The Helmet of Salvation..what is that??

The Whole Armor of God

10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we[a] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.[b] 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.[c]17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. (Ephesians 6:10-18 NLT)

What a great passage written by Paul. How are you with putting on this armor everyday? It is so vital to be conscious of this. I felt the Lord telling me to expound on the helmet of salvation today, so that's what I'm going to focus on. But if you want to go into an in-depth study on the armor of God then you have to do the one by Priscilla Shirer. God gave her so much wisdom about it and she teaches it in such a way that it is easy to understand and very relatable to life today. Check it out here.

As for the helmet of salvation, God has made it so real to me that I had to share it with you. 

You see, when life throws us a curve ball (or maybe several) and we feel that anxiety settling in, we tend to turn inward. We worry more, try to figure it out, and unfortunately become self-focused. This is what the enemy wants. He wants you focused on the problem, and not just the problem, your problem. Yours. Not the homeless man on the street corner's problem, but YOUR problem. 
So #1 he gets you focused on yourself and your problem.
#2 he starts whispering lies into your mind: "look at what God let happen to you," or "look at what your spouse did to you, they don't love you, you deserve better.." 
Do you see that? SELF focused and LIES.  This is how the enemy works, so the Holy Spirit gave us some instructions on how to stand firm against these strategies of the devil. (And how to deflect those curveballs with a helmet.)

The helmet of salvation is an invisible helmet that we put on our head to protect our mind from the voice of the enemy. The reason why it is called the helmet of salvation is because when our mind is covered with salvation, the enemy cannot get through. 

When you think of your salvation, what comes to mind? 
For me, I am so thankful for God's salvation and mercy on me that I cannot think about it without getting overcome. To imagine Jesus on the cross bleeding, suffering and being covered in MY SIN, makes me want to cry and fall on my face.  I can't believe He saw me worthy enough to die for. I can't believe He wanted to take my sins upon himself and pay the death penalty for them. For ME. It just blows my mind. That love and sacrifice is beyond what anyone else would ever do for me. So when I put on the helmet of salvation I am putting on a mindset of humility, thankfulness and victory all at once. I am putting on salvation.  If even the faintest evil whisper tries to enter in saying "God doesn't love you, look what He allowed to happen.." then it gets SLAMMED down so hard that it keeps going right on back to hell where it came from because my mind is at the cross! My mind is on Jesus, the One who died for me, the one who gave Himself up for me so that I might LIVE and give Him the glory for my eternal salvation.  

When that helmet is not on your head it leaves your mind completely vulnerable and susceptible to the devil's deception. I spent 10 years of my marriage without putting on that helmet, and the devil had me believing in such a web of lies and deception that I couldn't see what was truth and what was not. I was lost in sin. It wasn't until I came back to God, like a prodigal daughter, that I was able to view my salvation how I described it above.

If you call yourself a Believer, but the cross does not stir something deep in your soul, then you need to go TO the cross and remember what Jesus did for you. One way I suggest you do that is read the Gospel accounts of the Crucifixion. Another way to reconnect yourself to the gift of your salvation is to put on "At the Cross" by Chris Tomlin and get on your knees and praise God. Remember what He did for you. Give Him the glory and praise He deserves and put on that helmet! Guard your mind from the evil one!

The way you keep that helmet on everyday is to stay Christ-focused. How you do that is by staying in the Word. 
It's simple, if I wanted to think about Twilight all day long I would read the book all the time, watch the movie every weekend and listen to the soundtrack everyday in my car. (I think that's what I was doing most of 2007) So it's not rocket-science, whatever you spend most of your time, thought and energy on is what enslaves you. Why not put it on Christ and His Word so that you are actually living out your calling and protecting yourself from the evil one while doing it? It makes sense friends, you just have to do it.

Pray with me:
"Thank you Lord for your gift of salvation. Thank you Jesus that you were willing to die in my place for MY sins that didn't even commit. You loved me so much that you stepped into my grave and took the punishment. I am not worthy Lord, but I am so grateful. All I can give you in return is my life. Please forgive me of my sins and wash them away, making me pure and clean in Your sight. Help me to put You first everyday by reading my Bible and soaking in Your words. Keep my helmet of salvation strong as I remember what You did for me and cover my mind with it everyday. Thank you Lord for everything you do for me, I love you. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen"

A Letter for Christmas Time

 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21 ESV

THAT is what Christmas is.

Or is it?  I don't see any of that here in America. I mean, maybe you'll hear it in churches on Christmas Eve (at least I hope so!) but in general, here in America Christmas has become something different. 

Christmas's definition in the dictionary is this: 

The annual festival of the Christian church commemorating the birth of Jesus: celebrated on December 25 and now generally observed as a legal holiday and an occasion for exchanging gifts.

  
As you can see, it began as the time of year when we celebrate Christ's birth, "and now" it has turned into a legal holiday for exchanging gifts.  Do you smell what I'm stepping in? I smell something that has come and defiled this amazing day in which a Savior was born. A day where the God of the universe became human to get on our level in the ultimate grand gesture of Love. This is the day where Christ was born, to save us from our sins.  And we are focusing on an Elf on a shelf.

Ok now before you stop reading because you think I'm a scrooge here to make you feel bad please don't. That is not me. I love Christmas time, I love the lights and the decorating, the gifts and even Santa. BUT God has taught me something this year. And He did it by taking away our financial security.

You see, my daughter had her first dental appointment and we were told (and shown on X-rays) that she had 8 cavities, 2 of which needed baby root canals and silver crowns. In order to get all this work done, the best option was iv sedation, just knock her out and get it all done in an hour. After much prayer, advice, research and deliberation we decided to go with that option. Problem was, it would cost $550 out of pocket for the anesthesiologist. The cost of the actual dental work could be set up on a payment plan. So we had to save up $550 in an envelope to be paid on Dec 7th. Goodbye Christmas fund!  Oh and by the way, God also called me out in faith to quit my job in childcare. Whhhaaatttt???

So it is safe to say, that we had 2 choices: obey what the Lord was calling us to do and have faith He would provide, or ignore Him, go our own way and suffer the consequences. 
The choice was simple, it was the faith that was difficult! I had moments of emotional breakdown, spiritual weakness, and mental worry, but as I cried out to the Lord, He showed up. 

One quick story of that was after I had quit my job and the last payday came  I told God, "You have to show me how you are going to provide, because all I want to do is find a job and start earning money again. How are we going to have money for groceries after this?? And christmas??" I had just put in my Walmart grocery order for their pick up service and there would be no more money left for the following week's groceries. I was kind of freaking out but I said "I don't know how You're going to do it, but I trust you God." Then I went and picked up my order and drove home. As I unloaded my groceries I noticed that on top of my order there was more and more food that I never ordered! There was a chuck roast, sausages, carrots, grapes, salad, 2 packages of bacon..I can go on. So I called Walmart and let them know that I must've gotten someone else's order with mine, and that I could bring it back for them later on in the day. They apologized, thanked me for the call and agreed that I should bring it back at my earliest convenience. So I put the bags in the fridge and got out my Bible for my daily reading time. Within 30 minutes I got a call back from the manager thanking me for letting them know about the mix up, saying they restocked the order for the other customer, and that as a reward for my honesty they wanted me to keep the extra groceries.  !!

How GOOD is our God??? I literally asked Him how He was going to provide groceries and He showed me in one day. Now I know that won't happen every time, but He wanted to give me a taste of what a good Father and provider He is. I knew in that moment that everything was going to be ok. So even though we had no money for food or Christmas gifts in the coming weeks, I knew GOD would provide.

And He has. He has provided extra photography jobs for me and He has used different family members to bless us with gifts for the kids and food for the table. My husband even won a gift card at work for the movies the day after I told him I miss going to the movies! God even cares about the little things!  
As we continue to TRUST Him He will not let us down. I trust He is going to bless my photography business so that I can be faithful to His calling for me yet also provide for the family. We feel so blessed because we have been shown what Christmas is all about. It's about HIM. It's about Jesus and what He did for us when He came to save the world…but it's also about how He provides for us EVERYDAY. And that if we make Him the FOCUS every single day He honors and blesses that! 

So this is our tree this year.

Normally we get a big tree and any carpet space around it is filled with gifts. But this year we are starting a new tradition. This year we are putting a visual reminder under the tree, a banner with the name "Jesus" on it. So everyday we see it and we know, this day is about Him, this season is about Him, not presents or santa, or elves on shelves, but HIM, the Savior of our sins, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. May we glorify Him in everything we do.

So my letter to you today is not from a scrooge, it's from a sinner saved by grace who has seen the wonders of His love, and wants to remind you to give Him the glory He deserves this season, and everyday of your life. Don't get distracted by what the world says Christmas is. I challenge you to make a Jesus banner with your kids as well! Hang it under, on or around your tree as a constant reminder of what we are really celebrating this time of year. #Jesusisthereason

  And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”[c]

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.  Luke 2:8-20 ESV

What Kind of Christian Am I?

Have you heard the Christian apologetics theory that every person must put Jesus into one of these three categories: Liar, Lunatic or Lord?  It's a great question to ask a non-believer to start a conversation about Christ and find out who He is to them. 
But just the other day, God gave me a question for Believers that involves a different three L's.

As a Christian, Are you: Lazy, Legalistic, or Loving?

A lazy Christian is someone who believes Jesus is Lord, but doesn't have a strong desire to serve Him. They know all the right things to do and say at church, but when it comes to applying it in their daily lives they just don't. They may use the excuses of being too busy, too tired, too distracted, too booked, but whatever the case, it basically comes down to laziness. They simply do not value obedience to Christ enough to be proactive in their walk with the Lord. They don't take Him seriously! This is a scary place to be because when you really look at what being a follower is, you have to wonder if this person would really be considered one. If this is you, then you are right where Satan wants you: lazy, distracted, and apathetic. ..This is why it is said, "Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light." Ephesians 5:14 (NLT)

A legalistic Christian is someone who is so caught up in the rules of christianity that they tend to judge others (and themselves) harshly. They have very little compassion for the lost because they are too busy judging them. They hold themselves to a standard of perfection that is impossible to meet, so when they realize they have sinned they try to hide it because they are so ashamed of themselves. Their shame turns to anger and they take it out on someone else who is sinning. By pointing their finger at another's sin they feel justified. As long as someone is paying for sin then they feel better. Or so they think. The truth about legalistic christians is that they are miserable on the inside. They remind me of the Pharisees from Bible times. So consumed with the Law that they didn't even recognize the Messiah standing right in front of them. Jesus said this to them, "You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say." Matthew 12:34 (NLT) This is also a scary place for a Christian, because if you don't see your deep need for Christ and His sacrifice of dying for your sins, then you are not truly saved. You have to know what Christ did for you in order to accept it and live how the Bible teaches. 

Which leads me to the last L: Loving. This is the kind of Christian that we are called to be. When you read about Jesus you'll find that He is kind and loving. He was a "friend of sinners", a rule-breaker, a traveller, a healer, a person with compassion. He was a teacher, a miracle maker, and a servant.  He was also ready to challenge the lazies and call out the legalistics around Him! But in all of it He was, and is to this day, loving through His actions and His words.

Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.  Ephesians 4:32 (NLT)

THIS is the kind of Christian we should be.

So take a look at those 3 L's and ask yourself, "Which kind of Christian am I?"  

If you find yourself in one of the categories besides "Loving" then it's time to turn from your selfish ways! Don't let Satan have the upper hand any longer, it's time to take back your walk with the Lord and begin anew. 

Read 1 Corinthians 13 and be one that mirrors the Lord through LOVE.

 

Are you Thankful?

Luke 17:11-19 says,

On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers,[a] who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed.15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” (ESV)

Only ONE man turned back and gave thanks and praise to God. Are YOU that one? Do you praise Him for all the good and wonderful things He does for you? Or are you like the other 9 that get healed (or get a job promotion, a new car, a child who is successful in school, etc) and then just carry on without remembering WHO answered your prayer?

It's time to be like the one who rose above the norm and gave thanks and praise where it was due. 

Thanksgiving is a time of year when people are reminded to give thanks. How about we try living that way EVERYDAY instead of just one day a year? You'll find with thanksgiving comes true joy, and with joy comes peace. It's that part of the story where Jesus says, "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well." 

It's time to rise up, give thanks, and live in the splendor of His love everyday!

A Letter to the Church

Do you believe God is enough?

At a Bible study the other night someone said, "Even though I was reading my bible it was like it meant nothing until I could talk to someone about it! You need that fellowship and accountability to help you be close with God."

Deception.

Believer, GOD IS ENOUGH.

You don't need anyone else to teach you what only He can. It's like me saying, "My husband is great and all, but I need to spend time with another man in order to love him more." Say what?!

Ok so let me clarify first before you start freaking out on me. YES it is good to talk with a friend about what you read in the bible, YES it is good to learn from Bible teachers and pastors, YES it is good to have fellowship with others, BUT if you are placing more value in all of THAT than you are in the risen Christ Himself, God Almighty, then you have been deceived.

And the enemy loves that. If he can keep you distracted from God or busy taking notes on a sermon and not actually applying them to your life, then he's got you right where he wants you: too busy to spend quality time in God's Word learning for yourself.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22 (NIV)

The Word is truth, it's a lamp for your feet and a light to your path. (Psalm 119:105) Without spending time in that light you can't see the way you should go. So instead you just sign up for whatever good church thing sparks your interest. Busy doing, as opposed to busy being. Being at the feet of Jesus.

2 Corinthians 12:9 says: But he (the Lord) said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  (ESV)

His grace is sufficient. He is enough.

He can do MORE when we are weak on our knees in front of Him than when we are confidently doing what we are comfortable with at church. His power is made perfect in our weakness. Nothing is wrong with serving at church, in fact we are called to serve, but we cannot replace personal one-on-one God time with service. Otherwise we are just serving ourselves.

Let's do a little excersize to see if you are really understanding what I am talking about here. Think about your favorite part of church. What is your favorite thing on a sunday morning at church that you just love? Are you thinking of it? Now, what if that were taken away? How would you feel?

My favorite thing at church is worship. I absolutely love it, I love the band playing, the voices singing, and I love when the Holy Spirit moves and we are all worshipping together. It is a wonderful thing. Nothing is wrong with that. BUT, if I am putting the act of worship, and the experience of worship ABOVE Jesus, then I am saying I need Jesus AND worship in order to be satisfied with Him.

Maybe you answered, "the pastor's message" to my question about your favorite thing. Imagine if that were taken away? Would you still know how to be in love with God?

Friends, I am trying to help you see that there is a deception far greater than we could've ever imagined going on in the church today. That deception is that we need Jesus AND something else in order to be satisfied. When the truth is, all we need is Him. He is enough!

Look at churches today. They are crammed full of small groups, bible studies, ministries, coffee, bumper stickers, etc. It's as if churches are trying so hard to please everyone and to promote themselves that they are forgetting to focus on the ONE we are all there for. 

This probably all sounds crazy coming from a pastor's wife but I believe God has shown me something and He wants me to speak it out. As a follower of Christ you should be immersing yourself in the Word, praying without end, and going and making disciples. (Joshua 1:8, 1 Thes 5:17, Matt 28:19) These are things that the Bible commands us to do. 
Could it be possible that Satan has twisted the very thing that was meant to grow our faith to be what's wrong with believers today? 

Hear me, we have women going from bible study to bible study learning how to be a wife of noble character yet when you see her she is bossing, nagging, and over ruling her husband. We have men leading the family to church every sunday yet rushing home for the big game and the cold beers waiting in the fridge.

Is the church today raising up true followers of Christ that have turned from their selfish ways and are taking up their cross on a daily basis? Or is the church raising up people who are so in love with "church" that they don't even know they aren't in a real relationship with their Father God who just wants to spend time with them?!

It's time for a change. If Paul could see the churches we have today he would cringe. It's all about comfort! Cushioned seats, coffee bars, lotions in the bathroom. I don't know about you but to me that says, STAY and get comfy with us. But God's Word says the exact opposite! It says, "Therefore GO and make disciples of all nations.." It doesn't say, "Go, make coffee and make church popular and do everything thing you can to attract the crowd, because it's all about numbers and membership and recorded baptisms." UGH! 

It's time the Church got back to the basics! Jesus had crowds following Him, but as soon as He said something challenging, hundreds would walk away. Instead of having mega churches full of the hundreds that would walk away if they knew what it really meant to be a follower, what if we had small bodies of believers meeting in homes that would eat together, pray together, and read God's Word together? What if these bodies of believers were living intentionally everyday in communion with our Lord and watching for the moment when God brings a person across their path that He wants a connection with? What if Believers were physically being the church instead of just going to a cool building where most of the tithe goes toward the A.C or the toilet paper bill when it should actually go towards feeding the hungry and building shelters for the poor?! What if?

What a world this would be if Christians would stop glorifying the church and start being the church.

Ok I'll get off my soapbox now. Bottom line: God is enough. Don't think you need anything else to be close to Him. If you were stranded on an island with nothing but God in your soul, He would be enough for you. Wait that sounds familiar…oh yeah that's what happened to John, the disciple who wrote the book of Revelation. That's what God showed him when he was stranded on an island alone. Let this be your revelation today!

Imagine what God could show you.
Give Him the time. Get off the committee and get on your knees.
God is enough. 
Experience Him for yourself, then go share His love with others.

A Roller Coaster with God

While in a spiritual discussion with a friend, she said, "Well that's how it is with your walk with God, it's like a roller coaster, sometimes it's high and sometimes it's low!"

This made me think: Why do we have highs and lows with God? 
Especially when He doesn't change. We can't earn His love, it's always covering us, so why don't we always feel it and stay in that euphoric state with Him?

The answer is simple my friends. It's because WE change. WE don't choose to stay in His love. We wander from Him.

He is always there, waiting for us, offering His unconditional love to us, but we are the ones that run from Him, ignore Him, and fair-weather Him away.

In a dating relationship you are excitedly getting to know the person. With Jesus, you can excitedly get to know Him through His Word. The Bible is His Story. History. If you are reading it everyday, then you are getting to know Him more and more. 

And what happens when you have gotten to know someone and you fall in love? You want to shout it from the rooftops!! You want to TELL OTHERS ABOUT THE LOVE YOU HAVE FOUND.

It IS possible to stay in that warm fuzzy with God. But just like a newlywed couple that moves from warm fuzzies to deep mature love, so does our relationship with God move. 

The way love progresses in a healthy relationship is through honesty, communication, putting the other first, and loving them through the hard times just as much as the good. 
Doing these things and acting this way requires commitment, sacrifice, and selflessness. 
So does our relationship with the Lord.

If we are being honest with Him and communicating with Him all day, then we are remaining close with Him. We will feel His presence. 

If we are putting Him first, and praising Him even when times are tough, then we will feel His love.

So staying in a "high" with God is a simple concept: stay in the Word, stay in communication, and pour that love into others!

If you are in a "low" with God right now, just remember HE doesn't change, so He is not responsible for the low.

YOU are the one that can change. So change into the person He has designed you to be: a believer that turns from your selfish ways, takes up your cross, and follows Him, no matter what. (Luke 9:23)

THAT is how you stay in love with the Savior.

Stay close to Him and continue to get to know Him and those lows won't come your way, even in the trials of life, you will consider it ALL joy, just like it says in James 1:2-4, Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds,3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (NIV)

So let's take "highs and lows with God" out of our vocabulary. It is a lie Satan wants you to believe, that that's just the way it is. Guess what Satan, IT'S NOT. My God doesn't change, and I will stay close to Him no matter what comes my way, because He is worth it, and He will never leave me nor forsake me. #sothere

With Stones Held High

Recently I posted part of a simple yet profound verse as my Facebook status, one that I hoped would encourage others to rethink their words and judgements towards others. It was John 8:7: "..He who is without sin, cast the first stone.."

I happened to post this on the day that the Josh Duggar news story broke out about him cheating on his wife all the while claiming to be a Christian, etc. Facebook posts were in an uproar about this "disgusting scumbag" and "where are the Christians defending him now?"  The responses to the verse I posted became so negative and contradictory to what the Bible says that I had to remove the entire post in hopes of guarding my unsaved friend's eyes from the judgmental attitudes of my fellow christians.

Honestly my heart hurts for the Christians who think they are any better than Josh Duggar when they themselves are committing slander, gossip, and casting judgment upon him. Believe me, I am not saying what he did was ok, it was not! He sinned against God and against his wife. But did he sin against you? NO. Then what makes you think you have the right to judge him? How is blasting his dirty laundry on all of Facebook going to help or encourage anyone? 

Fellow Christian, we are called to love one another:

 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

How will "the people" (the world) know we are His disciples? Answer: If we have love for one another. And not just the people that are easy to love, the ones that hard to love too. Look at Luke 6:32-36: “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. (ESV)

Where is our mercy?

Galations 5:1 says, "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness." (ESV)

Where is our spirit of gentleness? 

Ephesians 4:31 says, "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." (ESV)

Where is the kindness, tenderness, and forgiveness?

Fellow Believers, we are called to be different than the world. To have a different reaction than the rest of society. If someone slaps us on the cheek, we are to turn the other. If someone takes our coat, we offer our shirt.  (Matthew 5:38-40)

How can we be a light and show the world Christ's love if we are casting stones right along with the rest of the hypocrites and the unsaved?

It's time to step it up. Pick up your Bible and start reading. Read Galations 5:13-6:10 

Pray. Ask God for forgiveness for thinking you are better than anyone else, ask Him to soften your prideful heart. 

I remember hearing this and it stuck with me: "For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks." That means that what comes out of your mouth reveals what's in your heart. Is your heart filled with love for one another? Or is it filled with hatred, blame, disgust and slander? 

Luke 6:44-45 says, 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." (ESV)

The message today is: love one another without condition, stop judging others because they sin differently than you, stand out and be different the way Christ commands you to, and start living as a true FOLLOWER of Jesus. 

I care about you, I want you to walk in the light as He is in the light. Please, put down your stones. Take Christ's example on this one and offer kindness and mercy instead of judgment and slander. Be a Crown in a world of death and decay, and you will walk uprightly in His grace and mercy.