A Reunion of Strangers

Last night I went home to a place I had never been. The room was filled with people dancing and singing and cheering, but I saw no pastor. It was a celebration, yet I heard no music. A faceless friend escorted me through the crowd. We walked hand in hand like ghosts until I saw her, a sister I have never seen but instantly loved and missed. My faceless escort and I drew closer. My sister turned and looked through the crowd for me. I waved to get her attention. She waved back frantically, beckoning to come to her. We moved through the familiar crowd of witnesses, each person smiled and embraced me. No one touched me, but I felt every hug. I swallowed every kiss. I heard every greeting. Yet, the room was silent. When I reached my sister, the congregation sang a silent praise that was felt by all. She embraced me, and I was swaddled in comfort and peace. And, we walked as one, further into the crowd. Each touchless interaction filled us more until we too became love in a celebration with no end.

⁹However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”- the things God has prepared for those who love him- ¹⁰these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10

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It’s A Distraction

Tags

#Christslove, #race riots, #terrorinvirginia, #whitenationalists

Most of us have electronic devices that are practically an extension of our arms. But do you ever take a moment other “extensions”? Think about that 24-hour news network that you stay glued to? (guilty here) Or, that desperate need to see the new movie that just came out? What about that new guy or girl in your life that you must talk to and hang around every moment of everyday? What do they all have in common?

They are distractions.

Done in moderation all of them could be a healthy and helpful part of your life. But here is another distraction that may not be so obvious.

Natural disasters

War

Riots

Politics

Religion

Racism

Sexism

Gender Inequality

Discrimination

All are distractions. These are just a few examples. Anything that takes your attention from God, is a dangerous distraction. As entertainingly insane as our current political situation is right now, I have wasted precious time ranting on Facebook about it when I should have used that stage to share the gospel or at least a scripture, a testimony. Distractions.

Take the riots and murders that happened just over the weekend in Virginia. Some of the people participating are lost in the past. They can’t let it go. Others are focused on a piece of stone offending them. All have fallen victim to the biggest deception. Picture Satan watching and laughing, claiming his prize of new souls. Why? Because these people have one thing in common for sure. They are all distracted. None of them are focused on Christ. None of them are interested in sharing the gospel. The love of Jesus is so far removed from this and so many other world events.

And we forget. We get lost in political and religious debates online and in person. Our emotions get the best of us because we allow the faulty flesh to replace our hearts. And our hearts should be filled and focused on the love of Christ and sharing that love with others.

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Colossians 3:1-2

How wonderful would it have been if the group of white nationalists and the counter-protestors had just realized that none of the chaos they were creating even mattered. How beautiful would it have been if they instead decided to sit down in the same streets they were tearing up and just prayed?

I know. But a girl can dream, right?

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:2

These things are distractions. They are keeping us away from Christ and away from our privilege to love and our duty to share to sweet gospel that Christ died and was resurrected to atone for our sins. We just believe.

That’s not hard to share, right?

Don’t let the noise of the world keep you from hearing the voice of the Lord.

–Unknown

 

 

I Dream of Heaven

Last night I had a dream. I dreamt that I was carried to Heaven. Happily, I said goodbye to the people in the room with me. I gathered no luggage. I made no lists. I took no thought nor care for what I was leaving behind.

I only took flight.

Once my feet left the ground, I didn’t look back. I was all smiles and laughs as God’s gravity pulled me higher and higher into the sky. And I flew through the clouds, past the stars and over the galaxies all the way home where my Father greeted me like royalty.

It was the best night.

I didn’t want to wake up. I laid there in bed for a few moments still smiling. I started thanking God. I could not remember the last time I actually awakened from my sleep, happy.

This dream was a lesson to me. With all of the ugliness in the world, from prejudices to the hot button topic of the day— politics, we Christians forget that none of it matters. When we leave, we will not think nor care about what happened yesterday. We will only focus on one subject, God.

And, isn’t that what we are to focus on while we are here anyway?

Yes, I know it’s terribly hard. My mind is constantly filled with my personal problems and those of my friends. I spend so much time asking God to do things that I forget to say “thank you”. But this morning, I made another deal with myself.

I will try harder to keep my mind on heavenly things, remembering that this troublesome world is only a pit stop home.

 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:1-2

The Bible tells us that we will have perfect peace if our minds are focused on God.

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Isaiah 26:3

That, my sweet brothers and sisters, is so very true. For a few blissful moments, when I awakened from my dream, I cared nothing nor anyone except seeing my Father.

Grace and peace,

Blessings and love,

Dance Like Nobody’s Watching

Recently, a friend I’ve known for a while “chastised” me for “dancing” to secular music. I allowed her to talk but I stopped listening after a few seconds. We’ve had this conversation before and it was obvious neither one of us had changed our position.  I am a pretty passive person these days. So, I kept my thoughts to myself as she babbled on in complete bondage. But, what I wanted to say was this:

Take a look at your DVR recordings or your movie purchases. What’s the difference? Why cast the stone? This is what irritates me about religion. It keeps you in bondage even when Christ has set you free with his BLOOD. HIS HUMAN LIFE. You can’t settle a debt any better than this. This is the ultimate sin (if there is a such thing). Rejecting God’s atonement for ALL sin insisting you can do a better job. Foolish child! It’s sad that so many of these self righteous, sanctimonious, holier than thou, ‘I am God’s chosen because I can recite scripture and I count my sins everyday, people are so very LOST. My dear sister/brother, revisit 1 Cor. 15:3…where Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; John 8:36…if the Son shall make you free, you are free indeed and (you know this one by heart) John 3:16. What’s worse than going to hell? Going and being totally surprised. Note: Your deeds are not the key, it’s your faith.

I didn’t bother ‘casting my pearls to swine’, brothers and sisters. I just rolled my eyes and said a quick prayer for her as I do for myself. I asked for wisdom and understanding of the Bible. I pray that you all know that God looks beyond that thick skin of ours. He speaks to our heart and soul. No relationship can be any deeper.

I wouldn’t be surprised at all if we got to Heaven and the Lord Jesus himself wanted to dance in celebration of our glorious welcome home.

Grace and peace  Blessings and Love.

Use me, Lord.

I’m sad to say that I can understand how easy it is for one’s heart to turn to stone. We live in a cold world. It’s so cold that the very fact is a cliché. But it is sadder to know that even your brothers and sisters in Christ are even icier.

I’ll admit sometimes I wish I could just use people for what I need or want and keep it moving. It happens so often, it looks easy. But my conscience, my heart, the Holy Spirit in me, won’t allow me to so. I feel guilty just thinking about it.

I’m far from perfect. Trust me; I have done things in which I am ashamed. But like so many of my brothers and sisters, I have a love for people. I want to help them. Nourish them. I’d give my all and my last if I could. God knows that’s the truth. Anyone who knows me can witness to this fact.

But I wonder how do we get so wrapped up on our flesh that we forget to love each other, unconditionally.

Agape love.

I have had recent cases where people I loved, brothers and sisters in the Lord, who could have helped me but refused. But with the same hand, reached out for my assistance, vanishing after there need was filled.

It happens too often. And good clean hearts can easily turn into stone with this kind of treatment. I considered taking on this attitude.

“From now on, I’m looking out for me and only me. No one is going to mistake my kindness for weakness ever again,” I said to myself.

These thoughts were fueled by pain and heartbreak. I knew it was wrong. But God how do I avoid people like this? How do I tell the difference being naivety and charity?

I came across some verses that helped. They blessed and refilled my heart. When I read them, I truly felt sorry for the “users”. I hope it blesses you too.

 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. Luke 6:28

For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation. Psalms 149:4

Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility. Proverbs 18:12

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time 1 Peter 5:6

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; Matthew 5:44

 

 

I loathe when people use others. It’s one of those things that anger me. It just breaks my heart. However, here’s the kicker.

I want to be used.

But, only by my Father, the Lord Jesus Christ. These days, I have a new prayer. I ask the Lord to use me in any way that He wants to use me. I am His. I only ask for strength and courage to do His Will.

 Will you join me? Perhaps, by faith, we can put a dent in the cycle.

Grace and peace. Blessings and love.

Love Never Felt So Good

Greetings my brothers and sisters in Christ!

I am in LOVE…with the lyrics in this song, Break Every Chain.

There is power in the name of Jesus
to break every chain.

There’s an army rising up.
To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain.

I hear the chains falling.

There is power in the name of Jesus
to break every chain.

Not too long ago, I fell ill and into a depression so deep, I was ready to end my life. My life had been taken over by the pressures and pleasures of this world. I worked nonstop. I was fighting a chronic physical illness. I barely had time for my family. In between the two I tried to squeeze in time for a romantic relationship that was doomed from the start. In short, my life was sheer chaos.

I neglected to attend my weekly Bible study. Church on Sunday? Nope. I was at work. My morning prayers were replaced with Insanity workouts, the gym and Spotify. I barely picked up the Bible or opened my Bible app. My spiritual life, as I knew it, was fading away. But I didn’t notice.

Meanwhile, I began to feel drained, sick and sad. I couldn’t explain why. I had battled depression before, so I knew the warning signs. True to form, I was too busy to truly acknowledge them. I mentioned it in passing to friends. I got the same answer from each of them: You’re doing too much. Slow down.

But I couldn’t.

I felt that I had to be the super being my family needed. I had to help with legal cases, emotional issues, custody issues, financial problems. I chose to carry that weight on my own not realizing that it was weighing down. I had unequivocally tried to replace God, attempting to carry these loads. My life was in danger. But again, I didn’t notice.

Colossians 2
18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

2 Corinthians 11:3 – But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Meanwhile, my body, my mind and my spirit weakened. Things in my life began to fall apart. I was loosing the tight grip I thought I had on everything. I was plagued with migraines, my strength was barely there. I was becoming a skeleton.

Finally, I realized something was missing. I tried to pray. But my prayers felt empty and rehearsed. I tried to worship the Lord but there was no satisfaction. The close, intimate relationship that I had with my Father was gone.

I was lost.

Those whispers that I used to hear in my ear every day; that soft still voice, that gifted me with encouragement and love, had fallen silent. I saw no visions. I dreamed no dreams.  It was all replaced with a taunting sibilance growing louder in my mind.

I was broken.

For days I was on my knees crying out to God, begging Him to come back. I felt, I heard, I saw nothing. Desperate to hear from my Father, I continued to pray. One morning, I heard something new, an idea that gave me a bit of relief.

The devil sweetly tortured me with suicide. His sharp tongue was like fire in my ear. The voices drowned all reasoning in my mind.

“You’re too far from God,” the evil creature whispered to me. “Look at all you’ve done. He’s not coming back to you. You have to go to Him.”

I was intrigued. For the first time in months, I had some hope.

“You can’t handle these things anymore. God wants to take away your burdens. You have to go to Heaven and be with Him. Then, you will see Him. No more stress. No more pain. Just Heaven. You are saved. When you die, you’ll go straight there. It’s time.”

Tears running down my cheeks, I smiled…completely deceived.

I wrote suicide letters my mind on one thing: Heaven. I secured a bottle of sleeping pills and took them. As I lay in bed waiting for my home-going, I turned to my nightstand and saw the envelopes with my children’s names on them.

No, I thought. I can’t do this. God doesn’t want me to do this.

I sat up in my bed and called a friend. I confessed my sin, crying so loud he could barely understand me. We prayed and prayed. But I fell asleep.

I spent four days in a hospital. When I came home, my depression was still there. I was barely able to get out of bed. I still could not pray. I was miserable. The last thing I wanted to do was to bother my friends with my troubles. But I was tired of being tired.

I called one of my best friends and shared everything. God bless her. She gave me the solution that was so simple, so sweet.

“Get up right now,” she demanded in only a way she could.

I obeyed.

“You will not lay in that bed. You will not let this defeat you. I want you to call on the name of Jesus. Do it now.”

So I did. We recited ‘Jesus’ over and over again. It was a quiet call at first. Before I knew it, my voice grew louder and louder. My best friend was off of the phone but I didn’t notice. I continued to call Jesus. On my knees, I prayed and begged for help.

There’s an army rising up.
To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain.

Yes, my friend! Praise God that army was rising up and ready to rescue me!

I felt better. Everyday, I fell out of bed and on my knees in prayer. God had sent that army down just for me. My strength returned. Laughter, joy and love was back in my life.

God said to me “I will never leave you.”

And He never did. I had forgotten that God cannot and will not forsake us, regardless of how far away we feel we have strayed.

Matthew 28:20 … and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

I had lost my way, feeling hopeless and without love. I allowed the enemy to nearly erase me. But the beautiful thing to remember is that Jesus conquered all death on the cross. Death is sin. Had I killed myself, I would have been guilty of sin and rejecting the sacrifice of God.

Beloved, we have to remember that there is great incomprehensible power in the name of JESUS. We all take this for granted but should not. I am a witness to that power. It is indescribable what happened to me just by calling the name of JESUS. That spirit, that chain of depression was broken with that sweet simple utterance of His name.

Jesus.

2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

I am back in the loving arms of my Father, remembering always, my Holy place in the body of Christ. The chains are broken. Can you hear them falling? Can you hear the army of love charging the enemy to rescue you too?

Praise the Lord! I am in love. And it has never felt so good.

Grace and peace,
Blessings and love!