No Condemnation in Christ

Hello friends!

I’m sure that you recall in my last blog entry, I challenged myself and all of you to join me in having quiet time with the Lord every day. I am curious how that has gone for you? I am still working on it! I was probably successful two out of every three days, because sometimes I got caught up in other things while Joey (my son) was napping, and his nap/sleep times are usually the only times of the day I can have quiet. Some of you may only have quiet times while you’re driving to work or while you wake up in the middle of the night. Use any opportunity you have to get into God’s presence. I am working on being more disciplined and I am learning that God’s grace and mercy are never ending! We should not live in a state of guilt and condemnation because there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, who are filled by His Holy Spirit and set their minds on His guidance (read Romans 8:1-17).

I want to share a new video I made for an original song. It is called Your Sins Are Washed Away, and my primary purpose for writing this song was to help draw the lost/unsaved closer to God and to begin the process of accepting His grace, love, and forgiveness. As Christians, our biggest goal in life, no matter what your occupation or circumstance, should be to shine God’s glory through the fruit of the Spirit. The popular acronym WWJD asks the question “What would Jesus do?” in any given situation. This is a really a great question to ask yourself daily. Jesus lived by the fruits of the Spirit. In Matthew 7:16, Jesus says that you can identify His people by their fruit. There isn’t a much better explanation, in the Word, of the difference between living by the sinful nature versus living by the Holy Spirit than in Galatians 5:16-25. I used Webster to help elaborate some of the words in parenthesis:

“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery (extreme indulgence in sensuality); idolatry (the worship of a physical object or something as a god) and witchcraft (the use of sorcery or magic); hatred, discord (promoting quarreling or conflict), jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions (a tendency to quarrels and disputes), factions (cliques) and envy; drunkenness, orgies (many definitions by Webster), and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness (being reliable and trustworthy), gentleness (free from harshness, sternness, and violence) and self-control (restraint over one’s impulses, emotions, and desires). Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

I will leave you with my new video.



God bless you!
Love,
Sarah

P.S. On a lighter note, agree with me in prayer that Danny Gokey (from American Idol) will sign a recording contract for a Christian Gospel album! That would be so awesome!

Word of God Speak

Hey friends,

I recently had a realization that I usually write my blogs on Sundays or Mondays. That's because my spirit is freshly fed and inspired by Sunday church! There's a LOT to be said about going to church. Christians aren't (or shouldn't be) going to church to go through the motions or because they feel obligated to. If we open up our minds, hearts, and souls, we can be fed from the manna of heaven! The sad thing is, I also realize I should be inspired every day, not just Sundays.

My mother-in-law sang "Word of God Speak" yesterday. It's one of those songs most people hear and think it's really pretty, but you don't really think about the meaning or let it minister to you, but when someone delivers a song with a few choice words beforehand, it can have such a big impact. Myself, I've heard it dozens of times without really thinking about it. Yesterday, my mother-in-law spoke about how our times of waiting in the Lord may seem kind of like torture to us (my translation), but they are relished by God, and they can be relished by us too! We should be spending time in His presence every day, not just praying, not just reading the Word, not just listening to uplifting music, but silently in His presence waiting expectantly and eagerly for a word from Him. Actually, I don't know ANYONE who does this better than my mother-in-law...I lived with her for three years before my husband and I moved into our own home, and she spent time with the Lord the first thing every morning, and I don't know anyone who displays the fruits of the spirit better than her either! Joy, peace, love, goodness, longsuffering, gentleness, meekness, faithfulness, and temperance. My pastor's wife, Sister Marge, is another great example of someone who displays these fruits of the spirit so beautifully.

Will you join me in doing this at least 10 minutes every day, without any outside or inside distractions? I want to start doing this! I've been thinking about how I can be productive in this time of waiting and besides trying to read the Word and work on music, it has kind of eluded me, and after yesterday, I have realized, I really just need to rest in the Lord. I started today for 10 minutes...every time I do this (and it's been a while), I feel so strongly His presence and love, that it brings me to tears...every time!! He IS our daily bread and drink. As for a Word from the Lord I received today, the only thing I heard was that I need to do this every day and I will hear more and more from Him, and He will make my path so clear.

I will leave you with a video for "Word of God Speak".



God bless!

Sarah