November 21, 2024

Fellowship Through The Vine

March 25, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Recorded in the Gospel of John, our Lord made seven statements referring to Himself as I AM…

I AM The Light of the World
I AM The Bread of Life
I AM The Door
I AM The Good Shepherd
I AM The True Vine
I AM The Way, The Truth, and The Life
I AM The Resurrection and The Life

Each week during this season of Lent, here on the Seeking Him blog, we will be focusing our devotionals on a different aspect of Jesus’ revelation of Himself as I AM.  The aim of Lent should be to prepare our hearts for the remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice—His trial and torture, the Crucifixion and His death…and above all, the celebration of His Resurrection from the dead.  We pray that this will be a great encouragement to each of you who read them.  And that all of us will consider the significance of Jesus’ words and, through them, be helped as we remember and are thankful for all Jesus went through during the last few weeks of His life on this earth.

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I AM the Vine; you are the branches.
If a man remains in Me and I in him,
he will bear much fruit;
apart from Me you can do nothing.
John 15:5

Listening to K-LOVE as I drove home from work yesterday, something sparked a conversation with God about the difference between relationship and fellowship with the Lord. I felt I was being told that I should write about this for my devotional…to which I promptly responded that I didn’t know what the topic is this week, but I’d see if it fit in.  Silly me, right?  (If the Holy Spirit tells you to do something, I do believe He knows what He is talking about.)

The conversation continued.  I pondered the difference between relationship and fellowship.  Relationship, although very basic, is a distinguishing factor of Christianity.  (Without a dictionary in hand) I concluded that it is possible to have a relationship with someone, but not be in fellowship with them. And it seems very unlikely, if even at all possible, to be in fellowship with someone and not have a relationship with them.

But now, I have my NLT dictionary/concordance handy and have the proper definitions:

  • Relationship (n): a state of affairs existing between those having relations or dealings
  • Fellowship (n): friendship; association; company; partnership

I was surprised at how few references to these words there were in the NLT, but then I got to thinking.  The Bible in its entirety gives us instructions on how to have a proper relationship with God and others. It gives us information on how God loves us, about His character, and His ultimate plan.  All of this ties into our relationship with God.

You can have a relationship with just about anyone.  You have a relationship with your boss at work, your coworkers, the cashier that scans your groceries every week, the women in your bible study…,etc. The list is never ending. (We would likely refer to most of these people as acquaintances.) However, you likely do not have fellowship with all those people. You CAN, but odds are you don’t. Fellowship is far more deliberate than relationship; it doesn’t just happen without effort.

Jesus made it simple for us. He said,
“I AM the Vine; you are the branches.
If a man remains in Me and I in him [fellowship],
he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.
John 15:5 emphasis mine

Stay connected to Jesus (via the word, prayer, etc.) and this will be evident in your life. We have to have our Life Source in order to do anything productive. We need more than just a mere relationship…we have to have that fellowship…that DEEP connection.

So, take a look at your relationship with God…
Are you in a relationship only? Or is there fellowship?

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Lord, help me to maintain fellowship with You.  You are my Life Source and I need You for everything that I do.  Amen.

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

Lose My Soul

May 1, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Father God, I am clay in Your hands
Help me to stay that way through all life’s demands
‘Cause they chip and they nag and they pull at me
And every little thing I make up my mind to be
Like I’m gonna be a daddy whose in the mix
And I’m gonna be a husband who stays legit
And I pray that I’m an artist who rises above
The road that is wide and filled with self-love
Everything that I see draws me
Though it’s only in You that I can truly see
That it’s a feast for the eyes—a low blow to purpose
And I’m a little kid at a three-ring-circus

I don’t want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul
Don’t wanna walk away, let me hear the people say
I don’t want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul
Don’t wanna walk away, let me hear the people say

The paparazzi flashes, and that they think that it’s you
But they don’t know that who you are is not what you do
True, we get it twisted when we peak at the charts
Yo before we part from the start
Where’s your heart
Tell me what’s your title
America has no more stars, now we call them idols
You sit idle, while we teach prosperity
The first thing to prosper should be inside of me
We’re free…
Not because of 22’s on the range
But Christ came in range, we said yes now we changed
Not the same, even though I made a fall
Since I got that call, no more Saul, now I’m Paul
(YEP!)

I don’t want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul
Don’t wanna walk away, let me hear the people say
I don’t want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul
Don’t wanna walk away, let me hear the people say
Don’t wanna walk away
Don’t wanna walk away

How do I sense the tide that’s rising
De-sensitizing me from living in light of eternity
How do I sense the tide that’s rising
It’s hypnotizing me from living in light of eternity
How do I sense the tide that’s rising
De-sensitizing me from living in light of eternity

(Lord, what we gonna do, we’re relying on You
All eyes are on You, Lord; all eyes are on You
All eyes are on You, Jesus)

I don’t want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul
Don’t wanna walk away, let me hear the people say
(Don’t let me lose my soul, my soul)
I don’t want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul
(This is my honesty, Father, won’t You cover me)
I don’t want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul
(Don’t wanna walk away, and all those people say)
I don’t want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul
(Don’t wanna lose, I don’t wanna lose my soul)

Lord forgive us when we get consumed by the things of this world
That fight for our love, and our passion
As our eyes are open wide and on You
Grant us the privilege of Your worldview
And may Your kingdom be, what wakes us up, and lays us down

~  Sing this song with me as our prayer and worship today.  ~

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In today’s world it is so easy to feel the pull from the world…. Where is your heart? Do you have one foot in the Kingdom and one foot in the world? Or are you ALL IN no matter what the cost? Serving God and His ways in today’s world is by no means an easy task. However I believe God asks to do the tough things because He knows that apart from Him we can do nothing.

I am the Vine; you are the branches.
Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit.
However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.
John 15:5

To serve Him we must cling to the Vine at all times to bear good fruit. When we choose to be obedient there is so much blessing and You get to see Him working in powerful ways in Your life. I say the word “choose” because obedience to God is not about a feeling it’s about a choice.  When I was saved 20 years I chose God and drew the line in the sand to serve Him no matter what.  Not obeying is NOT an option for me.

Where do You need to draw your line today??

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Father God, I thank You that we can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us and that apart from You we can do nothing. I want to be, and for my sisters to be, completely sold out and dependant on you! Thank You for the blessings that come from obedience. In Jesus’ name !! AMEN!!!

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

Under The Shadow

April 22, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

He who dwelleth in the secret place
Of the Most High shall abide
Under the shadow
Under the shadow of the Almighty
Though a thousand fall before me
From the evil that’s around me
They shall not
They shall not come nigh my dwelling

And I will say of the Lord He is my Refuge and my Fortress
My God in Him will I trust
And I will not be afraid of the snare of the fowler
My God in Him will I trust

~  Sing this song with me as our prayer and worship today.  ~

~  Written by Nicole C. Mullen and Bahini Johnson/ Sung by Nicole C. Mullen  ~

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This song is from my favorite promise of God’s protection in the Word.  And my favorite version of it is from The Message Bible.

You who sit down in the High God’s presence,
spend the night in Shaddai’s shadow,
Say this: “GOD, You’re my Refuge.
I trust in You and I’m safe!”
That’s right—He rescues you from hidden traps,
shields you from deadly hazards.
His huge outstretched arms protect you—
under them you’re perfectly safe;
His arms fend off all harm.
Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night,
not flying arrows in the day,
Not disease that prowls through the darkness,
not disaster that erupts at high noon.
Even though others succumb all around,
drop like flies right and left,
no harm will even graze you.
You’ll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance,
watch the wicked turn into corpses.
Yes, because GOD’s your Refuge,
the High God your very own home,
Evil can’t get close to you,
harm can’t get through the door.
He ordered His angels
to guard you wherever you go.
If you stumble, they’ll catch you;
their job is to keep you from falling.
You’ll walk unharmed among lions and snakes,
and kick young lions and serpents from the path.
Psalm 91 MSG

When my youngest son was in the process of healing from a sleep-induced seizure disorder this is the psalm we would pray every night before he went to sleep. Immediately we both could feel God’s peace and we knew He was safe in the arms of his heavenly Father.

What an awesome promise to hold on to! When we are intentionally seeking God and abiding under the shadow of the Almighty, we are protected and we have nothing to fear. It reminds me of the image of a mother hen with all of her chicks safe and protected under her wing. We are safe in the shadow of our Father.

God wants us to be abiding under the shadow of the Almighty not just in the shade. He wants a day-to-day relationship with us not just a Sunday morning visit. God wants to be a part of our everyday lives.

Jesus said:
Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them,
will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:5 NLT

This is so very true! I know there have been MANY times in my life where I have tried to do things in my own strength and all I did was ending up depleting myself and rendering myself ineffective for the Kingdom.

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Heavenly Father, I pray for each woman reading this that we would be intentional about seeking first the kingdom of God and not let the distractions of life get in the way of our day-to-day relationship with You.  That we would put You in your rightful place—first in ALL things. and I thank You for the promise of protection under the shadow of the Almighty. In Jesus name, AMEN!!!

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

Lord, I Need You

February 11, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv
~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

Lord, I come, I confess…bowing here I find my rest
Without You I fall apart; You’re the One that guides my heart

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You; every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness, Oh God, how I need You

Where sin runs deep Your grace is more; where grace is found is where You are
And where You are, Lord, I am free… holiness is Christ in me

Teach my song to rise to You when temptation comes my way
And when I cannot stand I’ll fall on You; Jesus, You’re my Hope and Stay

You’re my one defense, my righteousness, Oh God, how I need You
My one defense, my righteousness, Oh God, how I need You

Artist: Matt Maher

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“Bowing here I find my rest…without You I fall apart; You’re the one that guides my heart….”  Oh, how this is my Truth that I live by!

He IS my Everything.  My ALL in ALL!  As long as I have God that is ALL that I need no matter what storms I may face in my lifetime.  As long as I have Him that is all that I need…even if the worst of the worst happens, or things don’t turn out the way I hope.  This is my Truth!!!

My Truth is not determined by my circumstances; I believe that somehow, someway He would get me through whatever it is.  He is the key.  I wouldn’t want to do life apart from Him.

In John 15:5 Jesus says,

I am the Vine, you are the branches.
Those who abide in Me and I in them
Bear much fruit, because apart from Me you can do nothing.

So the question I ask myself (and I want to ask yourself, too) is this:
Are you a Prisoner of Hope when storms in life come your way?? Or are you tossed to and fro depending on your circumstances??

God has shown me so much about trees.  Let me share some of this with you.  I love this excerpt from “Lessons From The Oak Tree’ blog:
“The mighty oak tree, no matter how severe the storm and how strong the wind, the oak tree will continue to stand tall – branches may break and the tree may be stripped of it’s leaves, but through it all it will continue to stand tall.” He also pointed out an interesting fact, of which I was unaware, that the roots of an oak tree can extend down into the ground up to two and one-half times their height. Now THAT, my friends, is a deeply rooted tree.

So the question for each of us is—how deeply rooted are your values? Do you let yourself be blown to-and-fro with what is currently popular? Or do you stand for what you believe in? I think that what we stand for defines who we truly are. What we do in private when no one is looking…that defines the type of person we are.

I truly believe that one way we can influence this world for good is through our example. By defining ourselves by our values and beliefs, and then sharing those values and beliefs with others through our example, we can influence others for good. Do not waiver, do not lower your standards to fit in or to be popular. Rather, raise your standards so that you can raise those around you.

Here is what Scripture says about trees:

Jeremiah 17:8 ESV
He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.

Psalm 1:3 ESV
He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

Isaiah 61:3b
They will be called mighty oaks, a planting of the LORD for the display of His splendor….

I love the strength in these trees; their roots are deep and they are grounded. No matter what storms they endure, they continue to stand firm. Oh, let this be my Truth and your Truth as well…

So no matter what you are enduring today (and believe me, I know life is hard). But I also know my God is Faithful in ALL things and He is my peace. And with Him I can get through anything that comes my way. He truly is ALL that I need….

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you.
I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 14:27

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Heavenly Father, I ask You now for the peace that surpasses ALL understanding for each and everyone of the ladies reading this blog.  No matter what they are currently walking through, may our Truth be that no matter what storms come our way that as long as we have You then that is Truly ALL we need!!!  In Jesus name,  AMEN!!

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

Let My Love Be The Proof

January 8, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

 

~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

If I sing but don’t have love, I waste my breath with every song
I bring an empty voice, a hollow noise
If I speak with the silver tongue and convince a crowd but don’t have love
I leave a bitter taste with every word I say
   So let my life be the proof of Your love
   So let my love look like You and what Your made of
   How You lived, how You died…Love is sacrifice
   So let my life be the proof—the proof of Your love
If I give to a needy soul but don’t have love then who is poor
It seems all the poverty is found in
When it’s all said and done, when we sing our final song
Only love remains…only love remains

1 Corinthians 13:1-3
If I can speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy
But don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rust gate
If I speak God’s word with power, revealing all of His mysteries
And making everything as plain as day
And if I have faith to say to a mountain jump and it jumps
But I don’t love, I’m nothing
If I give all I earn to the poor
Or even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr
But I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere
So, no matter what I say, no matter what I believe, no matter what I do
I’m bankrupt without love

“Oh, yes, Father—let my life be the proof of Your love!”  That is SO the DESIRE of my heart. But what do we do with those ‘hard to love’ people? You know the ones I am talking about…the sandpaper people—the ones that rub you the wrong way. Or what about the ones who are unkind, or speak harsh words, or do hurtful things? What about those people?!? Jesus says in Matthew 23:39 that we are to love our neighbor as ourself.  He didn’t say only the nice people or the ones who treat you with kindness. Loving someone who is nice to you is easy, and it doesn’t take much effort. But choosing to love the unloveable and the hard-to-love people…that is where you and I can make a difference in the lives of others…to the undeserving.

I don’t know about you but there was a time before Jesus saved me that I wasn’t so lovely. In fact, I was hard to love! But Jesus loved me anyway. That is also why He said (in John 15:5) “Apart from Me, you can do nothing….” Today God reminds me (and I encourage you!) to go out there and be willing to show the love of the Father to someone who needs it most. There is someone out there that needs to be introduced to a love like none other—the unconditional love of the Father. And to someone to love them right where they are at.

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Heavenly Father, I pray for each and everyone of us, as we go throughout our days, that we would choose to show Your love everywhere we go. That the love that we show others would not be based on how someone treats us but rather that we would choose to love them as You have loved us—with unconditional love. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!!! (Signed a former pit dweller saved by Grace.)

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Interested in joining us for our next Online Bible Study that starts on January 13, 2014?   Click HERE for more details!

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

I AM Free to Run … (Part 3 of 3)

July 5, 2013 by

 

The Lord Is

So far, in this mini-series, we’ve talked about falling into temptation; worshipping idols; and what things in our life is taking precedence over the priority list.  Today, I want to talk about how to get back on track when we have fallen into the temptation of worshipping the idols in our lives, and allowing things to take the place of our priorities instead of God.

How do we get back on track and stay there?

  1. Identify what is causing you to get off track.

Have you sat down and made a list of the things that are getting in the way of you having your quiet time each morning, or quality time with your family, or building a better marriage or relationship with your kids?  If not, I would highly encourage you to do so.  Be real with yourself.  Be honest.

Identify the areas that are showing up over and over again.  Is it too much time on Facebook?  Is it spending money frivolously?  Is work taking up so much of your time you have nothing to give your family?  What about television?  Is it taking up so much of your time that there is no room for communication in your home anymore?

These are all areas that I had to take a good hard look at in my own life!  I know you can probably relate to some of these things yourself.

As I said in #1 above, we have to identify what is causing us to get off track first.

After we have discovered the “what”, it’s time to discover the why.

2. Identify the “why.”

Let’s take television as an example.   Ask yourself the following questions:

  1. Why am I watching television?
    1. Is it for entertainment?
    2. Is it because I am bored?
    3. Is it because there is nothing else to do?
    4. Is it because I just need some down time?

For myself, I work at home.  Until we started taking children into our home from Safe Families for Children, I was home alone most of the daytime hours when my husband would work days.  When he worked nights, I was home most of the time alone, because he was either sleeping or working.  So I found myself trying to drown out the silence!  I needed the noise because otherwise, it was just too quiet!  (Now that we have kids in the house, trust me, the silence is no longer an issue!)  🙂

But again, I have to go back to why the silence was bothering me.  The only thing I could come up with is that the silence represented me being alone.  I don’t like to be alone.  Yes, there are days where being alone is nice, but when it happens a lot, I don’t like it.  I would start to find myself getting bored, or lonely, so I would turn on the television for “company”.  Sounds weird, huh?  To put it in deeper context:  I was trying to fill a void in my life.

3.  Identify the “how.”

What happens when we try to fill a void with something other than Jesus?  What happens when we cave into our fleshly desires?  What happens when we don’t listen to the Holy Spirit prodding us to read the Word, or take a walk, or call a friend, or or or….???  We take our eyes off of Jesus, and we begin to sink, like Peter did in Matthew 14:28-30:

“And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be you, bid me come to you on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.” 

When Peter took his eyes off of Jesus, and began to look at the storm around him, fear crept in, and he began to sink.  That’s what happens with us, too, when we take our eyes off of Jesus; the boredom, loneliness, worry, stress, fear, all begin to creep in, along with many other things!  As we talked about in Tuesday and Wednesday’s blogs, we have to keep our eyes focused on JESUS at all times, or we will fall into temptation!

Now that we have identified the triggers, let’s talk about HOW to get out of temptation.  We’ve already indentified one way: Keep our eyes focused on JESUS.  We are guaranteed a way out of temptation if we keep our eyes on Jesus.  Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 10:13, and see what God promises us here:

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” 

First we see that there is NO temptation that is able to take us over.  Why? Because God promises that He will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear.  He didn’t say we would never be tempted, or that we would never have fleshly desires, but He did say that He would provide a way out of these temptations when they did come!  Praise God!!  That is a promise that God has made to us!  Amen!

So the first thing we need to do is ASK the Lord for a way out of this temptation.  Asking means we need to communicate our weakness (John 15:5) to Him first, and then ask (2 Timothy 2:22) for His help.  Then since we already know that we are unable to get away from this temptation in our own power, we need to depend on GOD and His power!  Our flesh is weak!  But God is able to do anything, even the things that we think are simply impossible!

His way is always the best escape, or exit door, we can find!!  John 10:9:  “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved…”   God will rescue us, if we trust Him!  (2 Peter 2:9)

We also need to remember that we cannot do this in our own strength!  Our flesh will always fail!  (Colossians 2:21-23) It is only inHis strength that we are able to do ALL things!

Escaping temptation is our duty as a Christian.  We have to start by identifying the “what,” followed by the “why,” then proceeding with the “how.”  We have to trust that God will always provide a way out of our temptation…no matter what it is, and no matter how strong it is!  We need to keep our eyes focused on Him.  Cling to Him.  Surrender to Him.  Run to Him.  Never trust the flesh.  Always trust the Holy Spirit.

This concludes my series on “I AM Free to Run.”  I hope you have enjoyed it.  I hope you were able to gain something from this series.

My prayer for you is that you will always seek God, in the good times and bad; in the easy times and tough!  He is always there for you, no matter what your circumstances are, or how big they are!

Always remember, there is NOTHING impossible for God!

Always In His Love,

Christi

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Let My Life Be the Proof…of His Love

May 11, 2013 by

Let my life be the proof … the proof of Your LOVE
Let my LOVE look like You and what You’re made of
How You lived, how You died—LOVE is sacrifice
So let my life be the proof … the proof of Your LOVE

Do these words echo in your heart as they do my own?  So, may I ask you then, what does ‘…let my life be the proof of Your LOVE…’ look like?  (I would love to know your answer!  Please leave a note in the comment section below.)

Here is one answer that I am sure of:

By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us,
and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
1 John 3:16 and 18

If my life truly is the proof of His LOVE, then there is sacrifice as well as action, not simply words.

In the Gospel of John, there is also this record of Jesus teaching His disciples about LOVE, and giving them command to follow.

“When you bear much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine. I have loved you, [just] as the Father has loved Me; abide in My love.  If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My LOVE and live on in it, just as I have obeyed My Father’s commandments and live on in His LOVE.  I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing.  This is My commandment: that you LOVE one another [just] as I have LOVED you.  No one has greater LOVE than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends.  You are My friends if you keep on doing the things which I command you to do.  I do not call you servants any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing.  But I have called you My friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from My Father….This is what I command you: that you LOVE one another.”  (chapter 13:8-15, 17)

Jesus gave those who walked Him and lived with Him and saw with their very own eyes how He perfectly LOVED many, many examples of how to LOVE.  They were with Him when:

  • He healed (Mark 3:10)
  • He brought back the dead to life (Luke 7:12-15)
  • He cast evil spirits out (Matthew 8:16)
  • He miraculously fed thousands (Mark 6:31-44)
  • He saved a sinful woman from being stoned to death (John 8:3-11)
  • He touched lepers (Mark 1:40-45)
  • He actually washed their own feet (John 13:5-13)
  •  A few of them were even there when, dying on the Cross, He asked His Father to forgive those crucifying Him (Luke 23:34).

They were eyewitnesses and recipients of His compassion and His care and His LOVE.

Jesus not only taught them by His example but He clearly and purposefully gave them instructions for when He was gone.

This is how everyone will know that you are My disciples,
if you have LOVE for one another.
John 13:35

Simply put, LOVE—in order to be LOVE—must be shown through our actions, not just through our words and how we feel.  Our LOVING actions ARE the proof.  When we choose to obey God and to LOVE others in the way that He has told us…it is LOVE just like Jesus’ love.  Here’s the best list of actions that ARE the proof that I know….

Love is patient,
Love is kind and is not jealous;
Love does not brag and is not arrogant,
does not act unbecomingly;
It does not seek its own, is not provoked,
does not take into account a wrong suffered,
does not rejoice in unrighteousness,
but rejoices with the truth;
bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails;
1 Corinthians 13:4-8

And lastly—but of vital importance—is to always remember who we are AND Whose we are!  Jesus pointedly stated,

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him,
he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
John 15:5

Nothing.  (ummm, that IS what Jesus said.)  Nothing of importance, nothing of value, nothing of eternal weight.  But, as we abide in Him, and follow His direction and example, we can be instruments in the Master’s hand.  We can be part of His purpose and plan.  Our lives CAN be the proof of His LOVE!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Will you pray with me, please?

Dear Lord, how incredibly thankful we are that You did not just demand that we LOVE…You prepared our hearts. You gave us examples (oh, so many!). You promised to help us. You gave us much instruction. You gave us the Holy Spirit to be our Helper!  We so desire to LOVE as You LOVED, Lord!  We so yearn to be Your hands and feet!  We so want to help to draw others to You, as we have been drawn!  Please help us to be humble, recognizing our immense need for Your help!  By God’s grace and mercy, may we bring glory to our Father as we live lives that ARE the proof of Your LOVE!  Thank You, Lord…we pray and ask these things in Your name, amen!

Let all that you do be done in LOVE.

1 Corinthians 16:14

Praying for each of you!

♥  coleen

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Life’s Healing Choices: Week 2 – Plugging In To God’s Power

January 16, 2013 by

 

“Believe it or not, things work better when they’re plugged in.”

–John Baker, Life’s Healing Choices

 

A couple of months ago, I had a sink that would not drain—a sink full of yucky smelling water. I flipped the switch up and down on the disposal…and nothing. Being the fixer that I am, I bought three Rubbermaid containers and filled them up with this stinky sink water so that I could wash dishes.

I have a big family.  Four kids and a husband equals many, many dishes and utensils. To add to the inconvenience of this, we live on the 18th floor of a high-rise condominium.  In order to dump these containers took a dolly and manpower. After going to all this trouble, I finally called Maintenance up.  He took one look under my sink and said, “The disposal works better plugged in!” Are you kidding me? It was that simple? Imagine the trouble I could have saved myself if I had just known to plug it in.

It’s like that in our spiritual life, as well. Can you imagine the pain and heartache we could have saved ourselves from, if only we had just stayed plugged in to Him. His power is ours if we just stay connected to Him.  Believing in Him is not enough to get rid of our hurts, habits and hang-ups.

For me it wasn’t enough to keep me from taking that bottle of painkillers or taking that drink or running headfirst into an eating disorder.  I was saved, but I wasn’t satisfied; and salvation without satisfaction is a stronghold just waiting to happen. To be satisfied with God, we must really get to know Him, to read His word, and stay connected to Him. He gives us all we need to live this life that He has given us. John 15:5 says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” Again, we have to come to the end of ourselves and allow Him to do the very thing we cannot do alone. Truly that means anything. I love John Baker’s statement about how when we stop trying to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, that we’ll find Christ will stand us up on our feet!

Now that we believe, we must receive! Believe He is who He says He is, and then cry out to Him for help. Tell Him what He already knows. He just wants to hear you say it. A simple yet extremely difficult four letter word—HELP!!! He will come to your rescue, but you must be ready for change.

Ever heard the saying that God loves you just for you, but too much to leave you that way? It’s so true. Change is hard; change is scary; but change is good when we serve a good God. We must pray for the willingness to change and His answer will always be “Yes, child! Here is the willingness you asked for and the need for my power!  Here’s the plug…just use it.” Philippians 2:13 says, “It is God Who is at work within you, giving you the will and the power to achieve His purpose”. The first choice we talked about was admitting we needed Him.  The second choice—the Hope choice—is getting the help we need. What freedom we will find from our pain! We can breathe again, right?

Remember His promise? Oh how I do love this verse! “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze” (Isaiah 43:2). Whatever you are dealing with today, please know that He wants to take it from you. He is able, and more than willing, to help you change whatever needs changing. His power is readily available to you. You just have to say the words, “Help me, Jesus!  I cannot do this on my own!”

Let’s Pray:

Dear God,  we praise You today for the loving God that You are. Your patience with us and Your love for us is beyond our comprehension and so undeserved. Please help those today who need to lay some things down at Your feet to have the willingness to ask and the power to change. And for those that aren’t quite ready, again I ask for Your loving arms to protect them and keep them safe until they are. Thank You for this freedom from addiction and our own human nature. Keep us connected to You so that we may be Your hands and feet to others. We love You, and thank You for giving us Your Spirit. For it’s in Your Son’s Precious Name I pray, Amen.

Your Assignment:

In what area of your life could you use God’s triple power surge and how? Remember, comments made here are public. You do have the option of signing in anonymously.

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