Anger Is A Thief

Psalm 37:8 NIV "Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret - it leads only to evil."

Every time I have been angry to the point of taking action based upon that anger, things have not gone well for me!  You can probably relate with events in your own life.  It's in anger that hurtful words get spoken.  It's in anger that harmful actions are taken, even actions against oneself.  Anger is a fuel, it's like gasoline on a flame, it's destructive.  So where does anger originate?  Some people just declare, "I'm an angry type person" or "I'm just hot headed" or maybe "I was born this way".  All may be true (since we are born with a sinful nature, we all have the capability of allowing negative traits to become our characteristics), the truth is, there is something that is the root cause of anger.  Fear is that root!  The fear of being hurt or treated wrongfully (again) produces anger.  Anger sprouts from roots of bitterness that have dug deep in the ground of our past, from the places that we experienced hurt.  Anger becomes a defense mechanism, to protect ourselves from being hurt again.  And while we may defend that place well, we also construct emotional weapons that hurt others, and build walls that prevent relationships to flourish and grow.  So in the long run, we still lose!

So how do we put aside anger when the root is so deep?  It's through forgiveness!  Forgive the wrongs that's been done and release those debts that have piled up that people owe you.  Accept the forgiveness that has been bought for you through Jesus on the cross - He paid a debt that we owed, one we could not pay.  We have all done wrong, but because of God's love, we can be forgiven and free from those wrongs!  When we forgive others, we can be free from the hurt that their wrong-doing caused.  Forgiveness doesn't negate the fact that we were wronged, in fact, if there was no wrong done, there would be no action to forgive.  Forgiveness acknowledges wrong has been inflicted AND overcomes its grip on our soul (our mind, will and emotions)!

If you struggle with anger, ask God to reveal to you where the root began to grow.  When you see it, take the steps to forgive the person or people who caused the pain.  It can be a process.  You may not desire to forgive in the beginning; if so, ask God to help you want to.  He always meets us at the point where we are willing.  As you desire to forgive and get free from the hurt, God will help you move forward.  It will be an act of your will that will develop into a willing behavior, resulting in freedom from anger that once defined your character!

Make A Resolution That Lasts

A lot of people begin a new year with resolutions, normally all targeting self-improvement, such as, losing weight, eating healthier, exercising, etc., which are all good, definitely not bad things. There are others whose new year's resolutions may be about improving their spirituality, such as, reading through the Bible, praying regularly, fasting more often, attending church faithfully or maybe even finding a place of serving to help others grow in their Christian walk. All of these are definitely good things, both physical and spiritual. The sad thing is that most resolutions wain after January or February and so many find themselves making the same promises to 'do better' each year. Here are some helpful tips to going forward in life...

1) Make your goals realistic, something that is very doable. For instance, let's say you want to lose 30 lbs this year. Set a goal to lose 5 lbs. by March, then when you've lost the 5, set another target date to lose another 5. It is motivating to make progress, so baby steps accomplished are better than a monumental target that's not!

2) Chose a top 3 to shoot for! Select 3 of the most important things you need to improve in your life & target your determination on them instead of having an overwhelming list of 10 or more. When you've gotten those 3 in your 'done!' pile, then go ahead and select 3 more. Once again, accomplishing a little is better than a lot that's not!

3) Make improvement resolutions more than once a year. Don't wait 12 months before addressing things in your life that need to change, do it monthly! There's nothing different about January 1st from February 1st, or March 1st, or August 1st, etc., the point in case is to 'move forward'! The longer amount of time that you don't make a new start the more difficult it is, and the longer time you have to feel down about not accomplishing your goals.

4) Keep a journal concerning your goals and accomplishments. It can act as a personal accountability tool as well as an encouragement to not give up when you read it and see how far you have come. 

Here's to a GOOD Year ahead!!

Those Who Have Been Forgiven Much, Love Much

Luke 7:36-50 Tells of a visit that Jesus made to a very religious man's house (Simon, a Pharisee).  A sinful woman from that town entered the home (obviously uninvited) because she had heard that Jesus was there.

She brought with her a jar of perfume which was very costly & precious.  She lavished Jesus with this perfume and worshiped Him.  Simon scolded Jesus for having anything to do with such a woman & quickly pointed out her sins.  Jesus confronted Simon's judgment with this...

40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,[a] and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little."

The woman humbled herself at the feet of Jesus, recognizing Him as The Lord & herself as a sinner.  She was so busy lifting up Jesus that she didn't have eyes to see nor mind to care what others thought or said.

Simon, on the other hand, was so busy looking for other's sins and flaunting his own righteousness that he couldn't see nor worship Jesus for Who He really was!

I believe that this is a lesson that we Christians need to keep fresh in our hearts.  'Tis better to be humble at Jesus' feet than full of religiosity!  Repentance = Humbleness

When I am repentant of my wrongs I am not so focused on the wrongs of others, thus, I am able to love others more!

Life Is Full Of Questions

I Corinthians 13:12 (NLT)  “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we shall see everything with perfect clarity.  All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me completely.”

Life is filled with so many questions and puzzling situations.  From the time we are born, we are asking questions.  This is how we learn.  We ask, we receive an answer, then we are more knowledgeable than before, however, the older we grow, the more questions that go unanswered.  Now, we can come up with many alternative answers to ease our questioning minds, but we have to admit, many of those don’t settle the uneasiness of our hearts, in that, we know the answer is still beyond our reach. 

Many of us have said on more than one occasion, “One day I’m going to sit down with Jesus and ask Him all of my questions.”  I personally believe that when we arrive in heaven, we won’t need to ask any questions, we will suddenly know the answers.  I John 3:2 (ESV) “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”  We will have a perfect body and a perfect mind.  We will be like him!

Knowing these things helps me deal with life’s questions.  I know that one day, all my questions will have answers and all the puzzling dilemmas of this life will be over.  I can rest as a child, trusting that my Father God will take care of me, knowing that even in death, life is not over; I will be embarking on a new beginning that will have no end.

A Strong Tower

Psalm 61:1-3 (NIV) “Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.  From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.”

When I think about a strong tower, I am reminded of a fortress.  One definition of the word 'fortress' found in the dictionary says, “a place or source of refuge or support”.  In Medieval times, regions of land were ruled by a king and that king lived in a castle.  The castle was usually surrounded by something that formed a barrier, like a body of water (moat) or a thick wall.  The castle had towers that were high and strong, built both for the ability to see a far distance and to be high above the battle.  It would provide protection from flying arrows that could not reach that high.  This is the type of structure the Psalmist compares God with.  He calls Him a rock that is higher than he was.

II Samuel 22:4 (NASB) “The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock; And exalted be God, the rock of my salvation.”  Psalm 62:1-2 (NIV) “My soul finds rest in God alone, my salvation comes from him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.”

We should be reminded that it’s not only when trouble shakes us that God is that strong tower for us, but also when we fail.  Both are brought on by an enemy.  Sin entered this world through Satan when he led man into disobeying God.  Man hid from God because of his failure.  But he should have run to Him instead, because God was the only one who could remedy what he had done.  It’s kind of like a child that has broken a beautiful vase.  That child hides the vase and tries to repair it, to no avail.  When the parent discovers the deed, the situation is now worse because of the lies and secrecy the child has done.  The parent is the one who can either repair or replace the vase and give the child discipline so that he will take more thought and care in the future, possibly preventing something worse from happening.  When Adam and Eve tried to repair their situation, they wove clothing made from fig leaves to cover them.  Have you ever taken a fig leaf and rubbed it on your skin?  Not very comfortable!  When they finally gave their deed to God, He made clothing for them from animal skins.  Fur must have felt much better than fig leaves!

We so need to run to God and dwell in Him, whether our trouble comes from an attack from the outside or from the enemy leading us to a failure on the inside, God is the rock that is higher.  He is the place where we can find rest for our souls and food for our spirit.  He is a strong tower where we can hide from the flying arrows that are aimed at taking us out of the battle.  Run to the strong tower and find safety, comfort, mercy and grace.

Lazy Is NOT Cool

Proverbs 24:30-34 (NIV) “I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.  I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw:  A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest– and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.”

I grew up with parents who taught me not to be lazy.  In fact, everyone in our household had jobs to do.  When I was just a little girl, my mother had me helping with the laundry, dusting furniture, washing dishes and taking care of our pets.  As I grew older, my tasks expanded, according to my abilities.  When we moved to a small farm, I began helping my dad with outside chores, cutting grass, trimming hedges, caring for the farm animals and working in the vegetable garden.  As most children, I complained at times, but in all honesty, I truly enjoyed staying busy and experiencing the results of my work.  As an adult, I have never been without a job when one was needed and I still enjoy the results of a job well done.

This scripture speaks about the writer seeing someone’s vineyard that had been left untended.  He calls the person a sluggard.  Webster’s Dictionary uses these synonyms to describe a sluggard: couch potato, deadbeat, do-nothing, drone, idler, layabout, loafer, slouch, lazybones.  Because the owner of the vineyard was lazy, it had gone to waste and had become worthless.

Proverbs 13:4 (NLT) says it best, “Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.”

Very few things in life come without effort.  Sadly, there’s some people who put a lot of effort into getting things through fraud or crime, but be assured, just as a seed is sown into the ground, it will bring forth a crop.  Galatians 6:7 (NIV) “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.”

It is best to sow diligence and hard work, you will surely reap its rewards and benefits!

Something New

Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV) “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!”

Everybody likes new things!  At the moment, I am shopping for something new to give my grandchildren for their birthday.  They are triplets and will be two years old.  Needless to say, they will be excited to receive a new toy from their grandmother and I will be excited too!  That’s the way it is with something new… exciting! 

God encourages us with this scripture to look forward to new, exciting things that He is going to do.  When we dwell in the past, especially our failures, shortcomings, losses, misfortunes, disappointments and such, we are robbed of joy, peace and happiness.  There’s nothing more depressing than to spend time thinking on all these types of things.  But Isaiah says to forget these things and to not live in the past.

Micah 7:19 (NIV) “You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.” 

If God throws our sins into the sea, who are we to drag them up again?  If we’ve asked His forgiveness, He forgives AND forgets!  We actually block the new and exciting things God wants to do in our lives by holding onto our failures. 

Have you ever tried to walk somewhere while you’re looking behind?  You probably stumbled off the path if you did.  We need to keep our eyes looking ahead, not behind.  Whatever we have our focus set upon is exactly where we set our life to go.

Heavenly Father, help us find

Joy in thinking
Of Your love.

Help us lose

Thoughts of our sins,

And leave them in

The sea of forgetfulness.

Heavenly Father, help us rest

On Your promises,

They are best

Suited for life’s every test.

Help us expect something new

Straight from heaven

Straight from You!   

Baa Or But?

Matthew 25:31-33 (NRSVB)  "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.”

As I was I in prayer this week over a dear sister who has befallen into dire physical complications, already spending many weeks in the hospital, with seemingly more weeks yet to come, I was not only distraught about her condition, but also about the growing indifference of believers who declare they are too busy to visit her or even give her a call.  This sister has been a member of our church for twenty years, so it’s not that she is new and relatively unknown, and sadly, this is not the only case that I’ve noticed this growing dilemma.  When asked if they’ve called or been able to drop by, they excuse themselves because their lives are so busy; jobs, children, grandchildren, etc.  If anyone understands busy, I do, and I must admit my own shortcomings, too, that I haven’t always been as outreaching either.

As I was praying over this matter, this scripture in Matthew came to my mind.  I looked it up and even though I remembered basically what it said, I was quite taken aback for the distinction it made between the sheep and the goats.  Let’s read on.

 34 “Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”

Now I’m sure you have heard this scripture taught many times, just as I have, and it is usually during a mission outreach or missions fundraising effort, reminding us that as we give to send missionaries out, they are doing these things, and there is truth in that.  I can’t go to India and Africa, or to the Amazon, but I can help send someone else and thus, I have a part in it.  But in the next verses, it appears that Christ is talking about something far closer to home.

“37 Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' 40 And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

In the King James Version of the Bible, verse 40 says, “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”  The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible says, “members of my family”.  It appears that Jesus is speaking about our brothers and sisters in Christ!

So these are the people who are seated at the right hand of Jesus in Glory, the sheep who know the voice of their Shepherd and follow where He leads, John 10:27.  What would Jesus Do?  He would visit the sick, encourage the downtrodden, give to one who has a need, make a stranger feel welcome, visit those in prison.  As Christians (like Christ) we follow our Shepherd and obey His voice when we do these things. 

What are the characteristics of goats?  Well, let me tell you, if you want to deal with something that is exasperating and annoying, deal with a goat!  We have raised a few goats in our time and even used our Billy goat in a couple of church dramas.  That Billy never did what we needed him to do when he was supposed to do it.  In one drama, just as the shepherd character walked in front of the congregation with Billy, he just fell down on the floor and laid there!  The guy finally had to pick him up and drag him to the spot where he was supposed to stand!  Then Billy stood beside the shepherd and tried to eat the scenery and chewed on the shepherd’s robe the entire time.

Our goats would continually press their boundaries, even though we had electrical wire fencing in front of the regular fence.  Eventually they would make a way to get out.  They also climbed trees or anything else that would get them higher than the ground, and there’s nothing worse than the sound of a silly goat who is not a happy camper! 

Goats are "restless" and like to roam. Goats constantly challenge the boundaries set by the Shepherd. (They are never satisfied with where they are) In Jeremiah, God speaks of his sheep being scattered in the mountains like he-goats before the flock.

Goats are very curious, always looking for something to get into. Psalms 104:18 The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats;

 Goats don't like to follow, they like to lead, always have to be out in front. They are always sure "they" know where the flock needs to go.

 “41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' 44 Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?' 45 Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.”

John 13:12 – 17 (NIV)  “When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. ¹³ “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. ¹⁴ Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶ Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

So the Great Shepherd is asking us today – which section do we want to be seated in, the Goat Section or the Sheep Section?   I pray that we will be His sheep!

A Holy Beauty Pageant

Esther 4:14 (NIV) “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”

Esther was one of those girls who happened to be at the right place at the right time with the right looks.  She was obviously very beautiful, young and desirable, however, God had His hand on her, which counted for more than anything she possessed.  She was a Jew and one of many who were a foreign people in the land where King Ahasuerus reigned over 127 provinces, from India to Ethiopia.  She lived with her uncle, Mordecai, because her parents were deceased, and he entered her in a beauty contest which would determine the new queen for King Ahasuerus.

Mordecai instructed Esther to keep her ethnicity secret and tell no one that she was Jewish.  Of all the many, many beautiful young ladies who the king could have picked, Esther stole his heart.  What a Cinderella story!  A young girl who had no royal bloodline, who was a foreigner, who came from a lowly family, who would have normally had no exposure to a king’s consideration of her is now the queen!

Before long, however, it became apparent why God had made this arrangement possible.  There was more at stake than just the ‘dream come true’ life of a young girl.  A plot became plan to annihilate all the Jews from King Ahasuerus’ kingdom.  When Mordecai learned of this evil scheme, he got word to Esther.  She reminded her uncle that she could not approach the king unless he allowed it and that he had no idea that she was a Jew.  That is when Mordecai reminded her with the words in this scripture “and who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this”. 

Esther called for all her people to fast and pray with her for God to give her favor with the king, which he did.  The king ordered the man responsible for the plot to be hanged and wrote a decree which allowed the Jews to be able to defend themselves against anyone who would try to harm them.  God used a young girl from a lowly family to save a nation!

You and I are just as valuable in God’s hands.  Whatever or wherever we may be; our job, our neighborhood, our school, our family, etc., could be a divine appointment – for how do we not know that we have been put there ‘for such a time as this’! 

When I Am Afraid

Isaiah 43:1-2 (NIV)  “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.  I have called you by name; you are mine.  When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you.  When you go through rivers of great difficulty, you will not drown!”

Some people are mistaken to think that Christians will never have troubles in their life if they have enough faith.  Some of this is because of ministers who have preached and taught this kind of message.  The truth is, God promised he would help us through troubles, not completely avoid them.  There are some things in life that will come our way simply because of this fallen world where troubles reside.  We are born into bodies that are not created to live forever.  There is evil lurking around every corner, but, God says, “Do not be afraid!”  In fact, the words ‘fear not’ or ‘do not be afraid’ appear in the Bible 365 times – one for each day of the year, including leap year so that we will daily be reminded to put our trust in God! 

When I was a child, I was afraid of the unseen things in the dark.  Now that I am an adult, my fears are about bigger things in life – how to pay the bills, the safety of my kids and grandkids, growing old and becoming unable to care for myself, etc.  Many things that I was once afraid about have now come and gone – being financially stable, being a good parent and raising my children, losing my parents to death, my children growing up and leaving home, etc.  Then there are those things that present fear to us in the moment – my husband is late could he have had an accident, what will the economy do to our financial situation, my job has been terminated, my child is sick, I may have cancer, etc.  Fear IS the unseen thing lurking in the dark, waiting to jump out at any time.   Fear IS the dark shadow in the corner.  Fear IS the thing hiding under the bed, but God says, “Do not be afraid”!

When I was a child and I became afraid, I always cried out for my mother.  I’m sure that you did, too, or maybe it was your dad who you would call for, either way, we knew that parent would come to us and make everything better.  Why?  Because we were their child!  Their love for us would have caused them to sacrifice whatever necessary for our well being, and that’s why we trusted them.  They were bigger and wiser and we knew they would know what to do.  God says in this verse that the reason why we should not be afraid is because he has ransomed (redeemed, bought back, paid a big price for) us.  In other words, we’re his child AND he knows us by our name.  We’re not merely a product number from an assembly line, no, each one of us are to God just as important as either one of my three daughters are to me.  He is Father God!  

We can be assured that when we are afraid, we can call out for him, he will come to us and make everything better.  He will walk us through the dark times, through the sad times, through the hard times, through lack, through pain, through it all.   He is bigger and wiser and his love for us has already caused him to sacrifice whatever was necessary for our good, that’s why we can trust him.

We Walk Together

I call,
You come,
We walk
Together.

I rest,
You caress,
Wipe away
My tears.

It's here,
In this place,
I can almost
See Your face.

I feel
Your eyes,
Full of love,
Time's erased.

I'm swept up in,
A moment when,
My heart begins,
To live again!

You fill me up,
Build me up,
Put me back
On solid ground.

Even though
I give you all,
You always give
Me more.

I go,
You wait,
We talk
After.

It's near
In my heart,
When I almost
Saw Your face.

I must return,
My longing burns,
Your grace
Leads me back to the place,

Where we walk together.

Copyright 2012  Tracia Bussey

Paint With Love

I Peter 4:8 (NIV)  “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.”

There’s an amazing product on the market to help cover unsightly blemishes on walls and surfaces.  This product is called Kilz.  If you have an interior or exterior wall or ceiling which has something on it that regular paint will not cover, this product will be your best help to resolve your issue.  The label reads, “Kilz is a fast drying, water-based multi-purpose primer, sealer and stain blocker that has a very mild odor and blocks out most light stains including water, rust, grease, ink, pencil and felt marker.”  This reminds me of the verse in I Peter where the writer is encouraging Christians to exhibit ‘deep’ love for one another, because love covers all kinds of sin.  Just like Kilz will cover all kinds of stains, love acts like a multi-purpose primer, sealer and stain blocker!

There’s no better biblical description of love than the scripture in Ephesians 13, fondly referred to as ‘the love chapter’.   The Message Bible gives a great understanding to the first three verses in this chapter and the New Living Translation gives the clearest understanding of verses 4-8.

Ephesians 13:1-3 (The Message)  “If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.  If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all His mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing.  If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere.  So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.”

Ephesians 13:4-8 (New Living Translation)  “Love is patient and kind.  Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.  It does not demand its own way.  It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.  It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance…love will last forever!”

There is no greater love than the love that God the Father has shown to us, in that He gave His only Son, Jesus, as a sacrifice for us, so that we can be made righteous and be saved.  The blood of His dear Son covers our sins.  Revelation 1:5 “…unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.”  Likewise, when we have love for others, and the kind of love that is described in this scripture only comes with the empowerment of God Almighty, we show the goodness of God.  There is a time to speak the truth of God, but only with love as the motivation, otherwise it will not display God’s character.  We can’t lead people to repentance, only the goodness and kindness of God’s love draws people to God.

Romans 2:4 (God’s Word Translation)  “Do you have contempt for God, who is very kind to you, puts up with you, and deals patiently with you?  Don’t you realize that it is God’s kindness that is trying to lead you to him and change the way you think and act?”

We need to paint with Kilz when there are stains on our walls, and we need to love one another when there are stains on our sisters and brothers!

Between A Rock And A Hard Place

Exodus 14:19-29 (NIV) “Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them.  The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel.  Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other; so neither went near the other all night long.”

After many plagues and hardships had come upon Egypt through the stubbornness of the Pharoah not releasing the children of Israel, they were finally on their way to the promise land.  The Pharoah had gladly set the people free from their bondage when his first born son died from the death angel passing over Egypt, the last plague, however, after the Israelites left, the Pharoah became angry and gathered his army together to pursue Israel and punish them for his sorrow.   The Egyptian army came upon Israel as they were camped by the Red Sea.  I would say they were caught ‘between a rock and a hard place’!

The Israelites were afraid as they saw the Egyptian army drawing near.  There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, it appeared they would all be slaughtered in the dessert or at best, taken back to Egypt to live once more as slaves.  But God had a different plan!

The angel of the Lord came between the Israelites and the Egyptian army, causing a cloud to remain there all night.  This cloud caused darkness to the Egyptians but gave light to the Israelites.  God instructed Moses to hold out his staff to the water and God parted the sea, causing the waters to roll back and make a path for the people to cross on dry ground.  They had light from the cloud all night so they could travel to the other side of the sea.  After they had arrived on the other shore, God allowed the cloud to lift and Pharoah with his army charged after the Israelites.  God released the waters upon the Egyptian army, including the Pharoah, and they were all drowned.  The Israelites were saved and free to continue their journey to the land of Canaan, never to be pursued by the Egyptians again.

There are times when we are ‘between a rock and a hard place’ in life.  Times when there’s nowhere to run and nowhere to hide from troubles.  Times when the enemy and all of his demons are charging us, planning to slaughter us or take us captive as slaves, times when it is an impossible situation with no visible solution.  But God has another plan!

The same cloud that will darken the enemy’s sight will give us light.  The same waters that are parted for us to escape will crush our attackers.  God is both beautiful and terrible.  It just depends on which side of the cloud you are on!

We should remember that there’s never anything too hard for God.  Regardless of what our ‘rock’ or our ‘hard place’ may be, God has another plan!

What Did Jesus Say?

Colossians 3:16 – 17 (NIV) “Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise.  Use his words to teach and counsel each other.  Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.  And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus.”

Many years ago, a popular saying among Christians was,  ”What Would Jesus Do?”  This little question was shortened to WWJD and put on bracelets, t-shirts, hats, buttons and other items with the intent of reminding us to be a representative of Jesus in our actions and words.  There’s no doubt that it helped Christians to rethink some things and maybe even redo something that was not right, but mere letters on a bracelet are a short lived solution to being a representative of Jesus Christ. 

Here, Paul encourages us to first, have the words of Jesus living in our inner most being, our heart.  This would be more than just wearing a popular acronym on our wrist, it would be allowing the Word of God to be our way of life.  Notice he says also that those words will make us wise, or in other words, will help us make wise choices.  There are times when we may need a bracelet with the letters WDJS on it (What Did Jesus Say?) before we made certain decisions and choices, so that we would stop, pray and listen to Him before we acted.

“Use his words to teach and counsel each other”.  Too often, we offer advice to others that is simply our opinions, when our opinions will never have the power to help someone as much as the words of Jesus, especially when a friend or coworker is facing a serious dilemma in life.  Jesus was always loaded with just the right thing to say when he encountered someone who was in a desperate situation.  Of course, it was not because he was so smart, but because he was always led by the Holy Spirit.  Jesus told his disciples that it was expedient for him to go to the Father, so that the Holy Spirit could come.  The same Holy Spirit that guided Jesus, is in every Christian, to the measure that we yield to him and allow him to direct and guide our lives.  He will always show us truth and lead us in the paths of righteousness.  He will give us the words to say when the time is needed and will reveal to us when that time is right.  Luke 12:12 (NIV)  “for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”  John 16:13 (NIV) “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.  He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

“Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.”  That reminds me of a little song we used to sing in the early days of our Christian walk.  A close minister friend of ours calls these types of songs “Kitchen Choruses” since we would gather in each other’s homes and study the Bible together, many times at the kitchen table, and sing choruses to the Lord.  This one goes like this…

I’ve got a river of life flowing out of me

Makes the lame to walk and the blind to see

Opens prison doors, sets the captives free

I’ve got a river of life flowing out of me

Spring up, oh well, within my soul

Spring up, oh well, and make me whole

Spring up, oh well, and give to me

That life, abundantly.

When we have a song in our heart that is bubbling out from a well of thanksgiving to God, we seem to soar over every bump and pot hole in life’s road.  There’s something extremely powerful about that river of life that only comes from God. 

So to sum up this verse…

Live like Jesus, with a song of praise & thanksgiving flowing from our hearts, seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance in everything we say and do, and benefit from wisdom that only comes from God.

Sweet Peace

John 14:27 (NIV) “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you.  I do not give as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

When Jesus was telling this statement to his disciples, it was not long before the temple guards came to arrest him, just prior to his trial and crucifixion.  He was preparing them for what would soon happen.  I’m sure the full meaning of all he was saying was not weighing in on them, not until everything began unfolding before their eyes.  They have walked with Jesus, shared and talked with Jesus, been taught and discipled by Jesus for three years.  They all loved him dearly, all except Judas.  I wonder if Judas had already decided in his heart that he would betray Jesus at this point.  He may have already made a deal with the high priests and may already be counting his money in his head as Jesus spoke these words.  Knowing the betrayal to come, Jesus still made this promise – I do not give as the world gives, I give you my peace!

How does the world give?  The world gives only when it benefits the giver – “I’ll scratch your back if you will scratch mine”.  The world gives until the receiver disappoints in some way, then the world takes it back.   The world gives only to its favorites.  The world gives only to the popular.  The world gives only so much, never giving all.   Jesus gave it all.  Only Jesus gave up his crown in heaven to be born on earth in a lowly manger.  Only Jesus gave all of his love, mercy and grace to any and all who would receive.  Only Jesus gave his life through a cruel death.  Only Jesus!

“Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  Jesus is still telling his disciples this today.  If you have Jesus in your heart, if you serve him, if you love him, if you are a Christian, he is speaking to you.  Philippians 4:7 (NASB) “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  The peace that Jesus gives to us is a supernatural peace, it passes our natural understanding.  This peace guards our hearts and our minds.  If there’s ever been a time that mankind needs strong hearts and sound minds it is today!

Where Eagles Fly

Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)  “But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength.  They will fly high on wings like eagles.  They will run and not grow weary.  The will walk and not faint.”

The kind of waiting that is spoken of in this scripture means, “confident expectation”.  It would be similar to the waiting that’s done in a hospital when a baby is being born.  There’s a knowing that a new life, a bundle of blessing, is about to make an arrival.  There is an abundance of ‘confident expectation’ that something good is about to happen! 

It is important to stay focused on ‘who’ God is and in ‘what’ He is doing.  Our confidence should be founded in His character – He is good, He is just, He is faithful, He is merciful, He is wise, He is true to His Word, He is loving, understanding and always on time.  Our ‘confident expectations’ should rest upon knowing and trusting God’s principles, promises, purposes and power will never fail.

I’m convinced the strength spoken of in Isaiah 40:31 is supernatural spiritual strength.  We’re promised that our ‘confident expectation’ will reward us with new strength, and then that strength is related to the eagle’s power to soar high in the sky without tiring.

Why did God use the eagle to relate this promise to us?  Because the eagle is such an amazing creature!  Did you know the strike of a Bald Eagle’s talon is so powerful that its force is twice that of a rifle bullet?  Did you know the term “eagle eye” comes from the fact that eagles can see an object at a distance up to one and a half miles away?  Did you know eagles can dive at 100 miles per hour and pound for pound, an eagle’s wing is stronger than the wing of an airplane?  Of course God knows how fantastic eagles are, He created them!

It is exciting to see an eagle in action in its natural habitat.  We have recently had several sightings of Bald Eagles at the lake where we fish.  I have seen them fly higher and higher into the sky until they become a tiny object circling and gliding overhead, their white tails and heads reflecting the sunlight.  I have watched them dive to the water for fish and perch proudly in the tallest trees.  Their image has been used by people groups throughout history as an identity of strength, stamina and power.  Our own United States of America’s national symbol is the Bald Eagle!

When we have ‘confident expectation’ in our God, who is good in character and never fails in His promises, we gain strength to rise above the things on this earth that would normally hold us down.  Supernaturally, we can soar higher, see further, strike stronger, move faster, live bolder and stand longer.  He is the wind beneath our wings!

It's Not Our Fight

Deuteronomy 20:4 (NIV) “For the Lord God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

I was thirteen years old when my family moved from the big city to the rural area that I still reside in.  We bought a small farm and embarked upon a simpler way of life, however, everything wasn’t as calm as I expected.  It was March of my eighth grade year in school and my mother enrolled me in the Junior High in town with only two and a half months to complete the year.  I was greeted warmly on my first day by students and faculty, in fact, my first couple of weeks in my new school was bliss.  I was the ‘new girl’ and momentarily quite the popular one.  

About the third week, my blissful state became rudely disrupted.  One of the girls who had befriended me became upset that I was too friendly with someone else and challenged me to a fight during Gym class.  Now where I grew up, it was considered highly crude for girls to fight.  I had never even seen girls fight nor even knew a girl who had been in a fight.  I was in a state of shock at the concept of fighting when this girl hauled off and punched me in the arm.  She then backed up with her fists in front of her face, ready to go at it.  My mind raced as I looked for a way out of this dilemma.  I grabbed at the excuse that I would not fight in school and risk being in trouble.  This only rescued me for the moment because the girl informed me she would be waiting for me when school dismissed.  

The remainder of the day went by in a blur.  I was a Christian and I was praying, asking God to help me out of this fight.  When the final bell rang, I hurried to grab my things out of my locker, hoping that maybe I could get on the bus before the girl saw me, then I would be safe, until the next day anyway.  My strategy didn’t work, she was standing between me and my bus, waiting, with a group of girls who were anxious to watch us fight.  Oh my, “Lord, please just let me disappear!” I prayed.  I took a deep breath, ready to take my beating and praying that surely the bus driver or some adult somewhere would stop the action before I was injured too badly.  I walked up to her and said,  “I'm not going to fight”.  She lunged at me anyway swinging her fist.  As I dodged her swing one of the girls who had been watching stepped in front of her.  She was bigger and I later learned, much feared by the rest.  She got up in the girl's face and said, “The new girl said she wasn't going to fight, but I will.  If you want to go at it, then come on!”  Needless to say, there was no fight that day, nor any day that followed.  God heard my prayers, He was with me and gave me victory without me having to fight for it. 

Just as I faced a fight that day that I could not win, we face battles in life that are sent to destroy us, fights that are for life and death, spirit and soul.  Ephesians 6:18 (NLT)  “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”   God sent His Son, Jesus, in the New Testament who overcame sin and death.  He won victory over evil through the cross.  He is bigger and much feared by Satan and all his demons.  He steps between us and the enemy and says, “If you want to go at it, then come on!”   

Born Again FREE!

John 8:36 (NIV) “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

A close minister friend once told us about a dream.  He said that in this dream he was a prisoner in a jail cell.  He remembered standing there looking through the bars and seeing Satan on the other side laughing at him, scoffing and taunting him with words that told him how trapped he was, how he would never be free and how he had done all of this to himself and how he had gotten what he deserved.  Our friend described the feelings that he felt in this dream, feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, depression, defeat, fear and dread.  He said that just as he was at his lowest moment Jesus showed up in the jail cell beside him.  He instructed our friend to turn around and look behind him.  When he did, he was amazed that there were no bars.  Then Jesus gave him the ability to see the situation from above.  He was then extremely surprised to see himself standing in front of a jail cell which Satan was inside and he was on the outside.  He had been so mesmerized by Satan’s lies that his perspective convinced him that it was the other way around when in actuality it was Satan who was trapped with no way out.  He had been free the entire time!

John 8:44 (NIV) …he was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him.  When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”  In this scripture, Jesus is describing Satan.  Why do we believe his lies?  He will take a small piece of truth and then twist it in order to cause us to not believe God’s words.  He plants seeds of doubt in our heart so we won’t trust our Father.  He is like the Pied Piper, he plays a tune that we begin to dance to and then he slowly leads us down a path of destruction. 

I Peter 5:8 (KJV) “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” Notice the choice of wording in this scripture says that the devil walks about AS a roaring lion.  In the jungle, a lion’s roar strikes fear in the hearts of the other animals.  When that roar is heard, the animals react, some run, some hide and others freeze stiff, unable to move in fear.  Just as our friend’s dream revealed that his captivity was due to believing Satan’s lies, so it is in the Christian’s life – “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Stop listening to the enemy’s roars!  Turn away from his taunting and scoffing!  Set your affections on the Father’s heart and His words of life!  Let the Son of God lift you up, above the situation.  Let Jesus give you a perspective from heaven and you will walk in freedom!

There Is Reward For Obedience

Revelation 22:11 (NIV)  "See I am coming soon and my reward is with me to repay all according to their deeds."

Just last night I had a dream of working for a company where I had put in the 'more than required' level of effort and time.  Actually, that is characteristic of who I am.  I believe that when I do my best or give my best effort it will be more than expected.  In this dream, the owner of the company had called a meeting and he was handing out recognition to each employee for the job they had done.  When he called my name he handed me a different paper than the others.  It not only applauded my hard work and over time, but it also highly recommended me for a higher position with better pay and benefits.  I remember how excited I was and how glad I felt that I had went the extra mile so many times that others wouldn't - it had finally been recognized and rewarded.

When I came upon this verse today, I was quickly reminded of the dream from last night.  I truly want to feel those same feelings when my Lord and Savior, Jesus returns and hands out His rewards according to our deeds.  I do not want to be one of those who will wish they had given all they could or done all that was asked of them.  Even though we are not saved by our works, obviously there are rewards connected for obeying God's commands.

I Samuel 15:22-23 (NIV) "But Samuel replied: "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?  To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.  For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.  Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king."

In this story, Saul was ordered by God to destroy the Amalekites, to leave nothing behind including animals. When Saul and his army went to battle, they decided it was a better idea to save the best of everything and not destroy it all.  Of course God saw what happened and He spoke to the prophet Samuel to go tell Saul he would no longer remain king of Israel because of his disobedience.  When Samuel confronted Saul about his actions, Saul defended what he had done claiming they had saved all of the best for sacrifices to God.  That's when Samuel told him that God would rather have obedience than sacrifices.

Isn't this so common in how we seem to come up with a 'better idea'?  I believe it's not original but just the trickery of Satan.  Do you remember the approach he brought to Adam and Eve about eating the forbidden fruit?  Genesis 3:1 (NIV)  "Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made.  He said to the woman, 'Did God really say, "You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"  The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'"  "You will not certainly die," the serpent said to the woman.  "For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."  It would have been so much better if Adam and Eve had obeyed God's command instead of questioning His reasons for it.  God knew that if they ate the fruit of that tree they would in deed know good and evil, but the only way they could know evil was to sin, which opened the door for evil to enter the earth.  Satan is always working to cause us to question the goodness of God's character.  He knows that if we don't believe God's commandments are based in what's best for us then we will rebel against Him.  Just as a child may not believe its parent's instructions are for their good but believes they don't want them to enjoy life and have fun will rebel and do dangerous things.

I can still hear my mother's voice ringing in my ears so many times, "Did I not tell you to do....(whatever it was)?"  Oh my, there was always punishment for diverting from her instructions, and rightly so!  It made me be the person I am today.  I raised my own children the same way, to honor my instructions.  I taught them that there was reward in obedience and recompense in disobedience.

Not only do I believe that God's commandments are for our good but that there is reward for obedience and diligence.  When Jesus returns I want to look at my reward and rejoice that I didn't hold anything back from obeying my Father God!

Betrayal Is Cruel

Psalm 86:5 (NIV)  "O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask your aid."

I have had several major occasions in my life where I was badly wounded, not physically, but emotionally.  Each one of them involved someone that I had given my friendship and trust to.  Betrayal is a cruel thing.  It is what Jesus experienced with Judas.  Someone He had shared His heart with, gave all of His love to, entrusted His very life and gifts with betrayed Him, much worse than any betrayal that I've experienced, he betrayed Him to a torturous death.  As with the people who betrayed me, I'm sure there was genuine love and friendship in the beginning, but somewhere something took a sour turn and the love once felt turned to hate and resentment.  In my case, I may have even been the cause, maybe somehow or some way I hurt them and so they in turn set out to hurt me, but in Jesus' case, that wasn't true.  He was without wrong, without sin, without offense, but yet Judas' heart turned against him.

Reading this verse "O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive" brought these memories back to me of not being willing to forgive people who wronged me.  I must even confess that I entertained thoughts and maybe even dabbled with actions of revenge.  Even after being able to forgive to some level, I still battled with any desire to come to their aid if they should need it.  It took a process of prayer, time and more prayer for me to forgive and be able to stop replaying the hurtful deeds they had done over and over in my head.

I'm telling all of this to point out the difference between us and God.  He is so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for His aid, even though we have repeatedly shunned Him, rejected Him, cursed Him, blamed Him, hated Him, despised Him and hurt Him.  I am overwhelmed in my heart by His great love and pray that He will help me live in His love at all times.