Temptation Does not Disqualify You!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.~

Hebrews 12:1-3

What is the goal and mission of the life of a Christian?  Is it just to go to church? To read you Bible? To do good things and say kind words?
Truth be told, you don't have to be a Christian to do those things! In fact, there are many different faiths who teach on the similar and simplistic values of what we have considered to be "Christian". There are unspoken social rules that will praise your for doing what is kind and fair, and condemn you for anything less. There are even good natured Atheists who make a habit of preforming such routines in their own lives, without the help of the Holy Spirit and without the salvation of Jesus. So, when you think about it, doing good things is not the crux of the Christian's purpose. Our good deeds are not more valid than someone who is not a Christian and our temptations are not fouls that disqualify us from our faith. We have been called to live above the positives and negatives that seek to distract us from our true purpose.

Goodness, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. What is good for someone doesn't mean it is good for everyone. And what was good yesterday is not guaranteed to be good today. This is how temptation enters our lives: by trying to convince us that our goodness is the standard and the measure by which God accepts me. But, according to scripture, this is far from truth. God's acceptance of me is totally based on my acceptance of Christ. When I am focused on His heart, then temptation will have no power within mine!

So, considering the scripture, how is it that we can develop our hearts to stay focused on Jesus and avoid the trap and the distraction of trying to be good? First, we must understand that focusing on Jesus doesn't mean that temptations around us will disappear. There will still be issues to face, habits to break and thoughts to battle. This is not a measure of your goodness or of your Salvation. 1 John 5:11-12 tells us that our Salvation is wrapped up in God's goodness through Jesus. If we have Salvation in Christ, then we need not fear temptation. Instead, we must use perseverance, just as Jesus persevered while He was on Earth. There were plenty of temptations, including His trial in the wilderness, when the enemy tried to tempt him (Matthew 4: 1-11). Yet in this distraction He kept His eyes on the mission- on His heavenly Father.

Hebrews 12 also brings forth another key element to staying focused: we must throw off everything that might hinder us, as well as the sins that seem to always try to get the best of us. For everyone , this will be different. Each of us struggle in different areas. My issues and temptations are different from yours. Your struggles are different from your co-workers and your co-worker's struggles will be different from their neighbors. Each of us have struggles that are uniquely specific to our own hearts and lives. Yet ALL SIN will hinder us from staying focused on Jesus and if we are not focused on Jesus, we will find ourselves drowning in temptation and ineffective for the ministry in which He has called us to complete for the Kingdom.

If goodness is the standard, then what is our need for Christ? Temptation cannot be battles by our good efforts or our positive affirmations. Jesus alone can keep us from falling, but we must keep our hearts on him! Anything that removes Christ as our priority is a hindrance to our relationship with Him, and if we are not living out our salvation in an effective manner, we are in danger of becoming a temptation for others who are watching our lives. Believers and  Non-believers are watching your life and according to this scripture, so are those Christians that have already gone before you. We are always surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses... they are cheering us on and they want us to be successful in our relationship with Christ and in our spiritual development here on earth. Even the non-believer wants to see you successful, because they are looking for something authentic. They are watching the closest because they are looking for reasons to hope and believe.

We can be "good" on our own, but there is no life change in that. Understanding that loving Jesus is not about our goodness gives us a better appreciation of God's grace, because, eventually, we will all fall in one area or another. But, when we move past a selfish faith- a faith that is only motivated by what we can get for our lives, we become humbled in the fact that we must keep our eyes, our hearts and our lives focused on Jesus. The mission is not to receive blessings, opportunities and prosperity for ourselves; our highest mission is to show the world what Love really looks like. And His name is Jesus!
Every rose has it's thorns, but that does not disqualify its beauty! We must persevere through our blessings and in our pains (and there will be many hard times), but we don't have to be afraid of our struggles or temptations, because we know that all things will work together for our good, if we only keep our focus on the Lord! (Romans 8:28). This is where our Joy comes from! Knowing that in my victory, I am encouraged, but in my weakness, God gives me His strength! Either way, we win! But, we must lay aside those things that will hinder and distract us, and
we must be sensitive to the lives that surround us- using us as their examples in the faith and looking to us as models for Christ.

Living as Christ is not a natural way of life- this is why we rely on His Holy Spirit to give us the strength and love that we need to be successful! So don't worry, God has it all under control! When you fall, confess your mess and keeping pressing on! Don't get distracted by trying to be good and don't allow your temptations to steal your confidence in Christ!!! Focus on God's love for you and let that be your motivation and your focus. I promise, it will fill your heart and spill over into the lives of those around you!
  

Be encouraged!

~Pearls

Prayer is Not Passive!

It seems to me that there is much hostility towards the response of prayer. People seem offended and at times, even disgusted, when the call for prayer is made. Yet, as believers, we know that nothing in Heaven will be fulfilled on Earth, unless we call out to God in prayer. 

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

As individuals, a generation and a nation, it seems to be that we have declared war against prayer when it doesn't work for us. But we need to clearly recognize what prayer is and what it is not. Prayer, according to God and His scripture (the manufacturer of prayer) makes it clear that first, we must humble ourselves and then second turn from any wrong doing that we may be practicing. The results of doing both is a miraculous move of God.

From my own personal experiences, and I cannot speak for everyone, my Father instilled in me from my early ages that prayer was a necessity. He would volunteer me to pray in our home, as well as in church. My father surrounded our family with prayer in every opportunity imaginable- weather it be over our homework, over our travels, over our social issues in school, our food, our family... you name it, my Father would lead us in prayer over it. With that being said, I grew up with such a comfort to pray that I don't think I ever considered the honor and privilege that prayer really holds in the life of a true believer.

I remember a sermon my Father once taught and a quote of his that I wrote down in my Bible, many, many years ago. He said, "Prayer is not a tool that we use to change God's mind, it is a gift God uses to change our hearts". That has always stuck with me. You see,  prayer is a gift that God gives us to use, continuously, because He wants us to include Him in all of our affairs. God loves us and wants to be involved in our living. Like any relationship, communication (prayer) is vital. If we expect to see God change things, move things, bring healing, bring salvation, send answers and reveal truths, we must be in prayer... and, even more so, we must make sure that we are praying effectively.
We must check our hearts, to make sure it is lined up with the word of God and that we do not have cherished sin in our lives (Ps. 66:18). We must make sure that what we pray is lined up with God's will, which is His word (John 15:7). We must come with a confidence that we believe that God is able to work His will in our lives, through our faith, prayers and lifestyle that reflect Him (Hebrews 14:16). When we pray, we must be humble, knowing that our God is mighty and sovereign over all (2 Chronicles 7:14).

And when we prayer, we must be prepared for what ever answer we recieve, because an answered prayer is not always a "yes". But we know that all things will work together for our good, according to God's plans for us, if we love Him and stay obedient (Romans 8:28). whatever our plans are...His are much better!
No plan that we could ever hope to come to pass will ever exceed God's plans for us. As children of God, it should be our natural response in every area of our lives: as women, as students, as daughters, wives, friends, sisters, professionals. Prayer should be our first response because we know that God is our first responder! Prayer, like breathing, must become an intricate part of our spiritual and natural lifestyle. Not to manipulate situations to please us, but rather to align our hearts with God to please Him!

 As Jim Cymbala put it, "prayer is the barometer by which one can gauge the spiritual maturity of another". In other words, a Christian who understands their calling, Christ's expectations and who longs to be effective for the Kingdom will invest themselves in prayer- not because they have to, but because they understand that they need to. Prayer is not passive... it is the initiation of spiritual action which is what is truly necessary if we ever hope for any change or direction in our lives, in our families or in our country.
I am not perfect, as no one is. I do not have all the answers, as no one does, but I am now understanding and appreciating prayer in an entirely new way. I am a woman who wants to be a warrior... a prayer warrior! I don't not want my life to be lived silently, but I want to shine like a beacon in the night! God has given us all what we need to shatter sin and evil that haunts this world, but to talk first and pray last is unproductive. We can prayer with confidence while talking with conviction! And this is what we must do! All of us! It is a shame how the church has grown so silent! Where is our courage and our bravery? Where are our shouts around Jericho?

Ladies, you have more power in prayer than you ever will in gossip! We have more power seeking God, then we ever will have seeking comfort. Let's not be afraid to stand up for truth! Let's not be so discouraged that we won't lift up our voices to our God who loves us! We are not here on accident! Our existence in this generation was very calculated and purposeful. Now, you and I must go and put this calling to use. We must be the one who is willing to stand in the gap for those who cannot stand on their own. We must be willing to go into battle for our nation, our unsaved family, friends and for the future. We are each privileged and purposed to do just that, now more than ever! I am a woman on a mission, and I need prayer to accomplish all the hopes and dreams that Christ has instilled in me. Will you join me? Can we do this together?

I thank God for prayer and for the power that is required to operate a sincere prayer life. My prayer for all of you is that you learn the joy of coming to the Father, not only on behalf of yourself, but for others who are relying on the strength of your prayers to get them through. Be used of God, today and each day forward. Remember, He loves you and He is waiting to be invited in our circumstances, struggles and aspirations.

Prayer is not passive. Let's take action, together!
~Pearls

Strength is Evident in the Crisis

 It's the normal assumption that good deeds should be rewarded: Going to college should get you a good job, being respectful should earn you respect, showing yourself friendly should earn you lots of friends. In some cases, this is true. But spiritually thinking, it's honestly when we are doing what is right when wrong comes to pay us a visit! This is why, more and more, we are hearing the buzz that Christianity "doesn't work". No body wants to endure unpleasantries or discomfort. We want a quick fix and the least amount of effort, difficulty or struggle in our lives.  If something seems laborious or tedious, we try to avoid it. It is a debilitating mistake to assume that being  christian means that only blessings lay in store for you and I honestly blame the pulpit. There are so many messages being spewed from sanctuaries that following Christ results in financial abundance, opportunity and continuous prosperity in every endeavor one would seek to pursue. But when we look to scripture, we see that this is simply not the case. Giving our hearts to Jesus is like signing our name for warfare. From the start, we automatically have the victory, in Christ, but my sister, understand there will be hard times ahead.

As a result of the disciples following Jesus, they lost their social standing, their homes, their families and their wealth. Peter, James and John lost their fishing career, Paul lost his political status, Mary lost her good reputation and John the Baptist lost his head! But see, they knew that greater glory was worth the risk. It is my passion not to fall prey to the misconception that problems disappear once I follow Jesus because if I am only following Jesus for what I think I can get out of it, then that is not true Christianity; that is not true devotion.
In our earthy relationships, we are taught to date people who can make us happy, meet our needs, show us a good time and make us feel good about ourselves. And sadly, this perspective has crept into the church, where we then have projected this same expectation on Christ: "If I serve God then He has to bless me and give me the desires of my heart and lead me into my purpose and give me favor and keep me on the mountain top and make a way out of no way for me..."!
My loves, if God does nothing else but just pour His grace and mercy on us, that is more than enough! We must check the motives of our hearts and remember that Jesus suffered for our sakes... is it too much that He expects our willingness to do the same for Him? And if that time ever comes, do we love Him enough to be strong and courageous throughout the storm? Or will we jump ship when the boat feels too rocky? Are we equipping ourselves to fight through faith? Are we strong soldiers or simply spiritual civilians on the sidelines?

It has always been my personal belief that strength is evident in the crisis, not in the oasis. Yes, we

can feel uplifted in church, when the choir sings our song, but what happens in the real life situations? Are we prepared to stand firm in the midst of the fire? Do we posses the courage we need to combat our struggles and win the battles that each day has in store for us? We can declare all we want, but the truth of our hearts beam brightest in the dark.
I am reminded of what my father has always told me, "the mark of a strong relationship is in the arguments. You don't know what type of man you are dealing with until he becomes angry. The actions, words, and attitude that he displays in his anger is the true refection of what is already in his heart". So, the first argument I had with my boyfriend (now husband), he still held my hand and he still opened my door for me; he still kissed me good night and he still said, "Ill call you tomorrow". He was pissed, but still showed love. He could have said, "look, I'm not trying to deal with all of this". He could have jumped ship, especially because that particular argument was my fault! But, he showed strength and courage. It's easier to walk away, because walking away doesn't require any work. In fact, it is selfish and self is only interested in what is minimal effort. Self is seeking the blessing, but not the effort. Self is only wanting what is pleasing to me- never mind you, until I am satisfied. Sadly, we have been so accustomed to holding others in this regard, that it begins to pour out into our relationship with Christ. Instead of fighting for our faith, we walk away in pursuit of our comfort. We can spiritually choose to go A-wall on our salvation because, it's easier. But we have not been called to an easy life in Christ. We have been called to a victorious life! The temptations and distractions of this world seem immense. At times, it doesn't even look possible that we can overcome the trials that so many of us face, but greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4)!

We don't want to suffer or wait. We don't want to practice patience or the integrity that is produced in difficult times. We don't want to be inconvenienced. But all of that is necessary if we ever hope to experience the glory that awaits in Christ! It's easy to do things the easy way, but the results of easy are never long lasting. To walk in purity and truth, kindness and forgiveness, patience and graciousness, in the midst of chaos and unpleasantries... this is true strength and undeniable courage! It is the call of each Christian, as she lives out her daily life and makes her life choices: Do I press on in this storm maintaining the likeness of Christ, or do I find an easy way out and avoid the difficulties?

Self preservation will always be the death of us! It will kill our opportunities to shine like Jesus! It will destroy the seed that God is growing in you and will close the door to the destination of your purpose and calling. Every struggle, trial, dilemma and hardship we endure when we choose to do what pleases the Lord makes us stronger in this life and prepares us for the next. Remember, all suffering is seasonal. It doesn't last forever, but the glory and the rewards that await are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17)! Each season sets our path for the next journey, but through it all, God is there. He is preparing, pruning, growing and digging up all that He desires for us. He is the vine and we are the branches (John 15:5)! In order for the flowers to grow, the earth must first be broken. The soil must be turned over, so that the roots will grow deep and produce the garden. But if the earth is unwilling to go through it's season of brokenness, then it will never have the opportunity to display any beauty.
There is so much beauty that God wants to produce in you! But you and I cannot be afraid to sojourn through the war. This is where His word has the platform to truly ring in our hearts and produce the choices, decisions and reactions that are necessary to give Him the Glory- ultimately blessing us in the process! We cannot be afraid to fight in the battle, because we have already won the victory, and freedom is ours, in Christ!

"Thanks be to God! He has given us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ!" ~ 1 Corinthians 15:57

Be Strong and Courageous! Don't avoid the trials or the storm. God is growing a garden and wants to put you on display! Your victory is in Jesus and through Him, you are a champion!

Stay strong, my sisters! And Happy Independence day to you all!
~Pearls