It's in the pursuit...

Trust me when I say i'm not a runner but the image of someone running helps me convey what I feel we tend to do in life… We run ourselves crazy both physically & mentally but what is it that we are in pursuit for? Is it Christ centered? This week I've allowed my distraction with life to run me ragged all the while I didn't realize it was actually distracting me from my pursuit towards Christ. Not that I've officially "backslidden" but my mind isn't on point the way I like it. I desire to utilize the ability to filter through the good stuff & the bad stuff and then decide easily what I allow to stay. The only way I have successfully achieved that in the past is to fill up with the Word of God & focus on Christ alone! If i'm not daily pursuing what would be pleasing to God in my life then I fail. Period. Not that I classify myself a failure but I miss the mark when I don't fight for my daily time with Christ. It's in that alone time I find intimacy with my Savior & gain peace that no man can rob from me regardless my current circumstance.

I have to realize that people will let us down..it's life. I get to decided how much I focus on someones actions or words towards me that are hurtful or not edifying to my life. It's me that decides that "I have the mind of Christ" & declare that no matter what, that I will see all through the eyes of Jesus no matter the level of hurt I my have suffered. I guess more than anything I realize that it's in my pursuit for Christ that life will happen. Disappointment, hurt, anger and all of the above will occur but it boils down to this. Who is your heart in pursuit for? Your own interest or the will of God? I know from experience when it's Christ you're running after & you get off track He will lovingly guide you back to Him even if it hurts.
Today I'm just thankful that as spoken from God to Israel in Jeremiah 31:3 "I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." Yes it's with lovingkindness that our Savior desires for our pursuit in life to be grounded in Him alone. It's in our pursuit that we gain understanding of who God is and all the He is able to perform.
Let me end this post with this...Continue on in obedience to God, pursue Him with all that you have, love all you are given the opportunity to come in contact with….You will not regret a single moment of this kind of pursuit! It's the only one I'm after…

fully persuaded...

As spoken of Abraham in Romans 4:18-25 "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be" 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead - since he was about a hundred years old - and that Sarah's womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waiver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what He had promised. 22. This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." 23 The words "it was credited to him" were written for not him alone. 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness - for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification."

Words that stick out to me immediately include: Against all hope, in hope believed and became, without weakening his faith, faced the fact, yet did not waiver regarding the promises of God, but was strengthened in his faith, gave glory to God, fully persuaded that God does what He has promised, credited to him as righteousness, but not just for Abraham but for us too, those who believe God….

Just my short paraphrase blows my mind at the delight God has in rewarding His children for having faith in His ability to do what He has said He would do in our lives. God doesn't sit around waiting to punish His children He is looking to bless us and has given us a clear road in doing so (in the scriptures). I love Abraham's solid rock attitude of faith. I picture him appearing foolish to those around him. The general population would scoff at the idea of some 90-100 year old couple believing that God was going to bless the womb of Sarah & give them the promise God had spoke to them years before. Do you have a promise? Are you still holding on or have you given up on the notion that God can & will do it? Have you considered that it's your faith holding you back? Are you speaking life into your promise or letting it lay abandoned without hope. There is no one or no thing that has "no hope" when God is involved & I believe that with all of my heart.

I wonder how many promises the enemy has "stolen" before they came to life. Well I am here today to tell you those promises are still yours! By faith God can perform the unbelievable in your life! I love Ephesians 3:20 "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us," It's the power that is at work within us friends. God accomplished all from the end to the beginning. In other words all the blessings God has for us is dependent on just that…US! Pursue God, read His word, claim the scriptures for yourself, be strengthened in your faith, and rest in God's perfect plan for your life. Believing that God knows the plans He has for you…to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11)


Katie

One day soon...

One day soon…"The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and His name the only name" Zechariah 14:9

I am overcome with joy when I think about the soon return of Christ. I am quickly reminded that believers all have a future & it's one full of hope! I know the present troubles can overshadow this truth but it's all temporary. All wind & waves as a dear friend of mine would say. Wind & waves distracted Peter from walking in faith to Jesus on the water when He called out for Him. There are events that take place in our life that are nothing more than "wind & waves" and learning to recognize them for the distraction they are is crucial. The Bible tells us over and over to expect trouble in this life but to encourage one another with hope!

Acts 14:22 "strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said."

Today whatever "trouble" may be looming remind yourself that Jesus walks with you. There is nothing that you can't conquer with God on your side Allow troubles to strengthen your faith & rest in the truth that yes, He has indeed overcome the world!!

John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."


Blessings <3

Katie

It's Sunday...

Last night I could barely let myself fall asleep from the excitement of resurrection Sunday coming! Jesus is alive! The tomb is empty! Those words ring so true for me because of the value of their meaning. As I sit amongst the silence in my house & enjoy my morning cup of coffee, I savor the blessings all around me. The ability to have a quite time, to enjoy coffee, to be able to walk into a house of praise this morning to share in the celebration of the resurrection of our Savior. Frankly, I'm overwhelmed with God's love and mercy. You see death couldn't hold Him down. He fulfilled the ultimate sacrifice & because of it our sin is covered. Covered in the blood of Jesus!

"14 And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 15 And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. 16 And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. 18 In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! 19 And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. 20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died." 1 Corinthians 15:14-20

Because of the obedience of Jesus Christ "it is finished". Death has lost it's sting. Now to live is Christ & die is gain. We are free! We are free! We are free! Take part in the goodness of God and what He has to offer. Today I am full of joy & I celebrate. It's because I know Jesus loved me so much and He took on all my ugly sin and now I walk with Him in freedom. Won't you come with me?

"Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man's behalf!" Psalm 66:5

"How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth!" Psalm 47:2



He is risen! He is risen! The tomb is empty!



Easter blessings to you…


Katie

Giving your all to Him...

"The Christian life can be explained only in terms of Jesus, and if your life as a Christian can still be explained in terms of you - your personality, your willpower, your gift, your talent, your money, your courage, your scholarship, your dedication, your sacrifice, or your anything - then although you may have the Christian life, you are not yet living it! ... True Godliness leaves the world convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that the only explanation for you, is Jesus Christ." - Ian Thomas


In life, we can get so caught up in our accomplishments, that we all too soon we become stuck in an exhausting cycle. It may even seem like there is no end in sight, no relief from the stress. But I am here to tell you there is a solution & it's a breath away…His name is Jesus! Jesus offers us hope in Matthew 11:28-29 when He says "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 shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and my burden is light." This is an offer directly from our Savior. He longs to fill every fiber of our being if we would simply let go of all of our own control and allow His presence to guide us. He desires to "carry" our load giving our soul relief. He's so good like that, hence the description "God is love" He loves us more than we can imagine & that's great news!!

And His ultimate act of love brings me to today, Good Friday.I thought about all He endured and it broke my heart. As the tears streamed I realized that every bit of the torture He endured was for me & for you. He did it to give us the opportunity to be reconciled to Him, taking on the entire world's sin. Today make the decision to break free from "life" as you know it & walk boldly with Jesus by your side! Allow holiness to be your ultimate goal knowing that even when you slip you can get back up & keep going. Let the only explanation for your life be Jesus Christ! Death didn't win that day 2,000 years ago. God had the upper hand & because of that you have the opportunity to find yourself in Him & live in victory!!! Praise the Lord!

Your sister in Christ!

Katie

the more you seek Him the more you will find Him...

Today I'm tossing around the idea of closeness with God. There seems to be days where I don't feel Him as closely as I want to. I'm quickly reminded that God doesn't move…I do! You see many times I've been told "I love God but I'm not as close to Him as I want to be" I can say with a bold confidence that I've been there too! I can also tell you that you get as much of God as you pursue..seriously. The scripture in Jeremiah 29:13 goes like this "you will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart" Take note that it doesn't say with some of your heart but it says search for God with ALL of your heart. You see God isn't someone who desires to be sought for blessings only, although He does indeed bless. He is to me my Redeemer, the lifter of my head, the One who loves me for me, who loves me with an everlasting love & with lovingkindness draws me unto Him (Jer. 31:3). He is whatever you need Him to be. He is the lover of your soul & He is aware of everything you are going through. Today God desires to be the One who consumes every part of your being. He longs for you to give up the fight for control over your life. Relinquish every part of your mind to Him and let Him lead you. This can be done…I promise. I speak from experience. There isn't a day that goes by that a choice does not have to be made to follow the Lord in faith or follow my flesh in worry. It truly is a battle of the mind…the scripture says that we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16) & that even though our outer man is decaying our inner man is being renewed day by day.(2 Cor. 4:16) Being renewed is a daily choice. The Greek translation for renewed is to renew, to renovate, in the sense of change from a carnal to a Christian life, to increase in faith, hope, virtue, etc. Wow! I love the word renovate. Everyday we must renovate our minds to rid it of the sinful nature that is always waiting to rise back up. Think of it like this. There is a home that you love from the outside but there are some things on the inside that need to be renovated to make it beautiful & lovely. That's how we must consider the inside of our hearts & minds. To be all together lovely as the Lord sees us! Today I encourage you with Isaiah 55:6 " Seek the Lord while He may be found, call on him while He is near"


Your sister in Christ,

Katie

He's waiting on you...

He will tax the last grain of sand and the remotest star to bless us if we will obey Him.~Oswald Chambers

We serve a God of the miraculous! It's nothing for Him to cause the entire world to spin in our favor. I wonder how long many of us have missed out on God's best for us because of disobedience in our lives. The Bible is an instruction manuel for a life of victory! No, maybe  life doesn't always pan out the way you planned but it's a guaranteed win when we follow God's plan & not our own. Obedience is better than sacrifice 1 Samuel 15:22. True story! Go & read a little about what it cost Saul to not be obedient & what David gained for following after God's way & not his own. 

There is much to say about the path of obedience. It's been one of total surrender of my old self combined with a strong drive on my part to grasp what God had waiting for me if I would take it. All of His treasures lay waiting in the Bible. Day by day I read & began to let the words sink in. What I found was a weapon that repeatedly defended me as I battled struggles. It wasn't the same anymore! Depression, negativity, strongholds were unable to reside inside my heart anymore because I was able to recollect the scripture to fight back. The Bible says in Hebrews 4:12 that the Word of God is living & active. Sharper than any two edged sword, penetrating even to the dividing of soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."  See that's the power of scripture & the importance of reading the Bible consistently. It is our guide & path to a life of obedience with God. 

God loves us & desires to give us a fulfilled life in Him. One that is full of peace, joy and love! He simply desires us to abandon all that we are & give our whole heart and soul to Him. The Word of God is a free gift for your taking. We surely will live victorious lives when we get serious about reading and applying His word to all situations that arise. I encourage you today to let go of anything that keeps you held back from God's best for you!