Someone Worth Dying For
The words of a song by Mikeschair, Someone Worth Dying For, says it all, we are worth dying for. Regardless what we look like, if we're pretty or not; or what we've accomplished, whether we're rich or poor; or if we're married or single or who we married or how much we give to charity, if we give anything at all. It doesn't matter what people think of us or how many friends we have, it doesn't matter what our last name is and the reputation that goes with it, be it good or bad. It doesn't matter who we've hurt or how we've hurt'em, be it physically, mentally, or emotionally. It doesn't matter what man thinks of us or what we think of ourselves. It doesn't even matter if we believe in God or Jesus or the Holy Spirit. Nothing we do or will ever do matters, because WE are ALL worth dying for. Jesus went to the cross, because that's what God told him to do and his reason was selfish. Jesus went to the cross, endured all sorts of pain; physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual, because God, wants a relationship with us.
So when you're having a bad day and nothing seems to go right or it seems like everyone hates you or maybe you can't seem to do the simplest things right, you need to stop and thank God, because he thinks you're worth dying for.
Something To Think About
Rom 1:22-23
22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
So, we've gone from glorifying God, the creator, to glorifying the creature. Deut 4:16-19 talks about creating and bowing to an image of any created thing. Our world is filled with created images; statues, photos, paintings, sculpted things, even christmas trees. Idolatry is a big god in this world. We need to humble ourselves, pray, seek God's face, and repent, then he'll hear us, forgive us, and heal our land.
Don't be condemned, because we are forgiven and covered by the blood of Christ. Still, we should do our best not to sin. There are things Christians do regularly and they don't realize that it's displeasing to God, because it transgresses his law. Just something to thing about. God bless.
Loud Faith
What are we doing and how is God glorified? Tim Tebow is an ok quarterback, but he's crazy famous, because of his faith in Jesus, his loud faith. He promotes Christ with reckless abandon. I'm envious of Tim Tebow, not of his job or his money or his girlfriend, but of his unquiet faith in Jesus. He isn't shut him up by the masses, he openly speaks about Jesus and by his mouth Jesus is glorified. Truly, I dig that.
We need to start telling people about Jesus. If we let the Lord use us more, then more people will be saved. We need to rebuke fear and speak blessings to people in Jesus' name. If God wants us to do or say more, then he'll tell us.
Father, I choose to have loud faith in Jesus, to speak of him everywhere I go, to tell others what you've done for me through Jesus, and to speak blessings to and over people in Jesus' name. I can't make it happen, but you can, so I ask for this in Jesus' name and I thank you for it.
Mercy Trumps Justice
God's word says, do justly, seek mercy, and walk humbly with God, Micah 6:8. Amen, amen, amen. I love this verse. What I love more is the grace given to us thru the blood of Christ and to quote a friend of mine, Jodi Z., mercy trumps justice. God, being omniscient, knew we couldn't follow his way, so he had mercy on us putting our punishment on his son and this redeemed us to him. Now, he is able to have a relationship with us without having to look on sin and he doesn't look on sin.
We should try to do justly, not sinning should be a way of life, if we do it's covered, but don't take advantage of his grace.
Always love mercy, share it with everyone. Forgive people, regardless of what they've done to us or what they owe us.
Walk humbly with God. Spend more time before his throne; eager to hear him, to find out what he wants of us. To who we should minister, how to show love and mercy and who to.
Father, you are beautiful. Your ways are beautiful, your mercy is beautiful, and we love you for this. We are able to tell you we love you, because thru Jesus we can have a face to face relationship with you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Jesus Is Beautiful
Why do we desire you Jesus? Why do we spend so much time in wonder of you; what you're like, what you desire from us and why, why you endured so much pain for us? Jesus your word says you're not one to be desired, yet we desire you. Right now, I know because I know in my knower, that you're beautiful. I've never seen you, but I know that you are beautiful. I desire your beauty; to dance in, to share, and to be covered in. I want people to see me, my actions, and know that the goodness they see, is you. The beauty you bring, isn't what we think of as beautiful. The beauty you bring, that you are, is true and it's more than anything we know. Jesus, you are a mystery and we thank you for loving us. You love us, you pray for us, you defend us. What you do for us isn't the norm in this world. We are by nature, selfish. You are by nature, selfless. Our first thought is of us and your first thought is your Father's will, which is redeeming us.
Too often, I think of myself and not you. I like to think of myself as being spiritually intelligent, because I've been blessed with some knowledge and understanding. But without you and your Spirit, I'm nothing and I know nothing. Jesus, thank you for the attacks of the enemy, these tests and trials will ultimately bring me closer to you and will, in fact, change me into you. I eagerly await this day, but I thank you for the journey, on which I grow.
Jesus, in the midst of our trials, we are blessed. You see our calamities and you love us the same. You show us your love through teaching us to be like you, which is to forgive and to love, you open our eyes to your spiritual truth. We are to look to you and not our problems. You are delivering us. We can see victory, when we trust you and not our circumstances. The enemy lies to us and tells us to look at the problems. He doesn't want us to know that our victory is in you, thank you for this revelation. It's easy to trust you when all is well. All isn't well right now, we are in need and we can't see the victory, but we trust that you are taking care of us. In our frustration we reject you. Father, forgive us and let us learn to trust you, I mean, let us understand how to trust you with more than just words. We want to choose you over fear. Jesus, you are beautiful and you love us. We rebuke the attacks of the enemy, his defeat is fact. Jesus, you are the victor and you being in us makes us the victor. Thank you Father for letting us exist in your beauty.
Who Was Your God During Christmas
Today is the day after Christmas, a day recognized and celebrated as the birthday of Jesus.
I have two thoughts regarding this day.
1. Nowhere in the gospel, acts, or the New Testament does Jesus or the disciples celebrate his or their birthday. So who's idea was this? Jesus said, if you want to come after me, then deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me. If we are doing this or at least, seeking his face, then why do we celebrate his birth, when he did no such thing, neither did the disciples.
2. On the day that many accredit to the celebration of Jesus' birth, where did Santa Claus come from. The common practice is to tell our children that Santa Claus knows if they've been good or bad and if you're bad, then won't get any presents. But if your children are good, then Santa will bring them lots of presents. This is one great big lie.
How is God glorified in this. He isn't, this is a pagan holiday. You use his name to justify fulfilling your own desires. You're salvation doesn't give you the authority to take a pagan holiday and make it Christian. Simply put, you can't cover an apple with an orange peel and expect the apple to be an orange.
The celebration of birthdays is not a Godly thing, because it's the celebration of self, not God.
God bless.
We’re Walking On Water
There's a line in a song that says, "I'm walking on water". This got me to thinking about Jesus walking on water, which I've asked the Lord about some time ago. My thought is, walking on water is walking on the Holy Spirit, actually, it's following the Spirit's leading. Jesus walked in total obedience to the word of God. He did what the Spirit told him to do and the Holy Spirit is living water. God's word, being full of parables, often uses water to represent the Spirit of God. To walk in obedience to God's word or the leading of the Spirit is to walk on water. We are called to follow Christ, Christ goes where the Spirit leads him and he says what the Spirit tells him. This is what we're called to do.
Fortunately, we are covered by the blood of Christ, this means we are justified by his faithfulness and not our own. Still, we need to draw close to our Father through the Spirit and learn to follow his lead as Jesus did.
If we sin, we're not to be guilted or condemned by the enemy. Since we know we can't fix our mistakes, we need to let Jesus have'em, since he's already paid the price. We need to trust his word, that says we're forgiven. Also, we need to know that Jesus desires mercy more than sacrifice. Now we need to stop worrying about the wrong thing and just follow Jesus. We know that he'll lead us up the right path and that He won't lie to us or hurt us. He is our protector. As soon as we're aware of an evil thought, we need to rebuke it, then look to Jesus and let him tell us what to do next.
Speak Blessings
Matt 10:27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak you in light: and what you hear in the ear, that preach you on the housetops.
What the Lord shares with us we need to speak out, not just to people, but into the atmosphere, where people will be. We should speak what the Lord has spoken to us, share the understanding he's given us. I know peace, I need to speak peace, I know God's love, I need to speak God's love, and I know his healing power, so I need to speak healing.
The Spirit that's within us is only stopped by our choice. If we choose to speak blessings and spiritual truth everywhere we go, then the enemy must flee, because darkness can't exist where light is. This gives people a better chance to do the right thing.
We Are Not Sinners
I've read several articles, wherein the writer referred to us, the saved, as sinners. I've also heard pastors and teachers do the same. I want you to know that faith in Christ frees us from the law and the punishment that goes with it, it also frees us from the label of sinner.
It's important that we understand the words we speak, with our words we either curse or bless and this shouldn't be. Jas 3:10 Also, every time you call yourself a sinner, you're giving the enemy a license to attack you. Jesus took our sins on the cross, he paid the price. If you believe in Jesus, then you are saved and are no longer a sinner. Though sin may still be in your life, you are not a sinner.
Luke 5:32 I came NOT to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Jesus is our repentance. God doesn't look on sin. When he looks to us, he doesn't see us, he sees the perfection of Christ. We are saved by what Jesus did, not what we did or even can do. Before salvation we were sinners, afterwards we are children of God. So, to label yourself, or any believer, as a sinner, nullifies Jesus' going to the cross.
Either you follow the ways of the flesh, you're a sinner or you follow the ways of the Spirit, you're forgiven. One or the other, you can't be both. To follow the flesh is death, but to follow the Spirit is life and peace.
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
God knows we're weak, so he made a way for us, he redeemed to himself through the blood of Christ. We are new creations in Christ Jesus.
Also, God's word says don't judge or else you'll be judged the same, to label someone a sinner is to judge. Matt7:1
What Path Are You On?
There's a famous poem titled "Footprints in the sand". This poem describes a person's daily walk with the Lord. Sometimes there are two sets of footprints and other times there is only one set of footprints. This simulates how Christ is carrying us at the hardest times in our lives.
When we're walking in obedience, it's not us, it's Christ in us. We can't do it on our own, we don't have the power. It's not our call, to walk in righteousness on our own, we're called to emulate Christ, to do as he did. Jesus said if you want to come after me you must deny ourselves, take up your cross, and follow me. We are to follow him, not walk beside him.
Though we are joint heirs with Christ and though he calls us friend, we will always follow him. He's our savior, he's our example. he's our mediator, he's our lord, he's our king, he's our everything. And we will always follow him. The facts is, we are followers of Christ. And if we're walking in obedience, you won't see two sets of footprints, because we'll be walking in his. Also, lets not forget this, we're all covered by his blood. We all have the same opportunities because of what he did. We can do nothing right on our own, but we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
One thing we're told to do, actually, the greatest thing there is, is to love. We are to love as Jesus loved. We have the word love in our lives, but without allowance of the Holy Spirit, we don't really know what love is. The true love that Father loves us with is a selfless love, agape love. So I guess the thing we need to learn to do and do like Christ is to love. And I don't mean to love your family or friends or people you go to church with, though they're important too. What I mean is to love the homeless, the haters, the gangsters, the lost. In my mind this is a tall order, one I can't do. But, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I had a thought and wanted to share it.
Psalm 119:105 says, Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. At first thought, this means spend time in the word; reading and meditating. No doubt, that's very important, but I think this verse refers to Jesus. He is the word made flesh and every step he takes is in righteousness. So, as we walk in his steps and keep our eyes on him, our eyes are opened up to the path of righteousness, because his steps light up the path for us to follow.
God bless.
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