Some experiences are just too painful to share. If mentioned, they might scar the individuals involved. And some moments—when replayed—bring back feelings of resentment and bitterness.  If unforgiveness is the kerosene that fuels the fire of resentment, then forgiveness is the water that cools the flames, but after any fire, it's evident that the damage was done. 

I recall serving at church when Lysa TerKeurst preached her sermon, “Forgiving What You Can’t Forget.” Her testimony reminded me of a song I wrote in 2015 called My Forgiveness. Watching her speak brought back the very reason I wrote the song: as I watched my sister go through a difficult divorce and season, I found myself asking again—what is forgiveness?

The American Psychological Association describes forgiveness as "willfully putting aside feelings of resentment toward someone who has committed a wrong, been unfair or hurtful, or otherwise harmed you in some way." That word willfully got my attention because forgiveness takes intentionality. In other words, I must deliberately choose to let go of feelings of anger, bitterness, and resentment toward the person who wronged me. Let's be honest—that's hard. So, does that mean I should accept what was done to me without getting retribution? The definition continues, “Forgiveness is not merely accepting what happened or ceasing to be angry. Rather, it involves a voluntary transformation of your feelings, attitudes, and behavior, so that you are no longer dominated by resentment and can express compassion, generosity, or the like toward the person who wronged you.” And that, my friend, takes God. Oftentimes, we think we need to heal first and then forgive, but I believe healing comes when we forgive. It is a necessary step in our journey of healing and restoration.

Many of us know what God’s Word says: 

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14–15). 

Yet, why is it so hard to forgive? Even at church, I know individuals who won’t speak to each other because of past hurts. Or family members who refuse to reconcile because of old wounds. And yet, God’s Word is clear: forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Let’s face it—it’s easier said than done. When someone has hurt us, we often cope by closing the door to the relationship. We may hold back love and affection until we see an apology or remorse. But Scripture didn’t say forgive when they apologize or when they realize they were wrong. This is why forgiveness is so hard—because even when it hurts, even when you’re reliving the trauma, we are called to forgive.

For years, I was hurt when my dad left us. I remembered having very little to do with him, and that pleased me because I wanted to hurt him back for the pain he caused. Then came the dreaded day when he told us he had stage 4 brain cancer, and I regretted every day I had spent being angry with him when I could have spent that time with him. It was only when I forgave him that I was able to heal and move on and enjoy his company again—but sadly, that time was short-lived.

I also watched my sister go through a terrible divorce. At a time when all her siblings were married and having kids, I saw her pain when she became a single mother. She wondered if what was done to her was God’s punishment. My heart broke for her, and I felt so much resentment that I knew I needed to forgive—not just for myself, but so I could be there for her and not feed her bitterness.

You see, forgiveness is really for the one who was hurt. While, yes, you are releasing the one who hurt you, forgiveness allows you to live again—to move forward. When we hold on to anger and bitterness, we remain trapped in a perpetual cycle of hurt and resentment, and such feelings prevent anyone from growing. So I ask—whom are you hurting when you harbor unforgiveness? No one but you. You live trapped, reliving the painful moment.

At every turn in life, we find ourselves needing to forgive someone—whether it's a family member, someone at church, someone at work, or even ourselves. The latter is a serious stumbling block for me. I find it easier to forgive others than to forgive myself. The opposite may be true for you, but self-forgiveness is also part of God’s equation of 70 times 7. Matthew 18:21–22 says:

"Then Peter came to Him and asked, 'Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? Up to seven times?' Jesus answered him, 'I say to you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven.'"

While Scripture doesn’t explicitly say “forgive yourself,” it is implied. We are made in the image of God, and reflect His nature and character—and that’s the highest honor. We’re called to love our neighbors as ourselves. That means we should love ourselves—not in a prideful way, but because we are image bearers. If we don’t forgive ourselves, how can we continue to love ourselves?

We all know the story of Joseph, a powerful example of forgiveness after betrayal. But what about Peter, who denied Christ three times? Imagine the weight of shame he carried, knowing what he had done to his Rabbi, and his Lord and Savior. Yet Peter didn’t stay in that place. (Luke 22:54–62) Had he wallowed in guilt, shame, and self-hatred, he wouldn’t have been able to become the rock on which the Church was built. He had to believe that the Holy Spirit was working through him. And that required forgiving himself. So many people remain trapped by self-loathing, guilt, shame, and regret. So I ask—how many of you are still trapped and missing out on what God has called you to do?

I once read a letter from an inmate who indulged in homosexual behavior as a teen and loathed himself so much that he believed he didn’t deserve a good life. So many of us feel the same way. We believe that because we can’t forgive ourselves, God can’t either. Even simple mistakes weigh heavily. But the key to healing is forgiving—and that includes forgiving yourself.

Forgiving yourself and others is a process. It takes time. Sometimes, it’s immediate; other times, it’s not. But the important thing is to begin. Here’s a simple framework that has helped me—and I believe it can help you, too— S.T.A.R.

• S – Speak it aloud
  Name the person and say out loud, “I forgive you.” There is power in your words. Jesus modeled this when He said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).
   
• T – Talk it out
  Process your feelings with someone who has your best interest at heart. Don’t carry the burden alone—God often uses people to help us heal.
   
• A – Accept what happened
  You can’t change the past, but you can choose to relinquish your hold on it and move forward in freedom.
   
• R – Remember the Word of God
  Be not only a hearer of the Word but a doer (James 1:22). “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

I hope you take the time to listen to the song "My Forgiveness". My prayer is that God will show you areas in your life where forgiveness is needed and that He will help you to forgive—so that you can move forward and accomplish all He has called and purposed for you to do.

My Forgiveness is Available now on all major platforms

Written by: Cheryl Carty-Strachan
Copyright © 2025 Power of Worship Radio, All rights reserved. 

Get your "My Forgiveness Is My Release" T-shirt and sweater today!

How many of us have experienced shock or even trauma after discovering that something we believed for years wasn't true? For instance, I thought ostriches buried their heads in the sand, oh the horror when I realized this wasn't true. Yet this myth had to originate somewhere; ostriches use their beaks to turn their eggs that lay in the sand, so maybe this appearance made someone think they buried their heads in the sand. Too many times, appearances tend to deceive us. Like the appearance that God does nothing when we are deeply wronged or hurt by one of His Generals—you know, his chosen ones. The ones He calls and equips to lead his sheep and carry out His work.  

One such general was King David; countless sermons have been preached on him, not to mention how many kids have Bible stories that retell the story of David and Goliath. The shepherd who became a King and was a man after God’s heart(1 Sam 13:14, Acts 13:22). Who doesn't love a good underdog story? But what about Uriah?  Even when we recount David’s mistake, we say David and Bathsheba, not David and Uriah. Perhaps it is because Uriah was briefly mentioned in the biblical account, but don't be mistaken to equate his short mention in the Bible to his importance to God. Just because Uriah wasn't a King does not mean he was not one of God's chosen.

How many times have you and I made that mistake? We look at a person’s status in life and assume God thinks the same—or we think God behaves the way mankind does, that is, Kings get better preferential treatment than the poor. That type of thinking is dangerous; we’ve created a fictional character called god based on our dysfunctional thoughts, and then we try to align God with this fictional character. God does not think like a man or judge the way man does; he is the ultimate judge. It is by His standard we should judge, not vice versa. Yet, time and time again, we always fall into the enemy's trap that God sees evil and does nothing. King David is one of my favorite Biblical characters because we can learn much from him, even when he messed up. But this blog isn't about how he repented and God blessed him; this blog is about Uriah and the many who associate with him. 

Reading the news, we can both agree that there are a lot of Uriahs out there; how many of God’s people have been hurt by his Generals? Unfortunately, you see so much in the news and on social media that it is becoming the norm. Some of us turn away from the church because it appears that God isn't doing anything, and we conclude, how could a loving God allow his General to continue to hurt others so deeply? But the story of Uriah reminds us that sin does not go unrecognized by God. The decisions we make today will always have consequences for tomorrow. King David is a perfect example of how God dealt with David’s sin (2 Sam 12:9-13). “This is what the LORD says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight.” (2 Samuel 12:11) And sure enough, his son Absalom rose up against him and took his wives in public. (2 Samuel 16:22)

So yes, God chose David, but he didn't make him sin. And if you say, why chose him if He knew He would sin, then I ask, is there any perfect among us? No, not one. God the Father chose Jesus, His Son, because only Jesus could do what no one else could. Look at all the Kings that came after Saul; some did good, but even the good ones faltered. This is why Jesus is our King, “a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek” Heb 5:6. Melchizedek means King of Righteousness.

Unfortunately, too many times, we believe a man or woman after God’s heart means that they own the heart of God and could get away with wrongdoing; nothing could be further from the truth than that thinking. It is NOT the King that controls the heart of God, but God that controls the heart of the King. (Prov 21:1). To the Uriahs and their loved ones, do not allow the King’s actions to determine if you will serve God. Serve God no matter what comes your way and know that King Jesus, the righteous King of all, will right every wrong.  

So we've all heard the saying, no pain, no gain, but some of you might be wondering, what could I possibly gain from the pain of a cheating spouse or the pain of the death of a child? And what could I possibly gain from the pain of a sexual assault? While they are all valid questions and, when answered, make the phrase seem cruel, I want us to pause and ask ourselves—are we looking at this from the right angle?

The Optical Illusion of Pain?

An optical illusion deceives the eye by appearing to be other than it is. For example, I saw this optical illusion, from one angle, right side up it looks like you're looking at the edge of Earth's atmosphere from outer space with all the stars, but when you turn the same image upside down, it looks like the evening sky over a dark city filled with the lights from buildings. So many of us see optical illusions when it comes to pain. And rightly so; how many of us can think straight when trauma happens, or evil harms us in the worst way? Hence when someone is hurting, the worst thing you can say to that person is no pain, no gain. But there will come a time when you begin to look for answers to your question "Why God" and "Why me." 

The birth of my first child was a horrible and painful experience for Anton and me. Something that should have been a joyous moment turned into our worst nightmare. I was severely damaged during labor and underwent surgery at midnight. I was in so much pain physically and emotionally that I couldn't even hold my baby boy or see him. I kept saying: Why God? Anton and I were both young in marriage, and he watched me cry in pain for over 5 hours; with tears in his eyes, I knew he felt helpless and kept encouraging me to hold on. If someone had told me "no pain, no gain" at that moment, I just might have lost it and gone off the deep end, truth be told. Those are certainly not words anyone in pain wants to hear. Yet today, I can look back at that time and confess, yes, if I weren’t in pain, I would not have gained a greater understanding of God, a greater dependency on Him, and hearing Him speak to me. When I kept saying, “Why God, Why me.” I kept hearing a voice say, “Why Not You?” In the midst of my pain, I kept saying, who is saying this, I knew I was not trying to encourage myself; I was way too deep in self-pity. It took an entire 2 or 3 hours before I realized that I gained a greater awareness of God’s presence in the midst of my pain. He was right there with me in my suffering. He never left me, nor did He forsake me (Deut 31:6,8 and Heb 13:5). He is an ever-present help in times of trouble (Ps 46.1).

If God Created Satan, then did He Create Evil?

If you’re in pain, the worst thing to do is to suffer in silence; instead, get help, seek godly counsel find that godly friend that will pray for you. Too often, we sink deep into despair and question God. “Why God, why couldn't you have stopped this or performed a miracle? And this becomes the mantra that causes us to stumble. You see, God is good. He is all-powerful and all-knowing. In God, there is no evil. He is perfect! While God may allow evil to happen, He does not produce the evil. Evil is a corruption of what is good. Norman Geisler, author of If God, Why Evil?, states, "evil is not a thing in itself but is a lack or corruption in a good thing"(p. 19). For example, we know Satan is evil, but was he created evil? (Eze 28:11-19 and Isaiah 14:12-17) Absolutely not. He was created good, but because of his free will, and his freedom to choose, he chose to be bad.  God created all things and saw that it was very good. (Gen 1:31) God cannot go against his nature. God is good! Hence God cannot do evil to you. God didn't cause the death of your loved one or cause you to be sexually assaulted. The Bible states, "[13] When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; [14] but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. [15] Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death" (James 1:13-15). Hence God didn't tempt the assailant to murder your loved one or the pedophile to sexually assault you as a child. Or caused the sickness that took away your loved one.  Yet through your pain, you see God as the fault because He is God and didn't stop it from happening.

Why Can't God Stop Bad Things from Happening?

But what if God stopped every bad thing from happening? To do this, God will have to remove our free will. God has given each of us the ability to choose.  God's moral law is written in our hearts; we all know right from wrong, which is seen in our judicial system that judges bad, evil, and immoral behavior. Then you might say, God can remove the free will of just the bad ones, but are we all good? No,we are all sinners, and there is no one who does good, not even one. (Rom 3:13).  Then you might say, surely he can take away the free will of all those who are and will be murderers and pedophiles. If He does, then how can He be just? That makes Him go against his nature because you want God only to correct some sins and not others. What about sins that indirectly harm us, like drug makers that create these painkillers which loved ones become addicted to because of a doctor that willingly knows and keeps prescribing them?  He didn't directly murder the person, but isn't he responsible for their addiction and death? Or what about an act of self-defense? Even though they defended themselves, it still resulted in murder. Some of you might say well, He can leave our free will but do miracles instead. If God were to do miracles for each person that asked, that would create chaos and contradictions. For example, someone prays and asks God to make it rain, while another person in the same community prays and asks God to keep the sun shining for their wedding. What if the rain falling prevented someone from going out and getting in a car accident, or what if the sun being out caused a child to be outside and get kidnapped? We are not all-knowing, but we serve a God who is all-knowing and knows what is best at that moment in time for all of us. Although we may not why, God does, and we must trust Him.

Then, there are the hurtful lessons we learn that cause us to have repenting hearts or the mistakes we make that allow us to see the goodness of God. If He always does miracles, how would we truly appreciate Him and know who He is? He is your Comforter, Deliverer, Savior, and so much more. But miracles will only allow us to encounter our Savior, not even a Healer, because He would perform a miracle on you before getting sick. According to Norman Geisler, “The truth is that we learn more enduring lessons in life through pain than through pleasure.” (p.75)  We always think we can tell God how to be God rather than trust Him. We wish He could stop evil now. God is all-knowing. We are not. He is infinite with infinite knowledge and is outside of time. We are finite and constrained by time. The truth is, bad things will come our way because we live in a fallen world that is under the control of the evil one (1 John 5:19). The good news is God has done something about it. He gave his only son so you and I can be reconciled to Him so we can inherit eternal life and live in paradise where there is no more pain and evil (Rev 21: 4). But God will never puppet us to choose Him. Our brothers and sisters in prison turn to God because they chose to, not because he takes away our free will when we do wrong. We think evil persistence means there is no God or God isn't doing anything about it. But God has already defeated evil because of Jesus. You need to decide if your pain will be a stumbling block to God or become a stepping stone to Him. Will the trauma and hurt you face take you away from God or allow you to depend on and draw closer to Him? At the end of it all, you are the one to choose. Don't allow the optical illusion of pain to make you see or think God is the villain or mastermind behind it all. God is your gain when you're in pain. 

Written by: Cheryl Carty-Strachan
Copyright © 2023 Power of Worship Radio, All rights reserved.

Well after searching in the Bible, I could not find any verse that specifically stated “all sin is equal” and there isn't any that says “all sin is not equal.” So where do people come up with this notion that there is no greater sin? Some refer to James 2:10 to make their point—"For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it." But the context of this scripture deals with favoritism which often leads to discrimination. But James is saying if you break just one of the laws, you are still a lawbreaker; it does not matter the law that was broken.  He was talking about the law as a whole - you break one you are guilty of breaking laws. Thus we take this out of context when we interpret this scripture to mean if I steal some snacks from the pantry that’s the same as murdering someone. The fact is you sinned. But there is a real danger when you and I begin to categorize sin, we must remember that our judgment must be righteous and not hypocritical. For all sin hinders our relationship with God.  No matter the sin, sin is us disobeying God and missing His standard and yes that includes telling a “small white” lie. 

Even we humans have laws where not all wrongdoing carries the same punishment. Could you imagine a pedophile receiving a mere slap on the wrist for a sexual crime against a child, or a murderer getting the same punishment as someone who violated traffic laws, or imagine being in violation of a traffic law and getting beat to a pulp— Tyre Nichols? If we humans have some sense of justice and fairness, how much more does our Heavenly Father, the righteous judge of all, know how to give just punishment? Yet we carry on this belief that all sin is equal.  If it is, then all punishments should be the same, right?  But in the Old Testament, Jeremiah 7, The Lord said “all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the Lord” (v1) did worse than their ancestors (v26).  In the eyes of God all sin does not deserve the same punishment because some are worse; for instance, Leviticus 20, shows us the sins God considered deserve the death penalty. (By the way, reading Leviticus 20, puts a profound gratitude that Jesus paid it all for us.) And since God is the same God yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8), in Revelation 20:13 we learn that “each person was judged according to what they had done.” Hebrews 2:1-3 warns us to pay attention to what we’ve learned through God’s word and reminds us that every disobedience to God “received its just punishment.”  Therefore, we must be careful not to categorize our sins because we are in danger of putting sins detestable to God as minor offenses and minor sins as major offenses to God.  Look at our culture today, we promote sexual immorality, take the Lord’s name in vain in our daily conversations, murder unborn babies, and idolize people, money, and politics over God and think that none of these are grave sins. But we must be careful not to fall into this trap and be worse than our fathers (Jer 7:18-26) because what culture glorifies, God just might detest. This is why I challenge you to seek truth always and know and understand what God’s standard is. While all sin is wrong, they are not all equal and we will be judged according to what we have done (Matt. 16:27; Rom. 2:6; 14:12).

Written by: Cheryl Carty-Strachan
Copyright © 2023 Power of Worship Radio, All rights reserved. 

Gospel music has been around for centuries. It is widely accepted within the Christian faith as a form of worship and praise. As the years have passed, the genre has evolved to include contemporary gospel music, which has become increasingly popular in recent years. With over 1 million searches for contemporary worship music, this genre is much more than "religious music" because it transforms lives and encourages millions worldwide.

What is Contemporary Chrisitan Music?

Contemporary Gospel music has existed for many decades, with roots dating back to the 1940s and 1950s. Early examples include gospel artists like Mahalia Jackson, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and The Blackwood Brothers, who blended traditional spirituals with popular music styles such as jazz, rhythm and blues, and even rock and roll. In the 1970s, Christian music began to take a more modern turn, with artists like Larry Norman, Keith Green, and 2nd Chapter of Acts introducing a more rock-based sound. This paved the way for the "Jesus Music" movement, which saw the emergence of many popular Christian music acts, such as Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, and more. 

What was the Jesus Music Movement?

The Jesus Music movement was a Christian music movement of the 1970s and 1980s. It was also known as Jesus Rock, Christian Rock, and Jesus People Music. The movement was started by a group of young people devoted to Jesus Christ who wanted to express their faith through music. Musicians started to compose Christian rock songs and albums that focused on Jesus and His message of love and redemption. These songs were often more rock-oriented than traditional gospel music, and the lyrics were often more direct and personal. The Jesus Music Movement revolutionized the Christian music industry and has had a lasting impact. It provided a platform for Christian musicians to express their faith through music and has since significantly influenced the modern Christian music industry. Today, contemporary gospel music continues to draw from a wide range of musical styles, including pop, rock, hip-hop, and more. It includes artists and Christian bands such as Elevation Worship, Maverick City, Tauren Wells,  Jeremy Camp, and much more.

Here are the top 5 reasons why you should listen to Contemporary Christian Songs: 

1. Uplifting and Inspiring: Contemporary Christian music is uplifting and inspiring. The lyrics are often filled with motivating and encouraging messages that can help bring hope to listeners. It can be a great source of strength when you’re feeling down or going through a hard time. 

2. Variety: Contemporary Christian music comes in many different styles, from upbeat pop-style tracks to soulful R&B-style ballads. This variety of Christian songs ensures that there’s something for everyone, no matter their taste in music. 

3. Connects to the Word of God: While contemporary Christian music is not a literal interpretation of scripture, it is often based on biblical themes and stories. Listening to this music can help you connect with God's Word and gain a deeper understanding of it. 

4. Connects to the Church: Contemporary Christian music can help you connect with the Church and the Christian faith. It can remind you of the importance of faith and serve as a reminder of the power of prayer. 
 

5. Helps with Worship: Contemporary Christian songs can be an excellent resource for worship. The uplifting and inspiring lyrics can help bring alive the gospel's message and bring a sense of joy and peace to those who listen. Whether you’re a Christian or not, christian music can be a great source of inspiration and encouragement. It can help to uplift your spirits, connect you to the Word of God, and allow you to worship in a powerful way. So why not give contemporary christian music a try?

Written by: Cheryl Carty-Strachan
Copyright © 2022 Power of Worship Radio, All rights reserved. 

Here's a great way for you to test your knowledge about the Bible and Christianity. 

A few things to keep in mind:

1. All scores are private and will be emailed to you. 
2. This is a learning opportunity 
3. Your responses will help me to create content that will educate and equip you. 

Copyright © 2022 Power of Worship Radio, All rights reserved.

Who doesn’t love a good fairytale movie, and doesn’t appreciate a good villain in a storyline? Take for instance the movie Disenchanted. While looking at the preview, I was like, NOOOOO! Giselle, don’t become the villain. Then it got me thinking – has Christianity become the villain in today’s culture? Is there a growing disenchantment with Christianity? By disenchantment, I mean a feeling where we no longer believe God’s word is valuable or see the moral value of Christian teaching because it goes against the cultural tide. Hence, because cultural influencers see Christianity as the problem - because they propagate the idea that the Bible is sexist, racist, homophobic and genocidal, people today have become disenchanted with Christianity. But if people are becoming disillusioned with Christianity, then what is causing this disillusionment?

When I think of our Western culture today, I think of the word enchanted. Take, for instance, the first meaning, “to be placed under a spell; bewitched, while the other meaning is “to be filled with delight; charmed.” The second meaning sounds less bewitching, but if we delve deeper, the word charmed, means - “unusually lucky or happy as though protected by magic.”  Each meaning gives the impression of being fooled, deceived, or protected/controlled by some spell or magic, while the second meaning alludes to being happy while being deceived.  You might say such a word only belongs in fairytales, but I beg to differ.  Because if you look at the actions of people today, it makes you wonder if they are under a spell.  Anyone enchanted usually divorces what they feel from reality. They are blinded to reality and live in an illusion. So then, does culture teach reality while Christianity entraps us in an illusion, or does Christianity teach reality while our culture entraps us in an illusion?

Christianity teaches that because Adam and Eve disobeyed God, known as The Fall, we are all sinful beings in need of a Savior - Jesus Christ. But skeptics say, this is a real illusion because we cannot see God, so believers are the ones that create a false belief that God exists, and since He does not exist, then sin is subjective. But when we look at pictures of the universe, we see signs of order, design, and beauty (Romans 1:20). Yet, in the real world, we are aware that a watch has a watchmaker, cars have manufacturers, and complex systems and structures have engineers so why can't this universe have a Creator? Is it an illusion to infer that everything that is designed has a designer? Or is it real because it represents true life - things get made and created and don’t just appear designed?

Our culture today gives us a sense of false freedom. We promote the idea that we are free to love whomever we desire and choose to love. Young people see “freedom as being free to do whatever you want without restraints.”[1] Is this reality or an illusion? Are we truly free as humans, or are we slaves to our passions, desires, and feelings?[2] But true freedom involves boundaries; could you imagine if we were allowed to do whatever we want? What about not obeying traffic signs because they restrict us or disregarding the law of the land and doing whatever we desire? We can disregard it, but won’t there be consequences for our actions?  “Paradoxically, freedom comes not from resisting restraint, but from submitting to the right restraint.”[3] So, are we truly free to love whomever we choose? And does the saying also apply to pedophiles? “Adam and Eve sinned because they followed false freedom. Satan told them that God wasn’t good and tricked them into believing they would be freer if they threw off restraints, but the result was death and suffering. They failed to see that freedom comes through following God and His Word.”[4]  If we resist God’s words, then we are submitting to our own desires, and it’s because these desires do not align with God’s will that we become disillusioned with Christianity.

Christianity urges us to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against our soul (1 Peter 2:11). In contrast, our culture urges us to follow the passion of the flesh. Why wage a war against what you feel? Because what you feel trumps all.  We are told that we must be true to ourselves because how you feel tells you your true gender identity, never mind what sex you were assigned at birth. But what we were assigned at birth is reality, while our feelings can entrap us into an illusion. Reality is the world or the state of things as they exist. How we feel is not irrelevant or unimportant, but it should not make us disillusioned with reality; in other words, we should not seek to escape reality but deal with it.  Our reality is mirrored in truth, and, sometimes, the truth can be hard to deal with, but God has designed us for community - we aren’t meant to go through our reality alone – this is one of the purposes of the Church; and it is a comfort that God is with us even in our suffering and most difficult times. When we go it alone, we fail. 

Unfortunately, so many of us have become disillusioned with Christianity because of what it calls immoral, our culture affirms. We think it old-fashioned to teach people to remain sexually pure until marriage. “God has designed marriage for our good. He designed marriage to mirror His love for the church and to benefit mankind. Thus, children suffer when they don’t have the benefit of a committed mother and father.”[5] But the reality is that we produce unintended pregnancies and broken people that feel rejected, abused, and discarded because we promote one-night stands and friends with benefits; just don't get emotionally attached. In other words, restrain your feelings so that you can continue to engage in the hookup culture. But is this an illusion? On the one hand, our culture wants us to allow our feelings to go unrestrained, yet, on the other hand, the hookup culture wants it contained so that sex can remain impersonal. But after becoming intimate with someone, can you seriously turn off your emotions? And why is it ok to protect our bodies from diseases, but our hearts we leave unguarded? Our culture creates an illusion that sex can be casual, but casual sex brings casualties – unwanted babies, broken hearts, and emotional baggage. According to Nancy Pearcy, “young people are trying to live out a worldview that does not match their true nature, and it is tearing them apart with its pain and heartache.”[6] Not everything that you are “free to do” means it is beneficial for you. 

The disillusionment with Christianity is not because Christianity changed its teaching over 2000 years ago; it’s because the world has changed its moral views, which no longer align with God’s word.  Today people want the bible to change to reflect the times. In other words, God must conform to our passions and desires. But is this realistic or an illusion? The only villains in this storyline are those who try to paint a bad picture of The Bible and seek their agenda without remorse or care for what it does to others. The only villains in this plot are the cultural influencers that desire to enchant the world.

Written by: Cheryl Carty-Strachan
Copyright © 2022 Power of Worship Radio, All rights reserved.

By now you know Roe v. Wade was overturned and have seen, read, or heard the “shouting matches” between pro-lifers and pro-choicers.  And yes, I said shouting matches because each group tries to get their voice heard louder than the other. And while some of us may not have physically protested, we have entered the shouting match arena because of the comments and arguments made. For instance, “women today have lost the right to make our own healthcare decisions and the right to shape our own futures.”^[1] With Roe V. Wade being overturned, “it’s an attack on all women and families.”^[2] So, men, don't think this does not concern you because it does. The person that made this statement is speaking for all families.

Leaders and Activists use powerful and heartfelt words to appeal to our emotions rather than provide a valid argument. This is why a reasoning mind is so important. I will continue to stress it for my fellow believers because we often get trapped with such heartfelt and generalized statements. Take for instance the following: “I understand the sincere concerns. But those are religious concerns, or often concerns driven by personal morality. And that should be your choice…but abortion is a medical issue (read the full article here).” Let’s examine this statement—the individual is talking about pro-lifers, but is it true that all pro-lifers believe in God? No there are some pro-lifers that believe abortion should be illegal and are atheists. According to a poll from Pew Research Center, about 11% of atheists think abortion should be illegal. And an atheist would strongly disagree that their concern is a religious one.  What about “personal morality?”  Are not pro-choicer's comments and arguments driven by their own “personal” morality?  It is absolutely important to understand the definition of terms used in arguments, too often we misunderstand what someone is saying and jump into an argument without even understanding the terms used. So, what is morality? Simply put, is the extent to which an action is right or wrong. What about the word moral? It means a person's standards of behavior or beliefs concerning what is and is not acceptable for them to do. Therefore I ask, is abortion a medical issue or a morality issue? The irony is that even those who disagree it’s a moral issue are arguing for the same thing—a just and moral ruling— taking away a woman’s right to choose over her own body is unacceptable to them. Take a look at this statement, “I am heartbroken-for the teenage girl, full of zest and promise, who won’t be able to finish school or live the life she wants because her state controls her reproductive decision.”^[3] The fact that this person is heartbroken shows that they believe Roe v. Wade being overturned was unacceptable. She goes on to state: “our hearts may be broken today, but tomorrow, we’ve got to get up and find the courage to keep working towards creating the more just America we all deserve.”^[4]  But by whose standards are we measuring a just America for all?  

Society frowns upon the rich man that gained his wealth through dishonesty and cringes at the pedophile who took a child’s innocence. In our hearts, if we are honest with ourselves we want people to be moral and do the right thing. The problem occurs when a nation cannot identify what is right and wrong.  And let’s face it, who wants to hear they are living or promoting an unjust and immoral life. They say, “keep your personal beliefs to yourself” or “keep your God off my body.” Yet the ones that say it and oppose Godly values are speaking for us? Are they not imposing their values on us? This is where we are today and why many are masking the issue as a “medical one.” They do not want to admit it is a moral issue even when arguing for their own moral beliefs. The fact that this individual wants a “just” America only proves she thinks Roe v. Wade being overturned was unjust—in other words—the decision was not based on what is morally right and fair.

Pro-choicers argue—it is wrong to take away a woman’s right to choose—based on the definition above isn't that a moral argument? Not to mention this statement—“It is a fact that in [state X] forced pregnancy is now the law of this state.”^[5] That’s a compelling statement simply because there are women that have been violated in the worst way, became pregnant, and do not want the baby? Unless you are like most alexithymics that lack empathy, these circumstances will appeal to your emotions and cause you to empathize and there is nothing wrong with that. We are meant to empathize, and we should walk alongside people that face these situations—this is why morality matters because it will help us to live with “our deepest differences, especially when those differences concern matters of our common public life.”^[6]  But morality cannot be subjective and based on your personal feelings, it must be objective like truth.

So I ask the question - is it right or wrong to take an innocent life? 

This brings us to the unborn child, that has no voice and cannot defend its own life.  In the book Love Thy Body, Pearcey states that “the Supreme Court in its 1973 Roe v. Wade abortion decision, which ruled that even though the baby in the womb is human, it is not a person under the Fourteenth Amendment?^[7] This ruling was based on personhood theory, and according to Pearcey, this theory promotes a dualistic view of the human being, in other words,  the person—has moral and legal standing while the body is a biological organism. So when does the unborn become a person with rights? At birth? But even at birth, some states allow abortion. Therefore, what wisdom was used 49 years ago to determine if the unborn’s life mattered? Was this wisdom based on who qualifies as a person?  According to Pearcey,  “the most obvious problem for the personhood theory is that no one can agree on how to define person-hood. If it is not equated with being biologically human, then what is it? And when does it begin.”^[8]  

“Antonia Senior, a British journalist who was once pro-choice but turned pro-life, said, to defend women’s rights, you must be prepared to kill.”^[9] So is this a moral issue or not? People are choosing which is the “lesser evil” for them—kill the baby and allow the woman to “shape her own future” or allow “the state to control [a woman’s] reproductive decision” and let the innocent baby live. The fact that you are choosing shows your decision will be based on what you believe to be acceptable or not.  And for those that believe abortion is acceptable their belief is that the “human life in its earliest stages has no real value—so little that it may be killed for any reason.”^[10] This same early life, never lived, so it’s no big deal to end it, after all, they don't know what they are missing, right? Taking the unborn's life, we can preserve a woman’s right to choose since it is her body.  But what about the unborn's body? Who stands up for them?   And who gets to decide if saving their life is right or wrong?  Don’t be fooled; abortion is a morality issue—but whose morality are we upholding—God’s standards or our own? Let us continue to pray for our brothers and sisters because this battle isn't won in the Supreme Court but rather, in the hearts of humankind.

Sometimes the most challenging writings are the ones that hit home. I once had a Pastor say to me, "only when delivered from something can you talk about it?" I've always kept those words close to my heart because if my heart needs to be set free from unforgiveness or bitterness, then I must purge it.  

I recall praying and asking God to reveal what was in my heart, and sure enough, He did with a dream. In the first dream, I saw myself praying and telling God I was like "Mara." That night I dreamt of telling a friend the same word and how I felt like Mara because of what an individual had done. I knew what Mara meant because I recall Ruth's mother-in-law Naomi calling herself "Mara" after her husband and sons died. Even though I knew the word meant bitterness, it still didn't occur to me; this is what was brewing in my heart. I felt victimized, but unbeknownst to me, resentment was silently growing in my heart. That's until these words hit me, "practice what you preach" Ouch!

Like a virus that attacks our immune system, so is bitterness in our hearts. But bitterness isn't the only "emotion" that can infect our hearts. You and I face an array of emotions; our hearts can become sick if we aren't careful. The book of Jeremiah reminds us, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick, who can understand it. Therefore, "I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds" (Jeremiah 17:9-10). What fruits do you think we'll produce if our heart is deceitful and corrupted? Just look at our world today. For instance, our culture has become increasingly hostile towards Christianity because it wants everyone to believe that sin, God, and truth are subjective and based on personal beliefs. The danger is that once a culture has hijacked your heart, you no longer live to please God but instead man. Therefore we must guard our hearts. In the last article A Hijacked Heart, we spoke about guarding our hearts with L.A.Y.E.R.S. So, let's dig deeper to see what this means.  

L – Love God with all your heart, soul, and strength. (Deut 6:5, Matt 22:37, Mark 12.30). What does it mean to love God with all our hearts? I believe when we love God with all our hearts, it overshadows "me-ville"—a world that only satisfies my desires and interests. Instead, you spend time wanting to know what God loves and desires from you —your heart loves what he loves and hates what he hates. You and I can only get to that place if we know what His word says. And I don't mean just reading the word of God but studying it! Get to know God for yourself, and I encourage you to use Blue Letter Bible and the Tony Evans Training Center. I pray that you and I will never perish for lack of knowledge. 

A – Affirming words to encourage the heart. In the previous blog, I spoke about speaking positive words. Never underestimate the power of affirming words—offering someone, including yourself, emotional support and encouragement. Check out these scriptural references:

• Proverbs 15:13 "A joyful heart makes a cheerful countenance, but sorrow of the heart crushes the spirit."
• Proverbs 16:24 "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."
• Proverbs 12:25 "Anxiety weighs down the heart of a man, but a good word cheers it up."

You and I must encourage ourselves in the Lord daily and remember— hope does not make us ashamed (Romans 5:5). Therefore, always remain positive, even amid adversity.

Y – Yield to God. In other words, surrender all to Him. That includes your past hurts, present hurts—whatever you're dealing with now and your future plans. God wants to be Lord over everything. So, in Joshua's words, throw away the idols among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, our God. (Joshua 24:23) What are you idolizing that is in your heart? What is preventing you from drawing closer to God? And what does your heart want most? Is it God or the things of this world? These questions weren't meant to make you feel guilty; rather they were meant to make you aware of your heart's condition, is it yielding to God or the things of this world?

E – Exhale means to breathe. You and I underestimate the power of taking deep breaths. It may sound trivial, but it has proven effective. Even the military uses it as a technique to help prevent the amygdala [1] from taking over the frontal lobe of the brain. When it happens, the emotion of fear can hijack the rational side of the brain and take over. Could you imagine a fearful marine who seeks to hide rather than fight? When you breathe properly [2], you control your nervous system. You are allowing your rational and emotional mind to work together rather than the emotional mind hijacking everything. Therefore, try breathing exercises when you are emotionally upset.   

R – Release, this is where the purging takes place. You must rid yourself of the ugliness in your heart. Easier said than done because I think this is the hardest of them all. We are often unaware of the things we harbor in our hearts, and that's dangerous. Therefore, you must constantly bring your heart before God—asking him to purge you of the feelings that contaminate and cause your heart to move away from people, Him, and His word. Only God can reveal the things hidden and buried deep within the heart. And only God can help you forgive and show you how to move forward. So once you yield to Him, let him show you the areas you need to release. So Let go and Let God do what he does best— transform hearts. 

S – Sing Spiritual Songs. Ephesians 5:19 sums this up: "speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart (Kardia)[3] to the Lord." And what better way to guard your heart than to sing and make music in your heart to God. If you're an active P.O.W. listener, you're already doing this, and I encourage you don't stop now. Instead, fill your heart with songs that glorify your heavenly Father. In addition, when you and I sing unto the Lord, we are reminding ourselves that despite what we see, God is faithful, and in the words of songwriter Sinach, He is our waymaker, miracle work, promise keeper, light in the darkness, My God that is who you are!"

So remember —we must not only be hearers of the word of God but also doers. So Layers up!

Have you ever wondered how people could behave so out of character that their actions shock you? From time to time, I would hear of young men or women who were on fire for God, grew up in church, and then one day walked away from everything, family, church, and God. Or straight-A students, who loved life and were obedient, but today they are battling addiction, suicidal thoughts, and living without a sense of hope. Likewise, the number of husbands and wives who were once madly in love can no longer "stand" to be in the same room with their spouse. Then there are encouraging stories—gang leaders, murderers, and child molesters who found Christ and were transformed for the better. And what made C.S Lewis turn from an atheist to one of the greatest Christian Apologists? So, what causes such a drastic change in behavior? While each has different reasons, one thing is sure, they all experienced a change of heart somewhere along the way. 

            According to psychologist Daniel Goleman "in a sense…we have two minds[1] — and two different kinds of intelligence: rational and emotional. How we do in life is determined by both— it is not just IQ, but emotional intelligence that matters." [2] Why? Because emotions can hijack all reasoning. And without a reasoning mind, the heart can easily mislead you.

            A heart that is hijacked, is one that is unguarded. When emotions overwhelm us, you and I do not think logically. For instance, what do you do when you feel God did not come through for you? It is a question that often haunts us in our darkest moments. When we're on a high, we say God is good —all the time, but when we're in despair, we believe—God has forgotten us, and we forget that He is good all the time. But I ask, does God come through for you? You would agree the answer depends on the current state of your emotions. Emotions can cause us to see God negatively, positively, or both? But if we believe and know that God is good, how can He ever be evil? If we say God is faithful, then how can he prove unfaithful? If we know that God honors his word, how can He go against his word? Sadly, we tend to see God through our emotions. God cannot contradict himself; He cannot be both good and evil. God's nature is good, full stop. He cannot act against his nature; it is who God is. God is love. Therefore, He isn't hateful. Even his acts of discipline are done out of love and not hate "because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastens everyone he accepts as his son." (Hebrews 12:6)

            I recall a good friend always saying to me, "Cheryl, give people the benefit of the doubt. You never know what they must deal with at home." She was so right, and often we misjudge people because of how we feel in the moment. For example, at church, someone doesn't say hello to you, and immediately you feel shunned and hurt, and you label the sister or brother as hostile or think they don't like you. But, on the other hand, suppose the sister was having a bad day and dealing with something so burdensome that her mind was preoccupied and didn't notice you? Remember, in our last blog, preoccupy means to overshadow other thoughts. People are so preoccupied with life stresses that it often slips them to be kind. While this is not an excuse, you and I must make allowances for our brothers' or sisters' faults and forgive anyone that offends us (Col 4:13). That includes "church hurt," too often, one horrible experience and we label every Christian a hypocrite and every church "the worst."

            And unfortunately, we treat God the same way because our emotions have hijacked what we know to be true of God. If God does not answer us according to our timetable, we assume He didn't come through for us, and we are disappointed. Some of us get so frustrated that we give up on waiting on God, His Word, and life. We become despondent if he didn't answer a prayer how we thought He should and when we wanted Him to. What about that loved one you asked him to heal but still died, the child whose salvation you prayed for but continues to go astray, or the financial breakthrough you begged him to give you, but things got worse? God answers according to His will, not yours. So I ask you—because God answered according to His will, does that mean He isn't a good Father? Does it mean God didn't come through for you? Our emotions cause us to throw temper tantrums toward God. But we must remember, that God isn't here to obey us; we are here to obey Him. His will is not to conform to ours, but our will must conform to His, and that might mean not getting what we want when we desire it. But remember, we discussed loving knowledge and proving what is excellent; your mind, the intellectual and reasoning mind, should take over and know that God's will for your life is perfect. When we allow emotions to take over, we lose our reasoning abilities; that's when we miss out on what God has for us. Because we want what the heart wants—our desires, our passions, we desire what we think makes us happy. But who sees all, knows all, and understands all things. Is it not God? Hence the reason you must guard your heart and not lose heart. Because as you wait on God, you must prepare your heart and fortify your mind against the negative thoughts that seek to control it.

            Emotions left uncontrolled remind me of Proverbs 25:28 – "a man without self-control, is like a city broken into and left without walls (ESV). What happens when a city has no borders? The enemy can wreak havoc; foreigners can come in at any time. When our emotions are unchecked, the devil comes in and wreaks havoc, that's why we think and feel things that aren't true, and we blame God and resent him when situations overwhelm our hearts. But when you guard your heart, you protect it against the forces that seek to corrupt it and turn it against God. And one way we can protect our hearts from being hijacked is with L.A.Y.E.R.S.

L - Love God with all your heart, might, and soul. 

A - Affirming words

Y - Yield to God 

E - Exhale

R - Release from negative thoughts 

S - Sing hymns and spiritual songs.

Next blog, we discuss what it means to guard your heart with L.A.Y.E.R.S.
Need Part I of this blog, then click here?

The world encourages us to "follow our heart," but on the other hand, we hear others caution us—not to follow our hearts. So, which one is it—follow your heart or don't follow your heart? If my heart wants God, shouldn't I follow it? But what if I want something wrong for me, like forbidden love—should I still follow it? Before you and I can answer the question—is following your heart a bad thing? We must first understand what the heart is and what the Bible says about it?

When we speak of the heart, we're not referring to the muscle that pumps blood to all parts of our body. Instead, we often refer to the heart as thoughts or emotions— "the heart wants what it wants." But how does the Bible refer to our heart? In Deuteronomy 6:5[1], God commands us to love him with all our heart, soul, and might. The Hebrew word for heart is lēḇāḇ—meaning the mind, will, knowledge, conscience, inner man, and soul. It is used 231 times in the Bible to refer to the "heart." Also found in 1 Samuel 16:7— the Lord does not look at the outward appearance as we do but instead looks at the heart. God isn't looking at the muscle that pumps blood or the cute heart-shaped emoji synonymously associated with the heart; instead, he looks deep within. Our heart is susceptible and vulnerable to external forces and can be deceived (Deuteronomy 11:6). The condition of our soul is important to God; if it were not so, He would not have commanded us to love Him with all of it; in this way, we leave no room to be deceived.

Another Hebrew word used for the heart is lēḇ, a noun and a form of lēḇāḇ, used 508 times— it also means mind, will, understanding, knowledge, conscience, and inner man. In Ex. 9:12, we learn that God hardens Pharaoh's heart. And as you recall, Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites go until the very end, thus leaving us to conclude that Pharoah lacked sympathy and compassion towards the Israelites. In other words, —he was— "heartless."

In the New Testament, the Greek word for heart— kardia—was used 159 times. And it means the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, and endeavors. For example, in Matt 15:19 and Mark 7:21, Jesus said, "out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." Our heart wields so much power and influence over us that whatever controls our heart—controls us. 

Often, we think our heart was meant only for love. In a previous blog—When We Fail to Love With Our Mind, we addressed the importance of love having knowledge, but our hearts can also harbor our thoughts and knowledge. Psalm 119:11 "I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." In Luke 5:21-22, "The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, "Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?" The mistake we often make is associating the heart with feelings only and the mind only with logic, but Jesus shows us that we can have thoughts in our hearts. Therefore, it is so important that you and I guard our hearts. For it houses our thoughts, emotions, will, knowledge and understanding. And out of it can flow good and evil; in fact, everything we do flows from the heart (Prov4:23). Every negative thought, fear, hurt, and desire, whether good or bad, comes out from the heart. The condition of your heart determines the health of your soul and what you will allow to lead you. "A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of" (Luke 6:45). Do you want to know what your heart is saying? Pay attention to the words you speak? Are they negative, full of resentment and bitterness, or do your words sing the praises of God? Do they yearn for God and His Word, or do they yearn for fame and the praises of men? The question isn't, "what's in your wallet?" But instead—what's in your heart? What are you allowing to control and drive you?

My prayer—is that we'll be vessels after God's own heart, rightly discerning truth, and may He guard our hearts against all evil (1 Sam 13:14) and fill it with the knowledge of Him. Only when God rules a heart does it become a heart worthy to follow.

Read Part II of this blog - A Hijacked Heart
 

          We often hear sayings and pay no attention to their validity, and, depending on the season we’re in, these sayings may appear valid to us. For instance— ignorance is bliss— in other words, my happiness is contingent upon me not knowing.  But I'm afraid I have to disagree because not knowing something can cause more harm than good. What about the saying—knowledge is power? If we lack knowledge, we are unaware, then what does that say about us? Are we happy for not knowing or happy that we lack power? Unfortunately, we refrain from not knowing things too often to remain comfortable. Paul said: And this I pray that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11

But how could love have knowledge? What is Paul saying? After praying and seeking God’s wisdom on this question, I felt the Lord impressed upon my heart—our entire life is guided by what we love and who we love; love influences our choices. We leave a job if we don’t love it, we marry someone because we love them, we spend most of our time on social media because we love it, and sadly, we engage in sinful acts because we love how it makes us feel.  But Paul’s prayer is that your love (the way you love and the things you love, would become richer and richer with knowledge and discernment. But why should it abound with knowledge and discernment? Because without knowledge and discernment, how do we know if what we love is bad for us? When you and I don't love with our minds, we seek things that are not good for us, we love the wrong person, and we love things that often harm our relationship with God. But once our love is informed, we can approve the things that are excellent—the things that we should love—that we may be sincere and without offense until Christ's return. 

Too often, as Christians, we underestimate the importance of knowledge and reason in our faith. Just as faith is important because we cannot please God without it (Heb 11:6). I believe growing in wisdom is equally essential. Paul says, “Test everything. Hold on to the good” (1Thessalonians 5:21). How can you and I test anything and know what is good if we lack knowledge? Sometimes ignorance can be the cause of our distress or dysfunctional thinking.  Not everything is the devil’s fault. When you and I lack the knowledge needed to live a life pleasing to God, you give the devil a foothold[1] in your life. But growing in the knowledge of God is key to your spiritual growth, for, without it, you will often ponder why you are not seeing God’s hand move in your situation, which then makes you disenchanted and stagnant in your spiritual growth.  But when you grow in the knowledge of God, you understand who God is, and you know who you are in Christ.

Hosea 4:6 tells us, “my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children” (NASB). “Note carefully Hosea did not say the people rejected faith. It was far worst than that. They had rejected the only appropriate ground for faith—knowledge.”[2] When we fail to love with our minds, we love blindly and accept things the heart wants, even when the rational mind is saying—let it go!  

It is my prayer that the body of Christ be filled with Godly wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Above all, I encourage you to seek truth, gain knowledge, love wisely, and pray Eph 1:17 over yourself - That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.”  

If you’re interested in reading more articles that would inform and inspire you, sign up for our mailing list.

A boss would often say, “Carty, what are you doing while waiting?” I disliked this question so much; each time he said it, I would be upset because I thought it was the stupidest question ever. I felt he was asking me this question to see if I had enough work to do, or was I twiddling my thumbs so that he could give me more work. But I missed the point of his question. He didn't want to provide me with more work; he wanted to know my mindset as I waited —what was I doing to prepare myself. Every one of us has waited and continues to wait on God. So, as you wait upon the Lord, I ask you —what are you doing while waiting on Him?    

Waiting on God can be challenging. The first question many of us ask is, God, how long? How long till you answer my prayer for a spouse, for healing, financial breakthrough, miracle, and salvation for my loved ones? How long must I wait? The longer we wait, the more burdened we become. But I am not here to tell you how you can get God to answer you quickly, but to encourage you to continue waiting on God with expectancy and without the heavy burden.  

When we look at biblical figures that waited on God, we can all admit that some of them waited years —David waited 15 years to be King. Moses waited 40 years to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, and Sarah waited 25 years for her appointed child, Isaac. And you and I begin complaining when months pass by. But waiting is like a marathon; it takes stamina and willpower not to give up or give in.  

Many of us don't like waiting, especially for long periods, and we don't know how to wait most of the time. If you’re headstrong, patience is not your virtue; you have frequent conversations with God about his timing. Not to mention, you might take matters into your own hands. But to wait means delaying action until a particular time or until something else happens. In other words, God does not need your help. On the other hand, if you’re more laid back, persistence may not be your strong point, and your conversations with God may often look like, “well, God, I know you can do all things, but I understand if you don't want to do it for me.” God didn’t ask for your perspective. The key to waiting on God is posture —by this, I mean—an attitude. In other words, what is your mindset while you wait? The question —what are you doing while you are waiting? The answer can be found in the acronym—P-R-E-P-P. Therefore, as you "prepp" yourself to wait on God, here are a few tips to help you accomplish this.

The first P is for Preparation. When we look at pregnant women, as they wait for the birth of their child, they are also preparing for the coming of their newborn. No one waits until the baby is born to buy everything needed; I sure hope not! Preparation and planning are essential if we are to obtain success. I have seen people blessed with money yet have no idea how to save or invest it and instead have squandered it all. God will give you the blessing, but do you possess the knowledge and wisdom to retain it? The same applies to waiting on a spouse; you should research and investigate what makes a good marriage. Not to mention allowing God to prepare a healthier you. Too often, we think —God blessing me with a spouse —automatically means a successful marriage; that's where you come in; you have to work at it. Marriage is a work in progress; trust me, I know.
The next letter is R—Remember what God has done for you and not how long you wait. Do you realize how anxious you become each time you look at the time while waiting? God did not create us to be timekeepers no wonder it drives us nuts. If your focus is on his timing, you’ll be blinded to what He’s planning. Instead, take frequent trips down memory lane to remind yourself of God’s goodness and faithfulness rather than his supposed "lateness." Make it a habit to write down or send yourself voice notes when God shows up during your day or has answered your prayer. Make a journal of each answered prayer and keep re-reading it. God continually amazes us, and we must take note of it. Remembering biblical stories and testimonies will strengthen you to wait on God; this brings us to our next point.

E —Expect God to bring His answers. No one waits for something if they don't expect it will happen. Do you go to the doctor’s office and expect not to be seen? Or what about waiting in line for your favorite meal? No one stands in line waiting for a meal they know has been sold out. Therefore, your expectation allows God to gauge - you still want this. Just like that pregnant mother, not only does she prepare for her child, but she waits with expectancy knowing that soon she will be rewarded with that bundle of joy. Your duty is to keep your expectations high while God brings the answer.

The next P is for Preoccupy. I love the meaning of this word –to dominate the mind to exclude other thoughts. When our minds are preoccupied, other thoughts don’t stand a chance. So too, with waiting, when we are preoccupied, for example, exercising or studying the word of God, we are less concerned about how long we are waiting and become more engaged with what we are currently doing. You and I need God’s word to dominate our minds when waiting on God. What if your mind is preoccupied with the wrong thoughts? Unfortunately, most times, we are preoccupied with the stress of life. The Bible tells us, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You Because he trusts in You." Isaiah 26.3. The enemy will attack and send negative thoughts your way —causing you to doubt God. What are you doing to safeguard your mind? We live in a world full of distractions; our lives are so busy that, sadly, we often miss when God is leading us to His answer. You cannot hear that small, still voice if your mind is preoccupied with life's stressors. The more time you spend with God’s word, the clearer His voice becomes. So, remember, allow Godly teachings to rule your thoughts and leave no space for the devil to preoccupy any part of your mind.

The last P stands for Prayer—the most important of all. You must remain persistent in prayer. I will be pretty honest with you; if you spend more time with social media than God, you will be burnt out waiting on Him. How do you expect to gain stamina if you are too busy to make time for God? Your strength comes from God; you’ll need God's strength to wake up each morning and face the same problems —a broken marriage, a stressful job, loss of income, illness, or disobedient children. I have discovered that what I call urgent and important sometimes can wait when something life-threatening happens. For example, if I suddenly fall ill, all the critical things get pushed aside. Therefore, make time and prioritize what is truly urgent and what is important.

Spending time with God is essential, for only He can lift the heavy burden that we often carry as we wait. And remember, if we don't PREPP for His answer, we won't have the stamina to stay the course. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the LORD - Psalm 27:14

Want to stay informed with our latest blogs? Join our Listener's Club today!

Written by: Cheryl Carty-Strachan
Copyright © 2022 Power of Worship Radio, All rights reserved.

My husband and I came from a deliverance ministry in Trinidad and Tobago.  Therefore, it is no surprise that this is what we feel called to do. While demonic possession is a real thing, and we could probably write a book on it, the psychological aspect is one of the most challenging areas for people. Some trauma that was never dealt with opened the door to evil. We have men not knowing how to be fathers because they hate their earthly fathers, adults living in silence because they are or were someone’s punching bag, not to mention the sexual and emotional trauma that so many have endured and continue to take because of loved ones including, spiritual leaders.

We have been taught by the church (well, some) that all you need to do is pray it away. Let me make my disclaimer here: I believe in the power of prayer, no ifs, and, or buts. Prayer is a very powerful tool, and it should be our first response, but it should not be our only form of response. You and I cannot limit the answer of prayer only to the form of a supernatural act; God can and has used people to help us, including doctors and even counselors.

One strategy the devil uses is keeping you fortified and locked away. The belief that you are alone must bear this alone and suffer in silence. The enemy —the devil, has no new strategies. He isn't a creator but an imitator, accuser, and opposer to the things of God. Let's call him the opposite. So instead of light, he offers darkness; instead of order, he provides confusion. Instead of confession, he wants you to be silent even with your testimony, and instead of truth, he speaks lies. He wants to keep those evil thoughts fortified in darkness so that demons can operate in this environment and personify the lies that you believe. For example, bitter, lustful, hateful, promiscuous. These are all adjectives to describe behavior, but the problem is when you not only behave in this manner but believe that you are this. As children of God, we should not be known for being promiscuous, hateful, selfish, resentful, and bitter.

There will be situations in our life that will make us confront these negative behaviors in ourselves but dealing with them before they take root is key. This is when we invite someone in; we confess our sins, acknowledge what we're feeling, deal with and be open to hearing the truth even if it is painful. It is crucial that this someone is a person you trust, is knowledgeable about God’s word, and has your interest at heart. Suffering in silence is what the enemy wants you to do because he wants to keep the shame, guilt, and fear locked inside you. He wants the hurt and pain to be fresh in your mind. If we do not get rid of the hurts and negative thoughts, when we TOSS it to God, then to SPEAK Godly words over yourself won't work because that space is already filled with lies. You must be empty of the lies and the false beliefs you kept believing for so long. The enemy will make you feel you are a mistake and not that you made a mistake which you can learn from and move on. Instead, you are stuck believing a label he is calling you. But what does your heavenly Father say? Have you searched the scriptures to know His promises and thoughts towards you? 

The Bible tells us, “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do,” Eph 2:10. We are created in His image; there is no higher honor than to be made in the image of the Almighty God. And what are we doing with this image? Look at the world today; crazy! When you and I live in this madness and allow insecurities to rule us and low self-esteem to plague us, you are insulting the image of God. Is God a mistake, then why do you think you are? Is God not enough, then why do you think you’re not enough? If the world hates you, remember that it hated [Jesus] first,” John 15:18. We were not meant to fit in but stand out and be separated.  God is so mindful of man[1] that he has given us the privilege whereby we can call him Abba Father[2], so I ask you, what father hears the cry of his children and does not answer? "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matt 7:11. God sees what you're going through, but he will never bandage the problem but deal with it at the root. That's why it hurts so much. I believe that most of the hardship we endure is meant to mature us, and before we can grow, God needs to uproot some weeds in our lives. I learned something about a particular plant— Broadleaf weeds — that have broad leaves and can be a problem because they can quickly take over an area and choke out other plants. That’s what strongholds do —they are like weeds that take over our minds and choke the life from us, so they need to be uprooted so that we can grow [3]. Therefore, ask God to show you the root of the problem and bring total deliverance, healing, and restoration.

To be set free, you must first understand and know what you need to be set free from. This is why it is essential to deal with the traumatic events in your life. Hiding your pain or burying your shame will keep you in bondage. It's time to deal with the hurts in your life. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and never stop praying! And remember, wait on God, and He shall renew your strength. (Isaiah 40:31)

The last article we ended with —T.O.S.S your mistake to God. Easier said than done, right? But if you and I don’t intentionally make this decision — to T.O.S.S. it to God — then we will be held captive by our mistakes. While mistakes can undoubtedly lead us to humility, they are also a guide— showing us what not to do. Unfortunately, when we mess up so many times, we begin to wear the labels of fear, failure, shame, insecurity, and not feeling like we are ever good enough. Holding on to your mistakes can give you a case of mistaken identity.  Because you begin to see yourself as a mistake rather than believe who God says you are. Which leads me to ask the question, “Do you know who God says you are?”

How often have you heard or felt that you aren’t good enough, not pretty enough, not talented enough, not “cool” enough, and unfortunately not anointed enough? So many of us see ourselves either as below average or just average. We’re ordinary, nothing special here.  Some of us even have scars to prove it, either from a spouse leaving for someone else, feeling neglected by a loved one, or being overlooked for a promotion, social invite, or job opportunity. Often the trigger is a mistake— either the self-realization that you messed up or someone else labeled you a failure. I know a harsh reality, but it’s what many of us struggle with daily. 

 And when the self-awareness comes that you have “messed up” in life, what comes naturally to you without even thinking you’re doing it - you feel horrible and in despair. Immediately negative thoughts flood your mind. If you are honest with yourself, sometimes you don't even need to make a mistake to have negative thoughts about yourself flooding your mind. It is something that occurs daily, almost forming a habit. And what is a habit? It is “the process by which behaviors become automatic.”[1]

We automatically think wrong of ourselves and allow our mistakes to hold us captive without even knowing it. Could you imagine if you messed up over 1000 times how many strongholds need to be broken over your life? Yes, strongholds[2] and the definition of a stronghold - a place that has been fortified to protect it against attack; what happens when this stronghold is of the devil?  If he’s the stronghold, then the thoughts that are holding you captive are full of lies, and he has these lies so fortified and guarded against God that you won't allow anyone to shed light on those dark thoughts or bring hope to your situation. You think the truth is wishful thinking and gives you a false sense of hope. And worst of all, he has you so preoccupied with life that you don't have the time to spend in God’s word or surround yourself with Godly truth. And without his word, you cannot know who He says you are. Take a look at how we behave when we “mess up” or make mistakes in life - we suffer in silence because we wear shame; we live in fear because of past mistakes. We struggle with unforgiveness while believing "the lie" that God has either hidden his face from you because you are messed up and not His favorite. After all, the enemy made you believe you aren't good enough, pretty enough, you’re just an average Mary or average Joe. These are the thoughts holding you captive. Once the trigger was pulled — mistake — it fired the bullet —negative thoughts —hitting your cerebral cortex and causing damage to your sensory, motor, and association areas. In other words, you become numb and devoid of emotion. You are paralyzed with fear and no longer desire information to motivate or give you hope. As a result, you are in a spiritual coma, aka stronghold. The reason why these strongholds remain with us is that;

•  we are either unaware of how we have messed up; or
•  we are blaming others for our own mistakes or 
•  the awareness came, but because we knew we pulled the trigger or at least helped pull it because “it’s my fault,”  we find it hard to release ourselves from the guilt and shame or wear the labels others have placed on us. 

The good news is, if this sounds like you, then you must break that habit or stronghold in your life. How? Be intentional and replace it with a new routine. We must be intentional about using the weapons that God gave us to demolish strongholds and to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ.[3]

One way we can be intentional with a new routine is to S.P.E.A.K

Say

Positive

Encouraging

Affirming

Kind

Godly words over your life. SPEAK at least five words (for example, I am Anointed, Humble, Confident, Courageous, and Full of Faith) every day to describe who God has created you to be, and do this for the rest of your life. Make it a habit, and most importantly, pray that you believe it so that you can become it. As a Christian, we must know and accept who God says we are. 

As Christians, we should walk in humility every day. We should desire it and never despise it when we are brought low.  And let's be honest, mistakes can undoubtedly bring us low. The good news is, when we mess up or make a mistake, our attention should be fixed on the Creator and not on the mistake we created. We should have an attitude of humility, and humility does not mean feeling beaten or defeated. But instead, acknowledge God’s greatness and not rely on our own strength and our own wisdom to fix things. More than ever, we should lean on God for His wisdom, counsel and direction and obey Him at every word. What sense does it make to ask God to intervene if you are unwilling to obey Him? It’s like borrowing money from the bank and throwing it away. The interest and penalty you will pay for stupidity is too great. For God is the author and finisher of our faith, and there is no brokenness He cannot fix, no difficulty He cannot handle, and no mistake He cannot forgive.
So the next time you make a mistake, remember - T.O.S.S it to God. 

T - Turn from blaming others,
O - Own what you have done but don't live there. 
S - Say Sorry to all parties involved including repenting to God and forgiving yourself.
S - Stop allowing mistakes to determine and say who you are.  

1 Peter 5:7 reads “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” The word cast is synonymous with the word toss. 

Next time we'll discuss how mistakes can become a stronghold if we don't T.O.S.S. to God.

Written by: Cheryl Carty-Strachan
Copyright © 2022 Power of Worship Radio, All rights reserved.

Recently I watched a movie where the topic of martyrdom came to mind. Then one of my class discussions brought up the same topic ─ martyrdom and it got me thinking ─ is martyrdom only for the Muslim faith? Is it another kind of suicide or is it a very primitive, crazy and unnecessary act? To answer this question, we must first understand what it means to be a martyr.

A martyr is someone that is persecuted and killed for his/her religious beliefs.  A martyr dies because he/she refuses to renounce their faith.  Simply put, Christian martyrs died because they refused to give up Jesus Christ who they believe to be Lord and Savior of their life. They refused to deny that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He came in the flesh as a man and died for our sins so that we can be reconciled to God. They refused to deny that this same Jesus rose again and is not dead. Therefore, martyrdom could never be another form of suicide or unnecessary act.

One of the great Church Fathers, Ignatius, welcomed martyrdom, he writes "I will gladly die for God if only you do not stand in my way….let me be food for the wild beasts, for they are my way to God."[1] While I am not afraid to die, I would not be telling the truth if I said I am not concerned with how I might die, to be eaten alive by a wild beast is not something I would pray to happen. In fact, I would pray like Daniel in the Bible and hope that God would rescue me. But what happens when God does not answer your prayer the way you hoped He would? What happens when trials come your way?

Too many times when we fall into despair we blame God or walk away from the faith. But Ignatius welcomed martyrdom which is truly admirable.  But we must remember, God's fire was meant to refine us not destroy us, our trials are there to shape us not break us - "Your faith will be like gold that has been tested in a fire. And these trials will prove that your faith is worth much more than gold that can be destroyed. They will show that you will be given praise and honor and glory when Jesus Christ returns." (1 Peter 1:7)

Therefore, Ignatius reminds us that martyrdom is an act of honor and not one of horror. We think of the pain now but forget the gain ─ being with Christ.  The Church Father Tertullian wrote "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church." (Apology 50) We should see Christian martyrdom as encouraging and a great reminder to us all that we should welcome our trials and be not afraid to die for Christ. For we are soldiers in the army of the Lord.   

Written by: Cheryl Carty-Strachan
Copyright © 2022 Power of Worship Radio, All rights reserved.

Recently I saw a movie called Mortal Engines and one of the things that stuck with me (and yes this is a spoiler alert), was the fact that the heroine had “the key” to shut down the Medusa (a machine), and save lives, unfortunately, she did not know it until close to the end of the movie. This reminds me of Christians, we have such a treasure in God’s word that often we are unaware of its value because we are either too blinded, too deceived or too burdened to see what God has given to us. To add, there are many that think Christianity is a myth.  In fact, “religion” is seen as your personal and private belief, it cannot give you truth. “Many downright reject the idea that any religion can be true.”[1] When it comes to religion we blindly accept claims that tell us—truth does not exist; we believe, what is true for you, is not true for me— everything is relative.  This is not surprising because our culture tells us that truth and morality are relative. Yet we demand to “know the truth” from our politicians, the media, doctors, our kids and our spouses but when it comes to morality and religion—that’s your personal opinion you should keep it to yourself. But as Christians we should not keep the gospel to ourselves, didn't Jesus command us to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”[2] also known as the Great Commision? This is why it is so important that we Christians not only understand but know that we hold something very valuable—the truth, Jesus said “I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”[3]

What is Truth?

What is truth, for starters, truth is discovered it can never be invented and it never changes. Truth is not relative but absolute, meaning, if something is true, it must always be true for all people, at all times in all places. Think about it, if there is no truth, then everything is false, but how can we know if that statement is even true? This is why we need to be defenders of truth. As Christians we must understand the importance of truth, for without truth, culture tells us that the gospel is relative—it is true for you, but not true for me. Once this misconception becomes a part of your worldview (the way you view the world), you could be liken to our heroine, unaware of what you hold in your possession—the key. God’s word— the Bible, which is our roadmap, it is the valuable key that guides us, shapes us and answers life’s most important questions - how did it all begin, why are we here, how should we live and where are we going? The Bible as the inerrant word of God is true. But don’t take my word for it, seek truth for yourself.

Are all Religions True?

What about other religions, can they all be true? Can two contradictory things be true at the same time? This is the Law of Noncontradiction - “a statement cannot both be true and false at the same time in the same respect.”[4] For example, can Islam and Christianity both be true with regards to their claims for Jesus Christ? Islam sees Jesus as a prophet and rejects the deity of Jesus, in fact, believing in the deity of Jesus can send a person to hell. Christianity believes in the deity of the Son, Jesus Christ, and Romans 10:9 tells us “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Therefore, believing in Jesus alone saves you (Acts 4:12).  On the other hand, Hinduism teaches there is no heaven or hell, instead it seems like a never ending loop of reincarnation, the loop only ends if you reach moksha. What about the resurrection of Jesus Christ? Either Jesus rose from the dead (historic Christianity) or Jesus was not resurrected (Judaism and Islam).  Yet again, culture informs us that all major religions are valid paths to God, known as pluralism, and we all worship the same God. That my friend, is not true, how can all religions worship the same God when we do not agree who God is? Another look at Hinduism reveals that “to qualify as “Hindu”, a religion has to, one, regard the Vedas (the early sacred writings) as divinely inspired and authoritative, two, accept the caste system and three, respect the veneration of the various levels of deities and spirits, including the protection of cows.”[5] However, the latter may prove extremely challenging especially since there are 330 million gods?  It is important to understand that because general revelation[6] is available to all, there will be traces of God in every religion. However, this does not mean that every religion is true. It will take special revelation to reveal the one true God. 

Is Christianity Verifiable?

Therefore, how can Christians be certain that what we believe is true? Christians can feel confident that the archaeological evidence demonstrates that the historical record of the Bible is true.[7] Christians can feel confident that not only is the Bible the Word of God but the Old and New Testament are historically reliable documents and thanks to Textual Criticism we can be confident that we have the most reliable reading. In contrast to the Qur’an— the product of one man, there is only one version of the Qur’an—”the one Uthman wanted us to have”[8] (since he burned all variants). Lastly, “Christianity’s origins and its central truth-claims are rooted in historical fact (Luke 2:1; Matt. 26:57; Mark 15:1)...The key events of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the historical person, can be examined and thus are subject to verification or falsification.”[9] Therefore, if the resurrection can be disproven then Christianity will fall apart and be considered false. (I Cor 15:14) However, “the resurrection is true, and the accounts of it have provided adequate evidence to certify it as a real event.”[10] Therefore, Christians can feel confident that the resurrection is a real event and shows Christianity to be true.

So why the objection and hostility towards Christianity? In my opinion, many of us today have a problem with what Christianity teaches, why? because it interferes with our lifestyle.  We want God's word to conform/bend to our way of thinking, or worse, integrate with culture. But remember, truth is not subjective, it does not bend, it never changes and it is not invented, it can only be discovered. God has given us the ability to discover truth, therefore, be a defender of truth because knowing the truth can save lives.

One thing we can all agree – these are unprecedented times and the events of 2020 have left many of us “scratching our heads,” trying to figure out - what happened? One thing is certain, we have entered uncharted waters or should I say - unfamiliar ground. Most, if not all of us, do not like when the “earth shakes beneath our feet”, the feeling of discomfort or pain shakes our very core.  So how can we combat these challenging times?  Two words come to mind – Trust God! But what does it mean to trust God? To answer this question, we must understand what it means to trust.

To trust means:

• To take refuge
• To confide in and
• To have hope

Take Refuge in God

When I think of the word refuge I think of a hiding place. The meaning of refuge: "a place to escape/flee” or “to find a safe place."  One way you and I can certainly escape is by spending time in God’s presence – reading his word and praying.  It is vital that we take refuge in God and not man, so many times we feel overwhelmed, depressed, disappointed and hurt... the word of God tells us that God is our refuge (2 Sam 22:3). He is our hiding place - a safe place you and I can run too when we need to be mended, refreshed, restored and healed.  For God to be our refuge it means that God knew there will be days/times like these when we need to escape and be in His presence.  "For thou art the potter and we are the clay mold us and make us this is what I pray."  So remember taking refuge is entering into the "Potter's House."

To Confide in God

The word confide means “to entrust something to someone for safekeeping."  God is the best person to put our confidence in.  Like the songwriter says: “What a friend we have in Jesus,” yes we can confide in family or friends but can we entrust them to keep what is dare to us? Can you trust “mankind” with every intimate and detailed aspect of your life?  There just are some things we are not willing to share with others, but by God saying to trust Him, it means we can share it with Him. I also see confiding as imparting my secrets to God; a way of purging, a form of cleansing, for confession is good for the soul. Do you know the beautiful thing about confiding in God? He will not judge you the way man would. The word confide also means "a feeling of consciousness of one's powers and faith or belief that one will act in a right, proper or effective way" (remember this meaning). So I ask the question like the songwriter: "Why do I feel discouraged and why should my heart be lonely when Jesus is my portion, a constant friend is He?"  And each one of us can testify that God has been a constant friend to us!  It is also important to note that if we are friends of God, He can also confide in us. Whatever His decision for our lives; we must trust and believe that God has made the right decision.

 To Hope in God

Last, is hope, have hope in God for the things you desire to see changed, come to past or turn around. This is the part where many of us fall short, yes, we run to Him, and yes we confide in Him, but do we have hope in Him?  The word of God tells us that "hope makes us not ashamed" Romans 5:5.  Therefore, we can hope in God to bring that which we hope for into fruition in our lives but we must remember that while we may hope for “X” God may have “Y” and being God's friend we should have that "faith and belief that God will act in a right proper and effective way."  Remember the meaning of confide - well it also means to have confidence in God and if He is our friend and vice versa we should trust that His way is perfect.   So do not fall short in this area and be not fearful to hope for what you desire but remember, your hope is in God and not the object for if you hope in the object/thing then you are not trusting God.

So my brothers and sisters I encourage you today to Trust God - take refuge, confide and hope in Him for it is only God that can see us through these unprecedented times.

Want to stay informed with our latest blogs? Join our Listener's Club today!

Written by: Cheryl Carty-Strachan
Copyright © 2022 Power of Worship Radio, All rights reserved.

The boxing rematch between Antony Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr. for the heavyweight title fight bears a remarkable resemblance to some of our lives today. The USA Today article recorded that “Ruiz knocked Joshua down four times in his shocking victory June 1 at Madison Square Garden. But Joshua controlled the rematch as Ruiz looked heavier and less effective against the fitter boxer.”

Too many times, life hits us with some uppercuts and knocks us down but like Joshua, we must have enough fight in us to make a comeback and reclaim the title God has given us: “More than a Conqueror”.  For starters, we need the will to live despite the disappointments, the desire to fight even when we’ve been knocked down “four times” and the strength to get back up again even after being knocked down repeatedly.

Many of you have an idea of what I'm referring to. Life has poured so much venom on you, it makes you wonder if your existence has any meaning? But I want to remind you that it does. If it did not, then this begs the question; can we become like Jeffrey Dahmer? I came across Jeffrey Dahmer in J.P Moreland’s book “Kingdom Triangle.” Moreland states that:

“Dahmer articulately explained the process that lead him to a life of serial murder. Dahmer pointed out that we all have desires – for food, recreation, recognition – and that we will seek their satisfaction unless we have overriding reasons not to. As a teenager, the world became thin for Dahmer. He became an atheist who believed human beings evolved out of slime and that there was no God; no reason why any of us is here, no afterlife, and no judgment for what we have done in this life. Dahmer…came to see moral rules as mere social conventions on the level of principles of etiquette for proper eating or dressing for different occasions. Social conventions were not [strong] enough to constitute overriding reasons to refrain from seeking the satisfaction of his desires, and the rest is history.”[1]

I am not going to get into the philosophical reasons to which I agree wholeheartedly with Moreland as to why Dahmer became a serial killer but for simplicity's sake, I will stick with the theological reason.

What we think is so important. I know you have heard this already, but I am going to say it again, employ positive thinking, if you allow negative thoughts to consume you, you will believe it.  Instead speak life, faith, and joy into your being and most importantly claim the favor of God every day.  Learn from Proverbs 23:6-7: “Do not eat the bread of a selfish man or desire his delicacies; For as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, “Eat and drink!” But his heart is not with you.”   The enemy – your opponent is never for you.  If you continue to feed yourself negative thoughts, do you think you will end up a joyful, and positive person? No, you will not! Remember, the enemy is never for you and will continue to lie to you.

Therefore, know that you are not here just to take up space on the earth or to add numbers to your country, you are here for a purpose and it is because you are purposely and intentionally designed that God has a plan for your life.  Hence the reason, your opponent – the enemy, will come at you and keep coming at you. So do not give up, do not throw in the towel, that dream you were impregnated with, hold on to it, do not abort it, in time you will give birth…simply because God can and will bring that dream into fruition. Just look at what He did with creation.

The Bible tells us that God created the cosmos out of nothing (ex-nihilo).  This same God created you and me in His image. But Why? Could it be that mankind is indeed special to God?  “What is man, that you take thought of him and the son of man that you care for him?” (Psa 8:4) Astronomers like Hugh Ross observe that the universe shows intentionality in the way it is. Its vastness, age, amount of dark matter, and dark energy were not by chance but were in just right amounts so that life (yes, you and I) could begin. Look at these “just right” conditions:

“dark energy density also must be exquisitely fine-tuned….if dark energy were changed by a little as one part in 10¹²⁰ the universe would be unable to support life.”[2]

“Earth appears to reside in the only neighborhood in the universe where humans can exist and thrive long enough to enjoy a global, high-tech civilization and to discover how rare they are.”[3]

The universe was fine-tuned just so that you and I can live with purpose.  This is what God did for us, and He did not stop there. The Bible tells us God’s plan for the redemption of mankind was before the foundation of the world – “he chose us in [Christ], before the foundation of the world.”[4] If you think your life is meaningless or worst - you add no value, then why would God make all of this “fuss” for you.  Why do it? Why call you, why choose you, why create you in His image, why fine-tune the universe just so that you and I can live life with intention. Is it not to say: “I love you” and to show you that your life has meaning and purpose in Him? 

 So remember the battle is not yours, it is the Lord’s: “….Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours but God’s.”[5]  Do not be afraid of what is happening in the world today. Things may be challenging now, but “know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?” (Romans 8:31). Therefore, it is time for a rematch - time to reclaim what the enemy has stolen from you.  You are more than a conqueror. God’s Love for you is incomprehensible, unmeasurable, why does he love us so, we would never know. But know this; nothing “will separate us from His love, [neither] tribulation, nor distress, nor persecution, nor famine, nor nakedness, nor peril, nor sword and neither Covid-19? (Romans 8:35). So the next time those negative thoughts pop up, look in the mirror and remember you were created in His image, look to the trees, the sky, and the ocean, and see his handiwork.  Remember that He created all of this so that you and I can live with intention. He has a plan for your life. Don’t lose hope and don’t you dare give up now.

Want to stay informed with our latest blogs? Join our Listener's Club today!

Written by: Cheryl Carty-Strachan
Copyright © 2022 Power of Worship Radio, All rights reserved.

[1] J.P Moreland, Kingdom Triangle, (Zondervan, 1994), 27.
[2] Hugh Ross, Why the Universe Is the Way It is, (Baker Books, CA, 2008), 41.
[3] Hugh Ross, 72.
[4] Ephesians 1:3-6 / Eph 3:9-11.
[5] 2 Chronicles 20:15

Unbeknownst to me, I would say to my parents “am I my brother’s keeper” to indicate - I do not know where my siblings are or what they were doing. But as I reflect upon the world today, I cannot help but wonder if many of us have the same mentality? Are we so preoccupied that we are unconcern about what our brothers and sisters are going through? While I am unable to answer for everyone for fear of making a hasty generalization fallacy, I must admit that we have certainly become individualistic rather than community oriented. If you look at the world today, you see that we use our gifts and talents to make money. Now there isn't anything wrong with this, but it becomes concerning when we do it for ourselves with no concern for our brothers and sisters.  There is much to do in our world today, while you are reading this article, there is someone addicted to drugs, someone contemplating suicide, some family forced to flee their home, like in Syria and sadly many at danger because of Covid-19.  Are you your brother’s keeper?

The Enlightened keeper

 Let's take a step back in time, a time when mankind broke free intellectually, the “Age of Reason” (also known as the Enlightenment) a time when man began to move away from the “Kingdom of God” and formulated the “Kingdom of Man.” There was no longer a need to turn to God for answers to life’s meaning. Mankind became the autonomous rational thinker.  In layman’s terms, an autonomous individual is someone “understood to be one's own person, to live one's life according to reasons and motives that are taken as one's own and not the product of manipulative or distorting external forces.”[1]  And just what are these manipulative or distorting forces? Well, for starters – the Bible.  “Thanks to” the Enlightenment period man was seen as “inherently good” and the idea of original sin was oppressive. Matthew Barrett, author of God's Word Alone states:

• “The enlightenment individual believed [that mankind] could have access to pure human reason which would allow him access to tear down traditional ecclesiastical myths that only served to oppress societies of ages past. The Enlightenment man confidently declared to the world that he had come of age intellectually, and it was now time to liberate himself from the assumptions he had previously inherited from mother Christendom.”[2]

 Am I saying that the ability to reason is bad? Absolutely not! What I am saying is reason without God and His Word is detrimental and it is the world we see today.  “Where Enlightenment thinkers departed from Christianity was in thinking that this quest for objective, universal truth and knowledge of the world can be done, and should be done, apart from God’s Word.”[3]  God tells us to come reason with him[4], that’s the key, but the autonomous individual has no room for God; we are to reason with God, not without Him. We are to become more kingdom minded and community oriented. 

The Postmodern keeper

 With such an emphasis on mankind’s ability to know things, one can clearly see why the Bible took a back seat and God, well according to Nietzsche, He was dead.  Fast forward into the 19th and 20th century into the Postmodern Turn where all that exists are opinions, differing views and perspectives. In fact, there is no such thing as an objective truth for example, murder is wrong, or rape is wrong. This places the Bible – God’s Word as just another text with differing views. To make matters worse, postmodernism basically states that the meaning of a text is dependent entirely on the perspective of the reader. It is no longer what God intended or what the author intended to say but rather what do you the reader interpret it to be. So, there is no surprise when we see Christians misquoting scripture and using it to support their own radical views and it should be no surprise why we have become so individualistic and forgotten about the Kingdom of God.

 With such a radical turn it is not surprising that this view has crept into the church.  Those that continued to serve and believe in God came to him as the autonomous rational thinker. This individual employed God in the business of serving mankind and to supply his individual needs - God give me a spouse, house, children, car, money, fame so that I can be successful and happy in life.  What do you think would happen to mankind with this view of God? Mankind has made God to serve him and not the other way around.  No longer is “God’s plan to establish His kingdom on earth and to bless the people of the world as they respond individually to faith…[for] as God works out his plan, personal fulfillment for individual Christians is a byproduct of fulfilling our role within God’s people, the church....This is why the emphasis on the Bible, and especially in the New Testament, is not on individuals rights or fulfillment, but on the unity of God's people.”[5] In other words, we are to “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things (and your heavenly Father already knows you need them all - Matt 6:32) will be added unto you.[6]  All these things are secondary, it comes after you seek His Kingdom first.

A Challenger to keepers

Therefore, I challenge you today – be your brother’s keeper. Do you know someone living alone? Call and check-in with them. Not because Covid-19 affects the older people more mean the young does not need to stay home, let’s think of our brothers and sisters and do our part. What about the social injustice that is taking place in the world today, black men being imprisoned wrongly, young girls and boys being offered in sex trade, businessmen making billions off opioids while our loved ones are dying from it. My prayer is that many of you will arise and take up the mantle in the Kingdom of God.

Where are the Harriet Tubmans, the Bryan Stevensons, the William Tyndales of the world? Where are the Pauls, the Jeremiahs, the King Davids and the Queen Esthers? Where are You? Are you hiding? Are you scared? Well it is time to arise and be your brother’s keeper! Let us show the world why Christians are the light of this world.

I recalled a time in my life that was very painful for me.  It was a time when I watched someone so dear to me suffer.  My father was a support pillar to me and my biggest supporter.  During the time of his illness I suspected he lost his vision and was in pain constantly because in the days leading up to his death, he rarely spoke, nor did he look at you but all he did was constantly point and mumbled as if to say, I am in pain.  I kept telling him that what he was going through would not be in vain and in my desperation I wish I could have given him my life or taken away the pain someway, somehow and so I turned to the only way I knew how – prayer. But God chose to take him home. To me, looking from the outside, my dad suffered a slow and agonizing death, diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer he was given 2 years at most to live, he died within those 2 years. It was then my thoughts were plagued by this question: how could any good come from the suffering we endure?           

“Medical science has discovered that the body’s nervous system that conveys pain to us is designed to save our lives. Scientific research on leprosy has revealed that most of the loss of fingers and toes is not caused by the disease but by the leper himself. Leprosy destroys the ability to sense pain.”[1]  Therefore the leper has no warning signal that would alert him when his body is in danger or near death.  While physical pain has its purpose, so too does God have a purpose for the suffering we endure.  It was during my father’s illness that he became a Christian and was baptized. I gather that our suffering is there to alert us when our soul is in danger. 

Our suffering teaches us

First, God uses pain to teach us. When we experience pain, we learn about things that can harm us. One of the lessons God desires from us during our time of suffering is to depend and become dependent upon Him. Too often we live life as if God is dead or too distant to care. When we live this way, we are saying there is no need for God in our lives, and this is a form of rejection. When we see God as the one causing the pain, it can become a psychological impediment for us to draw close to Him. Therefore, it is important to understand, while we do not know every purpose for our suffering, we are certain that some experiences are meant to teach us and hinder us from committing the same action that we know will cause us great pain.

Our suffering helps us become more like Jesus

Second, God uses our suffering to help us be more like Jesus.  The main purpose of the Christian life is to become more like Jesus. Therefore, God can use suffering to promote sanctification for the purpose of refining one’s faith. According to John Feinberg, “sanctification is also promoted by suffering because God uses it to educate believers in ways that cause them to grow closer to the Lord and be more Christlike.”[2] He further states that “James 1:3-4, Romans 5:3-4, and 1 Peter 5:10 says that God teaches perseverance or endurance through afflictions. Likewise, Hebrews 5:8 indicates that even Christ in his humanity learned obedience through suffering.”[3]

Our suffering prepares us for heaven

Last, as Christians, we should always remember that when we suffer for Christ, we have an eternal home that awaits us - the kingdom of heaven. Unfortunately, we no longer talk about heaven, but why? Is it because we think that our earthly life is better than our heavenly home, in other words, is heaven boring? Hollywood often demonstrates heaven as all white with angels playing golden harps.  Or is it because we are afraid of what must come first - death? Whatever the reason, we should not suppress the glory that awaits us in Heaven.  Romans 8:16-17 Paul wrote: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

Could you imagine what being an heir with Christ looks like?  Take for instance when God blesses us here on earth, He blows our mind, we become amazed, elated at what God has done, how much more of this awaits us in Heaven? Have you ever seen images from space, with all those colors amidst a dark background, or any nebula images? Do you honestly think God would make the universe better than heaven? I think He would save the best for last. Don’t you? If we only knew what awaits us, we will understand that the suffering we endure today cannot be compared to a life of eternity with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Paul said, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Rom 8:18) Let us not allow fear to take hold of us and rob us of our eternal glory and let us not allow the world to blind us or trick us into thinking that there could never be a place that is more beautiful, more peaceful, a place with no more tears, no more pain, no more sickness. Such a place does exist, did not Jesus tell us he went to prepare such a place for us? (John 14:1-2)

Therefore my brothers and sisters, I leave you with the words of Dr. Clay Jones “our earthly sufferings will be dwarfed to insignificance because they will be more than compensated for in both quantity – [getting everything forever] and quality – [enjoying God and each other forever].”[4] For “as life comes to an end, the final affliction will usher us into God’s presence.”[5] Oh what a glorious day that would be.