Simply Living for ElShaddai

It took me time to realize what has been done for me in spite of my ignorance.
The love of Christ is more than words can convey.
The canvas of my life is painted by His hand.
The lessons of love are, at times thorns in my side, but having learned them the finger print of my maker is seen on the most delicate parts of my heart.
His spirit awakens my being, I yearn to be close to Him, to be at His feet singing praises and hymns.
The weight of His grace lift me up.
His mercy makes me tear, to know His life was given up freely to buy my freedom so I can dwell with Him in His kingdom.
His blessing top of the cake of true love that surrounds my every moment of life.
His love is given not made, and He gives to the ones who can’t love, that’s you and I.
We fail and fall, but His hand lifts us up again and again. He shows us the light when we open our eyes to the hopes and dreams we sometimes hide and push away in fear and sadness of the past.
He heals and peels back the layers of my heart that have so been calloused by this world to give me the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which shines bright in my heart to extinguish all darkness that comes my way.
With each layer of my heart pulled back I notice the love underneath, the soft love I was meant to have had. The love that continues to grow in me.
Looking back I ask for forgiveness for the mistakes I have made because of my blindness.
He showed me that life is precious and He is my one true love.
The way His hand guides me I can only stay close, because if I know I stray I will wander to my death, never to see light again.
His love is perfect and mine is not, but He lives through me and makes me His masterpiece in my weakness, which truly shows His faithfulness and grace.
In that He is my King, strong and powerful, never yielding because He reigns over all things.
And for this very reason I bow down to Him, praying His love shines through me.
I only wish for His will to be done, over and in all things.
Because of Him I see.

Everything we as Christians do is a type of direct worship to the creator, everything we do is meant to glorify Him. That doesn’t mean we should ONLY be glorifying His name when we are around other people. That’s called being fake. Do you have a direct relationship with God or not?!? Are you trying to glorify Him in front of your church or friends and family to show THEM how much you love God? Are you worshipping and glorifying Him right now, wherever you are reading this? Were you giving him praise and glory this morning? Are you glorifying HIM to show HIM how much YOU love HIM?
Colossians 3:17 (NASB) Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. This basically sums up glorifying God, do all in the name of the Lord. You wouldn’t kick your cat in the name of the Lord, you wouldn’t skip school in the name of the Lord, you wouldn’t jump off a cliff in the name of the Lord … Unless of course the Lord told you to, but that’s another story. There are a millions ways to glorify God, with your thoughts, music you listen to, the way you drive, the things you say, the work you do, your ministry.
Ministry is probably the biggest confusion factor in a Christians life, sometimes we think that our day to day life is different from what our ministry is. Seems to me like we try to separate what we want from what what God wants, funny though how we don’t actually own anything and that the Lord provides all things for us to have stewardship over. That TV you’re watching, God’s. This computer, God’s. Your body, God’s. All these things allowed on your life for you to either glorify him with or to be selfish and deny Him of praise that is rightfully His.
Those who are married, your marriage is ministry number ONE (besides your ministry with God, yes that is a ministry because it involves glorifying Him) because it reflects the love relationship you have with God. Jesus is married to the church, you don’t see Him taking extra time to stay at WORK talking story with the angels about Fred’s new car, He is always their for His spouse. So when that special someone calls, don’t be so quick to end the conversation you are “busy doing the work of the Lord.” Hello!?! Who gave you you’re wife? Not you, you didn’t make her, she is rightfully God’s little girl who He is letting you be one with.
Don’t be easily distracted by perversions the devil has set up around you to get your focus of of loving and glorifying God with all your strength (which, I might add, is given to you by the Lord). So when that call comes that you have been waiting for, stop and ask God if it’s going to glorify Him. Remember this, glorifying the Lord is not something in which you should be so serious to point of being called the joyless Christian. The second thing that consists of the fruit of the spirit is joy, right next to love, which binds things in perfect unity, that’s a major characteristic of the Holy Spirit. Psalms 126:2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” (ESV)
Be joyful going about doing the work of the Lord. Philippians 2:14-15 (NASB) Do all things without grumbling or disputing, so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world…

James 2
1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.
2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in,
3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,”
4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

I am going through the book of James with a friend and this really got me thinking. We not only take note of riches but of other things that we, as humans, use to “measure people.” I’m talking about looks, personalities, whether or not they like this or that, how they talk, what they did, etc, etc. When we do this we limit our compassion for Gods people.

Leviticus 19:18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.

James 2:8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.

John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

Romans 13:8,10 - Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. - Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Behind each person is Christ, how do we act towards that person wrongly? We, therefore, act that way before Christ who is always with us. We go before others and show one another partiality. God makes his point in telling us to love one another.

If you have trouble doing this, pray for help!

Matthew 5:43-48 - 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

We are stubborn and selfish to withhold the love that God has shown us and to keep it from others. He loves us but hates sin and to sin against another is to break His commandment. So therefore let us pray for the love of our Heavenly Father to dwell forever more in us.

I am dirt, I am worth nothing, I have caused damage, I am disgusting, I am a product of bad decisions, I am the prodigal son, I am human. I am a sheep that wanders astray, I am like Jonah, a runaway. I am like Peter, a denier. I am like Judas, a deceiver. I am like Adam, a sinner. I am like Cain, a murderer. I am like all the sins of the world, all my righteous deeds are dirty rags. Who would take me? Who would want me? Who would love me? I deserve nothing. I am nothing but dust in the wind. 

BUT GOD … LOVES ME MORE THAN YOU EVER COULD. HE FORGAVE MY SINS WHEN YOU DIDN’T, HE TOOK ME IN WHEN YOU TURNED YOUR BACK. HE STAYED WHEN YOU WALKED AWAY, HE SAID HE LOVED ME WHEN YOU SAID NOTHING … HE GAVE ME EVERYTHING I DON’T DESERVE. HOW HE LOVES ME! THATS HOW I AM TO LOVE BECAUSE HE LOVES ME, A DIRTY RAG. AND DESPITE ALL THINGS, THAT IS HOW I LOVE YOU BECAUSE OF MY ABBA. 

John 13:34

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

Colossians 3:12 

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; ¹³ bearing with one another, andforgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. ¹⁴ Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond ofunity. ¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called inone body; and be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. 

There was a man who walked the streets everyday. Every day he saw two homeless children, a boy and a girl. Whenever the man came to talk to the little girl, she would turn her back and run away. Every time the man came to speak to the little boy, the little boy ignored him. Time and time again the man returned to them both, he was so nice and gracious every time, he walked with a smile, eyes bright and full of hope. Yet every time the two children did not respond, their eyes downcast and afraid, their heart cold and hardened. The two children agreed to ignore anything he said because they knew he would hurt them. One day the man came to them, smiled and said, “I brought you fresh water.” They threw away his gift. The next day, he brought them fresh bread, but again they threw away his gift. On the third day, the two children were playing close to the road and they fell, seconds before a car came zooming over them, the man came and took them both off the road in the last second. He said to be more careful, but the two children just turned their back on him, so he went on his way.

Then, something strange happened, their hearts turned soft and the children became sad, and missed the man because they realized he is the only one who cared, the only one who had compassion, the only one who cared enough to come back no matter what. They cried for him to come back, then he appeared to them and said, “I have been watching the both of you and never left you, I prayed to God and He told me to keep coming back, and to never give up on you because He never gave up on me. I came to let you know that I love you no matter what. I want to bless you and give you a home, and a hope. I will take care of you. You only have to take my hand and believe that my God, Jesus, loves you much, much more.” The man was the pastor in the town, the two children asked for forgiveness and were blessed, they said thank you and they learned what true love was. 

Sin is a bullet train, sometimes it just slam right into you with such force you are left struggling to get up. That is the kind of sin that keeps us down for the count, that sin is found all around this modern country with so many social, political and universal thinkers all trying to get their point across to change the way people are. Either in media, production, teaching, or late night talk shows, it seems like those who don’t have a solid direction are trying to make one instead of seeing that direction that has already been given to them. 

Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

Atheists. Islam extremists. Who else shoots and tries to dismantle the the truth and righteousness of the Creator who allows their life to continue? Why doesn’t God just destroy them? Because His ways are not our ways, His love is greater than our love and gives second chances where we give death sentences. 

They create their own way, to suppress the truth. They are unrighteous taking part in sinful nature and bring encouragement for others to follow. 

Romans 1:29-32 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God’s decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

Christians. A name given by others (non-believers) to those (believers) who followed Christ. They acted with love and righteousness. They resembled the the King Jesus because they walked with Him. The true followers of Christ don’t act as the non-believers do, they are filled with love, they share truth in kindness and wisdom, they don’t try to angrily disprove the thoughts of others. 

The sin of the world keeps us down for the count if we don’t look up from our flesh and ways of life that we created for ourselves to notice the truth of the Spirit and the ways of life that have already been created for us. We have been given the gifts, its your choice to accept those gifts. All Praise and Glory be to the Lord God Almighty.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Thats a narrow door for an abundant afterlife, actually thats the only door and its the truth.

Atheists, a challenge: If theres is no heaven why waste your time on this earth? Why even take part in life and have loving relationships with other human beings if it ends with nothing? Why hold off the inevitable and set yourself up for disaster? Do you even think about what happened to your parents? Brothers or sisters? Family or friends? After they died? Is their memory just that, a memory? Why make a memorial that reads: In loving memory? Where did you learn to Love? Where did you learn to have a brain to have a memory? 

You didn’t, it was given to you. Its for you to open your eyes to realize the Truth is all around you in the air you breath and the sky you gaze at. 

I don’t breath because of nature, I breath because of God.

Genesis 2:7 Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

I don’t have eyes because a million years of molecules evolving, I have eyes because God made them and gave them to me.

I don’t think I have a heart that bleeds, pumps, and feels, I know I have a heart that bleeds, pumps, and feels because God gave it to me and told me to love him with all of it.

Mark 12:30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

I know the Universe just didn’t happen, nothing just happens, there is a creator of all things, how did you get those eyes? where did you get air to breath? how did you get that heart? God created all things.

Hebrews 3:4 (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.)

I wasn’t given hands to hit and grab, I was given hands to give and lift with all glory and praise to God.

I wasn’t given Jesus to walk away and turn my back to love and go my own way, I was given Jesus because the Lord God loves me and wants me to know love, so that I may walk with Him, His way. 

You are struggling, sweating, pulling, using all your strength, you feel your muscles begin to fail, but you just have to climb a little further, your chest is burning, you get light headed, then with your last ounce of strength you try to pull yourself up to to the top of this mountain your climbing, but you can’t and your hand slips and you begin to fall back, despair washes through you, you are grasping the air with your hands, you look back and you know there is no way you’re going to survive a 1,000 foot drop … But then a hand reaches out to grab yours from the top of the rock, you either hold on or you let go to fall to your death, fear grips you, you tell yourself not to let go, or the consequence is death … You look up to this person holding you and their eyes are filled with a loving compassion and genuine care for your life and safety. He pulls you up and washes you, feeds you, clothes you then says to you, “if you just sought after me and just noticed the things I was trying to show you, I would have made this so much easier for you, I would have given you everything you needed, but you went on your own way believing in only yourself, it hurt me to watch, I couldn’t watch you fall to your death, I Love You, your my child, so I had to reach out to you and give you a chance to live again so you know you don’t have to go through this life alone, so you know that you are loved and wanted by Me, I created you, you turned your back on me for so long but I, the King of Kings, reached out to you to show you how much I Care, how much I Love, to show you I AM, so we can have a relationship forever.”