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| Spiritual Diaries ~ Page Seven | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| CIW ~ Show Some Faith! | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| CIW ~ Start The New Year Right | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| CIW ~ Get Rid of Your Load! | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Run to the cross. Flee towards it, and fling down the baggage of sin. Then LEAVE IT THERE. How many times have we heard these words? In sermons, through friends, and of course, by God Himself. Walking with the Master isn't like going through the metal detectors at an airport. You don't place your load on the belt, and have it go through, and then pick it up on the other side. No! With Jesus, you lay your burdens at His cross. Then you go on WITHOUT them! Why? Because He wants you pure, and single-minded... and obedient. You cannot follow His example and be dragging your past sins and cares along behind you on a rope! Don't you realize that this will make you falter, and fail? Your desire to do right will weaken. Your strength will be gone, dried up like a potsherd. Your running the race will be reduced to a gasping on the sidelines! Now repent, and take a reviving drink of the Living Water, Who is Jesus Himself. He hasn't left your side. He has been patiently waiting for you, eyes a little misty from concern, but waiting. He is still there for you. Get up, drop the load at His feet, and keep up with His powerful, power-giving strides. I sometimes wonder what it was like to actually walk with Jesus when He dwelt on earth among us. I know He was very tall, maybe six-and-a-half feet, and His strides must have been very long, devouring up the miles throughout the land of Israel. To walk beside Him, and look up into His face... To see Him, ALMIGHTY GOD IN THE FLESH, smiling down on you... To hold His big, strong, healing hands in yours, the very hands that brought forth the stars and causes the hinds to calve... Ahh, what a privilege and a blessing that must have been! It makes me weep to think of these things. But let me offer you a word of comfort to you today. Someday, very soon, we will have our heavenly reward. In the meantime, we must strip off the burdens and cares of this miserable world, and cast them at Jesus' feet, and remain faithful to His Word. A crown of gold awaits us, my friends! Let us not cease to strive for the prize. As that lovely hymn reminds us: "Run to the Cross, Run to the Cross. There you will find God's love divine. Run to the Cross. That Blood-stained place of Love and Grace. God now awaits. Run to the Cross." Let us walk alongside Jesus through this life, holding His hand and letting Him lead. Don't waste another moment trailing baggage. Give it to Him today, and you will discover that He can shoulder it far better than you can. You will win the race. Just follow Him. Dear Lord, thank You again for this ministry. In it, Your words are healing and blessing to those whom they touch. I thank You this day, Lord God, for placing me here. It matters not who or how many read these messages, as long as I obey You. This is my calling, and I thank You for it. And as these dear ones walk with You, Lord, help them realize that You are the One Who can take away all sorrow and pain. Urge them, Heavenly Father, to leave their burdens behind, and to straighten up and walk beside You, with renewed vigor and determination. For only when we are totally focused on You can we be the ones who bless, and help, and comfort others. Because it is You, Lord Jesus, Who works through us. Work through us now, O Saving Lord of grace. Bind us together with cords of love. We will praise You in the multitude, and in solitude. Thank You for this day, dear Lord. In Jesus Name, amen | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Expecting the unexpected. Sounds foolhardy, doesn't it? How can that possibly happen? When we expect something, that usually means we want it, and now. We want everything in an instant, without delay. Instant meals, instant gratification, and we will go to any lengths to get it. Unfortunately God doesn't do expectancies. He isn't into the "instant scene". He has His own timetable, in a timeless existence our limited minds know nothing about. He already knows our needs, and our wants. In fact, God already knows how and when our life is going to end! But that doesn't stop Him from desiring what's best for us, and whether or not we make changes. I believe change is good. I also believe God is in control of all things. Most people don't want to change. They think they are just fine living their lives, expecting things to go their way, and not heeding the voice of the Almighty, saying, "Come back to Me." Nope. People are like sheep. Ever think of that? They do what everyone else does, and want to be satisfied... but when one falls into a ditch, what do the others do? Fall in themselves, and drag others behind them! Sheep are the dumbest creatures in God's universe. Because we like sheep have gone astray, and are so stupid in our own ways, we need a Shepherd to guide us in the right way. And that Shepherd and Way is Jesus Christ. He is the Door to Eternal Life. Many sins there are in this corrupt world. Satan has gone crazy, and defiled much of humankind in multitudes of ways I do not wish to mention. All because we want things OUR WAY. But thanks be to God for His Son, Jesus Christ! For now we have a Bridge to lead us to the Father, restoring us to His original plan of constant communion and peace. Too bad not many take this Bridge to eternal salvation. They deny it, and condemn it as foolhardiness, saying true Christians are "fanatics" or "mislead", or otherwise too-far-gone-out-of-our-mind-WACKO to even consider. Even some so-proclaimed Christians are not immune to sinfulness. Remember we live in a corrupt world, where sin is rampant, and the devil is as a roaring lion seeking out the weak. They are loose, and lackadaisical, and don't seem to have the time to lend a helping hand to those weaker than themselves. You know who you are, and in which category you're in. Are you a sinner, so caught up in your own selfishness that you purposely block out all Holy Spirit conviction of your sin? Are you lukewarm, thinking, "Oh, I go to church, I sing the hymns, I even tithe.. but I don't want to get TOO INVOLVED..."? Or are you on fire for Christ, wanting only what He wants? Thinking His thoughts? Hearing His voice? Obeying His commands? Do you pass by a homeless man on the street, and go around him? Do you avoid even looking at him because you cringe in disgust? Or are you like the good Samaritan, and drop what you are doing to help this poor one? God knows the heart of every man. He knows what you are thinking, and your every intention. Why do you think you can fool Him? Why do you expect your way? It is as chaff in the wind, and dross to be burned up in the fire. We need a Savior. Every one of us. Why not give yourself to Jesus today? Repent of your selfish ways, and submit to the Maker of the universe. Other religions won't help. The New Age movement is futility. Mormonism, Islam, JW's, Roman Catholicism, universalism, outright atheism and any other "false-ism" out there are ALL the broad way, the wide gate to destruction, hell-bound. They are all ditches in which countless people have fallen, never to get out - unless they open their eyes and recognize the bleeding Hand of Christ that was pierced through for them, reaching out to save them. "I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE." These are the words of the One Who saves, Jesus the Christ, the Son of Almighty God. He is the One Who is expecting YOU to do some changing. Change your life. Cleanse your heart. Expect no more, other than the salvation of your eternal soul. Repent now. You will never be disappointed again, if you believe. Father God, thank You for this new day. In Jesus Name, amen. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| The start of a new year. To some, it's a joyous occasion. To others, it's a reminder of lonely years past. As I sit here, it's a rainy New Year's morning, just like any other. The drops on the windowpane reflect the tears in my eyes as I recall all the years of being alone, with no shoulder to cry on, and no sleeve on which to shed my tears. These tears also are joyful evidence that I know my Redeemer lives, and that He saved me from hell through His death on the cross. They are tears of joy mingled with sadness: joy at my new life in my Savior, and sadness that the world at large knows Him not... joy because I have been cleansed of my sin, and sadness because His heart breaks when His own turn Him away, and refuse to be forgiven. Oh how foolish are we to be so blind! The time is nigh when our Lord will arrive in the clouds, and bring us who are His own home to heaven. What will you do with this new day this New Year? Will you acknowledge Jesus Christ and accept His love, and allow Him into your heart... or will you continue in your own godless vaccuum, unknowing and uncaring of all God knows about you, and cares about you, and so desires to forgive you? He gave us free will, so that we either can serve Him or ignore Him; glorify Him or deny Him. John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, so that WHOSOEVER believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life (emphasis mine). God means ANYONE. Not just a select few, but ANYONE who will come to Him in repentance, and with a contrite heart. Jesus Christ died for ALL. Even you. If these words have any inkling of meaning to you, then I urge you, both saved and unsaved, to get on your knees and thank God for His unspeakable gift, the gift of His precious Son, Jesus Christ. Make this New Year a different one from the past. Make a difference in your life, and in others' lives. Life will not be easy, but you will finally have peace. Accept the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray with me this prayer. Then your tears will be tears of joy. Father God, thank You for allowing us to see a new year. Thank You for giving us the grace and the strength to live another day, to serve You, and to magnify Your Name. Lord, there are others out there who need You. They need Your love,Your peace, Your grace. They need Your forgiveness. They so desperately want something in their lives to fill in the void, to give them strength, and the hope to move on. You are that One, Lord Jesus. You alone can turn a life around, and make it Your own, in which You shall be glorified and exalted above all. Let us never forget, O Lord God, that You are Sovereign, and Holy, and full of Love. Give those who know You peace, and give those who need You a gentle nudge, so that they will turn to You, and be saved. How we love You, Jesus. Thank You for this new day. May You recieve all glory, honor and power, through Jesus Christ I pray, amen. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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