MAY 2020 BE THE YEAR THAT GOD DRAWS YOU INTO HIS KINGDOM

12/31/2019

AS A NEW YEAR APPROACHES, IT IS ALWAYS A GOOD TIME TO REFLECT BACK ON THE YEAR WE HAVE JUST EXPERIENCED. OFTEN WE CAN USE THOSE EXPERIENCES TO CELEBRATE OUR BLESSINGS AND JOYS, ALONG WITH SETTING A PATH FOR CONTINUED STRIVING AND ALSO SETTING NEW GOALS. THERE ARE TWO VERY IMPORTANT THINGS FOR EVERY SINGLE PERSON TO FOCUS ON IN MY OPINION AS THEY PRIORITIZE THE YEAR AHEAD. NUMBER ONE IS, “ WHAT IS MY MAJOR FOCUS FOR THE YEAR AHEAD “, AND SECONDLY, “ HOW AM I GOING TO ACHIEVE THE THINGS I DESIRE. WHAT IS MY PLAN” ? THE THIRD AND OFTEN FORGOTTEN QUESTION IS “ DOES GOD HAVE A VOICE AND ROLE IN THESE TWO CRITICAL QUESTIONS” ? IT IS SO EASY TO THINK AS AN INDIVIDUAL AND FEEL LIKE WE CAN MAKE UNILATERAL DECISIONS ON OUR OWN. IT IS FOR SURE THE MANTRA THAT THE WORLD PUSHES, THE IDEA THAT INDIVIDUALISM IS THE MOST IMPORTANT GOAL ONE HAS, AND THAT WE INNATELY KNOW ALL BY OURSELVES WHAT IS BEST FOR US. IT IS A MANTRA THAT HAS GROWN FROM SOCIETAL CHANGES AND THE FALSE NARRATIVE THAT TRUTH AND FREEDOM COMES ONLY FROM OURSELVES RELYING ONLY ON OURSELVES. IT IS A NARRATIVE OF DISTRUST, LONELINESS, AND FAILURE. WE HAVE TO OPEN OUR HEARTS AND SEE WHO GOD SAYS WE ARE, AND WHO WE ARE MEANT TO BE.

SEE WHAT GREAT LOVE THE FATHER HAS LAVISHED ON US, THAT WE SHOULD BE CALLED THE CHILDREN OF GOD. 1 John 3:1

DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT YOU ARE A TEMPLE OF GOD AND THAT THE SPIRIT OF GOD DWELLS IN YOU ? ,,, OR 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 ? 1 Corinthians 3:16 6:19

GOD CREATED US TO BE IN RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. SATAN BROKE THAT RELATIONSHIP IN THE GARDEN, AND FOR A LONG TIME, MANKIND WAS STUCK IN THE CHAINS OF CONTINUAL BATTLE TO FIND TEMPORARY FORGIVENESS AND CLEANSING BY KEEPING THE LAW. THANKS BE TO GOD THE FATHER THAT HE CHANGED ALL THAT WITH THE GIFT OF JESUS, JESUS CAME AND GAVE HIS LIFE FOR OURS, DYING ON A CROSS WITH OUR SINS TAKEN ONTO HIM, AND TRULY FREEING US FROM DEATH THROUGH HIS RESURRECTION TO THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD THE FATHER IN HEAVEN. THAT MY FRIENDS IS TRUE FREEDOM ! FREEDOM IS ABOUT RELATIONSHIP. FREEDOM IS ABOUT FELLOWSHIP AND COMMUNITY IN GOD’S KINGDOM WITH GOD’S PEOPLE. IF JESUS IS NOT YOUR GUIDE, YOUR FRIEND, YOUR LORD, YOUR VINE, YOUR COUNSELOR THEN YOU ARE AN ISLAND. ALL ALONE, BY YOURSELF, TRAPPED. BOUND IN THE EMPTY PROMISE OF THE WORLD THAT EVERYTHING IS ALL ABOUT YOU AND YOUR ABILITY TO BE YOUR OWN GOD. SOME PEOPLE CAN FIND TEMPORARY HAPPINESS ON THIS PATH, BUT THEY WILL NEVER FIND THE ONE THING THAT GOD DESIRES FOR US THE MOST…..JOY ! JOY COMES WHEN YOU REALIZE THERE IS MORE TO LIFE THAN JUST YOURSELF AND YOUR HAPPINESS. JOY COMES WHEN YOU JOIN GOD’S KINGDOM, WORSHIP WITH OTHERS, AND FIND OUT HELPING OTHERS AND SHOWING THEM GOD’S LOVE AND CHARACTER, AND LIFE IN HIM IS OH SO MUCH MORE.

SEVERAL YEARS AGO, MY FOCUS CHANGED AND I BEGAN TO PURSUE GOD. I BEGAN TO SEEK HIS KINGDOM, AND TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS. I BEGAN TO FELLOWSHIP WITH LIKE MINDED PEOPLE WHO ARE HUNGRY TO BE IN A DEEPER RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. I BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND REPENTANCE, AND CHANGE, AND I BEGAN THE PROCESS OF TURNING AWAY FROM THINGS GOD WASN’T ABOUT. MY DESIRES BEGAN TO CHANGE. MY PURPOSE BECAME KINDOM FOCUSED, AND MY PLANS BEGAN TO COME FROM GOD’S WILL AND DESIRES FOR ME……AND HERE I AM :) WRITING A BLOG FOR THE LAST YEAR. USING MY GIFTS AND LEARNING. NOT PERFECT, BUT GETTING BETTER ! MOST OF ALL, SHARING MY LOVE FOR GOD WITH ALL OF YOU ! HOPING THAT YOU WILLFIND WHAT I HAVE FOUND….JOY. JOY IN WHO I AM AS A CITIZEN OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

IN HIM, ALSO WE HAVE OBTAINED AN INHERITANCE, HAVING BEEN PREDESTINED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE WHO WORKS ALL THINGS AFTER THE COUNSEL OF HIS WILL Ephesians 1: 10-11

MAY 2020 BE THE YEAR THAT YOU DEDICATE YOUR LIFE TO JESUS, ACCEPT HIM AS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR. IF YOU DO, YOUR OLD LIFE IS OVER. YOU DON’T HAVE TO STRUGGLE ALL ALONE. YOU WILL FIND PEACE AND HOPE, FELLOWSHIP, AND THE JOY OF BELONGING TO AND LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD ! NOT JUST A HAPPY NEW YEAR. A JOYFUL NEW YEAR, FULL OF PROMISE AND FULL OF GOD;S LOVE AND LIGHT.

THANKS FOR READING MY BLOG :) I HOPE IT HAS GIVEN YOU SOME INSIGHT AND A PICTURE OF JESUS AND HIS KINGDOM. I HOPE IT LETS YOU KNOW HOW MUCH GOD LOVES YOU ! LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR AND SHARING MORE. PRAISE GOD AND TO HIM BE ALL THE GLORY/JA