Sin that Separates

Isaiah 59:1-2 (NIV) Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you so that he will not hear.

Have you ever felt like God was far away? I can remember times in my life where I would be really down in the dumps. I would pray, and pray, but for some reason it just felt like God could not hear me. For some reason, things did not feel the same. I have always felt a very strong presence of God in my life, sensing his spirit with me wherever I go. It took time for me to realize that the separation I was feeling was because of my own sin. Sometimes we overlook the sin in our lives and blame our feelings on depression, a broken heart, or stress. I have realized that we, as Christians, cannot blatantly live in sin and expect the same presence of God in our lives. God is ever present and it says in his word that he is the lily of the valley. That means that even in our lowest point, he is with us. But the word of God also says that our iniquities separate us from God. If you read the entire 59th chapter of Isaiah, it can come off a little harsh. But there is a lot of truth in that harshness. It is time for us to be real about seeking the face of the Lord. Let's get real about staying away from sin. Challenge yourself to rise to the level of greatness that is within you, so that you will not have to fight through separation from God. If someone or something in your life causes you to sin, you may want to consider cutting them out. Nothing is worth that separation and longing for the ear if the Lord.

What have you learned?

Hebrews 6:7-8 (NIV) Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

Rainy days are often looked at with gloom. Most everyone would prefer a sunshiny day, as opposed to a rainy day on any occasion. But there is a blessing in rain. Rain causes growth and excellence. There would be no harvest without rain. Consider this- you are the land, and your "not so comfortable" life experiences are the rain. You must make the choice to produce a crop, based on what you have learned through your experiences. It is important that you put those lessons to use in order to receive the blessing of God. If you have gone through trying circumstances, and still you are not producing a good crop, you are considered worthless. Take time to understand your life lessons. Use them to help yourself, and others. God allows us to go through hardships to develop us. Much like the concept of rain and harvest. Do not think that you will avoid painful situations in life. It is how you grow and develop from those situations that separates the useful from the worthless.

Forgetting what lies behind

Philippians 3:13-14(NIV) Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

A popular saying in our culture is: I can forgive but never forget. It leaves one wondering, is it even humanly possible to forget something that affected you in life? In this scripture Paul deliberately states that he is forgetting what lies behind him, and straining toward what is ahead. He did not say that he is overlooking what happened in the past. He did not say that he is ignoring what happened in the past. His exact word was forgetting. It's important for us to make a conscious decision every day to forget things that have happened before. Not just the bad, but sometimes even the good. We must stay constantly focused on moving forward. If there is something that has happened in your past that is stunting your emotional and spiritual growth- as impossible as this may sound- forget about it. Make the effort daily to focus on your forward movement, rather than past events. In Physics, an object's velocity cannot change unless it is acted upon by a force. In other words, we have to put some "umph" in it if we're ever going to get anywhere. Part of that "umph" is forgetting, and shifting that attention from what lies behind you to what lies ahead of you. One may argue that it is not healthy to ignore the past. In some cases that is true. But once you've reached the point of acceptance, the best thing to do is look forward. God has a prize for you once you have reached your goals, and he is calling you to it!

Give Thanks in All Circumstances

1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 (NIV) Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

One of the most frustrating things about life is when you feel like you are not in the place you want to be. I am a HUGE visionary, and from a very young age I have always had big dreams, visions, and aspirations for my life. Granted I have not always been diligent in pursuing those dreams. But what happens when you begin pursuing what you believe to be God’s plan for you, but things still are not adding up and you are seemingly going in circles? “What do I do?”, you ask? The answer is simple: Give thanks. No matter what place you find yourself in- it is God’s will. If he brought you TO that point, he will bring you THROUGH that point. It is imperative that you thank him in that circumstance. Even the worst of circumstances have purpose. So if you are working at what you feel to be a dead end job- thank him for it. If your children are not behaving in a way that is pleasing to you- thank him for them. If you are struggling with your health- thank God that he has given you another day, and thank him for fighting your battles. Keep the word of God in your mouth at all times. Pray without ceasing, and always remember to give thanks.

forGIVE and it shall be given unto you!

Luke 6:37-38 (NIV) Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

This is a well known scripture. It's usually tied in with tithes and offerings, or some other type of monetary or physical giving. BUT while reading this last night, I noticed that right before Luke speaks about giving and the enormous blessings you can expect to receive by doing so, he speaks about JUDGING and FORGIVENESS. Forgiveness is something that is extremely important to God. He would not be GOD if he did not forgive. It is one of the best things about him! We always speak of his mercy, and how he is loving, forgiving, and kind when we least deserve it. It's important for Christians to have that same forgiving nature. It's up to us to be forgiving, in the times that it is the most difficult for us. Just as we FORgive, it will be given unto us in that same measure. I believe that forGIVEness is along the same lines as GIVING.

Fore (adj) FIRST in place, time, order, or rank
Give (verb) to present voluntarily and without expecting compensation; bestow

By forgiving, we are doing nothing more than giving FIRST, expecting the same measure in return. So with the amount of mercy we use by forgiving others, the same amount of mercy will be given to us by our heavenly father.

Honestly, learning how to forgive will elevate you in your walk with God. There comes a point when we need to go higher. If you are harboring unforgiveness in your heart, you may be missing out on your next destination. He needs us to get this down pat before we advance to the next level, because GOD = LOVE. Remember that God has already given us (in abundance) everything we need to make it through whatever we are dealing with. Unforgiveness will not help you. Walking in love, peace, and joy WILL. What do you represent?

How to forgive:
-By FAITH. Speak life over the situation and proclaim your forgiveness (Romans 4:17)

-Pray for the person. (Matthew 5:44)

-Remember how God has forgiven you. Also, others who have forgiven you when you did not deserve it. (Mark 6:14-15)

-Do not believe the lies of the enemy. Satan's job is to always make a situation seem worse than what it is. (John 8:44)

-Realize the blessing in the lesson, and know that God will elevate you in him once you develop perseverance, wisdom, and maturity. (James 1:2-3)

-Use your story to minister to others, glorifying God for what he brought you through. (John 12:32)

-Know that God is a God of justice. Do not worry about payback. Leave that in the hands of God. (Job 19:25)(Ephesians 6:10)

Deuteronomy 32:35 (NIV) It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them also. [keeping in mind that God has a plan and purpose for the person who offended you, so his payback may not be what YOU are expecting]

Be Blessed!

Easter Weekend Reading (ROMANS 5- ENTIRE CHAPTER)

Well, my good people, Tomorrow is Good Friday.
Easter represents the day we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. But Good Friday represents the day of his Crucifixion. If you look deep enough, you will realize that your life as a Christian can be compared to that of Jesus Christ. Sacrifice, selflessness, the Gospel, betrayal, pain, death, and triumph are all things he endured while here on earth. There would be no redemption without crucifixion. So even at the darkest hour, we can celebrate what the pain represents. There is always the promise of victory after death. And not just death in the physical sense. When you kill something (sacrifice) you can rest assured that God will provide you with an elevated level of power and understanding within him. So this Good Friday I will be celebrating the crucifixion. I will not only celebrate the resurrection on Sunday. I will rejoice in the suffering and reflect on the fact that without Good Friday, there truly would be NO EASTER SUNDAY!

Picking a Leader is Easy...

...Always Follow Peace!
I think it's very important to make decisions based on peace. God gave us the sense of peace so that we will know when we've made the right decision. When something is constantly bothering you and you cannot find peace with it...it may be the wrong decision. We, as human beings, often second guess ourselves. So sometimes it may be an over reaction on our part. But if you are feeling uneasy about a particular decision, pray and ask God to give you direction. That sense of peace is something that belongs to us when we accept Christ into our hearts.

John 14:27 (NIV) Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Out Loud

"‎I have set the Lord always before me; Because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. You will show me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy; At your right hand are pleasures for evermore." Psalm 16:8-11

This passage gives so much peace. I found myself repeating this over and over one night when I just couldn't find peace in my heart. I encourage you to read scriptures, specifically Psalms, aloud when you find yourself with no words to set your mind at ease. Once you've prayed, and are perhaps trying to get some sleep, speak of his peacefulness aloud.

Happy New Year Followers!