Tag: God Focus

LIVING SACRIFICE

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

We bring money and place it in a plate as it is passed around at church; this is an offering. We give an offering out of our increase back to God. We don’t then go later and take the money back. Yet we offer our lives to God as an offering. Then the first little rough patch, we take it back and try to run our lives ourselves. Only to be confused when it all falls apart.

The Bible says we are to present ourselves as a living sacrifice. It’s our offering to God that we say, “Here is the life that you gave me. I’ve given it back to you. I want to live to glorify you.” This is how we present our bodies as a living sacrifice. We surrender to go where he sends us. This is one of the scariest things to say and really mean. We are all human and giving complete control to someone else, even God, is scary.

Our flesh rises up and is afraid. Often, we don’t want to pray, read our Bible or go where God wants because our flesh fights against God’s plan. We don’t want to leave our comfort zone. We need to fight our instinct to run. Changing our thinking will help us to surrender to God fully. It is not an easy process and not one to be taken lightly. God understands and is there to reassure us in our quest to surrender. We transform our minds by reading and studying the Word.

Romans 6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

Staying in the word will help us to surrender our lives fully and completely. There is an old song that sums up this process. Learning to lean on Jesus. It talks about how each day, we are learning to lean on Jesus. As we grow as Christians, the process gets easier.

Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

The more of His Spirit we have in us, the less control our flesh has over our choices. This is how we sacrifice for him. Because he paid the ultimate sacrifice for us. He can do so much with a little bit. Imagine if we could fully surrender and give our lives 100% to Him, holding back nothing. This should be the goal of each and every one of His children.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

A BIBLE STUDY

KEEPERS OF THE FLAME

A STUDY ABOUT CARRYING

THE LIGHT OF CHRIST

LLOYD DEMSEY II

This study was written by the late Lloyd Dempsey II, edited by his wife, Angela Dempsey

It is being published in memory of Lloyd and his love for the people of God. He wanted to encourage and enlighten someone every day. May this study lift you up and encourage you to carry the flame of God to show the lost a way out of darkness.

There is a tribe of people living like cavemen in the Amazon Jungle. The most complex machine that they have is a long bow. They use this bow for hunting. These people have never developed a way to start their own fire. The only way to get fire is to collect it from a lightning strike. Since fire is so hard for them to obtain, they consider it a “Gift of God.”

As Christian in the modern U.S. we take for granted the ease of making fire. All we need is a match, a lighter or some other device. However, if we had to work at it, fire can be a hard thing to obtain. In this study we will examine the natural fire and relate it to the Holy Ghost Fire.

John said, Matt 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

Just as the little Amazon Indian sees natural fire as a gift from God, we as Christians receive Holy Fire from the true God. But what good is it? What do we do with this Gift of Fire?

To answer this question, we must look at how to use natural fire. Fire gives us light and allows us to see what is around us in the dark. Whether or not there is a stumbling block or a clear path ahead, a brother or an enemy. It also helps us see the work we are doing.

If you have ever awoken to a power outage and had to bumble around in the dark, you can really appreciate the light of even a small candle. It is amazing how a little fire can make a big difference.

How does this relate to Holy Fire?

2 Pet. 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

2 Pet. 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

2 Pet 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Jesus commanded us to let our light shine.

Matt 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Matt 5:15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

Matt 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Jesus told us that a little fire in the form of a candle is very important. The light from a city at that time was a collection of little fires. When a little fire is held high, everyone benefits.

Often there are times when we sit on a pew, silent. We think our little song or testimony isn’t good enough to be shared. Jesus wants us to share it anyway. This is how God is glorified and the lost won to the kingdom.

If a man wondering in the wilderness sees the collective light from a city. He knows he can find shelter.

Natural fire keeps us warm. It is said that a person standing in the wilderness, on a cold night can survive only three hours without the comfort of a fire for warmth.

Act 9:31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.

Natural fire is used to cook or prepare food. Again, through the Holy Ghost food is given to us.

Jer. 3:15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

Natural fire purifies for us precious things. The Holy fire purifies us to make us more precious to God.

I Peter 4:12-14 12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

As we have seen, natural fire is a wonderful useful thing. Spiritual or Holy Fire is an absolute necessity, and I haven’t even scratched the surface. Next, let us look at the maintenance of fire, after all if we are “keepers of the flame,” then we have a responsibility to see that fire is there when it is needed.

In the Amazon Indian’s world there is only two ways to get fire. One way is to collect wildfire from a lightening strike. (This is why they believe it is a gift of God). The other way is to get the “Keepers of the Flame,” to share with you the fire he has collected and nurtured from a previous strike. (The same Gift)

As Christians there is only two ways to get spiritual fire (Holy Ghost Fire) The first ways is to get fire directly from God.

Acts 2:1-4 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The other way is for a Holy Ghost filled person to pass it on.

Acts 8:14-17 14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:

15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:

16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

As “Keepers of the Flame” we are given the responsibility of passing on the fire, nurturing the fire, and keeping a constant watch. Just as the little Indian in the Amazon must carry a smoldering stick everywhere he goes, so we must carry our Holy Ghost Fire everywhere.

Mark 16:15-16 (15) And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

The little Indian can be spotted anywhere, because of the smoke from his stick, everyone who sees him knows he has God’s Gift. They know that he is the one to go to when it is time to cook, get comforting warmth, or kindle the nights campfire; which keeps away the large jungle cats that constantly stalk the tribe in the darkness.

Mark 16:17-18 (17) And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Some people believe that although we are commissioned to preach the gospel to the whole world. The signs of those who believe was only for those living at the time of Christ. Both Joel and Acts tells us this is for everybody.

Joel 2:28-30 This is quoted in Acts 2:17-19

Acts 2:16-19 16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

So if we have fire, there is going to be smoke; for just as smoke is evidence of fire in a stick. These signs are evidence of the Holy Ghost in a person. (Mark 16:17-18) (I must point out here that in Mark 16:18 the serpents here are symbolic of the devil and are taken up to be cast out. The deadly drink is representative of false doctrine.

Truly God gives his servants protection from an accidental poisoning. However, picking up snakes and drinking strychnine are foolishly tempting God. Therefore, it is a sin in itself.)

As I write this I must ask myself, is the Holy Ghost in me as evident as the natural fire is in the life of the little Amazon Indian’s life?

Do the people in my life know they can come to me when they need fed or comforted?

Can they see that I have God’s Gift, that can shine a light on their path or drive out the wild beast that hunt them in the spiritual darkness?

Have I let my fire go down or worse yet, have I let it go out completely?

I Tim 4:14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

What can I do to keep the fire burning?

II Tim 1:6-7 6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.

7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Our flame is a tool for God to work in our lives; to provide for us, as well as those who surround us. So we must keep our flame stirred up with prayer, praise and the receiving of his word. If we are diligent in these things, we can be assured that our flame will grow strong.

Sadly, despite all diligence the little Amazon Indian lives in a place where very few people preach the truth and probably is a pagan. Thank you Jesus, that you allowed me to be an American, where I can be a Christian and a “Keeper of your fire.”

If you are reading this today and have let your fire go down or go out completely. God wants to rekindle your flame right now. This study has not come to you by accident. Much prayer has gone into its’ creation.

I believe that God will move upon you right now to increase your spiritual fire. He will help you grow in wisdom, knowledge and truth.

Matt 18:12-14 12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

If you have never had fire, then the Lord Jesus Christ wants you to become a flame and light for him. Repent and get your sins under the blood of Christ. Be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and pray for God to fill you with the Holy Ghost and you will receive fire.

Questions:

How can I receive God’s holy fire? ____________________________________________________________________________________

As a believer, how do I carry the fire to those that need light and the warmth of God’s love? ____________________________________________________________________________________

What do we do with the gift of fire?
____________________________________________________________________________________

How does holy fire compare to natural fire when it comes to purifying?

____________________________________________________________________________________

As believers we are given a great commission to spread the love of God to the world and share the holy fire with them.

The little Indian in our comparison can be spotted because of his smoke. What are some thing people will notice about us as believers that make us stand out?

____________________________________________________________________________________

OUR HIDING PLACE

Psalm 91:1-8 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. 8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. 9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

We, as Children of the most high God, can always depend on him to watch over us. The word dwell means to remain for a time. God wants us to remain for a time with him. He wants us to spend time with him. Dwell also can mean to live as a resident. God wants us to reside with him. He is our Father, and He loves us.

He is our refuge, a hiding place from the attacks of the enemy. He will shelter us under the shadow of His wings. Like a mother bird hides her babies under her wing to protect them from the elements and attack of predators, God hides us from evil attacks.

If we remain close to him, he will deliver us from any plan the enemy has to destroy us. He is our shield. We have nothing to fear, no matter what the news says every day. God is going to take care of His children. Look all down through history at examples; God saved Noah and his family. They were locked away into the ark of safety long before it started raining.

The children of Israel were safe from all the plagues God unleashed in Egypt. Nothing was close to hurting the children of Israel. What God used to deliver the Children of Israel from the enemy, he used to destroy the Egyptians. He took the plans of the enemy and destroyed them. At the same time, he blessed his people.

In the book of Esther, God used one girl to save His people. Haman her enemy, made a gallows for Mordecai, Esther’s relative. God turned around the situation and Haman and his sons hung on the gallows he made for Mordecai. God will always protect his people.

These are just three examples; the word of God is full of amazing stories of deliverance. There is a certain security in knowing the Lord. Do not fear the things that are happening in our world today. God will turn it around also, in His timing and leave a blessing for his chosen ones.

Verse nine says 9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; David says because we make the Lord our dwelling place, we will see the reward of the wicked. It will not be pretty what God will do to our enemies.

Eph 2:18-22 18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Verse 18 is talking about Jesus. Through his sacrifice on the cross, we have access by the Holy Ghost to the Father. We are no longer strangers; we become God’s children. We become a dwelling place for God. Together with other believers, we become a habitation for God through the Holy Ghost.

We abide in Him, we dwell with Him, we become His habitation. One verse refers to us as the temple of God. He is our hiding place. Do not let the things in this life become bigger in your sight than God. Do not allow fear of what the enemy is trying to do, cause you to lose sight of Jesus. Sometimes it is a walk by faith and not by sight kind of moment. But if we can learn to press through and keep our God focus, we will find his peace under the shadow of his wings.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

ONE FLOWER

I was sitting in the drive-thru line at my bank the other day. As I waited for the teller to cash my check, I looked around at all the pretty flowers. They always do such a good job with the landscaping. Then I noticed a bright yellow flower all alone. It was almost behind the dumpster, against the fence on top of a pile of gravel. From the location of the flower, it grew there on its own. I don’t know if it was from a seed of one that had been discarded and missed the dumpster. I don’t know if a bird dropped it. But it was still there with its face to the sun saying, ‘Hey world, here I am; I am not supposed to be here, but I fought hard to grow through the rough spots.’ That one flower defied the odds and grew where it wasn’t supposed to grow.

How many times do we face things that try to define our purpose for us? Are we going to allow our circumstances to define us? Are we going to boldly stand with our faces to God and say, ‘Hey world, here I am, I am not supposed to be here, the enemy tried to take me out, but God had other plans.’

I have fought through adversity to grow into the person that I am; satan doesn’t define me. I may not be planted where some feel I should be, but I am where God wants me. I want to be like the one lone flower and keep growing even if it is not easy. Sometimes it’s easier to stand out when we are not surrounded by other flowers. Bloom where God plants you and be bold. Sometimes we are called to be set apart from the crowd to let our light shine.

God will sometimes remove people from our lives. Others he will make unavailable because he wants us to lean on him. We need to come apart and be with him. He wants us to sit quietly and listen to him. We can grow spiritually through adversity. The hard things make us stronger and more determined. If our roots go deep enough, we can grow even when we are in rocky places. I want to be a determined individual, determined to keep my face toward God and bloom where He plants me.

Gal 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

FIERY TRIALS

I am sure that Daniel would not have wanted to be in the lion’s den. The three Hebrew children probably would not have wanted to be put in the fiery furnace. Job would not have wanted to suffer the things he did. But sometimes, the things we walk through are not just for us but to let the world see Jesus in us. Even Christ prayed, “Let this cup pass from me.” Yet he went to the cross and suffered because it was for the salvation of mankind.

I Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

We often wonder why good people seem to suffer while evil people prosper. The evil ones have their reward for a season. But the Children of God will have our reward forever more. The fiery trials are to make us stronger. The fire will burn out our impurities. The things we sometimes walk through are to teach us a lesson. The enemy will sometimes see how we walk through the fiery trials and be amazed at how God has worked on our behalf.

Do not be discouraged or allow the spirit of heaviness to lay on you. He will remove the spirit of heaviness. Depression and discouragement have filled the earth. But God will remove them if we look to him and trust in him.

God is looking for a few good men and women to be his army. He honors the bold and the brave. It will take boldness, Holy Boldness, in these days in which we live. We must have a made-up (determined) mind to follow Christ, no matter what it costs, even our lives. He is starting to give marching orders. Will we obey? Will we rise up and be the Christian Army the world needs to see or will we stay in our comfort zone? I am afraid those that choose the comfort zone over the fiery trials will be left behind.

The next time you walk through a tough time, remember that your fiery trial is working for your good and the good of others.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

JOY AND HAPPINESS

Phil 4:8-9 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

We often tell our friends that we only wish for them to be happy. But actually, we should wish for them to be joyful instead. Happiness depends on outside factors. If we have the right romantic relationship, if we have the right job, if we have material things that make us comfortable. All these things affect our happiness.

Joy is something we carry on the inside. It is a sense of contentment or peace. It does not dependent on material things, friends, family or the right romantic partner. Joy is a state of being that comes from God. If we are His people, he will give us joy. Inner joy can help us to let our light shine in difficulties. Adversity can affect our happiness. It doesn’t affect our joy.

We can have our backs against the wall and feel like we have no escape from the things that come against us in life. These things can steal our sense of happiness, but they cannot steal our joy, as long as we look to Jesus to help us overcome our fiery trials.

Happiness is about pleasing ourselves, while joy comes when we please others. Being content is a choice that we will not allow the enemy to make us feel down if we don’t have the material things, we wish we had in our possession. God will provide all we need. If we have what we need today, tomorrow will take care of itself. When it arrives, we will again evaluate if we have all we need.

Phil 4:10-12 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

We may face rough times, but learning to be content is a way to allow the Holy Ghost to take control of our lives. He will lead us exactly where we need to be and will provide what we need. If we can learn to be content, we will be a greater light to the world.

Joy is a fruit of the spirit and comes from the Lord. The longer we walk on this Christian journey the more our fruit should grow. We should walk in Love as well as Joy, letting our light shine before the world.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

COMPLACENT

Complacency is the most dangerous place for Christians to find themselves. It is easy to allow life to get in our way. We will say, “I am really busy today, I will skip my bible reading.” Or “I don’t have time to concentrate on prayer, I will say a quick prayer and I will pray longer tomorrow.” One day turns into a week, then a month before you know it a month has gone by and then…we find ourselves in a place that forces us to our knees.

The word of God renews our minds. It helps us to keep our hands clean and our feet out of mischief. We can be fine one moment and under attack the next. If we haven’t spent much time praying or studying, we will be weak. Fighting off the attack will be harder. The enemy watches to see when we are at what he thinks is a weak moment. We cannot get complacent and give him an opportunity to attack.

Romans 12:2 – And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

We renew our mind by being in God’s presence and allowing the Word to wash and cleans our mind. There are times when we feel like we get nothing out of our reading of the word. But it is not just words on a page it is living and transforming. It will get in our spirit and gives us what we need, even when we don’t feel like anything is different.

Psalm 119:11 -11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

We hide the word in our hearts. It will be there when the enemy comes to cause trouble by lying to us. We will be empowered to say, “No satan, the word says ….” We can quote the word that is hidden in our hearts.

Reading, prayer, worship, along with fellowship with other believers will help us to keep our God Focus. Jesus is the best thing to keep our focus on in this life.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

CLIMBING

Life is like a staircase stretching from earth to heaven. There are people that are just starting on their journey with Christ that are behind us. Others are on steps ahead of us. Each one of us has a responsibility to help those on the stairs behind us. None of us are perfect. None of us will ever be perfect enough to sit in the judgment seat. But we can reach down and lift up those who are not as strong. Hopefully, the ones before us will do the same for us.

Phil 1:5-6 (5) For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; 6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

We can be confident that as long as we depend on Christ, he will keep us. It is in him that we will grow in truth and righteousness. We need to examine ourselves and try to walk as close as possible. It is not our place to judge our brother. God will complete the work he started.

Matt 7:1-5 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

We need to pull the piece of lumber out of our eye before we can see clearly to help our brother with a speck of dust in his. In other words, we need to walk righteously before God and worry about our own issues and shortcomings.

Each day is a chance to climb higher in understanding and wisdom. We are called to love one another and help someone along their way. Have a great week.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

FINDING BEAUTY

A little girl, named Sara was walking along the beach for the first time. As she walked along, she started picking up seashells. Her mother pointed out one shell and the little girl said, “No I don’t want that one it is broken.” Her mom said, “Sometimes broken things can be beautiful.” The little girl picked it up and kept walking. When they got home the mom placed that seashell on a shelf. It had pretty, purple spirals around the cone shape, even though it had a piece broken off it.

Many years later, Sara looked at the shell and it reminded her of that vacation. She smiled remembering what her mother had said to her. “Sometimes broken things can be beautiful.” Her mind wandered to how life had left her broken at times. She suffered from depression and felt broken until God set her free. Smiling she understood what her mother was talking about, Jesus makes beautiful things out of broken things.

———-

People’s lives are often like this shell. We have broken places, but we can still be beautiful. We can still be useful, even if we are not perfect or fully together. God does not call the perfect. He calls those he has had to work on and recreate. Then he takes that brokenness and uses it to reach those that are broken and lost.

We have to be vulnerable and show our scars sometimes. Many people are dealing with terrible things. They are needing to see that God has delivered us from the things that broke us. It will give them hope that they can be delivered too.

We were broken, but now are whole and complete in Jesus. I once was lost, but now am found.

Psalm 147:3 3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

KEEP GOING

Everyone has a story. Each one of us has been through something that was hard to walk out. Some of it is because of bad choices we have made to sin. Others are attacks of the enemy. While some things we have to walk through is just life.

As we run this race we will come upon a lot of things. Facing adversity is one of the biggest struggles for many Christians. Enduring opposition will give us strength. When we feel anything but peace, He is our peace. Our joy comes from the Lord.

We are called to walk in love even when we don’t feel the emotion. Some people are hard to love, their actions make us feel the emotions that lean toward the opposite of love. But Jesus loves the unlovable. He loved me when I wasn’t capable of loving him back.

We have two choices every day, do we run this race or do we quit. If we quit, we will be plunged into darkness left to navigate life totally on our own. If we keep running this race, it will be rough at times but God is with us to help us run this race. The choice is a no brainer.

2 TIM 2:3-4 3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

We have to find the strength to keep fighting and keep pushing forward. He never promised we would not have difficult times. He did promise to never leave us or forsake us. With Him, we have Him there to strengthen us, there is not anything we cannot endure.

It is all about pushing through the pain and enduring the opposition we come up against. Heaven is real and waiting for us to finish this race well. Hold on my friends, keep going. You do not go alone, Jesus is with you.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS