Friday, December 25, 2009

"HAVE YOU RECEIVED YOUR FREE GIFT YET?" GOD

The most important day of the year has finally arrived. The day we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior...JESUS. Happy birthday JESUS!!!

When you wake up on Christmas morning what is the first thing you think about? I know as kids it's going to be what's under the tree. But as you get older and know what Christmas is really all about the first thing you should think about is JESUS. He is the reason we celebrate Christmas. For most of my life I never really thought that way. Sure...I knew, in my head, that Christmas was to celebrate His birth but I never made the connection in my heart. Christmas is just one more thing, in my long list of things, that have a whole new meaning for me. This is my third Christmas as a Christian and it seems that this year it has made a bigger impact on me than any time before...

An awesome GOD came to earth and was born in the form of a baby. He did this for one reason. So HE could live among us for a few short years and then be tortured and put to death. JESUS was put to death so that we could have life. Eternal life...yes. But also an amazing life while we are here in our earthly bodies. Your life might not be considered special by the standards of the world we live in but, if you know JESUS as your SAVIOR, your life couldn't be any better. If you don't know HIM as your SAVIOR you don't know what you are missing. If your life starts falling apart, you can still have Peace. JESUS will always be there for you in every moment...good or bad.

If your anxious you can do what 1 Peter 5:7 says;
Cast all your anxiety on HIM because HE cares for you.

If you just find your self stuck in some problem, do what Psalm 50:15 says;
Call upon ME in the day of trouble; I will deliver you.

If you are worried, there is Philippians 4:6;
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to GOD.

If you need strength and renewal Isaiah 40:31 is for you;
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Talk to JESUS and tell HIM what you need. You have to remember that above all else, GOD is love. HE really just loves you, loves you, loves you.

If you don't know HIM today you can. You can receive the best gift you will ever get this Christmas. It's a free gift. You can't put a price on it because it is priceless. If you want to except this gift just say a short prayer asking JESUS to forgive you of your sins. Ask HIM to come into your life and to help you to live a life that is pleasing to HIM. Then you have to really believe that HE did forgive you and that HE will help you. Talk to HIM all the time, read HIS Word and find a church you can go to where you can learn about HIM.

Remember, JESUS is the real reason for the season.

Merry Christmas!!

Sunday, December 20, 2009

EARNESTLY SEEK HIM

You know in life there are many things that you have everyday that you can do without. It might just be simple things...like coffee. I really enjoy coffee!! The thing is, I can live without it. I don't like to but I can. As of today it has been nine days since my last cup. I'm not giving it up for good though. It is one addiction in my life I can pick up again and not feel too bad about. Through out my life I have come to realize there are many different things you can do without for either a period of time or forever. There are even people that come and go...in and out...of our lives that at sometime we might think we can't survive without. But we can. Its just been in the last couple of years that I have finally figured out that there is One that I can't do without. Actually, I guess if you want to get technical, there are three...GOD, JESUS, and the HOLY SPIRIT. You can try to do without them but you won't be happy if you do.

Everyday you need to realize that there is One person that the real you...your soul...longs for more than anyone else. The only One that can fulfill every need that you have. Psalm 63 is a great Psalm. For me, the first verse accurately describes what I feel many times.

Psalm 63
1 O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.

Sometimes you just feel like you're alone. You've been out in the world doing what you do every day and your mind and body, but most of all your inner being, just needs rest. You are weary, people and things are after you constantly. You need more than any person or even any "thing" can give you. You need GOD! Every part of you longs for HIM to come and fill you with strength. Your body, soul, and mind just can't get enough of HIM. It's a longing like you have never felt before and you realize that it is for GOD!! When you reach that point and do what it says, "earnestly seek HIM", you will find what you need. You will no longer be out there on your own. HE will fill your soul, your body, and your mind with everything that you need. HE will "fill you up" with all of the good things that you need! You will soon find that you just can't get enough of GOD!

I like the way the Message Bible says it. You notice David was in the wilderness when he wrote it. Sometimes when we're out doing what we do everyday, it seems as if it is a wilderness we are in.

A David Psalm,
When He Was out in the Judean Wilderness
1 God—you're my God! I can't get enough of you!
I've worked up such hunger and thirst for God,
traveling across dry and weary deserts.

2-4 So here I am in the place of worship, eyes open,
drinking in your strength and glory.
In your generous love I am really living at last!
My lips brim praises like fountains.
I bless you every time I take a breath;
My arms wave like banners of praise to you.

5-8 I eat my fill of prime rib and gravy;
I smack my lips. It's time to shout praises!
If I'm sleepless at midnight,
I spend the hours in grateful reflection.
Because you've always stood up for me,
I'm free to run and play.
I hold on to you for dear life,
and you hold me steady as a post.

9-11 Those who are out to get me are marked for doom,
marked for death, bound for hell.
They'll die violent deaths;
jackals will tear them limb from limb.
But the king is glad in God;
his true friends spread the joy,
While small-minded gossips
are gagged for good.

I like verse 8 where it says, I hold onto you for dear life...I think that's a feeling everybody knows. As long as you know GOD as your Father you can do that. In return HE holds you up, "steady as a post'.

I also think it is important that we Praise HIM for being there for us. Praise Him for everything HE does for us daily. Praise HIM just for giving us life.

And, if you don't know GOD as your Father, JESUS as your Savior and have the HOLY SPIRIT living inside you, you can. You can have peace like you have never known before. Just say a simple prayer and ask JESUS to forgive you of your sins. To come and live inside you and help you to live for HIM on a daily basis. Then believe that HE has forgiven you. Thank HIM for it. Your life will never be the same. And, you will have the best Christmas that you have ever had!!

Saturday, December 19, 2009

SPIRITUAL SICKNESS

Lately writing has been difficult for me. Normally when I write, the thoughts just sort of all flow together and when the last word is put down...I just know it is finished. The last few posts have been coming in pieces. I've thought about that and talked to God about it. His answer to me was the same one He has given me for other things lately. Not enough time in the Word and talking to Him. The thing about that is...I know He is right. Not just because He is God and is always right, but because I know I have been failing in those areas. So, I have been trying to do better. Then this week hit and reading has been pretty much out of the question, but...I can still talk to God. So while I was not sleeping I talked and...

I have spent the last few nights mostly awake because of being sick. Last night I was feeling pretty bad and it came to me that physical sickness is a lot like spiritual sickness. Sometimes when you get physically sick it's because you didn't take good care of yourself. Maybe you don't get enough sleep, take your vitamins, eat right, who knows what else. If you do this long enough you become susceptible to physical viruses until finally you get one. The same thing can happen in your spiritual life. Maybe you stop reading the Word as much as you should. When you do that, eventually you stop talking to God on a regular basis and maybe you find reasons to stay away from church or other forms of fellowship with other Christians. You start breaking good habits to pick up some bad ones...basically, you get a spiritual virus.

Some things I have noticed about the physical and spiritual side kind of relate to each other. On the physical side you end up in bed tossing and turning, agitated and not sleeping. You hurt all over, have a headache and numerous other symptoms. With a spiritual virus you are restless, agitated and don't sleep because you know you aren't doing the things you should. Things in life just aren't going right and you don't seem to have the closeness to the Lord that you did. You don't hurt all over outwardly but you hurt all over inwardly. You just have a feeling of turmoil inside instead of peace. Your head hurts because you worry about what is wrong between you and God.

So what do you do when you have a virus. Physically...you rest, try to sleep and do your best to stay away from everyone else so you don't give it to them. On the spiritual side you...start getting back into the good habits you used to have. Read the Word, talk to God and anything else you used to do to keep yourself on the right track. And remember that no matter what, God hasn't changed the way He feels about you.

In Jeremiah 31:3 He says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love."

Psalm 36:5 (New Living Translation)
5 Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.

Psalm 136:26 (New Living Translation)
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His faithful love endures forever.

This last example is the greatest act of love anyone will ever do for you.

John 3:16 (The Message)
16-18"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.

Remember, it's Christmas and Jesus...Gods Son...came to earth to live and then die for you. Will you live for Him?

Thursday, December 17, 2009

THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF CHRISTMAS

The most important part of Christmas
isn't presents you will receive.
It isn't glitter, stars, and tinsel
or the angel on top of the tree.

The most important part of Christmas
isn't the family dinner you will share.
It isn't even the big church choirs
singing Silent Night for all to hear.

The most important part of Christmas
is the One they sing about.
It's all about the Baby Jesus
how He came to bring us out.

The most important part of Christmas
is found in Luke chapter 2 verse 7.
She gave birth to her firstborn son,
our Savior, God sent down from heaven.

For a lot of people Christmas is just about decorations, parties, presents and big family dinners. For others it's about what they don't have...presents and their family to share dinner with. Whatever scenario you might find yourself in this year the important part of Christmas is Jesus. You might not have money for presents, friends for parties or your family to be with, but...you can have the best part of Christmas...JESUS. The greatest event in history took place when Jesus was born. The Messiah and Savior of the world came to earth.

But, Jesus was born here for one reason...to die for you, so that you can live. The best thing that could happen to you this Christmas is if you would accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. He is waiting for you to ask Him into your life. You don't have to be anybody special and you don't have to change anything about yourself. Just pray a simple prayer asking Jesus to forgive you of your sins and to come into your life. Ask Him to help you turn away from your present way of living and help you to only live for Him. Thank Him for doing that. Then you will have the best thing ever to celebrate this year. A whole new life!!

Read the Christmas story for yourself. It is found in Luke 2.

After you read it you can decide for yourself what the most important part of Christmas is for you.

Monday, December 7, 2009

NOT GIVING UP

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (The Message)

16-18 So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever.

In my last post I was telling you about being knocked down by the waves while fishing. I was sure that I was going to go under one last time and not be able to get back to the surface. But...I'm a little stubborn and I just kept fighting. Somehow, I finally managed to get up at the right moment and run far enough up the beach to not get pulled back out anymore. I never gave up fighting. When it's your life you are fighting for, you just keep going until you beat the circumstance. If you don't, it will beat you and the next time you go down will be the last time.

Sometimes in life I just want to give up. I think how much easier it would be to just quit and go back to living how I used to live. Just like the waves were beating me down, and winning, life does that too. There are all kinds of problems and situations that we have to deal with everyday, but we can't let them drive us back to our old ways and away from GOD. We have to keep fighting to stay alive. Keep on reaching up and trying to catch one more breath of air so you can fight a little longer. You need to renew your commitment and not leave GOD. Keep fighting to not go back to what you used to do and be. The thing that makes you the weakest GOD can use to make you strong.

I asked at the end of my last post if there was still some fight left. I think a good answer for that is...you only have to have enough fight left for the next minute. The minute when you call out to GOD and ask HIM to help you fight whatever your battle is. I think that's the only way you can win.

The things we go through here will soon be gone. Our new life in Heaven will last forever.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

WHO WILL WIN?

Colossians 1:15-17 (The Message)

Christ Holds It All Together

15-17 We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment.

I'm not sure why, but I just keep coming back to this passage of scripture. I know that GOD is the one that keeps bringing me back to it. All I can think is that GOD wants me to see what I keep shutting out. HE is out there watching us. Taking care of us really. Without HIM everything would just stop. The earth would stop turning, the sun and the moon would stop shining, basically...all life would cease to exist. We find GOD, through HIS son, JESUS.

How that relates to me in this moment is...if I give up GOD in my life, I would basically cease to exist. As a being I would still be here, alive but not. My life as I have come to know it wouldn't be right. GOD has got to be the purpose that I live for. Life begins in HIM and HE is the glue that keeps me together, basically the life blood that runs through me.

There are times in our lives when it seems that everything just crashes in on us. It's kind of like someone just throws you out in the surf during high tide.There are waves crashing all around you and you can't get your feet under you. You keep going under but something keeps pushing you back to the top. Is it GOD? You catch some air and think...alright, I'm gonna stay on top...and then another wave hits you. Do you let it get the best of you and drown you? Or do you fight your way back to the top where you can breathe? That's a good question.

One time when I was fishing for perch in the ocean I had an experience like this. At low tide we would go down to the beach to fish. When the waves would roll out you would run after them and throw your line in. Then you would turn and run back up the beach letting line out as you went. The trick was that you had to beat the waves so they didn't knock you down before you got back up to safe territory. It was all in the timing. Well, once I didn't time it right and the waves hit me and started taking me back out with them. I kept going under and I was sure I was going to drown. I was fishing by myself so yelling wouldn't have helped. I can remember clawing at the sand every time I hit it trying to get back up on my feet.

Sometimes that seems to be how it is when things go wrong in our lives. You just keep grabbing for a handful of sand instead of grabbing for HIS hand like you know you should. JESUS is holding HIS hand out to you. It's like GOD is saying...Go ahead and grab on. I've been watching you and taking care of you. I've been there always for you. I sent my SON for you. My spirit is always with you yet you can't find your way because you give up. Don't give up. I'm here for you. Stop shutting ME out.

In some ways, this fight is even more important than the one I had while fishing. You can let it keep you on the bottom until the fight is gone out of you...or keep clawing your way back to the surface. I guess that's the decision that has to be made. Is HE the one that you are going to let hold it all together. Is there still some fight left? I don't know. Do you?