Harboring Offense

How many of us remain in wounded offense? Are we living for the glory of God, or are we reacting to, nursing, or harboring a grievance? Keeping an offense alive and well is just as destructive (and sinful) as committing an offense. Let’s face it: at one time or another ALL of us are going to offend someone, whether we mean to or not. Here’s my sensitive advice: GET OVER IT!

For when we nurture our hurts, hold them and keep them as part of our life portfolio, we resemble juvenile eagles, fully capable of powerful soaring, but letting our hurts and fears confine us to a small life.

It is time to FLY! Time to rise up, shake off the SIN that so easily entangles and get on with it! Forgive those who have offended you. Forgive just as God forgave you, and MOVE past it. How would we like it if God remained offended by our sins? What if He mulled it over and kept a record of wrongs?

My daughter told me a funny story the other day: apparently one day when she was around junior high age, she and her younger brother were alone together while I was at work. During this time they had a spat. She ended up being so furious with all his “sins” that she kicked him. She knew he would tell on her when I got home, so she went to her bedroom and wrote a long list of everything he did that day to provoke her to violence. He came in and asked her what she was doing, and she told him she was making the list. He admonished, “Remember Teal, God doesn’t want us to keep a record of wrongs!” I have laughed over that daily since I heard it. Yes, just as God does NOT keep a record of our wrongs, He doesn’t want us to keep a record of sins committed against us. He wants us to soar with power and freedom, and each time we refuse to move in favor of nursing our hurts and wounds or we avoid the call on our lives because of past bad experiences, we are like those giant baby birds…fully powerful, yet completely crippled by our own decision to remain in offense.

 "He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust." Psalm 103:10-14

True Obedience Brings the Promises of God

I have been reading Intercessory Prayer by Dutch Sheets, a powerful and challenging book.  I quote him (at length as what he says is so amazingly eloquent):

"Whether or not God directly controls every event in the life a Christian can be answered by stating that the basic laws of sowing and reaping, cause and effect, individual responsibility and the free will aren't negated when we come to Christ. All Promises from God are attached to conditions-governing principles. Most, if not all, of these conditions involve responsibility on our part. Protection is no exception.
      Most of us don't like that. It threatens us and somehow weakens God in our minds to imply He's not in total control of everything. And the majority are greatly offended if anything is taught implying that a failure to receive protection, provision, healing, and answer to prayer or anything else from God could be our fault...
     Why are we offended and opposed to a teaching that says our unbelief kept us from receiving something when so often the Bible says if believe and do not doubt or waver we'll receive (see Matt. 17:20, 21:21; Mark 11:22-24; Jas. 1:6,7)?
     Why are we offended when it is implied that our inability to persevere created lack when the Bible says that we "through faith and patience inherit the promises" (Heb. 6:12)?
     Why are we confused or angry when it is suggested that our not doing something caused failure when the Bible says if we're "willing and obedient" we'll eat the good of the land (Isa. 1:19, KJV)?
      As many as 80 percoent of those who consider themselves born again don't tithe, thereby opening themselves to a curse. Yet they are offended when someone implies that their lack of provision might be their own fault (see Mal. 3:8-12).
     We don't forgive and still hae the gall to think God will hear and answer our prayers (see Mark 11:25, 26).
     Often we eat poorly, don't exercise and abuse our bodies in other ways. Then we blame our sicknesses on God's will...
     We know faith comes through hearing and meditating on God's Word (see Rom. 10:7), and most of us do very little of that. But let someone imply that we didn't receive a promise because of unbelief and we're irate."  Thanks to Dutch for speaking the truth!

I submit that we prefer to lie to ourselves and believe that God somehow supersedes all our poor choices and complacencies and then sovereignly overrides our decisions in order to produce the best in our lives. That ain't biblical truth though, folks!

Someone once said, "Complacency is a blight that saps energy, dulls attitudes, and causes a drain on the brain.  The first symptom is satisfaction with things as they are. The second is rejection of things as they might be."

Daniel Kolenda wrote, "As long as the enemy can keep the people of God convinced that they are powerless against the circumstances they face, their impact on earth with be anemic."

So let us own our part in obedience to God's Word, and we will "reap a harvest if we do not give up (Gal. 6:9b)."

Quest: 21 Days to Change the Course of Our Nation

I am on a quest: a 21 day prayer and Daniel "fast" (very similar to a strict Vegan diet :) to impact the course of our country. During this time period I have also given up most forms of entertainment so as to focus on praying and seeking God, not only for the upcoming election, but also for revival in our country: For the United States to turn from our gods of "enlightenment," money, entertainment, worship of the environment, prestige, etc., to the roots of our founding: One Nation Under God.

Last night my husband and I watched the movie, "2016: Obama's America."  I invite you to watch it, no matter what political party you support.  It is incredibly well done and enlightening, and contrary to what you may think, it doesn't slam Obama. It reveals the roots of his life philosophy, his political agenda, and what my friend Jody said, "...helps explain [his] unusual [presidential] behavior."  It helped me to understand why he doesn't mind exponentially increasing our national debt and deficit. Why he is sympathetic to Muslims and terrorists. Why he is not a fan of America.

Do you truly want a government that will bankrupt your children? That will saddle your grandchildren with a debt that will break them?   Do you want the United States to be vulnerable to the terrorists of the world?  Do you truly want a world-wide level playing field? Have you thought about the consequences of your voting choice this upcoming election, or are you following the lemmings off the edge of the cliff?

Character Matters

Character, rather than intentions, is what separates the men from the boys, so to speak. It's what separates the doers from the dreamers, the givers from the merely sentimental.  I have been reading about the lives of old time Christians-the revivalists who changed the world. And though all of them were doers and sold out to Christ, some had major character struggles that eventually led to their ruin. I'm not talking about people who slipped up and then repented, but those with  glaring personal flaws that tainted their ministries.

I've ruminated on why some people have weaker characters than others, and I believe it comes down to the practice of excusing sin.  When we allow and excuse the little sins they lead to bigger ones, until eventually, our character is shot full of holes. These holes fall mainly into the category of the sins of the flesh: lust, gluttony, addictions, pride and the like.  We become self-serving rather than God-serving.  If I excuse the sin of gossip, I am watering the seedling of criticism, causing it to grow and flourish into a tree of judgmentalism.  If, however, I nip that sprout of gossip in the bud, I develop the muscle of self-control and can resist the temptation of idle chatter. So goes the sin of allowing the eye to wander lustfully, which eventually, if unchecked, progresses from adultery, pornography, and finally to the prison of sexual addiction. With addiction comes demonically entrapment, and that, boys and girls, is much harder to escape than the beginning sin of lust.   Selfishness, anger, self-pity, dishonesty, gluttony, drunkenness, drug use, etc. follow this same pattern.

Song of Solomon 2:15 says, "Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom."  To me this metaphor urges us to squelch the small sins in our lives before they rage out of control.  Confess and repent quickly, don't tolerate, excuse or nurture character flaws.  We don't have the luxury of laziness or self-indulgence. Our lives don't belong to us but to the KING!

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

Living Like We Mean It.

I just got back from a Washington funeral for a young friend, taken from us at the tender age of 18. It brought home the reality that none of us knows how long we have left on this planet, how long we're here to grace the world with our lives. I'm not being facetious or arrogant, but speaking the truth: We ARE fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14); we are workmanships of our Creator, thus we are precious and necessary, but our days as as grass: short and unknown.

 Ephesians 2:10 says: "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." So we are powerfully created and wonderfully equipped, yet here for such a brief time; some of us even briefer.

Psalm 103:15-16 reads "As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more."

 Rather than be depressed about life's brevity, Jason Gray puts it like this in the song, "Good to be Alive:"

Hold on Is this really the life I'm living? 
Cause I don't feel like I deserve it 
Every day that I wake, 
Every breath that I take You've given 

 I wanna live like there's no tomorrow 
Love like I'm on borrowed time 
It's good to be alive I won't take it for granted 

I won't waste another second 
All I want is to give you 
A life well lived, to say "thank You...thank You"

Jesus gave us the great commission in Matthew 28: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Here's to not wasting another second.

Dedicated to Taylor Stacy:  "Good to be Alive" ...A man who lived like there was tomorrow!

A Generation of Fire

My generation, the Baby Boomers (born from approximately 1946-1964, according to Wikipedia), has an attitude problem.  As a collective, we are suspicious of anything the younger generation does, even God-related. We don't like their clothes, their tattoos and piercings, their music, their passion, or their anointing (ironically, some of us were radicals during the '60's hippee generation!). We are much like King David's wife, Michal, when she despised him for "dancing with all his might"(half-naked, I might add) before the Lord as the Israelites brought home the ark of the Lord (2 Sam 6:14-16).  Michal earned barrenness for her contempt. I submit we are earning spiritual barrenness for our contempt for the young Spirit-filled believers.

Smith Wigglesworth nailed it on the head when he said, "I believe you need to have something more than smoke to touch people; you need to be a burning light for that.  His ministers must be flames of fire...I tell you, a flame of fire can do anything. Things change in the fire. This is Pentecost."

My generation prefers smoke to fire. We like to talk about God, spend our regulated quiet times with the Lord, busy ourselves with Christian deeds, get together for church potlucks and fellowship, but we don't like the messy power of God. We want to be catered to. We are workaholics, so we don't mind rushing about like Marthas, but we don't like the generations of Marys who sit at the feet of Jesus and ask Him what they should do.  We want them to listen to us.  To model themselves after us.  To go to college, get a good job and have a 401-K plan. To be conservative and "balanced" in their approach to God-not to be wild and embarrassing.  We are much poorer for this attitude. While the next generation of fire-breathers completely sells out to God's call, we responsibly go to work, drive our new cars and decorate our already beautiful homes. We are self-absorbed while they are God-absorbed, and if that isn't enough of a discrepancy, we then criticize them for impractical and irresponsible living.

I'm deserting my generation and becoming an honorary member of Generation Y-those who will usher in the next revival. Hope they'll have me.

Why I am a Political Conservative

Contrary to what you may believe, I was raised by staunch liberals.  My paternal grandparents, who had a huge influence on my life, were likewise liberals.  It wasn't until I was 25, and a friend asked me, "why are you a liberal?" that I realized I didn't know. So I did some research and looked at both the left and right for their beliefs and tenants and found that, lo and behold, I supported Conservative views.
I list them here in no particular order of importance except for number one!

1. The right to LIFE as promised by our constitution.  The inherent value of each human being's life, regardless of age.  Liberals have no regard for the unborn. I cannot tolerate this. It is murder to take the life of ANYONE, including the newly conceived (my only exception to this-see #9). The fact of the matter is that sex often results in conception, so to try and circumvent that fact and erase the consequences is not only heinous, but ridiculous.  If you jump in front of a car you will most likely be killed. If you have sex, you most likely will conceive a child. Get over it.  I will NEVER vote for a pro-choice candidate, ever.

2. The rights of non-human living things should never supersede the rights of human beings. Don't get me wrong, I totally believe we should be good stewards of the earth and of living things; way too little concern has been shown to preserving our environmental heritage, BUT we people are created in the image of God, and the rest of the natural world exists for our use and delight.  We don't, however, have the right to abuse and eradicate anything (except maybe horseflies).

3. Social programs for the most part do not work.  Don't give a man a fish, TEACH him how to fish. I believe in helping the truly needy, but this has gone WAY too far.   There are consequences to laziness and bodily abuse.  If you are on the street because you are a bum, you will suffer. Get a job. Not everyone on the street is mentally ill. The government is not your sugar daddy.   Thank you.

4.  Those who have initiative should not have to pay for those who don't.  The Robin Hood philosophy is crap.  Leveling the playing field is also crap.  Our Constitution guarantees us the right to "life, liberty and the PURSUIT of happiness."

5.  Families have the right to educate their own children as they see fit. They do not need the government to intervene.  It does not take a village to raise a child.  I hate that saying.

6. Americans need to be loyal to America and Americans, first and foremost.  Just as you should be more loyal to your family and household than the surrounding neighborhood.  This is our country, paid for by the blood of our people.  This isn't to say America's leadership hasn't made serious mistakes, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. If an American cannot be loyal to America, I really think he/she should move elsewhere :).

7. Our military must be strong to protect our country, as there are many haters in this world, those with absolutely no compunction against using terrorism against our country (remember 9/11?). Terrorists should be shot.

8. I do not totally agree with everything the Republican party stands for, but by jingo, it definitely comes far closer to my strongly held beliefs than does the Democratic party, hence that is how I always vote.  I don't think our country is ready for a third party, so I don't waste my vote on Independent or Libertarian candidates.

9. I believe in the death penalty. Charles Manson should have been executed LONG ago, and I'm glad Hitler is dead.  Some crimes are so heinous, the only answer for them is execution.  If they go to Hell, that is not my problem.

10.  Right and wrong does exist.  Morality isn't spongy.

11. Our country was founded on Christianity.  While everyone has the freedom to choose what to believe, Christianity should not be slammed by those in places of leadership, the media, or for entertainment.  Notice how other non-Judeo-Christian religions are protected by mainstream thinking...have you ever wondered why that is?  Try slamming Muslims or Hindus and see what sort of fall-out you get.

12. The Constitution should not be messed with, period. For example, I have the right to own and bear arms.  Thank God I live in Montana!

There are undoubtedly more reasons I'm a conservative, but that's all I can think of for now. [An interesting side note: 3.5 of my liberal parents' 4 children are conservatives :)]

For an awesome article, check out:
http://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2008/03/14/why_i_am_a_conservative

An Eli Church

Zealot: One who shows fervor for a person, cause, or object; eager desire or endeavor; enthusiastic diligence; ardor.

I am a part-time Zealot.  I love the idea of being zealous, but I often slip into apathy.  Nevertheless, I am irritated by Christians who have no passion for God. What's the point of even being a Christian if it's just a transparent label?  Not only is apathy irritating, it leads to sin. As I stewed upon the word zeal today, I was reminded of the  passage in 1 Samuel 2, which contrasts Samuel's heart with that of the priest Eli and his sons:

Eli’s sons were wicked men; they had no regard for the Lord...This sin of the [sons] was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt. But Samuel was ministering before the Lord...[he] grew up in the presence of the Lord. Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. No, my sons; it is not a good report that I hear spreading among the Lord’s people. If a man sins against another man, Gode may mediate for him; but if a man sins against the Lord, who will intercede for him?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the Lord’s will to put them to death. And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men (verses 12; 17-18a; 21b-26) .

I fear my generation, the baby boomer Christians, are an Eli church. We tolerate amazing amounts of sin in our lives and in the lives of our children.  We passively preach a good message, but our lives don't reflect it. We are materialistic and consumed with career and recreation.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:21)

We give lip service to our beliefs, but our lives don't reflect the transforming power of Jesus.

Much like Eli, we don't stop the defiling of the church.  We let the world erode the hard message of truth.

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. (Matthew 7:13)

Like Eli, we are often passive and self-indulgent.

Now let's see what happens to Eli and his sons:

Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says:.. ‘Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’ “Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘ Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained. The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it will reach old age, and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your family line will ever reach old age. Every one of you that I do not cut off from serving at my altar I will spare only to destroy your sight and sap your strength, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life.  “‘And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you—they will both die on the same day. I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed one always." (1 Sam. 2:27a; 29; 30b-35)

The Lord took out weak Eli and his corrupt sons:

 The man who brought the news replied, “Israel fled before the Philistines, and the army has suffered heavy losses. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.” When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man, and he was heavy. (1 Sam. 4:17-18)

And replaced him with faithful and passionate Samuel:

 The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. (1 Sam. 3:19)

 Then all the people of Israel turned back to the Lord. So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only. (1 Sam. 7:2b-4)

Lest we shrug off this lesson as old Testament, we have Jesus' example when he cleared the temple: 

When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!” His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” (John 2:13-17)

The disciples were full of passion and gave their lives for Christ. One of my favorite examples of biblical passion is Stephen, a second generation disciple:

...the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit...Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.  Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.” So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.” All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel. (Acts 6:2-5; 8; 10-15)

Zeal. Get some.

Having Enough

This morning I was praying and the beginning of the 23rd Psalm came to me, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall NOT want."  I began to think about the word "want" in this context, and then looked up this scripture in several versions:

New International Version (©1984): "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want."

New Living Translation (©2007): "The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need."

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010): "Lord Jehovah will shepherd me and I shall lack nothing."

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995): "The LORD is my shepherd. I am never in need."

King James 2000 Bible (©2003): "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not lack."

Douay-Rheims Bible: "The Lord ruleth me: and I shall want nothing."

Young's Literal Translation: "Jehovah is my shepherd, I do not lack..."

So either we have all that we need or God is a liar.   Either the Word is true or it isn't. If it's true then I LACK NOTHING.  God has given me everything I need. What I think I lack is not a necessity for me.

2 Peter 1:3 says, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness."

What it boils down to is that IF I don't have as much as I think I should...I want what God has decided I don't need.

 1 Timothy 6:6-8 says, "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that."

Am I fed? Am I clothed?  If the answer is "yes," then I am NOT in want.

If the answer is "no," then I have allowed the enemy to rob me of my rightful provision from the Lord. I have allowed the thief to steal from me, and that needs to end, now.

I will pray: "Satan, you have no right to my provision and wealth from the Lord. He has promised to care for, feed, clothe and shelter me, and right now I lay hold of this promise. You will not rob from me again.  In Jesus name, Amen."

What Are You Afraid Of?

End times? Shortages of food, gas, clean water?  Illness? Death?  The wrong people elected to government?  Your kids taking the highway to Hell?

The Lord says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)

To be blunt, fear is sin. It is.  We are NOT to fear the future!  We are not to worry about storing up supplies and creating an underground shelter in case the worst happens.

Matthew 6: 25-34 says, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

I remember the whole Y2K panic right before the year 2000. It was stupid and pointless,  a complete waste of energy and focus.

Matthew 6:19-21 says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Your heart cannot be in survival preparation mode and also going about the Father's true business, clearly stated in Matthew 10:7-10, "As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep."

If the Lord can keep the Israelites alive in the desert for 40 years, feeding them with manna and keeping their clothes intact, He can do the same for you!

The Lord's name is Jehovah jireh, our Provider. That means He PROVIDES, period. I don't care how expensive gas and groceries are. God is bigger than drought, famine, and goverments that restrict and misspend. Satan's tactic is to distract you from your calling and keep you focused on earthly things.   Don't allow yourself to be diverted. PREACH the gospel. HEAL the sick. RAISE the dead. Do NOT allow fear to distract you.  Go be salt and light.

How we know we are loved...

This morning, as I played my guitar worshiping the Lord, I was stunned by this simple revelation: He loves me.  WHAT?  Is that what you came up with Peggy?  Really?  I knew that.  No, listen, HE loves YOU.  The GREAT I AM. The CREATOR of the vast universe.  The ALPHA and OMEGA. The EVERLASTING FATHER.

Then, the words to the song I was playing penetrated my heart:

"You are and You were and You will be forever The Lover I need to save me;
You fashioned the earth and You hold it together, God So hold me now..."
(Bebo Norman's "I Will Lift My Eyes")

LOVE...vast, unmeasurable, infinite love.  I wept as I played and sang.

Here's the deal, however: we are so tainted by imperfect love that we can't even feel HIS perfect love. Love, to us, should have a different face.  It should solve all our problems and give us everything we want.  It should be shallow and quick-fixing, bailing us out of the consequences of our sin.  In short, we look for human love, marred by sin and selfishness, so when we encounter the PERFECT love of Jesus, we don't recognize it for the amazing gift it is.

"God, my God, I cry out:
Your beloved needs You now
God, be near; calm my fear
... And take my doubt
Your kindness is what pulls me up
Your love is all that draws me in"

He. Is. Kind.  Not always the kindness we recognize, however. The kindness we recognize is too much cake when we're sad or buying a new gadget when we're restless or bored. 

We need to sit and soak in Him and learn what true kindness and love is...the quality of which can't be experienced unless we let go of our preconceptions and control and RECEIVE what He has to give us.  Hard for a doer like me; hard for the Marthas of this world, female and male alike.

Go into a room, alone, and sit, kneel, or lie and receive His love.  I dare you.

"I will lift my eyes to the Maker
Of the mountains I can't climb
I will lift my eyes to the Calmer
Of the oceans raging wild
I will lift my eyes to the Healer
Of the hurt I hold inside
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You"

Drinking the Bitter Cup

Luke 22:42 records Jesus praying,"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." He knows he's headed for the agony of the cross, and his flesh quails before this reality. Nevertheless, he submits his will to the will of the One with the bigger plan. He accepts the bitter cup.

Most of us have some sort of bitter cup: a difficult marriage, chronic illness, financial hardship, heartrending loss, stressful job situation...just to name a few.  I am convinced that our choice to either drink or refuse this cup has far reaching (though often initially unseen) consequences.  For example, choosing to divorce a difficult spouse rather than fulfilling your vow will affect generations.  Ending  your life because of a dibilitating disease will rob the world of an irreplaceable and uniquely gifted person. Quitting a difficult job may circumvent the refining process in your life or in the lives of coworkers.  

About six years ago I was hell bent on bailing out of an extremely painful situation.   By the grace of God, however, I was able to hold fast, and looking back at what seemed unbearable at the time, I am amazed at the blessings my family and I have reaped...just because I chose to drink the bitter cup.  I shudder to think what would have happened had I gone with the almost overwhelming pressure to escape something that seemed unendurable. 

The bitter cup Jesus drank resulted in the sweet redemption of mankind, and the bitter scroll Ezekiel ate (Ezekiel 3:1-3), became sweet in his stomach, signifying the Word of God, though sometimes bitter, is ultimately sweet, for nothing can be sweeter than living in the will of God.

Every dilemma in our lives has an answer. Our Creator didn't leave us in a lurch; He left us with a COUNSELOR: "But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you." John 16:7.

Counselor is defined "One (usually a professional) who gives advice, opinion or instruction to direct the judgment or conduct of another."  The Holy Spirit is that One (working in conjunction with scriptural truths). 

 I love the following passages from the Word:

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9).

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees." (Hebrews 12:1-4; 7; 11-12).

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you" (James 1:2-5)

The last one is especially good, as it refers us to God for wisdom in all circumstances; not the world, our flesh, or tempting promises from the enemy, but GOD!

Go on, drink from that bitter cup and remain steadfast. Watch what the Lord will work out of your situation as you faithfully partner with Him. Don't hesitate to cry out to Him for wisdom...afterall, He's the smartest being in the universe :)

De Nile

No, I'm not talking about Egypt's Nile river, but DENIAL . . . one of the biggest hindrances to true joy and holiness in a Christian's life.

 The definition of denial in this context:
"Refusal to acknowledge the existence of something: a refusal to believe in something or admit that  something exists."

It's a game of let's pretend: let's pretend I don't have this addiction. Let's pretend my words aren't knives cutting into the hearts of my children. Let's pretend I'm concerned about someone, not actually gossiping. Let's pretend God is more important to me than my reputation or wealth. Let's pretend I don't have a shopping, overeating, or porn problem. Ouch.

The more days I have under my belt walking this earth (over 18,000), the sadder I feel that so many of us use denial to protect ourselves from the knowledge of our sin.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8.

So you sin. So I sin. Admit it. After we clear that hurdle, the next hurdle is generalizing our sin. "Oh, I sin in so many ways." Yes, you do. It's time to look at them and name them. But didn't Jesus die for our sins? Yes, He did, but that doesn't allow us to continue to sin. And to be in denial about any of our sins is to practice deceit, and that my dear reader, is sin.

Romans 6:11-16 reads,

"In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace."

One area of denial I've been looking in my own life is hatred. I have always been relatively critical: of myself, of others, and rather than grieve over my sin, I have excused it with the lame: I "tells like I sees it." Which is a load of crap. Who died and made me Noticer of all sin? So this sin in my life must be confessed and repented of . . . TURNED away from.

First the confession:

James 5:16 says,

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed."

It's pretty hard to confess sin when we hide from it. We may think it's easier to ignore and deny our sin, but this self deception prevents true healing of our souls and propagates a stagnate life.

The confession is not just to God, either. The "one another" means humans, sorry. Here's where pride gets in the way. If say I have to confess sexual or addictive sins, it's pretty hard to tell that to someone else. But it is NECESSARY. Doesn't mean you have to tell everyone, but confession to a trusted friend so she/he may pray for you. This leads to the second step: praying for each other. Such a neglected though vital principle. I submit that we would be freer people if we practiced praying for one another . . . in person!

Psalm 51:3-6 says,

"For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place."

Truth in the inner parts. Truthful with God, with ourselves, and with one another. We are not saved and forgiven so we can deny and excuse our sins.

I like this prayer from Psalm 139:23-24:

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

In this prayer is humility, transparency and honesty. A courage to face the music. Jesus was "full of grace and truth" John 1:14. Is anything less required of us?

Jesus told the perfect parable about denial in Luke 18:

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed abouta himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Ephesians 4:17-25 says,

"So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body."

Poisoning the Waterhole

I love Disney's Toy Story. At my house, it's my granddaughter's current favorite movie, so I've seen it probably 50-60 times, counting the numerous times I watched it with my own children. Some of my favorite lines are:

Woody: "Tuesday night's plastic corrosion awareness meeting, was I think, a big success. We'd like to thank Mr. Spell for putting that on for us."

Mr. Potato Head: "Hey, Hamm. Look, I'm Picasso!"
Hamm: "I don't get it."
Mr. Potato Head: "You uncultured swine!"

Mr. Potato Head: "Hey, a laser! How come YOU don't have a laser, Woody?"
Woody: "It's not a laser! It's a...it's a little light bulb that blinks."
Hamm: "What's with him?"
Mr. Potato Head: "Laser envy."

Woody: "You are a child's PLAY thing!"
Buzz: "You are a sad, strange little man, and you have my pity."

Rex: "What if Andy gets another dinosaur? A mean one? I just don't think I can take that kind of rejection!"

Woody: "Stop it you zealots!"

Woody: "Somebody's poisoned the waterhole!"

This last line, while not necessarily funny, struck me as spiritually significant. One of the ways we can "poison the waterhole" is through our words. Negative predictions, complaining, expressions of self-pity and judgmental observations all poison the life-giving waterhole of verbal blessings, faith, hope and belief in a God who "works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28.) When we ignore that verse and say whatever negative, damaging thing that comes to mind, we undermine and negate the life God wants us to bestow upon the culture we're in.

James 3:3-6, 9-12 says, "...the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell...With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salta water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water."

Have you ever tried to drink salt water? Not only does it go down hard, it also causes nausea, vomiting, and ultimately kidney failure and death. You cannot survive on salt water; it is poison. Much the same way, words can poison, driving out life and blessings.

Tyne Daly once said, "A critic is someone who never actually goes to the battle, yet who afterwards comes out shooting the wounded."  It's easy to sit on the sidelines and criticize...much harder to jump in the trenches and help out a situation.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." It's pretty hard to utter critical and negative thoughts while obeying that scripture.

Negative thinking is another form of poisonous activity. More subtle than words, thoughts have at least as much power. These thoughts, though unseen by others, damage us and our ability to live life to the fullest. These defeating thoughts leach out joy (which is our strength: Nehemiah 8:10b), and they determine our words and ultimately our actions.

The writer Peter McWilliams said, “For many, negative thinking is a habit, which over time, becomes an addiction... A lot of people suffer from this disease because negative thinking is addictive to each of the Big Three -- the mind, the body, and the emotions. If one doesn't get you, the others are waiting in the wings.”

Cultivating life-giving thoughts is a choice and a habit to be pursued.  We must CHOOSE joy over the much easier cynicism.

Ephesians 4:29-32 encompasses both words and thoughts: "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

Let's replenish our waterholes with clean, sweet water (thoughts and words), that refreshes and strengthens and can be poured out to hydrate a dry and thirsty world.

Get Yer Fresh Faith!

The New Testament repeatedly records Jesus lauding those who had faith in him:

Matthew 8:5-10  When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith."

 Matthew 9:2-7  And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.” At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”  Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?  But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.”  Then the man got up and went home.

 Matthew 9:22 But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.” At once the woman was made well.

 Matthew 9:29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “It shall be done to you according to your faith," and their sight was restored.

 Matthew 15:28 Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at once.

 Matthew 17:14-20 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
“You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.”  Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment. Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.

 Matthew 21:21 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen.

 Luke 7:50 And He said to the woman [who was wiping his feet with her hair and tears], “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

 Luke 8:22-25 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?”

 Luke 8:42b-48 As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.  “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”  But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

 Luke 17:19 And He said to him [the leper], “Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.”

 Luke 18:35-42 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.”

So FAITH was a big deal to Jesus!  What IS faith, exactly?

Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as: "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen,"  an awesome definition!  The Greek word for faith here is pistis, which primarily translated as "faith," also can mean "believe," "faithfulness", "given proof," "pledge," and trusted."  So faith is to fully rely on what the Lord has said and done, and to trust that He will do what He has said He will do.

 So how do we "get" faith?  Romans 10:17 (Amplified) says, "So faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the message that came from the lips] of Christ (the Messiah Himself)."  I like that...we hear (or read) the miracles and teachings of Christ, and our faith is built not only by soaking up the word, but also by the Holy Spirit who not only gives us supernatural revelation of faith, but daily strengthens us to walk in faith!

Ephesians 3:14-21 says, "For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge —that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

So, get yer faith through the Word, through humble devotion to Jesus, and by the enablement of the Holy Spirit, and realize that WE HAVE BEEN EQUIPPED FOR MIRACLES THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST!  Let's go kick some Satanic butt, faithful ones!

In pursuit of Treasure

I live in the "Mining City" in the "TREASURE State", and before yesterday, I never really thought about the spiritual connotation of these names.  Yesterday, however, during my quiet time with the Lord, I was struck by the truth that this state, this town, has great spiritual treasure, just waiting for holy excavating!

So like all good Holy Book lovers, I mined the Word for relevant scriptures:

 Proverbs 2:4-5 If you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

 Isaiah 33:6 And he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is Zion's treasure.

 Isaiah 45:3 I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.

 Matthew 6:19-20 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Matthew 13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

 Matthew 19:21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

 Luke 12:33-34 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

 2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

 Colossians 2:2-3 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

I love the idea of gathering spiritual treasure: wealth I can amass that furthers the Kingdom of God; riches that never diminish and actually multiply the more I share them.

Not long ago, I read "The Ultimate Treasure Hunt: A Guide to Supernatural Evangelism Through Supernatural Encounters," by Kevin Dedmon and Bill Johnson, one of the most exciting books I've ever read.  In a nutshell, the authors record how Holy Spirit-directed evangelism works: praying for and receiving specific words/descriptions and using those "clues" to locate specific places and individuals to minister healing, encouragement, and ultimately the gospel to.

Dedmon introduces: "The Ultimate Treasure Hunt is about supernatural encounters. It is about learning to live a naturally supernatural Kingdom lifestyle, in which miracles, physical healing, the prophetic, and setting people free are normal occurrences, as we release the presence and power of the Kingdom of God to the people we know and meet every day...God wants to transform a community, not just those on the "streets." ...The Ultimate Treasure Hunt is about demonstrating God's goodness and kindness to everyone, wherever we go...As you step out and take risk, you will find countless, undreamed of Treasures that will cause incredible rejoicing on earth and in Heaven."

Oscar Wilde said, “Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.”

Lord, give me a miner's heart for lost, wounded and afflicted, here in my home town: "the richest hill on earth!"

Bloom

Forcing a flower bud to open doesn't work: it just destroys the blossom. Left alone, the bud will open gradually, revealing its beauty. The blooming process is stimulated by sunlight, warm temperatures, water and soil nutrients.  Merely wishing, hoping, or intoning "Abracadabra!" won't unlock the flower.

I'm a bad gardener...I can't even grow irises. I know that sounds ridiculous, since irises normally grow like weeds, but MY irises won't produce flowers. Last summer, I proactively moved my irises from mostly shade to a sunnier spot, in the hope that would stimulate them to bloom. They have done nothing. They are tiny and anemic and I know why: the soil sucks. I planted them partially under a giant spruce thinking these tough plants could handle the acidic soil resulting from years of fallen needles, so I threw some powdered lime on them, and left them to get with the program.  They refuse to flourish. They have water, sun, and spring warmth, yet without good, rich soil, there they sit, stunted and yellow.

My irises are a picture of Christian lives lived under a shallow gospel: limp existences that never produce a crop.

Jesus said in Mark 4:3-8: “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.”

He went on to say in verses 14-20:  "The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.”

So what necessary "nutrients" do we need to live fruitful life?  Jesus said in John 15:1, 5, 6-13, 16-17:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener..“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends...You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other."

I have determined that there is NO way we Christians can flourish without remaining in Christ, without patterning our lives after His, without obeying his commands. To do so, we must first KNOW what His commands are!  How can we accomplish this without saturating ourselves in His Word? Without spending time in deep, fervent prayer? Without the infilling of the Holy Spirit?  To live the shallow, American life and clinging to  our day of salvation is to live like those stunted irises.  We'll never grow, blossom, or bear fruit.  Maybe that's all some of us want, but not me. I want to live a life of LOVE, power, richness, and abundance.  I want to nail my sins to the cross, of course, but I also want to live as Paul said in Romans 6:10-11: “For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus," but even more so as Jesus commanded in Matt. 10:8: "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give."

Which Are You Feeding?

As I sat today, open bible on lap, ready to read, pray, and soak in the Lord's presence, I kept finding my mind wandering...traveling to scenes and fantasies whereby I came out on top, the heroine of the day...an argument won, an enemy admitting her faults (as I magnanimously forgave her), a previously hidden talent appearing at a crucial time, wowing others with my amazing insight and spiritual giftings (!)... When I finally surfaced from my "I AM AMAZING" daydreams, I was ashamed and revolted at my childishness and pride.

While I pondered the origins of these juvenile fantasies, the following story popped into my head, one probably familiar to many: "An old Cherokee Indian was speaking to his grandson: 'A fight is going on inside me,' he said to the boy. 'It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil–he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good — he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too.' The grandson thought about it for a long minute, and then asked his grandfather, 'Which wolf will win?' The old Cherokee simply replied, 'The one you feed.'" 

Self-exalting pipe dreams feed the evil wolf. Pride was Satan's main sin, and I'm falling into his trap the minute my mind starts wandering into self-centered fantasies. Jesus warned, “What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’ For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’" (Mark 7:20-23). For the most part, I have conquered childish daydreaming, but occasionally, when I'm bored, distracted, or feeling insecure, I lapse into old fleshly habits. C.S. Lewis said, "Above all beware of excessive day dreaming, of seeing yourself in the centre of a drama, of self pity, and, as far as possible, of fears." Amen. By feeding myself on the Word of God and actively pursuing His presence, I feed the spirit inside me Holy things, amazing things.

 Galatians 5:16-25 says, "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."

 My deepest desire is walk with Jesus, to walk AS Jesus did, accomplishing kingdom things with my life. But on some crucial level, I have not matured, and niggling self doubt drags me into the pit of self focus.

 "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a [woman], I put childish ways behind me." (1 Cor. 13:11). "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." (John 4:34) Let me feast on that!

 

The Furry Face of Kindness

My cat has a new title: Nurse Caddis (not to be confused with the sadistic Nurse Ratched of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" fame) ☺. My fuzzy caretaker earned her title this past week, watching over me the four days "as I lay dying" (William Faulkner) of some horrible stomach virus ☺ Not that she had a lot on her feline itinerary, but still...she was there: never bored, never tired…head butting me periodically just to see if I still remained among the living…purring when I roused, bestowing sandpapery licks. I would frequently open my eyes to the sight of her face, inches from mine, eyes concerned (ok...that may be a bit much), seeming to ask, “you ok, boss?” When I slept she planted herself on my torso, making like a log roller whenever I turned over, settling on whichever part of me pointed up.

 Though scoffers may protest, my cat possesses the loyalty of a dog. When I adopted her three years ago, the shelter director told me that Caddis, though barely out of kittenhood herself, gave birth to several kittens and mothered them par excellence. I find it amazing that a mere furball, with a walnut-sized brain (she’s a small cat, with a small head), and no hands, is a better caregiver than many PEOPLE I know! The only time she blew off steam during those four days was middle of the night romps when I was forced to lock her one-cat slumber party out of the bedroom. Aside from her midnight revelry, most of the time she reminded me of Biblical Ruth:

"...Entreat me not to leave you, or to return from following after you: for where you go, I will go; and where you lodge, I will lodge: your people shall be my people, and your God my God," (Ruth 1:16), and as cheesy as this sounds when applied to a cat, she was my closest companion during the un-party. She put my friendship skills to shame, this simple animal did. This heathen cat demonstrated biblical love simply and quite perfectly:

  Proverbs 17:17 "A friend loves at all times,and a brother is born for a time of adversity." Proverbs 18:24 "One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."


Proverbs 20:6 "Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find?"

 Ecclesiastes 4:9-12a "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down,one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves."

 I think Warren Eckstein's quote is perfect, especially apropos of my past week's ordeal: "In the beginning, God created man, but seeing him so feeble, He gave him the cat"

 

"Yes," "No," and "Ain't that Nice?"

I talk too much. No, it's true. I have had that pointed out to me untold times since babyhood (my mom swears I said my first word at eight months of age). I am gabby, chatty, loquacious, garrulous, voluble... or as I prefer it: FULL of words. I aim to change that, however. I intend to adopt my dad's suggestion of three responses to all questions and statements, "Yes," "No," or "Ain't that nice?" (The latter said mildly, with a slight southern accent).

Here's the deal: Jesus knew how to shut up. He didn't find it necessary to defend himself (Matt. 27:12); He didn't sell himself; He spoke truth and let it be (Luke 9:23). (One blog I stumbled across went so far as to say, "Jesus' advice sucked!"...well, that's because He didn't give much advice, but I cracked up when I read that), He preached and taught, but in parables, to spark the hearer's thinking. In fact, much of scripture condemns overspeech (my invented polictically correct term for verbal diahrhea):

Proverbs 10:19 "When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise." Proverbs 17:28 "Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent." Proverbs 29:20 "Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him." James 1:19 "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger."

 Ecclesiastes 5:2 "Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few."

 Proverbs 21:23 "Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble."

 Proverbs 18:2 "A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion."

 Matthew 6:7 "And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words."

So, my only argument is that Jesus was a MAN, HELLO! I'm a woman, and we NEED to use up the our alloted 7000 words per day (men speak only about 2000). If any given female were to use less than her quota, the words would built up inside her until there would be a verbal explosion!

 A little humor: "A husband looking through the paper came upon a study that said women use more words than men. Excited to prove to his wife that he had been right all along when he accused her of talking too much, he showed her the study results. It read "Men use about 15,000 words per day, but women use 30,000". The wife thought for a while, then finally she said to her husband 'It's because we have to repeat everything we say.' The husband said 'What?'" :)

 My little granddaughter, a certified GIRL, talks A LOT. One time, when she was about a year old, she sat quietly in her Dora chair while my son (her uncle) and I carried on a lively discussion. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore, and she burst out in a stream of gibberish that lasted several minutes, accompanied by animated hand gestures. We burst out laughing, which only encourage her to continue. She needed to express her 7000 words, but lacked the vocabulary to do so, so she improvised!



But, in all honesty, my lack of verbal control leads to problems, including relational misunderstandings, overwhelming others with unsolicited opinions, hurt feelings...words I wish I could recover and bury. "Yes," "No," and "Ain't that Nice?" I think I'll give it a whirl.

You are not who you think you are!

Graham Cooke persists as one of my all-time favorite authors. His take on the kindness of God and what we have been created to attain never fails to inspire me. Right now I'm reading his "Way of the Warrior" series, Book 2, "Manifesting Your Spirit," and I just HAVE to share some excerpts:




 The chapter titled Strengths and Weaknesses are a Paradox contains these gems: "...At first Moses offered every excuse in the book as to why he couldn't possibly be the one to lead Israel out of bondage. In Exodus 7:1, God ended the debate: 'See, I have made you as God to Pharoah.' True to His word, Pharoah was so bewildered by the power Moses wielded that he didn't know what to do or think...he had...to conclude that Moses was some sort of God...

 ...Gideon offered the same excuses at first. His self-image was a mess: 'O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house," he said in Judges 6:15. What did God see when He looked at Gideon? Read verse 12: 'the LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!' Obviously, a significant gap existed between who Gideon thought he was, and what the Lord had laid out for him to do...

...A spiritual warrior lives in this strength and weakness paradox. God always puts our weakness together with His strength. He does not ask us to be strong; in fact, our weakness is what attracts Him. He is strong enough for both himself and us. He couples our inability with His provision... 

...Magnifying God is not an option; it is an antidote to poor self esteem...

 ...Living out of the soul is a lower order of engagement because we are the prime focus. When we allow logic and emotion to lead us, fear grips us...

 ...The Holy Spirit is not interested in what we cannot do; He is interested in what we are willing to do. If our heart is right before God, no present weakness can prevent us from overcoming the challenges before us...

 ...We cannot build a life by trying to correct weakness. Instead, we build our life by defining and refining the gifts, strengths, and revelation God has given us...

 ...When we focus on our weaknesses, we cannot make a difference in a critical moment...

 ...No one can inherit or possess a gift from God when they focus on on their weakness. Every believer already possesses the things they need to both get free and stay free. It's already in us, put there by God Himself. We simply need to take inventory of our gifts and use that arsenal God has given us. In Acts 3, Peter did not dwell on his weakness when confronted with a crippled man at the Gate Beautiful. Instead, he gave out of the strength God had put in him: 'Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk,' (verse 6). The same principle was echoed by Paul twice in Philippians 4: 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," (verse 13), and 'And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus," (verse 19). When we pour out the blessing God has given us, another door opens for us in Heaven. We do not live out of a finite pool of anointing; God has more than enough to give us...

 ...Prosperity then is about giving, not receiving. When we sow, God gives us both a massive harvest to reap and more seed with which to plant...

 ...Mature Christians know both what God is doing in them, and what He is doing through them. They do not confuse the two. What our souls see as crisis is actually an opportunity for expansion. It may have to come in a strange way or a difficult time, but it is always an opportunity. Will we allow our soul to dominate in this time, or our spirit? Will we resolve to live from the right place? Are we determined to stand fast and rest in the Lord? These are the questions we will face over and over again in our lives."

 PREACH IT, Graham!

Prune or Be Pruned

An old forgotten apple tree grows along a trail I often frequent with my canine pals. I don't know if some long-dead homesteader purposely planted it there, or if it's merely the lucky offspring of a discarded apple core. Every fall I peruse it for fruit, but in the past four or five years, I've only managed to pick two small, sour specimens; the few apples it produces each year are either wormy or out of reach. That tree is a mess. It's scraggly branches are mostly dead and dying, and the few live ones seem to have forgotten how to carry out the process of fruition. This tree seems to be shrinking rather than growing, as it sacrifices a dead limb or two each year, with no new growth to replace what has been lost. This old apple tree is in dire need of a gardener's care, or more specifically, it cries out to be PRUNED.

 Pruning is weird. It seems so ruthless and painful, yet it yields great abundance and LIFE. Dead and dying branches, sucker shoots, and excess blossoms sap a tree of the necessary energy to produce flowers and decent fruit. Wildness and unhampered freedom haven't blessed this apple tree. It has suffered in it's exposure to the elements, wild animals, insect infestations, and probably destructive humans, year after year, leaving it in a weakened and essentially barren state. Just like that tree, my life needs some hands-on care from the Creator... including painful but necessary pruning.

 Just this past week, I experienced some pruning. Specifically, I was pruned of my computer :) I thought it was a huge tragedy (especially since the crashed hard drive took with it thousands of unbacked up (irreplaceable) pictures that I feared I would either lose forever or have to shell out hundreds of dollars to extract, all blamable on my backup neglect). As the week of loss wore on, I gradually came to appreciate the stillness, the lack of social network frenzy and tyranny of catching up on missed tv episodes. I spent more time reading, more time talking to my husband, and more time free of the need to keep in touch with, reply to, check in with: PEOPLE. I didn't miss my computer at all. I enjoyed the extra space and cyber quiet. And now that my pictures have been rescued (THANK-YOU Merciful Father!), I don't want to go back to the cyber-addict I was before. I want to chill out and live a bit more naturally. While I will NEVER prefer phone conversations over texting and email, I don't want to feel the compusion to read my whole newsfeed every day, "like" my friend's pictures and statuses, or to constantly check if someone is "liking" my stuff. It doesn't matter.

What matters is to breathe, to savor, to LIVE the one life I have been given to live. Not hooked up to my machine. Not living in the Matrix of cyber-space. I want to disconnect and go outside; see the glory of God and experience what HE has for my life...