Let Go and Let God...

Sometimes the struggle is so hard and the temptation is so great. How do you let this sin that you love go and let God rule your heart? Why does it seem to be so difficult? Sometimes it is easier said than done, and the thing that has captured you, you don't seem to want to let it go.

Believe me, I know from experience that it isn't always an easy to let go of that sin that you cherish. After all you like doing it, it seems to be fun and okay to do. And yet deep down inside you know that it is wrong to be doing "it."

How then can we let go of that sin that we hold and let God fill it with something else? Like I said before it is easier said than done. The devil wants you to keep on thinking that whatever you are doing is okay and there is nothing wrong with it. He wants you to feel so comfortable with whatever it is that you are doing so that you silence the voice of the Holy Spirit.

I believe that the very best thing that we can do is to pray and keep on praying. If you feel the urge or temptation to do that "secret sin" you have to pray immediately for God to remove it from your heart. Then you need to remind the devil that you are dead to that sin and you are now walking in the right way. He will try to remind you how fun it was and how much you enjoyed it, but go to Jesus and ask Him to send the devil away and He will!

Sometimes though we can be stubborn and want our own way, and the devil is successful at leading us back into that sin, when we realize what we have done (which is sometimes in the process of doing whatever it may be) we must go to Jesus and tell Him how sorry we are and to ask for forgiveness and ask Him to help us to overcome in all points of weakness. The Bible tells many different promises of how Jesus will come to help us no matter what.

Jesus said He would send every angel in heaven if it meant that we would be saved and not fall into temptation! Every angel! Sometimes I can't fathom the love of God and understand how He can put up with such a weak and erring child like I am, like we all are. But God does love us more than we can ever know, it will take us all eternity to discover how much He really does love us, and even then we won't know everything.

Yes, we do need to let go and let God run our lives, no matter how hard it may be and no matter what difficulties we may overcome. God will help us in all of our weaknesses and He will keep us from falling like He has promised He would in His Word.

Another thing to keep in mind is, while we may think that we are doing this sin when no one else is looking, all of heaven is watching us, watching to see what choices we make. We can think of Jesus and how He died so that we could be totally free from sin. We can think of how Jesus cries when He sees us doing those things that displease Him. Also that the angels and the other unfallen worlds would be disappointed in us.

If we can keep these things before our minds, we would be less likely to fall/stumble. We can also remember that if we are faithful unto the end, Jesus will give us the crown of life and we can be with Him forever. Jesus himself said, "What is it if a man gains the whole world but loses his soul" (paraphrase).

When we think about it, or at least when I think about it; I realize that it isn't worth it to lose all of eternity for just a moment of pleasure. For me what matters most is that in the end my Savior says, "Well done good and faithful servant!" I want to do everything in my power to have Him say that, even if it means giving up on what I may consider pleasure. After all I'm giving it up for Him!

I want to let go and let God, don't you?

Only He Understands...

Sold! Sold into slavery by your very family! How could have this happened? What did he do that would make them sell their own brother? The tears begin to flow as he remembers his father and little brother back at home, his home, or what was his home. Now he was walking on what seemed to be an endless journey across sand. Way would the Lord allow this to happen?

Our story is one many may know, but there may be some things in this story you may never have heard of, the story of Joseph...

Joseph was born into a big family, his father had four wives, one of his wives Rachel was the one his father really loved. Jacob, Joseph's father, prayed that Rachel would be able to have children, God heard and answered his prayer and Rachel gave birth to a son whom they called Joseph. Rachel went on to have one other son, Benjamin, but shortly after the birth of her second son Rachel died.

Joseph had 10 older brothers, which came from Jacob's other wives. Now Jacob favored Joseph, because he was Rachel's eldest son, this caused Joseph's older brothers to become jealous. Jacob didn't let Joseph go into the fields with his brother, he took special care in training Joseph at home. As the years went on and Joseph became older he started having dreams. He made the mistake and told his brothers the dreams, the dreams made it sound as if Joseph was going to rule over them someday. This made the brothers even more angry.

The brothers decided to sell Joseph as a slave, and on the way to Egypt (that being the place to which Joseph would go for slavery), Joseph decided to lean upon God and let Him lead his life. After all, the Lord was the only One whom he could lean on, and the only One who understood why this had happened to him.

Joseph was sold to Potiphar, a captain in the Pharaoh's army. Joseph was eventually put in charge of Potiphar's whole house, but someone else who was also watching Joseph. Potiphar's wife watched Joseph and liked how he looked, he being a sturdy, handsome young man, Potiphar's wife wanted Joseph to do something in which the commandments forbade. Joseph was true to God in this trying test, and because of it Potiphar's wife turned it all around, and as a result, Joseph was sent to prison.

Once again Joseph relied on God, for only God understood why he would be treated this way. When he was in prison he meet 2 people; the butler and the baker of the Pharaoh. These two both had dreams, Joseph was able to interpret these dreams (with God's help) and was able to tell these two men the meaning of their dreams. The butler was set free in 3 days, and the baker was hanged, just like Joseph interpreted.

(If you would like to read the full account of Joseph's life, go to the Bible, you can find it in the first book of Genesis starting with chapter 37.)

Joseph asked the butler before he was released to remember him when he went in before Pharaoh but the butler forgot about Joseph in the prison, and he spent another 2 years there. Until, the Pharaoh had a strange dream, then the butler remembered how Joseph interpreted his dream in prison, he quickly told the Pharaoh about Joseph, and the Pharaoh quickly sent for Joseph. Joseph, once again, with God's help, interpreted the dream for Pharaoh, telling him that there would be 7 years of plenty, and 7 years of famine. Pharaoh realized that Joseph was a man of God and put Joseph in charge of all of Egypt.

Not only was Joseph able to save Egypt from famine but he was able save his family from it as well. His brothers had come to Egypt to see if they could buy grain, Joseph immediately recognized his brothers, but his brothers did not recognize Joseph. Joseph looked different from what they would remember, when he was sold into slavery he was only 17 years old, but now he was 30 years old, and not only that he was governor of all of Egypt. They bowed down before Joseph, just like Joseph dreamed about when he was still at home. Joseph had long since forgiven his brothers for the wrong that they had committed to him, but he wanted to be sure that they had changed before he would reveal who he really was. Joseph accused them of being spies and sent one of the brothers to prison, the other brothers had to bring back Benjamin to prove that they were not spies.

The brothers, when they had sold Joseph into slavery had told their father that Joseph was killed by a wild animal, so the father thought that Joseph was dead. Because Joseph was "dead" the father favored Benjamin. The brothers quickly told their father about there visit to Egypt, but Jacob did not want Benjamin to go to Egypt with his brothers. The point finally came when they ran out of grain, so Jacob let Benjamin go to Egypt. Well when they got back to Egypt Joseph put them to the test to see how they would treat Benjamin, they quickly showed that their heart was changed, they had long been sorry for the wrong that they had done to Joseph. When Joseph realized this, he quickly revealed to them who he really was.

The brothers were immediately reunited and quickly went back to Egypt to get there aged father, and it was a sweet reunion between father and son.

There are many similarities in the story of Joseph and that of the life of Jesus. Joseph was sold for 30 pieces of silver, so was Jesus. Joseph showed amazing meekness and humility in all the things he went through, these are the characteristics of Jesus when He was faced with the cross. The list goes on and on.

Through this story we can learn a lot of things. One of thmain ones that I want to point out is this, only God understands the plans He has for our lives. Only He can tell how it will all end. Sometimes we might question God about why He would allow us to go through this or that, but when we stop and think about it, and remember the story of Joseph, you will be able to remember how He led in his life. You may never know why God is putting you through this experience. After all, only He understands.

I want to trust God with my life don't you?

A Story of Amazing Grace...

Many, many people know the song Amazing Grace, and it is most people's favorite hymn...but when you hear the story behind the famous hymn it is quite interesting. Today I will be sharing that story with you.

John Newton, the writer of the song Amazing Grace, was born July 24, 1725, in the Wapping district of London, near the Thames. His father was the commander of a merchant ship, and his mother was a devout and pious Christian woman. It had been her tenderest hope that Newton would become a clergyman, but she died of tuberculosis when Newton was only 6 years old. When his father remarried, he was sent to boarding school, where he was mistreated. Newton left school at 11, and became an apprentice on his father's ship.

As a sailor, he was known for his headstrong rebellious nature. In 1744 he was impressed into the Royal Navy, and deserted shortly afterwards to visit Mary "Polly" Catlett, whom he later married. When recaptured, and returned to the H. M. S. Harwich, he was publicly flogged, and demoted to common seaman, from being a midshipman. Newton continued his course of rebelliousness, and openly mocked his captain, and wrote obscene poetry about him. These poems became so popular the other sailors would join him in singing them.

Eventually, at his own request, he was transferred to a slaving ship. Because of his continued insubordinance, he was sold as a slave himself to a plantation owner in Sierra Leone. Newton's father intervened, however, and sent a ship to rescue him. While aboard the Greyhound, Newton became notorious for being the most profane person the captain had ever met. Though profanity was the norm, Newton was admonished many times for, not only using the worst words the captain had ever heard, but for making up new ones.

During a voyage in early 1748, Newton began reading The Christian's Pattern, a summary of a book written 300 years earlier, titled The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas a Kempis. It was during this voyage, when the ship was overtaken by a violent storm, that Newton experienced his conversion. Violent waves beat upon the ship, and washed one crewman overboard. In desperation, Newton cried, "Lord, have mercy on us!" It was not long until the fury of the storm abated somewhat, and retired to his cabin.

Newton began reflecting on what he had read, and the prayer he had uttered in desperation. He began to wonder if he could be forgiven, for he had not only refused to be a Christian, he had mocked and derided those who were. His life had been a continual round of debauchery and vice, and now he wondered if he could be taken into the fold of Christ. A transformation that would take several years began, and he started to mend his ways.

Upon arriving in Lough Swilly, Ireland, Newton contacted the family of Polly, and announced his intentions to marry her. Her parents were reluctant, knowing his reputation for profanity and impetuousness. Nevertheless, they consented to a correspondence between the two. The two were finally married in 1750.

Though still running slaves, Newton began a studied effort to submit to authority, and totally left off profanity. Newton began treating the slaves within his care humanely, and held weekly worship services for his crew. Several years later he was offered a position captaining a ship with cargo unrelated to slaves, and he gladly accepted. Shortly after, in 1755, at the age of 30, he collapsed, and never sailed again.

Eventually, he applied to the Bishop of York for ordination, but was turned down. Newton was encouraged by a friend to write his story, which he did. This autobiography so impressed the Earl of Dartmouth, that he sponsored Newton for ordination with the Bishop of Lincoln. It was in 1764 that Newton received the curacy of Olney, Buckinghamshire, and began his life as a minister.

In 1780 Newton left Olney to become rector of St. Mary Woolnoth, St. Mary Woolchurch, in London. There he drew large congregations and influenced many, among them William Wilberforce, who would one day become a leader in the campaign for the abolition of slavery. Newton continued to preach until the last year of life, although he was blind by that time. He died in London December 21, 1807. Infidel and libertine turned minister in the Church of England, he was secure in his faith that amazing grace would lead him home.

The Seven Deadly Sins...

The Seven Deadly Sins is a very interesting title, is there such a thing? I am glad that you asked, because today we will discuss these sins and go through each one. First things first though, where do find it in the Bible? The answer is below...

Proverbs 6: 16 - 19 says, "These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren."

So to answer the first question, yes, there is such a thing. Now we will go through each one and I will tell you what I think they mean. The first one is a proud look, I believe that the Lord is cautioning us not to be prideful, He tells us that we should let others praise us for our accomplishments. When someone gets prideful they often tend to look down on everyone else because they think they aren't as good as them.

A lying tongue: There is one thing that God cannot do and that is lie! He warns us throughout the entire Bible to not become a lier. God will always love the sinner, but He will also always hate the sin. Once you begin to lie it becomes a very hard thing to stop. It starts with a little lie that grows until it is a deep dark hole.

Hands that shed innocent blood: in other words someone who kills someone else, and that someone else is an innocent person who has done nothing wrong. When anybody takes a life of another person it is wrong, no matter what that person may have done, you should remember that God will avenge His own later on. You should not take your own life as well, whatever you may have done go to God and He will forgive you.

An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations: I believe that this implies to those who think upon wicked things. When you think something it can often become a habit, which can become an action later on. Cast down every imagination the Bible says. A person who thinks of evil, will eventually do evil.

Feet that be swift in running to mischief: those who are easily led astray. When you are easily led into doing wrong, the devil doesn't have to try very hard to tempt you, for when he does, you are easily led along into his trap. Also you do it swift, which means it doesn't take a long time, when the temptation comes, you go right away.

A false witness that speaketh lies: those people who willingly tell a lie to get another person into trouble. Often people seek to get revenge on someone they will tell lies about that person, even if it is untrue. They will even swear on the Bible that it is true and will produce whatever they can to make it seem real.

He that soweth discord among brethren: people who cause problems among there own people. This can happen in religion, family life, or even work/social life. They will do whatever they can so that it is not a very comfortable environment, and then when everyone is not happy with each other that person is satisfied.

All these thing Solomon the wisest king and person (besides Jesus) who ever lived, wrote these things. The Holy Spirit who inspired all of the Bible writers, gave him these words to say. He wanted this in the Bible to let us know what is acceptable behavior and what is not. So when we see things things and when we do these things we will be happier.

I want to avoid all of these sins, don't you?