Tag: peace

The Long Days Ahead

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The Long Days Ahead

Some days it’s hard not to feel lonely in these days. The constant drone of the same endless news. With no new TV shows, the same repeats flood the airways. When the sound is all turned off, the silence is just as loud. The effort to quiet the loud buzzing inside my mind is both physically and mentally exhausting. The only reprieve is the time I spend with the Lord which has been more and more often during this time of isolation. While the world is social distancing, it seems the social part has been taken literally by many. The masses are busier now than they were before, it’s just a different kind of busy. In the new normal, there’s so many changes, and while there are some wonderful changes, the weight of isolation is crushing. The hope however remains knowing that God’s Got This. Knowing that Jesus is here with me gives me comfort. Knowing that some day this will end, and while it may be weeks, or months, or Heaven forbid, years, I know that Jesus will stay with me during every wakeful night. I know that Jesus will be with me during every long and lonely day. I know that Jesus will remain with me as I have watched all my plans, all my hopes, all my dreams for this year have fallen in ash as it’s been burned like a wildfire. There is no going back, no way to salvage the losses, but knowing that a new plan will emerge from the ashes. 

We have all lost so much in these dark days. Businesses have closed. Jobs have been lost. Dreams have been crushed. Lives have been lost, and families destroyed. Some families have been so completely devastated by this dreadful virus, it’s hard to imagine. As I have remained in solitude to do my part to stop the spread, to slow the spread, to at the very least not be a part of the problem I have to acknowledge the struggles. I can’t be the only person feeling this way, in fact I know I’m not. On the flip side, I know that how I feel is not nearly as severe as others even in the sphere of knowledge. 

Lamentations 3:22-24

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

    his mercies never come to an end;

23 they are new every morning;

    great is your faithfulness.

24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,

    “therefore I will hope in him.”

We know that the Lord is over all things, and while we may not know or understand the nature of God, why things are allowed, or why things happen, we know this His ways are perfect, beyond what we can understand, and we have to have faith and trust in His perfect will. 

Romans 5:2 (ESV) 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith[a] into this grace in which we stand, and we[b] rejoice[c] in hope of the glory of God.

It’s so important in these days that we are there for one another. It’s so important that in our solitude we have people we can reach out too, and talk too. It’s so important to show the Love of Christ to one another. It’s easy to forget, but not everyone manages isolation well. Not everyone manages the silence well. Even the most introverted of people are struggling today. The loss of income and for some, the loss of hope will lead us in this country to record number of suicides, and mental health crises. We must do more as the Body of Christ and we need to be showing abounding love to everyone we can think of. A text, a message, an email, a card, anything helps right now. Please don’t think you reaching out doesn’t matter. Reaching out may be all the difference for someone. A simple act of kindness goes a long way right now with how people are feeling. 

Keep hoping in the Lord. Keep your faith, and plug in to be spiritually by watching a church service online. You can also find me on The Arrow Preacher on YouTube. Be safe, and be well. 

Feel Better

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Feel Better

How do you make yourself feel better when you’re feeling blue? For me, especially lately, I’ve been doing a lot of online shopping. Small stuff mostly, but even little stuff adds up. Usually I would build a Lego set, but since running out of viable space, and not having an abundance of time, Lego has been put on the back burner for now. How do we handle stress in our lives? How do we face another day when stress and life build up? For that, I turn to Psalm 23

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

3 He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord

Forever.

The verse starts off with I shall not what. This shows being content with what he had. David writes this with an understanding that God’s grace and presence is enough to sustain him. Paul writes a similar passage in Philippians 4:11“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” Have we learned to not be so ridged in our life? Have we learned to stop worrying about tomorrow and focus on today? When Paul was in prison he was often found singing praises to God. Prison was dirty, dark, and inhospitable and yet here he is singing praises to God. Before finding Christ Paul knew nothing of that kind of misery, and yet, here he is, finding peace in horrible situations. Can we say we show the same amount of grace in our every day life? 

When we truly look at scripture and we see what horrible things happened to people all throughout, why then do we not take the hint ourselves? God is in control, and no matter what happens to us in this life, we have something far better waiting for us. We need to find ways to be more content where we are, and stop trying to fill our lives with meaningless things to make ourselves feel better. There will be seasons of pain, of frustrations in our lives, but through them all is Jesus, and we need to be able to focus our energy on that. This world will tell you, you need x y z to make you feel better, but those things are temporary, Christ is eternal. Have faith in Christ, and learn how to not want, and no matter where God puts you, you’re fearing no evil, and your cup overflows with joy for the Lord.

There will always be things in our life that come up, and sometimes they are pretty awful. When a spouse cheats, or your in a horrible car accident, or you loose someone to alcohol or cancer, no matter what it is, bad things happen. Do we allow those things in our past to be moved along to others? Do we truly leave the past behind us only taking the important lessons with us? It’s easy to hold onto that weight, that extra baggage, but are we called to leave it and forgive, then move forward. Are we doing that? Are we living in peace, or are we living in fear?  

Sometimes Accidents Happen

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Sometimes Accidents Happen

Have you done something that was an accident, but undoubtedly a big one? During the flood, I accidently flooded two rooms in about an inch or so of water. With stress already high from the hurricane the accident was ill timed, if there was ever a good time to flood the house. Sadly the room that flooded was a storage room since a great majority of my belongings are still packed.

Something I have been trying to do, though I’m not always successful with it, is changing my perspective in times of stressful situations. When I was watching the movie Paul: Apostle of Christ a few months ago I was captivated by the ability to find peace even in the conditions he was in. Here’s a man wrongly imprisoned and condemned to death for a crime he didn’t commit, and yet he was at peace no matter his circumstances. It isn’t easy finding a positive spin in every situation, but that’s exactly what we need to be doing. With so much negativity in the world, from just the news alone, we can be the difference in this life. The eight hours it took me to clean up the water, and to dry boxes, throw away damaged boxes, allowed me and my mother time to go through boxes, to condense, to sort through and rearrange to clean up the storage room. I’m not making excuses for my major mistake, but I am saying some good can come from even the most dire of situations.

Psalm 107:28-31 (NKJV)

28 Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble,

And He brings them out of their distresses.

29 He calms the storm,

So that its waves are still.

30 Then they are glad because they are quiet;

So He guides them to their desired haven.

31 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,

And for His wonderful works to the children of men!

 

We know that in the center of the storm is Jesus. We know that all things there are lessons to be learned, there are ways to bring glory to Jesus. We cannot walk through this life beating ourselves up for everything mistake. We cannot walk through this life carrying all of our burdens. We cannot allow the burdens to crush us, because if we are to be followers of Christ, we know that we are to give up our burdens, and allow Jesus to take them for us. We are to walk a life as Christ like as we can. We must let go of our storms and watch as Jesus see’s us through.

Psalm 55:22 (NKJV)

22 Cast your burden on the Lord,

And He shall sustain you;

He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

 Matthew 11:28-29 (NKJV)“28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am [a]gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

We see a theme that’s overwhelming undeniable, and that’s us being commanded to give our troubles to the Lord. We were never meant to bare these burdens alone. We know there’s more at work then just the fact that the world can be a cruel place. There is hope in tomorrow that Jesus paid for with blood. We have a ticket to Heaven and we are all cordially invited to join the party. We only need to trust in Jesus Christ, and allow our old selves to be burnt away. We are reborn a new creation, and we find peace in the world. Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)6 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

 Trust in the reason for the trials, and don’t let the small mistakes bother you too much. Learn from them, and find the silver lining in every trial. There’s always an opportunity to turn to Christ in prayer and find grace and peace in the name of the Lord. Trust, and know, sometimes accidents happen.

Fighting Terrorism

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Fighting Terrorism

Today we wake up and some of us remember what happened in 2001, some were very young, but in some way, the events that occurred touched every life in America. We will never forget, but we do have the ability to try and bridge the gap and stomp out radical terrorism. Not long ago I finished a class in terrorism and I had the privilege to write a paper on the subject. It is my hope that you will find this paper educational, and maybe even inspirational. Let us be proactive, rather than reactive.

 

The Christian Fight Against Radical Islam:

How Apologetics Will Win The War

Jacob Keiffer

GOVT 480-D03 : Terrorism

Aug 5, 2018

Thesis Statement

The war on terror has been ongoing for over ten years. In that time the fight against radical Islam still wages on with only marginal impact of improvement. In order to truly make a difference in the fight against the radical sects of Islam, the more liberal leaning liberals, which makes up the majority needs to stand up to and police their own back yards. In order to do this and encourage the radical idea, Christians must turn to apologetics and repair almost two thousand years worth of hostility. Throughout the New Testament of the Christian Holy Bible lessons are taught how to love one another, and how to love and treat your enemies. These lessons along with a strong understanding of apologetics can be used to win the hearts and minds, instead of dropping bombs and waging war.

 

Introduction

Islam is a common word heard across the world today. “As of 2010, there were an estimated 1.6 billion Muslims around the world, making Islam the world’s second-largest religious tradition after Christianity.”[1] The religion of Islam dates back to around 653AD, however to truly understand the religion, one must understand its origins.[2] Some might say the West is at war with Islam, and while perhaps that is the larger picture, the fight is against radical Islam and the terrorist organizations that have called for the annihilation of all non-Muslims, and liberal Muslims who do not conform to the ideology of Wahhabi Islam. To fight this war on terror the West must understand the drive and mindset of those who follow this particular brand of Islam. A long-term plan to win what is essentially a family civil war must start and end with apologetics. Bombs will not win this war, or the number of battles won; instead it will be won by changing the hearts and minds of those who will listen. Christians will never win the war against radical Islam alone, they will need to support of liberal Muslims willing to stand and say ‘no more’ and join forces side by side with Christians, bridging the gap of a blood feud going all the way back to Abraham’s first born, Ishmael. Liberal Muslims must stand against the radicals together with the west to destroy the Wahhabi movement.

 

The Birth of Islam

Abraham was a prominent figure in the Christian Bible. God loved him, and he was promised children, but when that promise didn’t come on his timetable Abraham took matters into his own hands and bore a son with his handmaiden. This son was named Ishmael, and he would start the long blood line that would one day lead to a man now known to be the father of Islam, Muhammad.[3] Muhammad would create the religion of Islam by writing the Qur’an and this faith would spread throughout the world, but not as a unified religion. After the death of Muhammad the religion fractured and dissention rose quickly. While fighting between the different sects was violent at times, a common enemy was still growing across the world, and that enemy was Christians. Christians stole the birthright promised by God, and as Christians and Muslims are half siblings, one can understand how the hatred began.

 

Radical Islam Emerges

Over time a different way of thinking came about within the Nation of Islam. The Wahhabi Islam“This religious context provides the framework for justifying violence. Jihadists quote from Islamic scripture, prophetic traditions, and legal opinions to support their claims and activities. Jihad against non-Muslims and the ultimatum to convert to Islam, pay a special tax, or be killed are in fact based on Islamic law.”[4]Azumuah would go on to say in his paper, “Another key feature of the jihadists’ ideology is their rejection of and often rebellion against established governments of Islamic countries. Al-Qaeda, IS, and Boko Haram have declared Muslim governments around the world un-Islamic and illegitimate, vowing to replace them with an Islamic caliphate. To achieve their aim, the groups target and kill Muslim opponents, justifying their actions by invoking takfir, a doctrine, dating back to the seventh century, that specifies conditions under which fellow Muslims can be declared unbelievers who can be killed.”2 Since the dawn of Radical Islam countless lives have been taken in the name of Allah. The answer to combating this kind of hatred is simple, it’s found in the teaching of Jesus Christ, and the answer is love. “For those who eventually accepted the ideology as “true Islam” (and this was heavily influenced by perceptions about the credibility of the movement leader as an interpreter of Islam rather than the superiority of al Muhajiroun’s spiritual incentives relative to other groups),”[5]Muslims who follow this radical ideology also believe that members of their own faith, who are not conservative enough are also a threat, and can either conform, or die. This creates a religious civil war and creates an opportunity for Christians to come to the aid of the oppressed.

 

Apologetics: The Fight Against Hatred

Apologetics is simply put, the defense of what someone believes to be true. For Christians this is perhaps one of the most important aspects of faith. In order to truly evangelize to non-believers of Jesus Christ, understanding different worldviews is important. One would not use the same apologetic argument towards Muslims as you would an Atheist. Muslims and Christians share a common lineage and therefore our Holy Books have some similarities. In order for the west to fight Radical Islam, Christians must understand that particular worldview and then with the teaching of Jesus Christ, an apologetic argument can then be made. Showing love for your enemy is the only true way to change hearts. There are a few interesting points about Islam compared to Christianity. One major point was the idea of grace. “Because Muslims do not understand the concept of grace (undeserved forgiveness through the blood of Christ), tangential arguments do not reach the core of the Problem.”[6] Since Muslims don’t have a true understanding of grace, Christians showing love, and compassion, the nature of Jesus Christ will go a long way in proving Christians aren’t hostile and evil, as the leaders of radical Islam leads many to believe. In the wake of 9/11 Christians have grown to treat Muslims like outsiders, as a threatening intruder in a home, that must be dealt with. Understanding that not all Muslims condone terroristic actions is perhaps one of the first ways Christians can help mend the growing gap between two cultures. What Christians fail to understand, and it is important to realize that Christians who do not study God’s word, and truly dives into the teachings of Jesus Christ are partially responsible for the growing stigma and subsequent hatred of Muslims in the United States.

When a Christian talks to a Muslim the only true thing that matters is Christ. As fate would have it, God loves the little details, “The Qur’an presents Jesus as a miracle worker (2:49; 5:110) who brings signs (2:87, 253; possibly 5:75; 43:63; 61:6) and even speaks as an infant to establish himself as a prophet sent from God (19:29, 30)”[7] The separation comes where Muslims do not believe Christ was God and rejects the resurrection, and the trinity. However when you consider the timing of the Qur’an being written AD 653, although it does agree with the life of Jesus Christ, it denies the crucifixion of Christ, which shows the book is fallible. There are non-Biblical accounts of the Nazarene’s death.[8] There are four major points to consider when discussing Jesus to any Muslim. Before those four points it needs to be understood that Muslims who truly understands the Qur’an knows that Jesus is held in highest regard in their faith. Because of that, it is not necessary to try and prove his existence. What’s needed is to show his resurrection and divinity. This can be done if it is universally believed he was truly raised from the dead after three days in fulfillment of the scripture. The four points are, Jews, Christians, and Romans all knew where Jesus would be buried because of the man who buried him, Joseph of Arimathea, in a tomb just outside the city. Second, all major parties all agreed the tomb was in fact empty to include the Romans in which guards were placed to protect the tomb. These guards would have been Roman guards, and they all knew failure meant certain death.[9] Everyone knew the stone placed in front of the tomb would have weighed around 450 pounds, and would not have been easily moved. This makes the theory that Jesus’ body was stolen to be highly unlikely. Another point to this second idea was at the time of the crucifixion most of Jesus’ followers fled and went into hiding, so they were not organized until later. Third, according to Lee Strobel “on multiple occasions in under various circumstances, different individuals and groups experienced appearances of Jesus alive from the dead.”[10] The Roman Empire and the Sanhedrin would have been able to eliminate a few frightened followers, but instead, the sheer number of witnesses to the divine resurrection, there was no possible way either group, Jew or Roman would be able to stop the fire that was lit. Jesus Christ showed the world he was the Son of God, and the most powerful empire in the world would never be able to stomp out the truth. Fourth, before the accounts of the risen Christ, the disciples were afraid to be seen in public because they did not want to die for something they themselves doubted. Many were not sure Christ would actually rise and because of that, after the resurrection and walking with the risen Jesus Christ for forty days, they became bold, and no longer hid in the shadows. Even knowing they would be persecuted for preaching and teaching the word of Jesus Christ, they refused to yield. Knowing the penalty of blasphemy would be torture and maybe even to be crucified. Not one Apostle recanted their story about Christ. Each one that was murdered and martyred remained faithful and truthful about what they personally experienced.

There are many, who have attacked the Christian faith over the years, but recently there are two that stand out because when they did they were deemed experts in their fields, and both started as devout atheists. Lee Strobel who was a journalist started investigating Christianity and despite his best efforts, he was unable to prove the hoax, and eventually converted to Christianity after following the evidence he uncovered. Second is a man by the name of J. Warner Wallace, a Los Angeles cold case detective, and also a devout atheist set off on a mission once and for all to debunk the lie that was the Bible. Wallace believed he could use his experiences as a cold case detective to attack the Bible much like a cold case, and prove discrepancies within the testimony of the four eyewitness accounts. Despite his best efforts, and his desire to prove atheism was the way, he began to understand that the truth didn’t match his desired outcome. He realized how difficult it would be to keep a dozen people engaged in a conspiracy in the overwhelming pressure from the Romans and Jews.[11] Also, one of the biggest pieces of evidence is that so early on, every single Apostle was willing to go to their death, and no one goes to their death for something they ‘know’ to be a lie. Because of these pieces of evidence, it allows Christians to have an open discussion with Muslims and with a common background it can lead into a conversation. Knowing that the Muslim faith stemmed from Abraham’s disobedience and the baby that came of it, it is easy to understand that a long line of hatred towards Jews would be in place. The half brother was cast out and exiled away from home. It is easy to imagine how upsetting that could be. Christians are fighting a blood feud with their stepsiblings, and the teaching of love by Jesus Christ is the only way to extend an olive branch of peace.

 

Terrorism Strikes The United States

Prior to September 11th2001, terrorism largely seemed to be a problem that government faced overseas, not in the pride lands of the United States. The heart of New York City was struck a major blow as two planes crashed into the world trade center, one plane crashed into the pentagon, and another crashed in the fields of Pennsylvania. The fight against radical Islam came to the front door uninvited. Much like Pearl Harbor, the United States was not looking for a war, but when the time came, it truly was inevitable. As combat missions started in Iraq, and Afghanistan a military strategy was established and executed, but sadly no endgame was clearly drawn. The reason there was no exit strategy is because fighting an Idea is not as simple as fighting an organized military. Guerrilla warfare, secret meetings, and blending in with the population are all challenges faced in fighting organized terror. The long-term effect after Iraq was evident with the birth of ISIS and as they begun retaking cities one after another. The prize city of Ar-Ramadi fell to the hands of ISIS showing the vain efforts of nearly ten years of war in Iraq. The question of what was accomplished was answered, and it was very little. A country like the United States is well versed in military strategy, and very good at fighting a traditional military. The problem with terrorism is it isn’t traditional, and the Untied States has not put enough effort in learning about its enemy to truly mount a sustainable offense, or defense. After 9/11 a commission was filed to improve homeland security. This commission would end up leading to what became knows as the Patriot Act. “The principal focus of the patriot act is to provide law forcement agencies with the proper legal authority to support their efforts to collect information on the suspected terrorists, to detain people suspected of being or aiding terrorists and terrorist organizations, to deter terrorists from entering and operating within the borders of United States, and to further limit the ability of terrorists to engage in money-laundering activities that support terrorist actions.”[12] While it’s important to seek out those who want to do harm to this country, it is important to note that at the same time, it is also important to do humanitarian missions, and to build outreach so that hate, does not continue to breed hate. With only 30% of Muslims that feel that violent actions are ever necessary, that leaves 70% willing to have a conversation about the violence.[13]

 

Conclusion

Jesus spoke of loving your enemy and forgiving sins. The book of Corinthians, Paul explains what love is. Christians must understand the reasoning behind such terroristic acts and a decision must be made how to extend an olive branch of peace to more liberal leaning Muslims. Radical Islam does not actually have overwhelming support like much of the U.S. thinks it does. Christians must approach radical Islam with love and understanding. Christians must appeal to the hearts and minds of Muslims who do not condone the actions of those terrorist organizations, and in time, it must be liberal Muslims who deal the crippling blow to the ideology that has caused nearly the number of deaths as genocide. Together Christians and Muslims as now distant cousins can join force to defeat a common enemy. The common thread is Jesus Christ, and through the love of Christ we can work together. Jesus Christ is noted in the Qu’ran enough to make him influential, and with a little apologetic push, a common bond can be made. The radical Islamic fight is an internal struggle between warring sects of the same faith, and therefore an Islamic focused problem. With the old saying ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’ Christians and Muslims can put their differences aside and focus on a mutual threat. As ISIS and other terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda continually threaten the lives and safety of innocent Muslims around the world, it is clear that it is imperative the two faiths come together and put nearly two thousand years of animosity aside.

 

Bibliography

Azumah, John A. “Challenging Radical Islam.” First Things, no. 249 (01, 2015): 33-7, http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1645114378?accountid=12085.

 

Bullock, Jane A., George D. Haddow, and Damon P. Coppola. Introduction to Homeland Security: Principles of All-hazards Response. Fourth ed. Waltham, MA: Butterworth Heinemann, 2013.

 

Hindson, Edward E., and Ergun Mehmet. Caner. The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics. Eugene, Or.: Harvest House Publishers, 2008.

 

Lipka, Michael. “Muslims and Islam: Key Findings in the U.S. and around the World.” Pew Research Center. August 09, 2017. Accessed August 04, 2018. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/08/09/muslims-and-islam-key-findings-in-the-u-s-and-around-the-world/.

 

Lipka, Michael. “Muslims and Islam: Key Findings in the U.S. and around the World.” Pew Research Center. August 09, 2017. Accessed August 15, 2018. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/08/09/muslims-and-islam-key-findings-in-the-u-s-and-around-the-world/.

 

MacArthur, John. The MacArthur Study Bible. LA Habra, CA: Thomas Nelson, 2006.

 

McDowell, Josh, and Sean McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-changing Truth for a Skeptical World. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2017.

 

Strobel, Lee, and Jane Vogel. The Case for Christ: A Journalists Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2017.

 

Strobel, Lee. The Case for Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.com, 2000.

 

Wallace, J. Warner. Cold-case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels. Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook, 2013.

 

Wiktorowicz, Quintan, and Karl Kaltenthaler. “The rationality of radical Islam.” Political Science Quarterly 131, no. 2 (2016): 421+. General OneFile (accessed July 22, 2018). http://link.galegroup.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/apps/doc/A458267314/ITOF?u=vic_liberty&sid=ITOF&xid=2130f7b2.

 

 

[1]David Masci, “World’s Muslim Population More Widespread than You Might Think,” Pew Research Center, January 31, 2017, , accessed August 04, 2018, http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/01/31/worlds-muslim-population-more-widespread-than-you-might-think/.

[2]Hindson, Edward E., and Ergun Mehmet. Caner. The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics. Eugene, Or.: Harvest House Publishers, 2008.

 

[3]MacArthur, John. The MacArthur Study Bible. LA Habra, CA: Thomas Nelson, 2006.

 

[4]Azumah, John A. “CHALLENGING RADICAL ISLAM.” First Things, no. 249 (01, 2015): 33-7, http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1645114378?accountid=12085.

 

2Azumah, John A. “CHALLENGING RADICAL ISLAM.” First Things, no. 249 (01, 2015): 33-7, http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1645114378?accountid=12085.

[5]Wiktorowicz, Quintan, and Karl Kaltenthaler. “The rationality of radical Islam.” Political Science Quarterly 131, no. 2 (2016): 421+. General OneFile (accessed July 22, 2018). http://link.galegroup.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/apps/doc/A458267314/ITOF?u=vic_liberty&sid=ITOF&xid=2130f7b

 

[6]Hindson, Edward E., and Ergun Mehmet. Caner. The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics. Eugene, Or.: Harvest House Publishers, 2008.

 

[7]McDowell, Josh, and Sean McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-changing Truth for a Skeptical World. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2017.

 

[8]Strobel, Lee, and Jane Vogel. The Case for Christ: A Journalists Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2017.

[9]Mcdowell, Josh, and Sean McDowell

[10]Strobel, Lee. The Case for Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.com, 2000.

 

[11]Wallace, J. Warner. Cold-case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels. Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook, 2013.

 

[12]Bullock, Jane A., George D. Haddow, and Damon P. Coppola. Introduction to Homeland Security: Principles of All-hazards Response. Fourth ed. Waltham, MA: Butterworth Heinemann, 2013.

 

[13]Michael Lipka, “Muslims and Islam: Key Findings in the U.S. and around the World,” Pew Research Center, August 09, 2017, , accessed August 15, 2018, http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/08/09/muslims-and-islam-key-findings-in-the-u-s-and-around-the-world/.

 

I a Disciple of Christ

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I a Disciple of Christ:

I a preacher and disciple of Christ call to you believer and non-believers.  You all have suffered long but I give you a message of hope. You grow weary from trial after trial. I give you hope in the storm. The storms will always remain but now I give you the light that shines through every darkness, brings hope to the hopeless, restores faith to the faithless, and heals the sick. John 14:6“6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Even when 100 things are going wrong the hope will always remain. Do not forget what gives us the blessings of eternal life. The blood shed of Christ to fulfill the trinity that’s always been, down to the ground covering all of the earth in righteous grace forgiving us of our eternal sin.

You are not saved in chance, for you are saved with glorious grace. It brings our Lord joy for you to receive mercy. Jesus came not to be served but to serve, so shall we serve others before ourselves. Who are you? Do you know who you are, and can you tell others what defines you? Do others see you by the content of your heart, or do they see the hypocrisy that runs rampant in the streets? In God you will be strengthened and made sharp in the fires experienced here in this life. Walk by faith and don’t loose hope in the marathon. Run with endurance with trust in the Father as we look to the cross to be our finish line. Remember to fight the fight but do not loose sight of what it is your fighting for. It will never be the troubles you face that are the true fight, but the temptations and attacks of the Devil trying to break you. If God blesses your heart and sealed His graces, let no Devil, no demon, no man, crack the bonds made. No troubles shall break you or sink your ship. Always remember your why and the Lord will smooth your travels. The trials will be many, but that shall never remove your salvation or grace.

The Lord is a merciful God, and a loving God, but never tempt God. Never worship idols in place of God, and never lift anything higher lest you sin unknowingly. The love of money, and of possessions shall never bring you peace. The days of works shall never bring you salvation. The laws never will you keep though you shall surly try. Bring yourself humbly on bended knee to the Lord, and sing praises. I come to you a follower of the Lord, saved in my sins, forgiven of my trespasses, led by the spirit to bring you the good news shared to me. The long awaited messiah from the days of old came and spilt blood for all. We no longer live in darkness, and we shall not suffer long. The one way to peace is through our Lord Jesus Christ. Do not grow weary along the way for we remember the verses of Kings. Psalms 23“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2  He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.[a] 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness[b] for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,[c] I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely[d] goodness and mercy[e] shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell[f] in the house of the Lord forever.[g]”

My biggest hope is in your travels you don’t loose sight of why we travel. I do not want you to loose sight of what it is we’re fighting for, and why. It’s so easy to get caught up in the day to day, the routine, but after a while we forget to live by the message. While I was watching the Book of Eli recently it kept with the message that Paul was telling the people of Ephesus, do not loose sight of the mission.

The Book Of ELI

Solara: I didn’t think you’d ever give up the book, I thought it was too important to you

Eli: It was, I was carrying and reading it everyday, got so caught up in protecting it, I forgot to live by what I’d learnt from it

Solara: And what’s that?

Eli: To do more for others than you do for yourself

In the Book of Revelation we see Ephesus applauded for their great works, but in the end, they lost sight of their first love. I believe this is referring to, you fought, but over time you forgot why you were fighting. We must be cautious in our walk that it’s not just sitting in the pew on Sunday, saying the prayers, singing the songs, but that it’s about allowing the word to invoke the Holy Spirit within us, renewing our flame for Christ and encouraging us to carry on fighting for our Lord. The spiritual battles wage on every day and night, and we are caught in the middle. We are soldiers on the front line and we must understand what’s at stake. Christ is destined to win the war, but nothing is written about you and I. We fight on the front line and we choose what side to fight for. There will be casualties along the way. We must pray with our might, give thanks to God for each and every one of our blessings, and always ask for guidance. When we become weary of the race, we see reminder in Ephesians 6:18-20“18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.” We as Christians must remember to wear our chains as a badge of honor. As Paul’s wordplay is not lost here, the Greek word used means a prisoner’s shackles, however, during that time ambassadors wore a gold adornment around the neck and wrists as a symbol of riches, power, and dignity of the government for which they represented. Paul I believe is speaking of course that he is in prison and he wears his shackles with pride as he’s in prison because of his teaching of Christ. He’s proud and through the entire walk with the Lord and everything he endured in the name of Christ, he found peace in the end that he writes to Timothy. 2 Timothy 4:7“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Will you keep the faith in all you do? Will you remember what it is you’re fighting for? If you’re not fighting for the Lord, you may need to adjust your focus.

 

 

Giving Yourself Away

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Giving Yourself Away

It starts of small, just once, just a little bit, and that’s when it takes hold. We give up one small piece of our principles, and then another, and before long the black and white becomes gray. The fall doesn’t always happen quickly, sometimes it’s a slow moving enemy that creeps along scrapping at your heart a little at a time.

We often stand on our principles determined not to give in to temptations of this fallen world. We see the fall happening all around us. We see public figures from government to Hollywood getting caught with their principles around their ankles. We see politicians accepting bribes, actors turning to drugs and more and more sex candles rock the new like never before. We have watched as our nation endures the slow fade in what is now accepted on this earth and ignoring the once proud biblical principles we once stood strong on.

We face temptations and the first time we tell ourselves ‘It’s okay, just this once.” We have taken the step into the quicksand. Sin can be described many different ways. Sometimes a major event can alter perceptions, but I like to think those circumstances are more rare. I think sin is more like boiling a frog. The water is cool when the frog is dropped in so the frog doesn’t notice anything is wrong. As the water heats (as sing grows and spreads) by the time the frog realizes anything is wrong it’s too late, the damage is done. (We find ourselves buried under the mound of sin.)

So many marriages that end due to affairs you see the near identical timelines. “It started off very innocent and we were just friends.” The slow draw of sinful lust can creep in untamed yet slowly as to not draw attention to the danger ahead. Most affairs could be snuffed out with a single choice to walk away. The little steps that make the right and wrong to an ambivalence for those their actions may affect. The truth is sin attacks at each of our hearts differently. The choices we made “there’s a price to be paid, people never crumble in a day.”(Slow Fade, Third Day)

I’ve lived with a broken heart twice as I’ve seen thoughts betray a promise made but not kept. I’ve watched the life I had crumble away. The heart was betrayed, lied to by desire, fooled by lust, and choices made destroyed so much more then a home. I’ve seen drugs take hold of people’s lives with the lies and promises that the substance make them feel better. But eventually the affects of the drugs wear off and more is needed. Then more, and before you know it you’re chasing one high to the next unable and unwilling to handle life. What seemed benign at first slowly turned to tear down the walls of everything you held most dear.

Do now allow the darkness to grab hold. Don’t allow yourself to fall victim to the thoughts that pull you away from Christ. Once down the dark path though hope is never lost, you don’t want the veiled promises. You can’t trust the lies, the whispers from the Devil. The price paid for the retched path is high. “The bill comes due, always.” (Dr. Strange) We don’t need to face those horrible consequences if we stay on the path laid out by Christ. Turn away form lies, and turn away from adultery. Stay away from hate, and don’t give into the fear. We must learn to praise God in the sun, or the rain. We must pray joy, peace, love, but if there’s a storm we must we must pray that no matter where we find ourselves we do it all for the glory of God.

God shines down from heaven today, and no matter what your situation is on this day, raise your hands to the sky, praise Jesus for the life we have. Find hope that the storm will settle, or the meadow is peaceful. Wherever the road takes you today, trust and praise Jesus. While you draw breath there is always hope. Never give up hope on God for the calm waters might be just around the river bend.

Bullies

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Bullies

Sometimes in life you will encounter a person in power and they will be more or less a bully. I’ve been in situations where I’ve had bosses or supervisors that no matter what I’ve done or tried to do, nothing was ever good enough. I think we’ve all encountered people in our professional lives that just made the work experience near unbearable. A friend recently told me, “you don’t quit jobs, you quit managers.” I had never thought of leaving a job like that before. When I put a little thought into it, I realize that most of the time when I have not liked a job, it turned out to be the boss that made it the worst.

The Devil is a bully. He will push you, lie to you, and attempt to break you. The Devil hates you for all that you are. Isn’t it wonderful though that we have a God that loves us for who we are? We never have to work for that love. We’re not judged with how much we work, or how many brownie points we can get. God is fully aware of what’s in our heart and our motives. It’s the love that matters.

When you encounter a bully in your life there are millions of ways people will tell you to handle them. In my own life I have heard the, ‘just ignore them.’ Advice. I have heard the, ‘make fun of yourself right along with the bully,’. I have heard ‘stand up for yourself, by any means necessary.’ While each one of these is very popular, I would suggest turning to the bible to find your true good advice Matthew 5:43-48“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers,[a] what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” We cannot allow ourselves to loose sight of God. We must not allow ourselves to succumb to the darkness. Anger, and hate lead to the dark side. We must stand firm. We must never loose control in anger. 2 Timothy 1:7“7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

It’s easy to get wrapped up in our anger and that anger can blind us to the path that’s best for us. That anger and rage that can bubble up from years of torment, or physiological torture, can be hard to control. We must never set out to find our own vengeance though. Violence always begets violence. We cannot expect to change the world by physical means. Romans 12:19-20 “19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it[a] to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” If your bully attacks you, ask if you can pray for them. If they attack you, ask if everything’s okay at home. Bullies often have misguided anger or rage. Do not hate the bully nor pass judgment upon them. We never know someone’s circumstances, and while it never excuses their actions, it may provide some incite. Generally, hurting people hurt others. We cannot allow ourselves to let our tormentors to breach our heart with hate. We must not allow hate to take route in our souls. 1 John 2:9 “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.”

We must stand firm on love. Let love be our war cry and in everything we do, and everything we experience trust in the Lord to save you, and pull you through. Psalm 18:3 I ” call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.” We have to trust in the Lord to deliver us from evil. There will always be bullies for as long as there is anger and hate in this world. Bullies feel the need to be in power. Bullies feel the need to be in control and those in control often feel they have to force their subordinates into submission. Matthew 5:38-41“I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.” The bullies we have will beat you and hurt you emotionally. They will continue to try to break you down and look forward to seeing you breaking.

We have all encountered these people in our lives. Many have experienced bullying in school, and some in the adult world. Those difficult people are everywhere and in our struggle we must pray to be delivered from the hands of the enemy. Psalm 82:4 “Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” No matter the trials that befall you, you get back up and never let your own worth reside by the hands of your enemies. We must remain strong, and trust that we are worth more then what others can make us feel. Proverbs 24:16“for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.” We must always get back up. We know that for every fall we rise in strength, and we can be stronger then before if we learn a lesion with each fall. Finally I will say do not attack your attacker. We must learn and I must reiterate the importance to not attack your attacker. I am not saying do not defend yourself in the event there is a physical altercation, but what I am saying is never attack out of anger. If you are being physically assaulted you should leave that situation and find help, or defend yourself and at the first chance remove yourself from your situation and again go find help. Stand firm in your faith and with love and compassion live your life. 1 Peter 3:8-9“8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.”

Tough Changes

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Tough Changes

Have you ever been in a situation where you dreaded to face changes? I recently experienced the need to change my cell phone case. It wasn’t allowing me to use the functions as they should have been and it became more of an inconvenience then the protection it added. I think tough changes are hard for many people to go through. Changes at your job can be tough, and stressful. Changing schools can be tough for many. Moving out of your parents house and getting your own place can be an incredibly hard change to go through. All of these things are easy or difficult depending on each individual person. While for each situation everyone’s reaction is drastically different, and while some love change, and others loath it, one of the biggest things to change is our actions.

A popular saying is “some people never change.” Another popular saying is “once a cheater, always a cheater.” While both of these are very popular, how true do you personally think these sayings are? From my personal experience I believe they are right on the money. I think the hardest thing we will ever do is change our personality to change our actions. I’ve always said humanity would never change without a major outside force. I always figured a global extinction event such as asteroid, or drought, or contagion would be the most likely just behind nuclear war. Alien invasion (less likely) could potentially bring humanity together to face a common enemy. That being said, most people do not change without something big, and life changing occurring within their life or someone very close to them. Cancer, or a near death accident has a way to change someone’s perspectives. While we often see a spiritual change in some during these times, it doesn’t always stick. The biggest change most will ever experience is the coming to the savior Jesus Christ. It’s the change in the heart that can change a man completely.

Romans 12:1-2“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” In the Lord we are born anew. In the Holy Spirit the soul is reborn in fire. When the Lord takes hold of our hearts, we cannot not be changed. We must push forward in the Lord and we must face that like the Phoenix, we are reborn in the burning fires of the Lord, and in our new selves we are compelled to repulse the desire of the sinful flesh. 2 Corinthians 5:17“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Change isn’t always easy, and even when you begin the following of the Lord, change isn’t always easy even after choosing the Lord. In our struggles though we should turn to our siblings in Christ and ask for them to help keep us accountable and true. We grow and we sprout from seeds in Christ and grow into a wonderful flower. The beauty in this world is only limited by our own stubborn selves. We often want to stay in our struggles because we are unwilling to change our own actions. We must change our lifestyles if we are ever expecting to change our own lives. I have watched my life grow and change in my financial walk with the Lord, my spiritual walk with my God, and even how I treat my friends. While life is full of tough challenges, changing our hearts to follow the Lord, and living in love, and denouncing hate shouldn’t be so hard, but the draw of sin is strong. Keep your faith, and keep your eyes on Jesus and always strive to change yourself to better please the Lord to what we see in scripture. Never give up hope on those around you who may be stuck in sin, and who don’t treat others with respect or love. It

Hope in a Hero

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Hope in a Hero

 John 16:33“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

 Who’s been down to the bottom of the barrel? We all have our struggles and our trials. Have you put your hope or prayers in someone? If you’re anything like me you’ve put your hope and faith in a person and that person dropped the ball. For me, I have been down to the woodshed of life a few times. I’ve been down and broken more then a time or two, but I’ve always managed to get back up. I can honestly say I didn’t get back up on my own. I have struggled with my wounds, and I’ve been struck a time or two. My whole life I wanted a father. My whole life I wanted an earthly father to look up too, someone to teach me what it was to be a man. I have found in my life one man who I had, for a while, then like many others, in the blink of an eye, that man was gone. I placed my faith in a man and when the time came they were gone. I placed my love and faith in a woman and in the blink of an eye she was gone leaving the family broken. My life was shattered and I laid there trying to find who I was. I was a let down to those around me. I was a failure, and a nobody. Recently someone I looked up to told me I was selfish because I needed, wanted a friend to be there for me. Some would say I haven’t learned anything in the last 20 months. While I will admit perhaps it’s true, perhaps I am selfish, perhaps my ex-wife was right and I am a selfish, arrogant, egotistical, narcissist.

I don’t know what I am, and to be honest, I often think my place in this world is a mistake. While I don’t have much faith in myself, I have to believe that God wouldn’t make a mistake. I know Jesus was a hero of man, a savior to be a great gift to humanity when we didn’t, we couldn’t ever disserve it. Jesus was a superhero among men and came with unlimited cosmic power but was no Genie. He came with a big heart and mercy we could never understand.

When the world has beaten me down and I’m covered in the lies, I know I need you. When the days are dark, and I have no faith, I know I need a hero. I wait for a hero and I know, when I pray, just barely a whisper and the hero of the universe hears my cries. I need a hero to save me tonight, and I know that the hero of my dreams will be right by my side. What is a hero, but a savior who comes in the darkness? Someone who saves you from the hopeless and who saves you when the wolves come howling and growling in the night. God is our Hero and the breath of God lives in each and every one of us. Because God lives in each of us, sometimes God calls us to be heroes among men but we are nothing without God. When we look to the Lord we know that through us God will do great things. God calls on us when the time comes to rise above the darkness and shine a light down for others to see. We must not run from God because we already have the second chance and we can’t waste it.

In the universe there is no one stronger, fiercer, more powerful then our God. We sing our praises to the Lord and believe in the power and love of our God. No greater love then our God. If we are to hope we must hope in our God because there is no other true hero. God makes heroes and those who raise up earthly heroes is a hero above all others. God is a healer, a mercy that’s unfailing, a place for the weak, a place to take refuge from the storm. A hero that can calm any storm, restore any soul, but a stopper in death, and a God that is faithful to a covenant that was paid for in blood. My Hero my God that saves me from the darkest of nights, the deepest of holes, and the strongest of oceans, and I am lifted to safety. I lift my hands to the true Hero in my life. I may not have ever had a Dad, but in my Lord I find my Abba, my Father. My father gives me strength. He teaches me how to be a man, and I will not let people tear me down. I will not let the hurtful words break me. If I am wrong I will listen and make things right, but the judgment and approval I seek is that of my one true Abba. I am waiting on my Hero my Lord to save me. I wait through the storm, I will wait through the pain, and I will keep my faith, keep my footing and trust in my service to the Lord while I’m waiting to be delivered from my pain. Please my God, do not let me fail, do not let me fall. Please my God hold me up and hold me tall. I’m waiting for my time my Lord to show me the way out of this darkness. I am not perfect Lord but please give me strength, give me the guidance, show me my path, and I will take the steps in obedience while I wait for you my Lord, my King, my Abba. I’m not worthy, and I never will be, but my Lord I’m waiting, I’m holding out for a hero to save me.

Expectations

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Expectations

There are things in this life I grew up knowing, believing with all my heart and soul. I believed in the Holy Spirit, I believed in the power of God, and the mercy of judgment that would one day befall me, and those I know. I spent my life wondering where I would be, and try to be the man God would see me be. I wanted to be a good Godly man. I wanted to be someone important to someone else. I wanted to be loved by someone as much as I loved them. I am the kind of man who expects myself to stand tall and firm that this life is precious and short. Our time here is not determined by our own making much of time, but that line is determined by God almighty. I can remember events in my life that shaped my understanding of life, and it quickly reminded me that this life is both short and important, and we as brothers and sisters in Christ must stand tall and be there for one another. I am the type of man that if a few days goes by that I don’t hear from a close friend I reach out to them. I am a man that I will send over a dozen hello’s to people just to let them know I was thinking of them and that they are important to me. All of God’s children are important, who are we to forget that it’s the fellowship, the relationships in this life that’s what’s truly important. We share the Gospel, and we rejoice the Lord with one another. Who are we if we forget our friends?

Proverbs 18:24 “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” We love Christ but we forsake our brothers. We should be ashamed of how we treat our friends. When we have so many ways in this generation to connect with others, we find ourselves busier and busier and no longer find or make the time for the important people in our lives. Luke 6:31“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” I don’t want to be remembered as the kind of man who let evil happen to my friends without ever stepping in to tell them they are loved by me and God. I want to be the man that reminds them they are loved as often as I can. This world is a cold place, and the least we can do is add a little love to those around us. The few seconds it takes to send a text, or a message, or a phone call, it’s truly a shame people have let life, let the Devil pull us apart. We must change our ways, and we must do better. We must be better because Jesus commanded us to strengthen your brothers. Luke 22:32“but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” We are told over and over to stand watch, to help carry the cross. Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” We don’t truly know the hell someone’s going through, and we won’t know if we don’t make connections.

We must fervently love to bring light to a dark world. We must live in Christ and trust the Holy Spirit to guide us in the direction we must travel. While today I admit I truly struggle with the lies of the Devil, I find myself harassed with tears, and feeling lost in the woods by myself. I have cried now for two days straight as I have been assaulted and beaten down. I have felt abandoned and forsaken by those with whom I had given my heart. I trusted, and put my own heart on the line with someone and that heart is broken. Despite the time I’ve spent trying to heal, every now and then something happens to open that wound. I searched for over an hour to find someone to call, so I could hear a friendly voice. Sadly, after all my time searching, I eventually gave up hope on anyone taking the time to answer my request. No one would and two hours later I would fall asleep to my own tears, with just a prayer and my dogs to comfort me. Now I realize how far we’ve come away from the Lord. I realize now how the only true blessing we can count is that of Jesus Christ and the blood to renew us from sin. This life will end one day, and the tough lessons learned, Jesus is the only true place we can put our hope. Love people but understand they are human, and we all fall short to the glory of God. We all fail our brothers and sisters, and while we hope to be there, the truth is, the only true thing we can depend on is God’s love.