"Religious conviction: (n) an act from which men never do evil so completely and cheerfully"

Galatians 5:12

I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off!

Phillipians 3:2

"Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh..."

In the verses above, that was Paul writing. He was apparently NOT a fan of "legalists." I believe Paul and I would've had a lot in common. You can almost sense his letter was laced with pure disdain for these people. After all, they were the main culprits in this day that would cause people to fall away from following the Lord. Isn't it pretty much the same way today? I see it all too often. Someone stops going to church because they made a mistake, but feeling forgiven by God isn't all they have to cope with. They would have to walk down the isles of piercing judgement if they went back. The cutting eyes of those who wouldn't dare make a mistake. What about the people who believe differently from us? Are we quick to throw stones at them, appalled they would believe something other than our "truth," or do we love and befriend them despite their religious preference? 

People don't want to hear as much about what you learned in your bible study this morning, as they want to feel like you're listening to them. They don't want to hear how God's working in your ministry as much as they want you to minister to them. They don't want to hear how great your God provides for you as much as they want to see you give it back. Actions speak louder than words. If you are preaching about how great God is, and how he is in constant control of your life, but you are the laziest worker at your job, you just cancelled out your words. You see a homeless man out on the street, but you dare not stop to speak or give some money, but you'll say to him, "God Bless You." You just taught him that your God is one who will say "hi" but never intervene in his life. Good job. Sometimes we are the only experience someone will have with Christ. What experience are you teaching them? Below are two different "doctrinal" beliefs...choose your side and stand firm in it....I'm a "Sola Fide" believer til the day I die!

Legalism, in Christian theology, is a sometimes-pejorative term referring to an over-emphasis on discipline of conduct, or legal ideas, usually implying an allegation of misguided rigour, pride, superficiality, the neglect of mercy, and ignorance of the grace of God or emphasizing the letter of law over the spirit. Legalism is alleged against any view that obedience to law, not faith in God's grace, is the pre-eminent principle of redemption. Its opposite is the doctrine of Sola Fide, which is the traditional Protestant view that believing in Jesus Christ is the only requirement for receiving eternal life.

Sola fide (Latin: by faith alone), also historically known as the doctrine of justification by faith alone, is a Christian theological doctrine that distinguishes most Protestant denominations from Catholicism, Eastern Christianity and some in the Restoration Movement.

The doctrine of sola fide or "by faith alone" asserts God's pardon for guilty sinners is granted to and received through faith, conceived as excluding all"works", alone. All humanity, it is asserted, is fallen and sinful, under the curse of God, and incapable of saving itself from God's wrath and curse. But God, on the basis of the life, death, and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ alone (solus Christus), grants sinners judicial pardon, or justification, which is received solely through faith. Faith is seen as passive, merely receiving Christ and all his benefits, among which benefits are the active and passive righteousness of Jesus Christ. Christ's righteousness, according to the followers of "sola fide", is imputed (or attributed) by God to the believing sinner (as opposed to infused or imparted), so that the divine verdict and pardon of the believing sinner is based not upon anything in the sinner, nor even faith itself, but upon Jesus Christ and his righteousness alone, which are received through faith alone. Justification is by faith alone and is distinguished from the other graces of salvation.

Albus Dumbledore

"...He who watches over you will not slumber." Psalm 121:3



I'm about to do something super taboo in the "religious" world. I am about to compare God with Albus Dumbledore. If you are unaware who that is, he is the Headmaster at Hogwart's University in the Harry Potter books and movies. I can hear it now: "GASP! How could you compare God to a character who is a wizard that practices witchcraft?!" Well, here's how.

Back in Jesus' day, He was very disturbed by the Pharisees. They were a group of religious people that knew the scriptures up one side and down the other.But they knew it so well that they had all of these ideas about how things were going to happen: what Jesus would look like, how the prophecies would all go down,etc. In essence, they "humanized" the Gospel and made it make sense to them in their own minds. They must've missed the part of scripture where God says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways."


I feel we have the same problem today. People like to think God can only be found in a church, doing church things or reading your bible. Yes, God can be found there, but is by no means limited to those confinements. I like to believe that God is joyful when we can find Him in other things we enjoy throughout life. The bottom line is that some people will never step inside a church. Others will never pick up a bible. Still others will never allow you to entertain a conversation about God, religion, or anything of the sort. So, to you dear religious one, my question is this...is God not able to reach that person through any other means? God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars.....and Harry Potter movies.


I must confess. I watch the Harry Potter movies almost every night. Now, they are 3 hours long so it may take me three nights to finish one movie, but it's worth it. I've become very in tune with some similarities between who I think God to be, and the person of Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore has one goal in mind: to protect Harry. Harry Potter was saved from death by his mother's sacrifice of love. She gave her life to save his. Dumbledore took Harry from birth and made sure he was put in a place where he'd be taken care of. Throughout the years at Hogwarts University, where Harry learned how to use magic in a good way, he was watched. Dumbledore was always watching. Harry found himself in many situations where he had to fight monstrous creatures and even Voldemort (the Dark Lord) himself. Dumbledore always sent help to him. And if sending help wasn't enough, there were times he would show up, cast Harry aside, and fight the battle for him.


The thing I love most about Dumbledore is his "presence." He let Harry live his life, make his mistakes, and get hurt. But in the end, Harry always learned something. He loved and cared for Harry...from a distance. But, when it came down to the battles between Harry and the Dark Lord, Dumbledore made his presence known. 

What a picture of our God. He never sleeps. He's always watching over us, preparing us, teaching us. He may seem far away at times. You may question why He's not answering at the perfect moment, but remember, He's there...and when the time is needed, He will make His presence known. And if the battle is too intense, He will cast you aside and take the reigns.

WATCH the battle here!

"Changes"

"If then there is any comfort in Christ, any help given by love, any uniting of hearts in the Spirit, any loving mercies and pity; make my joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in harmony and of one mind." Phillipians 2:1-2


Wow....it's been a while! Life has been busy for me. Hectic would be a more appropriate word. Nate works for an insurance company and is trained to handle "CAT" duty, better know as "catastrophe" duty. Needless to say, after the storms and tornados wreaked havoc on the Southeast, his assistance was needed desperately. So, he was deployed for 21 days. Yes, TWENTY ONE days! Now, I realize for you military spouses that this seems trivial, and in all respect to you and your separation time, it is! But for me, who was very dependent on Nate and his presence in mine and Owen's lives, this was TOUGH. God had a few courses up his sleeve that I needed to learn and by the end of it, I think I made an A! 


I battled at first mostly with my emotions, feeling heartbroken that my other "half" was so far away. The first week, I slept in fear every night. With a gun by my bedside, my alarm set, Tylenol PM relaxing my mind and soft worship music playing, I was certain I was finally safe. If the gun didn't scare them off, surely the piercing alarm would. If the alarm didn't succeed, surely my droggy state of mind would. And if all those things failed at scaring off an intruder, surely they'd hear the worship music and feel guilty! But God, in his love for me, new that wasn't healthy. He needed me in a position, stripped of all my securities, so I could learn to trust him, no matter what the outcome! I'm proud to say, after the first week, I began to trust a little more. I kept the gun in the drawer, not out in the open. I didn't feel the need to play music all night long. Now I still set my alarm, but hey, God created those for a reason! By week three, I was going to sleep peacefully and without a single outside light on (well, maybe the front light...but that's a huge improvement from the five spotlights I'd leave on every night). 


I learned to be more independent during this time. I braced myself to handle the storms that came through, knowing that I would be the earthly provider of Owen's protection. I took my punctured tire into the dealership to be fixed. I killed spiders on my own (first time with my foot, later with my hands)! I took Owen to Gatlinburg when our family trip plans feel through. I handled "creepers" in my neighborhood, all on my own (with help of the police). I worked through situations that I had never realized I had become so dependent on Nate to handle. My poor family and friends probably got a tearful phone call from me at least every other day, but I felt with each new day, I got stronger.Change is hard. Servanthood is tough. But, God wasn't going to let me off the hook that easy.


 It's easy to start to put your faith, trust and hope into the person you spend the most time with. It quickly becomes a habit to depend on them for your safety, comfort and well-being. But when all else fails, and yes, that person will one day fail you, whether by happenstance or purposefully, you will have God there to pick up the pieces. I feel that He wanted to make my joy complete. That couldn't be done if my life and happiness were still so dependent on my husband. 


What better time than the present to start to trust Him a little more. Believe He has your best interest at heart. Know that "He will not let your foot slip--he who watches over you will not slumber."


"God grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know it's me. "

"The Great Intercession"

The High Priestly Prayer

17:1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. [1] 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them [2] in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, [3] that they also may be sanctified [4] in truth.

20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Did you know Jesus prayed for you thousands of years ago? He prayed this prayer for His disciples, and for "those who will believe in [Him] through their word." He prayed this prayer with your name in his mind, before he died on the cross with your face in mind. Take a minute and read this scripture again. This time, insert your name in place of "them." Imagine your Savior in the garden, on his knees, tears streaming down his face, as he intercedes for your life. It's a powerful scene that needs no explanation and is sure to touch your heart. A scene that shows just how much Jesus loved them, and you. How desperate He was to bridge the gap between us and God. Thank you, Lord, for your life of sacrifice that brought me where I am today.

"Come to The Water"

"Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!" Psalm 34:8


“Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive." John 7:38-39


I am a dreamer. I have always had vivid dreams. Some of them are quirky. Some are scary. Some are directly from God and I can always tell the difference. If you've ever had an "encounter" with God's presence, whether through worship, prayer or any other avenue, you know the feeling you. It's an unexplainable "awe." It's what I like to call "awe-some." :) When I have these dreams from God, I wake up with a sense of reverence. A feeling that I've just spent some time in the presence of the Lord. I could take up blog upon blog of the different dreams I've had, and their meanings, but for now I'll take you through the dream that pertained to the verse above.


The setting was in a dark room. It was crowded; not with people or cluttered with things, but it was crowded with cages of frogs. These frogs were all suffering. They looked tired and close to death. They all had water feeders that had strange writings on them, none of which I recognized. I began walking through this room, concerned for these frogs who seemed to be dying before my eyes. At the end of this room, there was a desk. A lady sat behind it. She was very calm, very bright. She had a beautiful glow about her. I sat at the desk and asked this lady why these frogs were dying and how to help them. She pointed to room in the corner and said, "They need THE water. They are being fed something other than the water you drink, and they are dying. Show him." Still confused by who she was, and what exactly she meant, I stood up and walked over to the room that seemed much like a closet. In the room was an old friend of mine. Someone I had known in the past, but by no means kept in touch with or knew anything about, except for the fact he no longer believed in God. I approached him as he was caring for this frog, who he seemed to be very interested in, very worried about. I saw the concern on his face. "What's wrong?" I asked him. "I'm trying to get him to drink this water. He is dying and I can't figure out why. He's had plenty to drink but it's not satisfying." I felt a need to help my friend keep this frog alive. I looked at the water and knew immediately something wasn't right about it. I searched the closet and among the water feeders there, I  saw one that stood out, that almost seemed like it glowed. The writings on the side, I recognized! It read, "The Holy Spirit." I grabbed it quickly and said to him, "This is the one! This is the water your frogs need! It's the only one that will satisfy them!" He reluctantly took the feeder from me, more out of desperation than willingness, he gave it to his frog, and the frog quickly sprang back to life. Then I woke up. 


Now the story gets interesting. I had this dream about two years ago. Up until recently, I knew who this dream was meant for. I prayed for this person often. I didn't know all the details, but I knew God wanted me interceeding for this person and their life. Until recently, prayer and this dream was all I had to go by. That is, until I found this friend on a social network. Even more interesting, the word "frog" was associated with their screen name.

God knows our needs. He knows we can't survive on any other water. You can try the waters of Buddhism. You can test the waters of Islam. You can drink the fountain of Atheism. But until you've tasted and seen that the Lord is good, that he wants LIFE for you, you'll never be satisfied. The frog in my dream was my friend's life. God wanted me to offer this friend the Living Water, the Holy Spirit. So friend, if you read this, God is speaking to you...it's not an accident you came upon this...take that water! You'll never thirst again....

"In a dream, a vision of the night,

         When sound sleep falls on men,

         While they slumber in their beds, 

    Then He opens the ears of men,

         And seals their instruction, 

    That He may turn man aside from his conduct,

         And keep man from pride; 

    He keeps back his soul from the pit." 

Job 33:15-18

"Does God Still Speak?"

Isaiah 30:21
Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it, whenever you turn to the right or whenever you turn to the left'.


John 14:26
The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.


If you've ever taken time to get into the Word, you'll agree with me about its promises: they are BIG ones. I know for myself, sometimes I can take for granted the many promises God has given me in this life. One of my favorite ones is His promise to always lead and guide me. There are TONS of scripture that refer to this but in order not to lose my ADD readers, I've included only two of them. However, there are some verses I want to share with you about a man named Elijah. 


"And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.And when Elijah heard it,he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 1 Kings 19:11-13


This story was interesting to me because I don't think we are so different from Elijah. When were are going through tough times, seeking some answers, we expect God to show up. We expect it to be a big, bright, LOUD answer. Elijah seemed to expect the same, but God surprised him. God's voice wasn't in the blustering wind, or the trembling earthquake, or the raging fire...but in the quiet whisper. Why? I believe he was preparing us for the way he would speak to us in the future. 


After Jesus walked this earth, died on the cross, and rose again, he left a special gift with us: the Holy Spirit. No longer would we have to rely on God to guide us from the outside. He could now take up residency in our hearts, through the Holy Spirit. He called this Spirit a Counselor, one that would teach you all things, and help you remember the words of Jesus. It was what He meant when he said ,"I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts." 


God is more than able to use a loud, boisterous voice to get our attention. But, in His sovereignty, he more often than not chooses to speak to us in a whisper...in our hearts. He's speaking to me this second, as I write this blog. He's speaking to you this very minute, as you read this blog. It's a gentle whisper, but your heart can hear it if you slow down...and listen.

"The End of The World As We Know It?"

 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."

Matthew 24:42-44

I realize the subject of "End Times" is a sketchy one to most people. Everyone has different beliefs about when it will happen, how it will take place, and what we should expect. Some people think Jesus was using figurative language when describing events at the end of time. Others believe his words were literal. I'm no scholar, and I don't proclaim to have this subject down to a science. If you are new to the scene of Christianity and are lost as to what I'm talking about, you can find an overview of what the Tribulation is here: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribulation

To be certain of your own beliefs in this matter, I encourage you to do some studying. There are many books written on this subject but the best material is the Word. I don't know about you, but since God created this world, I believe his Book would give the best information on how this world will end. There are many things in the Word that tell us exactly what to do: do not steal, have no other gods before me, do not kill, etc...Sometimes I contemplate the reason Jesus didn't tell us everything in black and white. For example, "Will we go before, after or during the Tribulation?" To be honest, you can probably make an argument for each of those time frames. But I think there are some things we can take from this that ARE black and white.

First and foremost, I believe in the Word. I believe it is inspired by a Holy God, written to us for the purpose of helping us through this life and leading us to Jesus. We can't always agree on specifics in the Word, but we can agree on the words of Jesus. No matter what the details are about the when, where and how's of the Tribulation and End Times, Jesus was sure to give us a definite warning: watch, stay alert, and be ready. I can't predict when the end will come; no man will know. It could happen five minutes from now, five years from now, five decades from now. But I can be sure I'm watching, staying alert and readying myself spiritually. 

If you are a friend of mine, you know how interested I am in the study of End Time prophecies. I love it. It inspires me. It strengthens my faith. It thrills my heart to know the day of my salvation is near. It encourages me to walk out this life with even more of a desire to lead others to Jesus. When I post stories and videos of events going on in the world, my purpose is not to scare you. My desire is for these things to lead you to the cross; to examine the life you live now. To wake up to the things going around you, and heed the warnings Jesus gave us. To see the ongoing world events as the possibility of "birth pains that must happen before the end." When you consider the possibility of the end fast approaching, you slow your life down a bit. You cherish moments more than before. You walk and talk with a little more love. You make it a point to share Jesus with others. 

If you haven't accepted Jesus as your savior, end-time subject aside, today is your day. Believing in Jesus doesn't just secure you a seat in Paradise for all eternity, it redeems you from a life of hopelessness here on earth. "What if you're wrong," you say. Ok, what if I AM wrong? That simply means I spent my whole life with a purpose in mind to be a better person, to love and forgive others, and to lend a helping hand when needed. When my time to pass away comes, I simply led a good life and now I'm dead. 


But, what if you are wrong, my friend? Not only do you lead a hopeless life here on earth, struggling to be the best person you can out of your own efforts, but you now get to spend an eternity in darkness. Eternity in its simplest definition means a place of existence for a limitless amount of time. If the Bible is true, that means your destiny for all time, is in Hell. Now this fact raises a question as well. "Why would a loving God send people to a place of unending torment?" God gives many chances in this life for you to come into relationship with him. Even during the Tribulation, he gives yet another opportunity for you to come to know Him. "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9)." 


God is a gentleman. He will never force someone into relationship with Him. He wants relationship, not dictatorship. If at the time of your passing, you still have chosen not to be in friendship with him, he will grant your wish, and give you a place for all eternity without Him. After all, wasn't that your desire in life by not choosing Him? God gives the desires of you heart, and if that desire is to be apart from Him, He will grant that as well. 


In my opinion, there are many prophecies that have been and are being fulfilled that are leading up to a fast approaching return of Jesus. I may be wrong. It may be years from now, but either way, are you ready? The bottom line that we can all agree on, no matter what you believe in, is that we will all die someday. The day of Jesus' return may be forever away, but the day of your departure from this earth may be today. Where will your departure lead you? It will be one of two places....into the loving arms of your Savior, or into darkness where you will never be "bothered" by Him again. Your choice. Your desire. Your decision. 

Jesus' explanation for what is to come at the end of time