The Secret :D

Well I've been keeping a secret for the last few months. It's been extremely difficult to keep. I am not that good at keeping juicy secrets but by God's mercy I somehow managed to not explode. So for those of you who asked for the details and for those of you who have no clue what I'm talking about, here is the story of how it all went down in more detail than you probably care for...(sorry, I'm a fine-liner and not a headliner. Just how I roll... ;)

In February we spent a wonderful week with our kids in Missouri. I had been asked to lead worship at the women's meeting at Faith Chapel and we were all too happy to make the long trip there. We made a mini-vacation out of it and spent a wonderful week just kicking back, visiting with Haley, Josh and Max and attending every single thing Faith Chapel had to offer that week. It just further confirmed to us that this is where we belong. The reluctant trip back to Baton Rouge was made a bit more exciting when Keith nearly gave some stoned dude a heart attack by pulling his .45 out on him at a gas station when he opened my door and tried to get in our truck. (Yep I'm married to Rambo).

Anyhow, we reluctantly settled back into our routine in Baton Rouge. The following weekend Keith and the twins made a quick turkey hunt to St Francisville. That Sunday evening they returned tired so we decided to make an early night of it (which we hardly ever do). We were in our jammys and settled in bed about to go to sleep, with the laptop watching Faith Chapel's morning service online when both of the dogs started barking. Zeke our German Shepherd barks at everything but Lucca our Akita doesn't bark unless someone is in our yard. So when she barks, we pay attention. Keith headed down the hall muttering something like "who in their right mind would be at our front door at 10 at night". I stayed in the bedroom because I was in my jammys and didn't particularly want to greet guests in such attire. When I heard the door open and then muffled yelling... I started to get concerned. Although we live in a relatively safe neighborhood, this is Baton Rouge after all. Then Keith yelled, 'Honey you have to come see this!'...and I honestly couldn't imagine what on earth I was being summoned, in my jammys, to see. I cracked open the door, cautiously peeking out and there in my front yard stood my daughter and son-in-law (and his sister Joanna with a video camera) laughing and smiling... What?! I mean, Keith and I had just been in bed watching Josh lead worship at Faith Chapel that morning and my sleepy brain couldn't wrap around the fact that he was on my computer and in my front yard at the same time. Then as I tried to digest this I noticed something else-- in their hands they held a sign that said- "Congrats You Are Grandparents". What?! Yes, our precious kids left St. Louis after church that morning and drove 10 hours just to come tell us, face to face that Haley was pregnant. They had found out she was pregnant the night we left their house. We absolutely couldn't believe it. Josh's parents got the same exciting surprise and about half an hour later they joined us for a celebration (and a cake Josh's sister Joanna made and brought- yes they thought of everything! :) We were each given a teeny baby sock with two scriptures on them that they are praying over their baby. We spent a joyous Monday with them and Tuesday morning they turned around and headed back to Missouri. What an unexpected and joyous visit that was! The only bad thing was.... we had to WAIT to tell this wondrous news ! They asked us to wait until she was around 8 weeks and after they told their church. So we waited................. a month! It wasn't easy folks.

So if you've seen me this last month and I seemed to be avoiding you... Now you know why. The excitement and joy have been about to burst out of my pores. But somehow... I managed :)

My baby girl is having a baby. She's due 11/8/11 (but she's hoping for 11/11/11! :) And until the day I die, the way they told us will be one of my most precious, treasured memories. God is SO good!!!


So now you know. :)

Our all in all

I know I’m a little late but Happy New Years everyone! For the sixth (I think) year in a row, I welcomed in the New Year at the Onething conference in Kansas City, Missouri. I hadn’t planned to go actually but at the last minute friends offered the share of a ride and a hotel room, so after much frantic packing the next day, off I went. As usual, it was awesome. I came back refreshed, refilled and hungry for more… During the conference, the Lord clearly highlighted to me what my focus is to be this year. It’s been confirmed almost everywhere I turn. I love it when the Lord does that kind of stuff. I’ll hopefully share more on that in the days to come…

For now I’ll share something I wrote a few years ago that I ran across today while going through my documents. Although it’s not exactly what the Lord has had me focused on lately, it is along the same line. This definitely could be expounded on and I may at a later date, but for now I thought I’d share it, as is.  So here it is:


 Jeremiah 17: 5 "This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.
6 He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.
7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.
8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

We often read of the negative effect on us for making someone or something other than God our all-in-all,. We will be cursed, snared, etc... but have you ever thought about the negative effect it has on the one placed by us in God's rightful place? How can they ever live up to the expectations that only God can meet? How can they ever provide for what only God can provide? They are doomed to failure, judgment and disapproval, no matter how hard they try. They are destined to disappoint no matter their love and good intentions. Their failure is certain. They are the created. Only the Uncreated can get it right. Just another example of how our sin effects more than us.


I have felt the pain of failure, at not meeting another's expectations. I don't want to do that to anyone... But imagine the Lord's pain when we look to others before Him... I do it all the time... When will I learn?


The fire has been turned up... Ouch. He's shaking what can be shaken in our lives. The dead branches in our souls are being shaken loose and they are meant for the fire. His holy all-consuming fire. It doesn't feel like it, but its a good thing. A very good thing. So come Lord Jesus... Take your place.

Sean's Hope

Last night, at 8:45 pm, our friend Sean, stepped over that invisible threshold into eternity. As his wife Jen put it, ‘he breathed his last breath on this earth and his first in heaven’. The shell that housed his spirit was spent, yet Sean lives on. He is not dead, but alive in Christ. He is experiencing sights and sounds that we cannot even fathom at this very moment. He is looking at Jesus! Wow. He is beholding the actual Jesus in bodily form. Sean sees Him right now. I wonder what they are saying? I wonder what they are doing? One day we will know what that’s like. Those who know Jesus will know. Death where is your sting? Grave where is your victory? He’s alive. He’s alive. He is risen! When Jesus died on the cross, Satan thought he had beaten Him. For a brief moment Satan and his demons rejoiced. They had defeated the King of kings. But that moment was swallowed up in horror as their eyes beheld Him, bursting into their dark domain, triumphant, victorious, ALIVE, snatching the keys of Death, Hell and the Grave from them. And Jesus arose and ascended to His Father, forever ruining Satan’s plan. And for those of us, who know Jesus, for those of us who have made Him our Lord and Savior, death is not a tragic end. It is just a step…from this world into the next, secured by the cross.  We have a hope. And His name is Jesus. For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. He gives eternal life to those who believe on Him. Without Him we are destined to eventual death and hell. Jesus is our only hope. And it is this Hope that Sean knew personally and that is comforting Jen and her boys right now. They know that they WILL see Sean again. Please keep Jen and her boys in prayer right now. Jen misses her husband and those boys miss their Daddy. But though they grieve, they are not without Hope. Please friends, if you do not know Jesus, you can know Him today. Believe on Him. Turn from your sins and give your life to Him. He gave His for you. He will wash all your sins away and come live in you by His Spirt...and you will live forever… just like Sean. I leave you with the lyrics of this awesome song. God bless!

IN CHRIST ALONE

In Christ alone my hope is found,

He is my light, my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! who took on flesh
Fulness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave he rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

The Grace Ticket

 Well hallelujah our kiddos have arrived from Missouri. We will have a house full for Christmas and it’s going to be fun. Its always sort of bittersweet to have them here because I know that it isn't going to last and they are going to leave soon, but I’m choosing to enjoy the now and to not think of tomorrow. And we are truly thankful for our 'now' because there just seems to be so much tragedy going on in the world right now. Not just in the news but with people we know. It always puts whatever I’m struggling with in perspective and makes me thankful for those precious ones in my life.

Have you ever looked at a tragic situation and thought, “I don’t know how they are dealing with this. I just couldn’t do it. I just could not handle this if it happened to me.”? A friend and I were having such a conversation recently and we were basically saying these very things. And I was reminded of a story I read years ago told in THE HIDING PLACE by Corrie ten Boom. One night when she was a little girl, as her sweet Daddy was tucking her into bed, she became overwhelmed with the fearful thought of what if he were to die.

(As told in THE HIDING PLACE). “I burst into tears, “I need you!” I sobbed. “You can't die! You can't!” “Corrie,” he began gently. “When you and I go to Amsterdam, when do I give you your ticket?” “Why, just before we get on the train.” “Exactly. And our wise Father in heaven knows when we're going to need things, too. Don't run out ahead of him, Corrie. When the time comes that some of us will have to die, you will look into your heart and find the strength you need – just in time.”

Years later during World War II this came to Corrie's mind as her entire family was rounded up and sent to a concentration camp for hiding Jews in Nazi-occupied Holland. And even through their suffering and the death of her father and sister, God’s strength was there when she needed it and she was not overcome by her circumstances. She did ‘handle it’ when it needed to be handled, but only by the grace of God.

I read THE HIDING PLACE when I was a little girl and as a fear-prone child, this story particularly comforted and ministered to me. I have never, ever forgotten the lesson of this story and it has been proven true to me over and over again and I've seen it proven in the lives of others.

In December 1994, the Navy moved us to Hawaii. Christmas found us living in a hotel suite with two small children and me in the middle of a difficult pregnancy. I loved my own children with all of my heart but I’d never been one of those women whose heart melted at the sight of a baby or who as a girl had gladly volunteered my babysitting services nor as a mother had I ever been overly confident in my child rearing abilities. So every pregnancy, although greeted with great joy was also greeted with a fair amount of trepidation at the great responsibility entrusted to us. I never felt worthy or capable of such a sacred task. And I was especially anxious to have my third baby so far away from my support base of family, friends and church. I just didn’t have a whole lot of faith in myself to efficiently run a household while capably handling three small children and homeschooling my eldest all day long while Keith was at work. The very thought of it greatly overwhelmed me. Yet despite these worries, we had a wonderful Christmas together as a family of four in our hotel room.

Then sometime after Christmas, I went for my ultrasound.

I should have known something was up when the ultrasound tech took one look at my ultrasound and announced, “excuse me I have to get a second opinion” then promptly left the room. But I can honestly say, this didn’t alarm me at all. For once, my overactive, worse-case-scenario thought-process didn’t kick into high gear. I don’t remember thinking anything at all as a matter of fact. Keith wisely kept any concerns he may have had to himself because he knew better. So when Mr. Second Opinion casually commented, “Yep, there’s two babies in there. You’re having twins Mrs. Johnson.” I nearly fell off the examining table. This was impossible. This was inconceivable. Other women had twins- calm, capable, confident women. Not me. Definitely not me. However for a brief holy moment, a sense of awe came over me as if God had especially blessed us with this ‘double portion’. However just as quickly the awe left and panic set in.. "Twins God? Me God? Are You serious?" But the fact remained that for some odd reason God DID choose me to be the mother of twins and it has forever convinced me that He definitely has a sense of humor. :)

That night as I lay in bed, a thousand different scenarios of taking care of two babies at once were played out in my head.
What if they both were crying at the same time. What if they both needed their diaper changed at the same time. How would I choose? What if we were in public and they both needed me. How would I carry them both? Could I take care of two babies by myself while Keith was at work? And what about my other two children? Would they feel neglected? And when would I ever find the time to homeschool? Would I ever be able to go to the grocery store again?
These kind of thoughts made sleep impossible and worked me into a panic. But as I frantically questioned God about this, he reminded me of the train ticket story. And as sure as I’ve ever known, the Lord spoke to my heart at that moment and He said (basically),

“Kayla, my grace is sufficient for you. Right now you are picturing and worrying about things in the future that you aren’t facing now. You are pregnant now. You need my grace for that, not for handling two babies at once. When you have your two babies, that particular grace will be yours as well. But you won’t have it until the exact moment you need it. So quit worrying and looking ahead and deal with today. Relax and trust in me. My grace IS sufficient”.

I cannot tell you the peace and relief that flooded my soul at that moment. I breathed a prayer of gratitude and turned over and fell fast asleep. And from that moment forward a confidence and excitement stirred in my soul. I was even more overjoyed when I found out I was having a boy AND a girl. Although my pregnancy was difficult and I almost delivered early several times, I had an abiding peace because I KNEW no matter what we faced, that ticket would be there when needed. And after they were born, although yes it was often difficult having two babies at once, I think I was more relaxed with the twins as babies than I was with my older two. They truly were and continue to be a double blessing and have been a genuine delight to their dad and I.

God was true to His word and His grace was there when I needed it.

Since that time when God’s ‘grace ticket’ was there for me, I have observed it handed out countless times, at the moment of much more serious needs. I watched our friend George Waites, who while battling pancreatic cancer faced his mortality with God’s peace and a sense of humor. I watched his wife and children walk through that valley with strength and an eternal perspective while proclaiming the goodness of God in the midst of loss and grief. I’ve seen my sister and brother-in-law’s faith and perseverance as they’ve never stopped pursuing God in the midst of dealing with the difficulties and delights of raising their autistic son. And right now I’m watching my friends Jen and Sean face Sean’s terminal cancer and the heartbreaking prognosis that he may not be here by Christmas Day to spend it with their two young sons. And I’m seeing them face this trauma with a gratitude for each precious day together and with a strength that defies explanation.

God’s train ticket of grace is there when we need it to face something that we could never imagine facing before. And like the manna, it is for each day-one day at a time. It doesn’t make things easy and it doesn’t take away the pain, but somehow it is sufficient to bear what would otherwise crush those who have made the Lord their hope. But don’t expect to understand today what you may or may not face tomorrow.Each day has enough trouble of its own. If we’re ever called upon to face something unimaginable, rest assured that grace ticket will be handed to us by our loving Father at the very moment we get on the train, but not a moment before.

2 Cor 12: 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

And please say an extra prayer for our friends Sean and Jen Coffey. Please pray for a miracle and that if it’s God’s will Sean will be here to spend Christmas Day with his beautiful wife and two little boys. But that whatever the Lord chooses, that His‘grace ticket’ would be there exactly when they need it for whatever they will be called upon to face, as promised.

I pray that you each have a very, very Merry Christmas.
God bless you all.

Pilgrimages & other stuff

Me and my eldest Haley

Me and my Max

Long time no blog. I’m not sure why October was my banner month for blogging but I seem to have hit a wall in November. Going to try to redeem myself in December I guess. :)
So here’s what's been happening while I’ve been blogless.

Well I celebrated (ha!) a birthday in November. Birthdays these days aren’t as much fun or as anticipated as they once were. This year, because of some circumstances in my life at the time, I admit I faced my birthday with a fair amount of dread. Silly, I realize. I even realized it at the time which made it that much worse. I knew that I should be very grateful for my blessed life and even for my age. But the melancholy persisted so I took it to the Lord and as promised, He heard my cry and answered me. I ended up having a very pleasant day, with a thankful heart for the life God has given me.

But afterwards as I contemplated the emotional contortions I'd just experienced I had to ask- what was that all about? And the answer I came up with was basically this: hope deferred. Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.” I think most of us have had our own personal ‘hope deferred” at one time or another. We’ve all had dreams not fulfilled, crushing disappointments, that particular something we’d hoped for that didn’t come to pass. I’ve definitely had my share throughout my life. But as I once again marked time with another birthday, it just seemed to hit me that my dreams were becoming more unlikely with each passing year. The cushion of time that kept me hopeful in youth, was now gone. No, I’m aware that I’m not ancient and those older than me will probably say, “Good grief, get a grip woman, you still have lots of time!” Okay, okay, I agree. But this dawning realization of my own mortality was not an overall negative thing in the end. It just birthed a curious determination in me to understand some things once and for all. And although I know that the enemy of my soul was right there in the midst of my birthday angst, whispering despair into my ear, I believe the Lord DOES sometime allow and lead us into seasons of contemplation and sober evaluation.

I guess I'm in good company because King David also pondered, "Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God."Ps. 42:5.

I have had to ask myself- what is my hope? I mean really? I know the answer to that of course but I'm at the point of wanting to not just know the truth but to really experience it. I mean, I want to know Him in all of His glory and to walk in His fullness, experiencing His resurrection power. I want to be aware and in awe of the fact that the Uncreated lives inside of me. I want to take Him at His word, to really trust Him, to live out these promises here on this earth and not just in the sweet by and by. So that’s where my birthday blahs led me: to set my heart on a pilgrimage for TRUTH.

Ps. 84: 1 "How lovely is your dwelling place, LORD Almighty! 2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.... 5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. 6 As they pass through the Valley of Baka (weeping), they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.[d] 7 They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion."

Well, for my birthday I got a plane ticket to go see my kids in St Louis for Thanksgiving. That was really great. I was gone an entire week from my sweet husband and my two youngest, so that was hard, but I really had some time of sweet fellowship with my older two and with the presence of the Lord. The Lord is really visiting Faith Chapel (my kid's church). His presence is tangible. I know we throw that around a lot “wow the presence of God was really there Sunday, blah, blah, blah”, but I mean to tell you THE PRESENCE OF GOD WAS THERE! I mean… really! Okay I know God is omnipresent, but there’s a weightiness of His presence at times that cannot be denied. In His manifest presence, I find that faith arises in my heart. I find that anything seems possible and my worries seem insignificant. There’s just no place I’d rather be. And this is how I long to live.

Anyhow I had a great time celebrating Thanksgiving in St Louis. I am so excited to see what the Lord is doing in and through my children. Lest you feel sorry for Keith and the twins for being home alone while I was off gallivanting in Missouri, waste no pity on them. They were having the time of their lives at a hunting camp in Texas. They celebrated Thanksgiving in their element- outdoors, surrounded by wildlife, in camo and with firearms. Yea boy- hate I missed it. :) But needless to say everyone had a great Thanksgiving doing their own thing. But we will all be together, under one roof once again for Christmas. It should be interesting with seven people and three dogs. I can’t wait!

Speaking of Christmas- here it is again. Every year, despite my resolve to not get so caught up in the stress, I still somehow to end up there. I am not going to lie and tell you that I have succeeded this year in keeping Christmas simple and centered on Jesus. But I have at least longed to marvel at the miracle of Christmas. I guess that is an improvement. I mean we’ve heard the story our whole lives and for most of us it has lost its wonder. But oh that we would be awakened afresh to the miracle of the incarnation.

That we would marvel at the Uncreated One sending His only Son Jesus from His home in glory to become one of us. That we would celebrate Jesus, born of a virgin just as it was foretold by the prophets; born to die for our sins. That we would be filled with wonder that He shed His blood and died a painful death on the cross for us; reconciling us to the Father, who was fully satisfied with His sacrifice. Oh that we would be amazed at His resurrection and His triumph over sin and death and His ascension to the right hand of God. That we would get excited that He is coming back for us. That we would weep at such love and be confident in such authority. And that our reasonable response to all this would be to present ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice, recognizing that we are not our own. We’ve been bought with the precious blood of Jesus. We are His. And it all began for us with Christmas, when that sweet little baby, fully God and fully man, was born in that manger in Bethlehem. A tangible, personal revelation of this is my prayer for myself, my family and for all of you. Because there WILL come a day when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord.

"He's not a baby in a manger anymore. He's not a broken man on the cross. He didn't stay in the grave and He's not staying in heaven forever"~Misty Edwards

And for those of us who have chosen to believe Him and to give ourselves to Him, when our eyes finally look upon Him in that day, we’re going to realize that He's all that's ever mattered! May we set our heart on a pilgrimage to know that and live our lives in light of that TODAY. He truly is the reason for everything... including Christmas :). Anyhow, may ya'll have a blessed, safe and awe-struck celebration.

Merry Christmas friends!


How Keith and the twins celebrated Thanksgiving :D

Hannah's Thanksgiving buck



Josephs Thanksgiving buck



Keith's big buck

Warrior's Call pics



Keith Mitchell sharing his incredible testimony

Well here are some long awaited photos of Warrior's Call 2010 held in Ruston Louisiana the weekend of October 15-16. The uncompromised word went forth that weekend and the Lord was glorified. We believe that generational strongholds were broken over Ruston as God's word was proclaimed.



















My husband, Keith Johnson, bringing the word of God



Byron Earls bringing the Word, Saturday morning

Brother Stanley of Teen Challenge New Orleans also shared

The Teen Challenge guys especially blessed us with their testimonies and faithful witness of what the Lord had brought them through. They touched our hearts in a dramatic way. Keep these guys in prayer as they walk out their deliverance.

Justin Batterton of Teen Challenge giving his testimony

Teen Challenge lined up to testify

Worship led by Andy Richardson

The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth

I’ve been so blessed and overwhelmed by the many views and the interest in Keith Mitchell’s testimony that I posted here. It really seemed to strike a chord with so many. The Lord has been highlighting to me the importance of a testimony. Testimonies bring the truth of Jesus and His relationship and care for ordinary people like us down to the experiential level that so often touches our hearts like nothing else. I remember often thinking since I got saved at age seven, that my testimony wouldn’t be very interesting to hear. Now granted I did regretfully backslide from my faith when I was a teenager and then I came back to the Lord later (and I don’t recommend this in order to have a more interesting testimony =) but to me my testimony didnt' seem extraordinary enough to help anyone. But I have found through the years as I've shared my little story that there IS power in a simple testimony of God’s salvation and His kindness towards us. Like the 'begging bowl' story I shared in a previous post, it's not so much our story, as the presence of Jesus when we share Him and proclaim His truth that changes lives. We each are different and our unique testimony (no matter how dramatic or simple) has the power to touch others with hope and to direct them to Jesus.
Rev. 12:11 says “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”

Right now I’m reading two books at the same time that are both testimonies. I first read I Dared to Call Him Father by Bilquis Sheikh probably 20 years ago and it had a profound impact on my life. And today as I read it again, it’s still impacting me with insight and conviction. It’s the amazing story of how the Lord supernaturally revealed Himself to a wealthy Pakistani woman. Having been raised a Muslim in an Islamic nation, she knew absolutely nothing about Christianity. She had no frame of reference whatsoever to influence or to teach her. But through the best teachers available-the Holy Spirit and the Bible- she came to understand, to believe and to walk out her Christianity as she saw it in the word of God while living in a culture that was hostile to it. This lady truly lived what Paul talked about in Phil 3:8 “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ”.

But it really hit home to me how that here in the West, being a Christian requires so little sacrifice; where in other cultures, being identified with Christ (through baptism in particular) could mean at the very least, being ostracized and at the most, losing your life. It would be easy to think, "wow it is so much better to be a Christian here in America. We really have it good". But as I contemplate the simplicity and purity of this woman’s faith, unfiltered by culture, tradition or religion, (she learned truth straight out of the Bible-imagine that!), and as I ponder the vibrancy and wonder of her childlike relationship with the Lord, I have to ask myself-- are we truly better off? Don’t get me wrong, I am SO thankful for the freedom of religion that we enjoy in this nation and the easy access we have to the Bible, to church and to Christian resources. I am so thankful to be born in a nation that was founded on Godly principals. But I have been struck with the realization of how overall the Western Church today is failing to teach, exhort and adhere to the unaltered truth of the whole Word of God. A social culture of Christianity has developed over time where ‘being a Christian’ in this day and age requires very little and doesn't look much different from the world. We tend to know more about the traditions of our denominations than about what the Bible really says. 'Being a Christian' in our nation has become more about statistical information (married, white, female...Christian) than about something worth dying for. The 'truth' has been watered down so much in order to be unoffensive or politically correct that it's hardly recognizable anymore, while many of us have come to expect on Sunday, something that makes us feel good, lifts our self-esteem or shows us how to get ahead.  The holiness preachers of old who preached about sin, judgment, repentance and the fear of the Lord are now often viewed with amusement while those who still adhere to the whole counsel of God are labeled as ‘legalistic’. The surprising attitude of many churches in this day and age seems to be, “The cross? The blood of Jesus? Sin? Hell? Those things might offend someone or make them uncomfortable (or worse, they might leave our church) so let’s just talk about all of the blessings in the Bible. Let’s just focus on the positive things”. Some have even taken down their crosses in order to be more 'seeker friendly'! Can you imagine what those in other countries who are gladly risking their lives in order to serve Christ must think of this?

(Added 11/1/10) Somewhere along the way we have lost the trembling holy fear of the Lord. Please understand that I'm not talking about a works-based legalism or an ungodly type fear which can be very damaging. But perhaps in our effort to counterbalance legalism, we've become way too casual with God and way too liberal with His Word. The subtle softening and the careless wielding of truth isn't as obviously alarming as the blaring all-out assault coming against absolute truth that we are seeing in our nation today. But friends it is just as dangerous, perhaps even more so, because it is coming from within the Church! And in these dark days (and they promise to get darker) if we, the Church won't proclaim absolute truth, who will? I realize that this isn’t ALL churches in the West, thank God. And down through history there always were faithful remnants who stood for truth. However this 'softer gospel' is alarmingly becoming the 'new normal' more and more and we must be careful to NOT be swept up in this flow.

And granted, there ARE lots of hurting people out there who desperately need encouragement and who need to know about God’s love. But until one is told the whole truth about their sin, they won’t fully appreciate the depths Love had to come to save them. Until one really understands that they are lost, they can’t truly recognize their need for a Savior. The full truth must be preached to have the full impact. Because regardless of how uncomfortable it may make us, it’s only the unapologetic truth that will set us free and change us. And that’s where we will find the real joy and the real peace that we have been searching for. The world's type of ‘peace’ won’t sustain us when our world is shaken. And at some point in our lives, our world WILL be shaken. We can count on that. But even in the shaking, if our anchor is in Jesus- Who is the Truth, it promises to hold. "So God has given us both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can take new courage, for we can hold on to his promise with confidence. This confidence is like a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain of heaven into God's inner sanctuary." Heb 6:18-19

But we MUST know the whole truth for ourselves. This has just made me realize how much my beliefs have been influenced by what I've been told or by my heritiage, culture or traditions rather than the freshness of discovery in the Bible and intimate experience. I've been guilty of viewing the Bible through these very filters rather than seeing what He's actually saying. I so long to see the truth afresh like this precious Pakistani lady who discovered this priceless treasure in Christ and.who simply took God at His word. In Matthew 24 it tells of the last days, how there will be many who will come in the name of the Lord performing signs and wonders and many will be deceived. Without a clear understanding of the Word of God we have the potential to be deceived and drawn away from the Truth. In Acts 17 we are told of the Bereans who when they heard the word preached, searched the scriptures for themselves to make sure they were being taught truth. And a good pastor will encourage us to check out what he is preaching in God's word and if we find something contrary, to respectfully come and show him. We absolutely must know the Word ourselves and be able to discern and accurately proclaim the truth, especially in these last days.

Now friends on another (although similar) note, please don't forget to vote this next week. I pray that you will vote in favor of those who best uphold absolute (not watered-down or incomplete) Biblical truth.

Let me briefly share some of the thoughts I just heard in a message on voting by Lou Engle. (Not all are direct quotes unless in quotation marks). Lou says, "Voting is a prophetic act of justice". He says we have a moral obligation, a mandate, to cast our vote for righteousness and justice. If God's people would take a stand in these upcoming elections, we could help restrain, to hold back the wave of lawlessness coming against our nation. In this democracy of ours we get the privilege of participating in governing by...voting. Voting is an act of conscience. It is not a political choice, but it is a prophetic witness to a higher king and a higher law. Elected officials are the elected conscience of the nation. Did Hitler personally kill the millions of Jews in the Holocaust? No, but he killed by decree. In the same way, in our silence and in our voting for pro-choice candidates, we are responsible for the shedding of innocent blood by decree.

So please, vote according to TRUTH. And pray for those in authority and for our governement. (1 Tim 2:2).

My prayer is that we would see Truth, unfiltered and alive, as if for the very first time. "Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law". (Ps 119:18). Despite the traditions of men that have influenced us and despite the the watered-down doctrines that have confused us, may we now truly know, proclaim and obey the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth! So help us God!

God bless and have a great week :). KHJ

P.S. I am experimenting with my blog template so until I am settled on one, it is likely to change... often :).