Walking in the Light

1 John 1:5-10
5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[b] sin.

8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

What does it mean to walk in God's Light? Walking in God's light means to follow the way that he has planned for us. Walking in His light also means to walk the way that is good and just. We know that there is a right and wrong. Right=light, wrong=darkness. This passage of the Bible tells us that if we walk in the light we can find fellowship with other Christians. Fellowship with other Christians is an intricate part of growing in God. He wants us to do what is right and what he commands us to do so that we can continue to grow in him.

Verse 8 tells us, truly, we can lie to ourselves and convince ourselves that we haven't done anything wrong. However, deep down inside, we know that we have sinned. There is no sense in hiding it. GOD SEE IT ALL!

Verse 9 also tells us that if we confess our sins he will forgive us. This means that we can come back to walking favorably in his light. I know that I have sinned, I also know that because I have confessed my sins, He has forgiven me and I am walking in his light.

I dont know about you, But to know that I can tell God that I have sinned and acknowledge that what I am doing is wrong, and I change it, I can be back in His favor. Thank GOD!! Walking in his light is far better than walking in the darkness of the world!

God commands me to.......

Three times in the book of John does God command us to love one another.

John 13:34 | A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
John 15:12 | This is my commandment, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you.
John 15:17 | These things I command you, that ye may love one another.

I am starting to think that this is a commandment that we should not take lightly. God is passing down a commandment just as he did with the 10 Commandments. I dont know about you but if my Heavenly Father commands me to hold loving one another as high as do not kill, I think that I might listen.

I say all of this because I have started to see changes in my life surrounding this command. I have been trying to make an effort to be kind and to love everyone that I come into contact with. I am human, therefor this is a little tricky! I am trying to find peace with everyone.

I will say that I think that its harder with those who surround me daily. However, God is commanding me to love everyone! With NO exception.

Scripture Promises

There are many things in the Bible that means more and more to each of us! In my Sunday School class we are going through a study with Jim Cymbala. For those of you who do not know who Jim is, he is the Pastor of Brooklyn Tabernacle. That church has been founded on Prayer. It just amazes me all that God has done for them through prayer. At the end of our class on Sunday our leader handed out a paper with a bunch of Promises that God has given us. I thought that I would share.

Jeremiah 29:11-12
"For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, I will listen to you"

Isaiah 54:10
"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Matthew 7:7-8
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Psalm 55:22
Cast your on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.

Psalm 34:18
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

1 Peter 5:4
When the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

2 Thessalonians 3:3
Be the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

Psalm 91:4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Psalm 84:11
for the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

2 Timothy 1:7
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

I Pledge....

While watching the local news this morning I was delighted to find out that my step-sons high school officially changed school policy to include the Pledge of Allegiance. I am very adamant that the children in our countries schools learn what it is to have pride in our country. I also believe that the sudden decline in respect and loyalty to our countries president. I was also very happy to find out that my daughters classroom recites the Pledge every day. I also have a very open relationship and am teaching my children to respect our nations leader. You may not like the decisions that they make, however, you must respect the position.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: ONE NATION UNDER GOD, indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for all.

Kindness

kindness : (1) the state or quality of being kind; (2) an act of kindness. It's the noun form of kind (adj.) : of a friendly or generous nature; showing sympathy, mercy, empathy, or understanding; beneficial to something's function.

Do acts of kindness for people. Give them little tastes of God's love. People actually like being treated kindly, as if they are valued. They can lay down at least some of their defenses, relax more, and feel comfortable. Most non-Christians have an expectation of being treated a bit more kindly by Christians, and are disappointed and sometimes even angry when they're not treated that way. While it's wrong to live according to others' expectations, it is a challenge we need to take to heart. Many practicing Orthodox Jews today do good deeds (mitzvot) as the opportunities present themselves in their daily lives, mainly because it is what God wants them to do. To them, doing good for others is more than a duty, it's also a prayer and a devotion.

Being vicious can be fun. There's a visceral kick one gets from throwing knives at one's chosen enemies. Radio talk show hosts, including some supposedly "Christian" ones, live on it, and their fans feed off of it. Gossip circles spread the ugly words far and wide. Put-downs become an every-day part of life. But cruelty doesn't make you important, it just makes you cruel.

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I am trading my Sorrows, I am trading my shame, I am laying them down for the Lord.
I am trading my sickness, I am trading my pain, I am laying them down for the Lord.

Yes Lord Yes Lord Yes Yes Yes Lord, AMEN!

I think that this chorus says it all to those who are in need. The Lord tells us to give it all to HIM. He wants it all. I know that I am personally guilty for not giving everything to Him. WOW, I had to admit that!! I personally suffer from daily pain. Both Physical and emotional. I am learning to stop trying to fix it all myself and just give it up to God. Its His greatest joy for us to give it all to him. He wants us to be the best that we can be for HIM.

Trust me I know that when you suffer from chronic pain that its not that easy to just say "take it Lord." Ok well I would like to give it to Him.. at least in theory. I just struggle with letting go of that "I am always in pain.. and thats just how its going to be" mentality. I need to learn to trade it all in to Him. For HIS joy, not mine.

Prayer of Faith

James 5:13-16

Is anyone of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is anyone of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefor confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

IF we have faith that God will answer our prayers He will. I think that this passage tells us that we can bring anything to God in prayer. And we should!! We as Christians should always surround ourselves with other believers. We need to confess our sins. We need to go to God when we are in trouble. We need to praise His name when things are good in our lives. I think that this is the one that I struggle with the most. I think that we as humans have a tendency to focus on the bad stuff. Why dont we take some time and focus on the things that are going good in our lives. Even in the darkest of days there is light somewhere. If you are sick, tell other believers and they will lay their hands on you and pray for you. I know that some people think that this practice of laying hands is silly. Gods word commands it!

I think that we should remember to go to God in all aspects of our lives. Good and bad. Lets Praise God for the good things in our lives.