Jesus forgives...

We don't have to have a HUGE faith. Even if our faith is small, God sees it. We can't make our faith better. What we can do is align our hearts with the heart of Jesus. And as time goes on, as we study the BIBLE and pray and seek God's will, our faith is made stronger because of JESUS! It says so right here:

Ephesians 2:8-10

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Here is the deal, I have been letting the judgement of other people hinder my writing. 

Hinder me from telling the truth. 

Hinder me from being honest and open about what I believe and what I feel. 

I want to share with the world. 

I have been nervous because my beliefs differ from those of family members and friends. And I haven't wanted to rock the boat. But over the past two weeks, I have discovered that the people with differeing views and different religions don't shy away from telling me that I am wrong. So why should I stop writing what I think is the right thing? 

BUT I have been convicted of my thinking. 

Isn't the point to share the love of Jesus despite what others say or how they view me?

Yes! That is the point. 

To stand for Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, even when people get mad because your beliefs are different than theirs. 

I must press on. I must press forward. 

I MUST. 

There are no two ways about it! 

I have been worried about offending others with my writing but I see now that they don't care  about what I write.

 And frankly, caring what others think is silly. It really is. Because the people I was worried about offending, they don't care what my beliefs are, they are going to insist I accept theirs and insist that I keep an open mind.
Even when I refuse to. 
They may even tell me that being close minded won't let me move forward in my life. BUT I disagree. Wholeheartedly, I disagree. I have had a very closed mind for nearly 5 years now and I have moved forward a great deal!  

I do not want to keep an open mind when it comes to my faith.

There is one word of God. 

ONE

 My view is, there is only one God. One true God. One Savior who is not our brother, He is the son of God, He is the great I am. Their is one Holy Spirit and these three entities are THREE IN ONE! 

Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

When we refer to God as our Father, it is figurative. He is the father of all in a spiritual sense. Not physically. We have earthly fathers that share the same genetics as us. That is completely different than having a Father in Heaven that loves us and sent His only SON to die for the sins of the world. 

I have been doing a lot of research about many different religions over the last several years. And I have come to one conclusion. Only true Christianity, Bible believing Christianity, offers forgiveness without having to DO anything to earn that forgiveness. 

There are no ceremonies. 

No sacred rituals. 

No need for secrets of any kind. 

NOTHING. 

It is about LOVE.
 In all of the other religions. ALL of them. LOVE is the missing factor. This is the factor that Jesus insisted must guide our lives as HIS followers. 

If you believe in Jesus and what He did on the cross, then that is IT! 
Your belief saves you. Your small. Human sized belief is all you need. 

God sees your belief and He washes you white as snow. 

Because God's GRACE covers us when we fail or mess up.

Clean as a whistle. 

Cleaner than that. 

Everything from your past is made new. 

We are made new. 

All other religions, forgiveness and restitution relies on your works. How good you are. How often you attend church. What special clothes you wear. How much money you give to the church. Where you get married. 

It isn't right and it isn't the way God intended it to be. 

He made it much easier than MAN has made things. 

Romans 8:38-39

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The. Cross. †

The bunny stuff is cute but what is most important is what Jesus did for us upon that cross. It isn't that we worship the cross. It is that we worship Jesus because of the sacrifice he made for us. Using the cross as a symbol to remind us of that sacrifice is not idolatrous. It is a simple symbol of God's mighty love.

 

The next time...

The next time you go to a strip club or watch porn, remember 95% of women in the sex industry were molested as children. 

http://www.wearecherished.com/resources-2/statistics/

Open the eyes of my heart...

I have been thinking about tackling a post on music. And how important it is to protect our minds from worldly lyrics.

 So here goes:::

Psalm 104:33 ESV / 146 helpful votesI will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.

I do not understand why people who claim to LOVE Jesus fill their minds and souls with today's popular music. Songs that sing about being drunk, being high, having sex and many other gross sad nasty icky debouched terrible worldly things should not even being entering our ears. Today's popular music does not glorify God. The music glorifies the world. It glorifies losing your inhibitions and setting your mind aside and listening to your feelings. The ears of believers need to be protected. It is a serious thing.

Philippians 4:8 ESV / 34 helpful votes
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

We need to have our minds open and our hearts need to be guarded. Music is powerful and it sits inside of our minds for our entire life. It is important that we are careful about what we allow to come out of the speakers in our homes, phones and especially in our cars. As Americans we spend a lot of time in our vehicles and the songs that play on the popular secular radio stations should not be playing in our cars! Not when we sit here and claim Christ as our Savior. If you have dedicated your life to Jesus, then that includes your ears and the music you allow to permeate your brain. I was thinking that I would put some lyrics of some popular songs on here and talk about them. But then I prayed and realized that, that defeats the purpose. I have not and will not be listening to popular  secular music ever again. I refuse to listen.
I now only listen to KLOVE Christian radio or local Christian radio, Christian music I have downloaded or podcasts from my favorite Pastors. I know that whatever I put into my mind affects how I see the world. I strive to apply God's Word to my life. I have decided to give my whole life to Jesus. That includes what music I listen to.

There are many artists that make music that talks about their relationship with Jesus. They have a goal. That goal is to spread the gospel of Jesus. The truth about life. Their music gives hope to it's listeners. It talks about LOVE, joy, peace, kindness etc.

Ecclesiastes 7:5 ESV / 26 helpful votes
It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools

I want whoever is reading this to think, what does the music you listen to do for your soul?
Does it uplift you?
Does it bring you joy?
Does it help you to glorify your Savior??
Does it shine a light in the darkness?

OR

Does it make you ruminate in your own feelings?
Does it make you feel connected to the world?
Does it make you feel cool?
Does it include bad language?
Does it worship things of this world?

Romans 12:2 ESV / 619 helpful votes
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.

WE KID OURSELVES IF WE JUDGE OTHER PEOPLE FOR CURSING, DRINKING, SLEEPING AROUND, DOING DRUGS {ETC.} WHEN WE LISTEN TO MUSIC THAT GLORIFIES THE AFOREMENTIONED THINGS.

Matthew 5:28 ESV / 163 helpful votesBut I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

This verse above leads me to believe that singing about sins is the same as doing them. God looks at our heart. Our actions, yes, they are important but so is what we think and say. Singing songs about being drunk and falling in love for the night {aka sexual encounters} is not pleasing in God's eyes.

Matthew 15:11 ESV / 93 helpful votesIt is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”

Psalm 19:14 ESV / 15 helpful votes
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Allowing sin of ANY form into our lives is not good.

S I N  =  S L A V E R Y

Galatians 5:1 ESV / 70 helpful votes

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

 We cannot expect to grow in Christ if we allow bad nasty ugly sinful music into our lives. 

CUT IT OUT

I cannot help but think, what is stopping you from having your minds on while listening to music?

THINK about the lyrics that you are singing!!

It is important!

Show some self control, think about what Christ would want you listening to and choose the right songs.

 2 Timothy 1:7 ESV / 253 helpful votes

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control

As Christians, Christ Followers, Children of God, it is important that we remember who we represent. We are God's people. He has redeemed us through Jesus, He is Holy. Only HIM. We have to remember that through the Blood of Jesus we are set free. We are free to struggle. We are free to live for God. We are free to choose a life that honors our Savior! Allowing worldly music into our lives, does NOT honor God. It saddens Him. 

Pay attention tot he words in the songs you are singing and listening to. it is important that the songs we sing dont poison our souls.

Now that I am a mother, I take this even more serously. The things we allow our children to hear affect who they become. It changes how they view life. It is important that from the moment of conception that little life is flooded with love and calming words. The lyrics of most songs that are coming out of the radio these days, are not good. Think about that next time you have the radio on with your children in the car. Even if those children aren't born yet. I paid close attention to what I listened to when I was pregnant. And now, with little ears in the car, I pay even CLOSER attention. I make sure that songs are appropriate! There is nothing appropriate about being "sexy and knowing it". Imagine what kind of image that is putting into the mind of a child. Sexy isn't a word a little child should be allowed to say, but if it is coming out of the car speakers, how can we tell kids they can't say it.

WATCH THIS

We could be singing praises to Him. We could be singing about our blessings. We could be singing about our testimonies of how we once were lost and now we are found. The list could go on and on. There is a type of Christian music for all genres. The excuse that Christian music is boring, dull is no longer valid. Some of my most favorite Christian Music artists are FAR from dull. 

I will post a few of my most favorite songs at the bottom of this page.

My last words
are not directed to people who are Saved. This is not for people who have had a salvation experience and love Jesus. These next words are for people who read the above paragraphs and either felt mad inside or possibly guilty. Or perhaps, my words just confused you. 

Ephesians 1:3

 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us[b] for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known[c] to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which heset forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

BE THE VOICE

Search your soul - - if you are not claiming to be a Child of God, these last words are for you. You are on a different page of life. You need to think about your eternal future. If you have past shame or guilt - - Lay it at the foot of the Cross. Because Jesus died to save YOU! 

You. Yes. You.

Lord, help me to honor you with my choices. Help me to stand firm against the evils of this world. I am not perfect, only You are and only You can change my heart. I want to keep my eyes on You. Guide me as I make choices that will impact not only my future but the future of those I encounter in my life. Help me to be a light in this darkness around us all. Give me strength to continue to choose righteous things over worldly things. I pray that this touches someone out there and they feel encouraged! That is the cry of my heart, to be a light. 
To shine brightly for You, Father. 
In Jesus' precious and Holy name, 
Amen.

|||Here are some of my favorites|||

This band is one of my all time favorites. Their love for God is captivating. --->> Let Jesus carry you!