July 2024

Faith July 28, 2024

Squash The Negativity

If you are one that is paying attention to politics right now, you know that this past week has been a political roller coaster. My purpose in writing the blog on this topic today, is not to encourage you as to whom you should vote for. You will come to that conclusion on your own. Also, I believe that who we choose to vote for is a very personal decision. However, what I would like to do is encourage you to remember who you represent at all times, and that is Jesus Christ.

Let’s be the change that we want to see in our political climate right now. Let’s not add to the current negativity that is brewing in politics each and every day as we get closer to the election.

As Christians we are called to a much higher standard. A standard that calls us to love and respect others even when we don’t necessarily agree with their viewpoint. We are called to use wise judgement and to choose our words wisely. We are called to love and not hate. Let’s not spread this evil poison called negativity.

We know that negativity is another tactic that Satan uses to destroy what is good. Don’t fall prey to his antics.

Choose to be a part of our country’s solution, not its problem. Choose to take the high road when you see something ridiculous posted on social media. Just simply choose not to comment. Not all things are worthy to be dignified with a comment. Let it go and move on. Win by making your statement in the voting booth. Continue to let your light shine and remember God is still the One in control and He will ultimately have the final say. it is His will that will supersede everything. May God bless us all, as we navigate through this political season.

⁸Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

²⁰and said:
“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his.
²¹He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others.
He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

¹³Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies!
Proverbs 10:19
¹⁹Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.
Proverbs 12:18
The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Matthew 12:36
³⁶But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.
Ephesians 4:32
³²Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Faith July 21, 2024

GOD’S AMAZING GRACE

This past week I read several chapters in the book of Romans and I just wanted to read more and more. This is such a rich book and my heart was so blessed.
I hope that by reading a few excerpts from it in today’s lesson, that you too will be encouraged to read more. I know that you will be just as blessed as I was by doing so.

In the book of Romans Paul explains so beautifully why we needed to be saved from our sins. He also explains our sinful nature which is always waging war against the spirit within us. Constantly our flesh wants to rule over our spirit, and resist obedience to God’s commands. Because Paul has so eloquently written this book of Romans, I thought it would be best that you learned directly from him today.

Before you start reading, pray and ask God to help you process and receive every bit of what He would desire for you to receive from Paul’s teaching. By doing so I know that the Holy Spirit will reveal more to you than you would receive otherwise. Read and be blessed my sisters!
ADAM’S SIN OUR SIN
Romans 5:14
¹⁴Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.
GOD’S AMAZING GRACE
Romans 5:6-11
⁶You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
⁹Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! ¹⁰For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! ¹¹Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Romans 5:15-21
¹⁵But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! ¹⁶Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. ¹⁷For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
¹⁸Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. ¹⁹For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
²⁰The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, ²¹so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
HOW WE ARE COUNTED RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD
Romans 4:25
²⁵He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
Romans 5:1-2
5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we^[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we^[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God.
YOU MUST BELIEVE AND CONFESS
Romans 10:9
⁹If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved
BURIED WITH CHRIST THROUGH BAPTISM
Romans 6:1-14
6 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? ²By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? ³Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
⁵For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,^[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— ⁷because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
⁸Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. ¹⁰The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
¹¹In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. ¹²Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. ¹³Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. ¹⁴For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
OUR SINFUL NATURE AND GOD’S GRACIOUS PROVISION
Romans 7:14-25
¹⁴We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. ¹⁵I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. ¹⁶And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. ¹⁸For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.^[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. ²⁰Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
²¹So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²²For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; ²³but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. ²⁴What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? ²⁵Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature^[b] a slave to the law of sin.
Romans 8:1-8
8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ²because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you^[a] free from the law of sin and death. ³For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,^[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.^[c] And so he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
⁵Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. ⁶The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. ⁸Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

Fruit of the Spirit July 14, 2024

WHAT ARE YOU HOLDING ON TO?

Recently I had a conversation with a lady, who shared that she had been deeply hurt by someone in her family over thirty years ago. As she talked about how this person disappointed her, I could hear in her voice that she was still very angry. I had also noticed that she never has anything positive to say in regard to this person. It’s almost always a negative comment when she mentions their name. In my opinion, her unresolved anger has turned into bitterness.

The interesting thing about all of this is, the person that she is so angry with, does not have a clue that she is upset because she never shared with them, how they made her feel. So many times, this is the case, and unless we are willing to swallow our pride and open up about our feelings, most people will walk away from us not even knowing that they just hurt our feelings.

If you have been hurt or even betrayed by someone, I have 10 tips of advice for you.

Don’t walk around angry and bitter. Pray and ask God to help you to forgive the person that offended you. Try to release any ill feelings and resentment that you may have towards that person.
Don’t allow your past to hold your future hostage. Move on, let it go!
Be patient with those who offend you. Remember that hurting people, hurt people.
Don’t talk about the person that offended you. (A sexual offense is different, however.) If you are being sexually offended, by all means talk to someone ASAP)

Set up a time to talk directly with the person that offended you. (Unless it’s a sexual offense, in which case you will want to have a professional course involved as a mediator). Pray and ask God to give you the right words for this difficult conversation, so that things go smoothly.

Even though you may not agree, be willing to listen to the other person’s point of view.
Seek God’s will on the correct timing to have the conversation.

Know that if God has forgiven the person that offended you, you can too. At some point you will probably offend someone. Forgive the way you will want to be forgiven.

Pray for your offender.
Remember that unresolved anger can affect your health. It can raise your blood pressure, cause stress as well as anxiety in your body. It can also drain you of your energy. Our bodies were not meant to be containers for anger but love.
Read your scriptures regarding anger and bitterness. Know what God says about anger.

Proverbs 19:11

¹¹A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.
Colossians 3:8
⁸But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
Proverbs 16:32
³²Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.
Matthew 5:22
²²But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister[a][b] will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’[c] is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
Proverbs 14:29
²⁹Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.
Ephesians 4:26-27
²⁶“In your anger do not sin”[a]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, ²⁷and do not give the devil a foothold.
Ephesians 4:31-32
³¹Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³²Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Hebrews 12:14-15
¹⁴Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. ¹⁵See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
Colossians 3:13
¹³Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Romans 12:19
¹⁹Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[a] says the Lord.
Matthew 6:14-15
¹⁴For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Relationships July 6, 2024

Free Indeed

³⁶So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

On yesterday our country celebrated another July 4th Anniversary, or some would call it Independence Day. This marked another year of our country living in freedom, which is one of the reasons it is considered to be the greatest country in the world to live in.

While thinking about this, I thought of the freedoms that we have in Christ. Oh what a blessing to be free of the eternal death sentence that comes as a consequence of our sins. This is a yoke that Christ stepped in and chose to bear on our behalf.

As Christians we are also free of the guilt and shame of our sins, when we confess and repent of them.

Freedom in Christ means that we no longer have to fear dying, because we will have an eternal home with God. This freedom also means that we can boldly approach God’s throne of grace and ask for His divine help for any situation we encounter.

Freedom in Christ means that we can move through life freely and without reservation or fear, knowing that God’s hand of protection is over us. Freedom in Christ means that we can pursue our God given calling, knowing that God has already gone before us and opened any closed doors.

Because we are children, we are free! Now that’s something to celebrate!

What Does God’s Word Say About Our Freedom

Galatians 5:1
5 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do
2 Corinthians 3:17
¹⁷Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
Acts 13:38-39
³⁸“Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. ³⁹Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.
Ephesians 3:12
¹²In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Psalms 119:45
⁴⁵I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.
1 Peter 2:1¹⁶Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.
Galatians 5:3-14
³Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. ⁴You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. ⁵For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. ⁶For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

⁷You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? ⁸That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. ⁹“A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” ¹⁰I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. ¹¹Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. ¹²As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
¹³You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh^[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. ¹⁴For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”^[b

John 8:32
³²Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Romans 8:1-4
8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ²because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you^[a] free from the law of sin and death. ³For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,^[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.^[c] And so he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Romans 6:2
²²But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.
1 Corinthians 7:22
²²For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave
Isaiah 6:1
6 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
Romans 6:14
¹⁴For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
Hebrews 2:14-15
¹⁴Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— ¹⁵and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

Squash The Negativity

GOD’S AMAZING GRACE

WHAT ARE YOU HOLDING ON TO?

Free Indeed

John 8:36