So you love someone...

So you love someone... Do you love them enough to tell them they are a liar? So you love someone... Do you love them enough to tell them they are a manipulator? So you love someone... Do you love them enough to tell them they are fake? So you love someone... Do you love them enough to tell them they are living a lie? So you love someone... Do you love them enough to tell them they are a hypocrite? So you love someone... Do you love them enough to tell them they are not living up to their potential? So you love someone... Do you love them enough to tell them they are headed to Hell? So you love someone... Do you love them enough to tell them they are going to die in their sin? So you love someone... Do you love them enough to tell them about Jesus? So you love someone... Do you love them enough to tell them the truth?

We live in such a sick and twisted world. A world where it is considering judgmental to speak truth to someone, just because it might be offensive. Let us stick with simple facts as to avoid the toxicity of the world view on the topic.

First we will define judging.

Judging :

Verb Form an opinion or conclusion about. Decide (a case) in a court of law.

Now let us define truth.

Truth :

a archaic : fidelity, constancy

b : sincerity in action, character, and utterance

2

a (1) : the state of being the case : fact (2) : the body of real things, events, and facts : actuality (3) often capitalized : a transcendent fundamental or spiritual reality

b : a judgment, proposition, or idea that is true or accepted as true <truths of thermodynamics>

c : the body of true statements and propositions

3

a : the property (as of a statement) of being in accord with fact or reality

b chiefly British : true 2

c : fidelity to an original or to a standard

4

capitalized Christian Science : god

— in truth

: in accordance with fact : actually

The revelation of truth does not imply judgment. However, because we are so rooted in our pride, and truth brings opposition to our world view, we take offense to truth. Because we take offense, we consider it judging and become defensive. Truth will always offend, because we are innately prideful and selfish people. There is no two ways about it. Truth just is. It is just fact. It is not up to perception or interpretation. If a person lies, they are a liar. Period. Though we can rationalize and justify whatever we want, it does not change the fact.

Passing judgment on someone for the truth is not our place. It is our place to speak the truth, ESPECIALLY if we love someone. Sadly enough though, because of fear of offense or what the person may think about us, we cowardly refuse to speak truth. We sugar coat things and water them down to make them more bearable to the hearer. This does not do them any favors, but does for us because we feel safe in our cowardice.

How can we love someone, yet withhold truth from them? We can't. If we love someone, truly for them, then  it would be selfish of us to not share truth with them simply because of our own fears. Fear permeates and corrupts everything around us. I challenge you to be bold in your relationships. I challenge you to speak truth to the people you love. I challenge you to quit being a scared coward, and to step out in love and courage, and make a difference in the lives around you. I challenge you to put your self aside and to do something for someone else. Truth MUST come. How will a person know what they are not shown or taught? Love is not easy. At least not if it is a real love for another person, because then what we feel becomes irrelevant.

Marriage

I know so many people that are going through divorce, thinking about it, or have gone through it. I want to share what God shown me about divorce.

As I sat in the Idaho private prison I found out that the woman I had married was seeing another man. My immediate response was to completely discard her and everything about her. I was just going to find someone else. About two hours after I had gotten off the phone with her, I picked up my Bible. The very first verses I read were these...

Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan. And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.

² The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him.

³ And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?”

⁴ They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.”

⁵ And Jesus answered and said to them, “Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. ⁶ But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’^[a] 7 ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, ⁸ and the two shall become one flesh’; ^[b] so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹ Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

¹⁰ In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter. ¹¹ So He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. ¹² And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
-Mark 10:1-12

God is absolutely sovereign. It was no accident that I picked my Bible up after that conversation and this was the first thing I read. In these verses God showed me, with great conviction, that it was not my place to walk away from the woman God had given me to love. In fact, God showed me that the only reason why I would do such a thing would be out of pure selfishness. If it hurt too bad, or if I just couldn't forgive her (Because of the hardness of your heart), then God did allow for divorce.

However, God had brought me to a place in my life where I was changed. He had showed me that it was the call of a Christian, a true follower of Christ, to "take up our cross and follow him". Jesus bore all of the shame and pain of the cross, all the way to death, for the love He had for His Church. The church is the "bride" of Christ, and us men are to love our wives as Jesus loves the Church. I would have to take up my cross, bare the shame and pain, and pour out my life in love to the wife God had given me.

Many people ask questions about whether we were walking with God when we were married, but that is a foolish question. How does that matter? Either God is God all of the time, or He isn't. God is God all of the time. If any one of us marries another, it is because God brought us together. If God joins something, it is not His intent for that union to be broke. It is only "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept". People, men or women, walk away from a marriage ONLY out of selfishness. Period.

My love for my wife is truly for her, who she really is. I want to see her in heaven with me, which means she must come to know Jesus Christ. This has absolutely nothing to do with me. God has made me to love her. It  is His love shining through me that she will see the love of God that has changed my life. I will not pretend to know how this will all play out, but I know my God. He has shown me what I must do, and I love Him enough to do it. It is not a love in my own strength in which I am to love her, for my own love is selfish and about me. It must by in God's love, which is truly about her.

I realize that many people cannot receive this, but this is what God has to say on the subject. Things have never seemed more bleak or hopeless in regards to reconciliation with my wife than they do now. Every day, in so many ways, the temptations come to just walk away. God holds me fast though. What kind of a man would I be if I walked away and gave up on my family anyways? If you are married, then know that God has joined you to your spouse. In spirit and in body. You are now one. You need to be all in!! If you truly love that person, then they deserve your all. If you are not willing to give it, then maybe you should re-evaluate your love for them. If you are a Christian, then you are without excuse. Pick up your cross, deny your self, and love your spouse for all you are worth. After all, that is a Christian by definition. May God bless your marriages!! Fight, and fight for all you are worth.

Focus

It is so easy for us to lose focus of what is truly important, and to begin to allow the smaller things in life to steal our joy. The concerns of life weigh heavily against us, and the thoughts and worries of them consume our energy, if we do not diligently take a stand against them. Is there really anything we can accomplish by dwelling on any particular problem? Are not most of them entirely out of our control? None-the-less the thoughts of worry, fear, and doubt come crashing against us.

We can only do our best, but the outcome is not ours to decide. We must strive towards our goals and dreams, knowing that we will get out of them whatever we put in, but we are fools if we concern our self with what lies ahead. We must live in the moment. Right there, in front of us while our minds are entirely preoccupied with the "what ifs", is the moment in which our future is being directed.

We find our selves deep in thought about how to make more money, or how to fix a relationship, or how to find a better job, all the while precious opportunities slip past us that we could be making a difference in any one of these concerns by apply our self in the current moment rather than being detached and withdrawn in our thoughts. If we could only let go of the things that we cannot change, and focus on the moment right before our eyes, we would find a peace that many only dream about.

Just Me

Coming to Christ is a point in a person's life where we see the truth about our depravity for the first time, and see the hope in what Jesus Christ did for us. God wants us to be free, for this is salvation. True freedom. Free from what other people think about us. Free from the guilt, the shame, and the burden of the things we have done. Free from our fears. Free from our limitations. Freedom to just be our selves, to be who God made us to be. Hope that God can do what we cannot, that where we fall short He is able to make up the difference. The moment of surrender before God, being baptized in the Holy Spirit, is THEE definitive moment of TRUTH in our lives. It is the moment where we come to terms with who we really are, who God really is, and what He has truly done for us. This is THEE moment of truth. From this point forward we will continue to grow into a person of commitment, of integrity, and of truth.

Some of us are able to just ignore the truths of the things we have done, which gives us escape from the guilt and shame temporarily, but in doing so the real us is subsequently buried even deeper behind our lies and denial. If we cannot at least be honest with our self, how can we ever be honest with anyone around us? A person who has a desire to be the best that they can be, to love those in their lives as perfectly as possible, will inevitably come to terms with the truth. Others will be satisfied with the relationships in their lives being shallow and empty, and may never have to come to terms with the truth. They will hold tight to their illusion no matter how the relationships around them suffer. We hide our sin from those who love us and from God Himself. We cannot be open, or honest, because of fear of what people may say or do.

There is such freedom in "coming clean", in facing the truth of who we are and what we have done. When we confess our sins, we are making ourself transparent. We are able to then simply deal with things in truth. Yes we did that, and yes we did that. Our "yes" is able to be "yes", and our "no" is able to be "no". When we reach the point that we can honestly say... "I am a liar." "I am a cheat." "I am a manipulator." "I am selfish.", we are then getting to where we can deal with truths.

At this point we have come to terms with who we really are, and must then decide what we want to do about it. Many of us will simply justify all of the things that we have done by either blaming our actions on someone else, or something else. We are capable of justifying whatever we want, however we want. Some will show simple complacency and just state that they are good with who they are. These people are those who do not care about what they have done to others by their actions. They are good, so they don't care. There there are still those who see what their actions have done to others, and their hearts break. It is these that come to their knees before Jesus. They no longer want to hurt anyone else, and there is great repentance for the things they have done.

The guilt and shame from the things we have done is washed away by the blood that was shed to forgive us. We are set free, because we acknowledge and accept that we are a sinful person. These things dwell in our flesh, and so we openly acknowledge them. We look to God to cause us to walk in love, giving everything we have to give to those around us. When we fall short of our goal, which we do constantly, we remember the blood of Christ, the love of God, and we repent, pick ourself back up, and start fresh. We never give up. We never stay down.

I am just a man, and I will never be perfect. Sometimes I lie. Sometimes I manipulate. I am far from perfect, but I know who I am. I am not afraid to just be myself. I am not ashamed that I am not perfect. I trust in God. I trust in the finished work of Jesus on the cross. As I spend more time with Him, the desires of my heart have changed. I lie less. I manipulate less. However, the sin will always be in this flesh. I do not need to bare the weight of guilt though. When I sin, I confess my sin, I whole heartedly repent, and I move on. All of our sins have been forgiven, and I do not need to hide myself from my Maker. I trust in Him to make me who He made me to be. I am free to be just me, and that is in Christ.

Is Telling the Truth Judging?

There is such confusion on this topic. The general consensus is that if you offend somebody, then you are judging them. This is a lie. If somebody gets offended, it is not because you have judged them. Let us look at simple application.

If I tell lies, then I am a liar. That is simple truth. If a person tells me that it is not alright to lie, and that I should be honest, such truths do not present judgement from them. These are simple truths. If that person proceeds to condemn me for being a liar, then they are passing judgement on me. It is true that if I have lied, then I am indeed a liar. After all, if you lie once, then you are a liar. Whether it is justified in our eyes, a "white-lie", an omission, or a "bold-face" lie is completely irrelevant.

Another example would be if I was committing adultery. If I am with my friend, who knows that I am being unfaithful to my wife, and he tells me that I am in the wrong for what I am doing, this does not imply that he is judging me. Because my friend loves me and wants the best for me, he is telling me the truth. He is right. I should not be cheating on my wife and having an affair. He loves me enough to tell me me the truth.

However, an outside person may attack me out of anger and not love. Whether they have a vested interest in my wife, or whatever their validation is in the situation, they feel they have the right to condemn me. This is judgement and not truth. It is true that I am an adulterer and cheater, but the consequences, extent, and/or impact of these truths is not for someone else to depict to me.

We must speak truth to people. If it offends someone, that is because they feel guilty. That has nothing do to with being judged. In fact, that means the Holy Spirit is bring conviction within them, and has nothing to do with the speaker. Here is another example. If someone is speaking to me and telling me how it is wrong to cheat on your wife, there is nothing wrong with this conversation. He is more than welcome to speak as he pleases. In fact, if I am faithful to my wife I might find myself agreeing with him throughout the conversation. However, if I am a cheater I will be offended by his discourse and may end up wanting to defend the stance of an adulterer.

If I have nothing to defend, then what is spoken will not offend. However, if I have something to defend, if I am wrong and I know it, then I will be offended. If I feel attacked because the person has such strong feelings on a subject, and this is something I do, then I will be offended. A person can only be offended if they take what is being spoken personally. If what is being said is not about us, then how can it offend us?

We must speak truth, which is not judging, but we must bring truth and light into the world.

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
- Matthew 5:14

But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.
- Ephesians 5:13

If we speak truth, as we are commanded to, then we will offend. There are no two ways about it. If we are cowardly, and afraid to offend, then we are not able to be salt or light.

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
- Matthew 5:13

TRUTH WILL OFFEND!! DON'T THINK IT WON'T. IF WE ARE NOT OFFENDING PEOPLE, THEN WE MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER HOW MUCH WE ARE ABIDING IN TRUTH. AS WE ARE LIGHT AND SALT, BEARING THE TRUTH, LET US DO SO IN HUMILITY AND MEEKNESS. DO NOT FEAR BELOVED. BE STRONG, BE COURAGEOUS, FOR THE LORD IS WITH YOU.

After God's own heart...

Everything in the world around us wants to give us a measuring stick, and tell us that we are capable to pass judgement. In fact, not only that we are capable, but that we have the right to do so. This was the result of the fall of man. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they made the choice to do as they pleased. As a result, from that point forward man has believed we have the right and the ability to choose right from wrong. This belief system has allowed for us to justify the ambiguity that exists in everything from our reasoning to our laws.

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”
- Genesis 3:6-11

When their eyes were opened they decided that it was a bad thing that they were naked, and that they should cover themselves up. This was not a bad thing, for this was how God had made them. It was through their own reasoning that they came to this conclusion. Then, based on their own discernment and the consequential shame, they decided it was prudent to hide them self from God. Notice what God says to them. "Who told you that you were naked?" God is asking them, "Who told you that this is a bad thing."

It is this belief that we have the right to decide right from wrong that separates us from God. We so easily look at a situation, or a person, and pass judgement. We want people to "measure up" to what we think they should be, or maybe what the world says they should be. Know this though my friends. Whatever we judge in another, KNOW that it is in us as well. The reason why we judge is because we desire to minimize that which is in our self.

Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.
- Romans 2:1

Who do we think we are anyways to be able to judge another? Are we really so delusional to think that we are better than they? If we do find our selves judging another, let us take that as a huge red flag that we should examine our own life for that thing we see in others. We are fools if we think we have any leg to stand on in comparing our self to another person.

Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
- Romans 14:4

Judgement belongs only to God, and Jesus is ready to judge the living and the dead. Let us not put our self in the place of God, less we be put to shame for our conceit.

You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man’s presence, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.’
- Deuteronomy 1:17

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
- 2 Timothy 4:1

Let us give a perfect example of how the judgement of our own discernment is not the same as God's. Let us discuss a man who committed adultery with a married woman, while he was also married. God's says this is evil, and to not do it.

You shall not commit adultery.
- Deuteronomy 5:18

In fact, He says that to even look at a woman with lust is adultery, and that we should go to ANY extent to keep our self from sinning in such a grievous manner. He continues to state that if we divorce our wife for any other reason than sexual immorality, that we are causing her to commit adultery. God is so very clear about the importance and sanctity of marriage.

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. “Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.
- Matthew 5:27-32

In fact, God says that He hates divorce and that we are not to do it. He allowed for divorce only because our hearts are so hardened and selfish that often we cannot endure in love to see through our commitment.

“For the Lord God of Israel says
That He hates divorce,
For it covers one’s garment with violence,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“Therefore take heed to your spirit,
That you do not deal treacherously.”
- Malachi 2:16

And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’ So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?”

He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”
- Matthew 19:4-9

It is from these principles that the traditional wedding vows are derived. In our world we live in today, most people would not consider this to be that big of a deal. We have strayed from God and do what feels good and right in our own eyes. Our judgement is so very different from God's in this aspect.

Let us continue to discuss the same man, who then proceeded to kill the woman's husband to conceal his sin. In today's world this would be considered murder in the first degree, punishable by the death sentence or life in prison. There is no disagreement about whether murder is wrong. As God says it is, so far, so do we. Granted this can change with time and circumstances, as is painfully evident in Nazi Germany in the 1940's and in other nations even today. We can justify the murder of another human however we like, but that doesn't make it right. This man did horrible things by any standard.

If we were to look at this man, though his adultery would not cause many people to blush now days, the homicide just might raise an eyebrow, maybe. We would all find it very easy to look at such a man, judge him and say that he is trash. It would be so easy for us to say that such a man has no right to even talk about God. This man did so when told of himself in a parable by the prophet Nathan. King David responded to such a man with great anger.

So David’s anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this shall surely die! And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity.”
- 2 Samuel 12:5

The thing is though... God called this man a man after His own heart. It was not, obviously, because the man did no wrong, but it was because of his repentant heart. When King David was confronted with his sin, he was deeply remorseful and repented. He desired to do what was right, and to please God. He desired to do what God wanted him to do. He accepted that he wasn't perfect, admitted what he had done, and turned from his sin completely and did what was within his ability to make it right.

And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’
- Acts 13:22

God does not expect us to be perfect, but to be repentant. He wants us to desire to do His will. He wants us to acknowledge our sins, confess our sins, and then to turn completely from them. If we judge based on what we see and perceive, then we might be missing something amazing that God is doing. Not only is it not our place to judge, but Jesus says that if we would give up that right that we would have no sin.

Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.
- John 9:41

We should let God be God, and leave the judging to Him, lest we our self fall into judgement. That person we are so quick to judge may be a chosen vessel by the Lord. He may be doing a great work in thier life, that He may be glorified. We do not know what God is doing. Ananias was faced with a similar situation. Saul, who was killing Christians, was in need of healing. God told Ananias to go to Saul, but Ananias said that he was a murderer. God said He had plans for Saul though, and that Ananias was to go to him.

Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.
- Acts 9:13-15

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
- Isaiah 55:8-9

Let us only be concerned with where we stand before God. It is NEVER too late for us to turn to the Lord. He stands, ready to forgive, with the price for our sin already being paid in full. He will take us from where we are, and help us make right the wrongs we have done.

And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
- 1 John 2:2

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
- Revelation 3:20

Let us turn to God! Let us confess our sins, and ask God to heal us. The forgiveness is already there, but we must humble our selves before Him. We must own up to the things which we have done, and we must desire to turn from our old ways entirely. Without turning to God, we stand under His wrath, abiding in the curses. If we will only come to Him, He promises to heal us.

"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
- John 3:36

Come, and let us return to the Lord;
For He has torn, but He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
- Hosea 6:1

It is NEVER too late!! NOBODY is too far gone! Let us not be fools and condemn someone else based on what we see. We have no idea what God is doing in someone's life, or even what He may have planned in our life.

Alive!

While I was incarcerated, I was probably reading my Bible about 6 hours a day. I could not get enough. I was filled with life, hope, purpose, and energy. My life no longer was a hopeless, aimless event that was just passing me by, but had become an event of which I was an active participant. For the first time in my life, I was alive! Truly alive, and I could feel it coursing through my body and mind. I would wake up with a smile and I would go to sleep with a smile, and I was in prison! One of the guys who slept by me told me that he just didn't get it. He said, "You are the happiest person I have ever known, and you are in prison. On top of that, you don't have a TV, or food, or anything. You have nothing but your Bible, yet you are happier than guys who have everything." It was because God had given me life. As I devoured His Word, I was filled with Life, and that Life overflowed into everything I did.

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
- John 6:63

There was nothing that could snuff out what God had given me. I was free and alive, and my life was vibrant even in the darkest of circumstances. There is no way to ever describe this peace and hope with simple words. I knew that no one could touch me unless God allowed them to. I knew that I would leave that prison when the appointed time came which God had already determined, and I knew that that time would be when I was ready to face the next season of life. Because I believed God, and took Him at His word, that faith infused in me great hope and peace. The promises of God are irrevocable, and He will perform His Word!

No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord.
- Isaiah 54:17

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
- Romans 8:28

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- Romans 8:31

For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
- 2 Corinthians 1:20

For the first time in my life I truly understood the gospel, and the good news of what God has done for us. Though I was a horrible, selfish, sinful man, God loved me enough to allow His Son to die for me and pay for the due penalty for my sins. He loved me, and chose me. He called me unto Himself, for His purpose, to fulfill His plan. I didn't have to be perfect, which is great news since I am not! I just had to be me. Be real with God, trust Him entirely, and be open and honest in all things. Before I was ever a twinkle in my father's eyes, God knew me and destined me for great things. This is His promise to all who believe and belong to Christ. There is one Holy Spirit, and one God. As God does not give the Spirit with partiality, we are either an heir to the promises, because we are in Christ, or we are not. There is nothing in between.

For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.
- John 3:34

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
- Jeremiah 1:5

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
- Jeremiah 29:11

If we are indeed filled with the Holy Spirit, which is the evidence of a person who belongs to Christ, then we are indeed made a son or daughter of God. Wrap your mind around that for a minute! An heir to the throne of Almighty God!!! For no other reason that it pleased Him to do so! If we can't be thankful for that, then we have some serious problems.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
- John 1:12-13

It is through faith that we are established. All of the things I had chased after all of my life, yet could never obtain, were finally mine. I didn't have to search for happiness anymore. I didn't have to struggle with doing stuff to make myself feel better. As I stated before, there are no words to properly convey what this feeling feels like. Complete peace and purpose... In Him I had all that I had ever desired. This will not make any sense to those who reject God, but for those who belong to the Lord, even if they are not yet there, these things will strike a cord deep within your soul.

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
- Isaiah 55:11

For us, there is great hope!! Lift your eyes to heaven and praise the name of the Lord! If we will just trust Him, He promises that we will not be put to shame.

“Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed;
Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame;
For you will forget the shame of your youth,
And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore."
- Isaiah 54:4

This has been a great blessing to me as I have written this. Hopefully it blesses you as it did me. God is so good!!! The way I felt then is just as powerful within me today. There is nothing that anyone can do to move me from what God has given me!