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by Shannon Heiden

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17) NIV

Beautiful One, did you know that the old you, is dead and gone?

I don’t usually listen to rap music, but having four teenage sons, I have been exposed to it more and more in recent months. One song in particular has caught my attention The rapper T I and Justin Timberlake have a song out called “Dead and Gone.” I have to admit, that I love this song.

The message that this song brings is one of a redeemed life. A life that had taken quite a few wrong turns, but had made it out to the other side, unlike so many of his friends.

Isn’t that what the Christian life is all about? Haven’t we all taken a wrong turn, some more than others yes, but in the end had it not been for a loving Savior who walked in, took us by the hand and led us safely out, where would any of us be?

Sometimes it is easy to think that because one doesn’t have a shady past or some terribly, terrific testimony that they can’t relate to someone who was delivered from drugs, violence, or abuse. One of the hardest things for Christians to do in particular, is to acknowledge that we compare ourselves, even if we don’t outwardly admit it. We might hear of someone who was in a fast crashing plane, straight on the their way to hell, we might think it’s great that God delivered them, but somewhere in the recesses of our hearts, it is easy to think that we are superior in some way because we never walked that road before.

How many times have we seen some troubled soul walk into our churches with all of their problems and addictions, and how many times have we been frustrated with them because they just didn’t seem to get it right within the time frame we thought they should have? What about the ones who come in with their marriage or family life in shambles? They are always in the prayer lines, crying and needing to be ministered to. On Sunday, they are great, by Wednesday night, their a wreck again…..

Maybe they are baby Christians, maybe not. Does it matter?

Beautiful One, these are just a few examples of real men and women. They are no different than you or I. How many times have our troubled souls walked through the doors, only we weren’t humble enough to admit our real condition?

How easy it is to forget that each of us meet on different levels. Some have walked with the Lord a long time, yet never have entered into his abiding place. Then, there are some God grabs hold of and poof, in a flash, they are spiritual giants, someone Hell wouldn’t dare reckon with.

But the issue is not how many troubles one has, or how long it takes us to figure our way out of them. The issue is, each one of us belongs to God and the old me is dead and gone. We will always wrestle with our “conditions,” but our position is eternally settled.

Let’s put it in a different vernacular, you might not do or say all the right things, you might have some habits and ways about you that are contrary to the Word, but that is a condition of your heart, not your position. Our position is in Christ and in him, we are justified, redeemed and made new. Old things have passed away, we are new creations. Some things just fall off of us when we meet God, then, there are those annoying strongholds that seem to linger, and depending on the day, if you really check yourself, you will find that we all still have them.

Beautiful One, it is helpful to remember that maturity takes time, usually a lifetime. With the exception of a few people, God used men and women who were older in their years. Why? Because maturity and growth takes time. A teenager is no more an adult and mature at eighteen as the law says, than he was at seventeen. There are fifty year olds walking around with a twenty year old mentality. Depending on how much we are willing and cooperative with the spirit of God, will determine where we land on the spectrum.

I suppose this article is for all the ones who just need to know, it’s OK. You’ve made some mistakes and maybe your still making them, but it’s OK. I have news for you, we all are!

God will be faithful to complete what He started in you, even if your taking your sweet time, He has all of eternity. This is for all the ones who try their hardest and are striving, but you are doing it out of head knowledge and not your heart.

Just stop….

Pretending to do all the right things, and saying what you think people want to hear, will in the end, leave you frustrated and confused.

This is for all the ones who think that somehow they have the edge on the holiness corner. May we be reminded that we will never arrive on that spiritual plateau. We need to come down off the mountain before God has to knock us off our high horse……

This is for each and every one of us. We are all in this life together. We are spending our living, breathing moments with each other and without one another, it will take us longer to get where we are going, and might I add, it will be a lonelier ride as well.

Beautiful One, no matter where your at, who your with or what it looks like right now, remember, God shines in the darkness. His grace abounds more than sin does, and his love is unending. The old you really is dead and gone. Don’t believe a lie that has been formed against you. Don’t believe your circumstances or your shortcomings. It’s a trap and a snare, and it’s designed to paralyze you and pressure you to give in and give up.

You are a beautiful, powerful, amazing creation. God knit you in your mothers womb, He destined you to walk on this earth at this hour. God chose you before you did anything at all, He saw your end from the beginning, and guess what? He still chose you…..

No matter how many things you do right, or how many times you stumble, you shall arise and go forth in power and it wont be your own.

Don’t you know that it is not by might, nor by power, but by His Spirit that you shall overcome, endure and arise? (Zechariah 4:6) NIV Whether you are dealing with your own condition or someone else’s always remember not to “X” anyone out (including yourself) because God loves impossible situations and He gets so much glory from the ones who know their very own nature.

That apart from him, we can do nothing…

Beautiful one, just believe and remind yourself often, the old me is dead and gone…..

~ ~ ~

shannonheiden@yahoo.com
changingonelifereachingmany.typepad.com

by Shannon Heiden

“Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this bitter cup from me. Yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Mark 14:35) NIV

Beautiful One, what do you do when you know that with God, everything is possible, but that it just might not be for you? What do you do when you believe and hope with all your heart, and still, that bitter cup, does not pass?

What do you do when your afraid, to keep going, a little farther?

The Garden of Gethsemane, is it a place of resounding victory, where the battle between good and evil had already been won?…… Or is it a place that we easily gloss over to the next chapter to celebrate the cross? May I suggest that there would not be a cross, had there not been a garden first. That place where Christ was in the fight of his natural life, wrestling with his will and flesh. The place where reality met with time and separation from the the Father was inevitable. Something Jesus never had experienced in all of eternity.

Until Then….

The darling of heaven visited this earth to bridge the gap between us and God. To infuse life where the thief of sin and death had stolen it’s place. To cover our nakedness and array us in robes of righteousness. To allow us to once again, walk with the LORD in the cool of the day. But before Jesus went to the cross, He had an appointment in the garden.

Beautiful One, the garden is a place that we will visit as well. It is not like the wilderness where we are tempted and tested. It is not the cross, where we will lay down our old lives and take up his new one. The garden is a place where we will confront the ugly and bitter cups of leaving our will, our ways and our agendas in the dirt.

The garden is a place of great pressure, a tight place, a place of isolation where we come face to face with God and his ways, and come to the pain staking reality of choosing to either surrender or retreat.

Oftentimes I ponder what would have happened if Christ had decided not to fulfill his choice. Where would we be if He had decided to just “forget it,” it was too much and He gave up on us?

It is astounding that we serve a God who is faithful, even when we are not. It is amazing that even though we break his heart often, He still mends ours. The very fact that Christ sweat drops of blood with anguish in his heart and still went a little farther, tells us that when things are at their worst, when we are at our weakest, we have a loving God who completely understands us. We have a God on our side who knows exactly what we are feeling and why.

Sometimes the cups that we have been served are filled with torment, misery and grief. Sometimes they come as something sweet, only later do we then taste the bitterness.

There are times when relationships fade, jobs are lost, marriages remain broken and our children don’t come home. Sometimes the cup of betrayal does not pass and the bitter pain does not subside for a season. Sometimes a loved one stays sick, healing is possible, but maybe just for someone else?

The garden is a place where ‘not my will Father, but yours be done’ sounds so much easier than it ever really is…..

Beautiful One, no matter what cup has been placed in front of us, it is helpful to remember that Christs greatest miracle came after his garden. The greatest victory that shouted in the face of hell came after Christ’s surrender, in the garden.

No matter what we face in this journey of life, we can be sure that God will give us the strength, courage and power to endure, overcome or embrace the cup.

Abba, will make sure to to be with us. Even if our friends are asleep, He wont be. If we have fallen to the ground, He will be there to pick us up and gently whisper;

Keep going, a little farther……..

Beautiful One, just believe and if you find yourself in a garden, hold on, you’ve never been closer to your greatest miracle……

~ ~ ~

shannonheiden@yahoo.com
changingonelifereachingmany.typepad.com

by Shannon Heiden

“You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written:
‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.”

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.”

But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same.

Mark 14:27-31 NIV

Beautiful One, have you ever made a promise and had every intention of fulfilling it, but as pressures and problems set you back, have you ever shocked yourself and experienced the confusion and pain of violating your own principles?

Out of all the wonderful people in the Bible, my absolute favorite remains to be the Apostle Peter. I can identify and relate so much to Peter’s life. He was a man who immediately fell head over heels in love for the Lord. Peter left everything he had known to follow Jesus. Peter was tenacious, he never had a problem speaking up when others remained silent. Peter walked closely with Jesus, he was not just one of his disciples, he was one of Jesus confidants. Peter was a risk taker and a fighter. Peter got out of the boat and walked on water, Peter was the first one to see Jesus for who he really was, the Christ, the Son of the living God. Peter stood a head and foot taller than most, yes, it is easy to see that Peter’s love for the Lord was an exceptional thing…..

And yet, Peter’s greatest strength was also his greatest weakness. Although Peter was the first to see Jesus for who he was, he also was the one Jesus rebuked and corrected often. One moment Christ is praising him, and the next, He is telling him he is a stumbling block. Peter was a man of faith, but over the three and a half years he walked with Jesus, Peter soon found out he was also a man of fear. Peter loved the Lord, but Peter also loved himself and when his beloved friend was taken away into custody, it was Peters self preservation that stood a head and foot taller than his affection for his friend did.

Peter boldly declared to Jesus that he would never leave him, in fact he would die with him if he had to.I believe wholeheartedly that Peter meant what he said, but didn’t really grasp the gravity of what he was saying.

Beautiful One, saying something is one thing, actually being challenged in it, is quite another…..

It is so easy to make promises. Keeping and fulfilling them, well, that’s a different story. When things are going well for us, we tend to have an optimism about us that nothing could ever pull us away from our commitments. But as we can see, it is possible to find yourself on the other end of a dilemma, weeping because you have failed to live up to the declaration that you so boldly believed in.

Beautiful One, we will be strong and weak in many things. But even if we do take 5 steps back for every 1 we go forward, the hope we have is that Christ has already been one step ahead of us.

Peter was hand picked by God to come and follow him. God loved Peter, and yet God knew something about Peter that Peter didn’t. An hour would come that Peter would be tested like never before. The vow that Peter made with a sincere faith and a pure heart was tested to the fullest. Jesus already knowing his friend would desert and deny him, took the time to tell Peter. It was as if God wanted Peter to know that He had foreseen, forgiven and loved him anyway. No exceptions!

Peter denied his Lord, but his Lord never denied him. And when Christ, the lover of our souls and of our shortcomings, rose from that grave, He made sure to call Peter by name. “But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’ Mark16:7NIV

God knew in Peter’s darkest hour, when his faith failed and his heart broke, that he needed to hear that God still loved him and the plans He had for his life hadn’t changed.

And God did so.

Beautiful One, no matter what test, trial or temptation comes your way, no matter how much you are victorious or your own troubled villain, know this; God loves you, He is with you and He calls you by name.

Always…..

It is an exceptional love, with no exceptions……..

Beautiful One, just believe

~ ~ ~

shannonheiden@yahoo.com | changingonelifereachingmany.typepad.com

by Gerald Shuler

Congratulations! As a newborn baby you have just become a part of the most brutal game ever imagined… The Game of Life. During play you will face dangers, challenges and heartaches that are not of your own making or design. At times you may be tempted to quit the game, but, be forewarned: quitting does not end the game. It is nothing more than one more possible play.

Because the game has such dire consequences, the rules are carefully presented below. Please, don’t read them lightly. Without a clear understanding of the Rules of the Game, you don’t stand a chance of surviving, let alone winning. But always remember The Game of Life has been fashioned with your victory clearly in mind.

Rule #1:

God (Player #1) must always tell the truth. (KJV) 2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Rule #2:

Satan (Player #2) always lies. (KJV) Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Rule #3:

You (the playing piece) will always have the choice to do either what God suggests, or what Satan suggests. (KJV) Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

How the Game of Life is played:
(Read carefully your success depends on understanding this section.)

Each and every play is initiated with only one goal in mind: to see which “voice” the playing piece (you) will respond to through action. Points are awarded to either God or Satan, depending on who you believe.

A sample play would go somewhat like this:

in your daughter’s Game of Life (yes, other people’s game will always overlap and affect your own Game) Satan has suggested yielding to her boyfriend in a way that would destroy her testimony as a Christian. God suggests that she talk to you about what she has been going through. Now, in your own Game, Satan tells you that she has probably already gone too far with her boyfriend and you should force them to break up. God tells you to be gentle with your daughter and trust her moral upbringing. How you respond could result in your daughter either screaming that you have no right to interfere in her life, or crying tears of joy because she wants to be as Godly as you. Not only are there multiple points involved, but your entire future relationship with your daughter is at stake.

In playing The Game of Life the simplest strategy is to remember that God always tells the truth and Satan always lies. The longer you play the game the easier it becomes to recognize truth from lie. More experienced players are often surprised by the silly choices made by others. They forget that, even at their own level of play, stupid choices can still be made. There is a remedy for the bad choices that will inevitably be made, however. There is a blood-red free spot at the center of the game that is marked by a cross. If you see that you have goofed in your choices and listened to the liar, just get to the cross. Once there, all bad moves will be eradicated and all points awarded to Lucifer will be removed.

In fact, getting to the cross early in the game is the best move you could possibly make. It is at the cross where you are guaranteed to win the Game of Life. Nobody is ever denied access to the freedom of the Cross and it can be instantly reached no matter where you are in the Game.

Which leaves only one other thing to ponder about The Game of Life:
It is easily understood that Satan always lies, God always tells the truth, and the Cross is always available and you are always free to choose in every situation.

So, why are there so many people losing at this game?

copyright 2008 Gerald Shuler

~ ~ ~

I’m an introverted extrovert with an annoying pessimistic optimism. Sometimes I confuse myself so much I simply must write to find out what in the world I am actually thinking. In spite of that, I remain a faithful servant and minister of my Lord, Jesus Christ.

Whereever  you are, please unite with us in prayer at 1:00 PM every Saturday. Thanks so very much!

But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,  Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Jude 20-21

by Robert Thistle

The last of the animals were finally boarded.
A pair of Indian elephants .
Ham led them down a gangplank to the lower level
and into a fair sized stall with plenty of straw.
Eve (my wife) and I stood in the doorway
for a moment.
An azure blue sky full of promise and hope
belied what was to momentarily occur.
Little did we realize how long it would be before
our eyes beheld that self same sky and a better hope.
A small crowd had gathered for one last
look and a good laugh at the fools in their boat.
Eve started to softly weep as we solemnly gazed,
one last time at our neighbor’s.
Some had been helpful.
A couple were good friends.
All of whom simply refused to believe
that a loving God
could bring such justice down upon the world.
Then without warning it came.
In an instant. Like a thief in the night.
The azure sky disappeared as angry clouds
of the wrath of God swelled to fill the sky.
It was as if God blew out the sun
like a candle in the wind.
Then God closed the door.
Inside we sat together at our table,
a loaf of bread, a few vegetables and water
made for a wholesome meal.
We gave thanks.

Outside we could hear
as the very deep did rend asunder
the fragile earth
in cataclysmic bursts of thundering eruptions.

Torrential rain and a raging wind,
the very breath of God,
unleashed a Holy fury at the sinfulness of mankind.

Folk outside were now pounding on the ark door
with their fists and rocks, and left-over lumber
in a vain attempt to open the door.

With a quiet thoughtfulness Eve remarked,
that what God chooses to close
no man can open
and what God wants opened
no man can close.

Blood-curdling screams
from thousands of voices echoed inside the ark.
We stopped eating momentarily,
trembling at the justice of a Holy God
upon sinful man.

We then bowed our heads in humility,
while I gave thanks to God
that we were loved
with an everlasting love
and for our salvation
within the ark.

~ ~ ~

Nothing about me of much interest…I am merely the lump of clay that I trust the potter is pleased to use to His Glory

by Shannon Heiden

Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”

But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants; and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” Numbers 13:30-33

Beautiful One, Did you know that it’s not what we face that determines our outcome, but how we see ourselves in it? Depending upon the perspective you see yourself in your struggles will determine if you are well able to take possession of the land, or deny your own access to the God given inheritance that awaits you.

If you have ever visited the Grand Canyon, you know that it is an amazing sight. People from all over the world come to view this natural wonder. It is absolutely breathtaking. What I find so interesting about the Grand Canyon is that you never see the same thing twice. From the rising of the sun to it’s setting, the different array of colors that light casts upon this beautiful rock valley, always shows a different picture. Depending on the time of day, you are sure to see a picture of beauty that your eyes have yet to behold.

Usually, when you’re at the Grand Canyon, you see it from an elevated view. You can stand at a look out point and look downward into this Canyon. .. but, if you take the hike down into the Canyon, the view at the bottom is completely different from the one at the top. It is still the same Canyon but depending on where you view it from, will determine your perception.

Beautiful One, from where are you viewing the situations in your life? Are you at the bottom of the valley looking up, or are you at the top but looking down? It is so easy to view our struggles from a limited perspective. Usually, if our battles have gone on for an extended period of time and we are weary, we can lose our high perspective and start to look down. We no longer walk by faith but sight. We stop looking up, and we start looking around and worse, at ourselves. Thrusting us head first into the valley of discouragement and doubt.

Joshua and Caleb were the only two out of thousands that didn’t lose their perspective. They were in a valley, but because they knew how big their God was, they viewed the giants in the land as grasshoppers. But, the crowd that was with them, forgot how big God was, and they looked at the giants and saw themselves as grasshoppers. Their vision was off. They forgot to step a part from their circumstance, they forgot to separate themselves from the temporary, and focus on the eternal. And because they did, they forfeited their God given destinies….

Let that not be said of us.

We need to view every circumstance in our lives through a panoramic lens. A panoramic lens is a birds eye view of our situation. We must never lose sight of the truth that we sit in heavenly places, high above all principalities and powers. We are seated with Christ. We are MORE than over comers. The battle may be long, the land might be in sight yet out of reach, but if we lose our focus on the One who is able, we will lose our right to inherit our destiny.

Beautiful One, there is a special land that God has reserved just for you. It is yours, not because you earned it, or because you do all the right things. It is yours by birthright. It was given to you the moment you accepted Jesus Christ within your heart. You are in the family of God, you are now a joint heir with Christ, and all that belongs to him, now belongs to you. If we can really grab hold of this truth, that we are royalty, that we are to set our affections on things that are above, a lot of the troubles that come our way would diminish because we would not give life and reality to them.

The truth is, we are not of this world but we are left in it. And we are left in it to be rulers and take dominion. Jesus has given all authority and power to us. Do we believe it? If we did, why then are we drowning in issues we should be backstroking on?

I have found that when I am dealing with a certain hardship repeatedly in my life, then somewhere there is unbelief. If we look at what kept Israel out of the Promised Land, it was nothing more than unbelief. God is not looking for perfection, but he is looking for someone to Believe him.

God makes sure to tell us that without faith, it is impossible to please him. (Hebrews 11:6) Not without troubles, trials or sin, but without faith. Faith is what moves God, faith in what He can do, faith in who He is, not who we are. God is looking throughout the whole earth to find a loyal heart He can make strong.(2 Chronicles 16:9)I am wondering, what is it that He sees when he looks at ours?

Beautiful One, we will struggle in many things, that’s a given, but we don’t have to struggle unnecessarily. We have been given an all access pass to enter into the VIP lounge of Heaven and utilize all the authority of Heaven.

We are well able to take the land because God is for us, no matter how big your Giant is, God is God over any Giant!!!

The next time you face a situation that looks impossible, and is threatening to take you out, step back and separate yourself from it. Don’t look at what is seen, tap into the unseen, for what we see is temporary. Look through the lens of the eternal God. No matter what comes our way, we must not be like the crowd and cower in the desert through unbelief. We may be the minority, but God plus one is the majority! Let us boldly declare, we are well able and we will overcome!

Beautiful One, just believe and raise your sights, to a birds eye view!

~ ~ ~
Shannon Heiden
shannonheiden@yahoo.com
changingonelifereachingmany.typepad.com

by Yvette Nietzen

1 Corinthians 3:11-13 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each ones work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each ones work, of what sort it is.

During these difficult economic times that many are facing, it is not uncommon to read stories of wealthy people committing suicide. It is so tragic that these things happen. Suicide affects families, communities and everything else that the person has left behind.

While many of us are going through trying times, it is comforting to me to know that to everything there is a season. Winter does not last forever, and it too shall pass.

Are believers exempt from financial crisis, difficulties and bankruptcy? No, not at all. But what we do have, or at least should have during these times is a sure foundation, and that foundation being Jesus Christ.

There are many verses in the Bible regarding our foundation, and I am sure you may know some of them, One popular verse is 1 Corinthians 3:10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.(NKJ)

We are to take heed how we build our foundation. But how do we build the right foundation?’ The answer is simple. We read the word, attend church, fellowship with others of the faith, and our foundation in Christ becomes stronger over time.

There are many foundations out there. Most of them rely on your own ability and willpower to succeed. We rely on Jesus and his ability, not ours. Did you know that when we build our foundation on the rock, that we are blessed?

Read it for yourself in this verse: Haggai 2:18-19 ‘Consider now from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the foundation of the LORD’S temple was laid consider it: ‘Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day forward I will bless you.’”(NKJ)

From the day we start to build proper spiritual foundation, God will bless us . What a wonderful promise!

Does that mean we will not go through difficult time? No, not at all. But rest assured, since our foundation is built on Christ, we will stand and not be shaken by the things around us.

When the fire comes and burns everything around us, we shake off the dust and get back on our feet. It is then we will find out what we are made of, and obtain obtain spiritual maturity.

Blessings in Him.

~ ~ ~

Yvette Nietzen is an ordained minister and currently lives in Costa Rica.
View her blog at: www.freshwind-ministries.rog

By: Teresa Lee Rainey

And (Jesus) said, “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” – - Matthew 18:3-4

While lying in bed one early morning with my three-year-old son, Andrew, he suddenly tossed toward me and scratched my leg with his overgrown toenail. I must have cried “ouch” because he sat up worriedly and asked what was wrong.

“Your toenail needs clipping.”, I said, “See where it scratched me.”

His spoke so innocently, “It’s okay Mommy. I’ll pray for you.”

The simple prayer he said, “Jesus, please take the scratch away.”, brought instant tears to my eyes. His eyes were closed as he prayed and when he was done he sat up and asked to see where I had been hurt.

Disappointment clouded his little face when he realized the scratch had not instantly gone away. I reassured him that Jesus did hear his prayer, the scratch didn’t hurt anymore and tomorrow when he looked the scratch would be gone.

Oh, no!

The moment those words passed my lips Andrew was satisfied that his prayer was answered, but my first thought was, “What if the scratch is still there tomorrow? How will I explain that?”

How often do we, as adults, neglect trusting the Lord completely to take care of little problems that come our way? It seems that I rarely even ask for His help with small situations and if I do ask, many times I don’t wait and trust in Him for His answer. I simply accept what is or find my own solutions.

I didn’t even think about the scratch until the next morning when Andrew woke me by pulling my covers down and saying, “Mommy see, the scratch is gone.”

Dear Lord, please help me to become as a little child so that I might be able to trust you completely without the doubts we adults so often contemplate with our prayers.

Teresa Lee Rainey is a wife and mom who enjoys writing in her spare time. It is her desire to write for the honor of Jesus Christ and she humbly prays that those who read her writings will be able to see God’s hand at work in them.

by: Tom Gilbert, © January, 2009

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. (Genesis 1:3-4)

I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. (John 12:46)

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)

Christmas Light

We’ve just finished another season of Christmas. It is a season to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is also a season of light. We use bright, shining and colorful electric lights to decorate our houses and businesses. We put lights on our Christmas trees. The Star of Bethlehem, whether an actual celestial event or not, was a sign — a great light — that led the Magi to the Christ child.

Clearly there is a spiritual significance regarding light. We read in the beginning of the Bible, Genesis 1:3, that God created light (“let there be light”) and He saw that it was good. He also separated it from the darkness. This is significant; it indicates that if we are to be in the light we must be separated from the darkness. I don’t mean to imply that we can’t be out in the night or go where there is no light. Consider this in spiritual terms.

Light shines on objects (and on us) and exposes its/our true nature. In this “light” we see things as they really are. The term enlightened means full comprehension (freed from ignorance and misinformation).

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Romans 10:9-10 (NLT)

In the Garden of Eden, Eve believed in sanctity of her own rationale. She depended solely upon her ability to understand and make choices on her own. At that moment, she seperated herself from the Father and, as Adam followed her example, sin entered the world. Each of them, both Adam and Eve, failed to live up to the expectations and responsibilities that they were allowed to have. And. likewise, all of mankind was doomed to failure.

Yet, praise God that the story doesn’t end there.

Too many times, we walk thru this life afraid to fail. And, after having failed a number of times, we soon tend to either give up too easily, or worse yet, refuse to allow ourselves to be moved from our self-imposed zone of comfort. Yet, ever since the very first failure in the Garden, we are to expect failure. Moreover, it is only the acknowledgement of that failure in our lives which leads us to redemption in the grace of Jesus.

Grace, in all its fullness, takes place only after the failings that come from our inability of relying upon our own strengths, independence, and self-sufficiency. In deed, without failure, one may never come to know His atoning grace and the plan for our redemption.

Do not be afraid to fail. Rather, be afraid of a stubborn reliance upon one’s own judgement; of your own strength and wisdom to decipher right from wrong, left or right, up or down, yes or no.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all thine ways and He will guide your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers.

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.

Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.

Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

By spending time in His presence, one way God reveals His will to us is through the passions of our heart. By setting a torch to our soul, God shows us His plans for us. For Jeremiah, He gave a fire for hard hearts. For Nehemiah, He gave a fire for Jerusalem. And for Isaiah, He gave fire for a vision he couldn’t resist. Everyone that was called by God received a fire in their heart…a driving passion that revealed God’s will.

It works the same today. What is the fire in your heart?

And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. [Romans 8:27 NLT]

As for me, I’ve had many passions in my life. But, to be honest, many came from the enemy as thorns to choke out the seeds of God’s truth.

I recall one such passion that I had as a young man was to have my own jet. I didn’t want to fly commercial. Not even first-class. I wanted my own Gulfstream jet. I wanted to be able to call my pilot, tell him/her that I wanted to have dinner in some exotic location, and have them fly me and a guest there and back on my command. This passion was so strong that I patterned many decisions in my life from this foolishness.

While in my junior year of college, and after having “washed out” from my first experience with the church, I saw the movie, “Wall Street” with Michael Douglas. In fact, I’m one of the folks that got mad with Bud Fox for ratting out Gordon Gekko. From that point forward, I was on a mission. Throughout college, my grades were average. I did okay. I didn’t make an effort to do well. I just wanted to do just enough to be “in the mix.” But, after seeing the movie, I settled for nothing less than being the best. My grades went from average to almost perfect in my senior year.

Coupled with watching the movie, I read the autobiography of Reginald F. Lewis. After that, I knew what I had to do. My first job out of college was within the accounting department of a very large, international law firm. I salivated as I watched these lawyers get six-figure bonus checks and drive their sexy cars. I wanted that, and more! As far as I could see, it looked like the land of milk and honey.

Thou shalt not covet. [Exodus 20:17 KJV]

Instead of going to law school like Mr. Lewis, I decided to get my MBA. I figured I wouldn’t waste time being a lawyer when what I really wanted was to be a force on Wall Street. Around this time, I think God must have said to Himself about me, “enough already. This little sheep is about to go a bit too far off the green pasture that I’ve laid out for him.”

The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. [Psalm 23:1 KJV]

Slowly, but most assuredly, He began to refine me in His furnace. I rebelled. I fought tooth and nail to pursue “my” passion. I wore myself out. The demon of my selfish ambition was defeated. All that was left of me was a weak shell of a man. All I could do at that point was say to Him, “here I am. Do with me as you will.”

Years passed. He allowed me to have some success. But, once again, I started to feel that yearn for a abundant success that I could pass on to my children, and my children’s children. Sometimes I think God looks at me and just shakes His head while He giggles at my folly.

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth,…” [Matthew 6:19]

Today, after the various stages of my development and walk with Him, I’ve tried to not just hear, but act upon the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit. One of the things that I’ve learned is that God doesn’t negotiate. We’re not going to be able to convince Him that our plan(s) is better. I whined and moaned to Him that the gifts He has given me gifts to use don’t make enough money. I can make a ‘cagolazillion’ dollars a year, give all of it back to charity, do something good for Him, and still be outside of His will for me. How do I know? Because the walk, the process of doing anything outside of His will, for those who are called, makes one miserable. It’s that simple.

I should have never pursued an MBA. I look back on that decision today and I wonder, what was I thinking. I can’t stand the administration of business. And, although ‘hate’ is a strong word, I can use it here safely and not be concerned about overstating my feelings, or lack thereof about it. God may indeed want someone else to make a ‘cagolazillion’ dollars per year. But, as far as I can tell, that’s not for me, at least, not in a manner that I’m currently familiar.

To that end, find His will for your life by following the passions of your heart that have been submitted to Him.

Do you have a passion to sing? Then sing.

Do you have a passion for the ill? Then learn to treat them.

Do you have a passion for the lost? Then learn to teach and impart wisdom to them.

Do you have a passion to write a blog and share your personal testimony of the lessons you’ve learned, and those that you continue to learn, each day…along the way? Then write.

As my current pastor says, “the fire of your heart is the light of your path. Disregard it at your own expense.”

On the road to Emmaus, two disciples had disregarded the word of God. Rather than consult the scriptures, they listened to their fears. Fortunately, the greatest Teacher of all joined them and proceeded to conduct a bible study.

I liken reading the word of God to receiving a personal letter from Him to us. God uses scripture to reveal His will to us. More specifically, I believe that for every situation ‘under the sun’ there is a solution to be found in the bible. It is up to us to prayerfully seek the answer to our questions. The answers don’t always jump out and say, “Here I am.” Sometimes, the journeys to find the answers we seek take us down a path to answers to questions we didn’t know we had.

In Matthew 13, where after sharing the parable of the farmer sowing seeds, the disciples asked Jesus why he didn’t just make His explanations plain. He answered by telling them that those who sincerely seek understanding shall find it, while others will lose what little understanding they had. Today, it works the same way. We read the bible. Those of us who sincerely desire to have the truth planted in our hearts will gain understanding. The rest of us will become frustrated and allow the bible to collect dust, or worse.

Parable: Farmer Sowing Seed (Matthew 13:3-9 NLT)

“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

The word of God is the seed of the farmer. Some of us read the bible. But, Satan fills our minds with doubt, uncertainty, fear, or a constant badgering of our past sins to make us feel unworthy. Although we hear and feel the word in our hearts, Satan snatches it away. In this manner, the seed falls on the footpath, withers and dies.

Some of us read the bible and become giddy with joy and excitement. We’re elated to find that God understands our situation and has given us an answer. But, that giddiness doesn’t last. The reality of placing the answers we receive in to practice taxes our emotions. Frustration sets in. The seed of wisdom is lost in the rocky soil.

For others, reading the bible is a staple in their lives. Yet, far too often, the moment the bible is closed, the concerns of the day take precedence. Although these individuals know the value of His word, they have not yielded to it, or Him. Thus, they are overly concerned with their own capacity to manage their lives and the pursuit of prosperity. The seed was lost amongst the thorns.

Finding His will for our lives is a matter of allowing the seeds to be planted in a fertile heart. Even so, to yield fruit and live the quality of life in which we are called, requires more than mere reading and hearing Him speak to us. James 1:22-24 (NLT) says it best:

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.

To find His will, we must read His word, and do what it says. Be prepared, and remember what I said earlier, sometimes we receive answers to questions we either didn’t know we had, or we weren’t prepared to discuss with Him. In that case, yield to Him. He desires to teach you something more than what you seek. He is preparing you for something you have not considered. He won’t force you. Rather, you must yield. Allow your heart to be receptive so that the seeds He plants will find fertile soil.