The Cross is Enough

 

 

 

 

Last night Raylea and I were watching a kids movie and the children's parents had died.

 

She wanted to know why they died. She wanted to know that they would be okay. She then started crying and said, "but I want you to live forever and not die!"

 

I explained to her that when I was a "little girl," (17 years old to be exact) I accepted Jesus into my heart and that when I do die that I will go straight to Heaven and live there forever and ever!

 

Well, being that she is three years old, she wasn't able to grasp how awesome that is and she still cried!

 

She said she didn't want to leave our home and she wanted me to stay here with her!

 

 

Well, in the next year or two she will better understand what I tried to explain.

 

 

 

You know the verse about training a child in the way they should go and when they're older they will not depart from it? To me it also means that you can train them to NOT serve God. And when they're older, they will not depart from their evil ways.

 

 

 

How I view and seek and worship God, is how little Raylea will. And now Jack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm reading a book right now, and the first page says an amazing, yet simple line that I have pondered upon all day.

 

"In other words, in the sacrifices under the Mosaic Law, the priest didn't even really look at the sinner; he looked at the sacrifice."

 

 

 

Hallelujah.

 

 

That is something to shout about whether you're Pentecostal, Church of Christ, Methodist or Baptist!

 

Or whatever!!

 

 

GOD DOESN'T LOOK AT THE SINNER. HE LOOKS AT THE SACRIFICE!

 

God doesn't look at YOU, liar.

 

God doesn't look at YOU, homosexual.

 

God doesn't look at YOU, thief.

 

God doesn't look at YOU, adulterer.

 

God doesn't look at YOU, child molester.

 

God doesn't look at YOU, drunk.

 

God doesn't look at YOU, gossiper.

 

God doesn't look at YOU, jealous person.

 

God doesn't look at YOU, woman who had an abortion.

 

God doesn't look at YOU, woman who tears down your husband.

 

God doesn't look at YOU, teenager who cusses at your parents.

 

God doesn't look at YOU, home-wrecker.

 

God doesn't look at YOU, drug addict.

 

God doesn't look at YOU, woman who dresses sexy for attention.

 

God doesn't look at YOU, racist.

 

 

 

The LORD of ALL, the ONE TRUE GOD, the FRIEND who will NEVER leave you.

 

THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD.

 

 

He looks at the Sacrifice.

 

 

JESUS CHRIST.

 

 

Jesus Christ gave his life, he endured not only physical pain for you and I, but he carried every sin of mankind the day he died.

 

 

 

 

 

When I asked Jesus into my heart, He didn't look at me and say, "Look at all your sins. You are as a filthy rag. Just look at you."

 

 

NO.

 

 

He got down next to me as I knelt at that alter, and cradled me in His perfect love.

 

 

What Jesus did on the Cross of Calvary was enough for Him. I didn't have to do anything to earn salvation or His Holy Spirit in my life. I admitted I was a sinner and confessed to Him with my whole Heart and asked Him to be LORD of my life.

 

 

 

Yes, God knows my name and yes he sees me! But, the point is that he doesn't see a SINNER, He sees the Sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross and that someone is accepting that gift and making Him the LORD of their life!

 

 

 

Parents, you're leading your kids towards God, or away from Him.

 

 

There is no grey here!

 

 

Lead them to Him, while you still have the chance!

 

 

 



Deer hunting and the devil

 

 

 

 

 

I guess because there was a couple days of cooler weather with one being rainy and then a chance of rain for today, it's made me all ready for Autumn. I know, I need to enjoy the Summer, but boy, there is no season like Autumn! Cooler weather, leaves changing colors, cleaning out the fire place and getting it all ready for our first fire of the year.. (which I usually do as soon as its below 60 degrees.)

Coffee all day, cinnamon rolls for breakfast, homemade soup, both of my kids' birthdays...

 

 

 

Autumn means a lot of things to me. But one thing it means, (and has meant since I was literally born) My dad went pheasant hunting a couple hours after I was born, November 17th, 1988. But, it means hunting!

 

 

 

Growing up I went hunting with my dad, little brother and eventually after I met Grant, I went with him, his brothers and dad as well.

 

 

There is just something about sitting outside amongst all the woodland creatures, waiting for the big buck to pass by. Well, I have only killed two bucks, but that's two for two shots for me! Both times I was by myself and for some reason I felt like I really accomplished something special. I'm not as serious about hunting as my dad, brothers and Grant. But, I always make a special memory anytime I climb up a stand or sit in a blind with one of them, or by myself!

 

 

I was thinking as I was cleaning up after lunch about how we do so much to prepare to kill a deer. We prepare for that one kill, literally all year sometimes. We put corn out to get the deer used to coming to one spot throughout the year, mostly in the summer and the fall. That way, when we are sitting on a stand that is on a tree about 20 yards from the corn pile, we know there will be some action at some point that hunt.

 

They shower in scent free shampoo and body wash. Once I saw gum that was camouflage and scent free! (I'm not sure why a person would even care to chew it then, but that's just me.)

 

 

Grant will go months before the season opens to put up new stands and check safety of old ones.

 

They set up cameras to see what and what time something is coming by.

 

We dress from head to toe in camoflauge. Grants choice is Realtree Xtra.

For Christmas last year, Grant gave me a pair of Under Armour hunting boots. They are pretty sweet. Mostly, they are a whole lot more comfortable then my cowboy or rain boots!
Man, I sound like a serious hunter, don't I?

 

 

Sometimes we wear a mask or put paint on our face.

 

I feel like I have my hunting face on when Grant slaps a little green and black paint on my cheeks.

I'm sure I look slightly crazy to everyone.

But, I look extra cute to him though! So, it's all good.

 

 

More important than any other item, is the weapon.

 

It depends on the season but there is muzzleloader, bow and rifle.

 

 

All year you practice and shoot at targets. You perfect your shot.




The devil is whole lot like a hunter.


He prepares. He watches. He takes pictures. He learns our schedule. Our habits. Our weaknesses. Our strengths. Our whereabouts. Our interest. The type of people we run around with. What we like to eat and drink. Our bed time. When we wake up. What we like to wear.



He knows a lot about you.


I'm not going to say we are all deer just waiting to be shot and killed by the devil himself, but I will say if we are not putting on the whole armor of God EVERY day, we are making it that much easier for Satan to gain victory and eventually, yes, kill us.


He is hiding in your television. He is wearing lots of Realtree Xtra. His camouflage actually works a lot better than anything we could find at the store.

 

 

 He hides in the music you listen to. Even some that have the title "Christian," on it. He hides in books and magazines you read. He hides in advice that is given to you by so called good Christian people. He hides in your daily routine. He hides in your Social Media. He hides in your relationships at work. He hides under lots of leaves, sticks and dirt called PG-13 movies, Country love songs and that non-Christian boyfriend you have.


He hides in your medicine. He hides in your diet. He hides in your thoughts. He hides well.


Again, he hides well.



So, you better think like a deer. No, think like a 200 inch buck that has survived 10 years in the wild.

Look up high. Look down low. Hunters sit really still and sometimes barely breath when a deer is passing. So, you can't be a dumb deer. Just because you're young in the Lord doesn't mean you're naïve either. You maybe have been saved for 50 years and you are naïve.


Get on your knees and talk to God. He will talk back. Open your Bible and be ready to learn. He will teach.




We must be ready to fight the devil and WIN.


God, through His POWER and HOLY SPIRIT has given us a way out!



One of my favorite things to do is rebuke the devil! He has no power over me and mine!



The devils hunting season is 24/7, 365.

BUT, it's about over for him.



Get YOUR game face on, Christian!


We know who the winner is in the end, and it's NOT SATAN or his followers.




It is GOD ALMIGHTY and I AM ON HIS SIDE AND HE IS FOR ME.



You are either for or against God. There is no gray here.


So pick which side you're on.


I'm on the winning side.


Join me?
 



That was before the cross

 

 

 

 

Saul stood there with a hardened heart.

He looked into the innocent eyes of those around him,

Christians being murdered as he held their clothes.

The images of blood and death were etched into his mind,

hatred and evil filled his life.

 

But, that was before the cross.

 

 

A father who drank for years and years

and didn't seem to care where it took his family.

Gambling, drinking, parties and sin

that's the life he lived.

He looked into the innocent eyes of those around him,

a wife and four kids whose destiny he was choosing.

 

But, that was before the cross.

 

 

 

Seventeen years old, two rows back,

she sat with arms crossed, fighting the conviction she felt.

She wanted to be like her dad and thought so much of him,

she closes her eyes during the alter call and saw the reflection of herself.

Innocent eyes stared back wanting freedom from the girl she had become.

 

But, that was before the cross.

 

 

 

 

Saul got converted and now his name is Paul.

A preacher of the cross.

 

The father gave it all to Jesus and led his family in a new direction.

A Sunday School teacher and man of God.

 

One of the four kids that was his, was me.

 

I was the seventeen year old girl who was running from God.

 

 

That was all

 

before I came in contact with the cross.

 

 

 

My life is changed and yes, I am a hard headed Christian.

 

Nobody will change my mind about what Jesus did for me.

 

There was a song I heard once called Hard Hearted Hannah at a festival when I was kid.

 

 

That was me. I was hard hearted Hannah.

 

That was all before the blood stained cross was applied to my life.

 

 

That's the problem with most people living and breathing on this earth right now.

 

That may be the problem with you.

 

It isn't your spouse. It isn't your kids. It isn't your boss. It isn't your best friend. It isn't your cousin. It isn't your dad. It isn't your mom. It isn't your pastor.

 

It's you.

 

 

 

 

You have never came in contact with it.

 

You are living a life that is "before the cross."

No hope. No happiness. No peace. No haven. No rest. No joy. No love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I ask you, are you living your life before or after the cross?

 

 

He's coming back.

 

 

He died once and He will return once.

 

 

Don't miss it.