Standing Up

What does it mean to stand up for something? I recall a song that says "If you don't stand for what you believe in, you'll fall for anything." This couldn't be closer to the truth.

Yes, there is a danger for standing up for what you believe in. The danger includes, discrimination, judgment, persecution, ridicule and even death. It is not OK to kill someone because of their beliefs...NEVER, but it has happened time and time again throughout history. It saddens me that people commit terrible acts of violence to justify their stand or cause. Sickens me, actually. But this is what we deal with...daily.

I read a friends post on Facebook this morning about not understanding the violence. She says, "How do you explain these acts of hate to your children when they ask; 'Why does God let this happen?'"?

Is there a real...REAL answer. I suppose it depends on what you believe in. Here's the answer that I have.

Jesus says in John 15:20, "Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also."

We are also warned in 2 Timothy 3:1; "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days."

Evil is real. We are forewarned of evil's destructive powers in 2 Peter 3:3, "Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.

Those who choose to follow THE Rabi to the best of their ability, and claim Christ as the Messiah and Savior WILL face troubling times, will be called out and be persecuted (even to death). The question is no longer what do you believe in (or not believe in), rather will you STAND for what you know is right and true.

The lines are being drawn, it's time to pick a side and stand firm. I choose to stand firm by loving others, listening and sharing God's truth rather than with hateful speech, intimidation or judging.

"Where love flows, hate cannot."

Peace & Blessings~
Jen

The Struggle is REAL!

My kids say this all the time, "The struggle is real!". I'm not sure what they are really struggling about half the time though, TBH (that's to be honest in case you are not up with the acronyms). I've seen hashtags like "#FirstWorldProblems" and "#BlackLivesMatter", "#AllLivesMatter" and several more (but I think you get the picture) and I often wonder why these are even a thing.

Our society has wealth that is wasted, time that is spent on mindless activities, and families that communicate with each other via text on their smartphones even though they are sitting right next to each other. I often struggle with this new reality, but I live it, I am even guilty of this new practice. I know it sounds like I'm just rambling, but I do have a point.

I do not watch the news...for various reasons, but mostly because it's a bunch of skewed information that is being spoon fed to me with a biased point of view already built in. I rather form my own opinion on such issues and not be scolded for my thoughts based on what society has already been fed. So when I do hear of a news story, it is usually big...real big. What has hit home with me first thing this morning is the mass exodus that is going on right now in Europe. No, I don't have all the details, and no, I don't know why thousands of people are fleeing their homes and NO I don't understand why one country closes its borders and will not let people pass through to get to where they are going.

I am reminded of two things: First I am reminded of the ignorance first displayed prior to World War II, and Secondly I am reminded that people are selfish and few look after the whole of mankind. To me this is what should earn a hashtag if ever there was a need for one.

#AllLivesMatter #RealWorldProblems #TheStruggleIsReallyReal

#My2CentsWorth

~Peace & Blessings~
 Jen

When do we Prepare?

Two weeks ago I began to really look at what it means to be prepared. God has really spoken to me about getting prepared, being ready and what it all really means. So last week I looked at Who prepares and today we are going to look at When. So when do we prepare? I suppose that is a very valid question. It seems like the days are filled with distractions. There's family and work that can take us off course of being prepared, but there are bigger distractions that I want to look at today. I want to look at the what we do to avoid God and avoid preparation. There's everything from video games, to Facebook (yes...I went there). There's the television, and of course our own selfish desires that take us away from God and His love. When we allow the distractions to take over, we are no longer preparing for what God has for us. God really does have our best interests in mind and at heart. So why do we allow these temporary trappings take us away from Him, the One who LOVES us more than anyone else? When we do not prepare our hearts for God, we loose out on more than peace and joy, but we miss out on sharing God with others around us.

We really begin preparing at birth. I know that may sound odd to you, but truly, you were created for a reason, a purpose.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 says, "For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart."

God knows the Plans He has for YOU! What good news! God has prepared you and for you before you where ever born! King David gives Praise to God for His preparing him before he was even born, and for when he was born in the Psalms.

Psalm 139:13, "For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb."

Psalm 71:6, "By You I have been sustained from my birth; You are He who took me from my mother’s womb; My praise is continually of You."

Psalm 22:10, "Upon You I was cast from birth; You have been my God from my mother’s womb."

Psalm 22:9, "Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb; You made me trust when upon my mother’s breasts."

What a comfort to know that God prepared for us before we could even begin to comprehend who He is! Even before we had the understanding that we are sinners, God had planned and prepared for our salvation. Jesus Christ has been with us since the beginning and was prepared from the start.

John 1:1-5,"1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."

So when do we begin to prepare? When we recognize, realize, acknowledge and know that we are sinners, saved only by GRACE. We begin to prepare when we humbly go before God and ask for forgiveness. We begin to prepare when Jesus, the Messiah, the Christ enters into our life and begins a great work in us for His glory. As mundane as John 3:16 may seem, it is so powerful. Take a moment and read John 3:16-18 with fresh eyes.

"16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

~Peace & Blessings~ Jen

The day of rest...

is actually part of the 10 commandments so why do we tend to look at it as an option? The reason this is on my mind is well...first of all it's almost 10pm and I'm still overwhelmed with all the "things" I "have" to do. Do I really need to do them right now? No. And I know this, but there is some internal voice screaming at me that I won't have "enough time" to do these things tomorrow. Really? I am beginning to wonder if I really do try to do too much.

Then I look at all the time that I waste and abuse and the answer is no. No I don't have too much to do, I am just not using the time that God has given me wisely. So what to do, and how do I take my day of rest. and really is the day of rest just related to the one day?

One of the things that I try to do is not get on the computer on the weekends and I spend time with my family. Sunday is church...all day. Is it really rest though? Yes and no. It is rest because I am spending time reading the Word of God with other believers and I am worshiping God in a corporate setting. No because I find myself working in different ministries. So again I go back to Saturday. But what is rest according to the Word of God? To this I don't have an answer. I would like to find one though and I do believe that this is the next area that I am going to study.

I believe that we must learn how to rest, according to God. I don't think rest means watching TV all day or catching up on the laundry. I do believe that I will continue to address this issue of rest and what it means.

I know that what I would like to do for rest is sleep and have no agenda. Read the Bible and Pray without interruption. Being a mom with 3 young children at home, I don't see that as an option. And again what about rest during the day. We have 24 hours in a day. I know that I only sleep for about 6 of those hours and I work for about 6 hours...so what on earth am I doing with the remaining 12 hours!!! Being a taxi driver, a cook, a mentor and secretary, but am I using my time wisely? I'm not sure and I know...I KNOW that I am not spending enough time in the presence of God. I know that I could read more, pray more, praise more. Is that part of "rest"? I'm not sure. So I am pondering on this thought and as I do I am going to make RESTING my goal in 2011. Not to be lazy, but to rest that way God intends.

So what are your thoughts? What do you consider rest? I would love input on the topic, thanks.

~Peace & Blessings~
Jen