Forgiveness

Matthew 6:14-15: “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

This sounds a lot like you earn God’s forgiveness. I forgive, God forgives me. I forgive again, God forgives me again. This way of thinking, I believe, goes completely against Who God is and what His word generally states. So what does this mean? I believe that Christ is addressing the state of the unforgiving heart. The consequence of an unforgiving heart is a heart that can’t be forgiven. At the time that I cannot forgive someone else, my heart is wrong with God…something is wrong with my very relationship to God. This puts me in a “position” with God that can’t accept His forgiveness. Have you ever known someone that can’t forgive? They are bitter and/or angry to some degree. A heart that has any bitterness or anger is not a vessel that can be filled with forgiveness; it is not a vessel that God can pour His forgiveness into. Forgive others. Position yourself so God can forgive you. An unforgiving heart is a heart closed to accepting God’s forgiveness. He freely pours out His forgiveness but is your heart closed with unforgiveness?

"What If"

God is now. His strength, His grace, His sufficiency is for us here and now. I know that God Himself Is and Was and Is To Come but He is with us today, right now to handle any situation. God does not give us the strength today to live in the past or in the future. He does give us His grace to live today, one day at a time...sometimes one breath at a time. Most of us don't battle living in the past. The harder battle is to not look ahead, to not live in the "what ifs". I have walked with friends who's possible "what ifs" for a situation could be devastating. The truth is that God's grace is sufficient to carry you through whatever you face each day. God does not give us the strength however to live out the "what ifs" in our mind. If you find yourself contemplating all the "what ifs" of a situation, you will be drained. You will only have your own human strength to rely on. If you however find yourself actually living out one of the "what ifs", you can rely on God's infinite grace to carry you. Today I find myself once again called to walk the talk. My grandbaby will be induced on October 27th if my daughter does not go into labor before that. We have been told there could be issues with the baby...a lot of "what ifs". Here's the thing...only God knows the plans He has for this baby. I don't know what the future holds for anyone but I know God! So today my mind wants to run through all the "what ifs". What an exercise in futility. It won't change a thing but it will drain my strength and steal my focus. How much better if I set my mind on things above. I need to set my mind on God Who can change things and simply live in the truth I know today. He gives me the strength to face today...to glorify Him today. I don't know what tomorrow holds for anyone but I know He will meet all your needs to live for today. What I know today is that God is still creating my grandbaby and I praise Him today for that! Today, I celebrate my daughter's pregnancy! Do you find yourself in a situation that tempts you to focus on the "what ifs" of tomorrow? Live today in the grace that God gives you. His grace is sufficient for today!

Into the Storm

“Sometimes He calms the storm and sometimes He calms the child”

This past week hurricane Ike came blowing through. Some people were barely affected and some suffered devastating losses. My house was untouched but a few blocks away a tree fell into my daughter’s house taking out the outside wall of her nursery. We had all evacuated so nobody was harmed. I know this storm caused great suffering from property damage to the loss of lives. Matthew 8:24 -27 tells about Christ being in a boat with His disciples and calming a storm that terrified them. Christ was with them. They had followed Him. At the point that the storm arose, He was already with them in the boat. Christ did question why they were afraid…after all the King of the Flood sat with them in the boat. I understand that this story is mainly about the disciple’s faith and lack of knowledge of who Christ is but there is something more to glean from it. Yes, the disciples were afraid but at least they were following Christ. He was with them in the boat when the storm came. He was right there to calm the storm, to calm them, to calm their fears. God does not always calm the storm...sometimes He calms us. Certainly, Christ can find us in a storm but how much better for us if He is already with us before the storm...before even the first waves hit. I saw this with my daughter as we surveyed her damaged house. There she stood 8 months pregnant staring at the nursery with a tree coming through the roof. I knew that she would be okay because I knew she walked into this storm with Christ. He was already right there to calm and comfort her. Who are you following right now in the calm of life? Is Christ right there with you now in the boat? Is He with you in your day to day living so He can walk with you into the storm to either calm the storm or calm you?

You are all I need...be all I want.

I am ashamed to say I have not done quiet time in a few days. I have reasons but none of them good enough. Today when I sat down to start my time with Him I heard Him say, “I have been waiting.” Not in a condemning way, in a longing way. The Almighty, The Creator has been waiting for me. He never quits waiting. He does not give up. He waits. How long He waits is entirely up to me. The crazy thing is He waits not because it is what’s best for Him but because it is what’s best for me. God needs nothing from me. He is complete…lacking nothing. He has all the answers. But I need Him. I need Him to speak to me, to comfort me, to give me strength, to direct my steps. I need Him more than anything else. The problem is I don’t always want Him like I should. Today I ask Him to forgive me for obviously wanting other things before Him. Forgive me for putting other interests before Him. Forgive me for wanting things of this world more than Him. And yet He waits. He waits for me. Today He waits for you. How long will you make Him wait? He is all you need. Ask Him to be all you want.

The Expected One

In the 7th chapter of Luke, John the Baptist sends 2 of his disciples to ask Christ if He was the Expected One. The Expected One, Jesus should be Who we expect. A few weeks ago I was with my daughter who is pregnant and her husband at their monthly ultrasound. One of the things that they are watching has to do with a space at the back of the brain. After the ultrasound the doctor stated that he expected to see no change at all before the baby is born. All I can think about is the name of God: The Expected One. Unlike that doctor, I do expect something. I expect God to show up. God says that He will never leave us or forsake us so I know that He is right there with my daughter and son-in-law. I am waiting expectantly for God to show Himself to us. I don’t know what His will is but I know He loves my grandbaby more than I can imagine. I am not willing to say that I expect nothing to change because my God, the God of my grandchild is able. I am not at all saying anything like a “name it and claim it”. What I am saying is that I am leaving the door wide open for God to bring Himself glory. I am waiting expectantly to see God as I petition Him to perfect my grandchild’s brain. I don’t ever want to walk in a situation and say I expect no change. Through this situation God may bring someone in that doctor’s office to the saving knowledge of who Christ is and that is a miraculous change. I don’t know what God is going to do but when the Expected One brings Himself glory there is an abundance of change. Don’t ever look at a situation and think it is hopeless and expect nothing to change. Look for God. Expect to find Him at work…expect the Expected One!

Galatians 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.(NASB)
A few years ago during my quiet time I was reading this verse. I remember clearly God telling me to read this verse in the King James Version. There is what seems to be a small difference but it had a huge impact on me. The King James Version says: “…and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by THE faith of the Son of God…” I really wanted to live right. I was really trying yet really failing. God said to look hard at that difference. I believe both are true. I do live by faith in Christ but I also live by THE faith of Christ! How can this be that I live with the very faith of Christ? I am indwelt with Christ’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit. The faith of Christ is in me by His Spirit. My choice is whether or not I am filled (controlled) with the Holy Spirit. I pray this verse regularly to God and simply ask Him to make it happen…that I live each day by THE faith of Christ. Before I read this version I was trying to live my life through my strength and with some faith I could come up with. God simply said for me to stop trying and let THE faith of Christ do it through me. I don’t understand how this works at all but it does. Jim and I have a car that we can now start while sitting inside our house! We don’t even quite know the second it starts but when we walk outside the car is running. I sure don’t know how this works but I still push the button to remote start! I had been trying to live right and falling short. It was time to stop trying and let Christ Himself through His faith live! I wished I could say that I now live a sinless life and before all my family and friends comment to the contrary let me say I still fall short on many occasions but it’s because I am living by my flesh and not by THE faith of Christ. Live your life by faith in Christ and by THE faith of Christ. Simply ask Him to do it. He never falls short!

My Story

Sifted…this is my Christian story. I argued with God for many months about writing a blog. There are so many great ones out there and anyone who knows me knows I have always done everything possible to get out of writing. I am a math major through and through! I told God (that will probably be a whole blog itself…me telling God what to do!) that I would write a blog just as soon as He gave me a name for it. Of course, He answered this prayer immediately during my quiet time. He gave me the verses out of Luke (22:31-32) and the word SIFTED. This is my story. I became a Christian at a very early age. I honestly don’t remember not knowing Christ as my Savior but my life needed sifted. As I matured as a person I needed to mature as a Christian…much like Peter. God had to show me what needed to be sifted out and allow me to go through the process. This was a painful process initiated by my wrong choices then the sifting like wheat. Peter was already a follower of Christ. Christ told Peter and the other disciples that just as His Father had granted Him a kingdom, Christ granted them that they may eat and drink at His table in His kingdom, and they would sit on the twelve thrones. Peter’s eternal life was assured but his earthly walk needed sifted. Christ said to Peter: “…but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” I heard Christ say the same words to me. Sifting is not the path all Christians take but it is my story. So now I am writing a blog…go figure God’s sense of humor! My greatest desire is to bring God glory and my prayer is that this blog truly strengthens and encourages my brothers who read it.