God came to live with us....

Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.Luke 2:19

It was anything but an idyllic, silent night on that cool Bethlehem evening when a scared teenager gave birth to the King of kings. Mary endured the pain of her baby's arrival without the aid of anything more than the carpentry-roughened hands of Joseph, her betrothed. Shepherds may have been serenaded in nearby fields by angels singing praises to the Baby, but all Mary and Joseph heard were the sounds of animals, birth agony, and the first cries of God in baby form. A high-magnitude star shone in the night sky above the outbuilding, but the manger scene was a dreary place for these two out-of-town visitors.
As Joseph laid the infant in Mary's arms, a combination of wonder, pain, fear, and joy must have coursed through her heart. She knew, because of an angel's promise, that this tiny bundle was "the Son of the Highest". As she peered through the semidarkness into His eyes and then into Joseph's, she must have wondered how she was going to mother this One whose kingdom would never end.
Mary had much to ponder in her heart on that special night. Now, over 2,000 years later, each of us needs to consider the importance of Jesus' birth and His subsequent death, resurrection, and promise to return.

God came to live with us so that we could live with Him.

Ministry of the Towel....

Jesus came to serve and to give.
It makes sense, then, to say that
God desires the same for us.
After bringing us into His family
through faith in His Son, the Lord God
sets His sights on building into us the
same quality that made Jesus distinct
from all other in His day. He is engaged
in building into His people the same
serving and giving qualities that
characterized His Son.-Charles Swindoll

Where is your Towel ? around your neck to be served or In your hands to SERVE

The Son of Man
did not come to be served,
but to serve.
Mark 10:45

Here's looking at you Kid......

God misses nothing. He's looking out for us.
He's listening to our prayers. And He is completely aware of the evil that is happening to us.
Don't ever think He has missed the evil. He sees,
and He remembers. He may be long-suffering, but
He doesn't compromise His justice..... Not only His eye
on the righteous, His face is against evil. Ultimately,
good will overcome evil. In the end God wins!
-Charles Swindoll

The eyes of the Lord
are toward the righteous, and His ears
attend to their prayer.
1 Peter 3:12

Prone to Wander......

Wherever I am--high above the sky or in the deepest ocean-nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ when he died for us. Romans 8:39

Have you ever heard of the name Robert Robinson? I have sung his songs and read some portions of his writings but never knew his name... Last night, as I read about his life, I recognized some of myself in his experience....
If you were raised in church like I was,then you might have sung his song or heard it .. "Come ,thou Fount of every blessing,Tune my heart to sing Thy grace"....
Robert admitted,that while he love Jesus deeply ,but..At times his passion for God and his devotion ran dry, His heart was prone to wander...

In Revelation 2:1-7 In this letter, talks about their service to him and their unwillingness to tolerate evil but He said..YOU don't Love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen from your first love!....

After many years of wondering far away from God,Robert Robinson was riding a stage coach with a young lady that was shocked to find out that the words she was reading, were written by the man sitting in front of her... with tears coming down His face..She read, "Streams of mercy,never ceasing" She showed him there were no seasons too lengthy ,no distance too great for the love of God to find him,comfort him and bring him home again....

I have been in a relationship with Jesus since I was 8 yrs. old... I have been like the church in Revelation..stood against evil but did not love... I have been like Robert and wondered far from God...I have done a lot of service for God.. I thought what I did for Christ ,was what the christian life all about but in Knowing the truth of God's word, it is what He does in and through us!!( Gal.2:20) As I surrender to His will and live by His spirit, Loving becomes His responsibility!

I am forever grateful for his love and mercy..May the words of Robert Robinson be our prayer......"O to grace how great a debtor ,Daily I'm constrained to be! Let Thy goodness like a fetter, Blind my wandering heart to Thee: Prone to wander Lord, I feel it-prone to leave the God I love: here's my heart-O take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above.

By the Grace of God,I never want to leave of my first love for Him....

The study of David is over but God is NOT finished.....

Our Swag study of David has ended and I wanted to share with you the last blog I posted.. hopefully it will encourage you.. to devote yourself to having a Heart Like His..
Monday,December 7,2009

While the book study and blogging might be finished... God working in us to make our hearts like His..IS NOT finished !!!

This study of David's life has been an awesome encouragement to me... Showing me God's love and mercy and His faithfulness to those who love him... David's life gave me hope... That devotion to God doesn't mean PERFECTION but that God loves me in spite of my weakness and He can use me, when I devoted to Him..
Even though David made BIG mistakes and had many troubles., and even though he'd fall down and He'd get back up, he'd run and hide ... He did leave a legacy of faithfulness and a heart that was devoted to God through it all.... David allowed God to develop within HIM an authentic relationship with Him....
There is so much from this study that God has impressed on heart.. from different people, just a few are :

* Samuel- not to mourn what could have been or what I thought should have been...
* Saul- not to hide behind my baggage and waste the opportunities God has given me, not to let jealousy , angry take root in my life..
* The woman, who stopped the revolt by cutting of the head- That God sometimes ask us to do the unthinkable to help farther his kingdom and I too can stop a revolt by cutting my words!
* David- while some might just see a Shepherd boy God sees a King!, don't judge,others, God ain't done yet!! Also to worship God with a" no hold Barr", worship, focus on HIM- no matter what you look like.. Dance!! He taught me that with God, all things are possible..He showed courage even in the midst of His own fear.. Forgiveness given in the deep sin ... he was devoted to prayer, also to make sure I am not trying use someone else Armour (expectation of me or their gifts) but use what He has given me , He will uses it to slay the giants and point people to HIM!! Also, to hold on to people ,positions and things loosely, cause they are all His!! David served His generation, so how am I doing this? Even when His dreams were not fulfilled, he stayed faithful to God til the end, trusting God with it all!!! So many other nuggets in this study.. as a wife, mother, friend, a mourner, warrior, worshiper...

I am so grateful, that the God of David, is also My God... That I too, can have a Heart like His.,being wholly devoted to HIM.. because He who began a work in me will continue til the day of Jesus Christ!!(Phil 1:6)

Thank you my friends, for taking this journey with me, God has used You in my life, like Jonathan with David, You have encouraged me through what God has spoken to you... As the songs says.. I see Jesus in You and it makes me love HIM!!!..
My prayer for you is...1 Chronicles 29:10-20-...... direct their hearts to You Lord, give to them a perfect heart to keep your commandments... Now bless the Lord Your God!!!!.......

I am blessed, to call you my friends!
Love ya'll, Brat SWAG