Healing Confessions That Give Life

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#celebraterecovery, family, health, Inspiration, peace, prayer, relationship

Joking, I once told a friend that Catholics should be in good mental health with all their confession requirements. Maybe it was distasteful but hey, that’s how we joke. When we speak on it seriously, it’s not funny at all. Many religions believe that confession is an integral part of securing and keeping salvation. That is a lie. But, I submit that confessing your sins to each other can be very healing for relationships and prosperous for your spiritual journey.

Some people may spout scriptures like Romans 6:14 and 22 to make you believe that talking about your sin or struggle is pointless. Don’t fall for that. Make no mistake, sin has no dominion over us. We are forgiven. But this does not mean that you are wrong for talking about your personal struggles.

Not long ago, I felt compelled to make some serious changes in my life. I sought advice from a few trusted friends. To receive true advice, I had to first fess up.

While it is not a requirement to confess your sins to anyone, there is a reason we are encouraged to do so. Don’t you think?

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.

James 5:16

Confessing your sins to each other is not an absolute to go to heaven. Trust me, God already knows about them and forgave every one of them on the cross. Remember the thief hanging there next to Jesus? Jesus gave him an instant entrance ticket to heaven. And my heart, you have the same. When Jesus said, ‘It is finished’, he meant it.

But, something beautiful happens when we unload our burdens. Find that dear trusted friend, and just allow them to share your load. If this is not an option, write it down in a letter to yourself (burn the letter after you read it) and take the cleansing breath of relief. Feel better? Can you feel that weight being lifted off? Are you sleeping better now?

This healing is a necessity if we are to continue to teach and share the gospel. Part of our beauty is in our faults. If we were perfect, we would not need a Savior. God does not expect us to be perfect. After all, we are perfected through Him. But, that does not mean that we should not strive to live clean lives (1 Corinthians 1:8, Hebrews 12:13).

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.

Philippians 1:9-10

We cannot move and continue our work here on earth if we are bound. Beloved, I speak from experience when I say, it only encompasses you. Let it go. Anything that is hidden cannot be healed (Psalms 32:3).

Grace and peace,

Blessings and love,

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Who Could Ask For Anything More?

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Afterlife, christianity, church, Encouragement, end times, family, God, gospel, Heaven, Holy Bible, Holy Spirit, home, Jesus, Love, music, peace, prosperity, salvation, wealth

Does this title ‘Who Could Ask For Anything More’, place the I Got Rhythm song in your head? I’m humming the tune as I type. I’m stuck on the ‘who could ask for anything more’ part. It makes me think about my life as a Christian. I am far from rich. I have bills galore. I don’t have the latest and the greatest of anything material in this world. Yet, I am happy. All three of my babies are in good general health, as am I. My family is the closest, sweetest bunch of weirdos. I wouldn’t trade them in for all of the silver and gold in the world. Thinking on these things makes me happy. I can say that I am content with my life and its direction. I know who I am in Christ. I know my calling. I know that if I walk outside and get hit by a semi-truck that I will wake up in Heaven.

Who could ask for anything more?

How about you? What more do you need in your life on this earth? We have already established that we are ambassadors, merely renting time and space here. Our real home and our real affections are on things that are above.

Colossians 3:2 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Do you have general health and strength? Do you have family and friends? Do you have a means to take care of yourself and the ones you love? Yes? What more do you need?

Who could ask for anything more?

So your health is not where it used to be. So your family and friends aren’t that close. You still have something around you to be thankful for. Right? Of course you do! Because even if every thing around you is crumbling, remember that you are a born again, precious saved member of the body of Christ, (Ephesians 2:8-9). You have something inside of you that can never compare to anything on this earth. That wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit, your salvation! Your salvation guarantees that you are not lost. It assures you that regardless of what this life on this earth is like for us, we have something to look forward to. We have a home to go to when our Father decides to crack the sky and take us to where we belong.

God has given us the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, to secure our salvation. He only asks that we believe and receive. The Lord Jesus has left us with the Holy Spirit to guide and comfort us. No charge. God wrote the Holy Bible through his vessels (much like you and I) so that we may know Him (Matthew 24:35). No charge. So, my brothers and sisters, we have everything we need to get our job done here on earth. We have everything that we need to survive here on earth. Right?

Who could ask for anything more?

Everything else are just those things that the world tells us that we need. We do not need them. We want them. And there’s a distinctive difference between needing and wanting, as you know. The Bible clearly tells us that we don’t know what to pray for. Why is that? Because we already have it all.

Romans 8

26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Now, do we really believe the Holy Spirit would make intercession for us to get a new car. How would that profit the gospel of the grace of God?

I take issue with people who claim that we can have it all right now! (A few may and that’s fine. But just because you do not have, it does not mean that you are not blessed with those spiritual blessings in heavenly places).

Ephesians 1:2-4

2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Some people, mostly those preaching the prosperity doctrine, claim that God wants us all to be rich with expensive cars, bank accounts etc. They use some convincing scriptures to support these claims, such as John 10:10. It is easy to misconstrue this verse because of the use of the words like “abundantly”. Some translations replace abundantly with richly making it even harder to see the true meaning. And, the truth is that this verse does not refer to material wealth, but instead internal peace.

Those of us who are studious enough to look into these verses and rightly divide the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15), we know that these verses are taken completely out of context.

Beloveth, God is not interested in you getting all of the material wealth in the world. Why would He even care about such things?

1 John 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Apostle Paul tells us to set our mind on things which are above.

Colossians 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

The Lord God is only interested in what you believe. He only wants for us to share the gospel, the word of truth with others. Now, if you believe that God does not dwell on your sins when it comes to your salvation. Why would you believe that he cares about you getting a new Mercedes? If you are one of those who preach, God only looks at your heart, why do you seduce yourself into believing that God wants you to have material things that do absolutely nothing for your salvation?

We are the be content with ourselves, focusing on sharing the good news with others. I too struggle with this. Hey, I’m a girl! I love new things! And sometimes I really feel lost without my smart-phone! But when it’s all said and done, I’d trade nothing for my salvation. Nothing.

So, here’s what I plan to do. I hope you will join me. The next time something does not go my way or I do not get that new flat screen, car or even promotion I wanted, I intend to repeat this question:

Who could ask for anything more?

Me: God, I’ve been praying for this new BMW. Why didn’t I get it? Why didn’t you answer me?

The Holy Spirit in me: God gave you His son’s blood. What more do you want? Who could ask for anything more?

Me: Lord, I want to win this lottery. I can do so much for the ministry if I could just win a little bit of money.

The Holy Spirit in Me: God gave you the Blood, the Bible and hey, me! Who could ask for anything more?

Me: God please bless me with a new Iphone. Mine is so out of date. I can’t afford it but I believe you can do it.

Who could ask for anything more?

Grace and peace and so much love!