There is difference between guilt and shame. One is a fact and one is a feeling. Guilt is the knowledge of having done something wrong. Shame is the evil result; shame is the false feeling that your value has somehow changed.
Continue reading “Guilt vs. Shame”Las Vegas Reflections
I read in a devotion from Nick Gumbel this morning about a response from Bishop B.F. Wescott when being asked if he was saved. The bishop responded:
“I know that I have been saved. I believe I am being saved. I hope by the grace of God, that I shall be saved.”
His response addressed the time factor of the word, SAVED. Gumbel expanded with:
- I KNOW I have been saved – from the PENALTY of sin.
- I BELIEVE I am being saved – from the POWER of sin.
- I HOPE, by the grace of God, I shall be saved – from the PRESENCE of sin.
Happy Mother’s Day
❤
I See You Mom
Your hurts, your worries and prayers
Your passions and purposes
I know it all
And, I need you to know
You are not alone; I am with you.
I always have been and always will be
Before you were born, I knit you together
In your mother’s womb.
And just like those babes of yours
You were also fearfully and wonderfully made.
You want the best for your children
Just like I want the best for you.
So, for this moment, for today,
Rest in this truth:
You are not alone,
I am near
I hear you
I see you
I know your effort
I am proud of your sacrifice
And regardless of where you are in your journey
I am not finished
With You
❤
HOPE – C.S. Lewis
Hope is one of the Theological virtues. This means that a continual looking forward to the eternal world is not (as some modern people think) a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do. It does not mean that we are to leave the present world as it is. If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark on Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.
Continue reading “HOPE – C.S. Lewis”Left of Return
Whether you’re a believer or not, we have all had that experience of being not-quite-awake and not-quite-asleep where you sense communication taking place. Scientists and psychologists will explain this as REM sleep – dreaming – the subconscious part of the brain trying to work out conflicts and resolutions you are struggling with in your conscious life. I can agree with that.
But I disagree with any conclusion saying, that since we all experience it, it is therefore part of our natural life.
God’s Love: It’s Why I Still Live Today
Why are we here? TODAY, I mean! As Christians, we believe in the God of Israel. The God who created the Heavens, the Seas, and the Earth. The God who created the inhabitants of each of those realms – the sun, moon, and stars, the birds, the sea creatures, the animals and mankind. Man and woman, created in His image, intended to co-rule over His creation in partnership with Him.
But the temptation of Sin entered this garden and man’s submission to that temptation, ruined their hearts. They failed to trust God and disobeyed Him. They freely chose the opportunity to define Good and Evil for themselves. As a result, they were cast out of Eden – with the promise that God would reconcile humanity back to Himself through the seed of the woman to defeat the seed of the snake.
Defining Boundaries – ITM 09/03/2018
In Charles Stanley’s, In Touch Ministries Daily Devotion today, September 3rd, titled, Setting Boundaries Against Temptation, he refers to Paul’s 2nd pastoral letter to Timothy when talking about the love/hate relationship we have with some sins. These are the sins that, he writes: You really want to overcome it, but as soon as you’re tempted, the anticipated pleasure erases all your willpower. Continue reading “Defining Boundaries – ITM 09/03/2018”
Standing Strong and Fighting Back – ITM 09/02/2018
In Charles Stanley’s, In Touch Ministries Daily Devotion today, September 2nd, Limits on Temptation, he refers to Paul’s letter to the Corinthians where Paul addresses the problems of temptation in the early church. Paul reminded them that even the ancient Israelites, the ‘Wilderness generation’, who walked with God, gave in to sinful temptations and God was not pleased. Paul talked about the early temptations of idolatry… sexual immorality… and complaining. They craved evil things and suffered the consequences. (See 1 Corinthians 10:1-12) Continue reading “Standing Strong and Fighting Back – ITM 09/02/2018”
Struggling with Temptation – ITM 09/01/2018
For all of July and August, and now starting September, I have been sending emails to someone three time zones away, as we both were reading Charles Stanley’s Daily Devotionals from In Touch Ministries (ITM).
I enjoy this exercise and I want to keep track of these thoughts, so now, I include them here as I believe we should surround ourselves with other believers who want the best for us, like Charles Stanley 🙂 and we should track our journey, for so many reasons!
In Charles Stanley’s, daily devotion today, September 1st, titled, The Struggle With Temptation, he calls temptation the most troubling and defeating struggle we go through here on Earth.
He refers to scripture, James 1:13-15, which is powerful. Continue reading “Struggling with Temptation – ITM 09/01/2018”
Lightening the Load: How to Prepare for the Journey
When I heard God’s call and accepted His free offer to travel to an amazing destination where He lives with His people; where there is no tears, no death, no grief, crying, or pain, for these things have passed away, REVELATION 21:3-4, I lifted my arms and cried, ‘YES! He loves me. Take me as I am, flawed and all.’
Well imagine my surprise when I tried to check-in and the gate agent said, ‘Sorry, this trip requires you to travel light. You have far too much baggage!’
Continue reading “Lightening the Load: How to Prepare for the Journey”