GET OUT OF YOUR TENT!!!

Genesis 15:5  And he brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 

Like Abraham, for way too many years I have sat in my tent wondering what God wanted me to do with my life.  What gifts, what talents did God give me, if any?  What was I suppose to do for Him, if anything?  Oh I had my excuses.  I was shy!  At least that is what I was told from a very young age.  Whenever I was introduced to someone, I hid behind my mother.   To stand up and talk in front of people and talk was impossible.  I listened to the voices of my teachers, who were never very inspiring or encouraging.  I listened to the voices of the kids I went to school who teased me and laughed at me.  I couldn't sew like my sister or play a musical instrument like my brother.  So for years and years and years, I hid in my tent like Abraham.  

 My tent was my comfort zone.  There I was safe from the harsh realities of this world.  There I was safe from ridicule and teasing.  I didn't have to care what anyone else thought of me.  I didn't have to care what anyone else said to me.  I didn't have to worry about what anyone else would do to me.  It was my safety, my comfort zone!!!  I felt safe in my tent!    

   Instead of looking to God for answers I kept looking in the mirror at myself.  I kept replaying the voices of my past over and over again.  I looked at my circumstances instead of looking to God.  It was so easy to sit in my tent and throw pity parties.   It wasn't until I met Jerry that I actually started to feel good about myself.  He always encouraged me and told me how special I was.  He told me constantly how much he loved me and he made me feel special.  He'd bring me flowers, he'd open doors for me, he'd look into my eyes for what seems like hours and just make me feel loved.  Jerry gave me a glimpse of how much God loves me.  

You see, what I never realized until about 6 years ago was that God had given me a strong gift of faith but I never used it to step out of my tent.  I used it to get me through tough times, but never thought of my faith helping me to get out of my tent.  It wasn't until a very close friend looked at me and said, "You have an amazing faith I've rarely seen before.  God has a plan for you, not sure what but just be ready."  Those words hit me right in my heart.  For the first time I heard God whisper to me, like Abraham, "It's time to step out of that tent!  Look up at the heavens and stop looking at yourself and your circumstances."  I got it!   For the first time in my life, and with the encouragement I got from Jerry, I stepped out of my tent and never have gone back inside! 

Listen, I know that your tent, is your comfort zone, your safe place to hide.  But in doing so you are also hiding from the amazing things God has planned for you.  That tent may make you feel safe but it's not!  It is a dangerous place to live.  The tent will keep you from God's blessings!  It will keep you from the gifts and talents God has given you.  That tent will keep you from living a rich and full life.  God opened my tent door through Jerry but until I stepped out of that tent I didn't know what God had waiting for me.  Step out of that tent today!  Start looking up to heaven!  

Lord today I chose to step out of that tent I have hidden in for way too long.  Today I chose to look up to heaven and surrender my circumstances to you.  I am through living in my safe, comfy tent.  I chose to accept the amazing plan you have for my life, in Jesus name I pray, amen!

BE AFRAID! BE VERY AFRAID!!

2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)  for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 

2 Timothy 1:7 (The Message) God doesn't want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible. 

Fear, that lousy 4 letter word that sends me shivering and shaking.   Fear brings up the worst possibilities and points out every failure and every doubt.  Fear is something I deal with.   

Fear of the unknown, fear of the future, fear of stepping out of my comfort zone, fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of getting sick, fear of what might happen and fear of what might never happen.  I can easily be overtaken by fear.  How about you?

False Evidence Appearing Real.  Why do we put such emphasis on something that may never happen?  I mean surely there are good fears that keep us on the right path in life, like fear of prison.  But honestly fear can cripple us.  I have a fear of heights.  I can ride roller coasters, but to ride the cable cars?  No way!  I can't explain it, can you?  I thought I's look up the definition for fear.

Fear, an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain or a threat.  Fear causes anxiety, stress, panic, nightmares, heart palpitations and phobias that overtake our lives.  Living a life filled with evil forebodings, apprehension, dismay, dread, terror, fright, panic and horror.  Why do I live with a spirit of fear because clearly it is not from God?

This verse isn't even talking about the fears I have discussed which is why for so long, I got this verse wrong.  It isn't the fear of the obvious things, it's the fear of using the gifts God has given us.  It's the fear of stepping out and stepping up into the spiritual gifts God has given us.   It's the fear of asking someone, "Do you know Jesus?"  It's the fear of speaking up and saying, "Yes, I love Jesus Christ." It's the fear of our friends rejecting us for being Jesus followers.  It's the doubt and fear that we won't be able to say the proper things to change an atheist into a believer.  At least for me it is.

God does not give us a spirit of fear.  He gives us power!  He gives us love!  He gives us self control!  I love The Message version.  God doesn't want us to be shy with the gifts He gives us.  He wants us to be bold!  He wants us to be loving!  He wants us to be sensible!  God has given us power to trample over Satan and Satan hates that!  In fact that is why Satan fills us with so much fear.  He knows that if he fills our mind and thoughts with fear of stepping out and discussing Jesus with our family and friends, then he may have saved a soul from eternity and condemned them to hell.  

When I learn to rely on God's power that is in me, then Satan's lies have no foothold on me and maybe, though the power of God, I can bring a soul to eternity with me.  I need to be bold, and yes that thought frightens me, but I have to trust God is with me and He will speak through me.  I need to be courageous, and yes this also sends chills down my spine but I have to rely on God to guide me.  I need to be secure in the fact that no matter what anyone else thinks about me, no matter what anyone else says about me, no matter how many people laugh at me, God is looking down on me and smiling, saying; 

"That's my girl!  Look at that boldness!  Look at that courage!  Look at that faith!  Look at that power!  Isn't she amazing?" 

Fear is still in me, but when I learn to step out inspite of my fear I'm telling God I believe in Him and  His power at work in me.  I want Satan to be afraid of me!  Every morning when I get out of bed, I want Satan to start shaking in his boots.  Who's with me?

Fear, you have no place in my life!  In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to flee!  Lord, fill me with your power, your love, and self control.  Help me to be bold with the gifts you have given me.  help me to love others, like you love us.   Crush that fear that lives in me, in Jesus name I pray, Amen!

BE STILL

Psa 46:10  "Be still, and know that I am God."

This mornings sunrise spoke volumes to my heart.  As we rise up each day we need to take a moment or two and just be still.  Can we do that?  Can we stop rushing around like chickens with our heads cut off?  Can we stop running like our life depends on it?  Can we just take a moment and just be still?  

This morning God wanted me to be still.  The orange glow from the impending sunrise began to peek through my windows beckoning me to lift my head and wipe away the sleep from my eyes.   I threw on my glasses and grabbed my I Pad for this picture.  I love time spent with God in the quiet, still time of the morning.   As I sat on my couch reading my devotionals for today, the scene outside was serene and peaceful.  I couldn't help but connect with God.

As the sun kissed the horizon, an orange glow began to fill the skies.  The reflection on the lake was amazing.  Across from our home the geese were just beginning to stir and squawk (and squawk and squawk and squawk and squawk).  The water was calm and smooth as glass.  Much different than it has been the last few days with all the wind.  As I glanced around at the scenery, the sound of fish jumping filled the air and the ripples danced across the water in a circular motion.  The clear blue skies was refreshing, I get really tired of clouds!  As I glanced across the water I heard a voice saying,  "Be still".

This verse is simple yet so profound.  "Be still and know that I am God."  I remember when I was little my mom constantly said to me, "Can't you just sit still for one minute?"   Back then I couldn't.  I had places to go, people to see, things to do, toys to play with.  You know, I had important things to do.  My future was on the line here.  Yea I may have only been 8 years old, but I had plans.  

 This verse speaks to me in so many ways.  It speaks to me of trusting God.  For me, I surrender control of my life to God.  One reason it is easy for me to do this is because I get really tired of trying to do it myself and trying to do it my way because it never seems to work out the way I had planned.  I get frustrated and angry because once again I screwed up.  

It speaks to me of patience.  Yes, waiting on God can be tough but I have realized that His plan for my life is much better than mine.  His timing is much better than mine.   When we jump the gun and try to finish the race before we are in shape that is when we risk injury,  

There was a time a few weeks ago where I was sitting waiting for something or someone, I forget, but God spoke to me and challenged me to literally be still.  "The only thing I want to see moving is your lungs for breathing.  Don't move a finger or a toe or anything else.  Just me still."  Can I tell you, that was hard!!!  I thought about grabbing my phone, no!  My nose began to itch, no!  My hands wanted to move, no!  My foor wanted to swing back and forth, no!  I sat there for probably 5 minutes without moving a muscle and it was challenging.  

Be still and trust in God, not religion.  Be still and trust that Jesus Christ died for your sins and mine.  Be still and let God take control of the wheel.  Be still and rely on God to work all things out for your good.  Be still and enjoy the peace and grace Jesus Christ died to give you.  Be still and know that God is still God.  He has you in the palms of His hands.  

Let go of all your worries.  Let go of all the stress.  Let go of all the lies that fill your mind.  Let go of all the pain.  Let go of all the tears.   Let go of the sins that have kept you in chains.  Let go of the attitudes that drag you down.  Let go of the guilt that binds you.  

"Be still and know I am God"

Lord, I rest in you.  I put my trust in you.  I rely on you.  Help me learn let go of all the bondages that have kept me from your peace.  Help me release the anger and jealousy that fill my heart.  Help me learn to be still and know that you are God, not me.  In Jesus name amen.

UNWORTHY

2 Corinthians 3:16-18  Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are--face to face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We're free of it!  All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him. 

I so often feel so unworthy of this life I have.  I have done nothing to deserve these blessings in my life.  I have an awesome husband, while others have a husband who beats them verbally, physically or both.   I have children who are simply amazing.   They love each other, accept each other and are always there for each other inspite of differences.  I look at other families and see so much bickering, so much drama, so much division.  I have son-in-laws who treat my daughters with love and respect.  So many families have in-law problems and issues to deal with.  I have grandchildren who bring joy and laughter into my life.  Other families are dealing with childhood cancers  and illnesses that are tremendous. I am unworthy of the rich blessings in my life.

Now I am not telling you any to this to brag and if it sounds like that I am sorry.  I am being totally honest here when I say I feel unworthy.  You know what?  I am unworthy!   I am a sinner!  I am a hypocrite!  I am selfish!  I am lazy!  Sound harsh?  Trust me I am not throwing a pity party here.  These are things that were once true about me, (in fact they sometimes still are).  My point here is that even though I have been in church my entire life.  I went to a Catholic grade school and high school.   I knew the rules and regulations.  The traditions and history of the church is what I learned about.  I knew Jesus Christ was my Savior, BUT the veil between God and I was still there.

Why did I need to go to a priest to confess my sins and have them forgiven?   Why did we pray to Mary and other "saints" to intercede with God for us?   Why couldn't I read the Bible?   In fact why wasn't I ever encouraged to read the Bible?   Why couldn't I go directly to God to confess my sins and pray to Him for the help I needed?   Looking back it seems like the catholic church still has the veil in place, am I right?  No don't get all offended if you are a catholic reading this.  This is my thoughts and questions that I had for my entire life.  (There are many more, but I won't bore you with them.)

When I first heard this verse, I had been saved for 5 minutes.  I was at a Women's Conference and a Christian band was playing.  Midstream the singer stopped and read this verse from The Message version of the Bible.  It hit me.  It hit me hard!  In fact these were the first verses I memorized because they impacted me that much.  You see for my entire life I thought the veil between God and I was still in tact.   That is the way the catholic church made it feel to me.  God seemed like a  Holy, angry, judgemental and condemning God. 

Well when I gave my life to Jesus Christ, that veil was lifted!  I met God face to face, through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ.   God is not some statue to fall and pray to, Jesus is not still on the cross, I do not need to pray to any saint or Mary to get my prayers heard.  God is a personal presence in my life.  His living Spirit dwells in me and is alive in me.   

"That old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete.   We're free of it!  All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him."

Just like Moses, I can stand before God!  My face shines because of the love and light that pours from His face.  Day by day I am being transfigured into the image of Jesus Christ.  I am becoming more and more like Him, by talking with Him, by learning from His word and by allowing myself to be changed and transformed.  I am unworthy of all of this, but because God loves me, He sent His Son to die in my place so that I would be worthy because of what Christ did for me.  

I wish I had been taught about the salvation of Jesus Christ when I was younger,  I wish I had had the opportunity to verbally accept Jesus Christ as my Savior.  The salvation prayer literally saved my life!  The moment the veil was lifted for me will always be the greatest day in my life! 

Lord, thank you for lifting the veil from my eyes and my heart.  Thank you for allowing me to stand in the presence of God.  May your light always shine forth from my mouth, my heart and my hands in Jesus name I pray, amen!

A HEART CONDITION

Matthew 15:18-19  But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.

What does our words say about our heart condition?  If we constantly complain and whine, what is that saying abut our heart?  If words are constantly flying out of our mouths in anger, what is that saying about our heart? If we consistently blame others instead of looking in the mirror, what is that saying about our heart?  If we speak negatively and constantly point out others faults, what is that saying about our heart?  If we gossip and fabricate the truth (lie), what is that saying about our heart?

We all have a heart condition we need to fix.   Some more, some less.  But our mouths, the same mouths we use to pray and praise our God, the same mouth we us in church to worship God with song, the same mouth that can speak scripture verses can be used so wickedly and for so much evil.  So what does our mouth say about our heart condition?  If our words speak from our heart, would you need a shock to get your heart started or a triple bypass or a simply a baby aspirin daily to keep your blood thin?  Be honest here cause I am.  First I had to look up the word defile.

Defile - spoil, desecrate, foul, dirty, unclean, pollute.   

  

So if what comes out of our mouth proceeds from the heart and this defiles us, what does that say about us?  Our hearts are filled with so much garbage that it shouldn't surprise us that our words are filled with evil.   Sure on Sunday we're all well and fine.  Our hearts are strong and mended for an hour or two.  Then we try to exit the parking lot, and BAM!  There goes a heart attack and the words flying out of our mouth are spoiled, unclean words that are polluted and unclean.  True?

Matthew 15:10-11  And he called the people to him and said to them, "Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person."

We sometimes get so wrapped up with what goes in our mouth.  We diet and we count calories, we count our carbs for the day.   We drink lots of water to stay healthy, we care about what junk goes into our mouth.  The taste, the texture, the aroma all add to our eating experience, but what if we had to eat our words?  What would that taste like?  Would you want to eat the words you have been saying? 

"If you don't have something nice to say, then don't say anything at all!"  These are words to live by.  If you have a real heart condition, you seek treatment and possibly take medication to heal it.  Well we need to start doing this with our words, ASAP!!!  We need to seek treatment by daily reading God's word.  We need to pray to God about our words and we need to get real honest about our words because words can kill.  If you don't think you have a problem with your words, ask your loved ones.  They may open your eyes which in turn may open up your heart.

Lord, please keep a watch over my mouth so that I do not use it for evil.  Help my words be uplifting and encouraging.  Heal my heart condition so that my mouth may be used for your glory, not mine in Jesus name I pray, amen!

I MISSED IT!!

John 20:17  Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"

I don't know about you but I have heard and read the resurrection story many times over the course of my life.  Okay honestly every year at Easter this story is told.  I listened and listened for 53 years but I missed this verse.  I glanced right over it without paying attention.  How do I do that?  I just don't get it.   Am I so busy paying attention to the service that it just flew over my head?  Was I so prideful and arrogant, thinking I have heard this reading a thousand times that should have I known by heart?  How did I ever miss this?

Okay let me clarify what I am talking about.  One of the worst possible witnesses to the resurrection was Mary Magdalene.  Why the worst?  Well she was a prostitute, a criminal, her past was shady to say the least and to top it off she was a woman.   (Back then, women were to be seen and not heard.  Women were second class citizens.)  So here we are on the day of the resurrection and Jesus appeared to her.   Really?  Now days she would be laughed out of court, but back then as an eyewitness to the risen Savior, well that just seemed like a dumb idea.  

What was Jesus thinking?  Wouldn't it have been batter if He had appeared to the Pharisees or to Ceasar?  That would have been radical and mind blowing.  But no He chose a sinner.   Why?

Jesus appeared to her because although her past was somewhat questionable even by today's standards, Jesus saw her heart!  He knew how much she had changed since she first met Him.  He knew that her sin, her criminal background was in the past.  He had given a reason to change.  He loved her when no one else would.  He reached out to her when everyone else was ready to stone her to death.  He freed her from her past life and the demons that haunted her.  She was transformed from the inside out because of Jesus Christ.  Her heart was pure, in fact it was purer than the religious leaders.  He chose her because she loved Him more than her own life.  

The picture I cannot get out of my head is the one my pastor explained yesterday, and this is the big part I have missed my entire life.  Mary Magdalene fell at the feet of her risen Savior and clung to Him.  In other words, she grabbed a hold of Him and was not going to let go!  She did not want Him to vanish, she wanted to stay by His side forever.  How do I know this?  Well Jesus had to tell her "Do not cling to me."   She was holding onto Him for dear life.

But then the other thing about this verse that struck me was Jesus told her to go and tell the disciple that He would be ascending to "My Father and your Father, My God and your God"  Did you get that?  I almost missed it.  I've known it for many years but hearing Jesus say it just brings me to my knees.  God is my Father, my dad, my daddy.   Does that sound wrong to call God my dad?  I don't think so.  

You know Jesus could have appeared to any of His followers yet He chose Mary Magdalene.  Mary was probably disowned by her own father, or perhaps he father sold her into prostitution.   Mary did not know what the true love of a father felt like and now Jesus was telling her that His Father, was her Father.  Which meant for possibly the first time in her life, she was loved by a Father.  And not just any Father, but God Himself.  How amazing is that?

If we would just take time and stop rushing through these scriptures we would pick up these little tidbits that the Holy Spirit keeps trying to point out to us.  Reading the Bible in a year is all well and good, but not if we are missing out on these little bits of golden truths that God wants us to know.  It's not about how many Bible verses we have memorized or how many times we have read through the entire Bible, it's about knowing the true heart of God and embracing the wisdom that fills the pages of the Bible.  Don't miss out on one impactful verse because you have to read 3 more chapters.  You could be missing out on some pearl of wisdom that you need.

Lord, although Mary Magdalene was a sinner, you used her in a profound way. Please use me!  Open my eyes to what I may be missing out on.  Open my ears to hear what message you have for me.  Open my heart so that I can be transformed from the inside out, in Jesus name I pray, amen!

DO YOU FEEL LIKE A PRISONER?

Zechariah 9:11-12  As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.  Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double. 

Instead of putting yourself in a prison cell filled with doubt and fear, worries and dread, anger and jealousy, how about putting yourself in a prison of hope?  "Oh if it would be that easy!"  I can hear the comments now.  "You have no idea what I've been through."  "How can you expect me to have hope when I was just handed divorce papers today?"  "Why should I have hope?  Nothing good ever happens to me."  "Hope?  Hope?  You want me to hope?  Are you serious?"  

I could probably fill this blog with comments just like these and worse.  I read them on Facebook, I hear them uttered out the mouth of believers and non believers alike.  Negative comments, pity parties, and those smiles turned upside down are rampant in this world today.  Listen to the news reports and the first 28 minutes is filled with doom and gloom.  Maybe, if we're lucky, the last 2 minutes will have some uplifting report about someones rescue.  

"The sky is falling, the sky is falling." The story of Chicken Little, while humorous, is a sad commentary on today's world.  People are just waiting for the sky to fall, the next nail in their coffin, the next shoe to drop.  Always expecting the worse and never being disappointed, is the motto of some people, even some believers.  Seriously?

What the heck is wrong here?  Have you not heard?  Do you not know?  Are you so locked in your own little world that you have lost your hope?   Are you so busy looking in the mirror at all your flaws, you don't even realize that there are people who don't have a mirror to look at let alone a home in which to hang a mirror?  Are you so consumed with envy and jealousy that you cannot see how fortunate you are?  Are you depressed because nothing goes the way you expect it or want it to be?  

  Listen, as believers we need to grab a hold of this verse and really tap into it's meaning.  We are set free!  We need to be prisoners of hope!  We should be the most joy filled, happy, peaceful people around!   Is life tough?  Yes, but we have been washed by the saving grace of Jesus Christ which means that we have the world at our fingertips.  We have a promise of double for our trouble.   I'm not talking just financially here.  

If we really are true believers, than we should have peace and stop worrying.  I know all you parents with teenagers are ready to pounce on me, but please let me explain.  I have 4 grown children who were once teenagers, 3 girls and 1 boy.  Yes, there were times I would worry until God would remind me that He had them in the palms of His hands.   To me that was comforting to me because truthfully I would not know a better set of hands for my children to be in.  I learned to trust in God and lean on Him during those teenager years especially and He never let me down.  I placed my hope for my children and their future in the hands of God.  Because of that I feel I received a double blessing from God through my children, because they are the best!!

I am a prisoner of hope!  My hope is in the Lord, not myself or anyone else.  I cling to Him, I run to Him.  I have confidence that He is always with me directing my steps.  And although I may get down on myself and begin to wander outside of my prison of hope, I quickly return, because He has given me many double blessings of peace and joy.  He has doubled my love through Jerry.  He has given me hope for a brighter and better tomorrow.  

You can have this hope to, but you must be willing to give up the doubt and fear, worries and dread, anger and jealousy.  Let's be cell mates together in the prison of hope.

May the hope to which we are called, invade your words, your thoughts and your heart today.  May your hope be in the Lord and may you find the hope that is available to you today, in Jesus name I pray, amen!

DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE?

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (The Message)  Friends, let me go over the Message with you one final time--this Message that I proclaimed and that you made your own; this Message on which you took your stand and by which your life has been saved. (I'm assuming, now, that your belief was the real thing and not a passing fancy, that you're in this for good and holding fast.)  The first thing I did was place before you what was placed so emphatically before me: that the Messiah died for our sins, exactly as Scripture tells it; that he was buried; that he was raised from death on the third day, again exactly as Scripture says 

I understand that some people have an issue with the Message version of the Bible but this one just hit me.  I read this verse in other versions of the Bible and it was great, but for obvious reasons, the Message version spoke volumes to me.  You see for many years I was confused about so called "Christians".   They said they were Christians, they professed that  they believed in Jesus more than I did as a Catholic at the time.  Yet, their words and actions made me question their true belief.  The old "talking the talk but not walking the walk" characteristic.  They had memorized Bible verses.  They went to church every Sunday.  They went to Bible study classes.  They read the Bible. They were baptized along with their children, yet their fruit didn't seem to measure up with what I was hearing in my Catholic church.

That is a big part of the reason I stayed Catholic for so long.   If that was what a Christian looked like, I didn't want any part of it.  I remained a Catholic Christian.  Then I met some real Christians.  Ones who walked the walk as well as talk the talk.  They people who spoke in love and compassion.  They forgave others and never judged anyone.  They were uplifting and real.  They knew the Bible and had memorized verses, but they lived them out also.  Their actions and words lifted people up.  That was the type of Christian I wanted to be.  

I remember the first time I walked into a "Christian" church with a dear friend, Jim Lange.  I was full of doubt and fear.  I prayed for God to give me a sign if I was on the right track.  Well the band was playing a secular song before service began.  They didn't sing the words, just played the music.  Jerry looked at me and asked what I had prayed  about.  So I told him I asked God to give me a sign.  Jerry said "Well, here's your sign."  You see the band was playing a song called "The Breeze".  That may not sound significant to you, but to me that was my sign.  You see my dad had died 4 years before and his nickname was Breeze.

Do you get why this verse in the Message hit me?  You see as far as I understand, the Salvation Prayer, is something very important in our belief, but sadly there are many people who say it without really believing it.  In my opinion and my experience, when you say that prayer, truly say it and believe it, than our life slowly begins to change.  Our words slowly begin to change and our actions slowly begin to change.  So if we do not change our words, our actions and our lives, then  let me ask, do we really believe or are we just talking the talk, unwilling to walk the walk?  

(I'm assuming, now, that your belief was the real thing and not a passing fancy, that you're in this for good and holding fast.)  

Just going to church and memorizing Bible verses and saying the Salvation prayer, does not make us a true believer.  If we don't change from our sinful nature, then this prayer we said is meaningless and empty.  If we don't allow our hearts to be softened, then this prayer is pointless. Only when we allow God to change us, only when our words begin to change, only when our actions begin to be more like Jesus, only through transformation does that say we are a true believer.  So is our faith the real thing or just a passing fancy?  Did we say the Salvation prayer because we truly believe it or just to please our parents?  Think about it.  If we truly believe than it seems to me there must be some change in our lives, our words and our actions.  But that's just my opinion!

Lord, transform me from the inside out.  Let your words pour forth from my mouth.  Let my actions become your actions.  Let my heart love like you love.  Let me forgive like you forgive, in Jesus name I pray, amen!

"IT IS FINISHED"

John 19:30  When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. 

His body was scared beyond recognition.  Almost beaten to death, this man they called Jesus, died a criminals death.  His message was unfailing love.  His message was unconditional acceptance.  His message was true freedom.  His message was ultimate forgiveness.  His message was unbelievable  peace.  His message was amazing grace.  His message was endless mercy.   His message was simple, yet the Pharisees considered Him  a threat.  His message was uncomplicated, yet the Pharisees feared Him.  

The Pharisees knew that the Messiah was coming yet they missed him, how?  In their arrogance and ignorance they were looking for a king who would wage war, a physical battle, with Rome. They expected a king who would help Israel regain it's strength and defeat the armies of every nation in the world.  They thought that the king would be strong and powerful.  They were not looking for the Son of God to be born to a simple carpenter.  They were not looking for a Messiah who came to serve others.  They were not looking for a meek and gentle Messiah.  Jesus was not what they expected.

For many years I thought it was the Pharisees who crucified Jesus but I was wrong.  God had Jesus crucified.  It had been His plan from the start.  God knew that there had to be one final sacrifice for the forgiveness of my sins.  No more sacrificial lambs on an alter.  God wanted a relationship with me.   God wanted to be my friend, but in my sinful nature I could not stand in His presence.  So He did what He had planned.  He sent His Son Jesus Christ, to die in my place.  

Was Jesus thinking for me as the the whips ripped open His skin?  Was Jesus thinking of me as the crown of thorns pierced His brow?  Was Jesus thinking of me as He stood before the crowd and heard the words, "crucify Him"?  Was Jesus thinking of me as He carried His cross through the streets?  Was Jesus thinking of me as the spikes pierced His hands and feed?  Was Jesus thinking of me when He breathed His last breath?  

My Savior, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Son of God, was tortured for me.  As the blood poured out His body, His thoughts turned to me.  He paid the price for my sins.  His was convicted for my crimes against God.  He paid the price for me.  Why?

I don't deserve this!  I deserve to be the one on the cross.  I deserve to be the one who was tortured and beaten.  I deserve to die for my sins.   He did nothing to deserve this, yet He went willingly.   Why?

As I look into the eyes of my Savior on the cross, tears fill my eyes and my heart leaps out of my chest.  He loves me so much that He laid down His life instead of me having to pay the price.  WOW! 

When I hear the words, "It is finished!", I am struck by the power of His love for me.  I am drawn to me knees as I try to breathe in His love for me.  I am overwhelmed by His love for me.  I am a sinner who has been redeemed by the saving grace of Jesus Christ.  My debt has been paid, I have been found not guilty.  My life has never been the same.  

Jesus Christ has changed me from the inside out and because of His death on the cross I can now stand in the presence of God.  I have been filled with His Holy Spirit and I have overcome death.  It is not I who lives, but He who lives in me.  It is not my will that is done, but His will that is done through me.  I am not the same person I was.  "I have the hope of eternity"?  No!  I have the promise of eternity!!  He who lives in me, has overcome the world and through His blood, I will also overcome this world.

Jesus Christ, I still find it hard to fathom what you did for me on that cross so many years ago.   I thank you for the sacrifice you made for me.  I reach out to you today and ask you to once again take a hold of my life and continue to transform me, in your glorious name I pray, amen!  

DENIAL OR ACCEPTANCE?

John 18:6  When Jesus said to them, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground.

I never fully grasped the powerful nature of these 3 words that changed history forever; "I am He."  I mean think about it.  Jesus could have denied that He was the one they were looking for.  He could have said, "I don't know who you're looking for, but some guy just ran down that path to your left."  He could have brought down a thousand angels to protect Himself from the soldiers.  He could have run away.  There are so many different choices He could have made, But He didn't.  "I am the one you're looking for.  It is me."   He accepted His fate, He accepted His guilt although He was guiltless.  He accepted our punishment.  He was willing to die on a cross for you and for me.  

Deny Him, go ahead deny His existence!   Pretend He is the figment of some imaginative writer.  Believe He is just some man who lived 2,000 years ago and simply died on a cross because He was a criminal.  Keep covering your eyes to the truth and letting your pride keep you from believing that there is a God and that Jesus Christ, the Son of God really existed.  There are many who do feel this way.  I am not here to point fingers at anyones beliefs.  But let me ask you this, if Jesus really was a man who lived on this Earth, do you really think He would have died the death He did if He wasn't who He said He was?

Think about it.  Who in their right mind would allow themselves to be tortured, beaten, flogged and crucified if they were telling a lie?  Let me answer this question for you.  No One!  At least not  human being.   Only the Son of God would allow this to happen because He loves us.  He wants us to have a personal relationship with God, but in our sinful nature, we can't.  Without the grace of Jesus Christ we are separated from God.  Without the final sacrificial lamb, Jesus  Christ, we are distant from our Heavenly Father.  And whether you believe in Him or not, God loves you!  

That's right God loves you even if you do not believe in Him!  He loves you more than you can ever comprehend.  He wants a relationship with you.  Listen God knows that "religion" has hurt you.  To be honest and in my opinion, God has nothing to do with "religion".  God has everything to do with relationship.  

Jesus did not die for us to be a certain brand of"religion".  Catholic, Lutheran, Baptist, Protestant, Methodist, Jewish, Presbyterian, and all the other denominations of "religions" are basically pointless and meaningless.  Jesus died for us to be forgiven and be able to have a personal relationship with God, not "religion".  To be honest it was "religious" leaders who wanted Jesus dead.  So please let go of the "religion" title.  

Jesus simply wants us to believe in Him.  That's it!  There is no list of rituals you have to accomplish, not certain "religion" you have to belong to.  It's about God and His Son Jesus Christ.  That's it!  It's about belief.  Jesus believed in you although you may not believe in Him.  He died on the cross for you and I.  And yes He died for every non believer that has ever lived.  Whether you believe in Him or not is your choice.  But let me be clear about one thing, there will come a day when everyone will see and believe.  Where you are at that point is up to you.  Hell is real, and Jesus has given you a choice.  He chose to say "I am He."  He chose to love you!  He chose to accept you, even in your unbelief.  His arms are open, run to Him and get rid of the pride that has kept you from Him for so long.

Jesus I believe you are the way, the truth and the life.  I believe you are the  Son of God and that you died for my sins.  I give you my pride which has kept me so distant for too long.  Fill me with your truth and your love in your name I pray, amen