Our Crown of Thorns

After one tough day of feeling like I must be the only one to have SO many troubles and issues to deal with, I realize "there goes those fickle feelings again!" They lie so often. Then there's the enemy who tries to tell you, "you & your family's lives are just too jacked up to glorify God - you don't have the victory - look at ya - you're still screwing up and saying the wrong things over & over again." But I say, "wait a minute don't I already have the victory just BECAUSE I belong to Jesus and have the Holy Spirit living within me?" In 1st Corinthians 15:57, it says "thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory [making us conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ." First of all, I know that I know (by the "Knower" inside me) that I belong to Jesus. So I claim that victory through Christ Jesus my Lord, thanks be to God for that victory that I will find through Him.

As for the issues of our weaknesses and faults and those people in our lives who seem to bring out the worst in us: these could be called the thorns that are sent to buffet and harass us. It's important to realize who our true enemy is. It's not the people that we should be battling. We must bring the Lord into our situations through prayer. As our senior pastor taught yesterday, these thorns are there to keep us from getting puffed up and full of ourselves as well as drawing us closer to the feet of Jesus. The area of reference is found in 2nd Corinthians 12:7-10. How many of us have asked the Lord to remove from us the people or problems in our personalities that we face? Many times I have asked God if I should put my daughter, who has Down's syndrome and struggles with a mental illness, in a special home for people like her; sometimes I feel that she would be better off without me and I can't bear anymore of the communication breakdowns. But yet I know that God is using her to work a far greater work of glory within me and her for His purpose. So I stay the course, because He promised His grace is sufficient and His strength & power are made perfect in my weakness. How can this be? I don't really know all of the specifics as of yet. But I must take His word - believe, lean and rely on it. I must choose to trust Him regardless of what I see. And one day, I will see His word come to pass in me and others before my eyes.

So I will not be ashamed of the fiery trials before me, I will not be shocked or dismayed as they enflame against me. Instead, I will recall the words of King David in Psalm 23 - "You (Lord) prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me ALL the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever!" As Paul says, "I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest upon me!" Therefore, I've decided to glorify God that I have been counted as one who is priviledged enough to wear a crown of thorns as Jesus did.

All of us at one time or another go through various temptations and trials, so we must continually make strong decisions by God's grace to allow God's strength to carry us through these trials triumphantly. My prayer is that we as God's people will grow up in this area of trusting God for the victory no matter how bad things look. So that your faith will not burn up in the fire and you will come out as pure gold, with purer motives than you ever had before!

Until we meet again~ God's grace be with you all ;) Hebrews 13:20-21
Dusti Renea

Just the Beginning!

Behold, God is doing a new thing in this new beautiful season! I have been directed that I need to start a blog......and I'm finally heeding God's call. Currently, what's been on my mind is all that must be repented of and fasted from. When one lady pastor from my church told me to repent for three days I frankly just didn't get it, so I lifted it up to the Lord to reveal what that meant. Doesn't repenting for my ungrateful attitude only take a moment or two? Here I am many months later and now I'm beginning to see how the Lord is revealing the truth about repentance. How many of us repent on the surface about an issue, but the next day we're right back in the same ole' mess? How many of you are TRULY fed up with this madness? I believe we need to give God some quality time to reveal to us what true repentance is. The best scripture that comes to mind about repentance is James 4:8-10 Come close to God and He will come close to you. [Recognize that you are] sinners, get your soiled hands clean; [realize that you have been disloyal] wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts [of your spiritual adultery]. 9 [As you draw near to God] be deeply penitent and grieve, even weep [over your disloyalty]. Let your laughter be turned to grief and your mirth to dejection and heartfelt shame [for your sins]. 10 Humble yourselves [feeling very insignificant] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up and make your lives significant].

I have more to say but will cut this short for now.
Until next time..........be blessed w/His mercy & Truth. ;)