Independence Cemetery

1 John 1:7

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

One day I was on my way home from speaking at my friend’s church in Huntsville when I saw a sign that read “Independence Cemetery.” It reminded me of a time in my life a few years ago when I was lost and alone in spiritual darkness. It was my first year in college and I saw myself as independent. I was on my own, which meant no rules!! I could eat cake for breakfast because my mom wasn’t there to tell me I couldn’t. I also felt like because I had no church community or accountability, I had a little more free reign on what I could do. Nobody knew that I was the “church girl” because I thought that I was given the chance to “create my new identity.” I was i-n-d-e-p-e-n-d-e-n-t! In my naive mind, I didn’t need community (people telling me what I should or shouldn’t do) and I didn’t want God’s list of rules that held me back from my “freedom.” Oh brother, was that further from the truth? In my independence from like-minded believers and God, I found myself depressed and had daily suicidal thoughts from a lack of purpose or fulfillment from the world.

Identity is everything. Prior to really walking with God, I only knew who He was, but didn’t dig to find out who I was in Him — my true identity. Through neglecting to find my identity in Christ (a daughter of the one true King), I attempted to “create my new identity” by becoming what I thought a college student should be — young, wild, and free as pop culture would tell me. Every morning I would check my social media to see who liked my posts and if my follow count went up or down. Minutes later I would also contemplate whether or not I wanted to live. There was a whirlwind of things surrounding me that made me question for months if I even had a purpose. While people on Instagram I had never met “liked” me, people I thought were my friends abandoned me, switched up and left, and were flat-out cruel to me. I sought validation and identity from tiny symbols on a screen rather than from our Almighty God who, by the way, created the whole universe. While I was surrounded by terrible thoughts looming around me, God was still right there with me waiting for me to look up and see Him as He sang over me. *Cue Upperroom* “It may look like I’m surrounded, but I’m surrounded by You.”

 

Running away from God’s love to pursue heart emojis left me isolated and feeling spiritually dead, because I was. This allowed the enemy to whisper lies into my ear. “Don’t read your Bible or else you’ll be a hypocrite. Don’t go to church because those people are way more righteous than you. Don’t pray because God is angry at you for walking away from Him. You’ve sinned too many times for God to ever love you. You wanted your independence and that’s just what you got. You’re screwed.” And I believed it for too long. I was in the Independence Cemetery — dead with no church community, no fellowship with believers, and shying away from accountability. In my “freedom” I was actually in bondage.

I was not the first person to be isolated. In fact, when Adam was the only human to exist in the garden, the Lord God even stated in Genesis 2:18, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” It was God’s intention for us to be in community with Himself and each other, but that’s the opposite of what Satan wants for us, so he will do anything he can to keep that from happening. In Genesis 3, we see how the devil has planned to separate us through lies and distortion of God’s Word from the beginning. When Adam and Eve were clearly commanded not to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Satan deceived them to put man against each other. God’s design for community was severed, and Adam and Eve blamed each other for bringing sin into the world. Due to man being separated from each other and from God, there had to be something done about it to reunite us. God had it all already figured out.

When we failed time and time again at trying to obey the law of Moses, God was planning to do something drastic to take the burden off of us and put it on Jesus; God sent His one and only Son to die on the cross for our sins so that we may be in fellowship with God and learn how to be in community with believers. All the shame is paid for too, by the way. Romans 8:38-39 says, “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We weren’t meant to be independent from God or others. He created us for community and to be free of shame, not conviction. He always wants us to feel His love. Hebrews 12:5-6 says, “And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

If the enemy has convinced you that you are too far gone, that God wants you to clean yourself up before getting into His presence, that He’s mad at you, or whatever else you’re believing that isn’t aligned with God’s heart, please know that they are lies. In your isolation, you will find it incredibly hard to stop sinning. The lack of accountability will feel like you have a little leeway to sin. Sin only leaves you feeling dead, but Jesus came to bring you life more abundantly. In the backwards way of the kingdom, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it” as Matthew 16:25 says. When we die daily to our own sins, meaning we crucify our flesh and don’t always get what we want, we actually get to have freedom from the deadly snare of sin and live in the light. So, maybe independence cemetery doesn’t just mean isolation breeds spiritual death; in our death to our sin, we actually find freedom in Christ. That’s the only kind of Independence Cemetery I want to find myself in.

Romans 6:23

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

Mess

2 Corinthians 4:16 

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

Life is a mess. Let’s be honest — I’M a mess. As I enter adulthood, I have found myself trying to find God’s will for my life and scrambling to do things that look productive on the outside, but have left me feeling drained and empty. In the challenge to “find myself” and where I fit into this crazy world, I often reflect on how easy it has become for me to look around and compare myself to others. I’ve wanted to be close to God like other people seem to be, so I hurriedly try to read the entire Bible in one month instead of getting into His actual presence. I want to look put together like others, so I covet the women who look amazing and somehow have enough money to keep up the flawless image. I compare my athleticism to 200lb football players, and that’s where I really need to draw the line. Who do I think I am? I just might be a mess.

This past Sunday, I saw my sweet friend Jacey at church. She asked how I was doing and I’ve learned that when people who love the Lord ask you that, they aren’t just asking out of courtesy. She was willing to hear me say, “I’m not doing great,” and actually wanted to do something about it. She asked if I wanted to meet up with her afterwards to talk about what’s going on. After the church service, we discussed where we wanted to go. I gave her the option to choose and her response was, “I could go for tacos.” I can always go for tacos, but before I could think of a taco place to go to, she continued, “or brunch, or pasta!” It’s funny how in the same way, as humans we want a lot of things and are so indecisive, but God knows exactly what we need. I kept hearing about Mess Waffles and had been wanting to try it, so we agreed and were on our way to Century Square. If you’ve never been there, it’s a beautiful shopping center that has the finest name brands, spectacular eateries, amazing entertainment, and hardly any parking spots. I circled the place thoroughly in search of a free spot close by, or so I thought. I finally relented and parked across the way at the parking garage with free parking. Jacey parked at the Urgent Care within breezy walking distance for free. I often find myself working way harder than I need to in life when God’s answer is simple if I would just slow down, breathe, and listen to His voice. I finally made it to Mess Waffles after my journey through Century Square, which was sparkling with people wearing those same finest name brands mentioned, and I became aware that I was wearing old clothes probably from Ross’ clearance section. We waited in line for about 45 minutes before getting to order food, but something powerful happened. In the waiting, Jacey and I had the opportunity to become vulnerable by confessing our struggles and sharing our hardships of the Christian life. I’ve always been afraid to share the ugliness of my heart with other Christians because I feared judgment and didn’t want people to think that following Jesus isn’t super wonderful, because it is in ways you wouldn’t expect.

There is a lot that God wants to do for us in our waiting seasons. Some things I told Jacey were that I expected my year of singleness to be a breeze, or a walk from Urgent Care to Mess Waffles. It’s more like the long walk from the parking garage to Mess Waffles, where everywhere I look I’m tempted to covet what other people have and wish I was in their [name brand] shoes. I thought the desire to have a relationship would go away, but instead it deepened and intensified. I’ve become far more aware of my own personal struggles. The year of singleness isn’t the only waiting season I’m in. While I was in college, I imagined my life taking off and soaring after graduation, or being like a bull bucking out into the arena after waiting behind the gate. I was so sure college was the glimmer of a firework, and graduation was the boom! Now it kind of feels like college was the firework and now the show is over. I’ve been subbing, which I absolutely love, but I feel like there’s more [pay]. I’ve also been preparing to be a foster mom, and I’ve had so much to get in order before this passion turns into a reality. There’s a lot of waiting happening. It feels like such a mess, but God takes our mess and makes it beautiful. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” If I surrender my romantic desires, my will for my life, and my time, in exchange He will make all of this mess work together for my good.

I recently re-read a book called “Letting Go of Perfect” and it helped me realize that life is hard, God is gracious, and I’m still loved when I fall short. As Jacey and I were exposing our mess, we took a break to order our meals — Chicken and Waffles with Up, Cluck, and Away Mac and Cheese. I soon realized that our lives are such a mess, but because we are in relationship with the Lord, it still tastes great to Him. It’s like a wild combination of chicken, mac and cheese, bbq sauce, and ranch. He loves it! While we were eating and giggling over how sweet it is that God knows our hearts, Kelly Clarkson’s song “Broken & Beautiful” played. The whole early afternoon was so symbolic and perfect in it’s own messy way.

 

I’ve shared a lot of my mess with you, and hopefully you’ll be encouraged that people who follow Jesus do not have it all together and that is perfectly okay in its own imperfect way. Here are three things I hope you are able to take away from this message:

1. God knows what we need and will meet our needs if we allow Him in.
2. We cannot make our life what it needs to be by anxiously scrambling; God needs us to slow down and trust His timing.
3. In the waiting, God is still moving and will reveal Himself if you’re patient with your eyes fixed on Him.

1 Peter 3:3-4

Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.

Water You Thirsty For?

John 4:13-14

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

I was watching a sermon by my absolute favorite pastor, Michael Todd, called “Thirst Trap // Searching for a Feeling” when God began to speak to me. A lot of times we like to hear God’s Word and try to apply it to the lives of others, but I think it’s time to set our own hearts straight and allow others to see the new life we have and be drawn to it. We are all searching for something to fulfill something in our hearts that God has already provided. Let me take you through a beautiful story.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. He made day and night, separated water from land, and land from sky, filled the ground with creatures, air with birds, and the waters with fish. He made fruit, flowers, and beautiful greenery. He filled the earth with His goodness. Then he made Adam and gave him a beautiful partner named Eve. They were in perfect relationship with each other and with God. Nothing at all separated them. They were naked and unashamed. They had everything they could ever want or need, as God saw fit. He held nothing good back from His first friends. The only thing He said they could not have was fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, or they would die.

The tree was not good for them, but it gave them a choice to listen to God or not, because love is having free will and still choosing to do right.

The devil appeared in the form of a serpent to tempt Eve to eat the fruit by saying, “You will not surely die. For God knows that on the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Eve ate of it first, and then Adam.

Now there was disobedience, sin, and separation. Shame followed, and they knew they were naked. Nothing was wrong with their nakedness before, but now they were exposed and felt guilty for not trusting God.

This is where it all went wrong. Adam and Eve had EVERYTHING good. God held nothing back because He loved them so passionately. He wanted to protect them by telling them the truth, yet satan warped God’s words and lied about His intention. His schemes are not new today. God promises to provide for us and says that if we remain in Him, we can ask anything in His name and it will be given to us. He loves to give us good things, just as we delight in giving a thoughtful gift to the ones we love.

But yet we are still searching elsewhere.

Sex. Money. Success. Validation. A high. Purpose. Relationships. Food

Our worth is truly only found in Him. It’s not in the intimacy with another human being. We can’t find our value in a dollar sign that will be spent or passed on when we die. Our success doesn’t mean much because we can’t keep our self-glorification. As quickly as someone can validate you, they can invalidate you. This leaves you feeling worthless, yet you were bought at a high price with the blood of Jesus. You want peace and to calm your nerves, so you light one up — Jesus is the Prince of Peace. You won’t find your purpose in anything other than seeking after God’s heart. A relationship with a human is not wrong, but when it takes the place of a right relationship with God or is your source of comfort it becomes an idol.

I’m preaching to myself, y’all. I am not perfect. In fact, I am so aware of my sin that it’s hard for me to accept compliments on my character. I care so much about portraying myself as a role model for others, but I struggle so much. I think that’s the issue with the church sometimes. People want to follow Jesus, but it looks impossible if everyone appears like they’re not ever tempted, or are just blatantly basking in sin.

If you are interested in following Jesus, but haven’t taken a step, I want you to first do this. Acknowledge that you are searching for something that the world offers, but can’t sustain. Take note of the fact that Jesus can and will provide whatever you’re seeking after. He wants to give you peace, worth, joy, hope, strength, intimacy, love, and so much more. It comes to you when you spend time with Him. More of your life should be devoted to basking in His sweet and gentle presence than anything else.

Allow me to be vulnerable please. I am being bold and it is so incredibly scary, but I feel that it is necessary to encourage people like me who mess up every day and feel like there’s no way out.

Newsflash, I am a sinner who is saved. I love to feel loved. For whatever reason, it has been really hard for me to accept that I am loved deeply by the Father and nothing can take that away. There have been many years where I wouldn’t go but maybe a month without “talking” to or dating someone. I was attracted to being attractive. I craved it. I loved the rush of feeling wanted. But you know what? Those petty relationships never lasted more than 2 months. I was always so sure of them because I didn’t know how I would be able to let them go. Thankfully, God always cut them out quick and was patient anytime I found myself in a new “love story.” I’ve found myself in so many little flings that led to nothing but heartbreak, disappointment, and a greater sense of emptiness that Jesus had always been ready to fill if I would have let Him. But as soon as I would allow Him to fill me up and give me a new joy, I would think I was ready for the next relationship, and again I would lose that intimacy with Jesus and replace it with an impure intimacy.

I was thirsty.

Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well that none of her little boo thangs were going to leave her thirst quenched. Instead, they would leave her more thirsty. If we would just go to the source of living water, we would never thirst again. I want that living water, which means that for right now, I can’t date. Not until I am made whole again in Jesus. Not until I don’t feel like I need a relationship. It’s not at all a punishment. I don’t like torturing myself.  I like feeling whole and complete without needing to go to something that will eventually run out. I also want to honor my future husband and let him know that I won’t rely on him to fix my brokenness or emptiness. That’s not a load that anyone in the world can carry, even if they wanted to.

So my question to you thirsty person (none of us are excluded), water you thirsty for?

Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

 

Trust Fall

Matthew 28:19-18

 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

It was February 7th, 2018. I had been wondering if it was God’s will for me to travel. I went to a Wednesday night service with an open heart and burning desire to see the world reached with Jesus’ love. The pastor prepped our hearts for the altar call and invited us to meet with God in full submission in humility. I mustered up the courage to go to the front and get on my face, tuning my heart to hear from the Father. I pleaded, “God, if it is your will for me to travel, please let me know. If it is not, make it clear and I will obey.” There was no immediate answer. Light didn’t shine on me from Heaven with an audible voice saying, “Go, my child.” I knew I had to be patient. The Lord doesn’t make us wait forever.

Two days after this intentional prayer, I hopped in the car with my friend and set out on a journey to the Magnolia Market in Waco, Tx for my 21st birthday! We made our way to the food trucks, and of course I was indecisive. Do I want pizza? A sandwich? A burger? Salad? (Yeah, right). When I finally decided on a gourmet grilled cheese, it was time for me to pick out my drink. After being back and forth about what I should get, the sweet girl at the counter, named Kayla handed me a Ruby Rose Organic Soda and asked me a question that would change my life forever. She looked at me with purpose and boldly asked such a strange question backed by all the faith she had, “Do you want to travel — is that a desire of your heart?” I almost fainted. I was so close to looking around for cameras, thinking it was some kind of weird prank video. How did this random girl know this? Is she an angel? Probably, honestly. Her heart is pure gold (we’re friends irl now). I asked with suspicion, “Why are you asking me this?” She replied gently, “I was spending time with God this morning and He told me to set aside one of my world map necklaces that I’d been selling to pay for my mission trip, and instead give it to someone for free as confirmation that He wants them to travel… and it’s you.” She pulled it out, and I felt like I was getting proposed to (I’ve only dreamed of the feeling). I informed her of the prayer I had prayed two days prior to that conversation, although I was sure she was watching it from Heaven when it happened. She put it around my neck, and I asked if I could hug her and have her contact information. It’s always nice to have an angel you can call on if you need one. From that day on, I’ve been sure of two things.

1. God listens intently to us.
2. I was called to travel the world, at whatever cost.

Toby Mac used to be my jam (do people still say that?) back in elementary school. One of his songs is still so relevant to me. It’s called “City On Our Knees” and it talks about how God’s Kingdom is coming to Earth, starting with us… now. I want to be the one who shares the Love of Christ with unbelievers so that they can become a city on their knees as well. While it is equally important to share my faith with people here where I am everyday, there are places that don’t have many people to share it where they are everyday too. There’s no time to wait. I’m not promised tomorrow, and neither are you or the people that I will be encountering in just two months. Tonight’s the night and it all begins with us.

While I have the chance to go to another country and share the most precious jewel of information I’ve ever been told (and I’ve been to Disney World), a lot of people don’t. They either have jobs, disabilities that prevent them from traveling, a life full of busyness, or whatever reason someone isn’t able to go. That doesn’t mean they don’t have the opportunity to make a difference across the globe. There are many people willing and capable to go and be the light. Isaiah 6:8 says, “Here I am, send me.”

John 4: 34-38 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

There are people where I am going whose hearts have been stirred by God to hear the good news that Jesus rose from the grave so that we can inherit eternal life. This is something that we Americans hear all the time, but some people haven’t even heard once. They are eager to know the Truth, and I’m super eager to freely share the treasure I’ve found with them. Heaven is a party, and EVERYONE is invited… black, white, brown, yellow, gay, straight, sinner, saint, who is, and who ain’t this or that. Jesus doesn’t care about where we come from or what we do. He just wants us. And I just want to go.

I have been invited to go to the Arabian Peninsula this summer with some awesome people whose hearts are full of love and light. I thought the hardest part would be deciding if I should go or not. This is a bigger decision than grilled cheese or pizza, and that itself was hard for me. I took a HUGE leap of faith to go into a country I’ve only been in the airport of and share my faith with people who may not be receptive to what I have to say. I’ve been sending out support letters, emails, texts, calls, considering eating crickets for money, probably going to destroy myself in a workout as a fundraiser, and prayed endlessly over raising funds to go. The total cost is $3000, and so far I have raised $700. I need to be fully funded by May 1st, which means I have 6 days to hope that people are willing to donate $5, $10, $70, $150, $300, $800, or whatever they decide to give. It’s totally not up to me. I can’t force anyone to give. I can only invite people into God’s mission and pray that they are stirred to give.

The other day, I was doing a trust fall with my friend. I remember the gut-wrenching feeling of almost hitting the ground and feeling like I had been failed, but then they caught me at the last second. It was scary, fun, and made me want to do it again, but actually trust them the second time because I knew they would come through, even if it wasn’t when I wanted them to. That’s how it feels to really trust God. It looks like He isn’t going to catch me, but this is His work after all. He wants to see His people reached. He wants me to grow in intimacy with Him. He wants to prove His faithfulness. He has NEVER failed me and He NEVER will.

With this being said, I am asking that you would pray for me. Pray that I would be fully funded by the due date. Pray that my faith would be increased. Pray that people would see God’s faithfulness and give Him glory. Pray that the people I meet would have prepared hearts when my teams meets them and becomes their friends. Pray for safety. Pray for encouragement. Pray for how much you should give and then watch how the Father blesses you in return for sowing into His Kingdom.

James 2:16 — If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?

HOW TO GIVE:

Antiochcs.org/missionsgive
Select “Short Term Mission Trip”
Enter “Kyra Rodriguez: in the memo section

Proverbs 11:25

The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped. 

aloe be thy name

Romans 12:2

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.

This summer while serving at Stoney Creek, my Co Josh popped in with some Aloe Vera Juice. I thought back to my previous summer and how often I used aloe vera gel on my face to heal my sunburns, but I never would have considered drinking it. I was really skeptical, but he was hyping it up like it was just the best thing ever. He told us how nutritious it is and all the things it helps with — dehydration, inflammation, acne, deficiencies in vitamins and minerals, etc. I realized it was actually better to put on the inside of your body rather than the outside only. After drinking it, I was convinced of its amazing qualities, and even the taste! This, not surprisingly, applies to our relationship with Jesus.

Allow me to let you in on a little secret… Are you ready? God does not like religion. In fact, He despises it. Take a look at what He said about “religious” people in Matthew 23. “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels. And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’ Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters.” This is not what God intended our lives to be like. It’s not about the person and how high and mighty we appear. God is Almighty and deserves our praise, we don’t. 

God is relational. He created Adam and Eve for relationship, not to be in religion. Everything He made was good for them to enjoy, except for one thing. They chose to sever their relationship by choosing something that God forbade. The Kingdom of Heaven isn’t about religion. Yes, we will all worship God, but we don’t have to have fancy churches or the best programs to facilitate it. While gathering as a church (the church being a people who happen to meet in a building called “church”), we can worship God by just eating fruit and giving thanks for how good God is. You can do it while you sing in the shower. You can do it by giving to the needy in private for only you, that person, and God to know. God changes us from the inside-out when we have a relationship with Him. It’s not for show or so that people will look highly on us as some spiritual being.

He wants to bring the Kingdom here, and it doesn’t look like people raising their hands in church and peeking to see who is watching them. It looks like people who are truly changed and want what God wants. He wants to treat us as the children of God we are. He wants us to ask Him for provision. He wants us to honor Him with our hearts more than just our lips. Matthew 15:8 says, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” He wants us to love our enemies with a genuine forgiveness because He forgave us of our multitude of sins. He wants us to live in hope, peace, and love. The Kingdom of Heaven is a people whose hearts line up with the Father’s as we were created in His image.

Matthew 15 says, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

¹⁰ Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread.

¹² And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

If we are truly living for God in our hearts, our lives will show it on the outside. We aren’t meant to only look righteous at face value because as my friend Jordan says, “People don’t have a heaven or hell to put us in, only God does.” If we are doing what we do for show without actually spending time getting to know the Father’s heart, we have fooled ourselves. Matthew 23 continues.  

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” 

We love putting aloe vera gel on our face to make our skin look healthy and temporarily cool the burn, but drinking it will hydrate our skin all over, not just our faces. Matthew 23:25-26 says, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” If we start with being changed from the inside, our outwardness will be changed as well. Appearing righteous and being righteous are two different things. Let’s focus more on spending time with God instead of looking like we’re perfect. Only then will we truly be transformed.

Matthew 23:12

For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

 

Showered In Grace

2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

I love shower time! It’s a time to ponder, sing, and spend quality time with Jesus. One day while showering in hot water, I was washing my face. It came time to rinse, so I cupped my hands and brought the water to my face. It didn’t do much to remove the soap and it started to get cold as it encountered my face. I did this a few times and had the same results each time. I finally decided to go all in and place my face under the steamy water, fully submerged. It was hot, refreshing, and the soap poured off my face. It did wonders and wasn’t much hard work at all compared to how I was trying to do it before. Then I noticed how this applies to my walk with Christ. 

Sometimes as people who follow Jesus, we make plans without seeking God’s wisdom first, and ask Him to bless our decisions. “Thank you, God, for this super cute boy (or girl) who I’m falling so hard so fast for that I kinda forgot to ask your permission to date, but please bless our relationship.” Honey, He has so much better for you, but you didn’t even wait for His opinion. “Thank you, God, for this new job opportunity that pays well, but doesn’t bring honor to your name. I pray that you’ll help me succeed.” You’d better watch out before your “sign” to quit is a car accident or something of the sorts (Read my previous post Jesus Take the Wheel, and the Paddle Too). God’s not playing around with us or our decisions that aren’t in His will, my friend. My freshman year of college, I thought I had it all figured out. I was going to major in Kinesiology and be a personal trainer, but then I failed pretty much all of the -ologies before I finally asked God for His help. His advice was to switch to Communication, where He helped me ace some of my hardest exams. You can’t fake a 100 on a 10 essay question midterm that you prayed for more than you studied for. That’s what my God will do for you if you’re walking in step with His plan for you. If it’s not from God, it will fail; if it’s from God, it will prevail. Let’s stop trying to bring His blessing to our plans, and instead fully submerge ourselves in His will where the grace is steamy and sacrifice washes our sin clean.

John 15:1-8 says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

Later that same shower, I was attempting to shave my legs. I ran the razor against my leg, hoping to achieve smoother skin. I did this four times before I realized nothing was changing. Then it dawned on me — I didn’t take the guard off. I think we do the same thing in our relationship with Jesus. Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable, and perfect.” We want Him to transform us into something smooth and delightful, but we’re not willing to let our guard down and let go of our comfort. We’re afraid to be vulnerable and expose the sticky parts of our hearts to Him, or we’re not ready to give up our self-gratification in exchange for His will. We want the soft legs without the tug, pull, and razor bumps. Luke 9:23 says ever so plainly, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me.” Following Jesus isn’t easy and it costs us our life here, which is not a fair trade-off. We sacrifice a few years, and God gives us an eternity of His presence. Or you can live for yourself here and spend an eternity without the love, peace, and joy that the Father so freely gives. It is the hardest thing to do, and we absolutely cannot live pleasing lives without the power of the Holy Spirit. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. It takes full surrender and a commitment to bathing in His presence. It will be worth it when we encounter our Holy Almighty Savior, Jesus Christ face-to-face and have to answer the question, “What have you done with your life to love me?” What will you say?

Psalm 51:10

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 

Ordinary People Change the World

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

I love to take old things that could be considered garbage, and make them into something beautiful. For one, it helps preserve our home — The Earth!! Genesis 2:5 says, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” By doing this, it is one of the ways I worship God. Also, God has revealed to me something very special about humanity! “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). As sinners, we are considered worthless. Jeremiah 2:5 says, “What fault did your ancestors find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves.” Even though we are apart from God in our sin, He seeks us out and is able to take our mess and create a masterpiece through the blood of Jesus Christ. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” God did not have to send His son to die for us, but He chose to because of His love for us. Through His sacrifice, we are able to live lives that are pleasing to God, and to be used by Him to accomplish His will for the world. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” So who does God want to use to change the world? Perfect people? ABSOLUTELY NOT!! Let me introduce you to some of God’s people that He pulled out of mess to bring Himself glory.

Gideon: Gideon was an Israelite at the time that Israel was being oppressed by the Midianites. God saw that Israel needed help and He sent an angel to speak to Gideon, who said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Gideon was to lead an army against the rulers of Midian. But guess what? Gideon confessed to being the least of his family and of the weakest tribe of Israel. Perfect!! God doesn’t need someone to be strong, bold, equipped, qualified, and ready to fight! He needs someone humble who recognizes their inadequacies so that God can get the glory. God comforted Gideon by saying, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.” Gideon did not see how God would choose him, the least of all. But God assured him, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.” God knew that it was not in Gideon’s power to defeat the powerful Midianites. When Gideon set out with 30,000 men, God chose only 300 out of the 30,000 to actually go to war alongside Gideon so that they could not boast of their own strength when they defeated them. God seems to be up to something.

David: King Saul was rejected as king, so God sent Samuel to Jesse to appoint one of his sons as future king. Jesse paraded seven of his sons for Samuel to examine as Samuel listened to the Lord’s instruction for which one should be king. “When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, ‘Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.‘” After Jesse showed Samuel the first seven of his sons, Samuel knew that none of them were anointed, and asked if there were any more. “‘There is still the youngest,’ Jesse replied. ‘But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.’” Can you guess who the youngest little shepherd boy was? It was David! David was to be crowned king… but not YET! First, he was chosen to be a musician in the king’s court. Before he even became king, he had a servant’s position in the same place he would later be crowned. Then, as his big strong warrior brothers were out trembling at the torment of giants during war, Jesse sent the shepherd boy, David, to take food to his brothers. The boy who was just a servant went to the battlefield and found Goliath mocking his God. David was not having any of that, and remembered his slingshot that he used to ward off beasts as he was shepherding. People mocked him for even considering putting up a fight against the giant. They reminded him of his small stature and lowly position as a shepherd. David persisted. “Saul finally consented. ‘All right, go ahead,’ he said. ‘And may the Lord be with you!’” David used just a small rock and a slingshot to kill the giant that every big strong tough guy was afraid of. YES, the same small shepherd boy was chosen by God, not because he was big or tough, but because the Lord was with him. 

Moses: During the times of Israel’s oppression in Egypt, a helpless baby boy of Hebrew descent was placed in a basket and laid in the Nile River, where the Egyptian Pharoah’s daughter found him and protected him. Later on Moses would kill an Egyptian for hurting a Hebrew man, and that became the identity that people tried to place on his life.  He ran away from where God had placed him to Midian. God heard the cries of the Israelite slaves and wanted to use Moses to set the captives free. God appeared to Moses in the form of a burning bush to instruct him on how to release the Israelites from the Pharoah’s hand. Moses was like ‘No way, José, I mean Jesus…” and said, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” and reminded God that he has never been eloquent, and is slow of speech and tongue. “And God said, ‘I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.’” If you’ve ever been to Sunday School, you know the rest. God used Moses to part the Red Sea and led the Israelites out of Egypt. God could have done that all on His own, but He is kind and compassionate towards sinners like us. He knew Moses murdered someone. He knew he was not a public speaker. He knew the Pharaoh was not about to try to hear a word he said. And that’s exactly why God used him. He can’t boast of it being his own doing, because only a mighty God could do that.

Paul: If you’ve ever read Acts, this story is mind-blowing to you! Paul was originally named Saul, which is a Hebrew baby name meaning “Asked for; inquired by God.” Saul was notorious for persecuting followers of Christ, until the OG (Only God) put him in check. That boy Saul was humbled really quick as God called Him out, blinded him, and commanded Him to go into the city where Ananias would meet him. Ananias was sent to Saul to remove the scales from his eyes so that he could see in a new way. Then God changed his name to Paul, which means “small” or “humble.” Fitting, I’d say. Paul then became the most radical evangelist of his time, telling anyone and everyone (that God allowed him to) about the good news of Jesus! “One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.’“ He had such a holy anointing over his life, and that kind of conversion is only credited to God! That just goes to show that God wants to and does use garbage, and makes it into something amazing.

Jeremiah: God wanted to use a small boy named Jeremiah to go out and proclaim his faith to some scary people. God said to him, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah probably wanted to look at him crazy, and said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord, I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” But the Lord said to Jeremiah, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you.” How cool is that?! Jeremiah didn’t have much special about him, but he had the faith of a mustard seed, and that’s all God needs to do mighty things for the Kingdom. 

Take a look at this pile of scraps.

It sorta looks like garbage, doesn’t it? The enemy wants you to think that you’re unchangeable, trash, and stranded.

The enemy wants to convince you that you’re just a bunch of scraps that can’t be used for anything. The picture above just looks like glass bottles that should have been thrown away with the rest of my meal, scrapbook paper that my roommate was throwing away, some spare change that won’t add up to anything, strands of plastic that should have been swept into the dustpan, tissue paper that could have easily been ripped up and tossed as if it wasn’t part of the gift, and fake flowers that didn’t really have a useful place in my room.

Look at them now. This picture means the world to me because I see so many special things. The flowers were given to me by my Secret Sis at camp with a note telling me that these flowers will never die, just like the John 3:16 promise. The drinks were bought on my birthday and hold more value that I will reveal in the future. The golden strands were ripped from a backdrop used at camp, and I held onto them because I saw potential. The scrapbook paper looked like it had no purpose because my roommate doesn’t care for that kind of stuff. I took the time to cut it up and place it in an empty vessel; God sometimes rips apart areas of our hearts and empties us of ourselves so that He can fill us with something better. And the spare change reminds me that no matter how little your value, you can still change the world because God spared our lives through Jesus. So no, you’re not trash, stranded, and unchangeable.

You’re colorful. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her – Proverbs 3:15 

You’re golden, and on the third day he rose for you so that you could be 100% good in the eyes of the Father.

You’re capable of changing the world… because in all Honesty, God is with you.

Romans 8:31

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

 

Whole Holiness

1 Thessalonians 5:23

May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together – spirit, soul, and body – and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ.

If you’re anything like me, you are so bad about hanging on to old things and avoiding moving on to new things. I have this cheap Pure Zen soap bottle with little-to-no-soap in it that I refuse to throw away even though I have a brand new soap bottle full of really nice soap! I found myself still trying to get whatever I could out of this empty bottle and not even acknowledging the new bottle. Today as I was washing my hands I realized that Christ has given me a brand new full life that will cleanse me, but sometimes I still try to get what I can out of my old sinful life that can’t do anything for me. Does that mean that I’m not a believer or that I haven’t been saved? No. Does that mean that I should continue to strive for holiness while allowing God’s grace to make me new each morning? Yes!

I’ve been reading a really good book called Set Apart: Discovering Personal Victory Through Holiness by Bruce Wilkinson and it is very enlightening! I’ve learned so much already in the first few pages about myself, how God views us as His children, and the true meaning of holiness. Most people view holiness as something only dull and bland people are able to achieve, or as something for people who don’t have any fun. I used to think that in order to be holy, you had to pass up on any opportunity to enjoy yourself. While we are called to the set apart from the world, Jesus has not asked us to abstain from everything that gives us joy (as long as it’s not an idol or a sin). People also think that it’s not possible to be saved if you’re not deemed “holy.” I’ve found myself wondering if I’m saved when I’ve messed up bad, or thinking that if I sin at all, I’m not holy. I’m here to tell you the Truth using scripture and hopefully help you understand that you are holy if you believe that Jesus’ death and resurrection was enough to save you!! Join me in this journey to discovery and feel free to talk about it with me (I’m not perfect and I’m learning every day)!

First, there are stages to holiness. From the moment you accept Jesus into your heart, you are deemed righteous or a saint. Hebrews 10:10 says, “And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” That doesn’t get taken away from you when you sin, but that also doesn’t give you an excuse to sin without repenting; it just means there is grace and mercy for those who earnestly seek a right relationship with the Lord. If you have been born again in Jesus, you are already a saint and separated from your past; you are made holy. This means that because you have been made a saint, you need to act like a saint. If you were dirt poor and then won the lottery, you’d probably begin to wear nicer clothes instead of the raggedy garments you previously dressed yourself in. Now that you’ve hit the jackpot by finding Christ (the most precious gem of all), it doesn’t make sense to continue to surround yourself with filth (sin). Colossians 3:12 says, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

The second stage of holiness is pursuing righteousness. Once you’ve been made holy, you need to continue to choose holiness. There is nothing we can do alone to make us holy and acceptable to God because it is only the sacrifice of Jesus that makes us righteous. We are not forced to live out perfect lives because Jesus’ perfect blood is enough… BUT out of sheer appreciation and reverence, we should allow the Holy Spirit to convict us and help us conform to God’s ways. Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God–this is your true and proper worship.”  This worship only comes because we understand what God has done for us, not out of seeking to look better and remove guilt. If you’re married, you don’t just try to not cheat on your spouse because you don’t want to live with that shame or just because you know it’s wrong. Instead, you choose to honor them with your heart because you love them and wouldn’t want to ruin your relationship. If you didn’t love your husband or wife, you wouldn’t really care about dishonoring them. Every time we sin, we are cheating on God with sin because we have taken our focus off of Him and replaced it with ourselves and our own fleshly desires. Thankfully, God is kind and merciful enough to forgive us and restore that relationship with us. That is such a humbling thing to understand!!

The third stage after understanding what being holy is and realizing Jesus’ sacrifice for you and me is to walk with the Lord daily! When you find yourself reaching for that cheap empty bottle of soap, turn to the full bottle of expensive soap and take a moment to reflect on how valuable it really is. When I know that “sin hit the pan” I have to immediately turn back to Jesus (see previous blog post for more understanding). Focusing on my sin won’t help me to turn away from it, but I’ll be helped rather by turning to the Word and remembering how much Jesus really loves me. John 3:16 says it perfectly, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” He loved us enough to die for us and all we have to do is accept His love and forgiveness. We don’t earn it and it can’t be taken away. Romans 8:38-29 says, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” He loves us no matter what!!

Ephesians 2:1-10: And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Because we have been created for good works, we should serve the Lord with our lives. Sin is fun for the fleeting moment, but loving the Lord is fun for an eternal lifetime! Holiness isn’t for people who are dull or boring, but it is made to fill us with joy, peace, and love! You are already holy through Jesus’ sacrifice; now you just need to walk in that holiness. Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Let your holiness inspire others and show them how rewarding a relationship with the Father is. Join me in neglecting Pure Zen, a false sense of fulfillment, and in turning to the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:1-2

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

When Sin Hits the Pan

1 John 1:9

God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we’ve done wrong.

First, I want to recognize that we all sin. Sometimes we do it without realizing it, but other times we know exactly what we did wrong and immediately feel guilty and shameful. Those feelings make us want to hide from God in fear of His wrath and judgment. That’s exactly what satan wants us to do. This is nothing new. In fact, it has been going on since the beginning of our earthly existence. Genesis 3:6-8 says, “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.” That must have been the scariest hide-and-seek game ever! God was like, “Ready or not, here I come!!” But the thing is, their relationship was severed because of their sin and walking away from God’s love. Satan knew that if he could get Adam and Eve to disobey God, they would turn their faces from Him and hide. We all do this!! But the good news is that Jesus took every single bit of your guilt, shame, and most of all, your punishment!! We are no longer condemned because of our sins. Romans 3:23-24 says, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” But sometimes we wait to to tell Jesus we messed up and we’re sorry. That’s when things get harder for us, but not for God.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve burned a pan or two. College is hard, but at least I’m cooking. When I burn my pan, I have two choices: I can put it in the sink immediately and begin to wash it in soapy water, or I can let it sit on the counter and wash it later. We all know what the wiser thing to do is. As I was learning my lesson of leaving it to wash later, I realized that when you burn a pan and wait it to wash it, it is really hard to scrub off that junk!! But when you immediately begin to wash it, the residue softens and comes right off without excess scrubbing. Then I realized something else that is a lot more valuable than knowing not to wait to scrub the pan.

Sinning is like burning a pan (it should be a sin to burn a pan after all the work it takes to clean it)! The residue is the sin. If we go to Jesus right after we sin, He immediately begins to wash it away and softens our hearts. But waiting causes the residue to stick and really get in there. The guilt and shame we feel from sin makes it harder to run to Jesus because the enemy lies to us and tells us that our sins are too big to be forgiven, that we’re not loved by God, that He’s angry at us, that we’ve messed up too many times, or that we aren’t capable of a relationship with Jesus. Let me just tell you, I have been there and it isn’t pretty. They are all LIES!!! John 13:7 says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” God already poured out all His wrath on Jesus in your place so that you could run into His loving arms and be forgiven. The devil wants you to waste time not walking with God so that he can ruin your impact. Well, he’s wrong. God doesn’t care what you have done, no matter how bad! If you repent and believe that Jesus saves, you’re good! Jesus’ blood was enough to cover every single sin, yes EVERY one. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” You’re done hiding. God loves you and He has already forgiven you. All you have to do is accept it.

So, you’ve been living in sin and you want to come clean, but how? First, God asks us to forgive our brothers and sisters who have sinned against us. Matthew 6:15 says, “But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Next, tell Jesus what you have done wrong. He already knows and He will be gracious if you ask for forgiveness. You can even use scripture when you talk to Him. For example, “Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for my sins, according to John 3:16.” After you’ve asked God for forgiveness and repented (see my last blog post for more on that), ask the Holy Spirit to be with you to avoid temptation. It’s easy to pray a prayer for forgiveness, but that’s not all there is to it. If you’re truly sorry, you’re not going to want to do it again, but we know that Matthew 26:41 says, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” There will come a time when that sin issue will be brought up in your face by the enemy to try to get you to spiral away from God again. This is why it is so important to put on the full Armor of God.

Ephesians 6:10-18 says, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

The Bible, genuine prayer, and a faithful Christian community will help you to resist temptation and remain in right standing with our loving God. It is not possible to quit sinning apart from Jesus. John 15:5 says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Be encouraged!! There are angels fighting your battles for you in a realm that we aren’t able to see with our human eyes. All of heaven rejoices when one person repents and gives their life to Christ. All you have to do is ask!

Luke 15:7

I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Re[pen]tance

Matthew 5:30

And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

We value so much in life, and many times we hold these things above God. We idolize relationships, sex, money, alcohol, drugs, gossip, social media, celebrities, and even ourselves. These things can easily bring sin into our lives and keep us from feeling worthy of a relationship with Jesus. Romans 8:38-39 says, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” That is truly a blessing for us because we don’t deserve Christ’s love and forgiveness, yet He freely gives it to us because we are His sons and daughters that He created to have relationships with. He didn’t stop creating people after Adam and Eve sinned because He loves us immeasurably more in comparison to the amount of sin we’ve committed. When Jesus died on the cross and resurrected He threw our sins as far as the east is to the west and forgot about them. Psalm 103:11-12 says, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” We are His sole focus and all He wants is for us to turn away (repent) from the sins that leave us broken, and run into His loving arms that make us whole. The reason we feel like we’re never satisfied by anything in this lost, dark world is because we haven’t yet truly experienced Jesus. When you ask Jesus to come into your heart and have a relationship with you, you will feel his love and life-giving water wash over you and make you clean. We all have ink-stained hands, but luckily we have a Savior with nail-pierced hands that wash our ink away.

I walked into Antioch church yesterday eager to hear God’s word with a journal and Sharpie pen in hand. I was talking to my friends about how God is shifting things in my life for a greater purpose when I looked down and noticed there was ink all over my hand. I quickly became so aware of how easily that ink could have gotten on my face, my clothes, and anything I touched if I wasn’t careful. My friend, Prince walked up to me and I was excited to see him, but I told him that I couldn’t hug him because I had ink on my hand. I was shocked that although he was wearing a clean white shirt, he chose to hug me anyway. Suddenly God spoke to me and pointed out that the ink represents sin, the really nice (and expensive) Sharpie pen was what caused the ink to cover my hand, and Prince represented Jesus (the {Prince} of Peace) clothed in white. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” I am so thankful that we have a Creator who sent His perfect and blameless son to die on the cross for us so that we can be reconciled to Him. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 says, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” While we are covered in ink (sin), He still wraps His arms around us. We can’t hold on to the pen though, no matter how nice or valuable [we think] it is. A right relationship with God is more valuable than anything else, especially something that causes us to sin. I knew that if I wanted the ink to stop getting on me, I had to throw the pen away and repent.

When Jesus tells us that we need to cut off our hand, he doesn’t mean to literally cut off our hand. He is telling us to remove whatever is causing us to sin. Matthew 4:17 says, “Turn away from your sins, because the Kingdom of heaven is near!” If you have friends that love to gossip, stand up for what is right and tell them you’re not going to gossip anymore. If you have friends that love to drink and party, don’t go to parties with them. Instead, share the gospel and leave the inner circle. Jesus still hung out with sinners, but he kept His disciples closer. If Instagram causes you to compare yourself to others, delete the app like I had to. If being in a relationship causes you to sin in any way, seek Christian counsel and ask the Holy Spirit if that is who God approves for you to marry. Breakups are so hard and I’ve had to do it for the sake of righteousness in obedience. It was painful, but I’m glad I did it. Whatever it is that causes you to sin may seem valuable to you, but it’s not worth risking the loss of your soul. Mark 8:36 says, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” We have to be obedient to God for the sake of the Kingdom. He’s never trying to ruin our fun or take good things away from us. Psalm 84:11 says, “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.” He’s not mean, but He is righteous and full of justice. He gives and takes away, and He does everything in love to protect us. I encourage you to evaluate your own life and ask God if there’s anything you need to cut off so that God can replace it with His love. He will give you the strength to overcome it. All you have to do is ask. 

Zephaniah 3:17

For the Lord your God is living among you.
    He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
    With his love, he will calm all your fears.
    He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.

Read more on repentance here: 

http://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/christianity/articles/19-bible-verses-on-repentance-and-forgiveness.aspx