Many will come saying I am the Christ

"Take heed that no one deceives you.   For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many..."
I used to think that this verse referred to those crazy people that went around saying, "I'm Jesus Christ" and of course they would be easy to recognize and avoid.  But when you read this verse, you realize that can't be what Jesus is referring to here, because if it was, how would they deceive many?
I have been hearing a lot about "The Christ Consciousness" lately.  People who were once followers of Jesus, who are now saying that it is this christ consciousness that we must each reach.  In achieving this christ consciousness we become our own christ.  There is no need for a savior, if you can achieve it in your own mind.
I believe, and this is just my own opinion, is more inline with what Jesus was warning us about.  For Jesus warning says that "many will come".  This is not the random crazy person.  I think as people turn from God and start looking for the answers within themselves they will start elevating themselves.
You can see Satan's hand in this, particularly when you find these same people backing up what the say with the Bible.  They take phrases like "the kingdom of God is within you" and use it to bring credence to what they are saying.
The enemy is not stupid, he is not going to use some crazy person to do his bidding.  He will use someone, who like himself knows the Bible and can quote the Bible to lead people away.  The Bible warns that "even the elect".
I believe that we are seeing more and more philosophies that want us to turn inside, to ourselves for answers and away from the truth.  This is even being taught in some churches.
So I challenge you to:
1. Examine first where you are on this, has there been any compromise on your part when it comes to seeking answers within yourself and not from God?
2. Test all things.  Just because it sounds good, or is said by your own pastor or another prominent person does not make it true.
3. Pray!!  That you will not be lead astray and that others will not be lead astray.
4. Put on the Full Armor of God everyday.  We are in a spiritual battle and just like a soldier would never think about going into war without his armor, we also should never think about starting the day without first putting on our armor.
God has allowed me insight into the enemy's camp, so I come warning you.  I am committed to praying to everyone who asks, so please let me know how I may pray.
God Bless.

Running the Race

Hebrews 12:1  Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

This has been a rough week for me.  I have to say that I was going through some depression.  

You see, we currently live with a friend and all of our stuff is being store at someone else home.  So we have been living without our own stuff.  Then last week our friends said that they want to use their storage and we have to get everything out.  At first I couldn't even think about what to do with our things.  I didn't really want to deal with it.  But you can't stick your head in the sand forever, so I had to start thinking about what to do.

My first thoughts were, but this is my stuff.  These are my things, I want don't want to get rid of them, as my husband was saying we should sell everything.  But as I cried out to God, I heard Him speak to my heart.  This is just stuff, this is not who you are.  You are defined by your relationship to Me, and you are my darling daughter.  Do you not know that like Job, that I am more that able to restore all to you?  I gave my son, my most precious thing, for you, want you give up the things you have collected over the years, to allow me to be glorified?

Yes Lord, you gave us all that we have and yes Lord, I will sell all that I have and follow you.  I trust you when you say that your plans for me are of peace, not evil to give me a future and a hope.  Take anything that is a weight around my neck.

And so as I am writing this my husband is emptying the storage shed and we will be selling everything in two weeks in a garage sell.  

I give all that I have to God.  I am also starting a 21 Day Daniel Fast, tomorrow.  For me it is not so much about the eating, for I eat most of the things on the fast anyway, but I am also fasting from anything that takes my focus off of God and his purpose for me.  

So I will spend more time with God, my blog, my website, being with friends, working my business and will give up TV, Internet unless used to further God's purpose for my life.  I will listen only to Music or podcasts that will lift me up and grow me.  I want God to change my life from the inside out, and use me in any way He sees fit.  

Stick around, the next 21 days shall be exciting.

Women of Faith Over The Top Conference Anaheim, CA

Last weekend I was blessed to go to the Women of Faith Over the Top Conference at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. It was truly a blessing in so many ways. First I was blessed to get tickets as a blogger to blog about the event, in fact I received two tickets, so the second blessing was being able to take my younger sister along with me. God blessed in that also, because she had been very sick and in bed for weeks up until this conference and wasn't sure she could make the conference even up until the day of the event. But somehow she was able to get out of bed and come. (She never knew until later that I had people praying for her). Then on top of taking my younger sister to the event, my older sister and my aunt already had tickets so it was great to be with both my sisters and my aunt and be able to share in this event.

Now the event itself was wonderful. Within the last six months I have read three books by Andy Andrews, who up until that time I had know idea who he was, and now he is without a doubt one of my favorite authors, so you can image my delight to see that Andy Andrews was one of the speakers at this year's event. What a pleasure to hear him share, in his quirky southern way, how everything we do matters. That weather we know it or not what we do right now today, will effect generations to come, and how one person could change another's life in a profound way by just doing one small thing. His insight, his stories, and his wisdom are so amazing that had he been the only speaker last weekend it would have been worth it.

But the weekend wasn't about just one speaker there was what in movies or TV they would call an ensemble. And when each speaker got up to speak your were sure that "this" was the message that God wanted you to take home from the weekend, that somehow it was this speaker for whom God had you there to hear. I heard this from more than one person over the weekend, so let's go through some of the other speakers that were there.

There was Pasty Clairmont, she is just a bundle of energy and oh so funny. Through her we learned that sometimes "Change can be good" we laughed with her and cried with her as she told of the illness and almost death of her son. And now when I try to fight God in some change that He wants to make in my life, her words "change can be good" will come up over my from the back of my head to the front of my head reminding me to trust God with not only my life but the lives of my loved ones.

We also had Marilyn Meberg, I had never heard of Marilyn before the weekend, but her wisdom and humor showed us how to have a better relationship with God.

Lisa Whelchel, I remember watching her on The Facts of Life and loving her then, but now God is using her in a new way. Lisa showed how to find and how to be a true friend. If you remember "Blair" you might think that like "Blair", Lisa must have it all together. How could someone who was on a show for so many years that centered around the friendship of four girls have trouble finding true friends as an adult? It was refreshing to hear Lisa share her story, because finding true friends as an adult has been difficult for me. It seems that all my friends are what I would call seasonal or event friends and as soon as that season or event was over these so called friends were no where to be found. I always felt that having friends was easy for women and more than once wondered what was wrong with me that I did not have the kind of friend that would be there no matter what, that I could be real with, that I could tell anything to and trust them that would now judge me, but hold me accountable when needed, let me cry when needed, laugh when needed or just let me vent.

Besides the speakers we also had great music, from ladies that not only used the gift of their voice to bless us, but used their life and their struggles to bless us. We heard from Mandisa, what a voice, Sandi Patty, no one can belt it out like Sandi, and Amy Grant, saw her concert years ago in San Diego, now seeing her again reminds me how remarkable she is.

The best thing, to me, about the weekend is that I never got the feeling, like wow these women are super Christian Women, I wish someday I could be like them. In stead I was reassured that we all as women struggle with the same things, whether it's weight, friendship, children, our relationship with God, we are all going through this stuff together. I am so glad that each speaker choose to just be real and not pretend to have it all together. It was a great weekend and I can not wait until the next one.