Category: Evangelism

Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service, Evangelism, Leadership, Purpose

For God is My Witness

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On my radar of hopes, prayers and desires for the past five or six years has been an Albuquerque, NM trip, Not entirely for selfish reason, but I must confess there is always some selfishness in my hopes and dreams, because they become so very personal.

I will not say that my trip is in line with the desires of Apostle Paul, because when Apostle Pauls said “by any means,” that was sometimes as a prisoner on a boat with a shipwreck in the future! I am not that brave. And while I would prefer a first-class flight, that’s a bit expensive too, so I opted for a less than typical mode of transportation. The train. It’s a long trip, but it’s much cheaper, and I think a little bit of an adventure. I’m always up for that! Especially if it gets me in a new part of the country where God can use me.

And so as I begin to study my way through the book of Romans, with a heavy heart about more than a few things… this trip being one, Paul’s words spoke to my already tender heart.

For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, and without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; – Romans 1:9

God is my witness, that although I fail Him miserably and I will not say that I pray without ceasing… I cease. But, I do serve Him with my spirit in the gospel of His Son. I am passionate about my role in the Kingdom There’s something about traveling that makes my heart flutter with joy, because I know it will be an adventure and I know that if I go in His name and in His will, He will make things happen.

Why Albuquerque? Good question. And it deserves an answer. It was 6 plus years ago that I connected through social media with Radio man Dewey Moede. God was dealing with Dewey’s heart to leave his job and go full time ministry. I was struggling with that same issue. I still am. Although I’m full time, it’s not quite what I had in mind.

Kind of like when Paul’s boat hit that storm. I’m sure he would have preferred even coach tickets. He wasn’t expecting first class. But what he got was the prisoner’s pass. I’ve felt like that many times in the past 5 years. I’m not asking for sympathy, I don’t deserve it, I just want to be real.

Paul continued in verse 10 to say, making requests, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.

And there it was. The train trip (at length) made sense, and the fact that God could prosper my journey through the winning of souls or the encouragement of the church made my soul rejoice. Some might say I’m making the word fit the circumstances. I don’t believe that because the last thing I want to be is out of the will of God. I will say that my circumstances fit into the word.

When Paul wrote his letter to the Romans, he’d never met them. They were a group of believers that left Peter’s conference, also known as “Pentecost” and went back to their country and got busy planting churches and spreading the gospel. Paul had hopes and dreams of meeting those he’d heard about, and encouraging them in their faith.

He wanted to impart to them some spiritual gift! Me too! He wanted to comfort them! Me too! The work of the ministry is a struggle. It’s worth every bit of it, but there are days it’s not easy to go on. I spend much of my time encouraging believers and ministries by offering them my help using the gifts I’ve been given in music, graphic arts and speaking.

My desire is to do that more and more and travel anywhere the Lord leads. Like New Mexico.

The price on that ticket stub is the cost today of the ticket only, there are other expenses as well. It may go up as time goes by. I’m also not going alone, I plan to go with my bestie Glo, who’s been a part of my ministry from the beginning. If you’d like to contribute, that would be more than awesome and more than appreciated. You can contribute through the Paypal button below, or contact me directly.

If you’d like to be a part of the Jesus Chick Ministry, by prayer, financial or you’d like to know more about what I do through out the week, message me, I’m an open book! It’s the gospel.

Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service, Evangelism, Purpose, Uncategorized, Word of God

We are People of Purpose

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Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

Romans 1:1

And that’s all the further I made it before my mind started reeling. Thinking about Paul, who he was, who he became, and the fact I’ll meet him some day in glory! And the absolute fact that I am so not like Paul. He was so very committed to everything he did. It reminds me of the children’s rhyme:

There was a little girl who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead
And when she was good, she was very very good.
But when she was bad, she was dreadful!

Sorry! But that’s how my mind works. And that’s kind of how Paul was. When he was a Jewish Pharisee, he was very good at being very bad to the Christians, but when he became a Christian, oh my stars!!! that same zeal that he used to persecute and kill saints of God, he used to spread the gospel every where he went. He sowed seeds that would no doubt harvest a mighty crop of kids for the Kingdom. Oh, that that would be said of me… or you!

We are people of purpose, but we tend to forget it; or at least I do. Maybe you’re better.

As we continue reading Paul gives us more insight on our purpose as he scribes his letter to the children of Rome.

The Gospel

Romans 1:2

 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)

Malachi 4:1-6

1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. 3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts. 4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. 5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

That’s the whole chapter, just 6 verses, but my what a kick in the pants and a reminder that this story wasn’t new in  Paul’s day, and it isn’t new in ours, but what it is the prophecy fulfilled, for what the old testament revealed. And Paul’s reminding the church of that very thing.

And there in those 6 verses we see the reminder of why we should be far more diligent at getting the Gospel out. Just as Christ came the first time, He’s coming again; but this time He will not be the gentle man that the world loves to view Him as. He’s coming as King of all and Lord of all and He’ll judge the earth in righteousness. And those who do not know Him as Savior, our chance to see them saved will be gone. Who are we going to meet today that we’ll not see in Heaven? That’s a sobering question.

The Good News

The good news is that though His return is imminent, for the time being we still have time. So, what will you and I do with it? I’m asking myself that question in all seriousness.

Romans 1:3-6

3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: 5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: 6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:

If you’re saved, you’ve been called. And unlike the iPhone, you can’t pretend you didn’t see it. You can reject the call, as many of His children do, but somebody is going to suffer the consequences of our disobedience. That’s the bad news.

The Grace

Thank God for it, I’m going to need an abundance.

Romans 1:7

To all that be in Rome,

  • …or Mt. Zion, West Virginia
  • Grantsville, WV
  • Windom, MN
  • Albuquerke, NM
  • Manilla, Philippines
  • Marietta, Ohio

Well, you get the picture.

beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Even in our failures, we are still His beloved. He didn’t die for perfect people, else there would have been no reason. He died for folks like us who failed before we were saved, and we’ve failed afterwards. But the difference is, we now know the whole story. It’s been revealed to us through His word that there is a purpose for us on this big ball of dirt! It’s to tell the world about the wonderful news of Jesus. And that the evilness of this world will be overcome. We will win the victory. But only those who know Jesus.

Who can you share that news with today?

Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service, Evangelism, Life Inspiration, Uncategorized

A Portion of My Cup (and Dewey’s)

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For the greater portion of my ministry, which I feel officially began in 2010 when I really felt the Lord’s calling on me to be full time ministry, I really didn’t know what that ministry looked like. Couple that with my Pastor’s (at the time) response, who said to me when I announced that thought, “You can’t preach, Shari,” I was perplexed. I had truly never given preaching a thought. I hadn’t given anything a thought; I just knew that’s what God said. But I was ever so directionally challenged.

Bible College had trained me to outline, write and speak. Wonderful mentors had taught me how to share the saving grace of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit revealed to me my calling and I was set to go forward, but unfortunately in an utter state of confusion.

Throughout these years God has sent opportunities in abundance to serve. One such opportunity is the FGGAM.org ministry. A news, views and avenues of faith and life topics to keep your mind focused on God. It’s Co-founder, Dewey Moede, has become one of my greatest friends and ministry partner’s over the past seven of my nine years. He has been a large portion of the cup which the Lord has given me to drink from. Dewey and I share 3 ministry drives that I want to share with you today in hopes of encouraging you to find your place in the ministry.

Psalm 16:5

The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.

Everything for God’s Glory

That’s Dewey’s life goal and ministry mission. He and his wife Sharon (co-founder number 2) named their ministry For God’s Glory Alone, when Dewey walked away from the security of a very nice income, to live on Sharon’s nursing salary and faith. Those life decisions and that sold out faith is what brings glory to God’s name. It’s a given opportunity to share with the world that our Lord provides. He maintains our lot.

It’s the same purpose and drive that causes me to continue on the Jesus Chick Mission, believing that God’s provisions will take me through till Jesus’ return, or He calls me home.

 You can find more information on giving a worthy contribution to their 501c3 ministry on the www.FGGAM.org website. And by the way… any contribution to the Jesus Chick will be of the utmost appreciation. For information on what my expense are, and if you’d like to contribute for the direct expenses, click here.

Anything for God’s People

I’m a born encourager. So is brother Dewey. It’s why we work so well together. If he has a down day, my words encourage him, if I have a down day, the same holds true with his words. We speak most every day in one form or another, via phone or text. His ministry has needs that I can provide through the gifts of artistic expression and graphic work that God has enabled me to do. It’s a privilege. He promotes and supports my ministry, and together we’ve become quite the duo for Jesus. FGGAM provides me the opportunity to help a brother out and in the process minister to the world through the banners and graphics I provide.

In this “all about me world,” even Christians have lost sight of the fact that we’re here to help each other out through this life. Anything God has given us the ability to do, we need to share it with God’s people.

Philippians 2:4

Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Nothing Without Accountability

Another great ministry attribute of FGGAM.org and one I hold to with TheJesusChick.com.

Matthew 12:36

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

That’s the Word of God, and it’s a very scary word (or it should be) for those who don’t take it seriously. What we understand as ministry partners is that our convictions are more than just “notions,” they’re founded on the word of God. When we speak it, we want those who read our material to know that we’ve backed it up by the Word of God, and the resources that we’ve used for information gathering are trustworthy and honest.

When I stand at the throne of Christ, I want to hear Him say, “Well done thou good and faithful servant!” I don’t want to hear Him say, “Seriously Shari, what were you thinking?”

I hope these three attributes are a part of your life, and I pray that our ministries edify you as we’re instructed to do!

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service, Evangelism, Faith, Life Inspiration, Life's Failures, salvation, Word of God, worship

Pardon Me For Whining

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Okay… so I feel like I should apologize for whining yesterday. It’s not that it’s not in my character, it’s just not in my character to do it out loud. I always do it in my head so the world thinks I’m super spiritual. Just kidding… they don’t. But I like to think myself super spiritual sometimes; because then I don’t feel so bad about myself when I realize I’m an epic failure. Now that I’m done with that, let me tell you what I really want to do. I want to Psalm 13:6 it today!

Psalm 13:6

I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.

So in case you missed my whining session at the end of my vlog (video blog) yesterday, I was a tad emotional about the fact that temptation in this world is hard. Everyone faces it, and I’ve had my share lately when it comes to wanting to escape the will of God. That sounds bad. I should want to be in the will of God, right? Well, I technically do, until it’s a struggle. Like in the world of my finances and then I want to jump this ministry ship and get a “real job.” I get in that mode because that’s what the world tells me I should do. So this morning as I went merrily on my way, bible journaling through Psalms I came upon David’s whining session. However in his defense, his own son Absalom was trying to kill him. That really trumps my reasons to whine.

Abandonment Issues

1How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?

Forever? Have you ever felt that way? When God does not answer immediately, especially in the microwave society for which we live, the feeling of despair can take over quickly. I want an immediate resolve so I can move forward. I want God to fix this mess! But with that cry I have to realize that God didn’t make my mess. I did.

Just like David. While he didn’t cause his son to become his enemy, he caused himself to lack the confidence that he had earlier experienced (before the sin with Bathsheba). Failing in our walk with Christ causes the feeling of abandonment, not because God moved, but because we’re not as close as we once were.

Advice Issues

2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?

The worst thing I can do is ask myself for advice.

Taking counsel in my own soul will just add insult to injury. I’m a little too close to the situation, don’t you think? And yet when I don’t hear from God, rather than being still and waiting, I talk. And talk. And talk some more.  I’m such a slow learner.  

Ability Issues

3 Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; 4 Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

Can you not hear the whining heart of the Jesus chick? It’s pretty loud. “I’m dying here Lord!” that’s what David said and that’s what I have a tendency to say. Because of my struggles I don’t have the ability to get the things accomplished that I want to get done. And because of that, I too feel like the enemy is rejoicing in my failures and I’ve been moved out of the place I long to be in.

Unexpected Blessings!

So here I am sitting in my office this morning and God reminds of a pumpkin that’s sitting at the edge of my yard in a pumpkin patch that I didn’t even plant. I had pumpkin décor last fall and it stayed in front of David’s wood shop on a few bales of hay, until it decayed and David as he often does, he cleaned up my mess. He threw the hay, pumpkin and all at the edge of a field. The seeds from those pumpkins made it into the ground and bore fruit. It was so exciting when David discovered our unexpected blessing and showed it to me.

  • Huge Leaves!

So this morning I hear… this mess too will bear a surprising fruit. Be Still.

5 But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.6 I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.

So let me unwind and un-whine. God is good. That pumpkin is far from the only blessing in my life. I received such sweet encouragement from a few friends yesterday.

I shall not be moved! Because the Lord has more than dealt more than bountiful with me. How about you? Do you have a pumpkin in your patch? Praise God for it. And run the enemy off the porch of your dreams. Thank You Jesus.

The signs of a fruitful ending
Posted in Bible Journaling, Eternity, Evangelism, Faith

It’s The Real Thing

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I would tell you not to tell the preacher on me, but I literally set just a few feet away from where he stands preaching on Sunday evening, so I’m pretty sure he knows. My attention span is only as disciplined as my imaginations allows. It is the boss of me so often. I’ll begin my note taking with the greatest of intentions. His sermons are packed full wisdom that I long to remember, but then… the Shari of constant chaos engages with my brain, and my pencil has a life of it’s own. My notes turn into doodles and quick jot and before long of got an entire page of nonsense. Well, to anyone who dares to look at it. But to me it’s the sweetness of God’s word saved to the page for me chew on later like a fine piece of licorice!

Sunday night it was that Coke can that caused my mind to go amuck. Pastor Steven was preaching on one of my favorite topics, the Holy Spirit. And the difference between the thirst quenching power of the world (which is fake) and the thirst quenching of the Spirit, which of course is the Real Thing! I know it all too well!

It was at that point the Coca Cola jingle from my childhood began playing in my head. I had learned it in the 5th grade Grantsville Elementary School Choir. We all stood on the playground and sang it at a special event for which I don’t remember. But I remember the day, and I was excited, because that day had music, and music has always made me happy. Just like many things in the world do, for a while. But it never lasts.

But the day I felt the Holy Spirit move in my soul for the first time, I wasn’t trading it for anything in the world. I knew I’d found the real thing! How did I know? I’m glad you ask!

A Real Peace

That was the most significant thing in my life. Because I’d never had it. From my earliest memories my soul was in turmoil and fear of eternity. But the day the Holy Spirit moved in, the day I said yes to Jesus as Savior, was the day that peace arrived on the scene of my heart and hasn’t left. I may have moments of insecurity or uncertainty, but it’s quickly followed by assurance and steadfast confirmation that my world is in God’s control. That’s the Real Thing!

A Real Place

With real people. Not perfect ones, but ones like me who made mistakes and let me know it was okay to not be okay, but it wasn’t okay to stay that way. A place where the altar was more than a step to the platform, but it was a step to getting your life together. Sunday after Sunday I wept at that altar, trying to figure salvation out for myself, thinking I could fix my life. Because that’s what the world wants us to believe. That’s a lie. Salvation is through our belief in Christ  and His finished work on the cross, alone. But being in a place to grow and learn is how you keep on going and winning the real battles that come in life. Those are a real thing too!

A Real Passion

When I discovered the love of God, and began to understand what He did for me, there was a passion that began welling up in my soul and God sent person after person to add fuel to it. Preachers, musicians, singers, mentors… so many people of talent and a like passion that I couldn’t get enough of serving the Lord! That’s all I wanted to do. It’ was the first time in my life that I was doing something that I knew for certain, beyond a shadow of a doubt, made a difference. An eternal difference.

I’d done a lot of  great things in my life to help folks out, but all of it was going to burn up on the last day of earth, and I knew it. But now I had a purpose that would last all of eternity. And that passion is still alive and well today. It’s the real thing!

Is it real in your life. Do you have real peace, a real place of acceptance and love and real passion make a difference in this world. I pray so. If not, please, please shoot me a message on Facebook, or in the comments below and I’ll get back to you ASAP! Let’s get this matter taken care of! We have places to go and people to see, and an Eternity to spend together.

Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service, Eternity, Evangelism, Leadership, Uncategorized, Word of God

How to Deal with Mainstream Mayhem

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Many of the conversations I’ve had, both inside my head, and with other people, have recently been around the discussion of end times. It’s a topic not everyone desires to discuss. For me, from the standpoint of myself, I get excited! But then I begin to think of family and friends who aren’t prepared. It’s at this point that those who are not prepared, or those who are uncertain turn me off. And it’s when I begin to worry and stress about how much I’m doing for the cause of the Kingdom. I need to find ways to reach more people. I need to find a way to reach my people! You know… the family who “think” they’re okay, and those who just don’t think about it all, but would rather live in ignorance, not knowing that Jesus could be ready to step out on the cloud at any moment and call His church home.

Are you ready? Do you know that you know? I knew that I knew last year when I had open heart surgery. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can afford that peace. When I see that people don’t have an understanding of the end times, and really don’t care to know, I’m more than a little alarmed. But I guess that’s because I know. So in reading Jude, which by the way reads like a book specifically about 2019, I feel compelled to share the news I discovered about the news!

Jude vs. 16-18

These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage. But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

Wow. How accurate is that?

According to a poll from Axios last year, 72% of 4,000 Americans polled, believe “traditional major news sources report news they know to be fake, false or purposefully misleading.” Other polls say it’s less; but then again, how do we know if even those who do the polls are reporting honestly. It’s just a sad state of affairs that we live in. Jude didn’t need the internet, a poll, or the evening news to tell him what the prognosis was for mankind. He heard it straight from Heaven. He walked with the Creator of all, and his words give an outline of modern times.

How not to Mistake the Fake

Stop watching all mainstream television. There are none that truly don’t have an agenda. I fully believe that. And in so doing, they’ll do they’re very best to persuade you in to believing what they say, even if it’s only in part. And it’s not only the news outlets. You can’t watch a good comedy without an agenda in it! If there’s such a thing as a good comedy. The dark side is found in almost every show I’ve attempted to watch over the past years. Wholesome television is almost nonexistent. And if you think children’s television is any different, think again. I’ve had to ban complete children’s channels off my television with the grandkids because they promote homosexuality, violence, and disrespect. It’s insane! So what’s the answer? Are we going to stop watching entertainment? Probably not, but we need to take Jude’s advice to heart before turning it on.

Never Trust Their Lusts

I’m not just trying to rhyme. It was a fact I learned about myself in our Sunday sermon at Victory Baptist Church. I covet stuff. Shiny stuff. I have a serious issue of wanting things I don’t necessarily need, and much of it comes from all the time I spend on social media. There’s always something shiny and new waiting for me on the web. Just ask Amazon.com. They’ll show you your shiny desires too, because they follow your networking trends. But it’s not always your lusts that are the issue. Their lusts can be come your lusts if it’s entered into your information gatherer enough times. That’s why I can’t watch shows who push the liberal agenda. Because I know their design is to mess with my conservative brain.

Don’t Fluff up the Puffed Up

Meaning: don’t take their efforts lightly. They’ve got it down to a fine art on how to manipulate the American mind. They use people and things that appeal to us. It’s why the celebrities are pushing every product and agenda out there. Because if we love their shows, music and movies, we’ll be easy marks to love their mindsets too. Which if you’re not careful will lead you down a pathway far away from the Lord Jesus Christ.

I’ll tell you where I stand. I’m a pro-Jesus, pro-life, Baptist conservative that makes no apologies for rolling my eyes at liberal brats who want my children and grandchildren to be corrupted by the notion that they are entitled to a world of shiny things that will take their minds to places God never intended His children to go. I hear it in their voices every time they get upset because life treats them unfairly or a commercial comes on with the latest and greatest and they want it, or a show or song plays that has garbage throughout it and they repeat it. And yet, when I praise God, or bow my head to pray I’m the one viewed as a fanatic.

It’s why Jude makes it clear that if you want the truth there is only one place to find it.

Take a look at the book!

So how do we deal with the Mainstream Mayhem? We measure everything we see and hear by the words of Jesus Christ. It is the only absolute truth in this world.

It’s why I love writing and working for FGGAM.org. Because Pastor Dewey Moede views the world through a biblical lens, and before he publishes it, it has to meet God’s standards. We know we’re accountable for what we say. The Bible is clear on that! We’ll stand before God and give an account of the words we speak and write. We’re not the only ones. That liberal bunch of liars that’s out there, they’ll have their day when they’re mockery comes to an end.

The book of Jude is one chapter from the end of the Book.

I feel like that’s where we are on the time line of eternity. And this chapter is coming to an end quickly…

Posted in Bible Journaling, Evangelism, Heaven, salvation

It Doesn’t Change the Book

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I can tell by the look in their eyes when they’ve tuned me out and they’re wishing me off the planet. Even family. It’s not that they don’t love me, it’s not that they’ll not tolerate me. It’s that I make them very uncomfortable. Which is never my goal, but almost always the outcome. And such is the life as someone who loves to share Jesus and wants everyone regardless of heritage to become a part of my family. To share my Father. The Lord Jesus Christ.

And to ask most of them, they’d say they already do. But deed… “the proof ain’t in the puddin’,” as the saying goes.

It’s been the case as far back as Genesis. Someone always trying to get in by somebody else’s coattails, or by works, or just assuming God would never let them go to Hell. And so those of us who know the truth, continue to tell the truth and those who don’t want to know, shut us out. But that doesn’t change the book. –

In the book of Nehemiah, which happens to be where I’m reading, I was dreading chapter seven. It’s a chapter of name after name after name. And as I read I prayed, “God, please let me get something out of this besides a glaze over my eyes.” And as I traveled through the names, hoping someone’s would pop off the page and capture my attention, it didn’t. It wasn’t the name God wanted to capture my attention with. It was registration process.

In verses 64-65 my heart broke.

These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but it was not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood. And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim.

Urim and Thummim were priestly devices found on their breastplate and used to determine God’s will. In my small mind, I imagine it to be as a priest flipping a coin. Don’t believe everything I tell you, I might lead you astray. But that’s still how I see it.

But for today, there’s no more coin flipping. And there’s only one Priest that matters and that’s the Lord Jesus Christ. Friends and family can tune me out, shut me down and tell me to go away, but when it comes to their final days, the question will remain “Are you a part of the family of God?”

Matthew 7:21-23 King James Version (KJV)

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

There were 642 persons (verse 62) who professed to be children of Israel. But the word said they were polluted. What an indictment. And it’s the same indictment that’s going to be against those who profess to be children of God but have never made Him Lord and Savior. Oh… they believe in Jesus. But then again, so does Satan. They believe in God. Satan knows Him personally. That won’t keep him out of Hell. Some of them go to church, most do not. But to tell you the truth, Satan’s in church every Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday. He never misses a revival. He’s usually sitting beside of me trying to get my attention off task. The question still remains, “Is your name written down in the Lamb’s book of Life?”

Revelation 21:27

And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Those who are not written down, having accepted what Jesus Christ did for them on the cross as payment for their sins, are still covered with the pollution of this world. They won’t enter into Heaven with that pollution on them. They’ve got to be clean, and the only way they can be is to be covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. And why would they be?

If your child died for someone so that they could be free, and that person denied what they did and never acknowledge with gratitude the cost that was paid for them, why would you want to spend eternity with them?

God not allowing folks in Heaven sounds harsh until you view it from there.

What a privilege to be a child of the King! A member of the Family of God. You can’t change the book. Not the Bible or the Lamb’s book of Life. Both were written in indelible ink.

Posted in Bible Journaling, Evangelism, Family, Leadership, Life Inspiration

Give Everything to God – Early, Fully, Only

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Just in case you haven’t figured out where I’m at in Bible reading, I’ve been in the book of Proverbs the last few days. And it’s good timing. I’m in need of wisdom. I’m trying very hard to stay spiritually focused on a matter of the heart, but there’s been an issue with my heart far longer than the issue that caused the heart attack.

Proverbs Proverbs 4:23 says Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

As I’ve told you before. I have issues. Lots of them! But that’s not the verse that caused me to ponder this morning and examine my issues. It was Proverbs 8:17 ~

SEEK ME EARLY

I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

I do love the Lord, and I realize that in seeking His will through His word, it’s always best to try and discover His plan before you jump off the cliff, or open  your mouth, or volunteer, again. Or possibly choke the life out of someone. That’s why I don’t necessarily think that the word “early” always refers to the time of day. Perhaps it means “before disaster.”

The old adage “The early bird gets the worm,” is only good if you’re the bird. The worm really gets the short end of the stick. Perhaps if he’d prayed about direction before he came up out of the earth, he’d be having a picnic with friends today. But what I got more than anything out of this verse today is that God loves devoted children. He knows we don’t have all the answers. And where Siri falls short on answers, God never does!

SEEK ME FULLY

Jeremiah 29:13 ~ And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Far, far too often I not only fall short but I stop short of where God needs me to be. I search for His wisdom until I grow weary, or something shiny takes me away and then I lose the train of thought that brought me to His station. The process of finding the answer isn’t always as easy as just opening up the book. That’s where we start, but there’s prayer and conversations with God. In order to fully understand what it is that God wants us to understand He wants His children to be serious about it.

I have issues there too. I want answers but more often than not I want the Readers Digest condensed version with the answer key in the back.

True story.

SEEK ME ONLY

Deuteronomy 4:28-30 

28 And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. 29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. 30 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;

Seeking the wisdom of men and using the ways of the world for guidance always fails in comparison to what can be obtained by speaking to the Savior. We forget that. It’s so easy to desire a conversation with people we can touch, or look at the examples of people who have succeeded in our area of need. And although there’s nothing wrong with either of those things, God is an exclusive God. He won’t be added to a list of possible solutions. He is the solution.

I had to remind myself of that today. I can’t fix stupid. Some things and some people are beyond my control. But what is within my control is my reaction to the world around me.

  • If someone is in need… seek God’s provision, perhaps you have it.
  • If someone’s in pain… seek God’s comfort, perhaps your words can bring it.
  • If someone’s in harms way… seek God’s protection, perhaps your request will summon the powers of Heaven.
  • If someone’s in need of answers… seek God’s wisdom, perhaps you’re the vessel.

The reality of it is, you may or may not be the means God uses to fix a situation. But He wants to hear from you. The problem may be your own,  He wants to hear from you. He is the Lord thy God.  100% yours. And 100% mine. He hears every word we speak (or think). Give everything to Him, early, fully, only. Thy God.

Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service, Evangelism, Grace, Health, Life Inspiration

The Struggle with Social Media

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I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love. Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.

Psalm 119:113-114

The Struggle with Vanity

By human nature we are a selfish lot, are we not? I tuned into social media this morning and the heartaches of other people overwhelmed my soul. I felt helpless.

I can’t rebuild a life that was lost in a fire.

I can’t undo the bad decision of a young man that didn’t feel there was any other way than death.

I can’t control the fierceness of nature or the devastation it can leave in its path.

I can’t un-break a heart or protect people from destruction.

It’s life. And in this day and age it’s being lived out in a very, very public way that affects so many people with the stroke of a keyboard. Social media can be a blessing or a scourge. I have a love/hate relationship with it, as I’m sure most people do. But like it or not, despise it or not, it’s here to stay. But you and I need to be careful about the vanity of it all. If we are in the mindset of Christ… as we should be. We should shield ourselves from ourselves. Visit https://www.fanexplosion.de/produkt/instagram-likes-kaufen/ to promote your brand or any service to a greater reach on Instagram.

One of my many, many faults is counting. Now I know it got David in serious trouble in 2nd Samuel 24. So I try not to; but remember the struggle I spoke of. It really is a struggle on social media. How many people likes my post… how many people viewed my video… how many people liked a post, or loved a post. And who were they? Oh. I’m vain. For me it’s validation as to whether or not I was a success.

That a load of lies from Satan. But I buy it like a good flea market find.

Our lives will never be defined in eternity by how many people seen our posts. But it will be defined by what that post did for the cause of the Kingdom.

The Shield of Victory

For all my vain thoughts, and they are many; God put a heart of compassion within me. It’s what drives me to share the hope of Jesus Christ that I find in His word. It’s what creates images like the umbrella in my mind when I think of how many times the Lord has shielded me from the sun and rain. The good times and the bad times that would have had a negative result in my life.

It’s not only the bad times in our lives that cause damage. The good in life can bring more vanity, more self-reliance that can destroy the good things that God wants for us.

How many people do we know with great wealth and health that have no relationship with God? Or how many do we know that have “seemingly” never struggled as we have and are so ungrateful.

Some of the worst things in my life, I am certain, have protected me from forgetting where my hope lies.

I’m so thankful that we have God’s word! It is as if I’m sitting here in my office this morning with God, and I hear Him say… “That’s my girl. Keep writing. Keep drawing. Keep serving. And by the way, stop counting.”

Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service, Evangelism, Heaven, Leadership, Life Inspiration, salvation

Just Give Me Jesus

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He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.

Job 13:16

It’s not that I don’t feel like a hypocrite on a relatively regular basis. But for years I have felt like this was my message for the world. Not in judgement, but rather in tender compassion and pleading to the soul playing church on earth, and missing Heaven in eternity.

There’s a vast difference between being in church and being in Christ. But for too long the religious crowd has preached (and I use the term liberally) that all the world is fine, so long as they’re in the building.

Iglesia ni Cristo

When I visited the Philippines several years ago there was a huge church that was the size of a small West Virginia city. It had pointed steeples and ornate architecture that gave it a castle appearance, but not in a good way. It just looked cold and evil. It was the Iglesia ni Cristo (meaning Church of Christ) but not as the American Church of Christ. They believe that they are the one and only true church called out of Isaiah 43:5. It’s a very formalized methodical religion. All who are not a part of their church are Hell bound. according to them. That doesn’t sound any crazier to me than those who preach what many churches are preaching today, which is just show up occasionally, continue living in sin throughout the week, and you’re fine. It causes me to wonder if even the Pastors are saved who preach a message that is anti-relational with Christ.

I can’t help but think that my message today will be viewed as judgmental. But I promise it’s not. My heart breaks for church leadership as well who don’t have a deep enough relationship with Christ to understand its importance and their purpose. They’ve been deceived by this world too.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

This is my friend Chuck McDonald’s life verse. Because when he got saved, he became a new creation. And anyone who knew him, seen the evidence in his life. That’s the key, and it’s the missing piece of many people in our own churches. Evidence. They walk out the door on Sunday morning and walk back into the world looking no different. There’s no evidence that church made a difference.

It’s not that the message doesn’t go out of many churches, because it does. There are many, many good preachers. So what makes the difference? Church leadership.

It’s not just the Pastor’s job. What made the difference in my friend Chuck McDonald’s life, and in my life is that there were people who stepped up and took me under their arm as a disciple of Christ. I keep saying it, but I’m not living it any better if I’m honest.

My formative years as a new Christian were spent in fellowship almost every day with people from our church. We had breakfast together at a local restaurant, we spoke on the phone, we were in constant church services of some sort, somewhere. It was amazing! If our church wasn’t holding a revival I was looking for someone else’s.

Does it have to be that extreme? I don’t know. It worked for me. And it worked in the days of the Bible.

Acts 2

41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Steadfast, in doctrine, in fellowship, breaking bread and praying! Glory to God if only we had that kind of time.

Well, in this modern day of technology, do we not? We can be across the globe, and still be in constant fellowship, and yet we don’t.

I joyously speak with my friend Dewey Moede from New Mexico most every day. He is who God sent into my life to follow up where others left off. You too are that person who is in need of a Dewey, or perhaps you are the Dewey.

My point being is this; we should be living our lives, wherever we are for Christ. So that people know we’re there for them and that a relationship with Him and them is an important part of our everyday.

I’m not about what denomination is over the door, I’m about what your relationship is with my Lord. Are you truly a brother or sister in Christ?  

Only those who are will be Heaven.

Just give me Jesus.