Is The Lord Among Us Or Not?

Is The Lord Among Us Or Not?

I want deliverance to come so badly. I cannot stop the tears from flowing today. I have prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed, but I cannot seem to get deliverance. Heaven has shut its doors to me. I keep knocking but He won't answer - no matter what. I keep trying to remind myself that God keeps His promises and that if I wait on Him, He will come through for me. But the wait goes on forever and He will not be moved. I feel so all alone. I feel like my world is crumbling but God will not be moved still. He has turned His back on me and I don't know what to do. Proverbs 18:24 says He is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. The Scripture also says that He is a very present help in trouble (Ps. 46:1), so why am I in this thing alone. Matthew said if we seek God's kingdom first that all these things will be added to us (Matt. 6:33). But God is not responding either way.

Exod. 17:1-7 (1) Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. (2) Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water, that we may drink.” So Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the Lord?” (3) And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” (4) So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!” (5) And the Lord said to Moses, “Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. (6) Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. (7) So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

I know in my heart that I love the Lord, but there are times when I can't seem to reconcile the love in my heart with the feeling of neglect. His silence is more than I can endure. I am trying so hard to walk in the Spirit and follow the path that is out in front of me. But that path just seems to lead me deeper and deeper into the woods. I am wondering where is that very present help.

Ps. 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

I just wished I knew why He won't answer me... why won't He even acknowledge my prayers. I feel like I have been faithful but my faith has not worked and now I am just hurting so badly that the God I have sought with all my heart and soul is no where to be found. I have taught others that if you seek Him with all your might, He will be found by you.

Jer. 29:13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

I wished I had a happy ending to to this blog, but I do not. I want my relationship and my fellowship with the Lord to be strong, to be close, like two best friends. I am at my wit's end. Peter said, "Lord where else can we go, You have the words of eternal life?"

Somebody sung a song... But Before You Let The Devil Win Go Back And Pray Again.

Here I go to pray... again.

Go in peace.

Draw Near To God

But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all Thy works. (Ps 73:28)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I love the Lord with all my heart and soul. I probably worry more than I should about offending Him. I want to be a dear child. I want my light to shine. I want Him to be honored by my conduct. The problem is, as the apostle puts it, I have not already attained nor am I already perfected (Phil 3:12).

There are days when I struggle with forgiveness. My mind says I forgive, but my heart is struggling to buy into it. The Lord saw my struggle and He sent me a love letter. He said, "My child, draw near to Me and I will draw near to you." (James 4:8)

When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, and God came looking for them in the cool of the day, they hid their nakedness from the presence of the Lord God among the trees (Gen. 3:8). God knows our hearts. He knows when we are sincere and He knows when we are pretending. Jesus said of the scribes and Pharisees, ‘These people draw near to God with their mouth, and honor Him with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him" (Matt. 15:8).

"Believe what I say about you," Father God says, "And I say those who belong to My Son are not condemned, according to Romans 8:1."

When you feel as though you have let God down don't shy away, draw near to Him. Don't hide amongst the trees as Adam and Eve did, run into His arms. James 4:10 says,"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."


Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28-30)

Go in peace.

Linsanity 2.0 - Redefining Success

Out of no where, February 4, 2012, Jeremy Lin was put in the game against the New Jersey Nets... racked up 25 points (and other stats as well) to win the game for the New York Knicks.

Jeremy Lin is a professional basketball player for the NBA. He unexpectedly led a winning turn-around with the New York Knicks in 2012, which generated a global following known as "Linsanity."

After receiving no athletic scholarship offers out of high school and being undrafted out of Harvard University, Lin reached a partially guaranteed contract deal in 2010 with his hometown Golden State Warriors. He seldom played in his rookie season and was assigned to the NBA Development League 3 times. He was waived by the Warriors and the Houston Rockets the following pre-season before joining the New York Knicks early in the 2011–12 season. He continued to be played sparingly (most of the time riding the bench) and again spent time in the Development League.

 In February 2012, he led a winning streak for the New York Knicks while being promoted from the bench to the starting lineup. Lin is one of the few Asian Americans in NBA history, and the first American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the league. He is also known for the public expression of his Christianity. (credit to Wikipedia for this information)

I woke up this morning with the Jeremy Lin story and how he became an overnight sensation weighing heavy on my mind. I looked at a lot of YouTube videos of his sudden sensation and was overwhelmed again by how his talent had gone seemingly unnoticed. Had it been there all the time? Or, had he suddenly came into his own in his association with the Development League? I seriously doubt that. Kobe Bryant stated, "His skill level was probably there from the beginning. It just went unnoticed." The timing was not right. The environment was not right. The circumstances didn't line up during the times when he had been given the opportunity to play. Therefore, he seldom played.

What inspires me most about his story is that Jeremy Lin rode the bench for a long time before the coach suddenly decided to play him one night. But his day of reckoning came and he was able to show the world what he can do. His training and hard work paid off. All things are possible with God on our side. He open doors that cannot be shut and He shut doors that cannot be opened.

God let me know today that I should believe what He says about me... not what they say and certainly not the lie the enemy would have me believe about myself. He said, "The path I have chosen for you will be questionable at times, but rest assured that I GOT YOU! I in you and you in Me. Together we shall. You will make a mark and do exploits."

We should be encouraged that our labor is not in vain in the Lord. The all-seeing and all-knowing God is very aware of our efforts on His behalf to advance the kingdom of God. He said that what we do in secret will be rewarded openly. “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32).

1 Cor 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Go in peace.

The World Is A Ghetto

For all that is in the world—
the lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eyes,
and the pride of life—
is not of the Father
but is of the world.
1 John 2:16

There are two kingdoms operating in the earth right now - the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. The kingdom of darkness operates through a system that the Bible refers to as the world. It is a broken system that opposes the truths of God's word. The world-system is based on the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life and is headed for destruction on the broad path.

The term world, also stands for the condition of human affairs; with mankind alienated from and opposed to God their Creator. Jesus wants His followers to live in the world and to serve and be a witness for Him on earth, but not get caught up in the things of the world. Jesus said, "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other" (Luke 16:13).

The term ghetto is defined as an impoverished, neglected, or otherwise disadvantaged residential area in a city, usually troubled by a disproportionately large amount of crime. Ghetto is not only a physical inner city residential area, but ghetto is also a way of thinking and behaving derived from living in the ghetto. 

When a person is described as ghetto, it is to describe that person's state of mind. Ghetto is a condition... an association with people, objects and behavior that is not considered acceptable or proper by mainstream society. Ghetto is a derogatory term used toward individuals who lack the standards of manners and ethics. Ghetto is how individuals look at the world and act according to their individual state of mind which drives them to behave a certain way. But that does not mean we should be estranged from them or alienate them as if they were lepers.

To the church... the world is ghetto. But, ironically Jesus prayed to the Father in John 17, "I do not pray for the world, but for those whom You have given Me out of the world, for they are Yours. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world."

The world is a ghetto, but children of God's kingdom, we are not of the world. We are in the world but not of the world. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world, if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world (1 John 2:15-16). There is nothing wrong with wanting to come up and do better in life, but fighting for the things of this life should not become our main focus. It should not dominate us. We are to reign over our fleshly desires, not them over us.

Jesus said, "I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me (Luke 22:29). And I give you the keys to this kingdom, and whatever you bind (shackle, tie-up) on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose (set free, let go) on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matt. 16:19).

We are not wrestling against flesh and blood (other human beings) but against principalities (different orders of spirit beings), against powers (hierarchy of spiritual beings), against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly realm (Eph. 6:12). But Jesus said, "I have given you the keys to the kingdom. And I have given you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you" (Luke 10:19).

So if God be for us, who can be against us? Yet, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Rom. 8:31,33). "These things I have spoken to you," Jesus said, "that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

I know many believers are grieved at the passing of the Supreme Court's ruling on marriage equality but clearly Jesus said, "I don't pray for the world, I pray for those that are Mine." We're living in the world-system, but we are not of the world. Be angry at the sin, but love the sinner. We have no stones to throw at the sinner man (John 8:7), for we ourselves were once sinners in need of grace... in need of a Savior.

I believe we should serve the gay community as we would any one else. If I were a business owner, I would treat them as I would any other customer. Let not the church become bitter toward our fellow man... yes, hate what is wrong, but hold tightly to that which is good. Jesus said, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." So let your light still shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven (Matt 5:16).

The church is the bridge by which the sinner crosses over to God's kingdom. If we become broken down, mean-spirited and dysfunctional, then world has no means of reaching the kingdom of heaven.

Love thy neighbor as thyself.

Go in peace for blessed are the peacemakers.

When You Just Can't Pray About It Anymore

In Luke 18, Jesus tells a parable to His disciples about an unjust judge that ruled over a certain city. He was not a God fearing man and neither did he have much regard for the citizens of the community in which he served.

But there was this widow that lived in that city and she came to this unjust judge to plead her case and seek justice concerning an adversary. But for a while, the judge would not hear this widow's case, neither would he show that he even cared about her injustice.

The widow knew this judge was the only one that could turn it around for her so she continued to come again and again and again... pleading with him to get her justice from her adversary. Finally, the judge said to himself, "Even though I do not fear Almighty God and neither have regard for mankind, I will avenge this widow because by her continual coming she weary and trouble me."

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Hear what this corrupt judge said."

Think about this parable in terms of the Righteous Judge, to Whom we pray. He is full of loving-kindness, compassion, mercy, grace and truth. We are beloved. He cannot be unmoved by our continual coming because He is wearied and troubled in a good way. Jesus told this parable to teach us that we ought to always pray and not lose heart. Don't give up on Him.

When you feel like you're running out of steam, pray for strength. There is a song that says, "Before you let the devil win, go back and pray again." Get strength from somewhere. Go to YouTube and hear a sermon. Pull up a song on your device and put it on repeat. Go down in prayer and just rest quietly before God, let Him strengthen you. He cannot be unmoved by tears and by our honesty. For we don't have a High Priest that cannot be touched by our weaknesses. Therefore, let us come boldly to His throne of grace obtaining mercy and finding grace in our time of need. Jesus said, "I tell you that the Father will avenge us speedily (without haste, quickly and expeditiously)." He will bring us out with a mighty hand and will not allow the enemy to triumph over us.

Kirk Franklin has a song called Help Me Believe...

Here are the lyrics:

[Intro]

I just want to write You a letter

I have to be very honest with You right now

I really don't know how to say this

[Verse I]

I wanna believe

But I'm having a hard time seeing past what I see right now

I see right now

I wanna be free

But when I try to fly I realize I don't know how

No one one showed me how

Wish I could see

That this mess I'm in will really work out for my good

You said it would

So if You can hear me

Can You give me a sign?

'Cause I don't feel You like I should

Please if You could

My faith is almost gone

I can't hold on much longer

Take this cup from me

[Chorus]

Help me believe

Can I believe

Let me believe

I wanna believe

I'm no good on my own

Please give me another chance

It's hard to believe

In what I can't see

To give You my will

'Cause Your will's better for me

You can look in my eyes and see

I wanna believe

[Verse II]

I wanna believe

If I never hear I'm sorry I can let it go

Gotta let you go

Cause it's killing me

Jesus, You know how it feels 'cause You've been hurt before

Don't wanna hurt no more

I'm trying to hear You speak

But my heart is growing weaker

Take this cup from me

[Chorus]

Help me believe

Can I believe

Let me believe

I wanna believe

I've been here before and I cant take that hurt again

It's hard to believe

In what I can't see

To give You my will cause Your will is better for me

You can look in my eyes and see

I wanna believe

[Verse III]

I wanna believe

When I close my eyes on this side

I'll wake up with You

More in love with You

And finally You will say my race it is over

And my work is through

'Cause I believed in You

I know dark nights will come

And some days there will be no sunshine

And You're too far to see

[Chorus]

Help me believe

Can I believe

Let me believe

I wanna believe

I'm no good on my own

Please give me another chance

It's hard to believe

In what I can't see

To give You my will

'Cause Your will's better for me

You can look in my eyes and see

I wanna believe

For God Sake Stop Obsessing

Living life as a perfectionist in a soul that is imperfect is self-torture. I am a perfectionist, to a fault. There, I confess it. Perfectionism causes the perfectionist to become stunted instead of making real progress. We mark time on a project trying to perfect it by tweaking and tweaking and tweaking instead of moving on the the next. I used to think it was a really good quality, but when done in excess, it just becomes a hindrance.

Perfectionism is defined as the action or process of improving something until it is faultless or flawless. But in the perfectionist's mind, that standard is never met. In the past, it gained me a lot of success because the results are very good, but there could certainly be more success if I didn't mark time in that one spot. Forward march on to the next project! But what is the answer to the endless tweaking?

I pray that God will destroy this yoke of perfectionism binding me and pull down this stronghold. Jesus said that He gave us keys to the kingdom of heaven and whatever we bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven (Matt. 6:19).

Don't torture yourself trying to be perfect. Be good at what you do, but stop obsessing. Eccl. 9:10 states, "Whatsoever your hand findeth to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, where you're going." Do well in all you do, but know when enough is enough. Cut yourself some slack and know that a missing punctuation mark is not the end of the world. Stop over-analyzing everything. Stop trying to impress everybody because everybody will not be impressed no matter how hard you try.

I find that people are turned off by others they feel are so much better than themselves. One day I lost my temper at work and slammed my fist into the overhead bin of my desk in front of my coworkers. Later, a friend came back and said that she found it very liberating to see me do that because it showed that I was just as human as the rest of them. I had been kicking myself in the rear for that display of anger until I realized that it caused them to see me as just one of them. She and I became the best of friends.

We are not perfect... so let's give ourselves a break. Go in peace!

Loving the Unlovely

It seems like every time I am faced with the task of loving people that I do not necessarily find appealing to my own character, I flunk the love test. I'm really struggling with this right now.

But I'm reminded that love is not only an emotion... but something I do on purpose. It's how I treat the unlovely in spite of how I feel about them and in spite of the fact that I want to be far away from them. Jesus hung out with cheating tax collectors and prostitutes who were miles from His own good behavior but He loved them just the same. He showed them His love and affection and they were won as a result. Jesus was a Friend of sinners.

I am not sure why I have such a problem with this - I don't hate them but I definitely don't want to hang around them as Jesus did. I don't hold ill feelings toward them and I don't wish them any harm but I simply don't like them. I am not sure of the difference between love and hate... if the feeling that I have is not love, then is it hatred?

The Scripture in 1 John 4:20 states, "If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?" It's a thin line between love and hate and I am not sure where I stand in the measure of it, but I know that I love God and I don't have love toward all my fellow men and in a lot of cases could live the rest of my life away from them and be perfectly okay with that.

Jesus said, "If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you." (Matt 5:46-48 Message Bible). Jesus is saying here to treat everybody the same. Don't just greet the people I like, also greet the people that I don't like in the same way.

Romans 15:4-6 (NKJV) For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our faith walk is a learning experience for sure. In my humble opinion, I think what matters most to the Lord is our desire to please Him even when we find ourselves on the outskirts of living out Scripture perfectly. I can hear His voice saying, "Accept My grace, when you are weak then I am strong." Maybe by this time next year, I will be better at loving the unlovely, and two years from now better still. Everyday we grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are being conformed into His image day-by-day.

Go in peace!

Happy Independence Day!

LIVING IN THE FREEDOM OF CHRIST

John 8:32, 36 (NKJV) And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

Christ died to set us free from sin and a long list of laws and regulations that we couldn't keep anyway. Now, we are free to live unselfishly - free to live without strongholds - free to live separated from sin - free from being enslaved to anything except serving Christ.
Christian Liberty
Galatians 5:1 (NKJV) Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Matt. 11:29-30 (NKJV) Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Be Smart ~ Don't Start

I don't want to hear it!

There is an old Spanish proverb that says, "Whoever gossips to you will also gossip about you." You're no exception! The gossip-monger goes after everybody. I want to develop a reputation for being the one the gossip-mongers know will not be interested in their tale bearing. Then they will move on to a more willing victim.

Gossip is an interesting subject, that's the attraction and why so many succumb to it's seduction. Gossip is easy communication. But its always malicious and damaging. It reveals to the world how shallow the gossip-monger is. They don't have any depth of conversation to speak of, so they wade in the shallow end of the pool continually.

I met this girl one time, we quickly became friends. We started meeting up under the guise of having Bible study together. The problem was we never cracked our Bibles open. I had to shut the door on these get-togethers. Jesus said, "One thing is needful and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." Mary chose to sit at Jesus' feet and hear His word (Luke 10:38-42)... not gossip.

Sometimes, because someone makes us angry, we will gossip to someone else about what they did. I did this with my former husband and all it did was make a bad situation worse. Truth be told... most people are not interested in your problems. If that is all you have to talk about, they will soon start to avoid you. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life]. (Prov. 18:21 Amplified Bible)

Proverbs 11:13(NLT - New Living Translation) A gossip goes around telling secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.

What I should've done concerning my ex-husband, was to keep quiet and pray! There's no telling how God could've turned it around if I had not been killing it with my tongue.

Prov. 16:27-29 NLT

Scoundrels create trouble;
   their words are a destructive blaze.
A troublemaker plants seeds of strife;
   gossip separates the best of friends.
Violent people mislead their companions,
   leading them down a harmful path.

Prov. 18:6-8 NLT
Fools’ words get them into constant quarrels;
   they are asking for a beating.
The mouths of fools are their ruin;
   they trap themselves with their lips.
Rumors are dainty morsels
   that sink deep into one’s heart.

Prov 20:19 NLT

A gossip goes around telling secrets,
   so don’t hang around with chatterers.

Prov. 26:17-22 NLT

Interfering in someone else’s argument
   is as foolish as yanking a dog’s ears.
Just as damaging
   as a madman shooting a deadly weapon
is someone who lies to a friend
   and then says, “I was only joking.”
Fire goes out without wood,
   and quarrels disappear when gossip stops.
A quarrelsome person starts fights
   as easily as hot embers light charcoal or fire lights wood.
Rumors are dainty morsels
   that sink deep into one’s heart.

The apostle Paul also warns against gossip in Rom. 1:29-30, 2 Cor. 12:20 and 1 Tim. 5:13. An idle mind is truly the devil's workshop.

The O'Jays sang a song called The Backstabbers - They're Smiling in Your Face. "They hold long blades clenched tight in their fist, aiming straight at your back and I don't think they'll miss."

The Temptations also sang a song called Smiling Faces... "Smiling faces sometimes pretend to be your friend. Smiling faces show no traces of the evil that lurks within. Smiling faces sometimes they don't tell the truth. Sometimes smiling faces tell lies. Beware of the handshake that hides a snake. Beware of the pat on the back, it just might hold you back. Jealousy, misery, envy... you can't see behind those smiling faces. Don't let the handshake and the smile fool you."

Choose your friends and associates wisely. Don't get caught up in the hype - the hype can leave you deflated. Gossip can separate the best of friends. What goes around comes back around. We reap a harvest of the seeds we sow. Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense.

If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear (Ps. 66:18). When Adam and Eve had eaten of the forbidden fruit, they hid themselves from the Lord because they were ashamed (Gen. 3:8). After we have acted the fool, then afterward we feel ashamed.

The untamed tongue is a small member and boasts of great things. Just a small bit of kindling can burn down an entire forest. The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity which can defile the whole body... and set on fire the course of nature (James 3:5-6). It can destroy an entire organization or church. But I know the One who can tame the tongue, if you want to be set free.

Sin does not have dominion over the believer (Rom 6:14). We are not without a way of escape. Jesus said, "I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Therefore, we are more than conquerors through Him that loves us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom 8:37-39).

Go in peace!

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Dwala Richardson (Dee)