The Presence of Jesus!

December 7, 2013November 2, 2014Leave a comment

Photo Credit: Worship University

Wherever Jesus went, there was some kind of stirring. His very presence shifted atmospheres.

Jesus went about doing good, preaching the Gospel, mingling with outcasts, inviting people to be His disciples, forgiving sins, healing the sick, raising the dead, and ministering to the broken hearted.

(Matthew 4:23 NKJV) And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.

(Matthew 14:14 NKJV) And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.

One touch from Jesus does so much:

One of my favorite stories about Jesus was the healing of the woman with the issue of blood. For years she suffered emotionally and physically. To touch her would make you ceremonially unclean. She made her way through the crowds and when she touched the hem of His garment, she was made whole.

(Luke 8:47 NKJV) Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.

It only took one touch from the hem of His garment.

Inviting Jesus in; expecting things to change:

The Presence of God can change a circumstance or person in one second. What we could not do on our own, He can accomplish without effort. God is beyond amazing. The same Jesus who healed the sick, raised the dead, forgave our sins, delivered us from evil, is alive today.

He gave those who believe in Him the ability to go boldly before the Father. He invites us into relationship, fellowship, and intimacy. He wants to be invited into our lives and for us to believe things will change.

If our circumstances don’t turn out the way we think they should, we can trust God will strengthen us or change us through our circumstances. He works for good, not evil.

Relationship with God:

If our relationship with God is limited to the information a Pastor gives us on Sunday, it may be more difficult to have a flourishing relationship with Him. He longs for a personal relationship with every person. He longs to commune with us. If we only talk to someone once a week for a few minutes, it’s much different than if we spoke with them daily. We don’t earn brownie points by pursuing God as He’s pursuing us. We will see change in our lives from walking closely with Him.

I believe the greatest gift aside from forgiveness of sins is to enjoy God! Yes, enjoy Him. He’s not boring, stale, or stuffy. He is delightful, filled with wisdom and insight, full of joy and hope, a great encourager, and life with Him is a glorious adventure! There’s nothing like His presence.

This Christmas season I pray our hearts are soft to the presence of Jesus. He is the best gift the world has ever received. May we seek His presence more than His presents. For encountering Jesus is life changing!

God-The Promise Keeper

October 28, 2013November 2, 20144 Comments

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clipart (text added by Over app)

The Call of Abram

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

“I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there,~Genesis 12:1-5.

Can you imagine what it would be like to be Abraham? You are in your mid 70s, childless, and God promises to make you a great nation. He’s also asking you to leave what you know and go someplace new. I don’t know about you, but I might start asking questions…

Have you questioned God’s promises for your life?

Have you ever questioned what He was asking you to do?

Have you ever doubted His promises for your life or your loved ones?

Have you ever looked at your circumstances and then dismissed God’s promises for you?

Have you clung to a promises for what seems like an eternity and wondered if God forgot you?

Have you ever been discouraged because you felt as though God was handing out gifts and blessings to everyone but you?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, know God is 100 percent faithful and understands better than you do how you feel. He knows we are human and prone to doubt Him. Trust develops over time. We learn to trust through relationship. It’s impossible to trust someone we are not close to or don’t know well.

God offers us relationship through His Son. We are invited into a deep, personal, and intimate relationship. It’s not only learning about God, it’s about knowing Him personally. He gave us His Spirit so we could know Him in greater ways. It’s more than reading about Him in His Word; it’s getting to know the Author.

God is faithful to keep His Word. He cannot lie. The promises God made to Abraham are just one example. God made so many promises that were fulfilled in scripture. God kept and keeps His word 100 percent of the time. He’s also made promises to me and to you through His Son Jesus and His Word.

What can we learn about God from Abraham?

God kept His promise even though Abraham and Sarah decided to bypass His plan. They grew tired of waiting on God and tried to make the promises of heirs come via Hagar. Their decision has impacted the world in so many negative ways. Sarah did not believe God, and we probably wouldn’t either. She and Abraham were way past the years of having kids! Today we’d say it was medically impossible. However, when God makes a promise-He keeps His Word.

God specializes in miracles! He can do anything He wants. When He makes a promise, you can bet your life on His ability to make it happen. Just look at Jesus and you see a miracle! Jesus was born to virgin. He resurrected from the dead. He healed the sick, raised the dead, and so much more. God is beyond able.

From My Heart to Yours

July 23, 2013Leave a comment

The reason I began writing was to express my heart to God. I never imagined I would write a book or write for three blogs. Knowing God, not simply knowing about Him, has been my desire since I was a child. God is beyond amazing. I don’t know of anyone worth more devotion or worship. So, here’s the intro from I Thought I Knew What Love Was. I hope it inspires you to dive deeper into the depths of God’s heart. He loves you, and He longs to be with you more than you could ever want to be with Him.

I Thought I Knew What Love Was is a series of poems and reflections about God, about life, and about life with God. Over the years, the view of God has changed. He has broken out of every box in which He was placed. His love transforms all other loves into what they were meant to be. Once we receive His love, we view the love of others so differently. He changes our worldview as we receive more of Him. His love is the foundation for the truest, purest love. His love is the glue that holds all other loves together. His love is the most amazing of all loves. The title of this book should be I Thought I Knew Who Love Was. Love is who God is. It is impossible to understand even a fraction of who He is without first looking at love. Our human love may fail, but God’s love does not fail.

I have found that love is a journey, not a destination. I will never say I have God or love all figured out. Until I meet Him face to face, He will continue to remain a bit mysterious. I also cannot say the love in my heart can even compare to His. I am simply learning day by day how to pour out what He pours in. What I can tell you is that walking with Him is an adventure. He is better than any person I have met. He is kind, compassionate, gracious, a gentleman, truthful, and always seeks our best. He loves justice and truth. He loves people. So if you have not encountered the love of God, I pray these poems speak to you. He loves you. It isn’t based on what you do, or fail to do. He simply loves you. If you invite Him into your heart and into your life, you won’t regret it.

Yes, life will still present challenges, but now you can face them with the most powerful being in the Universe. You will have a friend who sticks closer than a brother. He will bring about the internal changes in your life as you submit your life to Him. The more I grow to know Him, the more I realize that I say, “Yes” and He does all the hard work. I can always depend on Him to provide what is needed.

If you’ve already met Him and invited Him into your heart, I pray you are encouraged to dive in a little further. God wants to wow you. He wants to surprise you. He wants to stand by you. He longs to continue His pursuit of your heart. He never grows tired of being with you. He never wants the flame in your heart for Him to go out.

So here’s to you, the reader. I am praying for you. I hope you will never forget that you are deeply loved.

You’re not an Orphan

July 14, 2013July 16, 20132 Comments

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine,~Isaiah 43:1b.

Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: you are of more value than many sparrows,~Luke 12:6-7.

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.“~Jeremiah 1:5.

I will start out by saying you cannot know who you are and your purpose in life without knowing God. He is the Creator of all things. Nothing we see would exist without Him. He holds it all together. Though He gives humans the right to choose, He is still Sovereign. You are here because God allowed you to be here.

“Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down? Who holds the wind in his fists? Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak? Who has created the whole wide world? What is his name–and his son’s name? Tell me if you know!” Proverbs 30:4.

God knows why you were born, and He has a great plan for your life (Jeremiah 29:11). You are not an orphan (without a father or parent). You are an extension of His heart and His plan. Even if your earthly mother or father forsake you, God never will (Psalm 27:10). You must forsake Him. He doesn’t send anyone to hell, if we end up there, we chose to live life without Him. Without holiness (salvation) no person can enter heaven. He’s a loving Father who says, “I made you for Me. Come be with Me. You are invited to enter into My Royal Family. Everything I have, I want to share with you. I want you to be united with Me. I gave My Son so you can be set free. I want to give you life abundantly.”

You are invited to belong to Someone great. I heard someone say, “When God looks at the earth He sees two groups of people, repentant and unrepentant. He loves them both. He, like the Prodigal son’s father, is working to bring lost sons and daughters home.” It’s true. God wants you! You were created to be united with Him for eternity. He longs for you. Many are deceived or willingly reject Him, which I am sure hurts His heart. No parent likes to see their child headed for destruction.

God hates what’s aimed at destroying us, sin is aimed at destroying us. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). The devil wants to take as many people as he can to hell with him. His fate is sealed, there is no redemption for him. He will burn in the lake of fire being tortured for eternity. He hates people, for humans can be redeemed. Humans can be saved. Humans can worship and love God. Humans are the recipients of God’s grace, love, and made in His image.

So, dear friends, if you want to know who you are, why you were born, who your Father is, go to God. If you want to know your purpose, go to God. He knows all, sees all, and has a great plan for your life. If we want to know the purpose of something, we ask the One who made it. You are of Divine Design. Don’t allow the world or even your own thoughts to define who you are. God is perfect and I am certain His thoughts towards you and your life will exceed your expectations. You are and will always be, deeply loved.

If you have not accepted the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, I invite you to come find life. God longs to bless you. He says, “No matter where you have been or what you have done. I paid for it all.” If that’s you and you want to know God, follow along in this prayer with me.

Prayer for salvation:

God I confess that I am a sinner. I have done things to grieve Your heart and sought to live life my own way. I believe that you sent Your Son Jesus to pay the price for all my sins. I place my faith and trust in You. I ask for Your forgiveness for all my sins, and I invite You into My life. I want to commit my life to You and turn from the life I’ve been living. In Jesus name.

If you sincerely prayed that prayer, know heaven is rejoicing. Heaven celebrates every single time we repent (say God is right and decide we don’t want sin in our lives). If you sincerely prayed this prayer, expect life changes. Find a Gospel centered church and get connected. Pick up a Bible and start reading it. I recommend starting in the New Testament and asking God to speak to you through His word. Start praying, talking to God. You can comment here if you want more information. Know that being in God’s family is a tremendous blessing. God LOVES you!

You can find more resources and teachings on what it means to be in Christ on my devotional blog (http://morena242.wordpress.com). Whatever you choose in life, I hope you choose Jesus! He is the way, the truth, and the life. God bless you.

Things my father taught me about God

May 1, 20139 Comments

In thinking about Papa (father God), I have been pondering my earthly father and what he taught me about God. My dad is one of those people who can’t go anywhere (I mean anywhere) without reaching out to love someone, offer to pray for someone, or sharing the Gospel. I watch him in awe because he is the opposite of timid. I spent most of my youth following him around. He was a Chaplin. So, when he went to the hospital to pray for the sick, I went too. Our home was always open to strangers. My parents visited and welcomed in the poor, sick, orphaned, widows, the hated, and even their enemies. Before I was born they lost their oldest son. He was murdered by his best friend. The man who killed him never served a day in jail. I saw my parents love the man who took their son away. I saw my dad offer him not just the opportunity to know God, but love.

My dad doesn’t just preach the Gospel, he tries to live it. He is not perfect, but here are some things he did and does that are exactly what God the Father has done.

Adopted into a new family. I was adopted. My dad gave me his name. I have all the same rights and privileges of the other children. He treats me no differently. He honors, respects, loves, and adores me. I am his child. God adopts us into His family.

Bragging rights. My dad embarrasses me at times with his constant bragging and campaigning for what I do. If I do something, he tells all his friends, the people at the bank, and sometimes strangers. He is my biggest cheerleader. God is our biggest cheerleader.

Merciful, forgiving, and kind. I watched my dad love the man who stole from him. I watched him extend love to people who hated him. He is merciful and kind to all people. God is merciful and kind to all people.

Faithful. My family’s motto was this, “Your word is your bond.” My dad (though not perfect) attempts to keep his word. He was faithful to my mom and family. He was faithful to his job while working. He has been a faithful pastor for over 43 years. He has been faithful through hard times, and I’ve never heard him complain. God is 100% faithful. He keeps His word.

Generous. If you were ever to visit my dad, you would leave with something. He cannot help himself. He will find something to cook for you. He will give to you even when he needs it more. When I go visit, I don’t have to beg him to do something or have something. All he has, he offers to me. And if you ask him, he will tell you, “Take what you want.” He is not just generous to those who are related to him, he’s generous to everyone. God is even more generous.

Protector and provider. This goes along with being generous, but my dad has always been a protector and provider. He cares for his own and the rights of others. God is a Protector and Provider. No good thing will He withhold from those who love Him.

Cares for the sick, widows, and orphans. I went to visit my dad last Christmas, and I was exhausted by the time I got home. He had to visit the sick, orphans, widows,etc…I am not sure how I am more tired than he is. God gives each person the grace to do what He has called them to do. God cares about the poor, sick, widows, and orphans.

Every single detail. My dad cares about every single detail of my life. He wants to talk every day if he can. I hate talking on the phone, but he is the exception. He is interested in my life. He has kept every single drawing I did in school. Every single one, all the way back to kindergarten. God is even more interested in your life. He cares about everything! God has your life recorded in His heart.

Loving sinners. My dad is an evangelist. He will share the Gospel with anyone. His motives are to love people. He loves sinners. He wants to see people reconciled to God. Our heavenly Father is the same way. He is actively pursuing the lost. He is looking for the prodigal to come home. Our Dad (Papa) loves sinners.

Loved despite behavior. I only remember one time getting in trouble with my dad. He did not stop loving me. He did not stop caring for me. His love did not change based on my behavior. God’s love for us is not based on our behavior. It’s who He is.

Prays for you. Every morning at 6 am (normally) my dad is up praying for his family. I know because when I visit I hear him get up and I can sometimes hear him talking to God. Jesus lives to intercede for us. He is praying for us all the time. We have an Advocate who does not sleep.

I spoke last time about how a lack of human examples can cause us to doubt God’s love. I am sharing one of my examples with you in hopes that you may be able to see God is better than any human being. My dad taught me so much about God, the reason being, he was in love with the One who is love. Any good I saw or see in my dad, came from Jesus. I honor my dad for his commitment to God. I thank him for living a life that glorified Jesus. He does not use computers so he will not see this post, but I do hope he knows the great impact he’s had on this life for Jesus.

God loves you friends, more than my dad loves me. He loves you more than your parents love you or anyone else. God is LOVE! You are loved…loved…loved…If you are in Christ you have been adopted and chosen. Great things are in store for you! If you are not in Christ, I invite you to join the family. It’s more than saying a prayer, it’s an invitation into a relationship. You are cordially invited into a lifelong commitment of love with Someone who loves you more than you can imagine!

For those who do not know God:

Salvation is a gift based on faith. Believing God is who He says He is. Believing that all have sinned and fallen short of His standard. We acknowledge to God that we need Him, that we have sinned, and we ask for forgiveness. We believe that Jesus is the son of God, born of a virgin, crucified for our sins, and raised from the dead. We accept that Jesus died for our sins and receive His righteousness as our own. We choose to follow Jesus. It’s more than saying a prayer to invite God into our hearts, Jesus did not lead people in prayer. He told people, “Pick up your cross and follow Me.” God invites us to join in relationship with Him….so the invitation goes out to you…will you come?

The Eyes of Love

April 24, 20133 Comments

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love,~1 John 4:8.

There are so many verses in the Bible that tell us God is love. I thought when I started talking about God’s love people would rejoice about it! I mean He seems too good to be true, but He is not. He is better than good. I’ve found many people want God to be angry. They want God to punish the world. Many see Him as cold, cruel, unfeeling, unconcerned, weak, etc….Many people pick up old testament verses about God’s wrath and run with them.

Don’t get me wrong, God is perfect in holiness. He has the ability to give and take life. We honor Him, respect Him, and understand that without salvation we are lost and will pay the full penalty for sin. He is not a weak kitten; He is a consuming fire. He is passionate about justice. He cares how we treat Him and others. He is not a pushover. He is also not a bully. He made Himself vulnerable to us. He gave us a way to be close to Him.

If God is so good, why do we (humans) have such a hard time believing it…

1. We know God by faith. We must believe in order to receive. If we don’t believe in God, everything we see in the world will be filtered through that unbelief. If we don’t believe God loves us, our circumstances will validate our unbelief. Here’s an example. Have you ever met a person who believes the world is bad, people are bad, everything is bad? I have. They believe everyone is out to get them. So, anything that happens is filtered through that belief. I had a lady tell me that I did not like her as much as other people and she was convinced everything I did was to leave her out. On my end, I did like her. Anytime she felt slighted there was a logical explanation. She wasn’t a target for me. She believed she was the target, therefore her unbelief clouded her vision. If we believe God is angry, we will take our circumstances and make them fit that belief. If we believe God is good, then we view our circumstances through the lens of His goodness.

Example from life…

My car accident in January cost me a car and increased my expenses. If I think, God hates me, He is punishing me….then yes…that is what I will take away. If I think God loves me…He saved my life…I could have died…I have a nicer car…maybe the other car was about to break down and now I have a higher value for a totaled car than a trade in…then that is what I take away. What we believe is powerful.

2. We’ve had horrible experiences with people, especially Christians or parents. I wish it weren’t so, but people are sinful. People have done more to push people away from God than we’d imagine. None of us are perfect so we rely on grace. If a person has a horrible encounter with their parents or people who claim to know God, it can taint the view that God is love. Our parents are supposed to love us unconditionally as God does. Together they are to show us what love is. When they don’t, we have a hard time relating to God.

Christian means imitator of Christ. When we (Christians) fail to represent God’s love, we miss an opportunity for people to know how good He is. We can help push people away from God.

3. We’ve misread the Bible. People debate over the Bible all the time. I can say with true conviction that God is love. There are tons of verses on God’s love, mercy, forgiveness, desire for us, compassion, and grace. He does not love us in the way we may think, meaning our world’s belief that love means live as you please (that’s not real love by the way).

God has made the appropriation for all sin by sending His Son. I wouldn’t die for people I care nothing about. I would not send my son to die for people I did not like. I would not invite someone into relationship that I could not stand. God LOVES us.

4. We’ve based God’s love off our feelings or circumstances. If I wrote out for you my testimony you might question how I could say God is love. My circumstances have not always pointed to this truth. It is truth despite circumstances, feelings, or what we see. God is love, and He does and will work all things together for the good of those who love Him,~Romans 8:28.

5. We think love is a life with no pain and getting whatever we want, whenever we want it. I’ve met many people who say, “If God loved me then I wouldn’t have to go through this, or if God loved me, this would not have happened, or if God loved me, He would give me__________.” God loves us so much. He is not, however, obligated to do whatever we demand of Him. The Bible does not tell us a life with God means no pain. Jesus told us, in the world we would have trouble but to take heart as he has overcome the world. God’s love is not based on what He gives us, what He does for us, etc…Love is who He is. His love cannot change. We can’t see why He allows certain things to happen. I do know if He allows it, He brings something good from it. Read the book of Job, it’s encouraging.

Lastly, I will say if we ask for a deeper revelation of God’s love, we will begin to see it. It’s always on full blast and pointed in our direction. I believe it’s blocked many times by our unbelief. It’s there, we just can’t see it.

Papa, I pray any areas of our hearts that are not open to receiving Your love are softened. May we know the height, the depth, the width, and the vast expanse of Your love. When we see You, may we see love, the eyes of love. In Jesus name, Amen.

Love,

Erin

Understanding God’s Heart

December 15, 2012December 15, 20124 Comments

If you’ve read the back cover of I Thought I Knew What Love Was, you will see God sparked my curiosity as a child. We see in the Old Testament that God often met with and spoke to people. I was especially intrigued by His relationship with Moses. Who wouldn’t want to be close friends with the Creator of the Universe. Jesus is the key to unlocking a personal relationship with the Father. In Jesus, under the new covenant, we are as close to God as we can be and as close as we want to be. At 7 years old I gave my life to the most incredible person who ever walked the earth, Jesus. A journey began to know Him.

My prayer was to see God face to face. God’s response to me, “I meet with you heart to heart.” I could not have explained this to you years ago. The details of what God spoke made no sense to me. Over the complicated course of grief, tragedies, betrayal, loss, unrequited love, forgiving the most painful hurts, and longing to love people who could not receive my love, I found God’s heart. I know there is more to Him than what I have experienced, and I will never claim to have Him all figured out. All I can tell you is that He is real, His heart is the beautiful place I have ever ventured in to, and He feels more than we give Him credit for. Here are some examples.

Unrequited Love: I thought I would start with the part of His heart that we fail to acknowledge at times. God is perfect in love. The Father demonstrated His love by sending His only Son. The Son demonstrated His love on the cross. There is no greater representation of love. However, God is in my estimate the most rejected Being in the world. He loves; He is rejected. He loves well, and people still reject Him. I never thought about the impact to God’s heart until I was placed in the position to love people who would never love me in return. You go out of your way to love and they don’t return your love or never acknowledge your love. They don’t value it, value you, nor are they grateful. On the other end your heart is breaking for the other person to know how valuable they are to you, how much they are loved, yet they don’t want your love.

I can tell you unrequited love hurts. It cuts deep into the core of your heart and it aches. No medicine cures it. No comfort heals it. You simply hope one day that person will realize they mean the world to you. Unlike God, I have been able to move on from relationships without the longing. God, however, loves deeper. His heart longs for those He loves. He pursues relentlessly. His love is stronger than any love I could feel. I can’t imagine if the longing I felt in my heart was amplified for billions of people. Knowing that a person will reject you does not change the pain you feel when they do.

The Blame Game: God is blamed for many of the bad things that happen in the world and often not praised for the good things that happen in the world. He is Sovereign. Nothing happens without Him knowing, and He can do anything He wishes. He, however, gave humans earth and certain freedoms out of love. We have chosen to defy Him and make a mockery of the world He gave us. When things go wrong, they are a result of the sin in the world. He allowed us to choose, and we made horrible choices. I never understood the blame game until I got a bit older. I’ve been placed in situations where people blame me for their problems. It’s my fault they aren’t enjoying life; it’s my fault they have a temper; it’s my fault they are unhappy; it’s my fault they have insecurities. I asked God why I always end up being the scapegoat for people. Why, when I am minding my own business, doing my best to love people, am I the person they end up blaming. Guess what? God gets blamed for things He played no part in or authored. I can tell you being blamed is not only irritating, it’s hurts your heart.

Seeking You Only When I Need You: God is love. Any time we seek Him; He is excited. He longs to be with His children. I have noticed though that God is sought after in times of difficulty. He is often ignored in the good times. We are more enamored with what He gave us than we are with Him. We talk about our families, friends, jobs, material possessions, accomplishments, and only seek Him when it’s a crisis or we need Him. I have people who I only hear from them in times of crisis or when they are bored. I am invisible until they are in need. More than hurting my heart, it’s a nuisance. When you are expected to drop what you are doing and be attentive and loving to someone who has no time for you otherwise. On your end it’s not a real relationship, on the other person’s end it’s the perfect relationship. They never have to invest anything, give anything, or love you. You are simply there to support them. As stated, God is far more loving than I am and if I were always allowing Him to love through me I would not be annoyed. He loves unconditionally. I often wonder, “Who loves God? Who truly loves Him for who He is and not what He can do for them?” Of course He knows who loves Him, and He continues to love even those who will never love Him. I am certain His heart aches for those who will continue to reject until the end.

I’ve written quite a bit for today. We will connect again soon. My prayer is that we continue to have a revelation of God’s heart. You are deeply loved, ~Erin.

God will always love you!

God=Love

Exploring God's Heart

Tag: Knowing God