By Paula Williamson guest writer What Happens When We Die?   The world we live in today is full of opinions. Everyone has one, and most of us don't know what's true anymore. Depending on your news source, your truth can be completely different from your neighbor’s, which puts us all at odds and invites accusations of conspiracy theories.    I remember when I was expecting my first child, I knew my parents hadn't gotten it right. I also knew that my tiny baby, soon to be born, would believe anything I taught him. It was a sobering thought for me, a nineteen-year-old girl responsible for the life of another human.   I knew that since the world came into existence, people had tried to disprove the Bible, and the more they did, the more proof they found that what was written was true. At that time, I embarked on a journey to discover the truth. Since the Bible had never been disproved, I made it my truth. I lived by it and taught it the best I could to my children, friends, and those around me.   There are many opinions about what happens when we die. I choose to believe the inspired words of God.   It Is Written   MATTHEW 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.   2 PETER 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,  not willing for any to perish , but for all to come to repentance.   JOHN 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.   Hope In a Fear-Driven World   He does not want anyone to perish but desires all to come to eternal life through His Son. He has provided a way for us all to be together in a grand eternal reunion.     JOHN 14:6 Jesus answered,  “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.   In a world where we are unsure what to believe, there is a God, a Book that has never been disproved, and a way back to His heart.   Prayer Lord, I will be the first to admit I need a Savior. I humbly bow, confessing my own sins and imperfections. On my best and worst days, I need a Savior. Thank You, Father God, for providing a way to reconcile me to Your heart through the selfless life of Jesus Christ. Humbly, I surrender my heart and life to You. Help us to know the truth, King Jesus, the risen Lord.   Takeaway Truth is a person–Jesus!

By Paula Williamson guest writer  My life, my body, my kids, my stuff, my way, my choice—my, my, my! Humans really are selfish creatures. In nearly any conversation longer than five minutes, you'll notice it filled with I, me, and my. Sometimes I think we are just toddlers in adult bodies! What if we stopped talking about ourselves? What if we shifted our focus away from ourselves?    It Is Written 1 CORINTHIANS 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is within you, whom you have [received as a gift] from God, and that you are not your own [property]?   PSALM 24:1 A Psalm of David. The earth  is  the LORD’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.   A Great Big World We are just a tiny speck in the universe, and according to scripture, this vast world belongs to God, not us. Surprise! We are stewards.  Steward, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is a person employed in a large household or estate to manage domestic concerns or someone appointed to supervise. We are not the owners of everything that has been entrusted to us, the earth included.   Takeaway We are stewards.

By Paula Williamson guest writer What we choose to think about is powerful. Our thoughts can encourage or discourage us. They can cripple or empower us. They can make us courageous or powerless. Discipline in our thought life is just as important as physical exercise or diet. The good news is that we hold the power to control them.   It Is Written   PROVERBS 23:7a For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…   ROMANS 12:2   Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.   2 CORINTHIANS 10:5 We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ…   PHILIPPIANS 4:8 Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].   Thoughts Matter   What we think about does matter. Scripture warns us not to conform to the patterns of this world, which are constantly changing. We are to renew our minds with the scripture, which does not change. It is God’s word. Aligning our thoughts in ways that contradict the Word of God is to elevate our own ideas or the world's opinions above what God declares as truth. We are responsible for our thought life. What if your thoughts appeared in a bubble above your head for everyone to see? That might make you think differently!   Takeaway Think good thoughts!

By Paula Williamson guest writer I realize some might think this blog is narrow-minded. In a world where the secular version of truth is constantly changing, I’ve chosen to base my life on the truth of God’s word. He promises it will never pass away.   I’ve also lived long enough to see that fads, the latest fashion, trends, what’s popular, and what’s not change every year. Who creates these trends, and what motivates them? One reason is money, and the other, more sinister, is spiritual. People are drawn to the supernatural. We desire to know there’s more to life than what we see. Many people, both knowingly and unknowingly, seek out the spiritual. Some believe it’s harmless fun to read horoscopes, get their fortunes told, or visit a medium. Scripture, however, does not portray this as innocent fun.   It Is Written: DEUTERONOMY 18:9 -14 “When you enter the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable (repulsive) practices of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or daughter pass through the fire [as a sacrifice], one who uses divination and fortune-telling, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who casts a charm or spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or a necromancer [who seeks the dead]. 12 For everyone who does these things is utterly repulsive to the Lord; and because of these detestable practices the Lord your God is driving them out before you. 13 You shall be blameless (complete, perfect) before the Lord your God. 14 For these nations which you shall dispossess listen to those who practice witchcraft and to diviners and fortune-tellers, but as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do so.   Biblical Truth According to scripture, seeking wisdom and knowledge of the future from unseen spirits outside of God is called detestable and should have no part in the life of a follower of God. Entertainment and fun are not wrong, but viewing divination, fortune-telling, witchcraft, spiritists,necromances, and mediums as sources of innocent or harmless fun is definitely not in accordance with scripture. Be careful about what you choose as a source of harmless fun.   Prayer Lord, guide us in a world that is ever changing and often led by people with sinister agendas of which we are unaware. Help us to be wise and discerning and not to be used and taken advantage of by what we do not see or understand. We need Your wisdom!   Takeaway Biblical truth protects us.

By Paula Williamson guest writer Sowing and Reaping Every farmer understands that you reap what you sow. It would be unwise for him or her to sow nothing just because they think it doesn’t matter. The reality is that we all get back the kind of crop we plant. If we sow nothing, we gather nothing.    It Is Written GALATIANS 6:7 -8 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9 Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary.   Further Challenge We sow more than we realize we do. What kind of crop can we expect negative thoughts and words to produce? What will we reap if we sow apathy and laziness? The law of the harvest mentioned in Galatians 6 states we will reap exactly what we sow. What will you sow today? It matters more than you think.   Prayer Lord, help us realize that we all leave a mark on this canvas called life. We imprint our influence on the hearts and lives of others. Help us understand that our thoughts shape our actions and that we have the power to make a positive difference in the world today.   Takeaway We will reap what we sow.

By Paula Williamson guest writer Whoever came up with the phrase, “Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me didn’t know what they were talking about! Words are powerful! They can encourage a downcast soul to live again or wound a heart like a sword. No weapon in the world can impact a soul for good or evil the way words can. It Is Written JAMES 3:10   Out of the same mouth come  both  blessing and cursing. These things, my brothers, should not be this way [for we have a moral obligation to speak in a manner that reflects our fear of God and profound respect for His precepts].   Speak Life For every power tool, there are instructions and warnings we read and practice, but for our mouths, most of us have not read the instruction manual found in the third chapter of James. Horses are guided by bits and ships with rudders, but our mouths and tongues speak things that discourage others, cut them down, spread doubt and fear. Why? When we hold such power, why would we not use it to complement, to inspire, to encourage, to empower, to build the self-esteem of another human being in need?   What do you want to leave behind when you exit this world? How do you want to be remembered?   Takeaway The power of life and death is in our tongue!

By Paula Williamson guest writer Victim Mentality There is a challenge for those of us who were raised by strong, authoritarian parents who were not empowered to think for ourselves. We doubt ourselves, tend to look for voices outside our own heads for direction. I remember one of my friends trying to solve a problem, and her father said, “There are a million solutions! Pick one.” That blew my mind. My thinking was black-and-white at the time. Only two choices, right or wrong, and it was my mom’s way or the highway. Even for those who think they hold all the answers, there is a place to go for wisdom. It Is Written JAMES 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke   or   blame, and it will be given to him.   Empowerment and Self-esteem Bravo to the parents who challenge their children to think, to problem solve, to value and respect another person’s ability to think. Bravo to the parents who give their children tasks to master, challenges to achieve, and projects that teach them to be capable. Bravo to the parents who teach their children that the God of the Universe is wise and all-knowing, and any of us can ask Him for wisdom.   Prayer Lord, You created the Universe, and it still stands today. There is no wiser person in the world than You. I ask You for wisdom and direction today, and I thank You for Your promise to give them.   Takeaway Wisdom is a prayer away.

By Paula Williamson guest writer I grew up in a Baptist Church. When I was a teenager, a family I knew took me to a large Baptist Church at the Broco Bowl in Dallas, Texas. It was known for practicing the early church’s gifts. That night, I had a terrible headache, a toothache, and an extremely painful ganglion cyst on my wrist. The family asked me what I thought about the service. I told them I really liked it and then listed all my ailing body parts. They asked me why I did not go down to be prayed for, and I told them the thought never occurred to me. They prayed for me before taking me home, and guess what? I was healed of all three ailments. The headache and toothache went away immediately, and the ganglion cyst disappeared a day later. My faith in what God can and still does today took a skyrocket through the roof!   My mother-in-law witnessed an unbelievable miracle when she was having severe back pain, and a T.V. repairman asked if he could pray for her. She watched her left leg grow about two inches and experienced no more pain. We could hardly believe her story, but could not deny that her excruciating back pain was gone. These experiences and many more raised important questions for me about why anyone would teach that miracles have ceased or not pray for people who need them.   It Is Written   MARK 16:17 -19 These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will get well.”   HEBREWS 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.   Miracles Still Happen   In my lifetime, I have seen, heard, and experienced many such miracles. I have also heard it taught in Baptist Churches that the gifts of the early church were for a time but have since ceased. I personally have never found that written in the Bible, nor has it been true in my circle of life. I believe the Jesus in the Bible is still the same, yesterday, today, and forever.   Prayer   Lord, Your life was filled with miracles, healing, words of wisdom, knowledge, and the casting out of demons. The Bible says, You are the same yesterday, today, and forever. Our world is full of people and circumstances in need of a miracle. We believe you still do them. Remove any lies we believe to be true. May the same Jesus of the New Testament be released in our world today.   Takeaway Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

By Paula Williamson guest writer Who is in Charge? The Authority and Responsibility of the Ekklesia   Have you ever been in a situation where leadership was unclear or suddenly absent? When no one takes responsibility disputes rise, conflict escalates and chaos follows.   In the church the head is never absent. The Lord Jesus Christ is the head, and His people live under His authority. He gave His church the authority to act on His behalf in this world.   It Is Written MATTHEW 16: 1 8 -19 And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build My church; and the gates of Hades (death) will not overpower it [by preventing the resurrection of the Christ]. 19 I will give you the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth will have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth will have [already] been loosed in heaven.”   The Church vs Ekklesia? In the year 1611 King James changed the word Ekklesia in the Bible, to the word, church, limiting it to a building or a place of worship. In the original text, Ekklesia refers to the Kingdom of God’s governing body on the earth. In the scripture above, we, the governing body of Christ, are given the keys, the authority of the kingdom of heaven. When the owner of a car gives you the keys, you have that person’s permission to drive the car. How are we doing?   Prayer Lord, we haven’t and aren’t doing a very good job representing You or the Kingdom of Heaven. We haven’t been responsible with the keys and authority You have given us. Most of us don’t even know what holding the keys means. We have made your church into something that does not even resemble Your church in the book of Acts. We are sorry. Would You intervene in our hearts and lives and cause the real Ekklesia to arise in this world? We need Your help. What a mess we have made. Your word says if we need wisdom we can ask and You will give us a bountiful supply. Lord, we need Your wisdom to take our rightful position. We pray for those in authority over us, and ask for Your Kingdom to come, and Your will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven.   Takeaway We are stewards of the King, entrusted with His authority to represent His Kingdom on the earth.

By Paula Williamson guest writer Hollywood and the secular world often portray Christians as kooks or fanatics. Maybe some might be! Maybe some might not be.     Scripture warns us to be sober because there is an enemy in the world seeking to devour us. The spiritual world is invisible but undeniably real. Just leave us alone with our own thoughts and anyone with a brain can conclude that what we can’t see but think impacts us powerfully.   It Is Written   1 PETER 5:8 Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour.   EPHESIANS 6 :10 -1 2 In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him] and in the power of His [boundless] might. 11 Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places.   LUKE 10:19 Listen carefully: I have given you authority  [that you now possess]  to tread on serpents and scorpions, and  [the ability to exercise authority]  over all the power of the enemy (Satan); and nothing will  [in any way]  harm you.     Science Fiction? Here’s a list from those scriptures that sounds like a science fiction movie: invisible war, enemy, rulers, powers, forces of darkness, and forces of wickedness.   Anyone in the military needs to know who they are up against and why. They plan a strong military strategy for defeating their enemy and then move forward to carry out that strategy.   Scripture says we have an enemy. We can believe it or not but, how’s your belief working out?   The scripture is full of phrases that indicate a battle is taking place such as put on the whole armor of God, fight the good fight, be on guard, be alert, finish the race, overcome. According to scripture we serve an invisible God and we are in an invisible war. Faith is not passive! We are either defeating the enemy or he is defeating us. Which is it?   Prayer Lord, help me to fight the good fight of faith for my family, my loved ones, the world around me and myself. Help me to take negative, self-defeating thoughts captive and to exercise the authority that You have given to me. Help us to spur one another on and to encourage one another to live the overcoming life Jesus provided. Takeaway We are more than conquerors through Christ!

By Paula Williamson guest writer God Still Speaks   In the book, Experiencing God, the author, Henry Blackaby teaches that God speaks to people today in real and personal ways by the Holy Spirit, His Word, worship, people, circumstances and many ways. A well-known women’s speaker and author, Beth Moore, says God speaks through the Bible, circumstances, godly counsel and that He is always talking.   So why does Hollywood and much of the world today try to discredit that God still speaks and make fun of people who believe He does?   My guess is fear . What if it’s not really Him? Will people think I’m crazy? What if I misrepresent Him?   It Is Written HEBREWS 13:8 Jesus Christ is [eternally changeless, always]the same yesterday and today and forever.   JOHN 10:27 The sheep that are My own hear My voice and listen to Me; I know them, and they follow Me.   Are You Listening? All through the Old Testament God spoke to people personally, from the Garden of Eden to the prophets, through donkeys, writing on the wall, clouds, dreams, angelic visitations, burning bushes, visions, and as angels unaware.   Jesus said if we know Him, we know the Father. They are one. Jesus spoke to people personally, through the word, through circumstances, parables, and through example.   God created us for relationship and a relationship involves two way communication. To say God stopped speaking or only speaks through His written word is  not Biblical.   A.J. Russell wrote a book, For Sinners Only. Subtitled , The Book of the Oxford Groups. The setting is the early 1900’s and it’s a true account of the men of Oxford setting aside a time the first thing in the morning attempting to hear God and carry out His instructions. It is full of men living life fully alive with amazing stories to share that are worth telling.   What would happen if we did such a thing today?   Prayer Lord, Your word says You do not change. It appears we have. We do not resemble the early church. I don’t want to live a life like a hamster on a wheel going through the motions of life without purpose. I want to live fully alive! I open my ears to Your voice help me to recognize and obey what You say to me.   Takeaway God still speaks!

By Paula Williamson guest writer Where are the dreamers, the visionaries, the inventors—the inspired? What is the difference between us and Thomas Edison, who created the incandescent lightbulb, the phonograph, and the motion picture camera? Or Alexander Graham Bell, Wright brothers, Marie Curie, Johannes Gutenberg, Leonardo da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington Carver, and so many others who believed beyond the limitations of their time? What set them apart? Could it be faith—the willingness to believe that what seems impossible is possible? Scripture gives us a list of such people—men and women who trusted in the God of the impossible. It Is Written HEBREWS 11: 32 - And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who by faith [that is, with an enduring trust in God and His promises] subdued kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promised blessings, closed the mouths of lions, 34 extinguished the power of [raging] fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became mighty and unbeatable in battle, putting enemy forces to flight.   What If? What if the only difference between us and them is the faith of a tiny mustard seed? What if, instead of believing you are a nobody, you believed you are a somebody? What if, instead of believing you don’t make a difference, you believed that you could? What if, instead of believing you don’t matter, you believed—you do? History and Scripture are filled with ordinary people who chose to believe differently. Why not decide to be one of them? What do you want to be said about you when your time on earth is done? Prayer Lord, You gave me life and created me in Your image.You have always had good plans for me. When I think about those who have gone before—those who dared to believe and changed the world—I wonder what I am here to do. Would You stir something deep within me?A dream. A vision. A calling. Help me to see where I can make a difference. Remind me that what I do today matters. The mark I make on the canvas of this day is not insignificant. Use me to make it beautiful. Takeaway Faith turns its back on failure, looks up, and moves forward.