Thursday, April 28, 2011
Someone else's blog...
Not sure I've ever done this before, but this blog REALLY ministered to me... How I hope some day I too will minister to others "from the grave"...
Friday, April 22, 2011
70x7 STINKS!
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Matthew 18:21-22
Are there ever portions of scripture that just "stick in your craw"??? There are for me... and THIS is one of them!
490 figurative times??? are you KIDDING me God? Forgiveness is painful. Forgiveness is HARD. And sometimes to be honest I just get stinking tired of forgiving people for the same old EXACT selfish, rude, cruel thing!
But I forgave YOU.
This blog isn't going to be long... it isn't going to be eloquent... it's going to be short, sweet and TO THE POINT.
If you ever get to the point where you are sick of forgiving.... If you ever want to snip 70x7 right out of your Bible.... If you're ever moping around in the injustice of forgiving some sinful, self-centered human being again and again and AGAIN...
STOP!
and remember: God forgave YOU. Jesus hung on that cross for YOU. His precious, holy blood was spilled for YOU. And when turned back around towards YOU that 70x7 thing ain't so bad anymore... is it?
Here's hoping that visions of the brutal, somber, excruciating cross bring a smile of hope to your face today... because all that pain was suffered for YOU and because in just three days...
:)
Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Matthew 18:21-22
Are there ever portions of scripture that just "stick in your craw"??? There are for me... and THIS is one of them!
490 figurative times??? are you KIDDING me God? Forgiveness is painful. Forgiveness is HARD. And sometimes to be honest I just get stinking tired of forgiving people for the same old EXACT selfish, rude, cruel thing!
But I forgave YOU.
This blog isn't going to be long... it isn't going to be eloquent... it's going to be short, sweet and TO THE POINT.
If you ever get to the point where you are sick of forgiving.... If you ever want to snip 70x7 right out of your Bible.... If you're ever moping around in the injustice of forgiving some sinful, self-centered human being again and again and AGAIN...
STOP!
and remember: God forgave YOU. Jesus hung on that cross for YOU. His precious, holy blood was spilled for YOU. And when turned back around towards YOU that 70x7 thing ain't so bad anymore... is it?
Here's hoping that visions of the brutal, somber, excruciating cross bring a smile of hope to your face today... because all that pain was suffered for YOU and because in just three days...
:)
Friday, April 8, 2011
The end of the world....
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. Romans 8:22-23
Doesn't it feel like the end of the world???? Earthquakes, tsunamis, nuclear threates, war in the Middle East, heinous crimes, sickness, betrayal, filthy-rotten-evil SIN everywhere you look! I sure feel like it is the end of the world. I feel Satan fighting hard in his death throes. He knows his time is short.
But then I wonder... is his time really short? I mean this sure FEELS like it is the end of the world. All the signs and wonders mentioned in Revelation seem to be all around us. However, I can't help but think that every generation has felt the same way....
When Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed...
When the extent of Hitler's evil became known...
During the Cold War...
In all of these times I'm sure people thought, "This is it. This is the end of the world." Looking back, I'm sure we could say, "DUH! That was SO not the end of the world." But I have to wonder if future generations might not look back on 2011 and say the same thing.
So what do we do???? Caught here in what very well might be the last days... yet possibly still here for the duration...
1. PRAY!!!! I can't help but think that the #1 TOP OF THE LIST solution is PRAYER. Whether you're praying for comfort because you're frightened of the times we live in... or you're praying for help and healing for all those suffering in Japan, Libya, Israel, or our own homes... or you're praying for wisdom and guidance.... or you're praying for the strength to make it through these end times... or ALL OF THE ABOVE... it just doesn't matter... just PRAY! PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!
Evening, morning, and noon I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice. Psalm 55:17
2. Draw closer to God. Read your Bible. Listen to worship music. Go to church. Join a small group. and PRAY! Do anything and everything to draw near to God. Don't waste your time watching the news. Don't fret over the radiation levels in Japan. Don't dwell on the bombs dropping in Libya. Be aware of what's going on but don't DWELL on it. DWELL on things of God.
Come near to God and He will come near to you.... James 4:8a
3. Be ready. In spite of all I said here... whether it's today or some tomorrow in the future... you need to BE READY to meet your maker! Don't think, "See Jami even admitted this might not be it. So I can just wait a little longer." DON'T DO IT! BE READY.... TODAY! I've blogged about it before... I won't waste your time again... but I am going to cite one verse on this topic... and bump one of my FAVORITE songs to the top of my playlist... just BE READY.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10
Because whether today or tomorrow... He IS coming back to take His own. I, for one, CAN'T WAIT! Dancing on streets of gold... Praising at the feet of JESUS HIMSELF... no more sickness... no more pain... no more tears... reunions with those who've gone before... bodies made whole... OHMIGOSH! I'm getting gooseflesh just typing about it! HOME! I can't wait to go HOME!
Hang on everyone! This COULD be the end of it all.... or it could be just another event in world history that we all thought was IT. Doesn't really matter which it is... our response should be the same: pray, draw near to God and BE READY!
Have a GREAT day!
Doesn't it feel like the end of the world???? Earthquakes, tsunamis, nuclear threates, war in the Middle East, heinous crimes, sickness, betrayal, filthy-rotten-evil SIN everywhere you look! I sure feel like it is the end of the world. I feel Satan fighting hard in his death throes. He knows his time is short.
But then I wonder... is his time really short? I mean this sure FEELS like it is the end of the world. All the signs and wonders mentioned in Revelation seem to be all around us. However, I can't help but think that every generation has felt the same way....
When Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed...
When the extent of Hitler's evil became known...
During the Cold War...
In all of these times I'm sure people thought, "This is it. This is the end of the world." Looking back, I'm sure we could say, "DUH! That was SO not the end of the world." But I have to wonder if future generations might not look back on 2011 and say the same thing.
So what do we do???? Caught here in what very well might be the last days... yet possibly still here for the duration...
1. PRAY!!!! I can't help but think that the #1 TOP OF THE LIST solution is PRAYER. Whether you're praying for comfort because you're frightened of the times we live in... or you're praying for help and healing for all those suffering in Japan, Libya, Israel, or our own homes... or you're praying for wisdom and guidance.... or you're praying for the strength to make it through these end times... or ALL OF THE ABOVE... it just doesn't matter... just PRAY! PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!
Evening, morning, and noon I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice. Psalm 55:17
2. Draw closer to God. Read your Bible. Listen to worship music. Go to church. Join a small group. and PRAY! Do anything and everything to draw near to God. Don't waste your time watching the news. Don't fret over the radiation levels in Japan. Don't dwell on the bombs dropping in Libya. Be aware of what's going on but don't DWELL on it. DWELL on things of God.
Come near to God and He will come near to you.... James 4:8a
3. Be ready. In spite of all I said here... whether it's today or some tomorrow in the future... you need to BE READY to meet your maker! Don't think, "See Jami even admitted this might not be it. So I can just wait a little longer." DON'T DO IT! BE READY.... TODAY! I've blogged about it before... I won't waste your time again... but I am going to cite one verse on this topic... and bump one of my FAVORITE songs to the top of my playlist... just BE READY.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10
Because whether today or tomorrow... He IS coming back to take His own. I, for one, CAN'T WAIT! Dancing on streets of gold... Praising at the feet of JESUS HIMSELF... no more sickness... no more pain... no more tears... reunions with those who've gone before... bodies made whole... OHMIGOSH! I'm getting gooseflesh just typing about it! HOME! I can't wait to go HOME!
Hang on everyone! This COULD be the end of it all.... or it could be just another event in world history that we all thought was IT. Doesn't really matter which it is... our response should be the same: pray, draw near to God and BE READY!
Have a GREAT day!