Sunday, May 13, 2012

Get off the Caholic Church's back!

Someone reading this might not argee with me, but we can agree to disagre.  Really, the only person who really knows someone's heart and is the ultimate Judge is God.  I just feel the need to voice my thoughts and my personal experience.

For those who are not familiar with the Catholic faith nor understand it may think that they don't believe in Jesus or have a persoanl relationship with Jesus. Guess what Catholics are Christians. (I have a very close person in my life who I know did not think I was a Christian when I was at the Catholic Chruch and it drives me nuts!  I have to pray and say God you know my heart and please don't let the opinions of other's get me all worked up.  Your opinion is all that matters to love this person regardless of difference of opinions)  Yes, there may  be somepeople that call themself catholic and have no fruit to bare. You can't tell the difference between them and a non believer.  We also have to be careful because we don't know who they were years ago.  Maybe God has been working on their life and even though we may not see it we don't know who they were before.  This is true in the protestant church/non denomoninational church. I know people who have been Christians for years but yet are still infants in their walk.  Alo, there are people who walk through the church doors at a different denomination and that is about how far they go but again we don't know how God is changing their heart.

I use to be a Catholic.  But for the record my husband and I did meet God there.  He was working on us.  It may not of looked like it completly but God knew where he needed to meet me and what to do to grow me and develop a deeper relationshiop with him.  It doesn't always happen instantly or overnight.  He was slowly changing my heart, helping me forgive others, letting go of past hurts and planting the seeds in my heart for what He was calling me to do.  Did I know him like I do today.  Of course not and If I continue to let the Holy Spirit work on me next year I'll know him even more and have even more break throughs. 

It's not about being Catholic, protestant, it's not about how everything looks on the outside.  I know many people who can dress the Christian faith up!  They show up to church as a family all dressed nice, serve but yet inside they are dealing with some issues but yet are quick to point their finger at other people, pointing their sin out because it's easier to see instead of their own.  This goes on in every denomination. We have to let God continue to work on us and in us so we can be the light. 

we need to stop causing division in the body of Christ.  I'm not saying I agree with everything the Catholic church does.  As I have grown in Christ, God has helped even though I know longer belong to the Catholic Church understand it even more.  We need to come together and focus on Jesus and becoming one, not what church is better and bickering over issues.  What matters is if your Church is teaching straight from the Word of god and  who do you say Jesus Christ is? If your answer is the Son of God, who shed His blood for the forgiveness of Sins, we are sinners and Jesus is our Savior..We have a personal relationshiop with him...Amen!  Please give off the Caholic Church's back!

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Heading for the Fire....

 One of my prayers is that I speak what God says not what I believe or how I feel.   One of my hang ups is being judmental.  I love people and Hoppe everyone comes to Christ but when  someone asks me if he or she is a Christian my immediate response is, "They say yes, but I don't know their heart."  Yes, that may not be a wrong answer only God knows someone's heart but we are called to measure according to God's word.  Everyone is calling themsevles Christians today.  (when someone accepts Jesus it is still  a process.  It takes sometimes years for people to break through from bondage and strong holds.  Thankfully, God does not give up on us! Yes, if there is fruit and positive change great even if it is small!  But when people are continuing to sin, stay there and there is absolutly no difference from you and the world and you are claiming you are a christian.  Well, then there is a problem.)    It's a dangerous thing.  We are letting the world slip into the church becasue we are afraid that we are being judgemental. .   No we can't be judmental and yes we need to handle people and difficult social issues with grace and love, but there is a level of messuring that God has called us to measure.  The question shouldn't be what we think.  It should be What would Jesus say about your life.  We need to take it off us and put it on God.  The problem at least with me is I'm so afraid of judging someone. I may live a certain way and believe/know the word of God but part of me is still afraid to write about topics that are very sensitive.  Because of being rejected.   Look, I don't even want to judge the Hooters girls in my last blog.  Judge the sin and not the sinner but we have to call somethings out! ( Yes, there are Christians who go about this the totally wrong way. I think that is why I'm so sensitive to the fact of judging.)   How can we change or allow God to convict if we stay quite.    I want to love everyone and accept all. But guess what, Jesus  did Love everyone but let's face it he didn't accept everyone.  Our fear should be are  we going to be Judge becasue we have allowed Christianity to be water downed. (We need to constantlly be strentching, growing in Christ.  Allowing the Holy Spirit to work on us so we can be that light.)   Forget worrying about everyone else!!!  We need to be concern with what God is saying about the Body of Christ as a whole. Most,  want a feel good message and not have to change. We want Jesus but yet we don't want to give up our life fully for him.    We care so much more about being accepted by the world instead of  byGod.  Jesus was not liked by everyone. The world hated Him and still does why would I think it would be different for me.  We need to lean on him for strength, wisdom and disernment and stand for what God would stand for but to do it with love and grace. No, we are not to judge but we are called to lead and show Christ.  We are called to be different to come out of the world.  If I'm being called judgemental and being persuccuted by the world then I know I'm doing the work of Jesus!  I wouldn't be quite if my kids were heading into a fire. Why should we put a muzzel on when people we love are heading for that same kind of fate?

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Hooters, short skirts and tight shirts!

Our Church's building is extreamly close to a Hooters Resturant.  When service is over the Hooter girls run outside in their short shorts and tight shirts and begin to use the hula hoop and try to wave people in to eat their wings.  Becasue that is why everyone eat's there anyways isn't it!!! It has nothing to do with the girls. 
I do not agree with how these girls are acting or like the way they dress.
Even though I don't agree with how they are acting, it is a great time to blog about judging and remembering who we were before we decided to dedicate our lives to Christ.  Even after giving my life to Jesus, I'm still a sinner and no better than those girls or any other girl who feel they have to act or dress a certain way for attention or to make money.
 We need to remember where we came from and not be so judgemental.  Now, I'm not saying we can't judge.  There is a time we need to jude but  leave room to keep loving the sinner.  Hate the sin butl love the sinner. Mark and I are raising our kids to be pure in all areas in their  life and how to dress modestly.  But we also stress we are to be the example and not to judge someone else for their choices and think we are better than anyone else.
I've heard people make comments not just about hooter girls but just women in general about the way they dress and how they need Jesus.  How do you know they don't?  How do you know what they are going through or been through?  Do we know their heart?   Obvisoulsy, by their actions it doesn't look like they are fully devoted to christ but maybe they are still babies in their walk.  The only way I say that is because of who I use to be and my own personal experience.
I will tell you I'm no better than the hooter girls.  If I compare myself to the world, I wasn't all that bad growing up and even in my 20's.  Even though I know I gave my parents a run for their money!  But God isn't comparing me to the world.  I might not been as bad but many choices and actions were not Godly and far from his heart.  In his eyes my sin was huge!  I use to ware short shorts and tight shirts.  I chased a young boy around and acted crazy just to get his attention.  I'm not saying it was right and if I could do it over I would.  Thankfully, that young boy is now a man and thankfully my husband. God has dealt with both of us!   I use to ware bikini's and acted like a wild maniac at times. I just shake my head when I think about it.   ( My daugther marcia has found pictures of one of our trips to Florida when she was a baby.  she always likes to remind me how I disobeyed God by what the bathing suit I was wearing!  I just love her and she is so right!) I don't care what anyone else says,as dumb as my choices were  I still loved God and knew Jesus.  I went to church and not just to go because I had to. I wanted to.  I was very young in my walk and not ready to give up  all the things of this world.  Little by Little God changed me. It took awhile because I'm a slow learner but  He knows  me and knew how to get me to open my eyes more and to really hear and follow his voice. 
I never forget that person I use to be because I never want to think I'm better than anyone else.  I'm still a sinner and maybe my sins are not as bad as they were in the past  as bad as the person down the street, but sin is still sin.  Some of us also know how to hide it better than others.  Girls who dress and act inapporiatly are easy targets. It's easier to point someone elses sin instead of dealing with our own. 
Instead of gossiping about the girls whose skirt is to short or top to low, give grace. Focus on your walk, stop pointing the finger at everyone else.  Be and LIVE the example  Christ wants you to be.

These women don't make me feel uncomfortable.  Maybe it's becasue I've been there but also becasue I know who I am in Christ.  Not only am I secure with who I am, I'm also secure in my marriage.  So, if you are worried about your husband when girls like these hooter girls come around.  I think maybe instead of pointing the finger at them, you may need to work on your marriage more. ( I'm not saying I would want my husband hanging out in places like this.  He uses wisdom, knows better and doesn't put himself nor do I  in those types of  situations anymore. I trust him and he trust me. )  I don't say that to be mean but people love to look outside, blame others and talk about the sin in the world. Instead of taking a look inside their own relationships.   Maybe instead of avoinding those people reach out,be their friend and pray for them. Be the example and God will do the convicting.   Not only pray for them but pray for the men who make these girls think that ithis is  what they need to do for love. Pray that these men and women fall right into the heart of God. That the men will become the leaders God has called them to be and the women will become and believe that they to have been made in the image of God.  His love and attention is all they need to have.
 Be the love of Christ and accept them for who they are and where they are.    Jesus would why wouldn't we.

Rollar Coaster of Life!

Wow!  This past 1  1/2 has been like a roller coaster ride in my mind. Even though God has done some amazing things in my life, I found myself stuck once again.  I've been in his word, prayer and making myself walk in fear even though I felt like hiding in a box.  I know better but yet kept letting the devil attack my mind.  I seriously found myself in tears the other day.  Not because I'm not grateful.  I see God's goodness in my life.  I love the life he gave me.  My kids, my marriage, my family and my church.  The one thing I didn't like was myself.   It's a battle I'm fighting still still this day.  Those crazy thoughts I know are lies from the devil the only reason I was believing them was because deep down inside my heart I truly felt that way about myself.  If I didn't then it wouldn't of bothered me. It was up to me to believe them or to tell them to go straigh to Hell.  Yesterday, was the last straw.  I will continue to be me, let God grow me and if people don't like me, then I don't know what to say.   I don't lknow if you have ever felt like this, but one of my fears is the body of Christ. ( I will blog more on this later)  Crazy I know! 

I'm not blaming the body of Christ becasue it is and was my problem.  Even though I know the only approval you need is God's but I was still  looking for it from man from my sister's and brother's in Christ.  I think sometimes people look at the outer apperance of others instead of their heart.  To make judgements way to fast about people.  I know I've done it too.  I'm not perfect.  Sometimes people don't take the time to really get to know someone becasue if they did they would find a wounded heart, a heart that is still healing, wounds that are still bleeding.  As much as I knew what God said about me, my husband, my kids and even my parents, I still needed more.  Chasing and longing from the approval of man.  Why?  I don't need it and probably will never get it.  God placed people in my life that have encouraged me but still I wanted it from people that coudn't see it! As a kid one of my issues was wanting what I couldn't have.   As an adult, I was looking for approval from people who will never give it to me.  I could either sit in despair and let that control me, take my passion away and not fully living a wild life for Jesus.   The pain was real, the tears were real and I almost through my arms up in the air and said forget this.  I'm  just not good enough and never will be! 

Here is the good news.  We will never be good enough!  God works in our weakness.  When we depend on him, believe him and continue to walk in him, he get's the glory.  My sisters we cannot let our own insecurityies stop us from the promises of God.  The beauty of all this is that I seriously had to rely on God for everything.  Looking at me from the outside someone might of thought I had it all going on but they were so wrong.  We have to know it in our hearts how much he loves us, we were made in his image and it doesn't matter what our past was or what other's think of us.  God knows your heart, your love ones and closest friends know your heart and that's all that matters. We don't have to prove ourself to nobody.  God knows how I live my life everyday.  He knows Mark and I are not living a double life.  In HIS time, he will give me the chance to Glorify him.

It's our duty to love the church, doesn't mean we have to be people pleasers and we may not agree or like everyone, but we are called to love and have grace for one another.  I've learned from my own pain to make sure I look for the good in people.  Not to focus on their faults becasue believe me they already know what is wrong with them.  Why do they need to be reminded of it!  It's my job to encourage ,to love and to see my brother's and sister's in christ the way God see's them.  If we do that when the unbelievers look at us, they will see the light of Christ.

Living a life for God will not mean life will not be a roller coaster ride becasue it will.  You will do turns and twists and go down hills but if you hang out to God, his word and know how he see's you, you will come up that hill faster and brighter than you were before!   Don't let other's stop you from the ride of your life!

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