Walk Boldly With Jesus

Our Father's Love (Part 3) You've Rescued Me From Hell!

Psalm 113:4 “You've rescued me from hell and saved my life. You've crowned me with love and mercy.”

I think most of us can say that God has rescued us from hell at one point or another. Of course, this hell looks different for each one of us. Your hell might look like years of depression that seem overwhelming. Your hell might be years of anxiety too much to deal with. Your hell might be an abusive relationship that you can’t seem to leave. Your hell might be money troubles that keep getting worse and worse. We all have something we are dealing with. Mine was family trouble for a very long time. It was really difficult to parent my children, and my marriage was not going well. This went on for a very long time. Maybe yours has gone on for a long time, too.

When our difficult times go on for a long time, it can be difficult to believe that God will rescue us from them. Understanding why God hasn’t rescued us from these difficult times can be challenging. However, He always does rescue us from them. Not only does he rescue us from them, but he walks with us while we are in them as well. God never leaves our side. He is right there with us each step of the way. In my Encounter Ministries class, they taught us an exercise to help heal wounded memories. The first step is to stop and ask Jesus, “Where were you when this occurred?” Did you know you could ask God questions like this? Did you know asking where He was when you were struggling was okay?

Did you know that if you ask and truly listen, He will tell you where He was? That may seem strange to you if you are not used to listening to or hearing the Lord’s voice. Well, actually, it’s not usually the Lord’s voice you hear. It is usually more like you hear your own voice in your head or you get a thought in your head with no voice.  But you will get an answer if you listen for one. I remember volunteering to do this exercise in front of the class so the teacher could demonstrate how it works. When I asked Jesus where He was during a specific experience with my boys, He explained that He was right there, giving me the strength to keep getting up each morning. He gave me strength and perseverance, so I never felt like giving up. He was with me through it all.

He is doing the same with you. You might have had some truly terrible experiences. Know that Jesus was right by your side through them. I don’t know why He didn’t prevent them from happening. That is something for Him to answer. I know He was there with you; no matter how alone you felt, you were not alone. He was there, walking by your side. God is so good like that!

The next part of the verse says, “You've crowned me with love and mercy.” These two things can be challenging for us to understand. We might be unable to believe that the Lord loves us for many reasons. If we have never been truly loved by anyone on earth, then it can be hard to believe anyone could love us, let alone someone as magnificent as the Lord. If we have had a hard life and done many things we are not proud of, then we struggle to believe someone could love us. The Lord’s love is unconditional. It is not dependent on what you do or say. It is not dependent on whether you love him back. You do not need to earn God’s love. It is freely given. This can be hard to understand, especially if we had to earn love as a child. We live in a broken world, so we don’t all love unconditionally.

The second part of this line also says we are crowned with mercy. The definition of mercy is “compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.” This is why we struggle to believe in God’s mercy. We know He has the power to punish us. We know we deserve that punishment, yet God wants to shower us with His mercy. That doesn’t make much sense to us because that is not how the world thinks. We live in a day and age where we seem to be back to an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. It seems like if someone does something to you, you have to do something back to them.

For instance, when we are on the highway, and someone cuts you off, you have to blare your horn at them. You have to show them they did something wrong. My question is, “Why?” Why do you have to let them know they did something wrong? Can’t we have mercy on them and let them go on their way? I was driving with one of my sons the other day, and he wanted to get into a lane, but the driver wouldn’t let him in. He passed him on the right, and then my son got into that lane. However, my son was so angry that this man passed on the right and didn’t let him in. Where is the mercy? Where is the forgiveness?

People seem to get so angry at the slightest offense or at the slightest wrongdoing these days. This makes understanding how God can show us mercy when we have done some pretty big things more challenging. We are a flawed people, and we turn away from God often. So, how can he keep forgiving us when we don’t want to forgive those around us? These are all legitimate thoughts. However, we need to consider that we are not dealing with another human. We are dealing with the Lord God Almighty. He can do all things. There is nothing too great for Him. We are His children, and He crowns us with love and mercy, not one or the other, both. He is a good and loving Father!

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, help us to believe that you crown us with love and mercy. Help us to feel that down in our hearts! Thank you, Lord, for rescuing us from Hell. Thank you for all you did to get us out of that place and all you did to try to keep us out of it in the first place. We are sorry we don’t listen better. Help us learn to follow you more. Help us to hear your voice above all others. Help us to follow your path and no one else’s. We love you, Lord, you are amazing! Thank you for all you do for us. We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I haven’t mentioned it in a while, so I want to remind everyone that if you want to receive my newsletter and any information on my coaching program or upcoming retreats, you can sign up on my webpage, walkboldlywithjesus.com. Or you can click on the link in the show notes. There is a link to receive a free audio training on how to invite Jesus into your every day.

I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day.

www.findingtruenorthcoaching.com

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You’ve Healed Me Inside and Out

Psalm 113:3 “You kissed my heart with forgiveness, in spite of all I've done. You've healed me inside and out from every disease.”

This week, we are continuing with the series exploring Psalm 113. I am using the Passion Translation in case I didn’t mention it on Friday. I feel it is so beautiful. Today, the verse starts off with, “You kissed my heart with forgiveness, in spite of all I have done.” This is probably one of the most challenging concepts for us to understand. We look at our lives, and we look at all we have done wrong, and we struggle to believe the Lord can forgive us. We struggle to believe that our sins can be forgiven. How could they be? We wonder if people say God has forgiven us because they don’t know how bad our actions were.

Guess what? God knows, and He forgives them anyway. That was the point of Jesus dying on the cross. He takes each and every one of your sins with Him. This is why Catholics have the crucifix hanging in all of their churches. This is why they have the stations of the cross around the church. I had a friend once who said that he didn’t like being in a Catholic church because it was so depressing. It said he believes in the risen Lord. We do, too! However, we believe it is important to remember that Jesus died for our sins. He sacrificed His life so we could have eternal life. This is something to celebrate. This is something never to forget.

It is hard for people to accept the Lord’s forgiveness if they don’t think about the cross. Even if we do, it is hard to believe that God loves us so much that He would let His only son die for us. It is incredible to think about the fact that Jesus also loved us so much He chose to die on the cross for us. The Father didn’t make Him. He chose it, He volunteered for us. He must love us a lot.

I have talked with many people who think of God as a just judge sitting up in Heaven. He is watching us and waiting for us to mess up so that He can punish us. I wonder how it is possible to think this in light of the crucifixion. God laid out the rules very clearly to Adam and Eve. There was one tree they couldn’t eat from, yet they did. Then sin entered the world. It was not as if we did nothing wrong and the Lord punished us. He warned them, and they did it anyway. Yet, He still sent His son to save us. How often have we thought, “Well, they deserved it?” Imagine if the Lord had said this about us. He didn’t. He sent Jesus to take all of our sins to the cross. Yes, ALL of them, even that one that you don’t believe he wants to take to the cross. He already took it there.

Next, it says, “You've healed me inside and out from every disease.” God is so good. He does this for each one of us in different ways. Sometimes, He works on the wounds we have on the inside first, and sometimes, He works on our outside wounds first. Some of you listening may be suffering from something big right now, and you are wondering where your healing is. If that is you, I want you to know that the Lord sees you. He knows you are suffering. He hears your prayers.

The other night, I prayed with a listener and his wife. The man reached out because he lost his eyesight a few years ago and really wants it back. He wanted to tell me his story as he heard me mention on Witness Wednesdays that we all have a story, and it is essential to share our stories. Maybe I will share his story this Wednesday. I will check with him. However, what made me think of him today is the line in this verse that says, “You healed me inside and out from every disease.” The Lord is healing him. I know he is. He is growing closer to the Lord daily, which is fantastic. However, he has not been healed of whatever is causing him to lose his eyesight. He is positive, not angry at God, and yet sometimes gets sad that he has not regained his sight yet.

If you are praying for healing and haven’t received it yet, I want you to know you are not alone. If you pray for healing and sometimes get discouraged because it hasn’t happened yet, know that you are not alone in that feeling either. I want you to know I am praying for you. If you want to reach out as Bruce did by emailing [email protected] or on social media, Catherine Duggan. I would happily pray for your healing over the phone with you. I could also add you to my daily prayers and the prayer lines I am a part of or know of. There are so many prayer warriors out there who could be praying into your specific circumstance.

The words in the Bible are meant for all of us. They were not just spoken to the people who lived when it was written. They were meant for you and for me. This verse was meant for you and for me. The Lord is healing you inside and out. Maybe not in the order you would like, maybe not in the time that you would like. He is healing you, though. We know this because it says it right here in the Bible.

This verse reminds me of the story of the paralyzed man in Mark 2:2-11. This was the story of the man brought to Jesus by his friends. He was paralyzed and couldn’t walk, so his friends brought him to Jesus to be healed. They couldn’t reach Jesus because of all the crowds, so they brought him up on the roof, made a hole in the roof, and lowered him down. Jesus first said his sins had been forgiven and then healed him physically. Maybe this is what the Lord is doing to us, too. Maybe He is working on the things we can’t see before he heals the physical things we can see. I wish I had all the answers. I wish I could tell you why it seems like your prayers haven’t been answered yet. The truth is I have no idea. I do know the Lord’s ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. He knows things we don’t know. He knows the perfect timing for things. I know it probably doesn’t feel great to hear that. I know that doesn’t take away your pain or suffering.

I pray that God gives you the strength to keep coming to Him, even when you don’t want to. I pray you keep asking the Lord for healing even when you think he doesn’t hear you. I pray you continue to ask even though you feel disappointed when he doesn’t answer immediately. I pray you get your healing and you tell the whole world about it. I pray your healing gives so much glory to God. I pray in the mighty name of Jesus that each of you listening, who is praying for a miracle healing, receives it sooner rather than later. I pray when you do; you share it with us in this community so we can celebrate with you and give all the glory to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, I know so many people patiently waiting for their healing: Bruce, my Dad, Diane, Melanie, Sheila, Marlene, and so many more. Lord, we know your timing is perfect. We ask you to give all those waiting for miracles the patience to wait for your timing. In the mighty name of Jesus, we ask you to give them the strength to persevere through this challenging time until you heal them. Lord, we ask that you fill them with hope and encouragement that a healing is coming. Lord, I always worry about giving people false hope, yet I know that is the enemy talking because there is no false hope in you! We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’ holy name, Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I hope if you are struggling and looking for healing that, you will reach out. I would love to pray with you over the phone or over Zoom. Click Here to message me. I would love to add you to my daily prayers. I would love to celebrate with you when you receive that healing you have been asking for. Please don’t stop asking. If you haven’t asked yet because you think God is busy with more important things, please know He is not. He has time for all His children and may just be waiting for you to ask.

I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day!

www.findingtruenorthcoaching.com

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Our Father’s Love (Part 1)

Psalm 103:1-2 “With my whole heart, with my whole life, and with my innermost being, I bow in wonder and love before you, the holy God! Yahweh, you are my soul’s celebration. How could I ever forget the miracles of kindness you’ve done for me?"

Yesterday, in the prayer group the leader read Psalm 103 to us. I was trying to listen to the psalm and yet I was also distracted. She did her talk about a few parts of the Psalm, so I got to hear a few of the parts again. This morning I decided to read the whole Psalm and ask the Lord to highlight any parts he wanted me to talk about. Well, let me tell you, He highlighted almost the whole thing. I really got the sense that the Lord wanted me to go deeper into this Psalm. I got the feeling that He wanted me to do a series of episodes on this Psalm. This is actually confirmation of a question I got asked last Friday. I was talking with my friend Cynthia and she asked me if I ever do themes or series on the podcast. It’s funny how the Lord will use other people to get his point across. I hear you loud and clear, Lord. I will do a series on Psalm 103.

Psalm 103 even has a beautiful title, “Our Father’s Love.” There is so much to our heavenly Father’s love. It is so vast and so all encompassing. In this psalm, His love is broken down into ways that we can understand better. Today’s verse starts with how we should love God. It begins with, “With my whole heart, with my whole life, and with my innermost being, I bow in wonder and love before you, the holy God!” This is definitely something to strive for. What does it mean to love God with our whole heart, our whole life, and with our innermost being?

The first thing that comes to mind is that we don't have other things competing for our love that are anywhere close to the way we love God. This may sound easy, and yet it is really isn’t. We my think we love God with our who heart and yet there are so many things we love. What if you had to pick between the Lord and TV, would you pick the Lord? My first response is, “of course I would.” Then I think back to all the times when I had homework to do for Bible study, or I felt the Lord was calling me to pray and yet I decided to watch TV instead. If you had to choose between the Lord and sleep, which would you choose. Again, my first instinct would always be the Lord. I would choose him about all else. Yet, when it is early in the morning and I am planning to get up and spend time with the Lord, I choose to hit the snooze button instead. In that moment I am not choosing the Lord, I am choosing sleep.

TV and sleep just happen to be the two things I tend to put above the Lord. Your’s might be something completely different. Maybe you put your phone or playing games on your phone above spending time with the Lord. Maybe you put housework or car work above spending time with the Lord. Wherever it is we are spending our time, that is where our affection is going. Think about a different relationship that you have. If you are married, think about your relationship with your spouse. You hopefully love your spouse with your whole heart. Yet, what happens when you don’t spend any time with that person. What happens when you are too busy doing other things?

The verse says, “And with my innermost being, I bow in wonder and love before you, the holy God!” How often are we bowing in wonder and love before the Lord? I was talking with a friend yesterday and we were talking about how amazing God is. We had a really Spirit filled Encounter Ministries class on Monday night and we were just in awe of the way the Lord showed up. My friend said she doesn’t know why we are so in awe each time as He does it so frequently. I think it is good that we are still in awe each and every time. I pray I never take his awesomeness for granted. I pray I never get used to the miraculous way He shows up each time we ask Him to. I pray I continue to bow in wonder and love before the Lord.

The next part of the verse goes along with this. It says, “Yahweh, you are my soul’s celebration. How could I ever forget the miracles of kindness you’ve done for me?” First, I love that beginning line. “Yahweh, you are my soul’s celebration.” How beautiful is that? Next, it reminds us to never forget the miracles of kindness He has done for us. I think today would be a great day to look back over your life, or even over this past week and recall to mind all the miracles of kindness that the Lord did for you. When we keep these miracles in the forefront of our mind it makes it easier to find joy. It makes it easier to make it through the hard times when we remember that Jesus helped us through the last hard time that we had.

This verse isn’t just talking about God helping us through the hard times, It is also talking about the small miracles of kindness as well. Someone in my prayer group mentioned yesterday that she felt the Lord put upon her heart to start a devotion of the Holy Face at her Tuesday prayer group. She chose St. Terese of Lisieux as the patron saint for the group. She asked the group to pray to St. Terese and ask her to show them a rose if she agreed to be their patron saint. One of the members said she got her rose, however, my friend did not. Then the other day she was walking by a thrift store and right in the front window was a picture of a Maine wild rose. This is significant to her because she is from Maine and because she received a word of prophecy from the Lord several years back while living in Maine. The Lord told her she was like this Maine rose and that he would transplant her some where that she could grow. Now she lives in MA.

There were plenty of people that probably walked by this picture of the rose and didn’t think anything of it, yet the Lord knew Carolyn would be walking by that day and that it would mean the world to her. God does this for each one of us. He knows us so intimately that He can set up something like this experience my friend had. I am sure if we all think about it we have all had many experiences like this. Think of at least one time when the Lord has blown you away with how well He knows you. What is one time when He showed up when you really needed it? When is one time when he provided for you when you least expected it? The Lord shows up for us more often than we even know. All those things that we chalk up to coincidences, are really the Lord showing us how much He cares. It is important that we know this and that we never forget those acts of kindness.

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, we love you and we thank you for all you do for us. Lord, we ask that you help us to never get used to your miracles, but that we are always in awe when we see your handiwork. Lord, we ask that you help us to see, especially throughout the day today, all the ways you are showing up for us, all the ways you are working things out for our good. We know you know us so intimately and we thank you for all the ways you confirm this throughout the day. We love you Lord and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’ holy name, Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I look forward to seeing you again on Monday. Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day!

www.findingtruenorthcoaching.com

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What Are We Waiting For?

James 4:13-15 “Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

This verse is so good because it reminds us that none of us know how much time we have. We wake up each day and take it for granted that we woke up. Most of us do not wake up grateful for a new day. If we are being honest, we probably wake up annoyed that our alarm is going off and wonder how it could possibly be time to get up already when we just laid our heads down a minute ago. I think the part of the verse that says, “You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes,” demonstrates how brief our life actually is. We may seem like we are here on earth forever, yet it goes by in the blink of an eye.

It sounds like the beginning of this verse is telling us we shouldn’t make plans because we don’t know if we will be around to carry out those plans. I don’t think that is what the verse is telling us. I think this verse is trying to get us to remember that tomorrow is not guaranteed. None of us know the day we will pass on. None of us know if we will wake up tomorrow. I think we need to continue to make plans and yet when we are making them we remember what the verse says, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

We have dear friends that we have not seen in a long time and yet think of often. We met this family when we were stationed in New Jersey. Tony worked with the husband, and since our family was 4 hours away, they adopted us into their family. Their daughter babysat our boys and we got together for dinner. Dave & Susan have this saying that I think is exactly what this verse is talking about. When you check in with them to confirm your plans, such as “Are we going to dinner tomorrow night?” They always say, “If The good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise.” This might sound like a cute saying, yet it reminds us that we can and should make plans and yet we can only carry out those plans if the Lord wills them and if He grants us the gift of another day.

This afternoon I heard this song that I haven’t heard in a while. The chorus of this song always gets me. The song's name is What Are We Waiting For by King and Country. The lyrics that always get me are: So what are we waiting for? What are we waiting for? Why are we wasting all the time like someone's making more? What are we praying for? What are we saving for? What if we could be the light that no one could ignore? What are we waiting for?

I have two favorite lines in that chorus. The first one is, “Why are we wasting all the time like someone’s making more?” Does that hit you, too, or is it just me? I find myself wasting so much time throughout the day. While I was supposed to write this in the last hour, I got sidetracked with at least three different things. Sometimes, it is things that need to be done. Other times, it is checking my email, my Facebook, and my messages on my phone. Other times, it is watching TV or playing a game on my phone. Time goes by each and every day, whether we realize it or not, whether we are paying attention to it or not. Sometimes, we get so tired of doing things that we wish we could just be done and finished with. However, we don’t realize how important that thing may be.

Recently, I have been saying that I want my kids to get their licenses because they are 18 & 19, and I spend a lot of time driving them in the car. Also, Sam does not get out until 9:30, and I would love to be in bed before 10. This week, the Holy Spirit put on my heart that if I am not driving them to work, I may not have much time to talk with them. Noah got his license a few weeks ago, and since he has started driving himself to work, I don’t see him nearly as much. We definitely don’t have that 30 minutes of time to be with each other and talk. When I drove him to work, we didn’t always talk, but we did tend to talk about music or a few other things. Now, I see him briefly before school and when I go in to say goodnight. However, if I am going to be earlier, I will probably be in bed when they get home from work, so I may not even get to hug them goodnight each night anymore. Do you see what I mean about wishing time away?

The other line in the chorus that I love is when it says, “What if we could be the light that no one could ignore?” How great would it be if we could be the light that no one could ignore. What if we loved Christ so much, and we were so full of Him, that His light radiated out of us so brightly that those around us couldn’t ignore it? When I ask the Lord, how we do this, He tells me with love. We need to love others the way He loves others. I heard at Bible study this week that this couple was visiting with some movie star down in Florida. This man said that he met Mother Theresa when he was in Jail. He said he only spent a few moments with her and she didn’t say very much and yet he was inspired to change his whole life because of her kindness. There was a British Journalist who was an atheist and yet he was chosen to interview Mother Theresa. Just being around her and her kindness was enough to turn this atheist into a believer and eventually he became a member of the Catholic Church.

What if we could be the light that no one could ignore? What if that was us? What if just spending time with us, just being around us was enough to help people see the love of Christ? Wouldn’t that be amazing? It all starts with love. It starts by loving others for who they are, not loving people when they are perfect, loving them right where they are, loving them flaws and all. We can’t do this on our own and yet we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Ask the Lord for grace to be His light in the world. He has said, “ask and you will receive.” What will you ask for today?

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, we know each day is a gift from you, we just forget it often. Please help us appreciate that gift more. Lord, help us be better stewards of you time. Help us not to waste time on things that don’t matter. Help us appreciate the time we have with our spouse and our children. Help us to understand we will miss that time when we don’t have it anymore. Lord, help us to be that light that no one can ignore. Fill us up so much with your light that it just spills out of us onto all those we meet. We love you Lord and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’ holy name, Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on that journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I have a link on my website where you can register for my coaching program now, even though we won’t start the coaching until the New Year. You will input  your name and email and then when the New Year rolls around I will send a payment link. I will start the FaceBook group now for those who are registered so we can get to know each other and be there for each other through the holiday season. The Facebook group will be there for those who sign up for group coaching. I will continue to provide more information as we go. If you have any questions please reach out on social media or email me [email protected] I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember Jesus loves you, and so do I. Have a blessed day!

www.findingtruenorthcoaching.com

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The witness today is about Dr. Mary Neal. I saw her story on YouTube. Dr. Mary Neal is a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon who drowned while kayaking on a South American river. She experienced life after death. She went to heaven and back, conversed with Jesus, and experienced God's encompassing love. She was returned to Earth with some specific instructions for work she still needed to do. Her life has been one filled with miracles and the intervention of God. Her story gives reason to live by faith and is a story of hope. I will retell the story that I heard on YouTube. I will also link the interview below so you can watch it yourself if you want to. CLICK HERE to watch the video.

 Neal and her husband are avid kayakers. They have friends who are professional boaters who run trips to Chile. One year, their children were old enough so the parents could go away on vacation without them. They went on one of these trips to Chile for her husband’s birthday. They paddled all these rivers and had a great time. On what was going to be their last day of paddling, they decided to paddle a river well known for its waterfalls or drops, not like Niagara Falls, but 10-15-foot drops. These would be exhilarating and challenging but certainly within their skill set.

That day, her husband woke up for the first and only time in his life with back pain. Dr. Neal went on the river that day without her husband. She went on the river with her friends, who are professionals, and a few American clients. When they came to the first significant drop, one of the clients passed Dr. Neal and blocked the path to the channel they had selected to go over. This left her with one option: to go over the main part of the waterfall, which is what she did. As she got to the crest of the waterfall, she could see the bottom and the turbulence and flow. She knew it wouldn’t be pretty, but she figured she would hit the bottom, her boat would flip over, and she would have to get out of the boat, get tumbled around a bit, and then get spit out downstream. She said this is not a fun experience, but it is a part of boating occasionally, which is fine.

What happened next was something she could not have dreamed up. At this point in her life, she had never lost anyone close to her, so she had never really thought about death or what happens when you die. She hit the bottom, and her boat got stuck under rocks. She is a spine surgeon and is very calm in high-stress situations. She didn’t panic. She set about trying to free herself or the boat, but the weight of the water was too great for her to do anything. She thought about her options, and she realized she was going to die. She made a very active choice that God’s will be done. She felt like she had a choice. She could choose God’s will or fight it. Either way, she was going to die. The minute she chose God’s will, she immediately felt comforted and held by Jesus and reassured that all would be okay. She knew her husband would be ok. It took her a while to admit that she was being held by Christ because she didn’t think she was worthy. She learned in that moment that we are all individually known and loved by God.

She is very pragmatic and concrete thinking. God’s time is different. She could experience all of eternity in every moment. She thought she was hallucinating. She was still conscious of what was going on under the water. She could feel the weight of the water. She could feel the water pulling her out of the boat. She could feel her legs breaking but with no pain. At the same time, she was being held by Christ, taken through a life review, and then she felt her spirit leave her body. She said her spirit floated above the river, and when she was up in the sky, Jesus released her to the heavens. She was greeted by spirits. She knew they were people who had loved her during her entire existence. She knew they were tied to her story, but she didn’t recognize them because she didn’t know anyone who had died before. But it could have been like a great-grandparent who would know her, but she didn’t know them.

The beautiful thing is when we are reunited with people up in heaven. It is with an absolute understanding of the back story and its purpose. You are reunited with a purity of love. There is just no room for any destructive emotions. She really believes that the destructive emotions we feel on earth are an absence of love. She said you do not hold onto those feelings when you are up in heaven.

She would have claimed before this experience that she was a Christian. She said she was a cultural Christian. She went to church because she happened to grow up in the Midwest. That was about it. Now, her number one identity is that she is a beloved child of God, and everything else is secondary to that. She loves being a wife & mother. Those two jobs are critically important to her. However, the only thing that truly matters is that she is a beloved child of God. This experience changed her experience of life & death. It transformed what it means to be here on earth. We are not meant to be here and waste our lives. We are meant to go out and experience life.

She did not get to stay in heaven. She came back to life. They did not go into how that all happened, as it was a quick 20-minute interview. However, an article said she was underwater for 12 minutes, and she was without oxygen for 24 minutes, and yet she had no brain damage. When she was sent back, she was given a laundry list of things she still had to do. She was told about the coming and unexpected death of her son. He was nine at the time, and he was really healthy. She tried for a long time to come up with an alternate explanation of what had happened to her. She didn’t want it to be real. She didn’t want to do any of the things on the list. She didn’t feel qualified to do anything she was sent back to do. God always gives us things that will push us out of our comfort zone because it is only then that we truly discover our gifts and abilities to glorify God. There is so much more to her story. She has written two books about it. The books are called 7 Lessons from Heaven & To Heaven and Back. There is also a movie about her story.

Her film is now in theaters. It is called AfterDeath. It is a film about her story. She is hoping people bring their friends to the film. We are all going to die, and this film does a great job of making you think. She hopes everyone leaves this film feeling challenged. Challenged in your own assumptions of what death means and what happens afterward. If you get to a point where you accept life after death, then that leads you to a path where you discover meaning, purpose & joy. This is the life she believes we are meant to live.

God is so remarkable. It always amazes me when people have these after-death experiences and then come back to tell us about them. There is so much mystery surrounding God, yet so much that he reveals to us if we listen. I hope to learn more about her story and see what God sent her back to share.

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Persevere & Receive What He Has Promised!

Hebrews 10:36 "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”

This was one of the verses I typed for our August discernment notes for the Prayer Group. The message translation came up when I looked up the verse on biblegateway.com to check out different versions. I love the message translation because it puts it in our current terms. It takes what the Bible says and uses common everyday language to tell us what they are talking about. Another thing it does is group verses together. So, instead of having verse 36, it had verses 32-39 all lumped together. This way, you don’t take any verses out of context.  I don’t always use this translation when writing the devotional, but I frequently look at it to ensure I understand what is being said. Today, I didn’t intend to look up the message translation; it just came up, and the verses blew me away. When I get a verse, I often read it before and after it. When I do this, I sometimes switch to those verses. This morning, the verses before this one give us much more context into what this verse means.

Here is the message translation for Hebrews 10:32-36, “Remember those early days after you first saw the light? Those were the hard times! Kicked around in public, targets of every kind of abuse—some days it was you, other days your friends. If some friends went to prison, you stuck by them. If some enemies broke in and seized your goods, you let them go with a smile, knowing they couldn’t touch your real treasure. Nothing they did bothered you, nothing set you back. So don’t throw it all away now. You were sure of yourselves then. It’s still a sure thing! But you need to stick it out, staying with God’s plan so you’ll be there for the promised completion.”

I loved these verses because it explains how hard it can be to stick with something. When we start something new, we are excited and go all in, or at least I do. I always want to do it because it is new and exciting. Even if it is hard work, it can still be exciting, and we can still be motivated. However, what about when it is not new or exciting anymore? Think about a hobby you started, and you were so excited about it, and you bought all the things to go with it and did it all the time. When I got married, my neighbor started selling Creative Memories scrapbooking supplies. To support her I started a scrapbook for Tony and me. Then, when I had kids, I got more into scrapbooking. I would stay up late doing it. My fellow moms and I would have scrapbooking nights going well into the mornings. I bought more and more stuff, and I loved it. Then as I had more kids and they got to ages where they were into more stuff, I slowly got away from scrapbooking. Now I have two bookshelves full of supplies, and I rarely ever scrapbook. I also got into running during COVID, and I was excited to go out and run. Not excited every day, but excited enough to get myself out there. I don’t think I ran much at all this past year. Our interests come and go. Our relationship with the Lord is something that should remain a constant in our lives.

The letters to the various communities in the New Testament addressed the people of the early church. Jesus came here to set up a new kingdom in this world. This religion was new and exciting. It was familiar in some ways and radically different in other ways. People were excited, and they were all in at first. People were excited about this new religion, and yet it was not an easy life for those who believed in Christ. Nowadays, if you believe in Christ, you may have some persecution, but nothing like they received back at the beginning.

Right after Christ died, there was a lot of persecution. Many could not openly worship and if they were caught they were put in jail or they were killed. Peter was crucified, Paul was beheaded, Andrew was also crucified, Thomas was pierced through with spears, Philipp was arrested and cruelly put to death, Matthew was stabbed to death, Bartholomew was a martyr for the Gospel, James was stoned and then clubbed to death, Simon, the zealot, was killed after refusing to sacrifice to the sun god, Matthias was burned to death, & John was the only one to die of natural causes. It was not easy to be a Christian when these letters were being written. This is why the early church father’s wrote letters to their people. They wanted to encourage them to keep believing.

These verses do just that. “Remember those early days after you first saw the light? Those were the hard times! Kicked around in public, targets of every kind of abuse—some days it was you, other days your friends. If some friends went to prison, you stuck by them.” This is reminding them of how they felt when they first came to know Christ. They are reminding them that times were hard even from the beginning and yet they followed Christ anyway. They were kicked around, and they were abused in all sorts of ways, and yet the Lord was still with them, and they were still with Him. It also reminds them that they stuck together. If their friend was in trouble, they did not desert them. They were right by their side.

Next, the verses remind them how they felt when they were full of the Lord. “If some enemies broke in and seized your goods, you let them go with a smile, knowing they couldn’t touch your real treasure. Nothing they did bothered you. Nothing set you back.” This verse reminds them of where the source of their joy is. Our joy is not found in our possessions. It is found in the Lord. If we have the Lord in our hearts, then we don’t care about our worldly possessions because we know we can’t take those with us. We know that we have the best gift inside of us, the Spirit of Christ. No one can take that away from us.

The verse says, “So don’t throw it all away now. You were sure of yourselves then. It’s still a sure thing! But you need to stick it out, staying with God’s plan so you’ll be there for the promised completion.” This part is reminding them that the time has not yet come. We need to stay in the fight. We have done so well for so long and must keep moving forward. We need to keep relying on God and defending God. We need to keep resting in the Lord. The verse reminds them that we can be just as sure of God today as we were when we first found Him. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He was there for us then and will be there tomorrow. We can count on that.

The verse I chose for today states, “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” This is a powerful reminder that we are all called to do something. What is God calling you to do? It also reminds us that God has made promises to us. When we have done the will of God, we will receive what He has promised us. That is pretty amazing! We just have to persevere. When it gets tough, and we feel we can’t keep going, we need to ask the Lord to help us. His power is made perfect in our weakness. We are never in this alone. The Holy Spirit lives inside of us, and that means we have the power of Jesus Christ living inside of us.

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, we love you and want to persevere in following you. We want to not only follow you, we want to bring you to all those we meet. Please help us, Lord. Help us to stand up when we are persecuted. Help us to defend you, even when it is hard. Help us to keep going when we think we can’t. Lord, I ask you to help bring wisdom and clarity to your children. We pray in a special way for your children who have left the church because of the actions of some involved in the church. Lord, help them to see that the church is made up of broken people, but that does not make it a broken church. Bring them back to your loving embrace, Lord! We also pray for all those with mental health disorders, Lord. Please break through the enemy's lies and tell them how loved they are! We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’ holy name, Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I want to let you know that I have decided to start the group coaching in January instead of November. I realize we are entering a hectic season for many people. Most people I know can’t add anything to their plate right now, even if it is a good thing. So, I will start the group coaching in January and take these next two months to talk about it and answer any questions.

I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day!

www.findingtruenorthcoaching.com

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Forget Yourself Long Enough To Lend A Helping Hand

Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

I had no idea this verse was in the Bible, yet it could be the answer to so many of our problems. Imagine what the world would be like if we did nothing from selfishness or empty conceit. Imagine if we all regarded one another as more important than ourselves. Imagine if we weren’t just looking out for our own best interests but those of others as well. I run into many people these days who clearly regard themselves as more important than those around them. You can tell in their voice when they talk to you that they are sure you do not know what you are talking about. You can tell by their actions they do not feel you are more important than they are.

Here is the verse above in the Message translation. Philippians 2:3-4 “Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.” How many of us are living like this? How many of us put aside what we want to help others get ahead? I love where it says, forget about yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. I wish we could all lend a helping hand a bit more.  What a better world we would live in if we did. I am not saying people aren’t doing this. I have seen people lending a helping hand. However, I have also seen far more people walk right by without stopping. I have seen people go out of their way to be mean to those less fortunate they are.

I can see extremes in two different ways. First, the person who thinks they are more important than everyone else. They don’t understand why they have to wait in line. They don’t know why the cashier can’t be faster or more efficient. They don’t understand why everything can’t be done for them. Most of their actions are done from selfishness and empty conceit. They care about themselves and no one else. They are definitely looking out for their own interests.

Then there is also the other extreme of those who never look out for their interests. The person who always puts others’ interests before his/her interests. This person has not been treated well and has been told they don’t matter. They have been taught that what they want isn’t as important as what those around them want. They have come to believe that what they want doesn’t matter. They think their worth is found in giving others what they want. They are not really choosing to put others first. They don’t know any other way.

None of the scenarios listed above are good. Yes, it does say to regard one another as more important than yourselves, but it doesn’t tell you that you don’t matter. It says, do not MERELY look out for your own personal interests. What you want and think matters. We should look out for ourselves. We shouldn’t make that our first priority, though.

We need to make sure we know who we are in God’s eyes. Even though we are called to regard others as more important than we are, we can’t forget that we were all made in God’s image and likeness. Jesus did now submit to others because He thought He was less than them. He didn’t humble himself to serve others because he had to. He did it because he wanted to. I feel this distinction is essential. This is shown in Philippians 2:5-6 “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,  who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.” Jesus knew He was God. He did not empty himself, humble himself because He had no other choice. He did this for us. He did this to show us what we should be doing. He is the “perfecter of faith.” He shows us how to love God perfectly.

The verse above asks us to humble ourselves and to put others before us. Yes, we want to be accepted into the kingdom of heaven. However, this verse tells us we don’t have to prove to God how great we are. We don’t have to act better than everyone else so that God will see us and favor us. Jesus was willing to humble himself. He was willing to empty himself to be fully human with us. Because He did this and because He was willing to be obedient to the Father, the Father lifted Him up and honored Him. Jesus tells us whoever is first on earth will be last in heaven, and whoever is last on earth will be first in heaven. Don’t we want to be first in heaven? Why are we trying so hard to be the best here on earth when this life is so short compared to eternity? Let’s all take some time today to think about how we can help elevate others instead of ourselves. How can we love others enough to regard them as higher than ourselves?

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we love you, and we need you to help us. Sometimes, we step over others on our way to the top. Please forgive us and help us to change that. Sometimes, we regard ourselves as greater than others. Please forgive us and help us change. Lord, we want to treat others the way you treated others. We want to humble ourselves. We know we need your help, though.  Please help us! We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’ holy name, Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. My new group coaching kicks off tomorrow night. Check out my website for all the details. walkboldlywithjesus.com, I hope you will join me to go deeper in your relationship with the Lord. Why is it that we will go to an exercise class if we want to be fitter, we will go to the doctor if we want to feel better, we will seek help if we're going to improve most areas in our lives, and yet we don’t seek help growing in our relationship with the Lord? I remember hearing Matthew Kelly talking about this. He once asked His dad why he always told him and his brothers to “Listen to the coach.” He said it frequently. Matthew’s dad said you can get good at a sport independently. However, if you want to be exceptional, you need to listen to your coach. I never forgot this, and after hearing this, I decided to get a spiritual director. I was nervous to get the first time, but I knew I wanted to be an exceptional Catholic. I knew I needed help figuring out how to grow closer to the Lord. I can tell you that it is easier to grow closer to the Lord when surrounded by a community of fellow believers striving to grow closer to the Lord.  I hope you will consider joining me at least for the first month and see how it goes. Feel free to email me with any questions. [email protected] I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow! Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day!

www.findingtruenorthcoaching.com

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A Way Through The Wilderness

Isaiah 35:1-10 “The wilderness and the desert will be glad, And the Arabah will rejoice and blossom; Like the crocus,  It will blossom profusely And rejoice with rejoicing and shout of joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, The majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the Lord, The majesty of our God. Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. Say to those with anxious heart, “Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you.” Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness And streams in the Arabah. The scorched land will become a pool And the thirsty ground springs of water. In the haunt of jackals, its resting place, Grass becomes reeds and rushes.  A highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, But it will be for him who walks that way, And fools will not wander on it. No lion will be there, Nor will any vicious beast go up on it; These will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk there, And the ransomed of the Lord will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, With everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.”

This is much longer than I usually do. I typically pick a verse and go with it. I heard the last few verses of this chapter in Isaiah at prayer group yesterday, and I really liked them. Then, when I read the whole chapter, I would pick a few verses in the middle to share. However, there were a few places in the verses that I didn’t understand. I was going to just explain the ones I did understand, and then I remembered how every time I look up the meaning of the verses I don’t understand, I am so glad I did. Whenever I look up the importance of the verses I don’t understand, I learn something interesting. Today is no different. I decided to look up the meaning of Isaiah 35, and I am happy I did.

I decided to use the middle verses because they talk about the eyes of the blind being opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. I know many people who need healing right now, so I thought these verses would be perfect. Yet, when I read the article about the meaning of Isaiah, it talked about that verse meaning our spiritual ears and eyes. It was remarkable all the things that were discussed in this article. I will place a link for it in the show notes, as it was a fantastic article to read. The article is called The Holy Way by Tony S. Everett. I will share with you the things that stood out to me.

“In today's lesson, the people of God have been living as exiles in Babylon, approximately 500 miles from their homeland. The mighty Babylonian army, under King Nebuchadnezzar, had conquered Judah, shattered the city walls of Jerusalem, and left the Jerusalem temple in ruins. As was the custom in those days, conquering armies would relocate thousands of leading citizens in order to prevent any organized rebellion. The only way home was through this vast, frightening, and overwhelming wilderness. Perhaps even God had forgotten them. Their hands were weak, their knees had grown feeble, and their hearts had become fearful. There appeared to be no hope, no help, and no way to be restored and renewed.”

We have all been in the wilderness at some point or another. A dark, scary place where we felt alone, scared, and forgotten. We feel overlooked by friends and family and sometimes even by God. Times when we thought we couldn’t go any further. The terrain was too challenging, and the hardships were too much. It was too dark to see where we were going. We lost all hope, we lost our way, and we just wanted to give up and hide under a blanket forever. Have you ever had a time like this? Maybe you are in a time like this right now.

Today, God promises that way. It is God's holy way through the very wilderness space in our souls. "A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way ... it shall be for God's people: no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray" (Isaiah 35:8).

I love what the author talks about next. He states that God did not promise to get rid of the wilderness. He did not promise we would never have to enter the wilderness again. He promised us a road right through the middle of the wilderness. He promised us a way of holy living in the midst of the wilderness. I love that! The author says, “The Lord is about to establish a new and faithful kingship in the world. Again, God will do this not by eliminating any and all wilderness space but by 1) changing the very wilderness itself, 2) changing the way God's people perceive the wilderness, and 3) transforming the way God's people behave in the wilderness.”

“First, God changes the wilderness. "Waters and streams shall nourish the dry land" (Isaiah 35:6 cf). "The burning sand shall become a pool and the thirsty ground springs of water" (Isaiah 35:7). "Wild beasts and predators will not be found there" (Isaiah 35:7, 9 cf). "Lions and other predatory beasts will not live in the wilderness anymore" (Isaiah 35:9 cf). "In the wilderness, the glory and majesty of the Lord will be revealed for all to see" (Isaiah 35:2 cf).” He goes on to state, “The Bible is filled with stories of how God changes the wilderness by being present within it. Remember that! Write it on your hearts! God does not eliminate wilderness from our lives. God changes those scary spaces by being present within them.”

“Second, God not only changes the wilderness spaces themselves, God opens blind eyes that just can't seem to see God's presence in those times of overwhelming fear, anxiety, confusion, and doubt. God opens ears so stopped up that they are deaf to God's word of promise and guidance (Isaiah 35:5). God empowers those who view themselves as trapped in their own wilderness; disabled by their own fears. God will increase their energy and send them leaping like a deer along God's holy way (Isaiah 35:6). To those whose voices can only speak pessimistic, contagious, doom and gloom about their own wilderness, God will give songs of joy (Isaiah 35:6).” Those chaotic and confusing spaces still exist. However, God changes the way we see and experience them; from hopeless and helpless, to potential and possibility; from exhaustion and despair, to renewed energy and anticipation. Look again with new eyes at your own wilderness spaces. Open your eyes to see God's presence and guidance on the holy journey of life.”

The author ends with his third point. “Third, and finally, God's holy way includes changing behavior as we travel. In our text, Isaiah describes that preparation for the discouraged exiles and for us. "Strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, be strong, do not fear! Here is your God ... He will come and save you" (Isaiah 35:3-4).”

“Well, that's easier said than done, right? Alone, yes; without God's promise to change the wilderness from burning sand to pools of water. Alone without God's promise to change the dry land to abundant streams and blossoming flowers. Impossible without God's promise of safety from prowling beasts and bandits; impossible without God's promise to change into rejoicing and singing the fearful, despairing way we see the wilderness. Isaiah writes in verse 8, "not even fools," like you and me perhaps, will go astray on God's holy way.”

Well, it turns out I just ended up reading most of the article word for word because the way he explained it was so good. I did leave out a few things, and I think you would get a lot out of going back and reading the full article. The article is The Holy Way by Tony S. Everett. CLICK HERE for article

What I liked best about this article is that it reminds us that God isn’t going to take all of our trials from us. He isn’t going to let us skate through life without any rough times. It is usually in the rough times that we learn and grow the most. However, God will walk through those tough times with us. He won’t leave us alone. He will make a way through them. He will also change us while we are going through them. I also like how the verse talked about the Lord changing the wilderness. He can do that, and I think sometimes we forget that. We may be looking at an impossible situation, and we can’t see any way through it or see anything to change. He can come in and change things in ways we couldn’t on our own. If we are trying to get through this on our own, then yes, we will be lost in the wilderness. However, if we do it with God, He will make a path right through the wilderness, and He promises in the chapter above that it will be a highway where nothing terrible can harm us.  Praise God, He is so good!

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, we thank you for making a way through the wilderness for us. We thank you for being right there with us in the wilderness. Lord, we thank you for changing how we see and hear you in the wilderness. If we are not open to that, Lord, I ask that you change our hearts. I ask you to help us remember all this when we are in the wilderness. Help us remember you are there. Help us not forget to look for the safe highway you created for us. Help us to remember you are protecting us. We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and Jesus’ holy name, Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. Remember to check my website for all the details on my new group coaching program. I am most excited about us becoming a community where it is not just me sharing these podcasts daily. I am excited to get to know each and every one of you and help you grow closer to the Lord. I am excited to get to do life with you. I hope you will check out the website and join me. walkboldlywithjesus.com.

I look forward to meeting you again on Monday! Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed weekend!

www.findingtruenorthcoaching.com

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Guilty Enough To Go Into The Fiery Hell?

Matthew 5:21-22 “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.”

Yesterday, the Gospel at mass was the beatitudes found in Matthew 5:1-12. While listening at Mass, I felt I was supposed to teach on those today. However, while reading them this morning, I felt the Holy Spirit nudge me to read further in the chapter. As soon as I got to these verses, I was told I could stop. What struck me about these verses is the importance of what they say and how easy it is for us to do. How easy is it for us to get mad at someone? Frequently, I would say. Mostly, I would say I get angry with people most when I am driving. I am not an angry driver and am usually pretty calm when driving.

Lately, I am still calm; however, I have noticed myself commenting on other drivers. It seems that people are driving worse and worse as the days go by. However, it could just be that I am getting old and less patient. I am not sure. However, I have noticed lately when I am driving, and someone cuts me off or drives in and out of the lanes, I think they are driving like an idiot. Sometimes, I might even say they are an idiot. This is exactly what I was thinking of this morning when I read this verse. The verse ends with, “And whoever says,

‘You fool’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.”

Did you catch that? If we call someone a fool, we will be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. I was talking to my dad one time about heaven and hell. We were discussing how Jesus died for our sins. We were discussing how some religions believe you have to believe that Jesus is our Lord and Savior and you get to go to heaven, and we were talking about how Catholics believe it is not just believing in Jesus, but it is your works as well. I have always believed that you will go to heaven if you are primarily a good person. My dad reminded me of what Mary told the little children of Fatima. She gave them a vision of all the suffering in hell, and she said to them that more people than we know are going there.

This concerned me, and I have spent some time thinking about it. Then, when I went to an Unbound training, I heard the story of the priest whose heart stopped. He died for a few minutes, and instead of going to heaven like he thought he would, he went to hell. When he saw Jesus, he was told he went there because he had unforgiveness in his heart. He wished God would punish those who had hurt him. I know we hear often that we must forgive, but I am not sure we understand what is at stake if we don’t forgive. The stakes are pretty high. The Our Father prayer says that God will forgive us as we forgive those. I think many of us don’t realize what we are saying when we say that prayer.

I believe God is highlighting these things for me because I am searching. I want to spend eternity with the Father, and God knows our thoughts. He knows our hearts. If we seek the truth, He will provide it for us. I don’t want to be writing about things on this podcast that might be leading you down the wrong path, or that might be false information. Before writing each episode, I pray that the words that come out are the Lord’s words for you, not mine. We will gain understanding if we seek to understand the Word of the Lord. The Lord said in Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

I often think of this phrase when I am asking for something. However, the Lord reminded me of its last part: seek and you will find. Let’s start seeking the truth. Let’s take our concerns to the Lord. Not just our prayer requests but also our concerns. Concerns such as, am I loving my neighbor? Do I love you, God, with my whole heart, mind and soul? Did you know you can ask the Lord to show you how you are falling short in your life, and He will? He won’t show you in a condemning way. He will guide you in a gentle yet convicting way. He also won’t show you a hundred things at one time. I believe the Lord will show you one or two things you can work on, and when you prove to be faithful in working on those, He will show you a few more ways.

When we make a conscious effort to live the way God calls us to, I believe  God rejoices in heaven. I think it makes Him so happy that we care enough about Him to stop and ask, will this bring me closer to the Lord or further away from Him? A few months ago, I was talking with my mother-in-law about whether we would go to heaven. She had a conversation with a friend, and they discussed what it takes to get into heaven, like my conversation with my dad. Actually that is why I was having the conversations with my dad. He is a deacon in the Catholic Church, so if I have questions on theology or what the Church says, I ask him. I also talked with a friend from Encounter Ministries, and she said she had just had a conversation with God about this the other day. Isn’t it funny how we tend to go to books, friends, or religious leaders, and my friend goes straight to the source?

She said she felt the Lord told her we were asking the wrong question. The question shouldn’t be, “Am I going to Heaven.” The question should be, “Do I love God.” This might seem like an easy question. Of course, I love God. Yet, do our actions show that we love God? If we love God, then we need to love each other. Jesus is inside each one of us. At Bible study this week, someone said they were listening to a talk, I am not sure who the talk was by, and the speaker said there are not two great commandments. There is only one. He said the two listed in the Gospels, Love the Lord your God with your whole heart, mind, and soul and love your neighbor as yourself, are actually one commandment.

He went on to explain they are equal to each other. Picture you have a math equation. 2 + 3 = 5 or 4 + 3 = 7. The speaker explained that if we love the Lord our God with our whole heart, mind, and soul, we will also love our neighbor. If we love our neighbor as we love ourselves, we will also love our God. We can’t do one without doing the other. If we attempt to do one without the other, we fall short. We are not truly loving God if we are treating His children with hatred and unforgiveness. Think about a sibling or a friend who has children, and you really don’t like how the children behave. Maybe you think they are spoiled brats. Are you loving your sibling well when you feel evil thoughts about their child? Are you loving your parents well when you are treating your siblings poorly?

I think the Lord is slowly revealing what is most important to Him. I know for sure that forgiveness is so essential, and this keeps getting confirmed the more and more I learn. Now that I know that deep in my soul, I believe he is moving on to the next thing: kindness and how we treat his beloved children. We can’t genuinely love Him if we are treating His children poorly. What I love about this verse is that it breaks it down so specifically. I don’t love what it says, as it is hard to hear. However, I would rather listen to it now and have the chance to change my ways than not hear it and inadvertently end up in a place I definitely don’t want to be for all eternity. Let me leave you with the Lord’s words today. I know it is a hard teaching, and it will take time to stop doing it. I also know we can stop doing it if we rely on the Lord to help us. All we need to do is say, Yes, Lord, come in and transform my heart and mind. Lord, I need you. Please give me the strength to stop doing these things. The Lord’s power is made perfect in our weakness. We have to humble ourselves and ask for help. Listen to these words and ask the Lord to let these words change your heart.

“You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.”

Dear Lord, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, thank you for caring so much about us. You are willing to tell us what we don’t want to hear. Lord, help us to change our ways. Lord, help us to understand the gravity of our actions. We think it is no big deal to call someone an idiot, and yet you are saying we will be guilty enough to go to hell. Lord, help us change. We want to spend eternity with you. That is all we want, which is most important to us. Help us Lord. We love you very much and ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’ holy name. Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. My new coaching program starts in just 5 days. Make sure to go to my website and get all the details. www.walkbodlywithjesus.com I hope you will consider joining me so we can all go a little deeper in our relationship with the Lord. I know doing something new can be scary. You don’t know what to expect and aren’t sure you will like it. What if everyone else is further along on their journey? What if they know more than I do? What if you ask the wrong question? What if you hate it? All of these are everyday thoughts. First of all, we are all on our own spiritual journey. I personally love it when everyone else is further along because I learn so much from them. I have always been nervous about joining a new group, but I can honestly say I have never regretted it. Being surrounded by others who share the same beliefs and have the same desire to grow closer to the Lord is such a fantastic feeling. It is not something I can explain. It is something you have to experience for yourself. If you don’t like it, you can quit. Just because you sign up for the first month does not mean you have to stay forever. You can quit at any time. There is no long-term commitment required. You can just come and see what it is all about. If you have any questions or concerns, I am happy to answer them. [email protected] I look forward to meeting you hear again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day.

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This morning, I want to witness how God always provides. At prayer group last week, one of the members talked about a time when she truly understood what it was to believe without a doubt that God would do something. Her husband had died at a very young age. They had two very young kids.  She remembered the mass she had said for her husband one year after he had passed. Her husband had a big family. His mom had about 5 siblings, and dad had about 5 siblings. I am unsure how many siblings her husband had; I think she had several. She had invited the families to the mass. However, most lived out of state, so she only expected the few nearby to come to the mass. After the Mass, she invited everyone to her house for dinner. She had made a big tray of American chop suey. When she got to mass, she found out that his parents had invited the entire family, and they all came! There were so many people, and they all headed to her house afterward for food. She drove home in the car with her mom and dad. They asked what she was going to do. They knew she didn’t have enough food for that many people. She told her mom it would be fine. She said she knew God would provide. He wouldn’t let her run out of food. The father-in-law stopped at the store to get some potato salad. So they had one pan of American chop suey and some potato salad for all those people. I imagine it was a lot when you consider spouses and children. Agnes said she did not doubt that there would be enough food. After everyone left, they still had a whole pan of American chop suey for leftovers. God is so good!

I have also seen this abundance in my house growing up. My mom would make us grilled tuna melt sandwiches, and there would be so many of us kids, and yet my mom would use two cans of tuna, and it was as if it never ran out. I was always amazed at watching my mom cook when I was younger. I mean, imagine how much bread you must have to have to make enough French toast for 11 kids. I feel like we are always out of bread here, and I have three. Yet God always provided. We never went without food, even though my parents had little money. God definitely provided for my family.

Another example was given at the Life in the Spirit seminar. Our sister Caroline was at a Conference where the worship leader had a screen she used to show the words to the songs. They were outside, and some people in the back said they could not see the screen. The worship leader said, “That’s ok, I’ll pray.” She said, “Heavenly Father, you have appointed me as worship leader here, and as your appointed worship leader, I am asking you to rearrange the clouds, move the sun, or do something so people can see. Thank you, and amen.” Caroline was amazed. She was wondering what was going on. She asked the Lord to rearrange the sky. And then the Lord did, and all could see! God is so good!

One last one that I might have told you about before but is so good it bears repeating. My dad was on his way home from work, and our car died. There was no saving it. My dad didn’t know how to tell my mom because if he didn’t have a way to work, then he couldn’t make money, and without money, no bills get paid. He always gets home at dinner time, so he figured he would tell her when the kids left the table after dinner. During dinner, there was a knock on the door. When my dad opened the door, it was a neighbor. My dad and this particular neighbor had exchanged words before and they weren’t exactly friends.

This is another reason why what happened next was such a miracle. The man handed my dad a set of car keys. My dad was so confused. He asked the man what this was for, and he said, you need a car. My dad said, yes, but how do you know I needed a car? I just got home, I didn’t tell anyone yet. The neighbor said he felt he was supposed to come over to the house and give my dad the car keys. His wife doesn’t need a car, so they don’t need two. The vehicle is a gift to my parents. If my dad got another car and wanted to return that one, he could, but they were not expecting it back. It wasn’t a loan. They were giving the car to them free and clear. My dad didn’t know what to say. God is so good. He ALWAYS provides.

Where has God been providing in your life? What have you been attributing to good fortune that has really been the work of the Good Lord above?

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