Get Churched Out!!

     Its not about the fancy clothes, position, or the amount of people who can be seated in your sanctuary. Its about God and our relationship with Christ. Many Christians have gotten so caught up in "Church" and "Religion" that there relationship with Christ has fallen by the way side. To some, Christianity has been reduced to nothing more then judgmental people who act as if God has never seen them through anything.

     We need to be churched out so we can focus on a relationship with Christ. Galatians 6:10 says "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith." We cant do good if we are focused on our outward appearance, and not our inward relationship with Christ. 

Stop Beating Yourself Up!!

     In Matthew 26: 38-45, there is an account of Jesus praying in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus took some of the disciples with him and asked that they pray since he knew the time was near when he would be betrayed and crucified. Jesus left the disciples three times and returned to find them asleep after he asked they pray his strength. Well this is just like us at times. How many times have you fallen asleep in an attempt to read your Word or pray. The disciples walked along side Jesus and had a first hand account of the signs and wonders Jesus performed yet they fell short.

It Wouldn't Be Labor Without Pain

Shall I bring to the [moment of] birth and not cause to bring forth? says the Lord. Shall I Who causes to bring forth shut the womb? says your God.

Isaiah 66:9 AMP

     Pregnancy is the fertilization and development of one or more offspring by a woman. The end result of a pregnancy is a painful delivery, but when the baby is born the pain disappears and a beautiful life pacifies any remaining indication that a pregnancy existed. If you have ever been pregnant or know someone who has you know that a lot of changes take place in a 9 month span of time. What starts out as a small fertilized egg turns into a functioning life. Pregnancy and child birth is a perfect example of the power and intelligence of God. Every detail of pregnancy is aw inspiring. Well this is the same thing with our life. We can not expect to come to Christ and not be developed because God fertilizes our faith as if it were an egg. Our life consists of trials that test and develop our faith thereby developing us

How much better are you then God??

"If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins."

Matthew 6:14-15 NLT

     Forgiveness is for you not for the person you are forgiving. Forgiveness stems from love. God loved us so much that he sent us Jesus, and through Jesus we have been forgiven of our sins. God doesn't place any stipulations on his love. If you accept Jesus as your Savior you are forgiven.....POINT BLANK! Forgiveness is defined as the act of excusing from fault or an offense. Matthew 6:14-15 is very clear concerning forgiveness. God has forgiven our sins, but his desire is that we walk in love and in order to make that walk you must forgive. If we choose to hold on to pain, fault, or offense toward others or toward ourselves we are expressing a superiority over God. Why?? If the God who shaped the world can forgive us for our mess, and I do mean mess, then what makes us so much better than God? Yes it is true, we want our feelings to be validated, but when it comes to forgiveness it cant be about the way we feel. Trust me when I tell you I have been hurt. Not just any hurt, but a hurt that pierced my soul and left me completely broken. Even after giving my life to God I was still broken . It wasn't until I allowed God to lay hold to my hurt that I was restored. I gave God all my hurt in the form of forgiveness.