The new year...

So for me, this new year will be bringing forth a lot of really big decisions..
I was quite lost and I found this on John MacArthur's website...
Hope it helps you as it helped me!!


Decision Making to the Glory of God
Thursday, December 30, 2010

Did you know 90% of the choices you make as a Christian involve areas where Scripture says surprisingly little? What you wear, where you go, how you spend your free time—you won’t find many explicit instructions in the Bible. But you can find plenty of rules and strictures in the various spheres of evangelicalism, many of them unhelpful and even harmful (and not only in the fundamentalist camp).

Of course Scripture forbids all clear-cut sins such as lying, cheating, stealing, murdering, or committing adultery. The Bible also clearly calls us to pursue Christ and grow in our faith. No Christian seriously questions whether he should read the Bible, pray, or tell others about Christ. Scripture is unambiguous about those things.

There is, however, one class of questions that seems to fall somewhere in the middle. These are the issues dealing with Christian freedom—things that fall between what God prohibits and what He commands. What entertainment is acceptable? What kind of music is okay? What can a Christian do or not do on Sunday? What about what you wear, what you eat and drink, or how you spend your free time—does the Bible address those things?

Some would say, "No, the Bible doesn't address those things. Those are gray areas, so do what you want to do—you're free in Christ!" While it is true that the Bible doesn't specifically list every possible decision you'll face in life, it does address all choices with principles that govern Christian freedom. When you run your choices through the following grid of principles from God's Word, you'll find both clarity and true freedom to live your life to God's glory.


Will it benefit me spiritually?

All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify (1 Cor. 10:23).

A "profitable" thing is useful, helpful, or to your advantage to do; and the idea behind "edify" is to build up spiritually. So based on this verse, ask yourself, "Will doing this enhance my spiritual life? Will it cultivate godliness? Will it build me up spiritually?" If not, you should seriously question whether that behavior is the best choice.


Will it bring bondage?

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything (1 Cor. 6:12).

In the second part of this verse, Paul is saying, "I will not be brought under the power of anything." If what you are considering can be habit-forming, why pursue it? Don't allow yourself to be in bondage to anything or anyone. You are a bond-servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, and Him alone.


Will it defile God's temple?

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

Don't do anything that you know will harm your body or bring shame—it is the only instrument you have to glorify God. Romans 6:13 says, "Present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God." How you choose to use your body should always reflect your concern to honor Jesus Christ.


Will it cause anyone to stumble?

Food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. But take care lest this liberty of yours somehow become a stumbling block to the weak (1 Cor. 8:8-9).

This is the principle of love. As Romans 13:10 says: "Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore is the fulfillment of the law." If you know that your choice—what you consider "in bounds" and approved—causes another Christian to stumble and sin, love that brother or sister enough to restrict your own freedom. That is not very popular in our self-absorbed society, but it is biblical. To continue to indulge in a legitimate freedom that causes problems for another Christian is a sin. For "by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore," Paul said, "if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, that I might not cause my brother to stumble" (1 Cor. 8:12-13).


Will it further the cause of evangelism?

Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of the many, that they may be saved (1 Cor. 10:32-33).

Whether you are aware of it, what you allow or disallow in your behavior affects your witness for Christ, and the world is watching. It's an issue of testimony—what your life says about God. Your testimony either tells the truth about God, or it tells a lie. The choices you make in areas where Scripture speaks principally rather than specifically should reflect your concern not to bring offense to God's reputation but to bring Him praise instead.


Will it violate my conscience?

He who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin (Rom. 14:23).

First Corinthians 10:25-29 contains three references to abstaining from a certain practice "for conscience sake." Never train yourself to violate your conscience. If your conscience is troubled by what you consider, don't do it. If you aren't sure about it, don't do it. It is hard to overstate the value of a clean conscience, but it is worth keeping your conscience clear so that your relationship to God will not be hindered. If you'll keep yourself in prayer and the study of God's Word, you will inform your conscience so you can "walk as children of light...finding out what is acceptable to the Lord" (Eph. 5:8, 10).


Will it bring glory to God?

Therefore, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31).

That verse is clearly both the summary and the goal of all the principles listed above. Isn't our heart's cry to glorify our Lord and Savior with our lives? Think about your decision—Will He be glorified, honored, and praised through it? May we say along with Jesus, "I glorified You on the earth" (John 17:4).

So the next time you face a decision where Scripture is less than specific or overt, run it through the principles above and enjoy your freedom in Christ. Happy New Year from Grace to You!

A thought for food...

So here are two amazing facts about this universe that God has made...
As we continue to grow in our passion for God, I thought I could help with two facts I found in a book at the dentist. You can simply just rush through these facts but let me encourage you to think on them and what they say about the power and greatness of our King...

If a pin was as hot as the sun here on Earth it would catch fire to everything within 64 miles...



So most people know we have one of the smaller gallaxies, but did you know, all the stars you can see with the naked eye are just in our galaxy???


How could such a powerful and magestic King, who created me, not only send His son to save me but continue to give me grace to live now??

The Pursuit of Holiness

My wonderful grandmother and I have started reading The Pursuit of Holiness together. Although she lives in Bend, we have decided to call each other once a week after reading a chapter and to discuss it!
So I've decided, what a perfect opportunity to have a new blog post each week....
:)
So far we are on chapter two...
Let me share with all of you the three biggest things I've learned..
1)The first is that we are to pursue holiness, we will never reach it in this life and diligence and effort are required. Understanding this, it gives me more strength to know, yes I will fail, but I need to get back up and continue to fight.

2) GOD hates sin. He cannot tolerate it. Yes, I know this. Yet. I see how in my life, often I say "oh no. I sinned" not "oh no! I sinned against GOD!". I want to further understand that it is not simply a sin that has inconvenienced me but it is against God whom HATES sin,no matter how small I try to excuse it to be.

3)Because this by far is the biggest area in my life where I can see a desperate need to change, let me allow Mr. Bridges to explain it...

Many Christians have what we might call a 'cultural holiness.' They adapt to the character and behavior patterns of Christians around them. As the Christian culture around them is more or less holy, so these Christians are more or less holy. But God has not called us to be like those around us. He has called us to be like Himself. Holiness is nothing less than conformity to the character of God.

For me, I so often see how my dependence on people is not when I am with no-believers. There, I am the least dependent. Yet when I am with believers, I begin to want their approval. I start to conform to them instead of to God. Instead of wanting to change and be Holy for God, I want to do it for myself. It becomes "I have sinned" not "I have sinned against God". God has freed me from this slavery of pleasing people, yet I have ran back to it. Even when I see that a group of people are doing something God would not approve of, when I say something about it and others do not agree, I quickly put the thought away and say nothing more about it.I want to cultivate a heart that will be dependent on God and God alone. That it won't matter how I am seen by others or how I am treated. For I know that He is greater than all. I want to stop thinking so highly about myself and think higher of God who is Most High.

Self Control

Clothe yourself in the Lord Jesus Christ. Do not gratify the desire of the sinful nature. Romans 13:14We are at battle.
DO NOT let sin rule you, you are free from it.
No matter how great the desire,
Continue to fight.
DO NOT relax.
Put on the armor of Christ.
For His love is more powerful than all.

You cannot make a sinner into a saint by killing him. He who does not live as a saint here will never live as a saint hereafter.
Charles Spurgeon

Motives

The action does not always make the heart.
However the heart will always make the action.
Confused?
God judges the heart.
Only a good tree can produce real fruit.
Yet, I have seen in me, how I can produce fake fruit.
I say I love someone, but how is this shown? I serve and say this means I love.
Yet, I think my heart is not always there. Its these empty deeds.

Lord, I want to change my heart. Let me not force myself to serve, but look to you and change my heart so that serving flows out in endless acts of love.

Debit or Credit?

Let me first apologise.
If your looking for something encouraging, you may want to find another blog to read.
However, I feel that this is something that has been on my heart and that God is really tyring to teach me. Therefore I will share. I know I will not say this well, for I am not so great with words, but I do hope it will be of somewhat benefit to you.
Lately God has been showing me more and more of Him. This is so wonderful, but with it, I see more and more of how utterly disgusting I am. One of the most reveling things I have seen in me is my relationship with other people. My lack of dependence on my great Lord shows so much in this area. I continue to so selfcenteredly act like I am selling my self to other people. I want them to only see me in a certain way or not to think badly of me. When will I stop wanting to be heard, wanting to be understood and wanting to be cared for? As if I was worth anything, and as if what my Lord has done wasn't enough.... The more I see of how much He cares and loves me, the more I see how I act as if this is not enough... Which only shows how much more He loves me.

Understanding That You Never Really Understand

After Sunday nights youth, I am deeply in "awh" and overwhelmed with how little I can comprehend. Don't get me wrong, I understood the sermon. But upon my drive home I reflected on it more and more, repeating the truths I heard as simply as I could. I'm always a slave. I once was a slave with a master who cared nothing about me. I was on a road to destruction. I was purchased. Purchased for the highest price. I am no longer slave to my old master;I am dead to him and he to me. I have a new Master. A great Master. Who knows what is best for me. A Master who knows more about me then I do myself. I Taylor, who has a new and great Master, is completely foolish. I allow this other "master" to use me for his evil working. I do it all the time:when I'm tired and think i deserve a break, when I become frustrated with my brother, when I think I'm being treated unfairly, and when I want to be the center of attention. But this is the part where I come to a great moment of "ahw" so great I am unable to fully understand it. God has paid the greatest price to make me His own again. He crushed His ONLY son for me. The one who cares so deeply for me has made me His slave. And just like that I am working for that which is against Him. Yet, instead of leaving me, instead of telling me, "Why would I continue to be your Master if you will not work for me alone?". He tells me that I am His forever. That the power of Christ's sacrifice is eternal. Nothing can ever separate me from His love and Lordship. With gentleness,He breaks me. With love, He corrects me. Always.

The Pilgrims Progress

What a creatively encouraging book...
This great imaginative story that, with such elaborate words, paints a beautiful yet simple picture that relates to each or our lives before the Lord.
With its perfect perspective, inspired by who better than God Himself, I found this book to be of great conviction and encouragement.
For this reason, I see to it as my obligation to propose to those who have not looked upon this remarkable work to do so.

Not to much Surprise..

I have not been being a "good" blogger.
I apologise.
I will find the time to share with you what God has been doing in my life..
Please stay tuned in :)

Once Again...

Walking home today in the rain storm , God blessed me.
It was something so simple, yet it meant so much.
I just remembered what I had read that morning.

"But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting one at the head and one at the feet, were the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her,"Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them,
"Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him."
~John 20:11-13

The rain had reminded me of Mary weeping, weeping out of selfless love! Her love for Christ inspires me so. In the bible, she is always seen not thinking about herself, but on Jesus. Praise God that she could worship Christ so; that she could forget everything and solely focus on the Lord! I pray you are all encouraged, like me, by Mary to love Christ even more than we thought possible!

My Joy...

Oh, how sweet it is to have a little sister..
Today, my 3 year old sister and I took a walk with our wagon to pick some wiliflowers in a field by our house. As we were picking, I asked her, "Do you know who made these?"
"You did!!" she shouted.
Laughing I told her, "no, God did."
She was slightly confused, "God made these flowers?"
"Yes", I told her, "God makes every flower."
With her cute little smile she said, " huh... God is very nice."

As if this wasn't a blessing enough. AS if this couldn't be any cuter... she chimes in with..
"Maybe one of these days we will see Him at church."

All Flesh....

walking home the other day, I noticed all the cherry blossoms are falling away.... While I gazed at them, I remembered a beautiful verse...

"All flesh is like grass,

And all its glory like the flower of the grass.

The grass withers,

And the flower FALLS OFF,

But he word of the

LORD

endures forever."

I peter 1:24

What a blessing it is that God made this whole world to reflect His glory. In all things we can see some attribute of Him!

One Step closer takes me one step away....

One GREAT Beautiful step closer to my loving Lord. His Grace guides me; impowers me to move closer to Him. Oh how I await the day I see Him face to face. How I pray for Him to come or me to go home. Patiently I wait. He moves me one step closer to Him; closer to being like him. One step closer to Him. One step farther from this world.

well...

I guess you could say I have no idea what I'm going to do with a blog. But why not? I'm not sure what I'll talk about on here but at least now I can post all my sewing, cooking, drawings, and random thoughts, right?