Home Archives for Bible study

Our Forever Valentine: Jesus, Our First Love!

4

Since my Monday Morning Blog is posting on Valentine’s Day, I thought it was only appropriate that we talk about love. Typically, we think about romantic love on this day, but there are so many different aspects to love.

Remember in grammar school sharing Valentine’s cards with classmates. You might’ve had a crush on one of them, but mostly you were trying to collect as many cards as you could that day. I’m not even sure kids still are allowed to share Valentines today but it’s a fun memory for many of us. It wasn’t about love, but more about friendship and camaraderie.

February is the month of valentines, but it’s also National Heart Health month, and a good time to reflect on your diet and exercise regime. At least, be sure if you’re eating chocolates today, it’s dark chocolate! At our house, we’re hoping the snow will start melting and there will be glimpses of spring and warmer weather.

When I think about true love, my mind always goes to Jesus. Yes, my husband and I make plans to do something special to celebrate our love on Valentine’s Day, but we both know that Jesus is our First Love. We wouldn’t have made it these twenty-nine years through the stresses and trials of a blended family and other devastating life issues if we hadn’t put Jesus at the center of our marriage, but most importantly, at the center of each of our lives. We don’t want to ever forget that Jesus Christ is our First Love!

In Revelations 2:2-4, Jesus admonishes the church in Ephesus that even though they were a dutiful church following all the religious rules and ceremonies, they had forgotten who they were serving and why they were even a church. They weren’t showing or exemplifying the love of Jesus.

 I [Jesus] know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

Removing the lampstand meant they would stop being an effective church. And if we’re not careful, the same thing could happen to us in our personal lives too! When we forget the love of Jesus that burned in our heart when we first gave our life to Him, Jesus says . . . no matter how many Bible studies we attend, how perfect our attendance is at church, or how much we volunteer and tithe. . . none of it matters if we’re motivated by duty and not love.

A pastor once asked the children how we know Jesus is alive today. Their answer was He lives in each of our hearts. That’s true love!

So whether you’re single or married, I want to share three important points about what love has to do with our witness for Jesus, especially as we look at the tumultuous times we live in today.

Christians Need to Love Each Other

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other. John 15:16-17

Jesus was talking to his disciples here and we are Jesus’s disciples now. God chose us to bear fruit and we can’t have a message of love if we don’t love each other. We can’t have dissention in the church or among church members. Sadly, Satan has used the current political and pandemic unrest to pit brothers and sisters in Christ against each other. In the Bible, there are no Democrats, Republicans, Progressives, Liberals, Conservatives, vaxxers or anti-vaxxer, maskers or anti-maskers.

There is only One timeless Word of God.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Heb. 13:8

There is also only one kind of Christian: “Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” John 3:3

As born-again Bible-Believing Christians, we’re appointed to go out and bear testimony to the world together. We should unite as one front! Whatever allows us to share the Good News that Jesus saves, we’re for; whatever prohibits that freedom or tries to silence us, we’re against.

Whatever upholds the teachings of the Bible, we’re for; whatever prohibits or alters those teachings, we’re against.

We stand together for the sanctity of human life, marriage between a man and a woman, God creating us as men and women, and we’re not afraid to lovingly bear that fruit for Jesus.

Anything separating us on those issues isn’t from God!

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. 1 Peter 1:22

Christ Loves Us with a Never-Ending Love

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 8:38-39

Sadly, we see divided churches, families, friends . . . all proclaiming to be Christians yet separated by issues where there should be unity, and Satan wins because our witness is compromised. That’s a shame! There is a lost world that really needs to see the love of Christ displayed through a body of Christ that shows the love of Christ and agrees on what it means to be a Christian. But we know today that’s not the case. The good news is that nothing we do can ever separate us from the love of God for those who have truly accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

I had a man on Facebook tell me once that he had been a Christian for 50 years, read the Bible numerous times, been to church, talked to pastors, attended Bible study groups, but now has decided Christianity is a farce, doesn’t work for him anymore, and told me I needed to know that Jesus is not returning. Two things came to mind: (a) You can leave Jesus, but He will never leave you. (b) You can be a Christian in name only, but never have experienced the saving grace of Jesus Christ, your First Love, which I wrote about in last week’s blog, A Society Crumbles That Doesn’t Recognize Sin. His words were so harsh I fear he was in the latter group.

I remember singing a song as a little girl, maybe you remember it too: “I have the love of Jesus love of Jesus down in my heart. Where? Down in my heart to stay.”

How Much Love Do You Have to Give?

“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him. John 3:16-18 The Message

Do You Love Jesus Enough to Share Him with Others Or Are You Keeping All the Love To Yourself?

Another woman on Facebook wrote this:

FB woman: There are many other religions who do not make Jesus/Satan part of their belief system. All destined to damnation? It’s a big world out there and much of it overcomes the negative.

Me: “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

FB woman: Written by John a century later, an evangelist trying to convert the world to his new religion. PBS and History Channel do wonderful educational shows on the origins of the Bible. Check them out. I have read the Bible extensively Janet, I just haven’t drawn the same dark conclusions. And the shows I mentioned are created by scientists and historians with no agenda but discovery. I wouldn’t want to rest my eternity on what someone else says.

This woman was very confused, but I was able to talk with her a little and point out that John was actually with Jesus during His ministry, not a century later, and she was resting her eternity on what scientists and television said rather than letting God speak to her through the Bible. Maybe I made some headway. My heart breaks for those misled by the liberal progressive godless agenda with their many “belief systems,” and for Christians who have forgotten their First Love.

Love says we will take the time to share the truth, wherever and whenever we have the opportunity.

I often have to remind myself that Jesus died for the liberal mainstream media and the godless radical progressives. It’s my job to let them know the gospel in a loving way. It’s up to them to make the choice. I don’t try to convince them, because you can’t reason with someone blinded by evil.

If they’re not following God, they’re following Satan. Those are the only two roads; there is no middle path. But now they’re accountable for knowing there is another way and maybe someone else will share a little more love down the road. Who knows, they just might decide that heavy load of anger, bitterness, revenge, meanness, bullying, lies . . . whatever has turned their heart so hard . . . just isn’t worth carrying around anymore.

No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced,
    but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.

4 Show me the right path, O Lord;
    point out the road for me to follow.
5 Lead me by your truth and teach me,
    for you are the God who saves me.
    All day long I put my hope in you. Psalm 25:3-5 NLT

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 1 Cor. 13:4-5

If you received this blog by email, please leave a comment here.

You might also enjoy another blog How to Have a Date with Jesus!

February 14, 2022
Return to top of page

Yes, You Can be Biblical and Political

9

Have you ever considered that a large portion of the Bible is political?

Look at the names of some Books in the Bible: Judges, 1 and 2 Kings, and Romans.

The Bible is replete with stories of political leaders called and used by God to work with Him in advancing His kingdom on earth and biblical heroes who engaged in politics for the good of the people.

Moses opposed the political rulings of pharaoh and Moses’ persistence against unjust rulings eventually freed the Israelites from political bondage.

The Lord then raised up judges, some were very good and some were very bad, until eventually, the people had a bad King Saul, then a good King David, with many good and bad kings to follow.

Joseph, after many trials, was appointed to the political position of prime minister of Egypt saving the Egyptian people and his own family from a famine.

Esther could have stayed silent while a diabolical plot annihilated her people. But she rose to the occasion and got involved politically realizing she was born for such a time as this.

Daniel and his friends refused the mandates of the king to eat certain foods and later Daniel continued praying to God even when it was forbidden politically. God rescued him from the lion’s den and he went on to hold a prominent political position.

All the prophets boldly spoke out and warned against the impending doom and destruction awaiting the people by kings and politicians.

Nehemiah continued building the wall despite political opposition.

Paul was always taking a political stand against Roman magistrates. In Acts 16:22-24, the magistrates gave orders to beat Paul and Silas and imprison them for sharing the Gospel, but God redeemed their suffering and even the jailer and his family became Christians. Roman government officials were opposed to Paul but God always used it for good. Paul never backed down from calling out the political unjust laws and corruption that went against God’s laws.

John’s exile to Patmos by Roman politics gave us the book of Revelation.

Jesus NEVER cowered to the political opposition that plagued his ministry, even having a violent outburst in turning over tables of greed and corruption. He called out crooked and unjust politicians for their misdeeds and some like Matthew and Zacchaeus were saved.

Yes, the Bible is full of politics and I’ve only given you a few examples.

Our couples Bible study group is now reading Dr. David Jeremiah’s new book Where Do We Go From Here? How Tomorrow’s Prophecies Foreshadow Today’s Problems. Read the “political” chapter titles referred to in Bible prophecy:

A Cultural Prophecy—Socialism

An International Prophecy—Globalism

A Biological Prophecy—Pandemic

A Financial Prophecy—Economic Chaos

A Theological Prophecy—End Times People

A Political Prophecy—Cancel Culture

A Spiritual Prophecy—Spiritual Famine

A Geographical Prophecy—Jerusalem

The Final Prophecy—The Triumph of the Gospel

In the Introduction, Dr. Jeremiah, a modern-day pastor who understands the relevance of the Bible and politics, wrote what Christians must do: “We are not helpless, and our world is not hopeless. Even as the world collapses, the Lord is building His church. We can say something, do something, pray something, preach something, and live by the convictions of Christ.”

Remember what Peter and John said when confronted by unjust politicians who wanted to silence them in Acts 4:

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 

18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

What the government tried to do to biblical heroes of the Bible like Paul, Peter, John, Silas, and Jesus they are trying to do to Christians right now and the Bible gives us the examples of what we need to do. Biblical love is deep in our heart but now we need to develop our inner courageous warrior that won’t back down or surrender to unjust political tyranny. We need to enlist and engage in the Lord’s army.

Christians Are Also Responsible American Citizens!

I love what Pastor Chuck Baldwin says in his article I Did Not Relinquish My Citizenship When I Became a Pastor. “One of the great fallacies in America today is the assumption that because one is involved in church ministry he is disqualified from being involved in political affairs. This is totally contrary to the values and principles that made this nation great. If one will read American history, he or she will discover that pastors and religious leaders had as much to do with fighting The War for Independence and bringing into existence this great republic as did the political figures of that day. Furthermore, most of the political figures in Colonial America were Christians.”

Did you know that fifty of the fifty-five men who signed the Declaration of Independence were faithful member of organized Christian churches?! Deeply religious Christian men incorporated godly principles into our Constitution. Baptist pastor John Leland was an abolitionist and instrumental in the Bill of Rights. Presbyterian pastor, John Witherspoon, and many other Christians were influential in the founding of freedom in America. They were political Christians who loved the Lord and loved their country enough to get involved.

Have you heard of the The Black Robed Regiment? January 21, 1776, John Muhlenberg climbed into his pulpit in Woodstock, VA to preach wearing the black clerical robe, the traditional dress of preachers in the 18th Century. He read from Ecclesiastes 3:8 “There is a time of war, and a time of peace.” Then he removed his clerical robe revealing a colonial officer’s uniform beneath. He stepped out of the pulpit and challenged the men of his congregation to join him in the fight for liberty.

And there were more black-robed pastors just like him who took a strong stand for liberty and encouraged their congregations not to settle for anything less. The Black-Robed Regiment had its historical beginnings during the Revolutionary War when pastors from across the colonies arose and lead their congregations into the battle for freedom. 

There are modern-day Black Robe Regiments and I read this commentary on one of their websites: The Black Robe Regiment of Pastors.
“Unlike today, the church during this time served as the center-point for political debate and discussion on the relevant news of the day. Today’s church leaders have all but lost that concept of leading their congregations in a Godly manner in all aspects of their worldly existence and are afraid to speak out against the progressive agenda that has dominated our political system for the past century. Through this time the church and God himself has been under assault, marginalized, and diminished by the progressives and secularists.  The false wall of separation of church and state has been constructed in such a manner that most are unaware of its limited boundaries. The church and the body of Christ has been attacked on all fronts and challenged by the progressive courts and groups such as the ACLU while we have sat idle in consent.”

Every pastor needs to put on his “black robe” and boldly and bravely preach the Spirit of Truth. Raising their flock up to courageously prepare the world for the return of Christ and not passively succumb to a regime that is trying to silence objection and remove freedom of speech. Because even as we watch many companies denying religious exemptions from the vaccine mandates, it won’t be long before they come after the Bible which describes as sin much of what the woke world is embracing right now.

A man in a dress was just named the first “woman” four-start admiral in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.

A boy in a skirt was allowed to go into a girls’ bathroom and brutally rape and sodomize a 14 year-old girl and the school covered it up until her father was arrested at a school board meeting for trying to talk about this travesty. The boy was transferred quietly to another school where he raped another girl!

But that poor father only trying to seek justice for his daughter at a school board meeting was used as an excuse to label parents as “domestic terrorists”!!

The President of the United States laughs off our freedoms as insignificant in his insane tyrannical vaccine mandates.

What Is God Doing?

Have you wondered why God would let us come under the jurisdiction of such an evil corrupt administration? I’ve prayed about that and given it a lot of thought and there are those I respect who agree with me that God is unearthing the deep dark swamp as the world watches the un-American way they’re governing. I have to think that many of those who voted for Biden must be seeing the truth about him because they’re paying the same price at the gas tank as we are. They’re losing their jobs if they don’t get the jab. Their stores have empty shelves and they’re watching their grocery bill climb. Their kids are forced to wear masks at school. They can’t ignore the travesty and tragedy of Afghanistan and on and on.

The devil is overreacting thinking he’s got us now so he’s not trying to be coy or sly. But he underestimates the wisdom and discernment of God’s people.

Granted there are many who hated President Trump so much they would never admit the horror we’re watching come out of the White House every day. Sadly, I know of Christians who have been blinded, though it’s hard to imagine how they can’t see the reality that bumbling Biden is not capable of leading our country. There are handlers from the Obama administration and probably Obama himself who are pulling all the strings. But many are seeing the truth along with Independents.

If President Trump had won in 2020, the deep dark forces would’ve continued their devious efforts to make it difficult, if not impossible, for him to be successful in accomplishing what our country needs and deserves from a President. So maybe what we’re enduring is the Lord’s way of cleaning house in Washington DC.

Pastors and Christians must be willing to participate in a righteous rebellion against the affront on our Constitutional and religious freedoms the left is attacking. The Religious Restoration Act does not require us to legally prove our faith, but we do need to spiritually prove our faith with our actions.

Pastor David Jeremiah warned in Where Do We Go From Here? “Hopefully, we’ll be able to continue as law-abiding citizens of our various nations, but anytime the government tries to force us to violate our biblical beliefs, we have a responsibility to speak up.”

Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. Acts 5:29 NLT

Never underestimate the power of the church and of prayer! Be sure you’re in a church that prays together and mentors you in how to be a witness for Christ in a culture that wants to eliminate Him. Jesus can change society for good through his faithful people with a sense of civic responsibility who are strategically placed in neighborhoods, cities, counties, states, and the nation.

There are also currently Christians in Congress, Senate, Governors, local legislators and more will be running for office next year. They are biblical and political and praise God, they’re going into the Lion’s den to protect our liberty and freedom. We need to pray for them because they’re under spiritual and political attack. They need our support.

Plato noted, “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” 

With your help I can advance against a troop[a];
    with my God I can scale a wall.

31 “As for God, his way is perfect:
    The Lord’s word is flawless;
    he shields all who take refuge in him.
32 For who is God besides the Lord?
    And who is the Rock except our God?
33 It is God who arms me with strength[b]
    and keeps my way secure.
34 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
    he causes me to stand on the heights.
35 He trains my hands for battle;
    my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 2 Sam. 22:30-35

If you received this blog by email, please leave a comment here. I read every comment and personally respond.

October 25, 2021
Return to top of page

We’re Focusing Too Much On Vaccines & Masks and Not Enough on Jesus & Prayer!

8

Have you noticed that in the last week the public conversation and news cycle has turned from racism to vaccination? Rising crime to mask mandates. Even though Covid cases/deaths are decreasing, government control is increasing!

It’s hard to participate in a conversation, even among Christians, without the topic turning to those who believe in the vaccines and those who oppose them. Those already wearing masks again versus those who refuse to ever wear one again.

People justifiably have strong opinions and often want to impose them on others. Disagreements divide when we can’t agree to disagree. Is it really worth it?

The purpose of this blog is not to take one side or the other. I have my personal opinion and distrust much of the information we’re hearing. One side presents the opinion of their “experts” as factual and “scientific” while the other side has “experts” with directly opposing opinions.

When the so-called experts can’t agree, we know that either there’s no definitive answer or it’s all just being politicized. We’re being played. Regardless, we need to let God, the real expert, guide our decisions.

I’ve started wondering lately why Christians aren’t as vocal about the biblical truths of Jesus, who we trust and believe, as we are about what we hear from strangers in the news, on a podcast, or opinions on social media and websites? People are trying so hard to convince others how to save themselves from Covid when it’s obvious no one really knows for sure.

What you and I do know for sure is the saving power of Jesus Christ. Yet, I dare say there are more Christians talking about Covid, vaccinations, and masks today than are talking about how Jesus saved their life!

In an interview with Jon Voight, Tucker Carlson expected to talk about Voight’s political views, but Jon skillfully turned the conversation to sharing his testimony about how everything changed in his life when he realized that God was real!

You can view the interview here, and I hope you will. We can do the same thing. Turn political or controversial conversations into spiritual opportunities.

As Christians, we know that Jesus is in complete control. He tells us in Scripture not to live in fear but to be alert for the early signs of His return and to be ready.

9 And when you hear of wars and insurrections, don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place first, but the end won’t follow immediately.” 10 Then he added, “Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven.

12 “But before all this occurs, there will be a time of great persecution. You will be dragged into synagogues and prisons, and you will stand trial before kings and governors because you are my followers. Luke 21:9-12 NLT

Jesus forewarned there would be plagues so Covid is no surprise to Him. But notice there will also be “great miraculous signs from heaven.” We see those miraculous signs all around us and we need to keep our focus on God and not the government.

My opening article in the AHW Ministry July newsletter is “Are You Aware of When Satan is Hijacking Your Thoughts?” I hope you’ll take a moment to read it. I talk in that article about how I almost missed attending Sean Feucht’s Let Us Worship revival in Boise. I’m so glad I didn’t let Satan hijack me because I did see miracles happening at that revival. People were being freed from addictions, suicide, hang-ups, and hurts, and surrendering their life to the Savior, Jesus Christ. It was a small glimpse of heaven as a large crowd freely worshipped together.

Sean didn’t shy away from talking about the persecutions his ministry has encountered. He like many pastors persevered, even some going to the Supreme Court, for the right to minister and worship during the imposed lockdowns on churches. He told his story with humor and joy that nothing was going to stop him from continuing to go into the hardest places like Portland, Seattle, New York, Chicago, LA, DC and over 50 cities with more to come sharing the gospel and leading people to Jesus!

Sean lives in California and had an unsuccessful run for Congress wanting to make a political difference, but it’s evident that God wants him in the streets and parks of America making a spiritual difference because people need the Lord. Many came to the revival with darkness in their souls and left with the light of Jesus in their hearts.

I’m not saying that we don’t take precautions to avoid getting sick and staying healthy, but I am saying spiritual sickness is more threatening in our world than any plague and we know the remedy.

Our churches need to be hospitals for the sick at heart, mind, and soul and we need to be more worried about convincing those who don’t know Jesus to come into a relationship with Him than spending our time trying to outguess or outsmart what the latest cure/prevention/protection is for Covid. Or letting Covid divide us as believers with differing opinions. We need to stay united in the only thing that actually matters for eternity: salvation of souls.

Mario Murillo put it like this in his article Tearing Away the Evil with Increasing Power:
“Every Christian and every church should be studying the authority over evil that we have in Christ. It should be blazingly clear by now that we are going to get exactly nowhere in this depraved, addicted and demonized society, without supernatural power and authority over Satan.”

I’m frustrated just like you at the way Satan seems to be succeeding in our government and it’s easy to think there’s nothing we can do about it. In fact, I was asked this question recently on a Facebook post: “Given where we are now, what is the best action for a person to take for the future?”

My answer: Such a good question. We vote the socialists, Marxists, Communists out of office for starters. We don’t live in fear and we pray for God’s wisdom and discernment about how He wants us to live out our faith in Him and NOT the government no matter who is in power.

We pray for revival. Only Jesus is going to save us, not a mask, a vaccine or a government and certainly not the very confused CDC. God’s up to something so how can we work with Him to save as many people as possible for eternity?!

Reply: Thanks. Good positive focus.

I believe we need to keep our focus positive, hopeful, and faith-filled! I always say: follow God’s leading and calling as to where He wants you to go, what He wants you to do, and what He wants you to say. Then go, do, and say it!

This morning while reading my devotional, The One Year Salt and Light Devotional by Chris Tiegreen, and praying about what to write this week, I was reminded that Jesus is our only hope out of the distressing times we live in now. They may even get worse, but Jesus only gets sweeter. Here’s what Chris said for July 30:

“We are called to learn the language of heaven and speak it into people’s hearts. That means replacing all complaining, gossip, frustration, and attention to problems with encouragement, affirmation, blessing, and attention to solutions. Instead of crying out for help, which always begins with a problem, we praise the majesty of God, which always begins with the answer. As holders of the truths of God’s Kingdom, we have an amazing opportunity to shape our environment with them—if we are intentional about putting a Kingdom angle on everything we see.” [I would add, on everything we say!]

I don’t know about you but I’m tired of the conversation being about vaccinations and masks. Let’s starting talking about Jesus! That’s where I want my focus to be; I hope you agree!

14 But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. 15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 1 Peter 3:14-15 NLT

Here’s my latest Crosswalk article: 6 Reasons You Should Participate in a Prayer Group.

If you received this blog by email, please leave a reply here.

August 2, 2021
Return to top of page

How “God Winks” Can Help Us Through Difficult Times

8

When I said in my last blog that I’d be taking a break for my husband’s knee replacement surgery, I didn’t expect to be MIA for six weeks. We heard stories of people having this surgery as outpatient or at best coming home the next day. I had no idea the journey that lay before us and we’re still venturing on, but God did. My husband continuously says he doesn’t know how anyone goes through this without God!

Praise God, He was our constant companion, even though I must admit I had a few meltdowns along the way!!!

For those of you who prayed for us, we’re grateful. Please keep praying! If you didn’t know about what we were going through, I’m sure you know someone having a difficult time right now and I encourage you to stop reading for a moment and pray for them. They’ll feel your prayers. They need your prayers.

Back to our story . . .

Dave got off to a rocky start when he had a bad reaction to the meds and anesthesia used during surgery. While he was in the hospital for five days, his oldest daughter Michelle and I were with him all day and evening. Michelle had flown out from Chicago to help us with his transition home.

Then to my shock, the doctors determined he wasn’t home ready and needed to go to a rehab facility where he would be placed in COVID quarantine. We could no longer see him! He had a negative COVID test right before they moved him, and we were all vaccinated, but those were “the rules.”

We walked with him as they wheeled him down the sidewalk to the rehab facility, but when the elevator doors shut, I was shut out of his life. Half of my heart ripped away!

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, 8 and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Mark 2:7-9

I’d been his advocate in the hospital and now I was standing on the outside. I couldn’t stop crying. I’m crying now just remembering. I was one of those people you read about kept from their suffering loved ones. It’s reality to me now. It’s cruel.

I came home alone and Michelle flew home. Our family’s only visible communication with Dave, doctors, therapists, and nurses was FaceTime. Dave was there for eight days where he received physical, occupational, and recreational therapy and excellent care, but this was so beyond what we had anticipated.

I stared blankly when people asked, “Why?” Every time I heard that question, or about people who came home the next day, it only made me feel worse. Sad. Heartsick. Despondent.

There’s a lesson for us all. When someone is going through a traumatic experience, hearing how someone else sailed through it only impounds the hurt and trauma. All I wanted was a hug or a prayer. Compassion.

My worst nightmare became reality when 5’5” 122 lb. me, who had recently had surgery, would be bringing home by myself 6’4” 230 lb. hubby who could barely stand up and move by himself, even with a walker. He would have to stay in our basement “Man Cave.” It would be a long time before he could navigate stairs up to our living level.

And so the journey began even though I felt completely inadequate for what God was asking me to do on my own to successfully help this man I love so much recover well and safely. It seemed overwhelming. It was overwhelming.

But of course, I wasn’t completely alone. That’s when the God Winks started!

God Winks Don’t Miss Them!

Dave and I had prayed before his surgery and during his recovery that we would be a witness and light for God’s goodness to everyone we met, and that they would see Jesus in us, no matter what. Maybe that prayer set us on this trajectory because God wanted to use us for His glory. I can’t say I always represented Him well. My emotions at times overtook me when I couldn’t stop crying or heard myself having an unkind outburst, but there were also some amazing experiences where God’s glory shown through in spite of us.

God Wink #1

I thought daughter Michelle came to help after we got home, but it turned out God wanted to use her to support me while Dave was in the hospital and through the experience of sending him off to rehab. Michelle was my rock, a calm and steady voice, gentle pat on my back, and hug that guided me through the crisis and chaos. When I was too upset to eat, she located a smoothie shop nearby that’s now become my favorite!

We live 1 ½ hours from the hospital and rehab. So our daughter Kim, who lives closer, welcomed Michelle and me to stay as long as we needed, which meant my two granddaughters gave up their bedrooms and slept on the couch. No complaining. That’s what love does.

While I was away from home, neighbors Joni and Mike, who are also part of our Couples Bible Study Group, watered our plants and mowed our lawn. Mike takes our trash to the dump when he’s home. (We live in the rural mountains, no trash service.)

God Wink #2

One of the male nurses in the hospital stopped in Dave’s room, even though Dave wasn’t his patient that day, and said he had looked up my books on my website! He was a Christian too.

When Dave was in rehab, I brought some of his favorite juice to help him get more fluids since his BP kept dropping. The nurse that came to the door began comforting me about not being able to see him and I noticed the cross around her neck. Turns out, she’s a Christian also and Dave was her patient for the day. I knew he was in God’s hands.

She assured me that rehab was right where he needed to be. He wasn’t capable of coming home yet, but they would work to get him ready. Rehab was actually a God-Wink blessing.

God Wink #3

Several days before I brought Dave home, three men from church came over and helped prepare the Man Cave by taking off doors, moving furniture, making repairs, and taking Dave’s recliner downstairs.

God Wink #4

Leanna, a dear friend from our Couple’s Bible Study Group, got up early to leave at 6:30 am to drive down to Boise with me to pick up Dave from rehab. I don’t function well early morning, but with Leanna in the car and Jesus at the wheel, it was a beautiful morning even though it had been a rainstorm the day before.

God Wink #5

Dave’s second night home he had cramps in his calf and shooting pains down his leg. He was wreathing and crying in pain. Hot compresses helped but he couldn’t stand up. Leanna, who called me every day, had said call us no matter what time of night. So I did. She and her husband Bob and muscular son Ty came right over and the men got Dave up out of the chair and into bed. Ty gave me his number to text if I needed him in the middle of the night or next day.

God Wink #6

Friends Cynthia and Tom, who were dropping off food they had bought for us at COSTCO, were here when the doctor’s office called about Dave’s leg cramps and shooting pains. We needed to bring him to ER (1 ½ hours away) for an ultrasound to rule out blood clots. When we got off the phone, Tom said he would drive us and Cynthia said she would sit at our house and wait for UPS to drop off medication that needed a signature.

This was the Friday of Memorial Day Weekend, a heavily traveled day in our area and I had been up all night with Dave. This couple was having a family reunion at their home in a few days, but Cynthia said that taking time to help us was confirmation to her that God had the reunion under control! Praise God there were no blood clots.

God Wink #6

The following day, the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, daughter Kim and hubby Toby came up to plant our garden, mow our lawn and do other things on my “to-do” list.

God Wink #7

Memorial Day, Barb from our Couple’s Group stopped by to ask where I needed help. She folded all my laundry and vacuumed my whole house! Amazing timing since around 4:30 pm I got a text from long-time friends from Arizona, Debbie and Jerry, that they were about an hour away and what did I need at the store?! I thought they were coming the next day, but thanks to Barb, my house was ready and I had food to feed them because Gene, another friend from church, had brought over a tray of her famous enchiladas the day before!

Debbie and Jerry had planned this trip to visit us before we knew Dave was having surgery and they said they would only still come if they could be of help. I said, “Oh yes! Please come. I need help!”

They were visiting angels as Jerry is an amazing “handyman” and Debbie just pitched in and saw the many things that needed doing while I was tending to Dave downstairs. Together they cut down on the thousands of steps I was taking up and down the stairs. Debbie went with me to Boise to grocery shop and go to a doctor’s appointment with me to take notes when my brain was exhausted.

I was sad to see them go, but we all were aware of God’s timing in bringing them to “visit” when I needed them most. I finally felt a little rested and ready to tackle Dave’s recovery on our own.

God Wink #8

Now for the over-the-top presence of the Lord showing His face in an act of kindness of two strangers, Scott and Donna May. Physical therapy recommended we get a recumbent bike for Dave. I put a request on our local community Facebook page and began getting messages about bikes for sale. One in particular looked perfect but it was pricey even used. Then there appeared a message from a gentleman who said he had one he could loan us that they only use in the winter and he could deliver it?!

I asked for a picture and it was the exact one I had considered buying. I messaged back thanking him for his generosity and he responded, “Christians help Christians!” I wondered how he knew I was a Christian, but I certainly told him he was an answer to prayer.

When Scott and Donna May brought the bike over the next day, I asked how he knew I was a Christian. Scott laughingly admitted he had looked at my profile and website to be sure I was someone he could trust to return the bike LOL!

Donna May said she refers to these serendipity experiences as “God Winks.” I assured them that God had definitely been winking at us.

And He still continues. Neighbors Bob and Theresa, also in our Couples Group, called and said they’d noticed our lawn getting pretty long again. Could they come over the next morning and mow and spray for mosquitoes. Bob also stops by and picks up our bags of trash to take to the dump.

A physical therapist we’ve been working with in town was concerned about Dave using our shower if we moved him upstairs and offered to come over to our house after work and check it out! He did a survey of our home while he was here to give us tips on moving Dave back upstairs, which we did several days later.

What’s the Take Away from Our God Winks?

1. Ask for Help!

Don’t try to go things on your own. Let people know where and when you need help! We also asked for prayer and I know our church was praying for us and for God to watch over us.

Many times people will just say, “Let us know when you need help.” But then we don’t because we don’t know what kind of help they’re prepared to give and we don’t want to be an imposition.

2. Receive Help

It’s a blessing for others to bless you! Let them. Yes, it’s humbling and maybe even embarrassing, but the Bible tells us that “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.” Ecc. 4:9-10 NLT

3. Join or Form a Bible Study Group

Our Couples Bible Study Group have been through many things together and as one woman in church put it, “Your group is really tight.” We’re there for each other to celebrate the good times, help each other through the difficult times, pray and learn more together how God wants us to navigate the world through the wisdom in His Word.

4. Be Alert to Who Needs a God Wink

Because people are reticent to ask for help, or impose, let’s try and notice when and where someone needs help and then just do it. I’m sure there’s someone in your life who needs a “God Wink” right now!

Note: There are many issues in the world today that I want to write about, but I’ve been so consumed with our issues that I didn’t have the energy or brain-power to tackle them. For several nights after I returned home alone, I couldn’t even turn on the news to hear the world’s troubles because I was living through troubles in my own little world. It all seemed like more than I could process.

I told a friend that I’ll know when the Lord frees my mind to write again, and today was the first day I’ve actually sat down at the computer to write. I’m not sure how consistent, but I’ll try to be back on Mondays. We’ll find out this week when Dave will have his other knee done. Yes, we’re doing this again in the near future, but I know God’s winking at me right now and assuring me He’ll be right there seeing us through it.

All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. 2 Cor. 1:3-4 The Message

Photo by Saad Chaundhry @saadchdhry

If you received this article by email, please leave a comment here.

June 21, 2021
Return to top of page

How to Celebrate a Peaceful Post-Election COVID Thanksgiving

0

My heart is heavy as Mayors and Governors in some states make mandates to cancel Thanksgiving. Threatening constituents with fines and even imprisonment if they invite anyone besides the immediate family living in the house and encouraging neighbors to report on each other! Setting an arbitrary number of how many people can enjoy Thanksgiving together . . . and on and on the restrictions go.

As if canceling Thanksgiving, a time when we gather together to give gratitude to God for our many blessings, is going to be a way to eradicate COVID?!

First, it was closing our churches and now closing our homes and cancelling holidays.

This does not sound like the America we ask God to bless.

When I hear of these draconian threatening measures treating adults like children or even criminals, a wave of remorse comes over me. Hundreds of people can gather together with strangers in Walmart, Costco, Grocery stores, and casinos, but don’t you dare have extended family and friends in your home for Thanksgiving fellowship!

I appreciate the common sense message from South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to her state in a series of tweets. Here are several quotes from her.

In South Dakota, we won’t stop or discourage you from thanking God and spending time together this Thanksgiving.

I’ll continue to encourage each and every one of you to exercise personal responsibility and make smart choices for yourselves and your loved-ones. As you dig in to enjoy that delicious turkey and stuffing, make sure that everyone in your household is practicing good hygiene. Wash your hands. If someone in your family is in the vulnerable population, take extra precautions to keep them safe.

Smaller gatherings may be smarter this year. Let’s make sure to use common sense when we’re planning our celebrations. If you or someone in your family is sick or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, it may be best to stay home and join your loved-ones over FaceTime, Skype, or another app. As we learn more about COVID symptoms, it can be hard to keep track of them all, so visit the CDC website to refresh your memory.

Let’s all take the time to remember what Thanksgiving is all about – thanking God for everything that he has blessed us with in our lives. During difficult times, it’s important to be extra thankful for what we have.”

I would add to be mindful of anyone we know who is spending Thanksgiving alone. If possible, take them a meal or have one sent to them. We need each other now more than ever!

Tensions Over Turkey

For those of you, like our family, who are still going to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner together, the election could be as contentious around the table as it is around the country.

During our small group prayer request time, a reoccurring request went something like this: Please help us be a light on Thanksgiving among those with differing political and faith beliefs.

In the fragile aftermath of a volatile contested election, I imagine many of you are having similar concerns and conversations. I remember my mom cautioning that if you want to keep the peace, don’t talk about religion or politics. As a kid, I never understood that warning. Believers are supposed to tell everyone about Jesus. Since being a Christian is our first identity . . . how could we not talk about our Savior? And isn’t everyone entitled to his or her own political opinion?

Then I grew up!

If you follow me, you know I’m bold about being a born-again Christian. But as I wrote in Forsaken God? Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten: “Bold doesn’t mean obnoxious. It simply means not being afraid to speak the truth, even in the face of adversity: ‘Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold’ (2 Cor. 3:12).” For example, if someone asks what I write, I answer, “Christian nonfiction.” Or I’ll say, “I’m a Christian author and speaker.”

For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. Philippians 1:20 NLT

Is Thanksgiving a Religious Holiday?

That could be an awkward question in some circles.

When I mentioned to a group that I hoped people would set their differences aside on Thanksgiving Day, one response was, “It’s just a time for eating a lot of food, watching football, and shopping online anyway.”

Me: “I’m pretty sure the first pilgrims who celebrated Thanksgiving didn’t have TV or Amazon.

Another responded: “Well at least Thanksgiving isn’t a religious holiday.”

I asked: “Who then are we thanking?”

Complete silence.

Of course, God is the answer.

Abraham Lincoln made it an official national holiday “as a day of thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God, the beneficent Creator and Ruler of the Universe.”

The English colonists we call Pilgrims celebrated days of thanksgiving as part of their religion. But these were days of prayer, not days of feasting.

Yes, Thanksgiving is a time of family and friends gathering, but as we sit around the feast together, we can’t thank each other, or aliens, or the “big bang” for giving us life, the sun, the moon, the trees, the ability to grow the food, the earth, the waters, the sky, sweet babies, and all the blessings we enjoy.

We read in Genesis that God spoke everything into being, and yet, many of us will be sharing turkey and dressing with people who don’t believe or discount the existence of God. They don’t know where they’re going when they die, or where everything we enjoy on earth came from . . . and maybe they don’t even care. They’ll walk out of the room when we pray before the meal, and may try and bait us into an argument over who we voted for and why. Maybe after a few drinks, their conversation will turn ugly, even though innocent young eyes are watching how the “adults” interact.

Yes, my husband and I have been thinking and praying about all of this and beseeching God to prepare us to be a light in the darkness . . . not ignore the darkness because that would be the cowards way out . . . but to help us respond as if Jesus was standing behind us speaking through us.

As I prayed and talked to the Lord, here’s a list I hope will help us, and maybe help you. I’d love to hear your ideas too.

Don’t worry what to say—“Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.” Mark 13:11 (Jesus was talking to his disciples if they were arrested, but it could apply to us too if we felt our faith was being tested or put on trial.)

Speak kind words— “Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” Pr. 16:24 NLT

For your part, maintain peace—“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18

Don’t ask or answer antagonistic questions— “Interfering in someone else’s argument is as foolish as yanking a dog’s ears.” Pr. 26:17 NLT

Play with any children present— “We will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders.” Ps 78:4 NLT

Don’t drink— “Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18 NLT

Smile, Smile, Smile— “Fix my eyes on God— soon I’ll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He’s my God.” Psalm 42:5 The Message

Listen— “Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.” Pr. 12:15 NLT

Take a deep breath and think before you speak—“There is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking.” Pr. 29:20 NLT

Less is more—“The more words you speak, the less they mean. So what good are they?” Ecc. 6:11 NLT— There’s “A time to be quiet and a time to speak.” Ecc. 3:7 NLT

Say mind prayers continuously.—“Pray continually.” 1 Thess. 5:17

Have a secret sign or word between you and someone else that signals: Let’s change the subject or move into the other room.—“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.” Ecc. 4:9

If you’re hosting—Pray and thank God for each guest. Ask to be a blessing and to share joy. Pray over your home and each chair at the table. Pray before the meal as you normally would; your guests know they’re coming to a Christian home.—“Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” 1 Peter 4:9

If you’re a guest—As you walk up to the home pray that you’ll be a blessing and that God will stir up the fruit of the Spirit in your heart. If your hosts don’t pray before the meal, ask if you could say a prayer to bless the food. — “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Gal. 5:22-23

Thanksgiving is a day for harmony and focusing on God and giving Him thanks and praise in whatever way He leads. Fiction writers have a saying: “Show don’t tell.” Which simply means: you don’t always have to speak Jesus with your words; you can show Jesus with your actions!

Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalm 100:4 NLT

Past Thanksgiving Blogs

Here are my past Thanksgiving blogs you might enjoy reading. I give thanks for each of you for following these Monday Morning Blogs and I pray you have a joyful, peaceful, healthy, and God-filled Thanksgiving Day.

Acquiring Overshadows Thanksgiving

What Are You Most Thankful For?

Love Your Body During the Holidays

Thanksgiving Tablecloth Idea

In Forsaken God? Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten, I share a way to use your tablecloth as a conversation piece and make memories for generations to come. Here is an excerpt from the book. I hope it gives you some ideas. I’ll be taking our memory-making tablecloth with us this Thanksgiving.

When my breast cancer journey started, I became keenly aware of making memories with my family. At times like that, you think seriously about your mortality and the legacy you want to leave with your loved ones. You appreciate each new day of life. The sun rising every morning is an act of God to celebrate.

Holidays like Thanksgiving have new meaning. Typically, Thanksgiving is a celebration where family and friends gather for a feast, and everyone says what they’re thankful for in the past year. But after finishing the dishes and putting away the leftovers, how many really remember what everyone said?

The Thanksgiving following my first breast cancer surgery, I had an idea of a Thankful Tablecloth. I purchased a Thanksgiving themed tablecloth with plenty of white space and a box of wash-resistant colored markers. After Thanksgiving dinner, I brought out the markers and asked everyone—kids included—to find a spot on the tablecloth to write what they were thankful for that year, sign, and date it. We traced handprints for the tiny ones with their name and age.

Today, we have years of thankful messages to read every Thanksgiving and remember the many acts of God’s goodness to us and the people who joined us at the celebration table each year. If we go to someone’s house for Thanksgiving dinner, I ask if I can bring our Thankful Tablecloth and markers.

 When I go to be with the Lord, I pray my family will continue bringing out the Thanksgiving Tablecloth as a reminder through the generations of how good God has been to our family and friends.

I’m taking a blog holiday next Monday, but God willing, I’ll be back the first Monday in December.

If you receive this blog by email, you can leave a comment here.

November 23, 2020
Return to top of page

We’re Not Gonna Take It Anymore!

0

Last week, Facebook limited access to my blog The Battle Belongs to the Lord. I don’t know why. It’s never happened before but in spite of their efforts to subvert this article many of you shared it. Thank you. If you didn’t read it, you can now and, yes, please share.

Because of the censoring on traditional social media sites, many of us aren’t gonna take it anymore. We’ve established profiles on Parler (similar to Twitter) and MeWe (similar to Facebook), which are both free and don’t censor or fact check (with liberal bias) your posts. You have freedom of speech and no advertisements that I’ve seen so far and you can choose who follows you and who you follow.

You can connect with me on MeWe, which is free and user friendly to start your own account. Find me at mewe.com/i/janetthompson29.

You can connect with me on Parler with my name Janet Thompson. Here is a short interview with the CEO John Matex. Dan Bongino is also a co-owner. John and Dan saw an influx of new participants right after the election.

I originally joined Parler Free Speech Social Network in July when I saw many conservative communicators and pastors were moving there because Facebook and Twitter were censoring content or freezing their accounts. I didn’t do much with it then, but as I’ve watched “Big Tech” interfere with the election and our President censored on Twitter, I’ve joined the migration to posting on Parler.

I read that one million Facebook users switched to Parler in one day!

For now, I’m still on Facebook with my personal and author pages to stay connected with all my friends and will continue my presence on Twitter.

My husband and I also switched from primarily watching FOX News, which has sadly taken a definite liberal turn, to now enjoying conservative NEWSMAX (216 on DISH). On the “Stinchfield” program, he mentioned they’ve had 2 million downloads on the NEWSMAX App in two weeks!

I realize you’re not all fans of social media, but as we watch the signs of socialism, Marxism, and government control invade our personal lives, I feel we need to find safe ways to stay in communication with each other.

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito sent all Americans a warning last week, as he intervened in the voter fraud taking place in Pennsylvania. But he also sent another dyer warning that confirms what I’ve been saying since the closing of churches over Covid, Alito: Religious Liberty is in Danger of Becoming A Second-Class Right.

When I shared Alito’s loss of religious liberty article from Franklin Graham’s Facebook page, three disclaimers popped up from Facebook!!

Why Am I Making These Changes?

Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall. Pr. 16:18 NLT

There’s a reason for the term “Big Tech.” What started out as a friendly free way for friends and family to communicate and stay in contact, morphed into a lucrative financial empire affording the opportunity of the wealthy liberal progressive Silicon Valley owners to exert political influence. They’re using their power to control what their users see and think.

Sounds an awful lot like mind control propaganda!

Big Tech took our contact information and sold it to businesses who know what we Google and even browse for on Amazon. Have you noticed ads suddenly appearing on your Facebook feed when you research an item? Yep, they’re all connected.

While Big Tech censors your free speech, they’re pouring money into the left to control the political agenda in their favor. This was never more obvious than in the recent election where they favored the Democrats and Biden while locking down accounts of Republicans, conservatives, and even the President.

In the media, a loyal conservative audience grew FOX News to top billing over mainstream media. Then with just a few exceptions like Tucker Carlson, Hannity, Mark Levin, Judge Jeanine, Jessie Waters, and Steve Hilton, there was a liberal shift never more evident than on election night.

FOX has begun to sound almost like CNN! It’s obvious. Liberals have apparently invaded their boardrooms and many of us have turned to other channels for our conservative news.

And FOX is feeling the burn.

Can you see the pattern emerging in all these situations? Pride and power. They’ve forgotten who their audience is that made them successful and erroneously think that we’ll tolerate censoring, attempted brainwashing, and information control. And it’s true, for many years, we’ve looked the other way because there weren’t alternatives. Now they have competition.

So again, we’re not gonna take it anymore!

These organizations don’t seem to appreciate or understand that conservatives have convictions, beliefs, values, and ideals! We’re not going to follow them like sheep down the progressive path to destruction.

We have a choice of where we get and give our information. I believe it’s extremely important that we stay informed. I know you might want to pull the covers over your head and make the world stop, but until the rapture, which could be very close, we need to stay engaged.

Communist countries control all information sites and only want their people hearing government approved propaganda. America is sadly teetering on the brink of losing our First Amendment rights that differentiate us from those countries.

It’s obvious that people were persuaded to vote for Biden by listening exclusively to mainstream liberal media when many now seem shocked that he might enforce another lockdown or mask mandate. Where were they when he said exactly that during an interview?! President Trump said many times that was Biden’s plan.

And will they be shocked when he curtails fracking? Raises taxes? Opens borders? Implements the “New Green Deal”? Allows millions of babies to be murdered?

It’s our job as responsible citizens to do our homework before we vote and to understand the consequences of the platform we’re endorsing.

It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. 1 Peter 2:15-16 NLT

One Platform Never Changes

Regardless of who becomes our 46th President, God is still our only Lord and Savior. He created the Earth, He created you and me, and He has given us a timeless Word that sadly many are trying to corrupt and change to be politically and socially correct. But those who add a word to God’s Word will be held accountable.

18 And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the words of prophecy written in this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. 19 And if anyone removes any of the words from this book of prophecy, God will remove that person’s share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book.

20 He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!”

Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! 21 May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people. Revelations 22:18-21

In a recent Bible study group, a member summarized a point I’ve made repeatedly in my articles. As Bible-believing Christians, we Pray, Read our Bibles,* and Obey whatever God calls us to do.

I can’t remember who said this, but it’s so applicable: “God holds us responsible for what is happening in heaven!”

We aren’t just God’s robots nor are we to defer to our circumstances. We’re saved to make a difference for God in the world. It’s not all about us and how we’re affected personally, but how we can personally affect the world for Christ!

We get our marching orders through communing with God in prayer, studying His words written directly to us in our Bibles, and then asking, “Lord what do you want me to do?”

Brave and bold we follow through and obey.                                                                 

That shouldn’t sound too esoteric or beyond reach. It’s the heart of the Christian life.

Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.” Isaiah 6:8 NLT

For I hold you by your right hand— I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you. Isaiah 41:13

*A New Bible I Recommend

I’ve always loved the NIV Study Bible for conducting research and context so I was thrilled when Zondervan updated to the NIV Study Bible Fully Revised Edition. As a member of the Bible Gateway Blogger Grid, I received a free copy to review and I was not disappointed.

This Bible is stunningly gorgeous in full color! To facilitate the study of the Scripture passages, the notes have a brown “trowel” icon to point out archaeology information to passages, a green “seedling leaf” calling attention to practical principles for personal application, and a “profile” symbol in front of Scripture references providing descriptions and/or characterization of a person or a people group.

It’s sad for me to retire my old study Bible, but this new one now sits on my desk for easy reference and reading. If you’re looking for a user-friendly study Bible, I highly recommend this one. It is packed with so much information that it’s a little heavy so might not be one you carry with you to church but is an ideal addition to your library for readily available study and deeper research. There is also a personal size available.

The NIV Study Bible Fully Revised is available on Amazon.

Do you spend as much time in God’s Word as you do in Satan’s world? Just a thought.

You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope. Psalm 119:114 NLT

As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands. Ps. 119:143 NLT

My Prayer for You

16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom[a] and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.[b]

19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Eph. 1:16-20 NLT

November 16, 2020
Return to top of page

We Prayed. God Blessed Us. Now What?

1

Only God would coordinate the timing on September 26, 2020 of the Franklin Graham Prayer March 2020 and The Return with Jonathan Cahn both in Washington DC on the National Mall on the same day that President Trump announces the nomination of a conservative Christian woman Justice for the Supreme Court!

Only God!

This was no coincidence!

A friend messaged me what I also believe to be true: “I believe the remnant is storming the Highest Court in prayer and praise!”

I do believe that God heard the prayers of His people and the heavenlies smiled down on us.

So now we keep on praying and believing. We must not stop because you know that Satan is only going to ramp up his efforts to create chaos, fear, and turmoil.

I also participated in a “March for Peace and Prayer in America” in my small rural mountain community. It was nondenominational and not political. You could bring “signs of prayer and peace but please no negativity.”

As I discussed the walk with a friend from church, I found myself wondering if carrying an American flag would be considered political. Negative?

I’m happy to say we carried a large American flag and signs with encouraging Scriptures and quotes. Some of those walking were barely able to walk from the very young, one with a cane, and even some slightly lame. But everyone completed the march and gathered together at the end for encouragement and prayer.

The morning started with rain that cleared before we walked and God blessed us with an affirming rainbow!

What a spirit-filled day from coast to coast!

How Have We Strayed So Far?

As we watched the joy and smiles of the thousands walking, and some even in wheel chairs on the National Mall, I noticed many carrying and waving with pride small American flags. I couldn’t help but think what a sad day in America when emblems of patriotism and love for our country are politicized. Even scorned and burned.

I ask myself so often: How did we let this happen? I know many are bravely and boldly speaking up, as am I, but why are so many denouncing their own country? Why are children being taught that America is bad when the rest of the world looks up to us with admiration? At least they used to.

Why are we letting a fringe element of Marxists convince us that there is “systemic racism” in our country?

Why aren’t more people acknowledging that the problem is systemic secularism?

People are rejecting what they once held true and dear to fit in with a system that is rejecting not only our country . . . but our God.

As I pondered these thoughts, my Bible reading was Psalm 37 in the Holman Christian Standard Bible. I’m going to share with you some of the verses that spoke directly to my heart in these troubling times where God calls His people to action but not agitation.

I add my commentary in italics and add emphasis to the scriptures. I hope they bless you too!

Psalm 37 “Instruction in Wisdom”

Isn’t wisdom what we all want right now as our tempers rise with current events? I’ve even had some friends say their blood pressure is literally rising. God says this:

Do not be agitated by evildoers;
do not envy those who do wrong.
2 For they wither quickly like grass
and wilt like tender green plants.

3 Trust in the Lord and do what is good;
dwell in the land and live securely.[b]
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and He will give you your heart’s desires.

God tells us that if we trust Him completely and continue doing what we know is right and good, even in the midst of all the rioting, lying, COVID, and evil we’re watching daily, He will keep our lives secure.

He wants us to keep our focus on the Lord and the joy that He brings to our life and He will give us what we’re praying for either on earth or later in heaven.

Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him;
do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way,
by the man who carries out evil plans.

8 Refrain from anger and give up your rage;
do not be agitated—it can only bring harm.
9 For evildoers will be destroyed,
but those who put their hope in the Lord
will inherit the land.

I don’t know about you, but at our house we’ve found ourselves very agitated at the injustice and evil that seems to be prevalent in our country today. But notice that in eight verses, God tells us three times to not be agitated by those doing evil because it does no good. In fact, it can bring harm to our health and well-being.

Instead, we need to do just what thousands of us did on Saturday, pray with trust that God is on His throne and we will get our land back if we don’t lose hope.

A little while, and the wicked person will be no more;
though you look for him, he will not be there.
11 But the humble will inherit the land
and will enjoy abundant prosperity.

12 The wicked person schemes against the righteous
and gnashes his teeth at him.
13 The Lord laughs at him
because He sees that his day is coming.

The wicked have drawn the sword and strung the bow
to bring down the afflicted and needy
and to slaughter those whose way is upright.
15 Their swords will enter their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.

. . .

The Lord watches over the blameless all their days,
and their inheritance will last forever.
19 They will not be disgraced in times of adversity;
they will be satisfied in days of hunger.

20 But the wicked will perish;
the Lord’s enemies, like the glory of the pastures,
will fade away—they will fade away like smoke.

As Christians, we know that doing wrong or evil to satisfy the culture, never pleases God. Even though we’re laughed at and disparaged, we let it bounce off us because our future is eternal life. Those who are scoffing at God will learn some day that their future is literally in hell.

A man’s steps are established by the Lord,
and He takes pleasure in his way.
24 Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed,
because the Lord holds his hand.

25 I have been young and now I am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned
or his children begging for bread.
26 He is always generous, always lending,
and his children are a blessing.

Turn away from evil and do what is good,
and dwell there[i] forever.
28 For the Lord loves justice
and will not abandon His faithful ones.
They are kept safe forever,
but the children of the wicked will be destroyed.
29 The righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it permanently.

God reminds us that in the end, His justice will prevail. Until then, we seek righteous wisdom from God and follow guidance from His Word. We will dwell safely and securely with the Lord forever.

This theme runs through the remainder of the psalm. As you continue reading, pray that God will speak to you to calm your heart, mind, and soul as you pray for His righteousness to prevail in our world and that those promoting and supporting the evil will be unveiled and stopped.

It may look like they are winning for the moment, but God is always the winner.

The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom;
his tongue speaks what is just.
31 The instruction of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not falter.

32 The wicked one lies in wait for the righteous
and seeks to kill him;
33 the Lord will not leave him
in the power of the wicked one or allow him to be condemned when he is judged.

34 Wait for the Lord and keep His way,
and He will exalt you to inherit the land.
You will watch when the wicked are destroyed.

35 I have seen a wicked, violent man
well-rooted like a flourishing native tree.
36 Then I passed by and  noticed he was gone;
I searched for him, but he could not be found.

Watch the blameless and observe the upright,
for the man of peace will have a future.
38 But transgressors will all be eliminated;
the future of the wicked will be destroyed.

39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord,
their refuge in a time of distress.
40 The Lord helps and delivers them;
He will deliver them from the wicked and will save them
because they take refuge in Him.

Amen!

So What Do We Do Now?

We keep on praying!

Let’s pray for Amy Coney Barrett and her family. We know how malicious the attacks will be but the Lord will be her strength and give her the right words and countenance.

Pray for President Trump as he continues to govern our nation while campaigning.

Pray for an outpouring of the Spirit on our nation.

Pray for a down pouring of rain and cold temperatures on the cities where the riots continue.

Pray for the safety of our police force and the military.

Pray for the coronavirus plague to subside.

Pray for churches to open their doors.

The vision the Lord keeps giving me is a sudden outpouring of the Holy Spirit over all those who are doing evil in our cities and government. A miracle of mass salvation!

There is no one outside of God’s reach, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Rom. 10:13)

Nothing is impossible with God.

Let me know what you’re praying for. What vision is God giving you?

September 28, 2020
Return to top of page

5 Ways to Disagree and Still be Friends

0

While playing a card game with my grandchildren and their mommy, mommy suddenly “went out” on the first hand before any of us had a chance to play our cards. I was sitting across from my young granddaughter, who was next in line to play. As realization set in that the game was over, her face went from shock to anger as she erupted into a meltdown throwing her cards across the table, leaping out of her seat, and tearfully yelling she would never play with us again!

We tried to contain our smiles knowing she was upset for the moment, but would recover and return to the fun. I hope that as she matures, she will learn how to lose gracefully.

Sadly, during this presidential election cycle, just like 2016, we’ve witnessed adult meltdowns among friends and relatives who find it difficult, even impossible, to maturely disagree politically and still remain friends. Many tell stories of family members disowning them. Political disagreements turned personal.

Tragically, we watch with horror young people and adults displaying violent meltdowns in the streets of many of our cities with looting, burning, destruction, assaults, vileness, and even murder, without any local control! This seems to be the 2020 way for many liberals to express their political views.

I’ve had many “unsubscribes” to this Monday Morning Blog when I say we all should vote for a political platform and not a person. Even though they’ve followed me for years, I am no longer their friend because we disagree on a presidential candidate.

Political disagreements are not the only cause of divisiveness. I have family members who keep their distance because I’m a Christian. You probably do too.

COVID has introduced a sundry of issues for “friends” to disagree over. I wrote a blog recently Don’t Let COVID Divide the Church! We’re On the Same Team. In this article, I also discuss the reasons not to waste your time getting entangled in social media disagreements. I have seldom seen anyone with an opposing view leave a comment, “I see your point.” Typically, they just want to prove their point!

We all have a right to our beliefs but it shouldn’t end our relationship, our friendship, or our family ties.

Five Ways to Disagree and Still Maintain the Friendship

1. State your opinion but don’t force it on the other person.

Friendships should be a safe place to disagree. If you have a variety of friends, you’re going to have a variety of differing opinions. You can learn from each other.

In our couples small group, we get into some heavy exchanges of opinions, but we always know at the end of group we’ll pray, have dessert and coffee together, and leave as friends. After one evening of especially heated discussion, one person prayed that they were grateful we respected each other enough that we could express our thoughts openly, but still maintain our friendships.

We’re still friends in Christ, even though we disagree on some spiritual and perhaps political issues.

Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. Phil. 3:15 NLT

2. Don’t devalue the other person.

Use “I” statements; avoid “You” attacks. Ask why they believe the way they do. State the benefits of your position rather than the hazards of their beliefs. No name-calling allowed.

Don’t attack their character. Remain humble.

Respect must be given to be reciprocally received.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. James 4:10 NLT

3. Consider your motives

We get into disagreements because we want the other person to acknowledge we’re right. Sometimes we care more about being right, than “our truth” helping the other person.

My granddaughter was trying to share Jesus with two friends of a different faith, and they ended up in a disagreement. I asked my granddaughter whether her motivation was compassion for her friend’s salvation or wanting to be right.

If it was their salvation, she should speak with passion about how much she loved Jesus and He loves her. If she just wanted to be right, she probably focused more on how wrong their faith was and that made them mad. She agreed she would be far more effective showing them Jesus’s love than trying to win an argument.

Our friends and family will know the love of our Jesus through the love we show them.

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35 NLT

4. Establish that your friendship is more important than the disagreement.

No disagreement is worth losing a friendship or a family member relationship.

Nothing is that important.

When you see a conversation turning into a disagreement, stop and establish between the two of you that your friendship or relationship means more to you both than the issue at hand.

If you both agree that continuing with the conversation would jeopardize your relationship, then change the subject.

Heather and I have been friends for years, and I love what she says about our friendship: “I have been aware of your position on politics as long as I’ve been your friend, and it hasn’t mattered. If you were not aware of mine, perhaps it is because I am much more interested in building and maintaining friendships than in debating politics.”

In my book, Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter, I share a time when my daughter and I differed on several major issues, but we still loved each other. We didn’t talk about them every time we were together, but we did talk about things we agreed on. We loved each other unconditionally because our mother/daughter relationship was more important than our differences.

Over the years, we’ve disagreed on other topics and we’ve practiced the same respect for each other. Love is more important than our disagreements.

A friend loves at all times. Proverbs 17:17

5. Let it go and pray!

Often a disagreement drags on because one of us won’t give up or we take the bait to start a disagreement instead of letting it pass.

We want the other person to come around to our way of thinking because we’re sure our way is the only right way and we have a great argument to support it. Tempers and voices rise. We say things we wish we hadn’t. Friendships and relationships fall apart.

It takes discipline to let the other person have the last word and then let the issue go.

Recently, I was at dinner with a group of Christians and I assumed we all had the same political views. We had been friends at church for years but had never discussed politics. Suddenly, one of the women asked what I thought of “Trump.” When I expressed favor, she started to say “Even though . . . .”

I could see where this conversation was going. I had arguments for what I knew she was going to say, but instead I decided to kindly reply, “I don’t think this is the time to get into a political discussion” and changed the subject.

Because we had never discussed politics before, I didn’t know she was liberal while I’m a conservative. But I knew we had been, and would continue to be, friends.

Unfriendly people care only about themselves; they lash out at common sense. Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions. Pr. 18:1-2 NLT

Lord, Satan is trying with all his might to divide your house and your people. We pray Lord with all our might that we would not let that happen. We would remember that a house divided cannot stand. Help us to be the peacemaker in our relationships, friendships, and families, without bending or compromising on the Truth. And Lord, if it must be that there are those who choose to no longer be our friends or in a relationship with us, guard us against a bitter heart and remind us to pray for a softening of their heart also. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.

Note: This is an adaption and update of an article I wrote for Crosswalk after Donald Trump won the 2016 election. Not much has changed this year except it’s escalated to violence in the streets not just for a few days, but for months. I pray not only friendships but also our country survives the 2020 election.

September 7, 2020
Return to top of page

Conquering the Unseen Enemy

0

I think President Trump was the first to start calling the Coronavirus “the unseen enemy” and now many have coined the term.

We can’t see this enemy, yet it could attack us or we could unknowingly pass it onto others. This enemy is treacherous and its sole intent is to do harm and leave carnage in its path.

When I heard “unseen enemy” used to describe coronavirus, I immediately thought what a perfect analogy to the unseen enemy Satan!

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we[a] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:10-12 NLT

Like COVID-19, Satan also creates chaos, carnage, death, heartache, despair, the list is endless, and yet our world and culture considers much of Satan’s evil as normal.

Physical illness brings the world to a standstill, while worldly spiritual illness is acceptable, tolerated, even encouraged.

As Christians, you’ve heard many times that we’re in a spiritual battle for our very souls, but did you ever take it as seriously as you now take the coronavirus?

We take desperate measures to ensure our loved ones or friends don’t get sick. But do we feel the same sense of concern and urgency when their soul is sick? Lost for eternity?

I read an article by Giancarlo Sopo in The Blaze titled, “New York Times op-ed blames Evangelical Christians for paving the road to ‘coronavirus hell.’” What Katherine Stewart, author of the op-ed that Sopo is refering to, The Religious Right’s Hostility to Science Is Crippling Our Coronavirus Response, doesn’t realize, or obviously believe, is that when you don’t believe in Jesus as your Savior, you’re paving the way to eternal hell.

The author went on to claim, what many unbelievers think—that Christians have a “denial of science and critical thinking.”

  • We’re the ones who believe that X and Y chromosomes determine your gender—boy or girl. That’s science.
  • A heartbeat signifies life—even in a mother’s womb. That’s science.

As for critical thinking—

  • We believe the unseen enemy Coronavirus is real.
  • We believe the unseen enemy Satan is real.
  • We believe heaven and hell are real.
  • We believe the unseen Savior Jesus is alive in every believer’s heart.
  • We believe there are two choices in life—to follow Satan the destroyer or Jesus the Savior of the world!

How Do We Fight the War Against the Unseen Enemy?

The enemy Coronavirus—We physically protect ourselves daily by following the guidelines from the government and doctors. Stay home, wash our hands, don’t touch our face.

The enemy Satan—We spiritually protect ourselves daily by following the guidelines from God. Put on the Armor of God.

My husband, Dave, and I have prayed Ephesians 6:10-18, the Armor of God, nearly every morning of our 27 years of marriage. I often say that I might not be alive today if we didn’t. I take it that seriously; I hope you will too.

We share this spiritual discipline of praying the Armor of God with everyone we know. I’ve mentioned it in previous blogs and in many of my books. But I always wonder how many actually understand that these are our marching orders as Christians in the ongoing spiritual battle we’re in everyday! Sometimes, like now, the battle is more visible universally. Other times, we experience it individually, but it’s always there. Satan will never tire or give up until the final battle.

God always has a plan for His people, but His people don’t always follow His plan.

I opened this blog with Ephesians 6:10-12. The remainder of this passage instructs us in how to protect against the spiritual unseen enemy.

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.[b] 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.[c] 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Amen Ephesians 6:13-18 NLT

Notice the call to pray, stand firm in your faith, and take up the “sword of the Spirit,” your Bible, the only offensive weapon.

Conquering the unseen enemy

If we’re not in our Bibles, we’re leaving ourselves wide open to attack from the enemy Satan. It has been said that if we don’t read our Bibles a minimum of four times a week, we don’t act much different than the world! Now this unseen enemy, COVID-19, has given us time to take up our sword and fight the unseen enemy of our souls.

Download a copy of Dr. Charles Stanley’s “Preparing for War” Armor of God prayer that my husband and I personalize and pray each morning.

Dear ones, the battle rages on but praise God we know Who wins the war.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39

 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. 1 John 4:4 NLT

Special Announcement

I receive many messages and emails from women telling me that Everyday Brave: Living Courageously As A Woman of Faith is helping them stay strong during these unprecedented times. So I’m having an Easter Be Brave special of this book for $10.00 on my website through the month of April. I’ll personalize and sign each book for you.

13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13

March 30, 2020
Return to top of page

Do You Need a Pardon?

0

Do you need a pardon?

Pardons were in the news last week as President Trump pardoned and commuted sentences of several prisoners. Speaking at a graduation ceremony for Hope for Prisoners, President Trump said that he “loves” finding those treated unfairly by the criminal justice system and offering them pardons.

The discussion of pardons started me thinking about how God has pardoned every Christian. Since Romans 3:23 reminds us that, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Christians are the recipients of unmerited grace and mercy.

In my Bible Study Face-to-Face with Euodia and Syntyche: From Conflict to Community, I describe it this way:

  • Justice is getting what you deserve.
  • Mercy is not getting everything you deserve.
  • Grace is getting what you don’t deserve.

Mercy is showing more love and kindness to a person than he or she expects or deserves. Undeserved pardon! Grace is undeserved forgiveness.

It’s so easy to look at the transgressions of others and say they deserved the punishment rendered, and often they do. But what about Christians who had their debt pardoned and paid for by Jesus who unjustly endured the brutal cross for us? He took the punishment that we deserved. That’s mercy! That’s grace!

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:1-5

All we had to do for a pardon was confess our sins to Jesus, ask for forgiveness, and repent! Our dark sins became white as snow. Erased! The Bible says that God has forgiven and forgotten and will never bring them up to us again.

“Come now, let us settle the matter,”
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool. Isaiah 1:18

Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Acts 3:19 (NLT)

15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says,

16 “This is the new covenant I will make
with my people on that day,[a] says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”[b]

17 Then he says,

“I will never again remember
their sins and lawless deeds.” Hebrews 10:15-17 (NLT)

What a gift! How did we deserve such a pardon? We didn’t! Yet, how often do we take our pardon for granted. Almost like we did deserve it. How often do we remember the price and penalty that Jesus paid for our release from the punishment due us? I would suggest, not often enough.

We may not have been in a cold, dark, prison cell, but we were in a cold, dark spiritual hellhole. Satan had us shackled to him in sin and shame. Then Jesus entered into our life and set us free. But Satan never gives up. He’s always trying to lure us back. We can never forget the cost of our pardon.

“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24

Sin Has Consequences

Just like with all pardoned prisoners, there will always be consequences of our sins that we will have to bear ourselves and assume the responsibility. God told the Israelites who refused to follow His lead, “You will bear the consequences of your sin . . .” (Numbers 14:34 HCSB)

As Christians, we must ask for Jesus’ help and strength to make restitution for our sinful behavior when possible. If we broke the civic law, or God’s law, we’ll pay the penalty. The scars will be with us, and possibly with others, for life. Often our actions negatively affected someone else. That’s on us. Jesus forgives us when we repent of our sins, but we may need to forgive others or seek their forgiveness and they might not grant it. The hurt is too deep. The debt too high.

But President Trump also told the crowd of 29 graduates from Hope for Prisoners, “the best part of your life is just beginning.” “Today we declare that you are made by God for a great and noble purpose. You are valued members of our American family and we are determined to help you succeed,” the president said.

And that’s what the Lord says to us too:

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. Micah 7:18

My Second Pardon

Do you need a pardon?

In Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter, I share my testimony of accepting Jesus into my life at eleven, but as an adult I backslid into a sinful life for seventeen years while raising my daughter. I was a prodigal raising a prodigal. I can’t change those years, but when I rededicated my life back to Christ, He gave me another pardon I did not deserve. Praise God, He is the God of endless pardons. I was a changed person—a new creation in Christ.

Like President Trump told the released prisoners, God did have a great and noble purpose for my life as He used me to start the Woman to Woman Mentoring Ministry and write and speak for Him.

But there were consequences to my wayward years. I had to ask my daughter for forgiveness, and while she didn’t understand what that meant at the time, she does now. I prayed and begged God daily to open her eyes to the life she could have with Christ. After six years of a mother’s prayers, she accepted Christ as her Savior.

No matter what you’ve done in your past, or are currently doing, Jesus waits eagerly to mercifully forgive you and restore your life for a great and noble purpose. All you need to do is ask Him for a pardon.

Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. Isaiah 55:7

________________________

God has put on my heart that my next writing project will focus on the loneliness epidemic in our culture. If you have a story of seasons of loneliness, or you’ve helped someone through their loneliness, I would love to hear your story. Please contact me or email at [email protected].

February 24, 2020
Return to top of page
« Previous Page
Next Page »
Return to top of page · Copyright © 2024 Crown Laid Down Designs All Rights Reserved · Our Privacy Policy