SOCIAL DISTANCING... a time to come SPIRITUALLY CLOSER to GOD!

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SOCIAL DISTANCING... such strange words in a difficult and different time... since the last time I wrote in February... who knew that all this would happen between then and today...

My last blogpost was 'Are you ALL IN or are you IN AT ALL??' With SOCIAL DISTANCING, we may not be doing the 'norm', or we may feel that we aren't in it at all...  but for many of our essential workers, they are giving their all... thank you to ALL essential workers, but especially our healthcare workers.  The rest of us who are quarantined at home, only to go out for the essential and we have been given the gift of TIME! How are YOU using this TIME?? 

Some of us yes, still have to work from home, or do our schoolwork... but think of your EXTRA time... How are YOU using your extra time? 

Are you...

* Spending time with family (in your home, on the phone, or on social media); 

* Staying connected with extended family, church family and friends on social media (or e-mail, snail mail or porch drops, etc...) 

* Staying busy focusing on some hobbies (crafts, reading, puzzles, video games, cooking/baking, etc);

* Relaxing and watching TV or NETFLIX or MOVIES (either alone or with family)

* Doing nothing much... trying to keep from going crazy, and being depressed.

* Staying busy and catching up on chores & sanitizing your home (laundry, dishes, vacuuming, cleaning, grocery shopping, etc.);

* Cleaning, organizing, purging your home;

* And more... 

SOCIAL DISTANCING requires us to spend time away from those who do not live in our household. We need to stay at least 2-6 feet away from others if we go out of our home. BUT, social distancing doesn't include GOD. NOW is the TIME to get CLOSER to God. ONE STEP in any direction takes us into the arms of GOD. Even IF you are NOT a believer... He is HERE with YOU! You just need to TAKE a U-TURN and come to Him. He hasn't moved away... it's only us who move away. NOW is the TIME to take time out for GOD.  Social Distancing brings Spiritual Awakening...

We may have to stay apart from each other, but NOW is the time to grow CLOSER with God! However you want to do that... however you want to START... DO IT! It could be as simple as listening to WORSHIP music... listening to ONLINE services (yes there are MANY out there on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram - my church Faith Tabernacle London's YouTube channel is found here and our FACEBOOK is here)... BUT the most important is spending TIME in HIS WORD (The BIBLE) and PRAYING to Him. PRAYER is the way you can communicate with GOD, and THE BIBLE is His way of communicating with you along with PRAYER. His WORD is what will stand true in these difficult times! There are THANKFULLY online Bibles if you don't have a physical hard copy at your home. (BibleGateway.com online or the YouVersion APP are my fav's)

GET CLOSE TO GOD! Draw near to God and He will draw near to you! 

"Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty, is divided between God and the world." James 4:8 NLT 

"For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God." Hebrews 7:19 

"You are only as close to God as you want to be."

So on this GOOD FRIDAY, celebrate the GOOD... that Jesus came to DIE FOR YOU AND YOUR SINS... God had a PLAN to RESCUE and SAVE us.  Jesus only had to die ONCE for ALL! Continuing in Hebrews 7 v24-28 "But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honour in heaven.[f] Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins. The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever." 

MAKE SURE YOU AREN'T SOCIAL DISTANCING FROM JESUS, OUR HIGH PRIEST!

Remember, inviting JESUS in is as easy as ABCD...

A - ADMIT you are a sinner (we all are - only JESUS was perfect! See Romans 3:23)

B - BELIEVE that JESUS died for YOU (His death paid for our sin! See Romans 6:23)

C - CONFESS that SIN and REPENT (and CONFESS that you want JESUS to be the LORD of your LIFE and YOU will be SAVED. See Romans 10:9&10)

D - DECLARE you are a CHILD OF GOD (See John 1:12)

Now, as I have said before, being a CHILD OF GOD doesn't make your life perfect, nor does it take away all your STORMS, but now you KNOW for sure that GOD is WITH you in your STORMS and can SAVE and PROTECT you!

Be blessed in this TIME! Be Blessed to Be a Blessing!

Are You Giving your All... or Are You Giving at All?

This is a great topic to start off with, seeing as my last post was March 2018. I could give excuses and reasons why I have not been on here, and there have been many times where I started to come on to post, and I didn't... Am I giving my all, or am I giving at all? On this blog, clearly not... in life, I would hope I am giving a lot, but yes again, clearly not all... which isn't enough. God has challenged me to share and encourage others in the truth of His Word, so I will be more frequent in these postings (I hope)!

I have also been challenged these past couple weeks listening to sermons and messages that God was speaking to me and through me. I am a teacher through and through... but this also means I am a learner too! As of March 2018, I have enrolled in a Bible College and I am working towards an Associates Degree, and then a Bachelor of Theology. I have started putting the #lifelonglearner on posts I have made. I enjoy the Word and learning more about the truths found within it. I have been a "Christian" or Christ-follower for 4 decades... that is so crazy (in a good way) to me! But each time I read, or hear, or teach a Bible truth or account, God reveals Himself to me in a whole new way! I know for NEW BELIEVERS hearing the truth of God and the miracles found in His Word and the reality of salvation and Holy Spirit, etc is exciting, scary and motivating all in one. The fire and zeal of a New Believer are unbelievable and seemingly unquenchable. We as believers (especially those 20+. 30+, 40+ or even 50+ years) can become complacent or comfortable. We have gifts inside of us that are still unopened, or maybe the wrapping was taken off, but they are still unused. Some we may have opened at one time, and maybe even tested them out, or used them once or twice, but we have gifts inside of us that haven't been used to their fullest capacity. 

This week we were challenged by a Pastor who is the Youth Director of the PAOC (now I was a part of the PAOC for many years, and I came to experience the real God and Holy Spirit in a PAOC church and PAOC ministry events). Pastor Wayne Giroux spoke to the PAOC (& other denomination) Jr Youth, Sr Youth, Pastors, Leaders and Parents (& friends) at a Youth Rally. He spoke on "WHAT IF", and used the Bible account of the "Feeding of the 5000+". Now as I said above, I have been in the church and heard Bible accounts, and even taught Bible accounts many many times. Each time is somewhat similar but differs according to the speaker, the theme, the lesson, the audience/congregation/group being spoken to. The Feeding of the 5000 is an account of one of the miracles of Jesus, where Jesus doesn't just call down the answer from Heaven, but He uses His disciples. He has them do the "dirty work" and search and seek out what is needed, and then He blesses it, and God does the miracle through them and their obedience and their faith. When hearing the story for the first time, you could be like 'ya right, I am so sure that only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish could feed that many people. Ya sure, like everyone got a teeny piece of bread and fish'... but the Bible says "They all ate as much as they wanted..." (Mark 6:42 NLT) and another translation says "So they all ate and were filled." (NKJV). (and there were 12 baskets of leftovers for each of the disciples). So most people think this was a miracle about food. In Sunday School or Junior church, you get crackers and goldfish... or something along those lines and the teacher tells the story (as I have done so many times) and shares the truth of the miracle of being broken and given out. In some translations, it just says the disciples brought back 5 loaves and 2 fish. In other translations, it says that a little boy gave his lunch. So then you sometimes teach or hear about being prepared. That boy's Mama was a part of the miracle that day as well, as she sent her boy with lunch to help him through the day, and he gave his lunch and was blessed by the miracle as well through his obedience. BUT... in all my years of reading, hearing or teaching this Bible account, I have never heard the revelation of 'what about the others'. Pastor Wayne shared with us the reality that others were there WITH food... but they didn't give it to the disciples when they went around asking for it. After the miracle was performed (for lack of a better word), how many people looked into their satchels and saw the loaf or the fish or whatever food they had hiding in there and realized what just happened. How many of them thought, "What if"... "What if I gave all I had?" 

God is asking the same from us. What are we holding back from God? We all have unopened or unused gifts...  Pastor Wayne challenged the youth (and us as Leaders), WHAT IF... we stopped holding back from God? WHAT IF... we stopped worrying about what could go wrong and focused on what God could do right? Inside you may be the answer to cancer, or something not as huge, but if you keep it inside instead of giving it to the world, what good is it? What good is God's Word of truth if you don't open it or read it?

I am reminded of a song from my youth, "What if I Give All" by Ray Boltz... (don't mind the 1980 style video, read and listen to the lyrics). The video is about giving monetary items... but it is the same meaning. The account of the feeding of the 5000 is in the song too.  (This song opens in a new window, so you can listen and then return to read the rest.) 

While I was searching YOUTUBE for that song, I found another song that I have never heard before from Casting Crowns called "What If I Give Everything"... WOW! The words are amazing... may you be blessed as you listen to these 2 songs! Maybe you can sing along with the lyrics of this second song... "Why am I still standing here. Why am I still holding back from You? I hear You call me out into deeper waters, but I settle on the shallow end. Why am I still standing here?"

I am even singing these words with you, as I have unopened/unused/gently used talents and gifts inside as well (but I am ENDEAVOURING to use more this year). I am hopefully not in the shallow end, but definitely not as deep as I could go. Remove the fear, remove the doubt, stop listening to the lies of the enemy, stop listening to the dead giants around you, listen to the voice of the Father, and step into the deeper waters with Him. Just like the promise He made to Joshua, He makes the same one to YOU (to us)... "No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you." (Joshua 1:5 NLT)

Are YOU Giving Your ALL... or are YOU even giving AT ALL? Look in your pockets or your 'satchel'... what is there that you can GIVE? Make sure you are giving something... but most importantly make sure you have a relationship with this God that I am talking about. Make sure you experience Him for yourself. WHERE ARE YOU STANDING? You cannot get saved from just my salvation story. YOU have to know Him, feel Him, see Him, hear Him & experience Him for yourself. Are YOU swimming with me in SOMEWHAT DEEP water? Are YOU drowning? Are YOU standing in the shallow end... or are you just standing on the sand... or have you even made it to the "beach"? Take this time to STAND with God, wherever you are in your walk! He will help you go deeper. He will challenge you and take you to new heights and depths in Him. So as God also told Joshua, BE OF GOOD COURAGE! 

#BeBlessed2BeABlessing

Finishing well... How well do you play, if you already know you win in the end?

How well do you play if you already know you win in the end?

This sentence has struck a chord in my heart and spirit for a while... it has been heightened recently in light of the Winter Olympics that was just held.

How far would you go to win? The country of RUSSIA was disqualified from entering into the Olympics this year... how disheartening and embarrassing, and hurtful is that? To know your entire country has no bearing or representation at the World Olympics. However, some athletes were given mercy and allowed to participate in the Olympics, yet under the name of Olympic Athletes of Russia (or OAR)... yet, they still had athletes participate who were found to be using illegal drugs to enhance their performance... the reason that their entire country had been previously disqualified. They wanted to win, and they wanted to win dishonestly...

Not all OAR competed with enhancement drugs, but to know those athletes are representing YOU and what you stand for, I would ensure that they do NOT participate in those illegal things as we had been given another chance to make it right. This is disheartening for me and I am not even Russian. Canada had it's own embarrassment as one of our athletes acted inappropriately and didn't represent us to the best of his ability.

Canada competed in their BEST Olympic games ever... we received more medals this year, than any other games. Now, would Canada have played/competed any different had they known on the first day of the Olympics that they were going to come third place in the end? Would Norway have played/competed any differently had they know that they were going to be the country on top?

Would you play or compete differently in a game or sport if you knew before the game started that you will be the winner in the end??

Too many people often play or compete differently knowing that God wins in the end... they say "we can live our lives the way we want, and call on God in the end, we will be winners anyway." But what would happen if they truly went out in full force to compete and play and participate in everything fully and to the best of their ability, even if they knew they would win in the end anyway?
Not everyone has that chance to call on God in the end... sometimes it's too late, and you had the right intentions to call on God and believe. What then? Will you still 'win'?

As a Christian, we know the Word tells us that we win in the end. That does not give us the right to play hap-heartedly, or not play to the fullest of our ability.

This is a thought that I will continue to research and speak with Pastors and other leaders to see what they think and say...

I am excited for it to be a part of a lesson for the Junior Youth sometime too.

Be blessed.