Saturday, September 30, 2017
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
A Duffel Bag of Sin, How Great is God's Love
Everyone says to know God's love is to look at the cross. His physical suffering before being put on the cross and after are said to be the greatest any human has ever experienced. His mental anguish at loving us so much yet seeing us all turn against Him. To treat Him less than the pigs. The anguish He felt as all of our sins past, present and future laid upon Him. Not just the ugliness of one sin but of the world's sin from Adam and Eve to His return and possibly past His return are all laying heavily on His already torn, and bleeding back. How heavy is your sin to you? How hard is it to walk around with it on your back? You are but one person and your sin may be very heavy or very light but multiplied by the worlds from the beginning to the eventual end, could the earth itself uphold it's weight? We talk about Jesus' first miracles but do we ever truly consider His last one? Not one of us could have ever done what Jesus did, physically or emotionally. Not even a half or a quarter of what Jesus did. He did what He did not because He was helpless and had no power. He did it by choice knowing that He was the only one that could. During His last prayer He said if this cup be taken from me.
Wow, He must have know how hard it would be to carry all the sins of the world. That Jesus being God Himself with all the power and strength of God available to Him was dreading this. I believe it was not the physical pain He dreaded as much as it was the carrying of all our sins.Yet it was God as Jesus who can not be around sin who took on all sin for us. Although I am sure the physical aspect was horrifying it was also finite. Yet the taking on of all sin is infinite it isn't tangible or even measurable. That I believe is the part we may never truly understand. That is why God's love is immeasurable because God is immeasurable and God is love. The amount of sin from the beginning to the end is immeasurable. Yet Jesus carried it all. Physical suffering can be measured. There is a limit to which we see. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being the least at what number would you describe your pain? Jesus would have answered there is not a scale big enough or expansive enough to measure the pain I feel. To understand God's love better, look not only at the physical pain Jesus felt but rather at the duffel bag of sin, the sin you have committed from birth and the sin you will commit until your death. Put it in a duffel bag. How heavy is it? How painful is it to carry? You may think "I've kept most of the 10 commandments and my bag is not that heavy". But to look at even the first and greatest commandment would fill your duffel bag and spill it over. Love God with all of your heart. Can you say that you have always from the beginning to the end of your life say you have loved God with all of your heart. To choose him over any worldly desire always. Now one can say that. Have you always loved your neighbor as yourself? Have you always worshiped God only? Or have you worshiped the world and it's culture or someone else or even yourself? Have you always kept the sabbath Holy? There are so many things that we don't think are sins but are. How full is your duffel bag now? Jesus carried your bag to the cross and on the cross and your sins died with Him on the cross. He did this by choice for you and for me. Will you lovingly respond to His Great Act of Love for you or will you deny Him? Would He have carried your heavy duffel bag of sin in vain. Accept His gift freely given to you, to give you freedom, peace and joy. Love Him for He has always loved you even before the world began. Trust God, to take your bag and step out to respond to His great love for you. Love God with all your heart always.
Wow, He must have know how hard it would be to carry all the sins of the world. That Jesus being God Himself with all the power and strength of God available to Him was dreading this. I believe it was not the physical pain He dreaded as much as it was the carrying of all our sins.Yet it was God as Jesus who can not be around sin who took on all sin for us. Although I am sure the physical aspect was horrifying it was also finite. Yet the taking on of all sin is infinite it isn't tangible or even measurable. That I believe is the part we may never truly understand. That is why God's love is immeasurable because God is immeasurable and God is love. The amount of sin from the beginning to the end is immeasurable. Yet Jesus carried it all. Physical suffering can be measured. There is a limit to which we see. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being the least at what number would you describe your pain? Jesus would have answered there is not a scale big enough or expansive enough to measure the pain I feel. To understand God's love better, look not only at the physical pain Jesus felt but rather at the duffel bag of sin, the sin you have committed from birth and the sin you will commit until your death. Put it in a duffel bag. How heavy is it? How painful is it to carry? You may think "I've kept most of the 10 commandments and my bag is not that heavy". But to look at even the first and greatest commandment would fill your duffel bag and spill it over. Love God with all of your heart. Can you say that you have always from the beginning to the end of your life say you have loved God with all of your heart. To choose him over any worldly desire always. Now one can say that. Have you always loved your neighbor as yourself? Have you always worshiped God only? Or have you worshiped the world and it's culture or someone else or even yourself? Have you always kept the sabbath Holy? There are so many things that we don't think are sins but are. How full is your duffel bag now? Jesus carried your bag to the cross and on the cross and your sins died with Him on the cross. He did this by choice for you and for me. Will you lovingly respond to His Great Act of Love for you or will you deny Him? Would He have carried your heavy duffel bag of sin in vain. Accept His gift freely given to you, to give you freedom, peace and joy. Love Him for He has always loved you even before the world began. Trust God, to take your bag and step out to respond to His great love for you. Love God with all your heart always.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Journaling Towards Maturity
I started to journal before my second son was born. It felt weird to hold an empty book and quite intimidating to look at filling it up with my own words and thoughts. I started simple. As I read a Bible verse I would re paraphraze it into my own words. Then I started to add my thoughts to that verse. Most of them were questions ... I then added my prayers about what God had showed me that morning. Wala a journal began.
Now it isn't intimidating to see a blank page yet it is encouraging and exciting to see what insights and truth God leads me to in filling those empty pages. It was a blessing that when our house burnt down the journals I had written were saved. I now often will re-read them and see where I once was and where I am now. Sometimes I will rediscover a truth I had forgotten. Journaling has helped me understand my own thoughts towards the Gospel. It has also helped me to recognize where I have a miss-understanding of it as well. It helps me to recognize ways in me that are offensive and write a game plan in changing those and allowing God in to make those changes through prayer.
I hope you start your own journal and venture on a road that starts a life of it's own as the Spirit talks and leads you towards spiritual maturity, christian living and a closer walk with Jesus.
Now it isn't intimidating to see a blank page yet it is encouraging and exciting to see what insights and truth God leads me to in filling those empty pages. It was a blessing that when our house burnt down the journals I had written were saved. I now often will re-read them and see where I once was and where I am now. Sometimes I will rediscover a truth I had forgotten. Journaling has helped me understand my own thoughts towards the Gospel. It has also helped me to recognize where I have a miss-understanding of it as well. It helps me to recognize ways in me that are offensive and write a game plan in changing those and allowing God in to make those changes through prayer.
I hope you start your own journal and venture on a road that starts a life of it's own as the Spirit talks and leads you towards spiritual maturity, christian living and a closer walk with Jesus.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Search for the Truth
Today there is so many opinions and beliefs it is hard to keep them all sorted. I have to keep reminding myself to not instantly believe any of them yet to search God's word for the truth. It is only then that I can be confident that I am not being lead astray and I am not leading anyone else astray. I have to also search for the truth in things that I was taught as a little girl. Re look at those things and search the truth.
Don't just continue down the path you have always walked just because that is the way you have always done it. Dare to venture out of the box and challenge those things. Test them against God's word.
You may be surprised in what you find. Through my own experience I found myths and I found truth but the most important thing I found was a closer walk and better understanding of Jesus.
Don't just continue down the path you have always walked just because that is the way you have always done it. Dare to venture out of the box and challenge those things. Test them against God's word.
You may be surprised in what you find. Through my own experience I found myths and I found truth but the most important thing I found was a closer walk and better understanding of Jesus.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Confidence Continued
What is so important about confidence?
Does God see it important for us to have confidence?
What kind of person are you with out confidence?
Are you willing to serve God?
Do you feel free to speak about God to others?
Do you hide from situations and people?
Do you feel free?
Do you feel at peace?
Do you have joy?
Or Do you feel imprisoned?
Do you feel uneasy?
Do you feel depressed?
Could it be that simple?
Maybe. Confidence is not only made up of words and criticisms that people have spoken to us. It is also made up of things we have said and done. Have you ever said something to someone that hurt their feelings to later feel bad about it?
That bad feeling you have is call your conscious. If you time and time again hurt others in someway or another and every hit your conscious takes develops a perception of yourself. You begin to identify and define yourself by those behaviors, actions and thoughts. This is where your confidence takes a hit and you develop a low confidence level.
We also develop a low confidence level based on our expectations of ourselves.
Where do we come up with our own expectations?
Are they based on our experiences?
Are they based on our parents expectations?
Are they based on others expectations of us?
Who decides and makes our own expectations of ourselves?
As we make and develop our own expectations of ourselves we define our worth based on whether we have reached those expectations or not. If we don't reach them we feel bad, ashamed and unworthy. Therefore our confidence is hit. Shame is there. God wants us to feel free, not bound to feelings that Satan would have us to believe.
If we reach our expectations, we feel good, worthy and competent. We fill full filled.
But there are two questions to ask here. Are our expectations realistic? And where do we get them? Because without asking this question we are setting ourselves up for a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. This is not a steady confidence that God wants us to have. This has to deal with our own power and might (pride), and not having confidence in God's power and might through his Spirit in us (humbleness).
Where should our expectations come from?
They should come from God. I know what you may be thinking. Aren't God's expectations unrealistic?
What are God's expectations?
They are summed up in Deuteronomy10:12
We are to: Respect (Fear the Lord), Follow (To Walk in all his ways), Love (to love him), Serve (to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul), and Obey (Obey his commandments)
What expectations do you put on yourself other than the ones above?
Are your expectations in harmony with God's?
To sum this up:
God does care about our confidence. Without confidence we are bogged down by all kinds of bonding thoughts and opinions of ourselves which then leads way for self destructive behavior and leads to a fear to full fill God's expectations of us.
So what must we do in order to gain our confidence level back?
1) Know that you are wonderfully made and worthy to God
2) Self evaluate and ask God's forgiveness DAILY.
3) Ask God to help you work on any areas that keep repeating.
4) Ask God to help you realize your strengths and God given gifts and how to utilize them.
5) Forgive yourself.
6) Remember it is only God you are pleasing not man.
7) Don't focus or obsess on your weaknesses or bad character traits, but rather focus on serving God with your whole heart.
8) Develop a humbleness to recognize when we are leaning on our own accomplishments and not God's accomplishments through us for our self worth.
Does God see it important for us to have confidence?
What kind of person are you with out confidence?
Are you willing to serve God?
Do you feel free to speak about God to others?
Do you hide from situations and people?
Do you feel free?
Do you feel at peace?
Do you have joy?
Or Do you feel imprisoned?
Do you feel uneasy?
Do you feel depressed?
Could it be that simple?
Maybe. Confidence is not only made up of words and criticisms that people have spoken to us. It is also made up of things we have said and done. Have you ever said something to someone that hurt their feelings to later feel bad about it?
That bad feeling you have is call your conscious. If you time and time again hurt others in someway or another and every hit your conscious takes develops a perception of yourself. You begin to identify and define yourself by those behaviors, actions and thoughts. This is where your confidence takes a hit and you develop a low confidence level.
We also develop a low confidence level based on our expectations of ourselves.
Where do we come up with our own expectations?
Are they based on our experiences?
Are they based on our parents expectations?
Are they based on others expectations of us?
Who decides and makes our own expectations of ourselves?
As we make and develop our own expectations of ourselves we define our worth based on whether we have reached those expectations or not. If we don't reach them we feel bad, ashamed and unworthy. Therefore our confidence is hit. Shame is there. God wants us to feel free, not bound to feelings that Satan would have us to believe.
If we reach our expectations, we feel good, worthy and competent. We fill full filled.
But there are two questions to ask here. Are our expectations realistic? And where do we get them? Because without asking this question we are setting ourselves up for a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. This is not a steady confidence that God wants us to have. This has to deal with our own power and might (pride), and not having confidence in God's power and might through his Spirit in us (humbleness).
Where should our expectations come from?
They should come from God. I know what you may be thinking. Aren't God's expectations unrealistic?
What are God's expectations?
They are summed up in Deuteronomy10:12
We are to: Respect (Fear the Lord), Follow (To Walk in all his ways), Love (to love him), Serve (to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul), and Obey (Obey his commandments)
What expectations do you put on yourself other than the ones above?
Are your expectations in harmony with God's?
To sum this up:
God does care about our confidence. Without confidence we are bogged down by all kinds of bonding thoughts and opinions of ourselves which then leads way for self destructive behavior and leads to a fear to full fill God's expectations of us.
So what must we do in order to gain our confidence level back?
1) Know that you are wonderfully made and worthy to God
2) Self evaluate and ask God's forgiveness DAILY.
3) Ask God to help you work on any areas that keep repeating.
4) Ask God to help you realize your strengths and God given gifts and how to utilize them.
5) Forgive yourself.
6) Remember it is only God you are pleasing not man.
7) Don't focus or obsess on your weaknesses or bad character traits, but rather focus on serving God with your whole heart.
8) Develop a humbleness to recognize when we are leaning on our own accomplishments and not God's accomplishments through us for our self worth.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
As I start
Even as I start to blog, being new to this, I question why am I blogging? What are my intentions and motives?
I want to share my revelations and experiences with others.
Why do I want to do this?
Because I care about others that are facing the same things I am facing. Struggling with the same things I struggle with.
So as I learn to deal, cope and overcome I can share with others what has helped me so that I can help others.
Confidence:
Where does this come from? Where is it developed? Why are earlier experiences with the development of this such a stronghold and a character shaping in our life?
I struggle with a lack of confidence, even as I write this I am reminded of a book that talked about my significance and worth with God.
Yet why do I still hold on to the criticism's of others? Why do I allow those to shape me and keep me from fully experiencing God's will for me and my life.
I know that I am wonderfully made by God. So why does it matter about other's criticisms especially if those are based on worldly knowledge and not the knowledge that comes from God?
So what does God tell me about this? How do I build my confidence and learn not to listen to such worldly criticism?
First I must go to God's word- Zechariah4:6 So he said to me, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbbabel:'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit.' says the Lord Almighty."
So it is only God's Spirit that I overcome my lack of confidence.
Proverbs 3:25-26
Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.
1 John 2:28
And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at this coming.
John 10:27
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
So as with a race the way to overcome my lack of confidence is to follow these steps.
1) Pray so that God will help me and that I live by his Spirit not by my power or might.
2) Trust God and not fear the criticism's of those that are worldly. God will keep me.
3) Stay on track, focused on God and his will for me
4) Keep building and strengthening my relationship with God. Continuing in his word and prayer and service to him.
5) Listen to God, and continue to block out the things and words of this world and I can be confident that God knows me because I follow him.
I want to share my revelations and experiences with others.
Why do I want to do this?
Because I care about others that are facing the same things I am facing. Struggling with the same things I struggle with.
So as I learn to deal, cope and overcome I can share with others what has helped me so that I can help others.
Confidence:
Where does this come from? Where is it developed? Why are earlier experiences with the development of this such a stronghold and a character shaping in our life?
I struggle with a lack of confidence, even as I write this I am reminded of a book that talked about my significance and worth with God.
Yet why do I still hold on to the criticism's of others? Why do I allow those to shape me and keep me from fully experiencing God's will for me and my life.
I know that I am wonderfully made by God. So why does it matter about other's criticisms especially if those are based on worldly knowledge and not the knowledge that comes from God?
So what does God tell me about this? How do I build my confidence and learn not to listen to such worldly criticism?
First I must go to God's word- Zechariah4:6 So he said to me, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbbabel:'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit.' says the Lord Almighty."
So it is only God's Spirit that I overcome my lack of confidence.
Proverbs 3:25-26
Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.
1 John 2:28
And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at this coming.
John 10:27
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
So as with a race the way to overcome my lack of confidence is to follow these steps.
1) Pray so that God will help me and that I live by his Spirit not by my power or might.
2) Trust God and not fear the criticism's of those that are worldly. God will keep me.
3) Stay on track, focused on God and his will for me
4) Keep building and strengthening my relationship with God. Continuing in his word and prayer and service to him.
5) Listen to God, and continue to block out the things and words of this world and I can be confident that God knows me because I follow him.
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