Faith

Sacrifice…What Have You Done As a Christian to Show It?

by

Statute of Christ with outstretched arms with Christ like words around himYou glance through the window of the shoe store at a pair of sandals that are to die for.  With Summer just around the corner, you feel like you got to have them.  You can already picture wearing them with certain outfits and know it’s a good look…and to top it off, they’re on sale.

But you’ve spent all that you have for shopping.  And even though they’re on sale you’re on a budget, every penny you have is accounted for.  But you want those sandals!  They’re calling your name.  You don’t budge from that spot, your feet feels like they’re glued to the floor.  What do you do?

Do you get them knowing it’s not feasible right now?  You reason with yourself.  You decide to get them but you know you have to give up something to be able to get those sandals…but what?

It’s the same with becoming a Christian.  If you truly accept Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you’re going to make some sacrifices…some changes.  There’s something that takes place within you that requires it.

The good news though is that with Christ all things are possible, whatever it may be.  Even change.  But just like with those sandals, you really have to want it.  You have to have a made up mind that this is what you want.  And you have to have faith and believe it will happen.

Here’s an example.

If you want a leaner, healthier body and you don’t eat healthy or exercise, you have to change your eating habits and begin an exercise regiment.  You have to have a made up mind.  You can’t continue to eat ice cream, burgers and fries and all types of sweets and expect to get a leaner, healthier body.

Just like you have to change your eating habits, you have to exercise regularly and you have to set aside the time to do this.  Whether it’s time or your favorite food, you got to make a sacrifice.

What is Sacrifice?

Sacrifice is something you give up for the sake of a better cause.  Parents sacrifice time and sleep to take care of their children.  Similarly children even make sacrifices.

They learn at an early age that if there’s something they want to do they have to make a sacrifice.  If they want to hang out with friends whether to play, go to the mall or to a movie, they have to make a sacrifice and have their chores done.  Or whatever it is their parents want them to do.

The same holds true for being a Christian.

When you decide to become a Christian you want to please God.  That requires changes in your life.  It requires discipline and sacrifice.  You have to read the word to learn what’s required of you as a believer and a child of God.

You must also find a church home where you can commune with like minded people and hear the word taught on a regular basis by a pastor-teacher.  He or she helps you to understand parts of the bible that’s not easily comprehended of discerned.  So you will sacrifice the time to go to church and once you learn of Christ’s love for you, you will sacrifice other aspects of your life as well.People sitting in a huge cathedral

John 12:26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

It’s not like you’re being punished or anything, it’s that you want to please him.  And once you let him into your heart the Holy Spirit will let you know when you’re pleasing him and when you’re not.

You will enjoy going to church.  It’s like a pep rally for saints that helps you to prepare for the upcoming week.  You usually leave on fire for God and you want to learn all that you can and want to help in any way you can.

You’ll have the peace and joy that comes with knowing Christ and you want to please him.  It’s something that’s unexplainable and unique to every person, and once you truly have it you don’t want to go back.

Others will start to see the difference in you.  You may even get compliments about how you’ve changed and how you’re an inspiration.  You recognize it in yourself and you want to spend more time learning and getting to know Christ.

So whether through time or service, what sacrifice have you done?  What changes have you made?

The peace that comes from knowing Christ defies all understanding and you continue to seek him diligently.  It’s a sacrifice and you don’t mind it one bit.

Sun rays beaming through the clouds

 

Romans 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

 

 

 

What Are You Thankful For?

by

Last week we celebrated Thanksgiving.  The day is meant to be a day when we remember to be thankful and grateful for all that we have.  Where we show appreciation for others and what they do for us.  Where we thank God for his love, grace and mercy.

Although we should do this everyday, this is a day set aside in order to bring it to our remembrance.  To remind us of how important being gracious is.

But what if you’re homeless?  Or you’ve never had anyone to do anything for you or even show you kindness or love?  Do you feel gracious at times like these or do you feel disheartened?

No matter how bad life may seem to be, there’s always something to be thankful for.  Even if you don’t have a place of your own right now you woke up to a brand new day.  That means you still have time to do whatever it takes to find a home.

As long as you have breath and is in your right mind, those are reasons to be thankful and grateful if nothing else.  Someone somewhere is fighting to survive or fighting mental illness and you’re ok.

You may not have a job right now but if you keep looking and persevere you will find one.  And then it’s just a matter of time until you find a home.

Even if you think no one has ever done anything for you, somewhere along the way someone has.  If they held a door open for you to come through, they did something for you.  If they smiled and told you to have a nice day they did something.  You see even the little things gives you reasons to be grateful.

There’s a quote that says “It’s not happiness that brings us gratitude.  It’s gratitude that brings us happiness.”  I couldn’t agree more.  And if we strive to be gracious and grateful for what we have, we will be happy.

Thank God that you have eyes to see, ears to hear and a mouth to talk.  That alone is something to be thankful for.

Happiness is not about getting what you want all the time.  It’s about loving what you have and being grateful for it.

Also, let the people in your life know how grateful you are for them and whatever they do.  Show your appreciation with a kind word, a hug, or a thank you.  Forgive others and yourself for past hurts and allow God’s love to flow through you.  With time you’ll find yourself being more and more grateful for what you have.

Oprah Winfrey stated the single greatest thing you can do to change your life today would be to start being grateful for what you have right now.

Start being more grateful.  Think positive, dream big, love more and you will develop a gracious attitude.  Find something that will give new meaning to everyday and watch your attitude change.

There’s so much to be thankful for and God likes it when we thank him for all that he does for us.  When we are truly grateful, he will reward us with His favour, and how many of us know that the favour of God is worth more than gold.

Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayers.  And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good  –  Maya Angelou.

What a beautiful saying.

So what are you thankful for?

Whatever it is show your appreciation and be that beacon of light example to your family and friends.  Choose the attitude of gratitude and you’ll not only feel better you will be better.

Count your blessings, name them one by one.  Count your blessings, see what God has done.  Take notice of all the little miracles he has afforded you.

Show appreciation…say thank you and really mean it…be grateful and thank God for all that he has done.  So change that attitude to one of gratitude and watch you feel better and do better.

#Thankful   #Grateful

Psalm 107:1

O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever.

What Are the Benefits of Knowing Christ? Or Are There Any?

by

This question, like many before it, comes with a lot of answers.  Whether they are the answers you’d like to hear or even agree with is a different story.

Everything is relevant to everyone depending on who you’re talking to.  For everything that’s liked by someone there’s someone else who for some reason or another dislikes it.

And when it comes to Christ, just like anything else, you either accept him or you don’t.  He will not force himself on anyone, he gives us the option to choose.

Revelation 3:20

Behold I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Knowing and loving Christ is a choice and the benefits that comes along with that is a Blessing from God.  He is a rewarder of your efforts but you must place your focus on him and not on things.  Possessions must not be your defining goal.

So What Are Some of the Benefits? You say.

Unconditional Love…

One of the first benefits you get from knowing Christ is that you Love unconditionally.  Just like Christ you accept people for who they are and leave the judging to our Father in Heaven.  Does that mean you wouldn’t try, if you can, to help them to do better in whatever way possible…of course not.  It just means you’re not judging.

A Changed Life…

Your life changes when you know Christ.  You want to be the best you, you can be and you look to Him for guidance.  You want to help the less fortunate, the widow and the fatherless and you find joy and honor in doing so.

Psalm 82:3

Give fair judgement to the poor man, the afflicted, the fatherless, the destitute.

Attitudinal Change…

Your heart and your attitude changes.  You are refreshing and optimistic.  You have a new outlook on life.  Not that you see everything through rose colored glasses.  It’s just that when life gets hard and things do happen, you’re able to look to the Lord and He frees you of the burden.

1 Peter 5:7

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Then Comes Faith…

Your faith gets stronger and with faith comes results.  Faith is the confidence that God will make it happen.  Whatever “it” may be.   Because even when you don’t see it yet, as you practice your faith it grows and things began to happen.  Faith is a positive attitude towards something that’s already done.

You Have the Authority…

You become bold with your authority.  Christ gives it freely to those who believe.  As a born again Christian you are put in a position of power and authority.  Power to stand before the enemy and boldly state ” Christ is my salvation, my strength and my protector.”  He paid the price and defeated Satan so that we all may live.

Another Benefit is Favor…

You receive God’s unmerited favor when you truly accept Him into your life.  It’s an open invitation for Him to be with you always, no matter what.  And with that comes favor.  A humble heart appreciates favor and enjoy the blessings that comes along with it.

Prosperity is Also a Benefit…

Divine prosperity is God’s will for every believer.  He will make your way prosperous and all that you do is blessed by Him.  Your health, your peace of mind, your hope and your finances will all be well.  In Christ, our redeemer, you will prosper in all that you do.

3 John 1:2

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in good health, even as thy soul prospereth.

Discipline…

When you set aside time for Him everyday you’re developing discipline.  Discipline is when you train yourself to do something a certain way or a certain time each day.  By setting aside time for the word and meditation, you develop discipline that you can apply to other areas of your life.

These are only a few of the benefits that comes with knowing Christ.  There are many.  As you continue to grow you continue to become aware of them.  I encourage you to seek Him for yourself and take note as you flourish in all areas of your life.

So to answer the question…Yes…there are many Benefits in knowing Christ.

Philippians 3: 13-14

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

 

 

 

 

 

My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?

by

Posted on by rvjohnsonwriting4u

Is this the way you feel sometimes?  Like God is so far away?

You feel like He can’t possibly know what’s going on in your life because if He did this or that wouldn’t be happening.

We’ve heard it a million times before.  If God is real, why is this happening?  Or the daddy of them all…how could God allow that to happen to good people?

That’s expected from the world.  But as a child of God we should know the answer to that question and others like it.  Even though our feelings get in the way sometimes (we are human), we already know the answer.

Because of the disobedience of Adam, the first man, sin came into the world.  And because of the fall of man, good and evil are known.  He didn’t know good and evil before his disobedience.  Genesis 3 vs 22

The bad things that happen in the world are a direct result of sin.  There are consequences for every action, sometimes good and sometimes bad.  For example if you stick your finger in a fire it’s going to get burned.  That’s a consequence of an action.  You made the decision to stick your finger in the fire not God.

He gives us free will to make choices, we’re not robots so therefore things are going to happen.  He allows us to make the decision to come to Him, He doesn’t force us.  Some of us choose to accept Him and walk the straight and narrow and others don’t.

Diseases and ailments are also a result of sin.  Man having to work a job (Genesis 3 vs 19)and even woman giving birth (Genesis 3 vs 16) are results of sin.  Eve was beguiled by the serpent and disobeyed God but Adam ate knowingly.

Now sin, with all it’s dreadful consequences are entered into the human race and the world in general.

God hasn’t forsaken you, He’s there with you at all times.  Our decisions, sometimes good, sometimes bad are what drives us.  And if we know God we’re more apt to make the right decision because we look to Him.

 

 

Do You Have the Victory as a Christian and How Do You Know?

by

Posted on by rvjohnsonwriting4u

How do we know that we have the Victory?  Is it a feeling we get or some kind of sign that’s presented to us?  Is it something we do?  How do we know?

Before I tell you what I think it is let me tell you this.

I came to Christ as a child.  One of my sisters who’s closer to me in age, I’m the youngest of four total and one of my brothers who’s also closer to me in age, I have six all total, my best friend and some of my cousins all came at the same time.

Even though it was a step in the right direction, did we have the Victory?  Did we even know what having the Victory was?  No, we didn’t.

We were all brought up in Christian homes so we knew about God, but how many elementary school kids really think about Him except on Sundays.  Sunday school and church was suppose to be our guide to help us through the week.  But as children playing and hanging out with friends is what’s important.  You don’t really have a concept or know the importance of what’s being taught to you about God.  Well, let me rephrase that, we didn’t.

But one summer day we all made a pact to get serious and join the church.  That day was a turning point for us.  Another sister of mine gathered us all together and read some of the passages out of the book of Revelations.  She kind of put her own spin on the part about the beast with the seven heads and the four horsemen.  Needless to say it got our attention.  Later we found out that’s what it was designed to do.

We were all ready and eager after then to take that step and learn more about Christ and what it takes to become true believers.  My sister told us we needed to be baptized and that’s what we did.  In order to join the Baptist church you have to profess your belief verbally and then be baptized with water.  Which is an outward symbol of an inward change.  Which as kids we still didn’t quite comprehend…but it was a start.

Even though it was step in the right direction, did we have the Victory?  That question is one, I think, that’s been asked of a lot of Christians.  It’s a fair question and something we truly need to think about.

Are you being all that you can be as a Christian?  And if you were to die today do you think you’d be going to heaven?

Well, this is my take on it.

As Christians we have the Victory through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  If we’re born again and believe that Jesus is the son of God we have the Victory.

Once we’ve confessed Christ with our mouth and accepted him in our hearts, we have the Victory.  We have the Victory over the enemy and over the world.  Christ gave it to us over 2,000 years ago when He got up from the grave.

It’s not a particular way you feel and it’s not what you do.  It’s what you know in your heart and believe.  So if anyone ever ask you if you have the Victory…tell them Yes, because Jesus gave us the Victory over everything when he got up from the grave.

So through Him, we have the Victory!  I Corinthians 15 vs 57

 

 

 

 

Seek and Ye Shall Find (My personal relationalship with God)

by
Posted on by rvjohnsonwriting4u

My belief in God began when I was a child.  My family was Christian centered which, of course is the reason I was.  We, my siblings and I, had to go to Sunday School every Sunday and when we were older worship service.  We participated in some form or another in church.  I chose the children’s choir.

I was raised with Christian beliefs and I still have those beliefs.  I believed that God existed but I didn’t seek a personal relationship with him.

I believed that Jesus Christ died for our sins and was raised on the third day.  I believed that he sits on the right hand of God where he intercedes for us but I didn’t seek a personal relationship with him.

In my lifetime I’ve seen and heard of the miracles that he’s done but I still didn’t seek a personal relationship with him.

I believe that we’re saved by Grace and that we must confess our sins, if we want him to be faithful and just to forgive our sins.  But, I didn’t seek a personal relationship with him.

However, in the last six years, (I’m almost to shame to say that it took me this long,) I sought and I found.  I’m now in a personal relationship with him.  I thank him everyday for Blessing me so that I’m able to seek a personal relationship with him.

I can’t explain the joy and even confidence that comes with having that relationship.  I speak with him everyday and night and I feel his presence around me.  When I was young I didn’t realize how important it is to have that relationship, but now I do.

Just like with plants, if you want then to thrive and grow you must water and nurture them.  The same is true for our relationship with God.  We must read his word, attend a Christ centered church and talk with him in order for our relationship with him to thrive and grow.

Thank you Lord for choosing me….

Seek and ye shall find!

 

<