Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Want peace?

Whew!  I noticed that I haven't written in my blog since September 7th!  As I looked back over my calendar, I noticed that that's when we began traveling a lot and had lots of guests/meetings in our home.  I guess traveling, hosting and blogging consistently don't mix well in my little world!  Thankfully, I am not traveling this week and can actually pull a few thoughts together to blog!

There is a wonderful recipe for peace between the pages of Philippians and I want to share it with you!  I don't really understand the notion of NOT sharing recipes.  Why wouldn't we want people to have their taste buds tantalized or to... 'Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!'?  (Psalms 34:8 NLT)  Of course, I believe the enemy of our soul wants us to glide over these verses and NOT recognize this recipe!

We are to rejoice in the Lord and not in our circumstances, possessions, relationships, etc.  He is that one constant in our lives that will never change and will always be with us!  'He also says to the Son, “In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with your hands. They will perish, but you remain forever. They will wear out like old clothing. You will fold them up like a cloak and discard them like old clothing. But you are always the same; you will live forever.” (Hebrews 1:10-12 NLT)

We are to pray about everything with thanksgiving!  Turn your thoughts into prayers of supplication and thanksgiving throughout the day.  This takes great discipline as we take each thought captive to the obedience of Christ, yet it is the key ingredient to experiencing God's peace, joy, peace, and victory in our lives here on this earth.  (II Corinthians 10:3-5)  We must also remember that essential element of thankfulness with each prayer.  We are not to give thanks because of everything that comes our way, but in everything, as this is God's will.  In essence, these verses in  I Thessalonians say the same thing:  'Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.' (I Thessalonians 5:16-18 NKJV)  God's peace will guard our hearts and minds as we rejoice in Him and pray about everything with thankful hearts!

We are also to only think on those things that are true - in line with who God is and what His Word says, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent and worthy of praise.  We can do this only with God's help!  Thus, the quality of the 'ingredients' of our thoughts are essential as well.  The old motto, 'garbage in, garbage out', continues to hold true; we must feed our minds on the Word of God, who He is, and those things that promote healthy and wholesome thoughts.  Thus, the second promise will come true in our lives as we practice this truth of thinking on quality things...the peace of God will be with us!

This is not a practice that you say, 'I got this one.'  It is a daily, constant battle that we face in our minds that requires diligence, perseverance and self-control.  I must constantly remind myself of these truths so that the God of peace will be with me and will exude His peace both in and through me for His glorification!  I'm praying that you will experience His peace and presence in your lives on a daily basis!

'Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.' (Philippians 4:4-9 ESV)

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Honesty Is the Best Policy - Part 2

Honesty truly is the best policy with God, and with others.  Oftentimes, we shy away from telling the truth because we are afraid of how the other person may react or, for that matter, they may even disagree with us and begin arguing with us!  That is called the fear of man and that brings a snare or stronghold in our life. 'Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.' (Proverbs 29:25 NIV)  I find myself being so consumed with wanting everyone to like me (an approval addict) that I question whether my loyalty is completely given over to Christ as His servant alone to use for His glory and not mine.  'For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.' (Galatians 1:10 NASB). I do seek to be His servant and His servant ALONE!

Conflict inevitably comes within our natural families and in the supernatural family of God.  Do we allow it to lie dormant and fester like an open wound, or do we seek to bring healing through open, honest, direct, and loving communication?  I am reminded of the verse that points out how healing often begins, 'Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.' (James 5:16 NASB)  Here is some great 'one anothering' that brings about healthy relationships - prayer and confession!  They go hand in hand when it comes to having relationships with others that honor the Lord.

Of course, we definitely need a large dose of God's wisdom, grace, love, and timing when we talk to others about things that may be controversial or point out incongruencies in others' lives for the purpose of  health in God's Kingdom and in His people.  I can think of several scriptures that can guide us before we begin flapping our jaws:
- 'Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,' (Ephesians 4:15 ESV)
-“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." (Matthew 7:1-5 NIV)
- 'Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.' (Ephesians 4:29 NIV)

May our goal always be to have open, honest and healthy relationships with God and others in order to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  'As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.' (Ephesians 4:1-6, NIV)



  

Monday, September 2, 2013

Honesty is the Best Policy

Honest is the best policy...when spoken in love and in God's perfect timing!  As Christ's disciples, we are to model His character in all things.  Jesus modeled truth when relating to His Father and to others.  In relation to His Father and to His disciples, I am reminded of the time He spent with them in the Garden of Gethsemane.  'And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.” ' (Matthew 26:37-42, 44-46 ESV)

Jesus was willing to share His emotions with His friends as He told them that His soul was sorrowful, even to death!  We all deal with emotions; in fact, they are God-given.  The rub is that we are not to be controlled by these emotions, but controlled by God the Holy Spirit, who empowers us and enables us to deal with these emotions in a Christlike way, and trust in His infallible Word as our standard of truth and not our fickle emotions!  The first thing that we are to do in dealing with negative emotions is to confess them to God.  He knows anyway and it is no secret to Him!   David was the perfect example in this as he was so transparent with God in the Psalms and shared his troubling (and encouraging) emotions.  John Calvin,  an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformatin, called the book of Psalms 'An Anatomy of  all the Parts of the Soul' as it deals with all of the distracting emotions that agitate our minds and hinder our walk with God and others.

As David exemplified in so many of the Psalms,  confess these emotions and weaknesses to God and allow them to become an avenue of worship rather than a distraction.  This last nugget of truth comes from the study that Beth Moore wrote (and I am just now beginning! :-D) entitled 'Stepping Up...a journey through the Psalms of the Ascent.'   We also see the apostle Paul use this approach in his life in the book of Romans:  'We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. For 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. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.'(Romans 7:14, 15, 18-21, 23, 25 NIV)  If it's good enough for two of the most noteworthy men of God, then it's a good enough practice for us!

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Priority of Unity

I've heard a lot of statistics lately in regard to the need for community and the harmful effects of isolationism. Employers are looking for 3 things from prospective employees and they are appropriate dress, community, and a good sense of humor. Research has shown that isolationism causes early morbidity. We are way too prone to isolationism in today's world than in the past. I'm sure we can all come up with reasons why that is the case.

I truly believe that disunity and isolationism is a tactic of the enemy because it deeply affects us both individually in our relationship with God, on a corporate level within the local and worldwide church, and in how the unbelieving world views us. I find it interesting that many languages don't even have an appropriate word for self-reliance. In an excerpt from the book, "When People Are Big and God is Small" by Ed Welch it states, 'Americans often use variations on the phrase “self-reliance.” This phrase is a notorious problem for translators. For example, in Latin America, the closest they can come is a word more like our “independence” in that it is political and social, not personal. In some Asian countries the phrase makes no sense, or it is a sign of mental instability. The person should never be self-reliant, according to most Asian traditions. The person should be interdependent.' 

We are commanded to do the following: 'Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.' (Philippians 2:3, 4 NIV)

'How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured 

on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.' (Psalm 133:1-3 NIV)

We are to delight in each other and promote the welfare of one another; this is illustrated by the anointing oil that was poured on Aaron's head which was considered as holy and extremely fragrant! The fragrance wasn't just for Aaron and the one who anointed him to enjoy, but those around them smelled the beautiful fragrance as well! May we be a fragrant aroma of the Lord Jesus Christ that causes others to want to know Him.

Aaron and his sons were not allowed to minister to the Lord without this anointing oil. Our service to God is not acceptable without His holy love characterizing our life. 'If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.' (1 Corinthians 13:1, 2 ESV)

Here is another quote from the book "When People Are Big and God is Small" by Ed Welch which gives a good commentary on the illustration of Mount Hermon in Psalm 133 - 'In a similar way, Hermon was the largest mountain in the region, and Zion was not much more than a hill. If the dew of Hermon fell on Zion, it would be a deluge of fruitful blessing in an arid area.
This psalm is a critical prayer for the people of God. When we fear other people and either isolate or protect ourselves from them, we isolate and protect ourselves from a significant part of Godʼs remedy — love and unity with his people. A psalm such as Psalm 133 reminds us to pray for Godʼs remedy. It reminds us that one of the great blessings on earth is to be united with Godʼs people rather than to fear them or be isolated from them.'  What is the result when we put Psalm 133 into practice? We are everlastingly blessed by the Almighty God of the Universe!

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Reverence Due to the Price Paid

'Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord ! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption.' (Psalm 130:1-4, 7 ESV)

I am so thankful that, with the Lord, we have forgiveness, steadfast love, and plentiful redemption! I am so grateful to God for a husband who displays these characteristics to me as well, due to Christ living in Him; but he cannot to the degree that God does as He is the definition of steadfast love when He brought us plentiful redemption and forgiveness through His idea of allowing His Son, Jesus, to take on all of my sin and die for me on the cross at Calvary. I can now stand forgiven and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb that was slain! I'm so thankful that He bought me and brought me back into a right relationship with God through the death of His Son and it has nothing to do with what I have accomplished! 'But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.' (Isaiah 64:6 NKJV)

When we have experienced His forgiveness in a personal way, knowing and believing with all our heart that Jesus died for ME and MY SIN, then that leads us into a greater fear of God. I read in the book, 'When People Are Big And God Is Small', by Ed Welch, that the fear of God is a continuum. Initially, we recognize the terror, dread, trembling and astonishment and we tend to hide from God as we know of His holy justice and our unclean state before Him. As we come to experience Him within the context of a personal relationship, then the fear of God is manifest in more of an awe, reverence, devotion, trust and worship as we come to know both the holy justice AND holy love of God as well as sincerely seeking, drawing near, and submitting to Him and His Lordship in our lives.

Understanding this spectrum of attitudes toward our holy and righteous God, enables me to understand more clearly the aspect of the fear of God. May we all grow in that continuum as we seek, submit, and draw near to the Savior so that we can worship Him with all that we have for His glory alone. "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23, 24 NIV)

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

God's Definition of Wisdom

It's interesting how our society views obedience and the fear of the Lord. We are not encouraged to be obedient to our parents, societal rules or to God and His ways. We must remember, however, that God is continuing to allow Satan to be the prince of the power of the air and he is the one we tend to naturally breathe in without His supernatural enabling.'...following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—' (Ephesians 2:2 ESV)

In contrast, those who fear the Lord, who have a reverential awe and respect for God, are called happy and will abound in blessings, both personally and within their families! 'Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the Lord.' (Psalm 128:1-4 NIV)

There are other results of honoring and esteeming our Lord and those are wisdom and understanding: 'The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.' (Psalm 111:10 NIV)
'The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.' (Proverbs 9:10 NIV)

I've gotta be honest here. Who really sees that we are wise and understanding in God's eyes? Well, God certainly does and pleasing Him truly is all that matters. However, I tend to want to please people and look good in their eyes. That is the rub...fear of man vs. the fear of God. I want to be up on the latest trends, movies, news, etc. so that I can impress others. (Ouch, that's pride!) Yet, God wants me to hide in His Word and spend much time in prayer so that I become wise in His ways and knowledgeable in who He is and what He desires for me. His definition of wisdom is completely different than our society's definition. Take a look...'Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.' (James 3:13, 17, 18 NIV)

Solomon's wealth and wisdom were legendary in the ancient world. However, read his conclusion in his search for meaning in life: 'Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body. Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.' (Ecclesiastes 12:12-14 NIV)

Monday, August 26, 2013

Trust in the Lord

'Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore.' (Psalm 125:1, 2 NIV)

I am so thankful that I can place my full and complete trust in the Lord God Almighty and don't have to trust in my own feelings, emotions, circumstances, understanding or intellect. Although things look very grim around us morally, economically, and socially, we can continue to trust the One who holds all things together. 'He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.' (Colossians 1:17 NIV) No matter how grim things get, He is still seated on His throne and also is surrounding us with His love, grace and protection. As we choose to trust Him and His timeless Word, and not ourselves or those around us, we will not be shaken!

Maybe we need to begin this journey of faith by confessing our unbelief, just like the father whose son was possessed by a spirit from childhood. 'Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” '(Mark 9:24 NIV). As we look to the Lord and confess our need, we will enable our faith to grow and enable us to not be shaken. He is faithful!
'Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” '(Hebrews 12:28, 29 NIV)

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Command and Commitment

'I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord." '(Psalm 122:1)
I am so thankful that this is my sentiment! I have always loved meeting regularly with my brothers and sisters in Christ! Whether it was a small country church like the first church that Trey pastored in SE Colorado, larger churches like Bannockburn Baptist Church in Austin, TX and NWBC in OKC, OK, or churches where I barely catch what's going on due to the language barrier; for example, Palisady Baptist Church in Bratislava, Slovakia!

Sometimes there is no known body of believers, yet we still need to..."Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God;" (Exodus 20:8-10 NASB) The Lord wants us to set aside a day for Him that is holy and restful. If the God of the Universe chose to do this to leave us an example when He created the world, then we better listen up and take this one seriously! 'For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.' (Exodus 20:11 NASB)

Oftentimes, Sundays can be one of the busiest days for those of us who are in the ministry and I think it is imperative that we take another day for R&R. The Lord will show us individually how He would want us to enter into His Sabbath rest as we allow Him to have full control of our lives so that we follow Him in obedience. 'So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.' (Hebrews 4:9-11 ESV)

It is also essential that we walk in love, unity, peace, and humility with our brothers and sisters in Christ so that the world will know that we are Christ's disciples. "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35 ESV) Our love for one another and being at peace with one another also extends peoples' knowledge of Jesus and His role...'I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.' (John 17:23 ESV)
'If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. '(Romans 12:18 ESV)

'Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you. "May peace be within your walls, And prosperity within your palaces." For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, "May peace be within you." For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good. (Psalm 122:6-9 NASB)
Let's pray for God's peace to rule and reign in our lives, the family of God and in the towns and cities to which He has called us to live for the good of our lives, our brothers and sisters in Christ, the world and our God!

Friday, August 23, 2013

God is Our Keeper

God is so faithful! When Trey and I began this journey ON THIS DAY (now that I think about it! :-D) 14 years ago, God gave me a promise from His Word that gave me the strength and peace to take my two sons, 6 and 8 years old, to the war torn country of Bosnia. The promise is as follows: 'The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.' (Psalm 121:7, 8 ESV)

Through all of these years, God has been faithful to keep us in His tender-loving care, being our keeper and protecting us from all harm. And yes, there have been many times that He kept us...from land mines near both of our homes and the boys' school to near death experiences. As we have come and gone from Sarajevo, Bosnia to Austin, Texas, from Zagreb, Croatia to Arkadelphia, Arkansas, and now to Bratislava, Slovakia, God has watched over our coming and going in an amazing way!

Now, as empty nesters, God continues to keep us from stumbling and kept for the Lord Jesus Christ. 'To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.'(Jude 1:1, 24, 25 ESV) It's not due to our brilliance or ANYTHING from us, but the faith and endurance to walk with Him daily and trust Him hourly only comes from Him, and He deserves all the glory. '...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith,' (Hebrews 12:2 NASB) We, however, must be diligent to keep our eyes fixed on Him so that we can walk in His will for our lives.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Labor in Prayer

Communication with the Father is hard work! It takes steadfastness and stick-to-it-iveness! We must be determined to maintain a right relationship with our Lord so that the communication lines are open and with no hindrances or distractions. 'Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.' (Colossians 4:2 ESV) A sinful attitude, action or word toward God or others hinders our prayer life. 'If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.' (Psalm 66:18 ESV)

Besides a clean heart and holy life, effective prayers are to be laced with thankfulness because that is God's will and declares His sovereignty! 'pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.' (1 Thessalonians 5:17, 18 ESV) 


I 'labored fervently' for my boys as I gave birth naturally to Ryan and Bret! It was hard work, and took much diligence and concentration, but was well worth the reward! 'Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.' (Psalm 127:3 ESV)
Time spent struggling in prayer on behalf of ourselves and others reaps many great rewards and, the most amazing one is His abiding presence in our lives!'After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” (Genesis 15:1 NKJV)


God's word also states that our prayers enable us, and other followers of Jesus, to stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. 'Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.' (Colossians 4:12 NKJV)

May we all seek to be Epaphrases and labor in prayer on behalf of ourselves, others, and His Kingdom purposes.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Another wrong view...Cosmic Policeman!

Man, there sure are a lot of misconceptions about God and I guess it's because Satan doesn't want us to know just how wonderful God is and how much He actually loves us!  One of Satan's main schemes is to deceive us and, yet, we must allow the Lord to renew and transform our thoughts according to His Word.  
~'And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.' (Revelation 12:9 ESV)
~'Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God – what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.'(Romans 12:2 NET)

One of the biggest lies I believed for a long time was that God was a Cosmic Policeman, waiting to bop me over the head whenever I did something wrong!  I did not completely understand that God's anger toward my sin (and me!) was fully satisfied through the death of Jesus.  He died for ALL my sin (past, present and future) and sees me as holy and blameless, without sin and free from accusation!  
~'But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-' (Colossians 1:22 NIV)
~'When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.' (Colossians 2:13, 14 NIV)

It's so important that we NOT trust in our feelings, emotions, circumstances, or our own reasoning, but ONLY what the Word of God says.  He is not a Cosmic Policeman, but a Lavish Lover of His creation that sent His only Son to satisfy His wrath and pay the price for our sin and rebellion.  Believe and receive His love!

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

We Bring Pleasure to Him!

It is such an amazing thought that we can bring pleasure to the Mighty God of the universe! He lifts us up as we bow before Him in humility and trust so that we may see things from His perspective, catch a greater glimpse of His majesty, and display to others the right living that He desires for His children to portray. 'The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.' (Psalm 146:8 ESV)

It brings Him great pleasure when we forsake our personal fears of rejection, failure, shame and punishment to be brought into His presence and exchange those fears for an awareness of His awesomeness while viewing ourselves as He views us, putting our hope in His steadfast love for us. 'But the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.' (Psalm 147:11 ESV) 'For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation. Let the godly exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands,' (Psalm 149:4-6 ESV)

As we ponder the incredible thought that we bring Him pleasure, may that spur us on to rejoice in Him alone as we sing praises to Him throughout our days and be prepared to fight those lies from the enemy of our souls through His Word. May praise be readily available on our tongues and His Word readily at our disposal as we have hidden it in our hearts.These things are wonderful disciplines to practice daily so that we can continue to sing for joy and bring the King of kings pleasure!

Monday, August 12, 2013

A Wrong Perception?

Oftentimes we conjure up our view of others based on hearsay or our own perceptions, which can often be inaccurate. We do the same thing in how we perceive God. The only true and accurate view of God is in His Word which is God-breathed and reveals who He truly is. 'All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.' (2 Timothy 3:16, 17 ESV) 

We also tend to naturally view our Heavenly Father through the lens of our earthly father. Depending on what kind of father we have, this practice can be very damaging to our perception of and relationship with our Eternal Father. It has helped me to understand those inconsistencies between my earthly and heavenly fathers and not transfer them to my God. For example, I always felt like I had to perform well in order to earn my dad's love and affection; however, my Abba loves me unconditionally and His love for me is not based on my performance or lack thereof. Praise His Name! 

Ask the Lord to use these Scriptures to transform your view of who He is as our loving, caring Heavenly Father:
'Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. [The Lord is FAITHFUL in all his words and KIND in all his works.] The Lord UPHOLDS all who are falling and RAISES UP all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you GIVE them their food in due season. You OPEN your hand; you SATISFY the desire of every living thing. The Lord is RIGHTEOUS in all his ways and KIND in all his works. The Lord is NEAR to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He FULFILLS the desire of those who fear him; he also HEARS their cry and SAVES them. The Lord PRESERVES all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.' (Psalm 145:13-20 ESV)

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Idols...in this day and age?!

Yes, we can be prone to having idols in our lives and have the potential of putting them before God and His desires for us. I first came to this awareness that it's not just a problem from Old Testament times when JD Greear gave a sermon in Poland a few years ago. Whoa! I became convicted and continue to struggle with the idol of the fear of man over the fear of God.

'You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.' (Exodus 20:3-6 ESV)
'The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands. Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them.' (Psalm 135:15, 18 ESV)

So, I was trusting in what others (especially my family!) thought of me rather than what God thought of me. It continues to be a battle; yet, God is a jealous God and wants my full and complete trust and love! He has given me so many verses from His Word to help me combat the lies of the enemy and satan's influence in the world that we live in.

The following article was shown to me by a colleague and it clearly identifies my struggle: 'Idols of the Heart and "Vanity Fair"' by David Powlison
"Behaviorists speak of “drives” and tend to “lower” the focus to the ways we are most similar to animals. Humanists and existentialists, on the other hand, speak of “needs” and tend to “raise” the focus to uniquely human social and existential goals. But the same critique applies. When a “need for security” propels my life or a segment of my life, I am again engaging in religious behavior. Rather than serving the true God, the god I serve is the approval and respect of people, either myself or others. I am an idolater. I am not “motivated by a need for security.” I am “motivated by a lust for security rather than ruled by God.” Or, since desire and fear are complementary perspectives on human motivation, “I fear man” instead of “I fear and trust God.” Need theories, like drive theories, can never comprehend the “rather than God,” which is always built into the issue of human motivation. They can never comprehend the fundamental idolatry issue, which sees that the things which typically drive us really exist as inordinate desires of the flesh that are direct alternatives to submitting to the desires of the Spirit.

Our lusts for security, of course, are tutored as well as spontaneous. “Vanity Fair” operates as effectively here as it does with our hunger. Powerful and persuasive people woo and intimidate us that we might trust or fear them. In convicting us of our false trusts and acknowledging the potency of the pressures on us, the Scriptures again offer us the liberating alternative of knowing the Lord."

'I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.' (Psalm 138:2 ESV)

I'm thankful that He is a jealous God and vies for ALL of my love and attention!

Friday, August 9, 2013

It Shall Be Well With You

I am continuing to learn what it means to fear the Lord and how that affects how we live - even after 34 years of walking with the Lord! I have been blessed to know its benefits - a happy life filled with God's forgiveness as I confess sin and, therefore, it going well with me - yet, there is still so much to learn! Here are some verses from my reading today that confirm this: 'Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.' (Psalm 128:1, 2 ESV) 'If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.' (Psalm 130:3, 4 ESV)

I am reading a book called 'When People Are Big and God is Small' by Ed Welch and it is about the fear of the Lord. He states that 'the key to learning the fear of the Lord is to stay in scripture.' Another key ingredient that he emphasizes is to ask God to teach us the fear of the Lord. Our natural tendency is to fear man and not God. This is also heavily emphasized in our Western cultures of the cult of self. It truly is a spiritual battle to battle the fear of God over the fear of man. Believe me, I know, and am continually in that war with the Enemy; but it is worth it to fight and God gives us the weapons to fight with.  'For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.' (2 Corinthians 10:3, 4 ESV).
Put on His armor (Ephesians 6:10-20) and join with me in the fight! The benefits are SO WORTH IT!

Thursday, August 8, 2013

God is our shade, helper, keeper and protector!

After going through a heat wave this week, I am even more aware of the importance of shade and relief from extreme temperatures. Our bodies can easily suffer from heat exhaustion and stress when faced with prolonged extreme temperatures. Our souls can feel stress and exhaustion if we don't find the Lord to be our shade, keeper, protector, and help. 'The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.' (Psalm 121:5, 6 ESV) Trey and I have needed to look for shade and protection from the heat just for our bodies to survive. It has been difficult without A/C, but God has kept us in His loving care and protected us from harm. 

Unfortunately, there have been fatalities from the heat. We can have fatalities in our spiritual lives when we listen to what our society says and become self-sufficient rather than God-sufficient. Why try to find help from anyone or anything other than the God who made heaven and earth? 'I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.' (Psalm 121:1, 2 ESV)


May we daily hide in His shade as we trust Him to keep us from all evil and do good to us. 'Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts!' (Psalm 125:4 ESV) Shade brings relief, comfort, and help to our physical bodies and God can be that shade to bring relief, comfort and help to our souls. Confess your dependence on Him today.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Rest and Freedom Found in the Lord

God knows our propensity to turn away from Him and look to ourselves and our own accomplishments (looks, etc.), others' opinions of us (social media?!), food, drinks, and entertainment (escapism), and money (shopping therapy!) to find value in our lives. 

He knows that we need to RETURN to Him and REMEMBER all that He has done for us through Jesus to find true value and worth in who we are and the life that He has called us to live. (Psalm 116:7, Psalm 118:5-9, I John 2:15-17, Luke 8:14) 

Victory in the Christian life only comes as we fix our eyes on Jesus who is the author and perfector of our faith! (Hebrews 12:1,2)  Allow your soul to find REST and walk in the FREEDOM that is found in Jesus.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Who Am I Listening To?

I thank You, Father, that even in our darkest thoughts and times when we are listening to the Enemy and his schemes (Eph. 6:12), Your light dawns for those who are upright and You bring grace, mercy, and righteousness as we recognize and agree that those thoughts are not Yours. (Psalm 112:4)  As we take captive those thoughts that are not in obedience to the truth of Your Word (II Corinthians 10:5) and focus our thoughts and praise to You, then You bring us peace (Philippians 4:8) and we bring glory to Your name. (Psalm 115:1)

Monday, August 5, 2013

God's Abundant, Steadfast Love

Often times we find ourselves in trouble - trouble that we have brought upon ourselves through disobedience or trouble that just comes our way through life and its twists and turns. Yet You, Father, in your faithfulness and abundant, steadfast love, will often deliver us from trouble when we call out to You. When You do deliver us, You expect us to thank You and praise You before others. Keep us mindful of Your steadfast love, presence with us throughout the day, and the response You desire from us. (Psalms 106:6-8, 44-45; 107:19-22, 27-32)

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Reasons to Bless the Lord

I am going to reattempt to have a blog and actually provide content within it!  Wow, what an amazing concept! ;-)  I will mainly be posting what God has been teaching me as I read His word and, often, my response to Him. I read Psalms 103 and it talks about reasons why we are to bless God.  We can only bless Him as we remember and focus on all He has done for us.  Father, I pray that You would enable me to keep my focus on You alone and definitely not on myself. I want to be so preoccupied with blessing You with ALL that is in me that I don't even consider my own ego. I bless You because You have done the following:  1. have forgiven my sin 2. healed my diseases 3. redeemed my life from the pit 4. crowned me with steadfast love and mercy 5. satisfied me with good 6. renewed my youth like the eagle's. I bless You!!