July 26, 2018

You say you know ... but

You say you know
But how can you.....

unless you have opened the Holy Book
and read God's word
of His wisdom
His knowledge
His promises

You say you know
But how can you....

unless you pray, bowing before Him
turning your heart toward the heavens
pouring out heart and soul
to the Lord Almighty
with your every fear
your every question
your every hurt

You say you know
But how can you....

unless you have a personal relationship
with the God you believe in
with Jesus, God's son, whom you accepted as your Lord, your Savior
with the Holy Spirit, who resides in your heart

You say you know
But how can you....

unless you gather with other believers
to worship the Holy One
to sing praises
to join in a Bible study
to learn how to apply  what you learn in living your life anew
to make friends

You say you know
But how can you....

unless you take your children with you to Sunday School
so they too will learn about Jesus
and how much Jesus loves you all

You say you know
But how can you....

unless there is a change -
in and out -
within your heart
and your witness shown on the outside

You say you know
But how can you....

unless you take the necessary steps to know.

You say you know
But how can you....

unless you love the Lord your God
as He loves you
for He died for your sinful soul

You say you know

But,
until you go the way of Jesus
until you are obedient to His commands / instructions
until you do - walk / live the life Jesus shows us

you do not know.
(c) Cathy Orrick Luders
July 12, 2018


July 11, 2018

Be ALIVE!

Don't give up
when you see
life around you
dwindling to nothingness,
being destroyed by the world's enticements

The Lord Jesus called
you to Himself
and you answered,
surrendering
to a life with Him
and Him alone

Don't fall into the pits of hell,
where Satan waits,
biding his time
to snatch you away
from God's goodness
and unending love

Satan wants only to show you
a better way to
succumb to death
It is death he seeks for you,
an eternal, endless
place of flame, torture and pain

Life IS Jesus -
remember ...
He was born
He grew to manhood
teaching Christian principals
He bled at the cross of Calvary
He died for the sins of all
and He rose - again
He is ALIVE! He is ALIVE!

Jesus is the epitome of LIFE
He shows The WAY
He imparts The TRUTH

Wake up and BE ALIVE!

Right now
you are dead
Dead to thoughts
that bring you down
Dead to memories
that remind you
of your faults
Dead to comments
from others
whose words and actions
deteriorate you

You believe the lies.
Their blame,
their bitterness
their hate
becomes a part of you
and you believe
what they say
is who you are

But is it really?!
God, the almighty God,
creator of the heavens
and all the earth
and of you
called your name
in the stillness
of your beating heart
and you answered ...
Yes

Jesus is Alive! He is Alive!

And you too are alive
a child of the King
Not of Satan
You have been forgiven
God forgave you
the moment you believed Christ died for you
and accepted
Jesus Christ's death, burial and resurrection

The Lord has filled you with His love,
His peace, His joy, His gentleness,
His kindness, His goodness,
His patience, His self-control. He has
given you eternal life.

Do not spend your days
wasting what you have
been given
to cower in a darkened corner,
reminding yourself
of every negative thing

Trust in the Lord
Believe in Him

Be ALIVE!
Go The Way of Christ
Obey The Instructions of Christ
Do The Will of Christ

Trust He is who He says He is
Believe His every promise
Read His every miracle
Follow the Lord Jesus -
He will never lead you astray.

Be ALIVE!

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the yes, and the pride of life - is not of the Father but is of the world." ~ I John 2:15-16


(c) Cathy Orrick Luders
July 11, 2018

July 04, 2018

He does not tarry

"For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it, Because it will surely come." ~ Habakkuk 2:3

You pray
You make known to God
the desires of your heart
of which He does know
He has told us
time before
and now
and again
Do not be anxious
Do not fret
Do not question
when

The Lord will answer
in His time
All is in His time
not ours
He knows what we want
and when we want it
But our wants are not
always His best for us
And our time table is not
always His

We may think He tarries
But He is NEVER too early
NEVER too late
But just the right moment

God still rules
in every facet of our lives
Thank Him for His provisions
Be grateful
instead of in a state of
constant turmoil
Keep your focus
on the Lord Jesus
He will guide you
and bring a calming peace
to your every struggle.

(c) Cathy Orrick Luders
July 4, 2018