Month: January 2014

Spend Your Life on Jesus

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Greater love has no person than this; to lay down their life for their friends,~John 15:13.

It’s easy to get caught up in this life, which is the shortest amount of time we will live. In comparison to eternity it’s a millisecond, if not smaller. What matters most in life is did we love God, and did we love other people? Did we use the gifts, talents, skills given us for the glory of God?

We are God’s investment.

The world screams, “What about me? What’s in it for me? How will this affect me?”

God is whispering to our souls, “I love you, but it’s not about you. It’s about what I want to do through you to bless the world.”

The greatest enemy of purpose and of love is selfishness. When we focus on ourselves we cannot focus on Jesus. He said, “Your lives are not your own but were purchased with My blood.” It cost God greatly to save us, and He wants to use us to be a blessing to other people.

God is generous, kind, loving, forgiving, compassionate, hopeful, encouraging, truthful, and loves ALL people with a sacrificial love.

If we don’t have love for others that moves us to do something, we can go back to the source of love. God is love. Only when we are filled with Him can we pour out. It’s about love. It’s not about me or you or our agendas. It’s about heaven’s agenda.

If love costs us nothing. It means nothing.

Some think in heaven we will be floating around on clouds, yet the Bible says we will co-reign with Christ. There will be crowns and awards given for various reasons. We will have assignments. What we do here matters more than we can imagine.

We don’t serve God to get from Him, we serve out of love for Him. He in turn will not be out given. It doesn’t mean our lives will be easy. It does mean God rewards faithfulness.

Closing Prayer:

Father reduce us to love. May the world know us by our love. Help us to love like You! Help us to use everything You’ve given for Your glory. May we stay in Your face until we are transformed into the image of Your Son. We become like what we worship. Help us to worship You in Spirit and in truth. Take our eyes and fix them firmly on You! May our hearts break for what breaks Yours. Liberate us from selfishness. In Jesus Mighty name, Amen.

God is Sovereign

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Life can be challenging at times. I spent most of Sunday afternoon in the Emergency Room with my family. It was a day of prayer and contending for a miracle. I’ve had many days like that; I’m knocking on heavens door, asking God for help. I can’t live without Him. Thankful my family member is alive and we are praying for complete healing! Praise God. He is able!

Do you find yourself asking in your circumstances, why God? I found this on Pinterest and it was so encouraging. I hope it blesses you this week. Praying for you. You are so deeply loved (John 3:16).

Why God?

Me: God, can I ask you a question? God: Sure
Me: Promise you won’t get mad?
God: I promise
Me: Why did you let so much bad stuff happen to me today?
God: What do you mean?
Me: Well, I woke up late
God: Yes
Me: My car took forever to start
God: Okay
Me: At lunch they made my sandwich wrong and I had to wait
God: Hmm
Me: On the way home, my phone went dead, just as I picked up a call
God: Alright
Me: And on top of that, when I got home, I just wanted to soak my feet in my new foot massager and relax. But it wouldn’t work! Nothing went right today! Why did you do that?
God: Let me see. The death angel was at your bed this morning and I had to send one of My Angels to battle him for your life. I let you sleep through that
Me (humbled): oh
God: I didn’t let your car start because there was a drunk driver on your route that would have hit you if you were on the road
Me: (ashamed)
God: The first person to make you sandwich today was sick and I didn’t want you to catch what they have, I know you couldn’t afford to miss work Me (embarrassed): Okay
God: Your phone went dead because the person that was calling you was going to give false witness about what you said on the call, I didn’t even let you talk to them so you would be covered
Me (softly): I see God
God: Oh and that foot massager, it had a shortage that was going to throw out all the power on your house tonight. I didn’t think you wanted to be in the dark
Me: I’m sorry God
God: Don’t be sorry, just learn to trust Me. In All things, the good and the bad
Me: I will trust You God
God: And don’t doubt that My plan for your day is Always better than your plan
Me: I won’t God. And let me just tell you God, thank you for everything today
God: You are welcome My child. It was just another day being your God and I love looking after My children.

The Sacrifice of Jesus

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Isaiah 53:2-10 (Amplified Bible)

For [the Servant of God] grew up before Him like a tender plant, and like a root out of dry ground; He has no form or comeliness [royal, kingly pomp], that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him.

He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men, a Man of sorrows and pains, and acquainted with grief and sickness; and like One from Whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him.

Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy].

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.

All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has made to light upon Him the guilt and iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed, [yet when] He was afflicted, He was submissive and opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth.

By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who among them considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living [stricken to His death] for the transgression of my [Isaiah’s] people, to whom the stroke was due?

And they assigned Him a grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in His death, although He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth.

Yet it was the will of the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief and made Him sick. When You and He make His life an offering for sin [and He has risen from the dead, in time to come], He shall see His [spiritual] offspring, He shall prolong His days, and the will and pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.

This passage from Isaiah is long. I encourage you to read it and come back to it later in a quiet time with the Lord. Jesus did not live this glamorous life where everyone loved and adored Him. He suffered. He suffered greatly. He sacrificed all that He was for His Father and for you and me. There is no greater love than this!

Can you think of anyone in your life who would give up paradise to be born into poor beginnings? Can you think of anyone who would bypass pleasure for pain? Can you think of anyone who would give their life for yours knowing you are guilty? I know a good deal of people that are unwilling to be inconvenienced, let alone suffer or sacrifice for others. It’s human nature to preserve ourselves and minimize pain.

Jesus gave up the right to live without pain.

Jesus sacrificed His dignity to reclaim ours.

Jesus sacrificed having His own way to do the will of the Father.

Jesus sacrificed His life to save our lives!

Jesus sacrificed His time, energy, and often His reputation to minister to broken, hurting, lost, and sinful people!

The point of today’s post: Real love costs you something!

If we are to follow Jesus, it will cost us to walk in love. It costs us pride to forgive and offer grace and extend mercy. It costs us energy and time to pour into and invest in the lives of others. It requires dying to self to bless those who have hurt, abused, rejected, or neglected you. Walking with Jesus is a continual dying to self.

When I want to throw in the towel on this loving people thing, I am reminded that saving my life cost Jesus everything. We love people to honor God, because He first loved us. Without love, we are just making noise. Without love, we cannot say we know God. Without love, we are not operating by His Spirit. God is love. If it costs us nothing, it means nothing.

Next post we will talk about the boundaries of Jesus. He wasn’t a people pleaser, co-dependent, and He rebuked people as well. He was not led by the people; He did only what He saw the Father doing. He lived a sacrificial life for a purpose.

As we start 2014, may we be transformed by God’s unfailing love! We must receive His great love for us before we can give it away.

Happy New Year!!!

Erin

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