Neisha Marie

When we choose to follow Christ we have to reevaluate our life and open our heart for the power of the Holy Spirit to transform us from the inside out. In order to follow Christ we must turn from our old ways and follow Him. The bible tells a story about a wealthy ruler who came to Christ and said, “I have followed all of your commandments.” Then he asked, “What else shall I do to inherit the kingdom of God?” (Matthew 19:20). Then Jesus replied in Matthew 19:21, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” This wealthy man turned and wept. He did not want to give up all his possessions in order to follow Christ.

In order to follow Christ wholeheartedly we must give up those things that we prioritize before Him. The Triune God will not accept second best. God is a jealous God. We learn about this characteristic of God in Exodus 20:5-6, “You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” The first commandment, “Thou shall have no other god before me.” This does not apply only to the literal sense of gods, but also to things in this world that we hold as more important than God, thus categorizing “it” as a god. For instance, the bible tells us, “no one can serve two masters. You will love one and hate the other or you will be devoted to one and despise the other. No one can serve both God and money.” Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13. Money is not a god, but you may hold it to such a high degree in your life that it becomes like a god, especially when you are not willing to let it go in order to serve and follow the Creator.

I believe we can all relate to the young ruler who wept and did not want to give up all that he had to follow Christ. We are a sinful humanity, selfish and interested in our own turmoil, successes and needs; but real living is found in the One who quenches our thirst forever; the One who makes us whole and is stronger and more permanent than death itself. He who looked death in the eye, subdued, overcame and conquered it. We serve a God who is Holy, Just and God and therefore we must set aside all things that interfere with following Christ. We cannot do this within our own power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit working within us. Philippians 4:13, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

So what is it? We all have something to sacrifice, something in us that is hindering our relationship with Christ; stunting our growth in His Word. Father, I pray that you reveal truth to each one of us. Show us what we have put in your place. I pray Lord that you open our eyes to see and remove that which is not of you. I pray that each one of us learn to put you first in our lives. Give us a willing spirit to make sacrifices for your glory and submit to being used as a vessel for your kingdom. Mold us into servant, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, employees that fulfill the role in which you alone created us to achieve. Lord bring it to completion as you promised (Philippians 1:6).

Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. Luke 12:33

When you think about it; your sacrifice, whatever it may be is really not a sacrifice at all. In Christ we gain so much. Through Christ’s atonement on the cross we are free, forgiven, redeemed and declared righteous through the gift of grace through our Savior. Through Christ we are cleansed of the stain of sin and through Him we find life; without Christ and the gift of salvation we have nothing, but condemnation and death.

As most of you know my grandmother has been diagnosed with lung cancer. She has been a trooper; fighting tooth and nail to defeat this foreigner while keeping her eyes focused on the One who matters; Jesus Christ. Radiation and chemotherapy has gone well and she was on her way to defeating this killer epidemic. However, last week she developed an infection in the same lung holding the cancer. This passed week the infection has tripled in severity and she has been admitted to the hospital. Chemotherapy will cease until she has healed from the infection.

I ask your prayers for my grandmother as she fights to conquer this infection. I pray for grace, mercy and healing for my grandmother and ask you to do the same. I understand that sometimes conquering the battle means that God calls us home. Conquering something doesn’t always mean that we survive it here in this world, but that we conquer it through death since our Savior will resurrect us from the grave and we will cry no more.

Our hope is always that we fight it; that we are blessed with one more day or one more year. I humbly pray that the Will of God be done and while my mind knows that His Will conquers all things, my heart asks for a little more time.

Revelation 21:4, He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

We may have a legal right to our body and our personal decisions, but we do not have a moral right to our body. Moral laws come from the Creator of heaven and earth who sets the boundaries for right and wrong. A marriage undoubtedly should remain between a man and a woman. A man and a woman are to leave their parents and the two shall become one flesh (Genesis 2:24; Ephesians 5:31). Adam asked for a companion because he was lonely so God made a woman from the rib of Adam to be his wife and his companion (Genesis 2:21). God did not choose to make a man for Adam, instead he chose a woman and ever since man has come from the woman’s body. Sodomites provoke the wrath of God. Sodomites cannot procreate and we are instructed by God to multiple in number and fill the earth (Genesis 9:7).

When God created the body he created it without error, without unnecessary parts and in such a way that the body would absorb the nutrients of our foods and flush out the unnecessary. After food is processed the food passes through the intestines, nutrients are abstracted, and then processed through the colon, to the rectum and out the anus. God created these parts of the body for toxins and wasted to be disposed/flushed out. Sodomy has violated the human body by using this disposing area for sexual sensation. God said, “Let no man lay with another man as he lays with a woman,” (Leviticus 18:22). Our moral laws should not change to conform to societal changes such a homosexuality. Do not conform to this world . . . do not conform to the nation around you, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind and keep the laws of God and His Will be done (translated Romans 12:2; Ezekiel 11:12).

Our society should stand firm in faith and abide by the laws of our Almighty God. There are so many children that are psychologically unstable because they did not receive the emotional stabilities that a mother and father can provide. The quality of parents varies from household to household, but that is no excuse to support behavior that contradicts the law of God. It simply means that need more quality parents; both a mother and a father. No matter how authentic the gay partners attempt normal parenting patterns, behaviors and reversing roles; there are still instabilities with children raised by same sex partners because the child is deprived of the character building that each sex offers. Society is encouraging the condemnation of our youth and we are losing souls to generational cursing one birth at a time. What an abomination.

It is our responsibility as Christians to preach the word of God and teach His truth. We are not to conform to society to fit in or be accepted. Jesus said, “You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first,” (Matthew 10:22, John 15:18).

The comedian, Tosh O., was making a joke about conservative Christians preaching against gay marriage and said, “This is what I have to say to the most conservative person; just because the state says it is legal, it’s not like God is going to let them into heaven.” Tosh O. may be correct in his observation (I am not the judge, nor the One with the power to condemn: 1 Corinthians 6:9), however, we will be held accountable for our actions, our beliefs and the way in which we preserve and hold to the Word of God. It matters because we are to go out and preach to the nations about the Messiah who saves and warn them of the grave danger that exist if they do not repent and change their sinful ways. As a believer, you cannot encourage behavior that spits on the Gospel and believe you will not be held responsible for failing to share God’s truth. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 states, ‘not homosexuals nor those committing fortification as well as other sins will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. . . but by the shed blood of Jesus Christ we are washed and forgiven by His sacrifice and through repentance we are saved and delivered form our sinful nature.” This verse is an incredible ray of hope for the lost sinner. There is a way out of darkness, we have a God who is bigger than life, bigger than death, whose light cannot be diminished, whose Word never fails, who is unconquerable, cannot to be slain, cannot wither or fade, all truth is His truth, whose ears cannot be closed to the sound of your calling, a God who is personal, independent and righteous; HOLY, JUST, AND GOOD! Someone give me an AMEN!

We are all fallible by nature and we all fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23), but just because we are fallen does not mean that we should dwell in sin because we have all fallen short. Christ has come with good new; restoring our relationship with God and bridging the gap. We are redeemed in Christ so call out to Him and let Him transform you. There are so many issues with the world today and the choices of this generation. As humanity tries to redefine the definition of marriage and political corruption begins to surge – homosexuality has begun to race through children as if it is the new drug that everyone needs to try. We are trying to make homosexuality a good thing and fail to recognize the sinful behavior that defies the design of mankind. When Adam was lonely, God did not give Adam a man, but a woman to accompany him. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh,” Genesis 2:24.

Regardless of the reason for being gay, whether it is rebellious behavior, political corruption, a chemical imbalance or just a way to get some attention; it is wrong. Being gay goes against everything God is and the relationship that we are meant to have between a man and woman. Our Country has refused to acknowledge the sinful behavior homosexuality represents. According to the Word of God we are to turn from our sins and seek fulfillment in Christ, repentance, and a transformation by the Holy Spirit working in our lives. The bible tells us about God’s grace through repentance. When you repent from the heart there is an undeniable change in your ways because you seek and serve a HOLY God. Are we so naïve about the God we serve that we think this is acceptable in the eyes of an Almighty Creator?

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 “Or do you know the wrong doers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immortal nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor practicing homosexuality nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards no slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”

Darkness in the world comes in abundance as it pertains to homosexual behavior. John 3:19-20 “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” Stop downing in sin and turn your life over to Christ, change your sinful behavior and you can be washed and cleansed by the Holy Spirit. The road is narrow and only a few will find it , but you can be a part of His elect; one more blessed with the inheritance of heaven; let Him be the lamp unto your feet . As Christians we should not ever manipulate or compromise scripture in order to allow someone to feel entitled or accepted. No matter how compassionate you desire to be we must always remain faithful to God and His Word first above all things and exalt His righteousness. God is good, but He is a God of judgment and we will all stand before Him. People tend to acknowledge that God is a good, loving God, but fail to view Him as a God who judges and punishes the unrighteous. Matthew 7:23, “But I will reply, I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws. If I can be used as a vessel to save one soul from hearing these words from God when they stand before Him then it was all worth it.

Leviticus 20:13 “If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.”

Romans 2:12-13, “All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.”