2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

One thing Evil enjoys doing is throwing the past in our face. He will often send people into our lives to accomplish this; even those close to us. But if you are in Christ, you aren’t who you used to be. Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Evil has nothing on you!

Live Life With Triumph!!

God can hold you tight and won't let you slip or fall...He will keep you raised in a life of
Victory and Triumph!

Psalms 118:15
^5-16 Pushed to the wall, I called to God;
from the wide open spaces, he answered.
God's now at my side and I'm not afraid;
who would dare lay a hand on me?
God's my strong champion;
I flick off my enemies like flies.
Far better to take refuge in God
than trust in people;
Far better to take refuge in God
than trust in celebrities.
Hemmed in by barbarians,
in God's name I rubbed their faces in the dirt;
Hemmed in and with no way out,
in God's name I rubbed their faces in the dirt;
Like swarming bees, like wild prairie fire, they hemmed me in;
in God's name I rubbed their faces in the dirt.
I was right on the cliff-edge, ready to fall,
when God grabbed and held me.
God's my strength, he's also my song,
and now he's my salvation.
Hear the shouts, hear the triumph songs
in the camp of the saved?
"The hand of God has turned the tide!
The hand of God is raised in victory!
The hand of God has turned the tide!"

Every answer to our prayers is an evidence that the Lord is on our side; and then we need not fear what man can do unto us; we should conscientiously do our duty to all, and trust in him alone to accept and bless us. Let us seek to live to declare the works of God, and to encourage others to serve him and trust in him. Such were the triumphs of the Son of David, in the assurance that the good pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand.
(Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary)

Make A Commitment

"Be committed...to yourself, your heart, your family, your friends, your work, your God"

If we really love the Lord, we will put HIM first and will make every effort we can to obey HIM. To do this we must put all of our ideas and wants to the side and ask HIM for guidance. The first of two commandments are stipulations in how to love God, with all thy heart, soul, and mind. It is up to us on how we decide to choose. The choice is clearly stated on what God wants us to do, but now it's your move.
(http://www.iamnotofthisworld.com/2-Articles/8-Thoughts-for-the-Day/88)

2 Corinthians 9:13
¹³You will honor God through this genuine act of service because of your commitment to spread the Good News of Christ and because of your generosity in sharing with them and everyone else.

1 Kings 8:61

⁶¹May your hearts be committed to the Lord our God. Then you will live by his laws and keep his commands as you have today.”

Luke 6:22
²²Blessed are you when people hate you, avoid you,
insult you, and slander you
because you are committed to the Son of Man.

2 Chronicles 15:7
⁷But you must remain strong and not become discouraged. Your actions will be rewarded.”

Revelation 22:12
¹²“I’m coming soon! I will bring my reward with me to pay all people based on what they have done.

Follow the direction of the gifts God has given you;
Integrity
Faith
Grace
Strength
Love

Psalm 15

A psalm by David.

¹O Lord, who may stay in your tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain?

²The one who walks with integrity,
does what is righteous,
and speaks the truth within his heart.

³The one who does not slander with his tongue,
do evil to a friend,
or bring disgrace on his neighbor.

⁴The one who despises those rejected by God
but honors those who fear the Lord.

The one who makes a promise and does not break it,
even though he is hurt by it.

⁵The one who does not collect interest on a loan
or take a bribe against an innocent person.

Whoever does these things will never be shaken.

Matthew 11:28

²⁸ Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Our shoulders should be sore from carrying the burdens of others. I once saw an example of carrying burdens. A young woman was holding two books. Someone came along and gave her 3 more books to hold. It was difficult, but not too hard holding 5 books. Then, someone came along and piled 3 more books on top of the 5 she already had. Okay, it was getting tough holding the stack steady. One more person came and stacked 3 more books on top. This is a total of 11 hardback books! She was struggling to carry and hold the books without dropping them. Soon a person came to her and took 6 books from her and they both walked away together. It's nice to know when someone wants to help carry the burdens. It makes them lighter for you.....Christ will carry ALL of them for you. Give them to Him...He is offering to carry them everyday for you!

Galatians 6:2
²Help carry each other’s burdens. In this way you will follow Christ’s teachings.

Are you willing to help carry some of the heavy burdens for others? Should we not be living the life of Christ daily? Many people are 'heavy laden' with their worries and issues of daily living. What can YOU do to lighten their burden??

Matthew 23:4-12 ⁴
They pile heavy burdens on people's shoulders and won't lift a finger to help. ⁵Everything they do is just to show off in front of others. They even make a big show of wearing Scripture verses on their foreheads and arms, and they wear big tassels ^[a] for everyone to see. ⁶They love the best seats at banquets and the front seats in the meeting places. ⁷And when they are in the market, they like to have people greet them as their teachers. ⁸But none of you should be called a teacher. You have only one teacher, and all of you are like brothers and sisters. ⁹Don't call anyone on earth your father. All of you have the same Father in heaven. ¹⁰None of you should be called the leader. The Messiah is your only leader. ¹¹Whoever is the greatest should be the servant of the others. ¹²If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored.

Led By Light~~

Isaiah 42:16

¹⁶I will lead the blind on roads

they have never known;

I will guide them on paths

they have never traveled.

Their road is dark and rough,

but I will give light

to keep them from stumbling.

This is my solemn promise.

We don't know what the road may be like while walking down it with our Lord.

We just need to know that He is with us and we can just keep moving forward..

Find your purpose.....Move forward.....Let the light lead.....

Here I Am....Take Me....

^{1 Corinthians 16:14
14}Show love in everything you do.

Malachi 2:5
⁵I blessed him with a full life, as I had promised, and he kept his part of the agreement by honoring me and respecting my name.

^{John 15:13
13}The greatest way to show love for friends is to die for them.

Hosea 12:6
⁶So return to your God. Patiently trust him,
and show love and justice.

Be The Life~

DEAR JESUS, help me to spread Thy fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my soul with Thy spirit and love. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that all my life may only be a radiance of Thine. Shine through me and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel Thy presence in my soul. Let them look up and see no longer me but only Jesus. Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as you shine, so to shine as to be a light to others.

Enjoy your coffee....every drop. Make the most of the life you have everyday by
Giving...
Sharing...
Caring...
Loving...
Live the Life you were meant to live..

Galatians 6:8-10

⁸If you follow your selfish desires, you will harvest destruction, but if you follow the Spirit, you will harvest eternal life. ⁹Don't get tired of helping others. You will be rewarded when the time is right, if you don't give up. ¹⁰We should help people whenever we can, especially if they are followers of the Lord.

Unconditionally.....Love......

Love with a life open to God.....

1 Timothy:3-7
^3-4On my way to the province of Macedonia, I advised you to stay in Ephesus. Well, I haven't changed my mind. Stay right there on top of things so that the teaching stays on track. Apparently some people have been introducing fantasy stories and fanciful family trees that digress into silliness instead of pulling the people back into the center, deepening faith and obedience.

^5-7The whole point of what we're urging is simply love—love uncontaminated by self-interest and counterfeit faith, a life open to God. Those who fail to keep to this point soon wander off into cul-de-sacs of gossip. They set themselves up as experts on religious issues, but haven't the remotest idea of what they're holding forth with such imposing eloquence.

~

The more I think about it, the more I realize
there is nothing more artistic than to love others.
Vincent Van Gogh

Receive the Gifts!!

Every good thing comes from God!

Accept!
Receive!
Enjoy!
Share!

James 1:16-18

¹⁶ Do not be deceived, my dear friends!¹⁷ Every good gift and every perfect present comes from heaven; it comes down from God, the Creator of the heavenly lights, who does not change or cause darkness by turning.¹⁸ By his own will he brought us into being through the word of truth, so that we should have first place among all his creatures.

Love With All Your Heart!

Love one another!

Matthew 22:37-40

³⁷ Jesus answered,
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.³⁸ This is the greatest and the most important commandment.³⁹ The second most important commandment is like it:
Love your neighbor as you love yourself.⁴⁰ The whole Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets depend on these two commandments.

Find Your Riches!

What we put in our lives that takes more presence in our soul than the presence of our Father, takes away our eternity with Him. Whether it be money, cars, people or status...if it is the only thing we strive for, God will have no room in your heart. Don't be obsessive of things...or of others gain. Take the gifts that God has in his hands for you and be blessed beyond measure! Have the life of Christ living everyday in your heart. You will become the richest and most fulfilled soul on Earth!

Mark 10:25 (New International Version)

²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye
of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

~Jesus Leadership Expectations~

What are the expectations that Jesus sees in us?
*Humble your heart
*Be a follower
*Find greatness in service
*Take risks
*Take up the towel
*Share responsibility

^12-17Then he said, "Do you understand what I have done to you? You address me as 'Teacher' and 'Master,' and rightly so. That is what I am. So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other's feet. I've laid down a pattern for you. What I've done, you do. I'm only pointing out the obvious. A servant is not ranked above his master; an employee doesn't give orders to the employer. If you understand what I'm telling you, act like it—and live a blessed life. (John 13:15-17, The Message)

We Have The Blessings!

Sometimes we miss the blessings God our Father is trying to offer us. Do we recognize them when they come before us? Do we know what they look like or where to find them? Our heavenly Father works in ways we sometimes don't understand. The blessings are at times in unusual places where we least expect it. Look for your blessings....they are there for you to receive....just look up....and receive.

Ephesians 1:3-6
^3-6How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.

*Striving For the Inner Beauty Of Christ*

1 Corinthians 13

Love is kind and patient,

never jealous, boastful,

proud, or rude.

Love isn't selfish

or quick tempered.

It doesn't keep a record

of wrongs that others do.

Love rejoices in the truth,

but not in evil.

Love is always supportive,

loyal, hopeful,

and trusting.

Love never fails!

We should all strive to Love the way Christ loved us...to give our all as Christ gave all...

To live as our Christ lived......

He loves us unconditionally, should we not do the same?

A Servant's Heart

Servant Leaders give up personal rights to find greatness in service to others....

Mark 10:42-45

⁴² Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ⁴³ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴ and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

I have been going to a study on Servant Leadership the past couple of months. It is quite intriguing to learn how Christ was a great leader, but yet a servant to all. He sets the example for us. Greatness does not come with power, but with a humble heart. All of us need to look at the life of Christ and let His example shape us into a useful vessel for His glory. He sets in place many opportunities every day for us to be used by Him....we just need to have a servant's heart and be aware of the needs around us.

~Clean Before My Lord~

~CLEAN BEFORE MY LORD~

2 Timothy 2:21 (New American Standard Bible)

²¹Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

Always strive to be clean before our Lord. Your days will be filled with opportunities to do His will and His good works. Shun the evil that tries to grab your ankles and drag you down to it's level. Allow our Lord to cleanse the soul everyday so that the Holy Spirit can live in our hearts and be the helper and guide that He promised He would be.

^{Psalms 51
10} Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not banish me from your presence,
and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and make me willing to obey you.
¹³ Then I will teach your ways to rebels,
and they will return to you.
¹⁴ Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves;
then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness.
¹⁵ Unseal my lips, O Lord,
that my mouth may praise you.

~In Christ Alone, Is Peace~

Psalm 42:5 (The Message)

⁵ Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
soon I'll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
He's my God.

A Joy For The Soul!

Ash Wednesday
A Joy For The Soul

Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent for Western Christian churches. It's a day of penitence to clean the soul before the Lent fast.

Churches hold special services at which worshipers are marked with ashes as a symbol of death and sorrow for sin.

Ash Wednesday services

The service draws on the ancient Biblical traditions of covering one's head with ashes, wearing sackcloth, and fasting.

The mark of ashes

In Ash Wednesday services churchgoers are marked on the forehead with a cross of ashes as a sign of penitence and mortality.

The use of ashes, made by burning palm crosses from the previous Palm Sunday, is very symbolic.

God our Father, you create us from the dust of the earth.

Grant that these ashes may be for us a sign of our penitence, and a symbol of our mortality.

Traditional Ash Wednesday prayer

God our Father, you create us from the dust of the earth.

Grant that these ashes may be for us a sign of our penitence, and a symbol of our mortality.

The minister marks each worshiper on the forehead, and says remember you are dust and unto dust you shall return, or a similar phrase based on God's sentence on Adam in Genesis 3:19.

The modern practice in churches nowadays, as the ashes are being administered, is for the minister to say something like Turn away from sin and believe the gospel.

Keeping the mark

At some churches the worshipers leave with the mark still on their forehead so that they carry the sign of the cross out into the world.

At other churches the service ends with the ashes being washed off as a sign that the participants have been cleansed of their sins.

Symbolism of the ashes

The marking of their forehead with a cross made of ashes reminds each churchgoer that:

• Death comes to everyone
• They should be sad for their sins
• They must change themselves for the better
• God made the first human being by breathing life into dust, and without God, human beings are nothing more than dust and ashes

Beginning on Ash Wednesday, Lent is a season of reflection and preparation before the celebrations of Easter. By observing the 40 days of Lent, Christians replicate Jesus Christ's sacrifice and withdrawal into the desert for 40 days. Lent is marked by fasting, both from food and festivities.
Churches that observe Lent use it as a time for prayer and penance. Only a small number of people today fast for the whole of Lent, although some maintain the practice on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. It is more common these days for believers to surrender a particular vice such as favourite foods or smoking. Whatever the sacrifice it is a reflection of Jesus' deprivation in the wilderness and a test of self-discipline.