God Bless America!!

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." Written in Congress, July 4, 1776

I love this quote from the Declaration of Independence. It says so much about how we as Americans got our start and what our forefathers wanted for Americans. One thing that stands out to me is the reference to the "Creator". No one can deny that our country was founded by Believers and that freedom of religion was important to them. I love this about my country. We are so blessed to live in the United States of America, even with the trials our economy and government are going through.

This weekend we'll celebrate America's birthday in the traditional American way....barbecue (and it's oh so good in Texas!), fellowship with friends and family, homemade ice cream, flags flying, fireworks (if the weather is ok), and prayers for our country and military. You should join me in praying for our country and military this weekend too! I mean, you have the freedom to pray whenever you want. (-:

God Bless America, land that I love!

Stand beside her, and guide her,

thru the night with a light from above!

By the Spirit of the Lord!

Zachariah 4:6 "not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit" says the Lord Almighty.

I can't do it. I've tried. Every day I try. I try more now that I ever have. I really want to do it, but I can't. Each day I express an attitude not pleasing to the Lord.

For the last several months I've been reading and studying "Lord, Change My Attitude" by James MacDonald with my Bible study friend. I have loved this study, but it has stepped all over my feet! This study taught me that I'm not as content as I should be; and, I'm not as merciful as I should be; and, I'm not as forgiving as I should be. I complain when I shouldn't and I not as grateful to God as I should be. It has really bugged me that after walking the the Lord for so many years that I still have struggles with my attitude.

I was listening to a CD by the Mwangaza Kid's Choir one day, and before one of the songs Zachariah 4:6 is recited. "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord Almighty". I realized that is the key to my attitude adjustments. I am trying to do it in my power and not in the Lord's power. You see, I need God's help in my life. Without Him leading me, there's no since in me even trying.

So, what am I going to do about my attitude problems. Well, I'm going to ask God to forgive me. I'm going to pick up His Word and hide it in my heart more often. I'm going to pray more and ask for His help and His guidance. AND, I'm going to listen to the Holy Spirit directing me and not try to do win this battle with my power and my might!

Will I get rid of my attitude problems? NO! If I was honest with you right now I would tell you I have an attitude about going to do laundry after I finish this blog update. (-: We are imperfect people. We are sinners. I will never live free of bad attitudes. But I can get better through God's help.

God, thank you for forgiving me and for guiding me. Please help me to be a good listener to You.

Submission...It Isn't All That Bad!

What do you think of when you think of the word "submission"? At first, I thought of an inferior position or working for someone else or under someone else's rules. Honestly, "submission" did not have a happy appeal to me. And if you want me to really be honest with you, I thought about submitting to my husband as it says in the Bible in Ephesians 5:22-24 and I wrinkled up my nose at the thought of it! Why? Why would I have this attitude towards the man I married and towards God's Word?

Let's go back to Genesis 3 and take a look at Adam and Eve.
Genesis 3:1-6 Now the serpent was the shrewdest of all the creatures the Lord God had made. "Really?" he asked the woman. "Did God really say you must not eat of any of the fruit in the garden?"
"Of course we may eat it," the woman told him. "It's only the fruit from the tree at the center of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God says we must not eat it or even touch it, or we will die."
"You won't die!" the serpent hissed. "God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it. You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil."
The woman was convinced. The fruit looked so fresh and delicious, and it would make her so wise! So she ate some of the fruit. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. Then he ate it, too. At that moment, their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness.

That Satan. He is always lieing to us!! It started in the beginning, and it continues until today. I believe this is one of the main reasons we do not submit and we chose to rebel. We believe the lies of the evil one. I think sometimes we forget that the Bible says God has great plans for us, and if we obey Him we will reap blessings upon blessings. God does not give us rules to follow not to keep stuff from us, but yet to bless us with a wonderful life. And Satan loves to distract us from those blessings. We are enemies with Satan because we are children of the King of Kings. Satan does not like us and we need to stop believing his lies.

Here are some scriptures I pulled up on submission:

• James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
• 1 Peter 2:13 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men.
• Job 22:21 Submit to God and be at peace with Him. In this way prosperity will come to you.

You know, submission is NOT bad for us. Submission when walking with the Lord is like living under an umbrella held by God. Submission simply allows God to bless us and protect us. I mean, I sure want to submit and have the devil flee from me. And I sure want my life to be lived "for the Lord's sake". And of course, I want to be at peace with God and obtain that prosperity talked about in Job.

Lord, forgive me for when I have not submitted to You and when I have not submitted to others. Lord, help me be more like Mary when she said in Luke 1:29, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said." I know Your plan for me is good, and I submit to that plan!

Rebellion

Numbers 16:2 "They incited a rebellion against Moses"


Have you ever rebelled against something? I have. I've rebelled against my parents when I was young and as an adult. There were things that my parents told me not to do when I was growing up, but I did them anyway. I ended up hurt and my parents ended up disappointed.


I also rebelled against authority one time in my Chevy Camero. It was fun to begin with, and I won the race, but the fine I had to pay after I got a ticket wasn't so fun.


I've also rebelled against God. I've chosen to rationalize situations and follow my own direction, rather than listening to the Holy Spirit. Seemed ok to begin with, but it didn't end up well.


Why do we rebel? What is in us that makes that rebellion show up? Why can't we just listen to the wise people in our lives, or event the Wisest One, and do what is best for us and those around us? There are many reasons we might rebel...pride, jealously, ungratefulness, stubbornness, distrust. Ultimately, we rebel out of our sinful nature. Also, we are enemies with Satan. He doesn't like us because we are children of the King of Kings, the one that has condemned him to the eternal lake of fire. (Isaiah 14:12-16 and Ezekiel 28:11-19). Because of that, Satan is always trying to get us to rebel. He tells us lies. This has gone on since the beginning. You can read the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3 and see what happened to them in their rebellion. And there's also Jonah which you can read about in Jonah 3:10-44. He also rebelled. And quite honestly, there's a lot of rebellion stories in the Bible. I'm trying to find out one that ended well for the person that rebelled, but honestly, I can't find one.


Rebellion is knowing but not doing the will of God. It is serious. It exists in every human heart. In numbers 16 we read the story about some men rising up against God's chosen leader, Moses. God had placed Moses in the leadership position, and if you remember correctly, Moses didn't want the position. He was very humble and told God he wasn't the man for the job. The Bible even says that Mose was the most humble person that had ever lived. And even though God placed him in that leadership position, and God had used him to lead the people out of slavery, the people still chose to rise up against Moses.


What do you think about that? What do you think God's position on this rebellion was? Do you think God was offended? Here's His response according to Numbers 16:21, "Get away from these people so that I may instantly destroy them." YIKES!!! You see, rebellion is ultimately against God. Romans 13:1 states that God has established all authorities. If we are rebelling against authority, we are ultimately rebelling against God.


On a side note, what do you think Moses did about the rebellion against him? Well, if you would have asked me before I read the story I would have guessed he became angry with them and launched an attack against them. I mean, since God had chosen him to be the leader, and after all he had been through for the people, and now they are rebelling! Seriously?!?!? I would imagine he would have opened up a can of whooping on them! So, you can imagine how amazed I am when I read Numbers 16:22-49. Moses actually fell on his face in prayer for the people. He begged God not to destroy them and actually had Aaron burn incense to atone for their sins. Amazing. That Moses. He really understood forgiveness and grace and mercy.


So, are there areas of rebellion in your life? Do you rebel against the authority in your life? The government? The police? Your Pastor? Your husband? Your parents? God wants what is best for His children. He sets up rules for us not because He wants to deny us joy, but because He wants to give us joy. Doesn't every good parent do the same?


I'm so grateful to God that he forgives me for my rebellion and that He is molding me to be more submissive each day. What an amazing God we have!!! Praise you Jesus!

Be Sure Of What You Hope For

Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

Hebrews gives us a pretty straight forward definition of faith. Faith is being SURE of what we hope for and CERTAIN of what we do not see. Are you sure of what you hope for? Are you certain of what you do not see?

I believe that if a I enter the bills I need to pay into my bank's bill pay system, then my bills will be paid. I have faith in that bill pay system. I also believe that if I am out of town for a few days, that my husband will take care of my kids while I'm away. I have faith in my husband. You see, we tend to ACT on what we believe.

I have really enjoyed reading the book, "Lord, Change My Attitude" by James MacDonald and learning how I can improve my attitude. His writings on faith are wonderful. But honestly, I can't talk about faith and having true faith without thinking of Lee Strobel and his books, "The Case For Faith" and "The Case For Christ". You see, Lee didn't start out with faith in God. As a matter of fact, he started out as an atheist. He actually set out to prove that Jesus was not the Savior of the world and in the process he became a Christian. Lee is a well educated man and after much research this is what he writes in his book:

"As someone educated in journalism and law, I was trained to respond to the facts, wherever they lead. For me, the data demonstrated convincingly that Jesus is the Son of God who died as my substitute to pay the penalty I deserve for the wrongdoing I had committed."

On November 8, 1981 Lee Strobel asked Jesus for help and became a Christian. He further states in his book, "There were no lighting bolts, or audible replies, no tingly sensations." Simple as that, Lee became a Christian. And then what did he do, he ACTED on his faith. He wrote some books and began telling others of his faith and what he had discovered when he researched Jesus.

Faith is not anti-intellectual. Faith is not escapism. Faith is not "mind science". Faith is an ACTIVE belief in God. It is confidence in God's Word. One with faith not only believes for them self, but also tells others of their belief.

And how important is faith? Faith isn't just a part of the Christian life, it's the whole thing! Check out Hebrews 11 to find out what God thinks about faith.... more specifically 11:1 and 11:6

Do you have FAITH in God? Have you told Jesus that you need Him as your Savior? It seems so complicated but it is really easy. No lighting bolts will strike, no tingly feelings.....just asking Him to be your Savior and then living by FAITH in Him is the key.

If you're still doubtful that Jesus is the Savior, then I suggest you do what Lee Strobel did. Research. Go read for yourself. I think you will find it takes more faith to not believe in Jesus than faith to believe in Jesus.

And if you are confident in your faith, how you acting? Do your actions confirm your faith?

Lord, help me to walk in faith and not in my flesh.

Doubt

In the last several months I've had the opportunity to read about how God led Moses and the people of Israel out of slavery and towards the Promised Land. God was faithful to them. He not only took them out of slavery, but He parted the Red Sea doing it! Then, He covers them with a cloud for protection, and of course provides food and water for them. In my mind God left these people with no room to doubt Him.

I also think about the disciples of Jesus. They had spent so much time with Him. They had seen the miracles. They knew Lazareth was raised from the dead. They had seen a little bit of fish and bread feed thousands of people. There was no room left for them to doubt that He was indeed the Savior.

So what do the disciples and the chosen people of Israel have in common? What did they do even though the proof was shown to them over and over? They doubted. They chose not be believe and they doubted. In Numbers 13 and 14 we read how the Israelites said they couldn't go and conquer the land because the people living there were too big. Too big for God? Really? Seriously, that's what they thought? Read it for yourself in Numbers 13:31. And while your in the Bible, read in the New Testament about "Doubting Thomas" in John 20: 19-29.

Doubt is the absence of faith. It is a lack of confidence or assurance that God will keep His promises. So why do we doubt? Fear, anger, withdrawal, bitterness, not having the facts. All these could cause doubt. But one thing is for sure, doubt is contagious. Numbers 14:1-2 states how the Israelites reacted after they listened to the doubters. They started complaining and were anxious about their future.

Is doubting a problem for you? Sometimes it is for me. Sometimes I have to actively quote scripture from the Bible to remind myself of God's promises for me. Doubt is not only destructive for those around me, but it can be debilitating for me. It can certainly lead me down the wrong path, a path that God does not want me to go.

Below is what I think are some common doubting issues we face, AND some scripture to fight these doubts:

1. I am worried about my future. (health, employment, marriage, children) JEREMIAH 29:11 "FOR I KNOW MY PLANS FOR YOU DECLARES THE LORD. PLANS TO PROSPER YOU AND NOT TO HARM YOU, PLANS TO GIVE YOU HOPE AND A FUTURE"

2. I am worried about my finances. (MATTHEW 6:26 "LOOK AT THE BIRDS OF THE AIR; THEY DO NOT SOW OR REAP OR STORE AWAY IN BARNS, AND YET YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER FEEDS THEM. ARE YOU NOT MUCH MORE VALUABLE THAN THEY?"

3. I worry about my eternity. (JOHN 3:16 "FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE." and LUKE 1:4 "SO THAT YOU MAY KNOW THE CERTAINTY OF THE THINGS YOU HAVE BEEN TAUGHT."

4. I doubt I am seen as beautiful or worthy. (PSALM 139:14 "I PRAISE YOU BECAUSE I AM FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE.")

All We Need Is Love...God's Love

John 13:34-35 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so must you love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another"


Have you ever been in a situation where someone has offended you? If you haven't then I would say you're a hermit and you need to get out more! It's hard to be in any relationship without going through some pain at some point. Heck, sometimes you don't even have to be in a relationship. Just drive your car down Highway 281 in San Antonio during rush hour and I'm sure you will get the opportunity to be offended!!! So, what do we do in these circumstances? Or maybe I should say, what SHOULD we do in these circumstances? It is so easy to start pointing the finger at the other person's faults when difficult situations appear. I've noticed that if I really think I'm right, I take it upon myself to correct the other person. I try very politely to convenience them they were wrong. And honestly, I do that without asking God what I should do.


Recently I was approached at church by another church member. The other church member began telling me she didn't like a particular event we have at our church. Unfortunately, she didn't know the event she was criticizing was the event that I coordinate. While she spoke about how awful the event was, my blood began boiling. How in the world could this Christian woman criticize an event at our church and one she admittedly said she had not been to in a couple of years?!?!? AND, if she thought it could improve why didn't she volunteer to help! AND, how awful that she is being so critical of a church event and so vocal about it. What if the non-believers or new comers to our church heard her!?!?! I asked God what I was supposed to say to her to correct her in love, and you know how He responded? He said, "Just love her."


WHAT?!!?!! JUST LOVE HER!??!?! Are you serious, Lord? I'm right on this one! She shouldn't be talking this way and you want me to just LOVE her? Doesn't she know how many hours I put into this event each year? Shouldn't I tell her a thing or two? Just love her? Ok, just love her. So, I replied to the woman, "Thanks for your comments. I'm so sorry to hear that. I'll be sure to pass your comments along and maybe some changes will be made. I pray you have a blessed day!"


That was hard for me to do, but it was the right thing to do. It didn't provoke a fight. It didn't leave her upset at me.


God is our Heavenly Father and the author of love. The Bible even refers to to him as being love. God is love. (1 John 4:8) And God clearly states in His Word that we are to love others. And I'm noticing that it doesn't say we we are to love only those that are nice to us. Matthew 5: 43 - 48 is clear that we are to love our enemies and pray for them! And if you want to dig in your Bible and find out more on love, you must read 1 John, particularly chapters 2 - 4.


I love what John 13: 34-35 says. We will be know by our love for others. NOT we will be known for how we correct others or criticize others.....just love for others. I don't know about you, but I want to be known as a Christian. I want others to see me and think of my Heavenly Father. It's not easy to love others, but if we allow the Holy Spirit to fill our lives and we listen to God and do what He says, He will get the glory and we will avoid all kinds of troubles!


By the way, in my conversation with that nice lady that was criticizing my church program, I did get the opportunity to tell her I coordinated the event when I was loving on her as God instructed me to do. Oh, the look on her face was priceless, and because I was obedient to God and loved on her instead of telling her a thing or two, do you know she actually said she would considering coming to one of my events. Wow! To God be the glory for that! If I would have said what I wanted to say, she probably would have left the church!! (-: God is so good!


Do you want to know how to love others? Well, read good old 1 Corinthians 13. I'm sure you've heard it before, but read it again. Read it slowly and think about each word. Let God show you how you can improve on loving others!