Monday, November 23, 2015

Lay it down

Lay it Down 
by Cheri Keaggy 

If you are empty
And have nothing to give
You're discontented
By the way that you live
Or maybe you find it
So hard to forgive
Why don't you lay it down?

If you have done something
You'd like to forget
If you have spoken words
That turn in your head
Why beat yourself up
With the things of the past
When you could lay them down
Why don't you lay it down?

'Cause there's a source of help
In every need
There's a place to dwell
Down on your knees
And if I could tell you
How to find peace
You've got to lay it down…
(That's right)

If there are memories
That are too hard to bear
You open your heart
And find bitterness there
If you've been hurt so bad
You don't even care
Why don't you lay it down?
Why don't you lay it down?

'Cause there's a source of help
In every need
And there's a place to dwell
Down on your knees
And if I could tell you
How to be free
You've got to lay it down

It's things like pride and anger
And bitter seeds
They rob us of our freedom
And keep us from peace
But through things like love
And patience and a forgiving heart
That's where the healing can start
God won't let go of your heart
He won't let go of your heart
He won't let go, no

'Cause there's a source of help
In every need
There's a place to dwell
Down on your knees
And if I could tell you
How to find peace
You've got to lay it down…

This past Sunday(Nov 15th) my dad quoted my blog about the battle in our minds and how what you and I think about affects us.  I shared the above lyrics to a song by Cheri Keaggy because we have surely things we need to lay down and get our thoughts on track.  A lot of my writing comes to me while I'm driving be it story or Bible study.  It scares me a little because I later wonder if I'm paying enough attention to the road.  Anywho I started thinking about this thought battle last week but specifically on Tuesday because I had been in one of those battles.  I wanted to bring your attention to some weapons in a Christian's arsenal.  Maybe you haven't used them but we need to.  Hebrews 12:1-2 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses, to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up and let us run with endurance, the race God has set before us.  We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.  Because of the joy, waiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame.  Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne."  The writer of Hebrews tells us to lay things down and fix our eyes on Jesus.   Not always easy I know but we have to in order to properly run.  Being married you learn more about forgiveness than you ever wanted to know and you either forgive your spouse or your marriage suffers you can hang on to a petty fight and get hurt or you can let it go, lay it down, apologize and pray.  I've learned this the hardway.  
  So let's redirect here with Colossians 3:1-2  "Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of Heaven, where Christ sits at the place of honor at God's right hand.  Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.  I was told this many years ago.  There's an old computer term "garbage in; garbage out."  What you put into your mind affects what comes out.  Are you putting God's word into your life because that's where your change will start.  When you grab a thought and it is not good stop and pray.  Why?  1 Peter 5:6-8  "So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.  Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.  Stay alert!  Watch out for your great enemy the devil.  He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour."  
  My final question to you is this.  What are you thinking about?  This is where your mind should be thinking about.  "And now dear brothers and sisters one final thing.  Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.  Think about these things that are excellent and worthy of praise."  Philippians 4:8  "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you O Lord, my rock and my redeemer."  Psalms 19:14





 


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Friday, November 13, 2015

Thought Captivity

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."  2 Corinthians 10:5  The battle in our minds is real.  I'm going to take you on a journey to my past that will meet up with my future.  About 5 plus years ago I had a very painful breakup.  Satan's biggest way to attack me personally is to make me feel like a failure and attack my thoughts.  After this breakup I was hurt badly not something I really talk about.  I would become consumed and lost in thought about how this person and I had hurt one another.  I'm not claiming to have always gotten it all right at the best of times.  My dog Mara, if she could talk could tell you one day i fell to my knees on the ground in tears from the hurt.  I was constantly being reminded of failing in the relationship I had been in.  The verse above talks about taking every thought captive.  In my mind I could dwell on the thoughts and keep being hurt or I could do something to take those thoughts captive.  I reached a point when those thoughts of that person would come up where I would begin to tell God.  "Lord I can't deal with this I need you to take these thoughts and help me."  Then I began praying God would turn my ex into the woman of God he wanted her to be.  I lost my emotions from it all in writing a story called Kismet's Journey and the main character took on all I had felt.  It's a story I wrote that to this day i cannot read without breaking down in tears.  
  This brings me to my present.  As I've told you my job is laying me off.  It's a place I'm unfamiliar with and I often think about it.  I've been taking thoughts of a new job, and providing for my wife and dog to God.  Satan would have me believe I'm being laid off because I failed.  God promised to love me and I could trust him.  We're in a spiritual battle being fought for our thoughts.  God has already won but do you trust him?  




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Saturday, November 7, 2015

Good Reminder

Been reading in Psalms lately as it's a book that deals with just about any mood a person could have the last verse I am typing up is what got my attention and i read again the verses in the chapter and i believe we all need this from time to time.  Psalms 9:7-12 nlt "But the Lord reigns forever, executing judgement from His throne.  He will judge the world with Justice and rule the nations with fairness.  The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.  Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.  Sing praises to the Lord who reigns in Jerusalem.  Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds.  For He who avenges murder cares for the helpless.  He does not ignore the cries of those who suffer."  

 one song came to mind regarding this Chris Tomlin - Let God Arise (Live)
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Saturday, October 31, 2015

restored strength

I mentioned previously that things with my job are very stressful right now.  i could try to explain it but working at a call center is hard for most people to get.  i will simply say this about working days the amount of calls wears you down emotionally and mentally and this week has been filled with people who are extremely argumentative and frustrating.  i work in a negative place that breeds negativity.  losing co-workers on a daily basis is not of much help.  I came across a verse a few days ago and let me set the stage here for you.  David has been pursued most of his adult life by King Saul who thinks David is out to kill him which in reality its the other way around.  David is at the point he has gone to the Philistines and acted like a madman at times.  This battle breaks out between Israel and the Philistines and their king urged by his people has to tell David to leave because they're afraid David and his men will turn on them mid battle.  So David and his men leave and watch this one verse because they come home to find all their families kidnapped.  The last part of this verse just got my attention so much when i would come home from work just drained.  I just kept thinking about it.   I've gotta say honestly I love David!  1 Samuel 30:6. "David was now in great danger because all his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters, and they began to talk of stoning him.  But David found strength in the Lord his God."   That line of David finding strength in the Lord his God is what has consumed my thoughts.  with the way my days at work have gone i need strength other than my own.  Every night I have been praying something so simple.  "Lord your word says that you are the Rock i can run to and it also says you lead me to rest in green meadows, you lead me beside peaceful streams and I need you to renew my strength.  I need my soul emotionally, physically and mentally renewed and my body needs rest."  I wake up the next morning well rested.  I don't know what fight you're in but you need God's strength.  I watch as one of my co-workers becomes more negative and complains more and i am trying so hard to stay away from that path.  This morning i had this song lyric running thru my head and i couldn't place the song.  so i googled it.  "You hold my world in Your hands."  




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