My how time flies. I can’t believe it has been over a year since I have written encouraging words to you or myself even. I keep looking at the time clicking by and think to myself why am I not writing. Then I sigh at how much I would have to catch you up on in my life events over the past year. Then a light bulb went off!!!!!!!!!
Just as God forgets the day before so shall I. I have had some good days and I have had some not so good days. I mean really bad days where I have disgraced myself as a Christian. However I have recently discovered this great thing called Grace. Yes I know it has been around for a long time but when I say discover; I mean understand it. That word was always so weird to me. Grace! What is it? What does it mean? Why did it take Jesus to die on the cross for me to receive it? Couldn’t God have shelled it out a long time ago to spare Jesus all the pain and suffering?
Our family has gone through a lot of changes over the past year since my last entry. We have had loss, sadness, happiness, growth, and the usual up and downs that hinder or bless a family. The amazing thing is whenever I wake up I can more easily open my eyes to the future and ignore the past. That use to be my conundrum with praying. “Man I had a really bad day so I will keep my prayers short and sweet or just not lift up my hands so I don’t have to acknowledge my sin.” What a fool!
See I am a sinner. I have always been one and I am always going to be one. I am selfish, obsessive, addictive, envious, egotistical, worrisome, along with a liar, stealer, cheat, and lazy. Whew even that list made me tired. Sadly it is all true. (Oh I forgot horrible gossiper.) I would hide behind a curtain of false prayers and false truths about myself to avoid the inevitable. I AM NOT PERFECT!!!!! I think now that I have accepted it; I can now understand why God accepts me. I have to just let it go. I think the big sin is repeating after the acknowledging. That is what our Father notices. “Okay you said you were sorry but hear you go stealing again. How faithful are you to me really?”
I use to be conflicted between the legalism of God and the Grace of God. Well the Bible tells me to go to church every Sunday so if I don’t I guess I am going to Hell. That is how I was raised and how some people still see the Word of God. I strongly feel that the death of Jesus Christ wiped away those legalistic ways of the Bible. It is now about forgiveness and yes God’s grace. His grace that washes over us like rain and cleanses us. We are once sanctified again and made holy. Even if it is day after day after day. God realized that the people of this world couldn’t connect to a God through rules from an invisible Lord. So He washed us clean with His Son’s blood and started again. This time connecting to us through The Holy Spirit.
The simplest way for me to explain this is in regards to my adoring yet sometimes disobedient children. We have a list of rules for the house. Very simple standard household rules.
I will not lie.
I will not slam my door.
I will pick up my toys.
I will be nice to my animals.
I will not say no.
I will love my whole family.
So when my dear Jocie slams her door in frustration or Nicky hits the dog in the head; it doesn’t mean I condemn them. I lower myself to their level, make them confess what they did wrong, talk about what I expect them to do, and then FORGIVE them. And once again we start our relationship anew.
I too hope to make myself anew with this blog. It actually means the world to me. But just like God forgives me then I need you to also if I fail in not keep it up.
I have missed you all deeply.
God bless to all of my faithful friends and followers.
"I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way-with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge-God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his, Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
1 Corinthians 4-9
Just as God forgets the day before so shall I. I have had some good days and I have had some not so good days. I mean really bad days where I have disgraced myself as a Christian. However I have recently discovered this great thing called Grace. Yes I know it has been around for a long time but when I say discover; I mean understand it. That word was always so weird to me. Grace! What is it? What does it mean? Why did it take Jesus to die on the cross for me to receive it? Couldn’t God have shelled it out a long time ago to spare Jesus all the pain and suffering?
Our family has gone through a lot of changes over the past year since my last entry. We have had loss, sadness, happiness, growth, and the usual up and downs that hinder or bless a family. The amazing thing is whenever I wake up I can more easily open my eyes to the future and ignore the past. That use to be my conundrum with praying. “Man I had a really bad day so I will keep my prayers short and sweet or just not lift up my hands so I don’t have to acknowledge my sin.” What a fool!
See I am a sinner. I have always been one and I am always going to be one. I am selfish, obsessive, addictive, envious, egotistical, worrisome, along with a liar, stealer, cheat, and lazy. Whew even that list made me tired. Sadly it is all true. (Oh I forgot horrible gossiper.) I would hide behind a curtain of false prayers and false truths about myself to avoid the inevitable. I AM NOT PERFECT!!!!! I think now that I have accepted it; I can now understand why God accepts me. I have to just let it go. I think the big sin is repeating after the acknowledging. That is what our Father notices. “Okay you said you were sorry but hear you go stealing again. How faithful are you to me really?”
I use to be conflicted between the legalism of God and the Grace of God. Well the Bible tells me to go to church every Sunday so if I don’t I guess I am going to Hell. That is how I was raised and how some people still see the Word of God. I strongly feel that the death of Jesus Christ wiped away those legalistic ways of the Bible. It is now about forgiveness and yes God’s grace. His grace that washes over us like rain and cleanses us. We are once sanctified again and made holy. Even if it is day after day after day. God realized that the people of this world couldn’t connect to a God through rules from an invisible Lord. So He washed us clean with His Son’s blood and started again. This time connecting to us through The Holy Spirit.
The simplest way for me to explain this is in regards to my adoring yet sometimes disobedient children. We have a list of rules for the house. Very simple standard household rules.
I will not lie.
I will not slam my door.
I will pick up my toys.
I will be nice to my animals.
I will not say no.
I will love my whole family.
So when my dear Jocie slams her door in frustration or Nicky hits the dog in the head; it doesn’t mean I condemn them. I lower myself to their level, make them confess what they did wrong, talk about what I expect them to do, and then FORGIVE them. And once again we start our relationship anew.
I too hope to make myself anew with this blog. It actually means the world to me. But just like God forgives me then I need you to also if I fail in not keep it up.
I have missed you all deeply.
God bless to all of my faithful friends and followers.
"I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way-with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge-God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his, Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
1 Corinthians 4-9
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