolism to pump up viewing and sales, but then I read a book on fasting and it had a story about a young Christian artist who went to a fairly large recording company and when she walked in to sign her Gospel contract they were burning incense and preforming a wicca rite. So I realized the best thing I can do is turn off my tv/radio,unless I know who/what is being said, and get on my knees.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09568744930345139093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225700964381987441.post-63853722219907948962009-11-19T12:07:00.000-05:002009-11-19T12:13:16.643-05:00StrugglingAnother thought, last night our pastor said that someone said they would rather be in hell than be in heaven with a bunch of hypocrites. And this morning I felt like the Lord was saying to me...Just because we have asked Jesus to be Lord of our lives doesn't mean that we won't have anger issues, or addictions, or control over our mouth. We are not perfect just because Jesus was, we don't become something we are not, we are changed into what we were designed for. Jesus begins to change those things in us if we are willing, but there is sooooo much more to being a Christ follower that saying I am a Christian. We are all fallen humans we all have sin in our lives. Struggling with the same things, money, addiction, love, children, jobs. Christ followers don't have to go it alone. And neither does anyone else just ask Him to come into your heart and life.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09568744930345139093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225700964381987441.post-63464558558214845122009-11-18T20:50:00.000-05:002009-11-18T21:23:48.120-05:00Forever AfterThis is just a quick note. Just got back from an awesome Wed. night service.<br />My heart breaks for my family and friends who know God but have no relationship with Him. He is the God of relationship, that is why He put Adam and Eve in the garden. They made choices that led to them leaving the garden. He <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">longs</span> to have relationships with us. It is not easy to follow Jesus. Trust me, it is not a cake walk, but He gives you the<span style="color:#000000;"> </span><span style="color:#6633ff;">strength</span> you need, for every step. He doesn't ask anything of you that you can not do.<br />Religion and relationship are not the same thing. Just because you go to church every Sun AM, Sun PM, and Wed PM, and every Bible study doesn't mean that you have a relationship.<br />So as our Pastor ask tonight, what do you do with Jesus at you church, and in your life? Is He just someone who died on the cross for you sins? Did He do that yes He did, but He did so much more. He ROSE from the dead and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">ascended</span> into heaven. He is not longer attached to a cross, He lives. If you are dry and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">thirsty</span> ask for more of Him. Ask for His Holy Spirit to come and show you how to have a relationship with Him.<br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">John 11:25-26 (New King James Version)<br />25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”</span>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09568744930345139093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225700964381987441.post-56732342480760345202009-11-15T12:58:00.000-05:002009-11-15T13:55:11.467-05:00Holy SpiritWhat does the New Testament really have to say about the Holy Spirit? I am a Spirit filled Christian and I get very tired of people say to me that the New Testament doesn't say anything about how the Holy Spirit works in our lives. I believe that we still live in the New Testament church. We are a continuation of Acts. Just because the book does not continue til today doesn't mean that the Holy Spirit has left the earth. I haven't read anything in the New Testament that stated that the Holy Spirit descended in to the heavens like Jesus did.<br /><br />So lets take a journey into the Scriptures.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+11:13&version=NIV"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ffffff;">Luke 11:13</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ffffff;"><br /><br />If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"<br /><br /><u>John 14:15-18</u><br /><br />15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.<br /><br /><u>Luke 12:12</u><br /><br />12 For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”<br /><br /><u>John 14:26</u><br /><br />26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.<br /><br /><u>John 16:7</u><br /><br />7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.</span><br /><br /><br /><br />So we lean here God is willing to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. If He (Holy Spirit) is something that you long for but don't have, ask.<br /><br />The world doesn't know Him (Holy Spirit) they don't understand Him. He is a mystery to them. Maybe that is why as Christian we don't talk about the Holy Spirit much anymore. He turns the world off. Because He is the guiding factor in our lives, not a God who dwells in the Heavens, but a God who dwells with us and lives in us.<br /><br />He teaches us what to say. He speaks to us, yes God does speak to us! He is not this all knowing, but not caring God. He longs to have a relationship with you, for you to share with Him what you share with your best friend. He know what is best for you and He is willing to lead you with His Holy Spirit if you ask.<br /><br />He is our teacher. Because sometimes when we read our Bibles we don't understand everything, but if you ask and bring it to the Lord the Holy Spirit will lead and guide you to the answer.<br /><br />He is our Helper! Gift, Teacher, Guide. These are just some of the many verse about the Holy Spirit.<br /><br />If you don't understand pray ask for guidance, read God's word. Then ask for the Holy Spirit. If He doesn't exist then nothing will happen, but...if God's word is truth then by asking you will be filled. And the Holy Spirit will begin to work in your life. Guiding you, teaching you just like Jesus promised.<br /><br />He is for today. We need Him as much today as they did in biblical times. He desires to be here for us. Step out.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09568744930345139093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225700964381987441.post-39560711487542282962009-05-04T19:44:00.000-04:002009-11-15T13:58:01.028-05:00Living in GraceSo last week I finally made it to church on Wednesday night. They have been working on the book <u>Just Walk Across The Room</u> by Bill Hybels. I need to read the book or do the study from the beginning. I would recommend the study just from the one class session that I went to.<br />Bill was talking about not judging people based on addictions, actions, etc. One of the questions on the study guide was...<br />"Have you ever thought that being a Christian that you had to become a "Lifestyle referee" to the world around you?"<br />That brought me back to something that the Lord was teaching me about in my own life. There is no condemnation in Christ. So basically, if the Lord of creation does not condemn me, why should I condemn others.<br />Now that is not to say that He doesn't correct me, He does. When He does it, it is ALWAYS in love. When He uses a human to help with the correction, which He does do, sometimes we as humans get it wrong. Maybe not the concept but the way of helping the person in need of correction.<br />If my family member does something that I don't think a Christ follower should do, what is my obligation? Tell them? Or keep quite? I totally think that depends on what the Lord is doing in there lives. I certainly am not going to say "Mom, the Lord told me that you..." I think that comes across harsh, and for those who are "far from God" (as Bill Hybels puts it)it comes across as being judging.<br />Remember Jesus ate with sinners. He dinned with tax collectors and prostitutes.<br />There were days not so long ago when I would see my husband doing something that I didn't believe that Christ followers should do, I would feel upset. How could he do that knowing that we have friends from church who may drive by and see him doing _____! But then I am remembered I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE LORD IS SPEAKING TO MY HUSBAND. I don't know where his heart is, or at which stage he is at.<br />There are a number of things that I did the first year of becoming a Christ follower that the Lord spoke to me about and I then changed <em>with</em> His help. I could not have stopped smoking with out Jesus' help. I tried. Believe me it was not easy, until I gave it to Him. Sometimes I still fight it.<br />So what I am really trying to say is to love those who can not, or will not love themselves. The Lord as called us to love our neighbors. If you see something in someone you believe to be a Christ follower and you do agree, just remember the Lord is in control. He maybe working with that person right that moment, but really its His job not yours.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">1 Peter 1:22 22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,</span><br /><br />I also believe that our judgment as a church is what causes the world to not want to enter. Remember love, not judge. You were once on the outside wanting to be loved.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">Revelation 22:17 17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.</span><br /><span style="color:#ffffff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Pray, for them, for yourself, for the church. Just pray!</span>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09568744930345139093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225700964381987441.post-60450667090992673572009-04-29T17:20:00.000-04:002009-11-15T13:59:04.663-05:00TeethingSo for the last few day I have been dealing with a very <em>cranky</em>, <em>clingy</em>, teething baby. Last night as I was holding her as she cried I was thinking about how I would like to just be able to take away the pain. She was in so much pain she could not sleep. She would plant her face in to her bed and scream. Every few hours she is awake in pain.<br /><br />So as I was holding her I was thinking about taking away her pain, and I thought about all the pain that my family and I have gone through over the last few years. I pictured God holding me in his arms while I cried and screamed about how the pain was unbearable. I am not denying that a lot of my/our pain was our fault. We made a lot of choices that caused pain. But here was the thing that I think that I really took away from this picture. If the baby doesn't teeth she will have to gum her food for the rest of her life. Teething is part of the process of growing up, it painful and it hurts. We grow up by getting though the hard and painful times in our lives. We don't need to dwell in/on them, but sometimes we need to go through them so that we can grow up.<br /><br />If I had never made bad choices about money, I would not have learned to trust God with what little I do have. Its tough. Trusting the pain of teething will go away is easy for babies they don't remember that pain. If I asked my 6yr old if he remembered teething he would say no.<br /><br />I am praying that some day I will remember the time learning to trust God with my money because I have "teeth" to show for it. Not because there was pain involved.<br />I have spend a lot of days crying in the arms of the Father, but He was and is always there for me, just like for the rest of my life I will be there for my daughter. I will carry her as much as I can, then I will trust her to my Father. He is big enough.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">My confession tonight is that</span><span style="color:#ffffff;"> I WILL TRUST THE LORD!</span>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09568744930345139093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225700964381987441.post-35028222976982387652009-03-31T22:15:00.000-04:002009-11-15T13:59:51.487-05:00JoyA few months ago I had an ex-coworker ask me how I could have joy in the midst of financial crisis. I felt at a loss for words. My husband and I have been in “financial ruin” for about 3 years. We live beyond paycheck to paycheck. But I believe that our winter is almost over and our spring is just arriving.<br />So my friend Amy and her husband are new Christians, and while being mentored by a wonderful couple, they still deal with lots of world views. She had many questions that caught me totally off guard. I wish I would have had time to think about some of my answers better. Amy and her husband had 2 cars, 2.5 children (how is that even possible?) and a house with an adjustable mortgage. Their payments had gone up to a crazy amount and even with two good jobs, things were getting tight.<br />So back to Amy. “How can you have joy and happiness and never have a cent to your name?”<br />1. God IS IN CONTROL.<br />2. God didn’t make me to be depressed. (I am very bad a being depressed. I almost always find a bright spot.)<br />3. I trust God.<br />On the days when it felt like my world was going to cave in during the first year I looked to God. Cried out to Him, sometimes feeling like He didn’t care. I joined a women’s Bible study and shared my situation with a few women there. They prayed and encouraged me. One thing that I learned is that the devil cannot take my joy or happiness, but rather it is given away. I would make a choice to hand over what every joy or happiness that the LORD would bring into my life. I really needed the rays of sunshine, no matter how small, so I would cling onto verses, words spoken over my family and me, and words that God would give to me. Not to mention a smile from my children, or an encouraging word from my spouse. So let’s look at some verses.<br /><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>Psalms 30:5</strong> For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.<br /></span>Ok, the anger part could be left out but I really feel like His favor is for life, is a very important part to having joy. I don’t just have God’s favor for a moment when things are going well, but for life, my whole life. Don’t just look at today and say, my life stinks, I am a loser because... Look to God and say it’s ok that weeping may endure for a night, because joy comes in the morning. I want His future. I may and can weep during my trials, because I know that God is going to take whatever situation it is and not just take care of me but glorify Himself in the process. I live to praise and glorify God every day. On the bad days and on the good.<br /><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>Luke 12:28</strong> If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?<br />I knew that no matter how bad things got, God would always be there. He will clothe me, he will feed me. Think about the Jewish tribes in Egypt. He feed them in the wilderness with manna, even when He was frustrated with them.<br /><strong>7Jeremiah 17:7-8</strong> “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.”<br /></span>This is important to me. Most recently because I feel like I have something that God has put into my heart to share and yet we have one car, and I am home 10 hours a day with my three children. But what does this verse say? Do not fear, do not be anxious in the year of the drought, I will continue to yield fruit? What? God brought people to me, when I couldn't’t go to them.<br />God will take your situation and work it for the good. Don’t give up; don’t give away your joy. Hold tight to the dream God put in your heart. Don’t look down. Keep your eyes cast up toward God, He will keep you, clothe you, feed you, love you, hug you, understand you, and most of all give you joy every morning. Just look for it! Don’t forget God is our source of joy, our greatest desire, He is our success.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09568744930345139093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225700964381987441.post-74323480982867756412009-03-30T14:46:00.000-04:002009-11-15T14:00:30.304-05:00Power of words<em>I have been praying over which of the two writings I have to put up first. I believe that this is the one that I am suppose to share first, since that I believe this is part of our "aroma". I want to help our "aroma" to this world to be as Christ like a possible. I wrote this to for a work place environment, but someone mentioned the power that it could have with a spouse. So thank you for that insight. </em><br /><em></em><br />A few years ago, I was having a real hard time with comments that co-workers would make that would just slice right to the core of who I believed that I was. I truly cared for my co-workers, and tried to work in a way that would be pleasing, not just to God, but also my co-workers. I often felt that at any given moment they ganged up just to make comments that would hurt me. I am not a person who naturally has quick comebacks ready, well maybe a curse word or two, but... So there I would be wishing that I could come up with some cutting remark so that they would know that I have had enough of what they were saying, and instead I would walk out of the room frustrated that I had no words.<br />Turning the other cheek is very hard when it feels like it is day after day. Sometime people know that they are good at cutting people to the core. I had talked to these women about God and I believe that they knew where I stood in my faith. So I felt like I was an easy target. One night I had an idea for the six or so women that I worked with in a very small office. Although I knew they would never agree to something like this, because it really shows us for who we really are.<br />So here is the idea, if you think that you might even have a small problem with a mouth that seems to have a mind of its own.<br />Take a notebook with you everywhere you go. Every time you feel like/say something that might be hurtful<strong>, write it down</strong>. At the end of the week, pull out the notebook and take a look at all the comments in it. Now that you are no longer in the situation, do these comments sound cruel? Would you take them back if you could?<br />I believe that God wants us to control the part of our thought process that has the quick comebacks.<br />I don't have the problem of telling people what I am thinking, but I do have to confess that I am more aware of the bad things that I think about people.<br />How can I love these people if I am harboring anger?<br /><br /><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>Proverbs 18:21 (NIV) "The tongue has the power of life and death and those who love it with eat its fruit."</strong><br /><strong></strong></span><br />God wants us to love our neighbor as ourselves. That means controlling not only our tongue, but also our thoughts. It is easy to say mean things and a lot harder to say I am sorry. Forgiveness is hard too, especially if it was a deep cutting hurt.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09568744930345139093noreply@blogger.com0