Faith and believing -notes from study this morning

Anyone can have faith and believe in something or someone. Demons can have better faith and believe more than the 'best' Christian that you know. James 2 told me even they believe,have faith, and even shudder at the fact that there is one God. Having faith is not enough. I heard a person say once, "Oh God knows my heart I don't need to do anything else". There are a lot who think that all you have to do is just believe and have faith and that is enough but it  isn't. Abraham and Rahab were considered righteous for what they did. Without a living spirit we are dead so faith without action is also dead (my bible said that too in James 2).

Notes on grace

Lately I have been journeying through forgiveness and freedom from things I have done in my life and this morning I listened to a sermon by Pastor Dwight Nelson about Grace. 
(some of my notes as well as some of Pastor Nelsons pointers)


What is grace? 
My bible definition says: the UNDESERVED love and salvation God gives.

Grace means that there is nothing we can do to make God love us more and nothing we can do to make God love us less. -Phil Yancey


Intellectually we accept grace-but emotionally we do not bestow the same grace. Sad day! How do you hope for mercy or grace when you give none!? 
My opinion and thoughts based on a letter Pastor Nelson shared during the sermon:
The reason why many people leave the church is because they are afraid that the same people who should be bestowing grace are the ones antagonizing them with no grace. They are holding their shortcomings over their heads and saying there is no grace for you, you have gone too far! OH on the contrary!!! God's grace does not fluctuate like the needle on a gas gauge. There is no empty or full, His grace is constantly overflowing!

We are instructed to 'as freely as you have received, freely give'. This means as Jesus showed grace to Peter and Judas, who betrayed him and had him killed, we are to show the same compassion and grace to others. This grace that is shown to us has a mighty power to change our lives! After I am getting a taste of what this mercy and grace is I want to be different. 
Many times we get on our knees to pray for that person who did us wrong. The prayers for them and their wrongness should be accompanied by prayers for ourselves in our wrongness as well. How can we pray for that outward change when there is no change within our own selves? 
We think that we have to earn God's grace because as humans we haven't experienced it from Him or experienced it from the people around us. Grace has the power to TRANSFORM the most wretched of sinners, like me, into a mighty warrior for God. God FREELY pours out grace to us and expects us to pour out the same grace to others. 
The power to bestow grace doesn't come without help. First you have to learn and accept God's grace for yourself and ask Him to teach you to give the same grace to others. Lose your stubbornness and pride and ask for His help!

Things to ponder:
How often do you give grace?
Have you truly experienced God's grace?
Did you know that there is no requirement to receive grace!? BUT be ready for this grace to transform your life in a radical way!

Suggested Reading:
Ephesians 2- The Message Version

The journey to a new life always begins with one foot.
blessings.

Refinement

Been thinking about certain things lately and today is refinement...a lesson I pray some embrace sooner than later:::Family and friends: PLEASE dont let your OLD baggage crowd your life so much that it crowds out the most important things or more importantly PEOPLE. It is OKAY to learn new things and it's OKAY to change if the change is to become better and more refined.

What does it mean to be refined per definition of a silversmith:
In refining gold and silver one needs to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were the hottest so as to burn away all of the impurities.

Malachi 3:3 "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

Think about that in this last part:
The silversmith has to sit and hold the silver in the fire but they also have to keep their eyes on it. Why you may ask??? If the silver is left for a moment to long in the fire it can be destroyed!!!

When is silver ready???
According to a silversmith: "When I am able to see my image in the silver!"


Zechariah 13:9 (Gods Word Translation)"I will bring this third [of the people] through the fire. I will refine them as silver is refined. I will test them as gold is tested. They will call on me, and I will answer them. I will say, 'They are my people.' They will reply, 'The LORD is our God.'"

 Allow yourself to be refined by the Master Refiner.
(Note::In this illustration the silversmith or the one holding the silver is God.)

Nostalgia

I remember what happened that day... I remember where I was and hearing the stories from certain family members who were in the city and some blocks away from the buildings during that time.. I remember the fear and sadness...I appreciate what the rescuers did to save lives and the lives that were lost in the process.. Truthfully at this moment I cant help but feel nostalgia for another reason though..

Many of us have seen this world evolve into what it is now. Many of our freedoms and liberties have been compromised and continue to be even after the historical date, 9/11/2001. We are blinded as to not see what has been taken from us because of the way that its been packaged or even lack there of.

In the recent months I have taken an initiative to search more and dig more about who I am in Christ. I have also been allowed to learn about new things and my eyes have been opened more to what the truth is. It makes me sad to see so many of the people I know just settling for the bible stories they learned growing up and going through the motions instead of searching for the truth themselves. They settle for a washed down version of the gospel and truthfully this is what the devil wants to happen. It's about the same as all of our freedoms and liberties in this country being washed down and us just settling for what we have and being content where we are and thinking that we cant do anything about it. The devil wants us to be ignorant and stagnant. He wants us to compromise our beliefs, values, and our free gifts that are given through Christ in order to continue to have a hold on our lives. AND many people do not realize it or see any of it at all, they think this is "normal" life.

When will this contentment end in our lives? Will it end when persecutions become real and we really arent free anymore? Will it end when people realize that they are entangled in the devils chains or by that time is it too late? Why is it taking so long for people to remove themselves from their comfort zones and come out of babylon and live the life that God designed for them to live instead of living a facade? Is it fear of not being forgiven or accepted as a child of God because of mistakes we have made?

While many remember 9/11 for the tragedies that took place or the heroic efforts, I cant help but feel for the people who have lack of knowledge of the bigger deeper picture of the times we are living in.

Romans 13:11-14 (MSG) says:
But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. We can’t afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. Get out of bed and get dressed! Don’t loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!

Dont wait til the last minute, then you wont be ready!

I dont know about u but I wanna go HOME and I want/need the people I love to want to go HOME too!

Mighty long pause

I havent written in a long time and this is a rusty post...

Its been long and things have changed in my life in this last year...

Thing Ive wondered recently due to certain issues I have encountered:

Since when do other people dictate your happiness?
Why is it that people cant be happy for you when you are happy?
How long will it take to be genuinely happy for someone you dont like?
Why do women rely on a man for her happiness in life and not God?
Why are people stubborn, angry, and bitter for so long?
How do I make things right with stubborn, ignorant people who dont wanna listen?
What is my value?
Since when do women allow the negative circumstances become who they are?
Why cant you take the positive in life and build upon it?
Who am I living to please?
Why is it that no matter how people change and do better no one else can see it?
Why are so many people stuck where they are and settle for that?
What does it mean to be submissive?
Am I growing my daughter to know she is priceless and valuable all at the same time?
How can I be a better mommy?
When will this trial end?
Where do I put all these blessings?
Who am I?

All these things I spent time reflecting on this last week of silence. Some things were answered and others well those will take time.

In silence comes wisdom.

Do you know how to be silent and just listen?