"My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves." 1 John 3:20 (The Message)
Do you do this? Do you find that you are worried about something, but not quite sure what? Feel a little out of sorts but can't quite put your finger on why? I have.
It seems that ever since our pastor asked us to accept the gift of the Holy Spirit and to bring it into our hearts, I've been struggling.
I've been struggling with this feeling that I'm not sure what to do with. It's like I'm afraid that the fire that came into my heart that day, will go out. I'm not sure how to keep it alive. I want to do so much for the Lord. I yearn to share His unconditional love, graciousness, everlasting peace and sparkling joy with all whom He brings into my path. But I fall short--at least that is what I fear. I feel so unworthy. But that doesn't stop me from wanting to keep trying. Does this make any sense to you?
My God is so awesome and has been so gracious and forgiving of me--I feel the need to give back. But not to focus on me. But to be the "invisible woman" that is just there, supporting others and helping them meet their potential and allowing God to flow through me to help them be what God wants them to be. But I seem to find myself getting in the way.
Are you where I am? Have you been there in the past? How did you resolve it?
I truly hope that you don't mind me sharing this spiritual turmoil. It's just that it is so special when we are going through these kinds of times and the Lord brings just the right scripture to us.
This verse caught me because I especially love the ending, "For God is greater than our worried hearts." And it's so true. God is greater. Our God is greater than worries, insecurities, hang ups and hurts. He does know more about us than we know about ourselves.
What I am reminded by this verse is that God loves me know matter what and He knows my heart and spirit. And as long as I am all right with Him--I should be all right with me. And the same goes with you.
"My dear children, don't just talk about love; practice real love."
Monday, February 15, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
The Two Wolves
"Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." 1 Corinthians 13:7 NLT
There is this old Indian proverb titled "The Two Wolves" and it goes like this:
One evening an old Cherokee told his
grandson about a battle that
goes on inside people.
He said, 'My son, there is an ongoing battle between
two 'wolves' inside us all.
One is Evil.
It is anger, envy, jealousy, greed,
arrogance, self-pity, guilt,
resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride,
superiority, and ego.
The other is Good.
It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity,
humility, kindness, benevolence,
empathy, generosity, truth,
compassion and faith.
The grandson thought about it for a
minute.
And then he asked his grandfather: 'Which wolf wins?'
The old Cherokee simply replied,
'The one you feed.'
Which wolf do you feed?
There is this old Indian proverb titled "The Two Wolves" and it goes like this:
One evening an old Cherokee told his
grandson about a battle that
goes on inside people.
He said, 'My son, there is an ongoing battle between
two 'wolves' inside us all.
One is Evil.
It is anger, envy, jealousy, greed,
arrogance, self-pity, guilt,
resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride,
superiority, and ego.
The other is Good.
It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity,
humility, kindness, benevolence,
empathy, generosity, truth,
compassion and faith.
The grandson thought about it for a
minute.
And then he asked his grandfather: 'Which wolf wins?'
The old Cherokee simply replied,
'The one you feed.'
Which wolf do you feed?
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
The Power of Love
"If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NLT
We are a society of love. Have you noticed that? We crave it. We look for it online. In movies. In books. We have a craving to love and to being loved. Why? Because God designed us that way.
It was out of love that God first created us. It is out of human love that we recreate. That old cliche 'love is what makes the world go round,' is very true at times.
Sometimes though, we--as humans--get the concept of love all distorted. Love, the way it was intended, is a wonderfully powerful emotion. It didn't have strings attached. It wasn't connected to outer beauty. It wasn't depended on what you did and didn't do. Love was love. Pure and simple.
To God, the power of love was greater than speaking in tongues, the gift of prophesy, great wisdom or faith & charity. Love was greater than of all these.
The power of love was so great that it was what made the Lord Jesus come to earth as a baby and as an adult, die on the cross for us to save us from our sins. That is true love.
If the power of love is that important, don't you think we should try it more often? Truly love from the spirit, not from the flesh? If there was more love in the world, there may be a little less sadness, broken-spirits and lonely lives.
Spread the power of love!
We are a society of love. Have you noticed that? We crave it. We look for it online. In movies. In books. We have a craving to love and to being loved. Why? Because God designed us that way.
It was out of love that God first created us. It is out of human love that we recreate. That old cliche 'love is what makes the world go round,' is very true at times.
Sometimes though, we--as humans--get the concept of love all distorted. Love, the way it was intended, is a wonderfully powerful emotion. It didn't have strings attached. It wasn't connected to outer beauty. It wasn't depended on what you did and didn't do. Love was love. Pure and simple.
To God, the power of love was greater than speaking in tongues, the gift of prophesy, great wisdom or faith & charity. Love was greater than of all these.
The power of love was so great that it was what made the Lord Jesus come to earth as a baby and as an adult, die on the cross for us to save us from our sins. That is true love.
If the power of love is that important, don't you think we should try it more often? Truly love from the spirit, not from the flesh? If there was more love in the world, there may be a little less sadness, broken-spirits and lonely lives.
Spread the power of love!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Two Tracks
"The Lord’s delight is in those who fear him,
those who put their hope in his unfailing love." Psalm 147:11 NLT
There are two words in the above passage that seem conflicting--fear and love.
The writer says that the Lord delights in those who fear Him. Does that mean that He delights in our being terrified of Him? Is he like an abusive father that likes watching his children move about the house in fear of abuse? Certainly not!
Yes, we should fear God. After all, He is God. But the fear of the Lord is out of a reverent respect and honor of our father in heaven. He is awesome beyond description. He is a just God. He does come against the wicked. But He tempers judgment with mercy. He tempered our judgment with mercy at the cross of Christ.
Our father loves us. His love is complete and without prejudice. This is why we can fear and love Him at the same time.
It seems like we make the mistake in one of two warped views of God. He is either a God of judgment just waiting to inflict pain on us. Or the other, which is that He is a kind, toothless old man who is our sugar daddy. Both views are incorrect.
We are to have a reverent fear of the Lord, and complete confidence in His great love for us.
Which track are you riding on?
those who put their hope in his unfailing love." Psalm 147:11 NLT
There are two words in the above passage that seem conflicting--fear and love.
The writer says that the Lord delights in those who fear Him. Does that mean that He delights in our being terrified of Him? Is he like an abusive father that likes watching his children move about the house in fear of abuse? Certainly not!
Yes, we should fear God. After all, He is God. But the fear of the Lord is out of a reverent respect and honor of our father in heaven. He is awesome beyond description. He is a just God. He does come against the wicked. But He tempers judgment with mercy. He tempered our judgment with mercy at the cross of Christ.
Our father loves us. His love is complete and without prejudice. This is why we can fear and love Him at the same time.
It seems like we make the mistake in one of two warped views of God. He is either a God of judgment just waiting to inflict pain on us. Or the other, which is that He is a kind, toothless old man who is our sugar daddy. Both views are incorrect.
We are to have a reverent fear of the Lord, and complete confidence in His great love for us.
Which track are you riding on?
Friday, February 5, 2010
Unfailing
"For the word of the Lord holds true,
and we can trust everything he does.
He loves whatever is just and good;
the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth." Psalm 33:4-5 NLT
What do you hold true? Is there anyone in your life that you can trust everything they do? It would be nice if you could trust everything that someone was doing--but is it possible? We are human and with humanness, we fail. We fail to the flesh, to peer pressure, to what the world visions as true. We are human and humans are fallible.
But our Lord--He is different. His word we can hold true. With Him, we can trust everything that He does. Why? Because He can't betray Himself. He can't be untrue to Himself. He created us in His image so that we would know what true trust and love is all about. We humans try--we think that we know what true and trustworthy love is all about--but in reality, we don't. Not until you go the extra mile like your heavenly Father did, will you ever truly know.
His love will NEVER fail you. It fills the earth. From the beauty of the rising sun, to the quiet stream deep in the redwoods, to the wind howling on a stormy night--it fills. All of these things and so many more He created to help you remember His unfailing love. From a warm hug given by a special person, a sticky kiss from a two year old, to a smile from a stranger--these are the fillings of God's unfailing love in the earth.
Can you trust in your heavenly Father? Yes you can! No matter what has happened in your past, He is and has always been the one person you can trust completely.
Will you? Will you give Him ALL your trust? Do you want to experience unfailing love in your life? Try Jesus.
and we can trust everything he does.
He loves whatever is just and good;
the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth." Psalm 33:4-5 NLT
What do you hold true? Is there anyone in your life that you can trust everything they do? It would be nice if you could trust everything that someone was doing--but is it possible? We are human and with humanness, we fail. We fail to the flesh, to peer pressure, to what the world visions as true. We are human and humans are fallible.
But our Lord--He is different. His word we can hold true. With Him, we can trust everything that He does. Why? Because He can't betray Himself. He can't be untrue to Himself. He created us in His image so that we would know what true trust and love is all about. We humans try--we think that we know what true and trustworthy love is all about--but in reality, we don't. Not until you go the extra mile like your heavenly Father did, will you ever truly know.
His love will NEVER fail you. It fills the earth. From the beauty of the rising sun, to the quiet stream deep in the redwoods, to the wind howling on a stormy night--it fills. All of these things and so many more He created to help you remember His unfailing love. From a warm hug given by a special person, a sticky kiss from a two year old, to a smile from a stranger--these are the fillings of God's unfailing love in the earth.
Can you trust in your heavenly Father? Yes you can! No matter what has happened in your past, He is and has always been the one person you can trust completely.
Will you? Will you give Him ALL your trust? Do you want to experience unfailing love in your life? Try Jesus.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Someting Great to Put Your Hope In!
"I give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart;
I will sing your praises before the gods.
I bow before your holy Temple as I worship.
I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness;
for your promises are backed
by all the honor of your name.
As soon as I pray, you answer me;
you encourage me by giving me strength.
Every king in all the earth will thank you, Lord,
for all of them will hear your words.
Yes, they will sing about the Lord’s ways,
for the glory of the Lord is very great.
Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble,
but he keeps his distance from the proud.
Though I am surrounded by troubles,
you will protect me from the anger of my enemies.
You reach out your hand,
and the power of your right hand saves me.
The Lord will work out his plans for my life—
for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.
Don’t abandon me, for you made me." Psalm 138 NLT
What a great passage! What a great God! To think that God's promises to us are backed by who he is; the Greatest One. His love is unfailing. Think about that. His love is without failure. Many things that we put our hope in fail. Failure is a fact of life. But Jesus' love for us is without the possibility of failure.
He gives us his strength to endure. He has great plans for us, and he works those plans out for us.
Are you facing challenges, crisis, or hopelessness? Remember the Greatest One is for you!
I will sing your praises before the gods.
I bow before your holy Temple as I worship.
I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness;
for your promises are backed
by all the honor of your name.
As soon as I pray, you answer me;
you encourage me by giving me strength.
Every king in all the earth will thank you, Lord,
for all of them will hear your words.
Yes, they will sing about the Lord’s ways,
for the glory of the Lord is very great.
Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble,
but he keeps his distance from the proud.
Though I am surrounded by troubles,
you will protect me from the anger of my enemies.
You reach out your hand,
and the power of your right hand saves me.
The Lord will work out his plans for my life—
for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.
Don’t abandon me, for you made me." Psalm 138 NLT
What a great passage! What a great God! To think that God's promises to us are backed by who he is; the Greatest One. His love is unfailing. Think about that. His love is without failure. Many things that we put our hope in fail. Failure is a fact of life. But Jesus' love for us is without the possibility of failure.
He gives us his strength to endure. He has great plans for us, and he works those plans out for us.
Are you facing challenges, crisis, or hopelessness? Remember the Greatest One is for you!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Unveiled
"But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image." 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 NLT
This past Sunday, our church body did a beautiful thing. Pastor Eric was preaching another one of his God-inspired sermons. It was based on Luke 11:14-28. At the end, he invited all of those who wanted to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit to stand. He made sure that we didn't feel as if we were "peer pressured" into standing. It was purely to be a personal, spiritual choice.
Do you know what happened? As if on cue, most--if not all--of us stood up. Then he said to hold out your hands as if you were receiving a gift from someone. So we did. Then he prayed for us and told us that this is what the Holy Spirit is to each and every one of us--a personal gift to us from our Father.
And what do you do with a gift that someone special gives you? Do you just accept it and put it in your pocket? Do you accept it and just throw it under your bed? Do you accept it and put it in a closet?
No. Most likely you would open it and admire it. You would hold it and treat it with respect. You would cherish it.
Don't be scared of the Holy Spirit. It was given to us from our Father as a gift to help us--to help you--in your life journey. It wasn't a gift that God picked randomly. No. He spent great thought and lovingly picked this out especially for you. It is to give you freedom. That is why this verse is so beautiful.
Be unveiled! Be real! Claim your gift of the Holy Spirit and reveal the true power of your faith into your life, your world!
This past Sunday, our church body did a beautiful thing. Pastor Eric was preaching another one of his God-inspired sermons. It was based on Luke 11:14-28. At the end, he invited all of those who wanted to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit to stand. He made sure that we didn't feel as if we were "peer pressured" into standing. It was purely to be a personal, spiritual choice.
Do you know what happened? As if on cue, most--if not all--of us stood up. Then he said to hold out your hands as if you were receiving a gift from someone. So we did. Then he prayed for us and told us that this is what the Holy Spirit is to each and every one of us--a personal gift to us from our Father.
And what do you do with a gift that someone special gives you? Do you just accept it and put it in your pocket? Do you accept it and just throw it under your bed? Do you accept it and put it in a closet?
No. Most likely you would open it and admire it. You would hold it and treat it with respect. You would cherish it.
Don't be scared of the Holy Spirit. It was given to us from our Father as a gift to help us--to help you--in your life journey. It wasn't a gift that God picked randomly. No. He spent great thought and lovingly picked this out especially for you. It is to give you freedom. That is why this verse is so beautiful.
Be unveiled! Be real! Claim your gift of the Holy Spirit and reveal the true power of your faith into your life, your world!
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