Archives for 2015

Love Your Body–Use Technology to Lose Weight

Love Your Body Like God Loves It

It’s Love Your Body Monday and today my beautiful daughter Kimberly Mancini is our guest blogger. Here’s her story of how even a fitness instructor has to count calories—exercise alone will not get you to your ideal body weight unless you’re willing to also reduce caloric intake. I recently heard a woman say, “I know I don’t look like it, but I’m on the treadmill every day.” I wanted to interject … if you would change your diet, you would look like it!
Many people tell me, “I don’t eat anything all day. Or I barely eat anything. I don’t know why I can’t lose weight.” They are eating because that’s what puts on extra weight–maybe it’s mindless snacking, or cleaning up a kids plate, or eating the wrong foods at meals. So Kim has a great calorie-counting-made-easy encouraging story:

Forty is the New Twenty … Naught

By Kim Mancini

Forty is the new twenty. At least that’s what they say right? I entered my forties feeling great. As a fitness instructor for the past 10 years, I work hard to stay physically fit. I’ve always eaten healthy foods in moderate proportions. I’m by no means a “clean” eater, but I do make healthy choices.

With each child I birthed, I held onto a residual five pounds, which I embraced. In the six years since my youngest was born, I’ve been the exact same weight. No matter how good or bad I was with my eating, the scale never budged one way or the other.

That was until this past year. It budged … I stepped on the scale and to my surprise, a new number appeared … up two pounds. No biggie. I was slightly alarmed, but no need to panic, yet. I would simply skip the ice cream tonight, and problem solved. I confidently stepped on the scale the next day fully expecting to see a familiar number, but that was not the case ….Up two more pounds!

I tried to convince myself that I was probably just retaining water since I had done a hard workout at the gym the previous day. My body was most likely holding onto the extra water weight to cushion my sore muscles. Of course, there was a perfect explanation. I would wait a week or so and weigh again when I wasn’t feeling sore after a workout.

When I did decide to revisit the scale, I didn’t expect to see what I saw. That darn thing moved up two more digits. What was happening? I had now crossed over into a new set of tens, and that wasn’t something my head could easily wrap around. I panicked a little at this point. It looked like it was time to get more serious about things. I would need to end my love affair with ice cream. We’re talking about the girl whose freezer is constantly stocked with what my mom likes to call “31 Flavors.” Drastic times call for drastic measures.

Fear of the Scales

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I became frightened of the evil scale lurking in my bathroom. It took me a while to work up the courage to revisit my old friend, but eventually I came around. Two more pounds … Ugh! And then again, two more a couple of weeks later. A total of eight pounds gained within about four months. Things were not looking good.

I seriously needed to re-evaluate what was happening in my life, and it was time to make some changes. I had recently started substitute teaching while my kids were at school and this had been cutting into my gym schedule. I had gone from teaching about 10+ classes per week at the gym to now only 5 per week. Even though I had cut my exercise in half, I was still working out regularly and staying active. This shouldn’t be so hard. I had to come to terms with the fact that I was now in my forties. Even though I felt like I was in my twenties, this was not the case.

Getting Serious About Losing the Extra Pounds

[Tweet “Eating more calories than your body uses equals weight gain!”]

My husband received a Samsung smart watch for Christmas, and let me borrow his device to accurately track my physical activity. (Some people use a Fitbit). Once I saw that I was reaching the minimum goal of 10,000 steps per day (sometimes more than double that), I realized my eating was leading to my sudden weight gain.

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In May of this year, I began to log on a fitness App, linked to the smart watch, what I ate and drank. I could calculate how many calories I should be consuming based on my activity level and how much weight I wanted to lose in a given amount of time by going to a website such as this: https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/bwp/index.html.

You simply plug in age, height, weight, gender, activity level, and how much weight you want to lose over a given time. The calculation tells you how many calories you need to maintain your current weight, or lose desired weight and maintain your new weight.

Now to count my calories. I used a default App on my Samsung phone, but there’s many health and fitness free Apps available through the play store on Android phones, or iTunes on Apple. Just search “health” or “fitness” and you’ll find many choices. Another popular site is myfitnesspal, and my husband uses mapmyfitness.

Now, armed with this new information, and logging EVERYTHING that went into my mouth for a month, (including the three pretzel sticks dipped in Nutella), the weight came off rather quickly. I lost seven of the, “being Forty-something is NOT Twenty-something,” eight pounds that I had gained over the last year. I was on a roll! I only had one more pound to go, in addition to the extra baby weight I’d become accustomed to over the years. Might as well lose that too right?

Counting Calories Works!

At this point, I thought I had things under control, so I backed off logging my food/drink intake, and guess what happened? As soon as I stopped logging, I stopped losing. Could there be a correlation? I think so. Suddenly all my progress came to a screeching halt.

There’s something about knowing I was going to have to log that extra handful of (fill in the blank _____________). I would ask myself if I really wanted those calories to take up some of my total daily intake. Watching the calories add up throughout the day, put a stop to the mindless snacking and kept me sticking to portion sizes. It looks like I’ll be back to food logging. It works!

Why do you spend your money on junk food,
    your hard-earned cash on cotton candy?
Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best,
    fill yourself with only the finest.
Pay attention, come close now,
    listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words.–Isaiah 55:2-3

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July 27, 2015

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Is the Light On In Your House?

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

Jesus said to every Christian in Matthew 5:14-16

Have you ever noticed that the Holy Spirit shining through you can either light up a room or clear it? I’ve often told my husband that I wonder if we’re not invited to certain events because of our conservative Christian beliefs. We don’t drink, swear, tell dirty jokes or laugh at them … but we’re a lot of fun, kind to people, and remember everything we said or did the night before!

Proud to be a “Right-Winger”

Recently, I had a conversation that shed some light [pun intended] on why some people might be uncomfortable around us. I was talking with a repairman who had recently done some work in a new neighbor’s house. He described them as: “They’re really nice people, but very right wing! I couldn’t get the h*** out of there fast enough.”

Seeing the shocked look on my face, he quickly interjected, “But they’re really, really, really nice people!”

I thought to myself, Of course they’re really nice … they’re Christians.

A friend recently wrote a blog about her missionary work in Brazil where their group went into homes sharing the Gospel, and experienced the same reaction as this repairman. She wrote:

“The aroma of Christ – Wow! Now I get it! Those whose hearts were open to the leading of the Holy Spirit said “Yes” to Jesus. Those who closed themselves off from the Holy Spirit could not wait for us to leave their house. Either way, God was pleased as we continued to share the awesome gift of salvation.”

Two verses come to mind:

They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Ephesians 4:18

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14

Then I wondered how many workers or guests had come into our Christian home and couldn’t wait to get out? Probably a few. Our prayer is that they would be attracted to our light and not repelled.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Ephesians 5:8-10.

My Walk on the Dark Side

For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life. Psalm 56:13

I remember clearly what it was like when I was walking in spiritual darkness during my backsliding days, and so I have insight into people blinded to the light of Jesus. Maybe God allowed me to experience those dark days so I would know how to reach people stumbling in the dark, who think their sin is actually fun and become defensive when someone tries to shine the Light into their evil dark world.

During my dark days, I wasn’t ready to listen to anyone, even though God tried many ways to reach me. I can remember making frequent business trips from Orange County to Bakersfield and the only radio station that would come in was a Christian station. Often, the same thing would happen at home.

I also had a Christian girlfriend who was single like me and our children were friends. She would often talk to me about the things I was doing, but I wrote her off as just a really nice friend; but I didn’t let her words penetrate my hardened heart.

Another time, I hired a Christian as an insurance agent to work in my division and he brought several others on board. I remember looking out of the high-rise office-building window and seeing them huddled together in prayer in the parking lot. I was appalled at their open display of faith. I wonder now if maybe they were praying for me. Later, after I rededicated my life to the Lord, I found myself out of a job for professing my faith!

God protected me during the many dark days when I made foolish choices, even as I would sit in church on Sunday morning and know I was going to sin that night. Only by the grace of God did my daughter and I survive my role modeling to her the dark side of a seemingly successful life. I write openly about those days in my book Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter. I was a prodigal raising a prodigal.

We’ve All Experienced the Dark

I get so frustrated with those who are intentionally living a sinful life today … stumbling around in the dark, especially those who know better … Christians, who like me, walked out of the light back into the darkness. Satan makes sin seem alluring, just like he did with Eve. He even makes it seem fun. After all, if sin wasn’t fun, why would anyone do it? When the Light shines on that “fun,” we all look back and think how could I have thought that was fun … it was sick and depraved.

Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord. Psalm 89:15

Those of us who now live in the Light all came out of some kind of spiritual darkness, blinded to the truth of the Gospel. It’s hard to imagine that anyone would choose to go deeper into the dark when they’ve experienced the light, but sadly many do and many are sitting in our churches today. They show up on Sunday, maybe attend a Bible study, and even could serve in a ministry, but they’re living a lie. There’s blatant sin somewhere in their life and the Light is convicting them…but not enough to change their ways.

You know what I’m talking about, the couple that looks so perfect sitting together and smiling through a Sunday morning service and the shock the church feels when they find out the husband has been having an affair for years or is addicted to porn. Maybe that husband was your pastor. No one is above the wiles of Satan! That’s why I am such a proponent of mentoring and accountability. We all have potential to fall away … we need someone shining the light into our life and asking us hard questions.

[Tweet “Our world is falling into darkness at a faster speed than ever in history.”]

Our world is falling into darkness at a faster speed than ever in history. Who would have imagined 20 years ago that:

The Supreme Court would change the definition of marriage to accommodate same-sex marriage, when homosexuality is abominable to our God and marriage is the sacred replication of Christ and His church?
A once God-fearing nation would now try to take God out of every aspect of public life?
Planned Parenthood would not only be murdering babies in their mother’s womb, but also be selling precious unborn baby body parts? Barbaric is the word we would have used! Detestable unbelievable!
Or that our government would sign a treaty with our enemy and put our ally Israel in direct danger?

And yet, every day, there’s another shocking headline that our world is submerging deeper into the depths of darkness, a mire from which we may never recover.

Where is our Hope?

[Tweet “How do we keep our light shining when the world wants to snuff it out? “]

How do we keep our light shining when the world wants to snuff it out?

How do we stay strong and keep the aroma of a Christ-centered home?

No other way, but through abiding in Jesus and the Word of God. No other way! Do you believe that? Are you in His Word EVERY day? Are you praying every day for a revival of the Light? Don’t lose hope and don’t lose courage.

[Tweet “If you’ve let the darkness slip back into your life, repent, ask Jesus for forgiveness,”]

If you’ve let the darkness slip back into your life, repent, ask Jesus for forgiveness, and turn from your wicked ways now. Find a mentor or a pastor to help you make the necessary changes and then walk in the Light.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

If you understand what I’m talking about when I say “live in the Light” then shine your spiritual flashlight into the lives of those you know who need Jesus. None of us knows when He’s coming back, but we do know that He is coming and those still in the dark will be in darkness forever. I hope that’s a sobering thought for you as you think of that relative, friend, neighbor, or co-worker who needs salvation and needs it now.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

Many liberals on the left side are angry, defensive, and lashing out calling us things like “righteous” as if that’s a dirty word. “Christian” is spit out as vial. “Right wing” someone they need to avoid. They’re so angry and mean … because they’re living in a world of Satan’s darkness with no hope beyond this life. This is all they have and they have no hope for any kind of life after death … which could be right around the corner for any of them. Christians say death where is it’s sting, and they cry don’t let me get stung by death.

“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.—1 Corinthians 15:55-57

I don’t have all the answers as to how God will let you shine your light, but God does, so ask Him. What does He want you to do? How does He want you to do it? Then listen for that still small voice and look for that bright spotlight He’s going to shine on the opportunity. You have nothing to lose, but you just might be the flashlight He will use to wake someone up to the Truth that will set them free from the grip of Satan.

The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.

Revelation 21:23-25

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July 20, 2015

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Losing My Job for Living Out My Faith Was the Best Thing That Could Have Happened to Me!

Daily we hear of people fired or sued for standing up for their Christian beliefs in a culture that is no longer Christian-friendly or God-honoring. As I read about the case of the Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran, fired for publishing a men’s devotional book for a Baptist church group on his own time, God reminded me of how He changed the course of my life in a similar way.

In Cochran’s book, “Who Told You That You Were Naked?” he addressed issues of homosexuality, gay marriage and premarital sex from a biblical perspective.

Cochran has been a firefighter since 1981 and was appointed Atlanta’s fire chief in 2008. In 2009, President Obama appointed him as U.S. fire administrator for the United States Fire Administration in Washington, D.C. In 2010, he returned to serve as Atlanta’s fire chief.

The controversy with his book began in late 2014, when gay activist groups caught wind of the literature and demanded that Cochran be dismissed. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed then acted to suspend Cochran and ordered him to undergo “sensitivity training.”

[Tweet ““In the United States of America, Americans should not have to choose between keeping your job and living out your faith,””]

“In the United States of America, Americans should not have to choose between keeping your job and living out your faith,” Cochran told The Daily Signal in an exclusive interview. “And that’s the position the city of Atlanta actually has taken—that I have to have a choice to live out my faith or to keep my job.”

Cochran’s story took me back to December 14, 1995, when something very similar happened to me.

My Unjust Demotion Was A Divine Moment

Many of you know that the Lord called me into ministry when He told me to “Feed my Sheep.” You can read more of my story on my website. At the time, I was running a successful branch of a national insurance company and had been attending Fuller Theological Seminary at night and on the weekends for a year.

I joined the insurance company in 1987, while still in my worldly, backsliding, single days, and worked my way up from an insurance agent to a Division Manager. In the summer of 1992, I rededicated my life to the Lord at a Harvest Crusade with Pastor Greg Laurie, and that December I married my godly husband Dave. My life took a radical change and I no longer participated in many of the “social” activities of the business, and I was open about my faith and my rededication to Christ.

My boss heard about me attending seminary and on December 14, 1995, he called me into his office. For some reason, I sensed I might need a witness, so I asked one of my District Managers who worked for me if he would accompany me. This gentleman and his wife were fellow Christians and we had become friends as couples.

Neither of us could have imagined what would happen next. To this day, my friend says he witnessed a “divine moment” and he has told the story many times as a testimony

My boss started the conversation by saying he’d noticed a difference in me. Something to the effect that I wasn’t “all-about-the business anymore.”

[Tweet “I told him my priorities had shifted to putting God first, then my family, and my job in that order, “]

I told him my priorities had shifted to putting God first, then my family, and my job in that order, but I was still maintaining all my sales numbers and fulfilling my management responsibilities. I had a great team working for me and our sales remained high.

He responded: “In a perfect world, that might work; but in this world [he named the insurance company] must be your god and the company must come first in your life! So I’m demoting you from Division Manager and you’ll now work as an agent again out in the field under …” and he named a person leading a division an hour away from my home.

Division Manager had been a high-paying, high-profile job with lots of prestige, independence, and success. But now, it was as if Jesus was standing behind my boss’s chair asking me who I was going to serve: the company or Jesus?

[Tweet “At that moment, it was as if Jesus was standing behind my boss’s chair asking me who I was going to serve.”]

Easy decision. I prayerfully resigned and launched the Woman to Woman Mentoring Ministry at Saddleback Church, completed my Masters of Arts in Christian Leadership at Fuller Theological Seminary, and started About His Work Ministries, my writing and speaking ministry.

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.—Matthew 6:24

I Could Have Sued

With today’s anti-God culture, I’m not sure I would have a legal case against my boss and the company, but 20 years ago I might have had one, and I had a witness who was more then ready to take an oath to all that he had witnessed.

This wasn’t the first time I’d been harassed by this same boss. While supposedly interviewing me for a training video, he first started asking questions about my sex life in front of the camera crew. When I quit the company, the camera crew came forward and said they would gladly testify to what they had witnessed.

I prayed about both situations and realized that I should thank this boss for helping me make a hard decision. When you’re comfortable and making a good living, even though you know it’s not where God wants you … it often takes something like this to plummet you into doing the right thing.

The Lord reminded me that vengeance was His and that I was not to waste my time, energy, or money on a lawsuit. God would take care of it…and He did. I later heard that this boss was fired from the company over similar misuses of his position.

[Tweet “The Lord reminded me that vengeance was His “]

Using My Talents and Gifts for God

[Tweet “What if you used your talents for God?”]

As a Division Manager in the insurance agency, I gave daily presentations to recruit new sales agents. I was often one of the top recruiters in the company, and I had been a successful agent too. I found that sales came easy to me. Over the years, I had given the same recruiting presentation so many times, I could think about other things simultaneously. So one day as I gave the rote presentation, I heard God’s voice saying to me, “What if you were as good at winning souls for me and doing something you believe in, as you are at winning recruits for a business you don’t believe in as much?”

God planted the seed, but I wasn’t ready to take such a huge risk and quit my job even though I knew I no longer belonged there. My husband and I were blending a family, we had a mortgage, car payments, lived in expensive Southern California… couldn’t I just go to seminary and then wait to see how God wanted to use me when I finished?

That would have been the safe, comfortable, easy way, but that day in my boss’s office, God was asking me pointedly, “Who will you follow … right this moment? Man or Me?”

“I Envy You!”

As I was packing up my office after I resigned, one of the other Division Managers who had recently become a Christian came over to take some of my supplies. He had a large family, lived an expensive lifestyle, and knew about our boss’s misuse of his position, but he felt trapped. He said, “I envy you. You’re getting out.”

My happy ending didn’t tie up neatly in a bow. I continued going to seminary and started the Woman to Woman Mentoring Ministry in my home in January 1997, but in March of that year, my husband was laid off from the job that was supporting us. Still God whispered, “Where I guide, I will provide.” And He did … our lifestyle changed drastically, but the mentoring ministry was spiritually maturing and winning women for Christ. You can’t put a dollar value on that!

[Tweet “Where God guides, He will provide!”]

And today, God has taken Woman to Woman Mentoring around the world and thousands of women have experienced the blessings of growing together in Christ through resources I wrote to help churches start their own mentoring ministries.

On my website, I tell the story of how this was the time where About His Work Ministries got its name.

Choose Today Who You Will Follow—Man or The Messiah

[Tweet “It’s not popular today to take a stand for God in a world turning away from God’s Words and His ways.”]

It’s not popular today to take a stand for God in a world turning away from God’s Words and His ways. You’ll be rebuked, unfriended, called names, maybe even spit on …just like Jesus was. It would be easier to remain silent or not voice the Truth that you know in your heart. The risk might be too high you say. What if I lose my job? My friends? My standing in the community?

But what is anything worth without your integrity and the peace of knowing that you did not deny Christ in your heart, your words, or your actions. God will honor your loyalty to Him … He guarantees it.

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.—Matthew 16:25-27

What if I hadn’t quit that insurance agency? What if I had fought for my just rights in the company and in court? Woman to Woman Mentoring might never have been birthed.

God had a plan, and while I didn’t know what it was at the time, I knew it would be big because He was giving me a big testimony to share. My husband and I have never looked back from that defining moment in our lives, when God so clearly asked me, “Who will you follow: man or Me?”

Where do you need to take a risk for God today?
When have you been silent and you know you need to speak up?
Who is watching how you live out your faith?
What changes do you need to make to live out your faith more boldly?

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July 13, 2015

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Caught Between Gay and God

I’m back after taking a brief blogging sabbatical in June. We had a wonderful family reunion and then I headed off to Orlando for the Advanced Writer’s and Speaker’s Conference and the International Christian Retail Show. And that’s where I was when I heard the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize gay marriage. The room swirled around me and I felt nauseated. How could this have happened? Why were five judges allowed to try and overrule The Judge? How could they make a legal ruling on a moral issue? What was God feeling about all of this? What should Christians do? What should I do?

So many questions without answers, except for the ones about what should Christians and I do? We should stand firm on the Bible even though there are those who try to twist the Bible to support their opposing views. God showed me that the gay community calls heterosexuals “straight” and here’s the definition of straight from Roget’s Super Thesaurus:

Unbent, undeviating, linear, direct, square, aligned.
Honest straightforward, frank, candid, upfront, forthright, trustworthy, reliable, sincere.
Undiluted, pure, whole, unmodified, unmixed.

So stay straight and undeviating in your faith, aligned with God’s “undiluted” Word.

If heterosexuals are straight what are homosexuals? Often they are meandering, mixed up, confused, off track, and lost their moral compass. They may turn to the gay lifestyle because of something in their past. No one is born homosexual, but circumstances in their life might lead them to seek refuge in the gay community and they need our help, love, and guidance in straightening up their life from the twists and turns it’s taken. What they don’t need is for us to twist, bend, and expand Scripture to make it support the culture’s view of homosexuality.

You Probably Know a Person Sinning Sexually

[Tweet “You Probably Know a Person Sinning Sexually”]

Most people today know someone who is living in sexual sin. Maybe it’s a friend, a neighbor, a co-worker, a niece or nephew, a sister or brother. Maybe it’s one of your own children. Sadly, our culture now normalizes many of these sexual sins—hooking up, sex outside of marriage, living together, getting pregnant before marriage .. or maybe no intention of marrying, transgenderism…. While adultery still seems acknowledged as a sin and unacceptable, the gay agenda is becoming accepted and now the courts have had the audacity to legally change the definition of marriage to include a relationship outside of God’s design. But no law can change the laws of God. There’s no right way to do the wrong thing!

Today’s culture not only tolerates sexual sin, it accepts and celebrates it. So what are you to do about that person you know who is choosing a sinful, immoral sexual lifestyle, when the majority of society has decided it’s no big deal? You love that person and you want to continue the relationship, even though as a Christian you feel convicted that something isn’t right about this. You want to support them, and try to convince yourself that because it’s your child or loved one who has chosen sin, it’s really not all that bad.

Many of you are torn between love for your friend or relative and love for God’s Word? If that’s you, ask yourself some hard questions: How could I confront them about the sin and help them find their way to God’s forgiveness? How could I let them wallow in the dark, knowing that for those who have accepted the world’s ways over Jesus’ ways, they’re going to end up in eternal fire instead of eternity with Jesus? How could I ever forgive myself for not praying for them to change their ways? How could I go before Holy God with a clean heart knowing that I might have enabled my friend or loved one’s sin rather than loving him or her to the cross?

A friend recently posted this on Facebook “I am finding so many Christians waffling in their beliefs because they have become more concerned with the approval and appeasement of someone they know and love rather than being more concerned with that person’s eternity.”

This is exactly what I’m seeing too and it’s breaking my heart. I wonder if Christians who have changed their profile picture to a gay flag, realize that they’re waving a flag that says a professed Christian now has decided to oppose God’s ways in favor of the world’s ways? How will they explain that to God when they meet someday? How will they tell Him that the applause of men meant more to them than the applause from heaven?

[Tweet “How will you tell God that the applause of men meant more to you than the applause from heaven?”]

How could anyone interpret “Love your neighbor as yourself” to mean loving your neighbor’s sin? Does anyone love himself or herself more when sinning? Is anyone happier when he or she sins? Do you celebrate your sin and even try to get it legalized?

[Tweet “Do you celebrate your sin and even try to get it legalized?”]

What About the Person Who Claims to be a Christian but Also Persists in Sexual Sin or Approves of Same-Sex Marriage?

Last week, I attended the International Christian Retail Show and picked up John Bevere’s Good or God? It caught my attention since my new book coming out in March is How Good is God? I Can’t Remember…. Here’s an excerpt from Bevere’s book:

“Have you encountered someone who professes to know Jesus Christ, and has done so for some time, but lives as if he or she has never met Him? Why is this? This person is simply not experiencing the process of transformation. They are not being changed into His likeness.

“Paul prophesied that our days will be difficult. Interestingly, he wrote that these stressful times will not result from persecution for our faith, as in his day, but from professing Christians who don’t keep the words of Jesus.

“Paul clearly stated, “They will hold to the outward form of our religion, but reject its real power (2 Timothy 3:5 TEV). These professing believers are deceived, for they will be “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7 TEV)…. Many such “believers” attend churches, conferences, worship nights, Bible schools, and connect groups. They love learning but remain unchanged in character and behavior.

“Here’s the bottom line: only those who walk in holiness can see God—can enter His presence. Jesus couldn’t have made it any clearer when He said, “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me … I will love him and manifest Myself to him” (John 14:19, 21).

Jesus stated that only those who keep His commandments are the ones He will make Himself apparent to. They will be the ones who see Him, who enter His presence and thereby come to know Him intimately. This privilege is not promised to all believers, only to those who pursue obeying His Word—those who pursue holiness.”

A good word from John Bevere to those who profess to be Christians but are living in sin instead of holiness or are enabling and cheering on someone living in sin. If I just described a Christian you know, here is what believers are called on to do…

Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. (Galatians 6:1-2)

Our Story

Lest you think I don’t know what it’s like to have a loved one choosing to sin, or haven’t been there myself, I wrote a book sharing the journey of praying for my daughter who was living with her boyfriend … something I had modeled to her when I was in my backsliding years running from God. Now, you may say that it’s no big deal anymore with so many people choosing to live together…but I beg to differ with you. Sin is ALWAYS a big deal no matter how many people are doing it. Majority never trumps morality.

[Tweet “Majority never trumps morality.”]

I had rededicated my life to the Lord and thought Kim would follow in my footsteps, but she didn’t. I had a hard choice. I loved my only daughter with an unconditional love, but I could not love what she was doing. I never condemned her, but I never condoned her chosen lifestyle. I did nothing to enable, celebrate, or support her choice.

Instead, I loved her like crazy with an unending mother’s love, kept communication open, and prayed every single day for her out of God’s Word. I prayed Scripture over her and for her. That didn’t make her happy, and she wanted nothing to do with my faith. But that didn’t daunt me. Knowing that she was not a believer and was going to hell, kept me on my knees every day for six years. Today we share our story together in Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter and in person, and she always thanks God and me that I never gave up or gave in to the sins she was committing.

[Tweet “Do you love your friend or relative enough to stand in opposition to their sin and stand in the gap for their salvation? “]

Do you love your friend or relative enough to stand in opposition to their sin and stand in the gap for their salvation? You will be accountable for how you answer that question. I pray you choose eternal life for them, it’s the most loving thing you could do. Ignoring their sin, condoning their sin, and celebrating their sin, loves them straight into hell, which is real. We’re all going to die and go to either heaven or hell. What kept me on my knees for my daughter was a recurring dream of her calling out to me from the fiery pit asking me why I didn’t tell her where she was going? I knew that I would continue to expectantly and persistently pray for her until my final breath. Praise God, I got to witness her transformation into the godly woman she is today.

⁴For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment. ⁵And God did not spare the ancient world—except for Noah and the seven others in his family. Noah warned the world of God’s righteous judgment. So God protected Noah when he destroyed the world of ungodly people with a vast flood. ⁶Later, God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and turned them into heaps of ashes. He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people. ⁷But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him. ⁸Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day. ⁹So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment. ¹⁰He is especially hard on those who follow their own twisted sexual desire, and who despise authority.—1 Peter 2:4-10 NLT

Here is an example of how I prayed Scripture:

I pray that my daughter Kim will know the truth and that the truth will set her free. (1 John 8:32 )

Lord my daughter Kim has lost her footing and been swept off her feet by lawless and loose-talking unsavory people. Please grow her in grace and understanding of You, our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:28 MSG)

I pray that in all ways Kim will submit to you and you will make her ways straight. (Psalm 3:6)

There are 40 Days of Praying Scripture in the Appendix of Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter which would apply to anyone you are praying for and there are also stories from praying mothers of lesbians and other sexual sins.

Stand Strong

If like me, you’re speaking out against the immoral atrocities taking place in our culture and getting a push back from professing Christians, the Holy Spirit reminded me that this is what Moses and Jeremiah must have experienced. Or Paul when he saw the churches who professed to know Jesus and follow Jesus, turn to sinful and immoral ways. How he pleaded, begged, professed his love with them in 1 and 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Romans, Galatians, Colossians and left those pleadings and counsel for us to read and apply today…and yet look at how far we’ve fallen away. Yes, grace can cover a multitude of sins … but grace and mercy comes after confession, repentance, asking for forgiveness from Jesus, and a sincere change of heart to go and sin no more!

[Tweet “grace and mercy comes after confession, repentance, asking for forgiveness from Jesus, and a sincere change of heart to go and sin no more!”]

This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts. 1 John 1:5-10.

If you received this post by email comment here.

Here are additional posts you might want to read. I wrote the one on Balancing Grace and Truth last year.

Balancing Grace and Truth

These 35 Companies Just Told America Exactly What They Think About the SCOTUS Gay Marriage Ruling

40 Questions for Christians Now Waving Rainbow Flags

Here We Stand: An Evangelical Declaration on Marriage

A Surprise Prophetic Word about the Supreme Court Same-Sex Marriage Ruling

July 6, 2015

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What if Bruce Jenner had Talked to Jesus?

WHO DO YOU SAY JESUS IS?

When the news broke about the Vanity Fair cover and article about Bruce Jenner, I at first thought: I’m so sick of hearing about this, I’m not going to chime in or waste my time discussing it. But then I started reading all the comments in social media about how great this was that he finally found his true identity and everyone should just leave him alone.

The problem is he doesn’t want left alone. He wants as much publicity as he can get and is even planning a reality show about his new supposed identity. The sad part of this is that he has a platform and he’s using it for evil. Yes, I said evil because he’s going to start a “trend” of anyone who isn’t happy with their life deciding they need to change their gender. Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.—Isaiah 5:20

It isn’t bad enough that we have the media trying to normalize the gay lifestyle, now we have them glamorizing the acceptance of people mutilating themselves trying to change their God-given gender! If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.—Matt. 18:6

[Tweet “But what if Bruce Jenner had talked with Jesus”]

Some have asked how do we know that Bruce isn’t a believer. Not once have I heard him evoke the name of Jesus or say that he prayed about any of this. It’s all been about what he wants. But what if he had talked with Jesus, maybe it would have gone something like this and things would have turned out differently for him:

Speculative Conversation Between Bruce Jenner and Jesus

Bruce: I’m not happy with who I am as a man and I want to become a woman. I’ve always identified with the feminine side of myself.

Jesus: Oh Bruce, can I call you friend? I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you (John 15:15). Do you believe in my Father, God?

Bruce: I’m not sure…

Jesus: Well, my Father, God, created you Bruce. He actually knit you in your mother’s womb: For you [God] created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb (Ps. 139:13). And he knit you together perfectly as a man. Bruce, look around you at the beauty of nature. Do you really think my Father could make a mistake and get confused that you should have been a woman instead of a man? Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? (Luke 11:40).

Bruce: Well, I’m depressed a lot. I thought that being an Olympian would make me feel like a hero forever. That people would always look up to me and tell me what a great job I did and how wonderful I am. I would become a legend.

Jesus: Bruce, My Father, God, gave you a gift that you used mightily to win the Men’s Decathlon event. Why you even set a world record for 16 years! You had to train so hard for that and what a great reward to win the Gold Medal. How did that feel?

Bruce: Wonderful! Like I was important and people would remember me forever.

Jesus: And did they?

Bruce: Well, it was always in my byline, but there were new Gold Medalists every Olympics and new records … soon my fame was just a faint memory.

Jesus: How did that make you feel?

Bruce: Forgotten. Empty. Purposeless. Lost. Hopeless.

Jesus: We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now (Ecclesiastes 1:11 NLT).

Bruce: Oh, they’ll remember me becoming a woman!

Jesus: Only for a little while and then you’ll be yesterday’s news. But Bruce there is a way to have everlasting fulfillment and hope in all circumstances. My followers all say: Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us (Romans 5:1-5).

Jesus: Bruce how many wives and divorces have you had?

Bruce: 3.

Jesus: How many biological children do you have?

Bruce: 6

Jesus: Bruce, I’m confused. You’ve married three times and fathered six children and you say you’ve always been and still are attracted to women, so why would you possibly want to become a woman?

Bruce: It feels more natural…

Jesus: Do you really think you could have performed the way you did in the Olympics if you were a woman? Do you think that was a mistake? If you were a woman, you wouldn’t have been able to father your children. Do you think they were a mistake? And now there are grandchildren in your lineage. Were they a mistake?

Bruce: No…

Jesus: The doctors taking your money for all the surgeries and hormones to make the physical changes in you are never going to make you a woman because God made you a man and nothing can change that, nothing. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). No amount of surgery is going to change your heart Bruce.

Bruce: Well, if I look like a woman, then I can wear makeup and women’s clothes and pretend I’m one of them. Maybe I won’t have the same pressures I had as a man.

Jesus: Bruce, that’s all it will be … pretend dress up. You can try to change the outside appearance, but your soul and heart are what needs to change. I can tell you there’s only one real change you need to make in your life, and that’s to accept Me as your Lord and Savior. I can help you put off your old way of life and become the man you’ve always wanted to be…at peace with yourself.

You want notoriety and fame, but when all the hype dies down from this new attempt at finding yourself, you’re going to be as lonely and unhappy as you were before …probably even worse. Another big news story will soon replace your story, just like when you were a famous Olympian until the next Olympics and someone else won the gold medal.

[Tweet “The only way to true and lasting joy is for you to have a change of heart “]

The only way to true and lasting joy is for you to have a change of heart and I can help you with that. It’s free and painless. You’ll feel like you had emotional heart surgery. You’ll be a new man…a happy man, father, and grandfather. Because if you don’t, Bruce, you’re going to spend eternity as a mutilated, miserable man. Is that what you want? I won’t be able to let you into heaven because I gave you a chance on earth and you rejected me.

Bruce: If I can’t go to heaven, where will I go?

Jesus: Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned (John 5:28-29).

Jesus: Let me help you find your true identity. 2 Corinthians 5:17 is what you’re searching for Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.

Let me help you get to know me Bruce and when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:21-24).

Bruce: That sounds great!

Jesus: I came to give you life and life in abundance. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, [Me] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God (John 3:16-21).

Bruce, you’ve been living in the darkness, do you want to live in the light?

Bruce: Yes.

Then Jesus answered, Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again’ (John 3:5-7).

Bruce: You mean I can still be Bruce and be happy?

Jesus: Do you want to get well? (John 3:6). Are you sorry for your past sins and do you believe I am the Son of God who died and rose again three days later? From this day forward will you let me direct your life and your actions and will you share this heart change with the world, just as you were going to share your proposed gender change? Will you let the world know that I am Jesus and I’m alive in your male body and heart?

Bruce: Yes, I believe in You and I am sorry for the sinful life I’ve led. Please forgive me.

Jesus: Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life (John 5:24).

Now Bruce, See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you (John 5:14).

Now honor God with your body because, Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

And Bruce, one more thing, seek out wise counsel from my Father to help you with any future fears, insecurities, or decisions: I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you (Psalm 32:8).

Bruce, even after your heart change, you still may need to deal with some of your mental illness issues so be sure you only consult with Christian doctors who will give you wise counsel from my Word. Enjoy your new life as the man God planned for you to be and run the race He sets before you.

^{Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.—Hebrews 12:1-4}

And that could have been how Bruce had a joyous spiritual change of heart and a new identity in Christ instead of a tragic attempt to change physically what no man or woman can ever change—the man or woman God made you to be at birth.

[Tweet “No man or woman can ever change—the man or woman God made you to be at birth.”]

Maybe you could have a similar conversation with someone you know who is suffering from the mental illness of gender confusion before they make some tragic irreparable mistakes. Here are a couple of good posts to read from someone who has been in Bruce’s shoes and would not do it again.

“Sex Change” Surgery: What Bruce Jenner, Diane Sawyer, and You Should Know

Repentant Transsexual Warns Jenner the Hangover is Coming

PS: I’m going to take a vacation from blogging for the month of June. We’re having grandkids visit who have never been to our new home and then I’m headed to Orlando for the International Christian Retail Show. I’ve come home sick from every speaking event this year, so I’m taking my own advice that I gave to Gillette Family Life Church last month on How to be a Mary in a Martha World and I’m going to balance life and ministry. I’ll be back after July 4th.

June 8, 2015

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I Will Not Be Ashamed!

The media would have you think that surveys are proving the Christian population is diminishing, but you know better than to believe everything you read and hear. We live in an era where liberals are intent on demoralizing, demeaning, and denouncing Christians and everything we stand for and believe. Their strongest tactic is trying to shame us and use the power of words and name calling to threaten us into backing down from our faith and God’s Word.

But I hope you stand with me and the apostle Paul who said to his mentee, Timothy:

So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord.

—2 Timothy 1:8 NLT

Vine’s definition of ashamed: “A strong feeling of shame preventing a person from doing something.”

If God wants us to do something and the Holy Spirit prompts us—regardless of how “politically incorrect” or unpopular it might be, we need to stand proud of our Lord and Savior and follow the Great Commission He left for us to live out. We need to stand together against the pressure of this world to shame us—no matter how many names they call us, laws they pass to quiet us, or how unpopular we become personally … our job as Christians is to speak and live the Gospel.

[Tweet “We need to stand together against the pressure of this world to shame us”]

**The Christian World is Not Shrinking**

[Tweet “The Christian World is Not Shrinking”]

Reality is that the true Christian population is not shrinking—Christians who would never back down in the face of adversity are actually increasing. What is shrinking is the gap between those who call themselves “Christian” hoping for a free ticket to heaven while following the world’s ways, and those who identify with Christ and are willing to follow Him wherever He leads, even if it means suffering for the Gospel, as Paul did.

Both Jesus and Paul were rivals to the accepted culture of their day and everything they did upset the social order. Why would we think it so strange when we encounter the same reaction and persecution?

Pseudo-Christians are looking for a gospel they’ll never find: one that allows them not to make waves and keep their faith “private.” As that becomes more impossible, their faith becomes weaker and they fall away. Those “so called” Christians become lesser in number.

But to those who have the courage to be unpopular for Christ no matter what—their faith becomes stronger and their stance against the wrongs of this world becomes bolder. Yes, praise God, the true Christian population is increasing. Again just like Paul tells Timothy, these Christians will:

With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News.⁹For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. ¹⁰And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News.—2 Timothy 1:8-10

**There’s Only One Kind of Christian**

God shields every Christian who believes in living out the Bible—and only the Bible. A new term has caught my attention: “Bible-believing Christian.” I shake my head every time I hear it because there is no other kind of Christian. If you don’t believe the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, call yourself anything you want, but don’t call yourself a Christian because that’s blasphemy and heresy.

God ordains the steps of every Christian. We need to be using what He has given us in the time that we have here on Earth. God had a reason for saving us. So when we speak up for God, He gives our words power and He infuses us with courage. Holy people love God and others and tell the truth about God to everyone.

Liberals use the argument that Jesus loved everyone so Christians should love everyone’s sins. But they’re twisting the word “love” to mean what they want it to mean. To use “love” to justify sin is the exact opposite of what Jesus taught.

It’s true that Jesus loved the world and that’s why He died for everyone to have freedom from sin—sins that God hates. Jesus didn’t go to the cross so we could keep on sinning, but that we could live a life free from sin. That’s the true loving Gospel. Sharing the love of Christ and the Gospel with someone is the most loving thing you could do. Because …

²⁶If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, ²⁷but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.–Hebrews 10:25-27

Sin is Sin Even When Our Family is Doing It

[Tweet “Sin is Sin Even When Our Family is Doing It”]

I know firsthand that one of the hardest things as a parent is to watch our children choose to sin. I wrote a book about Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter so I know the heartbreak of feeling like you can’t do anything to stop them. But you can love them and pray for them. The most unloving thing you can do is enable them by overlooking their sin, indulging their sin, or trying to convince yourself that their sin isn’t really that bad. The most loving thing you can do is love them unconditionally, but don’t love their sin and help them turn their eyes to Jesus. Never give up on that quest!

Remember, every murderer is someone’s child, but that doesn’t make murder OK. Every alcoholic is someone’s child, but alcoholism is wrong. Every thief has parents, but stealing is a sin. If your child is indulging in alternate lifestyles, having sex outside of marriage, or experimenting with any transgenderism or homosexuality—it’s all sin. God doesn’t make any mistakes. He made girls as girls and boys as boys and he created girls to fall in love with boys, get married, and then have sex. The most loving thing you can do for your sinning child is to pray for him or her to seek Jesus, ask for forgiveness, change their sinful ways, and live a righteous life.

It’s painful and it takes courage, but my daughter is so glad that I loved her so much that I never gave up praying for her and today that’s our testimony together.

**Christianity is the Only All Inclusive Faith**

[Tweet “Christianity is the Only All Inclusive Faith”]

When the world says that Christians are “exclusive” that only shows ignorance of Christianity, the most “inclusive” religion in the world. Jesus is available to everyone. He died for everyone, but sadly, not everyone will accept His loving free invitation to eternal life with Him.

I leave you with a scenario that says it better than I can:

A young boyfriend and girlfriend were in a tragic accident and died. They’re looking down on the scene:

Girl to boy: “I have to leave you now.”
Boy: “I want to go with you wherever you’re going.”
Girl: “I’m going to be with God, but you didn’t accept him so you can’t come with me.”

Boy: “Did you know this?”

Girl: “Yes …”

Boy: “Then why didn’t you tell me?”
Girl: “I was afraid I would lose you.”

Who are you afraid of losing here on Earth, who someday you’ll have to say goodbye to forever? Don’t be ashamed to share the Gospel. Someone’s eternal life depends on it.

[Tweet “Don’t be ashamed to share the Gospel. Someone’s eternal life depends on it.”]

I derived parts of this blog from Pastor Brian Smith’s message at Crouch Community Church May 17, 2015. I wanted to say a huge “Amen” after every sentence. Thank you Pastor Brian for being a student of the Bible and preparing your congregation to be bold for Christ.

June 1, 2015

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Denzel Washington Tells New Grads: Put God First in Everything You Do!

You may have seen on the news or Facebook this past week that Denzel Washington gave a commencement speech at Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana. He opened his talk to the graduates with the quote in the picture above and told several humbling stories about himself, including only having a 1.7 GPA in college and his mother scolding him when he tried to take credit for his fame. She corrected him saying the prayers she and others had prayed for him led to his success:

“She said, ‘Boy, stop it right there, stop it right there, stop it right there!” he continued. “She said, ‘If you only knew how many people been praying for you.’ How many prayer groups she put together, how many prayer talks she gave, how many times she splashed me with holy water to save my sorry behind.”

Then Denzel made four points to the graduates:

[Tweet “Put God first in everything you do!” Denzel Washington”]

First: Put God first! Put God first in everything you do!

Second: Fail big … a dream without goals, is just a dream …

Third: You will never see a U-Haul behind a hearse …

Four: Say thank-you in advance for what is already yours.”

He concluded with, “Don’t aspire to make a living, aspire to make a difference.”

[Tweet “”Don’t aspire to make a living, aspire to make a difference.” Denzel Washington”]

Let’s look a moment at Denzel’s four points, which he said should be the basis for these young people’s lives as they go out into the world after college. They are the same four principles that should guide our lives too!

#1 Put God First in Everything You Do!

This commencement speech was given by an academy-award-winning actor who has always been open and vocal about his faith, and yet he has achieved stardom and recognition in a profession where God is often mocked, scorned, or discounted. Denzel Washington says that his being an actor was a gift from God. And he has used his gift for the most part wisely. I have questioned a few movies he made, but I’ve never questioned his professed faith.

I also noticed that I saw no cheap shots or ridicule of him by the media for the content of his speech. He obviously has gained respect from his colleagues and the press. It seems that Denzel has achieved this respect by never backing down about his faith, but letting his talent and God-given acting abilities speak for themselves.

[Tweet “That’s what it looks like to put God first in your life. “]

That’s what it looks like to put God first in your life. You never think about denying Christ or being embarrassed or hesitant to share your faith because it’s the most important thing in your life. When God is truly first in our life, thoughts, actions, and interactions all flow from Him. Then everything else falls into place—our family, jobs, ministry, service—all center around our relationship with God.

What does putting God first look like in your life?

[Tweet “A Dream without Goals, is Just a Dream”]

#2 A Dream without Goals, is Just a Dream

Denzel emphasized that God puts a passion or dream in your heart. That burning desire you have is God’s proof that it’s yours for the taking, but you have to claim it and act on it. Action requires setting goals to achieve your dream and discipline to act on those goals.

As an author, I often have people come up to me and tell me they’re sure they’re supposed to write a book. When I suggest some actions that would help achieve that goal, I can visibly see them pushing back. They want to write but not put in the effort it takes to achieve that dream. People also often ask if I always wanted to be an author and the truth is no I never set out to be an author. But when I felt God giving me the desire in my heart and I started taking the necessary steps, He opened one door after another. But I had to do my part and put in the time, effort, and work to set and achieve goals that would result in becoming a published author.

[Tweet ““Just because you’re doing a lot more, doesn’t mean you’re getting a lot more done!” Denzel Washington”]

Denzel pointed out that with all the techie devices we have today: “Just because you’re doing a lot more, doesn’t mean you’re getting a lot more done!” Can I hear an “Amen!”

What dreams has God given you that are waiting for you to set goals to achieve?

#3 You Will Never See a U-Haul Behind a Hearse

This is a point often made by Pastor Rick Warren. No one is taking anything with us when we die. Pastor Rick also says, “Do your given, while your livin’ so you’re knowin’ where it’s goin’. Denzel emphasized that it’s almost selfish to serve, because you the servant get such a blessing and great feeling. He was saying you’re blessed to be a blessing.

Washington also implored the graduates to try to “make a difference” during their careers, not just “make a living.”

How has God been using you to make a difference in this world?

#4 Say Thank-You in Advance for What is Already Yours

[Tweet “Put your slippers under your bed so you have to get on your knees in the morning! Denzel Washington”]

Denzel told the graduates: “I pray that you put your slippers way under your bed tonight, so that when you wake up in the morning you have to get on your knees to reach them. And while you’re down there, say thank you.”

What Makes You the Most Proud?

In a January 2008 interview with Oprah Winfrey, she asked Washington, “What makes you the most proud?” He said, “I’m careful about the word ‘proud.’ I’m happy to have read the Bible from cover to cover. I’m on my second go-round—I read one chapter a day. Right now I’m digging John. He just had dinner with Mary, and things are about to take a turn for the worse.”

Hmmm that sound like Denzel is doing just what I wrote about in last week’s blog post, “The Bread of Life–Everybody Needs It.” No matter where your life leads, you cannot thrive without the Word of God in your life daily helping you. Thank you Denzel Washington for sending these grads out into the world with the only message that ever leads to a meaningful life: Put God first in everything!

I would encourage you to watch the entire speech to the graduates. It’s only about ten minutes and you’ll be clapping and cheering right along with the graduates!

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May 18, 2015

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The Bread of Life–Every Body Needs It

Lately, bread has gotten a bad rap. Many have opted for gluten-free, wheat-free, flour-free, sugar-free sort-of-bread. Recently, my husband has had an undiagnosed mystery illness and received advice to eliminate white flour, yeast, sugar, and dairy products. Trying to find “bread” that he could eat was a challenge because my hubby wanted a sandwich or a bun for his turkey burger. At one point, he wrapped his turkey burger in a lettuce leaf, but I knew we were going to have to keep searching for “bread” that he could eat.

Bread has been the “staff of life” since the beginning of time and the foundation for the American diet. Even when money is tight, families still try to put bread on the table. As a culture, we love bread.

This is not Love Your Body Monday, so I’m not going to talk about the pros and cons of eating bread. But I do want to focus on the real Bread of Life we can’t eliminate or alter. Jesus said:

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. Yes, I am the bread of life! Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.” John 6: 47-51.

Feasting on the Bread of Life

[Tweet “Yes, Jesus is the “Bread” that provides a spiritually healthy earthly life and eternal life with Him”]

Yes, Jesus is the “Bread” that provides a spiritually healthy earthly life and eternal life with Him. But many have discounted the value of this life-giving Bread or never tasted of it. If you knew someone was starving, I know you would reach out and give him or her a loaf of bread to satisfy their physical hunger. So why not offer them the Bread of Life that will satisfy their spiritual hunger.

[Tweet “Many people today don’t realize they’re starving to death…”]

Many people today don’t realize they’re starving to death…they look well fed, drive nice cars, live in nice homes, have nice clothes, great jobs, a good family, seemingly the American dream … but that’s just what it is a dream that could be over in a moment. Nothing they can hold on to forever; certainly nothing they can take with them when they die.

Preaching to the Choir

You may be saying to yourself, OK Janet we all know this so why are you writing about it today?

Here’s why: People need the Lord—they’re starving right in front of us and we have the gift of life, but maybe we don’t know how to share it with them. It’s not quite as easy as handing someone a loaf of bread. Handing a Bible usually isn’t effective either unless we can help them understand what’s in it and why it’s life-changing.

And to be able to help them … we need to know what the Bible says ourselves.

Jesus is the Bread of Life and He is the Word made flesh:

In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.

God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.

The Word gave life to everything that was created,

and his life brought light to everyone.

The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.—John 1:1-5 NLT

We Have to Know Our Bible in Today’s Culture or We’ll Be the Ones Starving Spiritually

Today everything we as Christians believe and know to be true is coming under attack, including the Bible—especially the Bible. Many in the culture are trying to twist the Bible to mean what they want it to mean or are insisting that it doesn’t address issues of today. Of course, that means they don’t know the verse that says:

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.—Hebrew 13:8

You’ll be a casualty of the spiritual battle unfolding around us if you don’t know the only offensive weapon you have, the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God (Eph. 6:17).

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.—Hebrews 4:12

The only way to know God’s Word is to feed on it daily. Not just read it, but study the verses, know where to find them in your Bible, commit some to memory or at best a paraphrase. Mastering your Bible is not just a good idea when you have the time; it’s essential if you are to make wise, God-honoring decisions, and engage in discussions to support God’s ways for the world.

But you, friends, are well-warned. Be on guard lest you lose your footing and get swept off your feet by these lawless and loose-talking teachers. Grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Glory to the Master, now and forever! Yes!—2 Peter 3:17-18 The Message

Ways to Feed on the Bread of Life

Have a daily Bible reading plan and make time for it. You can’t afford not to. YouVersion.com has many choices. I like Walk Thru the Bible’s Daily Walk.
Get familiar with websites like Biblegateway.com. You can put in a word you remember from a Scripture or a phrase and it will give you a selection of Scriptures to choose from in different translations. I could not write without this free easy tool.
Take your Bible to church and engage with it during the sermon. Even if they put the Scriptures on a screen or in a handout, make notes and read them in your own Bible. Not interacting with your Bible at church is like watching someone else eat “bread” or show you pictures of “bread” or read to you about “bread” and expect it to nourish your body. After a while, you become malnourished if you don’t eat the bread yourself. You’ll become spiritually malnourished if you’re not feeding on the Bread of Life for yourself from you own Bible.
Know what the Bible says about the “hot topics” in today’s culture. For example, something I often hear is that Jesus never opposed homosexuality or gay marriage or that only the Old Testament bands homosexuality. Do you know how to counter that with the truth?
How much of what others say or you read online or on Facebook do you take as truth without running it by The Truth in your Bible? Does God’s Word substantiate the message? Most pastors will tell you not to even take their word for what they say, check it out yourself.
Know the context of a Scripture. Don’t get into a battle of Scriptures or take it out of context to make your point.

[Tweet “Some are loving their neighbors straight into hell instead of heaven. “]

For example, many today are only focusing on the Scriptures that say to “love your neighbor” but the rest of that verse is “as yourself.” “Love your neighbor as yourself?” Do you love your sin? Do you love yourself even more when you’re sinning? Of course not, so why love your neighbor’s sin? Some are loving their neighbors to death instead of eternal life–into hell instead of heaven. Those are the only two options when we die.

[Tweet “Do you love your sin? Do you love yourself even more when you’re sinning? Of course not, so why love your neighbor’s sin?”]

Aren’t you glad you’ve been forgiven and by grace can go to Jesus for forgiveness of your sins and have eternal life with Him? The way to love your neighbor as yourself is to love them enough to share with them what you, yourself have found, freedom from the grip of Satan through a relationship with Christ.

[Tweet “One of the devil’s tricks is to stop you from digging into your Bible and hiding it away in your heart.”]

I leave you with this thought: One of the devil’s tricks is to stop you from digging into your Bible and hiding it away in your heart. Satan knows that if you’re equipped with the Word of God in your heart and mind, he doesn’t have a chance of making headway in your life. But the reverse is true too—if you don’t know your Bible, you’re easy prey for Satan.

[Tweet “If you don’t know your Bible, you’re Satan’s easy prey.”]

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May 11, 2015

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The “Call” That Changed My Life

Site of Peter’s Primacy Church at Tabgha, near Capernum – the area of Seven Springs

When you saw the title of this blog, you probably thought I received a life-changing phone call, but I’m not talking about that kind of a call. I’m talking about “The Call” from the Lord. Yes, that “Call.”

[Tweet “” I had told God I would work anywhere except in women’s ministry.”]

Twenty years ago, April 25, 1995, I was at a Women in Ministry Conference in Portland, OR trying to figure out how God was going to use me when I finished seminary. I had told Him I would work anywhere except in women’s ministry. Why? Because when I was a divorced, single, working mom, I felt unwelcome in women’s church activities. There were definite clicks and I wasn’t part of the “in group.” As the manager of an insurance team, I had watched some women’s ruthless ways in business, cattiness, nonprofessional, and whining and I didn’t want any part of it. Surely, the Lord knew that and would use me in the business world.

The second night of the conference, I was sitting at a round table, sipping coffee and listening to piano music while awaiting the evening’s speaker, Jill Briscoe. Suddenly, without warning, I heard the words “Feed my sheep.” I looked around the table to see who was talking about sheep, but everyone was engaged in their own conversations. So I said, “What sheep? Where? And what would I feed them if I found them?” Again, I heard, “Feed my sheep.”

[Tweet “Suddenly, without warning, I heard the words “Feed my sheep.””]

I Agreed to Feed His Sheep! Now What?

As I realized it was the Lord talking, I said, “Ok.”

That night, I called my husband and excitedly told him about my encounter with the Lord. Dave calmly said, “Well honey, let’s pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what this means.” So we prayed.

God answered the next morning when the speaker told us she was going to teach from John 21:15-17 where Jesus is telling Peter if you love me, “Feed my sheep.” I looked at the handout to see what her topic was and she was going to talk on “Shepherding Women in Your Church.” I let out an audible, “Oh, no!” This can’t be possible; surely God has the wrong woman.

[Tweet “God began to reveal that the sheep were women and the feeding was mentoring“]

When I arrived home, God began to reveal that the sheep were women and the feeding was mentoring, and I’ve been feeding His sheep now for twenty years. First, I started the Woman to Woman Mentoring Ministry at Saddleback Church, which continues blessing women in churches around the world. Then God asked me, a non-writer at the time, to write a resource to help churches start their own mentoring ministries. Next, He sent me on the road to share the Titus 2:3-5 message and glued me to my computer writing books about “Sharing Life’s Experiences and God’s Faithfulness.”

Celebrating 20 Years in Ministry

Circle Drive Baptist Church, Colorado Springs, CO April 25, 2015

On April 25, 2015, in commemoration of my 20-year anniversary of feeding His sheep, God had me speak at Circle Drive Baptist Church in Colorado Springs on the topic they chose, “Reigniting the Titus 2 Woman.” The next day, I trained in Parachute, CO at Grace Bible Churches Woman to Woman Mentoring ministry first Kickoff Night. I hadn’t taught at a Kickoff Night training in many years, but it was such a sweet way to reminisce and be back in the heart of where it all began—watching women walk side-by-side with Christ at the center of their relationship.

Kickoff Night @ Grace Baptist Church, Parachute, CO

Do I think God planned for me to have those mentoring speaking engagements on the exact 20-year anniversary of hearing “Feed my sheep”? Absolutely! That was all God. No coincidence, no serendipity—100% God celebrating with me the amazing ministry that can take place when we simply say “Ok” to His call.

[Tweet “God celebrating with me the amazing ministry that can take place when we simply say “Ok” to His call.”]

How is God Calling You?

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.—Romans 8:28

God calls all of us. Every Christian has a purpose and a call. But the key to knowing your call is to listen…have ears that hear God when He speaks whether it’s through reading your Bible, hearing a sermon, listening to worship music…. He’s talking all the time, but we have to listen.

[Tweet “God calls all of us. Every Christian has a purpose and a call.”]

When we hear His Call, we have a choice, “Yes Lord I hear ou and I will do what ou ask, and go where ou lead.” Or “Not now Lord, I’m too busy … too tired … too unsure of myself … just not ready to make such a commitment.”

[Tweet “We’re living in times where every committed Christian needs to know God’s purpose for our life and follow the “Call””]

Where has God been calling you? What has He asked you to do? We’re living in times where every committed Christian needs to know God’s purpose for our life and follow the “Call” that will not only change our life, but the lives of others, the culture, the world.

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.—Proverbs 19:21

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I would love to hear your mentoring story to share in my next book. If you’ve been a mentor or mentee, please contact me.

May 4, 2015

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Love Your Body—Don’t Drink Alcohol

Love Your Body Like God Loves It

I know this isn’t going to be a popular post for some of you, but as Christians taking care of this temple of a body God has given us, I feel we need to talk about it on our Love Your Body Monday. If you start to get defensive while reading this blog, ask yourself: “Why can’t I give up alcohol?”

I don’t drink. There was a time in my backsliding years when I did drink, and I can tell you for certain no one could ever convince me to go back to those dark days. Alcohol is a “socially acceptable” drug that is high in calories, expensive, hard on your body, and results in distinct changes in your personality and actions, lowers your inhibitions, and is an inexcusably horrific and often deadly role model for the next generation.

[Tweet “Alcohol is a “socially acceptable” drug “]

When I read Wikipedia’s definition of alcohol, I have to ask myself why any Christian would want to spend their money, calories, reputation, brain cells, and witness on this drug—

An alcoholic beverage is a drink which contains a substantial amount of the psychoactive drug ethanol (informally called alcohol). As one of the most widely used recreational drugs in the world, such drinks have an important social role in most cultures. Because of their potential for abuse, almost all countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption. Some countries ban such activities entirely. The global alcoholic beverages industry exceeded $1 trillion in 2014.

Let me further define psychoactive drugs. I don’t think it’s what God had in mind when he told us to purposely renew our minds and run from worldly pleasures:

A psychoactive drug, psychopharmaceutical, or psychotropic is any chemical substance that changes brain function and results in alterations in perception, mood, or consciousness. These substances may be used recreationally, to purposefully alter one’s consciousness.

Parents and Grandparents The Children in Your Family are Watching You!

I’m most concerned about the parents and grandparents who drink and role model—yes mentor—drinking alcohol to their children and grandchildren in what should be a safe place for children, their home. Children are drinking at earlier and earlier ages and where do they first see it consumed? 99% of the time, it’s in their own homes. If you’re a parent who drinks, you have to take full responsibility if your child starts drinking. I’m not saying they won’t drink if you don’t drink, but at least you’re not leading, enabling, and displaying to them that it’s acceptable.

[Tweet “If you’re a parent who drinks, you have to take full responsibility if your child starts drinking.”]

Mariel Hemingway,, actress and granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway, said in an interview: “What I DO know is that my father drank, and when he drank he changed. And I watched it with both my parents. I watched it with my sisters. By the fourth glass of wine they were not the same people … there was a darkness that had sort of overcome them.”

[Tweet “Mariel Hemingway said, “What I DO know is that my father drank, and when he drank he changed. “]

Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. Titus 2:3-5

Here’s an alarming trend amongst mommies…It’s called…

Moms Who Need____________

How would you fill in that blank?

Whatever you put in the blank—a rest, a break, a nap, love, peace, quiet—if you fill it in with “Jesus” and His Word, He’ll help you with all He knows you need.

Moms Who Need The Lord and His Word would be the right answer.

But I was saddened to learn that over 707,872 moms fill in the blank, and fill-up their glasses, with “Wine.” Yes, the “Moms Who Need Wine” Facebook page has that many “likes”. They also have a website that sells T-shirts, sweatshirts, tote bags, and water bottles with their logo (picture below) and, of course, sell wine by the case.

“Moms Who Need Wine” Facebook profile picture and logo

The premise of this group is that they can’t get through a day of mothering without drinking. Does that alarm you as much as it does me? These are moms who are responsible for infants, toddlers, kids, neighbor’s kids, your kids, carpools, driving with innocent children in the backseat. No one can dispute that alcohol impairs all your faculties, and yet, these moms laugh and cavort on Facebook about their drinking while mothering like a group of barroom drunks.

Kids Play, Mommies Drink

Play date “snacks” from the “Moms Who Need Wine” Facebook page

[Tweet ” wine-drinking mommies aren’t hanging out in bars…they’re changing diapers, vacuuming, cooking, driving cars, pushing strollers, helping at school, “]

These wine-drinking mommies aren’t hanging out in bars…they’re changing diapers, vacuuming, cooking, driving cars, pushing strollers, helping at school, and meeting at play dates to share a bottle of wine, referred to as “mommy juice”. Maybe some of them are your friends or neighbors…maybe one is you….

Mommies Beware—You’re Being Targeted

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”—1 Peter 5:8 NLT

A Times Magazine article titled “Mother’s Liquid Helper. Raising children? Raise a glass!” reported that wineries are marketing directly to moms of young kids. “Chateau Ste. Michelle in Washington has begun a Facebook campaign asking women to customize an equation to sum up what makes them want a glass. (“Me + a glass of wine – juice boxes + quiet time for 15 minutes = My Chateau.”) The ads tagline: ‘It’s where you become you again’—will run in places women go when they’re stressed out about taking care of their family, including Food Network Magazine, parents.com, and Rachael Ray’s website”.

Clos LaChance Winery has a “MommyJuice line, and another winery calls their mommy-targeted wine, “Mommy’s Time Out.

When I spoke on this alarming trend at a retreat recently, a young woman came up to me afterwards thanking me for taking on this challenging topic. She said she was an ER Nurse and had recently seen three young mothers die because of cirrhosis of the liver caused by alcoholism. Stefanie Wilder-Taylor, who championed this mommy-drinking trend with her blog and best sellers Naptime Is the New Happy Hour and Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay, eventually had to admit she had a drinking problem, and quit.

[Tweet “An ER Nurse recently saw three young mothers die because of cirrhosis of the liver caused by alcoholism.”]

Sobering Topic

I’m not judging whether someone chooses to drink alcohol, but if you care about your health, your body, your witness, your children, your grandchildren, your finances, possibly your life … I am questioning the when and the why.

“Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.” Proverbs 20:21

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April 27, 2015

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Archives for 2015

Forty is the New Twenty … Naught

By Kim Mancini

Fear of the Scales

Getting Serious About Losing the Extra Pounds

Counting Calories Works!

Proud to be a “Right-Winger”

My Walk on the Dark Side

We’ve All Experienced the Dark

Where is our Hope?

My Unjust Demotion Was A Divine Moment

I Could Have Sued

Using My Talents and Gifts for God

“I Envy You!”

Choose Today Who You Will Follow—Man or The Messiah

You Probably Know a Person Sinning Sexually

What About the Person Who Claims to be a Christian but Also Persists in Sexual Sin or Approves of Same-Sex Marriage?

Our Story

Stand Strong

Speculative Conversation Between Bruce Jenner and Jesus

The Christian World is Not Shrinking

There’s Only One Kind of Christian

Sin is Sin Even When Our Family is Doing It

Christianity is the Only All Inclusive Faith

#1 Put God First in Everything You Do!

#2 A Dream without Goals, is Just a Dream

#3 You Will Never See a U-Haul Behind a Hearse

#4 Say Thank-You in Advance for What is Already Yours

What Makes You the Most Proud?

Feasting on the Bread of Life

Preaching to the Choir

Jesus is the Bread of Life and He is the Word made flesh:

We Have to Know Our Bible in Today’s Culture or We’ll Be the Ones Starving Spiritually

Ways to Feed on the Bread of Life

[Tweet “Suddenly, without warning, I heard the words “Feed my sheep.””]

I Agreed to Feed His Sheep! Now What?

Celebrating 20 Years in Ministry

How is God Calling You?

Parents and Grandparents The Children in Your Family are Watching You!

Here’s an alarming trend amongst mommies…It’s called…

Kids Play, Mommies Drink

Mommies Beware—You’re Being Targeted

Sobering Topic

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**The Christian World is Not Shrinking**

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