Let me ask you frankly this morning...."Have you ever doing something you knew was WRONG and felt as though nobody was around to see it?" Then you may have done one of two things: tried to make amends in whatever way necessary, or continued to keep it a secret --thinking no one will ever find out what you have done. Well, I would like to show you in scripture this morning that God sees everything you do, for good and for evil. AND--one way or another, you will account for those deeds on a future judgment day.
Hebrews 4:12-14 (NIV):
"For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."
I will admit right now that I have done some things that were downright evil. I have done them in front of others, and behind their backs. I have been engulfed in sinful living, and it almost overtook me....save the Lord's wisdom to keep me alive! (Of which I am very thankful for). I used to commit one evil deed after another, believing that no one would find out...if only I was good enough at lying to keep it a secret. There is a variety of problems with this kind of living, but some of the major problems can present in forms of guilt, depression, lack of peace, and a deep knowledge that one day your wicked deeds will be discovered. I am here to show you through scripture that your deeds will INDEED be exposed in the Light of God. You cannot run, and you cannot hide from the Lord's Presence.
To start:
Psalm 33:13-19 (NKJV):
"The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works. No king is saved by the multitude of his army; A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine."
So a few points from this scripture are:
1. ) The Lord sees ALL sons of men -- Ladies, this includes you too, scripturally.
2.) He fashions their hearts individually-- He works differently in each of us.
3.) He considers ALL by their WORKS.
4.) Not even a king is saved by an army or any strength -- of himself or a horse!
5.) The eye of the Lord is on those who FEAR Him
6.) Only these people that FEAR God are delivered from death and famine.
As to speak of God's quality of being omnipresent, He is able to look down from heaven and see ALL of man's works. He fashions (and sees) the heart of every person. So, when we commit evil deeds...God is watching!
Let me take you into a hypothetical scenario to tell you what I mean. Let's say there is a woman who is in the United States military. It is commonplace that men and women in military service are sent to other places than their home base -- this is called TDY or deployment. Let's say that this person is deployed to Japan. This woman goes away from her family and husband and she decides to go out for a night with a group of male coworkers, just to get a drink. One drink turns into two -- two turns into six. You get the picture. Next thing you know, a casual friendly outing with coworkers has turned into a drinking fest, and men are flirting with this woman who has become more flirtatious and less inhibited. This woman might even be a woman of God who has just made a bad decision in life. So, in the heat of the moment, this woman goes to a hotel with one of the men and commits adultery. Now, she has a problem....but she thinks it could work in her favor, because she is in a foreign land and she can just keep it a secret from her husband, family and friends. If she works hard enough in her mind, she thinks she might be able to forget the whole thing ever happened. She goes home to her husband a week later, and tries her hardest to pretend that everything is OK. Do you know anyone who has been in this situation? It is not an uncommon situation in military life. There's only one problem....as hard as she tries, she just can't FORGET that it happened.
Now, this could go two different ways. If she is a God-fearing woman, and continues to go to church and be around other Christians (the Light), things are going to get pretty uncomfortable inside the heart of this woman. God is going to chasten her for being unrepentant and secretive about her sin. She is going to feel great pressure to confess, yet Satan is going to tell her to keep it a secret forever. She is in a real serious predicament spiritually. If she does repent, her sin is going to lead to death. If she repents and comes clean about her sin, she is going to have to face consequences in her life and family, and church for one totally wrong night of fun. It's a difficult decision to say the least.
On the other hand, it is much easier for a person who does not fear the Lord to semi-forget the situation and write it off. A nonbeliever will probably end up in that same situation again, and it will become a continual cycle of "bad" nights, and trying to forget them. There is NO peace in this cycle, but this person has never known true and lasting peace, so it is nothing new. The world is cruel and evil, and this person knows that "it is just the way it goes." If this person encounters God's Presence, there is going to be a lot of unresolved hurt and guilt in their lives, and this is usually when a person receives salvation through Jesus Christ. Their sinful living is exposed against the truth of God's Word, and they begin to realize the truth that their punishment is eternal death in hell. They deserve it. We ALL do!
So once again, there is a fork in the road. Admit sin, repent (turn from sinful living) and accept salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ (OR) continue to live in sin and try to stay as far away as possible from those crazy Christians who keep telling you that you are going to hell! You still won't be able to forget all the mistakes you have made, and true peace will never a part of your life, but you will get through and make the best of it until the day you die. And your body rots in the ground forever -- dust turns to dust. The person who makes this second choice will die, but their body will not rot in the dirt. There is another ending for them...all because Satan managed to deceive them into believing that they did not need God, or His forgiveness for all their sins. This is what the Bible says will happen to the second person.
Isaiah 51:7-8 (NASB):
"Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have my law in your hearts: Do not fear the reproach of men or be terrified by their insults. For the moth will eat them up like a garment; the worm will devour them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever, my salvation through all generations."
Isaiah 66:23-24 (NASB):
"From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,' says the Lord. 'And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind."
Mark 9:47-49 (NASB):
"And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 'where the worm does not die, and their fire is not quenched.' Everyone will be salted with fire."
Maybe you think that God does not see your sinful living. Let me show you what God has to say about that. I know this is a long Psalm, but if you want to know what God sees in your life, PLEASE take the time to read it:
Psalm 139:1-12 (NASB):
1 O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise up; you understand my thought from afar.
3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down; you are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before there is a word is on my tongue, Behold, O Lord you know it all.
5 You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit, where can I flee from your Presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
11 If I say, 'Surely, the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,"
12 Even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day, Darkness and light are alike to You.
So, according to scripture, there should no longer be any question as to whether God sees EVERYTHING we do. He even knows our thoughts before we speak them. So...going back to our military woman scenario. There is a better decision for her than to hide her sin from God and from those she loves. It is absolutely amazing how God forgives us for our sins, simply because we ask Him and believe we are forgiven because of the goodness of His Word. It is also incomprehensible how God will enable those around you with the ability to forgive you as well. The voice telling you to keep your sinful living a secret (which it is not anyway), is the voice of the father of lies -- Satan. He is only trying to keep you from the Truth (Jesus) because the Truth will set you free, and you WILL HAVE PEACE! The moment you humble yourself in prayer before God and ask Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior, admitting the things you have done to break His law, He WILL forgive you completely. The Bible says that He will remove your sins from you, as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). He will also turn you from crimson to white as snow (Isaiah 1:18). He will give you PEACE.
Romans 5:1 (NASB):
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
I know that many of you, like I was, may be sitting there realizing that you have sinned and fallen short of God's standard of living. Instead of allowing Satan to keep you in death any longer, pray today before God and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. He will forgive your sins immediately and give you peace in your heart that is beyond any comprehension. This is my testimony of what the Lord did for me, and He will do it for you too. I no longer have to struggle day in, and day out with the guilt of my great sins. He carries the burden of my sin, and I live freely in peace. If I sin again, which I have since accepting Christ, I pray to God and He is faithful to forgive me....AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN! The key is being humble and realizing that you NEED Jesus to save you from your own sinfulness. Choose Him today!
I thank you all for spending a moment of your time today with me, in God's Word. I pray that God blesses you with knowledge of salvation, peace, and understanding of His Word. I thank Him that He is Truth, and I no longer have to walk in darkness. I thank Him that His Spirit has come to live in my heart, and to teach me to walk in all truth of the Light of Jesus. He has enabled me to live righteously, and He has blessed me beyond measure. He has taken away any fear of death in my life, and has given me assurance that I will be with Him forever! I thank Him for His great sacrifice on the cross, and I ask for His peace and grace to rest on each of you today in the name of Jesus! Amen.
Thankful for God's Salvation,
Sarah
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
Sharing My Heart about Racism
I would like to take a moment to speak on a comment I received regarding my outspoken post about the "Salvation of America." I know that this blog has made its way to people who have never met me, and I appreciate greatly the comments of all who read! Please continue to comment and let me know your feedback and scripture regarding what is being posted here. That is what accountability to the Word and submission to one another is all about. I know that many who have read "Salvation of America" and then continued on to more recent posts can see that I have realized fully that the election of Obama as leader of our country is God's will. Does that mean he is a good and righteous, and pure leader who will do what is right in God's eyes? No. The person so graciously provided scripture and examples speaking of how God has allowed other evil kings to be over countries and kingdoms (Nebuchanezzar and Saul, to name the examples used by the reader) to bring about His divine will. I still believe in my heart that I voted the way God would want me to vote in this election. I feel no doubt or regret that there was genuine goodness in McCain and Palin. But God chose another option, and He is my Lord and I bow down and worship Him regardless of my understanding of His divine will. He is my All and All!
Which leads me to explain something very important to you all about this blog and myself. I am NOT and never will be Christ the Savior who came to pay for your sins, and died on a cross, shedding His own PERFECT blood to do so. My pastor said in our most recent Bible study that we need to be reminding people that we, alone, are not the answer. All we can do is point them to the cross and Jesus, and leave them there. With any Christian writer, or book, or blog anywhere in the world....you should be testing the spirits and taking whatever you find back to the Word and God Himself. One day, I believe I will stand before God, having been made perfect in Christ's image....but that is a long way from today. I will make mistakes, I will give into my flesh, and I will say things and do things that are just plain wicked at times....even if I strongly desire not to do so! As Paul said "I have not yet arrived."
There was mention in the comment that I had problems/issues with Barack Obama being black, and that this was a matter of race, hate and cursing. I believe the reader should speak to God concerning my heart about races of other people. I LOVE people of all races, and I have never been so joyful as right now in my life to be in a ministry that allows me to interact and be in close intimate fellowship with people of other races, including black people. I know that I need not defend myself, but I want to share my heart regarding people of another race than myself. I grew up in a community that was 98% white caucasians. I only saw people of other races when we travelled to sporting events, and the few children in my school who were not white. I left that tiny town in Colorado to find out about a wide, greater world. I had tried to date a young black man in high school, and had faced rejection from the community. He was my friend and I felt very attached to him. When I went to college, I dated men from all other backgrounds and races - Arab, Jewish, Hispanic, and probably many other mixes that I did not even know! It was no concern to me, as my family and friends will testify. I was so thankful to be encountering diversity in my life that I just embraced it! I know now that God was probably taking me out of my shell because He wanted me to feel comfortable with people of all races, but my love for other races/cultures has not ended there. My husband is currently Active Duty Air Force and the military is a very diverse place. On our base, there are three separate church services and they pretty much break down (in many ways) into white/black/mixed. All the services are mixed, but if one were to do demographics, it would be shown this way. I LOVE that God has called my family to ministry that calls itself the Military and Mulitcultural Ministry. I have many friends, brothers and sisters in the ministry who are black, hispanic, pacific islander, japanese, filipino, and probably many others! I love my sisters and brothers in Christ. Also, recently, our pastor PCS'ed (left for another base assignment), so we were installed a new pastor from within our congregation. I jumped for joy (literally) when my brother Shawnacy Johnson was named pastor of our church. He is on fire for God and full of the Holy Spirit, and he is also black, along with his entire family -- whom I love dearly!
Just as you may feel that I have made wrong judgments regarding my support of McCain and Palin, and my distaste for Barack Obama, I can assure you that you also have made a wrong judgment regarding my heart for fellow people as a whole. I am hopeful in my heart that one day, the Lord might allow me to visit other countries as a missionary and share the gospel of Christ with people from all different races, countries and backgrounds. All should receive the good news about Jesus Christ, regardless of race, because I don't believe God sees race as an issue -- so neither will I!!!
Mark 16:14-16 (NASB):
"Afterward, He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen. And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation (emphasis added).' He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned."
Acts 10:34 (NKJV):
"Then Peter opened his mouth and said: 'In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him."
We come to a place in our walk, which I am starting to understand on a deeper level, where God asks us to fully trust His voice to lead us. As I go deeper into my walk with Christ, God is asking me to take greater steps of faith, putting much more on the line for Him. For me, God uses my mouth and words to edify His body, so I am sure He is testing my faith in that area. Have I always been right and in line with God's will recently? I hope so. God is refining me, and teaching me to use the gifts that He has placed within me. I have already seen shockwaves come in from some of the things He has laid upon my heart to say. I am stepping out in faith and doing my best to be faithful to my Lord. I am abiding in the Word, and in prayer and doing my best to listen to God's voice. I am growing in discernment between spirits speaking to me, but it is a process that is not perfected overnight! The difference between me and other Christians right now is that God has asked me to go through this under the watchful and concerned (and doubting) eyes of others. He wants me to go through this process PUBLICLY, where many Christians just grow more silently and without as much direct confrontation. This blog is God's divine will and He is blessing this work (His) with favor. He is increasing the number of readers who come to visit, and I pray that all are blessed in at least some way! You don't have to agree with everything I say, this is simply something to push you further into the Word and prayer with God! You should take anything you learn, or hear, back to Him for clarification and study. I cannot stress this enough, whether it be with this blog or any other writing besides the Bible! Test the spirits against the Word of God!!!!
One final word regarding Obama that was just laid upon my heart. I love Obama as much as any other person, and I will certainly not refrain from praying for Him to have wisdom in leadership of this country. God is bigger than any one person, and I look forward to what God will do in this country through Obama, even if it is God's judgment. I want what my Lord wants. God created Obama and has known him since before his own conception. God has a plan for Obama's life. I pray that if Obama does know the Lord, which he claims to, that God would lead his heart to promote righteous legislature to defend the right to life, and religious freedoms in this country. I pray that this country does not move in a communistic direction, and that we remain the free country that we have always known. It is hard for a person to accept that Obama separates his walk with Christ from his political career, in which God has granted him the power to change that which is wrong with this country morally. For him to stand up and declare himself a Christian and then support abortion in the same arena does not line up with God's will. I do not know one scripture that says it is OK for us to decide whether life should continue or not. A Christian should know the scriptures regarding God forming us in the womb, and knowing us from conception. I simply have problems with the double-minded nature of his campaign, which involves hypocrisy and falsehood. I would feel the same way about any candidate, regardless of race or background. God has set a standard of holiness for living for ALL people who claim to be under the name and blood of Jesus! Obama is not exempt from this simply because He is running for President. If anything, God expects Him to show the rest of the world what it means to live in holiness!
God speaks about being lukewarm as a Christian:
Revelation 3:15-16 (NASB):
"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth."
Matthew 15:8 (NASB):
"This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from me."
I pray for Obama that he would not be lukewarm for God, but that the Lord will set his heart on fire for Him. I pray for truth, wisdom and the righteousness of God to shine through him while he sits in the White House. I believe all things are possible with God (Mark 10:27). I encourage you to pray for him as well as the coming leader of this country.
I pray for all of you, that God would bless you richly with the hearing of His Word! I am thankful that I can walk alongside those who are interested in the future of the world and this country! I am thankful to be born in this country. I simply pray for repentance as a country, and reconciliation with God. I pray that God would open your hearts and minds, and that He would draw you into deeper fellowship with Himself! I pray that God will bring salvation to all who do not yet know His goodness.
I look forward to future comments from any of you! Please give feedback! It gives me a chance ot know what is on your minds, and to pray accordingly. I will be praying for racial unity in this country, and the dissipation of racism. May God bless you all richly today with peace and joy in the name of Jesus!
His Child,
Sarah
Which leads me to explain something very important to you all about this blog and myself. I am NOT and never will be Christ the Savior who came to pay for your sins, and died on a cross, shedding His own PERFECT blood to do so. My pastor said in our most recent Bible study that we need to be reminding people that we, alone, are not the answer. All we can do is point them to the cross and Jesus, and leave them there. With any Christian writer, or book, or blog anywhere in the world....you should be testing the spirits and taking whatever you find back to the Word and God Himself. One day, I believe I will stand before God, having been made perfect in Christ's image....but that is a long way from today. I will make mistakes, I will give into my flesh, and I will say things and do things that are just plain wicked at times....even if I strongly desire not to do so! As Paul said "I have not yet arrived."
There was mention in the comment that I had problems/issues with Barack Obama being black, and that this was a matter of race, hate and cursing. I believe the reader should speak to God concerning my heart about races of other people. I LOVE people of all races, and I have never been so joyful as right now in my life to be in a ministry that allows me to interact and be in close intimate fellowship with people of other races, including black people. I know that I need not defend myself, but I want to share my heart regarding people of another race than myself. I grew up in a community that was 98% white caucasians. I only saw people of other races when we travelled to sporting events, and the few children in my school who were not white. I left that tiny town in Colorado to find out about a wide, greater world. I had tried to date a young black man in high school, and had faced rejection from the community. He was my friend and I felt very attached to him. When I went to college, I dated men from all other backgrounds and races - Arab, Jewish, Hispanic, and probably many other mixes that I did not even know! It was no concern to me, as my family and friends will testify. I was so thankful to be encountering diversity in my life that I just embraced it! I know now that God was probably taking me out of my shell because He wanted me to feel comfortable with people of all races, but my love for other races/cultures has not ended there. My husband is currently Active Duty Air Force and the military is a very diverse place. On our base, there are three separate church services and they pretty much break down (in many ways) into white/black/mixed. All the services are mixed, but if one were to do demographics, it would be shown this way. I LOVE that God has called my family to ministry that calls itself the Military and Mulitcultural Ministry. I have many friends, brothers and sisters in the ministry who are black, hispanic, pacific islander, japanese, filipino, and probably many others! I love my sisters and brothers in Christ. Also, recently, our pastor PCS'ed (left for another base assignment), so we were installed a new pastor from within our congregation. I jumped for joy (literally) when my brother Shawnacy Johnson was named pastor of our church. He is on fire for God and full of the Holy Spirit, and he is also black, along with his entire family -- whom I love dearly!
Just as you may feel that I have made wrong judgments regarding my support of McCain and Palin, and my distaste for Barack Obama, I can assure you that you also have made a wrong judgment regarding my heart for fellow people as a whole. I am hopeful in my heart that one day, the Lord might allow me to visit other countries as a missionary and share the gospel of Christ with people from all different races, countries and backgrounds. All should receive the good news about Jesus Christ, regardless of race, because I don't believe God sees race as an issue -- so neither will I!!!
Mark 16:14-16 (NASB):
"Afterward, He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen. And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation (emphasis added).' He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned."
Acts 10:34 (NKJV):
"Then Peter opened his mouth and said: 'In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him."
We come to a place in our walk, which I am starting to understand on a deeper level, where God asks us to fully trust His voice to lead us. As I go deeper into my walk with Christ, God is asking me to take greater steps of faith, putting much more on the line for Him. For me, God uses my mouth and words to edify His body, so I am sure He is testing my faith in that area. Have I always been right and in line with God's will recently? I hope so. God is refining me, and teaching me to use the gifts that He has placed within me. I have already seen shockwaves come in from some of the things He has laid upon my heart to say. I am stepping out in faith and doing my best to be faithful to my Lord. I am abiding in the Word, and in prayer and doing my best to listen to God's voice. I am growing in discernment between spirits speaking to me, but it is a process that is not perfected overnight! The difference between me and other Christians right now is that God has asked me to go through this under the watchful and concerned (and doubting) eyes of others. He wants me to go through this process PUBLICLY, where many Christians just grow more silently and without as much direct confrontation. This blog is God's divine will and He is blessing this work (His) with favor. He is increasing the number of readers who come to visit, and I pray that all are blessed in at least some way! You don't have to agree with everything I say, this is simply something to push you further into the Word and prayer with God! You should take anything you learn, or hear, back to Him for clarification and study. I cannot stress this enough, whether it be with this blog or any other writing besides the Bible! Test the spirits against the Word of God!!!!
One final word regarding Obama that was just laid upon my heart. I love Obama as much as any other person, and I will certainly not refrain from praying for Him to have wisdom in leadership of this country. God is bigger than any one person, and I look forward to what God will do in this country through Obama, even if it is God's judgment. I want what my Lord wants. God created Obama and has known him since before his own conception. God has a plan for Obama's life. I pray that if Obama does know the Lord, which he claims to, that God would lead his heart to promote righteous legislature to defend the right to life, and religious freedoms in this country. I pray that this country does not move in a communistic direction, and that we remain the free country that we have always known. It is hard for a person to accept that Obama separates his walk with Christ from his political career, in which God has granted him the power to change that which is wrong with this country morally. For him to stand up and declare himself a Christian and then support abortion in the same arena does not line up with God's will. I do not know one scripture that says it is OK for us to decide whether life should continue or not. A Christian should know the scriptures regarding God forming us in the womb, and knowing us from conception. I simply have problems with the double-minded nature of his campaign, which involves hypocrisy and falsehood. I would feel the same way about any candidate, regardless of race or background. God has set a standard of holiness for living for ALL people who claim to be under the name and blood of Jesus! Obama is not exempt from this simply because He is running for President. If anything, God expects Him to show the rest of the world what it means to live in holiness!
God speaks about being lukewarm as a Christian:
Revelation 3:15-16 (NASB):
"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth."
Matthew 15:8 (NASB):
"This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from me."
I pray for Obama that he would not be lukewarm for God, but that the Lord will set his heart on fire for Him. I pray for truth, wisdom and the righteousness of God to shine through him while he sits in the White House. I believe all things are possible with God (Mark 10:27). I encourage you to pray for him as well as the coming leader of this country.
I pray for all of you, that God would bless you richly with the hearing of His Word! I am thankful that I can walk alongside those who are interested in the future of the world and this country! I am thankful to be born in this country. I simply pray for repentance as a country, and reconciliation with God. I pray that God would open your hearts and minds, and that He would draw you into deeper fellowship with Himself! I pray that God will bring salvation to all who do not yet know His goodness.
I look forward to future comments from any of you! Please give feedback! It gives me a chance ot know what is on your minds, and to pray accordingly. I will be praying for racial unity in this country, and the dissipation of racism. May God bless you all richly today with peace and joy in the name of Jesus!
His Child,
Sarah
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Hope for Change in America - Unite!
Numbers 14:16-18 (NASB):
"Because the Lord could not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, therefore he slaughtered them in the wilderness. But now I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as you have declared, The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations."
I will be very honest, I am not sure what just happened today in the future of America and in the kingdom of heaven. I am without understanding, but I will trust in the Lord that what He has chosen and decided is His will, and is an answer to prayer. His ways are not our ways, and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts. I continue to see the Lord working above a level that I can comprehend. I do know that the Lord would want me to pray for my new governmental authorities, that they may have wisdom and know Him intimately as their Savior and Lord. I encourage you to pray for our new leadership as well.
My hope and prayer has been that God would turn this country around, but I KNOW the Word says (as shown above) that although God is slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness, if someone continues to commit iniquity (sin), that person will be considered guilty. This is no different for a country such as ours. Not only will our country be found corporately guilty of our sin, He will visit our iniquity on the third and fourth generations. So, our sin as a country will affect the future relationships between our children and God, and the consequences for our sin will be visited on them to the third and fourth generations. When this country began to allow abortion in this country legally, legalized drug use, began cloning animals and humans, doing stem-cell research, and tampering with trying to find the "god-particle" of the universe to explain its evolution from nothing to something....we have begun to be prideful as a country, believing ourselves to be above God's will and commandments. We have sinned greatly as a country, and we will suffer the consequences of our sin AS A COUNTRY. Those of us who believe in God and want to follow His will and commandments can continue to pray for national repentance, but without it, we are deserving of God's righteous wrath. Only His divine mercy and grace will keep us from a much greater tragedy than we have ever seen in this country before. Please continue to pray!
You may be wondering, "Why now?" We have had a lot of unrighteous and abominable presidents, legislators, and judges before. Why get so passionate about THIS election? Well, what I can share with you is that God started showing me and many others a year ago that this election was probably the most important and momentus election in American history. It was not momentus because Obama is African-American, and not because it drew so many voters, but because the result of this election would be the great indicator and sign from God about where this country is headed spiritually. My heart sank when Obama was shown to be victorious simply because God has shown me that McCain was the option that would lead this nation down a smoother path to repentance and godliness. God chose differently, and is allowing us to face the consequences of our sin. He is going to allow this nation to be shaken, and in that, many WILL come to a knowledge of His salvation through Jesus Christ, but all will go through a very difficult time in world history. Even if there is so-called peace and reform, it will not last...it will simply be leading into greater deception of the enemy. Am I saying that Obama is the Anti-Christ? Not at this time. But he very well may be one moves the country toward a place where it will accept an Anti-Christ figure in the world political scene. He is full of hypocrisy and will not take a stand for anything. He is weak and not well-suited for the position of the American presidency, but he won the election by an overwhelming margin. He won the hearts of the people, many of which do not seek God's kingdom and righteousness, but rather believe their own way to be clean and their path to be right in their own eyes.
Proverbs 12:15 (NASB):
"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel."
Proverbs 14:12 (NASB):
"There is a way that seems right to man, But its end is the way of death."
Proverbs 21:2 (NASB):
"Every man's way is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts."
Proverbs 25:26 (NASB):
"Like a trampled spring and a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked."
Proverbs 29:27 (NASB):
"An unjust man is abominable to the righteous, And he who is upright in the way is abominable to the wicked."
Matthew 7:13-14 (NASB):
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it."
Psalm 37:37-39 (NASB):
"Mark the blameless man, and behold the upright; For the man of peace will have posterity. But the transgressors will be altogether destroyed; the posterity of the wicked will be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in time of trouble.
Whatever happens, Christians need to unite under this new government, and be in proper subjection to authority, and shine our Light in the midst of any darkness to glorify Christ! Please do now allow any discouragement or defeat to enter your hearts, but rather be joyful in any tribulation that we may face, because God is using it to work eternal glory in us! God is still great, and His goodness and mercy endures forever! If you feel that this election has not turned out the way you expected, I just encourage you to be hopeful, joyous and patient. Continue to be faithful in prayer, and edify the body of Christ in love, and share the message of hope through the gospel message of Jesus Christ! I love you all, and thank you for your faithfulness and for standing with me in prayer these past 24 hours. God wants unity in the body, and now is a time for us to SHINE!
Hopeful for America,
Sarah
"Because the Lord could not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, therefore he slaughtered them in the wilderness. But now I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as you have declared, The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations."
I will be very honest, I am not sure what just happened today in the future of America and in the kingdom of heaven. I am without understanding, but I will trust in the Lord that what He has chosen and decided is His will, and is an answer to prayer. His ways are not our ways, and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts. I continue to see the Lord working above a level that I can comprehend. I do know that the Lord would want me to pray for my new governmental authorities, that they may have wisdom and know Him intimately as their Savior and Lord. I encourage you to pray for our new leadership as well.
My hope and prayer has been that God would turn this country around, but I KNOW the Word says (as shown above) that although God is slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness, if someone continues to commit iniquity (sin), that person will be considered guilty. This is no different for a country such as ours. Not only will our country be found corporately guilty of our sin, He will visit our iniquity on the third and fourth generations. So, our sin as a country will affect the future relationships between our children and God, and the consequences for our sin will be visited on them to the third and fourth generations. When this country began to allow abortion in this country legally, legalized drug use, began cloning animals and humans, doing stem-cell research, and tampering with trying to find the "god-particle" of the universe to explain its evolution from nothing to something....we have begun to be prideful as a country, believing ourselves to be above God's will and commandments. We have sinned greatly as a country, and we will suffer the consequences of our sin AS A COUNTRY. Those of us who believe in God and want to follow His will and commandments can continue to pray for national repentance, but without it, we are deserving of God's righteous wrath. Only His divine mercy and grace will keep us from a much greater tragedy than we have ever seen in this country before. Please continue to pray!
You may be wondering, "Why now?" We have had a lot of unrighteous and abominable presidents, legislators, and judges before. Why get so passionate about THIS election? Well, what I can share with you is that God started showing me and many others a year ago that this election was probably the most important and momentus election in American history. It was not momentus because Obama is African-American, and not because it drew so many voters, but because the result of this election would be the great indicator and sign from God about where this country is headed spiritually. My heart sank when Obama was shown to be victorious simply because God has shown me that McCain was the option that would lead this nation down a smoother path to repentance and godliness. God chose differently, and is allowing us to face the consequences of our sin. He is going to allow this nation to be shaken, and in that, many WILL come to a knowledge of His salvation through Jesus Christ, but all will go through a very difficult time in world history. Even if there is so-called peace and reform, it will not last...it will simply be leading into greater deception of the enemy. Am I saying that Obama is the Anti-Christ? Not at this time. But he very well may be one moves the country toward a place where it will accept an Anti-Christ figure in the world political scene. He is full of hypocrisy and will not take a stand for anything. He is weak and not well-suited for the position of the American presidency, but he won the election by an overwhelming margin. He won the hearts of the people, many of which do not seek God's kingdom and righteousness, but rather believe their own way to be clean and their path to be right in their own eyes.
Proverbs 12:15 (NASB):
"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel."
Proverbs 14:12 (NASB):
"There is a way that seems right to man, But its end is the way of death."
Proverbs 21:2 (NASB):
"Every man's way is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts."
Proverbs 25:26 (NASB):
"Like a trampled spring and a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked."
Proverbs 29:27 (NASB):
"An unjust man is abominable to the righteous, And he who is upright in the way is abominable to the wicked."
Matthew 7:13-14 (NASB):
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it."
Psalm 37:37-39 (NASB):
"Mark the blameless man, and behold the upright; For the man of peace will have posterity. But the transgressors will be altogether destroyed; the posterity of the wicked will be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in time of trouble.
Whatever happens, Christians need to unite under this new government, and be in proper subjection to authority, and shine our Light in the midst of any darkness to glorify Christ! Please do now allow any discouragement or defeat to enter your hearts, but rather be joyful in any tribulation that we may face, because God is using it to work eternal glory in us! God is still great, and His goodness and mercy endures forever! If you feel that this election has not turned out the way you expected, I just encourage you to be hopeful, joyous and patient. Continue to be faithful in prayer, and edify the body of Christ in love, and share the message of hope through the gospel message of Jesus Christ! I love you all, and thank you for your faithfulness and for standing with me in prayer these past 24 hours. God wants unity in the body, and now is a time for us to SHINE!
Hopeful for America,
Sarah
Lord Have Mercy - Prayer for America
Lord,
My gracious and heavenly Father above, I thank you for your supreme wisdom, and your plan of salvation for everyone to repent and be reconciled with you. I will not question that you have established a new President in our country, and I have acknowledged all day that this would be your decision, and whatever happened, that your will be done. But I ask, Lord, please have mercy on our country. I am now ready for the judgment of this nation to come, knowing that you have allowed us to be moved in that direction. My heart is saddened for all those who will not wake up to their sinfulness without tragedy striking this great nation again. I know that you have ordained this day since before creation, and it is Your great wisdom which will carry us through. Please turn the heart of Barack Obama to you, and show him your greatness. Deliver him from evil, and turn the hearts of Americans back to you. Please use him as your instrument to bring out your plans, whether they be of mercy or wrath. I only ask for Your will. I thank you that you promise those who love You and believe in You that you will never leave us or forsake us, and you will defend your anointed people. May Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Forgive us our trespasses, and deliver us from the evil one. Please be with us in these coming dark times in world history. I pray in the mighty and holy name of Jesus, Amen.
In God's Will,
Sarah
My gracious and heavenly Father above, I thank you for your supreme wisdom, and your plan of salvation for everyone to repent and be reconciled with you. I will not question that you have established a new President in our country, and I have acknowledged all day that this would be your decision, and whatever happened, that your will be done. But I ask, Lord, please have mercy on our country. I am now ready for the judgment of this nation to come, knowing that you have allowed us to be moved in that direction. My heart is saddened for all those who will not wake up to their sinfulness without tragedy striking this great nation again. I know that you have ordained this day since before creation, and it is Your great wisdom which will carry us through. Please turn the heart of Barack Obama to you, and show him your greatness. Deliver him from evil, and turn the hearts of Americans back to you. Please use him as your instrument to bring out your plans, whether they be of mercy or wrath. I only ask for Your will. I thank you that you promise those who love You and believe in You that you will never leave us or forsake us, and you will defend your anointed people. May Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Forgive us our trespasses, and deliver us from the evil one. Please be with us in these coming dark times in world history. I pray in the mighty and holy name of Jesus, Amen.
In God's Will,
Sarah
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
The Salvation of America
Today, in Guam, it is already election day. I submitted my vote for the leadership of this country this morning via email ballot (which is available to overseas military/spouses). I have voted the conviction that God has placed in my heart to vote for a righteous candidate, Senator John McCain and his running mate, Sarah Palin. I am very confident and have great peace with my voting decision. You may be asking "Why are you telling me who you voted for?" I am telling you because the whole world is screaming to vote for Barak Obama, and they are wanting you to do so that they may continue in their sinful lifestyles without any chance of being convicted through an encounter with God's Holy Presence. Since the foundation of this country, and our forefathers intentions to lead this country righteously, we have drifted very far from seeking God's will, and knowing His voice in our leadership. We have allowed abomination after abomination to infect our country through homosexual marriages, legalized abortions, liberal politics, and we are now steadily moving toward the idea of a "one-world economy bailout" which is prophesied in the Bible as being present during the reign of the Anti-Christ. We do not want to vote in a person with a lying spirit to be the next President of the United States. We want to vote for someone who holds true to Christian values and convictions, and is humble enough to allow the Lord to have control over this country that we love!
For those of you non-believers, may God have mercy upon your souls because we are living in dark times, probably some of the darkest this world has ever seen, and we are marching steadily toward the end of the world. Think I am crazy? Read the books of Revelation and Daniel. Ask God to reveal TRUTH to your heart, and to help you discern the times in which you are living. Our country is hypocritical and has become evil to the core. In the Bible, nations were judged that turned their hearts away from God. This country was founded on Christian values, and it has since turned its heart away toward apostasy, while still calling itself righteous and good. This country is headed for judgment, just as many other world powers have been judged for their evil nature. There is still a chance that the Lord will turn away His wrath from us, and forgive us of our great iniquity. He is a God of mercy and truth, and wants the salvation of our souls and this country. He wants to raise us up as a standard of holiness and truth, shining His light into the world, giving all hope who trust in Him. Please pray that the Lord would take control over this coming election, and that He would install over our country a righteous authority. We can no longer be hypocrites, evildoers and workers of iniquity and expect the Lord to continue to extend us grace, favor and mercy. We have enjoyed many years of prosperity and world influence and power, but God can take all that away overnight. He can raise up another to lead, and to guide the world in doing what is right, pure, good, noble and true. I want our country to remain the standard for God's way of living! I want Him to bless our country with prosperity and peace, and to give us back the years the locusts have eaten. I want him to rebuild what has been destroyed, and to proclaim that we are a righteous nation, and that NO weapon formed against us shall prosper! I want Him to show the nation of America the fullness of his grace, glory and favor, and for Him to show the world through us that He is the Lord God Almighty! I pray that He would bring those who oppose His anointed to destruction, but right now, the Lord is not favoring America. The Bible talks about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah for their sin and because the outcry before God's face had grown so great (Genesis 19:13). They were involved in homosexual relations and wickedness, and God heard those who were crying to Him about these wicked people, and He made these two places into a wasteland where nothing could grow or bear fruit again.
Do you think that America is invincible to God's divine judgment and wrath? Do you think that because we halfheartedly sing "God bless America" that God is going to turn away his anger from us for working iniquity? No, He is not going to unless we humble ourselves (AS A NATION STANDING TOGETHER) and begin to pray for God's forgiveness for our great and many sins. Then He will turn away His anger from us and show us mercy, and raise us up again as a nation! Please, I beseech you brethren, children of God....humble yourselves before elections begin tomorrow morning, and PRAY that God would give us righteous leadership. I believe He has raised up Senator McCain and Sarah Palin to do just this. He has raised them up to lead us back into favor and justification as a nation in the eyes of the Lord. Pray that He would pull us back from the edge of being a reprobate country. For God says that He will turn those who have turned away from Him, and continue to blaspheme the Holy Spirit over to a reprobate mind, and apostasy, ending in eternal damnation. The Lord gave us this country, and the Lord can just as easily TAKE IT AWAY.
I am going to start at sundown tonight (about 7 pm, Guam time) to do a complete fast and pray over the elections tomorrow morning--polls opening at 7 am. If you feel compelled and led by the Lord to do so, please join me in fasting and praying over the election tomorrow....that God's will be done in our country, that He lead us into national repentance, and that He would shower upon us His continual mercy and grace! I pray that the Lord would give us more time to repent, and for Him to raise up His body of Christ in this country to stop fearing man, and FEAR GOD! Ask Him to raise up His church in this country and give us strength, power, Presence, and opportunities to share His love and gospel, and our testimonies to His grace on a national level! Pray against the forces of the enemy, and claim this scripture over tomorrow's election:
Isaiah 54:17 (NKJV):
"No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me," Says the Lord."
Pray this scripture, and ask God that he would destroy anything that rises up against His servants. Our righteousness comes from Him alone, but we are given the opportunity and encouragement to take back our country from the strongholds of evil principalities, and take it by FORCE! Raise up and pray with me tomorrow. Join together! God will hear our prayer and answer us in a mighty way! We will be able to stand back and SEE the salvation of the Lord!
Here are some scriptures I encourage you to study and pray about:
2 Chronicles 20:17 (NASB):
"You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem 'Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the Lord is with you."
Ezekiel 3:19 (NASB):
"Yet if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself."
Psalm 7:11-13 (NASB):
"God is a righteous judge, And a God who has indignation every day. If a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword; He has bent His bow and made it ready. He has also prepared for Himself deadly weapons; He makes His arrows fiery shafts."
Ezekiel 33:18-20 (NASB):
"When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, then he shall die in it. But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and practices justice and righteousness, he will live by them. Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not right.' O House of Israel, I will judge each according to His ways."
Psalm 110:5-7 (NASB):
"The Lord is at Your right hand; He will shatter kings in the day of his wrath. He will judge among the nations, He will fill them with corpses, He will shatter the chief men over a broad country. He will drink from the brook by the wayside; Therefore, He will lift up his head."
Romans 13:1 (NASB):
"Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God."
Matthew 11:12 (NASB):
"From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force."
Psalm 85:1-3 (NASB):
"O' Lord, You showed favor to your land; You restored the captivity of Jacob. You forgave the iniquity of Your people; You covered all their sin. Selah. You withdrew all your fury; You turned away from your burning anger."
Lord,
I thank you for your mercy. I thank you for Your gift ot time, and Your wisdom. I thank You for sending prophets into the nations to proclaim Your words, and draw people back to Yourself. Please guide the heart of America to repentance, save our country and raise up Your anointed leaders to restoreus to hope, wealth and prosperity. In Jesus' mighty name I pray, Amen.
His messenger,
Sarah
For those of you non-believers, may God have mercy upon your souls because we are living in dark times, probably some of the darkest this world has ever seen, and we are marching steadily toward the end of the world. Think I am crazy? Read the books of Revelation and Daniel. Ask God to reveal TRUTH to your heart, and to help you discern the times in which you are living. Our country is hypocritical and has become evil to the core. In the Bible, nations were judged that turned their hearts away from God. This country was founded on Christian values, and it has since turned its heart away toward apostasy, while still calling itself righteous and good. This country is headed for judgment, just as many other world powers have been judged for their evil nature. There is still a chance that the Lord will turn away His wrath from us, and forgive us of our great iniquity. He is a God of mercy and truth, and wants the salvation of our souls and this country. He wants to raise us up as a standard of holiness and truth, shining His light into the world, giving all hope who trust in Him. Please pray that the Lord would take control over this coming election, and that He would install over our country a righteous authority. We can no longer be hypocrites, evildoers and workers of iniquity and expect the Lord to continue to extend us grace, favor and mercy. We have enjoyed many years of prosperity and world influence and power, but God can take all that away overnight. He can raise up another to lead, and to guide the world in doing what is right, pure, good, noble and true. I want our country to remain the standard for God's way of living! I want Him to bless our country with prosperity and peace, and to give us back the years the locusts have eaten. I want him to rebuild what has been destroyed, and to proclaim that we are a righteous nation, and that NO weapon formed against us shall prosper! I want Him to show the nation of America the fullness of his grace, glory and favor, and for Him to show the world through us that He is the Lord God Almighty! I pray that He would bring those who oppose His anointed to destruction, but right now, the Lord is not favoring America. The Bible talks about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah for their sin and because the outcry before God's face had grown so great (Genesis 19:13). They were involved in homosexual relations and wickedness, and God heard those who were crying to Him about these wicked people, and He made these two places into a wasteland where nothing could grow or bear fruit again.
Do you think that America is invincible to God's divine judgment and wrath? Do you think that because we halfheartedly sing "God bless America" that God is going to turn away his anger from us for working iniquity? No, He is not going to unless we humble ourselves (AS A NATION STANDING TOGETHER) and begin to pray for God's forgiveness for our great and many sins. Then He will turn away His anger from us and show us mercy, and raise us up again as a nation! Please, I beseech you brethren, children of God....humble yourselves before elections begin tomorrow morning, and PRAY that God would give us righteous leadership. I believe He has raised up Senator McCain and Sarah Palin to do just this. He has raised them up to lead us back into favor and justification as a nation in the eyes of the Lord. Pray that He would pull us back from the edge of being a reprobate country. For God says that He will turn those who have turned away from Him, and continue to blaspheme the Holy Spirit over to a reprobate mind, and apostasy, ending in eternal damnation. The Lord gave us this country, and the Lord can just as easily TAKE IT AWAY.
I am going to start at sundown tonight (about 7 pm, Guam time) to do a complete fast and pray over the elections tomorrow morning--polls opening at 7 am. If you feel compelled and led by the Lord to do so, please join me in fasting and praying over the election tomorrow....that God's will be done in our country, that He lead us into national repentance, and that He would shower upon us His continual mercy and grace! I pray that the Lord would give us more time to repent, and for Him to raise up His body of Christ in this country to stop fearing man, and FEAR GOD! Ask Him to raise up His church in this country and give us strength, power, Presence, and opportunities to share His love and gospel, and our testimonies to His grace on a national level! Pray against the forces of the enemy, and claim this scripture over tomorrow's election:
Isaiah 54:17 (NKJV):
"No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me," Says the Lord."
Pray this scripture, and ask God that he would destroy anything that rises up against His servants. Our righteousness comes from Him alone, but we are given the opportunity and encouragement to take back our country from the strongholds of evil principalities, and take it by FORCE! Raise up and pray with me tomorrow. Join together! God will hear our prayer and answer us in a mighty way! We will be able to stand back and SEE the salvation of the Lord!
Here are some scriptures I encourage you to study and pray about:
2 Chronicles 20:17 (NASB):
"You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem 'Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the Lord is with you."
Ezekiel 3:19 (NASB):
"Yet if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself."
Psalm 7:11-13 (NASB):
"God is a righteous judge, And a God who has indignation every day. If a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword; He has bent His bow and made it ready. He has also prepared for Himself deadly weapons; He makes His arrows fiery shafts."
Ezekiel 33:18-20 (NASB):
"When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, then he shall die in it. But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and practices justice and righteousness, he will live by them. Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not right.' O House of Israel, I will judge each according to His ways."
Psalm 110:5-7 (NASB):
"The Lord is at Your right hand; He will shatter kings in the day of his wrath. He will judge among the nations, He will fill them with corpses, He will shatter the chief men over a broad country. He will drink from the brook by the wayside; Therefore, He will lift up his head."
Romans 13:1 (NASB):
"Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God."
Matthew 11:12 (NASB):
"From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force."
Psalm 85:1-3 (NASB):
"O' Lord, You showed favor to your land; You restored the captivity of Jacob. You forgave the iniquity of Your people; You covered all their sin. Selah. You withdrew all your fury; You turned away from your burning anger."
Lord,
I thank you for your mercy. I thank you for Your gift ot time, and Your wisdom. I thank You for sending prophets into the nations to proclaim Your words, and draw people back to Yourself. Please guide the heart of America to repentance, save our country and raise up Your anointed leaders to restoreus to hope, wealth and prosperity. In Jesus' mighty name I pray, Amen.
His messenger,
Sarah
Monday, November 3, 2008
God Restores Relationships!
Good morning, my dear friends, family and even strangers! Grace, peace and joy to you this morning in the name of Jesus! I woke up this morning at 4:30 am. As you may have read in prior posts, the Lord begun asking me to rise while it is still dark and meet with Him to pray, and read His Word. He originally gave me a time of 5:00 am, but I struggled to get up every day and meet with Him, so I asked Him for wisdom. He told me to get up at 4:00am instead. Amazingly, I have had better success getting up at 4am than 5am. That is the wisdom of God, above and beyond anything we can comprehend. This morning, my son awoke early and had trouble going back to sleep...I woke up completely with him fussing. Then he peacefully nodded off, and a few minutes later, my alarm went off. God had helped me by allowing my son to be fussy to get me out of bed this morning. Here it is 5:38am and I am already having a wonderful day, having spent time with God already!
I want to share this morning that my God is a God of restoration. He is a God of mercy and compassion and lovingkindness. He is able to guide His children to make peace with one another. As I had written...I lied to my friend and had avoided her, then the Lord convicted me of my sin, and I repented and asked for her forgiveness. It is always hard to be in the position where you are relying on the mercy and grace of another to restore and maintain a relationship. I guess, in a way, all relationships require humility before others and being dependent on the good being present in their lives. I was anxious to hear whether my friend would indeed forgive me, or if she was going to stay angry with me. She has been a God-fearing Christian woman for mostly all her life, but we can all have times of being unforgiving and angry in our flesh. She certainly had every right to be upset. But instead, by the Spirit of the merciful God that lives in her, she wrote me a beautiful message yesterday. She simply told me how she understood what was going on, and that she loved me and missed being with me. It brought tears to my eyes, and I couldn't wait to see her at church yesterday.
I went up to her, threw my arms around her and just told her how much I loved her and appreciated her friendship and forgiveness. We hugged several more times during the course of the night, and it was just amazing how God can take something that my enemy intended for evil, and work it for good once again. If anything, our friendship now has a stronger bond than it did before. Praise God! Here is what God says:
Romans 8:28 (NKJV):
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
What Satan intended for evil, division and destruction, God turned into a glorious and deeper friendship between two of His children. This is a God who is not out to kill, steal and destroy, as our enemy is, but a God who wishes to reconcile, restore, and bring peace to the world through His Son Jesus Christ. He will come and pour out His wrath upon the wicked who refuse to acknowledge Him and His sacrifice for their sins, but this will be the choice of those people to reject the truth. It is not because He is an angry or vengeful God. It is simply because He is a God of justice in the highest regard. I encourage you today to ask God to show you His mercy and His tenderness, and ask Him to restore those things unto you which have been divided, broken, lost or damaged. Ask Him to show you that He is the God of restoration, and if He has not yet restored your soul unto salvation, ask Him to save you today. He is faithful to His Word, and will forgive you of all your sins...and you will experience peace with God, and abundant life. He will restore unto you what the locusts have eaten.
Joel 2:25-26 (NASB):
"Then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust, My great army which I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; Then my people will never be put to shame."
Even what the enemy has seemingly destroyed, God can work for good, and cause it to be restored unto you. We simply must trust God and put our faith in Him, and seek Him first, and all these things will be added unto us. This is the word of the Lord that He has put in my heart today. May God bless you all with restoration and truth in your lives. Praise the God who is the lover of your soul, and your salvation!
Under His mighty wing,
Sarah
I want to share this morning that my God is a God of restoration. He is a God of mercy and compassion and lovingkindness. He is able to guide His children to make peace with one another. As I had written...I lied to my friend and had avoided her, then the Lord convicted me of my sin, and I repented and asked for her forgiveness. It is always hard to be in the position where you are relying on the mercy and grace of another to restore and maintain a relationship. I guess, in a way, all relationships require humility before others and being dependent on the good being present in their lives. I was anxious to hear whether my friend would indeed forgive me, or if she was going to stay angry with me. She has been a God-fearing Christian woman for mostly all her life, but we can all have times of being unforgiving and angry in our flesh. She certainly had every right to be upset. But instead, by the Spirit of the merciful God that lives in her, she wrote me a beautiful message yesterday. She simply told me how she understood what was going on, and that she loved me and missed being with me. It brought tears to my eyes, and I couldn't wait to see her at church yesterday.
I went up to her, threw my arms around her and just told her how much I loved her and appreciated her friendship and forgiveness. We hugged several more times during the course of the night, and it was just amazing how God can take something that my enemy intended for evil, and work it for good once again. If anything, our friendship now has a stronger bond than it did before. Praise God! Here is what God says:
Romans 8:28 (NKJV):
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
What Satan intended for evil, division and destruction, God turned into a glorious and deeper friendship between two of His children. This is a God who is not out to kill, steal and destroy, as our enemy is, but a God who wishes to reconcile, restore, and bring peace to the world through His Son Jesus Christ. He will come and pour out His wrath upon the wicked who refuse to acknowledge Him and His sacrifice for their sins, but this will be the choice of those people to reject the truth. It is not because He is an angry or vengeful God. It is simply because He is a God of justice in the highest regard. I encourage you today to ask God to show you His mercy and His tenderness, and ask Him to restore those things unto you which have been divided, broken, lost or damaged. Ask Him to show you that He is the God of restoration, and if He has not yet restored your soul unto salvation, ask Him to save you today. He is faithful to His Word, and will forgive you of all your sins...and you will experience peace with God, and abundant life. He will restore unto you what the locusts have eaten.
Joel 2:25-26 (NASB):
"Then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust, My great army which I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; Then my people will never be put to shame."
Even what the enemy has seemingly destroyed, God can work for good, and cause it to be restored unto you. We simply must trust God and put our faith in Him, and seek Him first, and all these things will be added unto us. This is the word of the Lord that He has put in my heart today. May God bless you all with restoration and truth in your lives. Praise the God who is the lover of your soul, and your salvation!
Under His mighty wing,
Sarah
Sunday, November 2, 2008
FREEDOM in Christ!
Ephesians 4:1-5 (NASB):
"Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all in all. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift."
I can say today that I, like Paul, am a prisoner of the Lord. But, being a prisoner of the Lord is nothing like being a prisoner in the world's perspective. Being a prisoner of the Lord simply means following His commands, being obedient to His leading, and allowing Him alone to direct my path...in contrast to allowing men to make me captive. Being a prisoner of the Lord gives me FREEDOM in my life. For we can only have one master, and in this case, we can serve man or we can serve God. We can fear man, or we can fear God.
John 8:36 (NKJV):
"Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."
Galatians 5:1 (NKJV):
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage."
God took me on a spiritual ride today. I have some friends who have recently changed church services, although we are all ONE body -- the body of Christ. They have been inviting my family to visit their church since they began to attend, and my husband and I have kept it in our minds and awaited the prompting of the Lord as to whether we should go. Yesterday, I was driving my car, listening to a Christian broadcasting program and I heard the Lord say "I want you to go to Harvest Baptist tomorrow. " It was clear and concise and I knew it was God speaking, so I told my husband and asked if we could go. He decided to stay home but gave me permission to take the children and attend today. I went...not knowing what the Lord had for me, and if he was going to use this time/visit to lead us to a change in services. Frankly, I did not know why I was going, except the Lord had spoken to go. '
I arrived at the church, and it was bigger than I was used to, but very nice. The children went off to children's church and nursery respectively, and I took a seat with my friends in the balcony. The music was different than I was used to, but very pleasing and honoring, worshipping the Lord. There was a massive group of people singing, and there were brothers and sisters playing instruments. Everyone sang in unison and in tune with one another. There was great accordance with one another. There was no loud praising, or shouting, or dancing, or the word "Hallelujah" which can be heard at our services regularly...but I remembered God's Word telling me to be all things to all men. As the music was playing, I heard "This is not where I have called you, but I brought you hear to speak to you." God is always mysterious, but this got my attention. As the Word was preached out of Matthew, I began to realize that sometimes, God takes us to a new place so He can speak to our hearts in a fresh new way. God needed to get me out of my home church for a service, so He could transform my heart by His Word for service at my home church. All in all, I got fed spiritually at this new, different church. God said to me also that all churches that believe in Him and His gospel are His houses, and He can choose to speak through any of them. We are all one body of Christ, and He can use different places and different people to speak to our hearts in fresh, new ways. Today, this was exactly the breakthrough I needed, and it was from a place I never imagined....but it proves that God is everywhere, and He can speak in any way He chooses. He is the Sovereign Lord, and when we think we know how He is, He shows us a new part of His wonderful character.
He spoke to me first about my finances and being a good steward of money, rather than serving it. It was spoken that we should serve God and use money, not serve money and use God. This really spoke to my heart, and restored me to right thinking as finances can be a problematic area of my walk with Christ. Christ is teaching me righteous stewardship in all areas of my life. But God wasn't done with me yet! He went on to speak about how a wife/mother can become overly burdened with household duties and taking care of the family and can forget to prioritize life where God is above all else. I have fallen into this snare as well. God says we should seek FIRST His kingdom and His righteousness, and He will add everything else unto us (Matthew 6:33). I have become so overly stressed about meeting everyone's expectations that it has taken a heavy toll on my relationship with God. It has made me tired and even feeling a little "burned out." I have sinned in the process, felt distant with God, and hurt those around me. I have not done much good lately, although God has made it evidently clear through others' words that He has continued to minister to their hearts through me even in my pit of darkness. Praise God because it proves that it is NOT ME that is doing it, but Him. I can be dysfunctional in my life, and He is still faithful to complete His work through me in others' lives. Amen and Amen! Anyway, God spoke one final word to me at the end of the sermon. He said clearly to me "All I want from you is for you to seek me first (before the sunrise) and I will take care of everything else. This is your #1 priority in life right now." He set me STRAIGHT. And I once again have great peace and joy. I came home transformed in my heart because of the Word of God...again. Praise the Lord!
I, for one, am thankful that God is ever changing and mysterious in all His ways. Who can know the heart of God, except He reveals it supernaturally to our finite minds and hearts. I thank God for His supreme wisdom, and His beautiful guiding voice that leads us down the straight paths that He has laid out before us. I thank Him for taking me to an unknown place to deliver me from anxiety, cares of the world, and fear of man. He is truly an awesome God, and He is worthy of all honor, glory and praise! Today, I will praise the Lord because He has restored unto me the joy of my salvation, and peace that surpasses all understanding. He has shown me the way which I should go, and He has assured me that I need not worry about tomorrow, for today has enough trouble of its own.
Thank you all for reading this blog today, and may God bless you richly with the hearing of His Word! I pray that you would be discerning in whatever messages you are listening to from God, to check them against the Holy Word, and to give feedback on anything you find not to be scriptural. Please do this with me to sharpen me, so that I may be used in a fuller way by God to serve you, and preach His Word to set you free from your own anxieties and strongholds! I pray that your soul be resting securely in the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that you would cast your cares at His feet today and all Him to carry the burden of your sins. God bless you, in Jesus' name, Amen.
Set Free by Christ,
Sarah
"Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all in all. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift."
I can say today that I, like Paul, am a prisoner of the Lord. But, being a prisoner of the Lord is nothing like being a prisoner in the world's perspective. Being a prisoner of the Lord simply means following His commands, being obedient to His leading, and allowing Him alone to direct my path...in contrast to allowing men to make me captive. Being a prisoner of the Lord gives me FREEDOM in my life. For we can only have one master, and in this case, we can serve man or we can serve God. We can fear man, or we can fear God.
John 8:36 (NKJV):
"Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."
Galatians 5:1 (NKJV):
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage."
God took me on a spiritual ride today. I have some friends who have recently changed church services, although we are all ONE body -- the body of Christ. They have been inviting my family to visit their church since they began to attend, and my husband and I have kept it in our minds and awaited the prompting of the Lord as to whether we should go. Yesterday, I was driving my car, listening to a Christian broadcasting program and I heard the Lord say "I want you to go to Harvest Baptist tomorrow. " It was clear and concise and I knew it was God speaking, so I told my husband and asked if we could go. He decided to stay home but gave me permission to take the children and attend today. I went...not knowing what the Lord had for me, and if he was going to use this time/visit to lead us to a change in services. Frankly, I did not know why I was going, except the Lord had spoken to go. '
I arrived at the church, and it was bigger than I was used to, but very nice. The children went off to children's church and nursery respectively, and I took a seat with my friends in the balcony. The music was different than I was used to, but very pleasing and honoring, worshipping the Lord. There was a massive group of people singing, and there were brothers and sisters playing instruments. Everyone sang in unison and in tune with one another. There was great accordance with one another. There was no loud praising, or shouting, or dancing, or the word "Hallelujah" which can be heard at our services regularly...but I remembered God's Word telling me to be all things to all men. As the music was playing, I heard "This is not where I have called you, but I brought you hear to speak to you." God is always mysterious, but this got my attention. As the Word was preached out of Matthew, I began to realize that sometimes, God takes us to a new place so He can speak to our hearts in a fresh new way. God needed to get me out of my home church for a service, so He could transform my heart by His Word for service at my home church. All in all, I got fed spiritually at this new, different church. God said to me also that all churches that believe in Him and His gospel are His houses, and He can choose to speak through any of them. We are all one body of Christ, and He can use different places and different people to speak to our hearts in fresh, new ways. Today, this was exactly the breakthrough I needed, and it was from a place I never imagined....but it proves that God is everywhere, and He can speak in any way He chooses. He is the Sovereign Lord, and when we think we know how He is, He shows us a new part of His wonderful character.
He spoke to me first about my finances and being a good steward of money, rather than serving it. It was spoken that we should serve God and use money, not serve money and use God. This really spoke to my heart, and restored me to right thinking as finances can be a problematic area of my walk with Christ. Christ is teaching me righteous stewardship in all areas of my life. But God wasn't done with me yet! He went on to speak about how a wife/mother can become overly burdened with household duties and taking care of the family and can forget to prioritize life where God is above all else. I have fallen into this snare as well. God says we should seek FIRST His kingdom and His righteousness, and He will add everything else unto us (Matthew 6:33). I have become so overly stressed about meeting everyone's expectations that it has taken a heavy toll on my relationship with God. It has made me tired and even feeling a little "burned out." I have sinned in the process, felt distant with God, and hurt those around me. I have not done much good lately, although God has made it evidently clear through others' words that He has continued to minister to their hearts through me even in my pit of darkness. Praise God because it proves that it is NOT ME that is doing it, but Him. I can be dysfunctional in my life, and He is still faithful to complete His work through me in others' lives. Amen and Amen! Anyway, God spoke one final word to me at the end of the sermon. He said clearly to me "All I want from you is for you to seek me first (before the sunrise) and I will take care of everything else. This is your #1 priority in life right now." He set me STRAIGHT. And I once again have great peace and joy. I came home transformed in my heart because of the Word of God...again. Praise the Lord!
I, for one, am thankful that God is ever changing and mysterious in all His ways. Who can know the heart of God, except He reveals it supernaturally to our finite minds and hearts. I thank God for His supreme wisdom, and His beautiful guiding voice that leads us down the straight paths that He has laid out before us. I thank Him for taking me to an unknown place to deliver me from anxiety, cares of the world, and fear of man. He is truly an awesome God, and He is worthy of all honor, glory and praise! Today, I will praise the Lord because He has restored unto me the joy of my salvation, and peace that surpasses all understanding. He has shown me the way which I should go, and He has assured me that I need not worry about tomorrow, for today has enough trouble of its own.
Thank you all for reading this blog today, and may God bless you richly with the hearing of His Word! I pray that you would be discerning in whatever messages you are listening to from God, to check them against the Holy Word, and to give feedback on anything you find not to be scriptural. Please do this with me to sharpen me, so that I may be used in a fuller way by God to serve you, and preach His Word to set you free from your own anxieties and strongholds! I pray that your soul be resting securely in the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that you would cast your cares at His feet today and all Him to carry the burden of your sins. God bless you, in Jesus' name, Amen.
Set Free by Christ,
Sarah
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