One Step Away From Homelessness

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Linda Dipman

I Want to Know My Future 

 A homeless man stood on the corner of the up ramp leading to the interstate. He held a sign in his hand that stated, ‘I will work for food’. A tiny, brown, shorthaired dog stood at his feet and looked up at the man.  He smiled lovingly at his dog. The dog was wrapped in a dirty plaid doggy coat and the man wore a coat that looked weathered from the outdoors. It hurt me to see them standing there together begging in the cold.   I wish I had a job to give this man.  His life made me think how close each of us are from being just one step away from homelessness.

            I suppose this story means more to me than most people because at one time in my life I lost everything. I fell in love with a woman when I was married to a man. What should have been the happiest time of my life turned out to be the worse?  It was especially hard when you are a Christian. The church preaches that homosexuality is wrong and they turned against me. Even my parents who were supposed to love me unconditionally did the same thing. When I was divorced I won custody of my three children in court because I was found to be the better parent, but soon I found out that society didn’t like gay people either.  An evil judge, my ex-husband and my former church plotted to take my children away and they did. So in an attempt to stand up to them I took my children and ran. Unfortunately the law caught up with me and I was put in jail and I lost every worldly possession because I had no one to help me.  One moment I was loved by my family and church and the next moment I was thrown away and despised because I was gay. It took every worldly possession I had to fight back against the injustice I was dealt in the courts and that is the reason I became homeless.  In my most desperate time I called out to Jesus Christ and He helped me when no one else would.

            Hebrews 13: 5b&6: “For God has said, ‘I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.’  Let us be bold, then, and say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.  What can anyone do to me?’”

Jesus led me to an attorney and after hearing my story and how much I suffered from the hands of Christians, he took my case on pro-bono. It was a huge child custody and criminal case, but Dobbs did not care even though he had to travel an hour both ways from his office to fight for me in court.  He believed that everyone had the right to justice no matter what their sexual orientation was and he was eager to show me I could win. My pockets were empty and my future unclear but just when I needed help the most Jesus provided me with what I needed at the right time. 

Hebrews 11: 6: “No one can please God without faith for whoever comes to God must have faith that God exists and rewards those who seek him.”

My attorney fought for me and I regained joint custody of my children. My faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior gave me the faith to stand up to what was happening and to move on to another place where I could blend into society and live my life without the intense persecution I had faced in the small town I left. I started my own upholstery business and God blessed me giving me back everything I lost and more.

Hebrews 12:15: “Guard against turning back from the grace of God.  Let no one become like a bitter plant that grows up and causes many troubles with its poison.”

When I was suffering for being gay, I refused to give up my faith and blame God.  I refused to become bitter and hate the people who hurt me and took away my children. Instead I held tightly to my faith and trusted that God had a plan that was better than the suffering I went through.  This is the reason why I was blessed. I stood firm in my faith that Jesus loves me.

Looking back at that time, I now see the miracles God preformed in my life. I also saw how much I grew as a Christian. It was not God who hurt me during that terrible time in my life, but people. As a result I became more unconditional in how I loved people and I did not judge them. When I was shaken from my safe world I grew from my experience. I did not freeze and allow my emotions to make me give up and accept my homelessness. Instead, I fought back and I was given a better life.

Hebrews 12: 27-29: “The words ‘once more’ plainly show that the created things will be shaken and removed, so that the things that cannot be shaken will remain.

Let us be thankful, then, because we receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken.  Let us be grateful and worship God in a way that will please him, with reverence and awe; because our God is indeed a destroying fire.”

Maybe you are going through something really hard. You lost your job and now you can’t pay for your house. You don’t know what to do and no matter how hard you try no one will hire you. Don’t be afraid and don’t give up. No matter how close you are to homelessness. Believe and trust in your Christian faith. God is always ready to help you even when it looks like there is no hope. Maybe it’s time for you to look at changing to a new kind of job. Or maybe God wants you to expand your job search to a new city. Don’t give up and allow your life to become hopeless. Fight back and believe that God has a plan that is far better than your present life. We go through hard tests in this world that shake us to our very core, but if God is on our side it is only temporary.

Read Hebrews chapter eleven and see the faith each of us must have in order for us to overcome the problems we will go through in this world. Below are the concluding three verses.

Hebrews 11: 39&40, “What a record all of these have won by their faith!  Yet they did not receive what God had promised, because God had decided on an even better plan for us.  His purpose was that only in company with us would they be made perfect.”

It is important that Christians everywhere remember that the problems we have on earth cannot be compared with the rewards we will receive in Heaven.  We must hold tightly to Jesus Christ and learn the lessons that this world has to teach us.  When I see a homeless person on the street I remember the lessons I learned from being homeless.  The simple truth is that all people are one step away from homelessness if they don’t hold tightly to Jesus Christ and believe that he can save them and give them a better life.

Linda C Dipman author of I WANT TO KNOW MY FUTURE http://lovinghandsministry.com  presents I WANT TO KNOW MY FUTURE  It will put you on the edge of your seat as you read each vivid detail. You will feel terror and experience love like nothing you have ever read before. Find out what happens when God fights for you!   5.0 out of 5 stars a powerful and very much recommended read.  Midwest Book Review: I Want to Know My Future   With nothing left, not even family, God may be the only thing left. “I Want to Know My Future” is a Christian memoir from Linda Dipman who ponders her rough journey when she was thrown in jail and forgotten by her church and family. When all seemed lost she relates how God was still there for her and she hopes her story will help other readers remember this important fact. “I Want to Know My Future” is a powerful and very much recommended read. The Christian Author Radio Show http://www.wnbnetworkwest.com/WnbAuthorsShow-LDipman.html

Posted in Christian, Faith, family, Gay, homelessness, Homosexual, LGBTQ, Self-Help, Spirituality, Transgender | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Seven New Year’s Resolutions that Will Make you Stronger

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Linda Dipman

20159B_BookVideoMaking resolutions that lead to goals for your future is always a great way to start a New Year. We had just become empty nesters with the youngest child moving out to lead his own separate life.  To optimize our new found freedom I made resolutions geared towards enjoying my relationship more and traveling the world.  But sometimes the best plans can end up with different results when the real world comes knocking on your door and you are about to go through a very hard test that will change your life dramatically. Halfway through January my mother suddenly died leaving my father alone. I was very close to my mother and her death hit me very hard. Six months later my wife of seventeen years left me for another person.  I had to start my life all over again; find a new place to live and start my upholstery business in a brand new town.  My dad still in the process of grieving begged me to move in with him because he hated living alone.  Within a month of moving in with dad, I began to realize that my father had health issues. Immediately I began taking him to doctors and we soon discovered he had a brain tumor and he didn’t have long to live.

Many people anticipate the New Year with dreams of the glorious possibilities it will bring.  They could be looking forward to their next achievement in work that comes with a better job title and a substantial raise. Or maybe it is time to buy the dream house they had been saving for the past few years. It will be a home where they will decorate it in the newest colors and with just the right furniture.  Or it could be the time to start the long awaited family and the excitement of having a baby fills them with pure joy.  Or maybe they are near the age of retirement and they begin to look at how they will spend their free time and what wonderful vacation they will choose to start out their brand new life. We all have goals and dreams that keep us going and anticipating every New Year.  They are the kind of dreams that make us work hard and help us to set New Year’s resolutions that line up with the plans we have made for our future.

It is easy to Praise God when everything is going as planned, but what happens when our goals for the New Year come crashing down all around us.  Do we continue to rejoice, or do we enter into the deepest depression that leads to regrets for having worked so hard in a job you just lost. Or the dream house is replaced with an apartment because you got a divorce and you no longer have two incomes. The baby you wanted leads the doctors to finding out that you have ovarian cancer and you must have a hysterectomy in order to save your life. Or the company you worked for the past thirty years went bankrupt leaving you with no retirement money and a desperate need to find a new job.

Good and bad things happen to people all the time, but what you do when your New Year’s resolutions fail is the difference between you surviving and moving on or forever living in regrets. Many people when faced with such life changing challenges have a nervous breakdown or even think about committing suicide because they don’t believe that their lives can get better. This is when it’s very important that we believe in God. Jesus Christ came to save people from the bad things that normally happen to them in the world.  He can take your sorrow from what you lost and He can bring about a better life that you never believed possible.

Romans 8: 28: “We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose.”

When Jesus Christ is in your life you have the power of God working to help you in your life. You are never alone fighting all by yourself. God is right beside you working out His good plan for your life. This is the reason why we need to adjust our thinking and make New Year’s Resolutions that will help us handle whatever comes our way. Seven New Year’s Resolutions that will make you stronger.

  1.  I will read my Bible and pray for God’s will to be done in my life.

2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living,”

2.  I will pray for my family and friends.

Ephesians 6:18: “Do all this in prayer, asking for God’s help.  Pray on every occasion, as the Spirit leads.  For this reason keep alert and never give up; pray always for all God’s people.”

3.  I will memorize scriptures that will give me strength when I face the hard things that normally come to people in this world.

Philippines 4:13 “I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me.”

4.  I will attend church regularly in order to nurture my faith and guide me into helping others.

2 Timothy 3:17: “so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed.”

5.  I will remember when hard tests come my way to run to Jesus for help!

1 Corinthians 10:13: “Every test that you have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, He will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out.”

6.  I will pray for protection from Satan. Satan has the power to convince me that my life is not worth living when it becomes hard.

Ephesians 6:11-13: “Put on all the armor that God gives you, so that you will be able to stand up against the Devil’s evil tricks.  For we are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this Dark Age. So put on God’s armor now! Then when the evil day comes, you will be able to resist the enemy’s (Satan) attacks; and after fighting to the end you will still hold your ground.”

7.  I will Praise the Lord no matter what happens to me because I desire to live a positive Christian life.

1 Thessalonians 3:16-18: “Be joyful always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life in union with Christ Jesus.”

Many things occurred after the death of my father. I went through the normal grieving process that you go through after being hit with so many loses. My dad gave me his house so I had a place to live. I established a new business and I had the privilege of welcoming into my life eight grandchildren. Five years later I found the love of my life. As the years passed I moved onto a new future that was so much better than before because I relied on God to help me during the difficult times. I didn’t give into depression or blame God for what happened to me. I accepted my life and I became a better Christian. It’s time that we let go of the old way of making New Year’s Resolutions and make Resolutions that will strength our Christian faith.

Linda C Dipman author of I WANT TO KNOW MY FUTURE http://lovinghandsministry.com  presents I WANT TO KNOW MY FUTURE  It will put you on the edge of your seat as you read each vivid detail. You will feel terror and experience love like nothing you have ever read before. Find out what happens when God fights for you!   5.0 out of 5 stars a powerful and very much recommended read.  Midwest Book Review: I Want to Know My Future   With nothing left, not even family, God may be the only thing left. “I Want to Know My Future” is a Christian memoir from Linda Dipman who ponders her rough journey when she was thrown in jail and forgotten by her church and family. When all seemed lost she relates how God was still there for her and she hopes her story will help other readers remember this important fact. “I Want to Know My Future” is a powerful and very much recommended read. The Christian Author Radio Show http://www.wnbnetworkwest.com/WnbAuthorsShow-LDipman.html

Posted in Christian, Faith, New Year, New Year's Resolution, New Years 2012, Self-Help, Spirituality | Leave a comment

What Christmas Means to Me

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Linda Dipman

I Want to Know My Future Divorce is very hard when you have children. It is even harder when you are a very religious family that is filled with ministers and missionaries. But the hardest thing of all is when you discover you are a lesbian. Your very important religious life comes crashing all around you because as far as your family and church is concerned you are a terrible sinner. When approaching the holidays that celebrate the life and death of Jesus Christ, it forces you to rethink how you will celebrate Christmas. You can’t go to the church you grew up in because you are no longer accepted. You don’t celebrate with your extended family as a couple because they will not accept the person you love so you are forced to go separately to family celebrations. I guess what I am really saying is ‘what Christmas means to me’ is not what it may mean to other Christian families.

 Before the label of homosexuality became my life, I could hardly wait for the Christmas celebration to begin. I loved having the extended family holiday meal. Buying presents and making gifts for family and friends was not only fun, but something I looked forward to all year long! Finding just the right gift for my children and seeing their approval Christmas morning brought back wonderful memories. It was truly a December of fun activities filled with family, church events and lots of holiday parties. But this was not the case anymore! Now I was forced to celebrate Christmas without the favor of the people who use to be a big part of my life.

            When I was divorced, I did not receive residential custody of my children even though it was proven I was the better parent, but I did get the Christmas holiday with them. My wife, Tori had sole custody of her son, but her parents refused to accept our relationship. They threatened to take Brad away from her if our relationship was ever discovered. As a result Tori was forced to celebrate every Christmas day with them. My parents gave me an open invitation to celebrate Christmas with my children at their house along with my brothers and sisters families. This I did rarely because being around the judgmental eyes they always cast in my direction was unpleasant. It wasn’t a Christmas celebration that was good for me or my children. So Tori and I were forced to start a new tradition for the Christmas holiday alone without extended family members.

            Tori and I gave up many things when we became a couple, but the one thing we never gave up was Christmas. We both loved the holiday and celebrating it with our children. It may not have been like it was before, but for the most part it was better. Tori and I ran a very successful upholstery and design business. We were so successful that we had the ability to give presents to our children like we never had before. They were the first to have the latest toys and games. They had the best clothes and we treated them to blockbuster movies and special Christmas Broadway plays. What we couldn’t give them in extended family Christmases we made up with expensive restaurants and just plain fun!

            We made Christmas very special. Tori and I started decorating in November and we added one new decoration to our home every year. One year the kids and I painted two giant nutcrackers we made out of plywood to adorn either side of our front door outside and lit them up with lights. Another year we decided we would decorate two trees in the house. Every year we added new ornaments to each tree. We loved Christmas so much that we decorated every room in the house in celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. We had a manger with baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph displayed prominently on the fireplace and every year we added one more animal or person.

            You would think that Tori and I had every right to turn our backs on our faith because of the persecution we suffered from the church and our religious families, but we didn’t!  We celebrated Christmas!  Every Christmas Eve we read the story of Jesus’ birth to our children.  We prayed and thanked God for our Christmas meal. We practiced our faith and we never gave up on Jesus Christ as our Savior.

            Luke 2: 11: “This very day in David’s town your Savior was born- Christ the Lord!”

            Jesus was our Savior. He lifted us up even when society denied us the ability to marry.  Jesus provided far and above our needs because we never let go of Him. Instead we changed into better people. We loved our neighbors and family unconditionally. We gave our tithe to City Union Mission to help the poor and homeless. We gave to ministries to help the families of prisoners.  We were not victims, but servants of the Most High God.

            Matthew 16: 24-27, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone wants to come with me, he must forget himself, carry his cross, and follow me.  For whoever wants to save his own life will lose it: but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.  Will a person gain anything if he wins the whole world but loses his life?  Of course not! There is nothing he can give to regain his life.  For the Son of Man is about to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will reward each one according to his deeds.”

            We were destined to be a family. The stigma behind the wrong teachings over homosexuality was just a cross we had to bare to prove to people that love is the most important thing of all. It was a truth that God affirmed to us over and over again through the blessings He gave our family. Our extended families may have rejected us on earth, but our Heavenly Father did not. God has an eternal reward for us because we did not give up and let go of Him. What Christmas means to me is a blessing that I didn’t know I would receive until I participated in the life God predestined for me to live.

Linda C Dipman author of I WANT TO KNOW MY FUTURE http://lovinghandsministry.com  presents I WANT TO KNOW MY FUTURE  It will put you on the edge of your seat as you read each vivid detail. You will feel terror and experience love like nothing you have ever read before. Find out what happens when God fights for you!   5.0 out of 5 stars a powerful and very much recommended read.  Midwest Book Review: I Want to Know My Future   With nothing left, not even family, God may be the only thing left. “I Want to Know My Future” is a Christian memoir from Linda Dipman who ponders her rough journey when she was thrown in jail and forgotten by her church and family. When all seemed lost she relates how God was still there for her and she hopes her story will help other readers remember this important fact. “I Want to Know My Future” is a powerful and very much recommended read. The Christian Author Radio Show http://www.wnbnetworkwest.com/WnbAuthorsShow-LDipman.html

Posted in Christian, Christmas, church, family, Gay, Homosexual, persecution, Self-Help, Spirituality | Leave a comment

Is There a Place at Your Church for Me?

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Linda Dipman

I want to Know my FutureThe church was built in the early fifties and used to be owned by the Methodist.  They had out grown the church in the eighties and sold it to the newly established congregation that ministered to the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) people.  The United Church of Christ tried to keep a low profile in the Kansas City, Missouri community.  Still, over the past twenty years the building continued to be vandalized and the neighborhood people fought to close the church.  Many times spray cans labeled the outside brick walls with messages of hate for homosexuals. Windows were broken, the doors battered with heavy objects and even once someone tried to set the church on fire. The people of the congregation took this is stride understanding that acceptance for their lifestyle was constantly undermined by most churches and society.

            The truth was they were a gentle, loving community of men and women who only wanted a place to worship God. They loved God and they gave Him glory for helping them when it seemed that their family, friends and former churches had no room for them in their hearts.  There were so many sad stories of heartache and abandonment by their families, that together they formed new families within the community of LGTBQ people.

            I knew what it was like to be persecuted and denied justice in the courts. I was in a relationship with a woman for the past seventeen years. I had learned from the persecution we went through to trust no one who claimed to be a Christian from a main stream church. Especially churches that read the bible and took the scriptures literally. They held to the laws that were written during a time when the Laws of Moses were strictly obeyed.  A time when the only way a Jewish person could please God was through animal sacrifice for sin. It amazes me today how any person who claims to believe in Jesus thinks that holding onto the Old Testament way of life is a benefit to anyone. The truth is the Laws condemned not just homosexuals, but they condemned divorce; they condoned child execution if they were not obedient to their parents; they refused people with any kind of deformities access to church, and even interracial marriage was punishable by death. There were over 613 laws that were so impossible to follow that the Jews documented how their country failed to follow them for hundreds of years. Unfortunately many ministers who claim to be followers of Jesus think that keeping them is beneficial to families today. Even though during Jesus ministry, he said nothing condemning homosexuals. In fact Jesus spent most of his time condemning the Pharisees and the Sadducees for how they used the Laws for their own personal gain. It was not about sin to them instead it was condemnation that brought in sin offerings that were used to build lavish luxury homes for the rich teachers of the law. Jesus on the other hand kept it simple. To believe in Him is to give up the burden of the law for the freedom of following Him.

            Matthew 11: 28-30: “‘Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke and put it on you, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit; and you will find rest. For the yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light.’”

            The Laws of Moses were a burden that people could not follow in their everyday lives. Instead the Laws led to persecution and excommunication from the Jewish synagogue. People were unable to obey and so God provided another answer for sin. Jesus became the ultimate sin sacrifice. Now people everywhere could be saved by believing in Jesus Christ. They no longer had the burden of the law to follow; now they were under grace. Grace required nothing but belief in Jesus Christ as their Savior. This made the heavy yoke of the law light when they let Jesus save them from their sins.       

Over the years from the persecution we went through, we were afraid to attend an openly gay church.  Part of it had to do with the fact we owned an upholstery and design business and many of our customers were conservative Christians.  We were also parents, but now our children were adults. Walking in faith we entered the church believing that Jesus would protect us from any consequences that attending a gay church could bring to our present life.

I glanced around the church. It was now 2003 and it seemed that the conservative church may have abandoned the LGBTQ people, but Jesus Christ had not. The church was so full of people that the back doors to the overflow room were thrown open to let more people in to worship. There were even some heterosexual families who came to show their support for their families and friends of the LGBTQ people.

At the front of the sanctuary stood two women and two men who led the congregation in worship. They were the latest songs of Praise to God, modern hymns that were displayed upon a screen at the front of the sanctuary for all the people to sing-a-long. The pastor was a former Catholic priest. There were four more ordained ministers in the church all with different religious affiliations. All had come together with the same purpose of ministering to the rejected community of the LGTBQ people.  Every person had a sad story of being kicked out of their own churches when their sexual orientation was discovered.

It is hard to believe in the United States of America that anyone would be singled out to be discriminated against today. Yet liberty and freedom to attend the churches of their choice has been denied LGTBQ people for many years. Why are a peaceful people being persecuted for who they love?  It really doesn’t make any sense for this to happen. The mainstream conservative churches are doing exactly what the Pharisees and the Sadducees were being condemned for during the time of Jesus.  Jesus made the way to living a godly life easy, yet the conservative church continues to make it hard for people to be who God made them to be.

Matthew 22:34-40: “When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they came together, and one of them, a teacher of the Law, tried to trap him with a question.  ‘Teacher,’ he asked, ‘which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’

Jesus answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” ‘This is the greatest and most important commandment.  The second most important commandment is like it: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself:  The whole Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets depend on these two commandments.’”

Jesus brought teachings that did not condemn people. Rather they were teachings that instructed all churches to love. To love God and your neighbor is the most important part of being a follower of Christ. It is time for the conservative church to lay aside the rules of the Old Testament for the freedom of grace. When Jesus Christ is number one then loving our neighbor is possible.  Throw open the doors to all churches and allow people from all lifestyles the freedom to walk in and worship. Jesus did not persecute people who were different instead He promoted love.  If this is the case then shouldn’t there be room at all churches from all the different denominations for me?  Is there a place at your church for me?

Linda C Dipman author of I WANT TO KNOW MY FUTURE http://lovinghandsministry.com  presents I WANT TO KNOW MY FUTURE  It will put you on the edge of your seat as you read each vivid detail. You will feel terror and experience love like nothing you have ever read before. Find out what happens when God fights for you!   5.0 out of 5 stars a powerful and very much recommended read.  Midwest Book Review: I Want to Know My Future   With nothing left, not even family, God may be the only thing left. “I Want to Know My Future” is a Christian memoir from Linda Dipman who ponders her rough journey when she was thrown in jail and forgotten by her church and family. When all seemed lost she relates how God was still there for her and she hopes her story will help other readers remember this important fact. “I Want to Know My Future” is a powerful and very much recommended read. The Christian Author Radio Show http://www.wnbnetworkwest.com/WnbAuthorsShow-LDipman.html

Posted in Bisexual, Christian, church, family, Gay, Homosexual, LGBTQ, Spirituality, Transgender | Leave a comment

Tim Tebow, powered by Jesus Christ?

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Linda Dipman

I Want to Know My FutureMany sports commentators have reported that Tim Tebow can’t throw an accurate pass. He shows no ability at reading opposing teams next defensive moves in order to outsmart them with a great offensive play. Yet despite the poor reviews as the quarterback of the Denver Broncos, Tebow continues to lead his team to win NFL football games. Everyone is amazed by his determination to win even when it seems that he lacks the overall talent required to be a great football quarterback. Tim proclaims eagerly before newsman that the glory belongs to his deep rooted faith in Jesus Christ as his personal Savior.   Jesus is the power behind his success as a quarterback.

            Most coaches and even bosses of everyday jobs require that we study, practice, educate and show credentials that prove we have the ability to perform a job at the best possible level.  Many jobs even require that we have years of experience before we are ever hired. Tim Tebow has the required years and even the experience in leading teams to winning seasons, but his skill level is not like the best in his field. Then how does he win NFL football games?  The only way we can investigate and understand where Tebow’s ability comes from we must understand the power of God in a person’s life.  What does God require Christians to have in order to be approved by Him?

            Samuel was highly respected by the Israelite people. He was a prophet of the Almighty God and he was on a mission to find the next king of Israelite. He went to Bethlehem to find a man named Jesse. Jesse had eight sons and he presented seven of his sons to the seer. Samuel looked at each man and believed the most experienced soldier of Jesse’s sons would be God’s choice for the next king. He certainly would have the talent and the education to lead Israel’s campaigns against their enemies.  He was wrong. God wanted a different kind of King. He wanted a man who would commit his life to doing it His way.

            1 Samuel 16: 7: “But the Lord said to him, ‘Pay no attention to how tall and handsome he is.  I have rejected him, because I do not judge as man judges.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart.’”

            David was the youngest son and he was out in the field tending his father’s sheep. God told Samuel that David was his choice for the next king of Israel. God did not choose a man experienced in war instead He saw David’s heart. David would follow Him completely and after Saul anointed him as the next king, the power of the Holy Spirit entered into his life. From that moment on David still worked as a shepherd but he also began working for King Saul.  King Saul was the first king of Israel.  David played the harp and sang songs to Saul, he was not a soldier.

            One day Jesse sent David who was tending the sheep to take some food to his brothers who were in Saul’s army.  Arriving at the Israelite Camp David dropped off the food and went to visit his brothers. On his way to see them he heard a giant named Goliath challenge the Israelites to a fight to the death. The Israelites were terrified of him and they hid believing that Goliath’s size alone gave give him the ability to kill who ever dared to accept his challenge. David was only a young boy, but the insults Goliath shouted against God made him fearless. He loved God and he believed with the power of the Holy Spirit on his side that he could easily slay Goliath and win the victory over the Philistine soldiers. He went to King Saul and asked for permission to fight Goliath.  Saul could see David’s faith in God and his determination to fight for Israel and so he granted his desire.

            1 Samuel 17: 44-50:  “‘Come on,’ he (Goliath) challenged David, ‘and I will give your body to the birds and animals to eat.’

            David answered, ‘You are coming against me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the Israelite armies, which you have defied. This very day the Lord will put you in my power; I will defeat you and cut off your head. And I will give the bodies of the Philistine soldiers to the birds and animals to eat. Then the whole world will know that Israel has a God. And everyone here will see that the Lord does not need swords or spears to save his people. He is victorious in battle, and he will put all of you in our power.’

            Goliath started walking toward David again, and David ran quickly toward the Philistine battle line to fight him.  He reached into this bag and took out a stone, which he slung at Goliath.  It hit him on the forehead and broke his skull, and Goliath fell face downward on the ground.  And so, without a sword, David defeated and killed Goliath with a sling and a stone!”

            David was a shepherd and a harpist. Nothing about him reflected a man who had years of education in the strategies of winning wars and defeating the enemies of Israel.  The only thing God required from David was a complete commitment. A heart of love for God and a determination to do His will.  When we depend on God amazing things can happen. Modern day miracles of success that is unexplainable through the traditions of manmade rules.

            When we compare the lives of David and Tim Tebow we discover similarities.  They both love God and are determined to give Him the glory for their wins.  This is the power of God working extraordinary and unexplainable miracles in the lives of men. David played the harp and took care of sheep yet he went down in history as the greatest king of Israel.  His belief in God activated the power of the Holy Spirit. When God is in men, they don’t need to be like everyone else to be successful in what they do.  The same can be said of Tim Tebow. His faith in Jesus Christ gave him the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit of God is activated in a person’s life then Jesus Christ has the ability to work in that person.  They win victories that are not accomplished in the same way that other quarterbacks win. They are victories that can only be explained through the wonder working power of God. Tim Tebow is powered by God. God will and can give you the same power in your life, but you must trust in Him. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will have the power to win!

1 Corinthians 1: 18-20: “For the message about Christ’s death on the cross is nonsense to those who are being lost; but for us who are being saved it is God’s power.  The scripture says, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and set aside the understanding of the scholars.’

            So then, where does that leave the wise?  Or the scholars?  Or the skillful debaters of this world?  God has shown that this world’s wisdom is foolishness!”

Linda C Dipman author of I WANT TO KNOW MY FUTURE http://lovinghandsministry.com  presents I WANT TO KNOW MY FUTURE  It will put you on the edge of your seat as you read each vivid detail. You will feel terror and experience love like nothing you have ever read before. Find out what happens when God fights for you!   5.0 out of 5 stars a powerful and very much recommended read.  Midwest Book Review: I Want to Know My Future   With nothing left, not even family, God may be the only thing left. “I Want to Know My Future” is a Christian memoir from Linda Dipman who ponders her rough journey when she was thrown in jail and forgotten by her church and family. When all seemed lost she relates how God was still there for her and she hopes her story will help other readers remember this important fact. “I Want to Know My Future” is a powerful and very much recommended read. The Christian Author Radio Show http://www.wnbnetworkwest.com/WnbAuthorsShow-LDipman.html

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A Call from God Brought Devastating Persecution

Posted on November 12, 2011 by Linda Dipman

I Want to Know My Future  The Banging on my apartment door was loud. The door was dead bolted and I braced it with my body to keep it from being forced open. I screamed, “I called the police! They will be here any minute!” I warned them.  Just a couple minutes before Eric had slammed his full body weight into my opened car door where I was just starting to exit.  My lower left leg had a huge softball size contusion from him slamming into the door over and over again. It was a miracle that I had escaped and managed to get into my apartment.  Within moments sirens began to blare outside my door and I heard Eric and his friends getting into their car and driving away.

            This is what happened to me nearly twenty-five years ago and I still remember everything about that night.  I was thirty years old and I had just been granted a divorce and was given residential custody of my children.  In court it was proven I was the better parent.  This did not make my ex-husband Eric happy. He had come to my house to confront me with two other men.  One was Mike the minister at the Southern Baptist Church and the other was a deacon. I was shocked as they stood by watching while Eric attacked me and did nothing to stop him. 

            It all began in 1987 in a small town of about five thousand people in Winfield Kansas.  In small towns the church is the center of most activities, but it was more than that for my family. Eric’s father was a Baptist minister and my side of the family was filled with ministers and missionaries. As a result God was a very important part of our lives and Eric and I were very active in our church. But everything changed when I was baptized in the Holy Spirit. God entered into my life and gave me a Mission. He spoke to me and stated, “You will never survive what is about to happen to you unless you know that I am on your side.” If I had known my future, I probably would have run off in another direction in fear, instead the entire course of my life changed. I took God’s hand and walked straight down a path where suddenly I found myself pitted against, my family, friends and church. 

            Many would say if God is on your side then why would everyone now hate you?  Wouldn’t you be the luckiest person alive because God talked to you?  This seems like a reasonable assumption until you understand the kind of world we live in today.  Let me begin by telling you a simple Bible Truth. When Adam and Eve ate the apple the once perfect world they lived in changed and became corrupted with sin, because they did this in disobedience to God’s will.  Now all people became part of a spiritual tug-of-war between good and evil.  Satan entered into the world and became the great deceiver of mankind.  He was a devil and he filled the world with hate.  But the Good News is that God is love. God talks to people through the Holy Spirit and gives them missions that expose Satan’s evil deeds.

            John 14: 15-17: “If you love me, you will obey my commandments.  I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever.  He is the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God.  The world cannot receive him, because, it cannot see him or know him. But you know him, because he remains with you and is in you.”

            When the Holy Spirit entered into my life I chose to do God’s Will. Immediately the world changed for me and I began to see that I was now in opposition to Satan. Satan did not like this and he deceived people to fight against God’s purpose for my life.

Many people would ask, “What did God ask you to do?”

            I was baptized in the Holy Spirit with my best friend Tori. After this happened we fell in love and this is why we were persecuted. This is why Eric, Pastor Mike and a deacon came to my house that night and attacked me. This is the reason my church, family and friends turned against me.

            The people questioned, “I thought that homosexuality was hated by God?  Didn’t Moses write a law banning homosexuality?”

            When Jesus Christ came into the world everything changed. He brought a new teaching about God. He proclaimed that God was love. Everyone on the side of love is Jesus’ disciple.

            John 13:34&35, “And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples.”

             Jesus kept it simple. If we love we are following God. He exposed the teaching of the Pharisees as being corrupt and spreading hatred. The Pharisees were the teachers of the law. Jesus directed people to the concept of grace. The law demanded that people had to work for salvation while grace just took simple belief in Jesus Christ.

            This is the reason Jesus came bringing the Holy Spirit. The world had been so corrupted by Satan that people became confused over what god they were serving. You see Satan is the God of this world and he wants to destroy love and he does this through making people hate people who love.

            1 John 5: 19: “We know that we belong to God even though the whole world is under the rule of the Evil One (Satan).”

             Satan’s greatest weapon of deceit is convincing Christians that it is Okay to hate people who do not follow the Law’s of Moses. This is the reason I was being persecuted by my church and family for being a homosexual. This is the reason God called me on a mission that led to devastating persecution from my family, friends, church, and society. I fought for my beloved children and I was punished by them for being gay. My God mission was to expose what was happening to homosexuals.  This is the reason Jesus spoke to me and stated that the love Tori and I were given was from God.

1 John 4: 8: “Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

 The Holy Spirit then validated this love through scriptures.

Galatians 5:18: “If the Spirit leads you, then you are not subject to the     Law.”

Then Jesus taught me about what kind of world I was in today.

1 John 5:3-5: “For our love for God means that we obey his commands.  And his commands are not too hard for us, because every child of God is able to defeat the world.  And we win the victory over the world by means of our faith.  Who can defeat the world?  Only the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”

A call from God brought devastating persecution to me. I didn’t know what would happen in my future when I accepted the call to expose the wrong teachings about homosexuals. As the years passed, I would discover the consequents of being gay. I was denied justice in the courts. My beloved children were taken from me. I was forced to hide in order to maintain my love. I was injured, jailed and hated. To this day I am denied the ability to attend the church of my choice. I am not allowed to marry. Christian gay teenagers are committing suicide rather than lead a life of persecution and shame for being the person God made them to be. This should not happen and this is what God asked me to expose.  God is love. God loves homosexuals and He loves you too.

Linda C Dipman author of I WANT TO KNOW MY FUTURE http://lovinghandsministry.com  presents I WANT TO KNOW MY FUTURE  It will put you on the edge of your seat as you read each vivid detail. You will feel terror and experience love like nothing you have ever read before. Find out what happens when God fights for you!   5.0 out of 5 stars a powerful and very much recommended read.  Midwest Book Review: I Want to Know My Future   With nothing left, not even family, God may be the only thing left. “I Want to Know My Future” is a Christian memoir from Linda Dipman who ponders her rough journey when she was thrown in jail and forgotten by her church and family. When all seemed lost she relates how God was still there for her and she hopes her story will help other readers remember this important fact. “I Want to Know My Future” is a powerful and very much recommended read. The Christian Author Radio Show http://www.wnbnetworkwest.com/WnbAuthorsShow-LDipman.html

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Pray for Protection From Satan

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Linda Dipman

The wind blew hard swirling around the trees and dropping the last few autumn leaves to the ground. Out of the black clouds a snow white dove flew steadily down and whispered in my ear an urgent message from The Almighty God. 

 Joyful words of love and peace rang through the furious storm blessing all God’s children who would listen.  But the message ended with solemn warnings.  Pray for protection from Satan. Satan was on the prowl looking for those who are not praying or paying attention to God’s words of love.

 1 Peter 5:8&9: “Be alert, be on watch!  Your enemy, the Devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.  Be firm in your faith and resist him, because you know that your fellow believers in all the world are going through the same kind of sufferings.”

  I trembled from the greatness of the presence of the Holy Spirit within me. Anticipating with wonder every word from the Lord. My heart pounded and my blood pressure rose as the message became clear that a battle was brewing in the unseen spiritual world against Christians. Satan’s evil angels were being sent out to torment people and make them hate each other.

 The Devil was enraged over love and he was sending his angels to fight against any part of the earth that was good. They were breaking through the strong barriers of love that protected Christians from his terrible wrath. All this was happening because Christians had stopped praying. They had stopped caring about each other. They had stopped asking for Jesus to save them from their troubles. They had turned their backs on the Almighty God, who was the giver of love.

  I fell to my knees and beseeched God to hear my prayers for love to return to the earth.  I asked Him to rouse His prayer warriors to action and have them join my prayers. I pleaded with the Almighty God to rebuild the broken down walls that once protected Christians from Satan’s evil influence. Please send your warring Angels and rescue us from our sins.

  The Spirit Dove once again flew in with a message of love and quickly retreated leaving in its shadow a terrifying thought confirming my worst fears.  Christians have become complacent and have stopped listening to the Holy Spirit concerning God’s will for their lives. They didn’t think they needed the Bible anymore.  They thought they could live their lives without God’s help. Now the world was vulnerable to Satan’s evil attacks of hate. Wars were springing up all over the earth. Families were splitting up. People were hating each other and giving up on life.  Joy was leaving the earth and murder was on the rise. There was global warming, famine, earthquakes and tidal waves. Businesses were collapsing, people were losing their jobs and hunger was ravishing the earth.   

  The words of the Holy Spirit came flooding into my mind reminding me of the endless times I was prompted to “Pray for protection from Satan”.  When we pray we defeat the devil’s evil plans against people, but when we don’t pray we are vulnerable to the furious attacks of Satan.

  Jesus wrote these words just before he was to suffer on the cross for all people.  He became the Savior of the world, but his children were still on earth and He needed them to succeed in the battles they would fight for Him against evil.

  John 17: 15: “I do not ask you to take them out of the world, but I do ask you to keep them safe from the evil one (Satan).”

  The voice of the Holy Spirit rang out again warning of the impending disaster. The battle between good and evil was raging and the great pendulum measuring the force of evil began swaying in Satan’s favor.  All because Christians had stopped praying for protection from Satan. They had stopped loving and hatred was filling the world. It was producing sickness, death and so much evil that people everywhere were crying from the pain of uncertainty in their lives.

  Christians were content with their lives.  They had stopped praying, they had stopped caring about their fellowman. Now the devil had the freedom to wage a war of epic proportion against the sleeping residents of the world.

 I fell on my knees and pleaded for all of God’s children to fall on their knees and pray.  I pleaded and begged asking Jesus Christ to forgive us for our sins of hatred for each other and restore the love of God on earth once again.

  Ephesians 6:11&12: “Put on all the armor that God gives you, so that you will be able to stand up against the Devil’s evil tricks.  For we are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark age.”

  Our world is a battlefield of unseen cosmic powers preying on all people in the world. Christians must take a stand for God and fight against the Devils evil tricks. Christians must love people! They must not judge! They must read their Bibles! And the most important thing of all is to pray!  Pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven!  Pray for protection from Satan!

  Ephesians 6:14-17:  “So stand ready, with truth as a belt tight around your waist, with righteousness as your breastplate, and as your shoes the readiness to announce the Good News of peace.  At all times carry faith as a shield; for with it you will be able to put out all the burning arrows shot by the Evil One (Satan).  And accept salvation as a helmet, and the word of God (Bible) as the sword which the Spirit gives you.”

  I was like a watchman on the tower shouting loudly the battle cry to all God’s Christian soldiers to put on their armor and fight for the Lord. I insisted they listen to the Holy Spirit that was commanding them to pray. I pleaded with all of them to let go of the hate that trying to destroy their lives and to replace it with unconditional love for each other.

 To my amazement a new message came floating through the once desolate, windblown forest. A snow white dove excitedly proclaimed that God’s Children were awakening from their complacency and once again praying for God’s will to be accomplished on the earth.  They were reading their Bibles. They were praying for God’s help in their lives. They were praying for protection from Satan. They were letting go of the hate and they were loving each other again.

 Ephesians 6: 18: “Do all this in prayer, asking for God’s help.  Pray on every occasion, as the Spirit leads.  For this reason keep alert and never give up; pray always for all God’s people.”

  My fears subsided and I let out a breath of relief.  Now I knew I wasn’t alone praying all by myself.  Christians all over the world had heard the Holy Spirits whispers. They were praying for God’s will to be done. They were praying for their loved ones.  They were praying for their neighbors. They were praying for people they didn’t even know. They were praying for protection from Satan, but most of all they were loving each other again.

 I want to know my Future The great pendulum that measured the war between good and evil one again began to sway to the side of good.  It allowed the Angels of God to fly down upon the world like swarms of humming birds filled with the sweet nectar of God’s love and protection. The love they spread stopped the demon spirits evil attacks. The love of God blessed the earth again and again.

Linda C Dipman author of I WANT TO KNOW MY FUTURE http://lovinghandsministry.com  presents I WANT TO KNOW MY FUTURE  It will put you on the edge of your seat as you read each vivid detail. You will feel terror and experience love like nothing you have ever read before. Find out what happens when God fights for you!   5.0 out of 5 stars a powerful and very much recommended read.  Midwest Book Review: I Want to Know My Future   With nothing left, not even family, God may be the only thing left. “I Want to Know My Future” is a Christian memoir from Linda Dipman who ponders her rough journey when she was thrown in jail and forgotten by her church and family. When all seemed lost she relates how God was still there for her and she hopes her story will help other readers remember this important fact. “I Want to Know My Future” is a powerful and very much recommended read.

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Why Did God Allow My Father to Die in an Accident?

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Linda Dipman

20159B_BookVideoIt happened so fast!  They were standing at the top of a two story metal scaffolding painting on either corner an old farmhouse five miles out of town. Suddenly Dean heard the metal leg on his corner groan and then it began to sway. Seconds later an ominous sound of two bolts popping out dropped him quickly to the ground making him land hard on his right hip.  The force of Dean’s weight and his side of the scaffolding collapsing first sent his dad like a rocket into the air. Dean watched in terror as his dad landed on his head near a tree.  From the position of Bob’s twisted body Dean knew before he ever reached his side that his dad was instantly killed. Dean walked away with minor scratches and a bruised hip.

            Why do deadly accidents happen?  Why would God allow such a devastating catastrophe to be witnessed by Bob’s beloved son?  Maybe He didn’t check the scaffolding and make sure it was secure enough for both of their weights. Was it his fault? Did God cause this accident?

Questions that plague people during an accident can be hard to understand or bear.  But anyone who has ever experienced being present during one will state that they question everything they did at that moment and for years to come. Why did God allow Dean’s father to die in an accident?

When Dean was young his father ran a bar and tiny grocery store for a small town.  Bob was a guitar player and he taught him how to play too. You could always hear the wonderful rock and roll banter of both father and son joyfully playing songs for customers who came to relax and drink a beer. But everything changed when Bob became a Christian. He felt that he could not run a bar and lead a Christian life too.  He sold his bar and house and became a carpenter instead.  For over twenty years Dean and his father worked side by side sharing a deep spiritual faith in the Almighty God and witnessing to their customers as they remodeled, roofed and did all forms of carpentry.

Now Paul was a tent maker in the Bible and he was schooled in the strictest sect of the Jewish faith as a Pharisee. The Laws of Moses taught that you were to worship only God, but Jewish Christians were worshiping Jesus. This was against the law and so Paul persecuted them.  It took a supernatural experience with Jesus to detour Paul from killing more Christians. But the most shocking part of his conversion was what Jesus said would happen to Paul after he became a Christian.

Acts 9: 15&16: “The Lord said to him, ‘Go, because I have chosen him (Paul) to serve me, to make my name known to Gentiles and kings and to the people of Israel.  And I myself will show him all that he must suffer for my sake.’” (The Good News Study Bible)

Up until this time Paul had the favor of his church and the leaders. But after his call to serve Jesus everything changed. Now he would be persecuted and he would suffer for being a Christian.

Many Christians believe that if they follow Jesus they will be free from the pain of the world’s tragedies. This is not true! Bad things happened to Christians during biblical times and they happen today too. The only difference between Christians and non-Christians is they understand that they are in a fight against evil.  We live in a fallen world ruled by Satan. Satan wants to kill people and he uses every weapon in this world to do it.  

1 John 5:19 “We know that we belong to God even though the whole world is under the rule of the Evil One.” (The Good News Study Bible)

Jesus explained to Paul that when he followed him that he would come under attack.  When you follow God, Satan wants to defeat you.  He uses every means necessary to stop you from following Christ. This is the reason why there are people who fall prey to accidents.  It is not because God is hurting you but because Satan is trying to stop you from following Christ. Paul handled the knowledge that he would suffer by encouraging people to keep their eyes focused on the prize of heaven.

Philippians 3: 10: “All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death, in the hope that I myself will be raised from death to life.” (The Good News Study Bible)

 Acts 20: 23&24: “I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit has warned me that prison and troubles wait for me.  But I reckon my own life to be worth nothing to me; I only want to complete my mission and finish the work that the Lord Jesus gave me to do, which is to declare the Good News about the grace of God.” (The Good News Study Bible)

Bob gave his life to Christ and he became a shining example to his family and friends of what a Christian man should look like.  One year before the accident Bob was diagnosed with cancer. It was incurable.  He did not understand why this was happening to him but he was determined to live his life for Jesus regardless of how much time he had left.  This is the reason why he was on the scaffolding.  He was determined to live and not allow the Cancer to control his life.

The day of Bob’s funeral people everywhere gathered in church to mourn his tragic death. Instead of mourning they were present for a celebration of his wonderful life. A man who was dedicated to God. A man who took good care of his family. A godly man who will be missed, but never forgotten by the people who had the privilege to know him during his lifetime.

God never causes accidents!  He never puts people in situations that would cause them harm. The reason that accidents happen is because we live in a world where Satan reigns.  Satan wants to confuse people and hurt them so deeply that they will give up their faith in Jesus Christ.  This is the reason why Jesus came as the Savior of the world. He came to help people in their fight against Satan.

God takes the suffering that people face and rewards men for walking the path of a Christian.  Two years before Bob took out a one hundred and fifty thousand dollar accidental death insurance policy through his bank.  His family received nothing if he died from cancer, but his wife received the full death benefit when he died from an accident. She needed this money to survive her husbands accident. God takes what Satan does to defeat people and he rewards his children for their suffering.

Dean refused to blame God.  God took him in his arms and loved him because his suffering over his father was great.  Time healed the pain Dean felt and God gave him the strength to continue to do carpentry with his own Son.

 Linda C Dipman author of I WANT TO KNOW MY FUTURE  presents I WANT TO KNOW MY FUTURE  It will put you on the edge of your seat as you read each vivid detail. You will feel terror and experience love like nothing you have ever read before. Find out what happens when God fights for you! http://lovinghandsministry.com   5.0 out of 5 stars a powerful and very much recommended read.  Midwest Book Review: I Want to Know My Future   With nothing left, not even family, God may be the only thing left. “I Want to Know My Future” is a Christian memoir from Linda Dipman who ponders her rough journey when she was thrown in jail and forgotten by her church and family. When all seemed lost she relates how God was still there for her and she hopes her story will help other readers remember this important fact. “I Want to Know My Future” is a powerful and very much recommended read.

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Mysterious Phone call, Disappearing Church, Typed Messages from God

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Linda Dipman

The shrill ring of the phone shook Tori from her bruiting over her mother’s latest visit to her house. Her mother was filled with fury as she relayed the latest tidbit of gossip she heard from Alan.  Tori was always being put on the defense with her. It was becoming so bad that she felt as if she were in a circus and she was the center ring spectacle for all of the scandalous rumors revolving over her and Elizabeth’s relationship.  She was recently divorced from Alan, who physical and sexually abused her.  He admitted in court that he abused their son.  It was no surprise when she won sole custody of their four year old son, Brad in divorce court.

            She picked up the phone on the forth ring and answered it with regret believing it would once again be her mother’s warning voice. “Hello…” she said meekly. On the other end of the phone was a woman she had never spoken to before.

            “Hi! How are you today?” said the woman cheerfully.

            “I am having a terrible day.” Tori responded sadly.

            “Oh, I am so sorry to hear that, do you want to talk about it?” The woman responded with such sincere sympathy that Tori just opened up and confessed everything bad she was going through. 

            Tori talked about her divorce. She talked of how Alan was stalking her every move and calling her mother in an attempt to gain her sympathy and allow him back into their family.  She explained how Alan was threatening to steal their son in the middle of the night when she was asleep.  She also talked about her relationship with Elizabeth and how the whole town and her church hated her for their friendship.  They talked for over an hour and when Tori hung up the phone she had agreed to meet the woman in Wichita the next day at her church.

            Driving to Wichita Tori was nervous but happy to get out of town. She was looking forward to meeting the woman behind the mysterious phone call she had the day before.  It wasn’t until after she hung up that she realized that she had forgotten to ask her for her phone number. “Oh Well.” She thought. “I’ll soon get my fill of information when I meet her at her church.”

            The beautiful church took up the whole block. It was so big that you could get lost just walking through the doors. Tori looked down at the address the woman had carefully given her. She knew she was at the right place. She walked into the auditorium and sat on a pew in the middle. Her eyes danced around the sanctuary in delight as she scanned the spectacular church. The cathedral ceilings were filled with ornate carvings.  The stain glass windows sparkled as the sun brightly ignited each portrait and biblical screen with light.  She noted the gothic like balcony in the back that held the grandest organ with pipes that lined the entire back wall.  In front of the sanctuary was the most beautiful statue of Jesus Christ with His arms open wide and a beckoning smile of welcome to all that entered the grand church.

            A tiny woman immerged from behind a door in the front and walked towards Tori. She quickly embraced her and together they began talking. Once again Tori poured out her cares over the suffering she was going through. She was afraid and the little woman encouraged her to keep going forward and to not give up.  “God is on your side!  Everything you are doing is His will for your life. Don’t give up! He loves you very much!”  It seemed like they were together for just a few minutes but when Tori looked down at her watch she realized that it had been an hour and a half since she had arrived. She had to leave now! She had come to Wichita with her parents and her son and now she had to go back to the Mall where she left them.

            Her parents and son were having a great time shopping. They acted like they hadn’t missed her at all.   Her heart longed to talk to the woman one more time and ask her a few more questions.  She easily convinced her parents to let her return to the church. Tori pulled out the address from her pocket and returned to the very same spot where the church stood. To her surprise she found only a vacant lot.  The church had disappeared.  She was amazed!  What happened to the church?  On the two hour trip home her mind thought only of the conversation she had with the tiny woman in the immense church that had disappeared off the face of the earth.

             After she put her son to bed that night and he was asleep the phone once again rang.  It was the same woman she had met at the church. She confronted her over returning to talk to her again and how the church had disappeared. The woman assured her that she was not going insane. She had really seen a church and talked to her there. She continued to call Tori for the next two weeks assuring her that God was on her side.  And then the phone calls stopped!

            Tori began to be afraid because she no longer had the continued assurance from the woman.  And then a miracle occurred that she could not explain. Typed messages appeared. They were messages to Elizabeth from the Almighty God that she could not read. 

            Do you believe in God?  Do you know that He wants to talk to you?  The Holy Spirit is eager to help you in your faith walk.  If you want to hear more about what happened to Tori and Elizabeth read I Want to Know My Future by Linda Dipman

Linda C Dipman author of I WANT TO KNOW MY FUTURE http://outskirtspress.com/iwanttoknowmyfuture presents I WANT TO KNOW MY FUTURE  It will put you on the edge of your seat as you read each vivid detail. You will feel terror and experience love like nothing you have ever read before. Find out what happens when God fights for you! http://lovinghandsministry.com   5.0 out of 5 stars a powerful and very much recommended read.  Midwest Book Review: I Want to Know My Future   With nothing left, not even family, God may be the only thing left. “I Want to Know My Future” is a Christian memoir from Linda Dipman who ponders her rough journey when she was thrown in jail and forgotten by her church and family. When all seemed lost she relates how God was still there for her and she hopes her story will help other readers remember this important fact. “I Want to Know My Future” is a powerful and very much recommended read.

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Suicide, it’s My Only hope!

Posted on September 4, 2011 by Linda Dipman

“I hate my life!” Jonathon complained. “Everyone makes fun of me at school!  Mom, you just don’t understand how hard it is to be gay! Everyone is against me. My best friend won’t talk to me or have anything to do with me. It’s like he thinks everyone will think he is gay by just being my friend.”

Brenda was scared for her sixteen year old son. He had just started his junior year at high school and now with his confession of being gay, it was pushing him into a dark depression that she didn’t know how to handle.  She thought about going to her priest and asking him for guidance, but she knew it wouldn’t help.  The church excommunicated homosexuals and condemned them to hell.  What was she going to do? She had to help her son! “Please God don’t turn your back on my son, just because he is gay!” She pleaded.

“My life isn’t worth living!” Jonathon screamed. “I hate my life!  I wish I were dead.” The overwhelming hopelessness made him begin secretly planning how to kill himself. He believed that everyone was against him and that Suicide was his only hope to stop the persecution he was facing for being gay.

Brenda had always been a true believer in God. She attended church every Sunday.  But now how could she continue to attend her church if they were telling her that God hates homosexuals? “Please God; I need answers to how to love my son even when my church says he is bad!”

Many parents and friends of gay and lesbian teenagers are confused over why many churches believe homosexuals are hated by God. Isn’t God love? Why would God stop loving their child if they were gay?  They are afraid to talk to clergy to find out why because even talking about the gay issue is considered evil.  Even with the recent acceptance of gay marriage in many states, most churches do not support it. They insist their church members must vote against politicians who accept the homosexual lifestyle.  They continue to enforce through their congregations a church policy that tells their members to ‘love the sinner but hate the sin’. This kind of policy is very destructive to families because it doesn’t allow any kind of biblical education on homosexuality.

World news stated that over ninety percent of Americans believe in God, but less than half attend church.  Why are people walking away from churches?  Many complain that the old policies of hate are killing the traditional churches and forcing members to leave. It has everything to do with ministers enforcing the Laws of Moses which are thought to hold the keys to morality. Is this the way God wants His church to be?  Does God hate people because they have no ability to follow the rules as stipulated in the Bible?

Galatians 5: 16&17: “What I say is this: let the Sprit direct your lives, and you will not satisfy the desires of the human nature.  For what our human nature wants is opposed to what the Spirit wants, and what the Sprit wants is opposed to what our human nature wants.  These two are enemies, and this means that you cannot do what you want to do.” (The Good News Study Bible)

When Jesus came He brought a new teaching to the Church. It was a teaching that would free the people from the Laws and rules they were forced to follow in the Old Testament. The laws purpose was to instruct people on the right way to follow God, but when Jesus came everything changed. He introduced the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gave people the freedom to listen to God in their heart and know His will for their lives.

Galatians 5:18: “If the Spirit leads you, then you are not subject to the Law.”  (The Good News Study Bible)

This kind of teaching was very alarming to the church during Jesus’ time.  When no rules are followed and people are given the ability to make right decisions according to the Holy Spirit, then the powers of the rules are now null and void.  If the church could not control the people then the present church would fail, because no one would need the church to tell them how to follow God.

This is the reason Jesus was crucified by the Jews. They didn’t want the freedom that Christians experienced with the Holy Spirit in control of their lives.  This is also the reason why many churches today hold onto what they believe is sin.  Paul calls the ministers that preach human doctrines of hate false teachers.

2 Peter 2: 1&2: “False prophets appeared in the past among the people, and in the same way false teachers will appear among you.  They will bring in destructive, untrue doctrines, and will deny the Master who redeemed them, and so they will bring upon themselves sudden destruction.  Even so many will follow their immoral ways; and because of what they do, others will speak evil of the Way of truth.” (The Good News Study Bible)

The way of truth is by faith in Jesus Christ as your Savoir.  When we place our faith in Him, He forgives our sins.  He also frees us from untrue doctrines that men made churches make up to force people to follow them.

Colossians 2:9: “For the full content of divine nature lives in Christ, in his humanity.” (The Good News Study Bible)

Jesus loved people. He did not limit his love to the traditions as recorded in the laws found in the Old Testament. He loved all people unconditionally.

1 John 4: 19-21:  “We love because God first loved us.  If someone says he loves God, but hates his brother, he is a liar.  For he cannot love God, whom he has not seen, if he does not love his brother, whom he has seen. The command that Christ has given us is this whoever loves God must love his brother.” (God is love. If we hate homosexual lifestyle we are not following God.)

Brenda and Jonathon were confused over how to handle what their church was telling them about homosexuality.  There churches policy of “love the sinner but hate the sin’ was impossible to follow.  Brenda could not hate Jonathon for who God made him to be. She loved her son unconditionally. 

They read a book titled I Want to Know my Future together. The book clearly defined through a true life story that God made homosexuals too.  Now that Jonathon was educated about homosexuality he began to accept his life. He no longer wanted to commit suicide.

Brenda changed too. She was so shocked over how her church handled homosexuality that she chose a new church. Now she was attending a church that was open and affirming to all people from all different lifestyles. She became a member of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG).  She began to love people unconditionally believing that God did not call her to judge but to love.

Linda C Dipman author of I WANT TO KNOW MY FUTURE http://outskirtspress.com/iwanttoknowmyfuture presents I WANT TO KNOW MY FUTURE  It will put you on the edge of your seat as you read each vivid detail. You will feel terror and experience love like nothing you have ever read before. Find out what happens when God fights for you! http://lovinghandsministry.com   5.0 out of 5 stars a powerful and very much recommended read.  Midwest Book Review: I Want to Know My Future   With nothing left, not even family, God may be the only thing left. “I Want to Know My Future” is a Christian memoir from Linda Dipman who ponders her rough journey when she was thrown in jail and forgotten by her church and family. When all seemed lost she relates how God was still there for her and she hopes her story will help other readers remember this important fact. “I Want to Know My Future” is a powerful and very much recommended read.

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