God's Truth In Love

Posts Tagged ‘God’s Voice’

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Evil Transforms (If We Let It) – Pt. 1 – Evil an Ever-present Reality

In Agape Love, Anger, Anxiety, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Courage, Depression, Encouragement, End Times, Evil, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Humanism, Jesus, Persecution, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Religious Freedom, Remnant, Renewal, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on October 5, 2015 at 11:01 am

In this piece we will explore the introduction portion of David Kupelian’s book, How Evil Works. Please find a link below where you can purchase the book from Amazon.

Far too many people, including Christians, bury their heads in the sand and pretend evil does not exist. At best for the majority of Christians evil exist in their theological beliefs but when it comes to them recognizing it in their everyday existence you would find no evidence they believe it is actually at work within the world. Why is this true? How did we get here? There was a time when Christian people were very aware and protective against evil, now they tolerate evil as though they are doing some loving service for God.

Let me inform you clearly – GOD HATES EVIL and there is no glory for Him found in His people embracing or even tolerating evil. We do not choose to be martyrs, God makes that choice. We are to stand up for God, stand up for Truth, and stand up for Holiness whenever possible and wherever needed.

Kupelian makes the point that we as a society seem to be evolving in our knowledge and growth except in the area of understanding evil. He claims we do not understand evil and how it routinely and effortlessly ruins lives, including our own at times. It is vital that we understand what evil is and how evil works.

Kupelian goes on to point out that 30 million Americans take psychiatric drugs to deal with a host of so called mental health problems despite the fact that there is a clear link between those drugs and violent behavior. His figure of 30 million, at the time he researched and wrote his book, is no doubt low compared to the figure today.

I can recall when antidepressants began to enter The Church many years ago as an acceptable alternative for Christians to deal with their problems. I was extremely alarmed and within a few years horrified at what I saw, and what I sensed God telling me about psychiatric medications and people’s problems. I was additionally horrified that it took years before I was willing to speak out about what God had shown me. Satan would use antidepressants and similar medications to take control of American, including Christians to some degree. While everyone around me seemed to think in those initial years that a savior in the form of a pill had arrived for the troubled, I secretly dreaded what I could see was on the horizon and is now here, a society filled with medicated drones that can no longer sense the presence of God.

Evil typically causes psychological damage and psychological damage opens the door to evil. (Perhaps I will elaborate more later, in another piece, on what I mean by that statement.) As Kupelian points out the evidence is in the fruit. Our relationships are fragile at best, marriages fail routinely, and people do not even know what they truly believe any longer. He goes on to state that secular medical “experts” are able to treat the tri-fold mental-emotional-spiritual problems of rage and depression with drugs because they tell people what egos love to hear, “It’s not your fault”.

I recall a debate I had years ago (1990’s) with another church leader over the stronghold of drinking or what the other person referred to as alcoholism. The individual said to me, ‘What are you going to do when you find out it is a disease people can’t help?’ My response, ‘Nothing, because it is not a disease, it is a choice.’ A sin involving abuse of alcohol that has taken place to the degree that it has become a stronghold in someone’s life is just that a stronghold, not a disease. A stronghold is simply something ungodly that has deep roots in a person’s life. By labeling it a disease people have removed the need for dealing with the excess of alcohol as sin and have alleviated the need for personal responsibility.

Another evil, reprogramming people. Though we have those who hate America and wish it nothing but ill as the author points out, we seem to take an overall national view of being almost submissive or apologetic as a nation for considering certain religious groups dangerous. The author equates it to “a national version of Stockholm syndrome.” It is simply tolerance run-a-muck. As the author points out a key factor in terrorism is reprogramming people’s beliefs per Stockholm syndrome. I say reprogramming of people’s beliefs is widespread in America, and I do mean negative, evil, sinful reprogramming.

What causes the success of this reprogramming? Kupelian and I agree on the answer. American people’s disillusionment with Christianity has caused a spiritual vacuum and evil has entered that vacuum. The result being widespread evil painted as progress, enlightenment, and evolution of the mind, celebrities who self-destruct, minister’s or celebrity minister’s of mega churches that self-destruct, people in general who self-destruction – destruction is the result.

The only way out of evil is to understand, resist, and/or confront evil. Once evil is brought into the light it loses it power, the darkness begins to lift, and we can find our way out.

James 4:7 (AV)(KJV)

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

In the next posting we will explore chapter one of David Kupelian’s book, How Evil Works, which addresses evil in the governmental portion of our society.

 

 

How Evil Works

http://www.amazon.com/How-Evil-Works-Understanding-Transforming/dp/1439168202/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443464127&sr=8-1&keywords=How+evil+works

Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms our country entirely. Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms someone you know or even you. Knowledge is power and without it we will perish. We need to be extremely knowledgeable when it comes to evil.

Hosea 4:6 (NKJV)

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Because you have rejected knowledge,

I also will reject you from being priest for Me;

Because you have forgotten the law of your God,

I also will forget your children.

The Marketing of Evil

http://www.amazon.com/Marketing-Evil-Pseudo-Experts-Corruption-Disguised-ebook/dp/B006N75LFI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1443464127&sr=8-2&keywords=How+evil+works

Evil is sold in our society just as anything else might be sold, through marketing. Satan has marketed his product through those willing and those ignorant to his schemes. Through his craftiness he has turned the minds of even Believers to think that tolerance of his evil is some form of love. In so doing he has transformed to a large degree the once Devout Church and transformed our society to an enormous degree. He has not accomplished this without his workers however, the willing, the sold out for their own gain, and the ignorant masses following blindly behind the majority.

 

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Evil Transforms (If We Let It) – Introduction

In Agape Love, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Courage, End Times, Evil, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Humanism, Persecution, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Religious Freedom, Renewal, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Spirituality, Truth, Uncategorized on September 28, 2015 at 3:19 pm

Hello everyone I realize it has been a while since you have heard from me. My apologizes, but please know the time has not been wasted but instead temporally refocused. I recently completed two more books and prepared them for publication, hence my absence.

Much consideration and prayer has gone into how to proceed at this point. I have many questions and topics I could do a series on, but I am not going to do any of that at this moment. Right now God is leading me in another direction, a very familiar direction for those who have read me over the years.

I will be doing a series based upon the insights of an outstanding and award winning journalist David Kupelian. The series will be in the form of a written book discussion that will cover two of his best known works, How Evil Works and The Marketing of Evil, both of which I highly recommend. I have provided links below where you can locate both books via Amazon. During this series I will discuss his insights, along with my observations of our society and The Church over the last thirty years, tying both together and connecting them to both God and Satan’s work in the world, more specifically in America.

I do hope you will be able to obtain both books reading them in full, and share your insights with me along the way. However, if you are only able to follow the highlights of each book, chapter by chapter, via the blog postings that will be wonderful as well, and I welcome your comments.

We will begin with How Evil Works, which is actually the second book but will the first book we discuss. I have chosen this because I believe a fundamental understanding of how evil works in the world is imperative to understanding and recognizing when evil is being marketed to you or to your society.

How Evil Works

http://www.amazon.com/How-Evil-Works-Understanding-Transforming/dp/1439168202/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443464127&sr=8-1&keywords=How+evil+works

Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms our country entirely. Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms someone you know or even you. Knowledge is power and without it we will perish. We need to be extremely knowledgeable when it comes to evil.

Hosea 4:6 (NKJV)

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Because you have rejected knowledge,

I also will reject you from being priest for Me;

Because you have forgotten the law of your God,

I also will forget your children.

The Marketing of Evil

http://www.amazon.com/Marketing-Evil-Pseudo-Experts-Corruption-Disguised-ebook/dp/B006N75LFI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1443464127&sr=8-2&keywords=How+evil+works

Evil is sold in our society just as anything else might be sold, through marketing. Satan has marketed his product through those willing and those ignorant to his schemes. Through his craftiness he has turned the minds of even Believers to think that tolerance of his evil is some form of love. In so doing he has transformed to a large degree the once Devote Church and transformed our society to an enormous degree. He has not accomplished this without his workers however, the willing, the sold out for their own gain, and the ignorant masses following blindly behind the majority.

In the next posting we will explore the introduction of David Kupelian’s, How Evil Works.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Who is at Fault?

In Advice, Agape Love, Anger, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Courage, Devotional, Encouragement, End Times, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Humanism, Jesus, Love, Persecution, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Religious Freedom, Remnant, Renewal, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Spirituality, Truth on September 2, 2015 at 4:20 pm

Right now we are seeing America rally around Donald J. Trump as a potential president for our country. It was not enough that we elected Obama twice; we are now living in a society that actually thinks someone such as Donald J. Trump is a viable candidate for the presidency of what was once a great and powerful country. (Do not get me wrong, we are still great and powerful, but when you witness the deterioration of that greatness and powerfulness for almost fifty years you know what we were as a country versus what we are today.) What I wish to explore is why we are living in a society that would elect Obama then follow that up with seriously considering Donald J. Trump as a president.

The short answer for both is, in the case of Obama people in our society, especially younger people, base how they should be, how others should be, and how their leaders should be on celebrities, and in the case of Trump he strikes a cord with a society that is fed-up with double talk and political correctness.

Obama did what celebrities do, and he appealed to people based on charm and charisma with very little substance to offer, making grand promises and proposing a ‘reach for the moon’ attitude that was neither wise nor reasonably possible. John McCain attempted to make people understand that Obama’s ideas would not bring about a better American, but instead that making the hard choices would bring about a better America, however, people wanted their ears tickled, they wanted to hear what they wanted to hear.

Now we have Trump doing something similar but his appeal is his willingness to say what other people have become too intimidated to say because of the political correctness persecutors. Trump appeals to people, and Trump is no doubt an extremely crafty businessman who know how to make money, and yes, America needs to make money, but his lack of governmental wisdom and knowledge along with his short-temper and mouth does not make a good mix for dealing with foreign powers and heads of states.

If our country elects someone like Donald J. Trump on the heels of electing Obama twice we will become the laughing stock of the world. The rest of the world no longer looks at America as they once did, and we are a bit of a joke now, but with Trump at the helm we would spiral even further out of control, and the world’s view of us would continue to decline.

How did we get here? How did we become a society who elects the Obama’s of the world and considers Trump a feasible choice for the presidency of the United States of America? A country whose Supreme Court legalized the union between people of the same sex and call it “marriage”? How did our country get in such a mess where Christians are persecuted for expressing their religious freedom and beliefs through the choices they make about whom they chose to deal with, work with, do business with, and so forth, (choices we are required to make per the Bible, if we are truly living out our religious faith) while almost every other class or group of people on the planet are afforded governmental and legal protections from persecution or discrimination? Whose fault is it anyway that we are at this point as a society?

You might not want to read my answer but here it is. The fault lies with the Christian Church and with Christians both as individuals and a collective group.

It is our fault because as a religious institution the Church laid down their mantel of godliness, expressed and expected, and replaced it with a superficial love that has failed to change lives by moving individuals toward godliness and glorifying God with their lives and lifestyle. Our failure to do this as a collective group and individuals, if we are individually guilty of such, is sin and wicked in the eyes of God.

The negligence of the Church has resulted in a decaying society, the Church’s loss of influence in our society, a lack of respect for the Church and Christians, and outright disrespect and discrimination toward Christians.

2 Chronicles 7:13–14 (NKJV)

13 When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

I love the Church, I love Jesus, I love Christians, and I also love our dying society. It is because I love all of them that I write these things expressing what God has put in my heart and on lips to express. However, there is an answer to this problem and the answer is found in repentance.

As individuals and as a collective group we must humble ourselves before God, acknowledge our sin and that we sacrificed godliness and Truth on the altar of worldly love (instead of agape love) and worldly acceptance. We can begin to tell the world the Truth as found in God’s Word and exhort them to turn from their sin and wickedness just as we have committed in our hearts to do. If we are going to wait until we are sin free to share Truth with people, to share what God has defined as sin or not sin, what He states is righteousness and what is right in His eyes, we will never get around to sharing the Truth with people. It is not about whether or not we measure up, it is about what God has to say about a subject.

Additionally, we can fall on our faces before God and pray for His forgiveness, His restoration, and the healing of our land (America). We can come together in unity once again as the Church should be, supporting each other, and seeking God together while upholding His Righteous Commands.

We can! We should! We must!

I was supposed to go see the move “War Room” with someone the other day but the movie was sold out to such a capacity that we did not go – only the front two rows were left. It was God that I did not go. God instructed me a couple of days later to write this piece, what Scripture to use, and what to say. I got a rough draft of the piece formed and the next day went to see the movie “War Room” and the closing shot of that movie was the above Scripture popping on the screen. The prayer that the woman in the lead role prayed at the end of this movie was so powerful and filled with the heart of God for His people during this time in history. It is a must see movie. Here is a link to the trailer.

War Room –

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx5kpJ5mkeE

Christians on a massive scale must once again become proactively involved in the affairs of their society. One way you as an individual can become involved is by standing up for Christian Liberty and Religious Freedom. If we do not stand together our ungodly society will crush us one by one – one small group at a time, one individual at a time. If we refuse to be the family God intended us to be He will allow this to happen.

Below you will find information and links for a project and group who is fighting for religious freedom and fighting for our right to live out our faith in an ungodly society. Please read the information provided, in summary below, from the website. Then please prayerfully consider visiting the website, reading the declaration in its entirety, and sign the declaration for yourself.

Manhattan Declaration

“Because the sanctity of human life, the dignity of marriage as a union of husband and wife, and the freedom of religion are foundational principles of justice and the common good, we affirm:

1. The profound, inherent, and equal dignity of every human life

2. Marriage as a union of one man and one woman

3. Religious liberty and the inherent freedom of human beings

As Orthodox, Catholic, and Evangelical Christians, we take seriously the Biblical admonition to respect and obey those in authority. Because we honor justice and the common good, we will fully and ungrudgingly render to Caesar what is Caesar’s. But under no circumstances will we render to Caesar what is God’s.”

http://manhattandeclaration.org/#0

http://www.manhattandeclaration.org/man_dec_resources/Manhattan_Declaration_full_text.pdf

Get on your knees, get your heart right, get off your knees, reach out to another, do something to advance God’s agenda and godliness in your society.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Curse of Political Correctness

In Advice, Agape Love, Anger, Anxiety, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Courage, Encouragement, End Times, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Humanism, Jesus, Love, Persecution, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Religious Freedom, Remnant, Renewal, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Spirituality, Truth, Uncategorized on July 16, 2015 at 6:36 pm

Many years ago in the late 1990’s I did a radio program titled ‘Political Correctness – The Killer of the Church’ and since that time political correctness has not only severely damaged the functioning of and influence of the church, it has become a cancer and curse upon our society in general.

Political Correctness sounds good, and on the surface it has the appearance of being kind and loving but in truth it robs people of their freedom, their free speech, their freedom of religion, and stifles the REAL TRUTHS as found in God’s Word, that would set people free from their bondages. Political correctness is an oxymoronic concept because it is meant to do good but overall ends us doing a great deal of harm. Political correctness is meant to keep a group of people from being hurt or offended but it often accomplishes this by hurting and offending the secondary group.

Here are some examples of what I mean and some Truths according to God’s Word that are avoided by both Christians and our society because of the monster of political correctness. Please know in advance I personally hold no ill will toward any persons or group of people my sole intent is to accurately represent the biblical position on these issues and express my personal religious views and beliefs, which is still my right in this country, The United States of America, according to The Constitution – Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religion.

Transgender might be a worldly concept regarding gender identity but it is not a biblical concept about gender identity. For a person to be born male or female and then change that sex or believe that they were meant to be the opposite sex is to say that God did not know what He was doing when He form that person in his or her mother’s womb (Ps. 139:13-16). A person is born the sex that God intends them to be and in order for a person to reach a transgender mindset their concept of who God created them to be would have to become damaged or distorted. Yet, because of political correctness it is almost impossible for Christian counselors to help these young people from becoming more and more confused and sinking deeper into this transgender type of identity. Political correctness on this topic suppresses expression of Biblical Truth on this topic. One group is suppressed to support another, where is the justice in that!

Psalm 139:13–16 (NKJV)

13 For You formed my inward parts;

You covered me in my mother’s womb.

14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works,

And that my soul knows very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written,

The days fashioned for me,

When as yet there were none of them.

Same sex unions were legalized as marriage in The United States of America at the end of June 2015 by the Supreme Court in a 5-4 vote among The Justices. The Justices were just as split on the issue as the people in our country are split on the issue. Because they voted to legalize something does not make it legitimate in God’s eyes and it certainly does not make it marriage. Marriage according the Bible is clearly the joining and union before God and man of a man and a woman (Gen. 2:24, Mk. 10:6-9, and Ep. 5:31).

I personally know homosexual people and their sexuality does not make me love them any less whatsoever but their lifestyle is not something I can endorse or put my stamp of approval on. Moreover, their relationship with another person of the same sex will never be viewed as marriage in my eyes because the Bible does not support such a title for their lifestyle choice.

Christians and Christian Spiritual Leaders are being sued, their businesses boycotted, they are being branded or labeled as haters when they are not, just because they do not wish to partake in what they believe to be sin based on their religion. Because of political correctness it is almost impossible for Christian to express or state what they believe about marriage let alone refuse to be involved in such a ceremony lest they be sued or even prosecuted as having committed a crime. Political correctness on this topic suppresses expression of Biblical Truth on this topic. One group is suppressed to support another, where is the justice in that!

Genesis 2:24 (NKJV)

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Mark 10:6–9 (NKJV) – Jesus speaking

6 But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ 7 ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Ephesians 5:31 (NKJV)

31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

It is considered politically incorrect to view people within the Muslim community as a possible threat to America yet it was individuals within the Muslim community that planned the attack on America and flew those planes into the world trade center towers. They make up the majority of the cultural community we have been fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan for years and years. Does that make all Muslim people bad or terrorist? Of course not! Does that make me dislike all Muslim people as individuals or a collective group? Of course not! However, the reality is that there is a large segment of individual within the Muslim community who hate Americans and most especially Christian Americans. Technically the disagreement and battle between Muslim communities and Christian communities dates back as far as the Book of Genesis.

Yet, because of political correctness it is almost impossible for Christians to express concern over the Muslim community and their affect on the world and Christianity as a whole without Christians being viewed as stereotyping all Muslims though they often are not doing so and instead are openly acknowledging that there are some peaceful Muslims within the religion and community. Political correctness on this topic suppresses expression of Biblical History, political concern, and national concern on this topic. One group is suppressed to support another, where is the justice in that!

Because of one individual’s twisted ideas and personal choice to kill innocence people in the Emanuel AME Church and that same individual’s ownership and displaying of the confederate flag, ownership and proper display of the confederate flag has come under fire. Everyone has jump on the bandwagon to do what is considered politically correct in taking down their confederate flags from both government buildings and private establishments to appear on the side of right even though the confederate flag is a part of their and this country’s history and heritage. I would even venture to say it was a proud part of their heritage, especially in South Carolina, June 2015. The idea that Amazon and other retailers have decided they will not even sell the confederate flag any longer is ridiculous based on the actions of one individual.

Let me be clear. I do not own a confederate flag, have never owned a confederate flag, nor does or has anyone I personally know. However, that is not the point, the point is it is a person’s right to have it, own it, and fly it if they so choose. It is a part of the heritage and history of the Southern States and should remain so.

Here is some irony on the subject to consider. We live in a country where you can burn the America flag but cannot own, or it is now made hard to own, a confederate flag. More irony, people have legally burned the American flag in a public arena during various protest in this country yet, the confederate flag can no longer fly in public arenas. Because of political correctness it is almost impossible for Southerners who are proud of their heritage and history to fly a confederate flag in peace. Political correctness on this topic suppresses the rights of an entire group of people as well as individuals. One group is suppressed to support another, where is the justice in that!

There is a saying, ‘So goes the church, so goes the society.’ Tolerance to the extreme, born out of a distorted idea of love, has spiraled out of control turning loving tolerance into tolerance of sin and that form of tolerance has deteriorated the biblical moral backbone of the church. With the increased negative form of tolerance came the increased silence when it came to sin, which lead to the deterioration of the church, which then lead to the deterioration of our society. I said all those years ago during that radio broadcast that tolerance would be the killer of the church, not in that it would end the church – nothing can do that, but in that it would end the church’s effectiveness within the society where it exist and we are certainly seeing the fruit of that here in American.

When Christians are too politically correct it can be dangerous to The Body of Christ and deferential to our society as a whole. Political correctness is not love. Political correctness that avoids, covers, or distorts Biblical Truth is wrong and sinful.

One of, if not the least, tolerated group in America today is the Christians. Everyone is expected to be politically correct unless it comes to talking about Christian groups, then the need to be tolerant of their lifestyle, beliefs, rights, et cetera seems to go out the window in lieu of honoring a different group. This is not the way it should be for in America we are suppose to be able to live side by side while respecting each other despite our words, beliefs, religion, and so forth. Today people claim to have such progressive, enlightened, intellectual thinking, which has supposedly helped our society evolve to the point it is at today; but I ask you, where is that thinking when it comes to respecting and being tolerant of the group labeled Devout Christians. One group is suppressed to support other groups, where is the justice in that!

 

 

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Charleston Church Shooting Effect

In Agape Love, Anger, Anxiety, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Courage, Depression, Encouragement, End Times, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Loss, Love, Persecution, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Religious Freedom, Remnant, Renewal, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Remnant, Spirituality, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on July 3, 2015 at 4:09 pm

I was in Charleston, South Carolina on June 25th and June 26th during the services for the Christians that were shot and killed on the evening of June 17th 2015 during their regular Bible Study at Emanuel AME Church. In attendance were President Obama who spoke on Friday, June 26th 2015 and Rev. Jesse Jackson who arrived the evening of Thursday, June 25th to a large crowd of Christians present paying their respects to their fallen family members, family members many of us had never met but family they were nevertheless.

Family and effect is what I want to address in this piece in the wake of the mass shooting that took place at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston where nine people were shot and killed, including the senior pastor, state senator Clementa C. Pinckney; also where a tenth person was shot yet survived.

I did not go to Charleston originally because of this event. Our trip was previously planned by my spouse as a birthday trip but in the end it turned out to be much more – it became a moment in history and an opportunity to see what drives Christians.

Our hotel was just a few blocks from the Emanuel Church and it was the first place we headed for upon arrival and check in at the hotel. It took only minutes to walk the few blocks and encounter the street barricaded and filled with police officers and media. Yet, there was also an overwhelming Christian presence, God’s people where there in heavy numbers.

We made our way down to the front of the Church about the time the Rev. Jesse Jackson arrived and as I looked at this now aged gentleman I could not help but recall that as a young man he had stood on the balcony with Dr. Martin Luther King at the moment when Dr. King was shot. Now Rev. Jackson was here in his advanced years to give aid and comfort for yet more men and women of God who had been shot and killed out of anger and hate. My heart went out to Rev. Jesse Jackson as I ponder all he has seen and endured through the years. Both a reverend and an activist, as many of us are.

Spiritual Christian activism on the part of Bible Believing Christians is very important. As our beliefs and our rights to believe as we desire are coming continually under fire we need more Christians who are willing to stand up for and fight for their rights both as Americans and Christians combined. A Christian is not merely an American and an American cannot give up his or her Christian rights and beliefs as our country changes and becomes more and more ungodly. I wonder if we have enough Christian people who are willing to be inconvenienced, let alone killed for their beliefs, like Rev. Jackson and Dr. King.

Which leads me to my next point. What did I see and sense there in Charleston, among those people gathered there? How did the family react? What effect did this shooting have on the Christian family?

Christians are a family and we function like a family when tragedy strikes. Families disagree, they argue, they even fight. They might not talk for months but they are family. They might live in different towns and attend different churches but family is still family. We, the family, can talk about each other all we want. We can argue and perhaps even hurt each other more often than we might like. However, let an outsider come in and hurt the family or a family member and watch how we react. No, no, no – no one messes with the family.

That is exactly what I sensed in Charleston, South Carolina. A place filled with people who had never met, who came from different denominations, of different cultures, different races, different social and economical backgrounds but all part of one whole, one family – one Body, The Body of Christ. There was a comfort and an ease among the people. The family had been attacked and the rest of the family was rallying to give their support through their presence and prayers. Every hotel in the area was booked solid from what our hotel concierge told us.

Banners hung on the neighboring churches with Scriptures on them, one of which had 2 Timothy 1:7 on display.

2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

I assure you there was no fear in that crowd. These people were not afraid they were there to show how faithful they were to the family.

There was no disunity found on that street as people from every denominational background, color, culture, economic class, and race stood side by side talking and praying. As I talked with a fellow Christian, an African American Woman, I am Caucasian, we spoke about how this young man had messed with the wrong group, Christians are not easily frightened and when attacked they pull together and offer their support to one another. When Christianity is persecuted it flourishes and grows it does not shirk back or diminish. Courage defines the Christian experience both past and present. We pull together during persecution and find courage and strength through the support and prayers of our brothers and sisters in Christ. As the young woman put it so well, ‘He will not make us afraid.’ No, persecuting Christians does not result in fear; it results in faith and a fierce infusion of courage. That is exactly what I sensed and felt coming from the crowds of Believers in Charleston, South Carolina.

The people of Charleston, South Carolina both Christian and non-Christian handled themselves with such dignity and poise during a difficult and terrible time and under such tragic circumstances. There were no riots or protest there, no uprising of any type. This in my view is a result of both the Christian faith at work and southern manners. Having been raised both in the south and in a Christian home, I know firsthand there are certain expectations regarding how one handles themselves during a crisis. Bravo to Charleston, they honored the south and southern manners superbly!

Effect according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is defined as follows:

5: power to bring about a result: INFLUENCE

The effect this young man and his actions had on Christians, Charleston, and the south was to give us an opportunity to display our unity, courage, love, compassion, manners, hospitality, grace, and FAITH. The enemy sought to bring harm but God’s end game was to bring good [Genesis 50:20] and in Charleston on June 25th and June 26th 2015 He certainly did that. If you want to see a Christian community rise up and become even stronger persecute the people.

Genesis 50:20 (NKJV)

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

As I prayed on June 25th at Emanuel AME Church I asked God, why He allowed this to happen. He did not cause it but He most certainly allowed it since our God is sovereign and able to control anything He wishes to control. He did not tell me why He allowed this to happen but He did tell me that He intended to bring something MAJOR out of this incident. That it would have an effect on the Body of Christ like nothing else has in a long time. I continue to pray and seek Him for more information about His Plans for this event as He, and if He sees fit to reveal them to me according to His Will.

 

 

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Human and/or Spiritual

In Anxiety, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, God's Voice, Godliness, Holy Spirit, Humanism, Jesus, Renewal, Revival, Spiritual Fruit, Spirituality, Truth, Uncategorized on June 22, 2015 at 3:50 pm

Let me start by posing a question. When you look into yourself, do you see yourself spiritually or do you see yourself humanistically?

So many people claim they know themselves but do they really. They may know the self they created but do they know who God created them to be. Most likely, unless they have lived a while in pursuit of God they know only the self they were able to construct and have yet to discover the person God intended them to be.

Life takes it toil on people and for various reasons they develop characteristic in their personality that are not in-line with what God created them to be. People also have personal desires that they believe will bring them fulfillment, happiness, success, popularity, etcetera and in order to achieve those personal desires they recreate themselves into whatever they believe is necessary to help them obtain those desires. Then there are those individuals who construct who they are around what someone else wants them to be in order to fulfill a secondary person’s desire to live vicariously through that person or either create the person that they deem acceptable to them. None of this is God’s Will for people, no matter how well intended it might be.

When people try to self-create, either based on their own desires or the desires of another, they are entering into humanistic behavior. A person who acts with this comportment as a way of life is living in a humanistic manner because they see themselves humanistically. It is all about them. What they want. What they believe. What they can achieve. What they deem worthy. What they see as important and so on.

Humanism per the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is defined as follows:

“3: a doctrine, attitude, or way of life centered on human interests or values; especially: a philosophy that usually rejects supernaturalism and stresses an individual’s dignity and worth and capacity for self-realization through reason”

There are major drawbacks associated with this type of living.

One – Self-reliance, which self-realization requires, is a myth for one thing. A person cannot rely solely upon one’s self in this life. Everyone will need other people at some point and time in some manner. No one person knows how to do everything and is capable of doing everything.

Two – A person’s own knowledge, their own values, their own insight, and their own intellect can only take them so far. At some point each of those attributes will be insufficient for the task. Then what will happen? One can grasp for insight or knowledge from another human being but then where is their self-reliance; additionally, other people’s knowledge and insight will only go so far as well.

Three – Humanistic living leaves a hole and emptiness in a person’s life. Since they are only capable of doing and accomplishing so much in life they never feel quite like they have reached their goal, they never quite fill fulfilled in life. This is because they have set up for themselves a false god, themselves.

When a person views themselves in a spiritual manner, as a human but also a spiritual being that God created, they view life through different eyes. They view their life, hopefully, as a means of God expressing Himself through them to the world. There heart is to live as the individual God intended them to be not the person they would like to be.

Now let’s make it more personal…

Are any of us even close to perfect at living this way? No, not at all. However, the purpose of these writings, the purpose of teaching, and the purpose of exhorting or encouraging one another is not to say, ‘Hey look at me I am perfect and this is how you can be perfect as well.’ No, the purpose is to lift up the Standard of how God intends for things to be done in our lives no matter how well or how poorly we might be living out those truths at the time.

There are far too many people who remain quite about what God’s Principles, Truths, and Standards are because they fear being judged for their own mistakes or being called a hypocrite but God will judge us much more severely for what we do not say, write, teach, or proclaim than for what we did proclaim yet, often failed to perform sufficiently. Rest assured precious Child of God, He will also judge those who stand in judgment of you as a hypocrite more severely than He will judge you falling short of His Standard when He knew you were trying and it was your heart’s desire to live according to His Standard.

Most people spend a good portion of the first half of their lives trying to live humanistically, even those who call themselves Christians. They say they are Christians but God has little control over their hearts or lives. Then they reach a point in life where all their efforts have only drained them, all of their success leaves them lacking, and all their well laid plans are in ruin. Then as a Christian or as a person, a non-Christian, seeking answers they call out to God either in bitter anger or confusion seeking to understand where things went wrong, especially if things looked so right due to worldly success. People just love to pride themselves on “their” accomplishments.

At this point God often has to point out that this, that, and the other was never His Plan for their lives. He never designed them for the task or profession or ministry they have undertaken. He never wanted them to move to so and so. He never wanted them to marry the person they married. He never intended them to be living as they are living; they themselves have made those choices. They are living a carnal life though humanistic values that have nothing to do with what He created them to be.

The only way out of such a trap is to surrender, surrender to God everything in your life and if need be let Him take it all away. However, make sure He is making the changes, directing your steps, and doing the taking away. Let Him know, you surrender to Him and His Authority in your life as your Creator. Let Him know you only want to see yourself through spiritual eyes from here forward, meaning you only want live as He intended you to live, be what He intended you to be, and fulfill your purpose based only on what HE SAYS is His Purpose for you.

Will a person be able to change everything they have created in their lives through humanistic means and allow God to recreate them solely based upon what was His intended Purpose for their lives? Perhaps not fully. Let me explain.

From the moment we were born each decision we made either propelled our lives in God’s intended direction or altered His Will for our lives. With each alteration our overall life was changed.

God is sovereign yes, but He allows freewill and will not interfere with that freewill. Once we repent and surrender our lives to His Original Purpose, He will act on our behalf to correct as many mistakes as is still doable but it does not mean He will relocate us to where He truly wanted us to live or that He would have us divorce the person He never intended for us to marry or that He would have us leave our profession we have chosen and invested years of service in. Altering these life choices must only be done after heavy prayer and consideration and only with God’s approval and at His direction. However, the moment you surrender and begin to daily seek Him for only His Will for your life and to only live as the person He originally created you to be, He swoops in to bring as much of your life as is possible back to His original design or as close as is still possible with the balance of life you have yet to live.

Living our way is humanistic and only gets us what we can get in life. Living God’s way is spiritual and will get us all that God wants us to have in life. Living humanistically limits our knowledge and insight. Living spiritually makes available to us all the knowledge and insight of God. You have to ask yourself why in the world we would ever have wanted to sacrifice living spiritually so that we might live humanistically.

 

 

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

It’s Only Hamburger

In Advice, Agape Love, Anger, Anxiety, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Courage, Depression, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Renewal, Spiritual Fruit, Truth, Uncategorized on May 22, 2015 at 10:32 am

For the ladies…

 

Well worth the read.

 

http://brando.tickld.com/x/woman-realizes-that-shes-been-accidentally-abusing-her-husband-this-whole-time

 

 

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Grief – Suffering All Will Endure – Conclusion

In Advice, Agape Love, Anger, Anxiety, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Courage, Depression, Devotional, Encouragement, End Times, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Jesus, Loss, Love, Persecution, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Renewal, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on May 8, 2015 at 7:23 am

A personal moment of grief…

One of the longest running sources of grief in my lifetime has been the deterioration of the corporate church I have watched over the last twenty years. There is no way I can describe for you the pain it has caused me to watch churches and spiritual leaders who I believe once loved Jesus and were fully devoted to Him become apostate churches and apostate leaders.

I have been accused many times of speaking out against the church and against the brethren, yet, it was never my desire to hurt either, it was my desire to honor God, speak what He told me to speak, and bring warning against the deterioration of the corporate body in an effort to turn the tide back to true unadulterated devotion to Christ. I never wanted us, The Body of Christ and the corporate church, to be where we are today – churches emptying and closing and with attendance of churches at a record low in America. I have cried many tears over this problem, still do, and the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual pain has been almost unbearable at times over the last twenty plus years.

I watched a special news cast regarding the continuation of the television series “The Bible” which is currently airing the second part, the New Testament, “A.D. The Bible Continues” on Sunday nights. This television program is the most watch show in television history. This means people are interested in the Bible and drawn to God, perhaps even seeking faith, yet it has been proven recently and made known in the media that church attendance in America is at an all time low. I write about why that is and have been warning about it for years – you can find the writings on this blog [GodsTruthInLove.org] in the achieves under “Spiritual Remnant” – Believer are leaving the corporate churches in droves.

During this news special I watched, they interviewed the pastor of the largest church in America, with some 33,000 plus people in attendance weekly – Andy Stanley of North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia. They asked him why he believed church attendance in America was at an all time low despite the fact that people are obviously interested in the Bible and seeking faith. Sadly, this man’s answer was right on target and what I have been exhorting churches to stop for years, the pastor stated that the reason was because people had been hurt so badly by churches that they were leaving churches but not their faith.

We must learn to disagree without wounding or killing one another. Jesus never killed or wounded those He disagreed with; He merely gave them the truth and then walked away from them.

Spiritual leaders more than anything or anyone else have been the cause of the deterioration of the corporate church – may God forgive them, forgive us, and heal the grief caused while at the same time restoring His Church to what He always intended it to be.

 

 

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Grief – Suffering All Will Endure – Pt. 12 Prayer for Healing

In Advice, Agape Love, Anger, Anxiety, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Courage, Depression, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Loss, Love, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Renewal, Rhema Words, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on May 1, 2015 at 5:57 am

If you have lived very long then grief and loss has touched your life in some manner and to some degree. I will not attempt to list the various types of loss that cause people grief in life, for there are far too many to ever do a list exhaustively or even with any true amount of justice. I will only state that grief caused by loss in all its forms is a mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual pain like no other and only the One True God, Jesus the Only LORD and Saviour, is able to ever completely and totally heal us from grief. That healing is exclusively in His timing and by His design but I do offer this prayer of healing for all those out there reading this that have suffered loss, no matter how extensive, like Job, or no matter how sight – grief is grief and I want to see you healed from that pain.

Father God I come to You in the name of Jesus and through the blood of Jesus to seek You for healing from the devastating pain of grief for all those individuals who read this prayer and stand in agreement with its content.

It is by the strips of Jesus that all those who know Him personally have been healed, made completely whole in You. I realize it is according to Your Will that You determine how You will manifest and distribute that healing balm. I submit myself to that Truth in accordance with Your Will and Your Word.

Lord Jesus please pour out Your healing from the pain of loss and grief over all who read this and have true need. Wrap them in the comfort of Your loving arms and let them cry. Dip them in the pool of Your grace and help them to accept, and where possible, understand Your Will and Your Ways. Wash them with the Water of The Spirit and rid them of the bitterness that often follows grief. Sit them on Your strong knees and hold them for a season while they regain their strength. Then lastly Lord Jesus please stand them down upon their new ground supported by the renewed strength You have placed in them and point them in the direction they should walk, having completed Your healing work which has set them free from their grief and granted them a new spiritual perspective, courage, and spiritual strength for life.

I thank You for Your Divine Healing and complete restoration of our, those individuals reading this, lives. I thank You for healing their grief. I thank You for healing my grief. I thank You for restoring their joy. I thank You for restoring my joy. I thank You for entrusting me, and us, with so much grief to endure – thank You for believing in me, in us, that we were made of the spiritual stuff to endure it, overcome it, and thrive.

Prepare us with the godly words, in season and out, to speak life and healing into the life of every individual we encounter who is enduring loss and grief.

I love You so much, we love You so much, and we offer this prayer in full trust of Your goodness and willingness to give Your children good things therefore, we thank You for granting our request.

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen and Amen.

In the next part of this series, the conclusion, I will share a personal testimony regarding grief.

 

 

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Grief – Suffering All Will Endure – Pt. 11 Stages of Grief / Stage 10

In Advice, Agape Love, Anger, Anxiety, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Courage, Depression, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Loss, Love, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Renewal, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on April 18, 2015 at 6:46 pm

In the final stage of grief, the second healing stage, the person who has struggled through the dark days of grief begins to inwardly and outwardly avow their new reality.

At this point their new life, life without whatever or whomever they lost begins. The person must begin to move in their new reality which now includes perhaps one or more of the following – a life lived without a parent in it, a life that will not include a child that has been lost, the reality of single life after years of companionship from a loving spouse, life beyond the end of a dream or hope, or the unsteady steps of building new relationships after the loss of a dear friend, social community, or church group.

The new reality of the griever’s life, their new role in life, must be accepted and embraced, for their life must continue to propel itself forward if the grieving person is to find peace. This is a period of renewal of sorts, in that, by the winds of change the griever’s life has been made different and therefore new in many ways. Going back to the old self is no longer an option for the griever as there is a missing dynamic to what the old self use to be.

There are daily choices that must be made as part of the new life. Life is a series of choices in many ways and those choices make up the fabric of what our life entails. For those ready to stand on the other side of their grief they must choose daily to accept their new reality and live in that reality. In making that one grand choice they must make a series of smaller choices that support living in their new reality, all the “what to do’s” and the “what not to do’s” of life. I will go walking today. I will not sit on the couch and cry for hours. I will call a friend and go visit them instead of indulging in self-pity. I will not sit alone and sulk over my loss, eating or drinking to comfort myself. I will not focus on what might have been, that dream is over. I will focus on what God has brought into my life and give myself to that work/service.

There is a sense of strength found in the new reality and renewal of the person who has suffered from grief and loss. If a person has come through heavy grief and now finds himself or herself on the other side staring their new reality and new life in the face, then they cannot help but be a stronger person.

1 Peter 1:6–9 (NKJV)

6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

James 1:2–4 (NKJV)

2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

To survive loss takes strength and to survive loss and then thrive takes greater strength and profound courage therefore, godly Christians cannot help but cultivate an inner strength and greater dependence upon God that opens their eyes to the potential beauty to be found in their renewed life. The difference to be found between Survivors and Overcomers is found in the beautiful life lessons they can see and glean from their grief, trials, and hardships in life. One of the most beautiful treasures people find in grief is the great value of people and relationships that cannot be taught any other way.

In the next part of this series, part twelve, I will offer a prayer for healing from grief and loss.

 

 

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Grief – Suffering All Will Endure – Pt. 10 Stages of Grief / Stage 9

In Advice, Agape Love, Anger, Anxiety, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Depression, Encouragement, End Times, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Loss, Love, Persecution, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Religious Freedom, Remnant, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on April 8, 2015 at 12:46 pm

In stage nine of grief the griever begins to see hope emerge from the ashes of loss.

Isaiah 61:3 (NKJV)

To console those who mourn in Zion,

To give them beauty for ashes,

The oil of joy for mourning,

The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;

That they may be called trees of righteousness,

The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

In stage nine the person grieving begins to realize that the painful memories they are experiencing are part of the healing process and therefore must be integrated into their life. There is an acceptance of the fact that life has changed and the person begins to embrace completely all that has happened. They begin to reach out to life once again with less fear and more confidence.

The speed of this return to life will vary for different individuals but nevertheless they begin once again to find their emotional equilibrium. They begin to realize and accept that life must change if it is to continue and continue it must.

For Christians this is a time of returning to, waiting for, and/or drawing closer to their Lord, the Author of their salvation.

Lamentations 3:22–26 (NKJV)

22 Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,

“Therefore I hope in Him!”

25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,

To the soul who seeks Him.

26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly

For the salvation of the LORD.

The mercy of God is great, nothing can compare to His mercy, and He reaches out to His children each day with new mercies. The word “new” in verse twenty-three also means “fresh” in the Hebrew. Each day there is a fresh supply of God’s loving-kindness also known as mercy. For those grieving that freshness becomes fresher and fresher with each passing day.

For a Christian the Lord is our portion. The words “my portion” in verse twenty-four in the Hebrew means “smoothness” and “inheritance” which is exactly what God is for us and to us. He smoothes the rough places and gives us a “part” or our “allotment” of Himself, our daily allotment. Both the words “part” and “allotment” are found in the definition of “my portion” according to the Hebrew language. The language also indicated that He will “deal” and “distribute” that portion of Himself that is needed by us, as we have need of Him. What a wonderful Truth to know that our God is there for us during our time of need, and for that matter, at all times.

In order to sense our Lord’s presence during the difficult times in life, we must not allow ourselves to become so overwhelmed that we do not seek Him during our hour of need.

To “seeketh” [KJV] found in verse twenty-five in the Hebrew language means “to tread or frequent; usually to follow for pursuit” and by implication it is to “ask” and more specifically “to worship” doing both “diligently” as we “inquire” of the Lord for our help. As one heals from loss and grief be mindful to worship God and to take your questions to Him in prayer.

One must not let their pain keep them from talking to God about their questions regarding all that has happened to them. To “hope” in verse twenty-four means to “say” and “be pained” but then in verse twenty-six a layer of meaning is added, it evolves to also means to be “expectant” of something. Therefore, what happens between verse twenty-four and twenty-six? … Waiting and seeking the LORD.

When we do not understand something we wait with faith and trust in our Lord that as His children He only has our best interest at heart, for He always wants our ultimate good. In verse twenty-six “and quietly wait” [KJV] in part means “to be dumb” in the Hebrew language. There are times in life when we cannot know what we desire to know, we cannot obtain the needed knowledge to understand why something happens; at times we remain “dumb” to the whys of life. It is during this time of not knowing, our season of denseness, that our trust, faith, and reliance upon our Lord grows – all of which is needed to obtain salvation from our grief and pain.

There is the Eternal Salvation, which Jesus provided through His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead for those who would trust in Him, then there is the daily salvation He provides for us here on earth. In healing from grief or loss that daily salvation is applied to our lives as we seek Him and allow Him to apply that salvation.

In verse twenty-six “for the Salvation” [KJV] in the Hebrew means to “rescue literally or figuratively” and to rescue both in the natural and spiritual. It means to bring about our “deliverance, help, safety, salvation and victory” ultimately. It also means to make us “to be free” and that means “freedom from some trouble” we are facing.

To whom is this type of salvation given? To those who wait for the LORD. What does it mean to wait for the Lord? According to the Hebrew language “unto them that wait” [KJV] in verse twenty-five means “to bind together perhaps by twisting” and “figuratively to expect” something. Expect what? Expect the Lord to act on our behalf, expect the salvation of the LORD. The Hebrew meaning also indicates we are to “gather [ourselves] together” and “look patiently” while we “tarry” in expectation of the Lord’s actions.

Are you twisted up in your grief or are you intertwined, twisted, and bound to The Spirit of God that is healing you? Are you accepting and enduring your grief in expectation of God’s salvation from its pain? Are you making room for your salvation [the victory and deliverance from grief and sorrow] to come by patiently enduring what you do not understand, what you do not want, while staying bound to Christ in full trust of His love for you?

In the next part of this series, part eleven, we will examine the final stage of grief, the second healing stage.

 

 

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Grief – Suffering All Will Endure – Pt. 9 Grief finds Job

In Advice, Agape Love, Anger, Anxiety, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Depression, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Loss, Love, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on April 2, 2015 at 6:13 pm

In this part of the series, we will glean what we can learn about grief and how to handle grief from the verses below taken from the Book of Job.

As many people reading this might know, Job was a man in the Bible that God allowed Satan to attack. Through a series of attacks on Job’s life he lost everything he had except his life and I do mean everything tangible and temporary. He lost his home, his children, his marriage was broken down, his health was horrible, he lost his business and he lost all his possessions.

Job was left with three things in the end: his life, his faith, and his God, which was all Job needed to make a comeback and make a comeback he did. At the end of Job’s life he had more than he had ever lost, as God restored what he had lost tenfold and then some.

Nevertheless, during that middle season of Job’s life he grieved and he grieved intensely. Now let us look at that grief. We will examine how Job responded and how those around him responded.

Job 2:13 (NKJV)

So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.

Job’s grief is described as “very great” which to me seems like an understatement. For a man suffering from such monumental losses I am sure words could not sufficiently express his pain. Very often we have no words to express our grief sufficiently when we are going through a loss. We really should not try to express our feelings beyond what we are able, as words cannot always express what is in the human heart.

Notice in this verse that Job’s acquaintances or friends who came to visit him during his grief done nothing more at this point other than sit down with him, on the ground right where he was sitting, for seven days and they said nothing. These individuals did not quote Scripture at, try to express sorrow, try to verbally empathize or express sympathy for at least seven days. Today we do the opposite and unfortunately we often overwhelm the person who is in the early stages of grief with phone calls, text, visits, etc. in an effort to express our care during a time when they are in all probability in shock.

I believe there is much to be learned from those individuals in this verse who sat around Job during his grief. We too should learn to simply sit silently with someone who is suffering in pain and grief. We too should not search for words but instead let our presence and our presence alone do the talking for us. We too need to allow people space to adjust to the shock of what has happened to them.

Job 6:2 (NKJV)

“Oh, that my grief were fully weighed,

And my calamity laid with it on the scales!

A person in the throes of grief longs to be understood but often feels that no one understands their loss. Quite honestly no one can understand their loss completely because grief is very personal and the pain very privately held within the deep recesses of our souls. The grief that people see exhibited in our actions is often only a small example of the grief we feel deep within ourselves.

In a society where things are quite generic in nature, where we prize equality even when equality is not always possible or best, we have a difficult time accepting that not all grief is alike. Not everyone’s grief is equal. The grief I have suffered in my lifetime does not equal the grief Job suffered during his lifetime. The various forms of grief I have suffered in life are not equal to one another; they vary in length and the amount of pain or hardship they caused. The sorrows and losses you will suffer might be worse than what someone else will suffer in sorrows and losses during their lifetime. The weight of our trials is as different as we are different.

If we measure out the intensity and quantity of the various issues of grief people will go through during a lifetime they will not be evenly distributed among people. Therefore, let us be cautious before easily allowing the words, ‘I am so sorry, I understand how you feel.’ to slip from our lips. We may feel sad and sorry for them but do we really understand how they feel? More times than not, no, we do not know how they feel.

Job 16:5 (NKJV)

But I would strengthen you with my mouth,

And the comfort of my lips would relieve your grief.

As time passes and the initial shock of someone grief begins to recess there comes a time to offer words of comfort, encouragement, and help. Job’s visitors did not do that but Job makes it clear that is what he would do and what should be done.

Likewise we should seek to do as Job describes as well, comfort with our words not harm. Therefore, our words should be selected very carefully during the time of a friend’s or acquaintance’s great grief or loss.

Job 16:6 (NKJV)

“Though I speak, my grief is not relieved;

And if I remain silent, how am I eased?

One of the most important lessons we can learn about grief can be derived from the words found in this verse. Whether we talk about our grief or we choose not to talk about our grief, it takes time to heal from loss. I am sure you have heard it said, ‘Some things just take time.’ and sometimes some things just take time to heal. Greif caused by substantial loss of a loved one, a dream, or a significant relationship is one of those “things” that just take time. Talking at times will help. Remaining silent at times will help. With our lips open or closed, we must still do the required time to see the manifestation of our healing.

There is a wonderful song by Dallas Holm I used in years past, over two decades or more now, to help me during some dark days of grief, a grief so intense I truly did not want to live any longer, a song that one day made me angry when I heard it and the next day could comfort me like a mother’s arms – the title of the song says it all – This Too Shall Pass.

In the next part of this series, part ten, we will examine stage nine of grief, one of the two healing stages.

 

 

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993

In Advice, Agape Love, Anger, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, End Times, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Persecution, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Religious Freedom, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on April 1, 2015 at 1:40 pm

Do not allow people to walk all over you just because you are a godly person.  Understand when the time has come to stand up and in a godly way push back against the tide of society. 

DEPOSITORY – JUSTICE DEPT. LIBRARY

PUBLIC LAW 103-141—NOV. 16, 1993

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM RESTORATION ACT

OF 1993

DEPT. OF JUSTICE

MAR18,1994

MAIN LIBRARY

Pg. 2

107 STAT. 1488 PUBLIC LAW 103-141—NOV. 16, 1993

Public Law 103-141

103d Congress

An Act

Nov. 16, 1993 To protect the free exercise of religion.

[H.R. 1308]

Religious Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of

Freedom the United States of America in Congress assembled,

Restoration Act

of1993. SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

42 USC 2000bb

note. This Act may be cited as the "Religious Freedom Restoration

Act of 1993".

42 USC 2000bb. SEC.2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS AND DECLARATION OF PURPOSES.

(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that—

(1) the framers of the Constitution, recognizing free exercise

of religion as an unalienable right, secured its protection in

the First Amendment to the Constitution;

(2) laws "neutral" toward religion may burden religious

exercise as surely as laws intended to interfere with religious

exercise;

(3) governments should not substantially burden religious

exercise without compelling justification;

(4) in Employment Division v. Smith, 494 U.S. 872 (1990)

the Supreme Court virtually eliminated the requirement that

the government justify burdens on religious exercise imposed

by laws neutral toward religion; and

(5) the compelling interest test as set forth in prior Federal

court rulings is a workable test for striking sensible balances

between religious liberty and competing prior governmental

interests.

(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are—

(1) to restore the compelling interest test as set forth in

Sherbert v. Verner, 374 U.S. 398 (1963) and Wisconsin v.

Yoder, 406 U.S. 205 (1972) and to guarantee its application

in all cases where free exercise of religion is substantially

burdened; and

(2) to provide a claim or defense to persons whose religious

exercise is substantially burdened by government.

42 USC SEC. 3. FREE EXERCISE OF RELIGIONPROTECTED.

2000bb-l

(a) IN GENERAL.—Government shall not substantially burden

a person’s exercise of religion even if the burden results from

a rule of general applicability, except as provided in subsection

(b).

(b) EXCEPTION.—Government may substantially burden a person’s

exercise of religion only if it demonstrates that application

of the burden to the person—

Pg. 3

PUBLIC LAW 103-141—NOV. 16, 1993 107 STAT. 1489

(1) is in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest;

and

(2) is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling

governmental interest.

(c) JUDICIAL RELIEF.—A person whose religious exercise has

been burdened in violation of this section may assert that violation

as a claim or defense in a judicial proceeding and obtain appropriate

relief against a government. Standing to assert a claim or defense

under this section shall be governed by the general rules of standing

under article III of the Constitution.

SEC. 4. ATTORNEYSFEES.

(a) JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS.—Section 722 of the Revised Statutes

(42 U.S.C. 1988) is amended by inserting "the Religious Freedom

Restoration Act of 1993," before "or title VI of the Civil Rights

Act of 1964".

(b) ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDINGS.—Section 504(b)(1)(C) of title

5, United States Code, is amended—

(1) by striking "and" at the end of clause (ii);

(2) by striking the semicolon at the end of clause (iii)

and inserting ", and"; and

(3) by inserting "(iv) the Religious Freedom Restoration

Act of 1993;" after clause (iii).

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 42 USC

As used in this Act— 2000bb-2.

(1) the term "government" includes a branch, department,

agency, instrumentality, and official (or other person acting

under color of law) of the United States, a State, or a subdivision

of a State;

(2) the term "State" includes the District of Columbia,

the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and each territory and

possession of the United States;

(3) the term "demonstrates" means meets the burdens of

going forward with the evidence and of persuasion; and

(4) the term "exercise of religion means the exercise of

religion under the First Amendment to the Constitution.

SEC. 6. APPLICABILITY. 42 USC

2000bb-3. (a) IN GENERAL.—This Act applies to all Federal and State

law, and the implementation of that law, whether statutory or

otherwise, and whether adopted before or after the enactment of

this Act.

(b) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Federal statutory law adopted

after the date of the enactment of this Act is subject to this Act

unless such law explicitly excludes such application by reference

to this Act.

(c) RELIGIOUS BELIEF UNAFFECTED.—Nothing in this Act shall

be construed to authorize any government to burden any religious

belief.

SEC. 7. ESTABLISHMENTCLAUSE UNAFFECTED. 42USC

Nothing in this Act shall be construed to affect, interpret, 2000bb-4.

or in any way address that portion of the First Amendment prohibiting

laws respecting the establishment of religion (referred to in

this section as the "Establishment Clause"). Granting government

funding, benefits, or exemptions, to the extent permissible under

the Establishment Clause, shall not constitute a violation of this

Pg. 4

107 STAT. 1490 PUBLIC LAW 103-141—NOV. 16, 1993

Act. As used in this section, the term "granting", used with respect

to government funding, benefits, or exemptions, does not include

the denial of government funding, benefits, or exemptions.

Approved November 16, 1993.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 1308 (S. 578):

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 103-88 (Comm. on the Judiciary).

SENATE REPORTS: No. 103-111 accompanying S. 578 (Comm. on the Judiciary).

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 139 (1993):

May 11, considered and passed House.

Oct. 26, 27, S. 578 considered in Senate; H.R. 1308, amended, passed in lieu.

Nov. 3, House concurred in Senate amendment.

WEEKLY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS, Vol. 29 (1993):

Nov. 16, Presidential remarks.

21 states have a version of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act enacted by their legislature:

Alabama (state constitution amendment)

Arizona

Arkansas

Connecticut

Florida

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Mississippi

Missouri

New Mexico

Oklahoma

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Tennessee

Texas

Virginia

States with RFRA-like provisions – provided by state court decisions—rather than via legislation:

Alaska

Hawaii

Ohio

Maine

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Montana

North Carolina

Washington

Wisconsin

 

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Grief – Suffering All Will Endure – Pt. 8 Stages of Grief / Stage 8

In Advice, Agape Love, Anger, Anxiety, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Depression, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Loss, Love, Prayer, Prophet, Prophetess, Spiritual Fruit, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on March 26, 2015 at 5:33 pm

There comes a point within the grief process where the individual who is grieving finds themselves resisting returning to their normal routine, activates, and responsibilities. This resistance might be only slight or it might be significant but the general unwillingness to get on with life typically manifest.

This resistance might manifest as an unwillingness to get dressed, clean the house, run needed errands, attend social events, church, clubs, or exercise. If the resistance manifest in an enormous way a person might refuse to go back to work. All such actions of resistance can have negative consequences, which will only add to the emotional burden of the grieving person.

This unwillingness or hesitancy in returning to normal activities is really about fear, the fear of returning to living. This fear can be driven by concern over how people will respond to the grieving person. The grieving person will fear rejection should they have a desire to talk about their loss. There is also fear associated with encountering something that reminds the griever of the person, persons, relationship, or opportunity they have lost. Additionally, grievers have fear that people have forgotten what they are going through, since other people appear to be returning to their normal routines.

During this stage, it is my personal hope that people have taken the preventive measure mentioned in an earlier part of this series, trying to continue in a normal routine as much as is possible. It is much easier to continue with life than it is to return to life. Once a person’s sits down in their grief or pain for too long it becomes quite difficult to get up once again.

Nevertheless, a person must at some point return to life and business as usual, for life must go on. As Christian friends and family of the grieving person we must, in love, exhort and encourage the grieving individual to return to their normal activities. We must help them face their new reality. Attempting to shelter a person from their new reality and from returning to a normal routine will only hurt them long-term. If we truly love them then we will help them get up and go on with life.

Part of that agape love we need to show them might involve not doing for them, instead of doing for them. By discontinuing taking care of their personal needs, such as house cleaning, shopping, yard maintenance, and cooking we put the responsibility back on them and thus they are forced to get on with life. It is not insensitive to do this, it is necessary for the overall wellbeing of the individual who is grieving. Real love makes some tough choices sometimes.

In the next part of this series, part nine, we will take a break from the stages of grief to address the earlier mentioned verses in the Book of Job, gleaning their insights on the issue of grief, before we begin to cover the last two stages of grief, the healing stages.

 

 

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Grief – Suffering All Will Endure – Pt.7 Stages of Grief / Stage 6 and 7

In Advice, Agape Love, Anger, Anxiety, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Depression, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Loss, Love, Prayer, Prophet, Prophetess, Rhema Words, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on March 20, 2015 at 1:52 pm

The next two stages of grief are often inverted as far as when they might manifest in someone life. The two stages feed off one another and are somewhat interdependent in order to survive and thrive. However, being interdependent means that once one is effectively dealt with the other will most likely die. These two stages are guilt and hostility or anger coupled with resentment.

At this point, the grieving person begins to feel guilt relating to the loss they have suffered. They might focus on their own past wrong actions relating to the loss, their mistreatment of the person they have lost, or their neglect in the situations where they have suffered a loss. It is quite common to spend a period of time only focused on the negative or less desirable aspects of the relationship[s] at the center of the loss, the wrongs done to one another, and the ugly things that were said.

In so doing, the griever might exaggerate wrongs that took place or even imagine wrongs that did not take place. Either way to some degree, the wrongs the griever struggles with are real to them and must be dealt with. The Scripture tells us, to ‘confess our sins one to another and to pray for one another, so our healing can come.’ That is exactly what the griever should do. They should find someone to talk with and unburden the real feelings of guilt they are carrying, thus putting the feelings into perspective so they can move on.

James 5:16 (KJV-AV)

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Most importantly, one must go to Christ Jesus and seek forgiveness for the wrongs they have done to the person they have lost. If the person has died who was wronged, then the griever cannot go to them for forgiveness. In still other cases, it might not be possible to reach out to the person involved in one’s loss therefore finding forgiveness without direct interaction with the wounded party is necessary. The griever must seek forgiveness from God, forgive himself or herself, and often they also have got to be willing to forgive the person they have lost for the wrongs done to them as well. Forgiveness is a major part of any form of healing.

In dealing with this process for some people the hostility, anger, and/or resentment begins to emerge. Then for other people the hostility, anger, and/or resentment is covering up or acts as an introduction to the guilt they are feeling. Whether the hostility, anger, and/or resentment precedes or follows the guilt, it must be effectively brought under control and then ultimately eliminated.

This hostility and resentment can be directed toward the person who has been lost, the people involved such as spiritual leaders, medical personnel, caregivers, family, perpetrators, or God. Here the griever is wrestling with “the cause” or “who caused” their loss. The griever might vacillate between searching for someone to blame and their own guilty feelings over having not done more. Again, the idea that they or anyone else could have done any more to prevent the loss may not be realistic but feelings during grief are not based on what is realistic. Questions emerge such as, “Why didn’t he or she fight harder to survive?” “Why didn’t the staff do more to save my loved one?” “Why didn’t my spiritual leader’s prayers work?” What is more, the biggest question of them all, “Why did God let this happen?”

Feelings of anger toward God are difficult for Christians to acknowledge and deal with. However, God is well aware of their inner feelings and talking them over with another godly mature Christian can be very helpful to the grieving person.

Hostility during grief is part of the healing process but it is not something that should be ignored or encouraged, it should instead be dealt with as quickly as possible. Anger has a tendency to grow when left unchecked and it can grieve The Spirit in a Christian if they do not lay it aside.

Ephesians 4:31 (NKJV)

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.

In the next part of this series, part eight, we will examine stage eight of grief.

 

 

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.