Posts
A Life of Change
2 Corinthians 5:17
“If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature’ the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”
How well do you like the word change? I mean it can be used in many different contexts: change your outfit, change the sheets, change your hair, change the furniture around, change your attitude, change jobs, etc.
I think for me I embrace it in many areas, but there are those few that I just don’t like, especially if it has to do with changing the inner person I am! The thing is, God did not create us to remain the same; He wants us to be in a continual process of changing and more importantly, changing into a reflection of Him.
Pastor Jim Isakson was our guest speaker this past weekend and he said something that stuck with me, “If you are spiritually the same as you were a year ago, something is wrong, you might be sick.” This is a very big statement to digest, but is so true! There are many scriptures that reference God’s promise of change: to give us a new heart, to give us a new spirit, and as 2 Corinthians 5:17 states, to make us a new creation! Once we come into a relationship with Jesus, we are promised a radical change in our lives. Like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly, beautiful and free from what previously held us down.
This is not an easy process, but a necessary one in our walk so that we might become closer to the Lord and reflect His glory more brilliantly. Start by looking back at where you were spiritually and maybe even physically a year ago. Have you grown? Have you seen blessing and victory in some areas of your life that you never thought possible? If your circumstances haven’t changed much, has your heart and attitude toward them changed?
Change does not always happen quickly and is a constant process. Don’t give up if you desire to change in an area that just hasn’t hatched from the cocoon yet! Thank God for the quick changes and ask Him to strengthen you for the journey through the rest. We will be changing all our lives- until we are home in His glory and perfection, but He is with us every step along the way.
Tomorrow is a new day and you can make a new change. Maybe it is to eat breakfast every day this week and then maybe next week you add to your breakfast a chapter of the bible you haven’t read in a while…..or maybe ever! Maybe you start saying, “I love you” more often to those around you, or maybe you try to actually listen to what your husband or children are saying without interrupting. Whatever it is that you want to see change in your life, start small, start tomorrow, but by all means start it in prayer and START!
On the journey of becoming a beautiful and new creation,
Jenny Loveland
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
6-22-09 How He Loves
How He Loves
I’ve been meditating on a song the last couple of weeks called “How He Loves”.
You see around this time last year I was walking on the clouds having recently been to Lakeland, FL where the Lord just blew my heart wide open.
One of the things He did while I was there was touch me in a place very deep inside of my soul, a place that had been locked up for a very long time. I literally burned for HOURS after this encounter, and although at the time I couldn’t tell you why it was happening, I can now.
I fell in love with Him in the deepest, most profound way I ever have. It RADICALLY CHANGED ME!
But I had to do something first before that could happen, I had to lay ME down. All my pre-conceived ideas, all my hurts, all my anger, all my JUNK!
SO what is the purpose of all of this? I’ve learned in the last year that my first priority is Him. I don’t ever want to lose that first love. My 2nd priority is that it spills over onto every person I come in contact with!
The first verse of the song paints a beautiful picture of what this love is like:
He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane; I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.
And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us so!
WOW! Can you imagine such love? Have you ever experienced such love? Can you imagine what that kind of love can do to a broken and hurting and dying world?
The 2nd verse also paints a beautiful picture of this love:
We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…
He loves us!
This love is available TO ALL of us! No matter where you are or where you’ve been this love is YOURS! It is the very nature and heart of our Daddy!
If you would like to watch an amazing performance of this song click on this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoC1ec-lYps
Before you do though, I want to encourage you to open your heart and allow the Lord to just love on you! Also have some tissue handy!
Have an AMAZING, LOVE FILLED weeks my sisters!
Heather Neil
I’ve been meditating on a song the last couple of weeks called “How He Loves”.
You see around this time last year I was walking on the clouds having recently been to Lakeland, FL where the Lord just blew my heart wide open.
One of the things He did while I was there was touch me in a place very deep inside of my soul, a place that had been locked up for a very long time. I literally burned for HOURS after this encounter, and although at the time I couldn’t tell you why it was happening, I can now.
I fell in love with Him in the deepest, most profound way I ever have. It RADICALLY CHANGED ME!
But I had to do something first before that could happen, I had to lay ME down. All my pre-conceived ideas, all my hurts, all my anger, all my JUNK!
SO what is the purpose of all of this? I’ve learned in the last year that my first priority is Him. I don’t ever want to lose that first love. My 2nd priority is that it spills over onto every person I come in contact with!
The first verse of the song paints a beautiful picture of what this love is like:
He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane; I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.
And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us so!
WOW! Can you imagine such love? Have you ever experienced such love? Can you imagine what that kind of love can do to a broken and hurting and dying world?
The 2nd verse also paints a beautiful picture of this love:
We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…
He loves us!
This love is available TO ALL of us! No matter where you are or where you’ve been this love is YOURS! It is the very nature and heart of our Daddy!
If you would like to watch an amazing performance of this song click on this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoC1ec-lYps
Before you do though, I want to encourage you to open your heart and allow the Lord to just love on you! Also have some tissue handy!
Have an AMAZING, LOVE FILLED weeks my sisters!
Heather Neil
Thursday, June 18, 2009
6-15-09 Jesus our Deliverer
JESUS: OUR DELIVERER
I Corinthians 10:13 "But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it."
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that Jesus has provided a way to escape. To deliver us from those things that stand in our way, that we just can’t seem to plow through. I sometimes find myself asking the Lord, “Why is this happening, I can’t see a light at the end of the tunnel”. As a Christian, that is not TRUTH. Our Father has always provided a way for us to escape. We don’t have to go looking for it, as HE has already provided it. What does that mean? We just have to trust in Him to take care of it. If we give it to Him, it is no longer our problem.
We live in a fallen world and life will never be perfect as long as we live. The key is where and in whom do we trust. My Dad used to always say, “what C are you trusting in? Christ or Circumstances”. I can’t tell you how many times in my life I have said that little saying to myself and it has gotten me through.
God doesn’t always remove the temptation or the obstacle, BUT He ALWAYS provides the way through, around or over it.
Jesus, as our deliverer offers more than deliverance from whatever is holding us back. With the deliverance comes freedom. I can remember the first time I truly felt FREE and delivered. It was as though I had received Christ all over again. I felt washed clean. Sometimes I have to remind myself, that this “thing” no longer has a control over me… that just offers the freedom feeling again. What an awesome Father and Savior we have!
Love, Cheryl
I Corinthians 10:13 "But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it."
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that Jesus has provided a way to escape. To deliver us from those things that stand in our way, that we just can’t seem to plow through. I sometimes find myself asking the Lord, “Why is this happening, I can’t see a light at the end of the tunnel”. As a Christian, that is not TRUTH. Our Father has always provided a way for us to escape. We don’t have to go looking for it, as HE has already provided it. What does that mean? We just have to trust in Him to take care of it. If we give it to Him, it is no longer our problem.
We live in a fallen world and life will never be perfect as long as we live. The key is where and in whom do we trust. My Dad used to always say, “what C are you trusting in? Christ or Circumstances”. I can’t tell you how many times in my life I have said that little saying to myself and it has gotten me through.
God doesn’t always remove the temptation or the obstacle, BUT He ALWAYS provides the way through, around or over it.
Jesus, as our deliverer offers more than deliverance from whatever is holding us back. With the deliverance comes freedom. I can remember the first time I truly felt FREE and delivered. It was as though I had received Christ all over again. I felt washed clean. Sometimes I have to remind myself, that this “thing” no longer has a control over me… that just offers the freedom feeling again. What an awesome Father and Savior we have!
Love, Cheryl
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
