GOD WANTS YOUR "NOT ENOUGH"

"As Jesus looked up he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 'Truly I tell,' he said, 'this poor widow has put in more than all the others.  All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on'" Luke 21:1-4 (NIV)

Packing to move to a new location, having my two beautiful grandbabies of 2.5 years and 6 years old for the entire summer, planning a trip to OK with the boys to meet my daughter after her training so they can go back home to Ft. Drum, and being in a relationship is very exhausting especially when you thought the one person that said they would support you didn't show up.  There isn't enough time to pack (yes, in an organized manner!!), clean the house, do the grocery shopping for the grandbabies (gotta feed'em once in a while, ya know!), make sure they have some sort of fun (after all, that's why the are here in the Sunshine State for the summer (: ), give them a bath, and take care of my significant other as he would expect me to. 

Simply, there isn't enough.  Not enough sleep.  Not enough hours. Not enough me to please everyone and do everything that needs to be done. I write this while the boys play in the tub with bubbles and doing laundry.

Sooo....this is for everyone who at one time or another has felt so overwhelmed they want to give up on everything and run away, like me.  And how the enemy just loves to camp out in our "not enough" and make us feel inadequate.  We need to remember that we serve an Almighty Father who loves our "not enough". I'm here to tell you and myself (yep, I need to preach and encourage myself too) that our "not enough" by His grace and power IS MORE THAN ENOUGH.


TRUTH FOR TODAY:
2 Corinthians 12:9, "But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me." (NIV) 

THE BELL...I KNOW WHO I AM

THE BELL
I KNOW WHO I AM

I am God's child (John 1:12)

I am Christ's friend (John 15:15 )

I am united with the Lord(1 Cor. 6:17 )

I am bought with a price(1 Cor. 6:19-20)

I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)

I am a personal witness of Christ. (Acts 1:8)

I am the salt & light of the earth ( Matt.5:13-14)

I am a member of the body of Christ(1 Cor 12:27)

I am free forever from condemnation ( Rom. 8: 1-2)

I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant ( Phil.3:20)

I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31 -34)

I am a minister of reconciliation for God(2 Cor.5:17-21)

I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)

I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)

I cannot be separated from the love of God( Rom.8:35-39)

I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 Cor.1:21-22)

I am assured all thi ngs work together for good (Rom. 8: 28)

I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16 )

I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3: 12 )

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13)

I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5)

I am God's temple (1 Cor. 3: 16 ).

I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10)

I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3).

I have been justified (Romans 5:1)

I am God's co-worker (1 Cor.. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1).

I am God's workmanship(Eph. 2:10 )

I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected. (Phil 1: 5)

I have been redeemed and forgiven(Col.1:14).

I have been adopted as God's child(Eph 1:5)

"The LORD bless you and keep you;the LORD make His face shine upon youand be gracious to you;the LORD turn His face toward youand give you peace.."Numbers 6:24-26

LAW AND GRACE

By: Maggie Escoto

We do not keep the Ten Commandments, which is the old covenant, for the same purpose that Israel was commanded to keep them. In keeping covenant with God, Israel displayed faith by living “under” the law. The law (Ten Commandments) was external and written on two stone tablets. And so, Israel's devotion to God was seen in external works of the law.  The law was in the driver’s seat. It was in control for the purpose of leading Israel and all mankind to the Messiah (Jesus Christ). When Jesus Christ, came the law changed position, and grace took over the wheel. The law was exchanged with grace. We can view as the process in which a caterpillar evolves into a beautiful butterfly.

Law did not and does not have the power of grace. The law was and is defeated by sin, while grace defeated and will forever defeat sin. Those who lived under the law were in bondage to the power/control of sin. Jesus defeated sin and offered us grace.  If keeping the law was enough to make us acceptable to God, there would have never been need for Jesus to come. The law proved our need for Jesus Christ (John 3:16).

The Apostle Paul wrote, in Romans 7:7, “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. No, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, You shall not covet.”

In fact, it is possible to be an obedient follower of Jesus Christ without knowing the literal words of the Ten Commandments from the old covenant law. This is said only to emphasize that with grace in control it is the Holy Spirit that empowers the believer to “walk in the Spirit” so as not to fulfill the “lust of the flesh”.

Paul states in Rom. 6:14... “for you are not under law but under grace.” He also makes it clear in Gal. 5:18 “if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”  The previous verses state “so that you do not do the things that you wish.” The Law is not given to the Christian as the standard to live by, but to show the everyone how below the standard we do live, as Paul states in 1 Tim.1:9 The Law is for the unrighteous.

This time was Israel's, as a whole nation under the law. But when God moved from law to grace (caterpillar to butterfly), Israel resisted that move, preferring the old program of rules and regulations from Moses, illustrating the danger of law. We look good from the outside, but in the inside, we are an awful mess. Not only are we an awful mess, the mess destroys us in the inside, hence, DIS-EASE. Grace, on the other hand, removes the mess and frees us from DIS-EASE.

For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law ... but the righteousness of faith speaks in this way... with the heart one believes to righteousness. Rom. 10:5-6, 10.

Law and grace work together as a team in bringing salvation in Jesus Christ. Law brings conviction of sin and shows our need for a Savior Grace.

LET'S DO IT AGAIN

By Pastor Troy Gramling

Not long ago there was a commercial for Kodak where a dad takes his little girl to a public pool with the purpose of teaching her how to dive off the diving board.  As she climbs the high ladder and looks down into the water...she freezes.  It's a long way down...the water looks intimidating...What will happen if she leaps off and lets go?

She looks over the edge of the board and can't move, legs solidly in place.  She can't move. Unmoving. Unsure.

Dad tells her to jump.  He reassures it will be fine. That she will be safe.  That he would never let anything happen to her.

Doubt is a powerful entity.  Our Heavenly Father wants us to jump but often...

We need reassurance.
We need security.
We need proof
We need God to do something first.

And so we stand in the same place expressing our needs at the end of a great leap...

But need doesn't move God's heart.

"Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  A Gentile woman who lived there came to Him, pleading, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely." 

But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word.  Then His disciples urged Him to send her away. "Tell her to go away" they said. "She is bothering us with all her begging."

Then Jesus said to the woman, "It isn't right to take food away from the children and throw it to the dogs."

She replied, "That is true, Lord.  But even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath the Master's table."

"Dear woman," Jesus said to her, "your faith is great.  Your request is granted." And her daughter was instantly healed. (Matthew 15:21-28)

This Gentile woman needed for her daughter to be healed....she begged and pleaded.  And interesting enough, Jesus did not say a word to her.  Was He being mean spirited or cruel?  Of course not.  He was on task...doing what He had been sent to do...serve God's chosen people, the Israelites.  He knew He couldn't (and wasn't meant to) get to everyone who asked for His time. 

She persisted.  Crying her needs into the air...seeking reassurance...a guarantee...proof that miracles still happen.  She expressed her needs to God...but it wasn't what she said that made Jesus change His course of action.

IT WAS HER FAITH.

It wasn't what she needed that moved Christ...IT WAS WHAT SHE BELIEVED.

Faith is what God is looking for. Persistent and unshakable faith.  Belief that...

That the pool will be deep enough...
That your prayers will be strong enough...
That your God is strong enough...

God knew her needs...but it was FAITH that healed that little girl.

At the end of the Kodak commercial, the girl closes her eyes and jumps...trusting in the depth of the water and the words of her father.   Splashing down and quickly popping back up, she looks over to the deck she looks at her dad and tells him, "Let's do it again, daddy!"

God will always be enough. Don't doubt. And remember, God knows you needs before you even have them...but it's not His knowledge of the things you need that fixes things...

IT'S YOUR FAITH IN HIS ABILITY TO DO IT.

And when you take that leap and God catches you,  you will tell Jesus the same thing.....

"LET"S DO IT AGAIN!"

WHAT IS THE EMOTIONAL TONE OF YOUR FAMILY OR LIFE?

By Les Brown

Check yourself.  Just Stop! Take a moment and think before you act so that you are in control of yourself, your emotions, and your responses.  It is easy to justify unpleasant or rude behavior with excuses of being tired, overworked, and stressed.  Sometimes, we take out the irritations of the moment or the day out on our family, children, co-workers, or even the family dog or cat.  What is the emotional tone of your family or your  life? Is it harsh, cold, unforgiving, withdrawn, warm, loving, and embracing?

Take each day to generate new verbal and non-verbal responses that will allow you to build your capacity to be gentler, kinder, more compassionate, peaceful, and loving person.  This is a skillset that takes intentional rehearsal and practice - just like playing sports or working out.  If you find yourself acting out often out of irritation, anger, or even rage, reflect about what excuse you make OK to allow someone else to be the brunt of your bad attitude or worse - your bad behavior.  Decide that no excuse is worth the cost of emotional vomiting or venting public or private, especially on those you love.  Do the hard work and the heart work to hold yourself to a higher standard.  Raise the bar on yourself, your attitude, and your behavior.

CHOICES

By: Rick Psinakis

Chosen....Choices
 

I've heard those words a lot recently, and have been taught a lot about the meaning of them as well. Did you know that the average person makes more then 2500 decisions a day? Most of those of course are relatively simple and with little consequence. Which color to wear today, cereal or toast for breakfast, or in my case which donut? Easy right? Blue, cereal and one of each please.  Other decisions we make will be of a bit more importance and could change lives, ours and those of others today and perhaps for years to come. In fact, beyond just years, the choices we make could effect eternity itself and how, and where it is spent.

 

So, after getting dressed and having breakfast things are going to get a tad heavier around

here....maybe we should chose to stay in bed! Or, we could learn, believe and never forget that the most important choice has already been made.

 

God chose you!

 

You have been chosen by the Creator of the universe. He knew you before time itself (Ephesians 1:4-6), knit you together in your mothers womb (Psalms 139:13)and He has a plan for your life to prosper you, not to harm you and give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). You are His masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10) and the apple of His eye (Zechariah 2:8).

 

 Yes, you are chosen!

You were created on purpose with a purpose. All that, and yet God still allows a free will in us, because choosing to love Him means so much more then being made to. Scripture says that we have a choice, between life and death. Seems simple enough right? So why do so many put it off, leaving it for what may very well be too late?

Chose life. Chose life now. Chose life forever.

 

The Bible says that if you confess your sins, ask for forgiveness and repent from those sins that you will have life and life eternal (1John 1:9)  Believe that God sent his only son, Jesus, to die for your sins, and that by the power of The Holy Spirit He rose from the grave that you might also live (John 3:16). When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, God will send the same power that defeated the grave, the power of The Holy Spirit to live within you. You will start a journey that will take you places beyond your wildest dreams and imagination.

Ok, so now that that is taken of, it is time to get down to the business of allowing that power within you to start shaping your choices!

The Spirit will begin to nudge your mind and heart to do things that before you were born again you may not have even considered long enough to bother to make an excuse to get out of. But know this, the Holy Spirit will always lead you to what is good. You may not know right away who, what or how your choice to be obedient will affect you or others or even the final outcome, but prayerfully considered decisions will always be blessed.

 

As I said earlier, I have heard a lot about being chosen and choices recently. I also had mentioned that I learned about them as well. Part of what I learned was to get out of my comfort zone, remain obedient and share this experience, with no one in particular but to the very ones, who through absolutely no coincidence, happen to be reading it now.

 

I made my decision for life many years ago, and most certainly in the time since, God has blessed me with the most wonderful people in my life. Through their many choices for good that they made, I am now at a point where God has used me in a way that I never thought He would. Even a simple choice to introduce people, making that connection that God will use later can be life changing as it was for the One God used to get this whole party started!

 

To fast forward now through a few blessed years...Choices were made by someone to contact me, to call, visit and even drive a sick friend, Greg, to his doctor's appointments and chemo treatments. When she felt that nudge, she could have easily dismissed it, not wanting to bother me, or leave it for me to hear for myself. She didn't though. She took her chances and was obedient to the call on her heart. While at peace with her decision, she could not have realized what God was doing behind the scenes. I was glad to help, but neither did I realize what God was up to.

 

Choices were made by others to bring our mens group meeting to our friends hospital room one Tuesday night instead of the usual meeting place. Again, The Holy Spirit leading them to what is good, and again not aware of the greater good that was yet to come. More nudging and more good choices as a few from men from the church went to visit him. As the chit chat turned into prayer, one of the men asked Greg if he had accepted Jesus into his life. He replied that he wasn't really sure but wanted to do it privately, maybe after the church service on Sunday. And now on that Sunday, I was given a choice. At Greg's request, do I leave work early and pick him up to drive him to our church service?

 

While I can still remember a time when I would have made an excuse not to bother, I can now say that by the grace of God this was an easy decision. It was no big deal, right?, Not even imagining what would happen next, this was just going to be a simple ride to church, right? Not so much.

 

When I got Greg's, he was in no shape to get to church. The cancer that had been ravaging his body and brought him into the care of hospice was winning this battle. But Greg would not lose the war! Soon after I had arrived, Greg told me that he never formally accepted Jesus and wanted to be saved! He asked me to pray with him and for him.

 

God showed up and showed off that morning!

 

The Holy Spirit came and filled the room and Greg's heart with a peace that surpasses all understanding as well as my heart too. As much as God prepared me for this, being used in this way seems and is overwhelming, and even as it has yet to fully sink in, I know that I know that I know that this choice, that was years in the making was every bit for His glory. I am humbled and honored at the same time and I cant wait to see what He has for me next !

 

Make that first choice, accept Jesus in your life, then live that life for Him and Him alone. Then take the next step and show the world that you are a chosen one through baptism. Open your mind and hearts to The Holy Spirit as He lives in you and guides you to good and godly choices. Choices just like the ones that lead to heaven celebrating and opening its gates for Greg.

 

Greg lived just one more week here in His peace, but is now be with his Savior and God in paradise forever.

 

What will you chose to do today?

CHRISMAKUH...IS THAT EVEN ALLOWED?

Soooo, what's the real story behind these two celebrations we call Hanukkah and Christmas? 
 
Although the holiday of Hanukkah is not a high holy day, it is preserved in the books of 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees and observed. The holiday of Hanukkah, or Feast of Lights, celebrates the events which took place over 2,300 years ago in Israel. It begins in the reign of Alexander the Great, who conquered Syria, Egypt, and Palestine, but allowed the lands under his control to continue observing their own religions and retain a certain degree of autonomy.  About 100 years later, Antiochus IV rose to power in the region. He began to oppress the Jews severely, placing a Hellenistic priest in the Temple, massacring Jews, prohibiting the practice of the Jewish religion, and desecrating the Temple by requiring the sacrifice of pigs on the altar. One of the groups which opposed Antiochus was led by Mattathias and his son Judah Maccabee.
 
The Maccabees succeeded in driving the Syrian army out of their land.  They cleansed and re-dedicated the Temple. When it came time to re-light the Menorah, they searched the entire Temple, but only one small jar of oil bearing the pure seal of the High Priest could be found. Miraculously, the small jar of oil burned for eight days, until a new supply of oil could be brought. From then on, Jews everywhere have observed a holiday for eight days in honor of this historic victory and the miracle of the oil. The observance of Hanukkah features the lighting of a special menorah with eight branches, adding one new candle each night.

I know....you are asking yourself that as a Christian, how does anything with a miracle that happened centuries ago and the Jewish Temple’s re-dedication in Israel have any relevance to our walk of faith? Simple. God’s miracles are still worth celebrating today! The past miracles, the present miracles, and the future miracles! And as Christians, we believe in the redemptive work of a Jewish carpenter, Jesus, who was a practicing Jew, also celebrated Hanukkah! So, if it's good enough for our Jesus to celebrate, it very well is good enough for us Christians or at least myself as a Christian, to celebrate also.


“At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon” John 10:22-23.  In the same Gospel, John 8:12, Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life”.

Even though as Christians we are not bound by law or tradition to celebrate the Feast of Lights, our Christian faith is rooted in Hebraic tradition. We, along with our Jewish friends, worship the one true God–the God of many miracles!  As we celebrate the birth of our Savior this Christmas, what a beautiful addition it might be to also include a menorah; reminding us about God’s provision in our lives beginning with the Christmas story, as witnessed in the miracle of the oil, and then rededicating ourselves to Jesus, the perfect and everlasting Light of the World.