If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also the interests of others. (Philippians 2:1-4)
This verse always serves as such a sobering reminder that I am often times not obedient to Christ's commands. The greatest command He gave us to live by is to walk in love. Yet I often struggle the most with this one "order from headquarters" (Rick Beddingfield). Of course Jesus wants us to follow all ten commandments, but he tells us that all of those commandments can be summed up in one great commandment, Jesus replied, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" If I speak in tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, i am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)
Make an effort today to walk in love in all that you do. This does not mean that you have to "like" everyone you see but you must love them anyway. As Rick Beddingfield said in last nights' sermon, "God does not believe a word you say, He believes what you do." Action is obedience. Be obedient to Christ today by choosing to walk in love!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
All I can say is "Wow, Glory to God!"
God has moved mountains this past week. I had gone home to Massachusetts to visit my grandmother in the hospital this past week and all of my family was there. And I mean ALL of my family. I had cousins there that I haven't seen in over 7 years! It was pretty amazing. What was even more amazing was how God was glorified throughout my entire visit. Even though death was trying to linger all around the hospital air, God was breathing Life everywhere! That's what He does, you know!
I had one of my siblings (who was not there) ask me to drive home (2.5 hours away) to see them before I flew back to North Carolina. I explained to them that my place for this trip was in New Bedford visiting my grandmother and my relatives. My sibling made the comment that I should not make this trip be all about death and that instead I should come home and meet my new nephew Joey so that my trip could be about life. Tis brought such a smile to my heart. I realized in that moment that this trip had nothing to do with death for me. God sent me there to be life for my family. He had given me peace before I had left NC that my grandmother would not die while I was visiting and I knew that I had a very special purpose for going on this trip.
The Lord blessed me immensely while I was in Massachusetts. I was able to spend some one on one time with members of my family who just needed a break from everything. I believe God sent me there to just be light and life to them and to remind them of His promises to all of us. He answered so many prayers while I was there and I thank Him that he touched my family in such a special way. A trip that could have been consumed by death and gloom turned out to be one of the most amazing trips I have ever been on. Glory to God!!!!!
Learn to Trust by Jason Upton
Somebody here is hurting
Somebody here is broken
Somebody here is waiting
Somebody here is hoping
For love to come and unlock every door
Takes you and me to open up once more
And learn to trust again
Somebody here is searching
Somebody's dreams were stolen
Somebody's arms are reaching
Somebody needs to hold them
I don't know where you came from
I don't know where you're going
I only know the healing
Starts when we stop running
Peace like a river
Joy like a fountain
Drinking the cup of my father
Flying over this mountain
I had one of my siblings (who was not there) ask me to drive home (2.5 hours away) to see them before I flew back to North Carolina. I explained to them that my place for this trip was in New Bedford visiting my grandmother and my relatives. My sibling made the comment that I should not make this trip be all about death and that instead I should come home and meet my new nephew Joey so that my trip could be about life. Tis brought such a smile to my heart. I realized in that moment that this trip had nothing to do with death for me. God sent me there to be life for my family. He had given me peace before I had left NC that my grandmother would not die while I was visiting and I knew that I had a very special purpose for going on this trip.
The Lord blessed me immensely while I was in Massachusetts. I was able to spend some one on one time with members of my family who just needed a break from everything. I believe God sent me there to just be light and life to them and to remind them of His promises to all of us. He answered so many prayers while I was there and I thank Him that he touched my family in such a special way. A trip that could have been consumed by death and gloom turned out to be one of the most amazing trips I have ever been on. Glory to God!!!!!
Learn to Trust by Jason Upton
Somebody here is hurting
Somebody here is broken
Somebody here is waiting
Somebody here is hoping
For love to come and unlock every door
Takes you and me to open up once more
And learn to trust again
Somebody here is searching
Somebody's dreams were stolen
Somebody's arms are reaching
Somebody needs to hold them
I don't know where you came from
I don't know where you're going
I only know the healing
Starts when we stop running
Peace like a river
Joy like a fountain
Drinking the cup of my father
Flying over this mountain
Thursday, January 17, 2008
The Lord is my Shepherd
So I have been doing a lot of praying lately for my grandmother who has fallen ill. And even through this difficult time the Lord has been by my side during every moment of grief I have felt. He is so unbelievably loyal and loving to His children. He has taken the time this past week to reveal Himself as my Shepherd and has called me one of His sheep. Although I have been reminded of this many times before, revelation regarding the matter has just kicked in. It always amazes me when God grants us revelation regarding a certain thing in our lives. He has a funny way of doing right when we need it most. It is so true that God has perfect timing. He's never early, never late, always right on time.
Here are a few scriptures the Lord has placed on my heart this week that have brought great comfort to me during this difficult time:
Psalm 121
I lift my eyes to the hills-- Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip-- He who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you-- the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm-- He will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forever more.
He tends to His flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart;
(Isaiah 40:11)
So do not fear for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for His names 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 overflows.
Surely Goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
He delivers them from all their troubles.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
(Psalm 34:17-18)
Here are a few scriptures the Lord has placed on my heart this week that have brought great comfort to me during this difficult time:
Psalm 121
I lift my eyes to the hills-- Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip-- He who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you-- the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm-- He will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forever more.
He tends to His flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart;
(Isaiah 40:11)
So do not fear for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for His names 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 overflows.
Surely Goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
He delivers them from all their troubles.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
(Psalm 34:17-18)
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
He is our Strength
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
Psalm 73:26
Praise the Lord that He fights our battles for us. For the battle is the Lords! In times of weakness it is especially important to remember that we are not alone and that we need to depend on the Lord's strength to get us through whatever circumstance we might be facing. Trying to do it on our own will leave us feeling frustrated, defeated and exhausted. It's kind of like trying to fight a battle with the wrong weapon, or with no weapon at all. The Lord promises to fight our battles for us and that if He is for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31).
This brings me hope in times of trouble when I feel helpless to change my current situation. For I know that God has already declared victory for me and that as long as I trust in Him, nothing shall defeat me. I just have to remind myself to let Him do what He has promised to do, for even when I am faithless, He remains faithful (2 Timothy 2:13). I remind myself of 1 John 5:4, For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith (NLT).
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
Psalm 73:26
Praise the Lord that He fights our battles for us. For the battle is the Lords! In times of weakness it is especially important to remember that we are not alone and that we need to depend on the Lord's strength to get us through whatever circumstance we might be facing. Trying to do it on our own will leave us feeling frustrated, defeated and exhausted. It's kind of like trying to fight a battle with the wrong weapon, or with no weapon at all. The Lord promises to fight our battles for us and that if He is for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31).
This brings me hope in times of trouble when I feel helpless to change my current situation. For I know that God has already declared victory for me and that as long as I trust in Him, nothing shall defeat me. I just have to remind myself to let Him do what He has promised to do, for even when I am faithless, He remains faithful (2 Timothy 2:13). I remind myself of 1 John 5:4, For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith (NLT).
Monday, January 14, 2008
"With new levels come new devils," therefore you must walk by faith
I heard a wise Pastor say the other day, "with new levels come new devils" (Pastor Steven Furtick, Go Elevation!!!). He couldn't be more correct. Many Christians fall away from living their lives for Christ because they realize that it is much easier to live for this world than for Christ. They realize that once they've said yes to Christ and invited Him into their hearts that their lives get a whole lot more complicated and a whole lot more difficult. This is what turns a lot of people off from living a holy lifestyle. However, the thing they are forgetting is that satan does not need to bother those who are far from God. They do a tremendous job of making mistakes all on their own without any help from him. Since they are not seeking God and His kingdom, they are not a threat to him. It is the people that are living their lives every day on fire for Christ that he must try to spend the most time with. Those are the ones he has to work for to get them to work for him.
This is also why as Christians things seem to get a whole lot worse before they get better. It is in the times that I am close to a major breakthrough in my spiritual life, that I find myself up against the most resistance. Being poor and miserable are extremely easy ways to live. We don't have to look very hard for things that are sad or depressing, there is an abundance around us in the world. However, looking beyond all of that to see the equal amounts of happiness and beauty that surround us is a little more difficult. Seeing things as we would like them rather than what current circumstance dictate them to be is a very difficult thing. However, this very concept is addressed many times throughout the bible; It is called walking by faith.
Jesus tells us to walk by faith and not by sight. To not let the physical things we can see and touch define what our possibilities are in life. In order to experience true joy and success in this life we must learn to walk by faith. Circumstances are guaranteed to always change, however the peace that comes from walking by faith is an equal guarantee if we can just figure out how to do it in every situation. God promises to help us if we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). He promises to draw near to all who draw near to Him (James 4:8). He promises to hold us in his hand (Psalm 37:24), to lift us up on eagle's wings (Isaiah 40:31), to be our Strongtower (Proverbs 18:10), our Rock (Deuteronomy 32:4), our Redeemer (Isaiah 43:1), our Deliverer (Psalm 50:15). He promises to teach us in the way we should go, to counsel and watch over us (Psalm 33:8). The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble (Psalm 9:9).
Our God is an awesome God who always rescues those who love Him and cry out to Him. If you haven't already asked Jesus to come into your heart and be the Savior of your life, I encourage you to take the time right now. Ask Him to forgive you for your sins and to wash you with His blood. I promise it will change your life for all eternity. His love is worth more than all the riches in the world. He will take you from everlasting to everlasting and will change you from glory to glory. For He is the Lord Almighty and I put my trust in Him alone. On Christ the Solid Rock I will stand!!!
"Because He loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."
Psalm 90:14-16
This is also why as Christians things seem to get a whole lot worse before they get better. It is in the times that I am close to a major breakthrough in my spiritual life, that I find myself up against the most resistance. Being poor and miserable are extremely easy ways to live. We don't have to look very hard for things that are sad or depressing, there is an abundance around us in the world. However, looking beyond all of that to see the equal amounts of happiness and beauty that surround us is a little more difficult. Seeing things as we would like them rather than what current circumstance dictate them to be is a very difficult thing. However, this very concept is addressed many times throughout the bible; It is called walking by faith.
Jesus tells us to walk by faith and not by sight. To not let the physical things we can see and touch define what our possibilities are in life. In order to experience true joy and success in this life we must learn to walk by faith. Circumstances are guaranteed to always change, however the peace that comes from walking by faith is an equal guarantee if we can just figure out how to do it in every situation. God promises to help us if we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). He promises to draw near to all who draw near to Him (James 4:8). He promises to hold us in his hand (Psalm 37:24), to lift us up on eagle's wings (Isaiah 40:31), to be our Strongtower (Proverbs 18:10), our Rock (Deuteronomy 32:4), our Redeemer (Isaiah 43:1), our Deliverer (Psalm 50:15). He promises to teach us in the way we should go, to counsel and watch over us (Psalm 33:8). The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble (Psalm 9:9).
Our God is an awesome God who always rescues those who love Him and cry out to Him. If you haven't already asked Jesus to come into your heart and be the Savior of your life, I encourage you to take the time right now. Ask Him to forgive you for your sins and to wash you with His blood. I promise it will change your life for all eternity. His love is worth more than all the riches in the world. He will take you from everlasting to everlasting and will change you from glory to glory. For He is the Lord Almighty and I put my trust in Him alone. On Christ the Solid Rock I will stand!!!
"Because He loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."
Psalm 90:14-16
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Amazing Love
Jesus, You are so amazing. I am in awe at the fact that You believe that I am worth dying for. That You gave Your life for me before I was even created. That God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16). Every time I try to come up with words to describe the way I feel about you or the gratitude I have in my heart for You, I fall flat on my face. Yet this reminds me that neither myself nor anyone else will ever have words that are worthy. The only way that anyone can show their love and devotion to You is by their actions and obedience. Without obedience, our relationship will never become intimate. Without intimacy there can never be trust. Without trust there can never be hope. I have learned that we cannot trust anyone we dont' know, therefore I long to know You in an extravagant way. I crave intimacy with You with every fiber of my being. I thank You that You are my Victorious Warrior and that You fight for me every moment of the day. I thank You that You have already claimed victory for me over the devil and this world. I thank You that Your sacrifice will ALWAYS be greater than my sin. I thank You that You are ALWAYS working, that You never sleep nor slumber. As Jason Upton says "this is no sacrifice, here is my life."
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