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To Be Continued…

June 4, 2023 by Catherine

We all have a story to tell. Never mind the beginning chapters; how will your story end?

Will it end with you being (fill in the blanks) just like you were at the beginning of the book? Or will you end on a triumphant note, standing tall, knowing at last who you are, why you were created, and where you’re headed?

The first few chapters of your novel may be painful, filled with all sorts of emotional issues and baggage weighing you down. Page 119 might take us with you on your treacherous journey through quicksand, but page 207 might find us standing on solid ground right along with you while you praise God for your victory.

That’s your story.

Someone else’s story might take them a little longer to reach victory. We may have to suffer with them through 300 pages of stumbling across rocky ground. And page 349 might find them still stumbling.

To those I say – you need to get geared up.

Ephesians 6:13-17 tells us, “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” (KJV)

Can you see the metaphor? The whole armour of God – that’s the protection of God in the form of His truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and Word (Bible). Clinging to all of these becomes our armour, our protection. It’s no wonder that we are told in Isaiah 54:17, “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper;…”

If you want that same kind of protection, acknowledge your sinful ways and repent. Ask God for forgiveness. Surrender to Jesus Christ and accept Him as your Lord and Savior. Only then will you have the ability to put on the whole armour of God as you grow in Christ. Without Him, you are left defenseless.

So, how will your story end? That’s going to depend on you. Surrender yourself to Jesus Christ while you still can and receive everlasting life.

And that’s what I call a happy ending!

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Suicide?

April 29, 2023 by Catherine

You think that’s the answer? It isn’t. Try again.

Satan, your enemy and mine, wants you to believe that killing yourself is the only way out. He’ll whisper in your ear, trying to get you to accept that it would be better for everybody involved – especially you – if you just made yourself disappear…just ended it all.

Well, that isn’t the best thing so don’t believe it. In fact, it’s the worst thing you could do. Because what the enemy doesn’t tell you is that suicide will only be the beginning of your real and everlasting torment in hell for eternity.

Think about.

Do you really want to spend eternity in hell where your torment and suffering will continue only far worse and forever?

You don’t have to live this way. There IS a way out. His name is Jesus.

God, through Jesus Christ, has made a way for you to surrender your heavy load, all your burdens to Him… and Live!

Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

What this means is:

If you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God

That He died on the cross for your sins and mine

That He rose again on the 3rd day, and now lives in Heaven with God, the Father

“He [will be] a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

That means He will “…give you rest…”

To receive this rest, admit that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness, repent and ask God for forgiveness. Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and ask Him to come into your heart and take over.

And you will find “rest unto your souls…”

“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your heart and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)

This means that you will begin to discover a peacefulness in you, even when the hard times come (because they still will), but it will be a peacefulness that was never there before, a peacefulness that you can not explain.

Relax. It is the peace of God dwelling in you now. This is the beginning.

So, not only will you receive rest and peace beyond measure, but you will receive salvation for your soul. And eternal life with God the Father and Jesus Christ our Savior will be yours.

These are God’s promise to you/us…”in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;” (Titus 1:2)

And God can not lie. But satan can!

To learn more about the sufferings of Jesus Christ – His trial, rejection, abuse, death, burial and resurrection – read John Chapters 18, 19 and 20.

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Our Purpose

March 31, 2023 by Catherine

I imagine a hawk is somewhat comfortable believing it is the conqueror as it captures its intended prey.  And creatures of the ground are not pacing the cement, back and forth, worrying about when and where their next meal is coming from.  They just do, by God-given instinct, what they are created to do.  Hunt, catch, eat, and repeat.

We were created to do something too. We are not here by accident.  But for a lot of people, it feels that way. There are many people who don’t know why they’re here, and so it creates a kind of aloofness.  A what-does-it-matter kind of mentality.

We are told in Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

So, this is why we are here – to honor and obey the One who created us.  First and foremost. Is that all, you say? No. But this must be the number one priority. And it is possible to love, honor and obey God and have a fulfilling life despite those who don’t think the two can go hand in hand.

We can have and pursue other desires, interest, dreams and goals as long as they don’t go against the Word of God and cause us to behave in a way that would be displeasing to Him.

We all have a purpose. We were created to serve God. “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”  Revelation 4:11

(“…thou hast created all things…” that includes us)

So, accept your role – God’s gracious gift.

I know sometimes it doesn’t feel like a gift when you’re struggling, when your refrigerator is empty and so are your pockets.  I know. And when you look at this world today you probably feel like it’s getting worse. But this is the time to trust Him even more because if God created you for His glory, then He most certainly will not forsake you if you don’t forsake Him.

In Psalms 37:25, David writes “…yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”

The righteous…that would be YOU once you repent and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior.

Trust God and believe that He will do what He said He would do. You will still have to go through some trials but you’ll have the strength of the Almighty with you, guiding you, supporting you and lifting you up when you need it.

Start walking in the light you were meant to walk in because believe me when I say that everything always looks clearer when the SON is shining on it.

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Reaping What You Sow

February 25, 2023 by Catherine

(The Flesh vs. the Spirit)

It is foolish to think that someday our spirit will spend eternity in Heaven with God if during our time here on earth we only think about satisfying the desires of our flesh, and do nothing to satisfy or feed our spiritual nature.

The Bible tells us: “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” Galatians 6:8      

How do we sow to the Spirit?

By obeying the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Then we can reap everlasting joy, peace and eternal life in Heaven.

What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

  • That God sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for your sins and mine.
  • That on the 3rd day, Jesus Christ rose from that death (the Resurrection), and resides in Heaven with God, the Father.
  • That salvation comes only through the name of Jesus Christ and by the blood that He shed on the cross.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

And Jesus said, “I am the way; the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

So, what is Salvation?

Salvation means to be saved from the death penalty (eternal Hell) that your sins and mine deserve. Sins like: unrighteousness, fornication, idolatry, adultery, effeminacy, thievery, covetousness, drunkenness, abusiveness, cheating, lying.  (1Corinthians 6:9-10)

The good news is…Jesus Christ paid the penalty for all of our sins!

If you want to know what you need to do to be saved, click this link:  https://freefrombondage.com/what-must-i-do-to-be-saved/

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Peace

January 8, 2023 by Catherine

My pastor said today that if we want to experience the peace of God, we must first make peace WITH God.

That got me to thinking about how I used to search for inner peace back in the day. I searched for it in the form of Qigong (pronounced chi gung or chi kung), which is an ancient Chinese meditative practice; Feng shui (pronounced fung shway), an ancient Chinese system that when practiced, is supposed to balance the energy in your home as well as bring in peace and harmony; and yoga.

Qigong released the flow of my body’s energy and put it more in alignment with my mind. Feng shui provided a positive flow of space and energy into different areas of my house which aided in relaxation. And yoga was beneficial to my body (and maybe my mind, I’m not sure).

Still, the supernatural peace I was searching for was not manifesting itself. Then I returned to Jesus, and I remembered what He said below:

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”  KJV John 14:27

Jesus promises to give His peace to all those who believe and follow Him, and I think that trumps what the world has to offer.

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