Hello my most Wonderful World Wide Family. I love you all so very much. It is always awesome to be able to speak to you. Can you believe that it is September already? I am looking forward to some cooler weather.
Dear LORD, thank You for this time to spend writing to Your people all around the world. Thank You for this mode of communication that brings us all together as a family. As Your created family. We love You LORD. Thank You mostly for Your Son, our LORD Jesus Christ, Whom You gave for us as the Perfect Sacrifice for the propitiation for our sins so that those of us who accept Jesus as our Savior and LORD can live for all eternity in Heaven with You LORD. Please draw us close to You LORD to fulfill the destiny and purpose that You alone created us for.
Thank You LORD that You protect us and our families for all generations. Thank You that You take great pleasure in providing for us as Jehovah Jireh and healing us as Jehovah Rapha. Thank You that You fill us with Your Holy Spirit and Your Dunamis Power LORD, and we are never alone. Please give strength to those who are being persecuted and even killed for their faith in You LORD. Give Your protective covering over them as Jehovah Nissi, our Banner. You say that the battle is not ours but it is Yours LORD. Send us out to the whole world to share Your Gospel with them.
Please Heavenly Father, give Your hope to the hopeless, Your Perfect Love to the unloved, and Your Peace that passes all understanding to every lost or fractured soul who feels overwhelmed in their current circumstances. Draw us all unto You. Let everyone know that You alone are the Answer. Please keep Your ministering angels around us and give us Your hedge of protection. We ask this in the precious Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth and we thank You in advance. Amen. Glory to God!
I have been pondering lately the thought of just why Christianity seems to be so offensive to so many. This does not make sense to me. For instance, recently the Pastor who leads Harvest Crusades, Greg Laurie, had signs and billboards advertising the upcoming Harvest Crusade which has been taking place annually now for 29 years. (I go every year. Yay!! It is amazing!) In the advertising pictures, he was holding up a Bible. Someone complained that they were offended, then others agreed and those signs were removed. Imagine that. We live in the United States of America. ONE NATION UNDER GOD! We are extremely blessed as a nation of people. And this is how we act about the very God Who blesses us and His WORD the Bible???
2 CHRONICLES 7:14 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. I WILL FORGIVE THEIR SINS AND HEAL THEIR LAND. (niv)
Shouldn’t this be our heart’s desire anyway? Shouldn’t we just want to pray=talk to our loving Heavenly Father and seek His Face=want to spend time with the God Who created us and loves us? Wouldn’t it be better if we did turn from our wicked ways=sin? Why would we want to live in a wicked and sinful manner anyway? Can’t we see what has become of the whole world because of sin and hatred? We are intelligent human beings, right??
We are created in God’s Image and He gave us a magnificent mind. God tells us that we have the Mind of Christ. (It doesn’t get any better than that!) Therefore let us reason together. The way that our societies around the world have changed with the rise of immorality and hatred, the re-defining of the family to be polar opposite of what God created and the division and strife, is heartbreaking. We continue to have racial and societal inequality. We have hatred lurking around every corner and mass shootings as the result. With all of these occurrences, why are many in the world so focused on hating Christians and Christianity and all things related?
1 CORINTHIANS 2:16 FOR WHO HATH KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE MAY INSTRUCT HIM? BUT WE HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST.
PHILIPPIANS 2:4 LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU, WHICH WAS ALSO IN CHRIST JESUS…
I know their have been horrendous things done in history in the Name of the LORD. I am so very sorry for this to all people groups who have been devastated by people who have said that they have carried out God’s will and most definitely have not. This is why we are not to look to mere people for any answers or direction. We are to look only to the LORD Himself. He never lies. He never fails. He is perfect and He perfectly loves each and every one of us.
Let us look together now at some current examples of the Christian life, Christians and Christ followers, which is what we truly are. Those of us who devote our lives to living as Jesus Christ taught us to live are really not a threat or a hindrance to the rest of humanity, quite the contrary. Jesus was/is the Light of the world. We are also called to be the light and the salt of the earth. Let’s take a look of what this might look like in this life’s journey today.
Christians are called to love as Christ loved. Jesus Christ died for our sins, even when we as people hated Him.
JOHN 3:16 FOR GOD SO LOVE THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.
We are called to forgive as Christ forgave. Jesus Christ forgave those who had beaten Him, whipped Him, ripped out his beard, spit on Him, put a crown of thorns into His Head, publicly humiliated Him and crucified Him on the cross for our sins. He was/is perfect. We are to love and forgive those who have hated us, lied about us and despitefully used us. We are to love those who want to be our enemies and destroy our lives. This forgiveness sets us free from the bondage of hatred toward another.
We are to pray for our enemies. Jesus prays/intercedes for us in Heaven. His Holy Spirit prays for us.
We are to help those in need and give to those who ask from us.
We as Christians are to go out into all the world and tell the world about Jesus Christ. He alone is the only Answer to everything that the whole world needs.
So far I do not see anything that is remotely intimidating or hate evoking about Christians, Christianity and definitely nothing about Jesus Christ our LORD that is anything but Pure Love, Perfection, and TRUTH.
Let’s look at what this might look like in action. When disasters happen around the world; Christians and Christian organizations are First Responders to help restore the broken hearted and devastated people and repair the overwhelming physical damage that has occurred. Two of these are Operation Blessing and Samaritan’s Purse and there are many more.
When there has been a catastrophe of the magnitude that people do not feel as if they can or even desire to go on living; Christian Counselors, Pastors, Teachers, Evangelists, Church members and Christian volunteers from all over the world have gone to the very nation, state, city or neighborhood where the devastation has occurred and have made themselves available to pray for and counsel, talk to and just simply listen to the broken hearted people. They have gone out as the Heart and Hands of Jesus Christ to help restore His hurting people and bring hope.
Christians pour out their finances to where the need is at any given time to help rebuild the physical, restore the hope, and renew the relationship with the LORD Who loves them and is the Only One Who can truly heal His people.
Christians fast and pray against the evil in the world. Praying to the LORD Who Breaks down strongholds and bondages. The LORD Who sets the captives free and restores sight to the blind. The LORD Who heals the broken hearted and Who is the Answer to every need ever known to mankind throughout eternity past and into eternity present and future. Who in their right and brilliant mind would not want to know our LORD, Creator and Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Who wouldn’t want to do this life with Him.
I do not see what it is that is so reviled about Christians and Christianity. It is however not a surprise. Jesus already told us in His WORD the Bible that we would be hated and reviled. It is a choice that every individual person must make in his or her life time. The ramifications of your choices are mind boggling and set for eternity once you take your last breath. Before it comes to the time that you breathe your last breath, I beseech you, please accept Jesus Christ as Your LORD and Savior. Then we get to spend eternity together in Heaven with Him. And in the mean time, life here on earth is Amazing! Life doesn’t get any better than that!
Well I have to go for now. Until we meet again, I love you all so much and you are always in my prayers. Most importantly, Jesus loves you!