Inspirational Christian Blogs

Join us for inspiring words from today's best Christian authors

Tag Archives: Christianity


by 4 Comments

My Mum’s amazing message

I was the most fortunate of kids!

I was brought up with a Mum and Dad who loved God.

Being the youngest of five, (I had twin sisters but sadly one died of TB when she was only one year old) I guess things monetary wise were a bit stretched, but we certainly never went without the essentials and we certainly had plenty of love handed out liberally, especially by my hard-working and devoted Mum.

BUT

That didn’t stop us going off the rails – (well the boys that is) unfortunately when we became of age and even had families of our own, the world and it’s lures were all too much and even though I personally put on the face of a Christian and did all the ‘Christian” things – I was far off from the Lord.

But Mum and Dad kept on praying for us – determined and sure that God would bring us back to Him.

Personally for me their prayers have been answered.

Dad died in 1998 and our Dear Mum passed away in 2000. Before they died they both recorded a message to us from “beyond the grave” sort of thing and re-listening to them again recently I was staggered at Mum’s simple yet solid faith in God – determined that her sons would come back to the Lord.

She says at some point that she has never stopped praying for us even before we were born. And in another part that “It doesn’t matter if Dad and I don’t see it for we have prayed fervently for you all.”

Well I’m afraid they didn’t see it – But I know that one day we will ALL meet around the throne of God in unity and love of our Lord and Saviour.

Here is a transcript of her message – I pray that you will be blessed as you read it as I was to hear it.

The prayers of a faithful Mum and Dad for their kids is awesome in it’s simplicity and mighty in it’s outcome – Praise God.

(From my Mum)
As my Savior has said – Weep not for me for I have only gone ahead to rest and wait for you in a place where there is no more pain or loss.

My children, when you were under our care your Dad and I endeavoured under the scant knowledge that was ours to show you that God has an infinite plan for us.

That plan of God’s was to bring home to us the amazing power and love that is available to anyone who has surrendered their hearts and love to the guidance and teaching of the Holy Spirit which is the gift from God to those, when in faith believe in the hearts and confess with their mouths that Jesus is the Messiah, died to pay the price of our sins and that He rose again.

I tried to teach you of The advantages of a committed life, of the security we have knowing that what ever happens we are the children of the Almighty God and nothing can separate us from Him – we have someone to go to when we are in trouble – and who isn’t in this sad world of ours.

Our God is a prayer answering and miracle working God – how many times have we proven that – over and over again.

He has promised never to fail or forsake those who put their trust in Him.

Sin unconfessed is the only thing that can disturb that relationship which exists between man and His maker for sin uncovered by the sacrifice of the Son of God CANNOT, literally CANNOT, exist in the presence of the glory and holiness of the Father.

So that those who have not come in faith to the Father find that sin puts a barrier between them.

Sin estranges God and Man – for the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ happened only that man may be restored to the relationship that should exist between the creature and his creator.

Gods greatest miracle is not the creation of the world, the suspension of the sun, the ceaselessness of the tide, Gods greatest miracle is the salvation of the human soul that all people should be saved and is unwilling that any should be lost and He has bound up the salvation of men and women with the prayerful ministry of his own people.

There is no doubt that the prayers for the salvation of others are well within the will of God. Your Dad and I have prayed fervently for the salvation of all our family – and this type of prayer is never in doubt and being the will of God shall in is own good time be fulfilled.

It doesn’t matter if your Dad and I don’t see it, for we have prayed for you all and these are just some of these promises we have held for you all.

Isaiah 54:13 That you all will be “taught of the Lord” and great will be your peace.
Psalm 119:11 That you all will “hide God’s word in your hearts.”
Colossians 1:9 That God will fill you all with the knowledge of His will so that you can walk in a way that’s pleasing to Him and that your lives will bear fruit.
Proverbs 3: 5-6 That your hearts will trust in the Lord and not lean on your own understanding
Psalm 5:12 That God’s favour will surround you all like a shield.

I can assure you, my children, that you were prayed for and committed unto the Lord before you were born- the Grandchildren also – and Gods promises are true.

The salvation of a soul is a mighty BIG undertaking for it just doesn’t include cleansing from sin but a full commitment of a life to God’s will and the receiving of a place in the family of God and the freely given gift of a life everlasting to Christians of all ages – there is no generation gap here – and also the presence of our beloved Lord Himself.

No one can be saved unless they are convicted or conscious of sin and when that consciousness of sin is present the way is opened to bring that one to the feet of the Saviour.

To confess and repent, that is being sorry for sins committed, and being determined to turn to Christs way of living will enable us to partake freely of the peace, joy and love that can be found in this earth.

Turning from sin and trusting Jesus also includes safety and perfection in the next world when our Lords presents us faultless before the presence of His Father and ours.

Now I know we have enjoyed a happy life together in spite of troubles that may have sunk the ship, but we also shared the gift of laughter, a sense of fun, of little private jokes as well as tears and I am very pleased to have loved you all and I am so looking forward to a wonderful reunion with you ALL in our Lord’s good time.

Your dad and I praying that you all will see the value of sins forgiven, a walk in a plain path, and a keeping in a world of sorrow and danger.

May God bless you all my darlings from the eldest to the youngest child and may He give through you the answer to our continual prayer.

Will the circle be unbroken? – God grant that it may – see you in the morning – Love you – Mum.

Fear Comes In Waves


by 2 Comments

Fear, Faith, And A Storm

Fear Comes In Waves

“Meet Your Fears With Faith”  – Max Lucado

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?  When the wicked came against me
to eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.   Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.”                Psalm 27:1-3 (NKJV)

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”                        Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)

 Imagine “Fear” as a dark creature with long fingers wearing a tattered hat.  This hat covers much of his disfigured face, but his dark eyes are visible.  His cold and intimidating glare is quite unnerving and if caught off guard, his appearance can stun, startle, and terrorize an unsuspecting believer.

Fear giggles with glee when he catches the children of God unprepared and napping, for he has accomplished the quest his master has sent him on with flying colors.  Satan wants believers to be ineffective and powerless.  He will try everything in his power to daze and stupefy us into a state of inaction and idleness.  To dumbfound a Christian into paralysis is to create a roadblock and delay in the plans of God. 

Now imagine “Faith” as a Sailor in his uniform whites.  What a courageous and confident fellow he is indeed!  No rough waters or storms can knock him off his feet.  He is steady and well balanced.  His eyes reflect a quiet confidence that oozes strength and vigor.  One look upon his appearance and Fear crumbles to the ground, a dark mass of broken bits.

Hebrews 10:38 says that the “just will live by faith.”  A “Just” person is someone who is fair, virtuous, and honest.  “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1)  So a JUST person, living by faith, is virtuous and certain of things not seen.  He knows that God is beside him, even when he can’t see Him.  When Fear approaches a JUST man, his faith in God is what foils the devil’s attack. 

Faith does not make things easy.  Faith makes things possible. Luke 1:37 reminds us, “For with God nothing will be impossible.”  Sailor boy Faith knows this truth.  It is what gives him the confidence to stare hurricane force winds and deadly storms in the face without a blink of his eye.  He knows that God is steering his ship and that all he needs to do is hold on, trusting God to see him through his adventure. 

If you are facing storms that bring you face to face with FEAR, call out to God.  Ask Him to mature your Faith.  You will most likely have to weather out the storm you are experiencing right now, but your Father will use your willingness to trust in His provisions to mature you.  He will command you to toss Fear overboard during storms.  God is the Captain of your ship and Fear has no place on deck. 

The best part of seeing your way through a storm, even if you think you have been blown off course, is that God will always man the wheel of your vessel and deliver you through every storm in your life.  You will never really be blown off course, maybe redirected, but always in the place God has intended for you.

There is a calm after a storm.  Enjoy the fresh air and the gentle breezes.  Allow them to minister to your weary soul.  Let the faith of God rule in your heart.  May it bring you through every gale and hurricane, bluster and thunderstorm in life.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”   Hebrews 11:1 (NAS)

“That your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”  1 Corinthians 2:5 (NKJV)

“Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?”   Psalm 56:3-4 (NKJ)

Cheryl Zelenka writes a Christian Encouragement Blog called http://facingtrials.com

Preferences
§
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0
-
=
Backspace
Tab
q
w
e
r
t
y
u
i
o
p
[
]
Return
capslock
a
s
d
f
g
h
j
k
l
;
‘
\
shift
`
z
x
c
v
b
n
m
,
.
/
shift
English
alt
alt
Preferences


by 2 Comments

Tenderly

English: Jesus healing the sick by Gustave Dor...

“I led them with cords of human kindness, with the ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them.” (Hosea 11:4 NIV)

 

I just completed the first draft of this post when the phone rang. It was the nurse from the elementary school calling to tell me my son was sick. He stayed in the clinic for a half hour but still wasn’t feeling better. So, she thought she should call and have me pick him up. I did but with reluctance. I have to admit, I like my quiet days when all of the kids are gone. I went to get him giving up my plans for the day.

 

I read this scripture a couple of days ago and I can’t get it out of my head. These words talk about a God who loves. It talks about a God who cares. It talks about a God who is tender.

 

I read these words and it reminded me of the many times I have taken care of my children when they were sick. My boys especially like to be taken care of when they are feeling under the weather. They like to curl up on the couch with their blankets and pillows. They turn the television on for hours of uninterrupted Sponge Bob and I take care of them. If they need a drink, I get it for them. If they are willing to eat, I make them whatever they ask for. I enjoy taking care of them for a day or two. After that, I’m ready for them to fend for themselves again. But for that short time, as they heal, I do whatever I can to make them feel better. It’s part of being a parent.

 

I thought about this with this verse today. The words that jumped out at me were “bent down to feed them”. God is talking about Himself here. He is the Almighty One, The Creator of all things. He is God and yet, He bends down to feed those He loves. He meets them where they are. He doesn’t require them to rise in order to be fed, He comes to them. I love this picture. He sees our pathetic state. We are slaves to our sin. We are without any hope of curing ourselves. We have even chosen to stay yoked together with the things that hold us captive. But He comes to us anyway. He lifts the very thing that is making us sick. He removes it. He takes it out of our lives. And He doesn’t leave it at that. He remains while we heal. As we gain our strength, He gives us what we need. He is tender in His care for us.

 

I don’t know, this just really spoke to me today. In our journey with Him, there will be times we choose to wander away from Him. We may even find ourselves in some grievous sin. But God always comes to us. He always leads us with “cords of human kindness, with the ties of love”. He removes our sin and remains with us, affectionately loving us while we regain our strength. He doesn’t walk away in disgust. He stays with us gently caressing our heads reminding us that we will feel better soon.

 

Thank You Lord for this beautiful picture of your love.

 

Related articles


by 2 Comments

Words Fail

1733900124_930a56ac00_z

Photo credit: Creative Commons

I am rarely speechless. When I am, it isn’t usually a good thing. I am finding words hard to come by today.

When tragedy strikes, when things don’t make sense, when the violence or the awesome power of nature or the meanness of the human heart slam into our world with so much force we lose our breath, we become mute with shock. It takes away our ability to communicate intelligently. We sputter and ramble and make little sense to those around us and we sometimes say things that we haven’t thought through, hurting the very ones we want to encourage.

Human nature dictates that our ego must be satisfied. We want to know why, to find a reason that it all went wrong, to devise a plan to be better prepared next time – to control our own destiny. But how do you prepare for such random acts of violence, or control horrific storms or explain the loss of so many children? How do you look around you and blame this or that on upslope and draw and happenstance? How do you make sense of any of it?

You don’t.

Yes, I know that tornados and their formation can be nominally explained. I understand that there are storm chasers and researchers and all manner of highly educated folk that have dedicated their lives to better protecting us from these super-storms. I am thankful for them. But really, there is no preparation for the devastation that has rocked Oklahoma today. Look at any of the stunned, wide eyed faces and you begin to understand the shock is just now lifting for those who survived. Their eyes are beginning to focus again and they are seeing the destruction with a clarity that sucks their breath from their lungs as violently as the storm took their children from them. There are no words to encompass the pain, the fear and the tragic circumstances of this loss.

There is no why, there is no comfort in shelter, there is not one ounce of security when you look up and watch as nature steals the very air from your lungs. As the clouds lift and move on, as the rain starts and washes away so many years of work and accomplishment, as the survivors climb from the rubble and wrap arms around loved ones, there is a realization: There are no words to be said. There is nothing that can be uttered to soothe the hurt, the terror or the loss.

When I cannot find words to encompass the tragic, fallen world we inhabit, I bow my head and open my heart. The Holy Spirit wraps my soul in His arms and speaks quiet, inaudible encouragement and strength into my ears. He picks me up, dusts me off and shows me where to move. He clears my head to survey the land and begin to work. There is comfort in “doing” when there are no answers.

We don’t get to know the purpose of God’s plan. He is guarded with His tapestry design. I have to believe that though I see tragedy and destruction and senseless lives lost that God is not gone from this place. He is still here. But it hurts. The pain is blinding and confusing and explanation meaningless to those who are only beginning to understand what they have lost: Homes, businesses, livestock, children.

I cannot offer words today. I cannot explain or find comfort in knowing more of what happened. I can only say how very sorry I am and offer my hands in prayer, in comfort and in rebuilding. I cannot take away the pain, nor would I dare try. There simply is nothing to say.


by 1 Comment

Lessons From the Life Of David: Part I

For verses referenced in this post click here.

The first time we meet David is in 1 Samuel 16. In the previous chapter God had rejected Saul as king because Saul had rejected God (1 Samuel 15:26). So God directs Samuel to anoint a new king.

God directs Samuel to the family of Jesse who was the grandson of Ruth and Boaz, two godly people. After the debacle with Saul, who never showed any interest in walking with the Lord, God was determined that Israel’s next leader be someone who was devoted to him and not make the same mistakes Saul did.

Saul was chosen by the people of Israel to be their king because of his wealth and appearance (1 Samuel 9:1-2). When Samuel comes across Jesse’s oldest son, Eliab, he likewise decides, based solely on appearance, that Eliab is the one God has chosen to be Israel’s next king (1 Samuel 16:6). But he was wrong.

God uses different criteria when selecting people to do His work. He does not look at people the way we do (Isaiah 55:8). While we look at outward appearances, God looks at someone’s heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

In fact, none of Jesse’s oldest sons had the heart God was looking for. It was Jesse’s youngest son, David, whom God wanted. Its interesting that even Jesse himself didn’t consider David to have much leadership potential because he (David) wasn’t even invited to the meeting with Samuel. He was still out in the fields tending to the animals (1 Samuel 16:11). He seems to have been an after-thought in the mind of his own father.

Samuel anoints David and the Holy Spirit came “powerfully” upon him from that day on (1 Samuel 16:13) thereby proving that David was God’s choice.

The lesson here is clear. As human beings we only look at the outward appearance of a man or woman: how they dress, how good looking they are, how much money they have. Human superficialities impress us. But these things do not matter to God.

Only someone who is a man (or woman) after God’s own heart, as David was called (Acts 13:22), can appropriately serve God. A person with a lesser heart will seek to be served.

A person with such a heart:

  • is more concerned with God’s will than his own.
  • makes God the true king of her life
  • recognizes his sinfulness and is repentant
  • loves other people more than herself
  • seeks to bring attention to God, not himself

None of us fit this criteria naturally. It is only through prayer, scripture meditation, and sacrificial obedience that our self-serving heart can be replaced with a heart that lives for God. Here are just a few verses that we can pray and meditate on to achieve this goal:

  • Matthew 6:10
  • Philippians 2:3-4
  • Romans 12:1
  • Colossians 3:12
  • Acts 20:35
  • Ephesians 5:21

God isn’t looking for superheros because there are none. He knows that. He is looking for every-day people who are humble and whose first, and only, priority is to serve Him.

Related articles


by 3 Comments

The Prayer Closet

Yesterday, a verse from Luke jumped out at me. Amongst everything else that I had underlined in my bible, this one line stared out at me. Throughout the day, it stayed with me, reminding me, teaching me. What is this verse that made me think so much?

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16.

Here was the Son of God, always at one with the Father needing to withdraw into His prayer closet to pray. When I thought about it more, I wondered if He truly needed to do that. After all, Jesus and the Father are one. So, if that is the case, why the need to go somewhere devoid of people to communicate with the Father? Didn’t He already know what was in the Father’s heart? Isn’t Jesus the Word made flesh? Wasn’t the Word present from the very beginning?

So, why the need to go away to some lonely place to talk to the Father? Wouldn’t the information already be downloaded into His heart, imprinted there because He and the Father are one?

As I mulled on that verse, 2 things kept getting highlighted.

1. Relationship.

2. Example.

Jesus was in a relationship with His Father. He submitted to the Father’s will, it was all He did, it was His food. He may have known everything the Father had wanted Him to do, but He chose to fellowship, to communicate with the Father, heart to heart. It wasn’t all about the ministry, the doing, the multitudes of people that surrounded Him. Those all came secondary to what was first and evident to Jesus. Relationship with the Father. Seeking Him. Having communion with Him. Enjoying His presence. Listening to Him. Spending time with the Father in the busiest time of ministry. Resting in Him. When people clamored for Him, cried after Him, wanted Him to meet their needs, He often withdrew to spend time with the Father.

In ministry, it’s not always easy to step away and take a break. People’s needs are big. Sometimes, it feels as if you didn’t help right away, things would fall apart. Things wouldn’t get done. People would not receive Jesus into their lives. It took me a few years to learn that no matter how many called out with needs, I am not their Saviour. It is not about me and what I can do for them. No one can meet their truest needs. And as a missionary, I had to come to terms with the fact that I am not helping anyone if I allowed them to depend on me and not on the only Saviour there is. Jesus.

Relationship with the Father through Jesus, His Son.

That is what Jesus modeled. We all need to withdraw to places where we can be alone with Him. Just Him and us. No one else, no projects, no business meetings,no have-to-do lists on our minds, no nothing. Just Him and us, to enjoy sweet fellowship, to hear Him, to have a heart to heart, to just sit by His feet.

And it is from that place of sweet communion that we will be filled so that we are then able to give out to others and teach them the example that Jesus showed us so that they too, when they are faced with the multitudes of people clamoring after them and problems as high as mountains, will know how to tap into the resources that are found at the basis of a relationship with the Father through His Son.

Related articles


by Leave a comment

Love Like Jesus–A Storm and a Wedding: Mark 4:37-39

Love Like Jesus Calm the Storm

A Storm Hits a Wedding Ceremony

I went to this wedding once where the person who took charge of planning the wedding had a beautiful vision for it. It was going to happen outside and it was going to be done in a very particular way so as to make the setting spectacular. The only thing was, everything was geared for outdoors. The venue was an outdoor venue, so the wedding and reception depended on dry calm weather. And whenever the person who was planning this thing was asked what she would do if it rained, she simply said: It won’t rain.

Well guess what?

A storm came through, and it rained.

And the weather outside wasn’t the only storm happening that day. With no indoor venue or arrangements made whatsoever, the wedding planner just shut down. Panic and pandemonium ensued as the bride, the bride’s mother, and many others frantically attempted to put something together.

This is a great article written by Kurt from God Running.

We have the power to help those around us, we can help them to calm down, to think, to rationalize, to simply pull themselves together and rest from the chaos within. How do we do this? Calm the storm…what can you do to help that person in need? Listen, talk with that person? Often the fact that you show you care is a help in itself.

To finish reading this article, please go to http://godrunning.com/2013/05/18/love-like-jesus-calm-the-storm-mark-437-39/
Check out the many other great articles on Kurt’s site while you are there, and let him know you liked something he wrote.

Related articles:

Forgive and Forget  (The Art of Pursuit)
Closing the deal with my mom… (Lori Lara)

 

 

4682_4682_5


by 3 Comments

The Sacrifice Found In Thank Offerings

4682_4682_5

“Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor Me, and to the blameless I will show My salvation.”   Psalm 50:23 (NIV)

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”   John 15:1-2 (NIV)

When we choose to thank and praise God, especially while enduring a difficult trial, we are offering up a true sacrifice of love to our Creator.  This conscious effort of worship comes only through faith.  Our thank offerings honor Him. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 we are encouraged to, “Give thanks in ALL circumstances; for this is God’s will for (us/you) in Christ Jesus.”

So do we really need to thank Him for an illness or loss? No, not exactly.  However, I do suggest that we thank God for the lessons and wisdom that will inevitably come out of a tragic event or painful hardship.  The focus of thanks should not be on the painful trial, but on the honor of being pruned and instructed by our God who permits the trial.  During the pruning process, Fruits of the Spirit will mature, as we trust in God’s faithfulness and love.  With the maturing of our spiritual fruit, we can then better serve the Body of Christ by administering more goodness, kindness, gentleness, peace, love, joy, patience, faithfulness, and self-control.

Trials are sent our way, or permitted, by a loving and compassionate Father.  It is wisdom and spiritual maturity that enables a Christian to perceive a new trial as a gift.  This does not mean the believer is thrilled with the idea of new heartache and sorrow.  Rather, the servant of God understands that God prunes His vines so that they can bear more fruit.  They understand it is an honor to suffer in His name and for His glory.

If Christians could learn to view struggles as opportunities that deepen their dependence on Christ, and mature their relationship with Him, they might have an easier time accepting tribulations.  These circumstances, designed by God, are not meant to break us. Instead, they are meant to mold and mature us all. 

God never said we would live a pain free life.  He did however promise to be our strength and provide for every one of our needs.  Let us be grateful for God’s promise to see us through every trial.  Can we all thank Him for not letting us stagnate and remain as children requiring milk?  

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”    Colossians 3:16-17 (NIV)

 


by 6 Comments

Missing the Mark

Archery

Archery (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“…Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?” (1Cor. 5:6)

Today during breakfast, my son asked an interesting question. He asked if he had to confess his sins to his parents, or could he just confess them to God. We explained that he only had to tell God, but our curiosity was peaked so we asked what he did. He proceeded to say that he wasn’t sure if it was a sin but that he ate a piece of food that landed on the floor. He explained that it was on the floor for less than five seconds, so he wasn’t sure if that counted as being too dirty to eat. Well, we laughed and explained that it wasn’t a sin to eat off the floor. It was just gross. Then my husband said…”oh I feel a blog coming on!” So, here I am writing a blog about it. His question actually sparked a great discussion about sin and that it’s not so much the act, but that it keeps us from hitting the mark God has set for us. If we sway to the right or to the left even just a little, we can go off the course God has put us on. It turned out to be a great life lesson.

So, I’ve been thinking about his question. Is it okay to eat off of the floor if the food has only been there for 5 seconds or less? Is it okay to sin if it’s only for a short time? Is there such a thing as a little sin? You know, maybe it is okay for him to eat off the floor just this once. But what if it happens again? I think he will be more likely to eat off the floor more easily the next time. The first time it’s a little gross. But the second time isn’t so gross. The idea of it being gross fades and so he does it again. What if this time the food is there for longer than 5 seconds? Does it taste any different? Is there a new level of grossness that has been reached? I would say probably not. If it’s acceptable to eat under the 5 seconds, then a few more seconds won’t matter. If he continues in this pattern, he will be eating food off the floor that has been allowed to sit longer and longer. He will keep pushing the envelope and before you know it he will want to eat his meals off the floor. That’s how sin is. It starts off small and grows.

Yesterday, while sitting in Starbucks, a friend and I witnessed someone backing up and hitting a car parked on the side of the road. Then the driver drove off. He didn’t leave his phone number with an apology. He just got out of there quickly. I couldn’t believe it. My friend called it. She knew he would just drive away. In attempt to impose justice, I took down his tag number and we left it on the car that was hit. My point is this, just because he didn’t take responsibility doesn’t mean he didn’t hit the car. In the same way, just because no one saw us sin doesn’t mean it isn’t sin. Just because no one can read our thoughts, doesn’t mean that we our thoughts aren’t sinful. We really need to come before the Lord and ask for a sensitive spirit. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to convict us. If we don’t, what seems menial will grow to something out of control. Something that started as a sinful thought will take over our lives if we are not careful. Then we will be sitting on the floor eating dirty food wondering how we ended up there.

This was a great lesson for my whole family this morning. My son, who makes me laugh daily because he is such a kid, reminded me that sin, even in the smallest form is still sin. He reminded me that I am never above the ability to sin. And even when no one is looking, my sin is still seen by the One who matters. He reminded me that sin left unchecked will turn into a more grievous sin, eventually. And that it is not being legalistic to be careful about sin. It is honoring to God to remember that the enemy is always trying to trip me up. It starts in the mind and moves into actions. It was a great reminder to me today that I need to have a healthy respect for God’s commands and keep them. Finally, I have learned that eating food off the floor, even if it has only been there for 5 seconds is still gross!!

Related articles


by Leave a comment

Pastor Saeed Abedini’s Wife Featured Speaker 5/16/2013

For those of you who follow events concerning Pastor Saeed and his family, his wife, Naghmeh will be speaking this week on Thursday May 16 at Calvary Chapel South Bay.

You can listen to Naghmeh live here: http://campus.316networks.com/cc-southbay

If this time does not work for you, you can still here her speak by going to South Bay’s YouTube channel. The video should be up on their channel in approximately a week. http://www.youtube.com/ccsouthbay

I want to thank my blogging brother Peter Guirguis from Calvary Chapel South Bay church for sharing this info with me. You can visit Peter on his evangelism based blog (he has great tips for all you Twitter users as well) here: Not Ashamed of the Gospel

Related articles