Showing posts with label hope. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hope. Show all posts
Monday, September 2, 2013
YES,,,, IT'S A BLOODY RELIGION!
Yes...it's a Bloody religion.
The sinless Blood of the Son of God to wash your sins as white as snow.....He will be your Burden Bearer, He will be your Shelter in the time of storm, He will be your Shield from attacks of the enemy, He will be your Light in the Darkness, He will be your Advocate with the Father, He will be your Comfort and your Peace, He will be your Hope in this world and the World to come. He laid down His life for you. Won't you lay down your life for Him?
Father God, I believe that Jesus is Your Son and that He came not to condemn the world but to save it. Forgive me for my sins of breaking Your moral laws and let me become Your Child. Teach me Your ways and give me a pure heart. In Jesus' Name. Amen
Thursday, March 4, 2010
I'LL BE WATCHING!
Today, I go the the Memorial Service being held for my uncle who passed away three days ago. He was 82 years old, and the last of my mother's family. The last connection of my childhood, with those who loved my mother and whom my mother loved.
My uncle had not led an exemplary life, and was pretty much known as a wild man, not held by any boundries but those of great pain and sorrow at the loss of his first wife and 12 year old son in a car accident forty three years ago. He drowned himself in a sea of alcohol and sorrow and rage seemly beyond his control. Yet you loved him. And through the veil of pain, you knew he loved you.
He finally remarried to a woman who already had six children and they had two of their own. From my observation window, life was still chaos, but in some ways, all the children seemed to draw down some of the self-destructive behaviors. And life went on like this for the next 35 years or so.
About eight to ten years ago, things started to change with him. His family, raised in chaos, his marriage always in chaos, was still the same, but he began to change. I have witnessed the bitterness in the family toward him, the wife, the children often rude in speaking to him. Critical of him when he would try to visit with family or friends, because this was the way they had always lived and though he was changing they could not see if for all the hurt and damage they had suffered.
As the change began to manifest, he would frequently call my mother, asking for prayer for some friend or someone he knew or had heard about that was sick or having some kind of trouble. He would ask Mom to pray and ask her to call me and ask me to pray. This went on for a number of years before my mother passed away in 2006, and then for a while, he was silent, broken once again by the loss of my mother, and then....he began to call me for prayer.
On the phone, he could have a conversation without the wife or one of the adult children, interupting or contradicting whatever he was saying. The phone was his safe place to share his heart.
His wife passed away two years ago, and because of his own health, he has been pretty much confined to the home where he and his wife had lived with their youngest son for the last 25 years. The son has never married and has supported his parents since he became old enough to work. But even living with this son, my uncle has been pretty much alone.
He loved my grand daughters, and when the grand daughter who is in the Army was home on leave, we would go to see him. He was crazy about her and her sister. In January he sent the grand daughter, who is now in Afghanistan, a quilt that he had made and some other items to bless her with and then he got a call from her that blessed him beyond expressing.
He had called me about a month ago and was wanting to ship her some miniture bananas but could not get any of his adult children who live near him to take them to the post offiice and because I do not live in the same city, I was not available to help with little things like that for him. He was always pleasant when he called me and we always had a nice visit.
My last conversation with him was two weeks ago when he called to tell me he had to eat the bananas but his plan was to get some more when his daughter came to visit from Wyoming, because she would ship them. She is his oldest daughter, from his first marriage, who was injured in the fatal accident that killed her mother and brother. She was 15 when she lost her mom and brother and she lost her father at the same time because his grief was too much to bear. She had to be placed with elderly grand parents who did the best the could to fill the gap. And she is today, an awesome woman of God and has been for more than 30 years.
In that last conversation with my uncle, he was speaking of my grand daughter and saying that when she comes home in October, she better come see him.....and then he stopped. He said, "No, sis, I won't be here when she comes home." He told me he did not feel like it would be long now, before he left this earth. I asked him if he was ready to meet the Lord and he assured me that he was. I told him that would make it easier to let him go, to know that he was safe with the Lord.
His last words to me were, "Katherine Marie, you stay here as long as you can, but when you are ready to come Home, I'll be watching for you." We said our 'I love you's and ended our last conversation on this earth.
Why have I told you all of this? Because I want to encourage you never to give up on someone. God never gives up......until the tree falls and then it is over. This tree fell, prepared to meet his Savior.
My uncle had not led an exemplary life, and was pretty much known as a wild man, not held by any boundries but those of great pain and sorrow at the loss of his first wife and 12 year old son in a car accident forty three years ago. He drowned himself in a sea of alcohol and sorrow and rage seemly beyond his control. Yet you loved him. And through the veil of pain, you knew he loved you.
He finally remarried to a woman who already had six children and they had two of their own. From my observation window, life was still chaos, but in some ways, all the children seemed to draw down some of the self-destructive behaviors. And life went on like this for the next 35 years or so.
About eight to ten years ago, things started to change with him. His family, raised in chaos, his marriage always in chaos, was still the same, but he began to change. I have witnessed the bitterness in the family toward him, the wife, the children often rude in speaking to him. Critical of him when he would try to visit with family or friends, because this was the way they had always lived and though he was changing they could not see if for all the hurt and damage they had suffered.
As the change began to manifest, he would frequently call my mother, asking for prayer for some friend or someone he knew or had heard about that was sick or having some kind of trouble. He would ask Mom to pray and ask her to call me and ask me to pray. This went on for a number of years before my mother passed away in 2006, and then for a while, he was silent, broken once again by the loss of my mother, and then....he began to call me for prayer.
On the phone, he could have a conversation without the wife or one of the adult children, interupting or contradicting whatever he was saying. The phone was his safe place to share his heart.
His wife passed away two years ago, and because of his own health, he has been pretty much confined to the home where he and his wife had lived with their youngest son for the last 25 years. The son has never married and has supported his parents since he became old enough to work. But even living with this son, my uncle has been pretty much alone.
He loved my grand daughters, and when the grand daughter who is in the Army was home on leave, we would go to see him. He was crazy about her and her sister. In January he sent the grand daughter, who is now in Afghanistan, a quilt that he had made and some other items to bless her with and then he got a call from her that blessed him beyond expressing.
He had called me about a month ago and was wanting to ship her some miniture bananas but could not get any of his adult children who live near him to take them to the post offiice and because I do not live in the same city, I was not available to help with little things like that for him. He was always pleasant when he called me and we always had a nice visit.
My last conversation with him was two weeks ago when he called to tell me he had to eat the bananas but his plan was to get some more when his daughter came to visit from Wyoming, because she would ship them. She is his oldest daughter, from his first marriage, who was injured in the fatal accident that killed her mother and brother. She was 15 when she lost her mom and brother and she lost her father at the same time because his grief was too much to bear. She had to be placed with elderly grand parents who did the best the could to fill the gap. And she is today, an awesome woman of God and has been for more than 30 years.
In that last conversation with my uncle, he was speaking of my grand daughter and saying that when she comes home in October, she better come see him.....and then he stopped. He said, "No, sis, I won't be here when she comes home." He told me he did not feel like it would be long now, before he left this earth. I asked him if he was ready to meet the Lord and he assured me that he was. I told him that would make it easier to let him go, to know that he was safe with the Lord.
His last words to me were, "Katherine Marie, you stay here as long as you can, but when you are ready to come Home, I'll be watching for you." We said our 'I love you's and ended our last conversation on this earth.
Why have I told you all of this? Because I want to encourage you never to give up on someone. God never gives up......until the tree falls and then it is over. This tree fell, prepared to meet his Savior.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
ONLY DEAD FISH FLOAT
From the title of this message, you could probably preach your own message and would not need any assistance!
We all know that in the real world of all things fishy....only the fish that are alive are swimming and they are not always going with the flow. They work their way in and out of the current, always searching for just that right tidbit of food or just that right shady spot to keep away from the summer's hot sun. Maybe, even more importantly, evading the enemy above the water who is using a well concealed hook to catch them and end their life.
Using this analogy representling the life of the Followers of Christ, we can see that we must be continually on the move, looking, searching for that purpose we were created for and continually executing that purpose, being aware of the tricks of the enemy who would like to lure us into a place we do not want to go and even ending our purpose here on earth if he can.
If we are sitting by, just waiting for a special move of God before we get out there and do what we are called to do from the moment of conception, we are actually operating in disobedience and are in danger of getting hooked by one of the tricks of the enemy that cause us to just sit idly by while he is free to move about, looking and searching for whom he may devour.
This is our opportunity to shine for Jesus, using every opportunity afforded us to pray, comfort, encourage, strengthen, restore and rebuild and help the Body stay focused on our mission and our homecoming. It may never be convenient for us to fulfull this calling, but neither was the cruel death that Jesus submitted to convenient for Him.
This is the time that we need to empty our schedules and make sure that things of Christ and the souls of men are our priority. If we are otherwise occupied, it's only a matter of time before we will no longer have the option to do so.
What bait is the enemy using on you? Is he luring you into slothfulness, apathy, hardened heart? What is it that stops you from fulfilling God's call upon your life, that stands between you and a heart that breaks for those who do not yet know how much He loves them?
Only dead fish float!
We all know that in the real world of all things fishy....only the fish that are alive are swimming and they are not always going with the flow. They work their way in and out of the current, always searching for just that right tidbit of food or just that right shady spot to keep away from the summer's hot sun. Maybe, even more importantly, evading the enemy above the water who is using a well concealed hook to catch them and end their life.
Using this analogy representling the life of the Followers of Christ, we can see that we must be continually on the move, looking, searching for that purpose we were created for and continually executing that purpose, being aware of the tricks of the enemy who would like to lure us into a place we do not want to go and even ending our purpose here on earth if he can.
If we are sitting by, just waiting for a special move of God before we get out there and do what we are called to do from the moment of conception, we are actually operating in disobedience and are in danger of getting hooked by one of the tricks of the enemy that cause us to just sit idly by while he is free to move about, looking and searching for whom he may devour.
This is our opportunity to shine for Jesus, using every opportunity afforded us to pray, comfort, encourage, strengthen, restore and rebuild and help the Body stay focused on our mission and our homecoming. It may never be convenient for us to fulfull this calling, but neither was the cruel death that Jesus submitted to convenient for Him.
This is the time that we need to empty our schedules and make sure that things of Christ and the souls of men are our priority. If we are otherwise occupied, it's only a matter of time before we will no longer have the option to do so.
What bait is the enemy using on you? Is he luring you into slothfulness, apathy, hardened heart? What is it that stops you from fulfilling God's call upon your life, that stands between you and a heart that breaks for those who do not yet know how much He loves them?
Only dead fish float!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
HAVE YOU LOST YOUR WAY?
How does it happen? We know Jesus, we know the Word, we have walked in the power of His Holy Spirit, then one day we find ourselves on the outside looking in! Did it happen all at once? Did we not see it coming? Can we ever find our way back?
Sometimes it comes through an injury, delivered by someone we loved and trusted; sometimes through our own neglect, pride. We can't forgive them and we can't forgive ourselves. And then the true enemy begins to reveal himself, and make it personal, as he speaks to us regarding: all the time you have wasted; how could they have done this to you?; you deserve better than this?; what has this life ever gotten you but grief?; where was God when you needed him?; you have been a fool! And then, as you continue to allow him to speak to you, he convinces you that God is not who He claims to be and how could you ever hope that He would ever want you or use you again!
All of this takes place on the battlefield of your mind. Now is the time to stop the enemy with the Word of God. All of these things happened to Jesus but He used the Word of God on the enemy. No matter what you have done, no matter what you have thought, even denying that God exists, you do know the Truth!
God had no illusions about you when He called you. Do you think this day was a surprise to Him? He knew the roads you would take and the twists and turns you would be confronted with but He still called you anyway.
Your gift and calling is without repentance. Turn back to Him and repent. He is faithful and just to forgive you and you must forgive yourself. Who do we think we are in believing that we can't be forgiven? Is anything too hard for God? The Word is in you and you will never be able to expunge it from your spirit. God knows the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. That's why Jesus came here, in the form of a man, and suffered every temptation that is common to man, yet He sinned not. He gets it, beloved!
Don't let the enemy win! You are still a King and a Priest! Do not give your Authority away!
He is not mad at you and He is waiting for you to turn and say, "I'm sorry! Help me!
Sometimes it comes through an injury, delivered by someone we loved and trusted; sometimes through our own neglect, pride. We can't forgive them and we can't forgive ourselves. And then the true enemy begins to reveal himself, and make it personal, as he speaks to us regarding: all the time you have wasted; how could they have done this to you?; you deserve better than this?; what has this life ever gotten you but grief?; where was God when you needed him?; you have been a fool! And then, as you continue to allow him to speak to you, he convinces you that God is not who He claims to be and how could you ever hope that He would ever want you or use you again!
All of this takes place on the battlefield of your mind. Now is the time to stop the enemy with the Word of God. All of these things happened to Jesus but He used the Word of God on the enemy. No matter what you have done, no matter what you have thought, even denying that God exists, you do know the Truth!
God had no illusions about you when He called you. Do you think this day was a surprise to Him? He knew the roads you would take and the twists and turns you would be confronted with but He still called you anyway.
Your gift and calling is without repentance. Turn back to Him and repent. He is faithful and just to forgive you and you must forgive yourself. Who do we think we are in believing that we can't be forgiven? Is anything too hard for God? The Word is in you and you will never be able to expunge it from your spirit. God knows the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. That's why Jesus came here, in the form of a man, and suffered every temptation that is common to man, yet He sinned not. He gets it, beloved!
Don't let the enemy win! You are still a King and a Priest! Do not give your Authority away!
He is not mad at you and He is waiting for you to turn and say, "I'm sorry! Help me!
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