Category: Faith Fix

The Heart Of Peace (ATP)

In a recent sermon, Pastor Jeff touched on letting it go when people are mean to you. I’m struggling with this, not the idea, but how to do it. I have people in my life who regularly do or say very hurtful things… some are even Christians. I cannot confront them because no matter how lovingly I do, it’s turned around on me and they become a victim. I’m in a situation where there’s a couple people who are coming against me for this very reason. I know I need to let it go but it continues to happen and I continue to walk away feeing hurt and sad. How can I overcome this without drastically limiting their role in my life, if that’s possible?

Forgiveness is maybe one of the hardest tests we will have to pass. This is because the very basis of what it deals with is our feelings. Really, forgiveness or the lack there of, is all about how we feel. I’m going to share some scripture, but also some testimony.

I’ve been an emotional person all my life. I’ve also dealt with a lot of personal hurt. One of the earliest concepts we come across as a Christian is that of forgiveness. Why, you may wonder is this? I believe that it is because it deals with the core thing we all must overcome… ourselves. The inability to forgive is actually selfish. To go even further, selfishness is really a form of pride! Pride is self-centeredness and when people struggle with the inability to forgive it is because their pride is hurt. Now before I go on, you who are asking this question may feel like I am beating up on you when you only came for answers! I assure you I am not, however we can’t fix a problem until we get to the root. No judgement on you, all people (as in every single person) will deal with this.

There were some key people I have had to forgive in life. In fact, because of what I am called to do for the Lord, it was IMPOSSIBLE  for me to go further without forgiving these people. Most Christians would agree that we are called to love people, even our enemies. Well let’s look at some scripture the Lord always points me to when I am mad or upset at someone. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 says, “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;” Let’s look at a few key parts of these two scriptures. Love suffers long and is kind and love does not seek its own. Love never seeks to be treated the way it would treat others. The Bible really draws us to what seems like a hard place. That is, do right by people without expecting them to do right by you! Really God?!?

This is a hard concept for us to receive and in reality, it filters into many areas of life of which I will not now go into. Living in forgiveness is important to God because when we do so we live in peace. 2 Corinthians 13:11 says, “Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” I think this scripture is a key to why. Notice the last part tells us God is a god of love and peace. He wants our nature to be His nature. That is because His nature is where His fullness and true fellowship is found. Living in love and peace puts us in His presence. He knows this but so does the devil, which is why we have to learn to deal with it right. Forgiveness really has very little to do with the other person but it has a lot to do with the one who is hurt.

When I am dealing with why I have to forgive people the Lord reminds me, because He did for me. “But God, they hurt me!” They did also to Jesus. “They are insulting me!” They did also to Jesus. “This isn’t fair!” It likewise wasn’t to Jesus. We are supposed to act like Him. We see in Stephen the martyr, even as they were stoning him and gnawing at his flesh, he responded, “Forgive them Lord, they don’t know what they do!” Wow!

Now forgiveness deals with our feelings and our attitude. What about all the other aspects. Romans 12:18 says, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” If it is possible and if it is up to you, you choose peace. Sometimes people make it impossible. When they do then we have to choose accordingly. The basic premise is this, I should get my feelings settled to the point where they can’t be hurt. If I do this but someone insists on abuse or attacking me even though I act right I may have to peacefully separate myself from them. Either way we have to work on our heart until what people say and do makes no difference to us. I once had a situation where this man hated me and not for good reasons. He would say terrible things to other people about me and treated me horrible if I ever ran into him. Well one day I ran across him at a little diner in the middle of nowhere. He didn’t see me but I saw him, it was quite busy that day. Well the Holy Spirit started dealing with my heart and I knew what I was to do. I went to the waitress and bought his breakfast. Now I would have just as soon spit in it as buy it but that wouldn’t have been very Christlike! You know what’s amazing? He thanked me and from that day on was much more pleasant toward me. I’m not saying we get together and enjoy each other’s company, but when I’ve had to be around him it’s not near as bad. That one Holy Ghost inspired act made a huge difference!

Something happened that day that the Lord has shown me that many people may never see. That man’s hatred for me, founded or unfounded also caused him to sin which only gives the devil more ground. By doing something that eliminated that hate, the devil’s power was neutralized. If more people would get that revelation, imagine the change the world would see! As much as it’s up to us, we must choose love and peace!

What I encourage you to do is forgive, even if you have no reason to. Don’t let the devil have any ground in your life or around you. Look to God to heal hurt and ask Him for the strength. In it you will find His grace will put you right where you need to be. If you patiently wait on and look to the Lord, He will use these uncomfortable situations to teach and grow you. Never accept abuse, but as much as it’s possible, live in peace.

Be Blessed,

Pastor Jeff

The End Is Not Yet (ATP)

Revelation 13:16-17 talks about a “mark” of the beast in the end of days. Could it be possible that the vaccine is the mark?

Revelation 13:16-18 (NKJV)

He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

These kind of questions regarding the end times are very common and actually have been since Jesus talked about them. People have tried for millennia to “discern” the end times, however there is a common mistake people make which we will get back to. The most simple answer to this question is no. However, answers to questions of this kind are rarely simple!

First, let’s deal with some context. When you go back to the beginning of chapter 13, you see a lot of activity that precedes this mark. Symbolism aside, it is evident that there are some very specific things going on here. What is not debated is that this is all happening during the rise of the antichrist government taking over the entire world, the one world government. Without getting into all of that (probably a year’s worth of faith fixes), the basics are these: there is the rise of a one world government, one single currency, and an utter ban on all religion except for that which worships the beast. Note in verse 16 it says “he causes ALL” to receive this mark, there is no choice if you are to do anything. Later on we are shown that one must receive the mark, but part of doing so is with an open denial of God. In other words, to live you must choose to deny God and worship the beast.

That said, there is a concept we know in scripture called type and shadow. What this is, is that before big events happen, they reveal themselves in lesser more obscure ways. The Bible equates it often to birth pangs, the onset is slow but they increase as the birth gets closer. 1 John 4:3 says, “and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.” The spirit of the antichrist is indeed here and it is for a sign for believers.

Certainly, in all that’s going on you can see how the platform for what is to come is being made. I remember in studies even 20 years ago people couldn’t really fathom how such a mark could be possible. With today’s technology it’s eerie just how possible it is and to be honest, with all that’s happened on the earth in 2020 it has made me more sober about the fact that the end is closer than ever. The stage is being set for all that the Word of God said will happen.

The mistake I talked about earlier that people make is getting too focused on trying to “figure it out.” The Bible gives us incite into these things but purposely does so opaquely. God didn’t give us parts of truth leaving us to our own devices to figure them out. What is most important is clear, and the other stuff will be obvious in the right time. Remember, John 16:13, the Holy Spirit was given in part to tell us things to come. He will make things clear as we get closer to whatever we must know or do. A person will not be able to accidentally receive the devil’s mark, they will have to openly choose, knowingly rejecting God.

The best thing we can do is focus on something Jesus said when talking about the end. In Matthew 24:6 He said, “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” See that you are not troubled, the end isn’t yet, but recognize what is going on. People have sometimes thought I’ve been “political” because I’ve talked about certain political policies. Some have even left our church over things I’ve said of this nature. If I’ve said something it’s purpose was to point out the right and wrong, the lines of which our current society and governments are trying to blur. If people think wrong, they cannot receive the truth. By and large, people think wrong and this is only increasing.

There is no way to look at Truth and yet not point to the lack of it in your current existence. People need to know the truth, and be pointed toward truth, because the devil is surrounding them with lies. These lies are ultimately what causes people to be led astray. We must ensure truth is prevalent.

As far as the vaccine goes, I will say what I would say about any medicine or medical procedure. They should only be used if you have peace in doing so, but should be used if you can have peace. Peace keeps us safe if we are living right. Too many Christians refuse things that are actually a blessing to them because of some skewed construct in their minds. Some believers have even died, not because God didn’t answer but because they didn’t do what they should have. Seek God with an open heart and you will not go astray. No marks, no devils, no deception, just peace from the Holy Spirit.

Be Blessed,

Pastor Jeff

Faith Fix: The Whole Truth?

Acts 20:27 (NKJV)

For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.

As a pastor I get asked questions all the time and about many things. One of my favorite parts of this work is answering questions and helping people discover truth. At times I could even wish my platform for doing so were larger. One of my greatest desires in life is truth, therefore I love to also share this truth with others. So in answering a common question, it may be surprising to you what I say. I only ask that you bear with me to the end.

When asked if one should read the entirety of the Word, like from cover to cover, my answer is not a resounding yes. In fact, I would often lean towards no. Consider this: 2 Peter 3:16 (Paul has written in all his epistles) “…in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.” The Bible is good, it is truth, it is the knowledge that God has intended to teach us by and therefore to help us grow. However, just as you would not give a baby a T-bone steak to eat, not all people are ready for all truth. The truth of God is something we learn through study and faithfulness. Untaught people can take truth and become dangerous even if that is not their intention.

I remember when I was new to the faith, I found myself in a similar situation of what we see in 1 Corinthians 13:11. “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” I was sure somethings were true, I made some mistakes in my conveyance of them, and had some hard lessons as a result. There were people that I “witnessed” to in that time that I left with a very sour taste in their mouth. When I first came to the Lord, I tried to do so on my own. I was not mature enough to teach anyone. I hadn’t learned to submit yet and I was tossed to and fro with all sorts of ideas of the truth. I had a basic knowledge and a zeal for God, but by not being taught I made a mess of things at times.

I say all of this for a purpose:; as a pastor my heart is to help people. God intends us to grow, and we should to the point where we can be effective at teaching others. However, growth cannot happen without submission. We must first be taught. We would not expect a 1st grader to read Shakespeare and comprehend it, much less teach it. Likewise, we cannot expect the unlearned to simply read the Bible and get all of it. Yet, that is so often what people do. There is so much that is missed by trying to get scripture without history, context, or a well-rounded understanding of God.

Christians! What God has your pastor deliver in their services is what you need to study! So many Christians fail because they don’t learn the material taught and then when the test comes they don’t know the answers. I am not suggesting that we don’t have a desire to learn, I am suggesting that until you start being effective at living day to day, don’t dig into deeper things. If your life is in chaos, what help will the knowledge of whether there is a rapture or not be to you? Believers so often don’t know what to read or where to start. Start where God has placed you to grow!

When it was early on in my walk with God I thought I knew way more than I did. One thing I did right however is every week, in the days after Sunday, I would take my notes from service and go over them again and again. As I did I learned the voice of God by understanding His Word. This is what fed me and helped me to grow. The things the Lord put on my pastor’s heart to teach, put in me the understanding of how to hear God’s voice. In Jeremiah 3:15 God informed us, “And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.” Some things we simply cannot get on our own.

In closing, let me reiterate that what I am saying is not to reject or refuse study. I am encouraging people to study right. Start with simpler things and allow yourself room to grow. As you do, you will have a clearer understanding of Truth and will see God’s peace in your life. The Holy Scriptures throughout point us to one very important truth, which is that of submission. It is a necessary component of faith, so you will not truly find God without it.

Be Blessed,

Pastor Jeff

Let It Be Or Let It Be? (ATP)

When should we pray for things again or multiple times in a period of time, and when should we just pray for things once and let it be?

This is a question and one that has so many Christians filled with a bit of anxiety. How do we pray, what is the right way?

The first and greatest thing we have to remember about prayer is what it is. Now prayer is a word that encompasses many different things. If you picture prayer like an airport it can make a lot more sense. When you go to an airport (prayer) you have a destination in mind. That destination will not be reached by going to just any terminal, and each terminal is different. The first key to getting anywhere in prayer is showing up. Just like at the airport, if you aren’t sure you are going to get anywhere you might not go. When we go to prayer we need to go with as much assurance as we would the airport when we travel. I have a destination, I’m coming here because I know it will get me there. On the other hand, if you thought the plane was going to crash, you would stay as far away as you could. You won’t crash when you go to God. Also, He understands that flying can be confusing, which is why He gave us the Holy Spirit to help. He is that inward voice that leads us.

Many people come to prayer unsure. This is often why they pray multiple times, pleading for something to come to pass. The most important thing we should remember is Hebrews 11:6. It says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God MUST believe that He is, and that He IS A REWARDER of those who diligently seek Him.” Pray with confidence! Go to God with the assurance that He desires to help you.

That said, prayer also depends on what you are praying for. 1 John 5:14-15 tells us, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” Are you praying for you or someone else? Praying for someone else would be a type of prayer called intercession, because you are interceding on behalf of someone else. To intercede is to stand in on behalf of. This type of prayer is done a bit differently.

Think about it like this, God has given us all free will and choice. This ability to choose is also the ability to choose wrong. People who don’t know God need someone to bridge that gap between them and Him because they don’t have place to come to Him. When you intercede on behalf of someone you may need to often or continually go to God on their behalf. 1 John 2:1, “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” Jesus intercedes for us because He has a place with God. This enables us to have place with God so we can intercede for others. Sin by its nature makes us less confident which is why someone who lives in sin, even Christians who do, lack confidence in prayer, and rightfully so. I am not talking about a Christian who loves God but misses it. I am talking about people who continually, and purposely live in sin.

Now, if you are praying on your own behalf, you will pray differently. Why? Because unlike someone one who doesn’t know God, you do. You know God hears you, therefore you can have confidence when you pray. Philippians 4:6-7 gives us the perfect instruction, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Don’t worry (be anxious), pray and ask (supplicate), and be thankful. Thanksgiving is the key to praying with assurance.

Once you’ve put it before God, concerning things you know He wills for you, just be thankful. When you think about it, thank God it’s working, you don’t need to “pray” again. Whenever it comes up, rejoice that it’s coming to pass. Christians often fail to let peace reign because they never get thankful. Being thankful as we wait for what we’ve asked for is what ushers in peace to our lives. Unfortunately, what many Christians do is pray scared prayers.

If you have confidence when you ask you know you don’t need to ask again. It’s anxiety that says we need to continually ask God for what we know He desires for us. How do you know what He desires? What does His word say? If you don’t know, it is your duty to find out and then trust Him. When you trust, you go to the terminal, get on the plane, and relax until you arrive. That’s peace, and that’s righteous prayer.

Though prayer can be a complex subject with many terminals, it’s not hard. They key is faith and faith can on be built by knowing God. We learn Him better by learning His word. He doesn’t lie. He’s told us the truth.

Be Blessed,

Pastor Jeff

Light, Not Darkness (ATP)

Luke 11:35 (AMP) says “See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness.” Can you elaborate on this? How can we be careful to avoid this? What do we watch out for?

I love how God makes following His directions very simple. Let’s look at this scripture in context and examine it throughout the gospels to get a clearer understanding. Luke 11:33-36, “No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.” God uses this parable of light because it’s something we can all understand. Light illuminates, keeps us knowing the direction, keeps us from stumbling, etc. This is both true naturally and spiritually.

Psalms 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet. And a light to my path.” Many other scriptures relay this truth similarly, helping us understand that it is the truth of God’s Word that brings light. Remember Isaiah the prophet prophesied that the people who sat in darkness would see a great light. That was the light of Jesus bringing salvation, and the Word of that salvation to the world.

Now let’s look at Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Notice first, that we now as believers are called the light of the world. First it was Jesus, but now we are His fellow workers. We understand that a lamp not turned on won’t illuminate anything. Likewise, a Christian refusing to keep their light shining won’t bring light to anything or anyone. See what the light is supposed to be carried through? Good works.

Skip ahead to Matthew 6:22-23, “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” The meaning of this word darkness is wicked, diseased, blind, or full of evil. In 2 Corinthians 4:4 we see the truth that the god of this world, the devil, has blinded the minds of those who are perishing. Where does someone experience blindness? The eyes. Notice the mind here is spoken of. Darkness or blindness really has to do with our minds and how we think. When we think wrong, we live wrong. Light and darkness are used to contrast spiritual knowledge vs.  spiritual blindness, morality and righteousness vs. sin.  1 John 1:5-7 says, “…God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

How do we see to it that the light in us isn’t darkness? We continually put to practice Romans 12:1-2, which says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” We renew our minds by the Word of God and then act according to the direction and commandments of God. Then, we take that light to others both in word and deed. This is our primary direction, and this is the calling of every single believer who wonders what it is God has for them to do! Be His people, be His church, and be His light to this lost world.

Be Blessed,

Pastor Renée

Gifts Of Grace Pt 3 (ATP)

How do I know what my spiritual gifts are?

Romans 12:6-8 (NKJV)

6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

Ephesians 4:8 (NKJV)

8 Therefore He says:

“When He ascended on high,

He led captivity captive,

And gave gifts to men.”

For the third and final part of answering this question I want to focus on what is referred to as the ministry gifts or offices and the things that can go along with them.

In Ephesians 4:10-12, the Bible talks about specific offices that humans can stand in and with those offices there are different abilities that reveal themselves as they are carried out. Though this isn’t an exhaustive dissertation on all of these, I am going to stick to what I think is relevant to the original question.

One of the more commonly recognized offices is that of the prophet with the ability to prophesy. Though a requirement to be a prophet is in the God given ability to prophesy, it does not mean that all prophecy will come from prophets. New Testament prophesy is not necessarily the telling of future events. 1 Corinthians 14:3 tells us, “But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.” I am used in prophecy often as I minister as a pastor. I will be preaching and the Spirit will direct me to say something or talk about something specific and it’s purpose is to help someone in the congregation. So often I have had people come to me and say, “That was speaking right to me! How did you know?” I didn’t, but God did and the purpose was to help them. I had been used to “prophesy” to people even when I wasn’t in ministry. I didn’t get goofy and say “this is from the Lord” or “the Spirit of God is saying” but I knew as I spoke He was speaking through me. Though I am not a prophet, this was certainly prophecy; I had no way of knowing it on my own.

These types of giftings, or others as taught in 1 Corinthians 12, are things that believers learn over being faithful to God. As you grow in His Word and seek Him, it will become easier to hear from Him and follow His leading. These sort of “giftings” are often taught about in error. For example, some people will claim, “I have the gift of discernment!” The trouble with this is 1, the Bible doesn’t talk about a gift of discernment and 2, knowledge of the truth gives everyone discernment. Yes, all Christians SHOULD be able to discern, sadly many do not. There is a gift in 1 Corinthians 12:10 called discerning of spirits but this is a whole other ball of wax.

The gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 are endowments or abilities given by the Holy Spirit to work with people carrying out specific ministries. The idea that all Christians get one or more of these is simply not scriptural. Their purpose is in the carrying out of the duties of a specific office, i.e. pastor, prophet, teacher, evangelist, apostle. Christians don’t just get these to use at will. Even the offices cannot use them at will. Prophesy may operate when the Spirit chooses, however a minister cannot turn it on. Where people get into trouble is when they try and make these things happen. There should be a reverential fear on any person being used in any of these types of giftings. The Bible warns about using them wrong and it is never good for the user.

This is not to say that God would not ever use certain gifts through a non-minister. Didn’t He use a donkey to prophesy?  I’m just saying that it isn’t something we carry in our pouch and pull out at random. Like I’ve been saying all along, the gifts are used where and when God chooses to use them. There are times I wished I could prophesy, but couldn’t. There have been times when I wished I could preach and couldn’t, even as I’ve stood in the pulpit! God has a way of teaching us it isn’t us, only Him!

1 Timothy 3:1 says, “This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.” If you sense a desire in you that you are called to a specific ministry office, the Bible says this is good. You may believe things about yourself and what you are called to that no one else sees or knows. Again, this happened with me. What I can say is this, if you know it to be true, no one else has to agree. Keep it to yourself. If it’s real, God will reveal it in ways to others APART from anything you can say and it will come to fruition. The Bible says about Mary when told she would give birth to Jesus that, “she pondered these things in her heart.” She didn’t make a social media post about it and didn’t go get business cards printed. She kept it between her and God and He brought it to pass.

In closing I remind you of what God reminded me of once when I was trying to make some things in ministry happen. 1 Corinthians 3:7 tells us, “So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.” Follow God! If it’s God it’ll be good. Add your willingness and faithfulness and all that is needed when it is needed will come to pass. You have His Word on it!

Be Blessed,

Pastor Jeff