Freedom...Legalism...Grace

I have a lot of friends who are non-believers…and I love it. I love that I am still living real life with real everyday people. I love how the Lord has called me to shine His light in the midst of darkness. And I love how it reminds me that we were all lost at one time.

I love these people for so many reasons. They challenge me in my walk with the Lord; they hold me true to seeking God’s Word and studying for myself the living Truth. It keeps me from basing my whole relationship with Jesus on some emotion or feeling and instead it encourages me to seek the substance and to expand the limitations of my faith.  

These relationships hold my feet to the fire and keep me sensitive to the gentle breeze of sweet grace blowing ever so lightly against me. They make me cling onto the fresh, living Word of God that speaks to my heart like no other. I am mesmerized and in love with humanity even more. And I am encouraged by the challenge and the purpose that God gives me through each of them.

I often wonder what it is that turn people away from wanting a real relationship with Jesus. I see so many wonderful and amazing things that are being done today amongst the world and within our churches. I experience so many things first hand that leave me with no other explanation other than God himself. But then I turn on the news or TV show or a movie then it isn’t hard to see why things are going so wrong.

Tolerant…we are all expected to be absolutely tolerant of whatever goes. And don’t even think about disagreeing, for if you do you must be hateful or judgmental or insensitive and wrong. I heard a friend speak the other night and she said, “Not liking the sin usually has nothing to do with not loving the individual. We can still love you and hate the sin.” That isn’t hate that is freewill.     

I have really talked with God a lot about this lately trying to discern where we as Christians may be going wrong. This isn’t going to be a bash session over where I see our shortcomings as believers. This is more of me asking God what we can be doing to be more effective. How can we draw people closer to the Lord and not push them further away.

Sunday, during our worship time we sang Chris Tomilns, “Amazing Grace”. As I listened to the chorus I became greatly aware of a few things.

Chorus:
My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, amazing grace

As we sang those words something came over me. I grabbed my notebook and jotted down these 3 words.

Freedom…Legalism…Grace

I may or may not be onto something here but I can’t help but wonder if these three things may be the culprit of what turns non-believers away.

Freedom: We as Christians sometimes take advantage of it. We are free because of what Christ has done for us by the Cross and because we are children of God. However, we are wrong to abuse it. I saw this sign the other day, “You are FREE to choose but you are not FREE from the CONSEQUENCES of your CHOICE.” Wow, consequences have no favoritism do they… and show no mercy.

Legalism: Man, this one is easier to fall into than what you think. It steams a belief system that says we are saved by our works and our deeds. WRONG... Legalism is one of the ugliest things a non-believer can witness in the life of a believer. It also shows no mercy for failure and is quick to condemn the faults and short comings of others. Umm hello…it’s mirror time people. We don’t have it all together either.

Is there godly discernment and concern? Of course there is, who would we be to stand back and silently watch a train wreck unfold and not give loving advice and warning. But to judge just to judge and to condemn because we think we are better, than that is wrong.

Grace: Oh sweet grace. The most precious, costly gift and it is ours for the taken. It is free and irreversible and all you have to do is accept Jesus as your Savior. There is not a single thing that you can do to earn it and not a single thing you can do to lose it. It was paid for on the cross and we are covered by the blood that was shed. This is one of the very first things that you learn about and yet at times we are so flippant about it.  

We don’t deserve the grace that is poured out on us and we certainly should repent anytime we abuse it. It is not a free ticket to live life as we did before. Along with salvation comes the decision to live within the will of God, and no longer your own. I don’t know if it takes living so far on the opposite end of the spectrum to really grasp the significance of grace or not. Maybe it is by the power of the Holy Spirit within us that it becomes evident and clear. I do know that I cringe to see those who claim to follow Christ but choose to live a life that reads so differently. Sometimes, I wonder how God doesn’t kill us (myself included) dead in our tracks when we act in such a way. It must be because God loves people.

We also need to learn how to offer Grace better. Boy, do I struggle with this one at times. My personality really struggles with this one. I was talking to a friend the other day and she said, “you know sometimes I have to bite my tongue until I choke on it.” Me too, sister, me too.  

As a non-believer looking in what a joke it must be at times. I have watched Christians, myself included, fall so many times. We give into pre-meditated (chosen) sin and make a complete fool out of ourselves. To the onlookers it must make them think that we serve a weak or unimportant God. I know that there isn’t a thing that we can do or not do to change who God is. He is who he says he is whether we chose to believe it or not. But we have to know what effects our actions have on the ones watching us. I promise you they are watching. The saying is true that to some we are the only Bible they have to read. Scary isn’t it?

As believers we all have had questions about salvation and the Bible. Just the other day my eight year old asked me why God sent Jesus to die on the cross, he didn’t understand why it could not have been done some other way. I hugged him and smiled, I did my best to explain the fulfillment of the prophecy and law. How God is Righteous and Sovereign and how the penalty of sin is death. I am so thankful that he has the mind and the freedom to ask those questions. Our society and the enemy plants so many pre-conceived notions of tolerance and things that are simply not truth.

Following Jesus isn’t something that we are persuaded to believe in without proof or purpose and we certainly aren’t bound by rituals like some cult. We are simply bound by His Grace.

Sunday, our Pastor preached on the Top 10 Questions people ask about the Bible. Question #4 asked this, Aren’t there a lot of contradictions in the Bible? The answer was this. The Bible has continually been affirmed as scientifically accurate, historically accurate and prophetically accurate, over and over and over again. So often science has to catch up and when it does there are always excuses being made.

Why any of us would believe something just because we were told to is beyond me. But when you are given so much evidence and substance that breeds so much accuracy and truth, how could you not? Believe me, this is why I spend so much of my time studying and sharing all of this.

My point in writing all of this today is this. We are all sinners and every single day we fall into some portion of sin. We have to make sure that we stand firm in the freedom that Christ has given us and at the same time not to abuse it.

We have to know that there are standards that we as Christians are to live by, but need to not get pulled into a thought process of legalism. This is beneficial not only in our life but in the life of others.  We have been given godly discernment and we need to utilize it correctly. If our goal is to always be right then we will more than likely not lead a soul to Jesus. But if our heart is to live the life that God has called us to live out, then by our actions and our love many will come forth.

We should daily ask God for the wisdom to fully understand Grace. God has given each of us the freewill of choice. We are free to choose how we are going to live out this life here on earth.  If we choose to abuse that choice, there will be consequences.  Just the same we must accept the Grace that Jesus paid for us, if not then how does that look like to God? What a precious gift given at a precious cost.

I thank you for jumping on here today and allowing me to pour out my daily struggles and triumphs that I experience. When I felt the Lord calling me into some type of writing/speaking ministry I knew right away that if I were not willing to be honest about my shortcomings, past and struggles then there would be no need for me to ever open my mouth. I think people want realness, I know I do. We are all an open book to others (believers and non-believers alike). Some seal chapters that no one will ever see, and others don’t care and reveal too much. Either way we are all in this together.

I want to be an open book at how my life is not perfect. I struggle so much at times and fall short so often. The beauty about it is that by the grace of God we are set free. We are to love others and we are to serve. We are to live out the experiences that the Lord has for us by His Grace and Mercy that he pours out over us. We are to press on and persevere, and when we get discouraged or fail then we are to get on our knees and repent and be ready to experience the redemption that He sets forth.  

I wish that in a snap of my finger I could lead everyone that I know to Christ. But then I remember my journey in finding Him. We need to be a part of that journey for others but not the guide. The Holy Spirit will go before us…be accountable in your walk and to the part you are entrusted with and always, always, always pray.

Philippians 1:3-11

³ I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, ⁴ always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, ⁵ for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶ being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; ⁷ just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, in as much as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. ⁸ For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.

⁹ And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, ¹⁰ that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, ¹¹ being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

 

Out with the Old

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Well, here we are, the 8^th day of 2014 and just over our shoulder is another year behind us. I am grateful for the year to end but sad to see it go just the same. There is something about a new year that feels so wonderful. It’s fresh, a clean slate, a do-over, a new beginning. 

 I, myself, have cleaned and organized closets and scrubbed the house from top to bottom. I’ve set out the new books (that I never read last year) positioned just so on my nightstand and dusted off my devotional, the same one that I have clung to for the last 3 years, and moved my page marker to the beginning.  I’ve opened the pages in my new planner, which I received as a gift for Christmas, and placed my new favorite pen inside it. The pages are just begging to be filled with all of the crazy schedules and adventures of what this new year will hold for us.  I’ve prepared and organized with much anticipation and keep waiting for this feeling of newness and accomplishment to overtake me. Yet here on this 8^th day of 2014 I feel the same, and honestly it hasn’t taken all that long for all of the old “stuff” to start creeping back in, eight days to be exact.

I specifically remember telling a friend last January that 2013 was going to be MY year for Freedom. It wasn’t that to say the least, more like a year of perspective. I’ve seen things that will be burned into my sight forever, some beautiful, some gut wrenching. I’ve also had to face some things in my own life that were freeing in a sense and yet some other things that when brought to the surface were humiliating.  I have walked through and along some things that tested my faith in such a way that hurt my bones and yet I know the LORD and love the LORD even more because of them. But to say that 2013 met my expectations in the Freedom department is a complete understatement.

Just recently, I have had this amazing experience by being challenged to look at the idols of the heart, my heart, and I have to tell you that layer by layer the freedom bell is starting to sound.  It’s in the distance, maybe even long distance but I hear it and I am closer then I have ever been. You may be wondering why in the world I am even telling you this, why would you care whether or not I am walking in freedom or perspective or anything else for that matter?

I’ll tell you why, because a strong dose of perspective always comes before freedom. We have a choice, we can hang onto perspective and attempt to barter our way with God for as long as we physically can. But there will come a time that the ball will drop and then the thing that we have dreaded the most will come to pass. I’m not meaning that all of our irrational thoughts, fears and worries of this life will be confirmed, that would suggest that we hold the power to prevent them or reside with them. What I am suggesting is that God will be faithful to give you ample opportunity to experience perspective through life and circumstances whether it be in your life or through others. However, until we choose to let God into the areas that we swore were too invasive or stretches way too far out of our comfort zones then we will cling on to the power that we have so falsely given ourselves.  

Sounds offensive, doesn’t it? Even ridiculous when looking at certain things in our life. It has taken me awhile to process this and to have a true heart change over it but when you have tried it all and still no change has occurred it may be time to dig deep into the idols that we may be harboring in our heart.  

Of course this doesn’t mean that just because you surrender you will never have to look through the eyes of perspective again, I personally am grateful for it. I believe it is one of the sweetest gifts that God gives us, it helps us with our feelings of entitlement (how I hate that word) and feelings of self-righteousness and if we are open to it, it softens our hearts to love and serve far past our fleshly abilities.

What it showed me today was this, as I began to grumble in the thoughts of all of the goals and freedom that had not been accomplished from the previous year I became very discontent with the way some things have turned out. Hopeless almost, discouraged and for lack of better words, tired.  Then these words echoed in my mind, but He makes all things new…

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

I cannot explain to you why God chooses to set you free from something or not. I can tell you from my experience it is usually something that I am not willing to hand over verses something that God is not willing to give me, make sense? Basically my ability or inability to truly surrender it all to Him is more than likely the key that will unlock the doors that I have wedged between us. Maybe it has nothing to do with ability, more like willingness.

It comes down to this, because of Jesus we are set free. Let that sink in. We have read it, we have said it and many of us have even belted out the words through songs. But the real question you have to ask yourself is do we really believe it? Isaiah 1:18, says ¹⁸ “Come now, and let us reason together, ”Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.

Jesus has given us this amazing gift for a new, clean, fresh start. It isn’t something that we can accomplish with goals or New Years Resolutions, we aren’t trying to slap on a fresh coat of paint hoping to cover the spots and blemishes. As many of us know a fresh coat of paint just makes the rest of the house look bad. Jesus says, if you are in Me, you are a NEW creation and the old things have passed away.

I still look forward to this New Year being a year of whatever God has in store for me. My request is to get my hands on that freedom bell but if that is my only focus to conquer freedom then I have somehow manifested that desire into just another idol.

My heart is to be willing and open to whatever it is that God brings our way this year. Of course I will pray for good health and safety for my family, but I am choosing to ask God to draw us closer to him whether it is through circumstance or perspective. After all what does freedom mean if you do not have to fight for it. It would lose its importance, its substance and it would no longer have the value to be received as a precious gift. It would be more like something we feel entitled to and expect or something that we just conquer and control.

I do not have all of this figured out but I just wonder if any of you ever feel this way. Freedom is so much more than just having a relationship with the Lord. It is about surrendering and walking in obedience. It is about expanding the limitations of our faith while we walk through this crazy life and down the path that God leads us to. It is about serving Him and not our flesh, it’s about trust.

I read Psalm 103 today and wanted to share it with you. Be blessed and be renewed! Embrace the gift.

 

Psalm 103

Praise for the Lord’s Mercies

A Psalm of David.

103 Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
² Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
³ Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
⁴ Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies,
⁵ Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

⁶ The Lord executes righteousness
And justice for all who are oppressed.
⁷ He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the children of Israel.
⁸ The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
⁹ He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
¹⁰ He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
¹² As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
¹³ As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
¹⁴ For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.

¹⁵ As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
¹⁶ For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
And its place remembers it no more.^[a]
17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,
¹⁸ To such as keep His covenant,
And to those who remember His commandments to do them.

¹⁹ The Lord has established His throne in heaven,
And His kingdom rules over all.

²⁰ Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Who excel in strength, who do His word,
Heeding the voice of His word.
²¹ Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
²² Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

 

 

 

 

Treasures of the heart

Matthew 6:21,

²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

I had someone say these words to me recently and it has taken me a few weeks to mediate on them. I suddenly realized that there is a huge possibility that the main struggle in my life is a direct result of not fully laying down and giving over my heart to the Lord. It isn’t as if I have not tracked down this road with God before, I guess I was just taken back at the fact that even though I have come so far, I still have so far to go. Why do I have such a hard time FULLY trusting God with everything? What do I have to gain in believing that I have one ounce of control over this life other than who I choose to serve and the way I choose to live it?

These treasures are not mine, they are His, and until I am willing to unleash the tight grip I have over them then I will not experience the fullness of what this treasure has to offer. I’m exhausted and frustrated and maybe even a little bitter about it but ultimately I have no one to blame here but myself.

The Bible tells us over and over again how we are to live, it’s time we stop applying this only to the areas of our life that least inconvenience us.

I have been obsessed with time lately, ok for the past 3 or 4 years. I am often debilitated by the fear of something happening to these treasures or worried that if I release an inch of them I will somehow miss out on something. Time is such a tricky thing, it can heal but it can also fill you with regret if it goes by too fast. I love the verse that says, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day, 2 Peter 3:8”.

Eternity is hard to grasp, isn’t it? What seems so permanent here is so temporal to God. Living in the fullness of the Freedom in Christ only becomes a reality when we are willing to lay down the control, the fear and the distrust…and honestly don’t we have enough to worry about without carrying around all of that?

 Matthew 6:19-21 says, 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 For each of us this represents different things. For some of you it is wealth or materialistic things (been there), for others it may be relationships and lifestyles, for many of us it is our children. A friend’s sister was just told that her daughter’s cancer has returned after being in remission for three years and the doctors have told them to be prepared to let her go. I can’t even type that without being covered with chills and tears in my eyes. Don’t think for a minute that their treasure is not that precious child.

There are many more things that I could list here that we harbor up in our hearts. All of them need to be entrusted to Jesus, it’s unfortunate because it is hard but we can be thankful for it because there is freedom in that.

If you had a window into the crevasses of your heart what would you find there? Aren’t you tired of trying to hold onto the slippery grip of life? Where your treasure is there your heart will be too…where is yours?

 

His grace is sufficient

I have spent the last year or so compiling notes on a personal study on Freedom.  It has been life changing for me because this not only has been my struggle, but still is my struggle to some degree. The last few weeks I have been really dissecting the difference between Fear VS. Faith. The interesting part, and what has really blown my mind, is the simplicity of what God says about it, freedom that is. F R E E D O M.

This morning I watched one of Beth Moore's DVD lessons on Esther and before the sun fully came up I had a revelation (it was really hard for me to not capitalize that and put spaces in it like I did freedom, but I'm trying to take my enthusiasm down a notch, you're welcome). Here is what Beth said.  

I'm phrasing, "God's grace is given according to our needs not according to our fears, NOT for our vain imaginations." Please tell me that some of you had to stop and read that again. In other words (my words not Beth's), when I am struggling with a stronghold of fear and for the life of me cannot figure out why God is not delivering me from it I have to stop and ask this question. "Lord is this me and my amped up flesh seeking imagination or are you giving me discernment and warning me of something?" I seriously could end my research on freedom right here.

Here is my experience. Since this topic hits home for me I can almost always relate when someone is fearful over something. I can literally walk into a situation and in my mind lay out the top two worst possible scenarios that could happen, anybody else? But here is what God revealed to me today through Beth. As I sat in my chair thinking about her words I felt God press these words into my spirit, "I have delivered you from this thing, but you are failing to believe it, and to receive it, and to stand in the truth of it and to TRUST me." Can you just breathe a huge sigh of relief with me?!

The things we dream up or work ourselves up over are legitimate feelings, but listen to this one...they are not necessarily a legitimate threat or concern. They can be a threat alright, right from the enemies mouth but for God's children it has no power.

In 2 Corinthians 7-10, Paul says this about The Thorn in the Flesh,

⁷ And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. ⁸ Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. ⁹ And He said to me,  “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

 

Let me say that I do not always believe that when I am dealing with something in the area of fear that it is always from the enemy. I believe that God equips us with a healthy dose of concern and worry mixed with common sense. Really, I'm not wanting to so much call it worry, more spiritual discernment or a God given awareness. Life is hard and this world is crazy, we would be naive to not be aware.

Maybe for you it is the thought of something happening to your children or your spouse, or loved ones. If you have experienced anything like my family has where for the past 3 years we have buried a family member a year, than you understand the constant worry of what is next...who is next. Or maybe the fear is over yourself, you may have health issues that constantly haunt you as to what the future will hold or just the constant worry of the big "C" word Cancer.

There are times where God gives me discernment over something specific and believe me I know it when it comes from him. But then there are other times where my mind runs crazy, I can't sleep or focus and hang here with me I have even cried over the visions that enemy has flashed before me. Listen, Satan doesn't even have to carry the whole scenario through with me, I am perfectly capable of grabbing onto it and just giving way to it, can anyone else relate? That my friend is what Beth was talking about in here lesson over fear. In those moments where I am consumed by the "threat" of something that is so farfetched or so unnecessary I have to stand up and STOP it dead in its tracks. Because God says, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."

His grace will cover our needs, and our faith and trust that we put in Jesus will cover our vain imaginations. The second part takes practice, and defiantly something that takes utilizing and getting use to.

Last year I went through a time of horrific nightmares. I mean to the point that I went to my Pastor and two women who are mentors to me for prayer. Those dreams were absolutely some of my worst fears come true, and looked even worse than I could have imagined.

A couple of months ago I was talking to a friend about them and she asked me this question, "If the enemy cannot be in you, for once you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then how can you explain having these dreams?" In other words how could they be from the enemy?

I took me a few days to answer her because honestly I hadn't looked at it like that. So I took the question to God and this is what I sent her.

As weird as this sounds I think the dreams were from God. I know that sounds a little strange but in every single dream I was victorious by the power I have in the Holy Spirit that dwells within me no matter the situation.

I also believe that God allowed me to have these dreams to forewarn me on how I need not to get stagnate or complacent in my walk with Him. I believe he was showing me how important it is to be guarded and prepared at all times. Plus, I think God wanted me to see that dealing with the enemy is a part of life. Although it seems terrifying and something that I wish at times was not so evident and felt so real, that ultimately the devil has no power or authority over my life.

Maybe for me this is my thorn in my flesh. Who knows, but at times it sure feels like it. All I know is that whatever it is when I feel the presence of fear crawling up over me like a thick winding vine I need to hit my knees first. Before the first vivid scene that my vain imagination is ready to project, before my heart drops into the pit of my stomach and certainly before I allow it to go so far that I feel God has abandon me in delivering me from it. We have to stop making up and receiving these lies from our flesh and from the enemy. Period.

I've often asked God why I deal with fear to the extent that I do. I even went to counseling over this very thing, even my counselor told me that I knew what to do about it, it was just whether or not I would be willing to trust God over it.

Paul's thorn was impart to keep him humble, couldn't that be true for all of us.

I believe that one of the major reasons for my thorn is the constant reminder to trust Him. To somehow be willing to lay down the control and to give into the willingness to be taught. To keep me humble and focused on Him, to teach me to be equipped and yet to fully rely on Him.   

 

I wish I could hear your thoughts on this one. So many different situations and real life tragedies. So much brokenness and yet the willingness of a Sovereign God to cover you with his grace. His grace is sufficient for you my friend, he promises to cover your needs.

 

Be blessed

 

What If

What if... What if God is so he says he is and Jesus is the risen King, what if everything the Bible says is really true, what if you can't do it all on your own and turns out you really do need a Savior...what if? 

For those of you who know me or have ever read a post on this blog before know my stance on this but I wonder about yours. What if today you happened upon this blog and it was written just for you, what if God wants to show you that the "What Ifs" that are swirling around in your mind right now are an invitation from him to search and see for yourself...what if?

There are at least 200 questions I could list off the top of my head that I ask myself often. Questions full of doubt and uncertainty, and then I switch gears and have the questions that fill me with hope and wonder. What if God isn't who he says he is...but what if he is?

I am doing a Bible study that recently challenged us to look at conditional faith, for example: I will be a Christian as long as XY&Z do not happen or I will follow Jesus as long as things go as planned or if Jesus really loved me he would have never let ___________happen. It was such an eye opener. I have looked a "conditional love" before but never applied that to "conditional faith", oh how this has changed some things for me.

Before we move further let me ask you something, Are you saved? I'm smiling sitting here typing this thinking about how many of you are answering YES! Praise God and hang in here with me, what about those of you who aren't sure or flat out said no? My question to both of you is, Why? Why is it so important to you that you are saved, and why is it not important to those of you who aren't? Something for us to really ponder on, isn't it? Maybe this would be a good time for us to take a few minutes before reading further and give this question our full attention.

Why am I saved? Because God saved me. You may wonder how I felt about this question when it was asked to me 10 years ago. I'll be honest, it just wasn't that important to me. I mean being a good person and wanting to go to heaven vs. hell seemed to strike a cord within me but the effort that it required seemed to water down the reality of the value that being a Christian held. Funny how I seem to choose the hard way to learn everything.

What if you read this today and it doesn't change a single thing about the way you feel. Maybe you agree with this new age society that we are ultimately our own god and that our destiny is our own. Or maybe you are analytical and think it's more practical to take on the scientific views on creation and evolution. Or perhaps you turn on the news and take one good look at this world and think, "Why would I ever serve a God that would allow all of this to happen"? Are believers really foolish and naive or is there something intriguing there that you just can't put your finger on. 

Would go with me here for a second a let me suggest something? What if you have been influenced and lied to by your one true enemy and mislead into a sea of doubt and watered down importance over Jesus. And then what if I could promise you that not just eventually but certainly it will take you under, completely under...what if?

If God really is who he says he is then we can be certain that when we breathe our last breath here on this earth we will meet our Maker, our Judge (James 4:12). Let me just suggest that this would not be the time that you would want your "What Ifs" to be "Oh no's" because then my friend, it is too late. 

I want so badly for you to know His love the way I do. I could write pages and pages full of the life that was breathed into me. I could share such intricate stories of my walk with Him to you, and I do in part, but what I want you to think about is what that would look like for you. Yes, I know at first that seems odd but it is not, odd would be living without it, actually odd would not even accurately describe what it would be like to live without it, desolation may come close. 

You see for so long I wasn't sure that God really was who he said he was, actually I didn't really even know who it was that he was claiming to be. Then one day I faced a fork in the road, crossroads that would change my future, the future of my decreasing tomorrow and in that moment I met Him. Standing there with the weight of my future and the heaviness of my past, I felt so alone, so empty...then there Jesus was.

So do you believe me or do you think that I was just lucky or that good to have chosen the right path?

Here's the deal, We have to have faith without conditions. We then have to stand firm in our faith and then do the hardest thing that I personally have ever been faced with, at all costs, we have to believe it. 

Trust me, there are times that I still have doubt and I always thank God for that because buried in the depth of that doubt lies the answer and the balm to my wounds. For me my "What Ifs" are turned to "I believe", why you ask...because I do. I can tell you that there are still many things in life that I face uncertainty over, but to ask me whether or not I believe in God & if I know Jesus will never be one of them. This personal relationship isn't some made up, make believe, put all you eggs in one basket and hope for the best kind of story. It is surrendering you heart and your life to the one who created you, it's about learning to love with the love that Christ has given you and it is about living free. 

What would our churches, our communities and our Nation look like if we got off of the fence and were just honest with God over our doubts and fears? What if our doubt of who He is and wondering if He is real was given over to believing that He is. And not just believing it but seeking Him to find out. Wouldn't we see a generation rising up to take its place for the good and not evil? Wouldn't we love one another in a way that every life has meaning and wouldn't we take seriously the part we are to play here and embrace our calling with a whole new vision? What if my friend...what if...

I pray that those of you who read these words will seek Jesus today in a way like never before. There is just nothing more important. I am tempted to wait to post this to edit it and add some Scripture, but I feel too much of an urgency that someone out there needs to read this.

I promise you that your life will never be the same if you commit it to Jesus. I know a few of you want to run after hearing that but it's the truth. There are so many things that change within you, for instance I will never look at the trees and nature the same, nor will I ever be able to see the hurting without a part of my heart hurting with them. My eyes have been opened to new things, my spirit recognizes the importance of grace and love, even during those times when my flesh feels differently.

A friend posted a chorus of one of my favorite songs and I went to my phone and played it at least 3 times after I read the chorus. You see I am sitting here in the hospital waiting for my grandmother to get out of surgery. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't let my fear get the best of me, after all it was just this time last year that we lost my Papa. But after I listened to the words I'm about type I felt the peace of His love and wisdom all around me.

Already all I need, Christy Nockels 

Asking where You are, Lord,

Wondering where you've been 

Is like standing in a hurricane, trying to find the wind

And hoping for Your mercy to meet me where I am

Is forgetting that Your thoughts for me outnumber the sand

You filled the sun with morning light

You bud the moon to lead the night

You clothe the Lillie's bright and beautiful

You're already all I need

Already everything that I could hope for

you're already all I need

You've already set me free 

already making me more like You

You're already all I need

Jesus

Already all I need

Walking through this life without your freedom in my heart

Is like holding on to shackles that You have torn apart

So remind me of Your promises and all that You have done

In this world I will have trouble

But you have overcome

And every gift that I receive You determine just for me

But nothing I desire compares to You...

How I pray that you seek Him, I'm almost jealous because I want to hear your stories. 

Will Jesus meet you right where you are today? Will He change your life and build your core so full of love and faith that life as you knew it will never be the same? Yes He will, and once you know him you would lay it all down on the line just to know Him more.

He loves you so much, seek Him...

The powerful Word of God

Psalm 25

 To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
² O my God, I trust in You;
Let me not be ashamed;
Let not my enemies triumph over me.

As New Testament believers we are called to love our enemies and hate our one true enemy, the devil and his principalities of darkness. To me this gives the Psalm a whole new meaning for us in looking at our enemy.

^{Psalm 25:3-5} Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed;
Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.

⁴ Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
⁵ Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day.

Anyone else out of sheer desperation and exhaustion feel like they are waiting upon the LORD all of your days?

Isaiah 40:28-30, Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
²⁹ He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
³⁰ Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
³¹ But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

Amen

^{Psalm 25:6-7} Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your loving kindnesses,
For they are from of old.
⁷ Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.

We are never at a higher risk for the enemy to use guilt on us as we are when we are burdened by our burdens…if the sin has been repented of and you have asked for forgiveness and turned from it than you have been set free from it.

1 John 1:8-10,⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

^{Psalm 25:8-11} Good and upright is the Lord;
Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.
⁹ The humble He guides in justice,
And the humble He teaches His way.
¹⁰ All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth,
To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.
¹¹ For Your name’s sake, O Lord,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

Here David is not only reflecting back on his own sinfulness but he is expressing his desire for God to teach him. Listen, we need to be willing to be teachable.

Proverbs 1:7 says, the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

^{Psalm 25:12-15} Who is the man that fears the Lord?
Him shall He teach in the way He chooses.
¹³ He himself shall dwell in prosperity,
And his descendants shall inherit the earth.
¹⁴ The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him,
And He will show them His covenant.
¹⁵ My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
For He shall pluck my feet out of the net.

Anyone else been trapped in the net?

I want to share with you something personally because I believe that many of you will relate to this. I am in a season, a very long season of dealing with something.

This isn’t really something new that I am dealing with, quite honestly I am pretty accustom to dealing with this specific thing but this time I know it is different. In fact it fell so heavy upon me this time that I made the decision to seek counseling over it.

At me 2^nd session with my counselor I poured out my heart over this and I said, “You know if I just had a name for this I feel like I could conquer it.” We talked about spiritual warfare for a bit and then she said what you are dealing with here is much more than just an annoyance or circumstance, you are dealing with an AFFLICATION.

As weird as this sounds I was pumped for I finally had a name for it.

¹⁶ Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me,
For I am desolate and afflicted.

The NIV versions says, “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.

About a week after I had my big epiphany over my Affliction I sat down early one morning to watch Beth Moore on Lifetoday. As I grabbed for my coffee I heard her say that today’s lesson was over Trouble vs. Affliction.

I’m sure my mouth hit the floor. I knew that it was no mistake for me to be watching that morning. God knew I needed a word on it and he gave me one.

Beth had us open our Bibles to Psalm 25 and by memory she read it to us. When she got to vs. 16 where it says, Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted, I choked up.

How many of us have experienced the loneliness of our Affliction? Because here’s the deal. We are either going through an affliction, coming out of one and headed into one. I know that may sound negative and disappointing but this is what I believe to be truth.

I can connect the 3 or 4 areas in my life that this Affliction is connected to or that it directly affects. So what happens is this, I am more aware of the things surrounding these areas, I am more faithful in my commitment to pray over these areas, but too I am more protective and sometimes that protection turns into idolism.  Do you understand what I’m saying?

In other words I am obsessed over these areas because of the distrust I have and the doubt I have in God over them. I not only deal with those things but I also cross up the boundary lines between where God and I stand. It shouldn’t be war lines, I need to get behind him.

Here is where the enemy gets me. I can feel that I am praying and laying these things down at the foot of the cross and seeking and discerning God but truly in my heart I am harboring doubt that I will be set free from bondage that I am in.

In those moments of doubt, which is really unbelief, the enemy suits up and takes his shot at me, whether it be a dream, a horrible thought or visual, an overwhelming fear or the common “what if”, when I allow the enemy to overtake my thoughts he recognizes those weak areas and he pounces on them. John 10:10 says, The thief (the devil) does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I (Jesus) have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Are there any of you that can relate? Anyone else deal with the mental spiritual battle with the enemy?

So my question for us is this, How do we stop this mental warfare?

Galatians 5:1 says, It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

So the 1^st thing we are going to do is:

1.    Stand firm in the Freedom that we have through Christ and refuse to be enslaved by it.

Philippians 4:6-7 says,

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

2.    Get down on our knees in prayer and seek his counsel

Hebrews 4:12 says,

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

*Memorize Scripture & Speak it!

3. Silence the enemy with the POWERFUL Word of God

Listen, if you have not ever memorized Scripture this is your encouragement to do so. I have a 7 year old and a 4 year old who memorize Scripture way better than I do so if they can do it you and I can.

Here is why this is such a valuable asset and weapon for us especially in dealing with warfare. Instead of fueling the battle/fire with doubt and fear we fight back with the ALL powerful, FULLY alive and active Word of God. It looks like this:

When we feel the enemy attacking us here in our mind we need to enter into this battle armed. We need to STAND FIRM IN OUR FREEDOM IN CHRIST, SEEK GOD IMMEDIATELY AND SILENCE THE ENEMY WITH THE POWERFUL WORD OF GOD.

Because here’s the deal, Jesus has already won the battle, we are his, the victory is his and He crushes the enemy under our feet. The enemy just wants to try and make us believe that it is all a lie.

^{Psalm 25:17-18} The troubles of my heart have enlarged;
Bring me out of my distresses!
¹⁸ Look on my affliction and my pain,
And forgive all my sins.

^{Psalm 25:19-22} Consider my enemies, for they are many;
And they hate me with cruel hatred.
²⁰ Keep my soul, and deliver me;
Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You.
²¹ Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for You.

²² Redeem Israel, O God,
Out of all their troubles!

2 Tim 1:7, For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Sometimes in our Affliction and trouble God brings out things that need to be dealt with. For me he has shown me some things that I need forgiveness over and some things that I need to forgive, he has shown me sin that needs to be dealt with and some healing that needs to take place before I am able to walk through it victoriously.

One thing that Beth had mentioned in her series on this that has really stuck with me is, God can either deliver from these Afflictions or God can take our very affliction and deliver us through them. Once I realized that and bent the knee to it, I asked him to keep me right where I am even though it is hard and uncomfortable and painful, until I can receive full redemption over it. Because when I walk through it this time, so help me, I will be fully REDEEMED!!!

Isaiah 43:1, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.