Evidence for Jesus

Truth graphicWhat do we know about Jesus?

The source of our evidence about the earthly life and ministry of Jesus is primarily four different eye-witness accounts, which have been collected in what we know as the New Testament part of the Bible.

Matthew was written by a tax collector who was called personally by Jesus to be in the group of 12 known as disciples who followed Jesus during his three years of travels in the area of Israel. Matthew said yes, left his tax collecting position and his life was never the same!

Mark was written by a young man who was able to hang around on the edges of Jesus’ time on earth, and he also got a lot of information from Peter, one of the 12 disciples of Jesus.

Luke was written by a physician of his day who wanted to research all the events carefully and put them together to inform. He also wrote the book of Acts, which is a detailed account of the events of many of the key followers of Jesus in the years after Jesus’ ministry. Luke includes many historically accurate facts that enhance his accounts.

John was one of the 12 disciples and he wrote his account of his time with Jesus much later than the first three. John clearly states his purpose in writing his book:

The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you many continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in Him you will have life by the power of His name. John 20: 30-31

Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written. John 21:25 

The rest of the New Testament books, from Romans through to 3 John, are mainly letters to a variety of different individuals or groups with instructions about how Jesus’ life, death and resurrection impact our daily life.

The last book in the New Testament, Revelation, was written by John after he wrote his account of Jesus’ life, while he was exiled on the island of Patmos “for preaching the word of God and for telling others about Jesus.” He describes a vision he had and was told, “Write down what you have seen – both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen.” Revelation is known as a “prophetic book” or book of prophecy and is studied by many for clues of how future times will unfold. It is not particularly easy to understand, but ends with this promise:

“Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book.”

If you are new to reading the Bible, I highly encourage you to start with the first four books of the New Testament which presents a lot of strong evidence for Jesus. Many people have opinions about the Bible, or about Jesus, but they haven’t actually read or studied what the Bible says about itself and about Jesus. I urge you to examine the evidence in the Bible for yourself.

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Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus Christ and truth seeker, especially in the areas of health and children. Navigating our present day world can be challenging, God’s timeless truths in the Bible are my guide.

Evidence

thumb-print-1-1151991-639x889Honest researchers in every field will gather, examine, weigh, and discuss evidence. Dishonest researchers will ignore, hide, alter or falsify evidence. They are generally not open to a rational discussion of ALL the evidence, and do not readily change their conclusion even when faced with overwhelming evidence that is contradictory to their conclusion.

Dishonest researchers aren’t all terrible evil characters. There may be many reasons for the way they deal with evidence. They may have some preconceived convictions or theories that prevent them from viewing the evidence rationally. Many times there are financial concerns that strongly influence the interpretation of evidence. Sometimes certain life experiences and the interpretation of such experiences can strongly influence a person’s views.

We are all subject to our own bias. We are often deceived. It is hard to see our bias and the nature of deception is that we are not aware that it is happening. I admit my bias falls toward believing the Bible, understanding it and applying it to my life. That may disqualify me from being taken seriously by some people. I challenge anyone to read the Bible for just 30 days with an open mind.

Intuition, hunches and feelings may all be valuable in leading us to uncover further evidence or to interpret the evidence we have, but these are not reliable on their own. All honest evaluations must proceed based on clear evidence. Faith is another factor to consider in evaluating evidence. For me, faith is only as significant as the thing I put my faith in. If I have faith that my government will never fail me or lead me astray, I might be disappointed. If I put faith in my own wisdom, I could be deceived or wrong. If the object of my faith is the eternal God, creator of all things, who alone has power to bring everything under His control, I can be confident in HIM. The object of faith is very important.

I eagerly seek to know and understand truth in every area, but when exploring historic events the evidence may be limited.

In the field of medicine most informed people seek an ‘evidence based’ approach. Their health is too significant to accept popular opinion or hectic marketing. They want to research and discover the true facts regarding all medical or life-style practices. Often they question or research standard medical recommendations. It is wise to seek truth and evidence in the realm of health care treatment.

I propose that the subject of God, what we believe about the existence of God, and the possibility of life beyond death, is probably the most important aspect of our lives. Our physical health concerns will pale in comparison to such an eternal reality. This is the most significant subject that we could possibly research and get to the truth. Eternity is too important to be wrong about.

What evidence is available?

I have spent many years studying the ancient scriptures collected together into what we know as the Bible. Many people have opinions about the Bible but haven’t read it. Some start at the beginning, thinking the Bible should be read from beginning to end as most books. The Bible is not like other books; it’s actually more of a library filled with books. It can be challenging, but a serious exploration is well worth the effort.

What does the Bible say about itself? What does the Bible say about Jesus? What did Jesus say about Himself? What does the Bible say about future events?

I hope to explore some of these questions in future blog posts.

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Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus Christ and truth seeker, especially in the areas of health and children. Navigating our present day world can be challenging, God’s timeless truths in the Bible are my guide.

 

 

 

Only Two Teams

soccer-or-baseball-1531255-639x651God provided Jesus.
God, the Creator, Originator, Designer
“Jesus, the image of the invisible God
Firstborn over all Creation
For by Him all things were created…”[1]

If we reject Jesus, we reject God.
“Anyone who isn’t with Me, opposes Me, and
Anyone who isn’t working with Me
is working against Me.”[2]
Strong words.

All who reject Jesus reject God
All rejecters end up on the same team
With all the other rejecters.
They may not realize it.
They may think they are distinctly different
In every major characteristic,
But at the root, the life source,
They are the same.
Like a large tree with many branches,
All information that rejects God,
Is anti-God.
The source of all anti-God information is Satan.
John tells us “This great dragon—
The ancient serpent called the devil,
Or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—
Was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.”[3]

That one. God’s enemy.
He inspires a wide variety
Of anti-God information and beliefs.

Our foremost preoccupation
As followers of Jesus:
“Love the Lord your God with
All you heart, soul, mind”[4]
(Yes, you can think)
“And love your neighbor as yourself.”[5]
Jesus claims our loyalty

“If anyone is ashamed of Me and
My message in these adulterous and sinful days,
The Son of Man will be ashamed of that person
When He returns in the glory of his Father
With the holy angels.”[6]

finger-post-in-the-morning-sun-1553708-1279x852Jesus made clear claims
To His Oneness with God.
The disciples witnessed both His words and actions.
They saw him die.
They saw and touched His resurrected body.
Peter said, “For we did not follow
Cleverly devised stories when we told you
About the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power,
But we were eye-witnesses to His majesty…”[7]

Both Jesus and Peter referred to and respected
The Old Testament records:
“We also have the prophetic record
As something completely reliable and
You would do well to pay attention to it
As to a light shining in a dark place.”[8]

The Bible is a collection of
66 ancient manuscripts.
It doesn’t claim to be
the last word on every subject.
Aliens, crop circles, pyramid structure, other anomalies
Are not answered in the Bible.
But it does present the most significant
Coherent account of the central events –
Including the foundational conflict on earth with
Dialogue and a story line.

God created everything.
He made a species “in His image”
So He could have a relationship with them.
He wanted the people to choose Him
Not be coerced to allegiance.
His previous created species, an angel line,
Had been seduced by a leading angel to rebel.
God’s archenemy enticed 1/3 of the angels and
Then set about trying to seduce the human race
To defy God.
All humans since have been born with
The same defiant spirit – like an infection
That spreads
But God
Stepped in. He devised a plan.
He chose a people to demonstrate His grace
To all the world.
Through that people, the Hebrews,
He demonstrated His power and
He gave them a written record
This record is a blessing to us.

Deception is rife.
The written record keeps us anchored.
Every fact can be viewed
Through the written record.
How does this information align?

Jesus warns us:
“Make sure that the light
You think you have
Is not actually darkness.”[9]

In light of any upcoming devastation, the most significant thing to be sure about is eternity. All the hectic events happening in the world and all the hectic predictions of what might happen in the future, propel me to want to be anchored on truth that is sure.

DSC_0062Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus Christ and truth seeker, especially in the areas of health and children. Navigating our world is challenging. God’s word is my compass and guide.

 

 

[1] Paul, Colossians 1
[2] Jesus, Luke 11:21
[3] Revelation 12:9
[4] Jesus, Matthew 22:37
[5] Jesus, Matthew 22:39
[6] Jesus, Mark 8:38
[7] Peter, 2 Peter 1
[8] ditto
[9] Jesus, Luke 11

 

What’s God’s Plan?

People from backDoes God’s plan include me?

I believe God’s plan, as given to us in a short, succinct explanation by Peter, is as relevant today as it was for Cornelius two thousand years ago. Taken from the book of Acts, chapter 10, verses 34-43.

Peter’s explanation to Cornelius, a Roman Army Captain, of God’s plan for all who seek Him:
God shows no favoritism. He welcomes all people no matter the culture, the background, the skin color, the preferences.
God accepts those who seek Him, fear Him & attempt what is right – in every culture/nation.
God’s Good News started with the nation of Israel – via Abraham.
• This is the essential message: there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
The movement started in Galilee and spread to all Judea after John started to preach his God ordained message of repentance from sin and baptism, paving the way for Jesus.
God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.
• Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil – for God was with Him.
• The apostles were eye-witnesses of all Jesus did from Judea to Jerusalem.
• The leaders in Jerusalem put Him to death by hanging him on a cross.
God raised Jesus to life on the third day.
• God allowed Him to appear to the apostles – chosen by God in advance to be His witnesses. They ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.
His instructions: preach everywhere and testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all – the living and the dead. He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in Him will have their sins forgiven through His name.” Peter, Acts 10:14-43

Peter’s audience enthusiastically received his message and experienced the power of God for themselves. God’s desire is that people today from every country will seek Him and come to experience the life He wants to give them.

Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus, truth seeker, and life coach.

Please feel free to leave a comment if you would like to discuss this more. There is nothing more important than understanding how much God loves you. I’d be happy to try and help.

 

A Tragic Loss

Dr Bradstreet AutismOne 2015I was not privileged to meet Dr Bradstreet, I have learned of him from his patients and from his highly informed talks at Autism One in May 2015.[1] I can assume his message to us might be something like this: “Be a difference maker, even if it costs you everything.” Dr Bradstreet was by no means perfect – he was a man who struggled – as we all do. Yet, he was brave in the face of adversity, he was compassionate with those overlooked by society, he demonstrated strength and hope and sought to bring healing and inspiration to many despite enormous obstacles. May his life inspire many to great levels of courage.

A Tribute to a Man Whose Work I Admire

We may not understand how and why Jeff Bradstreet died. But countless families can tell you why he lived.[2]

Dr Bradstreet didn’t claim to have the last word or know everything, but he valiantly explored and experimented with many treatment options and brought healing to many who had been given a diagnosis of ASD. He tirelessly researched ALL the science available on the topic of autism. His depth of knowledge of all the factors related to autism, and the personalized treatment protocols for individual children were epic. He was a walking PubMed reference resource. His primary goal was to understand what was going on in the body and brain of children trapped in a non-responsive body that had been discarded by mainstream practitioners. He focused on helping parents and caregivers understand that the many overwhelming behaviors displayed by their autistic child had a physical cause and when symptoms were diagnosed and treated, behavior improved.

He was thrust into the autism arena through the reality of autism he experienced with his own son. He candidly describes his journey of having a six-year-old non-verbal, self-injurious, fecal obsessed and fecal smearing son for whom no one would have given any hope of education. He relates his long journey towards healing involving many novel treatments and proudly shared the announcement that his son had just graduated from high school on 25 May 2015 at age 21 AND had been accepted to a college in Florida. Perhaps only those closely associated with a severely autistic child can understand the enormity of such an accomplishment.

The death of Dr Bradstreet is a tragic loss to all.

He was a man with answers, hope, and great insight into healing autism. He didn’t claim to have 100% cure rates and he recognized that many methods that achieved great success for some children might not work for others. Each child was unique. He possessed great optimism that he would find even more answers, better personalized healing programs and faster, more effective healing for many more families through the amazing collaborations he had going with several different partners on the cutting edge of brain research.

Dr Bradstreet demonstrated incredible love for the children and families that he served. He understood their pain because he shared it. He listened to the mothers and encouraged them to be active participants in observing the symptoms and effective treatments for their own children. He called them “Dr Mom.” He said they had earned their degree. He shared love, healing and hope with all who came into contact with him.

Dr Bradstreet wasn’t too worried about pandering to mainstream thinking. He sought effective healing modalities. He was willing to experiment and think outside the box. He sought wisdom from others and collaborated widely with great innovation. He recognized many evil forces in the world that had collided to cause severe illness to an incredible number of children – impacting the entire family. He recognized evil forces colluding in cover-up and harmful drug based treatment promotion and the acceptance of lifelong sickness and labels. He worked tirelessly against the malaise brought on families overwhelmed by the burden of severe autism. He brought restored hope for healing.

Every life cut short – especially a vital life overflowing with helping others and making the world a better place – is tragic. Sorrow is natural. As we reflect on the pain of life, God wants to use it to lead us to a better place.

“For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There is no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10.

Life is too short to hate or to allow bitterness to fester. Evil is real. Ignorance of the evil abounds. Our best opposition is love. We love others as we share truth – even in the face of opposition. Dr Bradstreet demonstrated this. He chose a life of honor. He sought truth. He did not seek mainstream praise and popularity. He sought justice and brought hope and healing to many.

Dr Bradstreet will be sorely missed by his family and his many patients. He will be missed by his collaborative partners with whom he designed unique healing modalities. I pray that through this tragic loss, the healing protocols he pioneered will be multiplied exponentially among those who currently suffer with any type of autism/brain injury. I pray that there will be great triumph as we remember his life and the help he brought to so many.

I pray new brave doctors will rise up to continue his bold research in autism cures.

Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother with a passion for health, Jesus and joy. 

[1] Dr Bradstreet, Autism One Conference, May 2015, How Close Are We To An Autism Cure? Part 1

[2] Sheila Rogers DeMare, MS, Founder and Director of the nonprofit Association for Comprehensive NeuroTherapy (ACN), is a leader in the field of integrative therapies for neuropsychiatric and behavioral disorders. http://latitudes.org/tragic-loss-of-jeffrey-bradstreet-md/

More on CPS visits

Front DoorI compiled information on how to handle a visit from CPS earlier. Here is another view with supporting information on how to be prepared in case you experience a visit from CPS. Expect the best, be prepared for the worst, like Jesus said, be as wise as serpents and innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16). 

“I hope no one ever has to go through this, but here is some advice by someone who has experience in a crooked perverse system. I believe there are some truly good and fair people involved in CPS. Unfortunately there is more evil in the world (and our country) than we could imagine. The following information was shared by a licensed foster parent in WA state. This case is scary, but sadly, happens all the time. We have trained our own bio kids in the following steps just as we adults are well aware of them. Hopefully these will help readers here:
Ten Things You Must Do if CPS Knocks at Your Door
1) TAKE THE ACCUSATION SERIOUSLY.
Parents are routinely accused of ridiculous things: trying to sell their children to relatives for drug money; molesting a child in the living room during a family party; beating a child with a baseball bat – without leaving bruises. Yes, those were real calls to CPS – all taken as true by investigators. I don’ t care how absurd or unbelievable the case worker sounds. Understand that SHE is serious, and likely presumes – no, likely “KNOWS” that you are guilty as accused. Even if she doesn’t flat-out say that she’ s there to take the children, she is quite possibly intent on doing just that. In testimony to Congress, Chris Klicka, senior counsel for the Home School Legal Defense Association, stated that a case worker with 30 years’ experience once confided in him that “When I started working, we tried to prove the family was innocent. Now we assume they are guilty until they prove they are not.”
2) ASK WHAT THE CHARGES ARE.
Most of the time, the case worker wants to keep you in the dark as to what you have been accused of. despite being required by federal and state law to tell you details of the accusation at her first contact with you. Don’t settle for the answer of “abuse” or “neglect.” Those are categories, not details. You are entitled to know what specific actions you are accused of committing.
3) SHUT UP. SHUT UP NOW.
It is imperative that you not submit to a CPS interrogation before talking to your attorney. It is natural that innocent parents who have nothing to hide want to explain everything so that a reasonable person can see that there’s no problem here. But CPS agents are not reasonable. To them, the accusation IS the evidence against you. That case worker is there to find evidence to support what she already believes to be true – that you abused your child.
If you say nothing to them, you have taken away their greatest weapon, which is their ability to twist your words. Let me give you some examples of what was done to parents who did talk to them:
The husband of a client of mine had been accused of sexually molesting their autistic, non-verbal daughter. The CPS investigator asked the mother if her daughter had exhibited any unusual behavior lately. The only thing she could think of was that a couple of times the month before, the girl had wanted her mother to come lay down with her for a few minutes. Usually, she would just go in by herself and go right to sleep. The investigator stated to the court that the mother admitted her child had become afraid of her own bedroom.
One father I defended told the case worker that he had disciplined his daughter over a 20 minute period, where he would talk to her about what she had done wrong, swat her a few times, and then talk some more. The investigator stated to the court that the father admitted to beating his child non-stop for 20 minutes.
4) FIND AN ATTORNEY WHO HAS EXPERIENCE FIGHTING CPS.
When? As soon as you realize your family is being investigated. The sooner an experienced attorney enters the picture, the sooner he or she can put a stop to abusive CPS tactics. Please note that I said experience in FIGHTING CPS. Many attorneys – if not most – believe their role is to find out what CPS wants and make sure their clients do it. That way often leads to disaster – and the loss of your children.
5) BE POLITE.
Hostility toward the investigator is considered evidence of guilt. Your perfectly natural angry reaction to being accused of harming your child will be used as evidence of an abusive personality. This is where an attorney can be a valuable asset. He or she can stand up to the bully on your behalf.
6) NEVER LET THEM IN YOUR HOME.
Under no circumstances should you let any government agent in your home unless he or she has a court order. Ask to see the warrant or order, because the CPS worker may lie and say she has one when she doesn’t. When she doesn’t have one, politely but firmly tell her that she will have to stay outside until she gets one. If she claims it’s an emergency, make her tell you what it is. Call her bluff – if it were a true emergency, she would not be asking – she’d be there with armed police officers, forcing her way in. Do not even open the door to let her look at the children.
There is no compromise on this. There are no exceptions. If you invite a case worker into your home, you have waived your fourth amendment protection. And if the case worker is intent on taking your children, SHE WILL FIND SOMETHING IN YOUR HOME TO JUSTIFY IT. THAT IS A GUARANTEE.
Understand that you may be threatened. You may be lied to. She may tell you that the 4 th amendment doesn’ t apply to caseworkers. That is a lie. She may tell you that she doesn’ t need a warrant. That is a lie. She may tell you that she’ll return with armed police officers. And she very well may. But that changes nothing. Even a man with a gun on your porch doesn’t change the fact that she has no right to enter your home.
Listen to the words of an ex-CPS investigator:
“I wish I could shout from the highest mountain to parents to vigilantly learn their rights! If they knew what their legal rights were there would be significantly lower numbers of child removals. Social workers, unlike policemen making an arrest, are not required to inform the parents of their legal rights. All we had to do to remove a child was to show up at the home and tell the parents we came to remove the kids. Often times we would take a police officer with us (never telling the parents he was there for MY protection, not to enforce an order or warrant). 99% of the time we never had to get a warrant or court order to remove kids because the parents would be so intimidated by the officer that they would just hand their kids over and show up for court the next day. But if they had legally known their parental rights, they could simply have told me that I could not take the children unless I had a court order signed by the judge or had a warrant to remove the kids. … the majority of times parents were just intimidated and gave consent for the whole process to begin; completely unknowing of what rights they just waived.”
If officers do force their way in, do not physically resist. Make your objections clear, but stand aside. There’s no point in getting arrested, or risking injury or death. Your children need you fighting for them, and you can’t do that from a jail cell or hospital. Demand that you not be separated from your children, and that your children be interrogated only with your attorney present. (This demand will likely be ignored, but demand it anyway. The fact that they ignored you may become important in later court proceedings.)
7) RECORD EVERYTHING.
Demand that CPS tape any interrogation of your child. They are required by Texas law to do so. Bring your own recorder in case the CPS agent “loses” hers.
Tape record every conversation you have with a CPS worker – but do it secretly. Nothing in my experience enrages a CPS worker – leading to rash action – faster than finding out she’s being recorded. So don’t tell her. In Texas, it’s perfectly legal to secretly record any conversation that you are a part of.
8) HAVE A DOCTOR EXAMINE YOUR CHILD.
If the accusation is one of physical abuse, have YOUR OWN doctor give your child a thorough physical exam. Ask him to write a letter stating that no bruises, marks, or health concerns were found on the child that would create suspicion of child abuse or neglect. Go to a doctor you trust. Never never never go to a doctor recommended by CPS.
9) GET FRIENDS AND FAMILY INVOLVED IN THE FIGHT.
Gather names of friends and relatives who are willing and able to care for your children if CPS takes them. They are required by law to place with family or friends before considering a foster care child warehouse, but will often ignore that law if you let them. Don’t let them. If your children must spend time away from you, it’s far better that they do so with people you know and trust than in an abusive foster facility.
Also, get your friends, family, co-workers, pastor – anyone who has seen you parenting your child – to write a letter on your behalf, stating what a good parent you are. CPS investigators are required to take such information into consideration, and it’s much harder for them to illegally snatch your child without cause when they know a crowd is watching them.
10) NEVER ADMIT GUILT.
Never, ever admit to anything. Even if CPS has taken your children and offers to give them back if you do (they won’t), it would be immoral to do so if you truly haven’t done anything. Even if you did make a momentary mistake, admitting so may be a quick way to jail and to lose your kids forever.
CPS agents are not above lying to you to prove you guilty of something, so don’t trust what they say. They won’t understand. They won’t give you a break. They will use anything you say against you, and even make stuff up. Don’t make it easy on them.”

Charleston June 2015

NewspaperLet’s be clear.

We don’t know what happened in Charleston. We weren’t there.

There are many disturbing facts involved in this event. Nearly everyone who has heard about it is disturbed, but depending on the individual, they may be disturbed in different ways for different reasons.

Some things that may impact your perception of the events in Charleston:

  • Your personal background and beliefs;
  • Your awareness and interpretation of world events;
  • Your level of trust in the media;
  • Your level of trust in the US government and affiliated organizations;
  • Your personal religious connections and affiliations.

These things play a significant role in how we view the facts and evidence presented about the events in Charleston. Discussions of the evidence can make for some lively debates, or heated arguments.

Whatever our interpretation or understanding of the facts, we can all feel unsettled, and perhaps personally threatened. We might feel our own personal safety is eroding. We may be confused. We may experience strong emotions like fear, anger, or betrayal. We may have someone or some group we target with these emotions or we may have no idea where to direct our strong feelings.

What is the answer? How can we live in such a tenuous state? How do we make sense of the information available to us?

No matter what your conclusions are about who was involved in the Charleston incident, who is to blame, and what the real facts are, here is a viewpoint that can bring insight and comfort to anyone willing to listen and seek truth. In this radio interview aired on prime time in Atlanta, Pastor Andy Stanley, Leader of North Point Ministries, seeks to answer questions like, “How does something like this happen?”, “What is God’s role in it?”, “What do I do with this fear; this emotional sludge?” Here is the link to a 12-minute very interesting discussion.

No matter how you perceive or interpret the events in Charleston, it is clear that this event sparks fear, confusion, hatred and anger.

As a Christian I know Jesus taught that all those negative emotions originate from one place. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

We are in the midst of a spiritual battle. Wether we know it or not; whether we acknowledge it or not. There are forces of evil who seek to steal our peace, hope and confidence.

Jesus is not surprised by the state of our world, but He wants so much more for us. He has defeated the enemy (the thief) and can bring peace, confidence, clarity, wisdom, and discernment in the midst of all circumstances – for all who accept Him.

“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle over them, triumphing over them through the cross.” Colossians 2:15

Are you His?

In these crazy troubling times I find my anchor in Jesus. I need a daily refreshing shower in His life-giving word. I stopped listening to most news broadcasts in January of 1997. I realized most of the news was negative and beyond my control. When something important happens someone usually tells me about it.

I thrive by seeking the wisdom of Jesus through the ancient texts we know as the Bible, every single day. I pray you too will experience the peace and comfort of Jesus in these stormy turbulent times.

Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate about Jesus, seeking truth and health.

 

I will NOT shrink back

Pinochio Told Lies

Beware of those who lie

Christians – I’ve got an important message to share with you. If you’re not a Christian, you need to know, Christians aren’t perfect. We make a lot of mistakes. One of our biggest mistakes has been putting 100% trust in the schemes of men – especially the medical schemes. Modern medicine has made some wonderful accomplishments. If you have a serious accident they do an amazing job of putting you back together. But western medicine has a rather abysmal record in helping healthy people stay healthy.

I seek to love God with all that I am. Nothing would give me greater delight than sharing the great message that Jesus came to demonstrate: God’s grace. I’ve experienced His grace personally and dramatically and seek to share all that I’ve been blessed to receive with others.

Inspired by Paul in Acts 20, I never want to shrink back from sharing this powerful truth – the same message the early followers of Jesus recorded and which has been collected into what we call the New Testament – the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and having faith in Jesus.

This message has changed the entire world, has powerfully brought transformation to individual lives throughout all cultures for 2000 years, has transformed my world, and can transform yours as you fully embrace it.

In the same way, I can’t shrink back from sharing facts and evidence I have discovered in the arena of health. Jesus warned us to watch out for false prophets and deceivers, those who twist truth for their benefit and our harm (read more in these two chapters: Matthew 7 & 24). He specifically said we need to watch out for the doctrine, i.e. teaching, of the leaders (Mark 8:15). Paul, Peter and John all repeatedly warned about deceivers.[1]

Deceivers distort truth for their own gain and often cause harm to others. Nowhere is this distortion more evident than in the arena of healthcare, and particularly the realm of pregnancy, birth and neonatal care practiced by most sophisticated highly trained professionals in western countries. There is a lot of money at stake. Not every professional knowingly practices deception. Some are victims of the deception themselves. Their training has been built on a false foundation.[2]

Too many parents have learned the hard way and experienced devastating health outcomes that impact their family forever. Vaccine injury is real. Some babies die. Some are severely injured. (see further Healthy Babies Don’t Just Die, Healthy Babies Don’t Just Develop Autism, How Many Shots?, It Wasn’t the Truck, Are Non-vaccinated Kids Healthy?).

We need to seek truth in every realm of life. We need to beware of deceivers. We need to ask more questions. We need to question the answers we are given and the source of those answers. We live in a fallen world. We have a real enemy. We need to seek Jesus and the wisdom He wants to give us.

Christian doctors, grandparents, parents, and educators need to seek truth and real scientific support for every procedure they agree to for their children. We also need to be bold enough to find helpful ways to share the truth we discover with others. Our children have been entrusted to us. Jesus said we should welcome children and never harm them. The punishment is severe for those who harm children.[3]

Becky on stageAuthor: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate about following Jesus, truth and health.

[1] Warnings about deception and deceivers. Read the whole chapters to get more context.  Paul: 2 Thessalonians 2:11, Colossians 2:4 and 8, 2 Timothy 2:26, 1 Timothy 4:1, 2 Timothy 2:26, 2 Timothy 3:13, Galatians 1:7, Acts 20:28-30; Peter: 2 Peter 2:2-3, 2 Peter 3:16-17; John: 1 John 4:6, 2 John 7-8, Revelation 13:14; James: James 1:16.

[2] Jesus explains that the foundation of our lives is critically important in Matthew 7 “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like the wise man who built his house on the rock. The rains came down, the streams rose, the winds blew and beat against that house, yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mind and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams  rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

[3] Mark 9:42 “If you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around your neck.”

Who Am I?

At some point in our life we all feel discouraged.

Discouragement takes different forms.

I confess I have fallen prey to the lies of our enemy who would like me to stay in discouragement. Once when I was there I wrote this:

Just Wrong

If you are ever feeling similarly “wrong” here is a great antidote. A brilliant reminder we all need of who we REALLY ARE!

I am AWESOME. Not because of WHO I am, but because of WHOSE I am!

When you struggle with discouragement remember:

You are never too much

You are always enough

Regardless of who you think you are

Regardless of how you feel right now

You have world changing capability

Your responsibility is to find that world changing woman inside

and set that women free

 

Any voice that tries to tell you anything different

is from the enemy

So when you feel discouraged, say this

Not me Satan

I am a daughter of the living God

I am cherished, loved and adored above all things

By the Creator of all things

For the glory of Him who is greater than all things

I am awesome

Becky Hastings,wife, mom, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus, health promoter who tries to research, understand and share truth so people can make wise choices in our crazy mixed up, deceived world! Sometimes I’m wrong and sometimes I get discouraged!

The Land in the Middle

Camel gives upOn the way to where God is taking you, in the journey of life, we sometimes find ourselves in the land in the middle: We aren’t where we were hoping to be.

We claim God is the one we seek and serve, yet there are many competing voices trying to claim our allegiance. We are often confused.

The Israelites had a tough life as slaves in Egypt. God rescued them. The rescue operation did not immediately provide the relief they expected.[1]

Unmet expectations can be our biggest discouragement.

One month after their rescue, the response of the Israelites spoke to me profoundly.

By this time they seemed to have completely forgotten their struggle and suffering in Egypt. They forgot the brutal treatment they had received at the hands of their task masters – to make bricks and collect their own straw. They forgot about how the Egyptians had loaded them down with treasure just hours prior to their escape. They forgot how God had delivered them through the Red Sea. They forgot how very recently God had miraculously provided water. They were quick to forget so many things.

One month after their rescue, they complained about the leadership of their expedition.

They romanticized their past experience to see only good, and reduced their current experience to see only bad:

“If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.”[2]

The land in the middle is a challenging place to be.

Our primary focus is … ourselves. Our own comfort. Our appetites. Our safety. Our security. We like to know where we will sleep every night. We prefer indoors with a bed and pillows specifically chosen for our comfort. If someone happens to put the air conditioning too high or too low we might get annoyed. We like our meals with great regularity.

If we don’t have these primary needs met we feel – forsaken, abandoned. Just like the Israelites. Only one month after experiencing their dramatic escape from the land of Egypt and watching the entire Egyptian army perish in the Red Sea that God had opened for them to pass through unharmed, they felt abandoned by God.

How short is our memory.

God has future purposes. They are for His glory – not ours. And, not for our comfort. Of course, He may bless us with comfort. But when everything is not quite perfect in our current reality, how will we respond?

Can we trust that God has a good purpose? Can we release our personal daily expectations to the greater picture of what God is doing?

It is easy to trust when we know the end of the story. When we look at the plight of the Israelites it is obvious to us that God had a plan, had the power and had an end goal. They were in the middle and couldn’t see the end.

We are all in the middle of something. It is extremely easy to default to our human comfort. It is easy to feel abandoned and forsaken by God when things are not going the way we had hoped. The Scripture is full of hope for future promises for God’s people. We need to refresh our minds every day – especially when we are getting bogged down in our current ‘not so perfect’ reality.

God is at work. He is always at work. He has higher and greater intentions than we can imagine. He is seeking those with steady hearts. He wants to refine us through our times in the middle. When we fully embrace the journey He is taking us on, with hopeful and joyful anticipation for the work only He can do, it can make the time in the middle purposeful.

Or we can look back with longing on the ‘good ol days’ and complain about our leadership. It comes very naturally.

DSC_0062 Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus, seeker of health and truth. Facing a world quite different from the one in which I grew up, I seek to research and understand the very real dangers threatening the health and freedom of today’s parents, providing information to navigate towards joyful family living while I navigate my own “land in the middle.”

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[1] Exodus, the second book in the Bible, gives a detailed account of how God brought the nation of Israel out of Egypt.

[2] Exodus 16:3