Compassion for Self

       We have all been taught to forgive others when they have wronged us. When asked how many times should we forgive, Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times," (Matthew 18:22). Also while Jesus was being crucified, He cried out for forgiveness for those who were killing Him (Luke 23:34). However, in the case where we are our worst critics, have you forgiven yourself for a lifetime of self-lies and self-critique? I was asked recently if I have showed my abuser compassion and forgiveness and I honestly had to think about it. For years I have a judged and talked down on myself and never have I really forgiven myself for the self-abuse. 
      When we continue to beat ourselves up, it makes it more difficult to believe the identity God intended us to have. An identity in God through the Lord Jesus Christ. We will continue to believe the lies we tell ourselves in the past and the ones to come in the future. Lets not give the devil this type of advantage. I urge all who read this to find some quiet time and forgive yourself. Once we repent to God, He forgives us but we have a hard time forgiving ourselves. Forgive yourself. Confess the times you have been hard on yourself to the Lord and ask Him to give you a heart of self-forgiveness. Do not judge yourself unrighteously. Do not be the one to keep you from growth in every area of your life. 

Teachable Moment #1

So my cat was walking along the edge of my bed to get to my lap but then almost fell because after he slipped he stopped walking all together. Instantly I said, "You can't stop Lucky, you have to keep on walking." Then came conviction: "Listen to your own advice Teressa."

-When we slip, we can't stop. No matter how hard times get, don't stop listening to the Holy Spirit within you. Don't conform your beliefs and actions to that of the world and the old you. You have been redeemed, continue to pick up your cross and walk. #teachablemoment

He made it btw. 😉

For Fear That...

As I am reading through the gospel of Christ Jesus, in three books, our beloved Savior gives His disciples a fair warning: "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation." (Matthew 26:41; Mark 14:38 and Luke 22:40 & 22: 46) I had a friend shine light on this scripture and I wish to share it with whoever reads this. It has been taught to us that whenever anything is repeated then it is relevant and should be remembered, this reading rule also applies to scripture.
Jesus commanded His disciples to pray against temptation before they were aware of what was about to happen. It is possible that His disciples believed they were about to have another normal night of sleep however the reality was that in a matter of moments, their Lord was about to be betrayed and arrested. Instead of being obedient to Jesus, their flesh grew weak and the disciples kept falling asleep (Matthew 26: 40-46; Mark 14:37-42). Then it dawned on me how often we decide to pray for strength WHILE we are being tempted but it is clear that we are to pray before temptation even presents itself. 1 Peter 5:8 warns us that the devil is prowling around seeking to kill and destroy us so we are to be sober-minded and vigilant. Later on in the passage of Jesus's arrest, we see what happens to those who does not pray before temptation presents itself. When the high priests and guards came for Jesus, His disciples were so confused and distorted it actually led to one of them chopping off the ear of a guard with his sword. In other words, he fell under the temptation of anger and frustration. Jesus then chastised the disciple saying, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you not think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide me with more than twelve legions of angels? How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?" (Matthew 26:52-54) Then Jesus, being The Lord we are in love with, showed His grace and mercy by healing His persecutor by restoring his ear (Luke 22: 49-52).
A huge part of the difference in reactions between Jesus and His disciples are tied into their own self- confidence of their identity. Jesus knew whose He was therefore it always affected His responses. This is what He wants for us, to be completely confident in whose we are that it affects our words, thoughts, behavior and actions (John 17:20-26). This is a way of discerning the world's people from God's people. So let us pray beforehand, diligently, so when the time comes, we choose to not act of our flesh but instead with a clear mind and all spirit.

Good Fruit (derived from Luke 3:8-16, NKJV)

Our lives and lineage are null and void if we aren't bearing good fruit for the Kingdom and worthy of repentance. If God wants to, He can raise more children of Abraham [of faith] from a mere “stone” (v.8) so losing one, won’t cost Him anything (He doesn't need us, we need Him). We are all held equally accountable for our own fruit-bearing, so we are to bear good fruit because there is an ax at the foot of each of our roots, prepared to cut us down and cast us aside. No one is above reproach except Jesus the Messiah, for He was human yet without flaw, sin and blemish. 

We are to fear The Lord and not grow comfortable with a simple act of baptism, for this is NOT a free ticket into heaven nor provides us free range to please ourselves while here on earth. What does this look like? A change in heart, attitude and behavior as described in verses 10-14. How is this done? By being baptized with “water” (cleansing/ purification), “the Holy Spirit” (counseling, guidance, Jesus’s cloak of righteousness) and “fire” (desire/ passion to fulfill God’s mission for us here on earth as Jesus lived).


References:

• New King James Version Bible (NKJV). Luke 3:8-16.
• Picture retrieved from:  http://santacruzchurch.blogspot.com/2011/03/antioch-church-of-santa-cruz-lent-in.html. Retrieved on April 3, 2014. 

From Frankenstein Love to Perfect Love

The Frankenstein monster as we are familiar with was created by various pieces of different men (theory), however the original book makes no reference of so. Viktor Frankenstein, the creator of the monster, grew obsessed with creating the creature. The Frankenstein monster was very in tune with the Bible and acknowledged that while Adam was made by the perfect Creator, Satan was the cause of his existence, through obsession and greed. This led me to recall my very own Frankenstein monster that I created without fear of consequences: Love.

Picture 1

Much like Viktor Frankenstein, I was obsessed with creating something that I, unaware, believed would be perfect. As if I could manipulate my brain into believing that it will be okay, driven by misled determination and seeing with scaled eyes, I was unaware of my true motives. Much like the assumed notion that Frankenstein was the product of various men, I too was trying to produce a perfect love with various men. For example, if I found myself attracted to one guy for his humor, then I will only reach out to him for a laugh and a good time. If there was another guy, that paid me many flattering comments, then I will purposefully dress to impress him to feed my ego and if two guys happened to have met my needs sexually but in different manners, then…well ya know. Whereas most people do this in a manner of dating “Who can I see myself falling in love with and standing to be around with longer,” I did it all at once. As you may look at this objectively and think “Sounds like you were a slut and a gold digger” well, objectively, you are right. However, while I was orchestrating this ten-man charade, my thought processes were more along the lines of “It isn't my fault I like them for different reasons.” No justification for my actions and how I used these guys, but the ultimate goal, as it may be with so many of you, was love and feel desired.

Picture 2

Jesus showed me how Love really looks. Love is not characteristics that formulate a person such as humor, wits, and good looks, etc. but instead Love is who someone is. That someone is God (1 John 4:8, NKJV) and He walked this earth through Jesus and He died on the cross. Love died on a cross so that it [blood] can pour over all of us who are ready to receive this Love as it was intended. The more I read my bible and the more I pursued Christ, the more I realized how jaded I was by love on human terms. Was it my fault that I believed that love was to be found in humans? No. We grow up listening to it everywhere, in songs of how other people “complete” them and in movies where they will declare people as their “everything.” We may fall victim to these voices of the world however we are to still hold ourselves accountable for our actions, words and behaviors. As Apostle Paul described himself as the “chief” of all sinners (1 Timothy 1:15, NKJV), he owned up to his blind actions of his past and even current shortcomings of his present. 

Love is not what you can find in others that will help you tolerate them, but it is a choice.(Romans 5:8, NKJV). There is only One Love to aim for with everyone and that is unconditional because that is how Christ Jesus Loved us and has called us to Love others (John 13:34-35, NKJV).What makes God’s Love perfect is not that He sees the good in us and therefore keeps hope alive, like we are fooled into believing regarding our love for others, but that He chooses to Love us with our flaws unconditionally. Love that we are to look forward to choose to do daily and doesn't carry fear in any manner [even a fear of losing it] (1 John 4:18, NKJV). We as humans are incapable of Loving like this on our own strength, which is why we have the Holy Spirit (the same Holy Spirit that lived in Jesus and raised Him from the dead) dwelling within us, so it can Love, as intended, through us. Take a moment and step out of your body and reflect on your life objectively, and see if you have embraced Love in this way or if you are still seeking love in others (your friends, boyfriend/girlfriend, spouse, children and family).  If God has it in my future for me to have a husband, there is no other Love I would rather Love him with than the Love of God and I pray this for you as well. A precious, cherished, different Love than what we are use to. Frankenstein Love is just a poor imitation of misconceived perfection of a perfect Love that truly does exist but can only be found in and through Love Himself. It is time for us as women [and men] to stop pursuing and settling with bits and pieces of love and embrace LOVE Himself to His entirety. Say “goodbye” to Frankenstein Love and say “hello” to God. 

“That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be Strengthened with Might through HIS Spirit in the Inner Man, that Christ may Dwell in Your Hearts through Faith; That You, being Rooted and Grounded in Love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the Width and Length and Depth and Height-- to know the Love of CHRIST which passes knowledge; that you may be Filled with the Fullness of GOD." 
- Ephesians 3:16-19, NKJV

References

• Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. New York: Oxford UP, 1994.

• NKJV, New King James Version Bible

• Picture 1: Frankenstein (movie), 1931. Retrieved from:  http://en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/10719692

• Picture 2: Three Crosses on a Sunset. Retrieved from: http://www.ebibleteacher.com/node/324

Animals vs. Wisdom

When God created the heavens and the earth, He created animals and humans. With this creation, He declared humans to have dominion over the animals (Genesis 1:26, NKJV). Animals are instinctive and act based on what they are naturally inclined to do. Humans however were blessed with a conscience which defined by Oxford Dictionary as “An inner feeling or voice viewed as acting as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of one’s behavior.” We can raise an animal from birth but nothing is stopping them from attacking on instinct at any second. They are not right nor wrong but instinctive. They cannot feel guilt only survival. Animals are trained to identify with certain behaviors through positive and negative reinforcement. God has given us dominion over the animals because of so. Due to our conscience, God gave us the ability to rationalize and make wise decisions. In Proverbs 14, it is stated that one who is “impulsive” (NKJV) which can be translated as “short of spirit” exalts folly. We have the gift of free-will and choice in oppose to being limited only to instinct and acting irrational. We are to not allow our every emotion and action to be known (Proverbs 14:33, NKJV). Therefore, when we do act impulsively we are degrading ourselves to that with which we were meant to have authority over. When we conform to anger, lust, and all things separate from the fruit of the Spirit, we are showing that we have no self-control. Discipline is a fruit of the Spirit, along with “joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness” (Galatians 5:22-23, NKJV). We are called to be disciplined creatures not trained creatures. It is not our instinctive actions that will preserve us but our discretion (Proverbs 2:11, NKJV). So before you “go off” on your co-worker who has been talking about you behind your back or that person that skipped you in line or took the parking space that you have been waiting for; before you say yes to the craving of another drink although you know you have already had one too many. And before you succumb to the fleshly desires of sex with someone not your spouse, remind yourself, “I am not an animal, God has granted me authority over animals.” Like Jesus, we are to walk according to The Spirit, not our flesh (Romans 8:1, NKJV) because to walk according to the flesh will cause us to “die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13, NKJV). 

• Oxford Dictionary, 2014. Term "conscience" retrieved from:  http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/conscience
• NKJV, New King James Version Bible

"Who do You say Jesus is?" (derived from Mark 8:27-29)

“Now Jesus and HIS disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road HE asked HIS disciples, saying to them, ‘Who do men say that I am?’ So they answered, ‘John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.’ HE said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered and said to HIM, ‘You are the Christ.’”

                                                                     -Mark 8:27-29, NKJV

Reading this scripture defines the difference between religion and relationship. Jesus asked HIS disciples who others say that He is and then who do they say He is. This is important to understanding part of the coming of Christ. Previously in chapter 7 verses 3-9, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for their emphasis on acts and works in order to inherit the Kingdom of GOD. Jesus tells them “All too well you reject the commandment of GOD, that you may keep your tradition. (v.9).”  The Pharisees are so consumed with maintaining their religion, “A particular system of faith and worship” (Oxford, 2014), that they are consequently placing all their specific procedures and practices above the overall commandment of GOD. Jesus shuts the Pharisees down by explaining how their ways are against GOD’s word which pinpoints their hypocrisy.

Many people today fall victim to the system of religion by basing their salvation on their works and deeds. As if they have a check list of Christian “to-dos” such as going to church, attending bible study and giving the homeless man on the corner a dollar or two. I have heard it as attaining “Jesus points”. Jesus came to put a stop to all this measuring and weighing of deeds. It is not uncommon for humans to weigh their deeds because we have grown so accustomed to weighing our sins and scripture does not mention anything about the weighing of sin. There isn’t anything regarding which sin is greater than another, other than unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31-32, NKJV). We have been programmed by our families, society and media to act as if our deeds will save us a spot in heaven and Jesus informs us that such acts are considered “in vain” (v.7) because they are from a heart of emptiness. The root of our actions should not be to gain “Jesus points” or to even get into heaven but from a root of love, thanksgiving and gratitude (motive check!). In order to stem forth acts from these three seeds, it goes back to who do YOU say Jesus is?

We tend to build our perception of Jesus based on what we hear and see about HIM from others. However, that is not what HE wants from us. The Pharisees and High Priests served as middlemen and Jesus came to eliminate the middleman. “For such a High Priest was fitting for us who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for HIS own sins and then for the people’s, for this HE did once for all when HE offered up HIMSELF.” (Hebrews 7:26-27, NKJV) Jesus doesn’t want us to gain our full perception of Him from others but instead from Him. When Jesus asked His disciples “But who do you say that I am?” there is emphasis on the word “you”, implying that all that matters is who do they say He is. The only way this can be answered is through a relationship with Jesus. A relationship such as spending time with Him, reading and studying His word, praising Him, and growing familiar with His voice so that we can recognize and take heed when we hear it. If we want to know who Jesus is, we have to seek Him and pursue Him wholeheartedly and not just on Sundays, Wednesdays and when times are rough. We are to not only praise Him when times are good either, but always. This is the only way we are to know, personally, who Jesus is. While reading the Word (scripture), we are to take it ALL as truth because He is truth (John 14:6, NKJV) and He is the Word (John 1:1-5, NKJV). As we develop a relationship with Jesus, like a shepherd with his sheep, He will guide us along the path of His plan; then, following is the matter of obedience (acts/works). We are to be transformed through obedience by His voice and not that of all the voices around us who is saying who they believe Jesus is. The only one in your life who Jesus is concerned about knowing who He is, is You.

• Oxford Dictionary (2014). http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/religion. Retrieved on March 3, 2014.