Category: Recent Blogs

2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 

Tickling Ears Syndrome… TES… Also known as “making it up as we go”. Also known as Happy Fools RULE!

We certainly don’t live in the age of Truth. We live in the age of Feelings. Everything is measured by HOW that makes ME feel. We are fast approaching the criminalization of upsetting someone. The punishment for such a grievous crime? You will be publicly shamed by the crowd of self appointed “ism” hunters (also known as Social Justice Warriors). You will be locked out of lives who do not want to be influenced (some you call friends/family). You will be locked up in the prison bad people (renamed Deplorable by those who know us so well) who make other people feel bad.

It is indeed a scary world! So scary, I find myself praying the one prayer that   WILL change this world, “Bo Yeshua!”. And He says…

Revelation 22:12-13 “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” 

How does that make you feel?

John 6:60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?”  John 6:66 As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. 

Are you the kind of follower of Jesus who withdraw from His difficult statements?  Are they so difficult for you that you no longer walk with Him?

Oh come on! We are ALL tempted! It’s the law of evil to draw us away from The One who defeated evil… Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8)… seeking someone (he especially likes lambs who seem to forget their Shepherd’s voice) to devour.  But here’s the thing! We don’t have to be in NOR STAY IN the slaughter line!

“This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?” The temptation is NOT what changes location, the change in location is completely your choice of WHOSE voice you will follow. If you feel that God has left you behind… it was YOU who walked away! God doesn’t leave nor forsake you!

I’m just saying… “BAAAA”…

John 10:24-30 The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” 

WHOSE voice will you stake your life on?

So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:67-69)

Do you KNOW the Holy One of God? When you are face to face with His difficult statements, do you come closer still?

John 5:39-40 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.

If the voices in your head are clamoring for you to RUN AWAY, ask yourself where will you RUN TO. The voice of our enemy wants to kill, steal, and destroy you.

Your own voice wants immediate gratification.

There is ONLY ONE voice who desperately wants you to choose the WAY, the TRUTH, the LIFE.

Will you follow Him or go the way of TES? I’m sure having your ears tickled will make you giggle with delight as you accumulate for yourself teachers in accordance to your own desires, and turn away your ears from the truth and turn aside to myths.

But will TES provide ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’ (Jeremiah 29:11)

Will TES lead you into eternity?

John 6:35-40 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” 

Forget the ears… THIS tickles my spirit! If my voices aren’t sending me running to Him, I command them to, “SHUT THE HELL UP!”, as I shout the only prayer that gives me a future and a hope in this world…

Bo Yeshua! Come Lord, COME!

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

Psalm 139:1-6 O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.

How wonderful?

Psalm 139:16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. 

You SAW me and WROTE me into YOUR BOOK and ORDAINED (“decreed/ordered” Strong’s Concordance) ALL OF THEM.

!Before there was even one of them!

You SEARCHED me and KNEW me. EVERYTHING ABOUT me. The times I lived those days in worthless activity. The times I rose up against Your plan for my days. The times the words on my lips and the thoughts in my mind were beyond nasty, to You and to the saints You provided for my upbringing. The times I walked and laid down with those whom our enemy sent in order to SHOW YOU the sinner YOU created!

And still…

KNOWING IT ALL. You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. You have… a word that is past, present, and future… You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me… from the time YOU SAW me until the time YOU SEE me no more (?never?)!  You have To INFINITY AND BEYOND!

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain (be who You plan for me to be) to it.

KNOWING IT ALL… the good, the bad, the ugly that my nature freely chooses… You still CREATED ME and NEVER GIVE UP on me.

!Too wonderful for me!

But are You too GOOD TO BE TRUE?

There is a difference! Thank God, mankind’s perception IS NOT reality. (another blog discussion).

In the darkest days of my life, I believed along with some other idiots in my life, that my beliefs determined truth. I mean, one must “grow up and out of” the myths and fairy tales created in order to control the masses.

Who determines and declares what is or is not real?

Why those who are more intelligent (like me) than the masses (like you). Those who have “studied” the facts that, coincidentally I totally agree with. The “facts” that do not shake my confidence in how great I am. The “facts” that never demand I give up my own kingship and kingdom. The “facts” that allow me to imagine my mind, my judgement, my desires are always and only steeped in the reality I have created.

The “FACTS” that testify I AM IN CONTROL! (Talk about myths and fairy tales…)

I believed!

Until I met and knew The Truth, and He set me free! (John 8:32)

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6) 

The Way… we did our thing and ended up driven out of Paradise so we would not do the unthinkable and make Hell our only option. Jesus came and fulfilled God’s redemption by paying the price of our sinful way (the wages of sin is death).

The Truth… we cannot redeem ourselves because there is none without sin, and because sin is anything less than perfectly righteous. I am a “good” person… you may be but you will never be good enough to defeat death – for yourself or anyone else. ONLY God (Perfect Righteousness) could defeat death and pay our price.

Romans 5:6-8 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 

The Life… But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13)

I once was lost… many will tell you (some even in my own family) I am still lost in a world of fantasy of my own making.

I will tell you that I use to believe as they do. IF there was a god, I wanted NOTHING TO DO with someone who treated me and my world so badly by allowing such wicked things to happen.

But now I’m found… Jesus stood at my door and knocked… I opened it. I sat down with Him and asked Him all my hard questions.

“What have YOU done for me lately?”

“I paid your bill that is due immediately upon leaving this earth!”

“What bill? I’m a GOOD GIRL!”

“Except that time you weren’t!”

“Why me? You know I will be a handful, I demand my own way a lot! I throw tantrums when told no! I bargain even when I know I’ve lost!”

“I knew you before I created you. I knew you after I created you. And I will know you forever and a day!”

But, why me? I never loved You before, I fear I will never love You enough!”

“But God… so loved you and the world… He gave Me,  His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Me, shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

“And I… CAME!”

All those myths and fairytales and imaginations (which I DID BELIEVE IN), had one thing in common. They were mine! I set them up on my altar to honor me. None of them EVER came to my rescue. None of them EVER proved their reality (they couldn’t because they were only a player in my perception), I made them up as I needed them. None of them EVER knocked on my door to dine with me (which would’ve been eating in front of a mirror). All of them came to make me feel good/better about myself because I or someone else had let the truth about me slip and judgement came flooding in.

Jesus came… not to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. (John 3:17)

O men of little faith, your belief has never, does not now, nor never will determine REALITY. The most we can say about it is… “IT IS WHAT IT IS!”.

Our God IS (the Great I AM) whether you or I believe He is or not.

But if you believe… and receive Him for ALL He is… But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. You will be changed!

It’s…  !Too Wonderful for Me!

All I have left to say is…

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way. 

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

 

 

 

Psalm 103:1-2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits;

I had such a wonderful day yesterday! An afternoon spent in fellowship with my Bestie – Barb, in the midst of our BEST Bestie – Jesus, because “where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am in their midst.” (Matthew 18:19)

It doesn’t matter where we meet or how often we have our playdate, regardless of the issues surrounding our lives on this sometimes chaotic planet, His name and His work in our lives and the lives of our families will always become THE TOPIC. When we swerve into “other” areas, there is a voice in each of our ears, turning us back to the ONLY TOPIC worth our time and attention… Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

After lunch and coffee (our preferred playground for our playdates), I stopped next door to bring home dinner for me and my other bestie – my Best Hubby! As I was waiting for my order, I was asked what made me so happy today.

Do you ever wish you could go back and give a different answer?

Questions like this tend to stop me from thinking. Literally, my mind tends to go blank and words don’t surface until the moment has come and gone. LATER, the list of should’ve, could’ve, wish I would’ve said, begins to dull this child’s glow from the spectacular playground time.

I think I mumbled something about having a wonderful life that I do not deserve… AND I DO (have a wonderful life I do not deserve)… but why, why, why didn’t I tell the story ( I Love to Tell the Story)?

The story of just coming from the Church of Bestie Fellowship. The story where we were covered in love, and grace, and mercy, and Holy Spirit fruit, and Holy Ground dancing with our Savior?

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Am I bragging? Not about me! It wasn’t my wonderful life that made me glow with happy, it was the pouring out of God from His throne room, covering us with Himself.

It’s ALL about Him! No, definitely not bragging… WORSHIPPING!

Bless the Lord, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; 

Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; 

Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with          lovingkindness and compassion; 

Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle. (Psalm 103:3-5)

The Lord performs righteous deeds And judgments for all who are oppressed. 

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. 

He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. 

He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. (Psalm 103:8-10)

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. 

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

Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. 

For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust. (Psalm 103:12-14)

As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, And its place acknowledges it no longer. 

But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep His covenant And remember His precepts to do them. (Psalm 103:17-18)

The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all. 

This is the playground song my bestie and I sang and danced to. At the end of the day, both of us were smiling with a happiness that transcends enjoying a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

Today, as I answer the question, “What makes me so happy that I glow with happiness?”, my answer is…

EVERY DAY and EVERY MOMENT that “I kneel; as an act of adoration” (*Strong’s Concordance – definition of the primitive root “bless” when speaking of blessing God), surrounds me with the sweet, sweet perfume of the incense I lift up to Him in testimony to the redemption and sanctification He is working in my life and the lives of those He loves.

Bless the Lord, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, Obeying the voice of His word! Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, You who serve Him, doing His will. Bless the Lord, all you works of His, In all places of His dominion; (Psalm 103:20-22)

Bless the Lord, O my soul! 

Thanks Barb, for going to church with me. I love you to the moon and back!

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

Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? 

Do I really want to know?

He has told you… who, me?

I’d rather know what He requires of YOU! It’s much easier that way. I have thousands of ideas of how YOU can make God happy.

Me? I’d rather He just go ahead and make me happy.

Just the other day, one of our politicians claimed the “moral high ground”, thereby placing all other points and opinions as inappropriate and/or without merit. Though the dictionary(on my computer) defines “moral” as – “concerned with the principles of right and wrong behavior and the goodness or badness of human character”, it is only a descriptive adjective unless you live it as a noun – “a person’s standards of behavior or beliefs concerning what is and is not acceptable for them to do”.

What was telling about the politician’s claim was what triggered it. Someone was calling out the claims being made by refuting them with the facts of life – the noun – so to speak.

Is what I am speaking a representation of what I DO and BELIEVE and HAVE PROOF OF its goodness and reliability, or is it just more of “Do as I say not as I do!”?

He has told you, O man, what is good… I have listened and taken a poll! I have listened and added just a touch of sugar to make the medicine go down. I have listened and run with glee to deliver the message to YOU.

Or more likely, “I’m sorry, could you repeat that, I was listening to the clamor of my world”.

My world! Or better stated… MY world!

The politician was not saying anything I don’t say to describe myself far more often than is good and acceptable and TRUE. I, like most of mankind, live the adjective – concern for the “principles for proper conduct”, rather than LIVING the noun – living what is and avoiding what is not acceptable for my own behavior and beliefs.

Because of mankind’s sin of disobeying God’s command, we all know good and evil (we all ate the fruit and are no longer innocent). Because of gift of our freedom to choose between them, everyone of us has an inner battle of WHO do we serve!

We can claim to serve God BUT… what does the Lord require of you but to DO justice, to LOVE kindness, and to WALK HUMBLY with your God…

We think we are fulfilling His requirements and serving Him fully  when we point out those not doing justice. As we are pointing our finger, does our other fingers point at our own example of “DOING JUSTICE”. According to my handy dandy dictionary, am I a shining example of “just behavior or treatment”? When I am speaking to or about my fellow human, does my words and actions exemplify “concern for justice, peace, and genuine respect this person and people in general, or do I bang the gavel of my superior judgement? 

We think we are fulfilling His requirements and serving Him fully  when we point out those not loving kindness. When I huff and puff about those in need not getting their rightful goods and services, do I take from my largess and give to the one God has placed before me? Do I LOVE being kind? Do I seek to see the possible opportunities for the kindness I love?

We think we are fulfilling His requirements and serving Him fully  when we point out those not walking humbly with your God. Somehow we become the expert spokesperson and believe it is our sacred duty to proclaim, protect and defend God’s will on this earth. All the while, busily evading personal contact, correction and communion with the One we call our Father.

In my youth (hey, compared to Methuselah’s 969 years, I’m VERY youthful!) I have spent a great deal of time  anxiously wondering WHAT I should be doing “for” God. I have taken tests to reveal the areas of giftedness “so that” I could make myself ready for God’s big reveal of the world wide ministry He has written on my life. I have sought the counsel of the self-help books written by His world famous ministry stars. I have…

But just the other day God said.to.me,“I require you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with Me, your God!”

Whoa! How did I not know this before? I’ll get right on that!

Then He told me there was just one thing more I needed to know for my complete success at meeting His requirements… “by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” 

The next time I am meeting out justice, or showing my love for kindness, or walking humbly, it would be good to remember there is this principle called reciprocity (much like gravity – it just happens)…

Luke 6:37-38 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over.

Did you notice? They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. They… either judging or not judging – condemning or not condemning – pardoning or not pardoning – giving or not giving… whichever you choose… will be poured into your lap (pressed down, shaken, and running over). And that, my friends is the very core of why God REQUIRES the good stuff from us, He knows what evil brings when we choose to serve it.

You’ve heard me say it before! God is good all the time and all the time God is good!!!!!!! (From the movie “God’s Not Dead”)

Think about it!

What does the Lord require of you?

Like the 1970 song of the Jackson 5… ABC, easy as 123, simple as do re mi… DO justice – LOVE kindness – WALK HUMBLY with God…

Just.do.it!

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

“Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;

Then man, encouraged by evil, took the steps toward changing reality into his very own perception, “This could be seen as making us equal to God.”

First step… Perceive the truth… Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” (Genesis 2:1)

Second Step… Give your eyewitness account… The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” (Genesis 3:2-3)

Third Step… Let the presumption of  withholding something of benefit sway your free will… The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5)

Fourth Step… Chose you this day whom you will obey… When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate (Genesis 3:6)

Fifth Step… Run and hide when you find out you were not only WRONG, you are NAKEDLY WRONG… Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. (Genesis 3:7-8)

Eve’s perception (she SAW and therefore she knew) convinced her that the reality of God’s Words (even though He SPOKE and REALITY happened) would not happen if she freely chose to overrule them with a practical, amazingly beautiful, wise reason for disobeying.

What she perceived was NOT what really happened… What happened was the words God spoke became real, just as He said they would!

Maybe we could give her the benefit of the doubt because she didn’t really know what death meant. After all she lived in Paradise and did not yet know evil – only good.

Yet when their eyes were opened and they KNEW they were naked – no longer dressed in heaven’s innocence.  What did they do? Covered themselves and hid from their Creator who had only shown them and showered them with good. Good was the REALITY of Paradise, and yet, concern for themselves kept them from acknowledging what they had done had far reaching consequences to the garden and all of creation they had been commissioned to fill, subdue, and rule over the earth and all of it’s inhabitants.

When reality didn’t give them the standard of living they had become accustomed to, they avoided the Reality Maker.

They didn’t “perceive” of  confessing their complete idiocy, sincerely acknowledging God’s complete rightness, and vowing to obey only the God of ALL GOODNESS!

Besides independently designing their own covering of their nakedness, and believing they could just avoid the Maker of haven and earth, they stuck by me! Me! ME!

Genesis 3:12-13 The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Blaming everyone and everything… even God – especially God (the woman YOU gave me – the serpent YOU created) with little regard for the fact that they ATE.

And they did it… wait for it… Side by Side and Hand in Hand!

THEY DID IT – THEY ATE! No matter how pretty the perception of the why’s and how’s and who was counseling them, perception is not nor becomes  reality. (And may I just say, my prayer on December 2, 2019, I pray our Side by Side perception never become the Hand in Hand encouragement for ourselves and others, replacing  God and His Word as our One True Reality.)

Perception is the ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses, it doesn’t guarantee the quality. Reality on the other hand is the world or the state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them. (Definitions taken from the dictionary provided on this Apple computer)

Adam and Eve “perceived” the tree and by God’s Word it was “real”. Adam and Eve “perceived” the tree was perfect for their circumstances (food, beauty, wisdom) but they failed to “perceive” the fruit’s reality (loss of knowing only goodness) or the real consequences of such knowledge, It looked good to them therefore they judged their perception as the REAL DEAL and God’s warning as not their problem!

The difference between the serpent and them? He did know the reality of evil. He did know his plan for Adam and Eve. He did know his desire for God and God’s kingdom. Could Adam and Eve ever “perceive” an entity that swore an oath to steal, kill, and destroy all things from the good hand of God?

Could Adam and Eve ever “perceive” that they would not only question the character and motive of God, whom they walked with in the cool of the evening, the God they were created to look like Him, the God who trusted them with His most holy gift of free will – the ability to choose their own actions. Would they ever “perceive” that upon questioning the character and motive of said God, they would use their free will to disobey without regard to or for God’s desires.

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked…the eyes of both of them, no longer saw only what they wanted to see, they knew the truth… they KNEW REALITY and it wasn’t even close to their perception!

If we knew the reality of evil, I believe we would run for our lives! If we knew the reality of our nakedness, I believe we would seek, with everything in us, the One who has defeated evil. If we knew the reality of the lies told and by whom, for the express purpose of keeping us from knowing reality, I believe we would choose to know the truth and to be set free.

Side by Side and Hand in Hand we can seek REALITY… Jesus *said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. (John 14:6)

Side by Side and Hand in Hand we must open the door to REALITY… 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. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.’” (Revelations 3:20-22)

Side by Side and Hand in Hand…

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says!

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

Numbers 6:23-26 “The Lord bless you, and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace.”

When I was making my list and checking it twice (yes, this is Santa’s job and yes, I substitute for him sometimes), I knew there was not a gift I could buy or make that would qualify for “Best Christmas Gift Ever”. 

“If you want the BEST GIFT”,  the Holy Spirit whispered, “There is a gift you can pray over them. It comes from God Himself  (Numbers 6:22) sent to all those He loves and calls to be His people (can we say EVERYONE… He does not wish for ANY TO PERISH).”

I know there are those out there who do not want any religious stuff for Christmas (I was told!). To those people I just want to say, “I love you to the moon and back! So I will pray, NOT from a religious spirit, but from my heart that cries out to the only True God who lives (Immanuel – God with Us) within me.”

Just for disclosure purposes, I did check His naughty and nice list, but discovered that there would be no coal in any stockings this year. John 3:16-17 “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. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Those of us on the naughty list, and those of us who strive to be on the nice list, need Him without question… pressed down, shaken, full and overflowing!

And so I lift up holy hands and pray…

Christmas and All year Through…

The Lord bless you, and keep you; The Lord make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, and to all A GOOD NIGHT every night!

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

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort which we ourselves are comforted by God.

There are days that only certain food will satisfy my hunger. Substitutions, though close in ingredients, just won’t do. The craving won’t be satisfied until the image floating before the eyes of my heart, is sitting on the table in front of me, loaded onto my spoon/fork and heading quickly to my mouth. My stomach might be satisfied with anything that hits my stomach but my soul will groan until my tastebuds officially announce the presence and pleasure because  COMFORT has arrived and the pain and suffering of my craving will be replaced with joy of answered prayer. A joy so profound I will delight in sharing my comfort food with all who are in need, even when their definition of comfort food is not close to my recipe.

Enough about food… I’m beginning to “see” broccoli and cheese soup over a baked potato…

In no way am I minimizing grief and affliction! Pain and suffering is brutal to our bodies, our minds, and our souls. They cause a craving, a groaning for even the smallest relief. They make us vulnerable to the temptation to find a solution at all cost. They lie to us about our worth, our safety, and those we put our faith in. In a small way, just like a food craving, we begin to imagine (to see with the eyes of our hearts) the worst case scenarios – starvation to the point of death.

Job, who had more than his share of devastating events happen all at once, handled the worst case senario very well… for a moment…

Job 1:20-22 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 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.” Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God. 

He blessed God, he fell to the ground and worshipped God, he spoke truth about God to himself and his circumstances. But as Satan persisted in asking God for proof of Job’s faith and God allowed the testing of Job’s faith, Job, sitting among the ashes (literally) in an attempt to heal his body of the boils covering him from his feet to the crown of his head, began to “see” and “feel the need” to explain what must be happening to him.

Job 2:9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!”  Even his friends, when they lifted up their eyes at a distance and did not recognize him, they raised their voices and wept. And each of them tore his robe and they threw dust over their heads toward the sky. (Job 2:12)

Though Job never sinned by declaring God to be unable to care for him, nor did he turn his back on God in the midst of his grief and afflictions, he did begin to wonder and speculate about WHY ME, God.

He knew without a doubt that God was in control and could restore him in a heart beat, if He chose to.

As the testing went on past the point of Job’s tolerance for the pain and the “helpful opinions” of friends and family, he began to demand to know God’s reasons, AS IF knowing God’s reasons, would make it all ok. In other words, if Job could only understand, he could then judge God’s actions and delays as reasonable and therefore acceptable for him to suffer through.

Who of us haven’t done the same? Who of us haven’t judged God?

Job 38:1-3 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? “Now gird up your loins like a man, And I will ask you, and you instruct Me!

Here is my point… What is our comfort? God being in control or God returning us too and keeping us happy, healthy, and wise?

What do your prayers crave? Immediate and complete solutions to your perceived problems? Grief and afflictions taken away before you spend a great deal of time in the ashes with pain and suffering?

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort who comforts us in all our affliction…

He is the God of all comfort and He continually comforts us! He cannot, will not, nor do anything but comfort! God is good all the time and all the time God is good!!!!!!

Just like Job, we begin to swerve into the lane self pity and discouragement  when we focus the eyes of our hearts on our cravings rather than the One Who Supplies our every need. Our pain and groaning magnifies as we put their causes under our microscope and proclaim a time and date stamp for their eradication. We begin to wonder (judge) if God is doing right by us.

And just like Job, when our eyes are refocused on the Comforter, when God shows us Himself,  we can be used to share Him and His comfort with those in need… we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort which we ourselves are comforted by God.

In this world we will have suffering… As Jesus said, “Each day has enough trouble of it’s own” (Matthew 6:34)

But He didn’t say to focus on the solution to them… in fact He didn’t say it was important to seek the solutions even from God.

He said, “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:31-33)

These things will be added to you NOT because you have done the task of seeking or that you are an excellent taskmaster.

These things will be added to you because you KNOW the Comforter and you KNOW the Comfort He gives and mostly you KNOW He cares for you with a love that is limitless.

If you don’t know this  “Comfort Food” check out Psalm 139…

Psalm 139:1-6 O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it. 

Intimate COMFORT FOOD!

Psalm 139:13-14 For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.

Fearfully and wonderfully made CREATURE COMFORT!

Psalm 139:15-16 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. 

Our Story, ordained FOR COMFORT, written in our Comforter’s Book

Psalm 139:17-18 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You. 

Pages and pages of Himself and His love, which is the comfort He DESIRES to give, and the comfort He gives to infinity and beyond .

This is The Comfort Food of Our Faith!

Enjoy to your heart’s contentment!

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

Psalm 85:10 Lovingkindness and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

A friend reminded me of a time when we just wanted be hippies who would never grow old. The “beautiful” people who lived for rock and roll and lived in a place (“Somewhere Over The Rainbow” sometimes induced by drugs) where PEACE was the only rule of law!

All they were saying…

The dictionary (*on my computer) defines peace as 1. freedom from disturbance; quiet and tranquility: 2. a state or period in which there is no war or a war has ended:…

… is give peace a chance! **remember 1969 and the song written by John Lennon? (Per Google  he and Yoko were having a “bed-in” – their version of a peaceful demonstration – in Montreal, Canada when he wrote it)

… a bed-in… mmmmm

When I look back on that time in our life, I realize that what we all were trying to escape – though we explained it in words and word pictures that sounded very “right on, dude”, and even patriotic – we really were a generation that HATED personal responsibility… i.e. growing up.

Peace was defined as freedom from war and war was defined as anything that stood in the way of immediate gratification at having MY WAY!

If I was not mellow and happy, it was always the fault of those evil authority figures. As we threw tantrums against them although and their wicked ways, we still very much expected THEM to provide OUR WORLD without end.

Whether or not we bear the soul of a hippy today, we still seem to define peace in terms of freedom from interrupted playtime – WHICH WAR CAUSES, without cost to us.

Most people see peace and war as two separate events, when in fact they are two sides of the same event called… wait for it… RELATIONSHIP.

We tend to believe that peace and war describe two types of people, with peace having all the good people on its side and war having all the evil people.

The fact of the matter is everyone of us have the passion for either, depending on which side motivates our will, our ability to choose, whom we will unite with for THE CAUSE… the cause being DISCONTENTMENT WITH WHAT IS.

Philippians 4:11-12 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 

If lovingkindness and truth meet together they will seek to find the best for all, and righteousness and peace WILL KISS each other!

Peace isn’t the absence of war, it’s the absence of fear for today and tomorrow.  War isn’t the absence of peace, it’s the absence of trust in today and tomorrow.

Psalm 34:14 Depart from evil (fear and mistrust) and do good; Seek peace (love and truth) and pursue it (seek with all your heart to put love and truth together). 

Above all seek God and His peace. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)

First, peace with God… the author of LOVE and LOVINGKINDNESS…

Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

Next, peace with your world… dwelling always on THE TRUTH…

Philippians 4:8-9 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things…

Love meets truth… practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you… and… Righteousness and peace kiss each other.

All I am saying is… Give Peace a Chance!

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

 

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.

“But I’m a GOOD person… I haven’t killed anyone!”

Where have I heard this before? Oh yeah, I use to say this in response to those nosey people who wanted to know if I had accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

It was my “go to excuse” when the Holy Spirit was confronting the NEED in my life… Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God… “But, but, but… if you compare me to all the sinners (you know apples to apples), I’m not so bad!”

Surely a “GOOD God” wouldn’t count my small “MISSTEPS” against me, especially when He had so many REALLY BAD people to deal with. Besides, who elected Him as judge and jury in MY LIFE?! If He doesn’t DO RIGHT by my wishes, He may just find Himself in my bucket of useless unicorns, fairytales, and Santas… yeah Buddy… as EVERYONE knows, perception is reality! If God doesn’t straighten up and fly right, I just may have to adjust my perception and declare Him no more than a myth.

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. 

Like so many, I fully expected the rules to declare that I could believe in God and serve myself. I wasn’t an atheist, I believed there was/is/maybe will be God. I just didn’t know what to do with Him – especially when He insisted on CHANGING me! When God said, “Let Us make Mary into Our Own Image”, I thought when They were done making me, They would then become the Cheerleaders (my daughter’s description of the role some gospels give to Jesus) of my life. After all, isn’t that what outstanding parenting is all about?

For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, (Galatians 5:17)

Thank You Holy Spirit, for never giving up on training this fleshly diva, for wrestling with me as I continue to demand Your blessing, and mostly for producing Your fruit in my life against  all the birds, rocks and weeds that make use of the fleshly soil in my life.

What’s in my heart today? You tell me… Romans 10:9-10 if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 

Jesus as Lord! Do I confess before myself and men that He has the right and authority, due to ownership, to do with my life as He wishes?

Jesus as Savior! Do I believe with the heart that once I was lost… that He is the One who paid (He is risen!) my debt (for the wages of sin is death)… and now I’m found!

What’s in my heart today is evidenced by what is PRACTICED (Strong’s Concordance: performed repeatedly or habitually or Thayer’s number 1 definition: to be busy with) in my life.

Deeds of the flesh… Galatians 5:19-21 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, 

Or the fruit of the Spirit… 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.

Deeds, which come from me, and always become defined by, ironically, my own legal interpretation, or Fruit, which comes from the Holy Spirit, and is never a matter of legalism?

Growing up I always strived to be a good girl… it seems I always failed at being good enough. I used my siblings as the measuring stick and was always very careful to stay out of trouble – at least the trouble THEY got into. Of course I was trying to please my parents but in hindsight I realize I was the one who rendered every verdict. I was raised with religion as a staple of our household. Our household religion declared and demanded we know and parrot all of the standard doctrine which is still used today to label ourselves, hopefully, as “ok with God”.

I do believe there is a heartfelt desire to please God in each of us… Romans 1:19-20 that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that we are without excuse. 

Rather than walking in the garden with God Himself… Romans 1:21 we did not honor Him as God or give thanks, we became futile in their speculations, and our foolish heart was darkened… We made up our own brand and called it RELIGION…

Romans 1:22-23 Professing to be wise, we became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Preferably an image that could not nor would not talk back to us!

What was in my heart thirty seven years ago? Religion, or to be more truthful, ANTI-religion. I believed in God, but the God I believed in was no friend of mine! I never met Him personally because He, from everything I was taught, was a REALLY SCARY DUDE!

Until… I met Jesus! And He said to me… “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” (John 14:7)

What’s WHO IS in my heart today? Jesus, the One I confess with all that I am as my LORD and the One whom I believe with all my heart, conquered death so that I might live!

Thirty seven years ago I didn’t get religion… I got God, Himself!

Matthew 1:23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means “God with us.” 

Luke 2:11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior who is Christ the Lord.

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

 

Numbers 6:23-26 “Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel (and all Israel’s grafted in siblings). You shall say to them: the Lord bless you, and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace.”

The greatest blessing for: Hanukkah, and Christmas, and Birthday, and… oh yeah for sure… EVERY DAY (Psalm 118:24 let us rejoice and be glad in it.) the LORD HAS MADE blessing.

What better way to show you I care.

I can cook for you. I can give you trinkets and such. I can hug and love on you. I can definitely spend time with you and tell you over and over again how grateful I am (and I AM!) for God’s gift of you.

I can, will and joyfully do these things!

But… none of them will be enough. They all will loose their “shine” and none of them will last until the next holiday installment reminds me to give again.

This Thanksgiving I want to say THANK YOU with the treasure that neither moth nor rust destroys, and where the thieves of sin do not break in or steal (Matthew 6:20) the LOVE.

This Thanksgiving I shout with all that is in me…

May the Lord bless you, and keep you.

May the Lord make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you.

May the Lord make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you.

May the Lord lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace.

The thing is… before the day even comes, before the food is prepared and stuffed into our bellies, before this prayer is even shouted whispered…

It. Is. Done!

Can you “see” it? 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. (Ephesians 1:18-19)

I pray… that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-19)

I pray you are blessed!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

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