LIFE: Do you have it!

Romans 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
6:5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

I believe and accept by faith that Jesus died for me though I cannot comprehend it. I know that His death on the cross has taken away my sin because He tells me that He died for our sins. My quilt and shame have died and been buried with Christ who loved me and died for me that I might truly live for Him. My constant sinful behavior has been crucified and replaced with a desire to know and live for Jesus who died for me. The resurrection has made this possible because Jesus rose again from the grave and is alive. Because He lives I now have true life; His life in me the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27) Before we can live for Jesus we must be willing to die with Jesus. When Christ calls us He calls us to come and die to self that we might live for God. No man can experience the new life in Christ, until he has first experienced the death of the old life of himself. The Apostle Paul explained it this way, I have been crucified with Christ; 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 for me. Galatians 2:20

A radically changed life is what true salvation from God will accomplish. The only safe evidence that we are in Christ is a holy life set apart for God. If any man commits himself to Christ radical change will be unavoidable. Praise Jesus for new life! Thank Him for not leaving us like He found us! Though we have not yet attained to the fullness of what we will be one day in Christ; we can now say I am not what I was apart from Him. I have been changed by the grace of God! Hallelujah, Thank you Jesus for saving me and giving me LIFE!!!

When Confusion Comes to Visit

Have you ever experienced the turmoil of a troubled conscience because of an unexpected turn of events? Have you ever thought something was one way only to find out it was totally not the way you thought it was? When life really freaks you out what do you do? When my mind has been invaded by the confusion of this uncertain and imperfect world I have learned to focus on the One who I can be sure is perfectly in control of my life. Today I awoke to a great state of confusion so I began to search for answers to my problem. The harder I tried to figure out what to do the more confusing it became. When I finally admitted that I was freaking out I began to pray for the Lord to help me. It did not take Him long to respond! If you are wondering what He did; let me first tell you what He did not do. God did not make my troubles go away. He did something much more AWESOME!

Once I prayed I decided to focus on something else than my troubles so I went on line to check out a Leadership Conference that I have been praying about attending. When the NewSpring Church web page came up I noticed their pastor Perry Nobles had a blog so I decided to check out what he had to say. What I discovered totally changed the rest of my day. I hope it will help you as much as it did me.

Perry Noble's blog

I have found during my most stressful times it is best if I just stop and focus on who God is…it’s a time when I set my requests aside and just seek HIM…

I’ve made a list that helps me when I tend to freak out…

HE IS…

• Sovereign…He reigns over everyone and everything and has never been stressed out.
• Unstoppable…and so are those who follow Him.
• Holy…perfect, which means everything He wants/desires for my life is so far greater than anything I could have thought up.
• Consistant…I don’t have to worry about Him being in a bad mood.
• GREATER than any temptation the enemy throws my way.
• Better than anything the world has to offer.
• BIGGER than any sin/failure in my life.
• Gracious in that He knows every stupid, foolish, sinful thing I’ve ever done (or will do)…and yet He loves me anyway! (Romans 5:8 ALWAYS amazes me!)
• ALWAYS there with me…He has NEVER walked away from me. He doesn’t always deliver me from the fire…but He has ALWAYS walked with me through it! (See Isaiah 43:1-3)
• Faithful…if I fail to see His faithfulness in my past I will probably not recognize the fruitfulness of my future. (Philippians 1:6)
• The ONE who pursues me…even on the days I tend to walk away from Him.
• RELENTLESS…He NEVER has given up on me!
• PASSIONATE…His passion and zeal that the Scriptures reveal cause me to be in AWE.

I could go on and on…the point being is that when stress comes it is an awesome opportunity to KNOW HIM. SO…if you are stressed out, freaked out and feel like you are about to give out…then “check out” for 10 minutes from your busy life, sit down with a piece of paper, make a list of who the Scriptures say that HE IS…and focus on that rather than your circumstances.

Just a thought…but it sure has helped me!

It sure helped me too!

Where's Your Peace

Genesis 15:15 Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age.

To live a long life that ends in peace with God is the ultimate climax to a life well spent. Peace is a quality of life that everyone desires to have but only a few ever find. If we hope to ever find peace we must first ask ourselves where peace can be found. The Bible says that peace comes from God

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You! (Isaiah 26:3 NLT) If we are to experience peace we must focus our thoughts upon God and then be willing to trust Him when He reveals His plan for our life. The Bible says that Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus said “these things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace” (John 16:33). “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you” (John 14:27). Jesus also said “do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). To the casual observer it seems that Jesus contradicts Himself concerning His promise to bring peace. To anyone willing to trust and surrender to Jesus as Lord and follow Him they will experience within their heart a peace that only God can provide. Anyone who rejects Jesus as Lord and refuses to surrender and follow Him will not receive His peace. In fact Jesus will disturb what peace they do have because He will cause them to realize they are not at peace with God. Jesus never said He would bring peace to the whole world. He said in the world we would have tribulation but to be of good cheer because He had overcome the world. He also said to not let our hearts be troubled and to not be afraid because the peace He would give us was not as the world gives because it did not come from the world. The world cannot know this peace because it does not know Jesus. Know Jesus know peace, No Jesus no peace! True peace is from God through a right relationship with His Son Jesus Christ. When you reject Jesus as Lord you forfeit God’s offer to have His peace. When you trust Jesus and follow Him you make yourself available to receive the peace of God. This does not mean you will be at peace with all men. In fact the world will now reject you because it has rejected Jesus. The rejection of the world is the sword that Jesus brings to those who follow Him. The question we must ask is do we want peace with the world or peace with God. The world or God we must all choose because it is impossible to have peace with both. Where’s your peace?