Consider This

Glory be to God and His tender loving mercies!  Only 28 impressive years have been revealed to myself since that time of labor in which my mother bore all the pain so this God given life could breathe.  Undoubtedly, I’ve been able to track how my brain functions at a deep rate of exploring each crack and crevasse for truth, ulterior motives, multiple meanings and, of course, finding complexity in every simple piece of reality.  Have I tried to not be so hyper analytical?  Oh yes.  But alas’, my mind is the way it is because that’s how I connect deeply and passionately with my personal walk with Christ.  Everyone is different, praise God!  🙂   Now to my point (or several sporadic points, more like it)…

Within these 28 years I have felt much pain, suffering, emptiness, loneliness, happiness, joy, fullness, and love.  Through those times of loss, God was with me.  Through the times of prosperity, God was with me.  Sometimes it isn’t easy turning your sights to God when it seems like a tornado has hit your world and now your days are endlessly filled with depression.  Sometimes it isn’t easy to look to God when everything is going right.  We get filled with false joy and false happiness because we become prideful in what we consider is our own doing.  However, whatever the current situation may be, God supplies His mercies without the condemning finger of judgment which so many people have deceptively come to fear.  You may think you should fear God because He is some angry guy in the sky lurking around and waiting to send you to hell.  In actuality, you’re frightened by Him because you know of Him.  This knowledge comes with the understanding that you are either living for Him or you’re not.  If you’re not living for Him then you’re essentially scared of the judgment day you are placing on yourself, when death does in fact overtake you.  News flash:  God doesn’t send people to hell.  We send ourselves.

Now bringing us back to a happy place, this is where we get to reach out and obtain His love and forgiveness.  We are still alive!  Salvation is tangible.  We have an opportunity to turn to Him and submit ourselves fully to the purpose and calling He has ordained for each of us.  Praise God!  We can live a fear-free life in the righteous manner originally intended for humanity.  Of course, because of sin this is what makes fear a lot more real to people than the presence of God.  But there is good news!!  We don’t have to allow our circumstances to rule us.  We can look up and praise God, no matter the status of our situation.  We can praise Him without fear of the unknown.

Go to these scriptures:

(Isaiah 41:10)  “Fear you not; for I am with you: be not dismayed; for I am your God: I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you; yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.”

(Psalms 34:4)  “I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”

(1 Peter 5:6-7)  “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.”

(Romans 8:1-5)  “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.”

Hallelujah!  I thank You Lord for this precious opportunity to share Your truth and be a light unto the world.  May the scales fall from the eyes of the blind and may those who hear your word accept it with joy and step out in faith to do what is pleasing in Your sight.  Thank You Jesus, in your precious name we pray, Amen!!

(Robin Miley -March 1, 2015)

Food for Thought: You’re going to Hell

Some people enjoy announcing rules for conduct and then judge others based on their own convictions or understanding of how one must act.  With this judgment, fellow humans walk around noticing all the sinful doings of others and say, “If you don’t quit doing ‘this or that’ then you’re going to hell.”  Perhaps the majority of us would not audibly say such a derogatory statement but, even entertaining the thought is diminishing to one’s faith.  

As living creatures still breathing and continuing this thing called “life”, we have yet to experience death.  Sure, there are many near death stories but once the lights are out and our spirit has reached its eternal destination then there is no coming back.  We have absolutely zero awareness of what goes on with a person’s essence the moments leading up to their final breath.  God is always fighting for us.  It is not desired that any soul be condemned to the Lake of Fire.  He tells us in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness “.  –NKJV.  Our repentance of sins and accepting Jesus as our Savior is what protects us from eternal damnation.   

Read the story of Jesus’s crucifixion and the two criminals (Luke 23: 32-43).  Here, I’ll supply you with a few verses (39-42):

“One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

-NKJV

This rightly persecuted criminal, in his last moments, truly recognized the Son of God as his Savior.  Jesus was there in the flesh telling the sinner he would be with Him in Paradise.  Despite the fact that we don’t have Jesus Christ currently roaming the world in His own flesh, we do have Him in spirit and He dwells within us; we are His flesh.  How beautiful!  So remember, regardless of circumstances and the history you’re made privy concerning others, we will never know what is said between a person’s spirit and our Redeemer during the final seconds of life.  The Lord may be whispering, “Today you will be with Me in Paradise.” 

Now challenge yourself:  strip away the judgments you hold over others and replace them with prayers.  Praying for those around you makes an impact in their life as well as your own.  Don’t pass up this opportunity for spiritual growth.        

–Robin Miley -12/18/14