Heather Has Hope: 2011

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

So let Hope Rise and Darkness Tremble!

Today is Winter Soltice
The Old Testament has over 60 prophesies and 300 references about Jesus the coming Messiah, written about 400 yrs. before Christ.
Isaiah 53
"Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows , and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the Lord has lain on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
a ruined face, disfigured past recognition.
Nations all over the world will be in awe, taken aback, kings shocked into silence when they see him. For what was unheard of they'll see with their own eyes, what was unthinkable, they'll have right before them."

Monday, December 19, 2011

Jesus got to pick his own parents

Jesus got to pick his own parents.

Ever realized that?

Who did he choose?
For his mother,
he choose a believing young Jewish girl. She was hopeful of the promised savior to come. She was God fearing, obedient, and humble. She praised God.
I believe his father was God revering as well and was a loving father.

Wouldn't you choose these kind of parents for yourself?

Wouldn't you want these kind of parents for your children?

We all love our children and we all fall short of, always being for them, the parents they need.

Take me for example.   I have not always given my children the love they have needed from me, in the ways that they have each needed it. I was too busy tending my own needs and selfish desires, instead of letting God love and comfort me.
I have always loved each of my four children (I admire each one also). I know that I should have shared more of my heart and self.
True love is action.
During a season in my life, it seemed that I had no love to give them. If I had chosen to trust and obey God, then His love, power and wisdom could have opened my eyes to see and heart to give his perfect love thru me.
That's why I started this Blog site. Not to glorify me, but to Glorify the only one worthy of Glory.
Today I try to live moment by moment in step with His spirit,
so that His Love and wisdom can live out thru me.
It is a surrendered life.
It is worth it.              This life on earth is not very long.
How we live here will matter in eternity.
Humankind is selfish and needs Jesus.

Of course Mary and Joseph weren't perfect. They needed Jesus too.
If we have Jesus in our life, as our savior then we have His Love, peace, patience, joy, self control, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,and gentleness. These are fruits of the spirit.
(Gal.5:22)
"Since we live by the spirit, let us keep in step with the spirit."(Gal.5:25)
Keeping in step with the Spirit as we walk through life- means moment by moment giving up, surrendering, our desires for God's desire for us.
This isn't easy. It gets easier the more you do it, and eventually you will want to moment by moment, choose God's ways over your own desires.    More of God, less of me.
He must increase, I must decrease (John chapter 3).
Go with God.

Suffering and Rejoicing

"...genuine, yet regarded as imposters; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. 2 Cor. 6:8-11
Why was this Jesus's followers' attitude?
because they had encountered GOD.

The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal.2:20

Have you encountered God?
If you knew how much God loved you, you would
FALL on your knees
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Gal.6:14

"...perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering." 1 Thess.1:4

"I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ- the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings,..."Phil.3 :7

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Addiction Analogy

Say you had a child.
An addicted child.
Your child was hopelessly hooked.
Your child would die soon because of the addiction.
There was nothing that could be done.
Say that there was no cure. There was no solution to the problem. Your child would die. Certain death.Forever separated from you, except one thing; it could save your child.
Your sacrifice. You would have to give up your home. Your perfect dream home.
Would you do it? For your child's freedom?
But there's more. You would have to give up alot more. You would have to give up everything.
You would be publicly humiliated,
You would have to suffer.
You would be Tortured.
You would have to die a cruel death.

Your Torture. Your Public Humiliation. Your Willingness to
Suffer. Your suffering.
Say that the solution for life, and freedom for your child would be your DEATH.
Your Torture. A Most Cruel, torturous death.
Would you do it?
It would mean freedom for your child.
It would mean Life for your child.
Your child would be FREE from the slavery of hopelessness
and have the certainty of life.
The Ultimate Perfect Solution.
And, your child would never become addicted again.
Even if your child partook of the drug again,
there would be no addiction. Your child would still be safe;
Free from death. There would be consequences from the drug, but your life sacrifice would ensure eternal salvation and freedom from the drug.
Would you do it?
Public humiliation, Suffering, Torture, Death.

Say you did it. For your child. You chose Torture and death because of your Undying Love for your child.
Your child gained Freedom, Life

Say that later your child choose the drug again.
Would you feel hurt- watching from Heaven? After all that you did for your child,
your child chose the very thing that you conquered;
the reason for your suffering and death.

And Worse, what if your child ignored you?

What if your child turned away from you?
Jesus sacrificed all- for you- His motive isn't to guilt trip us- it's Love. He chose suffering and torture because He chose Love, obedience to God- Love. He wants us to choose Him- Life. His love is beyond our imagination. God only wants the Best for you and God knows what's Best for you. He wants to forgive your sin debt. He paid the price. He forgives and forgets our sin- He makes Himself forget, because He loves us. It's your choice to receive His gift. It's that simple- surrender to God- to Love- to Life. Thank-you Lord for not seeing my sins any longer, but seeing my needs. We need Jesus.