We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teachings about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. - Hebrews 5:11-14
I received some interesting reactions to my posting "Legislating Morality" and for similar statements I made elsewhere; some I was expecting, others I was not. The dissenting voices were at least kind enough, for the most part, to keep their reactions within private emails, rather than flaming me here, for which I'm grateful. But I did get judged harshly on several levels. I was called judgmental, hypocritical, self-righteous, proud and even a spoiled brat who was merely disappointed about my candidate not winning and was using the bible to justify my temper tantrum. Nice. I won't even dignify that last one with a response. I was easily able to deflect these criticisms, because the judgment wasn't mine. The hypocrisy also isn't mine, for I'm doing my best to live my faith in every regard, not just on Sunday mornings and at funerals, which is the sort of "faith" I grew up around, and used to practice myself. Self-righteous and proud? Molested as a child, raped as a teen, abused in every way as a young adult, rejected as a defective and social outcast throughout much of my life, upon what have I ever had anything to grow pride? Shame permeated the majority of my life, and only by walking alongside my Lord and Savior am I even able to hold my head up with dignity. That dignity, and righteousness, is borrowed from Him alone, for His grace- which I did not deserve and can not earn- is what allows me to be called a Daughter of the King.
Moving on.
I had one other type of criticism for my posting, one that DID surprise me... Several people felt that I should have been laying out a balm of healing with talk about hope, rather than giving the message I did. I respect those who said this to me, but must respectfully disagree. Firstly, the verse heading that posting was given to me during my prayer time, and it was not one about hope. It was, however, a warning that could be used to bring hope and healing, if we heed it. I didn't even remember it being in Revelation, until I looked it up in my concordance. I admit that my heart pounded when I realized where that verse came from, as I wondered if the time spoken of in Revelation could in fact be so close. But lest anyone call me a false prophet, as one critic unjustly did, let me remind you that I never said that it WAS that time. I DO believe that the "birth pangs" referenced in Matthew 24:4-8 and elsewhere have not only begun, but are intensifying. Anyone really looking at the events of the world with eyes wide open will likely think the same. Yet I know God's patience is infinitely greater than mine, so even if we have neared the end of the "birth pangs", it could still be some time before He actually begins the judgments described in Revelation. Only He knows. What does seem clear to me, however, is that He is calling for His church to wake up to the growing apostasy that plagues her. The Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2), and we should not be spiritually asleep when it does! (1 Th 5:6)
Unfortunately, we are very drowsy right now, if not downright asleep, when our church can be so nearly split down the middle over an election. Christians on both sides of the election debate claim that they've made their choices after prayerfully seeking God's will, yet this cannot be, for He would not give conflicting guidance! At least half the church, and probably more, is being deceived, either because they have let down their guard, or they aren't mature in the faith, or because they never had it in the first place and they're justifying their own desires as being God's will. This brings me to my second point of disagreement about whether I should have been spreading a message of hope: Our hope lies in the Lord, and in order to have a hope-filled relationship with Him, we must first repent! Without repentance, there is no hope, for we turn our backs on Him while seeking the self or the world! A lot of us have that hope, and yes, for those of us who do, we need to hang onto that and not grow discouraged. But lest you get too comfortable in that thought, consider Ephesians 2:11-12: "Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men) - remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world." Don't forget that there are people out there, many of them calling themselves our brothers and sisters in Christ, even though no one has taught them how salvation works that they might avail themselves of this gift, are without hope. Remember how it was with you, before you accepted salvation. Still more of them, while they have accepted salvation, aren't maturing in the faith, because we're not teaching them. And yet more have matured some, but seem to have stalled along the way somewhere, because we haven't corrected them for fear of offending them. We can't lay all the blame on those who are being deceived. We've been leaving them all vulnerable to the enemy that is prowling like a lion, and he's pounced on them. Yes, there's hope to be found, but we have to go out there and let the Lord use us to lead the lost in the right direction. Wake up, brothers and sisters!
Father, we thank you for warning us to wake up. We repent of our parts in allowing our younger brothers and sisters to wander untrained, and our elders to drift uncorrected and leaving them all vulnerable to the enemy. Strengthen our resolve to accept the task of being teachers, to shed the light on apostasy, to guide the church back to You. Open the hearts of the deceived, Lord, that they might have eyes to see and ears to hear when we bring Your message to them. Help us to rid ourselves of the apostasy that has weakened the church. Help us all to grow in maturity that we might bear fruit for You, both individually and as a church, once more. Lead us all to true hope, which can only be found in You. In Jesus' precious name we pray. Amen.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Chicken Recipe
I've been asked by several people for the recipe mentioned in the Tagged item below, so rather than email it individually to all, here it is. Enjoy! :-)
TJ's Picnic Chicken
1 lb (or more) boneless, skinless chicken breast or tenderloin pieces (smaller pieces yield more flavor, and work especially well for party appetizers)
2 TB cooking oil
1 egg, beaten
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1 tsp each of salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder and poultry seasoning (I like McCormick's best) (if using large breast pieces, I often use more than 1 tsp to give a stronger flavor, esp if it will be served cold)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread oil in baking dish. Mix bread crumbs with seasoning in shallow dish or on a plate. Dip chicken pieces into beaten egg, then coat with crumb mixture, shaking off excess, and place in baking dish. Bake 1 hr, turning half way through baking time. Smaller pieces will need less than an hour to bake (more like 40 minutes). Enjoy hot or cold! :-)
Saturday, November 8, 2008
I've been tagged!
Joan, from A Portland Granny, who didn't know if I would do this or not since my postings here are generally serious in tone, has tagged me to share ten things with all of you that I'm not afraid to admit. :-)
The rules are:
1) Link to the person who tagged you.
2) Post the rules on your blog
3) Write 10 random things about yourself (see below).
4) Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them.
5) Let each person know they have been tagged and leave
a comment on their blog.
6) Let the tagger know when your entry has been posted.
The rules are:
1) Link to the person who tagged you.
2) Post the rules on your blog
3) Write 10 random things about yourself (see below).
4) Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them.
5) Let each person know they have been tagged and leave
a comment on their blog.
6) Let the tagger know when your entry has been posted.
Here are my ten!
1.) I don't like chocolate. I know... totally un-American! LOL I always felt like the odd man out in every gathering, until a visit to relatives on my father's side of the family revealed that 9 out of 10 of them didn't like chocolate either! Finally I fit in! It's got to be a genetic thing.
2.) I'm a "jack of all trades, master of none." My husband calls me his "Renaissance woman" because I have such a wide and varied range of interests and skills.
3.) I don't like to wear shoes. I've gotten in the habit of doing so first thing in the morning until I've done all the chores and errands that require being on the go are completed, but after that, they get kicked off!
4.) I'm hoping to become a professional writer eventually, writing for the Christian fiction and non-fiction market.
5.) My mother gave birth to me when she was 43 years old. Two of my sisters were 21 and 25 yrs old at the time, and were standing outside the nursery window when a stranger commented, "You know, that baby there... Her mother is 43 years old!" My sisters replied, "We know. She's our Mom too!"
6.) I once owned a 1967 Dodge Dart, beautifully restored, and a 1969 Buick Skylark. I loved driving both of them, and was sad when I had to let them both go, especially the Buick. Just months after the Buick was sold, it was totaled by a drunk driver who ran into it while it was parked on the street, hitting it so hard that it wrapped around a nearby telephone pole. The driver was unhurt, but the car was destroyed.
7.) Babies are my passion...I fall in love as soon as I see them, I cry when I hear bad news about them, I laugh when they giggle, I melt when they smile.
8.) I have four children, two boys and two girls, ranging from small toddler to young pre-teen. They're the lights of my earthly life, along with my husband.
9.) I've known my hubby since high school. We were best friends for ten years before marrying, and we still are.
10.) I created my own recipe of chicken when I was only 18 years old, and called it TJ's Picnic Chicken. Using my maiden initials and highschool nickname, I named it so because the chicken has as much flavor cold as it does when served hot. It never lasts long around here.
Now I pass the tag on to:
Patty at Beside Still Waters
Renee at Renee's Reflections
Jared at The Aeneid
Connie at Connie's Heartstrings
Tammi at Tammi's Treasures
Abryant at Team Bryant
1.) I don't like chocolate. I know... totally un-American! LOL I always felt like the odd man out in every gathering, until a visit to relatives on my father's side of the family revealed that 9 out of 10 of them didn't like chocolate either! Finally I fit in! It's got to be a genetic thing.
2.) I'm a "jack of all trades, master of none." My husband calls me his "Renaissance woman" because I have such a wide and varied range of interests and skills.
3.) I don't like to wear shoes. I've gotten in the habit of doing so first thing in the morning until I've done all the chores and errands that require being on the go are completed, but after that, they get kicked off!
4.) I'm hoping to become a professional writer eventually, writing for the Christian fiction and non-fiction market.
5.) My mother gave birth to me when she was 43 years old. Two of my sisters were 21 and 25 yrs old at the time, and were standing outside the nursery window when a stranger commented, "You know, that baby there... Her mother is 43 years old!" My sisters replied, "We know. She's our Mom too!"
6.) I once owned a 1967 Dodge Dart, beautifully restored, and a 1969 Buick Skylark. I loved driving both of them, and was sad when I had to let them both go, especially the Buick. Just months after the Buick was sold, it was totaled by a drunk driver who ran into it while it was parked on the street, hitting it so hard that it wrapped around a nearby telephone pole. The driver was unhurt, but the car was destroyed.
7.) Babies are my passion...I fall in love as soon as I see them, I cry when I hear bad news about them, I laugh when they giggle, I melt when they smile.
8.) I have four children, two boys and two girls, ranging from small toddler to young pre-teen. They're the lights of my earthly life, along with my husband.
9.) I've known my hubby since high school. We were best friends for ten years before marrying, and we still are.
10.) I created my own recipe of chicken when I was only 18 years old, and called it TJ's Picnic Chicken. Using my maiden initials and highschool nickname, I named it so because the chicken has as much flavor cold as it does when served hot. It never lasts long around here.
Now I pass the tag on to:
Patty at Beside Still Waters
Renee at Renee's Reflections
Jared at The Aeneid
Connie at Connie's Heartstrings
Tammi at Tammi's Treasures
Abryant at Team Bryant
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Legislating Morality
For those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, read on. All others may want to leave the page now lest you be 'offended'... I have been given a message from our Lord that I'm urged to share and explain. May God give me the words I'm to say...
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.--Revelation 3:15-16
I have a very heavy heart today, and am prone to tears, and I don't think I need to tell bible-believing evangelical Christians why that is. But I can't tell you how many Christians I've talked to recently who have argued that we cannot and should not "legislate morality", and it appears that like-minded Christians were numerous enough to side with liberal unbelievers yesterday to make an awful difference. They argue that legislating "their personal beliefs" would interfere in the "free will" of non-believers, and that they don't think God would do that either, forgetting He DID do that, a long time ago, with the nation of Israel (you can't tell me that all who lived within her borders were devout Jews, but they were called to obey the 10 Commandments anyway!) The argument is flawed. These people think they're promoting an agenda that will allow them to sit on the fence, choosing to do right themselves while giving others the freedom to make their own choices unencumbered. Not so. People have been doing that all along, and it hasn't been enough. It's not enough for these unbelievers to be able to do whatever they want... They want it to be labeled as "good" and "acceptable." No longer is it enough to "fix a mistake" or "keep what they do in the bedroom IN the bedroom." The legislation being pushed forward is in fact legislating immorality by making those "rights" that were never given in the Constitution legally protected, and our right to openly call it sin will be sure to get curtailed, thanks to all the "hate crimes" legislation that is also being pushed, not to mention the persistence of the "separation of church and state" misconception. People have been sinning since before the Bible was written, and they will go right on doing so whether it's legal or not. That's human nature, that's "free will", and we can't end that. Only Christ Himself can when He comes to end all sin. But does that mean we ought to legalize those sins? Does that not make us stumbling blocks to those who don't know another way to live? People who protect alcoholics and drug addicts from the consequences of their sin and allow them to go right on sinning in comfort are called 'enablers'. Enablers make it easy for the alcoholics and drug users to remain addicted, for the addicts have little reason to stop. What makes anyone think it's any different for sexual sin? By legalizing sexual sin, we become enablers of it! And we're teaching such attitudes to a younger generation (those that aren't being killed, anyway...What about their Constitutionally given right to life?!), and soon we may have no legal rights to do otherwise! "Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourselves." Luke 17:1-3a
I find it interesting what my NIV Life Application Study Bible's study notes has to say about Rev 3:15... "Lukewarm water makes a disgusting drink. The church in Laodicea had become lukewarm and thus distasteful and repugnant. The believers didn't take a stand for anything; indifference had led to idleness. By neglecting to do anything for Christ, the church had become hardened and self-satisfied, and it was destroying itself. There is nothing more disgusting than a halfhearted, in-name-only Christian who is self-sufficient. Don't settle for following God halfway. Let Christ fire up your faith and get you into the action." Sound familiar? There's nothing new under the sun. All that is here has been here for centuries, and none of the "changes" being proposed are new. There's not going to be any fence-sitting in the end times. We have to choose either for God or for ourselves. As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD. (Joshua 24:15b)
Regardless of what you did yesterday, today is a new day, and all of we Christians have work to do on our knees. We lost a battle, but we have not lost the war. We already know who wins that in the end. But in the meantime, we have some praying to do and more battles to fight. If you have not yet read http://focusfamaction.edgeboss.net/download/focusfamaction/pdfs/10-22-08_2012letter.pdf, please do so now. It is not a true letter, and doesn't claim to be, but rather is a possibility projected from current trends and promises following natural consequences. It's not as far-fetched as most of us would like to believe. We need to take action to prevent as many of the scenarios in this letter as we can. We need to repent on behalf of our nation and try to turn it from evil...A revival! We need to be prepared to welcome repentant people with open arms and help clear the rubble of a battle lost. And- this wise suggestion came from my 11 yr old son early this morning and then I heard it repeated elsewhere- we need to pray for wisdom for our new and continuing leaders... Many of them claim to be Christians. Pray they actually are, and that God opens their eyes and sets their hearts on fire for Him before they take actions that would be difficult or impossible to reverse. I hope none of the scenarios described in the letter come to pass, but I'm not willing to take a chance they will if there's anything that can be done to stop them. There are souls out there in the balance!
Father, we come before You, humbled and battle-weary. Some of us prayed and fasted and stood strong for biblical standards yesterday, but it wasn't enough. Some of us made the wrong choices, thinking we were doing "good" when in fact we were doing what seems wise in the eyes of man, but leads to death. Open the eyes of all our hearts, Lord, that we might see You and know the Truth. Forgive us our sins. Have mercy on those who know not what they do. Help us turn away from sin and back to You and Your ways. Stir a revival in Your church, Lord, that we might grow stronger from this and become a tool for You to reach out to the lost souls. Use this, as everything else, to the good of those who love You. We have chosen new leaders, and while those leaders are standing for unwise things, many claim they are Christians. Stir the consciences of those who truly are, prick their souls with guilt, that they may repent. Send someone to each of the ones who only think they are Christians, and show them what it means to be one in more than name only. Grant our new and continuing leaders with wisdom, so that they may see the errors of their ways and understand the consequences of the actions they plan to take. Have mercy on America. Please. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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.--Revelation 3:15-16
I have a very heavy heart today, and am prone to tears, and I don't think I need to tell bible-believing evangelical Christians why that is. But I can't tell you how many Christians I've talked to recently who have argued that we cannot and should not "legislate morality", and it appears that like-minded Christians were numerous enough to side with liberal unbelievers yesterday to make an awful difference. They argue that legislating "their personal beliefs" would interfere in the "free will" of non-believers, and that they don't think God would do that either, forgetting He DID do that, a long time ago, with the nation of Israel (you can't tell me that all who lived within her borders were devout Jews, but they were called to obey the 10 Commandments anyway!) The argument is flawed. These people think they're promoting an agenda that will allow them to sit on the fence, choosing to do right themselves while giving others the freedom to make their own choices unencumbered. Not so. People have been doing that all along, and it hasn't been enough. It's not enough for these unbelievers to be able to do whatever they want... They want it to be labeled as "good" and "acceptable." No longer is it enough to "fix a mistake" or "keep what they do in the bedroom IN the bedroom." The legislation being pushed forward is in fact legislating immorality by making those "rights" that were never given in the Constitution legally protected, and our right to openly call it sin will be sure to get curtailed, thanks to all the "hate crimes" legislation that is also being pushed, not to mention the persistence of the "separation of church and state" misconception. People have been sinning since before the Bible was written, and they will go right on doing so whether it's legal or not. That's human nature, that's "free will", and we can't end that. Only Christ Himself can when He comes to end all sin. But does that mean we ought to legalize those sins? Does that not make us stumbling blocks to those who don't know another way to live? People who protect alcoholics and drug addicts from the consequences of their sin and allow them to go right on sinning in comfort are called 'enablers'. Enablers make it easy for the alcoholics and drug users to remain addicted, for the addicts have little reason to stop. What makes anyone think it's any different for sexual sin? By legalizing sexual sin, we become enablers of it! And we're teaching such attitudes to a younger generation (those that aren't being killed, anyway...What about their Constitutionally given right to life?!), and soon we may have no legal rights to do otherwise! "Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourselves." Luke 17:1-3a
I find it interesting what my NIV Life Application Study Bible's study notes has to say about Rev 3:15... "Lukewarm water makes a disgusting drink. The church in Laodicea had become lukewarm and thus distasteful and repugnant. The believers didn't take a stand for anything; indifference had led to idleness. By neglecting to do anything for Christ, the church had become hardened and self-satisfied, and it was destroying itself. There is nothing more disgusting than a halfhearted, in-name-only Christian who is self-sufficient. Don't settle for following God halfway. Let Christ fire up your faith and get you into the action." Sound familiar? There's nothing new under the sun. All that is here has been here for centuries, and none of the "changes" being proposed are new. There's not going to be any fence-sitting in the end times. We have to choose either for God or for ourselves. As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD. (Joshua 24:15b)
Regardless of what you did yesterday, today is a new day, and all of we Christians have work to do on our knees. We lost a battle, but we have not lost the war. We already know who wins that in the end. But in the meantime, we have some praying to do and more battles to fight. If you have not yet read http://focusfamaction.edgeboss.net/download/focusfamaction/pdfs/10-22-08_2012letter.pdf, please do so now. It is not a true letter, and doesn't claim to be, but rather is a possibility projected from current trends and promises following natural consequences. It's not as far-fetched as most of us would like to believe. We need to take action to prevent as many of the scenarios in this letter as we can. We need to repent on behalf of our nation and try to turn it from evil...A revival! We need to be prepared to welcome repentant people with open arms and help clear the rubble of a battle lost. And- this wise suggestion came from my 11 yr old son early this morning and then I heard it repeated elsewhere- we need to pray for wisdom for our new and continuing leaders... Many of them claim to be Christians. Pray they actually are, and that God opens their eyes and sets their hearts on fire for Him before they take actions that would be difficult or impossible to reverse. I hope none of the scenarios described in the letter come to pass, but I'm not willing to take a chance they will if there's anything that can be done to stop them. There are souls out there in the balance!
Father, we come before You, humbled and battle-weary. Some of us prayed and fasted and stood strong for biblical standards yesterday, but it wasn't enough. Some of us made the wrong choices, thinking we were doing "good" when in fact we were doing what seems wise in the eyes of man, but leads to death. Open the eyes of all our hearts, Lord, that we might see You and know the Truth. Forgive us our sins. Have mercy on those who know not what they do. Help us turn away from sin and back to You and Your ways. Stir a revival in Your church, Lord, that we might grow stronger from this and become a tool for You to reach out to the lost souls. Use this, as everything else, to the good of those who love You. We have chosen new leaders, and while those leaders are standing for unwise things, many claim they are Christians. Stir the consciences of those who truly are, prick their souls with guilt, that they may repent. Send someone to each of the ones who only think they are Christians, and show them what it means to be one in more than name only. Grant our new and continuing leaders with wisdom, so that they may see the errors of their ways and understand the consequences of the actions they plan to take. Have mercy on America. Please. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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