Built-in sonar!

That feeling you get when choosing between right and wrong – you know the one I’m talking about. Your stomach tightens a little.  Your heart skips a little. Your conscience whispers, “I don’t know.” But you do! If you didn’t already know you wouldn’t have those feelings. Those feeling are a gift from God. They are the voice of God. That’s Him, living in you, guiding you. Don’t ignore Him. Listen to what He has to say. Stop and listen. Consider ALL of the consequences of the choice you are about to make. It is a choice. Those nudges are the result of a choice. John 2 tells us that the Spirit is in us, teaching us. You don’t need anyone else to tell you that what you are about to do is right or wrong. He’s told you. Believe Him.  That feeling – that’s conviction. It’s wonderful! Imagine our own little built-in sonar beeping away as we approach life’s intersections. What’s that you say? “You wish you had listened.” “Thanks for telling me now that I’ve blown it!” Now that whisper has turned into a shout. Now your stomach is totally tied up in a knot. Now your heart is racing. Yep – I know that feeling too. That’s guilt. Watch out for that one. That leads straight to condemnation. It is not from God. Romans 8 tells us there is no condemnation for those in Christ. God doesn’t want you to feel guilty. He wanted you to know right from wrong – and now you do. Now that you recognize that you made the wrong choice change your course; stop that behavior, turn around – and forgive yourself. He’s already forgiven you. We all make mistakes. I don’t know about you – but I’ve learned more from my mistakes than any class I’ve ever attended. And the most important lesson I’ve ever learned is that I am not condemned. I am redeemed. There is only 1 unforgivable sin and if you believe in Him you haven’t committed it. Jesus Christ has paid for all of our wrong choices so that we are not now, nor ever forsaken (Hebrews 13).Conviction and condemnation are not the same.  Respect the sacrifice Jesus made for you and accept God’s Grace. You are forgiven.

Happy Birthday America!

The 4t^h of July; the day the Declaration of Independence was signed in the year 1776. It was established to mark our deliverance from a state of bondage, like Passover (Exodus 13) and was to be a day remembered with reverential gratitude. Today we mark the day with fireworks, hotdogs, and picnics.  Our school teachers taught us about the sacrifices that had been made for our freedom. We learned of the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, The Civil War, World War I and special emphasis was always given to World War II. All of these wars were fought for freedom from tyranny. Religious freedom was assumed by all of us students a right earned of that victory. When we learned to recite The Declaration of Independence we were taught that all men were created equal and that we were endowed with certain unalienable rights including the rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. The unalienable (it’s just a great word) rights were always the emphasis not the creation. Even I (who never had attended a church service) never doubted that there is a Creator. Separating church from state was seen as religious protection. The government was not allowed to regulate our religious practices. The seal on the Declaration of Independence says “REBELLION TO TYRANTS IS OBBEDIENCE TO GOD”. The seal even compares America’s struggle with that of the Israelites by depicting a pillar of cloud over a divided sea with Pharaoh on one side and the Israelites on the other. Separation was seen as keeping the state out of religion. The state couldn’t punish crimes of the soul. The church couldn’t punish crimes of property. When exactly did that change? Today the government regulates public displays of religion. No longer shall the Commandments be displayed beside the courthouses designed to defend their principles. Prayers and worship are not allowed at our schools. There are no Bibles in the school libraries. A government that was founded on biblical conventions now denounces the use of the Bible. A government that was constructed to support and advance religious freedom now seeks to remove and reduce it. Well I say Happy Birthday America! Let’s celebrate our freedoms serve the Lord (Joshua 24).                                                      God Bless America!