All is a very strong word that is often discounted because we use it so much. But all, trully means all. All means everything, nothing left out, in its entirety. So, when I started this blog I thought it was more about the people than it was about me. God gave the inspiration for the name, I truly did nothing on my own accord. As the Lord said start the blog I expected it to take off, have all these comments, and really start some meaningful dialogue with people like myself. But as of today, though I see a few have come through the site, it is only my faithful husband that has subscribed and regularly comments.
As I have inquired of the Lord or even taken time to think about this I keep hearing the Holy Spirit say just be obedient, worry about nothing else. So, as I take those words and process them I realize that not only is this blog for the people but it is as much for me also. I'm included in the "all things" part. How awesome is that! It is through the test and trials and our obedience that we learn the most from God. Nobody may ever come and regularly visit this blog, but I would have done just what God told me to do. It still doesn't take away from the fact that He's teaching me to listen to His voice. To heed His commands and to trust Him in "all things". If this blog is just to minister to myself and the few that may trickle in from time to time then to God be the Glory! The Word of God is good and it is right. And it doesn't return to Him void, so I will continue to put it out knowing it will accomplish what it set out to do.
God bless you, I plan to do nothing but watch some movies today and take a bit of a break. I gave my plans on the first blog I started. Feel free to visit that one too. http://www.christinacage.blogspot.com/
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
What Are You?...
What are you?... I truly can't get over when people ask me that question. And it all together saddens me. In other words they're saying; "what is the difference between us. What do or don't we have in common. Are you a Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Apostolic, Pentecostal, COGIC, etc?" My question to them is why? Why does it even matter to you? Will it make you like or love me any less? Or will you decide depending on my answer if I truly love the Lord, if I have enough faith, if I'm real enough, or if you will ever speak to me again?
I know this isn't a popular topic and many will disagree with me. I'm okay with that though. I am ready to cut beyond the religious tape and get to the meat and potatoes of things. I don't and I'm sure others don't need the extra. Our plate is full. We are mothers, wives, daughters, workers, coaches, husbands, brothers fathers and christians, among the many other hats we wear. I don't need to have one more title put on me. I don't believe the christian organization determines right or wrong. ( I am not venturing into Catholisism, Scientology, Muslims, Mormanism, or those others.) Iwant to be clear that I am only speaking about the organizations that cosider Jesus Christ in His full Glory their core belief system. I consider those, different sections of the body of Christ. We all have one thing in common for sure and I'm sure if you look deep enough a few others also; we love God, we believe that Jesus came and died for our sins, that He is the son of God and that through Him we can obtain eternal salvation.
I don't discount the ways of any of the bodies of Christ listed above. But my thought is this; know that we are all part of the body and our congregations and those identical to us don't make up the body as a whole. In other words, one organizations ways are not the only way to go. (whew, I'm in trouble now!, lol) Are there some very distinct core things you should have under your belt? Yes, there is. But what religious organization you belong to is not one of them.
Here is my point. The word of God says in 1 Corinthians 12: 12-14:
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free —and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. (NIV)
For the sake of a mental picture imagine this. A picture of a body , I call it Christian. As I start to name my body parts I start with the Head. I name is Jesus Christ, because the word says He is our head. But then I label my left hand - baptist, and my my other hand -apostolic, and my right foot -cogic, and my left foot - methodist, and so on and so on. We are all one body under the head of Christ, just different parts.
And I believe that is okay. I have sat under some of these organizations and I find for the most part no fault with any of them. Except some in the faith have no tolerance for other organizations that differ in doctrines. We should have but one doctrine, and that is the doctrine of Christ. Love, charity, patience, peace, long suffering, righteousness, holiness, sanctification all under our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Those should be the things we live by. The word of God is true and I believe God never intended us to be so separate in our thinking.
So where do I stand? I stand with my feet firmly planted in Jesus. I do believe in the Apostolic way, the way the apostles went and the very words in the book of Acts. I also believe the Methodist. There is a method to the Christian life, you can not come to God any kind of way. I also believe in the Baptist. If Jesus was baptized before the people as an outward show of His devotion to the Heavenly Father, then who are we to disagree. And so on with the other organizations. But that is as far as I go.
It doesn't matter to me the doctrine and dogma of others as long as the core principles line up with the Word of God. We need to have one very important thing in common, no wavering, and no variances: Jesus Christ! Not that He was just a prophet, or a very important historical figure, or that He is one of many gods. But that He is the Savior of this world. That He died on Calvary's Cross. That He Was, and Is, and Is to Come. That He is the One True Living God. That He sits at the right hand of the Father interceding for us, and that He will one day come again and we will reign with Him in Heaven. That is what I'm about. I mean people that mean Jesus. And if we have that in common, then God can work out everything else.
I pray this has helped someone. Let's not get caught up in religion and tradition as the Pharisees and Sadducees did in the days of Jesus. People are hurting and they are in need of a Savior not our own opinions and doctrines. We are to introduce them to Jesus and preach the Good News. He is the only one that can clean us up and put us on the right path. I would sit with any one of the Christian organizations as long as they had a good solid foundation and the true Word of God was going forth. That's all it takes. But, I am not a babe in Christ and I can rightly divide the Word for myself. Many can't and are unsure and don't know which way to go. Help them go the way God planned, not how we think they should go. I have seen people not fellowship or speak to others because they differed in organizations. But that is wrong, and a trick of the enemy to keep us divided.
The above scripture goes on to talk about the members of the body not being fully functional if it was all the same. This is true for us too. We may be different parts but we are one body with one Head, again that is Jesus. When someone asks you that question; What are you? Your answer should be, A follower of Christ. That is enough!
I pray no one is offended and that my words and thoughts are received in love. That I am a helper to my bretheren. God Bless you.
I know this isn't a popular topic and many will disagree with me. I'm okay with that though. I am ready to cut beyond the religious tape and get to the meat and potatoes of things. I don't and I'm sure others don't need the extra. Our plate is full. We are mothers, wives, daughters, workers, coaches, husbands, brothers fathers and christians, among the many other hats we wear. I don't need to have one more title put on me. I don't believe the christian organization determines right or wrong. ( I am not venturing into Catholisism, Scientology, Muslims, Mormanism, or those others.) Iwant to be clear that I am only speaking about the organizations that cosider Jesus Christ in His full Glory their core belief system. I consider those, different sections of the body of Christ. We all have one thing in common for sure and I'm sure if you look deep enough a few others also; we love God, we believe that Jesus came and died for our sins, that He is the son of God and that through Him we can obtain eternal salvation.
I don't discount the ways of any of the bodies of Christ listed above. But my thought is this; know that we are all part of the body and our congregations and those identical to us don't make up the body as a whole. In other words, one organizations ways are not the only way to go. (whew, I'm in trouble now!, lol) Are there some very distinct core things you should have under your belt? Yes, there is. But what religious organization you belong to is not one of them.
Here is my point. The word of God says in 1 Corinthians 12: 12-14:
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free —and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. (NIV)
For the sake of a mental picture imagine this. A picture of a body , I call it Christian. As I start to name my body parts I start with the Head. I name is Jesus Christ, because the word says He is our head. But then I label my left hand - baptist, and my my other hand -apostolic, and my right foot -cogic, and my left foot - methodist, and so on and so on. We are all one body under the head of Christ, just different parts.
And I believe that is okay. I have sat under some of these organizations and I find for the most part no fault with any of them. Except some in the faith have no tolerance for other organizations that differ in doctrines. We should have but one doctrine, and that is the doctrine of Christ. Love, charity, patience, peace, long suffering, righteousness, holiness, sanctification all under our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Those should be the things we live by. The word of God is true and I believe God never intended us to be so separate in our thinking.
So where do I stand? I stand with my feet firmly planted in Jesus. I do believe in the Apostolic way, the way the apostles went and the very words in the book of Acts. I also believe the Methodist. There is a method to the Christian life, you can not come to God any kind of way. I also believe in the Baptist. If Jesus was baptized before the people as an outward show of His devotion to the Heavenly Father, then who are we to disagree. And so on with the other organizations. But that is as far as I go.
It doesn't matter to me the doctrine and dogma of others as long as the core principles line up with the Word of God. We need to have one very important thing in common, no wavering, and no variances: Jesus Christ! Not that He was just a prophet, or a very important historical figure, or that He is one of many gods. But that He is the Savior of this world. That He died on Calvary's Cross. That He Was, and Is, and Is to Come. That He is the One True Living God. That He sits at the right hand of the Father interceding for us, and that He will one day come again and we will reign with Him in Heaven. That is what I'm about. I mean people that mean Jesus. And if we have that in common, then God can work out everything else.
I pray this has helped someone. Let's not get caught up in religion and tradition as the Pharisees and Sadducees did in the days of Jesus. People are hurting and they are in need of a Savior not our own opinions and doctrines. We are to introduce them to Jesus and preach the Good News. He is the only one that can clean us up and put us on the right path. I would sit with any one of the Christian organizations as long as they had a good solid foundation and the true Word of God was going forth. That's all it takes. But, I am not a babe in Christ and I can rightly divide the Word for myself. Many can't and are unsure and don't know which way to go. Help them go the way God planned, not how we think they should go. I have seen people not fellowship or speak to others because they differed in organizations. But that is wrong, and a trick of the enemy to keep us divided.
The above scripture goes on to talk about the members of the body not being fully functional if it was all the same. This is true for us too. We may be different parts but we are one body with one Head, again that is Jesus. When someone asks you that question; What are you? Your answer should be, A follower of Christ. That is enough!
I pray no one is offended and that my words and thoughts are received in love. That I am a helper to my bretheren. God Bless you.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Communicating with God
Did you know that communicating with God is the most important thing in the life of a believer?
It is important that we constantly communicate with God and that He in turn speaks back. Our basic form of communication is prayer. Prayer is how we build our relationship, it's how we give the matters of the heart over to Him, and how we enter into His presence. The relationship with God is much like the relationship of a husband and wife. I' ve been married for almost fourteen years and by far what makes it successful is communication.
Prayer; constant communication between you and God, is the foundation to your spiritual life. It's intimate time with Him, a one on one experience that leaves you strengthened and encouraged to go a little further assured that He is right by your side.
There are many instances in the bible that shows just how important prayer is. King David was a praying man. He knew how to come before the Lord in prayer. David inquired of the Lord many times and God answered him.
In the book of Daniel we see that Daniel diligently inquired of God and prayed to Him earnestly. God moved mightily during that time for Daniel and the three Hebrew boys, so much so that they found favor during their captivity in Babylon.
And finally we see that even Jesus, the Son of God, that though He was fully God and fully man still took the time to pray to the Father. Anything that we know Jesus did, we should be found doing the same.
It is so important that we pray. The bible declares we should "pray without ceasing", so this means all of the time, about everything so that God can give us direction.
Prayer is not hard! You don't have to have big words or grand gestures. You just have to have an open and willing heart. Sit quietly in a room, in your car, get on your knees, kneal down, or even lay prostrate on the floor. However you need to do it, just do it.
Begin to tell Him how greatful you are, How worthy He is, just begin to praise Him. The word says "enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise". That is a model for prayer and as you begin to open up the Holy Spirit will take over and usher you into worship before God. And the more you pray, God will mold your prayer life to His will and pleasure. Don't get discouraged, just keep communicating, keep praying.
I want to pray with you now:
Father God of heaven, in the name and precious blood of Jesus, I come before your throne to give you honor and glory and to bless your Holy Name. Lord I pray that whoever you have led here finds exactly what they are looking for and that it strengthens and encourages them to keep pressing on in your name. Let their heart be content with the place you have put them in and let them be renewed by Your glory. I ask these things in Jesus Name from now and forever more ~Amen.
Keep praying, start praying! It' never to late to get in line and get it right. Communicate with God, he's waiting for you. He wants nothing more than relationship with us and prayer is the very foundation.
~ God bless you real good!
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