sifted like wheat…

Tags

attitudes, faith, Jesus, sin, wisdom

There are some things we believe in our lives that are just lies, flat out. I hear people lie about themselves all day, everyday. My hair is natural, and I often hear people tell me, ‘I don’t have hair like you, my hair is too nappy to wear natural.’ As I attempt to clean up my diet and health, people say, ‘ I can’t eat healthy, I need to eat greasy food everyday.’ I often hear men say things like…’I'm just a pimp or a thug, that’s who I am I can’t change.’ Well, who told you that these things and attitudes were correct?

Satan, the author of lies, tells people everyday that there is something about leading a healthy, peaceful life in a walk with Jesus Christ is unattainable. I think the enemy loves it when we use our cloudy emotions or past failures to justify being stagnant.

In Luke 22:31-32 Jesus says:

And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

When I hear that, I get an image in my head of grain being shaken through a strainer, separating the larger pieces from smaller ones. Believe it or not, I don’t have much experience with how grain and wheat is produced (that’s a joke), so I did some research:

Manual Threshing

Manual threshing

The first step in process of sifting wheat is to loosen the chaff from the edible grain, which is called threshing. The old fashioned way to do this is to spread the wheat onto a floor made from stone, concrete or tamped earth and to beat it with a flail. This is no longer done in the developed world, but in some places where machines are expensive and human labor is not, manual threshing is still common.

Winnowing

The next step is called winnowing, where the loosened chaff is removed from the grain. The old fashioned way of doing this was to throw the grain in the air, where the lighter chaff would be blown off by even a decent breeze. The heavier grains would fall back to the ground below where they were thrown.

Read more: How Do Farmers Sift Wheat? | eHow.comhttp://www.ehow.com/how-does_4925686_farmers-sift-wheat.html#ixzz1FsSnIX2Q

So Satan desired to mentally beat the crap out of the disciples until they lose their faith. And he chose one of the hardest times of their lives, when their beloved leader Jesus would be crucified, to inflict his plan.

People believe the lies of the enemy daily, and in that process he is sifting people like wheat. He tells people everyday that they are ugly, stupid, unworthy, unloveable, unteachable, destined to be a slave to certain sins and habits their whole lives. I am confident in many areas of my life, but I have insecurities and low points that replay in my head at the most inopportune times that cause me not to try. Some people can’t even imagine their lives different from their current dysfunction. That cycle of mental pain is equal to be sifted, I think.

In what ways might you be tossed and torn about in anguish? Is your diet causing your demise? Are certain attitudes about yourself causing your life not to be abundant? Let’s pray for ourselves and one another that we can maintain our faith and love in God during trials and be willing to address those attitudes in our lives that cause us to continually fail.

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

James 4:7

Clean Living

Tags

about me, sin

Sometimes you just have to give stuff up. It may not be fair. Everyone else you know can handle having this thing in their life. But you might touch, taste, hear, see or feel something that can take you right off your path to righteousness.

I have been working out for the past two months. Though my clothes are looser and I feel a lot better, the scale is barely moving. I told my fit friend my dilemma and she told me, “you need to eat cleaner.” So I rationalized that I could have one cheat day a week, instead of a weekend. She said, “you deserve to eat clean everyday, no cheats.”

We make provisions for our flesh to try to hold on to our old old ways and make excuses to enjoy things that are not helpful in our lives. How many times do we say, ” well, let me do this just one more time,” or “I’ll do it tonight, and stay away from it for the rest of the week.” A weakness can be anything: food, people, drugs or alcohol, gossiping or any habit that keeps you from progressing. It can be a trivial thing that snowballs into destruction in your life.

I realized that my weight goals have been stagnant because I have been refusing to eat right and try to make good decisions every time I eat. I was using exercise as an excuse to eat whatever I want. There are some things we all need to examine in our lives and give up. Not because someone tells us we should, but because we know, deep inside, that bad behavior is blocking our blessings.

I know it is time for me to clean up some things in my life…not just in my diet, but in my personal life that I know are holding me back from blooming into the woman I want to be. Once we discern that something isn’t good for us, we have to have the courage and be brave enough to let it go.

Let us live and conduct ourselves honorably and becomingly as in the [open light of] day, not in reveling (carousing) and drunkenness, not in immorality and debauchery (sensuality and licentiousness), not in quarreling and jealousy.

But clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah), and make no provision for [indulging] the flesh [put a stop to thinking about the evil cravings of your physical nature] to [gratify its] desires (lusts)

Romans 13:13-14 (Amplified Bible)

Moonwalking From God

Tags

about me, diligence, sin

We often set big spiritual goals to walk like, talk like and be just like Jesus. Some of us vow to never think, feel, say or do certain things because they never want to turn back into the sinner they once were. People make goals to read the Bible in a year, once a day, pray for every meal and for everybody they know. As I write this blog, I know that I have set some lofty spiritual goals for myself, and lately, little by little, I have been backing away from them. For example, I have made the choice to embrace a lifestyle of healthier eating and exercise. But it is easy not to workout! I knew that before I set this goal for myself. Everyday I get further away from doing the things that I know God wants me to do. So how do I get back on the right track with God, and stop moonwalking away from what He wants from me?

The Apostle Paul understands how I feel. He puts it best when he confesses:

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

Romans 7:15

I know working out gives me energy, helps me sleep better, helps my mood and get me into all my favorite clothes. I actually enjoy doing it. So why is it so hard to maintain a schedule? We know that the goals we set are there to make us better people, but we let life get in the way. We succumb to laziness, procrastination, excuses, busy schedules and everything in between that stops of from being motivated. I know I try hard, so I know you try hard too.

Some people call this phenomenon “backslidding,” which reminds me of a person who is climbing a mountain and keeps falling due to the difficulty. Following God can feel like that, but I am calling this issue moonwalking because I want to talk to people who are not so far away from their relationship with God, and can get back with a few steps. Always remember that without daily interaction with God, it will be easy for life and the enemy to infiltrate and get in your way.

It is surely easier to do bad things than good. It’s easier for me to get a double cheeseburger than prepare a salad for lunch everyday. It is easier to sit on the couch and watch TV than to move my feet and sweat. It’s easier to read a gossip magazine than to chew on the Bible. We work so much and do so many thing, we are in a constant state of wanting to relax. And honestly, sometimes studying the Bible and a serious prayer session with God is the last thing on our list of things to do.

I am trying to remember that real growth and results come from diligence and discipline. Yes, God gives us grace, but He also gives us knowledge and wisdom to accomplish the things we need to do. Life will never be too difficult to accomplish spiritual goals.

I will be meditating on Galatians 6:9 that says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” If we hold tight to the things that God needs us to do, we will see the rewards of them. I know God wants to doing things for a reason, and slowly getting away from them just deters His work.

I know you have seen Michael Jackson do this infamous dance, just remember, as easy as it is for him to slide backwards, it is just that easy for him to turn around and moonwalk back in his original direction. As long as we don’t get too far away from the Word, we can make minor adjustments so that we can get back on track. As I write this for you, I write to motivate myself this week. Be strong, don’t faint and stop dancing away from the promises God has for you!

Stoning The Sluts: Fantasia and Queen Latifah Face the Mob

Tags

forgiveness, gossip, Jesus, sex, sin, women

Queen Latifah and her alleged boo

It’s easy to look down on somebody. Especially when you’ve been reading the Bible for a few months, and know how to shoo away a few problems using the Word. It’s easy to look at someone’s bad situation and conclude, “well, that’s what they get.” Fantasia is the current punching bag of the internet. The singer allegedly attempted suicide due to an affair with a married man that was exposed on the Web. There may even be a sex tape, and we all know media outlets would pay top dollar to embarrass the former American Idol. Even Queen Latifah, the beloved blockbuster movie star, is currently the victim of vicious rumors concerning her sexuality. Many think that these two women will surely lose their elite status in the hearts and wallets of Americans because they are doing wrong.

Suppose these rumors are true. What if Fantasia really is sleeping with a married man, and Miss Dana Owens is gay as the day is long? What kind of punishment, from their “fans” do they deserve? I remember hearing a Jill Scott concert, and she said, “I am smart, have high self esteem, nobody would suspect that I, too, fell in love with a married man.” If Fantasia can make that same mistake, what makes her so different from the rest of us? If Queen Latifah has indeed been hiding the sin of homosexuality, is she so different from us who hide gossiping, lying, cheating and stealing?

It feels good to stone the sluts in our lives. If we have to compare our sin to others, we always look more victorious. “I am just gossiping, covetous liar, but at least I’m not a cheater,” is the reality of how we think. So how do we deal with people who sin to the point of embarrassment, or live of life of sin with no desire to repent?

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

John 8:3-6

There is a story in the Bible about an adulteress woman, who is almost killed because she is discovered sinning. She could easily be Fantasia or Queen Latifah right now! She is caught cheating and a mob is ready to stone her because of her sin. The mob brings her before Jesus, and say, well, according the Law, we are supposed to stone her. So what should we do? Many times when people are exposed as sinners, the first people who want to ruin them are the religious folks! A person may approach a Christian and say, “you heard what happened to Jane, what you think about that?” You are being tested, just like Jesus was, to see how you will react. If you go on to verbally stone a sinner, you are wrong!

Jesus, being the amazing, logical man that He is, said to the mob, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 3:7) If any of us have never done anything where we deserved death, according to the Law, we can condemn others. But the man who is perfect on this Earth didn’t even condemn her!

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”"No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

John 8:9-11

Jesus saves us from our sins, when no one else will. Imagine that woman, a known slut, living in a city where the people tried to kill her. But Jesus Christ, the top, innovative thinker of the time, tells everyone she that she is not a slut. She is supposed to hold her head high and sin no more. That is her responsibility to do, after Jesus helps her.

Though Fantasia may be a sinner, she is hurting inside

So what can we do for these women, besides talk about them like we have never done anything bad in our lives? We can pray that someone ministers to them, and that they have the courage to pursue a changed life. It is not Christian-like or nice to stone people when they are exposed. Christians have the key to change and new life, and who are we to withhold that, and instead give hate? Having compassion toward people who need it the most is what Jesus would do. So we should do the same.

Sex In The City (In The Bible)

Tags

fashion, Jesus, movies, peace, relationships, sex, sin, women

They have nothing on the women in the Bible!

I feel like the only woman in the world who isn’t excited about the release of Sex In The City 2. Unless you have been living under a rock, or with your nose inside your Bible, the story chronicles the lives of four flirty and successful New York City socialites juggling men, money, clothes and careers in a fast city.

Their decadent lifestyles have gained them legions of followers who pattern their personal style after their adventures. My friends look at me crazy when I tell them I have never, really watched Sex In The City. Maybe a few of those edited episodes on TBS. Even though I love fashion and Carrie is a writer, the whole thing was never really appealing to me.

The Bible features many virtuous and strong women. But it also features tales of passion, indiscretion, dram and redemption. They might not have been as well dressed as Samantha and them, but their stories are just as fascinating! Here are some interesting lessons from some not so notable women of the Bible, that might teach you more than just the correct way to pronounce designer’s names.

Lot’s Wife (The Bag Lady)

Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the LORD out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

Genesis 19:24-27

Her story is not really a story. She is defined by a mistake she made. When God decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot and his family was allowed to escape and was told not to look back. Lot’s Wife, looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. How many of us women are delivered and set free from our bad circumstances and still look back at our past. The Bible tells us that this can destroy us. When God gives us a way of escape, He wants us to take it and run with it! Don’t let your past hold you up!

The Potiphar’s Wife (The  Lil’ Freak)

…Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”

But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.

Genesis 39:6-9

She spotted the slave boy Joseph and though he was hot. Even though she was the master’s wife, she stepped to him. Joseph told her no for two reasons. One out of respect for his earthly master, secondly for his respect of his spiritual master. Then, the Potiphar’s wife got upset and told her husband that Joseph tried to rape her! This woman was manipulative, a liar, a cheater and a drama queen! In these days, she would have been the rich and lonely housewife trying to sleep with the pool boy and ruin his reputation. Some women are guilty of being scandalous toward men, and using their sexuality to get whatever they want. And though it seemed like Joseph’s life was ruined by his decision not to sleep with her, it eventually put him in the position to save his family. Women today think it is something wrong with a man when he doesn’t want to sleep with them. He may be more dedicated to his work for God than his work between the sheets!

Abigail (Ms. No More Drama)

His name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband, a Calebite, was surly and mean in his dealings.

1 Samuel 25:3

Abigail was married to a rich and stubborn husband who didn’t know how to treat people. Her husband’s men were rude to David and his crew and wouldn’t give them any food to eat, even though they were polite and followed the protocol when entering their territory. To counter her husband’s ignorance, Abigail brought David and his men food and water, avoiding a possibly bloody situation. A few days later, Abigail’s husband died, the Bible says, “The Lord struck him. (1 Samuel 25:38)” David found out and ended up marrying Abigail.

Abigail was a peacemaker. We can learn from her to do all that we can to make peace. Women sometimes have the power to end a situation, and we should use that ability, not try to make men fight over us! She was also underestimated because she was pretty. Her first husband loved her because she was cute, but David saw that she was wise as well. She didn’t use her looks to solve the issue with David and her first husband; she used wisdom and kindness. In turn, David fell for her! How romantic!

The Adulterous Woman (Ms. Promiscuous Girl)

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”

John 8:3-5

Her people were about to stone her to death for being a whore. Back in the time of Jesus, and adulterous woman’s penalty for her sin was death. How many of us today would have been stoned due to her promiscuity? Certainly, our damsels from Sex In The City! But Jesus saved her! He infamously told the angry mob, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. (John 7:8)” Her only duty after being saved was to “go now and leave your life of sin. (John 7:11)”

People may see you as a person who deserves to die. People might treat you like the low down person you are or used to be. Even if you have been with every man in town, on the low or in public, God sees you as a person who deserves a second chance. Had it not been for Jesus, who can save us from any sin, this woman’s story would not be here today to tell of redemption, change and the goodness of Jesus Christ! Her life is a testimony, and we all should use our past mistakes in order to show off what God can do!

Why Are You Troubled?

Tags

character, John Stanko, sin

Via John Stanko

“No harm befalls the righteous,
but the wicked have their fill of trouble” – 12:21.

This verse does not mean the righteous never have any struggles, but their struggles are not due to their wicked deeds. God uses their struggles to build character, while the trouble of the wicked is to judge sin and lead to repentance. Are you rejoicing in your trials, knowing that God is in control of your life?  If you are going through tough times and wonder why the wicked are not, read Psalm 94 to be encouraged today.

Easter is More Than Just Cute Dresses & Peeps

Tags

easter, forgiveness, Jesus, sin

This time of year, most people are dyeing eggs, buying chocolate bunnies and pulling out their pastels to celebrate a holiday they know nothing about. Easter commemorates the day that Jesus Christ rose from his tomb after being crucified. It is the cornerstone of the Christian faith and not really a light and playful holiday.

I’m not a Bible scholar or anything, so please correct me on things that I misinterpret or am unclear about. I see Easter as a time for Christians to reaffirm what we believe in and reexamine our choices and decisions as keepers of the promises of Christ. It is also a time for us to explain our faith to non-Christians and offer them the gift of eternal life that we have received.

Here are a few things to think about during this solemn time in our faith:

Jesus forgives our sins

Both Judas and Peter sin against Jesus before he is crucified. Judas reveals the location of Jesus to the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14). Peter denies that he knows Jesus three times (Matthew 26:69-75). Is one of those sins worse than the other? The important thing to know is that Jesus knew that both of these men would sin against him. He knew that he had to go through this experience to save mankind. He depended on the shortcomings of man to be able  to carry out his mission. Peter was remorseful for his betrayal and handled it the way that God wanted.Judas decided to take his sorrow in his own hands.

Peter repents almost immediately after he commits his sin (Matthew 26: 75) and after Jesus is ressurrected, he treats Peter as if no sin had been committed. He eats breakfast with him and commands him to continue spreading the word of the Gospel! (John 21:1-25) It is amazing that God will forgive us, in spite of how bad we have been, if we only turn to Him with our issues instead of trying to handle them ourselves. It is nothing too big or too bad that God won’t help us change into better people.

Judas sought forgiveness from the people who got him into the terrible situation of betrayal, and tried to give back the earthly reward he received, instead of repenting to God. (Matthew 27:3-5) How many times do we get ourselves into bad situations and look to people and not God for forgiveness? Of course, the chief priests do not forgive Judas, which causes him horrible grief and he hangs himself. It is important that we remember that Jesus forgives and is a comforter, even when people remember our sin.

The easy route isn’t always what God wants for us

When Jesus told the disciples he had to go to Jerusalem and he had to be persecuted, Peter got upset and tried to prevent it (Matthew 16:22). Jesus then told him:

But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” Matthew 16:23

We have to be CAREFUL during our trials and problems, that we don’t take a route that is easy and averts us of our mission.  When we know, just like Jesus knew, we have a hard and scary time ahead of us, a lot of the times we shy away from the task because we feel like we can’t handle physical or emotional pain. That may be our plan, or the plan of our friends and enemies to take the easy road…but that is NOT always God’s plan.

We also have to seek the wisdom and teachings of God and not of our friends. Imagine if Jesus would have listened to Peter and not went ahead with this important mission! Our loved ones are attached to us emotionally and want us to make decisions that keep us close to them. Though they may mean well, they do not know the mind of God and what He wants for you. So we have to pray that we are strong enough to say no to people who ask us to do something safe when you know that God has told you to do something risky.

I pray that you attend a Bible based church this Sunday that can teach you about Jesus’ sacrifice on Easter and how we can learn to be better Christians because of it. I pray that you believers will invite a non-believer to church with you who will learn how this ultimate sacrifice has given us all a new chance at life.

Because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we don’t have to do anything  to be in God’s love. Believing that Jesus is your savior, asking God to forgive you and to help you to change is all we have to do to be saved!

Here is another scripture for you to think upon during this solemn time:

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world 1 John 2:1-2