He Never Left Me.

It's been a long time since I posted on Amazing Salvation - I stopped blogging because my life was on overload and I was losing control... I refused to trust God... I refused to go to Him... I refused to talk to Him.. I was trying to control things from my end without His help... Without Him Period.... I was so angry at Him... I refused to go to church.. I refused to participate in the ministry that I loved for so long... But - I know that He never left me... Through my anger - He loved me... He waited.. and I found comfort in that... I know I was not forever lost...

I am humbled by His continued Presence....

Crazy Love Week 1

This Sunday is the start of our Spring session in women ministry. As a ministry team leader - I was asked to read the book Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan.. I tried to read it last Spring and I found myself really depressed... The book basically put a mirror up to my face and showed me that I don't love enough... hard enough..

I had made the comment that new Christians might have a very hard time with this book.. It might scare them away... Chan is telling us that we need to give our ALL to God... not just a little and not just on Sundays but all of ourselves... The words are easy to say.... to some... But the concept of this book is so hard for me...

Yes, I love God... Yes, I worship Him.... Yes, I have no doubt that I will be with Him for eternity.... So why do I have to surrender my total self to God's purpose, now? I read my Bible and I pray so that I can know Him better.... Have a better relationship with Him... and this book is telling me it is not enough..... How dare he? Who does this Francis Chan think he is?

So I am going to attempt to read this book - a chapter or two a week - give myself time to think about... study it.... pray about it.. and see what God tells me...

Colossians 1:16 "For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible, and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him."

Have you read this book? If so, what do you think?

Today I Was Weepy

I heard a comment not too long ago from a woman at church.... She said that coming to church can make you weepy... I had never thought about it but it's true.... Standing in His house.... in His presence makes me feel awe... wonder... and sadness for not being the woman that He has called me to be... There are many times when I will be standing and singing in worship and a particular song would start and I would feel that He was talking to my heart..... my soul....

Today was one of those days.... Every message I heard today spoke to me -from Sunday school, to a short skit before the sermon, and to the actual sermon. When God wants you know something ... feel something - he just makes it known in any way He can.... He loves me and He wants me to get it...

I am in a place today - that needs wisdom... I need discernment.... and I need a better character.... I know that I have not been living my life in the past couple weeks the way I should... I have been mad.... I have been stressed... and at times.... often times I feel alone..... There are many wonderful people in my life... in my world but I chose not to seek support... guidance.. love.. I chose to fester and in Church today - I became weepy.... Today - I realized that He knows me.... He loves me.... and He knows my name... Today, I heard Him....

Bermuda Shorts And A Tee Shirt..

Last Sunday I realized that I can be a church snob... I am so ashamed of myself .. Our church has been searching for a new worship leader.. After 30 years of leading worship - our guy has stepped down and is getting ready to retire... and we have had several potential candidates come.... all of them have been outstanding.... There's something about starting a Sunday service by lifting up your voice in praise to Him...

Last Sunday, we had a young man who was invited by our pastor to come lead worship - he was a junior in college.... At first glance - I had my Christian Nose up in the air (shame on me) - I did not like the clothes he was wearing.... he had on a pair of Bermuda shorts and a tee shirt... I'm thinking to myself - doesn't this kid know he's in church???

This young man starts off the service by leading us in prayer..... Then he starts to sing.. and his partner starts to harmonize with him..... tears start coming to my eyes... Nothing could sound any sweeter... any richer.... I was humbled.... The entire service - I was a big teary baby....

God taught me a huge lesson on Sunday - a lesson I will never forget.....

Differences In Religion Are Not So Different

When I was a little girl - I was baptized in the Catholic Church... My father was raised Catholic and mom later converted. Then - my parents decided to try the Baptist Church.. - my aunt went there and so we did.. I do not remember much about that - it only lasted for a short time. I do know that my dad did not like it.. He liked his beer and this Baptist Church was against drinking. Many a time a deacon would show up at our home and my dad would scare them away... or offer them a beer.. thinking about it, I have to laugh... My dear dad, bless his soul was an ornery cuss....

When I was in junior high and high school - my parents had stopped going to church.. I would go to different youth groups with friends and my sister, Debbie. Debbie was nine years older than me and already out of the house. She had become a Christian in high school and would take me along to her studies on occasion.. I also had a neighbor that went to a Baptist church and I loved hanging out with the high school group....

When I started college - I joined a sorority and many of the girls were Catholic. So on Saturday nights (before we went out partying) we went to Mass - no way would Sunday work with the hangovers... What I loved about Mass was it was always the same.... The same prayers... the same.. order... and the church was always so pretty.. I would walk into a Catholic church and I felt like I was walking on Holy ground.. There was a message that the priest taught one night - and to this day I still remember over twenty -three years later.. It was about forgiveness. He told a story about a woman who's daughter was murdered... and after the trial and after some time.. This mother visited her daughter's killer and forgave him.. forgave him completely... I remember thinking to myself that I want to be that kind of person - someone that can forgive completely - no matter the circumstances....

I slowly stopped going to church for a while.... After I was married - Dusty and I started attending a Baptist church... I immediately developed relationships with several of the people in the congregation.. I felt like I was home... I love studying the Bible... I love to worship.... I love having a real and satisfying relationship with Jesus..

The point of this story is this - Whatever church I attended - I knew God was with me. I knew He was pleased.. I was being wrapped in His word and in His grace.. I truly do not believe that God cares what church you attend... He just wants a relationship with us... He wants to be the center of our lives... He wants us to feel and know His love up close...

Yes, there are differences in religions. But if you believe Jesus is THE ONE AND ONLY SON OF GOD AND THAT HE DIED ON THE CROSS FOR OUR SINS.... we're pretty much on the same page. If you believe BY GRACE ALONE WE ARE SAVED - AND IT IS NOT EARNED... we are on the same page... We need to confess our sins and ask for forgiveness.. and we will be forgiven...

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’”

There must be tolerance between religions because you might be surprised on how close we really are and surprisingly many of us are completely on the same page.... God is Good... God is Good - All the Time...

Thoughts on Rapture... on Iraq..

I received this email from my friend D'Nese today and I thought I would share it with you. But first - I wanted to give my opinion....as you know.. I have many of those...

I am a Christian that believes in the rapture. I believe that Christ will one day call up His Church out of the world.. it will happen without warning... without notice..
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 Paul said, "Behold, I show you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will be changed (metamorphosis, a change of body) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." You won't even realize it's happened until it's all over. Suddenly, you're in the presence of the Lord with ALL the church.
I don't know if it will happen in my life time.... Many believe it will.. But then again - after Jesus went back to Heaven - his disciples believed it was going to happen then too. He will come as a thief in the night.. That is not to say that there are not signs.. there are many... and many are happening today.. right now...

VERY INTERESTING-

1. The Garden of Eden was in Iraq
2. Mesopotamia, which is now Iraq, was the cradle of civilization!
3. Noah built the ark in Iraq
4. The Tower of Babel was in Iraq
5. Abraham was from Ur, which is in Southern Iraq
6. Isaac's wife Rebekah is from Nahor, which is in Iraq
7. Jacob met Rachel in Iraq
8. Jonah preached in Nineveh - which is in Iraq
9. Assyria, which is in Iraq, conquered the ten tribes of Israel
10. Amos cried out in Iraq
11 Babylon, which is in Iraq, destroyed Jerusalem
12. Daniel was in the lion's den in Iraq
13. The three Hebrew children were in the fire in Iraq (Jesus had been in Iraq also as the fourth person in the Fiery Furnace!)
14. Belshazzar, the King of Babylon saw the 'writing on the wall' in Iraq
15. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, carried the Jews captive into Iraq
16. Ezekiel preached in Iraq
17. The wise men were from Iraq
18. Peter preached in Iraq

19. The 'Empire of Man' described in Revelation is called Babylon --which was a city in Iraq

And you have probably seen this one: Israel is the nation most often mentioned in the Bible.

But do you know which nation is second?

It is Iraq !

However, that is not the name that is used in the Bible.

The names used in the Bible are Babylon , Land of Shinar , and Mesopotamia .... The word Mesopotamia means between the two rivers, more exactly between the Tigris And Euphrates Rivers ...

The name Iraq means country with deep roots.
Indeed Iraq is a country with deep roots and is a very significant country in the Bible.

No other nation, except Israel , has more history and prophecy associated

With it than Iraq
And also, This is something to think about:

Since America is
typically represented by an eagle.

Saddam should have read up on his Muslim passages ...
The following verse is from the Koran, (the Islamic Bible)
Koran ( 9:11 ) - For it is written that a son of Arabia would awaken a fearsome Eagle.. The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the lands of Allah and lo, while some of the people trembled in despair still more rejoiced; for the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the lands of Allah;

And there was peace.
(Note the verse number!) Hmmmmmmm?!

Find A Home Church - Where You Can Belong

Dusty and I were not looking for a Church home when we signed our children up for kindergarten and preschool at Shoreline. We just wanted a kindergarten that offered full day classes and the public school in our neighborhood only offered half days...We were not opposed to going to Church - we just weren't interested.. we had other things to do.. like sleeping for me... and golfing for Dusty.
I became friendly with the school secretary and she was bound and determined to get me into church on Sunday...after weeks and weeks of her asking me to visit, I finally broke down and came with my kids... Dusty was golfing.... The service started with a couple of songs and then they had a meet and greet for a few minutes... Several people came over to me and introduced themselves and welcomed me... I felt welcomed but I was looking for the beacon on my back that said "newcomer".... After the meet and greet the sermon began....To be honest, I have no idea what that service was about...but I stayed and I filled out a card saying that I had visited...
A few days later, I was at my home and someone came knocking on my door... It was a couple who attended Shoreline and came to invite me back to Church... They were very nice and normal people and I didn't feel any pressure or any weird feelings... I just felt like I met some new friends named Vaughn and Grace...Vaughn was a retired police officer so Dusty and him did the male bonding thing right away.. and Grace was just a sweet spirit.... The next day - my phone rings and it's this nice chatty lady named Christal - well Christal and her husband Joel led a Sunday school class geared towards parents with young children and would I like to come join them this Sunday... I felt an immediate kinship with Christal and assured her I would be there with Dusty and my kids...
Sunday arrived and the whole family showed up... not really knowing what to expect.. The Sunday school class was really nice...just a bunch of normal people like me or abnormal however you want to look at it.... nothing scary.. I was very relieved.. and when we went into Church for the service people came up to me and said "Welcome Back, Kelly" They remembered my name... How about that... it may sound like a silly reason to go back to a Church but that's how it started for me.... people caring enough to remember my name...
We have been at Shoreline for eight years now and I call it my home... my family. One day stands out very clearly to me.. My dad was dying and I had gotten an early morning call from my mom that dad was in the hospital. Dusty was on a business trip... I came to Church and walked into my Sunday school class and told them what had happened... each person in that room offered to take my kids for however long I needed.... just thinking about that morning still brings tears to my eyes...they stood up and laid their hands on me and prayed for my dad, my mom, and my family... my dad lived for a couple of years after that.. He went to Heaven last Summer...
I can honestly say that when I walk through my Church doors, I am with family and friends. I wish that everyone finds or has a home like that...

We Need To Go To Church

We need to have fellowship with other Believers. The Bible has no examples of anyone who was right with God but also stood alone and did not spend time with other believers. Hebrews 10:24-25 'and let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Gathering together in corporate worship also helps to feed your soul. "Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." Public worshiping is the best place to give your soul the 'Word of God' nourishment it needs.

Going to Church regularly brings you closer to others who can love and encourage you. We all have troubles...Life can be very difficult but why carry all your worries by yourself..

It is a great place to pray and be prayed for. There is power when people of God pray. I know from personal experience. The healing of my own daughter.. The power of pray is an awesome thing to experience..

You don't need to go to a Mega-church to worship. Church can be a few people getting together and helping each other grow in Christ. This happens when we get together to lead one another towards love and good deeds. It does not have to be in a church building on Sunday morning. It could be any day of the week...at any location...

I also want to point out that going to church does not save people..yes that's right it does not save people... People are saved by getting right with God.. But getting it right with God is only the start of being a Christian. We need to surround ourselves with other believers to stay on His path...and not fall off and go on Our own path...