Replacing Lies with Truth

Dear Friend,

I've wanted to write this post for several months, but God is finally giving me the opportunity.  And the idea has grown bigger than I originally thought.

It's something I need to hear again.  And hopefully something that will bless you.

This is my prayer - that we both become more like Jesus.  That we have a heart like His, full of Love.

   

We hear so many lies.

The enemy is constantly throwing them at us.  He lies about us, those around us, God.  And most of the time, we listen to him.

One week, a friend challenged me to start guarding my thoughts.  We took every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5).  By doing that, I discovered so many lies that were going through my brain.

Lies like, "I don't belong.  These people don't care about me." Or "I'm not as beautiful, as talented, as good."

There were lies that were meant to tear me down and ones meant to tear down others.  "I'm better than them.  They don't deserve...  They're not..."

It's scary.  The lies we hear can completely transform us into this bitter, selfish person who is not who God made us to be.  They turn our day sour, throw a bucket of ice water on that faith we thought we had.  The problem comes when we listen to the enemy.

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

- John 10:10

That abundant life comes through Jesus.

  

When I started to guard my thoughts, I was horrified by the lies I heard.  But I also felt transformed, because I replaced those lies with Truth.  I took every thought captive and weighed them before Him.

Every time a thought came in my head, I stopped and asked myself, "is this Christ's Truth?"

When the enemy said I wasn't good enough, I remembered - my goodness comes only from Him, for He is my inheritance (Psalm 16:6).  He loves with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3).

When I had pride, I remembered that I'm only a servant, like Christ was (John 13:3-5).

When I was afraid, I remembered that when I am weak, He is strong.  His strength is made perfect in weakness.  (2 Corinthians 12:9).

When I didn't feel like it, I remembered to praise Him (Psalm 16:9).

  

If we listen to the enemy's lies, we will be torn down.  Bitter.  Offended.  But Christ offers love, hope, and Truth.

It's not because our lives are perfect that we can have this hope.  It's because we choose to abide in Him in the midst of our struggles, knowing that in Him we have everything we need for life and Godliness.

That week was beautiful for so many reasons as I discovered the beauty of being transformed by the renewing of my mind.  When we take every thought captive and believe His Truth, we find joy.

You will show me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

- Psalm 16:11

Joy is found in His presence.

So friend, whatever is keeping you from that presence - whether busyness, idols, or those lies the enemy throws at you - replace them with Truth.  His word is Truth (John 17:17).

And that's the key of it all.  Truth is in God, in His word.  Renewing our mind means loving His word so much that it becomes a part of who we are.

That's my challenge for you:  abide in Him.  For me, that meant taking every thought captive and replacing them with His word.

Although I've fallen away from that practice, I want to go back.  I want to remember His Truth and dwell in it instead of in those lies.  But I can't find Truth if I don't abide in reading His Word, memorizing it, and praying faithfully.  I can't find Truth if I don't have Him.

What's your first step?  Let's talk below.  Share how I can be praying for you and encouraging you on this journey for Truth!  ♥

If we seek Jesus, He will be found.

Dear friend - seek.

   

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

- Isaiah 55:8-9

~♥~ 

The Passion of the Christ movie review

If you're like me, maybe you've been a Christian for a while, but it's easy to gloss over familiar passages.  Even the key chapters of Jesus' death can become "skim through" places.  This movie helped me.

The Passion of the Christ shows the story of the life of Jesus during his last hours, including the Garden of Gethsemane, the scourging, the crucifixion, and a quick glimpse at his resurrection. It covers the accounts told in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  It shows a peak into the real story.  The real, amazing Love of Christ's sacrifice.

  

A film about the last twelve hours of Jesus of Nazareth's life. The film opens in the Garden of Olives (Gethsemane) where Jesus has gone to pray after the Last Supper. Jesus resists Satan's temptations. Betrayed by Judas Iscariot, Jesus is arrested and taken back to within the city walls of Jerusalem where the leaders of the Pharisees confront him with accusations of blasphemy, and his trial results in a condemnation to death.

Details:

126 Minutes

By 20th Century Fox

Directed by: Mel Gibson

Rated: R

Released: 2004

Negative Elements:

This is the only R rated movie I'm ever planning on watching.  I was nervous to see the graphic and violent content that I had been warned about, but I also wanted to gain a real understanding of what Jesus went through during the time of the passion.

This movie is not for anyone who avoids violent, scary, or gruesome details.  The Passion of the Christ shows Jesus' arrest, the flogging, and the crucifixion in details.  It doesn't attempt to hide or minimize the agony He went through.  The scourging was especially hard for me to watch.  There was a lot of blood - way more than I expected.  The cruelty and suffering can't really be described.  In those regards, the movie was a challenge for me to watch.

But that was good... because that's what the Passion was like.  It was a sobering reminder.

There were also many frightening scenes.  Satan is portrayed almost ghost-like, and it gave me goosebumps to look at him.  The scenes in which Satan enters or uses his power are chilling.  I covered my face with a pillow several times to avoid the worst scenes.  However, this too seems necessary to the film to show who Satan really is - the prince of darkness.

A last comment is that the movie depicts soldiers who are drunk.  Really though, in the entity of the movie, this is a small comment.

My Review:

Yes, there were a lot of negative elements.  Honestly, the movie was hard for me to watch.  The Passion of the Christ is realistically portrayed (in my limited understanding), and is quite open with the gore.  Although I did skip certain scenes, I can still say I'm thankful to have watched it.

What Jesus went through was undeniably horrific.  At multiple times in the movie, I watched His limp body, barely able to stand, and it just shocked me.  I never imagined Him as that torn.  As that broken.  The movie made the Bible come alive when it says,

But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we are healed.

- Isaiah 53:5 

His sacrifice is much more than we can imagine.

I also appreciated scenes in which we saw flashbacks into Jesus' earlier life.  It made His humanity  more real, and it took away the tension for a moment.  One part even made me laugh.

The movie ended with a quick glance into an empty tomb, but I wished it had gone more in depth into His resurrection.  After all I went through as a viewer, I wanted more closure.  I understood His death better, but His resurrection is vastly important for our salvation as well.

Overall, I recommend this movie to those who want to gain a real grasp of Jesus' death.  It's not an easy film to watch.  At all.  It's also not for those who want to experience a movie "for fun."  But understanding the Passion could give you a deeper understanding into the Gospels and how great His love is for us.  For that, the film is totally worth it.

Other Notes:

Something that surprised me is that none of the movie is in English!  Instead, the audio is in Latin and Aramaic, with English subtitles.  This didn't take away from The Passion of the Christ, as it was an interesting thematic element that helped transport me to the early years AD.

Also, a more detailed review is offered through Plugged In.  Use judgement, as I cannot promise that the site doesn't contain information you might be uncomfortable with reading.

And if you have watched this movie, I would be interested in hearing your side.  Does violence and gore bother you in films?  Have you watched an R rated movie that you deemed acceptable?  How do you try to see Jesus' sacrifice in a personal light?

Let's strive to guard our hearts and minds but also seek to know the full Love He has for us.  ♥

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.

- Isaiah 53:7

~♥~

Don't be a Christian for the Wrong Reasons

Last week, my mom, four sisters, and I drove through winding roads of pastures, hay fields, and houses.  Beautiful landscapes swept around us, greens of every color, trees.  We laughed at some of the funny road names, sang to the cd that played, and enjoyed the Saturday morning as we drove in search of a garage sale.

And then a different song began to play.  I listened and was caught by the words that a group of little children sang in praise to God.  Because I wondered if my life matched up to the lyrics.

So take a minute and listen to these lovely voices before reading on.

I Could Sing of Your Love Forever - Kids:  Joy.

The chorus repeats these two lines:

Let me be a shining light for You

Let me be a joy to You always

They're simple.  But as I was listening, I was caught on the last line, and I wondered if my life was a joy to God.

If Jesus looked down and saw me right now, would I be a joy to Him?  So many other words pop into mind.  Half-hearted?  Distracted?  Trying but failing anyway?  Going through the motions?

Am I a joy to Him always?

What about you?

 

Worship should be our life.  We worship by singing, dancing, playing an instrument.  But we also worship by being faithful, living in love, and sharing His truth.

I think we (including myself) often worship only half-way.  We think our quiet times, when we go to church, when we work on our ministry - those are worship.  And it's true.  But worship is called to be so much more.  Every single decision should be a joy to Jesus.  We should live lives of worship, not just those occasional moments (Philippians 4:4, John 4:24).

It reminds me that Christianity isn't a one-moment thing.  If you were adopted into a family, that doesn't just change your name.  It changes you - your decisions, your passions, your home.

Ephesians 1:5 says that we were adopted as Christ's sons.  That relationship needs to change every part of us.

Let every part of our lives bring Him praise.  That is worship.  That is a joy to Him.

Maybe the reason we don't have that simple joy and humility is because we're "christians" for the wrong reasons.

When I was ten, I remember coming to Mom in tears.  I really wanted to be a real Christian.  I wanted Jesus.  I wanted to be certain that I had Him.  I was scared that I didn't have enough faith or that I'd miss the point somehow.

But I also remember telling her that I wanted Jesus because I was afraid to go to Hell.  A relationship with Him was important to me, but, at that moment, I didn't feel like I had one.  So I started at the basics, and Mom told me that as I grew in Him and got to know Him as a divine Person, that emotion - the love for Jesus - would come.

I wonder how many people have stayed with the basics (which reminds me of this passage).  They are "christians" because it's comfortable.  Because it's popular and "saves them from Hell."

Don't be a Christian for the wrong reasons.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God...

- Ephesians 2:8

 

Dear friend, why do you want Jesus?

If you go through the motions so you can have a good testimony, so you feel changed, so you get to Heaven... you're doing it all for the wrong reasons.  Christianity isn't about you at all.  It's about Him (Titus 3:5-6).  It's about a God who literally died for you because of Love (John 3:16).

Sure, you feel dry sometimes.  Maybe you don't "feel" Him.  But that's not the point.

Are our beliefs rooted in a deep love for a Person who gave His all for us?  Do we live every moment, breathe every breath, take every step to bring Him joy?  Or is this all about us?

If Love is what defines us, we'll worship even if we don't feel the emotions.  We'll seek Him even when He feels far away.  Because it's not about us.

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.

- Romans 12:1-2

What if we really were transformed to be like Him, if we presented our body as a living sacrifice ?  Can you imagine a world where Christians truly had Christ's agenda and loved as He loves?

There would be no inconvenience... because we'd realize that it was all part of His plan.  We couldn't be selfish, prideful, envious.  There'd be joy, thankfulness, love.

That's Christianity: living a life with the fruits of the Spirit because we are so full of Him that we simply cannot help but become like Jesus.

Dear friend, don't seek Jesus to find anything for yourself; seek Him to love Him more.

And, like the song proclaimed, let's become a joy to Him.  If Jesus looks at your life, is He proud, excited?  Or does He wonder why you're so consumed with other things?

Your life needs to revolve around Jesus.  Let yourself be a shining light for Him.

I don't have this mastered.  I daily forget, fail, and try again, and, right now, I laugh at God's perfect timing because I desperately needed this reminder again.

So how do we live this out in our daily lives?  Let's talk together in the comments, dear friend, as we press on towards Jesus.

Come further up, come further in!

- The Last Battle, C.S. Lewis

  

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law...

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

- Galatians 5:16-18, 22-25

~♥~