Tuesday, February 23, 2016
FLIPPING THE TABLES FOR THE SAKE OF LOVE
Matthew 21:12 [ Cleansing the Temple ] And Jesus entered the temple [grounds] and drove out [with force] all
who were buying and selling [birds and animals for sacrifice] in the temple area, and He turned over the tables of the moneychangers [who made
a profit exchanging foreign money for temple coinage] and the chairs of those
who were selling doves [for sacrifice].
Matthew 22:36-40Amplified Bible (AMP)36 “Teacher, which is the greatest
commandment in the Law?” 37 And
Jesus replied to him, “ ‘You shall
love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with
all your mind.’ 38 This
is the first and greatest commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall
love your neighbor as yourself [that is, unselfishly seek the
best or higher good for others].’ 40 The
whole Law and the [writings of the] Prophets depend on these two commandments.”
Friday, February 12, 2016
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.
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.
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;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.
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.
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
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things.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
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.
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 23:19God 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
See also - Deuteronomy 30:2
Sunday, January 24, 2016
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!
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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!
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
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
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
LAYR
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Resenting
Disobedience
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12.16.2015
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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
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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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Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Loving beyond the walls
}Loving beyond the walls
[Loving the world on
purpose]
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} 11/13/15
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“For When Gentiles, who
do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are
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a law to themselves,
even though they do not have the law.
They show that the work of the
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law is written on their
hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting
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thoughts accuse or even
excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges
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the secrets of men by
Christ Jesus.” Romans 2:14-16
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“Or is God the God of
Jews only? Is he not the God of
Gentiles also? Yes of Gentiles
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also, since God is one –
who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised
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through faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this
faith? By no means! On the
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Contrary, we uphold the
law.” Romans 3:29-31
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“A new commandment I
give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you,
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you also are to love one
another. By this all people will know
that you are my disciples,
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If you have love for one
another.” John 13:34-35
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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~
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