One day I was fervently praying for an "unsaved" loved one. Jesus put a peace in my spirit.
Today, I want to explain why we shouldn't worry about our "unsaved" loved ones.
Think of the story of the lost sheep and the lost coin. Don't we know that anytime something is lost, Jesus will go and find it? He will leave the 99 to find the one. You may not see the fruit of God working, but He is working.
Stop worrying. What can be gained by worry? Today has enough trouble of it's own. Just keep loving your loved ones. Keep showing them grace and mercy. Like the prodigal son, they will see that they are lacking and come home. Lift them up in prayer. Keep speaking life into them and planting the seed of hope from the Word of God. Jesus hears you. He is leaving the 99 as we speak.
Yesterday, I fought the darkness quite a bit. I really don't want to go into details, but I could feel a tangible heaviness all around me.
The other day I made a video about the love of God. The Word defines love as patient, kind, not easily angered. Love keeps NO record of wrong. Love is not rude. Love is not self seeking. Love does not delight in evil. Love protects, hopes, and perseveres. The Bible defines God as love. I asked the simple question, "Do you have an image of God as being anything other than these things?" I then stated, that if we view God as anything other than love, then we have a complete misunderstanding of God.
Anyhow, this video caused a complete stranger to reach out to me. He told me that he has fallen very far. He spoke to me of how he is wrestling with an addiction. Last night, I got the chance to speak life to a stranger. I told him that there is nothing in his life that hasn't been already covered by the Cross of Christ. There is no sin or wrong too big that Jesus didn't die for. He told me that he too has undergone demonic torment. I rebuked the spirits of depression and fear and addiction from his life,and I could feel the demons that I had been wrestling all day begin to tremble and flee.
Please pray for this man. Pray that God would help him with his addiction. I've heard of people getting instantly delivered. I also know that sometimes people also need to seek help. God is good, ya'll.
I believe that God's grace towards those struggling with addiction is great. I believe that He is merciful and patient. He isn't up in Heaven, counting our sins against us. (Love keeps no record of wrong)
I often think of the story of the prodigal son. Once there was a father who had two sons. One day the youngest son asked for his inheritance. The father gave it to him. He went far away from his father and squandered his money on wild living. There was a famine in the land. The son found himself lacking. He had no food. He thought, Will my father take me back? I have squandered everything! He thought, maybe I can go back and be a servant. They eat better than I. Maybe he will be merciful to me.
So the son went back. The Father saw the son from a distance, walking toward home. His heart was filled with great joy. He was so excited to see his son. There was no chastisement. The father was just simply glad that his son had come home. He threw a huge banquet nd there was music and laughter and dancing.
That is who Jesus is to me. He isn't counting our sins against us. He just simply rejoices when we come home.
When I was very young, my great grandmother was killed in a car accident. I still remember that day like it was yesterday. She was my grandmother's mom. We called her, "Maw Maw Woose."
I miss my grandmother. I remember being able to talk to her about anything. There were times when I would vent to my grandmother. I would sometimes tell her when I was having problems with another person. She always had the same advice; "Rachelle, don't let the sun go down on your anger." She would always bid me to forgive. She had always led to me to believe that she had some angry words with her mother or an unresolved issue, and never got the chance to say, "I'm sorry."
Today's message is simple. Forgive. Let it go. The people that we love won't be here forever, and
some things just aren't worth holding onto.
Make peace. Know that forgiving others doesn't mean that you have to put up with abuse from them. It does means that you can let go of the burden of hatred in your heart, and be set free from the anger that enslaves you.
Choose love.
The Bible has much to say about forgiveness. Consider the following parable:
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[a]
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[b] was brought to him.25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[c] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Tonight, Jace spotted a little tree frog in the house. I told that we needed to catch it and put it back outside . I've seen enough frog skeletons in the house to know what happens when frogs aren't rescued.
Tonight, my heart is a little sad. There are so many people right now trapped in addiction. There are people who are struggling with anger and hatred. There are innocent people who are victim to those who are struggling. Every other day I read about a mass shooting. Today it was at a naval base. Last month,there was a shootout in Midland, Texas. A few weeks before that, people were shot up at a WalMart.
It almost seems as if there is no end to people's hatred and anger. I try not to judge harshly. I've been in dark places. I've experienced loss. I know what severe depression can do to a person. I know what it feels like to be hopeless. But, I also know a God who can turn ashes into beauty. I know a God who can turn despair into hope, and sadness into joy.
I know that there are people out there right now who doubt God. Atheism and agnosticism seem to be growing. The Bible says that Jesus will be misrepresented by many people. It also says that many people will have a form of godliness, but that they will deny the power, thereof.
Perhaps, at times, I have been that person. If so, I am sorry.
There have been times when I was much younger that even I doubted God. I didn't understand the concept of how a loving God could burn people in an eternal hell. The truth is that there is still MUCH that I don't understand. However, I do know that Jesus is Real.
I do know that He is good. I do know that He can take our darkness and turn it into light.
I do know that He can heal.
I do know that there is a darkness out there that longs to steal, kill, and destroy. I've experience demons in horrific ways. But through it all, I've learned that God is still good and there is power in His name.
The Bible defines God as spirit and love. So anytime you see hatred, know that it isn't God.
Anytime, you see Jesus being misrepresented, know that it isn't God.
Whoever you are and whatever you are going through, I am rooting for you.
Whatever darkness you are trapped in, God can get you out.
Talk to Jesus. He hears you. Talk to Him as you would a friend, and don't try to hide anything from Him because He already knows anyway. Be honest, and watch Him work wonders in your life. Watch Him turn your ashes to beauty.
Anyhow, I'm not sure how this relates to the tree frog at the beginning of this blog, except for the fact that there are people out there who need to be rescued. To those people I say,
I love you and I'm praying for you. I'm always here to talk with you, and my door is always open.
This Christmas I want to do something special for the kids at Harbour House in Lake Charles.
Harbour House is a shelter for ages ten to seventeen. Many of them are homeless. Some are runaways, and others just need a safe environment because of an unstable or abusive situation at home.
I honestly just can't imagine what some of these children have been through.
I want to get them a "Hidden in My Heart" cd, along with a letter telling them that they are loved, they do have a purpose in life, and that there are people out there praying for them and rooting for them. I also want to include chocolates or small things for a gift bag.
A few years ago, I read an article that stated that kids who left Harbor House were at very high risk of suicide. I want to do all that I can to prevent that by planting seeds of love and hope in their hearts.
Today, I called and talked to an administrator who works there. She was estatic that someone wanted to buy them gifts, and said that they are the type of kids who are very grateful for even the smallest of things. There are currently eleven children being housed there.
I have collected thirty dollars so far for this project. I need at least 100 more.Any amount will help. If you can't help out, I understand. Please be in prayer for these kids. If you can help out, please paypal me and one hundred percent of the proceeds will go towards this project.
I know that right now there are many people praying for revival. They are hoping that God will move at a future day and time.
Several years ago, Jesus whispered something into my spirit. "The Time Is Now."
By praying for God to move at a future time and date, are we missing the people around us in the here and now?
God has already given us everything we need. Through Christ, we have the power to set others free from darkness. We have a light within us that shouldn't be hidden.
His plea has always been for us to go into the world and share Him with others.
If Christ is living in us, then our hearts and minds have ALREADY been renewed.
We are already revived. There is no waiting period. It is finished. The work is complete.
Jesus, in us, is revival and he is already here.
Today I listened to a podcast about revival by Dr. Stephen Crosby and Bryan Weibold. They made some excellent points. They spoke of how we often drive hours to revival conferences when many of us don't even know the names of our neighbors.
I'm going to post the link in the comment section of this post. It may take a few minutes, but it is worth a listen.
Does anyone want to partner with me to visit those in nursing homes? Or love on the homeless? Or to pray for our communities? Christ is already in us. Revival is here and the time is now.
This past month has been bittersweet. At times, I have been at complete and total peace. Other times, I have been undergoing spiritual warfare on an intense level. My mind has been assaulted heavily for the past few weeks. I've been fighting feelings of intense anxiety, depression, and self condemnation. I've struggled with nightmares where Satan shows me what he wants to do to my family. I've undergone attacks against my body. It's been mentally and physically exhausting.
But through it all, Jesus has whispered in my spirit, "Trust in Me." Through it all, Jesus has shown me that he hears my prayers for loved ones. Through it all, He has given me peace during the times when I just wanted to give up.
A few nights ago, I felt compelled to watch a Youtube video about fear. The Bible defines fear as a spirit. There is even a verse that says, He has not given us a Spirit of Fear, but rather a Spirit of Power, of Love, and of a Sound Mind. As someone who has dealt with the demonic, I know that when there is a heavy darkness over me, certain thoughts enter my mind. Dark thoughts. Thoughts that have often sent me down rabbit holes of panic and tears.
The Word tells us that if we resist the enemy, then he will flee from us. It also tells us that the weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world and that we must take our thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ.
In the Youtube video, Doug Perry explains that our thoughts are often like a train. We start off with a few negative thoughts and then they easily gain momentum up to the point that they are hard to stop.
He said by taking our fearful, or worrisome thoughts captive (or any thought that doesn't align with Christ) we cut them off at the root. He also gave some highly interesting stories about people who were set free from very specific fears. It is worth a watch. I'm posting the video below. I highly recommend anyone who struggles with anxiety or depression to watch it.
Video about how to be free from FEAR. IT's Profound!
Anyhow, after watching the video, I started practicing rebuking the spirits of fear and taking my thoughts captive and I have felt at peace. It works!
Now, for the Buckees part of this blog.
Sometimes, I pray to feel God's love for others. There have been times when Jesus has shown me other people through His eyes. Every single time, I have felt my eyes tear up because I become overwhelmed with mercy and compassion. Yesterday, we drove home from Midland, Texas. We stopped for a restroom break at Buckees. I asked Jesus to show me someone through His eyes. I went to the restroom, and I looked up in the mirror, and it hit me like a lightning bolt.
There I was. Me. In the mirror. It was unmistakeable. Jesus was showing me his great love for me. My eyes filled with tears as I realized that Jesus loves me. It's one thing to realize his love and mercy and compassion for others, but it is something beautiful and profound to be able to feel it for yourself.
He loves us.
Don't listen to the lies of Satan who longs to kill, steal, and destroy you and those around you.
Listen to voice of Jesus who is our healer, our protector, our provider, and who longs to bring us restoration. Take every thought captive.
Here is what the voice of Jesus sounds like, "For I know the plans that I have for you says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and NOT TO HARM you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jerimiah 29:11
