Why Am I Back?

This place is kinda like the family lake house. Well loved, but rarely used. For good reasons, I made the decision to turn off the electricity and covered the furniture in this space a long time ago. Like the old lake house, it’s got bitter sweet memories. I got to go back to a place with many fond memories a few years ago–I almost wish I hadn’t. Things were not the same. The furniture was different, the trees I loved playing under as a child were gone. The yard was unkempt, the place had not been cared for in a very long time.

Things change. Going back is never the same. I’ve wanted to come back to the familiar for a long time, at the same time. But hard to go back isn’t it? Will the camp store carry what you need? Will the little camp store even still be there or will have big corporate pushed them out? Will the same cranky neighbor still be a thorn in your side? Will the sights and smells be the same? Probably not.

Why I left is important, but it’s in the past. Many years ago, I was convinced I needed a self hosted blog. I moved. I moved again and again and again. I was running, I was trying to hide. My husband and I were paying a lot of money to have different domain names and self hosted blogs where I rarely wrote. Bluehost is up for renewal soon. The bottom line is, we have more important things to do with several hundred dollars than renewing the service for websites we rarely use.

This is important to share with the few of you who might remember me. The few of you who will pop in to say hi and reminisce. The fewer of you that might be the cantankerous neighbors need to hear this even more.

I am who I am. I am who God made me to be… a struggling sinner being sanctified every day in different ways. More importantly, I am saved by grace because of the blood of The Redeemer. If you are a follower of The Christ, you are too. If you aren’t I encourage you to seek the Truth. Scripture says, seek and you will find. God saves those who call on Him with genuine repentance and faith.

I imported some posts that I made while I was away. I don’t imagine I’ll write here much. I don’t think coming back would be the same as it used to be. Do I miss it? Sometimes. But I’m in a different phase of life. We’re nearly empty nesters. When I started homeskoolmom I was a mom of littles; little toddlers and little babies. Our youngest that we found through this blog. She’s 17 now and a beautiful, joy-filled daughter of The King. That’s hard to believe when I stop to think about it! God has blessed us beyond my wildest imagination. We’ll celebrate our 28th year of wedded bliss this summer. I am more in love with my Shane today than I ever thought was possible. I have almost 4 grown children that are respectful, responsible and fun to be around. They each love the Lord and strive to honor him in their lives. They are serving Him in the ways God is leading and I LOVE it!

I am a busy gymnastics coach, lover of Christ focused yoga, pastors wife and mom of adults. I still speak out for truth, I have other outlets for my creativity. I may come back and sit a spell from time to time but don’t count on hearing from me often. I have a life to live with my brothers and sisters in Christ, and with friends whom I love dearly.

Kept by Him

Christy

God’s Mercy is His Alone

What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion,but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”

So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. Romans 9

Pharaoh changed his mind after each plague. Even the death of his firstborn was not enough to convince him that God was God. He went after his slaves and lost his army.

God hardened Pharaohs heart to show his power.

The people grumbled and complained because the food they ate in Egypt was better than the manna God gave them.

Eyes on Jesus

Safe Travels and Good Health To You

This is often the sentiments we have toward one another as we go through life. We want everyone to be safe, and to not get sick. As Christ followers, we often pray for those things. In fact, often it’s the only prayer requests anyone has. No one asks for prayer requests for their deep, dark sins but we almost always ask for prayers for ourselves or our loved ones as they travel. We always ask for prayer if our loved ones are sick or facing surgery. We never add an “if it be your will” on the end of these prayers; we assume that keeping his people safe and healthy is his will.

Is it though?

I cannot think of one time in Scripture where God’s people ask to be kept safe.

I cannot think of one time in Scripture where God’s people asks for good health.

Can you?

Didn’t think so.

We’ve been deceived! We’ve been duped by the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

God doesn’t want us safe. He wants us to serve him. He wants reverence, and honor, and glory. If that comes through our death so be it. Our one purpose in this life is to glorify him. Glorify him in life, glorify him in death.

For decades, 2 Chronicles 7:14 has been a mantra of Christians.

If my people, who are called by my name, will humbles themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven; and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land

We think we are humble. We think we are seeking his face. We think we are not wicked.

But the fact is, we are wicked, we are not seeking his face and we are not a humble people.

What if God would be more glorified through our death than our life? What if God be more glorified through the death of one of our children than through their life? Our husband? What if God be more glorified by allowing us to face a debilitating, chronic illness than good health?

While I was in college, a young woman died in a car accident. I didn’t know her well but I know a little of her story. She loved Jesus. Unfortunately, her daddy did not. However, the outpouring of love that her family received from this young woman’s friends at college led her daddy to seek truth. He found it. God used the death of this man’s daughter to bring him into relationship with Jesus Christ. I’m guessing the daughter, if she could be asked, would say it was a sacrifice she was willing to make.

What if we turned our attention from our health and safety, to what brings glory to God. It might hurt. It might be extremely painful. But if God could use it for his glory, wouldn’t it be worth it?

A War That is Not of the Flesh

We are at war. It’s not a new war. It’s been going on since the beginning of time. It is a war of good and evil. How do we fight this war?

Ephesians 6 has the answer.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:10-18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The world wants a physical war and it may come to that but the ultimate war we fight is against the rulers of the dark world. The weapons against that war are not of the flesh (2 Cor 10:4)

We fight with truth. We fight with hope. We fight with the Gospel.

If we die in our earthly bodies what is the loss? The loss of this world which is not our home.

If we lose our life but souls are saved it is to God’s glory.

So why are we worried?

Jesus is All We Really Need

Who could have imagined 2 years ago that we would be where we are right now in the world? Most of us have lived our lives as we’ve pleased. We’ve lived our lives with little interference from our government. Oh sure, we’ve all been forced to switch light bulbs and when we’ve replaced our toilets, we’ve had to make sure we find one one that flushes well, but that didn’t really affect our lives, or did it? Going down that hole is a topic for another day.

My point is that, especially in America, we’ve had it easy. We do as we wish freely. We’ve never experienced standing in line for our daily bread, we’ve never really suffered. Yes, we’ve experienced rejection, loneliness, and loss. We’ve been treated poorly because of our faith, or because of a lack of faith but we’ve always been able to make choices for ourselves and our loved ones based on our own convictions and research we might or might not do. Most of us, have been able to go where we’ve wanted to go and do what we’ve wanted to do. We’ve been able to purchase what we’ve wanted to purchase when we’ve wanted to purchase it. We’ve been free to live without hindrances.

The last 18 months has changed life as we knew it. I don’t have to recap all the craziness from toilet paper to masks. It hasn’t been easy. I don’t have a crystal ball, but it seems to me that even harder times might be coming. Our government isn’t following “we the people”. They’re taking what they’ve done in the inner cities for the past several decades to the masses. “Free money” why work? Small businesses are closing down while a select few get richer. They’re overreaching their boundaries, or at least trying too. Again, a hole to go down on another day.

I’ve been surprised at how fast things changed. But should I be? We are told throughout Scripture that mankind has nothing good in them apart from Christ. We should be surprised when people behave well yet most of us expect people to behave well. Even Christians expect people to behave well when we KNOW what God says about the heart of man… It is deceitful above all else.

It could be that things will get worse in the days ahead. We could be learning to live with much less than we’ve ever had. There are people in high places that want to see that happen. We could truly face hardships and persecution in America as other countries have before us. I pray it doesn’t happen. I pray God has mercy on us and allows another great awakening another turning back to Him for our country.

We often talk about what we “need” but what do we really need? Do we really need a new blouse, a newer car. Do we really need a big fancy house?

In other words, what do we really need?

For life we need sustenance, food, water, shelter. But what if those things are threatened? What if, as those who have gone before us, we are called to denounce our faith? What do we truly need?

I propose that In life or in death Jesus is all we truly need.

If I live, I live for Christ, if I die I’ll be with Christ! Nothing else really matters.

Sinners Don’t Need “Nice” They Need Truth

I wonder if sometimes we define compassion and “nice” different than God. In our limited view, we might think Jesus was not “nice” to the Pharisees. He called them hypocrites and white washed tombs to their face. Yet, he never sinned. Paul, the apostle, in the words inspired by God, used rather crude language (Greek) in Galatians in relation to circumcision. Martin Luther didn’t mince word, neither did Jonathon Edwards, Spurgeon and many others that many of us consider great Bible scholars and teachers. What if we’re feeding the “nice” society at the expense of souls. What if sinners need truth more than our human definition of “nice”?

When we don’t call sin what it is, or we say everyone makes “mistakes” are we excusing sin? Are we making it seem less serious than it is? I understand, we don’t want to hurt people, but what if we’re hurting them more by excusing their sin in the name of niceness?

What if Jesus was really being nice when he condemned the Pharisees? What if Paul was really being nice in his letter to the Galatians? What if confronting the hypocrite and calling them white washed tombs is actually nice? What if telling those living a lifestyle of sin that they are in danger of hell is nice?

Several years ago, we confronted someone living a lifestyle of sin. We wanted this person to repent, we prayed for his true repentance. We had a plan to help this person, he said no. Those around him said no. Some couldn’t understand how we could be so “mean.” We weren’t being mean. We were ready to walk beside this man, to help him turn from his sin. We were being more loving to him than any of the people that protected him. Protecting him only fed the arrogance and pride that was at the root of his sin. It did nothing for his soul. Instead of getting the help he needed, he was encouraged in his sin by those that claim to be believers. Instead of helping him break the bondage of the sinful lifestyle, we became the enemy. As far as I know, this man is still steeped in his sin, when I can think past the pain inflicted on us, I can feel sad for him and for those that follow him. They are misguided at best. At worst, they are believing the lie and will face something similar to the “Lord, Lord, didn’t we” passage in Scripture. That does hurt my heart because I wish things had been different.

Letting people live their sinful lifestyle is not nice. Eternity is forever. An unrepentant sinner will face judgement and God’s word says their souls are in danger of Hell. A repentant sinner will also be judged, but the Father will see the blood of Jesus instead of the sin. For those marked with the blood of the Lamb, eternity will be Heaven. Honestly, I don’t know much about what will happen there other than we will be worshiping our Heavenly Father, we’ll not deal with tears, or sorrow or pain. We will join the great cloud of witnesses that have gone on before us.

It seems that people want to believe in Heaven or that nothing happens after we die. Many that have no faith in Jesus Christ believe in Heaven. It’s easy. It’s a nice place. It’s easy to convince ourselves that we’re “good enough.” We convince ourselves that God will let us in, because we’re a nice person, we haven’t murdered anyone, never stolen a car, or whatever other excuse we make. We forget that we aren’t in charge of where we spend eternity. We’re not going to stand before a Holy God and swindle our way out of our eternal destiny because He knows us better than we know us. He created us. He knows our every thought, every action, every deed. That is how we will be judged. The fact is apart from Christ Jesus, there is nothing good in any of us. We are vile and evil without the blood of Jesus. The enemy works overtime to convince us that we’re “okay” but the Word says we’re not okay. That okay isn’t enough for the Creator of all things.

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Nobody wants to believe in Hell. But it is real. God’s word says it is a lake of fire and it is not pleasant. Eternity for those who are damned will not be “nice”. God’s word is true, shouldn’t we be telling the truth? Not in a judgemental way. God is the only judge. But in a “this is what God’s word says, what are you going to do with it” way.

A God of Order

1 Corinthians 14:33

For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, ESV

For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people. NIV

This verse is regarding worship, but I don’t believe it’s unfair to conclude that God is a God of order and not confusion and chaos.

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In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1. The first words of the Holy Scriptures.

God spoke and the world became. Then there was light, evening and morning, the first day. The Heavens, the Earth and the Seas. the vegetation, the stars, the animals in the sea and on land, and flying creatures. Then Adam and after he had named all the animals and found none suitable, Eve.

There was an order to the creation of the world. God’s word never fails. It is not incomplete. It doesn’t need anything added to or taken away.

God said he created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th. There is no reason to believe this wasn’t a literal 6 days. But people like to think they are wiser than God, so because they cannot imagine 6 literal days of creation, they make up their own story.

Making up, or believing something doesn’t make it true. Truth makes it true. Faith is the assurance of the things hoped for the conviction of things not seen.

It takes more faith to believe that all created things happened “by chance” than it does to believe in a Creator.

By faith, God did many things we don’t understand. But he is not a God of disorder.

He had a reason for the order that the world was made.

Stop

The beginning is important. It is important to believe it the way it is written. If our foundation is faulty, we’re going to stumble.

Maybe our faulty foundation is why our world is in the chaos it’s in today.

No Safe Place

I found a community or so I thought. But I think I was wrong. When we’re interacting with people there’s not going to be a safe place because people are messy.

Every single person is messy because we have an internal bend toward sin. Yes God cleanses us but that’s only from his view. It doesn’t mean we fully and completely stop sinning. Sanctification is a life long process.

It’s a practice, not an I’ve arrived. Not until Jesus returns for his bride or until the Father calls us home.

I know I shouldn’t be surprised when people behave ugly- God and those closest to me know I can display my share of ugly.

But God also gave us emotions and feelings. And while I try to take those emotions abs thoughts captive, it’s just sometimes hard not to hurt when someone says something unkind.

Especially when that person knows nothing about you.

I’m reviving a quote from many years ago as I deal with those kind of people, at least for now, later, it may be time to say farewell to the community I found.

If it gets to be overwhelming, I’ll say goodbye. If I can say bye bye to Fakebook, I can say bye bye to this new place easy enough. I hope it doesn’t come to that because overall I’ve been edified and encouraged. But if the ugly starts outweighing the benefit…

God Doesn’t Call us to be Safe

Abraham and Isaac. Isaac on the altar when a ram is spotted to be the sacrifice.

Daniel in the Lions Den.

The fiery furnace—Shadrach Meshach and Abednego

John beheaded.

Stephen stoned.

Paul shipwrecked 3 times, stoned and imprisoned.

Jesus on the Cross.

God doesn’t call his people to safety. God calls his people to be faithful.

When the world changed, churches complied. They closed their doors. In some places, more than 18 months later, they’re just now reopening. While it was understandable in the very beginning, when we didn’t know what we were dealing with, it is not understandable now. God doesn’t call us to be safe. No! He calls us to be faithful and obedient. His word doesn’t say, “do not forsake the assembly unless theirs a pandemic.” His word doesn’t say, do not forsake the assembly unless the government is going to fine you for staying open.” Nope! His word says “do not forsake the assembly.” Period! Facebook or livestream is not the assembly.

Our churches missed a great opportunity to be the greatest witnesses of Jesus Christ in our recent history. Instead, we showed the world that we really don’t trust God with our lives. We showed the world that we really don’t believe what we say we believe. We chose safe over sharing the Gospel.

The world was afraid. God’s word says “fear not” but we were afraid.

Imagine what could have happened if our churches had stayed open. If they had preached the saving grace of freedom in Christ? If they had preached that we have nothing to fear save God’s wrath?

You say, “people might have died.” I say, “so what! Their souls might have been saved!”

No, I’m not being mean, or hateful. Isn’t the the soul of man more valuable than the death of the body? Those people that were walking around in fear? I’d take a guess that most of them, if not all of them, didn’t know Jesus as their Lord. Some of them might have warmed a pew each week, but there’s a big difference in warming a pew and being ready to die for your faith. Our open churches might have beckoned them to seek something more than themselves. For the first time ever, nearly every distraction was removed. And the church missed it! And my heart breaks over the loss. I would have gladly given my life in service to King Jesus if he had so chosen in order to save souls.

Research shows that 85% of Americans say they are “christian.” They may say it, but evidence around us shows us that most of us aren’t living it. If you’re not living it, then you’re not walking in obedience to the Gospel. Many of our churches are preaching feel good, health, wealth and prosperity gospels that say god wants you to be happy. I don’t know what god they’re preaching, but it’s not the God of the Bible. Don’t believe me? Pull your Bible out and dust it off. Read for yourself. Read about Abraham nearly sacrificing Isaac in obedience to Yahweh. Read about the beheading of John the baptist because the queen requested it of her husband. Read about Paul’s imprisonment. Read about Jesus. Fully God and fully man, coming as a baby, living a sinless life. Being falsely accused in the dead of night, even though he had been preaching and performing miracles in broad daylight for 3 years. Being railroaded by the very people he’d been preaching to, mocked and beaten to carry his own cross to Calgary. Hung with spikes between two thieves in the place of Barabbas, but not only in the place of Barabbas, but in the place of every. single. human. being. that God calls to himself. The dirty, filthy sin of which Jesus himself did not do. Innocent. Yet, he willingly took the pain and death we deserved!

America would rather live comfortably and safe. We proved it in 2020. But the funny (sad) thing is, there is no such thing. In order to survive we must take risks. Some risks are very tiny, or so they seem. I get up and walk across my floor and trip over a toy. I hit my head as I fall and end up in the ER getting stitches. Walking across the room isn’t usually a risk, but in that case it was. Every time we drive our car, we take a risk. It’s a risk most of us are willing to take because the reward of income, or seeing a friend, or buying groceries is greater than the risk. Some of us do crazy things, like skydiving or bungee jumping, or racing cars, motorcycles or we have jobs that are dangerous. We decide those things are worth the risk.

But Jesus didn’t seem to be worth the risk in 2020.

I pray God opens our eyes. I pray that his Holy Spirit moves in the hearts of men and that we will repent of our pride and put our total and complete trust in the Creator of all things and Sustainer of all things. I pray that will will stop believing that we are god and put our hope and faith in the One True God. “I AM”. I pray for another Great Awakening, that God will bring forth men willing to preach truth and that many will be saved. I pray that when the persecution comes we’ll be ready to stand strong and when asked to denounce our faith even if it means earthly death, we will not hesitate. For an eternity in His courts are worth whatever earthly sacrifice we are called to make.

It’s Not Politics

I have been sounding the alarm for more than a year now. When “14 days to flatten the curve” became so much more than 14 days and the world changed I began sounding an alarm. I knew what could happen if the madness wasn’t stopped early. I knew it was a ripe moment for tyranny and socialism/communism to enter American borders in ways it never has before.

A virus, similar to many viruses, had been blown up. Even now 18 months later, it’s still the main news story. Tell me, when has a news story ever lasted 18 months. Those in power, those who said they’re in “charge of our health” changed their direction and recommendations every other day.

“Stay home to stay safe” became the mantra.

But it’s impossible to stay home to stay safe Loneliness creates depression. Health concerns need a doctor. Cancer needed treatment. Hearts need bypass surgery. Accidents happen.

And people die. Because that’s how life works.

A coronavirus, the same virus as a common cold, wrecked the world. It might have been “novel,” by the way that word only means new. But “novel” sounds more scary doesn’t it?

We focused on those stats like it was the weather forecast. And we created terror and fear. The so called health professionals created fear for the first time in recent history if not in all of history.

Instead of giving us hope, they sent us as humanity tumbling so far down that we were afraid to hug our own family members. Thousands died alone. Whether they died of complications from this coronavirus or from something else. Family and friends mourned without the comfort of a funeral to bring necessary closure.

Then the mask came and it became okay to venture out. What a circus. I’m no scientist but I know a virus is way smaller than 1,2 or 3 masks.

it’s not about politics.

It’s about America remaining the “land of the free and home of the brave”. At one time, we had American pride. Some called us the Ugly American. I’m okay with that. They have their right to call patriotic Americans ugly if they like. While I don’t know the specific reason we received that endearing nickname, I speculate it was because we put America first.

That’s what a country should do. Especially a country like America. Founded unlike any other county in the world.

The regime in power now is attempting to remake America. They are implementing marshal law and policy set to destroy freedom. The freedom that men and women have died to protect for more than 200 years.

So, it’s not about politics. It’s not about Democrat or Republican; liberal or conservative in the classic sense of the terms.

It’s about a battle between good an evil. it’s about freedom and tyranny.

I pray those that believe it’s just a difference of politics wake up before it’s too late.