Discerning Apostacy
This may seem like a strange way to start this message, but it is meant to demonstrate a gift of the Spirit called “discerning of spirits.”
Some of us may actually have physical manifestations when confronted with a demonic spirit. For example, when I am around a strong controlling or a Jezebel spirit (witchcraft), my head feels like it is wearing a tight band that is squeezing tighter and tighter. Usually, by the time I feel like my eyeballs are going to pop out, I take authority over the spirit (if this is possible), or I just get up and leave. Another manifestation of being in the presence of a controlling spirit is the sudden onset of total confusion. This, combined with the pressure squeezing my brains out, tells me that I don’t need to be anywhere near this unsuspecting soul.
When I am anywhere near New Age believers or even in a New Age bookstore, I get extremely nauseated. The same goes for extreme health food stores.
When the gifts of healing are in operation, the anointing goes from my right hand, and runs all the way up to my elbow. As Norvel Hayes used to say, “The anointing is like thousands of little tiny paintbrushes running up and down my arm.” When the gifts of discerning of spirits is in operation, the anointing does the same thing in my left hand. Once many years ago at a Women’s Aglow conference, I participated in some ministry among the participants at the meeting. I was a real baby Christian, but I was operating in discerning of spirits. In fact I had just seen with my own two eyes three spirits rise up out of a woman’s head, fly across the room and drop into a circle of women having prayer. I was absolutely freaked out by this, but my friend assured me that I was fine.
I felt the need to go to the area where I had seen the spirits descend, and when I reached the circle of ladies, I inadvertently moved my left hand over this woman’s head. She jerked and made a wailing noise (which made me quite uncomfortable since this was a new experience for me). I turned around to see where else I could go, and the wailing woman touched me on the shoulder, saying, “When you passed your hand over my head, I felt a demon come out of me. Praise the Lord, and thank you for being obedient.” I was shocked, but accepted her thanks and moved back to my table to share this incident with my more experienced friends.
So, through the years, I have come to respect the presence of these physical manifestations by the Holy Spirit. It is one of those things that is personal and irrefutable. When I start getting these sensations, there is no argument. It is a done deal.
I have shared these experiences as a foundation for what I am about to say. As of late - probably as of the past twelve months - I have been having a new type of manifestation. It is very disturbing to me because it presents itself when I am in the presence of some that I consider to be brothers or sisters in the Lord. I sense this when I am watching certain preachers on television, or when I hear certain preachers on the radio. Even when I visit certain websites. It is as if they are all under the same covering - and I am afraid to say, that covering is not the covering that they think they’re under!
The best description for this physical manifestation is “sickeningly sweet and oozing with love and brotherhood.” Ironically (or not), the word “brotherhood” is perfect for it brings to mind a “membership” of robe clad individuals, all under the unity of faith in a specific cause. However, I am afraid that what we have here is the beginning of the Apostate church, and it has its grip on thousands of five-fold ministers all over the world. It is fooling (if possible) even the elect of God, according to Scripture.
Some would argue that this couldn’t be possible, but I can assure you, it is - and it is growing slowly and steadily.
It is critical in this hour to KNOW God, as the Father, as the Son, and as the Holy Spirit. We must KNOW HIM through His written word which WILL AGREE with His Spirit.
An Apostate church is rising up, and it seems that it may be rising up in the posture of Christianity. It is full of “love” and charitable works. It preaches a message of inclusion and tolerance, or a doctrine that is politically correct. And it is extremely seductive. It is drawing in millions of young believers all across the world who think that they are serving Jesus. But underneath it all are seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, and Satan himself has been orchestrating this great deception to play out in these last days. (“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” 1 Timothy 4:1)
Let me make another comparison. Now, I did not vote for Barack Obama, but many Christians did. As a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, I cannot condone the practice of abortion, nor can I choose to ignore it for political gain. But that is my own personal conviction. Each person will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. I, for one, tremble at the thought of looking into the eyes of Jesus and explaining why I chose to ignore the cries of 34 million aborted babies. Nope. Not me.
Anyway, as I was contemplating the rise of this Apostate church, I saw (in my spirit) that this Apostate church will rise up in America with the same inexplicable charisma that drove Barack Obama to victory. This gospel will “make sense.” It will feed the hungry. It will shelter the homeless. It will preach brotherly love and kindness. It will have signs and wonders. It will have a measure of truth, and it will SEEM right. But friends, it was conceived in the pits of hell.
Hard to believe? Read the Bible. “For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.” Matthew 24:24. Yes, it is possible.
One thing that this Apostate church will not do is preach obedience to the Word of God. Jesus said, “If you love Me, KEEP My commandments.” He also told the woman caught in adultry, after He had rebuked the crowds, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” It’s the “sin no more” part that this church will ignore. It is the holiness of God that this church will ignore. “Be holy as I am holy,” saith the Lord.
“Many are called but few are
chosen,”
(Matthew 22:14). “Enter through the narrow gate,
for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to
destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate, and
narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find
it.”
(Matthew 7:13,14).
Jesus warned, “Not everyone who says to me
‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does
the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day
many will say to
Me, ‘Lord, Lord. Did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out
demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?’ And
then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you
workers of lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:21-22). Now some argue
that this was not given to Christians, but that is ridiculous He is
absolutely speaking to Christians. Besides, no one can call Jesus
"Lord" except by the Holy Spirit!
In my 25 years of walking with the Lord, whenever God has given me
discerning of spirits in a situation, it has never been wrong. In
this case, I wish it could be wrong - but I know that it is
not.
I pray for all of us - that we would have ears to hear what the
Spirit is saying to the churches. Take heed that you KNOW the Word
of God. Try the spirits. Ask questions. Don't allow the spirit of
this age to entrap you. Walk the talk, and if you can't, repent, be
restored, be revived, and try again!!!
Just don't ever
stop trying! Our goal is to be
overcomers!
The World Hates Real Christians
“If the world hate you, ye
know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world,
the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world,
but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth
you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not
greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also
persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours
also.” John
15:18-20
Let’s face
it, folks. If you are a walking and talking Christian, the world
will hate you. These are the words of Jesus Christ, Himself. If you
follow Him in word and deed, the world will hate you, as they hated
Him.
So, what if you call yourself a Christian and the world loves you?
Then, you had better check your walk with the Lord.
My point? If you really love Jesus, the world (the spirit of the
world) will hate you. And Jesus also said, “If you love Me, keep My
commandments.” So, if you are a Christian doing your best to love
and follow Jesus, the world will hate you.
It’s very simple. Sarah Palin is not a threat to the world because
she is a woman, or a conservative. She is a threat to the world
because she is a walking, talking Christian - and that is stirring
up every demon in hell and every proponent of unrighteousness. It
is just that simple.
Sarah Palin is pro-life. She refuses to condone the murder of an
unborn child because she knows that it is contrary to the
commandments of God. Her obedience to God’s will puts her at odds
with those who worship “the god of self,” which is the spirit of
the world. This is why you see such a venomous response to her from
the likes of N.O.W. and Gloria Steinham. Their cause is not about
women’s rights - it is about serving the god of self.
As concerns the position of abortion, I’d like to make this
statement. If you are a Christian and have decided to support the
candidate who supports abortion, I would recommend that you
consider this scenario. Is it worth it to stand before the Judgment
Seat of Christ, and have Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of
Lords, ask you why the blood of fifty-million unborn babies is on
your hands? The choices you make now will last for eternity.
Choose this day whom you will serve! Will you vote with an eternal
perspective, or will you vote with your eyes on the world and the
god of this world? You do have a choice, but this choice can cost
you your soul.
Healing Through Repentance
Why do we hate ourselves? Because we can’t do what we need to do,
and it is killing us inside. The pain is so overwhelming that it is
a struggle to even get out of bed, and the worst part - no one
believes us.
This is fibromyalgia, and this is what kept me bound for over eight
years - to the point that last year, I was bedridden for 75% of the
time and few outside of my immediate family even knew it. I was
taking Trammadol (generic for Ultram), which doctors recommend
because the FDA has not yet ruled it a narcotic. I was taking
Hydrocodone as a side-kick for the Trammadol because it fooled my
brain into thinking I had the energy to do some things like wash
the dishes or clean the house. Doctors would call this “euphoria,”
but it worked for me. Also, I was taking Effexor as an
anti-depressant; and Adderall for adult ADD (which I’m not really
sure I ever needed).
By November 2007 it had gotten so bad that massive doses of
medication did not stop the pain. The Trammadol, which I will
discuss at length at another time, was losing its effectiveness;
and the Hydrocodone would only really work well for a week. Even if
I took more, it only made me feel worse. My head was mush. My
emotions were numb. And I couldn’t hear the voice of God! All of
this and I was trying to care for a 12 year old son with cerebral
palsy and autism.
When I would talk to people, I could never give a good report. (I
don’t hide my true feelings very well, so pretending would not have
been an option.) My children were tired of me being sick. My
husband was miserable with it. I felt alone, abandoned by God, and
useless.
And then….. funny how God seems to pop into the picture just at
these times…. And then my friend, Alice, sent an email about
a Be In Health® conference coming to Atlanta the
next week with Pastor Henry Wright from Thomaston, Georgia. I had
heard about him and had read his book, A More Excellent
Way, which
deals primarily with spiritual roots of sickness and disease. I had
read his writings about fibromyalgia, and I agreed with them - but
it was not yet my time.
Now, however, it was time. I was ready. I was tired of being sick
and tired, and my whole self (spirit, soul, and body) was saying,
“That is enough!” I knew that I had to go. My family rallied around
me and agreed to help with Ian so I could attend. So, for three
days I listened to Pastor Wright teach about this little three
letter word called “sin.”
Having been walking with the Lord for 23 years and having been in
ministry for almost as many, I can’t say that “sin” is a subject
that I would have openly discussed - at least, not certain things.
No, I am not talking about deep, dark, hidden sins - but “the
little foxes that spoil the vine.” And some of these sins we had
nothing to do with….until we obeyed their instructions. These are
generational sins, passed down from generation to generation, just
waiting for someone to take the bait!
I believe that the first thing to leave me was a spirit of shame -
which I know left me as a direct result of revelation from the
teaching of the Word. I suddenly had no trouble at all talking
freely about any area of my life - those which were under the
Lordship of Jesus Christ and those which were not. So, by the time
the day of ministry came, I was ready, willing and able to do
whatever was necessary for my freedom.
After my first counseling session I heard the Holy Spirit speak to
my heart - as clearly as I had ever heard Him. “Stephanie, you need
to ask My forgiveness. You have blamed Me for all of this.” Well, I
broke into a thousand pieces - explaining to the counselor that
there was one other thing that I needed to do. So, she helped me
pray a prayer of repentance to the Father, asking Him to forgive me
for blaming Him, and a prayer of forgiveness of myself.
During the next counseling session I was primed and ready to go. As
the pastor and his wife went through all of the spiritual roots of
fibromyalgia, as well as other areas which were illuminated by the
Holy Spirit, I found myself being delivered…. really delivered.
Now, I have worked in deliverance ministry for years, and I know
the manifestations. I actually was tickled because I kept yawning,
which is one of the manifestations of a spirit departing. When we
were finished, I felt light as a feather. Such a heavy weight was
lifted, praise God.
On the way home I told my daughter that something had happened, but
that I needed to be quiet for a while and let it sink in. The next
morning, while taking my son to his school, the revelation of my
healing hit me like a bolt of lightning. I was so overpowered by
this that I practically jumped out of my skin! I was healed. I was
healed. My relationship with God had been restored. I was back in
the Secret Place of the Most High (see Psalm 91), and I was back
under His wing of protection. I was once again obeying the law of
Christ - loving the Lord My God with all of my heart, mind, soul
and strength, and I was loving my neighbors and I loved
myself.
Within a few days I was out of my pain meds, and I didn’t get any
refills. That was three months ago. I am walking out my healing -
and I realize that much of the actual pain was in direct relation
to the pain medications!
I encourage everyone to visit Be In Health®, and order Pastor Wright’s
book, A More
Excellent Way. If you are willing, it can and
will set you free. I am a 7000 Associate of the ministry, and will
be sharing a good bit with our readers as well - particularly as I
walk out my deliverance from fibromyalgia. There is hope. Do not
despair. If the Lord can pull me out, He can do the same for you.
Keep pressing in to Him, for it is only in Him that we will find
our ultimate salvation.
Living With The Pain Of Fibromyalgia
For those of you who have it, you know exactly what I am talking about, and we need to stick together on this thing. It is ugly and makes you feel horrible about yourself; it hurts like you have the flu, kidney stones and incapacitating back problems all at the same time, all the time, 24/7; and it disrupts your entire family and household because you cannot move on some days, and chores, cooking, and the most basic things of life just don't get done! And the worse part is: there is not much you can do about it....at least if you are over 50 and not given to sports or a good exercise program.
I have waited a few months to discuss this because I thought it would be better to write at a time when I have been sorely tested. Today is that day. I have not been able to purchase my medications for about five days because of a doctor being on vacation. Anyway, I've had no medications for the past five days, and it ain't fun. Next to childbirth, I would say that this is the most painful experience I've ever had to endure. It's not so much the degree of pain; it is that it lingers constantly like a kidney stone or a toothache - and it can make you mean and drive you nuts! But, hey, we're overcomers! It's just that sometimes we need a little help.
Let me preface my next paragraph by saying, above all else, we must put our faith in Jesus as our Healer - not in any kind of medicine or product. The minute you lose sight of God's healing grace, you will begin to put your faith in the medication alone - and that is not what we need to be doing. We have to keep our priorities in line. Then, we can continue to use the medications without guilt.
Now some of you may not believe in the use of pain medication. But, let me say this. Until you have walked in the shoes of a person who lives with chronic pain, you really cannot make judgments. If you can do it, then more power to you. But, when you have others who depend on you, day and night, or when you are the sole income provider, you have to do whatever it takes to function - even if it means subjecting yourself to medications. Some believe that the term "pharmakeia" in the Book of Revelation" is referring to all medications. Most studies that I have read indicate that the use of this word refers to drugs taken in conjunction with the occult to induce hallucinations and "visions" - which, of course, is demonic. This would include drugs like LSD or any other hallucinatory drugs.
Personally, I believe that it is all dependent upon one's motivation. Taking meds because you are sick is one thing, but taking them to get high or to escape from reality is another. This moves into the realm of idolatry. If the drug becomes your god, then you do have a problem. (You cannot serve two masters.) Fortunately for me so far, My God is still my god, and the medications simply help my body to serve. I am eagerly awaiting the day when my faith (which I must feed daily) will rise up and get in agreement with His Word, and manifest my total healing and deliverance. The daily discipline of feeding my faith is the area that needs the most improvement.
I keep telling myself this. "I am an overcomer!" "I have overcome because He overcame sickness, sin and poverty for me." And I will keep on telling myself this, even when nothing around me seems any different. I will keep on telling myself this because I am supposed to offer my body daily to His service, and I am to renew my mind to the Word of God (see Romans 12:1). It sounds a bit crazy when I do it, and it probably looks even more crazy. But through all of the pain, I know that I am getting stronger - even though I act like an absolute baby sometimes, mostly because I just weary of having eight years of this thing which has been progressively getting worse.
I've tried almost everything. Some things, however, are just too expensive - even though there have been wonderful reports of success using various products which regenerate cell communication. We're just not in a position to be able to maintain this kind of program at this time. There are also those who recommend exercise, but after I've tried that for a few days, I end up flat on my back for a week.
Nothing has tested my faith more than this - to have served the Lord for over a decade in ministry at home and abroad, and then to be struck down with a debilitating condition, especially when I am the principal caregiver for a special needs child who needs 24/7 assistance. I've gotten furious at God, waved my fist, cried, screamed and then repented for all of my ranting and raving.
I have spent years wondering if it is all caused by sin, and if so, what on earth have I ever done to deserve this? And then, I've rebuked that notion and blamed it on the devil. Then, I've turned around and just blamed it on circumstances. Again, you can just go nuts worrying about it. So, just don't! Rather, do this: "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things (Phillipians 4:8)."
For those of you who have this condition, or who have just been diagnosed with it - first of all, don't blame the Lord. He didn't do it to you to teach you something. But He will, if you will let Him, get glory out of it.....eventually. You have to just keep on keeping on. Know this: "Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing (James 1:2-4)." And when you can't take it anymore, remind the Lord of His promise: "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13)."
Keep on expecting to be healed and delivered from it, and even if you aren't, don't let your heart become bitter. Get involved with helping others. Doing for others will not only bless you spiritually; it will make you feel better, literally. But at the same time, use wisdom. Your body has real issues, so don't just deny that they exist. Just deny that these issues have the right to be there! Jesus bore this sickness so that you wouldn't have to.
My family has had it very rough, as do all families of fibromyalgia patients. They just have a hard time understanding why we can't do anything like walk up the steps, or pick things up from the floor, etc. They don't always understand why we can be up and fine one day, and be on our backs the next. They get tired of having to do the dishes, or watching their brother, or running to the store for us. Not that they don't try - but, it gets really old after a while.
It helps to have family times for Bible study and prayer, as well as communication. Maintaining relationship within the family is vital to keeping the family wheel rolling without a hitch. It also helps to promote understanding. The same goes for the workplace. While everyone doesn't need to know of your condition, you should communicate it with some who can be a support for you.
All in all, I know that I will be healed some day. Perhaps next week, or next year, or next decade, or maybe not until I get to heaven. Either way, I will continue to love and serve Him. I may not be able to get out and physically do all of the things I used to, but I can still write!!! (Praise God forever!)
Today I Have Chosen to Feel Sorry for Myself
Why? Maybe because I have been changing diapers for seventeen years with no end in sight. Maybe it's because my house is a mess all of the time, mostly because I have a physical disability which keeps me from being able to do any bending and lifting, and because I have teenagers who typically pull up lame when it's their turn to clean the kitchen. Perhaps it is because I used to be a neatness freak, who had to just give up on it after my son began showing signs of cerebral palsy and autism. Or, because we are once again unable to pay for health insurance because the company just doesn't get the checks in on time and I cannot manage what I do not have.
Or, perhaps the biggest thing of all....I know better! That's the worst, because I know these things. I have taught them, prophesied them, proclaimed them and even walked them. But today, I just want to feel sorry for myself. Why is that? I wonder what kind of devils are assigned to Mother's Day? Depression? Apathy? Strife? Guilt? Fear of man? No doubt this is a day when hell is aimed at mothers - at least at mothers who give hell some trouble. Well, in that, I should rejoice. If after all of this, somehow I have managed to make the devil mad, then it is all worth it.
Guilt kicks in and whammo! Suddenly, it is "I haven't done enough: prayed enough or any at all; haven't been able to cook enough meals; help my kids with school; work to take some of the financial burden off of my husband; kept myself looking decent; kept myself thin; worshipped; studied the Word; gotten healed of my condition; gotten my son healed of his conditions; called my mom; called my mother-in-law; paid enough bills or at least communicated my intentions;" and the list just goes on and on. While the Holy Spirit is gentle in His rebukes, the devil is loud and obnoxious and throws it in your face. "See what you have done. See what you've not done. You are a rotten mother; a rotten wife; a rotten human being!"
So what happens when you feel sorry for yourself? You give all of these nasty little devils a place to lay their heads for the night. They want to hang out with you, and they are just waiting for you to show signs of weakness.
All of this is a process. It's okay to have feelings; it's what you do with them that matters. As Christians, we should know and recognize the attacks of the enemy when they come. If you don't think you can handle being around other people, it is okay to excuse yourself. Better to do that than to say something you may regret, and hurt someone's feelings because you are wearing your emotions too close to the surface.
Those of you who know me, know that I am painfully honest. I don't hide much - at least my face doesn't fake things easily. So, I have to be sure that when I am around other people, I am in a good state of mind (and emotion). Today was not one of those days. I have backed out of a mother's day dinner because I know that I would only drag everyone down. Not that I would do it on purpose, but my demeanor would do it. (One of those times when I should put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, as the scripture tells us to do.)
If you can relate to this, then let me encourage you. You can talk yourself out of it! Write down what is bothering you, then carefully go over your list. Take your grievances to the Lord, and then wait for Him to respond to you. He will, but you have to keep still and quiet. Once you have had your communication session, you will notice that the burdens will begin to lift. The more you can talk about things, the better you will feel, and eventually, you will actually talk yourself out of your mood (if you are willing!) Give it a try. I just did it!! Praise God!
But I'm Not Supposed To Be Doing This!
Ever had one (or ten) of these moments? Well, don't feel alone and without hope. Jesus said that He would never leave us nor forsake us, and He won't (because He is not a man that He should lie). We can get down and wallow in our problems, which can be fun for a while until we, like the prodical son, realize that we are in the mud with the hogs. Or, we can get up out of the mud, and head home to our Heavenly Father, Who is there waiting to feed us the fatted calf, and clothe us with the robe of righteousness, and to place His ring upon our finger.
After more than twenty years of walking (sometimes stumbling) with Jesus, I have come to the conclusion that most of these times of confusion and temptation can be summed up in one line from the movie, "Cool Hand Luke." "What we have here is a failure to communicate."
Getting out of communion (or daily two-way communication with the Lord) will cause you to feel separated from Him (even though He is right there just waiting for you to talk with Him). And what would cause us to get out of communication with the Lord? "The cares of this world, the deceiptfulness of riches, the lust of other things." Or, you might say, unrepentant sin. (When we do something wrong, we tend to run and hide - just like Adam and Even ran from God to hide their nakedness.)
Notice that I said that we need two-way communication. It's not all about our talking to Him - making our requests made known. We need to hear from Him - through that still, small voice; through prayer; through the written Word; through our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Relationships cannot be healthy if only one person is doing all of the talking. We have to keep up our ends of the relationship and give Him the time He so richly deserves.
We don't want to wait around long enough to hear from God because we are afraid that if we do, we will hear something we don't want to hear - even though we know in our hearts that it will be the answer we are seeking..........(to be continued)
Out of the Abundance of the Heart the Mouth Speaks-2
"The good man (woman) out of the good treasure of his (her) heart brings forth that which is good, and the evil man (woman) out of the evil treasure of his (her) heart brings forth that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his (her) mouth speaks." Luke 6:45.
If Rosie's mouth is indeed an indication of the condition of her heart, then God help her. She needs a supernatural heart transplant, changing her heart from one of stone to a heart of flesh.
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26)."
We Christians all know that this means she needs to have a born-again experience, but it is the job of the Holy Spirit to woo her. There is a lot of stony ground that needs to be plowed up before she will be ready to receive the Word of God. She has an embittered attitude towards Christians because she probably has not had much experience with Christians who are actually walking the talk.
Now, my first reaction to Rosie (in general) is one of revulsion. She mocks just about every value I hold dearly, and she mocks my faith in Jesus Christ. Of course, Jesus said that if they hated Him, they would hate us, too, and that if we are persecuted for His sake, we should rejoice.
But Rosie's job is to try and get a rise out of people. She doesn't care who she offends or how outrageous she behaves. She's a controlling person who bullies her way to the top. But, in reality, she is a lost soul hiding from God. The only Christians she has seen are the hardline religious "Christians" who are quick to judge and condemn rather than love her into God's kingdom. She doesn't want to hear that homosexuality is a sin. She would consider that offensive and judgmental. But the truth is, it is a sin. God loves the sinner, but He hates the sin. And it is the truth that will set the sinner free.
There are too many Christians out there who are quick to judge the sins of others at the expense of compromising their own love walks. Maybe if Rosie had been shown the true love of Christ at some point in her life, she could have been healed from all of the painful wounds which obviously torment her constantly. She compares the Christians to the radical Muslims (terrorists), because she sees the radical far right as a group whose purpose is to steal away her rights to sin however she chooses.
I have been guilty of behaving like the Christians that Rosie hates. In fact I would venture to guess that all of us have at some point or another. We are called to "be holy because He is holy," and "without holiness no one will see the Lord." But dwelling on the unholiness of others is not going to make us any more holy. Watching Rosie's disgusting (and I say this without judgment) behavior grieved me to the point of wanting to stop watching the media. It makes me sick - sick at the human condition; sick that the body of Christ has not done a very good job in the public eye; sick that being a Christian has become associated with being a far right wing religious political party (which will upset the Christian democrats).
Out of the Abundance of the Heart the Mouth Speaks -1
Now, I am not implying by this scripture that Imus is an evil person. He does, after all, have the camp for sick children, and I am sure that he does many other good works. But guess what, folks? Good works without good character don't mean much. Kidding or not kidding, the words did come out of his mouth - as have countless other unkind words about many, many other people groups.
This is not going to change, no matter how many people complain, cry "foul," cancel broadcasts, etc. Don Imus must make a conscience decision to stop talking ugly about other people. This, of course, would probably cause him to lose half of his listeners, because unfortunately, they probably do the same thing...and misery deserves company.
Until we are all saved, justified, sanctified and glorified, we just have to guard our hearts, guard our tongues, be slow to speak, slow to anger, quick to repent, quick to forgive and quick to receive forgiveness.
Resurrection Sunday
I really don't know who, if anyone, will read this (today or ever), but I feel compelled to begin my "blogging" on this Easter Sunday, April 8, 2007. Perhaps it is the fact that I am sitting at home, not going to a poignant and heartfelt Easter program at a church - or perhaps the fact that for the past three years, I have not been able to go to "church" because of my son's difficult and sporadic autistic behavior. Perhaps it is because for the past six months, I have spent about 70% of my time lying on my back in bed with acute fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome and all of the multitude of conditions that go with them. In a nutshell, I have given in to my circumstances.
My point is, it is time to receive the resurrection power which I (and all of us) have been given by Christ's death, burial and resurrection. Easier said than done, you say? Well, perhaps. But it is true all the same. Just because you don't believe something, does not believe that it is not true.
How many of you can relate to what I am saying? You feel like God has forgotten you, or that He is mad at you and left, or that you must have committed the unpardonable sin, or that you have taken your backslidings just a little too far this time? Let me tell you. For those of you who may be new believers, I am speaking from over twenty years of walking with the Lord - and you may need to get a few years under your belt before you can fully grasp this. Even those of us who are "called" into the ministry (which we all are), we, too, can feel like we are all alone in our trials; that God has left us or given up on us. This, of course, is a lie and contrary to God's word. And we must continually remind ourselves and fill ourselves with His word (and not our own fears and doubts).
He said that He would never leave us nor forsake us. But why, sometimes, in our most grueling trials, does He seem to be so far away or untouchable? You could literally drive yourself crazy trying to figure things out. That is when you just need to trust His word. You know it is truth. You know that you know that you know - so just defy common sense and what the world may tell you - and believe Him. When all else humanly possible fails, just believe God - plain and simple. Surrender to His word, to His will, and to His love.
Throughout my struggles and sufferings one thought has always been with me - that although I feel isolated and alone, He is just waiting for me to come to Him in Spirit and truth. He stands at the door and knocks. We get so wrapped up in our own misery (which sometimes cannot be helped, but can be overcome), that we unknowingly elevate our misery above the throne of God. (Sound familiar? This was one of Lucifer's goals.) Technically, this is called idolatry. So, without knowing it and certainly without meaning to, we have fallen into idolatry and put ourselves and our problems ahead of God. Oh my. Did I do that? I would never do such a thing, we say.
Well, I for one have decided that enough is enough. I am tired of allowing these hellish syndromes and conditions to dictate what I can and cannot do. If I don't succeed, at least I will have tried. Scripture does tell us that "the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead resides in us, and will quicken our mortal bodies." On that I will rely.
Any of you out there with fibromyalgia? Are you ready to break out of your "brain fog?" Ready to let God arise and quicken your aching and fatigued body? Let's go for it on this Resurrection Day. Pray for one another that we might be healed. Pray for the grace to accomplish our goal. Surrender to God's amazing love and let Him carry us through it to victory.
As one New Yorker once said, "it can't hoy-t." (hurt, in case you don't grasp the accent).
