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Tag: christianity

  • What is the real real

    What is the real real

    I’m struggling to write today. So much in the mind. Are there two realms(dimensions) in this life? I mean is there only this physical realm and its norms. Is there also a world that is not physically seen and experienced with the five senses? A world beyond praying and meditating; beyond the belief system of any religion; a world spirits occupy?

    Paul speaks of such a world when he pens “for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, (this physical world and all it contains), but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Who is Paul talking about. Are we so busy mining the word for what will enrich us in this world that we have become as those that have gained the whole world not seeing the danger of losing our very souls?

    Why is the Church not teaching about those that Paul emphasized the fight to be with? Who are these principalities? What is their function/purpose? How do we wrestle with them?

    Let’s take time to find answers concerning these that are not flesh and blood.

    Problem: lack of knowledge. (it is said about us “my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…”)

    Solution: put time into studying

  • Recognizing real love

    Recognizing real love

    Whom in your life do you look at, profess to love, that you can honestly say this about — nothing can separate me from this love; not tribulations (problems of life, disagreements), or distress (extreme anxiety – sorrow- pain), or persecution (ill treatment) , or famine (denied food) , or nakedness (humiliation–left bare), or peril (life endangered) , or sword (weapons aimed at you)? Is this not the love shown by Christ and His chosen disciples (minus one but) plus Paul?

    This should be a measuring stick of those we join ourselves to, or let join themselves to us. Can you say that about those you claim to love? What about those who claim to love you? If not that person is just an acquaintance, or better yet your assignment, or one to witness to; not one to hang your life on— not your ride or die person.

    Problem: not being able to define and recognize real love

    Solution: use scripture to learn what real love is compared to all other feelings you encounter in your journey of life that people mistake for love.

  • Just a thought

    Just a thought

    Its’s amazing to me how the very scriptures used to promote getting wealth, power and overall success in this world are attributed to the one man who lost all of that when he became a Christ follower—–Apostle Paul

  • Really?

    Really?

    Does everything coming my way, especially terrible or difficult things, some just debilitating, come from God? or only good things come from God? I have heard “the steps of a good (I assume a saved individual clothed with the righteousness of Christ) man are ordered by the Lord”. This suggests to me that as a born again, bible thumping Christian my walk or life should be that of ease. No?

    Nice thought, but just that —- a thought. There are many examples of good men in the bible that disproves the fallacy that just because you have decided to be saved, join the Lord’s army, life becomes your eutopia. Christ is the ultimate example; He was led to the wilderness to be tempted by the devil; not something anyone would volunteer to do I’m sure.

    When I veer to the side of self-pity, I think about Paul. With Christ I usually tell myself He was the son of God, so yeah, he could go thru tough times, no big deal. After all Christ was God, I thought His divinity was a shroud about Him; His divinity shielded Him. (that is a topic for another time).

    But Paul, my go to, was as human as I am.; I can relate to him. It makes my perspective different. Instead of asking do things come from God, my thought turn to because of being in God. Paul seemed to have a life to ease and peace before being in the service of God. After his encounter with Christ and being born again, this man came into some horrendous situations. He was stoned, imprisoned for the majority of his life, beaten, as well as trialed contineously it seems. I look at Paul’s life and thank God for what in comparison are minor issues I face.

    You know we are told count the cost before getting into anything. Did I count the cost of becoming born again? Truthfully no. I thought, based on the teachings I was listening to, that leaving my life for the cross would unentangle me from the mess I was living in. I heard I could get wealthy, have a happy home, and just flow thru life. When this “dream life” did not realize (several years into being in Christ), I had to re-evaluate. What I would advise anyone seeking the reality of being saved is that one is entering into a war zone. It is a daily fight with an invisible enemy. You have to know how to manuever in this war torn zone; and that is by reading the word to fortify yourself so you do not become a casualty.

    Come to think of it, when Christ was tempted, the devil presented the very same things to Him that the preachers presented to me — food, world’s wealth, and devine protection from on high when i throw my self into folish dangerous situations.

    Yes I am ramblling again, thoughts of an older woman.

    Problem: self centeredness, what I can gain is focus

    Solution: be as Christ and the disciples; “go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” How self-less they were by putting their lives in danger to make life available to others.

  • U distinct?

    U distinct?

    For those in life who find themselves meandering, faltering, falling even in this life—the why must be constant. Forever changing your persona to try and fit so you could enjoy life or at least walk it in peace.

    Could the base line, or at least the foundation needed be identifying your identity? When it is just you, alone— who are you?

    For the one naming the name of Christ the answer should be simple –“I have been crucified with Christ…” Feelings produced by trying to mirror this world and fit in no longer drive, thus you enter into the realm of “nevertheless I live; yet not I”. Have you died to self? Are your ambitions, desires, thoughts and goals relinquished? Have you now donned a new life with a new perspective? Can you say Christ now lives in you? Is the life you now live in your flesh you live by the faith of the Son of God?

    Years ago, there was a saying “what would Jesus do?” Does that ever cross your mind when you are doing what you are doing? Does you get that nagging annoying feeling telling you not to engage in what you are about to do, or even doing?

    Today it seems as if we name the name of Christ, and it ends there. Our identity is tied to this present world. We chase after the material things, and pleasures of this world to solidify our identity based on this world, fully agreeing and supporting the standards of this world. Our leaders in the church that we aspire to be like and assimilate constantly attribute their worldly possessions as evidence of being in the center of God’s will (no wonder the “sheep” have gone astray).

    Well I’m rambling now. But each day you arise, and that spirit of meandering, wondering deep inside who you are; what you are on this earth for— let it know you are secure in your identity. Let it know Christ resides in you — spirit, soul and body. The person the antag onist knew no longer exists. Resist that feeling (devil)and it will flee.

    Problem: not knowing who you are or whose you are.

    Solution: read a piece of freedom (Bible), familiarize yourself with it (bible content) , assimilate (copy) and walk in its ways. Your identity is firm. Are you perfect? No, just changed. New perspectives and goals.

  • Master change

    Master change

    We all know that in order to change anything, especially self, it starts with your thinking. A famous quote says “And be not conformed (behave according to socially, acceptable conventions or standards or to be similar in form, type; to agree to men’s standards) to this world: but be ye transformed (make a thorough or dramatic change) by the renewing of your mind...”

    I think of reactions to situations that we think are beyond our control. Those times we think “I can’t make it”! What does one do? In the Christian Walk one starts begging God to do something, usually not believing He will do something to stop the crazy. Panic sets in and it is downhill from there. How does this happen to a bible stomping, faith filled believer? Yet it happens more than we want to admit.

    Problem: the thought process, thus reacting instead of being pro-active.

    Solution: Fighting the good fight of faith. Meaning- remind yourself of who you are and whose you are. Find your word (sword) and find the scriptures dealing with that issue. You have changed your victim mantality to that of a fighter! Now affirmations begin. Speak the scriptures out loud— you want you and the situation, demonic spirits, and anyone else listening to hear these words. After all life and death are in the power of what you say. Flip the script on the situation. After all the example that inanimant objects listen and obey is when Christ spoke to the fig tree that it die starting with its roots. Later on when He and His disciples passed it again it was dead. Also remember that you were told as a believer if you spoke to the mountain and told it to be removed unto the sea that mountain would obey you without even a struggle.

    The point is change your mind on how you see things, and you can overcome your situation. It will take fighting because most times situations believe they are in charge. You have to take the power from your situation! Fight instead of thinking you are defeated just because the situation dares to chalenge you trusting that you will throw up your hands and let things happen.

  • Guilty?

    All of us are born into a sin filled world, a sin loving world. Thus, it is our nature to sin! Romans 3:13 testifies against us in saying “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

    But you say, I’m a good person. I don’t commit crimes, nor do I do things that would land me in jail. That should be enough to get me into heaven—-is this your thinking? Ephesians 2:8-9 clarifies “For by grace are ye saved…, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God…”. You are not in control, you either take the gift or not; it is available to everyone.

    Most people attend church somewhere, especially now that churches rock and are not so restrictive in how one presents themselves. Shoot, church music is the same as club music with just a change in lyrics. (Mmmmmh that is a subject for another time.) Certainly, most of us have heard this verse, even if you just attend church and are not a staunch believer of everything in the bible.

    Personally, I see different ways to take the gift (be saved). 1) Romans 10:9, 10 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness (right standing with God; remember sin knocked humanity out of this position); and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” 2) the jailer, (Acts 16:30,31) “…said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they(believers) said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” 3)Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

    In the above verses I do not see where one has to do as we do today, repeat what someone says as prayer to be saved, and be pronounced saved. You can do this on your own, just you and God. So, what keeps you from taking the gift provided today? This gift is health to your life, gives you mental stability as you walk the journey, as well as build strong relationships with those that believe as you do; but most of all you gain the power to become a son of God. What an awesome gift! It wipes your guilty verdict (Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death…”) to being guilt free (” but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”)

    Take the gift.

  • Where is the Church of Jesus Christ?

    Where is the Church of Jesus Christ?

    I’m in my sixties now, and constantly remanence over the church that I became born again in, the Church headed by Jesus Christ; the Church that held up the blood of Christ and the proclamation that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.

    I see young people in church dressing as women of the world, men too; everything tight and showing off what they have. I see them cussing and talking as the world as a way of life- acceptable to them in their Christian walk. Where are the elders of the church? Oh yes, they also are living that life. How did this happen, the world infiltrating the church?

    The enemy is very calculating and strategic in his moves to take the church world down. I am reminded of Revelation 2:14 where it shows the doctrine of Balaam “who taught Balac to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication.”

    The enemy is repeating what has worked for him, the stumbling block that is so evident to the unchurched while the church sits blind and falling headlong into it—–fornication in the church! Do we have any Pauls to call this out?

    Looking at the church today we see the focus has changed drastically. We have people leading the church whose main focus is what people can attain in the name of Christ. The run is no longer to enter into the gates of heaven (eternal life), instead the draw is what worldly things you can attain as a Christian. Christians do not even claim to be separate (separated unto God), but instead we accommodate anyone coming into the church as they are, which is alright at the beginning of their journey in Christ. The problem is those people do not change; change is no longer taught, the waly is no longer taught. The most renowned or recognized “preachers” do not teach nor encourage leaving the desires of this world behind and focusing on the commission set by Christ. When we are sold out for the cause of Christ, He will not deny us what we need or what we want that is not harmful to us.( Matt 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.) You wont even have to chase material things, they will be chasing you.

    The strait path to get to the gate is no longer emphasized nor distinguished from the wide path that leads to hell. The word of the Lord puts it this way “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew 7:13 and 14). This stumbling block has the church totally confused. The church wants so much to be accepted by the world that it has given up its “salt”.

    Yes, above is the problem, what is the solution? We can begin by putting prayer back into the church. I don’t mean the little segments we call praying during the service. I mean real prayer where man/women of God lay before the alter in the sanctuary crying to hear what thus sayeth the Spirit of God. I mean laboring for hours or days or weeks so they can be drenched in the Spirit and have ears and eyes opened in the spiritual realm. Start here and teach the people to labor before the Lord, labor before the Lord.

  • Are you working out your own salvation?

    In Philippians 2:12 Paul directs us to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”. Too many times, the reliance is on pastors to direct one when life happens. When does one take the responsibility of their walk with Christ, a close walk that is. One has to be able to go into their “prayer closet” and have the conversation with Almighty God. The word of God tells us how to live, how to conduct ourselves, as well as how to think. It even tells us what happens when we make certain choices in life. Yet we still walk blindly in this life.

    One has to realize that the pastor is going to serve as the main witness in our trial when we face God. The pastor is not answering for our sins or our missing the mark where the word and its directives are concerned. The pastor will answer whether he taught you the word or not, then it is you and God, you stand alone in the judgement.

    The problem here is our accountability to someone who did not hang on the cross for you. Yes, give respect and honor to those put in the body to edify us and bring us unto the knowledge of the word of God, but what about the accountability we must have to the Holy Spirit who was sent down to be our teacher and guide unto all truth? When do we skip the pastor and go directly to the Holy Ghost for guidance? After all the vail was rent so anyone could go into the holies of holy to sit at the feet of God and commune with Him. When will one come to the point of doing this instead of reaching for a man, no matter what position to get him thru matters in this life?

    That is the problem. The solution is simply working out your own salvation. That means reading and having the Holy Ghost tutor you and reveal to you the deeper meanings of the word of God. Praying not looking at the time rather the connection you attain with God. And most important, learning to listen and follow directives without questioning or contradicting what you have been told. You now will have a personal relationship with Christ that will carry you thru anything that comes and usher you into the heavenly gates.