God Fixes Us

The Broken Vessel

If you've ever dropped a glass on a hard ceramic floor, then you know it ends up in a million pieces. Within seconds, something that was once whole, becomes broken and scattered to every corner of the room. I've had these accidents a time or two, and I know it's no easy task to clean up. Immediately it becomes a danger zone. 

As soon as it happens I'm stopped in my tracks because... I'm usually barefoot.

As I tiptoe out of my mess, I go for my shoes and call out a warning, "Don't come in here, there's broken glass on the floor"! That impact has shot undetectable pieces of glass everywhere! And those tiny shards become razor blades under my feet. Sometimes I sigh, and think, "that was my favorite glass". But it gets swept up and dumped in the trash, never to be used again. Sometimes, I feel like that glass. 

The Bible refers to us as vessels. A vessel that carries a very precious treasure, the presence of God. And guess what? We're His favorite glass! 

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us...

We're afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but to driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed."

 2 Corinthians 4:7

Like the fragility of the glass, we too, are all so delicate. Perhaps like the glass falling to it's demise, you've fallen a few times. We all have. There's a place we call "rock bottom", and it really hurts when we hit. Our hearts are very fragile, they too can be fragmented, and strewn about. The lowest place we can go is to the floor, but it can be the best place to find restoration. You see, God cares a lot about our brokenness. 

The bible says, He is near to the broken hearted and saves those that are crushed in spirit" (Psalm 34:18).

He knows the heaviness of a broken heart, He hears the splitting and cracking. And He alone, can make us whole. Just like a loving parent, He comes running in to save us.

He's different. He doesn't scold, or make us feel bad, He simply starts gathering and restoring.  He sees the fragments of hopelessness, the scarred pieces of failure, the sharp edges of depression and the sting of defeat. He sees everything broken in our spirit. even the hidden things. 

And just like a gentle, loving Father, He disposes everything harmful and puts us back on the shelf of life, completely whole. Everyday we get a brand new start, with a brand new heart. Yesterdays disappointments are gone with the trash and we anticipate with new hope.

Let us never forget the power of the cross. Jesus became broken, for us. Remember, when He said, "this is my body, broken for you." (Matthew 26). He became crushed and broken for us, And by Sunday, all wholeness was restored. And since He was restored, we are restored... to a whole new life! 

Though we may fall many times, we can reach for His hand.

"A righteous man may fall seven times, and rises up, but the wicked shall fall by calamity." - Proverbs 24:16

Do you remember Humpty Dumpty?  He sat on a wall and had a great fall; all the kings horses and all the kings men couldn't put Humpty together again! Men will never be able to fix us, only God can.

"He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds". Psalm 147:3

We have a personal Carpenter- Jesus, who puts us back together. When the devil starts speaking trash, remind him that his future is bleak, not ours. God has good plans for us. Hope filled plans. Plans to prosper us and reinstate us to perfect health. (Jeremiah 31)

When it seems like all hope is gone, look up, your Redeemer is drawing near.

"He gives beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that we may be called trees of righteousness, a planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified".  (Isaiah 61)

 

No Longer Slaves

"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" John 8:32.

Knowing the truth is what sets us free. It's lies that bind us, trap, hinder and imprison us. God sent the Truth (His Son) to set us free. In John chapter 14 Jesus said, "I am the way the truth and the life".

So who are we? As a born again Christian our identity in is birthed in freedom. Remember the account of Abraham? He had two sons. One by a slave woman, and the other by the free woman, His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born because of the promise. (Galatians 4:22)

We too are born of the "free Seed" which is Christ.

Who we used to be?  Enslaved to the devil, born into sin.

The definition of slavery:
1) A person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them.
2) A person who works excessively hard.

Back in the 1800's slaves had to wear a metal badge around thier neck identifying them as slave property.  Such as the one below.

Although slavery has long been abolished, there remains another type of slavery which still exists.  Spiritual slavery. It's not a mandatory incarceration, yet without the knowledge of this "abolishment," many still suffer it's hard laborous punishment, and it imprisons the soul.

Prior to becoming a Christian, we were once slaves to sin and slaves to the devil. He used to own us. Yes, he was our master. His evil commands were all we knew. They were how we were led.

Until we discovered...we had a Redeemer. One who bought us at the highest price, in order to set us free. Now we are led by the Good Sheperd, who leads us beside the still waters. Without chains!

1 Peter 1:18 " It was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a Lamb without blemish or defect".

Remember when Moses led the Hebrews out of bondage, on the night before they left, the blood of a lamb stopped death from entering thier homes.  Each Israelite family was instructed to place the blood over the lintel and the doorposts of the home.  When the death angel passed through, it passed over them because of the blood.  (Exodus 12:23)

Likewise, we also have an "Exodus" of our own. We can leave the devils domain and never look back. As a born again Christian, we belong to God and the blood of the Lamb (Jesus) has been applied to the doorpost of our heart. Now death can not enter in, it must forever...pass over us.

No longer will we wear the "badge" of the devil, but we "wear RED". When the devil sees the blood, he has to flee.  He has no power over it. And just like kryptonite weakened superman, the blood weakens the devil.

We are no longer slaves to death, fear or sin. They have no rightful hold on us.

"The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death". 

Romans 8

HOPE is your strongest fuel

My life is built on hope. Without it, I'd surely sink. Hope is an amazing thing. Actually It's quite powerful. Imagine trying to drive a car without gas, it won't budge. Or how about trying to function daily without food, we'd die.

Natural food does nothing for the soul, it only affects the body. Though we eat to stay alive, inwardly we're starving! Spiritual food is essential to fuel the heart and mind.  Hope is that fuel. If you have hope, you've got the greatest asset on the planet!

Without hope, we're depleted, and spiritually bankrupt. If there's one thing the devil wants to steal from you, it's hope. If he can take that, he knows you'll be empty. He wants us empty!

In the area of finances, we know that assets can be turned into cash. It's similiar with hope. But hope is much more powerful. Although money is required for trading goods & services, it doesn't feed the soul. We can survive without money, but we can't survive without hope.

When you mix no money with no hope, that's a quick ride to the bottom of the barrel. I know what it's like to hit rock bottom.  I've wallowed around in self pity, considered my demise, sobbed endlessly, focused on all my failures, given up- a thousand times, yet I always had the option of looking up.

I'm well aquainted with the lowest place, like a sunken ship... thinking "it's over", "I'm done"! Yes, I've said all that and more. Because that's where the devil speaks the loudest. I've been there. But thankfully, there's nowhere to go but up. I had to make a decision, should I believe the lies or choose the truth. I had two different entres to choose from. I chose life and hope brought me up! Hope is a quick ride to the top, everytime.

This valuable asset converts dreams into reality.  It's a substance that converts empty into full. It transforms death into life. Depression into joy, and turmoil into peace. It turns sorrow into laughter. It transfigures darkness into light. Hope never ends. Look at the book of Hebrews.

Now faith is... the substance of things HOPED for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

If we want to please God, we must have faith. As we can see from the scripture above, faith and hope work together. The Hebrew writer goes on to explain that it's impossible to please God without faith.

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

If we have no faith, then we have no hope. This is actually an insult to God. This basically tells God, that we don't trust Him. We don't want to be in that condition. We can trust Him. He is faithful to perform His word. He's the God of truth and the God of hope. If you're empty He can fill you! 

Here's some spirit fuel...

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with confident hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit".  (Romans 15:13) 

Isn't it fun to say, "filler up"? (Back in the day when we had gas station attendants). Or we might say, "top it off". I rarely fill my gas tank, but some occasions call for it. Like taking a lengthy road trip.  

Isn't it even better to fill up with premium? Sure it is. Here's something incredible to ponder. How about being "topped off" and filled up, to overflowing with hope?! (GOD) 

He's the God of hope. Hope energizes us. I'm not talking about the flaky stuff such as, "I hope so".  That is NOT Godly hope.  Godly hope is weighty and confident. Remember it's substantial.  

Faith is certain and sure of things hoped for.   In the face of NOT seeing, yet we believe. The Bible calls this hope an anchor for the soul. If you are anquored in the word of God, you won't be tossed about by the winds of fear and doubt. 

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure, it enters the inner sancuary behind the curtain".  

What's behind the curtain?  ... GOD! Wow!  Our hope goes behind the curtain, and straight to God. 

He sees our faith in that hope. And that's where amazing things start to manifest! 

So back to this energizing fuel called hope. I can relate this to something I recall from my childhood. Do you remember those "hand buzzers"? They were kind of a gadget type of thing. My brother would hide it in the palm of his hand and when I shook it, it buzzed and vibrated! Not pleasant, because I weren't expecting it. 

I don't know how else to explain this, but there's a  really good kind of vibration and almost electrifying tingle that goes staright through me when I tap into the deep levels of the HOPE that's in God's word.  It's almost as if I'm getting "zapped" with His premium energy source! 

His word is FULL of hope. Hope makes us strong.

I could go on with this, perhaps I'll write a "Hope II" blog. I'm sure I will. There's so much more. For now, I'll close with this:

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew thier strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint". (Isaiah 40:31)

The word, wait here, means to hope. If you're waiting on the Lord, it means you're expecting. And that's called healthy faith! Keep hoping in the Lord, He is faithful in all His ways.  

Praise More...Bark Less

Have you ever noticed how happy a well loved dog is? I find it amazing that God made animals that can feel love and desire it. In the case of our little dog, it seems as if we are her whole world. And I don't know about your dogs tail, but it seems like ours has beat the record for tail wagging!  I'm not positive, but I think that means shes happy and I really think she smiles!

All I have to do is walk in the room and she wags her tail. If I get down on the floor and look in her eyes, her tail gets wagging. If I leave the house for five minutes, then walk back inside, you guessed it, her tail is wagging. Not to mention her numerous leaps of excitement she demonstrates as we are reunited. LOL. If we're gone for hours, it's off the charts "tail wagging" when we come back.

It's crazy that they miss us and want us to be home. For some reason they crave the fellowship of their owners. Let's talk about their appetite. They're always hungry and always happy when the food comes out.  Just like us, they like to eat. 😏

I got to thinking, If our pets get that excited about us, how much more does God take pleasure in having fellowship with us!?  A trillion times more! I'm not comparing God to an animal in any way. I'm simply saying that he shows His love in marvelous ways. If anything, I'm saying when I'm in the presence of God, if I had a tail, it's wagging so much it may fall off!  LOL!

Just like our dog begs for treats, we hunger and yearn for God. "Our daily bread" is God feeding us, everyday! As for me, when I learn something from God, I'll say something like, "oh that's good"!  Just as if I took a bite of something yummy. If we're hungry to learn, then we'll always be fed. The difference with God is, He never gives leftovers, we always get fresh. There's no scraps at His table, we receive only the best. 

If only we'd praise Him more instead "barking" out our requests, we'd find joy in each moment and pass every test.  Praise more, thank more, and you'll bark so much less. 

The "Open Book" Test In 2018

Ever taken a test that you were'nt totally prepared for? The answer is yes, because we all have.  Looking at lifes questions, we wish we had all the answers right in front of us. Are we all taking the same test?  

I'm pretty sure we are. And I 'm pretty sure I've failed many times. When life doesn't go the way I want it to, who can I pin the blame? My past? My circumstances? The people around me? Has God done me wrong?  No, no, no and NO.  

Is there anyone else in the classroom that should be filling in the blanks besides me? Of course not. Especially since I have the opportunity to open up the textbook that has all the information I'll ever need. Since life is filled with ongoing trivial questions, we've all been given the same answer key. You may have guessed it, the Bible. Yep, that's correct. 

I have no intention of telling you what you should or should'nt do, but I know what I need to do. 

It's solely my responsibility to pass "my tests". This doesn't mean that I'm alone. God will never leave me. But the times when I've missed it are because I didn't follow the written instructions. 
My plans, goals, and aspirations for 2018, and the rest of my existence, is to dive into the Open Book more than ever before!

There's no "5 step" process to success, and there's no "quick fixes".  But there is victory. Present victory. One that can never be removed from your personal record. 

Your victory is all throughout the Bible. Even when things look horrible on the outside, that doesn't change the eternal finalized truth in the word of God. I encourage you, continue to press on, move forward, and rise up to the seat that's already yours.


"For God has raised us up from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms, because we are united with Christ".  Ephesians 4:18

The truth is, we've already won. However, let's suppose I'm looking at the answer key, but I refuse to believe it or I don't agree with it, so I choose my own way. Well, that means I'm going to fail. 
God has "set us up" to win. So win. 


The truth is, we have the "answer key" to life, we have The Answer, (Jesus) and we have inward direction. (follow Him)

"2018, your only 365 days, we are eternal".  We can Ace this!

Glad Tidings of Comfort and Joy

It's that time of year again and the Christmas rush is upon us. It seems like as soon as the Labor Day picnic ends...it's the holidays! For some excited bunch, they're ready to hang the lights, while others want it to slow down. But sadly, for many, this time of year stirs up depression, anxiety and stress.

We know the devils consistent at being unruly, but he acts up even more during the holidays. After all, we are celebrating the birth of the Messiah. He's just trying to distract the world from those glad tidings of comfort and joy.  

Tidings are defined as: news, information, a report or a word. Well, on the night of our dear Saviors birth, God sent a heavenly host to announce the glorious news of the Christ child. The promised One had arrived - our Lamb of God, Redeemer, Lord and King was wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. This reminder of Gods eternal Gift entering the earth realm, has the enemy on the prowl. 

He hates the gospel, but there's nothing he can do about it. He can't change the course of eternity.

  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, 

but have everlasting life".  John 3:16

He came! And He still lives! He's everything God said He would be and more! We can rest in the truth of the amazing gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the Gift God sent.

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, 

Prince of Peace".  Isaiah 9:6

The next time you're tempted to stress in the season, just remember Who's on the throne. No amount of earthly goods will ever come close to the Gift of God. It's indescribable!

We don't have any reason to be depressed. Especially if we have loved ones who've passed on, we are joyous in the promise of eternal life. 

The devil's a liar, he's lost against God. As children of God we inherit Gods blessing! 

We have the Prince of Peace residing in our hearts and the Wonderful Counselour Who hung the stars. Things look very bright for us! 

I know it's tempting to get caught up in stress, but we don't have to take it. We can take the Gift of God instead. The next time you feel anxiety coming on, I want you to close your eyes and look for Jesus. 

Picture yourself unwrapping everything promised in Him. Smile and be comforted, because you are victorious! It's a guaranteed win. With God nothing shall be impossible!

"Have yourself a merry little Christmas, let your heart be light, from now on your troubles will be out of sight, have yourself a merry little Christmas, make the yuletide gay, from now on your troubles will be miles away..."   

Great Minds Think Alike

Have you ever had an instance where you thought along the same lines as someone else on a particular subject? This happens to me many times. My husband and I will be having a discussion and sometimes I'll be thinking of a similar concept before he says it. This can happen with anyone.

When our thinking aligns with what the speaker says, we usually give ourselves the compliment, "great minds think alike". And it's true, as long as we're thinking like God. And trust me when I say, you didn't come up with it first, He did. He's the one who brought it to your remembrance. The truth is, He's the greatest mastermind of all.

If we want our minds to be great, we need to think like Him. And the great news is, we can! He's given us A "backstage pass" into His very own mind. When we know someone who's mastered something or has become a professional at his skill we say, "Man, I'd like to pick their brain". We say this because we value their advice and high level of expertise. In other words, we want to know what they know!

Well, there's no one on the planet smarter than Jesus. Everything you see, and don't see was made by Him. He's the Architect of all. If your looking for a "brand name" that's on everything, it's JESUS!

 "For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions, or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him, and for Him. He is before all things, and In Him all things hold together. 

And He is the head of the body, the church".  He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things, He may have preeminence. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him".  - Colossians 1: 15-19

You may ask, "how can I pick His mind"? God had you in mind before the creation of the world,  so He's had this figured out for a very long time! His plan was to never leave you alone. :)

"For who among men knows the thoughts of man except his own spirit within him? So too, no one know the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God. That we may understand what God has freely given us". 

As a born again Christian we have His Spirit living in us so that we may follow His lead instead of our own. great minds do think alike, but He will always be greater.