Benny Hinn Was Not the Reason I Went to Conference

For about 10 years, I attended an annual Christian women’s conference. As a state and local leader, I was expected to attend the national conference (it was international every other year) and the time and dollars required were substantial for a stay at home mom of three like me. The sacrifice to make the trip included my husband having to take on the care of the household and the children, sometimes having to take time off from work.

The value in attending these conferences was not just my husband’s grateful embrace upon my return (stepping into a spouse’s shoes for five days goes a long way in understanding the value of what he or she does in daily life), the speakers (we had several Christian “celebrities” in the nineties like Joni Eareckson Tada) or even visiting a new city (we had very little time to see the sights; my favorite place was Nashville and watching a show at the Grand Ole Opry). It was the opportunity to connect with my local team in a deeper way, away from the daily grind, and to experience teaching and worship with over 3,000 women and men from across the nation and around the globe.

For believers who belong to megachurches where thousands are gathered each weekend, perhaps that is not such a big deal, but for a girl from New England where the average church size is around 60 people, it was awe-inspiring.  Also, this was not a gathering of one church or even people from one region. These conferences were a blend of dozens of different denominations who laid down theological differences at the door to embrace the mission of helping to spread the Gospel throughout the world.

God showed up in a special way at these conferences and the music/worship was powerful. I really don’t remember many of the speakers (Benny Hinn was at one conference, but I have no recollection of what he said, which is probably for the best), but I will never forget God’s presence in the worship. These women were free in expressing their love and adoration for Jesus and He was lifted up as the only reason we were gathered. It was not about the speaker that would soon approach the podium, it was about our Lord who had gathered his warrior women who wanted to make a difference in their communities and countries.

Attending conferences may not be fruitful for everyone. Depending on the organization, conferences may be more concerned with generating income for the organization than actually providing a deep benefit for the attendees. I would attend events expecting God to show up, to speak something through the speakers, special sessions, or the worship, to help grow me up in Him and expand my understanding of what was happening around the globe, and He never disappointed. Over the years, I have found that attending smaller, more intimate gatherings can be just as impacting and special. And guess what? God shows up.

Faith is the Substance- Amanda Elder Silvers

One of my favorite verses in Scripture is this-

Hebrews 11:1

King James Version (KJV)

11 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

 

As Christians the very basis of our entire belief system in Christ is faith based.  I dare say that most of us haven't seen Christ, we haven't had coffee with Him, and we haven't had Him over for dinner.  However, when we become a Christian and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit we are filled with the faith and knowledge that He is as present and as alive as any one of us.  It's a knowing deep in your soul...unwavering and certain.  

 

"Faith" and "hope" have long been two of my favorite words in the English language.  The word "hope" became a cornerstone of my foundation during the years that my father was so very sick.  I hoped each day that he would get better.  I hoped each day that God would heal and fully restore him to perfect health.  One Christmas in the midst of his illness my mother gave to me and my sister these beautiful, silver rings with the word "HOPE" etched in them in black letters.  She asked us to wear those for him.  I've not gone one day without wearing that ring since.  Hope is a word which gives us promise and an expectation about the future and/or situations in our life.  We can hope for a promotion.  We can hope someone will be healed.  We can hope to win the lottery.  I realized in the midst of my love affair with the word "hope", however, that FAITH was an intregal part of the equation as well.  Hope and faith must coexist in order for hope to reach its full potential.  We can "hope" all day for something, but unless we truly have the FAITH that it is possible our hope is fruitless. 

 



The Word is full of promises to us as God's children if we will only have faith in Him.  He is our Maker, our Provider, our Strength, and our Savior.  He wishes for us to have faith in Him fully to provide our needs and the desires of our hearts.  Faith is what brings us into the Kingdom of Heaven.  Faith moves mountains.  Matthew 17:20 tells us that mountain moving is possible even in people who have faith just the size of a mustard seed. 

 

Faith is the evidence in our lives for the world to see that we believe in a power greater than ourselves.  We can't be wishy-washy in our belief.  We either do or we don't.  It's black or it's white.  You either have faith or you don't.  My hope for each of us is that we would continue to grow daily in our faith and in turn will see the rewards of our obedience.  Have a wonderful weekend, friends.  Grow in what you know.  Feed your faith. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lesson of Long Suffering - by Amanda Silvers

A phrase that I find reoccurring in my communications with my friends of late is this, "We're never promised this is going to be an easy ride."  Boy howdy!  Now there's a statement I could write volumes about.

Long suffering is described as "patient endurance".  Patience is most definitely NOT one of my strongest virtues and endurance is something that I know the Lord has woven into the tapestry of my being.  Endurance isn't even an option or a choice.  It's a necessity.  As Christians we are promised in His Word that there is nothing too difficult or too tedious for us to walk through with His help.

Romans 8:28-29    
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers."

Most of us during our time here will experience certain life events which put our patience to the test.  A death, a divorce, a crisis.... it is in these moments that our feet are held to the fire and required to make a choice.  We can chose to crumble or pull the covers up over our heads and try to keep reality out as much as possible or we can pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and put one step in front of the other and move....even if it's slowly.... moving forward.

Another lesson that's come into play in my own life personally is this- there is only so much we are able to control with our human hands.  The big picture is in His hands.  We can waste time frustrated and running around trying to orchestrate and rearrange issues in our lives or the lives of others which we don't understand or agree with, but the truth is those efforts are futile.  It isn't our "control" which matters.  We didn't create the universe.  We aren't gifted with omniscient power and wisdom.  It is only a Most High God Who has perfect insight.  We are merely human.  We have trials.  Our instruction is to turn to Him during these times and trust that He is in control. 

Proverbs 19:21
"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand."

Our Lord will never leave us nor forsake us.  He has given us His Word, our instruction book on what to do when things feels too much or too unbearable. In what I imagine as a perfect world we would all live together in harmony.  We would help those who were suffering and love those who were struggling.  There would be no judgment and no condemnation.  We would realize that none among us is any more important or special than anyone else.  God views us all the same.  We were all created in HIS image.  Not just a few of us- of you- ALL of us.

My prayer is that each of you will have a wonderful week and weekend.  Take time to be quiet and listen to Him.  Turn your cares and concerns over to the Father and let Him carry your burden for you.  He wants to so much.  All we have to do is ask.  Be blessed!

Jenna's Dance of Life by Jenna Vick Silliman

Jenna’s Dance of Life

by Jenna Vick Silliman

I turn to You, Daddy, at the break of dawn.

We talk things over as the day goes on.

Your love is sweet, my God, my King,

I love You more than anything.

I read Your Word till You speak to my heart.

You give me grace and a brand new start.

I give You my burdens, so I live carefree.

You show me favor; I dance with glee.

You stay right with me, I stay right with You.

I give You thanks the whole day through.

I keep the music going and praising Your name.

Ever since I met You, I’ve not been the same.

I dream about the future and to You I pray.

Now I have hope and I live life Your way.

I leap for joy and dance and twirl.

I’m glad I am Your little girl.

www.TheDanceofLifewithJenna.blogspot.com

Taking it to the Streets

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. James 1:19, NIV.

When I think of amazing evangelists, people gifted in witnessing to others about the saving reality of Jesus Christ, I don’t think of the biggies like Billy Graham. He is too far up in the stratosphere of superpower evangelism. I think of people closer to my bit of earth, whose love for God is so pure, so radical they exude it. I don’t come close to their level, but I want to keep them close, because being around them is infectious, convicting, and compelling.

Rev. Cherry is a person I just met. He is 78 years old and has been a pastor for over four decades. He parks his car as far from his church as he can on Sundays so he has opportunity to run into people as he walks toward the building, asking them if they know Jesus, inviting them to church. My friend James says he met Rev. Cherry at a barbershop recently, and the pastor was busy making on impact on all the young men in the place.

Susan works tirelessly to love on her section of the city—she and others created a flower garden at a corner that once held weeds and garbage; she and her crew renovated a section of the library, created a beautiful children’s section and began a story time; her block association holds a bike rally and a block party every spring and summer. She also knows the drug dealers in her neighborhood. Susan is slight in build, a harpist, and yet walks right up to these dealers, letting them know she knows what’s happening. They move on.

Michael and Julia are also pastors, but they don’t work for a church. They and their team mentor neglected and disadvantaged city children from the age of 6 and work to get them through high school and then hopefully into college. Every one of the kids they have mentored have graduated from high school. That is an amazing statistic, given the dropout rate in Rochester is abysmally high (in 2011, the graduation rate was 46.1%).

All of these dear people are evangelists and they each do it differently. They live out the scripture from James 1:19 (above)--they listen to God, listen to people, then act. They check the pulse of a hurting community and respond. Behind their ministry is a rock solid faith in the God they serve and they want to touch others with God’s love and the message of salvation. I can’t hold a candle to them: they have poured out their lives very much so like the prophet declares in Micah 6:8, "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

I only hope that as I evangelize in my own distinct way—which includes loving, listening and writing—that I will do so in a way that honors God and honors the people he brings across my path.   

I know my Daddy...and I love Him completely.

I'm going to ask you to suspend, for just a moment, our current cultural climate where gender equality is the norm. That was no where close to the cultural circumstances in biblical times. As a matter of fact, gender equality in certain societal aspects is a relatively new concepts on the timeline scale of history.

Now before my brilliant and lovely female Kingdom Blogger co-writers cut me off at the knees, please hear me out. I'm not saying the patriarchal dominant ways of the past are completely right or even a preference... that's just the way they were. God established the system, and in typical fashion, man has abused that system.

I say all that (reluctantly) to get to my answer on this week's topic of the title I use when addressing God on a personal level from the many names He carries.

"'Abba, Father,' he said, 'everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.'" (Mark 14:36)

When Jesus was conversing with the Father in Gethsemane, He used the Aramaic term 'Abba' that expresses best the relationship between a small child and father.  A term of endearment akin to our word daddy. Why? Wasn't Jesus in fact God too?

Of course, the answer to that is absolutely Jesus was both man and God. We see His example of prayer throughout the New Testament as a demonstrative measure of how we should picture our own relationship with God. Also keep in mind, this was completely a foreign concept to the Jews. To refer to God in such an intimate fashion would have been considered blasphemous and disrespectful for a culture that didn't even mutter His name at all out of deep respect...and religious tradition naturally.

When Jesus provides the instruction in Matthew (Lord's Prayer) and then follows up with numerous examples from His own prayers with the Father, He is given us the true picture of how God wants our relationship to be with Him. He is our provider, protector and comforter...just as our earthly father should be when we are but children. Fact of the matter is even if our relationship with our biological father goes south, we always have our Abba Father. He promises to never leave or forsake us.

I can think of no better role model to exemplify in my own role as a father. I call out to my Abba Father quite frequently...He is and always will be my Daddy.

His Love Endures Forever

Naming my favorite psalm is like being asked to name my favorite food--I like so many different things, even Brussels sprouts. The psalms are the first place I go to in the Bible for comfort food. The psalms of David are especially good stews to chew on, because of the richness his thoughts toward God and his honesty about the complexities of life and faith. David and the other psalmists keep it real.

Psalm 118, since I must pick one for this blog, is like a good Shepherd’s Pie or an Irish boiled dinner (I have to throw at least one St. Patrick’s Day reference in here!). This psalm covers a lot of the ground in my walk with God, and starts with the very thing I am more and more reminded that I lack in my daily life: thankfulness. Then, the comforting and awesome knowledge that God is good, and His love goes to “infinity and beyond!”

Psalm 118 reminds me of the first day I asked for forgiveness and that “he answered me by setting me free” (v. 5). It reminds me that I am not alone--ever! “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid...he is my helper” (v. 6). If my priorities are messed up, I receive a quick jolt of reality with verses 8 and 9. When I am tempted to stray or placed in a difficult situation, verses 13-14 encourage me with God’s strength and care. I am again reminded, “He is my salvation” (v. 14).

I don’t have to doubt my future, according to verse 17: “I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.” Psalm 118 prophesies about Jesus, the author of salvation: “ The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes” (v. 23).

Verse 24 contains the little ditty we sing in church, say to one another, and preach to ourselves: “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Verse 25 is a short prayer that reveals the tension we live in: “O Lord, save us; O Lord, grant us success.” I need saving from my own version of success. But, I am blessed whenever I go out “in the name of the Lord” (v. 26).

Psalm 118 closes with the tasty morsels (or Irish pint, depending on your preference) from its beginning: who the Lord is (God), His creation and power, His being worthy of thanks and glory, His forever love, and His goodness (v.28-29).

I was reminded by a friend yesterday by a prayer traditionally attributed to St. Patrick (but probably not written until 300 years after he ministered in Ireland), and this portion of his beautiful words sums up Psalm 118’s message:

“I arise today 〜 Through God’s strength to pilot me, God’s might to uphold me, 
God’s wisdom to guide me, 
God’s eye to look before me, 
God’s ear to hear me, 
God’s word to speak for me, God’s hand to guard me, God’s way to lie before me, God’s shield to protect me, God’s hosts to save me 
〜 From snares of the devil, from temptations of vices, from every one who desires me ill, Afar and near 〜 Alone or in a multitude."

Psalm 46 always brings me great comfort...

Picking a favorite Psalm was actually a difficult task for me. There are so many that I often refer back to given the situation I might be facing.

From the famous passage in Psalm 23 that I learned at a very early age to the plea for forgiveness in Psalm 51 that I so desperately needed later in my life, the inspired writings of David are among the greatest works of literature in all of human history.

When I stopped to meditate and ponder which passage I would write about today, my thoughts kept going back to the single verse in both the Old and New Testament that provide me with the most peace and joy I could ever imagine.

Be still, and know that I am God.

I literally got chills typing those all-powerful words. Everything else that ever was or ever will be falls under that declaration.

We often put ourselves in a position of far too much importance within the scale of the Almighty. Don't get me wrong. I'm eternally appreciative that the God of all things thought enough of me, or you, to come and bring His message of love right to us. To take on a burden of sin completely the opposite of His character so that I might have the privilege to live forever in His presence.  The concept is far beyond my feeble, limited mind...but I love Him so much...for caring so much. That just doesn't require a great deal of cerebral effort.

In the overall scope of things, people are but a tiny speck in the grandiose that is both the Alpha and Omega. While thousands of years seem daunting on our scale, that time is but a single blink of an eye to our Creator. Even that analogy doesn't come close to doing justice to the magnitude of eternity. Everything that is, was or ever will be exist within the scope of God.

What a comforting thought that God loves us so much He takes the time to show His love through His word and through His Spirit. He is God. I am so not worthy. He offers to be my refuge. My strength in any types of trouble.

How foolish to take such an offer lightly, or even worse, not at all...

Film at 11: My Own Eulogy

I have to admit I have imagined being at my own funeral. I know, I know: technically, you are at your own funeral. However, since I believe that death will bring me face to face with my Savior, I doubt I will also be present in spirit where loved ones may have gathered to remember me. Unlike Tom Sawyer and Huck, I won’t be shocking family and friends by walking into my own funeral.

A eulogy is different from an obituary. An obit is factual and in printed or electronic form; a eulogy is delivered in person at a funeral or memorial service, usually with praise about the deceased, with some creative flair. Since I am uncomfortable at praising myself for 20 minutes (is that how long a eulogy should be?), I will proceed with praising others who have made my life worth eulogizing.

If I cannot be at my own funeral in spirit, at least I can be there in film. In a culture where people record the most inane of events on YouTube, pre-taping the great goodbye is not too far-fetched:

“I love you. I love that you came to say goodbye to me. I love you for being among many of the people I have loved and laughed with. I especially love you, Tim, and you, Sam, Maggie and Emma. Besides my Savior Jesus, you are the center of my life. You were amazing children to raise--I am including you, Tim! ;)--you have each made me proud. Each day with you was a gift, and even now I am chuckling about all of our private jokes and laughter over movies, Dad’s quirky songs, Apples to Apples, and all of life’s craziness. Keep laughing and be kind to one another. Those are God’s medicine for a world prone to sadness. Tim, you really are the kindest and best of men--yes, that is a Jane Austen quote. I cannot leave this life without at least one or two.

To my sisters, thank you for being such good friends along my journey, even when we could not stand one another way back when. Thank you, Ann, for sharing your love of good food and wine and museums. Thank you, Lois, for being so darn cheeky and fun. And by the way, neither of you can steal my I.D. to enter the pearly gates. For my brother Des, I forgive you for giving me a bloody nose a couple of times when we were little. I probably deserved it.

Kate, my dear mother, all that tea you made me probably killed me. Just kidding. I really don’t know what caused my death, but I know it wasn’t you. I think. Just kidding, again, Mom! I love you, and love to tease you. You mean the world to me, as does the rest of our extended family. I am so thankful that God placed me in the midst of a large, fun Irish family--I won’t ever forget the many Curran kindnesses shown to my family and me.

Hello, friends! Chris, you were my inspiration for hospitality and intercessory prayer. Rhonda, you are my soul sister. Debbie, you taught me much about worship music. Judy, Joan, Robin, Mo and Shell: graciousness personified. Sharon, you taught me to laugh at myself and exemplify servanthood. Sandy, thank you for taking the time to mentor a young believer. I can’t mention each one of you; I wish I could. But we would be here all day, and this is really supposed to be about me, not you.

To my in-laws, thank you for your love and for the amazing son you raised. I can never repay you for your love and generosity to our children, your grandchildren.

Gordon-Conwell people, you are so dear to me and in my thoughts and prayers. At least I think you are. I could be really busy talking to Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Martin Luther and C.S. Lewis, and my grandmothers right now. And then my father and I have an appointment to read the Wall Street Journal cover to cover after praising God for a millennium or two.

But lastly--and yes, Tim, I will have the last word--I really hope and pray that each of you--especially my children--will remember something I told you or showed you about God. I hope I did. If not, what a waste. Not that time spent with you was a waste, but I wasted precious time if I did not love you more and myself less. If I had, I would have made sure you knew that Jesus saved me from death and from myself, and how much I want you to know His love and saving grace.

Some of you have told me my laughter is infectious. Or annoying. You know who you are. Well, so is God’s love. Infectious, I mean--not annoying! I pray I shared both love and laughter.”

John Lennon was right...God is all you need.

I'm going to take a little different angle on my favorite Bible verse than I did back in a January post. While the previously posted reason for 1 John 4:8 being my personal favorite still resonate very strongly for me, I've come to understand more clearly just how this passage completely ties the Bible together.

 My post today may come across as an apologetic position to justify the existence of God. Please believe that is not my intent. While my points will have apologetic tone, the deeper understanding I now have on just how important the statement God is love  is for all Christians has only added to my overall peace and personal joy in my daily walk. 

One of the struggles during my 'dark years' away from God's intended path for my life was reconciling the concept of the Trinity. Is God one or three? How can three be one? I just couldn't wrap my head around it all. Granted, this is a challenging concept for even the most learned theologians, and I believe that's because at the heart of the matter is a philosophical answer and not one based on total logic...well...at least human logic.

God is eternal. Always has been and always will be. Yet another difficult concept for the finite and limited minds of man. Yet we are eternal beings from birth (or conception depending on your position on that subject matter). The word love in the original text of this verse is the word agape. Now, I'm not going to break down into 'Christianese' and rehash the differences between Greek words agape, phileo, eros and storge which are all translated into English as the word love (click here). What I will state, however, is that  agape is not the word we associate with emotions or feelings, but rather a word that by nature implies an action is prompted (aka 'action model' in aforementioned 'Christianese').

God is agape. God is eternal. Therefore, God has always had someone or something to love. But what is older than or as old as God?

Some years ago, I heard an explanation of the following fundamental principle that, at the time, sounded like flawed logic to me. I've since come to realize the explanation far better explains the nature of the Trinity than any other one I'd heard before or since that time. Let's look at the traditional Scutum Fidei or Shield of the Trinity:

  

Working from the Scriptures that state God is love (my favorite verse) and God is eternal (Genesis 1:1 and Romans 1:20 to name a few), the nature of the Trinity actually answers more questions than are created when put into context. God is three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, so inside the Godhead you have one Person who loves (Father), one Person being loved (Son) and the very spirit of love (Holy Spirit). God is love, God always has been love, God always will be love...and that fact doesn't rely on absolutely any other element.

Does this explanation exempt the Son from also loving? Absolutely not. The nature of the relationship being Father and Son is given to us by God in terms we can actually relate or dare I say understand...to a degree. I never forget that He is God, and I will never understand the complete nature of his majesty.

So, I've shared yet another reason why 1 John 4:8 is one of my very favorite verses. I do actually have more...but we'll save those for the next go around on favorite verse. God bless!

That's right...He said the more the merrier!

I'm pretty sure I could do a series on this week's topic a la Johndrow...

God has opened my eyes to so many things and changed my stance on a wide range of topics, so just picking one is a very difficult task. I think that's more a testimony to His love than how screwed up I really was in my thinking at one time, but I accept the latter as a hard fact also.

During my dark period of aimless spiritual wondering, I would often look back at the sanitized life I had tried to live as a young Christian and sneered at the ridiculousness and absurdity. Why would anyone deny themselves fun and pleasure based on an otherworldly promise/commitment that has no concrete merit?

My image of the Christian lifestyle more resembled that of monks than anything containing mirth. I was convinced that serving God required a life completely void of good times...at least the way I defined good times.

Maybe I was using that view as a defense mechanism to justify my own deviant behaviors. Could be. One thing is absolutely clear to me today though, what I considered fun and entertaining was nothing more than a destructive mirage destined to fast track me to the life hereafter. Thank God my eyes were opened!

Happiness is a state of mind that many believe has a positive residual effect on the body. Now I don't know about all that New Age mumbo-jumbo and exactly how literal said symbiotic relationship may or may not be, but I do believe the peace and joy that I discovered in my life at my revival ultimately helped me beat and survive cancer. That credit goes to God though. The lack of fear and anxiety that comes from knowing that God is in control and that living/dying is a win/win scenario because of His grace and love...well...that beats the absolute best drunken party I've ever attended. At least what I can remember...

I usually don't have a problem saying I'm wrong because I've had so much practice doing it. Wow was I wrong in my attitude on being a lover of God and having a good time! Fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ almost always results in a laugh or two...just ask my fellow Kingdom Blogger David Johndrow. We're constantly exchanging text messages and Facebook comments in good fun. I look forward to any chance of being in the company of my church family for the same reason.

Having a good time in Christ here in this world, however, doesn't come close to the eternal celebration that's coming. While some may enjoy laughing all the way to the bank...I'll stick to laughing all the way to Glory. You're more than welcome to come along! I promise we'll have a great time.

A break from politics...let's talk God.

A post from Tony C Today (October 2008) right in the middle of the Presidential election.

Over the 18 months of managing the http://www.stickwithjesus.com/ website (sorry, no longer up), I received a number of interesting emails from both atheist and agnostics. For me, it's easier to relate and respond to the agnostics, because I've been where they are spiritually at a point in my own life. The arrogance of atheists, however, really bothers me (I know, that's not very Christ like…I'm working on it). I had a conversation of the atheist variety this past weekend.

Atheists always want to bring up Pascal's Wager in discussions. Of course, the lack of scientific evidence is also a popular point for atheists, but responding to the point that there is no proof God exists is too easy…"Prove He doesn't exist." I think Thomas Aquinas covered this best almost 800 years ago in Summa Theologica.

So what is Pascal's Wager? Here's a quick refresher for you:

Blaise Pascal was a famous French mathematician, physicist and religious philosopher in the mid-1660's. People my age probably remember the computer programming language named after him in the late 70's and early 80's (and the only subject in college I made a D, thanks Blaise). Needless to say, he was a pretty smart fellow. His philosophy, however, took on a very rigid, structured matrix that didn't allow for more pliable principles and concepts.

In his Wager, Pascal attempts to provide an analytical process for a person to evaluate options in regarding belief in God. This is often misinterpreted as simply believing in God or not. As Pascal sets it out, the options are two: live as if God exists, or live as if God does not exist. There is no third possibility.
Therefore, we are faced with the following possibilities:

You live as though God exists (and follow His word).

• If God exists, you go to heaven: your gain is infinite (best case).
• If God does not exist, you gain nothing & lose nothing.

You live as though God does not exist.

• If God exists, you go to hell: your loss is infinite (ouch, not good).
• If God does not exist, you gain nothing & lose nothing (no time to gloat either).

With these possibilities, and the principles of statistics, Pascal attempted to demonstrate that the only prudent course of action is to live as if God exists. Now that's a nutshell version of the Pascal's Wager, but if you want more detailed information, click on the link above. For those mathmatically challenged, like me, best leave it here...just trust me.

Atheist, for some reason, rally around the Wager as the only possible explanation a rational person could believe in a 'fantasy' like God. When backed into a corner during a heated debate on God, it will come flying from an atheist out of no where…"You're just hedging Pascal's Wager on heaven and hell!" Then you'll get a 'top-that' look in their mind that surely closes the deal…well, not quite.

You see, my belief in God has little, if anything, to do with the fear of going to hell. Besides, you can't base your committment to God on just logic. He wants your love willingly and true. God knows your heart, so you can't bluff or hedge your way into heaven.

I love God because He is gracious enough, merciful enough to love me…yes me. That still blows my mind! The Creator of all that is, all that was, and all that ever will be cares about the most insignificant creation He made…me. Wow!

And how do I know? Because I talk to Him every day. I feel His presence in my life every day. I have His word that has stood the test of thousands of years to read from daily. I don't need the logic of Mr. Pascal and his mathematical equation to tell me to put my faith in God. Jesus took care of that long before Blaise…Hey, maybe we need a programming language based on His teachings.

It would at least be crash-proof.

May God bless you today in your walk with Him.

The Source of Ignition

James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

I love this verse, but I confess, it really didn't mean much to me for many years after I got saved. I remember the flood of love when I confessed God with my lips. I remember how wonderful I thought God was when everything was going my way. I really didn't know how to get close to God. And worse, I thought it was some sort of random chance for God's presence to manifest itself.

This week your Kingdom Bloggers are going to write about a time when God was near.

After many years as a Christian, I began to read a lot about revival. Some of the manifestations of God seemed a little scary, but also amazing. I have many memories about God's presence in prayer meetings, Sunday services and on some retreats that I went to. I happen to love communion, and quiet altars - especially the ornate ones showered in sunshine filtered by stained glass, or lit by a single candle. I really did desire to be close to God.

I remember something called the Agape feast on a Cursillo retreat I went on - and the presence there was just without words. That was amazing!

Certainly God has been near in times of trouble as well. One morning I was on the way home from an early morning prayer meeting. It was about 7:30 am and I was driving down Route 28 from Chatham to my home in Dennis, MA It had started to rain - but I was pumped from a great prayer time. My spirit was groaning syllables that even I didn't know what they meant - but I was connecting with God!

Just past Harwich Center, I took my foot of the gas to slow for the s-curve a few minutes from my house. As I came to the middle of the "s", the truck started to slide (honest, I wasn't going fast, maybe 30) . I turned into the skid when I felt a darkness surround me. As I am spinning out; in the midst of a 360, I shout "Oh God!" And it was like a hand just grabbed my truck and put it going the right way. I let the clutch out and continued as if nothing had happened. That is the kind of presence we need in our lives!

I some times meditate on how Adam might have walked with God in the cool of the day - now that's a lifestyle I could grow accustom to! I read Watchman Nee's, The Release of the Spirit. It was a lot about intimacy with God, and that is what I wanted. I wanted the lover of Song of Songs to chase after me!

The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence was a personal revelation at the time. It was so simple to look for God as Tracy describe last week. But I wanted more. I wanted God to visit me, or send and angel like He did for Mary or Paul. I wanted to get caught up in the Third Heaven and be in the Throne Room. I wanted God, whatever the cost, whatever it took.

I was at a conference with prophetic minister named John Paul Jackson,. I mention his name, because of the prayer that he said for me, and no other reason. He is a vessel of God, and not different than you and I. Here is what he prayed when I went to the altar that evening. "Lord I pray that your presence would follow this man all the days of his life. The when he turns left that You would be there, and when he turns right, You would be there too. I pray that your presence would surround him wherever he goes. In Jesus' name" I remember standing there just shaking in the presence of God it was so strong. I might have stood for 10 or more minutes just enjoying my Lord.

You might be thinking, 10 minutes is not the rest of this guy's life - and you're right.What did happen, is that when ever I even think of God; even for moment, His presence comes in like flood. I can be anywhere - in bed, driving, at work, and even in the courtroom a few times. I love His presence, and God has answered John Paul's prayer.

Even the faintest thought of God ignites His presence.


Luke 3:16 (The Message) But John intervened: "I'm baptizing you here in the river. The main character in this drama, to whom I'm a mere stagehand, will ignite the kingdom life, a fire, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He's going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives.

I wonder if Celine Deon, Luther Vandross or Huey Lewis really have a clue...

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. - 1 John 4:16

Last week, I was discussing my faith with a friend who happens to be agnostic. The conversation was very 'matter of fact', and I wasn't in a mode of conversion...just two guys talking about bigger things in life than ourselves.

At a point, faith came into play. He expressed how the faith element of Christianity was the most difficult one for him to swallow. Normally, I have a standard answer about how it takes no more faith to believe in God than it does to believe in Einstein or Newton. The Theory of Relativity is just that...a theory...and is impossible to prove on a cosmic scale. But I digress.

But before I could even shift into my feelings on faith, I chuckled and responded, 'Wait until you get to the part on love...' Naturally, that peeked his interest, and he began to probe to see my feelings on the subject matter.

Let me stop and remind readers about a favorite saying from my now deceased grandfather- When you're hip deep in snapping turtles, it's too late to think about draining the pond.

I took a deep breath, fully realizing the can I had opened and moved forward with John 3:16 emphasizing the word 'so' from the verse. Then I moved on to other familiar passages, including the one above, before coming to the very passage I would hear my pastor speak on less than a week later at this past Wednesday night's service. He actually started with John 15:1 and worked through verse 8, stopped for discussion, then moved to the passage I used talking to my friend...John 15:12.

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

For me, coming to grips with the reality that I must rely on faith to fill voids left by unanswerable questions was a lengthy struggle. There are a number of questions I will never know the answer to on this side of Heaven, and I'll only know them then if He chooses to reveal the answers to me. I have, however, overcome that struggle to live by faith. Following the command of my Savior to love my neighbor as I love myself...that's a completely different struggle...and a difficult one each and every day.

The word love (or variations of the word) is mentioned 442 times in the KJV Bible and 697 times in the NIV Bible. Most references are found in the New Testament. But beyond the numbers, Christ spoke and commanded us to love on numerous occasions. It doesn't take a Rhodes Scholar to figure out how important the verb love is to Christians. So why do most of us struggle so much with love?

Although the question may be rhetorical, the struggle is almost universal. I can only speak from my perspective, which has seen me make a concentrated effort to follow the two greatest commandments according to Jesus...Matthew 22:35-40.

It is a daily effort to live first and foremost by this very principle, I must admit a greater level of joy has been a result of that effort. It's easy to love my fellow Kingdom Bloggers, but not so easy to love the child molester while condemning his actions... I don't really have a chose in the matter though if I'm to be Christ-like and live in God. That's the true power of love.

I'm not just sitting on the dock of the bay...

I would like to say I'm disappointed not to have a good personal story today, but I completely understand the reason I don't has nothing to do with God and everything to do with me. Beyond a doubt, God has made His presence apparent in my life many different ways. He was there in Hawaii when I cheated death and protected me for His own purpose for a later time. I know God heals...I'm living proof. I know God places angels to watch over us and cast out demons to protect us.

As much as I love hearing and reading the stories of other people, I'm still waiting to see if God blesses me with such a stunning testimony of His power and glory. It's His game and His rules...so I'm also ready if it never happens too. For me, it doesn't create doubt or even animosity because I've not been in the middle of a blatantly obvious supernatural event...not at all. It's actually very inspiring!

Thanks for reading Kingdom Bloggers. You are very much loved and appreciated by five people who equally love to talk and write about God. As always, we greatly enjoy hearing your stories too. I hope God pours His blessings all over your weekend.

It's Natural!!! He's Super

My name should be supernatural.....Well, my middle name anyway...Michelle "supernatural" Feliciano....You'll have to excuse my sarcasm I was cooped up in the house for a day and I just left a Bible study that ran about 3 and a half hours over the normal time frame..So I'm a little Holy Spirit energized...To be honest , my Bible studies never get out on time, I actually warn people in advance, so if they have to leave , they just get up and go when they need to....Yup, that's me..Long winded, charismatic, zealous and excited about every super natural thing the Lord wants to share with the Body of Christ...I have often been warned about staying to long and being to long winded...I try ,I really do, but I am not leaving until the Holy Spirit tells me to....So supernatural personal experiences?? I've got some great ones..When I got saved, when I was baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence in speaking in tongues, the time the Lord healed my shoulder in the middle of a Sunday service, the first time I heard the audible voice of God..The list goes on and on...I love being a Christ follower , it's the most exciting time of my life..There's ups and downs, twists and turns and ins and outs...AMAZING!!! My salvation experience is my all time favorite, but I've told that so many ways and so many times that its becoming redundant..Boring?? No..Redundant?? Yes..So what can I share with you that is even a pale comparison to that?? Good question..Well, let me know what you think about this one??..Not long after I got saved I began to feel this intense feeling of despair and a depression that I was not familiar with..As a matter of fact I'm not sure I really knew what depression was until I got saved..I had small battles with it in my young adulthood but, nothing major..I had not been married for very long..I'm really not sure where it came from, one day I was fine the next day I was miserable..I remember I had so many thoughts coming in out of my mind, confusion, sadness, regret, shame, etc..etc..It was crazy I didn't feel like myself, I was crying all the time.. I became short tempered with my husband Pablo and my children..I began isolating myself, I was quickly crashing and burning...I remember it was one of those days that nothing seemed right, you know when you wish you never woke up that morning??..I just put my baby boy down for his nap, I layed down on the couch with my face toward the back..I began to weep uncontrollably, with my face pressed against the cushion, tears had soaked the material..I was crying out to the Lord begging Him to meet with me, I needed Him to sit with me..I felt so lonely, so overwhelmed!!..Have you ever been in that place between awake and asleep?? Where your senses are still keen??That place where your too tired to cry another tear??That's where I was too tired to cry, my eyes swollen..I spoke softly, "JESUS, CAN YOU COME AND SIT HERE WITH ME?" I think I said that about 5 times..Then,"Jesus, Jesus, Jesus."..I had closed my eyes and felt a slight warm breeze as it blew softly threw my living room, it was so soothing I nestled into the couch a little closer , now facing away from the tear soaked fabric...I soon after felt a soft brushing of a hand across my hair...Then down my right cheek..I felt it physically on my face but more powerful than that, I felt it go through my soul...I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that my Jesus brushed his hand across my head and wiped the tears from my eyes..I know this because I felt it...You know Saints, its times like that when you come into an intimate union with God The Father..I will never forget it!! I called His name and there He was..Right when I needed Him the most...But, that's not the greatest of supernatural experiences..Nope!!The greatest one?? Is that He does it EVERY time I say His name....Now that's Super!!!