The pundits’ voices played as white noise in the background—until one of them said she’d left Christianity because people claiming to be Christian didn’t behave as she thought they should. She didn’t give specifics as to what she meant, but it stung, partially because she had a point—but only partially.
Please go here to read the rest of the article (and how God responded when I prayed to Him about this):
https://putoldonholdjournal.com/its-your-fault-im-no-longer-a-christian/
This is my latest article (03.01.21), which can be found on the Put Old on Hold Journal site, along with other contributors you'll enjoy discovering, whether you stand in solid agreement with them on some matters or have differing opinions. Site Link: https://putoldonholdjournal.com/
THE DAY RUSH LIMBAUGH DIED
First admission: I wasn’t one of the millions of faithful listeners of Rush Limbaugh, which is no reflection on him and is more about my . . .
Second admission: I had little interest in anything political until early 2016, when I began to make fun of Donald Trump’s running for office, until the moment God said in that way of His, “How about you close your mouth and open your ears instead.” It wasn’t that God wanted me to put my attention so much on Mr. Trump, but on matters I’d chosen to ignore that were contrary to His Kingdom, because this was also when God, through His grace, called me to Him after multiple decades spent in New Ageism and other sins.
Third admission: This isn’t about Rush Limbaugh. It’s about you, me, and . . . well, let me explain.
Maybe you, too, have someone’s post show up on your Facebook feed, and not only do you not know the person, you don’t know when or why you became friends, other than back at the start when everyone was eager to amass followers, a quantity-over-quality kind of thing. That’s all I can figure about this particular poster.
After learning of Rush Limbaugh’s passing, I went onto Facebook. On my feed was a meme about Limbaugh, created by that unknown friend, followed by a second one of his. I was genuinely shocked, not because it was about Limbaugh in particular, but because of how utterly void of compassion and how celebratory in viciousness and vitriol the comments were regarding a fellow human being whose last year of his life had gone as it had, until his last breath.
I thought, “That’s it! I’ve prayed for this guy every time one of his crude ‘I’m morally superior and your not’ posts about someone not on his side of the political fence has shown up, but This Is It! I’m done.” I headed to the Unfriend Zone. As I scrolled to find his name so I could erase him from my feed, God once again in that way of His said, “Which does he need more: To be unfriended and forgotten or prayed for? Which is more important: Your prideful sensibilities and self-righteousness or his soul?” Conviction and correction received, Lord, for which I thank and praise You.
St. Augustine said,
“Pride is the beginning of sin. And what is pride but the craving for undue exaltation?”
I’ve also heard said,
“Pride is pregnant with every other sin.”
Previous writings have dealt with how, for months, God’s been putting on my heart that the words we speak (or type or share) matter far more than we comprehend. They matter so much, He made sure to include in His Word that we will all stand before Him on Judgment Day and account for our every word, and that He considers slander, and any comments that seek to tear down or ruin reputations of fellow humans, equal to murder. He also told us that each time we sin, we give a legal right to the Adversary to go after us (health, finances, family, etc.). It’s something to ponder.
As I pondered these things, this new thought arrived: Sarcasm, of which we are far too fond, (including those who claim to be Christians) becomes a curse: On the person we aim it at, at those who see it or hear it and hop onto that bandwagon we put into motion, and on us. God commands us to bless, not curse, others. When we sin, we’ve taken God’s name upon us in vain and do not represent Him as a light in the darkness, as He instructs and commands.
God commands us to forgive others as we want Him to forgive us (quickly, easily, and always), and to ask Him to forgive and bless those who offend or harm us. It isn’t a suggestion, it’s a Commandment. As are all of His Commandments, each one is meant to protect us from the Adversary. When we begin to grasp this fact, we begin to understand that our Father’s intent is to save us, protect us, and turn us into Kingdom warriors of His, warriors committed to helping set fellow humans free from the prison of sin and its consequences.
I highly recommend Pastor J.D. Farag’s profound 1-hour talk about the current satanic strategy of “Divide and Conquer” using words we speak against others, which can be found at https://tinyurl.com/2cjup6sh . [Disclaimer: I’m not sold on the pre-Tribulation Rapture, but am focused on learning and doing the Kingdom Walk.]
Here’s something Holy Spirit put into my heart and mind 02.11.21:
Not Left or Right,
not of-Color or White,
but Lost or Saved.
Period.
May God guide you and yours in all your ways and all your days.
LOOKING FOR AN AWESOME NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION?
Everything included in the Bible is for us to learn from in some way and measure, including why Jesus--knowing who Judas was and what he'd do--allowed Judas to be with Him from almost the start of His ministry, until the betrayal in Gethsemane. I'm going to skip over the obvious reason and move on to one that came to me during time in the book of Mark this morning:
Judas was never all-in as a true follower of Jesus.
And this made me think of the prophecy Jesus spoke of, about how some who believe they are Christians will Do Church, maybe even for decades, but never actually Be the Full-On Church Jesus instructed His followers to be, which is another way of taking the Lord's name in vain... taking it on in vain and not actually representing Him as we're supposed to.
Not only that, but how many of us who call ourselves Christians could hold up under what some in the world are experiencing? If we really are in the End Times, and if Tribulation is about to unfold, how many will "endure to the end"?
It's something for all of us to think about. I mean, Judas was with Jesus pretty much every day for three years. A 24/7 gig. And he still didn't get it. Why? He never surrendered his life to the purposes of God. I get it: It can take a while to reach that point for some of us, but it is required. That takes absolute trust in God.
My prayer, uttered nearly every day and often more than once a day, especially if I feel myself judging another or others (or did it), is to repent and ask God to open the eyes, ears, hearts, and minds of ALL OF US to His Truth, His Righteous Ways, and His Kingdom Ways so we walk in Kingdom and represent our King well in the world and in the spiritual battle we're engaged in. Because, we want to be those who not only stand but withstand, as instructed in Ephesians 6 and elsewhere in the Word.
May the peace, joy, and strength of our Lord be upon you and your loved ones. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Christ Jesus determines who are His by the Weapons of War, the Sword, that He observes in their hands: "Whoever says, 'I know Him,' but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps His word, in him truly the love of God is perfected" . . . "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. Whoever does not love Me does not keep My words." -- 1 John 2:4-5, John 14:23-24
The above is an excerpt from Jamie Walden's amazing book, which prepares remnant Christians for such a time as this.
SADLY, too many of us have been taught how to Do Church rather than what's required of the true Church of Christ Jesus. Hear the God-inspired message Jamie Walden gives in this stunning, fast-paced presentation.
Description:
The handwriting is on the wall in this nation and across the globe! It is time for the claimants of Christianity to count the costs of being "all in". If you find it to be too high, go ring the bell; but for those who know the exceedingly great reward that is set before them, the costs are as nothing!
