Recently, I spoke to a young man who said he stopped going to his mother's church because people knew what he used to do and they frowned upon him when he would come in to the church. I could tell he was very uncomfortable and hurt by what happened...he shook his head and further states "I am not that old person!" When will the "church" see that we are sending more people away from God! Our looks and words could cause someone who is not strong in the Lord to go back to the familiar things in life. We can't continue to look at the outer appearance, when God is looking at the heart.
For some, this would not have been a problem, they would have just blown it off, but for Dirk, it was a problem and the look in his eyes told the story! When the woman who was caught in the very act was brought before Jesus, Jesus without even looking at the accusers said..."He with out sin let him cast the first stone", then he replied to the woman, "where are your accusers, she said, "there is none" and Jesus said "neither do I condemn you go and from now on sin no more" (John 8:7-11)ESV
Romans 2:11 says "For God does not show favoritism" Not only did salvation come to the woman caught in the act, but to the young man, me and you. Sin is what it is and it separates us from God, but don't let religion and our views keep others separated from God.
My prayer for Dirk and others, "Lord, forgive us if we have turned our nose up or frowned at others who have come to the local churches, don't let our emotions, thoughts and words discourage any believer, we believe that you died for all of our sins and through your death we can live again. Thank you for giving us a second chance to get it right! In Jesus Name, Amen!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Laying Aside My Weight!
For years I was obese and I would never admit it, I hid behind clothes and shoes. It wasn't until about six years ago my husband asked me if I was happy? My reply was yes, I had a wonderful husband, children, career and ministry was going great. Deep down I didn't feel good. I looked great on the outside but felt bad on the inside.
I never equated how I was feeling physically to being over weight, I honestly thought it was because I was doing too much. One day I was bending down trying to tie my shoes and all of a sudden I was out of breath, it literally felt like I was choking just from trying to bend down. I immediately knew that I needed to do something. But What? I had tried, slim-fast, Redux and a list of other weight loss alternatives, but what about this time, what was I suppose to do?
My answer came out as I wept to God, I began asking God to help me in an area of my life that I had no control over. This time was different for me, with tears in my eyes I told God how I really felt, about my weight from a child to my adult life. I began to weep about how kids would pick on me for being "fat" and how I use to have low self-esteem because of my weight. The more I confessed my feelings the more God began pouring his love and word over me, I was being healed.
That moment of breakthrough, changed my life for the better! I began taking small steps toward losing weight and I never told anyone I was on a diet, but rather I was on a LIFESTYLE change. Step One in my journey: I had to realize that I needed help, no one could speak for me, I had to do it for me. Step Two: My confession allowed God to heal me.
Maybe your story is similiar to mine or maybe you haven't had a problem with your weight but you have something(s) in your life that are "weighing" you down. Our weight could be our job, family member, finances, depression, low-self esteem, or anything that is keeping you in bondage. Hebrews 12:1b says. "let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us."
There are many more steps that I will blog about in the upcoming weeks and months, but Today is about you! It's time for you to release some weight in your life. I love you, but God loves you more! Until next time.....
Additional Scriptures: Deut. 31:6; Joshua 1:9; John 10:10, 3 John 1:2
I never equated how I was feeling physically to being over weight, I honestly thought it was because I was doing too much. One day I was bending down trying to tie my shoes and all of a sudden I was out of breath, it literally felt like I was choking just from trying to bend down. I immediately knew that I needed to do something. But What? I had tried, slim-fast, Redux and a list of other weight loss alternatives, but what about this time, what was I suppose to do?
My answer came out as I wept to God, I began asking God to help me in an area of my life that I had no control over. This time was different for me, with tears in my eyes I told God how I really felt, about my weight from a child to my adult life. I began to weep about how kids would pick on me for being "fat" and how I use to have low self-esteem because of my weight. The more I confessed my feelings the more God began pouring his love and word over me, I was being healed.
That moment of breakthrough, changed my life for the better! I began taking small steps toward losing weight and I never told anyone I was on a diet, but rather I was on a LIFESTYLE change. Step One in my journey: I had to realize that I needed help, no one could speak for me, I had to do it for me. Step Two: My confession allowed God to heal me.
Maybe your story is similiar to mine or maybe you haven't had a problem with your weight but you have something(s) in your life that are "weighing" you down. Our weight could be our job, family member, finances, depression, low-self esteem, or anything that is keeping you in bondage. Hebrews 12:1b says. "let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us."
There are many more steps that I will blog about in the upcoming weeks and months, but Today is about you! It's time for you to release some weight in your life. I love you, but God loves you more! Until next time.....
Additional Scriptures: Deut. 31:6; Joshua 1:9; John 10:10, 3 John 1:2
Monday, April 20, 2009
What Are You Looking For?
As a child I remember playing a game called "Hide and Go Seek", this game brought to my mind so many memories. My sister and cousins would draw a straw to see who would have to do the chasing, it seemed like I always picked the shortest straw. So I would close my eyes and count to ten or a hundred, then run off and try to tag someone. As I was laughing about the game, I tried to figure out what was the significance of the game? I mean, we just ran around in circles until we became tired or we quit.......
Life has a way of making you go around and around chasing after things....In the bible there was a woman who had an issue twelve years, who tried every doctor and spent all of her money, yet no solution. (Luke 8:43 MSG Bible In the crowd that day there was a woman who for twelve years had been afflicted with hemorrhages. She had spent every penny she had on doctors but not one had been able to help her.) Could you imagine dealing with your present day situation for twelve years, that's 4,380 days of drama! Not to mention, the fact that during this time of affliction the woman endured alot of pain, emotionally, financially and physically.
There are times in our life when we have issues that we want to be resolved. We search for clues and answers to our deepest questions. Questions about who we will marry, what kind of job we will have and even down to what will our future child/ren look like. We live in a generation where we are seeking after "stuff" to make us feel good, but what about the real issues?
Have you ever lost a job? It didn't feel good! Have you lost a loved one? It didn't feel good! Been betrayed by someone you love? Ask Jesus, it didn't feel good! Those are some of the issues that surround us everyday, but everyday we choose to turn to everything but God to heal us of our infirmities(spiritually and physically). I can only imagine that by the fourth year this woman was beginning to feel like whoa!, hey!, can anybody, somebody help me?
Even in the largest crowd this woman was very sure of what she wanted she was determined to go after Jesus, even if she had to crawl to touch his garments (Matthew 9:20 MSG Bible Just then a woman who had hemorrhaged for twelve years slipped in from behind and lightly touched his robe. She was thinking to herself, "If I can just put a finger on his robe, I'll get well." ). Her determination and faith led her to touch the hem of his robe, which led her to receive her healing.
Twelve years of chasing the wrong thing and in just one day when Jesus was passing by she decided to give her situation to him. Even in the midst of the large crowd, Jesus felt her touch him. Her touch was different than everybody else's, when she touched him, she had surrendered everything, it was nothing else left for her to do, to go and see, she had exhausted all of her resources, the only thing left for her to do was to touch Jesus. The touch was very personal it was a one on one contact and Jesus desires to do the same with you, he is not asking anything of you but to trust him and have faith that your situation will be healed.
Sometimes in order to get to our breakthrough we have to surrender everything and be emptied out so that God can fill us with his spirit. I encourage you on today to give your issues to God. You do not have to try everything to be healed, try Jesus he wants to heal you of your situation! (Luke 8:48 MSG Bible Jesus said, "Daughter, you took a risk trusting me, and now you're healed and whole. Live well, live blessed!")
God loves you and there is Greatness in You!
Additional Scripture Reading~~~Matthew 7:7-8; 9:20-21, Mark 5:25-34, Psalms 51:10-12,17, Hebrews 11:1,6, 3 John 2
Life has a way of making you go around and around chasing after things....In the bible there was a woman who had an issue twelve years, who tried every doctor and spent all of her money, yet no solution. (Luke 8:43 MSG Bible In the crowd that day there was a woman who for twelve years had been afflicted with hemorrhages. She had spent every penny she had on doctors but not one had been able to help her.) Could you imagine dealing with your present day situation for twelve years, that's 4,380 days of drama! Not to mention, the fact that during this time of affliction the woman endured alot of pain, emotionally, financially and physically.
There are times in our life when we have issues that we want to be resolved. We search for clues and answers to our deepest questions. Questions about who we will marry, what kind of job we will have and even down to what will our future child/ren look like. We live in a generation where we are seeking after "stuff" to make us feel good, but what about the real issues?
Have you ever lost a job? It didn't feel good! Have you lost a loved one? It didn't feel good! Been betrayed by someone you love? Ask Jesus, it didn't feel good! Those are some of the issues that surround us everyday, but everyday we choose to turn to everything but God to heal us of our infirmities(spiritually and physically). I can only imagine that by the fourth year this woman was beginning to feel like whoa!, hey!, can anybody, somebody help me?
Even in the largest crowd this woman was very sure of what she wanted she was determined to go after Jesus, even if she had to crawl to touch his garments (Matthew 9:20 MSG Bible Just then a woman who had hemorrhaged for twelve years slipped in from behind and lightly touched his robe. She was thinking to herself, "If I can just put a finger on his robe, I'll get well." ). Her determination and faith led her to touch the hem of his robe, which led her to receive her healing.
Twelve years of chasing the wrong thing and in just one day when Jesus was passing by she decided to give her situation to him. Even in the midst of the large crowd, Jesus felt her touch him. Her touch was different than everybody else's, when she touched him, she had surrendered everything, it was nothing else left for her to do, to go and see, she had exhausted all of her resources, the only thing left for her to do was to touch Jesus. The touch was very personal it was a one on one contact and Jesus desires to do the same with you, he is not asking anything of you but to trust him and have faith that your situation will be healed.
Sometimes in order to get to our breakthrough we have to surrender everything and be emptied out so that God can fill us with his spirit. I encourage you on today to give your issues to God. You do not have to try everything to be healed, try Jesus he wants to heal you of your situation! (Luke 8:48 MSG Bible Jesus said, "Daughter, you took a risk trusting me, and now you're healed and whole. Live well, live blessed!")
God loves you and there is Greatness in You!
Additional Scripture Reading~~~Matthew 7:7-8; 9:20-21, Mark 5:25-34, Psalms 51:10-12,17, Hebrews 11:1,6, 3 John 2
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Have you ever had a day when you were upset at someone, for something they did? Once while shopping I became frustrated and irritated with a salesclerk. In my mind I believed I was being overcharged according to the sticker price. In the clerks mind my bill was accurate. As I questioned the clerk, it appeared that she became frustrated with me, her voice and facial expressions changed very quickly. This conversation lasted for about four minutes, finally I said you are right and I am wrong. For the sake of a long winded argument, I was going to take this one.
Everyday we deal with situations, that can effect how we react to people, whether it is someone on our job, family member, neighbor, or a boyfriend/girlfriend. Now the clerk was doing her job and I was doing my job as a "consumer" right? I mean we are suppose to be the one who is always right! We have seen the signs that says "customer's first", or the sign that says "we listen to our customers." Right? WRONG!! In that window of time, I allowed my emotions to come to the front line and speak, even though I was upset, I didn't fly off the handle, I remained cool, but my tone with the clerk was firm. I believed I was right and I was standing for what I believed to be accurate. In that moment, I stopped and I apologized to the clerk for my irrational behavior. By me apologizing she calmed down.......and yes we were able to solve the situation.
Too many fights are used with harsh words backed by strong emotions. My great-grandmother use to tell us, "never go to bed mad at someone, you never know when it is their or even your last time here on earth." Those words of Mama Nannie still ring in my ear to this day!
Sometimes you have to take a step back and re-evaluate the situation, what is it that the person is saying and does it hold any truth. In other words am I reacting because of someone else's reaction or I am confident in my beliefs that I stand firm in what I am saying?
Today's thought: Keep a level head and always remember, that no one is perfect and sometimes you and the other person could be wrong as well as right. The best way to solve any problem is through clear communication. Yes, stand firm in what you believe but also respect the beliefs others!
Everyday we deal with situations, that can effect how we react to people, whether it is someone on our job, family member, neighbor, or a boyfriend/girlfriend. Now the clerk was doing her job and I was doing my job as a "consumer" right? I mean we are suppose to be the one who is always right! We have seen the signs that says "customer's first", or the sign that says "we listen to our customers." Right? WRONG!! In that window of time, I allowed my emotions to come to the front line and speak, even though I was upset, I didn't fly off the handle, I remained cool, but my tone with the clerk was firm. I believed I was right and I was standing for what I believed to be accurate. In that moment, I stopped and I apologized to the clerk for my irrational behavior. By me apologizing she calmed down.......and yes we were able to solve the situation.
Too many fights are used with harsh words backed by strong emotions. My great-grandmother use to tell us, "never go to bed mad at someone, you never know when it is their or even your last time here on earth." Those words of Mama Nannie still ring in my ear to this day!
Sometimes you have to take a step back and re-evaluate the situation, what is it that the person is saying and does it hold any truth. In other words am I reacting because of someone else's reaction or I am confident in my beliefs that I stand firm in what I am saying?
Today's thought: Keep a level head and always remember, that no one is perfect and sometimes you and the other person could be wrong as well as right. The best way to solve any problem is through clear communication. Yes, stand firm in what you believe but also respect the beliefs others!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Are you ready?
Recently, I was attending a real estate closing and someone ask this question, what if I die tomorrow? What will happen to my home? Will my loved one be able to keep it? The gentleman just kept shaking his head....he wanted to be reassured that his family would be taken care of. The attorney spoke up and said what could happen and suggested that they prepare a will for the gentleman. My heart sank as I listened to his question, it was deeper than just worldly possessions, it was about his soul?
Day in and day out we take time to prepare for the next..... a soccer game, movies with the girls, dinner for the family, doctors appointments, getting the car washed, having parties, and so on and so forth. But what about your appointment to leave the earth? Have we prepared our souls to enter into eternal rest in God's Kingdom?
Matthew 24:43-44 in the Message Bible reads "But you do know this: You know that if the homeowner had known what time of night the burglar would arrive, he would have been there with his dogs to prevent the break-in. Be vigilant just like that. You have no idea when the Son of Man is going to show up."
Just as the homeowner in the scripture did not know when his house was going to be broken into, neither do we know when God will come for our house (temple, soul). We can stop right now and evaluate where we are with God and ask him to come into our lives. Yes, we all may have sinned but God calls us to turn away from those things that separate us from him. If you knew that your house could be robbed would you protect your valuables...What about your soul? That is valuable to GOD! Will you protect it from the eternal damnation?
God wants you to know that he loves you unconditionally and he is waiting for you to take the next step. 1) Confess your sins 2.) Accept Jesus in your heart 3) Believe your confession of Faith
If you want to be a part of God's Kingdom, you do not have to wait until you get to a church, you can connect with God right where you are, {According to Romans 10:9-10 the Amplified Bibles states "Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses( declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms (his) salavation.} {Prayer of Confession}
God is pleased that you took the next step, welcome son/daughter to God's Kingdom. I would encourage you to find a BIBLE based church and grow more with the Lord. God Loves You and there is Greatness in YOU!
Additional Scriptures~1 Samuel 16:7, Psalms 51:1-6, Isaiah 43:25 Isaiah 44:22, Isaiah 53:2-6, Jeremiah 29:11, John 3:16, John 15:13, 2 Corinthians 5:15, Romans 5:8, Romans 6:23, Romans 8:35-39,
Day in and day out we take time to prepare for the next..... a soccer game, movies with the girls, dinner for the family, doctors appointments, getting the car washed, having parties, and so on and so forth. But what about your appointment to leave the earth? Have we prepared our souls to enter into eternal rest in God's Kingdom?
Matthew 24:43-44 in the Message Bible reads "But you do know this: You know that if the homeowner had known what time of night the burglar would arrive, he would have been there with his dogs to prevent the break-in. Be vigilant just like that. You have no idea when the Son of Man is going to show up."
Just as the homeowner in the scripture did not know when his house was going to be broken into, neither do we know when God will come for our house (temple, soul). We can stop right now and evaluate where we are with God and ask him to come into our lives. Yes, we all may have sinned but God calls us to turn away from those things that separate us from him. If you knew that your house could be robbed would you protect your valuables...What about your soul? That is valuable to GOD! Will you protect it from the eternal damnation?
God wants you to know that he loves you unconditionally and he is waiting for you to take the next step. 1) Confess your sins 2.) Accept Jesus in your heart 3) Believe your confession of Faith
If you want to be a part of God's Kingdom, you do not have to wait until you get to a church, you can connect with God right where you are, {According to Romans 10:9-10 the Amplified Bibles states "Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses( declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms (his) salavation.} {Prayer of Confession}
God is pleased that you took the next step, welcome son/daughter to God's Kingdom. I would encourage you to find a BIBLE based church and grow more with the Lord. God Loves You and there is Greatness in YOU!
Additional Scriptures~1 Samuel 16:7, Psalms 51:1-6, Isaiah 43:25 Isaiah 44:22, Isaiah 53:2-6, Jeremiah 29:11, John 3:16, John 15:13, 2 Corinthians 5:15, Romans 5:8, Romans 6:23, Romans 8:35-39,
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