When Life Gets Hard ...

I was talking with a friend the other day had been going through a hard time, the conversation got me thinking about all I’ve been through and how this person could have what I have even in difficult situations.

This person had made a decision, a decision with consequences both in the natural and spirit.  It was one of those, as stated, “Be careful for what you wish for” decisions.

I have caught myself many times saying but …“This isn’t what I want…” That’s not where I want to go…" “I don’t want to do that …”  “but I am not happy…”  WOW … How selfish … I have to constantly remind myself I wasn’t created for me … I was created for HIM … and this life is not about me … but about how I can bring glory to HIM.

So many times we get caught up in our own selfish feelings that before we know it we are in a situation that feels really good to our flesh but has completely clouded our judgment and perception, and justifying every act of sin and immorality.  These types of situations, although they feel good to the flesh and often for a period of time we feel energized and on top of the world, they will steal our joy and peace … the joy and peace that only comes from the Lord. Before you know it you are telling our friends “I am/have been going through a hard time.”

Sometimes we have difficult circumstances due to someone's choices but usually we are the ones creating our own difficulties.   Fortunately I know the ONE that can redeem and restore what I mess up, in a moment’s time He can change everything   … He can take what the enemy of my soul meant for destruction and somehow turn it around to be used for HIS glory. 

So if you are going through a hard time, lost your peace, joy, maybe something needs to change … maybe you are going the wrong direction and need to turn around … the answer is simple but hard to remember when we are living in the world … Prayer … Read the Bible … every answer is there … that is where you will find direction … God’s Holy Word is True.

Life isn’t meant to be “hard”, it is to be celebrated, to live, to serve, to love – to be loved but mostly to give love.   Get back to the basics … Jesus loves me this I know … for the Bible tells me so ... His Love, His Mercy, His Grace endures forever ... We are never too far gone ... and it is never too late to turn back to HIM. 

Praying to the Dead - The Dead Among Us

I recently encounter someone who is claiming that her dead grandmother is living among her and that she prays to her dead grandmother.  As she was describing the circumstance and looking at me with questions all I could think about was that this home was full of demonic spirits.  I was very disturbed by this and given that this is the first time I had ever met this girl I chose my words carefully.  I have a tendency to be blunt, straight-forward, and sometimes down right insulting.  But this time I believed I handled it well ... I just simply said "My question would be why isn't your grandmother in heaven?"  Apparently, I didn't handle it well, she did get defensive and word through the family is she doesn't like me.  Did that surprise me ... No ... I have been involved with this family for 2 1/2 years ... I am the light that shines in the dark ... And let me tell you, when the light is shining the demonic spirits get agitated ... It's not her that doesn't like me it's the demonic influence that she is under ... It is so predictable ... anytime I am speaking truth, I am hated and mocked, I have even been spit on.

One of her questions was, if what she was seeing was demonic, then why isn't her son scared.

 We have to remember that the enemy of our soul is an imitator, and brings pleasure only for a season. 

After leaving the house her cousin explained to me that she is/has been involved in witchcraft ... WOW ... that explains why she sees spirits!  And why her son isn't scared!  She doesn't understand the door that she has opened for the demonic to rule in her life. 

So here is my question for her ... Her lifestyle clearly says she does not believe in God, His Word or Heaven, so why was she offended when I asked why her grandmother is not in Heaven???

Come on people, you can't have it both ways ... you can't live here on earth serving the kingdom of darkness and expect to spend eternity in the Kingdom of Light.


The Holy Bible clearly states that we are not to pray to the dead ... and we are destined to die once ... Heaven or Hell ... the choice is ours ...


The following is an article from  www.gotquestions.org  ... I couldn't have written it better.

Praying to the dead is strictly forbidden in the Bible. Deuteronomy 18:11 tells us that anyone who “consults with the dead” is “detestable to the Lord.” The story of Saul consulting a medium to bring up the spirit of the dead Samuel resulted in his death “because he was unfaithful to the LORD; he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance” (1 Samuel 28:1-25; 1 Chronicles 10:13-14). Clearly, God has declared that such things are not to be done.

Consider the characteristics of God. God is omnipresent—everywhere at once—and is capable of hearing every prayer in the world (Psalm 139:7-12). A human being, on the other hand, does not possess this attribute. Also, God is the only one with the power to answer prayer. In this regard, God is omnipotent—all powerful (Revelation 19:6). Certainly this is an attribute a human being—dead or alive—does not possess. Finally, God is omniscient—He knows everything (Psalm 147:4-5). Even before we pray, God knows our genuine needs and knows them better than we do. Not only does He know our needs, but He answers our prayers according to His perfect will.

So, in order for a dead person to receive prayers, the dead individual has to hear the prayer, possess the power to answer it, and know how to answer it in a way that is best for the individual praying. Only God hears and answers prayer because of His perfect essence. This perfect essence includes what some theologians call “immanence.” Immanence is the doctrine that affirms God is directly involved with the affairs of mankind (1 Timothy 6:14-15), which includes answering prayer.

Even after a person dies, God is still involved with that person and his destination. Hebrews 9:27 says so: “…Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” If a person dies in Christ, he goes to heaven to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:1-9, especially verse 8); if a person dies in his sin, he goes to hell, and eventually everyone in hell will be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14-15).

A person suffering in agony will not be able to hear or answer a prayer, nor will a person who is living in heavenly bliss with God. If we pray to someone and they are in eternal agony, should we expect them to be able to hear and answer our prayers? Likewise, a person in heaven has no concern for that which is on earth, so should we expect him to be concerned for my temporal problems? God has provided His Son, Jesus Christ, to be the mediator between man and God (1 Timothy 2:5). Since Jesus Christ is the mediator between the two parties, we can go through Jesus to God. Since we can go through the Son of God, why would we want to go through a sinful dead individual, especially when doing so risks the wrath of God?

On Calvary

I try to imagine what it would have been like on that Hill today … Would I have followed Jesus up the Hill weeping for Him … Would I have helped Him carry the cross … Would I have offered to take His place ???  Would I have died so that people that detest me, spit on me, mocked me, and beat me could have everlasting life … With nails in my wrist & feet, would I have been able to say “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

Although not to the extreme measure as Jesus, Christians face the same judgments from unbelievers.   We are detested, spit on, mocked, beaten, persecuted and some are put to death. 

We should not be surprised by this.  Jesus warned that we would be hated because of Him.  Matt 10:22. 

The question is … when we are faced with such persecution, do we remain faithful?  Will we forgive & love them like Jesus did on the cross?

"The One"

Is there such a thing as "The One”?  Does God have One Special person for each of us?  I mean, isn't it true that for the first 6 months everyone we date is "The One”???

I use to believe in the fairy tale love story.  However, after 45 years of living and more relationships than I care to mention, I am coming to a new revelation.

God has given us free will ... and with that I believe that He has given us free will to choose the "The One".

However, I believe that once we make the choice, He then expects us to honor the commitment that we made.

Relationships are hard...very hard, I understand that.  Believe me when I say it doesn't take much for me to want to throw my arms up, throw in the towel, and change the locks.  But I have learn not let my emotions rule ... pray ... and remind myself ... I chose this ... You see, this is about a commitment &  a covenant that I am made not just with the man I chose but with God.

Sometimes we do make bad choices about who we choose to be in relationship with. But keeping the commitment & covenant that we made is much more important than the mistake of choosing "The Wrong One".   Divorce is not the answer ... Prayer IS ... God IS the answer.  Prayer changes circumstances, Prayer changes hearts, Prayer changes things...Prayer is the answer. Give God the chance to let His glory shine ... He is worthy.

All things work together for the good of those that love the Lord and are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Some people say 'Well, you weren't equally yoked' or 'he wasn't "the One" God had for you' or ....yada, yada, yada ... You have probably heard a million & one excuses to why relationships didn't work.

But the truth is ... I have seen relationships that were "equally yoked" ... that were supposedly "God chosen" and yada, yada, yada ... that have failed...

It is my belief that relationships fail because people give up!  They give up on themselves, each other and they give up on God! I will say it again ... DIVORCE IS NOT THE ANSWER!!!

You don't learn how to live with someone in 5 years ... Heck, I'm not sure a lifetime is enough time to learn about someone.

I am far from perfect ... the last thing I want is to be with someone that is going to walk out because of my imperfections...or because I fold the towels differently...I am going to disappoint you, hurt you and offend you, not everything I say or do is going to make you happy, so don't depend on me for your happiness ... Seriously, did you think there would not be differences???

We all get on each other’s nerves sometimes ...impatience and people getting on our nerves isn't about their imperfections but OURS!!!  Whether it is someone we are living with or someone in line at the grocery store ... this is OUR character flaw not theirs. Own it & Deal with it...

We all have issues. If we spend more time asking God to change us instead of "The One" we chose I believe the result would overflow into a healthier & loving relationship with "The One" we chose.

In the end, whether you believe "The One" you're with is God chosen or self-chosen what is important is loving "The One” the way God does and honoring your commitment & covenant.

Sooner or later those excited, warm, fuzzy feelings wear off  … the euphoria high dissipates … reality sets in … And you are going to be faced with another choice … to do what is right or do what you feel.

With all this being said ... I understand that no matter what we do or how much we pray, sometimes the other person chooses to leave.  Do not be dismayed ... keep doing what is right ... regardless of the circumstances ... and continue to trust God.

I also understand that there are circumstances, such as abuse, that one must leave a relationship.  Keep hanging on to God's hand, He will sustain you.

It is never too early nor too late to start praying for God to prepare your heart as well as the heart of "The One" you choose.  God knows who you will choose even if you don't.

Forgiveness ... How???

 

October 27, 2009

A couple of days ago I wrote about “Why” we should forgive but sometimes forgiveness doesn’t come easy, especially when someone you love hurts you very badly.

When my husband chose to depart from God and chase after the things of the world I had to make a choice. Either I could also turn from God, harbor unforgiveness, bitterness, anger and hate toward the man that I trusted my heart with OR I could press in and seek God and His will for my life. I trusted God when I married this man and I knew I could trust Him to see me through this storm. So without a second thought I chose and made a commitment to ride the storm out with God leading the way.

I knew the first thing I was going to have to do was to forgive my husband. I could not have anything between God and I that would hinder my prayers.

So every morning I would pray, Lord I want to forgive him, please help me. God is faithful. ‘What do you forgive him for?’ I forgive him for adultery.
 

Attacks of the Enemy…

Then without fail, like clock work, the enemy of my soul would remind me of another offense my husband had committed against me. As I would dwell on the new offense the devil had reminded me of, the day that had started off forgiving had now turned into a day of bitterness and anger. So the next day when I prayed and asked God to help me forgive him for adultery, I added the new offense. As the days passed I would be reminded of other offenses, some old & some new.
 

My Counter-Attack…

So I began a list. Every time the devil would remind me of someway my husband hurt me I would add it to the list.

Some offenses showed up more than once on the list. For example, adultery & cheating,
Lying, deceit & manipulation. I would forgive my husband for adultery but then the devil would say ‘what about him cheating on you?’ Well, to me adultery & cheating are the same but apparently the devil thought he would trick me by using a different word. I caught on to him quickly, my list may have been redundant but it worked.

Every morning I would pray “Lord, Father, today I choose to forgive my husband for.
I would proclaim this to God … but I also proclaimed this to the devil. By doing this I had taken the authority away from the devil to use the offenses against me.
 

I wasn’t perfect…

Please, don’t get me wrong some days it wasn’t easy. Some mornings when I opened my eyes the devil was right there ready to hammer me with all that my husband had done. And some days I would fall right into his trap. The devil would tell me ‘he doesn’t deserve to be forgiven … look at all he has done … he promised you … he lied, he cheated … he doesn’t care about you … be mean to him, don’t forgive him.’
And for some stupid reason I would agree with him. I would rebel & retaliate against my husband, so I thought.
 

The result of disobedience…

I don’t think I need to tell you how my day would turn out … I would be bitter all day, murmur, and be ugly about the situation. My joy & peace was gone. I couldn’t focus on work. Praying didn’t come easy and I felt miles away from God. I was held in the bondage of unforgiveness. Not a good day, but nonetheless it was my choice. I had thought I was getting my husband back for what he had done but the only person I was hurting was myself. When I realized what I had done I would pull my list out & proclaim forgiveness. Absolutely amazing how that would turn my day around & get the enemy off my back.
 

Freedom…

Sometimes when the hurts are deep and forgiveness doesn’t come easy we may have to work at it everyday, it is a process, a process worth going through to achieve the freedom that accompanies forgiveness.

If you have unforgiveness in your heart, I want to encourage you to seek God, ask for His help to release & forgive. This process worked for me but God may have another plan for you. Trust Him to see you through.
 

“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Mark 11:25

Lord, Father thank You for teaching me how to forgive. Thank You for the Holy Spirit, whom You sent to guide, lead and direct me into all truth. Father, I choose to walk in forgiveness today. Father, I ask that the Holy Spirit will quicken my spirit when an offense comes upon me so that I may forgive right away. May Your joy strengthen me today and may I possess the peace that surpasses all understanding. May Your light of love shine through me today. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.  

Saved By Grace ♥ Changed By Love

Cindy