Everyday Opportunities

I often struggle with what is profitable to blog. I never want to just write for the sake of publishing a post, or throw something together. I always look to be found downloading from heaven. Not my will, but God's will be done. 

Just this morning I realized God's not going to say write this especially for All things by Prayer! When He told me to start this blog he made it real clear that this would be a journey for those that come across it and for me. It would be my experiences, steeped in scripture that would provide the context for this blog. Thank you Jesus, for insight, for settling me down to receive and be reminded of your purpose. I thank you for the opportunity to share your Word and spread the Truth!  Amen.

Be encouraged man, woman, or child that has come to read this. The lesson:  God's not always going to show you the grand purpose of things. Some things He calls you to do may even seem small and useless against this great big world.  But be encouraged to just play your part! He knows better, and has better than what we can ever imagine.  Just ask Naaman (2 Kings 5)!

Do it, not because it makes you happy, or brings you glory, nor because it's popular, nor easy.  Do as God has instructed because He said so. There is no better reward, nor is there a better place to be than in God's Will.  I look forward to sharing the small, everyday things with you for both of our growths.  After all this is "ALL Things"! 

~God Bless

Quotes to Ponder

Prayer changes you, not God. You tap into His goodness and His Will for you.  You began to glimpse the plan He has for you instead of seeking self!  Awesome... Thanks C.S. Lewis

Pray about Everything, All the time!

Prayer is always right. Some people look at prayer like some big colossal thing that people who are religious do. That's not true. Prayer on its most basic level is communication with God. So in essence communicating with God is always right!

The Word says through prayer and supplication let your requests be made known unto God. The Word also says we should always pray. I believe that's because God wants us to stay in constant communication with him. No matter what we do, no matter what we try, even when we miss the mark, as long as we communicate with God we can't go wrong.

"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up."
    ~Luke 18:1

Jesus is always and forever will be our greatest example. He told the disciples we should always pray. We also see that He stayed in constant prayer (communication) with God. I know everyone is probably familiar with WWJD, What Would Jesus Do. I know it sounds corny, but really and truly if you just ask yourself, you'll probably come up with the answer... Jesus would most likely pray before doing anything else. 

So I encourage you to be like Jesus,  Pray Always!

~God Bless

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.

When in doubt... Simply Jesus.

When starting a sunday school, bible study, blog, things like that, there is always the question of where to begin.  Whenever a situation or any problem presents itself, I simply start with Jesus!

He is the beginning and end of everything. The Word says, "enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise". (Psalms 100:4) So, I'll do just that. Thank you Lord for all that you have done, are doing, and will do in my life and the lives of your people. For you are the King of kings and Lord of lords, all things belong to You. For that, I honor and bless your Holy Name. ~Amen

Jesus is the answer to all that is going on in your life.  Without Jesus, we would still be seperated from God. It was the work on the Cross that brings us into the Kingdom of God. Without Jesus dying on the Cross for our sins we would be lost. John 14:6 says: "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Thank God for sending His Son. Because through His perfect work everything that we could possibly go through has been overcome by Jesus Christ. The Word also tells us that Jesus personally understands.

Hebrews 4:15 in the NIV reads:

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are —yet he did not sin." 

So, know this, in all the things you could be going through, pray to God. He understands and is the only One that provides real relief and comfort. Let Him in, give it over to Him to work it out for you.

For the seasoned saints hang in there. All things work for the good of those that love God and are called according to His purpose. To the babes in Christ, let the Word of God lead you and keep you.

Remember, whatever may come or has come to try you, envoke the power of the Lord.

~ In all things... Simply Jesus.