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.

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Spiritual Beauty

God gave us a desire for beauty.  The world emphasizes on the outward appearance, but the bible puts it on the inner being.  Before we can  put on the clothes of character, we need to take off the old clothes.  As christians, we are to wear tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing and forgiving.  Why do we need to but these on?  Because if we were born with them, we wouldn’t need to put them on.  We need spiritual beauty.  We need to strive to become more beautiful.  We need to find more ways to become prettier spiritually.

When we think back and remember people from years ago, we don’t remember their outfits, but their personality.  Our spiritual clothing is real because it comes from the heart.  Why do we want to clothe ourselves spiritually?  It is out of gratitude for what God did for us.  We need to be as similar to Jesus Christ as possible.

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering;  bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.  But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.  Colossians 3:12-14

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)

What God did for me!

Have you ever wondered what if a person is really changed after they gave their lives to God?  When God speaks to you, listen.  Listen, because you have nothing to lose if you do.  If you ignore God calling you to be His child, you will lose eternity.   Eternity is forever and ever.   Is the risk to listen to God to small for you?  I just want everyone to know that God did change my life.  I now have a reason for living, a purpose on earth.  I look forward to moving on from this life into Heaven.  Sometimes the devil starts to tempt me that I won’t make it.  I need to continually look to my Savior for the courage to face each day as a lamb in a pack of wolves.  God never promised that the life on earth would be easy, but He did promise eternity with Him for those who are faithful. 

“Praise God I am free, free, free from this world of sin,”

Distractions on the Highway to Heaven

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’feet and heard His word.  But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”  And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” – Luke 38-42

As Christians, we find ourselves on a highway to Heaven.  We are on a journey and our vehicle is headed to Heaven.  Along the way we are faced with many distractions.  Because the devil hasn’t succeeded on keeping us off the highway to Heaven, his goal is to distract us that our goal becomes unclear and we soon drive off the highway.  But because the Lord goes on before us, it is possible for all of us to make it.

There are natural conditions such as wind and rain and other poor road conditions and sometimes there are steep hills.   There are road conditions that we can’t avoid no matter how good of a driver we are.  God never promised that the highway to Heaven would be easy.  Distractions to watch out for:

1. OTHER DRIVERS.   Along our highway we will find other drivers.  Often they are helpful and help lead us, but more times than not, they can become distractions.  Mary had become a distraction to Martha.  It is up to us not to let the other drivers to become a distraction.  “Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”  Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?” 
   Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.” ” – John 21:20-22  We are to follow Jesus because there are hypocrite drivers.  Let’s move forward following Jesus because He is the driver we can always rely on.
2. ACCIDENTS.  On the christian highway there are car wrecks.  Timothy writes about believers  “concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck” – 1 Timothy 1:19.  When others have accidents, instead of stopping to help, some drivers simply gossip about the person with the spiritual accident.  If we can’t help, let us drive on.  Because if an accident can happen to others, it can happen to us.  Roads can be icy.  Temptation is that our nerve to keep driving will slip away.  The devil wants us to pull over to the side of the road and stop.  We need to trust God is with us and will help us to move on.  God has given us everything we need to get to Heaven.  He has given us all the information we need to keep driving.   Sometimes we need new tires.  Often we need to refuel ourselves by spending time with Him.
3. FAMILY.  What about those backseat drivers in our lives?  At times the family can be a great help on the road.  May God help us that the entire family is on the highway to Heaven.  Is our love for our family more that our love for God?  We need to make our backseat drivers second priority to God.   It is impossible to take our family along if we don’t give priority to our Pilot.  We are personally responsible to not let others be a distraction.  Matthew 10:37-38 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.”
4. REAR-VIEW MIRRORS.  God wants us to look ahead at His Will, but if we continually look back at the past, it is impossible to keep driving.  Maybe we are boasting about our past successes after many years of serving God.  Many people lose it just before there final destination.  Maybe you are looking back and thinking that you should be farther.  Maybe you feel as though you haven’t done good enough.  Look ahead.  “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” – Philippians 3:12  Maybe you are focusing on failures, but look ahead, he will guide you doe as long as you are on His Highway.

May God help us on the Highway to Heaven that we may never get distracted by the devil.

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.

What God wants in Prayer

God wants all my attention during prayer.  Matthew 6:6 – But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

God wants me to know that He will answer if i ask, seek & knock.  Matthew 7:7-8 – “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

God wants me to never give up.  Luke 18:1 – Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

God wants me to be joyful, patient and faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12 – Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

God wants me to be praying all the time in variety. Ephesians 6:18 – And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

God does not want us to worry or be anxious because God will take care of me.  Philippians 4:6-7 – Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

God wants me to be devoted. Colossians 4:2 – Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

God wants me to know that He listens.  1 Peter 3:12  – For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

God wants me to come to Him in prayer all day long.  1 Thessalonians 5:17 – pray continually