He is the way….

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good Morning.  Today is the last day of 2010.  Take time to reflect over the good, bad, great and worst parts of the year.  You should always be able to find the blessing out of every situation; no matter how big or small.  Ask yourself, “Did I do all I could do spiritually to grow closer to God?  Did I make a consistent effort to change my bad habits?” Don’t spend too much time on what went wrong in 2010, but spend more time reflecting on how good God has been to you through this year.  Then spend time reflecting on what you can do differently on a spiritual level to grow closer to God.  The closer you grow to Christ the closer you come to reaching the desires of your heart.

TFTD: He is the way

John 14:5-6 (New King James Version)

⁵ Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

As Christians we have heard the saying, “Jesus will make a way out of no way”.  I want to remind believers and inform non-believers that Jesus IS THE WAY out of no way.  When you are living in the world filled with sin and haven’t accepted the Lord as your savior, then you are living a life heading no where.  You are living a meaningless life headed for destruction.  Without Christ you are just buying time until your eternal death in hell.  However, with Christ He can change your course and lead you the right way.  He is the way out of no way.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.  NO ONE and that means NO one can come to the Father expect through Christ.  We must accept Christ as our personal savior in order to go to heaven.  You can’t get into heaven and the promise of eternal life by doing good deeds.  You have to accept the Lord.

John 3:16 says,

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

God loved you so much that He sent His Son to die for you.  Jesus carried all of your sins to the cross with Him, died, went to hell, snatched the keys from Satan, rose on the third day and ascended to heaven to sit on the right hand of the Father.  He did all of this so that you would have everlasting life.  He is the way.  You no longer have to fear a spiritual death when you accept Christ.

You made it through 2010 physically living, but spiritual heading no where.  Without Christ you are lost.  Try Christ, He is the way.

Romans 10:9 says,

⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

That’s all it takes to be saved.  If there is a little part of you that believes this, that is all you need to start your life in a new direction.  You have been wandering around aimlessly without Christ.  Once you accept Christ it’s like getting a spiritual GPS that will lead you in the right direction.

He is the way, the truth, and the life.  You cannot and will not get to heaven without Christ.  Will you try Christ today?

I pray you have a blessed New Year’s.  If Jesus came back tonight, where will He find you?

Reflections of the Son by: Nicole Ellis is available now in person, by mail order or Pay pal! Contact me at niklellis@live.com or click on the BUY BOOK NOW page on the blog*

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blogs author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole L. Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

New Year’s Eve

What are you doing for New Year’s Eve?

The club is over-rated and will not save your soul.

Come join me:

Gethsemane Baptist Church

Watch Night 2010

December 31, 2010 at 9:00pm

Hampton Roads Convention Center

1610 Coliseum Drive

Hampton, VA

FREE ADMISSION!

THEME: Let’s Get Fired Up

Featuring:

GBC Ministry of Arts

GBC Music Ministry

100 Women Dance

Preached Wordy by: Pastor Dwight Riddick and a special surprise…

Free Drawings for 7-Day Cruise in May 2011 for 2

Drawing for youth-X-box Kinect

This will be a night filled with worship.  Come and begin your new year in a new way.

 

***Please post any New Year’s Eve functions in the comment section for people to see.  Let’s give people godly alternatives to bringing in the New Year.

Leaving my old ways behind-planning the funeral today

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good Morning!

TFTD: Leaving my old ways behind-planning the funeral today

John 12:23-25 (New International Version, ©2010)

²³ Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴ Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. ²⁵ Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Everyone is buzzing about the New Year.  People are planning to cut off relationships, relocate, step into new jobs and positions in ministry and the list goes on.  But what are you doing to change personally this new year?  Many of us have been holding on to some old ways and bad habits for years.  We have experienced blessings in our lives, but not to the full potential all because we won’t “die to our old ways”.

It’s time to plan a funeral for our old ways and bad habits.  It’s time to bury negative attitudes, gossiping, back biting, promiscuity, clubbing, drinking, stealing, killing, fighting, lying, malice and anger, jealousy and envy, doubt, fear, guilt, and more.  It’s time to say goodbye to our old ways.

Every time you hold on to a bad habit you are choosing to love yourself more than you love Christ.  This type of love for yourself will cause you to lose your life.  When you hate your bad habits and your old ways you will gain life for eternity with Christ.  Are you willing to leave your old ways behind?  Are you ready to plan a funeral for your old self today?

Don’t be so anxious to cut everyone else off in your life without taking inventory over what you need to get rid of personally.  It is important to “die to self” daily.  Each day you need to have a funeral for an old habit.  When you have a funeral that thing that you bury can never return.  So leave your old ways behind.

Have a blessed day.  Start planning your funeral today.

Reflections of the Son by: Nicole Ellis is available now in person, by mail order or Pay pal! Contact me at niklellis@live.com or click on the BUY BOOK NOW page on the blog*

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blogs author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole L. Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Prepare

Sunshine’s Word of the Day

Good Morning blog family and friends!  Dear blog, I’ve missed you!  My family and I are doing much better, thank you for the prayers.   I pray that everyone had a blessed and safe Christmas holiday.  God is truly in the blessing business.  Enjoy your day and if you received a lot of snow please make a snowman, snow woman, or snow family.  (Giggling)

John 14:3 (New King James Version)

³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

Today’s Word: PREPARE

Prepare means to put in proper condition or readiness; to get ready.  2010 has been an interesting year for many and is quickly approaching its end.  Can you believe that 2011 will be here in five days?  We’ll ready or not here it comes.  Each year many people come up with new year’s resolutions.  We sit around saying what we will do different in 2011; whether it’s lose weight, relocate, become more involved in ministry, get a better job, end some relationships or negative friendships, and the list goes on.  We say all of these things and end up unsuccessful because we haven’t prepared for the new year.  We haven’t prepared for the change that will take place in our lives.

We have five days to put things in proper condition or readiness for 2011.  Don’t wait until January 1st to make a change, start preparing for your change now.  Even Jesus knew the importance of being prepared.  Jesus left to put things in proper order for us so that when the appointed time comes everything will be ready for all of His children.  It takes time to get things in order for change or to make things ready for people to move to the next level.  Why not start today.

Start preparing for 2011 by praying today for God to equip you for the new journey.  Start getting your words together to end some unhealthy relationships, start packing up some of the things of your former life to make room for the things of your new life as a Christian, start throwing out the unhealthy foods and start getting active today for your new physical life.  You will have a better success rate of completing a new task or pressing through a journey if you are prepared.

2011 is coming whether you are ready for it to come or not, put your life in the proper condition by reading God’s word more, fasting and praying more, and going to church more.  Don’t wait until January 1st, prepare for a new spiritual life today.

Ask yourself: What are some things that you need to prepare for?  Are you prepared for when Jesus comes?

Food for thought: More people spend more time preparing for summer vacation then they do preparing their spiritual relationship with Christ.

I pray that you have a blessed day in Jesus Name.

Reflections of the Son by: Nicole Ellis is available now in person, by mail order or Pay pal! Contact me at niklellis@live.com or click on the BUY BOOK NOW page on the blog*

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blogs author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole L. Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Merry Christmas

Sunshine’s Reflections

**Due to temporary illness I will be taking a mini break from Sunshine’s Reflections.  Lord willing only a couple of days.**

It’s been a rough week and a half for my family, but I serve an Awesome God that even in our sickness we can still muster up strength to praise Him for being such a Great God.

I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas!  Remember that Jesus is the reason for the season.  Don’t get caught up in commercialism.  Don’t go into debt spending beyond what’s in your wallet.  Do something different this Christmas: Spend time reflecting over 2010 and all that you have to be grateful for.  Share a few ways that God has been good to you this year or even this month.  Wait, look how good He has been to you TODAY!  Bake cookies and cake together.  Paint or draw pictures with the family.  Play fun-loving yet competitive games.  There is something wonderful about seeing family enjoying one another.  Don’t stress out about what you have or don’t have, but reflect on how great God has been to you and your family.

The joy of the Lord is within us, so stop looking for your joy within presents or even from other people.  Tap into the supernatural power that rest within your heart. 

Have a blessed and Merry Christmas!  I’ll be back real soon!

Reflections of the Son by: Nicole Ellis is available now in person, by mail order or Pay pal! Contact me at niklellis@live.com or click on the BUY BOOK NOW page on the blog*

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blogs author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole L. Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Pray without Ceasing

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good Morning!  Excuse me for not updating the blog this week.  I have been taking care of my family.  Please drink plenty of fluids, get plenty of rest (if you can), take vitamins, eat properly, button up tightly, spray down your house, wipe down telephones, and so much more.  This is flu and cold season and viruses are going around.

TFTD: Pray without Ceasing

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (King James Version)

 ¹⁷Pray without ceasing.

 As believers we have to develop a prayer warrior mentality.  We have to have a prayer filled life.  Prayer should become a way of living and not just a religious practice or routine. 

When Adam and Eve sinned our communication with God was cut off.  When God sent His Only Son to die for our sins He restored our relationship with  Him by making Jesus Christ our intercessor.  Jesus Christ hears our prayers and relays the message to God.  We lost the right to communicate with God a long time ago, but God’s grace and mercy allowed us to be able to speak with Him through prayer. 

What a privilege to be reconnected to the Father by the Son.  We should continually be in prayer when things are going well and when things are not going so well.  We should pray to God about everything.  The more time you spend in prayer the closer and more in tune you become with Christ.  The more time you spend speaking to and hearing from God the less time you have to listen to the rantings of other people and even yourself.  Believe it or not, you don’t always have your best interest at heart neither do other people.  So spend more time talking to the ONE who gave so much more for you to LIVE then talking to people who could care less about you.

Pray without ceasing.  Pray at all times.  Make prayer your first option and not your last.  Make prayer as necessary as breathing; you can’t live without it.  I need to hear from God at all times regarding all matters of my life and therefore I will pray without ceasing.

Have a blessed weekend.  Remember Jesus is the REAL reason for the Season.  Spend time talking to Him everyday! 

Reflections of the Son by: Nicole Ellis is available now in person, by mail order or Pay pal! Contact me at niklellis@live.com or click on the BUY BOOK NOW page on the blog*

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blogs author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole L. Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

100 Women Dance for New Year’s Eve

Practice is open to

ALL WOMEN in our Community

ages 16 & up!

If you missed last weekend, that’s okay! 

 You’ll be able to catch up, trust me! 

 

Please Join Us at

Gethsemane Baptist Church

3509 Chestnut Avenue

Newport News, VA

 

Saturday, December 18, 2010

4:00-8:00pm

 

We Can’t Wait to See You There!

Bring someone with you and invite any young lady or woman age 16 & up. 

 

Without Faith it is impossible…

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good Morning!  I pray that you are having a blessed day.  Remember to bundle up because it’s cold outside.  Take vitamins, drink plenty of water and get plenty of rest.  Lord, continue to cover our children during this season of weather change and sickness.  Protect the parents and everyone who is caring for anyone who is ill.  Thank you in advance!

TFTD: Without faith it is impossible…

Hebrews 11:6 (New King James Version)

⁶ But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Without faith it is impossible to please Christ.  Without faith it is impossible to live a godly life.  When you live a Christian life, your life is based on faith.  You have to believe that Christ died on the cross and rose on the third day.  You have to believe that He is coming back one day.  You have to believe that when you accept Christ you are a new creature.  You have to believe in all of these things without having physical evidence.  You have to believe in the promises of God and know that He is a healer, a provider, a bridge over troubled water, a way out of know way, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, Savior, and so much more.  How can you say that you are a Christian and not have faith?

Faith is the confident belief or trust in a person, idea or thing that is not based on proof.  Without faith it is impossible to believe in GOD!  Without faith it is impossible to please GOD.  You need this confident belief in Him.

Faith is believing even when you can’t see what is in front of you.  You have to believe and see things with your “spiritual eye” before you can see it with your physical eye.  Without faith it is impossible to please God. 

There are things that you desire right now in your life, but your lack of faith is keeping you from obtaining your desires.  Your lack of faith is keeping you from developing a deeper relationship with Christ.  You don’t have to have a large amount of faith, the word says all you need is faith the size of a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20).  Stop blocking your blessings by doubting God.  He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  The more you seek Him the more your faith will increase.  The more faith you have the easier it becomes to deal with life’s challenges.

Without faith it is impossible to please Him.  Are you pleasing God today?

Have a blessed day exercising your faith in God!

Reflections of the Son by: Nicole Ellis is available now in person, by mail order or Pay pal! Contact me at niklellis@live.com or click on the BUY BOOK NOW page on the blog*

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blogs author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole L. Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

The Blood

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good afternoon!  Happy Friday to you all!  You’ve made it to the end of another work week, give GOD SOME PRAISE!  I pray that you have a blessed weekend.

TFTD: The Blood

Ephesians 1:7 (New King James Version)

⁷ In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

 Today’s TFTD is for someone who has been running from Christ.  It’s also for those who have been straddling the fence.  You have witness the power of Jesus Christ in other people’s lives and you are scared to commit.  You are scared to turn your life over to Christ, not because you doubt Him but you are afraid to change.  You think you are going to miss out on something fun if you turn your life over to Christ.

We’ll you are right in your assumption that you will change, but you will not miss out on anything from your former life, but you are missing out on what God has for you in your new life.  God sent His Only Son to shed His BLOOD for your sins.  Jesus never sinned yet He was sent to die for those things that you did in your past, the things you do today, and the things you will do tomorrow. 

The blood of Christ redeems us; it saves our souls from a fiery grave in hell.  The blood forgives us of every sin we ever committed and every sin we will commit.  Like the song writer says, “It reaches to the highest mountain, And it flows to the lowest valley, The blood that gives me strength, From day-to-day, It will never lose its power.”

There is so much power in the blood that when you accept Him your entire life will change.  You may be unsaved, but you have witness the saving grace of the blood.  You’ve seen your family members, neighbors, friends, co-workers and even your enemies drastically changed by the blood.  Stop running.  There is power in the blood and it will meet you where you are and save your soul if you let it. 

How long will you keep running?  How long will you keep straddling the fence?  How long will you delay your blessings, peace, joy, love, security, salvation? 

There is power in the blood, will you accept Christ today?

Reflections of the Son by: Nicole Ellis is available now in person, by mail order or Pay pal! Contact me at niklellis@live.com or click on the BUY BOOK NOW page on the blog*

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blogs author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole L. Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

100 Women Dance for New Year’s Eve

 

 

Practice is open to

ALL WOMEN in our Community

ages 16 & up!

 

Please Join Us at

Huntington Middle School-Cafeteria

3401 Orcutt Avenue

Newport News, VA

 

Saturday, December 11, 2010

1:00-3:30pm

 

We Can’t Wait to See You There!