I may not fear or be anxious about much, but I do struggle with these. The main area these 2 things pop up in is in public speaking. A bit ironic for my chosen profession, but that’s different as so many others I’ve met have agreed. In general, I hate being the center of attention. Unless I'm among friends or family, if I’m in the middle of a big group I just clam right up. If I can scoot by without being noticed, I’m a happy camper. All eyes turn to me and gulp, I’ll try to ignore that. If I needed to ask a question in class, it always worked out best if I sat closer to the teacher. Then it’s almost like a one-on-one conversation, and I’m good with those. If I sat in the back though, if I even thought of raising my hand, my heart would start pounding and I’d get so nervous that by the time I ALMOST got up the courage to raise my hand, the teacher had already moved on and I was left sitting there with the leftover adrenaline and cortisol in my system. If I actually had to present something, my voice and hands trembled. I’m just glad I’m not the type to get nauseous or faint.
Anyway, being more on the introverted side and generally loving my privacy, I don’t tend to share much except with a select few friends and family. Some things only my journal knows. The most private things only God knows because He knows everything and we’re cool like that. No, but seriously. I’m not the type to rush into anything. Let’s think about this, plan, and prepare. Make a list! However, they say that God doesn’t call the qualified, but that He qualifies the called. That’s tough. That requires taking a leap of faith and trusting Him, when everything else (the world, your parents, your fear) is telling you to hold on a minute. The Bible says not to fear men, but to fear God. It tells us to love God above everything and to love our neighbor. I haven’t always trusted God, but He knows what He’s doing. That brings me to my point. Little old me isn’t scared to write, most people probably won’t take the time to actually read it. Any of this. They’d much rather be watching television, Netflix, or YouTube. And that’s comforting to me. That means I don’t have to worry about what people will think or say, because they won’t have read it! Phew! But that’s not what God wants. I think He always gives us baby steps and doesn’t overwhelm us with everything all at once, but now that I’ve actually got the site up I have to put myself out there in order for people to have access to it. That does NOT sound fun. That’s scary. And when I look at the problems other people have faced, I’m like wow mine are NOTHING. And yet, so many have had similar struggles. I know I’m always edified when I see other people going through or speaking on things that I may have just been experiencing or thinking myself. It’s so encouraging. I want to encourage others like that. Besides myself, I’ve also seen how others have been transformed through Jesus, and I want to share that. We have been called to love others as Christ has loved us. So what do I do when I start to fear? Pray and read the living Word. And hope I don’t remain a chicken forever :) “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna” (Matthew 10:28). “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). So what can we learn from God and His word? A lot. Take for example Moses. God chose the foolish and weak to shame the wise and strong, so no human can boast except to boast in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:26-31). If you’re familiar with the story, you know about the parting of the Red Sea, the 10 plagues, turning water into blood and so on. Moses was just an ordinary man though, just like Jesus called regular fishermen and tax collectors to follow him. God works extraordinary things through ordinary means. Through a burning bush, God tells Moses to go rescue the Israelites, but Moses raises an objection each time. Who am I that I should be the one to go? What if they don’t believe or listen to me? God tells Moses He’ll be with him and some miraculous signs He’ll perform. Then Moses says he’s not eloquent. After God says He’ll help and teach him what to say, Moses still asks God to please send someone else! Man, these are all questions and concerns I have and probably most anyone that chooses to share their faith with others. You can read all the details in Exodus 3-4, but man. Moses, I feel you dude. I feel you. God, please be as patient with us as you were with Moses. Like myself, I hope you are convicted, inspired, and encouraged through the following verses from Scripture: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great” (Luke 6:46-49). “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:37-39). “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:26). “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:7-9) “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:1-2). “This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these I am the foremost. But for that reason I was mercifully treated, so that in me, as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life” (1 Timothy 1:15-16). “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began” (2 Timothy 1:8-9). “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). It’s easy to write. I LOVE to write. My original plan had never been to start a website or blog. I had wanted to be a catechist and was interested in apologetics, only to be convinced of the opposite Protestant side. I started making my own notes about various topics. The truth should never fear being examined and should be able to stand. Jesus said to test whether things are so and to always be ready with an answer, so I dove right in and found the real truth which when examined any which way stands stronger than anything else I’ve ever encountered or seen. And I’ve looked into the opposite side and can also see why many people do not believe and it’s honestly one of the most disheartening and heartbreaking things. Especially when I consider how far up at the top corruption reaches and only goes to show how Satan really is the ruler of this world and the father of lies. He’s deceived most of the world and they remain clueless.
So what motivates me? God says to not grow weary in doing good. A big motivator is people. I was a psychology major in college. I’ve met all sorts of people. What motivates them, what they think, all our quirks and different personality traits… Everybody has an interesting story. Do they believe in God? Why or why not? What makes them so sure either way? How do they know what is actually true? Do they ever question or doubt anything? Have they ever researched things for themselves (including in alternative sources) rather than believe it just because it’s the “expert” or “popular” opinion? This last one is hard to find, but I digress. And then the reverse of that. Alone, you might not question something that someone with an outside perspective notices. It’s like how you get acclimated to the weather or a smell that only hits you after being away from it. People ask so many good questions and it’s awesome. I don’t feel threatened. I’m like that’s a great question, I don’t know. Research time! Besides all that, God really gave me a heart for the lost because I was once lost. Whether my blog actually helps anyone, I don’t know. At the very least I can say that it helps me when I go back and re-read my own things. Keeping myself on track, simply contemplating or appreciating God and his handiwork, or tracking my progress if I’ve grown at all since then. At most, I hope that it plants some seeds in non-believers and edifies believers. I myself can always be corrected if I make a mistake anywhere. Nobody’s perfect but God. I’m a bit of a perfectionist but I can’t wait to be “perfect” because nobody is. I don’t know everything, but why wait any longer to share what I do know? I’ve already learned and experienced enough that I can’t justify keeping it all to myself. God wants me to share, so I’ll try and step out of my comfort zone and respond to His call. Feel free to ask me about stuff that I post or other things and I’ll try to answer as best as I can. Some questions we might not know the answers to till we die, but if I don’t know and it’s answerable, then we’ll find out together. Thanks for reading. What or how should I pray? There are many passages concerning prayer in the Bible and there is a time and a place for everything. The Bible says that we ought to shut the door and pray in secret, not do it like the Pharisees so people can admire how holy we are. They got their reward, but the Father who sees in secret rewards those that don’t do it for show. There are passages that say that where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, there I will be and God will listen. The disciples also asked to be taught how to pray and sometimes we need models so if anyone would like, below are some words the Holy Spirit led me to pray and you can join me in prayer if you like. If you’re not a believer, then just read and consider them nice wishes though I do hope you’ll eventually come to the Lord one day. God is real.
While I normally keep prayers to myself (in my head or journal), a prayer sort of took shape as I was working on the forgiveness blog post that you may or may not be interested in reading or praying. I never liked being the center of attention, am more of an introvert, and definitely am not holy or worthy, so I am VERY happy to pray in privacy. However, not everyone is comfortable praying, especially relatively new believers. Many don’t feel like they know what to say or what to pray for, which is like me a lot of the time. So don’t expect this to be a frequent occurrence, but if you are a Christian and agree with the words, please feel free to join me in praying: Father, let us never forget to keep You at the forefront of everything we say and do. You who reveal all will judge our every word and action. Let us glorify You through our weaknesses so that the world sees Your strength. Who are we that You call us imperfect people to serve You? We’re nobody, full of flaws, and yet You see past all of that. Especially in our fallen world full of deceivers, let us not be stumbling blocks for the watching world, but instead help us shine Your light. Don’t let us quench or grieve the Holy Spirit, but help us to be the living temples You deserve. God, forgive all our blunders, mistakes, and ungodly behavior when You want us to love and be holy as You are. Help us to be real with each other and hold one another accountable, lovingly correcting each other with your Word. Please keep slowly molding myself and others to be better followers of You, continually reminding us of Your Word and higher ways. Keep pushing us even when we cross our arms and resist Your guidance. Please keep being patient with us until we truly GET it. If anyone reading this struggles with bitterness or unforgiveness in their own lives, please help them humbly bring their burdens to You and watch as You help them forgive the people and things that life throws at them. You know the challenges each of us face. Help us be Your hands and feet and be there for each other when the world tries to distract us with its worries or enticements. Please inspire more people to truly live for You and please give us the courage to complete Your will through us when we choose to follow You. All this I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen. Sometimes I feel like God lets things play out in my life to really teach me and drive things home. If we could all learn from each other’s experiences, that would be great. However, we stubborn humans often like to do things the hard way. We can read something in a book, apply it to everybody else, and then conveniently forget that knowledge when things come up in our own lives. In those moments, we would do well to recall and listen to those pearls of wisdom. Often, we do know what God says, but we remain stubborn anyway. Or we act impulsively based on our feelings instead of our heads. If you only knew what X person did, then you would do the same thing.
So what brings all of this up? The personal details don’t matter. Let’s just say what a difference Christ, the word “sorry,” and forgiveness make. It is such a blessing to be able to say you’re sorry. No hard feelings, weights lifted off, joy restored. I literally just thanked God because despite my own stubbornness, He just gave me the opportunity to do what my heart was calling me to. Because of sinful pride, I might not have even said it because we often want the other person to say sorry first. It’s great when it happens. You wait, they make the first move, and then it’s off to happy tears and hugs and relationship restored. However, we don’t always get that happy ending and the person doesn’t always even acknowledge that they did anything wrong. In fact, they might even blame you. How can we forgive someone like that? They say it takes two to tango. Often both parties do things that they should each apologize for, but each side is too stubborn to admit it or give in even the teensiest bit. And then what happens? Pointless fights, divorce, hurt feelings, grudges… In the past, I did hold grudges that really were only harming myself. The person could be oblivious and have moved on and I was still holding onto things that would come out the next time there was an issue. They all just piled up on top of each other. I was once surprised with a déjà vu experience where God revealed to me I’d been holding a grudge I didn’t even consciously know I had. A person I had avoided for a few years, enough time having passed to forget why I had avoided them in the first place, only to be reminded of why years later because God wanted me to forgive them. God brought me to my knees in repentance and I prayed for the person who had unwittingly hurt me. God showed me that they were longsuffering and needed prayer, not more condemnation. Often times though, the people closest to us are the ones that end up hurting us the most. The person I most needed to forgive was the hardest to forgive. I prayed for help because I had tried, they had tried, and it just wasn’t working. God DOES listen to prayer. God can soften hardened hearts, mend broken hearts, and truly restore relationships that we otherwise could destroy if left on our own. I don’t think Jesus put the “forgive others” part in the Our Father prayer because God’s a cold dictator who just made a bunch of random rules to obey. God knows that we only harm ourselves when we don’t forgive and he illustrated how ludicrous it is for us not to forgive someone and still expect to be forgiven by Him. The wicked servant was forgiven his huge debt and he couldn’t forgive the man that owed him a smaller debt? Jesus died on a cross for you and you’re mad at so and so about what? We have ALL fallen short, but that’s where Jesus comes in. That’s also good to keep in mind when you consider that not everyone has Jesus. Hurt people hurt others. Instead of adding to the darkness in the world, be the refreshing light. If you fall, repent and make things right. The one who has the most things to be forgiven is logically the one that is the most grateful. I THANK God that he extends His love and mercy to us because really, we are SO unworthy and yet he still somehow cares instead of regarding us with total disdain or disgust. Our sin is like cigarettes and blackened lungs, but he still loves us in spite of our terrible flaws. Thank God when He disciplines you, or be worried if He doesn’t. A lot of people think they’re pretty good people and, like the Pharisee praying in the temple, brag that they’re not like those other people doing “insert horrible thing here.” However, they’re forgetting that to God, all sin is just that, a sin, and the wages of sin is death. If you can’t do it, ask God to help you forgive. God won’t force you, but He’d like you to choose life because He made you, loves you, and wants you to be with Him in eternity. Why do I do what I don’t want to do? The heart is willing, but the flesh is weak. Nobody is perfect, not even us Christians. We’re warned to be careful lest we fall. None of that “once saved always saved” nonsense. However, if we do sin we have an advocate with the Father, Christ Jesus. And we have an advocate with us, the Holy Spirit, who reminds us of all things and is always interceding for us even when we don’t know what to pray. If we repent, Jesus’ eternal sacrifice can be applied to us and our transgressions are blotted out. He has paid it all. There is nothing we can do to justify ourselves. That’d be like going up to a judge and saying, “Look, I gave money to charities and did all these good deeds these past 9 years, so can you overlook my crime? I only murdered once.” That’s ridiculous. Each crime has its sentence and no amount of “good deeds” or “donations” would spare you having to pay the due penalty. There’s only one way and if Jesus pays your fine, you get out of jail free. That’s a miracle. God did that, for us.
So why do we feel so guilty? Besides Satan the accuser always being at the ready, because we have a conscience and sin has consequences. Though God told David He was forgiven, David still had to lose his son after he committed adultery and murder. Whether big or small, sin has consequences. I know I should have done this, but instead I did that. We’ve got to live with that decision and the shame that comes with it. That decision affected people and things in ways we may not have intended. Or if we thought about them before, in that moment we did not. If by chance something other than ourselves crossed our mind, then our own concerns, worries, or ideas overshadowed them. Because of our fallen human nature we acted selfishly and did not give glory to God like He deserves. Our sin affected God, our witness, and what He wanted to accomplish through us. When we sin, we not only let down others and ourselves, but we let down God. We are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, not act like the world does. Be ye separate. I used to be blind to a lot of sin. The Word of God is truly able to convict and correct us. God Himself can also do that though. I know that before I started reading my Bible, I prayed that God would give me more discernment and take away my desire for things that did not please Him. Prayer is powerful. Some things I automatically lost taste for, surprising even myself! I genuinely had stopped liking and was repulsed, disgusted, or uncomfortable with things I previously hadn’t minded in the least and I know that was God’s doing. The others were or have been a process, so forgive and be patient with me as God’s not done refining me yet. I was severely tempted at points, but it was more of a test to see what I loved more. That thing, or God. There are still a few things I’ve left “on the shelf,” so to speak, for a later time. God knows when we’re ready and sometimes we humans are resistant or reluctant to change. Instead of indulging in anything questionable, try setting it aside. Often, I’ve found that I no longer think about or “need” that thing I’ve set aside after all. It’s easier to let go of. Who we used to be is not who we are anymore. We can’t look back once we’ve set our hand to the plow. The old us has died and we’ve renewed our minds, to think about whatever is good. Does that mean I always triumph over sin? No. Unfortunately, I recently fell into that trap (even knowing what I do now) because I could so easily justify it by the world’s standards. It’s not a big deal, other people do it, who would know? Lies! Does the Bible not say that if you break one little law, you are responsible for ALL of it? We’re no longer under the law, but does that give us a license to sin? No! One kind of sin is the same as another by God’s standards. He says to be holy because He is holy. So it IS a big deal. Who cares if other people do it? Uh, the old “would you jump off a bridge if everyone was doing it?” question comes to mind here. Are you truly on the narrow path? Or did you wander onto the wide path? And lastly, I know. God knows. And my conscience won’t leave me alone. Hence, now all of you know. If we confess our sins, God is able to forgive us. Sometimes it’s hard to believe He’d be so merciful with us because we really don’t deserve it. So why did I choose to share all of this? Because while Satan rejoices when we fall into sin, we are to do everything to the glory of God. Rather than hiding in shame, I will choose to boast in my weaknesses because God can use them for His glory, not mine. Get me off that pedestal. I’m a sinner just like you. Yes, I’m not perfect. Yes, I’m not good. God’s standards are higher than ours and He’s the one that propels me to do good when I’d rather remain comfortable or keep to myself. He’s the one that tells me to forgive, help, or love when it’s hard to do. It’s easy to love your family and friends, but what about those “difficult” people in our lives? And who among us goes up to strangers and shares our hope with them? If you choose to walk by, that person may commit suicide because everybody else walked by too. Our inaction can also have devastating consequences. Who among us cares for the poor, the widows, and the orphans by giving up our time and resources for them? The Bible says not to just say bless you, keep warm and then not give them the coat to be able to do that. Our faith requires action, otherwise it’s dead. No, we don’t need works to be saved. However, they are evidence and fruit of our repentance and faith. And we are glad to do them. So the next time you are tempted to sin, think of who it affects besides yourself and think of God who you’d be letting down and offending with your choice. Don’t abuse God’s mercy. He may not give you time to repent. Is it worth it? Jesus suffered and died on the cross for YOU. Don’t take that lightly. Choose this day whom you will serve. If you’re not with God, you’re against Him. God is holy and nothing unclean will enter heaven. In chapter 7 of the book of Joshua, the Lord did not remain with Israelites because of Achan’s sin. That’s why they’d lost the battle. They only won after they made things right with God. In the infamous prodigal son story, even though he ran away and wasted his inheritance in sin, the father still welcomed him back with open arms. Despite our selfishness when we sin, God extends us grace we don’t deserve. Peter denied Jesus 3 times and was forgiven and healed of his guilt when Jesus asked him 3 times if he loved him. We need to come to God and repent. He has set before us life and death, blessing and curse. Choose rightly and go with God if you want to live. If you’re not a believer, then seek Him and ask God to show you. Read the Bible and research whether Creationism actually has merit (it does). And stop following men who are fallible. Follow God. Believer or not, wherever you are on the path, what matters most isn’t perfection but what direction you’re heading in. Find the narrow road because despite the popular idea that all roads lead to the same destination, they don’t and the only way to God is through Jesus. Why is it so hard for some people to just agree to disagree? You don’t always have to be right and make everyone else think like you do. Recognize that our opinions differ and leave it at that without getting angry. Well, I’m sure none of us should be casting the first stone when we’ve all probably been guilty of being triggered by somebody’s offensive stance on something or other. And I don’t mean getting offended because some psychopathic guy killed someone without feeling any remorse. That’s just creepy and wrong and people would be justified in feeling angry, though we are still supposed to pray for these people. You never know if God will change their heart no matter how unlikely. Not that I’d have much hope for a cold-blooded killer, but it could happen. Once in a blue moon…
No, I mean arguing about controversial things. Everybody’s going to have a different opinion based on their knowledge and experiences. I have had such long and amazing conversations with such interesting people that hold the polar opposite views from what I hold and we didn’t get mad or argue. We fundamentally disagreed, but found each other’s opinions and discussion so interesting that it just kept going and going and going… I LOVE that! It’s funny because growing up, my dad always said something along the lines of “there’s certain controversial topics you should avoid talking about with people like money, religion, and politics” and I always was like but why? What if I want to talk about those things? I don’t really like politics and the one topic on my dad’s list that I did avoid was how much money people make. I never cared about that. However, I was always interested in what religion people had. At a young age I didn’t ask for details or specifics or even know about all the different denominations even within Christianity. I didn’t know enough to ask anything more. But I knew my friends were “Christian,” “Hindu,” “nothing,” etcetera. I didn’t really ask or share much more other than go cool, I’m Catholic (before, not anymore). And we left it at that. It was only when I was older that, if the person was open, I might ask whether they believed in God, practiced their faith, whether both of their parents believe in it, what their services or requirements are like in that particular denomination/faith, or if they didn’t believe then how do they think we came into existence and what do they think our purpose in life is and so on. That’s all interesting to me. I automatically feel closer to people that I can have these deeper conversations with than the everyday how are you? Fine. How are you? Good. Have a good day. You too. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s nice. I just mean that it’s small talk versus deep talk. But you can’t always talk on a deeper level with everyone, for various reasons. Wouldn’t it be nice though if everyone got along, was honest, and just able to share with each other even if they disagreed? Side note, pointless arguments do not include doctrinal issues with other professing Christians. That would be a very purposeful “argument” for the person’s salvation if they held a heretical view that could jeopardize it. God will judge those outside. As for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, we are to use the Word to correct and rebuke each other if any of us errs. It would be good to pursue this out of love for our each other. Anything non-doctrinal can be up for debate and hence all the different denominations that disagree about different aspects of the faith that are not essential for our salvation. That could be “pointless” to discuss if neither side is willing to consider the other. Agree to disagree. Outside of that, there is also a passage that says not to throw pearls before swine. We are to share the gospel with the world, but in a place we are not welcome we are to shake the sand off our sandals and leave. If someone will not hear you, do not bother wasting your words on them. God knows who will be ready at what point in their lives. Pray for that person and maybe one day they will hear you (or someone like you) out. Huge controversial topic, but please try to hear me out before jumping to conclusions or taking out your pitchforks. Please read through to the end and if you still don’t agree or don’t care, then simply agree to disagree and I will just have to keep praying for you. I’m sure there are plenty of passionate people on both sides of the issue for various reasons, but I’m here to tell you now that some of you have been severely misinformed. Women, you can do with your body what you want. However, you are dehumanizing the baby inside you by claiming it’s not a baby just like Caucasians in the past claimed Black people were animals or the Nazis claimed that Jews were demons etcetera. You are not considering the fact that by the time most women consider getting an abortion, that baby is already fully developed. A woman often doesn’t know they are pregnant and by the time they miss their period, it is not just a “clump of cells.” There are undercover videos exposing these clinics that showed the clinic workers telling the undercover patients not to worry because it was not a baby, not developed, wouldn’t feel pain and so on. I think a lot of these ladies are well-meaning and seem very caring, but they themselves have been lied to and in turn unintentionally end up deceiving the patients because they themselves don’t know the truth.
If you haven’t seen the movie Unplanned, I recommend it. It shouldn’t be rated R because it is not a blood/gore movie. Two mild scenes in the movie overall should have earned it a PG-13 rating, but they don’t want people to see it (especially not pregnant teens!) so it makes sense they would give it an R rating and not show it in most theaters. Besides the fact that it generally wouldn’t do well in a liberal state, that should all tell you something. Anyway, while the clinic workers in general may not have all the details, the directors at the top certainly know what’s going on and have different agendas than helping women. They’re in it for the big bucks and their hearts have been hardened to the reality of what they are doing to get it. If you walk into Planned Parenthood, they don’t have your best interest at heart and don’t give you all the options. Their job is to push as many women into getting an abortion as they can because that’s where they make most of their money. The founder Margaret Sanger was a racist that wanted to put those clinics into predominately minority-populated areas because she wanted to control the “undesirable” population. Do you realize that if those clinics didn’t exist, the minority groups in the United States would already have surpassed the White population by now? If you want to help women, that’s great and noble. However, this is not the way to do it. I don’t like politics and that is not what made me feel the need to say something. I care about people and that includes both mothers and babies. If you’ve had an abortion, know that God is merciful and can still forgive you if you repent and come to Him. I have not had an abortion and I hope that none of you ladies reading this has ever had one because I wouldn’t wish the pain of that on anyone. There are many women out there that regret having one and some even end up with PTSD or dream of the baby they would have had if they’d gone through with the pregnancy. If you haven’t gone through that, then perhaps you bought into the lie that it wasn’t a baby and felt no pain. Did you ever ask to see the ultrasound though? Most women that get an ultrasound before making their decision end up not having an abortion. If you’re even considering one right now, please go see a doctor before you go to these clinics and ask for an ultrasound. Look at what’s inside you before you make a decision and inform yourself on how the procedure actually works. Without going into full detail, some use suction, some tear out limbs with tongs, and others cause the pieces to come out with their death pills. None of the scenarios is pretty for the baby, and sometimes women end up dying due to complications, missing pieces, a perforated uterus, etcetera. They don’t like to tell you that, but look it up. It happens. A couple of years ago, I posted something on Facebook that exposed Planned Parenthood, naively thinking that people would watch, be outraged and upset, and defund them. In reality, probably nobody watched and all I saw were people that posted “I still support Planned Parenthood.” I couldn’t believe my eyes. Have you ever watched a PETA video and wished you were a vegetarian? Well, this was WAY worse and cruel and I most definitely cried when I saw all these horrible things. Humanity at its worst. I had previously been on the fence before about “special cases” like where the mom’s life might be in danger or she was raped or something. These however are not the majority of the cases and even then, I’d now make a different decision. I can’t claim to know what is right for every individual, but I can now say that if it were me I wouldn’t make a move to actively kill a baby inside me just because I want to live or they’re inconvenient reminders of something they had nothing to do with. The baby is not at fault if their father committed a crime and perhaps you just killed off the next future genius that was going to cure cancer. If I previously had head knowledge that Biblically speaking, abortion was wrong, now I had it put in my heart that it was wrong. If you’re “pro-choice,” then really take a look at what truly goes on behind the scenes and know that those aren’t isolated cases, but are actually common in the industry and institution. Planned Parenthood is an especially efficient corporate abortion machine. The footage was not edited to make them look bad, and those claiming it was can find the full un-cut videos online. The evidence literally speaks for itself and you will be SHOCKED if you haven’t already seen it. I dare you to go watch and not change your mind, even a little bit. Keep watching and you’ll soon be pro-life too because while I know people can act and believe things out of ignorance, I can’t believe that people would be so cold-hearted to the reality of it all once they actually take the time to look. My guess is you just didn’t want to because it’s another “inconvenient truth.” If it’s birth control you want, most women get that from their healthcare providers. Unless anything has changed after-the fact, Planned Parenthood lied about the mammograms (go look that up too). If you really don’t want a baby or can’t have one right now, then there are many couples waiting to adopt. You might think the foster care system is messed up, and it is, but mostly because of the people that abuse the system to get money and the fact that everybody wants to adopt babies. There are long waiting lists of couples waiting to adopt babies, a high demand with not enough being “supplied.” That’s also why you see a lot of international adoptions. It’s sad that the older the child the less likely they are to be adopted, but if you think your baby won’t go to a good home I don’t think they’re likely to get lost in the foster care system because some loving family will snatch them right up. It’s the others I worry about, but that’s a whole other issue. I am not you and I’m not making a decision or judging anyone if they don’t, but it’s something I didn’t know about before and just want to say that if you are adopting… Even though they will have other issues that come with them that I won’t get into here, please do consider the possibility of adopting an older child as well and not just the babies. They need loving families too. Wait, why did I just say it’s not my place to tell you what child to adopt but yet I want to tell you not to abort? Because those children will hopefully get adopted by somebody else that DOES want them, nobody is forcing anyone to do anything. All I said was to consider it. Abortion does not consider the rights of the baby. Sure, we all make decisions about what we do with our own bodies, what clothes we wear, how we cut our hair, whether we get a tattoo or an ear piercing, etcetera. That’s all fine and dandy, but since when did calling an entire group of people “not human” become okay? Oh, it’s just a fetus, not a baby. A fetus is a baby. I am speaking up for those that have no voice yet. Even if you are a male, you too can have an opinion and stand up against injustice. Jesus said let the little children come unto me and that it’d be better if a millstone were hung around a person’s neck and they be thrown into the sea if they harmed a little one. God even from the Old Testament said that parents having their children walk through the fire in sacrifice was an abomination. He never asked for that. People sacrificed their children to idols all on their own. We’re doing the same thing today. People came up with abortion and the reasons to justify it, but in the end it is the murder of innocents and a holocaust worse than any other in history. Will you stand and speak up for them? People that know me know I’m generally pretty reserved except with certain friends or family members. In general, you could say I’m a goody-two-shoes poster girl to most people, which used to frustrate me in the past. Like I’d tell people to go ahead and cuss in front of me, I didn’t care, and yet they wouldn’t because I didn’t cuss or swear. Now I’m glad that they chose not to. Appearances can be deceiving and really, if you knew me then, I had a lot of my own sins I was blind to even if cussing wasn’t one of them. Though that’s not exactly true since in my teen years I did type a few choice words even if I never said them out loud (with at least one exception…). In general though, I’ve generally been a people-pleaser and go with the flow. Unless something clearly violated my beliefs, morals, or ethics, in which case I could remove myself from the situation or just not participate or whatever, I still never really stood up and shared why I didn’t do the same things. Now is not any different other than now I know what a lot of my past sins were because God’s word has shown and convicted me. I keep studying Scripture and there’s probably still things that I need correcting in. Nobody knows everything and we are ALL able to use Scripture to correct each other.
Nobody is good but God. I think that’s why this particular entry is a bit tough to write. Though I shouldn’t fear what man thinks, I can’t help but wonder if perhaps this will tarnish my image in other people’s eyes? Both in the eyes of fellow believers and in the eyes of the world. Isn’t a Christian supposed to be “good”? We are supposed to strive to be holy because God is holy, but until Jesus returns we still live in a broken, sinful world and are still imperfect. Just because we’re not committing the same sins as each other doesn’t mean each person isn’t sinning in their own ways. If you thought I was good, you were wrong. If you had me up on a pedestal, then knock that down because I’m not! By the world’s definition, in many ways I could be, but by God’s standards? Heck no. I’ve got a long way to go! We all do, but that’s why we can confess our sins to each other and strive to build each other up. Don’t put stumbling blocks in front of your brother. If you see something wrong, use the Word to correct him. Maybe he’s sinning in ignorance or maybe he’s plugging his ears and you can share the words God wants him to hear? While it used to bother me a little that people would assume I was innocent, now it kind of bothers me that I know I’m not. I don’t want to burst anyone’s bubble so to speak if they have that image of me, but even Paul talked about the Spirit being willing but the flesh is weak. I think I can blame television among other things for corrupting my mind. Even if I wasn’t outwardly committing a lot of the sins the world does, God knows our hearts and minds as well and like I said, we all sin in our own ways. I’m not saying it’s the television’s fault, by no means! I’m saying that I made some poor choices and that the entertainment industry often shows you a different worldly perspective that calls good evil and calls evil good. While I thought at the time it had no such effect on me, I wasn’t reading my Bible enough to know that it actually did. I was surprised by things I read which, with fresh eyes, I was now seeing portrayed in the shows I used to love. So apparent that I can’t believe I never noticed. That is how powerful God’s Word can be. Read your Bible and ask yourself how many things are wrong with what you’re putting in front of your eyes when the Bible says to think about good and edifying things? If it’s not edifying you or the church, maybe it’s not something you should be looking at or watching? Well, to confess to you one of my current fears… I guess while it doesn’t bother me now that the world would assume that I’m a “goody-two-shoes,” it bothers me that they would think this to such an extent that they would think well she said it and so we can trust her. No! Don’t trust me! That is waaay too much responsibility and I’m NOT who you should be putting your trust into. I fail God a lot, but I am trying. Trust in God, not in man. Not your teachers or your pastors, but in GOD. He is who we should be following. Good thing I don’t have a Twitter account, so you can’t follow me there! But I’m trying to point people to the One they should follow, and that’s God. I’m afraid I might mess up and say something that would cause someone else to stumble or fall, but that is a small fear compared to the excitement and joy I feel when I think that if this site helps even one person it will be worth it. That’s all I want. That’s why I started it. Because I want to share the love of God with a world that doesn’t know Him. You can know Him too if you seek Him with all your heart. So messing up, making mistakes, that’s human and normal. But it’s better and less daunting if it only affects you versus tons of other lives. Sometimes I’m a bit of a perfectionist and want to get something “right” before I share it with anyone. However, God sometimes wants us to share the whole process. We can bring him glory despite our weaknesses. God should get the glory He deserves through the work He’s begun in me. That brings me to my next fear, the fear of man. Fear of bullying, discrimination, hate… God said the world will hate you because it hated me first. If it doesn’t, then maybe you’ve been a people-pleaser like I have. Never sharing the joy and peace you’ve found in the Lord because people would get offended and mad at you. I had a Pinterest account that I had been so excited about until people started making rude comments on it. It’s hard to respond with kindness when someone is hatefully insulting your intellect or character instead of responding to the points you made. Then why bother replying? I didn’t insult them back but it was emotionally draining when you keep putting out positive things for other people to just trash and mock. I ended up pretty much abandoning it, though I could still go back and revisit it as I never actually closed it. Anyway, fear of failure, ridicule, judgment, leading people astray, discrimination from future employers, church members, co-workers, the government etcetera. All valid concerns, but we should fear God not man. If I wait until God has finished His work in me, I’ll be dead. I won’t be complete until I die. I’m still a work in progress and I’m not here to share my own progress or faults but how God has worked in my life so far and what He’s going to keep doing in my life until I die. I am here to share that God is alive, God is real, and God wants you to be a part of his family. If you’ve never been to church or have strayed, try to find a local one to go to. If you already go, then let’s keep building each other up. We can all agree to disagree on small issues that are not relevant to our salvation, but we are still all one body with different parts and different functions and we need to reach out to those outside the body. They are worth all the risks I named above and more. Am I waiting on a car accident or cancer to embolden me for Christ? By then it could be too late. If I die tomorrow, what was it all for? I was made by God and for God. To love God above everything and to love my neighbor, not the world. Not myself. I get anxious even thinking of sharing the gospel with people, but I know I need God to help me in that department. For me, this is like a baby step in that direction. How about you? Do you find it easy to share the gospel? Got any tips for an inexperienced newbie? What are you doing to reach out to your neighbor? Are we actually following God’s will? Or are we just doing what we want? Do you ask God to complete His will through you? Or do you ask God to help you fulfill your will? God can certainly help us get what we want, but sometimes I think it’s to show us that what we want isn’t as good as what He will give us if we follow Him. The Bible does say His ways are better and higher than our ways. He has the whole perspective, not just on the situation, but on every single person involved. He knows where we’ve all been and where we’re all going. It’s about time we die to ourselves and put our trust in Him. Easier said than done.
One of the 2 pastors at my church (who is retiring soon) brought the topic up one Sunday, which again, right place and right time. God always knows what He’s doing. I’m definitely not the only one that benefited from hearing it. He said that back in the 80’s when he’d been living in another state, he was requested as a pastor waaay over here in my state. Well, he already knew what house he wanted to buy, what ministry he wanted to serve in, and what school he wanted to take his kids to. They knew everybody, he didn’t want to leave, and he basically was like “Sorry, you’ve got the wrong guy.” He got another request and to humor the people, he did come to check it out but was going to tell the congregation on Sunday “Sorry, I’m not the pastor you’re looking for.” Well, they were staying in a crummy motel and he was miserable when his wife said, “Maybe the reason you’re miserable is because you know what God wants, but you’re not willing.” Ouch! Well, besides saying he closed the door a little louder than usual, he went out to pray. He said that though He’s never heard God audibly, that night God gave him a clear message. He said, “You can do what you want, but don’t call me Lord anymore.” Wow… Many will say to him Lord Lord, but on that day He will say depart from me you workers of iniquity, I do not know you (Matthew 7:21-23). You can’t claim to follow God and then not do what He commands. You can say I want this house, this ministry, these people and God may let you have them, but at what cost? You could gain the whole world, but lose your soul. Ask yourself, how important is God and His will in my life? Are we living for God with Jesus truly as Lord of our lives? Are we part of His Christian army? Or are we selfishly living for ourselves? A couple of months ago, I was at a women’s event at my church where this same issue came up. I wouldn’t have even known about it if a co-worker friend of mine hadn’t mentioned it (if you ever read this, thank you!) because I was so busy I had missed that Sunday’s service and therefore missed the announcements and bulletin. God wanted me there though. It’s hard thinking back to a few months ago, but I still clearly remember one thing especially that the speaker said which really connected with me. She was talking about the part in Genesis where God asks “Adam, where are you?” She said that God is all knowing, and has no need to ask this. So why would He ask? So Adam could reflect, not only on his physical location, but where he was spiritually after sinning. I had never thought of it like that. It made me think of a song I have heard by Don Francisco called “Adam, Where Are You?” It was like I had HEARD the song but hadn’t LISTENED to it. Now, I got it. I got it, and I cried. What have I been putting first? It hasn’t been God. I can’t serve two masters and that message was for me. It inspired me to write a poem which I’m including under my poem tab called, “Where Are You?” Personally, I don’t care about having a lot of money, but the security of a steady income from a noble profession isn’t something I’d be adverse to. But God sometimes wants us to step outside our comfort zone in order to fulfill the plans He has for us. That’s the hard part. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. Have I been doing God’s will or mine? How might the 2 intertwine or collide? Does He have other completely different plans from mine? Or has everything been building up towards His master plan and I just can’t see it yet? All I know for sure is that I trust Him now more than I ever have. How? Because every step of the way God has shown me that He’s in control and He can do anything. It’s not me. Whenever I’ve had even an inkling that it might be me, something happens that shows me just how much He’s doing and I am left in awe. I’ve been anxious, afraid, and have shed countless tears along the way and He’s always right there. Trust grows over time with experience. We get scared and sink in the water like Peter, but Jesus is there asking where is your faith? The storms of life hit and we panic, but then Jesus wakes up and stops the storm. God is faithful. He’s shown me to put my faith and trust in Him. He’s shown me that I can’t do it alone. He’s shown me that I have NOTHING to worry about! That is why right now I’m not upset or scared. I’m not anxious or worried… I’m excited! That is CRAZY! I don’t think I’d be able to say that if it was the me in the past that I’m thinking of as I write this. The me that, though she believed, struggled with trusting God. I was SCARED. I almost let fear stop me before I decided to push through it and trust God. He knows what He’s doing. God is AMAZING. And I STILL don’t know what He’s doing! It’s an adventure and God’s the one driving. Temptation… Ahh!!! We’ve all struggled with it and we’re not done with it. We’re human and there are certain things that come up in our lives every now and then that tempt us in some way or another. Often, we overcome it and great! It ends there. Good job. Other times we fall into whatever sin it is and then feel guilty or suffer other consequences because of it and then ask ourselves whether it was really worth it. It isn’t and if you don’t think that then ask God to help you repent! However, what I’d like to discuss is what happens when you rationalize your sin into almost believing it’s not a sin. That I think is one of the most dangerously deceptive sins there is because then you think you’re entitled to do it and it’s not an issue. If you don’t see it as a problem, you won’t repent which is EXACTLY what the devil wants.
Just like in the garden when the serpent said you will surely not die, God just doesn’t want you to be like Him and know everything. Satan’s still up to his same sneaky trickery today. Well, it’s not really a sin because of X, Y, Z. They did this to you so now you can do this to them, it’s only a natural consequence. Nobody will care if you do it. Nobody will know. It’s not fair that that happened, but if you do this then it will even things out. If people knew the whole story, they would side with you. Maybe the world would, but God wouldn’t. The Lord says vengeance is His. We’re not to take it into our own hands. If you try, then what are you valuing more than God and His word? What do you gain by disobeying God? Is that worth losing your salvation over? If you commit that sin and you get into an accident and die, would it have been worth it? Would God actually approve? Sometimes you might want God to approve. God, you know what’s happened. It’s not fair. Can I please just do this? It’s something small. It won’t matter in the long run. I don’t want to leave things as they are. Can you let me do this? No. Maybe you want to seek advice or approval from other people to help justify what you want to do? If it’s the world, they might cheer you on and tell you to do it because it’s what they would do. If it’s a believer, they should steer you the right way and therefore you might not be inclined to ask them. Darkness hates the light. Ask yourself who you’re asking, people that would approve of the sin you want to commit or people that would Biblically correct you and guide you away from it? Ask yourself whether you’re actually opening your Bible to look for the guidance you know you need or avoiding it so you can continue to justify your sin. Ever heard of ignorance is bliss? Well, we often know what we have to do or should do but resist it anyway. God sees everything though and there’s no fooling him. He knows our hearts and will judge every thought and action accordingly. What are the top 2 commandments? Love God and love your neighbor. Think about the consequences of that sin. If you commit that sin, who does it hurt? If you don’t commit that sin, what good could come from that? How can you use this to help be a light in the world instead of adding to the darkness that’s already in it? How is what you’re planning on doing actually selfish and how can you be selfless by turning that around and doing the opposite of what the world would expect? A lot of this is hypothetical and may be hard to wrap your brain around, but I’ll try to give an example to illustrate my points. Let’s say a small child is playing on the beach and it took them an hour to build a sand castle with their father before some older kid comes over and knocks it all down. That’s not fair. They spent all this time making it for someone to destroy it within seconds. That child might be inclined to retaliate. They may feel sad and cry, or they might want to go over there and punch his lights out. Whatever his reaction, the world would want to get riled up and do something to that big bully. How dare he! He’s bigger and older and should know better. What right did he have to do that? Some teen should come over and steal his skateboard or pants the kid or SOMETHING right? Wrong! If we genuinely love our neighbor, we’re supposed to forgive them and pray for them for they know not what they do. Imagine if rather than get upset, the child looked the older kid in the eye and calmly said, “I made that castle with my dad. I don’t see you here with your dad. Maybe you destroyed my castle because you wish your dad was here making one with you. Do you want to make one with me and my dad?” Wouldn’t that just blow you away? What kid would respond like this? We don’t see that and the world doesn’t encourage that. How often do we hear parents tell their kids that if somebody picks on them, then it’s okay to do something back? No. How do you know that the kid doesn’t have a bad home life? Those kids especially need love, not more hate. They’re used to hate. They provoke hate because that’s all they know. Full of anger in a wicked and unjust world. Who is going to love those kids? Who is going to reach out to them and give them the friendship and love that they so desperately need? Who is going to extend mercy to them? God’s wisdom is foolishness to the world and confounds it. However, it is cherished wisdom to those that are being saved. Again, none of us is perfect. While this blog is meant to edify others and is sometimes based on what I see in the world, often some of the things I end up writing either were inspired by or can also apply to myself. I was reading a book that for different reasons I had bought years ago and am only now really reading called, “If I Plug My Ears, God Can’t Tell Me What to Do” by Jessie Clemence. Let me just say that the Holy Spirit does speak through people and wow, when God told her to write a book He knew what he was doing. The last book I read I thought was a bunch of fluff that didn’t apply to me (I won’t mention it because it may help someone else, God’s will is always accomplished in the end and I’m not about to criticize another author when they probably put their heart and soul into those pages!). This book however is FULL of good things that could apply to MANY and I definitely recommend it! It’s also not a dull read and really personable with real-life examples and testimonies. Anyway, I was reading this book, not even thinking about sin or temptation but about God’s will for my life in general. However, listen to this. “Anytime we choose ourselves over God, we’re sinning. If we have clear directions from the Word of God and we ignore them, we’re sinning… The big consequences of big sins are hard to ignore, but the quieter sins we can rationalize and pretend away. That doesn’t make them any less of a sin. We’re still choosing our own way, opinion, or perspective over God’s, which will stop us from being able to follow God to wherever He is leading us.” Wow. Common sense like duh, right? Wrong. I was reading that exactly at the right time when I was rationalizing and justifying something I shouldn’t consider doing. We all face temptations in our lives, and even after reading that, I STILL pleaded with God to let me. The nerve. I can’t. It’s His will, not mine. That was when I considered the consequences of what would happen either way, and guess what? It was a selfish sin and if I turned it around, it’s an opportunity to bless others. Okay God, I’m ready to listen! Please use me to be a light in the world and keep being patient and correcting me when I make mistakes. Sometimes I hear people that say something to the effect of “well, Jesus forgives me, so it’s all good.” What? No. Jesus does forgive us and cleanse us of all sin… But God is also just and unchanging and there is always a consequence for sin. In the Old Testament, people had to make both sacrifice offerings AND atonement offerings. If somebody stole from their neighbor, they were to make reparation and give back sometimes even twofold. There were rules based on what kind of thing was stolen and how to make up for it. When David sinned to the point of having Bathsheba’s husband killed, even though he fully repented, he still had to lose his firstborn son. Maybe you’re thinking “well, that’s the Old Testament so it doesn’t apply now.” However, Jesus didn’t come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. In the New Testament it says to leave your offering if you remember your brother has something against you, go settle it with them, and then come back and make your offering to God. Otherwise be prepared to spend your time in jail. A natural consequence in a law-driven world.
God also has standards and our works will be tried as if through fire. Not in Purgatory, but here while we’re alive. It also says that it is better for you to go to heaven without your hand than to enter into “Gehenna” intact. That part doesn’t literally mean chop your hand off and pluck your eye out, but it is showing the seriousness of sin and its consequences. If Jesus took care of the consequence of sin as well, then why do we need to apologize to each other? Return what was stolen? Say excuse me if we bump into someone? With that attitude, we are not loving our neighbor which is the second major commandment we were given and from which all the others follow. Jesus died for us and opened the way to salvation with his final sacrifice for all. The wages of sin is death and He conquered it for us. It is finished. We can be saved if we believe in Him and our faith is a gift from God. However, that doesn’t give us a license to sin. If we do sin, though we have an Advocate, we also must still love our neighbor and make up for it in some way or our just God will try us and our works as if through fire. We can get burnt, but we won’t perish. If we say we love God but don’t love our neighbor, how can we say we love what we can’t see but not what we can? We are to love everyone, even people that have put it on their hearts to be our “enemies.” God is calling some of them to Himself too. Just look at Paul before his Jesus encounter. Don’t confuse the consequences of sin as having to do works to get saved. Our works are as dirty rags to God. None of us can add anything to what Jesus did on the cross. If we believe, we can be saved. But even the demons believe in Jesus. We must follow God’s commandments. Jesus said if you love me, keep my commandments. And God’s commandments are not burdensome. We are to love God above everything else and then love our neighbor. Someone who loves their neighbor doesn’t seek their harm and thinks about others besides themselves. If we believe, then we obey. Works are the fruit and evidence of our repentance and salvation. They are not the CAUSE of it, but the effect. Nobody should think they have to stop sinning and be perfect before they can come to Christ. He came to save sinners. If you believe, come to Him now and the Holy Spirit will help get rid of the sin in your life if you ask God to help you. Nobody is perfect. Anybody who says they don’t sin is lying, whether intentionally or ignorantly. All have fallen short and we ALL need a savior. But when we do sin, if we love God and our neighbor we won’t just sit back and do nothing. We show we love God through loving our neighbor because God loved us and expects us to share it. You knocked somebody down? Help them up. You robbed a bank before you found Christ in prison? Go and share him with the world and other inmates and I’m sure your testimony will reach countless others to bring them to Christ. That is way more valuable and priceless than a bunch of missing bills that you don’t have anymore. If you embezzled money and are still rich, then yes by all means go ahead and pay those people back! But the way that people make up for sins isn’t always exactly the way they sinned. All things work together for the good of them that love God. While the devil may have rejoiced when you fell into sin, don’t give him the satisfaction of holding it over you. He can accuse us all he wants, but not if you use it for God’s glory! Yes, even Christians fall. Yes, we sin. But don’t let that stop you from having that relationship with God and your neighbor. Repent and DO something about it. The devil would like to separate us and close us off in either anger, anxiety, depression, or what have you. But don’t listen! Share the hope we have in Jesus with others. Love covers a multitude of sins. Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is at hand! Jesus and John taught us to call people to repentance in this way because God knows us humans need it! We tend to get complacent and settled into routines and God wants us to be the servants that are awake and ready. The day will come upon us like a thief in the night and we can’t be found asleep. Nobody knows the day or the hour, but it’s coming. The Bible says there will be scoffers who think “well they’ve been saying from the beginning it’s coming and nothing has happened, so we’ll continue carrying on like always.” They don’t think He’s returning, but they’re wrong. If we knew when Jesus was coming, people would be like oh it’s not in my lifetime so I don’t have to prepare. No! God wants everyone to be saved! That is why He’s waited so long! To him a thousand years is like a day, and vice versa. He has all the time in the world and is very patient in calling us to Him, but when He comes it’ll be sudden and with judgment. Especially today, we have tons of resources available to us if we genuinely want to seek Him. The problem is that many don’t want to. They’re comfortable living their lives, just like in the times of Noah, and don’t believe in God. There are a lot of crazy things going on in the world today, and they’re just the beginning of the labor pains. God tries to get our attention, but we’re often oblivious. Not worried about His return? Well, our lives are but a vapor and you could be dying tomorrow. You don’t know. We all make plans, but things happen. Heart attack, car accident, a trip down some stairs… Anything could take your life and then it’ll be too late. Find God before it’s too late! Or, if you’ve already found Him but strayed, then get right with Him before it’s too late. Are you ready?
My dad has had some divergent ideas from before I was born, from other religious faiths he tried to combine with a Catholic understanding of Christianity (syncretism) and new age ideas from secular books. Despite the Catholic background and this faith’s particular emphasis on suffering, he’s definitely had an issue with God and “punishment.” We’ve had plenty of good discussions (never heated, always lively on both sides) on the topic, and I can’t say I’ve managed to convince him God does discipline his children even to this day. Individual Christians (or Catholics or people claiming to be of ANY faith) having beliefs different from what their faith teachers is not surprising. What is surprising is when it is a major doctrine within the faith. How did that person come to make those conclusions? I always find it interesting how we all come to believe what we do or the rationale people have. One of the most surprising conclusions I’ve heard is from those that, even though they come from a Christian background, don’t believe in Hell. Some even go as far as to say it’s not in the Bible. What? It’s referred to all over the Bible! The lake of fire, Gehenna, where there is weeping and a gnashing of teeth, where the fire is not quenched and the worm does not die, etcetera. It’s not a man-made doctrine to scare people into submission, but an actual place made for the devil and his angels. Anyone who’s not with God is against Him.
Please read to the end. I know this can be an especially touchy subject for many people and people can feel passionately about it on both sides. Just hear me out. I can understand why the idea of Hell is so unpalatable to some. Unless you’re sadistic, nobody truly wants anybody to go there. We all know lots of great people that are not believers, some of them are family members and friends, and it’s unfathomable to think of any of them headed there. It’s too sad and terrible a thought. That I can understand. I don’t want them to go there either. That’s precisely why we need to warn people. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand! What I really don’t understand is how a Christian can doubt the existence of Hell when it’s literally found throughout the Bible. Jesus talks about it and the term “Christian” means you follow Christ and his teachings. All of his teachings. Either you believe the Bible or you don’t. If we claim to, we can’t pick and choose only the parts we like and leave out the parts we don’t. Some people are speaking out of ignorance. They don’t read their Bibles and think God is just love. While true, He is also good and just. He made us all with free will, including Satan and the angels. He didn’t want robots, He wanted us to love Him back like He loves us. Satan wanted more, and Hell was made for the rebellious Satan and his angels. If anyone outright rejects God, they are choosing to go there because if you’re not with God you’re against Him. For those that don’t know of God, that is why we are called to preach the gospel to all nations. If someone dies without knowing God, I think it depends on the person and the circumstances. Some people even in this day and age have no access to the internet and the culture around them does not know God. Others, even if they did, I can’t presume to know. For all I know, God in his mercy might give them a chance to accept him right before they pass away? None of us are judges and we can’t know where their final resting place will be, all we can do is pray and try to do what we can while they are alive. Then, we all sin. Some commit crimes and they do community service, pay a fine, or go to jail to pay for them. If someone does something wrong, they have to make up for it. Repent, make retribution, and in the past they made atonement sacrifices. If they haven’t repented, God disciplines his children and believers can use the Word to correct one another. We ask forgiveness and Jesus cleanses us from our sins. We’re all sinners, so we can’t be in God’s presence as we are. Nothing unclean will enter heaven. Humans fell into sin and haven’t stopped since Adam. God loved humanity so much that he sent his Son Jesus to die for us. Without blood there is no remission of sins. People used to sacrifice animals, but now there is no more need for sacrifice. Jesus has ransomed all of us. If there was no Hell, there would be no reason for Jesus to come and die for us. What would he come save us from? Some people are not ignorant of what the Bible says, but choose not to accept it. Or they doubt its credibility or inerrancy. Maybe I shouldn’t admit this, but I honestly can’t say I’m 100% sure myself whether every last thing in it is accurate, but I believe most if not all of it is. By “most,” I mean most major things, not the so-called little errors people claim it has. It may or may not have small errors, but I don’t think if it does have any of those that it affects the accuracy or veracity of the rest. That’d be like claiming my textbook has a typo, so the rest of it is wrong. Or the newspaper article this morning got a fact or name wrong, so the rest of it must be unreliable. Humans can make mistakes, so it’s not out of the question. But major things? So far, I’ve taken it all to be inerrant. I’m taking it mostly on faith because so far nothing has proven it otherwise false. Innocent until proven guilty. Every so-called contradiction I’ve come across so far has good explanations that atheists and others reject or are ignorant of. Often, they are basing their judgments on manmade wisdom and knowledge. I’d rather trust in God. I know God is real and He’s shown himself to me through his Holy Spirit and in many other ways. My experience only confirms the Bible as I keep growing in faith and knowledge. It’s the Holy Spirit which guides us into all truth, not our own understanding. We shouldn’t be wise in our own eyes, but trust in God. The Bible says that every word is God-breathed and useful for correction and teaching. Every word. That implies there are no errors or if there were a few that they’re not important enough to argue over. The wisdom of God is foolishness unto them that are perishing, but life to us. God makes the wise foolish, and that makes sense when I consider all that I’ve learned the past few years with a little personal research. It only made me trust God more and man less. And like the Bible says, God’s ways are higher than our ways and there are some things that are difficult to understand in the Bible, which some twist to their own destruction. Be very careful regarding Scripture. Don’t add to or take from it. If you are currently struggling with this issue, then I urge you to read your Bible and pray the Holy Spirit guides you to understanding the truth. The truth can be a hard pill to swallow sometimes, but God’s the one in charge, not us. He’s not the one sending people to perdition, it’s their own choices. God wishes every last person to be saved, which is why He’s delayed his second coming so long. Jesus wept for Jerusalem. Paul sometimes wrote his letters even in tears. True believers care about others. Be careful that caring doesn’t override the love you have for God. Love God above all else and pray for your friends, family, and neighbors. Share the gospel with others. I think there’s a reason all of these people are waking up to the truth now. In this day and age, the internet has made many sources of truth available to us if we just look for it. Nobody has any excuse anymore. While Satan deceives the whole world, believers should stay strong in God’s word and only then can we be prepared to see through his deceptions. We’re believers warning the world and equipping other believers to do the same. God is calling His people NOW. Do you have ears to hear? Peter denied Jesus three times, was full of shame and remorse after, and was forgiven. Moses told God to pick someone else to lead His people out of Egypt because he feared he wasn’t eloquent enough. Jonah didn’t want to go to preach to the people in Nineveh until he was swallowed by the big fish. Paul went from zealous Jew persecuting Christians to being one of the most beloved, prolific, and passionate Christians. He went from being a cold murderer who the disciples didn’t trust at first to being a loving follower of Christ. Only God can do that. You never can tell just who exactly God will use for His purposes. Sometimes they were enemies of God or Christ, average people with flaws and fears (think the apostles in hiding before Pentecost), or stubborn in some way where God wanted something and the person resisted at first. While all of this is true, there are also many wolves in sheep’s clothing, seeking to make merchandise of people. God knows people’s hearts, so nobody can hide anything from Him. People make mistakes they later regret all the time. The tongue is a fire, so we don’t want to gossip monger. Would you want your own faults exposed to the world? Go to the person in private first, only in front of witnesses if they don’t listen.
That being said, we are called to expose works of darkness and we shall know them by their fruits. While I have spoken on Rick Warren, he has condemned himself and shown his true colors with his two-faced lies. He’s most definitely a wolf. Lauren Daigle however is not necessarily a “wolf” because unlike him, she doesn’t seem to be hiding who she is. At this point in her life, she seems more like a “new age” believer that doesn’t exactly have the right ideas of what the Christian God of the Bible is actually like. She has promoted the new age film The Shack, and said she “loved” that God was portrayed as a woman in it. For King and Country also commented about that and “not putting God in a box.” We’re not putting God in a box. We’re simply going by what God’s revealed in the Bible as He told us to pray to Him as our Father. He never said mother and no human can impose a modern-day viewpoint on God’s word. It was not mere people that wrote the Bible, but every word was inspired and breathed out by God. Now, there are singers who have given up their riches and fame to pursue careers that truly just glorify God. Then, there are those who started on a good path, but then compromised themselves for fame and fortune. Katy Perry once mentioned in an interview she wanted to be like Amy Grant and put out a gospel album, but it wasn’t successful so she went the opposite direction. You can’t serve both God and money. She chose wealth and fame over God. She like others can still repent, but they often don’t want to or think they can’t because of what they’ve done. Satan’s an excellent accuser, but until we die, it’s never too late. Everybody makes their own choices in life, but all of our actions have consequences and we will have to answer to God for every word and action. If anybody claims to be a follower of Christ, we are to lovingly correct them. If they choose not to listen, then it becomes their responsibility. We did our part by warning them. We’re not judging, we’re trying to warn them before they have to face the final judge. That’s done in love and concern for their soul, not in hate or with finger pointing. Nor self-rightously, because we’ve all fallen short. If you claim to love people, love them enough to teach them. Don’t mock, yell, or slander in anger. God knows their hearts and will judge them; we are just to correct them with the Word. If they have influence over others, then by all means we are called to expose works of darkness and that is to edify the church not to slander that person. Speak truth in love and pray for them, but if they are teaching things that are false, we can and should look to Scripture for the good of all. They may yet change and come to God. One never knows. We have to pray for them, even if you think it’d take a miracle. God is the only one that can change people’s hearts and draw them to Himself. Pray. Constructive criticism is good and can improve your craft. We should listen to feedback, when it’s good and actually tells you specific things you can improve. However, blanket “good/bad” judgments are not helpful. Some are downright harmful. If you are creating something, be it a painting, a song, or a film, not everyone is going to like it. Some people, especially on the internet, are just plain rude. They don’t think of the time, effort, and heart you put into something and can easily tear it down in seconds. But did that person take the time to make their own creative contribution? No. If they are taking the time to tear somebody else down, that really says more about what’s in that person’s heart than it does your own work.
Maybe the anonymous comments are easy to ignore for some, but what about the comments from someone in the field who’s experienced? They’re already “somebody” and it’s presumed that they know what they’re talking about. The big name hasn’t responded, so maybe they didn’t like it? Or they have responded, but basically said you’re not good enough. Multiple famous artists have been told they were not good enough by somebody along the way. Michael J. Fox was told early on that nobody would want to see his face except on a lunch box. Well, once he became famous, he had a lunchbox made with his face on it and sent to this person and the guy keeps it in his office! He was wrong! Before they became famous, even The Beatles were rejected! Words can hurt, especially from someone you admire and/or respect. You may be inclined to listen to the person with more authority, because they have so many more years of experience than you do. They must know what they’re talking about, right? Wrong. We ALL make mistakes, including them. If you listen to those people, you might as well give up now because you’ll find them everywhere. But what do YOU think? Do you like what you do? Do others in general seem to respond well to it? Show them they’ve misjudged you. Psychology says we tend to listen to the one negative comment over the 100 positive ones. But knowing about that phenomenon, we can consciously choose not to, and make an effort to change our thinking. That is easier said than done. As if we didn’t get enough criticism from the outside world, there’s also yourself to worry about. Maybe you’re waiting for a response and you second-guess yourself. Or you make something and maybe everyone around you tells you it’s good, but you think they’re just being nice. You know you didn’t get something quite right. That part is terrible. They think you did something on purpose when it came about by accident. They think you’re amazing when you think what you put out is amateur or could be better. People will criticize anything you do, but sometimes your harshest critic is yourself. Comedian John B. Crist talks about negative self-talk and insecurities in the following clip. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM5hHAPyKsQ No matter what you do in life, you’re always going to have supporters and detractors. Some people will encourage you and tell you keep going. Others will bring you down and say you can’t do it. Whatever the “it” may be, you won’t get anywhere if you listen to people. You have to know what you want and whether it’s worth the effort. Have fun on the journey of trying and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. We all make them, but we should learn from them. If one person REALLY loves what you made/did, when everyone else hardly seems to take notice, enjoy that person’s enthusiasm and keep going. You can’t please everyone. Are you looking for applause and attention? Or do you genuinely enjoy what you do? Don’t let fear or self-doubt stop you. Everybody gets better with time and practice no matter what the skill or field. We can’t all excel in every area, but some things are worth pursuing if you are passionate about them. What’s your passion? And if you’re a believer, more importantly, would God approve? Ever find yourself in a pessimistic, gloomy-Gus mood? Where you’re just tired and things seem hopeless and you’d like nothing better than to just give up because that’d be easier than what you’re doing now? Sometimes it helps to get a different perspective. Sometimes you just need a break. Sometimes it helps to take a “personal” day or moment and treat yourself to a milkshake, go to the mall for a pretzel, or search for a hidden treasure at your local thrift shop. If you’re creative, it helps to be able to express your feelings in writing or art. These are not always possible after a long work day when you’re low on energy and high on stress, so sometimes all you can do is kick back and watch something to get your mind off things. I don’t know if this will help you, but here are some things that have helped me.
The number one thing is God. Come to me all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). That is my FAVORITE Bible verse. It’s on my computer’s wallpaper so I read and think about it pretty much daily. If I ever start to forget what’s truly important, that helps remind me and I come to Him in prayer. God gives me the strength and energy to continue when I need to, and He also lets me enjoy periods of rest when the world does everything it can to stop that. I’m sometimes amazed at what He lets me accomplish (without coffee because I don’t like it) when other days it seems I can’t even keep my eyes open. He knows I can afford to rest even though at the moment I feel I can’t or shouldn’t. God’s like nope, that to-do list can wait for tomorrow. And even sleep-deprived and exhausted, I’ve been like I don’t know how I’m going to stay up but God gives me the energy and I’m not even tired anymore! God is good. The next thing isn’t profound, but just simply to take some time to relax and listen to some music (you can see what I think is real music on my music post haha) or watch either an inspirational or a funny video or movie. Drama is fine if you want something to suit your mood and get some of your emotions out. However, I suggest you end on a good note with humor. Studio C members branched off into JK Studios that came out with a new video series called Freelancers. The first episode had one of the best pep talks I have ever heard in my life. It’s even better in the video, as the acting is so awesome and hilarious that merely reading it cannot do it justice. It must be seen/heard to be fully appreciated. But I just had to document it because these are truly words to live by ;) “Don’t worry Zona, things always go wrong for us. Then somehow, people keep paying us. Not enough. I don’t have enough money for my heart medication, but I do have hope. Except when I’m afraid. Which is always. So I never have hope. Why would I? Things are bad. It is a hopeless netherscape out there. And we, but weary travelers. And here’s the thing, it’s okay! Because we all die one day.” (Ryan, Freelancers) Freelancers episode 1 JK Studios https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmCbs1Zrogg |
DisclaimerWhile I love open discussions, not all internet users are kind. I'd like to build people up, not have others cut people down. Therefore, no comments, but feel free to email me if there's something you'd like to share with me. Archives
July 2020
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