tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50015753847234125802024-02-08T09:33:10.800-06:00My Gay Christian BlogSpreading HOPE and LOVE to the LGBTQ and S Community.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved." - John 3:16-17SavedByGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706795054352553167noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001575384723412580.post-78233346841303899272016-06-13T01:07:00.000-05:002016-06-13T01:07:44.733-05:00A Note To Hate<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Dear Hate,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You are not new to us.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We met you as a child when you made fun of us for "throwing like a girl."</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We saw you in high school when you wrote "faggot" on our locker door.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We encountered you in church when the preacher told us we were going to burn in Hell for having an orientation that we never chose.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You showed your nasty face when we were given pink triangles and sent to concentration camps during the Holocaust.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You were in NYC when you raided the Stonewall Inn to intimidate us and in New Orleans when you laughed at us as you burned the Upstairs Lounge, trapping many of us in the building to burn alive.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You bombed the Otherside Lounge in Atlanta and you shot Harvey Milk in San Francisco.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Hate, you worked to keep us from marrying those we loved and to ban us from adopting children that we longed to nurture. For years you even kept us from serving openly in the military of our own nation despite us proudly risking our lives to defend it.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And now, you have gunned us down in Orlando at the Pulse night club.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You have killed 50 of us in cold blood and wounded 53 more.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You have broken our hearts, hate.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You have hurt us bad.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But, hate, I have a message for you.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Listen to me loud and clear.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">While our hearts are broken, we are NOT!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We Will Never Break!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You are the same tired bully from the school yard. You didn't defeat us then and you will not defeat us now!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There is a certain strength that comes from being an "outcast."</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It's a strength that runs deep into our very souls.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It is stronger than any stone you can imagine and is cultivated over centuries of us fighting to survive.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Once again you have tried to stomp as out but once again you have failed!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You will NEVER beat us, Hate, because we have LOVE on our side.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And we all know, #LOVEWINS!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">#PrayForOrlando #Pulse #HateLoses #OrlandoStrong</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I wrote this originally on Facebook and decided to also share it on the blog in hopes that it will help to bring healing during this time of extreme hurt and inspire others to remember that while hate may knock us down, LOVE will always Lift Us Up!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">God Bless,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">John Street</span><br />
<br />SavedByGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706795054352553167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001575384723412580.post-9310487699289565102015-03-10T22:32:00.000-05:002015-03-10T22:32:04.501-05:00The Soaking <span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">As I sit here typing tonight rain is falling down outside the window.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">It's one of those peaceful, gentle rains that leaves everything feeling fresh the next day.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">Somehow it seems to dust off the plants and trees so they will glisten with a vibrant light in the morning sun.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">This soaking rain is similar to how God wants us to experience His presence.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">He longs to sit with us, to envelope us with His love like the rain covers the grass outside.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">For many years I tried to sustain my walk with the Lord through devotions done more out of obligation then desire.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">I was taught in Youth Group that you should read your Bible every day. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">Period. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">No Excuses.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">How many mornings did I dread having to wake up early and read my Bible just to turn to one scripture, read it, then go back to sleep?</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">I had done my duty. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">As I grew older and began to mature I learned that our time with God can be so much more then just mundane responsibility.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">It can be much more then something we check off our daily to do list.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Our Abba Father longs to encounter us with His peace, His grace, His soaking assurance that in His presence everything in life really is okay.</span></b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">As we meditate in His presence the cares of this world melt away.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">The very worries that kept us up at night or resentments that caused us so much anger begin to look so small in the greatness of God. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">The thought that the same God who created the entire universe and knows the stars by name actually wants us to sit still in His presence can be mind boggling.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">But, it is true.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">I'm reminded of my favorite hymn from my early years in the Southern Baptist Church.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">The lyrics are:</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">I come to the garden alone</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">while the dew is still on the roses</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">And the voice I hear</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">falling on my ear</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">The Son of God discloses.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">And He walks with me,</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">And He talks with me,</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">And He tells me I am His own;</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">And the joy we share as we tarry there,</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">None other has ever known.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">You may be thinking, "John, I would love to spend quality time with God like that. But, how do you do it?"</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">It is actually simple.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">Find a quiet place.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">Turn off your phone.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">Take a deep breath.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">Invite Him to join you.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">You may say a prayer if you wish but at some point I encourage you to stop talking and just listen.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">Just meditate in God's presence.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">"Be still and know that I am God"- Psalms 46:10</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">Let Him take control and refresh you with His soaking love just as the rain refreshes the world outside when it falls.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">You will find that the more time you spend letting God wrap His arms around you in the quiet stillness of His presence, the more desire you will have to read and study His scriptures.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">The more time<span></span> you spend cradled in His embrace, the more confidence you will have that He is in control.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">Let Him be your Great Healer, your Great Listener, your Great Stress Reliever!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">You don't have to be perfect to spend time with Him.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">As a matter of fact, He doesn't want you to be anything other then who you are.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">He sees you as spotless through the blood of Jesus!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">Just come as you are and enjoy His presence.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">It is available to whosoever asks.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><span></span><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">As Always, Remember:</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">God Loves You!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">God Created You!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">God Accepts You!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">Until Next Time,</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">SavedByGrace</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<br />SavedByGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706795054352553167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001575384723412580.post-85201861516509072892015-02-05T16:23:00.000-06:002015-02-05T16:23:29.821-06:00We Are Equal<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I am proud to be a citizen of the USA and the state of Alabama.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For my international readers who may not be familiar with Alabama, it is considered to be one of the most conservative states politically and religiously in the United States.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<strong><em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There are many wonderful aspects of my home state.</span></em></strong></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For the most part, people are caring, honest, and sincere.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Many folks are taught to respect their elders and to offer a helping hand to a neighbor in need.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There are ministries and churches all over the state who will give you food if you are hungry or help you find a place to stay if you are homeless.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In this state you could be in the middle of the bread aisle at the grocery store and receive prayers from a perfect stranger if you look like you need an encouraging word.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>A state full of Christians is a wonderful place to live, right?</em></span></strong></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Well, it is if you fit their interpretation of what a Christian looks like.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You see, folks here have deep rooted and genuine beliefs concerning their faith that have been handed down from generation to generation.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Veering from these doctrines is considered dangerous.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Even asking questions about certain beliefs is considered blasphemous to many people.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The majority of Christians in this state believe that everyone should live life based on a strict fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<strong><u><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">One of the basic tenants of their beliefs is that God doesn't create people to be gay.</span></u></strong></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Most of these folks think that being gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, or transgender is a choice that people make in some type of rebellion towards God.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This isn't just an assumption on my part. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I know this because of years of conversations with fellow Alabamians ranging from perfect strangers, to close friends, and even with family members.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>But get this....I used to believe this too!</em></strong></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Growing up gay in Alabama isn't easy for anyone.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Growing up gay in Alabama as part of the Pentecostal Church was excruciatingly painful.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">From my earliest memories I heard sermons from the pulpit detailing the abomination that is homosexuality.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I once heard an evangelist use the term "faggots" to describe gay men while he was preaching.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Pastors taught of how the gays and lesbians were perverts who desired to recruit children to add to their population so they could one day take over the government, the country, and the world.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As a teenager coping with my feelings of attraction to the same sex, I sat in church week after week terrified that I was going to burn in hell.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Somehow I had chosen this path of rebellion towards God.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Since God didn't create gay people then I must have made this decision and unless I changed my desires I would never be loved by God.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">While I respect a person's sincere religious beliefs, reconciling the fact that I am gay versus their desire for everyone to be straight had been a challenge my entire life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>When you hear the same message over and over again, you start to see it as truth.</em></span></b><br />
<b><br /></b><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
It wasn't until my early thirties that I finally found out the real truth.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">At 33 years old I found myself sitting in church knowing that the rumors of me being gay had finally reached the senior pastor himself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">On a Sunday morning in front of the entire congregation he looked at me, pointed, and said, "You cannot be gay and a Christian. Oil and water do not mix. You Will Burn In Hell!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I left the service that day and that church broken but not destroyed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">When I got to my prayer closet I begged God to either change me into a straight person (a prayer I had prayed thousands of times before) or to show me the real Truth to combat what I had been taught my whole life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This began a period of study and meditation like I had never experienced before.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I was hungry and thirsty to know what my father God really thought about me!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">After many months, I came through that period closer to God then I had ever been before and with a clear understanding of what is real and what is false.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><u>Here is The Truth:</u></span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">God Created You just the way You Are! <span style="color: blue;"> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart,"- </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">God Loves You and Nothing can change that!<span style="color: blue;"> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor ANYTHING ELSE in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."-</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">God Accepts You for who you are! <span style="color: #3d85c6;">"There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus"-</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Galatians 3:28</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Once God revealed these truths to me I found a new Peace deep down in my being.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I finally knew without a shadow of a doubt that He Loves Me!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I realized that I am not a mistake.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I am not an abomination!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I am lovingly and beautifully made with a purpose and a calling to spread His Unconditional Love to ALL People who will listen!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And my friends, <strong><em><u>SO ARE YOU!</u></em></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If you ever feel the way I used to and wonder about what the truth really is, pray and meditate on the scriptures above!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Know deep down that God Created You, God Loves You, and God Accepts You!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><u>NOONE CAN TAKE THAT AWAY FROM YOU!</u></span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">During this time when lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender people are fighting for equal rights around the world you will undoubtedly hear hate filled remarks thrown at you or your community.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">No matter what the root of these remarks are, based on misguided religious teachings or stem from basic evil prejudice, don't let their words shake you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Deep down in your spirit know that before the world offers us equal rights, you are already equal in God's eyes!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<strong><em><u><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Never let anyone make you feel like a second class citizen because the same God who formed the universe formed YOU in HIS Image!</span></u></em></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Those that society considers the outcasts and the least of these are raised up in God's eyes!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">In Matthew 20:16 Jesus tells us,<span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><span style="color: #e06666;">"The Last will be First and the First will be Last."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Jesus LOVES those that the "main stream church" despises!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We are HIS kind of people!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount,<span style="color: #e06666;"> "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you"-</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Matthew 5:11-12 (NIV)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Through this sermon above Jesus is telling us that people will say horrible and evil things in His name but we will see a great reward in Heaven.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We may face persecution but so did He.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">He prevailed over persecution and injustice so that we can live freely, joyfully, and EQUALLY!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In His eyes, we are all precious.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To Him, We Are Already Equal!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As always, remember:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">God Created You!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">God Loves You!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">God Accepts You!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Until Next Time,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">SavedByGrace</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<br /></div>
SavedByGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706795054352553167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001575384723412580.post-16334255652043273092015-01-20T22:36:00.000-06:002015-01-20T22:36:20.346-06:00Seasons Change<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>In life, we go through seasons.</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">Ecclesiastes 3:1 says,<span style="color: cyan;"> "To every thing there is a season, a time to every purpose under Heaven,"</span> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(NKJV)</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">If that sounds familiar, you might also know it from the Broadway Musical, "Hair."</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">As many of the blog's readers have noticed, I took a hiatus in 2014.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">Thank you so much to those who have reached out to me to assure I was okay. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">It was an unintended break but in hind sight it was exactly what I needed.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">God knew the plans He had for me and how many items I could juggle at one time.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">At some point during the year, I took a deep breath and just decided to go with the flow until God impressed me to start blogging again.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>For me, 2014 was a year of laying foundations.</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">The most notable foundation that was laid concerns my family.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">You see, I married the love of my life in May of last year. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">The wedding and honeymoon were blessed beyond belief and I will never forget how beautiful it all was. It was truly our fairytale dream come true! Through all of it God reminded us that He cares about even the smallest details in our lives.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">Joe, my husband, and I also worked hard laying foundations in our professional life. New responsibilities at work led to promotions this past year that will help fund growth for our Ministry in the future.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">We also volunteered more then ever at our local church, laying a foundation to strengthen our church family relationships that we hold so dear. These are the same people who support us through prayers and attend our home meetings. They really are family to us.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">As 2014 came to an end, I knew things were changing.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">A new season was beginning.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>This is a season of Ministry.</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">For starters, it is time to start blogging again!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">I'm excited to say that the hiatus is over and I am looking forward to sharing with you all that God lays on my heart.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">Also, I will be preaching more frequently and Joe will be ministering in music even more this year. Our home meetings, The Healer's House, are increasing as well as invitations to Minister at other churches.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">Finally, this Season of Ministry holds with it the start of a huge branch of outreach that we can't tell you about just yet. Expect a major announcement soon, though! </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Why am I telling you all of this? </span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br />Because, somewhere out there someone needs to understand that life comes in seasons.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">These seasons are temporary. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">Good or bad, they will change.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">Wherever you find yourself in your life is a Season.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What if you don't like your season?</b></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">If you look around you and don't like what you see, first and foremost pray and ask God what you need to learn in this Season.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">Whether you like the season you are in or not, just know that God is still in Control.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">Romans 8:28 tells us,<span style="color: cyan;"> "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God..."</span> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(KJV)</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">Our daddy God loves us so much that He even takes our disappointments, our hurts, our problems, even our mistakes and turns them to our good!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">What is He trying to show you during this Season?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Maybe it isn't <i>WHAT</i> He is trying to show you, but <i>WHO</i> He is trying to show you. </span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">God places people in our lives for us to reach in the midst of EVERY season we are in.</span></span><span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">If we run past the place He has us, if we fight to get out of a season before His timing to move us forward, we risk missing the people that He has placed in front of us that we are supposed to minister to.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><i><b>The joy of the Lord is our strength.</b></i></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">How do we find joy in our lives? We find it by serving others. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">By looking outward and helping the people that God places in our paths, no matter what our circumstances look like, we are showing the very essence of Jesus Christ. By showing Love, we are showing God.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">Wherever you find yourself in life, whatever season you are in the midst of, take a moment to pause and ask God what He wants you to learn or who He wants you to serve.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">Thank Him for your season and trust that He will work ALL things together for your good.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">2015 is going to be a wonderful year of Ministry.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">I look forward to sharing it with you all! </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">As Always, Remember,</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">God Loves You!<br />God Created You!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">God Accepts You!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">Until Next Time,</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: white;">SavedByGrace</span></span>SavedByGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706795054352553167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001575384723412580.post-55996920475322480472014-01-28T01:50:00.000-06:002014-01-28T01:50:29.276-06:00You Have Power!<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I feel tonight that God is giving this word of encouragement for our Christian Brothers and Sisters around the world.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My friends, the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead runs through your veins today!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The enemy may have told you that you are down and out, lost and forgotten, wounded and dying, but today God wants you to know that you are alive!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He longs for you to flourish and prosper in Every Area!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you have been fighting a battle against the enemy, whether it be spiritual, mental, physical, financial, emotional....declare out loud, "Get thee behind me, satan! I am alive and well because I have the authority to trample you under foot! Leave me alone! Leave my family alone! Leave my finances alone! Leave my life alone! The power of the blood of Jesus lives within me and I am taking a stand against you! You must leave now!"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Declare with faith that God is bigger then your problems.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Rise up and fight again!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">No matter how beat down you feel, God has never and will never leave you.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Jesus came so that you might have LIFE and have it more abundantly!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tap into the power source of your Abba Father and take control back from the enemy!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Stand in the promises of God today!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: white;">Remember Luke 10:19 </span><span style="color: red;">"I have given you authority to trample on snakes<span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-25383A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></span> and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will by any means harm you."</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">Claim the promise of Psalm 91:3-7 </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: #666666;">"....Surely he will save you <span class="text Ps-91-3" style="position: relative;">from the fowler’s snare </span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: #666666;"><span class="indent-1" style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="text Ps-91-3" style="position: relative;">and from the deadly pestilence. H</span></span><span class="text Ps-91-4" id="en-NIV-15400" style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; position: relative;">e will cover you with his feathers, </span><span class="indent-1" style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="text Ps-91-4" style="position: relative;">and under his wings you will find refuge; </span></span><span class="indent-1" style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="text Ps-91-4" style="position: relative;">his faithfulness will be your shield<span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-15400H" title="See cross-reference H">H</a>)"></span> and rampart.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: red; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text Ps-91-5" id="en-NIV-15401" style="position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;">5 </span>You will not fear<span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-15401I" title="See cross-reference I">I</a>)"></span> the terror of night, </span><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Ps-91-5" style="position: relative;">nor the arrow that flies by day, </span></span><span class="text Ps-91-6" id="en-NIV-15402" style="position: relative;">nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, </span><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Ps-91-6" style="position: relative;">nor the plague that destroys at midday. </span></span><span class="text Ps-91-7" id="en-NIV-15403" style="position: relative;">A thousand may fall at your side, </span><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Ps-91-7" style="position: relative;">ten thousand at your right hand, </span></span><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Ps-91-7" style="position: relative;">but it will not come near you."</span></span></span><div>
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: white;">Declare Isaiah 53:5</span><span style="color: red;"> "...He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and<b> </b><b style="text-decoration: underline;">with his stripes we are healed."</b></span></span><div>
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The enemy longs to keep us confused about our identity.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">His plan is to keep us so mired in the muck of everyday life that we forget who we are.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Who Are You?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You are a joint heir with Jesus Christ!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You are the head and not the tail!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You are More then a Conqueror through Christ!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My brothers and sisters, the battle has already been fought and the victory has already been won!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Stand in the promises of God and Remember who you are!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Get in the habit of using the authority that He has given you to kick the enemy out of your life.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As you learn to walk in the Power that God has Promised You, your life will become one of victory in all situations instead of defeat.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I pray you receive this word of encouragement and let God work in every facet of your life.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you aren't a Christian but want to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior so you too can tap into this same power, please visit the link "How to become a Christian" on the right side of this page. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As always, remember:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Loves You!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Created You!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Accepts You!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Until Next Time,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">SavedByGrace</span></div>
SavedByGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706795054352553167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001575384723412580.post-12931045180531915932013-11-18T20:33:00.000-06:002013-11-18T20:33:02.068-06:00What is your Jericho?<span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 16px;">"When the trumpets sounded,</span><span class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-5970U" title="See cross-reference U">U</a>)"></span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout,</span><span class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-5970V" title="See cross-reference V">V</a>)"></span></i></b></span><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><i> the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city."</i></b></span> </span><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Joshua 6:20</span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(N.I.V.) </span> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The children of Israel had spent 40 years wandering the desert after their release from Egyptian slavery.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God had shown them the Promised Land but one thing stood in between them and their new home land.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was the city of Jericho.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Jericho was a mighty fortress that was surrounded by large walls, making it impenetrable to outside armies. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Joshua was leading the Israelite people and knew that the destiny of his people lay just on the other side of Jericho.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>How could a group of wanderers bring down these towering walls and take the city?</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Only God could do it for them.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Joshua relied on God's help and obeyed His instructions.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The people walked around the city in silence each day for six days.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Then, on the seventh day, the seventh time around the city, the priests sounded the trumpets and the people shouted with a mighty roar!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u>The walls of Jericho fell!</u></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Israelites entered Jericho and took the city.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">They were now free to enter the promised land; a place of great blessings where milk and honey flowed; a place of freedom where they would no longer be enslaved by another government; a place a legacy to establish their Nation for future generations.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I ask you today, What is your Jericho?</span></u></b><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What is standing between you and God's Promised Destiny for your life?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What is keeping you from living a life of blessing where milk and honey flow?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What is blocking your path from breaking the bonds of slavery to addiction or anger or depression?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What is towering high above you threatening to stop you from establishing a life that radically changes not only your future but that of your future generations?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Are those walls built with stones that have labels like "low self esteem?"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do the walls say "You aren't good enough?"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Are the walls filled with accusations such as "You should be ashamed for being Gay, Bi-Sexual, or Transgendered?"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do the walls have stones that you have tried to break before but couldn't, such as alcoholism, drug addiction, sex or porn addiction?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Are those sky high walls comprised of stones of fear, or depression?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Maybe the walls are filled with hurt from past relationships or even current ones.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Are the walls in your life so tall and seem so over powering that they block out the sun?</span><br />
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<b><i><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">No matter what Jericho represents to you, no matter the heights of those walls that seem to stand in your way, our Abba Father God is BIGGER!</span></i></b><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The same God who brought the Israelites out of captivity and delivered them into the Promised Land will bring you into YOUR Promised Land!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He will destroy the bonds of slavery that hold you captive.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He will show you a life of Peace, Joy, and Blessings where no matter what you face, you will always know that He is Greater!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He will radically change your future and that of your future generations so that your whole family lineage reflects His Goodness and Power.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Know today, my friends, that God is YOUR Victor, YOUR Savior, YOUR Mighty Warrior!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: white;">Exodus 14:14 says</span> <span style="color: blue; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">"</span><span style="color: blue; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The </span><span class="small-caps" style="color: blue; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: small-caps; font-weight: bold;">Lord</span><span style="color: blue; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> will fight</span><span style="color: blue; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-size: 0.65em; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-1904A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></span></span><span style="color: blue; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> for you; you need only to be still.” </span><span style="color: white; font-size: xx-small;">(N.I.V)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Identify those things which are holding you back and pray to God.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ask God to take them from you; to fight the battle for you!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Then, be still.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Give the battle to God and rely on Him to bring down those walls for you.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i><u>God can do for you what you cannot do for yourself!</u></i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Give Him the battle every hour of every day and trust Him to deliver you into your Promised Land!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God will show you what a Mighty Savior that He is!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am praying for you and believing with you that YOU WILL SEE the walls of Jericho CRUMBLE Down in YOUR life!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you would like me to stand with you against those Jericho walls in your life, please message me your prayer requests. I will never judge, only pray and show you the same unconditional love that our Father God shows me each and every day.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As Always, Remember:</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Loves You!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Created You!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Accepts You!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Until Next Time,</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Saved By Grace</span></span>SavedByGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706795054352553167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001575384723412580.post-48301570341203255012013-09-26T08:54:00.001-05:002013-09-26T08:54:52.171-05:00To Russia, With Love<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">This is an open letter of encouragement written to our many readers in Russia, especially whose who are gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and transgender. (English Translation Below)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">Чтобы все мои братья и сестры в России,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">Бог любит вас!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">Он заботится о всех Ваших пожеланий.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">Во времена испытаний и гонений, Он стоит с вами.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">Ваши слезы были увидеть и почувствовать, отца нашего Бога, и Он идет в сердцах людей во всем мире возрастет до вашей обороне.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">Вы не одиноки!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">Тот же самый Бог, который создал вселенную и создал вас!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">Он будет защищать вас.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">Он исцелит тебя.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">Поверьте в Иисуса Христа, чтобы защитить вас.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">Его милость и благодать будет держать вас во времена боли и тоски.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">У вас есть мои молитвы и поддержку.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">Что еще более важно, у вас есть поддержка Всемогущего Бога!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">С уважением,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">SavedByGrace</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">English Translation:</span></i><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">To all of my brothers and sisters in Russia,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">God loves you!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">He cares about your every need.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">During times of trial and persecution, He is standing with you.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">Your tears have been seen and felt by our Father God and He is moving in the hearts of people around the world to rise to your defense.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">You Are Not Alone!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">The same God who created the universe also created you!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">He will protect you.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">He will heal you.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">Trust in Jesus Christ to defend you.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">His mercy and grace will keep you during times of hurt and anguish.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">You have my prayers and support.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">More importantly, you have the support of God Almighty!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">Sincerely,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">SavedByGrace</span>SavedByGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706795054352553167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001575384723412580.post-71878016194056395672013-09-26T08:48:00.001-05:002013-09-26T08:48:20.307-05:00"Healer" by Kari Jobe. Sharing this for the Russian LGBT people<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5vIH67lYRGo" width="480"></iframe>SavedByGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706795054352553167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001575384723412580.post-1287780768329034652013-07-06T09:53:00.002-05:002013-07-06T10:07:40.674-05:00Trapped<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do you remember some of the old action movies when the good guy would get captured and thrown into a little room with large cement walls that slowly closed toward him?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I would sit on the edge of my seat, anxiously waiting to see what masterful plan the hero would come up with to get out of this messy situation.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As sweat poured down the good guy's face he would look up, down, and side to side to plan his route of escape; to avoid being smushed like a can of sardines!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Thankfully, at the last second, he would spring into action with a brilliant stroke of genius and free himself just before the walls squeezed shut!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As a child and teenager, I can remember watching countless movies like this and wondering what it would feel like to be trapped in that little room with walls closing in towards me.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Once I got older, it became much easier to imagine that feeling.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">By my mid twenties, feeling like the walls were closing in became a common occurrence. </span><br />
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<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I had begun to construct a little room of my own in my mind.</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There were walls of secrets built up all around me.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One wall was my sexuality.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was gay but hardly anyone else knew it.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The last thing I wanted to do was disappoint my parents and harm my family's reputation.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Another wall was sex and porn addiction.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Because I didn't feel like being in a healthy committed relationship with another guy was even an option, I began to find one night stands to fill my needs of intimacy.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I thought being gay meant having sex.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The third wall was self loathing.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To say I had low self esteem is an under statement.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I felt like lower then low, scummier then scum, fuglier then fugly!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I looked at myself and saw a fat guy who was only good enough for cheap tricks and one night stands, but never a loving partner.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Finally, the fourth wall was a fear of rejection.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Who would want me if they knew the truth?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was even more messed up on the inside then I was on the outside.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My sense of humor kept some friends around but I thought that if I let the persona as the "funny guy" slip they would abandon me too.</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When you are in a place that you don't love yourself, it is difficult to let others love you, and next to impossible to accept the fact that God loves you.</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was surrounded on all sides with these walls that towered above me farther then I could see and they were rooted so deep in my psyche I couldn't imagine digging under them.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Not only did they loom enormously huge in my eyes, they also began closing in.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What was making them move closer and closer around me?</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fear.</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fear was fueling the movement of these walls as they inched ever so near me.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was surrounded.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For years, I was surrounded!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Living daily in this bondage was exhausting.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Finally, when I felt completely smothered, gasping for air with no place to go, I asked for help.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was ready for things to change.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Either I was gonna die here in the prison of my mind or God would have to rescue me like a prince in shining armor riding in on a white stallion.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">All I knew was enough was enough.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I couldn't take it any more.</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So, I surrendered.</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Thankfully, though, I surrendered to God.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">With the tiniest grain of mustard seed faith, a very faint and time worn glimmer of hope, I prayed.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was a long shot, but it was still a shot.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In the midst of my cloudy consciousness and battered state of mind, I asked God for help.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I surrendered my life back to Him.</span><br />
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<b><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Here's an interesting fact about God:</span></b><br />
<i><b><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">No matter how tall the walls are around you, no matter how deep the pit you find yourself, His arms can still reach you!</span></b></i><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This began my journey to freedom.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">First, the walls stopped moving towards me.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The fear started to lose it's power.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The darkness of my secrets began to fade as light started penetrating my fortress.</span><br />
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<b><i><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A secret loses it's power when you shine light on it.</span></i></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cracks began appearing in the wall of porn and sex addiction as God guided me to find counseling and support groups to deal with those issues all the way down to the root of them.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God continued to add a support team in my life and soon I noticed stones starting to crumble in the wall that represented my sexuality.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I started accepting the truth in my life that I could not change my sexuality so God must have created me this way for a reason.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I came out to people close to me, including my parents and immediate family.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As the walls kept moving farther away, showing signs of weakness in their structural integrity, I began having more thoughts of clarity.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Somehow the walls didn't reach as far in the sky as they once did.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I could even peek over them from time to time and catch a glimpse of what true freedom looked like.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God kept working on my heart as my mental image began to rise.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That wall of self loathing was losing its facade as well.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I began to see that I have worth as a human being, as a good person, as a Child of God.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Through all of this, the wall of rejection was the last to lose it's power.</span><br />
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<b><i><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The lie I had been taught in church, from pulpits and other Christians, was that God rejected me for being gay.</span></i></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I had a very deep seeded belief that I was not worthy for God's love and therefore I was rejected by Him and every other decent person.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">With a mighty move of His hand, in a divine Kung Foo Chop of Grace and Mercy, God destroyed that wall by instantaneously revealing His great love to me.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In a clarion moment one day the light bulb went off over my head and I realized a simple but bedrock truth.</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Loves Me!</span></u></b><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God loves me enough to rescue me from my prison.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God loves me enough to keep me safe even when I was lost in a world of death and destruction, in addiction and std's, in self abuse and darkness.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God loves me enough to create me even though He knew before I was born the many ways I would mess up.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He knew the sins I would commit.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He knew the roads I would take while running away from Him.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He knew the ways I would be hurt emotionally and then turn around and hurt others emotionally.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My friends, when God sees us, He doesn't see us covered in the mess we have made or the slips and falls we have taken.</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God sees us covered in one thing: <i>The Blood Of Jesus!</i></span></u></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God is not a judge waiting to convict us to death for the sins of our past or present or future.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He is a loving Father, waiting to promote us to a life of freedom!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He longs for us to surrender to Him and let Him be the Prince in Shining Armor who rides in on His white stallion, sweeping us up into His arms, and riding away with us into the sunset.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Loves Us!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Loves Me!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Loves You!</span></u></b><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">No matter how tall your walls are, God Loves You!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">No matter how deeply rooted they run in your life, God Loves You!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You don't have to be trapped any longer!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You don't have to let the villain hold you in that fortress as the walls inch closer and closer until finally they crush the life out of you.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It doesn't matter what the walls are.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Are they lust, greed, depression, hurt, self loathing, addiction, fear?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">No matter what your walls are labeled, declare today that you are a prisoner no more!</span></u></b><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Take that last glimmer of hope that exists deep down in your heart and cling to it.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Say this prayer right now, wherever you are:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Father God,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love you and I need you.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and I need you to rescue me today.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Please reach down into my situation and pull me out.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I surrender to you, Father, to be my Hero.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I will go where you say I should go and do what you say I should do.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I choose to take the help you offer me.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I trust you, Heavenly Father, as my Papa God, as Jesus Christ your Son and my Savior.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love you,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Amen</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now trust Him, my friends, to bring you out just as He brought me out.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God's promises are for everyone.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What He has done for me, He will do for you!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He has a plan for you.</span></b><br />
<b><i><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></u></i></b>
<b><i><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You have a destiny for Him!</span></u></i></b><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One day you will be able to share with others your testimony about when you were trapped and How God came to your rescue.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Message me for any prayer requests and I will stand with you.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Stay surrendered to God and He will bring a support team into your life.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I look forward to hearing your testimonies!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As always remember:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Loves You!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Created You!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Accepts You!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Until next time,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">SavedByGrace</span><br />
<br />SavedByGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706795054352553167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001575384723412580.post-77594543847944946022013-03-30T21:37:00.000-05:002013-03-30T21:37:10.419-05:00Resurrection!<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On Friday, Jesus was crucified.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He died.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He was buried.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">BUT...</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">ON SUNDAY HE ROSE AGAIN!</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Let this Resurrection day be your day of Victory!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do you face depression?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That debt has been paid.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do you face rejection?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That debt has been paid.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do you face loneliness?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That debt has been paid.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do you face disease?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That debt has been paid.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do you face persecution?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That debt has been paid.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do you face poverty?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That debt has been paid.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do you face addiction?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That debt has been paid.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">All of the hurts, pains, condemnation, disappointments, sins, and misfortunes of your life do not define you!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Today, only ONE thing defines you!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u>Today the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, who died, was buried, who defeated the enemy, and Rose Again...This is what defines you!</u></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In that one moment in time Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice to give you the victory.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He bought the victory for all of mankind... past, present, and future.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In one Glorious instance his eyes opened and His burial garments fell to the ground.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The stone rolled away and the tomb door opened up.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Out stepped our Risen Savior as YOUR victor!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He won your victory at that moment!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He paid your debts Once and For All!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Accept it today!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Accept Him today!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He longs to share in this day of Victory with you and to give you the everlasting and abundant life that he lived, died, and Resurrected to give you!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You are not just a number or a name to Him.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He knows you personally and LONGS to live with you, inside of you, through you.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you do not know Him or want to know Him again, then say this prayer:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lord Jesus,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I believe that You ARE the Son of God.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I believe that you were crucified, died, defeated the enemy, and Rose Again!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I believe that You paid the debt for all of my sins!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I accept you as my Savior Today!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I Love You,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Amen!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After you have prayed this prayer then begin praying more prayers, and more prayers, and even more.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Get to know your Father, God.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He longs to spend time with you.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Talk with Him like He is your closest friend.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Believe me, He WILL become your closest friend.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Whether you just accepted Jesus as your savior, or you have known Him for a long time, Praise God because no matter what your circumstances appear to be, today IS your day of Victory!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The next time the enemy tries to remind you of your shortcomings your promises, the stresses of life, shout the Name of Jesus at him and stand firmly in the finished work that was paid for you on Calvary!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Loves You So Much!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He sent His only Son to pay the sacrifice of all of your debts.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There is no greater love then to lay down your life for another.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That, my friends, is just a taste of how much our Daddy God loves YOU!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Today is your day of Victory!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Today Is The Resurrection Day!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As Always Remember:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Loves You!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Created You!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Accepts You!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Until next time,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">SavedByGrace</span>SavedByGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706795054352553167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001575384723412580.post-46426371448714114462013-03-11T00:51:00.000-05:002013-03-11T00:51:34.830-05:00Jesus at the Gay Bar?<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tonight I experienced something that most people would consider out of the ordinary.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u>I went to a local gay bar to watch a Gospel Drag Show!</u></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yes, you read that correctly, a <i>gospel drag show</i>.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">All of the performances were set to gospel music with a couple of contemporary Christian songs thrown in.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You may be asking yourself some questions.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Were the performers making fun of Christians?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Was there anyone in the audience to actually watch the show?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Were they hostile toward Christianity?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u>Well, here is what I found:</u></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The drag queens who performed treated their songs much less like a drag show and more like worship.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">They worshiped God with their talent and their heart the best and purest way they knew how.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I saw one performer dance with joy and exuberance as she worshiped God during her song.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I saw another performer testify about how the show was not about her, but was all about Jesus, followed by a round of "Amens!" from the audience.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Speaking of the audience, how was the crowd?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">By the end of the show the place was standing room only!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I watched people raise their hands in worship and clap along with the music as if they were sitting in an old time Pentecostal tent revival!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What amazed me the most about this experience tonight was seeing people from many backgrounds and faith traditions, many of whom were sipping on a drink from the bar, finding genuine excitement in old southern gospel songs.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">They were worshiping God without the pretensions of church or the mask that so many typical church going Christians wear.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">They were being themselves.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Many people were laughing.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Many were drinking.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At times some people were even tearing up, moved by the presence of God that was very real and very beautiful.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The drag queens and singers who performed were being themselves.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The audience members were being themselves.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There was no holier then thou attitudes about how worship should look a certain way or fit a certain mold.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There were real people, acting like real people, worshiping a real God, who loves them with a real love.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do you know who loves real meetings like this?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u>The Real Jesus!</u></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And, you can bet the farm that Jesus was at the gay bar tonight.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He was walking through the crowd, touching lives and healing wounds.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He was taking joy from the authentic worship from people who felt no need to pretend for acceptance.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He was laughing with those who laughed and crying with those who cried.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Jesus was loving the expression of worship from the drag queens as well because He saw it for what it was; pure worship from a true place of genuine love for our Savior.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sure, there were people there who didn't worship freely and some who kept up walls of defense that didn't appear to be torn down. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Of course, who really knows, besides God, who's walls fell and who's didn't?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I even heard a few laughs from the back during worship.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But, whether some people allowed God to minister to them or not, they were there.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">They stayed for the show.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And, Jesus met them there, right where they were, in a drag show in Birmingham, Alabama.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He planted seeds and began tearing down walls of hurt and rejection.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Isn't that the beautiful way that Jesus works so many times?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Even 2000 years later He is still hanging out with the outcasts who are having some drinks and being too loud and raucous.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It should come as no surprise that Jesus was hanging out at the gay bar tonight.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He always hangs out with the folks that the Religious Establishment typically judges instead of loves.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God has built His church on people like this.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He is very fond of us outcasts!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u>What does all this mean?</u></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The lesson here is very simple but very important.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God does not want us to act like a different person in front of Him.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He doesn't want us to hide behind a facade.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After all, we can never actually hide from Him anyway!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our Papa God loves us and wants to be part of our lives even when we don't think we are Holy.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Guess what.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We will never be Holy enough to be in God's presence on our own.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That's where Jesus steps in.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Because we can never attain perfect righteousness on our own, Jesus paid the ultimate price as the spotless sacrifice for us so that we could get rid of our masks and pretensions and approach the thrown of God with Confidence!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We are saved through the work that Christ did on Calvary!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our <i>Salvation</i> was bought and paid for that first Easter.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our <i>Righteousness</i> was given to us that day.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our <i>Healing</i> was given to us that day.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our <i>Hope</i>, our <i>Joy</i>, our <i>Freedom</i> to prosper mentally, physically, and spiritually was all given to us freely, as a gift, the moment that Jesus died and resurrected 2000 years ago!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I urge you today to take off your mask and be real with God.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Accept His promises for you and worship Him with the gifts you have!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Just like the drag queens I saw tonight, give God your talent.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Give God your praise.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Give God your worship in the purest way you know how from the most genuine part of yourself!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is how you find peace.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Worship Him without that facade of perfection and know that He loves you right where you are!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Accept that you are saved by <i>His</i> Grace, not <i>your</i> works!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Once you decide to be honest and real in His presence, you can truly Surrender to Him and Trust Him to do the work in your life that He desires to do.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This real surrender builds a real relationship that leads to your real peace!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God has a destiny for you!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God has a purpose for you!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God has promises for you!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Take off your mask and let Him work on your heart so that He can give you <i>His</i> Joy that is <i>your</i> strength.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As always, remember:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Loves You!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Created You!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Accepts You!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Until Next Time,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">SavedByGrace</span>SavedByGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706795054352553167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001575384723412580.post-28985906918381221692013-02-15T06:49:00.000-06:002013-02-15T06:49:36.773-06:00Your Victory<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Through Christ our punishment has already been paid!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The price for all of our sins, our faults, our short comings, our disappointments, and our poor decisions has been paid!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Jesus stepped in as our intermediary and took our place.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We are found innocent today in the eyes of God, my friends, because Jesus took our place and took our punishment.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He took the death penalty so that we can have LIFE!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Just like in court, we will not be tried twice for the same crime.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So, today, when the enemy starts reminding you of all of your failures and mistakes, take a stand!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Take a stand as the FREE Man, the FREE Woman, or the FREE Transgendered Person that you are through CHRIST and His Finished Work!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The price has been paid!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The pardon has been given you!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Through Jesus We Are Free!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This, my friends, is Your Victory!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As Always, remember:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Loves You!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Created You!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Accepts You!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Until Next Time,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">SavedByGrace</span>SavedByGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706795054352553167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001575384723412580.post-18827646925681888012013-01-01T11:03:00.000-06:002013-01-01T11:03:52.037-06:00Blessing for 2013<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I want to take a moment to thank all of you for your prayers and support of this blog and ministry.</span><div>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Words cannot express how much your e-mails, comments, Facebook messages, tweets, prayer requests, and praise reports mean to me.</span><div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This past year has seen tremendous growth for Radical Hope Ministries and has laid the foundation for what God has planned for us in 2013.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Please read this blessing below.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is my heart felt prayer for each of you in this coming year:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>May you find peace each day knowing that God Loves You deeply and without ANY conditions.</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>May you learn to better understand how to accept His love for yourself and the power that He has placed within you.</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>May you exhibit His great undying love for you by showing it to everyone else that He brings in your path.</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>May you live each moment in the Promises that God has given you for Good Health and Healing, Freedom From Depression and Addiction, and Prosperity Over Lack and Poverty.</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>May you give of your Time, Energy, Prayers, and Finances Freely and Joyously to what God calls you to do and may that gift return to you Multiplied and Blessed.</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>I pray that everyone who reads this blog in the coming year will be touched by it and truly understand that through Jesus Christ you really can do ALL things!</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>May you remember with every breath you take and at each passing minute of every day that you are not alone. </b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>May you know deep down in your spirit that Your Daddy God, Your Savior Jesus, and Your Comforter the Holy Spirit are With You and will Never Leave You.</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>May you feel their presence in a greater and more tangible way then ever before.</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>In the name of the Lord God Almighty and through the power of the Blood of Jesus Christ I declare it so,</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Amen</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Have a wonderful and safe 2013!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I look forward to hearing from you!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As Always, Remember:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Loves You!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Created You!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Accepts You!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Until next time,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">SavedByGrace</span></div>
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SavedByGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706795054352553167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001575384723412580.post-26278102957904418512012-12-08T12:40:00.001-06:002012-12-08T12:40:43.820-06:00Wait, Don't Panic!<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In this Season of Great Joy there can also be times of Great Panic!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">How do you balance extremely busy schedules with the desire to stay sane and get enough sleep?</span></i><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">How do you deal with loneliness and grief among shiny happy faces and Santa's ringing bells at the mall?</span></i><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">How do you find Peace in these days celebrating the birth of the Prince of Peace when inside, underneath your festive mask, you are dealing with real hurts, worries, and anxiety?</span></i><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><i><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">How do you keep from panicking???</span></i></b><br />
<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></u></b>
<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></u></b>
<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hit the pause button.</span></u></b><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Take a moment to just stop.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Pause for a bit.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u>Then, Pray.</u></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ask God, your loving Father, to show you what your priorities should be.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ask Him to help you feel what you need to feel so that you can face your hurts honestly instead of pushing them down.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ask Him to heal you of those hurts and give Him the worries and anxieties that are weighing you down.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tell Him that you love Him, and honor Him.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tell Him that you surrender everything to Him!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our Awesome and Amazing Father God will wrap you in His loving arms and shelter you from the rushing time table of the season while He leads you gently in each step that you should take.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After you have paused and prayed, sit quietly in His presence and listen.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Allow Him to tug at your spirit and quicken to you your next move.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He will give you the healing you need.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He will bring up His joy that has been lying dormant in the depths of your soul.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He will strengthen you.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u>Finally, after you have Paused and Prayed, Pursue His plans for you.</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">These plans may differ from your own preset plans and responsibilities.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That is okay!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Trust Him and go with it!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Instead of letting your calendar or your emotions dictate what you will be doing between now and Christmas, allow God, who knows what is best for us all, to gently lead and guide you.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"All things work together for good to those who love the Lord." </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Romans 8:28</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Remember that the purpose of this blessed time of year is not to stress over gifts, or parties, or relationships, or outfits, or money, or anything else.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Purpose of Christmas is to Remember, and Celebrate; to Thank our Heavenly Father for Loving Us So Much that He would send His Son Jesus here to Earth to live and to die and to resurrect from the grave for us!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He Gave Us Salvation not just from our sins but from ALL the cares of this world!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So, don't let those cares weigh you down.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Give yourself a break today to stop and seek God about what things He would have you do to enjoy this beautiful Christmas time.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Then, allow yourself the flexibility to change your plans accordingly.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">By surrendering everything to God, especially your time, you will find that you have more quality time to actually enjoy the many events you take in.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You never know how many people you may help just by being in line with God's plan for you this Holiday Season.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Remember, there is no need to panic!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Just pause, pray, and pursue.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As Always, Remember:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Loves You!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Created You!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Accepts You!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Until next time,</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">SavedByGrace</span><br />
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<br />SavedByGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706795054352553167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001575384723412580.post-68062931900709800922012-11-13T01:21:00.000-06:002012-11-13T01:28:17.124-06:00A House Divided<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"A house divided against itself cannot stand."- Abraham Lincoln</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Abraham Lincoln is often credited for this quote but did you know that he was himself quoting someone else?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">President Lincoln, in referring to the United States before the civil war, quoted Jesus Christ <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Mark 3:25)</span> to prove a point that the Union could not exist as half slave and half free.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">"<span style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free. I do not expect the </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_(Civil_War)" style="background-image: none; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-decoration: initial;" title="Union (Civil War)">Union</a><span style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> to be dissolved — I do not expect the house to fall — but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other. Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the further spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction; or its advocates will push it forward, till it shall become alike lawful in all the States, old as well as new — North as well as South."</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Mr. Lincoln gave this address as part of a campaign speech for the U.S. Senate in 1858.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">In today's eyes we can look back on slavery and see what a horrible injustice the entire institution was and how much harm it did to every victim as well as the nation as a whole.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">During 1858, however, the country was torn apart on the issue.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Entire Christian denominations split over the issue with some preachers heralding the scriptures that seemingly speak to allowing slavery while others pointed to scriptures that shined a light on the horrific practice of owning another human being.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">The issue divided families, friendships, churches, and eventually the entire United States of America.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">War became the only solution that many saw that would allow them to cling to their own deeply held, traditionally rooted, and "scripturally based" positions on slavery.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Brother fought against brother.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">State fought against state.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Christian fought against Christian.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">On April 12, 1861 at Fort Sumter in South Carolina, shots rang out beginning the Civil War and bringing about the deadliest war in US History.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">It is estimated that 750,000 soldiers were killed during the civil war.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">It was Insanity.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><b><u>Today, over 150 years later, we find ourselves involved in another war; a culture war.</u></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Today the issue of equality in the Church and society as a whole for Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, and Transgendered people divides families, friendships, churches, and yes, the entire United States of America.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">We watch in the news as Christian denominations split over the issue.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Good Christian leaders, trusted men and women in the Body of Christ, take positions that are deeply held, rooted in their traditions, and based in scripture.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Christian brothers are fighting Christian brothers, valiantly displaying their pride and ego instead of reason and prayer.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Increasingly the image of the Church is becoming one of hate and intolerance instead of love and grace.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><b><u>We may never know how many young men and women we have lost during this war.</u></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Everyday the casualties mount as another child of God is wounded and falls victim to hopelessness, depression, addiction, spiritual despair, and too often, even physical death.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Whether intentional or not, the message the majority of young GLBT Americans hear from the Church is one of ridicule and despair; of infighting and condemnation.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">The divided Body of Christ is so involved in fighting the culture war, so focused on making sure that their side is winning, that they are forgetting to actually love their neighbor.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">I say this not to point a finger at anyone, but out of my own conviction.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">There have been too many times that I have chosen to fight, to take up my sword, and use my words against another believer instead of reaching out in love.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><b><u>It is time that we as Christians throw off the messages of division and focus on our common ground.</u></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">We have within our grasp the greatest tool the world has ever known.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">It is the Good News that we were once taught in Sunday School.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">It is the Grace that Saves Any Whosoever that Believes.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">It is the Unconditional Love, the Agape Love, of our Heavenly Father!</span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">What we all as Christians have in common at the end of the day, no matter where you fall on the issue of equality for GLBT people, is that we are ALL Prodigal Sons and Daughter being welcomed back home by our Loving Father who sees us from afar.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">He runs to us and places His finest robes on our shoulders and rings on our fingers.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">He prepares a feast for us all at His table and says, "Come and Dine!"</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">This is our common ground!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">The answer to ending the insanity that is this tragic and deadly culture war is to communicate with each other out of love from the points that we have in common instead of dividing over our differences.</span></span><br />
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<span class="text Matt-22-36" id="en-NIV-23909" style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><sup class="versenum" style="vertical-align: top;">Matthew 22: 36 </sup>“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="background-color: #666666;"><span class="text Matt-22-37" id="en-NIV-23910"><sup class="versenum" style="vertical-align: top;">37 </sup>Jesus replied: <span class="woj">“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’</span></span> <span class="text Matt-22-38" id="en-NIV-23911"><sup class="versenum" style="vertical-align: top;">38 </sup>This is the first and greatest commandment.</span> <span class="text Matt-22-39" id="en-NIV-23912"><sup class="versenum" style="vertical-align: top;">39 </sup>And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’"</span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span class="text Matt-22-39" style="background-color: #666666;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I hope that you will join me in praying for all of our Christian brothers and sisters; for all of the leaders in the Church, and for those who agree and disagree with you on the issue of GLBT equality.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u>Loving each other from the place of our common ground will open the door to healing in our Body of Believers.</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Moreover, by answering this challenge from Jesus, living the greatest commandment, we will break the cycle and keep history from once again repeating itself.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This blog is a part of a Synchroblog regarding the discussion of the cultural debate about homosexuality and Christianity.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Many bloggers are writing about this issue today and I encourage you to take some time and read what all the others have to say.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Follow this link to read other blogs on this issue: </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://gcnjustin.tumblr.com/sanity">http://gcnjustin.tumblr.com/sanity</a></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Also, I encourage all of my reader's to read <i>Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays vs. Christians Debate</i>, a book written by Justin Lee, the founder of the Gay Christian Network.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Follow this link to read more about Torn: </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.tornbook.com/">http://www.tornbook.com/</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I look forward to hearing your feedback in the coming days.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As always, remember:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Loves You!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Created You!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Accepts You!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Until next time,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">SavedByGrace</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><br /></span></span>SavedByGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706795054352553167noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001575384723412580.post-25900337723547584812012-10-02T14:21:00.000-05:002012-10-02T22:55:14.400-05:00Beautiful Ashes<div>
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<b><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">Have you ever used a wood burning fireplace?</span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There is nothing quite like curling up in front of a fire on a cool evening watching the flames dance around and feeling the warmth caress your face.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">As beautiful as the fire is when it is lit, the pile of ashes that are left behind are very dirty.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">Long after the flame has gone out, they remain only as a reminder of the glistening glow that once illumined them.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There are times when this is an accurate analogy for life.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Have you ever felt like everything has disintegrated into a pile of soot and ashes?</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">Maybe the flame has relinquished long ago and you feel like there just isn't much of you left to catch fire.</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">If that sounds familiar, you are not alone!</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">There have been several times in my life when I felt the same way.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">Thankfully, God looks at those ashes of our fears and failures, mistakes and misfortunes, trials and tribulations, and He sees something entirely different.</span></div>
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<u><b>He sees Beauty!</b></u></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;">Romans 8:28 says,<b> "ALL things work together for Good for them who love God..."</b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(KJV)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We serve a God who turns our broken, used up, dirty ashes into our new, refreshed, beautiful testimony!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />What might seem useless and ugly to you appears as a beautiful life full of promise and possibilities to God.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He looks into the dried up ashes and sees a flame that is ready to ignite and burn brightly once again!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There have been so many times in my life when my future looked dim.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It seemed like the destiny I had envisioned was over.</span></span></div>
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<b><u>It is in those darkest times that I found myself genuinely vulnerable before God.</u></b></span></div>
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Being vulnerable is not comfortable.</span></div>
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It doesn't come naturally in human nature to put yourself out there.</span></div>
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We go through pain staking lengths just to raise walls around our heart on a daily basis.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That is our defense mechanism.</span></div>
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<b>I have learned that in those times when I feel raw emotionally that God does His greatest work!</b></span></div>
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After my mom passed away with Lung Cancer I was at this place of brokenness.</span></div>
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It was a time of crushing sadness and heartache.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I felt utterly destroyed.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Some times I was numb with pain and other times I was raging with anger.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Through her death I lost my mom, my best friend, and my spiritual mentor all at once. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Like a child who cries for his mommy I reached my hands up toward Heaven in surrender and cried for mine.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u><b style="background-color: #666666;">I laid my life simply and honestly before God and said,</b></u></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u><b style="background-color: #666666;">"Please help me. Only you can!"</b></u></span></div>
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<b>And.....He did.</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The God who created all of the universe reached down His hands to meet mine.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He came to where I was hurting and held me like a loving father comforting his troubled son.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Over time, when I grew stronger, He picked me up.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As my strength grew He walked with me, carrying me when I could not take a step on my own.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In the months that followed, the presence of God became tangible in my life.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I learned that He was not </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">a judge sitting on high waiting to punish me for my misdeeds.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">God became my loving Papa who was gently healing and strengthening me.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My entire vision of God was changing as I stayed vulnerable and allowed Him to work in my life.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I began to speak with Him in conversation throughout my day and night, not just in prayer or at church.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I traded my weakness for His strength day after day.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u><b style="background-color: #666666;">It was during this period of healing that I started this blog.</b></u></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The seeds for what has become Radical Hope Ministries were planted at a time when I could not see hope for myself, much less for others.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="background-color: #666666;">But, God Saw Hope.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="background-color: #666666;">God Gave Me Hope.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="background-color: #666666;">God Sees Hope in YOU!</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />When my walls were down, when I was vulnerable before God, He gave me His Strength.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I had nothing to offer Him but He offered me Hope, Peace, Joy, and Healing!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 Corinthians 12:9 says it best, <b>"My grace is sufficient for you, for my Strength is made Perfect in Weakness."</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you are at this place in your life now or ever find yourself here, remember:</span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u style="background-color: #666666;">When you are weak, He is strong!</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I challenge you to pray to God in your own words, as humbly and honestly as you can.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tell Him how you feel.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Be genuinely vulnerable with Him.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Let down your walls and allow God to be your papa, not your judge.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God is Love.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He longs to have this loving relationship with you!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Trust Him to reach down and hold you.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Trust Him to pick you up.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Trust Him to carry you and walk with you.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You have no idea how beautiful your ashes are.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What you see as a life in ruins may be a ministry to others of Radical Hope!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As always remember,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Loves You!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Created You!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Accepts You!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Until Next Time,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">SavedByGrace</span></div>
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SavedByGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706795054352553167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001575384723412580.post-91652898409659795612012-10-02T13:50:00.001-05:002012-10-02T13:50:43.673-05:00Beautiful Things - Gungor<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nJ4yNYY1hHM?fs=1" width="459"></iframe>SavedByGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706795054352553167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001575384723412580.post-73705007567910714302012-09-25T00:14:00.000-05:002012-09-25T00:14:00.359-05:00Love Has Power<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A good friend of mine shared a story at our last prayer meeting about losing everything.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">She said that it was when she was at the bottom rung of the ladder that she first truly encountered Jesus.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"If you are looking for Jesus," she said, "He is hanging out at the bottom. That is where I found Him. That is where I fell in Love with Him. When I lost everything, there He was waiting with open arms."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There is so much power in that statement!</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Jesus is hanging out on the bottom rung of the ladder!</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Where do you see yourself on the ladder of life today?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Have you slipped and fallen a few rungs?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Have you almost fallen off completely, barely hanging on to that bottom rung?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If that is you, don't be ashamed. </span><br />
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<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You are just where you need to be for God to do a breakthrough in your life.</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When God is All you have, you realize that God is All you need!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am a living, breathing testament to how far our Father God's arms can reach!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Why is Jesus hanging out on the bottom rung of the ladder?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Because, He is waiting on you there!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You see, no matter how hopeless your situation may look at this very moment, God IS your hope.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">No matter how alone you might feel, you are never alone in God's presence. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He will never leave you nor forsake you!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do you ever feel unlovable?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Allow God to love on you with His Perfect Love!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 John 4:18 says, "There is NO fear in LOVE. Perfect Love casts out fear!"</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Is Perfect Love!</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">By accepting that our Father God is reaching out to us in Love, we are getting to know His nature.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We are accepting His unconditional Love for us!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Let's look closer at the scripture above knowing that God is Love:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"There is no fear in Love (God). Perfect Love (God) casts out fear!"</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fear binds you in chains.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Whether it be chains of addition, or worry, or self loathing, or anger, all of it stems from Fear.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fear is the opposite of faith.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now let's look at 1 John 4:18 one more time knowing that God is Love and that fear is something that binds or hinders us.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"There is No fear (Things that bind us) in Love (God). Perfect Love (God) casts out fear! (Things that bind us)"</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God casts out the things that bind us...through his Perfect Love for us!</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Love (God) Never Fails!</span></u></b><br />
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<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Whatever has knocked you down to the bottom rung, His Love Is Stronger!</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To break chains of addiction in your life, accept God's perfect, grace filled, non-judgemental love for you!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He loves you so much that He wants to see you set free!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He will cast out those addictions that bind you!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">To destroy diseases and receive healing in your life, accept that God loves you with a love that is more powerful then your sickness!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He sent Jesus to bare your diseases so that you don't have to!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He Loves you so much that He wants you to be in good health!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To excel financially in life, accept that His Love for you is so great that He wants you to prosper!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He is Jehovah Jireh, your provider!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He loves you so much that He wants to provide for you in abundance!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our God is not some uncaring stoic judge sitting in Heaven just waiting for you to screw up so He can punish you!</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He is our Loving Father waiting for us on the bottom rung with arms outstretched to meet all of our needs!</span></u></b><br />
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<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He is our Rescuer!</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For years we have been taught that we have to earn God's Love.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Many of us have been taught that His love is only for certain people.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Some have even heard that He only Loves those who keep every rule and commandment of the Bible.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That is simply not true!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Nothing in the Kingdom of God is based on OUR works!</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Everything in the Kingdom of God is given to us by His Promises, through His Grace, because HE LOVES US!</span></u></b><br />
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<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He has already completed the work for us through Jesus!</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Salvation is not earned.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It is freely given to ANYONE who believes in Jesus as their Savior.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Healing is not earned. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We are promised healing from God because of the sacrifices that Jesus paid on the cross.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He bore our diseases!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Freedom from Addiction is not earned.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The word says, "He whom the Son set's free is free indeed."</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We are Set Free through Jesus!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We are a new creation through Christ not because of our struggling to live perfectly, but because of the free gift that He has Promised us!</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God's Promises are Yes and Amen!</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You can trust and count on the Promises of God!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">All you have to do is accept them.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Accept that no matter who you are or what you have done, </span><br />
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<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">GOD LOVES YOU!</span></u></b><br />
<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></u></b>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">His Love is the Power to cast out the things that bind you!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Accept these promises today and trust God to honor His word for you.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He is waiting for you with His arms open wide.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Run to Him and let Him carry you back up the ladder of life.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He will restore EVERYTHING you have lost.</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Why?</span></u></b><br />
<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Because, He Loves You and His Love Has Power!</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As Always, Remember:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God LOVES You!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Created You!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Accepts You!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Until Next Time,</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">SavedByGrace</span>SavedByGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706795054352553167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001575384723412580.post-26652563478159584752012-09-25T00:01:00.001-05:002012-09-25T00:01:23.477-05:00What Love Really Means- JJ Heller<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PgGUKWiw7Wk?fs=1" width="480"></iframe>SavedByGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706795054352553167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001575384723412580.post-69951885572233471872012-08-20T17:13:00.000-05:002012-08-20T17:13:43.385-05:00Just Surrender<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I remember one warm summer day when I was swimming at my parent's house and a friend of my brothers was there with his daughter.</span><div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">She was only about five years old at the time and didn't know how to swim.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Without warning, before they placed the water wing floaties on her little arms, she darted towards the pool and jumped in.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">She landed not far from me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While I was reaching out for her she panicked and started thrashing her arms rapidly.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Because of her violent and sudden movement I had trouble grabbing her into my arms.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Finally, I was able to take hold of her and we got her out of the pool.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">She is fine today but still remembers that afternoon that could have ended much more tragically.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>How many times in life do we get in over our heads?</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Are you at a place today where you feel battered by the waves of worry and heart ache?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Does it look like things may end tragically for you?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Instead of panicking and thrashing around in the situation, this is the time for you to surrender!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u>There is a big difference between surrendering and giving up.</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Giving up means you choose to drown in those waves.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Surrendering means you choose to stop fighting and allow God, the Great Rescuer, to swoop in and bring you out!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Surrender is the key to your rescue.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God longs to meet your needs.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He longs to be the loving Father who jumps into the deepest part of your ocean of troubles and save you!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>He can only do that if you stop panicking, stop pushing Him away, and start surrendering to Him.</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you are being battered about by waves of addiction or old habits that you cannot break, stop living in shame, fighting in your own strength, and start letting God have them.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you battle depression so bad that at times you feel like you will drown in it, let go of that anchor that is weighing you down.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Surrender that depression to God and allow Him to bring you to shore.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He wants to hold you in His arms, give you His CPR, and breathe New Life into you!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you hold anger and resentment toward someone, stop swimming in it until you are too tired to swim anymore.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Instead, pray for God, your Rescue, to come take it from you and give you freedom.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"But John, I don't read my Bible enough to get rescued by God."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"I don't pray enough."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"I don't keep all of the Laws and Rules of being a Christian!"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"God won't rescue me!"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>In Alabama we have two words for that type of thinking:</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>BULL HOCKEY!</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our Father God wants nothing more then to be your rescue TODAY!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He longs to be near you and provide for you.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He longs to meet your needs and heal your diseases.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our loving God wants to see you excel in every area of your life and Stop Drowning!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That's the very reason He sent His Son Jesus in the first place, to give You the Victory!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The battle is already won, my friend.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u><i>God's rescue in your situations has nothing to do with your works!</i></u></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u><i>His rescue has Everything to do with your Surrender!</i></u></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">No matter how rough those waves are around you; no matter how dire your situation looks; throw your arms up and say out loud, "God, I give it ALL to you! I Surrender!"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>At the very moment when you stop trying to make things work in your own strength, God starts working them out for you in His!</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Believe me, His strength is much greater then yours, mine, and every Olympic Athlete combined!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Your battles are already won.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now is the time to accept the victory!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Surrender to our Daddy God and watch Him come to your rescue!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As Always Remember:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Loves You!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Created You!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God Accepts You!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Until Next Time,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">SavedByGrace</span></div>
SavedByGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706795054352553167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001575384723412580.post-90767626772603848862012-07-04T12:02:00.000-05:002012-07-04T12:02:19.250-05:00Glorious Freedom!<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">"Once I was bound by sin’s galling fetters;</span><br style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;" /><span style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">Chained like a slave, I struggled in vain.</span><br style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;" /><span style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">But I received a glorious freedom,</span><br style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;" /><span style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">When Jesus broke my fetters in twain.</span><br style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;" /><br style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;" /><span style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">Glorious freedom! Wonderful freedom!</span><br style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;" /><span style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">No more in chains of sin I repine!</span><br style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;" /><span style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">Jesus the glorious Emancipator—</span><br style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;" /><span style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">Now and forever He shall be mine."</span></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small;">(Glorious Freedom, Circa 1917, Author- Haldor Lillenas)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We sang this old hymn at church last Sunday and I have not been able to shake it out of my head.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful to have it playing over and over again in my brain, not only because it finally replaced the endless repetition of "Somebody that I used to know," by Gotye, but also because it has served as a constant reminder this week that I Do Have Glorious Freedom!</span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><u><b style="background-color: #666666;">Glorious Freedom From Sin!</b></u></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Do you find yourself "bound by sin's galling fetters; chained like a slave, struggling in vain?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It is okay to answer this question honestly.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Every Christian I have ever known deals with sin and the temptation of sin.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Many friends that I know fight addictions and habits that they struggle to break.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If this is you today, remember that you have Glorious Freedom in Christ!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 Corinthians 12:9 says, "...My grace is enough; it's all you need. </span></div>
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> My strength comes into its own in your weakness."- <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Message Bible)</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Don't try to hide your weaknesses from God. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He already knows about them.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He has already forgiven you.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Our loving Father God wants to use His strength to help you overcome the unhealthy areas of your life.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Surrender your weaknesses over to our Daddy God so that His strength can replace your weakness!</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Glorious Freedom From Fear!</span></u></b></div>
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<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There are times in our lives where we battle fear and anxiety.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The enemy uses everything he can to make us worry.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Whether it is your job, or finances, your relationships, or your health; nothing is off limits to worrying!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you let this fear and anxiety become a habit it can destroy your life by stealing your joy!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life ?"- Matthew 6:25-34 <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(N.I.V.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">By worrying, which is a type of fear, you are taking the control out of God's hands and placing it back into your own.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Stand in the promise of God in Luke 10:19 that says we have the power to tread on serpents and scorpians!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Psalms 91 tells us that we dwell in the secret place of the Most High God and NO evil shall befall us!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"God has not given us a spirit of fear but of Power, and of Love, and of a Sound Mind!"- 2 Timothy 1:7 <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(K.J.V)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Trust God by learning to live in a place of Rest in His refuge and let Him protect you!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Then you will find Glorious Freedom!</span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><u><b style="background-color: #666666;">Glorious Freedom From Shame!</b></u></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you are Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, Transgendered or any other type of lifestyle that is seen as non-traditional, then you probably know what it's like to battle shame in your life.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There is shame that comes from people's words and actions.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">People you have known for many years may have cut you off.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Other Christians may be throwing stones of judgement against you right this very moment.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When you find yourself battling feelings of shame remember this,</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">"There is therefore </span><span style="font-size: 16px;">no</span><span style="font-size: 16px;">w </span><span style="font-size: 16px;">NO</span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> CONDEMNATION</span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> to them which are in </span><span style="font-size: 16px;">Christ</span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> Jesus!"</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You are beautifully and wonderfully made!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You are made in the image of Almighty God!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You have a destiny, a future, a reason for living that is far greater then you can comprehend!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Our Father God loves you so much, UNCONDITIONALLY, to the point that He would sacrifice His Only Son just to eliminate the barrier of sin between you and He.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><b>Don't let anybody tell you that you are wrong for being gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgendered, straight, asexual, queer, questioning, or inter-sex!</b></i></span></span></div>
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<b style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"><i>Be true to who you are and live as the person God created you to be!</i></b></div>
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<b style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"><i>You have NO reason for Shame!</i></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">"Glorious freedom! Wonderful freedom!</span><br style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;" /><span style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">No more in chains of sin I repine!</span><br style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;" /><span style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">Jesus the glorious Emancipator—</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">Now and forever He shall be mine."</span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now that you have seen the amazing and Glorious Freedom that is offered in Christ Jesus I pray you will share this message with others around you.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This truly is the Good News!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Share it with your friends and family so that they too can shake off their chains and live in Glorious Freedom.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As always remember:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">God Loves You!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">God Created You!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">God Accepts You!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Until next time,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">SavedByGrace</span></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></b></div>SavedByGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706795054352553167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001575384723412580.post-33768925138023194082012-07-04T11:59:00.001-05:002012-07-04T11:59:38.085-05:00Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know (feat. Kimbra) - official video<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8UVNT4wvIGY?fs=1" width="480"></iframe>SavedByGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706795054352553167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001575384723412580.post-28095156102337253992012-04-30T22:25:00.000-05:002012-04-30T22:25:28.321-05:00Masked Man<b><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Isaiah 53:5:</span> <span style="font-size: 16px;">But he was pierced for our transgressions,</span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;">he was crushed for our iniquities;</span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;">the punishment that brought us peace was on him,</span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;">and by his wounds we are healed. </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(N.I.V)</span></span></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Today I decided to go visit my mom's grave.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It just hit me, out of the blue, that I should go by there.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I have been there repeatedly with my family and my partner on special occasions but today was the first day that I visited by myself.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There was a difference today.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">By visiting the grave alone I was given this freedom to be completely vulnerable.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I cried.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I sobbed.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I giggled at a happy memory.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I cried again.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I have a simple point in telling you this story.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">At the grave I was completely myself.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I took my emotional "mask" off and expressed what I genuinely felt, all because I had the security that comes from solitude.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was just me and God at my mom's grave.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">No other human was in sight.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Driving home from the cemetery I started wondering how long I've been wearing this mask.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I know where the mask comes from.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It's a defense mechanism.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I put on a mask that looks healthy and happy on the outside to hide various imperfections and brokenness on the inside.</span><br />
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<b><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What I have learned over the years is that most of us wear a mask.</span></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Almost everyone you meet wears one that few ever see behind.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The problem is that behind this mask exists the genuine you!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Behind your mask exists your hurts and your joys.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Your brokenness is behind your mask.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Your TESTIMONY is behind your mask! </span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b style="background-color: #666666;"><br /></b></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But John, It is SO comfortable behind my mask!</span></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Yes, it might seem comfortable to walk around guarded but you are not living genuinely when you hide your true emotions.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">By keeping on a mask that hides your imperfections you are taking power out of God's hands and placing it in your hands.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Remember the scripture that says, "We have overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony!" </span><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">(Rev 12:11)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><i><u style="background-color: #666666;">-By denying our true selves, by shielding our unique experiences and pains from view, we are denying God the access to use them to His Glory! </u></i></b></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><i><u style="background-color: #666666;"><br /></u></i></b></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><i><u style="background-color: #666666;">-By burying our hurts and weakness deep behind our masks we are holding onto them like a child's security blanket instead of allowing our Daddy God to heal them!</u></i></b></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><i><u style="background-color: #666666;"><br /></u></i></b></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><i><u style="background-color: #666666;">-By trying to appear like the "Perfect Christian" we are in effect making ourselves look even more "UN-Christlike!"</u></i></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After all, Jesus was crushed for our iniquities.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He understands brokenness.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jesus was tempted in the desert for 40 days.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He understands fighting off temptation!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In the Garden, before He was led to His sacrifice, none of His closest friends would stay awake to pray with Him.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He understands loneliness.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Make a decision to live genuinely, showing your war wounds from life, so that others can see Jesus at work within you!</span><br />
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<u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>It is time to throw off your mask!</b></span>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><u style="background-color: #666666;"><br /></u></b></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><u style="background-color: #666666;">We live in a Real world that faces Real problems filled with Real People who need a Real encounter with the Real Jesus!</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><u>The days of playing church are long gone and will not offer any hope to today's generation!</u></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It will be Real Christians who rip off their masks and show their testimony; the good, the bad, the embarrassing, the ridiculous, the painful, the REAL TESTIMONY; that will reach those who are drowning in Real darkness!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Will you take off your mask today?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Will you be yourself to those around you and admit that being a Christian doesn't equal being perfect, it equals being forgiven?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Will you try your best to be Christlike in love but leave the judgement behind?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">By living each day without our masks, we will be showing others the true Jesus who lives inside of us.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If nothing else, that alone should convince you to live boldly and honestly and.....</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><u>RIP OFF THAT MASK!</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As Always Remember:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">God Loves You!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">God Accepts You!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">God Created You!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Until next time,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">SavedByGrace</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>SavedByGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706795054352553167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001575384723412580.post-33388708030112394122012-04-07T23:55:00.000-05:002012-04-07T23:55:01.357-05:00He Is Risen!<u><b><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Happy Easter to all of the readers and supporters of MyGayChristianBlog.com!</span></b></u><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You all are so encouraging to me and I pray that this Easter you will know that the debts that Jesus paid on the cross were paid for ALL people, including you!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Accept the promises that our Blessed Father has extended to us all through the life, death, and Resurrection of His Son Jesus!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I pray that each of you will walk in Victory with the knowledge that the same blood that saves the white man also saves the black man.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The same blood that saves the American also saves the Chinese.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The same blood that saves the rich also saves the poor.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The same blood that saves the man also saves the woman.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The same blood that saves the straight also saves the gay.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><i><u>We are ALL "Whosoevers" saved by grace through the blood of Jesus.</u></i></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Have a blessed Easter Sunday and always remember:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">God Loves You!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">God Created You!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">God Accepts You!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Until next time,</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">SavedByGrace</span>SavedByGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706795054352553167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001575384723412580.post-15579556243392649812012-03-31T09:53:00.000-05:002012-03-31T09:53:56.946-05:00You Are Welcome<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">During this Lenten season I have been thinking a lot about sacrifice.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So many of us decide to "give something up" for Lent.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For me this year, I have given up fried foods.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Yikes!</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">No matter what we choose to surrender until Easter, nothing can compare to the sacrifice that Jesus paid for us on the cross.</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When I was a younger guy I used to get wrapped up in the legalism that can come with sacrifice.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I thought that I couldn't make a single mistake during Lent because if I did then Jesus would think that I didn't love Him, or that I didn't appreciate what He did for me.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As I have grown older I now look at Lent through the eyes of God's Grace.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(Incidently, I try to look at everything through God's Grace now a days.)</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Instead of sacrifice being something that we do to prove to God just how much we love Him, it should be a way of saying, "thank you."</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He already knows how much we love Him.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He knows our heart.</span><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The lower cholesterol that occurs from giving up fried foods is not going to convince Him of something He already knows!</span></i><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Instead, allow Lent to be a time to revel in God's unbelievably gracious love for you!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm sure you would agree that no matter what we give up for Lent, it is a tiny sacrifice compared to what Jesus did or us on Easter. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My tiny sacrifice is merely me saying "Thank You."</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">His Ultimate Sacrifice is Jesus saying "You Are Welcome."</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As we enter into Holy week remember that "You Are Welcome!"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You are welcome to His Salvation.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You are welcome to His Redemption.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You are welcome to His Joy.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You are welcome to His Peace.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You are welcome to His Healing.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You are welcome to His Love.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You are welcome to ALL of the promises that life with Jesus offers!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He wants you to have them!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After all, He bought them with His blood.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This week please take time to focus on just how much God Loves You and share that Love with those around you.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Have a beautiful Palm Sunday and Holy Week my friends.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As always, remember:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">God Loves You!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">God Created You!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">God Accepts You!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Until next time,</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">SavedByGrace</span>SavedByGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706795054352553167noreply@blogger.com0