He's Alive and So Am I!!!

Psalm 30:3                                                             {read the rest of this amazing chapter here}

O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.


I was dead. I was spiritually dead. I had died due to sin and the law and the grave. But Praise God, I am alive!


Romans 6:4                                                            {read the rest of this amazing chapter here}
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:8
Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

It's not just Christ's resurrection we celebrate today, it is ours also! If it were not for Christ and His resurrection, I would still be dead. But, because Christ has set me free from death, I am alive to serve Him! It's a miracle!!! Let's not squander this gift of new life from God; we must use it to vigorously live out His commandments as His indebted children.

He's alive, and So Am I!!!

WHO AM I????

Who am I?

We've all asked that question at least once in our lives, and I stumbled across it this week. And while thinking it over, I kept saying, I am.... I am....

And then it hit me. I kept saying, "I am" and it reminded me of a song......

"Not because of who I am,
But because of what You've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of Who You are!"

Who is God?

Well, so many words pop into our minds, one of which is the great "I am."

Did you catch that?

God is the great I am.

As a Christian, I belong to God.

So I don't really have to wonder who I AM because I am the child of the GREAT I AM THAT I AM.

Video

This is a video that we watched today in youth group; hope it blesses you with conviction as it did me.

Keep On Keepin' On {3 easy steps}

Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

For consider him who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be weary and faint in your minds.

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THIS POST IS PART TWO OF ANOTHER POST, KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON {ONLY} PRT. 1. IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE PREVIOUS POST, PLEASE FOLLOW THE LINK TO READ IT.

Keep on keepin' on. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming! what do we do? We swim! swim! Don't give up! you can do it! Run! Bear with it. Keep at it. Hang in there. Stick to it.

Keep going. Persevere. Don't stop. Persist. Continue. Carry on. Endure. Abide. Press on.

okay, okay, you know what I'm talking about now :)

So let's see how to run a successful, persevering race in 3 easy, Biblical steps. (and one pre-requisite.)

Pre-Step:  Recognize that people are watching you. They are witnesses of your actions and attitude, and that will affect them. If you persevere, the souls of those eyes will want to persevere.

STEP 1)  Drop the baggage. No pro runner starts a pro race with a backpack full of rocks. If sin is a burden on your back, hand it over to the Lord, and He will take care of it. He is your coach. Hand the backpack of rocks to Him. Also, throw the deceptive sin away. It may seem refreshing, but it will only make you more thirsty. Always drink the Living Water.

                   "let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us..."

STEP 2)  Be patient. This race is going to seem long, but you need patience. Remember the One you are running for.

                   "... and let us run with patience the race that is set before us."

STEP 3)  Look to Christ. Keep your eyes on the One who ran the hardest race of all. He is the Author and Finisher of this race of faith. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, and He will strengthen your aching muscles.

"Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be weary and faint in your minds."

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You are tired. You are weary.

You are surrounded by witnesses. Drop the baggage. Be patient. Look to Christ. 

And you will be refreshed!

Keep On Keepin' On {only} prt. 1

Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

For consider him who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be weary and faint in your minds.

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Lord, why do I have to go through all this?!? I'm trying to do the right thing, but noone seems to want that. They are treating me so badly; I can't seem to see what good this is doing me. Maybe I should just give up on this; I'm tired and don't want to be around these people anymore. Could I just walk away and give up now?

Maybe these are your thoughts. Maybe you are trying so hard; maybe you are doing your best. And, probably, you are tired {okay, exhausted}. You just might be ready to GIVE UP. I've got news for you:

You're trying too hard.

Guess what? YOU CAN'T DO IT. At least, you can't do it... on your own. Take a look:

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

Phillipians 4:13

I want to clarify this before I move on {to prt. 2} of this post: 

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Note from author: This post is part of a series; if I included everything that I wanted to say in this post then it would be loooooooooooooooooooooooooong. So I'm spreading it out; hope it's not too confusing. You can definitely look forward to part two!!!

The Storm

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The storm is raging. It literally seems like someone has thrown you into a sea of anger. The waves mount up furiously on each side of you, crackling as they crash down on your splintered raft, only large enough to sit on and clutch for your life. The sky is a cold black. Your hands are cut from the raft, your head is spinning, and your lip stings and tingles from the cruel salty water invading yet another cut. You are drenched, and can hardly squint through the pouring rain and hair on your face. You were screaming, until you lost your voice. Now you hope someone might hear your raspy whispers for help. Right before you decide to give up, you see something. Light. You see someone. He is standing on the water. Another waves crashes down. You resurface the water, breathing heavily, but He is still there, and He is dry. The area around Him is calm; the sky blue; the waves flat. He holds out His hands in a hug-like matter. You wonder what He is doing, and then you see holes in His hands, but the holes are not bleeding. It is now that you realize that He is looking you in the eyes. Although the rage around you deafens your ears, you hear Him whisper, "Come, unto me. Do not be afraid. I am here to deliver you. I gave up my life, my glory, my respect, for this moment. I love you. Trust me. Come." His face shines as a compassionate smile spreads gently across his face. You keep your eyes on his, as a tear slides down your cheek. You step onto the water. You take his hand. The storm ceases. Although he is wearing a pure white robe, he hugs you, not seeming to mind the mud. Your heart leaps for joy inside your chest. You wonder, Why did He do this? What will He want of me now? He answers, aloud, "Come, and I will show you."

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