Accepting You Are Loved

A key to a fulfilled life is accepting you are loved by God.
                           
            For God so loved the world
            that He gave His only begotten Son,
            that whoever believes in Him
            shall not perish, but have eternal life.
                                                    John 3:16

This is a very popular verse. It tells us that we are loved by God so much, that He was willing to give His only Son on our behalf. He let His Son take the punishment that we deserved. How many of us would be willing to let someone we love accept the punishment for someone else who deserved it? Would we give our loved one in their place? Yet that is exactly what God did for us. Why did He do it ? According to John 3:16, which we read earlier, it is because of His love for us.

It is hard for us to accept we are loved by God because we measure by our human standards. There is also the enemy of our souls who doesn't want us to realize we are loved by God. We may think of all the horrible things we have done and say to ourselves, "how could God love me after all I have done?" His love for us is not like human love. If somebody wrongs us, we tend to go away from that person, but God isn't like that. Maybe if I use one illustration from how we as humans act it might help us to get just a small glimpse of how great God's love is for us. When a parent has a child, no matter what that child does, the parent always loves that child. If the child disobeys it can strain the relationship, but the parent doesn't stop loving the child. God's love for us is greater than any parent child love. So yes, when we disobey it affects our relationship with God, but it does not affect His love for us.

We all have a past, we have all done things that were worthy for God to stop loving us, but He hasn't. The Bible says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8). You see, according to the Bible, God didn't wait for us to be good enough for Christ to die for us. No, He did it while we were doing the acts we are ashamed of. That was and is how He demonstrates His love towards us.

So let me encourage you today, accept you are loved by God !!!

Finding Rest

All of us at times get overwhelmed with situations in our life. Stress, sickness, discouragement, and a bunch of other things can overwhelm us. We get that feeling of , "I don't know how much more I can take" , or we ask ourselves, " man, is this ever going to change? " We just get worn out from everything going on and just want some rest.

There is something that Jesus said that has encouraged many people for the last 2,000 years and maybe it can encourage you today.

“"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:28-30‬ ‭

A paraphrased version of the Bible puts it this way:
““Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:28-30‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Jesus says that he is gentle and humble in heart. He also says that his yoke is easy and burden is light. Yoke is “a type of harness that connects a pair of oxen.” It is used metaphorically to refer to submission to a teacher. In New Testament times the phrase, “to take the yoke of” was used by rabbi’s to refer to “becoming a submitted student of a teacher.”

This is not just for those who aren't believers , but also believers in Jesus. So often we feel we know best for our lives. As we try to make our desired outcome happen we get stressed , discouraged, worn out when things don't turn out the way we are trying so hard to make happen.


Are you discouraged? Are you bombarded by a sense of worry or fear? Do you feel that you are carrying a heavy load and you feel like you can’t take it anymore? Jesus invites us to take his yoke… to trust His ways instead of your ways. Believe that God knows better.

Be encouraged, Jesus is ready and willing to help . We just need to come to Him and submit to His ways. He promises as we do that we will find rest for our souls.

Troy

Letting Go Of Trying To Control Situations

All of us at one time or another get anxious about situations we are going through. Instead of thinking positively we think negatively. All we can see is how things will turn out bad. When we think the worst is going to happen we begin to try to control the situation. What is funny is that usually what is making us anxious is that we know deep down that the situation is out of our control. In those anxious times we are supposed to “… be still and know that I am (He is) GOD”, but that’s easier said than done. Instead, we try to take control of situations that are actually out of our control.

But did you know that the verb “be still” is translated in Hebrew as the word “rapha” which literally means “to let go” or “to surrender”. Some translations say "cease striving". Being still before God is to let go of our need to be in control. When we do this we let the light and life of God shine through the anxiety swirling over us.
Are you worried and anxious today? Take a moment to be still before God right now, cease striving  ( I know it won't happen easily because we are all prone to want to be in control) ...and surrender to Him your need to be in control of your situation.

 “Cease striving and know that I am God; 
Psalm 46:10a
Troy

Random Thoughts From The Gospel Of Mark Chapter1 part2

As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. 19 Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. 20 Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him.
Mark:1:16-20

Today we look at 4 individuals whose lives were never going to be the same after they responded to Jesus' call to follow Him. When they accepted the invitation they had no idea the incredible journey they were about to embark on.They would see and experience things they never would have imagined.

Let's think on a few thoughts:

1. THEY WEREN'T QUALIFIED
There is nothing from Scripture to indicate that somehow they were devout and holy and that was the reason chose them. No, as you read the Gospel accounts you see that they kept messing up even up to the night Jesus was arrested. Of all things, on that night they were concerned about who was the greatest among them. There is an old saying that says, Jesus doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called. They were just ordinary flawed men, but Jesus never gave up on them.

2. THEY RESPONDED TO THE CALL
In both accounts we are told they immediately dropped what they were doing and began to follow Jesus. Most don't believe that this was their first encounter with Jesus. No, they had probably heard Him speak and seen Him before. But,when He gave the call they responded immediately.

Let's finish by thinking about our lives. Have you responded to His call? Feel you aren't qualified for a particular task that He is calling you to?

Jesus invites us to join Him. Can you think of anything greater than that? Someone has said that, "every person needs something that they can invest their lives into". Let me encourage you to invest your life into the kingdom of God. He calls some into full time ministry, He calls others to minister while they continue to work at their jobs. But, Jesus does call us into a relationship with Him like He did with these four.  He will qualify us, teach us, and  He won't give up on us just as He didn't give up on the disciples in spite of their mistakes.  May we respond to His call. As we do we will experience things we never imagined.

Troy

Random Thoughts From The Gospel Of Mark. Chapter 1 part 1

“Immediately the Spirit impelled Him to go out into the wilderness. And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭1:12-13‬ ‭

We don't usually think that the Spirit of God would lead us into any trouble, but we see here that it was the Spirit that led Jesus to go to the wilderness.

Now the Bible tells us that God doesn't tempt us,

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. James 1:13

 but that doesn't mean the Spirit won't lead us to a place of testing or to a place that is uncomfortable for us.

 Sometimes God does test our faith, just as He tested the faith of the ancient Israelites by allowing them to go through hard times in the wilderness, “in order to know what was in your heart” (Deuteronomy 8:2).

 None of us likes to go through hard times (and God isn’t necessarily behind them, even if He does allow them).

We so badly just want a life of ease, but it just isn't a reality for our human experience or for our spiritual experience.

Many in the Bible were led to what would be uncomfortable situations. But God did not leave them. It also helped them to learn to depend and trust in God.

The end of verse 13 says that as Jesus was going through the temptation in the wilderness angels were ministering to Him.
The Bible tells us that Jesus prays on our behalf.
 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Romans8:34

So the next time you have been led by the Spirit of God into a challenging situation. Remember, God is with you, Jesus is praying for you, God is developing you, and God will use it for His glory.

Troy

Difficult Roads

"Difficult roads often lead to glorious destinations. "

I saw the above quote the other day and it got me to thinking about times I have vacationed out in Colorado, Wyoming, or Montana. There are many great sights to see. Beautiful mountain scenes, wildlife, incredible views that make for great pictures.
What surprised me the first time I saw these places was the difficult roads you had to travel to get to these places. Sometimes you travel up a mountain on dirt roads. Sometimes you are on paved roads, but you are so close to the edge of a cliff up high on a mountain that you don't want to look to your left or right. The roads are difficult but they do lead to glorious destinations. 

Sometimes in life we travel difficult roads. We go through challenges that we would rather not deal with. But if we think back on some of these difficulties we find they eventually led us to some glorious destinations. We may have experienced God in a way we had never done before. We may have found out that we had strength to get through something we never thought we could.

I often say at church that we want to experience a miracle, but the problem is that most of us don't want to be in a situation that requires a miracle. But without the need for a miracle we wouldn't experience the miracle. The way we experience Jesus as our healer is by being sick. The way we experience Him as our provider is by needing provision. And so on and so forth.

Some examples from the Bible could be if Daniel had never been in a lion's den he never would have experienced God coming to rescue him. If Moses and the children of Israel had not been stuck at the Red Sea they would have never seen the water part. Finally, if Jesus had not been crucified there would not have been the resurrection.

Difficult roads are not easy or fun. But they do lead to some glorious destinations. May we trust that God is leading us to a great destination for His glory as we travel some difficult roads in life.
Troy

You Are Loved

Most of us are aware of our shortcomings and imperfections. We attempt to overcome these things we know about ourselves in various ways. We are constantly trying to prove our value and worth not only to ourselves, but to others.
I would like to suggest something else. Find your value and worth in this.....there is a God.......and He is in love with you.

Most of us may acknowledge this truth with our head, but we haven't let it penetrate our hearts. When the truth gets into our hearts, it will help us to realize that in spite of our shortcomings and weaknesses we have worth, and in the process we begin the process of not trying as often to prove our value and worth to ourselves and others.

I mean think about it , if we actually believed God loved us , think of the pressure that would remove from us. Think of the weight that removes from your life.

Here is one more truth I would like to add...........
The reality of God's love changes our lives. Religious rules won't do it. Only the reality of God loving you will change lives.
Think about it, anytime someone truly falls in love with someone who truly loves them back, they change. Not because the other person is making them, but because they want to become a better person for that other person who is showing them love. So how much more does this happen when the reality of being loved by the perfect love of God?

So remind yourself of God's love for you constantly.
Think you have made a mess of your life? God is still in love with you.
Think you are the reason for other people's problems?
God is still in love with you.
Ashamed of things you have done in the past?
God is still in love with you.
Have you hurt those you love?
God is still in love with you.
Messed up this past week ?
God is still in love with you.
Feel like you don't measure up?
God is still in love with you.
Feel like a failure?
God is still in love with you.
Think you don't need God?
God is still in love with you.
Mad at God?
God is still in love with you.

I think you get the point I am trying to make. Be encouraged today, constantly think on the reality of God's love for you.
As you do, watch old and bad habits begin to fall away.
God is in love with you.

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭5:8‬ ‭

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:4-5‬ ‭

“But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:37-39‬ ‭

“My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭4:7-10‬ ‭

“But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭86:15‬ ‭

Troy