Letting Go Of The Things That Perish

Do you want to give all you have and all you are to the Lord but your afraid?

Are you afraid of the unknown?

Are you afraid you won't have fun if you live a life completely devoted to Christ?

Are you afraid of suffering for His name sake?

Are you afraid of failing?

Are you afraid of losing everything?

Are you afraid you will be left standing alone?

What is it that keeps you from giving your life completely to Christ?

Do you know who else struggled with this very thing? The Rich Man

"As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good.  But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.”  “Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”  Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!” This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard^[f] to enter the Kingdom of God.  In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” Mark 10:17-25

Do you have some things in your life that you refuse to let go of? Do you struggle to clean out the excess you have stored up?

Let God heal you and cleanse you. Don't hold on to things that will perish. Store up everlasting life, God's love, His Word, Christ's forgiveness and mercy. For these things never perish, never rot, and will never destroy you, hurt you or abandon you.

Altar Sunday

As you kneel before the Lord, may His sweetness fall all over you and bring you a renewed hunger for Him.

Cleaning Out The Excess in Our Bodies-Part 4

We will be of no use for the Lord, our families, or others if we allow laziness to consume us.

6 "Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.
9 But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up?
10 A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber." Proverbs 6:6-11

Maybe for some of us our biggest excess comes from our laziness. 

When we are lazy, it shows in our bodies, our homes, our attitudes, our jobs, etc.

Do you need to clean up the excess laziness has caused? 

If so, let this passage motivate you to get up, to take control, and to be useful, active, and productive for Jesus, your family and others.

Cleaning Out The Excess In Our Bodies-Part 3

Wisdom protects us, teaches us, guides us in all aspects of our lives. Especially when it comes to our bodies.

There is purpose in obtaining Godly Wisdom.

There is purpose in fearing The Lord-it's the beginning of knowledge.

You see the foolish, they refuse to listen to wisdom. They refuse to listen to its advice. They instead listen to the cries of their flesh that says, "Feed me more. Notice me. Give me. Love me. I need."

These things, when done by the fool only lead to more foolishness, more sin, more guilt.

But when done by those who choose to be wise, listen to that of The Lord who says, "I will feed you the very satisfying Word of God. I notice you in a wonderful and beautiful way. I will give you what you need to live, and when those wants are given, rejoice in Me. I will fill you with a love that captivates you, inspires you, drives you, overwhelms you. I am love! Your need, it will become for me, not for the world. And there is no greater need than Me."

Listen to the voice of wisdom! It's the first of many in cleaning out the excess.

His Amazing Masterpiece

Late night walks, friends, dirt mounds,  and amazing sunsets

All displays of His magnificent work.

In Times Like These...

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." Proverbs 3:5-6

In times like these, trust in God not man.

In times like these, trust God's Word, not man's

In times like these, seek His will, not your own.

In times like these, depend on God's truth, not your own. 

In times like these, if you are saved, don't fear the future, look forward to it. It's heaven that awaits you. 

In times like these, don't complain, pray.

In times like these, when you think, "What now? How? Why?" Remember that God is all-knowing, all-powerful, in COMPLETE control and will never leave you nor forsake you. 

Brethren find joy and confidence in the Lord and His promises today. He will never lie to you, and every decision He makes is for His glory and your good.

May You Never

May you never find contentment in this place, rather find the forgiveness of Christ that will set you free from a place that has sought to kill and enslave you.

Cleaning Out the Excess Junk In Our Bodies-Part 2

The second way to honor God with our bodies, express self-control and discipline and clean out the excess junk is by…

2. The Word of God. (Never let food or anything else become a replacement for God’s Word.)

        -This is the GREATEST tool and most important one to have. 

        -The Lord says, in Matthew 4:4-"People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every word of God." 

        -When we make this verse apart of us, meaning when we actually chew on this, swallow it and let the Holy Spirit break it down within us, we will begin to realize how much more fulfilling God is rather than the following.

a.    Food

b.    Materialistic items

c.    Money

d.    Appearance

e.    Fleshly Desires

      -Food is a natural desire for us. Food is a good thing, when used in the right way and for the right reason. Let me ask you a few questions.

•   Do you eat just to eat?

•   Do eat when you are stressed?

•   Do you eat when you’re sad?

•   Do you binge eat?

•   Do you eat to fulfill a void?

If you answered yes to any of these, what is your motive and reason behind doing what you do?

Your best results will come from getting to the root of why you do what you do. This is something you will need to visit with the Lord about. He is the only One that can show you the true reason you are do what you do. Your greatest benefit will come when you are honest before the Lord.

If food has become an idol, tell Jesus. Ask Him to help you remove the foods that have taken the place where He and His Word should be.

Ask Him to help you understand the role He created food for, which is to nourish you and supply energy. Not to become an addiction or misused gift.

One perfect example of many, is the daily supply of manna, God gave the Israelites. God provided JUST what they needed, nothing more nothing less.  But what did they do, they complained. They had tasted great food in Egypt, and longed for that, all while missing the most important point God was making. True obedience and trust that God would provide.

“Oh, that we were back in Egypt, they moaned. It would have been better if the Lord had killed us there! At least there we had plenty to eat. But now you have brought us into this desert to starve us to death. Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. The people can go out each day and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether they will follow my instructions. Tell them to pick up twice as much as usual on the sixth day of each week...And the Lord said to Moses, I have heard the people’s complaints. Now tell them, in the evening you will have meat to eat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God. That evening vast numbers of quail arrived and covered the camp. The next morning the desert all around the camp was wet with dew. When the dew disappeared later in the morning, thin flakes, white like frost, covered the ground. The Israelites were puzzled whey they saw it. What is it? They asked. And Moses told them, it is the food the Lord has given you. The Lord says that each household should gather as much as it needs. Pick up two quarts for each person. So the people of Israel went out and gathered this food-some getting more, and some getting less. By gathering two quarts for each person, everyone had just enough. Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough. Each family had just what it needed.” Exodus 16:3-5; 11-18 (To know more-re-read all of 16 in its entirety.)

What is the point of all this?

1.   God always provides our daily needs, especially when it comes to food.
2.   We must be obedient with how and what we eat.
3.   We should not over-indulge ourselves.
4.   We need to pay attention to the details of His Word when it comes to food.
5.   We need to be thankful for our daily bread, and remember that all these extras, they are luxuries that are not to be misused. (I.E. Candy, cheesecake, ice-cream, fast-food, etc.)
6.   Remember you are a reflection of Christ.
7.   God should be your go-to for comfort not food or anything else for that matter.
8.   Resist the temptation to eat unhealthy when stressed, in a hurry, to tired to cook, etc.
9.   Just as God gave the Israelites specific amounts to eat, He also gives us those same specific guidelines.

   10.   Remember this, “Yes, I am the bread of life! Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. However, the bread from heaven gives eternal life to everyone who eats it. I am the living bread that came down out of heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; this bread is my flesh, offered so the world may live.” John 6:48-51-Jesus is your daily bread. He is fulfilling and satisfying. Seek Him first.

Altar Sunday

Do you need to fuel the fire God started in you?

If so, the altar is the perfect place to re-fuel.

Reflecting on the Last 5 Years

Where does the time go? It flies by so fast, that when you finally slow down and look up you realize your babies are bigger, older, and becoming little men.

It's the night before his 5th birthday and my heart can't help but to wonder how we have gotten here so fast.

It hasn't been the easiest 5 years of his life. Sickness has been such a huge part of it, and though small improvements have been made, there is still battles to fight.

Oh, yes it could be so much worse. How well we know that. We are thankful. We are grateful in the greatest sense.

As I look back on these last 5 years, I have seen the hand of God upon him, us, and the lessons we have learned and are still learning.

He has been given the sweetest heart. One that is rare when you battle sickness. He has more energy than the energizer bunny. There is not a place or a person that he does not leave an impression on.

He is smarter and wiser beyond his years, all of which I pray for daily.

He makes us laugh, he melts our hearts, he surprises us with his wittiness and he keeps us on our toes.

Just this week, Dax and I were having a picnic outside, when out of nowhere he said, "This is such a blessing. It's the best day ever, mama. Jesus loves us so much."

It's in those moments that I savor, I love, I cherish. To hear your baby give Jesus praise is the greatest blessing and gift G and I could ever ask for.

Jesus thank You for these 5 precious years. Thank You for filling Dax with Your Holy Spirit, love, protection, healing, comfort, and joy. Thank You for finding favor in G and I and blessing us with this precious gift. May He always seek You, praise You, honor You, and reflect You. Fill him with wisdom beyond his years. Give him discernment and guidance as he grows. We are honored Jesus to be his parents. We thank You for every lesson, every trial. We know there is a purpose and none of it has ever been meaningless. Even in times our hearts break because we feel so helpless, our hearts also rejoice because of Your love and presence that is upon him daily. Thank You for his energy, his love and his sweetness. Thank You that he can walk, talk, run, laugh, hear, see, smell, taste, speak, learn and grow. Jesus we ask that in Your will, his day tomorrow will be filled with You, with joy and so much love. Amen

Be Wise

Complacency and foolishness with our bodies can destroy us.

Maybe not immediately, but later on down the road. Don't choose foolishness today, and say you will change later. 

There might not be a later. 

"Or don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Cleaning Out the Excess In Our Bodies-Part 1

I truly believe with all my heart, that if our thoughts and hearts are aligned with the Word of God, and our focus is on pleasing Him, then our bodies will be a reflection of that. I know that is a strong statement, and one that can cause a lot of controversy. But if we lack self-control and discipline in our relationship with Christ, we will more than likely lack it in our thoughts, hearts, homes, bodies, and finances. 

We are imperfect people. This will always be a battle we face until Christ takes us home. Now, don't misunderstand me. I understand some people battle health issues that attribute to things with their bodies. I am one of them. I struggle with tummy issues and have for the last 16 years. Thus, the comment my hubby and I had recently about our bodies. He said, "I don't mean this in a bad way babe, but if you didn't have so many stomach problems you would probably be a heavier person." I laughed and said, "Why do you say that?" He responded, "Because you love food so much." And I do, but my stomach doesn't. 

I laughed and said, "Though it’s a thorn in my flesh, it is also a blessing, because I have had to learn how to have self-control and be more disciplined in what I eat and drink."  

Now, I fail quiet often at this, and I pay for it, which in return leaves my hubby, and my parents saying, "You know better. You know that is going to upset your stomach, should you be eating that. Or we are not going to feel sorry for you when you are up sick." All to my lack of control at times and response, "Probably, but I really want it." 

Brethren, its hard when everyone else around you is eating the things you love and you know your body can't handle it. When the temptation is in your face it makes it really hard, doesn't it?

This happens on both sides of me, with my family and my husband's family. 

So, how do we honor God in these situations? How do we clean out the excess junk in our bodies, cabinets, fridges, and on the go, all while displaying self-control and discipline that honors God?

Let’s look at one of many today.

1.    Prayer. It is the greatest tool there is when it comes to taking care of our bodies. When we stay in constant communication with the Lord, asking Him for help, we can believe that He will do just that.

Though there are many amazing passages about prayer, three of my favorite and go to are…

1.    Philippians 4:6-7“Don’t worry about anything instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

a.   The more I focus on Him and what He does for me, the less I focus on the problem or the temptation of eating something I know I shouldn’t.

2.    Romans 8:26-27“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don’t even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groaning that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.”

a.   There is something so comforting in knowing that God gets us, even when we don’t get ourselves. When we struggle to find the words, the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf and speaks the words our mortal minds can’t. Rather than turning immediately to another person, doctor, nutritionist, info commercial, or diet fad, turn to God in prayer first and let Him give you the guidance, help, and understanding you need. Then allow Him to place the right people in your life that will help you and encourage you. For me it’s my hubs, mom and dad. They are GREAT at keeping me in check. Partially because they are tired of being up all night with me, or taking me the ER.

b.   Sometimes our very own can enable us, lead us astray, only fix something temporarily, but it’s God that sticks with you to the end.

3.     This is a two-part. I LOVE this entire passage, but for reading sake I will pull out the main two and encourage you to read the entire passage on your own.

a.     Matthew 6:25-27; 31-33-“So I tell you, don’t worry about everyday life-whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn’t life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are.”

b.     Vs 31-33-“So don’t worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you life for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.”

My struggle is not with over indulging myself with food. Nor is it not eating enough food. My struggle is eating the right things that agree with my stomach. For a long time I would be worry and get scared to eat because of my fear of getting an upset stomach and vomiting. But when I combined these two passages with the other ones, it gave me a new outlook on my situation. I no longer have to fear food, or worry about throwing up, all though I still do at times. Especially when I am lying in the ER for the umpteenth time because I am so sick. Instead I can turn to the Lord, pray for wisdom and guidance and trust that He will help me make wiser choices and be able to discern what I need to eliminate in my diet.

I can’t tell you how many times in the last 16 years that I have cried out to the Lord asking for His presence to be with me, to help me, and to relieve me of this. And though I am 16 years into this and I have yet to be healed of it, I have learned a lot, am still learning a lot, and trusting in Him a lot more. Instead of getting angry, I praise Him because it could be SO much worse.

I have to stay in constant communication with Him. I have to rely heavily upon Him. I have to make the choice to either, listen and act on His Word, or to give in and pay the consequences.

Whether you are an over-eater, under-eater, or junk food eater, God gives you the choice daily to choose wisely. If we are not careful food can become our idol. It can become an addiction that destroys us. For me, if I am not wise, my GERD can turn into cancer. My stomach can become an ulcer fest, and the acid can destroy the lining in my stomach and esophagus. All of which, I do not want to happen. But if I choose to eat poorly because my flesh desires the goodness of unhealthy and acidic foods, this will be the consequence and outcome.

If you choose to over-eat your body and heart will pay for it. It will be harder physically and mentally. And can even take the place where God should be.

If you are an under-eater, your body and heart can pay for it. Your body needs food. It is what fuels you. Food has a God-given purpose. And we will discuss both of these later on in this series.

If you struggle with food and you feel defeated, let God’s Word remind you that there is hope. Turn to Him in prayer. Spend time visiting with the Lord. This is something that you will have to do daily, maybe even every second. But if you turn to Him first and choose to push through those temptations He will make you stronger.

Ask the Lord every time you go to put something in your mouth. Is this a healthy and wise decision? Will this give me the right source of nutrients, energy, and strength I need to serve you and be used by you, or will this reek havoc on my body, soul and mind?

This is the first of many when it comes to taking care of our bodies. As we wade through this part I will share with you what has worked for me. And hopefully we can clean out some excess junk in our pantries, cabinets and fridges.

Again, I want to stress that this is what the Lord has helped me with, and He might have something very different for you.

Be wise today, sweet one. Bless the Lord by making wise decisions.

Cleaning Out The Excess-Part 5

David set the perfect example of how to cleanse our hearts. He knew all to well what it was like to have a heart full of excess junk (sin).

As we close this part of Cleaning out the Excess within our hearts, let's let David's words fall fresh upon us today. May his plea to have a heart pleasing to God, also be ours.

  

"Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my shameful deeds-they haunt me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just. For I was born a sinner-yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. But you desire honesty from the heart, so you can teach me to be wise in my inmost being. Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me-now let me rejoice. Don't keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don't take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you." Psalm 51:1-12

It's Time!

When is the last time you fell to your knees, out stretched your arms, threw your head back, and allowed Christ to pour out His blood, His love, and cleanse you in a way that only He can?

It's Time!

Cleaning Out The Excess-Part 4

When we only allow the things of The Lord and His Word to fill our hearts, we don't have room for it to be full of anything else.

Now, granted we live in what we call a world. And in this world there are many distractions. 

Distractions that feed the senses. This causes conflict within our heart. 

So does the fact that we were born sinners, and have within us hearts that are most deceitful.

"The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?" Jeremiah 17:9

Knowing all of this, what's our option? How do we remove the junk, the excess, the world, the sin?

“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations." Ezekiel 36:25-27

First, you let Jesus get a hold of you and cleanse you. Second, you allow Him to create in you a clean heart. Third, we allow Christ to fill us with the Holy Spirit. 

"For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill ourhearts with his love." Romans 5:5

Are you ready? Are you willing? 

Altar Sunday

As you kneel at the altar today, let Jesus re-ignite the fire.