Monday, August 15, 2011

Our God is ALWAYS with Us


Let's always remember no matter what is coming at us, no matter how the world may seem to be pounding at our doors, God is right there with us through every step.  "Turn your eyes on Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace."


  

Friday, July 15, 2011

Words Have Power


Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce righteousness that God desires.  Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. (James 1:19-21)

When we are angry with someone we so often just speak what we are "feeling".  We do not think about the words coming out of our mouths.  In fact, when we listen we tend to hear with a kind of filter attached.  What gets through has our personal experience whitewashed over the top of it.  Old scars, often are reopened as word that are not meant to harm but express are used by the enemy, at times, to get us to feel we are right back in that old situation again.

If we have been  mistreated or abused as a child, it often is not the person we are interacting with at the moment that is getting the brunt of our response, it is the memory of the authority figure who subjected the defenseless child that you are shooting the word bullets at.  Unfortunately, the person, often your spouse, that you are having the disagreement with is not privy to the past circumstance that you are trying to continually rectify.  Even if they are, they may be going through the same situation themselves.  This can just add fuel to the word sparing fire.

When we want to truly communicate, even in secular circles, the first rule is we must listen without any thought of what we are to say in return.  To do this we must not think about ourselves.  All defenses must be turned off.  We must die to ourselves and put the other person's welfare first.  Jesus showed us first hand that nothing is more important than sacrificing all we are for the sake of benefiting others. 

When we take our vows, traditional vows during the marriage ceremony one of the statements is "forsaking all others".  That means we are to put our spouse even before ourselves.  When we have those "arguments" how are we putting them before our personal agenda, if we are willing to hurt them to "win". 

To maintain our composure during these times we must rely on the Holy Spirit to download into us all the fruits of the Spirit as spoken of in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.  Everything it speaks of is what God is; He is love.  So He is patient, kind, does not envy, does not boast, is not proud, does not dishonor us, He is never self-seeking, is not easily angered, He keeps no records of wrong.  He does not delight in evil but rejoices in truth.  He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  He never fails....  This requires that our self-control be maintained by God-control, not our own power. 

Know that in all of this we will make mistakes, we will slip, but we can repent and know that we can be forgiven.  If we are the one who has been hit with the words, then be ready to accept that repentance.  For as we forgive we will be forgiven.  According to Matthew 6:14-15 Jesus was very clear about this, For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.  He said this right after giving us the Lord's prayer which states, "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us", Matthew 6:12.  The dictionary defines trespass as "to commit an offense or a sin; transgress or err."

Pray for the Lord to give you full use of His spiritual gifts so that you may have power over your words, instead of letting words having power over you.  Words have power to build up or tear down.  It is why Proverbs tells us that life and death are in the power of the tongue, see Proverbs 18:21.   This can mean the difference between restored relationships and destroyed families.  

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Even the Demons Believe...


I have heard it said that one must have a weak mind to believe in God, but it actually takes a lot of faith to do so.  It is very simple to try not to believe in Him.  It is also not the smartest thing in the world.  In fact, demons are actually much smarter than anyone who says that there is no God, because they believe in Him.  They know for a fact that there is only one God.  This is why they have perpetuated the lie of multiple gods. 

Christians are not subjected to demon possession, however we can be oppressed by evil spirits and demons.  Attacked, especially when we are on the right path, doing what God has created us to do.  When we are working together to bless others, to bring people to Him, they will come at us to try and get us off the path. 

Paul says that we are not fighting against flesh and blood, but against the power of the prince of the air, according to Ephesians 6:12.  He is our spiritual enemy and spirits cannot be seen.  If He is our enemy than we must have someone who is our ally, that is God we cannot see Him either.  He is there and He is there for us.  The next time you see circumstances that seem beyond control, just wait a bit and watch Him go to work on your behalf through those He has sent to help you.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Love is the Opposite of Pride


The Father promises so much to us when we just follow His son.  Jesus came here so that we may have life more abundantly.  We do not have to be subjected to the pain and suffering of the "yokes" of this world.  The burdens that they represent can be laid down, when we place upon ourselves His yoke. 

Jesus wants us to follow in His footsteps so that we not only enhance and bring joy to the lives around us, but we receive the joy we dispense.  Love is about giving without thought of receiving.  It is paradoxical, in that when we stop concerning ourselves about what we will get from others and just give, this is when we get the most. 

It has been said that depression is just another form of pride.  The reason that this is so, is because it causes the person to be obsessed with themselves.  All their focus is on them.  This is the same thing that pride does.  There are many forms of pride, none of which involve humility.  Having a low self-esteem is not a form of humility, it is just negative pride.  You're consistently comparing yourself to others and trying to find a way to have "pride" in yourself.  God is our source, the bible says "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord." (Zechariah 4:6)

Follow Christ to a place where love flows into forgiveness, peace, faith, hope, more love, patience, self-control, kindness, joy, and gentleness.  All the fruits of the Spirit.  Read Galatians 5:22

Addictions come when we are so focused on ourselves that we cannot see how we are hurting those around us.  When we are so focused on ourselves that nothing and no one else matter, not even God who we are actually hurting the most by our act of rebellion.  Addiction helps us not think about what is hurting us, but so do acts of love.  When we focus on God and others, we forget about ourselves.  This is a much better form of distraction than substance abuse.

Follow Him to the place that God has for you and you will know the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7) that can only come from a relationship with the Father and Christ.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Christ's Sacrifice Must Not Be in Vain


I have started creating these videos as a musical and visual ministry.  I pray you are blessed by the message here.  We need to take time to love those who seem unlovable.  To make the extra effort to act and live as Christ is in the room at all times, for He is if the Holy Spirit is in us, and treat others as we would want to be treated if we were in their position.  We must step down from the judgment seat of how people got where they are and step into humanity and walk among each other, as He did.  Only while among the throng can we show our love, devotion, and obedience to the Father and His commandment to love one another.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

We Not Me

Revelation came today that it is not I, but we in all things in life now that I belong to the Lord.  The Holy Spirit lives in me, so I am no longer alone.  Therefore, I cannot take pride anything I do or do not do because it is "we" that do it, not "me". 

He also showed me that praise and pride cannot reside within my mouth at the same time.  I can either praise Him, or have pride in me.  When my focus is on Him, there is no room for me.  When I stay in the realm of "we" there is no longer room for "me".  When this is fully embraced, "I" am truly blessed by His presence working fully within me.

Thank you Jesus for this revelation, I pray that it touches your heart as it has touched mine.

May God bless your day and guide your way through His Holy Spirit.



Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Steal, Kill, and Destroy

Your belief system is the most important thing that you will ever hold on to.  It is your faith in things.  God, yourself, your family and friends, your job, your car starting in the morning are all things you can believe or can have “faith” in.  When you get up each morning, you have “faith” that when you walk out of your bedroom the rest of the house will be there.  You know you won’t open the door and suddenly be looking outside, why because you have “faith” that while you were sleeping nothing happened to the rest of your house, you believe it.

It is the same way when you go to work, when you come home you have “faith” that your home will be there when you get there, you believe it.  Yes, sometimes things do happen outside of our belief systems, like a fire, which require us to have a paradigm shift.  They cause us to change what we believe, that sometimes the seemingly unexplainable, improbable, or even impossible can happen to us.

This “faith” or belief system is what we use when we trust in God.  He gave us the ability to trust Him, to believe in Him, to have “faith” in His goodness and love for us, and in His Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit that comes to live in us when we accept Him and invite Him in.  As Christians we know that all of this is a part of our new faithful life in Christ.  We also know that we must say goodbye to the old life, and kill our old ways.

In Colossians 3:6, Paul instructs us to “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.”  He is telling us to kill that old part of ourselves, yet although he gives us this sage advice he admits that he struggles with his own sinful nature in Romans 7:15-20, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.”

What he is essentially saying is even though we “kill” or “put to death” the old sinful nature it is still within us.  What do you do with something that is dead?  You bury it, naturally.  Unfortunately, this part of us has a propensity to want to resurrect itself.  Occasionally, with a bit of encouragement from Satan and/or one of his companions.  It is called…temptation.

Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. This is what Jesus warned us about in John 10:10.  Not so much our possessions, our health, our family, he just distracts us with those things, but our faith in God and Jesus Christ.  He wants to steal it, kill it, and destroy it so that we no longer have it to use against him.  When we succumb to temptation and allow the old man to resurrect it gives the enemy a foothold, he slips in and starts whispering in our psychological ears about doing things according to our will and not God, about just doing it and not consulting God first, and/or other rebellious actions.  He encourages us to rebel and subsequently steals our connection with God.

He then starts killing our faith in Him.  We start relying on ourselves, much like Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden. (See Genesis 3:1-5)  Once we do this, we let go of the thing that we see as dead, our faith in Him and Satan is standing by right there to steal it, and then destroy it.  Once this happens we are left in a worst state then when we started.  2 Peter 2:20, speaks to Satan’s goal in this, “If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.” (emphasis mine)  That’s exactly what he wants, as the thief he will steal, kill, and destroy your faith and bring you to a place of being worst off than before you were saved.

The way to avoid this is to stay connected to the Father, by reading His word daily, meditating on His word day and night, praying without ceasing, fellowshipping with other believers, worshipping Him in all you do (not just singing, worship is how you work, talk to people, etc…), and waiting on Him.  When you do this you are drawing near to God.  According to James 4:7-8, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

Your faith will stand any storm with God at your side, and the closer you are to God the farther Satan will be from you.  There will be times of suffering and trials on your path, but as James tells us, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

I don’t know about you, but I want everything that God has promised me while I am here so I can fight the good fight of faith and help release more captives from the enemies P.O.W. camp.  He’s not going to steal, kill, or destroy my faith because my spiritual doors are locked against him, because I am staying focused on Christ and my Father in heaven and His will for my life not my own.  God made sure that we were forearmed by being forewarned throughout the bible.  So, with that in mind I’m staying geared up, how about you?

From Light for My Path – Prayers & Promises

I can’t imagine keeping Your law perfectly, Lord,.  But even if I could, it would not do me the ultimate good: It would not gain me heaven.  How thankful I am that You don’t require perfect obedience – just faith.

But I can’t even live by faith under my own steam.  Temptations come, and I quickly give in, despite my love for You.  Only Your Spirit makes the heart change that keeps me faithful to You in thought and deed.  Fill my heart with Your Spirit, Lord. Make me true to You, despite the temptations.  I want to live in faith, not doubt or fear.

In Jesus name,

Amen.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

His Grace to Face…Me

Everyone who has ever had even a brief introduction to the story of Jesus’ last days knows, even if briefly the story of Peter and his “disgraceful” denial of Jesus. Not once, not twice, but three times.  Many shake their heads when they read or hear this story.  Peter was so adamant about how he would go to the death for Jesus, so sincere was his faith in Him, and his dedication to his devotion in Him.  Yet, Jesus told him point blank that before the rooster crowed in the morning he, Peter, would deny Him three times.

According to Luke, Peter was pretty adamant about how he would respond if anyone threatened Jesus, or if anything were to happen.  Jesus says to him pretty plainly, “Simon, listen to me! Satan has demanded the right to test each one of you, as a farmer does when he separates the wheat from the husks.” Luke 22:31 (CEV) 

Satan didn’t ask, he demanded.  Obviously, he still has some “rights” here to “test” us.  To try and “separate” us from our Father and Jesus, if he can. 

Jesus continues, “But Simon, I have prayed that your faith will be strong.  And when you have come back to me, help the others.”  Luke 22:32 (CEV)

Did you catch that?  “when you have come back to me…”  This is prior to Jesus’ statement about the rooster, that’s still to come.  He is leading up to the fact that Peter is going to turn his back on Him.  Why?  Because the devil made him do it?  Not at all, it will be because of something within Peter, that he was unaware of at this moment.  Something that the circumstances, the situation that will occur had to reveal to him that he still had inside him.  He would not have acknowledged or faced it any other way, or become the man of God that he became.  But, let’s not get ahead of the story.

Now, Peter at the Lord’s words is probably a bit incredulous.  Remember, Peter is a hot-head, emotional, the “let’s get out there and do it” one.  In verse 33 he answers Jesus, “Peter said, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with you to jail and even to die with you.”

Easy words when all is calm.  Many times it is not until we are going through the trial that we see the true flaws and cracks in our character.  This is why God allows us to go through them.  It is also why Jesus prayed for all of us, that our faith would stand to get us through these times, because it is only with the persecutions that we see our true nature and are able to purge that which does not glorify Him.

The next verse is the famous one from Jesus to Peter, “Peter, I tell you that before a rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” Luke 22:34 (CEV, emphasis mine)

We are not told what Peter’s reaction to His words are.  Jesus goes on to give them further instructions about how to travel and spread the gospel.  I can only imagine the look of incredulous speculation on Peter’s face after Jesus’ statement.  He had just vowed that he would follow Jesus to the death, and His response was that he would deny him not once, not twice, but three times before the sun had cleared the horizon.

What’s interesting is that roosters crow all the time, not just in the morning as the sun comes up.  In fact, in Matthew and Mark, it says that Jesus told him before the rooster crows three times, and two times, tonight.  That is what makes the bible so wonderful, the same stories are related, but not exactly verbatim.  It is what helps us know that they are truly real.  No one sat around correlating their story before writing it down, they told it the way they remembered it. 

The bottom line is that Peter was told that he would deny Christ, by the Lord himself before the next day had really begun.  The bigger question is not if he did it but, why?

So, a little bit further on in the exact same chapter we see Peter, after Jesus has been taken into custody, sitting around a fire in the courtyard outside of where Jesus was being held.  He could see Jesus from where he sat.  He is questioned by a servant girl, not an authority figure, but a servant girl, someone that he although a fisherman, could have told to get lost.  His guilt did not allow for this though, what did he do? He denied it.  A little bit later someone else said the same thing, and got the same answer.  A third time, someone else and again the same answer only this time the rooster crowed as he was speaking.  Peter’s head came up and Jesus’ head turned and their eyes met.  Peter remembered what Jesus had said to him.  Peter jumps up, runs away and cries… 

This grown man of action, is now sobbing.  Not for what is about to happen to his Lord, but for the realization of the flaw that is still within himself.  Self-preservation.  It is because of this situation that Peter is able to face and purge that portion of himself.  If this had not happened, he may never have come to realize that he put himself, even before the Lord.  In that instant, looking into Christ’s eyes he saw his own selfishness, his pride, his ego and knew that if he was truly going to take up his cross and follow his Master he had to surrender it. 

This is a place we all must go to.  The Lord will bring us to a place where we must face the ugliness within ourselves, that part of ourselves that Satan would love to manipulate and use to turn us away from Him.  Remember, he demanded the right to test each one, and he did…  Of course, according to Acts, Peter past the test magnificently. 

However, it is the place where the enemy can get a foothold if we let him.  Only by facing it through His grace can we overcome the pain of letting that which He reveals to us go, and become who He designed us to be.

Simon was created to be Peter, the Rock.  You were created to be something as well.  God will show you what that is if you diligently seek Him, and only you can keep you from reaching it.  Pray and ask the Lord to reveal to you what stands in the way of your achieving it, and then prepare yourself to get there.  It will not be an easy road, there will be tears and pain, but His grace will give you the ability and strength to face whatever it is and overcome it.  Remember, the enemy is a liar.  With God all things ARE possible.

 From Light for My Path – Prayers & Promises

Like just about everyone, Lord, I don’t enjoy being corrected.  It seems more like adversity than love when You show me I’ve been wrong.  Help me to see that only Your love prompts You to ask me to change.  I can only have the good things You want for me by learning Your ways.  Sometimes adversity is the only way You can teach me the lessons I need to learn.

Help me to walk more perfectly in Your path, so that I can find rest from adversity.  Teach me Your way.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

A Proverbs 31 Woman's Life: Don’t Move

A Proverbs 31 Woman's Life: Don’t Move: "There is an instinct that all living beings have, it is called “fight or flight”. It is the thing we do when adrenalin kicks in. It can be..."

Don’t Move

There is an instinct that all living beings have, it is called “fight or flight”.  It is the thing we do when adrenalin kicks in.  It can be instigated by fear or pressure or stress.  It is a natural part of our make-up.  It is what we do without the leading of the Holy Spirit.  We either run or stand firm against the attack. 

However, if we are rooted in Christ we will always stand firm.  Let this scripture go down into your heart, “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.  But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.  They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.  In all he does, he prospers.”  Psalm 1:1-3 (NRS) (Emphasis mine)

Now, consider that you are that tree and the Holy Spirit is the river that your roots are drinking from as they are deeply rooted in the soil of Christ.  No matter what storm or disaster comes at you, you don’t budge.  You stand firm, as do the other trees around you creating a forest of security for those who enter into it.

Yes, you may lose some leaves, a bit of fruit or even a limb or two in the onslaughts of the in-climate weather, but your roots and trunk are still there, aren’t they?

There will even be seasons when you go dormant, your leaves and growth seemingly dead, but this is actually a time of refreshing and renewal.  When the Spring comes, you will have new leaves and fruit.  Each year more abundant than the last.

To truly be able to stand firm, you have to keep yourself from the ways of the world.  “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” 1 Thess. 4:11-12 (NIV) (Emphasis mine)  In the world everyone is always in everybody else’s business.  Judging and criticizing, this is a critical spirit and is not of Christ.  If you find yourself doing this….your moving…  “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Cor. 15:58 (NIV) (Emphasis mine)

How completely are you giving yourself to the work of the Lord?  Do you give Him the time leftover in your day, week, or even your month?  Psalm 1 states that we can stand firm if we meditate on His word day and night.  Not just when things are going poorly, or when we are at church.  Our pursuit of holiness must be consistent.  We have to inundate our lives with Him, as He inundates His thoughts with us.  If He didn’t we wouldn’t exist.  He never forgets about us for one nanosecond, can we say the same?  When we hear something are we praying to ask God how we should be responding to it, rather than just having a knee-jerk “old-mind” reaction?  If not, we are moving, not standing firm.

If you want to stand firm and not be moved you have to dig deep into His word and drink deeply of what the Holy Spirit has to give.  There is a reason Jesus used the metaphor of “living water” when He referred to Him.  (See the story of the woman at the well in John 4).

Would you like to live a life where the situations and circumstances of life do not move you.  Become like the tree in Psalm 1 by reading, meditating, praying, and communing with God day and night.  Walk as one with Him, and as He promised, “but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."  John 4:14 (NIV)  This water allows us all to grow, bear fruit, and stand firm.  Because, we can’t bear fruit if we are always moving.  At the very least, it will fall off from the motion of our own movement.

From Light for My Path – Prayers & Promises

Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.  1 John 5:5 (NIV)

When worldly temptations press in on me, I’m glad You gave me this promise, Jesus.  It’s hard to be in the world and not fall into its traps.  But as I believe in You, who have overcome the world, I overcome it, too.  I don’t have to settle for giving in to the world’s temptations and wickedness.  You’ve given me the ability to fight back, in You – and to win through You.

I want to enjoy Your blessings for this life without being trapped in wrong thoughts or actions.  Where You have overcome, I don’t need to be defeated.  Keep me faithful to You, Jesus, and my battle will be won.

In Jesus name,

Amen.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

A Proverbs 31 Woman's Life: Man Pleasers

A Proverbs 31 Woman's Life: Man Pleasers: "“On the contrary we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our he..."

Man Pleasers

“On the contrary we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.  We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.” 1 Thes. 2:4 (Emphasis mine).

When you get up in the morning I am sure the first thought that goes through your mind is NOT, “How can I please my spouse, my children, my boss, etc.. today?”  For many of us it is not even about how to please God.  Our first thoughts on waking are about the issues and problems of the day ahead.

However, this is a form of “man pleasing.”  Why?  Because you are putting the things of this earth before God.  No matter what was coming at Paul, Silas and Timothy they always looked to God for their direction and instruction.  The trial or issue that you are going through is nothing more than a test to show you what is most important to you.

God already knows what is in our hearts, but so many times we do not.  We think that we are doing the Christian walk.  In fact, it is pretty simple to be a Christian when all is well.  It is easy to say, “Bless you sisters, God be with you brother,” when all is right in our world.  Even, “Let me pray for you,” comes easier when we are not going through something.

The true “test” of God in your heart is when you are going through a trial.  This is when you will discover if you are a man pleaser or a God pleaser.  Men pleasers are focused on themselves.  They are concerned with what people think of them and what they do.  They are quite often trying to make an impression, get a compliment, or “seem” pious because people say so, even trying to get people to focus on their problems, exclusively.

God pleasers on the other hand are not concerned for their own well-being.  They are consistently looking to show the love of God to others.  Even if it means putting themselves out, (that is called sacrifice), they will do it.  Whatever is going on in their own lives takes second place to helping others achieve and maintain their faith in Christ.

This doesn’t mean that you are not “aware” of what is happening around you.  Paul quite often recited all that he had been through, but then he amended it by bragging about the fact that all these things only proved that he was weak and God was strong, that he was dependent on the One who created him in the beginning.  That he trusted the Lord for all things, and no matter what he was going through he knew that Christ was the goal.

Read through his letters, most times they were written from prison.  He had been flogged, stoned, shipwrecked, lost at sea, the list goes on, yet not once did he ever say, “Woe is me.”  He even had a physical ailment that he said God would not heal him of, (for those who are of the mind that God heals every ailment if we believe enough, the key is for us to be in line with His will wherever it leads, not focused on the cure for the disease.)  He says that the answer to his petition to God for relief was, “But He told me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Cor 12:9

God will give you the grace to get through whatever it is that comes at you.  The key is to stay focused on Him and not your circumstance.  This takes a humble and contrite heart that is willing to be completely dependent on God and not our own abilities to rectify a situation. “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 (Emphasis mine)

What is in our heart is the key, for this is where we all act and react from.  When His word has saturated our hearts, it pumps out like life blood to others.  This can only happen when He is the reason for our actions, then we can be assured that we will be God pleasers and not man pleasers.

From Light for My Path – Prayers & Promises

Father, sometimes I get things backward, thinking that if I am successful in life I will be of better service to You.  I’ll have more money, more time.  Then people will listen to me; I’ll have influence and power to use for Your kingdom. Sometimes it does work out this way, but normally if I become successful, I end up doing no more work for You then I did before.

Help me to realize that humility and doing Your will should come first, no matter what my present situation is.  Help me keep my eyes on You, and the rest will take care of itself.

Monday, April 11, 2011

You Have a Spirit of Power, Love, & Self-Discipline

 

So many people can recite the first part of the verse from 2Timothy 1:7 on fear, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity…”, but often the second part of that sentence that Paul wrote in his last letter to anyone is forgotten.  “but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.”  It is very important that you see the contrast. This is the NIV translation of this verse.

In the Amplified translation, it says it this way, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but (He has given us a spirit) of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

WOW!  What this word meant in the Greek was not simply timidity, but cowardice, to be a craven, cringing coward, trembling in fear from what others might think of us.  That is what this verse is about.  Paul was instructing Timothy to keep the fire alive in him that God had originally sparked by imparting gifts or talents in Him to help him to bless others through teaching and preaching.  Letting him know to not worry about what others think, and do what God had called him to do regardless of what anyone else might think.

The Holy Spirit in us fills us with power, love, and self-discipline.  These emotions and thought patterns by their very nature override any type of fear that could try to assail us. 

Like Timothy, we are all put into a position, when fulfilling the destiny that God created us for, we become a little afraid, sometimes a lot afraid.  That’s okay, we have to go on in spite of that fear.  Two scriptures scream to the forefront at this sentiment.  Romans 8:28 and Philippians 4:13 – “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” and “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

It really doesn’t matter what outcome we are shooting for, our aim and purpose should be to bring people into a relationship or closer relationship with Christ and not worry about ourselves or what they may think of us for speaking up or using our God-given gifts. 

We have a society that is so concerned with what others think that our kids are now going to school and shooting each other because they were humiliated in front of other.  Or, entire reputations are being destroyed by viral photos or videos that were taken at inopportune moments.  Why?  It’s funny, it’s fun to point fingers at someone else… 

How about the fact that there are drugs that have been created to incapacitate a victim so you can rape them and then make sure that they can’t press charges because it wipes their memory?

These are the norms, not exceptions to the rules.  Jesus said that our society would basically start to crumble in on itself and it has.  We as Christians don’t have to give in to that, however.  We are to be “as wise as snakes, but as gentle as dove,” according to Matthew 10:16.  This means to be aware of the evils, but not get involved in them.  We have nothing to fear from anyone in the world, because “…If God is for us, who can be against us?”  Romans 8:31b

We don’t have to behave as they do.  We are to hold ourselves to a higher standard.  With the spirit of power, love and self-discipline we can do just that.  Power, love and self-discipline are all contrary to fear.  There is no power in fear, there is no love in fear, and there is no self-discipline in fear.  The two cannot reside within you at the same time, you must give up one spirit for the other.  Either you can have the very shallow one-dimensional spirit that will keep you under its thumb and from moving forward or you can kick him to the curb and embrace and use the Holy Spirit with all the abilities He gives you to use the gifts you have had within you from the time you were born.  He gave you the dreams, let Him fulfill His promises that He gave you when He put them in your heart, with the talents to fulfill them.  Oh, and stop listening to Satan or his disciple the spirit of fear or cowardice.  Just a hint…they LIE!

We are at war, there is no room for people who are cowards when fighting a war.  It doesn’t mean you won’t feel some fear, that is natural, but you charge into the fray anyway no matter how afraid you are.  Spiritual warfare means using all that spiritual power to render the enemy defenseless, use spiritual love to love them into salvation, and spiritual self-discipline to have the wisdom to pick your battles properly.  See, after all that there is no room left for timidity.

 

From LIGHT FOR MY PATH – PRAYERS & PROMISES

How wonderful, Father God, to know that even my most feared enemy does not have final control over me.  Even if he put me to death, he could not part my soul from Your love.

I’m not facing death today, but I face fears that feel like death.  That killjoy, Satan, tells me that by following You, I kill off every chance to fulfill certain hopes and dreams.  A thousand small deaths attack my soul. 

Keep me obedient to Your love; help me trust that You will bring me good things.  I need faith to see blessings instead of fears.

Friday, March 25, 2011

He’s Right There

So many times we get very fixed on the thing in front of us.  We let what is going on around us cause us to fear.  Did you know that fearing circumstances and situations is a sin?  It shows a lack of faith in your heavenly Father’s ability to take care of you and the situation.

An example of how this irritates our Lord is in Matthew 9:26, Jesus says something to His disciples I would never want to hear from Him, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”  What was He talking about?  A boat ride across a lake.  The disciples had recently witnessed, first hand, Jesus’ sermon on the mount, they watched as He healed a man of leprosy, they were surely amazed by the report of the Centurion's daughter who had been healed by his amazing faith, He even healed Peter’s mother-in-law.  All these things had transpired prior to boarding the boat to the other side of he lake.

Jesus was comfortable, the rocking of the water was probably very soothing.  Soon He was sleeping and as He slept a storm came in over the lake.  The disciples woke Him terrified of the storm, not focused on the fact that God in the flesh was sitting in the boat with them asleep or not.  If He wasn’t concerned about the storm, why were they?

This story truly parallels our own Christian walk.  How many times do we get distracted from our pursuit and relationship with God because of circumstances.  The winds and waves of life start to blow and toss our tiny vessel and we often quickly forget that God is in the boat with us, and He’s not concerned.  To worry or fret about these “outside” influence is a sin, because in essence you are saying that you believe that they are bigger and stronger than God is.  “You of little faith,” 

Faith requires that we hold fast to the promise that God has given us in the situation and forget about the elements.  Do you really think Jesus would have gotten into that boat if He had thought there was any chance they wouldn’t make it to the other side?  When we start to get upset He is asking us “Why are you afraid? Don’t you trust Me?”  Your fear is a way of saying that you don’t and perhaps you may not really believe He is who He says He is or can do what He says He can do.

In Psalms 66:12, a clear statement is made about how God deals with us and situations.  “You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but You brought us to a place of abundance.”  Sound familiar?  Been through some fire and water places recently?  Feel like men are riding over your heads?  That’s okay, because God will bring you to a place of abundance if you stand firm in Your faith in who He is and what He can do.

From Light for My Path – Prayers & Promises

All things are possible to him that believes  Mark 9:23

What an amazing promise this is, Lord!  I can hardly believe You wrote this to me.  You’ve opened so many doors to me, simply because I have faith in You.

I know that amazing promise doesn’t mean I can demand anything I want.  There are plenty of wrong things in this world – or things that would simply be wrong for me – that Your promise doesn’t automatically cover.  But You have given me an open door to all the good things You offer me, all the positive things that I can do, and all the challenges You want me to overcome.

When it comes to the things You say are right, I don’t want to think too small.  All things are possible to You.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Word of Mouth

How powerful do you think your words are?  Do you think you have the power to make the difference in someone’s life by what you say?  Do you believe you have the power to make the difference in your own life by what you say? 

Word of mouth, is a saying for something that is not written down but is passed down or around from one person to the next by verbal statements.  It has more power than the most expensive advertising campaign.  It can make or break a business.  It can also make or break a person. 

Proverbs 18:8 gives a very clear warning about gossip, which is what “word of mouth” can be considered at times.  “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.”  They don’t just touch you on the surface, they go deep within and can hurt you, or others.

What is more important about the words of our mouth is how much damage we can do to ourselves.  When we don’t feel good about ourselves, we tend to lash out and hurt others to cover up for the hurt we feel inside.  This is referred to as projection in psychology.  Another term in psychology is called a self-fulfilling prophecy.  If you tell yourself that you are not very good, that you cannot succeed at anything, you will subconsciously do everything you can to make sure that you are just that.  Many times those thoughts and ideas were “planted” by your parents or some other authority figure.  Those words went down into your innermost parts and took root.

The way to get those “weeds” out is to start seeing yourself as God created you.  You have to stop listening to the lies of the enemy.  God did not make you to doubt yourself.  The words of your mouth should be mimicking what God says about you, not man or Satan.  If we go to Psalm 18:32 we find, “It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.”  Not makes my way imperfect or makes me weak.  We are strong in Him and perfect.  That is not arrogance that is assurance, blessed assurance.

You must start changing the words that come from your mouth to positive affirmations.  Start saying “I will NEVER belittle myself!  I will NEVER criticize myself!  I did NOT make myself!  GOD MADE ME!  I am HIS workmanship!  I will NOT criticize or put down what He has made!”  You see when you start talking badly about yourself or anyone else for that matter you are judging God’s handiwork.  Is that really your place?

The words of our mouth have so much power.  We can lift up or we can tear down all based upon what we say to ourselves and each other.  Each word that we utter is a seed that we are planting in the hearts of those who are listening.  It may be our own ears, it may be our spouse’s ears, it may be our children’s ears, it may be our grandchildren’s ears, it may be another family member’s ears, it may be a friends’ or peers’ ears, it may be a complete stranger it really doesn’t matter, what does matter is that we make sure that we are using our word of mouth to edify as God has ordained.

Everything that was created was created by word of mouth.  Read Genesis, God spoke and creation began.  Even Lucifer’s fall came about not because of his thoughts but because of the words of his mouth.

We will not be judged by our thoughts, but by our words and deeds.  When we learn to control our mouths, we will find that we have subsequently learned to control our thoughts.  They go hand in hand.  When you put the breaks on your tongue and let the Holy Spirit lead and guide you, your thought life will follow along.  The negativity that was a ruling part of your being will be ushered out, and positive light will flow through you and from you to others as His Spirit touches the lives of others around you. 

Remember, “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”  Matthew 5:15-17  Speaking negative words are like putting your light under a bowl.  How can anyone see your light through all that darkness?

We reap what we sow, and we sow with our mouths.  Are you up to the challenge of controlling yours to sow light and life into yours and others lives?

From Light For My Path – Prayers & Promises

My Email has an option to “unread” an Email.  Although I don’t know any specific purpose for such a feature, I do wish for an “unsay” option for my mouth.  I am often dismayed at what I say and regret that the words cannot be taken back.

Lord, I pray that I will put my mind in gear before putting my mouth in motion.  Instead of causing division and hurt, let my words uplift and bless.  I pray that my conversations will bring unity and hope.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Monday, March 14, 2011

A Proverbs 31 Woman's Life: Say What?

A Proverbs 31 Woman's Life: Say What?: "Do you ever think about what you talk about? About the words that are coming out of your mouth. As Chris Tucker said in that mov..."

Say What?

Do you ever think about what you talk about?  About the words that are coming out of your mouth.  As Chris Tucker said in that movie, “Can you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?”  Sometimes, it not as much about understanding the words that are coming out of our mouths, but the fact that certain words shouldn’t be coming out of our mouths in the first place.  Especially if we are Christians.

I’m not talking about obvious foul language, that’s a no brainer.  What I’m talking about is knowing when to speak and when to be quiet.  What to say when is a finely honed skill.

Proverbs has a lot to say about our mouths, in Proverbs 15:1 for example it says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”  This means that we need to think before we speak.  When someone says something hurtful to us, we cannot just have a knee jerk defensive reaction to their statement.  More than likely if we do that, the comment that we have will be cutting and will escalate the situation stirring up the spirit of dissension.

Have you ever noticed that when people are angry that the feeling seems to hop from one person to the other like it is alive?  That’s because in a way it is.  It is so difficult to remember that in the heat of battle that we are in a war.  A spiritual war, you are not actually fighting with the person you are confronting.  You are dealing with the spirit that is on them, and they are doing the same.  Those spirits that are getting you to go at each other are laughing hysterically as they get you to tear each other to shreds verbally at the least, sometimes physically in worst case scenarios. It also builds hostile feelings towards one another and essentially causes you to sin in your anger.

The next verse in Proverbs 15 says, “The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.”  This could have to do with business dealings, but it can also be about the previous argument.  If you take the gentle answer road than you will also input knowledge into the situation which will help to diffuse the whole chaotic mess before it gets started. 

However, if you take the harsh word low road, than you will be gushing out stuff that is just harmful folly.  Saying hurtful and nasty things to the other person just to try and one up them or get them to shut up and leave us alone. 

The high roads requires patience and self-discipline.  To keep from spouting off at the other person you have to listen to what they are saying and really hear what is bothering them.  They may have a legitimate complaint, regardless of how much they may just be a “complainer”.  This time it might be something “real”, but how will you know if you don’t listen?  If you immediately go into “self-defense” mode than you won’t hear the most important part of their conversation, what is really on their mind.  “He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise.  He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.” (emphasis mine) Proverbs 15:31-32.

It doesn’t matter the source, you never know who God may use to get a message through to you.  What matters is that you listen to the message before responding.  Jesus showed us the example of not defending ourselves when He allowed Himself to be falsely accused.  “Are You the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate.  “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.  The chief priests accused Him of many things.  So again Pilate asked Him, “Aren’t You going to answer?  See how many things they are accusing You of.”  But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.” Mark 15:2-5 (Emphasis mine)  He could have pled His case, He could have performed miracles to prove who He was, yet He did what God told Him to do…nothing.  He used wisdom no matter how “unwise” it may have seemed to the world.  Yet, God does not use our method of thinking or reasoning.  He sees the beginning from the end.  He knew that Jesus had to die to save us from our sinfulness.  This was the only way.  We only see the circumstance in front of us, and react to it.  This is why we must listen to the Holy Spirit’s “intervention” when confrontations arise and respond accordingly, as He directs.

Here are a few scriptures to think about:

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9

“Brothers, do not slander one another.  Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it.  When you judge the law, you  are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.  There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and destroy.  But you – who are you to judge your neighbor?”  James 4:11-12

“The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the  parts of the body.  It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”  James 3:6

What we say can do so much harm.  The bible refers to the tongue as a double-edged sword.  Satan knows this and if he can get you to use it against others it is a wondrous thing to him.  Words have so much power, and once spoken cannot be unspoken.

Think about it, what are prayer and incantations or spells made up of?  Words, spoken words.  That is how much power they have.  This is why it is so important that we are very careful with this extremely powerful weapon that we have and we do not just take it for granted.  Too often we act like a bunch of 5 year olds with automatic weapons that are fully loaded, that have no safeties and hairpin triggers.  Running around shooting anyone within earshot with our verbal bullets.  As Christians we have the responsibility to be careful with this powerful weapon so we don’t inadvertently hurt someone.

The way we can assure this, is that we treat everyone with the mercy, love and grace that we received from Christ and the Father when they forgave us our sins.  “Do not judge, and you will not be judged.  Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.  For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”  Luke 6:37-38 

It comes down to the key to controlling our mouths, and making sure that nothing ugly and unrighteous comes out of it is having a loving, forgiving, and merciful spirit at all times.  The Holy Spirit is that spirit, let Him lead and guide your mouth, turn it over to Him and your speech will always be glorifying to the Lord.

From Light for my Path – Prayers & Promises

Sometimes, Lord, training merely makes me feel bad because after learning what I should do, I realize that I fall far short of perfection.  For example, to communicate well, I should listen first.  But rather than listening, I am sometimes merely exercising patience while waiting to talk.  I should be attentive with my whole mind and body, and I should exchange ideas as well as words.

Father, please help me use my best listening skills when I come before You.  Give me the patience to wait for Your message.  Help me not be so anxious to put what I consider urgent matters before You first.  May I tune in to You with my mind and heart.

In Jesus name,

Amen.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Emotionally Connected

If you have ever watched a toddler you have seen that throughout the day they go through a large range of emotions.  Happiness, anger, fear, sadness, joy, elation, boredom, irritability, you name it.  They let each and every one show too.  As we get older we are taught to not show these.  In other words, hold it in and “act” like an adult.

As I have continued to study the Psalms, I have noticed an amazing trend.  David, the person that God said was a man after His own heart was a man of great emotion.  He didn’t always show those emotions to the world at large, but he did show them to his heavenly Father.  He cried, a lot.  A grown man, who was a great leader of an entire nation, cried. 

One of the first things little boys are taught is not to cry.  Big boys and real men don’t cry, right?  Except, if the Bible is correct and we Christian believe it is, crying is a natural and right thing for us all to do.  That includes men.  We are to cry, literally, to our Father when things are not as we would like.  Now, this doesn’t mean that we act like spoiled brats and stomp our feet and pout and moan and groan when we don’t get our way.  I’m speaking about when we are walking in righteousness and obedience and we are being thwarted at every turn.  This is when we have to fall to our knees and literally cry for help if that is what we our “feeling” at that moment. 

The Holy Spirit guides us in our conversation with God.  He is our emotional connection with Him.  The only thing that would keep us from doing so would be a spirit of pride.  Pride is the thing that says we cannot let anyone, not even God see who we are or what we are feeling.  Yet, what are we really hiding from Him?  He sees everything that we are and all that we are feeling is like an open book to Him, no matter how hard we try to hide it.  The only one we are fooling is ourselves when we hold it in.  Not only are we fooling ourselves, but we are also hurting ourselves because holding all that stuff in causes ailments and diseases like ulcers and possibly even cancer.

In Psalm 56:8, David clearly states his emotions, “Record my lament; list my tears on Your scroll – are they not in Your record?” (italics mine)  This is the NIV translation.  The Amplified Bible says it like this, “You number and record my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle – are they not in Your book?”  David was very sure that God was aware of how he felt about all things.  He knew where he went and what his feelings were about his travels and how he was treated by friend and foe.  He knew that there was no point in trying to hide it from his Creator, so why do we?

The other thing, is that God does not start moving in the situation until we do come to Him and lay it at His feet.  When we let it go, and humble ourselves.  When we stop trying to pretend we can handle it all ourselves.  Only then will He move His hand and start to resolve it.  It may not be the way we would think it should be, but we do not know what the entire situation is that He is working.  What may seem like a bad thing at the moment, may have a much greater outcome due to that particular situation.  It may be something as simple as the learned patience and perseverance we gained from going through it holding His hand the whole way through.

Do you truly want to be connected with our Father?  Than put down your guard.  Strip the pride from your heart, and confess to God what you are feeling.  Let the tears flow.  Whether you are male or female, it does not matter.  With God there is no gender.  According to Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”  So, if that is the truth than what does the statement “Real MEN, don’t cry”, mean to God?  Absolutely nothing.  Real children of God, followers of Christ, do cry, do show their emotions when they are communing with their Father.  The operative part of that statement is “children”.  You see we are never referred to as tweens of God, teens of God, young adults of God, or even adults of God.  We are always CHILDREN, which means it’s okay to act like a child.  That includes dancing with joy, learning new things, looking at the world in wonder and awe, laughing and having fun just because, and yes, crying out to Daddy because we hurt or need help.

From Light for My Path – Prayers & Promises

Dear Lord, when a friend sees my distress and offers his support, my tendency is to wave him away and assure him that nothing is required from him.  I think I can take care of myself.  Father, I am also reluctant to pray about those burdens that I think I should be able to handle without Your help.  Help me realize that no matter how independent I may wish to be, I must come to You with a humble and contrite heart.  Forgive me for my attempts at self-sufficiency, and show me how to  accept help from others and from You.

In Jesus name, Amen.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Faith Check

Have you ever read much of the Old Testament?  The stories that fill that portion of the bible are overflowing with repeated incidences of amazing displays of complete lack of faith in God, no matter how much He had done prior to His request of the Israelites. 

The Book of Exodus alone has so many stories of doubt and fear it is an absolute miracle that the “chosen ones” ever made it out of Egypt.  One story in particular struck me today as I was studying, it was the parting of the Red Sea. 

Not the parting in and of itself, or the ranting and raging that the Israelite people did at Moses prior to God parting the waters.  I truly understand their feelings; I am not too sure that I wouldn’t have been extremely panicked myself if I had been facing a huge army coming at me at full speed to wipe us out.

What caught my eye was a verse after they had crossed and the Egyptian army had been obliterated by the Red Sea closing back down upon them.  In Chapter 14 of Exodus, the last verse of this chapter says something very interesting about the state of mind of the people of God.

And when the Israelites saw the great power the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared (revered, respected) the Lord and put their trust in Him and in Moses His servant.”   Exodus 14:31  (Defining of feared mine)

Did you catch that?  It wasn’t until after they saw God wipe out the Egyptians that they decided to trust Him and that Moses was actually being used by Him.  They had just been through 10 plagues in Egypt.  Each one foretold by Moses if Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites go.  They survived the last one because Moses told them what to do after God gave him instructions.  They had been following a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire.  The pillar moved as did the angel of the Lord and stood between them and the Egyptian army while the Red Sea did it’s thing.  Oh yeah, and the Red Sea parted before their very eyes.

They then walked across not on muddy, soggy ground, but on “dry ground”. with walls of water on their left and their right.  Yet, it wasn’t until the Lord caused those same watery walls to come crashing down and destroy the army that was pursuing them that they trusted that God was working on their behalf?  Seriously?

Of course, that is my first reaction.  That is often my first reaction to many of the stories of the Old Testament.  The difference is that I know the end of the story.  I wasn’t living it.

In my own faith story, I have done many of the same things that I shake my head in disbelief about when I think about the Israelites.  How many times has God worked a miracle in my life?  Yet, how often when the circumstances are not going as I would like do I make a big deal to Him and anyone else who will listen?

How many times do I take matters into my own hands and try to construct my own “golden calf” to get the money or whatever I need when I believe I need it rather than waiting for God? 

I looked at this passage again and thought “Yes, Lord.  I am guilty of doing the exact same thing.  Not trusting you until “after” I see my enemy dispatched no matter how much you have done for me leading up to that point.  I wonder, how much quicker would things happen if I just hold on to my trust and faith through it all no matter what?  What about you?  Do you think that it’s time to check your faith?

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Let Daddy Take Care of It

Have you ever been wronged?  Of course you have.  Do you know what the bible says about what we are to do when someone treats us unjustly?  It says we are to do nothing against the person.  We are to be kind to them, bless them give them food to eat if they are hungry and something to drink if they are thirsty.  We are to let God vindicate us.  We are not to “defend” ourselves but to let Him do it.

I know that this way of thinking can be extremely difficult but think about it.  If you had a child that came to you one day and said that a bully had been roughing them up at school or just threatening them.  At first, you would give them advice as to how to deal with this unpleasant character, but if the situation escalated to the point that you felt that their safety was truly in danger you would tell them to step back and let you handle it.  You in your years of experience and wisdom would know a much better way to deal with this situation then your child.

If you use this same rationale with our situations and God it works out exactly the same way.  He knows a much better way to deal with the “bullies” in our lives than we do.  He will give us advice on how to deal with the circumstances to a point, and then He will say “Child stand back and let Me handle this.” 

There are many examples of this in the bible, one in particular is Daniel in the lions den.  He did not defend himself, he went through it, the lions mouths were shut up and the men who tried to have him executed were thrown into the lions den themselves.  The important thing to remember about God’s vindication is never, ever are we to gloat over another person’s misfortune no matter how much we think they deserve it.

There was a time in my life when I was very vindictive.  If you wronged me, I could come up with 14 ways from Sunday to get you back.  They would be so horrific that you would never consider messing with me again.  The thing is that on the other side of it I never felt better, I felt awful.  I always thought I would as I devised my “evil” scheme for retribution but it just didn’t turn out that way.  When I truly embraced my relationship with Christ and our Father I found that I couldn’t even devise these plans anymore, in fact it made me ill to even think about getting “even” with someone who had wronged me.  I had had a trued renewing of my mind.

The other thing that changed for me is that I found no solace when I heard that something bad had happened to them.  I felt terrible that they had had such ill fortune and prayed that God would use the circumstance to lead them to Him and Jesus, as well as help them to start living better lives.  This is truly what it is all about, not that a person has hurt us one way or another, but that we try to use every situation to bring another soul to the Lord.  These are cases where we can truly live out the scripture, “What was meant for evil God uses for good.”

So, when you feel hard pressed and put upon.  If you are being unjustly accused or attacked.  Ask the Lord to handle it for you.  Keep your motives righteous before Him by being loving in all you do and He will do what you never would have thought to do to take care of it.  You just keep standing firmly on the Rock of your salvation and let Daddy take care of it.

A Proverbs 31 Woman's Life: Biblical Fear = Respect

A Proverbs 31 Woman's Life: Biblical Fear = Respect: "I have had many non-Christian people ask me how a “loving” God could ask me to fear Him. That the bible is full of commandments to fea..."

Monday, January 31, 2011

Biblical Fear = Respect

I have had many non-Christian people ask me how a “loving” God could ask me to fear Him.  That the bible is full of commandments to fear Him.  They passionately explain to me how this cannot possibly be something a “loving” father would do to their child.  Most of these people are from broken homes, or abusive pasts.  Since I too suffered from an abusive history I understand their resistance to anyone telling them they have to fear them.

Let me explain the psychology behind this.  The number one thing that abuse creates is rebellion.  It will manifest itself in one form or another.  Some turn to drugs, alcohol or sexual promiscuity.  Others fighting, lying, or stealing.  Still others abuse others, repeating the cycle that was perpetrated on them.  The conduct is a way of numbing themselves from the pain that they are feeling, but it is also a way of striking out at the people who hurt them. 

It is usually their parents or parental figures who did the damage.  Children look to their parents for nurturing and love.  They give their parents their love naturally and expect it to be reciprocated.  When it is not they, first blame themselves for being bad human beings because obviously there must be something wrong with them because why else would their parent or parents reject them? Secondly, they start to act out in an effort to hurt back or rebel against the pain they are feeling.  This is often not a conscious premeditated reaction.  No, little Susie does not decide, “I think I will go out and have sex with every other guy in town so I can show Mom and Dad how much I resent them not validating my love for them!”  No, in actuality she would probably be mortified if she knew that was the real reason why she was behaving like that.

It took me a very long time to realize that so much of my behavior and destructive cycles were because of the neglect and abuse I had suffered in my past.  I had to humble myself and admit why I was behaving the way I was.  It has been a long, painful road to recovery and honestly I am still trudging down it everyday I get a little closer to healing.

So, to get back to what I was originally addressing.  For many of these people the term “Fear of God” was used while they were being abused.  Such as “I’ll put the fear of God in you!” while the belt or electric cord or board or whatever else, was being used to beat the child by the adult, was coming down.  There are no positive connotations for this person with this analogy.  This adult has misused God’s name for his or her own evil purposes and will have to deal with God about that some day.

You see the bible does speak about fearing God, but when it does it is speaking about respecting God and His power.  Like we respect the power of electricity.  Think about it.  If you were washing dishes and you needed to plug something in, would you reach over and grab the cord with your hands sopping wet and put it into the outlet?  Of course, not!  Why?  Because you “fear” or respect the power that electricity has.  You know that with wet hands and an electrical outlet there is a very real chance that you would get zapped.  You would dry your hands off first because you respect (fear) getting shocked.

This is the same translation we should be using when we think of the word fear in the bible when related to God.  Let’s look at a few scriptures and switch out the word fear for respect just for an example.  I’ll use the Psalms because it is full of just such verses.  I will put respect in parenthesis so you can see where I switched fear for respect.

Who, then, is the man that “respects” the Lord?  He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.  Psalm 25:12

The Lord confides in those who “respect” Him; He make His covenant known to them.  Psalm 25:14

Let all the earth “respect” the Lord; let all the people of the world revere Him.  Psalm 33:8

But the eyes of the Lord are on those who “respect” Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love,  Psalm 33:18

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who “respect” Him, and He deliver them,   Psalm 34:7

“Respect” the Lord, you His saints, for those who “respect” Him lack nothing.  Psalm 34:9

Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the “respect” of the Lord. (or to respect the Lord)  Psalm 34:11

Who knows the power of Your anger?  For Your wrath is as great as the “respect” that is due You.  Psalm 90:11

And now a few from Proverbs to finish out my point…

Do not be wise in your own eyes; “respect” the Lord and shun evil.  Proverbs 3:7

The “respect” of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.  Proverbs 10:27

A wise man “respects” the Lord and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless.  Proverbs 14:16

He who “respects” the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.  Proverbs 14:26

The “respect” of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.  Proverbs 14:27

Better a little with the “respect” of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.  Proverbs 15:16

The “respect” of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.  Proverbs 15:33

Needless to say, there are so many others, but I am sure that you get the point.  Try it for yourself.  Read through the scriptures, if you don’t have a bible borrow one, and trade the word fear when it is used in relation to our interaction with God with respect and see if you sense something a bit different. 

God does not want us to FEAR Him, He wants us to respect Him as any good parent would.  Respect is not something you automatically get, but you earn by showing how much you love and respect the person first.  If God sending Jesus here to suffer and then die such a horrific death for us was not evidence of His love for us and the fact that He deserves our respect I’m not sure what is. 

He created us to love Him and each other, and that has been corrupted by Satan.  It has been warped but that doesn’t mean it can’t be straightened back out.  We just have to seek Him and He’ll show us how.  How do I know, the bible tells me so.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

One Thing Never Changes

Hello again, my dear old friends.  It has been so long since I have written here.  Well over 2 months and I have felt the distance everyday.  I have missed my readers and I pray that I will be able to get back to blogging on a daily basis again.  This all depends on His hand moving or staying circumstances within my life.

No matter what the circumstances, the one thing I have learned over time and has become abundantly clear to me is that God is the only thing in life that never ever changes.  I may change my mind, clients may change their terms, but He will never change who He is.  If He made me a promise 20 years ago, it will come to pass.  Isn’t that amazing!  Do you have something that God promised you a long time ago?  Perhaps, it is something you have forgotten about and when it didn’t come to pass in the time frame that you felt it should you figured you had either heard Him wrong or He had changed His mind.  Not so my sister or brother, it just hasn’t been the right time yet.

What do I mean by that?  Remember the Israelites in the wilderness?  It took them 40 years to make an 11 day trip.  Why?  Because, they were never ready to step into the promised land.  It was not that God wasn’t going to fulfill the promise He had made to His children, it was just that their hearts were not in the right place to receive it.  They were full of unbelief and rebellion.  If you give a child what they want, even if you have promised it, when they are behaving poorly what will be the result?  You will be reinforcing the poor behavior and they will act even worse.  With no consequences for bad acts we dig ourselves deeper into the pit of mistakes never realizing that we need to put down the shovel.  Only by denying us what we desire most until we have humbled ourselves before Him do we step into the fullness of His blessings.

Go back and read over Exodus,Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy and you will see what I am talking about.  Even Moses got a little besides himself and knocked himself out of the running to enter into the promised land.  This is unfortunately what can happen if you hang around people with the wrong mindset for too long.  You start to behave like them without even realizing it.

Do not give up on your promised blessing.  It is still waiting in the wings to come out on the stage of your life.  Our God, our Father who never changes is just waiting for you and I to get to the place that we can handle what He has for us so that He doesn’t have to take it away again.  Instead of looking at the fact that you haven’t received, look at what you are or aren’t doing that is keeping you from receiving and start there.  You’ll then have to do the hard part of sacrificing your bad attitude on the altar.  However, after you have done that you can get ready for the amazing blessings that were promised to you, no matter how long ago it was.  That’s what faith is about and keeping the faith means staying steady in all seasons.

Blessings my siblings,

Cyn