Moving...

  Well, it sure has been a while since I have posted, but I am going to try and do better in the future.  I am making a bit of a transition.  I have decided to move my blog on over to another site and I also gave it a new name.  A bit of a makeover I guess.  So, I will no longer be posting here on this blog, so make sure to move on over and check out my blog here:  http://1daybday.wordpress.com/


   Thank you!!!

2 Peter 3:18 

   

Impossible? Or Possible?

Is there anything that may be too hard for the Lord?!  Can He really conquer the impossible?!

Do these thoughts ever go through your head?  Have you even let yourself believe in them...especially during the darkest and most difficult days of your life?

I can be honest and say that I have thought them.  Even by the way I act and as evidenced by my attitude, I can say that I have even believed them on occasion.

Let me tell you right now that those thoughts are lies and the enemy wants you to doubt the power and might of the Lord. 

Instead of letting those rotten falsehoods eat away at us, causing us to become embittered towards God, we need to counter those lies with the truth. 

What is the truth?  What am I supposed to tell myself in those moments when I doubt who God is and what He can do?

In Jeremiah 32:27, the Lord even declares to the prophet Jeremiah, "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh.  Is there anything too hard for Me?"  By the Lord asking this question, He affirms His power and might, and that He CAN do the impossible and that NOTHING is too difficult for Him.  He is the God of all. 

There are so many examples throughout the old and new testament that show how God conquered the impossible.  He gave Abraham and Sarah a child in their old age. He parted the Red Sea that His people may escape the Egyptians.  He provided food from the heavens in order to feed Israel.  He made water flow from a rock in the desert.  He gave David, a small and seemingly insignificant boy, the strength to beat the undefeated giant, Goliath, who no Israelite soldier could stand against and win.  He gave Israel the victory over and over again when they were up against armies twice their size and strength.   He destroyed Jericho. These are just a few of the many, many examples of the strength and might of our God.  Can you think of more examples from scripture?!

The greatest example however can be found in Luke 1:26-35.  God, Himself, came to earth as a man, and was born of a virgin, Mary.   He bore our sins, taking the punishment and wrath of God on our behalf.  Yet, He also conquered death in His resurrection,  showing that He indeed is God.  All of this is impossible....but with God, it was possible.

So, next time you are doubtful of God's power and might, remember that time and time again, He has showed that nothing is too hard for Him!  (*I am speaking to myself as well!!*)

God does not change.  His character does not alter.  He still works in the lives of His children the same way as we have seen in the old testament and in the new.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Trust in His promises and in His Word.

This is why we have the Bible, so that we can know who God is and how He works! 

Pray that He will give you the strength to believe in His Truths.  It is not easy to hold to the truth, that is why we need to continually be renewing our minds, everyday, with His word.

Grow in grace dear friends!  Have a great rest of your worship Sunday!

~2 Peter 3:18~ 

No Longer Anxious!

     

     A friend of mine on facebook posted this quote by Hudson Taylor.  It was just such a great reminder to me of the God I serve.  I even put the quote in my "favorite quotes" section here on my blog!  :)

"I am no longer anxious about anything, as I realize that He is 

able to carry out His will for me.  It does not matter where He places

me, or how. 

That is for Him to consider, not me, for in the easiest positions,

He will give me grace, and in the most difficult ones,

His grace is sufficient. 

    A passage of scripture that I have been memorizing this past week came to mind as I was reading this quote. 

"Your way O God, is in the sanctuary.  Who is so great a God as our God? 

You are God who does wonders; 

You have declared your strength among the peoples." 

~Psalm 77:13-14~

  

   It is so easy to forget how powerful our God is.  That is why I love to read the Psalms. They always seem to point me back to the Truth and remind me that God is indeed great and that we have no need to fear or be anxious!

   So, let's focus on the truth as we head into another week.

~Grow in Grace~ 

 2 Peter 3:18 

My Heart, Christ's Home

   Happy Tuesday, readers!  It is such a gorgeous, hot day here where I live, and I am loving it!  I know that it has been quite a while since I posted, but it has been an eventful summer for me to say the least.  Well, enough of my excuses.

   Last night, I had the privilege of visiting my dad's Bible study that he teaches for the young, married couples at our church.  I usually don't attend, since I don't yet have a husband, haha, but dad was nice enough to let me join in on last nights meeting as a single young woman. ;-)

   My dad has been teaching from the book of Ephesians.  Last night, he delved into chapter 3 vv. 14-21.

    Ephesians is such a great book, and these particular verses are indeed convicting to read! (*go read them!*)

   My dad discussed quite a bit from verse 17.  This verse states,

"...That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--..."  

    My dad pointed out the word "dwell".   Every Christian is indwelt by Christ the moment he trusts in Him as Savior and Lord.   Christ lives in us, he dwells within us!

   To give more of a picture of what this means, my dad shared with everyone what author Robert Munger wrote in his book entitled, My Heart Christ's Home. 

     Munger, in his book, pictures the Christian life as a house, through which Jesus goes from room to room.  In the library, which is the mind, Jesus finds trash and all sorts of worthless things, which He proceeds to throw out, and replace with His Word.  In the dining room of appetite He finds many sinful desires listed in a worldly menu. In the place of such things as prestige, materialism, and lust He puts humility, meekness, love, and all the other virtues for which believers are to hunger and thirst.  He goes through the living room of fellowship, where He finds many worldly companions and activities, through the workshop, where only toys are being made, into the closet, where hidden sins are kept, and so on through the entire house.  Only when He had cleaned every room, closet, and corner of sin and foolishness could He settle down and be at home. 

     "Jesus enters the house of our hearts the moment He saves us, but he cannot live there in comfort and satisfaction until it is cleansed of sin and filled with His will," Munger writes.  "God is gracious beyond comprehension and infinitely patient.  He continues to love those of His children who insist on spurning His will.  Be He cannot be happy or satisfied in such a heart.  He cannot be fully at home until He is allowed to dwell in our hearts through the continuing faith that trusts him to exercise His lordship over every aspect of our lives.  We practice as well as receive His presence by faith.  How awesome and wonderful that the almighty and holy God wants to live in our hearts, be at home there, and rule there! Yet Jesus said, 'If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him."' (John 14:23).

    Wow.  What do you think of that?! After my dad shared this, it gave me such a clearer picture of what the word dwell really means.

    Does Christ dwell in you?!  Are you keeping His Word and following after Him?!

    These are some good questions to think about, friends!

     May you have a Christ-centered week and learn to understand more and more of what it means for Christ to dwell in you!

~Grow in Grace~

2 Peter 3:18

  

Teach Me My Lord...

     I want to share with you a wonderful poem my mother wrote me a few years ago.  Whenever I read it, I am reminded of how I must react when those I care about and love, fail and disappoint me.

      So often we elevate relationships and people to a point of worship and even obsession.  This is very dangerous and wrong.  We expect people to meet our needs and when they don't, we end up very disappointed and even heart-broken. People will let us down, whether it is intentional or not, but as Christians, we should not place our hope in people, who will mess up and disappoint us.  Instead, we must place our anchor and expectation in the Lord, who will fulfill our needs and who is forever faithful.   He should be number one in our lives and the most important relationship we seek.  When we lose sight of this and idolize others, this is when it becomes very dangerous. 

    It is so easy to have high expectations of others and to depend so much on them.   So, how should we react when a friend or family member is not as supportive or sympathetic as we would like?  How are we to act towards them?  What would the Lord want us to do? 

   This is what my mom wrote...

"Teach me my Lord to be sweet and gentle in all the events of life, in 

disappointments, in the thoughtlessness of others, in the insincerity of those I trusted, in the unfaithfulness of those on whom I relied. 

 Let me put myself aside, to think of the happiness of others, to hide my little pains and heartaches so that I may be the only one to suffer from them.  

Teach me to profit by the suffering that comes across my path, let me so use it that it mellow me, not harden nor embitter me, that it may make me patient, nor irritable, that it may make me broad in mu forgiveness, not narrow, haughty, and overbearing.  

May no one be less good for having come within my influence.  No one less pure, less true, less kind, less noble, for having been a fellow traveler in our journey toward--Eternal life. " 

     Always remember, friends, to seek the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind, and place Him first in your life.  Friendships and relationships are a blessing the Lord gives and an encouragement, but they were never meant to take place or to take precedence of our Heavenly Father in our hearts and lives.  

It's always good to think about! :-) 

Have a good start to your week!  

~Grow in Grace~ 

2 Peter 3:18 

 

 

Beware of the Rhino!

Interesting title to this post, huh?!  Well hopefully by the end of this entry, you will understand why I chose that heading.

This afternoon, I read Romans 7:14-20.  It is one of those passages of scripture that you really have to read through slowly and thoroughly in order to make sure you are tracking with what is being said.

Here is what Paul wrote: 

"For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.  For what I am doing, I do not understand.  For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.  If then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good.  But now, it is no longer I who do it (note: his new nature in Christ), but sin that dwells in me (note: my sinful nature).  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.  for the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.  Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me." 

Now, maybe go back through and re-read those verses to just make sure you are following what he is saying.  It took me a few times to really get it.

It is obvious that Paul is describing a great struggle and conflict in a believer's heart and mind.  The desire to do good, to obey the Lord, bumps up against the will of sinful, human nature.   There will be battles that every follower of Christ will face.  That is why we must continually be on guard and ready to fight.

I am currently reading this great book entitled, The Enemy Within.  Sounds pretty intense, doesn't it?! In the particular chapter I was just reading, it was discussing how there is a great pull and conflict between the flesh and the desire and will (our new nature, created in Christ) to obey the Lord.

The author of the book, Kris Lundgaard, started out the chapter by giving a quote, by G.K. Chesterton, which states, "If a rhinoceros were to enter the restaurant now, there is no denying he would have great power here.  But I should be the first to rise and assure him that he had no authority whatever."

Lundgaard proceeded to write that: "The law of sin in believers is like Chesterton's rhino.  The only moral, authoritative rule over believers is the kingdom and reign of God.  Indwelling sin is a usurper to the throne who, like the rhino, can at times force himself on us.  Even though we rise and tell him he has no authority, he can push us around the restaurant." 

We must be aware that there is a great battle going on all around us and we HAVE to continually be on guard and be ready to fight.  This "rhino", a.k.a, our sinful flesh, will push and pull you into sin and disobedience.  How can we better equip ourselves to resist temptation and the urge to disobey the Lord?! 

I definitely think that renewing our minds with the Truth, God's Word, will equip our hearts to resist what is sinful.  Also, praying and crying out to the Lord for help and for forgiveness when we sin is always a necessity.  Asking and seeking encouragement from other strong believers is also a wonderful way we can be built up in the faith.  These are just a few things that come to my mind that have helped me in pushing away the "rhino".  It is something I need to continually keep up and practice all that time.  It is so difficult.  It is a War!

Stand guard friends and don't let that "rhino" tear you down or run you over.  Stand strong in the Lord and fight!  You need to make sure that you are properly equipped! 

~Grow in Grace~

2 Peter 3:18

Spiritual Muscle Development

Wow, it has been a while since I have posted.  I hopefully will make up for big gap it in today's post. 

A good friend of mine, who lives in Missouri, sent me this wonderful post on "waiting". 

I have come to sometimes despise that word.  Waiting.  However, it is something each of us must experience and it even can be for our benefit. 

I would really encourage you to take a few minutes and read the following article my friend sent me.  It was written by a man named Paul Tripp.  It is worth the time to read, let me tell ya!   It was SO good for me to sit down and take a look at!

Please let me know what you think of it. I would love your feedback. :)

Ok, here we go...

Spiritual Muscle Development 

"So, what happens inside of you when you are asked to wait?  Is waiting, for you, a time of strengthening or weakening? Have you ever stopped to consider why God asks you to wait?  Let me point you to one of his purposes.  

-Waiting is Giving You Time-

When God asks you to wait, what happens to your spiritual muscles?  While you wait, do your spiritual muscles grow bigger and stronger or do they grow flaccid and atrophied?  Waiting for the Lord isn't about God forgetting you, forsaking you, or being unfaithful to his promises.  It's actually God giving you time to consider his glory and to grow stronger in the faith.  Remember, waiting isn't just about what you are hoping for at the end of the wait, but also about what you will become as you wait.  

Waiting always presents me with a spiritual choice-point.  Will I allow myself to question God's goodness and progressively grow weaker in faith, or will I embrace the opportunity of faith that God is giving me and build my spiritual muscles? (see Psalm 27:4) 

It's so easy to question your belief system when you are not sure what God is doing.  It's so easy to give way to doubt when you are being called to wait.  It's so easy to forsake good habits and to take up habits of unfaith that weaken the muscles of the heart.  Let me suggest some habits of unfaith that causee waiting to be a time of increasing weakness rather than of building strength.  These are the bad habits that all of us are tempted to give way to. 

Habits of Unfaith 

Giving way to doubt. There's a fine line between the struggle to wait and giving way to doubt.  When you are called to wait, you are being called to do something that wasn't part of your plan and is therefore something that you struggle to see as good.  Because you are naturally convinced that what you want is right and good, it doesn't seem loving that you are being asked to wait.  You can see how tempting it is then to begin to consider questions of God's wisdom, goodness, and love.  It is tempting, in the frustration of waiting, to actually begin to believe that you are smarter than God. 

Giving way to anger.  It's very easy to look around and begin to think that the bad guys are being blessed and the good guys are getting hammered (see Psalm 73).  There will be times when it simply doesn't seem right that you have to wait for something that seems so obviously good to you.  It will feel that you are being wronged, and when it does, it seems right to be angry.  Because of this, it's important to understand that the anger you feel in these moments is more than anger with he people or circumstances that are the visible cause for your waiting.  No, your anger is actually anger with the One who is in control of those people and those circumstances.  You are actually giving way to thinking that you have been wronged by God.  

Giving way to discouragement. This is where I begin to let my heart run away with the "If only _____," the "What if ______," and the "What will happen if _____."  I begin to give my mind to thinking about what will happen if my request isn't answered soon, or what in the world will happen if it's not answered at all.  This kind of meditation makes me feel that my life is out of control.  And I am able to think my life is out of control because I have forgotten God's wise and gracious control over every part of my existence.  Rather than my heart being filled with joy, my heart gets flooded with worry and dread.  Free mental time is spent considering my dark future, with all the resulting discouragement that will always follow.  

Giving way to envy.  When I am waiting, it's very tempting to look over the fence and wish for the life of someone who doesn't appear to have been called to wait.  It's very easy to take on a "I wish I were that guy" way of living.  You can't give way to envy without questioning God's wisdom and his love. Here is the logic: if God really loves you as much as he loves that other guy, you would have what your neighbor enjoys.  

Giving way to inactivity.  The result of giving way to all of these things is inactivity.  If God isn't as good and wise as I once thought he was, if he withholds good things from his children, and if he plays favorites then why would I continue to pursue him?  Maybe all those habits of faith aren't helping me after all; maybe I've been kidding myself.  

Sadly this is the course that many people take as they wait.  Rather than growing in faith, their motivation for spiritual exercise is destroyed by doubt, anger, discouragement, and envy, and the muscles of faith that were once robust and strong are not atrophied and weak." 

- Paul Tripp -

So, what did you think of this rather long post?! :) 

It is extremely hard to wait sometimes, but I really liked what this guy was saying...that as we wait we learn more about who God is and we grow closer and closer to Him.  So, maybe waiting is not bad at all, but a blessing!  I need to look at it more that way.  

Have a great week, friends!  Hopefully it won't be over a month next time I choose to post. 

~Grow in Grace~ 

2 Peter 3:18