The less we know, the more easily we can be deceived!

May1

We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NLT

As we learn more about Christ, through Bible study and prayer, we will gain wisdom and understanding for accessing God’s power to attack the fiery darts that have gotten us off course and confused our thinking concerning what God desired to teach us…

p. 92, 3rd Ed Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Romans 12:2 NI

Those who don’t read and study their Bibles consistently are the easiest to deceive by those who misuse it.

Melissa Dougherty https://www.melissadougherty.co

Apr7

The cross is bare, the tomb is empty!

Satan has been defeated!

Now, it is up to us to take that personally!

Beauty, God’s way!

Apr5

Even without its leaves this tree is beautiful. Just a reminder that there is beauty in all stages of growth thanks to God!

It’s just His way!

by Janet Warren Lane – photo and quote

The Lingering Memory of Eden!

Mar21

Genesis 1:29-31, The Message

29-30 Then God said, “I’ve given you
    every sort of seed-bearing plant on Earth
And every kind of fruit-bearing tree,
    given them to you for food.
To all animals and all birds,
    everything that moves and breathes,
I give whatever grows out of the ground for food.”
    And there it was.31 God looked over everything he had made;
    it was so good, so very good!
It was evening, it was morning—
Day Six.

Ever been wound up so tight you thought you would explode? Or felt so down that lifting our eyes or thoughts upward was an impossible task?

Life at times can become so complicated and take on such a heaviness that there seems no solution within our realm of existence.  Ever noticed that on such occasions, something deep within us begins to stir a longing for the pureness of the simple and quiet. And without realizing it a silent yearning draws us to remove ourselves from within the closure of a building and escape to the out of doors.

Then as we walk, taking slow deep breaths, focusing on the surrounding scenery, keeping a steady calm pace, something almost magical begins to happen. Nature’s simple remedy of the quietness of a velvety breeze, the uplifting music of the birds, invisibly begins to ministers to our spirits and physical wellbeing. The anger, fear, and/or stress we might have been wrestling with slowly subsides. Our heart rate slows down, our blood pressure returns to normal, the tension in our muscles relaxes. 

Intrusive thoughts no longer find a welcoming place to land. Instead, they are replaced with thoughts of peace and calmness. Our minds begin to think with more clarity. The sky, the trees, the birds, the landscape acts like a filter, allowing only positive, productive thinking to occur. 

No matter where we find our solace, in the mountains or at the beach, our thoughts are drawn to the Creator of such exquisite beauty and indescribable power. Even when a storm arises, we rest secure in the power of God. It’s this balance of peace and power within nature that inspires us to seek such balance in our own lives. 

The massiveness of the mountains finds us unable to find words to describe them. The soft and varied colors of a rainbow remind us of God’s promises. The blended shades of sunset calms us and the glory of a sunrise energizes us. The constant pulse of the ocean washing in upon the beach resets our inner pace realigning it as God intended.

I wonder if this mystical effect nature has on humankind is not but the leftovers of Eden’s magic lingering still within our minds.  

Our perspective on life reveals?

Mar3

Perspective

For the last few days, it seems that my Bible study time and my devotional time have been drawing my attention to a common theme: the denial of Self!

Back a few weeks ago, I began in earnest to seek God’s wisdom concerning the difficulties I was facing. It’s beginning to dawn upon me that my perspective toward those difficulties are skewed towards self. My inner thoughts reflected the struggle within of who I was going to please, my old Self (the person I was before Christ) or my new Self (the person I was after accepting Christ). The following verse was highlighted in both my study and devotional time.

Then He said to them all, “If anyone wants to come with me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will save it. Matthew 16:24-25

We all endure hard times. There’s no escaping them. But God has a plan regarding those hard times! So does Satan! But allow me to preface this claim by saying, “If you don’t believe in the existence of God and Satan, you will drown in a sea of uncertainty. Life and the hard times that go along with it, will serve no purpose. The only certain claim is that we will ALL face death someday! What then?”

Recently my mother in law broke free of the bonds that tied her to this earth. She had lived a good life, full of the joys of serving God. However, she endured trying times, far more than most. Yet, she would be the first to say she had a joyful life. So what was joyful about her very difficult life? Way back toward the early part of her life, when it was likely at it hardest, she claimed the promise of God on how to save her life! She learned the secret of what it meant to take up her cross daily and follow Christ. 

So what does it mean to take up our cross daily?

After we give our life to Christ, it is His life, by the power of His spirit that takes up residence in our being. But the conflict is that our new spirit, (given to us at salvation, who seeks to please Christ) must share space with our old spirit (given to us at birth, who seeks to please Self). The clash between the two is real. Therefore it is imperative that we have a solid grasp of the truth of the following verse:

15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. 2 Corinthians 5:15 NLT

That is the crux of the matter. It’s all about choosing who to please: God or Self. Until we are willing to receive the new life ruled by Christ in exchange for the old life ruled by Self, we can’t really understand the point Matthew 16:24-25 is making. How do we save our lives by loosing our lives?

It’s quite simple actually. If we can’t turn loose of the life that Self dictates, (you know, doing what we want to do even if it requires being disobedient to God and all the turmoil that goes along with such a choice) then we will not be able to experience the life Christ died to give us. (You know, a life that is reflected in Philippines 4:6-7, Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.)

Therefore, we can choose to allow Christ to guide our choices. The outcome of such a choice is a life built on a strong foundation.

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. Matthew 7:24-26

Or we can choose to allow Self to dictate our choices. The outcome of such a choice is a life built on a weak and unstable foundation.

And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it. Matthew 7:26-27

What does our foundation look like? Have we been seeking to please Self or have we been seeking to please God? The question is answered by the perspective we assume when making our daily choices.

The IF game…

Feb10

Going through a trying time? Not sure where things will lead? Anticipating a variety of outcomes, none of which sets well?

All of us, sooner or later, will find ourselves facing trying times. And the added downer is that trying times are repetitive. (They come and go, then come and go again) During such times decisions must be made and we don’t always have the clarity we feel we need. We find ourselves worrying about what is next. Thoughts of possible troubling outcomes rise up in our thoughts. So we resort to wording our prayers to persuade God to suit our desires for the outcome.

When trying times hit us our human nature insists on knowing how this all will play out. Thus the game board is set in place to play the ‘IF’ game. And as is predictable with human nature, our thoughts move to the negative. As a result, the processing of these negative outcomes puts us in a quandary.

Over the last several years of trying times and even more recently, I have become very familiar with the temptation to try and second guess God? (As if that was even possible!) Here’s how the temptation typically plays out.

A problem takes center stage. We enact auto pilot and react. Then as things progress, we scramble to figure out where to land. And the ‘IF’ game begins. Every card we play presents a negative scenario. It’s a loose/loose situation; it seems!

As a result, I’ve come to recognize the “If” game is a tool of the enemy to create hopelessness and despondency. The enemy is relentless and it’s a strenuous struggle to not give over any ground to him. My only reliable defense is to call upon God. Depending upon the severity of the struggle, it may need to be a day by day exercise. (hour by hour in some cases) I sense that God’s will not my will should be the intent of my prayers. Therefore the following has become my plan of action:

Reject this game and replace it with God’s truth.

God is going to do what God is going to do. Therefore, I must submit to whatever His will is in this matter. Even though I may not know exactly what that is, I do know that I can trust God to work it out for the good.

Therefore I am faced with a choice.

I can play the “If” game and reap the consequences

OR

I can choose to adapt God’s way of thinking and reap the rewards:

“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” HCSB Philippines 4:6-7

I choose the reward of peace!

What’s being hidden?

Jan29

Oh my goodness, what a question! The paradox here is that so much is being hidden we can’t even recognize what it is that is being concealed!

But we have to start somewhere so let’s start with a clue from the world of literature. Every epic saga contains a protagonist and an antagonist. The antagonist, who is clever, deceitful, manipulative, and enticing is typically engaged in battle against the protagonist. After many failed attempts at directly assaulting the protagonist, the antagonist will modify his methods. If he can’t hurt the protagonist, then he will hurt those who the protagonist loves.

Well, my dear readers, this is the point at which we can begin our investigation in exposing what is being hidden. For the book that exposes this epic saga is the Bible. In the Bible the epic battle between good and evil or God, the protagonist, and Satan, the antagonist, is disclosed. Stands to reason then Satan’s first plan of attack would be to conceal the truths of Scripture. Why?

The further removed humanity is from God and His plans for them, the more room Satan has to work. By being unaware of the Truth revealed in the Bible, mankind will discard the existence of God. Therefore, when belief in God is discarded, who’s going to believe in the existence of Satan?

Deception and manipulation are his primary tools to destroy individuals and thus in turn hurt God. For mankind is not Satan’s main target. God is! He hurts God by hiding the Truth from individuals and making them unaware of what is Truth.

So what about those who have been somewhat exposed to the Truths in the Bible? What is Satan’s line of attack with them? Keep them confused about who God, Jesus, Jesus’s death on the cross to pay for our sins, and the Holy Spirit is. All is hidden, if Satan can distance us from God’s word.

So what does Satan want to hide from those of us who are believers?

Well, mainly the Truth contained in the Bible. For the more familiar we are with God’s Truth, the less likely Satan will be able to hide Truth. And as believers, who have had the Truth unveiled, we understand that the more time we spend in God’s word and in prayer, the stronger we will become. We will gain insight into what is a lie and what is Truth. We will know the Truth and Satan’s attempts to hide it from us will utterly fail.

VOICES!

Jan18

Watching my country rushing headlong into chaos is disturbing. Maybe a bit scary? Add noticing how the church, individual Christians; not organizations, travels a path so compromising it can hardly be recognized as Christian, is even more disturbing. Something needs to change, right? But where do we start? We start by identifying our inner voices. (There’s more than one, you know. Thoughts are the threshold into our minds.

Examine this with me:

First, we entertain a thought. That thought will generate certain related feelings. Those feelings will then fashion and shape our behavior.   Psychologists say that if behavior is to be changed, then the flow must be interrupted, either at the initial thought or at the feeling point.

So, it’s all about the voice we listen to.

Let’s start with those in the world who follow a voice devoid of God’s input.

People following such a voice, embrace actions void of clear boundaries of right and wrong. Our culture tells these individuals, that to be true too oneself is the path to follow. Even if that means rejecting what use to be true, or if it means we must redefine truth, or reconstruct truth. 

Therefore, the thoughts swimming around in these individuals’ heads is their guiding voice. Initially, it probably is quite heady to throw off everything that has encumbered them (in their opinion) and do whatever they want whenever they want. If they desire to call wrong right then they give themselves the freedom to do so. They are their own boss (god?) now. Horribly, their freedom is a false freedom. They think they are liberated but when reality dawns they find themselves in a bondage defined by the enemy of their soul. And for some, it’s too late!

Now let’s consider those who would call themselves Christian-like. 

The voices swimming around in their heads are often contradictory. There’s the voice from today’s culture, the voice of self, and the voice of right and wrong. (The source of right and wrong thoughts may or may not be influenced by God’s truth). Therefore, which ever voice they give most attention to speaks the loudest, and is the one they follow. The problem here is that they would not be able to tell you for sure if they were true believers of God. They don’t know God’s truth well enough to say for sure.

For instance, say they are facing a choice about an action they desire to take. They run it by the world and the world says go for it. They run it by their self-centered desires and there seems to be some hesitancy. Why? Because the voice of right and wrong says, “This is wrong.” Then self gets on the microphone and says, “Look, maybe this use to be wrong, but times change. There are extenuating circumstances now. Besides, if I’m going to be true to myself, then I should do this.” So the voice of right and wrong grows undistinguishable and is no longer the guiding voice. However, though all but buried, the voice of right and wrong has not been silenced completely, if they are truly God’s child. My concern here is for those who are being deceived by the wrong voice!

So what about the voice of those who identify as Christians?

Guess what, we hear three voices as well. We call it, the voice of God, the voice of our flesh, and the voice of the world. The difference is that while God’s spirit is the prevailing voice in a believer’s mind, the voice of our flesh, and the world are in constant competition with God’s voice. Therefore, by connecting daily with God through prayer and His word, we keep the microphone of God’s voice turned up, drowning out the deceptive and destructive voices of the world and self-centered thinkings.

Not the gift that was expected…

Dec24
EXPECTED GIFTS

Has that ever happened to you? I am in the midst of a learning experience that is transforming how I perceive the gifts God is giving me. The gift I was expecting has not arrived and apparently is not going to. I have spent days trying to reconcile myself to this realization. As time passes, God has to drag me by my heels on this journey that I’m coming (slowly) to realize has been intended to reshape and mold a new image of what I perceive as God’s gift. (I don’t always cooperate like I should!) The gift I find myself struggling to receive is vastly different from the gift I was expecting.

The gift of faith, the gift of patience, the gift of forgiveness, the gift of mastering how to not fret, the gift of resting in my LORD, the gift of having God’s perspective on the situation, the gift of trusting God to provide what I need when I need it, the gift of perseverance in doing things God’s way, the gift of learning how to focus on other’s needs over my own, the gift of learning not to judge, the gift of peace.

During Christmas my mind ponders what it must have been like for the Jewish people to receive the gift of the Messiah. Just think with me for a minute, It had been hundreds of years since their Savior had been prophesied. And over the span of that time, perhaps their expectations of their Messiah was shaped more by what they wanted to see rather than what the Bible revealed.

The Bible foretold of coming King as in Jeremiah 23:5

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. ESV

And Micah 5:2 Described a ruler

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.ESV

Isaiah 9:7 Foretold of a time of unending peace.

Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. ESV

The Jewish people it seems were always under oppression; from without and as well as from within. It must have been hard to hold on to the hope that someday things would be better for them. I feel verses that described their Messiah as a poor and suffering servant, like the following verses in Isaiah, would attract less of their attention.

Isaiah 53:7 AND Isaiah 53:3

UNEXPECTED GIFT

Time and oppression, must have created a longing for their Messiah to come and set everything right for His people. They would be all too willing to join in the fight for that victory. I think I can understand why it was so difficult for many to picture that a baby, born in a lowly manger, to a virgin no less, was their conquering ruler, king, Messiah!

 

Not the gift they, or we, could imagine but a gift that far exceeded any of their, or our, expectations.

The Gift of Serving…

Dec15

While caring for elderly parents, life gets put on somewhat of a hold for the caregivers. With their parent’s passing, a caregiver may feel a sense of release from the demanding requirements of caregiving as life returns to a more normal pace. Yet, all of this mixed in with feelings of venturing into life without that parent’s sustaining presence can be a rough and challenging road. 

Mother was an anchor for me. Caring for her opened a volume of opportunities that affirmed my faith in God. Though there were some really tough moments, especially toward the end, with every situation, I gained a closer understanding of what it meant to serve God. For through the years He taught me that in serving my mom, I was serving Him. To be honest, I failed more times than I care to admit. So let’s just say, over time I grew in awareness of what God was expecting from me as I cared for Mother. And that’s important. 

Our first Thanksgiving without Mother and now with Christmas approaching presents a void to be dealt with. Everywhere I look I am reminded of her. I stand on my front porch and crowning the nearby hill stands the house that she lived and died in. The place where I said my final goodbye. And all throughout my house and yard, are physical reminders of her loving care. Her life and the impact she had on mine, is now a store of memories. But I’m learning it is those very reflections that will fill the void . 

As I sort through all the abundance of memories, I have so much to be grateful for. For something beautiful happened in those final days that will continue to be my focus and sustain me. 

I have watched as my children and grandchildren spent time with their grandmother and great grandmother. I listened as my children taught their children about what honoring Granma looked like and meant. The impressions they made took their source from what God had to say about honoring our mother and our father. 

They learned that it wasn’t always convenient or easy to care for a parent. They were taught that sacrifices had to be made to their choices of how to use their time and in making their schedules. And all along they were bolstered by the earlier memories of Grandmother’s spunky and loving ways in caring for them. I could not be more grateful that my children and grandchildren were able to form a perspective of caring that was shaped by what they learned as family pulled together to take care of Granma. 

And as we gather for the holidays, those memories are a sustaining source of thankfulness and joy. His promise that one day we will be reunited because we have accepted God’s gift of Jesus, replenishes me daily. 

Because God has overcome this world, we are the recipients of gifts more valuable than anything we could possibly find under our Christmas tree. And for me, this particular lessons on showing my love through serving those I love is a gift I pray I will continue to unwrap.