Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: No Whispers, Please!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: No Whispers, Please!: Tolerance appears to be a benign way to get along with people who are different. We hear every day that we must be tolerant. Wha does that e...

No Whispers, Please!

Tolerance appears to be a benign way to get along with people who are different. We hear every day that we must be tolerant. What does that even mean? Tolerance means to recognize and respect others beliefs and practices without agreeing. In our schools today, your children are taught about alternate life styles, and that the world just evolved. The Bible is untrue, and there is no need for the Pledge of Allegiance. Christian parents who object are called intolerant.

In today's world, tolerance means something very different. The new tolerance includes every belief, value, life style, and truth as being equally valid. People have a right to their beliefs, and all beliefs are equal. We have gone beyond respecting others' rights. Now we also have to endorse and embrace their beliefs and life styles.

If we Christians speak up against un-Biblical truth, we are the intolerant ones. It is getting worse, and the day is coming when our freedom of choice will be denied completely. Many today cry, "Hate Crime!" They want those who don't agree with them to be punished by law. Christians speaking God's Holy Word, especially on unpopular messages, are labeled judgemental.

I find it interesting that those judging us are never judged. Christians today are the only group without religious rights. We are seen by unbelievers as offensive. They want all symbols of Christianity destroyed, or at least out of sight, because someone, somewhere, somehow is offended. According to God's word, this situation will only get worse.

We believe we can embrace and love all people, but not all beliefs. We Christians truly do love you with God's love, but we can not, and will not love your sin. We hate our own sin when it is shown to us by the Holy Spirit, so why would yours be any different? Anything against God's teaching is sin. The new tolerance teaches that I have to agree with your beliefs, no matter what. If I speak out in disagreement, I must hate you.

Judges 21:25 says, "Know this first of all that in the last days, mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own truths." When God is removed from life and society, there are no guidelines left, other than what each individual thinks. We are being asked to accept out and out sin! No one even considers we might be offended.

We need to wake up and continue to stand against those trying to tear down all we believe. Christians today are the new martyrs for the faith. We have to raise our voices! No more whispering. In America now, the minority rules. They oppose God, His word, and they oppose all that is decent  and right. They are yelling, so all will hear. We, the majority of Christians are whispering.

God is making me bolder, and I have taken my stand for my Lord and Savior, Jesus. I will love you, but I will defend what is right according to The Bible! You can not pick and choose what part of  God's word you will follow. And you can not decide to ignore what goes against your fun. Without God's standards, our best efforts in life will fail!  If you are wanting my approval for your sin, just so I can be deemed tolerant.....I will shout out my faith based on God's Holy Word......I will not whisper!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: God Is Still God!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: God Is Still God!: It doesn't matter if you believe or not. It doesn't change the fact that God is God. He is sovereign, He is omnipresent, He is omnip...

God Is Still God!

It doesn't matter if you believe or not. It doesn't change the fact that God is God. He is sovereign, He is omnipresent, He is omnipotent. More than 2000 years ago, men tried to kill Him, because they didn't like what He said. You see how well that worked for them! Yes, He died, but He rose from the dead, and is still with us.

Christians are accused of being intolerant when we express Biblical truth. We are told we are one sided, because we think only God's word is right. One thing you can't ignore or destroy is God made a one sided world from the beginning. The world operates on one-sided-ness every day. Two plus two equals four. It will always equal four. An orchestra is filled with many instruments, each with their own sound. They are played according to a set of musical laws. If each played instrument played whatever, it wanted, it would be noisy chaos. All aeronautical engineers build aircraft with a single set of aerodynamic laws. You can say that's not right all you want, but it doesn't change it.

A dress and heels don't make a woman, if God designed you as a man. Having sex change surgery doesn't make you a woman, if God designed you as a man! You can argue, debate, and justify it, but it doesn't change who God designed you to be! Believing God somehow made a mistake in creating you 

is a lie from satan.  If God wanted you to be a male, He certainly didn't mistakenly create you a female and then tell you to change it.

God knew who and what you would be, by His plan, long before your parents were born. That eliminates the theory that He made a mistake designing you. I know those who are gay or transgender believe God made a horrible mistake, and that they know better than God. If they believe satan's lies, it gives them a license to sin. It's someone else's' fault. We have all done that at one time or another, but if we belong to God and follow Him, we learn, we turn from that behavior, acknowledge it is sin, and take responsibility for our actions.

Satan loves to drive a wedge between humans and the God who created them. Some will say the Bible isn't true, God is all about love. Yes God does love you, but if you don't get right with Him, and quit going against His word, you will suffer the consequences. He is a loving God, but He is also a just God. You can argue about the Bible all you want, it doesn't change God's word. Some say man wrote the Bible. Yes they did do the physical writing, but God did the dictating. When you read the Bible all the way through, it builds on itself, it proves itself, and prophecies at the beginning are fulfilled hundreds of years later. How do a few men manage that. 

If you don't believe it, or live it, it is still God and only God's Holy word! He doesn't need you to help Him explain the Bible. He wants your love, your faith, and your obedience, given freely as your choice. If you don't know God intimately, it is easy to let satan deceive you.

What I say next is not to be mean, judgmental, or intolerant. It is the opposite. I have the love of Jesus in me, and I want that for you, if you are not there. If you aren't following God, by having a personal relationship with Him, you are lost. That allows you to live outside God's word. That breaks my heart, because I was there once. I believed satan's lies. I even worshipped satan. 

You may not believe in God. You may think you are fine. I did. You may even go to Church, you are a nice person. You even do nice things for others. But you also may not know who God really is. You don't know His personality, and maybe sin is no big deal to you. If I sit in Church every week, that doesn't make me a Christian, any more than sitting in a gym makes me an athlete.

Whether you believe me or not, God's word says in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." Jesus says that because He died on a cross, so His blood could cover my sins, your sins, so we could fellowship with God. It is your choice to choose how you will live. There is no gray area. It is either black(satan) or white (Jesus). Your choice does affect your eternity. Everyone faces eternity, but where you spend yours is your choice.

Remember, just because you don't believe the Bible, or God, it does not change His sovereignty. You can call me judgemental but it will not stop me from praying for you. It will not change my mind. God remains the same, His word remains the same. As a Christian and an American, I can not let a few tell me that their skewed ideas are right. 

I am no ones' judge. God has that job. He will judge everyone someday. My sins are forgiven, I am assured of Heaven, but I will still be judged for what I said, did, or didn't do. God will only allow so much evil before His righteous anger kicks in. God is, and always has been in control. Even if you don't believe that, it's still true! God is God!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: I Do Love You!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: I Do Love You!: Marriage between one man and one woman is one of God's blessings to His people! Someone said marriage is a 50/50 deal. That is not true....

I Do Love You!

Marriage between one man and one woman is one of God's blessings to His people! Someone said marriage is a 50/50 deal. That is not true. A marriage is 100/100. Wonderful, Godly marriages don't just happen. They take dedication, patience, and a lot of work. 100% effort all the time, by both husband and wife!

Anytime you join a man and a woman into one family unit, ask them to live for each other, only, and ask them to live together until death, you have two people with different ways, different attitudes, and different goals. If they are committed to each other, their years together are a constant blending, giving, taking, and giving yet again.

I was excited when my husband John proposed to me. We had only been dating about three months, but we knew we were a match. Then I had a moment of panic. Did I really want to do this? Then of all things, we went to a Gene Wilder movie, and the movies's song was, "Taking A Chance On Love Again." It was all I needed, and I knew this was right. We will celebrate our 37th anniversary in September.

Has our marriage always been perfect, joyful, and without strife? No! At first, we seemed at times to be on two different pages. We have learned that men and women really do think differently about things, and the way they should be done. It doesn't mean either are wrong, just different. Words can be said in one way, and heard in a different way. Once God became the head of our house, we worked through a lot of conflict!

We have learned several lessons. Respect each other's ideas. I may think some of my husband's actions, likes, and dislikes are silly and unimportant, but I do not tell him that. I live with those quirks. I have ideas and actions that he thinks are silly, but those are my quirks. There is nothing so hurtful, than to have your best friend make you think something you like is stupid.

Always be there with your physical, emotional, and spiritual support. It's important to know you can count on each other when you are hurting, facing a problem, or have a conflict. It is those times, we put our own needs on the back burner, and let your spouse have priority. This is where you practice give and take. God will sometimes give you mutual issues, to work through together, but more often, one spouse is down when the other is up. When your spouse is having a bad day, or a bad season, be there for them 100%.

Laugh together, always, and often! John and I have been given similar humor. We like to watch comedy, and often, we can quote something funny from a show or movie, and get the other to laugh as hard as when we saw it the first time. We have each done such silly things in our years together, and it has given us a lot of laughs, and fun together.

Choose your battles! Your spouse will sometimes do things you really hate. If they aren't major, if they can be ignored and not hurt anyone....LET THEM GO! Sometimes you will do something, and again, hopefully your spouse will let it go. Not everything is worth a battle. Always, always ask for forgiveness, and give forgiveness when needed!

Be patient, be kind, think no evil. Put aside your ego, your wants, focus on your spouse! Love as God our Father loves us. This is God's standard. He planned from the beginning, for one man, Adam, and one woman, Eve, to live together, share everything, and to put God first ! We know they blew it, but if we put  God at the top of our marriage triangle, watch what happens. I am on one corner, John is on the opposite corner. As we grow, working up each side of the triangle, do you see what happens? We grow closer, and closer to God at the top.

If we let Him, He will guide and direct our marriage. He will be in the very midst of all we do. Growing and learning together with Him, has given us a beautiful relationship! We have been through a lot including, laughter, tears, hurts, and set backs, but God has brought us through! I love my husband more today than when I married him. We are a pair. In God's infinite wisdom, He paired a man and a woman with similarities,and some differences, who would compliment each other. What one is strong in, the other is strong somewhere else. We were meant to be together of that I am sure. 

In this day when same sex marriage is popular, I am sorry they have been mislead into that. They are missing so much. God's plan is the perfect plan, and we were designed for a man and a woman to compliment and blend as one. Anything else is one of satan's lies.

I am not judging, but simply sharing what God has taught me, and what He has given us! My best friend, John is my first, and best love!

America's Strength.....Her Spiritual Base!

An unseen predator, posing as freedom is after your marriage, your children, your schools, and your Christian values. He is lulling you into a false security. The first settlers founded our country on those same Christian principles. Our forefathers wrote in the nation's documents, "God forbid that this generation should dissipate it."

Sad to say, we are that generation. The Constitution was written by moral people, for moral people. Maybe that's why some try so hard to keep the morality of home, family, and country at bay. Freedom today for non-believers seems to mean a license to sin. Little by little, we are allowing our government and groups to chip away at that morality.

With our silence we are allowing th enemies of indifference and the tolerance of all life styles to dictate the rules. We as Christians are told in Romans 13:1, to obey those in authority. Is that why we don't voice our objections. Not all rules of our land are morally right. Think about your ancestors. Would they have stood silently by while pre-born babies are murdered? Would they have supported laws that are twisted to accommodate same sex marriage or homosexuality? I think not!

God's word is explicit and clear on how to live morally. 1Timothy 1:8-10 says, " But we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous man, but for those who are lawless and rebellious." These words are from the same God who gave us this country. The same God our money says to put our trust in.

No country has had the Christian beginning America has, and none has been as blessed by God. America's strength is in Christians who strongly stand up for the beliefs that say abortion, homosexuality, and same sex marriage are sin! Our government has made laws to accommodate those sins. We have allowed prayer and the Bible

to be taken from our schools. We have let authority replace tolerance with whatever makes you feel good. Our families, schools, and country are on the verge of destruction.

This great country may not survive if we keep on being silent. We Christians following Jesus are being moved to the back of the bus. Those standing with God don't have the same respect or rights that we are told to give others. We are called intolerant. We are told God is wrong, and we should let everyone do what is right in their mind.

Let me assure you, I am not being intolerant, I am following God's truth, not the world's. If God says it is sin then it is sin, for me and for others. When I stand against those hurting my country and the way it was intended to be, I speak Biblical truth, not my own agenda. God's one way laws were set in motion for all people, just as our Constitution did. Our Country was founded on what is morally right. Those are  God's principles whether you choose to believe it or not!  America's spiritual base will keep her strong, if we put them back in place!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: My Name Is Peter!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: My Name Is Peter!: When I am reading the Bible, I often like to just focus on some of the great men and women in the Books found there. They are such a collect...

My Name Is Peter!

When I am reading the Bible, I often like to just focus on some of the great men and women in the Books found there. They are such a collection of personalities, attitudes, and talents. Since I love animals, I would love to get Noah's take on all those animals. I wonder if he loved animals? By the time he got to dry land, maybe not so much. I imagine what life in the palace was like for Queen Esther. We know she lived in scary times, but she stayed strong, and trusted God.

Then there is Jonah. I really can't imagine living in a fish belly for even a few minutes, let alone three days. I can understand his rebellion, and learning from it. How often does God have to be extreme to get my attention. I think I would have been in awe of Isaiah. He had the job of trying to get Israel to stay focused on God. I get them, it is hard to keep focused when the world is pulling you. Can you imagine how frustrated Isaiah must have gotten. Just when God got them refocused and turned back to Him, they blew it again.

I would love to sit and listen to David. He was musical and poetic, and he speaks to that part of me. He was one of God's people who really blew it many times, then repented in anguish. I know that feeling. I like to think about these memorable saints because they were human, like me. They loved God, they followed Him, and yet they fell down so many times. Moses was a murderer. He lacked self esteem. He didn't believe he could do what God was asking. I have done that.

Each of these people played an important part in God's plan from the beginning. He looked past their faults, and brought them to where He could use them for His Kingdom!  God knew who they were, He forgave them and He planted them on the right path when they got sidetracked. He has done that for me over and over!

There is one man that stands out in my thoughts, one I have felt drawn to for years. That is the man, Peter. He was a fisherman. He was quick tempered, he put his foot in his mouth, often, and he was impulsive. Those traits have endeared Peter to me, because I am so like him. I have said and done things without thinking, and then have to back track to set things right. 

Peter had an intimate, relationship with Jesus for over three years, spent everyday with Him, ministered with Him, and he still messed up. Peter truly wanted to be all Jesus wanted him to be, but he was human. Like Peter, if I take my eyes off Jesus, I fail.  Yet Jesus was close with Peter, calling him the Rock. Jesus understood Peter. He saw Peter's faults, but He also knew his worth, and He knew Peter's heart.

For as rough and tough as Peter was, he was also afraid. He was unsure of himself, and because of it, he denied Jesus the night Judas betrayed Him. I understand Peter's fear. He was supposed to be the strong one, Jesus right hand man, and yet, Peter feared for his life because of his association with Jesus. Peter was devastated by what he had done. He was allowed to feel Jesus' sadness at what he had done, and he cried! 

Several years ago, Jesus led me to a similar circumstance. I was not wanting to do what I knew was right. Jesus had been teaching me, and I didn't want to obey. God allowed me to feel, and see, and experience the sadness Jesus feels when I want my way, not His. I cried for a long time that day, totally broken, and broken hearted! It was a lesson that is always with me. Yes, Peter, you and I could have a long talk. You were forgiven, you were entrusted to feed Jesus' sheep!  I am forgiven, and am still learning.  Yes, Heaven will be a time of truly getting to know all these people of God, especially Peter.