Category: salvation

Today

For I the Lord do not change (Malachi 3:6)

Life is so unpredictable. We are aware that there are different seasons yet in the changing of seasons we are unable to predict what it will be like. Will the Spring bring lots of rain or will it be dry? Will Summer be a scorching hot one early on until it meets fall? When Fall arrives will the trees have had enough water for the leaves to turn all the beautiful colors we have been waiting to admire? Will the Winter bring ice storms? snowstorms? how much? How long? Seasons come and go nothing stays the same, except God. He is unchanging, and His faithfulness remains. These pictures of me on my 4-wheeler represent a season I am in now, for how long? I do not know. I’ve been here for a couple years, but it could all change tomorrow. Right now I am happy, content and at peace whenever I am in my element which is riding off into God’s creation wherever that may lead me. Yet I am also aware of the fact this is not something I will be doing forever. My life will change again, like many times before. I once was child and did child-like things, I was a teenager, thank God I survived that season. A young wife and mother a whole new kind of season, one that was no longer just about me. Then came the season of being a grandmother, oh the joys that have come with this season have been like heaven on earth. Now I have reached yet another season in my life, one where my husband and I are pretty much alone except an occasional visit from one of our children or grandchildren when they have time because their seasons have changed to. When this season is over will I have another season? If so, what will it look like? The answer is I don’t know, life is unpredictable, I can only live for today. There is something that I am certain of though; a particular time. I wouldn’t call this time a season because it lasts forever. Scripture says, (2 Cor. 5:8) “absent from the body …present with the Lord”) and (Luke 23:43) Jesus’ promise to the thief, indicates that believers go to be with Christ in heaven immediately after death. I know I am going to be with God for all eternity when my seasons here on earth are finished. How do I know that? By faith. Faith in the Word of God. Faith in a Risen Savior, the kind of faith (1 John 5:13-21) speaks of; to KNOW. Know occurs seven times in these verses, indicating John’s focus on the assurance and even certainty of Christian faith and salvation. These things were written to those who believe in the name of the Son of God. Romans 10:9-10 says, If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Verse 17; So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Saving faith is a deep inward trust in Christ at the core of your being. I can predict my future after my last season, because I believe. Can You?

Gonna Let it Shine

“You are the light of the world-like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14)

The Lord has been pouring oil in my lamp in preparation for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in others. I am being very intentional about having my lamp full of oil, so that the lamp will give light to everyone that comes near me. I spend a lot of time around people who are living in darkness, it is a scary, hopeless, desperate & desolate place to be. As a child I was extremely scared of the dark. I never wanted to be alone when it became dark and even in the daylight there were times I could just sense the darkness. I don’t have to fear the dark now because there is a light that burns continuously inside of me. Now that I have this light I’m gonna let it shine, shine for others to be able to see. My goal is to help others light their wick right off of mine. Sharing is caring, right? I want to share the good news of living in the light. I want to see the people blessed and living in their blessings. Have you ever had a gift for someone and you were just so excited about giving it to them because you knew it was just what they needed and you could hardly hold back? That’s how I feel about my light; Jesus. When they see me, or hear me talk, or watch me emulate Jesus I want to be able to hear them say, “Hey that light your wearing is so bright, I couldn’t see anything but the light, why is that? Where can I get a lamp like that? Be prepared to light the fire in their soul. They have been in the dark so long that they can barely see the light flickering at times when it passes by. The naked eye can detect light approximately 1.6 miles away. Yet there are things that can cloud that vision such as haze & air pollution. When people are going through things such as job loss, living on the street, addictions of any kind, relationships that are beyond repair, bad experiences even in the church, so many things I can’t possibly list them all. Everyone has their own story. Their vision gets clouded, blurred, in some cases close to blindness. It’s important that we who hold the candle make sure our wick is lit, our lamp is full of oil and ready to let our light dispel darkness. Scriptures calls us believers the “light of the world,” and urges us to shine as lights in the world of a crooked and twisted generation. All of this for the sole purpose to give glory to our Father in heaven. For at one time we were in darkness, but now we are the light in the Lord, so we should walk as children of light. So Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” (Is. 60:1)

Com’n In A Shout’n

Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre! (Psalm 149:3)

Sunday morning worship is the BEST. I’m not a good singer nor do I have instrumental talent, that’s why I love Sunday morning worship, these people on stage do. They are prayed up and anointed to bring the congregation into His presence. I’m not shy when it comes to worshipping my Lord and Savior. I throw up hands, I will jump, sway, stomp a foot all the while thanking God that no one else can hear me, but Him. Now at home or in my car it’s a whole different story, I let it rip. I’m all in. I love that no matter what I sound like, to God it is beautiful and He delights that my heart is focused on Him and He thinks this is the sweetest sound ever. Isn’t that just like a father? Always seeing the best in his child even when no one else can. Sometimes I just can’t help myself, I get this beating in my heart and overwhelmed sense of gratitude, for how much He loves me. I become so humbled before Him for all the goodness He has done for me, I mean geez …He saved my life! He set my feet upon a rock, He turned my life around, broke the chains that once had me bound, brought joy in the morning after nights of darkness, delivered me from SOooo many things, healed the deep wounds within me, gave me a reason to live, He set me FREE! It makes me want to SHOUT! I feel new strength and hope once I have been in His presence through worship. That is my best description of “JOY.” Nobody can love me like that and I’m gonna let Him know! You know God doesn’t just love to hear us sing praises to Him, it is a declaration of our trust in Him. It shows Him our surrender when we will humble ourselves and worship Him. He actually views it as an act of obedience, adoration, and a pleasant offering. God “inhabits” or dwells within the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3), affirming His presence. It shows Him that Jesus Christ really does dwell within us. So if you ever see me shouting praises to God, just know God is rejoicing over it.

After “It Is Finished”

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations …” (Matt. 28:19)

Jesus gave the command after his resurrection and shortly before his ascension into heaven. Immediately after rising: He appeared to his disciples behind locked doors in Jerusalem and told them, “As the father has sent me, I am sending you”. Shortly before ascending: He gave further instructions near Bethany on the Mount of Olives, telling them they would be his witnesses “to the ends of the earth” after receiving the Holy Spirit. According to Scripture in (Matthew 28:18-20) [And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”] This applies to all Christians as a mandate to share our faith. We just spent an entire week in preparation for the celebration of our Risen Savior, now it’s time to GO! If you gave your life to Jesus at anytime during or before the celebration you have now been commanded to Go …share the good news, be fishers of men, make disciples. This is the mission of the Church to spread the gospel message of salvation, we are the Church, don’t just sit around and wait for the world to come to you, we need to GO to them. If you need a place to start, start with letting others see the change in you. What the cross did for you, your freedom from the sins you were carrying, the hurts, habits and hang-ups the Lord just freed you from, the new love you have for people, even the unlovely. Go … looks different for everyone, just like our fingerprint is different from everyone else’s, so is the way we bring others into a personal relationship with the Lord. For others it may look like evangelism in the streets to the homeless or a co- worker the Lord put on your heart, a schoolmate or a random person at the grocery store. Acts of kindness are a very good tool for everyone to start with. Let me also remind you, that you are not the one doing the calling, the Holy Spirit calls them, you are the tool in which He uses to accomplish His good work, lest anyone boast of his good work (Eph.2:8-10). The purpose of good works is not causing salvation, instead we believers are created to do the good works to show the fruit or evidence of our faith. Remember is was entirely by the grace of God that you were saved and it is by grace that others will be too. Just GO! that is the command, put your individual fingerprint on another soul for the kingdom of heaven.

ONE Way

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

I was at a funeral this week for a man that was given just a few weeks to live. This man had experienced hell on earth in many different ways, and he had a faith in Jesus that what Jesus did on that cross was real and it was for him, death would not win because Jesus had already conquered death once and for all. He knew in just a few short days he was going to Heaven and Jesus was the only way there. He wasn’t scared, NO fear! He knew the devil was real and he was a liar. He had the Holy Spirit living in him, guiding him through all truth, it just resonated in his whole being. No questions what-so-ever, truth is truth, believe it or not, he believed and we should too. The day of the funeral was a celebration day, not a sad day, because how could we be sad about where he was? A place we all want to go to one day. Of course he will be missed by many, but the awesome part of that for those of us that know the truth, we know that we are just going through a temporary separation and soon we will all be together once again. Our friend is not gone for good; he is in heaven awaiting our arrival. When the Pastor was with our friend shortly before he left this earth, he asked him, “are you okay?” Meaning did he have any reservations about what was about to take place. The Pastor said, “In the 20 years of being with those that are dying, I never met a person so prepared, so sure and so ready to go” and not because he was suffering or in pain, though he was, but because he was just that certain of where he was going. We would be wise to prepare ourselves for the truth in such a way as our friend did. Death is not the end; it’s the beginning of a life that we will never be able to obtain here. We will have for the first time a direct, unhindered communion with God. To actually be in His presence, the “Heaven of heavens” a place where our souls find true rest. So, the answer to the question is: Yes, Jesus is the ONLY way to get there.

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9-10)

Prayer of Salvation “Dear Heavenly Father, I come to You in the Name of Jesus. I confess that I am a sinner, and I believe that Jesus you died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead. I ask you Jesus, come into my heart and be Lord over my life. I repent of my sins, and I trust in You alone for my salvation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”