Tonight is a hard night for me. I just found out that a friend of mine was killed this weekend in a tragic accident.
As I write this, I feel as though my heart is going to break. She left behind a husband and two young children.
I ache for them. I ache knowing that I'll never see her again...never get to talk with her about the Lord again. Never listen as she shares her ponderings on God with me, and asks me questions about Him...I feel as though the conversation was in mid-sentence....there was so much more to listen to her about...so much more to share.
The tears keep coming, and I am reminded again of how precious the Lord is to me...as I think of His names, the one that keeps sounding in my head is Jehovah-Rapha, the LORD who heals me.
Even the name LORD (Jehovah) is amazing to me...it means all sufficient One...the LORD..He needs no ones help.
So, as deep as my hurt is right now, as deep as the pain is that this family is going through, Jehovah-Rapha is all sufficient to heal the hurts of all of us...single handedly.
A few months ago I might have written this post from a more "scholarly" approach...you know, all book learning with little practical life experience.
Amazing what a dose of humility and tearing down by God will do to a person.
You see...this summer was truly the summer of my discontent. It was the summer that I spent wondering if all this "God-stuff" was really true. Was He really Who he claimed to be? If so, where was He in the middle of my heartache?
Why didn't He stop the trainwreck that I had to go through this summer, before it happened?
Why does God allow satan to "sift believers like wheat" (that's what Jesus told Peter satan had asked permission of God to do to him)?
Yes, this summer was my crisis of faith. I never expected that I'd have one...I have been so deeply in love with God and His Son since giving my life to Him in 1999, that I never once thought I'd doubt Him.
WOW! Was I wrong.
But you know what I learned? I learned that God is bigger than my doubts. He is bigger than my questions about Him. He can take them...and He longs to answer them with the lovingkindness of who He is.
I realized that He wants so much more for me than I could ever want for myself, that He is willing to refine me in His fire until He has formed me as the person that He created me to be...in the image of His Son.
I realize that I'm rambling here, but I do hope you'll cut me some slack tonight. :)
Yes. Jehovah-Rapha wants to bring good from this tragedy that happened to my friend and to her family. Just like He brought good, and continues to, from the pain of my summer.
He wants to shine through this painful time and show Himself loving and gracious to my friend's family...and I hope that He will choose to use those of us in this community who know Him and love Him, to be instruments of His love.
Won't you please pray for this family with me?
And, will you please join me in praying for the pastor that will lead the funeral service? Pray that he will ask God to get him out of the way, and that he'll just let the Holy Spirit speak through him.
Pray, please, that the pastor who leads the service will be BOLD in sharing the Gospel..there are many in our community who need to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ..the propitiation for their sin debt...Him crucified and resurrected so that they might receive the FREE gift of eternal life, if only they will repent and follow Him.
Pray that the chosen pastor won't back down from sharing the Truth, the Life, and the Way....Jesus Christ.
Now is not a time for a soft-shoe dance. I am praying, and will be fasting, asking God to use this tragedy to bring salvation to many..and that the pastor who will lead the service will be only a vessel that God can pour out His Spirit through.
Won't you please join me? There are so many hurting people here who need the LORD. Will you join with me in prayer and fasting this week?
For Him and Because of Him,
Jesica
Showing posts with label Jehovah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jehovah. Show all posts
Monday, October 22, 2007
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Did you know that this is what "The Secret" says?!
Did you know that "The Secret" says this:
"You are the master of the Universe. You are the heir to the kingdom. You are the perfection of Life."
Incredible! Wow! PUUUULEASE!
Totally and completely opposed to Scripture.
I was the master of my universe (or so I thought...really, sin was ) when I had a one way ticket to Hell. ( See Romans 5 and 6)
Thankfully, I've now exchanged that with my Covenant partner, Jesus Christ, who paid the price of my sins for me..and in exchange, He is now Master of my universe! ( Romans 5 and 6)
I am an heir to the Kingdom of God, no doubt about that, but it's ALL and ONLY because of Christ, and who He has made me to be in Him.
I assure you, as will my husband and children, and anyone who has known me for more than 5 minutes, that I am NOT the perfection of life! In fact, that's just downright laughable!
Perfection rests only in God...in His Son, and in His Holy Spirit.
Wow! Just amazing the way that New Age junk can be repackaged over and over again and people still flock to buy it.
In the 90s, it was Anthony Robbins' stuff. And Landmark Education..and a whole supply of others.
I know, I had them all...I was deeply steeped in the lies of the enemy that come through the New Age movement. All junk!
If only we would realize, as a country, as a people, that "self-help" will let us down every time.
It's the help of Almighty God that we need....His is the only help that will make any lasting difference in our lives.
Psa 46:1
"God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble."
See Jonah chapter 1. Seems the sailors were calling out to the gods of their understanding too...which gained them only higher waves and more calamity.
Jonah 1:5 Then the sailors became afraid and every man cried to his god, and they threw the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten {it} for them. But Jonah had gone below into the hold of the ship, lain down and fallen sound asleep.
Jonah 1:6
So the captain approached him and said, "How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, call on your god. Perhaps {your} god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish."
Jonah 1:7
Each man said to his mate, "Come, let us cast lots so we may learn on whose account this calamity {has struck} us." So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.
Jonah 1:8
Then they said to him, "Tell us, now! On whose account {has} this calamity {struck} us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?"
Jonah 1:9
He said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land."
Jonah 1:10
Then the men became extremely frightened and they said to him, "How could you do this?" For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.
Jonah 1:11
So they said to him, "What should we do to you that the sea may become calm for us?"--for the sea was becoming increasingly stormy.
Jonah 1:12
He said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will become calm for you, for I know that on account of me this great storm {has come} upon you."
Jonah 1:13
However, the men rowed {desperately} to return to land but they could not, for the sea was becoming {even} stormier against them.
Jonah 1:14
Then they called on the LORD and said, "We earnestly pray, O LORD, do not let us perish on account of this man's life and do not put innocent blood on us; for You, O LORD, have done as You have pleased."
Jonah 1:15
So they picked up Jonah, threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging.
Jonah 1:16
Then the men feared the LORD greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.
Jonah 1:17
And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.
See the progression?
The sailors start out calling on their false gods.
Then they realize that Jonah is a Hebrew, and knows Jehovah Elohim. ( LORD God )
Then they STILL try to solve the problem on their own.
Then the storms grow stronger.
THEN what happens? Finally, they call on the LORD, the one TRUE God, and they pray to Him for help. ( GONE are their calls to their false gods...no more "self-help". They're toally begging God Almighty for help..as they recognize, FINALLY Who is really in control.)
Then God delivers them from the storm.
And...they serve God. They praise Him. They worship Him. They make vows to Him and sacrifice to Him.
See..that's what happens when people are set free from the lies of false gods, even if that false god was themself. What happens when we realize the Truth and Power of Almighty God is that we can't HELP but worship Him. We can't HELP but want to give Him our lives.
Having been saved from the depth of the pit of sin and self, and having been given the GIFT of my Savior, my Master, my Messiah...I am overwhelmed with a love and depth of appreciation for all that He is to me.
The Secret would have me believe that it's all in my hands.
What better way to teach people how to attempt to steal the glory of God then by telling them that it's all of their own doing.
Ugh! I can't wait to get to Heaven...
"You are the master of the Universe. You are the heir to the kingdom. You are the perfection of Life."
Incredible! Wow! PUUUULEASE!
Totally and completely opposed to Scripture.
I was the master of my universe (or so I thought...really, sin was ) when I had a one way ticket to Hell. ( See Romans 5 and 6)
Thankfully, I've now exchanged that with my Covenant partner, Jesus Christ, who paid the price of my sins for me..and in exchange, He is now Master of my universe! ( Romans 5 and 6)
I am an heir to the Kingdom of God, no doubt about that, but it's ALL and ONLY because of Christ, and who He has made me to be in Him.
I assure you, as will my husband and children, and anyone who has known me for more than 5 minutes, that I am NOT the perfection of life! In fact, that's just downright laughable!
Perfection rests only in God...in His Son, and in His Holy Spirit.
Wow! Just amazing the way that New Age junk can be repackaged over and over again and people still flock to buy it.
In the 90s, it was Anthony Robbins' stuff. And Landmark Education..and a whole supply of others.
I know, I had them all...I was deeply steeped in the lies of the enemy that come through the New Age movement. All junk!
If only we would realize, as a country, as a people, that "self-help" will let us down every time.
It's the help of Almighty God that we need....His is the only help that will make any lasting difference in our lives.
Psa 46:1
"God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble."
See Jonah chapter 1. Seems the sailors were calling out to the gods of their understanding too...which gained them only higher waves and more calamity.
Jonah 1:5 Then the sailors became afraid and every man cried to his god, and they threw the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten {it} for them. But Jonah had gone below into the hold of the ship, lain down and fallen sound asleep.
Jonah 1:6
So the captain approached him and said, "How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, call on your god. Perhaps {your} god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish."
Jonah 1:7
Each man said to his mate, "Come, let us cast lots so we may learn on whose account this calamity {has struck} us." So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.
Jonah 1:8
Then they said to him, "Tell us, now! On whose account {has} this calamity {struck} us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?"
Jonah 1:9
He said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land."
Jonah 1:10
Then the men became extremely frightened and they said to him, "How could you do this?" For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.
Jonah 1:11
So they said to him, "What should we do to you that the sea may become calm for us?"--for the sea was becoming increasingly stormy.
Jonah 1:12
He said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will become calm for you, for I know that on account of me this great storm {has come} upon you."
Jonah 1:13
However, the men rowed {desperately} to return to land but they could not, for the sea was becoming {even} stormier against them.
Jonah 1:14
Then they called on the LORD and said, "We earnestly pray, O LORD, do not let us perish on account of this man's life and do not put innocent blood on us; for You, O LORD, have done as You have pleased."
Jonah 1:15
So they picked up Jonah, threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging.
Jonah 1:16
Then the men feared the LORD greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.
Jonah 1:17
And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.
See the progression?
The sailors start out calling on their false gods.
Then they realize that Jonah is a Hebrew, and knows Jehovah Elohim. ( LORD God )
Then they STILL try to solve the problem on their own.
Then the storms grow stronger.
THEN what happens? Finally, they call on the LORD, the one TRUE God, and they pray to Him for help. ( GONE are their calls to their false gods...no more "self-help". They're toally begging God Almighty for help..as they recognize, FINALLY Who is really in control.)
Then God delivers them from the storm.
And...they serve God. They praise Him. They worship Him. They make vows to Him and sacrifice to Him.
See..that's what happens when people are set free from the lies of false gods, even if that false god was themself. What happens when we realize the Truth and Power of Almighty God is that we can't HELP but worship Him. We can't HELP but want to give Him our lives.
Having been saved from the depth of the pit of sin and self, and having been given the GIFT of my Savior, my Master, my Messiah...I am overwhelmed with a love and depth of appreciation for all that He is to me.
The Secret would have me believe that it's all in my hands.
What better way to teach people how to attempt to steal the glory of God then by telling them that it's all of their own doing.
Ugh! I can't wait to get to Heaven...
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