A Reality Check

I just felt the need to write this blog because of the type of week I have had. Before I go any further, I would just like to ask this question of those of you who may take the time to read this blog. Have you ever experienced a week that you were attacked from all different angles or in unimaginable ways that you would have never dreamed of? Well if any of you have let me encourage you. Because that is just the type of week I have had.

The first was being accused of having an unknown motive for making a friend request on Myspace. The next was just a little bit more and hit a lot closer to home but was nothing that was surprising. I have now been accused of being controlling. Evidently I have been controlling a person’s life that I had no clue that I had that much power over. Then today topped it all, I have become needy. Yes there you have it I am a person with an unknown motive, controlling and needy all in one. Now you may ask where I am going with all of this, well I do have a reason for writing this blog and it is not just to vent. I have been pondering about this new enlightenment and have been searching God’s Word for encouragement and guidance in these matters. As a matter of fact after the third accusation God and I took a long walk and an even longer talk.

Then as I was setting here in my home that He has blessed me with searching the Scriptures He lead me to the following and I hope each of you that have had a difficult week or have found yourselves in similar situations will find encouragement in these passages.

One of many things to remember when you feel that you are being attacked is

Luke 21: 13-19 13. This will be your opportunity to bear witness. 14 Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer. 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. 16 You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. 17 You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your lives.

As I read these scriptures Christ reminded me that during these times I should look at them as an opportunity to bear witness of Him by controlling my mouth and not lashing back as Satan would love for me to do. He also goes on to say that not a hair on my head will perish because He is there for me during these times. He even went on to encourage me more in these next scriptures.

John 15: 18-20 18 If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.

Okay, I get that. Yes I love the LORD more than this world, more than anyone of this world will understand. So yes, I can expect persecution because I am His servant and He is my Master. Then there are those that are among your church family that feels the need to be the ones persecuting . Tell me how I am to handle this in Scripture.

Ephesians 4: 25-27 25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil.

Ephesians 4: 29-32 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 31 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

I see here in Scripture Paul was writing to the church people of Ephesus giving practical examples of how church members are to build up the body of Christ. In verse 26 he is telling the believers that we should not be consumed by anger and we should not carry it over to the next day. Then in verse 29 we are to stop the corrupting (negative) talk and start the good (positive) that is building up our brothers and sisters in Christ. Then we see in verse 31 there is a lot of negative we need to stop and start doing as verse 31 says “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Then James goes on to say this about our testing.

James 1: 2-4 2 Count it all joy, my brothers (sisters), when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete lacking in nothing.

Now you may be wondering how you and I can remember and do all these things that the LORD has asked of us. Well let me leave you with this.

Matthew 6: 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

During times of testing let us all seek God, he is there waiting for us to turn to Him in our difficulties. Whether it is friends, the world or even our church family, we can make it through all of these because He has made us that promise.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through HIM who strengthens me.

I will trust Him, He will get me through this week and many more of these kinds of weeks because He tells me He will, and He will also be there for you.

Anixious or Trust

Good Morning to all who may read this. I was setting here this morning starting my regular day I was thinking about my new memory verse for this week when I realized what it is all about for me and thought I would share it with each of you. To start with let me share with you what the verse is. You will find it amongest the Sermon on the Mount. Everyone of us at one time or the other have referred back to it when we have had times of difficulty or a friend that is in need we remind them of it. But do we really understand what Jesus is trying to tell us in this scripture. My verse is just the being of this great message because I set it in my heart to memorized the whole passage because the passage is that important to me.

Matthew 6:25 ESV
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

Now do me a favor to get the whole point of this will you pick up your Bible and read the remaining verses because that is where Jesus give us the anwser to His beginning question.

As I was thinking about the scriptures this morning God reminded me that it is all about TRUST. How many of us really TRUST God to do what he says. I mean really take a minute and look deep into your heart, soul, mind and strenght and tell me do you TRUST God. I will be honest here at this point with you. I can say I have talked a good talk and said oh yes I trust him with my life. I have referred to these scriptures as my favorite because it tells me that God will provide for me because if he will provide for the sparrow and lilies he will provide for me. But yet I still will start to look at the check book and the bills as they start coming in, or something breaks down (like my jeep now) and still worry about it. People say "Oh that is just human" and yes it is, but even if it is human I am God's child and he tells me "DO NOT BE ANXIOUS"

So this is where the truth comes out. If I say I want to "Love the Lord with all my heart, with all my soul, with all of my mind and with all of my strength" that means I have to totally trust him also. Totally trusting someone is difficult for some of us because here on this earth we have all been hurt by someone at one point in time in our life. "Oh that is just human" yep there is those words again. But as before we are children of God, our ABBA FATHER, the one that is not going to break his promises that one that we are to Trust.

I have put all my TRUST in him because that is all I have. He will keep his promise so when He says.

"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anixous for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:34

Then that is a fact and His PROMISE to me and to you that "ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE" for my LORD.

How about you are you going to be anixious or are you going to TRUST.

The Beginning of a new year

I know this title my be a little late considering what I am entering if concerning my Bible verse that I committed to memorize for the first of January. But I have join Beth and a lot of my other Siestas in memorizing scripture for the year 2009. My first scripture is the one that was the main focus at Breakaway this year and it has stuck with me ever since. It was a total break through. I have heard and know this scripture for a while and I am sure many other people know it also but when you really read it and study it you can get so much more out of it and that is what happened with me in that week. Here is it.

Mark 12:30 ESV
And you shall love the LORD your GOD with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

As you see this is a very simple verse, but what we have to understand is that GOD loves us this way. With ALL HIS HEART, with ALL HIS SOUL, with ALL HIS MIND and with ALL HIS STRENGTH. We are to accept this and then once we have accepted this take another look at our lives and LOVE HIM back in the same way. This is my committment to HIM for the new year. No New Years resolutions just a new committment to my ABBA FATHER, which it this.

And I shall LOVE the LORD my GOD with ALL MY HEART, and with ALL MY SOUL and with ALL MY MIND and with ALL MY STRENGHT.

This is the only way I know how to start my new year. Giving my all to HIM who STRENGTHENS me.