Perseverance… Keep on keeping’ on. Get back in the saddle. Shake it off. Keep on truckin’. However you phrase it, the message is the same…
Endurance. Persistence. In Greek, the original language of New Testament scripture, it is ‘hupomone’. It is a bearing up under, an enduring as to things or circumstances… patience and constancy under suffering in faith and duty.
“..prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind of drops out.” (Eph. 6:18 The Message)
I want never to forget the reality of the battle ground on which I stand. There IS a spiritual war going on. There IS a battle of good vs. evil. The enemy is still assaulting God’s creation. He is defeated, but until he is cast into the abyss, he continues to deceive and lie. How tiring it gets sometimes. I hear him trying to tell me it’s useless. It is NOT.
My God is bigger than any demon. He is bigger than any stronghold. He is mightier than any addiction. He is able to heal any hurt, any painful thing.
The only thing that stops Him is our refusal. I wrestle sometimes with the free choice He has given, wishing that in some situations He’d take that free will away and insist on better choices. He would not be holy and perfect were He to do that….and we would not have a capacity to love, we would be mere robots. So I stand on the battlefield, suited up with the armor of God.(Ephesians 6:13-17)
I have the belt of truth. The enemy’s lies will not pierce me.
My heart is shielded with the breastplate of HIS righteousness, not my own.
My feet are fitted with readiness.
I have a shield of faith in the God of creation with which I can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
My mind is protected by the helmet of my salvation, the enemy’s lies will not enter my mind and cause me to be deceived.
And I have the Sword of The Holy Spirit of God
.
I know what He has said, and I will use the authority that is mine in Jesus Christ to
speak that Word to all the demonic forces of the spiritual realm.
“Pray for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel…pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.” (Eph. 6:19,20)
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Liberty
Liberty… We have a statue that we’ve attached that word to…I wonder if we all share the same definition of what liberty is…
“I shall walk in liberty, for I have sought Thy precepts.” (Ps. 119:45)
It seems to me that the more ‘freedom’ that has been allowed, the more choices people are allowed to take, the worse our culture has become.
And it’s because when we are able to choose for ourselves both good AND evil…when we are not seeking to do what is right in God’s eyes…we choose poorly. We have chosen much evil in this nation.
I rejoice in the liberty and freedom that I have in Christ. It is no longer because I feel forced to choose His way, for that is not freedom. I have the liberty to choose like the couple in the garden. I can choose good….or I can choose evil…and I must choose. God does not insist that I choose His good way.
Because I have grown to know Him and love Him, I have come to understand that what He says is always the right way, for my own best interests and the best interests of others. (EVEN when it doesn't LOOK that way!) The choice to follow His good way always brings life, never death. Only by choosing His good way do I find liberty from the permanently established rule that sin=death.
“..the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.”(Rom. 8:2)
People who spout off about their freedoms and live their lives making ungodly decisions are not free. They are in the worst kind of bondage. Choices that are not lined up with God’s standard bring death. (“ the wages of sin is death..”(Rom. 6:23) Always.
You can complain about it, hit the dislike button, or throw a fit about your ‘rights’…but God is Creator, He gets to pick…what He says IS. Only within the boundaries of Christ is there freedom, for only there is a escape from this curse of sin and death. “If..the son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”(John 8:36) “ …the free gift of god is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”(Romans 6:23)
“For freedom, Christ has set us free…”(Gal. 5:1)
Jesus, The Messiah…. is the good way. My liberty is in my relationship with my Savior. He has removed the curse. And because of that….I am His slave.
I will strive to serve Him well.
“I shall walk in liberty, for I have sought Thy precepts.” (Ps. 119:45)
It seems to me that the more ‘freedom’ that has been allowed, the more choices people are allowed to take, the worse our culture has become.
And it’s because when we are able to choose for ourselves both good AND evil…when we are not seeking to do what is right in God’s eyes…we choose poorly. We have chosen much evil in this nation.
I rejoice in the liberty and freedom that I have in Christ. It is no longer because I feel forced to choose His way, for that is not freedom. I have the liberty to choose like the couple in the garden. I can choose good….or I can choose evil…and I must choose. God does not insist that I choose His good way.
Because I have grown to know Him and love Him, I have come to understand that what He says is always the right way, for my own best interests and the best interests of others. (EVEN when it doesn't LOOK that way!) The choice to follow His good way always brings life, never death. Only by choosing His good way do I find liberty from the permanently established rule that sin=death.
“..the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.”(Rom. 8:2)
People who spout off about their freedoms and live their lives making ungodly decisions are not free. They are in the worst kind of bondage. Choices that are not lined up with God’s standard bring death. (“ the wages of sin is death..”(Rom. 6:23) Always.
You can complain about it, hit the dislike button, or throw a fit about your ‘rights’…but God is Creator, He gets to pick…what He says IS. Only within the boundaries of Christ is there freedom, for only there is a escape from this curse of sin and death. “If..the son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”(John 8:36) “ …the free gift of god is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”(Romans 6:23)
“For freedom, Christ has set us free…”(Gal. 5:1)
Jesus, The Messiah…. is the good way. My liberty is in my relationship with my Savior. He has removed the curse. And because of that….I am His slave.
I will strive to serve Him well.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Judging
Judging… You can know a tree by it’s fruit.
After someone has handed down a verdict about someone else, I’ve heard ‘I’m not judging, I’m just inspecting fruit’. I confess, I’m guilty of using that excuse myself…judging fruit.
But I believe God has shown me the fruit of my own heart in that matter. “..the fruit of The Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control..’ (Gal. 5:22-23) I don’t see fruit inspecting in that list, nor does that list look like the attitude of my fruit inspecting heart. In fact, it might fit the list of a few verses earlier in that chapter of Galatians ! “discord…jealousy…selfish ambition …dissensions …factions…envy” (verses 19-21)
It is true that our character is displayed in the fruit we bear out in our lives. But what kind of fruit is born out of the fruit inspector? When I inspect another person’s fruit, what kind of attitude is in my own heart, and do I live up to that standard myself? Do I criticize or condemn them for not having Grade A fruit, when my own fruit is not Grade A?
And let’s not be deceived…we’re not grading apples against apples….we’re grading fruit. It doesn’t matter that ‘I’ am not guilty in the fruit/thing I’m inspecting in someone else. I may not have that particular rotten apple to deal with in my own life, but I’ve got some rotten peaches.
The best lessons learned are often those learned out of negative examples. I don’t want to be compromising about sin, but neither do I want to be blind to the sin in my own life. When I see rotten fruit in someone else, I want to see it for what it is, but have a heart to encourage and challenge them to a higher standard….not just chunk it out with the trash.
And I want to never, ever…. have that kind of fruit in my own life.
After someone has handed down a verdict about someone else, I’ve heard ‘I’m not judging, I’m just inspecting fruit’. I confess, I’m guilty of using that excuse myself…judging fruit.
But I believe God has shown me the fruit of my own heart in that matter. “..the fruit of The Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control..’ (Gal. 5:22-23) I don’t see fruit inspecting in that list, nor does that list look like the attitude of my fruit inspecting heart. In fact, it might fit the list of a few verses earlier in that chapter of Galatians ! “discord…jealousy…selfish ambition …dissensions …factions…envy” (verses 19-21)
It is true that our character is displayed in the fruit we bear out in our lives. But what kind of fruit is born out of the fruit inspector? When I inspect another person’s fruit, what kind of attitude is in my own heart, and do I live up to that standard myself? Do I criticize or condemn them for not having Grade A fruit, when my own fruit is not Grade A?
And let’s not be deceived…we’re not grading apples against apples….we’re grading fruit. It doesn’t matter that ‘I’ am not guilty in the fruit/thing I’m inspecting in someone else. I may not have that particular rotten apple to deal with in my own life, but I’ve got some rotten peaches.
The best lessons learned are often those learned out of negative examples. I don’t want to be compromising about sin, but neither do I want to be blind to the sin in my own life. When I see rotten fruit in someone else, I want to see it for what it is, but have a heart to encourage and challenge them to a higher standard….not just chunk it out with the trash.
And I want to never, ever…. have that kind of fruit in my own life.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Faith
Faith… Growing up, I heard a lot of sermons about the impossibility of being saved by ‘faith alone’…..
Still today, it’s a hot topic. The questions of ‘works’ enters into the equation. It is argued that one can be saved then loose that salvation….or one might not have in fact BEEN saved in the first place.
The writer of Hebrews defined faith as ‘being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.’ (Heb. 11:1) We all live by faith. We believe that when we stand up, we will be anchored to the earth beneath us, even though we can’t see the force of gravity. We believe the little gadget we all carry around everywhere we go, will enable us to speak to someone miles away, even though we can’t see the digital signal that cellular phones work off of.
There is a beginning point in faith. I believe in gravity because I’ve learned to walk and have never floated off the planet doing so. I believe in cell phones because I’ve experienced the convenience of owning one…(however, they are much more convenient now than that first bag phone I had !!)
What is the beginning point in faith in God? What is it the hope as far as He is concerned?
My beginning point was fear. I had no love for Him, I had lots of respect for His authority, even though I resented it. I resented it for years….but I’m thankful for it now.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Ps. 111:10, Pro. 1:7, & Pro. 9:10)
My fear kept some pretty tight boundaries around me. We call it legalism these days. I no longer live with those fences, but I believe those fences kept me safe, kept me from making mistakes I might have made if I’d had the freedom I now enjoy. Some people don’t do well fenced in that way, they break down the fences in rebellion. Thank You God, fear kept me from doing so.
I’m no longer fearful of Him. The rest of those promises are true too… “..all who follow His precepts have good understanding.”(Ps. 111:10) “…fools despise wisdom and discipline.”(Pro. 1:7) “..knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Pro. 9:10)
God is to be revered and respected, and He is certainly to be feared if not found to be in His Son, Jesus Christ. He IS Who He says He is…and He WILL do what He says He will do.
I have complete faith in that.
Still today, it’s a hot topic. The questions of ‘works’ enters into the equation. It is argued that one can be saved then loose that salvation….or one might not have in fact BEEN saved in the first place.
The writer of Hebrews defined faith as ‘being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.’ (Heb. 11:1) We all live by faith. We believe that when we stand up, we will be anchored to the earth beneath us, even though we can’t see the force of gravity. We believe the little gadget we all carry around everywhere we go, will enable us to speak to someone miles away, even though we can’t see the digital signal that cellular phones work off of.
There is a beginning point in faith. I believe in gravity because I’ve learned to walk and have never floated off the planet doing so. I believe in cell phones because I’ve experienced the convenience of owning one…(however, they are much more convenient now than that first bag phone I had !!)
What is the beginning point in faith in God? What is it the hope as far as He is concerned?
My beginning point was fear. I had no love for Him, I had lots of respect for His authority, even though I resented it. I resented it for years….but I’m thankful for it now.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Ps. 111:10, Pro. 1:7, & Pro. 9:10)
My fear kept some pretty tight boundaries around me. We call it legalism these days. I no longer live with those fences, but I believe those fences kept me safe, kept me from making mistakes I might have made if I’d had the freedom I now enjoy. Some people don’t do well fenced in that way, they break down the fences in rebellion. Thank You God, fear kept me from doing so.
I’m no longer fearful of Him. The rest of those promises are true too… “..all who follow His precepts have good understanding.”(Ps. 111:10) “…fools despise wisdom and discipline.”(Pro. 1:7) “..knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Pro. 9:10)
God is to be revered and respected, and He is certainly to be feared if not found to be in His Son, Jesus Christ. He IS Who He says He is…and He WILL do what He says He will do.
I have complete faith in that.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Self-control
Self-control.. It is a very personal subject. All of us have areas where we lack in controlling our habits, attitudes, and appetites..
Felix did. Paul was in Felix’s jail, and Felix considered him an interesting way to spend an afternoon, so he sent for him in order to listen to him again. But Paul’s conversation got a bit personal. “Paul continued to insist on right relations with God and His people, about a life of moral discipline and the coming judgment.” (Acts 24: 25 The Message)
Paul was talking about living life by God’s rulebook. He was getting too personal, you see, Felix had no control of self. He had met a woman he wanted, and took her…even though she was another man’s wife. Felix saw no problem with doing whatever he felt like doing and whatever he was big enough to do.
I feel sure he felt good about that….I’m sure he thought he was a big bad guy, very strong and powerful. But he couldn’t even master himself.
Today, we are the same. How often we are deceived by the enemy!! Strength is NOT displayed by doing whatever we feel like doing. Strength is displayed in self-control. And the opposite of that….? No control of self displays a weak and vulnerable area. How will we ever be able to defeat the enemy when we can’t defeat our own fleshly impulses?
Self control is in one of those lists in the Bible. “…make every effort to add to your faith goodness, and to goodness, knowledge, and to knowledge, self control….”(2Peter 1:5)
I think of it as bricks in the wall of my temple. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, Who is in you, Whom you have received from God?”(1 Cor.6:19)
God has given a ‘measure of faith’ (Romans 12:3) The seed of faith must be planted, nurtured, and acted upon…and it grows. (Luke 17:6, 13:19) If it is not…it does not grow, and even perhaps dies. (James 2:14-17)
The brick added to faith is goodness or virtue. The word in the original language is ‘arete’ and it denotes an attribute of excellence, what in a moral sense gives man his worth, goodness of action. The next brick is knowledge, the participation in becoming aware and comprehending about something.
So we have this bit of faith, we build on it by choosing ‘good’ over wrong/evil, then we make it our business to know what we need to know….and then this thing of self-control.
It is foundational. We can have the conviction of faith, we can have the information and knowledge…but if we don’t proceed to have the control over personal choices in behavior…the wall never gets any higher. Self-control is not optional. It is absolutely necessary….
Felix did. Paul was in Felix’s jail, and Felix considered him an interesting way to spend an afternoon, so he sent for him in order to listen to him again. But Paul’s conversation got a bit personal. “Paul continued to insist on right relations with God and His people, about a life of moral discipline and the coming judgment.” (Acts 24: 25 The Message)
Paul was talking about living life by God’s rulebook. He was getting too personal, you see, Felix had no control of self. He had met a woman he wanted, and took her…even though she was another man’s wife. Felix saw no problem with doing whatever he felt like doing and whatever he was big enough to do.
I feel sure he felt good about that….I’m sure he thought he was a big bad guy, very strong and powerful. But he couldn’t even master himself.
Today, we are the same. How often we are deceived by the enemy!! Strength is NOT displayed by doing whatever we feel like doing. Strength is displayed in self-control. And the opposite of that….? No control of self displays a weak and vulnerable area. How will we ever be able to defeat the enemy when we can’t defeat our own fleshly impulses?
Self control is in one of those lists in the Bible. “…make every effort to add to your faith goodness, and to goodness, knowledge, and to knowledge, self control….”(2Peter 1:5)
I think of it as bricks in the wall of my temple. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, Who is in you, Whom you have received from God?”(1 Cor.6:19)
God has given a ‘measure of faith’ (Romans 12:3) The seed of faith must be planted, nurtured, and acted upon…and it grows. (Luke 17:6, 13:19) If it is not…it does not grow, and even perhaps dies. (James 2:14-17)
The brick added to faith is goodness or virtue. The word in the original language is ‘arete’ and it denotes an attribute of excellence, what in a moral sense gives man his worth, goodness of action. The next brick is knowledge, the participation in becoming aware and comprehending about something.
So we have this bit of faith, we build on it by choosing ‘good’ over wrong/evil, then we make it our business to know what we need to know….and then this thing of self-control.
It is foundational. We can have the conviction of faith, we can have the information and knowledge…but if we don’t proceed to have the control over personal choices in behavior…the wall never gets any higher. Self-control is not optional. It is absolutely necessary….
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Storms
Storms… Thirty minutes ago, it was hailing. The rain was pouring down, thunder was booming, lighting flashing…power flickered off and on, interrupting the routine of my morning….
Now, the sun is shining, the sky is a bright blue, the birds are singing… The storm is past.
There is a song I like to sing, “I will praise You in this storm…” Life has so many storms. My will is to praise Him… even in the middle of those storms. But it’s hard. My will often crumbles when life’s storms come. It’s hard to hear that still small voice over thunder. It’s scary when it’s dark and threatening….and I am unsure of what He is doing to calm the storm…or if He will….or even if He is close by.
I choose to believe, yet often pray like the father in Mark 9:24. “I do believe…help me overcome my unbelief!” I know what He has said, over and over… “Never will I leave you..”(Heb.13:5) “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid of terrified …for the Lord your God goes with you, He will never leave you or forsake you”(Dt. 31:6) “The Lord Himself goes before you..”(Dt. 31:8) “No one will be able to stand up against you…I will never leave you or forsake you..”(Joshua 1:5)
The power for my survival is HIS power, provided to me thru The Holy Spirit. That power never flickers, it never has an outage or shortage…but sometimes I’m prone to yank the plug, disconnecting myself. It is never Him who deserts me, “..The Father will give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever…” (Jesus, in John 14:16)
I continue to be tutored, learning that just because I don’t understand, or ‘see’ His Hand at work…just because I don’t recognize His activity, just because I don’t see what I expect to see…never ever means that He isn’t at work.
I continue to submit myself to Him, learning more absolute trust of Him, and committing myself time and time again to be obedient to what He says. He is always right…I’ve learned that by experience, some of them very painful.
When it seems like the storm looms so threateningly close, and I don’t sense Him, I continue to choose…gritting my teeth sometimes…that He is God, and He is faithful to His promises to me. Even when I’m scared to death of the storm…His love for me is beyond measure.
The storm will pass. And even if it leaves a path of destruction, I am safe.
For I am His.
Now, the sun is shining, the sky is a bright blue, the birds are singing… The storm is past.
There is a song I like to sing, “I will praise You in this storm…” Life has so many storms. My will is to praise Him… even in the middle of those storms. But it’s hard. My will often crumbles when life’s storms come. It’s hard to hear that still small voice over thunder. It’s scary when it’s dark and threatening….and I am unsure of what He is doing to calm the storm…or if He will….or even if He is close by.
I choose to believe, yet often pray like the father in Mark 9:24. “I do believe…help me overcome my unbelief!” I know what He has said, over and over… “Never will I leave you..”(Heb.13:5) “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid of terrified …for the Lord your God goes with you, He will never leave you or forsake you”(Dt. 31:6) “The Lord Himself goes before you..”(Dt. 31:8) “No one will be able to stand up against you…I will never leave you or forsake you..”(Joshua 1:5)
The power for my survival is HIS power, provided to me thru The Holy Spirit. That power never flickers, it never has an outage or shortage…but sometimes I’m prone to yank the plug, disconnecting myself. It is never Him who deserts me, “..The Father will give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever…” (Jesus, in John 14:16)
I continue to be tutored, learning that just because I don’t understand, or ‘see’ His Hand at work…just because I don’t recognize His activity, just because I don’t see what I expect to see…never ever means that He isn’t at work.
I continue to submit myself to Him, learning more absolute trust of Him, and committing myself time and time again to be obedient to what He says. He is always right…I’ve learned that by experience, some of them very painful.
When it seems like the storm looms so threateningly close, and I don’t sense Him, I continue to choose…gritting my teeth sometimes…that He is God, and He is faithful to His promises to me. Even when I’m scared to death of the storm…His love for me is beyond measure.
The storm will pass. And even if it leaves a path of destruction, I am safe.
For I am His.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Stretch
Stretch… In the verb form, it is to spread, to be extended without breaking…
There are times I’ve felt stretched so thin that I would indeed break. I have even had pity parties about it…invited others to the party to pity me, pity with me…and if I got no takers, I’d just go alone to the party.
We are all stretched. Mothers are stretched with responsibilities of the home, cooking, cleaning, homework, laundry, grocery shopping… Men and fathers are stretched to be the bread-winner, shoulder the responsibilities of maintaining the home and rearing children. Stretching in our workplace…whatever your role is, there are times of stretching.
The enemy will present escapes for those times. He is lying about them, but they may seem like a good idea at the time. People turn their backs on spouses, leaving, buying into the lie that there is no stretching in some other relationship. Greener pastures must be mowed as well. Sometimes, even more so ! People turn to alcohol and drugs. Partying or gambling…the list could go on and on. What might you add to it?
“…God will never let you down. He’ll never let you be pushed past your limit…He’ll always be there to help you come through it.” (1Cor. 10:13 The Message)
We have all heard that. It’s repeated so often that it sounds like an old cliché. But most of the time I hear it quoted, what I believe is the most important teaching in this verse is overlooked or omitted.
“HE provides a way out…” ( v.13 NIV)
Never will we be stretched in a way that we cannot bear it with His Help. Never… He is GOD ! This teaches us that when those times come, it is true that we can bear them…WITH HIM, with His help !! Not just alone, but with Him…
There IS a limit to our power. There IS a place where we can not stretch any further. When that time comes, when we feel like we are going to snap…He is there, and He is able. The question always is…do we ask? And when we ask, do we accept His answer and the provisions He makes? Do we follow the instructions He gives us in those times?
I confess, I don’t always. Often, I’m so involved in my pity party I am not listening. But He waits til I’m thru whining…after I’ve stretched to my limit and found out I can go no further. Then I sit and listen..when I’ve exhausted all other avenues…
What an insult to Him.
Father forgive me. Help me to seek YOUR counsel first. Help me to tune my ears to hear YOU…and give me a heart to trust what You say. You are always right. Even when the accuser comes against Your Word…he lies…for You are always right. Always…
There are times I’ve felt stretched so thin that I would indeed break. I have even had pity parties about it…invited others to the party to pity me, pity with me…and if I got no takers, I’d just go alone to the party.
We are all stretched. Mothers are stretched with responsibilities of the home, cooking, cleaning, homework, laundry, grocery shopping… Men and fathers are stretched to be the bread-winner, shoulder the responsibilities of maintaining the home and rearing children. Stretching in our workplace…whatever your role is, there are times of stretching.
The enemy will present escapes for those times. He is lying about them, but they may seem like a good idea at the time. People turn their backs on spouses, leaving, buying into the lie that there is no stretching in some other relationship. Greener pastures must be mowed as well. Sometimes, even more so ! People turn to alcohol and drugs. Partying or gambling…the list could go on and on. What might you add to it?
“…God will never let you down. He’ll never let you be pushed past your limit…He’ll always be there to help you come through it.” (1Cor. 10:13 The Message)
We have all heard that. It’s repeated so often that it sounds like an old cliché. But most of the time I hear it quoted, what I believe is the most important teaching in this verse is overlooked or omitted.
“HE provides a way out…” ( v.13 NIV)
Never will we be stretched in a way that we cannot bear it with His Help. Never… He is GOD ! This teaches us that when those times come, it is true that we can bear them…WITH HIM, with His help !! Not just alone, but with Him…
There IS a limit to our power. There IS a place where we can not stretch any further. When that time comes, when we feel like we are going to snap…He is there, and He is able. The question always is…do we ask? And when we ask, do we accept His answer and the provisions He makes? Do we follow the instructions He gives us in those times?
I confess, I don’t always. Often, I’m so involved in my pity party I am not listening. But He waits til I’m thru whining…after I’ve stretched to my limit and found out I can go no further. Then I sit and listen..when I’ve exhausted all other avenues…
What an insult to Him.
Father forgive me. Help me to seek YOUR counsel first. Help me to tune my ears to hear YOU…and give me a heart to trust what You say. You are always right. Even when the accuser comes against Your Word…he lies…for You are always right. Always…
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)