Full Moon Living- Reflecting the Light of God

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. John 1:5


My commute to the office begins before sunrise so I’m often afforded a clear view of the moon.  I enjoy watching the changes as it goes through its phases. A few weeks ago it was so bright that I thought a porch light had been left on by accident. Today, it is in a waning phase—only a sliver of it is visible.

The moon itself has no light; it simply reflects the light of the sun, yet the amount of illumination from a full moon phase can light up even the darkest night. In that phase, its whole face is towards the sun so it reflects the fullness of the light back to earth. Contrarily, in a new moon phase it reflects no light on earth’s darkness because its face is turned completely away from the sun.

Our lives are much like the moon. We can bring no light to the world around us unless we have our face turned toward God. A life in sin reflects only the darkness within us. When we repent, we turn away from the darkness and towards the Light of the world. With this turn, we shine the light of God brightly for all to see the way. 

Unlike the moon, which is trapped by forces in a cyclical rotation around the earth, we are able to change our position. Each moment we have the freedom to choose where we will face and, in turn, just how much light we reflect to those around us.

New Moon
When our backs are turned completely towards God and instead we face the world only the darkness of our sin shows. This is how we remain until we have repented of sin.

Half Moon
In this position, we only partially reflect the light of God. We may have given our heart to Him but we aren't living fully committed to the Light. Much of the time we still reflect our own darkness.

Full Moon
This is the position God desires for us. Here we live fully as a Christ-follower, completely surrendered, deeply passionate and in perfect communication with the Light.

Living in a fallen world, it is easy for our position to change even without obvious intention. There is a sure way to know what moon phase we are in--simply consider what we give our time and attention to. Where is our focus? It is only in full moon living that we turn to God first and, in that turning see all things compared to Him.  

Message for the Journey:
Unlike the moon, you determine how much light you reflect around you. If you are out of perfect alignment, make an adjustment. Turn your face fully towards the Son so that you can shine the light of God into the world's darkness.  


Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light. -  Luke 11:35-36

7 Signs of a Heart Problem from the Word of God

                     As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart. Proverbs 27:19

 
Millions of people suffer from heart failure each year. Often the symptoms are ignored until such a critical level is reached drastic action is the only solution. Records indicate that in addition to untold surgeries, over 600,000 pacemakers are implanted across the world each year.
There are different types of pacemakers but they all serve as mini-generators for the heart. Monitoring its electrical system, they provide the needed electrical signal when the heart doesn’t. Yet they don’t last indefinitely. The battery within a pacemaker has an average life span of 7-15 years, necessitating surgical replacement.
You may never suffer from physical heart failure but each of us is born with a defective heart. Our spiritual heart fails to operate correctly when God is missing from our life. Instead of the light it was created to produce it creates darkness. From a defective heart comes “evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride and foolishness.” (Mark 7:21-22)
In essence, when we accept Christ as Savior, we undergo a sanctified surgery where God implants a spiritual pacemaker in us. It provides the sinless impulses needed for true life when our natural heart doesn’t. Its power source must be renewed, just as with a regular pacemaker, but much more frequently. In order to work optimally, it needs to be plugged into Him each day.
The more of His power residing in us, the better our heart operates out of love. The longer we go without Him, the more our spiritual heart is damaged by the misuse of the sin inside. If you have never accepted Christ as Savior, that is the first place to start. Without him, your death from heart disease is certain.
Even after salvation, the defective heart still remains within us. Our pacemaker is but a temporary tool—our hearts must be regularly monitored for signs of a problem. And just as many people overlook early signs of a physical heart problem, as Christians we too can overlook early symptoms of a spiritual heart problem if we don’t know what to watch for. The word of God teaches us seven signs of heart trouble in the book of Proverbs.  
Lacks Faith:
A healthy spiritual heart is full of faith. It believes God and his word. When we lack faith, we are relying on ourselves and the world for answers instead of the One who has all the answers.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6
Shortage of Joy:
A joyful heart is a certain sign that God is sitting on the throne of our lives. When we, who have received the best gift of all, are joyless, we reveal an unhealthy heart. This doesn’t mean we don’t mourn or feel sadness, but instead know that the present suffering doesn’t compare with our future promise. Happiness comes from happenstance, but joy comes from God.  
“For the despondent, every day brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.” Proverbs 15:15
Dissatisfied Attitude
A healthy heart is content with whatever God is giving them today or calling them to or walking them through. It doesn’t mean that we don’t have desires, just that we trust His bigger picture.
“A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer to the bones.” Proverbs 14:30
Resents Obedience:
A heart that willing obeys God is a healthy heart. It has confidence that His way is intended to give us life, never to harm us.
“My father taught me, ‘Take my words to heart. Follow my commands, and you will live’.” Proverbs 4:4
Prideful Spirit  
Pride is a certain sign that our heart is operating defectively. Pride places us above the Creator, but a healthy spiritual heart embraces the proper order of things.
          “Haughty eyes, a proud heart, and evil actions are all sin.” Proverbs 21:4
Creates Conflict
Striving to live in peace and to avoid creating needless conflict is a sign of a healthy heart. When we fault-find and stir up trouble, we are operating out of our defective heart.  
“Their perverted hearts plot evil, and they constantly stir up trouble.” Proverbs 6:14   
Speaks Harshly
Gentle words and tones come from a healthy heart, but harsh words and actions come from our diseased flesh. A healthy heart uses words to build others up, whereas a damaged heart seeks to destroy.
“The wise in heart are called discerning, and gracious words promote instruction.” Proverbs 16:21

Any one of the seven signs indicates your spiritual pacemaker is dry and your life is operating out of your defective heart. Should you see one, don’t wait. That very moment is when you need to renew your heart by plugging into the Power Source.

Message for the Journey:
Heart disease is rampant in the world today as each one of us is born with a damaged heart. Our disease impacts our own life as well as that of everyone we interact with. But as a Christ-follower, you don’t have to live that way any longer. You’ve been given a spiritual pacemaker to correct your defective heart. Yet it doesn’t work alone; it operates solely on God’s power. Plugging in all-day everyday is the only way to function out of a healthy heart and to stop causing further damage.   
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23
©AnnWilds2011
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How to Respond in a Crisis

A merchant ship with 276 people on board was struck by hurricane force winds while at sea. The gale was severe and raged for over two weeks battering the craft relentlessly. In an effort to save the ship and their lives, the crew took drastic action—they threw the cargo overboard. When that was unsuccessful, they threw important equipment off to further lighten the load. The trip had not been intended to last as long as it had so food was also of concern. They rationed their supplies, even going without eating. The crew and passengers were terrified. They gave up hope, certain they would all die—all except one.
On this ship was a Christian believer who had faith in God’s promise that he would not be destroyed. Remaining calm in the midst of the storm, he encouraged them all to eat in order to keep their strength. He openly shared his faith and by doing so, reassured the others. Trouble did not dissipate instantly; the ship broke up when it ran aground in shallow water. Yet just as the believer, the apostle Paul, promised, not a single life was lost.  
When crisis strikes, do you respond calmly like Paul? Or do you immediately act out in fear as the crew of the ship did? As believers, how we respond in a crisis is a clear indicator of where we are placing our trust and our faith.  When trouble comes:
1.      Don’t Panic- 
We’ve all seen people who respond like Chicken Little running around saying the sky is falling when troubles arise. Don’t allow yourself to become like them giving in to fear and distress. Keep things in perspective. Remember your King has everything under control. We may not know why something is happening, but He certainly does.
2.      Trust God’s word to you-
An angel spoke directly to Paul assuring him of God’s promise to keep him safe. Likely you won’t have an angel speaking to you of God’s assurances for your life, but He does speak directly to you in His word. Search it and stand on His promises about your situation. 
3.      Walk out your faith-
It’s easy to say you trust God when things are going well but it’s in the midst of the storm you demonstrate that trust. When your faith is in the fire, paraphrase Daniel 3:17-18—God is able…but if He doesn’t, we will still stand firm in faith.
                                                                                                                                ©AnnWilds2011

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