* Well, Shut My Mouth

She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness.

Proverbs 31:26 NKJV

Man! How I wish it was me that Scripture referred to...

The good news is that there is hope in God and faith that I will get there...through the Holy Spirit's persistence to woo and teach me.

Father,

         Let my heart be ever alert to Your guidance. Let my feet be quick to follow You. Let my mouth be silent until You fill it to speak words of wisdom and kindness. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

When It's All Over But the Shouting *

And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way.
Ephesians 6:10-11 The Message Bible

There was a lot of discussion about the tragic shooting at the theatre in Colorado. It's incomprehensible and overwhelming. I wept as I watched an interview with a 13-year-old little girl who had tried to rescue the 6-year-old child who had been shot.

I've heard the same question every day since the tragedy, "How does something like this happen?" I can tell you, but you won't like it. It happens because we live in a fallen world - apart from God. Are we living our lives in such a way that the world will see and want to know our Father?

Continuing in Ephesians 6:12-18 The Message
This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

Prayer:

Father,
          Thank You for preparing us for such a time as this. Keep us ever mindful of Your plan and purpose for our lives. Let Your light shine so brightly in our lives, Father, that we are able to lead others on the path to You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Making Decisions

Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.
Proverbs 4:7 NKJV

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.
James 1:5-6 NLT

We make many decisions in a day. Some are considered 'no-brainers' - things we don't have to decide daily because at some previous pivotal point, we decided we would do it regularly. Other decisions require conscious effort, deep thought and reasoning, and just when we think we've made the hard decision, we think about it some more.

Some decisions are made for us - such as what the boss wants done and when he or she wants it. Some are seemingly without thought because they 'go with the territory' - if you deliver pizzas, you need a driver's license and the state-required insurance, and a vehicle of some sort.

The bottom line is this: we make our decisions - and our decisions make us. More than that, decisions we make affect the lives of those around us. To choose to live righteously, to choose to have an attitude of gratitude. To choose to reach out to others... or not. It affects everyone within our sphere of influence. If we don't make conscious decisions, it will be our mindless decisions that will affect our lives and those around us.

So, knowing that - how are you at making decisions? Do you have all the wisdom you need in order to make them?

Prayer:

Father,
          We come before You today and ask for Your inspired wisdom to make the right decisions to follow Your purpose for our lives. Lord, Your Word says You will give it to us and not rebuke us for asking. Our faith is in You alone, Father - we do not want to waiver. We need Your wisdom. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Wanted: Dead or Alive

Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

Revelation 22:12-13 NLT

You've seen one.
Wanted: Dead or Alive!
Underneath the emblazoned heading is a mug shot of the criminal. Underneath that may or may not be a list of their dirty deeds. Underneath that is ALWAYS whatever the payoff might be - 
Reward! $100,000.

Wanted posters are always about the bad guys. In American TV westerns, bad guys were the ones who did NOT wear the white hats. They looked mean. They had scars on their faces and usually didn't shave. Back then, it was always easy to tell who the bad guys were. I wish it was still that easy.

I've thought about this off and on all day, from a biblical perspective, and in light of Scripture, it still IS easy to tell who are the bad guys. Based on God's laws, every one of us could have our face on a wanted poster.

Can you imagine having your picture plastered all over town - complete with a list or summary paragraph of all your deeds? Even the one(s) you hoped no one would ever know? That's a sobering thought, isn't it? Especially in light of our Promise for Today - Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. We have to ask ourselves, "According to MY deeds, how will I be repaid?"

The good news today is spelled out in Colossians 2:13&14. In the New Living Translation, it reads, You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.

God wants us dead and alive - dead to sin and alive to Him.

Prayer:

Father,
          Cause Your Word to be alive in our hearts and minds. Lord, we want to be and do all that You have planned for us to be and do. We want to be dead to the pull of the world and alive and responsive to only You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen 

Mind Your Mind +

My dear friends, this is now the second time I've written to you, both letters reminders to hold your minds in a state of undistracted attention. Keep in mind what the holy prophets said, and the command of our Master and Savior that was passed on by your apostles.

2^nd Peter 3:1-2 The Message

Hold your minds in a state of undistracted attention…

First off, you need to know that in the last days, mockers are going to have a heyday. Reducing everything to the level of their puny feelings, they'll mock, "So what's happened to the promise of His Coming? Our ancestors are dead and buried, and everything's going on just as it has from the first day of creation. Nothing's changed."

They conveniently forget that long ago all the galaxies and this very planet were brought into existence out of watery chaos by God's Word. Then God's Word brought the chaos back in a flood that destroyed the world. The current galaxies and earth are fuel for the final fire. God is poised, ready to speak His word again, ready to give the signal for the judgment and destruction of the desecrating skeptics.

Don't overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn't late with His promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining Himself on account of you, holding back the End because He doesn't want anyone lost. He's giving everyone space and time to change.

But when the Day of God's Judgment does come, it will be unannounced, like a thief. The sky will collapse with a thunderous bang, everything disintegrating in a huge conflagration, earth and all its works exposed to the scrutiny of Judgment.

Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life? Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. The galaxies will burn up and the elements melt down that day—but we'll hardly notice. We'll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness.

So, my dear friends, since this is what you have to look forward to, do your very best to be found living at your best, in purity and peace. Interpret our Master's patient restraint for what it is: salvation…  
2^nd Peter 3:3-16 The Message

Hold your minds in a state of undistracted attention…

Prayer:

Father,
Thank You for Your Word to instruct us. Help us to be on guard lest we lose our footing and get swept off our feet by lawless and loose-talking teachers. Help us to grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

* Have You Lost Your Mind?

Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 Common English Bible (CEB)

"I think I'm losing my mind," her voice was subdued in response to my question. She wasn't joking or making light of the inquiry. I knew she was serious. There was no sparkle in her eye; there was only torment. The weight of emotional pain was overwhelming her - body, soul, mind, and spirit.

Have you ever been in that place? Chances are, you may have been at one time or another. Maybe you're there now, wondering what in the world you are going to do. And if that's you, I want to speak directly to you.

I don't know your circumstances or your questions, but God does. I don't have all the answers, but I know the One Who does. I have been in that same place and I am here to tell you - unequivocally - that God will bring you out. Don't give up. Don't quit now. He WILL see you through to the other side of this. What I DO have is the living proof of His faithfulness to make good on the promises in His Word.

You see, I thought I was a goner. I thought dying would be the only way out of the mess I was in. I was so broken and dead inside that I couldn't see any way out. I couldn't keep two coherent thoughts in my head because of the things that overwhelmed me. I was losing my mind. Then I found the verses of our promise for today.

Back then, I didn't know if God had the time or the inclination to hear all my prayers and petitions, but I chose to believe the Truth of His Word over the facts of my circumstances. And now, this many years later, I am here to tell you that God keeps His Word, and if we will choose to keep His Word, too, then we will surely reap the many benefits of His peace that exceeds all understanding and will keep our hearts and MINDS SAFE in Christ Jesus. 

The Word of God tells us if He does it for one person, He'll do it for all, so let me leave you with this encouragement from Psalm 40...    

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
    and he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
    out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
    and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing,
    a hymn of praise to our God.

Prayer:

Father,
          I pray according to Your Word that Many will see what [You] have done and be amazed, and that they will put their trust in You, Lord.In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Love In Any Language

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
Proverbs 4:7 KJV

Dr. Gary Chapman wrote a best-selling book titled, The 5 Love Languages. The description from the website* about his book reads,  Of the countless ways we can show love to one another, five key categories, or five love languages, proved to be universal and comprehensive—everyone has a love language, and we all identify primarily with one of the five love languages:
Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch.

I'm not here to sell you the book, but to borrow from its premise that if we don't know the language, it's hard to make ourselves understood. If your love language is Receiving Gifts and all you're receiving is the language of Quality Time sans gifts, you're probably not very happy. Friends of mine (who are married to each other) experienced this in their marriage. He speaks Acts of Service - he would clean the house, cook dinner, washed laundry, etc, thinking all the while that he was being incredibly loving and romantic. However, she only hears Words of Affirmation. Her question while she sat in a spotless house was, "If he loves me, why doesn't he just say so?"

The Great News is that God speaks all languages. He created them AND you. And because God IS love, He can and will communicate with you in ANY love language and can receive your love back to Himself accordingly. No more excuses for not speaking with Him.

Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You for always providing exactly what we need, when we need it and where we need it. Help us to be fluent in our conversations with You and with others about You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen


*www.5lovelanguages.com/learn-the-languages/the-five-love-languages/

---

* Change Your Mind

So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective. Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you'll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ. And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That's a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. It's because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. It wasn't long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But you know better now, so make sure it's all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk.
Colossians 3:1-7 The Message Bible

You are probably aware of the saying, "It is a woman's prerogative to change her mind." What you may not know is that there are dozens of discussion groups about it - most of them asking for the definition of prerogative. Loosely defined, it's a right or privilege reserved for a specific individual or group of individuals with a certain rank or position. The dictionary lists several types of groups or individuals of rank, but the common denominator is that they are considered to have a higher status than the average Jane or Joe. They decide how things will be done. It's their prerogative. They tend to look at life from their vantage point and exercise their prerogatives accordingly. They think of themselves as "Large and in Charge!"

Now, before you're too hasty to agree that that sort of privilege is cool, let's re-read our text for today. So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't [...be] absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, .... See things from his perspective. 

Do you want to live life according to your prerogative? ...doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy? That is the way of death for your soul (verse 5). Or - will you do as James suggests in James 1:5? If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. You can't be wiser than God, so let's do life according to His Word. Let's do it from Christ's perspective. You know - Change our minds.

Prayer:

Father,
           We want to pursue those things over which Your Son presides. Give us focus, with eyes to see and ears to hear and a heart that hastens after You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* I Have Half a Mind to...

“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment."
Matthew 22:36-38 NLT

Have you ever driven down a road that you've been on countless times before and "all of a sudden" see something that you've never seen before and you ask the person riding with you, 'When did that go up?' - or - 'How did that get there?' Then that person looks at you as though you're crazy and replies, 'That's always been there!'  It seems unbelievable to them that you've never seen it, but it's just as unbelievable to you that it's always been there.

Well, don't feel too badly. If you're usually the one driving, most of your attention is probably on the road (as it should be). Half of my mind is occupied with the road, and in all actuality, the other half is probably divided into several bits and pieces - the conversation at hand, kids/grandkids, work, the never-ending to-do list...

Here in the southwestern part of the U.S., a familiar colloquial phrase is 'I have half a mind to   (fill in the blank)  .'  And loosely, it implies that you're thinking about doing something, but you're not actually following through to physically do it... but with a little more thought, you might be motivated to follow through.

Here's where all this got sticky for me. How many times have I been guilty of allowing myself to be distracted by junk? Things barely worth noticing in the first place, let alone worth a second thought, but all the more distracting because I have only applied half my mind toward whatever I should be thinking about? Let me get down to the bare bones - how many times am I guilty of allowing myself to be distracted by cares of this world or email notifications or text message pings because I only have half my mind on Jesus instead of all my heart, soul, mind, and strength? How many times - with just a little more thought - could I have been motivated to actually follow through with what my heart was telling me to do?

Prayer:

Father,
           I want to love You and live for You with all my heart, all my soul and ALL my mind fixed on You. Forgive me for all the half-measures and half-attempts and all the times I only had half a mind on You, Lord. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen

What Grace Looks Like *

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge...
1st Corinthians 1:3-5 NKJV

I woke up this morning with the chorus of a song running around in my head. The song is titled "What Grace Looks Like" and it's sung by the group, 33 Miles. The words to the chorus are:

If you wanna know what Grace looks like
Let Love open up your eyes
It's not that far away
You might be amazed
It's all around, look and see
What God does for you and me
Seek and you will find
If you wanna know what Grace looks like

Verse: It's the sun coming out when you didn't expect it
Finding your way when you needed direction
Every day, We see it in so many ways
It's a cold glass of water when you feel thirsty
Things working out when you're in a hurry
It never ends
Like a faithful friend

CHORUS:

Verse: It's a little bit of hope and sweet redemption
Maybe taking time to stop and listen
Just being there
Show someone that you care
It's living a life with your hands wide open
Giving all you got to a heart that is broken
For heaven's sake
Whatever it takes

CHORUS:

If you wanna know what Grace looks like
Let Love open up your eyes
It's not that far away
You might be amazed
It's all around, look and see
What God does for You and me
Seek and you will find
If you wanna know what Grace looks like

Prayer:

Father,

Cause Your pure love to open our eyes so we can look around us and recognize Your fingerprints of mercy and grace in every fiber of our lives. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE4Rk8UxCUo

It's My Name +

Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. 
Isaiah 43:1b NLT

If you've been with me for any length of time, you've seen me go from lamenting to laughing about people who want to argue with me over how my name "should be" pronounced. Really? It's my name. I've had it all my life. Granted, I may be older now, but I still know my own name.

I can top that story. For the last month, I've been in deep discussion with a certain state office that wanted to argue with me about my legal name - the one I've had for years. It would be different if I had a nickname on a legitimate form of ID, but all of my identifying documents have the same name  - mine - that is, except for my recently-issued driver's license because I couldn't convince them with a certified copy of my birth certificate, my SS card, last year's W-2, my electric bill, and my recently expired driver's license (I know - my fault) that I am me. They issued with a name from my past (WAY past). That's who I was - it's not who I am now.

But...Praise God! He's shown me yet again, that it doesn't matter who tries to put what on me, in more ways than one - and in the most important way that counts - by the great Grace of God, I am NOT who I was. I am changed. HE ransomed me and He has called me by name - His.

Prayer:

Father,
           I will not be afraid. I have heard You call my name. I know Whose I am and who I am in You. I thank You for all that You've done, all that You're doing, and all that You're going to do. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Remember?

Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.

John 13:34-35 The Message

Do you remember when you first turned your life over to Jesus and asked Him into your life? Do you remember how it felt? When was the last time you stopped and thought about that? Do you remember how you loved everyone and wanted them to have what you had found? Do you remember the compassion you felt for those who did not know Him? Do you remember how fervently you prayed? How you couldn't get enough of His Word? When you weren't reading your Bible, you were probably reading books written about the Bible or telling someone about it. Do you remember?

What changed?

We fool ourselves into thinking that once a Christian becomes a little mature; it's only natural and right that they should calm down. Maybe it's the style of it - more wisdom instead of just zeal - but let's not confuse complacency for maturity and wisdom.

When did we stop telling people about Jesus?

When we got rejected a few times? Jesus was rejected.

When someone made fun of us? Jesus was mocked.

When we got hurt? Isaiah 53:3 reads Jesus was a man of sorrows.

When someone left us? Jesus was abandoned by all.

When someone we loved died?

Somehow, we think these things justify our actions. In the same way I loved you...

What does the Lord have to say about all that? Revelation 2:2-3, the Lord writing to the church at Ephesus - remember, we're in the book of Revelation here, “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting."  Hmmm, sounds like good Christians, doesn't it? He goes on in verse 4. “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!"  And then the kicker - verse 5 - "Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches."

So, I'll ask again. Do you remember when you first turned your life over to Jesus and asked Him into your life? Do you remember how it felt? When was the last time you stopped and thought about that? Do you remember how you loved everyone and wanted them to have what you had found? Do you remember the compassion you felt for those who did not know Him? Do you remember how fervently you prayed? How you couldn't get enough of His Word? When you weren't reading your Bible, you were probably reading books written about the Bible or telling someone about it.

Do you remember?

Prayer:

Father,

           Take us back to our first love. Forgive us for leaving it in the first place. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen