Recently in Faith Category

Church was so good yesterday! It started out kind of frustrating. We arrived to find that someone had broken through the glass of one of our main doors. It didn't appear that they had taken anything, but it was sad that someone felt the need to do such a thing. Then I got flustered during service and messed up a few of the song screens. I recovered quickly, but once I start messing up it just seems to escalate.

Things picked up though once Pastor started preaching. He preached on the return of Christ and how we should be expectant of His return ... just as the disciples were. That really touched me and answered something for me. I know you will probably think this sounds crazy ... but lately I have been expectant in my spirit. I feel it ... like an urgency that I cannot explain. I didn't even realize what it was until Pastor talked about it during our AM service.

I feel such an urgent need to read my Bible and learn more and more and more. I have also been really searching my own heart making sure that I am right with God ... desiring to align myself more perfectly with His will. There has been times of late that I have felt like I have been so busy working for the Lord that I haven't been having a relationship with Him. I spend far too much time on this computer and not enough in my Bible. I have a few studies that I really need to devote myself to as well.

But ... it is still more than that. With this expectancy, I feel such a heartache for my children. I want so much to know that my girls are living their lives for the Lord and I know that two of them may actually be falling away. One is very involved with the Church ... but her attitude is so bad sometimes. The other ... she is more interested in friends and boys. She has never been baptized and doesn't seem to want to be. I want so much for her. I just keep praying for God to draw her near to Him.

It is all so hard to explain. I just feel like I am running out of time and there are things I should have gotten done and I need to get done before ... I don't know. I just want to be ready whatever it is. I want everyone I love to be ready. I want those that I care about to be ready. I want perfect strangers to be ready. It is a most intense feeling and I know it makes me sound a bit nuts ... but it is how I am feeling and have been feeling for a bit. This is just the first time I have put it into words.

Beliefnet has published it's 2008 Exit Poll Results. It is kind of interesting ... especially the part on whether or not a person considers themselves evangelical or born again. I was surprised to find so many "Christians" who do not consider themselves to be born again. How can you be a Christian and not be born again?

Answer: You cannot.

I am not sure why but God keeps sending me back to this scripture ...

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
 
Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen.

I have spoken my piece on gay marriage before. It is no mystery where I stand on the issue. I am against gay marriage. I am all for civil unions/domestic partnerships. I have no problem with gay people having the same benefits that heterosexual partners have.

What I do have a problem with is when gay people claim they are being denied a civil right because they want to redefine marriage. Going so far as to say that being denied "marriage" is the same as when blacks were denied the right to marry whites, vote, drink from white fountains, eat in white restaurants, and attend white schools. I don't think so.

First of all ... blacks were denied rights that everyone else had. White men could marry white women. They could vote, drink from fountains, sit in the front of the bus, eat where they wanted, etc. No one had forced them into slavery or made them second-class citizens. The same could not be said for black people.

Second of all ... gay people have the same rights as everyone else. They can work where they want, eat where they want, vote, drink from public fountains, attend the school of their choice, and marry someone of the opposite sex ... just like the rest of us. They can't marry a dog, their sister, someone of the same sex, or three other people at the same time ... just like the rest of us.

According to this source, Rev. Billy Graham will not be able to be an active counselor to presidents any longer. His health is far too frail. He is now ninety years old and has lived a long life ... bringing so many to Christ. His health has been so frail of late that he hasn't had the chance to meet with Obama, but he hopes to do so soon.

This is from the BGEA website, "President Elect Barack Obama faces many challenges," Mr. Graham says, "and I urge everyone to join me in pledging our support and prayers as he begins the difficult task ahead."

I did not know that Billy Graham is a registered Democrat. But ... that is how it should be. He kept his partisanship away from his pulpit and preached the Gospel instead.

Wow. I am sitting here stunned. America just elected her first black president. As I listened to Barack Obama's acceptance speech, I started to tear up. Not so much because of what he said ... but for what his being elected means for our country. It is a historic day ... whether you voted for him or not. And ... whether he will live up to his promise of hope and change ... I don't know. Just his being elected gives blacks and other minorities hope ... a hope they have never known before and a change they never thought they would ever see.

I was glad to see John McCain took it like a man. He reminded me more of the man that I had come to admire ... than the John McCain that I lost respect for during this election. Maybe if he had not allowed his campaign to get away from him ... he would have won. I still think Sarah Palin hurt him. He had a lot of Moderates out there who would have been happy to have voted for him ... especially with Hillary losing the nomination of the Democratic Party. Instead he played to the Conservative base of the Republican Party and far too many people were tired of the way they do politics. Eight years of George W. Bush were enough. The people have spoken and they don't want four more.

As I close ... and get ready to take myself to bed ... I pray that regardless of the promises Obama has made or the things he would like to accomplish ... that he will hear God above all others. I don't agree with everything he agrees with. I don't support everything that he supports. But ... he is my brother in Christ and he will soon take office. I will extend my goodwill and I will pray for him and Joe Biden daily.

We just made history. Let's pray that Obama will rise to the occasion and be the president this country needs.

One of the most awesome worship songs I have ever heard is People Get Ready by Misty Edwards. It is not your average worship song. No ... it is what we call worship music for warfare around my church. I literally get chills when I hear it. It is a lengthy song ... but well worth every second of it. Click the title and come back and let me know what you think.

Suggestion: Listen to it with your eyes closed, let your body feel the beat of the music, and let the words sink into your spirit.

Ed Young continued in the same vein as he did last week. Am I surprised? Why, no I'm not. After last week's service you would have to be an idiot to not know where he was going with it. So, vote JESUS (or in Ed Young political speak) ... vote Republican. Because we are not battling against flesh and blood. No we are battling against socialism ... oops, sorry ... I meant principalities.

I wonder if Jesus knew He was a member of a man-made political party or that one day Republicans would consider His call to care for the poor, the disabled, the elderly ... socialism? I am surprised he did not call Creation Care pure liberalism!

Video here.

One thing that drives me crazy is when politics and faith meshes and partisan politics becomes the message of the pulpit. I find it unbiblical and unholy. I think it is divisive to the Body of Christ and beyond damaging. No balance seems to be found. Well, until Rick (from Concept 53), pointed me to this article from Christianity Today and I was quite surprised ...

But if we look at politics from God's perspective, we see that he has a deep and abiding interest in all people being treated fairly. If God favors any "special interest group," it is the poor, the hungry, the unborn, the handicapped, the prisoner--those with the least access to political power.

This is why we Christians should never allow ourselves to be, as the press has often characterized us, just another special interest group pleading for our agendas only. But if we were a special interest group, we would be lobbying for the dignity of all, especially those who can't always speak for themselves.

So maybe a particular candidate isn't going to cut your taxes or vote for your favorite program, but the real question is, will he serve all the people, or only the loudest?

I think one of my biggest problems with those who would so easily sweep the poor and disabled under the political rug and say they are not as important to God ... is that it speaks against Jesus. In that series I just had a fit over ... they literally claim that. They say that because feeding the poor does not rate in God's top ten (the Ten Commandments) that it isn't as important to God as abortion and gay marriage.

Jesus said this about the Ten Commandments ...

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." - Mark 12:29-31

In Matthew 25:31-46, He speaks volumes regarding the poor, sick, the prisoner.

But, what really gets me in all this ... what I call this new partisan trend of diminishing the teachings of Jesus ... is that Jesus said ...

"Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing His work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves." - John 14:10-11

So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him." - John 8:28-29

My spirit cries out to God for the unborn, the poor, the disabled, the homeless, the prisoner, the tortured, the hungry, the needy, the elderly ... the lost. I just pray one day that if we are going to claim that there is an actual Christian platform ... that platform speaks for the whole Bible ... not just the parts we deem qualified as pet projects.

Mike Huckabee was the best candidate this nation had for president with the most consistent Christian platform. But, Conservatives didn't like him because he believed in helping the poor and fighting Wall Street greed and K Street corruption.

And they probably didn't like it that he said ...

"I do not spell G.O.D. ... G.O.P. Our party may be important, but our principles are even more important than anybody's political party." (source)

And so McCain got the nomination.

Last night, I was shown a broadcast of Kenneth Copeland's that was about politics. Preaching politics from the pulpit seems to be the thing these days. Pastors have crossed the line from preaching about the moral and spiritual issues of abortion and gay marriage to actually taking down a whole party platform bit by bit and using the Bible to do so.

In the last few elections we have heard everything from you can't be a Christian and vote Democrat to now if you are a Christian and vote for a Democratic candidate you will be cursed by God. Here are just a few of the finer points made in the show ...

Poor people are poor because of spiritual matters. Basically, they aren't right with God so they are poor because if they were right with God they would be prosperous. And, no matter how much you help the poor, if they aren't right with God then they will always be poor ... spiritually and financially.

My little NoNo is napping and I am listening to worship music. I always play worship music for her when it is time for her to take her nap. She has been listening to it since she was in the womb and it does more for her than any lullaby could ever do. If I were to turn it off ... she would wake up.

I have been on the balcony at church for over a year now. The church's sound system is up there and I have always had access to it to play worship music ... even when there is no service and I am just up there working. I have spent many an hour up there worshipping God and having intimate time with our Lord. Sometimes to the annoyance of others who do not like to worship the Lord as loudly as I do. LOL!

Anywho ... I am off of here. I need some God time.