Open Hearts

I love the doctrine message that we are hearing right now in church first and foremost. Our life is so simple. Our Father gives us life on earth and gives us eternal life. What I love about the gift of life though is that it is a greater gift for our parents at first. Our parents, whether through prayer or not have received this ultimate gift and I can only pray that all parents lead their children to Christ. Sometimes our Father challenges future parents though in ways that can test faith and relationships. The ultimate passing grade though for parents that pass the test is adoption. 

So many times people touch our lives in different ways and one of the things that I love most about people is seeing the changes. I will admit that changes are not always good and it is our jobs and God's children to help bring those back to our Father to gain the ultimate freedom. But when changes are good God just smiles down on all of us and it is this great big grin that makes me want to serve him more and share his works. I will keep my words short today and His words short because I want to give a big shout out to a sister of ours that was in our wedding.

Amy Crawford Wagar has such a huge heart, and she and her husband have taken an ultimate leap of faith that we should all be proud of. I wanted to share her adoption blog with you. 

I love you all and encourage you all to open your heart just a little more. 

Romans 8

Life Through the Spirit

 ¹ Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ² because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

 ⁵ Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. ⁶ The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. ⁸ Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

 ⁹ You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

 ¹² Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. ¹³ For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

 ¹⁴ For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. ¹⁵ The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry,“Abba, Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Re Do

I had a thought yesterday as I was sitting in Church listening to Rusty preach. There is no doubt that our Father loves us unconditionally. We are all so blessed to have a Father who loves us no matter what we do and as long as we accept in in our hearts He will accept us. He will accept you even if you do not accept Him at this moment, but you will not feel the freedoms yet that followers feel.

Back to my thought though. I may be crossing some lines but what I hope to do is stir some thoughts. In the last few weeks and really the last few years NASA has been conducting research on planets like Mars and we have seen pictures come back of solar systems that may be similar to ours. I have always felt like we are not the only earth out there. I do not necessarily believe that we have little green men out there waiting to takeover our world, but I do believe that there is another planet very similar to ours in the millions of solar systems that exist. Our Father makes several references to the stars in the sky and I believe that he has them there for a reason. My thought yesterday was that our Father has His Son traveling from solar system to solar system and recreating the same glorious story that He gave us. Could you imagine sacrificing your Son over and over again for others so that they may live through you?

I do not know if this is possible, but I believe in everything that my Father does and would not put this past Him. His heart is so big and I know that He wants to share his love with all of us. On this Valentine's Day 2011, share your heart with those that you love and also your brothers and sisters that you have not come to know yet.

I want to share this verse today with all of you.

Ephesians 1, starting with verse 3

I love you all, and have a great week.

Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ

 ³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ⁴ For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace ⁸ that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, ⁹ he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, ¹⁰ to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

 ¹¹ In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, ¹² in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. ¹³ And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

 ¹⁵ For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, ¹⁶ I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. ¹⁷ I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. ¹⁸ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, ¹⁹ and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength ²⁰ he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, ²¹ far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. ²² And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.