Love you with the Truth.....Casting Crowns

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czKvChTJ6Ek

Great song!!!

 

The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.  1Timothy 1:5

 

If I really love, I will “Love you with the truth”… Ephesians 4----- Begin a new life in Jesus.

John 14: 6, Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.

 

A lot of believers, followers of Christ, think that once you come to the cross of Jesus for forgiveness it ends there. We couldn’t be anymore wrong. It is just the beginning. God didn’t send His Son to die just to forgive us. He wants to change us. Living for God is a day to day process. We have to choose it. To invite Jesus into our heart to begin that change by the power of the Holy Spirit living in us.

 

To say to anyone the , “Jesus is Lord of my life”, and still be the same old person, with the same sinful behaviors, is a lie. Do I allow sin to have power over me, or do I allow the resurrected life of Jesus living in me, have its power? The pressure of sin will always be in our lives, but the power of it should be broken. Ephesians 4:30, If you are truly saved, than listen to the Holy Spirit.

Don’t let sin rule in you. In the body, or  in the way of thinking. If we choose to continue to sin, than we choose to suffer the consequences. I personally put my trust in the Holy Spirit, and how He guides me to keep me from self-inflicted harm.

 

Romans 6: 11-14, It is a personal choice to move forward in the resurrected life that Jesus rose to live in us. Forgiveness was just the beginning. He lives in me not just so I can have an eternal home, but also to change my character here and now. So for life change to happen, I must apply Who Jesus is in me to any temptation, addiction, any sin that He is breaking me free from. It’s a lifelong process, change in me, through me, and all for the glory of God. Than I can live the number 1 commandment… Loving God with all, my heart , mind, and soul……..

 

To walk in the newness of life. 1 Peter 1:16 says, “Be holy because I am Holy.” Really?.... You try that on your own. God knew we couldn’t. That is why Jesus came. To show us the way, to free us from sin, and for us to depend on Him through the Holy Spirits power in us, so He can live through us.. That is what gives us the power to change. That means we don’t return to our old self, even though it keeps trying to temp us. Jesus died and rose again to live His life through us.

 

The gospel of Jesus Christ doesn’t just change our destiny, it should change our here and now. We have a new identity, a new life, we should live and look like it. Then we can go as Jesus commanded, and share what we know to be truth with love. No matter who we may lose as a friend, you will always be a friend to Jesus.

 

 

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Kim

 

On Fire....Sanctus Real

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y5hLwwW7vM

 

1 Peter 1: 22, …. “Love one another deeply from the heart.”

 

When I listen to this song it takes me back to many memories of when my girls were in youth group. Oh how those kids were on fire. I would stand in the back and watch them worship. I remember, I think it was once a year, they would meet and pray at school in the court yard in remembrance of the Columbine shooting in 1999. A program called “I Believe.” Rachel Scott took a fatal shot in the temple, after she was asked by the killers who were already on a rampage killing many, “ do you still believe in God now?” She said “yes”, and they said, “then go be with him.” Her brother said she always prayed for these boys.

What was a tragedy, turned out also for good. Thousands of teenagers lives were changed that day by her faith and love for Jesus. She was a life “On Fire.” It is so different now. I feel heartbroken for each generation rising. Boldness for Christ just isn’t what it used to be.

 

The lyrics of this song are so true….. Remember when you couldn’t wait to show up early and find your place. Your heart was open for change. You would sing and lift your hands not caring what people think. You weren’t ashamed to tell people about your faith because you felt the pain of one lost soul. Cause you were on fire, and the church was more than a place, and people were more than a faces, and Jesus was more than a Name…

 

What happens to some of us? That soft heart that use to break when God’s heart breaks, is slowly being put out by the pressures, burdens, and the business of life. Or not wanting to offend anyone with the truth, even though it is what Jesus spoke and died for. Wanting to stay popular with the crowd, and so on…..

 

This should never happen, but the enemy knows how to pull us away from what we know is truth, and he does it VERY slowly. He doesn’t want you to grow, or the assembly of one another. He will have you find all kinds of excuses for you not to meet with one another.

 

Hebrews 10: 25 says, “Let us NOT GIVE UP meeting together…. But let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the day approaching.” To neglect this time together, is to give up encouragement and help of other Christians. We gather together to share our faith. To help one another through hard times that we have passed through. To strengthen one another in Jesus. As we see the “day approaching” and it is. We see Anti-Christian forces growing in strength, we should be making an even greater effort to grow together and strengthen one another.

 

Like Jesus, and as His followers, our hearts should break for souls that are slipping away. The day is approaching, so turn your eyes and don’t forget what it was like to be “On fire” Hold God’s people close and feel the power of Jesus’ Name.

 

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Kim

 

I Believe..... Chris August

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orGTO9fH85g

 

I see God, do you? His presence is amazing. God lets us see Him in more ways than one if you would just give Him time. The other day I had such a sweet quiet time with Jesus. Feeling His presence, I had a time of tears and smiles reading His word and listening to Christian Music. He was doing that with the weather outside too, and I saw, and felt, so much of Him in it. It was raining on and off, with the sunshine in between, just like my emotions.  I was off work, and cleaning with joy.  I was thanking Him for EVERYTHING I could think of. I even had to stop at times and cry, just because I am so grateful. First for waking me up to a new day. Then the health and strength to do the things I had to do on my day off. God is so good, you just need to give Him some of your time. After all, He did give you that time.

 

Do you need to see to believe?  John 20: 29 says “Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed.”

 

I won’t tell you that  life doesn’t hurt, because it does. I won’t tell you that when you give your life to Jesus suffering stops, it won’t. The pains of this life are either going to drive you to Him or away from Him. To believe in Him, or to disbelief. Don’t let the enemy attack your mind by the things you see. That’s where he begins his deceiving.

 

I can go on and on in the promises and truth of God’s LIVING WORD! But where my heart just aches, is knowing that some of you are letting the enemy win by what you see going on in this world. Well this world is his, and that is how he is winning some of you, by what you see, and by how you allow your mind to process it all. So he has your mind, then your heart, then your soul.  2 Corinthians 4: 4, “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.”

 

How I pray you wake up and see the beauty now, and the beauty that awaits us all. This world is passing away.

 

Remember some of the things Jesus said in…… (Luke 22: 42…Matthew 20: 22…Mark 10: 38) Jesus didn’t want to drink from the cup of suffering just as much as we don’t want to, but we have to be willing as He was.

Find comfort in knowing this is not our permanent home, Hebrews 13: 14 “For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.” John 14: 2- 3, “In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. "And you know the way where I am going."  Deuteronomy 4: 31 “For the LORD your God is a merciful God; He will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which He confirmed to them by oath.”

 

“I believe that there is something more that I can see. I believe that the arms of Jesus are holding onto me. Sometimes I won’t feel it, but that don’t change a thing, cause it’s by faith that I believe.”

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Kim

 

Shoulders..... King and Country

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfiYWaeAcRw......... Great song and video!!!

 

James 1: 2-4…. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Notice that the scripture says WHENEVER. Which means you WILL.. “face trials of many kinds” Then read the rest, and meditate on it so you can begin to understand the “whys” we all have at times.

 

2 Corinthians 3: 18, We, who are followers of Jesus, must never forget throughout our lives we are being “transformed into His image.” So we will have hurt, sorrow, pains in our life that only the Spirit of God can help you to understand and drive out all your fears. Because that’s what the perfect Love being made in you does. But it must be MADE COMPLETE!  1 John 4: 18, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love (God), drives out fear, because fear (the enemy), has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” You see, He is making Himself in us. “Mature and complete, not lacking ANYTHING” and “perfect in love.”  God is Love.

 

We will all have troubles and trials in this life, but it’s what you choose to do with them, how you allow your mind to process them, that makes all the difference in you.  Isaiah 26: 3,  “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You.” Then you can go out and shine that ray of light in others so they may look to the “One” Who is pulling you through …. all your weakness, your sickness, your brokenness, is all on His “Shoulders.”

 

Where does your help come from when everything around you is falling apart? What holds you together and pulls you through? For me it’s my Sweet Jesus. I am so thankful for Him in my life, that I don’t have to see Him to believe. I have experienced Him SO many times, in SO many ways. He’s real, very much alive and living in me.

 

 

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Kim

 

In Christ Alone..... Passion 2013

 

In Christ Alone...... Passion 2013

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNRFumI2ch0   Love this song and video. Godbumps..

 

2 Timothy 4:7, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

 

All material things will be left behind when I leave this earth. We certainly don’t take anything with us. But there is something of GREAT worth that we can leave behind. If I pass anything of worth to my children and to my grandchildren, it will be where I placed my hope. Where I found my strength and peace in this life. In CHRIST alone!!!! This I pray they will always remember me for. I have memory boxes, and folders filled with almost every blog I have been led to write.  I pass it to my children, and they can pass it to theirs. God’s word is from everlasting to everlasting, and is worth more than gold.

 

Psalm 103: 17, “When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, And its place acknowledges it no longer. But the loving-kindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness with their children's children”

 

I heard a story of a runner who said, “It’s not how fast you run the race, it’s how firmly you pass the baton.”

 

Wow, so true in life too. Psalm 90:17, “May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us” Which means, make it strong and lasting. That our lives made an effect on others for God’s glory, and will make a lasting difference in the future generations…. Proverbs 22: 6, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”   … This one is my favorites…  Deuteronomy 4:9 “Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.”    

I’m running the race of this life, but unless I pass what I have learned about Jesus, I didn’t run it well.

 

Extend the legacy. Don’t fail to pass the baton. Life is short and eternity in long!!

 

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Kim