Only God Can Mend What Has Been Broken

So, I found myself praying for a butterfly.
At preschool, we illustrated the life cycle of a butterfly with a kit that takes us through the process of watching caterpillars transform into butterflies. Then, the goal was to release them in front of the children as we watched them take flight into the sky.
Well, 4 out of the 5 flew away as one little boy shouted, “Have a safe trip, butterflies.”
Sadly, one could not make it out of the habitat.
It appeared that his wings had been damaged.
We coaxed him into a planter and left him with an orange slice.
After recess, we checked on him but he'd fallen to the ground in a failed attempt to fly.
So, we gently picked him up with an orange slice and put him back in the safety of the habitat enclosure.
And, then I prayed, “LORD, heal his little wings so he can fly.”
At the end of the day, I took the little butterfly to a beautiful flower planter and using a flower petal, I gently placed the butterfly on a flower. I hoped that he would be able to gain strength from the nectar of the flower and eventually be strong enough to fly away.
But, I’m no butterfly expert so what do I know.

Sometimes, there are people in our lives like these damaged butterflies.
They have hatched from eggs to caterpillars, and through believing in Jesus as their LORD and Savior they have even been transformed into beautiful butterflies. However, sometimes in the transformation of their lives, their wings are a damaged and they cannot fly into the new life God has planned for them.

As their friends and family members, we come along side and pray for them.
We may even take them out of their enclosures and place them on beautiful flower petals where we feed them God’s Word hoping they’ll gain nourishment and strength to fly on their own. But, when we come to check on them, they are still in the same place we left them.

So, what do we do?
Sometimes, we’ve done all we can do and it’s not in our power to do anything more. Sometimes, we just have to pray and leave them on the flower petal in God’s Garden. Only Jesus, the Ultimate Gardner and Healer, can heal their brokenness. We’ve done our part. We’ve prayed. We’ve taken them to the altar, but it’s up to them to ask to be healed.

Just like the friends of the paralyzed man in Luke 6 who lowered their friend through the ceiling at the feet of Jesus. They had done their part. And just like the man with leprosy in the chapter before had to ask Jesus for the healing, (Luke 5:13), so our friends have to ask Jesus for their healing. We can’t ask for them. That is between them and Jesus.

However, as we gently lower them on that flower petal, let's remind them of the love of Jesus. Remind them that God works all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Let us read to them the words of Jesus,
“I am willing.”
He is willing to mend our brokenness. More than willing. But He’s waiting for us to ask.

O LORD, Your Word says that You are near the brokenhearted and that You save the crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18)
You have sent Your Word (Jesus) to heal us and to bind up our wounds. (Psalm 107:20; Psalm 147:3)
So, hear my cry and heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed;
Save me and I will be saved,
For You are my praise. (Jeremiah 17:14)
Jesus, by Your wounds I have been healed. (John 10:10)
In You, Jesus, there is life, a promise of abundant life. (1 Peter 2:24)
So, I ask you, Jesus, to forgive me of my sins. I give you my heart. Come in and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Mend what has been broken. Heal me from the inside out. Make me a new creation, a reflection of You, and help me to soar and fly where You lead. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Love,
Yolanda

To Stand or Not Stand? Is It Even a Question?

Just a warning: This post is not politically correct.
This weekend, a new film opened up. I shall not name the film since I know that people are probably going to be offended by what I’m going to say.
As I see Christians returning from seeing this movie, they are posting on social media how all the controversy regarding the film was blown out of proportion. How it was all hyped up by Christians. They are encouraging everyone to go watch the film.
OK, here comes the offensive part...
The controversy regarding the film came from a direct quote from the director. In an interview, the director said there would be a “nice, exclusively gay moment" in the movie.
This is the same director who, in an interview in 2012, said he wishes he could rip out pages of the Bible.
Christians did not start the controversy. Concerned Christians just took the director at his word. I work with preschoolers, who at 3 and 4 years old, are going to dress up in their costumes to go watch the movie. They expect it to be just like the animated version brought to life. Now, as a teacher or a parent of a 3-4 year old, if the director has pretty much thrown it out there that there is going to be an “exclusively gay moment” in the film, should I take the director at his word and take my preschooler?

See, it doesn’t matter if the moment is subtle or in your face. It doesn’t matter if the moment will go over the head of a preschooler. The question is why would a director advertise that they have put in a scene that's “an exclusively gay moment” when they know the audience includes preschool children. If they were not trying to bring it to the attention of the audience, if it is so subtle, why mention it beforehand?

My question for Christians, and I’m even questioning myself because I seriously don’t know the answer anymore, is when do we take a stand? When do we contribute our money and support that which we claim to disagree with? Do we take a stand when the “moment” is going to be overt? Do we just go and watch because it’s just a film and make believe? Should we not even care because our preschool children live in the world, they are exposed to the world, and should we just conform to the world so we don’t offend anyone? I seriously don’t know anymore. All I can do is read my Bible. What does God’s Word say? What are the passages this director finds so offensive that he wants to rip them out of the Bible? Should these passages of scripture be ripped out for the sake of pleasing the world?

In these Last Days, the lines are going to blur. The world and The Word are going to clash. The Bible says many in the Church will be deceived and will fall away because their love for God will grow cold. All I can do is read, know, and follow God’s Word. If He tells me to stand, I stand. If He tells me to sit, I sit. But, if I don’t read God’s Word, how will I know what He wants me to do when the time comes?

You see, this is about so much more than one film.
It’s about where do we stand on issues like traditional marriage, abortion, sexual immorality, holiness, and Jesus Himself. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Where do we stand on Jesus? Because, if you have noticed, Jesus is not politically correct. He offends people. Jesus said, "The world will hate you because of Me." (Matthew 10:22) Some of our Brothers and Sisters in Christ are losing their jobs, homes, businesses, and even lives because they have taken a stand on these issues.
I just read an article, American Christians Cave on Core Beliefs, which states that:

The number of professing Christians is declining in America. And it’s not just because of the media, the public schools or even activism by atheists. It’s because Christians themselves are genuinely ignorant about the tenets of their faith, according to a new study.Americans, who still overwhelmingly identify as Christian, hold contradictory, confused and even heretical beliefs when it comes to God, according to the “State of American Theology Study 2016.”
Read more at http://mobile.wnd.com/2016/10/american-christians-cave-on-core-beliefs/#xzl8e0B9ChlHZIZ3.99

The reason we are getting confused is because we are letting the world dictate to us what our beliefs should be instead of digging into God’s Word (the Bible) and letting God dictate what our beliefs should be. God’s Word is not confusing. God is not a God of confusion. He has plainly written down His heart, His character, His will, His plan, His expectations for us, His love, and His future for mankind and this world. We can either stumble in darkness and confusion along with the rest of the world or we can stand firm and confident on the Word of God. God said, that everything around us is going to fall away but the His Word will stand forever.

I refuse to be confused.
I will stand on the Word of God.
I will stand on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ who is the author and finisher of my faith. (Hebrews 12:2)

But it is not easy. And it is getting harder every day. Going back to this silly movie, I had decided to take my stand against watching it but then my teen daughter got invited by a Christian friend to go see it.  My daughter could tell by the look on my face that I was not happy but my husband said I was overreacting and I should let her go. And off she went. I was not afraid that the film would negatively affect her in anyway, because being the bad mom that I am, I've let her watch things I regret. I'm not perfect. I'm perfectly flawed. What got to me and what affected me for most of the afternoon was that I caved. I let the world dictate to me where I should stand. I let the world tell me that I was overreacting and being legalistic.

So, to stand or not to stand? It's not even a question. You've heard it said, "If you stand for nothing, you will fall for everything" and that is exactly what the world wants for us to do - to fall. Let's take our stand on on the Rock of our Salvation (Psalm 95:1).

Love,
Yolanda

The video below is a must watch message for the Modern Day Church.

It's Time To Pray Like Paul

Recently, I heard a great sermon by a dynamic pastor. In his sermon, he challenged us to pray like Paul prayed for his beloved church (Ephesians 3:14-19). Paul didn’t pray any namby-pamby prayers. Paul got on his knees and poured out his heart to God on behalf of his church.  The pastor asked, “When was the last time you prayed anything remotely close to that for someone else?”

Ouch - arrow right to the heart!

Truthfully, I do not pray like that often enough.
Oh, when a crisis strikes, I fall on my knees in desperate prayer for myself, but on behalf of another? Not so much.

If you’ve watched the news lately you’ve noticed that the world is getting pretty ugly.
Hate and lawlessness are spreading like a cancer over our land - dividing family, ruining friendships, and causing strife in the church.
Children are being beat up on school buses based on their parent’s political views.
Teachers are using the classroom for political propaganda.
College kids are rioting and destroying property in the guise of “peaceful protesting” while those who are older and should know better (a.k.a. their professors) are cheering them on.
Free speech is being killed by political correctness gone crazy, violent, and out of control.
Witches…yes I said witches…are calling for big caldron brewing sessions to enlist demonic forces against our President. If that doesn’t prove to you which side the devil is rooting for, nothing will.
And, if you are familiar with Biblical prophecy, you see everything that looks like it is falling apart is actually coming together like Matthew 24 predicted. There is a spirit of lawlessness and the demonic forces making war with God’s people – against Jews as anti- Semitism escalates and Christians are being persecuted, sued, mocked, and vilified.
The prophetic clock is winding down. The hour is growing late and the day is drawing near. I truly believe that God gave America a reprieve, a window of opportunity. We have been given a President that is a protector of the Constitution therefore he’s a protector of Religious Freedom. Most importantly, from a Bible Believing Christian perspective, we’ve been given a President who is a friend to Israel. Therefore, he’s a friend of the God of Israel. God has given us a reprieve to fulfill our calling as a nation.  God established this nation for one purpose and one purpose only – to bear spiritual fruit.
Jesus told the religious leaders of Israel,
“Therefore I say to you, the Kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to A NATION bearing the fruits of it.”  (Matthew 21:43 NLT)

When the religious leaders of Israel rejected Jesus Christ as the Messiah, Jesus told them the Kingdom of God was going to be given to another nation.
My personal belief…
I REPEAT, my personal belief and what I like to believe…
is that nation is the United States.
We are the only nation, other than Israel, that was founded on the Word of God which can be seen in the writings of our Founding Fathers, the prophetic writings of Christopher Columbus, and in the scriptures posted on monuments all throughout our nation. We were given the Kingdom of God to bear the fruits of it. The Divine Purpose of our nation is to spread the Gospel to the world until God says the last Gentile has been saved.

But we must ALWAYS remember the transfer of the Kingdom of God was for a Divine Purpose. Salvation was given to the Gentiles to provoke the Israelites to jealousy (Romans 11:11). God’s love for Israel has NEVER waived and will NEVER waiver. God calls Israel His beloved and His wife. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob calls Himself the Husband of Israel (Hosea 2:16-20) The Covenant He made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and again to King David is eternal, irrevocable and binding.

Our purpose as a nation is to spread the Gospel to the world while we still have the freedom to do so. That is why the enemy and his cohorts are coming out in full force (including riling up witches) to strip us of that freedom. I believe that America was divinely established to be a friend and ally to Israel. That is why God has given America a reprieve.

Romans 11:25-31 (CEV)
The People of Israel Will Be Brought Back
My friends, I don’t want you Gentiles to be too proud of yourselves. So I will explain the mystery of what has happened to the people of Israel. Some of them have become stubborn, and they will stay like that until the complete number of you Gentiles has come in. In this way all of Israel will be saved, as the Scriptures say,
“From Zion someone will come to rescue us. Then Jacob’s descendants will stop being evil.
This is what the Lord has promised to do when he forgives their sins.”
The people of Israel are treated as God’s enemies, so that the good news can come to you Gentiles. BUT THEY ARE STILL THE CHOSEN ONES, AND GOD LOVES THEM because of their famous ancestors. God doesn’t take back the gifts he has given or forget about the people he has chosen.
At one time you Gentiles rejected God. But now Israel has rejected God, and you have been shown mercy. And because of the mercy shown to you, they will also be shown mercy.

So, it’s time to pray like Paul because this reprieve is temporary. Bible Prophecy is still unfolding and the Antichrist is on the verge of making his appearance. It’s a Grace Period to share the Salvation Message of Jesus Christ with our family and friends.
No more namby-pamby prayers.
It’s time to humble ourselves and pour out our hearts in prayer for our loved ones.  I don’t want any regrets when I go to my eternal home and face my Savior. I want to hear “Good and Faithful Servant” not “You made it in but why didn’t you bother to invite anyone else with you?”

How about you? Are your ready to pray like Paul? Do you have a loved one whose name needs to be filled into the blanks below? God is asking us to fill their name in and intercede for them before His throne.
We were made for such a time as this. To kneel and pray in the gap for our friends, family, Israel, and nation.
Love,
Yolanda
#IAmEsther

EPHESIANS 3:14-21 (ESV)

Heavenly Father, I bow my knees before You,

from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

that according to the riches of Your glory You may grant ___________ 

to be strengthened with power through Your Spirit in his/her inner being,

so that Jesus Christ may dwell in his/her heart through faith—that _________, 

being rooted and grounded in love, 

may have strength to comprehend with all the saints

what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,

that he/she may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to GOD who is able to do

far more abundantly than all that we ask or think,

according to the power at work within us,

to Him be glory in the church

 and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations,

forever and ever.

Amen.