DMT vs. Followers of Christ

This video was shared with me. I found it was so fascinating that I started to do some of my own research and study on what the Bible says about this. It blew my mind how the Bible talks about things like this happening.

Satan is very smart "Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made (Genesis 3:1)." Our enemy is using everything he has learned to entice people to try other means, besides Christ, to find themselves and be connected with life beyond our world. There is only one way to God. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6)." These people are talking about a spiritual experience, which I do believe it is very spiritual, but not to find God. They say they experience a higher power or angels. But this higher power is not God. "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5)." Men cannot get to God through smoking plants; they can only get to him through Jesus Christ. It's frightening what doors they are opening for the evil one.

It's amazing to me that people are so blinded, but it is because they have not put on the armor of God. We must listen to the Scripture and follow the Spiritual Disciplines to be fully suited for battle. If we are not, we can be easily deceived by false teachers. "Put on the full armor of God,so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:11-17)."

People are being deceived, and taking something to gain power over their life. The Bible talks about this as well. "But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3)." Some of these people are describing almost a sense of becoming God. Just as Satan tried to tell Eve in the garden that she would be like God. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:5)."

Satan is on the prowl again stronger than ever before. "At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people (Matthew 24:10-11)." Beyond this video, today I heard of a church who was struggling with attendance so they took out the coffee bar and put in a bar. We are being attacked and some of the church is not ready for battle. We have started to ignore Scripture, the living word of God. God gave us the means to fight against the devils schemes. Jesus said, "I have told you these things , so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

There are tools God gave us to overcome the pressures of the world.
For depression: "the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27)."We have placed our hope in Him that He will deliver us again" (2 Corinthians 1:10b).
For addictions:
"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).

 Sometimes we need to take the right steps and not hang around people who negativity influence us.
"Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character" (1 Corinthians 15:33).

"For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world" (1 John 2:16).

God will give us strength if we continue to read AND study Scripture. And we stay in prayer daily and become attentive to the Holy Spirit's guidance."Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41).

And yes we will face hard times. It's part of the journey. But if you take the right steps through the journey it builds strength and perseverance. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, Because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance" (James 1:2-3). Just like the pain of lifting weights or childbirth, there is a reward. "A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice and no one will take away your joy" (John 16:21-22).

Even though there is so much more Scripture to share and study, just this little blog entry, I hope sheds some light on this video. I would love to hear comments and conversation on this subject. Especially since it is becoming more widespread. Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong" (1 Corinthians 16:13).

Fight the trial with faith

      Life on this planet is never easy. We are never satisfied. We get let down, hit rock bottom, find out loving people hurts in many ways. We struggle to balance priorities. Why must we endure such rockiness? Paul wrote in Romans that we rejoice in our sufferings "because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character and character, hope. (Romans 5:3-5). We are growing through all the pain heartache and low times just as a child struggles to walk. There may be something you know is God's will and desire deeply for it to become reality. Be patient. Pray. Keep your faith because God is faithful. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for the conviction of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1)
      Be real with God he knows this ain't easy. Walk with God everyday "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him." (Psalm 37:7.) Jesus said faith as small as a mustard seed can move a mountain. A mustard see is pretty dang small. If faith can move a mountain you have quite a lot of power by believing. Just remember that God is all powerful, all knowing and good. "I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? (Jeremiah 32:37).

Build your faith. Continue asking. Remain in action. "For nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37).

The first temptation and sin

Genesis 2:6 "When the woman saw that the fruit of that tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her and he ate it."

The first temptation and sin; we can learn a lot from this fall. Satan will manipulate us with things that look enticing. We create excuses in our mind to prove it to be alright. Here the woman sees that the fruit is good for food, pleasing to the eye, and desirable for gaining wisdom: three aspects that entice her. Then Satan frustrates God's word by accusing God of selfish and dishonorable intentions. Satan promises an outcome that is untrue. They will not become like God. They are seeking to become independently moral from God which will only lead to death. Humans are made in God's image and already possess God's moral discernment. They did not need that, they only wanted more wisdom and power, which is sourced from greed. We can fight temptation by recognizing when our conscious says it's not right, yet it seems so enticing. Go back to God's word to find truth. Does it match up to what God says. Use the armor of God. Also be aware that Satan will use people you are close too to spread temptation. It goes both ways. You may encourage others to sin if you're not using the armor of God in your own life.

The sabbath

Genesis 2:2 " By the seventh day God had finished all the work he had been doing, so on the seventh day he rested from all his work."

God did not rest because he was tired. He rested to commemorate his perfect work. He had completed his work. We also need to have a sabbath day. This is why God blessed it. It gives us the chance to reflect and be proud of what we accomplished. We should work very hard for 6 days and then be able to relax on the seventh day as we admire our work. This is so important so we don't get burned out, give up, or become lazy. God designed us in his image and he rested after working with passion. Find your passion, find motivation, create, work, design, build, and then take a day at the end of your week to take pride and rejuvenate.

Purpose, passion, Life

What is your purpose in life? Why are you on this earth? The daily stresses of life keep us in this box that says I must pay my bills, get a diploma, find a career, get married, have kids, support my family... Whoa! slow down. Yes those are all awesome things we should set a goal for, but why are we living? Is it to accomplish a list and then die? I would love to hear your ideas. Just thinking about it though, we are breathing to glorify God, to bring His Kingdom to earth. We immerse ourselves in His Word and focus on growing in our faith. We find where He is working around us and we join Him. That's where our true success will take place because all things are possible with Him. We must join God's active work not expect Him to join our agenda.

Something to consider: when thinking about work and what we want to do in life, I've always used the concept "what would I do for free?" What do you find yourself doing, thinking about, and planning in your spare time? Where do you feel God is placing you in the moment? What is your role when it comes to people and serving in God's Kingdom? Think about what you like to do for others and receive nothing in return. Where is your heart and what are you constantly wanting to see change or enhance? 

For example, I constantly think about the youth in our age. I see kids and hear stories and want to see them loved and feel secure. I recently started working with a business that uses nature and outdoor guided trips to enhance quality of life. I find that getting back to the simplicity of God's creation is sometimes what is needed to refresh the mind and ease stress/depression. Along with that, building community with activities and learning healthy communication among teens is so important. Social media, video games, and phones have created shallow relationships, leaving no understanding of how to trust, talk, and express. 

Another example is my cleaning business. I truly love to clean and I like to serve people. I like being able to help someone and feel that satisfaction. Yes I would even do this for free. Laugh if you want, but I find myself cleaning even in my spare time. I see my cleaning business as a ministry. If you consider your work as a ministry, it is so much more rewarding to finish the daily work and many times I forget I'm even getting paid.

These are just some examples to get your mind working, now think about what YOU could write pages about or talk about for hours or do for days on end. What is your passion? Identify it, live it, and share it!

The power of one word

Faith in Action

"In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." -James 2:17


I've had people ask me about what I think about politics and if the world is headed for collapse. What do you think? I put it back in their court. How many hours a day are we bombarded with news, social media, and much of which can be gossip? I am not saying to shut yourself in a room and block out all global communications. Rather I think it is important to be aware of what is going on in our world and how things are changing throughout history. 

The important thing to recognize is how are we going to react to this information and what is our role within it. If we start to stress that the world is ending and that one person is going to make that happen, we have lost all faith. We are just a dead leaf that is blown anywhere by the wind and ultimately piles up with all the others to cause a mess. 

So what do we do? Well, what can you do? What are you passionate about? Where do you feel that action needs to be taken? And I'm not talking about walking down a street holding a sign. I'm talking about using your hands, feet, mind, and heart to make a difference. Use that energy to build programs, start support groups, or volunteer. Why are we blaming one person for making the world collapse if we are not contributing to improving society?

“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events. It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.” 
― Robert F. Kennedy

You will get discouraged, you will experience failure and rejection, you will want to give up. That is good, that means that something is happening! You are learning, growing, becoming stronger! Every mistake should get you more pumped to try again because now you know more than you did before. You might not see the change that come from your efforts...ever...but there is always a reaction to the action.

“It's the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there'll be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.” 
― Mahatma Gandhi

"Can we be optimistic about the future? What about the prediction that things will get worse before they get better? Is our obligation simply to hold on as the world collapses around us? What if we are invited to trust that God is at work in our time and that, even if we can't see whether the world is getting better or worse, we can cooperate with our Creator's agenda that we become better people who live out a legacy of love in a world desperate for healing?" -Mark Scandrette from Soul Graffiti: Making a life in the way of Jesus.

God has the ultimate power, so find where He is working and join in. He has given you the gifts to accomplish what He places before you.

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” 
― Catherine of Siena

Let's change our future

Do you feel like something is missing in life? Everything is going great but there is a feeling of disconnection and loneliness? We text our friends to see if they are still there. We post on Facebook to see if we are still liked. We post a pic on Instagram or Snapchat to let people know we are having the time of our life. But deep inside is there contentment? Is there peace and fulfillment when you wake up and face another day. Are we excited for the future? What's missing? Could it be that real physical, emotional, verbal connection that has been lost over the last 10 years with social media? Even health problems and digestive issues have exploded during this time. Do you think our deep emotional satisfaction has something to do with our digestive health. Are we stressed, depressed, removed from relationships?...Which obviously can hurt one's health. Please watch this video!! I cried because it brought back memories of the love my grandparents had. And the relationships that they could build and treasure with others. It's a love I don't see anymore. We hide fear of rejection and judge others. What if we just took a chance to be who God made us and love unconditionally no matter the flaws. This is my ultimate goal this year...Will you join me?

Courage to fail

Beginning of the year we make all these goals, resolutions, think of a new start on life. Then what happens? Life gets hectic, plans fail, we feel rejection, and lose motivation. What happened to your courage and hope? Oh I was just feeding off the spirit of the season, I can't do it. That is pathetic!... come on, we all know anything can be accomplished with the right desire behind it.

Look at Beethoven who was deaf and is known to be one of the greatest classical musicians, or what about Rookie White who did a 250+ ft jump on a moto track, or Roger Bannister who ran a 4 minute mile.

It takes courage to get out of your comfort zone and try something that doesn't feel possible. So do it! Forget your reputation, what people will think, how this will effect your social status, get off your shrunken pedestal and fail for once. You're not going to succeed the first time so keep trying. Get creative and go after your dreams in new ways. Make it happen!!!

"Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." -Winston Churchill. 

End of the world?

Oh my goodness every election is the end of the world! Really? We get so dramatic and loose all trust that there is a God in control of it all. It's amazing how we can get distracted by the media and get caught up in how the world sees the future. We tend to think everything is out of our hands and out of control. That is why God gave us the gift of prayer, intercession, communicating with the God of the universe. Do what is within our power to do and then pray. Pray for our president, intercede for the people, ask that God's will be accomplished. That is what we can do and then trust, believe,  and have faith in our Creator.

God Fills every void

Does God create an emptiness so that he can fill it? I wonder that as I have felt such deep losses in my life and realized the pain in others lives. I was so in love with God before one of my deepest losses and realized I had separated myself from acknowledging God's unconditional love and fearing him. Their is a great void that he is now slowly filling as I choose to seek him. The more I listen to his words and realize his all consuming glory over everything, I understand why I was so in love with God and why I need to surrender all to him.

I encourage you to do as Daniel did. " Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God." You don't have to get down on your knees. But it does something to put you body along with your heart and mind in a position of surrender to God.

Living by the strength of God

I commented on this article in November of 2014 and thought I'd share what I reflected on then..."Some people do experience more than they can handle and i known this. This world ain't perfect and sometimes we just have to admit that life will never be easy here. "We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5:3-5 stop telling people they have the strength to do it if they don't! Some day everyone will have to realize they can't do it alone. We are not meant to do things on our own"

http://natepyle.com/confronting-the-lie-god-wont-give-you-more-than-you-can-handle/