f.o.r.g.i.v.e.n

Fiery Tempest

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 19:09:00 +0000

Wind blowing,

Anointing flowing,

Revolutionary seeking,

Tradition tweaking,

Life-carrying,

Fire-marrying,

Elements merging,

Revival surging,

Holy breathing,

Heat seething,

Passion spreading,

Enemy dreading,

Far ranging,

Ever changing,

No reversing,

No rehearsing,

Nothing standing,

God-branding.

The Spirit's desire-

A Tempest of Fire.

Dear Rebeccah Beushausen..."I Know What It's Like"

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:27:00 +0000

This blog entry is dedicated to Rebeccah Beushausen. I truly have compassion for her. I do not condone what took place, and my heart goes out to all who were hurt and who are still hurting as a result of everything surrounding the "April Rose" blog. However, I felt like the Lord inspired me to write this to heighten an awareness concerning some very real spiritual battles that she may be facing, and to testify that there is hope even in the midst of overwhelming devastation. The hope we have in Christ can genuinely and drastically change the course of our lives and bring us to a real and lasting victory over our past. My hope is that many will rise up in intercession for Beccah, with hearts that are burning with the very compassion and unconditional love of Christ.

I know what it’s like…

to have been taken advantage of,

to have suffered at the hands of my own poor decisions

and to have walked a long, foggy road where those two worlds converged.

But praise God I now also know what it’s like…

to not only know but feel like a new creation in Christ,

to watch in awe as the Lord has restored the years that the enemy tried to eat away

and to live a life characterized by uncompromising faith and victory over the enemy.

I know what it's like…

to have had deep rivers of emotional pain running constantly through my soul,

to have stooped to desperate measures in order to relieve the torment

and to have compromised my faith in God in order to try and ease my suffering.

But praise God I now also know what it’s like…

to live where the peace of God reigns in my heart and in my soul,

to experience inexpressible joy even in the midst of severe trials

and to know, that I know, that I know that the joy of the Lord is my strength.

I know what it's like…

to have battled the fierce and unmerciful demons of addiction,

to have felt like I just simply didn’t have the strength to make the right choices

and to have struggled continuously with things I so desperately wanted to turn away from.

But praise God I now also know what it’s like…

to triumph over the demons of addiction and demolish strongholds in the name of Jesus,

to overcome temptation because I have the Greater One living on the inside of me

and to know that I am more than a conqueror over the power of darkness.

I know what it's like…

to have betrayed the very people who were reaching out to me and trying to help me,

to have recognized that people had very legitimate reasons for not trusting me

and to have come to the realization that I did not even trust myself.

But praise God I now also know what it’s like…

to trust in Lord with all my heart even when I can’t wrap my mind around it,

to watch God miraculously straighten out my crooked paths and order my steps

and to experience healing and restoration in relationships which I thought were beyond repair.

I know what it's like…

to have watched my world slowly unravel the more I tried to keep it together,

to have made excuses and lived in denial for extended periods of time

and to have sincerely questioned my sanity.

But praise God I now also know what it’s like…

to just be still and know that He is God and I am not,

to overcome the intimidation of the spirit of fear

and to walk in the Spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind.

I know what it’s like…

to have occasionally thought that maybe I had wandered too far from the hand of God,

to have seriously doubted that I would ever be completely, healed, delivered and set free

and to have wondered if anyone would ever take me seriously and believe in me again.

But praise God I now also know what it’s like…

to be overcome with gratitude that the Lord was faithful to bind up my broken heart,

to have complete faith in the healing and deliverance power of the Lord

and to want people to take God seriously and believe in Him more than in me.

I know what it's like…

to have felt ridiculous asking for forgiveness for the same thing countless times,

to have felt like I was drowning in a raging sea of guilt, shame and condemnation

and to have felt unworthy of my Heavenly Father's love.

But praise God I now also know what it’s like…

to not only know I am forgiven but to feel like I’m forgiven in the depths of my heart,

to feel like I’m drowning in the sea of God’s mercy, love and grace

and to have a revelation of the Father’s love that has nothing to do with my worthiness.

I know what it's like…

to have felt like a horrible witness for Christ and also a downright stumbling block,

to have questioned my salvation because of my weaknesses and my failures

and to have felt certain that God would never be able to use me for His Kingdom purposes.

But praise God I now also know what it’s like…

to be excited about the call upon my life and wonder how God is going to use me next,

to see God be glorified through the very things that the enemy meant for my harm

and to know the pleasures of being used by God to help set others free.

I know what it’s like…

to have wondered how it was even possible to mess my life up so badly,

to have continuously beat myself up because I hadn’t forgiven myself

and to have felt like I deserved to suffer forever because I dug my own pit.

But praise God I now also know what it’s like…

to be rescued for good and washed clean from the muddy pit of my past,

to forgive myself and to be able to think about my past sins without falling apart

and to know that, with Christ, my past will definitely not define my future.

I know what it's like…

to have wondered if I would ever see the light at the end of the tunnel,

to have sincerely wished that it would all be over and that I would just die

and to have felt so completely and utterly distant from God.

But praise God I now also know what it’s like…

to realize that I serve the God of the miraculous and that all things are possible with Him,

to walk in a freedom in Christ that I didn’t even know existed

and to enjoy the gift of uninterrupted intimacy with my Heavenly Father.

YES, I know what it’s like!

The Glory

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 18:19:00 +0000

Is it just me or is it natural for us as human beings, as we look forward to heaven, to find solace in all of the things that won't be there in that perfect place of paradise? The mere absence of things such as frustration, pain, tears, dirt and messiness which requires tidying and cleaning will be a wonderfully glorious thing in and of itself. (Anyone want to take a stab at what I was doing while this thought occurred to me!)

Anyway, I think I know enough about heaven to be sure that none of those, above mentioned, things will be present. But as I thought about what will make heaven so "heavenly," I realized it would be the fact that we would be able to experience God in ALL His glory. Let that sink in for a moment!

The more I learn about His glory, the more excited that makes me! I came to the conclusion that even if there were any of those types of things in heaven, (which there aren't) that there would be NO possible chance we would notice them anyway- God's glory would be too bright and too intense. (Wow, if there's ever a time that you can't find any suitable adjectives in the English language, it's when you are trying to covey heavenly things!)

I said all that to say that if the Holy Spirit is my connection to His glory, I want every bit there is to experience here, while I'm still on earth!!! Bring it on!!!

Desperation

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:40:00 +0000

Desperate times call for desperate measures. I think that is a universal truth. As I was deep in thought today, the Lord dropped the word, "desperation," in my spirit. At some level, we have all experienced desperation.

However, desperation is not always a bad thing. There is a kind of desperation that leads to hope and a kind of desperation that leads to despair, a type that leads to life and a type that leads to death, one that leads to blessings and one that leads to curses.

I will not soon forget a little known truth that I learned from a very wise man, concerning faith and fear. Both are like magnets, but they are polar opposites. Faith attracts things from the Kingdom of God, and Fear attracts things from the Kingdom of Darkness.

With that in mind, I believe the Lord gave me this:

DESPERATION mixed with FEAR will cause YOU

to act in ways you never thought you should.

DESPERATION mixed with FAITH will cause GOD

to act in ways you never thought He would!!!

Grateful

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:25:00 +0000

'Tis the season to be thankful.....and grateful! Actually, as followers of Christ we should continually have a thankful and grateful heart for everything we have in and through Christ. Thank you Lord that I have a relationship with You! Thank You for Your grace, forgiveness and mercy! Thank You for my health and my family and my friends! Thank you for Your joy and Your love, and Your peace- Your provision and Your protection. I am truly bubbling over with gratitude! I love You Lord! You are so good to me!

I love this sound all year 'round, but it seems so appropriate the day before Thanksgiving. It's "Grateful" by Hezekiah Walker

Misunderstood

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 16:18:00 +0000

Have you ever felt misunderstood? That word surfaced in my spirit this morning during my devotional time and I was led to the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel.

12Now it came about, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli was watching her mouth.
13As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk.
14Then Eli said to her, "How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you."
15But Hannah replied, "No, my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD.
16"Do not consider your maidservant as a worthless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and provocation."
17Then Eli answered and said, "Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him."

This small portion of scripture is rich in lessons:

Be careful before you assess a situation prematurely. Especially be careful before you spout off too quickly with criticism and rebuke. Your assessment could be 180 degrees from the truth. We have all been Eli's before. (At least I know I have have.)

Realize that these misunderstandings can happen in seemingly "safe" places (the house of the Lord) and come from seemingly "safe" people (a priest).

A gracious attitude and a respectful, loving response to someone who has misunderstood you can be the very avenue that God uses to answer your prayer. At the very least, "walking in love," with those who misunderstand us and respond harshly to us is imperative in keeping our hearts right before the Lord.

In this scripture, Eli ends up replying favorably to Hannah's God-honoring response, but sometimes in our lives, the story doesn't always play out like that. There are times that the anticipated response from "Eli" is not favorable. In addition, sometimes we aren't even given the opportunity to respond at all. Whatever the case, we must strive to keep our attitudes and our hearts pure, even if we have to endure long seasons of being misunderstood.

Facebook

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:00:00 +0000

I just joined Facebook, and I am pretty excited about it. I have thought about it for a while-either that or Myspace. I heard a couple of my new friends talk about it the other day and it just pushed me over the edge. Realizing that it could potentially be a "time thief," I must continually be mindful of that. However, I am actually really excited. Out of raw curiosity, I have spent quite a bit of time jumping from page to page of persons whom I haven't talked to or seen in ages.

Already, I have reconnected with a couple of people who knew me B.C. (before Christ) :) I guess they will be the first of many people who are in for the shock of their lives if they happen to stumble across my profile page. Yes, I am a Jesus FREAK and proud of it! Ha ha! You'd be laughing too if you knew me back then!

Ever Had That Feeling?

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:42:00 +0000

http://resources.bravenet.com/audio_clips/disco_dance/rockwell_-_somebodys_watching_me/listen/

Anybody ever wonder if God has a sense of humor? I don't- I already came to that conclusion early on in my walk with Him. :) Those who have ears let them hear.

Faith or Fear?

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:12:00 +0000

Faith attracts things from the Kingdom of God. I think that a simple look at the life and ministry of Jesus practically illustrates this principle perfectly. I believe this is a spiritual law, because faith attracts things like peace, joy, healing, hope, contentment and salvation.

In contrast, I believe that this principle flipped on it's head holds true as well. The opposite of faith is fear and the opposite of the Kingdom of God is the Kingdom of Darkness. Fear does, in fact, attract things from the Kingdom of Darkness. Think about it; fear is basically a magnet for things like confusion, sorrow, frustration, despair and destruction.

Your thoughts, your words, and even your countenance may be evidence of what Kingdom you are attracting to your immediate surroundings. A careful examination of them may best enable you to answer this all important question: Are you walking in faith or in fear?

Freedom

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:09:00 +0000

It kind of seems that lately my blog has predominantly served as a platform for endorsing my favorite worship music! Oh well- praise the Lord & rock on while you praise Him! This one is called Freedom performed by Eddie James.

Deeper

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:11:00 +0000

I wanted to share one of my new favorite songs. It's called "Deeper," and it is sung by Nicole Binion. I love the words to this song! It just draws me closer, every time I listen to it.

I recently had the privilege of seeing one my dear sisters in Christ, Kenyatta, minister to this song. She does miming, which is where she ministers to the song by using sign language. That's the best way I can describe it. You really have to see it in order to appreciate the anointing she has and the beauty of her gift.

I'm It!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:48:00 +0000

OK, I'm it. I've actually enjoyed reading everyone else's, so hopefully mine will serve as some sort of entertainment, as well! Here they are- 7 things about me that are random or weird:

I love green olives. I can eat a whole jar (even a big one) in one sitting.

I had my heart set on being a physician until I was in high school. I think I realized after watching ER and Trauma: Life in the ER that I would never get through medical school or my residency because I require too much sleep and my body and (brain) could never function properly with such erratic sleeping schedules. That's pretty sad, the deterrent was not the blood and guts, it was the lack of sleep! I would still love to perform surgery.

Although, I have never counted, because I lost track a long time ago, I have moved well over 30 times in the last ten years alone.

I have an "artsy" creative side to me and I would consider interior design to be one of my passions, although I have never had ample time or finances to really do much with it.

I used to be a perfectionist, and still have some tendencies. (This may surprise anyone who may have seen my house or my car lately.) However, I realized a while ago, especially as children kept getting added into the equation, that I had a choice to make: perfectionism or my sanity, and after some consideration :) I reluctantly chose my sanity

I am a fierce competitor and I hate to lose. I especially love games which involve shooting or throwing an object at a target (basketball, corn hole, etc.)

My love for the Lord and my desire to know Him more intimately is such a tremendously powerful fire raging internally, in the depths of my soul, that I feel like I might explode sometimes! I am totally unashamedly consumed with chasing after Him!

Glory's Well

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:02:00 +0000

The Promised Gift fell
From Glory's well.
The new wine-
Who can define?
Simply ask and receive,
But who can perceive-
The "secret" open-invitation?-
A cleansing saturation
Swimming in Heaven's pool-
A refreshing fiery cool.
Inexpressible clarity,
An abundant rarity,
Drunkenness unashamed,
Submission untamed,
Empowering surrender,
The "tearing-down mender,"
Getting lost in discovery,
From the thief- recovery,
Fears arrested,
Faith manifested,
Laughter with weeping,
Healings in heapings,
Loosing and binding,
Losing everything in finding
Sealed-up revelation,
Divine transformation
Defying intellectual reason
In this latter-rain season.
Victory and power
In heaven's shower.
Miracles abound
When His Presence falls down.

"My Life, My Love, My All"

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:33:00 +0000

I love the gospel music of Kirk Franklin, and this may be one of my favorites. I just wanted to share this video. The song is called "My Life, My Love, My All." The simplistic beauty of the lyrics can easily bring me to tears. Enjoy.

Jalen's Poor Wrist

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:07:00 +0000

As you can see, Jalen broke his arm this Sunday. He actually broke it in three places. Yes, it was pretty severe, and yes, he continues to be in a lot of pain almost 48 hours after the fact, but praise the Lord, it didn't require surgery. The doctors just had to put him to sleep to set the most severe fracture in his wrist back into place.

He was quite a trooper, considering that we were at the hospital from about 5:00 pm Sunday until about 4:00 am Monday morning. He's going to be fine, but please pray for a speedy recovery, because he is a VERY active boy and once the initial pain subsides, he will have to contend with abstaining from most physical activities for quite a while. I think that will be the most difficult part of it for him.

I Love Me Better Than That!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:12:00 +0000

I Love Me Better Than That

I heard this song for the first time a couple of months ago and it struck me to the very core of my soul. One of my favorite lines says, "I know I made my mistakes, but it's never too late!" Thank you Jesus, my Savior, my Rescuer and my Redeemer! Yes, Jesus is many things to me, but I know Him very intimately in those ways. He not only saved, rescued and redeemed me from eternal damnation, but He also saved, rescued and redeemed me from what seemed like a life of hell here on earth.

I really didn't know what to make of the title of this song (loving yourself) at first, because initially it seemed a little selfish/ self-centered until I listened to it in the context of the whole song. There is one line which says, "It's impossible to love somebody else when you don't even love yourself." Hello!!! Loving others and loving God is pretty important in our Christian walk! I know, first hand, truly how difficult, if not impossible, it is to love others & God when you don't love yourself. I have many years of experience in not loving myself, others or God, and believe me I don't ever want to go there again!

We must love ourselves in order to fulfil our destinies in Christ. Above all, we must learn to view ourselves like God views us, because it is only then that we can begin to grow in genuine intimacy with our Heavenly Father, and that is our highest calling as His children. We truly are precious in His sight! From intimate fellowship with Him will flow a desire to cherish, protect, and cultivate our God-given gifts and talents so that we may optimize them for His service in order to build up the Body and bring lost souls into the Kingdom.

Potty-Training

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:48:00 +0000

I just had to share something hilarious. We have been trying to potty-train Christian, who just turned 2 in March, for about a month or so now. During this "training stage," his interest and success can fluctuate from high to almost non-existent in a matter of a couple days.

There are days where he is obsessed with sitting on "the pot", and it seems he rarely wants to even leave the bathroom. On the contrary, Christian has had just as many days were I know that he needs to go. On these occasions, he will vehemently resist any attempts at getting him close to "the pot," then, only moments later, I find he has just done his business.

Anyway, I guess today Christian was in a different kind of mood. He decided to "change his own diaper." I was sitting at the computer desk when, out of the corner of my eye, he walked into the living room, took off his pull-up, went to the side of the couch (where I keep the bag of fresh pull-ups), took out a new pull-up and proceeded to put it on (backwards). Then, without paying a bit of attention to me, he walked right back upstairs to resume his activity.

I sat there kind of surprised, but much more amused than anything, and just took in the moment. I walked over to the abandoned pull-up which was not only wet but warm as well. What had transpired was certainly cute, but as I reflected on what I had just witnessed, it left me with more questions than answers, one of which was: why would he go through all of the trouble to come downstairs and change his own pants when he obviously thought it was too much trouble to stop what he was doing in the first place?

Babies are so funny, but I know I wouldn't have been so amused if there was a "#2" involved! Toddlers are so much more intelligent than we sometimes give them credit for. I personally think that any toddler who is capable of changing their own diaper is certainly capable of being potty-trained while they are awake!

The Peace of God

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:00:00 +0000

As many of you know my sister, Rebecca, is just beginning her journey as a Christ-follower. As I disciple her (what a tremendous honor!), I have been trying to convey some basic spiritual truths to her as simply as possible without "overloading" her. I point out whenever possible, how the Holy Spirit is working in her life, and have encouraged her to become aware of His presence.

We were talking last night, and she told me such an encouraging story of something that happened to her Tuesday. I don't think she would mind me sharing this. Her husband just started working 3rd shift, and it has been a difficult adjustment for her to be alone in an empty house at night. While she was laying in bed feeling lonely and a little fearful (she lives kind of back in a remote and wooded area), she began to pray and cry. ( She told me she cries a lot while she is praying.)

Her prayer was something like this, "God I know that you are with me, and I know you are keeping me safe. I know you can get these thoughts and this fear out of my head." She told me she tried to envision herself peacefully sleeping in the palms of His hands. All of the sudden Rebecca heard two beeps, which she thought may be a household appliance. Her attention was diverted from her prayer as she began to wonder what had made that noise that she didn't quite recognize. Then what she described as a calm came over her, and rested upon her. I am quite sure that this calm she experienced was the "peace" that Paul was referring to in his letter to the Philippians:

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

God is so awesome! What is the lesson to be learned?....especially for those of us who have been following Christ a little bit longer! He WILL manifest himself in our situations if we will come to Him with such SIMPLE faith, boldness, and expectancy and He WILL meet us right where we are if we just acknowledge Him FROM OUR HEARTS.

I could almost guarantee you right now that not only would Rebecca be unable to recite that scripture, but she's probably never read it or even heard it, but now that she has experienced God in that area, that scripture will become much more than just a memory verse to her!

One last thing, I wanted to share which was just precious. As I was getting off the phone with her, I told her that Chad was preaching on the Holy Spirit this weekend, and it was going to be some really good stuff. Rebecca then said, "Oh yeah, I've got that now! I'll be there!" The that which she was referring to was, of course, the Holy Spirit. I just smiled , and confirmed to her that she most certainly did have Holy Spirit now. God is so awesome!

John Bevere

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:32:00 +0000

Those closest to me know how much I love John Bevere's ministry. God has used his books and his teaching to impact the lives of many throughout the world for the glory of His kingdom. His anointed words and deep insights reflect his own intimate personal walk with the Lord, and his intense, no-nonsense teachings have been instrumental in my personal growth as a Christian.

Chad and I went to Atlanta to see John Bevere speak this past weekend, and it was a phenomenal experience. Apparently, Chad was planning to surprise me with a weekend getaway for just the two of us, but I ruined it! He had to come clean because I approached him (while he was in the process of cementing the plans and reservations) and asked him if we could look on John's speaking schedule and find the nearest city where he would be speaking so we could go.

Wasn't it just the sweetest and most thoughtful thing a husband could have done! He's really good like that!!! We definitely enjoyed getting away for a few days from our busy, and crazy lives as we know it on a daily basis :). The peaceful quality time together was wonderful, but it thrilled me to know that Chad enjoyed John Bevere and the whole atmosphere and worship experience at the hosting church as much as I did.

Here is John Bevere on youtube. I believe his ministry, Messenger International, has a television show overseas, and this may have come from that. Anyway, I'd just like to share it, because he is a truly anointed man of God, and I know it will bless whomever it touches. These are all continuous, so watch them in order. Enjoy and be blessed!

The Spirit of THE LORD is Upon American Idol!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 14:39:00 +0000

Last week I was made aware of the fact that Oprah Winfrey was being seduced (by the forces the evil one) into being the ringleader of this mass New Age movement via the media. I think this FALSE RELIGION even led millions of participants in a mass trance my means of the Internet.

However, this morning I learned that the final contestants on American Idol performed "Shout to the Lord" this week. How awesome is that!!! I believe with all my heart that both of these events were just the results of the spiritual battle going on in the heavenly realms. Satan struck a vicious blow via the media and God was having none of that!

Mark 10:27 says that ,..."all things are possible with God", even praising the Lord through song on a secular TV program! Take that Satan!!! You go God! Keep praying, saints, that glimmers of the light of God can continue to shine in the media to bring His Truth to a very lost world of people stumbling in the dark.

Easter Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:35:00 +0000

I was finally able to upload the pictures of Mom, Becca and myself from Easter! I love them so much! What a memorable day! God is so awesome!

Spiritual Spring Cleaning

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 01:20:00 +0000

In James 1:27 we learn that "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Watching that video yesterday reminded me, once again, how very important it is, especially in the times in which we live, to be firmly grounded in the Truth. I don't really watch TV much anymore for that reason. I am convinced that there is not much "Truth" on TV.

I believe our spirits are like sponges, and, as Christians, the Bible teaches us to keep ourselves from being polluted by the world. I have noticed that since I have cut many things out of my "diet," the Word of God and biblical teachings can much more easily penetrate and resonate with my Spirit. In other words, I have eliminated a lot of the competition (or pollution) from my spiritual diet, and the results have been life-changing.

I certainly am not being legalistic and saying that no one should watch TV or anything, because I don't think absolutley everything on TV is awful. I am just sharing a spiritual truth which has been life-changing for me. I am not anti-media either. Christians need to be aware of things going on in the world around them. I do enjoy reading news stories on the Internet and I spend a fair amount of time researching topics of interest and answers to questions online as well. I do realize I have to be careful on the Internet, but I kind of feel like I am being proactive in that regard as opposed to just "vegging" out in front of the boob tube and allowing trash (whether obvious or not so obvious) to seep into my soul.

I have made two rather interesting observations:

I once read that a person begins to crave the very things they feed themselves. It is interesting to note that ever since I began to read and study the Word more than I watched TV, my appetite for TV almost disappeared completely. Honestly, I don't really ever think about watching TV......but I'll tell you what does dominate my thoughts- practical spiritual applications to the real life situations I continually encounter.
As I continually strive to keep my spirit from being polluted, when I do unintentionally encounter things which I know are offensive to God, I am hyper-sensitive to them and almost repulsed. Almost without exception, I am taken back to a time in my life and reminded that the very things that now cause the little hairs on the back of my neck to stand up, at one time, could have gone virtually unnoticed, been totally ignored, been rationalized and deemed acceptable and maybe even celebrated (OUCH!).

I invite Followers of Christ to heighten your awareness of what may be competing with biblical Truth in your life. Don't be deceived into thinking that you can allow pollutants to infiltrate your spirit without consequence. Contrary to what Oprah may think, when it comes to His relationship with you, God is, indeed, a jealous God! God does not like it when we allow filth and dirt to compete with His Pure, Refreshing & Transforming Truth in our spirits.

So ask yourself this question: If my spirit were a sponge, which one would it resemble most?

Saturate Your mind with Truth! Now there's a simple formula for Spiritual Spring Cleaning!

The Spirit of the Antichrist is Upon Oprah!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:54:00 +0000

Sorry all of you Oprah fans, but this video speaks for itself. A friend of mine just sent this to me, and although it surely doesn't surprise me, it still is amazingly disturbing to watch Oprah and hear these words roll off of her tongue. I guess the most disturbing part of it to me is not only does she have such a vast sphere of influence with millions of unsuspecting people in her viewing audience, but she is also backing a presidential candidate. I could go on and on with a commentary on this video but I think what really came to mind after I saw this was the following passage of scripture from 1John (below the video). Watch it and let me know what you think.

I think this passage of scripture from 1 John 18-27 says it all:

Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us—even eternal life.

I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

I am not saying that Oprah is THE Antichrist, but I do believe there are spirits of the antichrist at work in the world today. When most people think of the Occult, they think of Satan worshipping, animal and human sacrifice, black magic, etc. To most people, those practices are obviously dark and evil, but as I am realizing, especially after I read up a little more on the topic on wikipedia, that the occult encompasses so much more than what I originally thought- namely New Age practices.

But it should come as no surprise as we consider 2 Corinthians 11:14, "And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light." Basically, the vast majority of those who are deceived will be deceived with something that seems like light. Could it be that this deceptive light that Satan masquerades in is in fact the New Age Spirituality? In this, everyone is invited to create their own image of God and worship that. Just to state the obvious- worshiping something that man creates, whether it is a golden calf or a "new idea of God" is idolatry. Not good! Not good at all!

Do You Know Your Name?

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:01:00 +0000

This man was extraordinary. Richard Wurmbrand was born March 24, 1909 and died February 17, 2001. He was a Romanian evangelical Christian minister, author, and educator who spent a total of fourteen years imprisoned in Romania. He is also the founder of the Voice of the Martyrs. I read about him for a while today before I even came across this video that I am sharing. I don't care to write explicit details concerning the various tortures he endured and witnessed during his time in captivity, but if you are curious, it is not that difficult to find on the WEB. He is an inspiration to all who claim the name of Christ.

Watch this video and see if it doesn't put you in your place! Sometimes it's good to be put in your place. Most Christians I know, including myself, can so EASILY forget what it's really about as we live as spoiled, whiny Americans- so easily offended and so easily distracted from hearing that still small Voice- even on our best days. Do you really have much to be upset or depressed about?!? Do your problems still seem so big?!? I know I needed this. It is still so easy to fall into the enemy's trap of thinking that it's all about us- and it's not!

My question to you is, "What is Your Name?"

Happy Birthday, Rebecca!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:07:00 +0000

This post is a little late coming, because I was waiting to upload a picture from our camera. It seems that, at least for now, the software on our computer doesn't want to cooperate, so I will just have to describe the picture for you.

It was taken this past Sunday afternoon, and it is beautiful picture of my mom, my sister Rebecca, and myself together in the baptismal pool at GCC. We are are all smiles, all huddled together, and they are good and drenched! Rebecca finally took the leap and put her faith in Jesus during the 11:00 service at GCC on Easter. I had the honor of baptising her later that afternoon, after our families enjoyed a delicious meal at Huber's. (I also baptised my mom. She has been a believer as far back as she can remember, but she grew up in the Catholic Church and had only been "sprinkled" as a baby.) What an honor- as I know that my mom had a whole lot to do with praying me into the Kingdom!

In that very moment that we were all changing back into our our dry clothes, I flashed back to an evening sometime last month where I vividly remember sitting with Rebecca in my living room reading and teaching her the story of Jesus and Nicodemus from the Gospel of John. It prompted me to turn to her and say, "Happy Birthday!" She looked a little confused, but I reminded her that now she was officially reborn. We both smiled.

What a wonderful way to celebrate Easter! Please keep Rebecca in your prayers as she begins her new life in Christ!