November 5, 2024

He Is Good…He Is True

January 1, 2016 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15This post is from 2013. I love looking back and seeing how faithful God has been. He’s never once let me down. And now, 2 years later, I can still say that He is good and He is true and He is always with us. I pray that you too will see all His goodness and glory in the upcoming year! God bless you…

Rejoice in our confident hope.
Be patient in trouble,
and keep on praying.
Romans 12:2

A verse for the new year, don’t you think? As I look back on 2013, I see God’s hand in all of it. I cannot imagine a day without Him, really, and I don’t want to. This year has been challenging for sure, yet my faith has grown by leaps and bounds. There have been times of scarce resources yet God has provided loaves and fishes. My children have not gone hungry and there has always been a roof over our heads. The Lord is so good.

Kyle started a new job this time last year. He has been on the road for most of 2013 and had a lot of time with His Creator. I have had the privilege of watching God grow and mold him into the husband and father that He intended him to be. The marriage that almost ended has been completely renewed  and restored to an even more magical and Spirit-filled marriage, and love for each other is greater than ever. We found a church home and a group of wonderful godly people who love us for us and accept us just the way we are, but love us too much to let us stay content. How amazing when God puts people in your path that actually speak truth to you and help you grow spiritually.

I’ve watched my children grow spiritually through some pretty hard things. But, isn’t that how God works? It’s through the tests and trials that our faith grows and we realize that with God we can do anything. They have seen God do the impossible, too. As much as I would love for their lives to be easy, without hardships and heartaches, their character and faith and relationship with Him grows out of the dark and murky soil.

I wouldn’t change anything. God is good and all He gives is good. We cannot see the big picture so we don’t see how all these pieces fit together. But God does—and He puts the tapestry of our lives together. I love that I can look back with a smile knowing that He WAS  in control; I love that I can step into next year knowing that He IS in control. What would I do differently? Nothing!

So what are my hopes for the new year? For starters, I don’t want to take one step that He does not ordain. And what is the best way to hear what He says about our future? We go to His Word. His promises always come true and His word is more valuable than any amount of money.

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect,
but I press on to make it my own,
because Christ Jesus has made me His own.
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.
But one thing I do; forgetting what lies behind
and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward
the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12-14

‘Forgetting the past,’  ‘pressing on toward the goal,’  ‘for the prize,’  aren’t these amazing words?!  And the prize is the the call on your life—an anointing on your life from your Father.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.
The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:17

You are a new creation, the old has passed! 2013 has passed, there is nothing that can be done about it now. If wrong has been done, then we repent, ask forgiveness and move forward, right? And that is all that is required. We are forgiven. Grace is ours for free! And there’s more…

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.
Behold I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and (spring) rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43:18-19

This is actually our family’s life verse. He does make a way in the desert—He always has and He always will. When there seems to be no way, He makes a way. Jesus is The Way.  John 14:6 says, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Friends, if you don’t know Jesus…and don’t know the way to the Father…please read these Scriptures and pray them back to Him. All you have to do is ask Him to come in to your heart and live forever. Then read His Word and begin the most important and amazing walk of your life.

 

Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name and you are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
Because you are precious in My eyes, and honored, and I love you,
I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life.
Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you.
Isaiah 43: 2-5
(to read the context of these promises, click here: Isaiah 43:1-28 )

He has called you by name and you are His!!

Praise the Lord, He will walk into this new year with you and you will start fresh. You have an empty slate, a fresh start…a do over, if you will. All your steps are ordained and He will go before you and make a way for you! Oh…how He loves you and can’t wait to do life with you this year. So let’s take a deep breath, and take His hand and step on into the new year….

Let us pray: Dear God, our Father, thank You so much for this past year, for our successes and failures, for our victories and for trials, for keeping us safe and for loving us always. You are an amazing God, and even the rocks cry out to You. You are our Abba Father, our Daddy, we can crawl up in Your lap and forget the world. Thank You for going before us and making a way for us in the wilderness. Thank You for the fresh springs in the desert and for giving us the victory before the trial. Lord, as we walk in to this new year, I pray Your hedge of protection be around us and our families. Provide all we need, Dear Jesus, and keep us close to Your heart. I’m excited to see what;s in store for us this year! For it’s in Your name we pray, amen!

Filed Under: encouragement Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Change

September 21, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends You,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Psalms 139:23-24 NLT

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Do you believe that’s a person can change?  I do…I believe that a person can change, if they want to change.  We cannot change people, people have to want to change on their own or the change won’t stick.  I’m talking about true change not “appearances” of change.  Can people change on their own?  I do believe that even this is possible.  However, I also believe that the easiest change you will ever experience is with the help of God.  And by easy I mean that the tools are readily available if you will accept them.

First, and foremost, a person needs to acknowledge that there is a need to change.  As you can see in Psalms 139:23-24, he asked for the Lord to change him—to make him better.  Confession time: when I first came to Christ, my biggest concern was that if I let Him “change“ me that I would no longer be “me“. Through prayer and constantly going to God about my concern, He pointed out that He was not changing me, but was making me into the person I was intended to be before life happened.  The “me” that I came to Him as was not the “me” He had envisioned me to be. The more I explored Scripture, the more I was able to accept this.

God says, “Bring all who claim Me as their God, for I have made them for My glory. It was I Who created them” (Isaiah 43:7 NLT).  He made us for His glory.  Does He find glory in the fact that I isolate myself or that I am mean to others?  Well, no.  So, then this is not how He created me to be.  How we are is not the same as how we were created to be.

Things happen in life that influence us—in positive and negative ways.  God happens to make us right.

…this means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.
The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
2 Corinthians 5:17

New life is what we are promised.  But you know we have to choose to live in this new life.  God can show us a better way to do anything; whether it is managing money, or loving your family and friends, or loving the people of the world, or interacting with other believers, or how to be a better mother… boss… worker… or anything!  God knows the very best way to do it!  And, if we ask, He will show us.

The key is that you have to want it.  So, what do you want?

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

That Was Then, This Is Now

July 12, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

We used to hide from the light
We made friends with the night
We were headed the wrong way on a one way track
Going nowhere fast

We got used to the dark
We thought this is who we are
And we figured that we were just too far gone
But we were wrong

‘Cause love came running like a river
And we got washed in the water
Then He said you’re forgiven
Your sins are gone

That was then, this is now
You’re bought by the blood,
Saved by the Son the saints all sing about
That was lost, this is found
And it’s time to say goodbye to the old you now

So go ahead, put the past in the past
Box it up like an old photograph
You don’t have to go back
‘Cause that was then and this is now

We’ve been remade by grace
We’ve all got new names
And nothing we do could ever change
What He did that day

If we turn and confess every unrighteousness
He is faithful and just to forgive
Oh, so turn and confess every wrong and regret
And see what it means to live

‘Cause that was then and this is now

 Josh Wilson, singer/songwriter

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

There was a time in my life that I was in the dark for so long that my eyes adjusted to it, and I could see.  Chaos was normal and I definitely made wrong choice after wrong choice.  I accepted my life the way it had become and I even labeled myself as a loser.  The crazy thing was that I had lived more of my life in His light than in the dark; yet the dark became normal.  But one day He became so much brighter than my present darkness and I decided that I wanted to be out there.  His love for me was still so big…so much bigger than my circumstances.  And I surrendered it all that day.

And (as the song says), we have to take the past and ‘box it up‘. There will be times that the memories of those wrong choices still come flooding in.  You will have to make a decision to surrender it again and remember that Jesus came to forgive you.  Everything you have ever done or will ever do was left at the Cross with Jesus.  You are now covered in His blood and you’ve been made new.

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ
has become a new person.
The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT

So take heart!
Claim the grace that is so free for you!
Know that He loves you beyond measure!
You are never too far gone to turn back now!
He is there with open arms…
Today can be the day that your life will change forever!

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Let us pray: Dear God, You are so amazing!  Thank You for being so full of grace and mercy.  You know the choices we are going to make before we even make them yet You still love us so much.  Even when we sit in darkness, You are so close that all we have to do is move toward You.  Thank You for Your light that shines into our pits.  Oh Lord, we are so grateful for Your Son, Jesus, Who died for our sins so that we will live with You forever one day.  We love You!  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Greater

January 12, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Bring your tired
Bring your shame
Bring your guilt
Bring your pain
Don’t you know that’s not your name
You will always be much more to me
Every day I wrestle with the voices
That keep telling me I’m not right
But that’s all right

‘Cause I hear a voice and He calls me redeemed
When others say I’ll never be enough
And greater is the One living inside of me
Than he who is living in the world
In the world
In the world
And greater is the One living inside of me
Than he who is living in the world

Bring your doubts
Bring your fears
Bring your hurt
Bring your tears
There’ll be no condemnation here
You are holy, righteous, and redeemed

Every time I fall
There’ll be those who will call me
A mistake
Well that’s ok

There’ll be days I lose the battle
Grace says that it doesn’t matter
‘Cause the Cross already won the war
He’s Greater
He’s Greater

I am learning to run freely
Understanding just how He sees me
And it makes me love Him more and more
He’s Greater
He’s Greater

MercyMe ~ Bart Millard, Nathan Cochran, Barry Graul, Mike Scheuchzer, Robby Shaffer,  along with David Garcia, Ben Glover

  *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated
and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist],
because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world.
1 John 4:4 AMP

This is another of my favorite songs.  As I was researching it, I came across the story behind the song.  I LOVE the story behind this song…. In a nutshell, Bart Miller’s son has a stuttering problem.  Some of the kids at church were making fun of him.  Bart told his son, “You know what I’ve told you.  That’s not them.  The enemy may be using them, but these kids are good kids.  They’re not coming after you, it’s just the enemy is taking shots at you.  He’s taking shots at you because you’re something special and he’s afraid of something you may do.”

We have all been there, right?  Satan loves taking potshots at all of us, hoping to make us feel less than acceptable.  He distracts us from our purpose by making us feel unlovable and unworthy. atan throws the past in our face, points out our shortcomings and tells us we will never be enough.  But 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT) states, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” And Romans 8:1 (HCSB) tells us,

Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus….

We have been given our freedom. We are redeemed.

The enemy loves it when we try to earn grace.  However, we don’t need to do anything for Christ to get right with God.  It has already been done for us.

It is through Him that we have received grace (God’s unmerited favor).
Romans 1:5a AMP

It is all about God’s grace.  We don’t have to try harder or be better to make Christ love us more.  Christ’s love for us is more than we can fathom and it will never change. We have something greater within us already and we need to understand just how He sees us—holy, worthy, redeemed!

So, the next time the devil starts taking potshots at you, remember…

There’ll be days I lose the battle
Grace says that it doesn’t matter
‘Cause the Cross already won the war
He’s Greater
He’s Greater

  *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Father, I am so thankful that You are greater than the enemy and that You see me as lovable and worthy.  When satan takes shots at me, remind me there is no condemnation in You—that Your grace is all I need.  In Jesus’ name – Amen, it is so!

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Thankful For the Past

August 5, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him and praise His name.
Psalm 100:4

Recently, while sitting in my room, I began to do a reflection of my current life—the relationships I have, the job(s), the decisions that need to be made, and the character flaws that need fixing.  I found myself wishing that I could go back in time and deal with the problems of previous times; you know the problems that I now know exactly how to deal with.  In that moment I laughed at myself.  Every season we enter has its benefits and its trials and seasons are constantly changing. What’s important to remember about each season of our lives is to “Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name.”

I was informed that this devotional is the one year anniversary of the Seeking Him devotional blog.  I’m actually very surprised…it doesn’t seem like a year has passed.  Looking back, I can see how I’ve grown and changed.  I can see things in me that are still the same that I would love to change but, overall, I’m moving forward.  And I think this is what God wants us to do—move forward and be thankful while doing so.  I find it difficult to move forward when I am regretting or disappointed about something in the past. When I address the situation and let God shed light on it, I find that I am more capable of thanking Him for the learning experience.  Paul said it like this in Philippians 3:13 and 14,

But one thing I do, forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.
I press toward the goal to win the prize
for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

We have so much going on around us and so much that we want to accomplish or to make different.  We have lives we want to live and dreams we want to come to pass.  If done correctly, the past is a good place for us to learn how to improve our present and our future.  For this reason I feel we should be thankful to God that we have a past to say that we made it through.  Without a past there is no present.  Nobody’s past is perfect.  There are things in my past that I don’t feel I should have ever had to deal with, but God says, “… if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Lord, thank You for where I have been, because I would not be the person I am today without my past. You are an all-knowing God and You guide my future. Thank You for being so amazing!  Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Breaking Free

May 29, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Let them give thanks to the LORD for His unfailing love
and His wonderful deeds for men, for He breaks down gates of bronze
and cuts through bars of iron.
Psalms 107:15-16

Have you ever been by an iron mill when they are melting iron? If you have ever seen the movie “Rudy” then you at least have an idea about what goes on in the mill.  They are melting the iron down so that it can be used in the production of goods.  Have you ever been to one of those old- timey craft fairs where the blacksmith is working with some type of iron (or other metal)?  He beats the metal into something like a horseshoe or sword—just something that can be used for the good of mankind.

Now imagine an old junk yard.  This junk yard is full of old cars and trucks and just about anything else made of metal that you can think of.  Everything is starting to rust and break down.  There are people out there who go to these junkyards and get parts to keep cars and machinery running.  They use old parts from this rusting junk pile to make something, not exactly new, but to keep it running.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:
The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17

God does the same with us when we accept Jesus as our Savior.  He breaks us out of the iron restraints of sin and washes us clean.  He breaks us out of the iron hold of the world and Satan, and He purifies us.  God breaks down our old spirit and molds us into a new spirit that is worthy of His glory.  The old is thrown away, and God begins to mold us into how He wants us to be—pretty much like an ironworker working to make iron usable.

We are a new creation.  We are no longer rusting or going bad.  God has broken us out from an iron-clad prison that was holding us back from glorifying Him.  We are no longer prisoners of sin.  Because God loves us unfailingly, He does not leave us to rot in our sin.  He stays with us—pushing and pulling us out through the broken prison bars.  He never leaves us, and He works with us to accomplish the goals He sets before us.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Dear Heavenly Father:  Thank You for Your wonderful and unfailing love.  Thank You for breaking us out from the chains of sin.  You have made us new and set goals in front of us that will make us more like You.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

CHRISTLife — TwentySeven: New Altogether

February 18, 2014 by

cl new altogether

The Truth contained in that Scripture is now more clear to me than ever before!  Surely I am not the only one to be having these moments of clarity and revelation?   If I was a cartoon character, I would have a little bubble over my head with the words “Oh!  Yes!  Now I understand!  Thank You, Lord!!!”  Truly, for so long, I have walked around endeavoring to renew my mind…I have!  Really!  But it has been such work because I was not keeping this Truth as my motivation.  The ‘cart before the horse’ syndrome.  No longer!  I have seen the light!  Since I have put on the new self, I am “being renewed in knowledge according to the image of <my> Creator.”

Oh, the Lord does encourage us…He motivates us…and spurs us on.  And really all that is ours to do is simply believe Him and take Him at His Word. We CAN count on His Word being true.

Here are a few statements of Truth about who we are in the newness that Christ has made available to every believer.

  • new attitude of mind (Ephesians 4:23)
  • new heart (Ezekiel 36:26)
  • new spirit (Ezekiel 11:17)
  • new nature (Colossians 3:10)
  • new heritage (Galatians 3:28)
  • new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
  • new birth (1 Peter 1:3 and 4)
  • new self (Ephesians 4:24)

If God says we have all these things…then we do.  Mrs. Myers writes: “…you may sometimes think to yourself, ‘Well, that’s just not true of me, even though I <do> belong to Christ.’”  (Anyone else?)  Perhaps I have shared that mindset in the past.  But now, I no longer do.  I AM who God says I am! (And y.o.u. are, too!)

Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator.
In Christ there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.
Therefore, God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive.
Above all, put on love—the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of the Messiah, to which you were also called in one body, control your hearts. Be thankful.
Let the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Colossians 3:9-17

This is quite a list of righteous, holy ways of living!  Images that God thinks of you…pictures that reflect the way that Jesus lived—and so can you (me, too)! Now those would make a beautiful page for our inner identity albums, wouldn’t you say?

“So take God at His Word and press forward into a growing experience of the renewal to which He has called you!”

— Mrs. Ruth Myers

Filed Under: CHRISTLife Bible Study Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

CHRISTLife — TwentyTwo: A Liberating Separation

February 11, 2014 by

cl a liberating separation

See what it says right there?  Yup, right above in the graphic!  “…dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”  You (me, too!) are separated from sin…now and forever!  And that is SUCH a liberating separation!

If you would, please read through Romans chapter 6…and take note of six questions (and the answers, too!) that Paul asks.  Just click right here…come back when you are done!

Now THAT was encouraging, yes?  There is so much communicated throughout this chapter that would fill up our inner identity album pages.  But also of note are 6 direct questions.  These questions, to me, are equally confrontational and encouraging!  Perhaps, at first glance, you might even consider them rhetorical questions, i.e., questions which seem to need no answer. But, rather these are questions we really do need to stop and answer!  Let’s take a look at them….

  • What shall we say then…are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?

The answer—’May it never be!’ or ‘Certainly not!’ is supplied.  And, of course, we never want to take God’s grace for granted!  In fact, in the verses immediately preceding (verses 20 and 21) we are told “The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” However, we recognize the Truth that we are dead to sin and do our best to NOT sin.

  • How shall we who died to sin still live in it?

Endeavoring to always be mindfully aware of all that Jesus accomplished, we put forth our greatest effort to NOT still live in it.

  • Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?

This ‘baptism’ is not speaking of water baptism.  Rather, as Galatians 3:27 tells us “For many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” we have surrendered or given up all that we had or have.   Since we are a new creation in Christ, our own will and desires and hopes are buried. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

  • What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?

May it never be! As verse 13 proclaims “…and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”

  • Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?

Oh what a beautiful picture—a slave to God obeying and having the result of righteous living before Him! Verse 14 reminds us, “…sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”  Oh yes!

  • What benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed?

The ‘things we are ashamed of’ were our sinful behaviors and lifestyle.  We are dead to those things, no longer slaves to anything but the One Whom we obey—our heavenly Father!

I hope that my answers to these 6 questions are just the beginning of this discussion. I would love to hear your answers either below in the comments, or over on our group study page!

Oh, one more thing…Mrs. Myers entitled this chapter ‘A Liberating Separation.” And that is a FACT and it IS the Truth.  However, it is our responsibility (yours and mine) to maintain the separation that our Lord accomplished for us.  We must consider ourselves dead to sin and keep ourselves separated.  It is a lifelong reckoning. Let’s not forget that.

Filed Under: CHRISTLife Bible Study Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

CHRISTLife – Thirteen: Who I Am in the Flesh?

January 29, 2014 by

Christlife graphic wk3_3My name is Kim, I’m a ______. For many years I filled in the blank with a word.  I defined myself by what the world named me until one day God spoke loud and clear. He said, “You are Kim and you are My child.  You are a new creation, the old has gone and you are no longer defined by it!!”  Now that doesn’t mean I no longer sin, it just means that my old flesh is gone and I am no longer separated from God because of it.

How many times have you made up your mind to not give in to those same habits? I imagine that some of you are frustrated right now because you’ve gone back on that resolution you made some 28 days ago.  Good news!  It’s ok, you can start over with Jesus.  Galatians 5:6 says,”So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”  Weary soul, you are fighting your flesh in flesh and victory doesn’t last long, and the battle comes back with force as you try again to fight it. It’s like shoveling snow in a snow storm.  Darkness cannot fight darkness.  Put on His light and see what happens.  The darkness disappears.

I want to introduce you to King Jehu.  He’s one of the bloodiest kings to ever rule Israel.  2 Kings 10:28-31 introduces him to us as the king who singlehandedly destroyed Baal worship in Israel. There’s a  HOWEVER, though:  however, he didn’t turn away from the sins of Jereboam—the worship of the golden calves.  He may have been powerful and successful but he crashed spiritually.  He had a spiritual flaw in that he could run but he couldn’t walk very well.  He craved excitement more than he craved God.  Can you relate?  God gives us direction in what He expects of us in Micah 6:8,”He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” God wants us to walk with Him, in good times and bad. Your excitement should come from a relationship with Jesus. This is where we are transformed.

We all face limitations. But God promises that all these trials and hardships are temporary. Paul tells us that we will all have new bodies and when Jesus returns and the trumpet sounds, we will be transformed immediately. On earth, spiritually we have been transformed. 2 Corinthians 5:4 says,”While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God Himself has prepared us for this and as a guarantee He has given us His Holy Spirit.”  And 2 Corinthians 5:17 says,”This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”  You are brand new inside!  And we have been re-created, not rehabilitated. We don’t just turn over a new leaf but we actually begin a new life with Jesus. So the question is this: Is it noticeable to all who know you that you have changed?  That you have a brand new life? We are made perfect because of His perfect love.

I’m full of hope and I am ready to spread the good news to all who I come in contact with.  Are you?  Then let’s do it!!

Let us pray:  Dear God, we all have sinned and come short of Your glory. But because of Your perfect love, You sent Your perfect Son to die with all our sins on Him. He was separated from You so we are no longer separated from You. The veil was torn and we now can come directly to Your throne.  Thank You for giving us a new life, a new heart, totally recreated and totally filled with Your Spirit.  Help our lives to reflect this always.  And when we are tempted again to take our old, worldly name back, remind us that we are made in Your perfect image and we were bought at a price and we are Yours!!!  We love You and we praise You! In Your Son’s name we pray, amen.

Filed Under: CHRISTLife Bible Study Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

CHRISTLife: I Am New

January 19, 2014 by

1601272_585198378196350_659382059_nThis week we are entering into such an encouraging section of CHRISTLife: Embracing Your True and Deepest Identity.  Mrs. Myers writes MUCH in this week’s five chapters on our choice to confess the Truth about who God has made us to be.  She shares about God’s choice of us—that He made man for Himself. Further along this week, we are admonished to not inflate nor deflate our view of ourselves; but truly to see ourselves as God sees us.  And throughout our reading this week, we are reminded over and over of true (perhaps new) images for our inner identity album.  It is going to be exciting!  And also it will continue to be revealing of what we have chosen to hold in our hearts…the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Right at the outset of this week, my sisters, I want to remind you (and me!) that you ARE a new creation.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, (s)he is a new creation.
The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:17

…You laid aside the old self with its evil practices,
and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge
according to the image of the One who created —
Colossians 3:9 and 10

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,
so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:10

Wouldn’t these three verses be great additions to journal in your ‘inner identity album!’

Included here in today’s blogpost is a YouTube video from a wonderful Christian songwriter/artist—Jason Gray.  This young man has quite a story to tell!  And he does tell it!

As I listened to him tell bits and pieces about his story, I realized that he is on this same journey as we are!  He shares and is very transparent about his struggles to believe the Truth contained in the Scriptures about himself.  May I invite you, take you by the hand, and sit with you as you listen.  I pray that Jason Gray’s openness and humility will be a balm to your hearts!  May his words bring you to a place where you, too, will sing along with him…

Forgiven
Beloved
Hidden in Christ
Made in the image of the Giver of Life
Righteous
Holy
Reborn and remade
Accepted and worthy
This is who we are now

But may I suggest…before you tap that little triangle and start listening…go get a box of tissues. I’m just sayin’!

God loves you!  ♥   Don’t ever forget that!

♥     ♥     ♥     ♥     ♥  

 


[aio_button align=”center” animation=”pulse” color=”green” size=”small” icon=”th-list” text=”Want to Read More ?” relationship=”dofollow” url=”http://girlfriendscoffeehour.com/archivescl/”]

Filed Under: CHRISTLife Bible Study Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
Next Page »