Joy and Strength (Christian life and music)

"It's too late," you may think. But we are not to think as the lost think.  Because when you belong to God, are obedient to Him and want nothing but His will, it is never too late. At Calvary, the disciples thought it was too late to build an earthly kingdom without their Royal Leader, Jesus. It all ended not as they had imagined it would.  Their Teacher, their Rabbi, their Lord, the Son of God, hung on a cross and with Him, all of their limited hopes and dreams. The disciples, though discipled by the greatest of all, still didn't get God's purpose in sending His only Son to die for their sins and the sins of the world. He told them over and over how His Kingdom was not of this world.  He told them that the Kingdom of God would now be within themselves, in their hearts. So you see, it was their short-sighted "plans" that were too late to accomplish.  But God's plan was just beginning!   It was too late for their miniscule plans, but not too late for

God cannot look at sin. God is a holy God.  God is a Righteous God. Humans are neither holy nor righteous on their own (understatement). But when we are born again into Christ, something miraculous takes place.  The holiness and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ are imputed into us. "Imputed righteousness is a concept in Christian theology proposing that the "righteousness of Christ ... is imputed to [believers] — that is, treated as if it were theirs through faith." It is on the basis of Jesus' righteousness that God accepts humans. This acceptance is also referred to as justification." Wikipedia There you have it.  So apart from Christ, you are dead in your sins.  There is no real hope apart from a relationship with Christ. As the world experiences more and more devastations, whatever anyone has put their hope in will surely vanish, no longer be there for them.  Many things we thought could "never" happen are happening right now.  Banks closing,

I know this sounds nuts.  How can suffering bring us joy?  I mean, we suffer when we suffer, right? Not as Christians. God even redeems our suffering, so great is His reach. The Bible tells us over and over, in various Scriptures, to rejoice in our suffering and trials.  Why?  Because it brings about character and hope in us, lasting spiritual fruit and maturity. And character and hope bring us the good stuff - the joy that does not disappoint. Some of the most precious times I have felt the Lord's Presence the most were in times of suffering.  Remember, He is near to the brokenhearted, to bind up their wounds. He is near to us in our weaknesses. He comforts us in our sorrows. It's not like we need to seek out pain and suffering!  The Lord knows the perfect dosage of suffering to mete out to each of us to bring us into His joy more deeply, awareness of His Presence, so that we grow into His likeness.  Too little, and we get "flabby" and lazy in our growth.  Too much,

I have struggled a very long time with my experiences with some Christians.  I could not figure out how they could claim to know God, some of them for decades, and still have such hatred, bitterness, and anger in their hearts. I could not figure out how they could treat others so unkindly, with no real love or compassion; hold onto grudges and such. Maybe you have met those kinds of Christians and they have turned you off to God and Jesus. I am here to say that I get you.  I totally understand where you are coming from.  And I am not going to make excuses for those people who harmed you, harmed me. But I heard a message online today from some very Spirit-filled Christian ladies and a light bulb went off in my mind.   I figured out why some Christians are not loving like the Jesus they claim to know and love. They have not let Jesus love them. They have not let Jesus fully into the broken places of their hearts. They have not let Jesus minister to them at a deep level to cleanse them an

God saves us in order to transform us into His image.  His main work is done in  us.  Without the inner transformation, outer works can still be done, but the same types of outer works can be done by non-Christians, too.   Visiting the sick in the hospital, taking meals to the homebound, even singing in the church choir can all be done without the Spirit of Christ in us. What is to make us different, as aliens in this world, is the heart work that God does in our hearts. The strongholds that Satan tries to establish are after our hearts.  If he can get to our emotions through sin, then Christ's life cannot live fully in our hearts.  Satan wants us to glorify and live by our emotions instead of relying on the power of God in us. When Jesus reigns in our hearts, we become more sensitive to Him, His Spirit, His will, His voice so that we can do His  works in the world, not just generic "good works." We forgive others quickly out of His life in us. We do not gossip because it