Good Intentions or the Right Remedy?

Trying.  Trying hard. Going without. Being kind. Giving. Coaching your kiddo's team.


Good intentions. 


 In fact, great intentions!  Stepping out of yourself, reaching out to others.
Needful. Helpful. Wonderful. 
However, in the spiritual world, one must be prepared, equipped, readied by a Qualified Source.
Good intentions have no place in this realm.


The Living Word states it like this:
"There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death."  Proverbs 14:12


The concept that something "right" ending in death is a tough one for humans to grasp when it comes to spiritual life.  
"Isn't that mean of God?"  
"Why would God judge someone's good intents?"
  "How close-minded and small!"


Well,  is it?


Let's take that "small and close-minded" principle to our good intentions and apply it to another dimension of life, shall we?


Let's say I'm a mom (which I am!)  
I love my kids (which I do!)
They have a disease that is common but there is only ONE REMEDY that cures this particular disease.
Let's say I want to cure my kiddos by giving them the very best homemade chicken soup.
I give it to them and ........ they are still sick.
So, I try something else, because I love my kids.
I take them to the park, every day, and push them on the swings, help them run in the fields, catch them as they come down the slide....and they get no better.


So, what's wrong?  My intentions?  No!  They are great!  Good motives, consistent follow-through.....
BUT THE WRONG REMEDY!  
SOMETHING ELSE, PROVIDED BY AN EXPERT, IS NEEDED.
My intentions can support the remedy, but CANNOT REPLACE the remedy.


So, the spiritual application is there for us, isn't it?
We have life.
It has a terminal disease, sin.
We love life and try, with good intentions, to cure the disease.
But, my friend, WE CANNOT.
ONLY THE EXPERT CAN PROVIDE THE RIGHT REMEDY!!
JESUS is that "Expert."  HE PROVIDED THE REMEDY for EACH, for ALL of us!!


May EACH OF US, PURPOSEFULLY, TAKE THE REMEDY PROVIDED FOR US BY JESUS.


Our good intentions just won't cure the disease of sin that we are ALL inflicted with.
JESUS IS THE ONLY REMEDY!




In His Cure,
  Ele

There's fear and then there's Fear....

Fear. Afraid. Anxious. Anxiety.

It comes to us with various names.  The result is the same: Control which leads to Captivity.

Fear. As I listen to people's hearts these days I hear a reoccurring theme: Fear.
Fear of the future economy; fear of possible climate change; fear of health or lack of it; fear of danger to the fam and kiddos....fear!

I am more and more impressed by the fact that the majority of this fear expressed is in the FUTURE:  "What if......"   "How should I cope if....."   "Where do we go if....."

Now, some types of fear are good for us: "Don't cross a busy street."   "Keep your hand off of a hot stove" type of fear.  However, fear that paralyzes, fear that dominates thinking, fear that taunts and torments is another type of fear.  The Living Word of God speaks to this in

2 Timothy 1:7  "For GOD has NOT given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of POWER, LOVE and a SOUND mind."

What are we taught here?  That there is more than one source of fear.  Here we see that there is a SPIRIT of fear; one sent to us by the enemy of our souls to defeat, deflate and derail us as Christ-Followers.  What is the antidote to this SPIRIT of fear?  POWER, LOVE and a SOUND mind!

Okay, how does this antidote work?  
When our WILL is attacked by fear, we counter-attack with GOD'S POWER!
When our EMOTIONS are attacked by fear, we counter-attack with GOD'S LOVE!
When our MIND is attacked by fear, we counter-attack with GOD'S SOUND (healthy) mind!

Where is the SOURCE of this antidote?  THE SPIRIT of the  LIVING WORD OF GOD!!

So, my friend, if you're not in the Living Word, open it and GET IT INTO YOUR MIND!
If you are in the Living Word, STAY THERE and PARTNER with the SPIRIT EACH DAY!

We are created to walk from STRENGTH to STRENGTH, not from fear to fear.
Let us be MORE THAN CONQUERERS not weak victims!

In HIS POWER, LOVE and SOUND MIND,
     Ele

Common but not Natural

Death.  The process of the soul leaving the body.
Not a comfortable subject, is it?
Death reminds us that this part of life is temporary.

When a Loved Ones dies it rocks our world, doesn't it?
I remember when I received the news that my dad had died.
I collapsed to the ground, my strength leaving my body as the words entered my heart.
"NO! NOT MY DAD!" my soul, my spirit, my being cried out!
The realization that he was beyond my reach was overwhelming, suffocating....
My world had completely changed in that moment.

Death is our enemy, the Living Word reminds us.
To bury our Loved Ones 'stings', the Living Word says.

This is true.

We know, in our heads, that "someday" EVERYONE dies...
EACH OF US will have a "someday"......
"But, please, NOT TODAY!"  we cautiously whisper......

You see, death is common, BUT IT IS NOT NATURAL!!!

We were created to LIVE, NOT to die!
That's why Jesus' sacrifice is SO COMPLETE!!!

HE knows!  HE cares!  HE understands!  and HE IS ALL-POWERFUL to un-do the
eternal consequences of Death!!!

So, we grieve at the passing of our Loved Ones, oh yes, we grieve.
BUT NOT AT THOSE WHO HAVE NO HOPE!!
Following Jesus GIVES US HOPE THAT WE WILL SEE ONE ANOTHER AGAIN!!

Death has no victory!
The grave has no sting!

How come?  JESUS has OVERCOME!!

So, my friend, ENJOY YOUR LIFE here on earth!
Reach out and embrace each day as the Gift that it is.
Some of us have Life-Gifts that are well into the '90s....
Other of us have Life-Gifts that are in the '70s....
Still others of us receive a Life-Gift of a day or two, perhaps a month.....just under a year.....

Is God mean? Uncaring? Not involved?  NO!
EACH DAY is something more than we deserve!!
ANY DAY is a Gift from Him!!
So, may we MAXIMIZE THIS DAY for Him!
May we be full of thanks for TODAY, for THIS DAY.....

Living, today, in HIS TRUTH for HIS GLORY,
            Ele

Common but not Natural

Death.  The process of the soul leaving the body.
Not a comfortable subject, is it?
Death reminds us that this part of life is temporary.

When a Loved Ones dies it rocks our world, doesn't it?
I remember when I received the news that my dad had died.
I collapsed to the ground, my strength leaving my body as the words entered my heart.
"NO! NOT MY DAD!" my soul, my spirit, my being cried out!
The realization that he was beyond my reach was overwhelming, suffocating....
My world had completely changed in that moment.

Death is our enemy, the Living Word reminds us.
To bury our Loved Ones 'stings', the Living Word says.

This is true.

We know, in our heads, that "someday" EVERYONE dies...
EACH OF US will have a "someday"......
"But, please, NOT TODAY!"  we cautiously whisper......

You see, death is common, BUT IT IS NOT NATURAL!!!

We were created to LIVE, NOT to die!
That's why Jesus' sacrifice is SO COMPLETE!!!

HE knows!  HE cares!  HE understands!  and HE IS ALL-POWERFUL to un-do the
eternal consequences of Death!!!

So, we grieve at the passing of our Loved Ones, oh yes, we grieve.
BUT NOT AT THOSE WHO HAVE NO HOPE!!
Following Jesus GIVES US HOPE THAT WE WILL SEE ONE ANOTHER AGAIN!!

Death has no victory!
The grace has no sting!

How come?  JESUS has OVERCOME!!

So, my friend, ENJOY YOUR LIFE here on earth!
Reach out and embrace each day as the Gift that it is.
Some of us have Life-Gifts that are well into the '90s....
Other of us have Life-Gifts that are in the '70s....
Still others of us receive a Life-Gift of a day or two, perhaps a month.....just under a year.....

Is God mean? Uncaring? Not involved?  NO!
EACH DAY is something more than we deserve!!
ANY DAY is a Gift from Him!!
So, may we MAXIMIZE THIS DAY for Him!
May we be full of thanks for TODAY, for THIS DAY.....

Living, today, in HIS TRUTH for HIS GLORY,
            Ele