* If It Fits...

Whoever wanders off the straight and narrow ends up in a congregation of ghosts. You're addicted to thrills? What an empty life! The pursuit of pleasure is never satisfied.
Proverbs 21:16-17 The Message Bible

A faithful friend sent me an email and included in it was a quote from someone else. It read, Resist the temptation to try to find natural remedies to a spiritual condition.  Think about it for a minute. Have you ever done that? No?

Well, how about this - Have you ever stuffed chocolate or some other comfort food into your mouth in an attempt to ease your stress level? You know - instead of going to God for your answer or your place of peace? It's rather like trying to play a DVD in a CD boom box. They both fit, but you don't get the same result.

Colossians 1:16 NKJV reads,  For by Him [Jesus] all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. We were created by Him, through Him and FOR Him. We might try one way or the other to fit something else in the place that is only for Him - but nothing else will work properly. You can't fill His spot with substitutions and expect to get results found only in Him. Even if it fits...

Prayer:

Father,
          Shine Your light of Truth on those things we use for quick fixes and in substitution of time better spent with You. Reveal those things in our lives that are not pleasing to You, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

My Foundation is Sure +

He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.
In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God.

Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.

Psalm 62:6-8 NKJV

Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.

Matthew 7:24-26 NLT

I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

Psalm 16:8 NLT

Hurricane season officially begins tomorrow, but in my world, the storms of life have already been blowing at gale force this week. How do you survive a gale? Well, if you're looking to survive a gale in a boat on the water, the wise sailor will be fully aware of what works and what doesn't BEFORE the necessity arises.

It is the same in life. I have learned what will get me through and what will leave me hanging. I have found what will allow me to withstand the trials and insane pressure changes without suffering irreversible damage to my infrastructure. It's what I started with - God's Word.

He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.
In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God.

Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.

Psalm 62:6-8 NKJV

Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.

Matthew 7:24-26 NLT

I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

Psalm 16:8 NLT

My Foundation is sure because when I'm stuck between a Rock and a hard place, Jesus is the Rock.

Prayer:

Father,
          Thank You for Your Word that holds my course no matter the winds that blow or the storms that rise. My hope and my security are in You and You alone. I shall not be moved. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen

Swallowed Up +

We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life.
2nd Corinthians 5:2-4 NLT

Today, I attended the Homegoing celebration of one Mrs. Sullivan. I never met her face-to-face, but I know and love her daughter and son-in-law. This afternoon, I was invited into the private world of Mrs. Sullivan by those who loved her. It was an interesting place inhabited by a strong-willed woman who was clearly defined by her love for her family and friends, always wanting to take care of everyone, who loved to laugh, and liked to cheat at any game she played... and she let you know right up front that she would cheat. Ha!

Recently, Libby told me about one of her mother's escapades that took place earlier this year. Libby got a call at work - her frantic husband was on the other end to tell Libby that her mother was up on the roof with her former handyman because Mrs. Sullivan was convinced there was something up there that needed to be fixed. No one had any idea how they were able to wangle the extension ladder out of the garage, let alone climb it to get on the roof! At the time, Mrs. Sullivan was 87 years old - and her former handyman was in his 90's!  

You see, Alzheimer's had started to take its toll on Mrs. Sullivan's ability to stay in the present. Her latter years of life were being swallowed up by the dread disease. As is often the case with Alzheimer patients, those who were Christians before the onset, don't lose that relationship. They still know the Word, they know how to pray and want to, and they still worship. Mrs. Sullivan was no exception. She saw and heard things that weren't really there, but she knew enough to ask her son-in-law to pray for her and with her. 

Pastor Alan Neel explained it beautifully. We often think of death as the end of life, but that's not the truth. Mrs. Sullivan's latter years were being swallowed up by Alzheimer's, but when she passed from life as we know it, according to our Scripture for today, she put on her new body and the dying body was swallowed up by Life. Eternal life. No tears, no pain, no heartache.

Life, full and free. Forever...

Prayer:

Father, 
           We don't always understand the why of things, but we know that You are trustworthy. We thank You for Your Word which gives us real hope in times like these. Thank You for the promises of eternity with You. Death swallowed up by victory. In Jesus' Name we give You praise. Amen

Unquestionably Free +

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
John 15:13 NKJV

Memorial Day. People are planning picnics and barbecues and family gatherings. Those are all good things. We should acknowledge the true cost of them. We should remember that the reason we are able to enjoy these simple pleasures is because of those who fought to attain and maintain our freedom and gave their lives for it.

In reviewing the background for Memorial Day, I found a website with a statement that said it best -

Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation;

it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all. http://www.usmemorialday.org/

You've probably seen the quote that's been making its way around the Internet. "Only 2 defining forces have ever laid down their lives for you: Jesus Christ and the American soldier. One died for your soul; the other for your freedom."  A rather powerful statement, to be sure, but I would have to assert a Truth about the first Defining Force.  John 8:36 in the Amplified Bible reads, So if the Son liberates you [makes you free men], then you are really and unquestionably free.

I thank God for every person who has served our country. When I was in high school, while the majority of kids were marching in "peace" moratoriums, I was holding flag rallies with the slogan, "We're for U.S." I am grateful to be living in a country that so far has remained free. Memorial Day is about reconciliation for the lives given for my freedom, but I have been reconciled to God through the Life given to free me from sin. I am eternally grateful for a Savior who has liberated me so that I am unquestionably free.

Prayer:

Father,

           I pray for the comfort of those families who have lost loved ones in the battle for freedom. I pray peace for the souls of those service men and women who survived and came home and for their families - peace that only You can offer. Thank You for the sacrifice of Your Son so that we can be unquestionably free. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* The Makings of a Hero

This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9 NLT

You may not have heard of Chris Farias before. He just received the Navy Cross for his act(s) of valor. It is the highest award bestowed for Navy and Marine personnel. It is second only to the Congressional Medal of Honor. It is a BIG deal - HUGE honor - and well deserved. His family and friends are extremely proud of him and grateful to God for protecting his life.

I've been thinking about courage and what it takes to be courageous because I was thinking about Chris. You see, he was one of the little boys who lived next door to the house where I raised my youngest child - also a boy - a couple years older than Chris. When my son read the Summary of Action nominating Chris for the Navy Cross, he responded with, "Who would have known that back then, I was driving a hero to school every day?"

You know, when we think HERO, we tend to think Large and in charge - topping out over 6 feet tall, 200 pounds and muscles on top of muscles. A super power or two wouldn't hurt, either.

Chris is none of those things. His younger brother towers over him. Chris is lean and well-muscled, but you won't catch him flexing them. As a teenager, he gave his mother fits. He wasn't a model student. So then, what makes a hero?

Courage.

You're not born with it. I believe it is forged in those times when you daily witness someone making the right choice in spite of the odds or negative peer pressure or response and doing it unpretentiously. I believe it's something that develops in the fiber of your being because of choices you make as you observe it being played out in life. I believe we can be courageous when someone we respect and believe in expects us to be so.

Joshua and Caleb stood before the people of Israel and declared that the Promised Land was theirs for the taking. Ten others stood up and said, "No way..." and discouraged all of Israel (read it in the book of Numbers, chapter 32).

Bottom line - Joshua ultimately led the people of Israel into the Promised Land... but not without a fight. It's important to know that. God told him ahead of time they'd have to fight for it - but God also told him to be strong and be courageous.

You may be fighting life on every side. You may wonder why you have to... Joshua had to - JESUS had to... we live in a fallen world. But listen, be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. You have the makings of a hero!

Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You for teaching us how to be strong and courageous. Thank You for putting the pattern before us. Help us to step up to fulfill Your plan for our lives. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Taken As Directed +

Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:
Deuteronomy 28:1-2 NKJV

My son and daughter-in-love were in town this weekend and yesterday, at church, he had a conversation with one of his former youth students at the request of her mother. The doctors had finally been able to diagnose and then prescribe medicines for an ailment that had plagued her for several years. Now that it's been properly diagnosed, the doctors proclaim it can be completely cured if she will take the 2 medications as prescribed for the next 18 months. There are no known ill side effects to the medications, but the student has weaned herself off one and believes she's doing okay just taking the one "whenever" rather than as directed by the doctor. His facetious response to her was, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize I should be calling you 'Doctor' -  I didn't know that you had earned your doctorate before graduating from high school." And in the end, Aaron was able to convince her to take the prescriptions as directed for her ultimate good.

As we stood there in the parking lot, I saw the correlation between that situation and how we, as Christians, do the same thing to God. Even though we know we are NOT God and we don't have in hand all the knowledge pertaining to life, we tend to make life-altering decisions based on what we know, acting like we DO know everything. When we first become Christians, we want to do everything right - we read our Bibles, we pray, we gather with other believers, we want to do it all exactly as we've been instructed.

Then, as we walk it out every day, there are times the discipline of it becomes tedious. We want to watch a movie or play a computer game instead of reading the Word. We'll chat or text with friends instead of taking the time to pray... sleep in or go to the beach instead of going to church and then convince ourselves it's supposed to be a day of rest, anyway, and we're resting...

I'm not saying that watching a movie, playing a computer game, chatting, texting, sleeping in, or going to the beach are bad things in and of themselves. The danger lies in thinking we know what's best for our lives. Left to our own devices, humans tend to choose the path of least resistance, the easy way, every time. Our text for today reads, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, not 'whenever' we feel like it.

If we read through to chapter 30, we find this in verses 19 and 20,
I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days;

God gave us a free will. We can choose to love Him or not. Daily, we can take up our cross as directed by Christ, or we can lay it down and walk our own way. Let's do it - taken as directed.

Prayer:

Father,
           Open our eyes to see that we don't know it all. Help us to make the right choice of following You and Your instructions to the letter. Father, we want to diligently obey Your voice. Help us to clearly hear and understand Your direction. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Inspecting the Fruit +

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Galatians 5:22-23, NLT

I love the annual Strawberry Festival in my neck of the woods. There are strawberries the size of plums in that place and so sweet, my mouth waters just thinking about them. There will be a bigger price to pay for them, too, you can guarantee that, not to mention the cost of getting onto the grounds. Will it be worth the price? Only you can decide.

When I purchase fruit from the grocery store, the produce manager hates to see me coming. I look at the top AND bottom of the strawberry container. I open the blueberry container and touch the blueberries to see if they're mushy. I don't like mushy... I don't just grab the first bag of grapes closest to me, nor am I indiscriminate about the rest of the fruit I choose. I have no problem opening a bag of grapes to check the contents (and then closing them again when I'm finished looking - very important). I check carefully for bruising on apples, for ripened plums, etc. I am a "fruit inspector" when it comes to paying the price for fruit. I want to know it's good before I spend my hard-earned money on it.

Oh, that I would be that diligent with the fruits of the Holy Spirit! Jesus already paid the price for them to be produced in our lives, why would we refuse to pick them up? They're ALL good.

Prayer:

Father,
         Help us to understand the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. May the seeds for all be planted in the good soil of our hearts. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* A Storm's Coming

[Jesus speaking] "Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

Matthew 7:24-27 NLT

Hurricane Season doesn't officially begin until June 1st, but the list of names is already published, even though meteorologists are predicting much lighter storm activity this year. Of course, it depends on who you listen to and also, who you believe.

People will question why someone would live near the coast where hurricanes are a "constant threat." Well, in all reality, hurricanes are not a "constant threat" - they're a possibility. The only thing you know for sure is there will be some kind of storm during the season, even if it's only a thunderstorm... although even those can wreak havoc. People in the midwestern U.S. wonder how I can live where there are hurricanes. I question how people can live where there are constant tornado warnings. At least with a hurricane, I get a warning.

It's like life really. Some storms of life you know are coming - you can see the signs, you can predict the intensity, and with some, you can even predict the collateral damage. Other storms strike with no time to prepare. Either way, it's hard. How do we get through?

Being a Christian doesn't keep the storm from coming. In our text for today, the storm hits both houses. The one built on the rock and the one built on the sand, but only one is able to withstand the destructive force of the storm.

It's life. There is a storm coming. What is your life built on? 

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for establishing our sure foundation. We want to build our homes in You. Thank You for providing the Chief Cornerstone and the plans to build. Help us to follow them implicitly. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* No Other Choice

But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
Mark 4:38-41 NKJV

In our text for today, when Jesus got in the boat, He told the disciples they were going to the other side. When the wind kicked up and the waves threatened them, the disciples forgot what He said. Yet He spoke one time to the wind and the waves, and they instantly obeyed His voice. There was no other choice. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven...  

God spoke the world into existence. His words created light and life. He took the dust of the Earth He had created and breathed life into it and formed mankind in His own image...and I personally think that was the first and last time God didn't get an argument from somebody about what He was doing and the way He chose to do it. Up to that point, there was no other choice. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven...

When God speaks into our lives - when He speaks to our hearts - if we claim to be His - what makes us think we have the right to offer and choose alternative options for how WE think HE should do it?
There is no other choice. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven...

Prayer:

Our Father,
                   Which art in Heaven. Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. THY will be done ON EARTH as it is in Heaven. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* I Only Have Eyes for You

So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
2nd Corinthians 4:18 NLT

Have you ever been in love? Do you remember... sitting at the table so crazy in love with the person across from you that you couldn't see anything else around you? There could have been a hundred other people in that room, all having loud conversations  - but amid the cacophonous milieu, all you could hear were the unspoken syllables of an all-consuming love as you looked full in the face of the one you loved. Do you remember what that was like? Nothing else mattered at that moment...

Yesterday, on the way to church, I was distracted by stuff in my head. Challenges I face but have no idea how to resolve or overcome. I was listening to the radio when a song came on that I didn't care for, so I switched stations and the instrumental version of "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" was playing. I love that old hymn, and immediately the words came unbidden to my mind

     Turn your eyes upon Jesus
     Look full in His wonderful face
    And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
    In the light of His glory and grace...

Then the Truth of those words came alive in my heart. If I would simply abandon myself to His love, none of the rest of it would matter.  If I would indeed look fully into His wonderful face, all the other things clamoring for my attention would simply fade in the light of His glory and grace... And all that would remain is all that really matters - the all-consuming love of Christ for His bride. Who or what have we fixed our eyes on? Does it matter?

Prayer:

Father,
          In our lives, let everything else pale in comparison to You. Let all that clamors be silenced when confronted by Your love. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* There's an App for That

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
Psalm 90:12 KJV

I love computers. I love technology, but I have realized that I only truly appreciate it when I am proficient at whatever it is I'm trying to utilize. If I have to spend more time plugging data into a non-intuitive, NOT user-friendly program - longer than what it would take me to do by hand, what good does that do me?

One of the kids at work said to me the other day, "Oh, there's an app for that" (referring to a mathematical problem-solving issue). I didn't want the app - I wanted to remember how to do it. The difference between the kid and me was that I used to know how to create that formula by memory. He never had to learn it. He had it on his PHONE! Half the time, I can't get my phone to text properly, so the kid told me I needed a smartphone. I don't need a phone that's smarter than I am...turns out - there's an app for that, too!

However, one thing I've learned about all the apps is that if you let that phone go dead - it's over till you get it plugged in or recharged. I can't tell you how many times a week I'm asked if I have a phone charger for the latest hi-tech phone. Or they're almost out of minutes or it's 3G when it needs to be 4G.

That's what I love so much about God and His Word. He's the same, yesterday, today and forever, yet His mercies are new every morning. I don't have to worry about reception  - He is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. I don't have to worry about a special charger. No power cord - no problem. I can get straight through to Him just by breathing His Name. It's His power to begin with. Intuitive? The Holy Spirit will lead you into all Truth. User-friendly? Wow - how much time do you have? How much time do you need? How much time do you want? He's got all the time in the world and it's for you. You don't have to worry about running out of minutes on His plan...ever.

How do I know this? Oh there's an APP for that -

APPly your heart to instruction, And your ears to words of knowledge. Proverbs 23:12

So teach us to number our days, that we may APPly our hearts unto wisdom. Psalm 90:12 KJV

Prayer:

Father,
          We pray according to Your Word in Proverbs 2, Help us to receive Your words, and treasure Your commands within us so that we incline our ear to wisdom, and APPly our heart to understanding; Let us cry out for discernment, and lift up our voice for understanding, Father, we will seek wisdom as silver, and search for her as we would for hidden treasures then we will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For You Lord give wisdom; From Your mouth come knowledge and understanding; You store up sound wisdom for the upright; and are a Shield to those who walk uprightly; You guard the paths of justice, and preserve the way of His saints. When wisdom enters our heart, and knowledge is pleasant to our soul, discretion will preserve us; and understanding will keep you, We pray all these things in Jesus' Name. Amen 

What Do We Know of Holy... *

Jacob woke up from his sleep. He said, "God is in this place—truly. And I didn't even know it!" He was terrified. He whispered in awe, "Incredible. Wonderful. Holy. This is God's House. This is the Gate of Heaven."
Genesis 28:16-17 The Message

While chatting with a friend at work today, our conversation turned to the perception of holy in today's world - and how there doesn't seem to be a great deal of understanding about what it means to be holy, even in the Christian realm. Somehow, the understanding is that "good enough" is okay. I'm not talking about situations where God's great grace covers us in our imperfections and failures. I'm talking about an accepted sub-standard where holy isn't totally pure, it's slightly tainted, and that's considered 'good enough.'

I don't find that anywhere in Scripture. God is a holy God! Do we understand that? We need to. Addison Road does a great song titled "What Do I Know of Holy?" I've included the lyrics here and a link to the song at the end. May it be an awakening in our hearts and minds. In Jesus' Name I pray.

What Do I Know of Holy?Artist: Addison Road
I made You promises a thousand times
I tried to hear from Heaven
But I talked the whole time
I think I made You too small
I never feared You at all No
If You touched my face would I know You?
Looked into my eyes could I behold You?

(CHORUS)
What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

I guess I thought that I had figured You out
I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about
How You were mighty to save
Those were only empty words on a page
Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be
The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees

(CHORUS)

(CHORUS 2)
What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame?
And a God who gave life its name?
What do I know of Holy?
Of the One who the angels praise?
All creation knows Your name
On earth and heaven above
What do I know of this love?

(CHORUS)

What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of Holy?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P--Sxx5VjN8&feature=related

Every Which Way +

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
Isaiah 55:8 NKJV

I've been thinking about this verse off and on since early this morning. It's my birthday and all day long, I've been encouraged to have it my way, to do whatever I want, etc. Truly wonderful people wishing me well, wanting me to be happy. All in all, it's been blessed of God - a great day.

And I have to say - because of that - I am GLAD that HIS thoughts are not the thoughts that run random sometimes in my head...and the ways I have at times are not HIS chosen ways. 

However, I pray fervently that eventually, my thoughts will be only about the heart of the Father and which way He wants me to go next. Then I will know for sure that I'm doing it the right way - holy and righteous - going the right way. After all, there really is only His way. 

Prayer

Father,
           More of You, Lord. Less of me. With each passing year, I pray Your will, Your Way. In Jesus' Name. Amen