I Surrender ALL

I looked up the words “I surrender” by using a commonly known search engine on the internet. There were over 2 million results! I started looking at each page of those results. I decided to stop at page 12, when I noticed that ALL of the entries to that point referred to God and Jesus, and to surrendering our lives to Him!

I would like to propose a question to you: Are you here to do your own will or God's will? It’s truly a matter of surrender.

Jesus said: "For I came down from Heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me," according to John 6:38 (KJV). Jesus is referring to God. Jesus was in full surrender or submission to His father. We are to be living this way, too.

Jesus is our example of the Christian life. Are you surrendering to God in agreement with His will over your own? To submit to Him is surely humbling!

When I first began to follow Christ, I heard many new, modern Christian songs, and I heard some old hymns, too. As I really began to listen and really hear the words of the songs, they suddenly took on new meaning, and my life began to change.

To follow God, I would have do it “His way,” unlike the old popular song of doing it “my way.” I would finally submit to the Lord and surrender EVERYTHING to Him! Why and how?

Did I actually wish to surrender all of myself to God when I first asked Him into my heart? No, not really. I still had my owns ways of doing things, and my own plans for my life, although there was something different. I was saved. I was born again. But I was still living for myself more than I was for God!

I gradually realized that I could not do the same things that I had done before. I didn’t think the same way either. Reading my Bible was changing me! God was now in my heart. I began to get uncomfortable with my old lifestyle. Why?

Suddenly my ears were opened, and I started to hear things through my new, spiritual eyes, such as the words of the songs. The same thing began to occur with my eyes, my heart, and my mind! Yet, my surrender was still being sanctified. God was surely changing me, but slowly at first. He was helping to make sure that I wouldn’t fall back into my old patterns of living.

It was then I had a miraculous dream. I was dreaming that I was at my house. I was standing outside and there was a huge fire coming. It was getting closer and closer! I saw that I was about to lose everything in my home! I decided to quickly run into the house. I thought to myself, “What should I take?”

One of the strangest things about the dream was that there was all this computer equipment everywhere in the living room. That was not normal. Should I try to take them? I couldn’t possibly take them all in time! Should I go for the jewelry instead? How about my photographs? What’s the most valuable? I panicked!

Then, I suddenly thought of my dog. Oh my! I tried to find her, but she wasn’t anywhere to be found.

I had these haunting thoughts that I should take something with me, but what did I do then? I suddenly found myself thinking that none of it really mattered anymore. Then I did something unimaginable! I never, ever imagined that in that situation, I would or even could do what I ended up doing next. So what did I do next in my dream?

I walked out of my home totally empty handed! Totally! As I was walking away, I turned to look back, and saw that my house was now fully engulfed in flames. The strange thing about it was that it didn’t even bother me! It was so amazing!

When I awoke, God gave me understanding of all the symbolisms in my dream. There was even more meanings in it for me than surrender. For now though, we’ll stick to the subject of surrender and what it truly meant to submit to God.

After this amazing dream, I spoke (prayed) to God and told that Him I was truly and finally ready to surrender it ALL to Him: EVERYTHING! I was ready to give God my life! I was ready to give Him all my heart, all my mind, all my soul, all my strength, all my love, all my dreams, all of myself, all my possessions, all my talents, all the people (in or not in my life), all my work, all of my child, all of my thoughts, all of my feelings, and all of my will, oh, and even my dog, too!  I add this tidbit because in the dream when I couldn’t find her, and I had to leave the house without her, it made me realize that I really, truly had to give up EVERYTHING for God. If I left anything out, I mean EVERYTHING!

It was then that I first began to really trust God and I gave him my tithes, my will, my house, and my EVERYTHING. I really wanted Him to lead me down the paths of righteousness.

That is when the flow began to rush in, as I began writing for God! He had me writing pages and pages every day for 2 years! To this day, I am working on all of these writings to publish them into several different books for His glory and for His Kingdom. He has given me a passion to write for HIM!

I did not realize at the time that in surrendering to God, my submission would eventually be followed by much temptation! Yet, I knew that God would keep me and hold me from falling. He would help me resist the temptations. How?

In James 4:7, the Bible instructs us to “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” It’s really that simple!

Submit and surrender can also be interpreted as yield, which means to be ready to stop. We can stop from falling into temptation by giving ourselves to God. We can give Him all authority over us and everything in our life.

In many places throughout the Bible, we are shown that to forsake all and follow Christ is to surrender to life eternal, and it’s all so wonderful and good.

I pray for you to be able to do this, too. I pray for you to give up EVERYTHING and give it all back to God. Totally surrender and sumbit yourself to Him, and then just watch the miracles take place in your life. I guarantee you, He will do His part if you’ll do yours! Your whole perspective on life will change. You will see, hear, and think differently after you fully surrender.

If you have never heard the hymn, “I Surrender All,” please check it out. Commit yourself freely to Him. Trust God. Trust that Jesus Christ has saved you for a purpose and that He loves you. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you today and every day from this day forward. We are to become God's disciples, but until we fully surrender or submit ourselves and everything, we cannot do it His way.

It is not uncommon to have to continually surrender again and again throughout our lifetime, so don’t fret. Just keep submitting and surrendering ALL to Him!

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

God’s Word for Today: “Any one of you who does not forsake all (give up everything/everyone/surrender/submit) cannot be my disciple.” — (1 Corinthians 13:3)

Copyright © 2011 by Patricia Shehan

Relationship

Have you ever had a relationship in your life? Of course you have! It may be a relationship with a friend or a spouse or someone special in your life. The point is that you know what it’s like to “be connected.”

A good relationship often begins with a good friendship. When you make a new friend, you get to know each other by talking and spending time together. You begin to find out what your friend likes and dislikes. You start to understand what makes them happy or angry.

When I was a young child, a girl of the same age moved in next door. We began a very special friendship. For privacy, I’ll call her by the name of “Jane.”

Jane and I became inseparable. We did everything together.

I found out that Jane liked to swim, bicycle, and jump rope, just like I did. We spent a lot of time playing together. We talked, and we shared a lot of our hopes and fears.

I also found out that Jane would get upset with me when I couldn’t spend much time with her, but later on she would forgive me. It wasn’t my choice at the time.

Spending time with the Lord is our choice, and it is a very important choice! God desires for us to spend time with Him just like our earthly friends want. God even forgives us when we fail, if we ask and repent (turn away from our sin).

Maybe you didn’t realize that you can have this relationship with God through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ? I didn’t know it before either! You can now!

Jesus is your best friend if you allow Him this place in your life. You can have a relationship with Him and this should be first and foremost in your life, which will honor and glorify Him, and help you, too.

Our relationship suffers when we don’t spend time with Him and pray. We cannot grow strong without God, who is more important than anyone or anything else. After all, He did create us!

The Scripture tells us: “You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.” (Exodus 34:14 — NLT)

Jane and I had lots of things in common and we formed a special bond together.

In contrast, our spiritual relationship with the Lord, although similar to our approach with a friend, is way beyond this world and our fellow man! While getting to know the likes and dislikes of God, we will begin to understand what makes Him happy or angry. We need to repent from sin and learn to do what is holy. God will help us through the conviction of the Holy Spirit and by reading the Bible and praying to Him.

We can share our hopes and our fears with Jesus. Our relationship can bring the kind of contentment that only the Holy Spirit can provide through God’s peace and His fulfillment.

Our relationship with Jesus is a friendship with the one “who sticks closer than a brother.” (See Proverbs 18:24).

Pursuing a relationship with the Lord is so rewarding. Allow God to teach you His ways. You can become inseparable from Him and do everything together! He will provide His peace and His joy in doing so.

If you will “draw close to Him, He will draw close to you.” (See James 4:8)

This connection with God will cause you never to be alone. For God will “never leave you or forsake you.” (See Hebrews 13:5)

You will learn to obey and trust God, and He will guide your path. Allow God to work through you and change you to cause a purity of your heart, soul, mind, and spirit to commune with Him.

“Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies. They will receive the Lord’s blessing and have a right relationship with God their Savior.” (Proverbs 24:4-5 – NLT)

Our Heavenly Father, our God, is beyond any concept of an earthly father. God is so much more. Why wouldn’t you want to have this wonderful connection in this relationship with Him?

Only sin separates the will of the flesh of a person from the Spirit of God. We have the ability to allow God to change this in us through His power and our surrender. Submit to the Lord!

Once we become friends of God and have this rich relationship with Jesus, then we will desire whatever God wants us to accomplish (for example, what I’m doing here in this blog, by sharing it with you!):

“So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ.” (Colossians 1:28 – NLT)

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

God’s Word for Today: “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” (Luke 12:21 – NLT)

^{Copyright © 2011 by Patricia Shehan}

Who are You Following?

Are you following me on this blog? If so, I want to thank you very much! Tell all your friends and family. Ask them to sign on as a follower, too. Let's get "God's Word for Today" out there to share with everyone. It is my prayer and my hope that somehow it will help all who read it.

To God be the glory in this adventurous journey I’m on.

More importantly than following me on this blog, I hope and pray that you are a “Follower of Christ.” A Christ follower begins with change.

When you follow someone, it changes your habits. It changes your thoughts. It can even change your heart!

Have you ever followed a TV star, someone on Twitter, or in the magazines? You want to hear all the news about them. You want to know what they’re doing. You want to know where you can see them.

Following a person is not quite the same as when you become a true follower of Jesus Christ. It’s better! You want to hear all the Good News about Him. You want to know what He’s doing. You want to know how you can see Him.

How? Here’s just a few scriptures in the Bible to describe how. See: Romans 10:9-11; Romans 1:2; Mark 8:35; Matthew 5:10; and Matthew 25:35-40.

I’ve never had much of a desire to follow any famous people, except the most famous person who ever walked this Earth: Jesus Christ! Since I’ve been following Him, my whole life has changed. My habits have changed. My thoughts have changed. And most certainly, my heart has changed.

But who are you following?

I pray that you are already following the One and Only, Jesus Christ, or that you will want to do so. I’m so grateful to be following the Savior of the word, Jesus Christ.

I never could understand why people would get so loud, and cheer so passionately for a football player who just scored a touchdown, or why someone would scream so loudly for a rock star on stage?

Yet, I don’t usually hear this kind of praise and worship for God from many of the Christians. Instead they seem to be so lifeless? There are too many who don’t have this kind of passion for our Lord. Why?

This is a good question to ask yourself: Is your praise and worship honoring and passionate for God worthy of being a Christ follower?

Becoming so passionate about someone so famous, a legend of all time, our Savior, Jesus Christ, is one of the most important things you could do as a follower of Christ. When you fall in love with the Lord, everything changes, and you can have boldness for Him like no other.

As a child of God, The Holy Spirit comes into our lives and changes us. As a follower of Christ, we can begin to take on the attributes of Jesus, and become more Christ-like.

As we grow in our love for the Lord, our “walk” should reflect an attitude of gratitude, and our outlook and our actions will change. We will love more, forgive more, and understand more. We will begin to have a new view of the future possibilities as we follow Jesus, our Savior.

“…Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. [Bold, my emphasis] – (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23 – NLT)

We are here to glorify God through Jesus Christ by becoming His follower in our relationship with Him.

I pray that if you are already a Christ follower that you will become even more passionate about Him. If you’re not already a Christ follower, then I urge you to talk to someone who is and find out why it’s so important. You can also contact me here on the blog. Just leave your e-mail and I will respond.

Thank you again for reading my blog and to God be the glory!

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

God’s Word for Today: "If anyone serves Me [Jesus Christ], let him follow Me [bold my emphasis]; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him [meaning us] My Father will honor. (John 12:26 – NKJV)

^{Copyright © 2011 by Patricia Shehan}

Peace

I have this (cardboard-type) poster I bought when I was young. I’ve actually kept it all these years and always had it hanging on the wall so that I’d see it often. It’s a picture of the setting sun that’s reflected in the water over a sailboat. The sky is deep red and there are mountains in the horizon. Tree branches outline the corners. There’s a Bible passage on the poster. I’ve read it countless times, but it never really made any sense to me:

“The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7 – NKJV)

It was just a pretty picture on a poster with words that I’d repeatedly see and read.

When Jesus spoke in parables to the crowds, He stated: “… ‘Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.’ ” (Mark 4:9 -- NLT)

Why didn’t I understand? Ears to hear? I am not deaf. Understand? Why was I so dim to the meaning of this Bible passage?

God’s Word tells us: “Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with the veil, and they do not understand. But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:15-17 – NLT)

I was so full of fears growing up. Those fears stayed with me into adulthood. I didn’t have any freedom.

Yet, there is freedom from fear, according to God’s Word. There is freedom to have peace in the midst of a storm. How?

“Our faith overcomes our fears.” (The origin of this statement is credited to “The Truth Project” from Focus on the Family.)

This is true faith in the Lord, our God. Faith in believing in Jesus Christ who died for our sins to give us eternal life; the faith that is a matter of the heart, much more than the mind! Yet God’s Word says Jesus will give us peace and it is for our hearts and our mind.

The Bible says: "Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, as [in] the day of trial in the wilderness… (Psalm 95:8 – NKJV)

“For there your ancestors tested and tried My patience, even though they saw everything I did.” (Psalm 95:9 – NLT)

God performed all kinds of miracles for the Israelites, yet having to wait for the “Promised Land” and endure trials began to harden many hearts to the Lord of those waiting in the desert.

When we are patient and faithful, and when we do not harden our hearts to God, then His love will melt away our fears, and those fears are replaced with His peace.

This peace is beyond our understanding. After I began reading the Bible myself, I also finally looked up the passage of scripture from my poster. I found the word “surpasses” instead of “passeth.” The peace of Jesus surpasses or exceeds human comprehension.

His peace fills our “hearts” and our “minds” through Jesus Christ!

My fears totally subsided and the peace of God took a rightful place in my life. I didn’t need to be afraid anymore. God was on my side and His peace is so wonderful. I had finally allowed God to put His truth into my mind and His peace into my heart. It was simple! Open your mind and your heart to Him today.

Now on the other hand, when my circumstances begin to whittle away at my peace, even to this day, I must turn to prayer. Personally, I also seek fellow Christians to pray for me, too, because we are told to pray for one another. We must pray because:

“The thief's [the devil’s or the enemy’s] purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My [God’s/Jesus’] purpose is to give them [meaning us] a rich and satisfying life.” — John 10:10 (NLT)

Fears don’t produce a rich or satisfying life. Christ’s peace gives will give us both!

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

God’s Word for Today: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” — John 14:27 (NKJV)

^{Copyright © 2011 by Patricia Shehan}

“The Sinner’s Prayer”

Okay, so I thought that I had to say the sinner’s prayer to be saved. Well, you know, I thought I was a Christian and that I was saved, simply because I merely believed in God. (Please see first blog entry).

So maybe I needed to say this prayer? The Sinner’s Prayer has many variations to it, but it basically goes something like this:

“God, forgive me of all my sins. I repent of my sins and ask you to come into my life. I forgive everyone who has ever sinned against me. I believe that Jesus is Lord and that He died for my sins, was raised from the dead, and was resurrected to Heaven where He is with God the Father.”

Some of the variations of the prayer have more words, and some have less. Either way, it never seemed to change my life. Why? It was still simply coming from my mind and not from my heart. I now believe that’s why I was "not really there yet," so to speak.

When I realized that I was just saying that I loved God, but that I didn’t really love Him from my heart, I realized there was a big difference. Why should a Holy God save me when I was just reciting words that had no meaning and nothing was coming from a place of earnest love and worship?

I believed that Jesus was Lord. I believed that He was able to forgive me of my sins. I didn't yet know that I had to forgive others for me to be forgiven, too. I knew that Jesus was raised from the dead and was resurrected into Heaven with God the Father.

I was still missing the most important part. The Bible tells us that:

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10)

Yet, I had been saying this prayer for awhile and not really meaning it. This is why nothing was changing.

It was me that needed changing – that’s why! I needed to change my heart, not just my mind! God wouldn’t force me to do anything. He gives us total and complete free will. He will not change us, as we need to be changed, until we really give ourselves to Him with not only our mind, but also with our heart, in truth.

So when I finally spoke this prayer from my heart, and as I spoke to God in total and complete love and yet reverent fear, I asked Him to forgive me of all my sins, and to cleanse me by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. I forgave others, and I asked Him to come into my heart this time, as I began to truly give my life over to Him and truly love Him with all my heart. But had I really “let go and let God” take over?

It took awhile. I had not yet fully surrendered. A dream of symbolism and imagery later on would give me what I needed to understand fully surrendering.

Then God also had some more work to do in me. It was plowing time, as Joyce Meyer says. She has also helped me to understand what was happening to me and why.

In letting go, I realized I had to learn a lot about God. How?

I went to church and listened to the pastor. I checked the teachings against the Bible. I began learning a lot of lessons, which were contrary to what I was taught growing up. I listened to various ministers and read many different Christian materials. As I contemplated everything I had heard and read, I used the Bible and prayer as my compass to be guided toward all truths.

As I read my Bible, although it was very was slow at first, it was opening my heart more and more to God. As I would read, I would also pray for God to help me understand His Word. I had also made a vow to myself to read the Word each and every day. When I’d slip up for a day, I’d go right back to it, as though I had never stopped. Good habits require practice!

Eventually, I realized that God tells us to read His word day and night! We should be meditating on His word every day, every night and day! Wow!

“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” (Joshua 1:8) – It really is the B.I.B.L.E.! (See prior blog entry.)

So, as I read the Bible, the Living Word actually began to change me. It began to change me from the inside out. There’s a Christian song about this, and it certainly did apply to me. I was starting to “lose myself,” and “my heart and my soul, I give you control, consume from the inside out.” Yes, I gave God control. I relinquished my free will and surrendered to Him – everything!

Did I need someone else to teach me about God? Sure, the preachers and the teachers -- they all helped. However, God was becoming the most important leader, my best preacher, and my best teacher in the whole wide world. He tells us in His Word:

“…You have received the Holy Spirit, and He lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what He teaches is true. It is not a lie. So just as He has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.” (1 John 2:27 – NLT)

When I gave God my heart, He gave me His Holy Spirit. As I began to read God’s Book (the Bible), the Word came alive in me and my life. Things were beginning to make real sense. There were no more contradictions. There was no more confusion. Everything was different this time, and I realized that this time, God was giving me roots, and they were growing deep underground like a plant.

There was more and more clarity with every day that passed. I felt as though it was just me and God at times, and only for His good. As I was drawing closer to God in fellowship, I was living in obedience, and I was changing.

Giving up an old habit that was slowly killing me was one of the first hard things to surrender. The battle was cigarettes. I’d tried before, but I had always desired them back into my life. This time was going to be different. The only way it was going to happen, I realized, was by allowing God to take over, and He did. I had to suffer through it, but I learned:

“Even though Jesus [is] God’s Son, He learned obedience from the things He suffered.” (Hebrews 5:8 – NLT)

I could have never done this on my own. God completely took away the desire for me to smoke those nasty cigarettes, and He can do it for you, too, no matter what your addiction is in this life! If you let God take over, everything is possible.

“For I can do everything through Christ, who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

There was a small group of people from the church who were praying for me, similar to those described in the Bible:

“So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.” (Colossians 1:9)

God was doing just that – giving me more and more of a complete knowledge of His will, spiritual wisdom, and understanding of His Word. This was coming directly from God. Not to say that I didn’t hear from preachers and teachers, too, but God’s love was coming directly through from His Word – The Bible!

“The Sinner’s Prayer” – it finally "took" hold, when it truly came from the heart!

Try it! Give your heart to God, if you haven’t already. Then read His Word and receive His love, and learn to fellowship with your Creator. When you allow Him, He will change you, too, and then everything will be different! It will be good! As you read His Word and meditate on Him and His laws day and night, I hope and pray for you, whoever you are reading this blog, just like the small group that was praying for me!

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

God’s Word for Today: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His [God’s] law he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1:1-2 – KJV)

^{Copyright © 2011 by Patricia Shehan}

The B.I.B.L.E.

When I was young, the Bible just sat on the buffet table collecting dust! Once I peaked at the end of the book to see what happens. It scared me! One thing I read was that a loaf of bread would someday cost a whole day’s pay of work. It didn’t make sense! So, I asked my mom how it could be? It seemed impossible! She didn’t know the answer.

Today is July 19, 2011, and bread now costs at least $2 and as much as $5 a loaf. Most of the world’s economies are in major debt, job cuts and unemployment are skyrocketing, and fear is gripping many people.

Now I could finally understand what the Bible was talking about. Although we’re not to the end yet, as described in the book of Revelation, I could now see how this would happen in the near future. I can even see it being possible in my future!

Each time I picked up a Bible later in my life, I just couldn’t seem to get very far in my reading. Why? Distractions, boredom, lack of understanding, confusion from perceived contradictions, and difficulty reading the language; these were just a few of the reasons why I always quickly stopped reading the Bible.

I was considered to be a “fool” at that time of my life, even according to the Bible! But, I just didn’t know it yet! I didn’t understand the truth. I didn’t realize that I was living in opposition to my creator, God – the one I prayed to in my times of need!

As a sinner, I needed to be restored. The restoration that I needed was a relationship with my Heavenly Father, God. I was lost to the original sin of Adam and Eve. OK, so you may not believe the story of Adam and Eve, and the Garden of Eden, which most Americans have heard about, but let me tell you, it’s true! They had a relationship with God in the beginning, but their disobedience was a sin, and they became separated from Him.

We need a relationship with God more than any other relationship in our life. It's all true — everything about God and the stories in the Bible.

When I was in my late 20s, I began to read the Bible because I had been invited to a Bible study that I attended for a short time, but it didn’t "stick." The cares of the world and the weeds or thorns choked out any life of the Word. Please see Matthew 13:18-23, which describes the parable of the sower, and also look up Luke, Chapter 8, and read about how the enemy tries to stop us from reading and gaining understanding from the Word of God, that is, the Bible.

A lot happened to me between my 20s and the day I turned 40, when I began to have more interest in the reading the Bible. My deeper interest in God still didn’t “stick,” but there was more going on inside of me. I was beginning to say the “sinner’s pray,” but it was still coming from my mind and not from my heart. If this doesn’t make sense to you yet, it will. Just keep reading this blog.

Eventually I started going to this new church because I found that I was free from the church of my youth, pending the divorce. I say free, because I was no longer bound by my marriage to go to a certain church, as I used to be.

I decided to go to a nondenominational Christian church. I had seen all the people driving in there when I was still attending the Catholic church. I wondered why so many people went there. The first day I attended this church, I ended up realizing that I was sitting right behind my roofer, who had helped me after the hurricane! This was right after my marriage was ending. I was in bad shape! He had his “small group” praying for me. At that time, I didn’t even know what that was… and later I found out it was a Bible study group! I really needed those prayers. God was hearing them, and He was beginning to guide me closer toward Himself.

One day, I heard this saying: Each of the letters pronounced in the word B.I.B.L.E. stand for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. I have found this to be so true and wonderful. There is a manual for life! It’s the Bible! It’s the Word of God. Read it! You’ll learn how to live this life the right way: God’s way! It will bring you the promise of eternal life. I wouldn’t ever want to live without it again.

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

 

God’s Word for Today: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction [italics: my emphasis].” (Proverbs 1:7 – KJV)

^{Copyright © 2011 by Patricia Shehan}
 

    Tru Beauty Photography^©

As a side note, if you don't recognize this picture, it was taken by my daughter awhile ago, and she posted it on FB. The picture fit this blog entry today so perfectly, so I asked her if I could use it. My beautiful daughter is Bethany Autenrieb, and she aspires to start a photography business named Tru Beauty Photography.^©

Are You a Christian?

Are you a Christian? How do you answer this question? I used to say: "Yes, I'm Catholic." However, I am no longer a Catholic. I am a Christian. This is not said to offend you. This is simply the truth of my life. I have decided to start this blog to tell you my story. This is one avenue I can use to explain why I'm writing this blog entitled, "God's Word for Today."

I always believed in God. This is why I assumed I was a Christian. I believed I had the faith in God. I was "in" the "flock of the faith."

I also believed God would help me when I was in trouble. Yet, I always felt a sense of guilt because I would truly only call on God when I was in trouble or when I just felt that I was at my wits end! Why was I only seeking God at those times? Because it's basically what I was taught to do.

However, the Bible tells us that even the demons believe in God. The Bible states: "You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror." (James 2:19 -- NLT)

So, if even the demons believe in God and they tremble in terror (or total fear), then the faith of my belief was not enough! Merely believing in God was not going to save me from eternal hell. No wonder why I never felt a confidence that I was going to Heaven. I wanted to believe that I was going there, but I had no real evidence that I would end up there. I thought I merely had to believe in God.

So, when I hit rock bottom (and for me it was when my marriage was ending because my ex-husband chose to leave, which broke up the family), I sought the help I always did as I prayed to God. (By the way, no blame in mentioning why I hit rock bottom; it's only a short explanation of what occurred to bring me back to God). Yet, here I was again, only seeking God in desperation!

This was only the beginning of my journey to my answer to this question: "Are you a Christian?"

I hope you'll keep reading my blog and post your comments. I pray this will help you in your journey, whether you are a Christian or not yet!

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

God's Word for Today: "We love him, because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19 -- KJV)

In Christ,
Patty Shehan
"Pattyspoint"

^{Copyright © 2011 by Patricia Shehan}