Only A Moment.

It only takes one little moment to allow sin to creep in. And in that little moment, life is impacted in a big way.

Only a moment of anger.
Only a moment of lust.
Only a moment of jealousy.
Only a moment of pride.
Only a moment of hate.
Only a moment of lies.
Only a moment of dishonesty.
Only a moment of sin.
That's all it takes to make a difference in one's life. Whether it's yours, or someone elses.

I'd like to share part of a devotion from Lysa TerKeurst today.

“Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.” Genesis 37:17b-18 (NIV)

"Today, there will be a moment. No one will snap a picture of it. It probably won’t make it into the journals of those who journal. Or linger in the thoughts we carry with us to sleep tonight.

It will come.

It will go.

It will slip by seemingly unnoticed. But its affects won’t slip. (God doesn't miss a thing.) They’ll stay. And if fostered, grow to epic proportions.

This moment where something creeps into our heart and pulls our focus from right to wrong. It will be just a hint of distortion. The smallest amount. But a slight and seemingly insignificant amount of skewed thought will take root.

And grow.

Beyond what you can even imagine.

The course of history was changed because a few family members got a little cranky and a little jealous of their brother Joseph. Envy and anger slipped in. Just a hint. But just enough. It doesn't take much.   

Because a few brothers on an ordinary day got a little jealous and allowed anger and envy to slip in.

And the moment it slipped in, the course of history changed.

In a moment.

May we never assume our moments don’t matter. The decisions we make every second of every day matter.

There are no little moments or little sins.

There is a domino affect to it all.

So, I fall hard upon soft grace. I thank God for this realization. I ask Him to make my soul even more sensitive, more aware, more in tune to my constant need for forgiveness.

Though I am weak, I walk in the strength of utter dependence.

And I refuse to beat myself up for mistakes made yesterday. Today is a new day. A new chance to set things going in a different direction.

Joseph’s brothers had years to try and rescue Joseph — find out where he was — help him — set their past mistakes right.

Years. They had years. But they never did set about to turn things around.

Oh sweet sister don’t let today slip by.

Moments matter.

Watch for a moment today where you are given the choice to let anger, envy or something else negative slip in. Recognize it. Refute it. And replace it with God’s spirit of love.

Dear Lord, You made me. You know me. I need Your help where I am weak. Make me aware of any place where I’m off course today. Give me the desire to do what pleases You. I want to do your will. In Jesus’ Name, Amen."

Continuation of Christ's Mockery & Death.

You may read the continuation of this segment at these links below.

The Betrayal (Continued)

The Crucification (Continued from The Betrayal)

The Betrayal

I shared this story on my main blog, but thought I would share it here also, in preparation of Easter. Blessings!

The room grew quite as He broke the bread and began to pray, thanking His Heavenly Father for the food and praying for strength for the great trial He was getting ready to face. He than began to speak to His disciples saying, "Take this bread and eat, it represents my body." Then he took a cup and gave thanks and said, "Take this and drink, it represents my blood of the covenant which will be poured out for the forgiveness of many sins."

Then He said, "One of you will betray me this night."

"Surely it is not me, Lord! Who is it?" the disciples asked.

"It is he who dips his bread with me."

Soon, Satan entered Judas after he dipped his bread with the Master. He got up and left the room.

As they finished their supper and Jesus spoke to his disciples, trying to prepare them for what lied ahead. Peter said, "Lord, even if all fall away from you, I never will!"

"Peter, you will deny Me three times this night before the cock crows!"

"Not I Lord! Never will I deny Thee." And all the others said the same.

By this time they had finished their meal and Jesus took His disciples for a walk up to Gethsemane to pray. The night was warm and the disciples were tired. When they got there, Jesus instructed them to sit while He went a little farther, taking Peter and 2 others with Him. Then He asked Peter to please keep watch while He prayed. "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” (Matthew 26:38) Going a little farther still, He fell upon His face and prayed, "Father let this cup pass from Me! Nevertheless, not My will but Yours be done." Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you not stay awake to keep watch with Me? Please help me pray! Your spirit is willing, but your flesh is weak." Again, He went away to pray and again returned to find them asleep. For their eyes were very heavy. So He left them a third time, not bothering to wake this time, and began to pray for a third time. When He came back, Jesus told them to to wake up, "My hour of death is come. Rise up! For I am to be delivered unto sinners. Here comes my betrayer now!"

And Judas came up to Him and kissed Him on the cheek. How sad to betray the Son of Man with a kiss for 30 pieces of silver. And soon after, the soldiers, who had followed Judas there, seized Jesus and arrested Him.

***To be continued***
For references, look at Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, & John 13

*Something to think about: Judas was willing to betray Christ for a kiss and 30 pieces of silver. Chirst said it would have been better for Judas to never have been born. "Whoa be unto him who betrays Me!" What are some things that people are willing to betray Him for today?

Jesus Christ is Lord!

I've done a lot of reading in the book of Acts this morning and the message that stood out to me the most was "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved!"  Acts 2:38 says, "Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Verse 40 says, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation!"

That day Peter was preaching the words of Christ, urging others to be saved from their sins. Those who believe that day alone were about 3,000 in all!  (verse 41)

Back up in verse 36 it says that we are to let EVERYONE know for certain that God has made this Jesus, the one we crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah! Even further back in Acts 1:8 "...And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere....even to the ends of the earth."

So go tell it!  Whether on the mountain top, over the hills, across the seas, next door, in the park or work place, to your family & friends....EVERYWHERE...that Jesus Christ is Lord and He alone can save your soul from your sins!!!!

If you, yourself, do not believe already, I urge you to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you too shall be saved from your sins! First you must repent and tell God you are sorry, then ask Him into your heart and to create in you a new one.  A clean heart. Psalms 51:10 says, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."  By doing so your old self and sins will be erased and God will create a new, clean heart within you.  (Acts 3:19) Beleive in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you too, shall be saved!

Outward vs. Inward.

Wow.  This weeks Bible studies have been so good!  Well, they are ALWAYS good!  I feel like I am learning so much through the Word of God.  I was thinking I'd like to share yesterday's & today's readings with you and things that stuck out to me. But I may only share yesterday's for now.  To me it is so much to take in and think about.  I don't want to overwhelm you!

Yesterday found us reading in Mark chapters 12 & 20, Matthew 22 & 23, & Luke 20 & 21.  Lots of great reading.  But what really stood out to me was Mark 12:29-31  "...you must love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, ALL your soul, ALL your mind, and ALL your strength.  And love your neighbor as your self."

At the end of yesterday's reading (Mark 12:41-44 & Luke 21:1-4) Jesus brings out how the poor women gave more than the rich people gave when they entered the temple.  While the rich gave large sums of money, it was only a tiny portion of their surplus.  The poor woman only gave 2 coins, but it was ALL she had to live on!

How often do I give God my ALL in all areas of my life?  Do I really give Him my WHOLE heart?  Do I really give Him my WHOLE soul?  Do I really give Him my WHOLE mind?  Do I really give Him my WHOLE strength?  Or do I find myself only giving part?  I'll admit there are times I find myself only giving part.  But His Word plainly tells us He doesn't want just a part of me.  He wants ALL of me.  Am I willing to give it?

Something else that stood out to me was how Jesus warns the religious leaders in Matthew 23:1-36 & Luke 20: 45-47, & Mark 12:38-40.  Jesus tells the crowd and His disciples to practice and obey what was taught, but not to follow their ministers' examples.  "For they don't practice what they teach. They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden." (Matt. 23:3-4)   Jesus goes on in verse 5 and says "Everything they do is for show. They were extra wide prayer boxes with Scriptures inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels. They love to sit at the head of the table and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. They love to receive respectful greetings in the market place, and be called 'Rabbi'."  He also goes on in Matthew 23:13 and warns not just the leaders, but the teachers too.  Christ talks about how they do all the right things, outwardly.  But inwardly they are hypocrites and Jesus calls them out on it!  Matthew 23:28 "Outwardly you look righteous, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness."  Scripture tells us that God made each of us equal in His eyes.  None of us are higher than the other.  So we shouldn't set ourselves up, nor should we put others on pedestals.  My take away from this was many things, but one thing I wrote down, and my prayer for myself is: "Please Lord, help me to not be like that!  Help me to not think or say 'Look at me.  Look what I have done.'  No.  Look at the God in me!  May others see Christ and may He be lifted up!" 

Something to think about:

• Do I give God my ALL?  My WHOLE?
• Do I lift God up higher than others?
• Do I do all the right things, but for all the wrong reasons?

Lord help me to be more like the poor widowed woman, giving you my ALL.  And help me to be a lot less like the religious leaders, ministers, and teachers who outwardly look righteous, but inwardly are a hypocrite. Make in me a clean heart and may others see You NOT me!

I'd Rather Have Jesus (by George Beverly Shea & Rhea F. Miller, 1922)

Verse 1
I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold, I'd rather be His than have riches untold; I'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands, I'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand.

Chorus
Than to be the king of a vast domain. Or be held in sin's dread sway. I'd rather have (my) Jesus than anything, this world affords today.

Verse 2
I'd rather have Jesus than men's applause, I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause; I'd rather have Jesus than world-wide fame, I'd rather be true to His holy name.

(Chorus)

Verse 3
He's fairer than the lilies of rarest bloom, He's sweeter than honey from out of the comb; He's all that my hungering spirit needs, I'd rather have Jesus and let Him lead.

(Chorus)

I woke up Sat morning after having dreamed about this song during the night.  It was with me all through the day Saturday and again Sunday morning as I got ready for church.  Verse 2 really stands out to me as I think about some of the things I feel God has called me to do.  People around me, even fellow Christians, may not agree with stands that I have taken.  And I know the world will despise me b/c of my love for Jesus.  But in the end, what it all boils down to is this: I'd rather have Jesus.  I don't need your applause or approval, but I do need God's!  And that is what is more important to me than anything else.  As long as I've got King Jesus, I don't need anyone else. (As the song sung by Brian Free & Assurance says.) I don't mean that in a stuck up way or that I'm any better than you.  Only the simple fact that in the end of time Christ is going to ask me if I was faithful to Him.  If He finds that I was more faithful to my peers, I don't think the end would be too pretty for me. As I was looking through my Bible yesterday I came across and underlined scripture in Galatians that goes well with my train of thoughts.  This song and scripture are big part of my personal testimony.

Galatians 1:10
"For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ."

In the end of time, who will God find you to be faithful to? Him, or others?

Take My Life and Make it Yours, Lord.

My group study  brought me through parts of 2 Kings & 2 Chronicles this morning. At then end of each day, we are asked about our take aways. Something Old: Something we've heard before but maybe heard in a new way.  Something New: Something we've never heard before. Something To Do/Nugget:  Something we learned that we need to personally do, or maybe just a nugget of Truth that spoke to us.

My something old today was 2 Kings 10:31 "But he did not obey the Law of the Lord with his whole heart..."  We must give God our whole heart to fully follow Him. (In all aspects of our life!) He does not just want a  part of us.  He wants us all!

My something new: 2 Kings 9:22 "How can there be peace when there is idolatry and witchcraft all around us?"  The king in this chapter had asked another "Do  you come in peace?" and that was his reply.  I kind of felt like he was asking for peace from a man of God, when there was sin in his life and all around him.  I think some ppl ask for peace to hide from sin.  They don't seem to really deal with the sin or issue at hand...let's just have peace.  But how can there be true peace?

Something for me to do/my nugget:  Serve the Lord, my God, with my WHOLE heart, not just part of it.  Rev. 3:16 comes to mind. God doesn't want a lukewarm servant. He would rather we be either cold (dead spiritually) or hot (alive in Him and on fire). 

I then proceeded to read Rev. 3: 14-22. God was not only speaking to the Laodicea church, He spoke to me as well.  I encourage you to read this passage. Stop and pray first and ask God to speak to you through His Word.

I've had a lot of thoughts lately geared toward the voice of God and being able to hear Him speak to me (or us).  If we're not in His Word daily, how do expect Him to speak directly to us?  I know that we can pray and that His Holy Spirit can speak to our hearts in the Word or not.  But if we are never personally in His Word, how can we expect to have His guidance in our lives?  Just a thought.  Blessings to you this week. And may God be found first in your life as others watch your life.

Song that came to mind, by Selah: 

"Take my life and make it Yours' Lord.
Fill me with Your love.
You are all I need.
I surrender all of me!"