Blessings From Cancer

How Can I Be Bold In My Faith?

Hello friends. It’s time to journey with me this week and look at how the songs of my youth can help me through my faith questions. This week I am trying to understand how to be bold in my faith and what it means to be bold in faith. The world would have me fear even trying to understand this let alone act on it. To be bold in faith, is in truth a complete rejection of the way the current culture is trending. However, I am not afraid. To be bold is to stand firm in faith and to not bend.

My song this week brings me so many memories. I remember watching this band with my dad, and he buying me a drum kit, so that I could one day be rock star. We both really enjoyed the music of The Go-Go’s, that and our affection for the Smokey and the Bandit are some of my sweetest memories of my biological father, Steve.

This song, “Our Lips Are Sealed”, is a very fun up-beat song that brings back feelings of happiness, love, summer fun and just being able to relax and be a child. I honestly think that is what God wants for us, to have peace in our relationship with him. That said, once we are saved and a member of Jesus’ family, we are part of the greater “warrior team” of spreading the Gospel and living a life that resembles that of the core tenets of faith.

The song was written by Jane Wiedlin, guitarist for The Go-Go’s. The song was inspired by her relationship with a married man, that she needed to keep quiet, as the band was just starting out and they were an all-female band. Their public relations department needed them to appear “available” to attract fans (ie: men) to their shows and to buy their albums and since they were an all-female band, they wanted their image to appear clean with an edge. The song is about keeping secrets and being gossiped about. I think we can all relate to being a secret holder and being a gossip spreader.

“Our Lips Are Sealed” , 1981

Written by Jane Wiedlin and Terry Hall and performed by The Go-Go’s

Can you hear them?

They talk about us

Telling lies

Well that’s no surprise

Can you see them?

See right through them

They have no shield

NO secrets to reveal

Doesn’t matter what they say

In the jealous games people play

Hey, hey, hey

Our lips are sealed

There’s a weapon

That we must use

In our defense

Si-lence

When you look at them

Look right through them

That’s when they’ll disappear

That’s when we’ll be feared

It doesn’t matter what they say

In the jealous games people play

Hey, hey, hey

Our lips are sealed

Pay no mind to what they say

It doesn’t matter anyway

Hey, hey, hey

Our lips are sealed

Hush, my darling

Don’t you cry

Guardian angel

Forget their lies

Can you hear them?

They talk about us

Telling lies

Well, that’s no surprise

Can you see them?

See right through them

They have no shield

No secrets to reveal

Doesn’t matter what they say

In the jealous games people play

Hey, hey, hey

Our lips are sealed

Pay no mind to what they say

It doesn’t matter anyway

Hey, hey, hey

Our lips are sealed

Today’s culture demands everyone conforms to the farthest edges (just because), even if it is by extortion, lies, misrepresentation, smearing, canceling, or diminishing anyone that stands firm in the truth of their faith. I cannot and will not speak for anyone else. For me, to be bold in my faith, means I will stand firm in the core tenets, I will not cower (even if it means I am canceled or bullied). I will answer any question about being a Christian with an honest and loving biblical approach.

This was not what was supposed to be this week’s message. Today I was going to explore a totally different topic in being bold, but God has weighed on me how displeased he is. To all the haters out there, no, that does not mean God speaks directly to me, but he does nudge me. In that nudging he has shown how when we cower in faith-based questions and accusations, when we seal our lips, when we tell half the truth, when we choose to hide from a biblical question instead of being honest, we ARE NOT SOLID IN FAITH. WE ARE MISLEADING. WE ARE ACTING LIKE WE ARE ASHAMED OF OUR FAITH.

Examples:

1. Christian Singer - being asked about “is homosexuality a sin”. The singer didn’t answer the question. The singer did refer them to the bible, but chose not to answer a biblical question.

2. Top Hollywood Actor refusing to speak up for self because the actor was so fearful of the topics thrown their way by the a “multi-lettered group”. Seriously, this person has been viciously attached online because people assume things about the actor due to him calling himself (shh! A Christian).

3. Biblical Study Book authors, have come out publicly for abortion rights. They have decided that they (humans) can bifurcate the commandment “Thou Shall Not Kill” and being a Christian. Or Biblical Study Book Teachers and Leaders that denounce their church (as an whole) instead of just calling out the individuals. Statements and actions like this cause DIVISION.

4. “Some” Mega-Church Preachers - (and MANY OTHERS) that cherry pick things out of the bible to preach a “EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE PERFECT FOR YOU” message. Seriously have these folks read the bible?

Here are examples of those being BOLD in faith:

1. Candace Cameron Bure making a huge move from Hallmark (which recently broke away from it’s family-oriented movies) and becoming a content developer for GAC (which has promised to be only family-friend and faith-lead). She has ignored all the “haters” comments and has proven that you can live a bold faith-filled life and still do what you love. She hasn’t hesitated to talk about her faith, her beliefs. She is even helping guide fellow actors (Danica McKellar “Wonder Years”) into a relationship with Christ. She does it all with grace and love (spiritual gifts). When asked the questions about homosexuality, abortion, and other “hot-topic” items, she states “This is what I believe, it’s who I am. I don’t hate anyone or judge anyone.”

“My Christian faith is so meaningful to me, and it’s the foundation of who I am. It always goes before me, and I’ve never been shy to talk about my faith.” Candace Cameron Bure speaking to Woman’s Day magazine.

2. Mark Wahlberg. LOL – that’s right I said it. He has turned his entire life around. Instead of just talking the talk of claiming to be a Christian, he is now showing us all what it is to be bold when we act on our faith. He is more mindful of the roles he plays (check out the new movie Father Stu), he has time reached out and shown humility and grace to fallen actor Mel Gibson, he has a very biblical approach to how his family operates and he puts Jesus front and center of his family. He isn’t perfect and his past life is full of flaws (JUST LIKE ALL OF US) – but he has reformed, refocused on Christ and is now acting bold in his faith.

“My faith and my family are the most important things.” Mark Wahlberg speaking to Relevant magazine.

3. Chip and Joanna Gaines. What could I possibly add to their bold actions. Well they opted to leave a very lucrative deal with HGTV (due to heat that HGTV was getting for the Gaines’ association with their church and their pastor’s position on homosexuality). Instead of adding to HGTV’s hefty profits, when HGTV would not defend them or “decline to comment”, the Gaines informed HGTV that after that season, they were done. The waited a year and a half, introduced their own network, which runs on streaming platform owned and operated by the parent company of HGTV. HGTV attempted to replace the Gaines with another great show Home Town (Ben Napier and Erin Napier). It still is a bit representative of the values that the Gaines stand for, just not as prevalent. Not once during all of this did the Gaines ever stop supporting their church, the pastor or their values. They were bold and stood strong in their faith.

I am not here to call anyone out, or to say this way of living is better than your way of living. I am not a Judge. I am here to say AND SAY IT LOUD that the path to salvation is one way (JESUS) and that path is narrow, winding and sometimes very lonely. I saw a meme about the right-winged Jesus and left-winged Jesus. Even though it was meant to divide, it was basically stating truth. If we look at truth as neither left nor right, we see the entire picture. Yes we need to minister to the lost. Yes we need to have compassion for the sinners (because we all are). Yes we are supposed to love our enemies. BUT PLEASE STOP QUOTING ONLY THIS. Jesus came for all of us. He died for all of us. He sat with the sinners and told them about grace, love, forgiveness AND WAIT FOR IT…..REPENTANCE. How are we forgetting to teach this. Jesus said that in order to follow him you must:

1. Deny yourself (stop being selfish, stop living for just yourself);

2. Take up your cross (are you ready to die for your faith?);

3. And FOLLOW HIM (he was without sin).

A A note as to my lengthy time away:

I was supposed to post this almost a month ago, and I am sorry for the late post. Life happened. Nothing I can share right now, just know that life the past 30 days has been a constant storm of chaos. Also in that time, there have been some legal decisions that have/will cause another summer of protest and anger. As a woman, I wish I could stand with the pro-choicers for “women’s rights”. But I cannot because my first allegiance is to God, my creator. As a Christian, I am happy someone made a law protecting “babies’ rights”. I could leave it there – but I am not, because our God is merciful God. Jesus is going to love and forgive a woman (no matter what choice she makes) if she believes in him, confesses her sins, forgives others and leads a repentant life.

Me being bold in faith – is me getting real about what is and isn’t acceptable to God and to stop pretending otherwise.

Have a great and blessed week!

Some links for you:

Crisis Pregnancy Center - https://www.ecfa.org/MemberProfile.aspx?ID=31655

Adoptions from the Heart - https://afth.org/pregnant/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=PPC&utm_campaign=Vici&gclid=CjwKCAjwzeqVBhAoEiwAOrEmzTubTKzsV_FB9RPapNgB6m_hRfWfeTKWIC2HKLDWKvCleB4fishMbRoCOWMQAvD_BwE

Christian Counselors – if you need to talk to someone (from the 757)

https://www.google.com/search?q=christian+counseling&rlz=1C1GCEV_en&oq=christian+counseling&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i457i512j0i402l2j0i512j46i175i199i512j0i512l4.2528j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8