Jul

31

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Categories: Encouragement, Grace

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Grow in Grace

I want to just share what I’ve been learning in the past year.  My life was always in conflict from what I knew the Bible said and the reality of my life.

Jesus said His burden is easy and yoke is light.  That certainly wasn’t a picture of my Christian Life.  The biggest frustration with my Christian life is that it wasn’t any different than that of a non-believer, “gutting  out” my Christian walk.  Kind of God helps those who help themselves.  I was living a powerless life trying to “live the Christian life.”

I was under the belief that I had to do something to gain God’s favor ( to get Him to listen to me) Go to church more, pray more, read my Bible more, blah, blah blah!

Here is the TRUTH about our relationship with Him:

  • All that Jesus is before God, so am I.
    • For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for me that I might become the righteousness of God in Him!
    • His Righteousness, His Perfection has been transferred to me.
    • I can’t be more righteous
    • I can’t gain more of His favor
    • I have it!
    • Where sin abounds (HIS GRACE ABOUNDS EVEN MORE)

My Christian life was like someone buying me a first class ticket on a luxury liner with all the amenities and I’m down in steerage living on soda crackers.

Now when I fall short I say, thank you Jesus for your perfect sacrifice.  I realize I can’t out sin God’s Grace!  He will never leave me or forsake me.  Never, never, never, never!

Not only has he forgiven my sin but has given me a clear conscience before Him.  My walk now is practicing who I am and entering into His rest,  That is what growing in grace is all about.

My life is now living and doing out of a thankful heart for what He has done for me.  I appreciate his deep unexplainable love for me.  That is what motivates me to appropriate His power in my life.  Every time Satan brings up my past I say, I am perfect in Him the One who paid my price for my sin (past – present – future)  So when the accuser uses my past to try to discourage me I just thank God that have His righteousness forever!! I am perfect before God, always!

Yes, I take advantage and abuse God’s grace every day.  Should I say I can sin and do what ever I want with my life?  No, when I realize what He has done for me it motivates me to move closer to Him and His will.

Falling from grace is when we substitute God’s grace and substituting “doing something” to earn His favor.  My heart is established by His Grace!!!  We were taught that sinning causes us to fall from His grace.  (Blasphemy!)

Forgive my ramblings but let me ask you a few questions.

  • What does it mean for you, friend, to grow in God’s grace?
  • How do you please Him with your life?
  • What is necessary for you to please God?

Here’s what my prayers are like these days.  Lord, You said it, I didn’t, I’m not making this up.

  • I’m not the one who said:
    • I’ll meet my every need, You said it, I didn’t.
    • I’ll never leave you or forsake you, You said it, I didn’t
    • Trust you in all things, You said it, I didn’t
    • You forgave “all” not some of my sins, You said it I didn’t
    • Rest in Me, I will provide, You said it, I didn’t

Do you see the change in the focus away from me to Him?  That’s where He wants it!

I could go on and on but hopefully this addresses what I wanted to share.

” But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and for ever. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18

George Churilla

Jul

29

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Categories: Love

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Reachout and Touch Someone

The four year old little boy walked about the forest of long legs as he looked up. He was carrying his favorite toy truck in hopes that he could find someone to play with him. ” Mommy, would you play with me? Not now, mommy is busy. Go outside and play. You have to get out of the kitchen. You are just in the way.” The little boy just took his truck and walked out into the garage, where his dad was.

His dad was busy getting chairs set up for the big party.” Daddy would you play trucks with me? The Father looked down and said, Not now son. I’m real busy getting ready for the big party tonight. Maybe some other time.” The little boy walked away, sat down on the grass and started to play by himself.

The neighborhood was all a buzz over the party, that took place once every year. Everyone was their and having a great time, when someone asked, “Where is Jimmy?” No on knew and wasn’t really that concerned at the moment. The party was just getting into full swing.

One of the neighbors realized that they had forgotten something and ran back to their house. As they were walking into their own backyard, they noticed something at the next door neighbors house. They were on vacation so they were not at the party. Something was in the pool. He went to take a closer look, and there was little Jimmy’s lifeless body floating in the neighbors pool, his toy truck at the bottom.

Everyone in this world cannot survive without love and and the security that someone really cares about me. Had any of a number of people on that day, just taken a minute from there hectic pace and their own self-centeredness, the outcome may have been very different.

Is it any wonder that our world has grown so cold and we have become so disengaged from one another? Sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives are moving through life at break neck speed and we aren’t taking the time to get to know one another. Before you know it, that person is gone, and we never took the time to tell them how much we appreciated them, and how much we loved them.

All little Jimmy wanted was someone to reach down into his world, and get down to his level, and spend a little bit of time with him. To touch him and say that you mean something to me Jimmy. I care about you. What you do does matter to me. It would have meant a whole lot to him just as it would mean a whole lot to someone that you may know today.

Is there someone that you have neglected? Have you been so busy that you can’t remember how long it’s been since you got down on the floor with kids? When was the last time you curled up on the couch with your spouse and made some popcorn and watched a movie? Or maybe gave aunt Sylvia a call and see how shes doing?

I remember an old commercial by a phone company, from way back. The slogan was, “Reach out and touch someone”. Sounds like a good idea today as well.

God bless

Brian Gosur

Jul

28

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Categories: Encouragement

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Who Do You Trust?

I remember when my boys were small, and I would stand in the pool and hold my arms out, while they were standing on the side, and I would say, “jump”. They would reluctantly look at me, and hesitate….think for awhile and move closer to the edge. I often thought, “what was really going on in those little minds? Did they really think that their Father would let them fall in the water and drown? Don’t they trust me?”

I’ve often thought about that when I face a new challenge or crisis in my own life. What must my heavenly Father think about me? He knows what I’m really thinking about. He knows if I truly trust Him all the way or if I am a little hesitant. Do I step a little closer to Him and than turn back and go my own way?

I think of the verse in the book of Job. After Job had been through some real rough times, Job said of God, ” He knows the way that I take, after He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10) God knows where you are today my friend. He knows what you are going through and He is right there at your side as you go through it. “He will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Heb. 13:5) Remember, He will not permit you to go through more than you can handle. (1Cor. 10:13)

Who do you trust? How is trust built? I remember J. Vernon McGee telling the story of a bridge that was being built in the small town where he lived. After the bridge was completed, the engineers drove huge trucks and heavy equipment across the bridge, and someone asked why they did that? Did they think it might collapse? They said absolutely not. They were proving that it wouldn’t.

Jesus asked His disciples, ” Who do men say that I am? They answered, some say you are Elijah and some say John the baptist. He asked them, Who do you say that I am, and Peter stood and answered, You are the Christ, the son of the living God.” (Mark 8:27-29)

It was from the experience of knowing and living and walking with Jesus, that Peter could say, ” You are the Christ the son of the living God.” They could not say that at the beginning.

You and I must also walk and live and commune with the living God on a daily basis. Learning and knowing more and more through the experiences we face with Him, will enable us to know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that He is the Christ, the son of the living God.

He takes us through trials and testings so that we might know, not believe, but know that He is there and that He loves us and will always take us through. We learn this from our trials and difficulties in this life.

Read (Colossians 1:9-12). The word that is used for knowledge in verse 9 means to know something from experience. Knowledge that comes from a deep intimate relationship. When you and I can gain that kind of a trust and bond with our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ, we will learn trust and faith in Him because we’ve tested the bridge, and it holds us up.

How about today? God is holding out His arms to you, and He’s saying, ” come on and jump. I’ll catch you. I won’t let nothing happen to you.” Where are you? Are you standing around the edge deciding if you should go or are you going the other way? Do you trust Him? Do you really believe what He says?

Peter said at the end of his life, ” But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”. (2Peter 3:18) Peter could say this from experience. He knew.

May God bless you.

Brian Gosur

Jul

26

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Categories: The Servant Light

Having fastened on the belt of truth…

I am convinced that the truth—the first piece of the armor of God—is the key piece of armor. It is intentionally placed at the beginning of the listed pieces of armor since the truth is where our battles with the enemy begin. The Holy Spirit moved the Apostle Paul to select the words that accurately communicated His message, but in addition, the Spirit even guided in the sequence and order of the themes that were introduced. If you are ever to overcome an addiction or gain mastery over any sinful habit, here is where you must begin. You start with the truth, and it becomes the hub and centerpiece for everything else.

Keith Churilla

Check out Keith’s web site: http://www.servantoflight.com

Jul

24

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Categories: Encouragement

Ten ‘Can’-mandments

“I can do everything through Him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13 NIV).

So often we think of commandments as a list of don’ts. Instead of focusing on what we can’t do, let’s start looking at what we can with this list of ten “can”-mandments!

1. Instead of thinking, “It will never fly,” think, “Through God’s strength, it’s worth the try!”

2. Replace the thought, “It won’t work,” with faith that, with God’s strength, it will work!

3. When someone says, “It’s never been done before,” respond by saying, “That means God’s giving us the opportunity to be the first.”

4. “What if we fail?” What if we fail to try, knowing God says we can do everything through Him who gives us strength?

5. “We don’t have the money.” Where God guides, He provides so that we can do everything He has called us to do.

6. “We don’t have the time!” Perhaps God is telling us to re-evaluate our priorities as we rely upon His direction and strength.

7. “We don’t have the expertise.” Maybe not, but we can learn as God directs our path.

8. “It’s been tried before.” But we’re wiser now because we know we can do everything when we rely on God’s strength instead of our own.

9. If someone says, “There are so many problems with it,” respond by saying, “Yet, there are so many possibilities when we’re trusting God instead of ourselves.”

10. Instead of saying, “It’s not working out,” say instead, “Let’s try it one more time, but this time focused on God and the truth that we can do this through Him who gives us strength.”

“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse (Philippians 4:8 MSG).

Rick Warren

Jul

23

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Categories: Uncategorized

No Other God Has Wounds

No other God has wounds. He cares. He comes.

In the Old Testament, God told Moses, ” I have seen the misery of my people, and I have come down to rescue them.”

The suffering servant is described in the Old Testament… God’s servant. Is He recognized when He comes? Is He acclaimed, applauded, or welcomed? No. Quite the contrary. He is tortured! He is hideously disfigured in order to bring God’s message to His people.

“So Jesus said to those who believed in him, “If you obey my teaching, you are really my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32

Jul

21

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Categories: Uncategorized

Communication Breakdown

I was driving on the freeway the other day when I saw a car, in my side view mirror, racing up to get ahead of me and pass me before his lane ended. He could have just as easy pulled up behind me but for whatever reason he felt the need to pass me and get ahead of me. This was a very dangerous move and could have ended in tragic accident to himself and other drivers I’m sure.

I thought, why was this individual in such a hurry, that they would endanger themselves and others just to pass up a car on the freeway? It is the pace of our world today. So many people are running at a break neck speed to get where they need to go. We don’t know how to stop and smell the roses. We don’t know how to relax. I think this is at an epidemic stage right now in our world.

It has spilled over into our communication skills as well. What do you do when the communication melt down hits your home?

Listening and sharing feelings is at the heart of what communication is all about. We all see things from our own vantage point. This creates my very own opinions about things that are mine. I own these opinions. They may differ from yours, but it doesn’t mean they are wrong. They are just mine, and you have yours. When we come to differing points of view, these can actually become bridges that validate our views and opinions,help each other to get to know and understand who we really are. Validation simply means that you value the other person’s views and opinions. They are important to you to help you understand who they are and how they feel. It does not mean you have to agree with them.

If during a conflict, I decide to go the other route and force my views down on the other person, and get angry because they don’t agree with me or because they feel a different way than I do, all I am doing is bulling my views down their throats. There is no validation. There is no understanding. There is no communication. There is no relationship.

Please take the time to sit down with your spouse, your friend, your kids, your parents, and listen to how they see things. How do they feel about something and why? Just the fact that you took the time to sit down with them and validate their views and opinions is telling them how much you love and care about them. You will both walk away with a little more understanding and lot more love in your hearts toward one another. I guarantee that you will feel a twenty pound load lifted off yourself. It is a great feeling.

Stop racing your life through the freeway like that driver I spoke of at the beginning of this article. Take some time. Pull off the road for a awhile and take the time to really communicate with someone you love. Learn to listen with your heart . It will change your life forever.

I’m Brian Gosur

Jul

15

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Categories: Marriage

Fire Proof Your Marriage

It’s been a couple of years since the movie, “Fire Proof”, has been out, but with all the talk of Tiger Woods infidelity, I thought I would ask the question, is your marriage fire proof?

There are three things that everyone can do to fire proof their marriages. If you put into practice these three simple commitments, your relationship with your spouse will be fruitful and long. Now I say commitments because without commitments, there is no marriage or relationship. Without commitments there is nothing at all about anything.

Commitments make the world go round. I think America has trouble with commitment, that’s why 50 percent of all marriages will end in divorce. We make commitments in business, with friends, our kids and our spouse, but pay little attention to when we break those commitments. Our commitments need our daily decisions to make those commitments work.

Here are three commitments, if put into place and followed everyday without wavering, will change your life.

1. Commit to Always Keep Growing With Your Partner

Do you remember when you and your spouse first were dating? Wasn’t that great! Nothing but uninterrupted time together. Do whatever you want. Go wherever you wanted to go. You laughed and talked for hours, and didn’t care what time it was. What happened to it? It should never stop. There are times when it may slow down, but it should never ever stop. Your kids will grow up and move away, you will retire from that job some day, but you will always have your spouse. Put some time back into your relationship and watch it grow.

2. Make Barriers and Stay Way Behind Them

The scene is two people having words with each other and the one draws a line in the ground and says,” I dare you to cross it”. You have to set up and follow those lines before you get into those sticky situations that will require you to make a split second decision. It’s not if those situations might occur, it’s when they will occur, and they will occur. That’s when the decision you make, could define the rest of your life. Just ask Tiger Woods.

3. Find an Accountability Partner

An accountability partner is someone that you go to talk about your personal stuff, whatever it is. Someone you are close to and trust with these intimate parts of your life. It could be an older person, or more then one person, but it can never ever, ever, be someone of the opposite sex. Unless it is your mother, and then you might not want to share that kind of stuff with your mother. This is very important. To have someone who can step up to you and say, “I think your wrong….. You better be careful about this….watch where your going.” These are rare people indeed, because we have a tendency to always cling to those who will say what we want them to say.

Tiger Woods was always so close to his father. I don’t know for sure, but I think that his father was kinda like his accountability partner. They probably talked all the time about different things. He went to all his tournaments and was always there to greet him when he came off the course. It was very hard for Tiger Woods after his father died. I remember that first tournament that he won after his fathers death. Tears streaming down his face, the emotional Tiger Woods wept in the arms of his wife. His good friend was not there to greet him this time.

All the infidelity problems that Tiger has been dealing with have all come after his father’s death. This is probably the most important part of the three. Learn to be accountable to someone. It could mean the difference between a healthy marriage or divorce.

My name is Brian Gosur .

Jul

9

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Categories: Forgiveness, Love, Prayer

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Where Are You?

The other night was a very emotionally draining and fearful evening to say the least for me and my family.

My wife and I were coming home from a nice meal that we enjoyed together, when she received a call from my sister-in-law. She was crying so hard that my wife had a hard time understanding what she was saying, but it was obvious that something was very wrong.

My nephew had just stormed out of their house. He said he was leaving. He had packed some things in a bag and ran out the door. Words were exchanged, and he was gone.

My brother was getting ready to go to work, when he noticed that his handgun was missing. (My brother is in law enforcement) He looked frantically for the weapon, but was unable to locate it any where. He asked his wife if she had seen it. She said no….. They both stopped and looked at each other….You don’t think….Yes….Paul had taken the weapon with him.

Paul had just graduated from college. He has an engineering degree. He is a very handsome young man. Out going and into many different organizations that reach out into the community to help those who are less fortunate than him. Cancer, teens against suicide, just to name a few. “He had everything going for him.”  How many times have you heard that one before?

One thing happened to him that would rock his entire world. The girl that he had dated for four years, and whom he wanted to marry, left him for another guy. This just happened about two months prior to this.

Paul kept all this inside. No one knew he was planning to ask this girl to marry him. He had a ring all in place. Although his parents were never on the same page as he was concerning his relationship with this girl, he wasn’t going to let their views stop him from going forward and asking for her hand in marriage. She ended all that when she walked out of the relationship.

My sister-in-law said he was acting a little strange. Not talking to anyone. Staying in his room. But he is a reserved person when things are on his mind. His girl friend was very much on his mind at this moment. Because his parents really didn’t like her, they saw this as a good thing, but Paul saw it totally different.

My wife and I rushed over to their house. We prayed together and consoled with them as the hours ticked by.

Right after we had prayed with them, a neighbor lady came done the street and dropped off a note with the story of the prodigal son. It is not unusual for her to do this. She does this often, but she didn’t know what was going on. She never knocked on the door, she just dropped the note on the porch and left. I don’t know if you know the story, but in the end, the son comes home.

That gave us a little bit of hope. Were you telling us God through this lady, that Paul would be coming home?

Frantically everyone was leaving messages on Paul phone. “Where are you”, they were asking. “Please come home.” ” We love you”, but there was never no connections made.

Finally an email message sent to his sister….. It said that he had his life all planned out. Get a good job. Marry the women that he loved. Instead he was looking at thousands of dollars in student loans. No job, and especially the girl that would put everything together was gone forever. But the hardest thing of all was the fact that his parents never thought to ask him how he was doing. Because he wasn’t doing well at all. He was distraught. He hadn’t eaten in days. He wasn’t talking to no one. Staying locked up in his room, and nobody cared. Paul was definitely at a crossroad. Now what do I do?

What is my life? At the end of the message, he said he decided to end it all. He was going to take his life with the weapon that he had taken from his father’s desk. He said his good-byes and his love, and then silence. The whole house was silent with the exception of the wales of morning coming from people.

I said in my heart to God, this can’t end like this. This young man doesn’t know you Lord. I grabbed my wife and we went into the bathroom together where we would not be disturbed. We both held each other and we cried out to God. “Lord, don’t let this happen. Let this all work out to Paul coming to know Jesus Christ as his Lord and savor.” Save him from what Satan is trying to do.”

My brother was using all his law enforcement connections to find his son. Ten minutes after my wife and I prayed we got the word that Paul was found at a Holiday Inn. He had checked into a room and was within minutes of taking his life with his fathers gun when the police arrived. God heard and answered our prayer.

Today Paul is under going treatment for his depression and will be released soon from the hospital.

“If you, O LORD, were to keep track of sins,
O Lord, who could stand before you?

But you are willing to forgive,
so that you might be honored.” Psalm 130:3-4

Jul

6

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Categories: True Beauty

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True Beauty Comes From The Inner Beauty of The Soul

I was watching Jessica Simpson on the Oprah Winfrey show the other day. Jessica Simpson’s career started as a squeaky clean personality, but fame and fortune catapulted her into the lime light and the scrutiny of everyone. The paparazzi are every where she goes, and there relentless pursuits have taken away her freedoms and her abilities to live a normal life.

With all this has come the remarks of her weight, and her personal life. Jessica Simpson is a very beautiful women. She told Oprah that her current dress size is four. FOUR! She said that the largest she’s ever been is a size six. I’m sorry folks, but that is not fat!

One of the sexiest women the world has ever known was Marilyn Monroe. She was an actress and a women that was the dreams of thousands of men. Talk about beauty, Marilyn Monroe had it all. Let me tell you what her dress size was. Are you ready for this….twelve. Yes, I said 12! If Jessica Simpson is considered fat at a size six, what would Marilyn Monroe be considered today? She would probably be thought of as obese.

The attacks on Jessica Simpson as fat and the stereotype of how all women should look today has just destroyed and killed the self image and the self worth of a huge majority of women in the world today.

My daughter has suffered with bulimia since she was in high school. She has been hospitalized a couple of times for this problem. She is now twenty six years old and still has not gotten into her head how beautiful she is. She is, what I consider, a tiny person, and more than that. She has the qualities of what real beauty is all about. The inner beauty of the soul. Ironic, her name is also Jessica.

My wife was going through some pictures the other day, and found some of her when we were much younger. She was in a bathing suit, and she was looking hot. Reminding me of one of the reasons why I was so attracted to her. I brought something to her remembrance that she had forgotten. I said, ” Do you remember honey how you thought you looked so fat back than?” She just quietly shook her head in agreement. My wife has always been concerned about her outward appearance and looks back than and still is today.

The world’s view on beauty has changed a lot since the days of Marilyn Monroe. It has become a huge industry. The beauty supplies and dieting industry has become an almost 100 billion dollar a year industry. Forcing their unrealistic images of how a women is supposed to look on all women. I don’t care what you say or how old you are, this industry is dangerous to the health and well being of all women today. I don’t know why more women’s organizations are not speaking out against this industry.

Women are made very differently than men. Forgive me, but we are not created equal. That has been the biggest presupposition I have ever heard. Men are usually bigger, stronger, and we definitely don’t think alike. Women are usually more emotional than men are. Why has the constant pounding of these tabloids against Jessica Simpson been such a traumatic and emotional experience for her? They’re just words. They are not depicting the true beauty that is in Jessica Simpson, but she doesn’t believe that. Like so many women today, they have been duped into believing all those lies. They have not taken the time to look deep inside themselves and see the real person that is in there.

If you were looking at wedding pictures that you attended or were in, I can almost guarantee that the man would look for himself. He wants to see how cool or uncool he looks, but the woman is looking at all the other women. She is doing some comparisons. She wants to see how all the others are looking and how she stacks up to them.

All these lies feed into the already very unstable and very uncertain self image of all women. The health and beauty industry just capitalizes on this weakness and manipulates it right into their bank accounts.

Ladies, you are wonderfully and beautifully created by God. He gave you all the physical attributes that attracts men to you , but much more is the inner beauty of the soul that no man can ever attain too. The ability to birth new life and to love and nurture that life into a full and mature human being. That’s what makes you far different from men. Don’t buy into the lies of the media and the industry that says you have to be a size four to look good. Look into the inner part of you. That’s who you really are. That’s what makes you, you. Because true beauty comes from the inner beauty of the soul. You have that. God gave it to you. Find it and accentuate who you really are.

Brian Gosur

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