Just GO!

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" –Isaiah 6:8

The Lord calls every single human being with breath in his/her lungs to come to Jesus. Once we accept Jesus as Savior and Lord of our life, He then asks, “Whom shall I send? Who will go?” Every one of us needs to be able to say, “Here I am Lord, send me!” You know the ultimate goal as a Christian is not to gain wealth, prestige, and earthly valuables. Those things perish beloved ones. But the gift of Jesus Christ is eternal and the objective to our mission in life---Get souls saved that are dying and going to hell! Oh my I shudder at that thought of people dying and spending eternity in hell. Christ says we are to preach the Gospel-Christ’s death, burial, and miraculous resurrection to ALL people and nations.

Sure it is scary approaching people asking if they are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, but how much more tragic for the unsaved to die and go to hell. You see God in  Isaiah 7:1 gives the depiction of Jerusalem's (God’s holy city) enemies trying to attack her, but God had His hand of protection wrapped around is beloved city. 

Isaiah 7:1 “When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.”

The point is, when God Almighty sends us to do His work/will we will not be overpowered. That does not mean we will not experience trials and tribulations, but God reminds us in Isaiah 7:4 “Be careful, keep calm and don't be afraid. Do not lose heart.” He continues to say in verse 9, “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all."

He will always provide, but it is absolutely imperative for us to have faith in His ability because He precious ones is God, the Lord Almighty.  We go through tough times people and Christians it is tough being a Christian in our times; where God is mocked, but listen to this truth from Paul who said it best in 2 Corinthians 4:7-9

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

So don’t lose heart fellow Christians. Don’t miss out on the treasures and blessing God has in store for you when you obey Him and go when He says, “Go”.

I can’t say it any better so let me end with my brother Paul’s words (inspired by God) in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

What on your Television

The Holy Spirit has been convicting me and I feel like I need to share what has been placed on my heart…

James 1:14-15

“…but each one is tempted by his own evil desire he is dragged away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown gives birth to death.”

We live in a world; I believe is so VERY ungodly. Actually I believe a lot of what we watch on TV intentionally represents things on shows to throw it in the face of the religious. I think of shows like, Desperate Housewives, Dexter, The Sopranos, Nip/Tuck…I mean let’s face it, just about every show on nowadays.

Here is my problem beloved ones; just about every show endorses homosexuality, pre-marital sex, couples living together, homosexual couples adopting children, people getting drunk, women dressing/flaunting everything their momma gave them, and use foul language that would make a sailor blush. Let me tell you precious ones, at the heart of these shows is sin and when a Christian watches shows that endorse this ungodly behavior, we become desensitized to it.

I speaking from experience here; I’d watch Friends or Will and Grace, I mean heck they are funny shows, but look at the lifestyle of the people acting. After a while, homosexuality became “not that big of a deal” to me and pre-marital sex is just so common now, who “waits” anymore, I began to think. I loved, I MEAN LOVED soap operas, but holy cow batman, they don’t get more ungodly than that; adulteries left and right, scandals, bribes ect; it was like the 7 deadly sins wrapped up in one show.

The verses listed above are exactly what the Holy Scriptures warned against.  When we watch shows on television, we become accepting of the “world” and suddenly the Word of God is an old ancient book that doesn’t apply to our times. As I was struggling with watching reality shows (Real Housewives) particularly, the Lord showed me a verse that confirmed it for me, that I need to knock off watching shows that supports actions God condemns as sin.

 James 4:4 “You adulterous people don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”

I read the verse from James and it hit; whoa, I don’t want to be enemy of God and a friend to the world. As a Christian woman, I don’t need to be watching trash and sinning. To me it is sin; you see Christians we are to live a lifestyle of worship and when we watch trash on TV we are breeding sin. Be cautious friends what you watch, if it is not honoring of God…STAY AWAY from it! God will honor your faithfulness to Him, when you begin to watch something and turn the channel because you know it is something you shouldn’t be watching. Remember the heart of every one of the dirty shows is sin; don’t take time away from the Holy God who longs to spend time with you to watch filth. CHristians if you are not convicted watching these shows, I have to say there is a reason why; ask God to reveal to you if you should be watching certain shows. Read the Scriptures if you are unsure; the more you dive into God's word, the easier it is to recognize sin. 

James 1:21 says, “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the Word planted in which can save you.”

Oh and a little friendly neighborhood reminder; the same applies to music as well. Nothing drives me crazier then when I hear a Christian saying they love Lady Gaga. Friends, she is an immoral ungodly woman. Turn off the filthy music that endorses sin. Trust me, it is much better to please the Lord Almighty than the world. 

Just a lack of faith

Life. . . I’m almost sick of it. 

Why is there time for a high and time for a low?

James says there will be trials of many kinds, but persevere and I’ll be made whole

Lord, sometimes perseverance can feel too tough

But I read in 1 Corinthians, you won’t give me too much

You said you’ll give me a way out, but am I too blind to go

Lord, I’m trying to girdle up, but I gave the devil a foothold

In Ephesians, you tell me to put on all your armor to stand against the devil and his wars

I think I’m in such a hurry I grabbed a shovel instead of your sword

I’m digging my own grave as a slave to sin

Like you’re boy on the water, my faith is thin

I feel like Peter in the ocean, I’m sinking fast

But at the last second, I look up and your hand I grasp

You start pulling me up, but my faith I lack

The devil’s got my foot. God, help me hold back

Make me be still and know your timing’s not late

Like Paul, I don’t understand myself and I do what I hate

Lord, give me a heart that hates demonic ways, a shield a faith, so I can finish the race

You’re the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end.  You called me your friend.   So why do I sin?

I know you do no wrong and will never tempt me

But the devil’s on my back and I’m running on empty

Please fill me up, because he’s pulling like crazy 

I need you to intervene and help me not be lazy

Help me remember scripture, like James 4:7

Lord, the only thing I long to hear, is well done when I get to heaven

All this I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Written by my bro Nate

Sin’s deceitfulness. Have you been deceived?

Sin’s deceitfulness. Have you been deceived?

Hebrews 3:13-14

“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.”

Has your sin taken you much further than you wanted to go? Speaking from personal experience, it has me…I wanted only to go to the next town and it took me across country.  But that is the goal of Satan; to distract with something that appears to be beautiful, sweet, no harm ect. He is like the wolf from Little Red Riding Hood.; dressed to impress but wants to devour you once you have entered the home. Some sins have greater consequences than others and will cost you so much more than you want to pay…the problem is this, once the sin is committed we usually have a problem taking responsibility for our actions. Then when our life spirals out of control because of our choices, we get bitter instead of better. The longer you stay on the path of bitterness, the more work it is going to take to straighten out your life.

Let me give you some example of what I mean. A girl goes out drinking, clubbing, like most people do nowadays; she has a little too much to drink and goes home with a man and sleeps with him. A few weeks later she finds out she is pregnant and the man wants nothing to do with her or the child. She has an abortion and soon experiences an insurmountable amount of guilt and shame. She then goes into a deep depression and never fulfills the dreams she once had for herself.

Extreme but does happen; see how one sin…drinking alcohol, led to another sin- premarital sex, then led to murder of a baby, then onto guilt and shame.

But here is best part- no matter how far down the path of bitterness or shame you have gone, Jesus is right there waiting for you to grab His hand to take you down a path of righteousness. Trust me, I have been down the “valley of the shadow of death”, I blamed God for my circumstances, but He forgave me of my sins, restored my life! He is the blessed redeemer!

I don’t know what people know about the Bible, but it is not full of stories of men and women who were perfect people, who lived perfect lives, but were sinners, who God restored; because they made a choice to follow Jesus.  The Devil is deceptive and conniving, he wants to see you fail and suffer; Jesus wants you to love Him; prosper, and smile. Jesus loves you dearly; you truly are precious in His sight. I love what Beth Moore said; there is not a moment where you can say to God, “I love you” where He hasn’t already said, “I love you” first. He is the God of love. Don’t be deceived by sin, if you have, I pray you recognize the sin and turn from it. An easy way to recognize sin is this; stay in God’s Word and in prayer with Him. The more you do, the easier you will recognize the Devil’s schemes. He’s sneaky, that is why you pray the Lord’s Prayer, “Lead me out of temptation and deliver me from the evil one.” To the ones who don’t know Jesus and have never accepted Him as their personal Savior, I ask; what do you have to lose by trusting in Him? Life is hard; don’t make it more difficult by going through it alone. Besides no one will ever love you more than the One who came to die specifically for you!

And one last note; Christians be on guard. We are going to sin, but as a Christian, remember who you are representing; Jesus Christ, the Majestic Savior. Hebrews 6:6 says we crucify Christ over and over and subject Him to public disgrace when we sin and claim to be a child of God. He forgives us when we sin, but be on guard precious ones and let's encourage others to come to know Jesus. Remember believers need encouragement too; let's be there for each other.  

(This image was done by my brother)

Light at the end of the tunnel?

I have read in a week span of three status updates asking this question, “Is there light at the end of the tunnel?”

I have to be honest, why on earth are we giving Satan an inch of territory in our lives sweet ones? Why do we hang our heads low, wondering if this is all life is? Listen, Satan is such an opportunist; the king of lies is looking for any opportunity to catch his prey. You listen closely; NO ONE is exempt from being pursued by the evil one, but better news is Jesus the Good Shepherd is protecting/looking after his beloved sheep. 

You ask is there a light at the end of the tunnel? Beloved friends, there has always been a light; you just have to open your eyes. Those of us who have been in tunnels know there are lights in tunnels; which is somewhat like being outside sitting in the shade; there is still light, but you’re covered from the sun. Jesus said in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Do you see that? Jesus is light, therefore as a child of the Holy God, you will never be in darkness. 

David said in Psalm 23, “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want…He leads me beside quiet waters and restores my soul…though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil.” Read it again, because you will notice, Christ the Good Shepherd is walking us “THROUGH” the valley of death, not leaving us there. 

I don’t know what situation you are in; but rest assure, you will not always be there. Let us not hang our heads down in hopelessness! JESUS CHRIST is our blessed hope. I honestly admit my heart breaks for those who are not a saved by the blood of Jesus. I wonder where does someone place their hope and trust during their most difficult times. I know, I KNOW my God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent; He is all knowing, all-powerful, and everywhere I am during every good, bad, and downright ugly situation. I love the words David penned in Psalm 20:7-8, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, BUT WE RISE UP AND STAND FIRM.”

It’s true Christians, it doesn’t matter the circumstance or trial we will face or are facing because we are victorious through Jesus Christ. VICTORY is ours Christians, now CLAIM IT, OWN IT, press on, and never ever quit, because when we are weak in our flesh, our Almighty God, Protector and Defender is our strength!! 

Luke 9:22 Jesus said, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” The Greek word for deny is arneomai, which means to disown or renounce. Our flesh is sinful, weak and easily tempted into sin. Jesus said you want to follow me, disown your flesh, pick up the cross, and follow my example. Victory is ours because of what Jesus did on the cross. Carrying the cross is kind of like lifting weights. It’s heavy at first, but we grow stronger. How do we carry our cross? Meditate with God in prayer, read His word. His word is our strength, the more you’re into His word, the more you grow and rely on Jesus in faith. You feel like the lights have gone out in your house? Trust me, the Lord God’s word will encourage you to the core of you heart to give you strength and hope to continue on. Put your boxing gloves on and fight the good fight! If the Lord is with you (and He always is), then who can be against you precious ones? 

Romans 8:18, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” 

Just Wondering Why?

Do you feel like you are standing in a BIG question mark at the end of "WHY"? 

Perhaps you ever feel like King David when he asked of God in Psalm 10, “Why O LORD do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” 

When we so often go through times of trouble we wonder where God is, especially if we can’t seem to catch a break. Honestly I have been through a couple of tough years, and wondered many times “God are you even here, do you hear my prayers?” Dr. Jerry Falwell used to say; “You are either in trouble, coming out of trouble, or about to get the phone call.” True right? Somewhere we are in one of these categories. Life is full of troubles, but it is so nice to know, as a Christian and child of God I have safety and comfort in my Lord. I joked with my husband and mom that a few years ago I got that “phone call” and have been on the phone for too long and now finally can end the call. But ahhh life just doesn’t give you a break does it? I almost wish I could press the ignore button on the phone of life or even silence it. 
I can say many times I have asked God the simple question of “Why”. I admit many of my “whys” were because of on own misjudgment; but Jesus in all His sovereignty still calls for us to rely on Him. Even when we have walked from His light and into darkness He still awaits for our return. When we return He is there; He delights when we come home to Him. 

Because we are continuously facing trials it so important for us to cling to God, He said He is our strong tower, our place of refuge. Let me just give a few suggestions when we are going through our storms of life;

1. Pray. Pray. Pray. But don’t talk too much that you miss God’s reply. Jesus said in Luke 22:46, “Get up and Pray so you will not fall into temptation.” I believe the worst thing we could do during a bad situation is lean on our understanding instead of acknowledging God (Proverbs 3). 

2. Wait on the Lord and know He is God. “Be still and know that I am God”-Psalm 46:10
a. How do you wait on the Lord?
i. Never be too busy for the Lord. Be quiet, pray, read the Word of God and seek counsel from Godly men or women. 
ii. Dr. Falwell said, “The urgent is often unimportant”. Isn’t this true. We think we are in dire need, but precious one, God is there and will provide every time on His time. 
iii. Seek God; Jeremiah 2913-14 “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you declares the LORD and I will bring you back from captivity.”

3. Do no fret or worry, but delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:1,4,7)
a. How is this so you may ask?
i. Jesus said in Luke 12:22 “Do not worry about your life”
ii. In Psalm 37:4 the Word says Delight yourself in God and He will give you the desires of your heart. The Hebrew word for delight is “anag” which means to enjoy, mock, imitate”. You see when we become so close to the Lord we want to “mock/imitate” what He does and our desires become His desires. Hence He will give us the desires of our heart. 

4. Once God responds to our prayers and lies upon our hearts what He requires, do not hesitate, just GO. We will reap benefits if we are obedient to His command. 
a. Galatians 6:8-9, “The one who sows to please the Holy Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
b. Remember to just GO! Or consequently you may just end up in the belly of a big fish like Jonah if you ignore God. 

He hears your cries beloved ones, but you must seek Him first! When you get the dreaded phone call; call on the name of the LORD, He is your Father, let Him help you. If you are still on the phone, seek Him for guidance, and remember this too shall pass. Finally, when you can hang the phone up and have peace, Praise His holy and glorious name, because you are now stronger because of Him. 

Jeremiah 29:11 God said “I have plans for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me and I will listen to you.” Amen! 


A song by Avalon entitled You were there!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnNxP2k4Nn4

How far are you will to go?

How far are you willing to go?

If I may make a suggestion; read a chapter a day from the book of Acts, it has 31 chapters for 31 days and on the 30 day months you can read two chapters ;) But this is such a profound book of the Bible and has completely captivated me. I was reading the story of a man named Stephen who happened to be the first man martyred for the cause of Christ.

His story begins in chapter 6 and ends with his death by stoning in chapter 7. He preached fervently and passionately the story of Grace and Redemption, the story of Jesus. The Bible says Stephen was a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and this precious soul died claiming the same words of Christ when He was on the cross; Acts 7:59-60 captures the last words of this dying man, “’Lord Jesus, receive my spirit’. Then he fell to his knees and cried out, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he fell asleep.”

How much do you care how others portray you? Are you afraid to talk about Christ and His story of redemption? A lot of Christians say they would give up their life for Christ, but how many of us actually would be willing to go that far? When we are in crowds and Jesus is brought up; but being mocked, do you have the guts to defend His glory? Beloved Christians when you’re with a group of family or friends and they are cursing and drinking like a sailor, do you have enough conviction to say, “This isn’t where I should be, I’m going to leave”? Do you have enough conviction when you’re in a place/position with a man or woman who isn’t your spouse to say, “NO I am going to wait till marriage?” Spouses, parents, daughters, sons, friends, when you have wronged someone, will you apologize first to set the example or let your pride hinder your forgiveness?

You see Stephen was a follower of Christ, a preacher of the Word of God when people considered the Gospel unpopular. What an example, a man who kept pushing on till the very end of his last breath (LITERALLY). He was faced with opposition, told to stop speaking the name of Jesus, but Stephen said no continued confessing Jesus as Savior.

Do you know why I think Stephen wasn’t afraid to share the story of Jesus? He knew people were in desperate need of a Savior and Jesus is the One and only who could purify all people’s heart. He knew this life on earth wasn’t it and Christ had a mansion prepared in heaven waiting for him. Best of all, the Lord God was going to be there to welcome him when he arrived. His blessing was not on this earth, but in heaven. So I ask, why are we ashamed of the Gospel? People God CHANGES lives! Christ gives us everything we need and more when we are obedient to Him. Why wouldn’t God Almighty, the Most High God want to bless His children?

We are not so much more different than Stephen. You see, we have liberals screaming for people to stop talking about Jesus. They want to ruin Christmas because it is about who…you guessed it CHRIST! I think it is really great that we have tea parties to “take back America”, but by golly, we Christians need to be rallying and organizing to say, this is ONE NATION UNDER GOD and you can’t silent us about Christ! No more should we be pushed and bullied by the godless. Are we too afraid of how the media will treat us? Too afraid of how people will look at us because we believe Jesus is Lord and Savior? I don’t know what is stopping us, but I will say this; we need more Stephens in our world. Who are willing to stand up for the cause of Christ; preaching, proclaiming the name of Jesus, no matter the end result. Paul said in Philippians 1:27, “What ever happens conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.”

I love the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:21, “To live is Christ, to die is gain.” Our cause and purpose in life is Christ, but if we die, our gain is to be in eternity with Christ in heaven. Come on, can a sister get an Amen or what? :D
Remember, don’t hate those who persecute you, but pray for them continually. 

Unanswered Prayers?

Just something kind of cool before I begin, did you know Psalms means Praises…neat right? I love the book of Praises. Anyways I’m in my living room, reading God’s word in the book of Psalms and I came across a powerful powerful yet convicting words in Psalm 3:4-5 “You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil, with You the wicked cannot dwell. The arrogant cannot stand in Your presence; You hate all who do wrong.”  My purpose for writing this is to ask you; when you pray do you feel like your prayers are going unanswered? If you will, may I suggest couple of reasons why you feel you may be going unnoticed by God.

Verse 3 says, the wicked cannot dwell with God, and He hates all who do wrong; the Hebrew word for hate is “sane”, which means to be shunned, or to be an enemy of. You see when we sin; God shuns us until we repent of our sins. Before Jesus we were separated from God because of our sin, but when Jesus died on the cross He became the bridge between man and God. Jesus the precious Lamb was crucified for our sins. God said He can’t dwell with the wicked, well if you have sin present in your life, He won’t answer your prayers. The best prayer to say was given by the Son of Man in Matthew 6:9-13, which is also known as the Lord’s Prayer. The very first part of the prayer is Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be your name. Hallowed in Greek is hagiazo, which means, “to be set apart, holy.” You see our God is a Holy God and to be in His presence we have to be blameless, which means we need to ask forgiveness from God our Father. Verses 11 Jesus says you need to forgive others as Your Father in heaven also forgives you. Matthew 6:14 says if you don’t forgive men when they sin against you, then your Heavenly Father won’t forgive you of your sins. Yikes, how dreadful!

Another reason your prayers may not be answered is you’re not praying for God’s will to be done. Meaning, you’re praying selfishly. Here’s an example of a selfish prayer, “Dear God, I’d really like to have a brand new car, you know, one that drives fast and looks good. I mean you do want me to be happy right? And God if you wouldn’t mind giving me some more money, you know, so I can afford a new car. Also just one last thing, Susie was talking smack about me to some of my friends, would you mind getting her back for me? Thanks a bunch, much love xoxo”

The Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:10 Jesus said we need to prayer for God’s will to be done, as it is already is in heaven. Pray to be humble, selfless, to do your job to the best of your ability and with a good attitude that represents Christ, to deepen your love in Christ, that your heart would be open to His word and truth. Listen, it’s okay to pray for earthly, things, but make sure it is not for selfish ambition. We’ve already read how God ignores the arrogant, so come to Him on bended knees! He’s the King of kings and a Holy God; not your personal genie or Santa Clause. James 4:3 has this to say about prayers with wrong motives, "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures". 

Beloveds, God loves you and wants to chat with you; remember you are His child and He is your dad, so communicate with Him on a daily basis and with a pure/clean heart.

Precious ones, always ALWAYS pray in Jesus name and His will be done, because His name holds the power. James 5:16, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” A righteous man is one who fears the Lord. What does it mean to fear the Lord? According to Proverbs 8:13; God says to fear the Lord is to hate all evil.

If you still feel like your prayers are going unanswered, ask God to show you the sin that is blocking your communication from Him. Or maybe if a particular prayer isn’t being answered, that is actually your answer which would be a “No”. He knows what is best for you. As humans we don’t know what the next minute holds, but God Almighty knows when our last breath will be. Ask God to feel His presence and reveal Himself to you, because the closer you grow to God, I promise your life will drastically change.

Just a friendly neighborhood reminder: Pray daily, multiple times even the Lord’s Prayer. That is Jesus’ perfect prayer for mankind to God.

I’ll end with this beautiful verse from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” 

In Debt Keeping up with the Jones'

Beloved ones, why do we seek the approval of women and men over God’s? I wonder why we try and impress our friend and even those we don’t particularly care for with things that are perishable. We’ve become a society where our “things” define who we are. Like people are really going to care what kind of car you drive, what house you live in, or what brand of watch is on your wrist. Let me tell you precious friends, if you are worried about what your friends are thinking because they will look at you differently because of your “stuff” then they are not real friends to begin with. My best friend Abby I can say with absolute assurance is not my friend because of the car I drive or the house I live in; we are best friends and love each other like sisters because we are loyal to each other and share our deepest secrets with each other in confidence. 

You’re property doesn’t define you. Who you are in Christ is what is important. Remember, Hebrews 13:5? It's quite convicting if you start getting itchy to swipe your credit cards, "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have" We need to stop looking for approval of our peers and digging our debt deeper trying to keep up with the Jones. Acknowledge the King of kings who gave up His precious life willingly for you and me sweet ones. Proverbs 3:6 says, “In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” Do you know what it means to acknowledge God? The Hebrew word for acknowledge is yada, meaning “to know, to understand, and recognize.” Acknowledge God in all your ways He says; which means not just in your troublesome times, ALL times. How much time a day do you give the Almighty sovereign Lord recognition on a daily basis? Sweet things if you are after the admiration of your friends more than God’s you are believing a crafty lie from Satan. King David said in Psalm 62:7-8, “My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge, Trust in Him at all times O people; pour out your hearts to Him for God is our refuge.” 

Let me ask you; what do you want to be known as, a man/woman after God’s own heart or a man or woman after the things of this world? I just want you to know Jesus loves you dearly. He calls you just where you are in your life to be a child of His beloved Father. Listen, once you become born again by Jesus’ grace on the cross and nail scared hands, according to 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is past, the new has come”! Hallelujah! You no longer have to be of the world, seeking their approval but the love and affection from Jesus, the Son of the Lord God! Jesus changes lives, He came for you, and all you have to do is receive Him! Whatever insecurities you have, lay them at His feet. Jesus wants to wrap you up in His unfailing love beloved. 

As I stated earlier acknowledge God; strive after a deeper friendship with Him. If you are looking to impress someone, impress God to be as much like Him as possible. I love this verse; sweet ones engrave this into your heart and remember God’s word stands forever. This life is not all we have; live it to the fullest of what God gives you. Don’t be miserable in trying to impress people who in actuality don’t even care about your things or trying to out do you; in the mean time probably spinning yourself into debt trying to keep up with Dick, Jane, Joe and Mary. Sad truth but I think is true. Ok now with truth from God you need to engrave, Isaiah 40:7-8 says, “The grass withers and the flower fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the our God stands forever.” AMEN!!!! 

Marriage belongs to God

Christians and Conservatives have been battling in recent years the hot topic of marriage. Mainly we have heard on the news how homosexuals want to be able to legally marry their partner of choice, and have been denied repeatedly this right in most states. Now states are giving couples who live together for an extended amount of time the same recognition as those legally married. Marriage belongs to God, not man, so we do not have the right to redefine God's laws. Marriage has become a mockery, and Galatians 6:7 says, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." Well, beloved ones, we will reap what we sow.

I was reading in Hebrews 13:4, God said, “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.”

Marriage is an institution ordained by God Almighty Himself and I don’t think I can truly express in words how society has twisted and perverted the sanctity of marriage.  Do you think most people honor marriage? I don’t think so, in fact I think if I pulled statistics of those who are unfaithful in their marriage would show a drastic increase in recent years, as well as the number of people moving in together without being married first. I realize most people probably say, “A piece of paper (marriage license) doesn’t define our commitment.” but here is my response; you are not honoring the courts by getting a license to be married, you are honoring God, because marriage is so sacred to Him.

Who could be encompassed with the sexually immoral; homosexuals, polygamist, those who have pre-marital sex, men/women living together outside of marriage, an adulterer, and I would even add a man or woman with holding sex from their spouse for selfish reasons/or gain (1 Corinthians 7:2).  Please understand I am not judging, I merely want to share the seriousness of marriage.

Christians out there, who know this truth and still live in sin, will suffer greatly on judgment day.  Hebrews 10 26-29 says this about a man or woman who sins deliberately against God

“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of Truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected to the Law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?”

Essentially what those verses are saying is this: In the Old Testament, those who disobeyed God died, usually instantly, and I believe so they could be made an example. If you disobey Me (God), this is what will happen.  I just want to add this because I believe most do not understand the “Law”. Basically the Law is the rule book on how to live a life worthy of God, and you will see in the OT, Jews giving animal sacrifices to atone their sin against God. When Jesus Christ died on the cross He atoned our sins. He is our sacrificial Lamb. When Christians accept Christ as their Savior and deliberately sin against God, we are making a mockery of Jesus. We embarrass Jesus when we continually sin. So you bet, if we are unrepentant then we are going to suffer big time on Judgment Day.  I know this note seems as though God is all about judgment and punishment, but God is love, protection, mercy, and grace.  His words are not to harm us, but to prosper us. He loves you dearly beloved friends, which is why He wants to protect you from sin.  How do you avoid sin, you stay firm in God’s word and live out His word in your daily life.

If you are living in one of the perverse ways I described above, I promise you it is not too late to ask the Forgiver to forgive and change the course of how you are living. I can guarantee you the temporary “satisfaction” are not worth the wrath of God, the Holy One.  I think a big mistake we have made is, forgetting God is so very holy.  He will never prosper us nor will we grow if we are living in sin. It just goes against the very nature of who God is. 

Remember we answer to a higher calling; do not let this world entangle you in their sin! Society wants to pervert the institution of marriage and slam the Creator, but  Christians we need to say NO, not on our watch!  “We are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.” –Hebrews 10:39. 

I can only imagine :)

In Revelation 21, John is describing all the wonders he sees about the new heaven and new earth that will one day come. These beloved are not just words on a page, but words that will one day become a reality! I CAN’T WAIT!

So here it goes…I’m so excited just writing it, because it just seems so surreal!!!!

Revelation 21: 2-6

“Then I, John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold the tabernacle of God is with men and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold I makes all things new.” And He said to me “Write for these words are true and faithful.” And He said to me, “It is done!  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give the fountain of water of life freely to him who thirsts.”

I can’t believe this is going to be my future. God is going to dwell with me forever and ever! How exciting right? And do you notice throughout the verses it is God making things happen and is allowing us to partake in this with Him? For example verse 3 says “God WILL dwell with them and they shall be HIS people. God Himself WILL be with them and be their God.”

Notice we are under His authority! Don’t mistake being under His control as captivity, but freedom!  2 Corinthians 3: 17 says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty.”

I hate to add this, because it is a grim topic, but it must be discussed. Hell, the lake of fire is a very real place, just like Heaven is.  Revelation 20: 15 says, “And anyone not found in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” The Book of Life has every name of everyone who by faith has accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior of their life. Anyone whose name is not in the Book is cast into hell, and verse 10 says, “and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Yikes, that’s dreadful and scary. It makes me sad because I know people who are not saved, and with their last breath will be cast in the lake of fire. Oh beloved friends, those of you who don’t know Jesus personally, please don’t let this moment pass, because we are not guaranteed our next breath.

Heaven is at stake dear ones. If you want to read more about the look of heaven continue to read on in chapter 21, verse 11-27

Jesus said in Revelation 22:7, “Behold I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of prophecy of this book.”

Heaven is a beautiful place and we will one day dwell with God in eternity! But the downside is, for those who have not accepted Jesus Christ in their heart will spend eternity in a life of torment in a lake of fire.  

Jesus is the Bright and Morning Star! He loves you dearly and wants to be with you always and forever more!!!!!!

What do you want Me to do?

I was reading Mark chapter 10 this evening and something struck me as odd or interesting I should say. There are only a few points I want to touch on in this chapter, beginning in verse 33.

Jesus said to His disciples, “Behold we are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles. And they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”
Now on to verse 35-40

They James and John the sons of Zebedee came to Him saying “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.” And Jesus said, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
They said to Him, “we are able.” So Jesus said You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized, but to sit on the My right hand and on My left, is not Mine to give, but is for those for whim it is prepared.”

Ok here is what I find interesting. Christ’s disciples, whom He loved dearly, and they Him, just revealed He would be mocked, spat upon, betrayed, and ultimately die; and yet His precious disciples bypassed His words and went straight to their request and may I add, a bit of a selfish one. My question to you is, how often does God talk to you about up coming events and you just by pass Him with your requests, which often times isn’t about God’s will for your life, but “give me” requests?

When we get too eager about what we want that we don’t take the time to meditate on God, we miss some really important information. I know if I heard Christ say, “you know I am about to die, not only that but will be betrayed, mocked, and hated by those I love.” I would be wondering what shmuck is about to betray the Lord, and hopefully it would not be me. I would want to ask how He would die, when, and why? What does God the Father think of this event? How do You feel? Are You prepared?

How often do we come before God in prayer and ask His will to be done before we spout off our wish list? Can you think of decisions in your own life, where you made them without asking God first if this is what you should do? Don’t feel alone; I know I certainly have.

Something else I thought was interesting out of these few passages of Scripture is James and John’s request. What is even more interesting is Jesus already knew what they were going to ask. It makes me wonder, did Christ maybe cackle inside knowing what they were about to ask? These precious followers of Christ asked if they could sit on the right and left side of the throne in Heaven.

I can’t help but think, did they somehow think they were deserving of such seating; to be at the same level of the God the Father and our Savior Jesus Christ? My question to you, how often do we equivocate ourselves to God? I’d say most of us do it without intentionally doing it. But when we make decisions outside of God’s provision, we most certainly are acting as our own god. How about when we don’t tithe our income because we are afraid we will come us short by next paycheck? You got it friends, we are playing god.

Here are some truths:
1.God is God, we are not.
2.We bow before God’s throne; we do not sit next to God on His throne.
3.God possesses all authority; He alone causes the sun to rise and fall, the seasons to change, and air for you to breath.
4.Jesus Christ came as a servant to serve; we are not born to serve ourselves and our own fat appetite (figuratively speaking)
5. Jesus Christ alone saved humanity from eternal damnation in hell, by giving Himself up on a cross. Our sins were nailed to the cross.

I’ll end by saying this, Christ died on the cross, our sins separated us from the Holiness of God. When Christ was nailed to the cross He saved us from our sins. How do we get to heaven and spend eternity with the Almighty God, Creator of you and me? You recognize you are sinner, separated from God, and by faith receive Jesus Christ in your heart, believing Christ died for you, was buried, and rose again 3 days later just for you beloved.

Christ said in Mark 10:45, “…to give His life a ransom for many”.

Lutron is the greek word for ransom found in the verse above, which refers to the payment of a price in order to purchase the freedom of a slave. The idea of Jesus as the “ransom” is that He paid the price with His own life by standing in humanity’s place as a substitute, enduring the judgment that was deserved for sin.

Rejoice in Sufferings? Who you kidding?

Romans 5:1-5:

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.

Verse 1-2: Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

I am going to begin with what I feel is the most important building block to living a successful life according to God’s teachings. Accepting Jesus is the foundation of our life. You see the only way we can gain access to God is through Jesus Christ, by accepting Christ as our Savior and Lord of our lives. You must believe by faith Jesus Christ died for our sins on a cross, was buried and raised 3 days later by God Almighty’s power. Once you receive Christ into your heart, the Holy Spirit, who is the 3^rd man in the Trinity comes to live in your heart. As a matter of fact the Holy Spirit doesn’t just come to live in your heart He is sealed in your heart. Ephesians 1:13 says, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise”.

Essentially you have God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’s Spirit sealed up in you forever and ever and no one, not even you can take away the Holy Spirit from living inside you once you have accepted Jesus as Lord the Savior.

Without Jesus, we are so unworthy and unholy to stand in His presence because we sinners. But Christ has now given us access to the Father, when we pray, read His word, communicate His message to believers and non-believers, and most importantly live our lives daily that is acceptable to Him. Jesus said in John 15:5 “Apart from Me you can do nothing”, so without Salvation and Christ living inside us, we can nothing of eternal importance. But through God’s grace He has given us His beloved son, who settled the relationship between God and man. We have been given peace, a peace that surpasses all understanding. That is why Christ said in John 14 “I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes to the Father in heaven except by me.” He is the reason we can stand in the presence of our Holy God.

Verse 3-4 “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

Do you know we can rejoice during our sufferings? As Christians we can have faith in God to know He sees every situation, every tear, every broken heart, and most importantly know everything is under His control. But we must remember, while He is in control, we also have free will and must CHOOSE to trust in God. Wait on Him during our sufferings. Even though we are sometimes surrounded by friends or family who are not obeying God’s word, this does not give us an excuse to act sinfully.  We are called to live by every word from the Word of God.  God won’t make us obey Him or have faith in Him, it is a choice. We have to choose to tap into the Holy Spirit to comfort us, encourage us, and to feel His presence.  How do we this? You do it by praying daily and reading God’s word. Listen precious ones; God’s word is power, Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 “For we know brothers loved by God that He has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with POWER, with the HOLY SPIRIT and with deep conviction.”

I will even add; you can avoid quite a few trials if you would just live by God’s word, it’s to prosper and protect us, never to harm us. A lot of our own problems are caused by our own sinful behavior or actions. Listen 1 Peter 1:13-14 tells us “Therefore prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.”

Here is the ultimate goal when we go through trials and are suffering; it is so the Lord God Almighty can be glorified.  God will always honor our obedience, and people will take notice how you act during the problems, sufferings, and trials in your life. That is why we need to let Christ’s light shine through us during the darkness of our storms. 

We will always have problems in life; we can’t run from them, ignore them and hope they go away. But what we can do is face them, because we have a God that is greater than any mountain in our life. I love what Dr. Falwell used to say, “We need to stop telling God how big our mountain is and start telling our mountain how big our God is”!! Even if you are the one who caused the trial or suffering, it’s ok, turn it over NOW to God and let Him take the reins from here on out. He wants to, so just let go and trust Him. He is God Almighty!

Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” This should be our goal, to fight the good fight and finish the race strong.

Verse 5 “Hope does not disappoint; because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit was given to us.”

This is my favorite part. I want you hear this great truth. When we are suffering, our blessed hope is Jesus Christ. Why are we to have hope in Jesus, because He never fails? This verse started out saying, “We need to rejoice during our sufferings because it produces; perseverance, character, and hope.”

Trials show what we are made of. God gives us endurance and strength during our suffering, tells us to push on, which in turn produces character, experience, helps us grow, and ultimately produces hope/love in our Salvation. Ok hang with me here because I’m going to show you a great truth. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 says this, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” That my beloveds is just who God is. Because in 1 John 4:8 says “God is love”.  Beth Moore put it this way, “God is love, it is His isness, He can’t be anything other than love.” So here the point, trials ultimately produce hope, hope is love, love is God, and love never fails, meaning God will never fail. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. His love is free; it overflows in abundance, and a gift given by Jesus who paid it all. All we have to do is accept Christ and this is the type of treatment we get in return.

My last point and I will conclude. What will you do with your life? God has a plan and purpose for your life. His word says in Ephesians 4:4 “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling.” You have a calling for your life, God says that you do. The only way sweet friends to find your calling is to ask God to reveal Himself to you daily, to show you the way He wants you to go and repent daily of your sins.  Be a man/woman after God’s own and please allow Him to change your heart. You should never stop growing in Jesus Christ. He has so much to teach you, but listen to Him when He calls, never be too busy for the Lord God, and be willing to go, when He says go.  Please don’t get caught up in the worldly pleasures because they bring no satisfaction and will disappoint. God never disappoints. His timing is so perfect. You’ve made mistakes, heck we all have, but life is not over. You press on and ask God to use you for His glory. Bringing glory to the Father is our purpose in life.  I know from experience so please take heed to this, you are the only one standing in the way of God’s plan for you. People can’t stop the plans God has for you; He will simply move them out of the way.  You are His precious one, His beloved child, who is called to greatness and now is the time to fulfill your calling for His kingdom. 

 Isaiah 43:1, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine."