Sweetly Broken - Jeremey Riddle

From the cross, Jesus invites us all to come and surrender our ways. There is no sin, no mess that your in, that He didn't die for.  Our Savior was bruised and crushed to show us that God is love, but He is also just. So don’t take His mercy and grace lightly, and continue to live in sin that you are aware of.  

“He was pierced for our transgressions... Crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” 

(Isaiah 53:4-6).   What a priceless gift we have been given... our lives.  Are we living this life we've been given the way we choose, or are we seeking God’s direction?  We're being called from God’s wrath, to life only found in Jesus Christ, His Son. We will all be drawn to our knees one way or another. 

Jesus draws us as gently as He can. We are the ones kicking and screaming, wanting our way, and living as we choose. Then we wonder why things are as they are, just one big mess.

I don’t know how big your mess is, but it's because of that very mess that Jesus is beckoning you to the cross. We have a choice to continue to put up a fight and wonder why we are so miserable, or we can give Jesus our misery and let Him turn it into a ministry. He sweetly breaks us, so we can wholly surrender, to glorify His name.

So look to the empty cross and cling to the truth, that the Priceless Gift that once hung there, was given for you.

He calls us out of the life that we are living, that is causing us harm, to a life that we will be in awe and “lost for words, so lost in love, sweetly broken, wholly surrendered.”

Kim

I Need You Now - Plumb

Psalm 23:4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death...”

Whether we see results now, or years from now, God is faithful in all the in-between with what He is doing in us. Genesis says we were created in, "His own image..." (Gen. 1:27).  So we should be more Christ-Like as long as we're here.  

What’s your story?  What’s your wound?  Do you believe there is still beauty, even in the valley of the shadow of death?  We all have them, we can get so tired of holding on. We don’t want to let go, and we’re scared to move on. Yet we have to believe it, when we're told to, "not be afraid... because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you.” (Deuteronomy 20:1).  

There is beauty in your shadow, because there is a meaning God has for it. Many times in my life, I have cried out from my own personal Egypt, “God please take this!” But the beauty in it all, is He continued to give me the strength to keep breathing and believing in His written word.

When I heard this song, it brought me to back to Psalm 56, which is a prayer of mercy from God when your enemies are in hot pursuit.  When I went to it in my bible, I had a prayer I wrote right next to it. I wrote: 

“Lord, defend Your name in my life. There is so much wrong, and I feel so much sorrow and pain in my heart. I need to ask You, how long? I will always trust You, and never give up the hope I have, but I need Your help desperately. I read Your word, but sometimes I feel like the ones who are far off are always winning and I’m the one falling. Lift me up God, and hear me. I pray I get to see the power of Your word before You call me home.”

 I pray you read this Psalm for yourself, and let God speak to your heart. Your circumstances  may not change, but He will continue to change and strengthen you.

He truly does hear the words we can’t seem to speak from our quivering lips, and He bottles up all our tears. When your pain is so deep, and you don’t have the words to speak from your heart filled with so much sorrow, remember the Spirit speaks for you, and God hears the cries of the humble. 

Romans 8:26, “the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”

REMEMBER... it’s just a shadow.  "Walk before God in the light of life.”

Kim

P.S.  In the waiting, and growing Spiritually, I've received His strength in my weaknesses, before He called me home. He does answer prayer according to His word.

One Life to Love - 33 Miles

So many of us have said at least one time or another, “If I could, I would have, or should have.”  We only get one time around, one shot at this life. Jason Gray wrote, “I wanna live like there’s no tomorrow, love like I’m on borrowed time..."

Don’t take this life for granted, not one day, or even one second. “Every day that we wake, every breath that we take, He’s given.”  Just watch the news, and it could worry you sick. I know that I am guilty of worry at times, but I thank God it doesn't hold me captive like it use to. So much time is wasted on worry, and things that are out of our control. Worry isn't going to change a thing. We are only wasting every minute of the day God’s given.

We really are on borrowed time. The older I get, the more I realize this. I know that’s why I call my family every day, even if it’s not for anything but just to say hi, and know that God has given me another day to hear their voices. Every time I hang up the phone, I say thank you to God.

It’s such a sad thing when you hear people say, “I wish I could have another day to say all the things I should have, or just to hear their voice.” We have to realize we only have this one day. There may not be tomorrow, or the next minute. I try to live a life of no regrets.

I know I am not free from the sorrow that comes in this life, or from the evil choices people make that cause others pain. It's possible to be, "Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything." (2 Corinthians 6:10).  The one thing I do possess, and that is everything to me, is Jesus Christ my Savior! Remember Psalm 30:5, “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.”

You may not be given tomorrow, so start to care about every minute of the day God has gifted you with.

"Rejoice in the Lord!" (Philippians 3:1).

"Rejoice always." (1 Thessalonians 5:16). 

"I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Philippians 4: 4).

Kim

Strangers Here - Tenth Ave. North

We are in a world of constant turmoil...  But there is a GREAT HOPE for all of us.  You will have to make the choice.

Jesus said in John 15:18-19,"I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”

We all get tired of the hurt and heartache that life can bring, but knowing that the pain is temporary, makes it a little bit easier to get through.

Ephesians 2:4-6 “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Jesus Christ...”  Only being in Christ gives us the benefit of knowing God our Father. This is the only way to live with the strength, peace, and joy on earth as a Christian (a heavenly realm).

Some people will look at you strange, when you can rest, and be peaceful in every situation of this world.  They don’t realize that you've come to learn that we are all just strangers here. Passing from here to eternity, to our eternal home, in God's house where he has, "[prepared] a place for you..." (John 14: 2-3).   

What is shaking the ground you stand on? If you trust in God, who will ALWAYS BE ON HIS THRONE, you will not be moved. He is in control of everything, even if everything here seems out of control.

In Revelations 22:17, Jesus gives the offer to, “Come!” The offer is made, but the choice is up to each one of us. God has done His part, in giving us His Son. He has given us an open door to an abundant life. Each individual has to make the choice to welcome Jesus into their hearts, or keep chasing this broken world that only keeps our hearts breaking.

If you think your vote for the president was important, than why wouldn't you think your choice for Jesus is important? (Selah) Jesus rules for ALL ETERNITY!!! His term NEVER ENDS!

“This is not the ending. Someday we’ll touch the face of our God and the sorrow will disappear. Until then, we are just strangers here.”

So it’s o.k. if you can’t stop the tears…

Kim

Furious - Jeremy Riddle

Some of us need to be hit on the head, over and over again by God’s Spiritual 2 by 4, before it does it’s work in our hearts and soul. (Selah)

Has His love wakened your heart and soul to life yet? God’s love for us is unrestrained, energetic, full of activity, all of which are different definitions of Fury.

Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than a double-edged sword, it penetrates even to the dividing soul... it judges the thoughts, and attitudes of the heart.”  The Word of God is meant to wake us to true life. Are we living for God, or for our own selfish desires? A divided soul is not God's desire. His word is alive and active, and means to me, that I am either going to continue to live as I choose or, let His word penetrate my selfish flesh desires, and completely surrender my ways to His will in my life.

Nothing can separate us from the love of God, "neither death nor life... angels nor demons... present or future..." (Romans 8:38-39).  Nothing in all of creation can keep us from Jesus Christ. Are you convinced yet, by all that is going in your life? God is trying to waken hearts to life.  He wants our attention, and desires a relationship with us. I didn't realize this at a time in my life, so I use to blame God,  and question God, about a lot of things I just couldn't understand. All the evil; the storms that devastated families, babies abused, innocent God loving people dying at someone else’s evil choice, the list went on and on. 

I knew God was big enough to handle all my questions, and He understood me. I loved Him regardless of all my unanswered questions. I never questioned His existence, and I always knew there was a reason for the pain in this world. Knowing, and believing that Jesus didn't deserve to die for any of us, and yet He willingly laid down His life for us, “while we were yet sinners” made me search His word for why He had this kind of love for mankind.  Jesus never said He came down to carry out his will, "But the will of Him who sent me." (John 6:38).  He didn't want to lose any of us, but will raise us up on the last day.

That’s when I realized this wasn't the ending, and certainly isn't home. In Matthew 11:29, Jesus tells us  "learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart." So my prayer, Psalm 51:17, “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart.” My divided soul then became one with Christ, and I have never been the same since.

Spending time with Jesus has taught me so much, and I want to have this gentle and humble heart for people who are lost and in such need of the Savior I've come to know.

“His love is fierce, his love is strong, it is furious... His love is sweet, His love is wild, and it woke my heart to life!"

Kim

3 nails gave us our liberty... Yes You Have - Leeland

Time to vote... BUT PRAY FIRST!!!! "Seek [his] face... [He] will hear from heaven... and heal the land..." (2 Chronicles 7:14).  

Do you want our nation to come together? So does God, but we need to seek His face, THEN He will turn to us and heal our land!

We need vote, but PRAY first. There is so much power in prayer, and God wants to hear from His people, and that WE PUT OUR TRUST IN HIM TO HEAL OUR NATION!!! It’s not about the candidates running, it’s about God and His ways, and what He wants, not about what we want! Turn from our ways, and turn back to His. God knows what’s good for us. So pray, then vote! Realize that He holds this whole world in His hands. He knows our thoughts, and our selfish reasons for picking who we want to be president.

The United States Declaration of Independence, July 4^th, 1776, “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Our country has gone so far from Godly principles, and we need to come back! It’s not about what makes us comfortable, Jesus wasn't comfortable when He took the nails for us!! But He did it to free us, and to bring us into a relationship with Him and His Father. They created the world together, so I vote for whatever God wants!!

Do you realize, it’s 3 nails that really gives you and I our liberty! Jesus died so we could be free from sin. Accepting Him as your Savior will make your world different. You will truly have life, liberty, and happiness. Has He stolen your heart yet? With His love, He sets you free.

If you know God’s voice, by spending time with Him and reading His word, you will know in your Spirit when you hear these candidates speak, who would be best to run our nation.

I pray God will help each one of us to choose the best candidate.

Kim

Here and Now - Eddie Kirkland

I love the Lord’s prayer, Matthew 6:6-15, when Jesus told us how to  pray, He said, “Our Father who art in Heaven, Hallowed (Holy) be thy name...”  My favorite part of this prayer is, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven...”

How does His will get done on earth as it is in Heaven? Like the prayer says in the very first words Jesus said, “Our Father.” Our desire in our hearts, as children of God, should be to submit to our Father, and His Lordship, and His will in our lives, as hard as it may be at times. Let His love in our hearts be found by those who are lost. “Let His grace run free, let His Name bring peace, Heaven come in the here and now.” His kingdom come in us, His children, on earth as it is in Heaven.

We are the church that Jesus died for, not a building. All are welcome to come to the church building, but the lost look at us first. Are we attracting them? Are we being imitators of God?  Ephesians 5:1-2 says, “Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us...”

God is near every heart. He doesn't pick and choose who should come, all are welcome.  Look at every person that God has cross your path, as one that He sent your way to shine His light. You may not want anything to do with that person, but God has sent them your way for His purpose, and His glory. He will get you through the season, and He will also remove it in His timing.

Be the door open wide, because you hold the truth that shines in the night of someone’s life. Your life and actions will show the God that they can know.

So I sing, “Your Kingdom come till it rules the earth, Your will be done all around the world, let it come in the here and now!”

May you have His peace

Kim