Only In Christ is Self Conquered

The more I hear on the "news", the more I read articles of the happenings in our country, I am just shocked...totally shocked. What has happened?

The president said he will move forward "with or without Congress." Where is the balance of powers that our constitution states will protect us from tyranny?

The Common Core curriculum that is now being used in many of our states uses books that glorify  pedophilia, rape, and incest. Textbooks are rewriting history. (Yes, I am stating facts...please reasearch for your own understanding.)

Our e-mails are being read, our cell phone conversations logged, and drones are flying overhead.

Abortion is legal, but you are not allowed to keep a bald eagle's feather that floats to the ground.

Our healthcare is now being taken over by the government.

We are losing our right to voice our opinion, our right to the truth, our right to privacy, and our right over our own bodies.

And it began when Christ was pushed out the door.

Every religion has its rules, Christianity included. We are not to steal, lie, cheat, commit adultery, etc. But only one faith requires absolutely nothing to be included. The Christian Faith comes with no strings attached.

You see, we were born sinful, we are not good. In fact there is not a shred of goodness in us. Man's natural inclination is to climb the ladder of goodness to be noticed. By following the rules of any faith, we can then feel we have accomplished something, we are "good." Wrong...it all points to self. You may say you know alot of "good," maybe even "outstanding" people. What motivates their goodness? Self. We identify with goodness, we "do" things right and upstanding. But sooner or later, self shows itself....evil will rare its head.

Jesus knew this. He loved us so much that He sacrificed Himself for all the evil in the world. You see, sin is simply that which separates us from God. Jesus died for all that sin, so that we might have a relationship with the most High God.

GRACE. That is grace. For now we can know God, know He is in control and only wants the best for us. Only God can have absolute power for our absolute benefit.  Our actions now transfer from self to God. "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (I Cor. 10:31) We do good for His glory, not ours. We don't follow the rules to gain love , we are loved first then delight in living as He would have us.

Without God, society cannot function in the best interest of the people. Self reigns. Man's "self-goodness" can only be held in check for so long. Without God, power is a hunger. Satan promotes this readily for he is the father of all lies. Power will get you somewhere, it will elevate you. Satan tried this and was thrown from heaven. He now is on a conquest to take as many as he can with him.

Our forefathers crafted an amazing constitution. They also knew that it would not succeed without God. Upon reaching a perilous deadlock, Ben Franklin spoke, "And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, that "except the Lord build the House they labour in vain that build it."

Yes, I am shocked. But my shock has understanding. Without Jesus, all evil is possible.Without Jesus, it is not possible for the powers that be to "have the best interests of the people." Even the great benefits of capitalism cannot flourish without Christ. "Money is the root of all kinds of evil." (I Timothy 6:10) You can follow the money trail in the many endeavors of our country.

In Christ we can rest. We may not understand, we may feel disillusioned, frustrated, angry. But may we have a heart for our neighbor and pray that God's love and grace be felt by them. Only then, does self begin to melt away....to His glory.

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31 ....take a moment and read through vs. 39 ♥

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. Proverbs 3:5-7

I have learned that only in Christ will my selfish actions be put to rest.

The Good Ole' Days

Progress....this word, for the most part, is seen in a positive light.

Progress: the forward movement toward a goal. There must be progress in one's life to grow and learn. It is progress to mature from a child to an adult. It is progress to better the world for the common good, i.e. technology has enabled us to warn the masses in danger of a tornado, modes of transportation have become more quicker and more efficient, the refrigerator provides an environment to prevent food spoilage, and the list goes on.

But is all progress good? For the sake of a simple blog entry, I cannot do justice to this topic, but may it cause you to think about what is going on around you, and spurn you to make choices that are not good for only you, but those around you.

Due to the busyness of life (and there is a difference between being busy and having a full day) we crave instant gratification....we want to know "now," we don't have time to wait. Enter all the media devices. We now can watch anything at any time, communicate with anyone, anytime, and have the world's knowledge at our fingertips. Our physical beings are never at rest. Obesity rates have soared and depression meds fly off the shelves. Social media is now a relationship. Much progress has been made with the computer chip...but it hasn't stopped....the speed of change is becoming incomprehensible. We are hurtling with it....

In seeking to provide bumper crops, herbicides and pesticides are abundantly used. Genetically Modified Organisms are now in plenty. (The general principle of producing a GMO is to alter the genetic material of an organism's genome in order to make life easier for humans, i.e. increasing the nutritional value of a food, or alter it so a pest can't destroy the crop.) As a consumer, many of us don't even realize what is going in our mouths when we sit down at the dinner table. Herbicides and pesticides are poisons...designed to kill. GMO's alter the DNA of said organism. Does this make sense? A person is what they eat. I am ingesting a poison (designed to kill) and a substance with an altered DNA....what does this do to my body? Simple common sense causes me to halt.

Vaccines are purported to have made giant strides in eradicating disease in our world. I recently began researching the flu vaccine (simply because it is starting to make headlines, and I have never thought I needed one) and I have been shocked. I think most of us blindly accept "the shot" as a good thing. Take some time and read the insert found in the vaccine (this can be found on the internet). Again, poisons and toxins (along with the vaccine) are being injected into our bodies without our knowledge. Our children are being inundated with vaccines. In 1983, ten vaccines were required before age 6; today 30 are. Autism rates were 1 in 10,000 in 1983, they are now 1 in 50. When my youngest was born, (1993) vaccines at birth were just being introduced. I simply told the nurse I did not want that. It did not make sense to inject my newborn with a vaccine. We may have curbed disease, but at what cost? Our immune systems are paying the price. (A vaccine causes the immune system to react differently than if a person were to be sick.) Auto-immune diseases have soared.

Scientists applaud the progress made in food and medicine. I don't mean to diminish their efforts. But we must take a step back and evaluate what really is progress: we are moving forward to.....what?

My mom grew up going to country school (where education was lighting a fire, not filling a bucket), lived on a farm, had the mumps, measles, and chickenpox, food was grown in the garden and the chicken coop, and entertainment consisted of outdoor play.

Today, schools are "progressing" toward the cookie-cutter kid (simply filling the bucket), the farm is "redneck", being sick is bad for you, many foods are chemicals we pick off a shelf, and the big screen TV and smart phone are the "in" things.

I am not one to have wishful thinking of the "good ole' days" for they had their problems too. Life was not a bed of roses. But is it possible to embrace some of the wholesome living from those days? We are not God, and we don't live in a fairy-tale world, thus we simply need to take a step back and not take progress at face value, but educate ourselves. Progress should not simply make life easier or create more of something....but create a better life holistically for all.....what seems good today, may not be  tomorrow.

Don't get me wrong. Progress is necessary and good in life. But it is not all as it seems. When we blindly accept the changes as they come, and not evaluate the end goal, we fail to be responsible to one's self thus giving that control to another.

I did  not comment on these "progressive" topics; but just had to share this cartoon. Blind acceptance?

The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty. Prov. 27:12

Progress....I am learning its successes and dangers.

A New Year

We all desire the chance to start over, begin anew. For many, the new year is a time to do that. I post this on January 1st, but any day is a good day to embark on the journey of change.

A few thoughts:

*Begin with yourself. And only yourself.

"God grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know it's me." ~author unknown (a thought-provoking adaptation to the Serenity Prayer)

*Change is intentional; cultivate proper thinking and proper action (and results) will take place.

A recipe calls for certain ingredients (and a specific method) to produce an end result. Life works much the same.....

 * Keep your eyes fixed on the Author and Finisher of your faith, Jesus.

"...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Phil. 1:6

In the end, no one  knows you better than Jesus. He knows your desires and what needs to be changed. He is always working, molding you into His image. You will know no greater Advocate, or greater Love.



God supplies the ingredients....and the method; look to Him. It is really quite simple. All we need is Him...nothing else.....to change for the better.

I have learned change starts with Jesus.