Shortest Blog Post to date; Thanksgiving Summed up

True thanksgiving does not consist primarily of deeds, but of the disposition of the heart, and it brings persons nearer to God and enables them to see God’s salvation (Ps. 50:23). 

Finally able to Let Go and move Forward

Late last week, I realized something that I needed to change. For over 3 years, I have held on to a hurt that I shouldn’t have been holding on too. Don’t get me wrong, I was doing all the right things…praying for the person who hurt me; wishing them blessings, but if I ran into them or passed them on the road, I found myself having a major anxiety attack or worrying over what they were capable of. 

As many people know, I attend a small, rural Methodist church. I also help with our prayer group. Most of the time it’s just myself, my pastor and his wife…so sharing is easy—especially when it’s with people that you trust. Honestly, I would be less likely to talk about my struggles, if many people were there or if I felt that people wouldn't understand.  

One of the things that we prayed for this week is that I would be able to “let go” of the people and feelings of my past. Now as you know, most people that tell me that harken back to Elsa in Frozen, and I am like “Have you seen the movie?” This time it was different…I was ready to let go. According to Steve Maraboli in his book Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience “The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that the situation is over, you cannot move forward.”

I had found myself stuck…I wasn’t moving forward because I wasn’t ready to move forward. I was still hoping for a different outcome, even though that outcome wasn’t, isn’t possible. This week however, I have realized that I need to move forward. Even if I leave the other party behind—as I have always said—if anyone wants to be a part of my life, they will catch up. This is particularly true in this situation. 

John Wesley once said  “Thanksgiving is inseparable from true prayer; it is almost essentially connected with it. One who always prays is ever giving praise, whether in ease or pain, both for prosperity and for the greatest adversity. He blesses God for all things, looks on them as coming from Him, and receives them for His sake- not choosing nor refusing, liking or disliking, anything, but only as it is agreeable or disagreeable to His perfect will.” 

Yesterday while I was working in my study, I found a prayer journal. I decided to look through it and noticed that the last entry was over 3 years old and the prayer was full of thanksgiving—and honestly, I was happier then too. So I filled in a page for yesterday, updating all that has happened, and as I wrote, tears streamed down my cheeks. I realized that my prayers have become more and more monotonous, namely because I wasn’t approaching God with a spirit of Thanksgiving.

However, do not think that only thanksgiving prayers are worthy of God’s ear. John Wesley also stated “with all prayer (Eph. 6:18)" All sorts of prayer- public, private, mental, vocal. Do not be diligent in one kind of prayer and negligent in others... let us use all.” This being said, we always need to approach God with a spirit of thanksgiving and humbleness. 

Thus my prayer has become this week: 

“Purge me from every sinful blot;

My idols all be cast aside: 

Cleanse me from every evil thought,

From all the filth of self and pride.

The hatred of the carnal mind 

Out of my flesh at once remove:

Give me a tender heart, resigned, 

And pure, and full of faith and love.”

John Wesley

To Persist or To Quit: Prayer

I don’t write a lot about prayer; but tonight that needs to change. Prayer is one of our greatest privileges as God's children, and even if God doesn't seem to answer your prayers at first, don't stop praying. Prayer is one of the most selfless and amazing things you can do for a person, especially someone that you love dearly.

Over the past 3 years, since I left the local school district, I have been praying for a former friend, coworker and one that I believe(d) is a sister in Faith. My friends even tonight, told me, when Rachel prays, especially for someone that she loves, but severely dislikes her; she is praying for someone, she is performing a selfless act of hoping someone will be better, healthy, happy, and always be blessed. Not many people are willing to pray for other people. However, things can be a little different when it comes to people you love. We are willing to sacrifice and do something more for the ones that we love.

What a lot of people don’t understand, is that when pray for this person is that I am praying that the Lord will be with them. I pray that God is with this person and that he watches over them wherever they are. That God will guide them and show them direction and lead them to a healthy life. Second, I pray for the person to start working in their lives. I try to have the faith and prayer strength that God will start working on their lives. I may not see it immediately—I may never see it, but I have to believe that something deep within is slowly changing and that person will eventually change and lead a new and better life. Furthermore, I pray for God to open their heart, mind, and spirit to the love, grace, and healing that only He can bring. And third, I pray as if it has already come to pass. We must have the faith and believe that God is already working on that person and is guiding him or her to a brighter life. Give God the praise and the glory for the victory over the person’s life as if it has already happened. 

This week, I have felt like quitting praying for this person. So much to the point that it’s really bothered my spirit. Then as I read the Bible, I realized that I am not following the teaching of 2nd Corinthians 5:7, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” If we pray and then quit because God didn't answer our prayer, or not soon enough to satisfy our apparent demands, then we are merely proving to our self that we are walking by sight instead of by faith. Proverbs 3:5-7, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.” You see at this point I am praying and leaning or depending on my own understanding and not waiting on the Lord. 

But at this point, since my prayer hasn’t been answered I wonder if God is even caring about what I am praying for. But Romans 8:28 says “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28 NIV

We can trust God is working on our behalf for our good even if it doesn't feel like it. The truth is if it's not good, then God's not done. And if God's not done then neither are we. So let's hold on to God's truth over our feelings and wait patiently on Him.

I have started to think that possibly God is absent, but then I began to think of the fact that just because God is silent, it doesn’t mean He is absent. I find that God works in the quiet ordinariness of our prayers. Think of Daniel from the Bible. For three weeks Daniel prayed and fasted for God to answer his prayer and he did not stop praying until he received an answer. In Daniel chapter 9 we read that God sent and angel to give Daniel understanding about his prayer the first time he prayed. 

Prayer goes beyond asking for something and waiting for results. Prayer changes lives. However, it does not always change our circumstance. Many times prayer changes our perspective and how we respond to our circumstance well before anything in our lives actually changes. Prayer goes far beyond making requests to God. It's about connecting with Him and aligning our will to His.

Prayer works! “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” – James 5:16 NIV and prayer helps us focus on God! 

And even if I feel like quitting doesn’t mean I have to quit. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9 NIV

John Piper, states Jesus said in Matthew 7:6, “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” So there seems to be a kind of hardness, and resistance, and cynical attitude that you should not share the most precious truths with. People are so utterly hard and cynical that they will only trample your gospel words under their feet. How do we know when that is? I mean, Paul spoke to people who then threw him in prison and chanted songs for two hours to false gods (Acts 19:34). That is a lot of trampling going on in response to Paul’s preaching. And Jesus spoke, and people killed him. That is trampling the pearl of great price.

However there are three sure fire times that we can stop praying.

We should stop praying when God has clearly answered No. 

If you’ve been praying about a relationship with a guy, and he gets married, you can safely stop praying. God has closed that door. If you interviewed for a job, and they hired someone else, it’s time to redirect your petitions. Banging our heads against doors God has unequivocally closed is futile and foolish. It reveals a stubborn heart that thinks we know better than God what’s best for us. 

We should stop praying when God removes our desire for the object of our prayers. 

Many times I’ve begun praying for something, only to find that after a few days, weeks, or months, I don’t really want it any more. Maybe I discover more information about what I thought would make me happy and realize it’s not best after all. Other times my desire just wanes and fades. When this happens, I can confidently stop praying about it. 

Psalm 37:4 promises that when we delight ourselves in the Lord, he will give us the desires of my heart. While this sometimes means he will give us what our heart desires, it usually means that he will give our heart the desires he wants it to have.

We could stop praying when God shows us a greater purpose for our situation. 

While my list continues to get longer, I feel like John Piper said “I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t bring myself to stop praying for her conversion. So I have never come to a situation where I have said, That person is beyond my prayers.” Equally I am reminded of the prayers of George Mueller One day George Muller began praying for five of his friends. After many months, one of them came to the Lord. Ten years later, two others were converted. It took 25 years before the fourth man was saved. Muller persevered in prayer until his death for the fifth friend, and throughout those 52 years he never gave up hoping that he would accept Christ! His faith was rewarded, for soon after Muller's funeral the fifth friend was saved. (Our Daily Bread)

The Acceptance of Sexual Sin does not equal Happiness

Today I shared a story on Facebook about a student at UC Berkeley who stood for her Christian beliefs and is currently being persecuted and asked to step down from the student senate. The same association that voted for her has also disassociated from her. One member of the association stated that he “Felt uncomfortable being validated, yet told that he wasn’t supported.” However, I need look no further than my own church’s current doctrine/discipline to find that my denomination validates people of the LGBTQA+ community as loved and of sacred worth, but not supportive of homosexual marriage. 

• ¶ 304.3: The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. Therefore self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church. 

• ¶ 341.6: Ceremonies that celebrate homosexual unions shall not be conducted by our ministers and shall not be conducted in our churches.

As you can see, our church doesn’t allow for the homosexual to serve as leadership in our church. In addition, to not allowing for our ministers to conduct homosexual unions. But it doesn’t mean that we don’t love homosexuals. It means that we don’t condone their actions. However, it’s not just homosexuality—it’s any sin. People are tempted by many things and being something doesn’t mean that you have to act upon it. The sin isn’t in being tempted by something it’s by acting upon that temptation. 

So as I used the example today, if I knew someone was being tempted to have an affair on their spouse and I said to them “Don’t act upon your temptation.” I am not saying “If you act, I don’t love you.” I am saying “Because I love you, I can’t support your choice to act upon your sin.”  At Liberty University, in my homiletics class the question came up about whether a gay person could be a pastor. My reply was “If the pastor is gay and celibate, then he can be ordained and maintained as a pastor however, if the pastor is acting upon his sin—giving in to his temptation—then it is wrong and he can’t  be ordained or maintained as a minister.”  So one of my friends in the class said “If you aren’t acting upon your homosexuality, then you aren’t gay!” Friends, that is like saying “If you aren’t sleeping with a man as a woman, then you aren’t a heterosexual.” We know this to be completely untrue. 

However, the question becomes, even if we accept homosexuality as a norm, will that be enough to make those who are homosexual happy?  The answer is a definite no. For this I will provide the following proofs. 

In what may be the most candid piece in Huffington Post history, Michael Hobbes, who identifies as gay, writes about what he calls an “epidemic of loneliness.” “For years,” he begins, “I’ve noticed the divergence between my straight friends and my gay friends. While one half of my social circle has disappeared into relationships, kids and suburbs, the other has struggled through isolation and anxiety, hard drugs and risky (behavior).” 

Hobbes goes on to write “Gay men everywhere, at every age, are two-to-ten-times more likely than heterosexual men to commit suicide.

And that’s just the beginning. Homosexual males also suffer from higher rates of cardiovascular disease, cancer, allergies, asthma, and a whole host of behavior-related infections and dysfunctions. They’re twice as likely to experience major depressive episodes, report having fewer close friends, and abuse drugs at an alarming rate. Sadly even though homosexual marriage has been the law in Sweden since 1971, gay men remain three times more susceptible to mood disorders and three- to ten-times more likely to engage in “suicidal self-harm.”

According to the BBC LGBT people face a greater risk of developing mental health issues, with a new report suggesting that as many as 40% of London’s LGBT community suffers mental health problems. In short, the constant pursuit of casual sex and unnatural sex acts results not only in health and emotional problems, but also in leaving many homosexuals and lesbians with no permanent life partners or adult children to care for them in their old age. To be old and alone is part of the homosexual culture and lifestyle. Why aren’t we telling our youth about this? Instead, our youth are told that homosexuality is equal to heterosexuality. It isn’t.

And while I know this article will tick off a lot of people, I am fine with that.  I felt the need to let people know that non-non-acceptance of someone’s sin does not need to be considered a threat. We need to be telling people that God is love, and that He can change their lives. We need to be calling people to repentance instead of telling them that their actions don’t have possible dire consequences. I am not writing this to hurt my friends; but to reaffirm what I believe—but as I have told many of my friends…I have told you the truth, and your acceptance or denial of such truth is between you and God. 

I went to Liberty University, I am a Christian, I am a Doctor Who Fan and I am NOT ASHAMED

As many people know I am a huge Doctor Who fan. I have been since the ‘80s. When Peter Capaldi was the doctor, I quit watching because there was a blatant exhibit of homosexuality in the show—which by the way was a children’s show when it first came out.

Over the years, I have spoken about the topics that are way to “OUT THERE” for Doctor Who. Well today, several of the LGBTQA+ members of the fandom started bashing those of us who don’t think that Doctor Who should have a political agenda. I mean, it’s a TV SHOW for the family.

One comment came back today that said “Doctor Who has always been progressive, did the Rosa episode bother you, since you went to Liberty University, and have a Jerry Falwell Mindset?”

First off, I take a lot of flack for attending Liberty University. I shouldn’t take the amount of bullying, the disregard for my education and hate that I get for being a Christian, and attending a Christian University. When I asked the guy what he meant? He said “Oh, ya know it’s a mail order college, and I have a JD from a real college.” I replied “Good, so maybe you need to actually grow up instead of trying to insult someone who can't be insulted. Yes, I am a Christian, but that doesn't mean that I hate anyone or disregard their lifestyle choices. I have no problem saying that I went to LIBERTY UNIVERSITY and that I AM A CHRISTIAN. I live in the USA where I am free to make that choice. However, it will surprise you that I didn't vote for TRUMP, I joined the class and Alumni that literally went before JERRY FALWELL, JR and told him we didn't agree with his stance on Trump. Also I have black cousins whom I love dearly, and lots of gay friends many of whom also went to Liberty. So what is your point? You don't have one and that is completely fine. Glad that you got to go to college...too bad you have to make this about politics when it wasn't to begin with.”

We have lost the art of conversing with people; Social media has killed our ability to actually talk with one another. We say things online because we know if we said it to someone’s face we’d probably be missing some teeth. I think it would have been far more beneficial for this person to just get to know me instead of trying to insult me.

Right now, there is so much them vs. us in this country that it really makes me ashamed of being an American and I never thought I would say such a thing. Sadly, I don’t know how we can get back to being just Americans.

Friends, I am not ashamed that I went to Liberty University, I am not ashamed that I went to Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary and I am not ashamed that I am a Christian. What I am ashamed of is the fact that we no longer care enough about people to talk with them, and we speak at them or about them. The Jewish people have the teaching of LaShon Ha-Ra. It’s best described as this—The power of speech and of the harm that can be done through speech. The rabbis note that the universe itself was created through speech. Of the 43 sins enumerated in the Al Cheit confession recited on Yom Kippur, 11 are sins committed through speech. The Talmud tells that the tongue is an instrument so dangerous that it must be kept hidden from view, behind two protective walls (the mouth and teeth) to prevent its misuse.
The harm done by speech is even worse than the harm done by stealing or by cheating someone financially: money lost can be repaid, but the harm done by speech can never be repaired. For this reason, some sources indicate that there is no forgiveness for lashon ha-ra (disparaging speech). This is probably hyperbole, but it illustrates the seriousness of improper speech.
A Chasidic tale vividly illustrates the danger of improper speech: A man went about the community telling malicious lies about the rabbi. Later, he realized the wrong he had done, and began to feel remorse. He went to the rabbi and begged his forgiveness, saying he would do anything he could to make amends. The rabbi told the man, "Take a feather pillow, cut it open, and scatter the feathers to the winds." The man thought this was a strange request, but it was a simple enough task, and he did it gladly. When he returned to tell the rabbi that he had done it, the rabbi said, "Now, go and gather the feathers. Because you can no more make amends for the damage your words have done than you can recollect the feathers.” Speech has been compared to an arrow: once the words are released, like an arrow, they cannot be recalled, the harm they do cannot be stopped, and the harm they do cannot always be predicted, for words like arrows often go astray.
The Bible teaches: 

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” (Eph. 4:29) 

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14) 

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;” (James 1:19)

“For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well.4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” (James 3:2-10)

While tonight, I am getting ready to lay down, and I am getting ready to do my prayers, trust me, even John H., the young man from UMASS-Amherst will be in my prayers—because if peace is going to come back to our nation, and we are going to learn to converse once more, please Lord, let it begin with me.