With "All" Your Heart...

April 28, 2009

Danielle Joyner Kelley

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13.

Looking for God? Wondering why He is not helping you through a problem? Wondering if He is listening? Wondering How to reach Him?

He told you in the scripture above. You will find Him when you seek Him “with all your heart”. The definition for the word “all” in the way it is used in this scripture is “the whole of one's possessions, resources, or energy.”

God never asks for “part” of you. He created “all” of you, and when it comes to your relationship and love for Him you better be giving it your “all”. If you are not then you don’t get to complain and cry “find me, help me, save me”, and then yell that He is not listening to you. Did you do your part?

You are His child. Think about your own children or your relationship with your parents. Do parents want half of a child’s respect? Half of a child’s love? Half of a child’s attention when they are talking? So why should God expect any less than you are willing to take yourself?

And when you have a problem do you want only half of God’s attention? Half of His love? Half of His time? Half of His power to fix your problem? No.

And therein lies the problem. As humans we can be experts at asking for more from someone than we are willing to give. He doesn’t just deserve to have us come to Him when things are bad, but He deserves our praise in the good as well. He deserves for us to bring Him everything that happens to us, good and bad.

And your heart is with you through good and bad. It feels both. You know what pain feels like and you know what love feels like. So the “whole” of that is your heart – in the good and the bad. And He wants “all” of your heart.

Many years ago when something would go wrong in my life, I would run to Him, and for a while I would remain faithful and obedient. Then things either got better or didn’t and I lost my way. And then either things would go wrong again or they would get worse, and I would wonder why He did not care.

He did care. I wasn’t listening, and I was not giving Him my all. And yet, throughout the entire time I was coming to Him asking for help I was reading my favorite chapter from the Bible over and over and had it taped to my wall in my room.

“My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you prosperity.
Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD and shun evil.
This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.
Honor the LORD with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.
My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline
and do not resent his rebuke,
because the LORD disciplines those he loves,
as a father the son he delights in.
Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,
the man who gains understanding,
for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.
She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.
Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
those who lay hold of her will be blessed.
By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations,
by understanding he set the heavens in place;
by his knowledge the deeps were divided,
and the clouds let drop the dew.
My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment,
do not let them out of your sight;
they will be life for you,
an ornament to grace your neck.
Then you will go on your way in safety,
and your foot will not stumble;
when you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
Have no fear of sudden disaster
or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
for the LORD will be your confidence
and will keep your foot from being snared.
Do not withhold good from those who deserve it,
when it is in your power to act.
Do not say to your neighbor,
"Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow"—
when you now have it with you.
Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
who lives trustfully near you.
Do not accuse a man for no reason—
when he has done you no harm.
Do not envy a violent man
or choose any of his ways,
for the LORD detests a perverse man
but takes the upright into his confidence.
The LORD's curse is on the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the home of the righteous.
He mocks proud mockers
but gives grace to the humble.
The wise inherit honor,
but fools he holds up to shame.” Proverbs 3:1-35.

I’m not sure it could have been more clear. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” I am to trust in Him with “all” my heart and in “all” my ways acknowledge Him, and I am not to rely on my own understanding. Then He will make my paths straight. Then I don’t have to worry if I am making a right or wrong decision. Then I won’t have to worry about whether or not He will help me out of a problem. Then I won’t have to worry what my future holds. Ah-ha, I get it now.

“ALL” not “SOME” not “PART” not “NONE” not “A LITTLE” not “A FRACTION” but ALL. He means what He says.

And when I don’t give Him my all, I have no other understanding to lean on but my own, and I don’t know about you, but relying on myself has gotten me in a huge mess, and I don’t want to do it anymore.

When I finally came back to Him and gave Him my “all” and did not turn back even if things didn’t become wonderful, He turned me inside out. Giving Him my “all” meant not turning back just because things did not change for the better right away. I stuck with it anyway, and then He knew I had given my “all”. And that was when He showed me greater love, understanding, peace, hope, joy, faithfulness, and compassion than I had ever known. But first I had to do what He said.

So the next time you run to Him screaming “Why aren’t you helping?” ask yourself first whether or not you have given Him your all. God can see everything at all times. When you dress up perfect and get the best nights sleep for your job interview, He sees you give your all to that employer. When you get your nails and hair done and buy the perfect outfit to go out and impress that guy you like, He sees you give it your all. He sees you give your all if it is something you want.

Likewise, He sees you give what you think is your all when you run to Him with a problem because there is something you want. But to God, giving your “all” doesn’t mean giving it when you want something like a job, a boyfriend or girlfriend, or a problem solved. Giving it your “all” to Him means giving it even when you want absolutely nothing at all.

He has never given you anything less. He created you. You have always had His “all”, including His son’s sacrifice to save you. Should He not get the same from you in return?

From someone who is living with the peace that comes from giving it your “all”, the answer is an absolute yes. No my circumstances haven’t changed that much, and things can be rough, but He changed me.

And now He not only has my “all” – He is my “ALL”.

Understanding His Word...

April 27, 2009

Danielle Joyner Kelley

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105.

After receiving many questions regarding the Bible, how to read it, and how to understand it, I did some soul searching and spent a lot of time in prayer to be able to answer those questions. First of all, please know any question you ask about God is never “stupid”. If you are taking the time to ask the question then you are showing a hunger for God, and that is not stupid – it is awesome!!

Second, God’s word is living and active. When we go through the storms of life we run to Him and ask for His guidance. When we grow impatient waiting for the answer, we ask Him why He is not listening to us and answering our questions. Know this – He already has. Many people read His word and know that it is Him, and do not question. Many others have a lot of questions.

Questions regarding the Bible are frequent: What version should I read? Who wrote the books in the Bible? Who were they writing to? When was it written? What is the difference between the New Testament and the Old Testament? Why are some words in the Bible written in red? How am I supposed to understand what it is saying? How does back then apply to me today? What are the different religions? What are denominations?

All valid questions. While I am usually a person to say, “If you want to know read it” I do know that some people don’t like to sail without a chart in hand, so I have asked God to provide words for me to give to answer your questions. My answer comes from the wisdom and knowledge He has given to me, from my studies and most importantly from my own personal testimony. Some may not agree with me, and that is perfectly fine. I am just telling you my understanding and experience just in case it may work for you.

I am going to state the basics. There are arguments that develop in differences constantly, but the basics mean that it is the majority belief and put simply enough not to confuse anyone. The arguments are usually reserved to those more advanced in their beliefs and way beyond the scope of this note. And all my explanations on the difference between religion questions come from the Christian Bible, which is the one I practice.

Okay, enough disclaimers. Let us get to work. Let’s talk about myths versus the truth. I am telling you this with the hopes of destroying the image of the Bible that the enemy has created in your mind. Satan does not want you to read the Bible. He will tell you it is confusing, hard to read, contradicts itself, was written by man so it does not matter, it doesn’t apply to you today, and on and on and on.

Know this – NONE and I mean NONE of that is true. We will read Dr. Seuss books with our children that we find hard to read, but we know they like them. Children like them even though some are hard to read. And they understand them. Because they want to. You have to WANT to understand. It does you no good to read the Bible to find something to use against someone else, to prove the world wrong, or to open it with the mindset that it is confusing, hard to read, and contradictory. You need to stop before you open it and tell God you are seeking His word and His answers. He knows why you are opening that book. As I have said in so many notes, He examines your motives.

So get your mind clear. Now where do you start?

QUESTION #1: DENOMINATIONS AND RELIGIONS

Denominations and Religions are different. Denominations are Baptist, Catholic, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Methodist, Anglican, Lutheran, non-denominational, Assembly of God, etc. Religions are Jews, Christians, Muslims, etc. They have different fundamental beliefs. Important note: NO where in the Christian Bible does God tell us what denomination we have to be. Denominations are man made. That is my story and I am sticking to it. Jesus came to unify not divide His people. The end.

DENOMINATIONS: What is similar about the denominations? Jesus Christ. Generally, all are in agreement (with some deviations beyond the scope of this note):

1. Adam and Eve chose to disobey the Will of God and sin. This is the well known story of the apple in the Garden of Eden. God gave us life, and we sinned.

2. Sin separates us from God. God is perfect, and cannot be around sin. The cost of sin? Death. Romans 6:23.

3. God later called Abraham for His Will. "The Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Genesis 12:1-3.

4. God gave His law to Moses. Moses was told to lead the Hebrew slaves from bondage in Egypt to the “promised land”. This is the story of the Pharaoh in Egypt, and a movie called the “Ten Commandments”. You all may not know Moses, but Charlton Hesston plays him in the movie…get it now?

5. The resulting nation, with some border discrepancies, from #3 and #4 was Israel. Israel would go through many years afterwards experiencing periods of turning away from God and turning back to God.

6. Jesus was the Son of the Living God sent to Earth to die for the sins of mankind and to provide a perfect understanding of God’s law: love, salvation, mercy, and forgiveness.

7. Adam’s sin caused death and us to be separate from God. Jesus’ death and resurrection reconciles believers with God and saves them. “For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” 1 Corinthians 15:21-22.

RELIGIONS: What is the difference between Jews, Christians and Muslims? Are there any similarities?

There were similarities at one point and time.

--What is the difference between the Jews and Christians? Wasn’t Jesus a Jew?
Yes, Jesus was. Going back to the beginning, the basic understanding is (and again there are deviations that are beyond the scope of this note). Jews believe in the Old Testament. Christians believe in the Old and New Testament. Major dividing line: Jesus Christ.

--What is the difference between the Old and New Testament? Why are some words in the New Testament written in red?
The Old Testament contains the books Genesis through Malachi. The New Testament contains the books Matthew through Revelation. The New Testament is after Jesus Christ came to Earth. The beginning of the Book of Matthew (first book of the New Testament) describes the Birth of Jesus Christ. You know the story – the nativity scene at Christmas, the manger, the wise men, Mary and Joseph? Yes, that one. The words that are red in the New Testament are the verses where Jesus was talking.

Jews and Christians both believe in the Old Testament. We believe there was a Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob on and on down the line. Jews and Christians (for the most part) agree that there was a man on Earth named Jesus of Nazareth. Christians know He is the Son of the Living God.

Prior to Jesus there was no such thing as Christianity (hence the word “Christ” in Christianity). Of those who worshipped God and followed Abraham’s descendant line, they were Jewish. That included Jesus. After Jesus died, many of the Jews at the time became today’s Christians, and others remained Jewish.

I cannot speak for a religion I do not practice, but as to the question “Who do the Jews believe Jesus was?” the research I have found is that they thought He was a prophet. Here is where the definition of what is meant by prophet has me at a loss. In any event, they do not believe He was the Messiah. Christians know He was and is.

--What is the difference between Jews and Christians and Muslims?
Again there was a beginning connection. In the first part of the Old Testament, we learn about Abraham (#3) of the basic denominational agreement above. Jews, Christians, and Muslims all (again for the most part) believe in Abraham. From my research, Abraham is discussed in the “Koran”, the book to Muslims.

From the Old Testament in the Christian Bible, we learn that Abraham was married to Sarah. Sarah then (Sarai) was unable to have a child at the time, so she told Abraham (then Abram) "The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her." Genesis 16:2.

And Abraham did. From sleeping with the maidservant, Hagar, Abraham had a son, Ishmael. Then Sarah became pregnant even though before she could not have a child. She and Abraham had Isaac. Christians believe that Jesus Christ came from the Isaac’s line of descendants. Jesus is the Christian leader. Muslims trace their leader, Mohammed, through Ishmael’s line. Muslims think Jesus was a prophet. Christians know He was the Son of the Living God.

QUESTION #2: THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE

Again I am going along with the basics here, thinking of a person who does not own a Bible and is going to Wal-Mart to get one. I am describing the Bible you would pick up of the shelf. Our Bible contains the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament is made up of 39 books, starting with Genesis and ending with Malachi. There are four divisions generally in the Old Testament. The New Testament contains 27 books, and there are generally four divisions.

OLD TESTAMENT

1) BOOKS OF LAW:

FIRST FIVE BOOKS: The first five books of the Bible, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy describe the beginning of the Jewish (Israelite) race. Those of the Jewish faith often refer to these books as the “Torah”.

Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy

2) BOOKS OF HISTORY:

-- NEXT TWELVE BOOKS: These books contain the history of the Israelites, who moved into the land of Canaan and established a kingdom.

Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther

3) BOOKS OF POETRY:

--NEXT 5 BOOKS: These are poetical books written about the time period of the Old Testament. These books concentrate on questions about God, life, suffering, love, and relationships.

Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Songs

4) BOOKS OF THE PROPHETS:

--NEXT SEVENTEEN BOOKS: A prophet is someone who speaks for God after He has revealed Himself to them in a vision, dream, or some other manner. Prophets in the Old Testament worked endlessly to bring people back to God, although some did predict future events. These prophets were prophesying during the days of the Old Testament throughout the History books.

Isaiah
Jeremiah
Laminations (also poetry)
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi

THE NEW TESTAMENT

1) FIRST FOUR BOOKS:

--GOSPELS: These books contain the accounts of the life of Jesus Christ and His teaching, and include the crucifixion and resurrection:

Matthew
Mark
Luke
John

2) NEXT BOOK

--HISTORY: This book is the Acts of the Apostles, and tells the evens of Jesus’ followers after His death and resurrection.

Acts

3) NEXT THIRTEEN BOOKS

--PAUL’S LETTERS: These books were written by the apostle Paul who advanced Christianity after Christ’s death and resurrection.

Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon

4) NEXT NINE BOOKS

--OTHER LETTERS: These include other letters regarding Christ and the problems that Christians were facing, including advice on how to live as a Christian. The last book, Revelation, is a book of prophecy regarding the end times which result in a new Heaven and Earth.

Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation

QUESTION #5: WHAT VERSION AND WHERE TO START

My first four reads of the Bible were the New King James Version (NKJV). I did not understand it that well, but kept reading it anyway because it was a Bible given to me by my grandmother that I still have.

When you are determining what version to read, you need to remember that each of our versions is a translation of the original. The Old Testament was written mainly in Hebrew, with some small sections of Aramaic. The New Testament was written mainly in Greek with some Aramaic in it as well.

It is very important to remember that different languages were not developed with the sole purpose of being translated into the English language. Anyone who has studied foreign languages knows this is true. Some languages contain far fewer words than the English language does. For example, some languages have one word has five different meanings as opposed to where the English language has only two meanings for a word.

Because the English language did not exist at the time of the writing, it is a translation. But it is one that the different companies take very seriously. For example, some of the versions put footnotes at the bottom of each page to inform the reader what a certain word means in Greek or Hebrew.

I have just finished my fifth read of the Bible, and my first read of the New International Version (NIV). I found it much easier to follow personally, and found the footnotes regarding the origin of words very educational. However, I still do quote the New King James Version because those were the passages I memorized. I will illustrate a difference between a single scripture in the different versions below. The scripture is the same one written in the different versions. Matthew 6:27:

Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? Matthew 6:27 (New King James Version) (NKJV)

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Matthew 6:27 (New International Version) (NIV)

"And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? Matthew 6:27 (New American Standard Bible) (NASB)

Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Matthew 6:27 (New Living Translation) (NLT)

And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? Matthew 6:27 (English Standard Version) (ESV)

And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life? Matthew 6:27 (Amplified Bible)

Okay now you have picked your Bible, where do you start reading? When I read the Bible I started with the very first book, Genesis. My husband was advised to start with the first book of the New Testament, Matthew. My suggestion, personally, is to start with Matthew. You will see names of many Old Testament people that you will not be familiar with, but you will learn more about them when you finish the New Testament and start to read the Old Testament.

In my opinion, the New Testament is easier to understand. But most importantly, it is the Testament that contains the teachings of Jesus Christ, which as Christians we practice daily. The Old Testament contains many of the same teachings, and the blood line of Jesus; however, I have seen more ease on the reader to start with Matthew. The entire Bible is important and should be read thoroughly, but in a way that you would not want to become discouraged and give up trying. Even if you don’t understand what you are reading keep going. God will strike you with the passage you need, trust me on this one.

Happy reading!!

America's Finest...

April 26, 2009

Danielle Joyner Kelley

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."
Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge- then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him,
for he acknowledges my name.
He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation." Psalm 91.

Yesterday, I was asked by a dear friend, who is suffering through a horrible time to write a devotional about her favorite Psalm from the Bible: Psalm 91. A family member of hers, a law enforcement officer, was shot multiple times in the line of duty responding to a call, and is in the Intensive Care Unit in Dothan, Alabama.

For those of you who are new to the Bible, Psalm and Proverbs are two great books to start reading. Like my friend, I too read them as a young child, and Proverbs 3 was my personal favorite. I copied it down and hung it on my wall from the age of 10 and could recite every word in New King James Version (NKJV).

The thing is we often identify with those chapters because they speak to our very core. The Holy Spirit within us knows what we need and when we read one of those scriptures, He lets us know God is there.

And for my friend, since her younger years, through this Psalm, He let her know that as well. When I reread it, I thought about how much it encompasses our relationship with God.

That relationship starts with us. Like so many other scriptures say, first we acknowledge Him, and then we proclaim our trust in Him. “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." Psalm 91:1-2.

And through those two things we do, He returns the favor to us over two fold. There we see the rest of the Psalm. Aside from the two verses, this Psalm contains blessings that He bestows on us. And we did barely anything. We said His name, and we trusted Him, and what does He do in return?

“Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you make the Most High your dwelling— even the LORD, who is my refuge- then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation." Psalm 91:3-16.

Reading that I think of my friend. Once a little girl, she was facing difficult circumstances. She didn’t have an adult’s knowledge, but she knew where she came from. She knew her Creator. And in those words she realized what takes even the wisest adults many years to see: He loves you, and wants to help you, but needs you to love Him too.

Many turn away from that because they feel God is promising something He is not delivering on. For example, someone who is facing illness might look at that Psalm, and after reading the end find difficulty with the phrase “With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation”. Here is where we interpret God’s words into our own words incorrectly. God can see the entire picture for all of eternity. He knows your life here is temporary, and he knows your afterlife is eternal. When He tells you He will show you “long life” and “salvation”, He is not talking about what you are, but what you will be. His idea of “long life” is eternity, not Earth. And He did give you “salvation” when He sent His one and only son to die for your sins.

So a Psalm that is contained in the Old Testament before Jesus came to Earth, tells us the truth that was to come, and God is a true God. He promised “salvation” and you have it.

Tragedy strikes and it is tough. And as humans we are unable to explain it. But God never promises there will not be hard times. He may tell you to get in the boat and go to the middle of the lake, but He never tells you a storm may not come. However, He does tell you that He will take you to the other side even if one does. To illustrate this point, take the fact that we cannot isolate scripture. We need to read it as a whole. Reading Psalm 91 may give you the impression there will be no storms in life, but read the passage:

He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

He knows there will be trouble, but you have His promise of deliverance. Even if His deliverance means that we are going home to be with Him, you are delivered, and that was the goal. He knows what is best for you. And no trouble of yours is too big for Him, and nothing you are going through can tire Him.

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary and
increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:28-31.

Even in the bad, keep your hope in Him. Like my friend from when she was a little girl, she had hope in Him, and He has stayed with her through the good and bad, and she loves Him even more. I can only imagine how close He is with her now, and what rewards she will have one day when she sees Him. Through that time of trusting Him even through our trials, we grow stronger, and that is His intention.

“So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
"All who rage against you
will surely be ashamed and disgraced;
those who oppose you
will be as nothing and perish.
Though you search for your enemies,
you will not find them.
Those who wage war against you
will be as nothing at all.
For I am the LORD, your God,
who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you,
Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:10-13.

But He knows what we can bear and what we cannot no matter how bad things seem. That is why in one of our favorite Psalm chapters we see Him tell us that “He will lead us beside the still waters”. We can ask Him to calm the waters, and if it is His will, He will do so, and still walk with us holding our hand beside the waters though they are calm. And even in the quiet we have no fear.

“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.” Psalm 23.

He is our Sheppard, and we are His sheep, and even though we wander off, He brings us back and cares for us. Even though tragedy may strike one of us, He doesn’t forget we are part of His flock. He remembers us always. But He asks us to remember as well. We are to remember that our goal is to be with Him because we were never meant to stay here on Earth. The One you love so much wants to be with you again one day.

And He knows that there you will not befall the tragedies of this world, and you will not suffer. Imagine how He feels knowing that people who work a job that involves risking their own lives to protect others are hurt or killed. Imagine what He must feel like watching their family suffer and worry. And imagine what He must feel like knowing that He knows the truth of it all and we do not, and yet He cannot tell us because we are trying to grow our faith in Him to allow us to be more like Him. Although He must feel so much heartache, I cannot imagine how proud He is. How proud God would be even though He knows that He created a universe that turned against Him, killed His son and refused to believe His message of love, mercy, and faithfulness, but then raised officers who would risk their own lives for peace and sacrifice themselves for the good of others.

We will never be perfect this side of Heaven, and we will never be perfect like our Teacher, but “A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.” Luke 6:40.

Being like our Teacher is a daily struggle for most of us, but there are some who by their very profession place themselves directly in the path of being like their Teacher. Our Teacher, Jesus, among so many other great virtues, was loving, sacrificial, patient, peaceful, faithful, and selfless. If you asked me to describe any of the officers killed or hurt in the line of duty, my description would be the same. They are fully trained and like their Teacher, and this much I know, their Teacher is proud.

Once a Man sacrificed Himself to pay for my sins, and still today in this evil world some of you sacrifice yourself for my safety, my peace, and my life.

Our Savior is alive in us, and definitely in those of you.

What is to come...

April 25, 2009

Danielle Joyner Kelley

“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8.

In days of economic recessions and swine flu outbreaks, it is hard to keep a grasp on faith. Everything in you wants to let go and give everything to God in your own life, but when you see others being affected by something you start to worry that you will be affected to. We forget at that moment where our faith lies.

When faced with something sudden and horrific we tend to panic. Our fight or flight response kicks in and we think, “I don’t want to die in a flu pandemic” or “I don’t want to be so poor that I cannot afford to live”. And at that moment we have a new focus that takes our focus off of God. Aside from the panic is the reality. No, you don’t want to die that way, but you could have died two hours ago from a heart attack, or you could die tonight in your sleep. And you are worried about a possible pandemic? Start thinking about this very second. The reality is that it could be your last.

Then the point hits home. We don’t need to worry about something that is affecting others and may or may not affect us and cause our death. We need to realize that our death is coming, whether by a virus or whatever other means, our death is certain. The fear is not that we die, but that we are dying. We all know we are going to die, but what we fear is how we will. That is such a harsh reality to face, and when we think of it we become like children begging and pleading, but the truth is that not only can it happen, it will.

As I grew closer in my relationship with God, facing the subject of death was inevitable. He sent His son to die so we can be with Him one day, so facing death was a given. When I kept growing closer to Him, ironically it wasn’t facing death that scared me. Instead what scared me were the people who were not facing it. I have seen people living in the moment, gratified by everything this Earth can give to them, moaning and wailing about how someone hurt them or they did not get some thing, and I become sick. I know from following God’s word that is not what we are supposed to do. I would think, “What if they die in an hour?”. I cannot imagine facing my judgment without God being one of the very last thoughts in my mind. That scared me.

What scared me more when I thought of those people, is where we go from here. Everyone, no matter what religion or if they are non-religious, has thought about where you go when you die. Are you just in the ground sitting there? Are you just ashes up on a mantle?

And wherever we go is permanent. This life is not. So why are we so concerned with the temporary and not the permanent? When we rent a house while building another which one do we spend so much time going over plans with builders on? Which one do we worry about paint colors, tile, and countertops over? The one that is being built. The permanent one. And the afterlife is permanent. The phrase “eternal life” is used in the Bible for a reason. “Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow.” Psalm 144:4.

God never promises us that we will not die in bodily form. His promises relate more to your afterlife based on how you carry yourself here on Earth. You are to start living now as you would there. "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 18:18.

But God doesn’t set you up for failure. He does not want you attached to the world because He knows that you will be leaving it. And it becomes hard as followers sometimes to know that our hard work may not benefit us here, but elsewhere. The Bible tells us that some of the most devoted followers of God, and some of the biggest heroes in the Bible,“…were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” Hebrews 11:39-40. Although their descendants received the promise here on Earth, they did not. But what God knows that we don't is what we will get after we leave here. But first we have to die.

When I used to think of this subject, panic would well up inside of me. My grandfather was a Baptist preacher. He was my mother’s father and he had three daughters (my mother and my two aunts). When I used to go to his house I would look at his bookcase and I saw a lot of books about death. I remember thinking, even back then, “Is he scared to die? He is a minister.” I’m not sure what the answer to that question is, but I know I was scared to die. When he died, my mother went through a lot. She found herself in the position of fighting for what he told all of us he wanted through a legal dispute over a will. My grandmother had died many years earlier and he had remarried. My mother was so hurt and so angry, and I remember her crying all the time.

One night during that time I had a dream. In my dream I was a little girl (although I was 16 at the time) and I walked into his bedroom and he was lying on his bed. He sat up, dressed in an all-white robe, and looked at me and smiled. He said, “Tell your mother not to cry for me anymore. It is so beautiful here, you could not even imagine.” I felt so much peace. The next morning I went running to my mother to tell her and noticed she was on the phone. I told her anyway because I could not hold it in and she said to my aunt (her sister) who was on the phone “Jamie, did you hear that?”. I was puzzled and looked at her wondering what she was saying, but then she looked at me and said, “Jamie had the same dream last night.” I remember feeling shocked and having chills. We were not people who were looking for miracles or confirmation, but it came upon us just the same. That was my only contact with anything to do with an afterlife, but I was convinced. We are going someplace besides here. I remember after that day wishing I had asked my grandfather more questions. He was the type of man that didn’t talk about stuff we would think of as strange.

If I had said the words “near death experience” I can’t imagine what he would have said. One day my aunt told me that when she was little he was called to minister to a man who had a heart attack and insisted on seeing a Pastor. The man did not belong to a church, but insisted he talked with someone from one. He had a heart attack and the doctors had ruled him dead when he shocked them by coming back to life. My grandfather got the call (this was a small town then) to come and see him. When my grandfather met with him, the man told him that he had died and gone to hell, and wanted to be saved. I don’t know much more about the story, and my grandfather would not have been the kind to tell, but judging from the man’s desire to find a Pastor when he was not a member of a church, after what he went through I can only imagine what he thought about Hell. It takes faith to believe in those stories. It took faith for me to believe my dream was real. It took faith to believe my aunt had the same dream the same night. Still there are others who have dealt with death that have even more faith.

I have represented people who have had family members killed. I have watched those same people, who were terrified of death before, become ready to die at any moment. They miss their loved one. And their faith tells them that they will see them again. In turn, their faith becomes even stronger because they know they will see their loved one when they get to Heaven, and death is not a fear. It isn’t hard to believe that we are not as scared of death when we know we will have company there to greet us. And those people, even though they feel so weak and hurt, are some of the strongest people I know. “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10.

And God has shown us from the beginning. The One who saved me and reconciled me with God? Jesus? He died, but He was raised from the dead. And I will die, but I too will rise.

Anyone who knows me knows how scared I was of this subject. I still am; after all I am human. But part of me thinks of the loved ones who have gone before me and thinks, “Wow, they have seen Jesus.” And my heart melts. I remember getting excited when a family member told me they got a celebrity autograph, so think about what I feel about the loved ones seeing our Savior.

And then I am not so afraid. I know He loves me, and I know He protects me. And I truly feel that when my time comes He will be with me in every way possible, and even though everyone around me is fearful, I will not be because I will be able to see my faith becoming my new reality.

And then I know His truth: I was put here so I could go there. There is my goal. There will be my reality for eternity. So the economy can have its recession, and swine can have their flu. I have my God.

“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” James 4:14.

Paid in Full...

April 23, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley

“And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised again.” 2 Corinthians 5:15.

You no longer belong to yourself. Repeat that. You no longer belong to yourself. You have been bought and paid for by your own Amazing Creator who knew what you needed even when you did not.

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

The person you worry about so much getting hurt – yourself? Bought. The person that you dress up to impress everyone else – yourself? Bought. The person you defend until the 11th hour because you don’t want anyone to think bad of them – yourself? Bought. And paid for.

And the price paid for you was no small price. God had to send His only Son to be tortured, beaten, mocked, spit upon, and nailed to a Cross to die for our sins. When we think of the crucifixion we get angry over a story that had to happen to save us, and we grow angry with the players who participated in His death, when the truth is that we were some of those players. It was for our own sin He died. So that price bought us.

When you go to the store and buy an item that you expect to function in a certain way and it does not, how do you feel? You want your money back don’t you? Unlike how we react though, God stands by knowing that the people He purchased can function that way. He has faith that they will function in the way we were intended to. And He never gives up.

He knew what you needed, and He paid the price for it. But when you refuse to function in the way you were intended to function, He paid for you for what reason? Out of love. But you, on the other side, are taking His Grace in vain. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 5:21; 2 Corinthians 6:1-2; Isaiah 49:8.

You run around saying, “I did this” or “I did that” bragging to the world about the good things you have done. But you have more than a Creator, you have an Owner. You don’t get anything good that He does not give to you. “Do you refuse to speak to me? Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.” John 19:10-11.

Right now you are bought. There is a deposit placed upon your heart guaranteeing what is to come. “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” 2 Corinthians 1:21-22. The guarantee of what is to come is what God can see. He knew what you needed because He knows all about what Hell is like. Take for example one of the best descriptions of Hell in the Bible, from the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus:

"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'

"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'

"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'

" 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' " Luke 16:19-31.

Christians refer to “Abraham’s side” as Heaven, so this is an actual conversation between those in Heaven and Hell. Hell is so horrible that the rich man begged to get out, and when he realized he could not he wanted Lazarus to visit his family’s house so they would not have to experience Hell, and he would not give up on insisting that they be contacted.

Many will say, “Why would such a loving God not give him a second chance?” or “Why would such a loving God create a place so horrible?”. When you ask yourself that question imagine a man has been arrested and charged with the rape and murder of a 6-year-old girl, or that a man has been arrested who raped your girlfriend, wife, mother, or daughter? What if you go to court expecting him to pay, and the Judge says, “Well I’ll give him another chance” and looks at the man and says “You are free to go”.

Think about that. What are the odds based on your life experiences that he will not do the same again? What are the odds that others who are tempted to kill or rape won’t do it for fear of punishment? They will do it because they know there will be no real punishment. Second chances become changes, and then there is no reason not to fight a temptation to commit a horrible act because there is no fear of punishment.

Now think about God, the Creator of the entire Universe and all who live within it. What is He to do? He is to keep things in check is what. And letting one person have a second chance and not another would make Him unjust, and He is a just God, holy and perfect in every way.

Your goal then? To refrain from malfunctioning. When your Owner works on you, you keep trying to work, and adjust to the changes. “And just as we have born the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.” 1 Corinthians 15:49. Live in a Godly manner. The Spirit is within you to show you how.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:22-25.

Your sinful nature, or flesh, “desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature.” Galatians 5:17. Because they are contrary to each other, they are “in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” Galatians 5:17. You do not do what you want because your flesh and sinful nature are prone to sin. “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.” Galatians 5:19:21.

Now you haven’t ever committed any of those have you? If so, remember God’s Grace. You have been bought and redeemed at a price. You are no longer yourself, so function appropriately for the One who bought you.

I want to live in a way that the “No Returns! All Sales Final!” sign does not make my Owner wish He had not seen it (even though He wouldn’t). To some it is a matter of duty, to me it is a matter of honor.

And what higher honor could there ever be?

The New You...

April 22, 2009

Danielle Joyner Kelley

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer 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.” Romans 12:1-2.

STEP 1: UNDERSTANDING YOUR SACRIFICE

Some people will read this scripture and seriously feel fear. “Offer your bodies as living sacrifices” sounds harmful! Here is where it is good that we cannot isolate scripture. Keep reading. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” So do you have to offer yourself as a human sacrifice over a fire? No, well no, not really.

This doesn’t mean jump up on the altar and hand the other guy the knife to do you in. It means you are offering yourself to God in order that you will not conform to the pattern of the word, and you will be transformed by the renewing of your mind in Him.
That is when, as the scripture tells us, we are able to “test and approve what God’s will is”. That does not mean that you get to test God, but holding to our faith in the tests of life, we see His Will. Simply put – keep getting back up.

We beg Him to tell us His will, and this scripture tells us how to get there. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world…”. Be different, and before that be willing.

You are the sacrifice. You must sacrifice your own mind, your will and your emotions and give them over to Him. But a bigger sacrifice was given in order that you are even able to give everything over to Him. Jesus was that sacrifice. “So I find this law at work: When I want to do good evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”. Romans 7:21-25.

Ridding yourself of your sinful desires is no easy task, and we will fall short, and this is why Jesus came, died, and rose from the dead. God’s law is Holy and perfect. We would not know what a sin was without it. Apart from the law, sin is dead. You have to break one of the rules to sin right? So no rules, no sin. Once rules come into being so does the desire to break them. You know the feeling where you are not supposed to do something and you do it anyway. In the Garden of Eden, Eve knew she was not supposed to eat the apple, but she could not resist the temptation. So along with the law come the sinful desires. But the good news: “Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” Romans 10:4.

Before when there were just rules, many would rebel against them and break them. And at that time the only cure for sin was death. Through Jesus everything changed.

Think of it this way. If you have a daughter and you are very strict and have a ton of iron clad rules in place and show no mercy, faithfulness, or forgiveness is she likely to rebel against you? But what if you have rules in place, and you have trust in her that she will follow them, and when she doesn’t you punish her but do it with justice and mercy, won’t you have a better relationship with her? Are there people in your life you feel too bad about disobeying because they love and trust you a lot? How do you feel disobeying the people who only show you rules but no love and trust? Which one are you more likely to disobey?

Being obedient after Christ allows us to obey God with a sense of honor because we know that He is faithful to us, and that He is a just and merciful God. If He were not His Son would not have had to die to save us.

Rules mean you “have” to obey. Love means you “want” to obey. When we feel our relationship with God is full of a “have” to, we tend to backslide and turn from Him. However, when we realize His love and mercy, we “want” to obey Him because we don’t want to disappoint someone we love so much.

“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.” Romans 6:12-14.

So we uphold the law, knowing our sin is forgiven, because of His wonderful Grace. He loved us so much to do something so spectacular to save us from death, that we want to become “instruments of righteousness” to show Him our love for Him. We are Christ’s hands and feet here on Earth, and the way He can reach people.

Our sins have died with Christ, and now, “by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.” Romans 7:6.

Now you are serving in the new way of the Spirit, and the Spirit lets you know when you are doing something wrong. For example, the law says that we are not to lie. When you lie, do you feel guilty? If so, then that is the Spirit letting you know that you are not obeying the law.

STEP 2: BE AN INSTRUMENT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8-9.

You are to think about whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, anything excellent or praiseworthy.

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:2. You are to, “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” Colossians 3:5. “But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” Colossians 3:8-11.

You are to “clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:12-17.

If you are with someone who is hurting you, then you are to forgive and leave the situation handling it in a Godly way, and rid yourself of your Earthly desires, which includes evil desires and greed. Do not allow another to lead you into that, but you forgive and step away knowing you have done it with “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

Above all other virtues you are to put on love. Remember that one.

In summary, you are to set your mind on what the Spirit desires. “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” Romans 8:5. What does the Spirit desire?

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” Galatians 5:22-26.

The Spirit wants that fruit to grow on your tree. Look at those words above and ask yourself in your life what actions you take that prohibit your fruit from growing. You are quick to lose your temper (gentleness and self-control). You are worried about something you cannot change, i.e. another person, your past, etc. (peace and faithfulness). You continue to do something that you know is a sin (joy, peace, and faithfulness). You never take the time to say anything nice to anyone (kindness and goodness). You attempt to fix everything in your own life because God is not moving fast enough for you (faithfulness, patience, peace, joy, self-control).

STEP 3: TRANSFORMING YOUR MIND

“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.” Titus 3:3-8.

The old you is gone and the new you is here. The new you is being renewed in the knowledge of the Lord. The only one who will tempt you to handle things in this world as the old you is Satan. “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24.

First, put on the new you. Devote yourself to doing good. “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:13-16.

The Spirit is at work within you, and will send you signals when you do something wrong. Take that and aim higher. Keep getting back up. Prepare your mind for action. Prepare for those negative things of the world that will try to bring you down and refuse to let them. One way to do this is forgiveness. Forgive others, and forgive yourself. Don’t let self-doubt, anger, and frustration build because you have not forgiven.

The new you needs to handle things differently. Many people who ask me for advice or whom I am just talking with will frequently hear me say, “Well the Old Danielle would…” followed by “But the New Danielle is…”. I am a new creation in Him and working to be an instrument of righteousness.

Second, forget about the past, and forget about the things you cannot change. If you are forgiven by your Savior then stop worrying about things you cannot do anything about. If you are forgiven by God through Christ, then God is not worried about your past. He is focused on your future. You cannot change people. Do your best to help, and then let God do the rest. Remember you can’t take His job. And you can’t save the world.

Third, focus on God. Here on Earth, we tend to be anxious. I know that I have been labeled as the one who worries so much that no one else has to. We are concerned with what everyone else is thinking. We beat ourselves up for actions in our past. We want others to change, and when they don’t we allow it to affect us.

We spend so much time here on Earth concerned with what everyone else is thinking. We want to make someone jealous when they hurt us, and we want them to envy us.

Why are we so concerned with each other? We may or may not see each other again. One you are going to face? God. All of us. No matter what. He is not likely to be kinder based on how many shoes you have, designer clothes you wear, what car you drive, what jewelry you have, or anything material. “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7.

No, I don’t believe that it is a sin for me to get my hair and nails done. But if I am walking with God, I am devoting time to Him as well. But getting my hair and nails done is not my sole priority, He is. Besides, what if I die in an hour? What does getting my hair and nails done amount to? Well, I guess I saved the funeral home some work then. After that, I am all God’s.
What are you putting before God? Whatever it is will be where your heart is. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21. When you give your life over to God, He may let you know that He doesn’t want you with the girl you are seeing. What to do then? If you stay you are putting her over Him, and that is a problem. He has to be your focus. It is His Will, not your will remember?

Fourth, stay positive. The scripture tells us that your mind cannot conform to the patterns of this world. Patterns of this world? For example, sinful desires (flesh), idolatry (putting things or people before God), worry, anger, vanity, greed, selfishness, envy, lack of self-control, and on and on. These are all negatives. Focus on the positives.

A new you in Christ is a self-improvement, and that is the biggest positive. Change your way of thinking. When you feel those anxious thoughts start up stop yourself and breathe. Don’t give in to the doubts in your mind. Don’t verbalize your doubts. That is when you pray. "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." Proverbs 18:21. Your tongue speaks life or death into your situation. “For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." Matthew 12:37.

Staying positive is hard with everything the world has to throw out at you, and we often predict the worst so we won’t be as upset when it happens. But how do you know if you predicted the best then the best would have come?

To keep up with the new you, surround yourself with others that lift you up. Also, seek God’s word. A renewed mind doesn’t come from starving yourself. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a hunger for God’s word, and then go after it.

This is when your caterpillar becomes a butterfly.

Our Father...

April 21, 2009

Danielle Joyner Kelley

Learning how to pray is not easy. We always wonder whether we are saying the right thing. When you are praying how do you pray for yourself? When are you praying for others? When you pray for others what do you pray for them?

Jesus told us how to pray:

“So He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Our Father in heaven,Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.” Luke 11:2-4.

So many of us know that prayer. We have recited it over and over and many of us don’t understand what it means truly. But Jesus did, and He knew how it encompasses how you should pray. First, you are praying to your Father in Heaven, and praising His name. Then you are asking that His kingdom come, and His will (not your will) be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. You want His will done here just as it is done in Heaven (holy and full of love). You are asking for your daily bread. Not just bread that we eat, but for Him to show us what is due to us that day. What sins have we committed that we need to bear the consequence of so that we can continue walking in Him? It is what you are due, which includes food, but also includes accepting whatever His answer is in your life to keep you growing in Him. Then we ask for forgiveness, and forgive others. Then we ask Him to lead us not into temptation, but to deliver us from Satan. God will not tempt you, so you are asking Him to not allow you to fall into it and deliver you from Satan if you do.

That prayer is selfless. It is a prayer where you say, “God it is your way not my way.” It is a prayer where you say, “God let me know what I can to do grow in you even if that includes accepting the consequences of what I have done.” It is a prayer where you say, “I forgive others so that You will forgive me.” It is a prayer where you say, “God your name is perfect and all-powerful, Praise to You.” It is a prayer where you say, “God I know that here on Earth things are bad, and I want Your will done here just as it is in Heaven". Please shield me from temptation and if I fall rescue me from my enemy”.

This prayer acknowledges there will be trouble. But your faith does not say you won’t have trouble in life. It just extinguishes the arrows your enemy throws at you. No weapon will be stronger than your faith.

When you are praying for someone else, you are to pray that they be filled with God’s knowledge. Only He can help them. However, all too often we only pray that the person feels better, gets what they want, etc. Read the following scripture and sincerely pray that for the other person. Then you are allowing the Holy Spirit to give to them something greater than they even know they need.

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.” Colossians 1:9-12.

You can do it.

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Luke 11:9-10.

Out with the Old...

April 18, 2009

Danielle Joyner Kelley

“He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.” Proverbs 13:20.

Part of the struggle with accepting your new walk as a Christian is accepting God’s answer to things. We want His answer, we seek His answer, and we turn on Him if we think He is not answering quick enough.

Then when He does answer, we complain that we do not like what He says. But the success in staying on your walk with Him comes from accepting His answer and knowing that He has your best interests at heart.

When we start our walk with God, we want Him to change the things we do not like, but leave in place the things we feel comfortable with. We forget He can see the bigger picture, and what is good for us, even if it comes from removing what is comfortable in our lives. So while we expect everything to remain the same on the things we want to keep, God is planning big changes. Until you walk truly in Him chances are you have been doing everything wrong and building a house on sand.

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." Matthew 7:24-27.

When you start to walk in a Godly way, not just accepting Him but walking that way and showing Him obedience, He will show you the same in return. And that includes not allowing you to build a house on sand. You asked Him to protect you, and He is, whether you like the answer or not. In the scripture above Jesus tells us that those who hear His words and “puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock”. That means you are walking in Him and not just running around and saying you have accepted Him. You are actually doing what He has said to do. And you are not one of those people that just, as the scripture said “hears” the words and says you are a Christian, but you are “putting them into practice”.

What does that mean? First, you know His word. You cannot put words into practice that you have not read. No matter how many times you have been to Church it does not mean you have read anything. Charles Stanley, for example, when he covers a scripture, makes people open their Bibles and read it. He does not just want to read it to them because then they have not read it. If you go out and quote a scripture that “you read” that means you actually read it and no one read it to you. My Pastor, even though the scriptures are up on a projection screen, wants us to bring our Bibles and read them with him.

Second, you are actually practicing what you read. If you have not even read it this won’t apply, but those who read it need to put it into practice. When you are practicing what you read, then guess what? You are walking in His word. You read it, and you are practicing (walking) it.

Easy way to remember? The famous phrase, “God helps those who help themselves.”

So what happens as a result of that you may not like but in the end you are being protected and He can see what is good for you. And you have to accept it. That is practicing what you preach right? That God loves you enough to know what is good for you? If you are not walking with Him but have accepted Him chances are you have told everyone else who has come to you for advice that He has their best interests at heart. If you treat yourself any different then you are being a hypocrite, and if you have read His word whatsoever, you will know that is not something He likes.

No matter if you were raised in the best environment to grow as a Christian or one that made you fear God and turn from Him, if you are coming to Him now it is not your past He will work on, it is your future.

And as soon as you start that walk, you will see Him pruning your tree. He will start to remove the branches that He knows will hurt your growth as a Christian. You are actually walking in Him with the plan on growing more and more. And He will make sure that happens even if He has to cut back to do it.

Another way to remember this? The famous phrase, “Out with the old and in with the new.”

God knows the hearts and motives of everyone. And even those you love the most in your life, He can see through, and knows how they will affect you in your growth as a Christian. “…serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts.” 1 Chronicles 28:9.

So expect your branches to get pruned when you start your walk. And He will move in extremely early in your walk to do so. If it did not happen that way you could not grow. If you want to walk truly in Him, and grow, then it would do no good for Him to keep watching the negative prevent your growth. He is a God of action. And He is a God of Truth. He follows His commandments.

“In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.” 2 Thessalonians 3:6.

If you start walking in Him, guess what that scripture means? You will be kept away from those who will in some way take you away from practicing His words. You read that and think, “Good, I don’t want to be around anyone who does not.” But you do not know man’s motives, He does. And if the closest person in the world to you who you would never expect to fit the scripture above, will harm you in that walk, then guess what? You are coming out from them whether you like it or not.

We spend so much time reaffirming each other even when we sin. For example, if you know a friend steals from his work do you tell him it was wrong? Or do you tell him that he had a right to do it because they don’t pay him enough for his work? Chances are we would say he had the right to do it. Even if someone else is wrong though, like his employer for not paying his worth, that does not give us the right to take the law into our own hands. The better thing to say is that your friend should not steal and pray that God helps him with the issue of his employer taking him for granted. The “Thou shall not steal” in the Ten Commandments does not have a phrase after it that says “unless you think they stole from you”. It is His law remember. You don’t get to write your own. His word is His word whether you like it or not and whether you want to twist it to cater it others it does not change.

“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14.

When we read this, we think either that we don’t know any unbelievers cause everyone says they are a Christian that we are friends with or that unbelievers are the ones that have denied God. Big mistake. That is not what an unbeliever is. If you are not practicing God’s word then you are telling Him it does not work for you. If you are not reading His word, then you are telling Him you don’t have the time and you don’t really need His help anyway. You are not “believing” He can help you then. Now has your perspective changed? It is not someone who just denies Christ. It is someone acting contrary to His word that will not help themselves and that will bring you down with them. “I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.” Romans 16:17.

Being “yoked” means you take up their burden and walk with that person. Think of two oxen plowing the field “yoked” together. So you are not to take on the burden of someone else who is not trusting God to handle it. Why? Because you are not God and only God should be the one they are coming to bear their burden. If they are walking in God then chances are you will be sent to that person to help them handle their “yoke”, and you will bear the burden with them. That is when God wants you to instruct them and guide them because you will be “yoked” together with a believer. And they should listen. But they need to listen to His instruction first.

Jesus told us all that he came to save sinners and not the righteous. And Jesus was the most forgiving, beautiful person that ever walked the Earth. But you have a Savior, you are not a Savior. You are to forgive, or He will not forgive you. That does not mean that you are to fall off of your walk with God by allowing others to lead you into sin. Sin sounds scary but remember “sin” means to “miss the mark”, and that means all you have to do is mess up. Doesn’t sound intentional does it? But Jesus would not have had to die if we had not sinned. And we have to look at scripture as a whole. We are not allowed to isolate individual parts to further our beliefs. There are not 66 books out there for us to read separately. They are combined into one book that is living and active: The Bible.

Jesus did not excuse behavior and say that it did not matter. The Pharisees behavior was not excused by Him. The term “Woe to you…” is not a term used when you are doing something right. He called them out for what they did wrong. And when a sinner came to Him and sought forgiveness He not only gave it to them, but He said, "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." John 8:11. That means “leave” sin. Don’t do it again. You know better now because you know what you did was a sin. And if God knows someone is repeatedly going to lead you into sin, then go ahead and tell them goodbye. No, you do not get to be harsh and judgmental with them either. Then you are sinning as well. You are to allow Him to do what He is doing in your life to protect you and deal with it in a Godly way. That usually means don’t say anything, just accept it. You are to forgive them, pray for them, but not sell your own soul to them either. You are also His child, just as they are, and He wants you with Him, just as He does them.

He does not want anything negative to cause you to fall. “A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.” Proverbs 16:28. He wants to preserve your Christian character. “Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." 1 Corinthians 15:33.

He will be careful with whom He keeps in your new life and He will take out those who will cause you harm in the end. He wants us to be cautious in who we chose while keeping in our walk as well. “A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” Proverbs 12:26. His standards are so high that lust is considered adultery, and hatred is considered murder. Think about that. Your standards need to be high as well. Although we will never be like Him, “A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.” Luke 6:40. Start aiming higher.

He will place you with people you can grow with because they are walking, changing, and trusting in Him just as you are. And remember He knows the motives. He knows if your friend, husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, or anyone else is really walking in Him or repeatedly going against what He has told them not to do. He knows if they are only in love with themselves and their own problems. He knows whether or not they really care about you or are just obsessed with their own life. Those are the exact people He will not let you turn to in your future problems because they will only talk about themselves, not Him, and definitely not you.

When He pulls you out of their life, watch how much it hurts you and how little it hurts them. That is because when you are walking in Him, you have given your mind, spirit and heart over to someone else, and they have not. They are walking around with the only person that truly has all their time and attention: them. So when you hurt and think of them and they don’t care about you, don’t say, “We were so close, I don’t get it” or “I devoted so much time why did this happen”. Saying this does not mean you are condemning them or judging them, but it means that you were both walking out of step with God, and He has pulled one of you away for that reason. Although that may hurt you, pat yourself on the back. You did what God would want you to do. You were loving, selfless, and caring. And HE is the only one you are worried about in your new walk. Not anyone else. The one that is worried about Him is the one walking in Him. And know that you are hurting because the Holy Spirit is telling you that what you are feeling is hurtful and not right. Do not expect God not to step in then and remove those that are hurting you. Although the other person may feel hurt because they are feeling judged, remember that them feeling judged by you is still about “them” not you and not God. They should be worried about God judging them, not what you think. And you can act self-righteous all you want and tell everyone how you cannot believe you are being judged, but God knows who you are worried about pleasing and making happy, long before you do. Who are you worried about judging you? The person you are upset with or God?

And go to Him with those feelings. Don’t depend on everyone else to tell you how right you are and how wrong they are. People will let you down, and unless they are walking in Him too, they will give you a misinterpretation of the truth because they don’t know what is true unless they are walking in Him. So they have no other choice. They only know what they have allowed themselves to know and limited themselves in the meantime. Remember He needs to be the first One you come to because He is the One you have given your life to and agreed to walk in. It is not just an agreement of when it benefits you and what is convenient for you. Walking in Him means you accept that He knows what He is doing. And He knows the truth, He is the truth you cannot fool or conceal anything from God. “Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.

Yes, God will set new boundaries, and even though they may hurt, they are for your protection. He sees your eternal destiny, and wants you with Him. He will do everything He can to keep you on that walk.

And He will replace the old with the new. He will take away those likely to hurt your walk, but if He does do you think He will not replace them with those likely to support you and keep you on it? Of course He would. His goal is to keep you with Him. He wants you with those who will lift you up and that is why He took away the old, and that is why He will bring the new. If He did not, He knows you are likely to turn back and backslide from everything positive you are doing. So your new life will include new people as well.

“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17. That is His word remember, and He holds to it. So your new relationships will be “in him”, and that way the future won’t hurt because they will hold together. If the old comes back to you then it needs to be “in him” this time. Your outlook needs to be, “I am not to trust man and that includes you because you do not hold my future in your hands, He does.” Remember He is your number one focus, and you will find yourself setting new boundaries in your future. You will not settle for a relationship that is not “in him” because you know He has your best interest at heart and anything less can cause you a lot of pain.

Your new advice giver? Him. Your new friend maker? Him. Your new success? Him. Your new plans? With Him, and everlasting. “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” Proverbs 15:22.

You will be surrounded by those who help you grow as a Christian. And you will look at those relationships and walk away loving Him for helping you to become wiser through them, and helping you to love Him even more and see His will even more because of them. “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17.

Understanding His word is not always easy, but it is not to condemn someone else, it is to change yourself. And stating His word is not always pleasant in public, but His word is living and true, and you cannot change it. Just remember if you feel defensive over what is being said to you regarding His word, then the Holy Spirit is at work within you, and instead of bashing others, acknowledge that and let Him work to change you for the better. And His word is His word, and I have to live through it too. I have learned never to get mad at the shining light aiming towards me even if it makes me face things I do not want to because it is a light. At least it is not darkness. Let me face it here so I don’t have to face it after my death. Saying “I should have listened…” then isn’t going to do you much good. You will see every past experience put in front of you and told, “See here, I showed you there not to hurt this person.” For those of us who have felt the Holy Spirit here on Earth, which is only a fraction of His total presence in the afterlife, we cannot imagine having to face that in His total presence. You will be overwhelmed to the point of fainting at His glory and wonder, and you will have to face what you have done. Therefore your amount of shame in that situation will be just as overwhelming.

You will fall in your walk at times, but you are getting back up and trying and you need to expect God to remove the obstacles that are causing those falls.

No matter what or whom you lose, it is absolutely worth it. In whatever you lose, you will gain with God behind the driver’s seat. He will see to it.

And whether I liked the ride there or not, I am still glad I am not driving because my driver does not drive ignoring me or forgetting I am sitting there. He is holding me and not just expecting me to sit there. He reaches over to hug me and explain to me the map.

After that compassion, no one else will drive my car again, and especially not me.

Above all things...

April 16, 2009

Danielle Joyner Kelley

“For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:16-17.

I cite this scripture frequently because it encompasses what we need to remember when we are serving God. There are few words more powerful to me than the line “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Choosing to remember this in every area of my life will be the key to my success as a Christian.

Some of my messages are blunt, and use the word “you” frequently. When I say “you”, I also mean me. I say things in the hopes that it will make you think. The more I grow as a Christian the more gray is removed from my picture, and the more black and white things become.

For so long I ran around telling everyone “I am a Christian.” It was something I said, a badge of honor, and the popular way to be where I live. I had accepted Christ as my Savior and asked Him to live in me and forgive me for my sins. But not until the past few years did I learn the crucial difference between what I like to call “are one vs. being one”.

My goal now is to BE a Christian and not just say that I AM one. When I was baptized other people were baptized with me as well. Our Pastor asked each person if they had accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. This is self-explanatory. We need to already have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior before we go out and make a public proclamation (baptism) to everyone else that we have accepted Him. So we ask to be saved before we are baptized.

When each person was asked that question, they would answer “Yes”. When I was asked I said, “Yes, I do.” Later I looked back and asked myself why I said that. Here I am being asked if I “have” accepted Him, and I am using a present and future statement of “I do”.

Then it occurred to me. Yes, I am saved, and I only need to be saved once, but each day I recommit myself to Christ through my relationship with Him, through prayer and service, and that to me means I am not just a Christian, I am being a Christian. That applies to the present and future.

When we get married, we make promises to love each other in the future, good or bad, sickness and in health, richer or poorer. We are making a promise starting with that moment that applies into the future. My promise to God and Christ will be the same. It is an “I do” every day for me. Good or bad, sickness or health, richer or poorer, I promise to love Him, serve Him, honor Him, cherish Him, and praise Him. He is above all things, and that means I cannot make a promise to another human, such as my husband, that I have not made to Him. If I do then it is in vain. I can’t give you something I do not have.

When you proudly tell someone you are a Christian, who are you saying it for? For them or for you? What good does it do you to say that you are one? When you say you are a Christian it needs to not be said for everyone else, but for yourself. So reap the benefits within your declaration.

We are saved through God’s grace, and not by any works we do. We are saved because He loved us enough to send His son to die for our sins. You did nothing to deserve it. But to truly live a Godly life and have peace and happiness here on Earth, you have work to do. If that were not the case then the Bible would have only one verse saying that you are going to Heaven if you accept Christ because you are saved through God’s grace. That is true, but the Bible has a lot more information for you to use to reap the benefits of your commitment to Christ starting right now. “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13-14 . If you want to start “being” a Christian instead of saying you “are” one, then there are a few things you need to understand.

STEP ONE: GIVE YOURSELF AWAY

It is not about you. Short sentence, to the point. Say it out loud. It is NOT about you. It is not your way, it is His way. It is not your will, it is His will. It is not your sacrifice, it is His sacrifice.

KEY: Stay away from the negative: We become so plagued with the negative things of this Earth it is amazing how self-defeating we can be. When I finally learned what it was like “being” a Christian, I was amazed at how bad we really do ourselves in.

So much energy is wasted on things that just do not matter. Jesus knew the struggle we faced then and now. He discussed then the very emotions that drive you crazy now. For example, worry and anxiety take so much away from us mentally and physically every hour of the day. We can become physically ill over it, and mentally exhausted. But there is a difference, as my Pastor says, between being “worried” and being “concerned”. “Concern” is something you can change while “worry” is something you cannot. Why do we spend so much time making ourselves and others miserable worrying about things that we can not change? If you can’t change it then why in the world are you going to drive yourself crazy over it?

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:25-34.

Jesus put it to us exactly how it is. Birds don’t worry or work for much and God takes care of them. Are you not more important to Him than birds? Lilies of the filed grow in beautiful fashion, and they don’t work for it. But God takes care of them. Are you not more important to Him than flowers? But we have to believe. That is why Jesus said, “O you of little faith”. Believe it and know you will be taken care of. He tells us that our heavenly Father knows what we need but you have to “seek first his kingdom and righteousness”. You have to seek God to answer your every need. Do you trust Him to give it to you? Then don’t worry.

Jealousy and envy will also seek to destroy you. They will in turn build you with pride and with judgment, and those will ultimately defeat you. When we are jealous and envious of someone else it is easy to put them down and try to build ourselves up. But we don’t really believe it. We can’t because we are not filled with good emotions but the bad ones of jealousy and envy. If you really believed you were so much better you would have good emotions inside. You don’t really believe you are better than someone when you feel that way, you just expect the rest of us to. So those emotions cause you to lie to yourself, berate others, become prideful in yourself by comparing yourself to someone else, stand in judgment of them even though they are a child of God as well, and lie to others about the way you really feel inside. And you are the only one that will suffer inside. How ironic.

In one of the parables in the Gospels, The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, Jesus discusses these feelings.

"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. "About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went. "He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?' " 'Because no one has hired us,' they answered. "He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.' "When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.' "The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.' "But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' "So the last will be first, and the first will be last." Matthew 20:1-16.

Remember it isn’t your way, it is His way. Why be jealous of something He does for someone else? He loves you just as much.

KEY: Do not allow yourself to spread the negative. When you are giving yourself up and trusting in God, expect Satan to do everything he can to disrupt that. For example, I was taking my son to school one morning. He is in kindergarten and was going on a field trip that day. He was so excited and we had a wonderful conversation the entire way to school about his trip, God and Jesus, church and all kinds of things. I always park and walk him to his class because he is in Kindergarten and gets lost and scared. That morning we were running late getting everything ready for his trip so I told him I needed to go through the parent drop off and pickup line and have him get out and walk. He was scared but decided to be brave. I stopped in the line at the point where I could see the hallway his class was on. When I did a woman came up to the car and with a horrible look on her face and rolling her eyes started to say something to me. Immediately I said, “I am sorry. Just trying to let him get to his class.” Apparently she was mad that I stopped there instead of further down. She snapped back, “That is the idea” meaning that I should let him out in that line (that is what the line is for) but not at the place where I did.

Anyone who knows me knows I have a quick temper. But I have given that to God and am practicing what I preach. So I stopped and thought, “She does not know me, or that I have a scared kindergartener in my car that has never gotten out and walked to class by himself.” She could not see past herself. And in the same vein, I don’t know her either. How do I know she didn’t just lose a loved one and is facing a lot of bitterness? How do I know her struggles? I don’t. So I let it go and asked God to do something nice for her today to show her His love. The old Danielle would have come home and called ten people to tell them how horrible she was and how I was going to call the school and make her pay for this. The new Danielle knows that I don’t have the right to start anyone else’s day off preaching about how horrible people in the world are and making them feel the negative that Satan throws at us. I will not be a tool for him to use anymore.

And if someone is being negative or unforgiving towards you then they are acting contrary to God’s word, and it is not of God. Tell Satan you won’t be a tool for him to use either. If you know something you are about to do is going to grow bad emotions then don’t do it.

Satan will present you with the negative as soon as you talk to God. Know that. I watch many pastors on television, and ironically each sermon I have watched lately has covered a note I have written in the previous days. So then I praise God for confirming what I said to others. Then I start to worry that people will think that I am copying someone else because that Pastor on television, whom I have not seen before, is saying something I just said. See how that works? Who put that thought into my head at the exact time that I was talking to God? Go away Satan.

And Satan will try to convince you that what he is doing is not the negative. He is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and will sometimes appear the delectable of the choices. When Satan was temping Jesus, what did he use? Did he use things we think of as evil? He used scripture.

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.'" The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'" The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'” When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.” Luke 4:1-13.

That’s right. Your enemy knows the Bible, which is your battle strategy, as good as or better than you. But thoughts coming from him are still the negative. Don’t let him tempt you to spread negativity to yourself or to others.

Some people react negatively to me even about the devotions I write. They tell others, “What has happened to her? She is a Holy Roller and crazy”. Normally I would get defensive and now I smile. I was already crazy, but now I am crazy with God in my life so I am happier crazy this way, no matter what others think. “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” Romans 8:31-35.

The word “persecution” means someone is coming after you. And nothing can separate me from the love of Christ. He loves me no matter what, and no one will make me see differently. And I have confirmation from Him of what I am doing, so why should I answer to anyone here on Earth?

When I act in a Christian manner, and someone else condemns me who has accepted Christ into their heart, I know that the Holy Spirit lives within them. When they see me the Holy Spirit puts a mirror in their face so He can bring about change. And then they have their heart convicted that there is something they are not doing right. But instead of facing it like I had to and struggle to get past it they bash someone else. Key point here: DO NOT let the Holy Spirit tell you that you have something you need to change and instead of acknowledging it and working to grow closer to God, give into gossip, jealously and greed. Why have God bring a fault to our attention and then let Satan work through us with horrible emotions? Why can’t we just give ourselves over to something greater, admit our faults, forgive others, not judge them, and pray that they come to God in full force?

STEP TWO: FOCUS ON THE RELATIONSHIP

In reading the Bible by the time you get to the end of the Old Testament (before Jesus) and are about to cross over into the New Testament (after Jesus came to Earth), you feel God’s irritation with people who have forgotten to have a relationship with Him. “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6.

Jesus addressed the way people were teaching others about God's law, referring to the Old Testament (before His time). Back then the term "Christian" was not used because Jesus had not died yet. People were Jewish, and some of those would later become the modern day Christians after Jesus died on the cross. Jesus watched people practicing God's law, but not in full. They would give their spices (like we give offerings at church), and Jesus would acknowledge that, and then tell them there was something big they were missing. The Bible tells us that He said to them, “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.” Luke 11:42. In essence it would be like us just showing up at church today just to do it and giving money to the church just to do it thinking we look good to God. But He wants more than that. He wants you to have a relationship with Him.

Being a Christian means every day you work on your relationship with God. You keep the conversation going. Yes, you are a sinner, but even if you did something bad the day before or the second before, He still loves you, and wants you to come to Him. It is never too late. Jesus was often criticized for eating with tax collectors and for being kind to all, including prostitutes. His answer? “On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Matthew 9:12-13. It is not your will, it is His will. Don’t ever be afraid to talk to Him because you are ashamed of something. If that thought is in your head tell Satan to go away.

Merely “acting” isn’t going to form a relationship with Him. Think of what Jesus said about showing up and giving offerings but not truly loving God. You can go to church all you want (as those people were and giving offerings) but you have to have a relationship with God. You have to talk to Him.

When you seek God and try to come to Him, don’t expect the places you see as the ones to make you grow as a Christian to be immune from Satan’s schemes. Jealousy exists in churches, in fellowship, and everywhere else. For example, I have said I watch a lot of Pastors. Sometimes when I mention Joel Osteen, who I watch on television occasionally, people react negatively. Other Pastors across this country have done the same. I have heard it said he is more motivational and less scriptural. My reactions to this criticism show the caution we just use in judging others: First of all, many who have told me that don’t even watch him or read his books. Second, people who are focused on the rituals of just going to church and giving offerings but are not looking for God working in their lives make me sad. I know that for me, years and years ago, on one of the lowest nights of my life a Pastor came on television and I cried because I felt as if he was talking to me. He helped guide me back on my path, and Joel Osteen was the one I heard give that message. On a night I did not think I would survive, that is who God used to bring me back. And just the other day a friend of mine, whom I was so concerned about and was so full of anger and told me she was losing her faith called me and asked me if I had ever watched a Pastor named Joel Osteen, and that she was working late and he came on television, and she felt as if he was talking straight to her and bringing her back to God’s word. When things like that happen and people start to love and seek God even more then I will not look at any Pastor’s message and say that God is not working through him. I can’t because I have seen it and hypocrisy is not something I practice. But it broke my heart to hear other churches bashing him.

Why are we as Christians intimidated by anyone who brings other souls to God? He would not be a mega church if people were not coming to God. We go to our Christian leaders for help in coming to God, so why do we put up with people who are supposed to be our Christian role models tearing another man down who has committed his life to God and to bringing others to him? Isn’t the goal that we all have? To save people from hell? The consequences of hell are so grave because it never ever ends, so every soul saved is worth everything.

It does not matter what denomination you are. God tells us no where in the Bible that we have to be Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Anglican, Lutheran, Episcopal, or any of the rest. He wants you in a church where, as I say “you don’t just show up to go, you show up to grow.” No matter where you are make sure your relationship is being fed. Make sure you are getting the tools you can use to love him and love others. You can go to church in name only and not have a relationship with Him and believe you are behaving as a Christian, but as Joyce Meyer said during her sermon, “I can sit in my garage all day long and it won’t make me a car.”

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:36-40.

You start with your love for God. The Ten Commandments are not just a list for you to memorize and be able to recite. When you do something with the goal to recite it out loud to look good for others then your goal was not to follow them but instead to be respected by others. As Jesus said, "I do not accept praise from men, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God? John 5:41-44.

Those Ten are not a list, they are what they are: Commandments. And the first four apply to your relationship with God. That is where you start. Don’t expect everyone else to pray for you. You pray. Don’t expect everyone else to develop your relationship with God. You start developing that relationship. For example, recently God called me to do something that involves writing about Him (not these devotionals but something else). Each morning I would pray about what to write and He would fill me full of knowledge and insight. One morning everything in the world was coming at me and I knew I still had to write, and I became frustrated because I did not know what to write. I sat there getting more and more anxious, and then said to God, “why are you not telling me what to write?” to which He let my heart know, “you didn’t ask”. And I had not. That one morning everything was so stressful and this was a project He called me to do, and I attempted to work on the project without Him. You need to start talking to Him, praying to Him, thanking Him, praising Him, and loving Him with everything in you. And when you do He will not let you fail. “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” Psalm 55:22. Remember if you have not asked Him, then you can’t complain that He did not hear you.

The commandment of not worshipping other gods before Him applies to us right now. When people hear of this they think that it applies only to worshipping statues such as the Golden Calf that Moses had to encounter with those he was leading out of Egypt. But that is not all it applies to. Everything you put before God is something you are admitting you think is more important than Him. That includes people and material things. When you do that you are worshipping something over Him. Give Him everything. He is above all things, before all things, in all things, through all things and everything good comes from Him and in Him all things hold together. Then you will be “being” a Christian and not just saying you “are” one.

When people used to see me out they would say, “There is Danielle she is a lawyer now.” More important to me than anything is someone seeing me out and saying, “There is Danielle. She is living a Christian life.” One of those statements affects my afterlife. One of them has to do with honoring my Creator and the One who came to save me. And that is the relationship I will always put first in my life.

And no, Satan is not happy about it. I was so negative and self-defeating for so long that the more I grow in faith the more vicious he becomes in his attacks. But my Lord opened my eyes through my faith. My faith is now how I see. Satan lost a soul that he could use constantly to spread the negative to others. Don’t let him replace mine with yours.

Start talking to God today, and start the most important conversation of your life, the conversation that can change any and everything, good or bad.