SEMPER FI

Therefore if any man be in Christ,

he is a new creature:  old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

2 Corinthians:5-17

On April 17, 2011, I became a new creature in Christ.  My life has been forever changed.  To God be the glory.  On this last day of 2011, I look back and I know that this has been the most important year of my life, my birth in Christ.  I know that I will have eternal life with God because my Savior Jesus Christ paid the price for me.  He took my sins upon himself and he gave me his righteousness.  And when the transaction was finished, my debt was paid in full.  And on that day in April, when I submitted myself to God and accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior, my sins were washed away and I truly became a brand new creature.  A new talk, a new walk, a new look, but most important...a new life. 

As I look ahead to this new year approaching, 2012, I simply want to remain faithful to God, to serve Him, and to submit myself to His will.  In 2 Timothy 4:7-8 it says, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day:  and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."

Did you know that the marine motto "Semper Fi" is Latin for "always faithful"?  I pray that I will fight the good fight and that I will be always faithful to God...until the end.

Semper Fi

~ Inspired by "A Daily Word" by Paul Chappell



SERVE

Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair:  and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.  ~ John 12:3 (KJV)

Here we see Mary, the sister of Lazarus, anointing the feet of Jesus.  The ointment was very costly and in fact Judas Iscariot questioned Mary why she didn't sell the ointment for 300 pence, and give it to the poor, not because he cared for the poor but because he was a thief. 

Then said Jesus, Let her alone:  against the day of my burying hath she kept this.  ~ John 12:7 (KJV)

This little bit of the story found in John has fascinated me.  I can only imagine being in Mary's place.  Searching for a way to honor and serve Jesus Christ.  Mary had saved this ointment and had spent a lot of money on it.  I'm sure it was a great sacrifice in her life to use this costly ointment for Jesus.  It caused me to stop and meditate about my service to our Lord.  At what cost in my life would I serve him?  What sacrifices would I endure?  This is not about me receiving any sort of praise for anything I do for Him, it's all about Jesus Christ. 

I have learned very quickly in my short Christian life that anything I do for Jesus Christ is not enough!  Everyday, I imagine Him being tortured, abused, spit on, ridiculed, and finally nailed to a tree.  I watched a program one time about crucifixion.  The scientists/doctors on this program were going through the physical/medical scenario of a person being crucified.  Certainly nails being driven through the feet and hands would be painful but that is not what kills the person.  What finally kills the person being crucified is suffocation.  After hanging in that position, the muscles of the chest wall fatigue and the person is unable to take in a breath.  This is how my Savior died for me! 

So as I remember this each day, I think of what I can do for Him.  I have the liberty to SERVE Him, HONOR Him, OBEY Him, and LOVE Him.  This truly is the only liberty I have.  Anything I can do for Jesus Christ daily...will NEVER be enough compared to what He did for me!  It's really the very least I could do.  For me, it's not enough to go to church on Sunday morning and call it good.  For me, it's not enough to give the minimum amount of money.  For me, it's not enough to only shake hands with the Pastor on Sunday mornings, making my appearance, then disappear until the next Sunday I feel like climbing out of bed.  For me, it's just never enough.  I'm willing to give it all for my God.

But let me also tell you the beauty of loving our Lord with all your heart and serving Him with all your being...He showers you with His blessings!  Once I jumped off the edge of the cliff and trusted my God to catch me, I've had the most valued and precious blessings bestowed upon me, EVER!  God promises us these blessings.  But God also wants us to be obedient and serve Him alone!  If God never again gave me another blessing, I would still love Him and serve Him with everything in me...because He loved me first.  

Before my salvation, I scoffed Christians and would say the worst things about God, about Jesus Christ, about the whole thing.  And after my salvation, I immediately knew and felt the love that God had for me...even though I had not loved Him.  That my friends is called GRACE!  God's love and mercy upon all of us no matter what we have done, no matter how bad we think we are, no matter the horrible things you've been involved with...God still loves you. 

I would hope that had I been in Mary's position, I would have also used my very expensive and valued ointment to anoint the feet of Jesus Christ...it's the very least that I could do.



I WAIT

Waiting...it's not something that I've ever been very good at.  I have been impulsive and demanding throughout my life...never really having the patience to wait, to put off my desires, pleasures, or rewards.  I had 50 years to do things my way and quite frankly, I didn't do a very good job. 

Things are drastically changing in my life since my salvation and one of the most important changes is my desire to wait on the Lord and allow Him to do His will in His perfect timing in my life.  

Several months ago I took my mother back to Tulsa after her 3 week visit with me.  On my way home, I stopped at the McDonald's Travel Center for a break.  As I was walking around stretching my legs, I went to the little gift shop area and they had a rack of cheap jewelry.  A necklace caught my eye!  It had a little silver feather, a black cross, and a little silver plaque that read:  Those who hope in the Lord will soar on the wings like eagles - Isaiah 40:31.  I bought it and didn't think too much about it at first.  But one day, I became curious what my Bible (King James Version) showed for Isaiah 40:31.  "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

I have a particular situation in my life that has been stirring for the past couple of months.  I don't want to mess it up by being inpatient.  God has truly laid it on my heart that this situation must be handled by Him, in His way, in His own timing.  I know how I'd like this situation to go but it truly is not about me or what I want.  It's all about God and glorifying Him.  I pray a lot about this and God does know my heart regarding this matter.  For the first time since I was saved, I'm not taking control...I've thrown my hands in the air and I proclaim - Lord, I will wait for You, Your will! 

I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.  My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning:  I say, more than they that watch for the morning.  - Psalm 130:5-6