Drowning Feelings?

For some of us, the lyrics of the Casting Crowns song, East to West, may speaks as if our life would have been exposed to the world.  Because sometimes we have felt, those drowning feelings, perhaps you're going thru them, right now.  Can I tell you, that sometime these feelings are due to the chains of some of our past life’s sins, we tend to yearn for peace and rest, because we don’t want to end up where we were. As the day starts our war begins, God’s truth is drowned out by the storm we're in, and our emotions at times, may even keep us awake thru the night…

Today I want to remind you that in THE LORD’s arms you will find mercy and find rest. Because when you call upon THE LORD, and ask HIM to clean your heart, and you surrender your life to HIM, HE becomes your SHEPHERD! And when ^“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.
² He lets me rest in green meadows; HE leads me beside peaceful streams. ³ He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.
⁴ Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you (GOD) are close beside me. Your(GOD's) rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” Psalm 23

And I know that sometimes even after HE has already become our Shepherd, you’ve might feel that you have to asked HIM for forgiveness again, and again. The heaviness of the chains we were carrying had left our hearts heavily bruised, and that is OK, to go back again, and ask HIM to clean you, again! There’s no sin in coming back to ask HIM forgiveness, in fact, I believe that’s good, because the more we come back to HIM for help, the more HE will deal with us, and the closer our walk with HIM will become.   

But the important thing is that after you go back to the Father, and repent, to overcome the temptation to go back to your old life, you MUST DEVELOP your relationship with HIM.  By STUDYING THE word of GOD - THE BIBLE, daily, you will be able to see, realize, and claim what THE WORD of God says about you. HIS promise of Jeremiah 29:11 speaks of the GREAT plans HE has for you. And when you get reminded that GOD LOVES you, that HIS promises are for you, that HE is for you, and NOT against you, that HE REALLY is your guide because you have surrendered; because you’ve accepted HIM as the new Master in charge of your heart and life, that HE renews your strength, will guide you and you will bring honor to HIM, eventually the truth of GOD will override those drowning feelings. By then you’ll have developed a testimony than when its gets told, will help many, all to the glory of God who saved you (and me).

Dare to BELIEVE, start TODAY!!!
Feel free to comment, and PM any questions, or prayer request.

Until next time... God bless you!

Who would you spend the day with if you know it’s your last day on earth?

 How or What would you do? 

Matthew 26 recorded what JESUS answered, when He was asked where was HE going to celebrate the Passover; nobody but HIM knew that it would be His last. 

“¹⁷ On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?” ¹⁸ “As you go into the city,” he told them, “you will see a certain man. Tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time has come, and I will eat the Passover meal with my disciples at your house.’” ¹⁹ So the disciples did as Jesus told them and prepared the Passover meal there.”

It doesn’t say HE wanted to spend his last day with His earthly parents and siblings; or in Joseph’s workshop carving a chair or a table that maybe “mom” needed it. It doesn’t say He wanted to go on partying or any other farewell activity. First we’ll see how Matthew recounts it, and then we’ll review what he really saying to us.

Matthew 26: 20-46

²⁰ When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table with the Twelve. ²¹ While they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.” ²² Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one, Lord?” ²³ He replied, “One of you who has just eaten from this bowl with me will betray me. ²⁴ For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!” ²⁵ Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, “Rabbi, am I the one?” And Jesus told him, “You have said it.” ²⁶ As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”²⁷ And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, ²⁸ for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. ²⁹ Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.” ³⁰ Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

³¹ On the way, Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ ³² But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.” ³³ Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.” ³⁴ Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” ³⁵ “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same.

³⁶ Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” ³⁷ He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. ³⁸ He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” ³⁹ He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” ⁴⁰ Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? ⁴¹ Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”

⁴² Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away^[f] unless I drink it, your will be done.” ⁴³ When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open. ⁴⁴ So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again. ⁴⁵ Then he came to the disciples and said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶ Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!” 

In other words…

·        JESUS was having a “quiet” evening

·        Having supper with His disciples

·        Teaching them about the future

o   That though GOD will allow HIM to suffer

o   Once He’s betrayed and no longer among them,

o   The sheep He has been feeding will go away

o    HE will raise and will meet all of them in Galilee

·        Detailing how even when they love Him, they will deny and even betray Him

·        Channeling their fears

·        Reassuring about what has been written and was about to happen

·        Creating awareness of disciplinary actions

·        Explaining details of what it was being celebrate

·        Creating memories

·        Giving new meaning to “old” traditions

·        Teaching about communion

·        Singing hymns

·        Demonstrating how weak the flesh is

o   And not even the disciples who walked with Him couldn’t stay awake for long

·        How anguished and stress is dealt with

o   He brought a prayer partner

o   HE remained in prayer despite His anguish  

·        Showing that prayer is the answer

o   And that even when we use a prayer partner their support isn’t guaranteed

o   We MUST stay focus in GOD.

·        It’s ok to repeat yourself in prayer

·        Reminding them to watch out, for HIS words will remain!

My friend, we MUST be recognized that our skin and bones suit is weak, though we might exercise it and take care of it, we CANNOT forget that our inner person must be strengthen too. Our spirit need to be fed, daily, with spiritual food; by praying we tell it all to God, and as we do we calmed down a bit. THEN, we must read His Word, so our spirit would settle down, bringing forth that hope and peace that we can’t get in any department store. The more we use this patter to lead our lives, the more we will be transformed as our mind gets renewed in The Lord.

Try it for yourself, and afterwards, share with us what God has done for you. Your personal testimony, speaks volumes, do not be afraid and share it!

Until next time, God bless you!

Looking forward to a GREAT tomorrow

“Then you shall say to the people, “Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; or you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.” Therefore THE LORD will give you meat, and you shall eat.”

Numbers 11:18

After the people of God, had traveled a few days they murmured against the Lord because of a lack of water.  We as God’s people, like them, sometimes do that! They were being encouraged to get up, to arrange whatever needed to be arranged for God had heard their cry!

What Was Their Cry?

These people were used to have other things to eat, different things. Verse 4, says they murmured because lack of water, because they were missing the fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and the garlic they used to have when they live in Egypt.

Don’t we do that sometimes?  We do!  It might not be exactly about food, but maybe about:

·        The places that we used to go out to eat,
·        The parties we used to have with our old friends and loved ones,
·        The things we used to have and we do not own anymore…  

Sometimes we go about life and we get disappointed, discouraged and sad, because things aren’t the same as yesterday:

·        Our body and mind do not work the same;
·        We can’t get going as fast as we used to,
·        We don’t have that spouse, sister, brother or friend to have those great and long conversations.
·        Our teeth maybe can handle the things that we used to love so much anymore,
·        And as we make the list longer, the more sad we feel. 

Today, I’m not here to get you sad. Today I’m here to help you see that like the people in this verse we sometimes complain because we don’t realize that what is coming IS BETTER!

·        New heavens
·        New earth
·        New body
·        No more pain or hurts
·        No more crying
·        In the presence of the lord
·        Praising THE LORD, day and night!

That THE LORD in HIS mercy had made our loads lighter, because there’s a GREATER purpose for it!

My Bible notes talks how the murmuring demonstrated unfaithfulness and was an act of rebellion that demanded God’s judgment.  In other words, placing our eyes in what’s been left behind, not only discourages us but like with them The Lord is not pleased when we focus on those things. Because it doesn’t allow us to appreciated what HE who is really the ONE who knows it all, has prepared for us! And in spite of this The Lord remained merciful, and had longstanding patient with his people who continuously rebelled; AND with us.             

“… And Joshua said to the people, sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow THE LORD will do wonders among you!” Joshua 3:5 

AMEN?!     Let us pray… Lord I ask you to come to heart, to forgive me for displeasing YOU if I have murmur or complaint without a reason. I KNOW YOU loved and cared for me all these years, and will continue to do so, because as YOUR child, I KNOW YOU LOVE me! Help me to worship YOU daily until forever, and I pray this in JESUS name, AMEN!