Let Your Light Shine….

Have you ever noticed that you can tell when someone is a Christian?  You meet someone in the store, or at the doctor’s office, and you just know they are a Christian? 

When I first became a Christian, it seemed like everyone that came my way was  a Christian also.  At the time, about five years ago, I thought it was a just a coincidence.  But now, I know that God actually put them in my path and continues to do so. 

I was studying my Bible last night when I came across the part of  Jesus’ ministry where He is telling the people gathered about the light within.   Luke 11:33-36 “No man, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a cellar, nor under a basket, but on a stand, that those who enter in may see the light.  The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore when your eye is good, your whole body is also full of light; but when it is evil, your body also is full of darkness.   Therefore see whether the light that is in you isn’t darkness.   If therefore your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly full of light, as when the lamp with its bright shining gives you light.”  (emphasis added) 

I notice the light shining in many Christians that I come in contact with.  I see it in their eyes, and I hope they can see it in mine.  As this world continues to become darker and darker, Christian’s light must shine brighter and brighter. 

Ask the Lord today, to refresh your light and fill you with the Holy Spirit so that you can be a bright light in today’s darkness.

God bless you today! 

 

A New Year, A New Life

It’s a new year!  That in itself excites so many people.  They dance in the streets, and sing, they even wish the best to people they don’t even know.  Of course the new year stimulates resolutions which are made in all good intention of completion.  But, within a few weeks, months, and sometimes only days, the resolution has been set aside.  I gave up on resolutions years ago.  Although I don’t condemn anyone who is seeking to better themselves.

That brings me to my point, how can we better ourselves?  We make the commitment, and then fall short.  But not to worry!  There is hope.  It doesn’t come in the form of a diet program, or fitness center.  No pill contains the secret ingredient, no special “low fat” foods.  Nope!  No friendship, not even “positive thinking exercises”.  And can you believe we fall for all this stuff? 

There is only one way to a new life this new year, and that is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Because the Bible teaches us, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. BEHOLD, ALL THINGS HAVE BECOME NEW..”  (2 Corinthians 2:15) All things.  All things.  I LOVE THAT!  No matter what you have done in your past, you are forgiven and God no longer sees it.  God forgets it.  And you are new. 

Maybe you have been involved in things you are ashamed of.  Maybe you have done something you think no one could be forgiven for.  Maybe you can not even forgive yourself.  But God will.  Take His invitation this New Year for a New Life.  One filled  with forgiveness, love, peace, and fellowship with others who have been where you are but are New today.

To find out more about how you can accept this new life follow this link.

God bless you all this new year!

 

Lord, what will You have me do?

Today as I was beginning to “blog”, I thought about what Iwould like to say.  I thought about what was going on in Israel, Palestine, Iraq, Iran, and right here in America.  I thought, “If I could just write something that would get a lot of other people to view my blog, maybe they would read some of my other stuff.”  So I continued to think about what Iwould be discussing.  But then the Lord spoke to my heart, “Hey…whose blog, whose words, whose stuff here on this site?” 

Oh boy, maybe that is why I haven’t had anything to write lately.  I have been asking myself for the wisdom and the words.  And so this blog post is just a reminder to all…every day, ask the Lord, “what will You have me do?”

Obedience to the Lord is key to peace and joy.  I keep learning that over and over.  It used to be the Lord would teach me these lessons through big situations and painful consequences.  But now, I hear Him before it gets too out of control.  I like that.

God be with you today.

 

Do not worry about tomorrow…

I wanted to check in to say, I am still dedicated to this blog site.  It has been a while since I have been able to sit down and write.  Call it writers block, or whatever. 

The current status of the country is somewhat overwhelming, and I have been caught up in the world events the past few months, as I am sure you all have been as well.  I listened carefully to all the debates, the ads, the speeches, and concerns of the candidates during the election campaign, and I don’t think any questions were really answered.  But something I can safely say is this, Obama is a tool to the Lord. 

As Christians, we know where the story ends.  We believe in that, and we know that the Bible does not teach us to believe in a world that progressively gets better and better until it is just the “Garden of Eden” again.  We do not know what role President Elect Obama will play, but we can safely say he has a role. 

I have heard that people are in somewhat of a panic; questioning, “what do I do now?” But I think it is important to continue doing exactly what we are doing right now.  Pray, fast, attend church, earn what we can, save, and just continue to put one foot in front of the other.  The bible tells us in Matthew 6 verse 34, Matt. 6:34 ”Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  We must continue to live each day as for the Lord.  Do not worry about tomorrow.  Meditate on the promises of God to those who trust in Him.

If you would like to know more about the promises of God and the life that is waiting for anyone who trusts in Him, please follow this link.  Know God

God bless you today.

 

Video, War on God in America.

This is really sad.  The new visitor center at our Capital will be opening in a few months.  This should be a good thing right?  Not so!  Come to find out, this center has taken God out of our history completely.  They have taken parts of the constitution out which pointed to God or religion.  They recreated the part of the building which says, “In God we trust”.  Now it says nothing, and so on.  I am sure the tax payers paid for this $600 million dollar exhibit.  And if so, we are paying to be lied to and for children to be misinformed about our true heritage.  I love the quote in the video below.  It is so true…whoever controls the present controls the future.  Something like that…it’s in the video and you’ll see what I mean.  We need to stand up for our true heritage.  This country relied on God to shape it.  Did you know the pilgrims started electing their own officials because of a verse in Exodus which stated that you should elect officials from amongst yourselves?  That had never happened before.  There had always been a king, a emperor, etc.  So where did they come up with this?  THE BIBLE!!

 

Funny, this building is built deep under ground…sounds like a dark pit to me!  How can our goverment allow this?  I know, I know, those liberals.  But what about the people that are conservitives?  I had no idea this was going on.  Please inform your friends.  You can choose to believe in God, but you should not be able to take Him out of our true history.  History is what has happened already, how can you just make it up as you go along?  I’m disgusted.

 

Please watch the video attached. http://www.floridabruce.com/war_on_god.htm  It explains everything better than I could.  And, for more real American History, go to www.wallbuilders.com

 

In love and peace to all,

-Jennifer

 

The Wise Bring Healing

Today as I was studying, I came across a verse that I had to underline.  For those of you who do not read the Bible, don’t stop here.  I am not preaching, just commenting on the truth of this verse during this election year. 

Now, I am very aware of the candidates for President, and Vice President as I watch the news daily.  And recently, I was made aware of the great up roar that Politics can cause within a family, and friends, and strangers.  It seems to me that during an election year, everyone becomes an expert in politics.  They side with one party or another, just based on the party itself.  Sometimes I don’t even believe they listen to the other side or the issues at hand to make an informed decision.  Just “I am a Democrat” or “I am a Republican”  and that is that.

Ok, to the verse.  Proverbs 12:18 “There is that speaks like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.”  As I read this, I had to think about the way everyone is reacting to this election.  I hear it everyday.  Great arguments, and accusations, and just plain horrible words coming from the mouths of people I know to be good people on every other occasion.  What is wrong with people?  The ranting and raving causes more ranting and raving in opposition, and there is no health in that.  Talking about the issues seems almost impossible around these rash speaking people.  They are unable to hear anything but their own words.  They get louder than everyone else speaking over anyone that tires to make a point or ask a question.  Those with questions are made to feel stupid for asking as they are told not to be stupid or naive.  Where is the healing in that? 

In my opinion, those people who think that speaking with such rashness, like a sword piercing through people, make the point for the side they oppose.  Instead of using reasonable healing words that make the point for the side they represent, they make people believe that anyone on their side would have to be as harsh as they are and so people just want to get away.

Angry words, even when there is truth in them, will never bring people together.  Not on any subject.  Rational, kind spoken words, will make people think about what you are saying.  People may not agree with you, but they will take the time to think about the point you are trying to make.

So in this election year, take your guidance from the best source, the Bible.  Proverbs 12:18 “There is that speaks like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.” And, remember to listen to all points made, look up the issues and find out what the ramifications will be, and educate yourself on the effects that this election year will have on you and your family, and the entire nation.  We can change things, but it can not be through ignorance or anger, only through education and knowledge.

 

Joyful or Angry, You Have the Promises of God.

I was listening to Joyce Meyer’s this morning.  She was speaking about the promises of God to those who set their minds on joy and happiness.  She was going on about how we don’t have to just think about whatever comes into our heads.  Well, I agree with her completely!  In fact, I have actually had to purposely change my mind in order to stop Satan from filling my mind with things that I did not want to think on.

But then, I started praying about those who believe that there just is not any way for them to get around being angry, hurt, discouraged, and feeling as though they can not trust God or anyone else.  And, God told me, “My promises are real.  They are for everyone.  The saved and the unsaved.”  I thought, “Lord, what do you mean by that?”  So, I started to search for what God says in His word about being angry.  And, I found out that there are some promises to that. 

Here is what I found.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret-it leads only to evil (Psalm 37:8)- True!  Anger leads to evil.  That is a promise.

Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing (Proverbs 12:18)- True!  Reckless words do pierce like a sword, but words can also heal.  Some reckless words can damage someone forever!  That is a promise!

A quick-tempered man does foolish things, and a crafty man is hated (Proverbs 14:17)- True!  A quick temper (in a man or a woman) causes them to do foolish things.  That is a promise!

A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly (Proverbs 14:29).- True!  Quick tempered people often seem foolish.  Displaying folly means to show foolishness.  That is a promise.

A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel (Proverbs 15:18)- True!  A hot temper can stir up a division or an argument.  That is a promise.

An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins (Proverbs 29:22).- True! Our hot tempers can cause us to sin.  It will cause us to sin.  That is a promise!

You see, we are either accepting the promises of God to be in turmoil or, we are accepting God’s promises to be blessed.  People seem to think that because things are not going the way they want them, that God has left them or that there is no God.  But God is allowing exactly what He promises.  Anger = pain, suffering, foolish decisions, emptiness, bitterness, arguments, and hate.  Those are promises. 

So, if you are experiencing these things,  God has not left the picture.  He’s just allowing you to experience what He promises you will when you act in anger.  Do not blame God.

If you want to experience the promises of God that bring joy, put on Love.  Put on kindness, gentleness, forgiveness, trust, understanding, faithfulness, and abide in God’s word.  For He promises joy, happiness, blessings, and provision to those who obey these things. 

You are already experiencing the promises of God, the question is; which of the promises you wish to have for your life?

There are so many resources available for you to figure out how to live with the promises of blessings and how to avoid the promises of strife.  Start with the Word of God.  Start with the book of psalms and the book of proverbs.  Embrace the truth of the promises of God and find joy!

 

Truth about Salvation

There are many ways to praise God and many ways to worship Him.  But I have been confronted with the idea of what “religion” is the true way to God.  For many months I deceived myself by asserting that I just “knew in my heart” that I was following the true God.  I was a Christian, but I did not really know God’s word as I should.  I definitely did not know any church history, and so I would just trust my heart.  Then, as I was praying, God told me to look into His word to see what He says about man’s heart.  Now, I had been studying the history and the word for some time.  But, my family had been debating the subject through letters back and forth, and I had been hearing the same thing, “I know in my heart.”  When I looked up the information on man’s heart in God’s word, this is what I found.  “He who trusts in his heart is a fool. Proverbs 28:26″  That verse is very straight forward.  Don’t trust in your heart, know the facts and know what is truth. 

My family seems to be caught up in a battle between truth and tradition.  One falls to tradition just as it is truth and the other side falls only on truth as told through God’s word.  I could go on and on as to what I think is the right path.  But, I do not want to get caught up in that at this time.  The only thing I care about is the truth of Salvation. 

All of the family believes that Christ is the Savior of the World.  That is truth.  He came to the world to save the sinners.  John 3:16 tells us specifically, “God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son so whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”  That is beautiful love. 

All of my family believes that Jesus is the way to everlasting life.  That is truth.  Jesus explains this to Nicodemus very clearly.  John 3:1-17 “1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

 3In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.^[a]”

 4“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”

 5Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^[b] gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You^[c] must be born again.’ 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

 9“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

 10“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.^[d] 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.^[e]

 16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,^[f] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”   So we must be born again through water and the spirit.  This is truth.  But, this is also where we come to disagreement. Now this is important because this is were Jesus gives specific instructions on how to obtain everlasting life.  One side believes in the sprinkling of water in infant baptism and the other in complete submerging of oneself in water after being able to confess their belief in Jesus as their Savior.  So, which is truth?  Does truth just come from something that seems good and right, or from a fact stated definitely.  If we are to look at facts stated in the Bible, we can see that in all the cases of being baptized, the one accepting the invitation first believed.  We are even called to believe and be baptized by the apostles themselves.  As a side note and actually an important one, the word used for baptism in the original writing of the New Testament meant to submerge.  So Jesus’ own words state to be submerged.  That is truth.  And the apostles, who walked with Christ, said to believe and be submerged.   That is truth.  But then there is tradition.  But when does tradition take over the true words of Jesus?  Can we make less of His words because it is easier to sprinkle than to submerge?  Or can we make light of the apostles words because baptising a child seems right or good?  The truth is, true baptism comes from total submerging after belief in Jesus as the Savior for your sins. 

Now, what is the truth regarding the Holy Spirit?  All the family believes in the existence of the Holy Spirit.  That is truth.  But. one side of my family believes that only the apostles were blessed with the presence of the Holy Spirit.  The other side believes that the believer is filled with the Holy Spirit when they confess their belief in Jesus Christ as the Savior of their sins.  But, what is truth?  Here Peter was speaking to the people. 37When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

 38Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

 40With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.  Peter’s own words states that those who believed and were baptized would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  That is truth.

In conclusion, we can state as truth:

1. Those who confess Jesus as their Savior will have everlasting life.  Jesus said so.
2. You must be born of water and the spirit. Jesus said so.
3. The Holy Spirit will be a gift to you when you repent and are baptized in the name of Jesus. This is a gift to all, and to everyone children and those who are far off, according to Peter who walked with Jesus and was taught by Him.
4. Baptism must be what it is, submerging.  The word Jesus used means to submerge.  Without submerging their is no baptism.  There was no sprinkling in the Bible.  Let’s not justify ourselves by saying it is easier to sprinkle.  There are many churches still submerging easily.
5. Truth is stated in the Bible, which is God’s word,  because God’s word is proven.  “As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven;  He is a shield to all who trust in Him” - Psalm 18:30

We could go into the other areas of worship and praise and prayer, and we could find the truth.  But, we must start with the foundation of salvation because otherwise, nothing else makes sense.

Lord, I pray today that you will open the hearts of all who read this to Your truths.  You long for all to be headed for Heaven and You have made a specific path to it.  Lord, I pray that everyone who reads this will want to walk on that path.  And I pray this in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

If you want to learn more about how to know God, click the following link.  www.ccmodesto.com/knowing_god

 

Are You Deceived?

Well, it has been a while since I have written anything here.  The reason is, I have been studying, studying deception.  I looked into the bible verses that speak of deception and the commentary that would give a deeper meaning of it.  After I had done this, I sat down to write a blog about what the Lord had revealed to me in His word.  I haven’t finished that paper yet.  Because, deception in today’s society is so vast that it was almost impossible to cover it all in a post that people would not get “blogged out” reading.  So I set that aside to pray about it. 

God is so good to answer prayer…it just amazes me still.  I think it always will.  Today’s sermon at our church was about offending people, tolerance and how people seem to be accepting everything in the name of it, and specifically Matthew 17:24-27.  Jesus knowing that He did not have to pay the temple tax required at the time, paid it anyway and told Peter to do it as not to offend anyone.  Now anyone who reads the Bible on a daily basis, or even weekly basis, knows that Jesus said himself that He had come to offend.  He had come to split families.  But this shows another side.  (The sermon, taught by Damian Kyle, was very informative and you can listen to it on-line at http://www.ccmodesto.com )

Jesus didn’t mind offending people when it came to the reason He was here on the Earth.  He loves everyone enough to offend them when it comes to their eternal life.  So, I had to ask myself, “where is your paper on deception going?”  And, I realized that the only deception I should address at this moment is a most common deception that has everything to do with eternal life and personal salvation. 

First, let us look at what deception is.  The meaning of the word decpetion in the dictionary is: the act of deceiving or the state of being deceived.  The meaning of the word deceive is: to mislead by a false apperance or statement.  So biblically, any statement that contridicts God’s Word would be false and therefore a deception.  So if you do not know the truth which is in God’s Word, you are at risk of being deceived. 

Now, some may say that it is a deception to believe that you are saved simply by trusting in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.  Then, following that by being fully submerged in water as a sign of your dying with Christ and being raised from death. (This is known as water baptism.)  But I say the deception is believing this is not the way!  

I can not unlearn what I know to be true and it is simple and it is clear.  John 3:16, “And God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whomever would believe in Him should not perish but have ever lasting life.”  Jesus, Himself, said, “unless you are born again of water and the Spirt you may not enter the kingdom of heaven.”   He said, “I am the way the truth and the life.”  He said, “No one comes to the Father except through the Son.”  He clearly tells the way to salvation and He tells of what will happen if one does not accept the gift that was sent by God. 

Now, I could have gone into many different spiritual deceptions here, but I won’t.  Because without salvation, nothing else matters.  I start there.  Because a wise man once said, “God will work the rest out.” 

Please take this time to read the following verses in your own Bible.  Pray that God will give you a heart to know what He is saying.  And remember, that a seeking heart will always long to know the truth.  A seeking heart, a true seeking heart, will not be afraid of the truth.  Because, “the truth will set you free!”

(John 3:16, Acts 4:10-12, Romans 1:16, Ephesians 1:13, 1 Thessalonians 5:9, 2 Timothy 2:10, John 14:6, John 6:37, John 3:5)

If you would like to know more about how to know Jesus as your personal Savior, visit http://www.ccmodesto.com/knowing_god

 

 

I thought I was learning to tame my Tongue…

This month I have been “growing spiritually” at a pace that, I have to say, seems too quick.  I have learned a great deal about keeping ones mouth shut when it needs to be shut, and having to open ones mouth when it is not comfortable to open it.  I thought that was the main lesson in the situation I put myself in…which God graciously allowed…but, I was about to learn so much more.

I was a nagging wife.  I am a nagging wife.  I am confessing it to the world!!!  YIKES!  But there is a reason to this confession.  As I was saying, the Lord has been growing me.  Remember I thought all this growing was about taming my tongue? Actually, it was about taming my tongue, learning to open my mouth when it feels uncomfortable, trusting God to give me the right words, becoming free of guilt, AND…the fact that I am a nagging wife. 

With all my heart I desire to be a godly wife.  In fact, everything I do is for the good of my husband.  But I was deceived!  I am not a nag at my husband to do certain chores around the house, or to make more money, or to loose weight, or buy me things.  No, I do not feel like I deserve more worldly things.  I am a nagging wife to the fact that I want my husband to be a more godly man.  I want him to love the Lord with all his heart.  I want him to react to every situation with a kind spirit and loving tone.  I want him to play with the kids, guide them spiritually, love his wife as Christ loves His church, and so on and so on.  All Biblical, right?  I thought I was helping him “grow spiritually” by reminding him every time he did not live up to his biblical duties. 

So one day, I was praying…”Lord what is wrong with him?“  And you know, I clearly heard the Lord.  He said, “You!“  I have to admit I felt that one right in the heart.  I was plainly rebuked.  But, I was like..”OK, sorry Lord please forgive me“, and I moved on.

As I was dealing with the other issues that the Lord has been working on, I was pointed to the part of Genesis where God is talking to the woman, the serpent, and the man.  God is laying it out, after the fall into sin, and He is telling the woman that the man shall rule over her, etc.  (Read Genesis 3:16)  And I felt like I needed to understand these verses more.  So I followed the related verses that are given in the margin.  This led me to 1 Timothy 2:12-14 which says, “And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.  For Adam was formed first, then Eve.  And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.”  Then I thought, “wow, I try and teach my husband all the time.”  So I further researched a wife’s relationship to her husband.  Most of us know, we are to submit to our husbands.  We are to not withhold our bodies from them.  We are to be their help meet.  I came to 1 Peter 3:1-3 which says, “Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear…”  I was understanding the Lord.  He was telling me to stop teaching my husband by nagging the Word of God, but to love him and show him the kindness of God. Which will win him over to the Word of God.  He also put into my heart, that I must understand that when I step outside these commands, I am on my own.  I do not have His, that is God’s, blessing.

I don’t want you to misunderstand.  We are to teach in some areas.  We are to teach our children.  We are, also, to teach younger women to submit to their husbands and to be godly wives.  These are great callings and should be discussed in greater detail another time.  But for now, my lesson is this…I am not my husband’s teacher.  The Holy Spirit is the teacher.  The Holy Spirit is sent into the believer to be the teacher of the heart.  I must let the Holy Spirit teach me, change me, and mold me into who I am to be in Christ.   But I must also, let the the Holy Spirit teach my husband, change my husband, and mold my husband into who he is supposed to be in Christ.  I believe this lesson to be a great challenge for me, but also a blessing.  And, I must also repent.  Because I have done damage in the body of Christ.  For I have judged my husband, and nagged him to obey God’s Word.  I have not represented God in a the manner I am called to.  For that I am truly sorry.

Lord,

Today I pray for all the Christian wives

in the world.  I pray that they will submit

to Your will for their lives, by submitting to their

husbands as head of their household. 

I know how hard it is Lord, to shut my mouth

when I want to open it up.  I pray that you

would give us the strength to trust

You and Your timing.  Lord,

You are that powerful.  You are that mighty.

There is safety in obeying You, Lord.

Grant us the strength to do it.

In Jesus’ name I pray.

Amen