Who is really to blame?

We have all had people who have harmed or wronged us in some way. The Bible tells us we are to forgive those who hurt us and Bless those who curse us. Matt.5:44 (KJV) But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;  It took me years to forgive some people and others it only took seconds. Why the difference? God revealed to me one day that sin is sin. The person who harmed me or wronged me was acting that way because sin had entered into them. I was blaming the person instead of the action. God sent his son Jesus to die on the cross for EVERYONE'S sin. A murderer was once and innocent baby. Sin entered into their heart. A liar was once as pure as snow. Sin entered into their heart. Does this excuse their actions? NO! Of course it doesn't. For every action, there is a reaction. The action of the person who wronged you hurt deeply. However, you must forgive that person in order to enter into Heaven. It helped me to see that the persons who wronged me were acting out of sin. Once I separated the sin from the person, I could forgive them. Then I could move on with the next chapter in my life. The devil doesn't like you to forgive because that frees you from bondage. My prayer for you today is that you can forgive those that wrong you and move forward in your walk with God. Then you can truly experience the Joy that God has for you. 

Spring Every Day!

Chances are if you ask most people what their favorite season is they will answer Spring. Spring is a beautiful season. After a long sometimes cold and dreary winter, it is nice to see colors spring forth in life. Spring represents a re-birth of something that seemed to be dead. It is a fresh new start to another season. Did you know it is Spring every day of the year for a Christian? That is if we allow it to be. The Bible tells us in Phil. 3:13-14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. That means every day is a NEW day. We are to forget those things that happened yesterday or even years before. Each day is SPRING! It is a new fresh day. Did you say things yesterday to someone you wish you hadn't said? Well today is a new day and you have a chance to make it right. Was yesterday a day you wish you could forget? The Bible says you should and move on. The point God wants us to see is that his mercies renew daily. Don't take my word for it. Lamentations 3:22-23 says It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. If God can forgive us and give us his mercy, then why can’t we forgive ourselves? Don’t listen to the lies the devil tries to feed you today. YOU are worthy because God loves you. You have a clean slate to start from today. I challenge you today to let Spring arrive in your soul and spirit. Feed it with the word of God and water it with living water.

Safe From Harm

I love how the Lord uses everyday things to show us his love for us. I had been traveling down this same road for a week. On this stretch of highway I noticed two small puppies that looked like they were hungry. I had tried on several occasions to coax them into my car. They would stop and look at me and then run away. I feared for them because I knew that was a busy road and was so afraid they would get run over. I also knew that coyotes were in the woods and might eat them.I couldn't get them off my mind. I tried everything I could think of but never could get them to come to me so I could get them to safety. About the third time I drove by the Lord reveled something to me. We are like those puppies sometimes. The Lord does everything he can to get us to walk under his protecting shadow. Psalm 91:1 (KJV) ¹ He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. He knows what sinful traps lay around us and he tries his best to keep us on the safe road.  We like the puppies don’t follow the Lord sometimes like we should. Maybe it is fear that keeps us from following or just plain disobedience. Whatever it may be rest assured that we never leave the Lords mind. He NEVER gives up on us. I haven’t seen the puppies anymore so I can only pray they found safety. This lesson from God has taught me to pray more earnestly for that one soul that may be closest to hell. I pray that someday they will listen to the call of the Lord and find safety everlasting from the path of sin. 

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

 How many times have we heard, You need to take responsibility for what you have done. It started way back in the book of Genesis When sin first entered the world. God asked Adam  point blank did you eat from the tree I told you not too? Adam said immediately it was the woman you gave me she told me to eat so I did.

( Pass the blame.) God asked Eve what have you done? Eve said the serpent beguiled me to eat so I did. (Pass the blame). Now the serpent God cursed because he did indeed have a major part in the sin factor. Yes I believe the devil used the serpent to coax Eve into eating the fruit. But I also believe she had a choice and wasn’t forced into eating the fruit. She didn’t want to own up to the bad choice she had made. Do you see the pattern? Adam said Eve made me do it. Eve said the serpent made me do it. Notice how God didn’t ask the serpent anything but immediately cursed him.. This is MY OPINION not Bible but I feel God asked Adam and Eve those questions to see if they would OWN up to their mistakes. He knew they had sinned but wanted to see if they would own up to it or try to cover it up. We all know the only remedy for our sin is the precious blood that was shed by Jesus on Calvary. When we try to cover up our sin we are only causing more pain. God knows our hearts. He wants us to confess our sin so we can be forgiven and be able to fellowship with him. He wants us to say Lord, I have messed up. I have sinned. I take full responsibility for my actions and ask you to cleanse me. We all fall short of the Glory of God. The question is are you big enough to admit your mistakes and ask for forgiveness for them. So the next time your tempted to say the devil made me do it remember you made a choice. Don’t let him try to beguile you as he did with Eve. Just simply say Lord I have messed up please forgive me and help me to get stronger so I won’t do it again. I pray you all have a Blessed day.