Friday, May 28, 2010

Wake up!!

The last time I decided to get passionate about my thoughts and beliefs regarding our Government on my blog, some readers became angry with me.  The spirit in which I wrote those blogs didn't come from a pure place. I was just hopping on the conservative bandwagon and allowing media to fuel my fire. My belief in the Bible and Jesus Christ did play a part but if I am honest, my McCain hype came from disliking the other side. It's no secret, I DID NOT vote for Obama and now the America who voted for "change" has turned and the President America elected has a low approval rating. The President continues to not only swing far left on the golf course but in every decision he makes. I think he's always been this way.  He was swinging far left when Christ followers were defending Him as they cast their votes in his favor and Oprah was crying over the "change" he would bring as Obamapalooza took place in Chicago on the night of election. He's always been an extreme lefty. Always. So now I write this blog post from a healthy place. I am not hyped up by Fox news or the right wing media. Instead I am hyped up solely because of what I have been studying in scripture. I am not an Obama "hater". I am a "hater" of what is taking place in this world we live in. I share my thoughts in this blog because I know there are many of you, like me, who hope to be changed. Not in the way Obama speaks of change but the way CHRIST speaks of change.  In 1 Peter 2 we read that we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood but many of us do not live as "chosen" people.  I feel it's time we start! As WOMEN OF GOD, let's stop living in the darkness and change!


Slowly but surely, the people are being swayed.  It doesn't necessarily have anything to do with Obama, it's the state of our Country. Laura Bush, now that she is out of the White House, tells Larry King she is for Gay Marriage and she is pro choice.  Elisabeth Hasselbeck recently had Melissa Etheridge over for dinner and has clarity. She is now for Gay marriage. And we as "Conservative Moms" have swayed. All the things we say we are against because it does not match up with what the Bible says, we welcome into our homes. We have sat in front of the tv for countless hours watching reality tv, prime time drama and comedy that promotes sex outside of marriage, men and women having affairs (mostly women), homosexuality and abortion.  "But, we are conservative. We did not vote for Obama. We watch Fox news. We raise our Children to be Godly men and women. We do not believe in those types of behaviors. We just watch them."  We hate that our country and President has no moral compass but there is nothing we can do about it so we just give in to the status quo. Slowly but surely, we bury our heads and live double lives. We are conservative, so we say, but our lives show quite the opposite.


I miss the mark, I fall short, I fail daily. I am a sinner. But I do believe every single word the Bible says. I don't believe some of it, I believe all of it. Because I believe God's Word to be my TRUTH and my daily guide, I want to do everything possible to live by it. These feelings and beliefs I have about our President and our Government is not what I have come up with from right wing media. The things going on around me bother me, grieve me, anger me because of what God's Holy WORD says. I won't apologize for my convictions because what grieves the heart of God, should grieve mine. If I believe what the Bible says, I should be living according to His Word not according to the views of this world.


The past few days I have read this verse over and over again. I have read commentaries and looked at all the different translations and the thing I keep coming back to is how I have been partnering with this world. I have been partners with those who reject God. My body is a temple and my home is a sanctuary, yet I have brought darkness to both by the choices I have made. The way I have partnered with this world grieves my heart and it grieves His.


2 Corinthians 6:14-18


Don't become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That's not partnership; that's war. Is light best friends with dark? Does Christ go strolling with the Devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands? Who would think of setting up pagan idols in God's holy Temple? But that is exactly what we are, each of us a temple in whom God lives. God himself put it this way:


"I'll live in them, move into them;
I'll be their God and they'll be my people.
So leave the corruption and compromise;
leave it for good," says God.
"Don't link up with those who will pollute you.
I want you all for myself.
I'll be a Father to you;
you'll be sons and daughters to me."
The Word of the Master, God.


So if you are a believer, a Christ follower, a Christian, then I would hope you believe what His Word says. When we come face to face with the truth, we should change.


James 1:22-25 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.


If we don't, if our hearts our so hardened that we can't recognize the error in our ways, then I believe we are nothing but luke warm people.


Revelation 3:15-16 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!  So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.


His Word is clear about how we should live our lives as Godly men and women, as men and women who want to serve Him.  1 John 2:15-16 says it pretty clear.


15(A) Do not love the world or the things in the world.(B) If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world—(C) the desires of the flesh and(D) the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.


Or what about this passage?  Does this not apply to us? Do we just ignore this passage? 
No. We live it!

2 Timothy 3


The Dangers of the Last Days


1 You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!


6 They are the kind who work their way into people’s homes and win the confidence of[a] vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires. 7 (Such women are forever following new teachings, but they are never able to understand the truth.) 8 These teachers oppose the truth just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. They have depraved minds and a counterfeit faith. 9 But they won’t get away with this for long. Someday everyone will recognize what fools they are, just as with Jannes and Jambres.


Paul’s Charge to Timothy


10 But you, Timothy, certainly know what I teach, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith, my patience, my love, and my endurance. 11 You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra—but the Lord rescued me from all of it. 12 Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived.


14 But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. 15 You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.


I end with this. Would you like to know where your Country stands? Would you like to know where the majority of Americans stand on moral issues? Well, it's divided. Morally divided. And we as GODLY WOMEN also seem to be morally divided. We need to talk about this! We need to challenge one another and we need to CHANGE! We have sons and daughters who need to see that everything they need is in the fullness of Christ, NOT this World. Take a look at a recent Gallup poll and look at what some approve or feel is morally wrong. Wake up people! This is the world your babies are growing up in! Take some action and passionately live for JESUS CHRIST.  Get your head out of the sand and pay attention to what is going on in America.  Don't be ignorant! How will you choose to partner with Christ instead of this world?


(click on the chart to view)




3 comments:

Kim said...

Amen!! This is a total confirmation of everything the Holy Spirit has been showing my hubby and I. Those of us who are being stirred up to pray need to get on our knees and pray like we never have before that God will soften and turn hearts back to Him!

Keep speaking the truth, sister! :)

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with Kim!!! It is mind blowing to see the results of these polls! Keep speaking the truth, Amanda, because we all need to hear it!

Christy said...

I am loving reading your blogs the past few days.. Jeremy and I have been talking about the exact things.. we are in this world but we don't have to be IN this world.. we can make a difference but we can't get as close to the line as possible without riding the fence.. we gotta get as far away as possible. Thank you for sharing your heart AND for challenging us to live HOLY lives before a God who we will stand before very soon!