Rooted in Christ

In youth the other night we had the topic “Rooted in Christ”.

By identifying winds of our christian walk, we could find ways to deal with them.  Winds such as worldly influences, doubts, temptations, peer pressure, seeing others blown over and not getting up, media, consumerism and other discouragements.

These winds can destroy our roots in Christ, namely our faith.  We need to be mindful of our doctrine. (“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.”-Ephesians 4:14)  We are constantly bombarded with information, theories and ideas.  We need to sift through what is true.  (“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” – Colossians 2:6-8 )

What can i do to become more rooted and established in the faith??  I can excersize applying what i believe.  I can know my Bible, grow in knowledge of God’s word.  I can spend time with other christians.  I can be watchful, be careful who teaches me, what i read, and go back to the standard of God’s word.  I can learn from mistakes.  I can read and pray.

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. -James 1:6

i heard this song…

es kann nicht immer nur die Sonne scheinen,

es muss auch ab und zu der Himmel weinen…

It was a german song by a german folk singer Heintje.  It was all about how we can’t enjoy the sunshine if we never experience rain.  This gave me some answers to why i often wonder why i don’t ‘feel’ saved, and why sometimes i feel as though i could burst with love for my Saviour.

I came to the conclusion that the reason i have mountain top experiences is because i spend time in the valleys.  If i never had hard times, then i couldn’t truly feel so complete at other times.  I used to wonder why, but now i know.  Praise God!

Complaining while serving God?

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does. – Ephesians 6:7-8

This something that i need to be reminded of daily.  Whether it is cleaning up the dishes, or doing school work, it is so easy to complain.  But why complain, when what i do is all for God?  How can i complain to the God who sent his only Son to die so that i could live eternally with Him?

If we realized that absolutely everything we do is for the Lord, would we do it differently?  Would our attitude change?  Even while singing congregational hymns and when working with people we don’t like?

God will reward us.  God can’t reward us for more than we do.  Not only can we do good, but we can do it with all of our hearts only for God.

that Saturday-night feeling.

Have you ever had a feeling on a Saturday-night, a feeling of excitment and longing for Sunday?  I can really feel the difference as it gets later and later on a Saturday-night.  I am excited because i get to go to the House of the Lord and worship with all my adopted brothers and sisters.  I long to learn something new that will challenge me to grow closer to my Daddy in Heaven.

I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord! ~Psalm 122:1

The Hands and Feet of Jesus

Adoption is something that God has put very close to my heart.  I saw this song and felt God speak to me that some day, I could be a part of this miracle.  I don’t know how or when, but I leave it in His Hands.  He will guide me and show me what His will is.

Heaven’s Treasures

God saved our house and our belongings.  Why?  He could taught us something through losing everything, but He decided to teach us something through keeping everything.  I don’t know the purpose all our material possessions have.  I just pray that somehow God might use them to the growth of His Kingdom.  At the time of the fire, I felt as though i was ready to give up everything.   I was expecting to lose everything and suddenly these earthly things completely lost their value.

The miracle that God did reminded me that we need to store as many treasures in Heaven as we can.  The earth will perish, but God’s home up above is what lasts.  Lord, help me to fully give all my time and efforts to the growth of your Kingdom.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21 – “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Where could i go?

Where could I go oh where could I go
Seeking the refuge for my soul
Needing a friend to save me in the end
Where could I go but to the lord

These are the words of comfort that came to me just now as the firetrucks came to check on the fire.  No where could i go that would be as comforting as to the Lord.

It seems as though when i need Him the most, the Lord puts lyrics in my thoughts that are comforting.  I sing these words over and over again, keeping my faith in the Lord.  I memorize scripture, but it doesn’t seem as though that comes back to me.  It’s mostly those lyrics from church hymns, gospel CD’s, songs from Youth Choir and songs from childhood, such as the ones my parents used to sing to me, or from Sunday School.  Music has made a huge difference in my pilgrimage to Heaven.

I can’t feel at home in this world anymore!

This morning, early, when i had to pack up after the doorbell rang, i paniked.  I asked God why.  I didn’t understand why, but i did know that unlike some friends of ours, we had time to pack some things before the fire caption would ask us to leave.  I thanked God for the time we were blessed  with and told God that even if we would loose everything like our friends did, that He would help us through.  Help us to trust Him that we would completely rely on Him.  That He would be number one, not our possessions.

Thank you God for waking the neighbours, and that they could wake us.  Thanks for watching over the men handling the fire until the trucks took over.  Thanks for the garden hose that was just long enough.  Thanks for giving me a new perspective on all that we own.  Thanks for showing me how to trust you completely.

After the fire was out and just a few trees were damaged, i thanked God.   I couldn’t stop.  It has now given me a new joy in the Lord.  A song that my mother sometimes sings came to me,

This world is not my home I’m just a passing through
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore
Oh Lord you know I have no friend like you
If heaven’s not my home then Lord what will I do
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore

(Is there any recorded version that i can listen to?  I can’t find it in any of our song books)

A time for everything!

There is a time for everything,
       and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,
       a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,
       a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,
       a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
       a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,
       a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,
       a time to be silent and a time to speak, 

 a time to love and a time to hate,
       a time for war and a time for peace.

10 Reasons why we don’t pray

1. Worldliness–Through prayer we can resist worldy desires and influence.  We need watch that we are a light in to the world of darkness.
2. Busyness— Just like Martha, we don’t take enough time to simply communicate with God like Mary did.  When our lives get busy, prayer is usually the first thing to be left out.  Our daily priority should be prayer, everything else follows.
3. Foolishness— When we take our focus away from God, we often become confused over what is foolish and what is wise.  We need to stay in constant prayer with our Father in Heaven so that we can pray for wisdom to do what really counts in life.
4. Distance— Sometimes we put distance in between us and God when our lives get busy.  When there is a problem in between God and me, i am the problem and need to come to God.  God wants me to reconnect because He never stops loving me.
5. Ignorance— When we feel thaat we can rely on our own abilities, we tend to ignore God.  God wants to give us the desires of our hearts, we just need to ask.
6. Sinfulness— When there is sin in between God and us, we are afraid as Adam & Eve were and tend to hide from God.  When we confess our sins and pray for each other, our prayers become powerful and effective.
7. Faithlessness— When we see a situation is hopeless, we lack in faith to our Almighty God.  No situation is to big for God.  Don’t tell God how big your problems are, tell your problems how big God is.
8. Pridefulness— Because the more we pray, the more we depend on God, we lose our will and our will becomes that of our Father.  Sometimes the very reason we don’t pray is because we feel we are fine and can take care of ourselves.  We need to humble ourselves and enjoy the many blessings tha come form a soul of humbleness.
9. Inexperience— Another reason we keep silent is because when we don’t pray, we think we don’t know how to pray.  By praying more we learn to pray “better” and we are encourage to pray more.
10. Laziness— Sometimes we simply waste time doing absolutely nothing with eternal value, when we could be in prayer with our Heavenly Father.  We need to motivate ourselves to spend more time in prayer.