The Death Of A Conscience

A conscience is what hurts when everything else feels good. A conscience is something that God has placed in every man and woman. It is that sense of right and wrong, the smoke alarm that goes off when there is trouble.

I read somewhere that the author of Sherlock Holmes was a practical joker. And one day he decided to pull a prank on his friend, so he wrote an anonymous note to 12 of his close friends that read, “Flee at once all is discovered.”

Within 24 hours, all of his friends had left the country. Now that what I call having a guilty conscience.

Our conscience is that inner voice that warns us that someone may be watching,

The Bible talks about a man whose conscience was dead. King Herod was that man and his account was one of the life and death of a conscience. He had the greatest prophet in the Bible as his personal counselor, friend and confidant – John the Baptist.

King Herod was known for his paranoia, for his wickedness, and for having members of his own family executed because he thought they were a threat to his throne. King Herod was a wicked man.

His son, Herod Antipas was also wicked. Historians tell us that Herod Antipas was cruel, scheming, indecisive, and utterly immoral.

When John the Baptist showed up and began preaching. Israel has not heard from God for 400 years. There hadn’t been a single miracle, an angelic appearance, or one prophet speaking for God. There was an icy silence from heaven. Then out of nowhere John the Baptist emerged, right on God’s timetable. He was powerful and fearless, everywhere he went crowds gathered.

John was the greatest prophet that ever lived. He was the last of a long line of spokespersons for God. Jesus said of him, “Among those born of women there is not a greater prophet that John the Immerser, yet he who least in God’s kingdom is greater than he, (Luke 7:28). John was greater because he, and he alone, was the direct forerunner of Jesus -the forerunner of the Messiah. He occupied a unique place in history.

John was everything Herod was not. Herod was unsure proud and worried about the opinions of others, John was sure, humble, and concerned only with the opinion of God. John was a man of immense moral courage, and Herod was a man of spineless weakness. John was a man who kept his conscience and lost his head, and Herod was a nan who took John’s head but lost his conscience.

The Bible tells us that Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, bye was puzzled. Yet he liked to listen to him (Mark 6;20). But on the other hand, Herod’s wife, Herodias, hated John, she had been Philip’s wife. And when she was still married to Philip, Herod’s brother. Herod seduced her and took her for his wife.

But it gets worse. Herodias as the daughter of Herod’s half-brother, making her Herod’s niece. And Herod lusted after Herodia’s daughter in which Herodias was fully aware of.

John the Baptist called Herod out on this. He simply told Herod the truth. A true friend that occasionally hurts to help. (if you have that kind of friend don’t lose them). John told Herod the truth, and it ultimately hosted John his head.

Herod had two things that prompted him. One is Herodia’a daughter dancing in front of Herod which led to sexual lust. Herodia’s daughter asked Herod to cut off John’s head, which also led Herod to want to impress and please others. This led to Herod’s unbeknownst conscience dying.

When Herod began to hear reports about Jesus and His miracles. He thought John had come back to haunt him. (Mark 6:16).

Sometimes we think we can commit a “little” sin and just move on with life. And we don’t realize that there are repercussions that don’t hit us until later. Numbers 32:23 says, “Your sins will find you out.”

The death of the conscience starts with small things and invariably becomes larger things. When we do something we know is wrong and continue and try to cover it up, our conscience becomes hardened, callous and resistant.

We need to go to Jesus, He is the only one who can forgive sin and resensitize our conscience,

What Is Romans Road?

The Romans Road shows the path to Heaven. It uses points from the Book of Romans in the Bible to explain God’s gift of salvation. Each verse teaches us something new about why we need salvation, and how God has provided for it, and how to receive it.

Romans was written to people just like you and I. People living busy lives and trying to make sense of what is true and most in life.

The Romans Road describes the only way to Heaven,

1. Everyone needs salvation

“For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God” – Romans 3:23

2. Jesus died for our salvation

“But God commends His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Jesus died for us” – Romans 5:8

3. Salvation is a gift

“The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” – Romans 6:3

4. We are saved by grace

“And if by grace, then it is no longer of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace, otherwise, work is no longer work“ – Romans 11:6

5. Salvation comes through faith

“But to him who doesn’t work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness” – Romans 4:5

6. God saves all who call upon Him

“Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” – Romans 10:13

The Bible says there are two roads in life: one is the way to eternal joy in heaven, and the other leads to eternal punishment in hell.

We need to recognize that we are all sinners and that our sub must be judged by God. Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins. We can not earn out way into heaven through good works or religious activity. But we can turn to God and put our faith in Jesus Christ.

Are You Superstitious

Are you superstitious?

No, I am not superstitious. Superstitions are the adaptive outcome of a general belief, which is said to provide a sense of control and reduce anxiety. It’s a way people try to control their fate psychologists say.

My mother was rigorous in believing anything that was superstitious. Black cats, not stepping on lines on the sidewalk, opening umbrellas in the house, the devil beating his wife when it rained. You name it she believed it.

My mother didn’t drive, so sometimes she walked to the store a block away. I remember when she would drag me along, I would get reprimanded if I stepped on a line on the sidewalk. I remember thinking at age 7 or 8 it was crazy. I think superstitions are bad luck .

Superstitions were embraced in the past and continue to influence others today. Heads over tails, picking up a penny for good luck. How many people let past supervision into their lives without even realizing it.

7 Things I Wish I Had Known Sooner

1. These hard times, this pain, these lessons one day they will be your strength, your awareness, your blessings.

2. Stop expecting honesty from people who lie to themselves.

3. You will never look good trying to make someone else look bad.

4. Save your explanations for those who are determined to understand you – give your silence to those who are determined to misunderstand you.

5. Your life is too short to be unhappy 5 days a week in exchange for 2 days of freedom.

6. Don’t be upset from people you don’t respect.

7. Life is not tiring. Wanting life to be a certain way but not having the conference to make it that way, is tiring.

Permission To Be Yourself

If you do not have the courage to be yourself, you are cheating something for greater than just yourself.

Every single person in the world was born for a reason.

Every single one. This includes people who have failed, who have fallen into addiction, who are lost, who have taken the hard way at every fork in the road, who have done bad things, who have muddled through every day bored and listless, who have gotten sick, who sits and plays video games -you name it. Every single person was created with a specific positive job to do in the world.

We all need to work on repairing our mistakes, just because we make mistakes doesn’t mean we are a mistake. No matter what we have done, we have a flame that keeps us alive. We all have a unique mission in this world. It doesn’t matter our nationality, race, or religion. We are all human, and we all bleed the same color.

But, would about people like Hitler? How can these types of people be created for a reason? I don’t know why certain acts of evil befall the world. But I do know that evil is a choice, and these types of people choose to create and perpetuate evil. These people could have chosen otherwise. What if these people put their passion into something productive rather than destructive?

When you are not yourself, you are robbing the world of what you were meant to contribute to it. We are not created to hide our indispensable actions and energy.

The things you love, the things you are passionate about, and your unique personality and circumstances are not accidental. They were given to you, in their own specific configuration put you, and only you, in a position of knowledge and understanding that no one else has. Not one person can stand in your shoes.

Psalm 139:14 says, “I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. My soul knows that very well.”

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

You may not control all of the events in your life, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.

Comparing Yourself To An Animal

Which animal would you compare yourself to and why?

Humans have always been fascinated by the animal kingdom. Whether their strength, agility, or intelligence there is no shortage of amazing animals on earth. I thought this was a pretty lame writer prompt at first, but as I thought about it. We can learn a lot from the animal kingdom.

The animal I would choose to compare myself is the Wolf. They are seen as symbols of strength, locality and perseverance. Wolves are very social with social structures and fierce sense of loyalty.

I’m comparing myself to a wolf because I value their strength and perseverance. I am loyal to my friends and family and will do whatever it takes to protect them.

This Life Is A Battle

God’s Orders. God’s mission

We are all fighting a spiritual battle and being a soldier in God’s Army is tough. Really tough.

This life isn’t intended to be an easy one. One thing I’ve learned in life is that satan is persistent. We wants to destroy everything that is good. He is aware of our mission and works non-stop to cause it to fail.

Satan is hell-bent on taking us out. He will scare us, tempt us, and put doubts in our heads. He appeals to our fears to try and get us to our tipping point so we will ultimately give up. He wants us tormented.

But, we have a spiritual suit of armor available to us.

God’s Orders

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may stand against the schemes of the devil. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual focuses of wickedness in heavenly places. Therefore put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” – Ephesians 6: 11-13.

Our Armor

  • The Belt Of Truth. It gathers everything together, and holds it in place. In our culture truth is often twisted into lies. We need to secure our belt of truth so that we can ignore the lies and hold truth in place.
  • The Breastplate of Righteousness. We can’t fight with our own righteousness. It is Jesus’s righteousness that the enemy hates. Satan will work to convince us that our unrighteousness condemns our souls. This is not true for a true believer. The breastplate protects our most vital organs. In a spiritual sense, it protects our souls.
  • The Shoes Of The Gospel Of Peace. The Shoes of Peace are designed to help us stand strong and be prepared for the onslaught of attacks, as the enemy reigns blows upon us. They provide sure footing on slippery ground.
  • The Shield Of Faith. This is to extinguish the fiery darts of the evil one. This means darts of doubt, worry, and fear. When we have faith, we can advance through anything. We want faith to lead our lives, not just our own intellect.
  • The Helmet Of Salvation. Our thought life can be a nest of craziness, at least for me. Many times, that’s where Satan gets to us, is in our heads. The helmet must be put on to block our temptations and clear our thoughts. It saves us from being influenced by the lies, and thinking the wrong things. Our salvation protects us, we are saved by the blood of Jesus and the enemy cannot steal our salvation.
  • The Sword Of The Spirit. The Word of God. We are to use this as a weapon against evil. Defend our faith with it. We can win battles with truth. Lies are easily severed with a sharp spiritual sword – God’s Word. Jesus fought off Satan with the sword of the spirit saying “It is written.” in the 40 days of the wilderness.

The Last Piece. This isn’t part of the armor, but it’s every bit as essential. It’s prayer. Ephesians 6:18 after listing the armor it says, “With all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the holy ones.

The only part of the body that is not covered with the armor of God is our backs. God Himself protects us “behind and before” (Psalm 139:5) and the “glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard,” ( Isaiah 58:8).

That’s also where our brothers and sisters in Christ come in. They have our backs covered. They help us through the warfare and the battles, encouraging us and exhorting us in the scripture, just as they are commands to do. Just as they are commanded to do in Acts 14:22.

The armor of God is not meant to stop the warfare but to protect the mission. Satan wants to destroy the mission of the true believer. So, when we clothe ourselves with the Armor, we are prepared and ready to do our duty. Without it we are vulnerable and subject to the attacks from the enemy.

We are on a battlefield, not a playground. Do not be naive. Guard your heart and be prepared for the fight. For yourself in the strength of God and with His might and armor.

“Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or scared of them; for the Lord your God Himself is who goes with you, He will not fail you or forsake you” – Deuteronomy 31:6 (Messianic)

Blessed Assurances

Assurance is a state of certainty that you know for sure that something is true.

If you’re a believer in Christ the promises that God has given you is His Word, and this we can be certain of.

Life can be difficult, we live in a broken world. There is pain and suffering in your life or the lives of your loved ones. And sometimes it gets lonely. Occasionally, we mess up, ditching our responsibilities or ruining relationships.

None of this can keep us away from God’s love, and the peace, strength and comfort that His love brings. (Romans 8:38-39). This is what the Bible means when it says God wants us to come to Him “in full assurance of faith“ (Hebrews 10:22).

If you’re a new believer there are 5 basic assurances of faith. God’s promises to every believer with no strings attached. Benefits of being in the family of God. And knowing these will help to navigate the feeling of fear, guilt, and shame that keeps us from approaching God to find comfort that we need. Not knowing these kept me from approaching God for nearly 40 years.

What do these assurances mean?

  • Assurance of Salvation

Salvation essentially means to be saved. Saved from the eternal suffering and condemnation that is the consequence of wrong doing. So, if you die suddenly, you can go to heaven to be with God for eternity.

“And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” – 1 John 11-12

This means that as a true believer, no matter what you have don’t wrong, no matter how afraid, guilty, weak or ashamed we feel, we can repent and be forgiven and welcomed by your Heavenly Father.

As a child of God, we cannot be separated from God’s love. No matter what we’ve experienced or done God’s love is ready to accept us and welcome us home.

  • Assurance of Answered Prayer

Prayer is a conversation between God and us. This is the promise that God hears us and answers us. The basis being that we come to Him with a pure heart. It boils down to our relationship with God through Jesus.

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” – John 14:6

Our salvation places us in the status of “Child of God.”

In the book of Matthew 7:11, Jesus puts it simply, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him.”

There is a saying that God’s answers fall into one of three categories: “Yes, No, and wait.”

While “Yes is often the answer we want, we need to learn to trust that God knows better than we do, with our simple minds. He will give us what is good for us but His definition of “good,” is not always ours.

  • Assurance of Victory

There are many battles to fight in this life, of which the most important, but often is removed from our consciousness, is the fight against evil in a broken world.

  • Assurance of Forgiveness
  • To every true believer in Christ, God has the will to forgive sins -past, present, and future. This promise rests on only one condition: That we confess our sins.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness“ – 1 John 1:9.

In the law, a confession is an admission of guilt; before God, it is the recognition and acknowledgment of our wrongdoing.

I always make it point to confess my sin and then turn away from doing it again. God can forgive us 50 times a day, but at some point to have to get rid of the wrongdoing we are doing in our lives.

Sin always separates us from God and sin destroys us. The consequences cause a ripple effect of destruction in our lives, with our relationships and in the world around us.

“But our iniquities have separated you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He will not hear“ – Isaiah 59:2.

But forgiveness breaks the cycle. And when we are restored from sin to a right relationship with God, He enables us to restore our relationships with others and make things right.

I nearly destroyed my marriage because I didn’t confess of my unforgiveness and bitterness in my life. And I nearly destroyed my relationship with my only living sister because of bitterness. I only began to restore my relationship with my sister 5 years ago. I held on to the bitterness I felt for her leaving me in an abusive relationship at home. I didn’t realize she fled the abusive relationship at home also.

No accusation holds any ground against those whom God had forgiven in the name of Jesus Christ.

Knowing God’s forgiveness is what saved my marriage and the relationship I had with my sister. When I came to know and understand God’s forgiveness, I put aside my unforgiveness and bitterness and began to obey God’s Word.

My forgiveness towards my mother, husband and sister led be to Christ. It wasn’t until I let go of those things that I began to have a close relationship with God.

  • Assurance of Guidance

Who do you turn to when you don’t know what to do?

Wise advice and counsel are so very needed today.

One of the most assuring promises in the Bible is when God tells us we have the Holy with us when we are born again, and that He will guide us and teach us.

“For if you live after the flesh, you must die; but if by the spirit you to the deeds of the body, you will live” -Romans 8::13.

There is no situation too complicated or too far gone that God cannot solve. And as His child, God will help us make a difference for good in whatever difficulties come our way.

God guides us in more ways than we can imagine. Sometimes it is a reminder that He prompts us in the right direction. Other times His guidance means coming up with solutions to problems that seem impossible.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” – Proverbs 3:5-6.

As children of God, these 5 assurances give us courage that strengthens us to help us defend against the attacks of accusation, condemnation and guilt that come our way.

Shopping

Where would you go on a shopping spree?

Shopping sprees can be influenced by peers, or social media influencers. Or could be linked to boredom. There are 3 main reasons people go on shopping sprees. Emotions – having a rough day, just enjoys shopping, or poor spending habits. Shopping sprees definitely give us a sort of temporary high.

If I were to go on a shopping spree it would be to buy furniture to replace my worn out things.

God Orders Your Steps

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And he delights in his way“ Psalm 37:23

If you trust in God, He will guide you and secure your steps. He will lead you in the right direction and strengthen your walk.

An average person in America takes about 4,700 steps a day. Over a life time that’s a lot of steps. For a believer God has ordered each of those steps. The word “ordered” means to make firm or establish. Every day, God is firming up your steps to keep you from falling.

There are two essential truths we have to remember about God ordering your steps.

The first truth is that God has an order for your steps. In Jeremiah 29:11 we see God has a plan, and that plan was good. God has a plan for directing our steps so we can fulfill the plan He has for us. If we allow Him, He will show us the right choices to make and lead us down the best path. He will show us which step to take to keep us going in the right direction.

The second truth is that God orders your steps by securing your footing. Sometimes life can feel like we are walking up a mountain of loose gravel. One step forward two steps back. Progress is slow treacherous and exhausting not knowing if we will ever reach the top.

God helps us from falling by making sure we are standing on solid ground. In Psalm 40:2 David says God had placed his feet on a rock and made his footsteps firm. God is doing that same thing today. While we see others sliding backwards or stumbling, God always our steps firm and secure. He plants our feet on the right path and shows us where we should step.

When we allow God to order our steps. He delights in us. Like a proud Father he rejoices in the first steps of Hid children..

Last week as I was leaving the grocery store, being tired and just wanting to go home. I thought about taking a faster way. Then I suddenly thought I would just go through town. When I returned home, my husband had told me there was a fatal accident on the road I was going to take. I immediately said to him, God ordered my steps. If I had gone that way, I could have been involved in the accident.

When you allow God to order our steps, He keeps us firm and secure. He plants your feet on the right path and shows you the right path.

Middle Name And Significance

What is your middle name? Does it carry any special meaning/significance?

I am named after my nagymama -my grandmother. Her name was Elizabeth. She was energetic, confident and determined. She loved life and lived to be 100 years old.

The significance of that name is the meaning of it. Elizabeth means “God is my oath.”

God’s Glory

“The heavens declare the Glory of God; the skies proclaim the works of His hands“ -Psalm 19:1

What is glory?

The dictionary defines it as praise and honor. We see glory in sports as people scream and cheer for their favorite team or player. We see glory for celebrities, as the camera flashes their picture and people scream and want their autograph.

But the Glory of God is different. David points out in Psalm 19 that there are two areas where God reveals Himself. “The heavens declare the glory of God.” it’s probably hard for us to even comprehend, that the universe was God’s creation. It testifies and displays the Glory of God. This Glory of God is the visible manifestation of His attributes and His character. Think about everything you see; the sun, stars, the ocean, and a spectacular eagle – all display God’s Glory. Nothing is hidden from it. Nothing can hide from God’s Glory.

There’s a song that comes to mind about the Glory of God. “I saw God today,” by George Strait. “I’ve been to church, I’ve read the book. I know He’s here. But I don’t look, near as often as I should. Yeah I know I should. What we choose to ignore on a daily basis is God’s Glory.

The Jewish people have a word for God’s radiance it’s “Shekinah.” Shekinah means to dwell or reside with. The Glory of God resides with humanity so that we can experience it.

God’s original design was for us to live in a glorious world with a Glorious God. But because sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, we have the desire to live for ourselves and our own glory. We want things our way and to take credit for what only God can produce. We want others to glorify us, we want to try to do things our own way and we fail time and again.

Our only hope is for the God of glory to invade our lives and rescue us. That was why God sent His only Son Jesus to earth, to give us a second chance. To have someone completely sin-free to die for our sins and make is white as snow. Our response should be to praise and thank Him and give Him Glory.

“From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised. The Lord is high above all nations; His glory is above the heavens” – Psalm 113:3-4.

Many people are trying to be their own God. We can see the way the world and see it isn’t working. There’s a quote by Albert Einstein that says, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” It looks to me that the world as we know it is pretty insane right now,

We need to open up our eyes and make conscious decisions to praise Jesus for dying for us. Because He is so faithful and so good to us. Ignoring Him and choosing to do things our way is insanity.