Good Monday morning to you all! We had such an amazing weekend with the celebration of my husband's grandparents 60th wedding anniversary and then our daughter being baptized yesterday. Our good friend and pastor, Dick VanDyke was able to baptize her. There was also 20 others that professed their confession of faith. God is so good!

Acts 15:11 "But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will."

As we continue in our study of Acts, in chapter 15, Paul and Barnabas debate with some men who are trying to teach that unless you are circumcised, you cannot be saved. Peter replies that God has made the choice that His forgiveness is for everyone.

"Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear." (vs 10) "Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood." (vs. 19-20)

After reading this, it made me think about how many things we conjure up in our minds as stipulations for salvation. Do you look at someone's outside and assume they are or aren't Christians, are there specific traditions that you strap to the Gospel (what to wear to church, what songs to sing, the scheduling of the worship service, how youth are to "behave", what translation of the Bible to read from, etc.) or anything else that may distract others from knowing that salvation only comes through a relationship with Jesus Christ? I know that I have fallen to stipulations many times.

Show others who Jesus is through your actions. Show them what a relationship with Christ looks like and let God do the rest. The Holy Spirit does amazing work, we just need to get out of the way.

Have a great day

Christie

The first verse of the 14th chapter of Acts excites me and I know it will for you too. "Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed." I want that and I know you do too - to be able to speak in such a way that many people believe! Through all the rejection, through all the pain, through all the mocking, this made it worth it - that many were believing.

How do I know that it was worth it? Because in verses 19-23 it tells of Paul being stoned. Some Jews stoned him until they thought he was dead and then drug him out of the city. But get this - he wasn't dead and was able to get up and go back into the city. Not only did he just go back into the city, but he left the next day on another journey to share Jesus with more people!!

Now I don't know about you, but I can tell you that this wimpy, self-pitying girl, would have laid in bed for many days to recover not only my physical body but my hurt heart. But Paul wouldn't hear of such a thing - God had changed his life and he wasn't about to stop telling people about it.

I want to be more like Paul. I want the strength to never be shaken from my mission. I know that you and I hold that strength within us because we have the Holy Spirit within us. It is our choice - are we going to keep on when our body hurts, when our heart is broken, when our mind is weary?

I guess this would be a good time to ask - what would Jesus do?

Have a great day
Christie

I had another "country" moment last night. There was some wiring, rock and bricks on one side of our shed. Because he didn't want to hit any of it, my husband hasn't mowed in the area. The weeds had gotten tall and I couldn't take looking at it any longer. While he was away last night, I decided to get the mower out and clean it up. I have never seen so many spiders in my life! The black spiders with the yellow backs (we call them banana spiders) and wolf spiders were not only in large webs but running across the ground as I mowed the tall weeds. I'm not joking when I tell you they were as big as the palm of my hand! Screaming inside, I lifted my legs clear up by the steering wheel as I drove. I was so afraid that one of them was going to crawl up my leg. I mowed everything I could, but couldn't bring myself to get off the mower to pick up the wiring and rocks. I ran to the garage to get the bug spray and sprayed as many as I could and decided it would be best to go back into the house. That was a little too much country for me - I'll leave the rest of the mess for my husband. Thank God, he is much braver than I.

In Chapter 13 of Acts, Paul and his companions, filled with the Holy Spirit, continue to take opportunities to share the Gospel and many are coming to believing faith. Paul is teaching in the synagogue at Antioch and among much other, he states "Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this Man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by Him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses." (vs. 38-39)

As I read those verses, the words "freed from everything" jumped off the page at me. God used this to remind me of my freedom in Him. All the time wasted wondering if I should or shouldn't do something, trying to earn my salvation, wondering what others would think of me, etc. etc. etc. - I have freedom in Christ.

I don't have to earn my salvation, He freely gave it to me. I don't have to worry if others are going to love me - He loves me unconditionally. I don't have to wonder if I am making the right decision because if I seek Him, He will show me what to do.

You and I are free when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior because He died on the cross to take away everything. All the fear, all the guilt, all the sin - everything.

Enjoy your freedom
Christie

Prayer - it's connection with God, it's always heard by God and it's POWERFUL! In Acts 12, Herod puts Peter in prison after killing James and finding that it pleased the Jews. He was imprisoned under 4 squads of guards - Herod really wanted to make sure that there was no room for escape. Little did he know that the "church" was praying for him. (vs 5) During the night, an angel of the Lord woke Peter from his sleep between two guards. The angel instructed him to get dressed and follow. He was able to walk right past every guard and the iron gate opened for them. He immediately went to the house of Mary, the mother of John and you will never guess what many people had gathered there to do - pray. Are you seeing a correlation here? Prayer is powerful and makes the impossible, possible. Because of the prayers of these people, Peter was able to walk out of prison and be free to continue his mission of sharing Jesus.

In Matthew 21:22 Jesus says "And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith"

Are you in a situation that you feel is impossible to overcome? Do you feel like God isn't hearing your prayers or that He isn't answering? Pray, pray, pray - never stop, never give up - just pray. He may answer your prayers in a way you do not expect, He may say no to what you are asking for, He may be prepared to answer yes but we must be patient for His timing. He is the only One who knows the future and what is truly best for us. Pray and be patient. We will be following in the steps of Jesus when we pray and be patient.

I have seen answers to prayers that I have prayed for years - God is faithful - be patient

Prayerfully
Christie

In Acts 11:26, the disciples were called Christians for the first time. Why? Because they were followers of Christ. We become Christians by confessing/repenting of our sins and accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior. This poses a question that I would like us all to ponder today: Would the people around you, the people that don't know that you have been saved, call you a Christian based only on your actions? Are you living your life as a Christ Follower or are you sitting stagnant? Will your actions get you into heaven - no, but they will allow others to see a glimpse of God through you or not. You get to choose.

Here's a related post from my friend LuAnn Prater:
"Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: holy to the LORD.”
Exodus 28:36 (NIV)

Recently I received a license plate with my company’s logo on it. They strongly encouraged us to place it on the front of our car so that everyone can see who I work with at a glance. I was pretty excited and proud to do it - at first. However, when someone cut me off in traffic and heat rushed up my spine, sending my morning smile into a scowl, I remembered the plate that identified me! I forced the grimmace to leave my face and replaced it with numbness. Arghh! The realization hit me, I can’t just react now without thinking of the impression it will leave on others. I must admit at times I’ve wanted to intentionally drive through a mud hole to mask the name on that plate.

My girlfriend won’t let her husband put a fish symbol on their car, a symbol of their faith, because she knows that car can sometime reflect a little “road rage”. She is afraid it might reflect poorly on her Savior. What if we had to wear the seal of God on our forehead for everyone to see? Would we act any differently? Would we be nicer to the store clerk, the grumpy boss or the bratty child? If at a glance the world could see who we were with, would it alter our behavior?

In Ephesians 1:13 it says, “… Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.” So we ARE marked with a seal, and it is not just on our foreheads, it should be oozing from every part of our being! When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, it is as powerfully evident to others as an engraved nameplate welded to our face that we belong to Christ. How? Matthew 5:16 tells us, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Surprisingly, I have become accustom to to the nameplate on my car. I think now before I react. I consider the consequences of my driving. It has seriously made me a better driver and less stressed. Isn’t that amazing? It no longer makes me anxious or afraid that I will discredit my company. People recognize me coming now and wave.

So who is reading your nameplate? Do they recognize the light of Christ in your actions?

Father, we often try to blend in with the world. Give us freedom today to proudly display the righteousness You have given us by reflecting your light onto others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Dear Jesus: Seeking His Light in Your Life by Sarah Young

Visit Luann’s blog

Receive the P31 Woman magazine

Do You Know Him?

Application Steps:
Make a sticky note name-tag that states, like our key verse, “Holy to the Lord” and wear it today. Allow God to work through you and in you as others notice Who you are with.

Reflections:
What makes me hide the fact that I am a Christian?

How can I purposely shine on others today?

Why do I act as if no one is watching? God not only sees, His Holy Spirit is with you…during the good and bad reactions.

Power Verses:
Matthew 28:20b, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (NIV)

Col. 4:6, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (NIV)

1 Peter 3:15, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (NIV)

Happy Monday! This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! Sorry for being so perky on a Monday morning, but I have to say that this beautiful weather we have enjoyed over the weekend and today has really lifted my spirits. We spent alot of time outside with cooler temperatures and lots of sunshine. We have been preparing for our daughter's baptism celebration on Sunday by getting the grass mowed, weeds pulled and bushes trimmed. I also did some painting over the weekend - busy, busy, but all work that I enjoy doing. Isn't it cool when you can actually enjoy the work you have to do? Now that I think about it, I guess with the right perspective, you could enjoy any kind of work. Even those tasks that aren't your favorite, with a thankful attitude, you could enjoy praising God through any situation.

As I continue to study in the book of Acts, I think about how the disciples desired to tell others about Jesus - they enjoyed telling others about Jesus. I'm sure they did not enjoy the ridicule, mocking, abuse, threats and stonings that went along with it but with their minds focused on God, they continued on with open hearts and minds. I'm not sure that I would have done the same.

In chapter 10, God gives Peter a vision that he doesn't understand at first. He see something like a big sheet coming down from heaven and on it were animals, reptiles and birds. A voice from heaven said "Rise, Peter, kill and eat." Peter replies by telling God that he has never eaten anything unclean." God says "What God has made clean, do not call common."

Luckily, God gives him understanding that it is about people. As Jews, they were not to associate with any one of another nation, but God was showing him that no one was unclean - His love and salvation was for everyone. In verse 34, Peter says "Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him."

Praise God! How encouraging those words were for me! God is for everyone! His love, His forgiveness, His compassion - it's for us all! How often do we choose who we think should hear the Gospel? How often do we think that there's no sense in trying because their never going to get it? Or avoid someone who is not like you? God says HE'S FOR EVERYONE - let's do our part to share Him through ourselves to EVERYONE.

Who have you avoided? Who have I avoided? God not only gave Peter the mission to tell everyone he could get in front of, but us also. Let's make the choice today -

Have a great day
Christie

Here's a few fun pics from our trip:Here's me trying to stay afloat long enough for a picture after my children stole my floats

My son, building a stick house on the beach
Just us girls, hanging out - I can't believe how white I am next to my daughter!

Our kids with their cousin, Chase. Nathan was pretending that he was meditating to show his dad that he wasn't going fast enough.

My babies, driving the boat

My wonderful husband who makes sure that everything is taken care of for our time away

Good morning all my bloggy friends! I'm baaaack - finally. I actually have been back from camping for a few days, but my computer was being worked on and I just got it back. It's good to be back on track again - I have to admit, I'm lost without my computer.

I've continued on my study of the book of Acts without you - so sorry, but I would still like to share with you some things that I've learned over the past week. First of all, I just have to say that our God is so amazing! I read in chapter 9 about the conversion of Saul - o.k., this is big, listen or should I say, read carefully - Saul's mission in life was to kill or at least imprison all followers of Christ and he was very good at what he did. On his was to Damascus, a light from heaven appeared, God asked him why he was persecuting Him, made him blind and told him to enter the city. Because of the drastic experience, he was able to realize that the God he had been persecuting was real. At the same time, God told His disciple Annanias that Saul would be coming and to meet him. Ananias immediately questions God because he knows of Saul's background. This is the really cool part!!! God responds "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of My Name." Did God just say that a hateful murderer of His own children is His chosen instrument??!! This gave me such hope and encouragement! I sometimes wonder how God could ever love me or use me because of all the mistakes I have made in my life but He does and He can! You and I have been chosen as instruments to carry the name of Jesus! What a humbling privelege!

Saul goes crazy telling everyone he comes in contact with about God. He makes a greater impact because people know his past and are amazed at his transformation. We too, can make a greater impact when we are open about our past mistakes. Make it real to others and they will be much more apt to believe what you are telling them.

Have a great day!
Christie