Take it Back!

Don’t ever let the enemy steal your joy. This is one of my favorite songs from the Jimmy Swaggart ministry. I pray it ministers to you and uplifts you.

Many blessings!

It’s Okay to be Angry – God is Big Enough to Handle It

If you will bear with me this week I am going to get very personal. I don’t do this for attention, but to illustrate God’s greatness. As most of you know my husband of 18 years died almost a year ago. In December my mother passed away. Last year was a bit of a hard year for me and my family. I have been dealing with it like one would expect to. One day I’m fine, the next day all I can do is cry. Heck that happens sometimes within the span of a few minutes. Last night I was getting ready for bed and I saw something of my husband’s on the floor and when I picked it up an overwhelming sense of loss washed over me. What surprised me about it was how angry I was. I was angry because he died, I was angry at God for taking him, and I was angry because our future had been stolen from us. I had a good cry and felt better after wards, but it got me thinking.

Boo-boo lip

I know some people who think being angry at God is horrible. Like we’ll go to hell if we get angry with Him. Personally I don’t agree. Things happen in life we just don’t understand and as weak humans we need someone to blame and God is sometimes the undeserving target of our anger. It is not a sin to be angry, it becomes a sin when we reject Him out of our anger. If anything good can be said to have come out of the losses I’ve experienced, it is a better understanding of how much God loves me. Okay so I know that may sound a big opposite of what I was just talking about, but let me explain.

I have learned to bear my heart and soul to God. Really open up and let Him know what I’m feeling, anger, sorrow, abandonment, grief – all of it. The flip side of this is the love I have felt from Him. When I learned to truly open up to Him He gave His love and healing spirit to me like a river. One example is I am now faced with the burden of having to support myself. I have gone back to school, tried to seek out some scholarships for women, applied for financial aid and student loans, and thankfully have not had to pay any out of pocket money to return to school. This all came after worrying and fretting about my future. One night I really prayed about my situation and asked God to show me what to do about it. The next day I was enrolled in classes.

If you’ve experienced a loss or something in your life you don’t understand and feel angry with God, tell Him how you feel. He’s big enough to handle it. If you open your heart to Him, He will begin to heal you. I know for a fact that if I wasn’t a Christian I’d be drowning my sorrows in a bottle of alcohol. It is only by God’s great grace and love that I can carry on each day. I pray you find God’s love and peace. It’s a daily struggle, but He promises to be with us every step of the way.

Salt of the Earth

Have you ever tasted a dish that needed salt? It’s flat and boring. Sure it may look tasty, but it lacks character and flavor. The same can be said for us. Unless we are the salt of the earth, we are flat and lack any character. What does it mean to be the salt of the earth? Well think about it. Salt is a preservative, can be used to prevent bacterial growth, and gives food flavor. As Christians we should be all of these things. We need to preserve the truth, prevent lies from spreading, and be on fire for God. God warns us in the Bible that if we are lukewarm He will spit us out of His mouth. To me this means if we don’t stand up for what is right and spread His good news, we’re useless to His kingdom.

Many times as Christians we think we’re supposed to be smiling and gentle all of the time. So many churches have this idea of a passive Jesus. Nothing is further from the truth. If you read the account of Jesus’ life you’ll see him getting angry at the temple, calling some of the Jewish leaders vipers, and calling down the apostles for being dense. I’m sure He got frustrated at the way he got the “deer in the headlights look” from the apostles when He was trying to explain who He was and what God’s plan was. Here was a group of men who spent almost all of their time with the Savior, yet many of them didn’t realize who He really was until he rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven.

Being salt of the earth is different from imposing your beliefs onto the world. There is a disturbing trend among conservative Christians to think the entire country should live according to their rules. Many groups are pushing for a Christian theocracy in this country. To me this is as dangerous as the militant Muslim groups that have seized power in the Middle East. The Bible instructs us to spread the good news of salvation through Jesus, but also says give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. It is my opinion that religion has no place in politics. Right is right, and wrong is wrong no matter who or what you pray to.

But I’m getting away from my main point. As Christians we can not be afraid or timid to stand up for what we feel is right. We should get respect for our religious views and give respect to those who believe differently from us. I have a very good friend who does not believe in God the same way I do. We’ve had many discussions about this, but in all of our discussions we’ve respected each other and remained good friends. I personally feel it is more important for people to see Jesus through my words and actions than to walk around and thump them on the head with my Bible. We can be salt of the earth and mirror how Jesus dealt with people, with love, compassion, and respect.

God is Not a Genie in a Bottle

There is a disturbing trend among preachers that I feel the need to touch upon. Prosperity preaching is becoming all too common in pulpits these days. Many preachers and people in the congregation treat God like He is a genie in a bottle. Whatever they desire they believe will come to them if they just pray hard enough. It is like when you’re in college looking for money and you want merit scholarships, you think if you’re good enough, pray hard enough, do enough good works, and bug God enough He will give what you ask for because you deserve it.

Image by Disney

That doesn’t have a Biblical base to it any more than the New Age Attraction Theory which has gained popularity among the world and Christians. The Attraction Theory is a dangerous idea for Christians. It states in a nutshell what you send out into the universe you get back, and if you visualize having money or a new car, you’ll eventually get it. My question is just where is the universe going to get that new car or money you want? This theory loses sight of who created and maintains the universe and the role God and Jesus still play in the universe and our lives. God isn’t going to give you whatever you wish for because He gives you what you need, not necessarily what you want or think you deserve.

God is more concerned with your relationship with Him and with other people, not material possessions. We see this in Matthew 6:19, 20, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

Image by Lawrence OP

Everything we have on this earth will pass away. We take nothing with us when we pass onto the next stage of our eternal life. This was very evident to me after my father passed away. When we came home from the hospital all of his stuff was still at my mom’s house. It was as if somehow I thought his things would go with him. I knew that wasn’t true, but so much of our identity and who people perceive us to be is tied up in what we own.

I may be getting off track a bit, but my main point stands. Prosperity preaching bypasses the blood of Jesus and its healing power. Instead of focusing on salvation and spreading the Word, it focuses on material possessions and how to get them. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can use God for a slot machine or a genie. Focus instead on the moving of the Holy Spirit and the saving Grace of Jesus and the power of the cross.

The Way to Salvation

I know I talk a lot about salvation and forgiveness here on this blog. But it occurred to me that maybe some of you don’t know exactly how you can receive the free gift of salvation and forgiveness. The Bible says the only way to the Father is through His son Jesus. When the apostles asked Jesus how to get to Heaven the Bible says he answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

I know some of you may balk at that idea and believe that all roads lead to heaven. No, all roads don’t lead to heaven and if that sounds exclusive, it isn’t meant to be. I believe that only through the acceptance and belief of Jesus as your Savior can you know the true meaning of forgiveness and have a place reserved for you in Heaven. Buddha, Mohammad and all other prophets and supposed messiahs are dead. Only Jesus Christ is alive and sits at the right hand of the Father in Heaven.

How to be Saved 

The term being saved refers to the fact the Jesus already paid for your sins when He died on the cross. When you accept Him as your Savior you are covered with His blood and this blood atones for your sins. You will still have to face the consequences for your sins, but the eternal consequences are already dealt with by Christ’s death and resurrection.

Realize and admit you are a sinner. Everyone born on this earth besides Jesus is a sinner. We have natural sin nature and only by recognizing this and asking for forgiveness from Jesus can we be saved.

Pray for forgiveness. Once you realize you are a sinner, pray for God to forgive you. It’s is as simple as saying, “God I know I’m a sinner and I ask for your forgiveness.” You don’t need long lengthy prayers, just one that truly comes from your heart.

Accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. After you pray for forgiveness, invite Jesus to come into your life and guide you. Ask Him to live in your heart and show you the way God wants you to live. “If you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10).

A simple prayer might go like this: “God I know I’m a sinner and I need forgiveness. I know I need Jesus as my Savior and accept that He is my Savior. I now invite Jesus to come into my heart and life to guide and save me.” It is as easy as that. No strings attached, no long rituals, or fancy services. God wants everyone to join Him in Heaven and He offers up His son as a way for you to go to your true home when you leave this life. “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:9)

If you prayed this prayer welcome to God’s family! Know that in Heaven there are angels rejoicing and I rejoice for you, too. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have and let me know if you prayed this prayer so I can pray for you. God bless and keep you all.

Put the Cat’s Tail in the Box

I have a very dear Christian friend who has helped me through many trials and rejoiced with me on the triumphs of my life, she has told me to put the cat’s tail in the box more than once. What this means is to give your problems to God and don’t pull them back to try and fix them yourself. We want to be self sufficient and think we can solve our problems of our own accord. As Christians we know this is not true. It is only by the grace and greatness of our Heavenly Father that we make it through each and everyday. It’s like we want to be an FBI agent and ferret out the best solution when the best solution is to give it to God.

Have you ever been at a point of your life when you just throw your hands up and tell God you can’t handle it anymore and it’s all His? I have. I’m sure most of us if we are honest will admit to this. Well there is actually nothing wrong with this attitude. It is what we should have been doing in the first place. Colossians 1:17 tells us, “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” Philippians 4:6 also tells us, “In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” The first verse shows the mighty power of God. He created the heavens and the earth and He keeps it all together. The second verse tells us to pray about everything.

I’ve found that prayer is not just a wish list to God. It is an intimate way to communicate your fears, anxieties, hopes, dreams, disappointments, and ask for understanding and wisdom. God knows what we need and want before we tell Him, but by asking and sharing how we feel with Him it helps us to clarify what is truly important. During prayer I’ve learned to be brutally honest with God. Like I said, He knows our hearts before we come to Him in prayer, and if we can truly open up and lay it all out before Him, He will help us. We may not get the answer we expected or wanted, but we get the answer that is best for us. So next time you give something up to God, put the cat’s tail in the box and leave it with Him.

Say NO to Negative Thoughts

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8 

You don't have to be miserable.

Have you ever had a thought enter your mind and wonder where on earth it came from? Maybe it was so uncharacteristic it scared you. I had this happen about five years ago when I was going through a major depression. I didn’t want to be alone, but yet I didn’t want to be around people. Well there’s really no other choice, is there? I was focusing on the disturbing thoughts that were coming into my head and thinking that I was evil or weird. It wasn’t until I went to counseling with my Pastor that I realized I wasn’t weird or evil. He said he gets the same types of thoughts, but it is the choosing not to act upon them that is more important.

Not long after that I started to go to a therapist. She said the same thing. Everyone gets these wild and weird thoughts, but that doesn’t mean we have to take ownership of them. Just because you think of something doesn’t mean you have to keep it. She said I think too much. Well, I’ve been told that more than once. I was taking each and every thought and examining it, ruminating on it, and worrying about it when I should have been following Paul’s advice and thinking of good and Godly things.

Depression and anxiety can feed upon each other. I don’t know how you feel about it, but I’m convinced they are demons that love to torment us. When I’d start to feel an anxiety attack coming on it was just like something awful was creeping up on me. I could feel the fingers of terror starting to encircle my heart and soul. I had to learn to say no. No to negative thoughts, no to anxiety, and no to anything that tried send me into the spiral of depression and anxiety.

God's peace is for all.

Some scripture verses that give me strength include Psalm 34:4. “I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.”  Proverbs 1:33 tells us, “but he who listens to me shall live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil.” And finally Proverbs 3:25-26 states, “Do not be afraid of sudden fear nor the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.”

I learned to say no to negative and disturbing thoughts. If you ask Jesus to save you from them He will. Be honest with God and tell him the pain you are going through. Our God is a big God and He can handle anything. Jesus knows our temptations and trials; He will save you and give you His peace. Remember to dwell on what is pure and lovely, and to reject any thoughts that cause you fear or anxiety.

Superstition and the Christian

Today is Friday the 13^th. For many people today is a day supposedly filled with bad luck. According to a psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of phobias, Dr. Donald Dossey, this belief is held by approximately 21 million or 8% of Americans. The belief that the number 13 is evil goes back into the centuries. The Norse tradition holds that the 12 gods held a banquet but failed to invite the 13^th god, Loki, the god of the underworld. He crashed the party and caused fights and a great ruckus.

Another legend has that the mother goddess’ number was 13 for the number of lunar cycles in the year. As society became more patriarchal the number 12 became the favored number and the number 13 was vilified. On the flip side the ancient Egyptians considered the number 13 as lucky. The priests may have even celebrated the number with different types of tattoo designs. But as the ages progressed, 13 and especially Friday the 13^th became a thing to fear. Whatever the reason, the fear of Friday the 13^th remains ingrained in our collective consciousness.

As a Christian I personally do not believe in the curse of Friday the 13^th. Superstition has no place in a Christian’s life. Our faith is in Jesus Christ, not in knocking on wood, avoiding black cats, or staying home on Friday the 13^th. To believe that anyone or anything besides God has control over our lives is more pagan than Christian. Colossians 2:8 commands us to: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” This verse is pretty clear. We are not to depend on anything except the Word of God.

Superstitions are ingrained in our society and it is hard not to fall back on them. Have you ever thrown salt over your left shoulder if you spill it? Did you know that was to throw salt in the devil’s eyes? How about walking under a ladder? While this is not a good idea for safety’s sake, the superstition is from the practice of hanging a man from the seventh rung in an execution. At one time people thought death was contagious and if you walked under a ladder you might “catch” death. Knocking on wood was to find favor with the gods who supposedly lived in trees, and a black cat was thought to be a familiar of a witch, the witch in cat form, or even the devil in cat form.

Next time Friday the 13^th rolls around (there’s 3 of them in 2012) remember who your Father is and that He is in control. As Christians we need to rely and trust in Jesus Christ and Our Father, not pagan beliefs. Leave superstitions behind and trust that God is in control.

Keep Breathing and Trust God

To say 2011 was a challenge would be a gross understatement. I lost my husband in March and then just days after her birthday I lost my mother in December. Just when I was beginning to be able to carry on after the death of my husband, I had to deal with the grief of losing my mother. Now to say I lost them is a misnomer. I know where they are. They were both Christians and I’m sure with all my being they are in heaven enjoying their eternal rewards. It is those who are left that must face the brunt of the grief, anger and loss.

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One of the things I’ve tried to keep in mind while going through this all is to keep breathing. Deep cleansing breaths have saved me more than once from feeling like the world was closing in on me. Prayer of course and hanging onto God’s promises are my mainstays. I’d like to share some of the scriptures that have helped me deal with 2011 and given me hope for 2012. All of these are from the NIV version of the Holy Bible.

Psalm 46:10

Be still and know that I am God…

Jeremiah 29:11

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.

Philippians 4:13

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 3:14

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

These are just four of the scriptures I’ve found inspiration and peace. Grieving is a process and I’ve gone through all of the stages more than once recently. One thing I know is that God will sustain me. Yes I have times I cry, feel lonely and hopeless, but more and more I also feel God’s love surrounding me. I am blessed with good friends and a supportive family.

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Why do I tell you all of these things? Please don’t think it is for sympathy. It is so you can see that no matter what life throws at you, God is still in control. He walks with you through your darkest hour and carries you when you can’t go on. All you have to do is go to Him and tell Him how you feel. Tell Him what you need. God loves you and wants to be there for you, but He doesn’t force his way into your life. He waits for an invitation and comes right in when you ask Him to. Life is hard, but our God is good. He is big enough to handle any circumstance, just ask Him.

No Condemnation

“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1.

What I want to talk about this week is how we are saved from the condemnation of the law through the Grace of Jesus. This may sound like we don’t have to follow any rules or laws. No, that is not true. We still have to do what God says in His Word, but we are not bound by the need to try to earn our salvation like the Hebrews in the Old Testament. There is nothing we can do to earn salvation. No amount of church attendance, good works or sitting in a pew on Sunday morning will ever get us into heaven. It is through the belief and acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Savior that are the keys to heaven. The law of the Holy Spirit is life giving, love God and love one another. That’s pretty much it in a nutshell.

You can make it more complicated, people like to do this with religion, but it’s not rocket science. All ten of the commandments are distilled into the two commandments Jesus gave us while He was on earth. Once you accept Jesus as your Savior, you are freed from the condemnation of sin and death. You will live forever with Him and not be separated from His love. I imagine it like this. When I die I will stand before God and He will play back my life. I will have to answer for everything I did and said, but when it comes time for judgment Jesus will step forward and tell His Father, “I’ve got her she’s mine.” Freedom from the law doesn’t mean I can go out and do anything I want, not at all. In Coffman’s commentary he states, “…salvation is not procured by the transfer of righteousness to the sinner, but by the transfer of the sinner into Christ.” So it is nothing we do, it is what Christ does for us.

One example of this is tattoos. There are those who say you shouldn’t get a tattoo because in the Old Testament it says not to mark your bodies like the heathen. Well it also says we shouldn’t eat pork or shellfish, the old Mosaic law. So do I want a tattoo? No, I’m scared of the ink and the needles. Do I think they’re wrong? No, they’re a form of self expression. It is what is in your heart not on your skin God is concerned about. When you accept Christ as your Savior, the Holy Spirit comes into your heart. It is the Holy Spirit who speaks to us and to God when we don’t have the words. Through this indwelling of the Spirit and the belief in Christ we are truly set free from condemnation. Now that my friend is truly Good News!