religion — BLOG — All Things Jesus

When did Imperfection Become the Christian Standard?

There should never be a time where we settle for where we are right now in our faith. I do not care if you are a giant in the body of Christ and are anointed for such a time as this, you still have more to do, a higher level to achieve in your relationship with God, more to learn, and more to share with others. Paul is one of the greatest characters in the Word and even he had to confess, “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and staining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14). Not only must we be realistic with our own personal journeys, we must love one another and encourage others to be all they can be in Christ. There is no division in the body of Christ. We are one and all being changed and made over by God daily. 12:1b-2 is what our hearts posture should be; “And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The Truth about Unequally Yoked Relationships: “Are They Really that Bad?”

At some point in time during your Christian walk, I’m sure you have had the thought “it’s just a lot of rules and some that I really do not understand”. I am with you! I think back on my own past and I wonder if I would have made half of the foolish mistakes I had, if I would have known the “why” behind the command or rule. If I would have just been able to fully discern God’s heart behind a “no” or “not yet”, would that have been enough to turn me away from what I was pursuing. In this case of unequal relationships it is imperative for us to look deeper into the heart of God, His protection, and His guidance in inspiring Paul to write that we should not be yoked with unbelievers. In order to see the “why” behind the command, I decided to take a look at examples from the bible of men who engaged in relationships with unbelievers that forever changed the trajectory of their entire lives for the worse.

Free Worshipper “Breaking down the Barriers Between you and God”

I can remember it like it was yesterday. My friends and I were at a Women’s conference and we were so excited for the worship service going on later that evening. We caught up with some fellow conference goers in the elevator and they told us to “get ready”, that this worship service was like no other and will definitely usher us right into the presence of God. So my first reaction was like okay they are probably over exaggerating, “let’s just see if it’s all that”. We get into the service and the band is playing all of my favorites, “Good Good Father”, “Spirit Break Out”, “Oceans” and so many more. I’m enjoying myself, praising the Lord and clapping but I got this “feeling” that I was not quite doing enough. The Holy Spirit gently nudged me to “go deeper”. So I began to sway side to side, clap a little harder, sing a little louder, I really was not sure what “go deeper” meant so I just did what I knew to do. Then I heard Him say “if you really want to show your love for me, fall on your knees”. I must admit that my immediate reaction was “uh God no, with all of these people around? That’s just what I do when it’s you and I”. So I made my futile attempts at ignoring the Holy Spirit until I was overwhelmed with His presence...

“Spiritual Desert”: Has God Abandoned Me?

"I'm just not feeling it, I don't feel Him. I'm just going through the motions in quiet time. My mind wanders and my heart just feels empty." I remember saying these words to friends as I explained the season of spiritual drought I believed myself to be experiencing. I just couldn't "feel God" and it was becoming very discouraging. I was frustrated because just a month before quiet time was enlightening, enriching, powerful, almost supernatural and now... crickets. So what changed? That was my question to God. Oh how much I wish I didn't ask that question lol (be prepared for a real deal answer from the Lord) but I did and I believe He told me exactly what happened.

UncategorizedAllthingsjesusJuly 4, 2017Christian, Faith, god, intentionality, jesus, prayer, quiet time, religion, seek god, spiritual desertComment

Help! I’m Just Not Good Enough: Understanding God's Grace

In order for me to get at the heart of the matter I had to realize that I didn’t really understand the concept of grace or “justification by faith”. As a Christian this understanding is vital, as it is the very foundation of our faith. I have struggled greatly with the concept of grace because if I can be very candid, I’m an all or nothing type of girl, very “black and white”. I’ve always had this rigid moral compass, either something is wrong or right, either you work for it or you don’t, you’re punished for doing bad and rewarded for doing good, etc. you get the point. Don’t get me wrong, I can demonstrate grace for others and be very understanding but when it comes to myself, I am definitely my own worst critic.

Do I Really Have to Forgive?: Finding Freedom in Forgiveness

Forgiveness isn’t for the person, it’s for you- The second reason we should all forgive is for the mere fact that forgiveness isn't for the person it's for us! Once you forgive, you're essentially saying I am taking on this debt. The word "forgive" in Hebrew is "nasa" which literally means "to lift, carry, or take". Forgiveness is very sacrificial in that way because you're taking the blame and the weight up off of that person for whatever they have done and you are taking it to God and laying it at His feet. The act of forgiveness can be pretty transactional in that way, if you let it. The problem for some lies in the fact that you don't always get anything in return (an apology) and that is okay. John 6:35 “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” God sees all and He won’t let it go unnoticed because you're being obedient to His word! Don’t believe me? Take a look at some scriptures outlining God’s blessings for those who follow through with His Word:

Maintaining Joy in a Dark Place

I mean when you really think about it, how can you effectively draw others to Christ if you’re miserable yourself? I mean, let’s be honest, if you were an unbeliever and the so called believer on your job was always complaining and had no joy or hope to hang their hat on, why would you want to know more about their God? I think you’d probably figure “well we’re both in the same boat, so what good would their faith do for me?” I think it is important to remember what the bible tells us in 1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” People should be able to look at us as Christians and ask “how can you remain so hopeful in this distressing and bleak situation?”

UncategorizedAllthingsjesusApril 23, 2017bible, Christian, Faith, god, jesus, journey, joy, prayer, religion, scriptureComment

Stepping Out of the Boat

The series is entitled LIT ( Living in Truth). I will be highlighting single Christian men who are truly men after God's own heart. The idea came to me one day while minding my business getting ready for the day. I felt as if I heard the Lord tell me to showcase His sons. Not in those exact words but you get the gist. I have so many amazing single friends who are pretty much cynical when it comes to believing that REAL single Christian men exist. You know, the ones that actual attend church, bible study, have an active prayer life, are practicing celibacy, and truly living in Gods truth for their lives! So my task is to find these men and show they do in fact exist and that they are hope for women who are waiting on God's best.

Why Do We Fast?

In the New Testament Jesus does not explicitly say that we must fast but His words and actions imply that we must lol. So what does He say? In Matthew 6:16-18 Jesus says "When you fast, do not look gloomy like hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." So the first major thing to point out here is that Jesus says "when you" not "if you". He is giving instructions on how fasting should be done when you do so because you are most certainly going to do so. Also, Jesus is specifically letting us know that fasting isn't a trend or something we do to impress others like my friend was stating society has made it, but rather that it is to be strictly between us and God. We are not to brag and boast about fasting and we should actually keep it to ourselves as much as we can.

UncategorizedAllthingsjesusFebruary 28, 2017bible, Christian, fasting, god, jesus, mourning, prayer, religion, repentance, sacrifice, scripture Comments