christianity – God's Word Girl

Since I was Young

Quite some time ago, I did a lengthy interview with a church member. It was largely due to the fact that our then pastor hoped to inspire parishioners to share testimonies so that we may encourage one another. Being a writer, and taking special interest in people’s stories, I volunteered to spearhead Pastor’s vision. Unfortunately, Paul was the only one who responded to our fishing for participants.

While cleaning and sorting paperwork not long ago, (it seems I’m always sorting paperwork), I came across the notes I took during my interview with Paul — pages and pages of notes, plus photos I took of notes he had written.

There was his falling away from the LORD, his wife wanting him to go to church with her and his refusal, his return to the LORD through a tele-evangelist, the health struggles he’s had and the healing he’s received, and crazy experiences in general. Too much for my blog, but I wanted to honor him in some way as our only participant and the time he gave to me.

So I approached him one Sunday and asked, “Paul, out of all the things you told me, what is the number one thing you would want an audience to know?”

I recall little hesitation and smiling as he said, “There’s so much, but I think what I would want people to know the most, is that the LORD’s been with me since I was young.”

He told of a time when he was walking home from the one room schoolhouse for lunch. He was crossing a bridge when he heard his name.

“Paul.”

That was it. He turned and looked but no one was there. Just his name spoken, once. And with that, he wants you to know that the LORD has been with him since he was young.

I’ve been mulling over the simplicity of his answer.

I myself was saved at a very young age. Truth, I don’t recall the actual experience. What I do recall is belting out Jesus Loves Me for all the world to hear and a sweet, sweet tenderness toward my Savior. It’s been a quiet, growing love relationship for decades. And I can say with Paul, “The LORD has been with me since I was young.”

Young or old, male or female, white for black, the LORD has been with you since you were young. Are you aware of Him? Do you have a relationship with Him? You can, you know. It’s never too late to choose Jesus. It’s never too late to get to know the Lover of your soul.

I hope you will seek to discover what God has written in your book (Psalm 139:16) and the good plans and future that He has for you (Jeremiah 31:3). Remember, you are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) and loved just as you are by God (Jeremiah 31:3). When you seek Him with all of your heart, you will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13) and He will reveal to you what He has written and what He has planned (Deuteronomy 29:29). I hope you will join me; invest the time to seek Him. I promise, it will be worth it.

Goin’ Down to the River

Discipleship 1:8

Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38 NLT

I can see the picture in my head. I’m 7-8 years old, wearing a blue dress, hair put up in a messy bun. My cheeks are so puffed out with air that I look like a squirrel collecting nuts for the winter. I’m holding my nose, prepared to be dunked by my pastor in a pool.

And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 3:21 NLT

I loved Jesus and that day I was making a public confession and open display of the change in my heart and my intent to follow Him. My conscience before God was clean. I believed and I had chosen.

I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus. Acts 20:21 NLT

God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. Acts 17:30 NLT

I had repented of my sins and turned to Jesus so baptism was naturally the next step. See, water baptism is not necessary for salvation but is an outward expression of salvation. Water baptism is a command, but keeping this command does not produce justification.

Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. Mark 16:16 NLT

Notice that Jesus did not say that those who aren’t baptized will be damned. Baptism isn’t essential for salvation but the first part of this verse does stress the importance of it.

On a side note, all of these scriptures prove that it is redundant to sprinkle/baptize infants. It might seem like a nice church/family tradition, but that’s all it is: tradition. Infants do not repent nor act in faith. Since baptism is an act that expresses one’s faith, the act means nothing where faith is not present. What about those who believe a baby’s eternal salvation depends upon this practice?

At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, … Romans 7:9 NLT

The sin nature does exist, but God is not imputing sin unto people until they knowingly violate His law. Babies don’t know; accordingly, infants need not be “baptized” to be saved and to be received into heaven.

Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.” James 2:18-19 NLT

Actually, no matter the age of the person, if there is not faith, baptism means nothing. Faith alone saves, but saving faith is never alone. Where there is faith, it expresses and exposes itself. Each individual, when they have come of age, must make the choice for or against Christ themselves and act on it. So if you have repented of your sins and turned to Jesus …

And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. Acts 22:16 NKJV

If you believe, then like I had so very long ago, I hope you will join me and testify and be baptized in water.

For further reading:

“He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.” Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too.For they heard them speaking in other tongues and praising God. Then Peter asked,“Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?”So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterward Cornelius asked him to stay with them for several days. Acts 10:43-48 NLT

For your pleasure:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maT4phfTXR4&list=RDmaT4phfTXR4&start_radio=1

The Insanity of satan

On today’s post I am going to veer from our discipleship study, (which we will return to), and write off the cuff.

I have been in tears, praying, and bewildered over the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Bob, a debater himself, would bring him up on YouTube and we would both sit in awe as we listened to his quick wit which seemed to come from an endless bank of stored knowledge and keen wisdom. He was a joy to watch.

Bob, like maybe many others, is angry, questioning God. “Why? God could have preserved him.” It’s true. President Trump was spared, thank God, but there’s no way I’m going to attempt to answer the “Why?” as to why Charlie Kirk was not.

What I am going to present is the insanity of our foe.

Jesus was crucified and something tells me hell was rocking in a party atmosphere. satan figured he’d finally done it, he manged to do away with the Son of God, his archenemy, the One standing between him and all of humanity — which he longed to destroy. Then Jesus rose from the dead and totally messed up his celebration. Now those of us who place our faith in Jesus Christ find it a joy to frustrate the plans of our enemy. To his credit, Charlie must have been messing the devil’s plans up royally or he wouldn’t have been targeted so severely.

satan had Stephen taken out. I bet he felt smug that day as well. “I’ll show those Christians what price they will pay to proclaim the Name of Jesus Christ.” Only, that back fired, too. No, Stephen did not raise from the dead, and we will not see Charlie walk among us here again either. But, in a sense, we will.

What happened after Stephen’s murder is that Christians scattered. They had been a heaping brush fire and suddenly became individual flames, lighting everything up everywhere they went by proclaiming the Light of the World.

What I see following Charlie’s death is precision. I see individual flames coming to together to make an accurate torch, creating an unyielding, unstoppable, unapologetic, united voice that burns rubbish and wickedness and boasts the Gospel of Jesus Christ sweeping across our nation like wildfire. I decree today that God will honor Charlie by loosing a massive revival at college campuses everywhere, creating a reformation the likes of which we have never seen here in the United States of America.

satan did not learn when Jesus was crucified. He did not learn when Stephen was stoned. And he did not learn when Charlie was shot and killed. Precious in the sight of God is the death of His saints. The kernel that falls to the ground, soaked in righteous blood, and watered by God’s very own tears, produces a harvest of incalculable magnitude. It’s coming. It’s already here. satan has overplayed his hand again and God will not waste the destruction of this irreplaceable, priceless life. God will have His way. He will work this for good because Charlie loved Him and was called according to His purpose.

Let us pray.

LORD, we come to You today, humble and grieving. We lean hard on Your Word that says You came to heal the brokenhearted. We wrestle to throw aside the Whys. They do not matter now. What matters is the comfort of Charlie’s family, and Your people, and the legacy that he leaves behind. We say that his life will not be wasted but that we as believers will do all that we can to spread the fire that he carried.

It is apropos that the Turning Point platform that placed him into the forefront of the battle will be a turning point for us as a nation. His death is the tip of the spear and the body of Christ is the force behind it. We will not be silenced. We will not be quiet while our brothers and sisters are martyred, persecuted, and threatened. We will be an unstoppable force to be reckoned with, proclaiming Your love, salvation, and righteousness to the generations. May our love for You and one another, and the anger we feel toward satan, be the energy that fuels Your holy flame; may You use it to thwart the enemy’s plans for this nation. May we continue Charlie’s mission and add souls to Your kingdom on his behalf.

May You bless Kirk’s family. And may You bless the U.S.A.

Thank You. Amen.