What nature are you feeding?

Today Im preaching to myself....I sat here this evening asking myself am I becoming more like Christ. It is something we have to do daily and every minute of it. God knew that it would be a daily battle because we are of a sinful nature.
Colossians 3, tells us that when we become Christians that we have been risen with Christ. To be risen with Christ we must die. No this isn't a physical death,but of the old man,the sinful nature. God then goes on to tell us HOW to do this.First we have to set our sights on things above,not earthly things.Setting our sites on things above is Christ and how he does things. Not doing things our way because this is working against God and not becoming more like him. Remember when the WWJD bracelets become so popular? People would wear them as a reminder to ask themselves in everything they did ..would Jesus do this? If we are not doing what he would we are still feeding our sinful nature. I for one know this is a hard task because so many times the enemy lies and tells us "OH  IT'S OKAY YOUR HUMAN. Yes we are human,but we have been raised with Christ. If we are looking to God and his direction we are  feeding the new nature.
You know it is kinda like this...You go out and buy one of those TV stands with so many pieces. You decide I've got this I don't need directions. Before long you realize you have a mess and start digging in the box for the directions. It is the same way with living for Christ. He has given us direction and answers in his word, but we think we got this. We try to live not feeding our new nature and going by his directions and we wake up one day and realize we have a mess.
Second after God tells us to set our sights above he tells us what to do next. put to death what belongs to your earthly nature.Some of these things are sexually immorality,impurity,lust,evil desires,greed,anger,rage,slander,filthy language from our mouth.  Why do you think God had to tell us what to do? Because he knew we were going to do these things. That is the old nature trying to live in us. But he tells us when we came to him we put off our old self and those practices.When we decide to do this we put on his knowledge and become more like our creator.
Ask yourself...am I feeding the old or new nature with the choices im making? Am I becoming more like him in my life? When people look at me and the example I am setting for others do they Jesus?
It comes down to this. If the things we do in our life is feeding the old nature more than the new nature he gave us it will show in our life.We will reap from our choices. It is not God punishing us we do it to ourselves.
My desire is to be happy and I know this kind of happiness only comes by reading his directions and deciding your will not mine. Die every day to sin and feed my new nature more than the old.
What nature do you feed more in your life?

Those who are healthy don't need a doctor

                 

In Mathew 9:12 we see where Jesus over hears the Pharisees (religious) and tells them one of the purposes in which he came.

This may get a little sticky for some,but I only speak this to open eyes. I love church and being with believers, BUT that should not be our goal. Jesus tells us to go out to the highways and byways. So many times in the world we live in we see groups that have built up beautiful places to worship.Even going as far to have coffee shops,gyms,basketball courts.We rally around one another,hangout together and life is good. We make sure we are in church every time the doors open.It is very comfortable when we get to this place,BUT are we following what Jesus did? In Mathew 9:11 they ask the disciples why does your teacher eat with the sinners" 
Let me break this down to how this would be today. Believers sitting together and one ask have you seen Brenda lately.Another speaks up and says " oh gosh you wouldn't believe,but I saw her out with that lady that just came to town. You know the one that just moved here and has all those kids. The one that half the kids have different dads. I think she even works at that club down the road. Oh no Brenda has started hanging out with sinners.
Jesus came for the sinners. he speaks to the religious after he over heard them ask why he was sitting with them"Those who are healthy don't need a doctor, sick people do.
Hosea 6:6 I have not come to get those who think they are right with God to follow me. I have come to get sinners to follow me.
We can never get good enough to come to God. He doesn't ask us to get it all fixed up our way and come to him. He says come as your,sick and sinning I am the healer.
Jesus used people in the Bible that today we would shun and not hangout with and he does this today. Jesus looks at the heart and not your faults. Jesus can use the person with a heart of love that will get out and get dirty and not care what others say only what he desires.
It is time to search who Jesus was,how he did things and what he commands us to do.
           "Those who are healthy don't need a doctor" 

Beauty for Ashes

                        Beauty for ashes......
                                        Isaiah 61:3
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion,to give unto them beauty for ashes,the oil of joy for mourning,the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;that they might be called trees of the righteousness,the planting of the Lord,that he might be glorified.

As I write this blog I have a very heavy heart. I just returned today from burying someone  I loved very much. As I laid in the bed the last two nights and cried my self to sleep God started to share somethings with me.
I will not go back over my story at this moment,but I will say  about 3 1/2 years ago the man I was married to for 29 years walked out on me. The man I thought I would be with the rest of my life. From that moment I realized what true morning was. The years have not been easy. I have had others in and out of my life,but never found the happiness I needed. The good thing is in those years I have turned to God more than ever because I had no one else.
We do not ever understand the whys and hows,but I assure you God does. Last night as I laid there I started to think of my niece and how she mourned for the husband she lost to death. I started to see others that had been sexually abused,abandoned by someone they loved,lost parents,lost a child or never knew their parents. So many times we find ourselves lonely, hopeless and mourning. Looking for something just anything to take away the pain. During these times many turn to drugs,alcohol,promiscuous sex anything to help. This is just what the devil our enemy desires for our life. If he get our eyes on the pain and keep bringing up the memories he continues to still our joy and cause pain.
Gods plan is not that at all. He wants to be the husband to the widow,a father to the child who is alone. He wants to hold us in his arms and love us. He wants to give us beauty for the ashes that have happened in our life.
I have known for sometime God called and gifted me,but along the way I got off track. I have served him much of my life,but the times have caused change. God has purpose and wants to use our hurts as a testimony for him.
Last night God revealed to me that the things that had happened in the past 3 1/2 years he wanted to use for me to help other women. Women who feel they can't go on. Women who have been so hurt and abused they feel lost, like failures,rejected. 
I thank God that daily he takes my the ashes of my life and gives me beauty. Nothing in my own power could change me only my lord.

Beauty for ashes..only with God