Have you ever heard the saying....I wander what goes on behind closed doors. Walking by a door that is closed and you might know that there is a business meeting, or at the Dr's office wandering what is going on, on the other side?
Closed doors can bring about a lot of curiosity. Sometimes maybe the door is ajar just a bit and you want to peek in.
The baby is sleeping and you have the door almost shut and you want to look in and see if she or he really is sleeping or just wanting to see them sleep and afraid that if you open the door it might squeak and wake up the baby.
Why is it that things we can't see can bring about a curiosity in us. The unknown is always fascinating.
The Bible talks about closed doors. The door to our heart can be closed to hearing the truth about the Gospel.
Jesus is standing at the door knocking wanting to come in but we must open that door to let Him in.
What about the doors in our mind....wouldn't it be fun to read someones thoughts? But on the other side of that I really don't think we would want to. But then don't we ofter wander what caused someone to do what they do? What were they thinking?
Suicide bombers for example...what would make a person strap on a bomb walk into a crowd and pull the cord?
What would make someone want to go blow up innocent people that have never done anything to them?
I know none of us know the answers to that but I do know one thing that people left on their own without any knowledge or belief in God or His son and keep refusing to believe the truth the Word of God says that He will turn them over to their own sin.
Romans 1:28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29:Furthermore, since they become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy,murder, strife deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful, they invent ways of doing evil...31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, and ruthless...
This sounds like our world....oh there are a lot of good people in our world today but the bad are very bad.....and getting worse...
Open the doors of Heaven and come quickly Jesus!
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Forgiveness
We attended a Southern Gospel songfest in Tulsa OK this last week-end. Such an inspiration! Praising the Lord, in song and testimony.
We as Christian are suppose to be forgiving. Many verses in the Bible speak of forgiveness one verse Colossians 3:13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Also in Matt. Peter asks Jesus how many times should I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus answers, I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Why is it so hard sometimes to forgive? Why can we become so bitter? Is it because we are so focused on self...we can't see any other way?
I struggle with this....then one by one, I prayed about it, and I started to let it go and forgive those that hurt me. It gave me so much freedom....but there still seemed to be a lump that didn't want to go away...
At the songfest there was a group there " The Isaac's" Such a good group....They ended their set with a song called " Why can't we"
The song's message is about a man that can't sleep at night, because he lays in his bed and thinks of all the things that he has done wrong in his life...how he wishes he could go back and do things over. The song goes on and talks about The woman at the well.
Where Jesus said....He who has not sinned cast the first stone...they all walked away...
I have been like that man that couldn't sleep...wishing that I could go back and do things over....I would be a better daughter, defiantly a better mother...a better wife...a better friend...surrendered my life at an earlier age....on and on...
Then I realized...we ALL have sinned...made mistakes...things we all could do different if we could...we can't...that is why the Cross is the most important thing ever...that is where when we accept the free gift of salvation...we are totally...totally forgiven because of what Jesus did at the cross..He paid it all...now He forgave me...for all my sins and mistakes...now why can I not forgive myself...where can that come from.. If I could have lived the perfect life He would not have had to die for me....He has set me FREE!!
What a peace...what a joy!!
We as Christian are suppose to be forgiving. Many verses in the Bible speak of forgiveness one verse Colossians 3:13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Also in Matt. Peter asks Jesus how many times should I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus answers, I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Why is it so hard sometimes to forgive? Why can we become so bitter? Is it because we are so focused on self...we can't see any other way?
I struggle with this....then one by one, I prayed about it, and I started to let it go and forgive those that hurt me. It gave me so much freedom....but there still seemed to be a lump that didn't want to go away...
At the songfest there was a group there " The Isaac's" Such a good group....They ended their set with a song called " Why can't we"
The song's message is about a man that can't sleep at night, because he lays in his bed and thinks of all the things that he has done wrong in his life...how he wishes he could go back and do things over. The song goes on and talks about The woman at the well.
Where Jesus said....He who has not sinned cast the first stone...they all walked away...
I have been like that man that couldn't sleep...wishing that I could go back and do things over....I would be a better daughter, defiantly a better mother...a better wife...a better friend...surrendered my life at an earlier age....on and on...
Then I realized...we ALL have sinned...made mistakes...things we all could do different if we could...we can't...that is why the Cross is the most important thing ever...that is where when we accept the free gift of salvation...we are totally...totally forgiven because of what Jesus did at the cross..He paid it all...now He forgave me...for all my sins and mistakes...now why can I not forgive myself...where can that come from.. If I could have lived the perfect life He would not have had to die for me....He has set me FREE!!
What a peace...what a joy!!
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
The Empty Tomb
Just coming off Easter Sunday and what it really means to me some thoughts are coming to my mind.
Easter has a lot of different meanings to a lot of different people. To some it is just another Sunday.
No thought about it being any different then any other Sunday.
To others it is a time for family. To get together, eat a big meal, hide eggs for the kiddos, and sit and visit. Sometimes this is the first day of sitting or playing outside. It usually is warmer on Easter for some reason.
Others have to go out and get new Easter dresses for the little girls ( or bigger ones) new hats maybe, new white shoes...this would have been me a number of years ago and especially when I was growing up. My Mom always made me a new dress to wear on Easter. Loved it, all my friends had new dresses on too. Pretty...
A lot of different religions have a lot of things or traditions that they do coming up to the day.
Giving something up for Lent....Special services for certain days...ash Wednesday comes to mind..ashes on the forehead in the shape of a cross...Palm Sunday...Sunrise service's...lots of songs about the cross...
In a Bible Study class that I was just in one of the questions was: What is your favorite holiday?
Mine is Christmas...love all that goes with it. Christmas eve my very favorite day of the year. Anticipation...more so when I was little. Now it is just the silence I feel on Christmas eve...the candle light services...Silent Night....Holy Night....
Off track here....the tomb...the empty tomb....Easter is not about the Easter Bunny, the colored eggs filled with candy...the Easter baskets, the new dresses, the new shoes....seems like in every Christian holiday we can go the secular way....here, there, here, there one foot in one foot out...it is what we make of it and what we add to it and what we take away from it. It is tradition...it is what we were brought up with it is how we do life....what really is right...what does Jesus think...when we are running around.....looking...searching....shopping....putting ashes on our foreheads...is He saying come on people...it is about ME....I was nailed to the cross....I bore the sins of the whole world..once and for all....I was in agony....I cried...." My God, My God why have thou forsaken me??? Jesus is saying I did it for you...and you....and you....
The Tomb is empty...It is finished....He paid it all....ALL...What did He do for us....He gave us life..through His resurection...WE now have hope.....What are we doing for HIM....
I love my family....God has blessed us so much....I love hiding the eggs for the little ones...but they are here because of HIM...and I can take them with me into eternity because of what He did that day...on the cross and on Easter when He rose again......because of me....and because of you!
Easter has a lot of different meanings to a lot of different people. To some it is just another Sunday.
No thought about it being any different then any other Sunday.
To others it is a time for family. To get together, eat a big meal, hide eggs for the kiddos, and sit and visit. Sometimes this is the first day of sitting or playing outside. It usually is warmer on Easter for some reason.
Others have to go out and get new Easter dresses for the little girls ( or bigger ones) new hats maybe, new white shoes...this would have been me a number of years ago and especially when I was growing up. My Mom always made me a new dress to wear on Easter. Loved it, all my friends had new dresses on too. Pretty...
A lot of different religions have a lot of things or traditions that they do coming up to the day.
Giving something up for Lent....Special services for certain days...ash Wednesday comes to mind..ashes on the forehead in the shape of a cross...Palm Sunday...Sunrise service's...lots of songs about the cross...
In a Bible Study class that I was just in one of the questions was: What is your favorite holiday?
Mine is Christmas...love all that goes with it. Christmas eve my very favorite day of the year. Anticipation...more so when I was little. Now it is just the silence I feel on Christmas eve...the candle light services...Silent Night....Holy Night....
Off track here....the tomb...the empty tomb....Easter is not about the Easter Bunny, the colored eggs filled with candy...the Easter baskets, the new dresses, the new shoes....seems like in every Christian holiday we can go the secular way....here, there, here, there one foot in one foot out...it is what we make of it and what we add to it and what we take away from it. It is tradition...it is what we were brought up with it is how we do life....what really is right...what does Jesus think...when we are running around.....looking...searching....shopping....putting ashes on our foreheads...is He saying come on people...it is about ME....I was nailed to the cross....I bore the sins of the whole world..once and for all....I was in agony....I cried...." My God, My God why have thou forsaken me??? Jesus is saying I did it for you...and you....and you....
The Tomb is empty...It is finished....He paid it all....ALL...What did He do for us....He gave us life..through His resurection...WE now have hope.....What are we doing for HIM....
I love my family....God has blessed us so much....I love hiding the eggs for the little ones...but they are here because of HIM...and I can take them with me into eternity because of what He did that day...on the cross and on Easter when He rose again......because of me....and because of you!
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