Month: March 2019

I was born this way!

“I was born this way”, “its in my genes”, how many times have we heard this from someone? It could be after they were extremely angry, or while they were in the midst of worrying. We all at some point have blamed our behavior on our history. Our blood, or our genealogy. Anger, worry, addiction, laziness, feeling your better than others, or even selfishness are all characteristic that people refuse to take responsibility for in their lives. In Matthew 1:1-17 we read a list of individuals that had many of these same characteristics. Abraham was a worrier. He worried that he would never have the son God had promised him. Abraham felt that God was running behind on that promise. Abraham worried that God had forgotten him. We see in this list of names Jacob. Jacob saw his brother, his twin brother, no less in a frail and venerable state and took advantage of him. Jacob took the opportunity when his brother felt like he was about to die of hunger to make him promise his first-born status to him. Jacob was sneaky and a liar. He covered himself in the fur of goats and went to his father to get his brothers blessings before his father Issacs died. Jacob lied to his own father. Rahab, the prostitute. She was known in the city as someone that had more than her share of visitors. She was well known for being a woman of many men. King David committed idolatry with one of his friend’s wives and then arranged for his friend to be killed so that he could cover it up.

We can look at our own ancestry and find people that fall into these same categories or something similar. We all have something in our family closet we don’t want reviled, but does that determine who we are? Does our last name or our genealogy or family status get to decide who we are as an individual? The list of men and women that we just looked at seems like an overwhelming list of people that made wrong choices and had bad habits, yet, this is the family tree of the Son of God, Jesus. The perfect one had ancestors that were far from perfect. There can be a break in the cures of generations. We have the choice no matter what you may have done in the past or what awful genes your parents handed down to you can break the generational curse. It takes determination and seeking Gods will for our lives to do it, but it can be done. Its not an over night thing for us. We may have to find an accountability partner that can help keep us grounded in Gods word and prayer. It may mean asking forgiveness from our families for the anger, and short temper we have had with them, but it is worth it. Sometimes it even means finding new friends who have went through the same braking of bonds that we are going through and gaining advice from them. There are many different opportunities to break that generational curse, but the biggest one is recognizing that it can be done

Who or What is your Cornerstone?

When building a building the builders will first decided where they are going to start the foundation. Once they have dug out the area for the foundation to be laid, they then will place what is called the cornerstone. This part of the building is important to the overall stability of the home or building that is being built. This cornerstone will not only be the starting point for the rest of the foundation but, it also is a reference for the rest of the foundation that is going to be laid. IF the cornerstone is not square or is off by just a little bit then the rest of the foundation will not be square. One time we were doing a home project and trying to lay some tile in a bathroom, and I can remember how important it was to get the first row of tile square and straight because even if it was off just a little to begin with by the time you got to the end of the room the amount it was off would be dramatic. What started as just a little off would soon become off by a large degree.

We know that the Bible tells us that Christ is to be our cornerstone. By making Him the starting point of our foundation then the rest of our lives will fall into place. We can see examples of this thorough out the Bible and in our own personal lives. Let me be real here really quick, I can personally look back to times where I had placed other things or people into the position of cornerstone and I saw my life take a direction I never thought it would take. I had no peace, I was constantly searching for the next best thing in life and I couldn’t feel the presence of God in my life. I had taken Christ out of my foundation and I saw results I was not happy with. The exciting thing about this foundation is that you can change the cornerstone out. When we decide that we no longer want to try to do things on our own and we want to see what Christ truly has for us then we can ask God to take his position as cornerstone in our lives and oh the changes that will come. I have now seen in my life where I’ve changed who is my cornerstone and I’ve put Christ first that my foundation is stronger and straighter. Will you still have to bear some of the consequences of not having Christ as your cornerstone before, yes probably so, but God can use those situations as a witness for Him. He can take the times when your cornerstone was not Him and use it to bring others to Himself.

If you your reading this and you are looking at your life and you’re wondering how things will ever get better or feel like you are alone, know that you can change out that cornerstone in your life and that God can and wants to work miracles in your life. God has a plan for each and every person, He is just waiting for you to make that choice to turn to him and ask him to be the cornerstone of your life so that he can be the foundation that can give you stability and will also be the example that the rest of your life can align with. Its through the love of God that He gives this to us and all he asks in return is obedience to Him.

Ephesians 2:20-22
Acts 4:10-12

Decisions, decisions

We face decisions every day of our lives. Some decisions are unconscious decisions, things like taking the same route home each day or having the same routine each evening preparing for bed. There are other decisions that we make that are conscious and can have bigger effect on our lives. These decisions can change the whole course of your life. In Joel 3:14 he says, “Thousands upon thousands are waiting in the valley of decision”. I envision large mountains reaching towards the sky on all four sides. The mountains are rocky and rugged, and there is snow on the peaks of the mountains. At the base of these mountains are the green grasses of the valley. It stretches for miles and miles. Within this valley are people everywhere waiting, some may be looking up at the mountain, others may be resting on the floor of the valley but they all have one thing in common they are waiting. The are waiting there to make decisions. Decisions that will affect them, their families, and those around them for the rest of their lives.

The decision they are waiting to make could be to confess their sins and live for Christ, or to continue their own way. The decision could be to step out in faith on what God has called us to do or to reconcile relationships with people we have become estranged to. Our decision could be giving our marriage one more try, turning from an addiction that has controlled our lives for so very long, or to strive to be a better parent. Whatever your decision, if we step out and choose Gods way Joel tells of the great blessing we will have! Those same mountains that seem so tall and luminous while were in the valley will drip with sweet wine, the hills will flow with milk, water will fill our empty streambeds, fountains will burst forth and water the valleys! Our ministries will over flow so that they drip on all who are around us, our marriages will be restored and made strong, our God given dreams will be fulfilled, and our friendships will flourish. We will be so filled with the spirit that we will splash Gods love on anyone we meet. He has promised that if we choose to follow him he WILL bless us! But, if we choose not to we will be like Egypt and Edom, a wasteland, a wilderness, attacked and killed. I choose to become blessed not cursed! I chose to make the conscious decision to follow Christ each day until it becomes an unconscious habit. What do you choose today? Joel 3:14-19

Rest

Rest is one of the hardest things for me to do. Even if my body is not in motion, my mind is constantly moving. I find it hard to sit and enjoy a time of rest because, I’m always thinking of the next thing. During vacation, I’m thinking about planning the next one. Raise your hand if you understand what I’m talking about. Now some of you are more like my husband I’m sure, who’s mind can turn off and you’re able to enjoy the moment of rest, there are times I wish I could do this, (just to be honest).

We see in scripture that God calls us to rest. Matthew 11:28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly”(msg). He understood that some of us just wear ourselves down and are always trying to be a step ahead of a situation to the point we are tired. Jesus says to STOP, and spend time with Him, and He will give us the rest we are desiring. What’s interesting is the next part of the verse. He says hey, here’s an idea, why don’t you partner with me in all your busyness, and walk beside Me, and let Me carry part of that load. So, when it comes time to rest, you are not so weary. When we partner with Jesus and lean into Him, He will give us a refreshing rest that we never could imagine. It will free us, to do things we never thought we would have the energy to do. But, we must choose to become joint with Him and let Him choose what load to give us and we not try to pick up what He hasn’t called us to carry.

I love this translation how it says that He won’t’ lay anything on us that’s heavy or ill fitting! Wow. If we truly long for rest in our lives, we won’t say “yes” to just anything. We will seek His guidance in what He wants us to do. We so often say yes because we feel that there is no one else who will, or can do a task, and yet, it doesn’t really fit us. We then find ourselves tired and worn out because we have chosen our own burden. This week lets evaluate our lives, and what our burden is, and ask God to show us what things He has given us and which ones we have put on ourselves. Then we must choose to accept the rest that we all need and that He wants for us!