Purely & Graciously His

by Jennifer Moodie  6/5/2019     We all know about prosperity preachers; those who claim if you just love Jesus enough, give money to them, pray hard enough, have enough faith, and believe enough, God will give you whatever your heart desires. The names Joel Osteen, Kenneth Copeland, Steven Furtick, Bill Johnson and more are tied to that teaching. Most Evangelical Christians would reject that teaching by saying "God's not a vending machine or genie". And they are right. But I have found that Evangelicals have other forms of prosperity gospel that they blatantly teach, and I am hoping to address just one of them here: The prosperity of purity.      There is this idea in Fundamental circles that A+B=C. There is some sort of formula you can follow that will give you a happy and healthy marriage, and God isn't at the center of it...sexual purity is.     Now, don't get me wrong. Sexual purity IS important. 1 Thess. 4:3 says " For   this   is   th

April 4, 2019 by Jennifer Moodie  Definition of  heal transitive verb 1 a :  to make free from injury or disease  :  to make sound or whole  heal  a wound b :  to make well again  :  to restore to  health heal  the sick 2 a :  to cause (an undesirable condition) to be overcome  :  MEND the troubles … had not been forgotten, but they had been  healed — William Power b :  to patch up or correct (a breach or division)  heal  a breach between friends 3 :  to restore to original purity or integrity  healed  of sin Heal. Healing. Healed. These words have been on my mind and heart a lot lately. I've spent many years begging God for healing... Healing for my marriage. Healing for my body and mind. Healing from the damage of false beliefs. Healing from the effects of sin. One thing that strikes me when I think about healing, is that sometimes, scars are a result of healing. Or, are we not completely healed if we ha

March 6, 2019 by Jennifer Moodie    "God, I can't take this any more! I hate my life and my marriage. I don't know if I believe in you. I feel powerless to earn your love and favor, and I feel too wicked to be forgiven. My sins are too great to ever be forgotten by you! I feel beyond your redemption and grace and love. I can't keep living like this! I can't be good enough for your salvation! I am too far gone!"  I cried out while attempting to fold my laundry through the tears. My earbuds were in and music was playing as I was pondering what I had just read on the medical side of the crucifixion of Christ.  I had grown up in a Christian home, heard the stories of the cross, and watched The Passion. I knew it in my head. My tender heart toward other's suffering had made hearing/seeing those things difficult, but it had never seemed to apply to me , to my sins, because I had never seen myself as a truly sinful person. Sure, I disobeyed my parent