Category: Perspective

Just What is this Wonder?

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Just what is this wonder that you speak of? Miriam-Webster online ( http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wonder ) defines wonder as something or someone who is very surprising, beautiful, amazing, hard to believe. The verb is described as to have interest in knowing or learning something, to think about something with curiosity, to feel surprise or amazement.  Now, if you will, let me describe wonder through my eyes…through what I observed watching this little grand-daughter of mine and through the eyes of her siblings and cousins over the last seven years when they were awestruck.

My definition:  Wonder is an amazing, stop dead in your tracks, jaw-dropping, surprising and beautiful sight. It takes your breath  away; makes your heart beat a little faster in awe and excitement. For a moment or two everything stands still and pales in comparison to what your eyes and senses are beholding and you feel just a bit more alive. It brings a smile to your face and to your heart. You just want to linger in the moment and never forget it. You are captivated, feel like you have a great blessing before you and have no desire for the moment to end!

Wonders are all around each of us all the time. Many times we fail to see them for the cares of our world can be great and the demands all around us can keep us too busy to see what is right before us. I have been on a journey over the last ten years or twelve years to force myself to be more aware of the wonders that this world holds. As I said, it began around ten or twelve years ago. A well-known Bible study teacher in one of her studies was teaching on The Patriarchs, specifically on that day the story of Moses when he asked God to let Moses see Him. God’s response was to hide Moses in the cleft of the rock to protect him and then God would walk by and show Moses His glory for man could not see God’s face and live. She suggested during that video session that we pray for God to reveal His glory to us in our daily lives.  I did! Day after day, I was aware of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets, a rainbow, a majestic deer standing on the side of the woods as I drove by, shooting stars, a beautiful moon and the list could go on. Each time even if for a moment, it took my breath away, brought a smile to my face and reminded me of God’s love and majesty.  It reminded me I was not alone, God was with me and He was honoring my request to show me His glory. It became my habit to whisper as I gazed in wonder at  His latest example, ” You did that just for me, Thank You, Lord!”

Alas, even after learning such a great lesson in slowing the pace and looking for the wonders in life, life happens.  Schedules try to take us over and keep us from seeing the beauty, wonder and grace that is all around us. Burdens and circumstances try to rob us of the simple joys found in a child’s smile and laughter, in their hugs and kisses, in taking a break from the cares of life and just sitting along side a fire, a lake or river and just being.  Since that time, many times when I am feeling overburdened, overwhelmed, and in need of something or longing for something but I just can not put my finger on that need; I repeat that prayer. “Lord, please show me your glory.” He has always answered in some meaningful way. Whether it was small or grand, a whisper to my heart or a beautiful night sky filled to the brim with twinkling stars-one shooting across the sky; He always hears and draws my attention in some way.

You may be skeptical, I was too at first. The first few time the answers were blatant and easy to see, but they aren’t always so. Sometimes we may have to be a little more tuned in and attentive but they are no less wonderful. Like a grand game of hide and seek, just when you are about ready to “give up” and suddenly you find what you are looking for! Some call it practicing His presence, taking time out even if just for a moment.  In one of these times in my life, I felt a gentle whisper to my  heart. “I created you, you are a human being, (emphasis on being) not a human doing!”  You see, I was an avid perfectionist and a full-fledged people pleaser. If you are one or have been one, you are well aware what impossible burdens we place upon ourselves when we live this lifestyle. Thankfully, His words gave me the freedom to break from this lifestyle permanently.  Oh temptations still arise occasionally, but freedom is much more desirable! All it takes for me to say no now is to remember all the wonders of life I have missed trying to do the impossible on my strength. How much better is the freedom to just “be” at times.  To be still and know… to take time out and rest in Him, wonder at His creation and at His glory!

 “The Lord who made the earth, the Lord who forms it to establish it, Yahweh is His name, says this: “Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3

Grace, peace and joy to you!

Not Lost or Forgotton

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A cold front is blowing in, clouds are gathering and there is an instinctive knowing that we are getting ready for a long and colder than normal winter. Who knows, it may also be wetter than normal too! Sometimes my life is a lot like weather, constantly changing all around me and I sometimes feel like I am just spinning around trying to keep up. In those times, I feel like I must look like Cinnamon, my Pom, spinning in circles chasing her tail as if there is some great prize or treat is waiting when she catches it! …Or as if catching it will make everything suddenly  better.  There’s not, she is just caught up in a crazy cycle reacting to something that has either excited her or upset her.  Maybe it is the same for us at times. You know every once in a while we have one of ‘those’ days. Sometimes they stretch into one of ‘those’ weeks, months, seasons, or years. On the one hand, many times we have little or no control over our outside extenuating circumstances; but we always have a say in how we respond to them. We always have a choice in whether we thoughtlessly react and start spinning circles; withdraw and run away fast; or with patience, thought and calmness respond. Our choice can make all the difference in our outcome.

I have also noticed it is not the occasional unexpected hard blow that sends me into the ‘spin cycle’. No sir! I know where to run when those things enter upon the scene. I am wise enough to know that I am not able handle them on my own and run swiftly and directly into the arms of my merciful and loving Heavenly Father seeking His guidance, protection and comfort.  I also seek out people of like faith; mentors, friends, family who encourage and advise me.  Nope, it usually not the big things that throw me for a loop.  It is the little things…one here, another there; it isn’t too bad. Then sometimes little things just keep coming one right after another; after another; until they wear you down.  That’s when if I’m not careful and if I am overextended, not getting proper rest and nutrition; the spin begins!

  • Little things are magnified
  • Simple requests seem like demands
  • What would normally be a joy to do become drudgery
  • Before long you wonder if the little struggles are the new normal, they’re not!
     I imagine early Christians may have felt this way at times. In the early years, things were going pretty well. They were growing by leaps and bounds, living together in unity and sharing all things. Rulers and governments change; persecution comes to them and they are forced to scatter in every direction; exercising great faith and depending on God’s provision and protection. The good news-Christianity spread far and wide. The reality-it was at great cost to many people. Families separated, friends separated and many lives lost. The blessing-they grew in faith, dependence on God, and obedience. The result-their lives became a testimony to person after person; generation after generation. Many have come to faith because of their faithfulness.
     Today, I read the following passage and it greatly touched me. I am sure I’ve read it before, probably many times. Today I read it in The Message…slowly…
I, Peter, am an apostle on assignment by Jesus, the Messiah, writing to exiles scattered to the four winds. Not one is missing, not one forgotten. God the Father has his eye on each of you, and has determined by the work of the Spirit to keep you obedient through the sacrifice of Jesus. May everything good from God be yours! (‭1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭1-2‬ MSG)
(Underlining and italics added for emphasis)
     Many letters like this one written by Peter were circulated among the scattered churches. I love how he points out to them that God in His sovereignty sees each of them, watches over them. They are not forgotten! Not even one has He forgotten! Not one is missing! He reminds them that through their faith in Jesus they have been given the Holy Spirit who helps them remain obedient even in perilous times and then blesses them with these words, “may everything good from God be yours!”
      Since the time of the fall of mankind in the garden when Adam and Eve disobeyed, our world has been broken. Man gave over his dominion and authority.  Through the life of His Son Jesus, His obedience, sinless life and His death and resurrection the way back to God was completed. He desires a relationship with everyone. He sees our every struggle, pain, sorrow. His desire is for our good!
For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the LORD. ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope. When you call out to me and come to me in prayer, I will hear your prayers. When you seek me in prayer and worship, you will find me available to you. If you seek me with all your heart and soul, (‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭11-13‬ NET)
 
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not a shepherd and does not own sheep, sees the wolf coming and abandons the sheep and runs away. So the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them. (‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭10-12‬ NET)
 
“For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. “What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying?…Matthew 18:11-12
      God is for us and desires what is best for us, still we live in a broken world where trials, pain, loss and troubles exist. May we find peace in knowing when they take their toll in our lives, whether they be large or small; individual or clustered together; He sees! We are not missing or forgotten. God the Father has His eye on each of us. He has determined by the work of the Spirit to keep us obedient through the sacrifice of Jesus.
                                                      May everything good from God be yours! (‭1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭1-2‬ MSG)
His grace and peace to you, in the name of Jesus!

Illusion or Reality

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      There is a mind-set floating boldly through our culture that began very subtly and over time has taken hold in almost every possible area of our lives. Some of its slogans are now pronounced very boldly and dare to be challenged. They have masqueraded as subtle statements like “the world is your oyster” to proclamations that you can have it all; be it all; and do it all. 

     Perhaps these sayings and those like it were meant to encourage us, empower us to be better, challenge us to reach further, climb higher and to motivate us to stretch ourselves. Sadly, they also hold potential like everything in life  to be carried  to far and turn from a positive encouraging word into a dangerous, reckless way of life. Without balance in the above statements, we may find ourselves believing in our own self-sufficiency and leaving broken relationships in the wake we leave behind.  Maybe an example is in order. Let’s consider tenacious pursuit of a goal. Tenacious is defined as patient, persistent, resolute, tireless, unshakeable. Being tenacious when pursuing something can be a strength. It can be an admirable quality, however this same quality can turn into stubbornness, a hazard and a quality that can do much harm and damage to both ourself and others when we become so focused on a goal that all else is forgotten and left in the dust. When taken to the extreme, relationships and responsibilities can be risked and much is at stake for being lost. Just as most things in life,  the key is balance, keeping our perspective and having realistic expectations for both ourselves and others.

      My scripture reading highlighted this for me today. Sometimes we choose to see God through our current circumstances only, refusing to remember His past actions in our life or forgetting to hold on to the promises that He has given us. In those times tunnel vision takes over and balance is very often lost. Sometimes we lose track of the greatness of God and His goodness. Sometimes we can’t see past ourselves or our troubles; we forget who He is and how powerful God is. It is in these times we may tend to forget His faithfulness to us, forget to run to Him for our solutions and try to ‘fix’ things ourselves.  It doesn’t typically turn out in my best interest when this happens to me! Time and experience are teaching me it is always in my best interest to remember to seek Him, seek His wisdom, His Word, His comfort, and His direction rather than trying to ‘fix’ it myself! 

Isaiah 40:6-31 “Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God. “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and announce to her that her time of forced labor is over, her iniquity has been pardoned, and she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”  A voice of one crying out: Prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert. Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill will be leveled; the uneven ground will become smooth and the rough places, a plain. And the glory of the Lord will appear, and all humanity together will see it, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. The grass withers, the flower fades; nothing lasts except the word of our God.It will stand forever. 

     A voice was saying, “Cry out!” Another said, “What should I cry out?”  “All humanity is grass, and all its goodness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flowers fade when the breath of the Lord blows on them; indeed, the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; nothing lasts except the word of  our God.   It will stand forever.   Zion, herald of good news, go up on a high mountain.  Jerusalem, herald of good news, raise your voice loudly. Raise it, do not be afraid!  Say to the cities of Judah,“Here is your God!”   See, the Lord God comes with strength, and His power establishes His rule.  His reward is with Him, and His gifts accompany Him.  He protects His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them in the fold of His garment.  He gently leads those that are nursing. Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand or marked off the heavens with the span of his hand?  Who has gathered the dust of the earth in a measure or weighed the mountains in a balance and the hills in the scales? Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or who gave Him His counsel?  Who did He consult with?  Who gave Him understanding and taught Him the paths of justice?  Who taught Him knowledge and showed Him the way of understanding?

 Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are considered as a speck of dust in the scales; He lifts up the islands like fine dust. Lebanon is not enough for fuel, or its animals enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before Him; they are considered by Him as nothingness and emptiness.  

Who will you compare God with? What likeness will you compare Him to? To an idol?—something that a smelter casts, and a metalworker plates with gold and makes silver welds for it? To one who shapes a pedestal, choosing wood that does not rot? He looks for a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not fall over. 

Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning?  Have you not considered the  foundations of the earth? God is enthroned above the circle of the earth; its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like thin cloth and spreads them out like a tent to live in.  He reduces princes to nothing and makes judges of the earth irrational. They are barely planted, barely sown, their stem hardly takes root in the ground when He blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind carries them away like stubble. 

“Who will you compare Me to, or who is My equal?” asks the Holy One. Look up and see: who created these?  He brings out the starry host by number; He calls all of them by name.  Because of His great power and strength, not one of them is missing.  Jacob, why do you say, and Israel, why do you assert:  “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my claim is ignored by my God”? Do you not know? Have you not heard?  Yahweh is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never grows faint or weary; there is no limit to His understanding.  He gives strength to the weary and  strengthens the powerless. Youths may faint and grow weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.

          How easy it is to get wrapped up in our lives and circumstances!  How easy it is to get overwhelmed by our needs, our lack, our struggles. Sadly, sometimes it doesn’t take that much to make us lose sight of God’s goodness, power, past provision and love.  This passage  shows God’s desire for the comfort of His people; for their freedom from bondage. He is making His way to them/us, His reward and gifts are with Him. Who indeed is like our God?  Do we dare become so traumatized or so wrapped up in our own lives, agenda, desires, pursuits that we forget Him? Our lives are like grass.   In comparison to His greatness, we are as grasshoppers; our good deeds like filthy rags compared to His great goodness! Do we dare exalt ourselves and allow Him to be pushed to the back seat of our  lives? It can happen you know!  Do  we dare forget Him until things get tough and then suddenly realize how desperately we need Him?  Lord, may it not be so!  May  we,  Your children-Your sons and daughters, exalt You above all else in our lives knowing that when we do, all else begins to fall into right alignment. Help us to depend on You to guide us, free us, restore, renew, and regenerate us and not get trapped by the illusions the enemy sets before us as a trap to ensnare.

Peace Admist Chaos

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     “God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with its turmoil. Selah” (‭Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭1-3‬ HCSB)


       I have a confession. I am a news avoider! The thing is no matter how you avoid the news, and we do by not having any form of cable or satellite t.v.; the news will find you. Maybe I should clarify. My husband and I do not actively seek to watch network news of any kind on any regular basis because you see the same stories over and over, many times initial reports have speculation that later is found untrue. and if you allow it to, it can become overwhelming and depressing. That is not to say we do not stay informed by seeking out news from reputable sources, however. 

      Just a quick look at headlines from around the world and we can see stories of drought, flooding, wild fires, predictions of a possible eruption from a volcano or super-volcano, tsunamis, cyclones, wars, threats of wars, enemy planes flying into the territory of other countries, threats from Isis on the U.K, and U.S.A., even people being persecuted and killed for their beliefs.  The writer of Psalm 46 tells us even when these things happen we should not be afraid. As a matter of fact, you have probably heard as I have that the Word of God contains at least 365 verses the admonish us to ‘fear not’ and ‘do not be afraid’; one for each day of the year. The thing is, though it is good to be informed about world events and situations, if we are not careful we can get caught up in fear. 

     If I am honest, I have to admit that I am a recovering worrier and I was taught by one of the best! I also should say that I came to a decision many years ago that worrying did nothing but waste my time. Few of the things I worried about ever happened and those that did were not in my control. I could not stop them from occurring so what was the point of worrying? It did not prepare me to handle them any better.  I came to realize worry was just a a symptom of doubt and mistrust and my attempt at control. Perhaps my thinking was if I thought about every possible scenario, I could be better prepared or could head it off; holding on to some semblance of control. In reality, what I learned is to a great extent control is just an illusion. There are times we can not even control our own self, how in the world did I ever believe I could control the bigger things in life?  

      For me to be In Christ and hold on to those worries, fears, and need to feel in control was (choking on my words…) unbelief. Even now, that is hard to say! The truth is I fully believed He was who He said He was; for goodness sake He created the world and everything in it out of virtually nothing. Rather than getting hung up on whether or not I believed He could do what He said, my hang up was more on whether He would do it for me. I never doubted God’s ability and had faith that all His mighty works were true. I just questioned my worthiness for Him to act on my behalf.  That was until I joined a group of ladies in a study of the patriarchs. When you examine the lives of the people that God used mightily throughout the scriptures, you see He used all types of people but the one common thread was they all were flawed. They made mistakes, poor decisions, and at times were in rebellion to God. That did not stop God from accomplishing His will through them, nor sit it stop Him from acting on the behalf of His people. 

     One quick example is when the Hebrew people cried out to God for deliverance. God sent Moses and brought them out of slavery with His mighty hand, delivering their enemies into the Red Sea. Yet, after wandering in the desert they began to long for the tasty food of their old life and began to grumble against God. The manna of Heaven was no longer sufficient for them, they wanted meat. God provided them with meat, literally more than they could stand in the form of quail; despite the ungratefulness of their heart, He still moved on their behalf. The bottom line is that there really is nothing that we can ever do to be worthy of God’s love, of Jesus’ sacrifice,  or of God moving on our behalf! When God moves on our behalf, no matter how big or small; it is because of His goodness and His faithfulness! It is because of His character we can face personal crisis, chaos and even world crisis with strength and courage. We can choose to trust Him and trust in His love and faithfulness rather than collapse under fear and discouragement!  He is calling us…”Be still and know He is God!”

 

God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with its turmoil. Selah There is a river — its streams delight the city of God, the holy dwelling place of the Most High. God is within her; she will not be toppled. God will help her when the morning dawns. Nations rage, kingdoms topple; the earth melts when He lifts His voice. The Lord of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah Come, see the works of the Lord, who brings devastation on the earth. He makes wars cease throughout the earth. He shatters bows and cuts spears to pieces; He burns up the chariots. “Stop your fighting — and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.” Yahweh of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah (‭Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭1-11‬ HCSB)

Saying Goodbye All Over

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     My heart is heavy, saying goodbye is never easy! Goodbye in cases like this seem so permanent! You see, today, I walk through this old house, my home, for the last time! Just for a moment though, I can almost feel, almost see the joy on your faces Mom and Dad the day you first walked through these doors and realized this was where you wanted to bring that little bundle you were expecting. This would be where this family would call home. Now, fifty-three years later, a stranger will call this home. I never dreamed I would be so emotional over this day; my last walk through this place I still call home even after  moving into my own home with my new husband thirty-three plus years ago. All I can think of right now is the old song, “If These Walls Could Speak”.

     Mom and Dad, know y’all were Glen Campbell fan’s when I was growing up, I am more familiar with Amy Grant’s version, but this one is in memory of you both:

      Can you pass me a kleenex? Oh my, some of my absolute greatest memories were in this old house. Some of my hardest memories, too. Neighborhood children flocking to visit with my Dad, they loved him! Playing on the swings and later them being replaced with a porch swing.  Cowboys and Indians, Batman and Robin, learning to catch a softball…taking keep your eye on the ball literally when I did not get out of the way and caught it with my eye! Then there were those rainy days when friends were otherwise occupied and I played all alone inside while my parents worked. Being the only child can be lonely! And on the up side, I am grateful you didn’t use it as an excuse to indulge and spoil me.

     Not only did I grow up here in this old house but my children spent happy times here during their childhood. Both of them, as young adults lived here at different times after Dad went home to heaven. During the early years of their marriage, both of them brought their first child home to this place to call home for the first months of their lives.  Oh the memories of my Mom keeping my oldest here so I could work. I left crying each morning and flew into the driveway every afternoon because my hearts desire was to be at home with him. Memories of coming home to him at age two dancing to Elvis while my parents sang along, so much laughter!  Later watching he and his little sister climb into the empty wood storage box in the sun room and peek over the top laughing and playing. 

    Dad always made a point as Easter approached to let the otherwise perfectly manicured lawn grow up so eggs could easily have hiding places. He would talk about it for several weeks ahead. Christmases when I was young where the whole extended family would descend upon us in our little abode. Mom would cook for days on end. Multiple appetizers, meats, veggies galore, a minimum of three cakes, and several pies.  Oh how my Mom loved Christmas! 

     There are many hard memories too, like the day I couldn’t get Dad on the phone for much of the morning and drove over to check on him; my daughter find him unconscious.  Oh, if these walls could talk!  Now here I am, one last walk through as the house stands empty. I pray Heavenly Father, that You seal to my mind and my heart all these memories and then some! I pray that You will continually refresh them and others like them long after I make my final exit through these doors. This house as been a major part of my life because of the people and occasions that it hosted. I pray that as long as it stands everyone who enters it’s doors will find blessings and will make wonderful memories that will last a lifetime. Even more, I pray that they will know the One from whom the blessings flow. This home has weathered many a storm and sheltered all who abided inside for over a half century because our family put our trust and faith in You Lord, may that legacy continue to the future occupants! 

                         

Are We Awake and Alert ?

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     Just a glance at the headlines around the world is enough to strike fear into the heart and cause us like the ostrich to bury our head in the sand! Gaza has been fiercely attacking Israel for years, escalating in 2012 and almost non-stop in 2014; Israel is rightfully defending her land and it’s people; Christians all over the world are being tolerated less and less, in many areas they are put into prison for their beliefs, still others they are being executed. Children being beheaded by ISIS. Threats also from them to kill every Christian they see. Genocide; 250 Nigerian girls abducted; persecution in Ukraine; speculation over Russian bomber flying in U.S. Air space…just to name a few headlines. No wonder so many people today avoid watching the news and many news stations are reporting little more than blips of these stories. Wars, threats of wars, nation rising up against nation and double standards within the national community. Comments like “you should just leave them alone and let them have their land ignoring that they are constantly bombing you.” Yet that very same people group would defend themselves to the hilt!

Interestingly, it sounds a lot like what Jesus said should happen before His return in Matthew 24:

“3 As he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 Jesus answered them, “Watch out that no one misleads you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will mislead many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Make sure that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 For nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these things are the beginning of birth pains. 9 “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations because of My name. 10 Then many will be led into sin, and they will betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will appear and deceive many, 12 and because lawlessness will increase so much, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the person who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole inhabited earth as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

 

     This passage makes it clear, if you read further, that no one knows the time of His coming but we can know the signs and we can be educated and informed. You might wonder if you are like many of us, why be informed and aware because we think there isn’t any thing we can do about it. First let’s look at Revelation 1:3 for a minute…I know we avoid Revelation, it’s hard to understand and scary… But just hang in there this verse isn’t and it is very interesting…”Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy aloud, and blessed are those who hear and obey the things written in it, because the time is near!” Now think about this, whether Jesus return is imminent, twenty years away, or 2,000 more years away; one thing is true. We are closer today than we have ever been and we are not powerless nor helpless. If we are awake, alert and watching we can make a difference in our world today! Jesus Christ did not leave His people here powerless! He armed us with the Holy Spirit and power, with God’s Word and with Spiritual Armor so that we could fight. There is great power in our bending the knee in prayer and petition, interceding on behalf of Christian and Jewish believers around the world and on behalf of our own nation.

    “and if My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14   

     Prayer is powerful! Elijah prayed down rain from Heaven, “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours; yet he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land.” James 5:17 and “Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!” So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees. Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea.” The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, “I didn’t see anything.” Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.” Then Elijah shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him, ‘Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you!’” And soon the sky was black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel. Then the Lord gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel.” 1 Kings 18:41-45. 

     Many other examples include the prayers of Moses, David, Daniel, Jesus…just to get started. There are many powerful examples of prayer in the Bible and the power of prayer has not diminished in our day!  God has also given many promises in His Word that we can hold on to. Let’s just look at one for now. In Leviticus 26, this is His promise to those who were obedient to Him…”

“3 “‘If you walk in My statutes and are sure to obey My commandments, 4 I will give you your rains in their time so that the land will give its yield and the trees of the field will produce their fruit. 5 Threshing season will extend for you until the season for harvesting grapes, and the season for harvesting grapes will extend until sowing season, so you will eat your bread until you are satisfied, and you will live securely in your land. 6 I will grant peace in the land so that you will lie down to sleep without anyone terrifying you. I will remove harmful animals from the land, and no sword of war will pass through your land.7 You will pursue your enemies and they will fall before you by the sword. 8 Five of you will pursue a hundred, and a hundred of you will pursue ten thousand, and your enemies will fall before you by the sword. 9 I will turn to you, make you fruitful, multiply you, and maintain my covenant with you. 10 You will still be eating stored produce from the previous year and will have to clean out what is stored from the previous year to make room for new. 11 “‘I will put my tabernacle in your midst and I will not abhor you. 12 I will walk among you, and I will be your God and you will be my people. 13 I am the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, from being their slaves, and I broke the bars of your yoke and caused you to walk upright.”

     Our God has provided everything we need for life and godliness, He has placed within us His Holy Spirit and He will guide us and help us deal with anything that comes our way if we trust Him, hear. His voice, seek His face and learn to surrender our lives to Him. For He is humble and His yoke is easy, His burden is light.  If we allow Him, He will direct our prayers, our words, our ways and our paths! I love how The Message words this passage from 2 Corinthians 2:

“14-16 In the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade. Through us, He brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation—an aroma redolent with life. But those on the way to destruction treat us more like the stench from a rotting corpse. “

 

► 4:40► 4:40

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1xvoD-sP3k

Jul 7, 2009 – Uploaded by whitestone84

A Hero comes from the wilderness to cry out to the captives, pleading for them to awaken. This …

Your Kingdom Come

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     Today, while reading Revelation 5, the following scripture was the focus of my study:  “They were singing a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were killed, and at the cost of your own blood you have purchased for God persons from every tribe, language, people, and nation. You have appointed them as a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” (‭Revelation‬ ‭5‬:‭9-10‬ NET)      Because I have been researching on our identity in Christ a lot lately, these two verses stood out among all the others. Why? In these two small verses we learn that Jesus’ obedience to His Father cost Him His life, which He willing laid down; His blood has purchased people from every nation, language and tribe; Jesus has appointed those people (His followers) as kings and priests to serve God; and lastly that His people will reign on earth.  We have been commissioned to represent Jesus on the earth by making disciples. (Matthew 28:19) What did this look like? When John the Baptist drew the people, he would call out repent and be baptized for the Kingdom of God is at hand. When Jesus began His ministry, that Kingdom, though not what the world has expected had come. (Matthew 12:28 and Luke 11:20 tell us this.)       Acts 10 tells us this about Jesus: “…37you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. 38“You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39“We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross”      Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit and went around doing good. Full of the Holy Spirit, He walked in and by the Spirit. This tells us according to Galatians 5 that His life looked like this: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Then goes on to tell us:  “Against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, being jealous of one another. (‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭22-26‬ NET)      Isaiah 53 tells us this about Jesus… “He sprouted up like a twig before God, like a root out of parched soil; He had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention, no special appearance that we should want to follow Him. (‭Isaiah‬ ‭53‬:‭2‬ NET) I mention this to point out that it was not Christ’s looks that drew them to follow Him according to scripture. Based on Galatians; it was His personality as He submitted His life to the Holy Spirit and walked in the fruit of the Spirit. Jesus went about doing good; teaching; making disciples; healing; bringing deliverance; exemplifying the character of God by walking in the Spirit exuding love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control! He showed mercy, grace and compassion when interacting with people. Consider the woman at the well. She was a Samaritan and a woman. She came to the well in the heat of the day to avoid towns people because of their treatment. Jesus shows her kindness and compassion and strikes up a conversation; a Jewish man speaking to a Samaritan! A woman! How could this be? By the time the disciples were returning, He had confirmed her truthfulness of her lack of a husband and had lovingly pointed out her past. Why do I think it was done in love and compassion? She went back to her town, to people who disapproved of her, and she told them about Jesus and her encounter. They all came to see Jesus. Why would she do this unless it was the fruit of the Spirit is His life and in His conversation with her?  He responded a little differently with the religious leaders who knew God’s Word and taught it, yet did not observe it themselves He was less gentle and more to the point because they knew the Scriptures.      Jesus set the example of what the Kingdom of God looks like and entreated us to walk as He walked.  He set an example of being loving and compassionate with people gently teaching them and speaking the truth in love. This is why they followed Him!  Based on this, I am positive beyond a doubt His success was because He exemplified the fruit of the Spirit! There is absolutely no indication that Jesus used guilt, fear or shame, those are tactics of the enemy who comes to kill, steal and destroy. (John 10:10) Jesus came to give life to us! Kingdom life. He came to purchase us for God, bring us into the Kingdom, empower us with the Holy Spirit and infuse us with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.      Can you just imagine what would happen if all His people choose to walk this way? It seems a little to hard to believe that we could but if we had a revelation of our true identity in Christ, who God says we truly are and walked in that, I believe we would live in a noticeably different world than the one we often see around us. Grace and peace to you! Blessings

Why Do I Love the Word?

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What an interesting question that was posed today in the current Bible study I am doing! Why do you love God’s Word? It was followed with this proposal…consider a friend or acquaintance asked you this question because they did not understand your love for the Bible and you were too taken off guard to respond at the time. Now, you sit down to write a note or letter to explain… How would you explain? So here goes lets give it a try…

 

Dear Friend,

I was taken aback a bit by your question today and needed a little time to process

your inquiry because many emotions rose up within me at that moment. Too many to

put into words immediately.  God’s Word is life and health to me! Without it, I would

not be the person I am… I probably would not be alive and certainly would not even

resemble the person you know.  His Word has been the source of strength to carry on in

the darkest of days, when sorrow, grief and loss were so very overwhelming that easily I

could have crawled into a dark hole, given up and disappeared. It has brought comfort

and peace in the most frightening of times; it has been my source of encouragement

when all seemed lost and I felt totally alone; it has been a well of hope springing up in

the driest of deserts; a balm to heal my heart when it has been wounded or too heartsick

to even move. His Word has been freedom to a soul held captive by her circumstances

and it has flooded joy into a heart teaching me that joy is available even in the times

where happiness is elusive and circumstances are challenging. When I have been wise, it

has offered me the keys to navigate through every passage on this journey of life. When I

have been foolish, He has drawn me back to it to lovingly shine light on the areas that

could have been better navigated and teach me better ways for the future.  Yes, it is life;

strength; comfort; peace; encouragement; healing; freedom; joy; direction; and

instruction. God’s Word also displays my Father’s character, shows the greatness of His

love, and tells me who I am In Christ. In Him, we are called friend; son or daughter;

beloved; accepted; redeemed; justified; set apart; precious; blameless; chosen; and

kings and priests…just to name a few. It contains everything needed to live a victorious

life and to avoid the pitfalls life tends to throw our way. It is a precious gift and a much

needed tool for my life.  Dear friend, I hope this at least in part answers your question

and thank you! for challenging me with this question. It is good to be challenged; to be

able put words to such deeply felt emotions and beliefs and to bring to remembrance

why we hold something or someone so dear and precious. It keeps it fresh to us and

prevents us from taking it for granted!

 

Grace and peace to you my friend!

To Catch a Thief

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“The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy…” It is with a grateful heart I tell you it does not end there! Jesus goes on to inform us that He “has come to give us abundant life”‘, “life to the full”, “rich and satisfying life.” John 10:10

One of Pastor’s points in his message yesterday has captivated me. It has rolled over and over in my mind ever since he spoke it. My first thought was I know this, how could I loose sight of this? Maybe I should explain. The statement that has captured me was “Whatever the enemy uses most against you is what scares him most About you!” 

Just let that one roll around in your mind a bit…

        “Whatever the enemy uses most against you is what scares him most About you!”

Whether we are talking about an enemy in the natural world or the enemy of our soul, they are an enemy because something about us is a threat to them. By definition, this is true…

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enemy

Ok, supposing this is an accurate statement, and I believe it is, just what are the tactics the enemy uses most in my life when he aims his fiery darts my way? Let’s start with a few areas that can be points of attack and we can answer silently whether or not they apply to our individual lives:

  • Fears
  • Relationships
  • Insecurity
  • Worth
  • Health
  • Worry
  • Self doubt
  • Not enough
  • Too much
  • Comparison
  • Finances
  • Lack
  • Loneliness
  • Love
  • Purpose
  • Job/profession

The list is endless… Do any of them hit just a little too close to home? For me, some do.  Not only do some of them hit close to home, one or two have been with me since I was a very young girl! The good news is knowing these places in which we are vulnerable is half the battle, maybe more than half. Let’s use worth as an example because in our culture it is an easy target.  Our world celebrates beauty, wealth, youth and sexuality and places a high premium on each so much so, that even the most beautiful of models and celebrities’ flaws are photoshopped away. This being the case, many get caught in comparing ourselves to others.

Comparison is one of the snares of the enemy. God created each of us to be unique, each having different strengths, different talents, different giftings and abilities, different looks and even different weaknesses. He celebrates our differences and our differences make us more effective when we work together in the body of Christ. Our differences also set us up to be tempted to compare ourselves to others. When we do,  we can see those differences as flaws and begin to become dissatisfied with ourselves, feeling worthless. Conversely, we could also fall into the trap of pride or conceit and view ourselves as better than another. Both of these can play right into the hand of the enemy and keep us from being the best person we can be. Lack of worth can limit us or hold us back from fulfilling our purpose and being our best. On the flip side pride and thinking too highly of ourself can put others off and limit our influence with people.  Either extreme renders us less effective at best in fulfilling God’s purpose or plan for our life. In the worst case, it stops us in our tracks. It also can cause us to fall short of the abundant life that Jesus has planned for us to live.

Knowledge is power! Knowing those weak spots helps us to identify and prepare for the future attacks. It is also helpful to be armed with the knowledge of what our God says about who we are In Christ!  Child of God, In Christ you are: loved, accepted, redeemed, beloved, precious, chosen, forgiven, complete, a new creation, set apart, and so much more! In the Word we are told in Christ we are…

The enemy will do what he can to stop us and to keep us from understanding that Our God deemed us worthy of His Son giving His life for us. Zephaniah 3:17 tells us:  “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17 ESV) Jesus laid it all down for us, not one of us could ever earn or deserve such a generous gift and yet You gave it freely to us-Grace!

Grace-pure and simple-unearned-unmerited-Grace

You love us for who we are, not despite who we are. You love us for who You know we can be yet You meet us right where we are!

Pure Love

Unconditional

Unstoppable

Unlimited

Unashamed

Uncontainable

Incomprehensible

Grace; Peace; Divine Power; Great and Precious Promises

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Unbelievable? Too good to be true? More than we can ever completely comprehend?  Can we ever really wrap our mind around the idea that peace beyond understanding is available to us. Joy unspeakable, love beyond anything we have experienced, acceptance, total forgiveness, freedom and deliverance can be ours.

Recently, we journeyed through 40 days of grace and traced all the major grace scriptures throughout the Bible.  The one below was the only major one that remained and it is a powerful one! It covers a number of the different precepts we have talked about and wraps them all together. What a powerhouse it is, especially if we ever truly capture it in it’s fullness. Take a peek:

May grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. By these He has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The person who lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten the cleansing from his past sins. Therefore, brothers, make every effort to confirm your calling and election, because if you do these things you will never stumble. For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly supplied to you. (2 Peter 1:2-11 HCSB)

In Christ, not only is grace and peace added to our lives, according to Peter it can be multiplied! Imagine exponential peace and grace can be ours along with everything we could need for our life and living it in a godly way!  All through the Word of God there are great promises and Peter tells us they are ours. They are given to us to help us grow, to keep us away from trouble and corruption, and become more Christ-like in our actions. 

One of the greatest treasures about a relationship with Jesus is that He meets us right where we are and He loves us exactly as He found us. Romans tells us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. He gave His life in a great exchange. His perfect, sinless and spotless life in exchange for our less than perfect ones. Paying the price for every possible thing we would ever do causing us to fall short of God’s standard; Jesus willingly gave His life. Though the religious leaders plotted against Jesus, they were not actually responsible for His death. In John, Jesus tells us “This is why the Father loves Me, because I am laying down My life so I may take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from My Father.”  John 10: 17-18 How great is His love for us!  Because of His immense love, He also empowers us to live victoriously through the gift of His Spirit. 

Did you notice the progression in the scripture passage?  Peter is talking to believers so it is a given that they have a measure of faith. From faith in Jesus and gratitude for His sacrifice and provision comes a greater desire for goodness in our lives. Peter’s formula is something like this:

  Faith + Goodness + Knowledge + Self-Control + Endurance + godliness + Brotherly affection + Love =

                                                   Usefulness

                                                               Fruitfulness

                                                                                          Effectiveness

                                    Absence of them can make us short sighted and blind us.


Again, Jesus meets us exactly where we are. The thing is He loves us too much to want us to stay there so we are encouraged to grow into maturity in Christ. We may progress baby step by baby step or in giant leaps of faith. Most likely it will be a combination; sometimes walking, other times running or leaping. Even others times it may be stumbling. The important thing is to be moving forward in our relationship with Him and with others and if by chance we stumble backwards; regroup and begin advancing again. 

My Mom’s favorite saying was “When God closes one door, He opens another.” Sometimes said, ” when God closes a door, He opens a window.” Recently, I have seen it written, “When God closes a door. praise Him in the Hall.” I guess where I am leading with this is that there will always be times we go through less than pleasant circumstances. There will be wilderness times when we feel like we are circling the same mountain over and over. The solution? Keep our eyes off our circumstances and on Him; working that equation every chance we get. Then we will experience usefulness and fruitfulness, overcome our circumstances, and eventually we are led us to a place of victory!