DelightAbideLove

Delight*Abide*LoveFor People in Pursuit of God

Prayer is not a Magic Lamp

Free Salvation has a Cost

Quit Givin’ him the Stick

Pig Out on Jesus

And much more…

August 2012

Dear Reader:

Month three, woohoo! Thank you so much for your support as we endeavor to reach people for the Kingdom, as we work hard to encourage Spiritual growth in our readers and as we attempt to take things to the next level with additional publications that will be available on the website soon (so keep checking things out).

As I was typing this edition up and creating titles for each day’s entry I noticed that I came up with a lot of ‘vs.’ titles. So, I can only assume that this month has come across as a ‘vs.’ month for me. I don’t know what battles you’ve been fighting, but I do know without any doubt or hesitation, that our King is the victor in all of it and that if you’ll trust Him you will see Him rescue you.

Another big focus in this month’s edition is prayer. I think it’s becoming an increasingly intense aspect of my own Spiritual journey, not that I would ever call myself a prayer warrior or the like, but I am having my Faith tested in many ways and I find that the only solace or strength that can be attained in the midst of these trials is prayer, talking to my King, laying it all on the line.

I hope and pray that these pieces will inspire, convict and encourage you whenever each of those things is necessary in your life this month. Dear ones, I pray peace and joy upon your hearts and lives this month, that the Father would hear your prayers and make His answers abundantly clear to you, that you would be used mightily for His Kingdom, produce exorbitant amounts of fruit and bring Him all Glory!

Peace and blessings,Ginny Mink

www.delightabidelove.com

Some vs. Other

“Therefore as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.”

Colossians 2:6 (ESV)

I’ve got the last part of this verse double-underlined, “so walk in Him.” Some days I think I know exactly how to do so and other days I’m at a complete loss. I hope today is one of my some days and not my others. I hope the same for you. This, “so walk in Him,” is quite a directive and quite an accomplishment for those who have more some than other days. I guess we have to ask ourselves, “How? How do I walk in Christ? What does living a life like that look like?”

Perhaps questions like these will spur us to further study on the life Christ led in the flesh, how He walked, how He spoke and how He treated everyone He came in contact with. Someone pointed out that before He performed many of His miracles, the Scriptures say He had compassion for those He was about to touch or heal or feed. I think sometimes this is where we fail Him the most, we lack His compassion, ultimately, His love and so for many of us our other days far out number the some.

The problem with compassion is it overrides judgment, if we let it, that is. Our pastor informed us this week that we “just don’t even know,” what someone else has been through. Jesus did and He felt compassion for them. He knew their sins too, yet He still loved them. We just take one look at each other and place our labels where we think they fit and immediately we rid ourselves of compassionate, loving opportunities, of the ability to walk in Him. Let us strive therefore, to open our hearts before our mouths, perhaps even before our brains, so that we can walk in Him all days.


Hidden

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in

God.”Colossians 3:2-3 (ESV)

The first verse of this chapter reminds us, if we’re saved, that we’ve been raised with Christ. The verb is past tense and therefore means it’s already happened, we’ve been raised with Christ! If that doesn’t make you shout Hallelujah! I’m not sure what will. Of course, this is referring to Spiritual things as our fleshly bodies still inhabit the earth. However, verse two gives us an edict on the subject and that’s something so many of us miss out on. We’re told to set our minds on things above not on earth, yet daily our eyes and thoughts have a tendency to focus on the struggles here.

Tony Evans teaches that the problems we experience on earth are really the fruit of the Spiritual battles going on in Heavenly places, but he says, we have a tendency to think those troubles are the root. You see, if we focused on the root, if we set our minds on things above, then the fruit down here would change. I’m sure you’re wondering, “How in the world do I focus on things above, which I cannot see, when things that are visible around me are so bad?”

First, if you’re thinking like the world, you can’t. Secondly, you have to remember your true location, verse one –raised with Christ, and that’s why we included verse three in today’s reading – your life is hidden WITH Christ IN God. If we can come to a level of maturity in our Faith in which we realize that we’re hidden, protected, guarded with Christ IN God, the Most High, the Almighty, the Great I AM, and begin to live from our true home, nothing on this earth can touch us. May we begin to retrain our minds and set them on home and Him.


Free Salvation has a Cost

“For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in Him but also suffer for His sake.”

Philippians 1:29 (ESV)

We love the “if it’s free, it’s for me,” side of Faith, the unmerited favor we find in Christ’s redeeming blood, Grace. We love that bathing and cleansing away of our most horrific sins. Indeed, that’s typically the reason we respond to His calling. However, free salvation does have a cost if you’re really going to live like Christ. He told us, Himself, that in this world we would have tribulation, or suffering, and Paul reminds us that we should suffer for His sake.

Perhaps we should take note of the fifth word in this verse, granted. No doubt most people wouldn’t look at suffering as something of a gift, but that’s how believers must envision it. Think about it, when we hear the word granted, I suspect the first sentence relating to the word that pops into our heads is, “Your wish has been granted.” It’s been given to you, a gift, a desire made tangible.

So it is with suffering for the believer. I know, it’s a hard concept to wrap your head around, but look at what He did for you! Have you any right to complain about hardships that come your way? Besides, any time we suffer for His sake, are mistreated because we truly live the name we bear, Christian, the Scriptures tell us we will be rewarded.

So, suffering is a gift in that the patient endurance therein is storing up for us treasures where moth and rust cannot destroy. I think we often feel sorry for our Spiritual siblings around the world who are imprisoned and tortured for their Faith, but in truth, they feel bad for us because we’re not reaping the rewards they are. Suffering for His sake is a good thing, smile about it when it’s granted you.


Quit Givin’ him the Stick!

“And give no opportunity to the devil.”Ephesians 4:27 (ESV)

Oh that we’d embrace that verse! How many times, daily, do we indeed give the enemy the opportunity to pollute our thoughts, words and actions? Quick, go to Colossians 2:15, in that verse we discover that the rulers and authorities have been disarmed and put to shame, thanks to Christ’s sacrifice (2:14).

I wanted you to see that before we moved forward because we all too frequently give the enemy more credit and power than he actually has. The fact is, he’s been defeated, he’s been disarmed. From a Scriptural and Spiritual perspective he truly has no power over us, that’s why Paul tells us not to give him an opportunity.

Tony Evans puts it this way: we give him the stick to beat us with. If we’d utilize the armor we’ve been given: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of readiness provided by the Gospel of Peace, the shield of Faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (Eph, 6:14-17) we’d be a whole lot better off. Instead, we allow ourselves to get angry and sin (4:26) and we still allow lies to glide from our frequently serpentine tongues (4:25).

We need to control four things: thoughts, words, emotions and actions. Here’s the secret though, if you can master your thoughts and emotions, then you’ll also rule over your words and actions as they’re direct results of the first two. Thoughts and emotions are the enemy’s playground, that’s where he plants his deceits and stirs us up to sin. We can’t continue to grant him access to those two arenas if we’ve any hope of walking and living Christ to those around us.

I’ve recently begun singing, “Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus…” in my mind whenever I take note of its proclivity to wander. The Name alone reminds the enemy he has no weaponry and in resisting him, he has to flee. Try it, you might like it.


Prayer is not a Magic Lamp

“And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

Matthew 21:22 (ESV)

No doubt we want to shout, “Woohoo!” to that verse. Perhaps if God were a genie or a fairy godmother then our “Woohoo’s” would be warranted. Thankfully, He’s infinitely greater and Holier than such mythical creations. His reality protects us from ourselves. You see, the prosperity preachers out there would utilize this verse to affirm your prayers for a Volvo XC90 (the car I’d personally love to have, although a used one would serve my needs better than the brand new $45,000 one), a winning lottery ticket and a 3000+ square foot home. Sure, a genie would grant such a request, but taking such worldly desires to the foot of the throne of the Most High God, really? I’m not saying that the Father doesn’t bless us in extraordinary ways, under extraordinary circumstances, what I am saying is I don’t believe Jesus meant for us to use prayer like a magic lamp.

I find it quite interesting that this verse happens after Jesus curses a fig tree that is fruitless. His disciples desire that same power and He tells them they’ll be able to do that and throw mountains into the sea; both these things seem destructive. So, when He says they can ask in prayer and receive through faith, I have to wonder what exactly he meant? I can tell you that we’re to pray in the Spirit and since things of the world are at enmity with the Spirit we shouldn’t think He meant those kinds of prayers at all. I suppose what I’m trying to say is that if we truly are praying in the Spirit then we’ll only be asking for things God wants us to have and thusly there should be no doubt about receiving them. After all, God’s got great stuff in store for us if we’ll let His Spirit lead our desires.


Do What You Know

“And he answered them, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the Kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been

given.”Matthew 13:11 (ESV)

Ever wonder why people think it’s hard to understand the Bible? Well, Jesus answers that question here, to them it has not been given. He’s answering His disciples question about why He spoke in parables. He’s just finished the parable about the sower and the places the seeds fell (v. 3-9). Perhaps this is a parable you’ve spent time considering. I know I have and I can tell you that in the beginning of my walk I must have fallen among the thorns because I definitely got choked out of my faith for quite a long time. I’m thankful though that Jesus can remove the world’s thorns and I pray that I’m blooming in the good soil now and even if I only produce thirty heads of grain, I’m honored to be out of the thorns!

That said, when we are born again, the Word tells us that we’re sealed with the Holy Spirit and that He will help us understand all things. This is what Jesus means about being given the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, the disciples had Him to illumine them with regards to His parables and when He ascended, He sent His Spirit to continue their education. If we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us then He will open our eyes to the secrets of the Kingdom found in His Word. There will still be things written that seem incomprehensible to us, but we’re told that if we ask for wisdom He’ll give that to us. He wants us to know Him, to understand His Word and live it. Remember though, to whom much is given, much is required. You can’t just read and understand and leave it at that, you have to do what you know.


Little Things, Big Impact

“But Jehoshaphat said, ‘Is there not here another prophet of the Lord whom we may inquire?”

2 Chronicles 18:6 (ESV)

Ahab wanted to fight Ramoth-gilead and he wanted Jehoshaphat to join him (v. 3), but Jehoshaphat wanted to make sure God supported the endeavor so he asked Ahab to inquire of the Lord (v. 4). Instead, Ahab summoned his own prophets, four hundred of them, and they told him what he wanted to hear (v. 5). How many of us are like Ahab in our pursuits? We know better than to chase after things without God’s approval and yet, when we want something, or want to do something, we ask our friends first, we call our own prophets so to speak, and as friends often do, they tell us what we want to hear. Some are simply people-pleasers and others ignorantly strive to be supportive. Regardless the motivation, a lying spirit entices us through them (v. 22).

There are instances in our lives when we choose not to inquire of the Lord because we know He won’t support our goals (v. 7) however, there are other times in which we feel that the thing we desire is not important enough to ask God about, it’s a ‘little thing,’ a choice we feel we can make of our own accord. This is not the way we should live though. Joyce Meyer said once, “If you’re going to the grocery store, go with God.” You see, it’s those little things, or the ones we deem little, that have a tendency to greatly impact our lives and those around us. Obviously going to war wasn’t a little matter, but neither are your finances, your employment, or raising your children. We must place our whole lives in the Father’s hands and ask Him about each and every decision, no matter our perception of its value.


Aligned with the Almighty

“For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.”

Jeremiah 31:25 (ESV)

Hallelujah! Oh weary soul, no matter how desperately you just want to crawl up in a corner and hide, or cry, take note of this verse. I can’t tell you how trying life appears right now, to me, maybe you’re feeling the same oppressive weight of worldly burdens, the rent/mortgage, the electric/water, the car and its insurance, struggling in your marriage or having difficulty with your children. Perhaps you’re single and you feel like all joy is drained from you as you battle this heinous flesh seemingly alone. Our deserts can seem so insurmountable and every glimmer of hope proves to be a mirage, yet, there is indeed hope!

I think one of the greatest things about serving the Most High God is the fact that He always tells the truth. Jeremiah was a prophet and he saw all the pains that would befall Israel and God’s people but he also saw God’s promises of provision and restoration. Our King, the One who loves us and places us specifically where we are, Whose hand is upon us, will satisfy and replenish us and Jesus said, He will give us rest.

Do you understand that you are aligned with, and have been chosen to serve, the Almighty? He’s incredible, His power toward us is incomprehensible and His love for us is immeasurable; so why doubt Him? As hard as it is to hear and even harder to do, keep trudging on, endure, persevere for there is great reward, satisfaction, replenishing and rest when by His might you overcome. The power is in you, if He is!


Don’t Get Judged

“Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold the Judge is standing at the door.”

James 5:9 (ESV)

Ah, that wicked tongue! We unleash it before we’ve given a thought to the evil that is about to spew forth. “Well, so and so, was supposed to show up for nursery duty but she didn’t so teenagers had to watch our children, can you believe it?” or “When my husband was sick, that pastor never came to visit…” or “What has she got on?” We grumble about each other, to each other, constantly. What’s interesting about James’ choice of words here is that he doesn’t tell us not to grumble because we’re being judgmental (though indeed we are – why didn’t we watch the kids, go visit the sick man, or look at ourselves in the mirror?) Rather he says not to grumble so that we don’t get judged.

Here’s the thing: people, both believers and non, are listening to us and watching us wherever we go. When they hear us speaking negatively about one another we set them up to stumble because we’re enticing them to judge our behavior as hypocritical and equally judgmental. It’s so easy to fall victim, not only to a malicious gossiping tongue, but to playing the role of judge. I think perhaps that’s why we’re so frequently called to be humble. Realizing your own vile wretchedness, your own filthy-rag worm-hood, and choosing to live from your truly loathsome state removes your ability to think more of yourself than you ought. After all, that’s the root of a judging and gossiping spirit, pride in your self-elevated prudence and righteousness. James reminds us though, that the One true Judge is at the door; no doubt he wanted us to visualize the fact that the King hears all, and you certainly don’t want to face Him as Judge.


Praise Him in Church and Everywhere Else!

“The people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.”

Isaiah 43:21 (ESV)

Intellectually we know the verses about the King being the Potter and about how He knit us together in our mother’s womb. I don’t think that we truly embrace this concept though, yes we can tell each other that we were fearfully and wonderfully made, but how wonderful do we feel in our size 18 pants and our extra large shirts? How wonderful do we feel with our black heads, white heads, and gray heads for that matter? Surely we don’t feel so special when everything seems stacked against us, when our backs are against the wall, when creditors plague our phones and people ridicule us. We can undoubtedly find a multitude of reasons not to feel special to our King and those reasons prevent us from doing what He designed us to do, declare His praise.

The enemy wants to put you in the gale, beat you with the tempest, place an onslaught of trials on you because he does not want you to praise your Maker. However, God told Isaiah that He formed us for Himself so that we could let the world know just how incredibly Awesome He is. The sad thing I see is that even in the church building on a Sunday morning, in the midst of corporate praise, people stand unmoved or just mouth the words to the praise music. I have to assume (as bad as that is) that if you can’t praise Him when so many others around you are, then you certainly aren’t praising Him anywhere else. It’s easy to lift up your voice and hands when others are, but what about in the secular world? Start really praising Him in church and you’ll find His strength to praise Him everywhere else!


Compared to a Dog…

“Then Jesus answered her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed

instantly.”Matthew 15:28 (ESV)

There are two things I desperately desire to hear from my King when I’m given the honor of falling on my face at His feet. Amazing how believers can find falling on our faces an honor, isn’t it? But I digress. The one thing most frequently quoted is, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” Knowing myself, and the vile and wretchedly heinous paths I’ve walked, it’s certainly hard for me to imagine the Perfect One, Christ, speaking such words to me, but oh, how I long to hear them anyway! This verse is of course the other of the two.

I guess it’s pretty amazing to me because when we read the things Jesus said and did to her initially and we see how the disciples responded to her, we wonder why she pressed on. Seriously, let’s take a look, shall we? She asks Him for mercy (v. 22) and He pretty much ignores her, the Scripture says He didn’t answer her at all (v. 23) and in the same verse His disciples tell Him to send her away, “get rid of her,” basically. Then in verse 24, He tells her that He’s not there for her people, only Israel. But she persists in verse 25 and kneels before Him asking for help.

Here’s the kicker, in verse 26, He compares her to a dog! Most of us would have other choice words for anyone choosing such a demeaning description. However, this was Jesus, she certainly knew in her heart who He was and thusly accepted that lowly classification and told Him she’d take the crumbs (v.27).

I think what we see here is that her humility, and perhaps even humiliation, proved her Faith and the Messiah ultimately rewarded her for it. We need that humble spirit of Faith to hear such words from Him.


Church Face

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil, hold fast to what is good.”

Romans 12:9 (ESV)

Man, the first part of that verse is quite convicting. A woman came up to me one day and told me how sweet and well-behaved my one year old daughter is. I jokingly responded, “That’s her church face.” While we both laughed at the concept, my husband failed to find the humor in it. Maybe that’s because men don’t typically feel the need to smile at everyone in the church building, they can maintain their composure without others wondering what’s wrong with them. Women on the other hand…well, if we walked into church wearing the face that matched our hearts or our thoughts, I feel relatively certain there’d be a lot less visible pearly whites.

This brings me to the convicting aspect of this verse. I think it’s pretty easy to put on our church faces out of habit or perceived necessity, and though guilty of it myself, that doesn’t mean I’m condoning it, I think all the fakeness is abhorrent, but that’s not really the point, here’s what I want us to examine: If we threw away the church face on Sunday, how many of our “what’s wrong?” and “are you ok?” or “can I do anything to help?” questioners would be doing so out of genuine love for us and not nosiness? People like to get the scoop, just like reporters, so that they can be the first to break the story (gossip) to everyone else.

No doubt there are a few people that ask out of genuine love and compassion, but the real question then is, would we be one of them if someone else dropped the church face? Do we really and truly have love for one another? Are we willing to sacrifice time, energy, money, emotion, for the sake of helping our brothers and sisters? We need to ask ourselves, before we chat someone up, “Is my love genuine?” If not, keep your mouth shut, smile and nod.


Naked?

“And they all left Him and fled.”Mark 14:50 (ESV)

I think this is perhaps the saddest verse in the whole Bible. I’ve had some friends dis me, for various reasons, and I know the pain I experienced upon their departure. Surely you’ve had people leave you as well and thusly you can, at least on some level, relate. However, there’s a massive difference. No matter how nice we were to those fleeing friends, we could never grasp the level of sacrifice Christ made. He came here, chose the twelve, knowing one would betray Him and the others would leave Him and yet, He still sacrificed Himself to provide them with the opportunity for eternal life, for salvation.

If you read on, Mark describes a half-dressed man who’d been following Him and that guy wants to get away from Christ so fast that he leaves his linen cloth behind. He’d rather be naked than seized with Jesus. How many of us are in the same category? This may sound gruesome, but when I returned to the Faith, I found it necessary to check my spirit, to check my resolve. I asked myself, “If I had the choice to deny Christ or watch my child be tortured and then be killed/tortured myself, what would I do?” Things like this are happening around the world, people! Some are running naked from the Faith and others are persevering and enduring to the end.

While it appears there’s a choice, the true believer will have to say, “I have no choice, I cannot deny my Savior. My Faith and my God will protect my child and welcome us home.” I’ve questioned others who claim the Faith, providing them with the aforementioned scenario and mostly I get, “I don’t know what I’d do.” If that’s your answer this day, please, please, please examine your heart, your Faith, and the Father’s might. Resolve not to flee, no matter the circumstances. Set your mind on finishing the race.


This is not a Point System!

“For being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness

to everyone who believes.”Romans 10:3-4 (ESV)

As it was then with the Jews, so it is now with the world as a whole. What I mean is that people are still seeking to establish their own righteousness. I had a friend who’d been raised Catholic but married an agnostic and soon adopted his belief system which basically borders on atheism except for the fact he’s an intellectual and realizes he can’t claim there is no God because he can’t prove it. Anyway, I spent many hours talking to him about Faith and as most scientific brains, he said he needed a sign but then he quickly admitted that even if he was the only one to survive a plane crash he probably wouldn’t believe in God. To continue, by ways of worldly comprehension, they would fall under the “good people” category. They’ve fostered and adopted children, she teaches hospital-home-bound kids and he’s an environmentalist seeking to save turtles and the like. They’re both very nice and generous and all the things we ascribe to the “good” category, but they’re missing the boat.

She told me once that Jesus was a great guy. I tried to tell her that the truth is He was either a lunatic and a liar, or the Messiah, but not a great guy. His family thought He was crazy and He claimed to be the Son of God. Her response to this refute both shocked and deeply saddened me. She said, “I hope you’re right, Ginny.” The problem of course is that I am right, and she’s lost! I know she thinks she’s racking up points onto her get into heaven card based on her “good works,” but that’s just not the way it is. She hasn’t submitted to God’s righteousness, or Christ. Pray for her and everyone who’s seeking their own righteousness and not His!


Marionette Flesh

“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is

the Son of God?”1 John 5:4-5 (ESV)

Wow! Did you see that? John tells us that we overcome the world! Notice the use of the word has in the second sentence. That’s present perfect tense – basically, it expresses a past event that has present consequences – meaning it is done, our Faith has overcome the world. Oh, my Spiritual siblings! We daily live from a position of struggle and often even with a defeatist attitude, this should not be. When we allow the world to convince us that it’s beating us down, that it’s going to overtake and crush us, we deny the TRUTH; we give opportunity to the devil. Why oh why do we allow ourselves to fall victim to the enemy’s lies? He has no power, he has no strength, he’s already defeated and yet he craftily deceives us and makes us think it’s the other way around.

Paul tells us that we’ve put on Christ, that means we’re truly His hands and feet and heart on this planet, but it also means we’re victorious and more than conquerors! The more I read and reread the Word, the more I’m prompted to live a life of abandon and by this I mean to focus on heavenly things above, to start to care less and less about what’s going on in my physical, fleshly life. We’re told we’ve been justified, and glorified. This too is past tense if you read the verse in Romans 8:30. We are heirs with Christ, we’re seated with Him, we need to begin to think like and live like Him – realize this body is little more than a marionette that your Spiritual, heavenly self, has the ability to beat into submission. Let us move towards Spiritual control of the flesh then instead of just trying to scrape by on a meager worldly existence. Our Father owns all; He’s allowed us to clothe ourselves in Christ and has given us all Spiritual gifts so that we might do the good works He’s planned for us. Let’s live from a position of victory because it’s ours!


Spiritual Pollution

“But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.”

Matthew 13:16 (ESV)

We take for granted this blessing. When the King chose us, when the Son saved us, and when the Spirit sealed us, we were gifted with new eyes and new ears (and new life). People, we’ve been granted the ability to read the Word of God and comprehend it! This means that we can allow the Living Word, the Living Water, to speak to and nourish us. Here’s where we screw up, we don’t read it; we don’t satisfy our hearts, minds and lives by spending time at His fountain. No, instead we drink in the world, we ingest TV, facebook, craigslist and eBay and thusly we remain hungry and thirsty and all the ads that inundate us with greed and envy and covetousness and lust pollute our vision, deafen our ears. Amazingly we have the audacity to wonder why God doesn’t speak to us, why we don’t hear Him or see Him working in our lives.

Ya know, gifts are great, they come in pretty little packages but they’re of no use to us unless we open them. The Bible, the TRUE Word of the Most High God, comes in many shapes and sizes and translations, for that matter, but regardless how delightful the cover, or the app, it’s of little use to us if we don’t open it. Oh dear ones, why walk around blind in a land full of snares and traps when the Light has empowered you to see and be victorious? The first gift is salvation by the blood of the Lamb, but there are multitudes more if you’ll but utilize your eyes and ears daily. We must be in His Word so that His Word will be in us. Get your Bible and start reading it!


The Battle is the Lord’s

“And he said, ‘Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat; Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s.”

2 Chronicles 20:15 (ESV)

First, let’s consider this in context, Judah was about to be attacked by the Moabites, Ammonites and some Meunites (v. 1). Apparently this horde was too big for Judah (v. 12). If we go back a bit we find that two things happened with King Jehoshaphat upon hearing this news, first he was afraid and then he determined to seek God, he also proclaimed a fast but I believe that’s part of seeking God (v. 3). He prayed and God answered through Jahaziel (v. 14). Thusly we arrive at verse 15 which proclaims that the battle belongs to God. The following verses tell the people what God wants them to do: 1) Go down against them. 2) You don’t need to fight. 3) Stand firm. 4) Hold your position. 5) Watch God save you (v. 16-17).

I was reticent to write about this verse because I wasn’t sure I could say to you, the battle is the Lord’s. Yet, if we’ve put on Christ, if all power is from Him and we’re walking in Him, I think we can ascertain that He fights our battles. Paul tells us what armor to put on just as Jahaziel told the people how to confront their enemies. There’s a break down in our walks though, we fear (like Jehoshaphat), but we don’t immediately seek God. That obviously limits our ability in the midst of troubles, but there’s more to it. We have a tendency to run from or avoid the battles instead of going down against them. Or we try to battle things on our own with lawyers, money or friends. And, on top of that, our Faith wavers; we don’t stand firm and hold our positions. How then can we watch our King deliver us? We must remember that like Judah, we’re already standing in the position of victory. However, we must face things and remain standing and then we’ll have the joy of watching our Redeemer fight on our behalf. By the way, read verses 23-25 to find out what God did to Judah’s enemies and how He further blessed them.


God vs. the ACLU

“And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more He charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.”

Mark 7:36 (ESV)

This isn’t the only Scripture that shows Jesus telling those He’s healed and transformed, not to tell anyone about what He’d done. It’s also not the only verse that shows people couldn’t keep their mouths closed. What amazes me here, what just reached out and grabbed me, is that even Jesus couldn’t convince people not to talk about Him, not to tell of His wonderful works. Why then do we allow those in the world to stifle our testimonies, our proclamations of the Messiah’s greatness? I know, it’s easy for me to say such things as I don’t have a job in which sharing the Word could get me fired. However, I also know that my God has more power than any boss or the likes of the ACLU.

For the last two years I spent in the classroom, I did not hide my Faith from my students. We had Faith based debates, my atheist and muslim students argued their points and I taught the fruits of the Spirit to them as well. Could I have lost my job? Yes, absolutely, but I didn’t get in trouble, not once, for any of those things. The years I should have had a millstone tied around my neck and been thrown into the sea, well, I got in trouble a lot. The point is, if Jesus’ charge didn’t prevent people from telling everyone about Him, why do we allow company policy, separation of church and state, and just plain ole fear, to do that to us?

Peter and John were told not to proclaim Christ, they were imprisoned for it, but the day they got out of jail, what did they do? Praise God for all to hear! We need to do the same thing, tell everyone, give an explanation for our hope, share eternity, open eyes and set the captives free. Jesus doesn’t want us to keep Him a secret anymore!


Yet…

“Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”

Habakkuk 3:18 (ESV)

I’ve read, and written about, this verse several times and yet every time I encounter it I’m amazed. The most important word to note in Habakkuk’s declaration is, yet. If you’ll join me by going up to verse 17 in your Bible, you’ll see what I mean. The yet here implies, in spite of all terrible things (Habakkuk’s examples focus on no food); I will be thrilled by the Most High.

Thankfully, Jesus tells us that there are two things we can count on having, food and clothes, look at His statements about the birds and the lilies. Habakkuk lived in a time when that certainty wasn’t provided and yet he determined that he’d find his joy and celebration in the God of his salvation. This astounds me because we allow ourselves to lose sight of that joy when the smallest troubles arise.

I know that things in the US, and all over the world, quite frankly, look pretty grim. We’re facing a presidential election in which the choices appear, at least to me, quite dismal. Add to that the housing market’s plummet, the escalation in food prices and gas and the large number of Americans who are unemployed (or are not gainfully employed) and it would seem there’s cause for disappointment and discouragement, not joy and celebration. Indeed, if we let our earthly conditions and circumstances affect our Spiritual and emotional positions, we’ll become quite downtrodden.

Let us consider though, Habakkuk’s situation. He loved his Father enough to tell Him, “I’ll be thrilled by You even if there’s no food.” Why could he say that with certainty while we waver even though there’s food in the pantry? The answer is found in the beginning of verse 19, “God, the Lord, is my strength…” When we depend on ourselves, our ingenuity or intellect, we easily falter at the first signs of hardship. Yet, if we will embrace our Maker and realize He’s our strength, we’ll find joy in all sorrows.


Victims“If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold

forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”John 20:23 (ESV)

Not too many people talk about this verse, but I’m sure there are people whom have read it and thought, “Oh good! I don’t have to forgive my friend’s dad for trying to rape me!” or, “I don’t have to forgive the drunk driver who killed my child,” or whatever other heinous things they might have endured at the hands of other people. I can understand how a verse like that would bring a victim comfort. Truly, I can, but it shouldn’t. Maybe you weren’t expecting that. Well, let me explain…

At some point in your life, you have victimized someone else. I’m sure a good number of people will take offense to that statement but come, let us reason together. Maybe you never abused, beat or killed anyone, maybe you never robbed or raped, but I feel with all certainty that at some point in your life you victimized someone with your tongue. That someone may have been your parent, sibling, spouse, child or friend, or perhaps it was a bill collector, or the person who rear-ended you at a red light. Now, let’s suppose that your victim reads this verse and finds comfort in it about you?! I hope you’re starting to get the picture.

There are many things we endure, and perpetrate, in this life that seem justifiable in the realm of unforgiveness. People are incredibly well equipped to hold grudges. Yet, our Savior, the One who was mocked, spit upon, scourged and nailed to a cross, persevered through all those horrific tortures for the sake of offering us forgiveness. Here’s something to think about: when He says, “Whatever you do to the least of these you do to me,” He might very well have been including the bad stuff. It’s my sin, your sin, your abuser’s and your victim’s sins, that nailed Him to that cross, but it’s His love for us that kept Him there. Can we really choose not to forgive someone else when Christ’s actions show He did? I don’t know about you, but I’m in no position to play judge and after all the terrible things I’ve done, I’d better forgive everybody and hope they do the same for me. What about you?


How’s Your Spiritual Walk?“Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,

singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart.”Ephesians 5:19 (ESV)

I remember quite vividly the first time I read this verse. I remember thinking, “that’s what I want to do!” I wanted to talk to other people in psalms, meaning I wanted to discuss His Word in every conversation I had, even with people who were unfamiliar with Scripture. And to be quite honest, I did. I made a lot of people uncomfortable and even had some stop talking to me. I think that there’s a point to be made in the verse, Paul is speaking to believers and instructing them on the way in which to walk with one another. There are other verses that tell us that our conversations should be seasoned with salt but that we should also be full of understanding and compassion when dealing with outsiders.

When your Faith is reignited, or set on fire for the first time, you can’t help but broadcast it. But, not everyone wants to hear it and thusly we have to hone our discernment skills in every situation (why throw pearls to pigs?). All that said, though, I want to give those of you reading this a little push: speak to other believers in psalms, in His Word. I’ve attended Bible studies in which “believers” have neglected verse 29 (look it up) and spent inordinate amounts of time slandering and gossiping about others. I’ve attended churches and overheard conversations that focused solely on baseball, the weather and how to make pickles. Where are the psalms and Spiritual songs? I’m not going to lie, I am disheartened by the lack of depth, the lack of Spiritual maturity I’ve found therein (not that I am super wise or anything).

So, the next time you’re at church, small group, or Bible study and the conversation veers, take a stand, redirect your fellow participants. Instead of asking your friend how the family is, ask her how her Spiritual walk is going. I’ve found the answers to that question to be pretty sad. Answers like “stagnant” and “stale” seem to be the norm, but at least an honest answer gives you something to pray about and apply psalms and Spiritual songs to. Besides, it’s a lot better than complaints about husbands and kids.


We’re No Joshua

“There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord obeyed the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel.”

Joshua 10:14 (ESV)

If you’ll read this story (chapter 10), I think you’ll be shocked by what occurred. Joshua told the sun and moon to stand still and they did (v. 12-13). Verse 14 tells us that such a thing as God obeying the voice of a man had never happened before or since. I’m sure you’re wondering what the point is and so I’ll tell you. What makes us think we can use our prayers to tell God what to do? I’ll give you a personal example. I’m praying for the Father to bring someone to buy our piece of property, immediately. In my mind, it’s an immediate need, but well I know the Savior’s prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, “let this cup pass from me, not my will but Yours be done.” That prayer hit me when I first started praying for immediacy. You see, I can’t make God act and I certainly can’t profess to know what’s better for our family than He does. So, though I still pray for its immediate sale, I also add, if it’s Your will.

I think sometimes God answers our prayers just as we ask them, but the circumstances that bring about those answers turn out to be quite undesirable. For instance, imagine fervently praying to lose 10lbs in a week and getting the result via food poisoning. Did God will you to be ill? No, but you weren’t concerned about His will in your prayer either, you just wanted to shed the pounds, and thusly He let you do so. I’m sure there are people that disagree with me here, but I truly believe we need to count the costs of those prayer requests we make and more importantly, we have to desire His will over weight loss and property sales. Jesus gave us the perfect example in this, and all things. Obviously, He wasn’t looking forward to the shame and pain He was about to endure but He wasn’t willing to put His comfort above the Most High’s purpose. You, and I, are not Joshua’s and even if we were, God has no plans to obey the voice of a man again. Therefore, submit yourself to Him, period.


For vs. With

“And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying

signs.”Mark 16:20 (ESV)

There’s something in this verse that just really stands out to me and that’s the part that says, “while the Lord worked with them…” I think we get convinced or persuaded to do things for God and though we may do things to the best of our ability we find that for and with are totally different. The first thing to note is that God is King of all, He has no need of us, He has no shortcoming or disability that requires us to do anything for Him. Certainly if the disciples had gone out and preached everywhere for Him their success would have been incredibly limited and so is ours, when you think about it.

Perhaps the first problem with for, is it puts a sense of pride in our hearts. We’ve accepted, on some level, the belief that we can offer help to the Most High God. So, the for God is a problem because inevitably our hearts get tripped up in the midst of it. Maybe one of the bigger problems therein is that we’ve been so trained to expect something in return, we do things for that expectation, even if it’s just a “thanks” we’re looking for.

However, if we do things with God that means He’s included, He’s an active participant and it keeps us from doing things He hasn’t planned for us. For instance, your gifts may be in service and thusly God is with you when you’re assisting others. Someone might ask you to teach and if you’re not careful you’ll think that’s a service you can do for God, when it’s not a talent He’s given you, so you’ll lose the with God as soon as you’re focused on for Him. Discern your steps, dear one!


Straighten up!

“Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is near.”

Luke 21:28 (ESV)

The NIV, NLT and NASB along with the ESV use the concept of standing or straightening up. However, the KJV says to look up. I found this odd so I researched it in Strong’s and discovered that the word for look in the KJV is anakuptō (an-ak-oop’-to) and it means to unbend or rise. While that might not clarify much, I found its figurative meaning to be quite interesting, it’s: be elated.

So what I see here, is Jesus describing the end times, (which, by the way, verse 20 tells us that when Jerusalem is surrounded by armies its desolation is near), and telling His disciples that when these things begin to take place they should be elated, look to Him and show great courage. Perhaps the coming of the Messiah evokes mixed emotions for you; I know it does for me. I think about the verse that says it’ll be the great and terrible day, and that one that tells us that we shouldn’t be too eager for it to come to pass because it’s going to be the worst times the earth has seen. These verses make me quite trepidacious. Certainly I long to see the Messiah in all His Glory, but some of the stuff that He says happens first, well, not so much.

I guess what I’m trying to say here is that we’ve been directed to straighten up, focus on Him, be courageous and get excited because He’s coming soon. I don’t know how up on the news you are and I don’t claim to know that much about it, myself. What I do know though, is Israel is losing its supporters and there are quite a few countries that’d be perfectly happy to put an end to it. So, dear ones, let us stay awake and more importantly, let us straighten up. Christ questioned, “When I return will I find faith?” How’s yours?


Not Just Prideful, Impulsive and Chicken: Peter

“But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

Luke 5:8 (ESV)

The first two Gospels don’t share this part of Peter’s story, so when you read this, I think it adds some compassion to your understanding of him. So many times we recall the, “when the cock crows,” aspect of Peter’s testimony. We’re taught by various preachers that Peter was prideful, “Even if all leave you, I never will,” that he was impulsive, chopping off the guard’s ear, and that on some level he was a chicken, he denied Christ three times. Yet, this phase of his initial recruitment gets over looked. Guess what, Peter was humbled by his first interaction with Christ. The Scriptures tell us that he was the first disciple to proclaim who Jesus was, but I think perhaps he knew from the very beginning because this verse tells us how painfully, get-down-on-his-knees, aware he was of his own wretchedness. He knew from the beginning that he had no right to even be near Christ.

When we first came to Faith in our Redeemer we knew the same thing. We realized we were sinful men and women. Our vile actions, thoughts and words condemned us and that’s why we said the “sinner’s prayer” (which by the way, you won’t find in the Bible). We got down and admitted, probably in tears, that we were unworthy to be loved, accepted and chosen by the Messiah. Unfortunately, the further along we get in our walks we lose sight of that truth and that’s where Peter found himself when he was prideful, impulsive and chicken. Let us never forget from whence we came, let us constantly make sure we’re humble enough not to judge anyone else who might be in need of our Savior. It’s grace that saved you, otherwise you’d burn. Never forget that!


A Little Schizophrenic

“But He would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”Luke 5:16 (ESV)

Prayer: the ability to boldly approach the throne, to petition God, to communicate with the Most High. Jesus, God in flesh, found much value in this interaction. Prayer was the only thing the disciples specifically asked Him to teach them. That in and of itself is mind blowing! I think maybe some of us would have liked to ask Him how to get a coin out of a fish’s mouth, or how to change water to wine (or Mt. Dew). But no, the disciples wanted Him to teach them how to pray because prayer is our direct link to the Father. Our failure to develop a consistent prayer life hinders us in every area of our lives.

Notice that Jesus went to desolate places, places where no one else was. Other verses tell us to go into our prayer closets and close the doors. We need to get alone with God. Paul tells us to pray without ceasing and thusly it’s important that we develop a running conversation in our minds throughout the day. However, there’s something else we need to do. I’ll tell you, I was always the silent, in my head, pray-er, but if we look at two things, we’ll see the import of praying out loud: 1) when Jesus taught the disciples how to pray He said, “say this,” and 2) when He was praying in the Garden, His prayers were recorded because they were heard.

I know that initially it feels a little schizophrenic, but man, there’s so much more power and it’s almost like the Spirit will take over your tongue and you won’t even remember what was said, but you’ll feel great afterwards. I wish I could explain this better but suffice it to say, if Christ got alone and prayed out loud to the Father, shouldn’t we follow His example? Try it!


Pig Out on Jesus

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will

give for the life of the world is my flesh.”John 6:51 (ESV)

Our preacher recently utilized this verse and verses 52-58 to discuss Communion. The big issue here is of course, Jesus’ statements about eating His flesh in order to have life eternal. I can totally understand why many of His followers thought this a hard concept to ingest (excuse the pun). In fact, the vivid imagery herein is anything but appealing. However, let us return to the beginning of John and thereby consider some things. John 1:1 says the Word existed from the beginning, was with God and was God. Then, John 1:4 says (among other things) the Word became flesh and lived with us. In other verses Jesus says if you abide in Me and My word abides in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you.

Ok, now that we’ve got all that in our minds, this is what came to me in my readings. It would appear to me that the Word sustains our Spiritual lives and thusly we should pig out on Jesus. I know that sounds a little irreverent, but if He is the Word made flesh and we’re supposed to eat that flesh to have life, it seems then, that we should be making sure we read the Word every day, that we eat from the Word consistently. I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed this about yourself or not, but it’s been made clear to me, that when I skip a day with regards to reading the Bible, I find myself speaking less to God that day and I’m infinitely more volatile with my children and other minor irritations. So, let us feed on our Savior by ingesting His Word every day. Kids don’t grow well if they’re not fed, fruit isn’t produced without nutrients. Our Spiritual lives are no different!


Want vs. Need

“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.”Psalm 23:1 (ESV)

Obviously this is quite a familiar verse, probably one of those that’s lost its meaning to us because we’ve heard it so frequently. Recently, at a Bible study group for stay-at-home-moms, one of the mothers brought it up as the verse that’s been highly relevant to her life. When I reread it, some things instantly stood out to me. First of all, I asked myself, “What does a shepherd do?” The answers flooded in: He protects his sheep; he feeds them, waters them and guides them. He trims their hooves and their hair for health and safety reasons, and with regards to their fur, he utilizes that for profit or his own purposes. “What about the sheep,” I wondered, “How do they live?” Well, they trust the shepherd, they don’t worry about possible wolves appearing tomorrow; they take one day at a time, follow him and rest in his provision. If God, then, is our Shepherd, that makes us the sheep and we’d probably do well to learn from them!

The next thing that happened, in the midst of discussing this verse with the other moms, was my curiosity towards the word want used here. We talk about the difference between want and need in the English language and thusly I’m sure this verse has been misconstrued by a number of name it and claim it, prosperity preachers. However, the word want used here, is the Hebrew word, châçêr (khaw-sare’) which means to lack. So, roughly restated, we shall not lack. That doesn’t mean we’re going to get all we want, but that we’ll have all we need. I know many times it appears that our needs aren’t being met and that could be for one of two reason, 1) we’ve confused need and want or 2) we’re not trusting the Shepherd so He’s letting us realize our own insufficiency. Let’s start allowing Him to Shepherd us, for real!


Anger is an Avalanche

“Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.”

Proverbs 14:29 (ESV)

Anger is an avalanche. I mean that, it starts at your peak, your head, and it tumbles down your body causing various other parts and appendages to join its downward charge. When we get angry it’s because we perceive things to be wrong, unfair, or just plain irritating. That irritant within creates the fall. Almost immediately our mouths and tongues join the cascade. Expletives, curses, accusations (or as Scripture puts in order…hostility, slander, gossip, conceit…2 Cor. 12:20) pour forth and anyone who happens upon our paths at that moment will suffer collateral damage.

Obviously it’s relatively easy to recognize the truth in this Proverb. In fact, it’s equally simple to grasp the concepts in the preceding paragraph. The problem though is our flesh has a tendency to exalt folly. For whatever reason, our tempers seem to be as difficult to tame as our tongues, in fact many times they appear to be stoked by the very same hellish fires.

No doubt we’ve all heard the psycho-babble about counting and taking deep breaths when we feel rage welling up within. Certainly these things can have a calming factor, but neither can be instituted without first capturing our thoughts. You see, in order to utilize these methodologies we have to first be cognizant of the fact we’re about to lose it, thusly we have to actively get a hold of our brains. That’s what Paul was talking about, I think. He wanted us to cognitively consider every thought, word and action and then make each obedient to Christ. So, to stop the avalanche, we have to recognize the source and take control.


Quit Listening for Thunder

“And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.”

1 Kings 19:12 (KJV)

The ESV says it was a low whisper, the NIV calls it a gentle whisper and the NASB says it was a gentle blowing. Whichever explanation speaks to you is fine with me, but I prefer a “still small voice,” namely because the still part implies a calm peace. I was in college when Stephen Curtis Chapman sang, “Are you waiting for thunder while He quietly whispers your name?” (Waiting for Lightning) That song had a big impact on me at the time because I felt like I really wanted God to thunder some directives at me. At the time I had no idea the words of the song were based on this part of Elijah’s story and perhaps it was my Scriptural ignorance that made the Father appear silent. Regardless the situation, I often find myself, eighteen or so years later, still wishing the Most High would boom some instructions my way.

I guess what’s interesting here is that in verse eleven the Lord passes by Elijah and in so doing, His wind tears up parts of the mountain, His earthquake shakes some things up and His fire comes through prior to the still small voice. When pieces of our lives fall apart, get shaken up or consumed, we’re real quick to think God’s telling us something, but if we’ll be like Elijah and endure those passing issues then when God speaks in that gentle whisper we’ll recognize His presence immediately, just like Elijah did in verse thirteen. I think our winds, earthquakes and fires are often just attention-getters and preparations for the King’s voice.

Oh Father, open our ears so that we’re attuned to Your gentle blowing and then enable us to obey as You lead. Amen!


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