Effect of Salvation daily?

"We have salvation. It needs to effect our every day lives."



Penned by a dear friend:

Why do we give the devil a foothold with our words? With our attitudes?

Every time we get together, or even in our conversation with those around us..."I am so tired. I have so much homework. I am so stressed out. I have no time. I I I me me me me."

Why do we speak it? Why do we glorify Satan with our words and lack of trust? Why is it all about us? me me me me.

Stop speaking it! Stop letting every other Christian on this campus and off this campus, how much Satan has a foothold in your life! We spend more time giving the update on how Satan is dragging us down than on how God is lifting us up! How He is SO mighty and bigger than all things. Bigger than our schedules, bigger than our relationship problems, bigger than our speck of existence on this dirt clot! HE HAS WON THE VICTORY OVER SIN AND DEATH, AND WE CAN'T SEEM TO STOP TALKING ABOUT WHAT SATAN IS DOING IN OUR LIVES!!! What is going on!?!

THIS STOPS NOW.

We are not building up the kingdom. Christ has brought us out of the dominion of darkness and into the Kingdom of light! What a glorious thought that through Christ who gives me strength...I CAN DO ALL THINGS. If we really believe that, why are our mouths saying something completely different? Are we kingdom people or not? Can our God do all things or not? Am I His or not?

I am nothing without him. I can do nothing without him. Am I speaking that? Or is it just a happy thought in my head? Am i living that or is it just a catchy phrase? My existence, brief as it is, is not really mine at all. I belong to Him. The powerful one. The mighty one. The one that NEVER loses. EVER. EVER. EVER. The one who is ever-faithful, ever-loving, ever-righteous and ever-holy.

Why? How.....

His love for me....

His love for me....

His love for me....

Run with me... toward HIM. The one who's love is immeasurable! How great his love for you for me!

This changes now.

Sweet Cherished Brokenness

the past month and specifically this week has been one of unexpecteds and igotnothinglefts. I'm being stretched in 3 different ways with foundation that was crumbling. I once prayed a prayer at the beginning of the summer "make me desperate for you." There was one time Jesus told me "daughter, you are prideful. Take heart I have grace and I will mold you." So I prayed "make me become nothing." There was a time last year as I sat in a room with three women and answered their question with, "because I am least qualified. because I will have to rest completely on God and it will be very evident this is not by my power." This fall began and so did the stretching and crumbling but God used me in spite of myself all awhile letting me fall. breaking pride. ringing me dry of self. Now I plead, repent, cry, worship, and strive no longer in or by self but once again back to my maker. to my Father. oh precious Jesus, I don't understand your love, your grace.. oh precious Jesus there's something about Your name Master, Savior, Jesus. sweet cherished brokenness.

the more knowledge

How are you suppose to respond when you hear the devastating history of the Holocaust knowing that it is history but then hear of Sudan knowing that is current life? When you watch a documentary that takes you into the brothels and know human trafficking is the fast growing crime and it exist even in the most conservative cities in America? When you realize your stomach growls a couple hours after eating your third meal when their are a multitude of kids starving to death? When you open your bottled water and your tap is fine but there are those who have to walk miles to get to the only clean water around them? When you hear that violence increases in villages simply because they don't have electricity? When you watch the real story (not the news version) of three men from three different religions who live in Bethlehem and their lives are utter chaos from war? When you hear that people are dieing of a preventable disease? When you see a family of 6 living in a scrap shanty while you know people who have two houses? When you begin to understand by the slightest glimpse from people's stories and pictures the depth of the slums in India? When you learn more and more of the devastation of poverty? .... what do you do? Father I am so overwhelmed. I know, I know Jesus is enough. The gospel is enough. period. I know these things but my heart is breaking...I'm overwhelmed. Father you are enough.

I need a roof top conversation today

As I was riding my bike around with no destination I passed a patch of lawn that I reseeded this summer; it finally looked good. There were only a few patches that were left but it had taken two and a half months to get there. I remember the weed bed that it once was. It took a couple rounds of weed kill...days to let them die...time to lay new soil, reseed, rake, water...days of more watering...but still it looked like patchy grass and dead weeds. Then about a month later, there was a thin layer of grass that allowed you to still see the ground beneath. All of us who worked on that area thought we would have to reseed it again next summer because it was failing to grow in well. Now today I return and it's a beautiful thick green patch, it just needed time and persistent care. Sporadically in the new green patch sprouted weeds. Ruined. All that work and time worthless....or just more work... all it needed was for me to bend down and pull it out. I couldn't use weed killer even thought that is easier. The spray would kill the grass. It required specific attention. Not all is waste. It's not a one time weed, seed, water and it's good but it needs constantly specific attention.

no list.

if balanced means you can have a little of everything and then sprinkle a little Jesus on top - have your balance, I want Jesus!

Jesus is a straight shooter

Despite all that He taught me the other night I found myself this morning as we were listening to more of our job description and our different tasks all the insecurities came back again. Looking around the room at the different community life staff and seeing their strengths and realizing those aren't my strengths at all. Knowing Christ chose me out of the world but just not believing that I can do this. After lunch Jesus reminded me of Peter. As Peter took steps out onto the water towards Jesus but then started falling it wasn't lack of faith in Jesus but himself. He doubted that he could do it. But thinking about to the moment that Jesus said, "come follow me" and they dropped their nets immediately to follow. They left their jobs, their families, friends, security everything to follow Jesus, why? Back in their day to the boys ould go through schooling and eventually ask to follow a Rabbi and if the Rabbi thought you knew enough and had it then you could follow him. If not they would follow in the family trade. The rabbis were the most respected people so to have Jesus come up to these guys who were fisherman (meaning they didn't cut it) and have Him ask them, of course they are going to follow Him immediately. Jesus asked them because He believed they could cut it, that they had it in them to be like Him, to follow Him. Now going back to the water, Peter didn't believe that he could do it but Jesus wouldn't have said, "come follow me" if he didn't think Peter had it in him.

straight shot. Just as I was doubting in my abilities despite the fact that I knew He chose me Jesus says, "No I chose you because as you abide in me you can do this. I wouldn't have chosen you if you couldn't." He pulled in all I have been learning about being nothing unless I abide in Him, choosing me, and now believing in me.

I still don't fully get this but You chose me. You said, "come follow me." And while I am still learning to believe in myself You are worthy of me dropping my nets and following immediately...wherever that may be or in whatever that may be, dropping it right away simply because You said, "come follow me."

Beautiful Wonderful Savior

I have begun this journey that lasts a year and is completely foreign to me. With it I have constantly been reminded in the past week or so that "Apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5) I had even been praying, "help me realize I am nothing and there is no way I can get through this year without you." The three past days were spent with about thirty other student leaders at a camp. We spent time learning of each others' strengths and discussing how they will help the whole team, tubing down the river, roasting hot dogs, telling about our pets and favorite hobbies, playing rage and other games, eating animal crackers, taking ridiculous photos, taking late night walks, etc. However the entire time, I seemed to be somewhere else. I tried to figure out what it was the first day but couldn't. It was yesterday night after someone shared from God's Word and talk about how it has nothing to do with us. We aren't the ones who are going to change anything but it's about Jesus and the gospel. I walked quickly out of the room with everyone and just walked on the paths in the dark talking with Jesus trying to figure out what was wrong. Why I seemed to be else where. I had made the lap around when I decided to go around one more time. I rounded the first corner and just stopped. The noise from the rocky sand underneath my shoes was too loud so I just stopped and talked with Jesus. "I am nothing. I am nothing." it repeated again and again then I heard "but I chose you." In John 15 Jesus talks about He is the vine and we are the branches and how "apart from Him I can do nothing" (v.5) and that's what I was repeating, "I am nothing." The past week I had been reminded of this but it was last night (as I was walking) I realized I was forgetting redemption. "but I chose you. I chose you out of this world." Later in that same chapter (John15:19) Jesus says but I have chosen you out of this world. I am nothing, yes this is truth but it is not the end He chose me. I am nothing yet He chose me out of the world. He made me something. I was stuck in all my inconsistencies, unworthiness, under qualified characteristics, and flaws... oh what a lie. Yes I have all those things but I am not bound by those things. they don't define me. But what a lie the enemy fed. he only let me see that far and made me forget redemption. He chose me! Jesus Christ, savior king of kings immanuel son of God, He chose me. This just continued (at that moment when walking and in this moment as well) to blow my mind. He chose me. I was reminded of a song I have sang many times but a line came to life to me: "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." He chose me. Oh how He loves!