Tag: grace

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There is Purpose in the Scars

Have you ever dropped a glass and it shatter?  After it shatters, does it serve a purpose anymore?  No, not really.  It’s pretty much ruined.  My next step after it drops on the ground is sweeping up the mess and throwing it away.

When we sinned in Eden and ate from the fruit (and every time we sinned after that), we were like that glass hitting the floor – broken and shattered.  Our ability to serve the purpose we were put on this earth to do became questionable.  We could have easily been swept up and thrown out.  But God didn’t do that.  He decided that, even though we were broken, we were worth keeping around.

In fact, He sent His only Son to earth so that we might be saved and made whole again (John 3:16).  It would be the equivalent of us trying to glue the 1,000 tiny pieces of the glass that shattered on the floor.  That is a special kind of Love!

The rub is, though, no matter what we do, we would always see the glue marks on the glass we are trying to glue together.  Our glue marks are our scars.  These scars serve a purpose.  If we were made whole again, without those scars, how would we be able to be a walking testimony for our Lord?  It would be hard to show people where we once were if there was no evidence. Even Christ kept His scars so that others would understand what He endured.  (John 20:27)

Luke 14:27 declares that we must take up our Cross and follow Christ in order to be His disciple.  Part of that Cross is our bearing those scars.  It is turning from those ways and helping those who are walking in the valleys you once were walking in.  Part of the reason we need to remain marked up until we reach Heaven is because those scars share what our God can do.  It is for His glory.

Even though scars indicate that we have sinned, it also means that we have been put back together.  It means that what once were wounds are now healed.  Thus we are a walking testimony of the Grace of God.  Next time the enemy tries to shame you for a scar, for something God has forgiven you from, remind him that these scars are there to glorify God and show how great He is!  Have faith that God knows what he is doing.

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:1-2‬ ‭NLT‬

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It’s how you see it

My current job is in insurance.  I take policies and ensure they are completed accurately following the laws and regulations before booking and then in the actual paper policy that is sent to the insured.  Sounds fun, huh?  

It’s not all that bad.  The one part that is the most stressful is a checking system set up to grade our quality.  This process ensures that everything set up either in the pricing or in the paper has no error.  If one is found, then you get a bad score.  You can only get 10% incorrect.  That’s not a lot when some policies are 200+ pages.  We strive for perfection, but even my company knows that humans cannot be perfect – we will fail at some point.

When we fail, there are two choices we make at how we deal with the failure.  We either choose to look at it from a conviction standpoint or a condemnation standpoint.  One is of God and one is of the Devil.  

I just completed reading the book – Crash the Chatterbox by Steven Furtick.  Great book about how our thought patterns can really get messed up and how we can fix that problem.  Pastor Steven spends some time talking about the difference between condemnation versus conviction.  I’d like to share with you what I learned.

 Let’s look at two people who both made the same mistake: Peter and Judas.  Both were Jesus’ disciples and both betrayed Jesus.  One chose to deal with this failure through condemnation and the other through conviction.

Judas betrayed Jesus by working with the Pharisees to get Jesus killed.   (Luke 22:3-6)  For 30 pieces of silver, Christ was betrayed.  After his eyes were opened to the severity of the situation, Judas gave the money back and hung himself. (Matthew 27:5)

Peter’s betrayal did not send Christ to his death, but it was hurtful for another reason.  Peter was essentially Jesus’ best friend, His closest friend among the 12.  When Christ told Peter that he would deny Him, Peter refused to believe it (Mark 14:26-31).  But, in the heat of the moment, Christ’s prediction was fulfilled and Peter denied that he knew Christ three times as Jesus was on trial.  After he realizes what he did, Peter ran off and wept. (Matthew‬ ‭26:69-75‬) After Christ’s resurrection, Peter ended up leading the early Christian church in it’s infancy. 

You see the difference?  Where one desided he no longer was good and ended his life, the other was able to step into his purpose.  Was it because Jesus loved Peter more?  Personally, I don’t think so.  I believe it is because Judas saw his betrayal through condemnation (you are no longer good) and Peter saw his betrayal through conviction (you are better than that).  

God operates in conviction- showing us our mistakes and telling us we are too good to do what we did and should hold ourselves to a higher standard.  The Devil uses condemnation to tell us we are no longer good and therefore no longer worthy, keeping us locked up in personal disdain.  

I encourage you to recognize the difference next time you mess up.  Know that, regardless of the sin, God loves you and still has a plan for you.  Don’t ever give up.  

“Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12:9-10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Be blessed, dear readers!!  Remember whose you are.

  

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Strength Training

I must confess something to you, readers: I’m not that physically strong.  My upper body strength is almost non-existent.  Once at the gym, I saw a barbell with no extra weights on it (about 35 pounds by itself) and almost didn’t get it past my chest.  My legs are a little stronger, but not by much.  It’s sad and I am working on correcting it.  Haha!

But in seriousness, strength is a genuine necessity in this life.  Yes, physical strength is important, but so is emotional, mental, and spiritual.  If we lived our lives without strength, then we wouldn’t live very long.

When life gets tough, that strength is what helps us continue on this journey of life.  Whether it is a physical illness, a relationship gone wrong, or financial instability – where and in whom your strength comes from determines how well you will weather the storm.

Proverbs 18:10 says: “The name of the LORD is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe.”  When we put our trust in the unmovable God who created us, we know that we will make it out okay.

All too often, though, we are like the disciples in Mark 4:38-39. We doubt that God sees our situation or even cares.  So we panic and cry out in despair.  But quickly, as Jesus awoke and calmed the storm, they realized that He knew that they would be okay all along. (Mark 4:40-41)

“Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!””

Place your trust in the unmovable, unconditionally loving God who has your best interest at heart.  Remember that God sees the whole picture and not just what you see.  Run to Him in times of trouble and you will be safe.

Blessings to you dear reader.  Remember where your help comes from!

  

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It’s never too late

Have you ever messed up?  I mean really did something stupid?  I think we all can say yes to that for at least one moment in our lives.  We all know the feeling of being awakened to the reality of our humanity.

I can remember driving one day and as the light turned green and we all started to move forward -I looked down for a split second and BANG!  I totaled my car because the car in front of me slammed on their brakes & I didn’t see it.  That was such a stupid mistake!  I felt that horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach that we all get when we do those kinds of irresponsible things.

There is a guy named Samson who I am sure knows what that “pit-in-your-stomach” feeling is all too well.  In chapter 16 of the book of Judges, we see how Samson meets Delilah and falls in love.  After lying to her about what makes him so strong three times, he finally tells her the truth.  This is after her repeated attempt to take away his strength and send him off as the Philistines’ prisoner.

The moment his hair is cut, God leaves him and takes the mighty strength with Him.  How awful is that?  I don’t want to ever know that feeling.  When his strength is gone, the Philistines gorge his eyes out and send him to grind grain in prison.  This was one of those really stupid, irreversabke things, right?  Wrong.

Judges 16:22 says: “But before long his hair began to grow back.” Samson prayed for his strength back and God honored the humility in that prayer and gave Samson back what he had lost.  In that gift of grace, Samson killed more Philistines (Israel’s enemy) than ever before.

When we do something wrong, even when it is really wrong, we cannot say that we can never be as good as we once were.  Yes, we have to deal with the consequences of our actions, but God honors those who humble themselves.  Our God – Jesus Christ – understands what it is like  to overcome adversity.  He overcame the world’s adversity on the cross.

Never disqualify yourself just because you messed up.  Take a note from Samson’s life: even when you mess up majorly, your life can still have meaning.  Just humble yourself and go to God.  Great things happen when we do that.

Be blessed, dear friends.  No one can go too far for the love of our father to reach!

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭139:7-10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your grace and your unconditional love! Thank you for loving me even when I sin. Help me, Lord, understand and overcome any adversity I’ve allowed in my life. I humbly come before you because I cannot overcome it by myself.  I don’t want the mistakes of my past to define my future.  I thank you for giving your Son as a sacrifice so that I may live in this amazing grace.  In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

  

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Do It On Purpose

Purpose – the reason something is done or the reason something (or someone) exists.  It is the intention or objective for an action. God had a purpose for bringing us and the rest of creation into existence.  There are reasons why we do things – the things we do are done on purpose to bring about a result.

I can admit to you that I have not always done things for a specific purpose.  I do not watch hours of TV for a specific, thought out purpose.  The ultimate purpose of that action is laziness.  I am breaking that habit along with others that result in less than favorable purposes.

2016 I am declaring my year of purpose for myself.  Not only amI going to see the purpose God put me on Earth walked out (at least the beginning of this walk), but also I am going to ensure at least most of my actions are for a known purpose.  Meaning, I am going to ensure that I am no longer lazy, careless, and thoughtless in my actions toward others, toward my spiritual life, toward myself  or toward my work life.

I am going to start taking action, being real, and being present.  I do not want to live my life in a way that would cause me to lose all that God has for me.  I want to walk in wisdom and walk in a deeper relationship with Him.  Will you join me on this journey?  Will you start to consciously make decisions to achieve a certain purpose?  Will you start walking out who God made you to be?

I am excited and ready to take on this challenge!

Be blessed everyone.  Live & love on purpose.

“The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭20:5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  

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Road to you accepting you – Conclusion

After all three steps:

(1) Humble yourself before God

(2) Kill the lies of the past and

(3) See yourself through the Father’s eyes

there is only one thing left to do.  Walk boldly in who God made you to be.  Step into the future with fervor.  Don’t back down.  Don’t look back.  

I’ll leave you with a few scriptures to ponder.  My prayer is that we all, including myself, truly understand why we are here and how much God honestly loves each of us.  Be blessed friends!

“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭10:31‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“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.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭138:8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28:19-20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

  

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Road to You Accepting You, Pt. 2

Have you ever been lied to?  I’m pretty sure you have been…a lot.  If not by people in your life, just turn on the news & listen to someone in politics promise you something.  Good chance, at least one of their promises they have no desire to see it through.  I kid, but really, people lie all the time.

It was the first act if Lucifer did when he met Eve…he lied to her.  His lie caused her to believe something that she knew as truth to be exactly the opposite.  The snake convinced her that God was not telling the truth…that Our Father doesn’t have our best interest at heart.

Deception is Satan’s greatest weapon.  He uses it over and over on us humans and we all too often fall for it.  It’s because we are not exactly sure of who we truly are.  Satan knows this and uses it against us.

The question we all must ask ourselves is – how many things that we inherently believe about ourselves is actually a lie?  Some of the very things we are told by our family, friends, and society actually are  not true.

If you were ever told you aren’t good, you’re not enough, you’re not beautiful, you aren’t important or you’re not smart enough – you were lied to.  You were created for a purpose, a plan and a destiny.  You are hand crafted by the God of the universe.

It’s time to start walking in who you truly are – a Child of the Most High God.  Made for a reason and loved unconditionally.  Anyone who tells you differently is a lair.

Start walking in the authority God has given you.  First step to do that is declare that you are enough & denounce any lie you have been told.  Go to God in prayer and ask Him to heal the parts of your life that were wounded by these lies.

Let’s look at some scripture about how to handle the Lie-maker of the world:

 “Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭10:19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD; their vindication will come from me. I, the LORD, have spoken!”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭54:17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

‭‭James‬ ‭4:7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Let’s humble ourselves before God so He can continue to do great work through us.  In doing that, God will give us authority & power to walk through snakes and not be harmed.

Be blessed my friends!  Remember who & whose you are!!

Prayer: Lord, help me decern the lies from the truth, even from my past.  Start to cleanse me of the scars I carry from the lies I once believed.  Help me understand who you truly made me to be.  I love you.  Thank you.  Amen.

  

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Road to You Accepting You, Pt. 1

In 30 years of life, I’ve struggled quite a bit with self worth.  I know I am not alone.  In fact,  I am pretty sure you are someone or you know someone who are struggling/has struggled with it.  It is a hard thing to overcome, but to live a bold life in the Kingdom, we must overcome.  We must understand who we are in Him.

No, not being prideful or boasting about how you are better than everyone.  But understanding the power God has placed in and on your life.  Understanding that He has a purpose and a plan that no one can take from you.  YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD.

To do this, to accept yourself as a worthy son or daughter of God, one must go on a journey.  It isn’t something you can just do one day because you are bored.  There are steps to this that may take time and effort. Change never happens overnight.

The first step may not be what you think it is.  It may not be what the world says is the right way to accept yourself.  But this must be your first step in any journey in the Kingdom.  Be humble before God and acknowledge that you are not perfect and in desperate need of Him.

Have you ever tried to be perfect?  Ever tried to never get anything wrong?  It’s hard and discouraging.  But why is it that way?  It’s simple – because we are sinful creatures, being born into sin and have to fight our flesh on a daily basis.  God is our source, our savior, our keeper.  He is the one who is perfect. We need His presence everyday to combat this awful flesh of ours.

As we all know, Lucifer believed that He was perfect and, subsequently, was sent to Hell.  As humans, created in His image, we have the wonderful Grace that God provided through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus, we can now live a new life if we are born again.  But we must practice humility.

1 John 1:8-9 says: “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

He is faithful and He is all we need!

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says: ” Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.  That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

When we are weak, then we are strong!  Be humble before God and confess you need Him daily!  How do you start this journey – designating a time to pray every day, reading His word every day, fasting, cutting the things of the world out of your life.  In doing this, great things will happen.

Live boldly, dear friends.  Many blessings!

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A NEW SEASON

I live in Texas.  Rarely do we ever see a full season here with the exception of summer.  Even then, we have those crazy moments.  Like a few years ago, in the middle of July, we are outside in sweaters and coats because it is 40 degrees.  The next day, hot and steamy again.

I’ve recently turned 30.  That was one big birthday!  Kind of hit me a little hard.  But I’ve looked back over my last 29 years of my life and I saw that I’ve dealt with life like Texas handles it’s seasons.  Sporadic, crazy, chaotic.  For me, that is no more.

1 Corinthians 13:11 says: “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”

Will you take this journey with me?  Will you decide to lay down the childish ways of your past and move into a new season of maturity?  Let’s start a new season.  Not just because it is a new year, but because we have only a small time on Earth.  Let’s make it count!

Be blessed everyone!  It’s a new season!  Step boldly into it.

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Lay it down

A new year is quickly approaching!  It is always an exciting season of new things awaiting us.  In preparation – many decide to make goals, resolutions, and plans for great things in the new year. It is a great practice that I plan on participating in.  But that is not what is on my heart right now.  

There are only a few more days left in 2015 and in these next few days, I am starting to prepare my heart for the things God has for me in 2016.  This entailes laying some thoughts, insecurities, and doubts down.  I don’t want the things I plan for my new year to fall by the wayside because I held onto my old insecurities.

It’s time to kill off some adverse things that I allowed in my mind and heart that I know will not allow me to go on to new, better things.  Just as 2 Corinthians 5:17 says,  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

Old things must pass before new things can come.  I encourage you to search your heart & pray that God not only reveals the thoughts, doubts, and insecurities that have held you back, but that He takes those things away.  That will require you to lay those things down.

Prepare & guard your heart for a great & wonderful new season!  Great things are ahead of us all.  God is so very faithful!

“Prepare your outside work, Make it fit for yourself in the field; And afterward build your house.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭24:27‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Be blessed, dear friends.  Our best is yet to come!  

 Prayer: Lord, help me to lay down the thoughts, doubts, and insecurities that I have held onto for too long.  The things that hinder growth and keep me from better things.  Take these things from me and heal my brokenness so they will not come back.  Thank you for always being faithful. In Jesus’ precious name, amen!