Available and Obedient

I loathe the thought of this, but if I’m honest, I must confess that I probably have practiced ‘Convenience Christianity’ too often.  Is God really first or do I schedule Him around life/things?  We live in a demanding ‘me’ society, taking care of numero uno, do what feels right and when!  May God grant me mercy as I have confessed/repented of not taking a firm stand for God and conforming to the world with a tolerant attitude.  1 Corinthians 16:13 says, "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.  Also, we see in Isaiah 7:9, If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.  Romans 12:2 tells us not to conform to the world-my translation-Don’t be tolerant, but bold and courageous for Christ.  God demands a life of total surrender, we cannot straddle the fence(Matt 6:24) and be obedient when we choose-when it’s convenient.  Christians must be available, willing to serve 24/7, that is why we are here, the reason God created us.  I am part of His body in the 21^st century to share the good news of Christ-obediently/faithfully.   I must ask myself, ‘Am I willing and open to God’s will/purpose for my life?’  Thus, being available and obedient!  Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Stuck on the mat?

Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk" - John 5:8.  The invalid in this story allows circumstances to hinder healing-sometimes we feel overwhelmed and unable to overcome just as Luke 18:27 reminds us, "What is impossible with man is possible with God.  We need a bold faith to believe that God is in control, not us, and He will supply our needs.  However, we must get past the obstructions in life and take the first step off the mat of a complacent life to one that affords us to LIVE the LIFE.  What is challenging each of us from trusting God to take this step.  Don’t succumb to Satan’s pull-- paralyzed by fear, despair, isolation, or self-pity!   Pray for strength, wisdom, and a trusting faith to ‘Get up and walk/go/serve'…..as God desires/expects from us.  We are to be the hands, feet, eyes and ears  of our Risen Savior-we cannot effectively do so as long as we stay on our 'mats'.  Blessings in your pursuit…….TO