6:01pm
January 22, 2012
Sunday
Little York
Being converted is NOT as easy as other people would have you believe. So many go around preaching that all you have to do is believe, raise your hand, mouth a few prayers, get in the water, and ta-da! You're converted!
I believe it's a lifelong process. Back when I was 12 years old I was baptized in water by the precious name of Jesus. Some would say I was converted. I believed. I was sold out. I laugh about it now. I was not converted at all. As a matter of fact, I did not want my dad to baptize me then. I told him, "I don't need to be baptized. I am NOT a sinner!" I verily believed that baptism only applied to sinners. And I was a child and grew up in church, how can I possibly be in need of baptism? I could even profess I was converted already, why try to convert me still?
When Jesus Christ told apostle Peter to strengthen his brethren after he was converted, what did He mean by that? Peter? Converted? Ha! Peter followed him for three years and I'm sure was even baptized! Peter, needs to be converted? I guess he did. Because even after Jesus rose from the dead, He was still there trying to convince Peter to follow Him. He asked Peter three times, "Peter, do you love me?"
I don't know exactly what to call this process, of God showing me that He loves me, desiring for me to believe with all of my heart that He loves me. And I believe that when I finally with all of my heart believe that He does that I can and WILL do anything for Him. And I believe that this is what is like to be truly converted. When I'm finally bold and unafraid of His love for me and will come out of my selfishness and give of myself to others, I believe that's when I can finally say, I am truly converted. Until then...I guess you can say, I'm still trying to be converted.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Run To You
January 5, 2012
Thursday
Little York
O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou has fallen by thine iniquity.
Take with you words and turn to the LORD: say unto Him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in Thee the fatherless findeth mercy.
I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.
Hosea 14:1-4
Lord, there is nothing, nothing, that you want us to withhold from you. If we hide something from you, like a sin that brings us down, how can you ever help us? Unless we commit everything to you, how can you ever deal with us? How can we ever know your voice of counsel if we only bring some stuff to you and the rest that we're embarrassed about we hide from you?
Lord, I know, you want me very much to learn to give ALL everything to you. Give ALL! And look to you for everything.
When am I ever going to learn that you're long suffering, full of compassion and slow to anger? When I sin...When I feel horrible inside...And I know for sure or rather, I feel for sure that you've turned against me and do not want me anymore that the very thing you want me to do is RUN to you. As soon as I foul up, RUN to you and say, "Lord I messed up again...I feel terrible..." And don't jump the gun of condemning myself. Isn't this what you wanted for Israel to do? To run to you and repent and confess their sins to you and say I messed up? So many times you were ready to forgive them despite of the many times they've rebelled from your instructions and desires; yet still you send your prophets to tell them, "Repent! Turn around! Return to God! And He will pardon...He will not bring the Syrians or the Egyptians or the Babylonians against you, if you just turn around!"
And now, I think the same message is still true today. We should just bring our baggages to you and say, "Here it is, Lord! Take it. I'm sick of doing this. I just don't know how to save myself from sin so please help me...and give me a heart that will turn towards your laws and your word rather turn to these sins that make me feel lousy and horrible."
Lord, I just have to tell myself this everyday, that you want me to come to you, no matter how horrible I feel about myself. Especially when I feel horrible and believing that you don't love me anymore; the more I should come. I should not be discouraged about your love. My coming to you is the only way you can help me. If I run away I just make things worse. So please Lord Jesus, help me to run to you. I pray, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
Thursday
Little York
O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou has fallen by thine iniquity.
Take with you words and turn to the LORD: say unto Him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in Thee the fatherless findeth mercy.
I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.
Hosea 14:1-4
Lord, there is nothing, nothing, that you want us to withhold from you. If we hide something from you, like a sin that brings us down, how can you ever help us? Unless we commit everything to you, how can you ever deal with us? How can we ever know your voice of counsel if we only bring some stuff to you and the rest that we're embarrassed about we hide from you?
Lord, I know, you want me very much to learn to give ALL everything to you. Give ALL! And look to you for everything.
When am I ever going to learn that you're long suffering, full of compassion and slow to anger? When I sin...When I feel horrible inside...And I know for sure or rather, I feel for sure that you've turned against me and do not want me anymore that the very thing you want me to do is RUN to you. As soon as I foul up, RUN to you and say, "Lord I messed up again...I feel terrible..." And don't jump the gun of condemning myself. Isn't this what you wanted for Israel to do? To run to you and repent and confess their sins to you and say I messed up? So many times you were ready to forgive them despite of the many times they've rebelled from your instructions and desires; yet still you send your prophets to tell them, "Repent! Turn around! Return to God! And He will pardon...He will not bring the Syrians or the Egyptians or the Babylonians against you, if you just turn around!"
And now, I think the same message is still true today. We should just bring our baggages to you and say, "Here it is, Lord! Take it. I'm sick of doing this. I just don't know how to save myself from sin so please help me...and give me a heart that will turn towards your laws and your word rather turn to these sins that make me feel lousy and horrible."
Lord, I just have to tell myself this everyday, that you want me to come to you, no matter how horrible I feel about myself. Especially when I feel horrible and believing that you don't love me anymore; the more I should come. I should not be discouraged about your love. My coming to you is the only way you can help me. If I run away I just make things worse. So please Lord Jesus, help me to run to you. I pray, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)