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Lack of exposure to Truth leads to blindness…

Sep30

Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s consent.But even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So don’t be afraid therefore; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31 HCSB

The context of these verses reminds us that Jesus is about to send off his 12 disciples to go out on a mission to preach and heal. Knowing they will face hardship and suffering, Jesus highlights the tender care of God towards a sparrow. As His eye was on the Sparrow, even more was His eye on them. Too, He reminds them that since He is so aware of the number of hairs on their heads, then they need not be afraid. Jesus assures them that they are worth more than many sparrows. 

So off they went to face opposition, disappointment, persecution, and who knows what else, with confidence. They had experienced numerous events where Jesus revealed his power. They knew from experience that His words were powerful.

Then where does that leave us? We still have God’s word. We still have the verses from Matthew illustrating the depth and intensity of God’s care for us. And like the disciples, we have experienced evidence of God’s care over our lives. And where do we find such assurance, if not in the Bible? 

Individuals prone to sin as we are need a daily dose, a reminder, if you will, of God’s care. But if we don’t get that by reading the Bible regularly and spending time with God in prayer, what will be the end result? Well, I will tell you. We will futilely chase after worldly solutions attempting to resolve those trials, hardships, or suffering. And all the while, our solutions are but just a Biblical turning of the page away!

Without the solutions contained within the Bible, we won’t have the ammunition to fire back at the enemy. And he is so cleverly deceptive. We won’t even realize we are being manipulated, deceived, or distracted by his lies. We won’t realize we are being conformed to take on the world’s perspective. And as the lies are fired at us, we become desensitized to them. And doubts about God’s care for us will begin to take root. We will become fearful, doubtful. Goodness, I could go on and on with a list of Satan’s fiery darts he could choose with which to attack us!

Additionally, you see not only do we need to have consistent exposure to the Truths of God’s word, we must believe them! Obviously, the more exposure we have, then the stronger our faith will be. And not only that, our eyes will be opened to the details all around us that prove God is, in fact, taking care of us. It was just our lack of exposure to God’s truths that had resulted in our blindness.

Pulling back the curtain…

Sep9
Hand pulling back red curtain to reveal papers labeled LIES, FAKE NEWS, and MANIPULATION

As I watch a bit of news, I am aware of the push for Socialism and Communism to be accepted by the American people. Consider the clause, ‘endowed by their Creator’, from the Declaration of Independence. The two ideologies I mentioned previously, stand in stark contrast to such a pronouncement.

Nevertheless, the push is still on. It is believed by some that behind this push are wealthy individuals bent on advancing their agenda. Now, whether they are or are not, is not the purpose of this blog. My intention is to pull back the curtain and expose who is the unseen force behind these two ideologies (and for those pushing it). For in their framework, inherent rights are dished out by the government, not God.

Our inherent rights as human beings created in the image of God are endowed by our Creator/God! Guess who that makes angry? Yep, Satan! As Christians who understand the unholy war Satan has declared against God, we know that he would do anything to undermine God’s plan to redeem mankind. He will take every avenue available. One of those is to convince American individuals that our rights DO NOT come from God. Did you know that there are some political leaders who believe our rights come from the government? (Wonder when was the last time they read the Declaration of Independence!) Satan is making some headway, isn’t he.

His method, in this case, is to saturate the news reports with lies (that would be fiery darts that sound like truth to anyone ignorant of what God’s word or our founding documents say). By creating a void of Truth, he can manipulate us using human reasoning and false assumptions. For without God’s Scriptural truths, we have no basis on which to expose Satan’s cleverly designed lies.

Yet, when we do use the power of God’s word to pull back the curtain, Satan’s lies are exposed. Then we will be empowered to counter those lies with God’s truth. And remember, the more we know of God’s truth, our skill to recognize Satan’s lies increase.

Lamentations 3:22-24, 26 …my take

Aug26

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him.”

25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
    to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly
    for the salvation of the Lord.

The book of Lamentations, attributed to the prophet Jeremiah, was written following the destruction of of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. They were feeling the consequences of their disobedience. The city is in ruins, the people are in mourning, and the atmosphere is heavy with despair. (BTW, the word portion means inheritance)

The above verses remind us that our God is faithful. Even when our circumstances threaten to overwhelm us. However, God’s word reveals to us that with the dawn of every morning, we can begin anew. We just need to be reminded of these verses in Lamentations. Hope can be restored and with faith we can wait quietly for our God’s deliverance. Just seek Him and be at peace. The fiery darts of doubt, worry, fear, etc., can be thwarted.

Oh, trust me, it won’t be easy. It may take awhile to regain our footing after difficult circumstances. The fiery darts of the enemy can come in like a flood. Especially, in our weakened moment. That’s why God has given us the ammunition of the above truth thought to resist the enemy’s weapons. Every morning we rise and turn our focus towards Jeremiah’s words to the suffering. Then we put one foot in front of the other. We remind ourselves of who God is. That He is bigger than our disappointments, our fears, our sufferings, our trials, etc. No matter what the enemy throws at us to bring us down, he cannot defeat God. (In 1 John 4:4 the word them refers to false prophets and those spreading deceptive spiritual ideas against Christ)

Remember, even if we have to refresh our faith every morning with these verses, we must keep at it. The enemy doesn’t give up easily. But be reminded that he is a defeated foe and eventually, we can claim the victory for our God fights the enemy and wins.

The Bible and the Truths therein, are our most powerful weapon against the enemy. But if we don’t go to God’s Word, we won’t know that! Will we?

Accepting the good days and the bad days…

Aug12

I don’t mind growing old. Wrinkles, declining energy, increases in aches and pains that’s all a part of life. Though many make efforts to curb or slow down the aging process, it is a futile effort. A person is better off just accepting this and moving forward.

Yet there is an aspect of growing old, that I find difficult to accept. Two aspects actually. I find it an exercise in frustration accepting the refusal of my body to tackle the tasks of cleaning and maintaining my home. (so does my husband) But the loneliness is perhaps the hardest. My husband and I have four married children. They have blessed us with ten grandchildren who range in age from eleven to twenty-two. They are scattered in various states and continents. Needless to say, visits are minimal.

Therefore, a verse like Psalm 118:24, doesn’t at first glance find a place to settle in my thoughts. Especially, when I am rambling about in a house built for a family of six. A house that has enveloped twenty of us on occasions!

Yet, I know that if I fail to reframe my focus, I will become a vulnerable target for the enemy’s fiery darts. How do I avoid this? God’s truth thoughts found within the pages of Scripture provide the answer. So I return to Psalm 118:24 for a deeper dive.

After a bit of study, it was revealed to me that the meaning of this verse doesn’t imply that even in the midst of trials we must be jumping for joy. While there are somedays that give cause to a celebratory mood, not every day will be like that. So in the difficult days or in times of trials we must frame our focus on the fact that God made that day.

So, in those difficult days, we remind ourselves that it is a day God has given to us. Though it may be heavy, God is there in that day. He has not forsaken us. Even in the midst of those kind of days, there are small gifts from God to comfort us. Look for them. They will be your solace.

Accepting the day God has given us, no matter what it may bring – good or bad, will produce the perspective that will sustain us. And that is cause to rejoice and be glad.

Philippians 4:6-7, My take…

Jul1
mountainside praying at sunrise
Saying thanks even when we don’t feel like it!

I have a one hour drive to the small country church where my husband pastors. The routine is he leaves before me and I drive in about an hour and half later. The larger portions of my journey are down a rural highway. So mostly I get to enjoy the displays of the four seasons whose star attraction is the stately trees.

Since the drive is somewhat lengthy, I habitually plug in my phone to a music app and select “Contemporary Christian Bands.” Since I am the sole listener, I get to pay attention to the words. And I pay attention because God is always faithful to whisper truths I need to be reminded of.

With grandchildren growing up and out, I just don’t get to enjoy their companionship as I use to. And because my kids either live too far away or a busy life prevents visits, their company is lacking as well. It’s hard to adjust to my solemn days. And I have to confess, lonely. My husband is a big help for having to do for him, keeps my mind occupied. But as a mom and grandmother, I find that the temptation to worry increases as the time between visits decreases.

Thus on the trip to church last Sunday God directed me to do something I hadn’t really done before. He charged me to evaluate the inner voice that was reminding me of the declining moments of memory making with my children and grans. To ask myself what was that inner voice trying to accomplish by reminding me of my sadness. I thought I was just pondering these sad thoughts in an attempt to try an understanding my aching heart.

While listening to a variety of songs I was reminded of God’s question. And I began noticing something. The words in the songs, reflected God’s faithfulness, mercy, compassion, and, yes, blessings even in difficult days. But that didn’t match up with the dialog in my head. So obviously, it wasn’t that I needed to have a better understanding of my troubles. The whisperings I was getting from God was ‘change the record.’

The point God was making was beginning to sink in. The feelings of sadness (feeling sorry for myself) were not prompted by God. With His encouragement, I now evaluate those thoughts as to their origin. And, as to their purpose. The answer is pretty obvious.

All I have to do to thwart the enemy’s attacks is to thank God for this season of my life. Children grow up and often move away. But God doesn’t run out of ideas for our lives when our house grows quiet and empty. Turning to Him in anticipation of what’s next will reveal new things to be thankful for. By allowing an attitude of thanksgiving to rule my thoughts. I will know peace. Not worry. Not sadness. Not loneliness. But a new appreciation for the changes God is making in my life.

Turn my eyes…Psalm 119:37

Jun17
Family of five sitting on a couch using various digital devices including smartphones, a tablet, and a handheld console

Turn my eyes
from looking at what is worthless;
give me life in Your ways. Psalm 119:37 HCSB

When my grans were younger I had the extreme pleasure of interacting with them often. Goodness that was fun. But I digress! I would remind them that I prayed for them whenever they came to my mind. Often, God would give me a verse that zeroed in on their needs. Praying for my own 4 (their parents, of course) gave me the foundation for how to pray. And as time refined my prayer effort, I learned that praying Scripture that applied to a need strengthened my prayers.

Psalm 119:37 addresses the need we have as parents and adults to deal with the digital crises of today. Why, most children today learned to tap a screen before they learned to read! Parents, unaware that they were loosing their own creative power to model desirable behavior, handed their toddlers a device to keep them occupied. Not only did the power to train their children toward good behavior suffer loss, their children became addicted to the pull of the digital screen. And guess what, those children are now adults and they are suffering from the same addiction.

I’m not blogging about something you are not aware of. But while we are beginning to sit up and take notice, what are we doing about it? Well, one thing we have got to grasp is the fact that too much screen time is a gateway to temptation. It’s kinda like opening Pandora’s box. For not just for children, but for adults as well.

But you know what? It’s not only digital screens that provide a gateway to temptation. What about the shows we watch on tv or movies or music videos? What about our reading material? And then again, while the danger may not be in what we are looking at necessarily, what about the time we spend looking at it? What about that inner voice that questions us about the time we are spending on screens?When we gain the momentum to turn away from the worthless distractions (just go ahead and label these fiery darts) of the enemy, we need the protective power of God’s wisdom to know what to turn to.

Christian parents and/or adults take heed. The Bible speaks to this directly. How are we going to be able to identify what is worthless? We start with anything that contradicts Scripture. Obviously, it’s up to us to become familiar enough with God’s word in order to recognize the contradictions. Then in identifying the contradictions we must be able to turn from them. Again, the wisdom and strength we need to pull this off is found in Scripture.

So if we desire a life shaped by the word of God for ourselves and our children, then we must be willing to turn from the worthless distractions fashioned by the enemy. The Bible will show us how!

Philippians 4:6-7, My take…

May6

When the apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Philippian Christians, he was in prison in Rome. And while in chains he is writing this letter of encouragement and joy to them. Seriously! How is it possible that Paul could avoid being anxious or not worry in such a setting? Paul gave the formula for how such a thing is accomplished. Pray! And not only pray but pray with an attitude of thanksgiving.

This verse gives us a lot to take in. Our sin nature balks when we are told not to worry. It’s quite difficult to face a challenging situation that any normal human being wouldn’t worry about. Oh, and may I remind you about the fiery darts. Worry or being anxious is definitely one of the enemy’s most often used weapons against us.

So don’t let worry or anxiety catch us off guard. Don’t for one minute believe the lie that we can’t help worrying. Therefore, in order to prevent being overwhelmed with worrisome thoughts, we need to shift our focus. And that’s where prayer comes in. Prayer must be our default response when the temptation to worry or become anxious assaults us. Two components of prayer in this verse are: the kind of prayer where we share our feelings about the situation with God, and petition is where we make specific requests concerning the situation.

In this verse we are advised to flavor all those prayers with an attitude of thanksgiving. Maybe I can describe how this works with a personal antidote. A reoccurring temptation to worry about my future often makes attempts to intrude my thought processes. But I know if I allow those thoughts to enter my head, they will take over. (FD’s 3rd edition, p66) Therefore, I immediately put a ‘Not welcomed” sign over the doorway of my mind when those fiery darts attempt entry. And I block those temptations with prayer.

In my time of prayer I not only cry out to God about my worries, but I frame them within an attitude of thanksgiving. I thank God that He is in control of my situation. That He is my refuge and strength which I can call upon. That in the midst of my circumstance God’s comforting presence is with me. Eventually, an unexplainable sense of peace will fill in the space left by the rejected worry.

So, we can worry thus invite an assortment of fiery darts. All fashioned to take up residence in our thoughts. Or we can choose to reject the enemy’s lies. And take a deep dive into the Scriptures for the mighty weapons of God that will expose the lies. These will be the Truth thoughts which will now rule our thinking. Thus, an unexplainable peace will settle over us like a calming breeze guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 2:8, My Take…

Apr29

Back in the days of Paul, the Apostle, the church at Colossae was facing a dilemma much like Christians face today. False teachings and philosophies based on human reasoning contradicted the core message of Christ. His obvious warning, therefore, was to be diligent in spending time with God in prayer and His word. And to surround themselves by a supportive community of faith. That is just the advice we need today.

Case in point. The philosophy of self-autonomy (governing oneself without outside interference) permeates society these days. Yet, I have witnessed it creating confusion in the minds of some young adults I’m close to. For they are advised by counselors (even some Christian counselors) to make decisions or choices that reflect one’s genuine self! Conforming to imposed rules or the opinions of others is to be rejected. You know, like God and parents!

It’s understandable that these young victims of such a philosophy could get quite heady with this kind of freedom initially. But not having to answer to anyone but themselves eventually leads to disaster. Christian young adults who have drifted from consistent engagement of the teachings of the Bible and an encouraging community of fellow believers are most vulnerable. Without a growing source of God’s truth and supportive community, they are blinded. Unaware of how they are being manipulated, deceived, and distracted by the fiery darts of the enemy.

Consider this. An emerging adult heads out into the waters of adulthood. They leave behind the community of faith they were once a part of. Spending time with God in prayer and His word and hanging out with fellow believers no longer has the priority it should have. So what’s going to be their guiding factor when the waters get a bit rough? How will they steer themselves in the storms? At first it may be thrilling and exciting to steer their own ship. But the storms will come. What then?

As appealing as being your own boss is, it is a direct contradiction to the Truth thoughts in Scripture. This is how the enemy tricks us. Remember Eve, in the garden of Eden? Her desire to be her own boss led to the fall. And just as it will today, choices made to please ourselves alone will lead to sin.

The high sounding nonsense saturating the philosophies of our day are to be recognized and rejected. But without the power of wisdom supplied by the Truth thoughts of Scripture, we simply won’t have the discernment.

Listen, there is NOTHING in this world more fulfilling, NOTHING that offers more peace than living to please God. NOT the empty philosophies and high sounding nonsense that comes from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world!

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Light

Proverbs 2:6-12, My take…

Apr22
Old monk reading ancient book protected by magical shield from dark spirits

Prov. 2:6-12,(written by Solomon)

For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up success for the upright;He is a shield for those who live with integrity so that He may guard the paths of justice and protect the way of His loyal followers. Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and integrity—every good path.  For wisdom will enter your mind, and knowledge will delight your heart.  Discretion will watch over you, and understanding will guard you, rescuing you from the way of evil— (the protective power of wisdom) Prov. 2:6-12

I came upon this verse in search of a prayer that I could pray over my grandchildren. Some of them were embarking upon a journey into adulthood for the first time. They had proper training in their parent’s home. But now they were weighted with the responsibility of applying that training. And that, I knew would require wisdom beyond their years. So what would they do?

Would they turn their eyes from looking at (or ears from listening to) what was worthless as they had been trained? Or would they pick and choose those ideas promoted by a world view that contradicted their biblical training? There was visible evidence that both perspectives were being considered.

I had walked this treacherous path in my youth. Therefore, I was familiar with the pitfalls of human reasoning and false assumptions. The verses from 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 made it obvious as to what I was up against. Yet, upon venturing out into the world, my naivety blinded me. Naivety and immaturity. I lacked the protective power of wisdom.

Thankfully, God finally got my attention and turned me around. Just in time to prevent me from ruining my life by my own self-centeredness and self-serving ways. It started with a full surrender of my life to God. A full surrender to live my life and walk the path God had chosen for me. I began to simply “Follow His Lead.”

And with that surrendered will, I took to reading God’s word. With the Holy Spirit’s prompting, I changed the friend group I ran with. Focusing instead on surrounding myself with friends who would support my commitment to Christ. And graciously God provided those new friends. I read books that fed me spiritually. One such book was “The Saving Life of Christ” by Ian Thomas. (Published in the 1960’s. and is still in print.) With every plunge into God’s word and moments spent with God in prayer, wisdom entered my mind and knowledge delighted my heart.(just as Prov. 2:6-12 declared) At the time I didn’t recognize the protective power of wisdom. Yet, I benefited from God’s guardianship just the same.

It was the growth of knowledge and wisdom that enabled me to recognize those whose words and actions contradicted what God had been teaching me. It was only when I made choices which served my self-centeredness that I got off track. (and with my human propensity to sin the struggle to please myself over God was ever present.) Therefore, many foolish choices which would have led to harmful consequences in my life were avoided.

So the earlier the better our full surrender should be made. Which is why I fervently and consistently pray Proverbs 2:6-12 over my beloved grandchildren. Foolish choices made during this season of their lives could have serious and permanent consequences to their future. A future that needs an appreciation for the protective power of wisdom.

Remember – Ecclesiastes 12:1

Apr8

In the first verse of Chapter 12, the author admonishes us to “remember our Creator in the days of our youth.” Here’s how the NLT words it, “Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor Him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.”

In our younger days, particularly as we begin emerging as an adult, we can be heady about our new found freedom. We may find ourselves constantly pulling away from the restraints of our parents. When we are successful in liberating ourselves from such restraints, too often our actions are thereafter overly influenced by the desires of our hearts. A young heart that has not had time yet to be damaged by life’s unpleasantness. Yet, a heart which is naive and immature and can be easily led astray.

During this period of our lives we are just getting our balance as we take our first steps spiritually. What we once saw as not permissible for us as Christians, our immature hearts now rethink such actions. And without a steady intake of godly wisdom our hearts will become desensitized towards what is sinful (fiery darts). Our hearts will take over as our judge, not the Word of God. But what we forget is that the decisions, the choices we make in the days of our youth will follow us for the rest of our lives. (Good or bad)

When we get to the latter season of our lives we won’t find life as exhilarating as in earlier seasons. For troubles have been encountered. Some of those as consequences of choices made with a young and perhaps foolish heart. And some of those that just show up as a result of living life.

Honoring God while we are young and before life begins to knock us around builds up our spiritual reserves. So when we arrive at those not so pleasant times of life, our hearts have grown in maturity. We are less naive. As a result there is a lot less baggage with which to complicate our lives. Drawing upon our spiritual reserves, made while we were young, supplies us with protective power. Power we need in order to deal with life as we grow older. Therefore life is not as unpleasant as it would have been otherwise. All because we didn’t forget God in the days of our youth.