Category: Forgiveness

GOD IS NOT DEAD

It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that I am able to survive & thrive here in this world. When I try living life without Jesus, I am a miserable mess. I spent years searching for happiness, as the song says, “Looking for love in all the wrong places…” What about you? Are you searching for that elusive happiness – the perfect man/woman, car, job, clothes, things… acceptance? Having so much ‘fun’ that you can ignore the misery you feel? I can tell you unequivocally, with total assurance, there is only one path to happiness – ONE Way, and it is through Jesus.

“I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling…. That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what GOD has prepared for those who love Him.’ ” 1 Corinthians 2:3,9

Think of the best situation, the absolutely, most breathtaking place you can imagine. Have you been to awe-inspiring places? Seen beauty that is beyond words to describe? Well, imagine those places and things, and heaven will be thousands, no, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of times better! I can hardly wait…. I will get to see Jesus, face to face! I’ll see my earthly Daddy, and my Grandma, and other friends and family who have already gone. Will I see YOU there?

ANSWERS

“This is what the LORD says, He who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is His Name: ‘Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ Jeremiah 33:2‭-‬3 (http://bible.com/111/jer.33.2-3.NIV)

God says to us “Call to Me and I WILL answer you….” Seems like a pretty straight forward statement. I wonder why we question it so often, but really, I already know the answer. We question it, because we don’t get the answer we think we want. God ALWAYS answers prayer. ALWAYS. The first problem is that we ask for blessings on a decision we’ve already made, but we decide (WE decide) that God should agree with it. After all, He’s too busy to deal with every decision we make, right? Wrong. He is aware of, and cognizant of, every single thing that takes place on earth and in the heavens. EVERY. SINGLE. THING.

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26 (http://bible.com/111/mat.6.26.NIV)

Another problem we create is that we, in our infinite wisdom, think that we can make better decisions concerning our lives than God is capable of. After all, it’s MY life, so I know better, right? Wrong again, and oh, how wrong.

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” Matthew 6:31‭-‬32 (http://bible.com/111/mat.6.31-32.NIV)

“For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer, but the Face of the LORD is against those who do evil.” 1 Peter 3:12 (http://bible.com/111/1pe.3.12.NIV)

God sees all we do, and He has an answer for each one of our prayers. Sometimes He says yes, sometimes He says no, and sometimes He says wait. Not ‘maybe’, but ‘wait’. Big difference. Of course, being the impatient, ‘I want it NOW’ people (humans) that we are, we often decide that instead of ‘wait’ God really means that we should just make the decision without His blessings and move on with our lives. Guilty as charged, and let me assure you, from ample real life experience….. when God says to wait, it is in your best interest to put on the brakes and WAIT, because every decision we make has consequences. Some turn out well, while others… well, let’s just say that I have had quite a few epic fails in my life because of my decisions. When I let God steer my life, it is SO much better!

“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” Psalm 37:7 (https://psalm.bible/psalm-37-7)

I still get impatient and want answers NOW, and then I remind myself that sometimes, waiting IS the answer. Ugh.

And The Greatest of These

 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, 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. …. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4‭-‬8‭, ‬12‭-‬13 

Beautiful words; words to live by. Just as Jesus pointed out, and written about by Paul, we are to be united as the body of Christ in LOVE:

  “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.” – 1 Corinthians 12:12‭-‬14 

A Christian is, by definition, in love with the Savior. As Christians, we should be striving to apply that love in every area and every aspect of our lives. Why is it so difficult to love each other? We let so many things get in the way of our love. People, places, things. They will NEVER be enough, and they will ALWAYS disappoint. Welcome to our world. Skin color, economic status, country of origin, whatever …. don’t even bother trying to deny your prejudice. We all suffer from from that disease! It is through our LORD, Jesus Christ, that we can overcome prejudice and live Love. Faith, Hope, Love. ONLY available through Jesus! Hallelujah and Amen!

Let it out so that love can wash over you AND all the people around you.

(Scriptures are from  http://bible.com/111/NIV)

Depression – It’s ALL In Your Head!

So, this post may be focused towards women, but it applies to everyone. 

Over the years, I’ve gone to multiple doctors with a litany of symptoms including fatigue, extreme lethargy, unexplainable aches and pains (and more). They would tell me that there was nothing wrong with me physically; therefore, whatever was bothering me was probably just menopause (really? At age 30???) and definitely was just in my head. Women get stuck with that diagnosis frequently. I have to say:

Bosh. Poppycock. Bologna! 

Turns out the docs were right…. although they were also terribly wrong. It wasn’t menopause, but it was in my head. I battled undiagnosed depression for years. It was only in the last few years that it was recognized and diagnosed, so for many of those years, life was a Catch-22 for me. I knew there was something wrong. There were so many times I fought my way through the fog and ‘molasses’, just to collapse into bed or the couch. If not for my animals and the knowledge that they depended on me, I could have just stayed down for days on end. It was all in my head…. so why wouldn’t my body behave??? My body responded like a sloth, and the effort to do ANYTHING took such effort, why bother trying? Obviously (but only obvious to me), if I were such a failure, really, why stick around? When I would drive somewhere, the pull of bridges and overpasses could be really strong. Who would care that I was gone?

  “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have Life, and have it to the full.” – John 10:10 NIV

I know without a doubt that those thoughts comes straight from the enemy! He is a thief, and he does everything he can to steal our joy and destroy lives. God has given us physicians so that they can help us, not harm us, and any doctor who dismisses us with “It’s all your head” is NOT helping. Whether consciously or not, they are furthering the agenda of the enemy with those words. I already felt worthless; to have a DOCTOR tell me there’s “nothing” wrong, when I could FEEL the wrong inside me…. let’s just say it didn’t help at all! I finally saw a doctor who recognized my physical symptoms for what they really were. I was depressed, not physically ill. At first I resisted the notion. Why would I be depressed? That’s just an excuse for lazy people, right?

No, not at all. After ruling out any underlying physical conditions, this was the conclusion, and she put me on antidepressants. Ugh. There is such a stigma attached to taking these things, especially among the Christian community. I have heard all of the platitudes. “Have more faith. You aren’t praying hard enough. With God on your side you can just push through it. It’s all in your mind; let God have it.” I’ve been prayed over and annointed…. and I still battle depression. I believe that God can heal any disease, IF it would further His Kingdom to do so. He hasn’t cured my depression (yet), so I take that to mean that there is a reason for my depression, I just don’t know what it is – and I don’t need to know. Depression is a real disease, just as much as any physical disease. If you had cancer, do you want people telling you you don’t have enough faith, and to stop taking your meds? I believe that our Great God, Creator God, has given the knowledge to our researchers and doctors to help people with ALL types of diseases, including depression. If you have never experienced it, God Bless you and I pray you never will! It can be debilitating and difficult to diagnose. If you, too, suffer from this insidious disease, then my prayer for you is that your doctor will see it and treat it for what it is.

In all those years, even in the depths of my denial and rebellion and depression, and little voice in my head was constantly reminding me of this:

  “I AM the Good Shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know Me….” – John 10:14 NIV

He never left me, even as I tried to leave Him. Like the sheep that was lost, He carried me back to the fold and His Love. He used human doctors and counselors to show me I wasn’t worthless. I will be grateful for modern medicine as long as I live, and for my God, Who never, never leaves me to face the enemy alone. AMEN. 

(Scriptures are from  http://bible.com/111.NIV)

Freedom!

What great words from Paul:

  “It is for Freedom that CHRIST has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.  You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from Grace. For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope…. The only thing that counts is Faith expressing itself through Love.” – Galatians 5:1‭, ‬4‭-‬6 NIV

He is specifically addressing the men in the church at Galatians, but the message resounds across gender lines and the centuries since. Gentile men (non-Jewish) were being circumcised when they joined the Christian community, and Paul is pointing out that the practice isn’t necessary. How do I know that He is talking to the men who are not Jews? Simple really. All Jewish males were circumcised when they were 8 days old, not as grown men. But getting to the point: once we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, the Law no longer applies. We are set FREE from the physical restraints of the old Law; Moses’ Law, because God sent His Son to be the FINAL blood sacrifice for our sins. The old Law cannot justify us any longer. No matter how “good” we are, or how religious, or pious, Jesus’ sacrifice has already atoned for our sins. For MY sins. Past, present, and future.

DO NOT MISINTERPRET WHAT PAUL OR I AM SAYING! (And no, I am NOT comparing myself to Paul!!)

Our sins are covered by the Blood of Jesus. We have been washed clean, and for that, all I can do is fall on my face in thanksgiving and shout “Hallelujah, Praise the LORD!” JESUS made the ultimate sacrifice so that He could fulfill the Law. There is no reason, nothing to gain, by continuing to sacrifice birds and animals to God. It is a done deal; the Law is complete. All thanks to Jesus, we are FREE. Free from the Law, free from the necessity of blood sacrifice. We cannot be justified by anything other than the Blood of Jesus; therefore, any other blood that is shed is an unnecessary and sad waste of our resources. 

Freedom isn’t free here on earth. Our freedoms as citizens of the United States come from the sacrifice of countless men and women who have given their lives so that we can enjoy our lives and liberty. Our freedom on earth is based on obeying the laws of the land. Our freedom for ETERNITY is also because of someone else’s sacrifice. All that we have to do to obtain that final, essential freedom is to accept the gift of it from Christ Jesus. Being FREE in Christ doesn’t mean we have carte blanc to behave as we please. It doesn’t mean it’s okay to yell at your spouse or children. It doesn’t give us the right to hurt people, whether physically or with words. On the contrary, being truly free through Jesus Christ should make us even more conscientious of our words and deeds as we live our lives to honor Him! As Christians, our lives should be governed by these words Jesus spoke when He was asked what was the greatest commandment of the Law:

   “ ‘Love the LORD your GOD with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” – Matthew 22:37‭-‬40 NIV

He broke the Ten Commandments down to two to make it super simple for us to follow. No longer list of do’s and don’t’s. In fact, He didn’t tell us NOT to do anything! He knows that when we keep these two commandments, everything, every thought, will fall right into line. I will continue to sin as long as I am breathing. That, unfortunately, is my human nature. I know – I REALLY know, that I am forgiven, and when I stand in front of God on the day of the Great White Throne Judgment, I have the greatest of the great to represent me. Jesus, my Advocate. 

I’m curious. Are you free? Will you be represented by the Advocate, Jesus, or will the enemy [satan] get to stand next to you and drag you with him into the fiery depths of hell? In the words of the late, great, Martin Luther King, then I will truly be “Free at last, Free at LAST, Thank GOD Almighty, we are FREE at last!” Will you celebrate Freedom with us?

(All scriptures quoted are from  http://bible.com/NIV)

Guilty  – or Innocent? Today I Rant!

I can guarantee that someone, today, will be offended by this post, and that’s fine by me. Here goes!

  “It is not good to be partial to the wicked and so deprive the innocent of justice.” – Proverbs 18:5 NIV

This is the dilemma we find ourselves in today. There is the “political correctness” crowd, who insist that those who are in prison should be treated with respect and have access to creature comforts such as air conditioning and televisions and radios. They should be allowed to wear their clothes and their hair the way the want, gangbanger style or redneck or white supremacy or whatever. They “deserve” a variety of food and snacks….. 

And right here is where I stand. Prisons should be just that; PRISON. Oh, I know the arguments for their “rights.” I’ve heard them, and I soundly reject them. I also that that if you listen to the inmates, they are all innocent and deserve better treatment…. Right. As a society, we have bent so far over making sure that the incarcerated receive what they are “entitled ” to, that we have shoved the innocent, the victims, to the side and deprive them of justice. Sheriff Joe Arpaio had the right idea, although he let his ego get in the way and hurt the campaign he started for justice. Convicted criminals don’t deserve amenities. Dress them the same (jumpsuits or scrubs and shoes suitable to their job), shave their heads (yep, even the women), give them a cot to sleep on and maybe one hot meal a day, with sandwiches for lunch and dinner. They should be out working on our roads and bridges, picking up litter along the road, and tending the prison farm so that they can eat. Think that’s too harsh? Then explain to me WHY a prisoner should have better living conditions than thousands upon thousands of our veterans and our elderly? I know there are truly innocent people in prison, and I am sorry they are there. I also believe those people are few and very far between.

  “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the Law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load.” – Galatians 6:1‭-‬6 NIV

As a Christian, I am responsible for my own behavior. Even non-Christians must take responsibility for theirs. I am special in that I am a child of the King, but that does not exempt me from being counseled or punished for what I do. It is also my responsibility to help other Christians who may be straying from the path. NOT judging, but GENTLY showing them through scripture and my actions. It is up to me, and it is a responsibility as a Christian to forgive the sinner. Just note that we are commanded to FORGIVE, NOT forget! I have been pushed and prodded and judged by other Christians when I have strayed, and it was often unpleasant and unproductive. When I am pushed, I push back. It was through gentleness and love that I was able to respond, and return to my Lord. That is the ONLY way to Salvation.

I’m not perfect; I’m far from it. I fail every day in my walk with God, but thankfully, He has washed me clean and lifts me up. He is my Strong Tower. Amen.

  “The NAME of the LORD is a Fortified Tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” – Proverbs 18:10 NIV

(Scriptures are from  http://bible.com/NLT) 

Christ’s Love

  “Either way, Christ’s Love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for EVERYONE so that those who receive His NEW Life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, Who died and was raised for them.” – 2 Corinthians 5:14‭-‬15 NLT 

Does anyone else struggle with these verses? It isn’t that I don’t believe them, because I do, complete. I suppose my struggle isn’t really the words that Paul writes, but rather with the people I know who profess to be Christian. I’ve said it before, and I will reiterate it again: I am NOT perfect. I fail miserably at being a Christian, and continually slide into sinful behavior. I want to live for Christ, and I strive to do so. I’ve said that so that I can present my dilemma. If a person professes to be a Christian, and they believe they are a child of the Almighty LORD, how can they curse with abandon, lose their temper, make rude gestures at others who irritate them, and/or continue with behavior that are blatantly un-Christian?

I understand backsliding. Been there, done that; still do it. I also believe that the Gospels preach that we are ONCE saved. There are no do-overs. Once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, it’s a done deal. I cannot become unsaved. 

  “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have LIGHT from the LORD. So live as people of Light! For this Light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Carefully determine what pleases the LORD. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the LORD wants you to do.” – Ephesians 5:8‭-‬12‭, ‬17 NLT

I understand broken people. I believe that our GOD  uses brokenness to show how brightly His Light can shine through the cracks. Once we have fallen into the darkness of the enemy, we crack and fade. Through the redemption of our LORD, we are pieced back together… and He leaves cracks and holes for the new Light of Jesus to shine through. It’s a beautiful sight to see! So where does this leave us, with the professing Christian who lives like any other person instead of striving to let go of the old man and embracing the new? It is not for me to judge, or even to speculate whether that person has been born again in Christ Jesus. That judgement belongs to the LORD. The only way I know to deal with these people is to pray…. and that is a HUGE  thing to be doing. The power of prayer is astounding. 

If you are like me, and you have family and friends who profess Christ but don’t live Christ, I hope you’ll join me in prayer for them to see where the Light is coming from, and realize that they are hiding it from the world with their behavior. “Jesus Loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

  “Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the LORD in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to GOD the Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Ephesians 5:18‭-‬20 NLT  (http://bible.com/116/eph.5.8-17.NLT)

I Am Rich

Every time I read this verse from Matthew, I look around me and see how tremendously God has blessed me! Whether it was my little 600 sq ft trailer in NM, or my beautiful home I’m in now… When I let go and let God, life is good. He provides for me. It’s when I become complacent, and ‘forget’ to put Him first that things start to go downhill. It is so easy to be distracted by all the things around me; the trying to keep up with others.

  “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.  Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.  Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” – Matthew 6:21 NLT 

For the past few days, I have been privileged and blessed to spend time with my Mom. Just the two of us (well, with her AND my 2 little dogs!) It has been a time of remembering and blessing, and a special treat for me because I live far enough away that it is difficult to be here. I have been reminded that our time here on earth may be (is) limited, but we are assured of an eternity  together in heaven. I remember, LORD, that ALL I need is YOU. Your Word, Your Love, Your acceptance. Keep my mind centered on You. Our relationships here on earth are important, but it is the relationship we have with Christ that is MOST important. No matter how strong or how tattered our human relationships may be, here is the one that literally counts for all. This next scripture from the Revelation of John may be the most important thing you ever read. It can change your life – here on earth AND for eternity….
  “I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among His people! He will live with them, and they will be His people. GOD Himself will be with them.  And He also said, “It is finished! I AM the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the Water of Life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their GOD, and they will be My children. But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” ” – Revelation 21:3‭, ‬6‭-‬8 NLT (http://bible.com/NLT)
    Billy Graham – “God says that only those who hunger after righteousness will receive it. God thrusts this heavenly manna on no one. You must desire it, above everything else. Your yearning for God must supersede all other desires. It must be like a gnawing hunger and a burning thirst. Almighty God, my soul is parched and I’m so hungry without the spiritual food You so desire to give me. Take away anything in my life that would cause me not to give You pre-eminence.”

It’s that easy. A simple prayer – God, I know I’m a sinner. I acknowledge that Your Son Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah,  and my only salvation. I open my heart and mind and soul to You, Lord. Come into my heart today. Save me, Lord Jesus. YOU are the ONLY way to God. Amen.

How can we beat an offer like that?

HOPE Springs Eternnal

You might hear this phrase frequently in our house. We currently have 2 small dogs who know quite well that they don’t get “people” food, and they definitely don’t get fed from our plates…. yet you can clearly see that “hope springs eternal,” especially from the smallest one. He sits and watches our every move, hoping we’ll relent and give him a bite. (It hasn’t worked yet!) Unlike my little dog, my Hope really DOES spring eternal, because my HOPE comes from God and not mankind.

  Jesus replied, “I tell you the Truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of GOD. … The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit. … No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. … For this is how GOD Loved the world: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have ETERNAL LIFE. … There is NO judgment against anyone who believes in Him. But anyone who does not believe in Him has already been judged for not believing in GOD’S One and Only Son.” –John 3:3‭, ‬8‭-‬8‭, ‬13‭, ‬16‭-‬16‭, ‬18 NLT (from http://bible.com/116/jhn.3.3-18.NLT)

Where do you find nope in your life? My prayer is that you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, as I have. He is the ONLY way to find true peace and hope in this world, in spite of the curve balls that the enemy continues to throw at us. The LORD knows our frustration and our concerns, and He wants us to give them to Him so that He can deal with them…. in HIS time. He knows how worried I can let myself become since I lost my job over a year ago and still haven’t been able to find a new one. I have to consciously choose to be content and to rest in His Arms, and trust in His timing. For a control freak, I assure you that is no small feat! 

GOD is Good, all the time. He has blessed me beyond anything I could ever imagine. My true treasure is in Him, and no matter how hard life becomes,  I know that He has my back. I can rest assured in Him.