Breaking the cycle of the lie – falling in love.

Psalm 34New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Lord, a Provider and Deliverer.

A Psalm of David when he ^[a]feigned madness before ^[b]Abimelech, who drove him away and he departed.

34 I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

² My soul will make its boast in the Lord;
The humble will hear it and rejoice.
³ O magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.

⁴ I sought the Lord, and He answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
⁵ They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will never be ashamed.
⁶ This ^[c]poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
And saved him out of all his troubles.
⁷ The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.

⁸ O taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
⁹ O fear the Lord, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is no want.
¹⁰ The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing.
¹¹ Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
¹² Who is the man who desires life
And loves length of days that he may see good?
¹³ Keep your tongue from evil
And your lips from speaking deceit.
¹⁴ Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.

¹⁵ The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
And His ears are open to their cry.
¹⁶ The face of the Lord is against evildoers,
To cut off the memory of them from the earth.
¹⁷ The righteous cry, and the Lord hears
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
¹⁸ The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are ^[d]crushed in spirit.

¹⁹ Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.
²⁰ He keeps all his bones,
Not one of them is broken.
²¹ Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous will be ^[e]condemned.
²² The Lord redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who take refuge in Him will be ^[f]condemned

1 Corinthians 13:7

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 John 4:18 [Full Chapter]

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

1 John 2:5

but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:

John 8:39-47 ³⁹ They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, ⁴⁰ but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. ⁴¹ You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” ⁴² Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. ⁴³ Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. ⁴⁴ You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. ⁴⁵ But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. ⁴⁶ Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? ⁴⁷ Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”

Numbers 23:19
God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
2 Corinthians 10:5English Standard Version (ESV) ⁵ We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

Why do we have such a hard time believing in God, believing his word and truth and in his promises?  In the world we live in, there are so many lies we take on when we don’t know the word of truth.  Anything that doesn’t line up with the word is a lie.  Unfortunately, for a lot of believers, following God is hard because of the lies we believe.  Satan is the great deceiver, and the lies of the world that have molded our thinking and the way we see have debased our minds.  Jesus is the king of kings and the lord of Lords.  There is nothing greater than him on earth.  Not our finances, not our children, not our time – nothing.  There is nothing that should be in the way of an ultimate relationship with the lover of our souls – Jesus.  He is perfect love; and in his love there should be no fear.  No fear of speaking his name in public, no fear of following him, no fear of giving, no fear in believing; No fear.  On this journey we call life, we are deceived.  We are deceived in our thinking, deceived in our minds, deceived in our believing.  Deceived mostly into thinking God is lying.  Did God offer you a promise that hasn’t come true yet?  Did you fall into the trap of thinking It was a lie – that you’re not worth the time it would take to finish that promise?  I want you to know right now that in Jesus there are no lies.  He has never lied, nor will he ever lie.  He has always told the truth.  He is perfect love and we have got to stop doubting that his promises are true.  God wrote this book called the bible so that we could read and stand on his truth.  When seasons come where we need to battle and battle hard, the victory will come a lot sooner when we press in and pray and believe the truth of God’s word.  He is a breakthrough God – His battles are always victorious and there is nothing that can outshine the power of God’s word.  So that doctor gave you a diagnosis of cancer – God’s word says – I will live and not die (Psalm 118:17), I was healed on the cross over 2,000 years ago (1 Peter 2:24).  What about the bill that came in the mail that you couldn’t afford?  The Lord is our provider.  What are you thinking of right now that you doubt God about?  He’s not like that person you know who promises to do something for you and then forgets, has not going to tell you one thing and then change his mind.  He is and always has been, faithful, trustworthy, keeping his promises to the thousandth generation.   It’s time to call doubt out of our lives and remove it from our relationship with God.  He is our redeemer and has many and glorious things planned out for our lives.  Jobs, families, relationships – these are the things that are a desire of his heart for you.  He's not just a missionary in a foreign country; he is with you and in you and working to clear out all the clutter of previous history.  He WILL bring you to completion in him – and he’s not opposed to using means that confound your mind to do so.  Let him be who he says he is and work all things together for your good.  You may not be satisfied with where you are today but it’s not where you’re going to finish.  As the psalm above says in verse 16 “The face of the Lord is against evildoers” Romans 8:7English Standard Version (ESV) ⁷ For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Perhaps there is a war going on in your own house that you weren’t aware of – your mind against the mind of Christ.  When we walk in love, we walk in belief - Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Isn’t the greatest commandment to Love God, and one another?  So if we say we love God but don't believe his truth, can we honestly say that we really believe in God?  Can we honestly say that we really love God?  NO!  We can fool man, but we can’t fool God.  He knows our thoughts, he knows our hearts (Psalm 139:2) He knows when we sit and when we stand, he knows when we lie down and when we rise up again, so doesn’t he also know when we think that something he said, won’t come to pass?  He is intimate with us – can we be intimate with him?  Lay ourselves bare on his throne and expose our hearts and minds?  Like Psalms 139:1 says – Search my heart – Search me and know me.  What is this asking?  It’s saying – God – you know me more intimately than I know myself – search me – ask him to show you your flaws, and when he points them out, ask for his help in healing them.  What do you have to lose?  Absolutely nothing; because God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.  Hebrews 11:6  And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

I hope I have left you with something.  I believe in faith that I have deposited something in your spirit that has stirred you to get to know Him more.  My desire is to see everyone have a much more loving and intimate relationship with the amazing God I serve.  But it takes two.  He is forever and always calling after you; forever and always loving you.  There is nothing that has ever separated you from his love.  Return to your first love Jesus and open your heart, soul and mind to him.  He is your treasure to behold and your healer and deliverer.

Father God I just PRAISE you for your goodness and lovingkindness towards me.  Thank you God for delivering me from every lie and sin.  I thank you God for healing my mind, soul and body.  Put inside me a soul that makes its boast in you with all honesty, sincerity and intimacy.  Let me be who you desired me to be – I surrender it all to you right now in Jesus name.  Abolish my doubts, and uproot seeds of doubt that I have planted and renew my mind.  Help me to know how to stand on your word of truth.  I declare that I believe in you and everything you say.  Satan I bind you from lying to me.  God, Help me to know you more and show me how to walk in love and absolute belief in your truth.  Forgive me for my sin of unbelief.  In Jesus name Amen

See also - Deuteronomy 30:2

 

 



Laughing@YourReligion                                                                         November 2013
A Lioness Awakens
God hates divorce – so stay miserable my friends
What? You SO did not just say that! Yes I did and do you want to know why? Because it’s an inside the box
approach churches have at holding people captive in unhealthy marriages. Yep, I can see you now – sitting back and scratching your head thinking... “This chick is a Christian”??? What kind of a trip is SHE on? I’ll tell you – I am on the biggest kind of Jesus trip ever!

Bible verses:
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleaning her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. Ephesians 5:25-28
Wake up, O sleeper,
Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.
Ephesians 5:14
Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Colossians 3:19

So what’s your problem?

I’ll tell you my problem, but it’s a long one – so get your comfy pants on and sit for a chat... It’s a pretty bumpy ride.
I was born into this world, the beloved daughter of a king. Innocent and pure, I was the apple of my Daddy’s eye. I was raised by some amazing people, not just parents, but people that wanted to see my spiritual life flourish, so at a time when my parents weren’t yet going to church, a neighbor, or my oldest sister would take me.

Going to church and learning about God and His amazing love, I fell in love with my first husband Jesus. I didn’t understand of course what all of this meant – but I knew how I felt when I was close to him, and around people who loved him. My sister who is 16 years older than me was married when I was barely young enough to remember. I could see the love in her marriage and I decided that she had a good marriage because she was Jewish – well actually she is Christian but I guess my Christian-ese hadn’t developed into full understanding yet. But I knew they had something that I wanted. I continued on with a pretty active church life until I was 12. My Grandmother ~ who I was just starting to get to know, died of a massive heart attack. The lack of compassion from

the congregants that we thought we had grown into our family left a wound that caused my family to feel that we needed to leave the church. So now not only did I lose my grandmother, I lost a church structure. Fast forward a couple of years, I started having more serious relationships. I thought I had found what love was. The passionate kissing of a teenage love ~ it didn’t seem like there could be any more to the picture ~ this must be what made my sister’s marriage tick. So I pursued more of that until I was with someone who talked me into having sex for my first time at 14 years old. “For the wages of sin is death” Romans 6:23. By
having sex, I divorced my savior, and died a long and painful death. I wasn’t ready for sex. It was less than satisfying and I really couldn’t understand what all the hype was about.

When I found out that he told other kids at school, I was so embarrassed. I broke up with him shortly after and vowed I wouldn’t bother with that anymore. But... then came along another boy. My self- esteem fell after my first experience, I no longer felt beautiful and confident. I became a shell. But this new boy , he pursued me in the hallways, he called me beautiful, and eventually he won me over and we started having sex. This time it was different... this time was definitely it! I was totally head over heels and my parents couldn’t stand him so it had to be right – right? Well – parents – if you have a daughter like I was – key note of info here – don’t tell her what NOT to do – or it’s a pretty sure fire way to get her to do EXACTL Y the opposite.

If you can’t already guess where this is going... my mom kept asking if I had been having sex and of course I kept lying to her ~ until one day I broke out of anger and told her the truth. She was pissed! I had never been a fighter ~ but somehow, one thing led to another and my mom and I had an all out WWF event right in my bedroom. I’ll never forget the look in her eye when she told me I better not get pregnant... So I did. She had promised to throw me out if I did ~ and I couldn’t wait to get out. So further on down the self-destructive path I drove. When the baby was born, I was still living at home.

That plan fell through. But I was still determined. Living in the house as a parent – with your parents causes even more issues, so one night I packed up all of our things and I left. My dad drove me down and unloaded my things, and my new perfect life began in a dirty, cockroach-infested apartment with the man of my dreams and his family. (Yeah when I look back I do a wtf too and I sometimes hate my pure honesty but if it helps someone...) Not long after moving in with baby daddy, we needed to find our own space because the apartment was going to be torn down for a new government building. We found an apartment close by and moved in. It was exciting to finally really be on our own, until reality set in. I was finishing high school and working part time to support my baby, and baby daddy? He went fishing.

12

In case you didn’t know, God is a Jealous God. My apartment was right across the street from a Baptist church. I remember looking out the windows, longing to go through the doors, but I wasn’t brave enough. I didn’t know anyone there and I didn’t have anyone to go with me, so on the warmer Sundays, I’d listen for the joyful sounds of the worship music that would joyfully pour through the stained glass windows and doors. I longed to have that joy back. That pure and innocent joy. I did manage to graduate high school that summer – a stereotype I was not about to live up to. And I went on to start college in the fall, but as life has its way of changing you, the ominous breakup prevailed. A borderline abusive relationship wasn’t what broke me; it was the drug use that had been hidden from me. When I came home from work one afternoon, I found him high, and my baby sleeping upstairs alone. It was in that moment that I couldn’t take another moment. I moved in with a friend for a few weeks until I finally broke and went back home. Like a new baby calf, I pushed to get back on my feet. Igotanewjob,hadaccesstoacar,Ihada regained confidence, but I was so messed up as to what love really was. It was an easy lesson to figure out that to keep a boyfriend interested, you have sex. I finally found one who became serious enough to marry me. I wasn’t of age yet before I started drinking but I liked it and so did he. He had a steady job and a nice family – so I ignored all of the red flags that kept popping up before we actually got married. Killing innocent animals for the fun of it or out of anger, the violent behavior when he was drinking heavily, the intense jealousy, the heavy way he would discipline my daughter, the way he would mistreat her dad. I had been so blind to all of it. After some traumatic events in our marriage, I began feeling trapped, alone and scared, so I started going to church. I never thought that simple act would bring me so much trouble at home. He would get mad at me for going. I couldn’t understand why. Giving money was an absolute no-no. I could give a dollar or two – maybe five. His misery continued on until one day I gave him an ultimatum. He had been working out of town daily and would come home so tired and miserable. I was wanting a divorce but didn’t believe that’s what should be done. This was my marriage – for better or for worse. So the choice I gave him was to find a new job or move. So we moved closer to his work. New friends, a new life, new bars to go to. Life was so much better for a while. My world crashed the year my third baby was born. I was pregnant the same time as his best friend.  Their baby died a month after birth.  I felt guilty, guilty because my baby was alive, guilty because it wasn’t me, guilty. After all I had done, I felt that baby should have been my loss. The pang in my heart was aching to get back to that place of home, so again I started searching. A few occasions I’d sneak out to go to church, not wanting to hear his disgust. But then a friend led me to a place that for a few years, I really could call home. I loved the place, I loved the worship, and I quickly started growing. I was given responsibilities and after a friend leaked the secret that I love to sing, had me try out for the worship team and I made it.

I LOVED where I was at – I had finally found what felt like home. I started to rediscover Jesus and who he really is. He started removing the scales from
my eyes and allowed me to see that I am good – and even better was that he still loved me. The love I had found was amazing – I wanted it at home. The time I spent at church only caused more problems. I’d go home to the silent treatment – sometimes for a week at a time. But what I felt at church, worshipping my Jesus was so intense. I started feeling like I was having an affair and it scared me. It had to be wrong, but I couldn’t stop it. I remember feeling like I needed to leave my husband to pursue this love I had with the Lord, I felt like I was being held back – knowing if I continued the path I was going, he would surely leave me.
One night during a healing service, the pastor prophetically prayed that a member of the church would be healed of sexual abuse that night. When I heard the words I cringed. What an awful thing that person must have had to endure. As the night went on, the worship was amazing, until I felt the rush of God come over me, and I sat down and closed my eyes. Flashbacks of my childhood came to me. I was scared and not really sure what was happening... was I the one to be healed? I had never recalled anything like that happening – I used to wonder but wrote it off as a silly thought. I mustered up the courage and told the pastor what I had been seeing. The pastor sat me down and began praying, breaking off curses and protection of my family, and healing. That night was perhaps the worst night of my life ~ flashbacks flowed through me revealing bits and pieces. It made it all make sense. Why I was afraid of the dark, why I was afraid of men with deep voices and beards, why I hated being tickled. A psychotherapist held her sessions at our church and happened to be a friend of mine. I called her the following day and set up a session to try EMDR therapy. Slowly the pieces of the puzzle all started to fit and healing took place there. I was eventually able to recall the sexual abuse and the person who did it. My healing journey began. Slowly as a carefully worked out puzzle, I got stronger, I started becoming mentally healthier, emotionally healthier, but one thing remained, my broken relationship with my husband.

I eventually came to a place where doing daycare out of my home felt like a prison. The kids screaming would put me in a trance. I couldn’t handle it anymore. I had to break out and break free from the daily trauma it would put me through. I got a part time job at an eye care center, a friend knew I was looking and with my previous experience, he hired me on the spot. Back in earlier days, my husband would tell me that he would kill me if I ever cheated on him. His jealousy of me even talking to other men made me feel that even by talking to a guy I was cheating. So being back in the working world, I was forced to converse with men. This led me to one of the worst emotional breakdowns I had ever had. One guy at work gave me flirty attention, and given the rejection at home I liked it. But then I started becoming fearful. The enemy started having his way with me. I felt like I was cheating. I was so racked with fear that I couldn’t eat or sleep. The lack of food only fed the lack of mental control I had. It was the perfect cocktail for chaos. Paranoia sank in and I was afraid of everything. I tried to maintain composure but it was affecting everything. One night when I got home, I was so sure that he was going to harm me that I told him to leave, and if he came back I’d call the police. He was so distressed and nowhere to go, so he went to a friends house for the night. Calling later on to at least come get his things for work, and as I had promised, I had the police there waiting to make sure nothing would go wrong. He called his parents and mine, and his father came over the next morning trying to figure out what had gone wrong. Once we had a coming to Jesus talk and aired out all our grievances, I was calm enough to eat and found myself coming back to a normal non- psychotic state.

I worked there for a little while longer until I felt I had met my full potential and needed more. A job opened up full time at a manufacturing place closer to home that was just starting up. Our family was all so happy for such an amazing blessing. It was great and exciting, until the ugly head of jealousy began to creep in again. Manufacturing is pretty heavily male dominant. I would go home and share a story about something that happened during the day and I would get negative comments back. I already couldn’t talk about my church life with him, and now I couldn’t talk about work. I shut down, and I shut him out. At home I was so empty. I started working longer hours with no overtime pay just to be away from home, and took online classes to finish my college degree. The only reason I didn’t leave was because of our girls. With both of our paychecks, I was finally giving them the kind of life I wanted for them. But I was so empty. I had lost hope and decided that this was my cross to carry until they moved out, and then maybe I would get a divorce. But the emptiness only grew deeper. I finally broke and found an apartment, but he promised me he’d change. So I stayed another year, struggling to love him. We grew farther apart, and I finally gave myself a deadline after my first daughter had moved out to go to college. We put our house on the market to try and get away from the crime that was slowly engulfing our neighborhood. The more we looked at new homes, the more we couldn’t agree on a mutual future, and I finally broke down and told him I’d had enough – but this time – so had he. I found an apartment and secured it, trembling. Not knowing if it was right. I packed my things and started moving as soon as I had the keys. Leaving my husband as a Christian woman was the hardest thing to do. The guilt that religion put on me – just keep trying, just keep praying, God hates divorce. But you know what? God also hates to see his babies hurting, and the fact that I was far from him, fearing that I was letting him down kept me far from the doors of a church. But he kept whispering to me that he loved me and wanted me to be happy. He whispered words of grace.
A month after leaving I finally had the courage to set foot in a church again, and Jesus reigned me in. He met me so strongly and spoke straight to my heart. I don’t really know all that took place inside of me that morning, but he met me in power, my body trembled, I could barely stand during worship. I know it was his cleansing fire. He broke off lies, and spoke truth; he commissioned me and explained my mission in terms I had never been able to understand before. He brought me out of darkness and back into the light. He woke my sleeping heart and brought me life.
So if I can twist the words of the devil like he does to me – God hates divorce – yes that’s true – but the marriage that God is talking about is the one between Jesus and you. Our earthly marriage is supposed to represent a Godly relationship, and if that’s not what you are getting, and it’s pulling you away from your relationship with Jesus Christ – LEAVE! Run and don’t look back. Because the promises that God has for you are far better than any guilty worry you’re leaving behind. There is no relationship on this earth worth spending your eternity in hell. If you’re already living there – let me help you get out.
Jesus in your name I pray, break the chains off of my dearly loved reading this. Give them the courage to follow your plan. Speak to their hearts and minds and confirm your truth. Renew their minds and give them a spirit of discernment to see their situation through your eyes. Give them beauty for ashes and show them how to be accepted in the beloved. “Wake up, O sleeper, Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. In Jesus name, Amen!

Resources

If you feel you are in an abusive relationship and you want to learn more, check out the links below. There IS help available.
If you are in immediate danger; call 911
Educate yourself! It’s the first step to healing
http://www.thehotline. org
http://www.childhelp- usa.com
http://www.loveisrespe ct.org/is-this-abuse/is- this-abuse?gclid=CM- 9l6mjgLsCFbBAMgodbE 4A_A

LAYR	Resenting Disobedience
12.16.2015	Laughing@yourreligion
Jonah 4 Jonah's Anger and the Lord's Compassion 4 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly,[a] and he was angry. 2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?” 5 Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. 6 Now the Lord God appointed a plant[b] and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort.[c] So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. 7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” 9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” 10 And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”   Bible Readings Jonah 4 Hebrews 11:6 Matthew 6:33 Jeremiah 29:11 John 10:10 Psalm 139 Proverbs 3:5-6	Having a Jonah moment…     Have you ever had a Jonah moment, or a season for that matter? A time in life where stuff is just messed up because you were in disobedience with God. In Jonah 4, we find Jonah after the whale had already vomited him out and he went to Ninevah to rebuke the city for turning from the Lord, and the Lord’s anger subsided. Because of this, Jonah became resentful. When I read this I couldn’t help but to ask the Lord – why is he pouting? And the answer I heard the Lord speak to me was – He became resentful. Jonah had disobeyed God and run off to a foreign land, deliberately disobeying direct orders from a King. But our mighty God, instead of having him killed, chose this moment to teach Jonah about his goodness – even when it ended him in the belly of a whale. The people sailing with Jonah on that stormy day remarked – what kind of evil has come upon us? Knowing the character of God – they knew that what was happening was not from the Lord. (Remember John 10:10 – the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy) Jonah in his disobedience brought with him the curse of disobedience, and unfortunately to his sailing crew, upon them as well. Jonah repented, and told them to throw him overboard. In fear of God the sailors didn’t want to commit a murder, they asked of the Lord, threw him overboard and then offered a sacrifice to him. In love, they cast him from their presence and were saved.   Jonah had three days to consider the mess he was in, and then went and delivered the repentance message to Ninevah and they listened immediately. So why was Jonah so bitter and angry? Had he listened to God the first time, he wouldn’t have had to suffer as he did. I see Jonah in this passage as a child who doesn’t listen unless he is forced to, with a sibling also was in disobedience but because of their love for the parent, immediately obeyed and because of it, didn’t get in trouble. But Jonah did, so he resented Ninevah and became hard hearted towards God. Getting to know the true character of God is perhaps one of the most important things a believer can do. To know that he is love, and has all things worked out for our good, and for our prosperity. He is not angry with us unless we are in disobedience to him, and even in our disobedience, he still loves us unconditionally. But like a parent, God won’t give rewards unless we are in obedience. This isn’t something we should become resentful about, it’s a rod to guide and discipline us into wanting to do what is right. Besides, loving others means doing things for them out of love. I suppose Jonah’s story ends in only a few short chapters because I’m willing to bet that God didn’t want to use him for much after he hardened his heart against God. What is it that you may be resenting God for, that wasn’t God’s fault? I pray that you may be able to renew your mind to the goodness of God, the truth of God, and a knowing of whom he is and what he wants for you. It’s never too late to start walking in obedience to him. Faith is the first step to knowing your amazing father in Heaven. He loves and adores you and he aches to reward you with the desires of your heart. “And without faith it is  impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33   Your attitude will determine your blessing!   Thank you God that you are a just and kind father, forgiving, loving, caring. Thank you that you discipline us in love. I pray the Holy Spirit will search me and reveal to me any area in my life that I am in disobedience, or have a hardness or unforgiveness. Renew my heart and mind and open my eyes to see the good that you have planned out for me and give me the strength to walk in obedience. I thank you God that the Holy Spirit speaks to me and I can hear him, I thank you for giving me a sharp discernment to know when I’m making the wrong choices. Help me to resent sin and disobedience and forgive me for my wrongs and restore me to you daddy. Thank you for loving me unconditionally, and for reminding me that I am righteous in your eyes. In Jesus precious name, Amen.
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Loving beyond the walls

}Loving beyond the walls [Loving the world on purpose]

} 11/13/15

“For When Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are

a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.  They show that the work of the

law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting

thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges

the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.”  Romans 2:14-16

“Or is God the God of Jews only?  Is he not the God of Gentiles also?  Yes of Gentiles

also, since God is one – who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised

through faith.  Do we then overthrow the law by this faith?  By no means!  On the

Contrary, we uphold the law.”  Romans 3:29-31

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you,

you also are to love one another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples,

If you have love for one another.”  John 13:34-35

Loving beyond the walls

[Loving the world on purpose]

In Christianity, religion, there are so many do’s and don’ts that sometimes the world simply gets confusing.  Living in the world as a Christian without compromise is a challenge at times to say the least.  In church it’s so easy to feel at ease when those around you share your love and compassion for Jesus, but what for those of us that work in the world?  It’s not always as simple as going to work, there are relational issues and philosophies, work isn’t only a mission field but sometimes a battle ground – especially of the mind.

Renewing your mind

The word of God says not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers.  So what happens when you find yourself at your workplace with an atheist or Muslim?  Quit?  No…  Read on… If you’re in a place where the Holy Spirit led you, then you’re there for a reason – to make a difference – to make an impact; you’re there to be Jesus to a world who has no idea who he is other than a dreaded salvation message.

Just because they’re from the world, doesn’t mean they’re bad…

In the previous scriptures, Romans 2:14-16 talks about the Gentiles having the law written on their hearts.  In the end, it’s God who judges the hearts of men – not us.  When we choose not to walk in love, and to see others through the lens that God looks at them through, we become just as bad as the heathen.   Colossians 1:16 says “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through him and for him.”  So if all things were created by him – and for him, shouldn’t we also look at the unbeliever as a creation of God?

Break down the wall

It’s time to break down the wall… “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…  (Romans 12:2)  Believers and unbelievers alike follow the law of the land.  God has written spiritual law in each and every one of our hearts.  Abraham – a man loved dearly by God went to heaven, and that was before Jesus came to lay his life down for him.  He was righteous by faith.  So the next time you go into work, or to the mall – or wherever you go that you know you will be around people that aren’t quite like you… Pray on how to love them, pray on how to hear them.  Put your armor on and keep your thoughts on the word.  The only way you will ever be able to discern the truth from the lie is when you know the truth.  At the end of the day – the greatest law, the greatest commandment is to LOVE.  Know that God has made you the head and not the tail, he has given you authority over all principalities.  So put your blinders on to their differences, get out there and love on people the way Jesus did.  Because when it all comes down to it, they will only know Him by your love.  Not your scriptures, not your doctrines, not by your judgements or your condemnations… The world will know Him by your love.

Father God, I pray for the one reading this to come completely unhindered from the things holding them back from sharing you.  I pray they will develop a greater passion and love for you and for the things that break your heart.  Help us to fulfill your great comission and bring in the harvest.  In Jesus name ~Amen~