Creative Journal

This is the bedside prayer your character whispers the night her husband finally resurfaced.

God,

Thank You for bringing Eric back. I know he was in another country serving for You, but I really did want him here. Not having the ability to communicate with him was really hard. Especially knowing that his life could’ve been at stake at any time.

I’m very grateful for the heart to serve that You’ve given him. Give me the ability to fully devote myself to Your mission for my life like my husband has. Thank You that he’s here at my side, although I hope to never go through this again, I want Your will for my husband’s ministry.

Thank You Lord, In Jesus’ name, amen.

Hear Me Out: Gift Cards

Hear Me Out on this. What if there was a  ministry that “specialized” in gift cards?

I have this vision for people to have a bunch of different gift cards to restaurants and grocery stores, specifically for the homeless. A lot of people want to know how they can help and feel helpless when they see people in need and don’t know how to meet their need. What if there was a very simple way that you could?

The vision I have is that people have several gift cards in their car or on their person and they give as many as they are lead to give to someone in need. I’m not saying they have to be $50 gift cards, but what if you could provide at least one meal? $10 on any fast food gift card would get breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Or what if you donated a certain amount of cards to a shelter?

I know the reasoning behind people not wanting to just give away money. You don’t know if anybody will use money for the reason that you’re giving it to them. I know I certainly haven’t always used it for its intended purpose. The second reason is usually that you just don’t have any money. That’s where the gift card comes in handy.

I pray about this vision. And I ask for your prayers in this vision. If it isn’t God’s, then it is just a good idea. If it is God’s my next question is, what would it be called?

Satan’s Mission

John 10:10 (NLT)

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy…

Satan does not like any of this one bit. He does not like that God’s people are studying His word. He does not like that Christians are busy in Kingdom work.

His mission is to steal, kill, and destroy.

Now I’ve always wondered what was the difference in killing and destroying. After some thought God shared this with me.

Satan wants to steal your happiness. He wants your joy. He wants your peace. He wants anything that is good and honors God taken from you. He wants to steal your salvation, but he can’t. He cannot.

Satan wants to kill you. He has a history of this behavior. Satan wants you dead. And he does not care how it has to be done as long as it is done.

But to destroy? Isn’t death destroying the body? What’s the big difference between killing and destroying?

Satan can kill your body, but what he wants is to destroy your ministry. He wants to destroy any evidence of any work you did for Christ. He wants to destroy your testimony. He wants any trace of God at work in your past, present, or future erased.

Satan is on a mission. He wants to steal your joy, kill your body, and destroy your legacy. As my brother says, that’s his company’s mission statement.

“Christians”

“Christians” are some of the most annoying people sometimes. They preach and don’t practice it. The tell, but don’t do. They speak and don’t think.

“Christians” can always point out a speck, and miss the log. They can tell you what’s wrong, and not offer any solution. They can tell you how to fix it, but won’t help in the repair. They can, but they usually won’t.

Christians who don’t do godly things are a problem. There is nothing like a person that proclaims Christianity, but doesn’t live it. It’s so easy to say you’re a Christian, but a whole other task to actually be one.

I am tired of people claiming to have a ministry but not walking in God’s will. I am tired of people claiming Christianity, but blatantly, very openly sinning. It’s annoying to see people pronounce themselves as Christians, calling themselves leaders, and not doing godly things. It’s unfortunate to think of the souls they are leading from Christ because of their poor example.

Emerson said it best, “Who you are speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you’re saying.”

As frustrated as I am, God reminded me that He hates this even more than I do. He’s seen it so many times. He’s been much more hurt by it than I have. And you know who caused it? Me. I was a “Christian” doing ungodly things, and God forgave me. As undeserving as I was and am, He forgave me. He forgives me.

So the message I have for myself is to pray for these people. Somebody, somewhere prayed for me, and I needed it. Who am I not to do the same? We can’t get mad about “Christians,” when we need to spend that energy praying for them. When we think about the things we’ve done to God, can we really cast stones?