Blog Challenge

Over the next few weeks, I am going to be writing some pretty interesting stuff. My challenge to you all is that you get the information to as many people as possible. I realize that I am just a girl that you probably don't know, but what I have to say is important--truly it's the difference between life and death--eternally. So again the challenge is for you to read it, if you agree, repost it, +1 it, Share on Facebook, whatever...
Then comment, if you want,  let me know you shared it...

It's time to stand up against hatred!

Tonight is a night of reflection...a night to think about the past and how hatred isn't dead! Not even 10 miles from my home, the "KKK" is meeting tomorrow night to have a membership drive and cross burning. This is very disappointing as it makes one realize that hatred based on religion, skin color, sexual orientation isn't dead!
The difference between the Nazis and the KKK is that the Nazi's didn't hide behind sheets because they were cowards. Instead the Nazis were too scared to stand up to their leader...
It is TIME that WE, all of us, stand up against the stupidity that is intolerance called the KKK!

How Dare We...continue to live in the sin of silence!

I am writing this message, not only to my readers, but also to myself. I am tired of living a life of silence about my faith in Jesus! Did you know our silence is a sin? We, as Christians are commanded to “GO!” and make from the nations disciples who will in turn tell others of Jesus and make disciples of them? So if we don’t go, tell and make disciples, then we are in complete disobedience to the “great commission.” 

For us to remain silent is to remain in sin, to literally disobey God’s word and command! In 2 Corinthians 5:20, we, believers are called Ambassadors for Christ. So what exactly is an ambassador? According to Evangelism is...it is 1) a diplomatic official of the highest rank appointed and accredited as representative in residence by one government or sovereign to another; 2) A diplomatic official heading his or her country’s permanent mission to certain international organizations such as the United Nations; 3)an authorized messenger or representative.

We are AMBASSADORS for CHRIST. We have experienced new life offered by forgiveness of our sins. We must NOT keep it to ourselves. To tell others of our salvation and forgiveness is our obligation and permanent mission. As ambassadors for Christ, we are the representative in residence from the Kingdom of Light to the Kingdom of Darkness. How dare we keep quiet! 

A Holy and Just God = a Holy and Just judgement

Someday, everyone will stand before a holy and just God, and the only sound will be a resounding “oops!” Within every society in the Bible, God brought judgement to those who disobeyed His words. 

God destroyed the entire cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of their sin, and the refusing to turn from their ways. Their wickedness was homosexuality. In Genesis 19: 4-8. God would later destroy this city. 

Matthew 12:36 states that “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.” Jesus goes on to state: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Revelation 3:15-16. 

So I’d rather be under the protection and the permanent provision of support that is available to all men and women, through Jesus Christ. I’d rather speak out against evil, than to hear Jesus say “You were lukewarm (riding the fence) and by doing so, you acted as if you never knew me, therefore I don’t know you!”

Someday, this will happen. Someday everyone will stand before a holy and just God, and those who were lukewarm will say “oops!” 

Amendment One in North Carolina

Tomorrow we vote in North Carolina on Amendment One. Some are saying that it’s all about Gay marriage, others are stating it will harm children and unmarried couples. One thing that I want to encourage you all to do, is pray about this before you vote. Then vote on what God reveals to you! It is time for us to stop listening to the commercials and listen to what God says! 

For me, voting for Amendment One had nothing to do with “gay marriage” or any other propaganda that the state has been fed. The reason I voted FOR amendment one is because, while I can relate to my friends (homosexual and heterosexual) on a very human level when it comes to finding someone to love, I can’t relate on a spiritual level to them. 

I am not one of those Christians who think that “God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.” While I don’t agree with the lifestyle of homosexuals, I can’t help but love them. My bible has always said “Love Others, as I love myself.” My bible doesn’t say “Love others and tolerate sin.” Sorry guys! You see my Bible, both Old and New Testaments tells me that sin is wrong. And the lifestyle that today’s people are choosing is completely wrong. 

The Bible states that a man shall leave his parents and cleave to his wife. The Bible also teaches that Marriage is a sacred institution. You’re not supposed to shack up, then have a kid, then get married. Rather, you are to get married, then live together and have children. 

So for me, this amendment wasn’t just about gay marriage. It’s about the sanctity of marriage--it’s also about making people realize that while “love is love”; there is a right way to do things and a wrong way. So while gay marriage does go against my religious beliefs, so does heterosexual couples shacking up.

Will I loose friends because my choice to vote for the amendment? Of course, I already have! However, I will also gain respect from others who know me, and know that I stood up for what I believe in. 

Wow! Never would have known

So this blog started out as a personal page about how I found out about my Jewish roots of faith, and even the Jewish roots of my family heritage. Since launching this page, I have reached 9 countries...there has been over 141 views on the blogs I write. This is very humbling, since this was never intended to be anything more than my personal reflections of my faith.
What makes this interesting to me is that I can't imagine why anyone would want to know what I am thinking, doing or believing. To be honest, I am just a southern girl from North Carolina, with a funny accent, and no dress style at all. I am a former photojournalist, I have a dog named Biscuit and work in the school system here. I play the fiddle, have a best friend in Finland and love the Lion King, lighthouses and Jesus (but not in that order). I pray wearing a tallit, I keep as kosher as possible and listen to rock, oldies,  classical music and Broadway show tunes!
Nothing on this page, should be of any interest to anyone...but for some reason, it is and I LOVE it! I love how I can write and someone out there will +1 my writings, I can rant about something and someone will +1 the rant...
Amazingly, I am touch lives that I will never meet or have met and just don't know they are reading my work. Sometimes I may even have nothing in particular to say...much like this post here...except thank you for reading my blog and I hope that you will continue to come back every chance you get!

Pictures, next best thing...

So why do you talk to pictures, one may ask? 

Within Christianity there is the practice of kissing an icon, picture or statue of a saint or even Christ himself...this isn’t worship, rather it’s a practice of showing respect. Kissing a picture of a loved one, which people have done for centuries is just another way of kissing the real person. The Bible has many examples of how holy icons were used as an aid to worshipping God, even in Old Testament times. For example, when God commanded Moses to make images of cherubim angels for the Temple "In the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim..." (2 Chronicles 3:10). So when we kiss an icon of our Lord Jesus Christ, it is as though we are kissing Christ Himself. Jesus does not condemn this practice, but rather sees it as an act of respect, just like He did with the sinful woman in the Bible: "You gave me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss my feet since the time I came in.” (Luke 7:45)

Therefore, when speaking to a picture, it’s like talking to the real person. It brings comfort to the living and often reminds them of the good times. 

A Christian speaks out! Wake up!

        I realize this post is going to offend some people...but I am to the point in my life where I really don’t care. Why don’t I care? Because I am tired of the “atheist” getting what they want, yet I am shut down for what I have to say. Just consider this my Madea moment and move on if you can’t handle this post!

Freedom of religion is quickly becoming a joke in America. Why? Because some parents feel threatened that their children may hear a prayer, may read a Bible verse or may start to believe they need this “crutch” in life...but more than that, they feel threatened that their child may become a JESUS FREAK!

That’s right, I said it! People, I hate to break it to you, but the very foundations of only TWO countries in the world have been founded on the Principles of God--Israel and the United States. Even George Washington said “the federal government can never be in danger of degenerating into a monarchy, an oligarchy, an aristocracy or any other despotic or oppressive form so long as there shall remain any virtue in the body of the people.” 

I know you are thinking, “So what is your point, our government is secular?” YES it is! However, my CONSTITUTIONAL right is FREEDOM OF RELIGION without the Government’s input. 

This isn’t to say that you can’t say “But Rachel, there is no god.” Okay, so maybe to you there isn’t. But what harm is it going to do to YOU if I choose to believe in God? Is it going to make your little perfect world crumble if I choose to believe in a deity that I can’t see?

The reason that people aren’t threatened by Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism or Islam is because their gods are not real, they don’t live, they don’t breathe, and they have NO real power. 

The curious thing isn’t that the name God is offensive, I mean there are gods in any religion and even in non-religious homes! What is offensive to people is “THE NAME”...the name of JESUS! The very mention of a man who is willing to love you despite your sins, despite your inward ugliness, despite your cracked personality and despite yourself. The name of Jesus is what offends people. Why? Yet, Jesus LOVES people, He can touch you, He lived and breathed among men, matter of fact, He offered up the ultimate sacrifice and that was Himself in place of others.

So why is the name of Jesus so offensive? Because without Jesus there is no real life--no real adventure. It is the Power of Jesus that can change your life and that scares people. They are in a comfort zone--and I am talking not only to nonbelievers but Christians also. You are scared that if you put complete faith in Jesus your life will come to an end, you won’t be able to control your destiny, but I hate to tell you this, you’re not in charge anyway! So why not just believe? 

Instead of telling me “Rachel, so I don’t believe in God or Jesus...therefore you can’t talk about Him to my children in school, you can’t speak about him at your home, you can’t talk about Him in the restaurant...” true religious freedom (which only comes through faith in Jesus) would be “Rachel, I don’t believe, but you can if you really want to, and it doesn’t bother me for you to speak about it publicly nor does it offend me for you to practice your religion!” 

Note: I use the traditional English titles of “Christian” and the more common name “Jesus” of their universal meanings--and offensiveness. If I used the names and titles “Yeshua” and “Messianics” then the meaning and truth behind this post would be lost! All offensiveness in this article is meant to offend those who don’t know Jesus Christ and are threatened by my personal faith. It is not meant to offend Jewish or Gentile members of our Faith!