"Righteous"

If you have attended church for any number of years then you have probably heard your pastor say that the word is "living and active and sharper than any double edged sword." (This comes from Hebrews 4:12. Click here to read the verse in its entirety.) I think today I finally got this.

For the past week as I have been reading through the book of Proverbs there has been one word that has stood out at me. That word is righteous. It jumped out at me in the following verses: "What the wicked dread will overtake them; what the righteous desire will be granted." (Proverbs 10:24 and "Trouble pursues the sinner, but the righteous are rewarded with good things." (Proverbs 13:21)

So what exactly is a righteous person? Am I a righteous person? Well according to what I have been reading a righteous person is one who believes in and follows God. We know from scripture that even the devil believes in God but that doesn't make him righteous. Someone who is righteous not only believes but also obeys Christ. "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." John 14:21

If you are anything like me then you may be saying to yourself, "I want to be a righteous person. Can I be a righteous person? " Isaiah 64:6 will put it this way "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." What this verse means is that no matter how good our good deeds are, they will never be good enough. Nothing that we can do on our own can get us to be right with God. "There is no one who does good, not even one." Psalm 14:3b

But don't despair because there is hope. And the hope that we have is found in Jesus Christ alone. You see God sent him to die for our sins. He was the propitiation (payment) for our sin-debt. It was the only payment that God could accept on our behalf because He was faultless, blameless, perfect. By accepting Him you too will have access to the Father.

My words are incapable of doing what the word of God alone can do. So it is with these two passages found in the book of Romans 10 that I will leave you,

"Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: "The man who does these things will live by them."But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) "or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Our "Mini Vacay"

We had such a great time on our "mini-vacay" and we've got some pics to prove it. ; )

Indra was our waitress. I was the first Indira she ever served. =)

Enjoying a spectacular sunset on the ship.

All geared up to go zip-lining in Cozumel.

One of our favorite things on this cruise were the frozen yogurt cones. Even after the Captain's dinner we couldn't resist sneaking up to the Lido Deck to satisfy our craving.

Tempted to Cheat God

While I was sitting in class last night listening to my professor go over the assignment and the incredible amount of work that was due the following Wednesday, my initial thoughts were "I'm going to have to skip youth group on Friday. I'm going to stay home and do homework."

The more I thought about it, the more I knew that I couldn't put God second to my education. He nudged my heart and ever so gently reminded me that HE belonged in first place. I was immediately taken back to many times in my life when I chose to do things the right way (with Him in the driver's seat) and I had been successful.

My question to you today is, "How many times have you been tempted to cheat God?" Maybe your temptation is not necessarily to skip a church related function. You might struggle with a relationship you value more than God or maybe you feel tempted to gossip about someone in your workplace.

Just remember that we can never really cheat God. We only cheat ourselves when we put other things before Him.

What is it that needs to take a back seat in your life to Christ?

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
-Matthew 6:33

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

When you look at me now, what do you see? I have been told many times that I am optimistic but it wasn't always this way. You see when I came to Christ (about 9 years ago) I had a lot of baggage and I do mean A LOT. There were some things that occurred during my childhood that were simply stuffed away. They were nicely tucked in (or so I thought) in a hidden compartment of my heart which no one saw. And since I didn't talk about it, I believed it had no power over me.

Boy was I wrong.

It was during the first couple of years as a new believer that the Lord began a healing process in me. It was painstakingly difficult to say the very least. I remember how angry I used to be at God. My monologue with God went a little like this, "Why did you allow that to happen to me? Where were you? It's so unfair!"

Unfortunately when the focus remained on me, all I did was fall into a deep depression (something King David knew all too well). Nothing was good, through my tainted lenses, it was all bad.

Yet I attended church (not very consistently but I was there) because deep down in the bottom of my heart, I knew that God was the only one who could help me. I distinctly remember my pastor at the time, Manny, preaching Sunday after Sunday and using what to me sounded like the biggest cliché, "God will never let your pain go to waste."

Although I was incapable of believing it at the time, today I know that he was absolutely right. I can boldly proclaim that what happened in the past had a purpose. It has helped me become the woman I am today.

My friend, if you feel like you are entering or walking in the midst of the darkness, may this be of some encouragement to you. I know it is difficult to see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel but know that it is there. Keep trusting and walking with God; He will help you make it through victoriously.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows."
2 Corintians 1:3-5

How He Popped the Question

On this very day, four years ago, my then boyfriend, Lucas popped the question. He took me to have dinner at the restaurant of my choice. I chose Porcao (A Braziilan steakhouse in Brickell). After dinner, Lucas took me to our church (where we met almost 4 years prior to the proposal) and at midnight he led me through a series of clues to the ring.

The first clue read, "Go to the place where we first met." When I got there I found the next clue with a trail of Ferrero Rocher chocolates and some flowers. The final destination would be at the church piano where he played and sang a song he had written for me for my birthday. Afterwards, he pulled the ring out from inside the piano and the rest was history.

I remember not being able to take my eyes off of my ring and wanting to flaunt it everywhere I went. Four years later and the diamond on my ring has lost a bit of its luster but as for our marriage, I think we can both agree that we are getting the hang of this. It has been by far one of the most wonderful relationships I have ever experienced and I am so very grateful that God chose the husband that he did for me. He gave me much more than I ever expected or thought I needed.

For all of you single ladies out there patiently waiting for your prince. I would like to encourage you to give your heart to the Lord and trust that He can do a much better job of picking your future mate than you can on your own. In the meantime, meditate on our favorite verse. "Delight yourself in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

Can't Afford NOT to

As Christians we are called to give God 10% of our earnings. It's not that God needs it but he wants to make sure that we are obedient to him and show us whether our heart is in the right place or not.

When I first became a Christian about 9 years ago, I didn't even know what it meant to tithe. Whenever I saw that basket coming around I kind figured it was the fare I paid for the entertainment on Sunday morning. Good music, great teaching = $20. That sounds generous to me!

Slowly I learned that the tithe was not a tip that I gave to God occasionally. Actually 100% of the money I have belongs to Him but I give back 10% to support the work of my local church. The 90% left-over is the money I need to be a wise steward of. Will I use a portion of it to help others or will I use it all on my own pleasures?

It wasn't something that I learned overnight, but as I obeyed, God demonstrated his faithfulness. He became the only one I depended on to meet my basic needs. When mathematically impossible to make ends meet, he miraculously provided.

My husband always says, "We can't afford NOT to tithe." Ain't that the truth?

Whether you are struggling with this biblical discipline in your spiritual walk or were completely oblivious like I was, I pray that the Lord will show you the blessings of tithing.

"Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."
Malachi 3:10b

To read the entire passage click here.

Pastor's Appreciation Month

Last year when I posted my "Have You Hugged Your Pastor?" update I thought I knew some things my pastor would like to receive for Pastor's Appreciation Month but this year as I have embarked in a new role, as pastor's wife, I have a deep found appreciation for ministers and their families.

May I suggest 7 simple ways to honor your pastor this month:

1. Pray for him and his family.
2. Give your pastor the weekend off; invite a guest speaker.
3. Send your pastor on a Weekend to Remember (Hey, a pastor's wife can dream.)
4. Get involved in your church. SERVE!
5. Give him a gift card to use with his family.
6. Buy him a new bible.
7. Continue to encourage and motivate him.

What are you planning to do for your pastor?

At last year's Pastor's Dinner by the Miami Baptist Association.