I'm going to talk about something that God has been laying on my heart a lot lately. It's a bit of a touchy subject for a lot of people that I know and have been close to over the years.
In case you don't know, I was raised in a Christian home by the greatest parents in the world. Up until I was 15 we attended a church that was fairly legalistic. In my younger years I didn't know that. I thought it was normal because I had been going there my whole life. I thought it was normal for your pastor to tell the congregation what you should and shouldn't wear. I thought it was normal to go to conferences where all they did was tell you what you were doing wrong and why you shouldn't wear jeans(because that causes men to lust after you). I thought it was normal for your parents to be too afraid to let you spend the night at a friends house because they were scared of what "the men in the house might do to you as a young girl."(No it wasn't the men in a particular family, it was men in general.) I was taught that girls couldn't do certain things. I wasn't allowed to play sports past T-ball. I wasn't supposed to do a number of things because I am a girl. Now, I can't even remember what those things are, but at the time that really upset me. I literally could go on about all of this all day, but I won't because that's not what this post is about.
Growing up in that church I never resented my parents for what they made me read, what they made me do, or what they made me wear. However I did begin to resent the leadership in the church. As I got older I began to see a lot of it as ridiculous and over the top, but that was what I was used to. I had grown up in that. My parents, as well as all of my friends parents, were very strict with their kids. This caused a bunch of rebellion as my friends older siblings began to get old enough to drive and start going to a different church on their own. It has caused many of the people that I know to become bitter towards their parents, the Church, and even God.
The point of this post is not to show how wrong this church was or how wrong our parents were. It is to show that my parents, and the parents of my friends, only did what they thought was best for us. I don't have kids of my own yet but I've gotten to see enough parents with their young children that just want the best for them. They just want them to know that they are loved. They want them to know what is right and wrong. They want them to be safe and most importantly they want them to love God. I've seen that it is incredibly difficult to be a parent in this crazy world, and even more difficult to raise children in the ways of God.
I truly believe that my parents did what they thought at the time was right. I can't tell you how many times my mom and dad have apologized for everything that they put me and my siblings through growing up. They wish that they could do it over again. I feel that it would be wrong of me to be bitter towards them for just trying to raise me right. Can I just say how happy I am that my little siblings get to grow up in a church free of judgement and free of the constant belief that you can never do anything right in God's eyes? I truly praise God that they get to grow up in Southwinds Baptist Church. I don't resent the fact that my 9 year old sister was allowed to wear jeans her whole life. I don't resent the fact that my younger siblings get to have sleepovers. I love that for them. I love that they have a good relationship with my parents and they have a relationship with God that is their own and wasn't forced upon them.
I always find it so sad when I hear some of my friends talk about how mad they are that their younger siblings are getting to do something that they never had the chance to do, because of our background. They are so angry towards their parents and I hate that for them. They can't see that their parents only did what they thought was best for them(or maybe they don't want to). It's even more sad though when my friends parents say something about it. I hate hearing how broken they are when they were just trying to do the right thing. I know they would change a lot if they could.
Dear friends, please forgive your parents. You may never know how much they need you to. So please let it go. They only did all of this out of love for you and for God.
Dear parents, if you haven't already, please ask for your children's forgiveness. You never know how much they may need you to ask.
Sarah (formerly Stephens) Chute
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Saturday, May 25, 2013
New Blog :)
Alright! So I've been having some trouble with this blog such as people not being able to comment and trouble making posts. Ugh. So I decided to make a second blog. I will be keeping all of my previous posts on here and this blog will stay up. But all future posts will be made on the new one!
Here's the link- http://alife4christ-sarah2.blogspot.com
Feel free to give me any feedback by emailing me at
alife4christ.sarah@gmail.com
or
sarahbeans.shortstuff@gmail.com
Also feel free to make comments on the other blog! Keep it real :)
{Sarah Elisabeth}
Romans 8:28
Here's the link- http://alife4christ-sarah2.blogspot.com
Feel free to give me any feedback by emailing me at
alife4christ.sarah@gmail.com
or
sarahbeans.shortstuff@gmail.com
Also feel free to make comments on the other blog! Keep it real :)
{Sarah Elisabeth}
Romans 8:28
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
For Everything There is a Season
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
So wow... It's been almost a full year since I've made a post on here. So very much has happened in this past year. It has seemed like there were more downs than ups, to be completely honest. But who has been there with me the whole time, every single second? Every sleepless night? Not my friends here on earth but the One who is my Best Friend. My Savior. Jesus Christ.
One of the biggest struggles(as well as most common) I've had this past year is in the area of friendships. God allowed things to happen with 3 of my closest friends and we are no longer close anymore. It's sad to say that the first time that happened I pushed away from God and I just blamed myself for what happened. I was at what I believe to be the lowest point in my relationship with Christ for about 3 months and then I went to youth camp. Camp Mitchell. Five days with a group of amazing teens, an incredible youth pastor, fantastic counselors, and God. No cell phones, no Internet, no connections with anybody who was not on that mountain in Arkansas. That week God taught me how to forgive myself. He taught me that even though I am not perfect He still loves me. When I mess up He continually forgives. It seemed like every single lesson that Sonny taught was directed straight at me. It applied perfectly to what I was going through right then. It's incredible how God works like that. Philippians 3:12 says "Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus."
Something else that was huge to me that week was that God has reconciled me to Himself. Nobody can say or do anything that will stick on me when judgement day comes. Jesus' blood has washed ALL of my sins away. Past, Present, and Future. Christ has set me apart as His. I am His child. I belong to Him. God has started a work in me and He will continue that work if I allow Him to. I must not move away from the gospel. I must stay rooted and firm in my belief in Jesus Christ. Colossians 1:21-23 says "And you, being in time past alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present your body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and unreproveable before him: if so be that ye continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel which ye heard, which was preached in all creation under heaven; whereof I Paul was made a minister."
After Camp Mitchell, with God's help, I stayed on track with my Quiet Time and my relationship with Christ got better and I was closer to Him than I had been in a long time. I learned to depend on Him and I realized that He was all I really needed. I realized that He was the only friend that I truly needed to have. LIFT camp with my church rolled around and that week God continued to teach me about forgiveness and He continued to speak to me about how much I really needed Him. That week(through the LIFT staff testimonial videos) He also showed me that I didn't have to have some huge story of my life being completely turned around by Him for my testimony to have an impact. He also showed me that He speaks the most to us when we are quiet and still, just listening to Him. "And, behold, Jehovah passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before Jehovah; but Jehovah was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but Jehovah was not in the earthquake: and after the earthquake a fire; but Jehovah was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice." -1 Kings 19:11-12
In July of 2012 we found out that my MaMaw Cain had cancer. The doctors said it wasn't curable and they didn't know how long she would have to live. Pray. Pray. Pray. Over the next few months her cancer continued to affect her more and it kept growing. She was doing chemotherapy in an attempt to kill the cancer. Thanksgiving day came and the whole family was there with the exception of my oldest brother and his fiance as well as 2 cousins. We had a lot to be thankful that day because we got the news that her cancer was gone. The chemotherapy had worked! God really does work miracles :) She was still very, very weak though. Having everybody there wore her out but she wanted to see everybody together at least one last time. We took family pictures and we will cherish them always. My MaMaw got really sick towards the end of the year and because of all the chemo her body was shutting down. On January 8th she went home to be with the Lord. She was no longer suffering which we were so thankful for.
Once again family came together. This time not one person was missing. Tight, long hugs. Tears. More hugs came with more tears. So many flowers. Memories and even more tears. Laughter. Some people are afraid to laugh and remember those who have passed away but I think its part of the healing process. We can't be upset forever. I feel like God wants us to remember those we love and the happy times we shared together. He doesn't want us to live our lives missing those who have gone on to be with Him. He wants us to learn from their lives and to live for Him with what time we have left.
Once again I am reminded of how short life really is and how every decision I make will have an affect on me for the rest of my life. So little time on this earth and how do I spend that time here? Not doing all that I could be for Christ that's for sure. I could definitely do more for Him and for His kingdom. That's something I struggle with though. I struggle with making time for Him and with witnessing one on one to others.
In February of this year Heaven gained yet another Angel who was close to my heart. Grandpa Bill Schroeder. Not related by blood, or by marriage but related by choice. In June of 2002 my family moved into a new house and down the street lived the sweetest man and woman. They soon became our adopted grandparents. With a pond and a creek right behind their house we were always down there. We often took evening walks to their house and talked with them for long periods of time. All 3 of my brothers got to develop a personal relationship with Grandpa Bill that only comes with working together outside all year round. Last year they moved to Round Rock, Texas to be closer to Grandma Karen's daughter when Grandma Karen got really sick. Grandpa Bill got really sick at the beginning of February and went downhill fast. Me, my brother Jake, and sister Rachel were able to be with him the last two days he was here on this earth. On February 17th he passed away. I was holding his hand and had my head on his chest when God finally called him home. I can honestly say that it was the hardest thing I have been through so far but God is good and He got me through it. He has been my Comforter, my Rock, my Shelter, and He has been my Friend.
A lot of times it is so hard for me to try and understand why so many hard things seem to keep coming my way one right after the other. But I realize that God only gives me as much as I can handle. That's one of the great things about Him. He knows me so well that He knows just how much I can handle. But He knows I can't handle all of it on my own. I continually have to be reminded to go to Him for help. I have to remember that He should be my source of joy, comfort, shelter, and peace. He continually reminds me of this verse "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God; to them that are the called according to his purpose." -Romans 8:28. I've found that to be my life verse. To me it means that if I'm serving God and loving Him like I should then everything will turn out alright. God's got me in the palm of His hand and no matter what trial I face He will always be there for me. He never leaves my side and He will NEVER abandon me.
March 29th, 2013 my oldest brother(Isaac) got married! Woohoo! It was such an exciting day for everybody! A beautiful wedding. And I am SO happy for them!
Now let me tell you about someone who has been one of the hugest blessings in my life this past year. Her name is Jensyn. We met in June of 2012 and honestly I didn't like her a whole lot at first(don't worry, she knows that). It wasn't til around August(I think) that we became actual friends. We started texting all the time. This past year she has been with me through thick and thin. She really has never left my side. She has been a huge encouragement to me and always reminds me to seek God's will in every single situation. She really proves that it is possible to be beautiful from the inside out. "Who can find a virtuous woman?For her price is far above rubies." Proverbs 31:10
She's helped me get through some of the hardest trials I've ever had in my life. We have spent countless hours talking and I don't doubt that we will spend many more hours doing the same. We've laughed our heads off together for many reasons. Our late nights together at each other's houses watching scary movies and talking has brought us closer together in more than one. ;) I've never met anyone who is like this girl and that's what I like about her. She's not afraid to admit when she is wrong and she doesn't rub it in when she's right. She stands up for what she believes in. She listens to my problems, she gives great advice, and she is respectful of others. She's not perfect but she sure is pretty dang close to it! A verse that reminds me of her is Isaiah 62:3- "You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God." Jensyn is a crown of beauty and a royal diadem in God's eyes. She's a wonderful person, friend, daughter, and sister. You'll never find a more loyal friend than this girl. She's my best friend. She's my Pinks.
Currently God is teaching me that I need to trust Him more and that I need to let Him have control of every area of my life. He is also teaching me to respect my authorities even more and trust those that He has placed in authority over me. It's hard and I know I can't do it on my own so I have to daily give every aspect of my life over to Him. Also patience. He's teaching me how to wait. "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." Psalms 27:14
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
So wow... It's been almost a full year since I've made a post on here. So very much has happened in this past year. It has seemed like there were more downs than ups, to be completely honest. But who has been there with me the whole time, every single second? Every sleepless night? Not my friends here on earth but the One who is my Best Friend. My Savior. Jesus Christ.
One of the biggest struggles(as well as most common) I've had this past year is in the area of friendships. God allowed things to happen with 3 of my closest friends and we are no longer close anymore. It's sad to say that the first time that happened I pushed away from God and I just blamed myself for what happened. I was at what I believe to be the lowest point in my relationship with Christ for about 3 months and then I went to youth camp. Camp Mitchell. Five days with a group of amazing teens, an incredible youth pastor, fantastic counselors, and God. No cell phones, no Internet, no connections with anybody who was not on that mountain in Arkansas. That week God taught me how to forgive myself. He taught me that even though I am not perfect He still loves me. When I mess up He continually forgives. It seemed like every single lesson that Sonny taught was directed straight at me. It applied perfectly to what I was going through right then. It's incredible how God works like that. Philippians 3:12 says "Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus."
Something else that was huge to me that week was that God has reconciled me to Himself. Nobody can say or do anything that will stick on me when judgement day comes. Jesus' blood has washed ALL of my sins away. Past, Present, and Future. Christ has set me apart as His. I am His child. I belong to Him. God has started a work in me and He will continue that work if I allow Him to. I must not move away from the gospel. I must stay rooted and firm in my belief in Jesus Christ. Colossians 1:21-23 says "And you, being in time past alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present your body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and unreproveable before him: if so be that ye continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel which ye heard, which was preached in all creation under heaven; whereof I Paul was made a minister."
 |
| Camp Mitchell |
After Camp Mitchell, with God's help, I stayed on track with my Quiet Time and my relationship with Christ got better and I was closer to Him than I had been in a long time. I learned to depend on Him and I realized that He was all I really needed. I realized that He was the only friend that I truly needed to have. LIFT camp with my church rolled around and that week God continued to teach me about forgiveness and He continued to speak to me about how much I really needed Him. That week(through the LIFT staff testimonial videos) He also showed me that I didn't have to have some huge story of my life being completely turned around by Him for my testimony to have an impact. He also showed me that He speaks the most to us when we are quiet and still, just listening to Him. "And, behold, Jehovah passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before Jehovah; but Jehovah was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but Jehovah was not in the earthquake: and after the earthquake a fire; but Jehovah was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice." -1 Kings 19:11-12
 |
| Lift Camp |
The rest of the summer went pretty well. I continued to grow closer to Christ and my relationship with Him became deeper and deeper. Then one Friday morning my world was shaken up. August 31st, 2012 God called a wonderful young man home to be with Him in Heaven. Chanse Seiter. He had gotten in a car accident on his way home from work. When I got the news it was like every single memory I had ever had with him came flooding back all at once. Me and Chanse weren't very close friends and I knew I would see him again one day but that didn't make it hurt any less. His smile is what I will always remember most about him. He could really light up a room with just one smile. It really hits close to home when a friend dies. He was just a few years older than me and just in between the ages of my two older brothers.There were so many people at his funeral. It really showed how many peoples lives he had made an impact on. He had touched each persons life in some way. Seeing that made me think of the impact I have on people. There are people that are watching what I do. I come in contact with so many people. What I say and do is going to affect someone in some way. Whether it is good or bad, it will have an affect on someones life. I know this is cliche but it really made me realize how short life actually is. It also made me realize how little time I really have to make a difference on this earth as a Christian. My life really is so short in the grand scope of things. The death of someone you love is always hard and sometimes it's hard to understand why God allows such wonderful people to die. But we have to realize that God has a plan. We also must remember that there is a time and a season for everything. "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die;" -Ecclesiastes 3:1-2a
 |
| Chanse Seiter |
In July of 2012 we found out that my MaMaw Cain had cancer. The doctors said it wasn't curable and they didn't know how long she would have to live. Pray. Pray. Pray. Over the next few months her cancer continued to affect her more and it kept growing. She was doing chemotherapy in an attempt to kill the cancer. Thanksgiving day came and the whole family was there with the exception of my oldest brother and his fiance as well as 2 cousins. We had a lot to be thankful that day because we got the news that her cancer was gone. The chemotherapy had worked! God really does work miracles :) She was still very, very weak though. Having everybody there wore her out but she wanted to see everybody together at least one last time. We took family pictures and we will cherish them always. My MaMaw got really sick towards the end of the year and because of all the chemo her body was shutting down. On January 8th she went home to be with the Lord. She was no longer suffering which we were so thankful for.
Once again family came together. This time not one person was missing. Tight, long hugs. Tears. More hugs came with more tears. So many flowers. Memories and even more tears. Laughter. Some people are afraid to laugh and remember those who have passed away but I think its part of the healing process. We can't be upset forever. I feel like God wants us to remember those we love and the happy times we shared together. He doesn't want us to live our lives missing those who have gone on to be with Him. He wants us to learn from their lives and to live for Him with what time we have left.
 |
| My Family |
Once again I am reminded of how short life really is and how every decision I make will have an affect on me for the rest of my life. So little time on this earth and how do I spend that time here? Not doing all that I could be for Christ that's for sure. I could definitely do more for Him and for His kingdom. That's something I struggle with though. I struggle with making time for Him and with witnessing one on one to others.
In February of this year Heaven gained yet another Angel who was close to my heart. Grandpa Bill Schroeder. Not related by blood, or by marriage but related by choice. In June of 2002 my family moved into a new house and down the street lived the sweetest man and woman. They soon became our adopted grandparents. With a pond and a creek right behind their house we were always down there. We often took evening walks to their house and talked with them for long periods of time. All 3 of my brothers got to develop a personal relationship with Grandpa Bill that only comes with working together outside all year round. Last year they moved to Round Rock, Texas to be closer to Grandma Karen's daughter when Grandma Karen got really sick. Grandpa Bill got really sick at the beginning of February and went downhill fast. Me, my brother Jake, and sister Rachel were able to be with him the last two days he was here on this earth. On February 17th he passed away. I was holding his hand and had my head on his chest when God finally called him home. I can honestly say that it was the hardest thing I have been through so far but God is good and He got me through it. He has been my Comforter, my Rock, my Shelter, and He has been my Friend.
A lot of times it is so hard for me to try and understand why so many hard things seem to keep coming my way one right after the other. But I realize that God only gives me as much as I can handle. That's one of the great things about Him. He knows me so well that He knows just how much I can handle. But He knows I can't handle all of it on my own. I continually have to be reminded to go to Him for help. I have to remember that He should be my source of joy, comfort, shelter, and peace. He continually reminds me of this verse "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God; to them that are the called according to his purpose." -Romans 8:28. I've found that to be my life verse. To me it means that if I'm serving God and loving Him like I should then everything will turn out alright. God's got me in the palm of His hand and no matter what trial I face He will always be there for me. He never leaves my side and He will NEVER abandon me.
March 29th, 2013 my oldest brother(Isaac) got married! Woohoo! It was such an exciting day for everybody! A beautiful wedding. And I am SO happy for them!
 |
| Me and Isaac |
 |
| Gettin Hitched |
 |
| The Wedding Party |
Now let me tell you about someone who has been one of the hugest blessings in my life this past year. Her name is Jensyn. We met in June of 2012 and honestly I didn't like her a whole lot at first(don't worry, she knows that). It wasn't til around August(I think) that we became actual friends. We started texting all the time. This past year she has been with me through thick and thin. She really has never left my side. She has been a huge encouragement to me and always reminds me to seek God's will in every single situation. She really proves that it is possible to be beautiful from the inside out. "Who can find a virtuous woman?For her price is far above rubies." Proverbs 31:10
She's helped me get through some of the hardest trials I've ever had in my life. We have spent countless hours talking and I don't doubt that we will spend many more hours doing the same. We've laughed our heads off together for many reasons. Our late nights together at each other's houses watching scary movies and talking has brought us closer together in more than one. ;) I've never met anyone who is like this girl and that's what I like about her. She's not afraid to admit when she is wrong and she doesn't rub it in when she's right. She stands up for what she believes in. She listens to my problems, she gives great advice, and she is respectful of others. She's not perfect but she sure is pretty dang close to it! A verse that reminds me of her is Isaiah 62:3- "You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God." Jensyn is a crown of beauty and a royal diadem in God's eyes. She's a wonderful person, friend, daughter, and sister. You'll never find a more loyal friend than this girl. She's my best friend. She's my Pinks.
 |
| Jensyn |
 |
| Jensyn and Me |
Currently God is teaching me that I need to trust Him more and that I need to let Him have control of every area of my life. He is also teaching me to respect my authorities even more and trust those that He has placed in authority over me. It's hard and I know I can't do it on my own so I have to daily give every aspect of my life over to Him. Also patience. He's teaching me how to wait. "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." Psalms 27:14
Right now I'm attending a Bible Study with a group of friends and we are going over the book "This Changes Everything" by Ben Stuart. It is helping me so much and I encourage you to read it. If you do, make sure you think about everything you read and I mean everything. There are really good questions in there that make you evaluate yourself. It's worth the read, I promise. Tonight I'm going to start reading a book called "Not a Fan" by Kyle Idleman. I've heard that its a real good book so I'm really looking forward to it. :) I'll probably be making posts about it as well. If I can remember. :P
{Sarah Elisabeth}
Romans 8:28
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
{What Will You Do With Jesus?}
*And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve;
~Joshua 24:15a
-Let me ask you a couple questions. Are you ashamed of Christ? Are you ashamed of what He has done for you? Think about that for a moment. Alright, now think about how you just answered those two questions. If your answer was "No, I am not ashamed", then that's great! Now can you prove it? Does the way you act show that you aren't ashamed? What have you done that proves to the rest of the world that you aren't ashamed of the very One that laid down His own life simply to save yours?
-There is this book I love it's called Tortured for Christ. It was written by a man named Richard Wurmbrand. It's kind of like an autobiography, but it's mainly about the persecution that he has suffered and witnessed throughout his life. I made a post a while back about this book. You may have read the post or the book. If so, that's great, you already know about what I'm going to share with you. So basically Richard was an atheist. But, he wasn't satisfied with atheism. Atheism gave no peace to his aching heart. During that time, way up in a village in the mountains of Romania there was an old carpenter. This old carpenter had been praying that God would allow him to lead a Jew to Christ. Well, the carpenter wasn't getting any younger and unfortunately he couldn't travel to find a Jew so that he could share Jesus with one, so he simply kept on praying, and looking. Richard was irresistibly drawn to the exact village where that old man. Soon after meeting the old man, Richard came to know Christ as his Savior. In the book Richard goes on to tell about the great persecution that he suffered and witnessed. He was tortured over and over and he was ordered to deny Christ many times, yet he never did.
-This man was not ashamed of Jesus. Not only was he not ashamed of Him, he also did all that he could for Him. He committed his life to serving God and doing His will. Let's look at some things that he did with Jesus.
-My final question for you is,
{What Will You Do With Jesus?}
God bless!
<3SarahElisabeth
~Joshua 24:15a
-Let me ask you a couple questions. Are you ashamed of Christ? Are you ashamed of what He has done for you? Think about that for a moment. Alright, now think about how you just answered those two questions. If your answer was "No, I am not ashamed", then that's great! Now can you prove it? Does the way you act show that you aren't ashamed? What have you done that proves to the rest of the world that you aren't ashamed of the very One that laid down His own life simply to save yours?
-There is this book I love it's called Tortured for Christ. It was written by a man named Richard Wurmbrand. It's kind of like an autobiography, but it's mainly about the persecution that he has suffered and witnessed throughout his life. I made a post a while back about this book. You may have read the post or the book. If so, that's great, you already know about what I'm going to share with you. So basically Richard was an atheist. But, he wasn't satisfied with atheism. Atheism gave no peace to his aching heart. During that time, way up in a village in the mountains of Romania there was an old carpenter. This old carpenter had been praying that God would allow him to lead a Jew to Christ. Well, the carpenter wasn't getting any younger and unfortunately he couldn't travel to find a Jew so that he could share Jesus with one, so he simply kept on praying, and looking. Richard was irresistibly drawn to the exact village where that old man. Soon after meeting the old man, Richard came to know Christ as his Savior. In the book Richard goes on to tell about the great persecution that he suffered and witnessed. He was tortured over and over and he was ordered to deny Christ many times, yet he never did.
-This man was not ashamed of Jesus. Not only was he not ashamed of Him, he also did all that he could for Him. He committed his life to serving God and doing His will. Let's look at some things that he did with Jesus.
- He accepted Jesus. That's where it starts. That first step when you decide to give your life over to the Creator. You place your life in His hands. You accept Him.
- He shared Jesus. He boldly and unashamedly shared Jesus with others. He went out of his way to tell others about the great love that Jesus has for them.Whether its with family, friends, or strangers we must share Jesus and tell of what He has done for us!
*For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; ~Romans 1:16
- He took a stand for Jesus. In the middle of great persecution he stood for what he believed and for Who he believed in. He never denied who his Savior was. He proudly told anybody that Jesus was his Savior. He was proud of that! He didn't care what other people did to him or thought about him. He simply knew that he had to take a stand for Christ. Maybe we won't be tortured for Christ and our life might not be on the line but we can still stand for Christ. We stand up for our friends and family on many occasions, so why can't we stand up for God? Stand strong in the faith that God gives you.
- He lived for Jesus. Everything he did, he did to serve and honor God. Our desire should be to do all that we can for Christ. He has given everything for us, we MUST give of ourselves for Him. *And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. -Colossians 3:17
-My final question for you is,
{What Will You Do With Jesus?}
God bless!
<3SarahElisabeth
Thursday, March 29, 2012
The Wheat and the Tares(The Seeds of Christ)
Take a look at Matthew 13:24-30 with me. It says: "Another parable put He forth unto them, saying, The Kingdom of Heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the household came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? From whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this, The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said; Nay; lest while ye go and gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."
A tare is a weed that looks exactly like wheat in its young stages. Once the tare is almost fully grown you can't pull it up without seriously damaging the wheat. Farmers hate tares mainly because they have a fungus that infect the seeds that is a serious poison if eaten by an animal or person.
Later on in the chapter Jesus explains what the parable of The Wheat and Tares actually means. Lets take this apart.
Matthew 13:37-38 says: "He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;" The Sower is Jesus, Christians are the wheat, and the tares are the unbelievers. Verse 39 says: "The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels." Satan is obviously the enemy. The harvest represents when Jesus is coming again to receive the believers, and to condemn the unbelievers. The reapers are the angels of God, helpers. Verses 40-43 say: "As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of the world; The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." So at the end of the world, when Jesus returns, all unbelievers will be cast into Hell. They will be set apart from the believers and cast into eternal damnation. After this has been accomplished believers will shine like the sun and will forever be with Jesus!
We are seeds. God is the Planter. Let Him plant you where He wants to plant you. There is such a bigger plan in place for all of us than we could ever imagine. Let Him use you. Be ready to step into action when He calls you. As the seeds sown by Jesus Christ we have a choice; We can either grow up and bring forth fruit for Him, or we can allow the wicked(tares) to overtake us, poison us, and stop us from serving God. It all comes down to one thing, are you willing to be used for God, or not? Ask yourself this, Am I willing to be fruitful? Am I willing to be put where the Lord wants me? Am I willing to serve Him, and give Him all that I am? The real question is, Who am I living for?
Acts 27:23- For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve.
Joshua 24:15- Choose you this day whom you will serve; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
God Bless!
A tare is a weed that looks exactly like wheat in its young stages. Once the tare is almost fully grown you can't pull it up without seriously damaging the wheat. Farmers hate tares mainly because they have a fungus that infect the seeds that is a serious poison if eaten by an animal or person.
Later on in the chapter Jesus explains what the parable of The Wheat and Tares actually means. Lets take this apart.
Matthew 13:37-38 says: "He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;" The Sower is Jesus, Christians are the wheat, and the tares are the unbelievers. Verse 39 says: "The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels." Satan is obviously the enemy. The harvest represents when Jesus is coming again to receive the believers, and to condemn the unbelievers. The reapers are the angels of God, helpers. Verses 40-43 say: "As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of the world; The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." So at the end of the world, when Jesus returns, all unbelievers will be cast into Hell. They will be set apart from the believers and cast into eternal damnation. After this has been accomplished believers will shine like the sun and will forever be with Jesus!
We are seeds. God is the Planter. Let Him plant you where He wants to plant you. There is such a bigger plan in place for all of us than we could ever imagine. Let Him use you. Be ready to step into action when He calls you. As the seeds sown by Jesus Christ we have a choice; We can either grow up and bring forth fruit for Him, or we can allow the wicked(tares) to overtake us, poison us, and stop us from serving God. It all comes down to one thing, are you willing to be used for God, or not? Ask yourself this, Am I willing to be fruitful? Am I willing to be put where the Lord wants me? Am I willing to serve Him, and give Him all that I am? The real question is, Who am I living for?
Acts 27:23- For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve.
Joshua 24:15- Choose you this day whom you will serve; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
God Bless!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)