Tag: all we can be

Leaving the wine press
Christianity · dreams do come true · encouragement · Jesus · power of God · Prayer · searching · still fighting

Leaving the wine press

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God sees you when you are threshing wheat in the wine press.
Sometimes the enemy feels too strong, so we find ourselves serving God privately and quietly and not standing up and showing people that we love him. Sometimes we’re even too afraid to tell people that we are Christians. That makes God very sad, but just because He’s sad doesn’t mean that He’s not taking care of us in the wine press. When I think of Gideon I think of someone I understand. He had been attacked, he had seen his friends slaughtered, and he was afraid. So he started doing his work away from watching eyes. I don’t blame him. Yet despite his fear and hiding God planned to use him for a great victory. It wasn’t easy either. There were times I bet he thought he had imagined the angel who had come to him. But in the end he gave his body and will over to God and God used him as He said He would.
Don’t feel like God is overlooking you because you are in the wine press, He still sees you and He still plans to use you. Even if you are failing now, even if you failed Him this very second, it doesn’t change what He can and will do through you. It may be hard, but don’t fight Him. If God has you by the waist and is pulling you out of the wine press, the only one you’ll hurt by clinging to the walls is yourself. That’s easy to say, but I know I’ve wrapped my arms around the mill stone a few times recently, the same as everyone else. But God will give you another chance. He knows what greatness you can achieve when you surrender to Him.

Judges Chpt 6-8 tells Gideon’s story for those who want to read it.

I am a sinner, but I leave that all behind me and choose to follow the third man on the hill, the one the people call Jesus.
Christianity · encouragement · free · Jesus · Love · power of God · searching · still fighting · True Joy

I am a sinner, but I leave that all behind me and choose to follow the third man on the hill, the one the people call Jesus.

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We are all the two thieves. We’ve either asked Jesus to remember us or we have mocked Him by not believing Him. The two thieves were a physical example of the two paths to take. A sinner set free by the blood of the Lamb – or a sinner still attached to his/her cross. You can choose to follow Jesus to Paradise or you can choose to stay the way you are. He leaves the decission up to you. But only one road leads to Heaven. Only one way takes you away from death eternal. Jesus is the only way- the choice is up to you.

The reason
Devotional · free · Jesus · lent

The reason

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The reason

I was too late. She didn’t know the truth, and now she was gone. The cancer won in the end. We didn’t think it would.
Six hours we had spent together. All the time in the world. Yet never once did I speak the truth. Now it’s too late. Now she’s gone, her soul lost forever. If only I could go back. Say anything that would make a difference. Anything at all.
The reason for the death and Resurrection was so that people would be able to come to Jesus and be free from hell. We get caught up in the ribbons and the bright colors added to this day and forget, today was the winning of a battle, not an Easter parade. It’s a happy day for those who know and love Jesus, it’s a hopeful day for those who find Him, but for those who don’t believe it’s just another Sunday to stay in bed. These souls are what we are supposed to fight for. We all fail daily to spread Jesus to the world, for those who aren’t missionaries, preachers or evenagelists, it’s really hard to find the words and the moment to show Jesus to people. Sometimes a lady you met once who you pray for for years will suddenly die from cancer and you never know, was it enough? Did she find Jesus in the end?
Souls of the lost and found are the reason for it all. My soul, your soul and the wandering souls out there are the reason for the empty tomb.
He gave us everything. We need to give Him all of us in return. Don’t be half a Christian following the easy path. Serve Him and be a jewel in His crown.

I can smell it, life is returning
Christianity · encouragement · free · Jesus · lent · Love · power of God · searching · The Bible · True Joy

I can smell it, life is returning

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I can smell it coming, life is returning.

Walking through the grove of blue spruce trees in our yard I took a deep breath. The past several months of winter, the air burned and smelled like snow; today my senses were filled with warm scent of pine. It was faint, but it was there. Little by little the trees were coming back to life. I know pine trees don’t go fully dormant during the winter like Birch or Poplar, so they are usually the first you notice a difference in during Spring. Yet that doesn’t change the joy of having the trees start to show sign of winter ending.
Yesterday Jesus was killed and buried. Today He was busy preparing for tomorrow. His body lie in a stone tomb, yet His Spirit was working on the Father’s plan. He wasn’t up and walking about yet today, but there was something stirring, life was returning. Lewis would speak of it as the other world or realm and that is how I will speak of it also. We couldn’t see or hear anything happening here on Earth during the middle day of Holy Week weekend, yet in the other world- the one our souls belong to- there was a great awakening of souls who had lied in death for many years awaiting their savior to come and take the keys from the devil and bring them home. Jesus’s death and resurrection was always planned, God didn’t suddenly go, ‘oh no! The world is really bad I need to send someone to save them!’ He knew all along what would happen and was ready for it. Today was a busy day for Jesus, and though his body lay dead in the tomb, life was preparing to return to it.

Doing for others who won’t do for you
Christianity · Devotional · Jesus · lent

Doing for others who won’t do for you

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Doing for others who don’t do for you.

Do unto others… yep, we’ve all heard that over and over and over again until it’s too much. Funny thing is, the only one who ever said to love your neighbor as yourself who I have actually seen do so Himself was Jesus. Usually I find the one shelling out the do unto others line is the person who wants something from you, but when the roles are reversed that same person can’t be bothered to consider you a neighbor. Sounds familiar huh?
But no matter how many times I read Jesus’s words I can’t find the loop hole that would fix this problem, the loop hole that I have often put in myself in my actions, the one that says to only treat your neighbor as yourself if that neighbor will do the same for you. That feels right, doesn’t it? Maybe Jesus intended to say that but forgot? I mean, who would make you treat well someone who is a leech?
Oh, right, the same one who says love your enemies, He’s the one who would make us be good to those who aren’t good in return. It’s really hard. People who want to take from you but you rarely give back are some of the hardest people to deal with. At least you feel a little good about yourself when you do something kind for an enemy, but when you’re giving out to a bad neighbor it just makes you feel like a door mat.
Jesus however, never gave a command He didn’t follow Himself. To the point of suffering and death He did unto others as He would have them do unto Him, exept He knew full well that most of them wouldn’t do the same for Him; many wouldn’t even stop hating Him. The martyrs did for Jesus what He did for them, but how many more gave in to the politics and force of the rulers around them to save their own lives? Jesus knew we wouldn’t do the same for Him, yet He still walked the road to the cross. So next time I have to give to those I know won’t give back without a fuss, I hope the Holy Spirit reminds me that Jesus gave His life for me, knowing I would fail Him everyday. It’s not about give and take, as much as it hurts sometimes, it’s really all about give and wait for your reward in Heaven, which you earned because of someone who gave for you.

Counting on you
Christianity · Devotional · dreams do come true · encouragement · free · guidance · Jesus · Love · power of God · Prayer · searching · still fighting · The Bible · True Joy

Counting on you

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Counting on you

We as Christians count on God for so much. We count on Him to be good to us, to forgive us, to love us, to heal us, to help us. But can God count on us for…well…anything?
We don’t think about God counting on us. In fact, we don’t really think that God needs us, do we? We realize that He is God and He can make His plan work no matter what we do or don’t do. But that’s not the point. God doesn’t rely on us, He doesn’t have to, but He does count on us. He counts on us to do His will, to obey His commands, to care for our fellow Christians, to show His love to the lost and broken, He may even have appointed you a position in which you can do these things. He counts on us doing our part. If we never step out our front door, if we never take the chance, if we squelch the voice of God inside of us, aren’t we letting God down. We like to dance around the circle of ‘it’s a partnership, God and I are working together,’ because it makes us think that God is helping us in fulfilling our goals and our dreams, and that is what the outer ring of the circle sometimes looks like- but what about the inner circle, the inner Sanctum if you like, that’s where God is, the place where it’s not our will but His. The place where the fire burns so hot that it hurts sometimes, the place of surrender, are any of us willing to enter that circle? Or do we prefer the edge where it’s safe?
Can God count on us?
Can God say, “I can always count on Lauren to do the right thing?” Or I can always count on Larry, or Lynne, or Tanya, or Carole, or Mark, or Matthew, or whatever your name is, fill in the blank, can God say “him or her, I can always count on”?
I hope so. I hope that we all aim to live within the fire, near the heart of God, so He can count on us.

Counting on you
Christianity · Devotional · dreams do come true · encouragement · free · guidance · Jesus · Love · power of God · Prayer · searching · still fighting · The Bible · True Joy

Counting on you

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Counting on you

We as Christians count on God for so much. We count on Him to be good to us, to forgive us, to love us, to heal us, to help us. But can God count on us for…well…anything?
We don’t think about God counting on us. In fact, we don’t really think that God needs us, do we? We realize that He is God and He can make His plan work no matter what we do or don’t do. But that’s not the point. God doesn’t rely on us, He doesn’t have to, but He does count on us. He counts on us to do His will, to obey His commands, to care for our fellow Christians, to show His love to the lost and broken, He may even have appointed you a position in which you can do these things. He counts on us doing our part. If we never step out our front door, if we never take the chance, if we squelch the voice of God inside of us, aren’t we letting God down. We like to dance around the circle of ‘it’s a partnership, God and I are working together,’ because it makes us think that God is helping us in fulfilling our goals and our dreams, and that is what the outer ring of the circle sometimes looks like- but what about the inner circle, the inner Sanctum if you like, that’s where God is, the place where it’s not our will but His. The place where the fire burns so hot that it hurts sometimes, the place of surrender, are any of us willing to enter that circle? Or do we prefer the edge where it’s safe?
Can God count on us?
Can God say, “I can always count on Lauren to do the right thing?” Or I can always count on Larry, or Lynne, or Tanya, or Carole, or Mark, or Matthew, or whatever your name is, fill in the blank, can God say “him or her, I can always count on”?
I hope so. I hope that we all aim to live within the fire, near the heart of God, so He can count on us.

Sparrows
Christianity · Devotional · dreams do come true · encouragement · free · Jesus · lent

Sparrows

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Lent devotional 31

Sparrows

God says His eye is on the sparrow. I love this because of the bird He chose to name. He didn’t say peacock or flamingo or eagle, He said sparrow. The most commonly found, plain, tiny bird out there, that is the one God named. I love our sparrows in our yard, they remind me of God’s compassion. I see the extra feathers deep under the top layer of feathers that these small birds fluff up to stay warm, I see the way they come and go in a multitude for protection but once in a while will flit over to the bird feeder alone only to whisk away at the slightest movement from inside the house. I see the way God provides deep branches in the forest around us so that these birds have shelter, I see their courage when defending against a preditor. God equipped these tiny, ordinary birds so that they could do great things to survive. He equipped us in the same way. He gives us answers to the needs we have. He watches over us and lifts us up when we have stumbled. He gives us the abilities to weather all storms and He alone hides us in the shelter of His wings.
You may feel small, plain, one in thousands; but God sees you, His eye is on you and He is taking care of you. You are not ordinary or insignificant, you are loved and cherished, more than you could ever know.

Freedom
Christianity · Devotional · encouragement · free · guidance · Jesus · lent

Freedom

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Lent devotional 27

Freedom

When Jesus died on the cross He didn’t just take away our fear and pain, but He gave us complete freedom from it. Fear is not from God, He says that His perfect love casts out all fear. That does not mean that you will never feel fear again, it means that Jesus’ power gives you the authority to pray against your fear and have it cast away. In Jesus name I stand against this fear I am feeling! Then if the fear comes back ask Jesus to cast it out again. The devil uses fear to drive us down and keep us from God’s goals in our lives. We must stand against this fear in the name of Jesus and refuse to permit it to overwhelm us. Jesus is there, standing guard, call on His name and believe that your fear will be cast out by His holy and glorious power!
In Jesus name I stand against fear and trembling of anything earthly. I stand in the power of almighty God! Fear has no hold on me because Jesus is the one who holds me. Amen!

Chains be gone!
Christianity · Devotional · encouragement · free · guidance · Jesus · lent · Love · Prayer · searching

Chains be gone!

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Lent devotional 23

To love them with your whole heart.
We feel these days that to love them is to accept them, all of them, as they are in that moment. That is true in a sense but not in a whole. As Christians it is always a struggle to accept the whole of the person but to also fight against their sin. We forget that if we accept the sin and not simply the sinner then we aren’t truly loving them. To accept our whole selves and to accept our own sin is not truly loving ourselves either. There is the great truth that we all have a darkness to us, but when we claim that we love our darkness as part of ourselves we are hurting ourselves. When we claim that we love someone else’s darkness as part of themselves then we are condeming them to forever be trapped by that darkness. Our sin is not who we are, it is not part of us. Like a big chain holding down a wolf, that chain is not part of that animal, that free spirit, it is simply attached to him or her. Once someone loves the wolf enough to say, ‘that doesn’t belong on you, let me help you take it off,’ and the wolf is set free from it’s bonds it can finally return to the trees and run the way it was meant to run. These chains are not part of us, our sins are not part of us, we cannot lie down and simply accept them in ourselves and in others, we must stand up against sin and scream ‘no more!’ ‘No longer will this sin hold me down!’ ‘I want to be free!’
You are not defined by your chains. You are meant to be free.
Seek a good Church with a pastor you trust and can come to with your sin, seek good Christian people who will help you. I don’t mean as someone to confess to, I mean as people to pray with you. Trust me, they have sins too that they are fighting, you are not alone.
Pray
Jesus I love you, I love that you love me and fight against my sin becasue you want me to be free. Thank you that you are not condeming me when you condem my sin, but that you are saving me. Let me trust in you and your truth. Guide me to fellow Christ followers so that I might find people who will pray with me and fight with me.
Amen