This song is for you. I hope someday I will become IT savy enough to load music onto my blog but meanwhile just think on the powerful lyrics of this song from Cece Winnans - Alabastar Box.
It Wasn't Easy by Cece Winnans
Don't think for a moment
I never felt the pain
You can't imagine
The hurt and the shame
They put the nails through my hands
Pierced my side, please understand
It wasn't easy, but it was worth it
It wasn't easy, it wasn't easy
It wasn't easy but it was worth it
It wasn't easy, it wasn't easy
It wasn't easy but it was worth it
I didn't have to do it
But I did it anyway 'cause I really love you
So much I took your place
I died for your sins
Yes I'm the one
Don't take it lightly
What I've done
It wasn't easy, but it was worth it
I left my throne
My purpose was the cross
Shed innocent blood
I paid the cost
It wasn't easy, But it was worth it
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Monday, December 17, 2007
Friday, September 14, 2007
Irresistible
There are a few things God cannot resist.
One of them is True Repentance.
Ps 51:17 says, " The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken spirit and a contrite heart - these oh God you will not despise.
God hates sin. But He softens and forgives where He sees true repentance. Let's look at some examples
King Ahab
In 1 Kings chapter 21, King Ahab stumbled on the vineyard of Citizen Naboth. Just one look and he wanted it … badly. Naboth said no; the vineyard had been in the family for generations and he was going to pass it on to his son after him. Thoughts of the vineyard he couldn’t have, made Ahab sick; very sick.
His wife Jezebel would have none of that insubordination to the king’s wishes. So she hired some assasins and got Citizen Naboth killed pronto! The news got to King Ahab who immediately recovered from his illness and wasted no time in taking over the vineyard – the fulfillment of his dreams.
God was angry! He sent Elijah to Ahab with a message – he would face calamity and would die!
When Ahab heard the judgment, he tore his clothes, fasted and mourned. Hear what God said in response…
I Kings 21: 29, “See how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the calamity in his days….
Next …
King David
In 2 Samuel 11- David looked where he shouldn’t look;… at a beautiful married woman taking a bath. The obvious followed – Adultery and then the woman got pregnant. David’s response was to get her husband positioned in the war front. The poor man was killed before he got wise about their unholy secret. The woman mourned her husband for a few months before she moved in with King David.
To me the whole set up looks unforgivable!! Or what do you think? But then…
When confronted with his sin David said, I Sam 12: 13 – “I have sinned against the Lord…”
God looked into his heart and sent a message to him, “The Lord also has put away your sin.. you shall not die…However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child who is borne to you shall surely die.”
It’s clear from the scriptures that God will forgive the unforgivable when there is true repentance.
What then is TRUE REPENTANCE?
It is not feeling bad because you’ve been caught.
It is not a guilty conscience that lingers but for a moment.
It is not saying sorry just to save face
It is not regret today… and going back to the same old issue tomorrow
Rather…
It is making a u-turn and deciding in your heart that it will never happen again…
It is knowing that God hates what you have done and because you love God and don’t want to annoy Him, you will not allow it happen again…
It is knowing that only God can help you live holy and trusting Him to do just that.
Once God sees true repentance He will forgive and you can know peace again.
Do you need forgiveness and peace. It makes sense to accept what God has offered... on His terms
Don’t want this entry to be too long. So I will leave the story of Peter’s repentance to the next blog entry.
One of them is True Repentance.
Ps 51:17 says, " The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken spirit and a contrite heart - these oh God you will not despise.
God hates sin. But He softens and forgives where He sees true repentance. Let's look at some examples
King Ahab
In 1 Kings chapter 21, King Ahab stumbled on the vineyard of Citizen Naboth. Just one look and he wanted it … badly. Naboth said no; the vineyard had been in the family for generations and he was going to pass it on to his son after him. Thoughts of the vineyard he couldn’t have, made Ahab sick; very sick.
His wife Jezebel would have none of that insubordination to the king’s wishes. So she hired some assasins and got Citizen Naboth killed pronto! The news got to King Ahab who immediately recovered from his illness and wasted no time in taking over the vineyard – the fulfillment of his dreams.
God was angry! He sent Elijah to Ahab with a message – he would face calamity and would die!
When Ahab heard the judgment, he tore his clothes, fasted and mourned. Hear what God said in response…
I Kings 21: 29, “See how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the calamity in his days….
Next …
King David
In 2 Samuel 11- David looked where he shouldn’t look;… at a beautiful married woman taking a bath. The obvious followed – Adultery and then the woman got pregnant. David’s response was to get her husband positioned in the war front. The poor man was killed before he got wise about their unholy secret. The woman mourned her husband for a few months before she moved in with King David.
To me the whole set up looks unforgivable!! Or what do you think? But then…
When confronted with his sin David said, I Sam 12: 13 – “I have sinned against the Lord…”
God looked into his heart and sent a message to him, “The Lord also has put away your sin.. you shall not die…However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child who is borne to you shall surely die.”
It’s clear from the scriptures that God will forgive the unforgivable when there is true repentance.
What then is TRUE REPENTANCE?
It is not feeling bad because you’ve been caught.
It is not a guilty conscience that lingers but for a moment.
It is not saying sorry just to save face
It is not regret today… and going back to the same old issue tomorrow
Rather…
It is making a u-turn and deciding in your heart that it will never happen again…
It is knowing that God hates what you have done and because you love God and don’t want to annoy Him, you will not allow it happen again…
It is knowing that only God can help you live holy and trusting Him to do just that.
Once God sees true repentance He will forgive and you can know peace again.
Do you need forgiveness and peace. It makes sense to accept what God has offered... on His terms
Don’t want this entry to be too long. So I will leave the story of Peter’s repentance to the next blog entry.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Unholy Attractions
It happens. Just thank God if in your heart of hearts it has never happened to you as a Christian. But many Christians have experienced those unruly thoughts and strange desires that are improperly directed towards someone that shouldn’t be?
A Christian Married man …. Another woman
A Christian Married Woman …. Another man
A young Christian Man ….. A friend’s fiancé
A counselor ….. A Counselee of the opposite gender
Etc…
Deadly options, unrighteous thoughts, recipes for disaster; but may God have mercy, they happen. Some great men of God have even fallen flat on their faces because of these unbridled desires. So it is dangerous to sweep it under the carpet with a holy smile and pretend it is not real.
What do we do? First is to realize that every sin starts in the realm of the thoughts. That is why Jesus said, if a person has lustful thoughts he has committed adultery already. The beginning of the solution is to identify those thoughts as sin, not even a weakness, sin! Confess them to God as such.
Then change your location. Most of these desires are fed by sight and association. Tone down the friendship, stop visiting the house, hand the person over to another counselor. The bible says if your right hand will cause you to sin, then it is better you cut it off. I heard the personal testimony of a married brother who actually changed his job because he was attracted to a woman in his office. They worked together everyday and even though he loved his wife, he couldn’t understand those feelings, so he took a wise decision and moved to another company.
Talk to someone about it. Seek out someone that can be trusted and is also spiritually mature enough to counsel and pray through with you. That person may actually be your spouse. But be careful and allow God to lead you to someone who can carry this burden with you. Sometimes these desires thrive in an atmosphere of secrecy. Imagine if everyone including your Pastor could see your thoughts; they will probably be different. So expose this and see God give you victory.
Cut off anything that feeds these desires – Soap Operas, any movie that has a hint of blue, erotic novels, pornography. These must go so that they do not belittle the value of the precious blood of Jesus that was shed for us.
The Holy Spirit is your helper. Let him help you deal with the desires and to help you take practical steps to make sure that they do not recur.
It is well and keep on living for Jesus alone.
A Christian Married man …. Another woman
A Christian Married Woman …. Another man
A young Christian Man ….. A friend’s fiancé
A counselor ….. A Counselee of the opposite gender
Etc…
Deadly options, unrighteous thoughts, recipes for disaster; but may God have mercy, they happen. Some great men of God have even fallen flat on their faces because of these unbridled desires. So it is dangerous to sweep it under the carpet with a holy smile and pretend it is not real.
What do we do? First is to realize that every sin starts in the realm of the thoughts. That is why Jesus said, if a person has lustful thoughts he has committed adultery already. The beginning of the solution is to identify those thoughts as sin, not even a weakness, sin! Confess them to God as such.
Then change your location. Most of these desires are fed by sight and association. Tone down the friendship, stop visiting the house, hand the person over to another counselor. The bible says if your right hand will cause you to sin, then it is better you cut it off. I heard the personal testimony of a married brother who actually changed his job because he was attracted to a woman in his office. They worked together everyday and even though he loved his wife, he couldn’t understand those feelings, so he took a wise decision and moved to another company.
Talk to someone about it. Seek out someone that can be trusted and is also spiritually mature enough to counsel and pray through with you. That person may actually be your spouse. But be careful and allow God to lead you to someone who can carry this burden with you. Sometimes these desires thrive in an atmosphere of secrecy. Imagine if everyone including your Pastor could see your thoughts; they will probably be different. So expose this and see God give you victory.
Cut off anything that feeds these desires – Soap Operas, any movie that has a hint of blue, erotic novels, pornography. These must go so that they do not belittle the value of the precious blood of Jesus that was shed for us.
The Holy Spirit is your helper. Let him help you deal with the desires and to help you take practical steps to make sure that they do not recur.
It is well and keep on living for Jesus alone.
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