Get It? Got it? Good!!

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Lynn

When I was in high school I had one major nemesis: MATH!  It didn’t help that my mother was an accountant and I inherited my “inability to understand math genes” from my father.  He couldn’t help me and when my mother tried, she attempted to teach me HER way.  Unfortunately what she said and what I heard were two entirely different things:

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My mother would attempt to teach in this “math speak” language that just confounded me more and pretty soon she was yelling at me for not understanding and I was crying because I just couldn’t understand!  “I don’t get it!” I’d cry and she would huff at me, “What don’t you get?  It’s simple!” and then she would launch into her math gibberish again and I’d zone out.

It was just as difficult for my math teachers.  Mr. Ruxton pulled out what little hair he had on his head trying to teach me basic algebraic concepts and finally out of frustration I suppose, he just let me spiral into the abyss of math ineptitude.  He finally took pity on me by granting me a bare pass mark.  Not because I earned it, but so he wouldn’t lose any more hair having me repeat the class.

Amazingly in university, a small math light bulb came on over my head, and some basic concepts suddenly made sense to me.  I could balance my cheque book, I figured out percentages, I could solve some basic math problems.  Algebra and trigonometry were still foreign concepts but I discovered I didn’t really need to understand them to be able to live my life.  As I got older, I found myself more interested in learning about geometry and my math knowledge grew.  I may never have the math understanding my mother had but I’m okay with that.  I’ve got what I need and that’s fine.

When I became a Christian I had a similar experience.  Initially I just didn’t “get it”.  Well-meaning people who wanted to evangelize me were talking just as foreign a language to me as “math speak”.  This Christianese was a language I didn’t know and certainly did not understand.  Just like math, I just wanted the basics, I zoned out at the rest.  When I finally became a Christ-follower, I certainly did not know everything about Christianity, the Bible or church, and if I’m totally honest I STILL don’t, but I know enough to live my life and faith let’s me accept the things I still don’t fully understand.

Faith is defined as:

1.  complete trust or confidence in someone or something.

2.  strong belief in God or in the doctrines of religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.

The Bible defines faith as: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”  Hebrews  11:1

There are so many, many things I do not totally understand about Christianity.  There are stories in the Bible that for all intents and purposes are so outlandish that they seem to border on the unbelievable, BUT if I have faith, and the confidence to know that MY God can do anything, I don’t need to explain HOW He did it, I just need to know that HE DID!

If you are a person who is struggling with understanding everything there is to know about God and Christianity, welcome to the Club.  You are not alone.  Discovering where you fit into God’s plan is a lifelong journey and there is no mathematical algorithm that will help you analyze your way to total understanding.  Accept the fact you don’t need to know everything, but make every effort to grow your faith, and accept the Gospel and you’ll be okay.

“What is the Gospel?”

I was given permission to use the Gospel Acrostic from Dare2Share in the fourteenth chapter of my book: Love the Wounded.

God created us to be with Him. (Genesis 1-2)
Our sins separate us from God. (Genesis 3)
Sins cannot be removed by good deeds. (Genesis 4 – Malachi 4)
Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke)
Everyone who trusts in Him alone has eternal life. (John)
Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever. (Acts – Revelation)

GET IT?

Here then is the A, B, C’s to Salvation:

“A” stands for Admit. A person must admit to God that she is a sinner. She must be sorry for her sin and turn away from sinning. Verses that support this step are Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; Acts 3:19; and 1 John 1:9.

“B” stands for Believe. A person must believe that Jesus is God’s Son and that God sent Jesus to pay the penalty for sin. Verses about believing include John 3:16; John 14:6; and Romans 5:8.

“C” stands for Confess. A person must confess her faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Read Romans 10:9-10, 13.

Pray this prayer for your Journey with God to start today!

Dear God in heaven, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I acknowledge to You that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins and the life that I have lived; I need your forgiveness.
I believe that your only begotten Son Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on the cross at Calvary and died for my sins, and I am now willing to turn from my sin.
You said in Your Holy Word, Romans 10:9 that if we confess the Lord our God and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, we shall be saved.
Right now I confess Jesus as the Lord of my soul. With my heart, I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. This very moment I accept Jesus Christ as my own personal Savior and according to His Word, right now I am saved.
Thank you Jesus for your unlimited grace which has saved me from my sins. I thank you Jesus that your grace never leads to license, but rather it always leads to repentance. Therefore Lord Jesus transform my life so that I may bring glory and honor to you alone and not to myself.
Thank you Jesus for dying for me and giving me eternal life. Amen.

If you just said this prayer and you meant it with all your heart and you have repented (turned away) from your sins, I believe that you are saved and are born again.  (John 3:6-7)  You may ask, “Now that I am saved, what is next?”  First, tell someone!  Leave a comment, let me rejoice with you!  My Pastor says when someone becomes a Christian it’s like Christmas!  We need to celebrate!  Then you need to get into a Bible-based church, and study God’s Word.  Once you have found a church home, you will want to become baptized.  By accepting Christ first, you are baptized in the Spirit, but it is through water-baptism (immersion) that you show your obedience to the Lord.  (Matthew 3: 13-17)

The baptismal waters represent a burial ground. When you’re buried with Christ in baptism, you are proclaiming to heaven, earth and hell that the old you no longer exists. To be buried with Jesus means that your old self died to sin just as Jesus did when He was made sin for us (Romans 6:3, 10-12). That’s why we are immersed. It’s a picture of burial.

Coming up out of the water signifies our being raised to new life in Christ. To be raised with Jesus means making Him Lord of every area of your life—spirit, soul and body. You’ve been bought with the blood of Jesus and you belong to Him. Every day you now ask, “Lord, where do You want me to go? What do You want me to say? What do You want me to be? Not my will, but Your will be done.”

Got it?
GOOD!!
Posted in Inspiration & Devotion, Proverbs 16:9 - Journey Thoughts, Scripture Study | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Friday Funnies – Polar Vortex

Posted on January 10, 2014 by Lynn

For people who experienced the Polar Vortex all across Canada and especially along the Eastern seaboard, I’m sure they saw nothing particularly funny about the wind, snow, ice and power failures.  That said, Canadians are a hearty bunch and we actually do get the meaning of “hunkering down” and don’t even take it as an insult!  In fact, people are ordering their “hunker down” certificates by the dozens!  So for those who can say they experienced the polar vortex (polar cyclone, polar low, or circumpolar whirl  as Wikipedia defines it) and can still smile at Canada’s unpredictable weather, here are some funnies just for you!  Oh, and for those who are still under the delusion that there is Global Warming…well, it ain’t happenin’ here in Canada!

Polar Vortex

meanwhile-in-canada 2

cold-oprah

Colder than Mars

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canadian-winter-occupation

snowman-2012

Meanwhile in Canada Garbage

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25 Encouraging Scripture Verses for Every Day

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Lynn

Do you need some encouragement TODAY?  These are some of the most encouraging promises of God – daily spiritual food, for daily spiritual nourishment!  I challenge you to commit them to memory, to read them in context and impress them on your hearts.  Talk about them with your family, with your children and grandchildren and let the Word of God impact your life!

John 3:16-17  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

Deuteronomy 31:6  “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Isaiah 41:10  “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

Romans 5:8  “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

John 14:27  “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” 

Philippians 4:6-7  “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

John 6:47  “Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.”

Jeremiah 29:11  “ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Psalm 23:5-6  “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Romans 8:37-39  “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

John 4:13-14  “Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 

Hebrews 11:1  “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

Galatians 2:20  “ 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.” 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18  “Rejoice always,  pray continually,  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 8:28  “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Matthew 7:7  “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” 

Psalms 30:5  “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”

Matthew 11:28-29 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Psalm 27:4-5  “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.   For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.”

Matthew 6:24-25  “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.  Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?”

1 John 4:7  “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.”

John 15:9-17  “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.  If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.  I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.  My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command.  I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.  This is my command: Love each other.”

Mark 12:28-30  “ One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”   “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 

Philippians 4:8  “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

 

 

 

 

 

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