How Can God...

If you type in the phrase 'How can God' into Google, the drop down gives you a glimpse into what our society's heart looks like. The top three answers that Google provides are (in this order): how can God help me, how can God use me, and how can God forgive me.

Truly these are some great questions, and ones that we have probably all considered at some point. No doubt we have all been in a situation where we needed help, and we wondered how that help could be administered to us. When we are grieving over the loss of a loved one, burdened by the financial stresses in our lives, or struggling with an illness of our own, we often wonder how God can help us.

The Psalms are replete with cries of help to the God of the universe. Should you ever find yourself in a situation where you need God's help, please remember these verses:

"Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let such as love Your salvation say continually, 'The LORD be magnified!' But I am poor and needy; Yet the LORD things upon me. You are my Help and my Deliverer; do not delay, O my God." Psalm 40:16-17

While we may hurt in this present life and find ourselves in troublesome situations, our God and Father has salvation. If we will trust in Him, He will deliver. He is faithful to save!

There may be times, though, when we feel strong and confident in God's promises, and yet we feel aimless and without purpose, so we ask ourselves how God can use us.

Jesus said in Matthew 28:19-20, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you." Should you ever question your purpose in life, or where exactly your focus should be, look only to these words of Jesus. He has given us a specific purpose: to teach others the way of salvation and bring them to Him. Each and every child of God should be out teaching other people how they can become a child of God. And if you aren't a child of God? Please read this post on how to get into the body of Christ!

Finally, the question of how can God forgive me. This is a question that I have personally asked time and time again. How is it that God can forgive all of my sins? How is it that God will remember none of my sins anymore? How is it that God won't get tired of me coming and asking for forgiveness for the same old sins? And yet, the Bible tells us that we can be confident that when we ask, He is faithful and just to forgive us (1 John 1:9).

I love the book of 1 Corinthians, and this passage may be one of the reasons why:

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but your were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." (6:9-11; emp mine)

Regardless of how many sins within this list you are guilty of, there is a way to overcome, and that way is by being washed in the blood of Jesus. These Corinthians had been homosexuals and thieves and drunkards and adulterers, and yet they weren't anymore. What changed? First, they quit practicing those things (repentance). Next, they were washed (baptized) clean of all of those past sins.

God can and will forgive you. How? Because He loves you so much. So much that He gave His only Son to die a cruel and painful death for you (John 3:16). How blessed we are to have such a God that will hear our cries when we need help, who will give us purpose and direction in life, and will forgive us of all of our sins so long as we confess them, turn away from them, and are washed in His Son's precious, cleansing blood.

It's Resolution Time Again

In preparing for my girls class on Sunday morning, I wanted to do something special that dealt with resolutions. As I was researching, I found a list of the top 10 New Years resolutions, and I thought it would be neat to turn them into something with a spiritual application. And so, if you don't mind, I'm going share that with you today, because I feel it's beneficial for all of us.

Top 10 New Year's Resolutions

1: Spend more time with family. As Christians, we are a part of a spiritual family (Rom. 8:16-17, 28-30). Hebrews 10:24-25 says, "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much more as you see the Day approaching." It is good for Christians, brethren, to be together and to encourage one another. It would do every Christian well to resolve to spend more time with their brothers and sisters in Christ. Surely, after a year of spending more time with holy people, we ourselves would be holier.

2: Get fit. Paul wrote to Timothy that bodily exercise profits little, but that godliness is profitable to all (1 Tim. 4:7-9). To the Corinthians, Paul would write, "And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it unto subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. (1 Cor. 9:25-27)" In no way do I think Paul is undermining the need for a healthy body (as it is the vehicle for us as we 'go into all the world'), but is instead focusing on that which is of more importance, and that is our spiritual workout. We must discipline ourselves spiritually so that when we teach others, we are not being hypocrites.

I think this can also fall into the priority argument, too. Sometimes we get so consumed with our physical bodies that we neglect our spiritual selves. We don't get the proper spiritual diet or the appropriate (and regular) spiritual work out. In 2013, let us all aspire to get our spiritual self fit.

3: Lose weight. The author of the book of Hebrews said in chapter 12:1-2, "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Sin is quite cumbersome. When we have sin, it holds us back; it weighs us down. It keeps us from running with endurance and winning the prize. To be a faithful child of God, we must all lay down the weight that entangles us; however, like shedding physical pounds, it won't be easy. Letting go of the sins we have held on to for so long will be difficult, but it is not impossible. Not if we'll do as the writer told us: look to Jesus.

4: Quit smoking. Our bodies are the temples of God (1 Cor. 6:19) and are not our own. So, we must take care of them. So while you may not struggle with putting nicotine into your body and irreversibly damaging your lungs and throat, there may be other things that you could stand to quit. Let us all strive to quit harming our physical bodies -- be it by alcohol, drugs, excessive sun exposure, self-inflicted wounds, or participating in sexual immorality.

5: Get out of debt. The reason that Jesus came to earth and suffered all that He did was so that we could all go to heaven and be with Him one day. He came to lift the burden of sin -- to free us from the debt of sin (Mt. 18:21-35). Take advantage of Jesus' gracious offer this year. If you are not in a relationship with Him, do as He has commanded and become a child of God by being immersed in water for the forgiveness of your sins (Acts 2:38). If you are a Christian, it is still possible to accumulate debts of sin. Do as John commanded in 1 John 1 and confess your sins so that God will forgive you of them.

6: Enjoy life more. So many people are searching for happiness and the 'best life possible'. Jesus came to give us that way. "I have come that they might have life, and that they may have it more abundantly (John 10:10)."If you are one of those people who are looking to get more out of life, look no further! Though His sacrifice, Jesus has given us all that we could possibly ever need: salvation! BUT, on top of that, God showers blessings upon His children (James 1:17). Truly being a Christian IS living the best life possible!

7: Quit drinking. Since we've already talked about harming our bodies, let's take this one as a 'quit drinking the Kool-Aid". Our world would have us believe that homosexuality is cool, that partying and drugs are awesome, and that profanity and taking the Lord's name in vain are harmless. Stop drinking the Kool-Aid! If you put impurity in...guess what your heart looks like? Spoiler alert: it's impure! Jesus said that only the pure in heart would see God (Matt. 5:8), which explains why Paul urged the Philippians to think on pure, lovely, true, honorable, virtuous things (Phil. 4:8). The more impurity we put in, the less we look like Christ. Stop trying to look like/sound like/dress like the world and start trying to imitate Jesus.

8: Learn something new. Why not use the time that God gives you to learn more about Him? Challenge yourself to learn something new about the Scripture--and truly there are always new gems to uncover! Perhaps you don't know all of the books of the Bible, or have a hard time finding them during class -- challenge yourself to learn them. Memory work is always a valuable thing to embark on. In whatever way you want to challenge yourself to do this, learn something new about God in 2013. And not just something, somethings.

9: Help others. The great commission applies to each and every one of us when it says, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15)". Use this year to bring at least one soul closer to Jesus. While helping others physically is needed and beneficial, helping someone spiritually matters the most. The soul is the most important feature of a person, and if you truly want to help them, teach them how they can inherit eternal life!

10: Get organized. Matthew 6:31-34 says, "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?" or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." There are so many things that can occupy our time. Instead of getting consumed by physical things, use 2013 to re-organize -- re-prioritize -- your life. When we seek God first, above all else, He adds the rest to us.

We have the power to make 2013 the best yet. If we will choose to put God first, the rest of our year will be well spent. Let us all purpose to be good stewards of the time that God affords us.

From my heart, I hope you have a wonderful holiday and a blessed rest of the year.

Want Some Encouragement?

The Light Network was designed to encourage, enlighten, and empower Christians across the globe. While the official 'launch party' isn't scheduled until January 5th, pilot episodes of most programs have already been released.

In case you haven't checked out the website, I wanted to give you a few details about each of the shows that have released:

1: Preachers in Training. This is a paneled podcast hosted by my husband, Robert Hatfield, and is specifically designed for younger preachers. Each podcast will have different guests (some younger preachers, some older), and will serve to encourage younger ministers in their work, as well as answer some questions that a lot of them have. If you or someone you know is a preacher, or is thinking of becoming a preacher, send them to this podcast.

2: Culture Shock. This podcast is hosted by Torrey Clark, a MSOP grad and a minister in LaGrange, Georgia. The purpose of this podcast is to bring Christians' attention to current matters going on in the world, and put a Christian spin on them. If you are interested in current events, politics, our government, and the like, check out this podcast. Really, all Christians should arm themselves with knowledge of the world around them, and I would encourage you to check out this podcast weekly.

3: Biblical Manliness. The world defines manliness in some pretty silly ways. Chris Clevenger takes a look at what the Bible has to say, and presents the message in a clear and concise way. All Christian men should avail themselves to this podcast! We need more biblically manly leaders in the world!

4: The Salvation Podcast. As the name suggests, this podcast is all about salvation. Perhaps you have some tech-savvy family members who aren't faithful to the Lord. Maybe you have questions yourself about what constitutes true salvation. Whatever the need, this podcast will serve as a means of teaching the simplistic truth of gospel salvation.

WOMEN'S PODCASTS

5: Navigating the New Testament. I am the host of this podcast specifically geared toward women. Because of the generic nature of some of our other shows (salvation, current events, etc), this podcast will zoom in on one area of the Bible, namely geography. Because I have traveled to numerous countries and cities mentioned in our New Testaments, this podcast will feature geographically specific content designed to help women of the 21st century appreciate the biblical text more. Through pictures and a study of the 1st century culture, the aim of this women's podcast is to help us draw out lessons from the New Testament that we may have previously overlooked.

6: Under the Juniper Tree. Melissa Clevenger hosts this timely and much-needed women's podcast. Depression and anxiety run rampant in our society, and Melissa sheds biblical light on the shadows of life. If you or any lady you know struggles with these issues, please point her to this podcast. As sisters in Christ, we are all here to help and encourage one another. Or, perhaps you know of a women who is outside of Christ but struggles with these things. This podcast serves to point people with real problems to the true source of comfort.

It's The End of the World As We Know It

According to the Mayans, today is the last day that this earth will see. There have been parodies and jokes and all kinds of hilarity surrounding these predictions, and I suppose a few people who actually buy into to it all. As Christians, we know that "of that day and hour no one knows"(Matt. 24:36). We know that the coming of the Son of Man will be as a thief in the night (1 Thess. 5:2). We can be assured that if the angels in heaven aren't even aware, the Mayans had no way of predicting such a thing.

And yet, I think this is a perfect time for us to get serious with the day of Judgment. While we don't know when it will happen--when Jesus will come back to take us all home--we can know that it will happen, and just because we don't know when, doesn't mean we shouldn't be ready. Perhaps today would be a bit more somber if as many people as were making jokes about the Mayan calendar were seriously considering their soul's final abode.

Jesus said these words in Matthew 7:13-14:

"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

While we don't know when time will come to a close, we do know that it will only be the minority who get to enter into eternal rest and be with their Savior forevermore. That isn't because God doesn't desire the majority be in heaven--on the contrary! He sent His Son to die an excruciatingly painful death so that all of us could be in heaven (2 Pet. 3:9). Instead, the fault lies with the majority, for they are unwilling to make Jesus the Lord of the life.

Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:3,

"Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of heaven."

Paul admonished the Galatians, saying,

"Now the works of the flesh are evident which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like, of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." (5:19-21)

While considering our souls, we must take heed to what the Bible says about those who will/will not be admitted entrance into the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said that it is only those who are born again who will be granted admission into the kingdom of heaven. Romans 6 tells us that we are born again through baptism, then raised as a new creature. Unless we have been baptized (for the remission of our sins - Acts 2:38), we will not live with Jesus eternally.

Paul added to the thought by giving us a list that we should think seriously about. At the end of verse 21, Paul said that anyone who practices such things would not inherit the kingdom of God. That means if you are practicing any of the aforementioned sins (adultery, fornication, drunkenness, etc.) you are not ready for the judgment day to come!

However, I think it would be beneficial to look at one final text. John, the apostle of love, wrote this to his Christian brethren in 1 John 1:7-10

"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us."

After we are baptized, we don't remain perfect and sinless. Contrariwise, we sin daily! John is speaking to Christians--those already washed by the blood of Jesus--and he tells them that if they claim they are sinless, they make God a liar!

All of us need forgiveness and grace. Regardless of what state you find yourself in today, you need the blood of Jesus. If you have not been baptized, consider where your soul would end up should the world end tomorrow. If you have been baptized but are continuing in the works of the flesh as Paul categorized, confess your sins as the apostle John commanded! All of us can attain salvation! God has made it so easy for us! All we must do is believe that Jesus is the Son of God, turn from our sinful ways, confess Christ as Lord, and put Him on in baptism! Compared to what Jesus went through to bring us salvation, it is nothing at all to submit to Him and live for Him daily.

May we each get our lives in order so that, were today our last today, heaven would be our final abode!

Tragedy and Mary

I have already done one post on Jesus' mother, Mary, and the things we can learn from her. In the wake of Friday's tragic events, however, I simply cannot get her off my mind. And here's why:

Mary knew tragedy.

John 19:25 says, "Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother...". Not only did Mary know tragedy and heartbreak, she experienced it first hand. She watched her son hang on a cross and suffer indescribable pain. She watched as the blood trickled down His brow; she heard Him cry out in pain; she looked on as His body hang limply after He'd given up the ghost (Lk 23:46). We read this story and we focus on Jesus--and rightly so--, but imagine for a moment that you are Mary. No mother should ever have to experience this! And yet, she was there, experiencing what no one should have to, for her son.

Surely we have all muttered (or at the very least thought) that no person should have to go through what those 40-something parents are having to go through. Their innocent, beautiful children were slain in an unexplainable, evil act. They are, without doubt, suffering immensely. But they aren't the first.

Mary watched as her beautiful, innocent Son was brutally murdered. She was there as the crowds chanted, as the soldiers prodded, as the darkness gathered. She saw firsthand, much like these parents are seeing now, the evil that was in the world.

And yet, because of all that Mary had to suffer on that day, we can all have hope--yes, even those parents of the children whose lives were cut too short. You see, because of the cruel death of Mary's innocent Son, we can all have life (John 3:15-16). Because of her Son, we can know that those innocent lives from Sandy Hook will be in a land with no more death and no more pain (Rev. 21:4). We can have full assurance that God will avenge their untimely deaths (Rom. 12:19), as He will avenge and ultimately purge all of the evil this world has ever known.

Mary was not crushed on the day that her Son died. Instead, Mary knew that He would rise again and claim victory over death. We, too, can know that victory will be ours. In the last day this earth will ever know, Jesus will once and for all claim victory over death--and all of those who will be faithful to Him can claim a part in that victory (1 John 5:3-5).

With every fiber of my being I hate what happened on Friday. I hate that those children we taken from this world in such a cruel and painful way. I hate that people are hurting. I hate that people are blaming God. I hate that the world that we live in is so evil. But, I can find peace in the midst of this tragedy, and if you will turn to God, you can too. Let the words that Paul wrote to the Thessalonians in 1 Thess. 4:13-18 comfort you.

"But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God wi ll bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words."

Death is not the end. Undoubtedly Mary knew that as she watched Jesus hang on the cross, and we can know that ourselves in the face of tragedy. Whether we are taken brutally from this life, die peacefully in our sleep, or are alive when Jesus comes back and all of world is destroyed, we can have a hope (expectation) of heaven for our final abode.

Please continue to pray for the hearts of those affected by this tragedy. Pray that they can give their lives over to God so that they can experience the peace that passes all understanding (Phil. 4:7) and have the hope of reuniting with their children one day.

12-12-12

There is a lot of hype surrounding today, and understandably so. Today is the last day in our lives (and probably the lives of our children) that we we will see a sequential date: 12-12-12. And that's exciting to us. Really, though, does it matter? Probably not.

If you're like me, you don't believe in luck. You believe in blessings from God Almighty, as all good and perfect things come from Him (James 1:17). And so, instead of basing your attitude about today on a sequence of numbers, meditate on another 12-12 with me.

Romans 12 has always been an inspiring section of scripture to me. To begin with, the apostle Paul urges the Romans to be a living sacrifice--not conformed to the world, but transformed...a perfect picture of living a holy and sanctified life. As the chapter continues, we are introduced to a segment that is generally referred to as a guide on how to behave as a Christian. It is within that context that we read the following:

"rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer." (Romans 12:12)

On this twelfth day of the twelfth month in the twelfth year of this century, why not practice the things that Romans 12:12 urges us to do.

1: Rejoice in hope - Biblical hope isn't the same as worldly hope. Biblical hope is an expectation, not simply a wish. And so, because of all of the things God has promised to those who love Him and are faithful to Him, we can rejoice in our hope of heaven...in our expectation of heaven. We don't have to live in doubt, wondering what will happen to us when we die. We can rejoice and have confidence that we and our loved ones who are living faithfully will all be in heaven when this earth is no more.

On this day of superstition and luck (and in the coming days with the Mayan calendar mumbo jumbo), remember that our eternal destiny is already known by our Father, and that His promise of heaven has already been given. It does not take luck to get into heaven--it takes obedience to God's word.

2: Be patient in tribulation - Perhaps this point is even more relevant around the holiday season. Sometimes family gatherings can be hectic and chaotic and stressful. Other people tend to be stressed, which can then lead to negative encounters while shopping, driving, and even assembling to worship! Though it is the season to get stressed out, try your best to refrain from such. Know that in whatever trial or pitfall you find yourself in that the God of all comfort is there with you. Mediate on such passages like 1 Corinthians 10:13 and Hebrews 13:5. Know that God is bigger and stronger than anything that could ever come your way, and in Him we have strength and a peace that passes all understanding (Phil. 4:7).

But also know that your attitude makes all the difference. Sometimes we don't think of attitudes as sinful, but they can be. Instead of flying off the handle because you've had a bad day or letting your lips flap because someone has gotten under your skin (am I the only one who struggles with this daily!?), remember whose you are and how Christ reacted when placed under extreme stress and tribulation. Did He lash out at the crowd crying "crucify Him!" or respond when those soldiers beat Him and spat on Him? No day you have ever had will be that bad, so remember to practice some patience.

3: Continue steadfastly in prayer - Every day of our lives should involve prayer. Our God has done so much for us, and we fail Him so often. Remember to go to Him and thank Him for the time that you've been given, for the people who have blessed your life, and for the physical wealth you have been given in abundance. Our Father is such a liberal giver, and we all have so much to be thankful for.

While the rest of the world is making a wish at 12:12 on 12-12-12, why not say a prayer and thank God for all the marvelous blessings He has sent your way? And, because He has given so much, make a special effort to be a blessing in someone else's life today. Pray that God will give you an opportunity to serve, or to simply make someone's day brighter.

Christianity and Entertainment Choices

Earlier this week, I read a news article about the young actor who plays on the popular show "Two and a Half Men." The actor, 19 year old Angus T. Jones, made a video about his faith (he recently became a member of the 7th Day Adventist Group) which went viral.

There are a lot of things to say in conjunction with this story and about the things he believes, but I only want to dwell on one. The things that Jones (who has been playing on the show since he was 10 years old) need to be heard by Christians across the globe. Here's what he had to say:

"Please stop filling your head with filth." 

"People say it's just entertainment. Do some research on the effects of television in your brain and I promise you, you'll have a decision to make when it comes to what you watch on television. It's bad news." 

"A lot of people don't like to think about how deceptive the enemy is. There's no playing around when it comes to eternity. People will see us and be like, 'I can be a Christian and be on a show like Two and a Half Men.' You can't. You cannot be a true God-fearing person and be on a television show like that. I know I can't." 

"I'm not ok with what I'm learning [about] what the Bible says and being on that television show. You go all or nothing."

How is it that Christians can fool themselves into thinking that it's ok to watch certain television programs and movies? Even some of those (though it is a minority to be sure!) who are in Hollywood can see that certain things are filth. And yet, I see Christians on a daily basis promoting shows like Glee (homosexual agenda much?), The Secret Life of the American Teenager (pre-marital sex), How I Met Your Mother (a show all about pre-marital sex and alcohol), and others. What Jones had to say was correct: what you watch does have an affect on you. If you are putting filth in, what does your heart look like? How much impurity can you ingest until you aren't pure anymore?!

One reason this is such a huge deal to me is because it's something I've struggled with, and still do to be honest. It's hard not to become calloused. It's hard not to justify it. It's hard not to get swept away in all of the fads and crazes. It's hard to be set apart, yet that's exactly what God expects of His children.

"Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written 'Be holy, for I am holy'." 1 Peter 1:13-16

We should not continue to infiltrate our minds with things that we once did--in our ignorance. Now that we are holy--set apart--children of God, we are to do and think differently. Paul would urge those at Philippi to think/meditate on whatever things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. If you watch something that doesn't adhere to all, yes all, of those principles, you probably shouldn't be watching it. After all, if you aren't truly holy, are you holy at all?

Being a Christian isn't about convenience. Being a Christian isn't about doing what's popular. Christianity is about being like Christ--because we bear His name. We are to walk in His footsteps (Col. 2:6), imitate His life (1 Cor. 4:16), and give up self to serve others as He would (Gal. 2:20).

Would Jesus watch what you watch? Would Jesus promote what you promote? If not, why do you?

Bring On the Greed

There's something about this time of year that always irks me. Is it the fact that I'm bombarded by Christmas music on the radio and in department stores already? Partially. Is it because I can't find any fall decor for my new home because stores put up their Christmas displays so early? Partially. Is it because I can't get online without being overwhelmed by Black Friday ads? Partially. But really, it's a conglomerate of all of the above, and it stems from one underlying motivation that just really, really bugs me: greed.

We sit back in dismay when our country elects a leader whose moral compass is basically nonexistent, and ask ourselves how that could have possibly happened. I think in the two weeks since the election we've got our answer: our nation is self-absorbed and greedy.

We can't even celebrate one day--ONE day out of 365-- that involves being thankful. Instead, we brush over that holiday to get to the really good stuff--Christmas , aka "gimme gimme gimme!" Now don't get me wrong: I love Christmas. I love it even more now that I'm married to someone who loves Christmas so much, but let's put Christmas, once and for all, in its proper place---after Thanksgiving! And I don't mean wait to put up your tree or listen to music or anything like that (though please do that), but I mean don't put a holiday all about getting what you want over a holiday that emphasizes thanking our Heavenly Father, the giver of all good and perfect gifts (James 1:17).

It's easy to get carried away. I'll be honest, a lot of my shopping is already done (hello sales throughout the year). But what I have to watch myself on is my attitude. This time of year, attitudes can go south, quickly. Take all of the Black Friday horror stories for example. When our hearts aren't filled with thankfulness, greed takes over. And, I'm not saying that Thanksgiving is the only day you should be thankful. What I am saying, though, is that maybe we should all take this time of year to recharge our thankful batteries, instead of just skipping over the turkey and dressing and heading out into the Best Buy line.

It's not wrong to shop. It's not wrong to shop on Black Friday. It's not wrong to like Christmas (giving is better than receiving). But it is wrong to displace a heart of thanksgiving with a heart of greed. Be careful not to let our culture dictate your heart.

Tough Stuff Tuesday: Election Day Attitudes

Today is a big day. Not only for America, but for the world at large. You see, whether we like it or not (or flaunt it or not), America has a great influence in the world. Our president makes a huge difference in who will or will not be our ally in the future. That's why, today, we are writing history. With your vote, you are deciding who should head this country, and who should be the face that the rest of the world sees when they think of America.

Sadly, I have felt badgered by some Christians regarding my vote. While I don't support a certain candidate, I have been made to feel like if I did, I don't actually love God--and that just isn't fair. That's why I'm not here to do that this morning. I'm not here to urge you in one direction or another--toward one political party or another. Why? Because my thoughts on politics don't matter. There is only One whose thoughts matter on any subject. 

Here is what the inspired writer, Paul, penned to the brethren in Rome:

"Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor." Rom. 13:1-7

What this is not saying is that your vote doesn't matter--that God has already appointed the next President of the United States and nothing we do matters. On the contrary--every vote matters. However, God, in His omniscience, knows the outcome already. And just as this country has been in His hands from the beginning, it will be regardless of who is elected today. 

Another thing these verses are not saying is that the governing authorities will always do what God wants. Think of the ones to whom Paul was writing in the first century. Was Nero acting as God would have wanted him to--persecuting Christians in heinous ways? Absolutely not. Nor will the President of the United States act in ways that will be pleasing to God one hundred percent of the time. 

BUT...

As Christians, we always have the responsibility to be in subjection. Listen to what Peter said in 1 Pet. 2:13-17:

"Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to the governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men--as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king."

Peter would go on to say in verses 21-25 of the same chapter that we are to be in submission because our perfect example submitted--even though He is God. Jesus came to this earth and suffered a cruel, humiliating, torturous death on a rugged cross---who are we to not be submissive?!

And just as a heads up--being submissive to our government does not include bad-mouthing our current president, regardless of if you are going to vote for him today. Being submissive to the government does not mean lashing out and speaking ill toward them--simply because we have the "liberty" to do so. Above all, we are Christians, bondservants of God. Jesus did not go around bad-mouthing the chief priests, even though they convicted Him after a series of illegal trials. Jesus did not go around promoting a mutiny or uprising against the Roman emperors of the day. Jesus taught the apostles to pay taxes. Jesus urged the tax collectors to collect fairly. In every instance, Jesus showed them (and us) how to act like God. 

We cannot claim to be Christians if we are pushing bills and movements that center around things that are abominable to God. However, we can't really claim to be Christians if we are acting haughty, prideful, arrogant, and rude either. We cannot try to bully people into our positions by making them feel as if one candidate is Satan himself and one is heaven-sent. Instead, we must urge people to take the 'issues' and stack them up to what God has to say about it. 

I am not here to push my political agenda on you. Instead, I simply urge you to pray for our country, and vote for the leader who best represents God's view on the subjects at hand. Not mine, not yours. God's. And, when the day is done, remember you are still a Christian. All of the things you have said on Facebook and Twitter will still judge you (Mt. 12:37). 

Also, you will stand before God and give an account of all the things you have said, done, and approved of. Don't put your stamp of approval on things that God doesn't. 

*Note: When the government advocates things that are not in subjection with God's will, I understand and hope that you do as well that Christians are to be in subjection to God first and foremost. No man-made creed or law will ever be able to keep us from doing the things that God has commanded. In no way would I ever encourage anyone to adhere to the government's laws over God's. 

Coming in 2013!

2012 has been an amazing year for us! We have been giving opportunities to serve at East Hill and various other places, and get to know some amazing people along the way. One of my favorite things about this year has been the friendships I have made, and the old ones I have rekindled. Out of one of those new friendships, a project has arisen. 

A while back, Robert came to me with an idea. Then, it was a simple, though remarkable idea that didn't have a lot of shape. When we met and subsequently got to know Chris and Melissa Clevenger, this idea starting becoming a reality. With the help and ingenuity of a few others, this project is coming to fruition in January 2013. 

The Light Network is "a group of netcasts dedicated to the truth of the Bible. We have three goals: to encourage, enlighten, and empower" (the rest of the quote is available here). In January, we will be launching a series of podcasts (several for men and two--initially--for women) that we hope will be a bright light for Christ in this dark and sin-ridden world. 

The reason we are telling everyone now (instead of simply launching in January) is this: we hope that you will give us your prayerful support. The world we live in is lost and dying, and with the resources we have available to us in the 21st century, we must do more things to spread the Good News. It is our aim to bring others to Christ and encourage those who are already in Him to remain faithful. We hope that you will get behind this effort of evangelism and edification, and that you'll point others to it. 

On the website (www.thelightnetwork.tv) you will find all of the information you need, such as host bios and descriptions of each of the initial shows we will be launching. If you have any questions or comments, we have an email address and telephone number where you can reach us. 

I will be hosting a show called Navigating the New Testament and I am extremely excited about it! As many of you may be aware, I absolutely love traveling. This show will walk through the places, people and problems of first century cities. If you have any questions or comments about my show, you can email me directly at emily@thelightnetwork.tv (and I hope you will!). 

As previously stated, we hope that you will support this effort to reach our technologically savvy world. Our aim is to be pleasing to God, and we know that with all of your help and support, The Light Network can do much good to His glory. 

Please check out our website and share this post and others on whatever form of social media you may be on. Also, please "Like" The Light Network on Facebook and follow us on twitter (@LightNetworkTV).

Oh! One last thing! We will be having our official launch party LIVE on January 5th! Please mark your calendars to tune in that Saturday afternoon for interviews and a live taping of one of the podcasts! 

Thank you again! 

Are You in a Denomination?

Let me tell you a little hypothetical story:

Robert and I have decided that we want to buy a house. But wait! There aren't a lot of houses around us that are in our price range, and the ones that are don't fit the criteria we need. So, we're going to build our house. Since we will be the ones building it, we will decide what goes into it. We will decide the dimensions and layout and organization.

Now, Robert and I just bought a house and therefore this story is absolutely fabricated. We won't be moving any time soon! BUT, let me ask you a question: based on that hypothetical story, how many houses do you think Robert and I are building?

You may say, well Emily, that's fairly obvious. You said you would build your house, singular.

Why then, friends, do we think that Jesus built multiple churches? He said clearly in Matt. 16:18,

"And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."

Church-singular. It-singular. The Holy Spirit guided the writers of the New Testament, and even the verb tenses matter! Even the plurality of words matter! Surely we all believe that the Holy Spirit (which is a distinctive member of the GOD-head) could clearly and concisely say what needed to be said, thus He could have recorded the words 'churches' and 'them'. Or, do we believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, minced His words? We have full confidence in the perfect nature of Jesus Christ, and in the truth of His words. Why, then, do we wrestle with denominationalism?

I recently attended a campaign in Talledega, AL in which Cliff Goodwin preached a series of lessons combating the false doctrine from the Baptist Manual. Here are a few quotes from him that I believe are worthy of meditation:

"There are so many who are so calm and so quick to say, 'Just join the church of your choice.' No. Go to the church of Christ's choice. He died for one. He died for His church." 

"Jesus has never been one among many (denominations). He has been King of kings and Lord of lords, and His church has been one."

While the singularity of the words may not be enough for some, think about what Paul wrote to the Corinthians who were struggling with a similar issue:

"For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are many contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, 'I am of Paul' or 'I am of Apollos' or 'I am of Cephas' or 'I am of Christ'. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?"            1 Cor. 1:11-13

Cliff said the following in response to these verses:

"If it were a sin 2000 years ago (and it was) for believers to align themselves under the name of an inspired apostle (Paul), how are we to believe that is it less than sinful today for people to align themselves under uninspired men such as John Calvin, Martin Luther, John Wesley (etc.)." 

Please, friends, let us all consider the church that we are a part of. Only one offers salvation. The Lord only adds us to one (Acts 2:47). And that one? It isn't the one I choose and it isn't the one you choose. It is the one that Christ died for; the one He established. Let us search the scriptures daily and make sure that we are members of the church that belongs to Christ.

Christians Should Be Joyful

Last night, my husband delivered a sermon at our home congregation about the life of David: a man after God's own heart. One of Robert's points was about joy. He made the point that, as Christians, we are to be the most joyful people on the earth. After all, we have a hope and assurance of heaven that other people (who have chosen not to be close to God) simply do not have. We have riches beyond compare (in heaven awaiting us), we have plenteous blessings on this earth, and we have been given redemption and salvation through Jesus Christ's blood. For what cause could we NOT be joyful?!

Little did I know that in less than an hours time, Robert and I would be sitting on the side of the road in my Prius after a deer flew into our car. And yes, the deer flew into our car.

Here's what happened:

After speaking at East Hill, Robert had another speaking engagement about 15 miles away. We rushed away from services so that we could have enough time to get across the county. As we rolled out of the parking lot, Robert said, "We're making good time." And we were. We had plenty of time to get to the second congregation of the evening. Well, normally we would have had plenty of time....

The last thing I remember before the loud 'thud' was Robert saying this phrase in preparation for his upcoming sermon: "God is a spirit". Then BAM. It felt like a cinder block hit our car (going 50mph). I didn't see it, but Robert said that he saw the deer (that apparently first hit another car going the opposite direction) flying at our car with its head down and its hind end/tail sticking up in the air. Like I said, the deer flew at our vehicle.

Robert had great control of the vehicle (for which I am thankful). He pulled it off to the side of the road and got out to assess the damage. I was going to get out, but my door wouldn't open. I looked out the window and saw a large chunk of plastic (from my car) sitting beside me, so I assumed it was blocking my exit. False. Robert walked around the vehicle and shook his head, and I knew that ol' Julius (my Prius) had taken quite a blow.

Turns out, the deer did quite a number on Julius. As we were examining and trying to figure out what on earth we were going to do, a couple from our congregation pulled up next to us. Thankfully they had decided to go home instead of grabbing something to eat in town. On their way home, they saw us and first thought we had a flat tire. We only wish we did! They saved the day, really, because they took Robert on to his meeting and then brought me back to the vehicle where I waited with Robert's dad while the wrecker and the police officer came. Needless to say, it was quite an ordeal, and completely unexpected (as most accidents are).

All throughout the night last night and especially today upon further reflection, I have been thinking about Robert's sermon from last night. You see, I love my car. From the moment I bought it (in 2010) I have been completely attached to it. After all, what's not to love about 50mpg? And Julius has been good to me, so you can see where I would be really sad last night as I watched him being put onto the wrecker. And I'll admit: after I climbed out of the back seat last night and laid eyes on him for the first time, my immediate reaction was to cry (though I was in such a state of shock that I really couldn't). But here's the thing: Julius is just a car. While we are without our primary vehicle from now until who knows when, it's just a car. It's an earthly possession.

I could get all bent out of the shape over the process. I could get upset and angry and depressed that a lot of our plans are now either going to be cancelled or at the very least inconvenienced. But what was it that Robert said in his sermon last night? Ah yes, Christians are to be joyful.

Joy isn't fleeting like happiness. Happiness is pretty circumstantial is it not? Robert used the illustrations last night that some people will be happy when there's sunshine and sad when there's rain; they will be happy when something good happens to them but sad when something bad happens. Christians, on the other hand, aren't supposed to be that fickle. Our joy comes from Someone who will never disappoint us and Who has promised us everything. Sure, we may "fall into various trials", but James tells us to "consider it all joy" (James 1:2).

Throughout this process I could get irritable with the insurance adjuster for not calling me back or complain that this had to happen at such an inconvenient time or be moody and depressed, but that's not how I'm supposed to handle situations like this. I'm supposed to consider it all joy, because this process can produce something very valuable: patience (James 1:3).

I love my car and I do hope that it will be ok, but I know that every good and perfect gift comes from God (James 1:17). That car isn't even mine; it's on loan from God. He has given us (me, Robert, you, everyone!) so many physical blessings and sometimes they're taken away. That doesn't mean I'm not still blessed, though, because I still have the gifts of redemption and forgiveness (gifts that will never be taken away from me should I continue to live faithfully). So my car is on a wrecker on some lot awaiting an inspection to see just how much damage was done. So I crushed my iPhone case with my Hulk-like strength as soon as I felt the deer hit our car (yes that really happened). Physical blessings can and will be taken away from us, but during those trials and situations, we have the option to choose to be joyful or choose to respond just like the rest of the world. God has called us to live differently (cf Rom.12:1-2). As a chosen generation and His own special people (1 Pet. 2:9), we must look, act, and respond differently than the world so that the world can see Who made the difference in us.

Don't be so attached to "your" stuff that you let it steal your joy when something bad happens to it. Just remember that it isn't yours and it doesn't really matter anyway.

"And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD; it shall rejoice in His salvation." Psalm 35:9

Notice that the Psalmist said his soul was joyful in the Lord, not in physical things. Let your soul be joyful in God, and when something happens to all the stuff you have (and we all have SO much stuff, don't we?) it won't deplete your joy in the slightest.



**On an unrelated note, this article was written by a preacher friend of ours, Chris Clevenger, about my wonderful husband. Please go read it! It definitely brought some joy today.

Tough Stuff Tuesday: True Love vs. Tolerance

Can you love someone too much to tell them the truth of God's word? Can you love someone so much that you accept their actions no matter what kind of soul-endangering situation they are in? Can you love someone so much that you let them think that they are "fine" when in reality, their soul is heading down a broad, destructive path toward Hell?

Tolerance is defined as "a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, etc. differ from one's own." Simply put: what you do doesn't matter to me even if I wouldn't want it for myself.

 1 Peter 4:8 tells us:

"And above all things have fervent love for one another, for 'love will cover a multitude of sins.'"

This doesn't mean that love sweeps things under the rug; that love makes wrongs right. This doesn't mean that my love for you prohibits me from telling you when you've done something wrong. Quite the opposite, really.

James 5:19-20 says:

"Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins."

When we turn our brothers and sisters (and the world!) away from their sins, we cover those sins. We have saved those people. Now, we know that it is not our blood that saves, but Jesus'. We know that it is not our power that saves, but the power of the gospel. Still, James says that if we turn someone back to the truth, we cover a multitude of sins.

It's interesting to me that the same phrase is used in both James and 1 Peter. If we put those together, we see a beautiful picture of what true love actually is: when a brother has wandered away from the truth (what God wants/expects/has commanded) and we tell them about it and encourage them to come home, we will save that person from a multitude of their sins because we loved them enough to help.

If we truly loved the world and our wayward brothers and sisters in Christ as we are commanded, we would be helping people out of their sins. We would be sharing the truth with them, because the truth is the only thing that can set them free from their sins (John 8:32). We wouldn't be allowing people to continue in their sins, all the while assuring them that God loves them anyway. No, we would be telling them that God loves them SO much that He sent Jesus to die for them so that He could wash away those sins.

Look back to the definition of tolerance. To tolerate means to have a permissive attitude. As Christians, we cannot be people who tolerate things that God has said will send people to eternal punishment! We must love every single person on this planet enough to tell them what they must do to escape wrath and condemnation. When I disagree with a certain belief or lifestyle or habit, it is never because I hate the individual who is practicing such a thing. On the contrary! It is because I love that person so much and care for their soul so much that I don't want them to perish in the eternal fire that God has promised will consume those who practice such things!

Ephesians 4:15 admonishes us to 'speak the truth in love'. Unless we are equally speaking truth and speaking it in love, we are failing the lost of this world and we are failing Jesus Christ. We will never win people over for Christ if we are not showing them the love of the Father, and we will never cover a multitude of sins if we fail to show people the error of their ways.

Today, it is my prayer that I will love people in the right way. I pray that I will love others enough to tell them that God has sent His Son for them so that they can be free from the bondage of sin, and that I will convey that truth in a way that cannot be mistaken for anything other than true love and concern.

Tough Stuff Tuesday: Deny Self

For those of you who have known me for a while, you know that my favorite drink in the entire world is Diet Coke. To me, there is nothing better than a large fountain Diet Coke from McDonald's in their styrofoam cups. I'm salivating just thinking about it. But here's the deal: it has been 42 days since my last Diet Coke. That is a HUGE deal. And let me tell you, it hasn't been easy. Those first few days were especially tough, and now it's only every now and then that I really miss them.

It's a lighthearted example, but an example of denying yourself nonetheless. I love Diet Coke, a lot, and I still wish that I could drink it, but I just don't. I don't need all of the aspartame or caffeine, and I definitely don't need to be addicted to anything other than my Savior.

In Matthew 16:24, Jesus said:

"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

I looked up the greek definitions for those words, and the word for deny (aparneomai) means "to deny utterly, to disown, abstain." When it comes to being a follower of Christ, we are going to have to deny ourselves, ie: abstain from the lusts and desires that we possess, and only crave the things that Jesus desires.

Paul told the Romans that when they were baptized, their old man died and was buried, and they were raised a completely new person (Rom. 6:3-4). They weren't to continue in sin after they had been washed, because that wasn't what grace was about (v.1-2). As Cliff Goodwin said recently, "Jesus never came to save people in their sins; He came to save them from their sins."

When we were baptized, we were crucified with Christ. When we were raised, we gave up living to ourselves. Instead, our old person died, and now we are living as Christ (Gal. 2:20). I'm afraid that Christians have become pretty prideful, thinking we know more about how Jesus would live than the Holy Spirit. After all, the Holy Spirit has revealed the will of God to us, and has shown us exactly how we can live as Christ. Sadly, we ignore what the Spirit has said and decide for ourselves how to live.

But that isn't what the word deny means. When we become followers of Jesus, we give up self. Period. Just because I think it would be nice if all people were in heaven--regardless of how much sin they have allowed in their life-- doesn't mean that's the way Jesus meant it. Jesus said that the way would be narrow--which seems to suggest that there are going to be some guidelines as to who will be in heaven and who will not (Matt. 7:13-14, Luke 13:24).

I may think that all people who simply ask Jesus into their hearts should be saved, but Jesus said that it would be those who believed and were baptized that would be saved (Mark 16:16).

I may think that drinking and partying and getting drunk takes the edge off, and participating in such a trivial matter won't jeopardize my soul, but the Bible shows us otherwise (1 Cor. 6:10).

I may think that God doesn't care who I marry, even if that person is of the same sex, because God loves all people and wants all people to be happy, but God's inspired Word has told us otherwise (1 Cor. 6:9-10, 1 Tim. 1:10).

Regardless of what I think, I am not God. I do not get to decide what is good and true. I do not get to judge who does or does not get to go to heaven. What I do know is that God wants all men to be saved and to live with Him in heaven (1 Tim. 2:4). However, for any of us to be candidates for salvation, we must submit to the terms God has put in place. We aren't the ones offering salvation, so we don't get to decide the terms. Instead, we get to deny ourselves and put on Christ. Once we have put on Christ (through baptism--Gal 3:27), we go back to what Galatians 2:20 says,

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

If I weren't a Christian, I probably wouldn't guard my tongue as closely as I do. I would probably gossip more, and lie to get myself out of trouble. If I weren't a Christian, I probably wouldn't wake up early on Sundays. If I weren't a Christian, I would probably wear immodest clothing--because it's hot in Tennessee in the summertime! If I weren't a Christian, I would probably go off on people who make me angry, because they deserve to be treated the way they treat me.

However, because I am a Christian, I must respond how Jesus would respond. I must say things that Jesus would say. And, I must do the things that Jesus has said. I have to abstain from my fleshly, worldly desires because I am His. And, if your struggle is anger--you have to control it because you are now living as Christ. If your struggle is using profanity--you have to control it because you are speaking as Christ. If your struggle is with pornography--you have to abstain because you are now Christ's. If your struggle is with homosexuality--you have to abstain because God has said that is unacceptable.

We all struggle. We are all sinners. But if we are going to be true followers of Christ, we must all deny ourselves--of whatever ungodly desire it is that Satan has set before us. My struggle may be different than yours, but that doesn't give me the right to judge you. Your struggle may be different than mine, but that doesn't give you the right to give in to yours and claim that God wants you to do whatever you want. Jesus Christ told us, from His very lips, that we are to deny ourselves. For some, it may be easier. For some, the struggle may be much harder. But we know that God does not put on us more than we can bear (1 Cor. 10:13).

Denying yourself is hard, though. So we need patience and understanding and love from our brothers and sisters whose struggles are different than our own. But, we must not be so prideful to think that because our struggle is different or becoming more widely accepted that God will allow us to continue in sin. All Christians are required to deny self. All Christians are required to live as Christ.

It is my prayer that I will be more empathetic and loving toward those with different, sometimes harder struggles than my own, and that I will not be so prideful to think that I know better than God what constitutes as sin and what does not. Perhaps we can all pray this prayer together.

Who Do You Follow?

Last week, one of my best friends (and a fellow preacher's wife) wrote a post about the types of things we call entertainment. If you haven't checked it out, you can do so here. In that post, she challenged me to take a closer look at the things I watch and listen to and call entertainment. Are those things that would please my God? Are those things that I would feel comfortable watching/listening to with Jesus? Sadly, some of my answers were no. 

The more I got to thinking about it, though, the more I realized that it wasn't just the things I watched; it was where my heart was. Immediately, I found myself battling callouses that had formed on my heart. This is an area where I truly struggle, and I hope that you will help me on this journey of bettering myself and calling attention to Christians who are looking too much like the world.

For those of you who are tech-savvy enough to follow my blog (or at least find it on Facebook), I'm sure you're aware of what Twitter is. For those of you who are not so familiar, it's basically like Facebook---except you can only post 140 character status updates--aka tweets.

One of the reasons Twitter has become so popular is because you can 'follow' your favorite sports teams, athletes, actors, comedians, TV shows, news stations, and friends. There are a ton of celebrities on the site, and following their updates makes you feel like you know them on a personal level.

After reading Emily's post, I went to my Twitter to see who I 'followed'. Knowing my heart had been so hardened by the world, it was no surprise to me that I was following openly gay/lesbian actors/comedians, actors who openly ridicule Christianity/Jesus, and people who use coarse, crude language. Once again, I disappointed myself. How had I let myself start looking so much like the world?

Jesus spoke often about people following Him. I'd like to notice just a few passages to help us refocus our lives on Him.

First, let's look at Matthew 16:24.

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.'"

In order to be true followers of Jesus, we have to deny ourselves. Living a Christian life is not an easy thing; it requires a considerable amount of self-control and self-denial. When I choose to be buried in baptism with my Lord, I give up self (Rom. 6, Gal. 2:20). My wants and my desires become secondary to that which my Lord requires. Why, then, do we constantly indulge ourselves with crude humor and tolerance of all kinds of things that God deems abominations? Being a true follower of Jesus means walking in His steps. Consider the people you "follow" and ask yourself if they are walking in His steps? If they are not, why are you following them? Are they not leading you away from Him?

Next, let's notice Matthew 10:37-39

"He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it."

Jesus tells us that when we put others (even others we are supposed to love) above Him, we are wrong. How much more wrong are we when we put things we are NOT supposed to love ahead of Him? How is it even remotely ok for me to endorse a TV show more than I endorse my Lord? When I promote certain agendas or certain shows known for affairs, homosexuality and the like, how am I promoting my Lord? How am I showing that I put following Jesus ahead of following those things?

Now, look with me at Matthew 19:21. In this passage, Jesus is speaking to the man we commonly call the rich young ruler.

"Jesus said to him, 'If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.' But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions."

While there are numerous applications that can be made about material possessions, think about the young man's response especially. He was sorrowful because he considered the things he had and the things he liked to be more valuable than following after Jesus. Is that sometimes how we feel regarding the TV shows and movies we like?  I have too much invested (maybe six seasons?) to turn away now. Giving myself wholly to Jesus is too much to ask; it would make me too sad to stop watching that show now.

Finally, I want to look at what is to me the most eye-opening passage of all, John 8:12.

"Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.'"

In order to follow Jesus, we have to get out of the darkness. As intelligent human beings, we know that light and darkness cannot exist in the same space. Why, then, do we think we can follow after Jesus (walk in the light) and hold onto worldly things (darkness) at the same time? The two cannot exist together.

We cannot keep "following" people who use profanity and vulgar language, promote or engage openly in homosexuality or extra-marital sexual activity, and mock the Lord's name/cause, and continue calling ourselves "followers" of Jesus. We are either following Him and forsaking all that would hinder our walk, or we are following after Satan. Romans 6:16-18 tells us that we are either slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness, but it is either one or the other, never both.

Today, choose the one that you will follow. I pray that we will not continue following after those whose ways lead to destruction, but will instead choose the narrow path that Jesus trod.

Think Before You Pin

I love Pinterest. At least once every two weeks, I am whipping up some recipe for Robert that I've found through the popular website (the pizza cupcakes were the biggest hit, though I love the greek yogurt cake). If you aren't on Pinterest, you're definitely missing out. You can find everything from recipes to workout tips to movie quotes to decorating tips to photography to weddings to kids' birthday themes and every single thing in between. It's magical.

Unfortunately, the website makes it so easy to "repin" things, that I think we sometimes fail to think through what we're repinning. I love looking through recipes, getting tips for organizing my house, looking at pictures of places I've visited around the globe, and even motivational quotes for running. There is some amazing stuff out there, all gathered together on this lovely little website for my convenience.

But with the good comes the bad.

Every single day that I'm on Pinterest it seems that my friends are repinning skimpy outfits or girls working out with nearly nothing on or pictures of actors with the captions "mmm!" or "lustworthy" underneath. Every time I see one of these things, I have to double check who has pinned it, because it can't be that person I went to Freed with, or it can't be that member of Christ's body. They wouldn't be doing that--they wouldn't like those things.

But, sometimes we just get in a hurry and we don't think about the negatives. We think that something as harmless as Pinterest can't be affecting our influence. After all, we're simply pinning funny quotes or pictures of actors and TV shows we like. What's the big deal?

Philippians 4:8 says,

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things."

I don't know about you, but when I'm "pinning" things, I'm generally meditating on them. I'm salivating over some dessert, I'm thinking of ways to implement a certain technique in my workout, I'm daydreaming of standing beneath the Eiffel Tower with my best friend. I DON'T want to be meditating on lust, on immodesty, on profanity, and the like. I definitely DON'T want people to think I condone such things. And please, don't get me started on the disrespect we're showing our husbands and future husbands by objectifying men and lusting over them. I would HATE for Robert to be looking through things I've pinned and find a board labeled "mmm!" with pictures of barely clothed, attractive men. What I'd hate MORE than that is finding a file on his computer titled "mmm!" with pictures of attractive women in it. That would make me feel terrible, insecure, unwanted, and just not good enough. Why would I ever want to invoke those same feelings on him? He's my husband! I'm supposed to make him feel safe (Prov. 31:11).

I have a hard time with this--especially on Pinterest where it's so easy to just save it to my board, but I'm doing my best to condition myself to "abhor what is evil; cling to what is good" (Rom. 12:9).

Please, sisters, help me out with this. Let's all take a Pinterest inventory and an inventory of our hearts, and make sure they're reflecting the same things. And if we see something on our boards that God doesn't want in our hearts, let's be willing to change.

Tough Stuff Tuesday: Are We Not Ashamed?

It has been entirely too long since I've posted, and for that I am incredibly sorry. I haven't made this a priority as I should, but I am vowing to change that inasmuch as I can help it.

There has been a topic on my mind for a few weeks, and a couple of nights ago I had a dream about it...sort of. You see, I dreamed that I was asked why I hadn't blogged about such an important topic. When I woke up, I was like...uh, I guess I should post something about this?? So here I am, posting about a topic that has even invaded my subconscious.

I'm sure you've heard these two words recently: Magic Mike.

Normally, I would just leave a worldly movie alone. After all, we would have to leave this world to escape worldliness and perversion. Unfortunately, we live in a Satan-dominted world, and there are people who are sex-crazed and selfish and want their desires fulfilled on the big screen. So normally, I'd just say, "Well, I definitely won't go see it" and that's that. I don't think about it again.

But this movie...it has become a phenomenon. I have seen status after status after status about "Magic Mike" and pin after pin after pin about Channing Tatum (actor from Magic Mike--and yes, I am addicted to pinterest). The thing is, these pins and these statuses aren't from worldly people. These statuses (or Facebook tags that show me that you're actually sitting at the movie theater) are from "Christians", and I'm sorry, but I really have to use the word in quotes.

I have no desire to even google this movie, but I did find some stats on screenit.com. First and foremost, the movie is rated R, and shouldn't we all just purpose in our hearts not to see R-rated movies? But, if you get past that, please look at some of these sobering reports:

Alcohol/drugs--extreme
Imitative behavior--extreme
Inappropriate music--extreme
Profanity--extreme
Sex/Nudity--extreme

And those are just the "extreme" aka can't get any worse than this categories. Now, personally I've seen enough. Why on EARTH would I want to see this movie? I wouldn't even want to be talking favorably about the movie even if I had no intention of going. It looks disgusting. It sounds completely inappropriate for any sanctified individual, and yet, we have people who are struggling with the temptation of getting involved with this worldly, sensual movie.

Let's move to the Bible. Jeremiah 6 has some pretty sobering words; sentiments that sound an awful lot like he's talking to people today. Take a look at what Jeremiah says:

"Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely. They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, saying 'peace, peace!' when there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed; nor did they know how to blush." (13-15)

If we even think about the movie Magic Mike, we should be blushing. We should be ashamed to post things about it or be tagged in photos or statuses about it. We should be ashamed to be associated in any way with such a vile, perverted movie. It's a movie about male strippers, after all! And don't even get me started on the hypocrisy of it all....

But think soberly about what Jeremiah said. These people were not ashamed when they committed abomination. They didn't blush when it came to sin. They were calloused. Their hearts were hardened. Sadly, that is what our country has come to.

Jesus' words still ring true: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matt. 5:8)

That is such a positive statement, but wouldn't the negative be true. Those who are not pure in heart are not blessed; they shall not see God. That is a scary, scary thought. The only goal we should have should be to get to heaven. If we miss heaven, we miss it all! How sad to put some worldly, fleshly movie above our desire to go to heaven.

I am in no way perfect. I have worldly things that I, unfortunately, place before God at times. It is my desire and my prayer that we will all put whatever it is that is getting in our way behind us, and focus solely on being pure and seeing God one day.

There are so many other topics, and I will have to continue them another day. Until then, pray for all of the Christians out there who may be tempted to give in to worldly pressure and fleshly desires.

*Also, after writing this, I found a few more interesting articles about this. I really enjoyed this one, though I don't agree with everything that is said. It's a very good, thought-provoking article for Christian women/wives: read it here. Cindy Colley also wrote a post with some very powerful Scriptures listed. You can read that one here.

Tough Stuff Tuesday: Abortion

Last week I attended a lectureship entitled "In God We Trust". Throughout the week, I heard powerful lessons about the state of our nation and how Christians should act in our present time. One lesson in particular hit home--but probably in a different way than the speaker intended.

He was talking about the Declaration of Independence, and how our nation was in fact founded on Christian beliefs. He went through different phrases of the Declaration and picked out words such as "Creator" and "God" and "Divine Providence". However, I was stuck on one sentence in particular. I'd like to share it with you now:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

Immediately, I thought of the state of our nation. The way groups such as the Freedom from Religion Foundation are fighting to take God out of every single part of our public lives. The way television promotes atheism and mocks God. The way our homes are destroyed by divorce and same-sex relationships. And especially the way our nation is plagued with an infanticide problem.

When you think about abortion, what do you think about? I think about all of the women's rights group that tell us that women have a right to "choose" the kind of life they want to live. Well I completely agree. I agree that women, like men, should be able to choose for themselves the kinds of lives they want. However, when you CHOOSE to have sexual relations outside of marriage, you're kind of choosing to deal with the consequences, aren't you? When you go to the doctor only to find out that you have contracted a sexually transmitted disease, do you get to tell the doctor that you CHOOSE to not have that? No. You made the choice when you chose to participate in such activities. How then do we, as a nation, sit idly by when people kill their unborn babies?? Yes, you have a right to choose. You have a right to choose not to go to bed with someone that isn't your spouse.

It is no wonder that our society is engaged in so many 'instant gratification' crimes. If we allow people to 'get rid of' the consequences of their actions when it comes to the life or death of their baby, why are we surprised when people kill other human beings because that person tried to stand in their way when they wanted to take something out of the other person's home? Why are we surprised that there are so many DUIs and people killed by drunk drivers? Do they not have the right to choose not to accept the consequences of their actions, or are women the only ones who get to escape the consequences?

OUR DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE states that we are CREATED. We have a CREATOR. That same CREATOR gave us rights that cannot be taken away--rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Tell me, which of those rights are the unborn babies getting? Oh that's right--none of them.

We snuff out that innocent child's life and subsequently take away their chance of liberty from their mother's womb and their right to pursue happiness. Our nation has decided that we are the ones who give the rights of life, liberty and happiness. WE are the ones. You see the problem with that? When our nation was started, our founders acknowledged that it was GOD who gave those rights. Today, our nation needs to realize that yet again. Because if we acknowledged that God was the one who gave those rights, there's no way we'd think that we could be the ones to take them away.

There are so many inconsistencies in our country, but why are we surprised? Nearly every day I see statuses and statements about our country and how evil it is. I see the statements of alarm and surprise and shock. But why? Why are we shocked that a nation that has abandoned God is practicing evil deeds? The Bible tells us over and over again that Christians are to be different than the world. America is the world. America is the culture we are to be opposing and keeping out of our churches and our hearts. Don't be surprised that people who are without Christ are acting so foolishly. It is our job to teach them. The Christians at Corinth weren't always Christians. We know that some of them were homosexuals, adulterers, fornicators and the like before they were washed with the blood of Jesus. Christians are sent to change the world, not stand by in awe that the world can be such an ugly place. A world without God IS ugly, and we're seeing that first hand. Now what are we doing to change that?

America needs God. The world needs God. If America and the world are going to be helped, God is the answer. Christians must stand up and take His message to those lost and dying people, otherwise nothing will ever change.

Tough Stuff Tuesday: Prejudice

Last week we talked about homosexuality and our response to it. If you missed it, you can check it out here. This week, as a sort of follow up, I think we need to examine a problem...a problem with our hearts.

We know that God shows no partiality (Rom. 2:11). Why then do we, as Christians, show partiality and prejudice toward certain sins? I am by no means saying that we should ever accept sin in our lives or the lives of other people claiming to be God's children. We should never revel in the fact that we have sin in our lives, but should instead confess that we have sin (1 John 1:9) and do as Jesus commanded the woman caught in adultery, "Go and sin no more" (John 8:11). We should, however, treat all sin the same: as something that separates us from God. No sin should be classified as better or worse than another.

We should hate all sin. We cannot love God and love [practicing] sin, too (Mt. 6:24). To be a true child of God's, we have to constantly try to abstain from sin and keep ourselves unspotted from the world (James 1:27). Just because we know that Jesus' blood cleanses us, does that mean we should keep on sinning? I think Paul covered that pretty well in Romans 6. When we put on our Savior in baptism, we die to our previous sins and no longer live in them (v 2). That goes for all sin.

A lot of Christians want to bash the sin of homosexuality. How consistent is that, when some of our favorite TV shows portray womanizers, adulterers, fornicators, murderers, and the like? We want to bash the sins that we don't struggle with, yet when it comes to something like breaking the speeding laws or illegally downloading music, we want to look the other way. Christians, it shouldn't be this way!

Is it ok to be partial to certain sins and consider them 'lesser sins' simply because everyone is involved with them? We know the answer is no. If we are truly trying to walk in the light as He is in the light, we are going to put off all kinds of sins. The 'little stuff' and the 'big stuff'. The 'hard stuff' and the 'easy stuff'. If we want to get to heaven, we have to stop making the sins in our own lives small and blowing the sins of others out of proportion. Jesus condemns such actions (Mt. 7:3-5).

I think it's a heart problem, and one that I struggle with on a regular basis. Our hearts are filled with prejudice. We are all different and no doubt have different prejudices. Some of us may be prejudiced toward certain types of individuals, others toward certain types of sins--the possibilities are endless. As God's people, we need to rid our lives and our hearts of prejudice. We need to see people as souls, regardless of their circumstances or the sins that they are caught up in at the time.

If we try to reach out to those who have not known the gospel and power of Christ, yet only try to reach those who appear 'pretty clean' already, we're wrong. I struggled with that sentence as I was writing, wanting to fluff up the ending and make it sound less harsh, but there really aren't any other words that fit. When we pick and choose who should and should not receive the gospel, we are wrong. ALL have sinned, ALL need the gospel. Take a look at the list in 1 Cor. 6:9-10 and see the types of sins the Christians at Corinth were caught up in before they were washed. We cannot keep the gospel from people because they are homosexual. We cannot keep the gospel from people because they are murderers. We cannot keep the gospel from our friends that are 'pretty good people', because they need the gospel too.

In 1 Cor. 6:11 Paul says "and such were some of you." When you put on Jesus in baptism, you give up the life you were leading. You turn and walk a completely new way. Some of those people WERE homosexuals, but they were washed and when they were, that had to stop practicing homosexuality. Some of those people WERE adulterers, but they had to stop acting out sexually when they put on Christ. The list goes on and on. When you are washed, you have to abstain from sin. Any sin. All sin. Just because the sin appears small in your own eyes doesn't mean it's okay to keep practicing.

We have to stop being prejudiced in the church. We have to stop glorifying certain types of sins and treating some like they're the plague. No sin is so great that Jesus' blood cannot cleanse it, and no sin is so insignificant that it does not need Jesus' blood to wash it away.

This week, pray that your heart will be free from prejudice. When it is, I'm sure that doors of opportunity will be opened so that you can help someone see Jesus that maybe wouldn't have seen Him in you before.

Tough Stuff Tuesday: Sinful Lifestyles

I suppose that nothing should shock me anymore. We live in a world where sin runs rampant. People aren't ashamed of their sinful behavior, but instead flaunt and make excuses for it. One such instance has made its way to the campus of my alma mater, Freed-Hardeman University.  A group of students and alumni have created a blog that features their stories--stories of the struggle of homosexuality, and the issues they have encountered throughout their lives. The thing is, the fact that this was published isn't the only thing that shocks me about the situation. I have seen multiple tweets directed at this group of people, by "Christians" that are some of the rudest things I've ever seen. Given, I have seen many positive and loving comments as well, but I am appalled that people claiming to live as Christ lived would react in such a hateful way.

 I am not here to condemn anyone, nor am I here to express my opinion. Instead, I want to look at the Bible, and focus on how Christians should respond to people who are practicing/struggling with homosexuality. I know that the overwhelming majority of people who view my blog are not homosexual nor do they have that struggle, which is why I think it's so important to focus on how we should treat these people--these brothers and sisters of ours. First, though, I will express some Biblical viewpoints on the subject of homosexuality, because I think that's an important starting point.

Let's ask a question first: Does God love homosexuals? We all know that the answer is yes. A harder question: Should Christians love homosexuals? That answer again should be yes. The problem is, some "Christians" don't. Some people bash the sin of homosexuality AND the sinner, instead of reaching out to the lost like we are commanded to do. Don't get me wrong, though; I do not agree with the lifestyle of homosexuality because the Bible does not (1 Cor. 6:9-10). However, I don't agree with any sin at any time under any circumstances, because the Bible does not.

Here's the thing, though; I'm a sinner. All of my life I have been a sinner. I will continue, throughout my time on earth, to struggle with sin. I am thankful every single day that the blood of Jesus has cleansed me and continues to do so when I fail.

But here's another question for you: does the blood of Jesus cover all sins? Yes and no. Can it? Yes. Does it always? No. Why? Because only the sins that we repent of are the ones that will be forgiven. Does Jesus want all of our sins to be forgiven? Absolutely. That's exactly why He died for you and for me. Does His blood have the ability to cleanse any and every sin imaginable? Yes. But, will those sins be forgiven if I do nothing about the sin in my life? No.

Hebrews 6:4-6 says this:

"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to open shame."

When you become a Christian, your sins are washed away. When you continue to live in sin, though, you are crucifying Jesus again. When Christians, who have tasted salvation and freedom from sin, decide to continue (defiantly, might I add) living in that sin, they are worse off than they were when they simply lived a sinful life (2 Pet. 2:21). Now, what kinds of sins are washed away when we become Christians? All sins, even the ones listed in 1 Cor. 6:9-10 (look it up: yes, homosexuality is included in sins that can be forgiven). Because you see, in verse 11, the apostle Paul writes these words:

"And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God."

There were people living with the temptation of homosexuality in the first century. There were people practicing homosexuality in the first century. But those people, upon hearing the Word of God and submitting to it, put off homosexuality and repented of it, and their sins were washed away.

After stating these words, Paul goes on and says the following: "the body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord (v.12)", "flee sexual immorality (v.18)". How then can we say that it is ok to practice homosexuality? Unless we pervert the gospel of Christ, we cannot.

Now here's the part I think a lot of Christians miss: It is not a sin to be tempted. Jesus was tempted by Satan and yet we know the Jesus was sinless. It is not sinful to be tempted with homosexual feelings, and yet, how often do Christians condemn, look down on, and shun people who struggle with this sin? Most adolescents struggle with sexual temptations of some sort, be that the temptation to have premarital heterosexual relations or premarital homosexual relations. It becomes shameful and sinful when we dwell on it and act on those temptations and urges. But you see, I'm not calling out homosexuals here. I'm saying that it is sinful and shameful to act on ANY temptations of the sexual variety before marriage, because marriage is the only place God has sanctioned such actions. We should be telling all people (straight and homosexual) to guard their hearts and their bodies, not only bashing those with homosexual feelings. It is just as wrong to act on heterosexual feelings before marriage (something we don't get up in arms about nearly enough!). For homosexuals, though, the struggle may be a bit more severe, because God did not sanction marriage between men and men, women and women. God says marriage is one man and one woman, so if you struggle with feelings of homosexuality, that will be a struggle you have to overcome throughout your lifetime. Now sure, heterosexuals also struggle with reigning in their temptations even after they get married (that's why adultery is also prevalent in our society, and mentioned numerous times in the Bible), but at least there is the option for marriage and the subsequent sexual freedom therein. For homosexuals, no such thing exists.

I say all of that to say this: all sexual impurity outside of God-ordained marriage is wrong. All sin is created equal. However, homosexuals don't have a license to excuse themselves from what Scripture clearly states. Too often, I see homosexuals who want to "have a voice" and "be heard" and "be accepted for who they really are". I cannot and will not be tolerant of something that God is not tolerant of.

A lot of "Christians" stop there. They say, "Amen! I will not be tolerant of such things!" To you I say, keep reading.

Am I to still love homosexuals? Yes. Will I SHOW that love, not just claim it? Yes. Will I welcome them to study God's word and come to a true understanding of what He requires of them? Absolutely. Will I welcome them into the assembly and worship side by side with them? Yes, so long as they are not practicing homosexuality and living in a way that God says we cannot. Will I shun them when they express their struggles, even though they want to do right? Absolutely not. Will I be empathetic, since I myself struggle with sin on a daily basis? Yes. Will I even be sympathetic to the celibate lifestyle they will have to lead the rest of their lives and the constant struggles they will go through? Yes. Will I tolerate, accept, and promote their agendas? No.

Would we EVER think it was okay for a group of single Christians to start a blog/website/twitter account about why they should be accepted even though they regularly practice sexual immorality by having premarital sex with the opposite gender? No. Because it ISN'T ABOUT THE GENDER. It's about being sexually immoral. It's about doing things that God says are out of bounds. We wouldn't accept what they do, even though they struggle with it, because we know how God feels about it. Yes, we know that God loves them. Yes, we would tell them so. We would also tell them that they need to repent, and abstain from that lifestyle, otherwise they aren't in a right relationship with God and ultimately their salvation is in jeopardy. And shouldn't that be what we, as faithful Christians want for them: to be in a right relationship with God??

As Christians, we need to stop being biased toward homosexuals. Please stop and reread that sentence. We have to stop being biased toward one kind of sin. We need to tell the world that we think ALL sexual immorality is sinful. We think premarital sex is a sin. We think adultery is a sin. We think practicing homosexuality is a sin. We think rape is a sin. We think beastiality is a sin. And then, as a whole, we need to STOP PRACTICING and TOLERATING THESE THINGS. At the same time, though, we need to all start helping and encouraging people, not pushing them out of the church. The church isn't just a place for those who have been washed to come and gather, it is a place for those who are still sin-stained to come and get cleaned.

I love God with all of my heart. I know that I fail Him day in and day out. It is my hope and my prayer that I am not failing Him by writing this post. I want to love all of the people He loves. I want to help all of the people Jesus would have helped. However, I don't want to excuse someone or something that God wouldn't excuse, because that isn't doing anyone any favors, and it's putting my salvation at risk also.

*Also, I know that I'm late on this one, but with such a sensitive topic, I wanted to be sure the post was 100% ready.