Doubt?

James 1 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

1 From: Ya‘akov, a slave of God and of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah

To: The Twelve Tribes in the Diaspora:

Shalom!

2 Regard it all as joy, my brothers, when you face various kinds of temptations; 3 for you know that the testing of your trust produces perseverance. 4 But let perseverance do its complete work; so that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing. 5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all generously and without reproach; and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in trust, doubting nothing; for the doubter is like a wave in the sea being tossed and driven by the wind. 7 Indeed that person should not think that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 because he is double-minded, unstable in all his ways.

Seriously, Regard it as joy? I don't know about you but it is so hard to be joyful when you are being persecuted for your faith. I once had a dear friend who was living a sinful lifestyle, away from her husband, and she told me that the Lord had given her a new man who is wonderful. I met with her to have dinner and it did not end well. If this friend would have left the Lord out of this, I honestly probably would have let it be. However, she was claiming to be a Christian and saying that the Lord was giving her a new man (all the while her husband was at home still). I asked her a very simple question: Did the Lord really give you another man while you still have a husband at home? She was infuriated and called me self-righteous, judgmental Christian. 

In this moment, I did not regard it a joy because as a Christian we must confront sin in the church. She was calling herself a Christian and openly going against the Lord. She was committing adultery in the name of the Lord. I had to not only as a friend but a Christian to confront this evil. If we do not address sin, then it creeps into the churches and eventually into our homes. 

We must have faith/trust in the Lord that when we are persecuted and called many names and publicly humiliated,  that God will redeem us and those we are trying to help. At that dinner, the friend got very loud, screaming at me and stormed out. I will never forget this little 6 year old girl who walked up to me and asked me what I did to that person to make them so mad. It was an awful experience. I still continued to pray for this friend, I knew it wasn't me that she was truly mad at but herself. Years later, she reached out to me divorced from her husband, with a child and several abusive relationships later, she told me that she was so sorry. She wishes it could have been different and she could now see that I was trying to be a good friend but things were just so difficult and she was lost. 

I am still praying for this friend. You may be asking why did I tell you this story? Well, to be honest, I haven't even thought of this instance in a very long time, but this scripture reminded me of it. In writing this, it reminded me of a process I had to go through. I began to wonder if there was any Truth to what she called me, a Self-Righteous and Judgmental Christian, I realized she was right. I was right in addressing her and how I did it was right but this good friend knew the core of me. She saw the real inside of me. I began to weep leaving the dinner because I knew deep, down inside that, that was me. I refused to see my own sin, my own hurt, bitterness and anger.

You see my temptation wasn't like most peoples. I was raised right. I knew right from wrong, so well that at times I could cut you like a dagger with the Word. My friend knew that I was the "Perfect Christian" on the outside but was eaten up with self-righteousness on the inside. Since I was a young child, I always stood up for what was right and felt good about it, knowing it was the "Right" thing. Sometimes, we must examine ourselves. It is so hard for me to remain silent when I feel something is wrong. Often times, I forget God's Mercy too. 

But let perseverance do its complete work; so that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing.

I started on a journey all those years back and God still deals with me on when to remain silent and when to speak. My dear husband, is great at reminding me of this. My husband is pretty good at encouraging me to remain silent at the perfect time. :) He also, likes to encourage me to speak up when I need to.  I like the above verse in recognizing that we are a work in progress... so that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing. We will eventually reach that point but the key point goes on to say that you must ASK for his help and he WILL do it and you must not DOUBT! If you do, You are a double-minded person if you do! 

Say what? Double-minded! 

Verse 8

8 because he is double-minded, unstable in all his ways.

Unstable in all his ways! 

Okay, think about this. You want to improve your life, you are trying to but you keep struggling and doubting that God will really be able to help you. Just because you doubted a little, you are now Unstable in all your ways. This just seems super harsh to me. It makes sense though. If you can't trust the Maker of the Universe, the Creator of you, the One whom you serve, then you are Unstable! 

This is speaking to me and I hope it does to you as well! 

I challenge you today think. 

Are you Trusting God? Do you really Trust him with your Life? With your temptations? With your insecurities? With your Fears? 

Go be Fearless! Trust God! Watch him change you from the inside out! Watch him change your family, your finances, your Life! Whatever you are struggling with -- give it to him! 

My friend, Go and Persevere with great Joy!

#Persevere#Doubt#help#Unstable #christian#self-righteous#goodfriend#struggling#Jesus#Lord#God#JOY

At the Door

Exodus 12:22

And ye shall take a bunch of Hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.

What is this saying? 

Really think about what God is doing here in this scripture. He is sparing a people/his people who had been oppressed, in slavery, and disobedient to him for hundreds of years. These were the people that he had set aside as his own. Yet, they struggled to do the simplest things in obedience. However, in this instance, they must obey or it can cost them their very life or the life of a loved one.

This Hyssop branch that has been stained with blood and the blood was spread around each of their doors and they must not open their doors until morning. If they disobey, it will surely change their family forever. As I think on this it reminded me of a scripture:

Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me.

Who is being talked to in Revelation 3:20?

The church of Laodicea -- they were a lukewarm church. They were a church that was neither on Fire for God or Cold completely against God. This makes God not too happy. He goes on to say that those who he loves he corrects. He tells them he is standing at the door and knocking.

This message wasn't for just any sinner- it was for God's people who were just "getting by". God will reject you. Just like he told the Church of Loadicea- he will spew you out of his mouth. It much like room temperature tea. Hardly anyone wants that, they will drink either cold tea or hot tea. Lukewarmness is such discusting and dangerous place to be in as a Christian because you are blind to your own ways, you think everything is great. If you feel like all is well today, you better examine yourself. We will never reach perfection on this earth, you should be striving/ running this race with all of your might.

When you look at the Isrealites and compare them to the Laodicean Church they have many similarities.

We find the Israelites struggling to fully Trust in Yahweh.
They both looked the part but it wasn't in their heart.
They were both called to be God's people.
They both had God's spirit at the door.
God has mercy on them both.
God gives them both a Second chance.

There are many other similarities but these are just a few.

As you read and observe the history of the Israelites' they fell into the cycle of Apostasy. Putting it in the simplest terms- they would serve God for a season and then fall back into the sinful lifestyle. Eventually, it cost them thousands of years of displacement and persecution. They are just now, in the past 70+ years, returning and rebuilding what was originally meant for them.

God is calling US- he sent his son to hang on another branch with is blood and he now stands at the door and knocks on the doors of our Lukewarm hearts in the church.

He is giving us a second chance.

Are you on Fire?
Do you need to repent and ask God for his forgiveness and help? 
Where is you heart?
Is Christ knocking on your heart?

This message is for the church and God's people, not the sinner.

Wake up, Wake up, O' Sleeper.

My Heart's Cry

Psalm 3:2

Adonai, I have heard the report about you

Adonai, I am awed by your deeds.

Bring your work to life in our own age,

make it known in our own time;

but in anger, remember compassion. 

What a beautiful scripture. If there is a scripture to define my heart, this is it. 

I have heard about my Lord and all his wondrous deeds all of my life! I have witnessed a few but oh how I long for more. I am truly in awe over what the Lord does and is doing! The 3rd line is where it touches my heart the most! 

"Bring your work to life in our own age, make it known in our time"

I want to see his work on a whole new level! It seems like in the thick of Apostasy that America has lost its power. The power that only came through God, his Son, and the Holy Spirit. However, there is a turn around happening! A new generation has risen that is on fire and seeking Yahweh. We are Millennials. We are but a Remnant rising. We have had to stand on Faith and seek the Truth. We do not want opinions, we do not care about feelings, we want the Whole Truth. Its time to stop with the "Christianese" and speak what is the plain and simple Truth. We are not the Acts 2 church but the Acts 17 church. Most of our generation doesn't even know who God is and most are Pagan. We must Study to truly reach the lost. We must know the Word and what we believe or we will be swept away by false teachings that sound like Truth. The Acts 2 church knew all about God and his wonderous deeds but the Acts 17 church doesn't know much of any of these things but they do know what the world offers. We must get back to the basics and use the Word.

We have "Heard the Report about you and I am awed by your Deeds!" Now, Lord, I want to see you in our age! Make yourself known! Have Mercy on us, we are seeking you, we are longing for you! I know you have every right to be angry with us but please have compassion on us. We are your Remnant! We want Revival! Teach us your ways. I want to know you More, in this Age!!!!