Friday, November 19, 2010
Check Your Baggage at the Door
Romans 8:1- There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (King James)
Earlier this week I had lunch with on old friend I have recently reconnected with.
She and I had worked together in ministry about ten years ago.
During the years we had lost touch she has faced many obstacles.
After surviving a really bad car accident she became addicted to drugs and found her life spiraling out of control.
She shared with me how she has been clean for four years now and how she wants so badly to get close with God again.
Everytime she tries to pray or worship God, however, she feels so condemned.
She feels separated from her Father, God.
Have you ever felt that distance from God; that shame or despair that you aren't good enough to pray to Him?
If you ever find yourself in that place remember this:
No matter what your past may be, God longs to be with you.
He wants to hear from you, to speak to you, to fellowship with you.
Just because a son or daughter makes a mistake doesn't mean their father doesn't still love them.
No, a good father takes them in his arms to hold them and let them know everything is going to be alright!
If earthly fathers do that, how much more does our Heavenly Father want to hold us and say, "Everything is going to be alright."
Your past is the past.
It is covered under the Blood of Christ.
It is erased through God's grace and mercy.
We have talked in previous posts about how nothing can separate you from God. (See Romans 8:38, 39)
There is no sin Christ's blood doesn't cover, no hurt His love doesn't heal, no secret too dark that His light cannot erase!
We serve a very real God who understands the very real issues we face today.
He is not looking for you to be perfect to pray to Him.
On the contrary, we can never be perfect. The only righteousness we have is THROUGH Him.
If we could acheive perfection there would have been no need for His Son's sacrifice to begin with.
It is because of our sin nature that God sent His Son to live, die, and resurrect so that we could have life and have it more abundantly.
That act of sacrifice destroyed our separation with God.
He did this so that we could be one with Him, so that we could come to Him in the good times and the bad.
When you get to a point in life where you feel like you cannot pray to God because you aren't good enough or you think you cannot worship Him; when you feel like He is a million miles away from you, just remember this:
Once you accept Christ as your Savior your sins are forgiven.
All of them are forgiven.
There is no longer condemnation.
There is No separation from God's love.
God doesn't want you to become righteous before you build a relationship with Him.
He wants to build a relationship with you so that you can become righteous through Him.
We have NO righteousness if not for Christ's sacrifice.
So, the next time you want to pray or praise or just spend time in the presence of God thank Him for His forgiveness and allow yourself to let your past go.
He has let it go.
As a matter of fact He has completely forgotten all of your mistakes.
It no longer hinders you in the presence of our Almighty God.
Come into God's presence boldly as His beautiful child and check your baggage at the door.
Remember God Loves and Accepts You,
Until next time,
SavedByGrace
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Who's Your Daddy?
As I sit here tonight listening to the rain tap against my windows I am pondering the awesomeness of our daddy, God.
Many in our community have had a bad relationship with their dads.
Some people were even thrown out of their house when they came out.
Others have a history of abuse with their fathers.
Many LGBTQ folks were ostracized by their dads just for admitting who they are.
I am so blessed that my dad is not that way.
He is understanding and patient with me.
I am thankful to know that he loves me and I love him very much.
For so many who might not be as fortunate, it can be crushing to have a broken relationship with your dad.
Despite whatever type of relationship you have with your dad, one thing remains true:
Your Heavenly Father loves you, created you, and is proud of you!
In Psalms 68:5 David refers to God as the "Father of the Fatherless." (King James)
Whether you have a good relationship with your dad or a damaged one; whether your dad is still alive or has passed away, God is your Father. You are His child.
Who's Your Daddy?
Your daddy, God, created this entire universe.
He knows how many stars shine in the night sky.
He gave us the sun and the moon, the rivers, oceans, and mountains.
He took dust and breathed life into it to create man.
Then, He saw that we couldn't live a perfect and righteous life so He sent His Son as a sacrifice for Our sins.
Your Daddy God created YOU!
Yes YOU!
Just as YOU are.
He knows how many hairs are on YOUR head.
He knows every thought that YOU have, every motive, every secret, and He loves YOU unconditionally.
He would have still sent His Son Jesus to die for YOU and YOUR sins even if YOU were the only person on earth.
He gives YOU the promises that are in His word.
These promises include:
His Unconditional Love for You
His Mercy for You
His Grace for You
His Salvation for You
His Joy for You
His Strength for You
His Healing for You
His Life for You
His Son for You
All Good Gifts Around Us Come From Our Father Above!
They are all for YOU!
The next time someone tries to tell you that you cannot be a Christian, for any reason, or you see protesters holding up signs that God hates you, remember the Truth.
Our Daddy God knows YOU, loves YOU, accepts YOU, and is proud of YOU!
YOU belong to HIM and nothing can change that!
In Romans 8 the apostle Paul puts it this way: 38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (King James)
Now that you have seen a glimpse of who your daddy is, get to know Him even better.
Talk to Him.
Share with Him what is on your mind and in your heart.
Our Heavenly Father wants nothing more then to be close with you and love on you.
I lost my mom to a battle with cancer earlier this year.
It was without a doubt the worst experience I have ever gone through.
During the time that she was sick I learned to completely lean on God.
After she passed away I found myself longing to feel her hugs again.
I still do as I type this through tears tonight.
One night I laid in my bed and talked to God.
I asked my Daddy God to hold me.
And, He did.
I could feel His love envelope me like a giant bear hug.
His presence was so real to me and I felt His peace flow through me as my breathless tears started to subside.
Everything was going to be alright.
It was in that moment that I knew He was right there with me and would be the strength, the joy, and the mom that I needed.
He still is all of that and much more for me today.
If you don't know God on that personal level I beg you to talk to Him.
He's waiting patiently for you.
He's got a big bear hug with your name on it.
Who's Your Daddy?
He's the lover of your soul.
Until Next Time,
God Loves and Accepts You,
SavedByGrace
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