Masters of Mud Creations!

Often, Christians create mud.
And then we struggle in it!

A sinner comes along with the dirt of his sin. A Christian struggles with the sinner trying to convince him of the filth of his sin by applying just enough of the Water of the Word of God to the dirt to create mud. All the while he (the Christian) is getting just as filthy as the sinner because he is occupied with / in the filth of the sin.

Were we to apply the precious Water of the Word of God liberally, the Holy Spirit of God would convict the sinner of the filth of his own sin, and GOD would wash the sin away without US struggling in the filth.

----------
"You are what you eat"

I think this applies spiritually, just as well:
If we are the type of Christians who are shallow, intellectual, spiritual, etc., etc., etc., it is a direct result of what we feed on -spiritually- habitually.

----------
"Fly to the Food"

I was thinking the other day that my hummingbirds fly to where the food is. It's always in the same place. And then I thought, "Do we 'fly' to where our Food is??" Our Food is always in the same place, too. God's Holy Word contains spiritual nourishment for every one of us!!

Consistency - Your "Birth"-day - Life in Christ

CONSISTENCY
The other day I was in the gazebo staring at my hummingbird feeder. I was mesmerized by "Hog" (the Hummer Phoebe named because he was "hogging" the feeder, the bicycle in the garden, and the mailbox in the garden - pretty much, he thinks he owns the garden!!) Anyway, though my eyes were riveted on Hog, my mind drifted to an article I read about hummingbirds. The main thing for feeding them, I read, is CONSISTENCY. You need to feed them regularly, and keep the feeder clean - consistently.

That made me think of the CONSISTENCY of:
Christ and His Church
Christ and His Body
Christ and His Bride
Christ and His Child/ren
How WE are to be individually to / for / with Christ
How WE are to be collectively to / for / with Christ

Maintenance through feeding on the Word of God and cleansing our hearts from sin and its effects, leads to consistency in relationships with Christ and each other.

=================
YOUR "BIRTH"-day
Write your "birth"-day down! Write it someplace visible. Write a date. Write it SOMEWHERE! No, not your "natural" "birth"-day --- your SPIRITUAL one!! Maybe you're like me, and you don't remember the exact day you accepted God's wonderful gift of salvation - the day you were saved. And maybe you're also like me, that sometimes Satan likes to whisper, "Yea, well since you don't remember the day, the time, nor the place and you didn't have 'an earth-shattering experience' then you probably aren't really saved, after all."

You see, when you've settled in your heart before God that Christ died for YOUR sins, THAT is THE day you may present to Satan that Christ became your Lord. And if ever he threatens you again, just turn to your piece of paper and present it to him. Through remembering the date, it will confirm that occasion when your heart was settled before God, even though the actual acceptance of Jesus Christ may have been at a very early age.

=================
Life in Christ
The more clearly we apprehend the death of Christ, the greater will be our appreciation for our life in Christ.

=================
Preaching
NOT preaching is the best way to reach.

=================
Our ACTIONS confirm or deny what we say
Say little. Actions have much to confirm! Say lots. Actions have much to deny!

Children: Bubble-Wrapped to Absorb Life's Bumps??

As parents we want to put our kids in bubble-wrap to protect them. We want to shield them from harm and danger, minimizing the hurts we've experienced, longing that they might not have to go through what we've gone through. We look around. We see older folks, maybe brothers or sisters in Christ that have persevered through the most grueling circumstances. They have endured great physical afflictions, yet we observe that they are some of the most patient, loving people we know. We think to ourselves, "Boy, I wish I could be just like them. They NEVER complain. They just seem so sweet and unselfish."

Then one day it hits us:

We (parents) ARE becoming just like them. The trials and difficulties God affords us through our children and the various stages they grow through, make us realize that tribulation does indeed work (or precede) patience! One day we DO realize we have more patience than we used to have. But we want to protect our dear children from those hardships of life, that they might be spared from the weight and burden of the results of sin. Surely, there must be another way in which they can become patient, loving, sweet, and unselfish!

Yet again, on another day it hits us:

Our children HAVE (as in NEED!!) to experience these difficulties as well as we, for how else will THEY become the polished Stones and Gems created for the pleasure of God?? It is only in the tumbler of life that the jagged edges are removed, that the priceless treasure may be revealed by God for His glory!!

Dear Parents, take heart. The SAME (remember, that IS one of God's names!!!) the SAME God who preserved those dear older folks, and who IS preserving US, still has the SAME ability to preserve our children!- Remember, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."? - Hebrews 13:8


jfn - 7/12/2011