Whose Life is it Anyway?

“Since you have been raised to a new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:1-3 9 (New Living Translation)

Did you know that your heavenly Father has taken the “quess” work out of our lives? In other words, if you are a Christian you do not have to go through life “wondering” what your day-to-day or even your future is supposed to be like. God has mapped out a plan just for you.  It’s like going on a road trip and generally speaking our plans will more than likely include a “map” and while on our adventurous journey we put our trust in that map to lead us in the right direction which then helps to “guide” us to our final destination.  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not depend on your own understanding. Seek HIS will in ALL you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom (the way YOU think your life should be) Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones…” Proverbs 3: 5-8 NLT

As you can see here the Lord is not saying that you cannot “think” for yourself. He is merely clarifying that while we’re making life long plans  he is encouraging us to remember to “Seek HIS will in ALL (we) set out to do”.  Another scripture that comes to mind is found in Isaiah 55:8-9 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts” says the Lord.“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” That’s not to mean that we cannot “know” his thoughts or his ways when it comes to our life.  In fact the word of God says, “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding of what the will of the Lord is” Ephesians 5:17 King James Version. God has given us the ability to have wisdom and understand what he has planned for us.

Have NO FEAR! Your Creator knows everything about you and he knows “exactly” what his plans for your life are, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a FUTURE and a hope. In those days when YOU PRAY I will LISTEN. IF you look for me wholeheartedly, you WILL find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord”  Jeremiah 29:11-14 NLT

So how is it that we can really “know” God’s direction and plan for our lives? Great question! In my 30 plus years of being a Christian, a follower of Jesus and pastor for nearly 10 years is to do exactly what the word of God instructs us to do and that is:
ASK “and you shall receive”
SEEK “and you shall find”
KNOCK ” and the door shall be opened…”  “For EVERYONE who asks receives, to him who seeks finds, and to him (she) who knocks the door shall be opened” Mathew 7:7 and Luke 11:9 teachings of Jesus.

When you understand that God has created you and has mapped out a plan for your life, you no longer have to worry about today or the future.  You can know that you are in HIS hands.  After all just as his word says he “formed” you while you were in your mothers womb (Isaiah 44:2) and that we belong to him…He sent Jesus to bring us back into the same kind of relationship Adam and Eve experienced before the fall in the garden. He also promises that we will not “slip” when we seek him with our whole life and trust that he has the best plan for our lives….far better than what we could plan for ourselves.  Remember to trust in the Lord in “ALL” you do and be comforted that we belong to him. “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you (the believer, the Christian) and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price (Jesus death and resurrection) so you must honor God with your body (and your life).” 1Corinthians 6:19-20  “Seek FIRST the Kingdom of God and his righteousness (his way) and ALL these things shall be added (given) to you” Mathew 6:33

Girl Talk with God ONLINE Bible Study: Week 5

Taking Inventory:

“Blessed are they that Hunger and Thirst after righteousness (God and His word) shall be filled” Mathew 5:6 (Jesus words)

The other morning my husband awoke and heard these words from the Lord, “Take Inventory” as he studied the scriptures he was led to what the Apostle Paul wrote about taking inventory of our life:  “I once thought these things were ‘valuable’, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. vs 8 Yes ‘everything else’ is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as ‘garbage’ (worthless) so that I could gain Christ and become one with him.” Philippians 3:7-9 nlt

Those of you who have every worked in retail know the importance of taking “inventory.”

In business  we are required by law to be “honest” in our assessments during inventory. Many years ago I used to work in retail and I remember the times we were required to take inventory of “everything” and were trained to be accurate, being careful to not leave anything out.  At home when preparing a meal we make it a point to check our pantry to see if we have all of the ingredients needed. In life whether we are aware of it or not, we are constantly taking inventory and making assessments of the things we have or don’t have, the question is are we being accurate? Are we forgetting something? As we make assessments of our life are we leaving anything out?

As I mentioned earlier we all (knowingly or unknowingly) make regular assessments of our lives: For some we look at life and how hard it is. We may be frustrated because of our financial situation. We may be jealous of what our neighbors (or family and co-workers) have. We may even be irritated by the fact that we don’t have the job or career we “really” want. This is exactly what the Apostle  Paul was saying in the above scripture: As he knowingly took inventory of his life and life in general he found that the “things” he once thought were ‘valuable’ to him were no longer that. He made an honest assessment and came to the true understanding that the infinite value in Life comes ONLY from Jesus and knowing him.

You might be asking yourself “How?” “How can I stop looking at and being ‘consumed’ with the things I have or “don’t” have and carefully andhonestly see the “True Value” in life?  I’m glad you asked, picture if you will a “warehouse” it’s your warehouse containing  “everything” you posses, including your present circumstances whether good or bad and in this warehouse  you also have a chest full of “gold” but you overlook it because everything else in your warehouse has captured your attention which causes you to not see it.  Why? Because while we’re ‘busy’ taking inventory of our life we are failing to  make a “complete” assessment. We’re so focused on all the other stuff, that we are unable to see that right in the middle of everything else in our warehouse  is something that is MORE valuable. So how do we focus on this treasure that has been in our warehouse since day one? Take NEW inventory and “include” Jesus as being the MOST important and most VALUABLE asset in your life. What does the “value” of Jesus offer us: God’s word says that he “…works ALL things together for GOOD, to those that love God and are called according to His purpose” Another promise is “…and NOTHING shall by any means hurt you…” Another nugget of truth of knowing Jesus is, “I CAN do ALL THINGS through Christ who gives me strength” Friends, He is our Life, Purpose and Peace…everything else is  worthless just as the apostle Paul came to understand.  Taking our eyes off of what we have always thought to be of value  and putting our focus on our greatest asset in life: Jesus. He is the most valued treasure we could ever obtain.

The next time you think of the things you work for are of great value, think again: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a TREASURE that a man/woman discovered hidden in a field…” Mathew 13:44 ~ Knowing Jesus.

For more go Ponce Church website and download Pastor Rick’s newest
messages, “The Value of Jesus”

Girl Talk with God

A Time of Refreshing:

Mathew 4:4 “People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God”

Picture if you will a very hot and dry desert. What’s the first thing you think of? Water! For fourteen years our family lived in the suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona. I remember quite clearly one summer after our first child was born, our air conditioner went out because the temperatures reached 120′! YES, I said 120 degrees!  If you’ve every flown over the valley you’ll see that nearly every home has a pool because of the extreme heat.  I also remember that I never left the house without water!! Anyone who has ever lived there knows exactly what I’m talking about. I also remember taking walks. It was either EARLY in the morning or when the sun went down and even then I would literally pour water on me to keep me cool as I hit the hiking trails or the streets of my neighborhood.

Our soul is very much like that hot and dry desert. Whether we realize it or not our very being THIRSTS for God! Many people may not realize it but the truth be told, we are God’s creation, and living a life without him in it is like  living in the desert without water.

Let’s take a look at a true story of Jesus and a woman who came to get water from a well:
As Jesus was leaving Judea and returning to Galilee, he came to village in Samaria.  Jacobs well was there and because he was tired from his long walk, he sat beside the well around noontime. “Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, ‘You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?’ Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me and I would give you living water.” “But Sir, you don’t have a rope or bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?” Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will NEVER be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” John 4:4-14

Here Jesus is teaching us a comparison between the water that we drink  and the LIVING water that comes from Him.  As we can clearly see the Bible references Jesus as the “Living Water”.  The word of God also reveals that Jesus is the bread of life.  First let’s look at what Jesus says inMathew 4:4 “People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” Jesus explains in another passage of scripture what this means: “The true bread of God is the One (Jesus) who comes down from heaven” John 6:33.

What is the best way of obtaining the “true bread” which is God’s word? “So then faith comes by hearing and by hearing the word of God”Romans 10:17. In the scriptures above this the apostle Paul explains the importance of the teacher, the minister that God has sent to proclaim “His” word and in Hebrews 10:25, the word of God teaches us one very important aspect that we must be careful to not forget as Christians, His people, “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” The King James version says, “Forsake not the assembling of  yourselves together, as a manner of some have…” So what is God saying here? “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith (faith comes by hearing God’s word by his ministers that he has called) and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-13.

Many times we can get distracted and go through life thinking that this part of Christianity is unnecessary.  We get wrapped up in work and raising our families that we sometimes do not see the importance of going to church.  I remember going through a period in my life where I failed to see it’s importance. I went from faithfully going to hear God’s Life giving words to not. And I can honestly say that I do not ever want that to happen again. Why? Because hearing God’s word (pastors are teachers) causes faith to grow.  The scriptures also say that through “faith and patience” we “inherit God’s promises”.  If we’re not being fed the “bread of life” or drinking that “living water” on a regular basis our faith that helps us conquer EVERYTHING in life will not grow. Faith my friend is the ONLY thing that can overcome doubt, fear, anxiety and worry. Hearing God’s word increases our faith to overcome anything that presents itself in life. God’s word says, “the just shall live by faith.”

I encourage you today that if you have put going to church on the back burner to rethink your decision and based on the word of God put it back on your “To-Do” list.  “Blessed are they that Hunger and Thirst after righteousness (God and His word) shall be filled” Mathew 5:6 (Jesus words)