Category: Recent Blogs

2 Peter 3:8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.

Plenty of time! Not one moment too soon and not a moment too late …not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9). 

But the day of the Lord will come!

…like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. (2 Peter 3:10)

We are so funny… On the one hand we procrastinate (believing we have all the time in the world) about everything – especially with God.

If we believe God IS, we assume He will “understand” and be willing to give us OUR way – on HIS day –  RIGHT NOW! If we don’t believe God IS, we assume we ARE and time only becomes relevant when it (and our desires within our time frame that are left undone) is “stolen” from us.

But, whether we believe in God or not, His day –  the day of the Lord will come! 

For believers in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, the Lord AND the day of the Lord is HERE! John 17:22-23 The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. 

Are we looking for Him in our day? Do we look forward to His day being our day? What are we doing to insure our plan for the day is straight out of His Day Planner? Is He welcomed and celebrated by you, or are you caught unaware by life and it’s labor pains (all creation groans – Romans 8:22), a victim of  choosing the wrong focus of your life?

2 Peter 3:14-16 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; … some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 

I hope we want to be found by Him in peace…

Spotless and blameless in our determination to place Him on the throne of our life…

Celebrating every moment the patience of our Lord has given to us, as an opportunity for salvation and salvation’s fruit.

2 Peter 3:17-18 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Instead of counting the minutes we have left to fill with our ways, let us turn our eyes on Him and His ways!

2 Peter 1:2-3 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 

Let us become PARTAKERS of His divine nature!

2 Peter 1:4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

Partakers of His divine nature! This is the day the Lord has made! (Psalm 118:24) let us rejoice and be glad in it… applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. (2 Peter 1:5-7)

Useful and Fruitful Partakers… For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. (2 Peter 1:8-9) 

 

Surefooted Partakers… Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you. (2 Peter 1:10-11)

Practice… Practice… Practice… 

We look with eyes that say WHY PRACTICE we got this made! 

But the day… the final day… of the Lord will come! 

The day we enter into His eternal kingdom.

Do we want to be “stumbling” or “dancing”… in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you. 

We’re talking about The Lord’s Day… HIS day… I think we might want our focus to be on the question… which would He prefer to see when His saints come marching in?

Let us not procrastinate – Let us seize the day! Let us seize His day TODAY!!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible

1 Thessalonians 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.

Last Thursday brought news of the death of my beloved brother-in-law, also known as Ron Eppley – also known as “Chief” though I never called him that!

We knew it was going to happen, he had fought a valiant fight against odds that would have made me give up long, long before he did. He was indeed a man of courage!

He was also ONE OF THOSE whom you depended on to bring a smile to your face whenever you were around him. He loved life and packed it full of GOING and DOING. More importantly he loved people. I don’t think this man ever met a stranger that he didn’t turn into a friend.

He wasn’t one to brag nor judge. He didn’t talk much about his beliefs, yet he wore them with honor.

James 2:18 But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

But, it’s not just about his works – we KNOW that works alone won’t get anyone into heaven –  Ron professed his faith in God and His Son Jesus Christ. And I know he loves his Master… Jesus Christ.

One can’t love his neighbor like Ron did without the love of Christ living within him!

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 

Yep… this is Ron’s brand of “Play Ball!”. Not perfect (although he IS now) but definitely always “in the game”. His family wrote on his memory page… “He is remembered, especially by Air Force friends, with the motto “you prepare, you do, and you put away.”  Ron preferred “no big deal” to be his final thought.”

I WILL be stealing (using) the motto… but…

No big deal… I can only imagine!

I’m sure the first words he heard from Jesus were, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21)

And then I imagine He said… “You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; (you see there is a reason he was known as “chief”) enter into the joy of your Master.”

“When the Saints Go Marching In”… I can only imagine that Ron Eppley is definitely marching in – maybe even leading the troops!

1 Corinthians 2:9 but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.”

So, we are off this weekend to CELEBRATE a LIFE well lived. (You knew I’d come back around!)

As a Jesus Freak, I don’t grieve like someone with no hope. To some, death is the end because they cannot see beyond the physical. For those who know Jesus, we KNOW God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. (John 3:16-17). 

Saved for eternal life… LIFE with God… We can only imagine what Ron is up to now!

Though there is still grief – real, painful, and long-lasting – there is also the comfort of knowing that when it is our turn (not one minute too soon and not one minute too late), when our ordained day (in Your book were written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them Psalm 139:16) is done, we too will be partaking of all that God has prepared for those who love Him.

In the meantime… I can only imagine AND celebrate the LIFE not death of our beloved Ron Eppley. I know some (most) of you never got the chance to meet Ron and have not had the privilege I have had… but I’m sure he will introduce himself when the music starts and we go marching in.

Once again I have shamelessly used this blog to SHOWCASE someone I love… but… Praise God… the Holy Spirit still uses it (the blog) and me to make His point. 

It’s enough to make this Jesus Freak SHOUT FOR JOY and say THANK YOU!

Imagine THAT!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible

James 4:2-3 You lust and do not have. You are envious and cannot obtain;… You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

I suppose someone will now begin to yell at me about ask (and you will find) seek (and you will be given) knock (and it will be opened) Matthew 7:7-12.

Or “mountain moving faith” (faith the size of a mustard seed will move a mountain from here to there – NOTHING will be impossible for you) Matthew 17:19-21.

Let us not forget the whatever prayer  (“Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do.”) John 14:14.

Yes, I have heard all of these quoted, most of them in VERY LOUD voices as if God needs our version of a hearing aid. But I rarely hear the verse above all verses, especially in the context of getting what I want…

John 14:15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

I’m just sayin…

Some of us only want the power to name it and claim it, which, when given to a child will always be used (at least attempted to be used) to rule over the parent.

That is until they (all of us untrained brats) are TRAINED UP (Proverbs 22:6)!

Trained up by our Trainer-in-Chief!

John 16:7-8 “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.”

I truly do believe that God does give His power to heal, move mountains, and generally speak miracles into being… BUT… I do not believe He gives us His POSITION as God… Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

I myself have spent a great deal of time in my walk, trying to discover the “magic words” of prayer. Who doesn’t want God to give what we seriously believe  we “NEED”? I have agonized over not having the “miracle gift” of the Spirit (the name it and claim it one). I have repented – practiced – fasted (somewhat) – pretended – and boldly proclaimed! In fact, I have (I’m embarrassed to say) even given up on prayer because “it doesn’t work for me”.

And then I got God’s invitation… a dinner date with Jesus.

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 

And what, pray tell, do we talk about at these dinner dates? Jesus speaks into my life about our RELATIONSHIP… NOT the genie in the bottle meme… but my Abba/child, ADOPTION by the Triune God of the Universe. A Bible study on asking, seeking and knocking on our Father’s door… Matthew 7:7-11 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened, Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! 

I once had someone tell me that Scripture tends to indicate that we don’t HAVE TO pray for anything because God supplies all of our needs WITHOUT OUR ASKING. Indeed… sounds like Satan talking again (Eve, Did God REALLY say_______). If God is so good why would He make you ASK? 

We may not HAVE TO… after all God gave us free will. But why would we not?

Why would a child of the Triune God of the universe not run to Daddy with EVERYTHING?

Prayer IS, at its core, a request for God’s provision and submission to His Will, by His child who knows Him intimately. Opposition to prayer, at its core, is really the desire to demand and control our own life… Genesis 4:7  sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

God KNOWS all of our needs – we don’t! We know what we WANT – He knows what we have to have…

Jeremiah 29:11-13 For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

God is good, all the time! And all the time, God is good!

As far as I am concerned… God can CLAIM my future and NAME my hope!

His wish is HIS COMMAND!

I pray His command might become my wish.

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible

 

Genesis 4:6 the Lord said to CainMary, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?

Was it just two weeks ago I wrote the blog around my brother Cain?

Yeah, little did I know (sarcasm) God’s Word was not going to return void from MY life. I thought Part 2 would be the end of Friendly Fire for this year, but my “old” woman must have wanted to use up the leftover fireworks display I have stored hoarded, for a time I could show off my own fiery stuff. How appropriate on the day before we proclaim our freedom with loud, noisy, sometimes colorful, always dangerous (if used incorrectly) explosions, I light up my old fireworks to display my PROCLAMATION of MARY IS NOT HAPPY (healthy – maybe, wise – rarely)!

Stop… Genesis 4:7 If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

I’m on the stationary bike (riding to nowhere) with my planner (the bike conveniently has a desk attachment) I use to record prayers as I ride. I’m not smiling and I really don’t feel like talking about it…

BUT GOD!…

“What are you going to pray about this morning, My daughter, My heiress, My little one?”

“Um…” My Attitude…

Drop… It was HARD to draw the star I use to highlight the person, place &/or thing I lay on God’s altar – in God’s Throne Room. It was even HARDER to not dress it up as righteous irritability.

“Um… it SUCKS!”

ROCK & ROLL… The HARDEST of all… waiting for Abba’s response.

Galatians 5:1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

I didn’t deserve grace. I deserved, at the very least, my hands slapped. No I didn’t “murder” anyone like my brother Cain did – or – did I?

Christ died because of and for MY sins so that I would never need to be yoked to the slavery of catering to and pleasing my very old and impossible-to-please sinful nature.

Christ died and paid my price… for the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23)… and He paid it in full… the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let Freedom ring!

But my attitude still sucked… I’m still riding my bike wondering what my ROCK must think about that.

You see, apart from the grace I didn’t deserve but received, apart from the freedom gained by my debt being paid in full, apart from my destiny being assured…

I love my Abba… I love my Daddy… I love the full on – nothing can separate us – relationship He has with me. I looked in His face with the fear of finding disappointment in His eyes!

Know what I found?

The Friendliest Fire of all! God’s HOLY FIRE of LOVE!

Instead of hanging my head in shame because I have nothing to show from my own faith walk with God… instead of hiding behind the glib, arrogant cliché of “Do as I say, not as I do”… instead of quickly moving on to a much brighter topic…

I have REAL TIME experience and evidence of God’s FREEDOM FESTIVITIES… Let Freedom Ring!

After I stopped at the sound of His voice… If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up?

After I dropped my pretentious ways and spoke the truth (with REAL TEARS)… my attitude completely SUCKED!

My ROCK – ROLLED me up in His love, and sang, and danced with me!

Zephaniah 3:17 (I love the Tree of Life version!) Adonai your God is in your midst – a mighty Savior! He will delight over you with joy. He will quiet you with His love. He will dance for joy over you with singing.

I wasn’t disciplined with a hand slap though I shudder to think what would have been necessary had I not CONFESSED and REPENTED while KNOWING my attitude was allowing my enemy to crouch at my door.

I cringe at what it might have taken to open my foolish heart and smash the rebellion keeping me from fellowship with Papa.

Whatever it took, God would have accomplished because He loves me more than I love myself!

Praise God it didn’t take a wack on my backside (this time)… because I Stopped, Dropped and Rolled with my Rock… He filled my spirit with His song…

“What A Friend We Have In Jesus” sung by the Newsboys

“It Is Well with My Soul” sung by the Newsboys

“Psalm 91” by Sonic Flood

“You Love Me Anyway” by Sidewalk Prophets

“What Love Looks Like” by Dara Maclean

“Field of Grace” by Big Daddy Weave

“Me Without You” by tobyMac

“Just Give Me Jesus” by Jeremy Camp

“Words” by Hawk Nelson

“How Great Thou Art” sung by Carrie Underwood

“Your Love Never Fails” by Newsboys

“Who You Say You Are” by Britt Nicole

Just a “shuffle” and He – my God – picked the songs from my Prayer Warrior  Playlist…

Once again I was changed… I was healed… I was cleansed in Daddy’s Throne Room! Go figure… Stop – Drop – Rock & Roll… Let Freedom Ring!!

Mary says, “Amen and Amen!”

**All Scripture (except the one from Zephaniah) quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible

 

 

 

Genesis 4:6 the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?

Genesis 4:7 If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

We do indeed have an enemy. We do indeed have a powerful enemy. We do indeed have a persistent enemy. We do indeed have an ingenious enemy who not only sends FLAMING arrows – weapons of mass destruction, he uses our own lusts, our own lives and our own friends and family to plant bombs – ticking time bombs – set to trigger at times we are unaware and unprepared for an attack. Set to trigger at those times we are most pleased with the life we have planned, created, and enjoying… the life we KNOW is God-given because we tell Him so.

As I wrote last week, I am not a fan of suffering the first degree burns the  enemy sends into our life. I hate him for the devastation and destruction he gleefully heaps upon us and our world. His weapons do have power and ability to cause tremendous pain and suffering (to the point of death), I don’t pretend nor demand anyone else to pretend it doesn’t hurt! IT HURTS!

But… worse than any weapon our enemy can and does create… using our own bodies – our own ways – our own loved ones as both the bomb and the trigger (what I call Friendly Fire) is the ultimate victory for him.

If we are aware of who he is and how he operates, we can spot his weapons and war tactics. We cannot always stop them from hitting and wounding but we can SEE his future demise. We can SEE WHO WINS

When he is crouching at our door and disguising himself as a friend, it is more difficult to identify the enemy and way more difficult to call for the hand to hand combat when it might be ourselves and/or our loved ones we must battle.

It’s one thing to watch Satan fall like lightning (Luke 10:18), it’s quite another when we must watch (and help) the Holy Spirit destroy the carefully erected strongholds of lust and pride.

Just as with the enemy, we must recognize and identify… If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? Then we must master it – allow me to use a word we might understand better… we must STOP it!

In my experience – with myself – I have found that I need simpler directions. In my younger days, when I perceived myself as a WARRIOR in training, I imagined that I was becoming the ultimate fighting machine with the power and authority to COMMAND/SEND/KILL … so…  I did. I was becoming a Jedi Master… by the grace of God – of course! Not only did I not STOP my occasional friendly fire, I continued to build stronger strongholds of lust and pride.

I have learned since, I must STOP being the WARRIOR and DROP in submission to my Lord and my God. I am a warrior IN TRAINING.

Philippians 2:13 for it is God who is at work in me, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. 

We must STOP helping our enemy… We must DROP to our knees in submission to God’s Will and His Work.

Finally, to fight both the flaming missiles of our enemy and the “friendly”fire from our natural man, we must… hears these words God (the ROCK) and act on them (roll WITH THEM)… we must ROCK ‘N ROLL

Matthew 7:24-27 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 

We have an enemy and his name is evil! No matter what your status or lifestyle, or spiritual maturity, the rain does fall – the floods do come – and the wind does slam against the house.

Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

Wise or foolish… you decide.  

Whether it is flaming missiles directly from our enemy, or friendly fire from those (including self) we love… our enemy is crouching at the door; and his desire is for you…

Will you lift up your shield of faith showing him WHO you believe and WHAT you will do in His name?

Or will hear but think YOU can mitigate the damage and still hoard the sinking/stinking sand of your old nature – lust of the eye – lust of the flesh – the pride of life?

Just so you know… our enemy knows the difference… maybe even better than we do!

Stop… Drop… and… Rock ‘n Roll!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible

 

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

Yesterday I was having some “girl time” with my favorite author – Priscilla Shirer. She does not know me (yet) but it seems as if she writes directly into my soul. One such book, “Fervent” (I HIGHLY recommend it… read it… NOW!), met up with my spirit yesterday and I “soared with wings as eagles” (Isaiah 40:31)…

This book is (as she states on the cover), “A Woman’s Battle Plan for serious, specific, and strategic PRAYER”, but don’t let gender identity deter you from its real message for our world today. We have an enemy… he hates us – whether we fight him or not… he has declared WAR! A Battle Plan would be good! “Fervent” (I HIGHLY recommend it… read it… NOW!)

Yesterday… as I was flying high… Priscilla says, “If I were your enemy…”

And that began my wrestling match with the Holy Spirit… a little Daddy/daughter Warrior Training time.

We all have seen and been the recipient of the enemy’s fiery arrows. Sickness, tragedy, suffering of every kind, weapons formed to disable and destroy us and/or our faith and hope in God. We see evil all over our world today, laughing at our inability to prevent or even retaliate against its evil intent. It’s easy to spot evil (unless you are lied to by the lipstick on the pig) when there is an outward show of violence. (If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck…)

But what of the bombs placed strategically in the hidden places of our lives. The ones that are timed and triggered by… wait for it… our own lack of awareness AND our foolish provision of huge closets in which to hoard all the toys. Toys I would rather play with, than be practicing the fine art of Shield Lifting – in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one (Ephesians 6:16).

“If I were your enemy”… I wouldn’t want you to be aware of the real danger (until it was too late).

“If I were your enemy”… I would hide the danger in sweetness and light (he is known as the angel of light).

“If I were your enemy”… I wouldn’t create a new weapon if I could get access to those you have already created to sabotage yourself.

“If I were your enemy”… I would keep you SO BUSY with the mundane things of your life that you would NEVER SEE your Shield of Faith such less lift it to extinguish/disable my weapons.

“If I were your enemy”… I would celebrate FRIENDLY FIRE!

Friendly Fire… the weapons of mass destruction that, not only do I personally invent, I hoard, and polish, and practice using.

Things like… if only I had__________.

Things like… I need ____________.

Things like… I wish I were ________.

We recognize pain and grief and suffering as opportunities for an enemy to take advantage of our weakness. For those who have been trained in warfare, they will immediately lift their shield of faith, knowing from where their help comes from… neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

But will we lift our shield of faith against ourselves? ESPECIALLY if we are enjoying (dysfunction!) our self being on the center stage.

Ecclesiastes 2:10 All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor.

So what if it has kept me from time with my Father/Son/Holy Spirit. After all… God wants me to be happy – healthy – wise, right?! God wouldn’t want me to be disappointed in His provision, right?!

Ecclesiastes 2:11 Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun. 

So what…

This was my reward… no profit under the sun!

No profit… except to our enemy… we’ve done the dirty work for him. We have made ourselves vulnerable and unprepared for war.

Remember… THIS IS WAR!

Matthew 16:26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Don’t have time for a conversation with God? Don’t have a need for God’s instruction right now? Don’t want to upset those depending on me to, “Shhh, not wake the sleeping giant”?

Will God tell His prophet once again… “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.’ “Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed.” (Isaiah 6:9-10)

In my Warrior Training session I learned (and began to practice) to lift my shield of faith up against myself, because sometimes, I am my own worst enemy.

The Friendly Fire (this time) is my hatred of DISCIPLINE!

Hebrews 12:11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; I sabotage discipline – I set up bombs to stop all attempts to be trained by it… yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. 

Yesterday… I LIFTED my shield… Proverbs 23:12 Apply your heart to discipline And your ears to words of knowledge. 

I wrestled… and then submitted to God… Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:7-8)

I practiced… Hebrews 12:12-13 strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. 

I benefitted… I am changed because I walked wrestled on Holy Ground with my Father/Son/Holy Spirit… I see with my eyes, hear with my ears, understand with my heart, and I have returned and been healed.”

Will there be no more friendly fire from me?

Unfortunately I suspect my storage bins are still somewhat full of bombs (some may even be ticking as we speak) but I know… from where my help comes from… 1 Peter 5:10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. 

And now my friends… it’s your turn to become a soaring eagle…

Isaiah 40:31 Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. 

I want to encourage you to lift your shield of faith to extinguish the flaming arrows of your Friendly Fire!

Ephesians 1:18-19 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe… this is our SHIELD OF FAITH!

Do a little wrestling with your Father/Son/Holy Spirit… afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. 

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible

Luke 12:25-26 And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life’s span? If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?

It’s a great question!

Why… DO… You… Worry…

I don’t think there is a great ANSWER but nonetheless I guarantee we ALL do it anyway!

One dictionary defined worry as “giving way to anxiety and unease” – “allowing one’s mind to dwell on difficulties &/or troubles”.

Matthew 6:34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. 

For sure there is MORE THAN ENOUGH trouble to occupy our day. Day in and day out, there is always something vying for our attention. Unfortunately, difficulties and trouble dress themselves in DANGER… URGENCY… HORROR… and therefore manage to always be in the center ring of our circus. Then they hire the marketing manager, called worry, to add drama and intrigue so that we will be glad to pay the price of admission. The currency?… FOCUS! Every thought, desire, plan, action must be brought to SERVE this possible/probable/might be the death of me, event.

What do we get out of this (sometimes entertainment – IF you can view it with humor) circus act?

Do we SAVE time? Do we GAIN strength? Will we BECOME rich and famous?

Not so much!

Other than a HIGHLY DEVELOPED imagination, we end up with the opposite… less time to accomplish good, better, best stuff – exhausted and weak – poor and lonely with no one willing to hear our sadness over and over again.

So, WHY. do. I. worry?

Some would say that worry is “planning”… or being proactive… or being prepared…

In my case, if I were honest with myself, “as I always try to be” (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas), I would have to admit that the thing I worry about the most is ________________.

The blank above is not because there are so many things I worry about. It is my hesitation to type the not so pretty truth, or the temptation to put it into a costume of ministry to my minions, and if I can’t, to leave it blank for you to guess. It’s taken me YEARS to admit… but the thing I worry about the most is… my own disappointment in and about my life.

My worst enemy is, most times, myself. My worst fear is my own reaction and response to the anger and vengeance that will be unleashed upon all things making Mary unhappy &/or uncomfortable.

So I worry… about ME!

Thank God this is my OLD nature! But this old woman will be with me until I cross over into God’s Promised Land. She is becoming less as Jesus becomes more, and her tantrums yield less and less fruit as the Holy Spirit prunes her DEADwood away.

The cure for my worry was not JUST to stop worrying… Jesus gave me my cure in Matthew 6:21 “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”.

Like I said… YEARS – not so much in the giving (from Jesus) but in the receiving. Receiving the truth – to KNOW the CAUSE of the worry… hint… it’s our treasure!… to LOOK and SEE (assess our profit) it’s value and it’s cost!

Matthew 6:22-23 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

Upon receiving the truth – CONFESSING the reality of my status in the deal… I was the slave NOT the master!

I thought I was the Master because I was worrying about me. Doesn’t that make me the one in control? Nope! Sin (lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, the pride of life) was in control!

Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

I was the slave in charge of SATISFYING my master, SIN. I remember the unlimited opportunity for worry because sin (rebellion against our Creator) is NEVER and WILL NEVER be satisfied and the result WILL ALWAYS be hatred of the worthless slave who CANNOT provide the wealth.

Matthew 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom ad His righteousness, and all these things (the NECESSARY STUFF) will be added to you.”

And finally, after receiving and confessing – REPENTING – changing the treasure of my heart. I changed my heavy heavy HEAVY purse of the worry of disappointing my ever insatiable me, to the coin purse of my portion of daily bread for today, FROM THE HANDS OF MY DADDY!

Yes, I still have moments of worry (will I “enjoy” my portion?)… the old lady doesn’t die easily! But I remember the slavery and then I observe (follow) the path (know – confess – repent) to freedom from the slavery.

Worry didn’t/doesn’t add even 1 hour to my life… THE TRUTH (Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life) set me free and I gained… ETERNITY!

Hallelujuh! Worry is UNDONE!

Just as the dictionary defines worry as “allowing one’s mind to dwell on difficulties &/or troubles”…

I now define “Worry Undone” as “allowing one’s mind to dwell on the Way the Truth and the Life”

I hope, when people view my life and the way I walk it today, the question will no longer be “Why do YOU worry?” but will be…

Why DON”T you worry?

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible

 

 

John 14:16-17 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

The Son asks!

The Father gives!

The Holy Spirit comes!

Helper… FOREVER resident… Spirit of Truth… Believers only… ABIDING… not just with you but BEING Himself in you…

Enough said?

Just one more thing… Romans 8:26-27 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 

Oh yeah… and this… Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 

Pressed down, shaken full and overflowing… gifts – ministries – effects… 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 …each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good …one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. 

Father… Son… Holy Spirit… equals FAMILY!

1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 

Today, is the feast of Shavuot – First Fruits (Deuteronomy 16:9-10). It is also the time that the Torah was given and Israel accepted as their banner. They became the FIRST members of the FAMILY of God. Not so coincidentally, it is also the time the Holy Spirit was given by our Messiah  “…He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (Matthew 3:11)

Houston we have UNITY!

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!… and so must His family be.

Deuteronomy 7:6  For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 

Israel is God’s holy people? But I thought the “CHURCH” was God’s people! Now HOW is this going to work?

Romans 11:17-18 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.  We are branches – not Jew or Greek but branches – PARTAKERS of the ROOT –  God, who supports us all

And the good news of great joy… the BEST NEWS of all…

you also… (Fill in your name below)

Ephesians 1:13-14 In Him, ___________ after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. 

Enough said?

Psalm 118:24 This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. 

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…

THIS IS THE DAY – SHAVUOT – THE LORD HAS MADE!

ENOUGH SAID!

Let us pray… the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible

 

 

 

 

 

 

Job 1:8 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”

I dare to say not many of us has had the opportunity to be tested like our friend Job (thank you God!). Though I do not wish to judge anyone’s response to grief and suffering, I have witnessed more of us being like Job’s friends than being like Job. In fact, our smug counsel to those suffering is a sure sign our faith and love for God, has not been tested with true fire.

Satan knows us so well…

Job 1:9-11 Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.”

Before anyone screams, “Unfair! God sets Job upon a game of bragging rights!”

Let us review who is who here…

God blesses… Satan destroys.

God loves… Satan covets and lusts after His power and position.

God was willing to put His love on the line knowing the heart of the man He had a covenant with. Satan only wished to use this “HUMAN” (dripping with sarcasm and condescension) to humiliate God and separate Him from His favorite possession.

Was it a game? No, indeed it was WAR!

As shortsighted beings, we have the tendency to make everything about our feelings, and thus, about our happiness and comfort. When either, or both, of these are compromised, we declare, “FOUL BALL!!” and we judge the umpire rather than the pitcher.

Like Satan, we question God… should we fear God for nothing?

We demand God’s protection… hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side.

We take for granted all that God has indeed given and done for us… You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

Here’s the rub. Satan dared God to curse Job in order to prove he would not handle things well… But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.” But, God does not curse – He blesses, Satan curses. Yes, He did give Satan the opportunity and permission to destroy Job’s bounty… and Satan did…

Job 1:13-19 Now on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, and the Sabeans attacked and took them. They also slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God (eye-witness belief of what happened, not necessarily what DID happen)  fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

A Job kind of day!

No, it did not make Job “happy”…Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head… he grieved and suffered!

But he also… fell to the ground and worshiped. 

And spoke the truth about the things of this earth…

Job 1:21 He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

In other words, the blessings I receive from my Lord DO NOT prove God’s love for me… the FACT of my creation (birth) is proof of God’s love.

Job 2:3 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.” Job 2:4-5 Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face.” (sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head)

Once again God does not curse, He blesses, Satan curses… yes, God did give permission and opportunity, BUT NOT to take Job’s life…

Like Job, sometimes, we do not believe that our life is WORTH LIVING (never is this God’s belief)… sometimes we do not want to LIVE our life! Job 3:1 Afterward Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.  Please note… he cursed the day of his birth… NOT God!

And then… on top of the physical grief and pain… Jobs friends (who should have kept their “opinions” to themselves) opened their mouth after SEVEN nights… and cursed Job!

Much like Satan, they couldn’t wait to blame this on God’s weak creation. They never actually cursed God (much like Satan), but they certainly indicated that Job SHOULD NOT expect God’s blessing since he COULD NOT live up to God’s expectations, nor WOULD NOT confess his sins, which surely caused this breech of God’s “loving” provision.

The one thing that Satan does not get (or maybe he knows it too well and it infuriates him), and I admit we do not always remember, God loves His creation! And God’s love is NEVER conditional – always UNCONDITIONAL!

We look with eyes full of lust (for all that looks wonderful), we live for the lust to please our flesh, and we declare ourselves THE authority with pride of the life we have made for ourselves. We MEASURE our “value” based upon an earthly view.

God measure our “VALUE” of us by His LOVE!

At the end of Satan’s test, God didn’t declare Job free of wrong thinking and speaking silliness about confronting God, instead God told him to “gird up your loins like a man, and I will ask you, and you will instruct Me!” A far cry from turning His back on him and forsaking him because he didn’t/doesn’t measure up.

God did declare that Job was in relationship with Him… a relationship that Job never ceased to put proclaim… a relationship with his God.

After a “big boy” conversation with Daddy… Job declared…

Job 42: 2-6 “I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted… Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know… “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You; therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes.’ I see You!

Job’s friends were telling him that God’s focus is on his (Job’s) ways and means… in their rush to straighten Job out and get him back on track, they lied about God.

Job 42:7 “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has.”

Just a side note… God’s wrath, unlike Satan’s lie about Him, is to give multiple opportunities to repent and know the truth and be set free from our slavery to ignorance… Verse 8 “go to My servant Job, and offer up burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you.“

Having a Job kind of day?

This is not the end… “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

What IS and ALWAYS has been and always WILL BE important to God is life with us!…“lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20) 

There is a life beyond this… the REAL life and it’s all about God! Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…

This one thing I know… Observe and Remember…

Whether it be a Job kind of day or any kind of day…

God is good ALL THE TIME… and all the time GOD IS GOOD…this day IS FOR SURE a God blessed day!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible

 

 

 

Zephaniah 3:17 Adonai your God is in your midst— a mighty Savior! He will delight over you with joy. He will quiet you with His love. He will dance for joy over you with singing. (from the Tree of Life Version of the Bible)

Can you see it?

Are you in Abba’s arms… whirling and twirling… with Daddy’s eyes only on you!

He’s looking at you… YOU, His son – His daughter… perfectly created from His spoken vision of you before there ever was a world to play you in (Psalm 139).

He’s delighting in you with the joy of a parent who is madly… MADLY in love with you – you are the gift He gave to Himself.

Can you hear His song? The music is beyond “foot tapping”, It is WORLD CHANGING and you… YOU, dancing with Daddy… is the reason for all of creation rejoicing.

Isaiah 55:12 “For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands. 

How do you get on God’s dance card? Or more accurate, how do you get God on YOUR dance card?

Step into His arms.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

His arms are open… Jesus’ arms were nailed to the cross so that Abba’s arms could freely receive YOU as His prince/princess – the stars of love in His eyes.

Our triune God, Father – Son – Holy Spirit, stand together with arms outstretched and inviting you to… “Come and dance with the Great I AM!”

Will you turn and reach your arms out to be picked up and held?

Will you submit to being wrapped in the arms of God and held tight for the dance that will last into eternity?

When the Holy Spirit quickened my mind (and then my soul… and finally my heart) with the Words of God above, and gave me a version of His word that would not let me keep it on the peripheral of “Bible Study”, I realized I knew so very little about WHO my God, my Abba, my Daddy, IS!

I was raised with the view that put God on THE throne. True, but remote.

I was raised with the fear that I WOULD NEVER be good enough. True, but impossible to overcome.

I was raised with a vision that God was ALWAYS READY to smack my hands. Definitely deserved, but it only inspired me to run – not to submit to His discipline.

I was raised with just enough truth to cause me to RUN AWAY AND HIDE!!!!

It wasn’t until Jesus showed me the real VIEW of the Father, that I could even begin to WANT TO BE or choose to become a child of God.

My view of God, the one a church unknowingly taught me, was a view of a  monster who couldn’t wait to torture me in mind, body and spirit, only to judge me as a sinner deserving of hell and damnation. A “parent” who wanted me to believe it was all and only for “my own good”.

The church taught me about Jesus but never introduced me. They (sinners just like me) brought me right up next to the hideous and horrendous event, even made me “kiss” the feet on a plastic crucifix to insure I would always KNOW… and, bless their hearts,  that I would always be enslaved to my identity as a MURDERER OF JESUS.

Perfect love casts out fear?

God so loved the world?

My view… if He would do this to Jesus, His Son, who WAS/IS/ALWAYS WILL BE sinless… what will He do to me?

Yep, brought me right up to the cross and “forgot” to teach me what to do with it! (Maybe they taught but I was done listening by the time they got to THAT lesson)

But God…

Jesus sought me… and taught me… and bought me… He told me THE TRUE STORY! He came and got my attention. He spoke and I began to listen to Him.

John 14:7 If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also;

John 14:11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me;

It took awhile… but then came my AHA moment…

Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 

From beginning of time God, our triune God, loved us soooo much that He (no air space between the three He(s)) knowingly and in spite of knowing every event between creation and eternity, said… “Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;”… God blessed them… God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. (Genesis 1)

God had has a plan for us…

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 

And NOTHING… will stand in the way of God’s plan!

Well maybe one thing…

You… me… someone not wanting to DANCE!

Can you see it?

God saying to His angels… Luke 15:22-24 ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate. 

There will be some… who, for all the wrong reasons… the little boy (or girl) who will turn and walk away from Daddy’s open arms.

Can you hear him/her mumbling… “I NEVER get to dance!”

And God, with tears in His eyes (Jesus wept – John 11:35) says…

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him (Revelations 3:20)

But… even if when we refuse Him…

Our God doesn’t stop delighting over us with joy…

Our God doesn’t stop quieting us with His love…

Our God doesn’t stop dancing for joy over us with singing…

Our God doesn’t stop preparing for His child to come home…

1 Corinthians 2:9 but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Listen to the music of heaven… Daddy is dancing… AGAIN and FOREVER!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible