Category: Keep The Faith News

Are You Living in the ‘I am’?

Exodus 3:13-14
“ Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am”.”

Notice that God was in the present when He said  “I am who I am”.  He didn’t say  ‘I am who I was’ or ‘I am who I will be’ … He said “I am who I am”.

This is a good reminder for us to live in the present. Be who we are now … not who we were, or who we will be … live in the actual moment of who we are.

Dwelling on the past is wasted energy. We cannot un-ring a bell … it sounded, it’s over.  God tells us that tomorrow with take care of itself.  He is ever in the present, in the ‘I AM’.  Let us strive to assess at the end of each day if we lived it in the ‘I Am’ with God, or if we drifted off to the ‘I Was’ or ‘I Will Be’.

Have a blessed ‘I am’ with God day!

Are You Living a Life of Happiness or Pleasure?

 

Matthew 4:8-10

“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”

Easter and spring represent a time of transformation and renewal; a time to evaluate if we are living the life God intended us to live. Are we choosing life of sustaining Happiness or that of short-lived Pleasure?

We seem to be living in an age of pleasure-seeking, experiencing the temptations of the material world. The manufactures of pleasures … old and new … are all packaged as ‘Happiness’. This is what our culture tries to convince us to live for. Many of these pleasures are with selfish intentions and self-seeking desires.

We all get caught up in temptation, and sometimes to the point that we cannot see that we are not living our lives as God desires. Pleasure is short-term … happiness is sustainable. God created us for happiness, which is the result of patience, honesty, caring and selflessness. It is the joy we carry forever.

True happiness and blessings bring no regrets; wherein pleasure too often brings guilt or suffering … and to the extreme, destruction.

For our spring renewal let’s try to be more like Jesus … worship and serve only God. He will bless us with all we need when we put Him first. Be aware of our intentions … are they selfish or selfless? Check to see if our desires are for personal gain or an act of pure love. Remember, pleasure temptations are fleeting and not leading you to the fullness and richness that true sustaining happiness provides.

Challenge yourself to becoming the best you can be … happy!

Are You Going to Conform or Transform?

Romans 12:2
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”

Looking for a personal transformation?
In order to transform ourselves, we need to separate from negative people and find our uniqueness. Lent may be a great time to embrace that challenge by stepping out of our comfort zone and doing something different.

Perhaps instead of ‘giving up’ sweets or beverages, we should consider giving up our ego and expectations. Instead of our ego wasting time festering about what others did or failed to do according to our expectations, we could focus on the needs of others.

Next time the ego wants to lead, let’s try asking ourselves ‘What would Jesus do in this situation’. Then we can follow our hearts instead of our egos, and become another step closer to transformation and renewal.

What is Your Greater Purpose?

Psalm 138:8
“The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.”

In the book ‘Affairs of the Heart’ God says, ‘For without purpose you are nothing. Awaken each day with purpose. If you do not know what to do, then ask Me and allow Me to guide you to your destination. It is purpose that creates esteem. It is esteem that creates confidence, and in the confidence you will find peace. For with peace there can be no anger, no animosity … only peace.’

Throughout the Bible we are told to live a mindful, peaceful life and to use our hands for good purpose. Are you?
Do you know what your greater purpose is? If not, allow God to guide you … He wants to. He is calling you to have a deeper relationship with Him. As Lent begins in a few weeks, accept Jesus’ invitation to journey with Him in the ‘desert’ and be transformed. Set aside your old ways, deny yourself the distractions of this world, and use your hands for prayer and praise as you allow God to guide you to your utmost purpose.

HOW INSPIRING – Matthew 24:36

Are We Prepared for the Will of God?

Matthew 24:36
“But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

My father, rarely a churchgoer, became very close to the Lord in his last years, watching mass on TV usually twice a day.

As he grew into God’s arms with love, grace and compassion, Dad displayed a faith that was at times beyond courageous.

In his darkness from failed eyesight, Dad still saw the light of Christ and shared it with those he came in contact with. He found joy is everyone’s words, and sought to console rather than to be consoled. He came to an understanding with the Lord and he demonstrated that peace and acceptance to all those around him.

Last January, after being rushed to the hospital for the second time in a year, Dad said to me, “I hope I get well quickly so I can go home”. Sitting on the bed with him, holding hands I responded, “what if you can’t go home this time, Dad?” As he sat there, he raised his arms to the heavens and bravely said, “if that is God’s will, then so be it.” The following morning the Lord summoned Dad to his heavenly home. Dad’s accepting words of his fate have resonated with me ever since.

There will always be challenges and situations in our lives beyond our control, which may not have the outcome we expect or desire. At those times, may we remember to reflect on Dad’s courageous words … “ If that is God’s will, then so be it.”

HOW INSPIRING – John 3:16

A child is born to save the World and give us Eternal Life

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Christmas season is a time of reflection as well as anticipation. A time of new beginnings as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ.

Just as the Magi focused on the guidance of a star, so must we focus on the guidance of our Lord and Savior from Whom we receive our blessings, as well as redemptions.

God sent Jesus to establish a relationship, a deep personal bond, with us. Now is the time for us to take inventory of that relationship and see where we need to strengthen our faith.

So this month when someone asks what you’d like for Christmas, tell them a renewed faith in Jesus Christ who will make a safe place in the holy land of heaven for your arrival.

HOW INSPIRING Hebrews 11:9

Are We Making our Way to God?

Hebrews 11:9
“By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with.”

In the Bible we learned of God leading Moses to the Promised Land through faith and perseverance.

Later, in 1620, the Pilgrims, searching for religious freedom, used that same faith and perseverance to travel to America.
They wanted to choose their own church and were nearly defeated by the harsh conditions they faced when they arrived in New England.

We, in a sense, are all Pilgrims. We are each on a journey to strengthen our faith and attain the freedom of our souls to inspire and enrich not only our heritage from Abraham, but to nurture our spirit through dedication and proclamation a renewal and steadfastness in our faith to Jesus.

May we make every day a day of Thanksgiving … or shall we say, giving thanks … to our ancestors, our ‘church’ of faithfulness, and mostly to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who will lead us to our next journey to the Promised Land of Heaven.

HOW INSPIRING 1 Timothy 3:15

Are We Relying on God to be our Pillar?

1 Timothy 3:15
“If I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.”

Are we really living the Word of God on a daily basis? Are we consistently relying on Him to be our pillar, our cornerstone? Or do we just turn to him when there is a personal problem or attack on our Nation?

Thanks to the wonderful testimony I receive from readers of ‘Affairs of the Heart’, I have come to a conclusion. The closer we get to God, the more imperfect we realize we are. We become more aware of actions we tolerated that were wrong, of things we did or failed to do. We become aware of the difference between selfishness and selflessness. That’s what happens to us when we get closer to God. We become better people with better values who want to please God first.

Today let’s invite God into our hearts to shine His light on our darkness, accepting His forgiveness so we may move freely into our future. Only then can we open our hearts to each other to share that hope and faith as a source of strength in these trying times.

Not only do we need to rely on the Lord daily as our pillar, we need to reflect that same unwavering strength to others that have not yet found their way.

HOW INSPIRING 2 Corinthians 5:17

Are you Prepared for Your Transformation?

2 CORINTHIANS 5:17

‘Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away: behold, all things are become new.’

Several weeks ago a beautiful butterfly climbed onto my hand and stayed there for quite some time. I was so amazed by it trusting me, especially because I am so much larger than this delicate species we share our earth with.

From egg to caterpillar, from cocoon to butterfly, this colorful creature emerges in her unfurling glory. The massive amount of transition she endures makes me think of how we, too, experience life changes so extreme at times that our old self is hardly recognizable. This led me to a question … do we accept the changes in our lives as easily as the butterfly unquestioningly embraces hers?

Because we have the same vulnerability as the butterfly, we need to trust in God to care for us and nurture us … we need to stop resisting change in order to spread our wings and begin to fly in the direction of God’s intended Light. For in that light is every hope to emerge as a better version of ourselves.

The butterfly is a symbol of resurrection in Christianity … appearing dead in the cocoon and emerging far more beautiful than before. So, next time you’re feeling like the world is shifting around you, ask God for his Guidance and listen as He asks you to put aside the old to make way for the new in your life. Take rest in Him during your transformation, allowing Him to envelop you in his cocoon of love.

For when we trust God’s plan for us with total acceptance we can peacefully undergo life’s transitions, becoming even more beautiful than before.

HOW INSPIRING: 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

We will all be Changed in a Moment

1 Corinthians 15:51-52

‘Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.’

I suppose we all got up around the same time. It was a beautiful clear, crisp sunny morning and there was so much planned for the day. He was making his breakfast, she was fixing her hair and I was packing a snack for the bike trail. None of us had yet met, as we were strangers living different lives in different towns.

I loaded my bike on the back of my truck to head out for the trails, as he fastened his helmet, secured his boots and got on his motorcycle to go to work. I’m not sure where she was going, and I don’t know that she knew either. We all met at an intersection. He was traveling with the right of way, she began crossing without seeing him, and I was stunned when he dropped from the sky and landed flat on his back in front of my truck.

As I called 911 a calm overcame me and transported me to his side. She was screaming as he lie face up with his eyes fixed on the sky. I knelt next to him, leaned in and asked if he could hear me. He barely twitched his left eyelid to respond. I told him he was not alone … that God was with us, surrounding us with love and peace … and that I would not leave his side. A large tear, fashioned to the look of a pear-shaped diamond, formed in the outer corner of his left eye. As I spoke, his soul departed.

Who knew that morning, as we three were planning our day, that we would meet at an intersection of our lives that would change each of us forever. All our earlier planning and expectations were altered in a flash.

Take some time today to evaluate your relationship with the Lord. Stay strong in your faith and daily prayers – for one day, any day, at any moment we will be at an intersection of our lives, and the impact of that moment, that nanosecond, will change things forever.

(Note: The above is based upon my experience this July)