RICHES

The Quote:

"..that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." Ephesians 2:7

I believe that this verse is saying that I will be shown God's grace and kindness toward me in the time to come. Not just grace but exceeding riches of grace,  not just kindness but exceeding riches of kindness. In my mine that means grace and kindness more abundant than any we could ever possibly fathom.

God owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Ps. 50:10-11), His riches are undeterminable and infinite. I am amazed that in the ages to come He will show me all this according to His grace and kindness. I deserve Hell and I will get His riches, because I am in Christ Jesus. I am a follower of Christ. I can not do anything to receive the gift of salvation, if I could it would make Christ's death nothing. I can however make my rewards or riches in heaven more, by serving God, with the right attitude.

Even though here on earth I am not wealthy with money, or things that this world has to offer, I know that in the ages to come I will be rich beyond my wildest ideas. Here on earth I am rich in the love of God and Christ. I am rich in the fact that I try to serve God with a willing spirit. I am rich in love for others. I am rich because of the grace and kindness the Lord has shown me.

Lord, thank-you for your grace and kindness, for your love in the past, now, and in the ages to come. Help me to share that love with others that come into my live.

The Drawing:

TOGETHER

The Quote:

"...and raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus," Ephesians 2:6

In following the posts where I started this series in Ephesians this verse tells me that God has risen me up out of the muck and mire the old sin nature and allowed me to sit in heavenly places with Christ and other Christians. I am set apart for His use.

Now, I think one of the important parts here is the together. He has raised all of those who have trusted in Him out of that mire. No one person is better than anyone else, we are all the same on a level playing field, and we are together.

There are other places in the Bible where it speaks of each of us being part of the body of Christ. We are His hands, His feet, His voice, and every other part that could be used to further His kingdom. The hand can not work by itself to do anything, it needs the arm. The feet can go nowhere without the leg, and the voice can not speak with out the lungs to provide air, we are all in this together equally.

I think many times as Christians we forget this. We tend to push out on our own without waiting for help or a support system. Even just having people praying for the endeavors we undertake in the name of God is important. Moses needed Joshua and Caleb to hold his arms up while the battle was being waged if Israel was going to be victorious, and so we need each other if we are going to further the kingdom of God.

Lord, help me to be a team player. Help me to pray for others and seek out prayer from others. Help me to be willing to ask for help when I need it and to help others when I can. Thank you Lord for my fellow Christians, help us to sit together in heavenly places and work to further your kingdom.

The Drawing:

GRACE

The Quote:

"even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)," Ephesians 2:5

Grace in the Merriam-Webster in this context is - unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration and sanctification; special favor; temporary exemption... I have always heard in church that it is unmerited favor. I don't believe that the grace God gives is temporary in anyway, it is everlasting, and I for one do not deserve it.

God in His love for us has bound the darkness of who we really are in our flesh and hidden it away through His grace. I have said this before and I have to say it again, He sees a clean slate that has been washed by the blood when He looks at our lives. Yes, I have sinned since I asked Jesus to wash me white, and I may or may not have confessed those sins I have committed since then. Yet the grace of God through Jesus makes me clean in God's eyes. That does not give me the freedom to go out an do anything I want to do, even though I could and still get to heaven. It does give me the freedom to be alive in Christ and to live my life in a way that is pleasing to God.

I am so glad that the grace of God has bound the darkness that is me and made me whole. I pray that everyday I will seek to share that grace and the love that God has shown me with others. Lord, thank-you for your endless grace and love.

The Drawing:

LOVED

The Quote:

"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us," ~Ephesians 2:4

In the last post I used Ephesians 2:1-4, in those verses it spoke about how God has made us alive out of our trespasses and sins, if we are Christians.  Then there is a list of the way we used to live, the ways that we were children of wrath and conducted ourselves in the lust and desires of our flesh. Yet God made us alive....

The verse today tells me that even though I have that sin nature and I have continued to sin even after having received Christ's gift of salvation, God has mercy on me and I am Loved. It does not matter what anyone has done, or will do, God loves them. He is rich in mercy. He love has no bounds. I do not deserve any of the love I get from Him. His love is unconditional.

Many people want to put rules on how we get to be loved by God. They tell us that we have to be good enough, or go to church every time the doors are open. They say God can only love you if you give to Him, and if you are living a sinless life. These verses prove that that is not the case. He loves us even when we do all the things we know we aren't supposed to do, and yes it hurts Him when we do them and we should try to live a life that is pleasing to Him. He does not love us any less when we fall. We are LOVED.

Lord thank you for loving me even though I can never be good enough to deserve it. Your love is unconditional yet because of it I long to live for you. Help me Lord to return your love by loving others. Thank you!

The Drawing:

ALIVE

The Quote:

"And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of  the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others." Ephesians 2:1-3

Some months ago I was challenged to look at Ephesians and see myself as God sees me, who I am in him verse by verse. I did do this when asked and have decided to do it here for the next few post or so. I know that the above quote is more than one verse, it is one thought... It speaks to who I was and who I am now.

I was a sinner, the day I was born that is who I was, yes I believe that children are pure, there comes a time when they are accountable for the right and wrong actions that they make. That does not negate the fact that we are all born with a sin nature. As a result of that sin nature we are already dead. As we grow we either turn from that nature and strive to live a life pleasing to God or we continue on head strong in the natural person we are. No one is perfect and I can not go a day, hour, probably even a minute with out sin creeping into my life, whether it be a negative thought, an unkind word, or a lustful look.

The good part is because I have made Christ the Lord of my life, God no longer see a person dead in their sins, He sees a person alive in Christ, covered by the blood of the cross. So even though I still sin He sees the blood, and my life in Christ. Does it hurt Him when I "fall" and give in to the lusts of this world, YES! I should strive to reject the sinful nature and the thoughts that Satan sends my way to draw me away from my God. I need to try to live a perfect life even though it is an impossible task. God doesn't want perfection, He wants willingness, with the right motivations.

Lord, help me to remember who I am in you. I am ALIVE! I am no longer bound by my sins unless I let them bind me. You have given me freedom, I long to live in that freedom for you.

The Drawing:

MOTIVES

The Quote:

"Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts." Proverbs 21:2

As I have said many time, I read in Proverbs everyday, so today was Proverbs 21. I have read the verse above many times and yet today it stood out. Maybe it is because of the things I am struggling with and the things I am studying outside of my time in Proverbs, whatever the reason this stood out today.

We all have things we wish to accomplish and do for ourselves and for the Lord, this verse speaks to motives we have.  I want to be Godly and work for Him in all that I do, but why? There are many things I do today not really because I want God to be happy with me but because it is expected. God knows when I am doing something out of obligation instead of out of worship to Him. And maybe doing those things out of obligation might help me to eventually do them out of habit which will free me up to do it as worship, I doubt it though.

Motives are a strong factor in the way things are perceived. God weighs our hearts, He will take anything we do "for Him" but He knows our motives and if they are not right and just is will count as nothing "for us". The next verse in Proverbs says "To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice." It does not matter how much time we sacrifice, how much money, or any other thing we see as a sacrifice to the Lord, if we do it out of obligation, without a right and just heart, it was for nothing.

It is hard to do all things to the glory of God, self gets in the way. Lord, I pray that I can work on my motives and attitudes for the things I do in your name. The things I do to worship you, whatever it may be!

The Drawing:

GO

Lately, I have really been pondering the things God may have for me to do. I believe that He has a purpose for all living creatures and I want to do His will in my life. So as I meditated on that today I ran across the Keith Green Memorial video... all I can say is wow! It would have been so awesome to see this man in person. He hit the nail right on the head. Jesus' last command to His followers was to GO! He even told them where and how far....

The Quote:

"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me, in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." ~ Acts 1:8

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo I am with you always, even unto the ends of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

It all starts in the heart of the follower but first you have to be just that, a follower! You have to have your heart right with God, you have to believe that Jesus died for your sins and is alive in heaven today! Then if you really want to be a follower of Christ, you have to have a heart that longs to be a "Jesus Freak" for lack of a better term. When you have that I believe you can't help but reach out to those around you, to draw them closer to Christ.... You start small, your family, your friends, your neighbors, your school, your community, your city, your state, I think you get the picture. It starts in you and grows. If Christ is the Savior and Lord of your life then you should wish to be His follower.

Now that does not mean that everyone that is a follower will be called to a far away land. We all have a job to do, we are Christ's hands and feet. We are His arms that hug the hurting, His voice that comforts the grieving, and His ears that listen to the ones crying out. There are those right here where we live everyday that need Him. Your mission field may be in your own house, your school, or your place of employment. He will work through you if you let Him. Are you willing? I AM!

Lord, please give me a heart that pleases you and longs to do your will. Help me to reach out to those around me and if you are willing for me to go to the ends of the earth, I am willing. For now help me be your hands, your ears, and your voice to those right here. Thank-you you Lord for the opportunity to serve you.

The Drawing:  Today, I have entered a Challenge for a Zentangle Card Swap at Tiffany Tangles. Since it had a heart in the center and that is where this post really begins is in the center of the believer.... I will use it for this Post :)

FIND IT

Yesterday Morning I was looking through some of the suggested videos from YouTube before work and this song "Help Me Find It" by Sidewalk Prophets was there. It was a song that I needed, God is so good to always provide what I need when I need it.

The Quote:

"If there’s a road I should walk
Help me find it
If I need to be still
Give me peace for the moment
Whatever Your will
Whatever Your will
Can you help me find it
Can you help me find it

I’m giving You fear and You give faith
I giving you doubt
You give me grace
For every step I’ve never been alone"

I want to be willing to go anywhere God leads me to go and to be still when he wants me to be still. I want to do His will and want Him to help me find what it is He wants me to do. The question is how do I do that?

The Bible says to "Be still and know that I am God." Psalms 46:10 God is wanting us to talk time from the busyness of our day and be still, to feel His presence and to know He is right there by us helping us to be all He wants us to be. In those times the still small voice of the Holy Spirit can speak to our spirit and guide us. We aren't meant to spend all of our time in the secret listening to God, because then we would not be able to do His will. He needs people to go out and lead others to Him. We can actively listen to Him during the day also, but being mindful of His word, His Spirit, and His presence. Pray without ceasing it says in I Thessalonians 5:17, when we try to accomplish that we will feel Him in our lives.

I want to go anywhere He wants me to go. I went to Croatia isn't that enough? Not for me... I want to minister anywhere He has for me to go, even if it is just right next door. In Acts 1:8, He said to be "Witnesses to Me, in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."  There is a progression in those verses from the local area, the country area, and then to the whole earth. We are His hands, we are His feet, we must go. God will use our willingness in fact that is what he wants.

More often than not I do bring fear and doubt to God about the things He seems to want me to do. I worry and fret over whether or not I am good enough, strong enough, and smart enough, He didn't say I needed to be any of those. He doesn't want me in the way at all really, I can't be good enough, strong enough, or smart enough for without Him I am nothing. He just said to step out, to be willing, to put my faith in Him, He would do it through me, He would give me His strength.

Lord, help me to be willing to serve you everyday of my life. Help me to listen to your spirit so I can be guided to the things you have for me to do. Thank-you for your guiding hand and your love.

The Drawing:

ALLOW

A Conversation with a friend....

Me: Good Morning
Friend: Good Morning, it is a beautiful day.
Me: It is going to be a beautiful day, even if Satan has the audacity to hurl a few darts your way it will remain a beautiful day.
Friend: well now...
Me: It is the truth, God made the day beautiful and if you or I allow Satan to take that from us then it is our fault, right!

I needed that conversation as much as my friend did....

It is a shame that so often we do allow Satan to come in and steal the glorious things God has sent our way. We blame Satan but we are really to blame for giving him the right to take it. We allow him to get his foot in the door and try to let him be the scapegoat when we are the ones to blame.

So how do we allow that to happen? What is the cause of God's wonders being pushed to the side? I think it has a lot to do with SELF and not being as committed as we should be to our walk with the Lord.

"Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." I Peter 5:8

We have to be Sober, the dictionary says this means to have an earnestly thoughtful character. We are to be vigilant, carefully noticing problems or signs of danger. We have to watch out to be alert, we can't give into the devil or self one little bit... giving him just one atom of our thoughts, actions, or lives is enough for him to have a hold on us.

II Corinthians 10:5 "casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,"

This verse tells us that those things that exalt themselves are contrary to knowing God, and in the next part thoughts are spoken of. That is where Pride starts in the mind, God is telling us we need to make sure our thoughts are not proud and are focused on Him and His word. When I don't stay focused on God and what His word says, and who he says I am in Him, then I am allowing Satan in to "ruin" my beautiful day.

Lord, thank you for my friends and the conversations we have. Many times you show me your truths through those times spent with them. Lord help me to take to heart everything I have written here. I know I allow Satan control way too often. Give me strength Lord to take my thoughts captive and give my life to you!

The Quote:

"One who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be deceived." ~Niccolo Machiavelli

The Drawing:

WANTED

The Quote:

"...If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." ~Luke 9:23

Jesus wants anyone, and that means anyone. If we all waited till we were good enough, cleaned up, and perfect, we will never be able to do anything for God. Jesus didn't go to those who we the smartest, the cleanest, or the richest. When He came to earth he came to some of the lowest people in the world, Shepherds. The rich had to seek Him out... the wise men came from far a land.

Even when Jesus started His ministry as an adult He didn't go to the most educated, wealthy, or the king in His palace. He went to John the Baptist to be baptized, to a bunch of fishermen, a tax-collector, and other unsavory types to be His followers. He wanted the religious leaders to join in with Him, and He tried to seek them out too. They just thought they knew better than this man who liked to hang-out with those they thought were "unholy".

Jesus wanted anyone.... He said anyone one could follow Him, no matter your faults, failures, and insecurities. He just said, desire to follow... forget about yourself and your problems... take up your cross daily... and follow Him... The most interesting part of this call to me is the daily part. Christ was letting us know that we would have to make a conscience decision everyday to follow Him. He knew there would be days we might not want to follow, to carry the burden of the cross with us wherever we went. To be open and compassionate with those we met. I don't believe that Jesus always felt like being the Messiah, I think in the flesh He might have longed for a day off. Yet He continued on to show us that we have it in us to do that also.

He wants us to come as we are even when we don't feel like we should or that He will accept us. Those insecurities and feelings of less than adequate are exactly the kind of attitudes he wants, those that don't think they are worthy are those He can mold into the people He can use. Unlike the religious leaders, the rich, and the smart who thought they knew more than He did. It is the desire that will set us apart.

In opening this post, I almost said wanted not dead but alive.... then I thought, in another passage of the Bible it says, we should be dead to sin, and alive in Christ... (Romans 6) And it also says in Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who lives, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." So the wanted poster could have read Wanted Anyone DEAD and ALIVE!

Thank you Lord for this truth that you will take anyone in anyway and use them for your glory. I pray that my life I will live for you Dead and Alive, taking up the cross DAILY even when I don't really feel like it. Help me Lord to be who you want me to be use my failures, faults, and insecurities for your Good!

The Drawing:

GET OUT OF THE WAY

Today, my pastor was preaching about Moses. The idea in the message was that Moses wanted to do something great for God. He knew there was a reason for his life to be spared as a baby, he was special in all the Pharaoh's kingdom, because he was possible the only male heir to that throne. He knew he was an Israelite, one of God's chosen people. So he figured he was supposed to do something great for God. And he did many many years after he tried to do it on his own. Moses needed to wait for God. In order for anyone to do something great for God we first need God to do something great in us. God had not finished teaching Moses yet, so Moses had to spend some time away from Egypt. One of the last statements my pastor said was this "To do something great for God, you have to get out of the way."

I do not think my pastor had the Casting Crowns Monologue from "What this World Needs" but that is what it made me think of. The words are my Digital drawing and quote today. I have heard people bash this song for what they think the words say... I think it is simply saying this:

1. To many times we get in the way of people understanding the Gospel message with all of our rules and regulations. OUR you have to do this or that....

2. Jesus is the only way to God and Heaven we can not pray anyone there, we can not pay the price, or drag them in with us. We are not the only way people will see Jesus, yes we may be the only Bible some people read... That should be a humbling and scary thought not a self-inflating thought.

3. The world does not need to get dressed up, or down to know God, They don't have to be a certain denomination or read a certain Bible. There is another part of the song that says "What this world needs is for us to care more about the inside than the outside, have we become so blind that we can't see God's got to change their heart before He changes their shirt."

4. We try to often to add to what the Bible (the Gospel) says brings people to God. In doing so we are putting ourselves in HIS story.... that is slowing it down...

5. Jesus is going to save the world.... WE NEED TO GET OUT OF THE WAY!

Now that last part... our SELF needs to get out of the way. We can not save the world... God is willing to use us to do a great work for Him, we need to be passionate and filled with compassion, allowing HIM to work through us! He is not able to do that until we are out of the way!

Lord thanks for the message today and in this song. I pray that you can use me, even though I know I am not always the best Bible for people to read. I pray that you will get me out of the way and take over. Thanks Lord!

The Quote and Drawing:

RIGHT

Today, I was reading in "not a fan" by Kyle Idleman I am finally on the last chapter. It is a very good book... In this chapter he quoted Donald Whitney as saying "If a person is wrong about being right with God, then ultimately it doesn't matter if he or she is right about anything." He is speaking to being right as in walking down the narrow road that few tread, the one Jesus speaks of in Matthew 7:13-14. And I believe that is true, if a person has not truly made Jesus Lord of their life to a point that there is a change in their walk (life), ultimately every thing else is of no consequence. It really doesn't matter what they do in life they are on the path of destruction.

This holds true for a person who is a believer also. Having the path correct and being right with regards to where you spend eternity is one thing.... the hard part of staying on the path is completely different. That takes a daily commitment, a conscience effort. I have to admit that I so often do not have it in me to stay on the path. That is when I do one of two things; I either continue the way I am and mess up royally or I start praying and don't stop. The only way I can make it through days like that is to have Jesus on my mind and in my heart. I still fail all too often. I do not want to be just a fan, I want to be a follower... I want to take up my cross and follow Jesus everyday, yet the weight is almost to heavy at times. Guess what though, I can do it with Jesus' help and he will not allow anything to break me!

I am sorry I have not written this like I should, I have like I said been dealing with some issues. Those are not going, but I am going to not let them keep me from this anymore if I can.

Lord, thank-you for being there for me and for anyone who will reach out to you. Please help me to be right with you in my daily walk since I know who you are as my Lord and Savior. Lord, you know the issues I am having and I pray now for your guidance, thank-you for all you do for me.

The Quote:

"If a person is wrong about being right with God, then ultimately it doesn't matter if he or she is right about anything." ~Donald Whitney

The Drawing:

I drew this on the 27th of September but I didn't post.