Remain and Maintain!

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. John 15:4-10 NIV

To remain somewhere or in something means to stay there. To maintain something means to keep it up--don't depart from it.

If we remain--stay with God and allow His Word to stay in us, we will bear much fruit with Him and without Him, we accomplish nothing.

If we stay with God and stay with His Word we can ask whatever we want from Him and He will do it--according to His Word.

If we stay in His love as we maintain our walk--keeping His commandment to love,  we will continue in His love.

Notice--this is about love--not lust as some have ignorantly claimed in order to justify their perversion to keeping God's Word.

We must make a decision and then stick with it to do as God directs us, not man and to love others as we obey God.

Now, this might seem a little tricky to some, but it isn't when we know that God's love for us is unconditional--regardless of our race, nationality, ethnicity or religious beliefs--He loves us all and is waiting for us to love Him as much as He loves us. Loving others unconditionally does not mean we condone wrong doing or blatant sin, but we care enough to keep praying and seeking God for direction. We do not have to agree with others in order to love them and we certainly do not have to live in opposition to God's Word to prove our love for others.

True love of God--means we stand firm on what's right and sometimes--we love from afar--maintaining our stance in our determination to live according to God's Word.

Love can change people, but in order for the change to make an impact--we must clarify our position in living for The Lord--not for political correctness. This does not mean we hate or demonize or rant about others with who whom we disagree--it means we simply give no place for wrong to influence our determination to obey God.

Throughout this day and for the rest of week--let's practice how we remain in His Will and determine how we'll maintain our position of faith in Him and our determination to love--no matter what!

Dear Mr. President!

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. Romans 1:20, 32 NIV

As I prayed last night, I couldn't help but feel the urge by Holy Spirit to address our nation's situation with regard to legalizing sin. Therefore, I write this as an open letter to our president.

President Obama:

You have managed to accomplish much--even with an obstructionist Congress--and everything encompassed with your terms in office will be interred in history books. Some things for the good and some--a very slap in God's face.

I am not your judge and certainly not your jury, but your actions have demonstrated for many that though you may "know about God" you do not know Him. For to "know Him is to know His Word" and legalizing sin reveals lack of knowledge or "ignorance" as you stated in your address to college graduates on yesterday--about His Word. Of course, that ignorance lies in not knowing what you're talking about--as you clearly explained and regarding your position on same-sex marriage--you clearly do not know what you're talking about. I understand you "think" people should be able to love anyone they want to love, but loving is not just about lust and it is the lust of the flesh that has instigated the misguided notion by the LGBT community in their pursuits.

Let me be clear. We are told in God's Word to love all--unconditionally--but that love--is not a reference to pacifying a sexual need. I could spend an entire day writing about this, but if your heart is not in a position to receive from God, what I say won't matter. We are also told in The Word that marriage is between a man and a woman--for God's purposes, not our own. Since the enemy loves to hate what God loves, he has confused the minds of many into believing that God doesn't have a problem with sin--when He does.

In the interest of being politically correct and gaining the support of the LGBT community, you have allowed the Pandora's Box of "self-destruction" to spill over into a society that is demoralizing and rotting. The "anything goes" concept to living is wreaking havoc in the minds of children who are further confused by the notion that God makes mistakes--with their biological genders--and they have a right to change and expect the rest of us to simply accept their fickleness and confusion. God doesn't make mistakes, human beings make mistakes.

Your positions regarding the above-mentioned issues--becomes even more injurious to those who hold fast to their relationship with God when their rights are violated when they won't obey the laws of the land that are contrary to God's Word.

Before I ever knew who you were, God had inspired me to write two books pertaining to the end result of what has now occurred. I didn't understand why He wanted me to write the books, but I wrote them. Now, I understand. I'm sure you won't take the time to read them, but I'll provide you with the links anyway and the link for the one that was written after the Supreme Court decision to rebel against God. Those books are myBook.to/Normal, myBook.to/TurningForce and myBook.to/WhatJesusSaid. It's Not Normal and Turning Force were written a number of years ago, but are prophetic in nature as we can clearly see how events have unfolded. To tell people what Jesus said about "loving others" without understanding why He said anything is promoting lies. And we know that God hates liars, which is why I wrote, What Jesus Said and Why He Said It.

In the beginning, I had a great deal of respect for you and your accomplishment in being the first Black president. Now, I pray that someone will be able to water The Word in your life and eventually, you'll hear from God and ignore the tricks of the enemy. I cannot imagine how you would feel if one of your daughters was molested in a bathroom by a "pretender" who claimed to be "feeling like a woman" in order to gain access to their prey. Bullying school districts to put kids in danger is not what someone who knows God would do. And your decree about the bathrooms is a bullying tactic when you threaten to withhold federal funding from those districts.

I, like so many others, are wondering if common sense will ever make a comeback in the minds of those who lead others. So far, we have not seen much evidence of that.

Just so you know--I do not hate anyone--not those who choose to be gay or transgender--I love them enough to pray for them, but I also love God and with all I do and write, I try to please Him, more than man. That's what He has called me to do--please Him. Sometimes, pleasing God means people get angry with me and I can handle that. They don't have a heaven or hell for me so their opinions don't matter much. What does matter to me is my obedience--to teach God's Word whether it's convenient or not, whether it's received or not. He won't hold me accountable for what others do or don't do, but He will hold me accountable for what I do or don't do. All I can do is to say what He says.

We--at least some of us--as a nation will continue to pray for our country and all who lead it--that hearts will be receptive to hearing God and they will exercise Godly wisdom in all they do.

Sincerely,

Mary M. Hall-Rayford

God's Approval or Man's Approval?

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth. But avoid irreverent, empty speech, for this will produce an even greater measure of godlessness.2 Timothy 2:15,16 HCSB

When we know we are doing all things according to God's approval, not the approval of man, we can maintain our focus and never waiver in our faith. However, attempting to obtain the approval of men and women is a never-ending endeavor that will never compete with the approval of God.

Needing the approval of people means we are constantly changing--who we are, what we do, and how we do things. And every time we meet someone new that we think we need to impress, the vicious cycle begins again--changing to accommodate people.

In our society, we see the end results of trying to obtain the approval people. We are thrown into courtrooms with lawsuits that are ridiculous--man's need to force others to accept their changing, fickle feelings about who they are and which bathroom they use.

The enemy's hold on the minds of people is surreal--and for those who know Christ, we know who's behind every whim of others trying to be someone else. In the beginning, God! That settles it. God made man biologically fit to be compatible with woman and any time, man has attempted to change God's purpose for mankind it was because of the enemy's hatred for everything God created.

And the saddest part is that children are bewitched by the media, movies, television, and music applauding changing genders in midstream, never to know God's best in their lives. My heart is heavy and saddened every time I see young girls holding onto each other as a couple instead of just friends. I pray that deliverance will soon come, but unfortunately when sin is running rampant within and without the school systems, my prayers may be in vain.

Celebrating sin--no matter who's involved--opens the door for all types of demonic spirits to take control of feeble, weak minds and convince them of things that are not true. This is what happens when we coin terms like "political correctness" and ignore "Godly righteousness. This need to obtain the approval of the masses rather than God--leads to destruction rather than victory and no court in the land will be able to stem the flow of God's wrath.

Since my desire is to please God and gain His approval, I will continue to say what God says and attempt to convince others of His love by loving them unconditionally, but teaching them the Truth of God's Word. If people choose not to receive truth, then their destruction is on them, but if I or others who know truth, refuse to teach truth, then the destruction of others is laid at our feet.

When we belong to Christ, we have His approval and have nothing to prove to men or women who are mere mortals as we are. God first--and all else will fall into place.

Do You Hear Us, Lord?

How long, LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted." Habakkuk 1:2-4 NIV

This first prayer by the prophet, reminds me of where some of us might feel we are today. For those of us who have been praying, relentlessly, and see nothing on the surface of things changing, we (or at least I do) tend to wonder if God is hearing us.

But then as we look at the rest of this passage and see God's response, we must also wonder if God is not doing the same thing now, as He allowed then. That is, allowing plans for massive destruction by those who hate all of God's people because God's people won't obey Him. Perhaps, now as it was then--we'll have to be held captive by truly hateful people in order for God to get our attention!

When destruction comes--we have only ourselves to blame. We deliberately exchanged the lie of the enemy for God's Truth and made the lie a priority by which men live rather than God's Truth. As since the lie--streaming from the top (our President)  flows over the people and is choking God's Truth--cutting off the oxygen supply needed for brain cells to function--we are left with mindless laws that promote and encourage living in opposition to God's Word. There is no justice with the Supreme Court Justices and all will have to stand before God and give an account of their actions. 
And since we are a nation that is not concerned with justice for all--we will be subjected to the justice exercised by the ungodly.

Therefore, at every turn, we see Believers belittled and their rights ignored for the satisfaction of the few--ungodly--who hope to pervert the entire nation so they can pacify the lusts of their flesh. When will all the ungodliness cease and people come to their senses before it's too late? Or is it already too late? With the blustering buffoonery we see campaigning to become president and the hatred and bigotry displayed against entire groups of people, what has this nation caved to doing? Our so-called political correctness has opened the door for disaster and those dastardly demons are laughing their butts off at our expense.

Lord, You have promised that the fervent, never-ending prayers of the righteous accomplish much and we are waiting--to see the fruit of our prayers yield--peace, love, and an end to violence and hatred exhibited by so many. Create in the hearts of all those who oppose You, a desire to please You and a willingness to repent of all things that are not like You. We know You hear and answer prayer and we wait to see the majestic results  so all will know--You and You alone are God!

Things Which Have The Appearance of Wisdom!

Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. Colossians 2:20-23 NIV

Just yesterday, a poster was circulated on social media proclaiming that knowledge speaks and wisdom listens and it was getting a lot of attention. Whoever originated the poster missed understanding the bible. "Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice?" (Proverbs 8:1) And there are other passages that extol the virtue of hearing wisdom. The thing is that we are told that "wisdom" is the principle thing to obtain and with wisdom, get knowledge. So, it would appear to me that wisdom speaks and knowledge is obtained by listening.

Perhaps, it is this kind of thinking--turning around the words in scripture that has led to our society being deceived by those things that appear to be acts of wisdom.

I'll attempt to break it down this way:

Wisdom (based upon God's intent for mankind) says marriage is between a man and woman in order to perpetuate the continuation of mankind. Man's knowledge claims that people should be whoever they want to be with regardless of what God says.

Wisdom says when it comes to acts of nature--women should use the bathroom for women and the men use the bathroom for men--exercising common sense which, regrettably is not so common anymore. Man's knowledge (yielding to the choices of the few) claims, "whatever a person feels they are, that's the bathroom they should use." Considering "feelings are fickle" and change frequently, how could anyone think this is anything more than a ploy of the enemy?

Wisdom says we should get knowledge and understanding of the knowledge we obtain. Man's knowledge (especially those in elected offices) seems to think that education is not important for all and allocate more funding for prisons and wars than education. And then we wonder why other countries outperform our students--hands down--when those countries place education as a priority.

Wisdom says if two people are doing the same job--regardless of gender or race or age--they should receive equal compensation. Man's knowledge--thinking men need more money than women--has managed to keep women underearning in the same position as men. There is no equality when things are obviously unequal.

Wisdom says parents should discipline (part of the training) a child while they are young so when they are older, they will have learned valuable lessons. Man's knowledge--utilizing court systems--has proclaimed that spanking a child leads them to being violent and mentally ill. Using small case studies--compared to the number of people who exercise discipline when needed--so-called researchers have convinced a foolish society that children should not be spanked and then we all sit back and wonder--what's wrong with the kids today.

There are efforts--influenced by the enemy--to change what is right by saying what God has said is wrong, that have an appearance of wisdom, but are not wise at all and in fact--oppose God's Word. So, here's the bottom line, when wisdom speaks, we better listen and then use what we hear to make this world a better place.

Praise The Lord and Be Blessed!

"Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion, He who is the Maker of heaven and earth." (Psalm 134)

Who are the servants of The Lord?

All those who proclaim to accept the Work on the Cross as a means of reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ are the servants of The Lord--those who are obedient to His Word--proclaiming what He says to all. If then, we are servants of The Lord--giving Him rulership over our lives, why do we find it so difficult to obey--Our Lord--one who governs?

The simple answer is most people don't understand how Lordship functions as it once did in England and in other nations. It certainly doesn't have a place in the United States because we won't allow anyone to be "Lord over our lives" and we certainly won't allow Holy Spirit to govern us. When a person was "the Lord" over property (a region, however designated by a king), he was the authority in the lives of those who lived on his land. Here, in America, we seem to forget that when we accept The Word on the Cross, and Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we give Him authority over our lives. A relationship with Jesus is a matter of the heart, not the head (or mind) and we allow Him to govern when we accept His Lordship; if we don't allow Him to be Lord, all we've done is to be religious and ritualistic.

I'll be the first to admit than granting someone else authority over my life is challenging and almost impossible when it comes to mere mortals. Yes, I obey the laws of the land when they don't conflict with my relationship with God. But I will not obey the laws of the land when they are in opposition to God's Word. That's settled in heaven for me. But when we cannot obey God's Word because we are more concerned about what people think or being politically correct, then we are not servants of The Lord because Jesus is not our Lord and we therefore lie--if we say He is.

When we're in a worship service--who are we praising--God or man? Do we lift our hands in praise because we really want to honor God or we simply obeying the dictates of others who have tell us what to do?

Even if we're not willing to admit where we are in our relationship with God--He knows--He knows our heart. And He knows if we only lift our hands because someone else directed us to to do so, our hearts don't belong to Him.

I can lift my hands wherever I am--and often do so when I think about just how good He is. I don't need anyone to prompt me to lift my hands or raise my voice in praise of the God who loved me enough, to come down from heaven, hang on a cross and die for me--in spite of me--and still loves me.

O that men and women and children would really understand how wonderful it is to be loved when we are not worthy! O that those who proclaim to love Jesus would be more obedient to His Love! O that all would begin to worship Him in spirit and in truth! What a wonderful, blessed world this would be if all would honor Him as Lord, obey, and love! Give Him praise and be blessed!

Living Wisely!

"Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is." (Ephesians 5:15-17 NIV).

How do we live wisely--understanding what the Lord's will is?

The first thing we must do is to seek God's wisdom in all things and we can find His will in His Word--His Word is His Will for us and how we live.

After admonishing the church at Ephesus to live as children of the light--doing all things that can be openly examined and scrutinized without shame or fear, Paul continues with instructions based upon the Word and their circumstances. He reminds them that once upon a time--they walked in darkness--not knowing truth and doing all sorts of things that were too shameful to even discuss.
 Now, he tells them--find out what pleases The Lord and live accordingly.

Those words--"and find out what pleases The Lord" (Ephesians 5:10) speak volumes to us today. If we're going to live wisely, doing what pleases The Lord, we must know what it is that pleases Him. The only way we can discover that is to read His Word and get understanding.

Notice what Paul doesn't say--live to please self or others. There's a reason he doesn't say that. If we learn to live to please God, in all things--He will give us favor with others and therefore--they will be pleased. However, we cannot attempt to please man (our fleshly desires) and think that God will be pleased with us--especially if what we do is in opposition to His Word.

The Word never tells us to be politically correct in order not to offend others with truth. The Word tells us to be bold and very courageous in promoting the Gospel. If people are offended by Truth, it is because Truth exposes their lifestyle that opposes God. In other words--Truth pulls the cover off those things that people think they do in secret or in dark places where they cannot be seen.

Being politically correct--sugar-coating truth or exchanging truth for a lie--has become the blueprint the enemy uses to cause many to fall away from living according to The Word. This is foolishness, not wisdom. And because of the foolishness, we see changes in just about everything, made to accommodate the ungodly. Changes in school curriculum that expose young children to lifestyles that are in opposition to God. Changes in how those in authority seek to please people in ungodliness more than they do about upholding righteousness. Changes in how churches abdicate their responsibilities and duties to God in order to win favor with the masses who are on a path going directly to hell. All these changes--allowing evil to reign--unchecked--is the reason we see so much violence and killing. The prince of the air--is amassing an army that is willing to defy God no matter what the consequences are and foolish people are being led by the nose--into the lake of fire. 

That is not living wisely. If what we do in private cannot stand the test of microscopic examination, we shouldn't do it for surely, we will be exposed by the light of Truth and all things done is darkness, will eventually be exposed by the light.

Now is not the time to back away from God's Will; now is the time to endeavor to seek His Will on a daily basis and live as wise people, not foolish ones.

Who's Causing Division?

I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people." (Romans 16:17,18 NIV)

Any time someone attempts to dissuade a person--about anything God has said--that person should run, not walk in the opposite direction, steering clear of them until they can demonstrate the love of God.

No one who has ever had a right relationship with God can ever truthfully deny anything God has said or His intention for mankind. When we find these people to now want to "reinvent" what God has said, it's time to move on and leave them to the destruction they are bound to incur.

When people attempt to refute or renegotiate God's Word to suit their current desires, they care creating divisions in the body of Believers who know what God has said and means.
However, since there are some who are easily influenced and too weak to stand on the Truth, they go along to get along with others. Here's the problem for going along to get along; especially when it pertains to God's Word--none of us will be asked to stand together with all those we got along with when we stand before God. We will stand before Him--alone--on our own--and nothing anyone else says or does will matter.

Whoever coined the term, "political correctness" and "progressive politics" created the gap that now separates those who truly love God and those who are only giving lip service to God. Political correctness can never take the place of Godly righteousness--no matter who says it or how often they say it--God gets the final say. Progressive politics is nothing more than the enemy's plan to turn people away from God and once they have turned from God, Satan will play havoc with their lives and all those around them.

Once we play games to win the approval of people, we have lost the favor of God. When we have favor with God, He gives us favor with people. America is in the shape it's in because of those people--whoever they are and however they do it--who cause division in the plan that God has already established.

God's plan for mankind is that all are treated like they all belong to the human race--not a particular group of people. God's plan for mankind in order to perpetuate the continuity of human beings is for man and woman to marry and have children. God's plan for mankind is that every child would be raised in homes with a mother and father--whose guidelines are specifically listed in His Word. God's plan for mankind was for us to love one another and love Him. When we love, we don't kill, steal or destroy, lie, manipulate, deceive, or hate--these are the character traits employed by those influenced by Satan. God's plan for mankind is for us to live in harmony, peace and unity--which is the opposite of Satan's plan which always creates confusion and chaos.

Now, I ask you to think--and to be honest with self--whose plan are you adhering to--God's or Satan's? And let's be real, anytime a person promotes hatred by spreading vicious gossip and rumor's--igniting division--they are not part of God's plan, but Satan's.

And The Beat Goes On!

Today's broadcast overrun by Holy Spirit! You have to hear it to believe!
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/maryandtyrone/2015/01/29/and-the-beat-goes-on

The Measure of Greatness!

"To which of the trees in Eden will you then be likened in glory and greatness? Yet you shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the depths of the earth; you shall lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude,’ says the Lord GOD.” (Ezekiel 31:18 NKJV)

When people seek greatness of their volition, they usually don't care about the lives they destroy in their quest. And when they foolishly believe that their greatness is a result of either who they are or what they accomplish, they shall be brought down for all the world to see.

When God's will for greatness is fulfilled in a person, everyone around them benefits. If people do great things for the benefit of others (not themselves), then God will raise them up for the world to see and if they are truly humble before God, their greatness will be beyond measure for it will never stop.

There are people who have been called great based on our understanding of greatness, but they were they great in God's sight? Only He can determine the measure of their greatness which probably has less to do with our definition of greatness. But there are some things we can measure based upon His Word.

Are we seeking to promote peace within and without our immediate boundaries?

Are we promoting unconditional love for all regardless of ethnicity or gender?

Are we promoting obedience to God's Word or are we promoting political correctness that defies God's Word?

Greatness, our greatness, will not be measured by God by our standards, but by His and if we don't measure up to His standards, what then have we truly accomplished?

I'd rather have His elevation for doing things His way--no matter how long it may take--for all eternity, than to have all of mankind applaud my efforts in keeping them pleased, for an instant! Only what we do for Christ will last!

Our Tasks!

“I, the LORD, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations. You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons." (Isaiah 42:6,7 NLT)

Anyone who proclaims the name of Jesus as their Lord and Savior has a job to do. We are called--to be true representatives of Him--who called us--to demonstrate His righteousness (not our own). We are to be a light, guiding nations. We are responsible for making sure the eyes of the blind (spiritually) are opened and those who are held captive by the darkness of their minds are set free. And we do all of this-in the name of the Lord, giving Him the glory for all things accomplished.

Every time the enemy raises his ugly head with lies and half-truths (which are actually whole lies), we must be in position to declare God's Truth. In order to do this, we must stay in The Word and be ready with an answer for anyone who questions our faith--based on The Word.

The enemy's strategy is to create scales on the eyes of those who say they believe, but are actually weak in their faith walk. We know these people when we see them because they waver--wobbling between God's Truth and man's political correctness in making decisions. They have been blinded to the Truth and then they promote--what they cannot fully see--the Truth of God's Word over the "constantly changing" landscape of political correctness. It is our job--our task--to keep telling God's Truth until the scales drop and they can see clearly how the enemy has manipulated them.

One of the reasons people find themselves in the darkness of depressed minds is because the enemy has planted seeds of doubt in their minds--causing them to doubt their own self-worth and doubt whether they are loved or not. The enemy plants seeds of negativity in the minds of all who waver--not understanding that their lack of total faith in God--has opened the door for Satan to enter.

The Word says, through John, "You shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free." We must keep telling, and keep telling, and keep telling until we can tell no more--the Truth of God's Word so we can see captive minds set free--and the seeds of doubt are replaced by seeds of Love--His Love and ours--leading them to a path of His plan.

We have tasks to complete before He returns. The world is turning dark as it succumbs to the enemy's manipulations and we are the only ones who can be a beacon of light in the midst of all the darkness. Are you up for the task? Then let's get busy--promoting God's Truth like never before--to His glory by allowing Holy Spirit free reign in our lives!

Because They Have Forsaken God!

"Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah: Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched." (2 Chronicles 34:24,25)

What happens when we forsake God and forget about all He has told us to do? Ugly things happen and continue to happen until people repent--usually after they have been reminded of what God has said.

This was the case with the King (Josiah) who got rid of all the high places where people burned living children in sacrifice to a hand-made God, where they worshipped the works of their own hands and falsely believed those who told them to kill children to appease their hand-made God. Josiah repented after hearing The Words of God that had been forgotten and forsaken. He finally understood and obeyed and his obedience kept him from falling into the judgment of those who refused to repent.

The same God--not made by hands--who is self-existing and needs no one else to counsel Him--who allowed judgment to fall upon entire kingdoms because of their disobedience then, will do the same thing today--if we continue to forsake God's Word!

Perhaps, the problem is that many refuse to attend places of worship that have made the Word of 
God of no effect because of their traditions. Perhaps, the problem is because no one is reading The Word, seeking understanding of how God wants us to live. Perhaps, the problem is because many people spend far more time worshipping those things that man's hands have made and they cannot see or understand the importance of knowing what God has said.

People worship their cars, their jobs, their bank accounts, their homes, their children, their spouses and when people and things become more important than God--we go astray. We forget to read The Word; we forget to hear The Word; we forget to study The Word and seek Him for understanding. With all of this forgetting about The Word--we disobey God and create (in our minds and with our own hands) new rules--that contradict God's Word. We create laws and statutes that are in total opposition to what God has said and we do it--to be politically correct and inclusive--desiring to please men, more than God!

And when we forsake God--all the ugliness of the world--is exposed to the light and we see the end results--chaos, unrest, and violence, not realizing that sin impacts our environment and the just and unjust suffer the same consequences.

The solution to all the aforenamed problems is simply for everyone to get in The Word, understand what God has said and repent--humbly seeking His forgiveness for all we have done that is not of Him.

When we forsake God and His ways, He forsakes us and allows us to do our own thing--obtaining our own results--without His involvement. God does not cause the problems we have in our society--we do--because we have forsaken God!

Help us, O Lord, to get our priorities right and come back to the place where we can receive The Word and forgiveness for all the wrong we have done. Have mercy on us, O Lord, and lead us to the place You would have us to be--always focused upon You and what You would have us to do so we can achieve greatness to Your glory!

When a Godless Society Governs!

To say that our society has forgotten God would be the greatest understatement ever made. We see the results of godlessness, every day in every nation.

Prayer was removed from schools because of a godless woman who thought others praying around her children was an infringement upon their rights. Without prayer and God in our schools--our schools have become the devil's playground as children get involved in drugs, sexual activity, disrespect of those in authority, and violence against them and others runs rampant, with no end in mind because society says--we should not pray in schools.

With the elimination of prayer, came the elimination of corporal punishment in schools and now that the kids know "no one can touch them" no matter how badly they behave, we have chaos in schools and foolishness with parents who cannot control their children and the teachers are not allowed to control them and we wonder--what happened to academic achievement in the schools? It was beaten up by a godless society that permitted Satan to reign with legal maneuverings and political correctness that has created a slow, but sure eroding of anything that promotes Godly behavior.

Societal outrage over kids getting spanked by their parents has led to kids controlling their parents and no one in our society is safe--from the lack of respect of others--these kids feel. They know and provoke parents into giving up on trying to parent them. Parents are afraid of the legal system and kids are running amuk--violence is on the rise and yet no one looks at the problem for what it is--a Godless society running things and then wondering why we have the problems with kids we have.

When politicians cave and submit to "societal leanings" about sin--we know we're all in trouble and since those of us who know how God operates, we know that sin is rocking the boat--hence all the troubling events--we are all witnessing.

Chaos, violence, disrespect of all authority, unrest in all the land, fear, hatred and inhumane treatment of other human beings--this is what happens when a Godless society governs!

Read, Expect, Pray!

http://www.ksdk.com/story/news/nation/2014/08/08/florida-church-cancels-funeral-gay-man/13764107/
"Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry." (James 1:19 NLT).

For the next three days, I have scheduled a commentary on a recent event in which a pastor has been "demonized" because of a decision to cancel a funeral in Florida. The deceased--it was discovered--was a gay man, married to another man--which is opposition to the church's beliefs and policies and that information was withheld from the pastor when they originally agreed to allow the funeral to be held in the church. Don't judge a matter so quickly that you forget to get all the information! An opinion--without facts to support or document--is just that, an opinion and we all have one. However, in order to not promote ignorance of the role of the church and its leadership, I encourage everyone who usually reads my blog posts to read them in their entirety, expect to have feelings ignited, but pray before you determine anything about me or what I've said.  Meditate on The Word, Seek God, and know Truth from Him--not me.

If you feel as though I'm ranting, you're probably right--but ranting with the intent to inform and negate all the negativity about pastors who actually attempt to do the right thing according to The Word of God, not political correctness or the influence of those who choose to live ungodly lives.

Just as I am encouraging pastors to stand firm in their belief in The Word and to live according to it, I am standing firm in the belief in The Word and in how God wants me to live. If anyone wants to live contrary to The Word--that's their business and they will have to deal with the consequences--as will I. However, I will not compromise my beliefs simply to make others "feel" better about themselves. I am not a doormat and I will not act like one when it comes to standing on The Word.

Here's a newsflash--God is not interested in our "feelings;" He's interested in whether or not we're living according to His Word and no one, absolutely no one can convince me to live contrary to God's Word. Living for Him--is a choice--like everything else we do and I choose Jesus over all the "warm fuzzies" from being politically correct by people who don't know God.

If there are some who think I'm wrong--they're entitled to think whatever they wish--I'll await God's judgment for being on His side rather than theirs!

Love to love you--but I'll stand firm on The Word!

Ravaging Politicism (Excerpt 1)

(c) 2014 Mary M. Hall-Rayford

Introduction

When looking at our society today and trying to make sense of the stupidity that reigns one has to wonder—how did we reach this point in life? The answer could be very simply put forth for discussion and analysis, but the problems attached to the answer are too complex to be simple. We are living in an era in which we attempt to hold people to standards when in reality those standards no longer exist and have not for some time.

We expect people in certain positions to uphold a modicum of respect for the office, even if it is obvious the person holding the office, deserves no respect. We attempt to hold people to standards of morals when we have been an amoral society for decades and there does not appear to be any attempt for anyone to change the flavor of our valueless society.

We attempt to hold parents accountable for raising productive children while taking away their rights to do so and then wonder why our children are on the rampage.

We attempt to hold teachers to high academic standards of excellence when in reality—we tie their hands and muzzle over their mouths when the teachers dare to voice their concerns about the conditions under which they are expected for perform. Performance indeed is an accurate portrayal of what teachers are expected to do. They are expected to perform—miracles—with students who either cannot or will not cooperate in the learning process, with reduced budgets and a lack of resources that defies logic, and with micro-managing administrators who do not have a clue as to what should happen in a classroom, and certainly, do not know what is  happening in the classroom.

Then we have the standards of religious posturing that have no real meaning, but are laughable and people have the nerve to wonder why church attendance is down in so many “religious institutions.” When we have demoralized morals—and labelled it political correctness—we open the door to the powers of negativity and ruination and allow them to run rampant—causing confusion and chaos everywhere and then we sit back and wonder—why! Granted, not everyone believes in the God of creation and this is not really about what one believes or does not believe.

This unraveling diatribe is about the reality that has beset us and one in which we are so mired that we cannot see our way back to a rationale in our approach to life that makes it possible for us to regain any civility we have lost. As a result of our current predilection regarding political correctness as a standard, I have endeavored to expound on the results of our foolishness and bring to the forefront the issue of the ravaging politicism that is so pervasive in our society that reason is no longer a sound principle for most of our society.

To make sure that everyone reading maintains a focused view (no straying) to what is being said, the following definitions are used to coin the phrase—“ravaging politicism”—so that all can interpret with accuracy the state of our society.

Politicism—considering the verb—politicize—which means to bring a political flavor into a situation. In this case, it is the political arena, wooing citizens to win their confidence in a time of election.

Changing the verb into a noun by adding the suffix—ism—which means to develop a distinctive doctrine, theory, system or practice—we have—viola—politicism.

Ravaging—to ruin or cause ruinous damage or harm to someone or something. For the purposes of this brief dissertation, it is ruining what was supposed to be the threads of a civilized society in which morals and values are revered.

Education

Referencing statements made in the introduction, let me begin with the damage that has brought us to our knees on an academic un-achievement level. We are ranked average based upon recent findings in the report according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development updated 10/1/2012). When looking at the compilation of scores, average is not an accurate description of what the ranking should be. On a scale up 1000, our reading scores were 500, math scores 487, and science scores 502. Now, I admit I am not a mathematician, but 50% is failing, not average. But then, I did not do the ranking and those who did, probably hoped that anyone reading this report would not see the fallacy that can be concluded from the following excerpt.

The three-yearly OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)             report, which compares the knowledge and skills of 15-year-olds in 70 countries    around the world, ranked the United States 14th out of 34 OECD countries for   reading skills, 17th for science and a below-average 25th for mathematics.

The response from our “revered leader in education” makes the following statement:      

 "This is an absolute wake-up call for America," U.S. Education Secretary Arne              

Duncan said in an interview with The Associated Press. "The results are extraordinarily            challenging to us and we have to deal with the brutal truth. We have to get much more        

serious about investing in education."

Now while I realize that not everyone considers Huffington Post a reliable media source, I am fairly confident in using them as a source for my stance. [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/07/us-falls-in-world-education-rankings_n_793185.html—retrieved on 1/31/2014]

I have so much more to say in the upcoming posts. Hope you'll continue to read and then take whatever action you deem appropriate to change the course we are currently taking. 

Servant of Christ!

"For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10 NASB).

The questions Paul asked about himself then-centuries ago, are applicable to us, now in the 21st Century. Are seeking the favor men or God. Are we trying to please men (think about the concept of being politically correct when it comes to God's Word)? If we are trying to please men, we most assuredly cannot please God and we would not be servants of Christ.

Very simply put--servants do what their masters desire. If Christ is our Master then we should seek to please Him. If man is our master, then we know why there is confusion in the land because man's thinking is fickle and ever-changing, while Christ does not change His mind about what is right or Godly.

Now before we lose sight of who we are, we need to think about whose we are and spend some time with the master of our fate. Personally, I choose to spend time with The Lord, seeking how I can please Him. For when I please Him, I have rest in my soul and do not worry about those things which I cannot control. God tells me in His Word that when I please Him, He'll give me the desires of my heart. Therefore, I submit to the guidance of The Lord, as His humble servant.

Take the time and think about who it is you are trying to please and why.

For He Has Done Great Things!

"The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy" (Psalm 126:3 NIV).

In the midst of captivity, persecuted and scorned on all sides, mocked for their beliefs and treated as though they were less than human beings, the children of Israel still understood that God had done great things for them and would continue to do so, no matter how bad things looked.

In order to survive the chaotic nonsense of current events--political drudgery and incompetence, uncertain economy, and a nation of hate-filled, back-biting so-called Christians, we must develop the same attitude: God has done great things for us and He will continue to do so.

What great things has He done? He loved us so much He died for us to save us from ourselves. He is not willing to leave us alone so His Spirit abides in the atmosphere so we have a constant comforter, teacher, and guide. His mercy endures for ever and we wake each day with new mercies when we need them. He is our provider-always has  and always will. He is the Light that keeps us out of darkness. He is the Truth so we have no need to hear the liar. He is our healer--however He chooses to get the job done. He gives us the privilege of walking in His unearned favor--achieving more than we deserve because of who He is. 

We are filled with His joy and peace that surpasses all understanding. We will not be moved by those things that we see because our faith is in Him who controls the invisible and the visible alike. The joy of the Lord is our strength! We shall not be moved by the negative reports, but stand--on His Word--the foundation of our faith! Because of His love for us--shed abroad to overflowing in our hearts, we will continue to love others--unconditionally. When He speaks a Word for us to share--we will broadcast it whether it is convenient or not, whether others agree with it or not because we are His ambassadors and we will speak what He speaks!  We will do all things to His glory and not our own!

Father, in the name of Jesus, thank You for being who You are in our lives. Help us to become who You desire us to be--as individuals and collectively so the world will know--there is a remnant--who will not bow to political correctness or any other ungodliness that surfaces in the earth realm. Thank You for loving us and filling us with joy. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen!

Pulling Down Strong Holds in 2014!

“I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. 2 Corinthians 10:2

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.2 Corinthians 10:3

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 2 Corinthians10:4

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

Father, in the name of Jesus,

We look to You, the author and finisher of our faith,

To help us to do all that You have said we could and would do in Your Word.

We ask You to look upon the hearts and minds of those in positions of authority and leadership everywhere—heads of state, politicians, law enforcement, military, pastors, church leaders, heads of families and everyone else—expose the true nature of each and every person so everyone can see.

We thank You for breaking the strong holds the enemy has on those who cloak themselves in deceptions and lies; exposing manipulative schemes devised by those who think that no one knows.

We thank You for having eyes that see in every place, beholding the good and evil and for pulling off the cloak of dark works that fester in the minds of those who are so easily fooled and influenced by Satan.

We thank You for allowing the scales of political correctness to fall from our eyes and minds so we see and know Truth for the sake of Truth and in following Him in all things.

We thank You for the remnant—those who refuse to buy into political correctness over Godly righteousness—and for their strength and courage that only You can provide to stand against the deeds of evil and praise You in the midst of the chaos.

We thank You for deliverance—from bitterness and desire to avenge the evil so thoughtlessly committed against us—for You have said that we cannot allow the evil to rule over the good that is within us and we will maintain the good in spite of the evil.

We thank You for speaking to hearts of parents everywhere—who have abandoned, abused, or neglected their children. We ask You to create in them a heart to want to do what is right for their children and for themselves.

We thank You for being God, our creator and for the fact that there is none like and nor will there be. There is no god, created by our hands that we would should worship or give any credence to being anything other than something made by the hands of man.

We look to You—more now than ever before—to break every chain that binds those who inflict evil and influence minds to perpetuate evil against others. We look to You to create situations in which men and women and children everywhere will know that they must develop the mind of Christ and live within the Word so the nations can be saved.

We look to You, O God—to position those who know You in places where they can, with courage—take a stand and become immoveable—in promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We pray Your hand of protection over all who belong to You and for those You know will change their directions and come to You of their own accord. Keep all assigned angels alert and watchful so the enemy will not have opportunity to steal, kill or destroy the hopes of entire nations. Open our eyes that we might see the deceptions planned so we know how to fight against them. Open our hears so we can hear You when You speak—warning us of dangers and telling us what to say. Touch our bodies and heal them of all sickness and disease. Touch our minds cutting away any thoughts of disobedience or evil in the light of day so they cannot manifest themselves in darkness. Speak to the hearts of Your children of all ages and encourage them to know that wisdom is the principle thing and with all their getting—they need to have understanding—academically, economically, and spiritually.

In the new year, O God, we look for You to do a new thing—a new thing so great that will once and for all convince the unbelieving that You are God and You are God alone.

We proclaim every good thing that You have planned for us will be obtained in 2014 by all who obey Your Word and share the love of Jesus Christ with others. Thank You for hearing and answering our prayers. Amen!