Flyleaf - Red Sam (for ALL self-mutilators...yeah it's a vulgar term, but appropriate)
Third Day ft. Lacey (from Flyleaf) - Born Again
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Why go to Church?
posted by a dear friend Lori on her FB....had to copy and share :)
If you're spiritually alive, you're going to love this!
If you're spiritually alive, you're going to love this!
If you're spiritually dead, you won't want to read it.
...
If you're spiritually curious, there is still hope!
A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."
This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:
"I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this.. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!" When you are DOWN to nothing...... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!
All right, now that you're done reading, send it on!
I think everyone should read this!
When Satan is knocking at your door, simply say,
"Jesus, could you get that for me?"
Friday, April 1, 2011
Resolving Conflict
This may be one of those remedial "duh" type of posts, but I really needed to hear this....so hopefully I am not the only one :)
(another email devotional from my wonderful Amanda)
There is no person who lives without some conflict in his or her life. Whether differences are happening in your marriage, with your kids, with a coworker or with a friend, there is no permanent escape from conflict in THIS life. Yet God calls for Christians to live a life of harmony with each other. Does this mean we are going to get along with everyone we meet? No. However, it does mean that we are supposed to live a life that strives for reconciliation, a life that is like an orchestra with different harmony and instruments, but one song.
So how can you make sure that you are singing the same song as your Christian brothers and sisters? When you face conflict, the first thing you need to do is ask God for help. God is the giver of wisdom (James 1:5). Next, face your conflict. It only causes more pain to run away from it (Proverbs 24:26). When you talk with the person, the next step is to take accountability for your part in the conflict (Matthew 7:3) and to make sure you are treating that person with respect by not using blaming or insulting language (Ephesians 4:31). As you speak with the person you are confronting, one of the most important things you can do is to listen. Do everything you can to understand where the other person is coming from (Romans 15:1).
Relationships matter to God. He desires unity for us and wants us to resolve our problems, not walk away from relationships over conflict. Reconciliation is the act of bringing harmony back into a relationship. It may take time for some of the emotional wounds to heal and to trust again, but God calls us to work towards this. The ability to forgive and to love each other through our sinfulness is one of the most beautiful aspects of the Christian faith. And while not every conflict can be resolved with all people, you need to make sure you have done all you can to resolve the conflict.
GOING DEEPER:
1. A friend used to tell me that you must always make sure your side of the fence is clean. How does this relate to this devotional and to you?
2. Are there relationships in your life that have conflicts that have been left festering over time? Ask God for wisdom to see your part in beginning to heal that broken relationship.
(another email devotional from my wonderful Amanda)
There is no person who lives without some conflict in his or her life. Whether differences are happening in your marriage, with your kids, with a coworker or with a friend, there is no permanent escape from conflict in THIS life. Yet God calls for Christians to live a life of harmony with each other. Does this mean we are going to get along with everyone we meet? No. However, it does mean that we are supposed to live a life that strives for reconciliation, a life that is like an orchestra with different harmony and instruments, but one song.
So how can you make sure that you are singing the same song as your Christian brothers and sisters? When you face conflict, the first thing you need to do is ask God for help. God is the giver of wisdom (James 1:5). Next, face your conflict. It only causes more pain to run away from it (Proverbs 24:26). When you talk with the person, the next step is to take accountability for your part in the conflict (Matthew 7:3) and to make sure you are treating that person with respect by not using blaming or insulting language (Ephesians 4:31). As you speak with the person you are confronting, one of the most important things you can do is to listen. Do everything you can to understand where the other person is coming from (Romans 15:1).
Relationships matter to God. He desires unity for us and wants us to resolve our problems, not walk away from relationships over conflict. Reconciliation is the act of bringing harmony back into a relationship. It may take time for some of the emotional wounds to heal and to trust again, but God calls us to work towards this. The ability to forgive and to love each other through our sinfulness is one of the most beautiful aspects of the Christian faith. And while not every conflict can be resolved with all people, you need to make sure you have done all you can to resolve the conflict.
GOING DEEPER:
1. A friend used to tell me that you must always make sure your side of the fence is clean. How does this relate to this devotional and to you?
2. Are there relationships in your life that have conflicts that have been left festering over time? Ask God for wisdom to see your part in beginning to heal that broken relationship.
Being TRULY Free
by Lynn Cowell (Amanda sent me this as an email devotional)
When I am free from ambition, I am free to serve with a joyful heart.
When I am free from selfishness, I am free from irritation.
When I am free from jealousy, I am free to rejoice in the good of another.
When I am free from judgment, I am free to pray from a pure heart.
When I am free from expectation, I am free to enjoy whatever comes.
When I am freed from controlling others, I am free to see the miraculous.
When I am truly free, I will see the Kingdom of God in my life.
That is what I want to see –the Kingdom of God come in my life. What is that going to take? It’s going to take tearing free from my own selfish thoughts and feelings. It’s going to take looking at things from God’s perspective. It’s going to take God’s help. In order to be free, I have to be free of ME.
Do you want to be free too? Free to find total and utter completion in Jesus?
Application Steps: It is normal as women to have moments when we feel like we just cannot give any more. We are spent. Choose to memorize today’s verse for those times when you need to serve and struggle to do so.
Reflections: Do I ever struggle with ambition, jealousy, expectation, selfishness, or control issues?
Choosing the one I wrestle with the most, I’ll apply Galatians 5:1 and claim my freedom!
Power Verses:
Galatians 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (NIV)
Psalm 119:45, “I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.” (NIV)
© 2011 by Lynn Cowell. All rights reserved.
“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”
Galatians 5:13 (NIV)
Galatians 5:13 (NIV)
When I am free from ambition, I am free to serve with a joyful heart.
When I am free from selfishness, I am free from irritation.
When I am free from jealousy, I am free to rejoice in the good of another.
When I am free from judgment, I am free to pray from a pure heart.
When I am free from expectation, I am free to enjoy whatever comes.
When I am freed from controlling others, I am free to see the miraculous.
When I am truly free, I will see the Kingdom of God in my life.
That is what I want to see –the Kingdom of God come in my life. What is that going to take? It’s going to take tearing free from my own selfish thoughts and feelings. It’s going to take looking at things from God’s perspective. It’s going to take God’s help. In order to be free, I have to be free of ME.
Do you want to be free too? Free to find total and utter completion in Jesus?
Father, when I don’t get my “to do” list done, I am irritated and frustrated. When I am tired and one more person needs me, I feel angry and annoyed. Only You can free me of me, Jesus. I give You permission to do it! In Your powerful Name, Amen
Application Steps: It is normal as women to have moments when we feel like we just cannot give any more. We are spent. Choose to memorize today’s verse for those times when you need to serve and struggle to do so.
Reflections: Do I ever struggle with ambition, jealousy, expectation, selfishness, or control issues?
Choosing the one I wrestle with the most, I’ll apply Galatians 5:1 and claim my freedom!
Power Verses:
Galatians 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (NIV)
Psalm 119:45, “I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.” (NIV)
© 2011 by Lynn Cowell. All rights reserved.
Ever get confused about
God/Lord/Jesus/Yahweh/Jehovah...???
ME TOO!!
What is the name of our Creator? "God" is not His name; it is His title. When the Hebrew name for God was translated into our English text, it was translated L-O-R-D with all capitals. But "Lord" is also a title, so people have become confused. They think that "Lord" is His title, and "God" is His name. But His name is actually Yahweh, or Jehovah. The name Jehovah is a verb in Hebrew meaning "to be" or literally "the becoming one." It is the name by which God chose to reveal Himself to us, the I Am, the Becoming One, as God becomes to you whatever you might need. Iam your healer-Jehovah-rapha. I am your provider-Jehovah-jireh. I am your peace-Jehovah-shalom. I am your salvation-Jehovah-shua. The name Jehovah-shua was shortened to Jehoshua, then shortened further to Yashua. In the Greek, Yashua is Jesus. So Jesus is the name of our God. He is Jehovah-shua. He is the One who has saved us from our sins. He has become our Savior.
(from http://calvarychapelcostamesa.com/)
(from http://calvarychapelcostamesa.com/)
When I was an "Almost Christian"
Before I was how I am now....I was what I would like to call and "almost christian." (Thanks Pastor Ken Peters @ Covenant Spokane for putting this term in my head (from John Wesley)) I really was so consumed by desire for OTHER things besides God and serving Him. Focusing on worldly things led me to worry, worry, worry and be the MEGA-CONTROL-FREAK! One Sunday at service, this message was given and it spoke to me. I needed to be more fruitful.....
After hearing this, it really made me re-examine my life and all that I was holding to be "important." I had been counting on myself, and not listening to God's word and promises. I re-prioritized, and low and behold.....I should have been trusting God and focusing on him all along...I would have had so much more peace through the storms.
Posted by Ken Ortize on March 18, 2011
…the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. (Mark 4:7,18-19)
Of all Jesus’ parables, the Sower is probably the best known and most appreciated. Recounted in Matthew, Mark & Luke, it explains how different people respond to the Gospel message.
First he describes the response of the non-Christian:
1) There is the person who hears but does not understand. Like seed on stony soil, the Word is unable to penetrate and takes no root, and therefore produces no fruit (Matthew 7:16).
2) Then there is the person who is entertained by the message, but as soon as it costs them something, they fall away. They too have no root and therefore no fruit. Jesus then follows with two kinds of Christians: One is fruitful, the other is unfruitful.
3) The unfruitful Christian is described as being like seeds choked out in a bed of weeds. The weeds are “the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things.” These folks have some fruit, but not much.
4) Lastly there is the fruitful believer.
How does the fruitful believer differ from the unfruitful? In their desires. The fruitful desire to make it their life’s mission, spreading the Gospel message.
But if one’s mission is to find my best life now, then I am not going to sink my roots deeply into Jesus. That requires sacrifices that I am probably not prepared to make (Matthew 16:24). Instead, we are controlled by a “desire for other things”, A life different from the one Jesus has for us.
No wonder so many Christians are sad and unfulfilled. They have been spending their time fulfilling the wrong mission. We want to write our own story, rather than telling the Jesus story.
We all want to be successful. Is your definition of success anything like God’s? Your definition may help you succeed in this world; but in the end you may be a total failure in the one thing that matters the most: Making Him known to the world by telling His story (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15).
So, How do you define success? What is your life’s mission? Make sure the ladder you are climbing is leaning against the right wall.
After hearing this, it really made me re-examine my life and all that I was holding to be "important." I had been counting on myself, and not listening to God's word and promises. I re-prioritized, and low and behold.....I should have been trusting God and focusing on him all along...I would have had so much more peace through the storms.
Proof of Jesus???!!!
(from http://calvaryspokane.com/home/about-us/kens-blog/is-the-virgin-birth-plausible)
the full post here from this link is entitled "is the virgin birth plausible"...but I just took my fave parts. Please check out the full post, it is amazing if you would like to take the time :)
Jesus’ life is an anomaly no matter how you look at it.
Dr James Allen Francis, in his memorable poem One Solitary Life, wonderfully illustrated this fact:
Another writer offered a similar perspective:
Jesus had no servants,
As one old Hymn explains…
Each of us has the right to believe whatever we want; but having a legal right does not inherently make that belief right. However, when it comes to Jesus, the Bible, and the Virgin Birth, I know I am right, because…
He lives within my heart.
the full post here from this link is entitled "is the virgin birth plausible"...but I just took my fave parts. Please check out the full post, it is amazing if you would like to take the time :)
Jesus’ life is an anomaly no matter how you look at it.
Dr James Allen Francis, in his memorable poem One Solitary Life, wonderfully illustrated this fact:
He was born in an obscure village,
The child of a peasant woman.
He grew up in still another village,
Where he worked in a carpenter shop
Until he was thirty.
Then for three years
He was an itinerant preacher.
He never wrote a book.
He never held an office.
He never had a family or owned a house.
He didn't go to college.He never visited a big city.
He never traveled two hundred miles
From the place where he was born.
He did none of the things
One usually associates with greatness.
He had no credentials but himself.
He never traveled two hundred miles
From the place where he was born.
He did none of the things
One usually associates with greatness.
He had no credentials but himself.
He was only thirty-three
When the tide of public opinion turned against him.
His friends ran away.
He was turned over to his enemies.
And went through the mockery of a trial.
He was nailed to a cross
Between two thieves.
While he was dying,
His executioners gambled for his clothing,
The only property he had on Earth.
When he was dead,
He was laid in a borrowed grave
Through the pity of a friend.
Twenty centuries have come and gone,
And today he is the central figure
Of the human race,
And the leader of mankind's progress.
All the armies that ever marched,
All the navies that ever sailed,
All the parliaments that ever sat,
All the kings that ever reigned,
Put together have not affected
The life of man on Earth
As much as that
One Solitary Life
Another writer offered a similar perspective:
Jesus had no servants,
yet they called Him Master.
Had no degree,
yet they called Him Teacher .
Had no medicines,
yet they called Him Healer.
Had no army,
yet kings feared Him.
He won no military battles,
yet He conquered the world.
He committed no crime,
yet they crucified Him.
He was buried in a tomb,
yet He lives today.
As one old Hymn explains…
I serve a risen Savior; He's in the world today.
I know that He is living, whatever men may say.
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him He's always near.
Chorus:
He lives! He lives! Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way.
He lives! He lives! Salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.
Each of us has the right to believe whatever we want; but having a legal right does not inherently make that belief right. However, when it comes to Jesus, the Bible, and the Virgin Birth, I know I am right, because…
He lives within my heart.
I have been forgiven, redeemed, and strengthened...
While reflecting on all that God has done for me....3 words came to mind: Forgiven...Redeemed...Strengthened.
I started with the dictionary.com def's:
for·give[fer-giv] verb, -gave, -giv·en, -giv·ing.
I started with the dictionary.com def's:
for·give[fer-giv] verb, -gave, -giv·en, -giv·ing.
–verb (used with object)
1.to grant pardon for or remission of (an offense, debt, etc.); absolve.
2.to give up all claim on account of; remit (a debt, obligation, etc.).
3.to grant pardon to (a person).
4.to cease to feel resentment against: to forgive one's enemies.
5.to cancel an indebtedness or liability of: to forgive the interest owed on a loan.
–verb (used without object)
6.to pardon an offense or an offender.
re·deem [ri-deem]
–verb (used with object)
1.to buy or pay off; clear by payment: to redeem a mortgage.
2.to buy back, as after a tax sale or a mortgage foreclosure.
3.to recover (something pledged or mortgaged) by payment or other satisfaction: to redeem a pawned watch.
4.to exchange (bonds, trading stamps, etc.) for money or goods.
5.to convert (paper money) into specie.
6.to discharge or fulfill (a pledge, promise, etc.).
7.to make up for; make amends for; offset (some fault, shortcoming, etc.): His bravery redeemed his youthful idleness.
8.to obtain the release or restoration of, as from captivity, by paying a ransom.
9.Theology : to deliver from sin and its consequences by means of a sacrifice offered for the sinner.
strength·en
[strengk-thuh
n, streng-, stren-]
n, streng-, stren-] –verb (used with object)
1.to make stronger; give strength to.
2.Phonetics . to change (a speech sound) to an articulation requiring more effort, as from fricative to stop or nongeminate to geminate.
–verb (used without object)
Luke 7:36-50
Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman
36Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
39When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
40Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
41“Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
43Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
44Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”
48Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
ME-Redeemed
3.to gain strength; grow stronger.
Next I went to my trusty Bible and looked up pretty much as many verses as I could containing each of those 3 words (not all together, lol). Yeah, it took a while but was SO worth it. It's funny to me after ALL (yeah, hours) of that reading that only ONE passage containing each of the words spoke to MY heart and was FOR ME (I felt). So I thought I'd share them :)
ME-Forgiven
Luke 7:36-50
Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman
36Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
39When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
40Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
41“Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
43Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
44Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”
48Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
ME-Redeemed
1 Peter 1:13-25
Be Holy
13Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
17Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. 18For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
22Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24For,
“All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25but the word of the Lord stands forever.”
And this is the word that was preached to you.
ME-Strengthened
Be Holy
13Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
17Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. 18For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
22Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24For,
“All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25but the word of the Lord stands forever.”
And this is the word that was preached to you.
ME-Strengthened
Ephesians 3:14-21
A Prayer for the Ephesians
14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
It still blows my mind how much I have been able to change through God in such a short amount of time after being the same for SO long. It is HIS time-line, however.....and I will follow it without complaining (hopefully) from now on :) Thank you Lord for showing me these things and making them so solid in my heart so that I can take root in YOU!
A Prayer for the Ephesians
14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
It still blows my mind how much I have been able to change through God in such a short amount of time after being the same for SO long. It is HIS time-line, however.....and I will follow it without complaining (hopefully) from now on :) Thank you Lord for showing me these things and making them so solid in my heart so that I can take root in YOU!
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