Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Being Able To Fix My Eyes On Jesus
When my eyes are fixed on Jesus , I am not looking at myself.
Looking at myself has always caused me problems. Looking to Jesus gives me strength, hope, joy, love, encouragement, and answers to lifes most complex problems.
You can not look forward and backward at the same time. The more I looked at myself the less I liked myself. The more I look at Jesus , I find He has chosen to love me unconditionally.
Looking forward , I run a race. Trusting that the new nature of Christ Jesus is being developed in me. While it is being developed I know that I am given grace for sins I still commit.
Life becomes complex when I look at those sins and try to figure out a way to stop commiting them. Because it is impossible to look backwards and forwards at the same time, unless I am only seeing the new nature of Christ Jesus , my inward search only produces me more problems.
Yet as I look forward I see the developing of His nature within me.
Looking at myself has always caused me problems. Looking to Jesus gives me strength, hope, joy, love, encouragement, and answers to lifes most complex problems.
You can not look forward and backward at the same time. The more I looked at myself the less I liked myself. The more I look at Jesus , I find He has chosen to love me unconditionally.
Looking forward , I run a race. Trusting that the new nature of Christ Jesus is being developed in me. While it is being developed I know that I am given grace for sins I still commit.
Life becomes complex when I look at those sins and try to figure out a way to stop commiting them. Because it is impossible to look backwards and forwards at the same time, unless I am only seeing the new nature of Christ Jesus , my inward search only produces me more problems.
Yet as I look forward I see the developing of His nature within me.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Joy Comes In The Morning
As I was sorrowing, I knew that I would have a testimony to share , some day. My life is not without sorrow. It is a part of a growing Christians need to sorrow. Without sorrow the fruit of repentance for sins could not be found.
Joy comes as the dawn. Not all at once but gradually.
I can always have the joy of my salvation, because I know Who Jesus is and what He has done for me.
This knowledge keeps all sorrow in a place of bittersweet. The hope of righteousness is as knowing in the midst of night that dawn will come. Jesus' sacrifice for our sins is what gives us righteousness. Our understanding and being able to receive it produces fruit. I praise Him for His willingness to give His Self for me that I might have this gift.
The magnitude of this gift increased for me as I realized His most important words He uttered for all man kind to hear as He hung upon the cross. "Father, forgive them" has taken on new meaning as I too want to respond to situations like Jesus did.
In an effort to really tell you about my trials and testimonies I am inhibited somewhat by staying in my own territory. It would be a violation of ethics I believe to tell you that such and so did this, and so and so did this when I did this.
I can tell you this.
I have sinned. Saints do sin , by the way. I am so grateful for the grace God has given me. Yet I did want to and still do want to quit sinning in many areas.
The ten commandments most certainly are not meant to be suggestions. The commandments Jesus gave us to have no other gods before Him and to love our neighbor as ourselves certainly wasn't just idle talk.
Reading the complete Word reveals to me that the sins I do not commit , in my own strength are considered self-righteousness. This prompts me to consider that I need His divine strength to do anything right, and it be a sweet smell to Him.
I have not honored my mother in a very long time.
According to the standard above , it might be safe to say, I have never honored my mother. I gave up even trying a long time ago. It still is unsure to me that I will be able to honor her by her birthday.
When does one get to declare that morning is here ?
When the sun is shining brightly, or when the dawn is just beginning to appear?
At the first sound of the roosters crow? It might be even at that time one feels it is to dark to maneuver safely around in unfamiliar territory.
However, the word of my testimony is : that joy comes in the morning.
Joy comes as the dawn. Not all at once but gradually.
I can always have the joy of my salvation, because I know Who Jesus is and what He has done for me.
This knowledge keeps all sorrow in a place of bittersweet. The hope of righteousness is as knowing in the midst of night that dawn will come. Jesus' sacrifice for our sins is what gives us righteousness. Our understanding and being able to receive it produces fruit. I praise Him for His willingness to give His Self for me that I might have this gift.
The magnitude of this gift increased for me as I realized His most important words He uttered for all man kind to hear as He hung upon the cross. "Father, forgive them" has taken on new meaning as I too want to respond to situations like Jesus did.
In an effort to really tell you about my trials and testimonies I am inhibited somewhat by staying in my own territory. It would be a violation of ethics I believe to tell you that such and so did this, and so and so did this when I did this.
I can tell you this.
I have sinned. Saints do sin , by the way. I am so grateful for the grace God has given me. Yet I did want to and still do want to quit sinning in many areas.
The ten commandments most certainly are not meant to be suggestions. The commandments Jesus gave us to have no other gods before Him and to love our neighbor as ourselves certainly wasn't just idle talk.
Reading the complete Word reveals to me that the sins I do not commit , in my own strength are considered self-righteousness. This prompts me to consider that I need His divine strength to do anything right, and it be a sweet smell to Him.
I have not honored my mother in a very long time.
According to the standard above , it might be safe to say, I have never honored my mother. I gave up even trying a long time ago. It still is unsure to me that I will be able to honor her by her birthday.
When does one get to declare that morning is here ?
When the sun is shining brightly, or when the dawn is just beginning to appear?
At the first sound of the roosters crow? It might be even at that time one feels it is to dark to maneuver safely around in unfamiliar territory.
However, the word of my testimony is : that joy comes in the morning.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Rolling The Stone Away, Why I Do This
Jesus came that we might choose LIFE rather than death.
A simple choice that can be made to look hard. For many to hear that Jesus loves them just as they are, though they long to believe it, the words roll off them as water on a duck's back.
The time it takes to give a testimony may be all that is needed to help break down the resistance they find in their souls.
Jesus came to give us LIFE rather than death.
Trying to live without Jesus brings the stench of death.
Once Jesus can, (because He has been invited to ) breathe on a person the death begins to go away. Life starts flowing through once dead brain cells that suddenly tell eyes, "See what the LORD has done !"
Amazingly the psalmists proclamation, " taste and see, the Lord is good ! " becomes a reality.
I give the word of my testimony in obedience to the LORD's word to my heart.
Sometimes I struggle with thoughts of concern about what people might be thinking about me. My testimonies expose who I am, my life, my children, my concerns.
When I obey I do not have to know if it has helped someone. I did not do it for that purpose. However, it occurred to me today that my obedience may be very important.
What would of happened when Jesus came to visit his friend Lazarus' tomb and when He said, "Roll the stone away," no one would obey ? Fortunately that was not case. There were people ready to obey that day, and praise the LORD, there are those who are willing to obey today.
A simple choice that can be made to look hard. For many to hear that Jesus loves them just as they are, though they long to believe it, the words roll off them as water on a duck's back.
The time it takes to give a testimony may be all that is needed to help break down the resistance they find in their souls.
Jesus came to give us LIFE rather than death.
Trying to live without Jesus brings the stench of death.
Once Jesus can, (because He has been invited to ) breathe on a person the death begins to go away. Life starts flowing through once dead brain cells that suddenly tell eyes, "See what the LORD has done !"
Amazingly the psalmists proclamation, " taste and see, the Lord is good ! " becomes a reality.
I give the word of my testimony in obedience to the LORD's word to my heart.
Sometimes I struggle with thoughts of concern about what people might be thinking about me. My testimonies expose who I am, my life, my children, my concerns.
When I obey I do not have to know if it has helped someone. I did not do it for that purpose. However, it occurred to me today that my obedience may be very important.
What would of happened when Jesus came to visit his friend Lazarus' tomb and when He said, "Roll the stone away," no one would obey ? Fortunately that was not case. There were people ready to obey that day, and praise the LORD, there are those who are willing to obey today.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Getting There From Here Part Three
LOVE......HOPE......Receiving love is the most wonderful, delightful commodity here on earth. I don't want to keep my source hidden. I want to share it. I want every person alive to know where and how to get to it. I want them to have a road map. I want to help them in every way I can. It is just to good for the few of us who have found it. I want to join in with others who have found it and help them share it too. I want to love them , with this love that I have found. I want the love they have found in Jesus to also be coming through me , to them.
BUMP.........Do you have those signs in your neighborhood that say, bump slow to 25 miles an hour ?
HOPE.......I listened last night to a person who had carefully sought out the references to the fruits of the spirit and identified them as attributes of God. It makes sense to me that the fruit of God would be that same like fruit coming forth in me.
If I plant a seed and say, "Let's see what happens now ," will it come forth ? I am reminded of all those years that I mistakenly thought I was doing what pleased God by trying to earn His love. Perhaps then also , I could not be content to let the fruit come forth but had to help it some way.
However, there has been help . I had to learn how not to help in the wrong way and let the true help come and help in the right way. My hope is in God.
BUMP.........Do you have those signs in your neighborhood that say, bump slow to 25 miles an hour ?
HOPE.......I listened last night to a person who had carefully sought out the references to the fruits of the spirit and identified them as attributes of God. It makes sense to me that the fruit of God would be that same like fruit coming forth in me.
If I plant a seed and say, "Let's see what happens now ," will it come forth ? I am reminded of all those years that I mistakenly thought I was doing what pleased God by trying to earn His love. Perhaps then also , I could not be content to let the fruit come forth but had to help it some way.
However, there has been help . I had to learn how not to help in the wrong way and let the true help come and help in the right way. My hope is in God.
Getting There From Here Part Two
LOVE.....HOPE.....I wanted to love Him first. I wanted to show Him that I loved Him and then let Him love me. It has taken such a long time to stop that. To figure out why I kept insisting that it be my way. To understand the different ways I would use to hide from His love. The truth began to shine through the fog in my life a little at a time. Slowly , slowly I began to realize I could not love Him unless I let Him love me first. Unconditionally, it would not count if I felt I had earned His love. I had to let Him love me as the prodigal son, pig slop and all. Even though I was bathing pretty regularly by now, I could project myself into being that prodigal, and then let Him love me, here. Not where I was going. Here.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
How Do I Get There From Here ?
LOVE.....The greatest testimony that one could have is that I am loved. If all other needs are not met, but the constant assurance of love is supplied, it seems that nothing else matters, because LOVE supplies all. One could say, then if you know you are loved then surely you believe that your needs shall be supplied. I would agree with them but wonder if they understand that I want to bask simply , in the fact , that I am loved. I do not want to expect great evidences of His LOVE because all the evidence that I need has already been supplied. I will praise Him and thank Him for Salvation. I will be glad and rejoice in knowing salvation comes from the Lord. His free gift can not be out done by anything else. It is the most generous gift there is. Blessed am I for knowing of the salvation given us from our LORD Jesus Christ.
