NO SIN TOO GREAT...

Most of you know that I was saved at an early age in life, but for many years growing up I had drifted from what I believed & from what I was taught.  I struggled with sin and although I knew I wasn’t honoring God, I had trouble getting my life back on track.  You may be experiencing something similar right now in your life. Think about it…is there something in your life that you are struggling with?  Do you feel stuck?

During my time astray,(many years!) a couple things kept going through my mind such as “why should I ask God for forgiveness when I know I’m probably going to end up doing the same thing again”.... or, “I keep disappointing God, and it’s pointless for me to pray to Him when I know I’m going to sin again”.  So, instead of praying, I convinced myself it was better not to pray.  It was better for me & God to just stay away from Him altogether since I wasn’t living the way I knew I was supposed to.  BIG MISTAKE.  Can I just tell you, that this way of thinking is the devil getting into your head.  Where in the Bible does it say, “if you sin, do not come to me if you plan on sinning again”? Where in the Bible does it say, “If you are going to disappoint me again, then don’t bother praying”? I’m telling you, this mentality is so wrong, yet I am convinced that so many others, besides myself believes these lies!

It’s actually the complete opposite. God wants us to come to Him immediately after we have sinned. He doesn’t want our sin to fester…the sooner we admit to him our wrongdoings, the sooner He can bless us. Don’t believe the lies of Satan.  God knows we are going to sin again…He isn’t asking for perfection.  I challenge you to go to God in prayer (even if you don’t feel like it) & ask God for forgiveness even though you know you are going to commit the same act again.  God will work in your heart & you will begin to feel a change within yourself. The longer you delay, the more satisfaction you give Satan and the more heart-ache you give the Lord. 

Let me ask you this. Have you ever committed a sin so bad that it deserved jail time?  In the book of 2 Samuel, David commits a horrible sin! One that would warrant a lifetime sentence in today’s society.  He committed adultery with Uriah’s wife, & then had him murdered!  This is the same David that killed Goliath… the same David who God had made King over Israel! But listen to what his friend Nathan said to him right after David admitted to his sin “The Lord has taken away your sin” (12:13).  There is NO SIN TOO GREAT for God to forgive & NO SINNER TOO SMALL for God to save. Now due to his sin, David’s son (which was conceived through adultery) died when he was only 7 days old, but the Lord then blessed David with another son who rose up to become a great man of God himself and eventually King over Israel: Solomon.

God can turn your worst mistakes into blessings. He is waiting for you to come to Him in prayer & call out to Him for help. “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” (Acts 3:19) I believed Satan’s lies for many years & kept ignoring God.

 

Don’t lose out on precious time. Stand up to the brainwashing & fall down into prayer. You’ll be amazed at what God will do.

RICOCHET

Many people carry the heaviness of their problems and their burdens every day from the time they wake up in the morning until the time they go to sleep at night. In addition, many of us are carrying our friends and families burdens and problems also. We are supposed to help one another, but we should rely on God to carry it all.

Jesus said "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”(Matt 11: 28-30).

We are promised that we WILL FIND REST if we give our burdens to God. Why is it so hard to do so? Why do we feel that we have to carry everything and do everything ourselves? Why are we so stubborn to let go??  Maybe it has something to do with the way the world perceives strength. The more you can handle..the more you can accomplish..the more money you have...the more education you have..MORE- MORE- MORE- means GO- GO- GO.  We feel like we have to be in control of everything! No wonder we are run down & hesitant to give our problems and concerns to God. 

BUT, It is when we are at our weakest, that we can actually be our strongest through Jesus Christ who empowers us. It's the complete opposite of the worlds view. Be weak so I can be strong? Absolutely. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness....That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."(2 Cor 12:9-10)

I challenge you to start each morning and end each night by talking to God & giving Him your problems..be specific & ask Him to help you.  He is waiting to lighten your load. The question is..are you ready to give it up?

Hope you find this encouraging-

RICOCHET

My load is so heavy

Too much to bare

Can barely get up

Call out in despair.

So many problems

Nowhere to go

Carry you too?

But I can’t say “no”

So I pile on your burdens

And add them to my own

Now I can hardly move

Reaping more than I’ve sown.

You are my downfall

You pushed me over the edge

But I just realized:

I was already on the ledge

For my own burdens

I cannot blame you

Handle them alone

Not what I should do.

So I prayed to the Lord

To put in my hand

Something to help me:

A strong rubber-band

Little did I realize

That I had it all along

Oh it worked fine!

I was just using it wrong.

I absorbed my burdens

And others as well

Bounced them back onto me

Couldn’t stand, so I fell

But now I see freedom

And now I am free

God said “use your rubber band

And ricochet up to ME!

Your rubber-band will never break

Nor will it ever wear out,

For my strength is endless

You have no reason to doubt.

So I will wait here for you

Day after Day

As you learn how to trust Me

And send your burdens My way”

 

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We Lost Our Cat / Devil's Deception

As some of you know, yesterday we lost our cat Sunny. 

He’s an indoor cat and must have hopped the gate and jumped off the deck.  My husband & I searched for hours! About 6 hours straight! We put up flyers, talked to neighbors, and searched the woods over & over again constantly calling his name. Soon it got dark outside…it was pitch black & we were outside with flashlights still searching. I ended up making personal letters & we put one on each doorstep of each house on our block.  As we were finishing up, I came up to this one house and was about to put the letter on the doorstep when I saw Sunny! He was just laying there & he meowed/growled a little. His face was a little weird looking but that was probably because of all the stress he was under for the past few hours. My heart leaped for joy & I grabbed him and we ran back to our house & I put him down inside. He just stood there and looked back at us & it was then that I realized that the cat I had just brought into our house, was not our cat. He had exactly the same color pattern as Sunny…the tiger stripe legs, the dark gray on his back..everything! But his facial features were slightly off. My heart sunk deeper than it had been all night and we let the cat out who eventually found his way back home. (TRUE STORY!)  I mean, what are the chances of a cat like that...a cat that looked almost identical to Sunny...being on that porch while I was looking for my cat who looked just like him?? (mind you we've been living here 2 years & have never seen that cat before).  

At this moment, I truly felt that the devil was toying with me. He knew I was vulnerable & in his own way, he was laughing at me. I got angry. I was angry at the devil, and at myself for being so deceived to think that it was my cat.  Even after I had originally saw that his face was a little different, I still picked him up and took him home, probably because I wanted to BELIEVE that it was Sunny. That cat wasn't on that porch by "coincidence" nor did I take him home by "coincidence". When you believe in God & His full control than you cancel out any room to believe in coincidences.

A couple hours later, on my last search of the night, and after much prayer, God brought Sunny out of the woods & directly into my line of sight & God allowed me to grab him & take him home.  Yes, a happy ending to my story, but it got me thinking.  

How often do we allow the devil to deceive us in our everyday lives??  He is very slick in his ways, & if our guard is down, even a little, he strikes right away.  The devil is smart…he knows our weaknesses & he attacks when we are most vulnerable. He is also the king of deception. The same devil that deceived Eve in the garden of Eden is the same devil unleashed today that deceives us in our minds & hearts every day. The sad thing is, we don’t even realize when he is doing it.  And sometimes when we do realize it, it's already too late.  

I ignored the warning of the different facial features when I took that cat home…I allowed myself to be deceived because of my wants and my emotions. How often do we tell ourselves…”Oh one more sip..or one more drink won’t hurt”, or “I’m not a gossiper but it’s ok if I talk about people once in awhile”, Or “I deserve this vacation, or “I deserve to spoil myself so it’s okay if I splurge or waste money this one time”, or “just 10 more bucks..and if I lose than I’ll stop betting”…”Just this one more time”…

We rationalize our behavior to make it fit what we want to do & what we think we need in order to temporarily satisfy our emotions. Well let me tell you, that has the devil’s name written all over it. Say what you want but the Bible even says to  ^“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

There is only one way to be successful in standing up against the devil & being able to protect yourself from his attacks & that is through the Armor of God. We are told to  “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Eph 6:10).

The more spiritually prepared you are in your every day life, the more difficult it will become for the devil to bring you down. He goes after the weak…don’t allow yourself to be one of the “weak” ones. Spending time reading the Bible & praying every day & establishing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will help you build up the defense you need.

 So what is your choice? Will you take a stand against the devil? Will you take a stand on something that not only defines your earthly life but determines your eternal life?

Let me ask you this: If you are not using God as your defense, then what are you using?? Because if you have any answer other than God, then your defense isn't working....and.... if you think it is working...than the devil is already at work.

Don’t be like me. Don’t let the “wrong cat” into your life. Even more importantly, don’t take him home, and DO NOT invite him into your house.

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ARE YOU A ZOMBIE?

          With Halloween coming up & even in all of the latest movies, Zombies seem to be all over the place! I'm sure everyone is familiar with the Sprint commercial where the Zombie goes into the store & at the ends says the famous line "I'm a Zombie"       

A zombie is basically considered someone who is walking around DEAD! Good thing they're not real.... OR ARE THEY?  My question to you is: Are you a Zombie?  Are you walking around every day thinking you're "Alive" when in reality you are really "dead"? Although this blog may be a little longer than usual, I encourage you to read it to the end & discover if you are in fact a zombie.

 How much Power do you think it required to raise Jesus from the dead? More than we can comprehend, right? Well would you be surprised to know that the same power that was used to raise Jesus Christ from the dead, is the same power we have inside of us? We have this same power through the Holy Spirit who comes to live inside each of us individually BUT only when we invite Jesus to live in our hearts first.

   

“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you –Rom 8:9-10; 

“..and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead-Eph 1:19-20)

So How do I get this power?? I can I be sure the Holy Spirit is living in me?

Well you see, eternal security in heaven is secured by one way & one way only. 

 The Bible teaches that we must confess our sins to God, ask for forgiveness, believe that God sent his son Jesus to die on the cross as a sacrifice for all of our sins, & believe God raised Him from the dead. If  you do this & believe this and ask Jesus to come into your heart & be your Lord & Savior then you will be saved!

Romans 10:9 says “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Once you ask Jesus to come into your heart & rule your life, the Holy Spirit is given to you & will be inside your heart forever!  NOW you have the power that I mentioned above. AND NOW, you are "ALIVE in Christ" & no longer spiritually Dead.

The thing is, many people walk around thinking they are alive (spiritually speaking) yet in reality they are dead.  Dead in Christ, & dead in eternity.  Many people DO believe in God…they believe He exists..they believe Jesus is the Son of God & he died on the cross for them, etc, but they do not have that personal relationship with Jesus. They never truly asked Him to come into their life & take over. They never truly confessed their sins to Him and asked for forgiveness.  So while they think they have eternal security in heaven, they don’t realize that they are missing the most important component that will guarantee their fate.  Being saved is relational…not just knowledge based.  It is acting & doing..not just thinking & knowing.

The Bible is clear that salvation & eternal security in heaven is not achieved by our good works. Think about it, if that were the case, then why would Jesus have to die on the cross? If we were able to earn our way to heaven, then Christ’s death would have been pointless. 

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast”- Eph 2:8-9, 

“For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law” Rom 3:28

Could you be one of those people? Could you be walking around each and every day thinking you have the power of the Holy Spirit in you….thinking you are going to heaven but maybe, just maybe you have never truly asked Jesus to be Lord of your life?  This could not only make the difference in your eternity, but also in your everyday life here on earth.  This can make the difference in your depression, your anxiety, your perspective, your anger, your emptiness, your sadness, your struggles, your fears, etc!

I hope that you don’t just read this blog & walk away saying, “that was a nice read”, but I hope you actually take a moment to self-evaluate your personal relationship with Jesus & ask yourself “Am I truly saved?”  Asking yourself this question will not determine the difference between “life” & “death” but what you do about your answer WILL. Pray now & ask Jesus to come into your heart & be your Savior.

So one again I ask you...... ARE YOU A ZOMBIE?

Sun & Moon Stood Still (POWER)

Can you imagine living through a day where the sun didn’t go down? Wouldn’t that be weird? Wouldn’t you assume that something crazy is going on? Well this actually happened in the Old Testament & I had to read it a couple of times to make sure I was reading it correctly & sure enough I was. 

 Joshua 10 says…

“Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel:

“Sun, stand still over Gibeon,
    and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”
¹³ So the sun stood still,
    and the moon stopped,
    till the nation avenged itself on^[b] its enemies,

as it is written in the Book of Jashar.

The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day.”

How amazing is it that the sun & moon stood still and the sun didn’t go down for a whole day! Hard to believe right, but if it’s in the Bible it is absolute truth.

Just think, if God can give an ordinary man (Joshua) the power to control the sun & the moon, then what do you think He can do in your life? We receive great power in trusting Jesus as our Savior through the Holy Spirit and I think sometimes (myself included) believers fail to utilize this power to its fullest. Great things can happen when you follow Christ. Stop being content with ordinary things & “just getting by” & allow God to transform your life. If you come near to Him….He will come near to you (James 4:8).

The next time you admire a sunset or sunrise, remember the day the sun & moon stood still.

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Are you like the Inn-Keeper?

I read an article the other day about Christmas that made me think about my everyday life.    Remember the inn-keeper? The one who told Mary & Joseph that there was no room left in the inn? The Bible says there was no room at the inn (Luke 2:7) which implies someone must have told them so. Imagine being that person…the one who turned away Mary & Joseph….the one who turned away Jesus Christ. What a missed opportunity! How horrible and sad a day it was when the innkeeper realized what he had missed and who he had turned away!

Even though Christmas is months away, I can’t help but think: How often in my everyday life do I miss Jesus? How often do I miss opportunities that He has laid out for me only because I am too busy or overly self-consumed? How many times & how often do I turn him away without even realizing it? My goal is to spend more time with Him so I can become more aware of His presence & more aware of those opportunities He gives me. I challenge you to do the same!

Think about it… do you really want to be like the inn-keeper? There is a day coming when we will find out if we are like him or not & Jesus will be the one to tell us.

So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10:32, 33

Don’t deny Jesus. It will be the biggest & greatest opportunity you’ll miss.

Reflection

It's amazing to take a look back at your past to see how you got to where you are at "today". What's even more amazing is the realization that the only way you got to where you are at "today" is by God's grace & blessings.