The Door is Open

 

"Long ago, even before he made the world, God chose us to be his very own, through what Christ would do for us; he decided then to make us holy in his eyes, without a single fault - we who stand before him covered with his love." Ephesians 1:4

Think about that for a moment. Before God even made the world, he chose to make us his own. His children. His family.

Who did he call? Everyone. He wants everyone in his family. But even before he created mankind, he knew we would blow it. He knew Adam and Eve would introduce sin into the human race, but that did not dampen his desire to have us for his own. Knowing that we would have a bent toward sin, he decided to cover our sins and make us holy in his eyes through Christ's sacrifice.

Does he really want us all? Is anyone denied the opportunity to be a part of God's family? To be forgiven, and considered pure in God's eyes?

No. There is not one person who is beyond God's desire to make them his own.

Remember, John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that anyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Our bodies will perish, but for the one who choses Jesus, the one who believes in him and gives themselves to him, they will have eternal life. Our bodies die, but our spirit lives on forever in the place God has promised - Heaven. Free from trouble and pain. Free to live a peaceful, joyful existence forever.

No one is beyond forgiveness, no one will be rejected by God if they come with sincerity, asking for forgiveness, believing that Jesus is Lord and surrendering ourselves to him. Salvation is but a prayer away.

Do you feel you are too far gone to be accepted by God? You're not. He still wants you as part of His family. His forgiveness is free for the asking. Don't worry about cleaning yourself up first, God will do that once you become a part of His family. He will begin to transform you, transform your life and transform your eternal future.

The door is open, will you step through?

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10 Spiritual Gifts a Mom Can Give Her Children on Mother's Day

While our kids are wracking their brains about what to give us or do for us on Mother's Day, it would be great to give them something of lasting value in return.  

Here are 10 suggestions for gifts we can give our kids for Mother's Day that will bless them for a lifetime.

1. Prayer: Encourage your children to cultivate a strong prayer life. Give them a handwritten prayer journal or a personalized prayer card with verses to guide them.

2. Faith: Nurture their faith by sharing stories of God's faithfulness and provision in your life. Give them a symbolic item like a cross necklace or a keychain with a Bible verse engraved on it.

3. Love: Show them unconditional love, reflecting God's love for them. Write them a heartfelt letter expressing your love and support, highlighting how God's love is ever-present.

4. Bible Knowledge: Teach them the importance of knowing and understanding the Bible. Gift them a children's Bible or a devotional book tailored to their age group.

5. Wisdom: Impart biblical wisdom by sharing lessons from your own experiences and from Scripture. Give them a book of proverbs or wise sayings with explanations for daily reflection.

6. Service: Teach them the value of serving others by volunteering together as a family or engaging in acts of kindness. Give them a "service jar" filled with ideas for serving others, along with a commitment to do them together.

7. Hope: Instill hope in them by sharing stories of God's promises and how He brings hope in every situation. Gift them a piece of artwork or a bookmark with an encouraging Bible verse.

8. Forgiveness: Teach them the importance of forgiveness, both receiving and extending it. Write a forgiveness letter together, and then burn it as a symbolic act of letting go of past hurts.

9. Gratitude: Cultivate a spirit of gratitude by counting blessings and acknowledging God's goodness. Create a gratitude jar where they can write down things they're thankful for each day.

10. Identity in Christ: Help them understand their identity in Christ, that they are fearfully and wonderfully made. Give them a framed Scripture verse highlighting their identity, such as Psalm 139:14, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

Happy Mother's Day!

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Want to Stand Strong in the Storm? Beware of these 4 Red Flags that Might Pull You Under

We all face storms in life. The loss of a job, loss of a loved one, serious medical issues...no one is exempt. 

If we're not prepared, we can be beaten down and battered around by the force of the problems coming at us, but it doesn't have to be that way. We can stand strong in the face of adversity. In fact, we can more than endure it, we can grow and thrive in times of trouble.

There are things we can do to prepare for hardships and things we can do during the storm if we know the red flags to watch out for.

Pre-storm Preparations

1. Spend time with God daily. Read the Word, pray and trust Him to walk you through each day.
2. Understand that hard times hit us all and be resolved to go through them in a way that honors God.
3. Speak words of life to yourself. Remind yourself about how God has brought you through storms in the past. Reassure yourself every day of God's great love for you and His faithfulness to provide all that you need in every circumstance.
4. Surround yourself with strong Believers who will encourage you and pray for you through the storm.

Red Flags in the Middle of the Storm

1. Lack of desire to read your Bible, pray and seek the Lord. 

• Go back to step 1 in Pre-storm Preparations. Be more determined than ever to stick close to God. Spend extra time in the scriptures and in prayer.

2. Finding yourself having negative thoughts about God's love for you, doubting His goodness and blaming Him for your trouble.

• Go back to step 2 in Pre-storm Preparations. Remember that Jesus said, "In this life you will have trouble, but be encouraged! I have won the battle over the world." (John 16:33) and "Remember that I am always with you until the end of time" (Matthew 28:20)

3. Increased grumbling, complaining and snapping at others.

• Go back to step 3 in Pre-storm Preparations. Recall God's past provisions and blessings. Write them down and give him thanks. Practice Gratitude. Remember Philippians 4:6-7 - "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

4. The desire to isolate yourself. Satan would like nothing better than for you to try to stand alone.

• This is where step 4 comes into play. Isolated, we are vulnerable. Together we are stronger. "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken." (Ecclesiastes 4:9,10, 12)

Yes, life will throw some pretty hard things at us. But if we know that we can prepare ourselves in advance. If we know the red flags to watch for and the way to counteract those flags, we will walk through the storm with courage and boldness, coming out on the other side with a faith that withstands the storm.

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Shackles or Wings?

Shackles or Wings:
Discerning between Conviction and Condemnation

How can we tell the difference between holy conviction and unholy condemnation?

Sometimes it difficult to tell whether the guilt or shame we're feeling is conviction or condemnation. That's because they often feel the same to us. It's a feeling that we've done something wrong or that we are not doing something we should be doing. It's not a fleeting feeling, but one that sticks with you until it's addressed. To understand the difference, let's first define the two according to the Bible.

Holy conviction is from God and is specific. It's meant to make you aware of sin in your life and push you toward repentance. God doesn't want anything to come between you and Him. He wants openness and intimacy in your relationship. His desire is to deepen your spiritual faith and transform your character into the character of Jesus Christ. He brings conviction to help and not harm you.

Unholy condemnation, on the other hand, comes from Satan and is vague, bring a sense of guilt, shame and doubt without a sense of why you're feeling that way. Satan wants to drive a wedge between you and God. He wants to heap guilt and sorrow on you and steal your joy. His aim is to make you doubt God and His love for you. Condemnation is meant to tear you down and ultimately destroy you.

"As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting.  For you felt a godly grief...For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death." 2 Corinthians 7:9-10 (ESV)

So, when that feeling of unease about ourselves, our attitudes, our actions or our worthiness hit, how do we know whether it's conviction from God or condemnation from Satan?

First we ask the Holy Spirit to give us discernment in the matter. We remember that holy conviction is specific. We ask ourselves, "Does this uneasiness I'm feeling point me to a certain thing in my life that I know is not pleasing to God? Does it lead me to repentance and make me aware of a change I need to make? If this is what you're experiencing, then you know what you need to do - repent. Then thank God for loving you enough to correct you and keep you close to Him.

If, on the other hand, what you are experiencing is more accusatory and heaped with self-loathing, but you can't pinpoint why,  you are most likely experiencing unholy condemnation. You may feel like that condemnation is coming from within your own mind, like there's something terribly wrong with you and that there is probably no hope for you. This kind of thinking is a result of Satan's attempt to control you and bring you down.  The solution is to turn to God. Ask Him to help you stand strong in the face of the enemy. Dig into God's word and agree with who He says you are in Christ. Ask Him to help you recognize the lies you have been believing and to replace them with His truth.

What does the Bible say about condemnation?

Romans 8:1 tells us that "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

1 John 3:20 lets us know that "If our own hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts and He knows everything."

John 3:17 says, "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."

And Psalm 34:22 promises that "The LORD will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in Him will be condemned."

I hope this post has been helpful in helping you discern the difference between conviction and condemnation; One gives you shackles and the other gives you wings.

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Gritty Faith

What is gritty faith? Gritty faith stands strong in the face of trouble, resolves to trust God, come what may and is willing to do whatever it takes to follow God's leading, no matter what. It's about determination, resolve and persistence. Gritty faith doesn't run in the face of risk or danger because we know that God fills us with strength to overcome every circumstance. Gritty faith advances. Grit don't quit! 

Have you ever felt like just giving up? I have. As a whole, my life has been and is pretty good, but since late 2019, I have been hit with one physical ailment after another. Several of these ailments are caused by an incurable disease that has very few treatment options. I have to admit that sometimes I get so worn out and stressed from dealing with it all that I want to give up. 

But I don't - I won't - I refuse! 

Why? Because I know who I am and I know whose I am. Jesus gave His all for me and I will give my all for Him until the day he transfers me from this planet to my home in Heaven. That's GRIT! 

Grit can be described as courageous, bold, tough, determined, resolute, purposeful, unfaltering, unswerving, unwavering and persevering. 

Life can be hard, even for those who follow Jesus. In fact, Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble." (John 16:33) He ought to know. He walked this earth and from the time He stepped into ministry, he was plagued with trouble and ultimately, hatred, betrayal and crucifixion. Yet he did not back down or back away from His purpose, which was to take away the sins of those who will come to Him. If the Son of God was not exempt from hardship, neither are we. 

What does the Bible have to say about Grit? 

Although the Bible does not appear in the Bible, the following verses clearly indicate that we should develop grit in our faith walk.

• Perseverance: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4 (NIV) 
  
  
• Steadfastness: "Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NASB)
  
  
• Faithfulness: "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." Revelation 2:10 (NASB) 

So, let's begin to develop gritty faith. This blog will be dedicated to building up our grit to stand strong in the face of adversity and to fuel our faith to more trust in God 

If you're going through a rough time, I would love to pray for you. Please feel free to leave a comment below this post.

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