This website was inspired by the book, Seeing God's Grace. When my husband, Heath (who is a gift from God), and I first met, our first conversations were embodied by talks about Jesus and about the desire to share what He has done in our lives. And because this has been the primary focus of our lives, we are constantly giving each other a look, because we see Him working in our every-day lives, and we know it's Him because we are following Him, and our desire, above all else, is to live our lives according to His will. Does that make us perfect? Absolutely not! But we serve a perfect Savior, and therefore, since our hearts are for Him, and our minds are on Him, then our steps are being guided by Him. Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established (Proverbs 16:3 ESV). This book, Seeing God's Grace, is a book about the transformation that takes place when a person receives Christ and follows Him, desiring a relationship with the Triune God: God the Father, God the Son, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit. It is a story of two very lost souls (can you be "very" lost, anyway) who came to a place of desperation, and at that time, there became a decision to make. Would we stay on the path of chasing the things of this world -- -- fulfilling the desires of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life -- or would we recognize this calling on our lives and step up to that calling? At that time, for me, it wasn't a calling to be some super spiritual person proclaiming from the rooftops, it was a calling to be different, to live differently, to accept that everything meant nothing without God, without Jesus Christ. It was a calling to stop trying to do it my way, and give the Holy Spirit reign and rule in my life, and to be my guide and to convict and comfort me. I had to be brought to my knees as did my husband in bringing us to this point.
I, personally, think this life is too hard. I think the world has gone mad. But when I open the word of God, I find that through all generations we've seen destruction, devastation and heartache. We've seen evil and wreckage. It seems to me that it has always been when a people and a nation become so engrossed in self-fulfillment with no respect for Creator God. I'm sure the story is much bigger than that, but for now, let's focus on that. When we do as Jesus did, and look outside ourselves, and sacrifice our "position" for the benefit of others, while keeping our focus on the Father, then the superficiality of our lives becomes the superiority of God's will for our life. Unlike Jesus, who never took His eyes off the purpose for which He came to this earth, we are distracted so easily by the things of this world. I am speaking to myself. What are the two greatest commandments? Love your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30). Well, this must be much harder said than done, because there are so few people actually doing it. But listen up, defining these two commandments took the whole Bible. That's why it takes the word of God to transform us. We are too embedded in the world's views, and not embedded enough in God's views. So, before I wrap up this blog post, let me say that I intend to unravel, rather, unwrap, God's word as I continue this journey with you. My greatest joy, each and every day, is to spend time alone with God, and let Him show me the mysteries of God. My prayer is that He will continue to transform me, and you, more and more into the image of Jesus Christ, which is the ultimate purpose of our lives. And while that sounds mundane to some of you, it is certainly the furthest thing from it. If the Creator God, the maker of you and me and this vast universe, wants a personal relationship with us, what could be greater and more exciting than THAT?! I do not know of any other thing so wonderful in all this world! So, as the title of this post says, how a small decision can turn your life around, this is true in many things, but the first and foremost "small" decision one needs to make, is the decision to believe and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, confess and repent, and follow Him. As the book, The Contagious Christian says, "believe and receive." Believe He is the Son of God, and that He was crucified on that cross, and defeated death as He was raised from the dead on the third day, that we may believe He is who He says He is, and receive His grace, becoming a child of God, and believe that the power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us in the person of the Holy Spirit, thus giving us the power to overcome those things which want to draw us away from Him.
Heath and I want to be true disciples of God, and sometimes God calls you in directions away from those you love, in order to show His love to those whose hearts He has prepared beforehand. If you are one of those people that God has called into our lives, recognize this time as a time to seek Him with all your heart, because He is trying to do a thing in you. Will you give Him your whole life, as He did for you? To this, we say, "Jesus is worth it!" We gain much more than we give up when we follow Jesus. We gain LIFE. But listen, it's never easy. But He will help you every step of the way!
Praying for wisdom and surrender today. Love, Barbara Benfield
Regarding the books, Forever Changed and Seeing God's Grace, stay tuned......their arrival is coming someday.......
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