Desire = suffering?

Today while reading Experiencing GOD Day-by-Day, by Henry & Richard Blackaby, something hit me differently than ever before in this passage.

Matthew 16: 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “if anyone desires to come after ME, Let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow ME.”  

So many have been fed a gospel that is comfortable, and requires no suffering, then when these things happen, they walk away from God.  Sounding off about how HE did not fulfill HIS promises, and the Christian walk just doesn’t work.  If you feel this way..you have been misled!  This walk isn’t comfortable most of the time, and suffering is par for the course…really.  Jesus suffered to bring us salvation, and we, too, will suffer as we spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We are not now nor will ever be greater than our master.  

Still desire HIM?  I hope you say yes.  Although at times, we cry out with pain, we have a constant friend who is closer than a brother, the Holy Spirt.  HE will guide us, comfort us, teach us, and intercede for us.  The benefits of knowing Christ, and making HIM known are far greater than any suffering.  Just look around you…this world is cursed, and its going to fall apart. You can’t stop it, you can try, but you can’t stop it.  All the petitions and phone calls to your congressmen and senators is not going to change the course that God has already laid out.  HIS plan does not have flaws.  

The one who truly desires HIM, is carrying thier cross(what ever that may be), and believing that HE is worth it!  I believe that HE is worth it.

Father God, please hear our cries for your mercy on us and the world around us. Please help us to walk in step with your Spirit, to deny ourself and pick up our cross. Life in this world is so temporal in comparison to an eternity with YOU.  Yes, YOU are worth it.  Help us to stand strong, help us to be lights to a dying world. Please unveil the eyes of the ones that are misled about you. Give them and us a hunger for your Word, and to believe with all our hearts its Truth.  Your princess who believes you are worth it, and we just are not home yet.

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So many lost people…

So many people hurt, so many people going through trials, so many confused people, so many misled people.  Its not hard to see them, just look around where ever you are, and its there.  Some may never speak a word to what they are going through, but the eyes are a window to the soul, and its there..darkness, hopelessness, rejection, shame, loneliness.

I know how this all effects me, from time to time, I just have to cry out for them…I feel their pain.  Thinking of how much more our LORD sees and hears and looks into thier darkened hearts, and what that must feel like to HIM, the Creator, knowing that HE created a way for them to come to HIM and have the darkness turned to light.  Either it has been rejected or….we the body are not doing our job in letting HIS light shine through us.  SAD.  Don’t believe for a second that all have heard the Good News and have made a choice, I don’t believe that.

Lord, the ones of us who are trying hard to work in the harvest fields are tired, we get weary from friendly fire(that by the way is not so friendly), we are becoming desperate for the lost to hear and know you, please send help…encourage us…minister to our wounds, and give us strength. Help us, we are so selfish, so self centered in all we do.  We need to be emptied fresh and refilled with more of you.  I know you know, and I know that nothing escapes your eyes, refresh us. Your grace is sufficient for us, help us to remember it always.   Everything is about you, and nothing is about us.

Welcome Back Pasturescott!!

For some reason, that God chooses to keep to HIM self, I have become very attached to Pasturescott, and for quite a few months he has been MIA.  God has put him on my heart over and over to pray for him, and to just be my annoying self on his blog.  Pasturescott has returned, and even more a threat to the dark kingdom.  I just love him! Would you all go over and just read his post, and leave him some comment luv?  Honestly, I have never read a thing there that God did not move my heart on something.  I would love to introduce you to my brother, Pasturescott (don’t forget to check out his about page..he’s scripturally sound, and funny too) 

BTW- don’t forget to come back..I would surely miss you all!

Blogged Bible Study – John 16 “why trouble?”

Since John 16 starts with “All this I have told you…” I really need to back up into the last part of 15 to get the whole picture.

15: 18-16:4  Jesus explains to the disciples that if the world hates them, it is because of HIM. They hated HIM to without reason.  And ulitmately the reason was because they did not know HIS Father who sent HIM. We are never greater than HE, so we shouldn’t be surprised when this happens.  HE gives this warning so the disciples and us do not stray away from HIM when it happens.  Constantly remembering what 15:1-17 has instructed, to abide/remain in HIM.

I found this interesting and worth taking a closer look;

John 16:1-4 “All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they do not know the Father or me.  I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you.  I did not tell you this at first because I was with you.”

All of this did take place for the disciples in their futures, it also is still happening around the world.  Believers are being persecuted and killed for thier faith…no other reason, they haven’t found a criminal act for such punishment. Although, in many countries, believing that Jesus died for our sin and rose again and it returning for us…is a crime.

Thinking of Americans…who have yet to face that type of persecution, we still face the wrath of professing believers, who believe they are doing what God wants them to do.  Spiritual Abuse is rampant in America.  Professing believers, persecuting other believers.  I have been extremely distraught over this at times.  I was asked to leave a church because of teaching preteens who they are in Christ, and attributes of God.  Why? I asked that many times.  Now I sit and look at these verses…Just because someone attends church, or is there every time the doors are open, does not make them a Christ Follower.  *sigh*  I see many people straying away from the faith, due to this activity that is not from God.  We have been warned.  Just like the disciples…

John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Why so surprised at trouble in the world? Why so surprised when its directed at us?  We have been warned…Abiding/remaining in HIM is where peace lies, and its ours.  HE has overcome the world!  Another phrase of Christ that tells me the battle is won…its over the ending is finalized.  Again…we aren’t home yet!

There is much in this chapter about the sending and recieving of the Holy Spirit.  Sweet!  and through out this week I hope to touch on that. *sigh*  this is just one post.  Get in the word, read it, pray over it, ask and HE will help you to understand…its not just history, its for YOU.  Peace.

(this is the first of many posts on this chapter this week, please go here and read the rest, I am anxious to read them myself! )

A little piece of my heart

This is a little piece of my heart-

Lately, working on gathering names of women and children who are needy in my community, so that as a church we can provide for them.  I have done this for several years, but last year was the first time that I had the experience of a church family that got involved and helped.  For most of them it was a first time.  I am huge on follow up, I don’t want to just feed their bellys (although if that is all they will let me do, I am okay with that).  So normally I plan a follow up Christmas party (happy birthday Jesus) and invite the same families, and try to pull Christmas together for their children.  They always get the Gospel message in this.

This year the Lord has been laying something different on my heart.  As I worked through it and talked with my Pastors, I became very excited about it.  This year we are looking to the church family to adopt a needy family, and when delivering the food for thanksgiving, start building a relationship with them, follow up with providing Christmas for the same family, and share the Gospel with them, invite them to church, and genuinely just walk beside them.

My first time doing this, I ended up on a doorstep of an elderly woman in a three room apartment with three generations living with her, when I spoke of Jesus she cried…and my heart shattered to here her story. She was under a witness protection program, moved and forgotten…she hugged me and said…”I know Jesus and I know HE sent you to help me, thank you, this little baby only has two diapers and is drinking his last bottle”  HE does things like this if we just follow…oh that we would have spirits that follow!

Some of my readers that have been with me since http://darla-overcomer.blogspot.com  know that this is my heart.  I love talking to these people, and showing them Jesus.  When one comes to Christ, I know the party in my heart that goes on, I try to imagine the party that happens in Heaven. 

As the Holidays are fast approaching us, would you pray for the Lord to guide you to that one person who truly needs something that you can provide?  I don’t have much and I can tell you that it isn’t a prerequiste.  God always provides. 

Father God, please help us to be your hands and feet, to have willing hearts, and to be a picture of your love…not just some days but everyday, and every where we go.  I love you so!

Blogged Bible Study – John 13 Servant King

Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet

 

⁵Then He poured^* water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. ⁶So He came^* to Simon Peter. He said^* to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” ⁷Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” ⁸Peter said^* to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” ⁹Simon Peter said^* to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” ¹⁰Jesus said^* to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” ¹¹For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.”

¹²So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? ¹³“You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. ¹⁴“If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵“For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. ¹⁶“Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷“If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. 

 

After thinking on this and thinking on this…I know the “christian” answers..but the questions are still unsettled in my mind…My King was a servant and set the example for us, the reminder that we will not be greater than our Master.  A blessing for those who see the example and do it. 

I just came home from listening to an amazing woman speak about the Persecuted church, and how the Voice of the Martys are traveling into remote areas of the world, behind communist lines, into radical Islam to encourage the believers who have lost their life to save it…in one of those places someone washed her feet and cleaned her up from her hard travel to get there.  I saw the tears in her eyes and the tremble in her voice…she came to bless them, they blessed her. 

We, the body of Christ, in Western Culture have to take this to heart. We need to stop looking like we are above what our sisters and brothers in Christ are facing daily, and find a way to wash their feet.  In what ever means we have. Quoting the speaker…”This is not a social issue, this is a family issue”.  How are we serving each other?  How are we being a picture of Jesus right where we are? 

Our King crawled on the floor, and washed the disciples feet, HE was a servant and a King…HE is a beautiful

(BTW-Don’t forget to check out Carl’s post that goes up today too, and the calendar that shows when the rest of the group will be posting…join us!