Tag: surrender

Posted in Living in Today's World, Photography, Poetry and Quotes

make us into who YOU want us to be Lord

Posted on by Streim

Humility

James 1: 5-6 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.”

It is my prayer that we; as forgiven, born again into a new life by the blood of Jesus Christ will surrender, submit and relinquish the rights of  “self” to the Holy Almighty Holy God of heaven.  ♥ Streim  ** (edit) I must add that I do not, in any way, stand by Mr. Packer’s theology.   This quote is quite meaningful.  We must understand that our God is completely holy and sovereign, and only by surrendering to Him can we ever find true Godly wisdom.  I hope no one judges this blog based on a quote in a post.  Blessings to all who seek the Lord first in their lives.

Posted in Living in Today's World, Seeking Truth?

No Rose Garden Promised Here

Posted on by Streim

During the late 1960’s until 1973 I sang in a local band.  We performed for weddings, graduations, in taverns (18-year-old beer and wine only bars), parties and just about anywhere a small band could.  I was the only female, and often just did backup vocals and harmony.  Our band –The Happy Medium– (called so because we played/sang every genre of music possible, right down to polkas), consisted of lead singer, lead guitar, bass guitar, drummer (all four were guys) and me… backup singer, tambourine player :).  I sang music by artists like Carly Simon, Carol King, Brenda Lee, Anne Murray, Lynn Anderson, Karen Carpenter and others.  I always liked singing Lynn Anderson’s “Rose Garden”!

Today’s Christianity is filled with numerous “false gospels”, many of which its leaders teach that being a Christian means you’ll have a prosperous (materially) life; or that if you have enough faith, you can have or do anything you want.  Well, I am here to tell you the two words to describe a true Christian’s life are not “Rose Garden”:

They are SURRENDER and SACRIFICE!

There is only one statement made by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that is recorded in all four Gospels.  It deals with how to live the Christian life according to God’s will and not our own.

Matthew 16:24-27   Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.”

Mark 8: 34-38   When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.  For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

Luke 14:27   “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”

John 12:25-26    “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.

As the Apostle Paul in Romans 5:1-5  “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,  through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 

It’s not enough for a person to make a decision for Christ at an altar.  A blood bought child of God cannot walk successfully in the glow of that conversion moment.  We must daily surrender our entire being… body, soul, mind and spirit to the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ to be used as HE sees fit; for His glory and honor.  Not for our gratification; although that is a beautiful by-product of surrender—JOY!!   We need to take regular inventory of our committment to our Father and Lord Jesus.  Honestly, I know this to be so true.  Very often I must take an inventory of relationship with my God, as I believe every blood bought adopted child of God MUST do. Even when I take spiritual check-ups and realize something is amiss in my personal relationship with Him, I never cease to be amazed at His love, grace and mercy which fills me with hope looking to my eternal destination— and the peace of knowing that no matter how bad things get (or are), He is always with me.

Praying for “all the saints”.  Be blessed ♥ Streim

Posted in Listening To God, Living in Today's World

Do You “Disrespect” Your Father?

Posted on by Streim

Do you disrespect the LORD your God… our Heavenly Father… our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ… His blessed Holy Spirit? 

Do you abide by His Word or the traditions of men?  Do you surrender each day to Him, knowing that He alone is the reason you are alive?  Do you praise Him, worship Him, thank Him every single day for the gift of salvation? 

Our society here in America keeps us running in overdrive most of the time.  Gotta go here, go there… work longer hours… spend hours in useless pursuits of worldly things.  (I hear some of you complaining about your toes hurting…)  I am being extremely serious!

When we do not abide in His Word; surrender each day to His will;  praise, worship and thank Him for the gift of salvation through the shed blood of Jesus Christ that He so freely gave to all—-  WE ARE DISRESPECTING THE ALMIGHTY LORD GOD!

Psalm 18:1-2 “ To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord, who spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said: ‘I will love You, O Lord, my strength.  The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.’ ”

Isaiah wrote ” Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusts in Thee.  Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:” (ch. 26:3-4)

Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 8:6 ” Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in His ways, and to fear Him.”

Jesus said  “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.  “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;  and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble”

My brethren, let me say, be like Christ at all times. Imitate him in “public.” Most of us live in some sort of public capacity—many of us are called to work before our fellow-men every day. We are watched; our words are caught; our lives are examined—taken to pieces. The eagle-eyed, argus-eyed world observes everything we do, and sharp critics are upon us. Let us live the life of Christ in public. Let us take care that we exhibit our Master, and not ourselves—so that we can say, “It is no longer I that live, but Christ that lives in me.”  Charles Spurgeon

I know it is not ‘easy’ sometimes… but we must live according to the Word of God.  Everyone we know is watching us…  where we go, how we spend our time, who do we listen to, how we live each day?  Remember the beauty of the Gospel message daily.  God sent His ONLY Son, Jesus Christ, to be the living sacrifice for our sin!  Those of us that are purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ and reconciled to the Father must show the world RESPECT for Almighty Living, Loving LORD GOD!  ♥ Streim