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.

To Fear God...

What does that even mean…To fear God? Are we supposed to be afraid of Him as if we saw a ghost? Or as if we were being robbed at gunpoint??..scary! Is THAT the kind of fear we should have for God? How can we be expected to love Him if we fear Him?

I just talked to a friend about this today, and since she never understood what fearing the Lord really meant (and I didn't either for a long time) I figured it was time to put it out there.

So here's my understanding of fearing the Lord.

As a child, were you ever afraid of doing something wrong because you feared your parent's reaction or punishment for you?? 

I'm sure we ALL know what that feels like..we can share stories later.

But THAT is the same kind of fear we should have for the Lord. Not being afraid of Him for no reason, but being afraid to sin because we are afraid of His wrath. Just like being afraid of a spanking from dad or a "talkin' to" from mom, the wrath of God can allow uncomfortable and sometimes painful things to happen as a punishment for sin. Psalm 76:8 says, "From the heavens you uttered judgment; the earth feared and was still,"

Make sense? It's a healthy dose of fear that gets our attention and helps us want to obey Him. Fear also leads to wisdom. Proverbs 9:10 says, 

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (NIV)

So fearing God is the beginning of wisdom. Meaning if we are living our lives fearing Him in a way where we heed His instruction, and we try not to sin, then we will actually gain wisdom. And the only way to know God's instructions is to be immersed in God's Word, the Bible. 

So the more we know God, the more we love Him, and the more we love Him, the more we will want to fear and obey Him. 

Which leads us to the second part of the verse, "and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." So by knowing more about Him, we will understand more about His ways and His purposes, especially in regards to our life and what He wants us to do with it!

So actually, fearing God benefits us more than we realize! He's not some selfish and mean God way up on a throne yelling at His people to fear Him! He is a kind and compassionate father who wants what's best for His children. Psalm 103:13 says,

 

As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; (NIV)

Quick story about my 4 year old daughter. The only time she really gets mad at me is when I tell her to do something she doesn't want to do. She says, (with arms crossed) "But mom I don't want to!", or my new favorite is when she gets the biggest frown her little face can muster and she says, "Mom. Look at my face. I not happy with you!" That's right, "I" not happy with you. We are working on her grammar. In the meantime, I try not to laugh because she is frowning so much that she can't even see out from under her brow. Last time she actually bonked her forehead on the table because she was concentrating so hard on frowning. (Pray for her. Or rather, pray for my husband and I!) 

Anyways back to the story. When she acts this way I hold my ground and tell her she needs to do what I say or she will be in trouble, and that usually does the trick. Being "in trouble" is enough for her and she begrudgingly does what I tell her. And since she's 4, she is over it in about 10 seconds and moving on to the next bout of trouble she can get herself into. 

But this little moment with her made me think about us and God. How many times do we cross our arms and fight Him on what He wants for us? Where did our fear go? Does God always have to dangle a consequence in front of us to get us to obey? And when we do finally obey are we doing it with a sour attitude? 

When I am trying to get my daughter to do something she doesn't want to do, it's always something that is good for her. Like taking more bites of dinner so she's not hungry during the night, or refraining from doing cartwheels from one side of the couch to other because she might break her neck, these are things that if she listened and heeded my advice she would be healthy and safe. If an earthly parent wants that for her child, how much more does our Heavenly Father want that for us?

Matthew 7:11 says this: So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. (NLT)

Psalm 84:11, For the LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. (NLT)

Proverbs 3:11-12, My child, don’t reject the LORD’s discipline,

and don’t be upset when he corrects you.

For the LORD corrects those he loves,

just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. (NLT)

So when you look at your life today, are you fearing the Lord as you should, or are you living life not really caring about what He says? These verses are there to encourage us, He delights in us! He wants to correct us because He LOVES us! I hope you can take this today and remember, fearing God is not a bad thing, it is a way to express love and experience the greatest Love you will ever know. Don't be a 4 year old with a frowny face and crossed arms. Open your arms wide and fear God the way He designed it: to bring you closer to Him and to live out the amazing plans He has for you, His precious child!

A Love letter for YOU

I am writing you this today because this is what I should've said to someone I was stuck in a debate with last week, but in my emotional response I did not. 

Jesus LOVES you. With a deep, wide, passionate, everlasting, relentless, desperate, longing, fatherly, sacrificial, selfless, LOVE.

He spent time creating you in your mother's womb. The Bible says He knit you together, can you imagine that with me for a moment? I see His gentle hands forming you like you would form clay, almost like magic coming from His fingers except it's something way more powerful and real and pure than that. He made you perfect, even with your flaws because He had a purpose in mind for how you could use those imperfections for His glory. He thought about what a wonderful future and life He could have with you, if you would only come to Him and acknowledge Him.  He is sovereign so He knows the exact moment when you will either come to know Him as your Lord and Savior, or the moment when you will reject Him. I can imagine Him weeping as His loving hands form those of you who will never choose Him. I can see His heart bursting with agony as He whittles together your little fingers, only to hold them for the first and final time. How He longs to have forever with you, you are His creation!

I can see Him praying over you and sending you off with longing in His heart to be reunited with you again.

He loves you so much that He created a guide for you to follow, the Word of God, called the Bible. He breathed life into it through the hands of men so that it could get to you, but yet be without error. (2 Tim 3:16) He didn't create this book because He wanted to take all your fun away with a bunch of rules, He made it as a way for you to understand Him and learn to love Him. He created it as a passage to His heart, as a guideline for life, and a place to go when you desperately want to hear His voice.

You see, sin separates us from God. Sin leads to death. So these rules and guidelines are there to draw us closer to God, not tear us away! They should be looked at as a gift, not a burden.

It is humanly impossible for us to be in the presence of God because of our sin, so He had to make a way for us. Just as a hero finds a way to save the people in need, God found a Way to get us to Him, and that is through Jesus. (John 14:6)

He sent Jesus down to Earth to become human so that He would be able to say to you, "I know what you are going through. I know what pain feels like, I know what temptation feels like, I know what hunger and thirst and rejection feel like." He knows it all because He lived through it, and then He died because of it. You see, God is holy and pure; everything we are not. We are full of sin and lust and evil desires, not because He made us that way, but because He allowed us to have CHOICE. 

Jesus stood in the gap for us. Jesus paid the price for ALL of our sins, died in our place, took on the sinner's death that we deserve so that WE could go to Heaven, and be in the presence of the Lord forever. Do you see what a gift that is? What a gift HE is? He loves you so much that He died for you!

Do you love someone so much that you would die for them? If the answer is yes, then imagine if that person rejected you, hated you, spit on your face, beat you, and called you a liar and a hypocrite in front of the entire world. Would you still die for them?

THAT is what Jesus did for you. Even though He knew you might reject Him, He still died for you. Even if you were the only human on this planet, and even if He knew you would never come to accept God as your Creator, He STILL WOULD'VE DIED on the cross for you, so that you would at least have the chance to choose Him. (Romans 5:8)

Won't you give Him a chance? Won't you try talking to Him? I hope that this message struck a nerve inside you. I hope and pray that you will begin your journey to salvation today, right now. In fact it doesn't have to be a journey, it can happen RIGHT NOW. If you feel a pull inside you, that is the Holy Spirit drawing you to Him! You can talk to God right now and tell Him you want a life and eternity with Him. Here is an example of a prayer that might be on your heart:

"Dear God, I don't know everything about you just yet but I feel a pull toward You. I know something inside is making sense of this and I see now that You DO love me. Thank you for dying on the cross for ME. God, please forgive me for all of my sins, for the selfishness and pride that I wear sometimes. God I want you to be the Lord and Savior of my life. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and teach me how to love and obey You and Your Word. Thank you God for saving me! I can't wait to spend eternity with you! In Jesus' Name, Amen"

If you just said that prayer or something like it, PRAISE GOD!!! Welcome to the family! You are a precious child of God, a son or daughter to the King! The bible says, "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" 2 Corinthians 5:17

You are a new creation! The angels are celebrating for you!! Please comment and tell me if you just accepted Christ so I can celebrate too! Your next step now is to get your hands on a Bible and start getting to know this God that loves you more than anyone ever could. I'm not going to leave you hanging so click here to learn more about where you go from here to start living as a follower of Christ. I am so excited for you!!

If you read this and have decided to turn away from it, then I just pray and hope you will come back  before it is too late. 

 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(Romans 6:23 ESV)

Above all else remember Jesus loves you and wants to be with you forever! God bless