He Calms Our Hearts

It's been so long since I've blogged.  Life has a way of throwing you curve balls.  But God stays the same, no matter what your circumstances are.  
This season of life finds me needing to draw closer to Jesus.  My heart has been in unrest.  Some things have fallen through the cracks of the road I journey on, and some things remain.  But along the journey, I recall a popular passage, Psalm 23:

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear  no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.

Surely goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

No matter where life finds you right now, just remember your Shepherd, and take notice as to the beautiful still waters and the green pastures as you are led through your journey.

Song: Stille Nache, Mannheim Steamroller

~Anonymously His

He Helps Us to Forgive

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.  Colossians 3:12-13

(Picture source: http://donmilleris.com/2011/05/26/want-to-be-happy-forgive-your-enemies/)

Forgiveness.  Its a word we hear often.  We are encouraged to forgive others, we ask for forgiveness of our own mistakes.  But it can be difficult, can't it?  It's one thing to forgive someone for small offenses.  But what about with larger offenses?  What about someone who really hurt you or a loved one physically or emotionally?  What about your brother or sister, mom or dad, husband or wife who regularly hurts you with their words or actions?  Jesus calls us to forgive everyone, this we know.  Although He could have just given us the commandment to forgive, He was gracious enough to help us better understand why it is important to forgive in His Word.  Jesus talked with Peter, one of His disciples, about forgiveness in the book of Matthew, chapter 18.

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me?  Up to seven times?"  Jesus answered "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."  Matt 18:21-22


(As a side note, I have heard through a few different sermons and teachings that regular practice during this time period was to forgive someone less than seven times, so to forgive someone up to seven times was being quite generous)


Jesus goes on to tell a parable about a servant who owed a king a debt.  The servant did not have the money, but his master, the king, chose to forgive the servant of the debt.  Despite the fact that the king had forgiven him of his debt, the servant still demanded that his fellow servant pay him back.  When the fellow servant could not, the first servant had his fellow servant thrown into prison.  When the king heard about this, he was greatly angered.

"Then the master called the servant in.  'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.  Shouldn't you also have mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?'  In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed."  Matt 18:32-34


I don't know about you, but something I tend to forget is how Jesus mentioned that it was a FELLOW servant that owed the small amount.  It is the same with us.  We all ultimately answer to our King.  Though another may hurt you (whether on purpose or not), they do not ultimately owe us anything, it is God they must face.  By forgiving someone in Jesus' name, it is as if we are transferring the problem to Him.  We allow the Lord to do with that person what he wishes.  We give up the desire that we repay them what they did to us, and we give up the belief that they owe us for what they have done to us.  It is like what is mentioned in Matthew 5:38-39:

"You have heard that it was said "eye for eye and tooth for tooth.'  But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.  If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also." 


As hard as this might seem, remember,

Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is Mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.  Romans 12:19


God will handle the person that has wronged you with perfection, however He chooses to, because:

The heavens proclaim His righteousness, for God Himself is judge.  Selah.  Psalm 50:6


We  can forgive because God promises to take care of the situation.  But before you get excited at the notion of God zapping someone who hurt you with a lightening bolt, realize that God is a Righteous Judge, and He will not simply look at the one offense, but will consider everything about a person's heart when He handles the person who wronged you.  He informs Samuel  in 1 Samuel  16:7:

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearances, but the Lord looks at the heart."


To tie this together, I will give you an example that reminds me of the very act of surrendering a problem like this to God.  I visited the hospital earlier this year, thankfully for something minor.  Also, thankfully, I did not come out with a hefty bill, but I did still owe the hospital more money than I could pay at one time.  So for awhile I was paying the hospital a monthly payment, but it was messy.  I had to call to make a payment (there was no way to pay it online).  And I could not always reach the one person that handled the patient bills.  But, since hospitals are not primarily known for being money handlers, they transferred my case to a bank, releasing themselves from the debt I owed them directly.  And the bank, being better equipped for handling money than the hospital, was able to negotiate with me an easy payment plan that I could pay online each month.  No longer does the hospital have to worry about me, they can simply continue to do what they are here to do.  And this is because they transferred the "problem" to someone that is qualified to handle it.


Not only does God take the problem for us, but He also promises us forgiveness when we forgive others.  When we do not forgive others, we are setting ourselves up for pain.  Do you know someone that is trapped in a state of anger and bitterness because of something someone else did to them?  Have you ever experienced this yourself?  It's a horrible prison to be in, isn't it?  Many people have come to believe that they are doing the best thing by holding a grudge against someone that offends them.  I know I believed this for most.  Perhaps you believe this also. Please believe me when I tell you, I understand the desire to not forgive.  But PLEASE believe me when I also tell you, the belief, feeling or desire to not forgive someone is nothing but a lie from the enemy.  I promise, forgiving someone opens your heart to receive life, the life promised to you by God.  Not forgiving someone sentences your heart to pain.  I don't want you to continue to believe the lie.  The very best thing we can do is to release it to our Loving Jesus.  Jesus even mentions the forgiveness we will receive from the Father when we forgive others in the prayer He teaches the disciples to pray:

So He said the them, "When you pray, say: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.  Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us day by day our daily bread.  And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.  And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'"  Luke 11:1
(Emphasis mine)
But how can you tell from this one verse that He will forgive me if I forgive others?  Because He also says:

"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  If a son ask for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?  or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"  Luke 11:9-13


If you are struggling with forgiveness, I recommend coming before the Lord and asking Him to help you to forgive.  And when you have, ask Him to forgive you also.  Once you have done this, enjoy the peace He promised you!

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  John 14:27


I encourage you to look up each of the passages mentioned in this post yourself.  I promise you, it can be life altering if you open your heart to the Words of God.

In Him,

~A

Song: Forgiven by Sanctus Real


Picture source: http://donmilleris.com/2011/05/26/want-to-be-happy-forgive-your-enemies/

He Builds Our Faith

(Picture source at bottom of page)

And Jesus said to him, "If you can? All things are possible to him who believes."  Mark 9:23

Faith.  We know that it is impossible to please God without it.  But boy is it hard to have sometimes.  Have you ever been struggling through a tough situation and have had someone (well-meaning of course) tell you, "you just need to have faith"?  Easier said than done!  Your response might even be "I know I need to have faith!  I'm trying, but it's difficult!"  (Notice I said difficult, not impossible).  There was a man who sought Jesus who probably thought the same thing.

Immediately, when the entire crowd saw Him, they were amazed and began running up to greet Him.  And He asked them, "What are you discussing with them?"  And one of the crowd answered Him, "Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit........I told your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it."  ........."It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destory him.  But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!"  And Jesus said to him, "'If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes."  Immediately the boy's father cried out and said, "I do believe; help my unbelief." Mark 9:15-23

This is a prayer that I have offered up to God on more than one occasion.  I don't want to doubt!  I know that  faith is a very critical part of my walk with God.  But sometimes situations look really big, bigger than I can handle.  But God encourages me to give it to Him, and have FAITH!  He does the same for young David Childers, a small soccer player-turned football kicker in the movie Facing the Giants.  Faced with need to kick a field goal from a distance farther than he thinks he possibly can, David, with the help of his coach Grant Taylor, is encouraged to give his best to God, and to trust Him.  When David asks God for His help, God comes through!  What happens when the father of the boy that Jesus is talking to places his situation in the Savior's hands?

"When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again." (v. 25)

The Lord met the father where he needed the most strength.  And because God is still God, and because God is still good, will He not do the same for you?  If he could help this man's faith, He can help ours!  We just have to ask!

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."  Matt 7:7-8

John 20:24-29

Matthew 7:7-11

Song: Help Me Believe- Kirk Franklin

Photo source: http://www.visualphotos.com/image/2x4594305/african_baby_walking_to_parent

He Heals!

Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick."  Luke 5:31

(Picture source at the bottom of posting)

So, I haven't been feeling well lately.  Tummy troubles that have only gotten worse as I've gotten older, seasonal allergies, anxiety, and depression.  These are all things that deteriorate my body, mind and spirit.  This deterioration, I suppose, is to be expected, since Jesus tells us in the Book of John chapter 10 verse 10, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."


So, God gives life, and the thief (Satan) destroys.  So where does sickness come from?   The thief!  Who takes sickness away?  God does!!  As I am making doctors appointments and visiting my local pharmacy to tackle these sicknesses in my body, I am prompted to read about the amazing healing Jesus did in the New Testament.

I went to the book of Luke, in search of the mentioning of Jesus healing and found quite a bit!

Luke 6:6-11
Luke 7:1-10
Luke 7:11-17
Luke 11:14
Luke 13:10-17

And one of my favorites, which I will read to you: Luke 8:40-56

Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed Him, for they were all expecting Him.  Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with Him to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.  As Jesus was on His way, the crowds almost crushed Him.  And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her.  She came up behind Him and touched the edge of His cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.  "Who touched me?" Jesus asked.  When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you."  But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me."  Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at His feet.  In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched Him and how she had been instantly healed.  Then He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you.  Go in peace."  While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler.  "Your daughter is dead," he said.  "Don't bother the Teacher anymore."  Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed." When He arrived at the house of Jairus, He did not let anyone go in with Him except Peter, John and James, and the child's father and mother.  Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her.  "Stop wailing," Jesus said.  "She is not dead but asleep."  They laughed at Him, knowing that she was dead. But He took her by the hand and said, "My child, get up!"  Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up.  Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat.  Her parents were astonished, but He ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.


Something I see when I read about Jesus healing people, particularly this passage: it took faith on the part of the person being healed for the healing to occur.  I must believe that He can heal me if I have any hopes of actually being healed!  Because ultimately, it is not the doctors I visit or the medicine I take that does the healing in my body, it is Him.  A way to my healing might be by my obeying Him to visit the doctor or to take the prescribed medication, but He is the ultimate Healer.
But, something else I noticed is that Jesus does not just cleanse people of their sickness, but He offers them a place with Him in Heaven also.  I was moved to read Jesus call the woman with the 12 year sickness "Daughter."  And He called the little girl that He raised from the dead "My child."  So Jesus is not just an awesome Doctor, but He, being God, is also a very awesome Father.

So as I seek Him to heal me, I know and believe that He can and will heal me, with all the love of such an awesome Father.  I can picture Him taking my hand and gently teaching me how to live without these sicknesses.  And if He doesn't heal me in a time frame that I think I would be comfortable with?  Well, I have to remember "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28


Are you struggling with a sickness, big or small? Guess what?  He can heal!  Talk to Him, tell Him how you feel, and let Him lead you to healing.


Song for this post:
I Will Rise -Chris Tomlin

Blessings!
~A

Stethoscope picture source
http://healthcaremonitors.info/

He is the Light

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Romans 3:23-24

(Picture source at bottom of posting)

You've seen them, those beautiful Christmas tree ornaments that shine light. These ornaments are the ones that, instead of pushing a button to make it light up temporarily, you attach it to one of the light bulbs from the string of lights, so that it shines as long as the light is on. As long as that ornament is attached to the string of lights, it will emit a light. Not its own light, because apart from the string of lights it cannot shine at all. No, it will shine the light of the string of lights, and its unique shape and design will allow it to shine that light in a way no other ornament can.

What would you say if I told you that you are an ornament? This example is very similar to the truth that we an find in the Book of John 15:1-8

I [Jesus] am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit [shine His light] He takes away; and every branch that bear fruit He prunes, that is may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear uch fruit; so you will be My disciples.

(emphasis mine)

So if we break it down, Jesus is that string of lights on the Christmas tree. You, being an ornament cannot be seen without being plugged into Him. Oh sure, maybe in the daylight you can kind of see you, but your beauty shines greatly when you are plugged into Him, and even more so when there is no other light in the room but that of the Christmas tree. No one will see you unless you are plugged into Him. But check it out, while God is glorified when you are plugged into Jesus, you also gain a great benefit, because "you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you."

Truthfully, I cannot do this analogy or group of Bible verses justice. I can only present them to you, and hope that you go in search of His truth for yourself. I pray you will seek Him so He will open up this truth fully in your heart. And if you are not plugged into Him, I hope it encourages you to become plugged into Him, because there is honestly no better place to be! (Check out my previous post if you are not plugged into Him, but would like to be).

Other readings:

Matthew 5:13-16

Isaiah 58: 1-10

Song for this post:

Let Your Light Shine (Hillsong Kids)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zc79ky5VIlk

(A simple song, with a simple message!)

Blessings!

~A

(Ornament picture source: http://inspiringpretty.com/2010/11/30/christmas-decor-using-ornaments/)

Like a rock in the desert am I without the Living Water. When I allow the Living Water to flow through me constantly, I become like a moist sponge, able to survive in the dry desert until the Living Water submerges me in Him for eternity.

Anonymous

I have felt led to start this blog, updating as often as I can, simply to share God. He personally is my everything, and I have realized this year that He has a lot to say that deserves to be spread.

I am just an average person. I am a student, working a part time job. I have bills to pay, relationships to maintain with others, food to buy and pray over, an aging car to tend to, and many other average earthly concerns. But as my Dear Lord teaches me more about Himself, I will spread that word as He gives me the strength to.

I encourage you to draw close to Him, and He will draw close to you (James 4:8). If you do not have a personal relationship with Him, now is a great time to start one! You can simply ask Jesus into your heart by praying this simple prayer:

“Dear God,

I’m a sinner. I’m sorry for my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I believe that Jesus Christ is your Son. I believe that He died for me. That He rose from the grave. That He’s alive. I want to invite Him to come into my heart to take control. From this day forward forevermore. And I pray this in the name of Jesus.

Amen”

http://peacewithgod.jesus.net/?/6/but-have-everlasting-life.html

If you said that prayer , believing with your heart the words you spoke, I just want to say CONGRATULATIONS!!! You are now personally joined to the most loving One in this world, and He is now yours and you His forever! You are in for an amazing journey! If you have any questions about the prayer you just made, or if you have any questions before you pray the prayer, I encourage you to visit http://peacewithgod.jesus.net/ (which is the site that this prayer is from).

I will share a Bible verse with you for today, and I hope that you will desire to look it up and maybe even read a few more scriptures while your Bible is open, it certainly can't hurt!

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16

I will also leave you with a song, Trust and Obey by Hillsong Kids. A simple song to sing to the King.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wAXImeSn-A&feature=related

In Him,

~A