A friend texted me today...

Ma am very happy to have a great women like u on my list

Thank you...but why do you call me great. It is not me but it is Christ in me...

Ma like doing thing of God nd am always happy any time I fine myself in d present of God but ma I have a great challenge in my Christian life

What challenges?

Falling and raising

I just what to be holy in his eyes

My Answer:

Ok...first...we will never be holy enough. We are born sinners and don't deserve anything. But that is where grace comes in. It is by the grace of God we are made righteous through Jesus Christ...not by anything we can say or do.

Now about falling...we have all fallen from the grace of God but we can stand in and through the blood of Jesus Christ.We need to do ur best to follow what Jesus would do. We need to take ourselves out of situations and let God take over. When we think we can o it on our own...that's when we fall. Paul talks about how he wanted to do what God wanted him to do but he kept on doing the things he didn't want to do. Romans 7:15-25.

Romans 7:15-25New International Version (NIV)

15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature[b] a slave to the law of sin.

Sacred Prayer 1

Awesome, Loving, Eternal, Righteous, Holy, Mighty, Redeeming, Great God, thank You for another day that I can worship You in Spirit and in Truth. Thank You for a day that I can reflect Your love and grace to others. Thank You for the newness of each day as it dawns on the horizon.

Thank You for Your presence with me as I enter into the Pilgrimage to the manger. Thank You for the sacredness of the season. As I sit and ponder the thought of this fact I am awestruck by the immensity of Your love for me. In this time of sacredness, may I draw closer to You, may I truly understand the importance of this season. May I live within the sacredness of this time not only during this season but every day of my walk with You.

AMEN

A Thankful Prayer

Eternal, Awesome, Holy, Compassionate, Righteous, Redeemer, Recreating, Lord of my life, Lover of my soul, Giver of all that is good, Jehovah Jirah my Provider, Great God, thank You for this beautiful new day that I may praise You for Your unending grace and love for me. Thank You for the way You nurture me and help me grow. Thank You for Your presence with me today and always for I will never walk alone. Thank You for Your unending grace that You pour down from heaven upon my life.

Thank You for the wisdom You give me as I walk in the calling You have placed upon my life. Forgive me for the times that I doubt my call and let man try and take away what You have gifted me with. Forgive me for the times that I fail to see Your unending grace and purposes in my life. Forgive me when I listen to the lies of the enemy as he whispers fear and condemnation in my ear. May I listen more to Your voice and less to the voice of the enemy as You whisper love, hope, purpose and joy deep within my soul.

Lord, as I step out in faith and trust, hold my hand so that I will not trip over the edge of the boat as I step out onto the waters of my life. Speak words of hope into my life as I focus on You and not the world or circumstances around me. Draw me so close to You that not only do I hear but will feel Your heartbeat. Hide me so that I may find rest beneath Your wings of Love.

On this Thanksgiving day...I am truly Thankful for the Giving You have done in and through my life. I am Thankful for the Giving of the gifts and graces that You have given me that make me uniquely qualified for Your purposes in my life. I am Thankful for the Giving of the family You have given me as we sit around Your table where every we may be. Most of all, I am Thankful for the Giving of Salvation found only in and through my Risen Lord, Jesus Christ in Who's Name I pray.

Amen, amen and AMEN!

Waiting

Ecclesiastes 11:6New Living Translation (NLT)
⁶ Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both.
2 Timothy 3:14New Living Translation (NLT)
¹⁴ But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you.
How do you react when waiting on God? Some of the things that may go through our minds is:

• Thinking He has forgotten
• Whine I want it now
• Question if He heard us
• Get frustrated

Sometimes, God wants to see how we will wait on Him. He already knows what His answer is. How are we going to act or hat are we going to do while we wait? Are we going to trust in His goodness and sovereignty or are we going to think that we have to do this ourselves instead of with God?

We need to keep preying while we wait. He will strengthen us as we wait. Our trust grows as we pray aas we are waiting. If we don't pray we leave the door oopen for the enemy...

• Doubt
• Discouragement
• Disappointment
• Despair

or even worse

• Loss of Faith

God wants to and does answer prayer. He has proved it in the past, present and future. How will you wait for God to answer today?

The Giver Of Real Joy

Do you find more pleasure in the giving or receiving of gifts? Most people are more inclined to the getting versus the giving. Why do we have such a "me, me, me" or "mine, mine, mine" attitude? It is even worse when we Christians want more. We tend to look at God as a "magic Genie" or "Santa Claus". We ask and don't even think about giving to anyone else.

God is the true joy giver. When we keep asking and asking we seldom find joy that lasts. It is only a short time before we want more.

We need to come as children...in awe and wonder...thankful to our heavenly Father and leave as adults...so thankful that we give to others out of the abundance we have been given. There are many ways to give. Our time, our heart, our finances are just a few ways to give.As we are generous with what we have, we find real joy.

Real joy is really found in the giving and not the receiving. What have you given back to others...to God...out of your abundance?

God is there in the storm

UNKNOWN

Whatever life brings, God is here to help me through it.

God is there helping us through...you need to just hold on a little tighter to His hand so the you don't get lost in the wave of chaos and fear...

Danny Gokey - More Than You Think I Am (Lyric Vide...

A Shepherd's Words: Danny Gokey - More Than You Think I Am (Lyric Vide...: We, as Christians, sometimes think we know it all...there is so much more than that. We need to come with a childlike wonder to the One who...

What is worship...

OK...so we go to church on Sunday mornings. We get all "prettied up"...put on our "Sunday best." We got to a building and maybe greet some people. We find our favorite seat (and don't let someone be sitting in it) sit down and wait? What are we waiting for? Why are we even here in the first place? What are we expecting to hear...to see... to feel? What is this worship thing all about?

Well we need to ask ourselves a few questions:

1. What is our attitude about going to church? Are you going there because it is an exclusive club for you or is it a place for both "sinners" and "saints" alike? Is it a joy or a drudgery?
2. What is our motivation for going to church? Is church a duty...a item on your checklist or is it something much more? Is it a place where you come to be entertained or a place you expect God to show up and is present amongst us?
3. What keeps us from going to church if that is what is happening...? Is it a place where you feel safe or is it a place where you feel you have to always watch your back? Has it become that social club and not a place where you experience the life changing message of hope?

OK...Romans 12:3-5 tells us:
(Romans 12:3-5New Living Translation (NLT)
³ Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. ⁴ Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, ⁵ so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

We gather together as the body of Christ...becoming one body with many parts. We come together to worship God...to thank God for all He has done and is doing in our lives and in the lives of the body of Christ...in the body of believers.

So why do we need corporate worship...why do we need to gather together in one place? Can't we worship God in our own homes...on our own? Well yes we can and should worship God in our homes and our work place...we should live a life of constant worship. But...but...when we come together in worship it renews our faith and renews our joy...we hold each other up in prayer and come along side each other in times of crisis. 

There is value in a Godly community. It is a place where we find our role in God's great design and our purpose for His Kingdom. Have you discovered your role or purpose? It can only be done in community. In community is where we should be able to find meaning and purpose in life. Otherwise we just go through life and not live the abundant life God has in store for everyone who believes.

I think our biggest deterrent to the issue of finding our purpose in life... We use those two favorite words "I can't"... You are right...we can't, I can't...you can't...but God CAN... In Mathew 19:26, Jesus tells us:

(Matthew 19:26New Living Translation (NLT))
²⁶ Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

We just can't do it on our own but God...in and through community with Him and other believers...can do far more than we can ask or hope for. As we come together in community, Ephesians 4:16 tells us"

Ephesians 4:16New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁶ He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

We grow and become whom God would have us to be...even if we have a hard time, at times, believing in ourselves...God will always help us to succeed in what He has planned for us...God keeps His promises. This truth we can "Take to the bank...we can bank on it."

So what is worship? To me it is a way of life. You don't really "do" worship but you "be" worship in what you say and do. It is saying "Thank You" to God not with just lip service but with action. It is gathering with a rag tag group of people...as Jesus did...and hear the Good News. It is during worship I can expect God to show up and I will be changed forever. It is in and through worship I am free to love all...to see the sacred worth in all...to invite others into my "worship space" and feel the movement of the Spirit with in them.

So...what is worship to you and what will you do with your worship of God. I would like to leave you with a piece of scripture found in the Gospel of Matthew... it kind of says it all...

The Workers Are Few

³⁵ Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸ Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Are you ready to be counted amongst the workers?