​​Part 3 - Indescribable -   https://youtu.be/GhsGrkY67I4

Our God is an awesome God!

Genesis 1 says in the Beginning, God.

God said "Let there be light". And there was light. He made the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night.  God created the Sun and the moon.

He spoke them into existence.  Wow, right?  But after watching this video, seeing the massive power that is our SUN, I get just a glimpse into  how powerful God is.

This is a quote from Louie Giglio's Indescribable video series.  Think about it: 

Scientists say it would take the gross national product of the United States of America 7 million years for our local power company to run the Sun for just one second. 

One second!

and God spoke that awesome ball of power into existence!

Do you think there's anything our God cannot do?

If we had any idea of His awesome power, we'd be on our knees worshiping Him every single day.  And as amazing as His power is, there is one other thing that blows me away about our God.

He loves us. The Creator of the entire Universe loves us!

We are this tiny speck in the Universe, so insignificant when you think about it. And yet, out of all His amazing  creation, we are His very special possession. Deuteronomy 7:6 He loves you and me so much that He sent his only begotten Son to die a cruel death just to pay the debt for our sins. He didn't deserve it.  We deserved death, but Jesus stepped in to take our place. John 3:16-17

 Why?

 He wants you and me to be with Him and to share in the love between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit -that perfect love.  That's what He desires for us - that we will know His love and be with Him for all Eternity.

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty ashamed of how little time I give to my Father.  I'm a little sad to think how many times I push Him aside so that I can do what I want to do instead of spending time with Him.  I ignore Him and take Him for granted, but still He loves me.

One of my very favorite parables in the Bible is in Luke 15.  You'll recognize the passage as The Prodigal Son. 

I am the prodigal son.

  I wanted my inheritance so I could go spend money and do things God told me not to do, because I wanted to have fun, to be happy. What did my Father know about that kind of stuff? Let me tell you.  I found out He knew so much more than I did.  I found out that all wanted for me was eternal good, not the 5 minute of happiness I might find on my own.

 When I realized how empty chasing my own dreams and plans had made my life, I wanted to go back Home, to Jesus.  I was so ashamed and humbled beyond words. It's hard to face the fact of our sinfulness without feeling discouraged and hopeless.  But as soon as I turned back and repented, my Father saw me coming and ran to me.  You know, He didn't one time stop to scold me for the wasted years of my life. He knew how much I was hurting. He knew my heart.  He knew how sorry I was. And He wrapped me in His love and forgave me of my sins, just like they never happened. 

I have been forgiven so much!  Haven't you?

So why, after receiving such undeserved grace and mercy ourselves from the Creator of Universe, no less, how do we not show mercy and grace to others who are just like us?  Sinners in need of the Savior. We all are Prodigal sons at one time or another,  who long to come to back home so desperately.  

I am so thankful that God is merciful and removes my sins as far as east is from the west.  I just wished I could do the same thing for others who have failed, just like I do every day.  I can't cast the first stone, can you? 

One of my favorite passages is the woman caught in adultery.  The self-righteous Pharisees brought her before Jesus and accused her that heinous sin. They felt perfectly in their rights as God's chosen ones to sit in judgment over this woman.  But do you remember what Jesus said to them?

I do.  It's written on my heart and in my brain.

"he who is without sin, cast the first stone."

I am a human being who fails to follow God's direction for my  life.  I take charge all the time, instead of listening and obeying Him.  As a sinner myself, how do I sit in judgment against someone else who is a sinner, just like me?  

The Creator of the Universe, our Almighty God is so good that we cannot use one "Holy" to describe His righteousness.  Our Father is HOLY HOLY HOLY.  and yet He is willing to forgive us our sins, and forget them, to give us a clean start every day, if we need it.  But I, as unrighteous as I am, cannot show mercy to another human being who has fallen and needs forgiveness.  That's a shame and it does not honor my God. 

God is Holy, Holy, Holy.  And for Him, sin offends Him so greatly that He will never tolerate sin in His Presence. Therefore, if it were up to us, not one could ever stand in His presence.  But as Christians, we are covered by the blood of our Perfect, spotless Lamb, our Savior and Redeemer.  God looks at us and sees His precious Son, His righteousness becomes our robe of white.

 

We still sin, falling short of all He has purposed for His children, don't we?  I lived a terrible life full of selfishness and evil, but that was so many years ago, I  tell myself.  But the sad thing is I know how much mercy I've received from my Abba Father, and yet I fail to show mercy to others who are struggling.  And then God is called to  forgive me again, for my self-righteousness - and he does it, because of Jesus.

It's hard to forgive, but until we learn to love like Jesus, to give people the same  mercy He gives us, we will keep falling short of His plan for us. We miss out on an incredible relationship with our Father and Savior because we don't submit to His will and simply obey.   I want God to be proud of me.  I want others to see Jesus shining thru me.  He cannot do that when I'm living in a state of un-forgiveness.

Jesus said to forgive.  He didn't say wait until someone is worthy of the forgiveness.  He didn't say wait until I know they're really sorry.  No.  He said forgive them,  as many times as necessary.  It's not my job to judge.  It's my job to love and to forgive - seven time seventy.  He said forgive those who persecute you, and do good to those who despitefully use you.  He didn't say it was easy.  He didn't say, "if you feel like it, forgive..."   He said "Love your enemies, do good to those who use you, forgive..."

What's in it for me, right?  Thought you'd never ask.  = )

Luke  6            Love for Enemies
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Judging Others
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
 

​All we have to do to receive the blessings God promises is to obey Him and trust that He knows how hard it is to forgive when we have been hurt.  He is faithful and if He calls us to forgive, and we finally decide to do things His way, He will bless us for all Eternity.​

Oh Father, forgive me for failing to forgive as I've been forgiven.  Help me to love like You love.  Purify my heart and renew a right spirit within me.  Thank you for being so merciful and gracious to me. Thank you being ready to pick me up each time I fall.  I love You LORD, and will praise Your Name for all Eternity.  In the blessed Name of my Savior, I pray.

--

Coram Deo

 

Carol Draehn

214-395-8244 cell

 

 

                                                                                                                                                 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Because I'm Forgiven...

Sometimes it's not so easy to  forgive.  I can't always do it on my own.  I get caught up in being "right" and deserving to be treated with respect.  That's doesn't always happen.  But Christ gives me the ability to stop clinging to my own sense of what's right.  He helps me let go of perceived offenses.  He puts His Light in me so that I can love and forgive others, just as He has loves and forgives me.

http://youtu.be/PWeb79W8EqQ - You Put the Light in Me  - Brandon Heath

What seems too difficult for us is a sure sign that it belongs to God.
                                                                 - Marie DePree

Forgiving others is one of the most effective ways to open the doors to God's blessings. It's not always easy to do. Many times, unforgiveness comes because I'm focused on myself. My unforgiveness centers around my sense of what I deserve. Someone doesn't treat me the way I think he should. So I get angry, then I resent that person and have bitterness towards him. The craziest thing about unforgiveness is that the person who has made me so angry usually doesn't even know it. My unforgiveness either doesn't affect my "enemy" at all, he's completely clueless, or my unforgiveness gives my enemy power over me. That's totally not what I want. The last person I want to have power over me is someone who has hurt me.

Sometimes, unforgiveness comes when a terrible injustice has been done to someone we love. I can forgive someone who hurts me, but boy, let them hurt my children, hell has no fury like a mother who is protecting her babies. But even in those situations, God still calls us to forgive.

Forgiveness isn't about giving your enemy a "free pass" for what he's done. It's about giving yourself freedom from the burden of anger and bitterness. When we hold anger and resentment and bitterness in our hearts, they become huge footholds for the real Enemy. Those destructive thoughts grow and grow and eventually will crowd out all the good things that God wants us to think on.

Jesus gave us the ultimate example. "Father, forgive them. They don't know what they are doing." Forgive. Leave justice to God. My enemy will have to answer for things he did against me. And, I will answer for my unwillingness to forgive. My job is to forgive and move on. When I forgive others, God blesses me with a peace that's beyond my understanding, but best of all, when I forgive, God is glorified in my life.

Do you ever feel God isn't answering your prayers? A heart full of unforgiveness can hinder your prayers. Confess your sins and ask God to renew your spirit, and give you a heart full of love and mercy.

Remember Peter's words:

1 Peter 2:22-24
He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone.
He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered.
He left his case in the hands of God, ho always judges fairly.
He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin
and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.

http://youtu.be/XyD1FSC3d08 - Blessed Redeemer - Casting Crowns

Ephesians 4:23-27
Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. 25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.”[a] Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.


Holy Father, You are so merciful to me. I fail every day, yet Your mercies for me are new every morning. I am so thankful that You have removed my sins from me as far as east is to west. You look at me, and You don't see all my sins and shortcomings, You see the Righteousness of Jesus. His precious blood covers me.


Who am I, Lord? I accept Your forgiveness, but then I fail to forgive others? Why can't I forgive and forget, Lord? Please help me forgive the person who injured me. I know I cannot do this on my own, only in Your Strength, Your Grace and Your Love. Fill my heart with Your mercy so that I can be merciful. Father, You've forgiven me so much. Without Your mercy, I couldn't dare approach Your Throne. Thank You, Lord. Thank You, Jesus, for covering me with Your Righteous. Please purify my heart of any bitterness, anger, resentment, no matter how justified I may feel. You forgave me. Help me to forgive others. Now, please give me the means to forget this pain. I don't want to keep bringing it up and picking at the wound. Help me, Lord, as weak as I am, to forgive the offender and forget the pain. I ask these things in the Name of Jesus Christ, my Redeemer. Amen.

I heard Paul Yonggi Cho speak a few years back. Yonggi Cho is pastor of the largest church in the world. Several years ago, as his ministry was becoming international, he told God, “I will go anywhere to preach the gospel—except Japan.” He hated the Japanese with gut-deep loathing because of what Japanese troops had done to the Korean people and to members of Yonggi Cho’s own family during WWII. The Japanese were his Ninevites.


Through a combination of a prolonged inner struggle, several direct challenges from others, and finally an urgent and starkly worded invitation, Cho felt called by God to preach in Japan. He went, but he went with bitterness. The first speaking engagement was to a pastor’s conference—1,000 Japanese pastors. Cho stood up to speak, and what came out of his mouth was this: “I hate you. I hate you. I hate you.” And then he broke and wept. He was both brimming and desolate with hatred.


At first one, then two, then all 1,000 pastors stood up. One by one they walked up to Yonggi Cho, knelt at his feet and asked forgiveness for what they and their people had done to him and his people. As this went on, God changed Yonggi Cho. The Lord put a single message in his heart and mouth: “I love you. I love you. I love you.”


Sometimes God calls us to do what we least want to do in order to reveal our heart—to reveal what’s really in our heart. How powerful is the blood of Christ? Can it heal hatred between Koreans and Japanese? Can it make a Jew love a Ninevite? Can it make you reconciled to…well, you know who?


from  Mark Buchanan, Your God Is Too Safe (Multnomah, 2001)


Ephesians 4:32
Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.


Mark 11:25
But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.

Matthew 18:21-35
21Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”


22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!


23 “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. 24 In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. 25 He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt.


26 “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ 27 Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.


28 “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.


29 “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. 30 But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.


31 “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. 32 Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ 34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.


35 “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”



http://youtu.be/Pt7OZyBj5Ik - Who Am I - Casting Crowns

“For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more."Hebrews 8:12 NKJ



http://youtu.be/VpodVp6LH8s - Mercy Came Running - Phillips Craig and Dean

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NIV
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.


“That wasn’t me.”

That’s what Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York told Oprah during an interview regarding her latest indiscretion that was caught on video. I understand exactly what she meant.

When I look back over the course of my life, I can’t believe some of the terrible choices I’ve made, choices with far reaching consequences, choices that hurt people I love. I can’t understand how I sunk so low. I was a good person, or at least, I always thought I was a good person. How could that good little Christian girl do those things? I look at her and say, “that couldn’t have been me”. I don’t want it to be me. But it was and it still could be, if I don’t keep my eyes on Jesus.

http://youtu.be/JEqfMFAIyGI - Let Your Mercy Rain - Chris Tomlin

Mercy is a wonderful gift  from a loving God! Thank You, Father, for Your mercy!

Fortunately for me, I didn’t have a frenzy of media announcing my downward spiral. Poor Sarah. Caught on tape, betraying one of the kindest men she knew – her ex-husband. She tried to sell him for a few pieces of gold. Well, not really. but it must have felt like that once she realized what she had done. The shame must be unbearable! The relationship she has with the one man who has stood beside her and who had forgiven her so many times, is the same relationship she tried to used to barter for her own selfish reasons.

I do not condone what Sarah did, but I have compassion towards her. I see her shame and her remorse. If she could just go back in time and make a different choice, if she could just have one “do-over”… But it’s too late. She can’t take it back. She can’t undo the harm she’s done. I understand all too well. I hope Prince Andrew is gracious and forgiving. I pray that people don’t think him weak if he finds it in his heart to reach out to Sarah with the kindness and compassion. I think that’s what Jesus would do. He forgives. He helps those bent low from their burdens. He gives second chances, then third chances, and fourth, and on and on and on. Why can’t we forgive like that?

I don’t like to think about the past when my life was such a mess. I look at who I am today, and just for a moment, I say to myself “I could never make those mistakes again.” But the truth is I could. I am a fallible woman. I can be selfish, gossipy, lazy, self-righteous, hateful… I might look good on the outside, but my heart is far from perfect. If I’m not careful, my thoughts can be ungodly. I know that about myself. I know how easy it is to lose my way. I know the path to destruction doesn’t start with one bad choice. It begins with a tiny little thought. “I wished my spouse would be more like …” or “I deserve to be happy…”

Sarah, finding herself in a financial hole with no way out, let her thoughts become actions. “I’ll just do it this one time, and after I’m back on my feet, I’ll never do it again.”, “what could it hurt?” And the thoughts go on… “no one will ever have to know…” That’s how it works, thoughts lead to a plan and the plan leads to action.

What if we could win this battle of the mind? What if we could simply take control over our thoughts and “make them obedient to Christ”? Which thoughts do I have that don’t honor Jesus? I need to get rid of them!!!!

I know where my descent started. I know the thoughts I had, the planning and imagining… I know the little baby steps I took at the beginning of my journey. Before it began, if someone would have told me that I would do the things I did, I would have been insulted and indignant. NOT ME!!! I’m a good Christian!!! I wished I had known how little it takes to get off track so that I could have been on guard - prepared for battle. I could have protected my marriage, my family, my own heart. But I thought I couldn’t fall. I thought I would never do those things.  But I did.

What do I do to keep from ever falling into that deep pit again?

 I guard my thoughts. If Jesus wouldn’t want me to think it, I need to kick it out of my brain.

 I keep my eyes on Jesus. I remember the price He paid for my sins.

 I read, pray, praise and thank Him for my family and all my blessings.

 Before I do anything, I ask myself: If Jesus was physically standing by my side, would I still do what I’m about to do? Would I still go to the place where I want to go? Would I say the words getting ready to tumble out of my mouth?

 When I think I’m not appreciated, I ask myself: Do I ever take others for granted? How can I make the people in my life feel appreciated? Can I be the Hero in my relationships?

 I refuse to be offended. I just don’t go there in my mind. Let it go. Don’t think about it.

 I give others the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they’re having a really bad day, and their words are just coming out all wrong. I chose to forgive - because HE forgives me.

And oh, by the way, I forgive myself when I fail to do any of these things, which is often.

There’s a bumper sticker, “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven.” I love it! I am not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. But God loves me with all my faults and flaws. He has compassion on me when I fail because He knows I am just dirt (Psalm 103:13-14). He loves me. He knows every thought that pops into my head, and HE still loves me. (Psalm 139:2-4) How great is that?

I hate the pain I caused to the ones I loved most. I hate it. But God in His infinite mercy, uses the pain and sadness I feel over those mistakes to draw me nearer to HIM. I am grateful for the lesson God showed me. Newsflash!!! I am human and my human nature is not good. I know without a doubt who I am without Jesus, what I’m capable of. Yes, I can put on a nice face and look pretty respectable. But as I sit smugly thinking what a great person I am, Satan is plotting and scheming to bring me down. (1 Peter 5:8) He watches, and he sees my weaknesses, and he patiently lies in wait, pouncing at just the right time. “No one will know” he whispers. “It will be our little secret” he promises. But he is a liar; in fact he is the father of lies. (John 8:44) But we want those lies to be true, so we listen (2 Timothy 4:3), then we begin to justify in our mind, and we start taking baby steps down, down, down...

I’m so very thankful to Jesus that I am not under the power of Satan any more. (Colossians 2:20) I still make lots of mistakes every day. My human nature can seriously trip me up from time to time. But, then Jesus picks me up and dusts me off - and I’m like new again. (Psalm 103:11-13)

I belong to the King of the Universe. I am HIS, bought and paid for with His very blood. HE defeated my enemy, and He has given me His very Spirit to guide, protect, strengthen and rescue me from every situation. Every time I reject Satan’s lies, I do it by the Power of the Holy Spirit. And the more I refuse to listen to the lies of the Enemy, the more clearly I can hear Jesus whispering in my ear, “the Spirit in you, child, is greater than the spirit of this world. Be strong, resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)

And it starts with simply capturing that little thought.

Psalm 103:11-13 (New Living Translation)
For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
The LORD is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.

Psalm 139:2-4 (New Living Translation)
For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
The LORD is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.

1 Peter 5:8 (New Living Translation)
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

John 8:44 (New Living Translation)
For you are the children of your father the devil and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.


2 Timothy 4:3 (New Living Translation)
For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.


Colossians 2:20a (New Living Translation)
You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world


James 4:7-8 (New Living Translation)
So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you.


http://youtu.be/b9JqhYTjHl0  - Before the Throne of God Above - Shane and Shane


Holy Father, You provide everything I need for life and godliness.  You are patient and forgiving, full of grace and mercy.  I'm so thankful for Your love and forgiveness.  Father, thank You for sending Your precious Son to die for me.  Because of His amazing love, my sins are forgiven.  My wounded soul is healed. 
Father, when I am weak, it is Your strength that upholds me.  When I take my eyes off of Jesus, it's Your Holy Spirit that draws me back.  You, Holy God, are always with me providing strength, courage, encouragement and hope. I know who I am without You to guide me, and I don't want to be that person. I can't do this life on my own and because of Jesus'sacrifice, I don't have to.  He is my Shepherd.  He leads me to safety through every danger and carries me when I cannot walk another step.  I will fear no evil because You are with me.  Thank You for loving me.  Thank You for saving me.  I give You all my praise and worship for You alone are worthy!  Be glorified in my life, Lord.  I am Yours forever.  I pray this in the blessed Name of my Redeemer, Jesus Christ.  Amen.