Do we recognize Christ?

Too many people today talk about everything and everyone that is unimportant.

The nfl, the college game, who won what in hollywood, what the President said, what the has been actor, singer, or former leader said. 

Who cares, really? How are any of these people or things important in our lives?

All these things, all these people will soon be forgotten, how shallow our lives are when we have to live through the eyes of the media and what they tell us and put in front of us to watch day after day, and to top it off that is all we have to talk about. 

Really?

Time has come for people to get off babies milk and move on. 

Stop caring more about what was worn on the red carpet or said somewhere by so and so ,than the souls of those around you!

God’s word says this: “Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer live as the Gentiles live, in the futility of their thoughts. They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts. They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more. But that is not how you came to know Christ, assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth. Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, and don’t give the devil an opportunity. Let the thief no longer steal. Instead, he is to do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need. No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.”

Ephesians 4:17-32 CSB

“Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints. Obscene and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. Therefore, do not become their partners. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light — for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth — testing what is pleasing to the Lord. Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them.” Ephesians 5:1-11 CSB

We cannot partner with darkness and claim to walk in the light of Christ, Jesus could walk into our homes, our houses of worship and our work places and we would miss Him, just as when He walked the earth over 2000 years ago we are so caught up in ourselves and the way we think it should be. We are no different than what John tells us about the Jewish nation and  how they rejected Jesus.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it....He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” John 1:1-5, 10-11 CSB

If we who say we believe in Christ, don’t recognize Christ, His authority, His holiness, His grace, and live by what we say we believe, then how can we put expectations on the world to live that way either!

Ask God to break our hearts with what breaks His, to reveal to us areas we need too surrender to Him and for Him to work in us and around us , may we be broken of our ways and follow Him.

Reflections of a year gone by

As we draw close to the end of this year most of us will reflect over the past, our triumphs and failures, we will reflect on lost loved ones and miss them , we should reflect and be grateful for those days we had with them and rejoice with those we still have with us.

Life has no pause or reset buttons, it always leads onward.

As we reflect over the past don't let the demons of discouragement and despair get into your mind, they will only lie to you and deceive you. They will dishearten you and destroy your hope, joy and focus.

This is a time to refocus on God , look back and see where failure grew and raised it's ugly head is where we pressed on without God, we do things in our flesh and forget to ask and seek God, then ask Him why, when we fail.

This I know unless I surrender daily to Him, I will surrender to my flesh, the world or the enemies lies and deceit, which leads me to defeat.

I need God in order to love another person unconditionally. I need His help to overlook offenses. I need His help to guard myself against all the temptations that lurk around every corner. I need His help to become more like Christ so I can lay down my life for my family. Without Him, my marriage wouldn’t be anything special. Odds are it would end badly, just like so many do.

We all get to choose who we will surrender our will to daily, our weaknesses and our strengths , we must learn out of obedience to surrender to God before our feet hit the floor, our enemies wait in darkness to attack in our thoughts, dreams and mind.

You can have the life God wants you to have. But you can’t have it without God’s help. No matter what’s happened in your past, this is a new day. A new chance. A new beginning. A new year awaits, let's not squander this gift from God.

This is a new day the Lord has given to us, be glad and rejoice in Him. Things can be different, let's go forward in Christ in Him we will find healing, in Him we will be more engaging, in Him we can truly forgive as we've been forgiven, in Him we can have peace, strength and overcome what gets in our way,in Him we can be more intimate with our spouse, in Him we can become closer to others than ever been before.

The past is the past. It's dead and buried don't dig it up and relive it. We can’t change it. But God can change our future. He can take what the enemy meant for evil and use it for good.The enemy wants us to It feel like we have too much to overcome, like the damage is too great to be repaired. We don't and It’s not.

We don't have what it takes to face life alone, we need God .

Life is complicated, we need all the help we can get. Jesus said ““Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:28-30‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

We need to take Him up on this, we don't need to fight back fairly, we need to learn to fight like men and women of God. You don’t fight for victory; you fight from the victory God has given you.

““When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours, do not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you. When you are about to engage in battle, the priest is to come forward and address the army. He is to say to them: ‘Listen, Israel: Today you are about to engage in battle with your enemies. Do not be cowardly. Do not be afraid, alarmed, or terrified because of them. For the Lord your God is the One who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.’”
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭20:1-4‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” You don’t even know what tomorrow will bring — what your life will be! For you are like smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes. Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So it is a sin for the person who knows to do what is good and doesn’t do it.”
‭‭James‬ ‭4:13-17‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

Pain is good?

Living as a Christian doesn’t mean your life is perfect it doesn’t mean living free from struggles; instead living a Christian life means you will rely on the Holy Spirit who will help you face these difficulties head-on day after day.

Struggles shape our hearts and our faith humbly submitting to God is the first step in overcoming struggles. Humility pulls us away from self reliance and closer to God. It is not an easy life, but it is a rich life, filled with the presence of God. He teaches us, comforts us, and walks with us as we grow, He reminds us of who we are and who He is in the face of pain and struggle, our faith in Him will give us comfort, guidance, and hope.

When you read the Bible, life often gets worse before it gets better. Salvation, the free gift of God, is sometimes painful.It costs us nothing and Jesus everything.

Pain teaches us: because to understand this pain change and struggle are part of the growing process.

This doesn't mean all pain is good, or necessary it means God knows what it takes to get through to our stubborn hearts, and that He alone is good and does all things for our good and His glory, He loves us enough to work in us and make us like Jesus.

C.S. Lewis said God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world”

Is God shouting at you today?

God wants us to see that He is our only hope. If we can control something on our own, we will never come to know the greater power of God. No matter what Is going on God is still in control He acts according to His eternal plan and perfect will.

 Isaiah 30:18 tells us the Lord is a God of justice for those who wait on Him. He will not abandon us in our times of helplessness. We have to trust in Him that He alone is able to change whatever situation we are in, into a time of hope, joy and peace.

Through it all, God will act and show us that He cares for is personally and deeply. Don't surrender to pain, trials or temptations, instead surrender to God our creator and see His power shine in you , on you and through you as you make it with Him through this life.

Mark 10:27: With man [it] is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.

We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us. — Romans 5:3-5

Now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. — 1 Peter 1:6-9

Uncertainty, certainly not!

It is true we live in perilous times, that we face uncertain days.

If you're a child of God, you must trust Him and know that these days must come.

The World is dying, our Nation is dying, We are dying. But the good news is, that Christ is risen, and because He is risen we have hope, we are given life, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, and nothing can separate us from Him.

Instead  of fear or fret, pray and praise God always. He alone is sufficient, and will guide, guard and give us the grace to make it through whatever comes our way.

Isaiah 40:21-31 ESV

Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?  It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;   who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.  Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble.   To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One.  Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing.  Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord , and my right is disregarded by my God”?  Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.  He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.  Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;  but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.