We Must Obey God Rather Than Men

We Must Obey God Rather Than Men: While I was recently out of town, my pastor pointed out this important sermon by John MacArthur. My husband had already heard it and we had discussed what is going on in regard to Grace Community Church, but I hadn't heard this sermon yet. There is a time to obey the government and a time not to. Christian, please listen to this and pray for the church.

Praying for Grace Community Church

There are serious stirrings out west and our brothers and sisters in Christ need our prayers. There is no viable reason for churches to be shut down again in light of COVID-19. In the beginning of this pandemic no one knew what was going to happen. There was legitimate concern over the virus killing high percentages of Americans, but now we see that the death rate is very very low. Closing churches at this point will mean making people disobey God in regard to not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. If we were dealing with a disease that was running rampant and truly warranted a shutting down, this would be a different discussion.

Please pray for God's protection over this church-one of His churches. 

The Table-A Message From Psalm 23:5, Encouragement During Difficult Times

Pastor Darrin brings some real encouragement to Christians in this message about shepherds caring for their sheep. The parallels of how the Lord works with His children are readily apparent. God is no stranger to the realities of VERY hard circumstances Christians will endure. In the days we're living in, this is the sort of message to take time to listen to. It will help us respond rightly to challenging times and bring a calmness to the soul, much more than reading the news or reading people's Facebook rants.

The Table-Psalm 23:5

"It Isn't About Masks"

For the Christian, does it matter if what is going on is or isn't about masks? What should anything 'be about' when it comes to us?

Do we expect 'it' to be about what it seems to be about entirely? In other words, how does worrying about conspiracies and the agenda of the left help the cause of Christ? We WILL suffer injustices. Many things in our midst do not make sense, but what is the focus of the Christian supposed to be on? I'm a patriot. I love America. I loathe injustice, so it isn't that the political nature of what is going on in our midst is lost on me. For now, though, I'm not being asked to disobey God. That may come...but for now, in Virginia, it hasn't. 

With that in mind, the question is, did Jesus spend time fighting the government of His day? Did He spend time teaching people to watch out for the conspiracies and evil of the governing authorities in His day? It seems to me that people really struggle to truly balance things out when it comes to politics vs. promoting the gospel. Politics evokes our emotions in a powerful manner, and I'm just not convinced those are safe or wise waters to wade in for most people. 

I wonder why so many Christians think it is useful to get all spun up over freedom? Have we forgotten that if God wants us free, we'll be free? Have we forgotten that we are always free in Christ and that is the message this world needs? 

It is risky to link faith in God to freedom in the USA. We will lose one of those at some point, and it should not pull down the other. Meaning, we will likely lose our freedom at some point. We've seen tons of this already in this nation, sadly. 

If we do not learn to rely on God and press on when the pressure is light, how do we expect to hold fast when the heat is really turned up? Our example now will definitely strengthen or weaken the generations to come. How is Christ helped by posting a rant of your personal injustices due to the ridiculous rules of the day? Of course reason has left the building---many people know that, but what is the Christian to do in light of that? That is what people need help with. These are uncharted waters for many of us.

God is abundantly clear that unless we're asked to disobey Him, His children are to follow those in authority over them. A sobering thought we must all ask is this, are the sufferings impacting believers at large, or me personally, due to disobedience, and thus the condemnation of God? Where is the fear of the Lord? It is still the beginning of wisdom. If we are aghast at the idea we could be under God's condemnation, that could be a reason for concern.

The lost will always act like the lost. Those who belong to Satan are certainly easier to identify in the days we're living in. How can we best share Christ with them, without adding to the misinformation/disinformation and general state of chaos around us? Is it by pointing out our rights as Christians (rights meaning rights we believe we should have from the government)? Is living a quiet and peaceable life still effective in today's climate?

God allows the leaders we have to be in power, whether good or evil. He is interested in our obedience to HIM regardless. 

What Truth Isn't

Truth isn't tradition.

It isn't sincerity either. 

It is what God says in His Word, which we can read for ourselves. Believers who have been born again have the Holy Spirit living inside them, and He reveals the truths of God's word to our hearts and minds. John 16:13 tell us, "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come."

There are sincerely wrong people and religions in this world that will not end in eternity with God, even if they claim they will. What does the Bible teach and say? 

Sincere people do not go to Heaven when they die. Only people born of water and the blood go to Heaven--only people who have confessed their sins to the God of the Bible and have trusted in the payment Jesus Christ made with His life by dying on the cross at Calvary. The Bible teaches there must be a blood payment for sin and Jesus Christ paid the price once and for all---but to be part of the 'all' you must be born again as the Bible teaches in John 3:7, "Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'

Religion does not equal truth. Even old religion. 

Matthew 7:21 tells us, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter." 

Who will say, "Lord, Lord."? Will those who openly hate and reject God and His word? Will the prolific God deniers of our day cry out suddenly? I think not, friends. Like the athiest who told his struggling son to drink a beer and get some sleep, those who are living without God will die without Him. It is the religiously incorrect who will cry out and not be heard. It is those who trust man's religion and not God's word who will cry out and not be heard. THIS should serve as a serious wake-up call to the religious. 

What does the Bible teach and say? 1 Tim 2:5 tell us, For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

We do not need a priest to bridge the gap between us and God; we do not need saints--the Bible says all believers are saints so how could a fellow human help us with our sin problem?; we do not need the earthly mother of Jesus. She was a person who God used to bring Jesus in to the world, but she has no powers to redeem or save us. The Bible says she had other children after Jesus--she was a godly wife and mother, but just a human being who was born and then died. Anyone other than Jesus CANNOT intercede for us. God is our Father, Jesus Christ is His Son, and the Holy Spirit of God intercedes on our behalf because of what Christ did for us and lives in believers. 

We are to pray to God, and are free to do so because of what Jesus did for us. If you believe Jesus died, then why did He die? If it was to save your from the penalty of sin, then why believe anything additional is needed? That directly contradicts what the Lord says in His word. He is the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Him. Our works are like filthy rags to God. There is nothing we can add to what Jesus Christ did. It was and IS enough that He died and rose again--we mere mortals cannot do anything even close to that to earn God's favor or keep ourselves saved. 

Being certain you are forgiven of your sins is what God wants. He wants His children to be free--free from the control of sin and wicked men. Free to live in service to Him because of the gift He's given. There are no subjective rules, only God's clear word that says how those who belong to Him should act and live (to please Him, which means dying to ourselves and living for Him.). This is the RESULT of what He did, it is not to try to earn His favor. ♥

Get Started Homeschooling in Virginia

There are tons of families turning to homeschooling in VA at the time of this writing in 2020.

Why Homeschool?

The way the schooling was managed during COVID-19 has opened many people's eyes to how fast educating can be accomplished with younger children. Families were also surprised at where their kids were educationally; all of the time home alone together revealed some gaps parents weren't aware of. There are also families concerned with the schedule the schools have come out with going forward, and those who think there may be another big interruption down the road. Finally, many say they were already on the fence about homeschooling and this past spring was the push they needed to pull their kids from school and take matters into their own hands. I've also been told that some teachers are not returning to their jobs because they want to make sure their own children are being educated consistently, so rather than go teach other people's kids, they are just going to worry about their own. 

FRIEND'S POST: YES, YOU CAN HOMESCHOOL! 

Is it just about math and reading?

Worrying about our own children and their specific education makes sense to me, whether you are a teacher by trade/gifting or not. I think it aligns with Scripture to train our children in the way they should go throughout the day...walking by the wayside, formally at a table, over breakfast...capitalizing on the opportunities that present themselves all throughout the day is what parenting is all about. Training children in life skills, good character, how to have healthy relationships, how to know and love God, and 'formal' education work beautifully as a cohesive project rather than a very segregated 'school life' and 'home life'. It is amazing how well you get to know your own kids when you are with them all the time. There is a dying to self that causes parenting to become profoundly satisfying as well. Family relationships become quite important when you are together all the time. It is not easy to avoid dealing with relationship challenges that need to be dealt with when you are together day in and day out. We all know that we can use 'busyness' and running here and there to avoid having discussions we prefer not to have. But is that really the sort of home dynamic we're after? 

Is it too hard?

I won't say that homeschooling is easy. That would be like saying parenting is easy. Or marriage is easy. Nothing in life that is worthwhile is what I would call, 'easy'. But there are things in this life that can be unbelievably rewarding if you take them on as a project of which you are determined to succeed. You can homeschool if you want to! Even parents without a high school education can teach their children well at home. Materials are very user friendly...and the good news is, you aren't married to a curriculum. Pick something you think will work, do it, and next year if you don't like it, try something else. Trust that you are able to evaluate if something looks like it will work for you and your child or not, and then do it. Work the plan you came up with. Cathy Duffy has good reviews of curriculum, and our HEAV Convention has early sessions that go over the various methods of home educating. As with anything new, start where you are and do the work, and you will learn and grow along the way. That is ok. You don't know how to parent teens when you have children under 8. You don't need to know all there is to know about home educating when you have children that young, either. Give yourself time to learn and grow and just enjoy this season with your littles. 

I'm not smart enough or organized enough to homeschool...

We all have shortcomings or areas we feel inferior in that make homeschooling a challenging adventure. Some issues overlap for everyone, but the degree of difficulty will vary, just as with homemaking. Cooking comes easier for some than others, but we all have to figure out the shopping and the feeding of the people. We all have issues with getting bored making the same things...cleaning is the same way. Some of us know how to clean and some women don't actually know how to clean. They don't know about cleaning a stove hood or a refrigerator, so they don't do it...but we can all learn, right? When homeschooling, you will learn right along with your children and eventually if you are like me, they will surpass you. You do not have to know all the things in order to successfully homeschool. You have to love your kids, pick a curriculum, and do the work each day. Anything works if the mother does!

Want to learn how to get started homeschooling in Virginia? Check this out!  

What Makes God Cry? From Lamentations

Temple Baptist Church - 7/19/2020 - Sunday AM

The official title of this sermon was, "What Makes God Cry?" I appreciate the boldness of Pastor Reid and speaking the truth in a day when the truth is considered unpopular or is twisted to suit people's agenda. Just because someone claims to 'thoughtfully read the Scriptures', they cannot honestly read them and think certain things in our culture are OK...one must deny the Word of God to think many things around us are pleasing in God's eyes.

This sermon really lends itself to why we as believers need to take seriously obeying the laws of our state even when we disagree. I thought of Titus 3:1, Romans 13: 1-2 and Hebrews 13:17.

Let it not be said of God's people that we rebelled. Our reward is from the Lord.

Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

Helpful COVID-19 Statistics from the CDC

My husband looked at the latest raw data on the CDC website and was telling us about it, but said it was not easy to follow. Thankfully a few hours later that same day, someone took the time to put the information into a better format.

Helpful COVID-19 Statistics

What I appreciate is that this is not media sensationalism, but giving the numbers. We need to bear in mind the number of people who die every day for various reasons, and keep this all in context. Sure, we could all say anyone dying for any reason is to be avoided, but is that realistic? We swim, drive cars, fly, get diseases and take various other risks...and one thing is a certainty, no one gets out of this life alive. The question is, when does something warrant action and are those actions warranted?

First Baptist Church of Grove City, PA

Just reading their statement about COVID makes me think this is a church worth looking in to.

And...after listening to a few sermons, this definitely looks like a good church to consider if you live in Grove City, PA. This pastor has one of the best, if not the best, sermons on women submitting to their husbands that I can recall hearing. It is A Word to the Women and I appreciate his covering abusive situations.

Their understanding and obedience to Romans 13 is a blessing worth sharing with your teens.

Your public school is trying to make your Christian kid a little Buddhist.

Wretched Radio---the name is a little off putting until you realize why it is called that. Some important understanding for Christians with kids in public schools. Be aware so you can opt your child out and talk to them about this. 

For the Christian who HATES being told to wear a mask.

Ah, the attitude of our heart. So important when raising teenagers. Rebellion to God is never good. 

Discontent?

Recently I was reading about being discontent. The sins given as the root cause are generally held to be pride, rebellion and unbelief.

Pride because it is saying we deserve more than what has been provided.

Rebellion because we are saying God's plan is not what is wanted or sufficient.

Unbelief, or lack of faith, because there is failure to trust God to be in loving control of our life.

God is sovereign. He says we do not have because we do not ask, and we need to ask in faith. If we have asked and don't have what we wanted, or thought we needed, the proper response is to trust Him.

Strongholds start small but build, like a bad spider bite...if left untreated those occasional discontent thoughts run a mock at all times.

There is nothing wrong with telling out concerns to God. Unlike the workplace, going directly to the top is actually the best idea. God IS sovereign and He can do anything. Genuinely holding onto that is very freeing.

Breitbart: COVID-19 "Just Facts" Information

An article I wish more people would read regarding COVID-19. Please take a few minutes to check out these updated statistics.