What is Sin?

I'm not much of a fan of Rap yet every once in a while I come across a track or two that blows my mind. What made this one catch my attention was the intro which really is spoken word. The speaker is John Piper, the Album,  Atrributes of God by Shai Linne. This is why it caught my attention:

What is Sin?

The Glory of God not Honoured

The Holiness of God not Reverenced

The Greatness of God not Admired

The Power of God not Praised

The Truth of God not Sought

The Wisdom of God not Esteemed

The Beauty of God not Treasured

The Goodness of God not Savoured

The Faithfulness of God not Trusted

The Commandments of God not Obeyed

The Justice of God not Respected

The Wrath of God not Feared

The Grace of God not Cherished 

The Presence of God not Prized

The Person of God not Loved

THAT is Sin.
(Track No. 8 Attributes of God, Shai Linne)

Powerful stuff right? Need I say more. Each of those lines can be a sermon all by itself. But really, THAT is sin. We don't trust God's provision, we don't reverence his holiness, we don't recognise his greatness, we attribute his glorious work to "the universe", we don't respect his wisdom, we don't remember that he is faithful, we disrespect his justice and when we feel his wrath, we curse him. That ladies and gentlemen is sin. It goes beyond stealing something that isn't ours or murdering another human being. It is disrespecting a God who is powerful enough to crush us at any moment yet, he chooses to show us grace over and over again.

I long for the day when we all can recognise the error of our ways...sadly, not every one will.

Joana James - Author of Nightmare at Emerald High & Alana and Alyssa's Secret

Getting Personal

Getting Personal

By Karen Baney

“Don’t take it so personal.”

Have you ever had those words said about you?  I have.

For the most part, I do a pretty good job of not letting things bother me.  But, there are certain situations where I know I’m prone to taking things personally.

After spending the better part of nine months working on a big project at my day job, everything came crashing down.  We were days away from launching a new website that I built.  There was a problem found during testing that had the potential of shutting everything down.

I was crushed because I had worked so hard at making sure I did the best I could to build a quality product.  The worst part was that now every aspect of the work I had done was evaluated and criticized.

Can you see the problem already?  I built.  I did.  I worked hard.  Yeah, I have a tendency to take great ownership (or pride) in the work I do.  I want it to be perfect every time.

Well, as we rolled into the second week of intense scrutiny, I thought I was going to lose my mind.  I couldn’t find anything else wrong.  I tried everything.  Nothing fixed the problem.  Talk of pulling the plug on the project surfaced.

I cried out to God to give me wisdom—then give the team wisdom.  I asked Him to help us find the problem.  I asked him to help me not take it so personally.  I know this is one of my greatest weaknesses.  In my head, I know that I shouldn’t take it personally.  I’ve spent 15 years trying to learn how to not do this, but never succeeding.

Then, in my morning devotion, this is what I read:

My salvation and honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.  Psalm 62:7

The word “honor” jumped out at me.  It finally clicked.  Taking things personally (pride) had more to do with me worrying about what others would think of me.  “Look at Karen.  She failed.”  I thought my honor and reputation at work was destroyed.

Then I began to see the lesson God had for me.  My salvation and honor depend on Him—not my boss, not my boss’s boss, not my customer, not my co-workers, not even the success of the project.  No.  My honor depends solely and squarely on God.

Many days followed before our team figured out where the problem was.  But, it didn’t matter because I finally understood that in order for me to not take things so personally, I had to remember that my salvation and honor depend on God.

What about you?  Is this an area where you struggle?  Do friends and family tell you not to take it so personally?  If so, perhaps this prayer is for you:

Lord Jesus, please help me learn in my heart that my salvation and honor depend fully on you and you alone.  Help me to stop worrying about what others think and to only care what you think.  Amen.

For a limited time only, pick up a free copy of A Heart Renewed (Prescott Pioneers #2) by Karen Baney.

Karen Baney writes Christian historical and contemporary romance novels.  When she’s not busy writing, she enjoys traveling the state of Arizona with her husband, exploring museums and the picturesque landscapes the state has to offer.  Her faith plays an important role both in her life and in her writing.  Karen and her husband make their home in Gilbert, Arizona, with their two dogs.

Visit Karen at her website:  http://www.karenbaney.com or on Facebook or Twitter.  Visit her special blog for authors at http://www.everythingauthor.com. 

A Test of Faith

Yesterday was an incredibly difficult day for me, for reasons that I cannot yet disclose. However, my faith is being testing...and I was scared to death that I may fail this one. Until, I sat back and reminisced and realised that God was showing me, through a series of little things that he's still there and he still cares.

It is easy to tell others to have faith in difficult circumstances. It is easy to have faith yourself, in your own small circumstances. But it is when the major things happen, the things that seem to make no sense, you realise that having faith is an expression of faith itself.

Several times people ask, "If there is a God, then why are children suffering all over the world?" Or we may take it home, we may lose a loved one and be angry at God. We may say "God, my mother was faithful to you her whole life, why did she have to suffer like that in the end?" I've known several people who've lost faith that way, and before it happens to you, you simply think...."How sad."

But today, I understand how easy it is to lose faith....and I'm determined not to lose mine. Two of my favourite verses of Scriptures of all time come from the book of Jeremiah:

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. 

“They are plans for good and not for disaster, 

to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:1(NLT)

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. 

Before you were born I set you apart and 

appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5 (NLT)

These are very significant verses for me, because for a long time, I questioned my worth and I felt like there was no path laid out for me. I didn't think I was any good at any thing. But years later, I've found my worth and these verses take on new meaning for me. Now I know, that in spite of my circumstances, God is in control. His plans are plans for good and not for disaster. Even though my current situation may feel disastrous, I know that my God has plans to give me a future and a hope. And when my God sets out our future....it's always awesome.

So, as I walk through this turbulent time....I'm going to take my own advice and keep on trusting God.  I take comfort in Romans 8:28 (NLT)

And we know that God causes everything to 

work together for the good of those who 

love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Maybe a tad cliché...but incredibly true!

Joana James - Author of Nightmare at Emerald High & Alana and Alyssa's Secret

Freedom!

I'm pretty young, yet I've been through so much it might be unbelievable to some. All my stories could fill a book, and maybe one day, I'll be healed enough to write that book, but for now, I'll stick to fiction.

Every time I went through something especially tough, I thought "There's no way I'll be free from all this pain!" Several nights I cried myself to sleep thinking, "God it hurts so bad, will it ever stop?" Several times I thought I would literally lose my mind. Other times, I thought I'd never be able to walk with my head up again. I felt crushed and even sank into depression. My friends never knew what was going on in my head. I held my pain deep within and told no one. I'd plaster a smile on my face and say that I was fine. I went about life, singing and dancing in church, serving on committees and offering a shoulder to lean on for other young ladies who faced situations similar to mine. But for all these years I was broken. It seemed that the minute I was healed from one thing, something else would surface. Over and over, the cycle continued. At one point I just wanted to die, but, I'd never take my own life, so instead, in desperation I asked God to free me or kill me.

I look back at all these situations years later and I realise that my prayers were answered. God had greater plans for me than I could see, so he didn't kill me. Instead, he freed me. And, as an added bonus, he made me stronger. All those situations in my life were my testing ground and I came through alive. I have the battle scars from my wounds, but I'm no worse for the wear. Last year, I went through something that would have broken me had I gone through it five years ago. It would probably have taken me years to get over it, but here I am, one year later and it's just a fading memory. My trials made me stronger and I'm free.

True freedom does not mean that you will never face another challenge, it means that the next time you do face a challenge, you will be able to handle it. It means that instead of piling up hurt and pain, you'll be able to overcome and move on. It means that the next time somebody hurts you, you'll truly be able to forgive. It means that even though you are in pain, you will see sun behind the clouds and still be able to move on. It means that you can lift your hands and worship without the past staring you in the face.

And how do you attain true freedom? The bible says in 2 Corinthians 3:17 "Now the Lord is that Spirit; and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." Plain and simple, that's my answer. True freedom came when I allowed the Spirit of God to work in my life. Jesus said in Luke 4:18:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

 because he hath anointed me 

to preach the gospel to the poor; 

he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, 

to preach deliverance to the captives

 and recovering of sight to the blind,

 to set at liberty them that are bruised,"

I can't put it any plainer than that. A relationship with Christ brings freedom. It is what he came to earth to deliver to us. I can guarantee you that I'd never have made it through those difficult years without a relationship with God. My friends paid no attention to me, even when they knew I went through difficult stuff. That is part of the reason I hid my hurt. I figured "they don't care anyway, so what's the point?" But, I went daily to God, begging for relief and resting in his arms until I got it. Today, I can say I'm free from the hurt that crippled my mind for many years. Free from the pain and free to worship my God!

Joana James - Author of Nightmare at Emerald High & Alana and Alyssa's Secret

A Legacy of Love

A Legacy of Love

Psalm 119:28 (NIV)

My soul is weary with sorrow;
strengthen me according to your word.

I haven't seen either of them for a very long time; however, I often see their hands in my memory. Sometimes I remember the way my little-girl  hand disappeared into his large hand as we walked to the lady down the street who still had a working well in her yard. And hers – so little and yet they could reach across an octave when she played the piano with a passion that bordered on gusto.

The memory of their hands that means so much was never captured in a photo, although it remains vivid in my mind. Each of them had black leather-bound Bibles they read daily, and on some times they'd read for hours. He held the page he would be turning in his right hand. Over time, his fingertips wore pieces of the pages off. She would wet the tips of her pointer and middle finger to turn the onion-skin thin pages to find the passage she was looking for – usually with tenderness, but sometimes like an eager child opening a present from someone special.

My grandparents, Ed and Joy Johnson, loved their Bibles and even as a child with no spiritual understanding, I knew those big black books were their most valuable possessions.

I was walking into church one Sunday a few months ago. I'd been having an especially difficult time, and hadn't noticed I was literally clutching my Bible to my chest as I entered the building. The greeter said, "You love that Bible don't you?"

I looked at the large black book in my hands and said, "Yes. I do." As I waited for the service to begin, I turned to Psalm 27, her favorite passage, and smoothed the page out with my right hand – my own Bible reading ritual – knowing I was holding God's Word in my hands, loving the feel of the pages under my skin, and missing the two people who taught me its value – without ever saying a word.

Then, in the depths of my spirit, a smile formed and my lips gave it expression. My journey hadn't changed, but confidence in God and His Word grew. I released a silent prayer of thanksgiving for my grandparents left me this legacy of love for His Word.

Psalm 27:13 & 14

I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
¹⁴ Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

Written by Joy DeKok, author of Your life a Legacy

Joy started writing as a little girl. She carries a large purse so she can take her journal and an assortment of pens with her.

Joy lives on thirty-five acres of woods and field in Minnesota between Rochester and Pine Island. She’s been married to Jon for thirty-five years and they enjoy their many nieces and nephews. Their dogs, Sophie and Tucker, keep them company when they explore the land riding their John Deere Gator or while watching the many birds that visit their feeders.

She has seven books in print and is working on a novel series featuring main character, Olivia Morgan. Joy is also developing a writing group called, Write Yourself Strong, for hurting women.

Faith is a vital part of Joy’s life. When she was sixteen, Joy asked God to find her and He did.