WHO ARE YOU FOLLOWING?

The older I get, the less likely I am to try new things.
I might try something new for exercising and see if I can do it.
I will try new recipes and am always up for trying new foods.
It is the challenging things, the ones that might cause me to fear, that I seem to want to avoid. I don't want to fail. That just seems like it makes me "older".
Maybe I just like what is comfortable, what is known. To have that feeling of security, normalcy, to know what is going to happen .
Life isn't always like that, is it?

So this year, I decided to try something new. Something different. Something I felt was maybe needed.
For the past 20-25 years, I have read through the Bible each year. If you know me, you know I don't start with Genesis and read all the way through to Revelation. I just read and let God's Spirit move me.
This year, I had this sense, that something new was needed. That I should do something different.
I decided to just concentrate on Jesus and His words.
I decided that I would just read the Gospels; and really soak in the words of Jesus.
If I read just one chapter a day, it will take me four months to read through all the Gospels, and by doing that I can read them three times each and really soak in the words, listen to what Jesus has said and really contemplate how it applies to my life. I can see things new and maybe differently.

I am exasperated at times to read articles, books, blogs that tell me this is how I am to believe on certain issues (ie homosexuality, gay rights, abortion, how to treat the poor).
What if I just asked Jesus?
What if you just asked Jesus?
Isn't His opinion, His commands, His Words, the ones that really count?
And how are we to know what He is saying if we don't read His Words?
I have looked over and over and have yet to find anything that Jesus says concerning homosexuality. I know there are verses in Scripture that talk about this issue, but I don't find any words from Jesus.
This isn't saying He doesn't have an opinion, it is just an observation that He Himself does not address the issue.
There will be MANY issues that arise in our lives, that the Bible does not directly say "do this" or "do that", but that doesn't mean, we can't ask Jesus to help us know His truth. I believe with all my heart, with all my mind, that Jesus wants us to know and live His truth. Sometimes, it is up to us to ask Him to reveal His truth to us.
Please don't take others words, others interpretations. 
ASK JESUS.
In time, He will reveal Himself to you.

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" John 8:32

Today, three weeks into the new year, I finished reading the Gospel of John. I must say, not that I am surprised, but each and everyday, I pondered anew the words of Jesus. Something, some word, some circumstance, some story, caught my heart and I meditated on what this meant to my life. It has truly been a breath of fresh air. Reading and really trying to hear His words. Soaking in His truth.

As I finished today, I read the words in John 21:19 and then again in verse 22

"Follow Me."
"You must follow Me".

That is what it is ALL about.
Following Jesus.
Being obedient to His commands.
Asking Him when we are unsure.
Following Jesus doesn't mean that life will be easy. In actuality, it gets really really hard at times.
Following Jesus doesn't guarantee a pain free, trial free, heartache free life. It just means that following Jesus is the BEST way. The way that will lead to life everlasting.
Jesus wants our devotion.
He wants our obedience.
He is the ONE who is GOD.
He is Good. He desire His best for us.

Please don't get caught up in what others say, don't believe what one man or woman says, ask Jesus Himself.
"Follow Me".
That is probably the one true thing we can do.
We can make the decision each and everyday to Follow JESUS. Sometimes, it may be a moment by moment decision, but the BEST thing we can do is : 
to Follow Jesus. 
For our whole lives.
Until we meet Him face to face and get to be with Him forever and ever.

WHAT IS YOUR ONE THING?

Have you ever wanted something so bad that you would do almost anything to get it?
Apart from being a criminal I mean.
Maybe when you were younger, you wanted a certain toy, that you just HAD to have. Was it a bike? A doll that everyone else had (ie. you know a certain Barbie or an American Girl doll), or maybe it was one of the Transformers. Quite possibly it could have been a certain game for your Xbox or Nintendo or Wii. Or if you were lucky enough to have your won DS, one of those games.
The reasons that we could not live without it were given to our parents and depending on finances, our willingness to obey them, or even their mood, would determine if we would get it or not.
But if it was around Christmas time, usually our odds increased as to whether we got it or not.

Most likely the year I would have gotten "worst parent award" was the Christmas season that we decided not to get Nintendo for our kids because we thought it would take too much time away from them "being kids". Also, to be honest, it was rather expensive and I was afraid they would notice they didn't have more gifts. Thanks be to our good friend Darrell, who was single and without nephews of his own at the time, he dropped by on Christmas Eve with a Nintendo wrapped. Not only did they get the Nintendo they wanted, but also the presents we had bought them. It would probably rank as one of their all time favorite Christmas' of childhood. 

What about as we get older?
We want a boyfriend or a girlfriend.
We want friends.
We want to be accepted and liked (that is something that is in each of us, and will never change-no matter what one might say to the contrary).
We want to get into that one specific school.
And then we graduate, and we look for that one job, that will interest us, challenge us, and motivate us to want for more.
We want a spouse and that house with the white picket fence. (do those even exist anymore?).
We want children.
Sometimes we get children way too easily-ask the pregnant teen about that.
Sometimes we don't get children. Our dreams of having a child have been obliterated by infertility. 
We begin to think about adoption and the exorbitant costs restrain us.
Why is it some people get what we so desperately want and we don't?
The age old questions pop into our minds. We are bombarded with thoughts of "this just isn't fair". No one said it was.
No one said life was fair.
Life is an adventure. We don't know where we are going all the time, but we keep at it; striving to make our unknown destination-even if we are so uncertain to where that might be.

What if- God asked you to go somewhere. 
You had no idea where He was asking you to go, but you chose to go with Him.
This is what occurred in the life of Abraham. 
God asked him to leave all that was familiar and go to a new land that He would show him.
Abraham went without question. Or so we are led to assume from the account in Genesis. He took his wife, his servants, his livestock and all his possessions and set out for what was later to be named Canaan.
Once in Canaan he had series of adventures with the people that already resided there.
One day God visited him in the form of three men (possibly a reference to the Trinity) and told him that he and his wife Sarah would have a baby this time next year. It was almost unbelievable as Abe was almost 100, and Sarah was approaching 90. (Mind you if this were to happen to me today-I would PANIC. Way too old to have a baby, to keep up with all the demands of raising children).
This was even laughable-which is exactly what Sarah did.
But sure enough, one year later, Sarah gave birth to a little boy named Isaac (his name means, he laughs).
This heir, his real heir was the joy, the delight of his father's life. It was THE ONE THING that Abraham really wanted. And God gave him the desires of both he and Sarah's heart.
Some years later, probably when Isaac was around 12 or 13 years of age, God asked Abraham to take his son to a specific mountain, and there to sacrifice his son as a burnt offering.
The Bible tells us that "early the next morning Abraham set out...".
Can you imagine what his night was like? 
I believe he must have tossed and turned all night, wrestling with the constant thought of " why is God asking me to do this?". And yet Abraham went. We are told it was a 3 day trip to the mountain of Moriah. I have to think that each hour his heart weighed heavier.
When it was time to climb the mountain, he took his young son up.
Isaac, being an aware type of kid, wondered where the sacrifice was that they would burn as an offering to the LORD. And Abraham's response is "that God would provide".
What faith, what trust. 
I guess that there was a few doubts as well.

But at the moment, Abraham was going to kill his precious son, God told him to stop. That there was a ram in the thickets, that should be the sacrifice. God did provide the alternative sacrifice.
The LORD was testing Abraham's obedience.
UNBELIEVABLE.
I pray He never tests my obedience like that. 
I wonder if I would obey like Abe.
Oh how I want to be like Abraham. I want to obey God in all things. To be honest, I know that I don't. But it is my desire.

God asked Abraham to give Him the MOST important thing in his life. What would you do if He asked you to give up your long awaited dream?
Would you kick and scream? 
Or would you obey and trust?

I'm not sure at this point in my life what is most important to me.
In years past, it would be my family and my friends. 
It might have been being in ministry.
For you, it might be the idea of being married.
Or having the child you dreamed of.
It might be that you would be healthy.

The point to this story is two-fold.
Abraham was ready to offer his son as a sacrifice to God. And God actually did offer His Only Son as a sacrifice for us. The significance of there being a "ram" in the thicket to be used as a substitute, and Christ, being the spotless Lamb of God is not lost on me. Jesus Christ was our substiute. He Paid the price for all the wrong things we have ever done.
The other point to be made is that God desires our obedience. No matter what He might ask of us. Even if it means moving far away or not even that far (like Woodleaf). Even if it means giving up the job we had wanted for so long-so that He could use us somewhere else. Perhaps God might ask you to remain single; or to remain childless.
We often do not understand the ways of God.
We are baffled by what He allows to transpire.
What He wants most is for us to make Him the top billing in our lives and that often requires obedience of the very thing we do not want to do. 
What happened to Abraham when he chose to obey God?

Genesis 22: 16-17 from the New Living Translation says:
"This is what the LORD says: Because you have obeyed me and not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that I will certainly bless you."

Obedience brings blessings. Not material ones, but ones that draw us closer to God. Blessings that make us stop and be grateful for all that the Lord has done for us.
I pray that I will be obedient, even if it means giving up something I so desperately want.

Purging

I know way too much about purging.

Webster's dictionary defines purge as the follows:
               

1. to rid of whatever is impure or undesirable; cleanse; purify.

2. to rid, clear, or free (usually followed by of  or from  ): to purge a political party of disloyal members.

3. to clear of imputed guilt or ritual uncleanliness.

4. to clear away or wipe out legally (an offense, accusation, etc.) by atonement or other suitable action.

5. to remove by cleansing or purifying (often followed by away, off,  or out  ). 

To a person with an eating disorder, Purging is getting rid of the food or liquids in your body by vomiting, so that you won't gain any weight. It is a vile process that eventually can burn your throat, making it almost impossible to eat or drink certain items that normally one would enjoy.

To a person suffering from addiction, whether it be alcohol, drugs, or food, it means denying oneself these items so that your body is clear and clean.  And begins an opportunity to become whole again and making the steps necessary for restoration with anybody that might have been hurt or harmed by your addiction.

For clarity's sake, I have never had an eating disorder or am not an addict, but I have had people I love the most in this world, beset by these awful diseases.

For me, I want to purge the weight off me-to be free and clear of all this excess poundage. It is not an easy task.

In Dueteronomy, in the last chapters of this book, God repeatedly tells the Israelites: 

"Purge the evil from you".

I think he says this to us today as well.

What is evil? 

There are so many examples: just yesterday the attack at the Boston Marathon, obviously September 11,2001. 

What about all the atrocities committed world wide? The genocides, the slavery of women and children either for sex or as soldiers. Guerilla warfare is another. Anything that is morally wrong and hurts others is evil. Child abuse, sexual assault, robbery, murder are some more.

But what about us? What is evil in your life? Something that is morally wrong or that hurts others. Something that hurts your relationship with God has to be bad.

Is it when we are disobedient to what He asks of us?

Is it evil when we gossip about someone or spread bad reports of others?

Is it when we cheat or lie for our own benefit?

Is it evil when we overlook someone else's misfortune and we have the power to help but don't.

For me, evil is being selfish.

This might not be true for everyone, but I know that the LORD has shown me when I am selfish and thinking of myself first, that its then, when evil or ugly thoughts come .

I know that to purge oneself of evil requires introspection. It is something individual between us and the LORD.  

It is something He asks us to do-actually because He states it so often , it is something He commands us to do.

I want to follow Christ. I want to be obedient. I want to be who He sees me to be, the person He envisions. To do that, I need to keep in constant communication with Him. I need to take the time to listen for Him. I need to self examine my life and see what needs to go. To see what is evil in my life.

Everyone's evil may look something different. All I know is that the LORD has commanded us "to purge the evil from you."

Will you begin to take those steps? I hope you will join me in ridding our lives of that what is harmful to us and to others .