Are you luke warm?

The Devil has many tactics to prevent us from seeking the comforting and loving arms of our Lord and Savior. One of those ways that he prevents me from seeking God is the feeling of guilt and shame. When I sin, I try to hide from God, just like Adam and Even did when they realized they were naked. The Scripture says that when God asked why they were hiding they said they were afraid. (Gen 1). Why should we as Christians feel afraid? We have Jesus who came and died for our sins. We have nothing to fear so long as we follow God. Anytime we sin, we need to ask for forgiveness and repent. The key word here is "repent." This means we must turn from our sins and continue on the path of righteousness. When we do not repent our actions have serious consequences for us and others around us. Read this passage in Jeremiah:

"During the reign of King Josiah, the Lord said to me, 'Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree and has committed adultery there. I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it. I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery. Because Israel's immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood. In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,' declares the Lord. The Lord said to me, "Faithless Israel is more righteous than unfaithful Judah." (Jeremiah 3:6-10)

In this passage, Israel sinned by committing adultery against the Lord (which in this case means worshiping other man made gods). While Israel was sinning, her sister Judah saw Israel and decided to follow Israel's footsteps down the path of sin and destruction. This is where the message becomes difficult to comprehend. God says in the end that Judah (the sister) comes back to God in "pretense" which means with false sincerity. Judah may have said they were sorry but they most likely were continuing their same lives as before. They merely asked for forgiveness in an act of ritual.

How often do we sin against God, but continue on the same exact path, stopping only for a moment to ask for forgiveness out of habit not out of sincerity. The bible clearly states that God will judge our hearts. We cannot run and hide from God. We cannot trick God, making him think we're asking for forgiveness, but in our hearts we are not. Don't be mistaken, it is not good to be like Israel in this passage either. Israel's sin is what caused Judah to go into sin in the first place. I have seen many Christians in my lifetime, including myself, who have went down a path of sin thinking that we will "come back to God later" or we will be the prodigal son and return at another point in our life. Ask yourself this question if you are on that path right now, are you willing to be responsible for the other souls you are leading on the path with you? You may have intention to return to God at some point in time, but will the others? Your temporary sin could be responsible for someone's soul dying, condemned to an eternity of separation from God.



"Return, faithless people," declares the Lord, 'for I am your husband." (Jeremiah 3:14)

May you all be blessed. And please, wherever you are in your life right now, make sure you are sincere in your faith with God. It is better to be hot or cold instead of lukewarm......

Walking alone..... with God

Often times in our walk with Christ we come to stepping stones. In order to make it to the next stone, we have to take a great "leap of faith" (pardon my cliche). Depending on where we are in the walk, there may be others right with us taking the step. For example, when we are young, perhaps it is our parents who help to give us insight into the Word of God. At other times, it may be a pastor or a friend. But as we grow, there will always be a point where we must come to that stone alone. It is only up to us to make the jump. It becomes easy to glance around and wonder, "why, where are all the others to help me along the way?" Well, my friend, think of it as a glorious event. It is the jump into "adulthood with God." We cannot learn to depend upon these others in our lives to "make" our relationship with God rich and deep. No, my brothers and sisters, it is up to each and every one of us to make sure that the budding friendship with our Savior blossoms into a magnificent flower.

You may wonder why I speak of relationship with God that is so intimate and sacred that no one else can be there with you for it. In the past couple of days I have watched a few movies regarding the Nazi Jewish Concentration Camps. They have tugged at my soul. I even was brought to the point to ask questions like, "God, why didn't you hear their cries? Didn't you see them" which God in turn replied the following:

"Does he who implanted the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see? Does he who disciplines the nations not punish? Does he who teaches man lack knowledge? The Lord knows the thoughts of man; he knows that they are futile." (Psalm 94:9) - great read; I recommend reading the whole passage.

What I am trying to say is that my husband and I are in a place in our life where it can feel lonely. We do not have many physically close Christian brothers and sisters to turn to. We are in the midst of the challenge of beginning a new church and yet we aren't real active in that process yet. I find myself whining saying, I do not have strong Christian brothers and sisters to surround myself in order that I may grow. Yet, how can I make it their job to grow my relationship with God? I must take responsibility for my own placement in Christ. For I do not know the true extent of what good someone else may do for me. As the good Word states, "continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling" (Phillipians 2:12). It does not just say to "work out" meaning that it is all done in one instant. It says continue! Our relationship with God does not end as soon as we accept Him as our Savior. It is JUST the beginning. Everyday we need to wake up and "continue to work out our salvation." We must choose to live for Him daily. This means putting ourselves into the Scripture so that the Lord can challenge and enlighten you in brand new ways.

I pray that you all are seeking the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. It is with this that God can bring light to His word and in your life.


God Bless You All,
Ashley

Psalm 94 : 23

"He will repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness; the Lord our God will destroy them."

Christianity: Bondage in Rules or Freedom From Pain?

Many people dislike Christianity for all the ‘rules’. Well I think that is nonsense! What is Christianity except a release from the world’s rules? Christianity is how I am able to be my own person. The world tries to tell me that I need alcohol, wealth, clothes, sports teams, a business, my own career, and a mind that accepts anything and everything as okay.

Christianity in my perspective frees me from the above bondages. For my purpose in life is to not buy clothes, save up a lot of money, or to even be the nicest person in the world (let’s face it – I could try but it probably wouldn’t happen). My purpose is to live each day with a love unlike any other. It is a love that exists through any circumstance. It is a love that tells me to accept everyone else with the same love that I am given. A love that rejoices in flaws because I understand I can never fully reach perfection in this lifetime; at least not until I am united with the sole perfector of the universe, Jesus Christ.

Some other religions or philosophies require that we carry around some item that will bring us good luck, good energy, or make us a better person in general. With Christ we do not need to carry anything with us. We have God at our fingertips literally anywhere, anytime. He even left us a gift, the Holy Spirit which dwells inside of us and helps to direct us. You can think of it as a roadmap from God in case for some reason we cannot understand what He is telling us to do; which is ironic, because the road map is still God speaking to us. You see, we cannot separate from Him. He will never leave nor forsake us.

And if God for some reason required us to carry around some “item” what would we do if we lost it? How would we become better people without some physical item outside of ourselves directing us? A lot of us depend on material things to bring us good luck, charm, and energy. Some believe that these objects will even make us a better person. Well I want to ask a question, why would some being, or whatever you believe in, require us to have some material object in order to become a better person? That would mean it would not be accessible to every person in the world. Jesus’ love extends to every person, of every background, race, ethnicity, and class. And the question I brought up earlier, what would you do if it was gone? If you had nothing left in this whole world except the clothes on your back. What would you do? How would you do it?

Can your rock or your so called god do miracles? Can it provide for you holistically? Can your god heal a lifetime of pain? Can it mend broken relationships? Can it guarantee you happiness and an eternity of riches? NO – because there is not ONE thing on this earth that can guarantee that. No marriage, drink, friend, money, energy baring rock, can do that except for Jesus Christ. He does all of that and guarantees you eternal joy and happiness in His kingdom.

The most BEAUTIFUL thing is that we do not have to ‘do’ anything. There was only one factor that “I” had to do. I simply had to ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior of my life, to forgive me of my sins, and to make in me a new heart. That was the end of it. I was guaranteed a life with God from that point on. Oh, you ask about all the “rules” us Christians must abide by? Well God simply asks us to love Him with all of our heart, soul, and mind and to love our neighbors as ourselves. That is the only rule of Christianity. When you begin a life of following God, when you love Him with all your Heart, that is when all the other things in our life begin to change, that is when you decide to stop doing whatever it is that God has called you to stop doing. But only once you have found God. Christianity is not bondage in rules, it is freedom from pain.

How do you know God's will?

Jesus came to this world with a purpose, a mission. He came to set us free, each and every one in order that we may live a life abundant in the Kingdom of Heaven. However, he left us to decide whether or not we would follow Him to that eternity. Therefore, we must face decisions. Sometimes we consult God, other times, we do not. My question to you is how do you know what is the will of God? How do you pursue His will? Do you pray? Do you ask others? Do you simply make a decision and hope for the best? There is an answer in the word of God that directs us to finding God's will for our lives. In Romans, Paul encourages us to "offer [our] bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God." When we present ourselves to God completely free from all other bindings, it is then and only then that we may find a will for our lives. Paul continues to say that this act is not only a guide to finding what God's will is but it is also an act of worship.

You see, we have made worship into a form of entertainment within the church. This is not how it is meant to be. Worship can occur at any moment, any place, with or without sound, with or without other people. Ultimate worship is laying your life down to follow God. This is a form of praise. God does not want us to conform to this world, which in some circumstances, may be the way you worship God. Do not make your worship simply a way for you to be entertained, where you focus on how you feel. This makes it about yourself and not God. "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing, and perfect will." Worship God completely, which entails laying your life down before Him, and you will find and enjoy God's will for your life.

God Bless You All


-Ashley-



"Therefore, I urge you, brothers in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12: 1 - 3





Jesus lived and died, he sacrificed himself for us. Can you now become a living sacrifice?

Revel in God and He will Reveal Himself

One of the most difficult aspects of Christianity (and sometimes the most frightening) is speaking about our faith to others. It is popular to believe that we need not worry (or prepare) for these encounters because Jesus tells us to "not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." (Matthew 10:19) However, this popular verse is taken out of context. When you read just a couple sentences back the whole passage says

"But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father through you."

When Jesus was speaking to his disciples about being arrested, he also was warning the disciples that they will be flogged, stoned, and hated ("I am sending you out like sheep among wolves" - Mth 10:16).

As you can see, there is a huge difference between how these disciples were witnessing and how we today speak about our faith in America. We are not facing whippings or stonings. Yet we expect that God will move and speak through us just the same. In my opinion, I think this is a little naive and prideful on our part. It is naive and prideful in the aspect that we do not spend time in God's word preparing ourselves for the situations that arise in which we must speak about our faith or answer difficult questions. Jesus' disciples had walked, talked, and lived the life of a true Christian so of course the Holy Spirit would speak through them when they were arrested (or in any other situation as well). My point is to not make you think that God cannot and will not provide the words to say in touchy situations, I merely saying how can we expect God to suddenly save us from embarrassment (if we cannot answer someone's question or we seem to stumble on our words when we explain our faith) when we do not live fully for Him? If you do not anticipate the questions that others may have - then you will not have the knowledge already in your mind for God to suddenly pull it forth from you and to speak for you.

I have a great friend who constantly challenges me about my faith. I try to answer the best I can. But because of her, I have learned to anticipate what she may ask me. I have thrown myself into the bible, studying it so that God can pull together everything I have read. You see, it is not I who find the answers, but I put myself in a place where God can REVEAL the answer to me. That is the key factor to success in speaking about your faith. You must be willing to put yourself in front of God so He can speak to you.


Remember my devotion about God's whisper - sometimes it is just that, a whisper. And once God has whispered to you, it is your duty to spread the word so that others may see and hear the light.


"What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs." -- Matthew 10: 27



May God Bless You All!!

-Ashley-

God's Plan For Your Hardships

Everyday we go through life with so much coming at us. There are deadlines, papers to be written, people to meet, advertisements to be made, the list goes on and on. Sometimes we feel this pressure so much that we feel that there is absolutely nothing we can do. That we cannot make it on our own. We are pushed to our breaking point and once we have gotten there, we are often alone. We do not let others in on our secret struggles. We do not want others to feel our insecurities, whatever they may be.

Well, there is a great song that I feel fits into every hardship we have. It is called "Tears Away." The song speaks about how we are always just a tear away from our Salvation, our Great Healer, our Comforter. We do not have to go through life alone especially in the difficult times. We simply have to cry out to God, ask for His Help and He will never turn away from you. In the first chapter of John, it speaks about Jesus - "In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it." God is our way to life and he shines through US! How amazing is it to think that our God's perfection shines the brightest when we follow Him? "that life was the light of men" Whether we know it our not, if we follow Christ, we are shining in the darkness around us. Others may not know that you are a Christian, they may not know why you follow him, or what he has done for you, but there is something about you that I can guarantee they do not understand. The fact that they do not understand you in some way or another, is what brings them to you. It is what draws people to you. That is why we must walk in the light that God has given us, His Holy Spirit.

When we do that, we will be comforted in our hardships. I may have written this verse before, but here it is again, think of it as God speaking to you

"I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you; I am greatly encouraged." (2 Corinthians 7:4)

Do not give up in whatever it is you are doing in your life. Do not give up when things do not seem to be going perfectly. God sometimes needs us to show others how to endure hardships in order that others may call on Jesus when they find hardships as well. Think of it as a blessing from God if you are enduring something right now. It means that God has confidence, pride, and courage in you. He believes in you and knows that you are strong enough to handle it. And if it ever gets to a breaking point for you, just remember, God has promised that He will never give us more than we can handle. (I Corinthians 10:13)

May God Bless You All,

Ashley

God is a Whisper

Before I get into today's daily encouragement I would like to give a backdrop for the story. I am usually fairly decent at praying continuously throughout a day. Whether it is just giving a short thanks for something or just saying hi to the Lord. For some reason, tonight I failed to do so. I worked from 4 - 10 pm and completely shut God out of everything I was doing. I was a busy bee. When I came home, I felt lonely because I hadn't spent time with the Lord all evening. While I was preparing my dinner, God whispered to me, "God is a whisper." I immediately thought of Elijah on top of the mountain and I knew what I had to write about that for today's encouragement. I pray that it will be a blessing to you all who read it.


God is a whisper. How many times do we go through each day ignoring His voice in all the little ways? So often we expect to see him move in grand ways but in most cases, this is not the case. I think back to Elijah on the great Mount Sinai where the Lord commanded him to "stand before me." If you are familiar with the story you will know that a furious wind swept across the mountain, shattering rocks and splitting mountains but God was not in the wind. Then an earthquake occurred but God was not in the earthquake. Then there was a great fire but God was not in the fire. When finally, after all these dynamic events God showed up in the smallest most subtle way possible. In a whisper. I don't know about you, but I think of a whisper as something soft, intimate, personal, and caring. What a great way for God to communicate to us!!! I think this demonstrates how God desires a close and personal relationship with us. He does not want to have to display great feats for man to follow him. He simply wants to be our friend, our guidance, our Savior.

Of course, we have to be willing to go to the top of the mountain like Elijah did and withstand all these other great "fires, earthquakes, and great winds" that may pass us. You see, so many things will come by us in this life CLAIMING to be God simply by some greatness that they have. They come in many different disguises. Today it may be money, television, food, anything that consumes your life and takes you away from God. You must be willing to stand strong through these different "anti-christs" that come and take your attention away from God. Be patient, wait for that soft whisper from God. Because he is always there, even through the great fires and winds. He never leaves nor forsakes you.


May God Bless You All,

Ashley

" 'Go out and stand before me on the top of the mountain,' the Lord said to [Elijah]. Then the Lord passed by and sent a furious wind that split the hills and shattered the rocks - but the Lord was not in the wind. The wind stopped blwoing, and then there was an earthquake - but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire - but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the soft whisper of a voice. When elijah heard it, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. A voice said to him, 'Elijah, what are you doing here?' "

I Kings 19:11-13

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