It is the wildest thing sometimes how when God is teaching me something I end up hearing the same message over and over in different places. For example I went to a retreat last weekend, heard a sermon at church on Sunday, and then went to Bible study on Thursday and ALL three amazingly related to one another. (That is even more wild seeing as the Bible study by Kay Arthur was written in 1980 somthing!)
It is almost scary sometimes how God does that. This week I have been learning (over and over!) about how salvation is not just saying we believe in God (anyone can do that) it is about true faith that shows itself through how we live our lives. True faith produces fruit. If we are in true fellowship with God our hearts will long to be made righteous and seek to obey Him.
We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Day 33 Trusting like Christ
In case you can't tell I am counting backwards toward the end of this journey towards Easter. It feels like it has been a month already and it has only been a week!
Tonight at church the pastor talked about how Jesus knew he was going to be crucified as he went through the weeks of Lent. It was probably one of the hardest times of his life here on earth. He knew he was getting ready to die, yet he maintained his focus and lived each day with a trust in God. Knowing that even though these times where hard God had a perfect plan and was going to take care of Him. Our pastor encourages us to look at the hardships in our lives. Are we living through them with a trust in God and a knowing that good always comes through our trials.
Times are not always easy and sometimes I don't know why God just can't do things my way to make it "easier"!
I heard this little statement last night that made me think a lot about God's sovereignty....
"nothing happens in the life of a Christ follower with out the heavenly Father's permission"
That reminds me that no matter what I am struggling with it must be God's plan for me, so I must handle it with a joyful heart, trusting in God just like Christ did.
How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension! Psalm 147:5
Tonight at church the pastor talked about how Jesus knew he was going to be crucified as he went through the weeks of Lent. It was probably one of the hardest times of his life here on earth. He knew he was getting ready to die, yet he maintained his focus and lived each day with a trust in God. Knowing that even though these times where hard God had a perfect plan and was going to take care of Him. Our pastor encourages us to look at the hardships in our lives. Are we living through them with a trust in God and a knowing that good always comes through our trials.
Times are not always easy and sometimes I don't know why God just can't do things my way to make it "easier"!
I heard this little statement last night that made me think a lot about God's sovereignty....
"nothing happens in the life of a Christ follower with out the heavenly Father's permission"
That reminds me that no matter what I am struggling with it must be God's plan for me, so I must handle it with a joyful heart, trusting in God just like Christ did.
How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension! Psalm 147:5
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Day 34 Help!
Ok, so last night at Bible study Julie brought the most beautiful brownies I have EVER seen! Fudge brownies with white icing on top and chocolate fudge drizzled over the top of the white icing!
Jesus died for my sins.....I kept telling myself as I sat there thinking I might just die if I didn't eat just one. I have tried not to make it too much of a public knowledge that I have given up anything for Lent, but last night in my weakness I had to call on the support of my sisters! I was so glad that I did, because even Julie who made the delectable beauties talked me out of eating one. She promised me that for Easter she would make me a whole batch! :-)
Jesus died for my sins.....I kept telling myself as I sat there thinking I might just die if I didn't eat just one. I have tried not to make it too much of a public knowledge that I have given up anything for Lent, but last night in my weakness I had to call on the support of my sisters! I was so glad that I did, because even Julie who made the delectable beauties talked me out of eating one. She promised me that for Easter she would make me a whole batch! :-)
Monday, March 2, 2009
Day35 Accountability
Today I talked to my friend who started this whole idea in me of giving up something for Lent. I was glad to hear that she too was still standing firm. We shared with one another several of the hard temptations that we have had to press through.
She had a Birthday party yesterday where they served Chocolate fudge cake with a cream cheese filling! As she was telling me this story I thought for sure she was going to tell me that she had given in just for the occasion. I was SO proud of her that she resisted such a temptation. My mouth was watering just hearing her describe this delectable cake!! I then shared with her that there had been several times over the weekend that I was tempted to give in but didn’t want to have to tell her when I talked to her the next day that I had failed. This made us both realize that we had made each other accountability partners.
What an important part of our walk with Christ! …our accountability to others. I know that if I had confessed to my friend that I had given in to the cheese cake Saturday that she would still love me anyway just as I would if she had given in to the chocolate Birthday cake, but we didn’t want to let the other one down. We stood together and our accountability to one another helped us to resist the temptation to give in.
Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falls; for has not another to help him up. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
She had a Birthday party yesterday where they served Chocolate fudge cake with a cream cheese filling! As she was telling me this story I thought for sure she was going to tell me that she had given in just for the occasion. I was SO proud of her that she resisted such a temptation. My mouth was watering just hearing her describe this delectable cake!! I then shared with her that there had been several times over the weekend that I was tempted to give in but didn’t want to have to tell her when I talked to her the next day that I had failed. This made us both realize that we had made each other accountability partners.
What an important part of our walk with Christ! …our accountability to others. I know that if I had confessed to my friend that I had given in to the cheese cake Saturday that she would still love me anyway just as I would if she had given in to the chocolate Birthday cake, but we didn’t want to let the other one down. We stood together and our accountability to one another helped us to resist the temptation to give in.
Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falls; for has not another to help him up. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Day 36 Friends and encouragers
Today after church we went to a Chinese Buffet. The dessert bar was again a HUGE temptation. The ice cream station was even harder! Mint chocolate chip!! I mean come on!! I stuck to it and only ate fruit. It is sad, but I have to say that this is one of the hardest things I have ever done. I never realized how many sweets I really enjoy all the time and never even think twice about it.
Tonight at church I was so tempted to have a chocolate chip cookie with the kids. One of my friends who knows that I have given up sweets said to me…..”don’t do it….it’s not worth it. They aren’t that good anyway!” I didn’t know if she was telling the truth or not, but we smiled at each other and I then told her that the taco meat we had on the taco salad wasn’t any good either. See, she gave up red meat for Lent so although I had the meat she just had a bowl of chips with cheese and salsa on it.
This little incident made me think of how important our friends are to us for strength and encouragement. Although what she was required to resist was different than what it was for me, she helped me to stand against the temptation and I helped her!
Today I am ever so thankful to all the friends I have who encourage me and help me to stand strong when I am weak.
encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. Hebrews 3:13-14
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Day 37 Never reason with sin
If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness!! He himself Has redeem Deidra from all of her sins. (Psalm 13)
My sin was enough to condemn me, but instead He was faithful to forgive me. I am taking just a tiny sip of that bitter cup- denying myself so that I can have more or Him.
Today at the conference they again had a plethora delicious looking sweets! This morning they had this chocolate coffee cake that looked SO good. At lunch right in front of my plate sat a beautiful piece of cheese cake with blueberry topping. I even tried to reason with myself wondering if maybe I could go with the “cheese” part and not consider it a sweet. Well the fact that it had “cake” at the end of it kind of made it obvious that it was off limits. Funny how even with sin sometimes we try to manipulate it into what we want it to be. We try to justify our actions or choices when we know good and well that we should just call it what it is. It’s sin and we can not compromise.
Just like that “cheese” was “CAKE’ and I was not to partake in it. Thankfully the Lord was right there waiting to help me resist and I did.
My sin was enough to condemn me, but instead He was faithful to forgive me. I am taking just a tiny sip of that bitter cup- denying myself so that I can have more or Him.
Today at the conference they again had a plethora delicious looking sweets! This morning they had this chocolate coffee cake that looked SO good. At lunch right in front of my plate sat a beautiful piece of cheese cake with blueberry topping. I even tried to reason with myself wondering if maybe I could go with the “cheese” part and not consider it a sweet. Well the fact that it had “cake” at the end of it kind of made it obvious that it was off limits. Funny how even with sin sometimes we try to manipulate it into what we want it to be. We try to justify our actions or choices when we know good and well that we should just call it what it is. It’s sin and we can not compromise.
Just like that “cheese” was “CAKE’ and I was not to partake in it. Thankfully the Lord was right there waiting to help me resist and I did.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Day 38 No compromising
Tonight I went to a Hope for the Heart conference at one of our local churched. Babbi Mason was there and she and her friend Donna were wonderful speakers. Before the conference they had snacks in this room of the church. Talk about temptation!! They had brownies, cake, chocolate chunk cookies that looked like they came straight from heaven itself!! They even had chocolate covered pretzels!! My favorite!! So many times in my head I though…….”it’s too hard tonight…I will just give in since this is a special event” I learned a wonderful lesson from this experience. I resisted the temptation to give in and I am so glad I did.
I chose not to compromise on what I had set forth to do just because it got hard. So many times in my walk I compromise my ability to stand firm against sin just because of my circumstances. When I am tired I give into the temptation to get angry or grumpy with my kids. When I am irritated I give into the temptation to be disrespectful to my husband. When I am weary I give into the temptation to be lazy and complacent.
Even thought I was at this conference surrounded by sweets that looked too hard to resist, I still had to stand firm. I realized that it is so important for me not to compromise my faithfulness to Christ no matter what. My circumstances can not rule how I act or how I respond.
I also set in place my official goal for the next 40 days and it comes from
Psalm 51 :10 &12:
Create in me a clean heart , Oh God, and Renew a right spirit within me. Restore to me the JOY of your salvation and grant me willingness to obey you.
I was absolutely amazed when I cam across this scripture. This sums up completely what my goals is for this Lent season.
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