Pure and True

The Holy Spirit has been continually placing this verse on my heart lately.  I wanted to share it with you.

Paul writes these words to Timothy as he leads a church for the people in Ephesus:

 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV)

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.  For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:1-5)

For those of you that know of or are on Face Book, you may have seen recently the personal “attacks” that have come against me for speaking out about my support of John McCain, support of the unborn, and my unsettled heart about Barack Obama and his stance on many issues.  In fact, just the other day, I was called a “Christian hater”, “arrogant”, and “acting holier-than-thou” by someone whom I considered to be a friend and someone who calls themselves a Christian woman; simply because I am standing up for my faith and my beliefs.  I realize that I am not called to judge others and I do not know the heart of those choosing to support one candidate over another, nor do I know the hearts of those that stand for many things that are not Biblical, or even the heart of the candidate himself.  However, I am responsible for myself and my own family/child.  God has called me as His disciple to turn from my own desires and to continue to preach the truth with “patience and careful instruction.”  I have tried to do so, but we still need to pray!  Furthermore, since this is OUR blog, I will freely say what I would like to, and if you don’t like it, you are FREE to stop reading!

As of these recent events and the knowledge that many (but not all) supporters of a particular candidate come off as angry, rude, and quick to attack, my spirit has been broken lately.  Therefore, I am asking any of those of you that want to, please join with me as I spend the next few days specifically in prayer for our nation, the candidates, those going to the polls on Tuesday, the media, and for this country’s future.  I pray that we will understand God’s will for this nation and the future of it.  I also pray that Sierra will be allowed to grow up in a nation that does not erase its Christian foundations off the map and that she is able to be a light for Christ in a world where she is not accused of being “arrogant” or a “hater”, rather a lover of Christ.

I recently commented on my Face book page that things are either black or white, there is no gray.  Many people disagree, but as a believer, I stand firm in this position.  I believe the Bible to be God’s pure word (Proverbs 30:5) and that it is 100% without error.  Thus, it is a blueprint for our lives, a manual, a playbook, a rulebook.  No matter how annoyed I am with what is going on in Washington, or where this country is headed, 1^st and foremost I follow what I believe to be God’s will and His teaching.  I have been in this place before, as I made decisions regarding Daniel’s illness and treatment, as I clearly told friends that I could not associate with them any longer if they chose abortion, as I entered into a dating relationship with Brian so soon after losing my husband, as I confronted family members on tough issues that I felt were inappropriate, and as I made decisions about not living with Brian out of wedlock, etc.  We all make choices, we all face consequences.  Please do not get me wrong, I am NO angel.  I have made mistakes, I am a sinner.  I have been broken, but pieced back together by the blood of Jesus.  No one will have to answer to God about my choices, my decisions, except for ME!  Consequently, I will always strive to make the choice that honors God first and I will never apologize for that!  No matter where you stand, if you are a believer, please join me in constant prayer for our nation over the next few days.  The Lord hears the pleas of hearts!