Tag: FRIENDS

From Feeling Unloved to Experiencing Love

Life is full of lessons: we learn something (good or bad) from each experience. Hindsight often makes the lesson clear. I’ve gone from not feeling loved to experiencing love, but before you “exit” from this story – this is for everyone’s benefit, so keep reading. If it happened for me; it WILL happen for you too, if you seek “Love”.

Before we seek the experience of love, we need to know what love is and what it is not or we will be searching for something “unknown.” And how hard is that!? Finding something we truthfully don’t comprehend or only understand from what’s been defined as “love” by the world surrounding us will leave us in a bad place. I’ve found the world (secular) view to be deceptive, it keeps us “unsatisfied” in experiencing love. I’ll give some contrasting comparisons to prove this (the message the world gives us = lies vs. the truth):

LOVE IS FOUND THROUGH MONEY VS. THE LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL.

The lie: The world view tells us if we accumulate money then we will be satisfied, so people seek money to satisfy themselves. But does that eliminate the drama in people’s lives? Not at all. People with money have drama and unsatisfaction just as much as those who don’t. In fact people with money are targets for “parasite people” – ones that will use whatever means they have to “life off” the person with money, definitely not love, but being someone gets used for their money.

The truth: Loving money will cause people to do evil: lying, cheating, manipulating, deceiving, harming others to get money. Love isn’t obtained through money. “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6:24) God is love. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

NUMB THE PAIN OF FEELING UNLOVED: ALCOHOL/DRUGS WILL MAKE US HAPPY VS. NOT HAVING A SOBER MIND WILL INFLICT MORE PAIN.

The lie: The world view associates “fun, happiness” with drinking but doesn’t mention the side effects of excessive drinking: headaches, vomiting, embarrasing moments, bad moral decisions, addictions, unhealthy unattractive physical condition, physical and mental disabilities as a result of drinking. While drinking may numb the pain temporarily, it causes more pain later and it doesn’t solve the problem, but creates more problems.

The truth: Alcohol in moderation is okay, and no alcohol at all is even better. “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”(1 Peter 5:8) and “The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.” (1 Peter 4:7)

GET RID OF “HIM OR HER” VS. LOVE NEVER LETTING GO.

The lie: The world view tells us to dispose of anything we don’t want: ie. pregnancies, children, people in general, and recently elderly people- we are seeing this in Canada. While there are good reasons to let go of unhealthy, harmful people in our lives, “getting rid of someone” certainly doesn’t apply to children or people because we simply don’t want the responsibility for, or “tire” of them, or because once they “did something for us” but now it’s “don’t feel anything for them” so get rid of him or her and eliminate that responsiblity. This is a lie that will destroy us and our world.

The truth: Love never lets go. We see this in God’s character: He doesn’t let go, He keeps pursuing, He continues to love us despite our ways that don’t please Him. We are valuable to God, so valuable that He sent His Son, Jesus to rescue us, to die for us, to pay for us, to save us from the grip or slavery that evil has on us. Evil will take us to a place of eternal unsatisfaction and torture, but deceives us with mottos such as “Care Diem!” Live for the day- in a reckless way that won’t allow us to receive the good things God has prepared for us. It’s a great deception: short-term thinking, not looking at how the way we live and what we choose having eternal consequences. “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13) God showed us the greatest love possible.

COSMETIC SURGERY WILL BRING LOVE VS. WE ARE VALUABLE AS WE WERE CREATED.

The lie: changing the outward appearance does not bring love! It won’t make someone love us more. There are many attractive people whose partner cheated on them. The world view today encourages extreme changes (man into woman and vice versa) and it seems these people inwardly just want to be loved by someone. They are hurt, unloved and seeking love they do not know.

The truth: We are valuable as we are, as God made us. God made us in the image of Him! We are so valuable to God that He sent His one and only son to die for us to make it possible for us to be with God in eternity. Our outward appearance will not be perfected (glorified) until the day Jesus returns and we are raised to be with God.  “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep (die), but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15).  Mankind was damaged, corrupted by evil, so we don’t need to place so much emphasis on our outward appearance, we are in temporary bodies that will be changed. What is inside us is more valuable than the outside appearance. Even if someone is considered beautiful or attractive today, with enough time, that physical beauty will change, age, die and decompose. The body we have is temporary but what is inside is valuable and remains forever.

BUYING LOVE VS. ACCEPTING PRESENT LOVE.

The lie: This relates to money, the world view tells us if we have money we can “buy love”- but that’s a fake love if we can “buy it”, so is a “fake love” satisfying in the end? Just like everything: it’s temporary and won’t be satisfying long term. Anyone who chooses this is being “short-sighted” not seeing long term reality.

The truth: God’s love is present- always. He is merciful, forgiving, loving, and patient with us. When we personally experience God’s love, it will change us. This is the only love we need to seek. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)

7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

(Matthew 7 – the words of Jesus)

DEMANDING LOVE VS. PATIENCE IN LOVE.

The lie: The world view shows us that we can demand love and therefore receive it. What a joke, although it’s not funny, but ridiculous, but some people believe this; those who are sadly deceived. They will find out this is a lie. We can’t “force” someone to love us, either they will or they won’t. So if we find out they don’t, let them go, they were not meant for us.

The truth: God is patient with us and loves us. He pursues us but also waits for us to get to know Him. We learn how to love from God (alone) through scripture. The characteristics of love are important to recognize especially because God is love, so the following describes the character of God:

“4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. “(1 Corinthians 13)

FIND A RICH PARTNER VS. GENEROUS GIFTS ARE ALREADY PRESENT.

The lie: The world view slang calls it “a sugar daddy” or “sugar momma” and some single people search for this as their most important criteria due to their love of money. They won’t be satisfied, they still will want something “more.” Mankind is imperfect and will never be the ultimate provider.

The truth: God gives great gifts to those who love and obey Him. He is the supplier, provider of all things, so we won’t find anyone greater. If we love God, He will provide all we need in life. “13 So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul— 14 then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. 15 I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied. (Deuteromomy 11)

and

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. (John 14:23)

and

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.(2 Corinthians 9:8)

COMPARISON/ENVY/JEALOUSY VS. CONFIDENCE.

The lie: The world promotes beauty, luxurious material things making us feel if we don’t have them we won’t experience happiness. This subliminal message causes people to compare, envy and be jealous of others.

The truth: When we comprehend our value to God we will have confidence in our value, our worth. Jesus described it this way: 12 “What do you think? If a man (symbolic of God) owns a hundred sheep (symbolic of people), and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.(Matthew 18) We are important and valuable to God. Jesus wouldn’t have died on the cross to redeem us if this wasn’t true.

LOVE CHOICES: THE “TROPHY” PARTNER VS. GOOD MORAL CHARACTER.

The lie: The world emphasises beauty rather than moral character.

The truth: Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Corinthian 15:33) This happened to many people throughout scripture, it led people to their physical and often eternal destruction (Samson, Solomon, Ahab and others).

SEEK REVENGE FOR WRONG DOING VS. LET IT GO.

The lie: The world loves vengence and seeks it, but doesn’t seem to know right from wrong. What some think “is right” is wrong in the opinion of others. If there is only one truth; which is correct? On whose opinion do we rely?

The truth: 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3) and “Do 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,” says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)

UNFORGIVENESS VS. FORGIVENESS.

The lie: We can’t forgive some people.

The truth: “But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:15) and “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” (Luke 6:37) God forgives! If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) and Micah the prophet tells us:
“Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.“(Micah 7:18)

UNSAFE LOVE VS. PROTECTION IN LOVE.

The lie: The world relies on mankind, nations, alliances for protection.

The truth: “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans.” (Psalm 118:8)

LOVE LIES VS. TRUTH/TRUST.

The lie: The world tells us that “my truth” is truth.

The truth: “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” (2 Timothy 4:3) Truth is found in love. “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” (1 Corinthians 13:6) “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:18)

DESTROYING VS. BUILDING UP (HOPE).

The lie: There is no hope.

The truth: Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so perishes the hope of the godless. (Job 8:13)For what hope have the godless when they are cut off, when God takes away their life? (Job 27:8) But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.(Psalm 9:18) For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.(Psalm 37:9) For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11) The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; (Lamentations 3:25) And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:5) For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. (Romans 15:4) in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,(Titus 1:2) Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)

ABANDONMENT VS. STAYING.

The lie: The world tells us if someone or something isn’t serving you, leave it.

The truth: “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” (Galations 5:13) “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people,”(Ephesians 6:7) “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) “Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”(Luke 4:8)

LOVE FAILS VS. SUCCESS IN LOVE.

The lie: The world tells us: most marriages end in divorce, and those who stay married are unhappy, so stay single and have sex with whomever you want.

The truth: The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”(Genesis 2:18) Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? …(Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”(Proverbs 27:17) He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord. (Proverbs 18:22) Marriage CAN be good, but getting married to the wrong person (an ungodly person) is not God’s intention:” Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Corinthian 15:33) “No one born of a forbidden marriage nor any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation.”(Deuteronomy 23:2)– the forbidden people are the ones who are idolatrous and don’t serve God. “He followed the ways of the house of Ahab and did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as the house of Ahab had done, for he was related by marriage to Ahab’s family.”(2 Kings 8:27) “Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them at any time, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it to your children as an everlasting inheritance.’” (Ezra 9:2) “Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women.” (Nehemiah 13:26) “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.”(Hebrews 13:4) “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”(Revelation 21:8), “Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”(Revelation 22:15) This is where each person’s decision has consequences which can be good or bad.

SELF-LOVE VS. LESS-SELF/ SELFLESS LOVE.

The lie: The self-love the world values: having a high regard for your own well-being and happiness, taking care of your own needs and not sacrificing anything to take care of others, promoting selfishness, conceitedness, egotism, narcissism, et al.

The truth: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”(Deuteronomy 6:5) Our focus should be on God, His will, not ours. Jesus showed us by his example when he knew the upcoming crucifixion he was facing and asked God if there was any other way to do this, but then surrendered saying “not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:41-43) Love is selfless not selfish.

All these lies we hear from world views keep us “unsatisfied,” continually seeking “false love,” or giving up on love completely as a result interactions with ungodly people, and from not knowing the truth, when we define love from a worldly view. God is Love. God loves us. God is all we need and when we feel like we have nothing because of what the world says, this is important to remember. God is a loving Father, a provider, a comforter, a gift giver, compassionate, generous, merciful, forgiving, a protector, a refuge; everything good comes from God. He pursues us, we are valuable to Him, He sent His son Jesus to save us. He knows the number of hairs on our head- intimately knowing us better and more completely than anyone else does or ever did and He loves us continually. God has unimaginable good plans for our future, for those who seek Him, and love Him in return. The evil in the world tries to overcome the goodness of God, but remember the words of Jesus:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

“… Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.

Mark 10:18

Knowing God is knowing Love!

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Growing Our Faith

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

Romans 10:17

I found this statement to be true -personally. I knew of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit since I was a child, emphasizing the word knew “of” because I didn’t “personally know God”- just was taught about Him, but that all changed as I studied the Bible. No longer was God some mysterious being, Jesus some historical figure of the past or the Holy Spirit (a “mystery” to me) but I started to understand God’s character, thoughts (in more detail than “love your neighbor”), things He hates, what He loves, and what His will is for all of us: to be with Him in eternity. Thankfully, He went through extraordinary means for us (meaning Jesus on the cross) and for me personally that my “eyes finally opened” as a result of studing scripture, I finally know God personally. It didn’t happen from anyone “teaching” me anything, it happened when I started seeking to know Him to understand what’s in the Bible and studying scripture. There are several true statements about seeking too, some are:

Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

Isaiah 55:6

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 6:33 (Jesus said this)

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Matthew 7:7 (Jesus said this)

My way of thinking drastically changed (in a positive way) as I studied and I realized “truths” about many questions I had. My faith grew and I believed deeper. I have a solid faith now. Before I had some questions, but those were answered by studying scripture. Due to the impact scripture had on me, I began to share what I was learning on this website, on Instagram, and in a podcast.

Spotify Podcast Link

I’m currently working on a Bible Study Podcast covering the Book of John, reading and discussing a chapter per day (when I can). I chose this one because John was one of the first disciples and he expressed in his writings that he thought he was closest to Jesus (like a best friend), so I’m interested in his insight. He was also the one who wrote the book of Revelation, which I’ve learned so much from; he expands on what the prophets of Israel: Daniel, Zechariah and Ezekiel taught. If you want to grow your faith, try listening to this podcast and see if studying scripture affects you the way it did me?

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Letter to “My Younger Self”

This question was asked: “What three words of advice would you give your younger self now?” This question was a discussion point at our church this past weekend, having us sharing our answers with those next to each of us. My friends and I all had different answers and it was interesting to hear others’ responses to this question because some were funny, some were serious, but all were insightful about the headline of a story of each person.

The first three words that popped in mind were: “Trust and Obey.” These words are interesting to me because the subject of the message was “hearing God’s voice” (the recorded message is below) I went Saturday, January 7, 2023, but this is the recorded one from Sunday.

In hindsight I wonder, was that God’s voice speaking to me and others, telling each one of us something different? If we are connected to God, it could have been. I’m still trying to discern when thoughts pop into my mind: is this just a thought of mine, from God, or from God’s enemy? I’ve found when certain thoughts (thoughts that don’t contradict scripture, and ones that push me towards something “good” but not necessarily what “I feel” like doing)- these may be God’s voice. Just now as I’m writing this a specific scripture came to mind, scripture about when God was going to pass near Elijah and he looked for God, waited for God, but each moment he thought was God, it wasn’t, then God finally came as a “a whisper”- God is gentle and loving! 1 Kings 19:11-12, click here for multiple verses that show that God speaks as a whisper!

This morning, I woke up thinking about this message, the words that came to mind last Saturday came to mind again this morning. I’ve found that often when I “get a message or hear” from God, it is repeated three times: the same message, often through different people or sources, shortly thereafter. As I started to write this, I also recalled this message of “Trust and Obey” had made an impact on me before, I wrote about it as my faith journey started (February 20, 2017), here is a link to that post: Trust and Obey That was six years ago, and re-reading it I can see how much I’ve learned and changed since then, yet I still have the same struggles! I’m reminded (in thoughts) that we are not perfect and won’t be until God perfects us and changes us to the “perfect children” He intended us to be at the future return of Jesus, when He gathers his children and we are changed in an instant. 1 Corinthians 15:52, read 1 Corinthians 15:35-58 Until then, we will have our struggles, but throughout the struggles, I know that it is important to continue to turn to God when we don’t do what we know we should do. It’s a continual refocus, don’t let go of the relationship with God. God hears the prayers of those who love him (Proverbs 15:29) and are obedient to his commands (John 14:15). (Look at all these verses in scripture what it tells us about obeying God’s commands.)

There is much more to say beyond “Trust and Obey.” In order to trust someone, we need to know that someone and in this situation, it means knowing God, His character, what has been revealed to us through scripture about Him, what He told others. Scripture gives us ALL the guidance about important matters that we need about life FROM God, our creator! (2 Timothy 3:16) So by trusting in God, trusting in His word, we are “guided” throughout life. God promises blessings to those who trust His words and obey them (taking action, not just knowing what is recommended, but doing it). If I learned this long ago, to trust and obey, I would have avoided some situations in life that were troublesome for me. This doesn’t mean that we will have a life without trouble, trouble still comes for other reasons: when we are being tested which reveals our level of Trust in Him. What better way to know a person’s true intention than by seeing their action when we are truly tested. We can say certain things by knowing “the correct answer” but knowing and doing don’t always align. That’s when we need to ask God for the Holy Spirit (who is given to those who obey – Acts 5:32) to guide and give us self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) – The Advocate (look at each of those verses about the Advocate, I also see something important here: the Advocate is God, is Jesus, is the Holy Spirit!)

Getting back to the advice I would give my younger self:

  1. Seek God First in everything you do.
  2. Know that you are loved, you were created out of love by God – because He wants you in His future Kingdom
  3. Know that you are unique, valuable, created by God and have a specific purpose that only you are made to do
  4. Know that your parents on earth are “bonus” parents because God is your true father and the One who gave/gives you life
  5. Listen for God’s guidance, if you obey His commands, He will give His Spirit to guide you in life and keep you on the “narrow road” that leads to God’s kingdom
  6. Know the true definition of “LOVE”: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails….(1 Corinthians 13: 4-8)
  7. Know how to see if someone has God’s spirit, and connect/stay connected with those people in your life, if they show the following in their actions: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness and self-control… (Read Galatians 5:13-26) 
  8. Love God, Love Others.
  9. Trust God in all circumstances
  10. Pray daily: Thank God for the good in life, ask for daily guidance and protection
  11. Read scripture daily to continue to learn, hear from God, and stay connected to His Spirit
  12. Keep your focus on obeying God’s commands because God gives His Spirit to those who choose to obey Him, by obedience your life will be blessed by God, this is how you show God that you love Him- by obeying His commands, it also shows respect, honor and gratitude to God for all that He has given and promises His children in the future (immortality in God’s kingdom), we need God’s Spirit to enter the Kingdom of God- Jesus said (as recorded in John, Chapter 3):

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.

John 3:5
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Prayer for (Spiritual/Physical) Healing

Dear God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit),

Thank you for always being present and available because we need You more than we acknowledge sometimes. You are our Creator, You give life, You gave us our first breath of life, sustain us currently and You also promise an eternal, immortal life in Your presence in the future, provided we hear and believe what Jesus taught when he was present here on earth and turn away from what separates us from You, which is sin. We acknowledge Your Sovereignty in all things; You are our only source to rescue and deliver us from evil. We rely on You 100% for everything in our lives. We are nothing without You, but You make the impossible, possible.

In this moment, please bring to mind the things in my life that separate me from You, please make me aware of them.

(pause here, let the Holy Spirit nudge our thoughts)

Please forgive me for what I have done to separate myself from You. I need You and do not want to be separated any longer. I ask for Your forgiveness. You know I struggle with what separates me from You and I ask for the Holy Spirit to work with me, to give me patience, self-control, and fill me with love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and gentleness.

I ask for Your mercy and forgiveness and will do my best to show my appreciation and love to You through obedience to Your commands. Please provide me with the help of the Holy Spirit to fulfill this desire. I know that Your forgiveness is conditional upon how I forgive others. I want to forgive others and let the hurt go, please help me with that too. I realize we all are sinners and need forgiveness and if I need forgiveness, others need forgiveness too, and I will forgive them.

I ask for Your (spiritual/physical) healing, specifically:_______________________________________________________(pause here) in the name of Jesus. I ask for this healing to bring all glory, praise, honor and recognition to You. I realize that Your answering of this prayer must be in alignment with Your will and I accept Your will with the understanding that You work all things for the good of those who love You and keep Your commands.

Thank you for spending this time with me today. Amen.

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Discernment vs. Deception: Good vs. Evil

We are in a deception transition period from what I see happening in the world where good and evil are mixed up, creating confusion about right and wrong. Our warning about this came almost 2,000 years ago, if we don’t express and support the truth, soon the younger generations will have a difficult time identifying good from evil. This is what we were told:

Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Romans 1:32 (Paul)

Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.

Romans 1:28 (Paul)

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God–having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people….They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.

2 Timothy 3:1-9

We are seeing truth distorted on a continuous basis and anyone speaking against the lies is called “the enemy” and is publicly “shamed”. There is a tremendous pressure for all to “comply” with this new “untruth/lie” deceivingly packaged as “compassion and love” – a strong deception, but “marketed” as something opposite, completely confusing many. There are many opinions, but there will only be Truth remaining in the end.

HOW TO AVOID DECEPTION- WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Know the messenger! Don’t trust anyone you don’t know very well. Find out who they truly are. They may be charming, convincing, appealing, etc. BUT:

Though their speech is charming, do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts.

Proverbs 26:25

So what are 7 abominations? Possibly the 7 things God hates:

There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty (proud) eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood (murder), a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

Proverbs 6:16-19

If the following surrounds their life, do NOT trust them:

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery (intoxication), idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galations 5:19-21

WHO TO TRUST – WHAT TO LOOK FOR

For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Galations 5:14

God is love. When a person has God’s spirit (Love) residing within them, you will notice the following surrounding their life:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Galatians 5:22-23

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails…

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Knowing this information, we can “test” the messenger and know if this is a trustworthy or untrustworthy source of information, despite the delivery of the message.

If we want to be known as “good” we should remember that Jesus said there is no one “good” but God, however, God is kind and compassionate and with our “surrender” to Him, Jesus said if we ask, he will send the Advocate (the Holy Spirit) who, once we are open to receiving the Holy Spirit, will begin to work within us. The Holy Spirit provides wisdom, guidance, protection, understanding of truth, peace, gifts (Romans 12:6-8) (1 Corinthians 12:7-11), power, love, discipline, and God’s eternal seal placed on us for our resurrection, redemption at the time of Jesus’ return.

11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[a] his Spirit who lives in you.

Romans 8:11

USE IT OR LOSE IT!

So remember these verses and use them to evaluate people better knowing who is trustworthy, use it to make future critical decisions in life, and most importantly, get to know Jesus through scripture (read the Gospel of John) If you believe what John writes about Jesus, what Jesus said, pray and ask Jesus for the Holy Spirit to come to you; we all need the Holy Spirit for all the reasons mentioned above.

by Categories: bible prophecy, bible study, FAITH, FRIENDSHIP, God, HAPPINESS, Improvement, Love, Make It Count, priorities, RELATIONSHIPS, WellnessTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

When Someone Hurts You…

Right now, find a personal peaceful place of momentary solitude and read or listen (on the podcast) to what I share in this letter. There are many times where having others around is good and positive, but for the moment, find a place and make some alone time for yourself, so you can think without being distracted or interrupted. I don’t know where you are in your beliefs, but what I’m about to share is what has been effective for me personally, when “life” didn’t always go as well as I wanted. I am 100% confident this will be effective for you too, but please be patient, it may or may not be a “quick fix,” depending on the depth of the “hurt” you experienced, but this will be an effective lasting healing. I sincerely hope you give this a try because it works and not only works, but in my opinion is the ONLY solution that will have a lasting healing from the “hurt”! I’m saying this from my personal experience, this will be the best thing in life that you ever did, if you follow through!

In your solitude, whether you have faith or not at this time, just please try this: quiet your thoughts and think about the words in this prayer and say this, directing it towards Jesus:

“Dear Jesus, I’m struggling with hurt (and anger) right now and I need discernment, strength, healing, wisdom and hope that only you can grant me. Please help and guide me through this time in my life.”

WHY JESUS?

As you probably know, the best person to get advice from is the person who has been through the experience and has overcome the experience successfully, so there is no one better to get advice from than Jesus, because he lived on earth and went through many things that we go through: He was tempted, he was abandoned, he was betrayed by those closest to him, he was murdered, people stole from him, people rejected him, people made fun of him, he was beaten, he experienced aloneness for 40 days , his closest friends didn’t support him, denied him, he felt physical pain, he was lied to (Peter his friend), he experienced hatred from others and MOST importantly: He SUCCESSFULLY overcame ALL this! I can’t think of anyone who experienced ALL these things and still came out on top, overcame all of it, can you? This is why Jesus is the ONLY one I go to for advice (through prayer)!

RELEASE YOUR FEELINGS

This is in private: tell Jesus everything (uncensored) because he knows it anyway- no one else needs to know. Be honest about everything, talk to him, because he already knows, it’s good to be honest about the hurt (and anger) or write it down (and tear up the paper, or burn it afterwards, but “pour” it all out, release all your feelings), and understand this hurt is TEMPORARY! It WILL get better. If we don’t express this hurt and anger, it can build up inside and come out later in ways we don’t want it to, if it’s not taken care of sooner, it will come out later.

DISCERNMENT ABOUT THE EVENT

This is one of the things asked for in the prayer above: discernment. Sometimes what happened can be confusing to us, we don’t understand why it happened, but we can be sure it happened due to evil: please be aware, we live in a world that is impacted by unseen forces (both good and evil) and there is a good probability that whoever hurt you has something evil influencing them. That is why we are told not to fight evil with evil, but to fight evil with good because the spirit of God (Only God is good) is more powerful and effective than we are and will conquer anything evil. If a person has unknowingly allowed evil access to our lives (through continual sin), evil is influencing and evil spirits can also possess a person and make them act in wicked ways. People who allow sin to remain in their lives do become slaves to evil. That’s why getting sin out of our lives is beneficial for us. Sin creates an open portal in us and allows much worse events to happen because it separates us from God. Only God can truly protect us from evil – that’s why we need to eliminate what separates us from God. These evil spirits bring with them into people: sickness, mental health issues, addictions, violence, etc. This is real, not a fairy tale. If you don’t believe this, you are simply in a “blind-state” about it at the moment, but Jesus will open your eyes, when you sincerely seek him. If we do not have God’s spirit residing within us, by default, we are vulnerable to evil, but we can change that by calling out to Jesus in prayer and asking for His Spirit, which he willing gives to those who ask with good intentions. There is no doubt that it’s evil behind what hurt us; God’s spirit (when residing within someone) will warn a person before they act in an evil way, but it is up to the person if they choose to respond to the guidance. Discernment is the ability to distinguish between good and evil, we have to know about this before we can understand this. Evil is deceiving, in fact it can portray itself as “an angel of light” but we can discern what is evil by what we see in action, this is called the “fruit” of the spirit, what the spirit of God “produces” in action (which will not be seen in a person influenced or enslaved by evil): “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galations 5:22-23

LET IT GO

This is where you’ll need the strength we asked for in prayer: to let it go. After the “hurt” happens, it served its purpose and it is time to move on, it is over, the damage is done: God will use it for good, if you are one of God’s children and God will restore you and bless you in some way. Sometimes bad things happen as lessons in life (teaching us), other times bad things happen to test our relationship with God- to see what decision we will make after it happens: do we get closer to Him? or do we reject Him? And other times bad things happen to us as punishment for what we have done (separating ourselves from God- through our continual sin, know that we all sin and we all are not and will not be perfect as long as we are alive), so God disciplines His children with the hopes that we learn from the discipline and change our ways before something worse happens. Changing our ways means living life with Jesus as our model, our example, looking up to him for how we should handle ourselves. (This information is scattered throughout the New Testament and best found in the gospels. I like the book/gospel of John because he was one of the 12 original disciples who followed Jesus. he personally felt like he was “the closest” to Jesus and you’re hearing about Jesus, from first hand physical experience- from one of Jesus’ friends.)

FORGIVE

The person who harmed us may never ask for forgiveness, but we still need to forgive them because if we don’t, God may hold back His forgiveness of us. We all have broken God’s commandments at some point during our lives, so we ALL are in need of His forgiveness. Forgiving someone doesn’t mean what they did was “okay” but if we use discernment, we see that what they did was purely out of evil influence in their life. In truth, they may need more help than us, but leave it to God. God is just and will justly take care of the offense, God tells us: “it is mine to avenge“. And this may not be the most Christian way to think about the outcome, but God’s wrath is much more severe than anything we could ever do, so leave it in God’s hands and trust that God will address it in the future. He will. He is trustworthy and just. We truly don’t want to be against Him for this same reason. It is a battle that will be lost.

REDIRECT YOUR FOCUS

What we surround ourselves with affects us. Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” (Corinthians 15:33) The best way to deal with the hurt when it arises is through prayer: express it and ask for help. Reading or listening to scripture or teachings from the bible will take your mind off it and give you something more useful/productive as an alternate focus. The music you listen to affects us, so try a change, find something peaceful, not sad, and even better is to find worship music that sounds good to you. This will uplift and encourage you as it takes your mind off the hurt. If you like positive “pop, hip-hop” upbeat music, there is an app you can download and listen to anywhere you go: here is the link to the website: BOOST Radio is 24/7 Pop, Hip Hop & Hope. Clean hip hop and pop music. – BOOST Radio (myboostnation.com) here are some other options: Top 10 Christian Radio Stations (godtube.com) When you are ready to be around others, choose people who build you up in your relationship with Jesus. This is the way to have support and lasting healing: we need to stay connected to Jesus, that’s what he mean when he said: I am the vine and you are the branches; if we are not connected to him we will not have the spirit of God protecting and guiding us.

KNOW THE FUTURE

There is only one who knows the future and he is God. When Jesus was on earth, he told people about the kingdom God has prepared for those who come to God through Jesus. This time on earth is temporary, there is a future eternity where people who have God’s spirit residing in them will be changed in an instant (at the return of Jesus) and those people will be rewarded with an incredible immortal future in a beautiful NEW earth and heaven that is not broken, where there will be no suffering, no tears, no sadness, but only joy and happiness and it will be indescribable, magnificent. No one can adequately, effectively describe what God has in store, but this world has nothing to compare to it. So it will be amazing. God’s new earth and heaven will surpass any expectation because of who He is. Don’t worry about what happens here, this is simply a transition to something greater, focus on the future of what God has in store for us. It will be incredible! Here is a glimpse: Revelation 21 (NIV) – Then I saw a new (blueletterbible.org) and Revelation 22 (NIV) – Then the angel showed me (blueletterbible.org) Help those you love know about what is in store for them as well, if they choose God and trust in Jesus (who we get to know through reading the gospel)! Jesus told everyone: “I am the way the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me” John 14:16 ,

MY PRAYER FOR YOU

I pray that you are healed from your hurt and that God restores and blesses you in ways you can’t even comprehend right now, but when it happens, know that God did it! Through Jesus’ name, Amen.

by Categories: bible study, Dating, FAITH, FAMILY, FRIENDSHIP, God, HAPPINESS, Improvement, Letting Go, Love, Make It Count, Marriage, Parents, priorities, RELATIONSHIPS, WellnessTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment