THE SECRET OF CHANGED LIFE IS AN EXCHANGED LIFE!!

·         My friend Deb wrote this today.. and it ministered to my heart.

·        

·          “The more I grow in Christ ...the more I realize that frustration has nothing to do with the churches we belong to, the husbands/wives we have...the kids we have been blessed with, or our jobs ............true frustration is about our heart ....and being and doing exactly what you are called to do and be ........you see often we try to squeeze in to the right mould .......when in fact its only what we think is the right mould ......but often its not the mould for us ....so we wrestle and struggle like the ugly sisters when the prince came around with the shoe ....desperate to make it fit ...when all along it belonged to some one else ..............if we find our selves frustrated ....lets pause and seek our hearts bless you all xxxx”

·        

As I paused and thought about what she wrote,  my heart was stirred up and I remember something I had been forgetting lately..so let me share!

THE SECRET OF CHANGED LIFE IS AN EXCHANGED LIFE... 

Paul had this! In Philippians he writes 1:21... “For to me to live is Christ...”

He had experienced this exchanged life when he encountered the Lord...

John as well became a Christlike man because he had found the secret also! Christ was living in John in such a wonderful way that men would see only Christ and not the turbulent angry John... (Remember before Christ he was known as the ‘sons of thunder’ which means the sons of ‘rage’)

This is one of the basic truths of Christian faith; God is offering all that I need in every area of Christian experience... Not only is God giving that which makes me a Christian, he is also giving moment by moment and hour by hour, that which enables me to live the Christian life.  I pray we will not be ignorant of this fact... As God’s desire is for His truth to set us free...

The truth when we first become a Christian, Jesus comes and lives in my heart in the person of the Holy Spirit... real Christianity is really Christ in you-ity... is the conscious sense of the presence of Christ that makes the real Christian life a thrilling and glorious adventure!

Now, when I see this added truth, that God’s wonderful love caused Him to send the risen Christ into my heart so that I might live through Him, a whole new conception of living is possible for me...

I don’t have to struggle to behave like a saint, to put on an act and reach a high enough standard! God doesn’t expect me to “imitate Christ” or to “live for Christ!” Jesus said in John 3:6 “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.”

So many of us struggle to make the flesh perform the works of the Spirit... the thing is impossible! God expects nothing of ‘me’ but failure because all I am is the flesh...

This thought can be a tremendous relief to some poor soul who is struggling so hard to live for Jesus – you never can! You never will!! All you can do is fail and experience the sorrow that Paul had...”For that which I do I allow not; for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I..............For the good that I would I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do”.. Romans 7:15,19..

God want s me to avail myself of His full salvation – not only the  ‘the act of Christ’ (Justification) when He died for me on the cross of Calvary, but also the “activity of Christ” (Sanctification) as He lives in my heart through His Holy Spirit ..

God’s salvation is not a place, or an experience, but a PERSON – His Son. Salvation is not a crisis which begins and ends at the cross; it is both a crisis which begins at the cross and a process which continues day by day as I recognize Christ dwelling in my heart...

This I believe is the secret of behaving like a saint not my putting on a tremendous performance of imitating Christ, but my recognizing that Gods salvation begins at the cross and that it continues throughout my life... “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue “2 Peter 1:3

ALL THINGS... I need for life and godliness...God has already given me all the things... not some, all that I need... in other words, if I want to behave like a saint I have all that it takes, not in my own resources or from my own worked up enthusiasm but as a gift from God. From the Agape of God... God has given me all things......... for living before men and for living before God.

Thank You Heavenly Father, for so great a salvation.. Thank you for the Lord Jesus who died on the cross so that my sins might be forgiven.  Thank You also that the same Lord Jesus lives in my heart and life in the person of His Holy Spirit.  Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You live in my heart.. Thank You because You are my peace.. You are my joy, You are my strength, You are all that I can ever need or want. You have promised never to leave me or forsake me – I believe this.  Thank You for Your promises that never fail..

^{Blessings J}

One joyful Christian is worth a thousand church members whose lives are as dull as the rest...(J Hunter)

My KING!

I have been meditating on the book Psalms lately.. I have learned much especially that a lifetime is not enough to exhaust the gems contained  in these precious Words!! 

Today I just want to share this with you from Psalm 135 v 5-7

 ⁵ For I know that the LORD is great,
         And our Lord is above all gods.
 ⁶ Whatever the LORD pleases He does,
         In heaven and in earth,
         In the seas and in all deep places.
 ⁷ He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;
         He makes lightning for the rain;
         He brings the wind out of His treasuries.
         

I spend 15 years looking for ‘the truth’..I was really hungry for answers to my questions of ‘why am I here ?’, who is God?’ and ‘where can I find Him?’

There questions led me into searching in all sort of places! Including the study of  other religions and I travelled  to their countries and temples in the hope to encounter the one true God..

I can honestly say to you reading this, I found all this search led me to more emptiness and confusion than the day before! 

I don’t want to make this a long note, but basically the ‘gods’ I encountered can do nothing! and they did nothing for me! I was the same day in and day out!! Only the one true God has the power to transform our life fromt he inside out!

Our God, YHWH, the God of the Holy Bible, can do anything!! And I have witnessed this over and over again! He can do anything He wants to. Our God is a living God.. He is not a statue! Our God rose from the dead.. I didn’t find any other God that did that!!

Like this Psalm says, It is God who makes the weather. He runs the universe as it pleases Him. God does not have to answer our questions. He asks us to trust Him and live a life of faith .......

The psalmist then compares the living God with idols…“The great Ra whose shrines once covered acres, is now filler for crossword puzzles.”. One doesn’t have to take a course in comparative religions to know the name of YHWH!

Love Mary J

Please take the time to read about My KING!

That’s My King

The Bible says
He’s the King of the Jews
He’s the King of Israel
He’s the King of Righteousness
He’s the King of the Ages
He’s the King of Heaven
He’s the King of Glory
He’s the King of Kings
and He is the Lord of Lords

Now that’s my King!
David says
The Heavens declare the glory of God
And the firmament showeth His handiwork
No means of measure can define His limitless love
No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shoreless supply
No barriers can hinder Him from pouring out His blessing

He’s enduringly strong
He’s entirely sincere
He’s eternally steadfast
He’s immortally graceful
He’s imperially powerful
He’s impartially merciful

That’s my King!
He’s God’s Son
He’s the sinners’ Saviour
He’s the centrepiece of civilisation
He stands alone in Himself
He’s august
He’s unique
He’s unparalleled
He’s unprecedented
He’s supreme
He’s pre-eminent
He’s the loftiest idea in literature
He’s the highest personality in philosophy
He’s the supreme problem in higher criticism
He’s the fundamental doctrine in true theology
He’s the cardinal necessity of spiritual religion

That’s my King!
He’s the miracle of the age
He’s the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him
He’s the only one able to supply all of our needs simultaneously
He supplies strength for the weak
He’s available for the tempted and the tried
He sympathises and He saves
He guards and He guides
He heals the sick
He cleansed the lepers
He forgives sinners
He discharges debtors
He delivers the captives
He defends the feeble
He blesses the young
He serves the unfortunate
He regards the aged
He rewards the diligent
And He beautifies the meek

Do you know Him?
My King is the key of knowledge
He’s the wellspring of wisdom
He’s the doorway of deliverance
He’s the pathway of peace
He’s the roadway of righteousness
He’s the highway of holiness
He’s the gateway of glory
He’s the master of the mighty
He’s the captain of the conquerors
He’s the head of the heroes
He’s the leader of the legislators
He’s the overseer of the overcomers
He’s the governor of governors
He’s the prince of princes
He’s the King of Kings
And He’s the Lord of Lords

That’s my King
That’s my King!
My King
His office is manifold
His promise is sure
His life is matchless
His goodness is limitless
His mercy is everlasting
His love never changes
His word is enough
His grace is sufficient
His reign is righteous
His yoke is easy
and His burden is light
I wish I could describe Him to you
He’s indescribable
He’s indescribable
He’s incomprehensible
He’s invincible
He’s irresistible
I’m trying to tell you
The heaven of heavens cannot contain Him
Let alone a man explain Him
You can’t get Him out of your mind
You can’t get Him off of your hands
You can’t outlive Him
And you can’t live without Him
The Pharisees couldn’t stand Him
but they found out they couldn’t stop Him
Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him
The witnesses couldn’t get their testimonies to agree
And Herod couldn’t kill Him
Death couldn’t handle Him
And the grave couldn’t hold Him

That’s my King!
He always has been
And He always will be
I’m talking about
He had no predecessor
and He’ll have no successor
There was nobody before Him
and there’ll be nobody after Him
You can’t impeach Him
and He’s not going to resign

That’s my King!
Praise the Lord
That’s my King
Thine is the Kingdom
And the power
And the glory
The glory is all His
Thine is the Kingdom
And the power
And the glory
For ever
And ever
And ever
And when you get through with all of the forevers
Then
Amen

My King

The Bible says my King is the King of the Jews. He’s the King of Israel. He’s the King of Righteousness. He’s the King of the Ages. He’s the King of Heaven. He’s the King of Glory. He’s the King of kings, and He’s the Lord of lords. That’s my King.

I wonder, do you know Him?

My King is a sovereign King. No means of measure can define His limitless love. He’s enduringly strong. He’s entirely sincere. He’s eternally steadfast. He’s immortally graceful. He’s imperially powerful. He’s impartially merciful.

Do you know Him?

He’s the greatest phenomenon that has ever crossed the horizon of this world. He’s God’s Son. He’s the sinner’s Saviour. He’s the centrepiece of civilization. He’s unparalleled. He’s unprecedented. He is the loftiest idea in literature. He’s the highest personality in philosophy. He’s the fundamental doctrine of true theology. He’s the only one qualified to be an all sufficient Saviour.

I wonder if you know Him today?

He supplies strength for the weak. He’s available for the tempted and the tried. He sympathizes and He saves. He strengthens and sustains. He guards and He guides. He heals the sick. He cleansed the lepers. He forgives sinners. He discharges debtors. He delivers the captive. He defends the feeble. He blesses the young. He serves the unfortunate. He regards the aged. He rewards the diligent. And He beautifies the meek.

I wonder if you know Him?

He’s the key to knowledge. He’s the wellspring of wisdom. He’s the doorway of deliverance. He’s the pathway of peace. He’s the roadway of righteousness. He’s the highway of holiness. He’s the gateway of glory.

Do you know Him? Well…

His life is matchless. His goodness is limitless. His mercy is everlasting. His love never changes. His Word is enough. His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous. And His yoke is easy. And His burden is light.

I wish I could describe Him to you. Yes…

He’s indescribable! He’s incomprehensible. He’s invincible. He’s irresistible. You can’t get Him out of your mind. You can’t get Him off of your hand. You can’t outlive Him, and you can’t live without Him. Well, the Pharisees couldn’t stand Him, but they found out they couldn’t stop Him. Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him. Herod couldn’t kill Him. Death couldn’t handle Him, and the grave couldn’t hold Him.

Yeah! That’s my King, that’s my King.

Amen!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upGCMl_b0n4

the Little Things..

The 'L I T T L E '

Things .



As you might know, the head of a company survived
9/11 because his son started kindergarten.


Another fellow was alive because it was
His turn to bring donuts.


One woman was late because her
Alarm clock didn't go off in time.


One was late because of being stuck on the NJ Turnpike
Because of an auto accident.


One of them
Missed his bus.


One spilled food on her clothes and had to take
Time to change.


One's
Car wouldn't start.


One went back to
Answer the telephone.


One had a child that dawdled
And didn't get ready as soon as he should have.


One couldn't
Get a taxi.

The one that struck me was the man
Who put on a new pair of shoes that morning,
Took the various means to get to work
But before he got there, he developed
a blister on his foot.
He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid.
That is why he is alive today.


Now when I am
Stuck in traffic ,
Miss an elevator,
Turn back to answer a ringing telephone...
All the little things that annoy me.
I think to myself,
This is exactly where
God wants me to be at this very moment...

Next time your morning seems to be
Going wrong ,

The children are slow getting dressed,
You can't seem to find the car keys,
You hit every traffic light,
Don't get mad or frustrated;
God is at work watching over you.

May God continue to bless you
With all those annoying little things
And may you remember their possible purpose xxxx  

AM EN  !!!!

CHRISTIAN WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS

 "Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice."

Remember that F E A R is False Evidence Appearing Real!

1. Pray

2. Go to bed on time.

                                                             3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

 4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.

5. Delegate tasks to capable others.

6. Simplify and unclutter your life.

7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)

8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.

10. Take one day at a time.

11. Separate worries from concerns . If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety . If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.

12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.

14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble. 

   

15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.

16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.

17. Get enough rest.

18. Eat right.

19 Get organized so everything has its place.

20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.

                                        21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.

22. Every day, find time to be alone.

23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.

24. Make friends with Godly people.

25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.

26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you Jesus ..."

27. Laugh.

28. Laugh some more!

29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.

30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).

31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).

32. Sit on your ego.

33 Talk less; listen more.

34. Slow down.

35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.

36 . Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before. GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU.

"If God is for us, who can be against us?"

(Romans 8:31)  

Remember GREATER IS HE THAT LIVES IN YOU THEN HIM WHO IS IN THE WORLD!!!

God is with YOU!

and will always be!!

It's His promise never to leave you or forsake you!!

:-)

AMEN!