Month: November 2015

  

Have you ever questioned life? Maybe you’ve questioned choices, or your worth, maybe even your outfit that day. Do you know that the birds never question their life? Do you know the grass never worry if they are going to get enough water or not. Why is this? You maybe thinking, “That would be so nice not to worry.”. If your questioning life what do you do? Is it wrong? I don’t believe it is… 

You see God knew we would question our lives. He knew we would worry. How? Well for one he’s God – how would he not know? On the other hand Jesus did live as man. Human. Flesh. He knows what it means to worry and fret. The bible tells us that stressing does not take or gives us an inch on out height. So in other words we don’t gain anything from stressing it just hurts us. 

When we question life we often feel as if we failed ourselves. Maybe we feel like a failure or even as if we are lost. This isn’t the end. We are going to have days like this. Days where we break down and just wonder what the meaning of life is. Maybe even what your worth is. Instead of running and hiding or even getting depressed, how about telling God how your feeling? Yes, it sounds crazy but it isn’t. God always wants us to tell him how our day is or how we are feeling just as one of our closest friends would. You don’t have to stop in the middle of the road and scream at him. You don’t have to hit your knees at work sobbing making a scene . You can just pray. Pray to him in your quiet, maybe in your car as your driving. Tell God you feel worthless, maybe your worried. It doesn’t matter just tell him. In the end all of our hope should be in him alone. But that’s where we mess up. We think we can handle everything on our own. We can’t. Some things are just to big for us to handle alone. God doesn’t mind helping you carry the load, but are we to prideful? 

When you get to prideful to ask for help, that is when you begin to question yourself more and more. Second guessing your choices , maybe even why you took on a job or decide to help someone because your time seems short. That’s when you need help. Call on the Lord. 

When I was little there was a song I learned from a VHS. It wasn’t a popular Christian tape, but it’s words still play in my head today. It’s a simple reminder that God cares. It goes like this: “Cast your burdens , on Jesus, for he cares, for you. Cast your burdens, on Jesus, for he cares for you. Higher higher, higher higher higher higher higher higher lift Jesus higher.(repeat 2xs).” 

So next time you feel down, or feeling lost , or worthless, remember where your hope is, and cast your burdens on Jesus. He does love you. More than you will ever know. 
-Marli 

   

We need to see right?
 
Have you ever got in your car and your headed down the road an notice how dirty your windows are? Bug guts and dirt all over it… Maybe you wear glasses and you. Price your vision seems blurry… Until you take off your glasses to notice the hairspray film over the lens. You can’t truly see clearer with dirty, fingerprints, or even bug guts blocking your view now can you? 
Do you know that in the bible it says we don’t walk by sight. Now you may think, “How can I know where I’m going if I cannot see where I’m stepping?” . Well God says we walk by FAITH and not by SIGHT. Why is that? Have you stopped to ponder this thought? Maybe it’s time to. 
See God isn’t telling us to make sure we are blind so we can be a Christian. No he’s saying that if you truly believe in him, you won’t need to know where your stepping, because he will never leave nor forsake you. Have you ever looked into the sun? You really can’t. Why is that? Maybe it’s because it’s to bright and you would go blind. Now, I’m not telling you to try that, but just to think of it. It’s so bright that it hurts. Did you realize that God is brighter than the sun? 

 

This whole verse is telling us to focus on God. How? He’s too bright for us to look at him. – Thats the point. If we focus all ourselves, our thoughts, our fears, our wants, our lives, that he will guide you where you need to be. He leads you beside the still waters. And you can walk through the valley of the shadow of death and fear no evil. How can it be? It’s by faith. It’s by faith we believe that he can lead us. That he can save us. That he can run our lives. If we do this we tell him we trust you with ALL of us. Not just with this small problem but with everything. 
Have you noticed we hand God the tiny things until we are about to loose someone or something and then we go to him and plead. God isn’t out fairy godmother ,or our wizard, or our genie. He’s our GOD. God made this world, he made you, he knows the plans that HE has For US. Now, tell me he doesn’t have the credentials to run your life. He is more qualified for the job that you are. Keep your eyes on God and believe that he can lead you where you need to go. When you do that, he cleans your glasses off. He gets those fingerprints and hairspray spots our of your way so you can see him. He wipes your bug guts off your windshield so you can see the way he’s leading you. Don’t be too stubborn to ride shot gun and let God Drive. He knows where your going even if you can find your current location with google maps. He knows right where you are. Will you give him the keys to your .

  

Have you ever walked into church and didn’t want to be there? Maybe you was forced to go with your parents or friends but you didn’t even see the point. Maybe you felt like there was just a man on the stage before you preaching but you couldn’t hear his words. Believe it or not we all have been there at some point in time. We are human and we get restless, or tried of the same routine that we find church redundant. Well, I personally have felt this. When your going through it you question yourself and your morals. At times you question God asking, “What is your point? Why do you want me here I’m not getting anything.” This is where you have to stop and analyze your situation. You basically have to “Go under construction” for a moment and “reboot”. Then you can see the world a little clearer. You have to remember that God never leaves you, we leave him. How? Glad you asked. 

God is like your very best friend . You do everything together, walks, late night talks, lunch together, school, etc. your basically attached at the hip. Then you have other people trying to get you to come hang out with them. So you explain to God that your still friends and you’ll call tonight to talk, but you forget . Then you start putting all your engery into these new friends of yours  leaving God out of it all. Until you break down because those “new friends” leave you high and dry. Who’s the only friend you have left? God… But you haven’t talked in months, so you think he won’t want you back. But he does and he forgives you for leaving. You see God never changes. His love is always the same, it’s us who gets blown away . We walk away from God. We try “new” things that we think we “have to have” and forget about God. God always will take you back in, feed you, love you, hold you when your broken, and never leave.  So what I’m saying is, after you reestablish your relationship with God, you can move on to the next step. 

Praising God! There are many ways to praise God, through song, sign language, preaching, teaching, music, dance, etc. how ever you choose to praise him is your choice. You see in Psalms 122:1-9 it talks about the joy of going to church. Church is joyful ? Yes it can be! In verse 1 it says, ” I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of he Lord.” Our feet have been standing within your gates, Oh Jerusalem.”  They were glad to finally be able to go to church. And yes back then church was different than today’s, but they was standing at the door waiting to go in so they could praise God! How many times have you seen people standing at the door of a church itching to get in those doors so they can praise God? Not a lot. What if we as Christians were so on fire for God that we are up early and at the church before the doors was open ready to praise Jesus because we have a reason to praise him for! What if? I encourage you to read these short verses in your own time, but in verse 9 it says, ” I will now say,”peace be with you” because of the house of the Lord out God  I will seek you.” Now, maybe you say that makes no sense. That’s ok let me break it down. After they praised God they were about to leave. They were so filled with the spirt that they had peace in there lives. How many times have you had peace? Not many? Well they had so much peace that when the left the church- they were ready to seek him again. Seek him, search for him, find him. They wanted to be with God at all times. Not just for an hour. How many times have we watched our watches, counted ceiling tiles, maybe even looked down at our shoes praying the preacher would end church early? Probably too many, but we all have been there. 

Did you notice this passage nevers gives us a dress code or a denomination. God never turned anyone away for the way they were dressed or if they where assembly or baptist. He never turned anyone away if they were playing music or if they wasn’t. God never tells us we must be rich to praise him or poor. He never tells us that we have to be dressed in high class cloths or in rags. He just simply takes you as you are. Because in the end we all look the same on the inside. Our sin makes our hearts the same color, but only God can wash you whiter than snow. Can you imagine? Snow already is so pure and perfect . 

My papa use to sing and old hynn that said, “Just I am without one plea. But that thy blood was shed for me. And thou bidd’est me to come to thee, Oh Lamb of God I come I come.”  It means without any excuse, you died on the cross for me. And you call me to be with you- So I’ll come I’ll come. So will you come? Will you be ready to praise him . I just showed you that your excuses are just excuses because the bible never tells you that you have to look a certain way to come to church. And you don’t have to be rich. Maybe your scared to go alone. But God tells us that this is a narrow path, that only a few will choose. He died for you… Would you die for him? You might have to sometime soon. No one said this road is easy, but it is worth it. “For God said come to me for my yoke is easy and my burden is light” . I pray you will search your heart to find God. And I hope to see you or maybe even hear your attend a church. And you may have to try a few before you find the perfect one for you, but don’t give up. Be ready, for the time has come, where we need to praise God and be on alert. 

God bless you all! 

-Marli 

  

Have you ever fell asleep when you really needed to stay awake? Maybe you was babysitting and you took a nap when the children watched the movie. Maybe you have been driving and have been struggling to stay awake to drive. We’ve all been there. Even Peter, James, and John, (Jesus’s disciples), fell asleep when Jesus asked them to stay awake and pray with him. So it’s a human thing, right? 
Well if you’ve watched the news you’ve seen Paris had been attacked. Many of their people now are to scared for sleep. They are scared to leave their homes now. They have made themselves stay awake. Sunday, I attended church not expecting to hear a message about Paris, but I did. There country is now in “High Alert”, correct? Why? -Because they are searching for the men who done this. They are searching on alert and wide awake searching for the evil one. 

Now you probably thinking, “Marli you are going so far  down a rabbit hole that this is sounding crazy.”, but I beg you to ride this out with me. I have a point. 

Paris is searching for the one who attacked them, but as Christians we know who are enemy is and we still don’t search to defeat him. Why? We know how to. God tells us that even the demons Trimble at the sound of his name. They know who he is. Satan himself knows his time is limited, he knows he must kill steal and destroy ever one in his path because there will be a day; that My God prevails! He will ride upon a white horse and he will make ever knee bow and ever tongue confess that He Is GOD! 

Now your probably amening or nodding your head at your phone or computer screen right now, saying “Yes I believe this.” But do you really? Do we really believe that he is coming? God tells us that if we have the faith of a mustard seed that we could move a mountain. Have you seen a mustard seed? There tiny…. Sure it should be easy for us to have that much faith, but how many mountains could you move right now with your faith? A mole hill? A dirt clump? I mean really. In Mark 14:32-42, Jesus begs Peter, James, and John to STAY AWAKE, or in other words STAY ALERT. Then even Jesus begged that he wouldn’t have to die…… He was man just like us. He felt every nail. He wept like we have. He’s bled. He’s lived. He’s loved. He has overcome the life we live now, and he asked his closest friends to pray. Why? Because the hour was near. Read that again… “THE HOUR WAS NEAR.”  

What’s the differentence between Peter, James, and John vs. us? Nothing… Because we as Christians, we as a church have Fallen asleep, and we don’t know what to do. Because we are supposed to be praying, because the hour is near… Praying for the lost, praying to be closer to him, praying so HIS will would be DONE as he has it planned.  

And I know we as humans get scared. That’s why he promised to never leave us. In Psalms 121: 1-8 he says, “I lift my eyes unto The hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord. The maker of heaven and earth.”.  When you look at a hill, do you think of God or do you say oh it’s a hill? God made that and he made us, and just like he protected his people before he will Protect us now. And I f you read on he says that, “The Lord is my keeper. The Lord is your shade . The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon at night. The Lord preserve you from all evil. psalms 112:5-7” .

Read that last line, “The Lord preserves you from all evil.” He keeps you safe. He keeps you safe. He keeps you safe, from what? Evil. The evil that’s in the world today, the evil that kills steals and destroys, the evil we call the devil. He protects us from him.  

We should be able to stay awake then to be alert, right? You maybe fired up now but you have to keep adding more wood to your fire because you will burn out. You will fall asleep . Because Jesus warned them twice personally to stay awake and they couldn’t. He’s asking us to stay awake spirituality, so that we can be alert. 

You’ve seen the news, and spoiler alert! We win in the end… But a lot die. Why? Because they don’t know Jesus, and that’s our job to tell them. How many times will you fall asleep? Are you willing to pray, even read your bible. Yes read your bible. That’s how God strengthens us. Don’t give up now, our fight is just beginning. Stay awake for the hour has come. Stay awake because God needs us to be ready and listen to him.  Will you? I pray you do, because these are the days of Daniel. These are the days of Jospeh. These are the days of Peter. We are living in the days that have already happened, but just like history- it repeats itself. We have the book to tells us how to live, fight, and win. Are you reading it? It’s called the bible. Pick it up, you’ll need one. 

-Marli 
(Part of this was inspired by the sermon I had on Sunday from Lyn Gaskey. So I have to give credit to him as well. But most of all to God who tells us what all to say,write,and do.) 

  

Have you noticed the news lately? There’s wars begin fought. Children starving and fighting to stay alive. Babies being killed because no one wants them. Animals get better treatment than humans now days and we all are poor in one way or another. Why is there so much heart ache in this day in age? Surely if we serve God he won’t allow this to happen right? Well as much as I would love to say that he gives a perfect life, I can’t. Yes God saves and makes my life pure, holy, clean for sin. But this doesn’t make my walk on earth easy. In reality it makes it harder, but I have peace that people who don’t serve him don’t have. 

You see your friend will stab you in the back. No matter how hard you try to avoid it. You animal will die. You will loose money. Your child will get sick. You will hit a mail box. Maybe even have to suffer with cancer. Why? Because it’s life… Life isn’t perfect no matter how hard we try to make it seem like it on FaceBook, Instagram,Twitter,or even to our friends and family. We are not perfect, but I serve a perfect God. 

God calls his children to live our lives for him. To love as he has loved us. “We love because he first loved us.” You see, the pain we witness, deal with, and cry about wont end on Earth. It will finally be over when we pass on to be with our Lord in Heaven. 

My God died for me to save me. He is my hero, my savior, my friend. Why, because he cares and understands even when my family, friends, or even my husband can not. And because of him, I can live a life for him. And one way is to show kindness in this world. 

This month is the month of thanksgiving. There will be children, friends, and people you don’t know searching for happiness. Show them love not pity. Maybe give them a bottle of water, a smile, handshake, talk to them, or even stop them from driving off because they left their coffee on top of their car. It doesn’t take a lot of money to show kindness… It just takes a second of your time. 

So go see your grandma. Go give the kid down the road a coat, because you outgrew yours and he needs one. Go give that man some water because you know he is thirsty. It’s the small things in the world that make the bad fade. So this month help someone. I know I’m trying to. So do you have a second to show kindness?
-Marli