Several Random Topics

Topic 1: My blog. I still have one! I don’t know how many of you even noticed, but yesterday I did not have a blog. It was deactivated due to a violation of the terms of service… leaving me somewhat panicky and rather angry and heartbroken. I reread the terms of service and didn’t see anything wrong, but when I read the message that came up when I tried logging in it was talking about advertising. The closest thing I could come up with is all of my cool little buttons on the side of my blog. BUT EVERYBODY HAS THOSE, I protested. I emailed wordpress within minutes of discovering my problem. Their reply wasn’t as quick as it could have been, but the problem was resolved. There’s a website which I shall not name (Due to the fact that even linking to them will shut me down again) who does wordpress themes but they have junk in their codes. I tried using one of their themes and got shut down in consequence. BUT I changed over to a wordpress theme that’s actually here on wordpress, and here I go again! SO happy!

Now for topic #2! I am getting into this habit of posting lyrics to songs that have music I don’t agree with, but I wanted to share this song from Fireproof. It’s written by John Waller. Again, I do not support the type of music that is used with this song, but I wanted to share the lyrics:

I’m waiting
I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I’m waiting
I will serve You
While I’m waiting
I will worship
While I’m waiting
I will not faint
I’ll be running the race
Even while I wait

That’s just the first verse and chorus, but that’s the best part anyhow, so there you have it! I think that the lines that really mean the most to me are where it says, “I will move ahead…” and “I’ll be running in the race even while I wait” It’s so easy for me to just stop and wait for God to make the next move when I should be pressing on!

Now that I’ve mentioned Fireproof, I’ll move on to my third topic: Courageous. I’m sure you all know about this movie by now, but just in case you don’t, Courageous is the next film that Sherwood Pictures is going to do. I’m really excited to see how it goes. It’s about… I wanna say 4 cops, but I’m not positive about that. Anyhow, it’ll be a “police movie” as Seth would call it. 😀
Now this may make ya’ll think that I’m totally nuts, but I’m not really happy with the way that Sherwood has gone about advertising for their new movie. I realize that the more viewers they have, the better. I just feel like the way they’ve gone about it is SO in tune with the ways of the world. Why aren’t they just stepping aside and trusting God to bring in the necessary viewers and money? Do any of you have thoughts on this? Feel free to call me a jerk… It won’t change anything, but if it makes you feel better, go right ahead!

So there’s my three topics for the day. 🙂 You know, I love blogging, but it’s even more fun when I get comments! So please be sure to let me know you dropped by!

Toodloo!

35 Reasons Not to Sin

Towards the end of August, there was a post on The Rebelution titled “35 Reasons Not to Sin.” I ended up taking enough of those reasons off so that they’d all fit on a single piece of paper, which I posted on my bulletin board. I find that sometimes I want to ignore this little piece of paper. I’m sure my readers are all smart enough to figure out why. Here’s the complete list, which I took from the Rebelution website, which they took from someone else’s blog…. I’ll go see if I can find the link. [Edit: I found the link, and I posted it ’cause I believe in giving credit where credit is due, but it appears that this person isn’t the original author, either. LOL]

 

35 REASONS NOT TO SIN

 

• Because a little sin leads to more sin.
• Because my sin invites the discipline of God.
• Because the time spent in sin is forever wasted.
• Because my sin never pleases but always grieves God who loves me.
• Because my sin places a greater burden on my spiritual leaders.
• Because in time my sin always brings heaviness to my heart.
• Because I am doing what I do not have to do.
• Because my sin always makes me less than what I could be.
• Because others, including my family, suffer consequences due to my sin.
• Because my sin saddens the godly.
• Because my sin makes the enemies of God rejoice.
• Because sin deceives me into believing I have gained when in reality I have lost.
• Because sin may keep me from qualifying for spiritual leadership.
• Because the supposed benefits of my sin will never outweigh the consequences of disobedience.
• Because repenting of my sin is such a painful process, yet I must repent.
• Because sin is a very brief pleasure for an eternal loss.
• Because my sin may influence others to sin.
• Because my sin may keep others from knowing Christ.
• Because sin makes light of the cross, upon which Christ died for the very purpose of taking away my sin.
• Because it is impossible to sin and follow the Spirit at the same time.
• Because God chooses not to respect the prayers of those who cherish their sin.
• Because sin steals my reputation and robs me of my testimony.
• Because others once more earnest than I have been destroyed by just such sins.
• Because the inhabitants of heaven and hell would all testify to the foolishness of this sin.
• Because sin and guilt may harm both mind and body.
• Because sins mixed with service make the things of God tasteless.
• Because suffering for sin has no joy or reward, though suffering for righteousness has both.
• Because my sin is adultery with the world.
• Because, though forgiven, I will review this very sin at the Judgment Seat where loss and gain of eternal rewards are applied.
• Because I can never really know ahead of time just how severe the discipline for my sin might be.
• Because my sin may be an indication of a lost condition.
• Because to sin is not to love Christ.
• Because my unwillingness to reject this sin now grants it an authority over me greater than I wish to believe.
• Because sin glorifies God only in His judgment of it and His turning of it to good use, never because it is worth anything on it’s own.
• Because I promised God he would be Lord of my life.

Every Promise

This is a song that I first heard at camp and I have been thinking about it a lot. It was written by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend. I don’t agree with their music standards, but many of their lyrics are powerful. Here is Every Promise (also known as From the Breaking of the Dawn):

From the breaking of the dawn

to the setting of the sun

I will stand on every promise of Your word

Words of power, strong to save,

that will never pass away;

I will stand of every promise of Your word

For Your covenant is sure

and on this I am secure

I can stand on every promise of Your word

When I stumble and I sin, condemnation pressing in,

I will stand on every promise of Your word

You are faithful to forgive,

that in freedom I might live

So I stand on every promise of Your word

Guilt to innocence restored;

You remember sins no more

So I’ll stand on every promise of Your word

When I’m faced with anguished choice,

I will listen for Your voice

and I’ll stand on every promise of Your Word

Through this dark and troubled land,

You will guide me with Your hand

as I stand on every promise of Your Word.

And You’ve promised to complete every work begun in me.

So I’ll stand on every promise of Your word

Hope that lifts me from despair; Love that casts out every fear

as I stand on every promise of Your word.

Not forsaken, not alone

for the Comforter has come;

And I stand on every promise of Your word.

Grace sufficient, grace for me;

Grace for all who will believe.

We will stand on every promise of Your word.

Drawing water

   I am a plant. [Figuratively, of course, but let’s just stay with the illusion.] Not only am I a plant, but I’m a plant that has been planted in good soil. The soil of God’s word, if you want to be specific. But there’s something to add to all of this. I have my own will. That’s where I differ from regular plants. See, plants grow without thinking about it, putting effort into it, or worrying. I, however, have to consciously decide that I am going to put my roots into God’s word and draw the water that He offers. God’s water is fit to my daily needs, too! Some days I need the water of patience, other days I need love. No matter what my needs are for the week, day, hour, or even minute, God has it there in His word.
   Something that I find extremely interesting is the fact that roots remain unseen. No one will see the time that you and I spend in God’s word, but it will evidence itself when people see us as healthy plants.

   Psalm 1: 1-3 
     Blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsels of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season: his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doesth shall prosper.

   Everyone knows that passage, but don’t skim over it. I found that when I read this the other day and PAID ATTENTION, it was SO rich! Go through it again!

Jeremiah 17: 7&8
  Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful [anxious] in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yeilding fruit.

   I never saw that passage before (that I can remember) and I found it to be such a blessing to me!

Isaiah 58:11
  And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat they bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

   I hope that this has been a blessing to you. It’s what I’ve been learning. (Among other things.) If you like hearing my devotions, then I’ll bring more to the blog! Just tell me what your thoughts are! 

   All of these thoughts were inspired by my devotions as I’m going through A Young Woman After God’s Own Heart by Elizabeth George. This was from chapter two. I’ve really been enjoying this book and would highly recommend it. One thing to let ya’ll know is that she does not use the KJV, so I read my Bible alongside. It’s good to read another version, but I like the good ol’ KJV best.