In the past couple of years I've gone through the toughest times in my life. Mostly just this past year. Several people that i knew or knew who they were died. I lost many good friends. Friends that i was really close to changed from being on fire for God, just diminished. Tough things going on with my family members. Just so many things that have been so trying in my life. There's really not words that can describe what I've felt. In hard times i would feel sorry for myself. Just start thinking, "this trial is so hard. I'm never going to get through it. Nobody can help me. Nobody cares." I would just let these thoughts swallow me up and make me feel so bad for myself.
-But one day i heard a sermon. It was on just accepting God's plan for me. the way it is. Because if I don't accept his will for my life and I go a totally different way, or just feel sorry for myself i could miss a very important opportunity. If i took the different way I could get into wrong relationships, become just basically dead for God, and It could end up in something very bad. If i chose to just feel sorry for myself the whole time I could become bitter. I could ignore my friends, and if they were going through a time when they really needed someone to be there I could miss that. And i wouldn't be able to lead them back to Christ. I would be so caught up in my problems that i would build up unnecessary walls in my life. Or the final option, I could choose to accept what God has planned for me.
-By accepting God's will i would grow a stronger relationship with God. And I could just learn from everything that was going on. These past years by just learning to accept God's will in my life has strengthened me so much. I realize every day how blessed I am. I look back on the times when i felt bad for myself and just think. I know so many people who have been through so much more than i have. And then i think about the many many more people that go through unimaginable loss and pain. And then i think. You know. A lot of these people are without God. They don't have someone that loves them unconditionally. They have nobody to turn to.
-I just have to keep going to God over and over and keep asking him to help me accept his plan for my life. Things seem to be easier almost when i do that. So my prayer for YOU today is that you will learn to accept God's plan for your life.
~This verse has meant so much to me this past year. Its been one of the many verses i turn to.
Romans 8:28-
And we know all things work together for good to them that love God, To them that are the called according to His purpose.
-Rich or poor, old or young, strong or week, God loves and wants the best for you. Turn to Him.
~God Bless
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Merry CHRISTmas!! :)
Well i know this is a day late, unfortunately. But at least i got it out! Hope y'all remembered to keep CHRIST in CHRISTmas! :)
Luke 2:1-21-
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria). And all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them unto heaven, the shepherds said one to another, let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
~The CHRISTmas story is so amazing! It just shows the great amount of humility that Jesus had to leave his home of riches in Heaven and come down to earth, filled with wicked, wicked sin. He loved us so much that he would come, and live among us and one day die to take away our sins. Ive just been thinking about this so much this year. Its just an awesome thought! To think "Wow! Somebody loves me so much that they would leave Paradise, and come to earth. And be ridiculed, beaten, tempted, and die, and rise again for me. That's just so amazing!
~God Bless
Luke 2:1-21-
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria). And all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them unto heaven, the shepherds said one to another, let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
~The CHRISTmas story is so amazing! It just shows the great amount of humility that Jesus had to leave his home of riches in Heaven and come down to earth, filled with wicked, wicked sin. He loved us so much that he would come, and live among us and one day die to take away our sins. Ive just been thinking about this so much this year. Its just an awesome thought! To think "Wow! Somebody loves me so much that they would leave Paradise, and come to earth. And be ridiculed, beaten, tempted, and die, and rise again for me. That's just so amazing!
~God Bless
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
A tribute to my adopted grandpa, Pa Jones
From The Beginning, Until The End
You’ve known me, since I was born,
You watched me get older,
You saw me grow like a weed.
Every Wednesday,
I’d be up at church,
You were always there.
Faithfully mowing the grass.
I would climb up onto your lap,
And we watched the ground for frogs,
As we rode along,
We would find tree frogs, toads, anything.
Many times you had frogs waiting,
Just for me.
You were there,
When I learned how to skate,
You cheered me on,
Even when I fell down.
I got older,
And so did you.
I got saved,
You promised,
You would always pray for me.
Time passed,
You got sick,
And now I prayed for you.
But now,
Our prayers for each other,
Have come to an end.
God has called you home,
You now rest, fully restored,
In the presence,
Of Almighty God.
I will miss you,
But I know,
Before too long,
I’ll be there too.
<3~in loving memory of Pa Jones
Saturday, November 13, 2010
S.M.I.T.E.
Well the first day was Sunday and it was just regular cuz I met the people that I would be in the same room with for the rest of the week and we had a night service... we studied in the auditorium for the next days lessons.... Then Monday we went to all different types of classes... All the girls and guys are seperated at level 1 for all the classes except for the Wordless Book class which was taught by Brother Aarron Baker. He was AMAZING at that and he did an AWESOME job! So then after we get done with our classes we went to lunch... Then after lunch we all go back to our dorms and get ready for the Bible Clubs. After that everybody goes to the auditorium and we study until its time for Uncle Jerry to get up and talk about how we can prepare ourselves for that day then we all have prayer. Its really neat because everybody turns around and is just kneeling and praying about the day and everything! Its sooo special! Then after prayer we leave for Bible Clubs. Some people go to trailer parks, some go to apartments, some go to day cares, and some go to just neighborhoods. The first day at Bible Clubs we only had about 7 kids. We were off to a little bit of a rocky start because of the first time we had ever worked together. That night after supper we went to the service. There was sooo much singing and special music! In many ways its sooo different from our church! The singing is sooo powerful because there are sooo many people and everybody is just singing with their whole hearts its amazing! That night a group of teen-agers from a church that were there sang a song called I Have Been Blessed. The verses just talked about how much we have been blessed with everything we have. It made me realize that we live in a country that we can worship God freely in and that we are sooo much better off than lots of other people in the world and even in the United States. After the group got done singing Uncle Jerry had them stay up there while he talked to us about how we have no right to sing that song because we don't really truly believe how blessed we have been. He had a young man get up and talk about how hard his life had been. Stephen told everybody there how as he was growing up him and his family lived in a house that had no windows or doors. He said that the warmest it ever got in the winter in that house was 17 degrees! Stephens first dad was abusive to their mother and his brothers and sisters. They would go days without eating very much. Stephen said that one night they were so cold that him and his brothers and sisters slept in the closet together for warmth. His mom and dad got divorced and she remarried another abusive man. Later on the children were taken away from their parents and they were adopted by some really AMAZING people. They are now loved and they dont have to worry about whether or not they are going to be hurt the next day or anything. After Stephen gave his testimony Uncle Jerry preached at us and he was saying "how can you stand up and sing that song and you don't even realize how truly blessed you are?! He said you cant stand up there and sing about how your blessed for having a mother and father that care about you if you are not right with them right now!!" After a little while he stopped speaking and there was an early invitation. I was feeling really convicted because I really did not love my parents like I should and I took it for granted how truly blessed I am! So I went up to the front and I knelt at the alter with my leader and friend Tyler and I just sat there and cried and prayed that God would give me the Grace to realize how blessed I really was. So that night I called my mom and I told her all that had happened that night with me. We were only allowed to talk on the phone for 5 minutes with our parents every day sooo it was short... Then that night since the service ended so late everybody had to be in bed at 12 so we didnt get that much time to study. The schedule was the same the next day. At Bible Clubs we had 2 boys come to Christ! It was GREAT!! Then that night we had the service and then we all studied..... lights out at 1. The next day the same routine in the morning... Then in the afternoon we had Bible Clubs.... we had 14 that day im pretty sure! That night at the service there was tons of more singing than normal since it was Wednesday night! So that night one of the sermons was on the bad things in our lives and how if we dont repent of it it may be too late to go back eventually ... me and lots of my friends went to the altar once again... After everybody was back in their seats Uncle Jerry got up and said that he had been video-taping everybody from the back during the service and he saw some people that were not paying attention to the message and that lots of the young people there were visibly thinking about their music and were rocking back and forth and doing things that teen-agers do when they listen to rock music. Then he challenged anybody that still had bad things in their lives to go up and stand in the front of the auditorium so that everyone could see that they were taking a stand againgst the sinful things in their life. Many teen-agers went to the front while I was just sitting in my seat just burning up because I knew that God was telling me to go to the front.. But I didnt.. Then Uncle Jerry had leaders and counselors go up and pray with the young people that were at the front.... After they had been prayed with he gave all of them note cards and had them put their names on them and what they were giving up that night..... Then after everyone was in their seats he had every person that was right with their parents to raise their hands... I raised my hand because I had just gotten right with my parents on Monday. Then he told everybody to put their hands down and if they were not right with their parents to raise their hands....... So many young people raised their hands and he told them to go and get a cell phone from someone they knew and to call their parents right then and get right with them! Then that night they opened up the concession stand and everybody studied in the dining room.... The next day we did Bible Clubs and 4 children came to the Lord! It was sooo AMAZING!! That night Brother Davis preached on how it is so important to replace the evil things in your life with good things! So he preached a whole sermon that night on that and at the end of it I was majorly convicted so I went to the front. My friends Jazmien and Karen came and knelt with me and prayed for me. That night I gave up all my country music and all the other music that was in my life that I knew the Lord did not want me to have in my life. Uncle Jerry then got up and spoke. He said for everybody to look around and see how many lives had been made new and he was just saying that many many people had just given up bad things in their life and replaced them with good things........ Later on that night I learned that one of my friends (a girl) had given up pornography the year before. That just shocked me because she didnt seem like the kind of person that would have that in their life...... That night all my friends, old and new, came up to me and told me that they would be praying for me... The next day was the big test that everybody had been studying for...... We all knew that we had to get a 70 to pass..... We were sooo worried.... Everybody was supposed to be studying for an hour and a half for the test. It was bad enough that all of us 30 girls or so were in the same room studying together but then there were 20 guys too... So all the girls were talking to the guys and everything..... I just tried to ignore them and study my own stuff! Their were three girls in front of me that didnt understand something that we were studying so it was really encouraging to me that they asked me to help them. So I answered there questions about the things they didnt understand... So finally it came time to take the test..... 70% of your grade was on the wordless book... we had to go to an evaluator and say the wordless book to them..... Then came the written part........ it was the most quiet time that we had ever had in any of our classes..... After the test was over we went to lunch and we were all so nervous because we didn't get to see what our score was until we got back from Bible Clubs..... that day it rained the whole entire day.......... so it was raining at Bible Clubs we only had 4 guys that day..... well when we got back everybody rushed to see the scores..... i got a 76.... I couldn't believe it! I had made a horrible grade!! But I had passed.... then we all went to get ready for the night session...... we all got dressed up nicer than usual because it was the last night and it was also graduation fro the 4th level students!! My leader graduated!! that night we said goodbye to everyone that was not staying that night..... We were all sooo sad to see everybody go. But we had e-mails and phone numbers..... Uncle Jerry got up and talked to everybody that was staying and after that we all went to our dorms and got changed into stuff to clean in....... We mopped, swept, cleaned the bathrooms, and vaccumed. Then Uncle Jerry took us girls to Wendys!!! They opened up the inside area just for us!! We sang a few songs for them too!! :) Well then we got back at like 12:30 or somethin and we went to our rooms........ Over all my week at SMITE was life changing! I do not regret going whatsoever and I have used everything I learned there many times! I encourage anybody that is wanting to go to just go! Your life will be changed! There is a link to their website on my blog page!
~God Bless
~God Bless
Thursday, November 4, 2010
The Christmas Miracle
The Christmas Miracle
-Sarah Stephens
It was a white Christmas Eve in London, England. The year was 1925. The streets were filled with honking automobiles trying to get home or to the store that had the best last minute sales. The noises in the streets were nauseating.
All the sidewalks were crowded with last minute shoppers and people in a hurry not really caring about the people around them. This lasted for several hours before the sidewalks quieted down and the streets were empty once more.
Many of the store lights were off because everyone had gone home to spend Christmas, quietly, with their families. There was only one store light still on, on Main Street. And of course there was only one person inside, me.
My name is Anna Marie Booth. I have no family waiting for me at home and perhaps that is why I am the only one still out. My husband was murdered almost eight years ago. The dreadful anniversary of his death was Christmas day, 1917. It was the saddest day of my life. So now I live by myself in a quaint little house on the outskirts of town. I own a little bakery called Sweet Treats.
I run it all by myself and have been since my husband, Richard, died. Now at Christmas I don’t buy any presents because I have no friends. Since Richard passed away I have been mad at everyone as if it were their fault that my sweet loving husband was murdered.
“Well it’s getting late. I better get home.” I thought to myself. But just as I cleaned the last counter a girl of about eleven knocked on my door. Sighing heavily to myself I went to the door, opened it, and asked grumpily, “Can I help you?” She looked terribly thin and very sheepish as she replied, “Yes miss. Do you have any leftovers from the days baking’s that you could spare? You see” she continued, “my poor mum and my wee baby sister are frightfully hungry and well, we have nothing to eat.” I sighed, somewhat annoyed, and went to my pantry. I pulled out a pound cake, two loaves of bread, and a bottle of milk.
The little girls face completely lit up when I returned. As she ran out the door she called back “thank you so much! God Bless You!” and she was gone just like that.
Mumbling to myself about how cold it was outside I quickly locked up my bakery and briskly walked the one mile to my home! I don’t have many neighbors and the neighbors I do have I don’t talk to. My red brick house has only three rooms. My bedroom, the kitchen/dining room, and my sitting room. When Richard was still alive we would have company over every Sunday evening after church services. I used to be very faithful going to church with Richard when he was alive but when he passed away I quit going and I haven’t been since.
When I arrived home I fixed a cold supper of turkey and mashed potatoes. When I had finished cleaning up my dishes I took a bath and went to bed.
As I was sleeping I had a dream. In the dream I saw the little girl who had come begging at my bakery. She was in an old shack that was barely still standing. In the house lying on a cot was a woman and a little baby. I naturally assumed that this was the little girl’s mom and baby sister. The woman looked awfully sick and terribly frail. The little baby was coughing and sputtering like nothing else. It was a terribly sad sight.
The following morning I was awaken by children laughing and squealing! “What is the meaning of all this noise?” I said to myself. Then I remembered, it was Christmas. Christmas brought back bad memories for me. Today was the eight year anniversary of Richards death. Every Christmas brought back the sad recollection.
You see it was Christmas morning and a Sunday. Richard and I were walking to church. We had to walk through several bad parts of town to get to our church which was two miles away from our house. We were in one of the worst parts of town when a drunkard came around the corner screaming obscenities. Before we could react he shot my sweet Richard twice in the chest and ran off. As I kneeled down beside my dying husband sobbing he said to me, “Anna, come to know the Lord as your personal Savior and I will see you again in Heaven.” And with his very last breath he gasped, “ John 3:16. I love you Anna.” And he was gone just like that. To this day I relive those moments and think about what I could have done to save his life. Ever since Christmas has been the worst day of my life.
Many times I have nightmares about it. Every day I wonder if I could have kept him from dying if I had ran and got help or screamed or just prayed. Many, many nights I wake up sweating and often times I am crying sub-consciously.
When I woke up this morning I ate a bowl of oatmeal and cleaned up my kitchen. After breakfast I went off to the bakery to start my baking for the day. Since it was Christmas day I don’t bake as much because I don’t have as many customers. Today I was in the middle of baking a pound cake and some cherry pies when my first customer came in. She was tall and she appeared to be very proper and somewhat snobby.
She bustled in humming Joy To The World softly to herself. She immediately walked up and greeted me. “ ’Ello! How are ye this fine morning’?” From her accent I could tell that she was most definitely from England! And without giving me a chance to reply she went right on babbling, “mighty beautiful day isn’t it? Well I for one just love the snow! Tis just so happy and cheerful!” Finally I spoke up. I was getting quite annoyed at her babbling when I said, “ what can I get for you miss?” She quickly replied, “ I would simply love to have a dozen of those amazingly decorated Christmas Cookies.”
“Oh, and I would also like a blueberry cherry pie!” she finally finished. Quickly I replied and said, “ Of course miss! Your order will be completed in just a moment.” I walked away before she could babble on any further. After a short time I returned with her deserts and bade her goodbye.
For the rest of the day I had my usual customers. I don’t understand how everyone can always be so happy this time of year! It just seems like your wasting your money on presents and someone usually gets hurt and it’s a hard time of year! I guess maybe they are happy because they have a family to love and all the snow and presents that they get.
I decided to lock up early today so I could relax at home. As I hurriedly locked up I saw a familiar figure walking briskly towards me in the wind and snow. It was the little girl. This time she was carrying a small bundle in her arms. As she got closer I realized that it must be her baby sister, When the little girl reached me I saw tears in her eyes. She looked so helpless and oh so very lonely.
After what seemed like hours of an awkward silence she spoke up, “I’m terribly sorry to bother you Miss. And I’m terribly sorry to inconvenience you like this but do you think you would be able to take me and my baby sister to stay the night at your house?” Very slowly I took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Finally I replied and said “ of course dear. You and your sister may stay at my house for as long as you would like to.”
Before we left for home I went back inside the bakery and got some extra milk and bread for my guests. I also brought a pound cake because I knew that children liked cake and sweets. Especially on Christmas. As we walked home I learned that her name was Ruth and the baby’s name was Catherine. It wasn’t until later that night that I learned why Ruth and Catherine would be staying with me that night.
The first thing I did when we got home was get a bath ready for Ruth and Catherine. Catherine acted as if it was her first bath ever! While Ruth and Catherine were in the bath I prepared supper.
Of course I did not let Ruth and Catherine put their same old rag clothes back on after their bath. I went over to my neighbors and asked to borrow some dresses and some nightgowns for the girls. They were very nice about it and were very glad to help! I was very happy that the girls would have some good clothes that would keep them warm.
Later that night at supper I asked Ruth why she had asked to come home with me. She immediately burst into tears. I could not think of what could make her so terribly sad. Eventually when her tears had subsided and her sobbing was quieted she softly explained, “ You see, My mother has been sick for days and days with a high fever. I couldn’t do anything to help her and it was so hard to keep her warm. She died this morning!” and with that she burst into tears once again.
Slowly I stood up and I held her tight. I knew the pain she was feeling. My efforts, I feared, were not helping very much. Soon after her tears had subsided once again she looked up with a smile on her tear stained face and said, “ But we will only be apart for a short time because I am going to see her again when I die and go to Heaven to be with Jesus!”
With that she walked over to her cot, laid down, and went to sleep. Her last words puzzled me. I decided that I would talk to her the following day. So I did the dishes, gave Catherine some warm milk, put her to bed, and went to bed myself.
That night was a long one for me. I had the dream of that terrible anniversary, Catherine had to be fed, and I couldn’t get much sleep. When I woke up the next morning I was still exhausted. I fixed a breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, and some pancakes.
The look on Ruth’s face told me that she had never ever been so happy. She saw the food and her face lit up. I thought about everybody that was a lot worse off then I was. As I was thinking I realized that I could help the less fortunate people out instead of spending all my extra time feeling sorry for myself.
I assumed that Ruth was religious because she often talked about Heaven and she prayed before she ate. After she finished her prayer of thanks to God she heaped her plate full of food. I thought at one point that she would not be able to eat all of it! She had so much and she was so little! But of course I was wrong and she ate all of it!
She explained while she ate that Catherine wasn’t her real blood related baby sister. Her father had died not long after Ruth was born. One day they had been walking on the sidewalk when they saw Catherine just sitting there. They decided to take her in even though they barely had enough food to feed themselves. They gave her a home, fed her as best they could, and most importantly of all loved her. I thought about this and I could not imagine how selfless Ruth’s mother must have been to take in a little baby without even thinking about their own conditions.
I admired Ruth for being so selfless and willing to help Catherine and told her so. She just blushed to the roots of her beautiful strawberry blonde hair. While I cleaned up the breakfast dishes and leftovers I thought about taking Ruth and Catherine to the bakery with me. Finally I decided that I would have them come. I had Ruth get herself and Catherine dressed.
When we got to the bakery I put some thick blankets on the floor for the girls to sit on while I worked. Business was really booming and every single customer asked about the girls. When I would tell them their eyes would fill up with tears and they would go over and talk to them as I filled their orders.
Business got so busy that eventually I had Ruth come and help me with the baking and order filling. She was a really big help and I kind of enjoyed having somebody to talk to as I worked. Finally the work day was over and we picked up the blankets and locked up the bakery.
That night as a Thank-You I gave Ruth the tips from the day as her pay. As I handed her the money her face lit up and she squealed with delight! It made me feel good to know that I had brought so much joy to someone that easily!
After supper Ruth and I took turns playing peek-a-boo with Catherine. Finally I decided that it was time to go to bed and rest! We had worked so hard that day and were very tired.
As the days progressed I became happier and I had more fun with the two young girls around the bakery and my house. Ruth became such a big help at the bakery. I think she really enjoyed having a job and being able to earn some money. She would use the money to buy toys and fun stuff for herself and Catherine. She was a really caring child and I admired her for that.
The longer they stayed with me the more I got attached to them. One Tuesday I left Ruth at home with Catherine and went to run some errands. I returned half an hour later out of breath. I told Ruth to put her best dress on and to dress Catherine in something nice also.
We walked into town and up Main Street to the court house. As we walked up the steps Ruth looked up at me with tears in her eyes and said, “Miss Anna, why are we here? You aren’t giving us away are you?” As I looked down at the little girl I replied, “no my dear I would never do that. Just wait and see what happens.”
That night we had a celebration! I welcomed Ruth and Catherine into my family as my daughters! They were now the only family I had! While we were at the court house I adopted them. The judge asked Ruth if she wanted to be my daughter and how I treated her. Of course she answered, “yes very much.” and “Very well. Like I’m her daughter.” I was very happy to have a family.
That night in the celebration we had a “feast.” For desert we had chocolate cake. We all went to bed that night safe, warm, full, and most importantly a family that loved each other! It was a great feeling!
The next few weeks seemed to fly by in a blur. Things at the bakery were going extremely well. Catherine took her first steps at ten months. Ruth continued to grow and help at the bakery and at home. We were all very excited about her upcoming birthday. She would be twelve.
One night after Catherine was in bed Ruth and I sat down to talk. “Ruth, when Richard, my husband, died some of his last words were John 3:16. I don’t know what it means but I think it might have something to do with God. Do you know what it means?” I asked.
Her pretty face lit up as she got up and got out an old book. It was a Bible. She opened it to John 3:16 and quoted “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
She then looked up at me, smiled, and said, “ That is the first Bible verse that my first mum taught me as I grew up. This verse and others from Romans led me to Christ.” With a quizzical look on my face I asked, “what are those other verses? My husband wanted me to come to Christ when he was alive but I never did because I didn’t think that it was important. When he died I sort of blamed God for his death. I ignored Him and everything that He wanted for me. Could you show me those verses from Romans?” She immediately replied, “Of course I can!”
“The verses from Romans are called the Romans Road. These verses have been so special to me my whole life.
Romans 3:23- For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Romans 6:23-For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:8- But God commended His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.
Romans 10:13- For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Romans 10:9- That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth, the Lord Jesus, that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
John 1:12- But as many as receive Him to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” Then moving right along she explained to me exactly what she felt these verses meant. “ These verses lead me to my Salvation. I believe that we have all sinned and none of us are perfect. If we were perfect it would not have been necessary for God to send Jesus to die so that we could be saved. God is all powerful and He loves everyone so very much. The death on the cross was very hard and cruel.
“I can’t begin to imagine how hard that would have been for Jesus to go through all that pain, suffering, and humiliation. But the great thing about it is that He sacrificed His life so that he could save millions of people from a horrible life in Hell when they die. And because of that one death I am going to keep on living when I die. I will not be living her on earth but I will be living in Heaven with God!”
We continued to talk about those verses and before I knew it I was down on my knees asking for forgiveness and for my salvation. Afterwards I felt completely wonderful! I opened up the Bible to Genesis and just soaked up all the verses about God creating the beautiful world that we live in! And to think that He created it in just six days! That is truly amazing!
The joy on Ruth’s face was just magnificent as she looked at me, her new mother, and thought about how we now shared the same faith and would help each other down the road. I could have spent hours and hours just reading the blessed Word of God and talking to Ruth about all the amazing things that were in the Bible but I knew that it was already getting late and it would not be good for the business if I was half asleep all day. After a little while Ruth and I went to bed.
That Sunday we all went to church for the first time as a family. This was the first time that I really actually understood the sermon. I learned so much that day it was truly amazing! That night I had a wonderful time talking about God’s creation and all that He has done for us.
The weeks to follow were busy but fun. Catherine continued to grow, Ruth and I had the time of our lives going to church and meeting new people. But most importantly we both grew in Christ.
About two years later when Ruth was fourteen and Catherine
was three I purchased a large building. I decided that I would open a large home for families without homes and supplying the women with things that they could do to earn money for a living. The home would also be for orphans. What really started this home up was Lily telling me about the horrible sicknesses that they would get from the cold during the winter and the heat in the summer. She said that day to day you wondered where your next meal would come from. This really alarmed me and that is how Our Home was established.
The very first thing we did after I bought the large building was clean! It was a great blessing having all the overly willing church members there to help us out. The great building had a great amount of mold and dust and dirt. The real blessing was the prayers from our church family and all their abundant donations. In fact after everything was worked out we ran Our Home solely on donations.
It took around a week to get Our Home clean, filled with food, furniture, and everything that would make a great home. Finally the day of the grand opening came! The very first day we had two families and three orphan children.
The days coming were filled with new families and orphans moving in. Each day of the week at some point we had a devotional and someone would tell the story of their life. On Sundays we hold services in the large parlor. Many souls were saved in that very room the first week that Our Home was opened! Our Home was a real blessing!
One day I met a very special orphan, Lorraine. She was special in one way because she had a brain defect. And in another because she smiled all the time and was always happy! She stayed with is about two days before I asked her if she would like to be a part of our family. Very excited she said yes and she is now my third daughter. Lorraine was a big help because she always had a smile and she could cheer up the saddest orphans and families. Often times she would reassure them that their dreams could come true one day.
Unfortunately because of her brain defect and her poor health she died a little over three months after I adopted her. The comforting thing about her death was we knew she was a Christian and we knew that we would see her one day when we got to Heaven. Her last wish was that we adopted all the children with special needs like brain defects, physical disabilities, health problems, and more. We made sure that everyone that ever came to Our Home left feeling loved.
It was always a sad time in one way when someone left Our Home because we developed a strong bond with each family and each orphan. But in another way we were happy for them because they would be able to live independently and the children now had a loving family.
The running of Our Home was a great experience. We met so many people and we were able to lead so many people to Christ. The stories that we heard were just amazing and we remember every single one. In fact we have quest books where everyone that has ever stayed here has signed and written down their life story.
The experience that Ruth got from being able to work with so many of the people was just amazing. Just watching her I could tell that she would go into some type of ministry when she got older.
As the years went by Our Home continued helping people. Many, many people came to know the Lord.
Before I knew it my beautiful Ruth was swept off her feet by a handsome young believer named Joseph. He came to know the Lord at a young age and he was on fire to spread the Word of God. He was led to mission work and about two years after they were married I received a letter from Ruth saying that they had opened another Our Home where they lived.
I continue to be mother to all the special children and all the orphans until they find homes. I still get sad when a family leaves or when an orphan gets adopted but I know that their stay at Our Home has helped them so much and I pray for each person every day as I look at the number of precious guest books.
I am always overjoyed whenever I receive a letter from someone that we have helped saying that they now have a nice home and are very happy.
Soon after Ruth was married Catherine left to attend college to become a teacher. She had always enjoyed working with children and God bless her she seems like an Angel! I pray every day for the non-believers in this world and I pray that the people we have helped at Our Home have had a positive affect on others! God Bless!
~Let me know what y'all think
-Sarah Stephens
It was a white Christmas Eve in London, England. The year was 1925. The streets were filled with honking automobiles trying to get home or to the store that had the best last minute sales. The noises in the streets were nauseating.
All the sidewalks were crowded with last minute shoppers and people in a hurry not really caring about the people around them. This lasted for several hours before the sidewalks quieted down and the streets were empty once more.
Many of the store lights were off because everyone had gone home to spend Christmas, quietly, with their families. There was only one store light still on, on Main Street. And of course there was only one person inside, me.
My name is Anna Marie Booth. I have no family waiting for me at home and perhaps that is why I am the only one still out. My husband was murdered almost eight years ago. The dreadful anniversary of his death was Christmas day, 1917. It was the saddest day of my life. So now I live by myself in a quaint little house on the outskirts of town. I own a little bakery called Sweet Treats.
I run it all by myself and have been since my husband, Richard, died. Now at Christmas I don’t buy any presents because I have no friends. Since Richard passed away I have been mad at everyone as if it were their fault that my sweet loving husband was murdered.
“Well it’s getting late. I better get home.” I thought to myself. But just as I cleaned the last counter a girl of about eleven knocked on my door. Sighing heavily to myself I went to the door, opened it, and asked grumpily, “Can I help you?” She looked terribly thin and very sheepish as she replied, “Yes miss. Do you have any leftovers from the days baking’s that you could spare? You see” she continued, “my poor mum and my wee baby sister are frightfully hungry and well, we have nothing to eat.” I sighed, somewhat annoyed, and went to my pantry. I pulled out a pound cake, two loaves of bread, and a bottle of milk.
The little girls face completely lit up when I returned. As she ran out the door she called back “thank you so much! God Bless You!” and she was gone just like that.
Mumbling to myself about how cold it was outside I quickly locked up my bakery and briskly walked the one mile to my home! I don’t have many neighbors and the neighbors I do have I don’t talk to. My red brick house has only three rooms. My bedroom, the kitchen/dining room, and my sitting room. When Richard was still alive we would have company over every Sunday evening after church services. I used to be very faithful going to church with Richard when he was alive but when he passed away I quit going and I haven’t been since.
When I arrived home I fixed a cold supper of turkey and mashed potatoes. When I had finished cleaning up my dishes I took a bath and went to bed.
As I was sleeping I had a dream. In the dream I saw the little girl who had come begging at my bakery. She was in an old shack that was barely still standing. In the house lying on a cot was a woman and a little baby. I naturally assumed that this was the little girl’s mom and baby sister. The woman looked awfully sick and terribly frail. The little baby was coughing and sputtering like nothing else. It was a terribly sad sight.
The following morning I was awaken by children laughing and squealing! “What is the meaning of all this noise?” I said to myself. Then I remembered, it was Christmas. Christmas brought back bad memories for me. Today was the eight year anniversary of Richards death. Every Christmas brought back the sad recollection.
You see it was Christmas morning and a Sunday. Richard and I were walking to church. We had to walk through several bad parts of town to get to our church which was two miles away from our house. We were in one of the worst parts of town when a drunkard came around the corner screaming obscenities. Before we could react he shot my sweet Richard twice in the chest and ran off. As I kneeled down beside my dying husband sobbing he said to me, “Anna, come to know the Lord as your personal Savior and I will see you again in Heaven.” And with his very last breath he gasped, “ John 3:16. I love you Anna.” And he was gone just like that. To this day I relive those moments and think about what I could have done to save his life. Ever since Christmas has been the worst day of my life.
Many times I have nightmares about it. Every day I wonder if I could have kept him from dying if I had ran and got help or screamed or just prayed. Many, many nights I wake up sweating and often times I am crying sub-consciously.
When I woke up this morning I ate a bowl of oatmeal and cleaned up my kitchen. After breakfast I went off to the bakery to start my baking for the day. Since it was Christmas day I don’t bake as much because I don’t have as many customers. Today I was in the middle of baking a pound cake and some cherry pies when my first customer came in. She was tall and she appeared to be very proper and somewhat snobby.
She bustled in humming Joy To The World softly to herself. She immediately walked up and greeted me. “ ’Ello! How are ye this fine morning’?” From her accent I could tell that she was most definitely from England! And without giving me a chance to reply she went right on babbling, “mighty beautiful day isn’t it? Well I for one just love the snow! Tis just so happy and cheerful!” Finally I spoke up. I was getting quite annoyed at her babbling when I said, “ what can I get for you miss?” She quickly replied, “ I would simply love to have a dozen of those amazingly decorated Christmas Cookies.”
“Oh, and I would also like a blueberry cherry pie!” she finally finished. Quickly I replied and said, “ Of course miss! Your order will be completed in just a moment.” I walked away before she could babble on any further. After a short time I returned with her deserts and bade her goodbye.
For the rest of the day I had my usual customers. I don’t understand how everyone can always be so happy this time of year! It just seems like your wasting your money on presents and someone usually gets hurt and it’s a hard time of year! I guess maybe they are happy because they have a family to love and all the snow and presents that they get.
I decided to lock up early today so I could relax at home. As I hurriedly locked up I saw a familiar figure walking briskly towards me in the wind and snow. It was the little girl. This time she was carrying a small bundle in her arms. As she got closer I realized that it must be her baby sister, When the little girl reached me I saw tears in her eyes. She looked so helpless and oh so very lonely.
After what seemed like hours of an awkward silence she spoke up, “I’m terribly sorry to bother you Miss. And I’m terribly sorry to inconvenience you like this but do you think you would be able to take me and my baby sister to stay the night at your house?” Very slowly I took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Finally I replied and said “ of course dear. You and your sister may stay at my house for as long as you would like to.”
Before we left for home I went back inside the bakery and got some extra milk and bread for my guests. I also brought a pound cake because I knew that children liked cake and sweets. Especially on Christmas. As we walked home I learned that her name was Ruth and the baby’s name was Catherine. It wasn’t until later that night that I learned why Ruth and Catherine would be staying with me that night.
The first thing I did when we got home was get a bath ready for Ruth and Catherine. Catherine acted as if it was her first bath ever! While Ruth and Catherine were in the bath I prepared supper.
Of course I did not let Ruth and Catherine put their same old rag clothes back on after their bath. I went over to my neighbors and asked to borrow some dresses and some nightgowns for the girls. They were very nice about it and were very glad to help! I was very happy that the girls would have some good clothes that would keep them warm.
Later that night at supper I asked Ruth why she had asked to come home with me. She immediately burst into tears. I could not think of what could make her so terribly sad. Eventually when her tears had subsided and her sobbing was quieted she softly explained, “ You see, My mother has been sick for days and days with a high fever. I couldn’t do anything to help her and it was so hard to keep her warm. She died this morning!” and with that she burst into tears once again.
Slowly I stood up and I held her tight. I knew the pain she was feeling. My efforts, I feared, were not helping very much. Soon after her tears had subsided once again she looked up with a smile on her tear stained face and said, “ But we will only be apart for a short time because I am going to see her again when I die and go to Heaven to be with Jesus!”
With that she walked over to her cot, laid down, and went to sleep. Her last words puzzled me. I decided that I would talk to her the following day. So I did the dishes, gave Catherine some warm milk, put her to bed, and went to bed myself.
That night was a long one for me. I had the dream of that terrible anniversary, Catherine had to be fed, and I couldn’t get much sleep. When I woke up the next morning I was still exhausted. I fixed a breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, and some pancakes.
The look on Ruth’s face told me that she had never ever been so happy. She saw the food and her face lit up. I thought about everybody that was a lot worse off then I was. As I was thinking I realized that I could help the less fortunate people out instead of spending all my extra time feeling sorry for myself.
I assumed that Ruth was religious because she often talked about Heaven and she prayed before she ate. After she finished her prayer of thanks to God she heaped her plate full of food. I thought at one point that she would not be able to eat all of it! She had so much and she was so little! But of course I was wrong and she ate all of it!
She explained while she ate that Catherine wasn’t her real blood related baby sister. Her father had died not long after Ruth was born. One day they had been walking on the sidewalk when they saw Catherine just sitting there. They decided to take her in even though they barely had enough food to feed themselves. They gave her a home, fed her as best they could, and most importantly of all loved her. I thought about this and I could not imagine how selfless Ruth’s mother must have been to take in a little baby without even thinking about their own conditions.
I admired Ruth for being so selfless and willing to help Catherine and told her so. She just blushed to the roots of her beautiful strawberry blonde hair. While I cleaned up the breakfast dishes and leftovers I thought about taking Ruth and Catherine to the bakery with me. Finally I decided that I would have them come. I had Ruth get herself and Catherine dressed.
When we got to the bakery I put some thick blankets on the floor for the girls to sit on while I worked. Business was really booming and every single customer asked about the girls. When I would tell them their eyes would fill up with tears and they would go over and talk to them as I filled their orders.
Business got so busy that eventually I had Ruth come and help me with the baking and order filling. She was a really big help and I kind of enjoyed having somebody to talk to as I worked. Finally the work day was over and we picked up the blankets and locked up the bakery.
That night as a Thank-You I gave Ruth the tips from the day as her pay. As I handed her the money her face lit up and she squealed with delight! It made me feel good to know that I had brought so much joy to someone that easily!
After supper Ruth and I took turns playing peek-a-boo with Catherine. Finally I decided that it was time to go to bed and rest! We had worked so hard that day and were very tired.
As the days progressed I became happier and I had more fun with the two young girls around the bakery and my house. Ruth became such a big help at the bakery. I think she really enjoyed having a job and being able to earn some money. She would use the money to buy toys and fun stuff for herself and Catherine. She was a really caring child and I admired her for that.
The longer they stayed with me the more I got attached to them. One Tuesday I left Ruth at home with Catherine and went to run some errands. I returned half an hour later out of breath. I told Ruth to put her best dress on and to dress Catherine in something nice also.
We walked into town and up Main Street to the court house. As we walked up the steps Ruth looked up at me with tears in her eyes and said, “Miss Anna, why are we here? You aren’t giving us away are you?” As I looked down at the little girl I replied, “no my dear I would never do that. Just wait and see what happens.”
That night we had a celebration! I welcomed Ruth and Catherine into my family as my daughters! They were now the only family I had! While we were at the court house I adopted them. The judge asked Ruth if she wanted to be my daughter and how I treated her. Of course she answered, “yes very much.” and “Very well. Like I’m her daughter.” I was very happy to have a family.
That night in the celebration we had a “feast.” For desert we had chocolate cake. We all went to bed that night safe, warm, full, and most importantly a family that loved each other! It was a great feeling!
The next few weeks seemed to fly by in a blur. Things at the bakery were going extremely well. Catherine took her first steps at ten months. Ruth continued to grow and help at the bakery and at home. We were all very excited about her upcoming birthday. She would be twelve.
One night after Catherine was in bed Ruth and I sat down to talk. “Ruth, when Richard, my husband, died some of his last words were John 3:16. I don’t know what it means but I think it might have something to do with God. Do you know what it means?” I asked.
Her pretty face lit up as she got up and got out an old book. It was a Bible. She opened it to John 3:16 and quoted “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
She then looked up at me, smiled, and said, “ That is the first Bible verse that my first mum taught me as I grew up. This verse and others from Romans led me to Christ.” With a quizzical look on my face I asked, “what are those other verses? My husband wanted me to come to Christ when he was alive but I never did because I didn’t think that it was important. When he died I sort of blamed God for his death. I ignored Him and everything that He wanted for me. Could you show me those verses from Romans?” She immediately replied, “Of course I can!”
“The verses from Romans are called the Romans Road. These verses have been so special to me my whole life.
Romans 3:23- For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Romans 6:23-For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:8- But God commended His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.
Romans 10:13- For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Romans 10:9- That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth, the Lord Jesus, that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
John 1:12- But as many as receive Him to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” Then moving right along she explained to me exactly what she felt these verses meant. “ These verses lead me to my Salvation. I believe that we have all sinned and none of us are perfect. If we were perfect it would not have been necessary for God to send Jesus to die so that we could be saved. God is all powerful and He loves everyone so very much. The death on the cross was very hard and cruel.
“I can’t begin to imagine how hard that would have been for Jesus to go through all that pain, suffering, and humiliation. But the great thing about it is that He sacrificed His life so that he could save millions of people from a horrible life in Hell when they die. And because of that one death I am going to keep on living when I die. I will not be living her on earth but I will be living in Heaven with God!”
We continued to talk about those verses and before I knew it I was down on my knees asking for forgiveness and for my salvation. Afterwards I felt completely wonderful! I opened up the Bible to Genesis and just soaked up all the verses about God creating the beautiful world that we live in! And to think that He created it in just six days! That is truly amazing!
The joy on Ruth’s face was just magnificent as she looked at me, her new mother, and thought about how we now shared the same faith and would help each other down the road. I could have spent hours and hours just reading the blessed Word of God and talking to Ruth about all the amazing things that were in the Bible but I knew that it was already getting late and it would not be good for the business if I was half asleep all day. After a little while Ruth and I went to bed.
That Sunday we all went to church for the first time as a family. This was the first time that I really actually understood the sermon. I learned so much that day it was truly amazing! That night I had a wonderful time talking about God’s creation and all that He has done for us.
The weeks to follow were busy but fun. Catherine continued to grow, Ruth and I had the time of our lives going to church and meeting new people. But most importantly we both grew in Christ.
About two years later when Ruth was fourteen and Catherine
was three I purchased a large building. I decided that I would open a large home for families without homes and supplying the women with things that they could do to earn money for a living. The home would also be for orphans. What really started this home up was Lily telling me about the horrible sicknesses that they would get from the cold during the winter and the heat in the summer. She said that day to day you wondered where your next meal would come from. This really alarmed me and that is how Our Home was established.
The very first thing we did after I bought the large building was clean! It was a great blessing having all the overly willing church members there to help us out. The great building had a great amount of mold and dust and dirt. The real blessing was the prayers from our church family and all their abundant donations. In fact after everything was worked out we ran Our Home solely on donations.
It took around a week to get Our Home clean, filled with food, furniture, and everything that would make a great home. Finally the day of the grand opening came! The very first day we had two families and three orphan children.
The days coming were filled with new families and orphans moving in. Each day of the week at some point we had a devotional and someone would tell the story of their life. On Sundays we hold services in the large parlor. Many souls were saved in that very room the first week that Our Home was opened! Our Home was a real blessing!
One day I met a very special orphan, Lorraine. She was special in one way because she had a brain defect. And in another because she smiled all the time and was always happy! She stayed with is about two days before I asked her if she would like to be a part of our family. Very excited she said yes and she is now my third daughter. Lorraine was a big help because she always had a smile and she could cheer up the saddest orphans and families. Often times she would reassure them that their dreams could come true one day.
Unfortunately because of her brain defect and her poor health she died a little over three months after I adopted her. The comforting thing about her death was we knew she was a Christian and we knew that we would see her one day when we got to Heaven. Her last wish was that we adopted all the children with special needs like brain defects, physical disabilities, health problems, and more. We made sure that everyone that ever came to Our Home left feeling loved.
It was always a sad time in one way when someone left Our Home because we developed a strong bond with each family and each orphan. But in another way we were happy for them because they would be able to live independently and the children now had a loving family.
The running of Our Home was a great experience. We met so many people and we were able to lead so many people to Christ. The stories that we heard were just amazing and we remember every single one. In fact we have quest books where everyone that has ever stayed here has signed and written down their life story.
The experience that Ruth got from being able to work with so many of the people was just amazing. Just watching her I could tell that she would go into some type of ministry when she got older.
As the years went by Our Home continued helping people. Many, many people came to know the Lord.
Before I knew it my beautiful Ruth was swept off her feet by a handsome young believer named Joseph. He came to know the Lord at a young age and he was on fire to spread the Word of God. He was led to mission work and about two years after they were married I received a letter from Ruth saying that they had opened another Our Home where they lived.
I continue to be mother to all the special children and all the orphans until they find homes. I still get sad when a family leaves or when an orphan gets adopted but I know that their stay at Our Home has helped them so much and I pray for each person every day as I look at the number of precious guest books.
I am always overjoyed whenever I receive a letter from someone that we have helped saying that they now have a nice home and are very happy.
Soon after Ruth was married Catherine left to attend college to become a teacher. She had always enjoyed working with children and God bless her she seems like an Angel! I pray every day for the non-believers in this world and I pray that the people we have helped at Our Home have had a positive affect on others! God Bless!
~Let me know what y'all think
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Listening to God's Voice
~Growing up we all have dreams. We have dreams, dreams about our future. What will I be? A doctor? A vet? A banker? A firefighter? When we are kids we love to imagine what it would be like if you actually had the job you wanted. But since we are little kids we don't ever wonder "is this what God wants me to do with my life?" But when we do get older, the pressure to chose what to do grows and grows. Often times we find ourselves overwhelmed with too many options.
It's very important choosing what you are going to do very carefully. One wrong choice in anything could make you not get a job, hinder you from reaching your full potential, and hinder your relationship with God. This is why we need to pray about it, talk to our parents, and really just listen to God's voice. Think, is this what God wants for me? Am i doing this for my own selfish reasons or do i want to please God?
In Proverbs 3:6 it says "In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths." We need to let God in on every decision we make.
The choices you make should NOT be focused on how much money you make or where you will be. They should all be about what God is leading you to do.
Even at my young age of younger than 16 I have prayed I don't know how many times about my future. I have really gotten to grow closer to God because I have taken all my problems to him! This past year has been filled with so many amazing oppertunitys that God has allowed me to have. He has strengthened me so much because I have listened to His voice.
We should all listen to His voice today, tomorrow, and every day to come.
Ephesians 1:18- The eyes of your understanding being enlightened that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.
Philippians 3:14- I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 1:11- Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power.
2 Peter 1:10- Wherefore the rather, bretheren, give diligence to make your calling the election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.
It's very important choosing what you are going to do very carefully. One wrong choice in anything could make you not get a job, hinder you from reaching your full potential, and hinder your relationship with God. This is why we need to pray about it, talk to our parents, and really just listen to God's voice. Think, is this what God wants for me? Am i doing this for my own selfish reasons or do i want to please God?
In Proverbs 3:6 it says "In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths." We need to let God in on every decision we make.
The choices you make should NOT be focused on how much money you make or where you will be. They should all be about what God is leading you to do.
Even at my young age of younger than 16 I have prayed I don't know how many times about my future. I have really gotten to grow closer to God because I have taken all my problems to him! This past year has been filled with so many amazing oppertunitys that God has allowed me to have. He has strengthened me so much because I have listened to His voice.
We should all listen to His voice today, tomorrow, and every day to come.
Ephesians 1:18- The eyes of your understanding being enlightened that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.
Philippians 3:14- I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 1:11- Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power.
2 Peter 1:10- Wherefore the rather, bretheren, give diligence to make your calling the election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
God IS Enough
Many times we go through a hard point in our life and we will try to find something that we think is "enough" to get us through that trial.
We can say "if the person I like will just tell me that they like me back, that would be enough". Or maybe "If mom and dad show me they love me, that would be enough". The list can just go on and on!
But even thought we think these things are enough, they really aren't. One of the main things that affects what we think is "enough" is our friends. Often times we feel like an immediate response from a friend, that you can hear, is better than doing what we should, by taking it to God.
Its OK to take problems to a friend but you should always take them to God first. Some problems with taking a problem to your friend first are- they will usually take your side, they don't know everything so they can't help you the way God can, and they might not give you much good advice. No person can compete with God in knowledge. He knows everything and He knows best!
When we start to take everything to our friends we push God out of the picture. And by pushing Him out and going to our friends we are trying to fill a special place in our heart. That special place was created just for God. God will fill that special area more and more when you come to Him with all your problems.
We should believe what Psalm 73:25 says- "Whom have I in Heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you."
That should be ME! That should be YOU! We need to realize that GOD IS ENOUGH! He will meet all your needs!
~Philippians 4:19- But my God shall supply ALL your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
We can say "if the person I like will just tell me that they like me back, that would be enough". Or maybe "If mom and dad show me they love me, that would be enough". The list can just go on and on!
But even thought we think these things are enough, they really aren't. One of the main things that affects what we think is "enough" is our friends. Often times we feel like an immediate response from a friend, that you can hear, is better than doing what we should, by taking it to God.
Its OK to take problems to a friend but you should always take them to God first. Some problems with taking a problem to your friend first are- they will usually take your side, they don't know everything so they can't help you the way God can, and they might not give you much good advice. No person can compete with God in knowledge. He knows everything and He knows best!
When we start to take everything to our friends we push God out of the picture. And by pushing Him out and going to our friends we are trying to fill a special place in our heart. That special place was created just for God. God will fill that special area more and more when you come to Him with all your problems.
We should believe what Psalm 73:25 says- "Whom have I in Heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you."
That should be ME! That should be YOU! We need to realize that GOD IS ENOUGH! He will meet all your needs!
~Philippians 4:19- But my God shall supply ALL your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
FoRgIvEnEsS
~Why is it important to be forgiven?
-It's important to be forgiven because without God's forgiveness we wouldn't be able to get into Heaven. If we didn't have forgiveness we probably wouldn't have much love either. Love usually comes along with forgiveness.
Just by God forgiving us we cat tell that He loves us and cares about so much that He would send His only Son to die so that we could be FORGIVEN.
-Psalm 86:5- For thou, Lord, art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
~Why is it important to forgive?
-It's just as important to forgive as it is to be forgiven. Think about it. We have been forgiven so much so why shouldn't we forgive even the little things? When someone hurts us, whether it is mentally or physically, we don't always want to forgive them because of the pain that it has caused us. But, un-forgiveness can cause bitterness. If we don't forgive somebody who has wronged us and we continue to stay mad at them Satan can use that bitterness to get strongholds so that he can take us down and lead us down a path apart from God. The Bible says that if we didn't forgive then we ourselves dont deserve to be forgiven. God wants us to not only forgive when asked but to forgive even when not asked.
- Matthew 6:14,15- For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
-Mark 11:26- But if ye not forgive, neither will your Father which is in Heaven forgive your trespasses.
-Luke 23:34- Then said Jesus, Father forgive them for they know not what they do.
-Ephesians 4:32- And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
God Bless
-It's important to be forgiven because without God's forgiveness we wouldn't be able to get into Heaven. If we didn't have forgiveness we probably wouldn't have much love either. Love usually comes along with forgiveness.
Just by God forgiving us we cat tell that He loves us and cares about so much that He would send His only Son to die so that we could be FORGIVEN.
-Psalm 86:5- For thou, Lord, art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
~Why is it important to forgive?
-It's just as important to forgive as it is to be forgiven. Think about it. We have been forgiven so much so why shouldn't we forgive even the little things? When someone hurts us, whether it is mentally or physically, we don't always want to forgive them because of the pain that it has caused us. But, un-forgiveness can cause bitterness. If we don't forgive somebody who has wronged us and we continue to stay mad at them Satan can use that bitterness to get strongholds so that he can take us down and lead us down a path apart from God. The Bible says that if we didn't forgive then we ourselves dont deserve to be forgiven. God wants us to not only forgive when asked but to forgive even when not asked.
- Matthew 6:14,15- For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
-Mark 11:26- But if ye not forgive, neither will your Father which is in Heaven forgive your trespasses.
-Luke 23:34- Then said Jesus, Father forgive them for they know not what they do.
-Ephesians 4:32- And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
God Bless
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Bitterness
How to Tear Down The strongholds of bitterness.
Our Souls
The problem-
-Bitterness defiles our souls
In our pursuit of "peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord," We are to watch diligently that no one resists the grace of God. Otherwise, there can very easily spring up in us roots of bitterness. By this means "many be defiled." (Hebrews 12:14-15)
The Consequence
-Bitterness weakens our souls
If we pursue that which is evil, God may allow us to have the evil desires of our hearts but send "leanness into our souls." (Psalm 106:15) Leanness decreases the capacity of our souls to respond to God and to follow his ways.
The Solution-
-Lost ground can be regained
The promise of Psalm 23:3 is especially significant: "He restoreth my soul." As our shepherd, the Lord leads us in the "paths of righteousness" and "prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies." (Psalm 23:3,5)
"Ground"
The definition-
A jurisdictional area of our souls-
We are warned that bitterness will "Give place to the devil" (Ephesians 4:27). The word place in the Greek means "an area of legal control." In a kingdom, the jurisdiction is determined by the ground under the authority of the king.
The Problem-
-Surrendered ground brings torment
When the devil is given ground in a person's soul, he has the legal right to build strongholds on that ground and use it as a base of operations to torment other areas of the soul.
The Solution-
-Ground is regained one step at a time
Every time we allow the sun to go down upon our wrath, we give more ground to Satan, according to Ephesians 4:26-32. There may be many individuals toward whom we are bitter. In warfare, ground that is surrendured to the enemy must be regained a foot at a time.
Strongholds
The Definition-
-A false patterb of thinking
God warns us not to be deceived by vain philosophies which are "after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." Believing these philosophies will allow Satan to "spoil" (plunder) our souls. (Colossians 2:8)
The Consequence-
-Decisions contrary to God's Will
When Satan constructs a line of reasoning in our minds that is contrary to scripture, he then influences our wills to make wrong decisions. Wrong decisions produce distructive emotions such as fear, anger, depression, and worry.
The Solution-
-Strongholds can be pulled down
We have been given weapons that are "mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds" (2 Corinthians 10:4). These weapons of truth are designed to cast down every false philosophy and every deceptive imagination and bring every thought into line with the truth of Christ's teaching.
Examples of Strongholds
-My offender will never change
Jeremiah 32:27
1 Peter 3:1-2
Ephesians 5;25-33
-I must punish my offender
Romans 12:19
Tormentors
The definition-
-powers of evil that afflict our souls
When the servant who had been forgiven the huge debt refuse to forgive one who owed him a little debt, he was rebuked by his lord and delivered over "to the tormentors" (Matthew 18:23-34)
The Problem-
-God sends tormentors to bitter people
In the parable of the unjust steward, the lord rebuked the servant who refuse to forgive an offender: "I forgive thee all that debt. Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on they fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delievered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him" (Matthew 18:32-34)A bitter person becomes a prisoner of his own making.
The Solution-
-Understand the meaning of mercy.
In the parable of the unjust steward, the debtor did not plead for mercy he simply asked for an extension of time. (Matthew 18:26). The lord delivered him to the tormentors so he could come to the realization that he would never be able to pay back his debt.
Steps of Action
1. Confess the sin of bitterness
2. Ask God to regain surrendured ground
3. Tear down strongholds with truth
4. Show mercy by forgiving your offender
Our Souls
The problem-
-Bitterness defiles our souls
In our pursuit of "peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord," We are to watch diligently that no one resists the grace of God. Otherwise, there can very easily spring up in us roots of bitterness. By this means "many be defiled." (Hebrews 12:14-15)
The Consequence
-Bitterness weakens our souls
If we pursue that which is evil, God may allow us to have the evil desires of our hearts but send "leanness into our souls." (Psalm 106:15) Leanness decreases the capacity of our souls to respond to God and to follow his ways.
The Solution-
-Lost ground can be regained
The promise of Psalm 23:3 is especially significant: "He restoreth my soul." As our shepherd, the Lord leads us in the "paths of righteousness" and "prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies." (Psalm 23:3,5)
"Ground"
The definition-
A jurisdictional area of our souls-
We are warned that bitterness will "Give place to the devil" (Ephesians 4:27). The word place in the Greek means "an area of legal control." In a kingdom, the jurisdiction is determined by the ground under the authority of the king.
The Problem-
-Surrendered ground brings torment
When the devil is given ground in a person's soul, he has the legal right to build strongholds on that ground and use it as a base of operations to torment other areas of the soul.
The Solution-
-Ground is regained one step at a time
Every time we allow the sun to go down upon our wrath, we give more ground to Satan, according to Ephesians 4:26-32. There may be many individuals toward whom we are bitter. In warfare, ground that is surrendured to the enemy must be regained a foot at a time.
Strongholds
The Definition-
-A false patterb of thinking
God warns us not to be deceived by vain philosophies which are "after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." Believing these philosophies will allow Satan to "spoil" (plunder) our souls. (Colossians 2:8)
The Consequence-
-Decisions contrary to God's Will
When Satan constructs a line of reasoning in our minds that is contrary to scripture, he then influences our wills to make wrong decisions. Wrong decisions produce distructive emotions such as fear, anger, depression, and worry.
The Solution-
-Strongholds can be pulled down
We have been given weapons that are "mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds" (2 Corinthians 10:4). These weapons of truth are designed to cast down every false philosophy and every deceptive imagination and bring every thought into line with the truth of Christ's teaching.
Examples of Strongholds
-My offender will never change
Jeremiah 32:27
1 Peter 3:1-2
Ephesians 5;25-33
-I must punish my offender
Romans 12:19
Tormentors
The definition-
-powers of evil that afflict our souls
When the servant who had been forgiven the huge debt refuse to forgive one who owed him a little debt, he was rebuked by his lord and delivered over "to the tormentors" (Matthew 18:23-34)
The Problem-
-God sends tormentors to bitter people
In the parable of the unjust steward, the lord rebuked the servant who refuse to forgive an offender: "I forgive thee all that debt. Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on they fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delievered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him" (Matthew 18:32-34)A bitter person becomes a prisoner of his own making.
The Solution-
-Understand the meaning of mercy.
In the parable of the unjust steward, the debtor did not plead for mercy he simply asked for an extension of time. (Matthew 18:26). The lord delivered him to the tormentors so he could come to the realization that he would never be able to pay back his debt.
Steps of Action
1. Confess the sin of bitterness
2. Ask God to regain surrendured ground
3. Tear down strongholds with truth
4. Show mercy by forgiving your offender
A Missionary Story We can All Learn from!
~This isn't a very well known name but this woman was truly incredible! She many not be the one we think of when someone says a great Christian woman from the past, but she was just as important as Mary Slessor, Amy Carmichael, or Susanna Wesley! This is a little bit from the life of Sabina Wurmbrand.
~Sabina grew up as a jew in the 1920's. As Jews they didn'tbelieve in saying the word Christ, so therefore, they didn't have a CHRISTmas. They didn't believe that Jesus was the Messiah either. In 1936 Sabina married Richard Wurmbrand. Richard was a Jew also and he grew up with the same beliefs as Sabina. Not long after they had been ,married Richard became a Christian and accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour! When Sabina found out she was so mad. Soon after their marriage became dead. Finally Richard was able to lead Sabina to Christ.
By 1943 World War 2 had broken out and was raging. Sabina had already lost both her parents, her sisters, and her brother to death in the Nazi concentration camps. "May God forgive them" she prayed. "I'll pray that prayer until I really mean it". And that is exactly what she did. Each week for Sabina was packed full of ministry. One week she might be helping in the soup kitchen. The next she might be smuggling food to refugees. She might be trying to get salt into Buddapest. She was a busy woman serving the Lord.
In 1948 her hardest trial yet came. Richard had disappeared!! Even though she went through many trials through the next 21 years that Richard was gone she kept helping other people and serving the Lord!
~Think about it. Sabina went through so much persecution but she never strayed from God. She continyed to serve Him. She forgave the people that had caused her these hard trials and she suffered much more than many of us. God teaches us to to forgive our enemies and to love those that hurt us!
Dear God, make me like Sabina Wurmbrand.
~God Bless!
Friday, July 23, 2010
Self Image
~When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Many kids, teens, and adults see only an ugly face in their reflection. They just see their flaws and that makes them feel ugly. Maybe they have no flaws at all but something somebody might have said has made them feel inferior. That's not what God sees when He looks at you.
When you look at your body, what do you see? Many see imperfections. But, God sees his image. And the way he made you is perfect! There may be something "wrong" with the way you look, talk, or feel but God designed us to have these flaws to glorify Him.
-Height doesn't matter. Kick weight our the door. Scars, in the trash. Any "imperfection" you can find are just imperfections to you. God sees a perfect work of art. He knows what purpose you will serve and that's why He made you the way you are. We might not be the prettiest girl in our school,church, or friends. We might not have the biggest muscles in our school, church, or friends. But when God sees us He sees His creation. He sees a miracle.
~Think of all the things, that if you could, you would change about yourself.
Now look at this-
10 Unchangeable Things About Me
1. Parents 6. Birth order in your family
2. Time we live in 7. brothers and sisters
3. people groups 8. Physical features
4. Nationality 9. Mental capacities
5. Gender 10. Aging & Death
Were any of these thing on your list?
-Isaiah 53:2 talks about how outward beauty is not related to inward happiness. You don't have to be pretty or handsome to be happy. Some of the most miserable people are who most people thing are the best looking. True beauty comes from the heart. If you don't have love, then wheres your beauty?
True happiness comes from God. A life of total dependence on God will bring you true happiness.
~ Any "defect" you may have shows ownership. Who do you think allowed you to have that special "Flaw"? God did. Now thank God for that flaw and for showing His ownership on you by giving you this "defect".
~God Bless
When you look at your body, what do you see? Many see imperfections. But, God sees his image. And the way he made you is perfect! There may be something "wrong" with the way you look, talk, or feel but God designed us to have these flaws to glorify Him.
-Height doesn't matter. Kick weight our the door. Scars, in the trash. Any "imperfection" you can find are just imperfections to you. God sees a perfect work of art. He knows what purpose you will serve and that's why He made you the way you are. We might not be the prettiest girl in our school,church, or friends. We might not have the biggest muscles in our school, church, or friends. But when God sees us He sees His creation. He sees a miracle.
~Think of all the things, that if you could, you would change about yourself.
Now look at this-
10 Unchangeable Things About Me
1. Parents 6. Birth order in your family
2. Time we live in 7. brothers and sisters
3. people groups 8. Physical features
4. Nationality 9. Mental capacities
5. Gender 10. Aging & Death
Were any of these thing on your list?
-Isaiah 53:2 talks about how outward beauty is not related to inward happiness. You don't have to be pretty or handsome to be happy. Some of the most miserable people are who most people thing are the best looking. True beauty comes from the heart. If you don't have love, then wheres your beauty?
True happiness comes from God. A life of total dependence on God will bring you true happiness.
~ Any "defect" you may have shows ownership. Who do you think allowed you to have that special "Flaw"? God did. Now thank God for that flaw and for showing His ownership on you by giving you this "defect".
~God Bless
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Devotional from Amy Charmichael
Colossians 1:11- Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and long suffering with joyfullness.
- Sometimes nothing help us more than to read and re-read some great word of our God's. We can renew our strength by reading it not just in one version, but in many. Each yields some new emphasis, some fresh light.
Colossians 1:11 is a fathomless word. Ponder these different translations.
Moffat: "May His glorious might nerver you with full power to endure and too be patient cheerfully, whatever comes."
Weymouth: "Since His power is so glorious, may you be strengthened with strength of every kind, and be prepared for cheerfully enduring all things with patience and longsuffering."
Way: "I ask Him that with all His strength you may be strengthened, even to the measure of the might of His divine majesty, till you attain to all-enduring patience and forbearance, which exults under suffering."
The devil will see to it that there is something to try the spirit today. He always sharpes his fiery darts. But he can do nothing against this shield.
~God Bless
- Sometimes nothing help us more than to read and re-read some great word of our God's. We can renew our strength by reading it not just in one version, but in many. Each yields some new emphasis, some fresh light.
Colossians 1:11 is a fathomless word. Ponder these different translations.
Moffat: "May His glorious might nerver you with full power to endure and too be patient cheerfully, whatever comes."
Weymouth: "Since His power is so glorious, may you be strengthened with strength of every kind, and be prepared for cheerfully enduring all things with patience and longsuffering."
Way: "I ask Him that with all His strength you may be strengthened, even to the measure of the might of His divine majesty, till you attain to all-enduring patience and forbearance, which exults under suffering."
The devil will see to it that there is something to try the spirit today. He always sharpes his fiery darts. But he can do nothing against this shield.
~God Bless
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
A few thoughts from some of the early years of Amy Carmichaels life.
For over a hundred years the flour mill in the seaside village of Millisle in Northern Ireland was wehre many of the villagers worked. Others farmed and fished, but they too were involved with the flour mill because the farmers took their grain there to be made into flour, and the fishermen's wives bought their bread flour at the mill. For all of that time the mill belonged to the Carmichael family.
1867 was an exciting year for the young Carmichael couple because they were expecting their first child. She was born just nine dayse before Christmas, and they called the little girl Amy Beatrice.
Amy ws not to be the only child of the mill owners; six others were born over the years that followed.
It was a very busy household. There were probably only three times in the day when the house was quiet. One was when the children were all tucked up in bed and asleep and the other two were when the family met round the table to have morning and evening prayers.
Amy had a special time each night. "After the nursery light was turned low and i was quite alone," she told a friend once, "I used to smooth a little place on the sheet and say aloud, but softly, to our Father, "Please come and sit with me". Amy was not talking about her dad, she was talking about her heavenly Father.
One day Amy and Mrs. Carmichael had gone out shopping in Belfast where they also had tea. That night Amy sat down by the fire with her family to tell of her day in Belfast. "A little girl came and stood near the door and looked through the window of the tea-shop," she told the other children, "delicious cakes and sweets were set out in the window. As we left we saw the little girl with her face pressed close to the glass. She was looking at all the cakes and sweets. She was a poor little girl in a thin ragged dress. It was raining, and her bare feet on the wet pavement looked very cold."
When Father called the family to have worshop, Amy was not the only one who prayed for that poor little girl. And when her brothers and sisters were tucked up in bed that night, Amy sat on by the nursery fire. She couldn't get that poor girl out of her mind, so much so that she wrote a poem about her.
-When I grow up and money have,
I know what I will do,
I'll build a great big lovely place,
For little girls like you.
~It is just amazing to me that she had such a caring heart and a heart willing to work for God at such and early age. This is a precious thing to have. And it is even more special when your reach that at a young age. She cared so deeply for that one little girl, that she wrote a poem about her. She cared enough about the welfare of the other girls like that ONE little girl in the window, to know thats what she wanted to do for her lifes work.
We need to have that willing heart for God. Come on! There are souls burning in Hell right now and we arent doing anything about it! We need to forget about our own personal needs and our many comforts and go out, and teach the Gospel. Show people Christs love! We need to have a Servants Heart to do Gods will.
A song that I learned just this year has become my favorite song. The words are so powerful! The key part of the song is - Lord Send me anywhere. Only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me.
This song is just AMAZING and so convicting. Are we really willing for the Lord to send us anywhere? Amy had that heart. She was willing to go where the Lord sent her. Are we?
~God Bless
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Psalm 1:4-6
~Psalm 1:4- The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
-The first part of this verse is referring back to verses 1-3. It's saying that the ungodly person does NOT have his delight in the law of the Lord. He DOESN'T bear fruit. The ungodly are not strongly rooted. This ungodly man represents the world. They don't care for the things of God. Their main focus is on thing that please them.
- In the second part of the verse it is saying that the ungodly man is like chaff and it blows away. A chaff is like a corn husk. So basically God is putting a corn husk and an ungodly man together and saying that they are as the same. The ungodly man does not have anything to hold onto through hard times. He has nobody to turn to for help. We, however, as believers in Christ have God and His perfect Word to get us through the hard times. Keep your foundation and beliefs in the Lord Jesus Christ.
~Psalm 1:5-Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
- This verse is saying that the ungodly won't make it through the judgement day. Without Jesus they wont make it through into Heaven. The sinners who have not repented of their sins will not be able to stand in the congregation of the Angels and Believers in Heaven after their judgement because of their sin.
- This is why it is very important that we win as many souls to Christ as we possibly can. No one knows how soon they will die. This is why we must be ready when our time comes. We must be ready for our judgement day to lay down our crowns at Jesus feet.
~Psalm 1:6- For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous; but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
- Here God is clearly saying that those who know Him will be with Him in Heaven when they die. But, those that don't know Him will be separated from God for the rest of eternity. They will live a life of pain and suffering in Hell.
- This should be a great burden on out hearts. We need to tell others about Jesus love so that we can all rejoice one day in Paradise with Jesus Christ!
~God Bless
-The first part of this verse is referring back to verses 1-3. It's saying that the ungodly person does NOT have his delight in the law of the Lord. He DOESN'T bear fruit. The ungodly are not strongly rooted. This ungodly man represents the world. They don't care for the things of God. Their main focus is on thing that please them.
- In the second part of the verse it is saying that the ungodly man is like chaff and it blows away. A chaff is like a corn husk. So basically God is putting a corn husk and an ungodly man together and saying that they are as the same. The ungodly man does not have anything to hold onto through hard times. He has nobody to turn to for help. We, however, as believers in Christ have God and His perfect Word to get us through the hard times. Keep your foundation and beliefs in the Lord Jesus Christ.
~Psalm 1:5-Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
- This verse is saying that the ungodly won't make it through the judgement day. Without Jesus they wont make it through into Heaven. The sinners who have not repented of their sins will not be able to stand in the congregation of the Angels and Believers in Heaven after their judgement because of their sin.
- This is why it is very important that we win as many souls to Christ as we possibly can. No one knows how soon they will die. This is why we must be ready when our time comes. We must be ready for our judgement day to lay down our crowns at Jesus feet.
~Psalm 1:6- For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous; but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
- Here God is clearly saying that those who know Him will be with Him in Heaven when they die. But, those that don't know Him will be separated from God for the rest of eternity. They will live a life of pain and suffering in Hell.
- This should be a great burden on out hearts. We need to tell others about Jesus love so that we can all rejoice one day in Paradise with Jesus Christ!
~God Bless
Monday, July 19, 2010
Psalm 1:1-3
~Psalm 1:1- Blessed is the man that walketh not in the council of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
-We, as Christians, should be like the man this verse talks about. We shouldn't follow the example of the world. Sure we dont have to stick out like a sore thumb but think about it. The way we behave, the kind of music we listen to, the ways we may dress.. are some of these ways following the world or the Lord? If Jesus returned again and came into YOUR house would you have to go throw away your music? Turn of the radio? Hide your movies? Delete memory from your computer? Should we be identifying with the world so much that people cant see that we are different?
Also we shouldn't have friends that will just bring us down. A good friend isn't a friend that encourages you to do bad things, but is one that encourages you to do the right things. Make the right choices. Peer pressure is a dangerous thing. Be careful in your choice of close friends.
This verse is saying- "blessed is the man that walketh NOT in the council of the ungodly. Don't walk with the world, walk with the LORD!
~Psalm 1:2- But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
- Instead of being the one that follows the WORLD we need to be that ONE person that will really delight in Gods word. We should be that ONE person that has a real, true, fellowship with God. This is time consuming but it is not wasted time, whatsoever! Pray, read your Bible, Praise the Lord with singing.
As Followers of Christ our delight should be in the wondrous attributes of God and not the deceitful things of the world.
~Psalm 1:3- And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
-We should be that tree. We should be watered by the Word of God. We should be the ones going out, all over the world, and bearing fruit by sharing the gospel with others. We should be bearing fruit all the time.
-How many times have you walked by someone in the store, at a party, in a park, at a pool and you KNOW that you felt the Holy Spirit telling you to go and speak to that person. You knew what you were supposed to do but you were afraid. Many times this has been the case with me. I would think "what if they just keep on walking? what if I forget what the Bible says? What if this. what if that." And Ive realized that by not talking to them I directly disobeyed God and possibly just sent that person straight to Hell. Its a terrifying thought knowing that you could have done something but you chose not to.
- We need to be that person that points them in the right direction. Show them Christs love. Bear good fruit! We have only one life and we need to use this one and only life we have here on earth in the best way possible. We should share Jesus love!
- In the verse it says that his leaf shall not wither. We shouldn't loose our love for Christ. We should replenish it! Restore it! Renew it! Whatsoever we do to the glory of God will prosper into something much greater!
~God Bless
-We, as Christians, should be like the man this verse talks about. We shouldn't follow the example of the world. Sure we dont have to stick out like a sore thumb but think about it. The way we behave, the kind of music we listen to, the ways we may dress.. are some of these ways following the world or the Lord? If Jesus returned again and came into YOUR house would you have to go throw away your music? Turn of the radio? Hide your movies? Delete memory from your computer? Should we be identifying with the world so much that people cant see that we are different?
Also we shouldn't have friends that will just bring us down. A good friend isn't a friend that encourages you to do bad things, but is one that encourages you to do the right things. Make the right choices. Peer pressure is a dangerous thing. Be careful in your choice of close friends.
This verse is saying- "blessed is the man that walketh NOT in the council of the ungodly. Don't walk with the world, walk with the LORD!
~Psalm 1:2- But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
- Instead of being the one that follows the WORLD we need to be that ONE person that will really delight in Gods word. We should be that ONE person that has a real, true, fellowship with God. This is time consuming but it is not wasted time, whatsoever! Pray, read your Bible, Praise the Lord with singing.
As Followers of Christ our delight should be in the wondrous attributes of God and not the deceitful things of the world.
~Psalm 1:3- And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
-We should be that tree. We should be watered by the Word of God. We should be the ones going out, all over the world, and bearing fruit by sharing the gospel with others. We should be bearing fruit all the time.
-How many times have you walked by someone in the store, at a party, in a park, at a pool and you KNOW that you felt the Holy Spirit telling you to go and speak to that person. You knew what you were supposed to do but you were afraid. Many times this has been the case with me. I would think "what if they just keep on walking? what if I forget what the Bible says? What if this. what if that." And Ive realized that by not talking to them I directly disobeyed God and possibly just sent that person straight to Hell. Its a terrifying thought knowing that you could have done something but you chose not to.
- We need to be that person that points them in the right direction. Show them Christs love. Bear good fruit! We have only one life and we need to use this one and only life we have here on earth in the best way possible. We should share Jesus love!
- In the verse it says that his leaf shall not wither. We shouldn't loose our love for Christ. We should replenish it! Restore it! Renew it! Whatsoever we do to the glory of God will prosper into something much greater!
~God Bless
About "A life 4 Christ.
This blog is mainly to encourage all of us! I pray that you will get something out of the daily devotionals that i will be posting! This is my first time to ever creat a blog so I cant wait to see how this will turn out! If you have any questions feel free to leave me a comment or somethin! Hope you have a WONDERFUL day!! God Bless!
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