Building Your Weapons

Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

James 3:2-10 NLT

Think about your words of today. Were they blessing or cursing? Edifying or executing? Grateful or grousing? Did you only see what was wrong, or did you actively search for what was meant for your good? 

Lisa Bevere says, "What you don't understand is that the enemy is trying to form a weapon against you. And the equipment and the tools he needs to actually put that weapon together, you give him with every single, negative word that comes out of your mouth. Before those words come out of your mouth, the enemy doesn't have the tools he needs to build that weapon against you. We hand them [to him] every single time we speak cursing instead of blessing out of our mouth. On the flip side, Scripture tells us the Lord watches over His word to perform it. So, you've got to make a decision. Do you want to give the enemy something to work with, or do you want to give the Lord something to work with?" 

What's coming out of your mouth? 

Who do you want building YOUR weapons?

Prayer:

Father,

          According to Psalm 141, Post a guard at my mouth, God, set a watch at the door of my lips. Don’t let me so much as dream of evil or thoughtlessly fall into bad company. And these people who only do wrong— don’t let them lure me with their sweet talk! May the Just One set me straight, may the Kind One correct me, Don’t let sin anoint my head. I’m praying hard against their evil ways! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

What's Important?

You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
Psalm 139:13 NLT

One of my co-workers has a sign on her desk that reads, "We’re put on this earth to accomplish a certain number of tasks. Right now, I’m so far behind, I will never die." I have to admit, I had that same sign on my desk at a previous job. Now, we joke about which drawers to empty and burn if something happened to either of us.

Even though we joke about it, people don’t like to think of it and definitely don’t like to speak of it. None of us knows the day or the hour our life will end. One important truth about that is we ARE put on this earth to accomplish the plan God created for our lives, but there IS a time limit. I was reminded of that as I was verifying my insurance benefits choices, including beneficiaries. I realized I needed to inform my beneficiaries of their benefits.

You know, we have the ability to make choices that determine how and what the benefits will be when we die…for those we leave behind AND for ourselves. Thankfully, I have decent life insurance. But most importantly, I have perfect life ASSURANCE - John 3:16, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

James 4:14 NLT tells us, How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.

Without Jesus, there is no Life and that’s the most important thing for my beneficiaries - and for YOU - to know!

Prayer:

Father,

Help us focus to redeem the time You have given us. Help us to make eternal differences for those You have put in our lives. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

Called to Live in Freedom

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Galatians 5:13-14 NLT

It has been said, "When the will to be free is greater than the will of bondage, the way to freedom can be found."  However, the price of freedom has always been paid in heartache and blood - of the oppressed, of the oppressors, and of the liberators. 

It's been eye-opening to realize the percentage of the generations once and twice removed who seem to have forgotten and/or fail to recognize and acknowledge the freedoms we enjoy here in the states and the ultimate price that's been paid so we can enjoy them - freedoms many people in the world still today can only dream of. God help us all. 

For our Christian walk, Christ willingly paid the ultimate sacrifice to liberate us from our sinful nature. His Blood cleanses us from all unrighteousness and frees us to love others as He loved us. Have we forgotten? Do we fail to recognize and acknowledge what He has done so we may walk in it? 

Freedom was God's plan from the beginning. Even Isaiah prophesied, "I, the Lord, made you, and I will not forget you. I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me,  for I have paid the price to set you free.” Freedom isn't free.

Prayer:

Father, 
          Thank You for loving us more than enough to set us free from a lifetime of being slaves to sin. Thank You for setting our spirit free so that even in chains, we cannot be bound. Thank You for Your Word that assures us if Your Son has set us free, then we are free indeed. May we have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep Your love is. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Waiting for Years

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Galatians 6:9 KJV

You've been praying for how long? Believing since when? Have you forgotten about it? Given up? DON'T! 

You think it's too late? Too long? It's NEVER too late with God. Do you need proof? 

Okay. Abraham and Sarah. Abraham was 100 years old when Sarah conceived and she was 90! Think about just the reality of those numbers.  Abraham still believed God's promise even though they'd been waiting for years! Genesis 18:14, Is anything too difficult for the Lord?

God's covenant promises do not wear out or become less over the course of time. You need more proof? Rainbows are a sign of His covenant and when were they created? In the days of Noah! How many years ago was that - and yet I know we've all seen rainbows in our lifetime.

So, come on! Let's breathe new life into those prayers of salvation for your loved ones. Keep believing and thanking God with the faith He has given you. He hasn't forgotten. And after all, He is a God of miracles and He keeps His promises.

Prayer:

Father,
         Your Word is alive and powerful! It does not diminish. Just as Isaiah prophesied, it does not return to You empty, but will accomplish what You desire and achieve the purpose for which You sent it. We choose to believe every Word You have spoken, and give You praise and honor for them. Pour out a fresh anointing so we may stand steadfast in our faith. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Making the Most of It

Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.

Psalm 37:7 NLT

A few years back, I got a surprise visit one Saturday from my son and daughter-in-love and our miracle baby. He had called the night before to say they were coming into town, but on such a quick turnaround and with so many people to see, I didn't expect to see them till Sunday. However, the Saturday phone call was "See you in about 10 minutes." I cleared the papers off the table, then went outside to sit on the porch and wait for them. 

It was very warm, after all, this is Texas and it was summer. I tried swinging a little to get a little air circulating but to no avail. At first I thought, "Forget this - I'll wait in the house." However, I discovered that if I sat perfectly still while waiting, the gentlest of breezes caressed my cheek and cooled me down. It was lovely and so peaceful.

And at that moment, I was reminded that whether in the heat of the battle or just the season I'm in, when Jesus calls me to His side, if I will be still in His presence and wait patiently for Him to act, instead of rushing to do something just for the sake of doing something, I would feel Him and know His peace.

I love it when God shows up, don't you?

Prayer:

Father,

         Thank You for making the most of our moments. Thank You for revealing Yourself in intimate ways so that we can know You better and love You more. Help us to be ever mindful of Your ways. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Let Me Ask You

Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you.
2nd Timothy 1:15-16 NLT

Has your trust in someone or something ever been betrayed? Have you given up on someone or something because it took longer than you expected for it to come together? Or have you ever been so plumb weary at the end of a very long day that you just wanted to go home, pull the covers over your head, and forget it all?

In all areas of life, we MUST, Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching... - a pattern shaped by the faith and love that we have in Christ Jesus. And we MUST, Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to us.

Are you trustworthy? You may think,  I'm not a thief. I'm not a liar. I'm not a   (fill in the blank).  Yes, that makes me trustworthy. That's not what I'm asking you. Are you trustworthy with the great and glorious Gospel message that God has written on your heart?

Are we trustworthy to not destroy the trust others have in us because of how we feel about something that happened today or last week or this week or this month or this year?

Are we trustworthy to keep His message pure and true - not adding anything to it or taking anything away?

Are we trustworthy to share the Gospel message with those whom God has entrusted to us?

So, let me ask you - are we?

Prayer:

Father,
            Give us wisdom to stand in Your Truth, carefully guarding it. Make us trustworthy, O God. May we be found faithful to You and to Your Word. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen 

A Memorial

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!”  And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?”
So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God."
Acts 10:1-4 NKJV

Memorials are a great tribute to those who have given their lives in service for others, whether in the armed forces during conflict or through humanitarian effort. A time to remember and honor what they have done. However, it's a different kind of memorial I'm thinking about this evening - the one in our text for today. Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.   

When I read this, I had to ask myself. Have I prayed enough or given enough that my prayers and alms would come up for a memorial before God?  And if I haven't, why haven't I? Do I take my freedom to worship so casually that I forget the price that was paid for it? Do I take for granted the rights afforded me as set forth by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights? Because I was born into a Christian nation, do I turn an unfazed eye and ear to the plight of our Christian brothers and sisters who do NOT live in the land of the free and the home of the brave?  Those for whom Christianity today is as much persecuted with beatings and torture and death, as it was in the first century?

For those who have given their lives to offer freedom in Christ to a lost and dying world - a memorial. For those who have given their lives so that I might live in the land of the free - a memorial. For the One who gave His life to redeem every soul - let my life be a living memorial...

Prayer:

Father,
         Change our hearts! Renew a right spirit within us! Let our prayers and alms be such that they come up for a memorial before You...and You alone, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

His Peace Work

God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.
Matthew 5:9 NLT

When I worked in construction, I loved piecework jobs. For those of you who may not know, piecework is paid by the amount done instead of by the time spent doing it. Once the price was agreed upon, we could work as much or as little as we wanted. I could work hard and learn the best skills, knock the job out in two days, and have the rest of the week off. Or I could work at a slower, less frenetic pace, and still get paid whenever I got the job completed. Although, usually there was a timeline; some sort of deadline by when it had to be finished.

Sometimes, we had unlimited units of work. We could get paid for ALL we got done - no matter how much, as long as it was done correctly. That was a serious pay off because I like to work... Well, actually, I like to get paid, but thankfully, I understand that I must work to get paid.

There are days - even now - I wish I still worked piecework. Then I realized that I do; it's just a different kind of peace. The price has already been agreed on - His life for mine - and then mine for His. And if I will work for it, using the best skills He's given me, there will be a SERIOUS payoff! Oh! And one more thing - there IS a deadline - and it's looming large.

Prayer:

Father,
             Help us to see the work You have laid before us - work to usher in Your peace - work that must be done before YOU return. Thank you for the price You paid, and for allowing us to see the timeline for its completion. Help us to accomplish all the peace work that is available for us to do by Your mercy and grace! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Blessing and Cursing

Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

James 3:2 NLT

And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!
James 3:6-10 NLT

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips.

Psalm 141:3 NKJV

So, are we encouraged that King David - a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22) - asked God to set a guard over his mouth, or are we disheartened because all these centuries later, we still wrestle with this same issue? 

Has your mouth ever gotten you in trouble? Have you ever said something you wish you hadn't said? And if we didn't "mean" it, then why do we say it? The sad truth is we can't un-say it. We can't un-speak the words. 

Jesus tells us in Luke 6 that it's out of the abundance of our heart that we speak.  Proverbs 4:23 tells us to, Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Instead of telling God all about a problem, let's go to the Word of God, find out what HE has to say about that particular problem, then speak and pray HIS Truth over our lives.

Prayer:

Father,

           Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen

Failure and Forgiveness

When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table with the Twelve. While they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”
Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one, Lord?”
Matthew 26:20-22 NLT

Did you ever pick up on the fact that EACH one asked Jesus if they were the one who would betray Him? Obviously, they each knew they were capable of it... After all, most of us are aware of our character flaws and failures.  In fact, before the night was over, they would all abandon Him at the Garden of Gethsemane to save their own necks.

They failed Him. Miserably! 

However, they did not quit, and while Jesus knew their failures and shortcomings, He knew they would not quit.  In Mark 16:7, the angels told the women to go tell His disciples and Peter that Christ would meet them in Galilee. 

They did not get hung up in their failure. They did not quit. They received the forgiveness He paid for them on the Cross. As a result, they spread the Gospel everywhere they went.

Have you ever failed? I know I have. God knows our failures and shortcomings. However, He had the Master Plan. Christ died on the Cross for the forgiveness of our sins. Our failures. So, don't quit coming back to the Cross.

Prayer:

Father,

          Forgive us for every time we have failed You and let You down. Restore us, O God, to right-standing with You through the Blood of Jesus. Thank You for choosing us. Overwhelm us with Your grace and mercy. We want to fulfill the plan You have for us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Psalm 37

Never envy the wicked! Soon they fade away like grass and disappear. Trust in the Lord instead. Be kind and good to others; then you will live safely here in the land and prosper, feeding in safety.
Psalm 37:1-3 The Living Bible

This is SO good!

4 Be delighted with the Lord. Then he will give you all your heart’s desires. 
5 Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him to help you do it, and he will. 
6 Your innocence will be clear to everyone. He will vindicate you with the blazing light of justice shining down as from the noonday sun.

7 Rest in the Lord; wait patiently for him to act. Don’t be envious of evil men who prosper.

8 Stop your anger! Turn off your wrath. Don’t fret and worry—it only leads to harm. 
9 For the wicked shall be destroyed, but those who trust the Lord shall be given every blessing. 
10 Only a little while and the wicked shall disappear. You will look for them in vain. 
11 But all who humble themselves before the Lord shall be given every blessing and shall have wonderful peace.

12-13 The Lord is laughing at those who plot against the godly, for he knows their judgment day is coming. 
14 Evil men take aim to slay the poor; they are ready to butcher those who do right. 
15 But their swords will be plunged into their own hearts, and all their weapons will be broken.

16 It is better to have little and be godly than to own an evil man’s wealth; 
17 for the strength of evil men shall be broken, but the Lord takes care of those he has forgiven.

18 Day by day the Lord observes the good deeds done by godly men, and gives them eternal rewards. 
19 He cares for them when times are hard; even in famine, they will have enough. 
20 But evil men shall perish. These enemies of God will wither like grass and disappear like smoke. 
21 Evil men borrow and “cannot pay it back”! But the good man returns what he owes with some extra besides. 
22 Those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the earth, but those cursed by him shall die.

23 The steps of good men are directed by the Lord. He delights in each step they take. 
24 If they fall, it isn’t fatal, for the Lord holds them with his hand.

25 I have been young and now I am old. And in all my years I have never seen the Lord forsake a man who loves him; nor have I seen the children of the godly go hungry. 
26 Instead, the godly are able to be generous with their gifts and loans to others, and their children are a blessing.

27 So if you want an eternal home, leave your evil, low-down ways and live good lives. 
28 For the Lord loves justice and fairness; he will never abandon his people. They will be kept safe forever; but all who love wickedness shall perish.

29 The godly shall be firmly planted in the land and live there forever. 
30-31 The godly man is a good counselor because he is just and fair and knows right from wrong.

32 Evil men spy on the godly, waiting for an excuse to accuse them and then demanding their death. 
33 But the Lord will not let these evil men succeed, nor let the godly be condemned when they are brought before the judge.

34 Don’t be impatient for the Lord to act! Keep traveling steadily along his pathway and in due season he will honor you with every blessing,[c] and you will see the wicked destroyed. 
35-36 I myself have seen it happen: a proud and evil man, towering like a cedar of Lebanon, but when I looked again, he was gone! I searched but could not find him! 
37 But the good man—what a different story! For the good man—the blameless, the upright, the man of peace—he has a wonderful future ahead of him. For him there is a happy ending. 
38 But evil men shall be destroyed, and their posterity shall be cut off.

39 The Lord saves the godly! He is their salvation and their refuge when trouble comes. 
40 Because they trust in him, he helps them and delivers them from the plots of evil men.

Prayer:

Father,
          May we walk in such a way as to be counted godly in Your sight - by Your saving Grace. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Giving the Lead

He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way. The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.

Psalm 25:9-10 NLT

I know the phrase we're most familiar with is "taking the lead." However, God does not do things the same way the world does. According to our Promise for Today, He leads us in doing right, teaching us His way, only when we give up our rights and put ourselves into submission to Him and to His ways. How can we do that? We must have wisdom from above.

James 3:13-18 NLT tells us that True wisdom comes from God. Read with me, If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

     But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. 

I don't know about you, but I sure could use a harvest of righteousness. We harvest the fruit of what we plant, so we have to plant the right seeds. We can't plant anger and/or seeds of bitterness and then expect a harvest of righteousness. We want the right crop. In order to do that, we need the right seed, the right field, and the right path to follow. The key is to realize that we can only follow when and if we give up the lead. Psalm 25, verse 8 reads, The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. Have we given Him the lead?

Prayer:

Father,

          According to Your Word in Psalm 25, we pray. Show us the right path, O Lord; point out the road for us to follow. Lead us by Your truth and teach us, for You are the God who saves us. All day long we put our hope in You. Remember, O Lord, Your compassion and unfailing love, which You have shown from long ages past. Do not remember the rebellious sins of our youth. Remember us in the light of Your unfailing love, for You are merciful, O Lord. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

The Crossroad

For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

Colossians 1:19-20 NLT

I cannot always wrap my mind around the depth of God’s love for mankind or the lengths to which He goes to prove His unconditional love for the vilest of mankind, but I believe with every fiber of my being that God is everything Scripture proclaims Him to be. I thought I might need to preface today’s promise with that declaration of faith because I may throw something out here that maybe you’ve never thought about. On the other hand, maybe I’m the last to realize it. I finally realized today that God understands - on a very personal level - the stress in life when dealing with people...

God knows what it feels like to be angry. He knows firsthand the frustration and stress caused by people not following the preferred plan. It started in the Garden of Eden, remember? And how about those Israelites in the wilderness? And then in the Promised Land? And then...?

I don’t know about you, but when I get stressed in or about a situation and it becomes prolonged, I want to rid myself of it. Cut it off, kill it – whatever it takes for it to be gone. I want to be done with it. If I get to that place and I can see no change in sight or no hope of change, then I find myself at a crossroad – an intersection where I can choose what suits my flesh (which is to cut and run) or I can choose to follow God. If I choose to follow God’s example, I must be sure to properly weigh all the components to determine the best outcome of love in action for all involved. First and foremost, I must recognize and understand what hangs in the balance. 

That's what God did. He weighed it all - all the sin and evil and wickedness of all mankind for all time - and chose to love over killing all of us and wiping out the human race. When we hit a similar intersection, we must recognize and understand what hung in the balance. It was His Son.

The Cross. The intersection of holiness and love - the perfect drop-off location for our load of stress.

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for creating the ultimate intersection and loving us in spite of our selfishness. Set us free from our own road hazards. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Going to Seed

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.

Galatians 6:7 NLT

As I stood in my backyard, I realize it's time to get the seed planted. Whatever made it through last year's winter, did not make it through this year's. I have lots of seeds and a good variety of them. I have the potential for buckets of flowers and vegetables. I have lots of starter containers. What I need is good soil and lots of light to get them started. Without good soil and light, it won't matter how much seed I have - there will not be a harvest to share.

2nd Corinthians 9:10-11a in the NIV, reads, Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion... 

God supplies our seed AND gives the increase to enlarge the harvest of our righteousness so that we can be generous... Have we prepared the soil of our hearts? Have we availed ourselves of the light of His Word? Have we watered from the River of Life? Are we generous with what God has given us?

It's time to seed. Are we ready?

Prayer:

Father,

        Help us to dig up the fallowed ground of our lives to prepare for the righteousness You want to cultivate and harvest in us so that we can be generous to others. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Clouds

I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as the Lord. “In that day, I will answer,” says the Lord. “I will answer the sky as it pleads for clouds. And the sky will answer the earth with rain. Then the earth will answer the thirsty cries of the grain, the grapevines, and the olive trees."
Hosea 2:20-22a NLT

When I was a kid, I hated the rain. It got dark. You couldn't go outside. And if my mother saw even the slightest flash of lightning, the TV was unplugged and we couldn't talk on the phone, either... However, I loved rainbows! And you can't have a rainbow unless there is some rain. Amen?

I remember one morning taking a detour to the beach to watch the sunrise. The clouds were thick, yet they caught the glimmering pink of the sun before it peeked over the horizon. The dull grey of the water took on a pearlized beauty as it mirrored the coral color caught in the clouds... the same clouds that threatened rain at some point during the day. And as much as we need the rain, for the briefest of moments, I did not want to be rained on while doing the errands I had on my list for that day.

As I watched the sun climb, the clouds thickened, and as they did, the sun continued its unhurried, yet constant ascent to break over the horizon, hurling its colors across those clouds. While the morning dawned on me physically, it also dawned on me that without the clouds, there would be nothing to reflect the light that causes the color to be so breathtaking. Some people may hate to see clouds in the sky, but no clouds equal no incredible colors sponged in streaks across the sky. And it was then I caught the parallel to our lives as followers of Jesus Christ.

If our lives were perfect (no dark times), we could be a light that people might notice if we were gone, but rarely do people stop to look at a clear, cloudless sky. However, when the clouds of discouragement or distress bluster in and billow around us, if we will reflect the Son as HE lights our way, the breathtaking beauty of HIS reflection will cause those who witness it to pull over, stop and drink it all in.

The sky pleads for clouds to answer the earth with rain to provide water for the thirsty cries of those living things that would die without the evidence of rain... and especially His latter rain.

Prayer:

Father,
You know what we need to make us grow in You and to effectively touch the lives of those around us. Thank You for bringing the rain and the sun as You see fit to accomplish Your purpose in our lives. We trust You, Lord. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

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

Why do bad things happen? I can tell you, but you won't like it. It happens because we live in a fallen world - apart from God. And don't act surprised by it. Jesus told us we would have tests and trials. Are we living our lives in such a way through those tests and trials 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

Finished

God wiped out the charges that were against us for disobeying the Law of Moses. He took them away and nailed them to the cross. There Christ defeated all powers and forces. He let the whole world see them being led away as prisoners when he celebrated his victory.

Colossians 2:14-15 (CEV) Contemporary English Version

At the Cross. That's where it happened. That's where Christ defeated ALL powers and forces.  The King James reads that He "made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them..."

Where?!? At the Cross... You know as Christians we're fond of spouting that satan was defeated at the Cross. But do we know it? Do we believe it?  Do we act like it?

Jim Mackey once said something that was utterly profound in its most basic Truth and here it is. "We're not waiting to see who wins - We already know who wins - God!" He then painted a word picture of today's deceived mindset - two forces running neck and neck, and we act like we're waiting to see who will be triumphant!

The Truth is - Jesus said, "It is finished!" No cliffhanger. No sequel. No do-over. No to-be-continued.

Prayer:

Father,

          Forgive us for not walking in the Truth of Your Triumph. Illuminate Your Truth to us. Help us to know it in our knower and to walk in it. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

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 the following quote, 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? That's a natural remedy for a spiritual condition. It's kind of 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 a substitution 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

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, it’s important to know that 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

Thank God for Tears - worth the repeat

You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.
Psalm 56:8b

Have you ever thanked God for tears? No, I'm not crazy. Tears are a gift from God. Yes, a GIFT. First – tears allow us to express and release what’s in our hearts when we haven’t the words to do so. They are a language that God understands. God wastes nothing, so if we didn’t need them, He wouldn’t have given them to us – readily available on any given day – often without bidding… God designed our bodies to produce tears for our well-being.

Do you know that there are different kinds of tears – with different chemical properties? The two most common are reflex tears and psychic (or emotional) tears. Reflex tears come when you get something in your eye or chop onions, peppers, etc. They are designed for and function specifically to wash out irritants. Emotional tears actually contain several protein-based hormones; one of which is a natural pain-killing endorphin – leucine-enkephalin – which is why ‘having a good cry’ often makes us feel better. And not only emotionally, but physiologically, as well.

In his article, ‘Tear Toxins,’ printed in Omni, December 1982, Tom Kovach wrote the following:

     At the St Paul Ramsey Medical Center in Minnesota, tears caused by simple irritants were compared to those brought on by emotion. Researcher William Frey found that stress-induced tears actually remove toxic ‘substances’ from the body. Volunteers were led to cry first from watching sad movies, and then from freshly cut onions. The researchers found that the tears from the movies, called emotional tears, contained far more toxic biological byproducts. Weeping, they concluded, is an excretory process which removes toxic substances that normally build up during emotional stress.

Who but a loving God could or would create that? 

Prayer:

Father,
          Thank You for the gift of tears to help us while we live here on this earth. Thank You even more for the promise of Heaven, where there will no longer be a need for tears according to Your Word in Revelation 21. Father, we can hardly wait until the day You wipe every tear from our eyes because there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things will have passed away. We long for the day. Until then, let us ever be in an attitude of gratitude for all Your precious gifts to us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Second-hand Knowledge - A Tribute to My Mother

This time I’m writing out the plan in them, carving it on the lining of their hearts.

I’ll be their God, they’ll be my people. They won’t go to school to learn about me, or buy a book called God in Five Easy Lessons.

They’ll all get to know me firsthand, the little and the big, the small and the great. They’ll get to know me by being kindly forgiven, with the slate of their sins forever wiped clean.

Hebrews 8:10b-12 The Message

To say that my mother was a strong woman of faith would almost be an understatement. I cannot begin to tell you of the adversity and trials of her life and yet, her faith and trust in God remained the ultimate driving force in her life. As it turned out, that was her greatest witness.

As a teenager, I didn't understand it. I remember more than once demanding answers to "Why would you serve a God who allows all those things to happen? How can you stand there and be calm, telling me 'It will all work out'? Do you not see what's going on here? How can you stand there and thank God for any of this?" From an early age, I was a 'big picture' kind of girl, but I didn't recognize or acknowledge it as it truly was - a gift from God - to be used to edify and to build up the body of Christ. I thought my mother suffered from tunnel vision and a one-track mind. I did not know or understand that Mom was the living illustration of Psalm 121.*  

I only had second-hand knowledge of who God was and is. I didn't know HIM. I thought I did - I'd been in church every time the doors were opened from the time I could remember - but the truth was, I only knew OF Him. 

Through my own adversity and trials and the working of God's grace in them, my mother's God became my God. I came to know Him in His fullness. I learned first-hand of His love in spite of my failures. I experienced His peace in the midst of the storms of life. Over and over, His provision. Making a way through those storms, when there was NO way. 

There isn't time nor space right here to tell of all that God has done to reveal Himself so I could have first-hand knowledge of Him. I have faced the next generation and now the third generation of teenagers demanding answers to "Why would you serve a God who allows all those things to happen? How can you stand there and be calm, telling me 'It will all work out'? Do you not see what's going on here? How can you stand there and thank God for any of this?" I pray to have the same "tunnel vision" and "one-track mind" that my mother had. And I pray that my faith in God during the tough times will be my greatest witness.

Prayer:

Father, 

         Thank You for my mother. For all the years I did not appreciate her, her faith in You, and You Yourself, please forgive me. Let me be a faithful witness to those You have given me. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen

* Psalm 121 NLT

I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. 

The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night. The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.

Adjusting the Attitude

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

Attitude comes from the heart of a person, not the mind. Joshua was a man with attitude, although not in today's negative vernacular. You see, as much as humanly possible, Joshua understood who God is. Joshua understood made in His likeness - created in His image. 

Joshua quietly followed Moses and served him. He listened, observed and absorbed. He went with Moses when Moses went to meet with God... and stood and waited. However, God also listened, observed and absorbed the heart of Joshua.

After 40 years of faithfully following and serving Moses;  40 years after having seen the Promised Land - knowing what was waiting there and not being able to go straight into it because of some mamby-pamby naysayers; 40 years of being in the desert, because of something he, Joshua, was not to blame for;  after 40 years - FINALLY standing at the Jordan with Moses - making plans to take millions of people into the Promised land, and Moses died. 

What then?

In an article written by Jan Greenwood, I read this amazing insight. God did not MAKE Joshua brave - He COMMANDED him to be brave (Joshua, chapter 1). God required an action - one of faith in response to His words. 

When faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, do we succumb or overcome? Our attitude about God and about life will literally make or break us. Joshua chose to obey - and we know how his story ends.

With God, our heart's attitude is everything. Do we need an attitude adjustment? 

Prayer:

Father,

          Help us to see and understand. Give us wisdom to govern our attitude according to Your Word so we will make the right choices. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Separated

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16:11 ESV

The darkness of man is because of the absence of God's light. The darkness of the soul is because something has separated it from being in God's presence. Sometimes, we're in a dry place. We wonder how we ever got so far away... Have you ever been there? The real question is, How do we get into or BACK into His presence? Psalm 100...

Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.

The Bible also tells us that God sings over us (Zephaniah 3:17). When was the last time you sang a love song back to Him?

Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Oftentimes, that's how we get separated. We think we've made ourselves a success. We think we own the talents God bestowed on us when we were being formed in our mother's womb. Let us acknowledge His - God's - marvelous works! 

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

How many times is it written, Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good...?

For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.

Prayer:

Father,

         Forgive us for foolishly thinking we can do life on our own. We cannot do anything apart from You. We acknowledge and thank You for all the provision You have made, are making and will make throughout our lifetime as we walk with You. And we will go on thanking and praising You, giving all glory and honor unto You, O God. Keep our hearts and minds and eyes tuned to You, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

The Good, the Bad and the Truth

And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. For it is my Father's will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.
John 6:39-40 NLT

How do you know you can trust someone? For me, it's when I can trust that person to tell me the Truth even when they think I won't like it. Otherwise, I can't trust the good things they tell me. You can't have one without the other. After all, how can you believe someone when they say they love you unless they love you enough to tell you the truth? Of course, keep in mind the Scripture tells us to speak the Truth in love - it doesn't say beat someone with it.

Scripture is written so we know good and bad. We know how to overcome the bad and live the good because God told us. The same God who instructed the writer of Hebrews to say, it is appointed once unto man to die, also said if we accept Him as our Savior, we will have life everlasting. How can we know life everlasting unless we've known death? He also promised I will raise them up at the last day. How can we be raised up unless we have gone down? How can we appreciate hope unless we understand despair?

The truth of the matter is, nobody likes what we define as the bad things in life. But life isn't life without the good and the bad. Do you believe the Bible? Do you believe all of it, or just the feel good Scriptures? Realistically, the Truth of the Word is the whole Truth, whether or not we believe it, and whether or not we like it... because God truly loves us enough to tell us the Truth.

Prayer:

Father,
         Thank You for the law that shows us our sin and our need for a Savior. Thank you for Your Son who laid down His life to deliver us from that sin to eternal life. Thank You for Your promises that tell us even though we are dead, yet we shall live again forever in glory with You. Open the eyes of those who are seeking Your Truth. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

Paying the Price

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Galatians 5:13-14 NLT

It has been said, "When the will to be free is greater than the will of bondage, the way to freedom can be found."  However, the price of freedom has always been paid in heartache and blood - of the oppressed, of the oppressors, and of the liberators. 

It's been eye-opening to realize the percentage of the generations once and twice removed who seem to have forgotten and/or fail to recognize and acknowledge the freedoms we enjoy here in the states and the ultimate price that's been paid so we can enjoy them - freedoms many people in the world still today can only dream of. God help us all. 

For our Christian walk, Christ willingly paid the ultimate sacrifice to liberate us from our sinful nature. His Blood cleanses us from all unrighteousness and frees us to love others as He loved us. Have we forgotten? Do we fail to recognize and acknowledge what He has done so we may walk in it? 

Freedom was God's plan from the beginning. Even Isaiah prophesied, "I, the Lord, made you, and I will not forget you. I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me,  for I have paid the price to set you free.” Freedom isn't free.

Prayer:

Father, 
          Thank You for loving us more than enough to set us free from a lifetime of being slaves to sin. Thank You for setting our spirit free so that even in chains, we cannot be bound. Thank You for Your Word that assures us if Your Son has set us free, then we are free indeed. May we have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep Your love is. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen