Filled With Him?

  Have you ever had some "friends" that you were so excited to see. And as the time grew nearer your excitement grew. Finally the day came. You went with excitement to see them and you thought that feeling was mutual.
  With excitement you greeted them but for some reason they didn't share in the excitement. Instead they walked away as if you were a total stranger.

  Standing alone...You see them coming, Maybe now they will include me and not put me off... But they simply walk by as if you don't exist.

  What happened? What was wrong? What had you done?
The questions seemed to flood your mind.

  I remember many instances when I was younger where I cried myself to sleep because the people I thought were my friends turned out not to be my friends at all.

  These instances have always made me think "What would Jesus do?" "Am I treating others truly how I would want to be treated?" "Have I treated others like these "friends" have treated me?"

  But as much as it hurt I don't hold bitterness to these instances or the people they involved.
It has only made me want to reach out to everyone who has been judged or sluffed off and make sure I wasn't excluding people from the "click".

  So often we judge others and if they do not size up to our standards or expectations we sluff them off as if they aren't humans just like us.

  Have you read anywhere where Christ did not treat someone with the deepest love and tenderness? Of course not!
  I've often wondered why people can't just be friends with anyone. No matter what race, age, size, status, standards, denomination, mutual friends, name and so on.

Christ is our example. And His example is quite clear.

 The world is watching us. Are we showing the world what true Christianity is looks like? We may think no one is watching. But your every act, every word, every thought is being recorded and determining your destiny.

We are called to love. To be Love.

  If we are Love and if Christ is truly living in our hearts His love and kindness will flow through us.

Oh what we say we live... Is it really true? Or are we just a bunch of great actors playing different roles in Satan's stage?

All or nothing.

Our hearts can't be half filled with Christ and half filled with Satan.
Christ can't dwell where Satan is welcome.

Who are we serving? What life are we truly living? Are we really who we betray?

If You Do Not love Love...

Tears spring up in my eyes... He alone is what fills my heart. He is my only peace and joy. Without Him I am nothing. I long for more of His love--more of Him!

My heart longs for every soul to experience this...

Is it real? Is the life we profess true? Or is it all a front to "fit in" and look like a "good" person.

We say we love Him...But do we truly love Him? Do you truly love Him more than anything in this world?
My heart feels such a deep longing for every soul on this earth to experience true living. To experience what it is to truly live in Him. And to see His love and character that is ohh, soo beautiful!

Without truly knowing Him we can't truly love Him...And we can't truly love those around us because our source of Love is from Christ.

He is all Love. Therefore you also should be all Love! Is the life you're living Love? Is your heart Love? Are your actions Love? Are your words Love? Are you Love?
             You can not be Love if you do not love Love! (Christ)

99% Is Not Enough

Total surrender...
   99% is not enough.
We can't give God our hearts and not our dreams.

  Sometimes we think we are fully surrendered but if you look deep into your heart you will find there are still things you  haven't let go. Though as small as they might seem, they are just as big as any others.

  It is only in complete surrender that perfect peace can be found. Only in complete surrender and reliance on Christ that true happiness will flood your soul. My friend, believe it to be possible to have a ever urging welt of happiness springing up inside your heart!

  Often times an extra amount of happiness will spring up inside me. I feel as if I'll explode with joy. At that moment tears push hard to show themselves for my cup of joy is running over. My heart fills with gratitude for it is not my circumstances that bring such joy. It is Jesus, and Him alone.

  Tears fill my eyes...
My heart longs for every soul to feel His love...
To be secure in Him...
To have perfect peace...And happiness that has no end.
To experience complete surrender and see the beauty of it.
The absolute joy...
It is only found in complete--100%--surrender.
  It is in complete surrender that His plan can fully unravel into the beautiful story He has in store for you.

  Complete surrender is not a sacrifice but a gift. 

If I Try Hard Enough

"I want to change! I want to be different! I will try...I will do it! If  I try hard enough I can do it!"

  A year ago I prayed, "Lord, do whatever it takes! Whatever it takes to make me like You!" I was sincere and ready to face anything that could be placed upon me....
  About a month ago I was studying one morning as usual but I felt a bigger burden than usual. I dove into my Bible....
  Oh the perfectness, the beauty, the never failing love, the never ending patience of Christ! As I pondered His perfect character tears trickled down my cheeks. Oh His love for me! He gave everything for me! And here I am...I'm nothing near perfect, there's nothing beautiful in me, my love is failing at times, my patience runs out and I had even failed Him at times! As I sat there, the tears still running, I thought of all the times I failed the One who gave His life for me, the scene of Him in agony and pain on the cross giving all for me flashed into my mind. "Maybe all the times I failed Him...did I put Him through the cross all over again?"
  "I want to change! I don't want Him hurt ever again! I want to be like Him in all ways! I want His love to never fail through me, I want HIS beauty to shine in and through me, I want selflessness, and I want to have the patience that never runs out!" 
   I decided that if I tried hard enough I could do it! I could smile and be kind even when I felt like blowing up. If I tried hard enough I could overcome....so I thought.
  So I began...at first everything didn't go too bad...but as the days past I got more irritable, more inpatient, it was not the result I wanted. Everything seemed to go wrong and I was nearly in tears no matter what happened. Everyday it got worse and worse till one day I couldn't hold out any longer. I ran to a room fell down on my knees and sobbed like a child. My heart was broken. I had tried and tried but failed. I was tired, and I was done. In my distress I cried out to my Savior.
"Oh Lord, I'm done. I have tried and tried and I'm finished. If You want me to change You will have to change me!"
  Yes, that's what I should of done in the beginning...but it took tears and much pain for me to learn the simple lesson. It wasn't that I didn't know the lesson...I just didn't realize where I had gone wrong in my self-reliance! As I knelt there and prayed I felt as if Jesus was standing right beside me with His hand on my shoulder looking down upon me with a smile saying, "Yes, My child....yes...!" Peace filled my soul, the tears ceased to flow, I felt new...fresh....strong....in my realization of my nothingness and weakness, He made me strong...the strength that only comes from Him and FULL surrender to Him.
  I'm praising the Lord, for the heartache, pain and tears He let me go through to teach me such a simple lesson.... And I assure I will never try to do anything in my own strength ever again! :) Being filled with His strength is by far, better than any strength I could ever possess!

Christian Leadership

 Christian Leadership - Praying Leadership--The path of men who are placed as leaders is not an easy one.  But they are to see in every difficulty a call to prayer.  Never are they to fail of consulting the great Source of all wisdom.  Strengthened and enlightened by the Master Worker, they will be enabled to stand firm against unholy influences and to discern right from wrong, good from evil.  They will approve that which God approves, and will strive earnestly against the introduction of wrong principles into His cause.--Prophets and Kings, p. 31. {ChL 4.1} 

     Christian Leadership is in Touch With God--Those engaged in the work of God cannot serve His cause acceptably unless they make the best use possible of the religious privileges they enjoy.  We are as trees planted in the garden of the Lord; and He comes to us seeking the fruit He has a right to expect.  His eye is upon each of us; He reads our hearts and understands our lives.  This is a solemn search, for it has reference to duty and to destiny; and with what interest is it prosecuted. {ChL 4.2} 

     Let each of those to whom are committed sacred trusts inquire: "How do I meet the inspecting eye of God?  Is my heart cleansed from its defilement? or have its temple courts become so desecrated, so occupied with buyers and sellers, that Christ finds no room?" The bustle of business, if continuous, will dry up spirituality and leave the soul Christless. {ChL 4.3} 

     Although they may profess the truth, yet if men pass along day by day with no living connection with God, they will be led to do strange things; decisions will be made not in accordance with the will of God.  There is no safety for our leading brethren while they shall go forward according to their own impulses.  They will not be yoked up with Christ, and so will not move in harmony with Him.  They will be unable to see and realize the wants of the cause, and Satan will move upon them to take positions that will embarrass and hinder.--Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 423. {ChL 4.4}

     Looking to Jesus--No man is so high in power and authority but that Satan will assail him with temptation.  And the more responsible the position a man occupies, the fiercer and more determined are the assaults of the enemy.  Let God's servants in every place study His word, looking constantly to Jesus, that they may be changed into His image.  The inexhaustible fullness and the all-sufficiency of Christ are at our command if we walk before God in humility and contrition.--Manuscript 140, 1902. {ChL 5.1} 

    Strong, Godly Leaders.--The man at the head of any work in God's cause is to be a man of intelligence, a man capable of managing large interests successfully, a man of even temper, Christlike forbearance, and perfect self-control. He only whose heart is transformed by the grace of Christ can be a proper leader.--MM 164.  {PM 255.2}  

     The path of men who are placed as leaders is not an easy one. But they are to see in every difficulty a call to prayer. Never are they to fail of consulting the great Source of all wisdom. Strengthened and enlightened by the Master Worker, they will be enabled to stand firm against unholy influences and to discern right from wrong, good from evil. They will approve that which God approves, and will strive earnestly against the introduction of wrong principles into His cause.--PK 31.  {PM 255.3}

Trust In the Lord

The wind's not always at our back,

The sky is not always blue.

Sometimes we crave the things we lack,

And don't know what to do.

~

Sometimes life's an uphill ride,

With mountains we must climb.

At times the river's deep and wide,

And crossing takes some time.

~

No one said that life is easy,

There are no guarantees.

So Trust in the Lord continually,

On calm or stormy seas.

~

The challenges we face today,

Prepares us for tomorrow.

For faith takes our fears away,

And peace replaces sorrow.

-Unknown Author

Sunlight

1. I wandered in the shades of night,
   Till Jesus came to me,
   And with the sunlight of His love
   Bid all my darkness flee.
   • Refrain:
     Sunlight, sunlight in my soul today,
     Sunlight, sunlight all along the way;
     Since the Savior found me, took away my sin,
     I have had the sunlight of His love within.
2. Though clouds may gather in the sky,
   And billows ’round me roll,
   However dark the world may be
   I've sunlight in my soul.
3. 
   
   
   While walking in the light of God,
   I sweet communion find;
   I press with holy vigor on
   And leave the world behind.
4. I cross the wide, extended fields,
   I journey o’er the plain,
   And in the sunlight of His love
   I reap the golden grain.
5. Soon I shall see Him as He is,
   The Light that came to me;
   Behold the brightness of His face,
   Throughout eternity.
   -Judson W. Van DeVenter, 1897 

Love, Joy, Peace

 This is a little something I wrote about Love, Joy and Peace. Three fruits of the spirit. We are having a youth Sabbath at a church tomorrow and this is my little 'sermon'.
Love:

1 Corinthians 13:13 says, “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love”. It is no surprise that love is the greatest. Love is the virtue of a Christian because love is the trait that characterized God most. Matthew 22:37-39 says, “..You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” This love we are talking about isn't sentimental love and infatuation but selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love.  To love your neighbor as yourself is to love people with all your heart.  To love someone else the same way you love yourself is to care for someone as you care for yourself.  Love Does not envy, Love is not puffed up, Love is not rude, love does not seek its own, love is not easily provoked, love thinks no evil, love does not rejoice in iniquity.

The bible also tells us to love our enemies not just people who are good to us.   Matthew 5:43-44 says, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” Luke 6:27-28 says, “But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.” It is a lot easier to love someone who loves you then to love someone who doesn’t. Jesus is our perfect example on how to love our enemies. He was once hated by all men but He always treated them with love and compassion.  “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” John 13:34.  

“If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.” John 15:10.

“Love suffers long and is kind;…thinks no evil;…rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails”.

Joy:

The definition of Joy is- A lively emotion of happiness, delight, to be glad, rejoice, cheerfulness.

“These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” John 15:11.

“Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.”Psalms 4:7. Joy is a everlasting joy that is deeper than pain or any pleasure. Inward joy defeats discouragement and despair, it focuses on goodness and the love of God.  Joy comes from knowing and trusting in Jesus. As long as we trust in Jesus joy is steady and lasting. “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Psalms 16:11

“Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” 1 Peter 1:8. When Jesus comes again we will rejoice in being in his presence and the heavenly place prepared for us. But until than its a joy to know that God will supply all our needs.

I have found that there is no greater joy than to be obedient  to the will of God. Satan disobeyed God which brought war upon Heaven, sin, and death. All the sin and suffering in this world is the result of humans disobeying God and His law.  By obedience to the will of God by faith helps restore joy.  

“It is the duty of Christians to convince the world that the religion of Christ disrobes the soul of the garments of heaviness and mourning and clothes it with joy and gladness. Those who receive Christ as a sin pardoning Saviour are clothed with His garments of light. He takes away their sin and imparts to them His righteousness. Their joy is full.

“Who have better right than Christians to sing songs of rejoicing? Have they not the expectation of being members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King? Is not the gospel good tidings of great joy? When the promises of God are freely and fully accepted, heaven’s brightness is brought into the life.” A Call to Medical Evangelism and Health Education, p. 26 by Ellen G White.

Peace:

The definition of peace is- Completeness, or well being.

In John 14:27 it says, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” God doesn’t want us to be afraid, He wants us to put our trust in Him, that we may have peace in knowing everything is under control. When I think of peace in this manner, I think of letting go of something I may be worrying about and put full trust in God.  I think of having peace between someone I know, not having tension between me and someone else.   

We may not realize but it is the love of self that brings unrest. If we take Christ at His word, and surrender to Him, rest our lives in his Hands, we will find true peace. Nothing can make a shadow cross our face when Jesus’ presence is with us.

By dying on the cross, Jesus won peace for us.  It is a free gift we may have by earnestly asking Christ Jesus. But there isn’t a person in this world that doesn’t go through some trails, pain, and suffering.  Peace comes through full surrender in trust in the loving and caring God Almighty!

“ Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” Psalm 119:165

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” Isaiah 26:3

“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7.

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts….” Colossians 3:15

WHATEVER It Takes

"There’s a voice calling me

From an old rugged tree

And He whispers, “Draw closer to Me

Leave this world far behind,

There are new heights to climb,

And a new place in Me you will find.”

~

For whatever it takes to draw closer to You, Lord

That’s what I’ll be willing to do.

For whatever it takes to be more like You,

That’s what I’ll be willing to do.

~

Take the dearest things to me,

If that’s how it must be,

To draw me closer to Thee,

Let the disappointments come,

Lonely days without the sun,

If through sorrow more like You I’ll become.

~

~

Take my houses, my lands,

change my dreams, change my plans

For I’m placing my whole life in Your hands

and if You call me today…

To a place far away

Lord, I’ll go, and Your will I’ll obey.

~

For whatever it takes to draw closer to You, Lord

That’s what I’ll be willing to do.

For whatever it takes to be more like You,

That’s what I’ll be willing to do.

~

I’ll trade sunshine for rain

Comfort for pain –

That’s what I’ll be willing to do -

For whatever it takes for my will to break

That’s what I’ll be willing to do

That’s what I’ll be willing to do."

-Unknown