When Jesus Claims Your Heart

Posted on February 25, 2013 by 4Seasons2013

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” Galatians 2:20(NIV).

While having lunch at a Chinese restaurant recently, I cracked open my fortune cookie and read the following: “The greatest gift is love.”

Immediately, 1 Corinthians 13 came to mind. Aptly called the “love” chapter because it gives us a beautiful description of what Godly love is like, the passage is part of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians.

In this well-known chapter, Paul addresses the Corinthians, some of whom were seeking spiritual gifts to gain superior status. He reminds the church at Corinth that no matter which gift we have, if we are lacking in love, then in God’s sight we are nothing. Paul adds that without love, the gift is tarnished and ineffectual in God’s eyes.

Although she could not see or hear, Helen Keller learned about God from her teacher, Anne Sullivan. How do you tell someone about the Creator when they have never seen His creation? Taking Helen’s hand, Anne placed it on her own throat and repeated the word, “God,” until Helen understood. When she did, Helen said, “I always knew He was there, but I didn’t know His name!”

Later, Helen began corresponding with Reverend Phillips Brooks. In one of her letters, Helen wrote to the Rev. Brooks, saying, “I have always known about God, even before I had any words. Even before I could call God anything, I knew He was there. I didn’t know what it was.”

Helen had no name for God, because she did not have a name for anything or anyone. However, in her darkness and isolation, she knew she was not alone. Someone was with her. She felt God’s love. When Helen received the gift of language and heard about God, she said she already knew.

Thrilled by Helen’s letter, Rev. Brooks said, “This was the God I knew, the God who would come to a lonely child, a frustrated and lonely little girl, and find a way to speak love to her without a word.”

While research varies, some say that in an average day, we speak enough words to fill a book of 50-60 pages. If that’s true, then in an average year, our words could fill at least 100 books of 200 pages each. Is it a good thing to say so much?

In Luke 6:45, Jesus says, “What you say flows from what is in your heart.” What comes out of our mouths is what is in our hearts.

Before Jesus claimed my heart, I was not an effective witness for His glory. Words have the power to hurt or heal, and often, my words did not bring healing. However, “the life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Have you allowed Jesus to claim your heart?

If Jesus has claimed your heart, would you please share your message with others, including me?

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Who Guides Your Life?

Posted on February 3, 2013 by 4Seasons2013

“The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden,like a spring whose waters never fail”—Isaiah 58:11(NIV).

Halfway between Indiana and New Mexico, their car broke down in Claremore. Stranded and homeless, the family was referred to our church by someone in the community. After the family received the financial assistance needed to board a bus and continue on their journey, the mother asked our pastor, “Why do you do this?”

Pastor Ray replied, “Because God has been good to us and in turn we can bless others.”

Sharing this story in a recent sermon, our pastor said no one had ever asked him why we do the things we do to help others. A follow-up phone call from the young woman’s grandmother revealed her gratefulness. She said, “Without the help of your church, I don’t know what they would have done.”

What a witness to God’s glory! Being a witness to others means we must also reach outside the walls of the church building. While it’s important to plant seeds inside the church, it is just as important to leave the confines of our comfortable pews and stretch out our hands to a hurting world.

A recent newspaper article about actor Ving Rhames grabbed my attention because of the headline which mentioned “a career guided by faith.” When asked who had played an influential role in his life, the actor credited his mother as being a positive model. However, Rhames also revealed that his faith had steered him in a business usually not known for its high moral standards.

“I allow God to guide me,” he says. “In some ways, I don’t make choices. I try to stay out of God’s way. God has always provided for me, always had His hand on my life. I knew that at a very young age. My thing is to let go and let God. God knows what is better for me than I do.”

Also known for sharing his faith, NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, says, “People often seem to think that when you’re following the Lord and trying to do His will, your path will always be clear, the decisions smooth and easy, and life will be lived happily ever after and all that. Sometimes that may be true, but I’ve found that more often, it’s not. When it comes to making our decisions, the key that God is concerned with is that we are trusting and seeking Him. God’s desire is for us to align our lives with His Word and His will.”

When a friend shared the Bible verse that guides his life, I copied it down and posted it on my refrigerator as a daily reminder. Isaiah 48:17 says, “This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.’”

Where is God directing your life?

Share your thoughts with me at the link below. I always love hearing from my readers.

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New Year, New You—Every Day of Our Lives

Posted on January 21, 2013 by 4Seasons2013

“By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return” Genesis 3:19 (NIV).

Advertising slogans in January tout “New Year, New You.” Usually, the companies behind these campaigns allude to our physical health and outward appearance. I thought about this during a recent house cleaning. As I was wiping a small rocking chair, which is 57-years-old, I reflected on the accumulated dust since the previous tidying only seven days before.

My thoughts turned to that morning’s Bible reading in Genesis. One of my goals—I started January 1—will actually take three years to complete. I purchased an in-depth study Bible with a three-year reading plan. Although I have been through many Bible studies at church, I am choosing to read, study and savor a chapter a day. Cleaning the black rocker, given to me as a two-year-old, made me smile as I thought about my mother wiping its surface when I was a child.

As I continued dusting the chair, I thought about God’s decree when He banished Adam and Eve from the garden. With their sin, humankind lost the promise of immortality. I also reflected on humanity’s striving to stay youthful, trying every new product that comes along to recapture their younger appearances and stave off the ravages of old age. As I cleaned, my thoughts turned to the realization that I will return to dust someday. My somber mood lifted when I thought about haunting my sons if I returned as a dust bunny.

Why did I find that thought so amusing? My sons love to tease me, especially about getting older. I remind them they, too, will continue to age. All of us will. We can’t escape it. However, we can embrace it.

When I began to experience the age-related, “What am I here for” disease, I was frustrated at first. If you haven’t heard of this malady, it happens like this. You get busy doing something in one room of your house. Then, you think of something else that needs to be done and you drop what you’re doing to go do the other thing that needs doing. However, when you arrive at your destination, you have to stop and ask, “What am I here for?”

In 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Paul encourages the church in Corinth: “Therefore we do not lose heart.Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Like the dust settling around us, many choose to focus on appearances, deciding the exterior is more important than what lies beneath. This year, ask God to renew you each day. Aspire to improve your spiritual life.

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365 Days of Purposeful Living

Posted on December 31, 2012 by 4Seasons2013

“…for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” Philippians 2:13 (NIV).

Horrified by the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Connecticut, we may be struggling, especially during the Christmas holidays, to wrap our minds and hearts around this sad news. During a season in which we celebrate the joy of our Savior’s birth, how can we find purpose and meaning in this tragedy?

When tragedy strikes, people search for answers. Many ask, “Where was God?” Others hold tighter to their loved ones, especially their children. Tragedies like these can lead to two responses. Either, we become more cynical about society or we cling to hope through our Lord Jesus and make our world a better place. Which will you choose?

Before we heard the shocking news of December 14, I read a newspaper article about a girl who turned 12 on 12-12-12. To celebrate this unusual event, Kara didn’t ask for birthday presents. Instead, the sixth grader asked her classmates if they’d each bring in 12 nonperishable food items. The 12-year-old then made a special delivery of the items to Catholic Charities.

In return, Kara gave each of her classmates a goodie bag filled with 12 items. To celebrate, she placed 12 gold (chocolate) coins and other items related to this number in the bags. According to her parents, Kara chose the donation idea for her birthday because her classmates giving to charity would be better than giving to her. “It was all her idea,” says her mother. Maybe that’s because Kara’s parents have always modeled a spirit of giving in their home.

“It’s certainly something we feel like we could always do more of, but it’s just really important to give back to your community,” says the child’s mother.

As the New Year approaches, I would like to challenge my readers to “365 Days of Purposeful Living.” Choose each day to find one way to make a difference in the life of another. When you start your day in prayer, ask God, “Please show me who needs what I can provide today.”

Then, open your eyes to the opportunities around you. For example, when you see someone walking toward a door you are exiting, wait a few seconds longer so you can hold it open. You’ll be surprised by the response you get and the feeling you have after helping another. However, your commitment to daily purpose doesn’t have to be known by the other person. When I walk through my neighborhood, I pick up newspapers tossed in the grass and place them on doorsteps. Do my neighbors know of this deed? I haven’t told them but it brings me pleasure.

While we can’t change what happened in Connecticut, we can, as individuals and families, make a difference in our world each day, not just during the Christmas season, but 365 days a year. If you take this 365-day challenge, please document your purposeful living in a notebook and share it with others, including me.

Contact the author at carolaround@yahoo.com or leave a comment below.
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What do you lack?

Posted on November 19, 2012 by 4Seasons2013

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name”—Psalm 100:4 (NIV).

One of the things I like about technology is being able to stay connected with others. While I sometimes groan about our fast-paced world, I love keeping up with like-minded individuals through Facebook. On November 1, I noticed a 40-Day “thanks”-giving challenge. Each day in November, people began to post those things and people for which they are grateful. I joined the challenge and began posting daily.

During November, we celebrate a national day of thanksgiving, always the last Thursday of the month. This American holiday is a time to remember and give thanks for all of our blessings. For many, however, it’s the only day of the year they feel led to express their gratitude.

Did you know that one of humanity’s most powerful positive emotions is gratitude? Several years ago, psychologists started studying the science of giving thanks. What they discovered might surprise you. When you count your blessings, it makes you happier, even during difficult times.

Psychology professor Michael McCullough has studied people who were asked to be thankful on a regular basis. “When you stop to count your blessings, you are sort of hijacking your emotional system.”

Research by McCullough and others has revealed that giving thanks is a powerful emotion, feeding on itself. McCullough says, “Psychologists used to underestimate the strength of simple gratitude. It does make people happier. It’s an incredible feeling.”

Another psychologist, Maryann Troiana, has her clients keep a gratitude journal. By listing daily what they are thankful for, it changes their attitude and outlook on life. Agreeing, psychology professor Robert Emmons says, “It is important to focus more on the people for whom you are grateful. By concentrating on what life would be like without the good things, especially people like our spouses, you begin to realize just how grateful you are.”

Grateful people “feel more alert, alive, interested and enthusiastic,” Emmons says. “They also feel more connected to others.” Emmons, who has written two books on the science of gratitude, often studies the effects of using a gratitude journal.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Paul writes, “Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.”

Thank God no matter what happens? Surely, Paul was joking. What if we lived each day in gratitude for what we do have? What if we recalled the ways He has taken care of us in the past? Instead of complaining about those things we lack, what if we began to take an inventory of our simple treasures and conveniences like family, friends, food, shelter, electricity, a vehicle, our health and more. The list is endless.

While we can be blindsided by life’s unexpected burdens, we can choose to give thanks in all circumstances. Each day should be a day of thanksgiving to God and a lifestyle among God’s people. What are you thankful for today?

Coming soon: Carol’s new book, “Sola Fide: by FAITH alone.”

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What’s So Amazing about Grace?

Posted on November 12, 2012 by 4Seasons2013

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”—Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV).

It seems a cowboy from Colorado skipped church one Sunday to go bear hunting in the mountains. As he turned the corner along the path, he and a bear collided. The cowboy stumbled backwards, slipped off the trail and began tumbling down the mountain with the bear in hot pursuit. Finally, the cowboy crashed into a boulder, sending his rifle in one direction and breaking both legs. As the bear closed in, the cowboy cried out in desperation, “Lord, I’m sorry for what I have done. Please forgive me and save me! Lord, please make that bear a Christian.”

Suddenly, the clouds parted and a beam of light shone down on the bear. The bear skidded to a halt at the cowboy’s feet, fell to its knees, clasped its paws together and said, “God, bless this food which I am about to receive.”

While we can laugh at this joke, how many of us fail to grasp the breadth of God’s amazing grace? One scripture holds the answer. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

One of my favorite hymns is “Amazing Grace.” Slave trader John Newton, a man deeply entrenched in sin, penned the song in 1773 after he experienced the transforming power of God’s grace during a violent storm at sea. During the Civil War, both sides sang the song and on the Trail of Tears, the Cherokee Indians used it as a requiem for their dead. Civil Rights protestors defiantly sang it during Freedom Marches. When Nelson Mandela was freed from prison and when the Berlin Wall came tumbling down, “Amazing Grace” rang out. A mourning world sang the lyrics on September 11, 2001 and when the New Orleans Saints marched back into the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina, reviving the spirit of a fallen city.

In 1 Timothy 1:15, Paul wrote: “It is a trustworthy statement, deserv­ing full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.”

What’s so amazing about His grace? Christian author Regina Franklin has this to say about grace. “His grace should cause us to be speechless before Him. The temptation comes, however, either to make God no more significant than the latest thrill or to view Him as noticeably distant and cruelly authoritative. “A consuming fire” (Heb 12:29), He does not desire our destruction but burns away anything that would destroy us. His work in our lives reminds us that we are not God. Rather than quaking in fear, however, we bow with steady knees and reach with confident arms. May we live with a palpable sense of His incredible power, brilliant holiness, and genuine goodness.”

Grace—we don’t deserve it. We can’t earn it. It’s a gift. Isn’t that amazing?

Coming soon: Carol’s new book, “Sola Fide: by FAITH alone.” 

 

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To Whom It May Concern

Posted on November 5, 2012 by 4Seasons2013

“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name…’”—Matthew 6:9(NIV).

 Letter writing seems to be a lost art. I can recall writing letters of recommendation for students when I taught high school. I always requested the name of the person to whom I needed to address the letter, if it were available. “To whom it many concern” seemed so impersonal.

I thought about this phrase when we were discussing prayer and its role in our lives during a recent Sunday school discussion. Many people who know of God, but don’t know Him personally, seldom turn to prayer unless it’s an emergency. For those who do know Him personally, they don’t address their prayers, “to whom it may concern.”

In “Committed to Christ: Six Steps to a Generous Life,” author Bob Crossman, says, “To grow toward a deeply devoted prayer life, one must pray.”

We’ve made prayer complicated and difficult and it has somehow become lost, as Crossman says, “in all kinds of theological technicalities, liturgical formalities, and religious language.”

If you have read and studied the Bible, you know that Jesus began each day in prayer. In Mark 1:35, he tells us, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”

Do you think Jesus’ prayers to His Abba Father were elaborate? I doubt it. In Matthew 6, Jesus goes right to the heart of prayer when He says, “When you pray, do not use a lot of meaningless words, as the pagans do, who think that their gods will hear them because their prayers are long. Do not be like them.”

In his book on prayer, Richard Foster says, “What I am trying to say is that God receives us just as we are and accepts our prayers just as they are. In the same way that a small child cannot draw a bad picture so a child of God cannot offer a bad prayer.”

If we can’t offer a bad prayer, why do so many Christians not pray? Here are some reasons (excuses) I came across and my replies:

“I don’t have time.” You must make time. It’s a discipline, just like anything else—if you want it badly enough.

“God never answers my prayers anyway.” God has answered more of my prayers than I ever thought possible. Praying and waiting requires patience and perseverance.

“I don’t know how to pray.” Prayer is simply a conversation with God. You also have to listen more than you speak.

“Why would God want to hear from me anyway?” Because you are His child, He wants to hear from you. He loves you so much He gave His only Son for you.

“If I pray, God might want me to change.” Yes, He does. Prayer does that. It changes the one who prays.

We can come to God in simple prayer, knowing He hears our concerns. We don’t have to pretend to be holy or pure, we just have to be authentic.

Don’t forget to leave me a comment  below. Coming soon: Carol’s new book, “Sola Fide: by FAITH alone.”
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Picked from the Patch

Posted on October 28, 2012 by 4Seasons2013

“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of”—Luke 6:45(NIV).

 Fall means cooler weather, leaves changing colors and the explosion of pumpkin patches. Children, especially, love picking a pumpkin to carve a face into the round fruit and then decorating it with a candle so the scary face glows in the dark.

When someone says, “pumpkin,” the first thought in most people’s minds is Halloween. For me, it’s pumpkin pie. However, I had never considered how a Christian is like a pumpkin until I came across the following story: A woman, recently baptized, was asked by a co-worker what it was like to be a Christian. She replied, “It’s like being a pumpkin. God picks you from the patch, brings you in and washes all the dirt off you. Then he cuts the top off and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed and other sinful stuff. Then, He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for the entire world to see.”

While this may be a simplistic explanation of Christian transformation, it can give us pause to consider what it really means to be a Christ follower. First, it starts in the heart. While we can intellectually choose to believe, profess our faith through baptism and clean up our behavior, if we haven’t allowed Jesus to have complete access to our heart, what comes out of us may not be very Godly.

One way to monitor what comes out of us is to track our words. The Apostle Paul said, “If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate” (1 Corinthians 13:1 MSG). If anger, criticism, bitterness and hatred spew out of our mouths, what does that say about our heart condition?

In Luke 6:45, Jesus says behavior starts in the heart, so we need cleaning from the inside out. Once our hearts are right, Godly behavior follows. We might try to hide the condition of our hearts by being insincere in what we say or do, but eventually the truth is exposed. God wants to give us a new heart, one scrubbed clean.

King David, confessing the sin in his own heart, invited God to change its condition: “God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10 HCSB).

In 1967, history was made with the first human heart transplant. Forty-five years later, science has made even more strides in medicine. However, there is only one way to be completely transformed into the likeness of Christ.

Have you allowed God to capture and clean your heart? When you do, He’ll also set a guard around it. Philippians 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Coming soon: Carol’s new book, “Sola Fide: by FAITH alone.”

Leave a comment for the author below.

 

 

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Help Stop the Hate

Posted on October 15, 2012 by 4Seasons2013

“If my people, who are called by my name,will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land”—2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV).

 Hate, bitterness, name-calling and finger pointing. What do these words have in common? They all have negative connotations.

With the countdown to the November 6 election, negativity abounds as people’s displeasure of the way things are going in our country overflows into all areas of our lives. The only way to avoid it is to become a hermit. I dislike election years and am always glad when the final tally is announced, even if the individuals I voted for are not elected.

Several Christian groups and churches across the U.S. have invited citizens to pray for our nation for 40 days, beginning September 27 and ending on the day of the election. Pages have also been created on Facebook, urging people to pray, not for any particular candidate, but for the president elect and for our country. I clicked “like” on one page and agreed to pray for the 40 days. Our church is also encouraging its congregation to pray likewise.

I was, however, shocked at the hateful posts that have appeared on the Facebook page I joined. Nonbelievers have attacked those who believe that prayer is the answer to our country’s problems. In the past, I was politically active. In addition to voting, I campaigned wholeheartedly. While there is nothing wrong with becoming involved in the political process, it left a bad taste in my mouth. That was more than 15 years ago. However, one thing I have learned from those experiences is that no matter who wins the November election, God is still in charge.

Following is a list I received in 2008 before the last presidential election. I think it is worth sharing again.

Top 10 Predictions (No Matter Who Wins the Election)

1. The Bible will still have all the answers.

2. Prayer will still work.

3. The Holy Spirit will still move.

4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.

5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.

6. There will still be singing of praise to God.

7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.

8. There will still be room at the Cross.

9. Jesus will still love you.

10. Jesus will still save the lost.

We are a lost people. Only God can save our country, a country that has turned away from its Christian roots and is in rapid decline. However, while some are in despair, afraid for their future, those of us who trust in the Lord have the blessed assurance that no matter who wins the election, God is still in control.

As people of faith, we must pray fervently, seeking His face and humbling ourselves before Him. Prayer may not change the outcome of the election nor change people’s attitudes; however, it will change the one who prays.

Respond to the author at carolaround@yahoo.com or leave a comment below.

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Have You Always Believed?

Posted on October 8, 2012 by 4Seasons2013

“Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”—Mark 9:24(NIV)

“Nana, have you always believed in God?” When my seven-year-old grandson asked this question, I didn’t have to reach far into the recesses of my almost 59-year-old memory for the answer. I replied, “Yes.”

I can’t recall a time when I didn’t believe in God. Growing up in southwestern Louisiana, my sister and I walked to a small church a block from our house. I seldom missed church or Sunday school and even earned pins for perfect attendance. However, I was in my late 40s when I became aware of an emptiness inside my soul that I thought nothing could fill. When I finally cried out to God, seeking direction in my life, He answered me. Since that time, almost 11 years ago, I have been on a journey to know Him better, to trust Him more and to share with others what He has done in my life.

Although I drifted away from church during my 20s, and again in my 30s, I returned in my 40s when I realized the importance of corporate worship, spiritual growth and fellowship. However, many have turned away from organized religion and others have rejected God outright, choosing not to believe in a Creator who loves them.

A recently released poll by WIN-Gallup International revealed 13 percent of the world population now identifies themselves as convinced atheists. This number is up from a 2005 poll that cited 4 percent of people as not believing in God. More than 50,000 people from 39 nations were asked, “Irrespective of whether you attend a place of worship or not, would you say you are a religious person, not a religious person, or a convinced atheist?”

I often wonder why people choose not to believe in God. While we can’t see Him, neither can we see the electricity coming into our homes. We flip the switch, expecting the bulbs to illuminate the room. While we can’t just flip a switch and expect to see God, we can see Him at work in our lives, if we only believe.

Mark 9 tells us that Jesus is asked to heal a demon-possessed boy after His disciples fail to do so. Not pleased, Jesus rebukes them for their “little faith.” It was not the first time He had chided the 12 for their lack of faith. He asks the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

The father replies, “From childhood. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

Jesus replies. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately, the boy’s father exclaims, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

When Jesus commands the demons to leave the boy, healing is immediate.

While God has not always answered my prayers, nor answered them instantly, He has brought healing in my life, my family’s lives and the lives of friends. I know my Heavenly Father exists. He is still in the healing business and cares about every aspect of our lives.

Carol loves to hear from her readers at carolaround@yahoo.com.

 

 

 

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