Preparation-H

For a few days now I have been feeling overwhelmed with preparations. I so want to get on with the process..."I just want to skip the preparation process". To me preparation is just the grunt work. It seems meaningless and I do not get any self-gratification for doing it. Needless to say, preparation is boring and it seems to tire me out before I get to the fun part.

Let me give you a couple of examples.

·         Cooking. I just love to cook. I find it a joy and fulfilling. I love to watch my husband's face when he bites into something I have just created. But in order to smell the meal cooking and to watch a loved one's expression I must first prepare.

There is the shopping for the items, washing veggies, and fruit. The separating and measuring. The pots and pans and bowls, etc. I just wish the ingredients just appeared on my counter so I could begin the process.

·         Gardening. I just love to plant and watch things grow! Don't you? It gives me much pleasure to see how the garden takes shape and beautifies our home. Collecting and sharing the harvest is also rewarding.

I bet you are getting the hang of it now. Yes, Before one can consider planting there is Preparation. Imagining the end result is just one thing, but then there is buying the right tools, soil, fertilizers, and mulch. And looking up what grows best in our area and purchasing the bulbs, seeds, or seedlings! That is not the half of it. Now there is the tiling, weeding, mixing of the soil with the proper ingredients, and the actual planting. I might have skipped a few things, but I am sure you get the idea.

2Timothy 2:15-16

Work hard so God can approve you. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. Avoid godless, foolish discussions that lead to more and more ungodliness. (NIV)

Hebrews 13:15

"By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name". (NIV)

The Word tells us to study to work hard so God can approve you. It also tells us that the fruit of our lips is a result of sacrifice and praise! Well I must say I am not much of a student. However, I love the insight and revelation I receive when I take time out to sit under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit.

My mind began to wonder thinking about how it takes preparation to receive knowledge. That we must prepare our minds to focus and our heart must be pure before. PREPARATION H. The H is for help; the Lord's help. Well SOME of what I just wrote is true. However, we do not have to prepare to get into the presence of the Lord. I will say it one more time. We DO NOT have to prepare to sit at the Lords feet. WOW when I toppled to that conclusion, I asked myself "Why am I not running to the lover of my soul leaning on His breast and obtaining the secrets I need to live?"

All we need to do is ask the Lord and the Holy Spirit is willing to teach, correct and encourage us. All we need do is sit still, read His Word and by golly WAM! Snap Crackle and Pop-revelation, knowledge, wisdom, peace and our joy shall be full-Full to overflowing with the Love of Christ. We will be prepared to enter the world to share and shed His divine light.

So what are you waiting for? What am I waiting for? "Come Lord Jesus, come. Come Holy Spirit and shed your light upon us! Father we come to receive more love, more power, more passion, and more faith. In Jesus name we pray."

Five Rules to Live By

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love. (NIV)

Paul throws this in at the end of his first letter to the Corinthians. In this one sentence I find a lot of important points to remember as we travel on our Christian journey.

We are to be on guard.

We are to be aware of what is going on around us always watching out for the works of the enemy and his temptations. Others we know may be used as his vessels to coax us into things to bring us away from our journey.

We are to stand firm in the faith.

The faith being our belief in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. And in our knowing that God the Father loves us and is always with us. That He is a loving God always out for our best interest. Yet like any good parent, He allows us to make our own choices in life while standing by to pick up the pieces when we realize we have taken the wrong path.

We are to be courageous.

The easiest thing to do is stand by and watch the world go by. And in this day and age we can do that without ever leaving our house. Many are worldly and opinionated about what is happening in the world only because of their addiction to television and the various news channels. And courageous is not about running into a burning building to save a child. It is about courage to go where most Christians dare not to find the lost and tell them about our faith; tell them about our experience with Jesus Christ.

We are to be strong.

Although it is a good thing to spend time building our physical body up. And I recommend a daily exercise program either at home or at a local gym, but that is not what this is about. We are to be strong in our faith. We know that we know that we know we are a child of God and we are saved by the blood of the Lamb. In Jesus we are strong and able to stand up against the wiles of the enemy which comes in all forms of mankind. Be strong when our friends and family members come against us. Be strong when even strangers confront us. Know that with Christ all things are possible and it is not our strength but His that we walk forth in.

We are to do everything in love.

And this is the most important of all the five rules. God is love and we are children made in the image and likeness of Him. When we fall into temptation, we take our eyes off of God. We momentarily forget who we are in Christ and that He is in us. We ignore the Holy Spirit within and take off on a side road in our journey. We are to love our fellow Christians, the non-believers we come into contact with, and our enemies. But we must be careful to remember the first four rules and not let our love for others allow us to be drawn away from our journey with Christ.

Health and Wealth for the Believer

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