Tag: love

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Shelter

I am in a rather long season of singleness. Being alone can make you lonely sometimes, but it is in this time of “aloneness” that I’ve found a special relationship with God.

He is my shelter & my foundation. My lack of person, in the wee hours of the night, has lead me to late night talks with the Holy Spirit. I can lean into Him and find my hiding place – my safe place, where I can share those things that no one else know.

Psalm 91:3-6 says “Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stocks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.”

This is the promise for me & for you. In the darkness, he will cover you…when the arrow flies, he will cover you…when the person talks behind your back, when you are overlooked, when you feel defeated, broken or misunderstood, he will cover you.

In those “wee hours of the night” talks, remember to tell the Holy Spirit all that is on your heart & let him wrap you up in himself. You have shelter in him.

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Unity

Unity – the state of not being multiple. That is what Christ wants for His church. If you consider yourself a Christ-follower, He is speaking about you & I. It is no secret that, in America, unity is not where we are in our country. So many of us are waiting for our government to unify us, make this country better. But we can’t depend on them to do that. It must start in the church…with us!
So many things could divide us if we let differences matter. I am very blessed to attend a church that is multiracial, multigenerational, and multi-socioeconomic. We aren’t a perfect church because that doesn’t exist. But the fact that we have many differences and yet we are one family says so much. It shows me that unity within the body of Christ is possible.

We are going to be different. We are going to have Democrats & Republicans, different races, some people wealthy and others that aren’t – and still work for the same goal. The Church should be where unity starts.  

Let’s show love to others regardless of how different someone is to us. Speak truth, yes. Preach the word, yes. Live righteously, yes. But love people like God loves. Seek justice for those who deserve it. Treat all people like they have value…because they do. Everyone is made in God’s image.  

Let’s start being the change we wish to see in the world & living boldly. Who is joining me?

““A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.””

‭‭John‬ ‭13:34-35‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:1-4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:12-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3:26-29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

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Pressing Reset

Being a Christian does not automatically cause you to stop sinning. Nope…I am a sinner in need of a Savior every day.  Being a Christian also doesn’t keep you from experiencing tough times.  Nope…we go through them like every other human on the Earth.  The difference, though, resides in who we turn to when in those trials.

Here is a major battle I fight often: I feel so inadequate and unworthy at times. I feel very much like I am worthless…like the promises God has placed on my life are not real.  Oh, but those are just lies.  They are lies from the enemy who wants me to cower and not fulfill my life’s purpose; to keep me believing that I am weak and no different than I’ve ever been.

What about you? What are the lies the enemy tells you?  What self-talk do you struggle with?

The greatest way to counter those lies is the word of God. The truth in the Bible is everlasting.  It will not die!

Here are a few truths I consistently remind myself of:

God loves you and me: But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

You and I are made new: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

He knew us before He formed us: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5

Through Christ, we are made strong: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”(2 Corinthians 12:9)

Believers have been given eternal life: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

We have been bought with a high price: “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18-19)

Replacing the lies of the enemy – whatever those lies may be – with the word of God will keep your mind on track. Keeping your thoughts on track will help you stay your course and finish the race set before us.  Don’t ever give up!

There are times, though, where I find myself in a place that I am unsure what are lies and what aren’t. It get confusing because life gets busy, I don’t spend time with God like I should, or I’m just stuck in a mindset that is unhealthy…I will have to pray this simple prayer from Psalm 139:23-24:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”

I encourage you to start spending time with God every day. Pray the prayer from Psalm 139,  Feed your mind with the word of God so when the enemy lies, you can remind yourself what God says about you.

Be blessed, readers.

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Advocate

There are times when we are faced with impossible tasks- moments when we feel the world is crumbling around us and we have no idea how we are going to make it through. You may not even know how you got there or why you were put in that situation.  Most certainly you don’t know what to do.  You are scared.  You want to retreat, but there is no escape – no ignoring the facts.

I know what this feels like. Yep, and I am pretty sure you have felt this way as well.  Life crumbles: friends and/or family betray you, you lose your job, your child gets in trouble at school…again…after doing everything you know how to do, when people ignore your potential and demean your worth, when your husband or wife has an affair or walks out on you, when you spent your last bit of money and you don’t know when you’ll get paid again… I could keep going because life is hard, unmerciful, and complicated.

We need someone to put us back together. We need a kind, gentle-spirited advocate who loves us just the way we are and only wants the best for us.  Friend, we need Jesus.  Whether you don’t know him, only heard of him, or know very deeply who he is – you need him.  If you find yourself lost in this world, run to him.  If you feel all alone – reach out to him and he will be there.  I have known him for 22 years  now and I still have to remind myself that he will never forsake me or betray me (Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5-6).  He will never forget me.  He loves me (Romans 5:8, 1 John 4:16, Romans 8:35-39).

It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve done – Jesus loves you. No matter how many times you turn your back on him, he will accept you.  It is just a matter of coming to him and asking him to take your burden and replace it with his and learn from him – because his burden is light and he cares for you (Matthew 11:29-30).

Right now – at this moment – if he is tugging at your heart – give up the burden on your life. If you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Savior – you can fix it right now.  If you do know Jesus, but are having trouble giving up the reigns – give it over to him.  You were never meant to walk alone.  Jesus will walk with you and you will never be alone again.  He is a big God who can do big things (Ephesians 3:20-21, Romans 8:28, Isaiah 55:8-9).

Prayer: Jesus, I am in desperate need of you.  Please, come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior because I am a sinner in need of a savior.  Your sacrifice on the cross is sufficient to cover all my sins.  Because you were raised from the dead, I can live free.  Deliver me from myself.  Remove the burden that I am carrying and replace it with yours.  Walk with me every day so that I may grow deeper and deeper in you.  From today on, I will never walk alone. I love you.  Thank you for loving me.

Romans 10:9

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Isaiah 43:1-2

But now, this is what the Lord says—     he who created you, Jacob,     he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;     I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters,     I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers,     they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire,     you will not be burned;     the flames will not set you ablaze.

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How’s the view?

Can I be honest with you readers? Christians do not always have it all together. Nope, we are lost at times. Sometimes, we even get discouraged. We are like sheep who forever need a shepherd. I am a sinner in need of a Savior every day. On my good days and on my bad days I need Jesus.

It’s life. We sometimes find ourselves in a hole where life becomes so overwhelming we don’t know which way is up. I wish Christianity was all rainbows and sunshine, but it isn’t. It’s scary and uncertain when life takes unexpected turns. We don’t always have it together. But we know the One who does.

We often allow our situations to skew our view of life. This world doesn’t determine the outcome of our life. No, we do and how we relate to God and our view of His grace. When we go through things, when we find ourselves in a dry place spiritually (it happens to everyone), and when life becomes overwhelming — our success is based on where we place our trust.

Do you trust your own view of the situation – the way the world sees it – or do you see it through the eyes of God? Is your faith in how things look or in God?  How easily we can get stuck in seeing things as we perceive them. But we must realize God has it all in His hands. We just have to trust Him and His plan! It is perfect!

So don’t get discouraged when things don’t happen the way we think they should. God knows and sees all. Place your life in the the One who has nail-scared hands and all things will work out for your good!

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.””

‭‭John‬ ‭16:33‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭3:4-5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“The LORD is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him.”

‭‭Nahum‬ ‭1:7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:28-30‬ ‭NLT‬


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Focus

I don’t know if you have ever heard of Jackson Pollock.  He is an American artist during the middle 1900’s who created some very interesting art.  His paintings were very abstract and considered to be in the Expressionism movement.  One interesting characteristic of his paintings was that he loved to use the “splatter” technique…or at least that is what I call it.  He will take paint and sling it all over the canvas creating an image.  If you ever get to see one of his paintings in person, you should.  They are intriguing.

At the Dallas Museum of Art, they have several Jackson Pollock works.  Since I live in Dallas – I’ve been able to stand in front of them and try to…make sense of the painting.  The one painting that I just cannot figure out is called Cathedral.  Supposedly, you are supposed to see a church in all the messiness.  I cannot see it.

m-cathedrl

Can you see a Cathedral in this painting?  Or does it just look like a mess?  I think it is very much an interesting piece of art.  It is even more amazing in person.  But I cannot make out a defined image in all the splatter.  It is probably because I am not able to focus on what I need to in order to see it.  Let me know if you can see what I cannot.

Life can be like that.  We can look at our life and see nothing but a bunch of mess.  It is frustrating trying to make sense of it all.  But God sees things differently.  He knew you even before He formed you.  You were always in the plans.  No one…absolutely no one is or has ever been a mistake.  To Him, it all makes sense.

We just lose our focus so many times because we dwell on the RIGHT NOW rather than realizing that life isn’t all about the right now, but often about what lies ahead.  Our lives, if painted on a canvas, may look a little like a Pollock.  But God looks down and sees each splatter, drop and stroke.  And He can use it for His glory and our good.

Be blessed dear readers.  Remember to keep your focus on God and not on what is going on around you.  Keep your heart and mind right – don’t allow life to get you down.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 – For everything there is a season,
    a time for every activity under heaven

Jeremiah 1:5 – “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.
    Before you were born I set you apart
    and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

Philippians 4:8 – And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Hebrews 12:1-2 – Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.  We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

Colossians 3:2 – Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.

Matthew 24:13 – But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

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Small acts

Have you ever wondered who the person walking down the street, sitting next to you in church, or the coworker who you talk to on the elevator is?  Maybe you know their name – but you ever wonder who they really are?
I do…all the time. Each person is so complex. We don’t know what is truly behind that smiling face. You may never know who needs a smile, “Good morning!”, or a simple encouraging word.  
There are a lot of hurting, broken people in this world and showing the love of Christ doesn’t need to be over the top or extravagant. We can change the world one small act of kindness at a time!
Be blessed, dear readers. You are ALL world changers.
“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.””

‭‭John‬ ‭13:34-35‬ ‭NLT‬‬

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Did Jesus love Judas?

In a ministry I am a part of, our ministry leader has asked us to take a look at the disciples of Jesus and look at the grace He showed each of them.  Below is what I have studied on and found in this journey.

There were 12 disciples -ALL Jesus chose. They weren’t a mistake and chosen for a reason. He knew the hearts of those who he chose and how they would decide to live their life.  Not one of them was perfect, but one has always been thought of as despicable – Judas Iscariot.

The man who betrayed Jesus. The one who sent Jesus to the cross. How awful was he? My question for you is – did Christ die for everyone BUT Judas? Was Judas’ sin too great to be covered by the blood?

Answer: NO! Jesus knew he had to die. Someone had to betray him. Reality is that Jesus was born to die. If Jesus decided to give up His purpose, he could have called the Angels down and the Cross would have had to be for someone else. But He didn’t. God used Judas’ sin for the good of the world. Jesus believed in Judas’ potential or He wouldn’t have chosen him and ministered with him. Just because Judas decided to make a horrible, awful mistake didn’t mean God still didn’t want him.

Every time we sin we decide that God’s law, provision, demands are not important and therefore, we are Judas. We sell our God to walk in greed. Yet, Christ chose us. Jesus doesn’t turn our back on us. He died for us!!

Think about this – if Judas hadn’t hung himself, but came to Jesus after He had risen to repent, would Judas been redeemed & restored?  I, personally, think so. Jesus chose Judas for a reason.

Remember this: Jesus chose YOU for a reason. No matter what you have done, you are not too far gone for the love of God to reach you. Don’t give up. Jesus atoned for your death 2,000 years ago. All you need is a repentant heart – go to Christ and ask Him for forgiveness.  Then watch Him turn your life around!
Never give up – always be blessed!
Much love, dear readers!
“I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139:7-12‬ ‭NLT‬‬“This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other.”

‭‭John‬ ‭15:12-17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

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Love

Let’s turn from hate and turn to love.  Let’s let love unite us.

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:38-39‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“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. 

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless. When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. 

All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:1-13‬ ‭NLT‬‬ (emphasis added)

“Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4:8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Lord, be with this country, be with the families of those whose lives were taken unjustly around the country this week, bring unity, destroy hate, and protect all people from injustice.  Please, no more killings, no more fear, no more division!  In Jesus name, Amen!

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Accepted

When I was a child, I was afraid of God.  I am not speaking about a healthy fear of God, but a feeling of distress about the idea of God.  It was rooted in the idea that God was very legalistic – you do wrong and it’s over for you.  There was no grace in my idea of God.

Unfortunately, too many in the world see God as a legalistic, smoting, I will abandon you if you do wrong type of God.  It makes my heart hurt that so many believe God to be so cruel.

If we get down to it, yes, God deals with right or wrong actions/thoughts/etc. in black and white terms.  There are no blurred lines when classifying something a sin versus not a sin.  And, yes, Hell really exists.  But God is truly a loving, caring Father.  He does not classify the person based on their sin because we are all sinners. 

God’s love is eternal.  It existed long before we did. His love isn’t given to some and not given to others.  Thankfully, all we need to do to experience his grace is accept Jesus as our Savior.  Easy, simple, done.  

My favorite part of who God is that God loves you even before you accept him. He cares for you even before you accepted him.  He wanted you long before you wanted him.  That is grace and that is love.

Even if you are reading this and you have been a believer a long time – remember this!  Remember that you were known by God long before you knew him.  His grace was there before you needed it.  Accept it and move on.  He wants you to live your life in peace!

“He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103:10-14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 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 ‭2:2-10‬ ‭NLT‬