Too many people believe the lie that they can go somewhere and do whatever they want and leave it behind without any consequences. The fact is that everything we sow we will reap. If you sow bad seed, you will reap bad plants, but if you sow good seed and make wise choices, then you will have a good harvest. The only place that can ever truly have the claim that what happens there stays there is the foot of the cross. When you lay down your life and accept Christ’s forgiveness and love, you leave your old self behind and you become a new creation. Never forget that bad seed produces bad fruit no matter where you plant it, and good seed produces good fruit no matter how long it takes to grow.
September 19, 2011
There is a very big difference between someone who is a father and someone who fathers. Rather than simply adopting us into His family and letting us be, God desires a continued growing father/child relationship with you. Jesus talks about how children ask their earthly fathers who are inherently evil for things and their fathers give them those things because they love them. How much more our Heavenly Father longs to give us things, but we must first ask. And when God gives us things we must not take it for granted, but rather always give Him thanks, because the gratitude of a child to a father makes the father delight all the more in blessing his child. Lastly, our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, of who is equal with the Father, and therefore we should not grieve Him by taking part in actions that He would want nothing to do with.
September 16, 2011
In the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, God could not find even ten people in the city of Sodom who were righteous and He therefore destroyed the cities. Before destroying them, He sent two messengers to Lot and his family to warn them and lead them out of the city. As they were leaving, Lot’s wife disregarded the instruction of God’s messengers and looked back as the city was being destroyed. Because she looked back she lost her life. There are times in our life when God rescues us from the destruction we have been living in, but it is so very tempting sometimes to simply look back. When we look back, it is as if we are playing with fire; we will get burned. Rather than looking back, may we look forward and press on towards the goal that has been set for us in Christ Jesus.
September 15, 2011
Even since Biblical times sexual sin has been something that has caused pain and grief in many lives. Although the reasons for committing such sins may be different, they can usually be linked to some hurt from the past. God intended for sex to be only between a husband and wife, and anything other than that is considered fornication and has consequences. One of the most difficult things to forgive is sexual sin, whether it means forgiving someone who sexually harmed you or forgiving yourself for the sexual acts you’ve done. The only one who can bring true sexual healing regardless of the past is Jesus, and He wants to make things right with you so that you may have a beautiful fulfilling marriage and enjoy sex the way it was intended to be.
September 14, 2011
Everyone struggles with different things, and some of those things may be physically visible while other things may be in their mind that no one can see. The fact is that everyone is in bondage, held captive by a master. While we all started as slaves to sin, because of the price that Jesus paid by dying on the cross when we were the ones who deserved death we can be freed from our bondage to sin and alive as slaves to righteousness. We are always going to be a slave to something, but if we choose to be a slave to God in righteousness we will find freedom in the blood of Christ that cleanses us from the things that has held us bondage in our past.
September 13, 2011
The story of the Prodigal Son can be used for two different situations. The first situation is for someone who has never known God and come to the end of themselves, realizing that the world has nothing to offer them and they come home to the Father’s welcoming open arms. The second way this story can be used is in reference to a Christian who leaves “home” to pursue a life that has nothing to do with God until they decide to return. The fact is that no matter how far you get away from God, you can never be too far to come home to Him. Because of Christ’s sacrifice for us and God’s mercy and grace we are always welcomed home and all of heaven rejoices.
September 12, 2011