Accountability

Who are you accountable to? Did you ever just wish you had a friend in your life that would hold you to your word or help keep you on the straight and narrow? Someone told me once, “I am the only one in my group that holds people accountable, but there isn’t anyone to hold me accountable, life is so hard”.

Often times we don’t hold our friends accountable because of fear of not being cool, or that we would be disliked. We don’t want to come accross as judging them, or as being self righteous. As a mom I have felt that way many times. I have been unpopular because I speak about the Bibles view of getting drunk, smoking, drugs, immorality, abortion, gossip etc. Children will more often than not, turn to the cool mom or pop for advice, because they don’t like the uncomfortable feeling they get by being held accountable by someone who genuinely cares for their life.

Next time you doubt the prompting to speak up when your friend or child is caught up in sin, remember the words in Galatians 6:1-5, “Brethren,even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone , and not in regard to another. For each one will bear his own load.”

Can Good Come From Hatred?

My mom always use to tell me, “hate is a very strong word”. I realize that now. We live in a world that uses the word “hate” at the same rate as the beating of our hearts. The word hate is constantly pumping out of our mouths. We commonly use the word hate when referring to food, animals, weather, relationships, etc.

Hatred can hold a person in bondage. As hatred rages in our thoughts, it holds us captive and paralizes us so that our thought life won’t be productive in a healthy, uplifting, and encouraging way. Our steps are altered where we can’t move forward in many areas of our lives. I often think how hatred robs an individual of peace of mind when they have hatred towards another person. Often times that person is consumed with revenge. God says in His word “VENGENCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY” – Hebrews 10:30.

Hatred is often displayed when ones choose not to forgive another. There are many times an innocent victim gets hurt to such a depth that the hurt brings emotions to the surface that they have never experienced before. These victims are the ones who have loved deeply and transition to the place of hating with that same intensity. We shouldn’t take God’s Word lightly, our God equates hatred with murder in that they both can have the same ending, a “fiery hell”. Jesus tells us this at Matthew 5:21-22 – “You have heard that the ancients were told. YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER and Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, You good-for-nothing, shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, You fool, shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.” Jesus wants to impress upon us His words, in Matthew 6:12 – “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven out debtors”.

So, the question still remains, “Can good come from hatred”? The answer is “YES”. Good can only come when we hate the things (not people, but the sin that they commit) God hates. Proverbs 6:16-19 – “There are six things which the Lord hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him; haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innoncent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans. Feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.”

May we continue to live our lives, freely forgiving one another as He forgave us. May we live our lives free from the paralyzing effects of hatred, and live a life in the freedom that can only come in knowing our heavenly Father and His son, Jesus Christ, loving what He loves, and hating what He hates.

Words to Ponder

“We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” 1 Cor. 1:8,9

In these difficult times I think of the words of the Apostle Paul often. I wonder, will I remain faithful through turbulent times and rely on God who raises the dead?

The Israelites (Gods chosen people), time and time again let God down. God delivered them from death grip of Pharaoh, provided food for them in the wilderness, and helped them win huge battles. Peter, one of Jesus disciples, denied Jesus three times. The one thing I know for sure is, that I don’t want to be so sure of myself that I can be victorious in my own strength.

May WE as His church humbly be at the feet of Jesus, and rely on the only one that can give us strength through pressure, hardship, and even death.

A Voice for the Voiceless!

Growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness I didn’t have my own identity. My identity was in who the Watchtower organization told me to be. When I left that organization in 1994 and found the truth in Jesus Christ, I had to then discover my identity, and that me, myself, and I, had a voice.

I have a new freedom now to speak out for the unborn child, needy, elderly, the widows, and orphans. It is so satisfying to be different and not conform to the ways of the world and how they want to mold me. With Gods help I strive to listen to His counsel in Proverbs 31:8,9-”Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all the unfortunate. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.”

What is Normal Anyway?

It was just the other day when I was confronted with the comment, “you aren’t normal”. This led me to ponder for many days thereafter, what is normal anyway? As I read Galatians 5:16-25, I read of two lifestyles, one of which is lead by the flesh and the other is led by the spirit, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.”

What conclusion would you come to after reading this scripture? Which lifestyle will you choose?

“Faith of a Mustard Seed”

Church, where is our faith? In Matthew 17:14-21 the account speaks of where a demon possessed man was brought before Jesus in order that he would call the demon out. The man was brought to Jesus diciples first but they were unable to cast out the demon. The man asked Jesus why? In verse 20 Jesus replied, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” Just think of what God’s power would allow us to do if we ALMOST had the faith the size of a mustard seed. This thought came to my husband and I during one of our many prayer walks.

People put more faith in Satan the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4) who has “blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of of God”. 1 Peter 5:8-10 warns us about our adversay the devil, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversay , the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Amen, Amen

Who are you anyway?

Who are you anyway? Are you the person who is truly broken recognizing you are weak and feeble and needing Jesus? Or are you the person who seems to always have it all together, not accepting Jesus as Lord of your life and thinking you can do it on your own? Jesus heart is tender towards the person who is broken. This person can sympathize and walk alongside me in my weakness, they would lend their shoulder for me to cry on, they won’t be as quick to judge me knowing that I am just a “beggar showing another beggar where to find bread” (quote from a dear friend). Psalms 51:17 says “The sacrifices of God are a “broken spirit; A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”

How Can I Go Back?

Please listen to the song and read my comments below!

I remember when we were exiting the religious cult, Jehovah’s Witnesses, my husband at the time would ask me, “Do you just want to go back?” He had asked me a couple of times that question, and it would always puzzle me. It wasn’t so much that he wanted to return to the cult himself, but it was just that we were going through so much pain and agony as we were losing friends and family members who cut us off, because we exposed the lie for the truth. We also endured the pain of our friends whose family members and friends had cut them off completely.

I can’t help but think of the scripture in Philippians 3:7-12, 14 “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death , in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus…………..vs. 14 – “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” I have that same goal set before me and I am not one that easily gives up. As I aim towards that goal I am aware that I may trip, stumble, and fall, but at the same time my eyes are fixed .

Just the other morning our son approached me and asked, “have you ever had an itch that you scratched until it was raw, and then wished you could go back because you were in such pain?” Hmmmmm let me see, does that make me reflect on that question posed to me earlier by my ex-husband? Especially going back because of the pain? Is it worth it? Let me reiterate as the apostle Paul said “I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ.” What things are rubbish to me that I have lost? It is what man thought and thinks of me, as opposed to what God thinks of me. Man judges by the mear appearance to the eyes and all decisions are fleshly based on earthly desires, where as God judges by what is in the heart and wants us to seek the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Colossians 3:2-11 says, “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobediance, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. But now you also, put them all aside, anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have “put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him, a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.

Before I set my site on the heavenly, and before I set my eyes on the goal that was set before me, I was a sinner deserving of death, with immoral thoughts, impure, had evil desires, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things (what Colossians speaks about) that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobediance, and in them I once walked, when I was living in them. But I, though being weak, lean on the Holy Spirit that lives within me, to put aside anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from my mouth. I have accepted Jesus as my personal Savior, admitted that I am a sinner, have repented (go opposite direction), and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created me. Jesus died for my sins and wiped my slate clean and for that very reason, I can NEVER EVER go back to what I once was. I was created in His likeness and image (as we all are) and therefore will strive for holiness for the rest of my life here on earth.

God is a loving God which that makes Him a just and righteous God also. Because of His love, His wrath will soon come on the sons of disobediance. Please decide now if you want to be the recipient of His LOVE (Heaven) or His WRATH (Hell). Our God has given us ALL a choice. And once you choose LOVE, NEVER GO BACK!

Jehovah’s Witness Set Free

 

My story begins when I was five years old when my parents divorced.  In time, dad met a cocktail waitress at Bonanza, (a cocktail bar) who was a Jehovah’s Witness.  It didn’t take long before my dad fell in love and got engaged (7 year engagement) but one of the stipulations from his fiancé was that my brothers were open to embracing the Jehovah’s Witness doctrine.   Many a day when living with dad he would walk down to the Hideaway Bar, would come back drunk, and would take out his frustrations on my two teenage brothers.  Often, my dad would be verbally abusive to my brothers and on one occasion he broke his finger on my brothers head.

In time my brothers and I moved out from dad’s house and moved in with mom and her husband, shortly thereafter he got married.  I lived with dad long enough to get indoctrinated unlike my brothers and as holidays were celebrated I was filled with guilt any time I would put an ornament on the Christmas tree or sing any of the songs.  If I received presents for birthdays or Christmas my dad’s wife would guilt me into giving them back.  I was so embarrassed.  During the weekends that I would spend with my dad and his wife, they would drill me as if to catch me in lies to see if I had compromised my belief system.  You see, we were supposed to be separate from the world not getting involved in extracurricular activities at school (basketball and football games, along with dances).  They would quote the scripture in 1 Cor. 15:33 – “bad associations spoil useful habits”.  Associating with the world was with the intention to convert.  If no conversion took place it was casting pearls before swine and we were encouraged to wipe the dust off our feet and move on.  I remember one summer my step-sister found out that I took a puff of a cigarette and told my step-mom.  I was then confronted and told that I could be responsible for my dad losing his position as an Elder. 

Our lives were controlled by a group of men in New York at Bethel called the Governing Body.  These men claimed to be of the heavenly calling which consisted of a number totaling 144,000.  All of the literature was published at the Brooklyn headquarters that the Witnesses were expected to keep up with.  Literature that they used to interpret the Bible was studied at several of their meetings that were held during the week.  I spent the weekends during my summer vacation pioneering, averaging about 100 hours per month going door to door, engaging in Bible studies, placing literature, standing on street corners, and leaving magazines at laundry mats.  Anywhere I could bring up the name of Jehovah the clock started ticking to count time.  My life was filled with doing works in order to please God and men.  I didn’t even know that the words in Ephesians 2:8 existed which says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

During my junior and senior years at school my goal was to get married and then pioneer full time.  A college education was discouraged because they referred to the scripture about the making of too many books.  I didn’t know at that time that they were afraid of being exposed of their lies.  In the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (their translation) it says in Ecclesiastes 12:12 – “As regards anything besides these, my son, take a warning:   To the making of many books there is no end, and much devotion to them is wearisome to the flesh”.

In time my mom’s husband passed away and she became a witness because she feared that one day I would abandon her if she didn’t.  Hence, my mom joined me in pulling away from the family during holidays (Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Birthdays, etc).

 In my senior year, I met a young man whom several of the moms wanted their daughters to marry, because of his fine example as a godly man in the TRUTH (as they called their religion).  He was a wonderful speaker and knew their Bible (New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures) quite well and could explain their doctrine with ease.  Not long after marriage we found ourselves floundering with no clear sense of direction.  I discovered that his identity was in what the religion taught him to be.  As a young wife who was a dedicated follower, I expected him to live up to high standards and not waiver.  As my husband made mistakes I clearly pointed them out.  He couldn’t please me nor could he please the Jehovah’s Witness organization perfectly.  This led to condemnation, shame, and guilt for my husband, and I being a very discontented wife feeling that he mislead me.  As weaknesses surfaced in our lives we were considered weak, and if we had questions, we would be considered disloyal.  Witnesses fate would be determined by a close knit group of 3 Elders behind closed doors.  A watchful eye would be placed on you with an occasional “how are you doing?”  It was a very lonely, humiliating journey until you were in the good graces of the Elders.  The congregation would follow suit based on if privileges were restored etc.

In the summer of 1994 I allowed my husband at the time, who became an Elder, to share some of his questions, doubts, fears, and concerns with me.  Until this time mind you, I was a loyal supporter, never questioning, and ready to give up my life for this religious cult.  It was God’s perfect timing for me to listen to him without judgment.  I then encouraged him to share his feelings with the body of Elders and visiting Circuit Overseer, since I knew he was sincere.  He was immediately demoted and told that he needs to go back to the basics.  It was then, that our world went crashing down around us as we discovered the “truth” as they called themselves was not the “truth” but a lie.  This prompted us, along with 18 others, to meet almost nightly, sometimes into the wee hours of the morning.  We were discussing the truths God’s Word was revealing to us, as it is alive.  Hebrew 4:12 says – “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword , and piercing as far as the division of  soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”  As God opened our eyes and we were no longer in bondage, we were all experiencing loss of family and friends, that we had spent a lifetime developing.  We went through the feelings of betrayal, resentment, anger and hurt, what an intense emotional summer.  We were all forced with the decision, “now where do we go, what do we do, how do we discern truth from lie, reality from illusion.”  I am glad to say, other than the eighteen mentioned here, 10 more who are my ex-husband’s family members left the Witnesses also.  As we continued to meet, our attention strayed from the very one who delivered us from the religious cult.  We started thinking that we didn’t need anyone else.  We became a church unto ourselves, never honoring, praising, or worshipping our deliverer.  Our times together were spent drinking and many times the telling of crude jokes.  Our bitterness and resentment began to surface.  Instead of replacing the lies of Satan with things that were holy, true, and just, we allowed Satan to come in to rob, steal, and destroy.   Within a year or so after leaving the Witnesses, my marriage of 20 years disintegrated, I lost my Father in death, and I had our new baby Travis, whom I call my freedom child, my 2 girls, who at the time were in 3^rd and 5th grade, along with my mom, who was 80 years old dependant on me.  To live was excruciating.  I had never experienced such pain and agony in my life, especially with my marriage falling apart.  I sought help from psychologists, counselors, pastors, friends, and family.  During one of my barren moments I signed up for an evening where “Women of Faith” (a traveling group of women who minister to the hearts of women through the love of God) spoke at a convention center.  One of the ladies who spoke, Thelma Wells, invited us to talk with her afterwards and asked if we had any prayer requests.  I told her a condensed portion of my story.  She said a quick prayer and then called me at home the following week and prayed for an hour.  I am thankful for Thelma and how God answered her prayers for my life later down the road.  Through it all no one could take my pain away.  All of my life decisions and choices were made for me because of the religion controlling me, now I was faced with life decisions that only I could make.  I would often cry out my grief to my Heavenly Father whether it was in the privacy of my home, or driving in my car.  I refused seeking the temporary relief from taking drugs, drinking, alcohol or sex (a road that many of the others chose when they left the cult).  God knew my heart, he knew of my sincerity, and I wanted to stay focused.  I knew turning to the fleshly desires would hold me back from achieving my goal of getting to know the Father.  So I continued to try to face my fears and my pain.  My spirit was truly broken.  Ps. 51:17 says – “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart.”  I had to overcome so many fears so I had to develop total reliance on the Father during this time period and because of this He has brought a healing back in my life and a lasting love and joy that I have never experienced in being a Witness.

After 40 years of being in a cult I am discovering who I am in Christ.  It was like being dead and then raised to life.  My excitement flushes out into my worship and desire to tell others about the one who has delivered me from bondage, Jesus.  I am free to love everyone, free to serve, free to live, free to celebrate, free to make choices and decisions, and free to be ME!  The scripture that speaks most to my heart is John 8:31, 32 – “if you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”

www.acts2now.com