^12/12/21

⁶ For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. ⁸ So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. ⁹ But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. ¹⁰ And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹¹ But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.                                Romans 8:6-11 KJV

As I was reading this week in Romans the eighth chapter these verses jumped out to me.

We need to keep our lives in such a state that our lives please God. In other words, we need to put God’s will before our own. Especially if we want to make Heaven our eternal home. There are so many things that we humans do that do not please God. We need to search our hearts to make sure that we are trying to please God in all areas of our lives. Not just in church attendance, doing good deeds, or learning our Bible by heart.

We are to live our lives where Christ Jesus is seen in us at ALL times; not just when we are around fellow Christians or in church. The Spirit of Christ should be seen by everyone that we meet. It is not too much for us to keep our actions and our words in line with the Bible.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to this earth so that we can know more about you. Please place the desire in each heart that reads this to make Heaven our home and to live the life that pleases You.

Help us live the life that shows the world that You are real and give us the words to share so that others may know that living for God is worth anything that the world throws at us. Amen.

C.I. Wilson

12/5/2021

As I was watching a church service, the camera moved across part of the congregation, and I saw part of a sign and then the complete sign. When first seen it read, “Sorry Section” and the thought came: How many people feel like that section was made for me? However, the complete sign read, “Sorry Section Closed”.

We need to move from the “Sorry Section” of our lives and accept that Jesus died for us, accept Him into our hearts, and then live for the Lord in all areas of our lives. Work, home, relaxation, church, our families and even when no one is around. If we can do this then we can move on where the sign would read, “Sorry Section Closed”, because then we would have everything that we were sorry about doing under the blood of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

There is another place that has a “Sorry Section” and that is just outside of the gates to Hell. Everyone that walks into the gate of Hell is just starting to become sorry that they did not accept Jesus as their Savior. They will remember with great clarity every chance they had to make Jesus their Savior and refused. They will wish that they had never told Jesus to go away and leave them to live their life without Him.

If you are reading this, take the time to make sure that you will not have to live on the other side of the “Sorry Section” and you can then move into the Praise Section and then when this life is over, here on earth you can moved into a life with God, our Heavenly Father, Jesus and the Holy Ghost for eternity.

Dear Lord, I ask that you deal with each soul that reads this and that they have either already accepted you into their heart or will do so now before it is too late. Show each one how we are to live for You and make Heaven our home. Amen.

C.I. Wilson

11/28/2021

How many times have we, you and I, done something that embarrassed ourselves and/or others? If you are like me, more times than you want to admit. We never think about the people that stand in front of others and do some embarrassing things and how they must feel, however there are times when it makes people laugh.

Have you ever wondered if Jesus might have been on the “wrong” side of an embarrassing moment? An article that I was reading titled: EXPLAIN THIS: 10 Embarrassing Facts About Jesus You Probably Don’t Know”. When I read the title, my first thought was they are wrong, nevertheless the article proved me wrong. They even used scriptures to prove their point. Then to be even more embarrassed; when I showed it to my husband and asked him if he had known about this and his answer was, yes.

So, for those of you who are like me, I am going to give you ten verses and see if you agree with the article, the link is at the bottom of this article.

1. Jesus’ family thought He was crazy. Mark 3:20-21
2. Many of Jesus disciples deserted Him.  John 6:65-66
3. Jesus’ brothers rejected Him. John 7:4-5
4. Jesus was called a deceiver. John 7: 12
5. Jesus angered Jewish religious leaders so much, they wanted to stone Him. John 8: 30-59
6. Jesus was called a “Madman.” John 10:19-20,
7. Jesus was called a “glutton” and a “drunkard.” Matthew 11:19
8. Jesus was called “demon-possessed.” Mark 3:22
9. Jesus’ feet were wiped by a prostitute with her hair. Luke 7:37-38 (Now this one I knew about)
10. Jesus was cursed because He was crucified on a tree. Deuteronomy 21:23

This shows that we need to be more like Jesus and not judge others on what little facts we have about them. We need to be more like Jesus in forgiving others and not condemning them based on what others say or sometimes even on what we see. You never know, someone might be judging you on the way you are living your life.

Heavenly Father, I ask for Your help in how I perceive others so that I do not embarrass You with my actions. Help those who read this to lean more on Your viewpoint about those around us. Amen.

https://www.hillfaith.org/bible/explain-this-10-embarrassing-facts-about-jesus-you-probably-dont-know/

C.I. Wilson

11/7/2021

When we look at ourselves and those around us, do we see what God sees? Most of the time, we do not. We see others on the outward with all the scars they have, the “mud” that has been slung on them by others and shaded by our own perceptions.

I am glad that God looks on us differently. He sees our potential, not the “mud” that other people throw at us. Then when we ask Christ Jesus into our lives, all God sees is the perfection and beauty of Jesus.

Last week I was in Galveston and my daughter-in-law had asked for us to walk on the beach and bring her seashells. She needed more shells so that she could make more crosses to give away. Thankfully there were very few people on the beach so I could walk with my head down, and I started finding shells right away.

There were shells that had been stepped on and shattered, the sand around them was all that kept them in the shape of what they used to be. So many times, we go through trials and tests that shatters us and all that holds us in God and His love for us, our faith in Him.

There were shells that were not whole or broken, however they had holes in them. I thought, here are shells of animals that have fought battles. They had such rough exteriors at the same time they had beauty for those imperfections made them unique. Just as our experiences make us different from those around us.

There were a lot of shells that only half was there, some were in good shape, some had pieces broken off, some were so small, and some were nice size. However, only once did I find a shell that had both pieces attached.

Remember, there were shells all over the beach and after walking for an hour I had picked up maybe about three to four cups of shells. I gave them to my daughter-in-law, and she will turn them into works of art.

This is what God wants us to do as Christians. We are to walk in this world pick up the lost and bringing them to Jesus so that He can make them into beautiful gifts for God. How can Jesus turn lives around where He can take them and present them to God on the judgment day, if we do not lead them to Christ?

Jesus can take us in our battered, beaten, broken and worn-out shape and by accepting Him as our personal Savior and following His Word as it is written in the Bible, then turn us into someone that can stand before God on Judgement Day and hear God say, “Welcome home, my child.”

Lord Jesus, I thank you for taking the life we bring you no matter the shape we are in and turning us around and leading us home to Heaven. I ask that You touch the lives of all who read this. Amen.

C.I. Wilson

11/14/2021

Haggai 1:5 (KJV)
Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.

Haggai told the people in his day that God was not happy that they were going about their lives, doing the day to day things to make a living, raise a family and they were not doing what they should for God.

Here in verse five and seven he puts it bluntly: Consider your ways. If we go back to the time of Moses, we see the order that we are to have in our lives. God and His work first and our lives second. The people today need to be reminded, just as the people in Haggai’s day, that we are to do the will of God, which is put Him and His work before ours.

If we put anything before God then we are running the risk of losing favor with God and things might start falling apart in our lives. God blesses those who bless Him by doing His will.

Heavenly Father, I ask that you reach down to each one that reads this and speak to their hearts about what You want done in their lives. Show us all what we are to do, not just in the area of our faith in You, also in the rest of our daily life. Help us to consider Your ways and not ours. Amen.

C.I. Wilson