A Higher Standard - Romans 2:21

This posting by Howard Trill goes in to the higher standard expected from those who teach God's Word. I grew up in a religion where I saw man made laws that had nothing to do with God's laws. I saw double standards and hypocrisy. As I looked through history, I saw manipulation and corruption. All these things served as a barrier between me and my relationship with God. It wasn't until I truly began studying the bible and learning more about Jesus that my relationship with God changed - and I changed.

The religious elite, spiritual con artists, or anyone else who sets up a barrier between people and the Truth are doing far more than bilking people out of their money. As Howard so aptly points out, they are robbing them of their inheritance in Christ.

Romans 2:21-1 "you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal?"

 Thankfully, we do know that those who teach God's Word will be judged by a higher standard. 

Have you experienced this? Have you ever felt that a "religious" person was setting up barriers between you and Jesus through either their actions or their words? What did that do to your faith? How did you learn the Truth?

Kristina

When God Answers Prayers

Unanswered Prayers - This posting by Pastor Sherry highlights the fact that as long we we trust God and truly believe that He has our best interests at heart, He will work miracles. But Sherry makes a crucial point - He will often wait until the benefit far exceeds just our own personal want to need. When God answers our prayers, many are often impacted in ways we never could have foreseen. Those are God moments.

I prayed for years for God to take my pain away. I am on countless prayer lines, yet my pain continued. In fact it got worse! But now as I look back, God has been using my pain to change me in to the person He needs me to be to have a much bigger impact than I could have possibly imagined. If it were just about taking my physical pain away, that would be the end of the story. But God is leading me down a path that I know will impact many others. I can't wait to see where He leads me!

Do you have moments in your life when God answered your prayers in an amazing way which you never even anticipated? Instead of just impacting your life, how many lives were touched as a result of God's plan?

Kristina

Psalm 51:8-10

Worship: Let the Waters Rise - Mikeschair

I wanted to do a study on guilt because a while back I noticed that I actually felt guilty when I had a couple of decent days pain wise. I actually felt guilty for not trying to go to work just because I was functioning at some level, even though I was still in a great deal of pain and was still on all my pain meds.

Guilt is what has kept me pushing myself to be back at work. Guilt is what has caused me to completely disregard my boundaries. Guilt over not being able to earn a salary; guilt over not being able to do what is needed around the house; guilt over having to sell the home I bought when my dad passed away...

guilt, guilt, and more guilt!

Guilt does not come from God, it is an emotion and a lie that comes from Satan. He knows that when we are stuck in guilt, we cannot serve the Kingdom of God. Jesus died so that I could live without guilt. That  doesn't mean that I am oblivious about the things I do wrong. It does mean that Jesus died so that my sins could be washed away. He was the ultimate sacrifice for my sins. By staying in guilt I am disregarding His great sacrifice for me. Jesus suffered and died so that I didn't have to live with guilt and condemnation! By staying stuck in condemnation, I am saying that Jesus' death meant nothing!

Now, before I go and feel guilty for feeling guilty ;0) this is where daily bible study is so important. By immersing ourselves in God's Word and learning the Truth, we will be better equipped to stand firm against Satan's lies. Satan wants us to stay in the bondage of guilt BUT we have the power of Jesus on our side and because of that we can live in His Truth!

Feeling guilty doesn't make you a better person. Living in guilt doesn't mean that you care more about things. I used to truly believe that by feeling guilty, I was a more caring person. After all, if I didn't feel guilty that meant I didn't care - right? WRONG! We live in a fallen world. Living on earth means living in sin; however, by staying in God's Word, by learning from Jesus' great example, by repenting the moment we sin and RECEIVING God's forgiveness, we are then RELEASED from condemnation, our sins are washed clean through the blood of Jesus, and we are again holy and righteous through Christ. LIVING WITH GUILT IS TO BOW DOWN TO GUILT WHICH IS BOWING DOWN TO SATAN! Satan is the great deceiver. He wants to keep us in bondage through lies and through our feelings. IT IS TIME TO BELIEVE THE TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD INSTEAD OF BELIEVING SATAN'S LIES!!!

It is time for us to ask God to cleanse our hearts, and renew a right persevering and steadfast spirit within us. It is time to leave the city of guilt and live in God's Promised Land.

How has guilt affected your life and your faith? Are you ready to leave the city of guilt?

Kristina

Peace in the Storm

This blog post by Florence really hit me personally. I have come to know Florence well and feel she is a friend. I love her spirit and her faith. She also lives with chronic pain so when she talks about finding peace in the storm, I can absolutely relate. She is right, it is in the storm where we become stronger. If I'm going through an awful time and I am able to find peace through my faith in Jesus, then I will be that much stronger the next time I face trials.

But would God consider me good ground? When I hear the Word, do I understand it? Does my life bear good fruit? Am I being obedient and following God's plan for my life? There are days when I feel so completely in sync with God and being obedient, then there are other days when... well, I'm just not. I guess it's part of the human condition to swing in and out of obedience. But thankfully, the more I study God's Word, the more I learn His amazing Truth, the less time I spend being disobedient. Then, and only then, do I get to experience the awesomeness of being right where He wants me and watching His plan for my life play out with absolute perfection. WOW!

Kristina

Embracing Seasons

I just finished reading Amy Litzelman's blog post on Embracing the Season. First I must say that when I went to her blog I was struck with how beautiful it was. The colors are vibrant and rich. I knew at once this was someone who appreciated beauty and had the talent to bring it to her blog. Secondly, it is very apparent she loves gardening. Her analogy of comparing the seasons in our lives with seasons in nature was very interesting. Evan and I were actually talking a bit about this today; how God talks about the length of certain seasons and how we see them play out through out history.

I then stopped to think about what season I was in. Certainly I am getting older. Being over 50 has some comical and some annoying issues that crop up, i.e. Why do they make the print on bottles so darn small?!? Then there is the season of my health, which continues to cause problems. Am I hanging on to memories of healthier times at the expense of moving forward in life? This is certainly worth taking a closer look at.

What season are you in? Do you like it or are you stuck trying to stay in better times?

Kristina