Walking with God

Gen.  5:21-24

²¹ When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. ²² And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. ²³ Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. ²⁴ Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.


Are you faithful? Does full of faith, unswerving allegiance and steadfast affection describe you? Is faithfulness something you want to be defined by? In Genesis 5 that is how Enoch was defined. We read that he walked with God and then was no more because God took him away. I pray to be known for walking with God and then becoming no more because He takes me to be at His side. I strive to embody the character of Christ and He was the ultimate example of faithfulness. In everything He did He was faithful. Christ was faithful to the Lord, His plan, and the allegiance He had with Him. Jesus was faithful to keep and fulfill the promises He had made, even to a painful agonizing death on a cross. Christ is faithfulness and throughout the Bible faithfulness is seen in those who stay obedient, steadfast, and open to God's plan, purpose, and will, just as Jesus did. Living a life of steadfast obedience and unswerving allegiance is never easy but with Christ by our side and as our guide what do we have to fear? In being faithful we have to give up our old life of sin and put on a new life of righteousness and Christ-likeness. What do we have to change or continue to remain faithful to the Lord? 
How are you going to live your life on this Earth so you will be the one known as the one who walked with God? 


(it gives me chills just thinking about it :D)



All content copyright © 2009 Amber Johnson. All rights reserved. You MUST GET WRITTEN PERMISSION to reprint or republish any of this material.

Where Does Your Strength Come From?

Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ: 

Without the Lord’s strength these words would not be. I am at a loss for words, sleeplessness is taking its toll, and continuous illness is dragging me down but I write to you because you need to know that it’s when you are at your weakest, the Lord’s work is the strongest. We think we are the victors, worthy of praise and honor. We believe we are keeping our heads above water, we are winning the battles, and we are overcoming the struggles. Our strength does not win battles, it loses them. Who do we think we are to give ourselves that kind of glory? In our own strength, all we create is disaster. We stumble once, attempt to patch up our skinned knees, and then conjure up a pride-welling motivational speech that we think will keep us moving. A few seconds later, we are found back on the ground. Our stumbling never ceases. Without the Lord’s strength, you will live on your scuffed knees.  The question is, "will you look up from there?" We are fighting a losing battle against our own flesh and the evils of Satan. We are turning our backs on the Lord’s perfect plan. To counter these things you must walk up to the foot of the cross and lay down your strength and self-praise. And instead, rely on the Lord’s strength for every breath and step you take. The Christian life is not possible in our own strength. 

I do not know why we constantly depend on our own strength when we know our flesh is weak and powerless. Not only are we physically weak but we are spiritually weak. We are sinful creatures that follow our desires when they speed by. Our sin spews out into our actions and taints all that we try to make right. Jesus tells us to “[k]eep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41). Christ points out this flaw, but we still carry on as if we can do it all on our own, this is the weakness of the flesh. “If we …[take] the glory [for ourselves] His strength [will] go unnoticed” (Roberts). Only when “the Lord takes our hand and makes us strong” (Roberts) do we enter into success. No matter how willing we are, we can do nothing in our own strength. Paul says, “For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it” (Romans 7:18). No matter how much we will it, we are weak in carrying out what is good, which is God’s law. Even if we attempt to follow God’s commands, because we are weak, we will fall into sin.Therefore, the idea of living on our own strength is abolished because it is not possible given our constant failure to do good and follow the Lord’s commands despite our strongest desire.

Satan and his deadly evils envelops us. Temptation is lurking around all corners, present on every billboard, seen in every magazine, and found in every place your eyes may wander. It is extremely difficult to stand strong amidst such persuasive temptation. Satan has fallen; he wants to take you down with him. And, in your own strength, he will succeed. Why would you try to stand up to him alone? Just think, you have the choice of fighting Satan by yourself or you can fight him with the help of the all-powerful God. Any tribulation is bearable, sometimes even enjoyable, when you are in the arms of your King. “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10: 12-13). The Lord will be your escape when times get tough. He will only ration out what you can handle and you can trust that God is always faithful. Therefore, we must rely on God for strength because we are not able to stand up against the devil and his wicked plans on our own.

The Lord created us in a way that makes it necessary for us to rely on Him. Our flesh is weak, sin tempts us daily, and our salvation is nothing we have done or can ever imagine doing. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). God’s gift of grace allows us to be saved! The reason salvation is a gift and is not able to be earned is so we won’t brag and boast about what we did to be saved but instead see it is from God. If it weren’t for God, we would not be saved and He wants us to realize that. He wants us to see His mercy and grace. Paul says, "For God has made all people prisoners of disobedience, so that He might show mercy to them all" ( Romans 11:32).Can’t you see He wants you to come to Him? He wants you to say Father I need you, carry me. He gave us the gift of salvation so we could reside in Him, why do we stray from Him? 

            The Lord loves us more than we can ever imagine and He only wants what is best for us, so why don’t we just surrender? In our own strength we will fail, we must trust in Jesus! I pray that you give up your life to Him, tell Him you can’t live without Him, and remember that in His strength all things are possible. Surrender your strength and dive into God’s plan relying on Him to fight “all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16). Life is hard enough as it is! Just, let go and let God. Rely on Him to be your strength.

                                                                                                            God bless, 

                                                                                                                        Amber

2 Corinthians 12:9 

         "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

Works Cited

Roberts, Sarah. Essay on Suffering. California: Sarah’s Services Inc., 2007.

All content copyright © 2009 Amber Johnson. All rights reserved.
You MUST GET WRITTEN PERMISSION to reprint or republish any of this material.

Oh Father! My Father!

This poem imitates the structure of Oh Captain! My Captain! by Walt Whitman. It dives into the truth of Jesus Christ and how He is the Savior of us all.

Oh Father! My Father!

By: Amber Johnson

Oh Father! My Father! I mourn for you

For all the things you’ve taught me and for everything you do

When I’m on the wrong path you show me where to go

You show me all the right ways the ones I didn’t know

The pain! The pain!

Oh nailed upon a tree

Was the perfect man, my father, and my friend

A great death for a sinner but not for he

Oh Father! My Father! It can’t be true

They didn’t know what they were doing they had no clue

They whipped an innocent man

And put a nail through each hand

The agony! The agony!

The people who have done this were blind and couldn’t see

For you were a leader, a Savior, and a friend

A great death for a sinner but not for he

My Father in his grave

Whom we can’t possibly save

Is dead, he lived the right life and he still died

He had nails in his hand, a crown of thorns, and a sword pierced in his side

Rise! Rise!

And with those words on that third day he appeared to me

Then he went up into heaven and I knew it was true it was

A great death for a sinner but not for He

All content copyright © 2009 Amber Johnson. All rights reserved.
You MUST GET WRITTEN PERMISSION to reprint or republish any of this material.

Monday Inspiration

The Power of prayer is not in the one who prays but in the One who hears it.

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer."

Have a wonderful week and a Blessed Easter! He is Risen!!!! Amen!

Monday Inspiration

You will come to know that what appears today to be a sacrifice will prove instead to be the greatest investment that you will ever make.

“And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Hebrews 13:16

Have a wonderful week!

Questions & Answers

Have you ever asked God to make something clearer? Have you ever asked the Lord for an answer to a question that has been on your mind or heart? Sometimes the answers we are looking for aren't given to us right away. I love to be organized, know what's coming, and have a back up plan for the plan. I love answers and information to help me get where I need to be in life. Yet, I have realized that life lessons don't usually get answered quickly. I don't get to ask Jesus why and get the answer without learning, without growing, and without clinging to Him with every fiber in me that He fashioned with His own hands. Tonight, I was thinking that even if everything is going well in our lives and we still don't have an answer to a question that is lingering in our minds maybe that question is there so we will follow Jesus even closer than we would had we had the answer. I have been struggling with a question I have been praying to Jesus to answer, to give me some insight on, to show me what I need to learn, or to just make it leave my mind but in all that what I realized is that I was praying, begging, and being with Christ. It never occurred to me that the question itself could be the answer! The torment of the unanswered question drove me further into the place I always long to be, at the feet of Jesus. Who knew an unanswered question would bring me so much joy and satisfaction? Finding myself on my face before the Lord, diving into Him and His Word is the greatest answer I could ever hope to receive.

All content copyright © 2009 Amber Johnson. All rights reserved. You MUST GET WRITTEN PERMISSION to reprint or republish any of this material

Monday Inspiration

The difference between saints and sinners is that every saint has a past while every sinner has a future.

“Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.” Romans 4:7-8

Have a wonderful week!

All content copyright © 2009 Amber Johnson. All rights reserved. You MUST GET WRITTEN PERMISSION to reprint or republish any of this material.

Shaken!

Acts 4:31 (New International Version)

 ³¹After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Wow! Shouldn't this be what it is like for all of us who receive the Lord Jesus Christ into our lives? We should have a deep desire to courageously go out and spread the good news, blessings, and message of Christ. We should want to do nothing but tell of the truths of God and the sacrifice and gift of His Son, Jesus. Accepting Jesus Christ into our lives should shake the core of who we are, our lives, and the place we are at in that moment. Our old lives and practices should be shaken off and our new holy righteous skin in Christ should come forth. The foundation of the world that we used to stand firm on should be cracked and useless to allow the new foundation of Christ, His Word, and His glory to be built and used as a solid rock for where we will stand. If you have accepted Christ into your life and your life looks the same as before you asked Christ into your life....examine your heart, ask yourself who are you truly living for...yourself or Christ?...read the Word of God, the Holy Bible and learn how Jesus wants you to live....pray every second of the day about anything and everything so you can build a unique and loving relationship with Christ....go to church consistently so you can learn more about His Word and fellowship with others who can encourage you and help you grow in Christ....if you have been living for yourself and for the ways of the world and want to live for Christ, tell Him, dedicate your life to live for and love Jesus. Jesus is waiting for you with open arms, so run to Him, and live in the joy, love, and unending goodness of the Lord.
May God Bless you all!!! 

All content copyright © 2009 Amber Johnson. All rights reserved. You MUST GET WRITTEN PERMISSION to reprint or republish any of this material.

Through Whose Eyes?

Life can be seen in many ways. Each way has its own understanding, meaning, and insight. Each side has its own stance and pair of eyes. So many situations need a different point of view, one that can't be seen by your own eyes. Whose eyes are you using to look at the world? Do you only look at the world from your own point of view? Do you venture to see what others might be seeing or feeling? Do you try to see what God might see? What perspective of life, of circumstances, and of yourself are you using? When situations and life become a blur God's eyes become my twenty twenty. Seeing things His way shows me the bigger picture, the Godly answer, and how to see others. Using God's holy eyes morphs life's shaded gray blurs into beautiful color definition. God's way, wisdom, and sight give my life the perspective and clear understanding my tainted human eyes need to understand others and the situations I encounter.

2 Peter 1:3-11 (New International Version)

 ³His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. ⁵For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.⁸For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
 ¹⁰Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, ¹¹and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

All content copyright © 2009 Amber Johnson. All rights reserved. You MUST GET WRITTEN PERMISSION to reprint or republish any of this material.

Monday Inspiration

Faith, like a muscle, is strengthened by use.

“Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld.” 2 Chronicles 20:20

Have a wonderful week!

Search Me

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”- Psalm 139:23-24

God knows the depths of your heart. He sees beyond the facade you may put on for others and the mask you may even put on for yourself. He knows your passing thoughts and the thoughts you dwell on under the sun and even under the stars. The greatest thing about Him is that He does not stop at knowing us but He leads us, guides us, and helps us with the things we struggle with, the path that we are on, and in making ourselves embody His holy characteristics. He is not a God of distance but a God of relationship. He knows what causes me to worry and fear and calms them. He knows where I have gone wrong and what sin I have committed and He works to guide me and make me righteous. Without Christ I would just be a flesh body full of offensive ways, sin, and anxious thoughts. I read this Scripture and I beg Christ to make me a better person in Him. I beg Him to make my heart something that would not make Him cringe when He searched it. I beg Him to make my thoughts pleasing to Him and glorifying to His holy righteous name. I beg Him to rid me of myself and replace me with all of Him because that is the ONLY good part of me. Jesus is the best part of me  and I pray to have more of Him in my heart, in my thoughts, in my actions, and in my words every day. Thank you Lord for knowing me and my heart and loving me anyways!!! I love you Lord!!!

Remember that Jesus, despite your sin, has His arms wide open waiting for you. So if you haven't accepted Him today let Jesus into your life and begin living for Him.





All content copyright © 2009 Amber Johnson. All rights reserved. You MUST GET WRITTEN PERMISSION to reprint or republish any of this material.

Scripture for the Soul

“[Praise to the LORD] O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.”- Isaiah 25:1

All content copyright © 2009 Amber Johnson. All rights reserved. You MUST GET WRITTEN PERMISSION to reprint or republish any of this material.

Scripture for the Soul

Job 23:10-11 (New International Version)

 ¹⁰ But he knows the way that I take;
       when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.
 ¹¹ My feet have closely followed his steps;
       I have kept to his way without turning aside.

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All content copyright © 2009 Amber Johnson. All rights reserved. You MUST GET WRITTEN PERMISSION to reprint or republish any of this material.

Monday Inspiration

You don’t need twitter or facebook to find God. He is always available and always listening to those who call His name.

“This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it – the Lord is his name:  Call to me and I will answer you.” Jeremiah 33:3

Have a wonderful week!

All content copyright © 2009 Amber Johnson. All rights reserved. You MUST GET WRITTEN PERMISSION to reprint or republish any of this material.

Scripture for the Soul

Psalm 73:25-26 (New International Version)

 ²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
       And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
 ²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail,
       but God is the strength of my heart
       and my portion forever.

Wow!!!

All content copyright © 2009 Amber Johnson. All rights reserved. You MUST GET WRITTEN PERMISSION to reprint or republish any of this material.

Lessons

The Lord shapes us and molds us with the people and circumstances in our lives. The past is a map of the journey that got you where you are today. There are no bad things just things that God has made good. It is hard to see this when the past can contain pain, heart break, and broken relationships but if you look closer or ask God to show you it will be made clear. Without the pain and the heart break of the people and circumstances in my life I would not be where I am today. I have learned so much about who God is and who I am. I have learned lessons that will stick with me forever. All this to say that Jesus never ceases to amaze me. Everything has grown me to the place I am now. The only thing to dwell on from the past is the growth, the good, and the glory of God. Take some time, sit down, sort out your thoughts and figure out the lessons learned. Think about the pain turned to growth, good, and glory. See how the Lord works and how He has change you into the person He wants you to be. Don't forget to thank Him for all He is in your life, for changing you into His likeness, and for always taking something that can be painful and turning it into something that is good and glorious. Jesus is my amazing Savior, Lord, life changer, and my best friend. In the end the person you should see in the mirror is not yourself but Jesus Christ. Who do you see when you look in the mirror? 



All content copyright © 2009 Amber Johnson. All rights reserved. You MUST GET WRITTEN PERMISSION to reprint or republish any of this material.