New in You

     I’ve been thinking about the New Year we’re all about to face. I know for many of us 2014 was a difficult year.Some faced the loss of work or the loss of a loved one, or major sickness.   From a personal standpoint in my life and ministry it has been a year of transition and many questions.  Some questions answered but still have many.  If it were not for the strength of the Lord, my family, friends and my church family I don’t know what I would have done.

     Well, that is all behind me now and I am looking forward to 2015!  My husband and I always do the 21 Day Daniel Fast at the beginning of the year.  I am believing to get greater understanding of several things during this fast. As we face going into a new year I’d like to encourage you to allow the Lord to do some new things in your life.  It's time to move forward! Some of you might be comfortable with you life. To that I say, the Lord loves us too much to allow us to remain as we are. We need to always be growing in some area of our life. Others of you may be fed up with life, disillusioned, even fearful.  For some of you there’s been a dream that you’ve held in your heart for years but you just don’t see it happening. Hold on, you might be delayed, but you are still destined!

     Now let’s look at some new possibilities for 2015.

New Pursuits

“There are many plans in a man's heart, nevertheless the LORD'S counsel-- that will stand.”  Proverbs 19:21

     God might lead you to a new job position. He might send you back to school for some more training. Ask the Lord what he wants to do with your life.  If you’re a Christian maybe he’s calling you into ministry or to go on a mission trip. Be open to new ideas in the New Year. Get your steel-toed shoes ready…. It might be that you need to change some of your relationships that are leading you down a wrong path. In the bible it says, “Don't be fooled by those who say such things, for "bad company corrupts good character."  1 Corinthians 15:33 NLT - You have more worth than you realize. Don’t let yourself be dragged down by those who are on a destructive path in life.

New Reputation
"Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.” Isaiah 54:4

     Perhaps you’ve failed in some area of your life.  Have you done something that brought you shame?  It can all be made new when you call upon the Lord. I could share some stories with you about how God has turned some things around in my life!  To my brothers and sisters in prison- Continue to seek the Lord he will give you a fresh start!

New Heart
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3

     Has your heart been wounded, broken and shattered? Maybe your heart has been so hardened that you feel you just can’t reach out to others or allow people to reach out to you. If you will ask the Lord, he will give you a new heart.  Look at this scripture – “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” - Ezekiel 36:26

New Beginnings
“And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.” Col 3:10

     If you life has been full of rejection, pain, abuse, addictions and failure, whatever – God wants to give you a new life, a new beginning. I can testify to the reality of having my life taken out of the gutter and being made brand new. My life was such a mess at one time that I am in awe that the Lord has changed my life as He has.

     Friend, if you have tried everything else and it hasn’t worked, perhaps it’s time to give things over to the Lord. I know he will help you live in a new way. He will give you hope. If you will just surrender to him, he has a good plan for your life.  “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

     Once again I must share with you one of my favorite scriptures –  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”  2 Corinthians 5:17

     In our next blog post we will take a deeper look into the idea of moving forward and what might hinder us from doing so.

     Until next time, have a most Blessed New Year!

Christmas Hope Embraced

     I was in my first year semester at Florida Beacon Bible College in Largo, Fl. (Over 30 years ago) Christmas break was upon us and everyone was getting to go home except me.  But then one of my dorm mates was going home to Hershey, Pa. offered to let me ride with her and we could take a day to go see my family in NJ.  Now Julia came from a strong Mennonite family and they took me in just as one of their daughters… even gave me chores to do.
     On Christmas morning I was hit with the reality of being with this family and not home.  I just couldn't get out of the bed with the thought of intruding upon this family's Christmas. My friend Julia kept telling me to get up, but I stayed in bed.  Finally her father poked his head in and said; “Young lady get up now!”  I was up fast.
     The family sat together to read the Christmas story from the book of Luke and pray. Then their father reached under the tree to hand out gifts to whoever’s name was on the gift.  The gift was placed in front of them to wait until all the gifts were handed out so that each person could be focused on individually. I watched as each person started getting a pile in front of them. Suddenly, I heard “Cindy”… And I heard it several more times. I ended up with a pile as big as the others.

     An overwhelming feeling of love, acceptance & forgiveness from God and this family flooded my whole being! I didn't know whether to laugh, cry or run and hide. I was blessed & humbled beyond words. I didn’t have anything to give them but they gave me more than just material things. They gave me hope and began the healing process in my life!
     My birthday happens to be December 27 and they have a daughter whose birthday is December 29. She was having some of her young adult friends from college and church over for a birthday dinner.  Again they surprised with the birthday cake having both of our names on it, and not only the family but this girl's friends handed me birthday gifts. Again, what an overwhelming sense of love!

     God was using this family to teach me that He loves accepts and forgives me. From that day on I vowed to God that I would do whatever I could to show people His love acceptance and forgiveness. 
     It gets even better!  Little did I know that one day God would place me in a church family whose motto is “Come visit us at Longview Church of God where you will be greeted with unconditional love, acceptance and forgiveness.” 
     This is just one story out of my testimony. Maybe someday I will share the whole story.  God has brought me a very long wait these past 30 years and He's still working on me. I'm so glad he doesn't give up on us! To God be the glory!!!

Integrity Matters

         Well this thought has been rolling around in my spirit for the past few days so I finally decided to share it. It’s about a particular word and it’s definition is often not fully understood. This word often became a a subject of strong discussion, especially in our Ministry or  Biblical Leadership classes. The word? INTEGRITY…

     One question that kept surfacing was, “Why is that so many pastors, church & ministry leaders are lacking in this area?”  By the way, my former students agreed that integrity should be a strong character trait for any Christian, not just leaders.  Another question asked was, “Why do so many people not follow through with doing things they said they would do?” That leads to distrust.

     The dictionary definition of integrity is: the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.  SYNONYMS: honesty, rectitude, honor, good character, principle(s), ethics,morals, righteousness, morality, virtue, decency, fairness, scrupulousness, sincerity, truthfulness, trustworthiness.  "I never doubted his integrity"

"He is known to be a man of integrity"

     Look at Proverbs 11:3 -  The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.

     Dr.Richard J. Krejcir says “The (character of integrity exhibits the obedience and practice of the moral code of ethics, morals, values, and precepts from God's Word. In practice, integrity will produce honor, truth, and reliability. It will allow one to keep his or her word and do the best even when no one else is aware. This is essential for deeper relationships, and of course for developing other people's confidence in you and Christianity.”

     I totally agree with that statement!  So, now that you know a little more about the word integrity.  Make sure you can follow through with the promises you make to others before speaking them out.

     This post is by no means a complete study on this subject, rather just a little something to chew on, especially during the Christmas season when so many promises are made and not kept.

     In closing, I am not sure if I will get another post on before Christmas, so if not… I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

Comforted by the Lord

     Wow! The busy month of December has begun! But for some it’s a month of pain. Some have lost loved ones due to death. Some have been through the pain of separation and divorce, or having a child go wayward. This time of year often brings painful things to people. However, there is hope. God through his son Jesus wants to bring comfort to your life during this season. Once again let’s use an acronym to see how we can receive God’s comfort in our lives.

Cares – “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

    We must cast all of our cares on the Lord. Despite what you may feel or what others have told you, God does care for you. But it requires faith and trust to believe that.

Omniscient – “When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then You knew my path. In the way in which I walk...” Psalms 142:3

     The word “omniscient” means, “all knowing.” God knows everything from the beginning to the end. He knows the paths our lives will travel. As I have often heard preachers say, “Nothing comes to our lives that doesn’t first go through the hand of God.” His grace and his all knowing can be trusted to carry us through any situation.

Meditate - "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Joshua 1:8

     One of the best things we can do to receive the comfort of the Lord is to daily read the bible. Did you know that the book of Psalms is the most read book of the bible? Why? Because David shows that he is human, which we can all relate to. Many of his psalms start off with a trial but he always end with giving praise to God for providing a way out of troubling situations. W can do the same. Things may look bleak, but if we will hide God’s word in our heart, the praises will begin to flow from our lips before all is said and done.

Faith -  “… if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20

     Do you see that? Even if your faith is as small as a mustard seed it is enough to move mountains. So don’t accept the lie from the devil that your faith is too little to do receive strength and comfort from God. Put to use what you have and the Lord will multiply it

Omnipotent – “Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; his understanding is infinite.”Psalms 147:5     Here we see another interesting word. Omnipotent means “all powerful.” God is more powerful than anything else in the world.  When you find yourself feeling weak and defeated ask God to show up in his power to remedy things as only he can do.

Rest –"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matt. 11:28

     What an offer! Jesus was telling us in this verse that if we will give him all of our burdens, he would give us his rest. That’s a great promise to hold on to when the going gets tough.

Trust – “5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

     This may be a familiar scripture but it is so true. If we lean on our understanding we will mess things up every time. No matter how difficult this season is, make an effort to trust the Lord. Trust him that he will help you with the pain, with the memories, with whatever it is that you need in your life right now.

     All of this takes me back another familiar scriptures found in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

“3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

     Oh my friend, how the Lord wants to comfort you! He wants to comfort you so that you have peace and are comforted. But, he also wants to comfort you so that someday you will be able to share that same comfort with someone who crosses your path and is need of healing from the scars of life.

     In closing, I don’t negate the pain you’re experiencing. But, I want to encourage you that it’s the end. God wants you to move forward with your life. He wants to heal you of your pain so that you can be his instrument of comfort to someone else along the way in your journey. Be encouraged, the best is yet ahead!

Abiding in the Rush

     When most people read John 15:1-14 they usually end up talking about bearing fruit for the kingdom of God.  That is an important principle for us to live by.  If we’re true disciples of Jesus Christ we should desire to bear much fruit for the sake of the Gospel.

However, as I read this recently I had a different perspective on it.

      In this passage in John 15 two verses in particular stood out to me. The first is in verse 5, which says, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” As I read this I thought about how we all are in the “rush mode” getting ready for Christmas. The Lord spoke to my heart through this and reminded me that we must keep our focus on God, his Word and his son, Jesus -the reason for the season.  Maintain this focus will help us be less stressed with more opportunity to bear fruit for the Lord.

     Understanding that in this passage Jesus is the Vine we’re to abide in, let’s see what we can learn about abiding in the Vine. I have made an acrostic of the word “abide” from which we can glean five principles of abiding. Apply Build Involve Deny Examine.

Apply – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  2 Timothy 2:15KJV - If we’re going to walk in tune with the Lord, we’re going to have to know his word. I don’t mean that you have to be a scholar or read twenty-five chapters a day. Just be consistent to read something from the bible everyday.

Build – 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians  5:22-23   Ask the Lord to help you build these qualities in your life. They will certainly be helpful in the crowded stores! (smile)

Involve – 46And day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. Acts 2:46-47NAS  The believers in the early church stayed in close contact encouraging each other and they were committed to involvement in their local church.

Deny – “Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”  Matthew 16:24 Again, if we keep Jesus first in our life, and think of others more than ourselves, we’ll be less apt to growl back at another tired shopper.

Examine –“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?-- unless indeed you are disqualified.”  2 Corinthians 13:5 We must regularly take inventory of our lives to make sure that we’re living in righteousness.

     Earlier I mentioned two verses that stood out in John 15. We looked at verse 5. Now let’s look at verse 11.   John 15:11 - "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”  “These things” refer to the scriptures Jesus just share in verses 1- 10. So, what Jesus is saying to us is that if we abide in him we will have JOY.  What a promise to hold on to for the rest of this month! The stress of shopping, the pain of being alone, missing a loved one, financial strain, etc.  As we abide in Jesus in the midst of it all we can still have joy in our heart.

Be encouraged my friend.  Even in the stresses of life, even in the rush of the holiday we can call on the grace of God to strengthen us as we abide in him. If you are struggling, pray the following: “Lord, I am hurting, I am tired, I feel so alone. Please send your Spirit, the comforter to come alongside me. Help me to focus on you so that I may have joy in this season of celebrating the birth of your Son.  In Jesus name, amen.”

     Until next time, I pray that you are filled to overflowing with the joy and love of the Lord!

Trials and Hope

     I've been thinking about the many people I've talked with recently who are going through intense trials. Some are financial, some are health related...some have relationship issues, some battle addictions.... The bottom line is that the closer we get to the end the spiritual warfare will be greater bc Satan knows his end is coming & he wants to take as many with him as possible. 
     None of us are exempt from these trials. But here's the good news. If you are born-again, have repented of your sin & made a decision to surrender your life to Jesus Christ, you have hope! Hebrews 6:19 says; "This hope we have as anchor of the soul, both sure & steadfast...." What a promise to hold on to! He will take care of us & make a way where there seems to be no way.
     

     Lastly, 2 Corinthians 5:17 - "....if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed; behold all things have become new." So, I am not a recovering anything, I am delivered! Praise God! I am a new creation in Jesus! You can be also, just ask Jesus to come into your life, ask for forgiveness if your sin & Jesus will cleanse you & make you a new person! And you won't have to go through life's trials alone! Love you guys!!!!

What Kind of Soil are You?

     I’ve been thinking a lot lately about being willing to fully receive the Word of God... to receive all that He tells us.  I don’t want to let anything or anyone steal the word that God has put in me. From this point on anytime you see the phrase “the word” I am referring to the scriptures found in the bible. That caused me to think about the “Parable of the Sower” found in Matthew 13:3-8 & 18-23

     What is a parable?  Briefly stated, it is a story shared to conceal or reveal a spiritual truth

Today we look at the four different soils that can be in our heart when receiving the Word of God.

Wayside - Indifferent Hearer – "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.  Matthew 13:19

     This hearer can be one of two people. He is like an unsaved person who comes in, hears the truth but is unwilling to accept it.  Or it’s the person who doesn’t take the Word of God seriously & just lay it lay there.  They only want to accept what they want from the bible. The seed has no chance to take root so the birds come snatch it.

Stony Ground - Emotional Hearer – “20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.” Matthew 13:20-21 (emphasis mine)

     Look at how these verses describe this hearer. He has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the Word, immediately he stumbles.  I looked up the Greek definition of the word “stumbles and it comes from a word that means, “offended.” These are hearers who are offended at the word of God. They don’t want to accept the truth that is being spoken. They are also “emotion driven”, meaning that when difficulties come along they give in the turmoil instead of turning to God.
Thorns - Double Minded Hearer – "Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.”  Matthew 13:22

     When thorns and briars overtake an area, it proves unfruitful. The stuff underneath can’t grow like it should. The word has to compete against what the hearer thinks is right for himself instead of what the Lord is saying. Perhaps they were sincere at first, but later being committed to the word became an inconvenience. They have some understanding of the word, but too many things pulling at them because they allow sin to remain in their heart. One pastor said; “The sins that are allowed to stay in the harbor of the heart will surely manifest themselves, although they may be out of sight for a time, like thorns covered by the passing plough.”  They struggle because they’re still holding on to their “pet sins”. They want God in their life but they also want to do what they want to do. In James 1:14 it says it this way, "Each person is tempted when …enticed by his own desire." (Emphasis mine)

Good Soil - Honest Hearer – "But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." Matthew 13:23

     Look at he characteristics of this hearer. 1) He hears – In other words he allows the seed of the word to go into the soil of his heart. He lets the seed be planted. 2) He understands –meaning he takes time to meditate on and study the word. This is how the germination of the seed takes place.  3) Bears Fruit – This means he applies the truth received and walks it out in his life. He is doer and not a hearer only. (James 1:23)  In spite of scorching, weeds, and the trial the seed survives or if you will, endures. He is not offended by the word. Yes, it may hurt at times but if we are truly God’s children we must expect discipline at times. He is our Heavenly Father and he desires that we grow more and more into the likeness of his son Jesus Christ. “A heart that has been ploughed & torn by the Spirit of God. Here the weeds & thorns have been cut up at the roots and gathered out. The heart that is truly anxious for spiritual things has no room for the cares and riches that hinder the one thing needful.” – (Pastor James Smith) And of course the one thing needful is Jesus Christ.

     The seed sown in good ground endures and it yields fruit.  Some 100 fold, some 60 fold, and    some 30 fold. What does this mean? It means that some will bear more fruit; the key is that we bear fruit at all. Most of us will never bear the fruit that Billy Graham has borne. But we should bear some sort of fruit if we're truly a disciple of Jesus.

     In closing, let me encourage you to examine the soil of your heart. Ask the Lord to show you if you have wayside, stony or thorny places in your heart that need to be plowed and cleared out by the Holy Spirit. It may hurt. It’s okay. Let the Holy Spirit have his way. You will be better person for it in the end. Until next time, keep the seed of the word growing in your heart so that you can produce some wonderful fruit for the Kingdom of God.