I have been trying to sort out my thoughts the last few days so I could write this posting.
What is on my mind a lot this week is this.... how can all believers come together in one accord and yet still be accepted for our differences. I have really been contemplating a lot on this and felt in my heart I needed to share what was in my heart.

I have been to so many churches in my life and studied what each had to offer. Although all of the churches I went to were Christian based I did study a bit on Judaism, Mormonism and the Jehovah Witness religions. I have also studied quiet a bit on Native American Mysticism as well as older cultures and their religious beliefs and customs. I am no expert on anything however and most of my knowledge has been on the observation level more then anything.

I grew up deep in Satanism mixed with the Charismatic movement but in truth I did not get much of any Christian teachings until I was about eleven. I did not really even know who Jesus was, except the babe in a manger for most of my childhood. Easter was about dressing up, hunting eggs and eating ham. I had no idea there was suppose to be any other meaning and although I do not celebrate Easter now, that has come from my choice knowing what I do about the origins of Easter and all the occult meaning associated with it...I can not seem to get past that enough to put Christ's death and resurrection in the same category. But that is my convictions.
I admit I am having a very hard time dealing with Christmas and its origins as well but I tend to compromise a bit for my family on that one...much to the nagging in my soul. I am sure it is coming that soon I will have to make a huge choice... to follow my convictions or compromise my beliefs and separate myself even more from my family.

Following your convictions is a very hard thing to do especially when it goes against family and hard core traditions. I do not ever try and place my convictions on others but none the less others seem hell bent on placing theirs on me.

I think whenever we decide to follow another road from the 'norm' we tend to make others feel uncomfortable. I really do not know why because if they are firm in their own convictions then why would mine upset them?

So, back to where I started this post...how can believers come together in one accord and still be accepted for our differences?

My oldest daughter has been struggling with the label 'Christian' these days...I prefer to be called a 'Christ Follower' myself as I am not very Christ like for the most part and to me "Christian" denoted being just that. Since most of the people I have observed in my life who claim to be "Christian" are not even close to being like Him ... well...I do not want to be put in a place where I will offend the one whom I claim to follow.

Now I have seen and known some believers who really are Christ like and really seem to walk the walk and do much justice to that title....so I am not knocking anyone who wants to be called Christian.... I am just saying that title seems to go against my own convictions. I may find at some point in my life where those convictions will change but until then....

Anyway this post is not about what we call ourselves or whatever, it is about acceptance. In my mind and heart I have come to the belief that if we belong to the Father then none of us will be lost. He says He never loses one of His own. So if that is true then His mark is on our hearts at our creation and His call will reach our ears and touch our Spirits in His good time. Yes we have a choice to follow that call or not but HE already knows who will and who won't and we have no right to judge who that will be. Many who call themselves "saved' are more lost then the ones we deem...'Lost'.

I can not reach anyone for Christ...all I can do is serve my Lord to the best of my ability and follow the convictions He lays upon my heart. All I can do is live my life in service to Him, by loving others, forgiving others and serving where ever He opens a door. It is not my place to judge an others walk with the Creator. I have been guilty in the past of just that only to find out how wrong all my assumptions were.

So, I believe as believers we need to follow our heart convictions to the best of our ability and learn to love one another without judging and trying to change everyone to our way of believing be it what we call ourselves or what traditions we choose to celebrate or observe, what bible we read or what church we attend or if we choose not to attend at all, etc.

That is my post for this week and my challenge as well....find someone whom you deem as 'Lost' and love them for who they are. Just love them...do not try and convert them to your way of thinking, same with other believers.... love them as Christ loves us. Let the Creator do the changing in each of us. He is much better suited for that sort of thing.

Now another gem to share from Gentle Shepherds Ministry ....

Love & Prayers,
Judy


UNCAPPING THE WATERS

(John 7:38-39)





Some of the best water first has to be discovered, then uncapped for us to enjoy. These waters rest in caverns and flow freely from unseen reservoirs that lie underneath the surface of the ground. How many times do you think thirsty people have walked by or over these free-flowing waters without ever knowing it? It takes someone who knows where they are and how to uncap them.

Jesus knows all about the water that comes from heaven. He invites us to come to Him so He can uncap the rivers so that the Living Water can flow through our very souls with His life. Clearly, God has made this life available as well as freely offers it to each of us. But, we first must hear Jesus’ invitation and accept it so we can seek out and find this life in God in order to experience the Living Water.

As we consider that the Christian life entails rivers, we must realize that the current of life must not only be flowing in and through us, but we must also get into its current.. This means we need to walk out this life to be in the current of the rivers. We need to learn to live this life not according to that which is considered good by others, but because of the goodness of this life flowing through our lives to others.

It has taken years for me to understand what Jesus meant when speaking of the rivers of living waters. It was only when I stepped into the current of His life did I discover the many tributaries in which the Living Water is flowing. I realize the water of the Spirit has indeed changed the terrain of my inward life.



Prayer: Lord, in our finite mind we have no idea how incredible the current of Your life is. We often block it with fear and unbelief. However, Lord, I want it to freely flow through me and freely move me. I submit all to You. Amen.



©2010 Rayola Kelley, Gentle Shepherd Ministries. Permission is granted for
non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears.

www.gentleshepherd.com

Questions or comments welcome. Email: ministry@gentleshepherd.com

Taking a good look at myself....

Well I went for a small hike this weekend and decided I am seriously out of shape.
It did not take long to get out of shape as just a year ago I was plugging along pretty well, at least better then I am now.

You know the 64,000. question? Why is it so hard to get in shape but so easy to get out of it?

Anyway, with all the work we did on our new home all summer and moving etc. I did not spend anytime at all walking or doing anything remotely relaxing or what I would call exercise. Sweating in three digit temps working on a house is not getting in shape on any level.

Now I know no one really cares about what kind of physical shape I might be in but I thought it was a good way to start this post off. I often think my physical life is a very real indicator of what is happening to me in my spiritual life.

When I do not take time to relax and care for my body...be it walking, hiking or just chilling in nature, I know I am not taking time to connect with my Maker on much of a healthy level either.

I spent so much time trying to get this house ready to move into I was too exhausted to even think about communicating with anyone much less my Creator.

I am not saying I did not pray or talk to the Father..I always do that as it is like breathing. But what I did not do was just take the time to chill with Him...you know bask in His love and presence find out what He wanted me to do etc. I feel guilty about that as He has blessed us so much.

I did notice however, that blessings often come in the guise of a lot of work. So do not overlook what a blessing you might have, because you do have to work so hard for it. Just thought I would throw that in for good measure.

Anyhow.... I am trying to assess where I am on both the physical level as well as the spiritual and for sure I am not satisfied with either one. So that means change...

I need to make some serious changes in my life and I need to make those changes now. Putting them off could mean a heart attack or stroke in the physical and it could mean a horrible separation from my Creator with me floundering around on this crazy planet and my life having no direction or meaning. Both are unacceptable.

It really does not take much time to get in a funk and let yourself go....physically and spiritually.

So I think I will end this post with a most timely word from Gentle Shepherds...

Love & Prayers,

Judy

OASIS IN THE DESERT

(Exodus 15:27)



Most of life seems like drudgery. If we are not trying to get through what seems to be the usual boring activities of the day, we are just trying to survive the tedious exercise of emotionally surviving each day. Some of us would like more excitement, others desire peace in the midst of ongoing uncertainties and conflicts, while others would like to rest from what seems to be increasing weariness, and then there are those who would like to run away from all of it.

In my life, it seems like I spent most of the time in the wilderness. I either found myself in a state of leanness, where I knew there was more, but had no idea as to how to discover it. Even though my life seemed full, I wondered how much of it represented activities that were not significant. As for excitement, I had long ago chalked that up to a matter of immaturity. I became acutely aware in recent years that what I preferred was not excitement, but peace and rest.

Through the years it dawned on me that most people do not know how to rest. They do not know how to emotionally land or come to a place of being still in their spirits. As you follow the children of Israel , it was obvious that after 400 years of slavery they did not know how to rest. However, God brought them out into the wilderness, where leanness could take hold of their lives. This was important if they were going to learn to rest from the labors of slavery.

I don’t know about you, but I realize much of my discontentment is due to the fact that my life is often full of that which represents vanity. There is no real substance to so much of what is demanded of me in this present world. Therefore, it is up to me to recognize the oasis God has provided along the way to get my spiritual bearings as to what I must do and what I can turn aside from to redeem my time.



Thought: People fail to realize that the greatest discontentment in their life is caused by that which enslaves them to partake of that which has no meaning or eternal substance.



©2010 Rayola Kelley, Gentle Shepherd Ministries. Permission is granted for
non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears.

www.gentleshepherd.com

Questions or comments welcome. Email: ministry@gentleshepherd.com