I AM

God said to Moses, "...This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you...This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation.'" Exodus 3:14,15 (NIV)

 

There is so much power in the name of God, "I AM!"

The very words are timeless because God existed before time!

It's hard for us to wrap our minds around it, but the same God who lovingly created you and I, also created time.

Revelations 1:8 says,“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” (NIV)

Let that sink in for a moment.

When a problem seems too huge for you to handle, remember that you have God, who is Greater then time itself, on YOUR side!

Now that'll preach! (For all you reading this who aren't from Alabama, that means "That's a good point!")

Okay, lets get back to the conversation between Moses and I AM.

What was God asking Moses to do when He revealed His name to him?

God appeared to Moses, speaking to him through a burning bush.

He told Moses to go to the Israelites and tell them that God was going to deliver them from the Egyptians who enslaved them.

So, was Moses some high priest or well respected orator to the Israelites?

No!

Moses had fled Egypt after killing an Egyptian man. 

The Pharaoh heard about this and wanted to kill him.

Moses was simply herding sheep for his father in law when God appeared to him.

In addition to being an ex con and a sheep herder, Moses also had slow speech.

He stuttered!

Exodus 3:13 tells us,"Moses felt inadequate to deliver such a message from God Almighty so he asked God, 'Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?'"(NIV)

That is when God answered, "I AM" sends you!

God saw in Moses something that man cannot see.

He saw his destiny!

God was telling this stuttering fugitive shepherd to go and deliver an entire nation of people who were being held captive.

Even though Moses protested and asked God to send someone else, he finally obeyed.

Despite his fear, his past, and his short comings, I AM used Moses to deliver His people from slavery.

All that was required from Moses was obedience.

He trusted that it was God, I AM, who sent him.

A man who had murdered, who had fled the government, who's most useful skill was watching sheep, who could hardly speak, obeyed I AM.

Moses answered the calling on His life and lived out his destiny, changing the coarse of human kind in the process.

What is God asking you to do today?

Are you a simple man or woman without much higher education?

Are you gay, or a lesbian, or transgendered and think surely God wouldn't choose to send you?

Do you get nervous speaking in front of people?

Do you have a past that's sprinkled with bad decisions and actions you regret?

Are you simply too ordinary for God to use?

If God can use Moses, He will use you!

No matter what you think is holding you back, when those voices start telling you that,"God can't use you; God doesn't love you; God would never choose to send you" remind those voices who it is that IS Sending You!

"I AM" sends you!

There is a world that is dying, that is lost in absolute despair, that is broken from circumstances beyond their control and they need a close and real encounter with a close and real God.

Who will show them God?

"I AM" sends you!

There is an LGBT community who feels shunned from the Body of Christ.  

They need to hear and see that there are true Christians, straight and gay, who act like Jesus and carry a true message of Hope.

Who will bring them the Good News?

"I AM" sends you!

There are hospitals filled with the sick and homeless missions packed with the hungry.  

There are gutters where the forgotten souls of our society try to find sleep, peace, and healing.  

There are crowded bars and darkened back rooms where people try to quench their pain with drinking, or drugs, or sex.  

Instead of judgment, they need the unconditional love of Jesus.

Who will reach them with Christ's love?

"I AM" sends you!

God has forgotten No One and He Loves Every Soul!

Is He calling you now?

Has He been dealing with you about reaching out to those around you?

Those who may seem unreachable?

When circumstances make it look impossible for you to follow His calling, and a voice in your mind mocks you saying, "Who do you think you are to try and deliver these people from the slavery of sin, addiction, and oppression?"; declare with all that you have within you:

"I AM" SENDS ME! 

Like Moses, all that is required of you is obedience.

Do what God is calling you to do.

Share with others what God is doing in your life.

God has a purpose and a plan for you.

He has a destiny for your life!

Only YOU can live out that destiny.

Consider this blog post your Burning Bush!  

"I AM" sends you!

Trust in God and Rely on Him in Faith.

He will take the things that hold you back and make them vital parts of your testimony that will reach others.

I look forward to hearing from you about the ways God is using you.

As always remember:

I AM Loves You!

I AM Created You!

I AM Accepts You!

Until next time,

SavedByGrace

Dreamers

"You may say I'm a dreamer but I'm not the only one."- John Lennon

Picture in your mind one of those damp and dreary Sunday afternoons.

The rain is gently tapping against the windows.

Your plans for yard work and grilling out are canceled due to the weather and you find yourself snuggled up under your favorite blanket just day dreaming.

What are you thinking about?

What are the thoughts that are so vivid in your mind?

What are your hopes?  

What are your dreams?

Have they passed you by?

Do you feel like they have become no better then childhood games of make believe?

Psalms 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart." (N.K.J.V.)

Many sermons I have heard preached from this scripture talk about God providing to us the things that we desire.

I agree with that interpretation but this scripture also says to me that if I delight in the Lord, He will place the desires in my heart that He wants for me.  

Through delighting in Him He will cause me to desire his will for my life.

As I grow and mature in Him, the hopes and dreams that I have for my life will match up with the hopes and dreams that He has destined for me.

He places those seeds in our hearts as visions of what can be if we are willing to serve Him; delight in Him.

If you have a dream that lives in your heart and stirs your spirit down deep, no matter how far fetched it might seem, I say to you... 

Dream On, Dreamer!  Keep Believing!

Make God a part of your dreams!

He placed those desires in your heart for a reason.

Lay them before Him and talk about them with your daddy God!

He wants to prosper you.

He wants you to live out the destiny that He has set before you.

Where do you want your life to go?

What is the direction that you would take if life wasn't beating you up around every corner?

Maybe you dream about owning your own business.

Maybe it's a dream of reaching thousands of people for Christ.

Maybe your dream is to be debt free, or to have a vibrant love filled romance with your partner, or maybe it's just to live a healthy life.

No matter what your dreams may be, no matter what the desires are that are in your heart, run after them!  Chase Them Down!

Don't let them lay in the corners of your mind like long forgotten toys of your youth.

No! Pick up those dreams, dust them off, and conquer them!

You are NOT too old!

It is NOT too late!

Your dreams have NOT passed you by!

Stand in the promise that "I can do ALL THINGS through Christ who strengthens me."- Phil 4:13 (N.K.J.V.)

 

Make that promise a part of your thinking.

Say it to yourself every single morning, noon, and night if you have to until you start believing it.

Keeping this promise in mind, take time to sit back and let your mind wander into the future.

Allow yourself to dream with the excitement of knowing that you really can do All Things through Christ.

Then, pray and ask God what steps you should take to make your dreams become realities.

After you have done all that you can do to accomplish your dreams then rely on God and have faith that He will do the rest!

My prayer for you today is that you will press forward with God, through faith, casting off those chains of fear, and accomplish your dreams!

Be a Dreamer!

You really can do All Things through Christ!

As always remember that:

God Loves You!

God Created You!

God Accepts You!

Until next time,

SavedByGrace

nobodies

Hey you!

Yeah, I'm talking to You!

To anyone who is heart broken, to the guy who doesn't fit in, to the woman who's got no money, to the transgendered girl with a lip ring, to ANYONE out there who feels like they don't measure up to today's picture of a "perfect Christian", read this scripture:

1 Cor 1:26-31-  Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don't see many of "the brightest and the best" among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these "nobodies" to expose the hollow pretensions of the "somebodies"? ... Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. (The Message Bible)

Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror and thought,

"Who am I?  Does God really love me? Does He even know who I am?  I'm just a nobody."

Have you ever felt broken down and worthless?

If we look at life as a seventh grade P.E. class are you constantly the kid who's picked last when others are choosing teams?

Do you not fit the mold of today's "perfect Christian"?

No matter what circumstance has happened in your life I have news for you.....You Are Somebody!

Matthew 21:42 tells us that God uses the "stone that the builder rejected" to build His kingdom. (N.I.V.)

In the above text the "stone that the builder rejected" is not just used as a part of building His Kingdom.

This stone that wasn't good enough for others is so important to God that He uses it as the cornerstone, the foundation!

We serve a God that specializes in taking "nobodies" and making them cornerstones of great ministries!

Once you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, you are no longer too awkward, or too fat, or too skinny, or too poor, or too out of the main stream, or too gay, or too transgendered to be a Christian.

You have the power of the Resurrected Christ living inside of you!

You are a New Creation through Christ!

The same power that opened blinded eyes and raised Jesus from the dead flows through your veins today!

Never forget that!

If you have felt like a "nobody" for any reason before, know this, you are an integral part of the Kingdom of God!

Jesus said in Mark 9:35 that "it is the last who shall be first." (N.K.J)

The next time the enemy starts beating you up in your mind, making you feel like you are good for nothing, like you are a "nobody", remember this post and thank God that in His eyes you are exceptional!

In God's eyes you are destined for great things!

It is the "nobodies" of the world who reach thousands for Christ.

It is those who once felt worthless who press on to pick up the banner of God's Grace, Hope, Mercy, and Unconditional Love and carry it to other "nobodies" that so many churches overlook.

Be excited in who you are because those qualities that set you apart from other people are the exact qualities that God will use to reach those around you!

God created you with a unique purpose.

Only YOU can carry out the plan He has set in motion for your life.

As always remember:

God Loves You!

God Created You!

God Accepts You!

Until next time,

SavedByGrace

Winning through Losing

Sometimes losers win.

You read that right.

While it might not be focused on so much in our society, there are times when you can lose something, even something incredibly important to you, and still come out as a winner.

This coming Sunday is Mother's Day.

As most of my readers know, this will be my first Mother's Day after losing my mom to cancer last year.

What has made this blog relevant since I started it in October is that I write from my own experiences.

As difficult as my mom's death was to me I feel like it should be laid out before you all in this post so that hopefully someone will benefit from this chapter in my life.

God really does give us beauty for our ashes.

My mom was my best friend.

Growing up she was my shoulder to cry on when life punched me in the stomach (literally and figuratively.)

She was my congratulatory hug when I had a personal triumph.

She was my ear that was always open to listen to me in the middle of the night when I felt confused or heart broken.

My mom was my spiritual guide.

She spoke into my life with insight and knowledge that only God could give her.  

If she asked me once, she asked me a thousand times, "Did you pray about that?"

She was an intercessor who spent hours in prayer daily; a minister who spent most of her life loving and reaching out to people; and a teacher who spent countless evenings studying the word.

I can truly say that there was not a single instance in my life when she was not there for me when I needed her; her arms stretching toward me with her unconditional love.

For my mom, to act like a Christian meant to show Christ to others, not judge them or scare them into salvation, but love them as Jesus loves them.

One of my favorite quotes of hers is,"God called us to catch the fish, not clean them."

She truly believed that as long as we reached people for God, He would take care of cleaning up their lives.  

To quote my mom's friend, the late Tammy Faye Bakker, "We as Christians should act like hospitals to people, not court rooms."

My mom went home to be with Jesus on July 9th, 2010.

I should tell you that when I started typing out this post my plan was to show how God has moved in my life mightily through coping with the loss of my mother.

And, that is very true.  

He has certainly given me beauty from my charred ashes of hurt and despair.

He has certainly made me a winner through this personal loss.

However, as poignant as that message is, there is an even better example of "Winning through Losing" that I can share with you.

You see, my mom lost her life, not on July 9th, 2010, but many years before as a teenager when she laid her life down before God and accepted Jesus as her personal savior at Hunter Street Baptist Church.

At that moment, she lost everything.

And at the moment, she won eternal life!

She took on a new master in God, yielding her dreams, her hopes, and losing her very existence to the will of her Heavenly Father.

Through accepting His calling on her life she lost her career of teaching students in a classroom but she won a lifetime of teaching hundreds more about the promises of God!

She lost her plans of taking simple family vacations each summer but she won a ministry that took her to every state in the US as well as 17 countries throughout North America, Europe, and Russia.

She lost much of her free time but she won a close relationship with God that allowed her to just sit in His presence and listen.

The writings that came from those quiet times with God resulted in two books.  

She was even granted permission to present a copy of her first book, "Love, Father" to Pope John Paul II.

To a society that sees success in terms of money, wealth, and fame, my mom was a loser.

To a God who sees success in loving Him with all her might, and loving her neighbors as herself, my mom was a remarkable winner!

On this Mother's day I pay tribute to Dorothy Street, my mom, and her legacy of winning through losing.

I hope that you will join me in surrendering your life to the will of God today!

Imagine the plans that He has for you.

They are so much more then you can comprehend!

Your destiny is yours alone to live and experience.

Lose your life and Win Your Destiny!

One last thing before I wrap up, If you have lost your mom, I am praying for you.  

As I mentioned above I know how difficult it is to face this day.

Surrender that pain to your daddy God so that it can become your testimony, making you a winner through that painful loss.

Please remember that He will give you beauty for your ashes!

As always remember:

God Loves You!

God Created You!

God Accepts You!

Until next time,

SavedByGrace

Ps. Below is my mom's favorite song.  

It gives me peace to know that she now lives every day "Somewhere Over The Rainbow."

Happy Mother's Day Mom. 

I Love You!

Judy Garland - Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Resurrection

Here I am, at the end.

I'm in need of resurrection.

How did my heart become so lifeless and cold?

Where did the passion go?

I've used up all my strength and there's nothing left to give.

I can't fake it anymore.

Does this describe you today?

It's okay to admit it.

There are times when life seems to overwhelm us; when we can't see the silver lining because the cloud is so big we aren't able to even find the edges.

Maybe your heart feels lifeless and cold because it has been hurt.

Has it been trampled into pieces?

Are you putting on a mask for friends and family while inside you are crying and yearning for some relief?

Does it seem like that relief never comes?

Maybe you feel like you can't fake it anymore.

When you stare at the sky you might feel like God is a million miles away.....

if He even exists at all.

For some people the God that we sought in our youth is just a distant memory.

He's become like unicorns or fairies, a fantasy we believed in because we were ignorant kids.

If any of the above applies to you then please know that this post is for you.

God has laid you on my heart tonight and you need to read this.

You are in the right place.

As Easter approaches our thoughts naturally turn towards the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.

We remember how Jesus was brutally nailed to a cross through His hands and His feet.

He was bleeding profusely and still in pain from the horrific whipping he had endured.

Centurion guards placed a crown on his head that was made of sharp thorns. 

Those thorns dug into his skin.

He was stripped naked and humiliated.

Onlookers laughed at Him.

They taunted Him shouting, "Look at the king of the Jews!  Where is your God now?"

That day Jesus of Nazareth died a slow and painful death.

It was so torturous that I doubt we can truly comprehend it.

Even as He endured this pain, He still offered salvation to the thief who was being crucified on a cross next to him.

While our Savior struggled for every breath He told the thief, "Today you will be with me in Paradise."

As you read this, listen closely.

Can you hear Him?

Close your eyes for a moment and picture this man who was being murdered yet still offering forgiveness, hope, and everlasting life in His final moments before death.

He wasn't just speaking to the thief who was hanging on the cross next to Him.

Jesus wasn't just offering him salvation.

No, He was calling out to you.

He was saying your name.

Can't you hear Him say it in his last breaths, "Debbie, Tyler, Joe, Aimee, Jenn, Elizabeth, Ryan, John? Do you believe in me? You will be with me in paradise"

We are no different then that thief.

We are no better.

We are no worse.

Romans 3:23 tells us,"All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God." (NKJ)

The promise offered to the thief is the same promise that is offered to all of us.

Jesus died for you no matter who you are or what your past may be.

He didn't care about how much money you have or how many good deeds you have done.

He died for all of mankind; for you; for me.

After Jesus exhaled His last breath on the cross He conquered hell and took the keys to death, hell, and the grave.

Then on the third day, on that first Easter, the power of almighty God raised Jesus from the dead.

The body of Christ came to life with explosive power.

Angels rolled the stone away from His tomb and He stepped out to show Himself to His followers.

No matter who you are or what you have done, when you accept Jesus into your heart that same power lives inside of you!

It doesn't matter how far in the sewer you might feel you have sunk, the God who raised Jesus Christ will raise you up today!

That same power can breathe life into your soul.

This resurrection power can place you on your feet when you have fallen and set you on the right path when you are lost.

If Jesus Christ can be dead for three days and then come back to life cannot God calm the storms that surround you?

Can He not heal you and take the pieces of your shattered heart and make it whole again?

This Easter it is time for us to grab hold of the power that is the Resurrection!

Take off your mask before God and surrender your life to Him so that He can light the flame that once burned bright within you.

He will give you passion again.

The promise of healing, forgiveness, hope, and everlasting life is yours!

Trust in God and believe that He can do for you what He did for Christ 2000 years ago.

Join me this Easter as we experience our own personal Resurrection!

Remember that God Loves You.

God Created You.

God Loves You.

Until next time,

SavedByGrace

Resurrection by Nicol Sponberg

Be Still

Life gets so hectic.

Some days it feels like I'm driving in the fast lane.

I try to change lanes but I can't get over.

I'm stuck!

Then, life bombards me like an 18 wheeler, riding my bumper and trying to force me out of the way.

Not only is that 18 wheeler riding my tail but it's honking it's ridiculously loud horn and flashing it's bright lights!

I want to get out of the way but I am stuck and life is breathing down my neck threatening to run me off the road.

Do you ever have days like that?

If you answered "no" then stay tuned for my post on lying in the next few weeks.

We've all been there:

-When it seems like our mind has a to do list that is longer then we can comprehend

-When the cares of this world make us feel overwhelmed and stressed

-When we want to just crawl back into bed and restart the day

What should we do when we find ourselves in these moments of stress and worry?

Human nature tells us when things start moving really fast that we need to move even faster to keep up with it all.

That is actually the opposite of what God tells us.

He says, "Be still and know that I am God..." Ps. 46:10 (N.I.V.)

In these times we should trust God completely, not worry about our situation.

In Matthew 6:24-25, Jesus tells us not to worry. He says:

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

   ²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (N.I.V.)

That sounds good but how can I not worry? I have responsibilities.

Yes, we do have responsibilities and God knows that. 

He understands that better then we do.

Notice in verse 32 above when talking about food, clothing, and necessities of life that Jesus says, "...your heavenly Father knows that you need them."

God knows that we need these things and He is the one who provides them for us.

It's not up to us.

It's up to Him.

How awesome is that?

The key to not worrying is to surrender everything to God.

Lay your worries at His feet.

Give him your responsibilities concerning your family, your job, and your relationships.

Anything that represents that 18 wheeler breathing down your neck can be handed over to your Father God.

He promised us not just life, but life More Abundantly through Jesus.

It's time to stop letting worry keep you up at night.

Give it all to your heavenly Father.

He will be awake all night anyway!

Once you have surrendered the things that cause you anxiety you can truly Be Still and Know that He is God.

As always remember:

God Loves You!

God Created You!

God Accepts You!

Until next time,

SavedByGrace

Amazing Grace

How Amazing is God's Grace for Us?

His Grace is boundless.

It reaches into the most hardened hearts and whispers to them, "Come home."

His Grace sees us through the blood of Jesus, without our mistakes.

It finds us even when we are hiding in our most secret sins.

It guides us when we are so lost that no compass can point us in the right direction.

God's Grace marches into the deepest gutters, takes us in it's arms, and carries us out into the bright light of a new day.

It reminds us not of the times we have failed, but of the times we will be victorious!

For me personally the Grace of my father God is like a life guard that is always there to jump into the rough seas of my life. 

It swims out to rescue me when I am drowning.  

Through Grace, God pulls me to the shore and gives me the breath of life once again.

We have a perfect example of Grace in the life of Christ. 

The Grace that we find in Jesus teaches us how to extend Grace to others.

Even dying on the cross He extends Grace to a thief and leads him to salvation.

That thief had no time to go out and do good works.

He had no time to make amends to the people he had wronged or to build great churches in the name of God.

No, all that thief did was accept Jesus.  

He was drowning in sin and being killed, literally, as a punishment for his mistakes.
But, he allowed Jesus to be his life guard.

At the very moment of dying he accepted the gift of salvation and received new life.

In the midst of being brutally crucified, Jesus came to the rescue for that thief.

Jesus saved him, showing him Grace, by forgiving him of all of his sins through the blood that He was shedding at that very moment.

Jesus said to him,"Today you shall be with me in Heaven."

How Amazing is God's Grace?

It's so amazing that no matter who you are or where you have been, God Loves You!

Even if you are nothing more then a common thief being put to death for your mistakes, God extends His salvation, forgiveness, peace, and joy to you through His mercy and Grace.

In God's eyes he was not a common thief.
To God, you are not your sins or your mistakes.

You are not the nasty or hateful names you have been called.
You are not the fears or insecurities that haunt you.

When God sees you He sees one thing:

A Beautiful and Cherished Child of God.

That, my friends, is Amazing Grace!

As always remember:

God Loves You!

God Accepts You!

God Created You!  (And God doesn't make mistakes!)

Until next time,

SavedByGrace

Chris Tomlin - Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)