He Is Risen! Now what?

March 31st, 2013   •   no comments   

Matthew 28:6 (NIV) He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.

It’s Resurrection Sunday evening and I’m a little tired from all of my celebrating. I went to Maundy Thursday service, Good Friday service and Easter service at two different churches. After I went to the early service at my church, I was inspired  to visit another in the afternoon.  It makes sense that I tired feeling , I have spent a ton of time worshipping and praising the Lord. I’ve been to four services over this long weekend and have heard a total of 10 different messages. Each individual message definitely spoke to me.  This includes pastors who shared on the each of the seven last words.

 

Each and every service I went to was extremely powerful. The words were so on point. I know that I know that I know Jesus died and he rose again for me. He certainly died for you too.  Redemption has been granted.  The resurrection is real. Jesus is alive for us all and in us all who believe, accept and know.

 

For a moment, I’m going to focus on me. I’m not really taking this as a selfish moment. I am, however, putting myself on blast – a sort of public accountability session. Can I spend this much time with the Lord and in the company of believers, live through so many spiritual and emotional experiences and still be the same ‘Joy” I was?  This is not just limited to the services. I’m also counting all of the effort of the Lenten Challenge. It is possible that all of it is just temporary.  Should it be? Of course not! There should be some lasting change. Will there be?

 

Just as I prepared to type these words, I took a moment to check my twitter account.  Unwiittingly, my friend Aqua Copeland gave me the answer.

 

@Favored1Aqua We can’t stay trapped in the same condition, issues, and situations year after year. We have #Resurrection Power!

 

Clearly, I took on the #LentenChallenge to be transformed. I’m looking for self-improvement and a greater spiritual connection. I’ve created some positive momentum. Will it stick? Or will I simply go back to my old ways? When I had the opportunity to add old stuff back in to my diet after the stroke of midnight, I didn’t miss a beat. Chocolate was popped into my moth. Fish was on plate. Cheesy carbs were also added. While I don’t plan to gorge myself as I have done in the past or eat some of these things all the time,  I really have yet to commit myself to plan. I could slip into a new bad habit without focus and effort.  I am working and praying on a better path. The evidence will be when I act on it.

 

How I take care of my body temple is only one aspect of making sure that I’m GospelFit and drawing closer to the Lord and connecting to “Resurrection Power!”  Even though, I’m feeling a little tired, I’m also feeling on fire for the Lord. Continually working to build my relationship with the Lord needs to bear some tangible fruit. I’ll be praying, meditating and focusing on translating that feeling into action.  What about you?

@GospelFit #LentenChallenge Day 40 ~ Standing in His Presence

March 30th, 2013   •   no comments   

Mark 15:37-39 (NIV) 37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. 38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

Imagine standing in front of Jesus and finally recognizing that He is the Son of God. It must have been such an awesome experience.  I think of the blessing that the centurion had for actually being in the presence of Jesus.  It also brings to mind the opportunity that he may have lost.  Jesus walked in his midst before while He was alive.  Did the centurion know Jesus before the end? Was he changed by that experience?  Was he drawn closer to God?

 

Surely, we know that Sunday is coming! Jesus is near. During this lenten season, we may have taken steps to get ourselves closer to the Lord. We may have faltered. Today ends our Lenten Challenge.  However, it does not end our journey.  We are standing in the presence of Jesus and we can be transformed.

 

There are so many levels of transformation during this season. Some of this transformation occurs because we want it to and we are willing to put in the work to be a better disciple for Christ.  We are putting time in the Word and with God in Prayer. We also work on taking care of our body temples in a manner that is pleasing to God.  For we know that we are to honor God with our temples.

 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

 

The ultimate transformation and gift from the Lord is that Jesus died and rose again for you and me. He has cleansed us for now and eternal life.  Knowing that we are free from the condemnation of sin is powerful and should help us to lead lives in the abundance that God promised and plans for us.  Ultimately, our goal should be to stand in His presence and hear the words, “Well done.”

 

Joy

Joy’s Blog
GospelFit Twitter
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@Gospelfit #LentenChallenge Day 39 ~ Where’s God?

March 29th, 2013   •   no comments   

wheres-god1

Luke 23:46 46 Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last.

When we are troubled and going through issues or we have a plethora of circumstances that are consuming our time, money, emotions, or attention, it can become difficult to feel like God has EVERYTHING under control. We may become so consumed with what we are GROWING through that we forget to pray. We neglect the power of crying out to our God, Who, yes has everything under control. Can We Talk?!

During this Lenten season we are reminded of Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection. Jesus, being fully man felt some of the same emotions that we experience. He experienced rejection, anger, pain, doubt, and fear. In His final minutes on earth, His question to God was,  why have You forsaken me. Rest assured that just like with Jesus, God has not forgotten you. He was in control then and He is still in control now. The Word promises that He will never leave or forsake us.

As we press through this last week of the Lenten Challenge, take comfort in knowing that whatever you are GROWING through God is with you. He knew that you would have these challenges before you today. He is not caught off guard or surprised by your circumstances. God didn’t get busy and when He turned His attention back again, there was Jesus on the cross. His plan for Jesus and His plan for reconciling our hearts back to His was predestined. Your life in Him is predestined. God knows that you are able through Him to handle all the challenges you face. Trust Him to heal and handle the issues, situations, and circumstances in your world. He is still in control. He is as close as your next whispered prayer.

Aqua 4HisTemple

 

@Gospelfit #LentenChallenge Day 38 ~Staying Power

March 28th, 2013   •   no comments   

staying-power

John 19:17-18 17 and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew[a] is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them.

Are you in a period of testing right now? We know that tests and trials are designed by God to make us and mold us. We are made stronger by the tests and trials that we endure. You’ve heard folks say, that which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Our tests are not designed to kill us be to strenghten our faith. Passing our tests allows us to move to the next level in God, teaching us and preparing us for what lies ahead. Can We Talk?!

As believers, it does not matter who you are and what your relationship is with the Lord you WILL face tests and trials. Our faith is tested when we go through trials. In the 1st chapter of James, he tells us to count it all joy when we face trials of any kind. He goes on to say that the testing of our faith PRODUCES perseverance. And when perseverance has finished its work in us we will be mature and complete, lacking anything.

Today, you might find yourself restless or discontent. You may be ready to give up or quit. Remember that God may testing you to teach you how to stay. He may be teaching you how to stand in the midst of adversity and uncertainty. If you quit you have forfeited the benefits of perseverance AND God will not be able to bless you at the next level, that next level blessing that will require you to know how to stay.

So if you are praying for a spouse and God is testing your staying power, He won’t send that spouse until you learn how to stay. Marriage requires staying power. If you are praying for that great career that can help you get out of debt, give you purpose, and help you care for your family, but you quit every job you get, God won’t bless you with that career until you learn how stay. Jobs come and go. Careers require staying power. TODAY you may be learning how to stay and stand through TOMORROW’s lengthy sickness of a loved one, a rocky marriage, or through the antics and confusion of a wayward child. Do you have what it takes to stay?

What is God trying to teach you today? It will bless you in the future. Surrender so that you can move to next level of your life. Learn how to stay. Learn how to stand in the face of obstacles and opposition. He will be standing right by your side.

Aqua

@GospelFit Lenten Challenge Day 36 – Do Not be Weary

March 26th, 2013   •   no comments   

Weary

 

9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” Galatians 6:9-10

 

When we look at verse 9 what comes to your mind? To me it says hang in there. When we want to do something good do not get so tired of doing well that we just stop and fail. I remember when I was in college and being chronic anemic I was always so tired, however, I pushed myself so hard to stay up, finish, and turn in a project. For anyone that does not know how this affects the body, mind and ability to complete any activity, it makes you sleepy all of the time, better yet fatigued and you have slept all night, but you want to go right back to bed as soon as you wake up.
 

How does this tie in with our Lenten challenge you ask? Well let me tell you. At times, the journey is trying while we eat and drink all of the things that we usually would not consume on a daily basis. At times, we may have been tempted to get tired and slack off. We may have been tempted to have that cake, pie, or that chocolate that we were craving. Just remember, with constant prayer, we can overcome any temptations that will keep us weary and not finishing our challenge.
 

Hang in there everyone…you are not alone in the challenge-we can finish strong our blessings are well on their way.

 

Be Blessed
 

Melissa Lopez
 

Positively Shining

 

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@GospelFit Lenten Challenge Day 35 – The Blessing of Obedience

March 25th, 2013   •   no comments   

 

“If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God.” Deuteronomy 28:1-2

Although some of the early books of the Old Testament can be a real challenge to read through (Leviticus, anyone?), Deuteronomy 28 has always held my attention. And for good reason: it presents God’s offer of blessings and curses to the children of Israel, and, by extension, to us, the children of promise in Christ.

It’s easy to get caught up in the heady aroma of the blessings laid out in verses 3 to 14, but then our attention tends to wane as we wade through nearly 50 verses of calamitous curses. Who needs to hear these prophetic tales of woe when the promise of the good life is spread out before us like a veritable feast of Belshazzar?

But let’s go back to verses 1 and 2 for a minute. They set the stage for the entire chapter, laying out obedience and blessing as two sides of the same coin:

If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God.
Some versions use the words “diligently obey” and “observe carefully.” And that four-letter word “obey” crops up twice in those two verses.

I see a progression here:

• To be blessed, we must obey.

• To obey, we must hear.

• To hear, we must be attentive.

• To be attentive, we must eliminate distractions, lofty thoughts, and the daily dust that gathers and clouds our vision and passion for God.

There doesn’t seem to be any room for partial obedience, which we know is no obedience at all.
But wait, you say! God knows my heart! To which I respond by pointing you to Jeremiah 17:9:”The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”We deceive ourselves if we think that we can give God less than full obedience and expect to reap the benefits of His unconditional love. No obedience, no blessing. To the misguided thought that we can collect blessings and not obey, God gently and consistently says: “no.”

Consider what it means to be blessed by the God of the Universe. To be in covenant with the God of wonders and majesty. He is faithful in all His dealings with us. He stays true to His part of the covenant sealed by Jesus’s blood. He simply asks for faithfulness from us. In a word, obedience.
And look at what the power of the blessing confers on us!

* The covering of the Most High God;

* Freedom from evil and curses;

* Perpetual increase and favor; and

* Long life: shalom and pleroma.

Friends, as we approach the end of this Lenten season, may we be reminded of the sum of all of God’s gentle entreaties to us as He seeks to bless us each day:

Obey.

Obey.

Obey.

Alison Hector

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@GospelFit Lenten Challenge Day 34 – Call on the Lord and be Saved

March 23rd, 2013   •   no comments   

11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”[a] 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:11-13

 

One of the advantages of observing Lent is the opportunity to strip away what might be hindering our Christian walk and to focus on what really matters: our relationship with Jesus and the immense sacrifice He made to reconcile us to the Father.
 
Although I love the comforting words of Romans 8, the beauty of Romans 10 is how it demystifies the “what” and “who” of salvation. We are saved by grace through faith, manifested in our verbal confession (saying it is so) that Jesus is Lord of our lives. The God of the universe offers this salvation to anyone–no prerequisites–who calls on Him. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Rom. 10:13)
 
Who could ask for anything more?
 
But very often, we make our salvation far more complicated than it needs to be. Think about how in the Old Testament, the Jews piled on, in addition to the Ten Commandments, more than 600 rules that needed to be adhered to. Or consider several present-day denominations that enforce a strict code of behavior and dress that goes way beyond what is described in the New Testament.
 
I love Jesus for making things plain and simple for us. We come to Him in our sin-stained condition. He does not discriminate in pouring out His love on us. To use current language, he is an equal-opportunity God. In the words of the old hymn, “whosoever will may come.” All are invited to His table.
 
My prayer for this Lenten period is that we, like the children Jesus encouraged us to emulate, would come to Him anew, accepting afresh the gift of salvation He freely offers. Regardless of who or what we are, we have the assurance that the Son of God will throw no “shade” on us.
 
Rather, He calls us to a life in which, as we serve and honor Him, gladly sharing the Good News of the gift of salvation, we will “shine . . . like stars in the sky.” (Phil 2:15).
 
Alison Hector
 
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@GospelFit Lenten Challege Day 32 ~ Let’s Not Be Sin

March 21st, 2013   •   no comments   

“None of the sins that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live. Ezekiel 33:16

sinWhen I read these words, I instantly felt mercy, grace, love, strength, freedom, power, and relief.  The type of relief that comes when you know and can say that God has not given up on me; there is still an opportunity for change.  Change first must begin within us, before it manifest to the outside.  When I read this scripture, I used to think along the lines of the obvious sins, like violating the 10 commandments, but what about the sins that we commit against ourselves.

We often forget how special we are.  We are divine masterpieces, formed in love; corrupted and deformed by sin; but reformed by grace. That is what Ezekiel 33:16 is telling me.  However, sometimes we forget that about ourselves.  In Psalm 139:13 King David wrote: “you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”

We have been formed in love and are divine masterpieces. Sadly, we don’t always see ourselves that way.  Instead of thanking God for the body he has given us, we wish we had a smaller nose, bigger hands, more hair, less hair, to be smarter, popular, etc. But God made each of us the way he wanted us to be and he did so in love.

One of our greatest sins is not having love for ourselves and when we do not love ourselves, how can we truly say we love one another and love God.  Take a minute and remember the last time, the words that you spoke over yourself were not the most positive. Have you said, oh, I am too fat, I can’t do this, I got big, this that, or something else.  Has there been something that God has required of you, and knew it was God’s voice and you have not done it.  Have you cut yourself off from someone and let pride keep you away because maybe they would not understand, or even care?  Have you decided that life really is not going to change, and you have stopped, praying fasting and trusting?  Or even thinking about stuff and situations and ending the thoughts, so what, who cares if I do or don’t… you fill in the blank.  You are not alone; many of us have fallen into despair one time or another.  The danger is staying in any of these scenarios.

God is patiently waiting for us to start the process of self-love, for our repentance, and recognize that no matter what our physical features are, our mental state is –  if we repent in our heart, God will remind us of His great love for us, deliver us from our bondage, and reform us into God’s own likeness – the blinders are removed from our eyes, the ever eluding joy is now all over us, and whatever sins we have committed will no longer be remembered and held against us.

The awesome thing is that God isn’t asking us to do that which he doesn’t give us the power to do.  We can love ourselves; we can truly remove that pain, and love ourselves, then love our neighbors and truly love God.  And as we are repentant of our negative self-talk, we have a guarantee  of God’s love that sends the Holy Spirit into our lives to facilitate our changes. The more we began to let go, receive God in all of God’s glory, we will want to sing with David: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14a) and the past will no longer be remembered.  Live Victoriously.

Jaqueline Rooths

Website: Soulfully Raw
Jacki’s Blog

@GospelFit Lenten Challenge Day 31 ~ It Ain’t About Common Sense

March 20th, 2013   •   no comments   

“The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.” Judges 7:7 (NIV)

VictoryIn today’s Lenten scripture we see Gideon preparing to go forth to battle. He is doing what he thinks needs to be done; getting as many people together as he can to be ready to move forward. . He must have been quite surprised for God to tell him to leave most of his help behind. This truly did not make common sense. This was against everything that Gideon knew to be true when preparing for combat.

The one thing that this portion of scripture struck me was that Gideon listened to God.  No, it did not make any worldly sense to cut back on the troops needed to go into battle. But He listened!  How are our listening ears these days?  Think about this, what if God told us to leave something in our life, that we are comfortable with – just leave it alone.  Actually, forget about this thing, and move forward.  Don’t talk to anyone, don’t explain, just do it.

For those who will ask this question – how do we know it is God, while that is another blog topic, I will refer you to John 10:27: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (NKJV)

Would we trust God? Would we even believe that it was Him because he was advising us to do something that did not make any sense to us in our common sense approach to problems?  Sometimes, I think that I have God all figured out, because I have been living awhile and I have seen some things, had experiences, so even when God sets up situations  to change my  patterns of approach and behavior, I have thought that I  can make correction as if my way is better. Now, I am being transparent here, because before I can help someone else, I need to be truly honest about me!

Earlier, I said Gideon listened, why is that?  In verse 2, God told Gideon that with so many men in the army, they would think that they were self-sufficient and thus, need not depend on God. And to prove his point God gave Gideon a command in verse 3 to announce to the men “Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead,” and as such 22,000 men left the army because they were afraid. God finally reduced the number to just 300 and clearly told Gideon that he was to obey Him in His selection.

Gideon listened, saw results, just as we have many times over in our lives when we have listened to God.  I just believe had Gideon gone into battle with all of the people that he had recruited because it made more sense to him then he stood a great chance of losing the Lord on his side. Think on this, if 22,000 men who left, had actually stayed, what would have happened in that battle?

Sometimes God may call us to make an unorthodox move to send His word forth. Are we prepared to be used by God in such a manner as this? Some of us are just sitting there wondering what is going on and what should we do next. We must be careful that God isn’t saying, “Leave this, that or the other behind and move forward now!”

May, I suggest that we refresh, regroup and reorganize our thinking, so that God can do a new thing in us.  As soon as we accept what God allows, new things will be exposed and opportunities will be abound because we are aligned in God!   Be Victorious today!

Jaqueline Rooths

Website: Soulfully Raw
Jacki’s Blog

@GospelFit #LentenChallenge Day 30 ~ Freedom

March 19th, 2013   •   no comments   
freedom2

1 Peter 4:1-2 (NRSV) Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh,[a] arm yourselves also with the same intention (for whoever has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin), 2 so as to live for the rest of your earthly life[b] no longer by human desires but by the will of God

I got saved when I was a pre-teen. I recall thinking there are so many restrictions associated with being a Christian. You can’t do this, that or the other. You can bet that all of those things I wanted to do were things that were harmful for me. I can see it now, but certainly could not appreciate the danger back then. Even as I grew up I still thought this life of being a believer comes with so many restrictions, why would anyone commit to this way of living. Still, as I reflect now I wanted to do whatever I wanted to do, whenever I wanted to do it. Can We Talk?!

Now that I have grown up and understand better my purpose and the purpose and power of my salvation, I understand that the boundaries, restrictions or the Laws were not designed to keep me in bondage, but they were designed to set me free. When I think about no longer being a slave to sin and giving into every desire of my flesh, I understand that I am set free by those boundaries. Do I still sin? YES. Come on, you know the answer to that. Am I under the dominion of sin? NO! There is a difference.

When we are under the dominion of sin, we HAVE to sin. We don’t have a choice. Sin may in fact, be our way of life. When I recognize the power over sin I have through the blood of Christ I am able to DECIDE or CHOOSE to sin OR NOT in every situation in my life. I am aware that the choices I am making are sinful and those choices have the potential to lead to death.

I hope that you can comprehend the freedom that your salvation affords you. When we are able to live according to the will of God, instead of being driven by our fleshly desires we are set free. As a believer there are certain activities that I choose not to partake in. But that does not mean that I am missing out on anything. In fact, the opposite is true. I have gained so much through this relationship with Jesus. Riches untold. Loving the Lord makes us want to live according to His will. For me, it means that I have freedom to live a wonderfully blessed life.

Aqua 4HisTemple

 

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