Well it is the day before Easter, and as I was reading through the easter story the garden of gethsemene has lingered in my mine. Here you have Jesus with full knowledge of what was coming going before his father with a heaviness and a burdened heart to pray to his Father in heaven, and what the holy spirit revealed to me first is that he went back 3 times to pray to God. Each time repeating the words "Not as I will, but as you will". There are times where we may need to go back again and again to the Lord to ask that his will be done until we come to that place where we are fully surrendered to Gods will. It is through our prayers that the holy spirit changes our hearts toward our circumstances and we come under submission to the Lords will.

The second were these words in Verese 41 "watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." As Jesus was pouring his heart out before the Lord his disciples were sleeping. Each time Jesus returned to them he told them to wake up and pray and each time they fell back asleep and he gives them a warning that really hit me, as many times I will sit down to pray or read but I give into my flesh. It usually happens when I am praying silently. Therefore I realize that when I pray I need to speak out loud to God when you are speaking you are awake and alert. Your mind can not wander because you are focused on what you are saying. If I am alert while I pray I will not be lead into a place of complacency but I will have a focus that the Spirit then can use to work through me as I pray. This is so important that we allow the spirit to work in us and through us when we are praying. That is why Jesus says the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. If we come before God in our flesh in an attitude of spiritual complacency then we will be weak but if we come on our knees with a readiness and an eagerness to pray the spirit will meet us there. John MacAuthur summed it up well with this qoute.

" "Spiritual victory go to those who are alert in prayer and depend on God, and self confidence and spiritual unpreparedness lead to spiritual disaster"

I pray that in that time of prayer that I would come with a heart that is prepared and ready to hear from the Lord and to allow the spirit to move and speak through me.

Tolerating Sins

Revelation 2: 19 “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.

As I read through this passage this morning I found it interesting to see how in some ways Jesus is giving an atta boy to the church of Thyatira, but then he hits them with a strong warning. These were people that were in it and doing good works. They had evidence in their lives of a strong faith. Much like people that are christians and are serving in church. So where did they go wrong? They hadn’t gone off the deep end or embraced a life style of sin, but they were tolerating it. V 20 says “But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel” Man this really stood out to me. What does it mean to be tolerant of something? This is one of the definitions I came across…”allow the presence of or allow (an activity) without opposing or prohibiting” This church new this lady was in sin but they just allowed her to keep doing her thing and no one was stopping it. This really got me thinking what is it in my life that I tolerate? That I know is sin and is wrong but yet I allow it to continue to have a presence in my life. If we haven’t learned yet through the scriptures GOD HATES SIN. It doesn’t matter if its a small sin or a big sin. If its a sin you are commiting or a sin you are “hanigng” around. It is all sin and he hates it all. When we tolerate sin in our life we are just as guilty as the one who is practicing it. Because by tolerating it we are putting our stamp of approval on it and saying “well its not that bad”. What is the sin you are tolerating? Is it the movies or TV shows you watch, the books you read, the music you listen to, the friends you hang out with, the OMG’s that come flying out of your mouth or your friends mouths, the disrespect to your husband, friend or parents and then trying to reason why you responded that way, The list can go on forever. One thing I know I tolerate to much is entertainment. Hollywood is always trying to throw sexual imorality in our faces in the movies and the Tv shows we watch. Every time you choose to watch the show or movie that you know is not honoring God you are tolerating sin. Anytime you are making the excuse “Oh its not that bad” you are tolerating sin. We may not have a Jezebel in our churchs but we have many Jezebels in the entertainment we watch or the books and magazines we read. As christians we need to Stop tolerating the sins of the world and stand up for righteousness. That may mean throwing away a lot of movies you own or deleting $100 worth of music on you ipods, or loosing some friends, but would you want Jesus to have something against you when he returns? We are called to live holy lives separate from this world. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." 1 Peter 1:14-16 The call to live holy is a high calling and it requires sacrifice and surrender to the things of this world. If there are sins you are tolerating today put them to death. We want to be people of God who shine our light in a dark world. Not living for the things of this world, but living for the promises that are yet to come. May our lives be characterized by godliness and righteous living standing out from the mediocrity of this sinful world, so that when people see our good deeds they will praise God in heaven. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 1 Peter 2:12

Well I was looking at some blogs from friends in college and I thought wow that is pretty cool I should start up my blog again so here it goes....

2010

Wow, here I am in March of 2010. I cant begin to tell you how much has happened, but I can say this has been one of the most trying times of my life, and one of the most spiritually best times of my life. May life right now is not what I thought it would be, but it is exactly what God knew it would be.

Here is a pick of my little girl Aubrey Sue. She is amazing and I love her to pieces she keeps me on my toes at all times and makes me laugh.

When ever, Where ever, What ever

I seem to be in a little funk lately. Everything in my life seems a little unsettled. From my home, to my car, to my job....It just seems that I can't find that comfort zone or safe place. I have tried to step out in faith and go in the direction that I thought God was leading me in, to find that the door was slammed right in my face, and I am kind of shocked. I have said Lord I thought this was the thing you were leading me to, but its not. This has been a hard struggle for me cause in the past when I have stepped through the door it has opened up all the way...or at least that is what I thought...I have heard people say, God has a purpose for your life find out what it is and do that. As I have "searched" for this so called purpose I find that I am let down. I think our christian culture has gotten so caught up in the "What does God have for me mentality". When did we ever decide that this christian life is about what God has for us. That He is there to help us, to make our lives better, that the plans and ideas I have for my life God is there to make them come true. As I have been searching the scriptures and also my own heart I have realized that our Creator, Soveriegn God is not concerned with the plans and ideas I have for my life...He is concerned with the purpose and plan He has, and carrying that out through the lives of his children His saints. God wants to be glorified and honored. Just because we may have a dream or are really good at something does not mean that is God's "will for our lives" God's will for our lives is to serve Him in whatever capacity that may be. Whether you are a janitor or a pastor do all things to the glory of God.

Colossians 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart,as working for the Lord, not for men,since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

It doesn't always mean big grandious things are going to happen to you. It means you are faithful in serving Him Whenever, Where ever, What ever....Not to say that God couldn't use you in "large" ways, but that is never his goal...that would be an outpouring of the effective ministry you already have. We all need to get off our high horses thinking God is going to fullfill all our dreams. He may not...We need to go to His word first and then we will know what His will is. If it doesn't line up with scripture....sorry its not His will. And it doesn't matter how much you think it is or other people are saying that it is.
There is a qoute by Oswald Chambers that I keep in my office that humbles me every time I read it.

"We have the idea that God is going to do some exceptional thing, that He is preparing and fitting us for some extraordinary thing by and by, but as we go in grace we find that God is glorifying Himself here and now, in this present minute. "

To those who read this may you be comforted and humbled in knowing that we trust and serve a God who doesn't needs us to accomplish anything, but wants to use us as his vessels so that He may be glorified through us. May you lay your "dreams" at His feet and be ready for where ever he leads you even if it its to your own back yard.

20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21

Ineffective and Unproductive

The days go by so fast and I look back and realize I am overwhelmed. Some times life seems like it just passes me by. Thats when I think what have I really done today. Have I accomplished anything. Thats when it hits me I have not spent anytime with my Lord. I can go through the whole day and miss the purpose of it completely, because I am to caught up in the business of my own life. Here is my daily routine. I get up get dressed go to work...I leave work, teach voice lessons, get home, cook dinner, talk to my husband for an hour, get really tired and go to bed...And then the cycle starts all over again the next morning. Here is my intention every morning...Get up take a shower read and study the Bible maybe work out and go to work. What is it that makes me skip the most important step in the process? Even when I know it is the most important part of my day. I pass over it every day. I am ashamed. I am sorrowful. But most important I am just plain lazy Proverbs has a lot to say about being lazy....
Proverbs 19:15
15 Laziness brings on deep sleep,
and the shiftless man goes hungry.
Proverbs 12:24
24 Diligent hands will rule,
but laziness ends in slave labor.
Wow, how the Lords words are so wise. I want to be done being lazy. I want to have self discipline and seek to pursue God's word everyday. Today I am standing up and saying enough is enough I need to change....If any one reads this please hold me accountable...I want to be strong in the Lord I want to know his words and understand His truths so that I am able to give a example to those who are lost for this is my prayer...

2 Peter 1.3-9
3His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

Hallelujah!

Is the Gift really free

Well we are off to the Laurence Welk Resort tomorrow after work. John and I were kind of succered into signing up for this time share presentation thing. Silly I know, ,but what can I say we all have to do it once right? We are getting a discounted room at the lovely resort on Friday Night and plus they offered us free stuff. I love free stuff. Everyone loves free stuff I bet there is not a person in the world that does not love getting free stuff. But yet people all the over the world deny the free gift of Jesus Christ everyday. But then I guess we must ask is the gift really free? When we offer this gift of Christ to the lost do we tell them that in return for their salvation they are called to be obediant to their Creator God. Do we tell them that Christ calls them to deny themselves. I think now adays these commands tend to get left out. The mentality is more come to Jesus he will fix your problems.....come to Jesus you will go to heaven. Now these our truths that happen when we do come to Jesus but the most important part has been left out. Our surrender to Him wholly and completed. As it is the good news that Christ came may we offer it as a gift to the lost but lets not forget to leave out the part that we need to count the cost. I think of Luke 14 when Jesus was talking to the crowds and he said

26"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

Are we willing to give up our lives to hate anything that draws us away from Jesus, and to count the cost and reallize what it really means to pick up our cross, and follow Jesus. The gift of salvation is free for those who surrender their life to Christ and obey his commands. What a wonderful gift.

Yesterday, Today, and Forever

I feel so privileged to be one of Gods children. Lately I have been thinking upon this thought. That out of all the people in the world God has chosen me to be one of His. He has put a desire in my heart to follow after him to seek His truth and to have a relationship with him. Not only is this so encouraging it is amazing. To think the God of the universe cares about the happenings in my life overwhelms me. His Grace abounds beyond all measure. I know that I can cling to His promises, rest in his peace and have joy in all that he has created. The small problems I face day in and out I do not face alone. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1-3. What ever that trouble is he is there. I know my hard times don't compare to others but how amazing that Gods truth of scripture speaks to each of us and his truth is the same yesterday today and forever! Hebrews 13:8
Praise the Lord!