The Promised Land

Last night I was having my quiet time time with Christ doing a little Bible study and started reading a few chapters in Joshua.

[PAUSE]

**Here's the context of where we are in the Bible now: the Israelites have finally reached the point where they can enter the promised land after a 40 year journey and are about to inherit everything that God told them that He had for them**

[RESUME]

In these chapters, there were accounts of all these nations that the Israelites were going to war with because they already inhabited the lands that the Israelites were supposed to claim. In each war, no matter how big or small the enemy's army was, the Israelites defeated them because God was for them and had already given them the victory. At that moment, I heard God speak a lesson to me that I would like to share with you. 

God has given us all a promised land. Yours may be different from mines but nevertheless, it's a promised land. It's something that God has in store for you, whether it's a spouse, a brand new house, a business or even a ministry of your own. He already has it for you, it's yours. However, just like the Israelites, even though you have inherited it, you still have to go get it. It also doesn't mean that you're not going to have to go through some tests, trials and battles to get it. You'll have to fight for it. The good thing though, is that God is with you and it's already yours! You've already won! I don't know what test and trials you may be going through right now. You may feel like you're constantly being attacked, if it's not one thing it's another, it seems like it will never end. I'm here to tell you to stand up, stand tall, adjust your posture to that of a winner because you...will...win. 

I also felt God teaching me through that lesson that sometimes the battles that you face have nothing to do with you, but with others. All these nations that the Israelites were fighting did not know God or worship God prior to the Israelites. However, as the Israelites continued to defeat everyone that they came up against, knowledge of God began to spread. They now knew of Him because of how He was fighting for His people. Sometimes you're going through things not for you but because God's glory needs to be shined through you so that others can see how good He is, how He delivers,  and how He blesses. It also gives you a testimony and strengthens your faith muscles. Whatever you do, keep holding on to God, this is only a season. 

Tye Tribbet posted a tweetgram the other day that said "Your posture in this season will determine your placement in the next", which I think reigns so true. Most games are won in the last quarter. We're in the last quarter of 2013, the year's not over yet. Keep fasting, keep praying, keep pushing, keep believing, keep grinding. You're so close to the finish line....DON'T GIVE UP! Creation is waiting for YOU.

xo 

Tasha

Battle of the Exes

If you've been following my blogs a lot or even if you know me personally, you'll learn very quickly that I'm a thinker. I guess that's what causes me to be able to write so many blogs..I think a lot and I like to put my thoughts into words on paper.

So what has been on my mind lately? Friends and Exes. What if you found out your friend was dating your ex? How would you feel? Do you have a right to feel that way? Why am I even thinking about this? Who knows. Regardless I started to ask a bunch of men and women how they felt about their friends dating their exes. Was it okay? Did it matter? Is there an unwritten "code" that people are supposed to follow? Juicy!

Here's some commonalities that I found in the conversations that I had:

Women:

There is definitely a girl code. Dating a friend’s ex is not okay and not cool. That’s only leaving room for drama and anyone that would do that is not really your friend. There is some wiggle room in that though and it depends on the situation for some ladies. For some of them, if there isn’t any emotional attachment (i.e. they are over that guy completely), they would be okay with their friend dating the guy, however, the friend must ask them permission first. Also, even if there was no official relationship title (e.g. in college when people hook up or the whole friends with benefits thing), if a girl was intimate with a guy that still counts as an ex, just because girls tend to be more emotionally attached when sex is involved.

Men:

There is a guy code but may not be as strictly enforced as the girl code is. Theirs is much more situational. If the guy was just having sex with the girl then that “ex” is fair game with the friends. They don’t care. However if the guy was in a relationship with her and was known to love her, she’s off limits. If the guy has kids with her…off limits. Some guys will break this code (as I said in the beginning it’s not as strictly enforced), but guys tend to get over things quickly anyways.

After asking them this, I was curious as to whether or not this "code" had an expiration date. For example “what if you dated that ex 20 years ago?” or “what if you are now married to someone else?”. For ladies, the time stamp on the end of the relationship isn’t as black and white so it varies. However, they did say that if they were married to someone else then that code becomes null and void. Men were pretty much the same, but some men said they didn’t care, that ex is off limits forever.

My personal opinion kind of lays in the midst of all that was said above. If I am no longer emotionally attached to the ex, I'm fine with my friend dating them as long as they run it by me first. It's at least respectful to do that, I would hate to find out from somewhere else that my friend and ex were together. I think I'm at the stage in my life that I am not emotionally tied to all of my exes except for one. If my friend were to date that one exception, it would hurt me.

Then I got to playing devil's advocate and started thinking, do we really have a right to say who our friends can and can't date? I mean people aren't property. When I think about it on a deeper level, God has a specific plan for me regarding who I should and shouldn't date. I'm pretty sure He didn't tell me to date any of my exes, I went rogue and did what I wanted to do for years. So if one of my exes was the one that God intended for one of my friends, who am I to say "No. You can't date him because that would hurt me?", I wouldn't have has that soul tie to begin with had I not gone rogue. And who's fault is that? Mine. Whatever I feel as a result of my friend dating him is sort of my consequence for not obeying..right?

Needless to say, now...I don't know. I'm interested to see what other people's thoughts are if would like to share.

xo
Tasha

Given up on God or Church?

A couple weeks ago one of my sisters in Christ took a picture of a sticker she saw posted in someone's wind shield window

"Church Sucks.com

1 in 5 adults under the age of 30 say they were raised religious but are no longer affiliated with any faith"

My initial response to hearing this was that "they must feel some type of way" to want to put that on their wind shield. It made me sad but it's probably a statistic that is true. I know that I would be one of those people had I not heard God's call on my life, surrendered it all and followed Him. This further sparked a conversation about the reasons why people may leave the faith. It made me think about some of the reasons I hear people give about not wanting to be a Christian a not living the Christian life. I know that there are a lot but for the sake of time I am only listing a few.


To be honest, one of the things that bothers me the most about those who speak badly against Christianity is when they make their reasoning about other people. 

Christians are judgmental 

Be careful about generalizing. Are all Christians judgmental? No. Are some? Sure. Honestly, you have probably had moments when you were judgmental too. Take the speck out of your own eye before talking about the log in another's eye (Matthew 7:3). Am I saying that the Christians that are judgmental are right? Absolutely not! We (Christians) should know better than to judge, knowing that God saved us our ratchetness in life through GRACE. I honestly think there are two types of judgemental Christians 1)those who really do think they are holier than though (pray for them) and 2) those who actually don't mean to be judgemental but come off that way because they are either misunderstood or use the wrong words when trying to express themselves. Either way, judging another person for the purposes of putting someone down is wrong and hurtful (I blogged about a specific situation in which I was judged by another Christian here: Don't Judge Me). There are certain instances where we are correct in judging one another but that's for another blog.

Scandal/Hypocrisy in the church

 Remember that story that broke a couple years ago about Bishop Eddie Long being accused of child molestation of a number of teenage boys? Talk about scandal in the church. Here we have a Bishop preaching the Word of God every week, supposed to be walking upright with God and he's allegedly being the biggest hypocrite ever. I'm not here to debate whether or not he is guilty, at this point only he, the boys and God know the truth. I'm only using him as an example. Another reason by people don't want to join the church.

I once remember speaking to a friend about going to church. She told me that she had lost faith in the church because the Pastor, who she looked up to, ended up cheating on his wife with one of the church members and it ended up getting out to the whole congregation. To see someone that she admired so much do something so sinful disappointed her and made her think that a pursuit with God was not worth it after all. She and a host of other members ended up leaving the church. Another reason why people give up on the church.

I ended up asking my friend to examine the foundation that she built, because what I was hearing was that she putting her trust in that pastor and not in God. So when he (the pastor) fell, she fell. If her trust was in God, yes she would have been hurt and disappointed in what happened but she would have never stopped following God. 

Discussion

There is not one book, chapter or verse in the Bible that indicates that being a Christian has anything to do with following other people or other Christians. The goal of being a Christian is to follow, Christ and Christ alone. He is the only perfect one. He is the only one that will never let you down and will never sin. I understand and deeply sympathize with those that have been hurt in any way shape or form. Whether it's a judgmental person, gossipers, the body of Christ verbally attacking or ostracizing you, a scandal involving a pastor, being taken advantage of physically or emotionally etc. I get it, you're hurt and I'm sorry, so sorry.

I've made up my mind however, not let what others do dictate my relationship with Christ. I can't! It's the difference between heaven and hell. That's too important. On judgement day when God asks me why I didn't live the life He commanded me to live or obey Him, how do I look saying, "I didn't do what you told me to do because my pastor cheated on his wife and I was upset/hurt/felt betrayed?". Is that my God or is God my God? God didn't tell me to follow the pastor, He told me to follow Him!

Here are a few more bonus reasons:

Tithing

Some people have an issue with tithing. I say, do your research. Read your Bible, seek God's face and He will tell you what to do. Do I think you should give something? Yes. Am I going to tell you how much or what that something should be? No. That's between you and God. I'll leave that to Him to hash out with you. At the end of the day you are blessed, not only with finances (rich or poor) but with so many other things like family, friends and health. I personally think it's selfish to think that God should continually blessed you abundantly, overflowing without you never giving anything back to Him. 

Christian life asks for too much

God sent his ONLY Son to live the life of a human, come down from His throne to be whipped for hours until His skin tore, mocked, spit on, disrespected and CRUCIFIED. Then He blesses you with all of the things of the world (take the time to try and write down all of your blessings big and small). Your are given the keys to heaven and the only thing He asks for in return is for your heart and to live for Him. Do you really that that's too much? I don't think so. I think I got off easy.

  

Christian life is too hard

He never said it would be easy, but eternity with Him is worth it. This walk isn't for the weak hearted. I'm still learning to develop thick skin. His yolk is easy to bear and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30). Give it your hardships to Him

Too many rules 

 Before Jesus came the faith was legalistic, lots of rules to follow. Just read Exodus-Deuteronomy and you'll be overwhelmed with all the laws. Thank God for Christ though who came to establish a relationship. When people tell me there are too many rules, it becomes clear to me that they don't understand what my walk with Christ is. He pursues a relationship with you. Are there certain things I should and should not do? Sure. I'm representing Christ and I want to give an accurate representation of who He is, but I don't look at it as a "rule" per se. Have you ever been in a relationship with someone before? Would you talk down to that person? Would you go out and cheat on them? Would you never call them? Would you never see them? Of course not! Are these technically "rules" that you should follow in a relationship. Yes, but you don't feel bound by them. Why? You WANT to do these things for the other person because you LOVE them. That's what a relationship with Christ is like. I don't do certain things because I love Him. As a result, I don't feel bound.  

To wrap things up, a lot of the reasons I hear are due to a negative experience that a person has had with the body of Christ. We are in no way excused and need to get it together. But at the same time that can't be your excuse. The relationship is between you and Christ alone. Following Christ is no easy task so make sure your foundation is like that of the man who built his house upon the rock. The rain came, storms came and the house was still there....strong. (Matthew 7:24-27)

xo Tasha