An American Babylon?

What would our lives be like if we ceased to care what humans thought of us and instead sought to glorify God in all we do and say? What if we stood up against people and governments that create rules and laws that blatantly go against God's word?  What if we stopped being afraid of what others might say or do to us and stood up for TRUTH and MORALITY and JESUS CHRIST instead?

I've been thinking a lot about the story of Babylon lately. I can't help but wonder if we are living in a modern day Babylon right now. Do you know the story? The city of Babylon was the capital of the ancient land of Babylonia in southern Mesopotamia. It was situated on the Euphrates River about 50 miles south of modern Baghdad, just north of what is now the modern Iraqi town of al-Hillah. It was thought to be Biblical myth until its foundations were unearthed and its riches substantiated during the 19th century.

The Bible reveals that all false systems of religion began in the land of Babylon. The influence of Babylon on Israel and world history is profound. King Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon's king, was a very prideful man, and after having his pride hurt, conquered Judah and thousands of Jewish people were taken from their homes and forced to live in Babylon. There, the Jews were indoctrinated into Babylonian culture in order to transform them into loyal servants of their new king.

Most Jewish exiles fell in line with this indoctrination.  Why?  Well, King Nebuchadnezzar was one of the most powerful tyrants that had ever lived.  No one had ever been equal in authority, and there were no restraints whatsoever on anything he wanted to do.  He was an expert on torture, and everyone knew what he was capable of.  He also promised great things and made it seem like a benefit to follow his ways.  How do you stand up against that?  They had every reason in the world to fall in line and not stand up for their faith, and that's what almost all of them did.  "When in Rome, do as the Romans do", right?

But- there was one TEENAGER and three of his friends who were able to stand strong against all the temptation that was in Babylon: Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego.  Daniel was a faithful servant of God.  He never waivered in his faith or commitment to the Lord.  He stayed faithful, even in the midst of a culture that despised such faith.  He stayed faithful without having to quit his job or hide out to do it.  He and his friends felt the pressure; you know they did.  But because of their faithfulness God honored them and gave them the grace to stand strong despite the pressure.  The story of this pressure goes on throughout the book, it wasn't over quickly or early.  For 70 years Daniel served in one of the highest roles in the Babylonian government, and he did so without EVER compromising his relationship with and commitment to God.  When he was expected to eat the food and drink provided by the king, food and drink that was against God's law,  he devised a way to have other food brought to him and did not submit.  When he was forced to worship the statue of the king- he did not.  When he was commanded not to pray for 30 days, he got down on his knees each day and prayed in full view of his window.  I'm sure his three friends did the same.  I'm sure they weren't popular with the other Babylonians. I'm sure they were probably excluded from many of the the social groups and even ridiculed. It could not have always been easy.  For these things and others they faced the fiery furnace, the lions den, and who knows what else over the course of that 70 years, but they never waiver in their commitment to the Lord and the Lord never failed them, saving them from death each time it was ordered upon them.  

How is any of this this different from today- at least fundamentally?

How we are to live our lives as Believers is very clear.  God's word in the Bible is there for all to read.  He has given us a manual for living, all you have to do is study and follow it.  Sound easy?  Not so fast.  Our culture and non-believers will try to trip you up at every turn.

There are those out there that will try to use the Bible against you.  They will quote Romans 13:1 "Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities..." and claim that even the Bible tells us to obey the government.

Don't be fooled- there is important CONTEXT needed here.  Acts 5:29 goes on to say: "We must obey God rather than men."  Contradiction?  No way- God is telling us that we are to follow the law of the land UNLESS or UNTIL it violates scripture.

Can't quite get there?  Then let's talk about something that may make this a little clearer.  In Exodus we are given the 10 commandments.  Commandment #5 says "honor your father and mother.  Commandment #6 says "thou shall not murder".  So, if you are following commandment #5 by honoring your father and mother and they tell you to commit murder, should you follow their command?  The answer, of course, is NO! Why?  Because obedience to your parents is only appropriate unless doing so would go against scripture. Man is fallen which means that man is subject to weakness and sin.  We are never to follow man, but to follow God.  Therefore, following governmental systems is only appropriate when it is consistent with scripture.

How about a real life present example?  Consider Kim Davis- the Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of gay marriage.  For those who say that she should either do her job or quit I ask you- when did we stray from providing religious accommodation to Christians?  We provide accommodation to others following their religious beliefs, why not here?  How about students who cannot even say the words "Merry Christmas" in public schools anymore?  Or Seniors being prohibited from praying before meals in a Senior Center?  Or college students being docked on a grade because the paper was religious in nature?  When did Christianity cease to be eligible for religious accommodation?

What does Babylon have to do with any of this? Well, Babylon is mentioned 260 times in Scripture, and is a city second in importance only to Jerusalem.  I believe that God speaks about it so often as a warning and example to us of what is going to happen to selfish, greedy, unbelieving countries when He returns.  Reading about and understanding Babylon's story will help us open our eyes to what is around us and avoid falling into the trap, which is a very real risk for Christians living in such a culture.

What about our culture is in line with Babylonian culture?  Well, to name a few examples:

• Glorifying sex outside of wedlock (the sexual revolution) in movies, music, and through the prevalence of birth control available to everyone INCLUDING to teenagers without their parents' consent (thus eliminating sexual responsibility and the need for abstinence)
• Abortion glorification (it is touted as a VICTORY for women)- example: even in the face of evidence that Planned Parenthood has tricked many into them AND is selling aborted fetuses for profit, even sometimes being harvested from live babies, people are still standing by them and taxpayers' money is funding them. Christians are often vilified for being against this.
• The definition of marriage as created by God has been rewritten to include marriage by same sex couples which is against God's law- and Christians are called intolerant or worse for speaking out against this
• There is no longer only the two genders created by God: man and woman.... there are now "other" genders, and God's perfect creation in Adam and Eve has been perverted by man.
• We glorify physical beauty above all else- who can trust ANY of the pictures we see on TV or in magazines or in front of clothing stores in the mall these days? They have been photo-shopped beyond recognition to enhance only the physical beauty that has somehow been deemed desirable

Are you at risk of falling victim to our culture- pulling you further and further from God?  The answer is YES. We are all at RISK of falling into the ways of our culture.  It is a part of our human nature; we are fallen and cannot follow God fully without His help.  If serving God and following Him completely is not your strongest desire, you are at risk.  Heck, I love God with all my heart and I AM AT RISK. One of my greatest weaknesses is coveting what others have. Ask yourself these questions:

1. Do I spend time reading about and/or am I even a little bit infatuated with the wealth and power of movie stars, sports celebrities, political figures or other powerful people (be honest, do you grab that People magazine or the Enquirer or US or any of the dozens of other magazines as you stand in the checkout line just to check out the story on the cover or read the latest gossip)?  
2. Do I ever covet or crave wealth, power, prestige or connections that would enhance my comfort, popularity or influence (even just a little)?
3. Do I take steps to protect myself from exposure to the things of this world that would tempt me away from the life God wants me to live?  Do these steps involve avoiding any or all of the above?  Do these steps involve praying to God for his help?

Friends- now more than ever we need Jesus Christ to help us stay strong in the face of very difficult and dangerous attacks on our faith. Our culture is hunting us down one by one and trying to destroy Christianity. That sounds so alarmist I know, but it needs to be!  The alarm is sounding, Christians.  It is blaring at full volume.  There are landmines everywhere you look that compromise your ability to stay faithful to our Lord and His word.

You must not try to do this on your own though, and you must not rely solely on your fellow Christian to help you through, either (even the most Godly person in the world is still a flawed human in need of the Holy Spirit).

Stand up for God and His word.  Even now that there is real risk to doing so don't back down, but call on the power of the Holy Spirit to help you stand strong.  God will never forsake you. He will always forgive you. He sent His son Jesus to die for you so that the doors of Heaven will be open to you no matter how many times you fall down.  All you have to do is repent and accept this gift of salvation, and God will do the rest in you!  With a God like this on your side you don't need to worry what the crowd is doing. Our God is able to carry you through and to work the situation out no matter how impossible it looks.

God is ruler over all. The outcome of this war against Satan (which is really what this is all about) is already known. God is in charge, and you are either on His side or on Satan's side.  There is no neutral ground here, and the Babylonian culture, the American culture of today, is NOT on the right side.  Where do you stand?

"Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever, for wisdom and might are his. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and secret things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him." (Daniel 2:20-22)

Put on the FULL armor of God and STAND UP!

If you read the news today, all you see are examples of how much our secular culture has started to take over and blot out or even crush those who would follow their Christian beliefs.  It is sickening to see how much followers of Jesus Christ are starting to suffer for their beliefs here in the United States, all in the name of what?  Freedom?  For whom?  Fairness?  To whom?

What exactly am I referring to?

How about Kim Davis, the Kentucky Clerk who has refused to issue marriage licenses since the Supreme Court saw fit to change the definition of marriage?  For following her sincerely held beliefs in God and His word she is now facing fines and jail time.  She didn't just stop offering marriage licenses to gay people but to everyone, making sure to NOT discriminate against any one group. Instead of just losing her job, she is being prosecuted, or should I say PERSECUTED?  Instead of giving freedom and fairness to her based on her beliefs, she is being attacked and sued.  Her past mistakes are being dredged up for all to see and judge and she is being called a hypocrite for not always following the Bible.  Hmmmm, I recall a few Bible passes that address that... how about "He that is without sin among you let him cast the first stone" John 8:7 or how about "as it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one" Romans 3:10.  Even Christians are sinners, but that doesn't diminish the truth of the Bible or our attempts to follow it, even in our weakened human state.

How about Villa Rica High School in Georgia?  Just recently the Villa Rica First Baptist Church conducted a mass baptism before football practice.  Video shows some football players and a coach being baptised on school grounds before practice, prompting the group Freedom from Religion Foundation to demand an investigation.  What about the Freedom FOR religion?  This story is too new to have much more detail than that, but for me this situation coupled with the slew of others that are coming forward each week begs the question: how did it come to be that when someone's right to BELIEVE clashes with another's right NOT to believe, it is the person who chooses NOT to believe that comes out on top with the law?  Over the course of time Believers have lost more and more rights and opportunities to profess their faith publicly and now, even LIVE IT OUT publicly.  So I ask again... freedom for whom?

Enough is enough.

Christians- do not bury your head in the sand any longer thinking that this is not your fight.  This IS your fight!  This is OUR fight.  Stand up for faith and what is right, even though it may cost you greatly. Don't listen to those who will tell you that faith and God belong only behind closed doors. Don't listen when the world seems to think that God is optional at best or non-existent at worst.  Don't listen to this secular culture that continues to work toward quashing your right to live your Christian beliefs through the passage of laws that require you to choose between those closely held beliefs and what non-believers say is right.  Stand Up!  Fight!  Do not compromise.  Jesus did NOT compromise for you- Jesus sacrificed ALL for you, against the worst torture and pain and injustice.  He did this all for you without any guarantee that you would ever care.  What will you do now to show our God that you do care, and that you will not turn your back on Him even now when it is becoming harder and harder to follow?

The Lord says:  "And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved"
Matthew 10:22-24

ALSO:
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,  and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.  In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints"
Ephesians 6:10-18

Friends, now is our time. God has called us to be His. He has worked in your life for such a time as this. Don't be weak and afraid, but put on the full armor of God and stand up. We were not put here to live for man, but to live for our God who loves us and has a place for us in Heaven, our true home. "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God?  Or am I trying to please man?  If I were still trying to please man then I would not be a servant of Christ".  Galatians 1:10

Sin turned into Glory?

First of all, I really hate that I've become so jaded that I am so skeptical about everything I read (not just skeptical, but SO skeptical). I suppose that's better than being naive or overly trusting in this world today, but it also takes a bit of the joy out of some things, too. Anyway, I'm going to assume this is a true story and with that assumption say this: Wow.

If you didn't click on the link yet- here is a very quick summary: it is the story of a man addicted to sex. He seeks it wherever he can. Then, he finds God and is saved, but still struggles with it. After confessing about an episode with a prostitute during one of his "slips", his Pastor encourages him to apologize to the prostititute. What results is a perfect example of God using our sin-nature to bring Glory to His kingdom. It's not a long story, you really should read it.

What an amazing testimony of the power of our God to redeem and forgive. What an amazing example of our God using weakness and sinfulness to showcase His glory.

How many of us have felt we are beyond saving? How many of us have felt trapped in our weakness and sin and totally separate from God because of it? How many of us have underestimated or, worse, not even considered how God could work through that very sin and weakness to show His love to us and others?

God is longing to forgive, redeem, and use all of us. Don't let Satan mess with you by allowing that doubt to block your relationship with our Lord.

"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst."
1 Timothy 1:15

If you are already saved and have a relationship with God- take heart! We are always going to struggle with sin as long as we live on this earth. It is our reality being sons and daughters of Adam and Eve.  The Bible makes that clear- very very clear, so don't fret and beat yourself up about it:

"For all of sinned and fall short of the glory of God"  Romans 3:23

"Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins" Ecclesiastes 7:20

"For as by one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so that by one man's obedience the many will be made righteous" Romans 5:19

God does not expect us to be perfect.  How do we know that?  Because He sent his son Jesus Christ to die on a cross for us in order that we may be saved and enter His kingdom DESPITE our sinful and wicked ways.  It is a gift from a Lord who loves us deeply.  Accept this give with open arms and open hearts and repent.  THEN- use it to help others enter the kingdom with you.  

If you are not already saved or are skeptical about God- take heart!!  God loves you, too, and as long as there is breath in your lungs it is never ever too late!  God forgives us all, no matter what our sin, and no matter what our age.  I was 41 years old when I accepted Jesus into my heart, I mean REALLY accepted him (I'm the queen of surface level Christians).  I consider myself one of the luckiest people alive that I didn't die before I had a chance at salvation because let me tell you, the things I have done in my life would most definitely land me deep in the pit of hell without it.  

Don't just skate through your life letting "fate" or the power of your own will dictate eternity for you. Consider that God is a real, living God who loves you and pursues you.  How do you know?  You are reading this post, aren't you?  GOD works through people like me, I could never do this on my own power! 

Keep reading about God, keep thinking about God, keep asking the questions that are in your heart.  God will answer, and eventually (hopefully not before it is too late) you will see the truth like I saw the truth, and your life will be CHANGED and will never be the same again.  Thank GOD for that!  

What comes first with God?

A friend of mine shared a blog post on Facebook titled: For Years I Pleaded with God to Make Me Straight, So Why Did My Prayers Go Unanswered?

This blog post is about way more than homosexuality. It is about our hearts. It is about getting our hearts right and being in relationship with God. This is what must come first, before anything else in our lives will start to turn around. If we are living in sin, or struggling with sin; if we are unhappy because what we WANT to do goes against what the Bible tells us to do (if we want to have sex before marriage, if we want to be in a gay relationship, if we want to skip praying for others in favor of everything else that seems more fun, if we want out of our marriage to find a better marriage, etc.) then we need to look at our true relationship with God and what we are giving TO God before we can question why He is not answering our prayers. God does answer prayers, but He expects us to give up EVERYTHING to Him as well. If you are praying for things to change while still living a sinful life, the consequences and results are on you, not God.  It is one thing to stumble and sin (which we ALL do), it is quite another to keep commiting the same sins over and over.  Sex out of wedlock and living in a gay relationship are continuous ongoing sin that you cannot just apologize for and call it good, you must CHANGE your life and STOP the sin.

Galatians 2:20- I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Luke 9:23- And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

1 Peter 4:1-2 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

It took me almost 41 years to get this stuff through my thick skull.  It would be such a great gift if you didn't have to suffer that long.  

Cecil vs the unborn child

So many who follow me on Facebook have posted outrage about Cecil the Lion, but yet I've never seen a post from these same people about Planned Parenthood and what has recently come out about the selling of baby parts, as well abortion in general- why is this?

If you become pregnant with a child you WANT and miscarry that baby, would you just shrug your shoulders and go, "meh, we'll try again next month, no biggie" or would you feel either some of A LOT of sadness and loss? IT IS A BABY with a soul!

While the killing of Cecil the Lion is sad, especially the way it went down (so far as we know)- it is not anywhere near on par with abortion. There are some seriously perverted priorities out there, and I am so sad that Satan has taken root in so many hearts. You cannot turn a blind eye to abortion and believe that God is pleased with you.

Psalm 139: 13-16 "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

If you are reading this and HAVE spoken out about abortion- thank you. Christians who speak out against what seems OK in popular culture today may be fearful about losing friends or worse by speaking out against what everyone else seems to be ignoring (or worse, supporting), but never forget that while we are in this world we most definitely are not OF this world.

Galatians 1:10 "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."

1 John 4:4 "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them. Because he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."

Check out this post:
If Cecil were a human baby

When did parents lose their right to parent/choose/raise their children?

Children are a gift from God.  Actually, no, that's not quite accurate.  They are a tremendous LOAN from God.  We all ultimately belong to God, even our children.  He simply entrusts them to us while they are here on earth, with the hopes that we will remember our job and raise them up so they will one day return to Him in Heaven.

There are things happening in this world making our job as Christian parents harder and harder to do well.  People thumbing their noses at God by passing laws that go against His commands and purpose for creation is one thing.  NOW though, well now these people who think God and His laws are a big joke are taking their disdain for His directives and bringing them to our schools so that our children will start to believe, or rather, NOT believe just like them.  There have been a few stories in the past week that have come to my attention that leave me extremely worried about our future in this nation.
The first story is about a school district in Seattle, Washington.  This school district is allowing students as young as 13-years-old to consent to having an IUD implanted for the purposes of birth control WITHOUT PARENTAL CONSENT.  What?  What?  Since when were 13-year-old children able to make a decision like that on their own?  Since when did parents lose control over the healthcare decisions of their children?  As a Christian parent this involves so much more than just a healthcare decision to me, but at the very least, someone who doesn't believe as I do can see that this is a big decision to make without our input or even KNOWLEDGE as parents. You can find the story I read here:  IUD's in children.

Oh come on, I am not naive enough to think that some children aren't having sex at that age, but that is beside the point.  The point is, we are responsible for raising our children and helping them to make decisions that are not only in their best interest, but that fall in line with the values we are trying to instill in them.  This is crazy!  And before you go and tell me that this is a biased story that skews the truth I'm one step ahead of you.  I searched many sites to see if this was a bit exaggerated and wasn't able to find anything to assuage my outrage.  As a matter of fact, when I landed on Snopes I learned something else I didn't know.  Snopes was quick to point out that some of the "facts" in the story may not be quite so factual- as in, "IUD's... can act as an abortifacient by preventing the implantation of a fertilized egg", which is debatable but again not the point. The point of the story- that this can happen without parental knowledge- is totally true.  Additionally, Snopes pointed out that 26 states and the District of Columbia allow minors (12 and over) to consent to contraceptive services without parental knowledge or consent.  Unreal.

The second story has to do with teaching our children about gay marriage as well as oral and anal sex in school.  Much of this curriculum may be structured in such a way that parents cannot chose to opt their children out if this does not fit the values that those parents are trying to instill.  Here is a video that talks about this: new curriculum for the times.  Again, whether this is actually happening yet or not is BESIDE THE POINT!  Why are these things even being considered?!?!

Now, for those of you who feel that including same-sex couples in curriculum about marriage, or that somehow discussions about being transgendered and gender non-conforming identity is a positive and long overdue step in our schools, LISTEN UP.  God is VERY VERY clear about these things being against Him and his intent for us. If my children are going to be exposed to a conversation about these things it will be on MY terms with MY Christian faith as the basis for those discussions, and NOT under any circumstances by someone who does not share my faith or belief in God.  Period. This isn't math, people!  This stuff is changing the very fabric of our society and moving it away from what God intended, and as a Christian my children will not be taught that this is OK because with God is it absolutely not OK.  I realize I will be very unpopular and likely vilified because of these statements, but what popular culture dictates or what man thinks of me holds no sway over what God commands of me.

"If you will fear the LORD and serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebel against the command of the LORD, then both you and also the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God. If you will not listen to the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the command of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you, as it was against your fathers. “  1 Samuel 12:14-15

"Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them." Numbers 14:9

"The fear of man lays a snare; but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe."  Proverbs 29:25

"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." Galatians 1:10

Look, I love you, I really do.  I believe that God calls Christians to love EVERYONE. Judging a person's behavior and choices is God's job, not mine.  Mine is to reflect the love and grace that God gave me with the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ through my interactions with the world. My purpose is to praise His name and share the Gospel with everyone in the hopes those who don't believe will have an opportunity to reconsider and be saved.  This is not a commentary on how you choose to live YOUR life.

That said, I will not allow anyone to teach my child in a setting that is supposed to be educational about something that is not based in facts according to God's truth.  When a child learns something in school, that child believes what he or she learned is the truth.  It is fact.  It can be trusted, otherwise why would the school, a place we willingly send him or her, teach it?  A child does not have the ability to discern the way an adult does.  When we decide to change or spin the "facts" to fit an agenda, we are harming our children tremendously.

At the end of the day, even if you are A-OK with all this because it falls in line with your personal beliefs on the matters of gay marriage and gender confusion, I have to ask you a question.  Why in the world are you OK with our children being taught things or exposed to things without parental consent?  You may be OK with this stuff because it falls in line with your beliefs, but what about when something doesn't fall in line with your beliefs?

If you aren't a Believer then you probably aren't OK with God "stuff" being taught to you children, right?  Well, what if positions were reversed and you were being told that schools will start teaching the Bible and you couldn't do anything about it.  You'd be mighty pissed, right?  Oh, wait.... you already won that battle and the Bible can't be taught in public schools. Heck, you won that battle so handily that we can't even say Merry Christmas in schools anymore.  So you must understand what I'm saying.  Parents should be allowed to raise their children based on their values and beliefs.  ALL parents, even ones that disagree with you.  As long as those beliefs don't involve teaching children to hurt others, themselves, or commit crimes, then it should be up to the parents.  Why, then, is this OK with some people?  I just don't understand, and it's things like this that have me so worried about the future of our nation.  Just watch, it will start here, but once the government is given such mighty power over us, it will turn on even those who are in support of all this power.

Don't give up our rights as parents to raise our children, even if that means some parents will raise their children differently than you will.

The Good News

Jesus. What a man. What an incredible Man. What incredibly good fortune for me and you that this amazing, holy Man lived, suffered, and died in roughly 33AD. SUFFERED and died. Suffered horribly. Suffered torture and unimaginable pain both physical AND emotional, and on top of it suffered terrible humiliation. Think about that. Stop and let it sink in for a minute.

I want it to sink in, because, for me, finally getting that through my thick skull has made all the difference in the world to my faith and my love for Jesus Christ. For 40 years I believed Jesus died, but it was just a story of something that happened long ago. A story, without much detail. A story I believed happened, but that I never thought too much about. I have never seen The Passion of the Christ partly because I didn't want anything to tamper with my rosy view of Christ's sacrifice. I didn't want any real images to disrupt my ability to continue to deny that Christ's death on the cross was really anything more than a story told to Christians to explain that Heaven is a place we can go to when we die.

Then, lightening struck. God finally and forever took hold of my being, my soul, my heart, my mind, and my life, and I have never been and never will be the same. The story of Christ's sacrifice now became the ultimate testament of God's love for us. Jesus Christ became a REAL man to me, and as a REAL human His sacrifice became almost too much for this wreck of a human to bear. When I first started to truly believe, I really was a wreck. I cried during every church service I attended for the first two months. I started listening to Christian music, and often was reduced to tears during certain songs.

To this day- when we sing Forever in church, I cry. Every single time. Christ's sacrifice is that powerful, and deserves that much emotion, in my opinion.

Why do I share all this? What is my point? Here it is- God sent his son Jesus to live on earth as a man. To experience what we experience as humans, and then to suffer and die so that we could have a place in Heaven. So that we, as sinners, who would never ever have been able to earn a place in Heaven on our own, wouldn't have to. If you do not believe or cannot see the magnitude of what Jesus did for us, then you will struggle with everything else that has to do with fully believing in God and believing His word.

God is love. True story. God loves us so much, so much. God sent His only Son for us. God wants a relationship with us, and to prove it, as long as we are alive God will never abandon us. God forgives us when we ask Him over and over and over. We never run out of chances with God- as long as we are alive. The Bible tells us this many times:

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness

Acts 3:19
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord

Daniel 9:9
The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against Him

Colossians 1: 13-14
For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Micah 7:18-19
Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; You will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

God, though, is also a judge. God created us to be in relationship with Him. He made us; we are His. BUT- He wants us to CHOOSE Him. He gave us free will because the ones He wants in Heaven with Him for all eternity are the ones that CHOOSE to be with Him. Now I understand, you may not like this part of God. You may not want to accept that God put us here on this earth in order that we may prove our love for Him. The wrathful, vengeful, jealous side of God may not fit your vision of a God that you want to follow. A God that is only about love and goodness. The blessing and the curse here is- you may feel however you choose about it. You do get to choose.

We are all equals here. You, me, Paul the Apostle.... it doesn't matter who we are. We are all humans in God's eyes, all sinners, all have the potential to go one of two places- Heaven or Hell. God has done everything short of taking away our free will to help us get to Heaven. He gave us his Word in the Bible. He gave us His Son to die on the cross for our sins so that we wouldn't have to pay the price for them ourselves. He pursues us every single day. You can choose to ignore all of this, or you can choose to open your mind to the possibility that through my words, God is reaching out to you right now.

Look- I am no better than anyone. I am no better than you. I have sinned; man have I sinned. I have even stopped believing for a time. I deserve Heaven no more than anyone else. I truly mean that. I deserve punishment for my sins; for my weak, cowardly behavior. But God will not let me suffer because I have taken the one step that I needed to take to be saved. I believe. I believe with all my heart. I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe that Jesus died for my sins. I believe that I am a sinner and that I need to repent. I have asked God for forgiveness, and I do so again and again, whenever I fall short. I do not fill my life with good works. As a matter of fact, I wish I could say that I give lots of time, talent and treasure, but the truth of the matter is, I don't. God loves me anyway. And God loves you no matter where you happen to be in your journey today. You can scream and rail against God all you want to. He still loves you and will still love you even if you go against Him.

Friend, if you are reading these words right now, you still have time. You still have a chance at salvation all you have to do is put your trust and belief in God. Don't be too proud or too smart to see that God is reaching out to you. You are sitting right here right now for a reason. Open your heart and your mind to the possibility that God is speaking to you on this page. Not Denise. I could never write these words without God. Never. Heck, I couldn't even say the name Jesus out loud 3 years ago. I was so far away from a relationship with God that it is truly a miracle I am here right now typing these things. Anyone who knows me knows it is true. Look at my Facebook page pre-2013, you will not find writing like this anywhere on my page. Now look at how I've changed. GOD HAS DONE THIS. GOD. Not me.

I can still say I haven't seen The Passion of the Christ, but now the reason is that, as a new Believer, I don't think I could take it yet. I will see it, though, because I believe that Jesus deserves to have his entire story told and the tremendous sacrifice he made understood. He has earned our commitment to face what he did for us head on, no matter how uncomfortable it is. I promise I'm working my way up to it.

What inspired me to write all this today? Well, today a friend of mine posted a video that just tore through me and made me stop in my tracks. For those of you who are inspired by the spoken word of others I encourage you to take less than 9 minutes to watch this video. If you are a believer, this will reinforce what you already know to be true. If you are a non-believer watch it anyway. What do you have to lose? Don't let your pride over being a non-believer prevent you from at least considering that there is another way to look at things.

Heaven. Hell. You