Category Archives: Repentance

Christian Living, Forgiveness, Repentance

Springboard

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A quick word today. I think. You may know that rarely when I come to this screen with a thought to write is it more than just a springboard and I am as surprised as you where it lands. Today is the same. :)

Contained in one of my devotional materials for today was the suggestion that I read Matthew 20:20-28 which I did. Click HERE and you can too.  I read all eight verses but I am still paused at this:

25 But Yeshua called them and said, “You know that among the Goyim, those who are supposed to rule them become tyrants, and their superiors become dictators.

The exact place of pausing was But JESUS (Yeshua) called them. In the preceding verses I read that ten of the disciples were outraged at the two brothers.  Why? Because James and John with their mother had made a request of JESUS: She replied, “Promise that when you become king, these two sons of mine may sit, one on your right and the other on your left.” 

I am so impressed with JESUS. The request that was made of Him was shall we say at the least inappropriate. There are more spiritual applications to be made than we are making today. So leaving that right there, my point here is they made a request, a request that outraged the others. Outraged. That’s not just a little miffed. No. Outraged!

But. What did JESUS do?
What did He do with these outraged disciples? These jealous, fearful, bent out of shape disciples?
Was He outraged with them for being outraged? Did He rail on them? Did He berate them? Did He scowl at them? No. He CALLED them to Himself!

Called them to Himself. Oh that is soothing and healing to me. Here I see that when I am outraged. Jealous. Irritated. Fearful. Feeling threatened. Feeling put upon and put aside, He CALLS me to Himself. To mentor me. To correct me, yes; but to love me and instruct me in a better way. A better way to react. A better way to relate. A better way to achieve the greatness we are really seeking — His Kingdom.

Have you been outraged at someone?
Have you ever believed the lie that when you have fallen prey to some outrageous behavior that HE is outraged with you? That He has nothing more to say to you? That He wants nothing more to do with you? That you have out sinned your welcome with Him?

NOT SO!

Today. He is calling YOU to Himself. For healing. For instruction. For Strength. For forgiveness. For restoration. For whatever it is that will make you great in His Kingdom.

1 John 1:9  (AMP)

9 If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose].

ABBA, thank You. Thank You HOLY SPIRIT for highlighting Your Word and teaching us. Thank You LORD YESHUA for calling. And I ask You HOLY  SPIRIT if You will to use this offering of words to help someone know they are loved and that they have been called. I pray we all will respond with yes. Yes I will come to You. And, ABBA, for every Reader who comes to this page I pray for them. I don’t know their needs, I don’t know their specific struggles or doubts or questions or burdens or fears but I pray they will be encouraged here and they will know You are trustworthy and You are faithful to them to supply everything they need. Help them receive, help me receive. Thank You ABBA. 

Until Next Time ~ ~ ~ Kathie
Christian Living, Forgiveness, Holy Soap Box, Political awareness, Repentance, Salvation

I Kept Reading

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Recently perusing Facebook I encountered a young woman, twenty-ish, who professed herself as a recent atheist.  She was on a tear about Christians posting Bible verses on Facebook; insisting that we keep our religion to ourselves. There were many who agreed with her. In fact, the comment thread was long and vehement. On and on it went how we were haters, in summary, we were the stench of the earth.

I kept reading.

She also confessed to an abortion. I sensed she was angry. Angry that she had been called a baby killer.  And then a statement of hypocrisy appeared. She began to write of choice and freedom. Freedom to be pro-choice and freedom to preach, yes preach that was her word. Preach her right to choose to abort her baby until she died and if we did not like it we could move!

And there you have it. The stance of the Angry. ( Or the LEFT, the Atheist, or some other identifier.)

Can you hear them?  ‘I can say, write, do whatever I want, and if you don’t like it –  well, too bad. BUT if YOU are saying anything that is contrary to my belief system or my liking, SHUT UP! Keep it to yourself. And if you do not shut up, I will label you a hater, intolerant, a stench, a blight on the face of the earth.’

I kept reading.

I found answers.

Answers to her anger; to her pain. Yes, her pain. A young woman in desperate need. Not a woman to be hated. Not a woman to be dismissed as a lost cause. Not even a woman to be pitied in a pathetic way. But a woman to be loved and prayed for. A woman to be wise as a serpent with, and harmless as a dove.

For you see in earlier times her Facebook feed spoke of asking for prayer; even penning how amazing it was that one little prayer could change your whole day; how God had answered so many of her prayers.

What happened?

I don’t know specifically. But of this I am confident. Her real anger is at GOD. I’m thinking she got disappointed. Someone let her down and GOD didn’t stop it!

It’s been a few days now. I’ve not checked her page again. I might; perhaps not. But I am praying. Hoping for another change of heart for her; hoping for a rescue. Why? Because JESUS loves her and who am I not to love her too? I’ve been mad at ABBA plenty of times and HE still loves me. He still loves her too.

But there is one thing for her I cannot do; well, actually there are many things for her I cannot do. But surely this one: I cannot keep my Faith in JESUS CHRIST private.  And if YOU know Him, neither can you.

We have a mandate from HIM to speak. So who are we going to heed? HIM or them? Read it for yourself.

17 Therefore, if anyone is united with the Messiah, he is a new creation — the old has passed; look, what has come is fresh and new! 18 And it is all from God, who through the Messiah has reconciled us to himself and has given us the work of that reconciliation, 19 which is that God in the Messiah was reconciling mankind to himself, not counting their sins against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore we are ambassadors of the Messiah; in effect, God is making his appeal through us. What we do is appeal on behalf of the Messiah, “Be reconciled to God! 21 God made this sinless man be a sin offering on our behalf, so that in union with him we might fully share in God’s righteousness.”   {source}

Or perhaps you prefer another Translation.

17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. {source}

In any Translation – we have a directive from our GOD ALMIGHTY to speak His Message of Reconciliation to the World PUBLICLY.  So we cannot be silent BUT we would do well to be wise about it. We would do well to wait upon the LORD. Charging hell with a water pistol is more than a tad foolish :)

Read up. Study up. Pray up. Listen up. THEN Speak up as the HOLY SPIRIT gives you His anointing to do so.

Until Next Time ~ ~ ~ 
Day 87 of 2015 ~ Any move of GOD begins with His people faithfully praying ~~~ Kathie

Need someone to come alongside to pray with you?  email me 

Christian Living, Forgiveness, Repentance, Salvation

Blot and Spots Continued

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So did you mull it over?

The Blot, I mean.

Is there a one dark blot that leads to the many other spots Charlotte Elliot lyric-ed about? If you missed that post, click HERE to read it.

I think there is.

And do you know what I think it is?

Unbelief.

Yeah. Unbelief. I think, unbelief is what keeps people lost.

So what do people not believe?

Perhaps they don’t believe that Jesus (Yeshua) is. Is the Son of God. Is the Savior of the World. Is the only way to be saved. Or. Perhaps they don’t believe they need to be saved; perhaps they don’t believe they are hell deserving sinners. (Romans 6:23) (John 14:6).

Either one of those two things alone will keep one lost and all those spots caused by the blot keep mounting. Is there anything more tragic? And is there anything more surely avoidable than being lost?

But that song Just as I am doesn’t stop speaking to me this side of Salvation. I can still be guilty of unbelief and I can still mount up some spots. I NEED regular and often foot washings. (John 13:6-11) How about you?

Do you know what else I think? I think unbelief is what causes my need for foot washings. Yeah. I really do. Because if I wholly got my heart convinced of the depravity that disobedience is, I’d disobey less. But as I said recently – it’s a process. It’s like I heard a man say many years ago: I am not sinless, but I do sin less than I used to. I say that too now. It’s good that I am making progress in the process.  Probably others think so too.   :)

So let us be encouraged. The Blood of our Savior washed us cleaned from all our sins the day we said Yes to Him for Salvation and every day after He keeps on washing us clean. That’s just how He is! So I’ll keep going to Him moment by moment Just as I am. I hope you will too.

Thank you for listening, Dear Friends.

Day 238 of 2014, a day to give Thanks.

Kathie

Repentance, Salvation, You Tubes

Blot and Spots

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Today I have again been appreciating the theology of songs.  In particular, Just as I am. Written by Charlotte Elliot who was born in 1789; lived 79 years (1871) and I am confident when she breathed her last here went straight to JESUS.

The song consists of 6 stanzas. (source)

1.	Just as I am, without one plea, 
	but that thy blood was shed for me, 
	and that thou bidst me come to thee, 
	O Lamb of God, I come, I come. 

2.	Just as I am, and waiting not 
	to rid my soul of one dark blot, 
	to thee whose blood can cleanse each spot, 
	O Lamb of God, I come, I come. 

3.	Just as I am, though tossed about 
	with many a conflict, many a doubt, 
	fightings and fears within, without, 
	O Lamb of God, I come, I come. 

4.	Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind; 
	sight, riches, healing of the mind, 
	yea, all I need in thee to find, 
	O Lamb of God, I come, I come. 

5.	Just as I am, thou wilt receive, 
	wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve; 
	because thy promise I believe, 
	O Lamb of God, I come, I come. 

6.	Just as I am, thy love unknown 
	hath broken every barrier down; 
	now, to be thine, yea thine alone, 
	O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

 Verses One. Just as I am. No excuses for Charlotte. No waiting to clean up her act – just as I am, warts and all – come to JESUS. No works of my own will save me – just the Blood of JESUS. That’ll preach! That’ll set a soul free!

Verse Two. Today. Right now. Not waiting for a more convenient time. (see Acts 24:25) Today the soul can be rid, how did she write it – one dark blot.  

What do you think she meant – one dark blot? 

And doesn’t she go on to write: to thee whose blood can cleanse each spot?

Is there a one dark blot that generates many spots; many spots that must be cleansed to free a soul?

Would you humor me by mulling this over for a day or so and meet me back here tomorrow? :)

In the meantime allow the HOLY SPIRIT to give these lyrics fresh anointing. 

Day 237 of 2014, a day to give Thanks.

Kathie