Saturday, December 24, 2011

Babe in a Manger

This Christmas I have had a thought running through my mind about Jesus when He was just a babe lying in the manger.

Because Mary was impregnated by the Holy Spirit, and not Joseph, society and religious leaders considered Jesus to be a bastard child.

Luke 2:5 says, "He (Joseph) went there (Bethlehem) to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there the time came for the baby to be born and she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son.  She wrapped Him in clothes and placed Him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them." (NIV)

Mary was not only pregnant before she married Joseph, she even had the baby before they were married!

In these days of constant bickering over "traditional families" it is refreshing to pause and consider that our father God did not choose a traditional way to bring our Savior into this world.

He certainly could have at least let Mary and Joseph marry before the Christ child was born.
Right?

It would have looked better to society.
Right?

It would have pleased the religious leaders.
Right?

God could have made sure that the Pharisees had nothing to complain about just by ensuring Mary and Joseph marry before Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit.

God didn't choose to do it that way though.

God took what society and the established church at the time would consider a disgrace, a child born out of wedlock, and birthed Him to be the Messiah for all of man kind!

There is Power and Hope in that!

How are you viewed by the society?
How are you viewed by the established church?

Are you too poor to be used by God?
Are you too gay to be used by God?
Are you from the wrong kind of family to be used by God?
Are you the wrong race to be used by God?
Are you the wrong gender to be used by God?

No matter how any other human in the world sees you this Christmas, take solace in the fact that God sees you as His precious son or daughter.

God does not need or seek the approval of the main stream to use someone for His Kingdom!

This Christmas take a moment to reflect on a father God who values YOU more then other's opinions.

He has a plan and a destiny for you that only YOU can do.

Throw off the labels, the hurts, and the pains that others have inflicted on you for being different and rise up as a difference maker for your generation!

Just as God didn't value the opinions of others when He brought Jesus into this world, you should not let other's opinions keep you from living the life that God has planned for you!

Open your heart to the real Christ child in the manger.

God loves you so much that He sent Jesus to redeem YOU!

He sent Him to Earth in a very nontraditional way so that those who feel outcast for being nontraditional would view Him as their savior as well.

I hope that this simple message of Christmas will be a seed that grows in your spirit.

To God you are beautiful, valuable, and cherished so much that He sacrificed His Son!
He loves you and longs for you.
Accepting that love is the best gift you will receive this Christmas.

God bless you and your family this Christmas and each day to come!

Always remember:

God Loves You!
God Created You!
God Accepts You!

Until Next Time,

SavedByGrace

Celtic Woman - Away In A Manger (lyrics)

Monday, December 19, 2011

Fight For Your Joy

Nehemiah 8:10: "...The Joy of the Lord is your Strength." (NIV)


I'm sharing this blog from my own personal experiences in hopes that others will be able to relate and find healing through this part of my testimony.


Each year during the holiday season millions of people around the world fight depression.


It is so easy for memories of Christmases gone by to turn into despair; longings for better times.


Often they build up in our minds as surreal images that are so romanticized they cause our current condition to seem bleak even when it isn't.


Last Christmas was the first year I celebrated the holiday season without my mom.


She passed away in July, 2010 from lung cancer and to be brutally honest, I was not emotionally ready to face it.
I was a mess!
I wondered at times how I would get through some of those long nights in December where I slept on the couch in my living room by the warm lights of the Christmas Tree.


I mourned throughout the holidays last year.
At times I felt lost, overwhelmed by my sadness.


God brought me through those nights though.
His Holy Spirit comforted me and at times I could feel him holding me tight in His arms.


On Christmas morning of 2010 I awoke to share Christmas with my dad.
He spent the night at my house so we could face that morning together.


That morning Birmingham, Alabama experienced our first white Christmas in over a century.


As the flakes fell silently on the lawn, tears streamed down my cheeks as I recalled the many times mom and I had prayed for a white Christmas.
Suddenly, yet gently, those tears of grief began to turn to tears of joy.


That prayer that she and I had secretly whispered together each year since my childhood had finally been answered.


It was as if our Abba Father gently kissed me on the cheek and whispered that everything was going to be alright.
I felt a peace come over me and my faith leapt as I trusted that God really was in control.


That day, our Savior's Birthday, marked the beginning of healing for me from the grief of my mother's death.
That day, which I had dreaded since her passing, was the day my joy began to return.


Christmas 2011 finds me blessed far more then I can believe.


God has done a major work in me, healing me emotionally of so many hurts that surrounded 2010.


He has confirmed my call into ministry and has grown this blog to now reach thousands of people in 30 countries around the world.


To God Be The Glory!


God has totally changed my life on a personal basis as well.
Last January, while attending a conference in Colorado, I met an amazing man.
We fell in love and eleven months later, we are celebrating our first Christmas together.


We have decorated our tree together, attended Christmas parties, gone to concerts, snuggled up to watch cheesy Christmas movies, and even baked our first pound cake with each other!


In so many ways these holidays have been a dream come true.


Even though I am living a beautiful dream with him this Christmas I still find that I have to fight for my joy.


Those moments of sadness from missing my mom still flood me unexpectedly some times.


I understand that is a normal part of the grieving process but it was beginning to dampen each day.


Beginning in November I started to fall into a general malaise, a fog of numbness, even during these joyful times with him.
It was progressively getting worse.


Finally, about two weeks ago, I took a stand!


First, I prayed for God to help me.


He reminded me that I should cherish the memories that are so fond but allow myself to live in the present; to focus not on the people and things I have lost but on the wonderful people and things He has placed in my life.


Then, God gently reminded me to remember the reason we celebrate Christmas.


He sent Jesus as a babe in a manger to deliver us from the bondage of Sin!



2000 years ago our Father God sent His Son to be The Sacrifice, The Deliverer, The Redeemer, and The Conqueror!



If nothing else, that alone is cause for joy!


Since that day that I took my stand to Fight for my Joy I have been able to live life focused on Jesus and the miracle of His wondrous birth.


I'm able to live in the present and keep an attitude of gratitude for all that God is doing in my life.


I encourage each of you to Fight For Your Joy during these holidays.


- If you are down because of the loss of a loved one, cherish the memories that you shared, but allow yourself the freedom that comes from living in the present.
Look around you and begin to thank God for the blessings you have right this very moment.


- If you are alone this Christmas, know that there is a loving Father, our Daddy God in Heaven, who adores you.  
He will give you peace as you focus on celebrating the birth of our Prince of Peace, Emmanuel.


- If you are feeling dragged down by the hectic pace of this Christmas week, take some time to pause, pray, and meditate on the reason we share this holiday to begin with.


No matter what you face leading into Christmas take a stand against the enemy and decide that you are going to Fight For Your Joy!




Don't forget to check back Christmas morning for the annual Christmas Day Post on the blog.


Merry Christmas and May God Bless You with His Joy This Season!


As always remember:


God Loves You!
God Created You!
God Accepts You!


Until Next Time,


SavedByGrace

Carrie Underwood - "Do You Hear What I Hear" - Opry Live

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Life in Dry Bones

Ezekiel 37:


 1 The hand of the LORD was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
   I said, “Sovereign LORD, you alone know.”


Our Valley Of Dry Bones

As we survey the Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual, and Transgendered community around the world we see a significant population of people who have been taught that God doesn't love them.

They are worthless.
A mistake.
An abomination.

Many are told that Salvation isn't an option unless they change their sexual orientation...one that was never chosen to begin with.

This has left a void within the hearts of tens of thousands of people.

Feeling as though God does not want them, many in the GLBT community try to fill the hunger that their soul cries out for in unhealthy ways such as addiction to drugs, alcohol, pornography, and sex.

Many of our brothers and sisters in the community rebel from the positive things they learned about Jesus growing up because they've believed the lie that He doesn't care about them.

And others, trying to reconcile their once dearly cherished faith with the very real feelings of their sexuality, fall into deep depressions and sadly, far to often, death.

This has left a large number of our GLBT brethren dried up and spiritually lifeless.

Can You Hear The Dry Bones Rattling?

 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”
 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

Can't you hear the rattling sound?

As men, women, and transgendered people around the world hear the message that we are ALL "whosoevers" SAVED by grace, can't you hear the dry bones start to move?


As organizations like The Gay Christian Network start to reach our community in country after country can't you hear the crackling sound as lifeless bones begin to bond together? 



As straight supporters such as Kathy Baldock and Jay Bakker rise up proclaiming the truth of an inclusive Gospel for everyone can't you see the tendons growing and the flesh covering the bones?

God Is Breathing Life Into These Bones

 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.

Is your spirit stirred by the rush of wind as these once lifeless bones begin to breathe?

As GLBT persons stand up for ourselves, for our community, for our belief that we truly are Children of God, more and more dry bones are beginning to breathe.

In Nations around the globe, one by one, people are shaking off the shackles of the status quo and proclaiming that Salvation belongs to us too!  The Blood of Jesus was shed for ALL PEOPLE!


Every hour new life is forming around once spiritually dead bones.

Redeeming The Dry Bones

 11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.’”


As we see a valley once filled with the dried up bones of GLBT people begin to spring forth with new life, our Father offers us a message of Hope.


This is the very message that is spreading to the USA, to Slovenia, to Australia, to the UK, to Singapore and South Korea, and to all people around the world:


My GLBT Children, you are no more to consider yourselves as second class citizens in the Body of Christ. 
Take hope in knowing that I love you and you are equal in my eyes!
I speak life into your dry bones even now and proclaim that from the GLBT community will arise mighty Prophets, Teachers, Pastors, Apostles, and Evangelists!  
You will go out and spread the Good News of My Salvation, says the Lord!
I have called you for this hour. 
You have been created for this very time.
The great revival is going forth throughout the GLBT community for in these days and in My Body, you Will Be Separate No More!
I call you up from the valley.
I call you out from your slumber.
Awaken NOW my Children!
Arise! says the Lord....Arise!


Wake Up!


In the prophesy that God gave us above He has said that this is the time for us to arise!


This is the time to spread His message of Hope, Love, Mercy, and Salvation to all people, especially the GLBT community.


This is the time to Let Our Lights Shine!


This is the time to use our breath and be vocal about how much God has changed our lives; how He revived us when we were once a pile of lifeless bones.


This is the time for all of us to speak Life into the dry bones of those around us.


This is the time to show Christ in all we do and be the salt and light to our community.


Arise!




As always remember:


God Loves You!
God Created You!
God Affirms You!


Until Next Time,


SavedByGrace

Monday, November 7, 2011

Your Sign From God

God Loves Me!


Say it out loud, "God Loves Me!"


Write it on your bathroom mirror and read it a thousand times until you accept it:

GOD LOVES ME!!!


As I type this tonight I know there will be people reading who want so badly to believe that the God they once knew as children still knows them by name today, still remembers their innocent prayers, and still loves them.


There are men and women, boys and girls, who are at the end of their rope.


Have you given God just one more chance to make a difference in your life?
Are you looking for a sign from God almighty that He actually cares for you?


YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE BECAUSE THIS IS YOUR SIGN:


YOUR FATHER GOD KNOWS YOU, CREATED YOU, AND LOVES YOU WITHOUT CONDITIONS!

His favor is for a lifetime; 
Weeping may last for the night, 
But JOY comes in the MORNING! 
Ps 30:5 (NASB)



Have you been told that you aren't good enough?
Is there a voice inside of you whispering that you don't measure up?


Are you one of many who feel disqualified from the Love of God because you are Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual, or Transgendered?


Are you out of the main stream "Christian" movement?
Are you too poor?
Too rich?
Too liberal?
Too different?
Too depressed?


Have you been hurt?
Have you hurt others?
Have you made mistakes that you wish you could take back?


Is your life riddled with sin?
Are you held captive in a prison of addiction?
Is your life a mess and you don't know which way is up?


No matter how far your life has fallen you are not beyond the reach of God's arms!


There is No Gutter so deep that God's love cannot find you and raise you out of it.


Romans 8:35, 37-39 explains to us:
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?... 

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 
39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

NOTHING can separate you from the LOVE OF GOD!


Learning and Truly Accepting that God Loves You is the key to unlocking the Power of Freedom in your life!


He loves you so much that He sent His son Jesus to take your place, to pay the price for YOUR sins, so that you could have eternal life through Him!


Our Daddy God knows everything about you and still loves you without conditions!


He has a plan for your life.


He has a destiny for YOU that only YOU can fulfill!


When the chorus of voices grow louder and louder with their message of hopelessness, take a stand and proclaim:


"GOD LOVES ME!"
"GOD CREATED ME!"
"GOD ACCEPTS ME!"


And, if you start to wonder if God really cares about you then look back at this blog post.
Read it and know that He led me to type it just for You.


This IS YOUR Sign From God!


As always Remember:


God Loves You!
God Created You!
God Accepts You!


Until Next Time,


SavedByGrace

How He Loves Us- David Crowder Band

Monday, October 24, 2011

The Great Multiplier

When you hang out with Jesus things tend to multiply.


Our Father God loves to not just meet our needs but provide for us beyond our expectations.


Many of you are aware of the story of the fishes and the loaves.
Matthew 14:13-21 recounts this story.


A multitude of people had followed Jesus and were hungy.
With a lunch of 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish Jesus fed over 5000 people.
We know that there were 5000 men there without even counting the women and children.


Another example is Jesus' first miracle.


He turned water into wine for a wedding reception, multiplying the wine for that party.


Not only did He take plain water and turn into wine, but He turned it into Good wine!
The party goers exclaimed, "Usually the best wine is served first but you have saved the best for last!"


Why does God multiply things for us?


Is it because He loves us?
Yes.
Remember John 3:16, "For God so LOVED the world that He sent His only Son so that whosoever believes in Him shall not parish but have ever lasting life."
But, that's not the only reason.


Is it because He promised us He would?
Yes.
John 10:10 says, "The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy; but I AM come that they might have life, and that they might have it More Abundantly.
But, that's not the only reason.


A major reason that God multiplies things in our lives is to reveal Himself; to reveal the Truth of His Power to us.


Luke 5:1-11 recounts how James, John, and Peter became disciples of Christ.


They had been fishing all day and had caught nothing.
Jesus told them that they should move out of the shallow waters and drop their nets in the deep waters.
They protested.
After all, they were the experienced fishermen while Jesus was a carpenter.
Eventually, though, they agreed to try it.


What happened next revealed the power of God to them in a way they could understand.


When James, John, and Peter dropped their nets in the deep water they caught so many fish that other boats had to come over and help haul them in.


This so impressed Simon Peter that He fell to His knees and worshiped Jesus right there!


He and his two fishing partners left everything they knew and followed Jesus.


Because God showed His power to them by multiplying the fish so abundantly, they stopped being fishermen and became fishers of men.


The same God who showed His power to those disciples wants to show His power to you!


He wants to remind you that He still works miracles.
He still multiplies things today.


When you are sick God multiplies healing in your life.


When you can't make your income meet your expenses each month, yet somehow you make it through, God is multiplying your finances.


When you find yourself feeling hurt and unloved, God will multiply His presence in your life, comforting you by His Holy Spirit.


The greatest work of God multiplying something for our benefit occurred on Calvary.


He took one sacrifice, the Blood of His Son Jesus, and multiplied that atonement to cover your sins, my sins, and the sins of all who accept Him as their Savior.


That blood was multiplied to cover ALL the sins of the world!


That leaves the fishes and loaves looking small by comparison!


Allow God to work miraculously in your life today.


When you completely rely on Him you will be amazed how your faith multiplies.


Open your eyes and your heart with expectation and watch as God begins to multiply things in your life, showing you His Miraculous Power.


As Always Remember:


God Loves You!
God Created You!
God Accepts You!


Until Next Time,


SavedByGrace

Monday, October 17, 2011

Your Quilt

You know the song, "Just the way you are," by Bruno Mars?
Of course you do.  If not, you can check it out on the link below this post.

In the song Bruno is singing to a woman and telling her, "'...Cause you're amazing just the way you are."

Did you know that when our father God looks at us He says the same thing?

Once you have accepted Jesus as your savior, God sees you through His blood.
He doesn't see your short comings and failings.
No, He sees you through the righteousness of Christ!

Jesus lived, died, and resurrected so that He would be the pardon for our sins!

You are so special to our Father God!
Even before the creation of the universe He knew your name.
When Jesus was dying on the cross He was thinking of you.

You, yes YOU, are So Special to our Daddy God that He sacrificed His Only Son so that you could accept Him and spend eternity together!


Here in Alabama the older ladies in rural areas get together and sow blankets called quilts.
These sowing meetings are called "quilting b's".
As they apply square after square to the quilt, the top of it starts to shape into beautiful patterns of contrasting colors and designs.
Once they are finished with the quilt they lift it up on a stand to work on the bottom side of it.

When you look up at the quilt from the underside you see all of the threads hanging down.
You notice the mistakes that were made in sowing.
Perhaps you would see a blood stain where you accidentally pricked yourself with a needle.
The imperfections and loose ends that need to be cut off are glaringly visible.

Picture for a moment with me that your life is a quilt.

When you look up at your quilt it is easy to see all of the mistakes you have made while sowing it.
You might notice the loose ends that need to be trimmed off.
You might see the painful stains that came from pricking yourself with the sowing needle.

Are there threads hanging down of opportunities missed?
Are there areas of your quilt that seem so disjointed that no one could understand them?

Here's the great news my friends:

God views the quilt that is your life from above.
He sees the top of your quilt, the beautiful product of fine craftsmanship.
The tapestry of colors unfold to reveal a unique yet astonishingly stunning work of art.

John, that sounds wonderful but why would God view our lives from the beautiful side of the quilt instead of the messy side with all of the issues?

Because, God sees your quilt, your life, through the perfect cleansing work of Jesus!

Once you accept Jesus as your savior your sins are washed away.
You take on the righteousness of Christ.
His sacrifice is the complete and final work to give you freedom!

Did you know that God doesn't even remember your sins?
They are cast in the sea of forgetfullness as far as the east is from the west.


Man looks at your outer appearance but God sees your heart!


He sees the brilliant experiences of His Grace and Mercy in your life. 
He sees the beautiful man or woman or transgendered person that He created!

He sees your hopes and dreams, the talents that He has blessed you with, the exciting destiny that He has laid before you.

But John, you don't know the sins I have committed!

It doesn't matter!
God doesn't view your righteousness through your own strength.
The word tells us that our righteousness is filthy rags.

God views your righteousness through the finished work that Jesus did on the cross!


John now that I know about this amazing grace and mercy and that the debt for my sins past, present, and future is already paid, is that going to make me want to sin more?


Knowing that your sins have already been forgiven isn't license to sin more.

Instead, it causes you to know that you can approach your Father God freely.


Build that close relationship with Him, focus on living in His presence, and you will find that you no longer want to commit those same sins that have held you back for years.

So, the next time you feel useless to God; the next time you feel like a mistake; remember that He views you through the Blood of Jesus.

He is looking at the beautiful side of your quilt and saying to you, "You're so  amazing, just the way you are."

As always remember:

God Loves You!
God Created You!
God Accepts You!

Until Next Time,

SavedByGrace