Dorothy "Crazy Cat Lady" McDonald

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6:11 KJV Are you ready to stand? Are you sure? What are you basing it on? Are you basing it on things like this: I can quote all the Bible verses. I can say all the books of the Bible. I go to church every Sunday. Other surface stuff? Are you basing it on your relationship with Jesus Christ? What is your relationship with Jesus like? Do you know His voice? Do you enjoy just spending time with Him? Does He go with you everywhere you go? Do you invite Him in after you enter the room, building, or situation? Do you follow Him after He enters the room, building, or situation? Before we continue with anything in this book, let's settle this question. Are you ready to stand? To answer this question, let's find out who is in your spiritual house. We need to know if you are running the show or if Jesus is running the show. Who is on the throne in your life? Who is in your spiritual house? Of course, your knee-jerk reaction as a “good Christian will be Jesus. But are you sure? Is it because of religion or because of the relationship that you think He is on the throne? We must find out. This is of major importance. We must find out if Jesus is really on the throne. Let’s look at your life. Remember, Jesus already knows all, and this is between you and Him. So just give in and be completely honest with Him through this whole process. Start Day How did you start your day? Did you spend time with God? Did you read your Bible? Did you study your Bible? (yes, there is a difference) Did you pray? Did you meditate on God’s Word? Did you commune with Him? Spend Day How did you spend your day? Did He influence every action you take? Did you enter a room, building, or situation with Him? Did you thank Him for your meal? Did you mean it if you did, or is it just a habit? End Day What about the end of your day? Did you thank Him for it? For surviving or experiencing it? For any good thing in it? For any trials during it? For any blessings? For being a part of your life? Bedtime How about bedtime? Is spending time with Him part of the routine? So is Jesus Christ in the House, or is he on the back burner? If He is on the back burner, then Satan is in the House, and as a Child of God, we certainly do not want that. So make sure Jesus Christ is in the house by making sure He is in all parts of your life and is with you, not just beside you. Can you stand up and shout JESUS CHRIST IS IN THE HOUSE!!!! Or do you need to change some things first? Going Through the Motions? Did this life audit show that you are truly following Christ, or did it show that you are just going through the motions? Are you allowing Christ’s all-consuming passion inside of you? For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 25:14‭-‬30 KJV Will you be welcomed into Heaven or cast into the outer darkness? Will you continue to commit idolatry? Will you continue to put other things before God and not use the gifts that God gave you? Will you continue to make excuses instead of doing things Jesus Christ's way? Will you instead think over these questions and answer them no, because it is time to get things right with Jesus? If you are the one with the one talent, will you choose to change things and become like one of the others who holds talents? Will you decide that now is the time to become a true follower of Christ and quit just following a religion and/or Traditions? And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper. And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, Luke 14:25‭-‬35 KJV Are you only halfway? Are you just on the fence about things? Are you one who only serves Jesus in the fashion of an Undercover Christian? Will you choose to change that and become a true follower? Will you take up Jesus's challenge? Will you choose to stop being an Undercover Christian and start serving Jesus openly? Will you get off that fence and start standing on the rock? Will you stop only serving Jesus when convenient and start serving Him fully? Will you finally choose to be all in for Jesus Christ? And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels. Luke 9:23‭-‬26 KJV Will you cast off everything for our King? Are you willing to stand up for Christ while someone has a gun pointed at your forehead? The person tells you that the only way he or she won’t pull the trigger is to renounce Christ. What if this person decides to point it at a loved one or threatens to burn down your home, blow up your car, or destroy you financially? What will you do? Will you stand up for Christ or renounce Christ? Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Philippians 3:4‭-‬11 KJV Can you quote Paul and mean it or is it just something cool Paul said? Is everything counted as loss compared to Christ or is Christ counted as loss compared to other things? Once again, I ask you, are you going through the motions? If you were, are you still, or have you chosen to change this and work on having a real relationship with Jesus Christ? Yes, life will hurt. Yes, you will have trials and tribulations. Yes, you will have huge blockades. Yes, you will be depressed sometimes. Yes, you will have tons and tons of stressful things going on. But you also have God. Give God everything. Make Christ your center. Let Christ put His passion inside of you. Give Christ ALL. All your possessions, all your troubles, all your trials, EVERYTHING!!! God is ALL. God is EVERYTHING! As Paul put it, everything else is counted as a loss. All things suffered. All trials. All successes are counted as a loss. It is all about winning Christ. It is all about being with our Master in Heaven. It is all about taking every soul you can with you. Possessions, Family, and Earthly attachments will not give us that. All things are counted as losses. Christ is all that matters. So are you going through the motions? Or are you working for Christ? Are you looking through His eyes? Are you reaching with His hands? Are you looking at the person’s soul? Or are you turning a blind eye to the work Christ has given you? Our work, our talents, and our currency are souls. Are you passionate about them as Christ is, or are you just going through the motions of Christianity? Are you a fan or a follower of The Way? Are you sure you are not just playing church like the one who built his life in the sand? Did you build your life on the Rock? Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. Matthew 7:21‭-‬27 KJV Where is your house built? When we did the life audit, what did it show? Are you building your life on The Rock, Jesus Christ, or the Sand, the World? Are you hungry for the Lord? Does your love for God capture you, and does God’s love bring you to your knees? As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? Psalms 42:1‭-‬2 KJV Do you pant after Jesus Christ? Does it bother you that you don't start, continue, and finish your day with Christ? If your answer is 'no', 'not sure', or you hesitate before answering, check your walk. You are going through the motions. Your answer should be a loud, resounding, and confident 'YES!!!!' Check your heart. Check your soul. Check your walk. Don’t go through the motions. Allow Christ to put his passion inside of you. Ask yourself the following. Am I going through the motions? Yes. Will you choose to change it? Are you going through the motions, or is Christ’s passion within you?