Yes, I'm Saved!

And I have my own Bible and go to church.

What's next?

There are choices to be made.

You are either saved or you aren't.  If you made the choice to confess your sins and accept God's gift of eternal salvation bought with the blood of His son, Jesus, you are saved.  

(Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.)

You are either serving Him or you aren't.  You made the choice to...what?

Serve as a Sunday School teacher, deacon, bible study leader, usher, greeter, secretary, bus driver, youth leader, VBS teacher, program coordinator, pastor, music leader, musician, janitor, repair person, soundboard operator, kitchen staff, visitor of the homebound, sender of the cards, prayer chain coordinator, ladies' or men's meeting leader, prayer warrior, person who welcomes visitors with a sincere smile and kind words, choir member, or (fill in the blank because I'm sure I didn't list all of the possible ways to serve in your church).  

And that is great. 

You probably remember the day you asked Jesus to live in your heart and you probably remember the day you were baptized as milestones in your faith.  You may also remember when you were backslidden and when you rededicated your life to Christ because well...without Him you were on the way to Hell and that is no place to spend eternity.  

But do you remember when you chose to serve Him?  Do you remember the day you were asked to perform a certain duty or fulfill a particular role within the church body?  Do you remember how excited you were while you also doubted your worthiness to such a calling?  Are you remembering the first time or the next?  Or the one after that?  Are you realizing that you cannot even count the number of times you have felt that same tug at your heart to go forth and serve God in a capacity that you desired (and even prayed for!) but at the same time feared?  

Just long enough to remind yourself that fear is not from God.

Your testimony of serving Christ should continually need editing. 

In a song called "The Stand", Hillsong sings these words:

"So what could I say?
And what could I do?
But offer this heart, O God
Completely to You"

Completely.

In Luke chapter 10, Jesus emphasizes the importance of loving God with all that you have.

"25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?

27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live."

Not after we serve ourselves, but first.

Matthew 6:33 "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

So what does this look like in REAL LIFE?  Real life is 24 hours a day, seven days a week, not just the time we spend when we step through the portal of the place called "church".  

We call those beautiful buildings churches, but the REAL church is US.  WE are the church and WE are the CHURCH BODY.  

Where ever we go, in our real lives, in every minute of every day, that is church.  

"So what could I say?
And what could I do?
But offer this heart, O God
Completely to You"

Because He DIED for us.  A bloody, gruesome, torturous death so that we MIGHT be saved.  

Because He gave his BEST so that even at our worst, we still have HOPE in Him.  

He sent His only son as a newborn baby to DIE for our unworthy, wretched, and sinful selves.

"So what could I say?
And what could I do?
But offer this heart, O God
Completely to You"

COMPLETELY.

Now what does that look like in real life?  In your life?  In your service to Him?  You are the only person with you every minute of every day so you and God are the only ones who know.  

And what God knows about you is all that matters.

"So I'll stand, with arms high and heart abandoned

In awe of the One who gave it all


So I'll stand, my soul, Lord, to You surrendered


All I am is Yours" ~ Hillsong


Completely His.  I am nothing and have nothing without Him.  <3

To God Be the Glory

Our final document arrived on Tuesday!!  It has been apostilled and is on its way to EE!!  Praise the Lord!!  

1 John 5:

14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

We have seen God answer prayers so faithfully and pour out blessings so generously that we can only love Him, trust Him and seek Him continually for His will and His way in our life.  

Psalm 34: 8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.


We have tasted! We have seen!  Yet, there is more.  How can this be so?  

Malachi 3:10

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

It's true!  Of course it is.  It's God's word.  Truly, sometimes I wonder if my heart can contain the joy of any more of God's blessings.  Sometimes I am so overcome with the realization of His mercies in my life that it takes my breath away.  It's so utterly overwhelming and incomprehensible when I try to make sense of it.  There is not room enough in my mind to receive it.  It doesn't make sense in a world of "getting what you deserve".  We could never deserve God's goodness.  It's His gift to us when we open up the storehouses of our hearts and invite Jesus in.  

John 16:24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

It's His answer to us when we call on Him as His children.

Matthew 7:11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

It's His promise to us.  

Psalm 145:9 The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

If we only trust in Him, He will provide.  He will protect.  He will shelter.  He will LOVE.  He will SAVE.  

Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

"Thou shalt be saved."  What else do we need?  The reality of the answer to that question will be crystal clear when we stand before Him for judgement.  

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

In just a few weeks, we should be invited to travel to EE.  To Maeve.  To meet our daughter!        

Meanwhile, there are many, many decisions to be prayed over (and prayed over and prayed over and prayed over). 

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

There is work to be done and there are preparations to be made.  It is so easy to get caught up in the routines (and surprises) of life.  Of this life.  These moments are so precious, and so fleeting.  

Isaiah 51:6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.

We must remember why we're here and to whom we will answer when this shadow has passed.  

1 Chronicles 29:15 For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.

We live to serve Him.  It's what we're made for.  Serving God is the reason we exist. 

Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

One of the ways He has asked us to serve Him is as parents.  He sent Ella to us through my womb and He has sent Maeve to us in our hearts.  The time is drawing nearer for her to join our family.  Her family.  So we press on.  We continue joyfully toward the goal of bringing her home.  What a day that will be!

Phillipians 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

We are so grateful to all of you that are supporting us on this journey.  Your prayers are being heard by the God of heaven and earth as Jesus intercedes for us continually.  Your generous donations are helping to enable us to go and be the hands and feet of Jesus.  Thank you so much!! 

Phillipians 1:3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you

I pray that the word of God ministers to your heart today.  He is able to meet you right where you are and fulfill your every need. Thank you Lord! 

2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.