New Beginnings

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending."---Maria Robinson
       Sometimes it's hard to close the door on the past. Hurts we have not been healed of bring fear and resentment. Songs remind us of certain people and places. 

       Staying connected to things that are over and done with can have a great effect on our futures. Through all the mistakes and poor choices I have made in life, the thing that motivates me to keep moving is the thought of waking up one day and finding myself in the same old place of misery! I simply cannot not bear the thought of that.
       As history tells it, warriors of an ancient African tribe would not wish their enemies to fall at the hand of the sword; neither would they wish them to die of sickness. The most damaging pronouncement they would make over their enemies was that they would remain the same.....that they would never grow or progress in life. That was what they believed would surely cause them to die.
       Many of us are dying on the inside, simply because we are not progressing.....because we are prisoners to our past.
       The 10 lepers in II Kings had a choice. They could have continued to sit at the gate of Samaria, or they could have gotten up and gone into the city where there was famine. If they went into the city they would have been captured by the Syrian army and would have either been killed or their lives would have been spared. They looked at their choices and decided to get up and do something, because they finally realized they would surely die if they stayed where they were.
        I encourage you to get up and do something today. What's the alternative? If we're going to be miserable, we might as well be miserable doing something, right? Funny thing....I've discovered that every time I get up and do something, my misery always goes away.
        Don't sit there until you die. God has created you for a purpose, a purpose you can fulfill like no one else. You are in the driver's seat...you get to start a new chapter in your life today, without anyone's permission. New beginnings...
Scripture Links: II Kings 7:2-4; Philippians 3:13-14

To Receive Jesus as Lord ad Savior:(Sinner's Prayer) Dear God, I am a sinner. I need a savior. I need Jesus. I believe Jesus died for my sins and rose on the third day. I ask Jesus now to come into my heart and to become Lord over my life. Satan has no more power over me. I say with my mouth that Jesus is Lord. Father, help me to live for you, and thank you for saving me. John 3:16.

To Rededicate Your Life to the Lord (after falling away):Dear Heavenly Father: I confess to you that I have sinned. You said if I confess my sin you are faithful and just to forgive me and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I turn away from sin and turn to you, and I ask you to forgive me. I forgive myself also. Father, thank you for forgiving me, remembering my sin no more and allowing me to have right standing with you again. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Don't Make Permanent Decisions With Temporary People

          A few of years ago I encouraged a group of high school graduates to watch their associations when they got to college. "Don't make permanent decisions with temporary people," I said.
       A "temporary" friend can be a one:
       1)  who may have a good heart but does not know enough
             about the Word of God to know how to behave;
       2)  who makes most of their decisions for personal gain and
             does not understand the importance of giving;
       3)  who does not have a history of demonstrated loyalty;
       4)  whose friendship is based only on your status or what you
            can do for them
       Temporary friends come in many forms. Some can "front" for a while, and a little time may pass before their true nature surfaces.  Others will own up to who they are, but if we become emotionally involved with them in one way or another we may simply ignore what they are saying.
      Several years ago someone who was trying to tell me who he was said to me, "Believe what I say."  Because I had my head in the clouds and wanted him to be someone he did not represent at that time, I ignored what was in front of me.
       Unfortunately, if we don't wake up, our involvement with temporary people can cause us to make life-altering decisions. God tells us think about the paths we place our feet on and consider the ways we are going. 
       His wisdom will always tell us what to do, where to go and who to go with. His ways are ways of peace. God is the most permanent, consistent person we will ever know, so if we will listen to Him today, He can certainly help us avoid the pitfalls of life.
 Scripture Links:  Proverbs 4:26; Haggai 1:7; Proverbs 4:7; Proverbs 3:16-18

To Receive Jesus as Lord ad Savior:(Sinner's Prayer) Dear God, I am a sinner. I need a savior. I need Jesus. I believe Jesus died for my sins and rose on the third day. I ask Jesus now to come into my heart and to become Lord over my life. Satan h; as no more power over me. I say with my mouth that Jesus is Lord. Father, help me to live for you, and thank you for saving me. John 3:16.

To Rededicate Your Life to the Lord (after falling away):Dear Heavenly Father: I confess to you that I have sinned. You said if I confess my sin you are faithful and just to forgive me and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I turn away from sin and turn to you, and I ask you to forgive me. I forgive myself also. Father, thank you for forgiving me, remembering my sin no more and allowing me to have right standing with you again. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Intelligent Design

       I bought the most beautiful chrysanthemum the other day for my desk at work. As I stared at the intricately-designed flowers, I did not hesitate to acknowledge it had to have an Intelligent Designer. Things this beautiful don't just evolve.

       Hmmm....I wonder how the ocean's tide knows exactly how far to come ashore in the mornings and in the evenings. And, how do you suppose the leaves on the red maple tree in the school yard know when its fall? It's funny---each year about the same time, these leaves turn to a stunning mixture of fire red, orange and brown colors, without a command or without being fed anything different. 
       And did salmon get some type or orientation to know they are supposed to feed and grow primarily in salt water, but then return to their native fresh water to spawn? 
        A "big bang" (by explosion or heat expansion, pick one) doesn't bring new and continuous life to everything around us, so it doesn't take much to see we do, indeed, have a Creator who is the Ultimate Designer-----and He didn't even have to go to school for it!   

Scripture Links:  Colossians 1:16; Genesis 1:1; Revelation 4:11

To Receive Jesus as Lord ad Savior:(Sinner's Prayer) Dear God, I am a sinner. I need a savior. I need Jesus. I believe Jesus died for my sins and rose on the third day. I ask Jesus now to come into my heart and to become Lord over my life. Satan h; as no more power over me. I say with my mouth that Jesus is Lord. Father, help me to live for you, and thank you for saving me. John 3:16.

To Rededicate Your Life to the Lord (after falling away):Dear Heavenly Father: I confess to you that I have sinned. You said if I confess my sin you are faithful and just to forgive me and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I turn away from sin and turn to you, and I ask you to forgive me. I forgive myself also. Father, thank you for forgiving me, remembering my sin no more and allowing me to have right standing with you again. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Love Letters to God - Part IV

I Corinthians 13:7, 8

“Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end].”

Dear Father:

Father, you say your love can stand up under anything. So anytime I say, “I’ve had enough. I just can’t take it anymore!,” I am obviously operating in my own power. You said your grace is sufficient for me, and your strength is made perfect in my weakness, so when I am weak, I will actually gain strength if I will come out of myself. That strength is not my own but comes from you and is sustained by you, so I must embrace what you have already placed inside me. So, Father, Help me to decrease so you can increase in my life.

Father, you are always ready to believe the best of every person, so I can believe others are honest and intentionally well meaning. So, I won’t allow opinions or experience to paint biased pictures of others in my mind, because actually, who am I to judge? You certainly didn’t place me on the throne of anyone’s life. And when I think about all my mess ups, including my poor choices that never made the six o’clock news, I can easily keep my mouth closed!

Father, I refuse to give up because of what you have placed on the inside of me. You are my reason for living....you are my hope.

I look at all my imperfections on the outside and recognize you think I am beautiful. I am your beloved. You have an 8 x 10 of me on your mantle. You carry a picture of me in your wallet. You cleared your calendar just to spend time with me today. If I wake up in the middle of the night resisting a troubled heart, you’re right there with me, comforting me and saying, “I’ve got this. You can go back to sleep now.”

You carved my name in the middle of a big heart on a tree trunk in the park. You’ve given me the longest love letter ever written, your Word. All the wealth of man could not produce a sunrise or a sunset, but you did it, just for me. Everything good about Jesus is on the inside of me.

Help me never to exalt the opinions of others over what you think of me, Father, no matter what they think. Actually, the only people who will ever let me down are the ones I lean on, so I have to place value in what others think about me for them to hurt me. You are the One who is for me, all the time, not just when I’m riding on the high places in life. You love me every minute of every hour, even when I am unlovely and even when I don’t make you look good or can’t do anything for you, so I think I’ll place my value on what you say. You’re the sure thing, and nothing else matters.

”Father, I thank you for your goodness and for your Word I have received in my heart. Holy Spirit, I invite you to make your love real to me. Speak to me about the good things I have done; I don’t discount the fact that I still have problems and things to change, but thank you for your kindness that causes you to see me in the spirit. I will think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report; things that have virtue and praise. Help me to acknowledge that I am accepted in your beloved. Make your true nature real to me and help me to begin to experience the true nature of your goodness, your kindness and your love. Thank you, Father, that guilt and condemnation leaves me right now. I welcome the ministry of the Holy Spirit. 

"In Jesus' Name, I make a fresh and strong commitment today to live the life of love, to let the tenderness of God flow through me and heal the wounded hearts of those I meet. 

"Father, teach me to love even when things go wrong. To be patient and kind when the children are struggling. To overlook the spiteful words of an angry friend, brother or sister in Christ, family member or co-worker. To rejoice when someone at the work receives favor and blessing. Teach me to talk in love, to lay gossip quietly aside and to take up words of grace instead. 

"Lord, Your Word says that Your love is already inside me...that it has been shed abroad in my heart. So today, I resolve to remove every obstacle that would keep that love from flowing freely into the lives of others. I put resentments behind me, and I forgive all those who've done me wrong.

         "Father, I believe the love you have for me, and I receive this Word with meekness, which is able to save my soul. In the days ahead, cause me to increase, excel and overflow with Your love. Be magnified in my life. Cause me to be what this world needs most of all...a living example of your love.”              

 (some excerpts from Andrew Wommack's "As I Have Loved You" and Kenneth Copeland's "Faith to Faith Daily Devotional")

Scripture Links:  II Cor. 12:9-12; John 3:30; Matthew 7:1; Ephesians 2:4; Philippians 4:8; Jer 31:3

To Receive Jesus as Lord ad Savior:(Sinner's Prayer) Dear God, I am a sinner. I need a savior. I need Jesus. I believe Jesus died for my sins and rose on the third day. I ask Jesus now to come into my heart and to become Lord over my life. Satan h; as no more power over me. I say with my mouth that Jesus is Lord. Father, help me to live for you, and thank you for saving me. John 3:16.

To Rededicate Your Life to the Lord (after falling away):Dear Heavenly Father: I confess to you that I have sinned. You said if I confess my sin you are faithful and just to forgive me and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I turn away from sin and turn to you, and I ask you to forgive me. I forgive myself also. Father, thank you for forgiving me, remembering my sin no more and allowing me to have right standing with you again. In Jesus' name, AMEN.