Category: Grace

There is a God

Afternote: This has been a significantly difficult post to write. When typing words, they morphed into completely different words than I was typing. As I  have gone back to re-read this, I have found words and odd misspellings randomly interspersed throughout. Why? I can only guess, but I expect that it the enemy doing his best to undermine my efforts to glorify God. Satan, GET BEHIND ME. Jesus is my Joy and my Salvation! 

  “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” – Genesis 1:1 (http://bible.com/116/gen.1.1.NLT)

THERE IS A GOD.

He defies explanation and description.

How do I know there is a God? Easy. I open my eyes and look around me. I close my eyes and listen to the symphony of His creation. I reach out and touch. Babies have a distinct smell and their skin is incredibly soft. The various types of fur and hair of the animals is almost like a signature, and the plants of the earth are distinctive in smell and touch. Even the earth itself, from the highest mountain peaks with their rocks and crags to the deepest valleys; soft sandy beaches and the endless plains to the darkest forests…. add the warm dark loam of a fertile river valley and the smell that can overwhelm your senses.

Look at the stars and the planets. Hold a baby. Pet an animal. Hug someone. See the flowers and grasses and trees and rocks and sands of the earth. Look in a microscope. Can you say where it all of this came from? Very intelligent people maintain the “Big Bang Theory” – and I love the show by the way – but my question to them is this: where did the ‘ingredients’ for the Big Bang come from? If 2 atoms colliding made all this, where did the atoms come from? Who made them?

The “Big Bang” is a theory. Evolution is a theory. A theory defined is “… possibly true … but not proven to be true …” Although I respect the intelligence of the scientists who believe this theory to be true, I challenge them to prove the theory so they can stand on fact, rather than standing on supposition. I stand on the reality of this earth. God created this incredible universe and all that it contains, including us humans with all of our senses. In addition, He set us to be in charge of the care of the earth and all of its inhabitants . … and we aren’t doing a very good job being caretakers. It seems that if we could take the energies of all the people who spend their days trying unsuccessfully to prove God doesn’t exist, and channel that energy into ways to save our planet, we would all be much better off!

Whether or not you agree, GOD exists. Not a god, but GOD, the God of the Universe. Creator of all things. The reason bad things happen is because as humans with free will we have chosen to live outside of God’s Love and Mercy and Grace. When we are outside of His shelter, we are susceptible to the lies and coercion and manipulation of the enemy of God, who is Satan. So live your life as you choose to today, but remember this fact: Jesus is returning, and we don’t know when it will happen. Our lives can end in an instant – no matter how healthy or carefully we live, we can die at any time. 

So, how will you live? What do you choose? Who do you choose? A theory that cannot be proven, or the awesome creation around us and the Creator of it all; the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? I choose God.

  “For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for Him and how you have shown your love to Him by caring for other believers, as you still do.” – Hebrews 6:10 (http://bible.com/116/heb.6.10.NLT)

AMEN.

9am

“Oh what a beautiful mornin’

 Oh what a beautiful day

 I got a wonderful feelin’

 Everything’s going my way”

The chorus from Gordon Macrae’s play, Oklahoma! describes how I feel this morning. Despite being without a job for the past 5 1/2 months, my savings depleted, and my unemployment benefits having run out last week, I am confident that God is in control of my life. He just showed me a red-headed woodpecker in the neighbors tree, and up until about 2 minutes ago, it has been quiet and peaceful. (The neighbors dogs started fighting – again – which causes all of the dogs around us, including mine  to become agitated and start barking. It’s annoying and scary at the same time because one dog sounds as if it is being mauled. Lots of yelling and hitting sounds usually follow…..)

By 9:30, it’s quiet again. Just me and God and my little boys in my lap, gently rocking in the old wooden swing. I wonder what is going to happen in my life. Hundreds – literally – of applications submitted…. and nothing. God has a plan; I just don’t know what it is. Pray with me on this? Today’s scripture is so appropriate:

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” – Matthew 6:34 NLT (http://bible.com/116/mat.6.34.NLT)

Amen.

And All of Creation…

I am Blessed. Even though I am still unemployed  (and actively looking for work!), last week I was able to go to Colorado and New Mexico with my best friend. All of God’s beautiful creation spoke to us throughout our trip.

    “Then God looked over all He had made, and He saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.” – Genesis 1:31 NLT

Not only did we enjoy virtually perfect weather, we were there very close to the peak of the aspens turning gold, and saw a tremendous amount of wildlife. From butterflies to bison, valleys to mountain peaks; from racing rivers to desert. Incredible. How is it even possible for anyone to see the leaves changing colors on the plants and trees, or the breathtaking scenery of the mountains and valleys, or the variety of wildlife, and not believe in the Creator God??? AmNot believing is something I just can’t comprehend!

“And all of creation sing with me now

Lift up your voice and lay your burden down

And all of creation sing with me now

Fill up the heavens let his glory resound…”

(The Artist is MercyMe, from the album: The Generous Mr. Lovewell )

Listen to the song. I love to sing it out loud:”And ALL of creation sing with me now…” That’s what I felt was happening as we drove through all of this amazing country. When we actually open our eyes to the world around us, and open our ears to experience it, it can blow our minds. One stop we made was between Cimarron NM and Pagosa Springs CO so that we could step off the road and be close to the river. Even being so close to the road, the water running over the rocks made it so easy for me to tune out the modern sound of traffic,  and immerse myself in the sounds and colors and smells and the feel of the air as it poured over me. Powerful.

These are words I use to describe our God: Blessed, beautiful, perfect, incredible, breathtaking, amazing, powerful… when we immerse ourselves in God, He overwhelms us with His Grace and His Mercies.

Are you immersed and overwhelmed today?

40 Long Years…

Think about this statement:

  “Normally it takes only eleven days to travel from Mount Sinai to Kadesh-barnea, going by way of Mount Seir.” – Deuteronomy 1:2 NLT

God told the people of Israel that He was giving them a land “overflowing with milk and honey.” All they had to do was walk there (an 11 day journey) and it was theirs. Oh, but that was too easy for them, and they kept sinning and questioning the LORD. 

  “The Lord asked Moses, “How long will these people refuse to obey my commands and instructions? – Exodus 16:28 NLT

God gave them consequences for all of their complaining and rebellion, by leaving them in the wilderness for 40 years instead of the much shorter journey of a couple of weeks. Does that ring true for you? How many years have you been wandering,  afraid to occupy the “land” God has given you?

  “Forty years after the Israelites left Egypt, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses addressed the people of Israel, telling them everything the LORD had commanded him to say. Look! He has placed the land in front of you. Go and occupy it as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has promised you. Don’t be afraid! Don’t be discouraged!’  – Deuteronomy 1:2‭-‬3‭, ‬21 NLT

I wasn‘t just afraid, I was petrified. I just knew that by being faithful to Him, I would miss out on something. I was convinced (by the enemy) I could be in control of my life. I certainly didn’t need some unseen man controlling my life. I repeat myself, but… how did that work out for me?? Not well. Really not well!

 Had I continued my life following Christ, I would have missed out on all of the “fun” I was having to cover up how miserable I was. I might have missed out on the misery! Control? The one who had control wasn’t me. It was never me. And if you are currently deluding yourself and thinking that you are in control of your life, well, all I can do is shake my head at your fantasy. I am compelled to disillusion you of the notion of you being in control. There is the Almighty God, Omnipotent and Omnipresent, and there is the enemy, the fallen angel (Lucifer, a.k.a. Satan) who corrupted Adam and Eve and gained control of this world through them and their descendants. We are their descendants. Every human to ever walk this earth is connected to them through both physical and spiritual DNA.

I missed out on a lot. I missed out on a fulfilling relationship with my Lord Jesus, and I missed out on years of connecting with my family. I missed out on having a successful wife and mother, and I missed out on a close relationship with my parents. Why do we do that?? But there’s good news about all of this!

Jesus doesn’t hold what we have done or been against us. Murder, lust, gluttony, envy, lying, violence, even the most evil and depraved among us are welcome at Jesus’ feet. He doesn’t care what color we are (I’m kind of a pinkish-tan), He doesn’t care if we come in designer clothes or rags, or if we are driving a Rolls or crawling to Him barefoot and destitute. It doesn’t matter to Him if you are 5 or 105, as long as we seek Him and accept Him as our LORD.

Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.  Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.  So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ ” 

“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 3:5‭-‬7‭, ‬18 NLT

What more is there to say? Believe it! 

(All scriptures are taken from the New Living Translation found at http://bible.com) 
 

“Don’t be afraid. I am here!”

​  “…. but He called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” ” – John 6:20 NLT (http://bible.com/116/jhn.6.20.NLT)

Seems like we go through our entire lives being afraid. Afraid of change. I don’t think most people will admit to being afraid of change;  most – in my experience – will only say they don’t like change. To me, it just seems a convenient way to deny fear. There are people who embrace change. Being spontaneous and being adventurous. I like spontaneity, myself, and when I was younger, did a number of rather adventurous  (well, we wouldn’t want to call them reckless, now!) things…. and in several cases, I believe it was through the intervention of guarding angels that I didn’t die or end up seriously injured. For the most part, I don’t feel the need to prove anything to anyone anymore…. just don’t dare me!!

How does all of this relate to John 6:20?

In the instance that John is recording, the disciples had found themselves in a rather dangerous predicament. I wonder, though, were they more frightened by the storm, or by the appearance of Jesus? It seems almost as if they just got tired of waiting for him, and left without Him. How many times do we do that in our own lives? We know in our hearts that we need to wait for Jesus, but we grow impatient and take off on our own. I’ve done it countless times. Then, when we find ourselves in a predicament, we cry and call for help…. and then we are surprised when Jesus shows up!

  “That evening Jesus’ disciples went down to the shore to wait for him. But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum. Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough. They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here! ”  Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination!” – John 6:16‭-‬21 NLT (http://bible.com/116/jhn.6.16-21.NLT)

Wouldn’t it be much easier to wait on Him in the first place? Undoubtedly, but then, we are human and stubborn. After all, what 2 or 3 year old doesn‘t cry “No! I do it!”?? (Don’t bother to deny it – or that most of us take it on into our teen years and adulthood!) After all, how do we learn? Okay, how do most of us learn? In my family, we run the gamut from the ones who took the hard roads to a couple who recognized that letting Jesus be Lord was the way to go early on. At times I wish I would’ve taken the less difficult roads, but then I wouldn’t be who I am today (I’m just glad to be here today!!) I love verse 20: “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” 

Even though I turned away from from family and what I knew was right, there was always – always– this little voice in the back of my head whispering whenever I did something that I knew was wrong. I tried really hard to shut it up and to run from it, but nothing worked. It was still there, no matter what I tried. Even switching continents didn’t work. Ugh! It took a pretty good whack on the heart for me to really get it. Everyone’s bottom is different, and some people have to hit theirs more than once. Some people, lots of people, stay on the bottom because it is what they know. Even though it’s incredibly painful for them, it’s also comfortable because it’s what they know.

Fear. Fear of change. It keeps so many of us stuck in bad, ugly, painful circumstances. Change could make it worse, and at least being stuck we at least know what to expect. With change, we could be getting into something worse. I’ve had conversations with people who don’t understand. Why doesn’t she just leave the abusive man? How can he live in such squalor? Because change is hard. It’s scary, and it is painful. It’s all we can relate to. Do you embrace change in your job? Are you happy at the prospect of change in your life? We can look forward to something,  but there’s always something fear mixed in, even if the changes is good. When we realize that Jesus is here; when we finally know that He is right here with us, and we accept His Presence, we eliminate so much fear. There will always be that little bit of fear in change, because as long as we live in a broken world we can never be entirely sure it will be better. There is one change that we can wholeheartedly claim and know without a doubt that it will be good… actually, it will be beyond any good that we can imagine,  and that is the change we experience when we meet Jesus face to face. 

That’s one change I look forward to with NO fear!

Called to Grace and Peace 

​  “Through Christ, GOD has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what GOD has done for them, so that they will believe and obey Him, bringing glory to His Name. 

  And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by GOD and are called to be His Own holy people. 

  May GOD our FATHER and the Lord Jesus Christ give you Grace and Peace.” – Romans 1:5‭-‬7 NLT (http://bible.com/116/rom.1.5-7.NLT)

These words were written by the Apostle Paul to the church in Rome. The church probably consisted of a very diverse crowd, from senator to slave, from wealthy to poor, of Jew and Gentile. Paul was an expert on Jewish law, and he often spoke directly to his people, the Jews, because they were the ones Jesus chose to be the leaders of His church on earth. Paul recognized that because the Jews had been responsible for Jesus being sentenced to die, and because of their persecution of His followers, they needed to be the ones who showed the world the Messiah story. When we submit to Jesus Christ and His authority, we received a measure of peace unlike anything we have ever known. Love so AMAZING it cannot be described in words, and many many people have tried. The first step is submission, and that is so stinkin’ hard for us stubborn, hardheaded humans! Imagine how hard it must have been to the Jewish leaders to accept such a radical change. They had to believe that this man of the common people was their promised Messiah and their King. He was born in a barn, for goodness sake…. a barn for the birthplace of their Messiah? A common man, not a scholar or a Jewish teacher of the law. 

Can you imagine? Would we, as Americans, accept a 30-ish homeless man to be our leader? I think not.

And yet, it was the truth that the disciples of Jesus were preaching to the world. It was the truth, and Paul literally had his eyes opened to it. Paul went from hunting down and persecuting, and even killing, followers of Christ to being a believer overnight. Submitted to Jesus, Paul took on the gigantic task of teaching the Gospel to the known world… how committed, and how submitted, are you? I was a Christian for many years before I submitted myself to Him, and the difference is amazing. “Called to Grace and Peace” barely scratches the surface. Besides those, when completely submitted you recognize the blessings around you so much easier. Little irritations become just that – little. Big irritations become much smaller, and often lose their ability to irritate at all. That’s the Peace we received from submitting to Jesus. Grace becomes easier to give to those who wrong us, because we have received His Grace in our own lives.

Simple? Extremely. Difficult? Extremely. Is it WELL with your soul?

  1. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
    When sorrows like sea billows roll;
    Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
    It is well, it is well with my soul.

    • Refrain:
      It is well with my soul,
      It is well, it is well with my soul.
  2. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
    Let this blest assurance control,
    That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
    And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
  3. My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
    My sin, not in part but the whole,
    Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
    Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
  4. For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
    If Jordan above me shall roll,
    No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
    Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
  5. But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
    The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
    Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
    Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
  6. And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
    The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
    The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
    Even so, it is well with my soul. 
  7. (By Horatio G. Spafford, 1873 – and still perfect for today!)

If Only…

We are so ungrateful and full of complaints. “If only I had married that person, if only I had stuck it out in that job, if only I could win the lottery/PCH Sweepstakes, if only, if only, if only…..”

  “If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.” – Exodus 16:3 NLT (http://bible.com/116/exo.16.3.NLT)
Looking back at history, we know the Israelites life in Egypt was anything but easy. For the most part, they were slaves and did hard labor with little or no rewards, but as they struggled through the wilderness following Moses and Aaron they forgot the reality of their lives in Egypt. They focused instead on the “if only” and what they no longer had, instead of their freedom and blessings of God. 

  “And as Aaron spoke to the whole community of Israel, they looked out toward the wilderness. There they could see the awesome glory of the Lord in the cloud.” – Exodus 16:10 NLT (http://bible.com/116/exo.16.10.NLT)

I could easily spend the rest of my life moaning about the “if only’s” and the “what if’s,” but what would I gain? Complaining about what could/should/would have been does one thing: it makes me miserable. Maybe if I had stayed married instead of tucking tail and running from responsibility, I would be more financially prepared for the future….and maybe not. Maybe if I had stayed at my first “real” instead of quitting over office politics, life would be different. Actually, my life would be nothing like it is now. Would it take be better? Would I be more financially prepared for the future? Would my health be better? Would my life be better?

The only thing that is assured from all that wondering is that my life would be different. Maybe better; maybe worse, but definitely different. The thing about life is that it shapes us into what we are. Our faith in God shapes us into who we are. Why spend my life wondering and wishing for a life that has already happened? I am who I am, and I am what I am, and I am where I am purely through my own choices. I realize that many people, through abuse or human trafficking, don’t have all of the choices most of us have. Their lives are not theirs to make many choices, and my heart and soul cry out to God to rescue them. Because the world currently belongs to the enemy, bad things will continue to happen. (I can’t wait to see him – the enemy, aka Satan – get what he deserves when Jesus returns!) 

Today, Instead of focusing on the “if only’s,” work on focusing on a blessing instead. I know first-hand how difficult it can be when your life is in flames around you. God provided meat and bread to the Israelites in the wilderness when they were hungry and had no resources. He saved Daniel from being mauled and eaten when he was thrown into a pit full of hungry wild lions. He walked through the fire with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. (See Daniel chapters 3 and 6.) He has saved countless people from physical harm, and he has allowed countless saints to be mistreated, tortured, and brutally murdered. “If only” God had saved them; “if only” He would heal all of the hurting….

He will, no doubt about it! It may not be in my lifetime or yours, but He will prevail over the evil in this world – in His time. I challenge you to find  something in your life to be grateful for today; something that you wouldn’t have if your “if only’s” had come to pass. 

Revenge

That’s a word I used to live for. You did me wrong, I would figure out a way to get you back. Getting even. There’s an intrinsic problem with this point of view. Took me years to understand this. You do something that hurts me. Physically or emotionally, or both. I retaliate and hurt you. You, or someone close to you, retaliated back …. and the cycle gets caught up into itself and becomes self-perpetuating. The lesson I needed to learn was that revenge was not for me to seek out. 

  “Therefore, the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the Mighty One of Israel, says, “I will take revenge on my enemies and pay back my foes! I will raise my fist against you. I will melt you down and skim off your slag. I will remove all your impurities. ….Zion will be restored by justice; those who repent will be revived by righteousness.” – Isaiah 1:24‭-‬25‭, ‬27 NLT (http://bible.com/116/isa.1.24-27.NLT)

It’s a difficult thing to do, that letting go of the desire for revenge. Instead of spending our time and our energy go after those who hurt us – and if we face reality, we know that every human we interact with has the ability to hurt us. If we know them for longer than a few minutes, in all probability they will hurt us in some way. Most of the time, it’s probably not intentional, it’s just human nature. Our job is not revenge. Our job is forgiveness. 

Um, excuse me. What?? Not possible, you say? Let me confuse you a little more. Jesus shared His wisdom with us. “God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.” – Matthew 5:6 NLT (http://bible.com/116/mat.5.6.NLT) Now He’s tell me to “hunger and thirst for justice….” 

We have to look at the distinction between between revenge and justice. Revenge is all about me. It’s about my satisfaction, and nothing to do with God and His Righteousness. Justice is found in consequences for our actions, with the results of the actions being looked at through impartial eyes. Since the Lord is the only one who can truly be impartial, that takes the punishment out of our hands and destroys our desire for revenge. We, as Christians, are tasked to forgive as Christ Jesus forgave us. On my own it is impossible. I absolutely have to rest in His arms and let go of the hatred and bitterness and anger. That leaves Him free to seek justice for me from the Father. 

“But you don’t understand! My situation is different from anyone else’s! The hurt and damage done to me is unforgivable!”

Those words fall from almost everyone’s mouth when they begin the journey to forgiveness and healing. As a sponsor and group leader in a recovery group for women, I heard it from all of my ‘girls’. I said it myself when I began my journey. Your situation may be unique, but your circumstance and your feelings are not. If that’s too brutal for you right now, I’m not trying to hurt you any more than you already are. To heal, though, we not only have to hear the truth, we have to accept it and embrace it. When a wound is deep and infected, it has to be opened up and cleaned. It’s a painful process! If you just cover it up and ignore it, it was fester and fill with infection and stink. You aren’t hiding anything from God, and you probably aren’t hiding it from people around you, either. Like I said, wounds stink when unattended!

Look up. Look outside of yourself. See what God is doing. See the possibilities of what He can do. The only thing holding me back is me, and the only thing holding you back is you. Be thankful. Write a gratitude list – it’s a powerful thing to do! If you honestly can’t think of anything to write, do as my friend says. You can always be thankful for toilet paper, and you should always be thankful for God’s Mercy.

Am I God?

There have been many people throughout the ages spreading the lie that we are each a god; that I am god. This is an eternally damning lie. Am I God? NO! There is but One God; the Almighty God, Creator of the universe. There is, however, one who wants us to believe the lie. The enemy, Satan, will stoop to any depth and use any perversion and tactic to get us to believe that we are gods; that we are equal to the Creator God. It starts with Eve, and Adam, making the lie that we can be equal to God. The enemy has used power very successfully over the ages to corrupt men and women, leading them to believe that they are better than anyone else and thus above any laws; that they are gods. Remember Joseph from the Bible? He was horribly mistreated by his brothers and sold into slavery at a young age. Temptations were thrown in his path by the enemy, giving him many opportunities to grasp at power and become like a god – but his belief in the Almighty God kept his heart in the right place. He never sought after power, and reject temptation after temptation, and God rewarded him with the position next to Pharaoh, who people regarded as a god. He had opportunity to take revenge on his brothers:

  “But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” – Genesis 50:19‭-‬20 NLT (http://bible.com/116/gen.50.19-20.NLT)

Can we be as forgiving as Joseph of the wrongs that have been done to us? Can we ask for and receive forgiveness from the ones we have wronged?

I am not God, and I am not a god. I am human, with free will, so I get to choose how I will take the information God gives us in His Word. I choose whether I will forgive, just as I choose to seek forgiveness. Sometimes it isn’t possible in this world to confront an abuser because they continue to abuse, and it isn’t safe for us to seek them out. God does want us to be hurt again and again. He is our Safety and Salvation; our Safe Place where we can go to hide. Sometimes in this world we have to physically hide ourselves from our abusers in order to stop the abuse, and I am thankful for all of the individuals and organizations who provide those safe places. Sometimes, it is physically impossible to escape the abuse, and my heart cries out for those imprisoned in that cycle.

I am not God, and it is not for me to seek revenge on my perpetrators. He made it possible for me to escape the abuse, even when I couldn’t see it. Jesus tells us: 

  “Even those closest to you—your parents, brothers, relatives, and friends—will betray you. They will even kill some of you.” – Luke 21:16 NLT (http://bible.com/116/luk.21.16.NLT)

This is one of the most difficult verses for me to read. There are thousands of people alive today who are being betrayed, persecuted, and abused – and even killed – by their own families. Children sold by their parents as sex slaves. Brothers and sisters perpetrating abuse upon each other. Watch the news anytime, and there will probably be a story of someone being arrested for child abuse, or family members making or selling drugs. Am I God, that I can take revenge on these people?  A resounding no! I am not God, and I am glad I am not a god. Here’s why: when the Great White Throne Judgment occurs, I won’t be responsible for anyone’s destruction. I will be judged alongside everyone else, but I will have Jesus at my side as my Advocate. 

   “And I saw a great white throne and the ONE sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from His Presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.” – Revelation 20:11‭-‬15 NLT (http://bible.com/116/rev.20.11-15.NLT)

Am I God? No, but I know God through His Son, Jesus Christ. He carries me when I can’t walk, and He walks beside me when whenever I insist on doing it myself. He never leaves me and He will not forsake me. He protects my soul. I never have to walk alone again.  I pray that as you read this, you understand the importance of this relationship with Jesus. It can be life altering, if you invite Him in. Unlike our human “friends,” He is a perfect friend and gentleman,  never pushing and always there – and always forgiving. (Credit goes to my friend John Lawton for the painting!)