Spiritual Food for Women

We Are More Than Conquerors!!

Part 1- Don’t Get Discouraged

I ask myself all the time, “why do I let myself get discouraged?” Why do I let Satan have that foothold in my life? Because that is exactly what discouragement is…… it is a foothold for Satan. When I let myself get discouraged for some reason, I am giving the evil one a certain amount of control in my life. And…if I don’t get rid of it, it will continue to grow until it has completely taken over my life. Discouragement does not come from God. It comes directly from Satan himself. It is one of his most subtle tools to gradually gain control over our lives. God is constantly reminding us throughout His word that He is here for us, that we don’t have to worry, and that He loves us. He has promised us as Christians that we will have eternity with Him if we are following Him and putting Him first. Revelation 2:10 tells us, “Be faithful unto death and you will receive the crown of life.” Why should I feel discouraged when I belong to Christ? That is the question. But the bottom line is that we all do feel this way sometimes, because we are human. It is in how we deal with those feelings that is the key. When I allow myself to get discouraged for whatever reason, some serious things start to happen at that moment. First, I don’t pray enough and when I do pray, I don’t have the right attitude. Second, I don’t let God speak to me through His word. I am wallowing in self-pity so much that I am using other measures to try to forget my troubles, other than turning to God’s word. Before I know it, I’m watching TV shows or movies to take my mind off my discouraging thoughts instead of opening my Bible. But guess what? The discouragement is still there when the movie is over. I may go get some comfort food that I know I am not supposed to have because of health issues that I have. But guess what? That makes me even more discouraged. This is the point where I come to my senses and get myself on the right track, and say, “Wake up Greta! You are more than a conqueror! (Romans 8:37) Get it together!” But imagine if I didn’t get on track. Imagine if I just let it keep growing. What if I missed a service at church? Or two? Or more? What if I drifted completely away? It can happen friends. Discouragement can snowball and grow into depression, confusion, blaming others, blaming God, searching for answers in places other than God, anger towards God and others, and the list goes on. For a really long time, I did not turn to God the way that I needed to. I turned to anything, but Him, I’m ashamed to say. I went through the motions and pretended that I was ok….when I really wasn’t. I am so thankful that I came out of that turbulent period in my life that I was in for so long, and let Him heal me through His word. Do I still get discouraged? Yes, but I will not let it gain a foothold. I resist those feelings. Sometimes I even verbally tell Satan to get away from me and get out of my head. For me, that helps. The devil is really just a coward. James 4:7 says, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” That verse tells me that he is a coward and if I just resist him, he will run from me. If I resist those feelings of discouragement and use God’s word to combat them, then Satan will literally run from me! Wow! The power of God’s word is amazing! I am nothing without God. Because of His love for me through His Son, I am more than a conqueror and so are you, my sisters in Christ!! (Romans 8:37)

What causes discouragement? It can be so many things. Poor health or physical and mental exhaustion can cause discouragement. Being overwhelmed with life and all that you have to do can cause discouragement. Failure in any kind of situation can certainly cause discouragement. All three of these are valid reasons to get down on yourself and down on life. The apostle Paul had all of these situations in his life, but he was able to stay positive because of his faith in God, his love for his fellow man, and his love of the truth. Just imagine how exhausted Paul had to be from everything he went through. And we know that he had some kind of health problem that we are told about in Galatians 4:13. But, he didn’t let any of that stop him from his mission to preach the gospel. Imagine how crazy his life was as he traveled around everywhere preaching the gospel, all the while trying to make enough of a living to survive by being a tentmaker. Did Paul experience failure? Absolutely he did! He experienced failure every time he went into a city and people rejected the message of Christ, every time he was thrown in prison, and every time he was persecuted for the cause of Christ. But there is one cause of discouragement that I feel is tougher to handle than all of the above three and that is fear: fear of not being able to accomplish some big goal we have in front of us, fear of disappointing our families and friends in some way and most of all fear of what other people think of us. Fear comes from a lack of trust in God. If we are fearful of not accomplishing a goal here on earth, then we are not completely giving that goal to God. Put your goals at God’s feet, work your hardest to accomplish them while still putting God first, and then accept His will for the situation. We have to trust that if we have tried our best and it doesn’t work out, then it probably isn’t meant to be. It simply isn’t God’s will for us. He knows best. Just remember that a lack of trust in God leads to fear, and fear leads to discouragement and then discouragement grows into bitterness, anger, and so many more negative emotions that can lead us away from God. At that point, Satan has his grip on us. 

Do we sometimes worry more about what other people think of us than about what God thinks of us? We become people pleasers instead of God pleasers. How does this cause discouragement? It is because it is impossible to please everyone in our lives. We are actually trying to please both people and God. That is impossible. Let’s pause for a moment and remember Peter’s statement in Acts 5 when the Jewish council had told the apostles not to preach about Jesus anymore. Peter simply stated in Acts 5:29, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” And what happened after he made that statement to the council? They were furious and plotted to kill them. (Acts 5:33) We don’t have that kind of threat to our lives today, but we are persecuted in other ways for what we believe. We are called haters and bigots by the world. We are ridiculed by the world. The world tries to convince us that we are the problem. The world is truly brainwashed by Satan. It is so sad. But we cannot let the world discourage us and cause us to be afraid. Discouragement can literally paralyze us as Christians and cause us to be useless in God’s kingdom. I never want to be paralyzed and useless again for as long as I live. So…….if we are speaking the truth in love about Christ and His message, we certainly aren’t going to be able to please everyone, because there are so many who just don’t want to hear it. The pure, real truth is not popular. But Christianity is not a popularity contest. Jesus didn’t go find the popular people to be His followers. I still shudder to think about how much I used to worry about what others thought of me. I’ll admit that I was afraid to speak up for the truth. In the beginning, I was hesitant about putting my writing out there for fear of what friends in denominations or friends who do not go to church would think of me. It was so discouraging to be afraid. It was literally tearing me apart inside. I knew it wasn’t pleasing God for me to be afraid and that was so discouraging to me. I had to decide who I was going to please. I was at a crossroads in my life. So I resisted the fear. And now, that fear is gone and I feel free. Does fear try to come back on me sometimes? Yes, but I resist it again and again. And it gets easier every time I resist it. I promise all of you one thing. The more that you resist Satan’s ploy to use fear to discourage you from standing up for Christ and for the truth, the easier it will get. Don’t you like the idea of Satan running from you? I sure do! 

Let’s go back to Revelation 2:10. I quoted the end of this verse earlier in this post. But let’s look at the whole verse. Our Lord Himself says, “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Now Jesus is talking to people who were being persecuted at that time in history, however He is also speaking to us and telling us not to be afraid as well. Think about how easy it would have been for people at that time to become discouraged with all the persecution they were facing day in and day out. It is easy for us to become discouraged as well, because it seems as though the world is against us. But Jesus made a promise to those Christians back then and to us today. He will keep that promise. Jesus made the same promise in Matthew 5:11-12 in the sermon on the mount when He said, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Through these words, Jesus is encouraging us not to let the world’s evil words against us cause us to become discouraged. He says for us to rejoice because we will have a great reward coming if we run the Christian race with endurance. (Hebrews 12:1) Jesus is telling His apostles and followers that they persecuted the prophets, therefore they will persecute you. We can look at it from our perspective today. They persecuted the apostles and Christians of the first century, and they will persecute us today. The persecution of today may not be in the same form as it was in the first century, but it is here and it is all around us. Jesus said the world would hate us, but not to worry because it hated Him first. (John 15:18) Jesus chose us out of the world, and this is why the world hates us. But isn’t that encouraging to us? To know that Jesus chose us out of the world? (John 15:19) Jesus also said in John 15:20, “If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” I ask myself, am I willing to be persecuted for Jesus sake? I certainly don’t want to persecute my Savior any more by being afraid to stand up for Him. I don’t want to crucify Him all over again by letting the world (Satan) cause discouragement in me. I don’t want discouragement to stifle my influence for Christ. It is a fight, my friends, for all of us. It is a fight to keep our heads up, and put on a smile some days. It is a fight to not let the world discourage us and keep us from our purpose on this earth. It is a fight not to become bitter towards the world. But remember Jesus’ words on the cross, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34) He wasn’t bitter toward them. He begged His Father to forgive them. What an amazing God and Savior we have! And He has given us His Word so that we can know how to live, how to be saved, and how to help others be saved! Absolute perfection! We can’t let ourselves get discouraged and become bitter. We just have to remember that the world doesn’t know what we know. Godly sorrow is all we should feel for the world. That godly sorrow towards the lost will help us continue to live according to His Word and work toward fulfilling His purpose for us. 2 Timothy 4:7 assures us that, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Let that verse truly sink in my friends. Let’s never forget, my sisters in Christ, that “we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37) 

Use these verses to help you overcome discouragement in your life. Pray through them. Write them down and keep them with you. We can do it, Sisters! God would not tell us in His Word that we are “more than conquerors” if He didn’t mean it! He believes in us! Let’s believe in ourselves and each other! I plan to write part two on this subject and focus on what makes us “More Than Conquerors” and ways we can combat and overcome discouragement. Thank you for reading! Love you all!

Are you in Christ? Below I have added God’s plan of salvation with scripture references. If you need help in understanding, please reach out.

God’s Plan of Salvation

If anyone ever needs help in learning the truth of the gospel, please reach out and I can help you or put you in contact with someone who can. Below is the plan that God has set forth in His word, for mankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)

Verses Out of Context

Part 3-  Philippians 4:13         Don’t Make This Verse Worldly

One of the most quoted verses in America is Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” I’ve noticed that athletes really love to use this verse in hopes of winning the big game or overcoming an injury so that they can play the sport that they love again. I’ll admit that I used to be one of those people who misused this verse. I didn’t understand its true meaning. It is easy to get caught up in the feeling that this verse gives you and take it out of context. And don’t get me wrong, I do love this verse because it just exudes confidence in our Savior. However, it is severely taken out of context most of the time. It is used in a way as if to say that because I’m a “Christian”, Christ will strengthen me so I can be successful in sports, in school, in my career, in my finances or in anything I want to do in this world. But success in worldly things was not the apostle Paul’s focus in this verse, not even close. That way of thinking has a prosperity gospel type of vibe. If that is the case, that would mean that God is a respecter of persons and we know that he is not. (Romans 2:11) Let’s put this verse in context so that we can get a true understanding of it. 

Paul wrote the letter to the church at Philippi while he was in prison. (Philippians 1:7) Philippians 4:22 tells us where he was in prison with this statement, “All the saints salute you, especially those who are of Caesar’s household.” This tells us not only that he is in prison in Rome, but that there were some of Caesar’s household who had obeyed the gospel and become Christians. That makes me wonder…… was Paul responsible for their conversion while he was in prison? It’s a valid possibility that he was. It is amazing to me that Paul was trying to help the very people who had imprisoned him for two years. He wanted his captors to go to heaven someday. And do you remember, in Acts 16, when Paul and Silas were thrown in prison in Philippi and the Philippian jailor was going to kill himself when the earthquake loosened all the prisoners’ chains? But what did Paul do? He stopped the jailor from harming himself and preached the gospel to him and he and his family were baptized. (Acts 16:30ff) What an example of love for the lost! I have to ask myself, do I love the lost the way that Paul did? Or better yet, do I love them the way Jesus did? 

So….. in thinking about Paul and his amazing statement in Philippians 1:21 of “to live is Christ and to die is gain”, why would Philippians 4:13 have anything to do with a ballgame, a big test, a job interview, or any other worldly ambition? The theme of the entire letter of Philippians is about getting to heaven ourselves and then helping others get to heaven. So if our ultimate goal is to get to heaven and help others to get there, then Philippians 4:13 takes on a whole new meaning, doesn’t it? The worldly things that we try to attach to that verse pale in comparison with heaven. In Philippians 3:14 Paul says, “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ.” And then he tells the Christians at Philippi to be “mature” and have this same mindset in verse 15. We see where Paul’s focus lies and where he wants his readers’ focus to lie. The focus is to be spiritual, not worldly.

On a side note, you would think by the way the world looks at Philippians 4:13, that it is the only verse that really matters in this chapter, maybe even in the entire Philippian letter, maybe even the entire Bible for some people. The t-shirts, coffee mugs, tattoos, wall hangings, and many other decorations with this verse stamped on them have made a lot of people a lot of money. Am I saying that it is wrong to wear a shirt that has this verse? No, I’m not. Of course not. But we need to know what it means and we need to make sure that we aren’t just wearing a shirt with a Bible verse on it just to be trendy. If I wear a shirt like this and rarely open my Bible to study and never learn the truth of the gospel, what good does the verse on my shirt do me? Is my shirt or my tattoo or my mug with a Bible verse on it going to get me to heaven? This is the problem that I have with verses out of context. Just food for thought, friends. I’m not at all condemning anyone for having t-shirts, tattoos, mugs or anything else with God’s word on them, as long as they are understanding the context and studying the Bible to learn God’s entire message of salvation.

So what are the verses that set up Philippians 4:13? First, in Philippians 4:6-7, Paul encourages the Christians not to worry or be anxious about anything, and to continue in prayer with thanksgiving to God. He says that if they do this, then “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard their hearts and minds through Jesus Christ”. I find those verses to be some of my go-to verses when I am feeling worried, anxious or overwhelmed. In Philippians 4:8-9, Paul tells the Christians at Philippi what they should focus their hearts and minds on, which is everything noble, just, pure, lovely and of a good report. Paul also tells them to continue to do the things that he taught them to do. This is another warning to be on the lookout for false teachers who would try to teach them something different from what Paul had taught them. Let’s not forget what Paul said twice in Galatians 1:8-9. He said that anyone, even an angel from heaven or Paul himself, who tries to teach another gospel other than the one they had preached to them, let him be accursed. Paul warned about false teachers often in his letters to the churches. So… in these two verses he is reminding them first to keep their thoughts pure and second, to keep to what he has told them to do. I remember in 2 Corinthians 10:5-6, Paul tells the Christians at Corinth to “cast down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and be ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” We have to take our thoughts captive and keep them pure. Our thoughts can take us away from God or lead us closer to God. This is why Paul, by the inspiration of God, tells us to keep our thoughts pure. Anything that we watch, read or listen to that puts impure, destructive or negative thoughts into our minds is not helping us keep our thoughts pure and lovely. Personally, I know that I need to take an inventory of what I see, hear and think about often. Even the nightly news can cause us to worry and be discouraged. Satan will use anything he can to pull us away from God.  He wants us to doubt God and His word. But, if we are in Christ and being faithful to Him, then we will have that peace that passes understanding. Because of this, we can capture any thought that shouldn’t be there and put it out of our minds. So…..does anything in Philippians 4 so far lead you to believe that our worldly desires are the focus? Let’s keep going!! 

In Philippians 4:10, Paul changes gears just a little and begins to show his appreciation for the Christians at Philippi. He thanks them for their care and concern for him. If you skip down to verse 15, you will find out that the church at Philippi was the only church who supported him financially after he left Macedonia. Verse 16 says that they sent him even more assistance when he was in Thessalonica. But Paul wants them to understand that no matter what situation that he is in, he has learned to be content with what he has. In Philippians 4:11 Paul says, “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content..” I ask myself, can I say the same thing? Am I content? This is at the heart of what Philippians 4:13 is saying. Paul is not referring to winning a ballgame, passing a test, getting a specific job, making money, or any other worldly or material thing. He is saying that no matter what happens in his life, no matter how hard it gets, no matter what trials and tribulations he goes through, he is content in the moment. Why? Because he is in Christ. He is truly in Christ. Paul goes further with this idea of being content in Philippians 4:12 when he makes the statement, “I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” He has trained himself to be content in the moment no matter if times are good or bad. He wants the Christians at Philippi to know that he appreciates all that they have done for him, but he also wants them to understand what it means to be content. God inspired Paul to write these words in Philippians 4 because He wants us to understand that being a Christian is about being content with where we are in each moment. The time that we spend here on earth is fleeting. Our eternity is where our focus truly needs to be. Remember James 4:14, “whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” Does thinking about your life in this way give you a different perspective on your life? It certainly does mine. I’ll be honest. I struggle with being content in each moment. I want so badly to be the type of person that Paul was, a person who could be content in the worst of circumstances. I can’t even be content when things are good sometimes. I am certainly a work in progress. But I am confident that God has begun a good work in me, and He will continue it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6) He has begun that good work in you too. As long as we are in Christ and being faithful, He will continue His good work in each of us if we allow Him to.

Let’s read and think about all that Paul went through.

 “Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.” (2 Corinthians 24-28 ESV) 

Can you imagine being in Paul’s shoes? What an example God gave us in the apostle Paul! But even more so, what an example He gave us when He sent His Son to earth to be the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. Jesus was content not having anywhere to lay His head. (Matthew 8:20) The Son of God was literally homeless during the time of His ministry. The Son of God was content with being born to be a sacrifice for us so that we can be saved. He was content with being beaten, spit on, made fun of, mocked, and finally crucified for me and for you. 

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5-6)

So please…..the next time you see Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”, on a shirt, a mug, a sign, etc., don’t connect it to something worldly that you want to accomplish. After all that the apostle Paul went through in order to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, why would he write that verse for us to use in a worldly way? He wouldn’t, because those things are not truly what is important. Dig into God’s word and study the true meaning of the verse, which is to be content in every situation, no matter the circumstance, because we are in Christ. I hope this has encouraged you in your Christian walk. It has helped me to write about this verse, because I know that I need to be content in each moment of my life simply because I belong to Christ. Thank you for reading! Love you all!

Are you in Christ? Below I have added God’s plan of salvation with scripture references.

God’s Plan of Salvation

If anyone ever needs help in learning the truth of the gospel, please reach out and I can help you or put you in contact with someone who can. Below is the plan that God has set forth in His word, for mankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)

Feeling Overwhelmed

“From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”  Psalm 61:2

Wow. I am so glad that my God knows me, and knows that I need Psalm 61:2 to pray through often. I love this verse. It lets me know that God knows my struggles with feeling overwhelmed. He is my rock. Only He can lead me to freedom from those feelings. He will lead me down the right path for me, so that I can deal with whatever comes my way. He will lead you down the right path for you to deal with whatever you are dealing with today. Everyone’s circumstances are different and God knows them all. He will help you find freedom in whatever way is right for you. Sometimes we may need some extra help. I just want to add that God provides help through His word, but He can also work through doctors, therapists, and counselors who can be of so much help to us when we need it. God puts people in our paths to help us. I firmly believe that. Never feel like you have to do this life on your own. Remember, you are never alone with God. And also, you have people here who can help you. God will lead you to people who can help you if you need it. I wanted to say all that at the beginning before I went any further with this post.

Are you a person who gets overwhelmed easily? Does the smallest task seem to push you over the edge sometimes? Do you feel like you just can’t do one more thing? Personally, I feel like the title of this article defines a huge percentage of my adult life. And to some extent it still does. I try really hard to cope with these feelings in a healthy way, and have gotten better over the years, but I still struggle with letting life completely overwhelm me. From responsibilities at home and at my job, all the way down to the weekly laundry and the daily cooking and dishes, I can get overwhelmed at the drop of a hat. I realize now that those feelings are a form of anxiety, and when I would continue to keep going on and on, day after day feeling that way without giving myself some form of self-care, I would eventually go into a full-on anxiety attack. It wasn’t pretty. I would get to the point where I felt simply paralyzed and  barely able to function at all!! Do any of you ever feel this way? I feel like I’m probably not alone in these feelings. As women, we feel like we have to be all things to all people in our lives. We try to do it all with no thought given to what we might need to do for ourselves. I kept thinking, what’s wrong with me? I should be able to handle everything. I’m a wife and a momma, not to mention a teacher. Why am I struggling so much? I wasn’t giving myself any grace. My physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health went backwards for a time until I realized what I needed more than anything else in the world. Grace. I had to show myself grace. Am I the greatest housekeeper in the world? No. But it’s livable. Am I the best cook? No. I do fine, but I’m not a gourmet chef. Am I the perfect wife? No. But I love him with all my heart and soul. He’s my best friend. And I’m just thankful that he has put up with me for thirty years. Am I the perfect mom? No. But I love them with all my heart and soul and would give my life for my kids. I tried my best, but I made mistakes and I own that. Am I the best teacher? No. But I love my kiddos and I give them my all when I am with them each day at school. And here is the tough one. Am I the perfect Christian? Of course not. Not even close. Not by a long shot, but I love God with all my heart and I want to be His servant. I love my sisters and brothers in Christ and I want to be in heaven with them. I love the lost and want to help them find the truth. You see, I had to stop beating myself up for every mistake I made. I had to stop looking around and comparing myself to everyone else. I had to stop thinking about everything that I wasn’t doing well enough, and start looking at everything I was doing. Were there areas where I could improve? Of course, but isn’t it that way with everyone? You see, I have figured out that the majority of my feelings of being overwhelmed were really me feeling like nothing I was doing was ever good enough. I was feeling inadequate. Everything felt like it was piling up and I didn’t know where to begin. And do you know what I was thinking? How could I let things get like this? Why did I let things pile up like this? I am a terrible wife, mom, Christian, etc., etc. Do you see how that snowballs? That had to stop! I couldn’t be effective in any part of my life if I didn’t stop that kind of perfectionist type of thinking.

So….. my sisters in Christ and friends, give yourself a break! You are doing a great job! Take a step back and look at all that you’ve done for your family and friends. You are a rock star!! And I’m talking to all women, whether you are married or unmarried, younger or older, moms or not moms. I am talking to all of you. You are amazing! God sees you! He sees all that you do! He sees your heart! So please……starting today, make time for you. May I suggest that the first thing that you do for yourself is to get into God’s word daily? Find those verses that speak to your soul and help you cope with the day to day struggles that life throws your way. Get on a daily Bible reading plan, but make your own plan. You don’t have to read the Bible through in a year. I mean if that’s the plan that works for you, then that’s fine. It works for some people. I myself cannot have something dictating how many chapters I need to read each day. That makes me feel overwhelmed in itself. I have to set my own pace and order to how I study. Find what works for you. Pray every day. Talk to God about all that is going on in your life. Lay all the struggles at His feet. Talk to Him like you would talk to a friend. That’s what I had to do! Until I began a daily routine of Bible study, journaling and prayer, I didn’t really get any better no matter what I did. I had always heard that exercise was the key to helping with those feelings of anxiety and feeling overwhelmed. And I agree with this. I try to exercise some every day. It is so very good for you physically and mentally. However, at more than one point in my life, I was exercising every day excessively, but not feeding my soul spiritually. Without spiritual food, nothing gets better. I realized that if I wanted to improve my physical, mental and emotional health, I had to first improve my spiritual health. I had to get my life right with God and get my priorities in order. 1 Timothy 4:8 tells us this, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness (spiritual training) is of value in everything and in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and for the life to come.” (I used the amplified Bible version for this verse. I thought it explained it very well. Normally, I use the NKJV.) God’s word trains us in two ways. It trains us to be better Christians as we go out into the world to influence others, and it helps us get to heaven. What more could we want? So after I got my Bible study and prayer routine in place, I began trying to implement some physical exercise into my day. If I am alone while exercising, I may listen to a Christian podcast or I may just simply listen to some of my favorite music. Are there days when I fall short in my daily routines? Yep. I am a work in progress for sure. But I know that I cannot go very long without feeding my soul. If I do, I find myself getting negative and not coping with daily life very well. And ladies, no matter what age you are, I am telling y’all this because I care about all of you, and I want you to have an easier path than I have taken. I wish that I had gotten my act together sooner. Don’t wait. Start now. If you start making Bible study and prayer a part of your daily routine now, then there will come a time when God’s word will stay with you throughout your entire day. God’s word will become a part of You if you allow it to. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:16, you will have “the mind of Christ”. This is why 2 Timothy 2:15 tells us to study! I can’t have the mind of Christ if I don’t listen to God through His word.

I would like to share with you some things that I did to help me when I was trying to establish routines with Bible study. I began to journal my prayers. I love to write and writing out my prayers really helps me when I am struggling. I can also go back and read my prayers and that helps me to see where I was emotionally on a particular day. I also have a small notebook that fits in my purse that has some go-to Bible verses that I can read during the day. I like to use different colored ink to write them in my favorite colors. It is therapeutic to me to write the verses down rather than look them up on a phone or computer. I also began praying through Bible verses like the one above, Psalm 61:2. I write them down, but I put the verse in the form of a prayer. I have grown to love doing this. Of course, I don’t do all of these every day. I do different things but almost all of them involve writing because that is what works for me. This blog is a part of my Bible study as well. It is also wonderful therapy for me. I thank you all for putting up with my ramblings. Maybe you can relate to them. 

When I am feeling overwhelmed, here are four verses that soothe my soul in that moment. I have many, many more, but I am sure you have your own favorites that soothe you in your time of need. 

“You will keep him in perfect peace,

Whose mind is stayed on You,

Because he trusts in You.

Trust in the Lord forever,

For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength.”   Isaiah 26:3-4

If we focus our minds on God’s word, He will give us perfect peace. He is our everlasting strength.

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”    1 Peter 5:6-7

I love that we are able to cast all our cares on Him. Only someone who cares deeply about us would allow us to do that. And I love that He will lift us up to heaven someday, if we humble ourselves to Him. 

“But those who wait on the Lord

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint.”         Isaiah 40:31

This is one of my favorite verses to pray through. When I am feeling out of control and overwhelmed, this verse reminds me that I have to “wait” on God’s timing for things. But with God, I can have the strength and endurance that I need while I wait. I just need to calm down and wait.

“…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”   Philippians 1:6

I love this verse because I picture God looking down at little ole imperfect, overwhelmed me, and saying that He began a good work in me and He will complete me someday when I go home to Him. I know that I am complete in Christ while I’m here on this earth but only because His blood cleanses me and makes me complete, but when God completes me on the day of judgment, I will be complete for eternity.

Sisters in Christ and friends, I hope this post has been helpful to you. It has been helpful to me to write it. It has been a tough couple of weeks for me and this has helped me cope. Just remember, you are never alone. God loves you. I love you. You are an amazing person made in the image of God. Never forget that. Thank you for reading.

God’s Plan of Salvation

If anyone ever needs help in learning the truth of the gospel, please reach out and I can help you or put you in contact with someone who can. Below is the plan that God has set forth in His word, for mankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)

HOW DO WE CALL UPON THE LORD TO SAVE US?THROUGH BAPTISM INTO CHRIST

Verses Taken Out of Context

Part 2- Romans 10:13     How do we call upon the name of the Lord?

Hello sisters in Christ and friends!! I’ve been wanting to write some articles on some verses that have been on my mind lately. They are verses that are easily taken out of context and misunderstood. Many of you will already understand what I’m talking about in this article, but I’m hoping it will reach someone who needs to hear it. I’m hoping that it will encourage someone to look in the Bible and make sure that they are right with God, not right according to what a person says or what a billboard says or anything else……but only according to God’s word. 

In Romans 10:13 Paul says these words,  “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” So that is self-explanatory, right? We just have to call to God and ask Him to save us and that’s it, right? Nothing else is required of us, right? Have you ever seen this verse on a billboard or a commercial all by itself with no other explanation? I’ve seen this verse on a few billboards when driving down the interstate and heard it countless times from some television evangelists. I love that someone would put a Bible verse up on a billboard for everyone to see as they drive down the highway. But, sometimes just one verse taken out of context from the entire Bible can mislead and confuse people.This verse is where people get the idea that they can ask Jesus to come into their heart to be saved. That is what a lot of people think calling on the name of the Lord means. And I understand how you might think that by reading that one verse. But reading one verse does not give us the full picture of God’s word. We have to study it all to understand it completely. We can’t go to the middle of any other book and pick out a sentence that tells us the entire contents of the book. One chapter of a math book will not teach us all the math we need. So what is Paul saying in Romans 10:13? Is he telling us how to be saved in that verse?

Let’s build a bridge before we discuss this verse. The bridge that I am talking about is between the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and the book Romans from which our key verse comes. It is the book of Acts. The reason that I think of Acts as a bridge is because we can’t fully understand our key verse or any other of the New Testament books without reading Acts. The Lord’s church, singular, was established in Acts 2. This is when Peter preached the first gospel sermon. The people were pricked in their hearts because they realized that they had crucified God’s son and asked, “What shall we do?”. (Acts 2:37) That is when Peter told them exactly what they had to do. He told them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. (Acts 2:38). The church began that day with 3000 souls being baptized and added to the Lord’s church. They didn’t join a church of their choice. God added them to the church after they were baptized. (Acts 2:47)  After this, the entire book of Acts is devoted to the conversion of the Jews and Gentiles, and Paul’s conversion and missionary journeys. It is a book of the history of the early church. Throughout this book, there are ten conversion stories. In every single conversion story, baptism is there. The first one was of course in Acts 2 when the church first began. After that they are as follows: the Samaritans (Acts 8:5-12), Simon the sorcerer (Acts 8:13), the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:35-39), Saul of Tarsus, later known as the apostle Paul (Acts 9:1-18, Acts 22:6-16), Cornelius (Acts 10:47-48), Lydia (Acts 16:13-15), the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:30-33), the Corinthians (Acts 18:8), and the men at Ephesus (Acts 19:1-5). If baptism isn’t necessary for salvation, then why is it in every conversion story in the book of Acts? Why would Peter tell the people on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 to be baptized for the remission of their sins if it wasn’t necessary? 

I wanted to build a bridge through the book of Acts up to the book of Romans before I tried to explain this verse. I want you to have some scriptures to refer to and study to see exactly what the Bible teaches on how to be saved. I don’t want anyone to be misled because they have read one verse out of context. If you go back up to our bridge, which is the book of Acts, you will see that none of the conversion stories from Acts include asking Jesus into your heart. It is just not there, friends. Now should we have Jesus in our heart (mind) if we are Christians? Absolutely! But we can’t ask Him to come into our heart to be saved. That is not in God’s plan. But what about Romans 10:13 you ask? Well, if you read the entire chapter of Romans 10, you will see that it is not a chapter that is telling us how to be saved. It is about who can be saved. The key word in the verse is “everyone”. If we look at the entire chapter of Romans 10 in context, it is addressing the problem of the Jews not wanting to accept the Gentiles as equals with them under God. The Jews are still under the impression that they have to keep the old law of Moses and they are trying to bind that law on the newly converted Gentile Christians. Right before verse 13 it says that all people whether Jew or Gentile have the right to be saved. You see, Paul wrote the book of Romans in a letter form to the Christians in Rome. It was written to people who had already obeyed the gospel which included being baptized for the remission of sins. (Acts 2:38) He was not telling them how to be saved in Romans 10. That was not the context of which he was writing. He was telling them that all people have the opportunity to be saved no matter what ethnic background they come from. You see, the people to whom Paul was writing already knew how to be saved from their sins because they had already done it. They were already Christians. If we go back to the book of Acts, which is our bridge, and read all the conversion stories that are listed, we will understand that calling on the name of the Lord includes more than just asking Jesus into your heart. Paul is the writer of Romans and he knows exactly how to “call on the name of the Lord”, because this exact phrase was said to him by Ananias on the day that he was converted to Christianity. In Acts 22, Paul is telling his conversion story and in verses 14-15, we read the words that Ananias said to Paul on that day, “The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know his will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.” So Ananias tells Paul that he has been chosen by God, that he will be a witness for Christ, and that he is to tell all people about Christ. But, I ask you, is he saved yet in verse 15? Has Paul accepted his new role as a Christian yet? No, not yet! Paul was sent by Jesus Himself to Ananias to be told what to do next. (Acts 22:10, Acts 9:6)  Paul was not saved when he was on the road to Damascus. But, in Acts 22:16, we have one of the most important verses in the New Testament, because it refutes the idea that we can simply ask Jesus into our hearts. The verse explains to us how we are to call on the name of the Lord. In Acts 22:16, Ananias says to Paul, “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” How did Paul call on the name of the Lord in that verse? He did this by being buried with Christ in baptism. Paul called on God with the obedient act of being baptized into Christ. God calls us to be saved through His word and we call out to God through baptism into Christ. The calling goes both ways. How did Paul receive forgiveness from sins? Again, by being baptized to have his sins washed away. So why did Paul write about calling on the name of the Lord in Romans 10:13? Why did he use that phrase? Because that is exactly what he did when he was baptized by Ananias!! And it makes sense that Paul would use that language when he was writing to the Christians in Rome, because that is the language he heard Ananias say to him on the day he was baptized into Christ. 

Friends, I hope this helps you understand the context of Romans 10:13, but more importantly, I hope it encourages you to look deeper into God’s word to make sure you know the truth about how to be saved. Please don’t listen to what people say or what a billboard says without looking in God’s word first to make sure that what you are being told is the truth. If you need help to find answers, please reach out. I can help you or put you in contact with someone who can. I would be happy to set up a Bible study with you or for you if you have questions. I hope and pray that everyone who reads this article will know that it is written out of love for God’s word, and love for all of you. Have a wonderful weekend and week ahead. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!! 

God’s Plan of Salvation

If anyone ever needs help in learning the truth of the gospel, please reach out and I can help you or put you in contact with someone who can. Below is the plan that God has set forth in His word, for mankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)

Psalms 121- 

1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? 2  My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. 8 The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.

I Will Lift Up My Eyes

Isn’t it wonderful to know where to go for help in any situation that we find ourselves in? Maybe you are starting a new job and you are very nervous, because you are not sure where to go when you get there. You don’t know anyone. You know you are qualified for the job, but you don’t know the ropes yet. Then, when you walk in the door on your first day, there is that one person who seems to just take you under his/her wing. This person says to you, “If you need anything, you just come to me. I have got your back.” You breathe a sigh of relief! That person has no idea what they just did for you, right? You think to yourself…..”okay, I got this. I’m going to be okay”. I have had people do this for me in new situations, and I have tried to do this for other people as well. But sisters in Christ, don’t we have someone who has our back 24/7? We have the Creator of the universe in our corner on our side in every situation we come up against. He is our ultimate help. 

“I will lift up my eyes to the hills– From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2) How comforting those verses are to me!! I look out at the beauty around me and I know with all my heart who is in control of all things. The leaves are getting ready to change color just like they do every year at this time and the air will eventually get cooler. The smell of fall is in the air and I know that my God is in control of all of it. I can count on Him to keep everything on this earth going for as long as He sees fit. It is all on His terms and in His time. Our planet will stay on its perfect invisible path around the sun, turning on its perfect invisible axis for as long as He allows it to do so. How can anyone say there is no God with all this perfect order? How could an explosion or big bang cause anything except destruction? An explosion causes chaos. Our planet is organized in all things. Can you imagine the mind that it takes to keep our earth going? To keep every living thing going? To keep us going?

Sisters, let’s never forget that God never sleeps. He watches over us day and night. What do we have to fear? Nothing that happens to us here on earth will matter, because when we leave this earthly home, we will be with God. And if we fully put our trust in Him while here on earth, He will not allow us to stumble. “He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” (Psalm 121:3-4) When I read this, I picture Jesus holding my hand as I am hiking down a steep trail, with slippery rocks. I picture the trail to be narrow. I have to walk carefully or I will stumble and fall. But my Jesus is beside me all the way, holding my hand, helping me keep my balance so I won’t fall. The side of the trail drops off like a cliff. But He keeps me away from the edge. He keeps me away from danger as long as I hold on to Him. The trail that I am on represents my life. It is slippery, steep and rough sometimes. It can be exhausting. It is not an easy road to travel. Jesus tells us what road or trail we need to travel in Matthew 7:13-14. “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” And ladies, we can all walk it with Jesus. I know that as long as I am holding on to Jesus, I can walk down that trail. Sometimes Jesus may even have to carry me down that trail in some seasons of my life. Believe me, He has carried me many times. But you know, I am human, and sometimes I let go of Jesus’ hand, because I get the idea that I can walk this trail on my own. I don’t lay everything at His feet. I don’t allow Him to help me. Or maybe I want to go in a direction that Jesus doesn’t want me to go. Maybe I step a toe into that easy wide way of destruction where Jesus will not travel with me. This is when I stumble and fall over the edge of that narrow trail. But am I completely lost and without hope because I stumbled and fell? No, of course not. This is why I have Jesus. And like Peter, when he was sinking into the sea, I needed only to reach toward Jesus and He would lift me up and we would keep going down that narrow way…together. You see we may get off the path and stumble if we let go of Jesus, but with Him, we will not stumble. Hang on to Jesus for dear life, my sisters.

Sisters, God is our keeper and protector every single day of our lives. “He is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.” (Psalm 121:5-6) When I read those verses, I picture Jesus as my right hand man. He will be there whenever I need Him and He will never let me down. I also picture God shielding all of us from the sun by giving us the ozone layer to protect us from its rays. I picture Him placing our planet at the perfect distance from the sun so that we have just enough heat for survival. He keeps the moon at the perfect distance from us for its gravitational pull to somehow help keep the ocean tides in check. Tell me an explosion did that. No way. Now think about this ladies, if God protects the entire earth from the sun, while at the same time using the sun to sustain us with heat and light, don’t we believe He will be with us individually every day? Will bad things happen? Yes….they will. But God will be with us and keep His promise to save us for eternity. We just have to keep our commitment to Him. The suffering that we go through now is only for a short time. And then……paradise. Hang in there ladies. It will be worth it.   

Sisters, our God preserves us in every way. All we have to do is cling to Him. “The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.” (Psalm 121:7-8) When I read these verses I think of how my mom and both my grandmothers would can vegetables and fruits from their gardens. They would preserve all of their vegetables so that none would go to waste. Inside the sealed jar, the vegetables’ original state would be preserved, to keep them from becoming rotten and decayed. God begins preserving our souls the moment that we are baptized into Christ. He will continue to preserve our souls if we remain faithful in our commitment to Him. Jesus’ blood will continually preserve us from the sin that can cause our lives to become rotten and decayed. His blood will keep us in our original sin-free state that we were in the moment we came up out of the waters of baptism. We will remain new and preserved if we remain faithful. What a beautiful thought. God also watches our comings and goings. He is concerned about where we are going in our lives. Just as we as parents are always watching our children’s comings and goings, God is always watching ours. I could never rest until my children were home safe and sound. Even now that they are married adults, I still like to know that they are home safe from wherever they have been. That will never stop for me as a mom. As long as I’m breathing, I’ll be a momma to my babies. My babies, they will forever be. God never stops watching over us. When we are faithful, He is watching. When we are wayward, He is watching. He is with us through all our ups and downs and everything in between. He never stops. He is interested in each one of us as individuals. 

I’m so thankful for my God. He is so faithful to me. He is my helper and my protector. He preserves me through His Son’s blood. He watches over me in every stage of life that I  go through, even the stages that, I’m certain, have not been pleasant for Him to watch. He has seen me through it all. He has seen me at my very best, and He has seen me at my very worst. And He will continue to see me through the rest of my days here on earth until I get to be with Him. Sisters, He is our Heavenly Father, our God, our Creator and our sustainer. Let’s not let life get in the way and keep us from recognizing how wonderful God is and how lucky we are to belong to Him. Slow down, take in each moment and be still and know that He is God. (Psalm 46:10)

This chapter really spoke to me and made me really think about how much God loves all of us. It is such a beautiful chapter. I hope this has been an encouragement to you today. Thank you for reading!! Love you all!!

God’s Plan of Salvation

If anyone ever needs help in learning the truth of the gospel, please reach out and I can help you or put you in contact with someone who can. Below is the plan that God has set forth in His word, for mankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)

Verses Taken Out of Context

Part 1   Matthew 7:1    So……Never Judge, Ever? 

Hello sisters in Christ and friends!! Have you ever heard someone quote Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that you be not judged”? I am sure you have, because it is one of the most misused verses in the Bible. We live in a “don’t judge me” society, don’t we?  Matthew 7:1 is almost always used when someone is committing a sin willfully and they know that the Bible says what they are doing is wrong, but they don’t want to stop the behavior, so they spout Matthew 7:1 to make themselves feel better. Think about it. Why else would they quote a Bible verse to justify sin unless they already knew that the sin was condemned by the Bible? This is the verse that people like to “cherry pick” when they are approached by someone else about the sin in their lives. I myself may have even repeated this verse myself, in my head, while at worship on Sunday, when the preacher said something that stepped on my toes. Of course, that was in the past, when I didn’t like for my toes to be stepped on and I was being stubborn. I knew better!  But now…..I actually welcome my toes getting stepped on, because it helps me examine myself and grow. But anyway, Matthew 7:1 is the verse that people will use to justify themselves when they don’t want to change. They say things like, “How dare you judge me when Jesus says no one has the right to judge” or “no one is perfect” or “God is the judge, not you” or “I’m ok. I’m not as bad as most people”. Of course, if they would continue reading through verse six of that chapter, they would understand that Jesus isn’t condemning all judgment. He is saying that we have to judge in the right way and with the right motives if we are going to judge at all. And when we do make a judgment about someone’s behavior, we need to put ourselves in their position in order to handle the situation in the right way. How would we feel? Do we like being called on the carpet? If we are being honest, none of us like to be called out or “judged” by another person for something we have said or done. We might even be attacked as a Christian for our belief in and adherence to God’s word. It is human nature to be defensive, but as Christians, we have to stop and examine ourselves and ask some questions before we react to the person who calls us out. Is this person a member of the Lord’s church? Do they have our best interest at heart? What perspective is the person coming at you from, the scriptures or the world? Whether it is something we need to be called out for or not, we will show who we truly belong to by how we respond to the situation. We need to always respond in a way that shows Christ living in us. We will talk more about our response to others later in the post. However, on that note, aren’t we as Christians accused of being judgmental all the time in today’s society, all because we follow the standard of God’s word? But I am certain that using God’s word as our standard for determining right from wrong is not being judgmental. It is called righteous judgment when we do this in the right way, and Jesus tells us exactly how to do that in Matthew 7:1-6. Of course, we also have to use God’s word in a loving, kind, and merciful way all while being careful not to compromise the truth. And I won’t sugarcoat it! It’s hard! People in the world do not understand, because they don’t believe the way that we as Christians believe. God’s word doesn’t mean to them what it means to us. And because they don’t understand, we are called intolerant and unloving, and even bigots and haters. Of course, this is so far from the truth. If only they could see that we stand against sin because we love their souls and we don’t want them to be lost eternally. But have you noticed that the very same people who are calling us judgmental, are being judgmental themselves by calling us judgmental? The only difference is that they are using a different standard to judge us. They are using the world’s standard of judgment on us. With all that being said, let’s take a deep dive into Matthew 7:1-6 and truly see what Jesus means in these verses.

First of all, Jesus is not condemning all judging, only hypocritical judging of which He accuses the scribes and Pharisees of many times. In Matthew 23, Jesus spends the entire chapter calling the scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for their unrighteous judgment on others. Several times in that chapter, Jesus makes the statement, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” So we definitely learn from them how not to judge! But throughout the New Testament we find many verses that support the fact that we as Christians are to judge with righteous judgment. Jesus was not saying that we as Christians are not allowed to judge if a behavior is sin or not. How would we fulfill our commission in Matthew 28:18-20 to go and make disciples if we can’t help them understand what behaviors in their lives are sinful? How would preachers ever stand in the pulpit and preach the truth, which includes pointing out sin?

In Matthew 7:15-16, Jesus says, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.” 

Don’t we have to judge someone’s words to see if what they are saying is the truth from God’s word? 1 John 4:1 says that we are not to believe every spirit, but we are to test the spirits to see if they are of God. Why? Because many false prophets have gone out into the world. The word test could be substituted with the word judge. We have false teachers everywhere we turn today. We have to use God’s word to expose their lies. 

Paul, when speaking to the churches in Galatia in Galatians 1:8 says, “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.”

Paul uses some strong language here. I am certain that Paul means for the Christians at Galatia to judge whether what they are being told is the truth. Paul even says that if we are truly spiritual, we will judge all things that are going on around us to make sure we are doing what is right.

Paul, when speaking to the Christians at Corinth in 1 Corinthians 2:15 says, “But he who is spiritual judges all things…..” 

So if we are in Christ and we are faithful Christians trying to walk in the light and fulfill God’s purpose for our lives, then we can judge with the righteous judgment that Jesus is speaking about in Matthew 7:1-6. What is our measure that we use to judge right from wrong? The measure is God’s word and God’s word only. Judgment can only be righteous if God’s word is the measuring stick. 

Jesus said in Matthew 7:1-2, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use , it will be measured back to you”.

So how do we want to be judged? How do we want our children/family members to be judged? If one of my children gets into some kind of trouble like possibly getting a DUI, how do I want my child to be treated or talked about/judged by my brothers and sisters in Christ? Will they judge me as a parent because my child made a mistake? How do I want others to judge him/her? Harshly, unmercifully, and critically? Or with love, mercy and forgiveness? I’m sure there are many of us who have experimented with alcohol when we were young, but…..the truth is…….we just didn’t get caught. And that’s only one example of something that could happen. Let’s put ourselves in others’ shoes and determine how we would want to be judged or treated. And let’s try and help that person overcome their problem by encouraging them, visiting them, or sending them a card, not by shunning them or treating them like they have the plague. Maybe we haven’t been involved in the same type of sin as someone else. But we cannot be self righteous by thinking we are better than other people because we haven’t been involved in the same sin as they have. We all have our own sin. (Romans 3:23) Jesus was the opposite of self-righteous. He ate with sinners. He forgave the woman who was caught in adultery. He talked to the woman at the well. He even took the time to listen to and forgive the thief on the cross when He himself was in more agony than we could ever imagine. He didn’t shut Himself off from the world. And He, of course, didn’t allow the world to influence Him. He never condoned anyone’s sin, but He was ready to forgive them if they had the right heart. Oh how wonderful it is to have Him as our example!! Are we trying to be like Him? How did He judge? How do we want to be judged by God? We want grace and mercy from God, don’t we? 

James 2:12-13 is plain and simple friends. “So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” 

If we want mercy, we must show mercy. We will be judged by God in the same way that we judge other people. Jesus is simply warning us right from the start by saying, “don’t judge if you aren’t ready to be judged in the same way by someone else or by God.” He is saying, if you can’t judge in the correct way, then don’t judge at all. Think hard about that before we move on. Do you want God to judge you in the same way that you judge other people? That might be a scary thought! Do we want to be judged on our physical appearance, our race, our hometown, our family, etc.? What about our past? Let’s be honest…..most of us would not want to be judged on our teen years, our young adult years or possibly even our recent past. 

Let’s remember Jesus’ words in John 7:24, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

So what does righteous judgment look like? Just a few verses down from Matthew 7:1-6 is the verse we call the golden rule. I would think that the golden rule would have a little something to do with righteous judgment. 

In Matthew 7:12 Jesus says, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” 

Think about this verse. How does it apply to our judgment of others? 

In Matthew 7:3-5, Jesus goes on to say, “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Jesus clearly wants us to do some self-examination in these verses. We have to examine ourselves if we are going to judge righteously. And Jesus uses some very strong language. Anytime Jesus uses the word hypocrite, it makes me want to sit up and take notice, because I know it is some serious business! However, it is almost as if Jesus is using a little humor here to get his point across. Imagine someone looking for a tiny speck on someone else when they have a huge beam sticking out in front of them that is completely blocking their sight. How would we ever help that person if we can’t get around our own beam? If we can’t see clearly our own flaws, how can we see someone else’s flaws? And seeing our flaws does not mean us saying, “well, I’m not perfect”, but then not really working to get rid of them. Yes, we all have flaws. And we can all say that we have flaws, but are we working on getting rid of them? God intends for us to work on getting rid of them. Jesus says very plainly for us to remove our beams, whatever they may be. As Christians, we should always be working to try and better ourselves throughout our entire life. This will help us to be able to judge with righteous judgment. So….first, we have to admit that we have flaws, which is hard for some people. That is a flaw in itself. It is the flaw of self-righteousness. Second, we have to specifically identify our flaws and be real about it friends!! We may have some we don’t mind admitting and others that we would rather not face at all. And last, we have to intentionally work on those flaws with God’s help through prayer and through His word. We have to be intentional. I have never had a problem admitting my flaws, however my problem was working on them. I couldn’t work on them because I wasn’t putting God first in my heart. I wasn’t praying like I should have been. And I most definitely wasn’t in His word enough to allow God to help me work on them. It takes both prayer and Bible study to truly change. I could pray and pray and pray some more for God to help me, but if I wasn’t listening to God through His word, and if I wasn’t being intentional in trying to change, then He couldn’t help me. That is my personal issue and I don’t care to admit it if it helps someone else with their struggles. I don’t mind sharing my past struggles. If my testimony helps others to not feel alone, then it is worth telling. With that being said, Jesus says for us to examine ourselves before we try to help someone else with their struggle with sin. We can’t help them if we are involved in the same type of sin that they are involved in. This is when we become hypocrites. For example, maybe we hear a friend using bad language and we automatically want to go talk to them about this behavior. But, what if we turn around and talk about other people in a negative way or gossip about others. Isn’t that a beam that Jesus is talking about that we should get out of our own eye? Bad language and gossiping are in the same family of corrupt communication, right? Another example might be a father being hard on his daughter about her clothing choices, but when he is alone, he gets on the internet and looks at pornography. Isn’t he holding his daughter to a standard that he isn’t holding himself to when he is looking at women who are degrading themselves online? These are just a couple of examples of unrighteous judgment. 

We also have to have the right motives behind our judgment. What is our true purpose for judging? Righteous judgment also includes having the right purpose and motive for judging. Our purpose has to be solely to help the other person get on the right path to heaven. It can’t be for any glory for ourselves. And it can’t be to just make ourselves feel better about our own sin. I also don’t believe we can call people out in an embarrassing or “holier than thou” way. The context of the verses in Matthew 7 is referring to approaching other Christians about sin in their lives to try and help them get themselves right with God and back on the straight and narrow. However, whether they are fellow Christians or not, we have to go to them gently, in love, with mercy and forgiveness in our hearts and in our voices. Sometimes it is not what we say, but how we say it. And also, is there a difference between how we handle each other as sisters in Christ and how we handle friends who are non-Christians? I personally believe there’s a huge difference. Most fellow Christians should understand your reasoning behind coming to them. They should know that you are just doing what Jesus has told you to do in His word. Whether they respond positively to you or not, deep down they know why you are doing it. They know you love them and that you are concerned about their souls. But non-Christians may not understand your reasoning and may see you as thinking you are better than they are no matter how you approach them. Like I said in my opening paragraph, they don’t see God’s word the way that we do. I firmly believe that we will make a more positive impact on a non-Christian simply by being a good example when you are around them. Just be Christ-like in front of them and wait for doors to open to talk to them about Jesus and the Bible. Show them the life you live by how you talk, where you go, what you watch, and what you find important. Treat them with kindness and respect even if they aren’t making all the right choices. Show them respect even when they don’t show you respect. Stand up for the truth at all times, but always with respect and never stoop to their level by losing your temper. Friends, were we not once where they are? Yes! We were. And I always try to keep in mind that everyone hasn’t had the upbringing and opportunities to learn God’s word that I have had and I haven’t walked in their shoes. And this brings me to the final verse of our study. I have always found this verse out of place because I didn’t truly understand what it meant. But after I have studied it, I get what Jesus is telling us.

Matthew 7:6 says, “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.”

When we are trying to help someone, we have to know when we have done all that we can do. Sadly, there are some people who don’t want to be helped. They do not value God’s word. It means nothing to them. When we make an effort to make a righteous judgment in order to help a person who doesn’t want to change, it is like throwing what is holy to dogs and and throwing pearls to pigs. Pigs were considered unclean in the law of Moses and dogs were considered savages at that time. They only want the scraps of food that are thrown out onto the ground. They get the leftovers.  In comparison the people Jesus is comparing to dogs and pigs only want the scraps of the world, not the pearls of the gospel. They may want no part of the Bible at all. Or, they may only want the parts of the Bible that suit their lifestyle, or they may want to twist the Bible to fit their way of life. Hence the term, scraps. They don’t want what is good, right, and whole. They don’t want the full truth. They want scraps. This comparison is not to degrade a person and call them dogs or pigs. They are human beings that God loves just like we are. It is only an analogy about how they treat God’s word. They treat God’s word the way that dogs and pigs treat scraps of food. If we keep coming at them with God’s Holy Word (pearls) and they keep pushing it away, eventually they may turn on us, attack us and try to destroy us in some way, either by taking advantage of us or possibly slandering our name. We have to decide if a person just has no interest in the truth of the gospel. It is a judgment call. We can’t force a person to change no matter how hard we try. It is ultimately up to them. We should not feel anger towards them, but rather, pity, because of the state of their soul. At that point, all we can do is treat them with kindness and respect, and pray for them. 

Remember what Jesus told His twelve disciples in Matthew 10:14, “And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.”

Jesus knows that sometimes we are just spinning our wheels with some people. He wants us to spend time and effort helping those who want to be helped. Sometimes it may even be someone we love dearly. Does that mean we are giving up completely? No, of course not.  We can keep praying for the person. We can keep showing kindness. We keep being a Christ-like example. But we have to protect ourselves and concentrate more on those who are interested in learning the truth. I’m so happy that Jesus loves us so much that he added verse 6 to his teaching on 

righteous judgment. Even though it seems out of place, it actually ties in perfectly. Jesus wants us to protect ourselves. He doesn’t expect us to work a miracle with people who are obstinate towards God’s word. Thank you Jesus for Matthew 7:6.

In closing, let me ask myself all the questions. You can do the same. Was Jesus condemning all judgment? No, He was condemning unrighteous judgment. As long as we are following Jesus’ rules for righteous judgment, then we are always going to be in the right.  Do I want God to judge me in the same way that I judge others? If I want mercy and compassion, then I have to show mercy and compassion. Do I examine myself before judging someone else? Do I have a beam in my eye that I need to remove? I can’t help anyone if I myself am not right with God. Am I a hypocrite? Self righteous? I don’t want to be like the scribes and Pharisees whom Jesus called hypocrites over and over in Matthew 23. What is my purpose for judging a person? Am I doing it to save the person’s soul or to ruin their reputation? Am I trying to make myself feel better about my sin? Motives are everything. And finally, does the person want to be helped? Have I done all I can do? I have to protect myself from being attacked by the person I am trying to help. If they have no interest in changing, then I have to stop throwing my pearls to the pigs and move on. One more question, my sisters in Christ, does Jesus imply through these verses that we need each other? Absolutely, He does!! How would we be able to help each other if we don’t get to know one another, and make connections with each other? It is so important that we as sisters in Christ are there for one another. I need my sisters in my life, and I want to be present and available for my sisters. I need to do better in this area and I’m challenging myself to do that. That is my challenge to us all, myself included. Get to know one another and make those connections with each other. I know we will be blessed for it.

I hope I have done this subject justice. I love God’s word and want to make sure that I am thorough in everything I write. I also want to put myself into it and make it personal to all of you. I love you all and I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Thank you for reading!! 

God’s Plan of Salvation

If anyone ever needs help in learning the truth of the gospel, please reach out and I can help you or put you in contact with someone who can. Below is the plan that God has set forth in His word, for mankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)

Will He Not Make It Good?

Part 1- Studying the Bible in Context

Numbers 23:19

God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Hello Sisters and Friends!! When I first noticed Numbers 23:19, I thought……now that is a verse that makes me want to write!! It tells me so much about God in just a few words. But then I asked myself, “who said this?” and after reading just a little, I realized that Balaam said this. Of course, the first thing that popped into my head was…..THE TALKING DONKEY!! I hadn’t really thought about that story in years. Then I asked myself a few questions to get my brain thinking. “Who was Balaam? Why did Balaam say this? Who was he talking to?” Now I have heard the talking donkey story since my childhood, but have I really studied it? No I haven’t. I didn’t even know that Balaam said it until I began to read and study the context of the verse. Since I started writing for this blog, that is how it has worked for me most of the time. I start with a verse. But then….. I realize that in order to explain the verse, I have to put the verse in context with who said or wrote it and why it was said or written. You see, if I don’t put the verse in context, I could completely misunderstand the verse’s true meaning. Plus, I don’t go as deep as I could go in its meaning and I miss valuable connections that the verse makes with other verses and characters in the Bible. Maybe that is why my posts are long. I like to dig deep. Think about it. Would you ever open a novel in the middle and read one sentence or one paragraph or one page or even one chapter and be able to understand the entire book? Of course not. Then, why do so many people think that it’s ok to do this with the Bible? With that being said, context is everything. On the surface, by reading this verse only, you may think that whoever said it, is a devout follower of God. However, we find out as we dig deeper that he is really not devout at all. He is evil and is against God and His people. I believe this verse is probably being said in a spiteful and disrespectful way towards God. I thought the verse was a tribute to God when I first read it. Then I began to dig deeper. I found out that even though the verse all by itself contains wonderful truths about God, the context around the verse makes me see it in a whole new light. Now that I know the context, I can just hear the contempt for God in Balaam’s voice. Let’s go back to Numbers 21 to see what events lead up to our key verse and let’s take a look at the verse in context.

At the end of Numbers 21, we see God’s people defeating the Amorites in a big way. God is giving His people the victory as long as they are trusting in Him. Then in Numbers 22, we meet Balak the son of Zippor, the king of the Moabites. Balak had observed all that Israel had done to the Amorites to defeat them and now the entire nation of Moab was afraid. This fear leads to the introduction of the person who spoke the words of our key verse in Numbers 23:19, Balaam the son of Beor, a non-Israelite prophet. Balak wants Balaam to come to Moab and curse Israel. Here is the message that Balak sent to Balaam. “Look, a people has come from Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me! Therefore please come at once, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.” (Numbers 22:5-6) I wanted to quote what Balak said verbatim, because it shows that Balaam has a reputation for doing this. He has supposedly “blessed” people and “cursed” people enough in the past to gain this reputation. Balaam is an evil prophet and is called a “diviner” in Numbers 22:7. (NKJV) The elders of Moab and Midian were prepared to pay Balaam a fee to curse Israel. The princes of Moab were sent to get Balaam and bring him to Balak. Balaam, of course, was a greedy person who was willing to do it, however, he would not agree to it without first seeing if he would get a word from God on the matter. This shows that he knows who God is and knows about His power. This is where the story can be a little confusing because in Numbers 22:8, Balaam says, “Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the Lord speaks to me.” Obviously, Balaam recognizes God’s power. Why would he think God would allow him to curse His people? In Numbers 22:12, God tells him not to curse the people for they are blessed, so Balaam did not go with the princes of Moab. But Balak was not giving up. He sent more important princes than before to Balaam, and offered him even more honor and riches to come to Moab and curse Israel. Balaam keeps saying that God will not allow him to curse them. He literally says that he cannot say anything except what God tells him to say. Now keep in mind that Balaam really wants to curse Israel and become rich, but God is using His power to keep Balaam at bay and protect his people. When Balaam comes to God the last time and asks if he can go with Balak’s men to curse Israel, God finally says for him to just go, but also warns Balaam that he will not allow him to say anything that He has not told him to say. God is angry with Balaam because he went, even though He told Him to go. This could be confusing but if you think about it, it is really not. Think about it this way. Have you ever gotten so aggravated with someone who keeps asking you if he/she could do something over and over? You have said “no” over and over and this person knows how you feel about it, but they don’t really care how you feel. They just want their way. You get so tired of it that you finally say, “just go ahead and do it then!” That is not really permission is it? You were not happy about it, but you were just “over” being asked about it! That is what was going on between Balaam and God. Of course, Balaam chooses to go with the princes of Moab and this journey is what brought about the story of the talking donkey. As the donkey was traveling, he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the path holding a sword and came to an immediate stop. Only the donkey could see the angel. Balaam began to beat the donkey and then God allowed the donkey to speak to him. The funny thing to me about this story is that Balaam didn’t even act surprised that his donkey was talking to him!! He literally answered the donkey when he asked Balaam why he was beating him!! So all this led to Balaam eventually getting to Moab and trying in every way possible to still be able to curse God’s people, but God would not allow it. More than once he had Balak build altars and offer sacrifices in an attempt to curse them, but instead he ended up blessing God’s people three times instead of cursing them. Balak is very angry. All these events finally lead us to our key verse, Numbers 23:19 where Balaam responds to Balak’s anger, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” It is as if Balaam is saying, “come on Balak, what did you expect? I tried to tell you! God is not cooperating!”  So, how does the context affect how you see this verse after studying the people and events that surround it? Do you feel differently about it?

For me, I still love the verse itself, and I am eventually going to write an article breaking down the actual verse more in depth. That was my intention to begin with. The meaning of the verse is awesome. However, it bothers me that I almost overlooked the context of this verse. I almost missed out on studying this amazing story of God’s faithfulness to His people. Our God is so great. And as long as Israel was faithful to God, He took care of them and they prospered. Let’s think about our lives and compare for a moment. If we remain faithful Christians until death, then God will be faithful to us and give us that crown of life. (Revelation 2:10) God knew every single one of us even then, when He was dealing with the Israelites, Balak, and Balaam. All that God did for Israel then, was also for us today so that Jesus could come and be our Savior. All of it led up to Jesus and it was all for us……every single one of us who are willing to follow His plan to be saved and be added to His church. The experience that I have had with studying this verse makes me realize how much I have missed out on by not having good Bible study habits in the past. And I still fall short some days. Sometimes I let life get in the way. We all do. I’m so thankful for the forgiveness that I have in Christ. 

So how does this verse make me feel? Well…..it makes me feel grateful that I have a heavenly Father that, as the key verse says, cannot lie. Hebrews 6:18 says it is impossible for God to lie. This tells me that I can count on God to never let me down. However…..it also makes me sad because the person saying these words of truth to describe God was not saying them to honor God. He meant them in a disrespectful way. It makes me think of all the people in our world today who know that God is in control but they choose to follow the world. They have no respect for God. There are others who say they love God, but they don’t obey His word. How can that be? Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” Some say that they believe in God, but they don’t believe His word is inspired. They say it is an outdated book written by men. But the Bible is the only way that we even know that God exists, so how can we separate God and His word? If we didn’t have God’s written word, we would just be here on earth wondering how we got here. We would have no true purpose. If I don’t believe His word to be the truth, then I don’t truly believe in God Himself. And how can I believe in Jesus, my Savior, if I don’t believe that the book in which I have learned about Him is the inspired word of God. It does not make sense. There are so many who don’t believe in God at all. They claim to believe in a “higher power”, but they won’t call it God. Balaam knew who God was and saw His power, and still chose to go against God. How sad! You would think that Balaam would have turned to God after all that happened in this story, but that is not the case. We find out in Numbers 25:1-3 that the children of Israel went against God and committed harlotry with the women of Moab and the people bowed down to their gods. Israel was joined to Baal of Peor and God was angry with them for this. Would you like to know who counseled King Balak to teach the women of Moab to seduce the men of Israel which then led them to worship Baal? Let’s go to Numbers 31:16 and you will see. It reads, “Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord.” So Balaam found a backdoor way to “curse” Israel with his evil counsel and I’m not surprised. Balaam had no respect for God and he was angry, because God wouldn’t allow him to line his pockets with riches at the expense of His people. This incident even carries over into the NewTestament where Jesus is speaking to the church at Pergamos. Listen to our Savior’s words in Revelation 2:14, “But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.” So now do you see why our key verse takes on a deeper meaning when we know the context around it? Do you see why the entire Bible has to be read in this way? 

Over the next few weeks I will be looking at some verses that are taken out of context by not only the world,  but by the religious world as well. The practice of taking Bible verses out of context is very dangerous and can cost us our souls. I leave you with two passages that are crucial to our understanding of the Bible. I believe the first one is the hub of the entire Bible because of one three-letter word….”all”. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man (woman) of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” We have to believe that “all” scripture is inspired by God or we will take scriptures out of context and make them mean what we want to mean, and we will ignore scriptures that we simply don’t want to follow. The second one tells us what we have to do if we want to learn how to put verses in context, how to be saved and how to live a faithful Christian life in one word……”study”. 2 Timothy 2:15 says for us to “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” If we want to put verses in the right context and help others get to heaven, then we have to study or we will misunderstand and misuse God’s word and that would be a tragedy.

The next post will be on Matthew 7:1. I will look at how it is taken out of context and misused in our world today. Thank you for reading!! Have a wonderful Lord’s Day and week ahead!! 

God’s Plan of Salvation

If anyone ever needs help in learning the truth of the gospel, please reach out and I can help you or put you in contact with someone who can. Below is the plan that God has set forth in His word, for mankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)

Not in the Wind, Not in the Earthquake, Not in the Fire……

God is in a Still Small Voice

A Still Small Voice

Part 2 (Just a heads up. This sight is also on facebook and I am breaking this post up into five segments over the next five days if you would rather read it that way. I’m just trying something new for people who like shorter posts.)

Have you ever felt the way that Elijah felt in 1 Kings 19? Elijah said, “It is enough!” in verse 4 of that chapter. By “it is enough”, he meant that he didn’t want to live anymore. What happened after his victory over the prophets of Baal to bring him from the heights of God’s glory to the depths of despair? Elijah’s story shows us that, no matter how great things may be going for us, things can turn on a dime, do a 180 and go in the complete opposite direction in the blink of an eye. I have experienced this first hand in my life, and I have witnessed this happen to some of the most faithful Christians that I know. Even the most confident, faithful Christians have moments where they feel defeated, depressed, anxious, worried to the point of being physically sick, disappointed, grieved, traumatized, and the list of emotions goes on and on that we can have as human beings. I really want us to take a look at how God responds to Elijah when he is at his lowest point. Does God act disappointed in Elijah? Is God disappointed in us when we let life bring us down? Does God respond to us in the same way today? How do we allow God to care for us?

Before we dive into chapter 19, let’s look at all the ways that God took care of Elijah in 1 Kings 17-18. After Elijah went to King Ahab and told him about the drought and the famine, God sent Elijah to hide next to a brook where he would have plenty of water to drink. He also provided bread and meat for Elijah which was delivered to Him by ravens twice a day. Just look at how God took care of His servant. This reminds me of how God sent manna and quail to the Israelites in the wilderness and brought water from the rock. As the drought began to get worse, the brook that Elijah was getting his water from dried up. When this happened, God sent Elijah to the widow of Zarephath for food and water. This was not only a blessing for Elijah, but for the widow and her son as well. God knew this woman’s heart and knew that she would give the last of her food to His servant if he asked. This woman’s story is a post all in itself. Her selflessness is immortalized forever in this story. We can learn so much from her. Bless her heart! She had already resolved that she and her son would die of starvation when their meal and oil ran out. She was about to make their last loaf of bread, yet she was still willing to share with God’s servant. This is why God blessed the widow with the meal and oil that would never run out until the rains came. God took care of Elijah and this widow and her son. Then, God’s power allowed Elijah to raise her son from the dead when he became sick and died. Just think about how God worked in this situation with Elijah and the widow. He provided for His servant Elijah through this widow, and in turn, provided for her. God knew what was happening to the widow and her son because of their lack of food and He knew that her son was going to get sick and die. He made sure Elijah was in place to help this wonderful woman during her time of need. Doesn’t God work in our lives this way today? Doesn’t He put people in our path at the perfect moment to help us or for us to help them or both?

I firmly believe that God works in our lives in the same ways as he did in Elijah’s day. Someone may come into our lives at just the right moment when we need that person. That is God!! First, I want to say that I have been blessed with a wonderful family who has loved and supported me beyond measure. My parents, grandparents, and aunts and uncles have been amazing throughout my life. They helped mold me into who I am. I have been blessed with: a wonderful Christian husband and two wonderful Christian children who both married wonderful Christian spouses. What more could I ask for? They have helped me be a better person and I wouldn’t be where I am without them.  But there are other people who came into my life, who had such an impact on me and I have only just recently begun to look back on my life and see that impact. They are partially responsible for me being where I am today. I will always say that God put me at Morrison school as a young 22 year old to teach with some of the finest Christian ladies that I have ever known, because He knew that I needed them in my life. You ladies know who you are but I am naming names, Jill, Wanda, Judy, and Sandy. I love you ladies!! I was not in a good place spiritually at that time in my life and I needed older Christian ladies to help me, not only as a teacher, but as a Christian. What an example you all set for me!! He then sent me to Boyd school to teach at just the right time in my life, and put people in my path to help me through some things that I needed a special kind of help with. You know who you are, but again, I’m naming names, Allison, Amanda, Donna, and Shelley. I love you ladies!! You all helped me in ways that were life-changing. And now I believe God has put me at Bobby Ray for whatever His purpose is for me there. I also believe that I have been put in other’s paths to help them, whether it be colleagues or students. Because of the people God has put in my path, I am where I am today. It is all because of Him and for His glory. I thank God every day for putting people in my life at the perfect time when I needed them, but I also thank Him for pruning people that I didn’t need out of my life at the right time as well. Think about your life. Can you think of anyone who seemed to show up out of nowhere and become a blessing to you at the perfect moment? 

God also took care of Elijah in 1 Kings 18 by allowing Him to defeat and kill the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel. God provided the power that Elijah needed at just the right moment. Don’t we know that He will take care of us just like He took care of Elijah? God doesn’t work in a miraculous way like He did with Elijah, but He provides for our every need. We are His servants also and we are no different in God’s eyes than Elijah the prophet. Remember what Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:25-34? He tells us not to worry about what we will eat or wear and that our life is more than the food we eat and our body is more than the clothes we wear. He says that God provides food for the birds, therefore He will provide for us. He says for us not to worry about tomorrow because today will provide enough for us to be concerned about. Does this mean we don’t have to lift a finger to take care of ourselves? Of course not. It simply means that God will provide a way for us to have what we need through our jobs and means of income. Am I trusting God to take care of me? Am I thankful for all the ways God provides for me? 

So, let’s move on to 1 Kings 19 to see what happens next in Elijah’s story. How did King Ahab and Queen Jezebel respond to what happened on Mount Carmel with the prophets of Baal? Did they turn from their evil ways and start following God? I’m sure that Elijah believed that they would begin following God after such a great showing of power on Mount Carmel. Everything that Elijah had done up until this point had seemed to go the way he thought it should. I think this was why he didn’t handle it so well when things didn’t go the way that he expected them to. He probably thought that everyone would just fall down and worship God, including the king and queen. But that is not what happened, and Elijah was caught off-guard!! In 1 Kings 19:1-2 it reads, “And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, ‘So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.’” When Elijah heard that he was on Jezebel’s hit list, what did he do? He ran! The Bible doesn’t say anything about him asking for God’s counsel to know what to do next before running. He just ran! And when he did talk to God in verse 4, he didn’t ask God for help in the situation. He just asked God to allow him to just die. “It is enough!”, he said. Elijah was done!! Or so he thought at the time. Elijah was not wallowing in self-pity. Obviously he wasn’t afraid to die, or he would have not asked God to let him die. He was simply admitting defeat and He wanted God to take his life rather than have Jezebel take it. He was disappointed and let down. Elijah was probably thinking, “how could they not follow God after all that He did at Mount Carmel to show His power? What else could I have done?”

Have you ever had such high hopes for something great to happen, and then it didn’t turn out like you thought it would? It’s disappointing and disheartening isn’t it? We may have all felt this way on some level. It may not have been at the level where Elijah was, but I’m sure we have gone from great happiness and joy to great sadness and despair in a short amount of time before. It can be a whirlwind and really get us off-track spiritually until we turn to God for help and comfort. Maybe it was a job interview that you think went so well for you and you were so sure that you were going to get the job, but then you didn’t. Or maybe it was a relationship that you were deeply invested in, possibly even someone you were in love with, but the other person just didn’t feel the same way that you did or maybe he wasn’t right for you spiritually and wasn’t helping you get to heaven. Maybe it is a physical illness that you or a close family member have dealt with and thought you were over, but it turns out that it is not gone, and not only that, it is now worse than it was before. It can be anything in our lives that we were on top of the world about, and then all of the sudden, the rug seems to get pulled out from under us. We all have had these times in our lives. We know that God causes the sun to shine and the rain to fall on both the just and the unjust. (Matthew 5:45) So what do we do when we have this roller coaster of emotions that is out of our control? We turn to our God. We find comfort in His word. I like to put my name in verses and let them speak to me in that way. For example, I might think of Psalm 42:11 and I add my name, Greta, why are you cast down? And Greta, why are you in turmoil inside? Greta, you have hope in God and you need to praise him! Greta, He is your only help right now! I encourage you to pray through scripture in this way. Make it personal to you. I promise it really helps. Friends, let’s never forget that “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)  

So, how did God handle Elijah’s meltdown? Well first God knew that Elijah needed his physical needs taken care of first. Elijah was physically, mentally and emotionally drained. He needed to regroup. So before He responded to Elijah’s request to take his life, God allowed Him the time to rest. Elijah slept for a while. Then an angel gently woke him and God provided food and water for him. Then, Elijah slept some more and then the angel gently woke him again and had him to eat again, because the angel told him that he had a long journey ahead of him. God did not show anger or disappointment towards Elijah. He showed compassion and grace to Elijah. So Elijah’s physical needs were again taken care of for him just like they were earlier when he was hiding by the brook in 1 Kings 17. Then, 1 Kings 19:8 says that Elijah went “in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.” The mountain of God is Mount Sinai. Wow. That food sustained him for forty days and nights!! That is a long journey without food. God was certainly with Elijah. He found a cave and spent the night there. And then God came to him and asked him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:9) However, the angel of God told Elijah to go to Mount Sinai, so why would God ask him that question? Well, it was not a question in the physical sense, because Elijah could answer that easily by saying, “because Your angel told me to come here.” It was more of a question in the spiritual sense, like, “ok Elijah, what’s next? Are you giving up? Because I’m still here with you. What are you going to do now?” And now in 1 Kings 19:10, we finally see Elijah’s reason for wanting to die. He says, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of Hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” Do you hear the frustration in Elijah’s voice? Have you heard this type of frustration in your own voice about things in your life before? Life can be so frustrating for us sometimes, especially when we are trying so hard to live for God and His purpose, and it seems like the world just laughs in our faces. Elijah felt like he was the only one left who was following God. Do we sometimes feel like we are the only one following God in certain situations in our lives? Maybe it is at school, if you are a younger reader in high school or college. Maybe it is at your place of work. Maybe it is even in your home if you are married and your spouse is not a Christian. God doesn’t want us to feel alone. He is with us when no one else is. Let’s learn from Elijah’s story and know that our Father is with us in every situation we are in.

Then comes my favorite part of chapter 19. God tells Elijah to go stand on the mount and stand before Him. Then God begins to reveal Himself to Elijah. First, He shows His power by passing by Elijah and then “a great and strong wind that tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces” came by, then an earthquake came, and last, a fire. (1 Kings 19:11-12) These verses also say that God was not in any of these three manifestations of power. He was not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire. He caused them to happen with His great power, but He was not “in” them. God was, however, in “a still small voice” that spoke after the fire. (1 Kings 19:12) God speaks to Elijah in a calm and comforting way. God shows Elijah that He is a God of power and of comfort. God is letting Elijah know that He is with Him and there is nothing to fear. All the men in the world standing with Elijah, would never compare to having God beside him. We can have that same comfort today, ladies!! I love Romans 8:31-39. If these verses don’t comfort us, then I don’t know what will. Read the verses below and think about Elijah’s life. He was never alone. Think about your life. You are never alone.

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:31-39)

After His still small voice, God asked Elijah yet again, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” and again Elijah answered Him with the same thing as before, “I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” What does God do next? He immediately begins giving Elijah instructions on what to do next. He tells him who to anoint as king of Syria and king of Israel. Then in verse 16, God tells Elijah to anoint Elisha as the new prophet to take his place. He seems to be done trying to convince Elijah that he is not alone. He is preparing to grant Elijah’s request and take his life. It turns out Elijah wasn’t the “only one left”. In 1 Kings 19:18, God says, “Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.” God is saying, Elijah, you are not the only one! I have 7000 more who belong to me. Elijah is on earth with Elisha for a while, probably preparing him for his new role as prophet. In 2 Kings 2:11, God granted Elijah’s wish to take his life. It reads, “Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.” God took Elijah in such a powerful and dramatic way. Elijah had been a wonderful servant to God. God granted his wish to be taken from earth into heaven. We will see Elijah someday if we have obeyed the gospel and remained faithful. We will see all those wonderful men and women from the Bible. Won’t that be amazing? But more amazing than anything, we will be meeting God, Our Father and His Son, Jesus Christ face to face. I can hardly wait for that day!!

In closing, let’s go back to the wind, the earthquake, and the fire that God showed to Elijah through His great power. Let’s remember how the Bible said that God was not in those things. God had control over them but He was not in them. God was in a still, small voice that came after those things. Let’s think of the wind, earthquake and fire as trials in our lives. God is not in those trials. But God is still in control of all things. He does allow us to suffer trials. But God is here with us. And he will take care of us if we belong to Him, if we have obeyed Him and been faithful to Him. God is in a still, small voice in the midst of the winds, earthquakes and fires of life that seek to consume us. But we will not be consumed if we listen to God’s still, small voice. How do we hear God’s still, small voice? We open His word and let it do its work on us every single day. We talk to Him in prayer every single day and ask Him for help. I promise you, His word has healed me so many times that I can’t even count them. “O Lord my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me.” (Psalm 30:2) And when I didn’t open His word, guess what? I remained in turmoil, unhealed, and alone. Open His word friends. Dig into it. Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17) You will never regret the time you spend with God.

Thank you all so much for reading my blog. I have truly enjoyed studying about Elijah’s life and applying it to my own life. I hope you all have a blessed Lord’s Day and week ahead!! 

God’s Plan of Salvation

If anyone ever needs help in learning the truth of the gospel, please reach out and I can help you or put you in contact with someone who can. Below is the plan that God has set forth in His word, for mankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)

A Still Small Voice

Part 1- Where did Elijah find his confidence? Where do we go to find ours?

Have you ever felt like you had so much going on around you and inside of you, that God’s voice seemed to be muffled? Maybe you pick up your Bible to read, but you are having trouble focusing on the words. Maybe you bow your head in prayer, but can’t find the words to say. You may be in a place like this right at this very moment that you are reading this article. It is not that you have lost your faith in God, but life is just wearing you down. You are physically and mentally tired. You know deep in your heart that He is there, whispering to you, but you are so disoriented by life, that His voice is very faint and hard to hear. You are simply at a loss. It may be grief, sickness, marital trouble, trouble with your children, problems at your job, or any number of things that could be filling your mind and causing you to lose your focus. You may feel overwhelmed, anxious, depressed or all three of these at once for one reason or another. It may be multiple things that you may be dealing with all at once. Oh have I ever been there, friends. And I’m sure I’ll be there again. During times like this, we can look at Elijah’s life and what he went through in 1 Kings 19. He was most definitely at a loss. He never lost his faith in God, but he suffered from all the same feelings that we have suffered from in our lives. But God knew Elijah’s heart…… just like He knows ours. Life is hard……..BUT GOD……

To understand the Elijah in 1 Kings 19, we have to go back and meet the Elijah of 1 Kings 17 and 18. Isn’t that how it is with us? In order to truly know the Greta Hoover of right now, you need to know the Greta Hoover of the past. Some may ask, “Why did she suddenly start a blog?” Well, you have to know what brought me up to this point to know my “why” behind what I do. Some of you who know me very well do know all the “whys” that brought me to this point in my life. The bottom line is that Jesus is my number one “why” and that is all that really matters. It is all for Him and His purpose. Our past, whether good or bad, makes us who we are, no matter what we have been through. I firmly believe that all the things that we go through in our lives mold us into who God wants us to be, that is, if we allow ourselves to be molded. I’m thankful for my past, because it has led me to right now, writing this article. My past is leading to my future……my future in continuing to allow God to use me for His purpose and ultimately my future in heaven with my Creator. I am a work in progress for sure, but all I can do is keep moving forward for God. 

How many of you have heard the saying, “You do you!”? Well, “I’ve done me”, and trust me, it doesn’t work, friends! This statement may work in sports in getting players to present their talent and give it their all in a game. My coach would say to me, “you do you, girl”. I was a basketball coach and I’m pretty sure I have said that very thing to my own players and my own children. However, in life, we cannot “do us” and make it to heaven. We have to “do our lives” the way that God wants us to do them. We have to be those “living sacrifices” that Paul tells us to be in Romans 12:1 (see earlier post from May 2). Well, Elijah had done things God’s way, no questions asked, he had done what God told him to do. And now we find him at the lowest point that any human could be at. He wanted his life to end. In 1 Kings 19:4, we read, “But he himself (Elijah) went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom (juniper) tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said ‘It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!’” What brought this great prophet of God to the point where we would ask God to take his life? Maybe some of you have been at this point in your lives. Have you ever said, “it is enough!”? If you have, you are not alone, because I have. Let’s dive in and look at Elijah’s life up until this “it is enough” point in his life.

I would like to start by looking at the confidence that Elijah seemed to exude. Where did he get that confidence? It seemed in 1 Kings 17-18 that he had the confidence to face anything. Do we know people in our lives who seem this way? They seem like they just have a natural air of confidence that is God-given. God will use people like this for His purpose if they will allow it. Friends, God will use all of us for His purpose if we will only allow Him to. God used people who were naturally confident, like Elijah, and people who were not so naturally confident, like Moses. God is so wise, isn’t He? I believe God did this so we could see that no matter what our personality is, we can be a leader and a vessel for Him in the capacity of the role God has given us in His word. 

What stands out for you about Elijah? The thing that stands out the most about Elijah for me, is the fact that no matter what God asked Him to do, he did it, without hesitation it seemed. He didn’t argue or try to bargain his way out of what God wanted him to do, like Moses did when God told him to go to Pharaoh. When God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, he tried every way possible to get out of having to lead Israel out of bondage. He had no confidence in himself at that time, but with God, he sure gained confidence, didn’t he? Elijah also didn’t doubt God’s power, the way Abraham did when God told him he would have a son in his old age. Abraham’s doubt showed a lack of confidence in God. But then later, when God asked him to sacrifice His son Isaac on an altar, he had the confidence in God’s plan to go through with it, simply because God told him to. So what do we learn from Moses and Abraham? If we let Him, God will grow our confidence in ourselves as we grow in our faith in Him. Let that sink in, friends. Elijah actually reminds me quite a bit of Noah when he built the ark. He simply just did what God said for him to do. Noah followed God’s instructions on building the ark to the letter all the while being made fun of the entire time. Now that takes some natural-born confidence (1 Kings 17:1, 5, 10; 18:1-2; 19:11, 19:15-19). When natural-born, God-given confidence comes together with faith in God, that is a powerful combination!! I encourage you to read 1 Kings 17-19. Elijah’s life can teach us so much about God and how He takes care of us in every season of our lives. From our highest points to our lowest points, He is with us. It can also teach us to have confidence in God’s power to affect change in our world through us, His vessels. Elijah seemed to have so much confidence in himself just like so many seem to today. But we know that his confidence was really coming from God, just like ours does. 

We first meet Elijah in 1 Kings 17:1-6. We see God immediately telling Elijah to go see King Ahab to tell him some bad news. Evil kings don’t like bad news. How did Elijah know that the king wouldn’t kill him on the spot? Think about the confidence that it took for Elijah to go to the evil King Ahab and tell him that God said there would be no rain for years and this would cause a great famine. After this, God sent Elijah to hide from King Ahab. Next, God sent Elijah to a widow’s home, which we will discuss more in part 2. The climax of Elijah’s story starts in 1 Kings 18:1. God tells Elijah to go to King Ahab and tell him that He would send rain. Ahab responds in verse 17 with these words, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” So we can tell that Ahab is not happy with Elijah and he blames Elijah for the drought and the famine. But then we see Elijah’s confidence come forth when he says, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the Baals. Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” Wow!! The courage of Elijah is amazing in that statement!! Think about how much confidence He had in God to go up against the king like that. He basically said, “I’m not the problem, King Ahab, you and your evil wife are the problem.” King Ahab’s wife Jezebel had killed the prophets of the Lord. She was way more evil than the king if that was even possible. Now, what Elijah does next is one of the most powerful stories in the Bible. He challenged the prophets of Baal to a standoff between their gods and the one, true, living God. In 1 Kings 18:20-21 the Bible says, “So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel. And Elijah came to all the people, and said, ‘How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.’ But the people answered him not a word.” Why do you think that the people spoke not a word? I would say that they were afraid of what might happen to them after Jezebel had murdered God’s prophets. They didn’t have any confidence in God’s power. Elijah challenged the people of Israel to make their choice, follow God or follow an idol. Then Elijah built an altar and the prophets of Baal built an altar. What happened to the prophets of Baal’s altar? Well nothing of course. They danced and yelled to no avail. They even cut themselves to try to get their god to respond, but of course nothing happened. What happened to Elijah’s altar? Well, to make a long story short, God sent fire down to burn up Elijah’s entire altar, even the stones, plus the trench of water around it. How did the children of Israel, who had spoken not a word earlier, respond after all this happened? 1 Kings 18:39 tell us, “Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!” Then Elijah instructed the people to “seize” the prophets of Baal so they couldn’t run away and then he killed all of them (1 Kings 18:40). Then the rain that God had promised came after all this happened (18:45). The confidence that Elijah shows can be parallelled with many in the Lord’s church today. We can’t perform miracles, but we can do great things with God by our side. 

In this post, I want to focus more on our confidence and trust in God and our confidence in ourselves because of God. There are so many that have this same confidence in the church today. It is so encouraging to me to see so many in the Lord’s church, both women and men, and younger and older, that have so much dedication and confidence in their abilities to work for the Lord. In their appropriate roles of course, it may be in preaching the gospel, being a youth minister, leading prayer, leading singing, teaching a class, speaking at a ladies day, launching a Bible podcast, or it could be inviting people to worship, visiting the sick, taking food to someone, sending cards of encouragement, or simply just speaking to visitors who attend from time to time. The possibilities are endless. Everyone has talents. It is so wonderful when members of the Lord’s church listen to that “still small voice” of God. That voice is what gives us the confidence to step out of our comfort zone and be His vessel. Why? Because we allow it!! It is not miraculous, though it may feel that way at times. We allow His word to penetrate our hearts to want to be a better servant to Him. How do we hear that “still small voice”? How do we allow Him to mold us? We hear it when we are truly in His word. We hear it when we put Bible study first in our priorities. We don’t hear it any other way. Because we have Bible study as our top priority each day, we have His word hidden in our hearts so that we can meditate on it throughout our day. Psalms 119:11 says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” I want this to be me, friends. I want to have confidence in my abilities that I use for God’s purpose, whatever they are. Why? Because God gave them to me. I just bet that God has given all of us talents and abilities we haven’t even discovered yet, that can be used for His purpose. To be honest about myself, I have only recently started allowing God to truly use me as a vessel for Him. I pray every day for Him to use me in whatever capacity He needs me, within my role as a woman in the church, of course. It’s been a bumpy ride for me spiritually. And I am not there yet. We don’t ever get there. We have to keep reaching upward for God until our last breath. On the outside I have always looked fine, but on the inside I haven’t been. I wasn’t allowing God to give me the confidence I needed because I wasn’t in his word and I wasn’t praying the way that I needed to. But God has gotten me here where I am at right now, and He will take me further and further if I allow Him to. If we have complete trust in God and allow Him to use us for His purpose, then we will gain confidence in ourselves and in our abilities. This can be in anything we do!! We can bring glory to God and be God’s vessel in every aspect of our lives. This goes for any age group. Just remember, no matter what age you are, whether you’re 15, 18, 24, 52, or 80, it is never too early or too late to start being God’s vessel and letting Him use you for His purpose. If you are a member of the Lord’s church, you have a special purpose in His kingdom. You just have to step out of your box and resolve to do it. I ask myself, “am I listening to the “still small voice” of God? Is His word hidden in my heart so that I can have the confidence I need to be a vessel for Him? Ask yourself those questions. God needs us all. We are this world’s only hope. Let’s remember Romans 10:14-15, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” How will people who have never been taught the truth ever learn the truth without someone helping them to understand? Ladies, we can’t preach in a pulpit at a worship service. That is definitely not our role. God has said that plainly in His word. But as women, we are so important to God’s purpose of teaching other women the gospel, encouraging women who are younger than us in their Christian walk, loving our husbands by being supportive of and submissive to them, nurturing and loving our children, teaching the children in Sunday school, and these are only a few things. It is really endless…. the things we can do for His purpose ladies. Here is a challenge for myself and for you, “How can I do more for God and others? How can God use me?”. I give that challenge to say this, I need my sisters in Christ every day of my life to help me remain strong. We need each other. And let’s all encourage and support each other in the work that we do so that we can show a united and loving front to the world.

In closing, I’m sure Elijah was on top of the world in that moment that God defeated the prophets of Baal through him. But let’s go back to the statement from the first paragraph of this article in 1 Kings 19:4 where he asked God to take his life. He says, “It is enough!” Can you just hear him? He goes from the highest point in his life to the lowest point in the span of about 24 hours. In part two of this series, we will look at what brought Elijah to his lowest point and how God responds to him in that moment. I hope everyone has a wonderful Lord’s Day and a great week!! Dig into your Bible this week!! You’ll be glad you did. Thank you so much for reading!!

God’s Plan of Salvation

If anyone ever needs help in learning the truth of the gospel, please reach out and I can help you or put you in contact with someone who can. Below is the plan that God has set forth in His word, for mankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)

God’s Word is Eternal

The Bible was, is, and always will be the most important, precious, and valuable book in history no matter how far away our country steers away from it. By valuable, I mean spiritually of course, not materially. It is beautiful and has the words of life. Jesus said in Matthew 24:35 that his words would never pass away and here it is, the year 2023 and guess what? His words have not passed away and they won’t. This piece of history below shows where our country was less than a century ago.  It was written to our armed forces by one of the greatest presidents in our country’s history. Can you just imagine if our leaders had stayed true to God and His Word all down through history? I wonder…..what would our country look like today? But I can’t sit and fret about all that is wrong in the world. Like Solomon said, there is nothing new under the sun. I can only control what I do. And you can only control what you do. And personally, I will always stand for God’s Word above any other words written by any other person. Why? Because His Word holds the answer to the ultimate question, “how do I get to Heaven?” And no matter what happens in this country, no matter what laws pass that are against God’s word, no matter how bad things get, I’m following what my Creator says because He is the one in control, no matter what happens this side of eternity. Now that statement has nothing to do with my love for humankind. I write these things because of my love for humankind. My life is in His hands and no one else’s. So is yours. He decides when everything on this earth is over. I want to be ready when that happens and I want everyone else to be ready also. God is love. Love is truth. Truth is God’s Word. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man (woman) of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

The verse above is my “why” for believing every word of the Bible with all my heart and soul. To me, it is the hub of the entire Bible. 

Thank you for reading!! Dig into your Bible this week!! You will be glad that you do!! I actually had something else written for this week, but this historical document sparked something inside of me. Thanks to the people who posted this document. Several people have posted it, and it made words just pour out of me. 

God’s Plan of Salvation

If anyone ever needs help in learning the truth of the gospel, please reach out and I can help you or put you in contact with someone who can. Below is the plan that God has set forth in His word, for mankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)