Pain and Suffering

The devotional I am reading is Journey to the Cross: Readings & Devotions for Lent © 2013 by Providence Church.

Day 18

"Jesus’ death does not take away our suffering, but it gives profound meaning and purpose to it."

- OK this sounds great and all, very old man wise like... but is it true? 

I think so, now I may not have suffered compared to others, but in my own context I have endured my own pain and hardships, and I know that those have either driven me into the arms of Jesus, creating in me a deeper faith, peace and trust in Him OR it has caused me to run and fall flat on my face causing in the end even more pain and suffering. So it is a choice, I need to chose to run to Jesus in times of trial, whether that is loosing a loved one, being rejected because of my faith, being stressed and anxious about money issues or the temptation to do things I know are unhealthy for me. In everything we all have a choice, to either allow God to use our suffering to shape, stretch and grow us OR to let it make us bitter and angry people. We have a choice life OR death, I urge you dear brothers and sisters CHOSE LIFE! 

So now is the time to get personal. How are you currently experiencing pain, hardship, and suffering? Are you choosing to run to Jesus and allow Him to use it for your good? OR are you getting angry and bitter (trust me this is a really tempting way to go)? How do you think God could be using your hardship to shape you? How are you preventing Him from doing so? Get out of His way, let Him into the pain, and He promises to give you new life! 

Note: it is not by escaping the hard stuff but it by going through the hard stuff with Him that you will live, even if you feel like you are dyeing.

Consider James’ exhortation to those who suffer: “Count  it all  joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And  let  steadfastness have its  full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).

Lent Reflections: Day 17

It has been requested that I start blogging again... You want to hear my thoughts!? OK! Haha

I have been following a devotional for the Lent season, so my blogs mostly will be quick little reflections on those...

Day 17


Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!
Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free. The
Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. I shall not die, but
I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord. The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
[SELECTED VERSES FROM PSALM 118]

Jesus has set us FREE, He has given us LIFE! OK yeah I have heard that before... when I stop to think of how I can "recount", give testimony, to his deeds in my life, there are many, and I mean a lot! But when I think of death and life, him being my strength and my song, I start to realize that I am in to many ways walking in ways that are death (yes sin, but it is more then that, unhealthy (physical, emtotional, and spiritual) patterns that are killing me!). In fact I may be walking in more death then life? Praise The Lord that he is faithful to us and will continue to save us from death, just call upon his name and he will help you (whether it is physical, emotional, or spiritual death patterns) right now! Furthermore, I was thinking is HE my strength and song? And again, waaay to often I am my own strength (that's not working out so well for me) and I try to find other things (friends, beer, chocolate, having a good time) to be my joy (song) and oh that is not sustainable because they all will let me down sooner or later, they don't bring me lasting joy or a true deep in my soul forever and ever joy! Only the Spirit can do that, since one of his fruits in our lives is JOY!

OK so ask yourself am I walking in any death patterns? If you are (and most of us are) call on Jesus and ask him to save you once again, because he has given you freedom and life, so let's walk in it!
Next ask yourself (now be really honest with yourself, it doesn't work if you lie) who or what is my strength and song? Is it working for you? Even if it is, I am warning eventually if it is not God, it will crash and burn. So once again ask Jesus to save you, and ask him to produce his good fruits in you.

I know that this might sound a little obvious, but I think often we miss the obvious. So stop, take some time to read the Word and talk to Jesus, ask yourself these questions, reflect on them, then pray and praise him for your salvation! Repeat repeat repeat...

Jesus, thank you for saving me from death, giving me life and joy. I confess I am walking in some death patterns, I try to be in control not trusting you to be my strength, and look to so many things other than you to be my source of joy. Please forgive me. Thank you for your forgiveness, thank you that you are quick to show us mercy. Jesus you are forever faithful, you stick with us, you do complete the good works you have began in us! Oh praise you holy gracious name! Help us to keep our eyes fixed on you so that we can walk in freedom and life! We love you Jesus because you first loved us, thank you. Amen

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Yesterday evening at the church service we sang the hymn Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace...


I was struck with the simple revelation of the importance of the words "turn" and "look." I sat down and wrote on the tithe envelope:

You actually have to turn, this is active, it is an action.
Turning, fixing, looking, focusing, all actions, this is an active response.
Each day. 
Also, this means I am turning, taking my attention off of other things...
What do I need to take my eyes off of?

Then someone came up to the front and spoke further into my revelation. He asked these very important questions:

Who is your God? 
Why can't I keep my eyes on Jesus?

I want to encourage you this morning to ask yourself who or what has your attention?
What are your eyes, figuratively or literality turning to, fixing on, looking at, and focusing on? 
What do you need to take your "eyes" off of?

Remember this is an active action, it likely will be difficult, but it is worth it, because Jesus is LIFE, as Hebrews 12:2 says Let us fix our eyes on Jesus the Author and Perfector of our faith...

Let us! Together, find an prayer partner, an accountability partner, who you can share what you need to stop looking at, and together you can fix our "eyes" on Life! 

Amen

No New Years Resolutions, Only New Life!

I have been reading the Bible in the Message lately, thanks to the technology of my iPhone app I am able to jump between translations, love it!

Besides loving technology I also love the living Word of God, and that is really truly what it is, living. Through reading the Message His Word has been speaking to me in new ways, this is very exciting! So I guess my first point of this spiel is that I would recommend mixing it up, reading different translations to have a fresh reading.

This morning I was reading Romans 12 in the Message, and God spoke so clearly and beautiful to me. His message was simple, not easy, but simple.

I only got as far as reflecting on verses 1 and 2, His Word is so deep and rich...

In my own words:

God helping you, take your everyday, ordinary living and place it before your God as an living offering.

Yes Jesus all that I am is yours, do with me as you will... your will be done not mine. Amen.

Jesus, today I have my "to do list," please have your way with it. May I walk in step with your Spirit, and not get tripped up by my lists. Jesus, please continue to give me the grace to be a living sacrifice. I confess I do not feel like I have been much of a sacrifice lately, not at all actually. Please forgive me for my selfish, and self-centred living. Oh Jesus, please help me to fix my eyes ever on you, and to follow you all the moments of this life you have given me. Amen.

A new day, new year, and new message? No, this is a message God continues to speak to me year after year. I am not in the habit of making new year resolutions, and this is not a blog about breaking that habit.

What this blog is about is new life. Come and make a new life resolution with me, let us together take our everyday, ordinary lives and offer them to God as a living sacrifice, and in dieing to our "to do lists," letting him have His will, and we will be truly living! Amen.

I challenge you to take a moment every morning to offer up your "to do list," your everyday and ordinary lives to Him, it can be as simple as "your will/to dos" be done not mine. Amen."

Here is to NEW LIFE! Amen.

Not Alone

Beyond the pain and suffering there is something deeper, there is Truth.
The God of all joy and peace is found in the tears of the afflicted, for He has endured the greatest pain of all,
He bore all creations suffering on the cross.
He is with us in our screams, His louder than our own.
As we suffer, He suffers.

Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
He is not alone, and neither are we.
Together, with God at our side we face the horrors of hell, knowing He has been victorious!

I hear the Father whisper into my soul "Be at peace and know that you are my chosen beloved."

I AM the eye of the storm,
everything whirls and swirls around you,
in the chaos I bring you peace.

I AM your anchor,
cling to me and I will hold you still, giving you rest.
Be still my dear child and know that I AM your God,
forever and ever.
Amen.

Christmas Madness

God became human
the Creator became the creature
the Word became spoken.

The most powerful being in the whole universe and beyond it, became weak in the form of a little baby human.

Why you ask? for love's sake is the only answer I can come up with.

They say love makes you do crazy things, and it appears to be true even with God.

All love. All mercy. All good. All powerful. Praise be your Holy Name, you picked us to love.

Why? I don't know. There is no rhyme or reason to this madness we call Christmas.

the Word became spoken
the Creator became the creature
God became human...

all for the love of you and me.

Merry Christmas

Hunger Games - Share the Wealth

I have been reading through the Hunger Games trilogy, I am not going to review the books, all I want say in relation to them is that they have caused me to think a lot about the injustices between the “haves” (which I am one of them) and the “have nots.” I am outraged by the abuses and neglect of the Capitol (for those of you have not read the books they are the “haves”), while coming to the realization of my own participation in these very injustices. How many times have I stuffed my face full to the point of pain and then complained that I feel so fat, while there are millions of people around the world starving to death! Really!? It is one thing to enjoy the blessings God has given me, and quite another to be glutinous. It makes me sick, but yet I still do it. I am so accustomed to my indulgent lifestyle, and I use the excuse that it is not nearly as “bad” as other people, that I often do not even recognize it as a twisted and sick as it is. It took a teen drama to remind me and shake me up a little. There is something so disturbing about seeing yourself in the “villain” characters of book, and what is even more disturbing is when we do not recognize our own evil in them.

OK so this is all sort of depressing. I have been praying about this for the past couple days. I asked God how am I to live knowing there are people dying from hunger? What do I do? and I heard “you are blessed to be a blessing.”

This morning I asked Him “What do I live out ‘blessed to be a blessing’.” I started by making a list of how I am blessed: money, family/home, a voice etc. Then I prayed about how I could use those blessings to bless others: give money, open up my home, speak up against injustices etc. The catch phrase I was left with for me was “share the wealth.” I really recommend you trying this; it was a very helpful exercise for me.

Next I just wrote down some words of encouragement I heard the Lord speaking into my heart:

• Focus on what I place right in front of you.
• Do what you can do, do not stress about what you cannot do.
• Take it all one step at a time, trusting in my faithfulness and goodness.
• You Maria are not called to save the world, I already did that, it is my job. You are called to follow me, by being me in your little corner of time and space, do not let yourself get overwhelmed, that is a tactic of the enemy to cripple and distract you.
• You can do this, because in your greatest weakness I am at my greatest strength! Together Maria, you and me. Amen.