Who Are You Allowing To Grade Your Paper

This morning I have spent time with my daughter in conversation.  The topic of conversation quickly became Christian camp.  The Holy Spirit immediately began to lead my thoughts and open my eyes to His reality.  

My husband and I never went to "church camp".  I'm guessing that is the leading factor in why we never sent our children.  Until this last summer that is.  Our two older children never went.  Our daughter (the youngest) had been told about a certain camp by her friend's sister.  She came home telling us all about it.  Honestly, we heard her but we didn't listen to her in the beginning.  But, thank God, she was relentless in her pursuit of going to this Christian camp.  Eventually, we googled the camp and did some research.  I was first put off by the expense and then put off even more when I realized we would have to make a few purchases for things required for her to go to camp.  But, thank God again, we eventually chose to give this Christian camp a go.  Our daughter was 12 at the time.  

We waited in an extremely long line and went through the check-in process.  In complete trust of our Lord, we left our daughter with complete strangers and as we drove home I prayed to God and asked Him to keep His arms of protection around our little girl.  A week later, we picked her up and it was obvious she had enjoyed her time at Christian camp.  I was extremely eager to hear of her experiences.  She gave us a general idea of how her week went.  But, today (about three months later) she gave us a more in depth, deeper understanding of how that week was for her.  

I've heard from many people that some of their best days were at church camp.  I've also heard from others that church camp is where a lot of mischief takes place.  So please understand I get there are two sides to every coin.  

What I've learned through my daughter's eyes today fully assisted by the Holy Spirit is this:

1.  No matter where we are, no matter the circumstances we face, no matter who is present - God is there and available to us.  

2.  It is up to us as individuals and as His Church to foster and nurture His presence.  We can so easily be distracted by our choices to settle for less than He desires to give. 

Let me put this into a life application perspective.  If you have read any of my blogs or watched any of my Authentic Confessions you know I professed to be a Christian for 21 years until the age of 37.  Then Jesus pulled me out of the dungeon of dark death I was living in and pulled me up into His light!  He literally turned on the light of my spirit.  Life has never since been the same, thank you Jesus!  But here's the deal.  My oldest children at that time were 16 and 18 years old.  My daughter was 12.  I had raised my children with the only perspective I knew.  That perspective was mine, all mine.  I did not have a relationship with Jesus Christ, I did not depend on the Holy Spirit for guidance and discernment, I did not possess any fruit of the Spirit, I did not look to God for answers, and lastly, I did not ever read my Bible.  I knew what people had told me aboutGod and I knew what I had been taught about the Bible.  But, I certainly did not KNOW God and I did not KNOW His Word.  So, needless to say I raised my children the best I knew how up to that point.  But when this whole new world, the Spiritual world, was introduced to me - I immediately saw everything through new lenses.  This was the beginning of my relationship with Jesus Christ, my Lord!

In the past I had placed priority on making sure that everyone in my family was putting their best foot forward, doing what they were supposed to be doing.  Whether it be showing up to school on time, whether it be getting good grades, whether it be wearing the right clothes, whether it be saying and doing the "right thing."  {Self-admitedly a control freak - in recovery!}  Those things are what mattered most.  Think about that.  What mattered most in my past was appearance.  And it did not end at the appearance of life.  I had taught my children that what mattered most was the appearance we projected determined where we would get and what we would get in this world.  People's opinions of the appearance we were showing is all that mattered. Okay, that's a bit wordy and hard to follow.  Let me give it another shot.  

Take school for example.  At one point in our country long, long ago education was Christ-centered.  Not only did one wake up in this physical world knowing about our Lord Jesus Christ, our day revolved around the Lord Jesus Christ in His Spirit.  Slowly over time we faded Him out of our education (not to mention some of our American churches).  One person would feel offended and that dominoed into choices that eventually completely took God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit out of our schools.  The result of that was more and more sin, teaching self-worth, self-esteem, self-this and self-that.  For a follower of Jesus Christ one understands the danger in self.  We recognize and honor and glory in the fact that mankind was made by Him and for Him!  We should desire to be loyal to Him. Our choices and actions should be a reflection of that desire.  In fact, that is the case.

                                                                                    Our Desires = Our Choices 

But how difficult do we make it for ourselves when our loyalty is to us?  And how difficult have we made it for ourselves when loyalty to self is what we choose to teach our children AND our children's children?  Then we have the audacity to look to God and ask, "Why do you allow bad things to happen to good people?"  We ask Him, "If You are real and a loving God, why did You let ________________ happen?"  

One lens that The Holy Spirit provides is to know a tree (human) by their fruit (actions).  Another lens is He provides and guides our spirit in is - reaping what we sow.  The Holy Spirit of our Creator, our magnificent Designer, our all sufficient Sacrifice, our Savior, our Lord, our Redeemer, our Best Friend, our Bridegroom is the source of our joy!  He is the source of our power, the source of our love and the source of our self-discipline!  So why America do we step by step keep shoving our Source out of our lives?  Out of our homes, out of our schools, out of our work places, out of our churches, and worst of all - out of our minds?  He is The Source of life and breath!  

Wake up America!  Who have we been allowing to grade our papers?  Whose opinion have we been seeking?  I encourage you to consider from the moment He wakes you up in the morning to the moment He puts you to sleep at night - You are writing a paper in every waking hour of every single day.  There is but one teacher's grade that matters.  Fellow human beings, brothers and sisters - Our Teacher loves us and commands what is best for us.  He has provided gigantic blessings, grace and mercy for every single one of us.  

Take the concept of living in a world of caring what peoples' opinions are.  If you live of those OPINIONS - you are living IN POISON.  Go ahead...write out the word opinions.  You'll discover one letter at a time it spells out IN POISON.  

Who will you allow to grade your paper today?

The Big "Christian" Misconception

My brother recently told me that some people he had spoken with about Jesus were under the impression that one has to be perfect to be a Christian.  My heart broke when I heard this.  But then, I remembered that up until about a year ago, I thought the same thing.  I had strived all my life to be perfect, even though I knew I would never be successful at it.  The harder I attempted to reach perfection the further I would fall.  Each fall provided a deeper level of disappointment and depression.  

I began to settle in to the self-discussion of why SO MANY humans are under this impression.  The answer is easy now, but...when you're still under that impression - now that's where things get more difficult to navigate.  

First of all, every human being is a sinner.  Some have reached the point in their life and (more importantly) their faith that they have come to know the fact that they are sinners and some will even discuss their sins with you.  On the other hand, there are many that carry the weight of their garbage on their shoulders.  Not only do they carry it on their shoulders, they do their best to run as fast as they can so no one will discover what secrets are inside the garbage on their shoulders.  I know this all too well.  I ran, and ran, and ran for 37 years all the while weighted down with TONS of garbage and secrets.  Add fear to the garbage and running and that equals exhaustion.  

When I reached the point of complete exhaustion and emptiness, the first thing I easily understood was that I was a sinner.  No matter how hard I lived to be perfect - I would never reach perfection.  Okay, so I understood I was a sinner but what's next?  Well, being that I was completely empty at this point, having no energy left to keep carrying my "secret garbage" I had nothing more to lose.  I knew what I needed to do.  Next for me was admitting this out loud to someone.  "That someone" that I needed to admit a secret to was my husband.  It was not easy.  In fact, it was extremely difficult.  Confessing a secret that had been eating me up inside to the one person that had every reason to hate me proved to be one of the best conversations I've ever had.  And on the other side of that conversation was Jesus Christ!  I can't even put words to the feelings that followed.  There's only one word that could come even close - that word - FREEDOM!  It wasn't until I emptied my garbage of secrets that I felt authentic forgiveness.  Yes, I felt forgiveness from my husband, but what I'm talking about is the forgiveness of Jesus Christ!  In that moment I knew how crazy loved I was.  I knew how incomprehensibly forgiven I was.  I felt complete and total acceptance from Jesus Christ.  The more I think about it, the One that has every reason to hate me more than my husband would be Jesus. God is love and He created human beings.  He knew we would be sinners, He knew sin is what would separate us from Him for all of eternity.  Knowing this and feeling the love toward us as He does, He provided A WAY for us to be reconciled back to Him.  He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to live a perfect life, to suffer the death of a sinner (your death and mine), to suffer the wrath of God for ALL OUR SINS, and rose Him from the dead to provide THE WAY for our salvation.  The word salvation actually means to be rescued from danger.  RESCUED FROM DANGER.  Wow!  How amazing is our God!  He loves us so much.  You do not have to continue in your life of sin (danger)!  God has provided His Son for our rescue! So yes, most definitely there are people out there that believe since they claim to be a Christian that they are perfect  now and unfortunately they are living in this world as judgmental hypocrites.  I'm not hating on these people, I'm asking right now for you to join me in prayer for them.  Pray that God opens their eyes to His Truth and not one more person will be turned away from Christ because of their misunderstanding of whom He is.  In fact, IF perfection were possible without Christ, Jesus Christ would be useless to Christianity.  Christ calls us to be disciples.  He wants us to believe Him, trust Him, listen to Him as He guides our steps in this life on earth!  That's it!  And don't misunderstand me.  It requires some effort on your part.  You know the kind of effort we all put into the relationships we have in this world.  You need to get to know Him.  The best ways to get to know Him is by talking to Him (praying) and listening/watching for a response and also, it is vital that you read the Bible.  This is His Word. In His Word He reveals what He wants you to know about Him.  He shares what pleases Him and what doesn't.  Not so you have to earn His love, but so you know what the proper response is to His love!  And also so you can experience abundant life!  He knows doing life His Way is the only Way to experience abundant life.  Seeing as He is the Creator and I am a teeny, tiny part of His creation, I certainly trust His guidance.  

His love, His salvation is a free gift. You see, He has already prepared the good works for you to accomplish when He gives His strength and power to do so.  Oh what a Mighty God we have the opportunity to be in relationship with!  He has an open door policy.  He is available anywhere at any time!  He hears our hearts!  He alone knows our hearts!

So, to make my long story short, Christianity is NOT ABOUT BEING PERFECT!  It is about daily belief and trust in the Creator of the Universe.  Our Abba Father, through His Son!  The most important and fulfilling relationship you will ever have.  Do you believe that He loves you and wants what is best for you?  If so, start talking to God and then open your Bible and start reading!   

I love you guys!  Grace and Space for everyone - no matter what it looks like!  

 

Living In His Love, 

Angie

Born Dead

We are all born with hearts and it's up to us what we do with them.  Earlier today, I was flooded with the realization that this is what our problem is.  All of us have good hearts, God created them!  We simply have them in the wrong place.  What I mean by that is we live with them as if WE can create, through others and things, the happiness and desires we so long for.  Therefore, over time they have become hardened by us searching for our joy within this world.  We search for our happiness in People.  Things.  Money.  Fame.  Affairs.  Education.  Careers.  Porn.  Control.  And the list could go on and on.  That is at the very CORE ROOT of human beings issues.  When we are born, we are born with a flesh that is alive and a spirit that is dead.  Okay, don't freak out!  But, do pay close attention.  About two weeks ago as I was reading I came upon this Scripture and the Holy Spirit highlighted two words in a verse like never before.  (I was reading in a side-by-side of KJV and Amplified Version.)

KJV I Corinthians 15:8  And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.  

AMP I Corinthians 15:8  And last of all He appeared to me also, as to one prematurely and born dead [no better than an unperfected fetus among living men].  

Okay, the two words highlighted were: born dead.  BORN DEAD 

Wow!  That shed some light.  In fact, it glared one of the biggest LED lights that I'd ever seen!  What Paul, the writer of this letter to the Corinthians was speaking about is when Jesus appeared to him.  You see Paul was going around leading a mission persecuting the people that followed Christ.  Yes, Paul, the writer of most of the New Testament was leading the way of torturing and imprisoning the Christians, before his encounter with the Lord.  And on his way to Damascus to persecute more Christians, out of no where, the Lord appeared to Paul.  He describes that encounter in I Corinthians 15:8, as one born out of due time or born dead or an unperfected fetus among living men.  Now that little nugget of information was incredibly enlightening!  Amazing.  It's been there in the Bible all these years and I never knew.  Immediately I realized I was born with living flesh and a dead spirit.  Which then led to the deeper understanding of an earlier realization I had that when we are all born, we are born headed straight for hell.  Which Scripturally is death.  So what the Holy Spirit did for me was He connected the dots which led to a deeper understanding.   

That makes Scriptures like:

NKJV Galatians 5:19-21  Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are:  adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outburst of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  

NKJV Galatians 5:24-25  And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

NKJV Ephesians 2:1-10  And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.  4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.  10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. 

NKJV Galatians 6:8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.  

NKJV Romans 7:5  For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.

NKJV Romans 8:5-8 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.  6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.  8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.  

come ALIVE to me!  That one golden nugget of information that we are born with a flesh that is alive and a spirit that is dead cleared even more residue off the lenses I had been seeing life with.  

Romans 8:7-8 gives us an incredible amount of knowledge in just two short sentences.  Have you ever realized that if you are living of your flesh that YOU ARE enmity AGAINST GOD and cannot please him?  Don't take my word for it, take God's Word for it.  

This is just one example of how Jesus, through His Holy Spirit, makes me fall in love with Him more and more everyday.  Just when you think you can't possibly love someone anymore than you already do - BAM!  He pulls another fast one over on you and you are deeper in love with Jesus than you already were.  Oh, how I love Him!  Those moments when He opens my eyes and heart just a sliver more than He did the last time are what I yearn to experience.  He is nothing short of superfragilisticexpealodochtious!  Or however one would go about spelling that word!  :)  

So, in summary - when one is born into this world they are born with a dead spirit.  There is only one person that can quicken that dead spirit.  That is the Lord Himself, Jesus Christ!  So, no matter how old you are or what you have been reaping in the flesh, it is never too late (as long as you are breathing) to surrender your whole being to Jesus.  Your entire life.  Jesus has already done all the work for you.  He lived on this Earth and suffered the worst persecution of any of us.  So He completely understands why you have been conducting yourself the way you have been.  He died for YOU so He wouldn't have to hold it against you.  He took all your sins and bad choices to the cross with Him.  He suffered the punishment you deserve so you wouldn't have to. 

Think of it this way.  He is the Creator of all things.  He even created your desires.  Now, you might not know it quite yet, but your biggest desire that you have been longing for all your life is...Him!  Jesus Christ is who your heart has longed for all your life, Jesus Christ has the only love that fulfills COMPLETELY! Many of you have acknowledged Him as your Creator but have yet to come to know Him as Savior.  {Matthew 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.}  Will you turn from your way and believe Christ?

KJV Ezekiel 36:26  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.  

Living in His Love,

Angie 

Grace and Space for you and for others, always, no matter what it looks like!

Choose Your Father

This remembering came into my spirit a few months ago.  I wasn't sure exactly how to deliver the message then, but I am certain now!  This remembering I am talking about is:  "Choose Your Father."  

Allow me for a moment to be blunt and to the point.  God created the Heavens and the Earth.  He also created all mankind (males and females).  At some point this fallen (from Heaven) angel arrives on Earth and deceives the mankind that God created.  So there you have it, that fallen angel won the trust of God's created humans.  Therefore, he is now the father of mankind on Earth.  

Now, for a not so blunt version:  God lost His people to Satan.  Not God's plan.  Our choice.  Adam and Eve were given a choice (free will) when Satan arrived on scene in the form of a cunning serpent.   God had specifically given Adam a warning before Eve came along.  That warning was:  NKJV Genesis 1: 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."  

At some point Adam had to have relayed the message to Eve that he had received from God because when the cunning serpent appeared to Eve she had knowledge of the commandment/warning that God had given to Adam.  

Note here:  

That the serpent approached Eve.  At that point she was given a choice (free will).  

The choice before her was:  Am I going to BELIEVE and TRUST what my husband told me God said? 

                                                                                                      OR

                                                  Am I going to BELIEVE and TRUST what this cunning serpent is telling me?

Unfortunately for us, Eve chose the later.  She chose to BELIEVE and TRUST what the cunning serpent said.  How do we know that was her choice?  Simply because of the action she took.  She ate of the fruit.  And what's worse, is she now became the first temptation to her husband as she gave him the fruit to eat of.  And so...

The choice before Adam was:  Am I going to BELIEVE and TRUST what my Father God told me?

                                                                                                          OR

                                                  Am I going to BELIEVE and TRUST what my wife is telling me to do?  

Unfortunately for us, Adam gave into the temptation to BELIEVE and TRUST his wife over his Father God.  How do we know that was his choice?  Simply because of the action he took.  He ate of the fruit.  

KJV Genesis 3: 7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. 8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.  

We can only imagine the dis-comfort, fear, shame, embarrassment, stress and anxiety that they felt once their eyes were opened and realized their nakedness.  How do we know this might be what they felt?  Because of the action they took:  they hid themselves from the presence of God.  

It was just seven verses earlier that Adam and Eve were in complete bliss.  Genesis 2: 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.  

Well, here is the beginning of OUR story.  Although we were not there and we didn't make the choice to (buy) BELIEVE and TRUST what the subtle and crafty serpent was selling, we are the later generations of the same creation.  Therefore, we were born into that same Earth that Adam and Eve were and since, through their free will, they both chose to BELIEVE and TRUST the cunning serpent, we were born into a fallen (lost) world.  

So, in my own words - The choice before God, before the creation of the world was:  

Am I going to allow the enemy to keep my created humans for himself?

                                                     OR

Am I going to provide a way for them to find their way back to me?

So, in my last blog "Birth Into A World Of Lies", I mention that God is on a mission and invites us to come along.  Now, here's the beauty of our Creator.  He wasn't going to settle for that being the ending of His Story.  Oh no, certainly NOT!  He created mankind for His Son's Glory.  {Colossians 1} 

Fortunately for us, God loves us.  He created us for His glory!  He was not about to let the story end here.  So yes, the enemy (Satan) temporarily won.  But God kept writing the story!  He chose to provide a way for us to find our way back to Him!  The Way He provided, we have no right to question.  In fact, we have no right to question anything of God.  He is the Creator, we are the creation.  It's that simple.  I'm not certain about you, but for me - I am so extremely grateful and thankful to my Creator that He chose to provide me a Way back to Him!  I don't have one iota of a "problem" with how He did it.  In fact, the Way in which He provided for me to find my way back home produces within me nothing other than love for His Son, Jesus Christ.  I love that Man with every fiber of my being.  I long for Him, daily.  I desire only to please Him.  My only desire IS Him.  I love Him with all my heart, soul, mind and strength.  

So there it is everyone, the mission I spoke of in my last blog.  God is on a mission to win His people back!  The first question is:

1.  Are you going to accept His invitation of love, acceptance, mercy and grace?  

  (If your answer is Yes, proceed to question #2).

2.  Do you acknowledge God as your Spiritual Father?  

This means you acknowledge Him as your Creator.  You acknowledge you are a sinner that falls short of the glory of God meaning you have been a slave of sin and obeying the enemy and you were headed straight to hell.  You acknowledge you need a Savior.  You acknowledge God's Way is the ONLY Way.  You acknowledge the Way He provided for you to come back to Him is the ONLY way.  {John 14:6}  You are saved by grace through faith {Ephesians 2:8}.  God even gifts you the faith in which to BELIEVE and TRUST Him with!  You don't earn God's love, He loves you as you are.  But, His desire is to change your heart.  Will you allow and make space for Him to do that?  (If yes, proceed to question #3).

3.  Are you willing to BELIEVE and TRUST God as your Spiritual Father?  

Then he commands you to follow His Son, Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ lived on this Earth, was made fun of, mocked, spit upon, beaten, tortured, and murdered on a cross.  The blood He shed was for you.  His blood is the only thing that will make you pure in God's sight.  Jesus died, was buried, and rose again!  {I Corinthians 15}  Do you BELIEVE and TRUST that God forsook His own Son so He didn't have to forsake you?  (If yes, proceed to question 4).

4.  Are you willing to follow Jesus Christ?  

Then you will first need to get to know Him.  The way you do this is through prayer and reading His Word to you (The Bible).  You need to ask Jesus for forgiveness of your sins.  Share your heart with Him.  He knows it all (your heart) anyway, but He desires for you to share it with Him. Ask Jesus to baptize you with the Holy Spirit.  {John 1:33, 15:26}  After you pray, ACCEPT the acceptance that He offers you.  Bathe in His love.  Will you do this?    (If yes, proceed to question 5).

DO NOT SKIP THIS - IT IS VITAL 

DO NOT DO AS ADAM AND TAKE SOMEONE'S WORD FOR IT

TAKE IT STRAIGHT FROM THE CREATOR'S MOUTH (WORD)

5.  Are you willing to read your Bible?

Listen to Him.  Believe and Trust Him.  Obey Him.  Talk to Him.  Build your relationship with Him, EVERY DAY.  Watch Him change your heart.  Observe how everything changes.  Especially your perspective on life and the motivations in which you live it.  You see, when Jesus died, our connection to Him didn't die.  He gives us a Comforter, Guide, and Advocate in which to live this life on Earth.  That Comforter is the Holy Spirit.  He will become your new BEST FRIEND.  He is the open highway of communication between you and God.  He is God's Spirit.  God's Spirit lives within you.  YES, He lives inside you!  As you read your Bible, the Holy Spirit will convict your heart of the choices you've been making and He will show you the way Jesus commands for you to live.  If you truly BELIEVE and TRUST God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit - you will take action.  The Holy Spirit convicts you in a way that allows  Jesus to rule over your life.  You will acknowledge you weren't created to serve yourself.  You will come to acknowledge that this life you are living is for His glory!  You will come to acknowledge that this life you are living is your response to God's love for you.  You will experience abundant life here on Earth!  {John 10:10}

I'm not going to even attempt to tell you what all will change in your life.  But, I will tell you to be prepared!  Be prepared to feel love and acceptance like you have longed for all your life.  Be prepared for a lot of things to start changing, starting with your heart.  Whatever you do, DO NOT STOP praying (talking to God) and DO NOT STOP reading your Bible.  

If you do not have a Bible and want one, email me, text me, call me, Facebook message me.  Contact me and I will get you one.  No questions asked!  

If you have any questions please ask them.  I may not know the answer, but I will certainly do my very best to get you the one God reveals in His Word.  

Oh, one last thing, and most importantly, I will not tell you that you have now been saved.  That is not my call.  

John 5: 22  For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

             

              23  That all men, should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father.  He that honoureth not the Son 

                    honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

             

             24   Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath 

                    everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.   

If the Father says not even He judges, but the Son - I, a mere human being will never tell anyone and give false security that one's soul has been saved.  But, what I will tell you is stay in constant communication with Jesus through the Holy Spirit.  Pray, read your Bible and act on what He moves you to do.  No one...no man, no woman, no one decides if you are saved, except Jesus.  Your salvation, now that's Jesus' judgement call to make!  

Now, one last thing.  CHOOSE YOUR FATHER.  Not just this once after reading this.  Choose your father, every day!  Who will you choose to BELIEVE and TRUST?

Living with His love,

Angie

Grace and Space always, for you and for others, no matter what it looks like!

Birth Into A World of Lies

My re-birth in Christ has taken me on a journey I never saw coming!  It (my re-birth) has produced some radical changes in my life.  I have only God to thank for these changes!   

I just completed Authentic Confessions #18 last night and still waiting for the video to upload.  But, I just had to share more thoughts.  In that video I mention how all my life (the previous 37 years) I had it wrong.  I was nothing but a self-centered human being which resulted in many things.  

Those results were:

Depression, anxiety, fear, anger, hatred, loneliness, guilt, shame, stress, lust, lies, deceitfulness, embarrassment, manipulation, wearing masks (metaphorically speaking), being fake, and most of all in-authenticity.  Now, with a list of those character traits how happy and fulfilling do you think my life was?  Yep, my existence was pretty miserable.  Even though I had every thing in the world to be thankful and grateful for, my existence was miserable most of the time.  Not just was I miserable, but I'm almost certain the people that crossed my path weren't impacted in a positive way with the above list being what showed up in their presence.  

The above list was the product of my sin filled life that was self-centered, lived from the flesh for the temporary things of this world I was originally born into.  I never set out or had intentions of living a sin filled life.  I had a good heart.  I loved people.  I was also considerate and kind.  But, I was living for me.  It just happened that way.  It is our default.  You see, I was blind to the fact that from the moment I was born into this world from my mother's womb, I was born into a world that is temporarily "managed" by the devil.  (**But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 NKJV)  

I had heard about born-again Christians.  The whole thing just never made sense to me.  It wasn't until by His grace through His gift of faith to me that it became crystal clear.  It wasn't until I was born-again, baptized with the Holy Spirit by Jesus Christ, that this made complete sense.  So I will do my best to share with you what has been unveiled for me through the Scriptures.  

I.  God created the heavens and the earth.  (Genesis 1)

II.  The serpent beguiles Eve.  (Genesis 3)

        a.  The serpent - Revelation 12:7-12

             This is where we receive our warning in Scripture.  ** Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and sea!  

             For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.              

             Revelation 12:12 NKJV

       

        b.  ** Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders.  Yes, all of you be submissive to one       

                  another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."  

                  Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting 

                  all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil 

                  walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.  1 Peter 5:5-8 NKJV

       

        c. ** Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also  

                 came among them.  

                 And the LORD said to Satan, "From where do you come?"  So Satan answered the LORD and said,           

                "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it."  Job 1:6-7 NKJV

       

        d.  **  And no wonder!  For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.  Therefore it is no great 

                   thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be 

                   according to their works.  2 Corinthians 11:14-15 NKJV

       

        e.  **  Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from 

                   God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.  Why do you not understand My speech?  Because       

                   you are not able to listen to My word.  You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father 

                   you want to do.  He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in truth, because there is no     

                   truth in him.  When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.  

                   John 8:42-44  NKJV

       

         f.  Jesus said:  **  Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath 

                                      nothing in me.  John 14:30 KJV

         g. **  Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, "O full of 

                   all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease  

                   perverting the straight ways of the Lord?  Acts 13:9-10 NKJV

         

Before my re-birth in Christ, I knew the devil existed.  I had some crazy idea that if I ever encountered him (first of all it would be in a physical sense) he would be red, dressed in black with a cape, demonic looking, have horns and be holding a pitchfork.  Not sure where this crazy mental vision of him was seeded in my mind.  But, considering that he is the father of lies, I can only imagine it was planted at a very young age and stuck like glue.  Post re-birth in Christ - I completely understand how insanely ludicrous that mental picture is.  The devil is real.  He disguises himself as an angel of light.  He is the prince of this world. ----> The one we're all originally born into.  Not only is he real and the prince of this world, but he is mad and out for revenge.  AND, he is not alone.  A third of the angels fell with him.  He's not going to and fro on this earth alone, he has helpers.  Helpers in deceiving us and keeping us blinded from the truth.  By default, since the fall discussed in Genesis Ch. 3, we are first born into this world servants of the devil.  This became clear to me when I read Roman 5:12.  

Our relationship/union with our Creator and Father was fractured and broken the moment Adam and Eve put their faith and trust into what the serpent led them to believe.  Therefore, every human since has been separated from God since the day they were born as Romans 3:23 Scripture tells us that we all fall short of the glory of God.  That very same Scripture goes on to tell us that the only way we are justified is by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.  The only way for us to be reconciled back to God is through Christ.  Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me."  John 14:6 NKJV

Now I remember being 16 sitting in a church building and it was time for the alter call.  I raised my hand and prayed a prayer.  I went to the front and stood while the congregation clapped.  A few weeks later I was water baptized.  Then, I exited those church doors to, at best, open my Bible once every couple of years.  All the while, believing what I had been told - that I was saved.  Now I'm here to tell you from personal experience, I was lied to.  I believed what that pastor told me.  I believed I was saved.  Yeah, I believed I was saved from hell.  But the truth of the matter is...that was just another lie from the devil.  Not one time have I yet read in the Bible that raising your hand and praying a prayer saves you.  Not once.  Not one time have I read that going to a building called a "church" saves you.  Not once. What I have read is God's desire for us to TRUST and BELIEVE in His Son, Jesus Christ!  Not ourselves, not what someone who attended seminary tells us once a week in a building called church, not ANY man.  But, do we truly trust and believe what He tells us in His word?   The thing is, there is only one way to have assurance of your salvation.  That is to know His Word, Believe His Word, and Trust His Word.  I knew what the world told me to be "saved" was, but it looked nothing like what God tells me in His Scriptures.  God is on a mission and He has invited us to come along and join Him.  Please, don't trust me, rather read your Bible and let the Holy Spirit open your eyes and heart to hear God speaking to you.  

The more I read my Bible and embrace the new life He has gifted me, I experience Him teaching me and guiding me through His Spirit to live by faith for my eternal life.  Clearly my first 37 years of life were led by my works of the flesh and produced sins and behaviors that are explained in Galatians 5:19-21.  But now, THANKS, GLORY and PRAISE be to God that my life now produces what is explained in Galatians 5:22-26.  Now don't get me wrong, I still mess up.  A LOT!  But seeing as how He has transformed my heart and life not to be dependent on me any longer, but to be dependent on Him for absolutely everything, including forgiveness...I sleep much better at night as I rest in His love for me!  Abba, I am yours!  

One last Scripture to close with:

What then?  Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?  Certainly not!  Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?  But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.  And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.  I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh.  For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.  For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.  What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed?  For the end of those things is death.  But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 6:15-23 NKJV

I love you! But most importantly, Jesus Loves You!

Grace and Space to you and others, always, no matter what it looks like.

Love ~ Angie

You've got to be kidding me! But thank God You're not!

I remember like it was yesterday.  This particular moment when I was reading my Bible and came upon a scripture that stopped me in my tracks.  It was this scripture:

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.  Colossians 1:16-17 KJV

I was very new (still am) at reading the Bible.  I was new at seeking God.  I was brand new at this whole other world the Holy Spirit had introduced me to.  All I had known of God was what I had heard in church sermons the few times I had attended throughout my life.  So obviously I didn't know much about God and I had just a few months before had the encounter of a lifetime with Jesus.  So at this point in my journey I was on a mission to get to know God.  I was reading the Bible hours a day and absorbing as much as my mind and heart could hold.  As I was reading I came to the above scripture in Colossians.  I read it over and over again.  No matter how many times I read it, the words stayed the same.  I had read it correctly after all.  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.  Did you catch that?  All things were created by him, and FOR HIM.  What?  (Lots of thoughts started wrestling in my head, body slamming each other, and punches and kicks all over the place).  What?  Why didn't anybody ever tell me that?  Why on earth have I always thought I was created to make the happiest life I could for myself?  I always had the impression that this life I was living was about, well yeah, you guessed it...me.  

Now this might be common knowledge to most of you, so please be patient with me for a few minutes.  But this was the biggest news I had received in my life.  I wasn't created for me, I was created for Jesus Christ!  This was the best news I had ever heard!  No wonder for 37 years no matter how nice and kind and considerate I was, no matter how much I did for anyone else, no matter any thing I did I eventually found myself failing.  I was who I was, based on a false idea that God created me for me to be happy.  I'm not by any means saying that I don't think God wants us to be happy.  In fact, I know He does.  I had already read that scripture...John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:  I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.     The epiphany I awoke to was that I had it wrong from step one and from day one.  Somewhere, somehow, I had the idea that my life was all about me.  The moment the Holy Spirit helped me see that I had lived my life all these years with the wrong lenses was the moment everything changed in my life.  What a relief I felt!  Number one I finally knew the truth of why I was even created in the first place and secondly, now I had a purpose!  A clear defined purpose!  

From that moment on my life would never be the same.  It was that moment, that scripture that changed my future!  I now had TRUTH lenses on and took off the FALSE lenses.  Actually, that's not true.  The Holy Spirit did that for me.  I can't and won't take credit for the whole lens thing.  It was all Him, not me.  I am so very thankful to God for allowing that truth to be revealed to me.  Like I stated earlier, this might be common knowledge for most of you, but I certainly never had a clue.  Now I do.  Just that one truth being revealed to me changed the meaning of the scriptures as I continued to read that day and have everyday since.  The amazing thing is the Holy Spirit does that (surprise! got you again!) almost every time I read my Bible!  He opens my eyes more and more as I read my Bible.  The words on those pages truly do have life in them!  How could they not, they are God's words!  Those words are God's message to me.  And to you.  Those words are His love preserved for me and you!  Those words are the the biggest and most important of the (many, many) ways He provides for us to know Him.  The Holy Bible, in the way I see it, is God in black and white for us!  

Love you guys!

More importantly, Jesus loves you!

Grace and Space for you and for others always, no matter what it looks like! 

  

Grace and Space

It has been a year now since God drew me near to Jesus.  (No man come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6:44)  It was a moment in my car.  I was listening to a CD of Mitch McVicker and the song was Don't Let Your Heart Be Troubled.  All of the sudden, I had this knowledge given to me that I was not alone and I need not be afraid.  

You see, about two and a half years before this moment in my car, something very traumatic happened in my home.  A man entered my home uninvited and came to murder me.  I was home alone.  (I have made videos on YouTube that go into greater detail if interested.)  I was held hostage in my own home at gunpoint.  After an hour and a half or so, only by the grace of God, the man left.  My life would never be the same after that experience.  For the next two and a half years, I lived in paralyzing fear.  Fear to the extent my husband took me to buy a firearm for the first time in my life for my protection.  I was so scared in my home that I rarely opened my blinds on the windows.  So I literally lived in darkness and my anxiety would go through the roof if our outside dogs barked.  We had a very expensive security system installed with cameras.  This enabled me to check the outside and inside surroundings through the monitoring system.  Although at first this seemed to provide some relief, it soon made my depression and anxiety worse.  I would hear the dogs barking and saw nothing/no one on the monitoring system and my imagination ran wild that maybe the person coming to get me was out of camera view.  Also, several times the alarm would sound (a very high pitched screaming sound) as if someone had entered the house and all I could do is pick up my gun and wait for someone to turn the corner.  When no one ever rounded the corner, then I was left to go search the house alone with my gun prepared to shoot.  Not one time was anyone there.  

So, this day in my car...I had just dropped off my daughter to school and was on my way home.  My dungeon of darkness.  Of course I was full of fear, armed with my gun and dreading the opening of the door to enter in when I got home.  This had been my routine for two and a half years.  Same fear, different day.  But this day.  Oh, this day!  The Holy Spirit was present in my car and in my heart, in my soul, and in my body!  I all of the sudden felt a rush of relief and calmness soften my pounding heart.  I felt as if Jesus himself had His arms wrapped around me saying, "Angie, there is nothing to fear, I am here with you.  I have always been here with you."  I began to cry with tears pouring down my face.  Not because I was sad.  They were tears of relief.  The first solid and pure relief I had felt since the incident had occurred.  In fact, I had never felt such a release of fear in all my life.  This was a first.  In that moment, something happened.  God drew me near to Jesus and gifted me the faith (For by grace are ye saved through faith; and not that of yourselves: it is ​the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.  Ephesians 2:8-9) to hear Him.  Not only to hear Him, but to believe Him!  Trust Him that what I heard was the truth.  

From that day forward, my fear began to disappear.  And within a week I no longer felt the need to keep my gun at my side in my home.  I began to open the blinds daily.  Then, I began sitting outside during the day by myself, which had been unheard of for the last two and a half years.  I was able to feel safe in my home again!  Before too long I ordered myself a bible online.  It arrived in July of 2015.  I wrote in the front where it says: This Bible Is Presented To: Angie Wheeler, By: Angie Wheeler.  On that inscription page is the verse, Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105.  ---> By the way, I just noticed this as I opened it to get the date.  So, after I received my Bible in the mail I wrote in it and read a little out of Genesis.  It still just seemed to complicated for me to grasp.  I put it away and as I had always done in the past, never opened it again.  UNTIL...

Okay, fast forward to the end of August.  Finally, after almost three years from the traumatic incident, the man that entered my home uninvited to kill me was going to have his trial.  That required me to meet with the District Attorney's Office to prepare for the trial.  It was odd though.  I didn't desire for this man to be thrown in prison and the keys thrown away forever.  Which is what my heart had desired the previous thirty months or so.  (Not for revenge, but because I thought that would be the only way I would feel safe.)  No, at this point I just wanted to move forward.  The night before the trial I talked to God.  I told Him I would be fine with whatever the outcome was.  If this man was found guilty - fine.  If this man was found not guilty - fine.  I sincerely meant it, too.  I knew either way I was going to move forward with my life and not live in fear of this man for one minute longer in my life.  Long story short, the man pled guilty and was sentenced to ten years in prison.  At his sentencing hearing, this man looked at me and my husband in the eyes and said he was sorry.  He seemed to have sincere remorse.  

Now before you start feeling sorry for me, let me tell you the rest of the story.  Not about anyone else but myself.  Here's the whole truth.  The man that came into my home that day was a close family friend.  In fact, he was my good friend's husband.  You see, about two months before this traumatic incident I had a one time adulterous encounter with this man.  My only guess is the stress and fear of his wife and kids finding out and my husband and kids finding out our "little secret" led him to take the actions he did that day.  See, not so innocent am I?  Not that I deserved to be held hostage in my own home for having an affair.  But, it certainly changes the perspective, doesn't it?  

I only share this authenticity with you to show you the power of our Creator.  He not only created us, He provided us an exit ramp from Hell. That's the only thing all of us deserve.  Not just the people that get so desperate they commit crimes, not just the people that get to the end of their rope and give up on life, not just the people that have addictions to soothe their misery, not just people that commit adultery attempting to feel worthy, not just those kinds people.  But, ALL OF US!  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then?  It is excluded.  By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.  Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.  Is he the God of the Jews only?  is he not also of the Gentiles?  Yes, of the Gentiles also:  Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.  Do we then make void the law through faith?  God forbid: yea, we establish the law. Romans 3:23-31.  

That day in my car, oh that glorious day in my car, the Lord provided me faith!  It was but a drop.  But that drop of faith disappeared my fear, that drop provided me the courage to take a bath at home alone, that drop gave me the desire to order a Bible for myself, that faith provided my heart the grace and space to genuinely forgive the man that almost murdered me, that drop of faith leads me to read my letter from God (Bible) and listen as the Holy Spirit speaks to me, that drop of faith leads me to surrender my life to my Lord and Savior every day as he provides me more breaths to breathe, that drop of faith continues to be my saving grace and feels as though that drop has become a river of faith.  That faith, that true authentic faith can only be given to us by Jesus Christ himself.  

In the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, we see that John the Baptist baptizes with water and Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit.  

*  I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:  Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the farmer: but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Matthew 3:11-12.  

*  I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.  Mark 1:8.    

You see, adultery was just one of my sins.  There are many, many more.  I will share those as I continue this blog.  I needed to share with you my "ugly" that God turned into beauty for His glory.  Only He has that power.  Our Father who art in Heaven has that power.  A quote that I saw the other day is what I will close with today.  

The only one that can Truly satisfy the human heart, is the one who made it!    

Love you guys,

most importantly Jesus loves you.

Grace and Space for you and others always, no matter what it looks like!