Life, Undervalued

Posted on June 21, 2022 by brokenredeemed

I know it’s been a couple weeks since this occurred, but I’ve been thinking a lot about the tragedy in Uvalde, Texas. Part of me doesn’t want to think about it because it breaks my heart, but I can’t ignore it as though it didn’t happen, because I think that’s why our nation is where it is today. Often, I hear people from other countries ask why things like this are so common in the U.S. but not other places, and I have to stop and think, and ask why? First, I know that terrible things such as this DO happen in other parts of the world, in the middle east, parts of Africa, China, and south America, for example, murder, genocide, and religious persecution run rampant. Even slavery continues globally! It just doesn’t always make the news.

The reason for all this wickedness is obviously sin, but a related issue I find particularly disturbing in the U.S. is the lack of value we have for human life. From the first heartbeat to old age, those with sickness or disability, as well as the perfectly healthy, we are made in the image of God and are precious to Him. We’ve talked about the Imago Dei in previous posts, and about how we are to show care and respect towards all for this very reason. But I feel we’ve lost sight of this fact.

There’s been a serious attempt to de-humanize people, across the globe, but especially in the United States. I’ve seen it in social media posts about people being undeserving of life because they’re poor, sick, elderly, or even because they think differently from you! It’s disheartening; and I believe this undervalue of life, only adds fuel to the mental health crisis and increased suicide rates in our country.

Granny and baby feet, taken from istockphoto.com

We may not be able to control what unbelievers think, or do, or say, but as believers we must stand firmly upon the Word of God, and God says, in no particular order…

We are created in His image. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27, ESV).
We are created with intention and purpose. “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them” (Psalm 139:13-16).
Children are a blessing. “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward” (Psalm 127:3).
God cares, and therefore, we should care, for the poor, the sick, the oppressed, and even imprisoned. Read Matthew 25:31-46! I won’t write it all out here, because it is pretty long, but we will be judged for how we treat “the least.”
God cares, and we are to care, for the widow, the fatherless, and the foreigner. ‘The LORD watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin” (Psalm 146:9).
We are to respect those who’ve come before us. “If you honor your father and mother, ‘things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth'” (Ephesians 6:3).
Young or old, man or woman, as believers, we are valuable in the kingdom of God. “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions” (Joel 2:28). Also check out 1 Timothy 4:12.
Christ loves and died for all people. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). And “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8).

God values human life, and we are meant to be His hands and feet on the Earth. We are to be kind, show love and grace and respect, regardless of whether we receive the same in return. We are to speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves, to protect life; to support, encourage, and teach those who feel ill-equipped to parent. To take care of our elderly, foreigners, orphans, ill, and prisoners.

I fear that, too often, we affiliate Christianity–especially in the United States–with a particular political view point and miss out on what the Word actually says. In heaven there will be no American, democrat or republican…there will just be Children of God! There’s no leader, or government, or any amount of money or prepping, that can save us from sin, except the One Who shed His blood on the cross for us. And that’s what truly matters…eternity.

The words “eternal perspective” have been speaking to my heart, lately. We need to stop wasting our time and energy worrying over things that aren’t going to last! This world will fade away, this government will end, the things that will last are not of the flesh, but of the Spirit. As Paul says in Romans 8:5, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.” So let’s be the hands and feet of God, let’s live keeping eternity at the forefront our minds, and sharing the gospel with as many as we can. Showering those around us with love, grace, and truth.

Dear Friend

Posted on November 20, 2014 by brokenredeemed

Dear Friend,

You’ve been on my heart and mind (and prayers) for some time now, and I’m so sorry for taking so long to write to you. I’ve never been very good at consoling people when they’re sick or hurting; to be honest, I’m not very good at congratulating people when something great has happened either…I guess I should really work on my people skills.

However, I couldn’t let another day go by without taking some time to write to you. You know, the Bible in James 4:14 says that we don’t know what will happen tomorrow and that our lives are like mists that last for only a little while. This makes me think about how when you spray perfume or air freshener around a room, that vapor can be seen hovering in the air for such a short while, it leaves a scent, but then soon after, it’s gone. For the Bible to use this analogy to describe our lives says a lot about how short our lives are in relation to how long eternity is. We don’t know what will happen today or tomorrow. We don’t know how our lives will change for the better or for the worse; but one thing is for sure, we are here one day, and gone the next. Many people don’t get a chance to prepare to leave this world; they’re taken away in the blink of an eye, through an accident, medical emergency, or criminal activity. Not that having time to prepare makes it any easier…or does it?

I’ve heard stories of great men and women of faith, who were so confident in where they were headed after their passing, that they had what the Bible calls, peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). Do you have such peace? While this world may be full of evil, hurting, pain, and sickness, I can honestly say that I have this peace. It’s a peace that comes from my knowledge and relationship with Christ as my personal Savior. I’m not trying to scare you, preach to you, or offend you (although, the offense is certainly worth the risk), but I would never forgive myself if I never shared this precious gift that I’ve been given with you, dear friend.

A lot of people are under the impression that all it takes to go to heaven is to be a “good person.” Yet, the definition of a “good person” is different from person to person. Sometimes we talk about something terrible someone has done, then we say, “but they’re a good person” or “they have a good heart.” According to the Bible there was only one perfectly good person, Jesus, God’s Son. So in reality, He’s the standard by which we should be comparing ourselves. I don’t know about you, but I know I’ve fallen extremely short of that mark. In fact, the Bible says in Romans 3:23 what we’ve all sinned and fallen short!

However, there is a God who created this world from nothing, who shaped you in your mother’s womb, who knows the number of hairs on your head, and sees into the very depths of your soul. The Bible says He knows you better than you know yourself (Jeremiah 17:10). When He originally shaped this world, He didn’t desire it to be full of death, sickness, and decay; but full of life and love! The thing is, love comes from the ability to choose and so we were given free will and the opportunity to make choices, right or wrong. Hence sin (and death, sickness, etc.) entered the world through mankind’s bad choices. But God, being all-knowing and all-powerful, had a solution to this before time even began, before He ever shaped the earth, or placed you in your mother’s arms. He sent His perfect Son to this earth in the form of a man, to carry the weight of all humanity’s sin on His back. He pinned that sin to a cross where He died, and rose again three days later—destroying the curse of sin/death for all time! He opened the doors of heaven to all those who believe this and receive Christ into their hearts, offering us the chance to spend an eternity with Him. I know you can’t hear my voice, but when I say how excited and overwhelming this is for me to think about and share, you should understand that my heart feels like it’s going to explode.

I don’t know you very well, perhaps, you’ve already accepted Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, Friend, and greatest Hope; but if you haven’t, you’ve been given an opportunity that many don’t have…time. No matter how great or small, time is a gift. I’ll continue to pray for complete healing in your life—because I know I serve a God who is capable of the miraculous—but I don’t know God’s will, mind, or purposes, and can’t see what will happen in the future; but I will most certainly continue to pray that you have the opportunity to make peace with Him. I pray that you’ll recognize the sins and failures in your own life, as I once did, and accept what He did for you on the cross. He loved you enough to send His one and only child to this earth to be crucified on a cross for you, so that He can have a relationship with you; as a mother, I’m sure that strikes a chord with you.

Lord, I pray over my friend. I pray that You please watch over her, bring healing to her body, peace to her mind, and life to her spirit. I pray that she come to the understanding and realization of who You are and all that You’ve done for her. I pray that no matter what may come in her life, whether miraculous healing or the sleep of death, she has the opportunity to accept You into her life. You are great and mighty, all-powerful, all-knowing, and Your ways are far above our own. We may not understand the things that happen to us in this life, but we can trust that You are sovereign and in control at all times of all things, and You alone know what is best. I also pray over her family. Her children and husband need Your peace and comfort over their lives. I lift them up to You and ask that You envelop them with Your love and compassion; give them strength and encouragement; and most importantly, the opportunity, in their own time, to come into relationship with You. I love You and thank You, Father. In Jesus’ precious, holy Name, amen.

If/when you’re ready…

Accept that you’re a sinner and ask for God’s forgiveness.

Believe in Jesus.

Confess that Jesus is your Lord.

Love & God Bless,

Angelica

High Stakes

Posted on March 29, 2013 by brokenredeemed

I finished the book of Romans, and have begun 1 Corinthians, this week. I’ve decided that I really like keeping a journal when I study the Word of God, because it helps me remember what I’m reading, which in turn, helps me understand and apply it. Well, this is what I’ve been mulling over for the past few days…

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17 ~ NIV)

I’ve always taken these verses in the literal or physical sense, as in the Holy Spirit lives within us and therefore, we shouldn’t do any harm to our physical bodies and neither should others harm us, because God will have His revenge. But when I read the same verses in the Amplified Bible, it took on even deeper meaning.

Do you not discern and understand that you are God’s temple (His sanctuary), and that God’s Spirit has His permanent dwelling in you [to be at home in you, collectively as a church and also individually]? If anyone does hurt to God’s temple or corrupts it [with false doctrines] or destroys it, God will do hurt to him and bring him to the corruption of death and destroy him. For the temple of God is holy (sacred to Him) and that [temple] you [the believing church and its individual believers] are. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17 ~ Amplified)

Paul’s epistle (letter) to the church at Corinth, wasn’t just talking about our physical bodies. He was also talking in the spiritual sense of harm and corruption to the individual believer and to the church as a whole!

These verses made me realize (again) how careful we must be as teachers—and sharers—of God’s Word, to stick to His Truth and not tell others things that they want to hear, just because we’re afraid of what they might say to us, how they may treat us, or what they may think of us, because we will be held accountable! And if we didn’t get the hint with these verses, the Word tells us the same thing elsewhere…

But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. (Matthew 12:36)
You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. (Titus 2:1)
Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4:16)

I believe I’ve mentioned before about how teachers will be held at a higher standard, because we “should know better” (James 3:1-6). As we should! After all, there are souls at stake!

Because I love the people around me and because I value the Bible as the VERY Words of God, I cannot, in good conscience, tell someone that it’s okay to live a certain way or commit a certain act, when I know that it’s sin–per the Word of God–and will ultimately lead to their complete and utter separation from God! I’m not passing judgment; I’m stating Biblical fact/Truth. This is me being loving because I don’t want anybody to be severed from the love of God. I want every one of my readers to come to the knowledge of Christ. To recognize their (our) need for a Savior!

For some reason the world encourages us to warn people of the danger of being embarrassed, and the danger of being physically, emotionally, or financially injured; but for some reason, it discourages us from warning others of spiritual danger—the most important and destructive threat to our very souls! This life is temporary (extremely short); but eternity is forever. I want every one of you to spend eternity in heaven, but I also understand—according to the Truth found in the Word (the Bible)—that God can’t commune (connect or establish a relationship) with us as long as there’s sin in our lives. In fact, the Word says that as long as there’s sin in our lives, we are actually enemies of God (James 4:4).

Yet, even so, God still desires a relationship with us! As it says in Romans, “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (verses 5:7-8). Can you imagine dying for your enemy? THAT’S love. (Jesus did all the work; all we have to do is repent–turn away from our sin and turn towards God–to receive the precious gift of eternal life and a relationship with the giver of life, the God of creation, the lover of our souls!)

Okay, so now you’re probably thinking to yourself, “Everybody makes mistakes and everybody sins and they should just be free to make their own choices.” (I know this because I’ve heard it repeated and asked over and over again.) Sure. Fine. But I’m not going to encourage anybody to make bad and/or sinful choices. I’ll continue to encourage them to do just the opposite; to make wise choices. Because isn’t that really, what love is about? Being there for the individual, speaking truth and encouraging them to live holy lives, pleasing to God (Hebrews 10:24)? That’s what I want for my younger sisters, my parents, my friends. I understand that ultimately, it’s their decision. I can lead a horse to water—in this case, I’m talking Living Water—but I can’t make them drink.

Make sure the words from your mouth and pen are spoken in love and truth. Make sure you hold true to the standard that God provides us with through the Bible. If God says that He’ll respond to our actions in a particular manner, don’t accuse Him of bluffing. This isn’t a poker game (and if it were, our souls are mighty high stakes to be playing with)! If He said it, He meant it! I get the feeling that we think that God will change His mind in regards to sin. “Oh, but He loves us, how could He condemn us?!” His Word says He can and He will. We will stand before Him and be held accountable (Matthew 12:36-37; Romans 2:5; 2 Peter 2:4-9, 3:7 ). The questions we should be asking ourselves are: will we have Christ defending us (Revelations 12:10)? Is Christ our rock and our foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11; Ephesians 2:19-20)? Is He our covering (Galatians 3:26-27; Romans 13:14)? Our life’s purpose (Mark 16:15; Philippians 1:21)? And is our life a testimony (evidence) of the One Who saves us (Acts 26:20; Romans 6:12-13; Hebrews 10:26-27; James 2:17; Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 4: 22-24; 1 Peter 1:22; Revelations 12:11)?