Are You Prepared For Your Journey?

We need to arise from our "slumber" and "feed" more on the Word of God, or the journey ahead will be too much for us. Without feeding on the Word of God daily, we will not have the strength to stand against temptation, to stand for Christ in these last days, to be an effective witness, or endure the trials we go through in life. Our strength, joy, and refreshment is found in our time alone with the Lord. We must diligently seek Him daily in prayer and in the Word. We make time for what is important to us. So, if your relationship with God is important to you, you will make time for Him. Remember, if you have time for social media, you have time to read your Bible.

- Rachel Marie

Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.” Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!” He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again. Then the angel of the LORD came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God.

- 1 Kings 19:3-8 NLT

HOW SELFISH WOULD I BE TO KEEP HIM TO MYSELF?

But if I say, "I will not mention His Word or anymore in His Name," His Word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed; I cannot.

- Jeremiah 20:9

Oh, many times I feel like Jeremiah, with a fire shut up in my bones!!! I cannot hold in my love and passion  for the LORD, even if I tried. And WHY WOULD I WANT TO? Salvation comes from His Name alone: Jesus Christ. Only through HIM can all men be saved (who are willing to accept Jesus & live their lives for Him). Only through HIM can we get to Heaven. Oh, my God, with tears in my eyes, I declare with David, "I DELIGHT TO DO YOUR WILL, O MY GOD (Psalm 40:8)!!! 

JESUS is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE. No one comes to the Father EXCEPT through Him (John 14:6).

This verse is not plural. IT DOES NOT SAY that Jesus is one of the ways, one of the truths, one way of life... It does not say that He is one of the ways to Heaven, contrary to popular belief. The Word of God says Jesus is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. SCRIPTURE SAYS JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY. HE IS THE TRUTH. THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN IS THROUGH A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST. Not through religious traditions, but through having an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. 

********* Note: If you do not have a relationship with Jesus and would like to, it is so simple. Do not be ashamed to want this. It is the only way to Heaven. Right now, wherever you are, you can just say a simple prayer, like this: "Jesus Christ is Lord. God, I believe you sent your Son, Jesus Christ, to the earth to die for my sins & heal me from all sickness & disease & that you raised Jesus from the dead. Please forgive me for my sins. I dedicate my life to you."

That prayer of salvation is only the beginning. Now, get to know God. You can purchase a Bible or begin reading daily in the Bible app (it's free! or at Bible.com). A good place to start is in the Gospel of John (in the New Testament, the 4th book). You can also get involved in a good Bible-based church to learn more. Begin to learn what God asks of you and more about who He is through reading His Word & doing what it says. **************

I couldn't continue with this post without telling you all how to be saved.

WHY WOULD I WANT TO KEEP GOD & HIS WORD TO MYSELF? Through Christ, we can make it into the Beautiful Kingdom of Heaven & forever soak in the presence and majesty of God. In Heaven, there will be no more death, or sorrow, or crying, or pain (Revelation 21:4).. But in Hell, (if you die without a relationship with Jesus), there will be weeping and gnashing of the teeth (Luke 13:28) in a lake of fire forever. Through Jesus, we can be healed from every sickness and every disease (Matt. 4:23, Hebrews 13:8, Malachi 3:6). Through Jesus, the lame can walk, the blind can see, the deaf can hear, the mute can speak. Through Jesus, the captives are set free. Jesus sets us free from all sin, all sickness, all forms of evil bondage!!!! GLORY BE TO GOD!

Oh, God, I would be selfish to keep the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to myself. Oh, I would be selfish to keep the Name above all names locked up deep inside my heart: never to tell of your salvation, healing, forgiveness, mercy, grace, comfort, and love. Never to release the electrifying power that raised Jesus Christ from the grave. Oh, how selfish I would have to be to keep the commands of God to myself. How selfish would I be to not speak in the Name of Jesus & release the salvation, healing, and freedom that comes from Him?? OH, THERE IS POWER IN THE NAME OF JESUS TO BREAK EVERY CHAIN!!!!!!!!! How selfish would I be to remain silent & allow people to go to hell because I refused to speak about Jesus? How selfish would I be to not tell how Jesus saved me, changed me, and healed me & let others perish eternally, to let them be sick & in pain & suffer through this life, to rob them of the comfort that comes from the Holy Spirit? Oh, how selfish would I be not to share my testimony of how Jesus healed me when doctors couldn't? & tell of how Jesus is willing and eager to do the same for others, as well as save them & give the gift of the Holy Spirit & eternal life because GOD DOES NOT SHOW FAVORITISM (Acts 10:34). What He has done for me, He is able and willing to do for you!

Burning with a Passion to see people Saved, Changed, and Healed through my Savior,

Rachel Marie

What Are You Listening To?

First, I would like to begin by saying until the last year or so, I did not realize the importance of not listening to secular music. I was very much in love with Jesus, but did not understand my music habits had to change. As I got closer to Jesus over the years, my choice in music did gradually refine over time (VERY VERY VERY SLOWLY: I am embarrassed to even think about the trashy lyrics I used to listen to. The thought literally makes me shudder!) Still, though I began to listen to cleaner genre's of music.. It still just shifts your focus way too much. I am proud to be able to say that for 1 year and 3 months now, I have been listening to worship music ONLY (with the exception of one secular concert I attended last October- 1 year ago.. This artist was much cleaner than most and had no curse words in his lyrics.. but still.. secular music shifts your focus in the wrong direction). God also had to work with me this year on changing the shows I was "obsessed" with watching each week and what my "favorite movies" were. Let me explain further:


AS LONG AS YOU HOLD ONTO YOUR MUSIC (or movies, tv shows, or books) THAT GLORIFIES SINFUL THINGS: drinking, drugs, premarital sex, revenge, etc.. YOU ARE ROBBING YOURSELF CONSTANTLY of GOING INTO A DEEPER, MORE COMFORTING, ALL-CONSUMING RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.  You are holding yourself BACK from BEING FREE with every song, note, lyric, word (or movie scene) you pour into your heart that rips the seeds of Life (the Word of God) out of you. You are CONSTANTLY KEEPING GOD AT ARM'S LENGTH until you surrender every area  of your life, every part of yourself to HIM. You may be "pouring out" to God in prayer and then turning around and TURNING UP to the tunes of this world! You may have let "worldly things" become an "idol" that you turn to for comfort instead of giving it ALL to GOD.

"As he thinketh in his heart, so is he"

Proverbs 23:7 (KJV)

What you choose to listen to, watch, and read has a great impact on what you think about. Tell me how your music does not make you think that drinking alcohol, smoking, and partying is the only way to have a good time. That's exactly the devil's plan: to use whatever social media, music, shows, movies, and books to make you think "sinning" is the only way to have fun. Tell me your music does not make you think you are "nothing" if you are not in love and living out your "happily ever after". Tell me your music does not make you drown in your heartache day in and day out. OR here's the big one:

Tell me your music talks about Jesus and church...... But does it not also talk about a cold beer in the same exact song??????

Yeah... try to tell me that you feel the Presence of the Holy Spirit while you listen to that? Or while you watch [this show] or [that movie] or [read that book].

This leads people to think you can "live like the world" but still love the Lord. That is not at all what the Bible teaches. Satan is teaching such thinks to deceive. Satan is the father of lies, as Jesus tells us in the Bible.

Secular music, tv, books make you think of sin as fun and/or sulk in your problems... as opposed to the awesome reality of how fun it is to have the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and live in & for God... and as opposed to "delighting in God's Law" like King David... as opposed to letting God "heal your broken heart" like He wants to. Worship music turns your eyes away from your problems and onto our loving LORD and Savior: JESUS CHRIST.

The Bible tells us in Proverbs 23:7 that we think in our hearts, is who we really are. So, be careful with whatever you "plant" into your mind... that is what will "grow" the thoughts that will lead to the "harvest" of who you really, truly are. So, make whatever changes you need to make to plant godly thoughts in your heart :) I made the change. The question is: Will You?

In God's Infinite, All-Consuming Love,

Rachel Marie