Walk as Children of Light

Many people walk around wearing the title christian.  When asked they gladly affirm, "I am a christian".  They quote the scriptures when needed and while some go to bible study most do attend church.  These people are sitting in the middle of the fence:  they want to be a christian but then they want to be like the world.

In my young life, I too was one of these christians.  I attended church, bible study and Sunday school but part of me wanted to still be doing what everybody else was doing.  Looking back on it, I really didn't trust in the God that I served to give me all the desires of my heart as with most people today.  However, God gave me another chance to come into a wonderful and blessed relationship with Him and now I try to share with all about His goodness and desire for us to let our light shine as true christians.

Throught daily meditation and prayer, I strive hard to obey Romans 12:1-2 which says "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world:  but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God".

If you are a christian then Matthew 5:14 says that "Ye are the light of the world".  There is more to being a christian than just merely wearing the title.  If you are presenting your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, you may want to check your savour.  If you are living and doing things like the world, then you may want to check your savour.  If you the desire the ways and things of the world more than you desire the Lord, you may want to check your savour.  Matthew 5:13 tell us "Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.  We must ensure that our light as christians are brightly shinning everyday!  We must not let the ways and wonders of the world take us off the course of living holy. 

Ephesians chapter 5:1-8 gives us all we need to become lights for God:

1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and    a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named amoung you, as becometh saints;
4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance int he kingdom of Christ and of God.
6. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

It is my prayer that we will always walk as children of the light and not be overcome with the things of this world.

Be blessed,
Benita

Don't Quit

Don't Quit Don't give in You must keep going If you want to to win. Don't Quit Don't give up You must stay focused Keep your head high...lookup. Don't Quit Don't Stop You must keep a steady pace Whatever you do....don't drop. Don't Quit Don't give out You must stay positive Do not doubt. Don't Quit Don't miss your breakthrough You must continue on Call on God....let Him help you! By: Benita Dees Lewis

Do you know how to pray?

Back in 2001 when my first born Matthew was diagnosed with a heart condition I thought I was prepared and I thought I knew how to pray. I was told the he was have surgery and live to be a normal healthy baby boy and that was what I expected. All my life it seems that when I prayed that God answered my prayers and gave me just what I wanted and I expected the same with Matthew’s condition. I knew that if I prayed and had faith that God would answer my prayers. I had every reason to have faith so I did when I prayed. The night before Matthew’s surgery when I prayed I even told God that I put Matthew in his hands and at the time I meant it. So to my surprise, Matthew died shortly after surgery. Can you imagine the shock? I did all that I was suppose to do in terms of prayer and trusting God – yet my baby didn’t make it. What do you mean? Although I knew God and still trusted him, I told my mom if I had known he was going to take Matthew I would have never told Him “Lord, I give you Matthew”J. Although I suffered for seven long months, I still knew enough about God to continue in prayer for myself and to trust Him and on what would have been Matthew’s 1st birthday (November 26th 2001) that day that I was REALLY going to have a pity party, God took all the hurt and pain away! I learned how to pray and really mean it one Sunday evening at Baptist Training Union (BTU) when my pastor taught us the 4 key elements to praying: Petition the Lord for what you want (Just as of Him the desires of your heart) Pray in the name of Jesus Believe that God can and will answer all prayers Pray in God’s Will (know that some desires of your heart may not be God’s will) Of the four elements the most important to me is praying in God’s will. That means if God doesn’t answer your prayer the way you wanted that all is well. For some reason it just was not meant to be. To pray in God’s will mean that if the outcome was not favorable God will help you to deal/cope with it. God knows what is best for us! To pray in God’s will is hard because we don’t always know the outcome but we must believe that God loves us and cares for us better than we can do for ourselves. So once again, when faced with a tragic situation the diagnosis of cancer with my daughter (at the age of 16 months), I was able to pray using the four elements above and truly mean every word of it. Ken and I gave Lauren to God shortly after arriving at St. Jude and although she was given a 30% chance of survival of treatment. My baby is with us today (CANCER-FREE) and just celebrated her 5th birthday. I’m glad that I trusted God yet again. Although I couldn’t keep Matthew, I know that God had a divine plan for him and that he was mine for short period of time. I often ask myself the question, what if it were me with the diagnosis could I give myself to God and I pray that daily to be able to do that. I’m thankful tonight for learning to trust God no matter what. I pray that if you haven’t gotten to element #4 in your prayer life that you will because some things we don’t have to claim…they claim us. I love you dearly and remember pray everyday! Benita