Conditional Christianity

Sometimes it Takes a Mountain

I faced a mountain that I've never faced before.

That's why I'm calling on You, Lord.

I know it's been a while, but Lord, please hear my prayer.

I need You like I never have before.

Sometimes it takes a mountain.

Sometimes a trouble sea.

Sometimes it takes a desert to get a hold of me.

Your love is so much stronger than whatever troubles me.

Sometimes it takes a mountain to trust You and believe.

Forgive me, Jesus.

I thought I could control whatever life would throw my way.

But this, I will admit, has brought me to my knees.

I need You, Lord, and I'm not ashamed to say...

Sometimes it takes a mountain.

Sometimes a trouble sea.

Sometimes it takes a desert to get a hold of me.

Your love is so much stronger than whatever troubles me.

Sometimes it takes a mountain to trust You and believe.

          I was talking with someone the other day about how some people only serve God in the good times; while there are others who will only serve Him in the bad times. It's always been hard for me to understand that mentality. I mean, sure - I get why someone will serve God when everything in their life is going amazing. On the other hand, I can see why a person would turn to God when their life is completely turned upside down. What I don't understand is why, after turning to God, they don't just live for God...no matter what. 

          I have had this song in my head almost constantly during this last week. There have been things this last week that I have faced (first verse of the song) that I have never faced before; things I have struggled with that I would never have imagined having to war. But - I am not going to turn my back on God just because things are getting rough. On the other hand, I am not going to leave God if/when my battles ease up a little and my life gets amazing. I am in this for the long-haul. It's like the song says, the love of God is "so much stronger than whatever troubles me." 

          I don't want to be a "conditional Christian" and only serve God when it's "convenient" for me. There's another song that comes to my mind: 

I vow to praise You through the good and the bad.

I'll praise You whether happy or sad.

I'll praise You in all that I go through,

Because praise is what I do and I owe it all to You.

          I vowed, a long time ago, to praise God no matter what. I promised Him that, no matter how I was feeling and no matter what I was struggling with, I will praise Him. That vow has kept me. There were many times I wanted to give up - I wanted to give up on my God, my church, my family, my friends, my life. I wanted to throw in the towel because I couldn't take it any longer. But, even when I was on the verge of giving up and giving in - I still would praise Jesus. Because I vowed I would. 

CHALLENGE: 

          Make up in your mind today that you will praise God no matter what. Vow, to yourself and to God, that you will not let the struggles of life get you down enough to where you won't praise God...and - make good on that promise. 

          There are a lot of promises in the Word of God. However, God is not One to just promise something - there are usually stipulations with those promises. For example: 

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. ~ 2 Chronicles 7:14

          God gave us a promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14 - but He gave conditions to His promise. God WILL hear from Heaven. God WILL forgive your sin. God WILL heal your land. IF you humble yourself. IF you pray. IF you seek His face. IF you turn from your wicked ways. 

          If you want God to make good on His promises to you - then you need to give yourself completely to Him. Entrust Jesus with your life, with your heart, with your mind, with your emotions, with your past, with your present, with your future, with everything. Vow to serve God - no matter what!

Don't be a Conditional Christian

Thank God I'm Not What I Used to be...

Sadly, I've heard it said of certain people before, "that person will not make it." Sometimes that person will make it; and, unfortunately, there are other times when the individual will fall and turn their back on God. I have heard it said of me before - 

"Tiffany won't make it. She will give up..eventually. There is only so much a person can take..." 

I used to take those comments as "prophecy" - something that was bound to happen. But now, I take them as a challenge. I won't give up. I may stumble. I may fall. But I will not give up. I am not be where I need to be (not by a long shot), but I have come a long ways from where I once was. 

So many times, we judge ourselves by not measuring up to where we think we need to be. I am not saying we need to be satisfied with where we are at; but what we do need to do, is be thankful to God for bringing us this far. So many people give up after the first difficult step. After the first hint of a trial shows itself, they're out the door. Giving up. If you are still struggling and striving to make progress in your walk with God, you have already come way further than a lot of people. 

Do me, and yourself, a favor today - don't focus on your struggles and your failures; but rather, give thanks to God for bringing you through your trials. Thank God for giving you the power to overcome the temptations that the devil is trying to throw your way. Give God praise - for everything. 

1 Thessalonians 5:18

In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Psalm 34:1-4

I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. Oh magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

More than Enough

My God is more than enough
He can supply all needs
He is my El Shaddai
He always looks out for me
Jehovah Jireh, He is my God
Jehovah Jireh, He is my God

So why should I worry 
'Bout the highs and the lows
The ups and the downs 
When by my faith I know

My God is more than enough
He can supply all needs
He is my El Shaddai
He always looks out for me
Jehovah Jireh, He is my God
Jehovah Jireh, He is my God

All of the earth is His
And the fullness thereof
Everything that I need 
You can be sure of 
Jehovah Jireh, He is my God
Jehovah Jireh, He is my God

          I don't know about you; but, so many times, I find myself looking at God like He is -just- enough. I find myself in a situation and most of me does believe God can get my through it (yes, I'm human -SURPRISE!- so I do have some unbelief). However, there is always that small part of me that doubts. I pray, quite often, what the man told Jesus in Mark 9:24 - Lord, I believe; help thou my unbelief. 

          Jesus is not -just- enough to take care of your situation. God is -MORE- than enough. 

          There are some things I can do with computers: I am working on being able to write code, etc. I am technically qualified to do some pretty advanced things with computer. So, if you are wanting me to do something simple like wipe your hard drive...with my knowledge and ability, I am -more- than able to do that. Additionally, if you are wanting me to write some code to help you with your website that you are trying to set up...that is what I am currently working on, so I would say that my knowledge and capability would be -just- enough to help with that. 

          Now, that being said, God is -more- than able to do whatever you need. He doesn't have limitations like I do. Well, I take that back - God does have limitations...limitations He put on Himself a long time ago. We are able to put limitations on Jesus. Be careful. God won't push Himself on you - He is a perfect Gentleman. 

          If you are struggling with something - you need to entrust God with it. Remember... 

My God is -MORE- than Enough!

Jesus, You're Excellent

O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

~ Psalm 8~

          This Psalm has always struck something inside of me. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Proclaiming the excellence of my God is something that I never want to cease doing. However, it is verses 3-4 that always gets me: When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 

          When I think about everything I have done. When I think of how low I have stooped. When I think of the evil that has tried to sink it's claws into me - and, at times, I've let it. When I think of the times I've turned my back on God. When I think of the times I've blamed God. When I think of the times I have been angry with God. And yet - God, through all of that, has been mindful of me. Through everything I have done, God has been there for me. Through all of the times I have been angry with God, He was still willing to come down and wrap His Arms around me and reassure me that He cared...for me. 

          In my life, I have not had a problem recognizing the fact that God cares for people. I have not really ever questioned that. There have been times, however, when I have doubted that He cared for me. Admittedly, there were times when I had known that God loves the chiefest of sinners - yet, I still questioned, and doubted, His love for me. 

          There have been several times, in the last few weeks even, when God has come down and wrapped -me- in His Arms. Even during that time, while I could feel the Arms of God wrap around me, the devil was trying to convince me that it was all in my head and that Jesus had better things to do than take the time to show me He was there for me - to show me that someone like me could be special to Him. 

          So, when I read Psalm 8: 3-4, I think - Wow! Thanks, God, for spending time with me. Jesus, You created the stars. You created the moon, Lord. God, you created the earth. You spoke the entire universe into existence. Jesus, You reached down and formed man out of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Master, You are so excellent. Savior, You are majestic. Yet, Father, You...love...me.

Just Speak Life

Speak Life

Have you ever been in a dry place,

Couldn't show it on your face,

And you cried inside; Lord tell me why.

That relationship now broken,

So many hurts unspoken,

And You died inside, Lord tell me why.

Night after night you pray,

Still nothing seems to ever change.

Remember God's Word is true,

He knows the plan He has for you;

By faith, this is what you must do.

Just speak life to it,

Just speak life through it;

Knowing God's not a man that He should lie.

Just hold on to it,

Just go on through it,

To every dry bone in your valley,

Just speak life.

Whatever happened to your dreams,

You struggle with your self-esteem

And you cry inside; Lord tell me why.

Frustration always on Your mind,

There's been no joy for quite sometime,

And you died inside; Lord, tell me why.

Night after night your pray,

Still nothing seems to ever change.

Remember God's Word is true,

He knows the plan He has for you;

By faith, this is what you must do...

Just speak life to it,

Just speak life through it;

Knowing God's not a man that He should lie.

Just hold on to it,

Just go on through it,

To every dry bone in your valley,

Just speak life.

There is a lot I could say right now, but this song seems to say it all for me. No matter where you are in life - just speak life. No matter what life brings your way - just speak life. All the lies the enemy is throwing at your - just speak life. The guilt trip the devil tries to put you on - just speak life. Your friends or family betray you - just speak life. You are going through the most difficult time in your life and you feel like you are all alone - just speak life. It seems like the pain and struggles will never end - just speak life. The enemy of your soul speaks to you, telling you the life is not worth living - just speak life. The devil is telling you to hurt yourself - just speak life. Satan is telling you that everything bad that has happened in your life is your fault; that you deserve punishment - just speak life. You can't seem to stop the negative thoughts from coming - just speak life.

NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, MY FRIEND...

JUST SPEAK LIFE TO EVERYTHING

The Pulpit

The Pulpit

The pulpit is the place where God's messenger blows the trumpet every service. I heard a message once by Bro Mark Copeland and he made the very profound statement, "If this trumpet won't move you, then that trumpet won't move you." He was referring to the preached Word of God being like a trumpet (blow the trumpet in Zion) being blown. He said that if we get so stuck in our ways and have so much pride inside of us that we don't allow the preaching of the Word of God to move us, then how in the world can we expect to go to Heaven? I heard this message back in 2006 and, to this day, it has never left me. 

God, I don't ever want to get to the point in my life where I don't allow the man of God in my life to preach it straight to me. Every time I go to a church service, I want to be willing and ready for my Pastor to preach to me. We've all heard it, "No matter what it takes, I must be saved..." but do we really mean it? Are we willing to forgo the embarrassment of our Pastor calling us out, in front of the whole church, about something we've done in order to make sure we are right with God and that our eternity is our focus? 

I, along with so many, have gotten so wrapped up in the here and now that I don't allow my focus to be on what really matters. Eternity. Heaven or Hell. It's real, folks. It's not just a superstition. There are so many people out there who have decided to trade their eternity for temporary satisfaction. 

Oh trust me, I have been tempted and, at times, I wasn't sure it was worth going through everything I've had to go through. I questioned and doubted my relationship with God. I questioned if the life I am living is really truth or if it was just a made up religion like so many others out there. I had to go through an extremely rough time in my life to get to where I am at today. No, I am not perfect (I will be the first one of many to admit it); I have a really long way to go to achieve perfection. One of the things I have learned in life - you don't get good to get God, you get God to get good. I, for one, am extremely thankful that God has not given up on me. There was a time in my life when I honestly wanted to give up on everything - but God, in His mercy, looked down and saw this pitiful person trying to make it on her own - blaming herself for everything life had thrown her way, trying to punish herself for things she had no control over, trying to conform to please everyone around her - and reached out His Hand and picked me up out of the muck and mire that I was in and set me on the Rock to stay! 

I know the struggle isn't over - it ain't going to be over until Jesus comes back for His Bride. However, I do know that, as long as I put my trust in Him, Jesus will be there to carry me through the hard times. I have decided to put my faith and trust in God. I would rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season (Hebrews 11:25). God is great and greatly to be praised! I am so thankful for everything He has done for me! I don't know what my future holds - but I know Who holds it! 

Photography

Here are some photos that I have taken (with my iPhone, so please keep in mind they have not been taken with a professional camera) within the last 6 months. Let me know what you think...