Fear Not, Trust In God

March 25, 2020 Gracie

Fear Not, Trust In God

World on pause

Remember, dear friends, you are not alone.

“This too shall pass.”

Our entire world is on pause, waiting for concrete answers.

How do we stop this diabolical Coronavirus – which seems to prey, the majority of the time, on the weaker among us?

Yes, it is bad.

But, as Christians, we are to fear not, trust in God, and model these truths for those around us who have no hope.

We can pray for Holy Spirit guidance to reach out to those who are now open to hearing the gospel.

It’s easy to get consumed with talk about the latest updates and news about the Coronavirus. Much of that talk is good, and dissemination of information is healthy. But, in the midst of this pandemic, we lean on the fact that we have power through our words and through the Word of God to bring light in a challenging situation.¹ – Pastor Jerry Lawrence, courtesy Medi-Share blog.

Which Separation Is Worse?

The required six feet of separation from our neighbors and friends is bad enough.

It’s awkward and inconvenient, but from what the experts are telling us, it’s a necessary step to help flatten the curve.

We could be facing six feet of separation for the next couple of weeks or longer.

Hopefully not, but can you even imagine?

But, as startling as the spread of this virus is, what is even more sad are the numbers of people around us who have no hope and no trust.

Sadly, some of these people with weakened immune systems could die with no promise of eternal life.

Nothing compares to “eternal separation” from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Don’t Forget His Promises

Our trust is not in man.

We need to lean on God.

He is a Promise Keeper.

There will eventually be an end to all of this.

Last Sunday, my pastor quoted these words in his sermon:

Fear Not, Trust In God

Those words really stuck with me.

Actions Affect Outcomes

We must pray, and on that glorious day when this virus is stopped in its tracks, we must continue to pray and be grateful.

Remember after 9-11 when churches across America were packed?

It’s not that way now.

What happened?

life gets in the way

Life got in the way again, like it always does.

Life got in the way of our Heavenly Father.

People have put their faith second place to other distractions such as politics, their jobs, you name it . . .

When are we going to learn?

Atheist groups succeeded in removing His Most Holy Name from almost every aspect of our lives.

The majority of Christians during those actions stayed silent.

Did we think He wouldn’t notice?

We must humble ourselves as a nation before Almighty God.

God didn’t cause this evil, but He has allowed it.

Without Jesus, We Are A Lost People

So here we are, facing this evil virus with an N95 respiratory mask.

As a nation, here’s what we need on a bigger scale.

Jesus Christ.

Will this crisis spark a permanent revival in America?

I can only hope so.

Father, we pray for America with this Coronavirus, that has the potential to spread.

Lord, You’re bigger than this virus.

We’re praying that these numbers will start going down, not up.

We’re praying that anyone that has it would be healed.

And we’re praying that Lord we would not live in fear, but rather we would live in faith.

Give wisdom to Vice-President Pence and his team as they deal with this, help them to know what to do, when to do it, the steps to take, the practical.

But Lord, we don’t rely only on that.

We are prayerful, looking to You and knowing that You are God and that You love us. So hear our prayer Lord, answer our prayer.

We pray this together in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.² – Greg Laurie, Pastor, Bible teacher, and author.

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¹Pastor Jerry Lawrence quotation, courtesy of Medi-Share blog. “Finding Faith During Times Of Fear.” March 18, 2020. para.12. Web. Accessed 19 March, 2020.

²Pastor Greg Laurie prayer, “Thoughts on the Coronavirus Outbreak.” Online video clip. March 7, 2020. Web. Accessed 9 March, 2020.

Our Exceptional God

Kids Parties and Palm Readings

February 8, 2016 Gracie

Kids Parties and Palm Readings go together like …

Ughhh, you read that right.

parties for kids Never would I have believed those two activities would be thrown together if I hadn’t heard about it for myself on a recent shopping trip.

I had picked out a few things at the store and then got into the checkout line to pay for my purchases. I was standing behind a lady who was buying a bunch of pink-colored items for her young daughter’s birthday party.

Cute, right?

I thought so.

The mom was excited as she was telling the clerk about her little girl’s upcoming celebration. There would be cupcakes and ice cream.

And then this…

My ears perked up at the mention of a “palm reader.”

Huh?

little girl birthday party Apparently, the mom decided to surprise the party girls with a palm reader, complete with tarot cards. She was almost gushing at her idea to get these little girls engaged in this practice so they could hear all about their “future.”

It made me sad.

I didn’t say anything, but I was thinking: Really, mom? Do the other parents know what you have planned for their daughters? Might as well include a ouija board while you’re at it.

Nothing like exposing young, impressionable children to the dark side early.

It certainly can be spiritually harmful to those impressionable young girls.

Out of all of the adorable birthday themes she could have chosen to celebrate her child’s life with, she chose palm readings and tarot cards.

An Issue For Parents to Consider

Here’s a question every parent should think about: when your child or grandchild is invited to a party, do you know what the theme is or what activities are planned?

You need to ask questions in today’s world. You can no longer assume that the other parents have sense enough to follow your Christian values of what’s acceptable or not.

If I had a young daughter and she was invited to a birthday party, you can bet I’d be finding out what the party’s theme is. If that would make me an “uncool” parent – so be it.

Parents, this is your child and you have the right to make an excuse and decline an invite if a certain type of party is not in your child’s best interests.

Isn’t it enough that this generation’s young eyes are continually being exposed to blood-sucking vampires, gratuitous sex, hookups, and violence on TV? In fact, there’s been an uptick in movies and television shows where the dark side is portrayed in a sympathetic and romantic light. Remember the Twilight Saga? Yuck. Was that a healthy relationship for kids to see? I think not. The hysteria over that series was sad to me.

The hysteria over the “50 Shades” movie was also sad to me. Do people realize that they’re setting a terrible example when they support and brag about seeing junk like that?

Pastor Charles Spurgeon

We are daughters of the King.

Why romanticize a film like that trash? Doesn’t anyone say “No” anymore? You may lose some friends over it, but it’s worth it if you can clean yours and your child’s brain of this anti-God junk.

Parental Guidance is Crucial

Teach your children to put their trust in God, not some fake cards. By the way, I saw an ad offering a lesson for people to learn how to “read” (I use that term lightly) tarot cards and earn $20 an hour at parties.

Parents, your children are looking to you for guidance. You have to take a bold and courageous stand when it involves your family. Be strong in your Biblical convictions. You have a choice of what your children are exposed to as long as they’re living in your household. Forget the social pressure of “anything goes and you have to be their friend.” Does the Bible say that? No. You are their parent!! God gave you that precious life as a gift.

The most loving thing you can do is say “No” on behalf of your child if something they could be exposed to is not appropriate. Don’t be afraid of a secular society, media bias, and political leaders who ultimately want your child to push God away. evil prowlng around This is a spiritual battle. Don’t give a leg up to those who want to lie and infect young minds early. Evil in all of its forms is prowling around every day looking to devour your child, your marriage, and your family.

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*Charles Spurgeon quotation, public domain and as quoted from Christian quotes.info

Protecting Our Nation's Youth

Trust In The Lord Even When You Hurt

July 21, 2015 Gracie

Trust in the Lord Even When You Hurt

It can be hard to trust in the Lord when you feel like your life is falling apart.

trust in the Lord even when it hurts Bad things happen.

A car plows into your vehicle and sends you to the hospital.
Your spouse says he or she has had an affair.
A friend is given a cancer diagnosis.
Your teenager is addicted to drugs.

These are huge wake-up calls and this small list doesn’t even cover what some of your friends and family may be going through.

It hurts a lot sometimes.

In my own family, there’s divorce, the loss of a child, the loss of a job, health concerns, and atheism.

Difficult questions come to mind when you wake up and get some bad news.

Where are you, God?

Don’t You care about me?

What did I do to deserve this?

When Did Life Get So Out of Control?

The hard fact is, no one ever promised us an easy life without cares and concerns. In the book of James 1:2-4, Scripture tells us that we’ll experience various trials.

Notice that the word “trials” is in its plural form.

And yet, we are still told to trust Him.

There was no exception to that command.

The Bible doesn’t say, “Trust in the Lord, except when __________(fill in the blanks with your particular circumstance.)

Is unshakeable trust in God an easy thing to have?

We’d like to think so, but not always. We’re not perfect. We have the very human, knee jerk, “fix it now” mentality and can rush headlong into finding a quick solution, all the while forgetting to pray and ask God for His strength and guidance to see us through.

God Loves us Always Remember, He Loves Us

The wonderful truth is that God loves you. Nothing or no one can take that away from you. You are His child.

He knows your past, present, and future. For His reasons alone, He allows certain things to take place in our lives.

God may appear to be silent at times, but you and me have to trust Him and that means in good times and in bad. If we pray or even talk to Him quietly in our thoughts, He will listen.

A Christian Perspective From Georgia

I asked a good friend of mine about her favorite Bible verse. Kim M. from Georgia chose Proverbs 3:5-6.

*Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make straight your paths.

missing puzzle pieces Here’s what Kim had to say about why this verse means so much to her:

“Our understanding and logic is not the same as God’s. We work hard to put things in a way that seems logical to us, only to find that there is always that piece or something that is missing. With God, He can see the whole picture so there are no missing pieces. If we place God in charge instead of us trying to be in charge, all of the pieces will fall into place, in accordance to His will and His timing. Trust God completely.”

That is so true.

Learning to Cope

How can you learn endurance to get through the hard times? There are a lot of options.

Pray. God is listening.
You can read and memorize Scripture, especially the verses that encourage you the most.
You can listen to some great Christian music. I have links to some great contemporary artists on this website.
You can attend a Men or Women’s Bible study. Once there, you can meet some of the most amazing people who have struggles of their own. The friendships often become lifelong.
You can help someone less fortunate than yourself. As sad as you may feel about some of your own trials, there’s always someone who is worse off than you. That will help with your perspective.
Lastly, you can get together with some of your Christian friends. You can lift each other up with support and love. Some day, all Christians will be in Heaven together where there is no more suffering and sadness.

That will be a very happy day.

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Real Life Stories of Faith