Tag: #Believe

Everything Lost???

Paul is such an eloquent writer. He has the ability to lift us up and then put us firmly in our place, all while praising the LORD. He has a firm grasp on humility, too. Consider these verses:

“Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the LORD. To write to you again about this is no trouble for me and is a protection for you. More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing CHRIST JESUS my LORD. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain CHRIST and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in CHRIST — the righteousness from GOD based on faith. I pursue as my goal the prize promised by GOD’S heavenly call in CHRIST JESUS.” – Philippians 3:1‭, ‬8‭-‬9‭, ‬14 HCSB

(*the term ‘brothers’, in this context, is usd to encompass the entire congregation at Philippi, including both the men and the women.)

In spite of many hardships and difficult circumstances, and even through imprisonment, Paul’s faith in the LORD was never shaken. He held tight to the promise of spending eternity with JESUS. Can we say the same? As hard as I try, I struggle to achieve that peace. In my losses, anger and bitterness were (are) much easier to focus on than forgiveness and joy. Looking out at all the ugliness that appears to be consuming our world, there isn’t much to see that shows the way of peace, so I know I’m not alone in my discomfort/pain. I think it’s that sinful human nature that pushes the negative to the front of our thoughts, because the last thing that Satan wants to see is content, peaceful Christians in the middle of his chaotic world.

The verses mesh right into today’s verse from the YouVersion Bible app (https://bible.com/bible)

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.” – Proverbs 1:7 HCSB

Without the reverence (the ‘fear’) we need to have for the LORD, even the fear of His Judgement, we can never find true peace in this world. What do you have? A healthy reverence, fear, peace with the LORD, or are you stuck in the bitterness and chaos of the world? It’s a choice we face constantly….

LET FREEDOM RING!

“For the Spirit GOD gave us does not make us timid, but gives us Power, Love and self-Discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our LORD or of me His prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the Gospel, by the Power of GOD. He has saved us and called us to a Holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of His Own Purpose and grace. This Grace was given us in CHRIST JESUS before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our SAVIOR, CHRIST JESUS, Who has destroyed death and has brought LIFE and Immortality to light through the Gospel.” – 2 Timothy 1:7‭-‬10 NIV

Okay, you are probably asking what in the world does this scripture have to do with our celebrating the freedom of our country today? Without the Freedom of our LORD, there is no other freedom. We are Blessed to live in this great country (yes, great, despite all of her problems) where we can believe and worship and give testimony to our beliefs without fear of government retaliation. It is nearly impossible to do this in many countries around the world. It is unfortunate, though, that even in the U.S.A. many followers of CHRIST are singled out and persecuted, while any and every other belief system is tolerated, and encouraged. Our soldiers and sailors, fly-boys and marines and other maritime services have given life and limb to ensure our freedoms….. yet so many citizens spit on them and ridicule and revile them for that service.

Today, I celebrate my freedom as a citizen of this great nation, and I celebrate my freedom from death through JESUS CHRIST. Both of these freedoms came with tremendous sacrifice! Not my sacrifice, but the unbelievable and incomprehensible sacrifices of our country’s men and women, and most importantly, the sacrifice of my LORD and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST. Grace and Mercy abounds, Amen!

“If My people, who are called by MY Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My Face and turn from their wicked ways, then I WILL Hear from heaven, and I WILL forgive their sin and WILL heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV

Time to hit our knees, people!!

LOVE Thy Neighbor

Bono, of U2, said ” ‘Love thy neighbor’ is not a piece of advice. It’s a command.”

He’s right on. It isn’t a suggestion, and it isn’t advice on how to live. GOD, speaking as JESUS CHRIST, said it as a command on how we, as His followers, are really required to live. What better way can we display the Love of the FATHER? When we don’t reach out to the hurting and the lost, it is sin, simply put. Am I guilty? Absolutely. No rock throwing from me. My life is full of insubordination and stubbornness – sin.

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an Advocate with the FATHER – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the Atoning Sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. We know that we have come to know Him if we keep His commands. Whoever says, “I know Him,” but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the Truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys His Word, Love for GOD is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must live as JESUS did.” – 1 John 2:1‭-‬6 NIV

Oh, but I WANT the revenge….. and GOD wants me to LOVE that person??? What? Really???

“Don’t say, “I’ll get even with you for the wrong you did to me!” Wait for the Lord, and he will save you.” Proverbs 20:22

(BIG sigh….) I have to wait. Revenge from me is not the answer. I actually want to let God take care of the people who have winged me (and who I have wronged), because:

“It is written, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has known what God has prepared for those who love him.” (Isaiah 64:4) 1Cor 2:9

God will judge us. He will judge everyone, and those who chose not to accept Him and follow JESUS will be consigned to an unimaginably horrible eternity. I really don’t wish that on my enemies (well, most of the time I don’t; just being honest!) Then, after the Great White Throne judgement, He will be with us in the new world. EVERYTHING, EVERYONE will be new… NO sorrow. No aches & pains, no disease, no disfigurement. No mosquitoes, no ticks, nothing poisonous. Nothing scratchy or itchy, no ‘fashion police. No discrimination or judgment! Hallelujah!

Come back, Lord Jesus. Maranatha!

Just Kill Me Now

“You intended to harm me, but GOD intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” – Genesis 50:20 NIV

Can you imagine being sold into slavery by your own brothers? It happened to Joseph, whose brothers were so jealous of him that they went to drastic measures to get rid of him. They thought they were sending him into a life of servitude and misery, but the Almighty LORD used that action to save millions of people’s lives. Joseph rose from horrible circumstances, a punishment he didn’t deserve, to become Second-in-Command to the Pharaoh of Egypt, who was essentially the ruler of the known world. I can testify to being treated badly, and treating others badly. I don’t claim any kind of uplifting like Joseph’s, but I do claim, and proclaim, that JESUS has lifted me from some pretty bad situations. He has saved me from my bad choices and poor decisions, and He has never forsaken me. Through Him, I have had the privilege to share my story of redemption to hundreds of people, and pray that I will have opportunities to share again and again. If my story can reach even one person, and help them find their way into Jesus’s arms, then I would have accomplished something! Even then, it’s not about me, but the Saving Grace and Mercy of our LORD.

There are been a number of instances in my life when GOD was justified to take me out of this world. I was living my life, totally out of turn with CHRIST, and He Loved me through it, never leaving me to face the enemy alone. There have been people in my life who intended harm, who deliberately hurt me, and I have returned that harm….. not something I’m proud of. Let JESUS into your heart today if you haven’t already. Remember Paul’s words to the church in Rome:

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the LOVE of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:38‭-‬39 NIV

You can kill my earthly body, but you cannot kill my soul.

Who Is Your Father?

Who is your Father? No, not Darth Vader, sorry!! We laugh, and I do love hearing “Luke, I am your father” in that James Earl Jones deep, breathy voice, but that’s not my father!

Today, people all over the world celebrate the day as a time to honor their earthly father. There are millions of us who are missing our dads, and it can be due to a myriad of reasons. Of course death has taken many of them, but for entirely too many people, they can’t celebrate with their dads because he deserted them. Millions of others don’t celebrate their earthly dads because of the abuse they endured – endure – at his hands. Millions more don’t even know their father. I had a good Dad. I never doubted that he loved Mom and us kids, and he loved all of his earthly family, too. Through him, I learned about GOD the FATHER, GOD the SON, and GOD the HOLY SPIRIT. I learned from him that men should be gentlemen and women should be ladies (I failed at that 😁), and I learned about love.

My Dad wasn’t perfect, but I never doubted his love. I also experienced his wrath a time or two or twenty, when I strayed far from the LORD. He was gone so much of the time when we were growing up because of his calling to be a pastor, and people remember and loved ‘Bro. Bill’ for his visible, passionate love of JESUS. He was never too busy to share with anyone about how to become a Christian and a follower of JESUS CHRIST. As Pastor, this verse from the Psalms epitomized his desire to be the best pastor and leader. He wasn’t GOD, and at times he neglected his immediate family in order to minister to the needs of the church; the needs of the widows and the orphans and the sick. He witnessed to everyone, even when he was unable to get out of his bed at the end of his earthly body. There was never a doubt that he loved and followed CHRIST.

“A FATHER to the fatherless, a DEFENDER of widows, is GOD in His Holy Dwelling.” – Psalm 68:5 NIV

He’s been gone 18 years. Even though I was away from him much of my adult life, I miss his presence. I was blessed to be at his side with my Mom and most of my siblings when he passed from this world to the next. What a joyeous reunion was happening in heaven on that day! I am confident that I will see him again. Together with my Dad, I’ll see my JESUS, and I will truly experience the FATHER’S Presence. What a day that will be! Happy Father’s Day, Dad. See you soon!

Overwhelming

Nothing is too difficult for the LORD. Keep that in mind. When an inventor looks at his creations, isn’t he then the logical person to turn to if there is a problem with said invention? Do we take the invention away from the inventor and say, no, we know better than you do when it comes to your invention? Why do we do that exact thing to the Creator of the universe, the God and inventor of every thing? What conceit and arrogance we show! News flash: He’s bigger, more intimate, and more astute than anything in His creation!

“Ah, Sovereign Lord , you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” – Jeremiah 32:17 NIV

In spite of our actions, our refusal to acknowledge Him, He shows us His Love repeatedly. He doesn’t turn His back on us, but we turn ours on Him. I have a tendency to forget just how big GOD is. As I go through my accumulation of things, preparing to downsize, I am almost overwhelmed by the monumental task. To get my house ready to put on the market next week, I am decluttering and packing away photos and all the tsotchkes that have accumulated over the years. (I have a LOT of stuff!) Next week, with my house on the market, I’m going to help my mom do the same thing as she prepares to move into a smaller space. In the midst of all this chaos, I know that our GOD has it all under control….. but does that keep me from worrying about how and where I will move myself, and how I will be able to pay for it all? Nope, not at all. I’m a worrier, and even as I give it to the LORD, I’m grasping and pulling it back. I am excited for my Mom and her new place. Now to find myself a little house with a little yard close to her…. come on GOD, I really do need that miracle! This verse pops into my mind as a reminder: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” – Mark 9:24 NIV

Do you need a reminder of GOD’S Great, Compassionate, Reckless Love for you today?

“But GOD demonstrates His OWN Love for us in this: While we were still sinners, CHRIST died for us.” – Romans 5:8 NIV

He has a totally reckless Love for us!

Listen to Reckless Love sung by Cory Asbury

I Don’t Believe In Ghosts

I don’t believe in ghosts. (I do, however, get a kick out of going on ‘ghost tours’ and visiting ‘haunted’ places, and reading and watching ghost stories.) I have seen spirits. Not ghosts, spirits. What’s the difference, you ask? According to Wikipedia, a ‘ghost’ is defined as “the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that can appear to the living,” and a ‘spirit’ is defined as “a supernatural being, often but not exclusively a non-physical entity; such as a ghost, fairy, or angel.” I do believe in spirits, and I believe that once your earthly body dies, your soul either goes to GOD or to the enemy. The soul does not stick around to ‘haunt’ or ‘communicate’ with us…. but we’ll get into that a bit later. The Bible talks about them, and categorizes them as either angels or demons. GOD created angels, and when Satan, (Lucifer, the Morning Star) rebelled, he took a third of the angels with him to become the demons we are familiar with. These demons possess people, animals, and places, and they manifest themselves in different ways. They are the haunted places that we hear and read about, and they are the ‘ghosts’ we see and feel.

I believe in spirits, in demons, because I have experienced them. I have felt the evil in a room that was used for satanic, demonic reasons; I have seen ‘ghosts’; I have had my person hijacked by demons who controlled me and caused me to do things that would have normally been abhorrent and against my principles and beliefs. Satan and his minions have had thousands of years to find the best ways and means to subordinate humans and lead us away from the LORD. They aren’t mind-readers, but they are very practiced and astute at reading people; they are very good at discovering our weak points to exploit.

What can we do about this? The first, and absolutely most important thing we can do is to accept JESUS as our LORD and SAVIOUR. Really open our hearts, our minds, and our souls to him. I am convinced that the demons were able to work themselves into my life by a couple of things I did which opened doors to them. In junior high, a group of us experimented with an Ouija board. When I asked the board to tell us who it was, it rapifly spelled out ‘s-a-t-a-n’. Of the girls who were there, I know of several who have rejected GOD in their lives. It scared me enough ghat I immersed myself in church for the next few years, but let me assure you, the enemy is crafty and patient. When I left home to attend college, I was drawn into groups who played on the edge. My faith wasn’t strong enough to stand up to the onslaught and I succumbed to the ‘fun’ we were all so busy having. I believe that because my Dad was a pastor, I became a particular target. Playing around with Ouija boards or Tarot cards, seances, contacting the dead…. these are dangerous tools created by the enemy to suck you into his nefarious scheme. There is no ‘playing’, they are intended to be deadly – literally. The enemy’s stated purpose is to turn people from GOD, and when he succeeds with a ‘Christian’ there are demons everywhere doing the happy dance. Despite attemprs over the years to get back to church and a spiritual relationship with GOD, I was drawn deep into the abyss. I almost died a couple of times, but my GOD stepped in and literally saved my life. I suffered, physically, emotionally, and spiritually because of my choices, and I suffered (and still suffer) the consequences of my actions. Angels, sometimes in the form of people and sometimes invisible to me, kept physical death away so that I had the time and the opportunities to find my way back to my SAVIOUR. Not everyone gets that chance, but I have met many survivors of the evil one in my journey, and they know how blessed they are to have escaped. We are NOT victims; we are survivors.

Ghosts? No, not so much. Spirits? Absolutely. I know they exist, both the good (angels) and the bad (fallen angels, aka demons). I have experienced both, up close and personal. The HOLY SPIRIT is one who is always with me now, listening to every word and thought, and gently (okay, sometimes NOT so gently when I veer off the way!) guiding me in the way the LORD GOD would have me go. The LORD GOD, His Son JESUS, and the HOLY SPIRIT are real, alive, and well. They will never, ever steer me to danger, but They will keep me safe when I allow them control of my life. Satan, the enemy of GOD, and all of his creepy little minion spirits are also real and alive, and are constantly harassing and searching for any little crack in our lives to grasp and take us into sin and danger.

Believe in JESUS. He is THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Life (John 14:6). There is no other way to GOD the FATHER, the Comforter, and to the HOLY SPIRIT, and Eternal Life. Your choice – an eternity of Life and Love with our LORD, or an eternity of death and suffering with the enemy. Do you believe? Even more, do you accept JESUS as your LORD and SAVIOUR?

“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, JESUS came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After He said this, He showed them His hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the LORD. A week later His disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, JESUS came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to Him, “My LORD and my GOD!” Then JESUS told him, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” JESUS performed many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that JESUS is the MESSIAH, the SON of GOD, and that by believing you may have LIFE in His Name.” – John 20:19‭-‬20‭, ‬26‭-‬31 NIV

AMEN and AMEN!

Should I Stay?

The line “Should I stay or should I go” from a song popped into my head this morning. I had to look it up so that I could see the rest of the words, and part of verse 1 goes like this:
‘If you say that you are mine
I’ll be here ’til the end of time
So you gotta let me know
Should I stay or should I go?‘

I know this song wasn’t written about GOD, but why shouldn’t it be? God promised through Moses in Deuteronomy 31:6,8 and again in Hebrews 13:5b, that He would never leave or forsake His people. We are His people! GOD leaves it up to each of us individually to choose Him or to reject Him; to tell Him if we want Him in our lives or not. We are free to choose GOD or the enemy, and whichever one we choose will be the one we spend eternity with, ” ’til the end of time.” I pray you will keep this verse in mind when you decide:

“No one is Holy like the LORD! There is no one besides You; there is no ROCK like our GOD.” – 1 Samuel 2:2 NLT

I choose CHRIST. Why should I take a chance on spending eternity in anguish, when I have already spent a lifetime suffering the attacks of the evil one?

“For to me, living means living for CHRIST, and dying is even better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with CHRIST, which would be far better for me.” – Philippians 1:21‭,23 NLT

Listen to “Point to You” by We Are Messengers.

Is God Just An Archaic Idea?

Do you think GOD is archaic? Maybe you consider the Bible to be just an old, musty book, and that the idea that one supreme being could have created everything that exists is absurd; outdated and old-fashioned. The universe just began; there was a ‘big bang’ and it happened without any such thing as ‘GOD’. Because I have heard these arguments so many times, I decided to do some research and present my conclusions. There’s a whole lot of information out there on the internet, but these two caught my eye: Physicist Victor Stenger says the universe may be “uncaused” and may have “emerged from nothing.” Philosopher Bertrand Russell adopted this position in a debate on the existence of God. He said, “The universe is just here, and that’s all.”

Really? That’s the best you philosophers can come up with? How is the universe “uncaused“? “Emerged from nothing?” “Just here?” That’s so scientific …. If these statements were true, then why can’t we take a container that contains nothing, all atoms removed, and create something; anything? My Dad would say this in response to these critics of creation: Where did the materiel for the “Big Bang” come from? If we humans are indeed evolved from monkeys by way of the ‘primordial soup’ (i.e. mud), then why aren’t we still evolving? If we evolved from primates, why do they still exist? When we look at the so-called evolutionary paths, there are many different ways humans, animals, and plants have changed – not evolved. We aren’t evolving because we were created as men and women (and primates). We (humans) have been manipulating gene pools for centuries, causing tremendous changes in every creature and indeed, in nature.

Ah, but what about the dinosaurs? It has been proven that mankind lived when the dinosaurs with petroglyphs drawings and fossil history. There are carvings in temples and decorative carvings and molded examples you can hold in your hand. We have historical, paleotological, and crytozoological records. No, sorry fellas, even discounting the scriptural evidence (for example, Genesis 1:21 NAS, Job 40:15-24, Job 41), there is too much evidence supporting dinosaurs and humans.

“Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owls.” – Micah 1:8 KJV

The Bible has been proved as a true history by science many, many times. Why do we fight so hard to make it untrue? It begins with the Truth about how the earth, the universe, came into being, and it ends with the prophecies of John, telling us how the earth as we know it will end. It is full of stories, of historically accurate events. Archaic God? I don’t think so. There’s just too much evidence to the contrary.

“Have Mercy on me, O GOD, because of Your unfailing Love. Because of Your great Compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I was born a sinner— yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. But You desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there. Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice You desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O GOD.” – Psalms 51:1‭-‬2‭, ‬5‭-‬7‭, ‬16‭-‬17 NLT

“I just need U.” sung by TobyMac….. love this song!