Where is your faith? Part 1

       There was a time when Jesus and his disciples were on a boat. As Jesus slept, a storm approached and as it grew stronger causing water to enter the boat, the men feared for their lives. They woke Jesus up asking that He save them because their lives were surely in danger. When Jesus woke up He asked why the men were so afraid and said "O you of little faith"; then Jesus stood up, rebuked the storm and then, the storm was gone, The guys were in awe and were like, "who can this be that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" (Matthew 8:23-26)
       There was another time when the disciples were out on the boat. Jesus was not with them at that time, but eventually, they saw Jesus walking on the water toward them. They freaked a bit and thought maybe it was a ghost, but Jesus spoke out to let them know that it was indeed Him. Peter called out to Jesus and asked to prove that it was indeed him and told Jesus to command that Peter too walked on the water. So Jesus did, and Peter walked on water; until a wave came and became afraid and started to sink. Jesus pulled him up to safety and once again said "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"
(Matthew 14:25-31)

       Doubt and Fear have been the enemy of God and His children from the very beginning as read in Genesis regarding the fall of man, Adam & Eve disobeying God. They are strong adversaries and more often then not, doubt and fear find a way into our hearts causing us to miss out on the blessings God has for us and miss out on being witness, through personal experience, to the power and never broken promises of God. Doubt says miracles don't happen anymore. Fear says I'm not good enough and will never be good enough for God to bless me. Let me tell you something about doubt and fear; they are the spawn of lies which smoothly slithers out of the mouth of God's enemy. There is a weapon that is available to all of us that can and will defeat the lies of doubt and fear; and that weapon is faith. It's not just any faith, but the faith of a child.
       A child's faith is unwavering, it's raw; a child has perfectly blind faith. When the disciples asked Jesus who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, Jesus pointed out a child and said "unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, who ever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven..." (Matthew 18:1-4). Obviously a grown adult cannot magically transform into a child. However, as adults we need to be as humble as a child, unconditionally loving like a child, fully trusting like a child and as faithful as a child to God. That means believing in and having faith in God; as a child would. Where is your faith; where on the line of adulthood does your ability to be like a child lay?

Where the heck is God & why is He doing this?

       During this time of uncertainty it is easy to become afraid and unsure of the future. Social distancing a key to staying safe even though there are many who do not care to follow the rules. Hording and selfishness causing doubt about humanity's ability to come together to combat an invisible enemy. Thank God, however, for those who do what is necessary to keep each other safe; not only to the point of losing their jobs, but even to the point of losing their own lives. Often, it is times like these, because of fear and anger, that many ask where is God and why is He doing this.
       Make no mistake, God is still here and He is not the one to blame; though it is easy to blame Him because we don't want to take responsibility for our own actions. Blaming God is easy; look what happened with Adam and Eve. Eve chose to listen to the serpent and Adam chose to listen to Eve and then Adam had the audacity to try and place fault and blame on both Eve and even on God when Adam said to God "the woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I ate" (Genesis 3:11). The fact of the matter is that both Adam and Eve were at fault for making the choice to disobey God. The same holds true even today. Man is free to make decisions, even bad decisions; and when he/she has to live with the consequences of their actions, they want to blame God. We are where we are today because of the actions, or inaction, of man, not God.

       Anyone who truly knows God and has a relationship with the Father, I pray, will remember His truth and His promises. Yes, I include myself because I too can fall into the thoughts created by fear. I am by no means perfect nor claim to be. So this is just as much for me as it may be for many of you. Regardless of what is going on in the world we must remember that God is always with us and will strengthen us and uphold us in His righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10).  He promised to never leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). We either believe in His word and His promises or we don't; there is no in between. We are hot or we are cold, but we cannot be Luke warm and straddle the fence; (Revelation 3:15-16; 1 John 2:15-16). We have to remember whom we serve and whom we worship. We have to remember that God is not a man and so does not lie or change His mind about anything that He says (Numbers 23:19). So during this time of uncertainty, we have to remember to do our part and pray; pray for those who have chosen to fight the good fight for all of us. Pray for them and their families. Pray for those who are forced to work though unessential workers; for those who are forced to work because they have no choice. Pray for our leaders, whether we like them or not. Pray because God hears us. Pray to God the Father, by the power of the name Jesus the Christ and the action by that power in the movement of the Holy Spirit..............
Amen.

     

     

     
     
     

HE Will Make A Way

"He will make a way".

This is something that has been popping in my head for almost a month. An affirmation that would come to fruition when I least expected it. I have always been lacking in the patience department and always pray that God will help me be more patient; not just with the general things in life, but also when it comes to God and the prayers I lift up to Him. God definitely works with me to be more patient as He sometimes waits until that eleventh hour to answer my prayer; and of course,  during the hours prior, I get anxious and worried. Though I know better, I worry about whether or not God has heard my prayer; though deep down inside I know He has.

During the waiting process He does remind me of His promises. He reminds me that I need to be quiet and rest in Him; to be still, know and trust that He is God (Psalm 46). He reminds me that, regardless of what I want, He knows what I need and He has a plan for me. He reminds me that I am never alone as He is always with me and will never leave me (Hebrews 13). I have to be patient and trust in Him knowing that His plan will provide a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29). He reminds me that He is God; and unlike a man, does not lie and does not change His mind (Numbers 23). God has always been faithful and true to His word. It's always me that second guesses things because I am human, impatient and tend to rely on my perception of how things should be and how quickly the things that I want to happen need to happen. I forget sometimes that I can't do that; I can't hold on to my way of understanding because, compared to God, I understand nothing. If I want God to bless my life, to show me what He wants and where He wants me to go, I have to acknowledge Him and and trust in His plan so that He will tell me where to go or what to do (Proverbs 3). It's taken me a very long time to have the kind of trust and belief in God and in His promises. But when I made the decision to believe, to trust and to build my faith in Him, He has shown me His love, His mercy, and yes, His provision. 

I have been through a lot in this year of 2019. And it has gone by so very fast. I have kept communication with my heavenly Father and kept seeking the things of God through the teaching of His Son Jesus and and through the power and counsel of the Holy Spirit. I am not perfect and I know that I have disappointed the Father a time or two, but the good thing is that He continues to be with me and that His love is unconditional. As the close of 2019 commences, my awesome God continues to bless me even with my imperfections. A couple that I know, who will remain nameless out of respect for their humbleness, surprised me with a car. I believed that I was meeting up with them about a much needed space for Healthy Concepts, the nonprofit I volunteer at. When I got there, I was handed a title and keys to a car. I thought I was on some kind of hidden camera show because these things I've only seen on tv. But it was real. They wanted to be a blessing to someone who needed a vehicle and they gave it to me. I believe that God answered one of my prayers through them. God uses anyone He chooses to be a blessing to someone and He used them. I so pray that God bless them both tenfold for their obedience to His Holy Spirit. I believe that God is closing this year on a positive note for me, which gives me hope for what's to come in 2020. 

So on this day, December 31, 2019, I praise God for His movement in my life, for blessing me with awesome friends and family, and for His love and His provision. I will continue my life's journey with God in the forefront. I pray for a blessed and prosperous New Year for all who are reading this now. I do pray that, regardless of your faith in God or lack of faith in God, that He bless you and keep you in His mighty hand and under His wing. 

Happy New Year!!!

$$ "Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas" $$$

Truth pill to swallow;

Everyone who truly knows me understands and knows that I am a Christian; not in name only. I truly believe in and have a relationship with Jesus The Christ and do my best to strengthen and hold on to my faith IN HIM and his promises no matter how bleak life feels at time. I believe in and try to follow the teachings of The Christ; hence the name "Christian" and everything God will always be first in my life. 

With that said I want to share something that might upset some people; Oh no, me upset people?? LOL. Anyhoot, what I am about to say is exactly what I believe and how I feel. And no, no particular reason for this lil rant. 

We say "Happy Holidays" because saying Merry Christmas may upset those who are not Christian or upset those of organized religion that have members of the Christian faith. After all, there are many religious holidays during this time of year for Christians, pagans, and others........  

https://www.deseretnews.com/article/865642813/These-are-the-14-religious-holidays-believers-celebrate-in-December.html

Many Christians get upset and cry "Jesus IS the reason for the season and I will continue to say "Merry Christmas".  For a long time I was on this train every year; now, not so much. Truth pill; Jesus really isn't the reason for the season. In fact, He was not born on December 25th. He was born some time during mid to late Autumn..... September, October, somewhere around there. We celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25th because that is when the church decided to celebrate it in order to "fit in" with the pagans or other non-believers in order to get them to convert to Christianity and start attending church. Long story so do the research. Even after learning the truth about this I will continue to say "Merry Christmas" and celebrate the season which would include love and good will toward man since, after all, it has been adopted as a "Christian" holiday regardless of the truth behind it. I highly doubt God would mind lol.

Now; Here's some more (sad) truth; with every year that passes by Christmas becomes less and less about God, love, hope, and good will. It becomes more and more about SALES, SALES, SALES. This year, as I walked through a walmart a day or so after Halloween, and Christmas music was playing. What?! We weren't even anywhere near Thanksgiving yet. The sad thing is that this gets worst and worst each year and you want to know why? Because WE make it that way. Sale, Sale, Sale; Buy, Buy, Buy. If there were no one to line up in front of stores, camp outside of stores all night, and then charge through the doors as they barely open, trampling and hurting others for that SALE, Christmas might still look and feel like Christmas. Shame on us. What had eventually become a Christian Holiday as we celebrate the birth of our King during that time has started to change into a holiday for sales; for money $$$$$. 

I wonder how many people would be willing to give up one Christmas of gift buying and simply make Christmas about spending quality time with family and close friends. You know, no gifts, just building and strengthening relationships. Oh but the kids; yeah, yeah, yeah, they'll get over it. Besides, what truly more important to to teach our kids? It's all about the gifts or it's all about the love. There really is no in between. UGH... I need some water to swallow these truths.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

At The End of The Day, Does it Matter?

At the end of the day, what truly matters? You can label yourself a Republican or a Democrat, but at the end of the day does it really matter? Have you shown love today? Have you given an ear for someone to listen or a shoulder for someone to cry on? Have you shared some laughter or some joy with anyone? When the day turns to night and you lay your head on your pillow, are you satisfied? Are you content? Can you come to The Father with your prayers knowing you did His work today? If you died tonight, does what you did today matter?

You can label yourself straight or gay, but at the end of the day does it truly matter? Have you lent your hand to help someone in need today? Have you fed the hungry? Have you clothed the naked? Have you sheltered the homeless? When the day turns to night, was there a life you made happier? was there a soul you gave joy to? When you lay your head on your pillow, are you satisfied? Are you content? Can you come to The Father with your needs knowing you helped others with theirs? If you died tonight, does what you did today matter?

You can label yourself Christian or label yourself as what ever man-made religion you choose to call yourself, but at the end of the day, does it truly matter? Have you treated someone with kindness today? Have you shown compassion and selflessness today? Have you protected the weak or shown mercy today? When the day turns to night and you lay your head on your pillow, are you satisfied? Are you content? Can you come to The Father with your hopes and dreams knowing you helped someone with theirs? If you died tonight, does what you did today matter?

A Gift - This Is For You

I read all the posts that many parents are sharing. Kids growing so quickly; posts about preschool all the way through to high school and college. As I read them I pray. I thank God for the opportunities I have shared in raising and caring for children during my life. I pray for safe travels; that school buses stay safe and that the driver and any caregiver riding along will care for the many lives on that bus; that schools stay safe and that God keep the enemy out. So many growing so fast; learners permits, driver's licenses, first cars. 

My gifts; is what I heard. They are My gifts. I smile to myself and chuckle; then respond with "yeah they are". Children are more than the minime's. They are more than part of life's cycles. These children, all of them are gifts; gifts from God to His children that they might raise them up to love Him just as much as He loves them and us. He keeps them safe in a package called the womb. He does His work to create them just the way He wants them to be created. I also believe He hand picks those whom He chooses to entrust a new child to.

A parent realizes, only after becoming a parent, that there is a love that surpasses all understanding. The love of a partner; a husband, wife, sister, brother, cousin, aunt and uncle all the way to grand parents. There's a love shared between friends. But there is nothing, absolutely nothing that compares to that love which is bestowed upon those who get the opportunity to give and receive a love that they have never known. A parent is more than one who provides the seed in which to plant in the womb. A parent is more than one who carries this gift in her womb. A parent is far more than blood and genetics. A parent is one whom God chooses to care for and love a new life. God places, I believe, a special and different kind of love in many parents who open their hearts and lives to children that are not their own. Because some people are unable to have children of their own does not by any means determine their ability or capacity to love and to nurture. Personally, I believe that God looks upon those who cannot and makes a way for them to have this gift that only God can provide. It takes a special man, a special woman, to accept and to love with an open and pure heart the child or children of another. I believe that this kind of love is a gift all in its own. Because God is an awesome God and whether you believe in God or not makes no matter because He believes in you; and that's what matters.

God makes no mistakes. He doesn't take away, He gives. He uses [many times] bad or hurtful circumstances and turns them into something wonderful; so long as we are open to receive His gifts. God can and does use the negative and turns them into something positive. So to you who may not be able to become a parent in the way most can, know that you have a special place in the plans of the Creator. You have that special kind of love that breaks the boundaries of biology and what a gift that is. For those who have received your gifts as many do, know that there is a reason you were chosen. There are no mistakes with God. There is no such thing as a child that cannot be cared for. Be glad knowing that you were chosen to care for the precious gift that only God can give.

All we can do, as parents, is love our children, teach them the ways of God and then when that time comes for them to leave the home, know that God is always with them. Be glad and be proud that the Creator of all things has entrusted you with a precious gift or gifts; and know that He provides you with the ways in which to raise them if you only allow Him to. And remember this always; that the way in which your heart was filled with a love that surpasses all love for others; that special love that a parent has for his/her children is only like a spec in the sand in comparison the that love which God has for His children; us. Believe or don't. This is meant for whom ever He means it for.

God Bless You

My Revelation on Creation

Every now and again I go to the Old Testament and start reading. Granted, I have read it many times but I believe by experience that as I grow older and gain more knowledge I see something in the word that I had not noticed before; and this holds true for all 66 books of the bible. I remind myself to no longer depend only on what I have been taught by man, but to depend on Holy Spirit to counsel me, teach me, and remind me of His word as Jesus explained to the disciples before He ascended up to heaven. With that said, I start reading about God’s mighty power shown through creation. As I come near to the end of Genesis chapter one and the first seven verses of chapter two, I have an “aha” moment; I have a revelation. I hope I can explain this properly as I get excited and tend to veer off, so here it goes:

In the book of Genesis from verse one to verse 23, we read that God created the heavens and the earth; trees and herbs; grass, the universe, the all living creatures in the water and the creature in the sky. This all took place during the first 5 days of creation. The 6^th day starts at verses 24; in this verse as well as verse 25 we learn about the cattle on the earth, beast of the earth and all according to its kind as God had commanded regarding procreation [be fruitful and multiply].  Now, still on day 6 starting at verse 26 to 31:

“Then God said, let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.; So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them and said unto them “be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it……””. In verses 28 to 31God continues to tell them what they have dominion over and what was available for them to eat. The last verse, 31, states the end of the 6^th day. Ok Susan, some might say; what’s the big revelation? There’s nothing new here. My revelation didn’t hit until I started reading chapter 2.

Moses writes in the second chapter that on the 7^th day God rested from all He had done. He had blessed the 7^th day and sanctified it because He rested from all His work. Moses continues to say in verses 4 and 5 that “This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, before any plant of the field had grown. For the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth and there was no man to till the ground; but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground”. Did you see it? In chapter 1 verses 26 and 27 is when God created man in His own image and likeness; this was on the 6^th day. Yet in Chapter 2 during the 7^th day Moses states that there was no man to till the ground. So what happens next? In chapter 2 and verse 7 [still the seventh day], “The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being”. If he “became” a living being, it would stand to reason that there was not a living being prior to the forming of a man from the ground and after man was created in God’s image and likeness. So a quick recap; day 6 God created man in His image and His likeness. On day 7 there was no man to till the ground and so God formed a man and breathed life into the man and then the man became a living being; interesting isn’t it? So now what?

Well, according to the scripture God made man in His image and likeness. What is His image and likeness? Jesus tells us that God is Spirit (Nelson, 1997, p. John 4:24). So when God made man in His image and His likeness, it would stand to reason that He made spirit first, both male and female; giving them dominion over the earth. He told them to fill the earth and subdue it (Nelson, 1997, p. Genesis 1:28). God made the spirit man before he formed the living man. “The Hebrew words that “made” and “formed” are translated from are two completely different words with two completely different definitions! The term “made” is translated from Hebrew word #6212, which basically means “to prepare” and the word “formed” is translated from Hebrew word #3335 which means to “form, fashion, frame”. In other words, God “prepared” every living thing in Genesis 1, but did not actually bring it into physical form until Genesis 2” (Randy Lee, 2014), (James Strong, 2001).

What do we do with this information? Personally, I praise God even more than I had before coming to this realization. The creation story is not just Moses telling us that God made the universe or Adam and Eve, but it’s about the omnipotence of God. It’s about the great power and might of our God. The beauty and awe in His work; in His power; and to know that this is the same God that loves us today. What an absolute blessing. A little over twenty years ago I started to study the word of God and I did so based on that which was taught to me by men and women of God. About eight or nine years ago I really started to dig deeper in my studies. I decided to no longer depend solely on man to teach me God’s word, but to solely trust in Jesus’ promises and know that Holy Spirit will teach me and guide me in the right direction. That meant I had to stop being religious and start working on my relationship with God and start learning how to put faith into action. God has opened my eyes to His word and I am just so excited about it. I’ll be sharing more about the things that have come to light for me.

 

James Strong, J. R. (2001). The Strongest Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Nelson, T. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible. Nashville.

Randy Lee, R. A. (2014, January). The Controvercy between Genesis 1 & 2. Retrieved from Devoted to Truth: www.ecclesia.org/truth/1-2.html