BE A RECABITE!!!

Have you ever heard of the Recabites?  I had not until I had Sunday School curriculum to teach from Jeremiah 35.  Now I strive to be a Recabite and encourage my kids and grandkids to be Recabites!  I encourage YOU to be a Recabite!

"This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, King of Judah "go to the house of the Recabites, speak to them and bring them to one of the chambers of the temple of the LORD to offer them a drink of wine.  I set jars filled with wine and some cups before the sons of the house of the Recabites and said to them "Drink wine!" But they replied "we do not drink wine, for Jonadab, son of our ancestor Rechab, commanded, "you and your sons must never drink wine! You must not build a house or sow seed or plant a vineyard. Those things are not for you.  Rather, you must live in tents your whole life, so you may live a long time on the soil where you stay as a temporary resident"  We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab, son of our ancestor Rechab in all he commands us"  Jeremiah 35:1-2, 5-8a.

This lesson is not just about not drinking wine or living in tents.  It's about obeying God and standing firm for what He says in His Word.  It's about defending what you have been taught and what your family stands for.  We are constantly tempted to be "politically correct", to make choices that are not in line with who we are and what we know to be Truth.  We too often "go along with the crowd" to avoid strife, ridicule, or conflict. We don't want to seem intolerant or judgmental.

Dan Cathy, President of Chick-fil-A is a Ricabite.  He is standing firm on the Word of God.  He is not judging, being intolerant, ridiculing or purposefully causing strife and conflict.  He is simply stating, as the Recabites did "we do not drink wine, for Jonadab, son of our ancestor Rechab, commanded, "you and your sons must never drink wine!"  He is standing firm on God's Word and like the Recabites he will be greatly rewarded by the God he serves. 

I encourage you to read all of Jeremiah 35 and be a Ricabite!

I would also encourage you to read the complete transcript from Dan Cathy's interview in the Baptist Press

 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38271

GROWING IN GRATITUDE

Last week I began a 30 Day Challenge "Growing in Gratitude" published by Revive our Hearts.  I know I've been greatly blessed, but I don't often stop to actually express my gratitude to God and others.  I am asking God to transform me into a truly thankful person. It may take more than 30 days :)  

Day 4 challenged me to make two lists under these headings:  "Gifts from God' and "Gifts from Others.  then put down everything that comes to mind. This is to be an ongoing exercise not something to do in ten minutes.  A list that I will add to over the next 30 days.   

As we discussed Caleb and Joshua in Sunday School this morning and the spiritual legacy they left behind to the generations after them.  I thought of someone very special to add to my list of "Gifts from God".  Thank you God for my fraternal grandmother, Zelma Irene Bicknell Herring.  I know without a doubt I am walking with the LORD today because of her prayers.  She loved the LORD, read her Bible every night, served faithfully in her Methodist Church and loved her children and grandchildren unconditionally.  

Six years ago when I was anticipating being a grandmother for the first time, I sent an email to my cousins asking them, what made Grandma Herring special to each of them.  They answered back, "because I was so special to her, I was her favorite".  I laughed at each one, because I KNEW I was her favorite.  Then I realized that we were each her "favorite".  She treated each of us as her favorite whenever we were with her.  When I visted her we watched Lawrence Welk and Billy Graham Crusades together, I helped her "put up" fig preserves, snap green beans and dry the dishes. She would brush my hair, rub my back and read to me clippings she had saved out of the paper of things she thought I would be interested in. She was always interested in what I liked, what I did in school, who my friends were and was always eager to "show me off" to her "Circle".  (The Methodist Women's Circle). 

I am grateful for a godly loving grandmother.  I desire to be that godly loving grandmother to all my grandchildren. I desire to treat each one as if they are my "favorite".  I long to leave them a godly legacy.  I pray that 40 years after my death, my memory will stir in the heart of each of them sweet memories of a grandmother that loved the LORD with all her heart, mind, and strength.  

"Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul and forget not all His benefits."  Psalm 103:1-2

For more information on the 30 Day Challenge "Growing in Gratitude" go to www.reviveourhearts.com

A SPECIAL PROMISE

An excerpt from "Journey" by David Jeremiah

    "Like most women,missionary Amy Carmichael wanted to be married. But her work would have been impossible for a married woman,and God gave her Psalm 34:22 as a special promise. Amy's struggle was deeply personal, one she didn't divulge for years. Finally she told the story. "I went away alone to a cave in the mountain...I had feelings of fear about the future...The devil kept whispering.  "It's all right now, but what about afterwards? You are going to be a very lonely.' And he painted pictures of loneliness...And I turned to my God in a kind of desperation and said. 'Lord what can I do? How can I go on to the end?' and He said, 'None of them that trust in Me shall be desolate.' That word has been with me ever since."

    In heaven, we'll have no loneliness, no loss, no privation, and no painful sacrifices. But it's our joy now to yield ourselves fully to God, for no one who trusts in Him will ever be desolate."

"The Lord redeems the lives of His servants, and none of those who take refuge and trust in Him shall be desolate."  Psalm 34:22

What a wonderful verse for us to cling to when our lives just don't seem to be going the way we had planned or anticipated.  We much to often cling to the past, are discontent with the present and fear the future. It would do us well to seek first the kingdom of God and His will for our lives.

RUSHING WATERS & A BEACH VACATION

One of my all time top five vacations, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  Each year Jeff's golf club has a week long golf trip to different locations throughout the U.S.  Five days of golf at five different courses with 100 of his closest golf buddies :).  This was our second trip to Myrtle Beach and definitely one of my favorites!  Our room had a balcony that overlooks the beach and the beauty was breathtaking.  There is a spotlight at night that shines out on the water and we watched the rolling waves hitting the shore.  Peaceful it is not, calming it is.  Go figure.  I could not quite understand that as loud as the sound of the ocean waves are, virtually a roar, it seemed so peaceful on that balcony.  

This year a friend and I planned to spend the week doing Beth Moore's DVD Study "Here and Now...There and Then, A Lecture Series on Revelation" along with hours on the beach.  And that is what we did.  We met for breakfast, retired to our room for Bible Study (God was so sweet to provide a DVD player with our large flat screen TV) and then we hit the beach from 12:00 until 4:00 everyday. We dressed to meet our men for dinner, watched a LOT of basketball and started over the next day.  It was awesome!

But what I want to share is one of those God "nuggets" I learned on my balcony overlooking the Atlantic.

Revelation 1:12-16 NIV  Verse 13

" and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," 

dressed in a robe reaching down to His feet ...

His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace,

(15) and His voice was like the sound of rushing waters."

   Revelation 19:6 NIV 

"Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, 

like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: 

            "Hallelujah!

                   For our Lord God Almighty reigns.

             Let us rejoice and be glad

                   and give Him glory"

             For the wedding of the Lamb has come,

                   and His bride had made herself ready.

Daniel 10:6 AMP 

"and the sound of His words was like the noise 

of a multitude of people or the roaring of the sea".

I through open the balcony door and listened to the "roar of the sea" and understood the peace that comes from the sound of the roaring waters.  Someday I will hear that "roar" and know that it is my Saviors voice!

A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH

I can't believe it has been almost a month since my last blog entry.  Where does the time go?  Well a lot of my time was spent on the beach at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  I will post about that trip in the next few days.

Now I simply must share a conversation I overheard in the backseat Sunday as we came home from Sunday School.  In the backseat were my two precious granddaughters, Presleigh age 5 and Sydney age 4.

Me:  What did you learn in Sunday School today?

P:  Jonah and the Whale

S:  Baby Moses

P:  Oh yeah - his mom put him in a basket and he floated down the river.

P:  I want to see Moses in Heaven

S:  If he is in Heaven

P.  Oh, he's in Heaven

S:  How do you know?

P:  Because he was a friend of God.

Here's were I wanted to intervene with Scripture knowledge and tell how God met Moses on the mountain and when Moses died God buried him where no one would know.  But, thankfully I listened to the Holy Spirit and kept my "holy" mouth shut.

S:  I want to go to heaven

P:  Me, too. I want to pet all the animals.

S:  But not the hippos, they would bite. (Her favorite animal is the hippopotamus!)

P:  Not when heaven comes down.  When heaven comes down to the earth all the animals will get along, even the hippos.

S:  When heaven comes down won't it squash the trees and everything?

P:  No it's coming down to go over everything here.  A new heaven and a new earth. 

S:  I think it will squash everything.

P:  No it won't. It will fit over and everything will be new.

Then they were off on to another story.

Oh my goodness!  It took 55 years and lots of Scripture study for me to understand the concept of a New Heaven and a New Earth and this precious 5 year old has it figured out!  Praise be to God!

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea" Revelation 21:1

If you want some great summer reading and deep insight into this subject I suggest Randy Alcorn's book HEAVEN.  A MUST read!

 

SIN AND CONSEQUENCES

I am currently participating in a Bible Study "Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed a Study of David"  The last two weeks are written by one of my favorite Bible teachers, Kay Arthur.  Sin and Consequences have been a subject heavy on my heart for a while and particularly the past couple of days.  As I was walking tonight I was praying and then formulating the words for this blog.  Before I began blogging I purposed to do two days of homework for this week, Week 5.  How amazed I was that the title of Day One was "Sin and Consequences" and Day Two is "Persevering Through Discipline".  Hmmm.  Even more interesting is, as I sat down to write this blog and opened the study book I realized these lessons are for next week, Week 6.   Lord, thanks for the message :)

Kay starts out in Week Six, Day One with "Life is neither easy nor ideal.  Rarely is it the dream fulfilled, and it's good to realize that early on."  Agreed!

She goes on to say " How do we handle life when we are worn to the bone or think our hearts are going to rupture because of rejection and pain? when our family is falling apart? How do we go on in the joy of our salvation? How do we teach transgressors His way when we've blown it so badly ourselves? How do we joyfully sing in down times?"   Good question, how do we?????

Kay asks "What lessons can we learn so that we go deeper still with God rather than self-destruct because of failure?"

"Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittitie to be your wife!' Thus says the LORD, "Behold I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight." (2 Sam 12:10-11)

Read 2 Samuel 13.  Kay goes on to say "Do you see anything that might reflect God's judgment when He said "The sword shall never depart from your house" 

It isn't easy to watch your family fall apart.  Maybe you too, like David, have mourned over a son or a daughter.  It was just the beginning of David's sorrows.  As you read on in 1 Samuel you find David and Absalom's relationship deteriorating until Absalom was in open warfare with his father seeking his kingdom and his life. 

The son died, the father lived. David wished it had been the opposite, but in God's sovereignty, it wasn't.  Even though life did not get easier, David pressed on.  Persevering without becoming bitter, the king humbled himself under God's mighty hand and took God's discipline as a true son of God.

David did not fail to appropriate the all sufficient grace of God."  Thank you Kay!

Like a Father who discipline's his son, because of His great love for us God disciplines us in the midst of our iniquity.  We are forgiven of our sin but we don't "get away" with our sin.  God loves us too much to let us go undisciplined. I pray that we would humble ourselves before God and take His discipline as a true child of God.

"Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.  For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.  Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge."  Psalm 51:2-4

WRESTLING WITH GOD

Have you ever wrestled with God?  I've read the story so many times of Jacob wrestling all night with the Angel of the Lord, nice story, but until you actually are "on the mat" you really don't get it.  I've been "on the mat" with the Lord for the past couple of weeks.  It doesn't end until He gets you in a head hold and pins you to the floor.  I'm finally there, head to the floor, weak from the battle, exhausted but exhilarated.  

The wrestle began last week when I read a "thread" on a friends Facebook page.  She NEVER posts, but when she did, she caused some controversial chatter.  She was attacked by non-Christians who had done their Bible homework and neither she nor I were prepared for the onslaught.  The discussion is too long and too detailed to play out here, but the "attackers" used Matthew 5:31 and 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 toward my friend who is divorced and remarried.

Now most of you know that prior to being born again, I was married and divorced twice. Two years after I was saved Jeff and I met and married.  Only God could have orchestrated our meeting, courtship and marriage.  We have built our almost 20 year marriage on the foundation of Jesus Christ. We love the Lord and try to live a life worthy of Him.

So I talked with two women, that I highly regard, who are spiritually sound and extremely knowledgeable of the Word. They agreed God did not agree with divorce or remarriage, but He is a God of grace and forgiveness.  I accepted that and moved on. 

Then I ran across a link to a John Piper website and as I perused the site I came to a Position Letter that he had written to his church concerning Divorce and Remarriage. http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/articles/divorce-remarriage-a-position-paper  I was devastated.  Was I really an adulterous in the eyes of God, am I really continuously living in a state of sin and am I a hypocrite to the highest by teaching the Bible to other women?   GOD help me understand!  

So the wrestling match began.  

Finally with my head held to the floor by God himself I understood.  The answers to all my questions were "No".  I am forgiven, I am covered by God's grace, I am His and He is mine.  BUT...... there was a plank in my eye that needed to be removed.  Again, that was another familiar verse that I have read a hundred times and although I totally understood it, I never could really personally apply it to my life.  Until now.  

I have been so busy looking at the speck in other peoples eyes, concerned over their sin, wanting to expose their sin to themselves and others, that I didn't see the plank in my own eye.  Who am I that I should judge?  I am not better nor am I worse, and I have no right to judge others, that is God's position.  I must let go and let God take care of the sins of others.  

I can only hope that when He lets me up off the floor, I walk away with a limp that will serve to remind me every time I start looking at the speck, that my plank is bigger.  

Praise be to God for loving me and saving me!  Thank you, Jesus! 

JUST TRYING TO HELP

When studying the life of David we are always perplexed and vexed when we come to Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab being struck dead by the LORD for touching the Ark of the Covenant to keep it from falling off the cart into the dirt.  We think that was awfully strong punishment for an innocent mistake, after all they were only trying to help.

But the mistake was far from innocent, or at least, it shouldn't have been innocent.  Abinadab was a Levite, his sons were Levites.  Look at Numbers 18:5

 “You are to be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the altar, so that my wrath will not fall on the Israelites again. ⁶ I myself have selected your fellow Levites from among the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD to do the work at the tent of meeting. ⁷ But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.”

In the very beginning the Levites had been given the responsibility for caring for the tabernacle and the ark.  God had given strict instructions for transporting the Ark, found in Numbers 4:4, 15, 17-20:

Abinadab should have passed down to his sons the requirements for transporting the Ark. His sons should have know the correct way to not only transport the Ark but how to treat it reverently.

In reading these Scriptures I am awe-struck by the huge responsibility God has given us as parents and grandparents to pass down His law to each generation. 

In Deuteronomy 6:6 - 7 God says  "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children. talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."  

He was serious!  We are to pass down from generation to generation God's Word and the seriousness of abiding by His laws!

GOD'S MAN ENTERS HEAVEN

"Watergate's Colson, 80, dies"

"Watergate figure turned evangelist, Chuck Colson dies at 80"

So glad God forgives and remembers no more, because it seems the press never does. He was still mentioned in the headlines as "Watergate's Colson"  NOT "Prison Fellowship's Colson.   All the good things Chuck Colson has done in the past 35 years were barely mentioned in the AP Obituary published in today's newspapers across the country. 

If you do not know of Charles "Chuck" Colson, do some research, but you may find only his background as one of Richard Nixon's henchmen.  To find who he has been since, search Prison Fellowship, Angel Tree Ministries, Break Point Radio program, or books he has written.

I read "The Good Life" by Charles Colson several years ago.  Looked for it today in my library, and remembered giving it to my son, Jason.  It made an impact on me.  I remember thinking it was a "manly" book, strong and to the point.

I did find this Obituary for Chuck in The Christian Post which gives a clearer picture of the man who is in Heaven today.

"Since his faith conversion, Colson has dedicated his life to helping prisoners experience the radical transformation possible in Christ through his non-profit Prison Fellowship. For over 30 years, Colson kept the tradition of ministering to prisoners in jail every Easter Sunday. This year was the first time in 34 years that Colson did not spend Easter Sunday ministering in prison due to his hospitalization for the blood clot.

"Whatever good I may have done is because God saw fit to reach into the depths of Watergate and convert a broken sinner," said Colson in a statement in 2008 in response to receiving the Presidential Citizens Medal. "Everything that has been accomplished these past 35 years has been by God's grace and sovereign design."

President George W. Bush in 2008 awarded Colson the Presidential Citizens Medal – the second highest honor to a private citizen – for his Christian-based outreach to prisoners, ex-convicts, crime victims and their families. The award was created by President Richard Nixon to recognize citizens "who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens."

"Through his (Colson) strong faith and leadership, he has helped courageous men and women from around the world make successful transitions back into society," the White House had stated in the recipient citations. "The United States honors Chuck Colson for his good heart and his compassionate efforts to renew a spirit of purpose in the lives of countless individuals."

Prison Fellowship currently has programs in some 1,300 correctional facilities in all 50 states in the United States. The ministry partners with some 7,700 churches and has some 14,000 volunteers nationwide. Globally, Prison Fellowship's programs reach prisoners and their families in 110 countries."

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17

A SPIRIT FILLED LIFE

From the study "Anointed, Transformed and Redeemed"  Priscilla Shirer says "The Spirit lives in us, and we are sealed and anointed by Him to accomplish God's preplanned purposes. So, if you are a believer, you are anointed - right now. Your task is to rely on the power of God who indwells you so you can be empowered to do what you cannot do on your own."

In Flying Closer the Flame, Chuck Swindoll lists marks of a Spirit-filled life:

We have an inner dynamic to handle life's pressures

We can be joyful....regardless.

We have the capacity to grasp the deep things of God that He discloses to us in His Book.

We have little difficulty maintaining a positive attitude of unselfishness, servanthood, and humility.

We have a keen sense of intuition and discernment; we sense evil

We can love and be loved in return.

We don't need to fear evil or demonic and satanic assault

We are enabled to stand alone in confidence.

We experience inner assurance regarding decisions as well as right and wrong.

We can actually live worry-free

We are able to minister to others through our spiritual gifts.

We have an intimate, abiding "Abba relationship" with the living God.

Look carefully at Swindoll's list and consider your life in relationship to these things.  Put a plus sign beside the ones most evidenced in your life and a minus sign beside those least evidenced.

I know I'm going to be working toward more plus signs!

"In Him,you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation - having also believed,you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance"  Ephesians 1:23-14 NASB.

GOD'S RADICAL PROMISE

I am reading the most powerful book I have read in a long time.  Actually I am listening to Anne Graham Lotz read her book "The Magnificent Obsession, Embracing the God-Filled Life". I also have the hard copy to reference. 

The book is written about the life of Abraham, from Genesis 12 - 24.

"Abraham walked out of Ur of the Chaldeans not only challenged by God's personal command but also encouraged by God's radical promise to saturate him in blessings.  Five times in Genesis 12:2-3 God distinctly promised to bless Abraham.  Thousands of years later, we see how those promises were fulfilled:

" I will make you into a great nation."

Today's Jews and Arabs descend from Abraham.

"I will bless you."

At one hundred years of age, Abraham fathered Isaac, the longed-for desire of his heart.

"I will make your name great."

No name in all of human history is greater than the name of Abraham, except the name of Jesus Christ.

"You will be a blessing."

Abraham not only longed to receive God's blessing, he began to long to impart it to others...and he has for the past four thousand years.

"I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse."

God would so fill Abraham's life, so identify with him, that the way others treated him God would consider to be treatment of Himself. God blessed Abraham's friends and destroyed his enemies.

"All peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

Anne says "These were God's radical promises. They were promises to enlarge the scope of Abraham's life beyond anything he could have thought to ask for.  God desires to enlarge each of our lives, usually beyond what we can imagine, if we are willing to let Him."

She says "It's also important to understand what is meant by "God's blessing." God's blessing is not the same thing as wealth health, prosperity , and a problem-free life.  Blessing is the presence and peace and power and provision and pleasure of God in my life".

This is what I desire...God's blessing, the blessing of His presence, His peace, His power, His provision and the pleasure of God in my life.  Is this too much to ask for? Not at all.  He says in His word that He will give me the desires of my heart.

"Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

TASTE AND SEE

For the past 5 days I have been basking in the teaching of three magnificent women bible teachers. Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of Billy Graham, Priscilla Shirer, daughter of Tony Evans and Nancy Leigh DeMoss, ministry leader of Revive our Hearts. I have had the privilege to be at conferences led by Priscilla Shirer and Nancy Leigh DeMoss.  I have not heard Anne Graham Lotz in person, but that is at the top of my "bucket list".

Saturday as I drove 2.5 hours each way to the best junk show in Texas I listened to "The Magnificent Obsession, Embracing the God Filled Life" by Anne Graham Lotz.  What a powerful book!  

She opens with "...I made the initial choice to pursue...

                                                                           Knowing God and making Him known.

                                                                   Receiving His blessing to be a blessing.

                                                            Fulfilling all the potential He has for my life.

                                                     Living a life of step-by-step obedient faith.

                                              Embracing the God-filled life...

                                     ...a life of eternal significance.

                 This is my magnificent obsession....

Tuesday I began leading a new Bible study at Churchill Baptist Church.   "Anointed, Transformed and Redeemed, A Study of the life of David" by Priscilla Shirer, Beth Moore and Kay Arthur.  The first week's video is by Priscilla Shirer.  If you have not had the opportunity to hear Priscilla, she is dynamic and motivational.  Priscilla is a true Texas girl with a Texas size love for the Lord.  

Priscilla said: 

"God chose you! Let that sink in...GOD chose you. You may have been turned down by your boss, rejected by your spouse, ignored by your parents, looked over by your friends, or refused by your children, but you can rest in the loving arms of God.  He tore Himself away from heaven to come and be with you - the one He loves and chose to be His own to accomplish His purposes in this generation."

Tonight, as I walked on the treadmill,  I chose to tune it to Revive Our Hearts with Nancy Leigh DeMoss.  Nancy is a wonderful, down to earth teacher, with a heart for women.  She has a daily radio broadcast that can be listened to anytime from her website www.reviveourhearts.com. 

Nancy said:

"We can never exhaust or fully explore the ways of God. We cannot see the end. We cannot see the outcome. We cannot fathom the means that God has devised to fulfill His holy purposes."

I encourage you to seek out biblical teaching from many avenues and venues.  We too often focus on our "favorite" and don't explore all the wonderful teachings that are available.  God has empowered many women to bring His Word in a fresh and exciting way.  Partake!  Absorb!  There's a banquet out there just waiting to be tasted!

"Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him." Psalm 34:8

AMAZING LOVE

"Amazing love, how can it be? That you my King would die for me."  

My heart leaps every time I hear these words.  Why would Jesus die for me?  Full of sin, undeserving of love from the King of kings, LORD of Lords and He DIED for me!  For me and for you.  No matter where you are, what you've done, what you haven't done, or what you've become God loves you and He sent His Son, His one and only Son to die for your sins and provide you with the forgiveness that will allow you to stand in the presence of the Almighty and live forever. 

Oh glorious day!

On a sunny day in May  "He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.  He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God." Psalm 40:2-3.  21 years later I am still amazed at His love.  How can it be that the King of kings, the Son of the Most High God would die for me? 

Praise you LORD, Jesus!  You are my everything!

FORGIVENESS

A friend of mine wrote this wonderful poem and gave me permission to share.

FORGIVENESS

 

What do you do, how do you pay for your sins.

You can ask for forgiveness but the hurt never ends.

You can walk different paths and you strive for a change.

But the demon remains and won’t let life re arrange.

You look to a power that’s much greater than yours.

And simple life's blessings no longer seem chores.

This is the time that you must simply let go.

And realize the One is the Father that knows.   

So walk down the path and remember your place.

The option for freedom is built on His grace.

He has laid down the gavel and hopes you will follow the road.

Because your deepest of concerns have been put on His load! 

"If You, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared."  Psalm 130:4

POWER AND AUTHORITY...Part One

"In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, "Let us alone! What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth?  Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are - the Holy One of God!" But Jesus rebuked him, saying "Be quiet and come out of him!"  And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, he came out of him without doing him any harm.  And amazement came upon them all, and they began talking with one another saying, "What is this message? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out!" Luke 4 33-36

What IS the message?

• Are there demonic spirits today?
• Do they control or indwell in people?
• How can we apply this in today's world?
• In our own lives?

J. Vernon McGee said in his commentary on this verse "We are living in a day when demonism has lifted its ugly head again, and Satan worship is a reality. Demons were working in the days of our LORD and they are working now.  Our LORD cast a demon out of an individual.  Even considering the use of drugs, it is difficult to explain some of the actions and awful crimes being committed unless the perpetrator is under the power and control of Satan."

Ephesians 6:12 says "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."

In mainstream churches we don't want to give Satan too much credit, so we tend to ignore him.  We talk about him, but we're not ready to acknowledge he is alive and well and pursuing us.

Peter said "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.  Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8

So now we acknowledge that he is real, he prowls around us, he attacks us at every opportunity in so many ways.  What do we do?  How do we resist him, how do we make him leave us alone?

God has given us power and authority to not only resist but to ban Satan from our presence and our loved ones.  "The seventy returned with joy, saying "LORD, even the demons are subject to us in Your name" And He said to them "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning.  "behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you." Luke 10:17-19

"what is this message? For He commands the unclean spirits with authority and power and they come out!"

The message is... we have the same power and authority! We NEVER have to be under the weight of Satan's attacks! We can rest well knowing we are VICTORIOUS in the battle!

How can we be victorious? How do we battle such a formidable foe?  How do we go up against the Prince of Darkness? How can we protect ourselves from the evil one?

More to come........

ONLY GOD

My friend, Nancy's grandson, is doing much better today.  It has been a long grueling week of ups and downs, joys and sadness.  Aidan did suffer a stroke shortly after birth and does have some brain damage.  The Dr's don't know exactly what that will look like as he grows, but we know that God knows and we're trusting Him for His best.

Today Aidan is off of sedation, today he is seizure free, today he is free of most tubes, today he is breathing on his own, today he sucked from a bottle, today he had his first bath. Today is a glorious day.  Glory to God in the Highest!!!

In 2004, my friends Sarah and Nancy led a Women's Conference in Solgohachia, Arkansas. I was privileged to travel with them.  The theme of the conference was "FAITH is the Victory!"  Nancy wrote this poem and I hope she doesn't mind that I share.

Only God....

Only God can take....

     The most paralyzing crisis of life,

        Apply grace in abundance,

            And turn it into a supernatural encounter

                With the Most High God.

Only God can.....

      -turn darkness into light

      -sorrow into joy

      -fear into faith

      -mourning into celebration

His grace....

      Gives wisdom to the inexperienced

      Gives rest for the weary

      Gives hope to the brokenhearted

      Gives mercy, new each morning

               Always on time

               And ever sufficient.

She has lived out this poem this week and she has stayed strong in the Lord.  She has been the light in the darkness and strength to the weary.  And at all time in all ways she has given Glory to the one to whom all honor is given, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  

"I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.  O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together."  Psalm 34: 1 & 3

WAITING,TRUSTING AND HOPING

Today my dear friend waits in a hospital "waiting" room for test results and news on the condition of her newborn grandson.  Today she trusts in the One that created him and knit him together in his mother's womb. Today she hopes for the peace of the Lord that surpasses all understanding and His promises of holding her up with His mighty right hand.  

From "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young, March 12.

WAITING, TRUSTING, AND HOPING are intricately connected, like golden strands interwoven to form a strong chain.  trusting is the central strand,because it is the response from My children that I desire the most. Waiting and hoping embellish the central strand and strengthen the chain that connects you to Me. Waiting for Me to work, with your eyes on Me, is evidence that you really do trust Me.  If you mouth the words "I trust You" while anxiously trying to make things go your way, your words ring hollow.  Hoping is future-directed, connecting you to your inheritance in heaven.  However, the benefits of hope fall fully on you in the present.

    Because you are Mine, you don't just pass time in your waiting. You can wait expectantly, in hopeful trust.  Keep your "antennae" out to pick up even the faintest glimmer of My Presence."

"so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters withing the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. "  Hebrews 6:18-20

BITS AND PIECES

A rainy cold March Saturday. What to do?  Clean the home office!  It is a disaster and has been for months.  I am not only a pack rat but also a procrastinator and this was one chore I put off for way too long!  The upside is 

1. I have found the top of my desk, it's oak!
2. I have finished some long overdue record keeping
3. I found bits and pieces of papers with handwritten words to share :)

 Here's what I found:

"When you come to the pivotal points in your life, listen for God's direction. Become acquainted with His voice so that you will be able to distinguish the difference between His voice and your head. By hearing and obeying Him you will move closer to the destination He has preset for you and you will receive His abundant favor and grace."    Anonymous

"Prayer is not monologue, but dialogue; God's voice is its most essential part.  Listening to God's voice is the secret of the assurance that He will listen to mine." Andrew Murray

" The Lord didn't promise that life would be easy, but He did promise to go with you every step of the way. " Hallmark Reflections

I still have some more clutter to go through.  Can't wait to see what other bits and pieces I will find.

Be Blessed today!