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Ephesians 2:

The Bible says we all lived at one time gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature, dead in our sins and the followed the ways of the world………. So true.

But the Bible also says “But, because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved.”

What a beautiful gift. We see again that He loved us before we loved Him. Wow. And we can’t do it without him. It is by His grace. It isn’t by any works or how “good” we are. It is ONLY because of His Love for us.

The one we need to be boasting about is Him. Again, it starts with Him. It isn’t by anything we could make up, do, say…….nothing.

Receive the gift again today. A fresh fall of his grace be on our lives. A fresh revelation of who He is and what He has done and what He wants to do. We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.

It starts by receiving Him by grace and being made alive in Him.

Church……..it doesn’t mean 4 walls, it means us who have been made alive, we are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens. Christ is our cornerstone.

My prayer today, let the Lord be our cornerstone, ask what that looks like in our lives and let a fresh infilling of His grace be in our lives today 🙂

Blessings!

Kelly

Hey all……

I am reading Ephesians.  And I don’t want to just read it.  I want to meditate on it and have once again God change me into what He desires.  I would love to hear from everyone their thoughts on Ephesians as well.  Iron sharpens iron and I love that phrase because it really is true.  And someone’s revelation can be life-changing for the next.  God made us one body and He desires that we act like a body that functions together in unity.

Chapter 1:

I am once again reminded that it ALL starts with Him.  In fact, it starts, continues and ends with Him.  It is all about Him and it is ONLY through Him and In HIm that we truly are anything and it is TRULY nothing about ourselves.

Not our looks, wisdom, smarts, and/or good behavior.  It is about Jesus.  It is ONLY through HIM that we are offered forgiveness.  Because of His scarifice, we are free, but not just free, ABUNDANTLY free.  His death isn’t in vain.  He desires us to walk in freedom.

It is in Him, that we find our identity and who we are.  He has settled on us as His focus of love.  What a beautiful love story.  Anyone looking for love.  Look for Jesus.

Anyone want to know who they are……trying to find yourself?  Look to Jesus

Anyone struggling to see find their place?  Talk to Jesus

Accept His gift of love, it is unconditional and beautiful and He will show you the way, step by step.

Start with Jesus and stay in Jesus  🙂  …..

 

Looking forward to your thoughts!

 

God bless!

Kelly

 

 

– Jesus said the scriptures are the Word of God
– Jesus said that the authority of the Word cannot be broken
– David tells us in the Psalms that the Word is settled in heaven and the Word is truth
– The Bible says the Word of God lives and abides forever
– The final result in a Christian who studies and obeys the God’s word is that he is equipped for
every good word
– When Jeremiah fed on God’s word, it became his joy and the rejoicing of his heart
– When the Word lives in us, the Bible says it gives us strength and we overcome the wicked one
– The Bible says that it gives us light and understanding……it is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path so we know the way
– We get life and health when we study the Word
– When we claim God’s word for our lives, we are partakers of His divine nature and we escape the corruption of this world
-When Jesus was tempted by the enemy, each time he used the Word right back at him!!! And was
victorious…………………

WOW…..powerful…………So, how important do we put the Word of God in our lives? These are just a FEW things the Word does for us and in us. It also sanctifies us, cleanses us, builds us up, gives us an inheritance that is EVERLASTING……………

Let’s get into the Word! It’s LIFE!

Blessings and Love!

Kelly

We were asked in church last week to write down what we thought it meant to be an authentic Christian. Wow! They handed out pieces of paper to do it right away. I have to honest. I didn’t hand my paper in. That question prompted such a response in my heart and spirit that it was one of those that I really needed to chew on. I couldn’t just put an answer down. It stuck me deep. What does it mean to be an authentic Christian? Ok, after thinking about it for a few days (yes, I am a really deep thinker 🙂 ) I have to tell you I am STILL chewing on that! Why? I am really not sure. I do believe that a true authentic Christian should be DIFFERENT! Really DIFFERENT! That’s the short answer. But to explain a little more……………. Different than the normal response, the normal reaction, the normal talk, the normal thoughts, the normal mindsets. I could have just thrown out scriptures. I could have wrote down a bunch of good sounding sentences. I didn’t want to. I took the time so far to be seeking the Lord and saying how is it that people who don’t really know me would look at me and know that I am a Christian? My prayer is that I react and respond like Jesus. Hmmmmm, let’s see. When I am faced with someone talking about me and have just accused me of something I didn’t do………I desire to not defend but have a knowing that I don’t have to defend and I can still bless that person. When I have fear about something, to be able to express to my Father in Heaven and have Him speak to Me and turn my fear into faith. When I am faced with the situation to have to tell truth….my response is to tell truth in love since love is the very expression that Jesus died on the cross for us. That when faced with a situation that seems impossible and that I have to die to my own will to see God’s plan in it…..that my response would be “not my will, but your will be done” and have peace about that. That when worry wants to arise in me because I am faced with a medical diagnosis of myself or someone close, that my response would be to pray without ceasing and thank Him in everything and quote scripture like I truly believe every single word with confidence. When I need wisdom for a situation, I desire my response to be one of running to God, asking for His wisdom, not moving in my own initiative, but how the Holy Spirit directs me and not to TV, magazines, other people, etc. ………..I really could go on…..so many things made Jesus sooooo different and that is what we are to be aspiring for…..a more Christlike heart…..it starts with the heart. The difference that people see starts with the hearts that turn into actions. Words only last so long. Wanna know what I think a true authentic Christian looks like? When we are really really squeezed in life, when life has got you down, twisted all around, questions on one side or another………and you are STILL trusting God and still oozing with His peace and that LOVE is the very aspiration that you are living for and trying to achieve. The agape love for everyone just like Jesus. To be able to look past status, stature, fame, success, clothing, appearance, even attitudes and have LOVE for all that God has for us through all of our stuff, our attitudes, our wrong mindsets……He first loved us when we weren’t even paying attention or outright rejected Him……He still loves us……when we turn our backs on Him, curse HIm and put other things first, He still loves us………..Do we have that LOVE for all? My prayer is that each day my heart is broken more for the things that break His heart and I continue to learn to love the way He loves to show myself different even when the going is tough……I came to Christ because His love was different and when I finally realized how different His love was for me……..despite how I treated Him…hmmmmmm….I want people to know I love them as He does…..Lord, continue to show me how I can show true, authentic Christianity with the beautiful, agape, unconditional love to all.

Hi all! I am still in Genesis reading and God has been showing me deeper truths in His Word. I have been asking the Lord about obedience for maybe a year now. Allot of times in prayer even a year ago, I was getting the sense of this year being such a critical time of knowing whom we are serving. I love the scripture Joshua 24:15 “As for Me and my household, we will serve the Lord”. I placed that scripture up on the dining room wall to remind me that I truly believe it is critical to stay the course even when we might not “feel” like it. It is a declaration but not just by words. I continuously ask the Lord to be in my actions as well. Because to me, obedience is KEY! When Adam and Eve were given the garden and everything in it, they had it made! Or it was supposed to be that way. But, one commandment, ONE, mind you! One commandment and the enemy swooped in and then flesh joined right with the enemy. Well we know the chain of events after they sinned! Disobedience. Look how many that one sin affected. Wow……..my disobedience doesn’t just affect me, but God, my husband, my sons, and possibly many more. How about Noah. God had enough of the evil and He was grieved of how the people that He created had become. It hurts my heart to read that the Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth and his heart was filled with pain! (Genesis 6:6) Noah was the ONLY one who was found righteous in God’s eyes. I don’t think it was a coincidence that it describes Noah as a righteous man, blameless among the people and that he walked with God. (Genesis 6:9) Or several times the Bible states that Noah did everything just as God commanded him. (Genesis 6:22, 7:5, 7:9, 7:16) and then in Genesis 8:1 it states “God remembered Noah”. Noah and his family was saved from the flood that wiped out the earth. Do you believe it was because he walked with God, was righteous and because he was obedient to what God said. I believe so. Obedience. It is the way to fullness of what He wants. Jesus died on the cross. There is no way to be obedient to be saved and have eternal life with Him. THAT IS ONLY THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS DYING on the cross. But God wants us to have fullness, in every area and to receive His rich promises. Obedience is the key. What do you think? Ok, one more example I read in Genesis. Abraham…….despite God’s swift judgment of sin, most people ignored him and continued to sin in Abraham’s time. But a handful was trying to really follow him. One of them was Abraham and because of his obedience, God appeared to Abraham one day and promised to make his descendants in a great nation. But Abraham’s part of the agreement was to obey God. He remained faithful through tests and twists and turns. Not a perfect man was Abraham but was obedient to what God was speaking to and God was able to bless through him JUST as He wants to bless through us and our obedience. So, to me, obedience is key to a rich, whole, fulfilling relationship with God and in our lives. Lord, help me today, to be obedient to your Word. Cause my heart to love the things you love and to hate the things you hate. Thank you for dying on the cross for me and promising me eternal life in Heaven. But thank you also that you desire to give us wholeness and fulfilled promises even before I get to Heaven. Thank you for your word. Help me to be obedient.

Be blessed!

Kelly

So, I was reading Genesis today and I came across a scripture I did several times and EACH time I come across this verse, I stop.  It just amazes me.  Ask me why.  I am not totally sure.  I mean, the whole Bible speaks to me and it is simply amazing of how truthful and accurate and beautiful it is.  But this verse spoke to me once again.  Genesis 6:22……”Noah did everything just as God commanded him”.  I need to work this one out with words.  Hope you don’t mind.  Noah did everything just as God commanded him.  Was that why Noah was found righteous and blameless?  Was it why he found favor with God?  Because his heart was right and wanted to do everything just as God commanded?   It reminds me of when our hearts have a different agenda, different from the Lord’s agenda for our life.  Then it reminds me of the scripture, Isaiah 55:8 “my thoughts are not your thoughts and my ways are not your ways.” ahhhhhhh, God wants us to spend time with him, in intimacy to hear from Him and give us His thoughts, His ways for our life and for us to have a heart that is open and right to hear Him, despite how we feel about a circumstance or situations around us, He wants to guide us…….He did with Noah and look how he directed Noah, protected Noah and Noah’s family and led him step by step, even down to how to build the ark by specifics, in order that Noah would be protected from the flood.  He told Noah what He was going to do.  Yes, I want that kind of heart.  A heart that can be found righteous, Lord help me, and a heart that will do “everything as God commanded”.  Lord, my prayer is for You to open my spiritual heart, eyes and ears to be a heart that You can talk to and I will listen.  Your wisdom is far above mine, I recognize that, and today, teach me more about Noah.

Oh, how I love our Lord!  He never leaves, never forsakes, is always ready to show us the way.  He will lead, guide, direct, comfort, exhort, and lift up our heads and take away burdens!  He is my refuge, my strength and in whom I will TRUST.  I read over Psalm 91 last night in a moment of “God, help me!” (ever get a moment like that?) and I was reading about God’s protection in the midst of danger, turmoil, and sometimes our circumstances can feel like that.  Anyway, I got to verse 4 “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.  At first I was getting these pictures, beautiful pictures of me under this absolutely huge feathers like no one could see me and they were so soft you had to feel comforted and warm.  Under these wings, I began to feel so much more protected, safe, and truly found refuge.  Then I got to the word rampart.  Didn’t know exactly what that meant so I looked it up.  Rampart:  defensive wall, protective barrier………ahhhhhhhhhh, it just fit, that’s how it is when circumstances seem to be piling up, our worries, our concerns, the heat of life………..to be under his wing of protection and the best part about this is?  It’s available for everyone who places their faith in Him, when we place our faith in His faithfulness……………………jump ahead……….Psalm 91:9 “If you make the Most High your dwelling – even the Lord, who is my refuge – then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.  It was a gentle reminder to me that I have a choice.  IF I make Him my dwelling, put faith in Him……..THEN no harm will befall me, no disaster will come near my tent.  God doesn’t promise a world free from danger or even our circumstances, but He does promise His help whenever we face danger………………IF we make HIM our dwelling.  Lord, help me make YOU my dwelling today and always.  Show me the truth of that and what that really means in my life.  I thank you that you are my refuge, my strong tower and protection.  Blessings to everyone today and remember, GOD LOVES YOU!