So here’s the thing… why is it that we as people who say we love the Lord and are Christians, actually disbelieve God so much? That was a generalization and blanket statement, I know. Let me break it down.

Yes, most believe a Christian person should be a good person. Most believe if you don’t: rob a bank, murder somebody, steal from your job, drink alcohol (oops…), cuss people out (oops), do drugs (a baby oops), cheat on your taxes and a variety of the more obvious sins/wrongdoings, we are good! However…

My girlfriend and I hold the same conversation periodically. We talk about how we ignore and live against the parts of the bible we don’t like. We exclude God’s word from our lives if it goes against the prick. An example is: she had a coworker who had children but always put her husband before her children. My girlfriend couldn’t fathom that because her way is to put her children first. Since this thought just came to me and I began typing and am not with my study bible, I can’t tell you where, but I am pretty sure there is scripture to back her friend. But how many of us women would publicly admit, our babies are number one and everybody else comes after that? (except Jesus!!!) (I said that in a preacher’s voice. The one he uses when he has gone to the mountaintop portion of his sermon/message )

Example #2: The bible tells us how to handle a situation if someone has offended us.  Matthew 18:15-18 – “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church”. Have you ever seen this plan followed by an offended Christian? I haven’t.  Instead we swivel our necks and talk big time trash to this person and that person, (third parties who ain’t got nothing to do with it!) compounding the issue, and obscuring what could just be a misunderstanding, that is now blown out of proportion. All because we didn’t follow the plan and our character is not the character God outlined.

These might not be good examples but my point is; what in the world are we doing when we do that? Although I might not want to put my husband first because I think my kids will feel neglected or if I don’t want to go to my brother with my ought because I am scare of his reaction; neither displays full belief in God. If we fully believe, regardless of how the situation appears, we can’t ever go wrong, even in apprehension, doing what God wants us to do.

EVERYTHING that God has promised is within our reach and capable of being an integral part of our life. But we have to believe Him enough to follow all of His words and not just the cozy “feel good” ones. The bible says you reap what you sow. We love to place that on obvious indiscretions and outward offenses and clearly visible disobedience to God’s word. How often do we see people who we deem good, upright and a “living the word” Christian, struggling through life? Have you ever asked yourself, Lord if they are going through that and they – come to church, pay their tithes, teach Sunday School, have no tattoos (lol), don’t drink, don’t cuss, sweet as a piece of pie – how will I ever survive as many mistakes as I make! But the question is; are they applying all of God’s word to their life or only the part that fits their personality and carnal character?

This is a hard question for me. I struggle with this. I know there are parts of God word that are easy to obey and there are parts of His word my integrity and dignity make me obey but then there are parts I am oblivious too because it doesn’t fit me. And just because it is not one of those more visible “going against God’s word” things, it is still going against His word. So… just like I rob a bank and face the consequences, not conforming to Him/His word completely will also bring about consequences and repercussions. He is good to be patient with us as we grow up and into Him but when we know to do better, we must do better. I am challenging myself to do better. I am challenging myself to live the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help me God! I know ignoring parts of God’s word and not working with the whole truth in all aspects of me, I will suffer consequences! What do you think?

Holla back!

It’s been a while since we’ve had Christianity 101. Here we go.

I grew up in church all my life and was pretty sheltered and still today; some things are so surprising to me, after all these years of serving God.  I am always amazed when I hear people put everybody that dies in heaven. It is absolutely amazing! How do people claim to be Christians their entire life and believe that ALL people are going to heaven, and the only criterion to get there is dying?

What is really amazing is the people who do all manner of wrong and evil and sin and anything they want – not even trying to serve God – but then go to church on Sunday, clap their hands, bounce to the music, get an emotional/spiritual high, feel good about what is going on around them and then…because of that one “good time in God”, consider themselves saved! It doesn’t matter what they have done during the week, or what they have said during the week, or who they have hurt/offended/disrespected/etc. during the week, once they walk into church and pay their pittance to God for 90 minutes, they feel they are entitled to be a part of that group that, if they were to die, would go to heaven. Doesn’t anybody, especially those claiming to serve God and know the truth, believe there is a plan to salvation? I liken it to school. Here is my analogy.

If I go to school, kindergarten through 12th grade, and claim to be a student, can I just go to school everyday without anything being required of me? Can I just go and sit in the classroom and enjoy the interesting parts the teacher talks about and interact during the fun activities in class and reject the rest? Can I opt out of tests, and projects, and presentations and writing papers? I think not! Yes, it would be a normal statement for somebody to say: if you go to school for 13 years you will, not only learn, but get a diploma. Just like the scripture says, if you believe on me, you will be saved. However neither of the above statements are stand alone statements. The truth of the matter is, you can’t just go to school and learn and get a diploma without following the academic plan laid out for you grade by grade, in order for you to accomplish the goal of graduating and receiving a diploma! Same holds true for salvation. How is it so many believe all you have to do is attend church on Sunday and heaven is automatically your home! Seriously? Yes, many believe, but that is all they do, just sit and believe. They don’t participate in the plan a true believer must complete to inherit the Kingdom!

Just like there is a plan to any natural thing that offers some sort of reward at the end of the course/journey, same is true with heaven! There is a definite plan of salvation, just like with school there is a definite academic plan. Spiritually, at the end of the plan, heaven is the reward! In school at the end, graduation and a diploma are the rewards!

It doesn’t matter how “good” we think a person is, accomplishments are not achieved by being ‘good”. In school you could be the most well behaved, well manner, helpful, courteous, team-playing student but…if you don’t fulfill the academic requirements set by the administration, all those “good” qualities will fail without completion of 13 years of homework, tests, papers, projects, etc. “Good” will not get you a diploma nor will it get you to heaven. You could be an exemplary person and have great qualities and morals and scruples. You may not hurt a fly, but until and unless the plan of salvation set before us by God is fulfilled, you won’t gain the reward at the end of the journey! Because you are so “good”, sticking with his plan might not be as challenging for you as for the one that doesn’t possess the “good” qualities and traits, just like in school. You may be born the brainiest and school might come easier to you than the next guy, however, the same curriculum is still required of you both. One may have to work harder but in the end, the reward is the same. You both are allowed to graduate and take the diploma. The only stipulation is you complete each and every unit of work that is required. One may have done it with straight As while another may have done it with all Cs and yet another with a combination of As, Bs and Cs.

Some Christians may come to God with an exemplary life of well doings and good deeds while some may come with a closet full of skeletons. Some may come with addictions, and felonies and demons battling them daily, but I tell you, His plan will work for us all! It is designed for the lost/the sinner! And we are all sinners! Some saved by grace and some about to be saved! No matter how deep in sin you are or how close you are to already fulfilling God’s plan of salvation, we all have to embrace it to be eligible for the Kingdom/heaven!!!

Thankfully God loves us all and is extending His hand and His plan of salvation to each and every one of us! I know me and you know you. Attending church for 90 minutes 2, 3 or even 4 Sundays a month ain’t gonna cut it! We know our dirt. We know our inner demonic nature. We know we are all but one thought away, one action away, one desire away from needing a full blown laying on of hands and 2 hour altar experience! We know the only way we will ever become subject to a life of spiritual holiness is to become doers of the plan!

My only challenge for you today is: the next time somebody asks you where someone went when they died or the next time your lips are set to automatically put someone in heaven, think about it, do you know for sure they followed the curriculum laid out for all mankind by Christ? Before you put your sweet Grandmamma in heaven (as much as we love them) ask yourself, was she at the Kingdom graduation and did she receive her spiritual diploma or was Grandmamma like the teacher’s pet who slid through life smiling, and being friends with everyone without ever completing the core requirements, passing one test/trial or accomplishing any of the crucial steps toward heaven/graduation?

Maybe my analogy wasn’t a good one and you didn’t understand what I was saying, let me just clarify and say; bottom line; heaven entrance is contingent on working the plan, adhering to the plan and completing the plan God set before us! There is no other way to get in! Period…

Holla back

This is the first of our Christianity 101 series.

He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.  Psalm 101:7 (King James Version)

I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house, and liars will not stay in my presence.  Psalm 101:7 (New Living Translation)
 
… and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone…  Revelation 21:8 (King James Version)

Recently I was asked the question, what would make me tell a lie? I was a bit taken aback, I mean, being a Christian, is there any reasonable answer for that question other than: nothing? More than once I have been considered prudish because I view lying as detrimental to a Christian’s walk with God. I am not saying I am perfect nor am I saying I have never lied, but I do work very hard at telling the truth! Lying is still considered wrong, isn’t it?

The other day somebody told me that they fear God when it came to adultery and fornication but He understands lying! Kid you not!!! Why does lying come so easy to Christians? Let me ask you. Is it wrong to be at work and a caller to be told I am in a meeting just because I don’t want to talk? Is it wrong for a bill collector to be told I am not home because I don’t want to deal with them? Is it wrong for me to tell someone I haven’t seen in years that they look 10 years younger than they are; when in reality they look like the last rose of summer just to make them feel good? Does it not matter what the scripture/s (there are many) says about lying? Is it one of those things we see in the bible and ignore because certainly God could not have meant for us to tell the truth when lying comes so easy?

Here’s the thing, most of the time for me, when I have a personal relationship or daily contact with a person who lies, I get to the place where one of two things happen, #1. I can tell when they are lying and it makes me mad that they do it so often, FOR NO REASON or #2. I don’t know when to believe them because they do lie so often, therefore I have no trust in anything they say and that becomes a hard relationship to maintain. Once any relationship becomes contaminated with lies, for me, it is not really a relationship. And if they are a liar, I have found, no one is exempt from their dishonesty.

Apparently for many, heaven is not predicated on truth and honesty. A dear sweet woman I have known my entire life, that recently passed, would declare: if you’ll lie, you’ll steal and if you’ll steal, you’ll lie! Why are so many Christians liars and thieves!

One more thing, is deceit the same as a lie? I grew up witnessing, and in essence being taught, the art of deceiving. It was literally part of the course on “How To Be a Christian and Lie Without Actually Lying”. Is letting a person walk away believing something different than what is actually the truth deceit or a lie or both?

Can you tell I am troubled today? The magnitude of lying that goes on around me on a daily basis is monumental! What can I say? Isn’t telling the truth Christianity 101???

Holla back and tell me your TRUE feelings on this subject! Please don’t lie to me…