Are you going willingly or being dragged?

Good afternoon, well as I was on Facebook earlier I was reading various post some by Pastors, some by Pastors wives and others by what we call lay people. I read this one comment that I thought to be very interesting. When I went back to find it I couldn't I find it so I'm going to try and give this little story as best as I can.

A little boy was visiting his grandma and saw people walking their small dogs. The little boy wanted to walk a dog but his grandma didn't own a dog just a cat. When he asked if he could walk the cat, grandma said yes but she didn't think the cat would go. Well, he found the cat put a string around his neck and carried him outside. After some time grandma was getting worried because her grandson hadn't returned. As she looked out the door her grandson comes around the corner pulling a cat that is clawing and grabbing at anything it can. When she asked why it took so long he replied, I was determined that the cat was either going to go for a walk or be dragged. 

Is that how God feels about us? He wants us in His will even if he has to drag us? As a 13 yr old, I went to Mexico on a Missions Trip and I had a great time. I learned a lot though on that trip and one of them was God's will for my life. I knew at the age of 13 that the Lord either wanted me to be a Missionaries wife or Pastors wife. The summer of 1981 I surrendered to God's will. Yes I was only 13 but God knew my future. I don't have the testimony of coming out of some deep sin, or being raised by parents who didn't love me, or even being raised by a single parent. At one time I use to think wow my life is pretty dull.... I was raised by my biological parents, they loved me, they cared for me, I was put in Christian School, my parents although unsaved at the time raised me in church. My parents did get saved, they attended church regularly closer to my teen years, my dad ended up being a Pastor, I went off to Bible College, met the one the Lord had for me.... what more could I ask for. That's not a dull life that's living the life God had for me. Have I slipped out of His, I would say, yes I probably have.  I admire those who come from rough situations and get saved and serve the Lord in His Will! I don't know everything and I trust me I don't claim to know everything, but I've heard preached that there are different levels of God's will. God has you in the  part of His will that He wants you at, don't fight him, trust him, depend on him and he WILL carry you through.

Deuteronomy 13:4 "Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him."

Following the Lord is the greatest thing any of us can do or you can be like that poor cat and be drug along until you decided to submit to God's Will. I don't know about you but I think I'd rather willingly go than to be drug. As Christians being in the center of God's is 150% better than being outside His will. If you're not sure if your in God's Will today, pray, seek God's face, ask Him to show you His will for your life.

 

Are you Bold?

While at church last night my husband was Preaching the end of a series that he's been on for 49 weeks. The whole 49 weeks focused on I & II Peter. There is so much knowledge, truth, and wisdom in these 2 books. As he taught I thought about it and how do I represent Christ, not just because I'm the Pastors wife, but as a person, a child of God. Some of today's lesson is from my Preachers sermon, added into what I believe the Lord wanted me to share today.

Last night though was on listening to the world or God. Are you bold enough to say No to the world and follow Christ as Paul did in II Peter 3? Are you going to follow the world in its lies or be Bold and take a stand for Christ?

II Corinthians 11:20 "I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak, How beit whereinsoever any is bold (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also." If you cont to read through to the end of this chapter you will see "I am bold also" several many times. Paul took a stand, he was bold. How can we as Christians be like Paul?

One thing is we can do is not listen to the worlds music. Now I know you can't totally avoid it, as a matter of fact our Wal-Mart here, has started playing vial, wicked music. One of church members asked that as we come to the store that we complain to the manager. She doesn't want to listen to the garbage (she works there and has no choice) but yet they say we don't want to offend anyone. Take a stand as many of us have, and say but you are offending me and my children by playing the nasty music.

Another area we can be bold is dress differently - You say but I'll look weird! Guess what the Bible tells us that we are peculiar people. Deuteronomy 14:2 "For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth." So be Bold, be peculiar, be different from the world as Paul was.

I just listed two things but you and I both know there are 100's of ways we can be bold! Be bold through soul winning, through your testimony, through your walk with God. Now don't take what I'm saying and say oh so I can stand here or there and yell, your evil, your going to Hell for this or that if you don't repent. No, be civil with your boldness. Christians are under attack enough without someone going crazy and making it worse. If your church has a time where you go down town and Preach the gospel and sing, wonderful be a part of it, that is part of being bold. Maybe you have a Prison Ministry, or Nursing home ministry, Maybe a bus route. You can be bold in your witness without making a scene.

In II Peter 3 Paul wrote to us, that we need to use wisdom, some won't understand and some will. however we need to go in grace, and be bold. Verse 18 "But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen."

Go out be a peculiar people, be bold and witness to others but make sure that in your life you are growing in grace and knowledge so that Christ be glorified through it all, not Look at me, see what I did?! No it's to glorify God.

So as you go out and do the things that need to be done from day to day, will you go boldly, will you look peculiar to others, will God be glorified in all you do daily?
 

What's in your Closet?

WOW! That is such a broad topic. What's in your closet? Well, to step into my clothes closet you would see blouses, shoes, dresses, skirts, shoes, jackets, scarves, shoes, purses, shoes, maybe even if you look deep enough gifts for various people. Oh did I mention you would find shoes?! Heehee

If someone who wanted to view what I wear when not at church, or out in public I wouldn't be ashamed for them to view it. I have nothing to hide. What about when Jesus looks at your heart, soul or mind? Of course we all know that God knows ALL, but using the thought of hiding gifts in my clothes closet. What is in your life that you Don't want ANYONE to know about?

Is it: a TV program you watch, what you view on the Internet, maybe your thoughts, or how you really are in the privacy of your own home. Or can you say, "I've given my WHOLE Heart, Soul, and Life to the Lord" Can you say, "I have NOTHING to hide."

Friend just as I am willing to let anyone see my clothes closet, so should my life be to where I'm not afraid of anything being found out about me. Let me insert here, I'm not perfect but I do my best and through the help of the Lord to keep my life right.

Matthew 22:37   

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

Friend can you love the Lord with ALL thy heart, soul and mind if you are saying NO to giving up this or that? No you can't you have to serve either God or Satan. You can NOT serve 2 masters. So friend if you say, "I love the Lord, BUT....." Or Well, I love the Lord with all my heart and soul but he can't have my mind. What do you think that does to the Holy Spirit?

Deuteronomy 6:5   

And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Not only are we told in the New Testament to Love the Lord with ALL, but also in the Old Testament we are told the same thing. See if the people of the Old Testament were told to do it, then so shouldn't we.

I was curious how many times in the Bible Heart, Mind and Soul were found, upon searching I found them to be listed  1,246 times in different instances.

I would say when the Lord wants us to do something concerning our heart, mind and soul that maybe we might should take heed and follow what he is saying. Personally if the Lord says it once I believe it should be heeded, but maybe some need a little more re-enforcement.

So is your closet clean? your heart? your soul? your mind?
What are you trying to hide in the corner of your heart?
What about your soul, are you trying to hide?
What thoughts that go through your mind, are you trying to hide?

Remember what's in your heart and mind eventually comes out of your mouth. Do you harbor, bitterness, hatred, fear, cursing, lying, cheating etc. Decide today that you are going to give it ALL to the Lord so that when someone/the Holy Spirit wants to see inside.  You can say, "come on in, anyone is welcome!"

How Much Will You Give?

Very thought provoking question? How much will you give? Your all? 75%? 50%? 25%? Now I'm not speaking of money here. I'm speaking of your life.

Matthew 25:
21. His lord said unto him, Well done thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.
23. His lord said unto, Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.

How much will you give and how faithful will you be?
God is faithful no matter what! Deuteronomy 7
7. The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for y were the fewest of all people;
8. But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Jesus is Faithful I John 1
9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

No matter how much we give God will be faithful if we are faithful in all we do.
As the new year has begun if you are faithful in a little, such as 25% of yourself, why not increase that faithfulness in your Lord!

In my own thinking I don't believe any of us are faithful 100% because of the fact none of us are perfect. We can GIVE our all. We can be Faithful in WHATEVER we do for the Lord! We can even be faithful in all we do for our family, friends, church and life in general!

Don't be as the one servant who was afraid to use his talent and to be faithful in all he did.
Matthew 25
26. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed.
He wasn't faithful in a little, so he couldn't be given more to be faithful with!

So Which are you?
How much do you give?

Rejoice in the Lord alway and again I say rejoice.

....strength is made perfect in my weakness....

II Corinthians 12:19 "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

What a wonderful thought that our strength is made perfect in weakness. The Lord gives us the perfect strength that we need in our time of weakness! I started this week in a "weak" way. I had been ill for several days and had to go to work anyway. It didn't really matter that I had been sick I had a responsibility.
Through the strength of the Lord and praying for strength I made it through and although I was very tired had a good day!
Job 12:3 "With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding."
1. With God is wisdom and strength.
2. With man you can receive wisdom, but we should gain our wisdom mainly through God. Now God uses, Pastors, teachers, laymen to teach us wisdom and then we gain it by going to God's word. We also gain our strength through God's word and studying God's word!

Ps 27:1b "....the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"
1. Whom do you depend on for your daily strength? If we try to go in our own we won't make it.
2. But if we claim this verse Ps 27:1b and Phil 4:13 we can make it!!

Ps 84:5 "Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee: in whose heart are the ways of them."
1. Wow! what an awesome thought that we are blessed by having our strength in the Lord.
2. It is a very wise thing to depend on God for our strength.

Perfect- "There is none righteousness (perfect) no not one."
Wouldn't it be wonderful to be perfect?? Just think in Heaven we will be perfect! WOW Wouldn't it be wonderful to not have to worry of hurting another, saying something wrong, so on and so forth? However, since we don't live in a perfect world we can work towards that!

Deuteronomy 18:13 "Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God"
Ps 19:7 "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple."

In God's eyes we are perfect! You say how is that well I love this song that says it perfectly!

"What sins are you talking about?"
That is what Jesus says, when we ask for his forgiveness! He sees us a perfect white peace of paper never marked or scuffed. We are perfect.....so he says, "What sins are you talking about?"

James 1:17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh from the Father of lights...."
Salvation is the perfect gift! Once we realize we need Christ there is no better gift than the Perfect Gift of Salvation!!!