Tag Archives: Religion

What Are Your Sin Prejudices?

Posted on by

4

night-portrait-canon-flash-74472.jpeg

I notice that a whole lot of Christian have what I call “Sin Prejudices.”

 

I know that I myself have them.

 

You may be wondering what I am talking about. Well, let me explain.

 

Some people judge others even though we are told in the Bible, “Judge not lest you be judged.”

 

We Christians have certain things that might bother one person more then it does the other person.

 

While sitting in a restaurant once, with a dear Christian friend of mine, a woman walked past our table with an extremely short dress on that was also low cut and left very little to the imagination. My friend said to me, “That woman goes to our church. I cannot believe that she dresses like that and calls herself a Christian.” Now I understood where this woman was coming from because there were probably people in the church trying to overcome a porn addiction and this woman’s lack of modesty was only making it harder for them to do so. Church is not the place to dress like that.

 

There are other things too. There are people who are publically involved in sex sin, people who have terrible tempers, people who constantly talk about other people, people into porn, people whose children are holy terrors, people who still dabble in drugs and drink too much alcohol, gossips, people who put pictures of themselves half-dressed on FB and completely ignore the fact that there are scriptures about modesty.

 

If I didn’t hit your favorite Christian prejudice I am sorry, because unfortunately there are a lot of things we Christians judge.

 

I know that the bible tells us we are to judge, using righteous judgment. But honestly, none of us walk on water and a whole lot of these things are better off left in God’s hands.

 

I wrestle with certain prejudices myself. Those times when I say to God, “How can this person or that person really believe that they are saved and still participate in those things?”

 

I have had people bring up things, people and situations in my life, especially the past, and ask how I can consider myself a Christian and allow this or that in my family.

 

I started to pray for God to blind my eyes from some of the things I see and to help me to give them to Him. Frankly, I was really struggling with some of it.

 

One day as I was praying God downloaded the following into my spirit; “Cathie, what if you look at it this way, haven’t I spoken to you in my Word that the most important thing is love and yet it’s hard to love when you judge.” Then He said something that changed my judgment habit. He said, “What if that person is a test that I send to see if you really can love unconditionally? The one thing you judge the harshest, being unable to love folks just like they are, could just be the one thing that breaks my heart about you. You can’t just love the mature Christians; those who really upset you are your test. If you cannot get to the point where you love all, regardless of their weaknesses, then you will never get to where I want you to be. I want you to love everyone just as they are. Unconditionally.

 

It takes surrender, complete surrender to ego, pride and especially self-righteousness. It doesn’t happen just once either. We have to do it over and over and over again.

 

There are ways to handle things. The bible speaks about taking a church member, who continues to bring ridicule on the church, and speaking to them with a few other members of the church. In other words not giving up on them immediately. Then if they continue in rebellion they must leave the church. BUT that is only the job of a pastor and church elders. It’s not my job and probably not yours. We are told to pray about it, take it to the Pastor and then let it go into their hands.

 

I truly believe that we must learn to love unconditionally. Hate never brought one soul to Christ. Not one. Rejection, and many other things that we don’t know about, happen daily in a person’s life. You cannot reject them and expect them to see anything different in us then they see in the worldly that are not saved.

 

In His Unconditional Love,

Cathie

Have You Ever Been Mad At God? I Have

Posted on by

0

Jesusinthegarden

Do you ever get mad at God? I hate to admit it, and maybe I wouldn’t have admitted it until I read a blog entry by someone who used to write a Christian blog and no longer does. One of the reasons they listed is because they are, or were, mad at God.

 

Now I could get all judgmental and say, “This person is going to hell for being mad at God!” I might say anything or might have said anything prior to God helping me bring my tongue under control.

 

However, instead,  I didn’t judge the person because I understand that sometimes in the life of a dedicated to God person, we are going to get mad at God. If you don’t understand that you will before your walk with God is through.

 

In my case my life went to hell in a hand basket after a terribly unfair situation. I mean a REALLY unfair situation! Everyone I knew realized how unfair it was and how horrible our lives had become because of a mistake by a doctor and a hospital. There was no mistaking that their mistake had ruined our lives. So we took these negligent people to court and as unbelievable as it sounds we lost the case. Because we lost the case the house we were leasing with an option to buy was lost too. Our credit was ruined as a result of medical bills and now we were about to be out of the streets because the landlord refused to deal with us now that it looked like we couldn’t afford the house. He was rude, mean, and demonic and things went bad quickly. We had planned to buy the house and so had no money saved up and had to borrow money to move from high interest loan companies. There have been days we have had nothing but rice to eat but we make those payments on time. I have three payments left of 350.00 a piece and we live on fixed incomes.

 

God promised us that we would have justice. We were treated unfairly and we believed, and still do, that we should have won that lawsuit. But we didn’t.

 

My husband, due to his injury, couldn’t lift our furniture and neither could I. We literally ended up selling at least half of our belongings so that we could have the money to hire a mover. We found another rental home. The rent was higher then where we were but there were only two houses for rent in our small town at the time, and the other one was two stories. It wouldn’t have worked with my husband’s injuries.

 

At first I was so busy selling things, and getting paperwork together to try and get loans that I didn’t have a moment to think. I was on automatic pilot. When we finally got in our new rental it was weeks before we were relaxed enough to think about our situation. I had to sell almost all my dishes and glassware and had two coffee mugs left. One for Chuck and one for me and one day one slipped out of my hand and fell and broke. It was then that I too broke down.

 

I cried for hours. I lifted my hands to God and told Him that I was so mad at Him! “Why did you do this to us God,” I cried. I told him of all the things we had done for others during our life of ministry and the rest of our lives too, since we dedicated them to Him.

 

“I don’t understand you God? You know this isn’t fair and you know that we are flat broke with nothing at our age to show for our lives,” I said angrily. Bottom line is I let God have it.

 

Then as I cried myself out to a whimper and lay down on my bed exhausted, God begin to speak to me of His love for me. He told me that it’s not over and that He would not break His promise to me to have my own home again someday. But then I saw that the real culprit was Satan. God spoke to me that Satan was desperate because we had so many plans for that money that involved God’s people! Satan put people in that jury box that were cold hearted and eager to see us suffer because it was the only way he could stop all the good that was going to come from the money we needed.

 

It made sense. Our case is at the State Supreme Court now and they are hearing it. I don’t know how it will turn out but I don’t care anymore.

 

I began to see that I had put too much emphasis on money and not enough on God. I shouldn’t have thought about it at all and remained dependent on a loving father who saw to it that we still have a roof over our heads and gave us the strength to keep going day after day.

 

I apologized to God because I realized that our relationship with God is not a human relationship. Human relationships break down when we often don’t feel like we get what we need from them. We think, “If he or she loved me they would have done this or that for me.” But our relationship with God is a covenant. He never stops loving us, even when we do get mad at Him. It’s a love that is meant to be everlasting because He chose us. He knew who would be His from the beginning of time. That is a love that is supernatural. It’s a love that lasts through eternity. He is always on our side, and He promises to make something good out of our lives and restore the years the locusts have eaten away.

 

Any human relationship can and will end. Either through natural death or God only knows what. God’s love will never fail us.

 

Satan was laughing and dancing gleefully the day I threw myself on the floor and confronted God. I know that now and it breaks my heart. I was wrong. I realize now, more then ever, when you are working for God you are a prime target. The sooner Satan can make you mad enough to turn against God, the better for Him it is. The less people you can minister too the better it is for Satan. This is war. We have to put on armor and understand the enemy.

 

So get mad at God if you must, but don’t stay mad. Moses questioned God, Abraham questioned God and many others have too.

 

It’s okay to get mad, but it’s time to ask forgiveness of Him and restore your relationship. He’s waiting for you in the Garden! Meet Him there and make up with Him!

Are So-Called Friends Becoming A Burden?

Posted on by

0

bridge child children fashion

Photo by freestocks.org on Pexels.com

“One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24

 

Do you have a lot of friends?  Are they real friends, friends that will quit what they are doing and come running when you are in need?

 

It’s wonderful to have friends that are loyal to you, but how about you? Is it all about you or do you take time to ask someone “How are you doing?” prior to launching into a conversation regarding all your troubles?

 

If you are only concerned with your own problems you will not be able to keep many friends in life. Sooner or later we recognize, “Takers” because they take, take and take from us but are never there for us.

 

I find it interesting that when we finally decide we no longer want these takers in our lives that they act as if they don’t have a clue as to why they lost our friendship. They cannot stand the fact that they no longer have someone around to use as an emotional scapegoat. They then get paranoid,about all the things you know about them, and set out to start turning their friends and family member against you.

 

Isn’t it amazing that people no longer talk to you because of the evilness of other people? I used to let it bother me, but not anymore. At my age, I let it go. I try to ignore them. I go on with my life.

 

These people need to develop a relationship with Jesus. I have found that Jesus never leaves us and never forsakes us. Jesus is there for us and is on “duty” for us 24/7.

 

If you find yourself losing friends take your own inventory. Do you invest as much time into that friend as they invest into you? If not you need to change. If you cannot quit telling your problems to someone then get a counselor. As counselors we break the law by sharing the secrets of those we have counseled with.

 

Once you try to ignore these people they then send their “Flying Monkeys” after you.” I was shocked one day when an ex friends mother attacked me online as I made a comment on someone’s FB page. It was mean, it was cruel and not the truth. She had been listening to my “ex” friend and believed everything that she had heard. I then blocked them both. She was telling someone that I was not a “real” friend. What was sad about that was that I had given the woman’s grandson money when he was in need. I guess she had forgotten about that.

 

Sometimes you get disappointed with a friend. If it’s a one-time thing, talk it out and don’t let it break your friendship. But if it continues to happen then let the person go. We become like those we spend the most time with. Unless you want to become a whiner too, it’s best to let the person go. Pray for them, but let them go. Life is too short to be burdened with someone else’s problems daily. You too have problems and if they continue to dump on you don’t be surprised if you find yourself getting depressed, and angry, for no apparent reason. Like sponges we absorb a lot of other people’s emotions.

 

Find positive, happy people who love God. Find people who will pray for you when you need it. Find people who call you occasionally and ask you, “How are you doing, I was thinking about you!”

 

If you are anxious and stressed today, look around you. It might not be you but someone whom you are spending a lot of time with that is draining you. These people are so low on energy that they literally drain those around them. It’s not always you, but instead those who you surround yourself with.

 

In God’s Unconditional Love,

Cathie

Controllng Your Anger

Posted on by

0

anger

When we respond to things we do not like, or things that trigger us, with anger, bitterness and rebellion our lives are out of control. I am not talking about an occasional time of losing our temper, because we all do that. I am talking about a life that includes uncontrollable behavior on a daily basis.

 

First we have to be willing to change, and then we have to ask God to help us. If we could change on our own we would do it. We need the supernatural power of God to help us overcome our triggers.

 

In the gospel of Mark we see the power of Jesus displayed over and over again.

 

Jesus raised the dead, gave sight to the blind, restored deformed limbs, made lame people walk, cast out demons, healed incurable skin diseases, and quieted storms.

 

Jesus is a powerful savior and He is able to do the impossible when we ask Him to do so. Jesus came to help us. We know that because of His painful death on the cross of Calvary, which he endured so that He could free us from our bondages to sin and give us eternal life.

 

The problem we have is that we like to appear to be strong and handle things ourselves. We usually don’t go to Jesus for help until we have exhausted all others means of help.

 

He is much more powerful then any of our dependencies, problems and weaknesses. He has the power to help us with any problem we have that seems impossible. All we have to do is look to Him and say, “HELP!”

 

We ask for His help, in the name of Jesus. The powerful name of Jesus is miraculous. I cannot tell you the times I call on that name when things are seemingly too hard for me to bear. Truthfully, He has never let me down. When I come to Him He wipes my tears and gives me strength to get through any circumstance.

 

Come to Him today, Beloved. Decide not to spend another day responding to things the way you always have responded to things. If your method worked you would be free of anger, bitterness and a bad temper. He is waiting for you to ask for His help!

 

In His Unconditional Love,

Cathie

 

Regarding Suicide

Posted on by

0

Before I start my story let’s get this out of the way, yes I know life can get hard sometimes and I have compassion for those who feel like quitting. I know that sometimes the pain gets to be too much and that sometimes the person in pain just wants it all to end. Having said that let me show you the other side of suicide.

In my humble opinion suicide is the ultimate Narcissistic act. It’s the person saying my pain is more intense then my love for you, my child, my parents, my siblings or my partner. It’s a lifetime sentence for the people left behind.

Some of you know that God works through me in mystical ways. I don’t like the word mystic but it’s my only way to explain it to folks who don’t understand the gifts of the Holy Spirit, so please bear with me.

One day many years ago, while doing spiritual counseling with a client, I saw first hand the aftermath of suicide. The woman sitting in front of me was a physical therapist at a facility that I too worked at. I knew nothing about her but that.

Immediately, as she sat down, God showed me a very agitated woman standing in back of the physical therapist. I tried to ignore it but the woman kept agitating. Finally I stopped long enough to hear the woman say, over and over, “Tell her I am sorry, tell her I am sorry, tell her I am sorry!”

I said to the PT, “ I am sorry but before we go any farther there is a woman standing in back of you repeating over and over, “Tell her I am sorry.”

The PT’s eyes got big and she started to cry. Huge body wracking sobs were coming out of her. I was taken a back, and stood up to go comfort her by giving her a hug. She just collapsed into that hug like a child whose heart had been broken in a million pieces.

When she finally gathered her composure she told me the following; “You don’t know this but when I was 12 years old my mother shot and killed herself in front of me and my two younger brothers. I have wondered my whole life if she had any idea of the pain she was causing me, and my brothers, in order that she could escape her own pain. You have just given me the closure I never had!”

My entire life I have not forgotten that particular counseling session. The pain that poor woman had inflicted upon her by her own mother was simply overwhelming. It shaped my whole opinion on suicide from that day forth.

Please, if you feel suicidal, consider the pain you are transferring from yourself to your loved ones and get help.

As Christians we are reminded of the scripture, “The Lord giveth life and the Lord taketh life, blessed be the Name of The Lord!” God gave us our lives and only he has a right to take it. There is a time appointed for each of us to die. When we commit suicide we show that we think that we, and we alone, have the right to decide when to die. We play God.

I know it hurts but find someone to counsel with and get help! God has a better plan for your life and Satan wants to disrupt that plan through death. Start praying for God to help you and He will! What you may see as the end of your life is actually a doorway to a new beginning!

In His Unconditional Love,

Cathie

http://www.helpforgodshurtingpeople.com

Catching Fish/For Fishers Of Men

Posted on by

0

 

bay beach bicycle clouds

Photo by Snapwire on Pexels.com

Ministry is a serious covenant between those of us who serve him and God. We cannot take time off from that covenant to “do our own thing.” People are watching. When we go astray, there needs to be a time of repentance and recommitment. We may think no one see’s our secret sins, but trust me when I say God gives discernment to others. They know. We are in no position to teach others when we ourselves are far from perfect. God will restore us. But we need to be honest about our shortcomings. Too many today are telling others to stay free from sin when they are doing it themselves.

Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning the shepherds who are tending My people: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; behold, I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds,” declares the LORD.…

New Living Translation
“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds, the leaders of Israel. Give them this message from the Sovereign LORD: What sorrow awaits you shepherds who feed yourselves instead of your flocks. Shouldn’t shepherds feed their sheep? Ezekiel 34:2

in His Unconditional Love,

Cathie

Coffee With Cathie 05/12/2018

Posted on by

0

6291ABDB-CB14-4824-84BF-590EEC439269

You can not turn an apple into a peach and you wouldn’t want to. An apple appeals more to some and visa versa. Each one of us was chosen, by God, to reach certain people. The apostles ,and known followers of Jesus,had diverse backgrounds. I think Paul’s background, as a dreaded tax collector, prepared him for working with hostile people. 

This past week with the Lord, for me, has been both mystical and educational.

More and more the gifts he gave us are coming to the forefront and accelerating. 

It’s important to remember that we all have our place in the body. If we try to operate in someone else’s anointing, that we admire, it won’t work. As an example I might want to preach, but unfortunately that’s not my anointing. God has anointed me for working with people one on one. If I decided to preach it wouldn’t succeed. I would be out of my anointing and it would show!

Sometimes, God shows me clearly what it going on with someone and the outcome of it. I then have to use extra discernment because some people can handle the truth and others cannot. Usually I file it in my mind unless they ASK for advice.

Whatever your anointing is God is going to start using you in ever greater ways. Quickly and to the point. Time is short. There is no time to beat around the bush. 

You will not resonate with everyone but God knows who you will resonate with and puts them in your path. Sometimes I will write something and only one person will comment on it, especially on my blog where I have a larger audience. God tells me that it’s okay. It may have been that one person needed that word. 

“1 Corinthians 12:12-27 New International Reader’s Version (NIRV)

One Body but Many Parts

12 There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ. 13 We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit. And so we are formed into one body. It didn’t matter whether we were Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free people. We were all given the same Spirit to drink. 14 So the body is not made up of just one part. It has many parts.

15 Suppose the foot says, “I am not a hand. So I don’t belong to the body.” By saying this, it cannot stop being part of the body. 16 And suppose the ear says, “I am not an eye. So I don’t belong to the body.” By saying this, it cannot stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If the whole body were an ear, how could it smell? 18 God has placed each part in the body just as he wanted it to be. 19 If all the parts were the same, how could there be a body? 20 As it is, there are many parts. But there is only one body.

21 The eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 In fact, it is just the opposite. The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are the ones we can’t do without. 23 The parts that we think are less important we treat with special honor. The private parts aren’t shown. But they are treated with special care. 24 The parts that can be shown don’t need special care. But God has put together all the parts of the body. And he has given more honor to the parts that didn’t have any. 25 In that way, the parts of the body will not take sides. All of them will take care of one another. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part shares in its joy.

27 You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it.”

Have a blessed day in the Lord beloved!

Cathie 

A Word From God 05/08/18

Posted on by

0

“I need a people that live righteously in these last days. As much as you can, come away from the things of the world. When you walk into the places the world hangs out you literally “breathe in evil.” Those words, those pictures, those things that tempt you are downloaded into your mind. They give a foothold to the enemy.

 

Stay in places where you breathe in my Spirit. These are the places where you find peace, and serenity. In the secret places with me, you receive strength for the battle ahead.”

 

Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, and live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. 2 Corinthians 13:11

Another Word From God For You 05/05/18

Posted on by

0

expectamiracle

“Awake from the deep sleep you are in. Look around you and listen to the sounds of silence. Do not be so easily taken in by things that people say. Words are just words until I breathe my Holy Spirit upon them.

 

Not every word you hear is a “God Word,” even though “So Called” Christians from Mega Ministries give it to you! The truth is not in them; I have not called them. They are drunk on the gold gleaned from the bank accounts of my people. They are not a bit different then the bankers on Wall Street, with their million dollar houses, and their BMW’s. They don’t get it yet. I have turned my back on them, and my favor is now with the unknown ministers to my people. Many of whom go hungry each day themselves.

 

Pray for discernment to separate the wheat from the tares, in these last, last days. Be willing to walk away from dead congregations. The time is too short to go over the same old things, over and over. Now is the time to minister to the hurting.

 

The patients are dying and screaming out in pain. They need a living WORD transfusion.”

 

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Matthew 7:21

Having A Hard Time Sleeping?

Posted on by

0

i-really-think-tossing-and-turning-at-night-should-be-4005996

Do you have a hard time sleeping because of worry thoughts that constantly bombard your mind? Do you finally get to sleep only to wake up early and toss and turn again with worry?

 

Worry starts, nine out of ten times, when we have done everything we know to do regarding a situation and we are frustrated because nothing seems to be “moving.” Bill collectors are still ringing our phones off the hook, we still don’t know how we will pay the house payment, much less our utilities…and then there is our car payment and without our car how are we going to get to work or look for a job…and on and on and on. Sometimes in my minds eye, at one time, I felt I could almost see Satan laughing hardily as I tossed and turned.

 

One night, as I struggled with all this worry it was as if God spoke to my heart “Cathie, are you trying to get my job?” I thought, “I don’t know what you mean Lord.” “Well, there is only one God, and that is ME!” God went on to impress on me that I was trying to do everything on my own. Finally it dawned on me that I was putting my trust in my own ability to solve my problems and not obeying God! Jesus says that if we are burdened and heavy-laden we should let Him take this upon Himself. (Matthew 11:28)

 

As people who profess to believe in God then shouldn’t we take Him at His word? Why is it that we don’t trust Him with everything? Nothing that we do will accomplish anything. Think about the last time you had a problem with worry. Did all your worrying accomplish anything? The bible says it is not “By power or by might, but by the SPIRIT” The problem is taken care of by the Holy Spirit if we can only trust Him with it. (Zechariah 4:6)

 

The bible tells us that when the Holy Spirit comes He, and He alone will lead us into all truth. We need to get to the point in life where when we pray about something we leave it at the foot of the cross with calm assurance that God will give us answers. Sometimes He brings someone in your life to help you, sometimes you get a “God Inspired” idea, and at other times God sends an Angel before you to give you favor with your bill collectors. I don’t know how He will do it for you, but I know He will!

 

When I was first trying to get over my worry thoughts I was in a Goodwill store and ran across some cassette tapes that helped me greatly. One of the tapes was an old one entitled “Binding Fear and Anxiety.” The minister that made the tape quoted nothing but sixty minutes of scriptures regarding faith. I played it over and over and I experienced God’s touch in many areas of my life. For one thing Satan was no longer able to bombard my mind with worry thoughts. I used a headphone and all other noise left as I let Gods Word minister to me. I would advise you to look for scripture tapes online, or make your own tape. Filling my mind with the Word changed my life. Desperate times call for desperate measures. For me, God led me this way to renew my mind. God will do the same for you!

 

In closing remember the Word, “The God who watches over Israel neither sleeps nor slumbers.” God is up all night. He works the night shift for you. Release your worry, give it to God and watch Him work supernatural miracles in your behalf.