Made alive, raised up and seated.

Do you remember the days when you were caught up in that old dying life of sin? I certainly do and  it isn’t pleasant to remember the way I used to be. I was dead and now I live. How did this happen? It happened because of faith. I was taught the gospel, I came to believe, I repented and was baptized and now I am now saved (if I remain faithful) not by any work I did and not by some purchase I made, then how? Read on…

Eph 2:4-7 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Eph 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

Eph 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Let this one sink in… “Created in Christ Jesus”, only God can do this kind of creating, so that we will do good works.

Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope — the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

I remember when I was separated from Christ. Separated because of my sins which deserved the certain death that awaited me in the condition I was in. I remember what it was like to be without hope. Just as the physical difference between Jews and Gentiles affected every area of their lives, a social and spiritual boundary also separated me from believers.

Eph 2:12-13 - remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. I am not longer in that sad, miserable, lost condition. Why not? Because of the sacrifice of Jesus.  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

 I am now one in Christ. Eph 2:14-18 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

What glorious privileges we have in Christ – Eph 2:18-22 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Larry and I just finished Ephesians last week in our daily bible reading. It is beautiful, full of hope and AMAZING GRACE.

Here’s the deal, I spent way too much time playing Farkle this morning and now my brain is tired.

For your amusement I’m sharing with you some of the Most Unusual Jobs I found while surfing the Internet.

The information comes from CareeBuilder.com.

What’s the most unusual job you ever held? Peanut inspector? Horse wrangler? How about a backup dancer for a female impersonator? In its annual survey, CareerBuilder.com asked more than 2,450 workers to share the most interesting or unconventional jobs they held during their careers.

The following are this year’s top picks:
A: Actor for haunted house  
B: Bingo announcer  
C: Clown for rodeos  
D: Drawbridge tender
E: Eye glass buffer
F: Fingerprint analyzer
G: Glass sculptor
H: Hot rod builder
I: Interpreter for government agency
J: Jelly donut filler
K: Karate instructor
L: Lifeguard at nude beach
M: Military role player (played Iraqi citizen for military sensitivity training)
N. Note taker for college students
O: Ocean scuba guide
P: Phone psychic
Q: Quiz writer for competitions
R: Rescue squad for pets
S: Stand-in bridesmaid (for weddings where the bride didn’t know enough people)
T: Telemarketer for a cemetery
U: Urinalysis observer
V: Voice-over specialist for movies
W: Window washer for skyscrapers
X: Xmas tree decorator
Y: Youth boot camp instructor for juvenile offenders
Z: Zoo artificial inseminator

What do you think? I would probably go for ‘J’.

 I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:24 Do you ever feel like saying this? I do!

With my mouth I say, with God all things are possible and with my doubts I say, help me overcome my unbelief. I fully believe that God can do anything; the unbelief comes in when “I” get involved. If I feel like what I am praying for is too big for me, that’s when I tend to sputter. The minute I take my eyes off of him, that’s when doubt comes knocking!

I remember what Jesus said to his disciples when they asked him why they couldn’t drive the demon out of the boy in Matt 17:20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

I am a Christian and I would not say for one minute that I do not believe in Christ or the power of God, yet the times I approach him in prayer and weakness of faith then I must admit it is unrealistic for me to expect him to do anything for me or the ones I pray for if I ask in doubt. Can I expect favor for my unbelief? What is it I am doubting, his love, and his power?

I recognize my weakness are my worries, my wanting to control situations, these are the things which chokes the Word he put in me. Matt 13:22-23 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.

Still I will keep press on. I will feed on his Word, draw near to him and be made stronger and be thankful that my times of unbelief do not hinder God’s faithfulness. Romans 3:3

And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. Matt 13:58

Abba Father, help me remember that I walk by faith and not by sight, I pray this is Jesus name.

I love my friends and I am delighted when they send me things that make me laugh. This one came over the weekend. Enjoy!

A preacher was making his rounds to his parishioners on a bicycle, when he came upon a little boy trying to sell a lawn mower. The preacher asked “How much do you want for the mower?” “I just want enough money to go out and buy me a bicycle”, said the little boy.

 After a moment of consideration, the preacher asked, “Will you take my bike in trade for the mower?” The boy asked if he could try it out first, and after riding the bike around a little while said, “Mister, you’ve got yourself a deal.”  The preacher took the mower and began to try to crank it. He pulled on the rope a few times with no response from the mower.

 The preacher called the little boy over and said, “I can’t get this mower to start.” The little boy said, “That’s because you have to cuss at it to get it started.” The preacher said, “I am a minister and I cannot cuss. It has been so long since I have been saved that I do not even remember how to cuss.” 

The little boy looked at him happily and said, “Just keep pulling on that rope. It’ll come back to ya.”

James 1:2-4 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.  For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

Today’s post is from Devotions for Every Day of the Year written by Sarah Young. The name of the book is Jesus Calling ~ Enjoying Peace in His Presence. I really liked today’s reading and wanted to share it with you.

MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE PROBLEMS IN YOUR LIFE. Though many things feel random and wrong, remember that I am sovereign over everything. I can fit everything into a pattern for good, but only to the extent that you trust Me. Every problem can teach you something, transforming you little by little into the masterpiece I created you to be. The very same problem can become a stumbling block over which you fall, if you react with distrust and defiance. The choice is up to you, and you will have to choose many times each day whether to trust Me or defy Me.

The best way to befriend your problems is to thank Me for them. This simple act opens your mind to the possibility of benefits flowing from your difficulties. You can even give persistent problems nicknames, helping you to approach them with familiarity rather that with dread. The next step is to introduce them to Me, enabling Me to embrace them in My loving Presence. I will not necessarily remove your problems, but My wisdom is sufficient to bring good out of every one of them.

Romans 8:28 (AMP) 1 Corinthians 1:23-24

I enjoy cooking and baking, Being married at such an early age I had to learn the “hands on” way. I threw many dishes out because they tasted so awful they were inedible. We had to eat so I couldn’t just give up.

After many failures came more and more successes and over the years I guess I have obtained “bragging rights”. Through trial and error I discovered the secrets of seasoning, correct temperatures, blending, folding, pinches of this and dashes of that.  I learned by remaining faithful to the task.

When I decided to follow Jesus, I often felt like giving up. I had so many rough spots, bad habits, failures and slip-ups that I just didn’t think I could ever be what God wanted me to be. I understand now that in the same way my cooking went from inedible to edible, that my growing as a Christian has left the baby stages to a more mature stage. I’m not complete by any means, but I have left milk and pabulum and am now eating meat. I have left the crawling and walking stages and am now running the race.

I look back at accomplishments in my life and marvel at the changes that faithfulness has accomplished and it is a complete feeling of thankfulness and praise to God. I must remember though, I’m not finished running the race.

I am thinking about God’s faithfulness this morning and how he is always dependable, always loyal.

2 Tim 2:11-13 If we die with him, we’ll live with him;  If we stick it out with him, we’ll rule with him; If we turn our backs on him, he’ll turn his back on us;  If we give up on him, he does not give up — for there’s no way he can be false to himself. (The Message)

His faithfulness will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear. 1 Cor 10:13

 Because of his faithfulness he always keeps his word. Heb 10:23 This encourages us to remember his promises.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins. 1 Jn 1:9

He is faithful to His children because He is first of all faithful to Himself (2 Tim 2:13).

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” Lam 3:22-24

Is this not awesome? His mercies begin again each morning!

I will leave you with these thoughts and encouraging remarks from
2 Peter 1:5-9 So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books. (The Message)

Remain faithful!

Last week I received an email from fellow blogger John Dobbs. With the passing of Jack Exum Sr., he suggested that other bloggers share stories of a minister who had influenced our lives and to also invite our readers to do the same, to tell of someone who passed the torch of the gospel to us. I have been influenced by many and although for the sake of space and memory I will only list a few.

My earliest influence came when I was six or seven through Frank L. Smith. We lived in Shawnee Oklahoma and attended the Church of Christ at Tenth and Bell Streets. I remember seeing him in the pulpit with his grey suit and balding head and his ever ready smile. His sweet wife was Mary and he had two daughters and a son, F. Lagard Smith. (We knew him as Lagard at the time) I remember one sister, Sandra and sadly my memory fails me for the name of the other sister. I was too young to know or understand about the gospel at that stage of my life, still I feel I must mention him because as I look back, I remember and (understand now) the kindness and great hospitality shown to my parents, my brothers and me. We spent many Sunday afternoons in their home visiting and eating dinner with them. My mom still has a picture of me sitting on the front steps of their home. (I was baptized at the age of nine at the Tenth and Bell congregation after hearing a Hell Fire and Brimstone lesson during a revival, and later in life realized what I did was out of ignorance and fear.)

For those of you who know me or have followed my blog, you know that I have lived through some very rough years. I was pregnant and married at the tender age of 15, and had three children by the age of 23 and divorced years later. I ended up battling drugs and alcohol for several years. My path to Christianity was a long time in the making and this is where the next people who greatly influenced my life enter in. I shall briefly mention three more men and their strong and faithful wives who have taught me the way.

When I first began to turn my life from myself to Christ, I lived in the small town of Hornitos CA and began attending church in Mariposa CA. It was a very small congregation and it was there where my real roots to becoming a Christian began. Vern Godfrey was not a preacher but he was a great bible class teacher and he was a kind and gentle man. I clearly remember him teaching the book of Acts and he brought it to life. Vern and his wife Esther greatly influenced not only my life but my oldest brother Tony Tharp and his wife Pat as well. They would visit us in our homes (and believe me when I say-we were a challenge) and would invite us to their homes. To say it plainly…they loved us so much that not only were we shocked, but we learned to love them so much we did not want to disappoint them in any way and we longed to be with them and be like them.

Next are Shelby Garrison* and his wife Elizabeth. They belonged to that small church in Mariposa and they came to visit me one day after I had moved from Hornitos to Mariposa. I had given up all of my drugs at that time except Marijuana. I had just finished smoking a joint (it really pains me to write this but it’s true) and my doorbell rang. There stood Shelby, all 6 plus feet of him and Elizabeth, who wasn’t even 5 feet tall. I didn’t know what to do except invite them in. The house reeked with the weed I had just finished smoking and I was higher than a kite. I know for certain that they were aware of what was going on, but they did not condemn me or even make mention of it. They simply came by to tell me how happy they were to see me at church on Sunday and to invite me back again and wanted me to know that I could call on them if I needed any kind of help.

Lastly are Pete Casci and his wife Brenda. (It’s hard to mention great men who have influenced me in the gospel without mentioning their loving and faithful wives.) Pete was the young preacher hired by the congregation in Mariposa. Pete loved the Lord and loved the people he shared Jesus with. You could see it in his eyes and you could feel it. Being a struggling and young Christian I know I disappointed them many times and in many ways and they never, ever gave up on me. We are still the best of friends even after thirty plus years. We haven’t seen each other in several years but we stay in touch either by phone or mail. He baptized me and he married Larry and me.

In closing I must say that it wasn’t eloquence of speech that influenced me or their style of preaching. I say with all honesty it was their outpouring of genuine love and their true friendship and concern that touched my heart, that made me want to have what they had and to be like them. It was from them I first learned of Faith, Love and Hope and truly the greatest was their love.

* Shelby and Elizabeth and one of their daughters, Sarah really liked me, so much so that they all played match-maker and introduced me to their son/brother Larry. Shelby and Elizabeth ended up being my father and mother-in-law and Sarah my sister-in-law. Larry and I will celebrate our 30^th anniversary in July of this year.

Frank, Vern and Shelby have all gone on to their reward. I thank God for letting these Godly men cross my path and I thank you John for this great idea and privilege to share these memories.