We speak against groups like the KKK, Black Panthers, ISIS, White Supremacist, Neo-Nazis, etc.  But when we act in hate, we are spreading their same poison.

There is no virus or disease that spreads faster or is more potent than the poison of hate, rage, and fear.  A disease requires some form of physical contact with the body to spread; whether it be by air and breathed in, someone sneezing/coughing on you or by touching an infected surface with your hands.

Hate, rage, and fear spread thousands of miles with a single voice.  Speaking to the hurt in people’s hearts, engaging these emotions within them causing them to move to act in a way unconscious of the pain they may cause another.

Scripture warns us about hate.  Proverbs 10:12 (NLT) says “Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers all wrongs.”  Proverbs 15:1 (NLT) “A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.” Hate puts brother against brother bringing more division into an unprecedented time that needs us to come together.

The only antidote I know that can destroy hate, rage and fear is LOVE.  1 Peter 4:8 (NLT) “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.” 1 John 4:18 speaks of “perfect love expelling fear”.  Scripture defines for us what love looks like in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT) “Love is patient and kind.  Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.  It does not demand its own way.  It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.  It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Lover never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance.”  This is the love that God gives.

I think a modern example of someone who understood this concept; this very idea was Martin Luther King Jr who said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”  So, let us be the light and love to drive the darkness and hate from our broken world.  Let us speak life into damaged hearts.

Change is constant.  To say we don’t like change is to say we don’t like life.  In our life, things are always changing, there are no exceptions.  Things get older, worn, etc.  People grow up, go through stuff that challenge their existence causing our perspectives to change; sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse, but always our choice.  To say, we don’t like change, is honestly saying we fear the unknown.  For many, the unknown is the most fearful thing causing anxiety, unnecessary stress, sometimes in extreme cases, depression.

But the awesome part of all this change, we have a God who is constant.  Hebrews 13:8 NLT “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”  That is good news.  God is the one constant we have to rely on, to turn to for encouragement.  In 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Psalm 27:8 says “The LORD is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?”

When facing change, we should be pressing into God, the one constant thing in our lives.  In His perfect love, the fear of the unknown cannot stay, it must go.

My life has been full of change over this past year.  I started working full-time causing me to adjust family meals and our time together.  My oldest daughter moved about 2500 miles away to attend school in NYC and as a mom, it took leaning into God, finding peace in knowing that as much as He is with me – He is also with her: guiding her, protecting her, showing her the same love and mercy that He shows me.

He has given me the courage to step out and start my life coaching business that was put on my heart years ago, but I allowed my fear of the unknown to be more powerful than the love of God.  I have come to realize that change partnered with God is amazing.

What has God put on your heart that requires you to step out and embrace change?

This morning I woke up with a revelation about the name of Jesus.  It is not ironic since I am currently studying the book of Acts at school, but it amazes me how I can know something but not “know” it at the same time.

I know that there is power in the name of Jesus, but I just got it.  Our society has become afraid to speak his name.  We have become so afraid to share our faith and the Good News of what Christ did on the cross.  Fear of what people might think, instead of what God thinks.  The apostles walked so closely with God that miracles were performed and lives were saved.  We have been deceived in thinking that that same power that raised Christ from the dead over 2000 years ago is not available to us.

There is a reason that the name of Jesus is being persecuted in the Middle East and in all parts of the world.  It is the same reason that the early church was persecuted.  The name of Jesus has power and authority.  Jesus passed onto us believers that same power and authority, but we don’t use it.  If we used that authority, it would bring people to God just as it did in Acts.  The enemy would lose the power that we have given him in our lives.  If the name of Jesus had no power, the enemy wouldn’t be trying to snuff it out.  If the enemy wasn’t afraid, he would leave Christians alone.  He wouldn’t be working on getting Jesus out of our classrooms; out of our culture.

Other religions can practice their beliefs without persecution, its called tolerance.  You can be spiritual and you have become enlightened.  You speak about Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and you are judgmental or foolish.  In Acts 2:14-40, Peter addresses the crowd outside the upper room where the Holy Spirit had just rested upon the 120 waiting and patiently believing for what God the Father had promised through Jesus.  Peter who had been afraid of what people thought that he had denied Jesus 3 times; speaks boldly to the crowd sharing the Good News.  In Acts 4, Peter spoke with just boldness before the Sanhedrin that they did not know what to do with him.  They knew him as an ordinary man with little teaching who had just healed a lame man.  They tell him stop speaking the name of Jesus and he basically tells them no.  He then goes and shares what just happened with the other apostles and fellow believers; they proceed to pray for more boldness and more miracles to happen to bring people to Christ.

This morning I woke up with these thoughts.  I woke up singing the song, “There is Power in the Name of Jesus”.  I found myself praying for the boldness and faith like the apostles of the early church.  I got clear that the enemy has been trying for centuries to stop the spread of Gospel.  To stop people from discovering the love of God through Christ Jesus.  If I walked in the love and faith in what Christ did for me, I wouldn’t live in fear – “For perfect Love casts out all fear.”  My actions would be bringing Glory to God and drawing people to the saving grace of Jesus Christ spreading His love for humanity.

How will I share Jesus with others?  Will I allow fear to keep me from sharing this amazing gift that is free to anyone who will believe?

It has been a long while since I have written anything.  As we are well into the Christmas season, I find myself looking at what is Christmas?  I read or hear people say “Jesus is the reason for the season” or “Keep Christ in Christmas”, but what does that really mean.  This season I find myself searching for those answers.

I don’t have the funds to get my girls all the stuff they want.  I don’t have the funds to do all the things we have done in the past.  I know I should not be sad about that because Christmas is more than the gifts and decorations.  I have spent time asking God to show me.  I want to Joy and Peace that come with my faith – not the sadness or the “if only”.  God is so good at answering our prayers.

He showed me that the stuff of this world is temporary.  The toys, the clothes, the latest gaming system – it is all temporary.  What is the thing to have now will be tomorrows give aways or trash.  1 John 4:8 says “whoever does not know love does not know God, for God is love.”  If we go to John 1:1-5: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”  These two verses talk about who Jesus is so if He is love and He is light what does that mean for Christmas?

A few days ago while I was at work, a customer came in and said there was a woman outside in the parking lot who was having trouble breathing but didn’t want anyone to call for an ambulance because she couldn’t afford it.  So I went outside to see what I could do to help.  I do not know how long I was outside with her, but it turned out what she needed was someone to remind her that she is loved and that God had a purpose for her.  She needed someone to show her compassion and encouragement.  I don’t believe it was coincidence that I was there.  God knew I needed encouragement myself.  I needed to be reminded about how good God was and sharing that goodness with someone else just reinforced it.

The most important thing I learned was that Christmas is being the light and love of God to others.  That night I brought God’s light into the darkness of that woman’s world and God was able to remind her how much He loved her.  I believe there are so very many people out there that could use the love and light of God in their lives.  They could use some words of encouragement.  As Christians, we are called to share that light with others.  To show compassion, to let others know how much they are loved so much by a faithful and loving God who never forsakes us.

So maybe instead of saying “Keep Christ in Christmas” we should be saying “Keep His Love and His Light in Christmas”.  Jesus is the reason for the season, but his reason was to bring life and life more abundant to those who believe.  He came to show the world grace and compassion.  To be a light in a broken world and to share His love with all.  So I may not be able to do all the things I would like but I most certainly can do those things that Jesus would like – sharing His Love.

It has been awhile since I have written in my blog.  I have been facing my own demons over the past 5 to 6 weeks.  Nothing horrible or anything, mostly myself.  I have been teaching our youth in some areas that challenged myself, but those challenges also gave me new insight into myself and my walk with God.  As it says in Jeremiah 29:13 NIV  “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”  What I am discovering is as I am draw nearer to him, it calls on me to be more than I am.  As it states in John 1:8 NLT “John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light.”  I am being called to allow the light of God to flow through me so others may see it.

However, to allow his light to flow requires me to surrender, to open the deepest part of myself to be lit up by his grace.  Unfortunately, going into those areas can be dark and bring up emotions, thoughts, things that need to be exposed to be cleaned out even healed.  When doing my teaching on the 5th commandment, “Honor thy father and thy mother”, I ended up dealing with emotions and thoughts I felt I dealt with years ago.  It is ironic when doing that teaching I was made to realize that when Mr. Ryan was praying with me to “Honor my mother” that what he was actually doing was helping me guard my heart.  My Abba Father knew what was coming and knew it would be those prayers that would allow me to forgive and love a woman who for a moment would be lost.  The beginning of my Junior year in high school my mother tried to kill me and herself.  She reacted to her medication which created a chemical imbalance in her brain which was already recovering from brain surgery a few years earlier.  Mr. Ryan planted a seed inside my heart of love.

This week I am teaching about being a light.  I have been discovering some of the things that cause me to hide my light.  Doubt and fear are my biggest ones.  I have been evaluating others areas like our youth program at church.  Is it being the light it needs to be for our young people?   As we are building this program, I do know that I do not want pride or position to kindle the power of the light that flows.  In my relationships, I do not want frustration or disconnect keep me from being a light to others.  When choosing what to do with my time, I don’t want to be so busy doing so many things that I cannot shine the light in me to brilliantly light the few things that our God’s purpose for my life.

My challenge to you is to discover “What hides your light from others?”  What keeps others from seeing the glorious power of God living in you?  As in Matthew 5:14-16, we were called to shine our light not hide it.