Judgment Call

• Should I hire this person?
• Are they trustworthy?
• Should I join this church?
• Is this the right decision for me?

These are questions people everywhere face on the daily basis. In order to get an answer, some make pro and con lists, others pray to God for answers while most do a combination of them both. Whatever your preference may be, making judgment calls is a part of our daily lives. What tickles me is somewhere along the line satan has managed to take our right to make judgment calls away from us as children of God.

Our ability to teach, preach and live the word of God has been hindered by the fear of being called the overly religious judgmental Christian. While we have NO right to condemn a person to Heaven or Hell, we are obligated as Christians to warn people of actions that could lead them to Heaven or Hell. Satan has managed to twist God's instruction and the meaning of scripture by influencing the world to do the exact same thing our children do whenever they are confronted with the wrong they have committed. He has taught them to "pout" and his book "Satan's Excuses for Sin" is quickly becoming a number one seller in the world.

• You're judging me.
• Jesus hung with the sinners. Why can't I?
• It's a process. I'm still working on some things.
• Don't Trip. He Ain't Through With Me Yet (I hear this one even made it to the movies)
• That rule is in the old testament so I don't have to agree with that one.

Christians are ignorantly falling for this snare of the enemy. It is important that we continuously stay in our word for instruction on how to deal with these poor excuses.

The following scriptures require that we make judgment calls based on characteristics and the actions made by our personal selves or the person(s) we've been assigned to minister.

I Thessalonians 5:14
Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

I Thessalonians 5:22
Abstain from all appearance of evil.

I Timothy 6:3-5
3. If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to the wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;
4. He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
5. Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

It is time for children of God to reclaim their God-given authority to effectively and unapologetically minister his word boldly in spirit and in truth. Yes, God is love but never forget his love isn't always filled with milk and honey blessings. Sometimes, God shows us his love with hard core discipline and instruction. Remember God chastens those he loves. (Hebrews 12:6) God knows that by exposing the worst in us, he is actually bringing out the best in us.

Know your God. Know your Rights and operate in them both whole heartedly!!!

Become a Sponsor of Life Forever Changed!!!

 

With our next production only 45 days away, GO Ministries is still in need of sponsors. Our goal is to gain 40 sponsors who will donate $50 to help cover the remaining production costs for "Life Forever Changed."

(We are a verifiable 501 C3 organization) We invite you to help us make a difference in the lives of families who attend this production.

  

Sponsors can choose to participate in three ways:

1. Make a Donation in Memory of a Loved One
2. Make a Donation as a Supporting Business, Church or Organization  

Click Here for More Info

 

Click Here to Make a Donation

  

We are also working to raise awareness about the importance of making final arrangements by way of  buying insurance, writing a will and making funeral arrangements in advance. Information tables will be set up after the productions for families to visit. If you are an Insurance Agent, Funeral Home or Family Will Attorney who specializes in either of these fields, we need you as a sponsor!!!!

  

Please contact us by calling 229-942-5125 or via email us goproductionministries@yahoo.com for more info about sponsoring a table.

  

  

  

Ten Rules to Live By

So here I am. It's the wee hours of the morning and God woke me up just so that I could reflect on some things. A lot has changed for my family over the past three years starting with us moving from my husband's hometown to a new city. While we have no regrets about the move, we've lost a lot since we made that decision.

From the outside looking in, you would think everything that has happened would be the breaking of us but actually it was the making of us as family. Our ability to persevere comes our spiritual roots and the good ground in which they are deeply planted. Travis and I grew in a church were our parents, leaders and church mothers worried about our souls first and our feelings second. Their tough love and two-edged words of wisdom prepared us for the harsh world and the tough times to come. And believe it or not, our toughest times wasn't in our finances, marital issues, health scares or after the death of our loved ones. Our darkest hours came when those who we thought would love us forever decided they didn't need us anymore. Growing up, we were prepared for the persecutions that would come from the enemy's camp but when some of those from our church world turned their backs on us...we hit our breaking point.

But God.

God is notorious for always having that "ram in the bush" and for us, he had several. In the recent weeks, God reunited us with spiritual mentors from our past and introduced us to new ones for present day. Their words of wisdom, love, prayers, support has helped us to generate ten rules to live by. And here they are:

1.      When you don't know what to do, seek God. When you are in need, ask God. When you don't know what to say, be quiet and listen to God.

2.      Christians don't keep their friends close and their enemies closer. They keep their friends close and their enemies confused. Why? Because the enemy will never understand love.

3.      If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, be careful, it might be a wolf in sheep's clothing.

4.      Their "no" is God's not yet. Never lose heart.

5.      Remember Jesus didn't say a mumbling word while being persecuted. You'd better not either.

6.      Vengeance belongs to God and if you take action, he won't spare the rod....(against you that is).

7.      The battle is not yours but the spoils of war is if you let God fight it for you.

8.      Never cry over spilled milk or the "friends" that stole your cookie. Let them have it. God has better in store for you.

9.      You can't be a child of God and a punk too. Stand firm on his word no matter what.

10.  When the day comes to forgive those who have lied, betrayed, back stabbed, rejected, neglected and spat on you..do it quickly and with much sincerity of heart.

Please understand, this post was not written for pity. The post was written in praise. I once had someone to say, "Bridgett, you don't have to write about your bad experiences." To which I respectfully replied "Yes I do. This is my testimony"

My life is not picture but most of the time, it feels that way. If it had not been for the testimony of others who had gone through and overcame, we probably would have given up. I know that if God can do for them, he can do it for me too. I hope our testimony encourages those of you who reads this. Always remember, just because life may not always give you the roses you asked for, doesn't mean your blessings can't be found in beauty of daisies.

B

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Commercial Trailer for Life Forever Changed!!!

 

Life Forever Changed Donation Page

Addressing the Trials of Grief: An Interview with Pastor Riva Tims

As most you may know, on September 7, 2013, GO Ministries will be presenting our newest stage play "Life Forever Changed." Written in memory of my sister who  passed away suddenly two years ago, this illustrated message addresses the behind the scenes affects of grief. God instructed me to write this play so that it would not only minister to those who are grieving the loss of a loved one but those who are mourning the loss of marriage, relationship, job etc.

I am thankful to Pastor Riva Tims who took the time out of her busy schedule to answer my questions about how her family's journey through grief after the death of her former husband Pastor Zachary Tims. Here is what she had to say....

BMackWrites:  Someone said to me the Christmas after my sister died “She was saved..right? She went to Heaven…right? So what are you crying for?” What are some misconceived notions you feel people have about Christians who mourn?

Pastor Riva Tims: The Word of God is filled with scriptures that let us know if we accept Christ we have eternal life with God. John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish , but have eternal life. And 2 Cor 5:8 tells us, We are confident , I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. What a joy for us to know when our body dies we crossover in the spirit to live in total peace.  The joy of eternal life, however, does not erase the desire to see, to hold, to communicate and be with a loved one that has passed.  When a loved one dies prematurely or at the hands of someone else a plethora of emotions become overwhelming regardless if that loved one made it to heaven. In an effort to demonstrate faith, Christians may forgo the necessary grieving process. Many mental health professionals use Kubler-Ross's model of the five stages of grief: Denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Everyone may not go through these exact stages, but everyone must go through a process of mourning traumatic loss including the loss of a loved one, a relationship, a job, a pet, a friendship etc.  If we do not deal with our losses properly then life events will continually trigger us back into depression, anger and other negative mindsets and emotions.  Months had passed since my divorce was final and I experienced triggers that took me directly to the time I lost my marriage. It was as if no time had elapsed at all.  It wasn't until I was healed that I could deal with certain dates, names and places.  My ex-husband's untimely death caused me to go through the grieving process yet again.  Allowing myself to grieve and mourn has afforded me a spiritual and emotional stability.

BMackWrites:  We teach our kids God will never let hurt, harm or danger come to us. When my sister died, it was difficult to explain to her children and our children why God took her so suddenly. In what ways have you been able to encourage your children while helping them to keep the faith?

Pastor Riva Tims: We don’t understand why God allows certain circumstances to happen in our lives.  Life is like a beautiful intricate tapestry; the back of the tapestry looks jumbled, loose ends, and hardly any connectivity and doesn’t resemble the beautiful front of the completed tapestry.  We must always trust God during difficult times and understand while God doesn't cause or inflict the pain, He may allow the pain.  God sees the finish product of our lives, and the lives of our love ones. When my children loss their dad, I encouraged them to focus on his life and the positive times they shared together.  To remember that their lives were a result of his life and his memory would live forever through them.  I also told them it was okay for them to express all of their feelings and to discuss them at anytime. I was quite honest to let them know life isn't fair but God graces us to go through the difficult valley seasons.

BMackWrites:  Most people don’t know what to say or do in another person’s time of mourning. What are some little things people did for you and your family that mattered the most?

Pastor Riva Tims: Things you may want to refrain from saying are:
Get a hold of yourself; You can't fall apart, Be thankful you have other children; The living must go on; She led a full life; or Don't cry. The most important thing to do is to let a person who has lost a loved one know that you are there for them.  Also, know it is ok to have moments of silence when you are with someone grieving.  Let the person share and talk.  We must listen and let them know that we hear them. When they ask the question why did this happen? Please don't try to give some spiritual explanation as to why it happened.  Be honest, tell them you don't know why but encourage them by prayer, comfort of the Holy Spirit and offer to do daily chores or errands for them. 

BMackWrites:  To this day, we still don’t know what caused my sister’s death. To some degree, it’s hard to find closure when there are so many questions left behind. What advice would you give to people who grieve with the possibility they will never get the answers they feel they need to move on?

Pastor Riva Tims: We know all too well about not having closure when the father of my children passed.  It is extremely difficult to move forward when you don't have an understanding of what happened.  I encouraged my children to begin the process of starting an enrichment center in honor of their father to continue his legacy and help other pastors.  It helped my children to gain closure to move forward with something positive in their father's name.  God will reveal to us all things in glory.  Our lives are but a vapor compared to eternity.  We may not get the understanding in this life, but we can have peace.

BMackWrites:  Mourning the loss of loved one is a true battlefield of the mind. How do you handle the highs and lows of grief?

Pastor Riva Tims: Besides the staple Christian prayer and spiritual encouragement through the Word of God, I suggest that anyone dealing with grief, go through a grief recovery class.  Incomplete recovery from grief can have a lifelong negative effect on the capacity for happiness.  Then enemy would love for you to isolate yourself but you need to connect with others to get through the grief.

BMackWrites:  Some people say “You never get over a person’s death. You learn to live with it.” Would you agree and why?

Pastor Riva Tims: You never forget a loved one's death but you certainly can be healed of the agonizing pain.  Recovery from loss is achieved by a series of small and correct choices made by the griever. The grief recovery curriculum that we use at Majestic Life Ministries is the Grief Recovery Handbook by John W. James and Russell Friedman.  Bishop Joey and Cathy Johnson of Ohio, assisted our ministries in implementing a grief recovery class and facilitated a class for our leadership to go through. Our leaders were then equipped to help others. You may always miss a love one who has transitioned to eternity and you may have triggers that remind you of your loss for the rest of your life.  However, you can learn how to cope with the triggers so that the reminders are not as painful.

BMackWrites:  Are there any words of encouragement you would like to give to those who grieve from the standpoint of a Pastor, Mom and/or Wife?

Pastor Riva Tims: For anyone experiencing a recent loss, I want to encourage you can be free of the pain, and you will experience joy once again.  Time does heal but it is necessary for us to make a concerted effort to move forward after the loss of a loved one. Matthew 11:28  says "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  The Lord promises to give us rest or peace if we cast our cares on Him.  I would encourage anyone grieving the loss of a loved one to stay connected to vine.  Stay connected to your source, which is the Lord.  Also, participate in a grief recovery class and go through the deliberate process of grief recovery. It may not seem like it today, but you will be able to smile again.

Ms. Riva is the pastor of Majestic Life Church in Orlando, Florida. She is also the author of "When It All Falls Apart". A book that includes her personal testimony of healing through the pain. An absolute must read!!!

When They Tell You to Leave

Rejection is a painful experience felt by both Christians and Nonbelievers. Some people make the mistake of abandoning God and the church all together because of these bad experience. Click the video below to hear our testimony and a little spiritual advice on what you should do when they tell you to leave.

 

Be Blessed!