God blesses our obedience.

I've been throwing out this idea that God blesses our obedience a lot lately. Today I thought I might take a moment to share one of the verses that solidifies that belief for me.

The verse I found today is small, but mighty. It is packed with many messages for us to digest if we really take a second to look into it. Before I dive into the verse, though, I want to say one thing: This is MEATY material. It is for someone who is firm in their faith, who is digging deep, trying to take their faith to the next level. When I read this verse I think of someone who is sold out on trying to live their life for the Lord and is ready to do what pleases Him. If this is you, by all means, read on...

James 1:25,

"But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-- he will be blessed in what he does."

Here's what I gather from reading this verse...

1. We are to read (look intently into) the Bible (the perfect law).

Really dive into it and find what is in there. Stop coasting. (If you are coasting) Don't know where to start? Wherever you are at...Take it to the next level. Challenge yourself. Go to church, get into the Bible study, open your Bible, what? Why is it so hard for us to just pick up our Bibles and just open them sometimes? ...start somewhere. :)

2. We are to search intently to find what it is saying to us and in doing so, find freedom.

As you allow God's word to transform your heart and your mind, it will transform your life, and you will find a new freedom in your life. The cleansing redemption of God gives freedom. There is freedom in Christ. There is no condemnation in Christ, only freedom. His word tells us that. Amen?

3. We are to "continue doing this" (reading the Bible and finding our freedom in it).

Continue to go back to his word. The world will throw you curve balls so you will have to continue to go back to the word to find your strength, renewal, freedom, and peace in this world.

4. We should not forget what you have been taught, but continue to live it out.

Keep going back to what you were taught. Repeat number 1 and 2. Remind yourself what God has done in your life, and in the lives of those around you. Continue to live out of the faith that you have been taught to stand on. Do not waver in that faith. It is a ROCK you can stand on.

CONCLUSION: When you do number 1-4... You will be blessed in what you do.

Do you want to be blessed in what you do? OF COURSE YOU DO!

The question becomes, then, Are you willing to do what it takes to receive that blessing?

Because sometimes digging into God's word and living it out requires us to sacrifice our in-the-moment living for the sinful, selfish nature, which can be VERY appealing at times....but only leads to destruction, and eventually death.

So, the way I see it, it comes down to this...

Sinful Nature...Temporarily Appealing...but leads to eventual destruction, and death.

Divine Nature... Temporarily Sacrificing...but leads to eventual blessing, and eternal life.

God is calling us to think BIG picture here, because HE is looking for faithful followers who are willing to lay down their selfishness and pride, and get the mind of Jesus Christ. God is calling his believers to obediently fulfill His plans here on Earth, and as it His great pleasure to bless them as they do.

Whataya say? You wanna join me?

Let's throw off the sin that so easily entangles and live a life worthy of the blessings that God wants to bestow on us!

I got a feeling that we'll never regret it if we do. If we don't, on the other hand...all kinds of regrets. Let's think BIG PICTURE. Let's pray, and seek the mind of Christ, digging in the word because the times call for it.

Be blessed!

WHO AM I IN CHRIST...(BACKED UP BY SCRIPTURE)

I AM ACCEPTED….
John 1:12………………......I am God’s child.
John 15:15…………….......As a disciple, I am a friend of Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:1…………….....I have been justified (just as if I had never sinned).
1 Corinthians 6:17….......I am united with the Lord.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20…. I have been bought with a price and I belong to God.
1 Corinthians 12:27……..I am a member of Christ’s body.
Ephesians 1:3-8………....I have been chosen by God and adopted as His child.
Colossians 2:9-10……....I am complete in Christ.
Hebrews 4:14-16…….....I have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ.

I AM SECURE…
Romans 8:1-2 ………...…I am free from condemnation..
Romans 8:28………….....I am assured that God works for my good in all circumstances.
Romans 8:31-39………..I am free from any condemnation brought against me and I can not be separated from the love of God.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22…I have been established, anointed and sealed by God.
Colossians 3:1-4……...…I am hidden with Christ in God.
Philippians 1:6……….....I am confident that God will complete the good work He started in me.
Philippians 3:20………. I am a citizen of heaven.
2 Timothy 1:7………...…I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind.
1 John 5:18………....……I am born of God and the evil one can not touch me.

I AM SIGNIFICANT….
John 15:5………....………I am a branch of Jesus Christ, the true vine, and a channel of His Life.
John 15:16…………….....I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit.
1 Corinthians 3:16……..I am God’s temple.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21…. I am a minister of reconciliation for God.
Ephesians 2:6…………....I am seated with Jesus Christ in heavenly realm.
Ephesians 2:10………..…I am God’s workmanship.
Ephesians 3:12…………..I may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Philippians 4:13………...I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

SO BOOM SHACKA LACKA!!!
AND ALL OF THESE APPLY TO YOU,
AS A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST AS WELL,
SO HOW YOU LIKE YOU KNOW?! :)
YOU CAN REST EASY TONIGHT.
YOU ARE IN GOOD HANDS.

Awesome song time.

Helping my son with his first homework assignment. Part Two.

(this post is a continuation from the post before this one. You can go here to get to the first post.)

PRESTON'S HOMEWORK QUESTION
The fill-in-the-blank question my son had to answer was, "I want to be a __________ when I grow up."

The truth is that I am not even sure what I want to be when I grow up and I am 30 (or something), so I didn't really expect my baby-toothed five year old to know what he wanted to be.

IF MY "PLAN A" WOULD HAVE WORKED OUT. . .
If you would have talked to me when I was in kindergarten I would have expected to be ten-fifteen years into a career by now. (assuming that I would have started my full time acting career as a mega hit movie star at the age of 15, when I was miraculously discovered outside of the Lansing, Michigan mall by some agent who was going to make me super famous) But, alas, I am not. (and did not)

. . .BUT SINCE "PLAN A" DIDN'T HAPPEN (FOR ANYBODY). . .
I am blazing my own "special", "set-apart", "unique" trail over here.
No one can take my story, doggone it!!! It's mine! You can't have it!
No one can take yours either. It's all yours!
This is how it must be.
The journey that the Lord has you on is your own unique journey. No more fill-in-the-blanks over here. We threw those out with the mad libs in fifth grade! You don't just pick a noun and throw it in there and hope it works out, and start laughing a nervous laugh if it doesn't. :) That's a mad lib.

"The LORD knows all human plans;
he knows that they are futile."
~Psalm 94:11

All to Jesus I surrender. My life is in your hands, Lord. Take it and do what you want with it. It's all yours. All of it. All for your glory.

There is something comforting about knowing that God is in control and that you can trust your future to a God that loves you and can (and will) take care of you, isn't there? His plans for you are more satisfying and meaningful than any that you could come up with on your own. Every minute of every day might not always be easy, but (in the end) it will be worth it. TRUST HIM!!! Trust Him with your today and your tomorrow. Do what you do today trusting that it is not all that there is for you, but knowing that it is essential because without it tomorrow wouldn't come together the way it is supposed to.

Even as I walk through a phase of what others would consider to be a "wandering" phase of my life I will trust Him to be at work. As I wake up each morning fully aware that this is a time of my life where the blanks have not been filled the way I thought they might be I can still put my blank before the Lord and say, "Fill in my _____________ today Lord. I give it all to you. Take this day and do with it what you like, Lord. I give you my heart, my life, and my everything. It's all yours to do with as you see fit. I am trusting in your timing, and I am assuming that this is a time of rebuilding in my life until you call me to move forward into a new position somewhere. Put my heart at peace for now, and keep me grounded in you, until it is time to take action again. Amen."

"For we are God's workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do."
~Ephesians 2:10

When your world falls apart. Trust Him. He works all things together for the good of those who love Him.

I don't know what is in front of you, today, that looks too hard to overcome.
Maybe you are feeling that irritating feeling that comes when you are waiting on a promise from God that has yet to come to pass.
Maybe you feel like the heat in your life is escalating higher and higher-- things are getting worse and worse-- and just when you think things they can't get any worse, they do.

What do you do, when you're world is falling apart?

TRUST. That's too simple isn't it?

TRUST HIM to be at work in your life. That's not good enough, right?

"Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God ALL THINGS are possible."' (Matthew 19:26)

Okay, so then what? What does that mean for us?

Let that be your story too. If it weren't for God this would have been impossible, but because of God, ALL THINGS are possible, and I will (and you can) walk in faith even now!!

"For we live by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Keep walking in faith, seeking Him, and trusting Him. He will prove Himself faithful in time. He has all the resources in the world, He has not forgotten about you, He DOES LOVE YOU, you can trust Him, He is at work, and He WILL prove Himself faithful. Trust Him! Keep walking.

Comfort (Bible Verses) for those who need physical healing.

Here is just a short collection of scriptures to refer to when you are in need of physical healing. We know that God has the ability to heal because we read about instances when Jesus healed people throughout his lifetime. Those miracles were also backed up by his promises to us --His children --in regards to healing, all throughout the Bible. I pray that one or more of these verses speak directly to your heart today, and instill faith into your heart right when you need it most.

Feel your faith build as you speak each word into existence. The word of God is powerful, isn't it? Let the words infuse power into your body. Be strong. Be blessed. You have the God of all power on your side!

Acts 5:16
The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
Hebrews 7:25
Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
Mark 16:17-18 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Isaiah 40:31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
Psalm 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
Jeremiah 30:17 For I will restore health to you,
and your wounds I will heal,
declares the Lord,
because they have called you an outcast:
‘It is Zion, for whom no one cares!’
Isaiah 53:4-5 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
Jeremiah 33:6 Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security.
Matthew 18:19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Isaiah 58:8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you;
the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Psalm 41:3 The Lord sustains him on his sickbed;
in his illness you restore him to full health.
Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
Psalm 34:10 The young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
3 John 1:2 Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.
1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
Isaiah 40:29 He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Jeremiah 30:17 For I will restore health to you,
and your wounds I will heal,
declares the Lord,
because they have called you an outcast:
‘It is Zion, for whom no one cares!’
Matthew 8:17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”
Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
Isaiah 40:31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
Romans 8:11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Proverbs 3:7-8 Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.
Psalm 91:3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
Psalm 42:11 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.
2 Timothy 1:7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Psalm 107:20 He sent out his word and healed them,
and delivered them from their destruction.
Jeremiah 33:6 Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security.
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the Lord,
and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
the righteous to be moved.
Psalm 25:20 Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!
Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
Isaiah 50:7 But the Lord God helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like a flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame.
Jeremiah 17:14 Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
save me, and I shall be saved,
for you are my praise.
Isaiah 57:19 creating the fruit of the lips.
Peace, peace, to the far and to the near,” says the Lord,
“and I will heal him.
Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
Exodus 15:26 saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.”
Deuteronomy 7:15 And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you knew, will he inflict on you, but he will lay them on all who hate you.
James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

PREACH IT!!!! Love me a good inspirational song, don't you?

Three things.
1. I grew up listening to Cece Winans in high school.
2. I still love her "oldies", and just finally threw out a CD that kept skipping yesterday. (sad face)
3. My heart is full this morning after listening to this video clip of her. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Mmmmm...SING IT CECE!