August 29, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4.
People often say that revenge is a dish that is best served cold. This is because the revenge that comes later is not expected by the person deserving of it, so the blow is twice as strong.
In this world, the enemy frequently uses others to hurt us and damage our faith. In turn, we try to wrap our minds around “why” something happened. When we do this, we focus on the problem and forget the solution. That is the goal your enemy sought to accomplish. The problem is the person who hurt you, and possibly the way you handle them in return. The solution is God. If you focused on your solution your problem would go away, and you would praise God for helping you. That is the last thing the enemy wants.
When someone has hurt us, even though we are the victim, we often fall immediately into behaviors we should not. The reason this happens is because the enemy is the one who hits you and then tells you how to handle it. As a result, you end up seeking revenge and justice in your own timing.
On the other hand, if the enemy attacks you using someone else, and you bring it to God, He will likely send people your way for you to lean on. In this way, if the person is a Christian, they also have the Holy Spirit living inside of them, and He can use them to communicate with you. Remember timing is key. Ask yourself if you brought the situation to God first, and whether you reached out to the person in God’s name.
God has gone to the ultimate length to teach you about the power of forgiveness. Your job is to forgive, come to Him for strength, and lean on others He sends to you to help you through it. Wait for His timing. “Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.” Proverbs 20:22.
Even in the situations where another person has done something painful to us, if we wait in faith, and trust in God, we do not need to get revenge. Through our faith, we know that He is a God of justice, and He will turn it all around. “God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well.” 2 Thessalonians 1:6.
Often justice is served without us even knowing it. For example, if your loved one wronged you and you no longer communicate with them, you have no idea how your name is brought up around them, and what they feel inside when they hear it.
Remember God is everywhere at all times. If you are trusting in Him, walking in faith through your struggle, and working on forgiveness, He will make sure the loved one sees what they lost. If you never see it, then continue your walk. He is not teaching you revenge, He is teaching you forgiveness. “And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” 2 Timothy 2:24-26. In faith you have to remember, He will right every wrong placed upon you.
His goal in this situation is to bring about change within you, strengthen your faith, and carry you forward. When you run out and seek revenge and justice on your own, you are not moving forward, but you are walking in place. The only way that someone who has wronged you will see what they have lost is to see you moving forward and becoming a person that they wish they knew. And rest assured,
God will see to it.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Asked and Answered...(Change Within Series Part II)
August 27, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:12-13.
Our life is a search for answers. Most times we seek answers when something is going wrong. When we feel we have been wronged in any way we want an explanation of how someone could do something so horrible.
One of the worst injustices we bring upon ourselves is the fact that we ask others to provide things that we are not willing to give ourselves. We demand answers from others, and run when others demand them from us. Put simply, we are famous for not practicing what we preach.
If a person hurts us, we isolate the moment and convince ourselves that the pain we are feeling is the only pain taking place on Earth, but it is not. Everyday people live their lives thinking of only themselves, and hurting God continually. Instead of coming down seeking revenge and demanding our accountability, God waits in His own timing. That does not mean the answers will not have to be provided by us, but it does mean that they are often delayed for the time being.
Moreover, there is a bigger problem at hand. When we are hurt, we ask God to tell us why. If we are confused and unsure of what to do in a painful situation, we ask Him to show us what we should do. Then, more often than not, we run around telling everyone that He has not answered us. For example, we do not know if He wants us to take a certain job, try to date and establish a relationship with a certain someone, stay in a current relationship, go to a different church, go back to school, buy a house, car, or something else, so we tell everyone else that we wish He would just tell us what to do. Meanwhile, the real truth gets buried in our complaining.
That real truth is that chances are, God has already told you why something has happened, or has told you what you need to do in a situation. First and foremost, He has given us the Bible, His word, which is living. Living means that every story, every situation, every sacrifice, every explanation, every meaning applies to you right here, right now, today. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
Secondly, when we ask Him to let us know what we should do through our confusion and pain, the Holy Spirit living inside of us as Christians provides the answer. “'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'” Jeremiah 33:3. When we do not like the answer, we tell ourselves that it was not clear enough, that something else has happened that makes it seem that it could not be God sending that signal, and if it were God we would know what we should do.
The problem is not that He is not telling us what we should do, but the problem is that He is not telling us what we want to do. In our mindset as humans, when we seek answers to our questions, we already have a preconceived answer in mind. In essence, we have already answered the question we have, but we want someone else to answer it our way. When they do not, we simply cannot understand how they are so off the mark, and we confuse ourselves further.
God has already told you what you need to know, and will guide you in your current situation through His Spirit. However, you do not get to pick and choose what you like and what you do not. When you ask the question, and you want Him to give you understanding, you have to be willing to accept the answer and carry it out even if you do not like what He is saying to you.
Many of us want God to be clearer so we know exactly what to do. However, chances are that He has been clear, but you just did not like what He had to say. If you convince yourself that it is too hard to believe what He is saying and to walk it out in your own life, then remember that He has also told you to rely on Him for strength to carry out His commands.
How often do we hear someone say to their child, “I have told you and told you”?
Now imagine how God must feel.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:12-13.
Our life is a search for answers. Most times we seek answers when something is going wrong. When we feel we have been wronged in any way we want an explanation of how someone could do something so horrible.
One of the worst injustices we bring upon ourselves is the fact that we ask others to provide things that we are not willing to give ourselves. We demand answers from others, and run when others demand them from us. Put simply, we are famous for not practicing what we preach.
If a person hurts us, we isolate the moment and convince ourselves that the pain we are feeling is the only pain taking place on Earth, but it is not. Everyday people live their lives thinking of only themselves, and hurting God continually. Instead of coming down seeking revenge and demanding our accountability, God waits in His own timing. That does not mean the answers will not have to be provided by us, but it does mean that they are often delayed for the time being.
Moreover, there is a bigger problem at hand. When we are hurt, we ask God to tell us why. If we are confused and unsure of what to do in a painful situation, we ask Him to show us what we should do. Then, more often than not, we run around telling everyone that He has not answered us. For example, we do not know if He wants us to take a certain job, try to date and establish a relationship with a certain someone, stay in a current relationship, go to a different church, go back to school, buy a house, car, or something else, so we tell everyone else that we wish He would just tell us what to do. Meanwhile, the real truth gets buried in our complaining.
That real truth is that chances are, God has already told you why something has happened, or has told you what you need to do in a situation. First and foremost, He has given us the Bible, His word, which is living. Living means that every story, every situation, every sacrifice, every explanation, every meaning applies to you right here, right now, today. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
Secondly, when we ask Him to let us know what we should do through our confusion and pain, the Holy Spirit living inside of us as Christians provides the answer. “'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'” Jeremiah 33:3. When we do not like the answer, we tell ourselves that it was not clear enough, that something else has happened that makes it seem that it could not be God sending that signal, and if it were God we would know what we should do.
The problem is not that He is not telling us what we should do, but the problem is that He is not telling us what we want to do. In our mindset as humans, when we seek answers to our questions, we already have a preconceived answer in mind. In essence, we have already answered the question we have, but we want someone else to answer it our way. When they do not, we simply cannot understand how they are so off the mark, and we confuse ourselves further.
God has already told you what you need to know, and will guide you in your current situation through His Spirit. However, you do not get to pick and choose what you like and what you do not. When you ask the question, and you want Him to give you understanding, you have to be willing to accept the answer and carry it out even if you do not like what He is saying to you.
Many of us want God to be clearer so we know exactly what to do. However, chances are that He has been clear, but you just did not like what He had to say. If you convince yourself that it is too hard to believe what He is saying and to walk it out in your own life, then remember that He has also told you to rely on Him for strength to carry out His commands.
How often do we hear someone say to their child, “I have told you and told you”?
Now imagine how God must feel.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Spreading Like Wildfire...(Change Within Series Part I)
August 26, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” 1 Peter 3:9.
Negativity has a tendency to spread like wildfire, and makes everyone, including ourselves, feel bad. Why we continue to spread something that makes us feel terrible is a question that is difficult to answer.
One action taken by a person affects many people. For example, if someone is cut off in traffic and goes to work and takes it out on everyone else their colleagues may have a bad day as a result of their action. If those colleagues go home and take out their frustration on family members, those relatives may have a bad night. The next day they may go to work and take it out on their colleagues, and on and on it goes.
People get bogged down and obsessed with the negative. Over and over, you will hear people telling of horrible things going on in their lives. The irony is that the more they complain about it the more upset they seem to get.
Our obsession stems from our inability to let go. When we feel insulted, our pride is hurt, and we have a tendency to hold on to resentment. God has warned us against doing this repeatedly. Out of love for us, He knows that when we hold on to the negative we feel horrible. He trains us to see Him through the problems of life because He is the one who turns them around. “God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well.” 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7.
Without the bad, we are unable to see what is good because we learn by opposites. For example, we know what the color red is because we have seen a different color, and we know we like to drive certain vehicles better because we have driven different types.
We expend so much energy dealing with the negative in life, and the truth is that if we would expend half as much of that energy dealing with the positive things, we would see a difference in not just ourselves but others as well. Nonetheless, we cannot ever change people, so it is best to change ourselves. We can do this by refusing to allow others and the world to define what type of mood we are in.
The most important lesson is that doing the right thing is sometimes a battle. We crave revenge, and when our pride is hurt we are willing to do whatever it takes to make a point. However, the point we make is fleeting and will only be remembered for the bad it spread to others. In the meantime we forget that it is the opposite that produces the good result. Doing the right thing may seem unpleasant, but later it is remembered, and you are remembered, for the good you did. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11.
Only out of the bad comes the good, out of the negative comes the positive, and out of adversity comes triumph. To obtain happiness, you must embrace the good and walk forward when the bad presents itself to you. Refuse to spread the negative through your own actions, and remember when you are facing the negative in life, you are about to inherit a blessing. When the blessing comes upon you, God shows everyone that by conquering the opposite it is His own hand at work. Do whatever you can to show Him you are willing to accept the blessing through your actions. Simply put, spreading the negative constantly tells Him you are refusing His blessing, which in turn hurts only you.
Face the bad with the mindset that good is right behind it. “But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.” 1 Peter 3:14. In doing so, you not only stop lighting fires in others lives,
But you put out the ones in your own life as well.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” 1 Peter 3:9.
Negativity has a tendency to spread like wildfire, and makes everyone, including ourselves, feel bad. Why we continue to spread something that makes us feel terrible is a question that is difficult to answer.
One action taken by a person affects many people. For example, if someone is cut off in traffic and goes to work and takes it out on everyone else their colleagues may have a bad day as a result of their action. If those colleagues go home and take out their frustration on family members, those relatives may have a bad night. The next day they may go to work and take it out on their colleagues, and on and on it goes.
People get bogged down and obsessed with the negative. Over and over, you will hear people telling of horrible things going on in their lives. The irony is that the more they complain about it the more upset they seem to get.
Our obsession stems from our inability to let go. When we feel insulted, our pride is hurt, and we have a tendency to hold on to resentment. God has warned us against doing this repeatedly. Out of love for us, He knows that when we hold on to the negative we feel horrible. He trains us to see Him through the problems of life because He is the one who turns them around. “God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well.” 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7.
Without the bad, we are unable to see what is good because we learn by opposites. For example, we know what the color red is because we have seen a different color, and we know we like to drive certain vehicles better because we have driven different types.
We expend so much energy dealing with the negative in life, and the truth is that if we would expend half as much of that energy dealing with the positive things, we would see a difference in not just ourselves but others as well. Nonetheless, we cannot ever change people, so it is best to change ourselves. We can do this by refusing to allow others and the world to define what type of mood we are in.
The most important lesson is that doing the right thing is sometimes a battle. We crave revenge, and when our pride is hurt we are willing to do whatever it takes to make a point. However, the point we make is fleeting and will only be remembered for the bad it spread to others. In the meantime we forget that it is the opposite that produces the good result. Doing the right thing may seem unpleasant, but later it is remembered, and you are remembered, for the good you did. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11.
Only out of the bad comes the good, out of the negative comes the positive, and out of adversity comes triumph. To obtain happiness, you must embrace the good and walk forward when the bad presents itself to you. Refuse to spread the negative through your own actions, and remember when you are facing the negative in life, you are about to inherit a blessing. When the blessing comes upon you, God shows everyone that by conquering the opposite it is His own hand at work. Do whatever you can to show Him you are willing to accept the blessing through your actions. Simply put, spreading the negative constantly tells Him you are refusing His blessing, which in turn hurts only you.
Face the bad with the mindset that good is right behind it. “But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.” 1 Peter 3:14. In doing so, you not only stop lighting fires in others lives,
But you put out the ones in your own life as well.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Here and Now...(God is Love Series Part III)
August 23, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.” 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5.
When we think of love, we usually define it by our past experiences. Whatever someone has done for us previously is worthy of our love in the present. We attach strings to our love, and define it by what has already been done. However, true love does not define itself by the past, present or future alone, rather it encompasses all three and beyond.
God’s love was so great that it not only gave us access to Him and forgiveness for our past sins through His son’s shedding of blood and sacrifice, but His sacrifice and love are so great that Jesus blood carries enormous power for your present and future as well.
Regarding your past, the power in Jesus blood carries forgiveness that we can hardly imagine. At the moment of your salvation, through your faith in Christ, you were justified and sanctified before God for all your past sins. “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:11.
In regards to your present, you will see that as you carry out your new life, two wars are taking place. One is between your new life in Christ where the Holy Spirit lives within you, and your sinful nature. “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 7:22-25.
The other war is between the new you and the enemy. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8. Even in your new life, you will face problems. During those problems and trials of life, you need to understand the far reaching power of Jesus blood.
The new you is guided by the Spirit, who will help you keep the holiness and purity you received at the moment of your salvation. Jesus blood gave Him to you, and that blood can deliver you from any situation this world can place on you. “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
Falling into sin just because you have been sanctified and justified before God is hardly a way to honor the new covenant He sent when Jesus died and was resurrected. You are now under grace, and the Spirit is here to guide you out of the sins you will have to answer for. “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” Hebrews 10:26-27. If you do fall, the Spirit will convict you and you must get back up, ask for forgiveness and move forward in faith.
During the hardest trials of life where the war going on within you and around you is great, the Spirit is there to help you, and will help keep you safe while you walk through this world. He helps you fight the war against your sinful nature by confirmation and conviction through testimony, guidance, reminders, and teaching. He can also help you fight the battles against your enemy through God’s word which is His sword. That word tells us all that when Jesus died, the enemy was defeated. “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” Hebrews 2:14-15.
When the enemy wages war against you, you can use the blood of Jesus to overcome all. “When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” Luke 9:1-2.
To do this, plead the blood of Jesus over any situation you need to be delivered from. Because you need to be delivered from a present situation in this instance, pray in Jesus name and literally say that you plead the blood of Jesus against whatever attack you are facing. His blood literally has the power to take you out of any situation you face.
You must have total faith in the power of the blood to help you overcome, and previously have turned these attacks over to God without trying to handle them on your own. Finally, you have to wait for God’s timing while you continue to seek the Spirit’s guidance. “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12.
As His blood is lasting into eternity for us, so should be our faithfulness and lasting unto Him.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.” 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5.
When we think of love, we usually define it by our past experiences. Whatever someone has done for us previously is worthy of our love in the present. We attach strings to our love, and define it by what has already been done. However, true love does not define itself by the past, present or future alone, rather it encompasses all three and beyond.
God’s love was so great that it not only gave us access to Him and forgiveness for our past sins through His son’s shedding of blood and sacrifice, but His sacrifice and love are so great that Jesus blood carries enormous power for your present and future as well.
Regarding your past, the power in Jesus blood carries forgiveness that we can hardly imagine. At the moment of your salvation, through your faith in Christ, you were justified and sanctified before God for all your past sins. “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:11.
In regards to your present, you will see that as you carry out your new life, two wars are taking place. One is between your new life in Christ where the Holy Spirit lives within you, and your sinful nature. “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 7:22-25.
The other war is between the new you and the enemy. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8. Even in your new life, you will face problems. During those problems and trials of life, you need to understand the far reaching power of Jesus blood.
The new you is guided by the Spirit, who will help you keep the holiness and purity you received at the moment of your salvation. Jesus blood gave Him to you, and that blood can deliver you from any situation this world can place on you. “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
Falling into sin just because you have been sanctified and justified before God is hardly a way to honor the new covenant He sent when Jesus died and was resurrected. You are now under grace, and the Spirit is here to guide you out of the sins you will have to answer for. “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” Hebrews 10:26-27. If you do fall, the Spirit will convict you and you must get back up, ask for forgiveness and move forward in faith.
During the hardest trials of life where the war going on within you and around you is great, the Spirit is there to help you, and will help keep you safe while you walk through this world. He helps you fight the war against your sinful nature by confirmation and conviction through testimony, guidance, reminders, and teaching. He can also help you fight the battles against your enemy through God’s word which is His sword. That word tells us all that when Jesus died, the enemy was defeated. “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” Hebrews 2:14-15.
When the enemy wages war against you, you can use the blood of Jesus to overcome all. “When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” Luke 9:1-2.
To do this, plead the blood of Jesus over any situation you need to be delivered from. Because you need to be delivered from a present situation in this instance, pray in Jesus name and literally say that you plead the blood of Jesus against whatever attack you are facing. His blood literally has the power to take you out of any situation you face.
You must have total faith in the power of the blood to help you overcome, and previously have turned these attacks over to God without trying to handle them on your own. Finally, you have to wait for God’s timing while you continue to seek the Spirit’s guidance. “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12.
As His blood is lasting into eternity for us, so should be our faithfulness and lasting unto Him.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Covenant of Sacrifice...(God is Love Series Part II)
August 20, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” Luke 22:20.
What we typically include in our personal definition of love is whether or not someone honors their side of the bargain. In our “give and take” nature, we want something back for putting ourselves out there. Because we attach those types of strings to our love, we see this as a contract.
However true love is not a contract, it is a covenant. Covenants have existed since early in time. For example, God made a covenant with Noah after Noah obeyed His command to build an ark promising that He would not flood the world again, and the rainbow was the sign of that covenant. Genesis 9. He also established a covenant with Abraham (then Abram) telling him that he would be “the father of many nations”, but he had to obey certain laws involving the flesh.
Simply put, a covenant is a promise from God to people on Earth, and there are two sides: God and the other person (or people). At times, these covenants appear as a promise from God without us having to do anything. Other times show that we act to fulfill our part of the bargain and inherit His promise. Regardless, God always does more on His part whether or not we do any work.
Under the old covenant, seen in the Old Testament, work done by people dealt in large measure with forgiveness. People were aware of God’s law, what sin was, and what we should and should not do. At that time animals were sacrificed by people as offerings for sins. “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.” Leviticus 17:11. But animals were not enough to cure our shortcomings. “But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." Hebrews 10:3.
Our shortcomings came in large part from the fact that historically, people could recite the law but failed to follow it. Because of our human nature we are prone to those falls. “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” Romans 7:18-19.
Something had to be done to save humankind. God established a new covenant, in the New Testament, that took the place of the old one, and Jesus was the final sacrifice and the way to God despite our sins. “Then he said, ‘Here I am, I have come to do your will.’ He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10:9-10.
The enemy has convinced people this story does not make sense, but Christians know better. After Jesus death, the Holy Spirit was sent to live within believers, and He is the guide into “all truth”. John 16:13. He provides the explanations we seek, including why this event took place. “The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” Hebrews 10:15-17; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Isaiah 59:21.
God gave us a way to follow Him through the Holy Spirit’s guidance. “And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:3-4.
All that was asked of humankind was to believe. “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:21-24.
In a contract, our obligation would not be equal to the work God had to do. In such an instance, the contract would likely be rendered unenforceable.
Luckily for us true love is a covenant and not a contract.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” Luke 22:20.
What we typically include in our personal definition of love is whether or not someone honors their side of the bargain. In our “give and take” nature, we want something back for putting ourselves out there. Because we attach those types of strings to our love, we see this as a contract.
However true love is not a contract, it is a covenant. Covenants have existed since early in time. For example, God made a covenant with Noah after Noah obeyed His command to build an ark promising that He would not flood the world again, and the rainbow was the sign of that covenant. Genesis 9. He also established a covenant with Abraham (then Abram) telling him that he would be “the father of many nations”, but he had to obey certain laws involving the flesh.
Simply put, a covenant is a promise from God to people on Earth, and there are two sides: God and the other person (or people). At times, these covenants appear as a promise from God without us having to do anything. Other times show that we act to fulfill our part of the bargain and inherit His promise. Regardless, God always does more on His part whether or not we do any work.
Under the old covenant, seen in the Old Testament, work done by people dealt in large measure with forgiveness. People were aware of God’s law, what sin was, and what we should and should not do. At that time animals were sacrificed by people as offerings for sins. “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.” Leviticus 17:11. But animals were not enough to cure our shortcomings. “But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." Hebrews 10:3.
Our shortcomings came in large part from the fact that historically, people could recite the law but failed to follow it. Because of our human nature we are prone to those falls. “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” Romans 7:18-19.
Something had to be done to save humankind. God established a new covenant, in the New Testament, that took the place of the old one, and Jesus was the final sacrifice and the way to God despite our sins. “Then he said, ‘Here I am, I have come to do your will.’ He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10:9-10.
The enemy has convinced people this story does not make sense, but Christians know better. After Jesus death, the Holy Spirit was sent to live within believers, and He is the guide into “all truth”. John 16:13. He provides the explanations we seek, including why this event took place. “The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” Hebrews 10:15-17; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Isaiah 59:21.
God gave us a way to follow Him through the Holy Spirit’s guidance. “And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:3-4.
All that was asked of humankind was to believe. “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:21-24.
In a contract, our obligation would not be equal to the work God had to do. In such an instance, the contract would likely be rendered unenforceable.
Luckily for us true love is a covenant and not a contract.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Running on Empty...
August 19, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.” Proverbs 23:18.
Often when we grow older we put the innocence and faith we had as a child behind us in the past. We do everything we can to appear mature but when emotions kick in we fall back into childish ways of handling things. Simply put, we give up the good that comes from being a child and carry only the bad behaviors from our childhood into our adult future.
God wanted us to have faith like children and believe with the same faith we had when we believed in tooth fairies and Easter bunnies. “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Mark 10:15.
He never wanted us to carry forward the behaviors we displayed as children when the world made us angry. “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.” 1 Corinthians 13:11.
When we act outwardly each actions guilt or innocence depends on whether we are acting out of faith or emotion. As humans, we usually drive our own car by whatever is in our fuel tank. If we are running off of emotion then we drive on emotion. If we are running off of faith then we drive on faith.
Only when we are driving on faith do we have true hope. Hope is an emotion that applies to the present or future. Only hope can move us forward. “But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?” Romans 8:24. Driving off of emotion is usually done by applying something that happened in the past to a current situation in the present.
The purpose of driving is to change locations. Driving backwards into the past, or remaining idle while focusing on the future does no good. Taking that route cannot bring about change.
The reality is that if you are going to spend your energy and fuel running through life, you should not spend it all on fuel that does not give you change. Emotions come and emotions go, but rest assured…
Faith never leaves you empty.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.” Proverbs 23:18.
Often when we grow older we put the innocence and faith we had as a child behind us in the past. We do everything we can to appear mature but when emotions kick in we fall back into childish ways of handling things. Simply put, we give up the good that comes from being a child and carry only the bad behaviors from our childhood into our adult future.
God wanted us to have faith like children and believe with the same faith we had when we believed in tooth fairies and Easter bunnies. “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Mark 10:15.
He never wanted us to carry forward the behaviors we displayed as children when the world made us angry. “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.” 1 Corinthians 13:11.
When we act outwardly each actions guilt or innocence depends on whether we are acting out of faith or emotion. As humans, we usually drive our own car by whatever is in our fuel tank. If we are running off of emotion then we drive on emotion. If we are running off of faith then we drive on faith.
Only when we are driving on faith do we have true hope. Hope is an emotion that applies to the present or future. Only hope can move us forward. “But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?” Romans 8:24. Driving off of emotion is usually done by applying something that happened in the past to a current situation in the present.
The purpose of driving is to change locations. Driving backwards into the past, or remaining idle while focusing on the future does no good. Taking that route cannot bring about change.
The reality is that if you are going to spend your energy and fuel running through life, you should not spend it all on fuel that does not give you change. Emotions come and emotions go, but rest assured…
Faith never leaves you empty.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
No Strings Attached...(God is Love Series, Part I)
August 18, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10.
One of the hardest historical events people try to understand is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For those who know the story, many write it off as a historical fable, while many more treat it as historic fact.
Often believers and non-believers have a hard time explaining “why” it happened rather than “how”. We are keenly aware that such a horrific event could take place on Earth. Knowing that, we often get caught up on “why” such an event would ever occur.
Even the most devout Christians have a difficult time explaining a loving God that would allow such a horrific scene only to save people, who through sin, were not worthy of Him at all. The difficulty does not lie in the facts surrounding Jesus death, but it lies in what we define as our concept of “love”.
On Earth, love comes with commitment and with many strings attached. Our concept of love usually falls into the “give and take” category. It is difficult for us to wrap our minds around someone doing something for us out of pure love with no ulterior motives.
That is when we all have to remember where the emotion of “love” came from. Without that emotion we are nothing more than animals with no conscience or ability to give at all. Because it is a good emotion, we know it comes from God. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17. God is the author of love, and that emotion does not exist without Him. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:8.
Those who have difficulty with the fact that God sent His son as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind often miss the meaning of the term “sacrifice”. A “sacrifice” means you give to someone else while you take a loss personally. “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:25-26.
The real lesson is that love is not conditional, but love is sacrifice. That sacrifice comes with no strings and includes selflessness to the point where you are willing to take a loss in order to feel the emotion. True love is not about what someone can do for us, but it is about what we can do for them.
With the true definition in mind it is no wonder so many cannot understand what took place. Without God, we cannot love, nor can we understand it. “Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7.
Any strings we attach are our very own doing. The true difficulty does not come from the facts surrounding Jesus sacrifice, but it comes from the fact that we can attach strings to an emotion that was given to us freely with no strings attached from the beginning.
When we realize this the true reality of love and sacrifice becomes apparent. God’s love was never about strings attached to force us to do things for Him, but it was about so much more.
That love was about His taking a loss through nails in His hands, so that someone else might gain.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10.
One of the hardest historical events people try to understand is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For those who know the story, many write it off as a historical fable, while many more treat it as historic fact.
Often believers and non-believers have a hard time explaining “why” it happened rather than “how”. We are keenly aware that such a horrific event could take place on Earth. Knowing that, we often get caught up on “why” such an event would ever occur.
Even the most devout Christians have a difficult time explaining a loving God that would allow such a horrific scene only to save people, who through sin, were not worthy of Him at all. The difficulty does not lie in the facts surrounding Jesus death, but it lies in what we define as our concept of “love”.
On Earth, love comes with commitment and with many strings attached. Our concept of love usually falls into the “give and take” category. It is difficult for us to wrap our minds around someone doing something for us out of pure love with no ulterior motives.
That is when we all have to remember where the emotion of “love” came from. Without that emotion we are nothing more than animals with no conscience or ability to give at all. Because it is a good emotion, we know it comes from God. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17. God is the author of love, and that emotion does not exist without Him. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:8.
Those who have difficulty with the fact that God sent His son as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind often miss the meaning of the term “sacrifice”. A “sacrifice” means you give to someone else while you take a loss personally. “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:25-26.
The real lesson is that love is not conditional, but love is sacrifice. That sacrifice comes with no strings and includes selflessness to the point where you are willing to take a loss in order to feel the emotion. True love is not about what someone can do for us, but it is about what we can do for them.
With the true definition in mind it is no wonder so many cannot understand what took place. Without God, we cannot love, nor can we understand it. “Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7.
Any strings we attach are our very own doing. The true difficulty does not come from the facts surrounding Jesus sacrifice, but it comes from the fact that we can attach strings to an emotion that was given to us freely with no strings attached from the beginning.
When we realize this the true reality of love and sacrifice becomes apparent. God’s love was never about strings attached to force us to do things for Him, but it was about so much more.
That love was about His taking a loss through nails in His hands, so that someone else might gain.
Friday, August 14, 2009
House of Cards...
August 14, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
"You were wearied by all your ways, but you would not say, 'It is hopeless.' You found renewal of your strength, and so you did not faint." Isaiah 57:10.
People have a bad habit of placing their trust in things that they want. Getting what we want on our own terms can result in it being taken from us in the blink of an eye. People are famous for building houses made of cards. If their hope and love are in that house, when it falls it is total devastation. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21.
When those falls take place, what seems as a bad time in our lives is actually a golden opportunity. With patience running so short here on Earth, when we pray for hope, love, patience, and the like, we expect God to rain it down upon us and for us to feel it instantly. What we forget is that He has to give us the opportunity to be hopeful, patience, and loving.
Those opportunities are tests of our character. What most do not realize due to our own impatience is that if we wait out that test and keep our eyes upon Him, we will end up with a house much better than one we could ever build ourselves. “Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:4.
Most important, you will learn that in the future you will not have to make those decisions again and fear the fall that is coming. “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Isaiah 30:21. That is exactly where we learn that true security is not something we are able to give to ourselves. That security comes from Jesus Christ.
Do not build a house made of cards. Instead, wait through the storms for God to build a house for you that is everlasting. "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.
Through the building process trust in Him for the patience and endurance you need, and remember that He is giving you the opportunity to be patient through your wait. Keep preparing for the house to be built as if it already has been done by walking in faith. Being unsure of the end result is no excuse for a lack of preparation. Do not start to build on your own. You did not design the blueprints for this house. The only blueprints you designed were the ones that resulted in a House of Cards. A rush to completion causes an incomplete work at best.
The truth is that security in life is not in getting what we want, but in placing the trust in the only one who can give us what we need. In the end, you will be a complete work living in a house that was built based on perfect blueprints. Moreover, you will have the security of knowing that the builder did not only design the blueprints for your house,
He designed the ones that were used to create you as well.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
"You were wearied by all your ways, but you would not say, 'It is hopeless.' You found renewal of your strength, and so you did not faint." Isaiah 57:10.
People have a bad habit of placing their trust in things that they want. Getting what we want on our own terms can result in it being taken from us in the blink of an eye. People are famous for building houses made of cards. If their hope and love are in that house, when it falls it is total devastation. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21.
When those falls take place, what seems as a bad time in our lives is actually a golden opportunity. With patience running so short here on Earth, when we pray for hope, love, patience, and the like, we expect God to rain it down upon us and for us to feel it instantly. What we forget is that He has to give us the opportunity to be hopeful, patience, and loving.
Those opportunities are tests of our character. What most do not realize due to our own impatience is that if we wait out that test and keep our eyes upon Him, we will end up with a house much better than one we could ever build ourselves. “Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:4.
Most important, you will learn that in the future you will not have to make those decisions again and fear the fall that is coming. “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Isaiah 30:21. That is exactly where we learn that true security is not something we are able to give to ourselves. That security comes from Jesus Christ.
Do not build a house made of cards. Instead, wait through the storms for God to build a house for you that is everlasting. "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.
Through the building process trust in Him for the patience and endurance you need, and remember that He is giving you the opportunity to be patient through your wait. Keep preparing for the house to be built as if it already has been done by walking in faith. Being unsure of the end result is no excuse for a lack of preparation. Do not start to build on your own. You did not design the blueprints for this house. The only blueprints you designed were the ones that resulted in a House of Cards. A rush to completion causes an incomplete work at best.
The truth is that security in life is not in getting what we want, but in placing the trust in the only one who can give us what we need. In the end, you will be a complete work living in a house that was built based on perfect blueprints. Moreover, you will have the security of knowing that the builder did not only design the blueprints for your house,
He designed the ones that were used to create you as well.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Seat of Honor...
August 12, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Matthew 23:11-12.
The thought that when things are at their worse, we have nowhere to go but up is a popular idea of hope in troubled times. When we finally hit rock bottom, we feel a security that things can only get better from here on out.
This is a solid thought that has more truth to it than we often realize. Being humble is a great place to be in even if the world looks down upon it. When things are going exactly our way at the right moment there is nowhere to move upward in line. However, when we are at the back of the line, even in our impatience and frustration, there is a hope and expectation that eventually we will get ahead. That hope is a driving factor in most of what we do. “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?” Romans 8:24.
We have God’s promise that those who humble themselves will be “exalted”. In our society we have seen this over and over. We route for the underdog to win, and when they do, that win feels better to us than seeing someone who frequently wins taking the prize.
Jesus told us all that honor would come from taking the lower seat for a while. “When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 14:7-11.
He also let us know that pride and arrogance does not get us any favors with God. “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 18:9-14.
What we learn is that at some point all of us will be humbled. However, it is equally clear that it is better if we humble ourselves than if we wait for someone else to humble us. If our humility comes from someone else, we run the risk of embarrassment, judgment, and shame. If we do it on our own, we will only reap the benefit of being honored when we are told to move up in the line. The former appears as a punishment, while the latter appears as a reward.
When we struggle to get ahead in the line at the expense of others, we often discount the fact that those who waited patiently and humbled themselves will move ahead of us. Never discount the person behind you when you could end up in their position in a blink of an eye.
The reality is that working to get ahead may cause you to end up further behind.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Matthew 23:11-12.
The thought that when things are at their worse, we have nowhere to go but up is a popular idea of hope in troubled times. When we finally hit rock bottom, we feel a security that things can only get better from here on out.
This is a solid thought that has more truth to it than we often realize. Being humble is a great place to be in even if the world looks down upon it. When things are going exactly our way at the right moment there is nowhere to move upward in line. However, when we are at the back of the line, even in our impatience and frustration, there is a hope and expectation that eventually we will get ahead. That hope is a driving factor in most of what we do. “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?” Romans 8:24.
We have God’s promise that those who humble themselves will be “exalted”. In our society we have seen this over and over. We route for the underdog to win, and when they do, that win feels better to us than seeing someone who frequently wins taking the prize.
Jesus told us all that honor would come from taking the lower seat for a while. “When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 14:7-11.
He also let us know that pride and arrogance does not get us any favors with God. “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 18:9-14.
What we learn is that at some point all of us will be humbled. However, it is equally clear that it is better if we humble ourselves than if we wait for someone else to humble us. If our humility comes from someone else, we run the risk of embarrassment, judgment, and shame. If we do it on our own, we will only reap the benefit of being honored when we are told to move up in the line. The former appears as a punishment, while the latter appears as a reward.
When we struggle to get ahead in the line at the expense of others, we often discount the fact that those who waited patiently and humbled themselves will move ahead of us. Never discount the person behind you when you could end up in their position in a blink of an eye.
The reality is that working to get ahead may cause you to end up further behind.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Strength in Numbers...
August 9, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14.
Most people today find solace in the “strength in numbers” argument. The reasoning is that the majority must be right, or else everyone would not all agree. However, when the majority ends up in a disagreement, change is called for. History will tell you that it is the “few” not the “many” that bring about change.
Due to the fear of disagreement and appearing as playing the fool, people crave more evidence today from both the “many” and the “few”. However, as the change makers, the “few” are engaging in action rather than talk. The evidence that comes from their side will come later rather than sooner.
Jesus Christ was one of those few. One man’s walk on Earth has spread throughout the globe and become the hope and salvation for “many” who are still considered the “few”. Those on the fence on this issue want more evidence and listen to the “many” convince them that there are no facts to back up the position of the “few”.
Meanwhile, the “few” know that the doubt in their position was predicted, and that God’s word does not predict anything that does not come to pass. “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11.
However, those who still do not believe are affected by all that Jesus did. If you ask them what year it is, they will have an answer. The believer knows that answer comes from the fact that one man’s walk on the Earth split time in half into B.C. (before Christ) and A.D. (after death). If you ask the non-believer what Christianity is, they will tell you it is a religion and that they know people who are Christians. The believer knows that this answer comes from the walk of one man on Earth who preached words that crossed the globe for thousands of years.
When the non-believer says they still do not believe because there is no evidence, the believer knows that answer comes from the fact that Jesus’ message told us we live by faith and not sight, and that only “few” will find His gate which leads to life. The non-believer argues that the believer is in the position of the “few” in this life, and that this is no promise of a good life because on Earth the “many” are favored. The believer knows that this answer comes from the walk of one man on Earth who said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6. The “life” the non-believer is referring to is not the one the believer is thinking about.
However the “many” have no evidence to tell the non-believer that wherever we go after death is not eternal. The believer knows that it is, and that this life is only a fraction of their total existence. “Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow.” Psalm 144:4. The difficulty for the believer is not in knowing whether or not the non-believer will get the evidence they desire, but lies in the fact that when they do, it may be too late.
The demand for more evidence and for a sign was already predicted by the “few”. If those on the fence need evidence, there it is in black and white. Thousands of years ago, their desire for more facts was told. “The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. “He replied, "When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Jesus then left them and went away.” Matthew 16:1-4.
The believer knows that by the time others reach a decision it may be the moment when the choice to make a decision is taken away. For that reason, the believer carries out the rest of God’s word and prays for the non-believer to no benefit of their own here on Earth. That prayer is a last push to get those on the fence through the narrow gate.
However, God’s word will not return to Him empty, and the believer knows that no matter how much they push others towards that gate,
Few will find it…
Danielle Joyner Kelley
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14.
Most people today find solace in the “strength in numbers” argument. The reasoning is that the majority must be right, or else everyone would not all agree. However, when the majority ends up in a disagreement, change is called for. History will tell you that it is the “few” not the “many” that bring about change.
Due to the fear of disagreement and appearing as playing the fool, people crave more evidence today from both the “many” and the “few”. However, as the change makers, the “few” are engaging in action rather than talk. The evidence that comes from their side will come later rather than sooner.
Jesus Christ was one of those few. One man’s walk on Earth has spread throughout the globe and become the hope and salvation for “many” who are still considered the “few”. Those on the fence on this issue want more evidence and listen to the “many” convince them that there are no facts to back up the position of the “few”.
Meanwhile, the “few” know that the doubt in their position was predicted, and that God’s word does not predict anything that does not come to pass. “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11.
However, those who still do not believe are affected by all that Jesus did. If you ask them what year it is, they will have an answer. The believer knows that answer comes from the fact that one man’s walk on the Earth split time in half into B.C. (before Christ) and A.D. (after death). If you ask the non-believer what Christianity is, they will tell you it is a religion and that they know people who are Christians. The believer knows that this answer comes from the walk of one man on Earth who preached words that crossed the globe for thousands of years.
When the non-believer says they still do not believe because there is no evidence, the believer knows that answer comes from the fact that Jesus’ message told us we live by faith and not sight, and that only “few” will find His gate which leads to life. The non-believer argues that the believer is in the position of the “few” in this life, and that this is no promise of a good life because on Earth the “many” are favored. The believer knows that this answer comes from the walk of one man on Earth who said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6. The “life” the non-believer is referring to is not the one the believer is thinking about.
However the “many” have no evidence to tell the non-believer that wherever we go after death is not eternal. The believer knows that it is, and that this life is only a fraction of their total existence. “Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow.” Psalm 144:4. The difficulty for the believer is not in knowing whether or not the non-believer will get the evidence they desire, but lies in the fact that when they do, it may be too late.
The demand for more evidence and for a sign was already predicted by the “few”. If those on the fence need evidence, there it is in black and white. Thousands of years ago, their desire for more facts was told. “The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. “He replied, "When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Jesus then left them and went away.” Matthew 16:1-4.
The believer knows that by the time others reach a decision it may be the moment when the choice to make a decision is taken away. For that reason, the believer carries out the rest of God’s word and prays for the non-believer to no benefit of their own here on Earth. That prayer is a last push to get those on the fence through the narrow gate.
However, God’s word will not return to Him empty, and the believer knows that no matter how much they push others towards that gate,
Few will find it…
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Impossible to Possible...
August 8, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." Mark 10:27.
On Earth, we are always looking for evidence of something. Our desire for facts leads us into the reality that facts often have absolutely nothing to do with the truth. That is because we live by faith. “We live by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7.
Having faith requires a commitment from us of a certain state of mind. We are to accept that something is true whether we have facts to back it up or not. For example: Fact: you have a broken heart. Truth: God can heal it. Fact: you have a horrible illness. Truth: God can heal it. Fact: you are the person you are and nothing will ever change you, according to you. Truth: God can.
As Jesus told us “with man” things are many times “impossible”, but “all things are possible with God.” Still many people think that truly believing in that statement is “impossible”. We see the world around us currently, and allow ourselves to get so bogged down in a harsh reality that we start to believe that nothing good could ever come of something bad.
That is when Christian faith kicks in, and we look at the Cross. Can anything good come of something bad? Fact: Jesus was crucified, and murder is horrible and heartbreaking. Truth: That death changed humanity, history, past, present and future from the beginning of time until the end of it.
Whether others believe in Him or not, or whether they only refer to Him as a “historical figure” or a “prophet”, one man’s death on a Cross has spread throughout the globe and changed many lives. Those craving “facts” to back up their position know that event took place, but they have no “facts” to explain how one man changed the face of the Earth while only being a “historical figure”. Christians don’t need those facts to believe because the Bible they believe in tells them that through “faith” not “facts” they are saved from an eternal life of hell. Asking them to prove different is asking them to discard what their Bible tells them to do.
Something wonderful came out a bad situation, and provided us with a picture of what true faith looks like. Jesus was tortured and He suffered, but that event turned into something remarkable and beyond our very comprehension. He was bleeding, suffering, hardly able to walk, and every time He dropped that Cross while carrying it to where He would be killed, He got back up and lifted it. Fact: He never gave up through His suffering, even through the disbelief of others around Him of who He really was. Truth: He has never given up on you through your suffering or disbelief either.
His victory over death was for you. It doesn’t just start when you die. It starts right now, here, at this moment. “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13-14 . We have seen it, and some of us continue to every day.
Fact: we often give up due to the lack of factual information. Truth: Jesus knew better and left us with reality: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13.
There is so much potential in all of us: to overcome our problems, to overcome our adversity, to change the world, to reach every dream, every beautiful thing, and to utilize every gift we have been given. To reach that potential we have to put our all in Him and in that Cross, and then we will see that we cannot fail. “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.” Proverbs 3:5-6.
You have to believe it, know it, and live as if it has already taken place. “" 'If you can'?" said Jesus.” Everything is possible for him who believes." Mark 9:23.
Fact: you may or may not agree. Truth: I am right.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." Mark 10:27.
On Earth, we are always looking for evidence of something. Our desire for facts leads us into the reality that facts often have absolutely nothing to do with the truth. That is because we live by faith. “We live by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7.
Having faith requires a commitment from us of a certain state of mind. We are to accept that something is true whether we have facts to back it up or not. For example: Fact: you have a broken heart. Truth: God can heal it. Fact: you have a horrible illness. Truth: God can heal it. Fact: you are the person you are and nothing will ever change you, according to you. Truth: God can.
As Jesus told us “with man” things are many times “impossible”, but “all things are possible with God.” Still many people think that truly believing in that statement is “impossible”. We see the world around us currently, and allow ourselves to get so bogged down in a harsh reality that we start to believe that nothing good could ever come of something bad.
That is when Christian faith kicks in, and we look at the Cross. Can anything good come of something bad? Fact: Jesus was crucified, and murder is horrible and heartbreaking. Truth: That death changed humanity, history, past, present and future from the beginning of time until the end of it.
Whether others believe in Him or not, or whether they only refer to Him as a “historical figure” or a “prophet”, one man’s death on a Cross has spread throughout the globe and changed many lives. Those craving “facts” to back up their position know that event took place, but they have no “facts” to explain how one man changed the face of the Earth while only being a “historical figure”. Christians don’t need those facts to believe because the Bible they believe in tells them that through “faith” not “facts” they are saved from an eternal life of hell. Asking them to prove different is asking them to discard what their Bible tells them to do.
Something wonderful came out a bad situation, and provided us with a picture of what true faith looks like. Jesus was tortured and He suffered, but that event turned into something remarkable and beyond our very comprehension. He was bleeding, suffering, hardly able to walk, and every time He dropped that Cross while carrying it to where He would be killed, He got back up and lifted it. Fact: He never gave up through His suffering, even through the disbelief of others around Him of who He really was. Truth: He has never given up on you through your suffering or disbelief either.
His victory over death was for you. It doesn’t just start when you die. It starts right now, here, at this moment. “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13-14 . We have seen it, and some of us continue to every day.
Fact: we often give up due to the lack of factual information. Truth: Jesus knew better and left us with reality: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13.
There is so much potential in all of us: to overcome our problems, to overcome our adversity, to change the world, to reach every dream, every beautiful thing, and to utilize every gift we have been given. To reach that potential we have to put our all in Him and in that Cross, and then we will see that we cannot fail. “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.” Proverbs 3:5-6.
You have to believe it, know it, and live as if it has already taken place. “" 'If you can'?" said Jesus.” Everything is possible for him who believes." Mark 9:23.
Fact: you may or may not agree. Truth: I am right.
Friday, August 7, 2009
The Thin Line...
August 7, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.” 1 John 3:18-20.
Christians have obligations to others and to each other. The Holy Spirit is key in doing both. We testify to non-believers about the salvation that comes from Jesus’ sacrifice. We also testify to other Christians to help them stay on a right path with God. “You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.” Titus 2:1.
Two people following the Holy Spirit’s guidance are a huge threat to the enemy. The person seeking the Spirit’s guidance more and more will find themselves walking a thin line due to the enemy’s attacks. For example, there is a thin line between rebuke and judgment. One is appropriate and the other is improper. While we may say we are not “judging” in words, our actions may show that we are.
To defeat the attack there are two things to do. First, start with what is most important, and that is Jesus Christ. Sharing the good news of salvation saves souls, and that is the most important message. Second, remember your audience. The Apostle Paul, writer of many books in the New Testament, spent a great deal of time writing to churches in different lands. Paul was always mindful of his audience, and spoke the truth, in line with God’s word, but in a way that encompassed the problems each church was facing through a message that would encourage them to remember they were serving Jesus Christ. “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.” Romans 14:13.
Your enemy is behind the scenes trying to affect your audience at all times. Know that just as your audience will vary, the tone of your message should as well. The message itself remains the same, but the tone should be given in a way that will not allow the enemy to get a foothold, and will allow someone to learn more about Christ. If you teach them how to listen to the Holy Spirit, He will do the work. One of the primary ways to fall off of your line is when you try to do the work for Him. If someone runs from your message from fear or confusion, the enemy snuck in because those emotions are not from God. “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:33.
Conflict arises when one person is acting on a part of God’s word, and the enemy is using another part against them. Remember he tempted Jesus with scripture, but Jesus responded with the right scripture for the occasion.
Look at your message. Is what you are discussing a “disputable matter”? “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” Romans 14:1-4.
A “disputable matter” arises when one person in the conversation believes they are in line with God’s word, i.e. “preach the good news”, repay “an eye for an eye”, “don’t be drunk”, “desire greater gifts”, “baptized” means gifts. Meanwhile, the other person in the conversation is thinking they are in line with God’s word too, i.e. “don’t be yoked with unbelievers”, “turn the other cheek”, and Jesus turned the “water into wine”, we all have “different gifts”, and “baptized” means receiving the Spirit at salvation.
Both are in line with God’s word, but either both or one of them has failed to seek the Spirit’s guidance. If the message is not tailored in a way that will help the person to seek the Spirit’s guidance, the enemy will give them a “do not judge” scripture and you lose any hope you had of helping the Spirit to convict the other person. “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” Romans 14:19.
When you are getting bogged down in “disputable matters” you are losing precious opportunities to preach the good news of the Gospel to others who do not know Jesus Christ. “But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.” Titus 3:9. Win people over by your actions. Remember, the Spirit convicts and guides us into “all truth”. While two believers may both know they are in line with God’s word, the “truth” is provided by the Holy Spirit putting it into context.
That is a context that will benefit us all..
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.” 1 John 3:18-20.
Christians have obligations to others and to each other. The Holy Spirit is key in doing both. We testify to non-believers about the salvation that comes from Jesus’ sacrifice. We also testify to other Christians to help them stay on a right path with God. “You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.” Titus 2:1.
Two people following the Holy Spirit’s guidance are a huge threat to the enemy. The person seeking the Spirit’s guidance more and more will find themselves walking a thin line due to the enemy’s attacks. For example, there is a thin line between rebuke and judgment. One is appropriate and the other is improper. While we may say we are not “judging” in words, our actions may show that we are.
To defeat the attack there are two things to do. First, start with what is most important, and that is Jesus Christ. Sharing the good news of salvation saves souls, and that is the most important message. Second, remember your audience. The Apostle Paul, writer of many books in the New Testament, spent a great deal of time writing to churches in different lands. Paul was always mindful of his audience, and spoke the truth, in line with God’s word, but in a way that encompassed the problems each church was facing through a message that would encourage them to remember they were serving Jesus Christ. “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.” Romans 14:13.
Your enemy is behind the scenes trying to affect your audience at all times. Know that just as your audience will vary, the tone of your message should as well. The message itself remains the same, but the tone should be given in a way that will not allow the enemy to get a foothold, and will allow someone to learn more about Christ. If you teach them how to listen to the Holy Spirit, He will do the work. One of the primary ways to fall off of your line is when you try to do the work for Him. If someone runs from your message from fear or confusion, the enemy snuck in because those emotions are not from God. “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:33.
Conflict arises when one person is acting on a part of God’s word, and the enemy is using another part against them. Remember he tempted Jesus with scripture, but Jesus responded with the right scripture for the occasion.
Look at your message. Is what you are discussing a “disputable matter”? “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” Romans 14:1-4.
A “disputable matter” arises when one person in the conversation believes they are in line with God’s word, i.e. “preach the good news”, repay “an eye for an eye”, “don’t be drunk”, “desire greater gifts”, “baptized” means gifts. Meanwhile, the other person in the conversation is thinking they are in line with God’s word too, i.e. “don’t be yoked with unbelievers”, “turn the other cheek”, and Jesus turned the “water into wine”, we all have “different gifts”, and “baptized” means receiving the Spirit at salvation.
Both are in line with God’s word, but either both or one of them has failed to seek the Spirit’s guidance. If the message is not tailored in a way that will help the person to seek the Spirit’s guidance, the enemy will give them a “do not judge” scripture and you lose any hope you had of helping the Spirit to convict the other person. “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” Romans 14:19.
When you are getting bogged down in “disputable matters” you are losing precious opportunities to preach the good news of the Gospel to others who do not know Jesus Christ. “But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.” Titus 3:9. Win people over by your actions. Remember, the Spirit convicts and guides us into “all truth”. While two believers may both know they are in line with God’s word, the “truth” is provided by the Holy Spirit putting it into context.
That is a context that will benefit us all..
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Chasing the Wind...
August 5, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” Ephesians 4:26-27.
Whenever someone has a foothold over us, we feel uneasy. We do not want anyone knowing our secrets, or knowing the real meaning behind what we say. Yet our displeasure with a foothold is not half as bad as the fact that nine times out of ten, we gave someone that power over us.
With the power of the human tongue also comes the power of letting others know what gets to us. When we complain, we declare our vulnerability and weakness. If we let others know what gets to us, and later they get angry, they know what to do to get beneath our skin. “And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.” 1 Corinthians 10:10.
When we complain, we not only show our doubt in the position others hold, but doubt in our own position as well. If we are solidified in what we say, we would have no reason to say a word to anyone who stands in disagreement.
God knows our confidence should come from means way beyond ourselves. "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.” Jeremiah 17:7. If we place our confidence anywhere else, and complain outwardly, we should ask ourselves who can really change what the complaint is about. If the person we are complaining to cannot change what we are upset about then we are wasting our breath.
We should not bother to complain in vain. If we take the time to voice a concern we should make sure it is aimed in the right direction. "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector." Matthew 18:15-17.
More often than not, a complaint is followed by a boast about how we would not have done something that way. When this happens, the motive is clear, and it is less about someone else’s mistake than it is about our need to get approval from man. “These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage”. Jude 1:16.
Whenever we speak out loud, it should be done in a manner that can actually bring about change. Talking to someone other than the person you want to change usually accomplishes nothing. However, a nice word to someone who has done something good will usually solidify their actions and help them to continue their work. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29.
Never complain about the bad while failing to praise the good. A kind word carries the good forward, while a complaint is unlikely to bring about change.
Focus on making a difference and work to change only the things that you can. Doing anything less is time spent that accomplishes nothing than to show others that you are chasing the wind.
In a life so short, that is time wasted indeed…
Danielle Joyner Kelley
"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” Ephesians 4:26-27.
Whenever someone has a foothold over us, we feel uneasy. We do not want anyone knowing our secrets, or knowing the real meaning behind what we say. Yet our displeasure with a foothold is not half as bad as the fact that nine times out of ten, we gave someone that power over us.
With the power of the human tongue also comes the power of letting others know what gets to us. When we complain, we declare our vulnerability and weakness. If we let others know what gets to us, and later they get angry, they know what to do to get beneath our skin. “And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.” 1 Corinthians 10:10.
When we complain, we not only show our doubt in the position others hold, but doubt in our own position as well. If we are solidified in what we say, we would have no reason to say a word to anyone who stands in disagreement.
God knows our confidence should come from means way beyond ourselves. "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.” Jeremiah 17:7. If we place our confidence anywhere else, and complain outwardly, we should ask ourselves who can really change what the complaint is about. If the person we are complaining to cannot change what we are upset about then we are wasting our breath.
We should not bother to complain in vain. If we take the time to voice a concern we should make sure it is aimed in the right direction. "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector." Matthew 18:15-17.
More often than not, a complaint is followed by a boast about how we would not have done something that way. When this happens, the motive is clear, and it is less about someone else’s mistake than it is about our need to get approval from man. “These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage”. Jude 1:16.
Whenever we speak out loud, it should be done in a manner that can actually bring about change. Talking to someone other than the person you want to change usually accomplishes nothing. However, a nice word to someone who has done something good will usually solidify their actions and help them to continue their work. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29.
Never complain about the bad while failing to praise the good. A kind word carries the good forward, while a complaint is unlikely to bring about change.
Focus on making a difference and work to change only the things that you can. Doing anything less is time spent that accomplishes nothing than to show others that you are chasing the wind.
In a life so short, that is time wasted indeed…
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
The Tree Branch...
August 4, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.” Matthew 9:22.
The attempt to come back to what you once were is a journey full of trips and falls. For Rechandle Schofield, known to friends as “Ri”, that journey is life saving. The two-time breast and cervical cancer survivor will tell you today who she credits for her survival no matter how many bad cards the world has dealt her.
At a young age, she remembers dreaming about Jesus. Above the Earth, on a tree branch in the clouds, they would sit and talk. Although she had no knowledge of the crucifixion and resurrection at that time, she remembers seeing holes in His hands and feet, and asking Him about them. “I asked why he was always bleeding he replied, ‘that his blood flows freely to wash away our sins, and that by his stripes we are healed’. As a child that meant nothing to me and yet I understood it as gospel truth, I never questioned it.”
With the faith of a child you would not question it. “He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.” Mark 10:14-16.
Eventually, the world sought to overshadow her dreams. She found herself drifting further away from the discussions in those dreams and steering into the world’s harsh realities. Her parents divorced, and she spent her teenage years running from her father’s multiple marriages and her mother’s continual unhappiness. The bar scene was a constant for her, while she worked in her father’s bar at the age of fourteen.
She kept craving the love she felt in her dreams as a child. Bound to the world’s reality through others mistakes, in an attempt to escape her miserable existence, she married at eighteen, had one child, and was divorced at the age of twenty-one. Her daughter was taken from her by her ex-husband, and she felt as helpless getting back on her feet as she had felt trying to be a mother.
The world gave her an out, and she married another man in the hopes she would get her daughter back. She eventually succeeded in getting her back, and they all began to attend church. Under her new false hope of the world’s answer to her problem, Ri went on to have two other children with her husband. This hope began to fade as Ri became a victim of physical abuse by her husband which included hospital stays that lasted weeks. She found solace at church, even with abuse looming over her.
Eventually, she sought the help of law enforcement and left. As a single mother of three, she tried to get back up on her feet, only to find herself in another abusive relationship and working as a bartender. Even though she slipped backward, Ri knows now that God had not given up on her. “Although I was no longer walking with the Lord he still walked with me. He sent people into the bar that were broken and came to drown their sorrows in alcohol and my spirit would see this, and I would end up witnessing to them telling them about Jesus and how he wanted to save them.” She knew she needed to get away from this lifestyle, but did not know how.
At the time she was facing a court battle by the state over her children due to her boyfriend’s abuse, and she found out she had breast cancer. Her diagnosis only fueled the battle when the court questioned whether she could take care of her children due to her illness. She had to have partial bi-lateral mastectomies and chemotherapy.
Realizing what all the world had put upon her, she went back to her conversations on that tree branch, and asked for God’s guidance. She was cleared of cancer, and met her current husband in 2003, after the death of her father, only to find out in 2005 that her cancer had returned more volatile than ever. The doctors told her she would not live. Later, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. By this point she had a double mastectomy and had ports in her breasts and stomach for chemotherapy for both her breast and cervical cancer.
Upon seeing her first grandchild, Ri fought back. The ideas of innocence, purity, and being untainted by the world overcame her. After so many falls due to not trusting in God, she was not willing to leave this chance behind. That was over three years ago.
Today, Ri will tell you what an important role God plays in her life. She is an active church member, wife, and mother who still experiences life’s battles. However, she knows the biggest battle comes when you stop the conversation that she had on that tree branch as a child. Remembering what Jesus told her, she will tell you today, “Through my closeness to death I found life, and that to me is so symbolic to Jesus dying for our sins so that we may have eternal life. It took death to set free my life.”
Freedom to know that her tree branch never broke while the world was yanking on it, and freedom to know that although the conversation may have paused due to the world’s shaking of the tree, the person she was talking to stayed beside her all along.
And most importantly it is a freedom that not until facing death in adult years, did she know how to have faith like a child once again.
That is the faith that can overcome all….
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.” Matthew 9:22.
The attempt to come back to what you once were is a journey full of trips and falls. For Rechandle Schofield, known to friends as “Ri”, that journey is life saving. The two-time breast and cervical cancer survivor will tell you today who she credits for her survival no matter how many bad cards the world has dealt her.
At a young age, she remembers dreaming about Jesus. Above the Earth, on a tree branch in the clouds, they would sit and talk. Although she had no knowledge of the crucifixion and resurrection at that time, she remembers seeing holes in His hands and feet, and asking Him about them. “I asked why he was always bleeding he replied, ‘that his blood flows freely to wash away our sins, and that by his stripes we are healed’. As a child that meant nothing to me and yet I understood it as gospel truth, I never questioned it.”
With the faith of a child you would not question it. “He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.” Mark 10:14-16.
Eventually, the world sought to overshadow her dreams. She found herself drifting further away from the discussions in those dreams and steering into the world’s harsh realities. Her parents divorced, and she spent her teenage years running from her father’s multiple marriages and her mother’s continual unhappiness. The bar scene was a constant for her, while she worked in her father’s bar at the age of fourteen.
She kept craving the love she felt in her dreams as a child. Bound to the world’s reality through others mistakes, in an attempt to escape her miserable existence, she married at eighteen, had one child, and was divorced at the age of twenty-one. Her daughter was taken from her by her ex-husband, and she felt as helpless getting back on her feet as she had felt trying to be a mother.
The world gave her an out, and she married another man in the hopes she would get her daughter back. She eventually succeeded in getting her back, and they all began to attend church. Under her new false hope of the world’s answer to her problem, Ri went on to have two other children with her husband. This hope began to fade as Ri became a victim of physical abuse by her husband which included hospital stays that lasted weeks. She found solace at church, even with abuse looming over her.
Eventually, she sought the help of law enforcement and left. As a single mother of three, she tried to get back up on her feet, only to find herself in another abusive relationship and working as a bartender. Even though she slipped backward, Ri knows now that God had not given up on her. “Although I was no longer walking with the Lord he still walked with me. He sent people into the bar that were broken and came to drown their sorrows in alcohol and my spirit would see this, and I would end up witnessing to them telling them about Jesus and how he wanted to save them.” She knew she needed to get away from this lifestyle, but did not know how.
At the time she was facing a court battle by the state over her children due to her boyfriend’s abuse, and she found out she had breast cancer. Her diagnosis only fueled the battle when the court questioned whether she could take care of her children due to her illness. She had to have partial bi-lateral mastectomies and chemotherapy.
Realizing what all the world had put upon her, she went back to her conversations on that tree branch, and asked for God’s guidance. She was cleared of cancer, and met her current husband in 2003, after the death of her father, only to find out in 2005 that her cancer had returned more volatile than ever. The doctors told her she would not live. Later, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. By this point she had a double mastectomy and had ports in her breasts and stomach for chemotherapy for both her breast and cervical cancer.
Upon seeing her first grandchild, Ri fought back. The ideas of innocence, purity, and being untainted by the world overcame her. After so many falls due to not trusting in God, she was not willing to leave this chance behind. That was over three years ago.
Today, Ri will tell you what an important role God plays in her life. She is an active church member, wife, and mother who still experiences life’s battles. However, she knows the biggest battle comes when you stop the conversation that she had on that tree branch as a child. Remembering what Jesus told her, she will tell you today, “Through my closeness to death I found life, and that to me is so symbolic to Jesus dying for our sins so that we may have eternal life. It took death to set free my life.”
Freedom to know that her tree branch never broke while the world was yanking on it, and freedom to know that although the conversation may have paused due to the world’s shaking of the tree, the person she was talking to stayed beside her all along.
And most importantly it is a freedom that not until facing death in adult years, did she know how to have faith like a child once again.
That is the faith that can overcome all….
Monday, August 3, 2009
First and Last...
August 3, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
"So the last will be first, and the first will be last." Matthew 20:16.
Through tough economic times filled with rumors of war, we learn more about humility. When things are taken away from us, we feel humble and exposed. At that moment we have an opportunity to look at others who have even less, and act compassionately and giving towards them.
Unfortunately in this world, pride and arrogance are common reactions no matter what our economic or war times look like.
When we brag about having something in the middle of nothing, we set ourselves up for what we fear. When we fail to learn the lesson of being humble, there are consequences.
Many people define who they are by comparison because that is how we were taught. We know what color our hair is because we know what color others are, and we know what type of car we like to drive because we have driven another type. While comparison is useful for teaching, it is also very useful at getting us into trouble.
When we involve our egos in the mix of comparing ourselves, we also declare our vulnerability. When someone is bragging about what they have they are defining their worth by something external. Anything external can be taken in the blink of an eye. Because the person defined themselves that way, they run the risk of showing others what they no longer have when it is gone. If that is how they defined their worth, and it is taken away, then they have nothing left.
The problem with this all is that humans were never meant to define themselves by something external. When we do, our vulnerability often teaches us a lesson. The lesson is that we were created as nothing but ourselves, and will leave with nothing but ourselves as well. “Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand.” Ecclesiastes 5:15.
Another problem is greed. When we get something, we want more, and succumb to the idea that “nothing is ever enough”. The truth is that we did not have “nothing” and we wanted something, we had a lot and wanted more. Those are just the words we use to justify our desire.
The hard times teach us what is important, and that usually we have all that we need. In the end, all that is left to survive is not something external that can disappear, but it is our legacy that is everlasting and carried on. Striving to work for what people will remember about us is the key.
At the moment we are facing our Creator and dealing with our end, we will know what mattered most, and that nothing external on Earth could have provided it. “You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it." Haggai 1:6.
When you live thinking of others with your eye on the only prize that matters, you have security that during tough times, you will not fall. "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.
Also, you have the security that when you leave the Earth and are standing in line, waiting to meet your Creator, you will find out that because you put others ahead of yourself in your own line,
God will do the same for you as well.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
"So the last will be first, and the first will be last." Matthew 20:16.
Through tough economic times filled with rumors of war, we learn more about humility. When things are taken away from us, we feel humble and exposed. At that moment we have an opportunity to look at others who have even less, and act compassionately and giving towards them.
Unfortunately in this world, pride and arrogance are common reactions no matter what our economic or war times look like.
When we brag about having something in the middle of nothing, we set ourselves up for what we fear. When we fail to learn the lesson of being humble, there are consequences.
Many people define who they are by comparison because that is how we were taught. We know what color our hair is because we know what color others are, and we know what type of car we like to drive because we have driven another type. While comparison is useful for teaching, it is also very useful at getting us into trouble.
When we involve our egos in the mix of comparing ourselves, we also declare our vulnerability. When someone is bragging about what they have they are defining their worth by something external. Anything external can be taken in the blink of an eye. Because the person defined themselves that way, they run the risk of showing others what they no longer have when it is gone. If that is how they defined their worth, and it is taken away, then they have nothing left.
The problem with this all is that humans were never meant to define themselves by something external. When we do, our vulnerability often teaches us a lesson. The lesson is that we were created as nothing but ourselves, and will leave with nothing but ourselves as well. “Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand.” Ecclesiastes 5:15.
Another problem is greed. When we get something, we want more, and succumb to the idea that “nothing is ever enough”. The truth is that we did not have “nothing” and we wanted something, we had a lot and wanted more. Those are just the words we use to justify our desire.
The hard times teach us what is important, and that usually we have all that we need. In the end, all that is left to survive is not something external that can disappear, but it is our legacy that is everlasting and carried on. Striving to work for what people will remember about us is the key.
At the moment we are facing our Creator and dealing with our end, we will know what mattered most, and that nothing external on Earth could have provided it. “You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it." Haggai 1:6.
When you live thinking of others with your eye on the only prize that matters, you have security that during tough times, you will not fall. "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.
Also, you have the security that when you leave the Earth and are standing in line, waiting to meet your Creator, you will find out that because you put others ahead of yourself in your own line,
God will do the same for you as well.
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