Answers...

Answers? I don't have them all.

What I do have is an inside scoop to THE Answer Man.('search the scriptures....they testify of Me.' John5:39)

Sometimes I get answers immediately.

Some I'm still waiting on.

Sometimes I get a 'yes'....sometimes a clear 'no'.


There is nothing special about me, you have the same opportunity to this Answer Man. But following Christ must really be about following HIM...seeking His FACE, not just the blessings of His Hand.

Oh, don't think I've got this down pat...I'm a work in progress.

But I am confident that He will continue His work in me till it is completed.
(...a promise found in James1:4)



'Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked,"What do you want?"...'(John 1:38)

So...what is it you want from Jesus. Do you seek His kingdom?... or yours?

His glory?

....or yours?

Be honest with yourself. He knows the truth of it

Maybe I'm the only one, but the truthful answers are not always very pretty. I thank Him again this morning that he loves me in spite of the ugliness, and never gives up on me, always encouraging me to face the truth and allow Him to change me into the image of His dear Son.

I have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created me,...For he has rescued me from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and he has brought me into the Kingdom of his dear Son. (Col. 1:10,13)

Only Almighty God can do that.

Friend...

friends...Our culture calls lots of things friendship. But having a true friend is a treasure, being one is not easy.

It is a relationship and requires commitment and work.

On Facebook, we collect friends and number them. People 'request' to be your friend, and we have the option of accepting or rejecting.

I rejected a request last night, and it has made me wonder if I do that in 'real life

"Every man is a friend to him that gives gifts"(Prov.19:6)

Do I look for friendship only from those who have something to offer me in return? When it's beneficial for ME? When I am comfortable with it?

Jesus Himself calls us friend.

If we look for benefits from friendship, He is THE ONE.

But it's a relationship and requires commitment and work.

"... See MoreYou are my friends when you do the things I command you"(John 15:14MSG)

That would be a tall order without His grace, without being connected to Him, for He is the PowerSource. "..apart from Me, you can do nothing"(John 15:5)

Lord help us be good friends to each other.

Sale....

Sales...this time of year everything is 'on sale'.

Want a costly item? don't want to pay the price?...wait til it's on sale.




What we need most is something we can't purchase...never could, never will be able to.

It will never be on sale...in fact it's the most expensive thing to ever exist.

And whether you know it or not...it is the only thing that will fill your need, bring you comfort, contentment, and total peace.

It is right standing with God, paid for in full by the blood of Jesus Christ. (Rev.1:5)

It is the greatest need you will ever have. Jesus offers to fill that need for us completely. You need only accept the gift.

It is the deal you can't afford to pass up.... if you do, you will never know the joy of His salvation and you will regret it for eternity.

Now...

Now...

Time is not new...but it is important. Now is all we have. Live fully in it.

Not in the past.

Not waiting for that perfect time yet to come.

Now.



"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Ps. 90:12)

Oh Lord, help us to be wise in our 'now'.


Grief...yes, I've tasted it, but have never had to drink the cup that has been to the lips of so many. Again today, some drink of it.

I have no help...nothing to offer...no way to take it away.

I think again of Job's story.."If only my anguish could be weighed and all my misery be placed on the scales...it would surely outweigh the sand of the seas.."(Job 6:2)

I can not imagine the heaviness of the sorrow some bear at this moment. I can only offer myself to God and ask Him to use me in some small way to bring His comfort. He is the only answer.

"In my distress I called to the Lord. I cried to my God for help From His temple He heard my voice. My cry came before Him, into His ears. (Ps.18:6)

I purpose to live in my 'now'. It is all I have. And I purpose to live it as God leads. He has brought me to this place, He will lead me forward from here.

New....

New....

We're about to enter a new year.

But is anything really new?

Solomon says no.(Ecc.1:9)

Time is not new. Measuring it is not new.

Filling it is not new...no matter what you fill it with.

Measured time...hours, days, months, and yes...years...is not new.

But eternity will never be old.....

Things that have eternal worth are the only things that matter. The only way this coming year will be different from the last will be determined by our relationship with The Creator.

Not stuff.

Not image or appearance.

Not information and knowledge.

"Fear God and keep His commandments..."(Ecc.12:13 )

Solomon should know, He tried it all...and found success in his efforts but found no fulfillment from the success...no value.

Make it your business to know His will for your days and years. Seek Him with an undivided heart, and He will be found. (1 Chron. 28:9)...

Imagine and expect...

Imagination... does anyone else play out the day in your head before it happens?

How perfect it will be? What might go wrong?

I do it because I am selfish. There, I said it.

I might as well admit it,"The Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts.("1Chron.28:9)

I want things how I want them.... but God doesn't always work the way I imagine....even when He wants the same things I do.

Expectations...did you have them?

Were they met? Disappointed? Pleasantly surprised?

Were you properly prepared? If so, what did you do to prepare?

Jesus said when we put His purposes first, He takes care of the rest.(Matt6:33)

I struggled to depend on Him, trusting Him to tend to the details...and He did.

Magnificently.

As ...He always does.

For once, I didn't look at the storm...

White....

♫•*•♫♪♫•*•♫♪....I'm dreaming of a white Christmas.... ♫•*•♫♪♫•*•♫♪

Did you get your dream? Anybody have that much sung about 'White Christmas'? Did you see snow fall on this Christmas?



"Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow".(Isa.1:18)



Snow may fall on you this Christmas. I've seen no snow, but I am reminded of my cleansing. I don't know of anything that's whiter than snow. It's about as white as it gets I think....


"Cleanse me and I will be clean, wash me, and I will be whiter than snow"(Ps.51:7)


Whiter? I can be whiter than even snow?

It all began when God left the perfection of heaven, stepped off His throne and into the flesh of an infant human.

Just to make me whiter than snow.

THAT is something to make merry about.

Thank You Jesus.

Happy Birthday Lord.

Ponder...

"Twas the night before Christmas, when all thru the house..."


"...the time came for the baby to be born"(Luke 2:6 NIV)





This Eve of Christmas, what will your activity be?

Both of my sons were born around 9a.m. after a night of labor. Every year, I remember the day and the evening before that night of labor. I recall the activities of the day.

I especially recall the emotions of that first birth...the un-known..what will it be like...will everything be ok...can I do this...should I have accepted this responsibility...

"Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." John 2:19 NIV ...


I have no doubt that every Eve of Christ's birth, Mary re-lived the trip to Bethlehem on that donkey.

Every closed door and every 'sorry, we don't have room for you'. Every scent of that barn. Thankful for Joseph, who could have walked away but didn't. Going over the labor..the pains, the blood, the pushing. No proper way to bathe the newborn, no family to 'OOOooooo, and aaaaahhhhh'

Pondering..certainly lots to ponder.

And the face of the Child, the first cry, the first suckle... the thoughts and wonderings of what the future held for her baby. Ponder indeed.


We too have much to ponder. May we all ponder this Eve of Christmas.

Immanuel, God with us.

Child...

Child. What can a child do? What power could a child possibly wield?

“From now on, you and the woman will be enemies, and your offspring and her offspring will be enemies. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." (Gen. 3:15)

A Child was God’s answer for humanity. All mankind was touched by the stain of sin, no longer innocent, no longer perfect, the relationship between man and The Perfect One forever broken.

Until The Child.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isa. 9:6)

Hard concept. A Child will bear the responsibility of governing me? A Child will be the One to give me advice and counsel? A Child will somehow be in charge of my peace?

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”(Luke 2:11)

“And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.”(Luke 2:40)

“And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.” (Luke 4:44)

“….you are to give him the name Jesus.

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.

The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,

and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever;

his kingdom will never end." (Luke 1:31-33)

Hallelujah !!

Light....

Anyone who does not have Jesus Christ can not appreciate Light, they only know darkness. To not know Jesus Christ is to live in darkness.

Ever ask a person born blind to describe light? It is difficult to describe light without knowledge of darkness. And impossible to fully appreciate the value of light having never known darkness.

Jesus is the Light of the world. Heavenly starlight was just a glimmer of the Light born in the stable that night.


♪♫•*•♫♪ ♪♫•*•♫♪ ... ''a star, a star,shining in the night, it will bring us goodness and light' ..'♪♫•*•♫♪ ♪♫•*•♫♪


♪♫•*•♫♪ ♪♫•*•♫♪ I once was lost,but now I'm found, was blind, but now I see'..♪♫•*•♫♪ ♪♫•*•♫♪




TO PHOS TOU KOSMOU translates 'light of the world'.

"I am the Light of the world, Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life."(Jesus, John 8:12)

Have you experienced the discovery of His Light?

Can you now describe Light because you've been rescued from darkness?

May we not forget what a dreadful thing it is to live without His Light...may we never take for granted His birth, His Life, and His death.

He came. He is coming again. Hallelujah.

Food....

Food. There will be plenty everywhere we go...more than plenty.

We will eat.

And eat.

But a few hours later, we will be empty and hungry again.

ARTOS ZOES translates 'bread of life'. Jesus IS this bread.(John6:48)

Don't confuse your hunger pains. Recognize your spirit craving His Bread. ..He fills an emptiness and hunger that nothing else can.

Permanently

Traditions...

12-20-10♪♫•*•♫♪ ♪♫•*•♫♪ I’ll be home for Christmas….you can count on me, please have snow, and mistletoe…and presents ‘neath the tree….♪♫•*•♫♪♪♫•*•♫♪

It is great to be ‘home’. It is great to carry on the traditions we have established…to do what we have always done…the way we have always done it.

But as the circle of life grows, some things must necessarily change.

The tradition becomes what you do THIS time. (…I often caution young parents NEVER to do something they don’t want to continue to do from now on!!! Fill a stocking once, you must fill it for years to come!!!…)

We have an enemy whose purpose is to ‘steal, kill, and destroy’. (John 10:10)

We have a Savior Whose purpose is to ‘give life in all its fullness.’ (John 10:10 )

This is a season of celebration. Let us purpose to stand against the enemy assault, for be assured, the enemy will attack at our most vulnerable time.

He is an enemy. There are no rules of engagement, no honor to uphold.


Our enemy is also a liar. “He was a murderer from the beginning and has always hated the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)

As we find ourselves in new circumstances, distanced from loved ones, separated by time and space, let us not believe lies. Let us not be influenced by the enemy, but let us purpose that we WILL “Above all, love each other deeply…” (1 Peter 4:8)

Love is not bound by time and space. It is not defined by tradition. Traditions are only manifestation OF love.

Love’s power is strong, and is pictured in the very life of Jesus Christ. Deity stepping into a woman’s body, pushed thru a birth canal, living a human life, dying a horrible death.

Because He loved us.

The Eternal, Omniscient One has never been bound by time or space.

And He is Immanuel…. God with us.

Hallelujah.

Presents/Presence....

It's the season of gift giving. Lots and lots of presents. All in pretty gift sacks with tissue spilling out the top, or wrapped in pretty paper with bright shiney ribbons and bows.

Given a choice, which do you prefer?

Presents? Or His Presence?

When you worship, where is your focus?

Your salvation? Or Your Savior?

The gift? Or The Giver?

Big....

..attention college kids!! The best 'big' ever !! Your sorority 'big' sister or brother may be great help and encouragement to you, but they are no match for this Big !!


...He is the ALPHA KAI OMEGA.

The first, and the last. (Rev.22:13)

We celebrate His birth, but that event was not His beginning, only the beginning of the image of the invisible God.

He was present at creation.(Col.1 and John1)

He was born to die. (Isa53)

He is alive forever.(Rev1)


And I'm in...for my eternal lifetime He is my big

Lord....

♪♫•*•♫♪♫•*•♫♪♪..'the little lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.'


KYRIOS translates 'lord'.

I wonder about how loosely we use that word.


Does it mean 'owner'? 'master'?..or just 'sir'?

Is He your Lord? The ruling force in your life?

He IS Lord of lords. ("For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes." Dt10)

Every one will know the truth of that. ("...every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.." Phil.2:11)

Simply calling Him 'lord' isn't enough ("Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" Mt7:21)

Be certain that you have chosen Him to reign in your life. Be certain that He is Lord. Be certain that you follow His design for your life.

He left the glory of heaven and went thru the agony of the cross for you.

♪♫•*•♫♪♫•*•♫♪♪And He will reign forever and ever.♪♫•*•♫♪♫•*•♫♪♪

Allelujah !!

Peace....

Peace. We sing about it. 'Peace on earth, good will to men.'

We make symbols. (I'm wearing the trendy 'peace sign' for the second go around!)

Lack of conflict.... Jesus has made it possible for us to have that with God, a way to remove the sin barrier.(Col.1:20) We can have a relationship with God that is free of conflict, made free of the curse of death, the consequence of sin. Jesus left glory and became man, perfect and sinless. That first Christmas morning was the arrival of our Savior, the perfect Lamb of God.


Our enemy uses every opportunity to cause conflict. Be aware of his tactics.

He will present offenses, showcase them to us..it's a great bait. He knows how to dangle it just right.

Determine that The Prince of Peace will reign, do not give the enemy opportunity.(Eph.4:27)

That devil has no regard for special occasions he'll cash in on it. Do not allow him to steal the joy and peace of this Christmas time.

It is a choice. Even in righteous offense, even when we have a valid reason to be offended, we can bear it with the help of The One Who suffered the ultimate offense....and He was indeed totally innocent.

Silent...

♪♫•*•♫♪ "Silent night....holy night..... ♪♫•*•♫♪

I'd like to know what was silent about it !!

Luke 2 tells about shepherds and flocks, then a PLETHOS of angels appear praising God.

PLETHOS translates "a bunch"!!

They are not silent...and I doubt those shepherds and flocks were silent after that either!

And chidbirth in a barn....any mother out there think THAT was silent !?!


But it was holy.

Praise God for that night.

Luke 2:17 lets us know for sure the shepherds weren't silent .......they "made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child."

Gifts....

Gifts. There will be so many.

Things we've wished for...things we expect to bring us joy.

But real joy is not a gift, it is a fruit. A result. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith..." (Galatians 5:22)

This joy doesn't get old, the joy doesn't fade away...in fact, this joy grows and multiplies, birthing into our life peace, patience, kindness..... (not like the newest trend or latest toy)


Don't be tricked into expecting joy from inside a giftwrapped box. You will be disappointed time and again.

Joy is a fruit of God's Holy Spirit, comes listed right after love...it is the love expressed to us by the gift, that is the joyful thing.

On the first Christmas, the greatest gift of all time was given. God Himself stepped into the flesh of a naked, helpless infant. God Himself stepped out of perfect glory into the setting of a smelly barn....and lost humanity.

Happy? Oh yes !! And so very blessed.

He has "redeemed us from the curse of the law..." (Galatians 3:13)

"He has visited and redeemed his people..."(Luke 1:68)

"He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness..."(Col. 1:13)


Hallelujah!

Joy....

"You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence....." (Psalm 16:11)


To many, this time of year brings everything but joy. Many of us have experienced changes of life's circumstances. Traditions will be diffiult to keep, if not impossible. There will be people missing. Some permanently.

Some have been snatched away, only to be seen again on the other side of this realm. Some have been rescued from suffering here, whisked away to an eternal life of no pain or sorrow.

Sadly, there are some who will not know the joy of the Lord, never to experience His Presence. Eternally separated.

PARAKLETOS translates 'comforter'.

Jesus sent this Comforter.(John 16:7) He comes, and when welcomed in, He says "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." (John 14:16)

This Comforter is here to help us know Him and His purposes. "He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."(John 14:26)

I pray that you will open your heart to Jesus afresh this Christmas season.

I pray you will experience the Comforter in very real and practical ways, bringing you the promise of "...peace that is not logical." (Phillipians 4:7)

Speak His Name. Tell the joyful news.

ALL people need to know and believe.

....else there will be another Christmas lacking joy for someone, somewhere, someday.

Alive...

As you hear the Christmas carols and bells, do you hear LOGOS, the Voice that calls us to light and life?

Do you listen to the LOGOS that was with God the Father in the beginning?

Do you know The LOGOS that became flesh?(John 1)

This LOGOS IS God's creative life-giving Word!!

Just as at Creation, He speaks and it is.

Life and Light.

HALLELUJAH, Praise the Lord.


This Christmas season, when you see a decorative holiday light, think of THE Light. Jesus said HE is The Light of the world. Listen carefully, turn your heart to hear His Voice beckoning you to share His Life.

Just as He was born to die and live again, so are we born to die...

Thru Him, we have the opportunity and invitation to die to sin, and be made re-born, made alive..

Alive.... to live eternally with Him.

Hear....

'Do you hear what I hear.....' I love the message of the familiar Christmas carol.


PROPHETES is Hebrew for prophet, a proclaimer of a divine message.

In Dt.18 the people did not want to hear or see God anymore, they were afraid.

God promised to send a Prophet...One Who would speak the words of God, One from among them, they would not be fearful of Him..


That Prophet is Jesus the Christ.

His arrival was common, He invoked no fear...he entered the world a tiny helpless infant.

He perfectly commmunicates God's Word to us (Heb.1)

Do you hear Him?

Opportunity....

MIQWEH YISRAEL is Hebrew for 'Hope of Israel'..the One Who saves those who trust in Him...

The Christmas season is the Christians's opportunity to 'go into all the world'(Mark 16:15) with the message of IMMANUEL, Hebrew for 'God with us'..

What better opportunity do we have to speak His name than at CHRISTmas time? What better time to speak of the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world? He is The One it's all about.


The One Isaiah said would thwart the enemy's plan..(8:10)..

The One the angel said would save His people.(Matthew 1:21)...



Father, open our eyes to see the opportunities to speak Your Name and tell Your message of salvation. May we see those opportunities BEFORE they unfold, not in hindsight...not wishing we had spoken, but empower us to recognize the time, enable us to be bold and courageous, that we might act in obedience, immediately, cooperating with Your Holy Spirit, acting as Your instrument to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to those He chooses to put in our path.


He is come.

HALLELUJAH, praise the Lord.

Old...

I often lightheartedly say that I am old and tired. That becomes more and more true with each passing day !! Older and tired-er !!


Santa doesn't seem to get any older, and does anyone know where he came from, who are his parents?

EL OLAM is Hebrew for 'The Eternal God'.

He has no beginning, no end, and is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

According to Isaiah 40:28, He is everlasting, never grows tired or weary, and no one can fathom His understanding.

He IS. And I am His.

That fact is indeed hard for me to fathom...that He cares for me.

Leads...

Santa has a red-nosed reindeer that leads Santa's sleigh around the world on Christmas Eve.


JEHOVAH ROI, Hebrew for 'The Lord is my Shepherd' leads us beside quiet waters, in paths of righteousness, thru the valley of the shadow of death, to springs of living water...' (Ps. 23)

He 'carries us close to His heart....(Isaiah 40)

I pray you are a sheep of His pasture.

Peace....

At Christmas time, I like to read 'The Night Before Christmas' to my grand-daughters. The book is put on our coffee table at Christmas, and is read often before it disappears after Christmas is over.

"I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!'.

Our God is JEHOVAH SHALOM, Hebrew for 'The Lord Is Peace.'

He gives much more than a good night, He brings 'the peace of God that transcends all understanding'. Philippians 4:6-7

I pray you know His peace. Not just during the Christmas season, but every moment of every day.

Banner...

There are many things that symbolize the Christmas season to us. Trees, holly, mistletoe, lights.

YAHWEH NISSI is Hebrew for 'The Lord is my Banner'.

At Christmas time, I want my banner to be the nativity, the birth of that YAHWEH TSEBAOTH Who came in Person just for me. And you.


The Lord is my Banner, Exodus 17

Workshop....

Santa has elves to help in his workshop..they make things and carry out Santa's plans to deliver them.

God is YAHWEH TSEBAOTH, Hebrew for 'The Lord of Hosts.'

His workshop is the universe.

He has every single thing, both material and spiritual, at His disposal.

His angelic helpers far outnumber Santa's elves, according to the prophet Elisha. "Those who are with us are more than those with them" (2 Kings 6:16)

This Lord of hosts came in Person.

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.' (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Hallelujah

Provide...

We give Santa a list of what to provide under our tree.

God is JEHOVAH JIREH, Hebrew for 'The Lord provides'.

Matthew 6:32 tells us that our God knows what we need even before we do...and verse 30 tells us that if God takes care of the fields, He will surely take care of us !

Our... problem is we get 'needs' and 'greeds' mixed up !!

What is on your list this year?

Everywhere...

Santa can visit every house on planet earth in one night.

God is omnipresent. He is in every place at all times. He does not come to visit a believer, He comes to remain.

God is YAHWEH SHAMMAH...Hebrew for 'The Lord is there'.

And yes, He is real.

Sees...

We sing a song this time of year..."He sees you when you're sleeping...."

Santa sees if you're sleeping and he knows if you're awake.


Well, God is not a Santa. He does, however, see.

He is El Roi....Hebrew for 'the God who sees me."

Psalm 33 tells us that He looks down from heaven to see all humankind. He observes all our deeds.

You think Santa is watching? I can assure you that our God is....

"The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping ...watch on the wicked and the good." Proverbs 15:3

Santa...

Santa... That sweet man with the big soft tummy and big soft heart, love for everyone, gifts to share, joy to bring...

I wonder if some people don't think of our God like they think of Santa. The Sacred Santa of heaven, the One Who loves everybody, wants to fill our every need, fill us with happiness and joy.

Oh, and He does!! But not in the way we expect it. Often what we expect is warped from the disease of sin that we all share. Often our image of God is just that...an image of OURS. A wrong image.

I was never guilty of thinking of God as Santa-like. For me it was opposite, my image was a frowning unhappy old guy with a giant flyswat raised in waiting...waiting to swat me when I messed up. That too was a wrong image.

No, God is not a Santa. But He is the one who decides.

What is 'naughty and nice' is determined by HIS Word...by What HE says.

He is Shopet...Hebrew for judge.

He judges, He decides, He governs.

"Rise up, O Judge of the earth.." Psalm 94:2

"You have come to God, the judge of all men...."Hebrews 12:23

But there is a list.

A very important list. Just one.

And it is written in what scripture calls the Book of Life.

And 'if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life' (Rev 20:15, that person will not see 'the city that does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light...' (Rev.21:23) "Nothing impure will ever enter there, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.' (Rev. 21:27)

Forget Santa's list. My name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

Written in red.

Thank You Jesus.

Options....

I am thankful for options. Well....sometimes

God gave me options. We refer to it as 'free will'. It stinks sometimes. At least in my experience.

Sometimes I find myself praying to Him to change my options, and to change what I find myself opting for !! Often my desire is for something I know I should not have the desire FOR in the first place!

Often when I am faced with a choice, I hear His Spirit whispering to me....'....might ought to rethink your options Connie, that one is not best...don't fall for a lie again...you do have an enemy, he is the father of lies and a deciever...trust Me on this...'

So many times, I have been slow to learn.

There are many times when I wish I didn't have to choose....I wish I didn't have to be responsible for choosing the right option. Man, it gets really hard sometimes.

But....if God had not created as He did, if He had not given us that 'free will', we would not be capable of loving Him...only required to serve Him. We would not have a gift to give Him, He would control us completely without any other option for us.

What good would that be? Love is not love at all if it is not given.

My husband loves me, and I am not always very lovable. He stays in our marriage NOT because he doesn't have another option. He comes home every day, he loves me even when I'm grouchy....even when I'm sad, even when I'm angry. He opts to do that. (Thank God!! and thank you sweetheart....)

"Find your delight in the Lord. THEN He will give you the desires of your heart...Commit your life to Him..." (Ps.37:4)

God asks us to commit ourselves to Him, entrusting every decision to His authority. He gives me information in scripture, revealing to me His character. I can not trust Him if I don't KNOW Him.

And as I continue to get to know Him, my trust grows, my surrender becomes more and more complete. My security becomes more and more unshakeable in the waiting.

I have learned from my options. I've chosen poorly often. And I've learned that God is faithful to act, even though He must often wait until I've used up all my other options before coming to Him in full surrender, opting for His guidance.

Whispers...

Whisper… I’m thankful I can still hear a whisper.

This morning, I heard a whispered ‘bye’ from my husband as he left for work. I roused from deep sleep to hear it, and I wonder now how many whispered goodbyes I’ve not heard from him as he quietly leaves me snuggled down to sleep until my own alarm rings.

A few days ago, an old classmate friend voiced a thankfulness for the whispers of his grand-daughter, and a thankfulness that God empowers him to understand this special child. I pray he understands every one of her whispers.

I wonder how many whispers I don’t hear. I wonder how many I ignore, brush aside… how many are whispered amidst the stormy situations of my day only to be missed because I am listening only to the rage of the storm.

I am thankful that God speaks in powerful ways, in miraculous ways. But oh how I love hearing His whispers! How precious it is to hear that still small voice speak to my spirit, calming my fears, reassuring and rescuing me.

“…then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came…..a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood….then a voice said to him…….” (1 Kings 19:11ff)

Thank you Father for the whispers.

Overwhelmed....

Overwhelmed… I’m thankful that even though I sometimes am, The Great I Am is not….

Even when I feel like the battle is being lost, even when I am ‘overwhelmed with dread….God IS present….’ (Ps. 14:5)

“In my distress I call to the Lord, I call out to my God. From His temple He hears my voice..” (2 Sam. 22:5)

Today I am again thankful to Him that He is THE Almighty. He is ALL Powerful. Even when I am under His rod of discipline, over and over He has promised “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake You.” (Deut. 31:6. Josh. 1:5, 1 Ch. 28:20)

I am often overwhelmed. The older I get, the more I realize how powerless I am. The longer I live, the more opportunities I have to experience my utter helplessness. And I am thankful that He has revealed to me the truth about my weakness.

As His child, I am not left to my own resources, for they are so insufficient.

“His grace is sufficient for me, for HIS power is made perfect in MY weakness..” (2Cor. 12:9 personalized by me)

It has always been when I am utterly overwhelmed that I feel His Presence most profoundly. When the opposition looks beyond overcoming, in His perfect time, His Hand moves, and mountains crumble.

In heavenly armor we enter the land
The battle belongs to the Lord
No weapon that's fashioned against us shall stand
The battle belongs to the Lord

The power of darkness comes in like a flood
The battle belongs to the Lord
He's raised up a standard, the power of His blood
The battle belongs to the Lord

When your enemy presses in hard do not fear
The battle belongs to the Lord
Take courage my friend, your redemption is near
The battle belongs to the Lord

We sing glory and honor
Power and strength to the Lord

Thank You Father that in all things, we can be more than conquerors (Rom.8:37), through You…. You Who loves us perfectly…

Cotton...

Cotton… Today, I’m thankful for cotton.

One of my clients once used the term ‘fabric snob’. I like that term.

I think I might be one.

I like nice fabrics. I love good cotton fabrics. Expensive silks and cashmeres are ok, satin I can pass…but a good cotton is hard to beat, in my opinion.

If you don’t think so, try sleeping on a nice high thread count sheet for a few nights, then go back to a 200 thread count set! Your skin will tell you the difference.

I think it’s ok to be a fabric snob.

Scripture has a lot of examples of fine linens. The Proverbs 31 woman had fine garments, carpets, bed coverings….and she is said to be the ‘wife of noble character, worth far more than rubies’.

God created beauty. He made the first garments, they were ‘garments of skin’. (Gen. 3:21)

He gave many instructions about weaving fabrics and making things.

“Weave the tunic of fine linen, make the turban of fine linen…the sash to be the work of an embroiderer..” (Ex. 28:39)

The priests garments must have been very beautiful. Fine fabrics, beautiful colors, ornately decorated….you should read the descriptions for yourself. (Ex. Chapters 28&29, Lev. chapters 8,&16)

My High Priest owned one thing of any value. He had a plain, seamless, woven garment.

He watched as it was gambled over.

I happen to think His mother made it for Him.

And I think it was cotton. A very high thread count, soft, comfortable, cotton.

Thankful...

Thankful.. Webster says it’s an adjective. That means it describes. I found a list of words that have similar meaning in our language…

Grateful, gratified, satisfied, contented, pleased, appreciative… You get the idea.

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Be thankful unto Him, and bless His Name.” (Psa. 100:4)

The Hebrew word ‘yadah’ is translated thankful in that verse. The use of that word showed an action or motion in their language, as well as an acknowledgment.

I was convicted this morning about my decision to be ‘thankful’. That still small voice asked, “Are you really, Connie?”

You see, I was thinking about the word ‘wrath’ because of some questions in a Bible lesson.

I thought I’d write that I was thankful for God’s wrath, because His wrath is birthed out of His complete holiness and His perfect love for me. He loves. He disciplines. And I want to appreciate the value of that discipline.

But do I really? Or do I just know I should, and wish I did in fact appreciate the discipline? Am I really thankful for it?

Are you?

I challenge you to examine your heart as well. We do not want to be in a downward spiral…like the Romans that Paul wrote to…

“…The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth…..although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God, nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened…” (Rom.1:18,21)

I don’t want to just acknowledge God. I want to treat Him like Who He IS.

I don’t want to simply recognize the reasons I should be thankful. I want there to be an action on my part, a motion, an exhibition in my life somehow, somewhere…that I know from Whom all blessings flow,

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him, all creatures here below,
Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts,
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Praise God, The Father, Who’s the Source,
Praise God, The Son, Who is the course,
Praise God, The Spirit, Who’s the flow,
Praise God, our Portion, here below.

Amen.

Hallow....

Hallow…. I thought about that word a lot over the Halloween week-end. It’s come and gone now…

There is very little hallow about Halloween… except this year, it fell on Sunday, the day that we should have hallowed to God.

Hallow isn’t a word we use much, unless we are reciting what is known as ‘The Lord’s Prayer’….. “Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name….”

To hallow something is to give it a higher purpose. It means to set it apart for a special use, dedicate to a special purpose.

I wonder if we really hallow God’s Name.

I fear we speak His Name rather flippantly sometimes. Do we grasp how holy He is? How utterly perfect? How complete and absolutely other than we are?

This first day of November, I again begin to purpose myself to counting and naming the blessings that God has granted to me. I hallow this season of giving thanks to Him, “…proclaiming aloud Your praise and telling of all Your wonderful deeds…” (Ps. 26:7)

And I challenge you.

Be specific.

No broad brush strokes….not just “I’m thankful for my health, for my family, for my freedom….etc.”

All those things are certainly things to be very thankful for, but I challenge you to articulate and spell it out.

I’m thankful too for my health.

I’m thankful I don’t sit somewhere this morning, like many are doing right NOW, with a needle in my arm, injecting me with chemotherapy to fight a cancer raging in my body.

Yet, I am thankful that there are ways to fight cancer, and I pray right now for those who DO sit in those therapy rooms, those who are fighting for longer physical life, that God will bring healing to them thru that treatment, that He will remove fear, that if that person does not know Him as Savior, that He will put some bold child of God in their path to speak His Name and His message of salvation, so they may know the joy of His salvation and have a secure eternal life, as well as a longer physical life.

I’m thankful for my health.

I’m thankful that my hands have served me for 36+ years doing the work that I do. I’m thankful they don’t hurt worse than they do. I’m thankful they are not gnarled with arthritis, and I pray right now for those who do battle that pain. I pray for that one who this morning, in this cool damp fall air, hurts because of it.

I know many who do.


Thank You Father, for my strong body. The body that birthed two sons. The body that is fit and able to work and play. This body I offer afresh to You this morning, as a living sacrifice…take my everyday ordinary life, consume me, use me, show Your glory, have Your will and way, accomplish Your purposes.

You are God...You are holy...Hallowed is Your Name.

Ready...

Ready…. Are you?

Yesterday, a grieving friend said she thought she was. She thought she was ready for what was inevitable. A loved one faced the end of a long battle. The end was near.

This friend thought she was prepared for that news to come…news that it was over, her loved one gone….the end come.

Praise God that of all the people who tried to be ready, the one who left was ready.

Praise God is wasn’t an end….it was the first moment of eternity. The battle over. The struggle stopped. The pain gone. Forever.

Hallelujah !!!

Knowing what lies ahead, are you ready?

If not….what are you waiting for?

God has ‘set eternity in the hearts…’ of each of us. (Ecc.3:11) Eternity is the surest of sure things. Our hearts long for a perfect place…the perfect world that is only to be found in His perfect rule, in His perfect kingdom….in His heaven.

“Listen to the call, the gospel call today, get in the glory land way….”

Be ready my friend. You may not face the ‘sure thing’ of cancer….but don’t be deceived by the devil’s lie. You do face death.

Straight...

Straight…

We are offering a new service in our salon. Now, if your hair is curly and frizzy, you can have straight hair without trashing it with chemicals or frying it with a flat iron every day.

Oh if only we could get our lives straight so easily. But we can’t lay out a few bills and walk away with a straightened out mess….even for a few months.

God never wanted all the kinks in our lives. He still doesn’t. But we insist on twisting truth, bending His standards, and wrapping ourselves around ‘stuff’.

Changing the truth of God for a lie never has changed truth. “Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies…”(Rom.1:25)


Taking detours instead of the straight path only causes us prolonged periods of learning.

We can wander in wilderness, twisting around and traveling in endless circles, getting nowhere….or we can get through it in a much shorter time if we just follow right behind God as He leads us straight thru.

We can’t drive around a storm of life. But we can be delivered through it. Safely. Even stronger and better.

And we will never straighten out the mess of human life. Not without Divine Intervention.

“Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin?” (Rom. 7:24)

Thank You again my Jesus…..

Beautiful roots....

Beautiful roots....

Roots are where all beauty and strength come from. You just can’t be beautiful without being strong FIRST.

The most talented hairdresser can’t make beautiful hairstyles from malnourished abused hair.

Ps. 1 gives us a great word-picture of beauty and strength.

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked of stand in the way of sinners of sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”


A tree grows strong and beautiful when it is close to a source of water.

We are wise and ‘blessed’ when we plant ourselves near the source of life.

We want beauty and strength in our hair …

AND in our heart….

Strength manifested in a beautiful head of hair.......or strength manifested in a beautiful peace-filled, joyous, loving life.

The beauty grows out of that strong place.

Beautiful hair comes from a strong healthy scalp, well nourished.

It stays beautiful when we tend it and care for it properly. It doesn’t stay pretty if neglected or abused.

So it is with our lives. We stay strong when we are well nourished.

Roots.....

Roots…. I love roots. Roots help me pay my bills.

As a hairdresser, I see lots of roots. I make a living covering up that gray that peeks thru or the dark that demands to be seen. (Some girls are just really blonde on the inside and need a little help being blonde on top.)

You know, God made us perfect, without sin. What we were on the outside, matched what we were on the inside…. perfectly. We were intended to exist in that condition, but a bad choice was made and we all now suffer the imperfections.

Now, what we are on the inside is marred, (sin nature ) and what is manifested to the outside is imperfect. But praise God that He has a method of changing that and restoring us to what we were created to be.

Choosing to change our dark hair to blonde requires maintenance. (Changing the appearance of it does not change the natural of it…) And in the same way, while we are in this life, it is a daily, moment-by-moment process of maintenance. Maintenance…by maintaining of choosing, I mean the daily, sometimes moment-to-moment choices that we are faced with. (Joshua’s challenge in Joshua 24:15 ‘Choose you this day whom you will serve.. ’) The choices we make are vital.

One day, on THAT DAY, there will be no more ‘maintenance’…no more changes needed…no more choices between good and evil. No more temptations, no more mistakes, no more regret. “…in the twinkling of an eye…we will all be changed.”(1 Cor. 15:52)

Until then we must maintain…or call it persevere. “Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”(James 1:4)


After THAT DAY there will be no maintenance. No contrasting root line…the growing out will stop. We will be made fully mature, lacking nothing. And we’ll be that way forever.

Hocus-pocus...

Hocus-pocus… Nonsense words or phrases used as a formula


Ever been abandoned? Abandon means to thrust off. Leave alone. To be unused.

I never thought about God abandoning anyone. But…. “You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob…” (Isa. 2:6)

I think of abandonment as an unjust thing. But is it ? Is there a time to just back off, leave someone alone to do as they choose, or even do as they insist….even in rebellion?

“God, You have walked out on Your family Jacob because their world is full of hokey religion, Philistine witchcraft, and pagan hocus-pocus.” (Isa. 2:6 The Message)

Again this morning I am convicted. God allows me choice. Even when I choose hokey religion and hocus-pocus.

“The arrogance of man will be brought low and the pride of men humbled. The Lord alone will be exalted in that day….” (Isa. 2:17)

So I ask myself this morning….where is the hocus-pocus in my life?

Is my religion hokey? Do I use phrases and formulas?

“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.” (Ps. 139:24)

Idols...

Idols… ‘eliyl’ in Hebrew. It means good for nothing.


What do you highly regard that truthfully is worthless ?

In the culture of ages past, they had images of stone or wood. They put a lot of value in them, thought they had some amount of power.

In the culture of our day, we also have ‘things’ that we have made with our own hands, that we put a lot of value in, thinking they have some measure of might.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$


That dollar sign offers no real security. Let us not believe the lie that it does. The houses and cars that it buys can’t offer us anything of real lasting value.

Let us not put our confidence in our ability to accumulate money. Let us not think for one second that our own efforts will make us secure.

And certainly, let us not compromise God’s standards in order to accumulate wealth.

“A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.” Pro. 21:6

Reason...

Reason… To justify. Convince. To argue….and be right…

I confess. It is important for me to be right. I know…..I’m the only one. Right?

I can justify my need to be right.

I can argue until I convince you.

Or until you convince me that I’m really NOT right, but in fact, YOU are right.

But whichever it is, the key and the value in it, is the reasoning together. We are so much better off when we can do this reasoning/arguing with an honest heart searching for truth instead of just for the sake of being the winner.

Winning is empty, if the truth has been lost in the battle. We have a false victory.

And when anger comes in, the devil is usually the victor.

“Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord.” (Isa. 1:18)

God invites us to come to Him with issues, argue the thing out, reason together with Him…and find solutions. And when we come to Him with an honest attitude, not hiding, not masquerading or pretending…He will reveal truth. Even though it’s often not pretty and hard to accept, the truth is indeed the truth….whether we accept it and embrace it or not.

Job reasoned together with God. When all the disaster fell, Job went to God with all his questions, “I desire to speak to the Almighty and to argue my case with God.” (Job 13:3)

His friends had all the answers, or so they thought. But Job went to God.

Job was right about a lot of things. But he also found out he wasn’t nearly as good nor nearly as smart as he thought he was.

“…surely I have spoken of things that I did not understand….my ears have heard of you but now my eyes have seen you….and I repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42: 3-6)

I want to always be willing and eager to reason together with God.

Not to have my status verified. But to seek truth…..from an honest seeking heart, never just so I can be right.

HE is always, always right.

Bittersweet....

Bittersweet… I use a bittersweet chocolate in baking. It looks yummy, but by itself, it’s really pretty yucky. Bitter.

A square of that chocolate mixed with appropriate amounts of other ingredients will produce a perfectly delightful dessert. Sweet.

The dessert can’t taste as it does without that bitter ingredient.

Life is certainly like that.

The delightful is often gained by having some bitter experiences in the mix. But no matter how bitter, God is able to sweeten. “Though I …see trouble…many and bitter, You will restore…You will bring me up…You will increase..and comfort..” (Ps. 71:20)

It takes all the ingredients for my recipe. It takes that bitter chocolate…else the whole thing is a failure.

Life is certainly like that.

“Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered….” (Isaiah 38:17)

In every struggle, I want to expect the benefit.

I want to recognize every sweet thing that comes from the bitter.

I want to praise Him….before, during, and after.

Do it.....

Do it… Nike says just ‘do it’. Ever had someone ask you how you ‘do it’? ….

Ever wonder how someone can get thru what they get thru? Ever wonder if they will?

Is it a matter of putting your ears back, your head down, and just pushing thru?

Perhaps sometimes it is. More often than not, it is a matter of calling on a Power greater than self.

As I was thinking and praying about the coming days and the obligations I have, I began wondering how I was going to ‘do it’. Then as I was interceding for someone who has a burden of sorrow I’ve never experienced, I wondered how she would ‘do it’.

I asked God to ‘show out’ thru her circumstances, to be so actively evident in her life, helping her to cope, enabling her to go on….it is an opportunity to show Your stuff Lord. Just ‘do it’ for her. And everyone will see that she has extra-ordinary, super-natural ways of dealing with this burden.

That’s when He whispered to me….I will ‘do it’ for you Connie. But only if you allow me. You can insist on ‘doing it’ yourself. But you can’t sit down and quit when you run out of your own resources….you have to stay on the field even then, and allow me to ‘do it’ even and especially when you can not.

I have been hearing the accuser. (Rev. 12:10) And I’m so relieved to identify that fact. Satan can no longer accuse me before God. I am washed in the Blood of The Lamb. But he still accuses me. He still lies. He still twists truth. He is a devil. His purposes will NOT be accomplished thru me….Lord, please make my eyes and heart to see his lies and activities.

What may be accomplished thru ‘me’ and ‘my’ obligations, will be accomplished thru the extra-ordinary, super-natural Power of the Holy Spirit of God.

It is not for my glory. No longer will I retreat because of that accusation from the enemy.

What is it that God wants to accomplish thru you that you draw back from? Are you retreating because of fear of failure, or fear of fame? Either one is a tactic of the enemy to hide the glory of God.

And to keep us in bondage.

God forbid.

Discovery...

Discovery… Webster says it’s making known, bringing to light, to find something, first sight…

Columbus is said to have ‘discovered’ America. This continent was already here, Columbus didn’t create it. This continent had people on it, it wasn’t a ‘discovery’ to them. Just to Columbus.

Have you ever discovered anything?

Earlier this week I heard the word used to describe what happens when we study scripture for ourselves. We discover.

We can learn by listening to preachers. But that’s hearing what they have ‘discovered’.
We can learn by reading books and commentaries. Again, that is hearing what someone else has ‘discovered’.

The best preacher is the Holy Spirit of God.

“..The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My Name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said….”(John 14:26)

“The anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about all things, and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit, just as it has taught you…remain in Him… Continue in Him….”(1John 2:27)

Coupled with an open Bible and open heart, He turns us into a walking, talking, living, breathing commentary.

Teachers are great. Research material is great. But without the power of the Holy Spirit of God, it will be lifeless, powerless information.

There is absolutely nothing like discovering Him for yourself. And when you do, you can’t help but tell it.

What have you discovered about Him, for yourself, that you can relate to someone else? Open your bible, open your heart, and go to the throne of God in prayer…ask Him to teach you. He will.

“When the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, He will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is..” (John 16:13 The Message)

“I turned my mind to understand, to investigate, and to search out….” (Ecc. 7:25)

“..the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you…”(1Ch. 28:9)

Goal....

Goal… It is that time of year again, time for the competition to begin over goals. Who will make more trips across the goal line….

I’m not a football fan. But I do understand goal lines. I have battled against opposition trying to reach goals. It is often a struggle to gain any ground.

This morning I am beginning preparations for a Bible study that will continue until spring. And I ask myself what my goal is.

Is it to gain information? Learn facts? Figure out end-times? (..this year the study is Isaiah)

I want my goal to be a more vibrant relationship with my Lord. I want to be filled and re-filled with HIS joy, even when it gets difficult. I want the facts and information to come to life, to apply to my situations and my circumstances, to jump off the pages and into my face and heart.

There has already been opposition. There has been interference when I turned my eyes and thoughts to the matter. There is a very real enemy who will try to steal away my purposes. He has a different goal, in the opposite direction.

So, what is your goal? Do you have one? Is there a definite purpose for your being alive this day? Will you accomplish any purpose, any eternal value in that purpose?

I’ll do a lot of hair today. But God willing, that will be the least of it. May today be a day that He uses me to gain ground on some spiritual field…perhaps even reaching a goal.

May my desire be to play my position and play it well…whether it’s blocking the opposition, or stepping across the goal line….my part is important.

Concealer...

Concealer… We girls use them often….to hide some flaw that our foundation won’t cover.

I’ve never had a lot of problems with my skin, even as a teenager. But…every now and then my skin decides to gift me with a zit. And, the area under my eyes seems to get darker and darker, not to mention baggier. So…concealer is my friend.

We can hide a lot of imperfections….and not just with cosmetics. We all have our methods of covering them up. We often are quite good at putting on the mask, hiding….pretending. It’s an old strategy, it began in The Garden with a fig-leaf. (Gen.3:7)

The hiding is such a waste of energy. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to Whom we must give account.”(Heb. 4:13) We are much better off to embrace the truth, respond to the guilty feeling by running TO Him instead of away.

Besides, “He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts…”, anyway. “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed..” (Matt. 10:26)

We are believing a lie to think we can conceal any little thing from Him. Oh….we can conceal it from others. But there is absolutely no advantage in it. It changes nothing for the better, in fact, it may lead to our own heart believing the lie of the enemy and even becoming calloused, even worse…hiding God’s Face from us.

“…your iniquities have separated you from your God, your sins have hidden His Face from you..”(Isa.59:2) “There’s nothing wrong with God, the wrong is in you. Your wrongheaded lives caused the split between you and God. Your sins got between you so that He doesn’t hear.” (same passage, The Message)

Here is my goal…I want to get rid of the concealer. I want to feel no need to hide.

“Keep your servant from willful sins, may they not rule over me”(Ps. 19:12)

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, Oh Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.” (Ps. 19:14)

It’s a work in progress….a daily, moment by moment choice….throwing away the urge to conceal, embracing truth, even when it’s ugly….

…and running TO the One Who “..restores the joy of salvation…and grants me a willing spirit..”(Ps. 51:12)

Older...

Older… We count the years. We expect. We dread.

We expect our children to roll over, then crawl, then walk… on and on the list goes as our babies get older. Then we dread the day they leave, even though we expect it…even pray for it.

We dread the years piling up on us, dread the aches and pains, the health issues, the wrinkles. Even though we expect to get old, even want to live to be very old, we dread.

We expect to take care of our children. We expect to take care of ourselves. But do we really do either?
In reality, without what God provides, we are utterly helpless.

“Listen to Me…you whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He Who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you. I will sustain you and I will rescue you. To whom will you compare me or count me equal?” (Isa. 46:3-5)

We are deceived by Satan’s lies that we have any power at all. The only thing we have is choice.

And with that choice, we choose so poorly sometimes. We choose to ‘pour out gold …hire someone…make a god and lift it up on our shoulders and carry it…set it up where it stands and can’t move from that spot. Though we might cry out to it, it does not answer and can not save from any trouble.’ (vs. 6-7 my version)

I never want my trust to be in money. I don’t want to pour it out in any way, trying to buy what only God can really provide. There is no security outside of Him.

I never want my trust to be in any thing or any system. We set up all these ‘things’ that supposedly make us secure, or even things that supposedly make us ‘righteous’ or ‘saved’. Then we must sustain it, we must carry it as it gets heavier and heavier. No thing and no system can make one iota of difference in an eternal way. There is no security outside of Him.

As I get older I want to pray regularly with David… “O God, You have taught me from my youth….now when I am old and gray headed, Oh God, forsake me not until I have shown Your strength to this generation and Your power to every one that is to come….” (Ps. 71: 7-8)

I’m older than I was. But I am not as old as I want to be.

And I want to be more and more useful as I grow older. Not less.

I long to watch and count as my children grow older. And I expect to see God do mighty things in their lives and expect Him to work through them as they too grow older.

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” (3John 1:4)

Glory...

Glory… is it an ego trip?

Scripture has a lot to say about glory, especially about the glory of God. I once thought God had a really big ego that needed fed. Why else would He have so much to say in His Word about bringing Him glory?

I’m faced often with hard situations and difficult choices. Most of them would be so easy to make were I not a follower of Jesus Christ.

Every time I make a decision and follow through with actions in line with what Jesus would do, I bring Him glory…. (..remember WWJD?..)

In those difficult times I have opportunity to display the Character of God….IF (big if..) ….If my choice is made from His Truth, if I am doing it because it is right, if it is because He has called me to do it, and if I recognize that it is thru the power of His Holy Spirit that I am enabled and empowered to do it.

If you ever see any fruit of righteousness in me, you can be sure that it is because thru Jesus Christ, my love has abounded, my knowledge and depth of insight has abounded, if I am able to discern what is best, it comes thru Jesus Christ….and you need to be attracted to God because of what He might show you thru my life…. (Php. 1:9-11 my personalized version and Paul’s prayer for us )

There are many times I’d sure like to be Jonah. Run the other way. Pass my judgment and hold back God’s love and mercy from somebody else. Yep, some days my name is Jo-netta.

Sigh….

God doesn’t need glory. We need to see it.

God’s doesn’t need glory. I need to reflect it.…..because my glory at it’s best is still not attractive….only ‘filthy rags’. (Isa. 64:6)


“Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of Your Name. Deliver us and forgive our sins for Your Name’s sake.” (Ps. 79:9)

“I can do everything through Him Who gives me strength.” (Php. 4:13)

Hope...

Hope… It is the desire of some good, with the expectation of obtaining it. I heard of two kinds today…

‘Hope So’ hope, and ‘Know So’ hope. What kind do you have?

How do you answer the familiar question, ‘If you die today, will you spend eternity in heaven?’

Do you have a god that ‘might’ be able to save you? Is that your hope?

Do you have enough willpower to correct what is wrong yourself? Is your own performance your hope?

Do you serve The God Who is able and willing? Is your hope in Him?

Do you hope you have hope?

Do you KNOW you have hope?

“I ask God to give you the spirit or wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may KNOW the hope to which He has called you….His incomparably great power for us who believe…” (Eph. 1:18)

Fit...

Fit… Do you?

I heard someone say they didn’t. I know that feeling. It made me stop to consider when I stopped feeling like I didn’t fit. Makes me wonder if somewhere along the way I began to fit , or if I just stopped caring that I didn’t fit.

Someone else I know once told me about a missing piece of a puzzle, a piece that she needed to complete the picture of herself. She searched for a long time for that missing piece.

To fit, I think we first have to know who we are. I can’t fit unless I know the shape of my piece of the puzzle. I won’t fit into your puzzle piece’s place. I have to find my own place, and to find it, I must examine what it is I’m searching for…what is it that I am trying to find a ‘fit’ for.

Jesus didn’t fit. Even though by His very breath, the stars were created. “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; all the host of them by the breath of His Mouth.” (Ps. 33:6) Even though by His Word, light became. “..God said ‘Let there be light’, and there was light.”(Gen. 1:3)

He was responsible for the creation of every part of our reality and beyond…He made our world, yet did not fit in it…. “He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not.” (John 1:10)

It was not always so. God The Father created perfect fit, intimate relationship between God and man. “ …the Lord God, walking in the garden in the cool of the day… "and God called unto Adam, and said to Him, ‘where are you?’" (Gen.3:8) God came to walk with Adam in the cool of the day! Everything God made was once perfectly fitted. "God saw all that He had made, and it was very good."(Gen. 1:31)

Then the choice was made to know evil, the choice was made to decide for self rather than obey. Because sin was present, the perfect fit was spoiled. Everything that was once good, now had evil in the mix.

That is exactly why I didn’t fit. I didn’t understand it, but I felt it. I sensed the very real truth that something was dreadfully wrong. I was not what I was meant to be. And I was not meant to be any of the things that I saw offered as I searched for that missing piece and searched for the place where I fit.

I felt it until He did the work of re-creation in me…when I ‘received the Spirit Who is from God, …that I could understand what God has freely given me.’ (1 Cor.2:12 personalized by me)

I felt it until I found Him in such a personal way, that I no longer fell for the deception and lie of the enemy…no longer looked outward for where my puzzle piece fit.

I felt it until I looked upward to Him and then inward to His Spirit, The Holy Spirit that is now present within.

I don’t fit…HE does.

He fits perfectly into that gaping hole in my soul.

And because of that perfect fit, I don’t care that I do not fit anywhere else.

Birth Day

Birthday… Today is mine. It is also what I call my mother’s ‘birthing’ day…the day she gave birth….to me.

I have two birthing days. Two sons, healthy baby boys, born just a few minutes before nine o’clock in the morning after a long night of hard labor, 6 ½ years apart. Every year when those birth days come around I re-live the hours before, during, and after…remembering.

Today, 55 years ago, my mother was alone in an army hospital hundreds of miles away from any family or friend except for my daddy….and he wasn’t allowed in the room. (things are so different now, thankfully…)

Going thru childbirth for the first time, not knowing what to expect, alone with the pains except for strangers… Thank You God that You were there with my young mother.

I don’t remember that day, but it happened. Obviously.

I also don’t remember the day of my spiritual birth. I remember the day I was baptized. (two of them actually…) I remember times of repentance, times of knowing His Presence intimately… I recall definite times of change, times when I knew that I knew His direction and answers, times when His Voice was almost audible to my ears and not just to my spirit.

I don’t remember the moment of my spiritual birth. But it happened. Obviously.

“He gave me birth through the word of truth, that I might be a kind of first fruit of all He created.” (James 1:18)
“Praise be to the God and Father of my Lord Jesus Christ ! In His great mercy He has given me new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade…”(1 Peter 1:3,4)

There was a long time that I questioned my spiritual birth…my salvation… Am I saved? Have I been re-born? I don’t remember an event.
Perhaps it is different for you. And that’s ok, even great ! For me…it was a process. Somewhere along the way, I was ‘born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God.’ (1 Peter 1:23)

Somewhere along the way, amid my struggle to re-create myself, trying to ‘fix’ all that was terribly wrong…I got out of the way long enough for God to do His work in me. I got tired enough to surrender the fight, accept that I was defeated in the battle against sin, keep the desire to have victory over it, yet look for victory from The One Who died to offer it to me.


Hallelujah, What a Savior !

Thank You Lord Jesus on this, my birthday…for Your birthing me…whatever that date was.

It happened.

It is obvious to me.

Cheqer tabawn....

Cheqer tabuwn … In Hebrew, it means finding out knowledge…

Isaiah says that we can not fathom God’s knowledge or His understanding. “ Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth……………. and His understanding no one can fathom.” (Isa. 40:28)

But I try. I’m not the smartest gal around…but I’m smarter than I was. I’m not the wisest, but I’ve gained in wisdom. I don’t understand everything, but I understand a great deal more than I once did.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. All who follow His precepts have good understanding…” (Ps. 111:10) Fear was the beginning. Thank You God, that isn’t all there is.

I’ll never know as much as God knows. But I have knowledge OF HIM. And ‘if I call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, if I look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, I will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom…He holds victory in store…He is a shield…He gaurds the course…He protects the way…” (Pro. 2, selected passages, personalized by me)

I must ‘turn my ear to wisdom and apply my heart to understanding.’ Seems that often I listen for only what I want to hear. “ …since you would not accept my advice and you spurned my rebuke, you will eat the fruit of your way and be filled with the fruit of your scheme…” Ouch.

Better leave my schemes out of it, ya think?

“Trust in Me with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, Connie. In ALL your ways acknowledge Me, and I will make your paths straight.”
(Pro. 3:5 personalized by me)

Pretty...

Pretty... Pretty is as pretty does.

When I was younger, I heard my grandmother say this, and countless others...and knew they were advising me to behave properly, be nice, be polite, smile and say please and thank you, etc. etc. etc.


"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7

I've spent the last 35 years doing what I can do to improve appearances. Shaping a haircut to compliment and balance a face, using color to brighten a face, covering up the natural signs of aging (gray hair!! shudder.....)

I've practiced my craft, I've gotten a lot of education, know a lot of 'stuff' about what I do, how to do it and why. But only the outward appearance is changed. And while it is true that the outward appearance affects the way we feel about ourselves, it doesn't really change anything that is inside us. It doesn't change who we are.

I can change appearance, but only God can change a heart. And He is so very good at what He does.

Light...

Light... I caught myself complaining this morning about the lack of sunshine. Why is it that when the sun is not shining bright, I tend to be sluggish? grumpy? lazy?

Jesus said "I am the Light" He has shown me this morning that when I allow 'clouds' to rise up between us, that I suffer. Very often, issues and concerns rise up that I am powerless to remove. He is able. My choice is to look at the clouds, or to ask Him to shine His Light thru those clouds.

He has promised and He is faithful. I most often ask for Him to remove the cloud....and often He does. There are other times when He does not, but He provides the warmth and light to get thru it...sustaining me....and what a joy to feel that Light shining on my face again.

He is so good

Personal Trainer....

Personal Trainer… a person who works one-on-one with a client to plan or implement an exercise or fitness regimen….

People hire them when they want to lose weight or change their body condition and they can’t seem to accomplish it by themselves for whatever reason. Maybe they don’t work at it every day as they need to. Maybe they don’t perform the exercise correctly, opting instead for an easier way that doesn’t really stretch the muscle much. (..that’s me, if there is an easier way, I will find it.)

Sometimes more weight needs to be added. Other times, the weight needs to stay the same and the endurance level needs to be increased. Or maybe raise the tilt on the treadmill, same pace, same distance or time…but more uphill.

I don’t like any of it. I am sure I would like the result.

I have a personal Trainer. I don’t pay Him. He offers Himself to me freely. I love the results He has accomplished in me. Never want to go back to the shape I was once in. But sometimes I want to quit and just stay in ‘this’ shape. He pushes me on.

He allows me a break now and then, a time to ‘rest in the shadow’ (Ps. 91:1) But He does not allow me to quit. Even more, He does not allow me to WANT to quit for very long. He ‘renews my strength’ and helps me to ‘run and not grow weary, walk and not faint.’ (Isa. 40:31 personalized by me)

I often say that I am old and tired. But ‘ He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, they run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind.’ (Isa. 40: 29-31 The Message)

I’m thankful for the faith muscles that I have. And I trust The Trainer when He adds a little weight, or increases the incline of the hill, or pushes me for another lap. He has shown to me that He knows what He’s doing.

Love...

Love.. Today is Valentine’s Day. Love is in the air….and the banner of love has been flying high, restaurants full of couples, and stores cashing in on the opportunity to sell merchandise designated for your ‘valentine’.

‘…He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love.’ (Song of Solomon 2:4) The entirety of Solomon’s book is a romantic love story. It has lots of rich lessons for us, lessons about our relationships as husband and wife, and the love relationship that God has for us….the relationship that God WANTS us to be completely engaged in and committed to.

I’ve been married to my valentine since 1974. He treats me like a ’lily among thorns’ (S.of S.2:2) He makes me feel treasured and beautiful. I am secure knowing his love for me.

‘How great is the love the Father has lavished on me, that I should be called a child of God! And that is what I am !’ (1 John 3:1 personalized by me) I am secure in my marriage…my husband puts me as his top priority, nothing out-ranks me except God Himself.

How much more secure I am to be in the love of God. “His banner over me is love.” (S.of S. 2:4) God has stopped at nothing to communicate His love for me. Jesus left the perfection of heaven to step into a body of slowly dying flesh, just to communicate the love of God, to dwell among us, and to restore our relationship with Him back to the way it was…perfect and complete.

‘Taste and see…the lord is good..’ (Ps. 34:8)

‘Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the Lord.’
(Ps. 107:43) How I pray you really know Him….know His character, His perfect love for you. He is so good.

Covet...

Covet…..We don’t use that word. Maybe you use it, but it’s not in my vocabulary normally. I do know it’s one of those ‘thou shalt not’ things…

Chamad=covet in the original language. In the verb form, which is the acting out of this thing called chamad, it means to desire passionately or intensely, to take delight in something delectable. It expresses the idea of finding pleasure in something.

So why is it a ‘thou shalt not’ ? Is our God just mean and nasty and intends for us to not enjoy anything?

“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, nor thy neighbor’s wife, not his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor’s.”(Ex. 20:17) ‘Don’t set your heart on anything that is your neighbor’s.’(Ex.20:17 The Message)

You see, it’s not that we should not find pleasure….we’re just not to find it in the wrong places. Having the great house is ok…as long as we are not taking what we want from someone else. Are we sure the desire for the great house is not out of a wrong heart motive?

And who is a neighbor? Looking for a loophole? Jesus addressed that very thing in Luke 10. My conclusion is that my neighbor is anyone within the realm of my existence and opportunity of influence. Wherever the ripple effect of my decisions go…whoever it touches… that is my neighbor. I am not to undermine any other person in order to further the desires of my own heart.

This ‘thou shalt not’ has to do with our wanting and even planning to have what is someone else’s, and even getting it by whatever method necessary, at their expense. An extreme example is David’s coveting the wife of another man, and what David was capable of doing to have her. The story is told in 1 Samuel 11.

‘..David said ‘ put Uriah in the front line where the fighting in the fiercest, then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.’ (vs.15 NIV)

Whew…I’d surely not do anything that awful would you? ….Then the Lord answered my prayer about revealing to me the sin in my own heart so that I might truly repent and turn away from it, asking Him to forgive and remove the guilt. He did. It is ugly. I am so thankful that He will remove the ugliness and grow me up in the process.

You’ll have to examine your own heart prayerfully in His Presence. If you know His love, you’ll feel safe doing that. It’s not a pleasant thing to look on purpose at the ugliness within yourself. But I believe it is necessary for spiritual growth. God knows every detail of it anyway…it’s us that refuse to acknowledge the presence of it within us, we are the ones who hide our eyes and pretend it’s not there. We pretend that it will not be noticed, or will somehow go away and never effect our lives. Wrong. So wrong…

Snow...

Snow… Seldom do we see the amount of snow that blankets the landscape right now. Leaving work yesterday, it seemed early…

A blanket of white covering everything makes just a tiny bit of light bounce and reflect until it almost seems like daylight…even when the sun has long since set, even when clouds hang low, weeping out fluffy white flakes.

Every little speck against a backdrop of this snowy whiteness stands out starkly, the contrast is so great. A footprint thru to the soil beneath, a tire track, a patch of snow that has been soiled with a spilled drink…every little thing shows up against the pure white snow.

I was thinking yesterday about how disfigured and imperfect I am. When I examine myself against a simple ten-part standard, I fail miserably. Black….dirty…so ugly against the pureness of God. It serves the purpose God intended…it makes me see how badly I need a Savior. I can’t get myself pure when I can’t even follow ten simply stated guidelines. Did you see any black ugliness in yourself ?

‘Come now ! Let us reason together…’ (Isa. 1:18) That is God speaking thru the prophet Isaiah. Engage yourself…enter into the conversation He initiates…He continues ‘though your sins are like scarlet…they shall be as white as snow…’

Imagine a bright red laying against this backdrop of snow. What a contrast ! My sin shows up. Like a huge bright red stain on this pure white landscape of snow..my sin shows up. The Good News is that the scarlet blood of my Savior ‘purifies me from all sin’ (1 John 1:7) I am ‘justified by His blood…’(Rom. 5:9)

White as snow… He ‘suffered outside the city gate to make me holy through His own blood.’ (Heb. 13:12) Whiter than snow.. ‘..wash me and I will be whiter than snow.’ (Ps.51:7)

How could anything possibly be whiter than this snow….

Mirror...

Mirror…There are indeed many distorted mirrors, making us look taller and thinner, or wider, or strangely curved. A perfect clean mirror will reflect a perfect image of what stands before it. Often, we don’t like what we see…

What we call The Ten Commandments mirrors something to me that’s not pretty. When I look at that ‘thou shalt/thou shalt not’ list closely, I become keenly aware of how disfigured I am.

‘…through the law we become conscious of our sin.’ (Rom. 3:20)

Are you brave enough to look into that mirror with your eyes really open? We will start with a simple one. ‘Thou shalt not steal.’(Ex.20:15) There’s no thief reading this right? No bank robbers on the list, I’m sure.

The word translated steal is ‘ganab’ in the original language. It means to secretly bring, to obtain by stealth, the implication to deceive, to thieve literally or figuratively.

Think you’re innocent? So, you’re 100% honest on your tax forms? You have never passed on some unkind, untrue, or unnecessary remark, taking away someone’s good reputation. What about that item that was mis-priced, you knew it, but that young kid working as a salesclerk didn’t. What about the stuff you bring home from work, that stuff the company pays for, provides for you as you work there, and you take it home to provide for your family, saving yourself the cost of purchasing it yourself? Maybe you didn’t correct that person who thought it was you that did that great thing, you just kept quiet and let them think it. Dozens and dozens of things to list. This mirror shows my face. I’m guilty. Perhaps I’m the only one though…or maybe you’re not looking into this same mirror…maybe you’re looking into a distorted one. You know, one that makes you look taller and thinner. Better than you really do.

Think I’m being legalistic? I am. That is what law is…legal. God’s purpose in issuing law is served when we really begin to see how guilty we are of breaking them. Only then do we really see our predicament, and our great need of rescue.

When God looks, He sees all that stuff… unless I’m covered by His Son. Then He sees Jesus, the One and Only Perfect One.

Thank You Lord for Your amazing grace. I’m a thief.

Reflection...

Reflection…I work standing in front of a mirror. I’m so accustomed to it, I seldom see my own image there. But it IS there…

There are reflections of ourselves in a lot of places if we look for them. We are reflected in our children. Simply the face of a child often reflects who the parent is, the image being so similar. Often, we see ourselves reflected in the behavior of our children ….sometimes not a pretty reflection.

Our actions and words are reflections. (I am convinced that we act on what we REALLY believe, not on what we SAY we believe.) Words are important….but actions speak much louder. ‘As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead…..show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.’ (James 2:26, 18)

Sometimes the mirror is true, sometimes it’s distorted. Sometimes I just wish for the excuse of a distorted mirror, giving me an excuse for the reflection I see. It’s not pretty sometimes, often in fact…but I’ve become more able to look at the ugliness I see reflected because only when I acknowledge it can it be changed.

We are prone to not really look…to only look from a distance, or look quickly and turn away, ignoring what we see, even pretending we look entirely different. ‘Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.’ (James 1:23,24 NIV) ‘But suppose you take a good look….keep looking at it…don’t forget…but act…’ (James 1:25 NIrV)

I can change a lot standing in front of my mirror. I’ll be changing my own reflection in front of a mirror in a few minutes as I ready for the day ahead. I can change your reflection to a degree…with shears, a brush and a blow dryer. But only the Lord can remove the real ugly…the ugly that goes all the way to the spirit.

Examine yourselves..’ (2Cor. 13:5) I need to prayerfully look at my reflection. I don’t want to have ‘eyes that could not see..’(Rom. 11:8)

My desire is to reflect Jesus Christ. His image is perfect…and He shows me what I really look like. I am thankful He doesn’t leave me to my own skill to make improvements, for my image is beyond flawed, beyond my capacity to improve.

‘Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.’ (James 1:4) ‘I have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of the Creator’(Col.3:10)

It is a work in progress.

Sword...

Sword… Have you noticed all the pieces of the armor we’ve looked at are for protection? Did you notice there’s nothing for the back side? We are to stand, not run. (see Armor / Feb.4th) Stand…that implies a continued action. We are called to face the assault. We have protection, and we have one weapon to fight with.

‘Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get….Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You will need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon.’ (Eph. 6”13-17 The Message)

We are not to fight with our idea of what is right, (truth), but His. We can’t fight armed in our own good behavior (righteousness), but His. We don’t overcome what we face while sitting on our hands, simply on the strength of faith. ‘faith without deeds? Can such faith save?‘(James 2:14) We have to act on what we say we believe. We are provided what is necessary to secure ourselves, but we are still vulnerable and will never take out the enemy without this one weapon He provides for our armor. The Sword of the Spirit…God’s Word.

God’s Word. Communication from the Almighty. What God has said has been recorded for us by a host of different writers, in 3 different languages, under all sorts of circumstances, from every social rank, kings to peasants, highly educated to absolutely no education, Jews and Gentiles, most of them completely unknown to each other, living over the space of some 1600 years, all telling the same story…. the relationship between God and man, how it started, what went wrong, and God’s rescue…the redemption story.

What God says IS. Period. He said ‘let there be….’(Gen.1) and there WAS. He is the same God, what He says packs a powerful punch…and the opposing forces can NOT over-rule His say-so. What satan can and does do, is deceive us about what God has in fact said. (we make it easy when we haven’t a clue what He said in the first place!)

The first sin was a result of not being sure of what God had said. Satan asked Eve, “Did God really say,’You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Gen.3:1 NIV) Read the complete story for yourself, see how that happened. Learn the tactic the serpent used. He uses it still. Look for God’s Word in that story, what DID He say?

Satan’s agenda is to keep us ignorant of what God has said or make us believe his version (lies) of what God has said. That devil will try to make us question and doubt God’s character and intent about what He has said and why. God has a reason for what He has said, always always a good reason, and for our ultimate good.

You can’t fight without something to fight with. You’ll get slaughtered standing against an enemy with no weapon to take that enemy down. You may manage to stand a short while…but you’ll not stand long, the enemy will USE his weapons. His weapons are a distortion of God’s Word. You are wise to find out the truth of what He says.

Helmet...

Helmet… We just had Superbowl Sunday. If you know me very well, you will know I have issues with football. I’m not a big fan.

Today, I have to smile at God’s timing, He is so cool, so good at what He does. I’ve spent all this time reflecting on armor, the equipment He tells us to use… to defend ourselves against the very real attacks of our very real opposition. The last piece of protective armor is ‘the helmet of salvation.’

‘ …let us ..put on…the hope of salvation as a helmet.’ (1Thes. 5:8) ’Take the helmet of salvation…’ (Eph. 6:17) ‘ press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 3:14) …(listen to all this football language! Doesn’t God have a sense of humor?!).. ‘make it my goal to please Him’ (2 Cor. 5:9) ‘receiving the goal of my faith, the salvation of my soul..’ (1 Peter 1:9)

Let’s clear up our thinking about this hope thing though. Hope = ‘elpis’ in the original language of scripture and it means to anticipate with pleasure, to expect with confidence, desire something good with the expectation of obtaining it while not yet an actuality.

It is difficult to stay in a battle when there is no hope of victory. This is not a big ‘what if’. This is not an impossiblity. But ‘thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor. 15:57)

Daily putting on this helmet of salvation protects my mind. This hope protects me when my understanding is being assaulted. The enemy wants me to have poor or no understanding, and he will twist truth so that I MISunderstand. He wants me to have poor judgment. He wants me to be confused and uncertain. He would have me live in fear and insecurity, or horribly misuse and misapply the grace that God has extended. But..

I have received… ‘the Spirit Who is from God’ (1Cor. 2:12) I have possession… ‘the promised Holy Spirit….gaurantees my inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession..’ (Eph. 1:13,14) HE is ‘the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him.’ (Heb.5:9)

The opposing side plays rough and dirty. I have protective gear to wear because the opposition wants to take me down any way possible. The helmet is a vital part.
It is crucial to protect my mind…and God Himself provides that protection.

I have possession, and I have the promises of God. I am assured victory. How about you? Are you on God’s team? Are you suited up?…protected with His gear, or relying on your own? Your apt to be injured without it. Are you in the game, or on the bench? He needs all players on the field, He really wants to run the scoreboard up. ‘..look at the fields, they are ripe for harvest.’(John 4:25)

Shield...

Shield….I’ve been wearing a raincoat a lot lately. It is my shield against falling drops of water. It keeps my clothes dry, therefore keeping me warm instead of chilled to the bone. I have a plastic shield I use in my microwave. I put it over the food to keep it from splattering. Shields…of water-proof material…of microwave safe plastic. What about the shield in this armor of God…

‘take the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.’ (Eph. 6:16) Don’t get off the point here…don’t zoom in on that faith word yet. (I’m not sure I can tackle that one!) We need to understand why we have a need for a shield, and what we use it for.

We are being told in this scripture that there are ‘flaming arrows’ from ‘the evil one’ …that we ARE in harm’s way, and we need a shield between us and these methods of attack. We have to have a way to put out these ‘flaming arrows’. (I have images of Calvary forts and Indians, on the western movies that often play in our living room.)The Indians’ flaming arrows may or may not have been real…but the ones our enemy uses are very real.

The wrong thoughts that pass thru my mind, but get caught and thrown out as I use my shield.
The opportunities to do what I know I should not…I use my shield of faith to turn them down.
The occasions when I want to lash out and return the attack..I raise my shield to protect myself, refusing to hurt another person unnecessarily.
The fear that plagues me…I raise up my shield to keep it from penetrating my heart.
The burning questions I struggle with, I raise up my shield to put out the fire of doubt and unbelief that my enemy would like to see steal my joy and destroy me.
All the ‘what if’s…I raise my shield to knock them down, remembering the promises of God.
I must on purpose raise up my shield. It’s up to me. It doesn’t raise itself.

The shield used in Biblical times was usually made of light wood covered with several layers of leather hides with a rim of brass. Some shields were covered in metal, making them heavier and harder to use for long periods of time. The wood was vulnerable to fire but lighter and easier to maneuver in battle. Leathers were kept rubbed with oil to protect them and help keep the surface smooth so that arrows or darts would not penetrate easily. ( anointed with oil ! )

Our shield is made of faith. That’s a really big word. The writer of Hebrews says it is ‘being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.’ (Heb. 11:1) My faith is not in my faith. My faith is in the God of the universe, the Creator of everything in my reality and beyond. HE, my friend, shields me from any flaming arrow my enemy hurls.
‘Thou O Lord, are a shield around me.’ (Ps. 3:3)