ASLEEP TOO LONG!

Here I am again, early morning, sitting outside watching the world wake up. This is my time to spend quiet time with God. Sometimes, I read God’s Word sometimes I sit quietly talking to God and listening intently to see what He has to say back to me. Prayer is a two-way conversation. To hear God we have to give Him a chance to talk back.

Sitting there thinking about how awesome it will be to one day kneel before His throne and see all the wonders that God has planned for us, I was saddened to think that many people will never see the amazing home that God has freely given us to spend eternity in, simply because they have chosen not to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.

This in turn got me to thinking about how Satan works so hard to keep lost people lost and how he tries so hard to thwart Christians from doing the only true mission that God has planned for us, and that is telling lost people about Jesus.

While I was sitting there thinking about God and Satan, I started thinking about how our only enemy (yours and mine) is not flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12). In 2 Kings 6:15-17 Elisha and his servant woke up one morning and saw their city surrounded by an army with many horses and chariots. The servant was terrified and asked what will we do? Elisha said don’t worry, “those who are with us are more than those who are with them!” Then Elisha prayed and asked God to open his servant’s eyes and the Lord did open his eyes. When the servant looked, he saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire.

As I thought about this, I was comforted to know that surrounding me always is God’s ministering angels, protecting me from the unseen spiritual battle that is going on around me. As you read this, it is important that you realize there is a battle going on around you at this very moment. The last thing in the world that Satan wants is for this to go out and for you to read it. Satan has worked very hard to become a “myth”. In an April 2009 Barna Survey, 4 out of 10 self-described Christians (40%) agreed with the statement “Satan is not a living being, but is a symbol of evil.” An additional 2 out of 10 self-described Christians (19%) agreed somewhat with that statement.

In John 8:44 Jesus tells the Jewish people “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!” John 8:44-45

Satan is a master liar and manipulator, he knows your hot buttons and he knows how to push them. You also know what your hot buttons are and when you feel Satan pushing them, as a follower of Jesus Christ, you are free to say “NO” to Satan’s antics.....he has no authority over you! Of course, he doesn’t want you to believe this, but, you are set free in Christ! Romans 6:18 tells us “You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.” You do not have to be a puppet on a string any longer; you are free because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Savior is the only way that you can break free of Satan’s influence and if you don’t know this freedom, please see our blog titled “New Life in Christ.”

Father God,
I know that this is a strange entry today, but it is one that You have placed upon my heart. So many of Your children are hurting and in pain because of the devil. Because of the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ, we are no longer slaves to his lies. Open our eyes Father so that we might see the lies and manipulations for what they are and from whom they come. Your Word tells us that Satan is a liar and a deceiver and Your Word also tells us that we have overcome and are no longer slaves to the father of sin! All honor and glory goes to You because of Your merciful grace. You have given us life through Your precious Son and because of his sacrifice and death on the cross, Satan has no hold on us....we belong to You....thank You! In Your precious Son’s name, Jesus Christ, I pray! Amen



RESOURCES:
http://www.barna.org/topics/faith-spirituality

ALL VERSES FROM THE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION

Broken Walls

Do you ever feel a little out of control? I do. I’m not saying that I’m out of control in all areas of my life. I have plenty of self-control in most areas, but then there is that other area or two that really need some work.

In Proverbs 25:28 (NIV), God tells us “Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.”

Think about that for a minute... What happens when a city’s walls are broken down? It means their defenses are down and they are open to attack from the enemy. And isn’t that also true when you lack self-control? The enemy can just come right into your life and wreak havoc! Why are we letting the enemy in with our broken down walls? We need to gain self-control, and close up the crumbled walls of our lives. So how do we do that? Let’s look at Nehemiah, a man well known for rebuilding walls.

In the book of Nehemiah, Chapter 1, we see that Nehemiah had a heart to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah mourned when he found out about the condition of Jerusalem with its broken down walls and its scattered people. He prayed and fasted and confessed the sins of the children of Israel because they had not kept the commandments of God. You see, not only did the broken walls of Jerusalem leave the Israelites open to their enemy, but in that day, the condition of the city walls also indicated the strength of the people’s god. This means that the broken walls of Jerusalem reflected badly on God.

So let me ask you… Do you have broken walls that are reflecting badly on God? Perhaps we should follow the example from Nehemiah 1:5-11. Nehemiah prayed a prayer of confession and repentance. He also asked God that he would succeed in his plan to speak to the king about repairing Jerusalem’s walls. He knew that it would take God’s intervention, and it’s no different for us. We can’t repair our broken walls on our own, so why do we try? We’ve got to get to a point where we will lean on God and trust Him to help us do those things that we aren’t able to do on our own. When you are tempted to lose control, stop and ask God to help you to succeed. He will help you rebuild your broken walls into a strong fortress. God wants us to succeed and bring Him glory. Let’s stop trying to mend our broken walls on our own, and ask God for His help. Then give all the glory to God as your friends and family notice the strength you have through your new level of self-control.

Dear Heavenly Father,
You are a great and awesome God, and I thank You for Your mercy and grace towards me. Father, I confess that I have sinned by failing to have self-control, and my actions have reflected badly on You. I ask that You would help me to gain self-control. Lord, I need Your strength. My life is a reflection of You, and I want to glorify You through it. Thank You for working in me and making me more like Jesus. It’s in His precious name that I pray. Amen.

WOE IS ME!

It’s funny how fickle we humans are. Today is July 28 and just two days ago, I wrote how all was well with my soul. But then, this morning I woke up very depressed....does that ever happen to you? Maybe, it’s a woman thing....but I think it is a fickle human thing. One moment, we are on top of the world and the next moment we feel like we are trying to climb up out of a hole!

So many times, I perceive a problem and I stress myself out trying to fix whatever it is. Usually, the way I try to fix things is by digging a deeper hole. After tossing and turning all night, going over various scenarios in my head, depressing myself even more and making my husband feel that he had done something wrong to get me upset, I finally decided to sit down and pour out my heart to God. Hmmmm.....did you get that? I finally decided to involve God! Isn’t that typical of us......when all else fails right?

God and I had a good conversation. He reminded me that He is in control and all I had to do was trust in Him and to remember that He is always there with me and that He will never forsake me. God reminded me of how often He has shown Himself to me in the last 10 years through so many ways and He reminded me to stay focused and keep my eyes on Him. God reminded me that my problems were nothing compared to what other people are going through and my problems are certainly nothing....compared to eternity!

While I was sitting there praying, talking to God and feeling sorry for myself, He directed my attention to Isaiah 40:25-28 “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One. 26 Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. 27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God"? 28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.”

Why do we do that......you and I? Why do we get so bogged down in our problems that we get ourselves stressed and depressed? Why do we cry out and say “woe is me, what am I going to do?” When God is right there and He always has to keep reminding us “You’re not in this alone.....I am right here....give me your problems, have faith in Me!” God is in control. If He can bring out the starry host one by one and call them by name....don’t you think that He can handle your problems? My problems?

Sometimes, I wonder if God gets tired of being my personal cheerleader. Satan sneaks in all quiet like and whispers “woe is me” and the next thing you know, I am going around shouting “WOE IS ME!” Then God has to remind me again how faithful He is, how faithful He has been and how faithful He will always be!

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:29-31 (NIV)

Thank you Father God for Your faithfulness! You are always there, sitting on Your throne high above the earth, You are always with me, watching over me and watching out for me and I thank you for that! My hope is in You Lord! I pray that You open my eyes to the things that You want me to see, that You walk in front of me so that I step directly in Your footprints, so that I never waiver and wherever You lead that I will follow. I pray Lord that honor and glory be given to You with every move that I make and every breath that I take. In Jesus Christ, Your precious Son’s name I pray. Amen!

Now Is The Time!

     Last week I wrote about being good stewards of all that God has given to us. However, there was one major aspect that I forgot to mention and that is the stewardship of our time. Time is one thing that God has given to each of us equally, and it’s up to us to use it wisely. Have you been using your time wisely? It is so easy to get caught up in the “busy-ness” of life that we forget what our first priority is. God is our number one priority and we can show Him that He’s first in our lives by meeting with Him every morning. You don’t have to take a long time when you wake up, but God will honor and bless you when you put Him first. You’ll also find that as you put Him first, you’ll want to spend more and more time with Him. Especially as you wait on Him to hear what He has to say to you. Take a few moments to read some Scriptures and see how He speaks to you. I like to ask God where He wants me to read in the word each day. Most of the time a book of the bible comes to my mind and that’s where I start reading. I also hear God through sermons and devotionals – when just the right words speak to my heart. He longs for us to take the time to be still and know that He is God (Ps 46:10).
     As our days get filled with work, meetings, sporting practices, piano lessons, ballet, band, and all those things that are not bad in and of themselves but cost precious time, we find that we have forgotten God once again. I’ve noticed that I can fill up so much of my spare time with things that are of no significance to God and don’t do a thing to build His kingdom. It makes me wonder just how many hours of television have kept me from the important things of God. Life is definitely one big balancing act. We juggle work and family and church, but where does time alone with God fit in? When we bring Him into our day at the beginning, then we can ask Him to order our day. To keep on God’s schedule, make decisions that involve time commitments by asking God what He would have you do. He so desires to have a relationship with you. He wants to hear what you need and He wants you to listen to Him as well, just as you would do with any normal, healthy relationship. We can’t fully relate to others when we don’t give them our time, and it’s no different with God. When we get so busy it’s hard to hear His voice or see Him in creation or in the situations of our life. So, now is the time to look at your life and ask God what should go and what should stay. God will give you peace about those things to keep in your schedule. When we continue in “busy-ness”, we pass that lifestyle on to our children. Show them that your spare time is a wonderful time to spend communicating with God so that they will want to follow in your footsteps.
     Now is the time! Don’t put it off any longer! Put God first, use your time wisely and see what God does in your life! You will not be disappointed!

JUST DO IT!

A while back, I drove past a church and read on the marquee “Give your life to God. He can do more with it anyway!” I’ve been thinking about that for a while now, I really do believe that God can do more with my life than I can, but it is really hard to follow that belief. Right now, I am in the process of finishing my last class toward a Master’s degree in Education. I started pursing this degree over three years ago and a lot of money, hard work and tears have been given to the university. When I began classes, I fully intended to get a job teaching elementary education. In fact, I even made certain promises to my husband about what I would do for us when I finally got a teaching job.

Last September, God paired me up with Lisa in our church’s mentor/mentee program and just prior to that I met Vanessa through another church program. Slowly, over this past year, it seems like God has been changing my plans for me, that is, from teaching elementary education to working with A Cord of Three. I’ve struggled with this many times, in fact, in our last meeting, I told Lisa and Vanessa that I think it would be easier for me to go teach than to do this. This morning during my prayer time, I told God the same thing. However, when I look back over my life, I can see where God has been leading me in this direction for a long time now, but still, I find myself thinking, maybe I should teach...maybe, that would be better in the long run for my husband and I, instead of pursuing this.

I’ve been struggling for several days as to what I should write about today. I’ve attempted to write about several things, but the subjects just weren’t heartfelt. I would start them and then abandon them. Struggling, this morning, I asked God to give me something to write about, something that someone needs to hear. I’ve been praying for several days now that God would give me wisdom and discernment concerning my direction in life. Maybe, that’s what you are praying for also. If God is leading you to do something, do it! Tomorrow is not guaranteed. When I first met Vanessa, one of the first things she said to me was “you don’t want to go to God empty handed do you?” That’s the same question that I am asking you right now, you don’t want to go to God empty handed do you?

As for my husband, he’s a wonderful man; he knows that if God is asking me to do something, then I should do it. It seems like all of my life, I have started one project after another and quit each one before it was completed. Most of the time I gave them up because I started them for the wrong reason, because I felt like I knew what was best for my life. This time, I feel like teaching would be much easier than starting a business, but I know that is not what God wants me to do. Maybe it’s time that we (you and I) quit struggling to figure out which direction is right for our lives and just trust God, to be still for a change and just listen and just wait upon the Lord to lead us. Then when He does, don’t hesitate, don’t analyze, and don’t ask why....just do it.

"I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. 8 I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." Psalm 16:7-8 (NIV)

WATCHMEN!

In the days of the Old Testament, a city was built with high walls with watchtowers erected high above the walls. It was the duty of the watchmen to warn the city of impending danger. The watchman would sit in the tower and from this vantage point he could see for miles and miles. Since there were several watchmen sitting in towers scattered all around the city, it was not easy for the enemy to sneak up on them. And, no matter what side of the city the danger came from, one of the watchmen was likely to see the approach of the enemy.

When a watchman saw an enemy approaching, it was his responsibility to sound the alarm to warn the citizens of the impending danger. At the sound of the alarm, the people had two choices; they could heed the warning and save themselves, or ignore the watchman’s alarm. If the watchman saw danger approaching and sounded the alarm and the citizen chose not to heed the warning and died, the watchman was not held accountable for this death. However, if the watchman did not sound an alarm and the citizen died, the watchman was held accountable. (Ezekiel 33:2-6).

As I read this passage in Ezekiel, I was thinking “Wow, I’m glad that I wasn’t a watchman back in those days because a watchman had a great responsibility!” Then I thought about us, you and I, all Christians.......aren’t we also watchers? We see the enemy coming; we understand that a battle is raging around us for the souls of lost people and yet, as watchers, are we sounding the alarm? “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8).

When we accepted Christ as our Savior, we became Watchers. Before Christ ascended into heaven, he left us the Great Commission “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matt 28:19-20).

We are like the watchmen of old. We see the danger coming in all directions. It is our duty to tell others about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to sound the alarm and to warn those who are lost. If we sound the alarm and people accept our warning, we have done our job. However, if we don’t sound the alarm, giving no opportunity to accept, the person will die and spend eternity in hell and we will be held accountable for not doing our job. .

Now, how are we held accountable? Because we are saved, we will still go to heaven to spend eternity with our Lord, but I believe that we pass up a lot of blessings while we are still here on earth and rewards that we will receive in heaven. (Deuteronomy 28:1, 1Corinthians 3:8, Revelation 22:12).

As watchmen, the decision is ours. We can be obedient and sound the alarm, or we can be disobedient and forfeit many of the blessings and rewards that God has planned for us.

All Verses from the New International Version

Seeing the Unseen

What if there was a whole other world that you couldn’t see? And what if this world was going on all around you as you journey through your life here on earth? And what if when you died, you became a part of this unseen world? Does this sound impossible? Well, it’s not! It’s the unseen world of the kingdom of God. And you can start to glimpse the unseen world right now, even while you are here on earth.

2 Cor 4:18 – “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

So how can you fix your eyes on what is unseen? It all depends on your focus. You’ve heard of wearing rose-colored glasses, right? Well, I don’t have any rose-colored glasses, but I did have a pair of amber shaded sunglasses that just made everything look prettier. I loved those sunglasses, but unfortunately, they broke. So in the meantime, I’m using a pair of gray sunglasses, and it’s just not the same! The greens aren’t as green, the reds aren’t as red, and the blues aren’t as blue. I know this sounds strange, but when I would put on my amber sunglasses, things just looked more beautiful and clear. I think of seeing the unseen kingdom similar to when I put on my amber sunglasses. God gives us a vision of the unseen kingdom when we focus on Him. When we are focused on God we are “tuned into” Him. We hear Him more clearly and we see Him more clearly. We see Him in nature, we see Him in our circumstances, we see Him everywhere!

We can also see the unseen through the eyes of Jesus. Jesus came to earth to show us the unseen kingdom and to show us who God is. The kingdom of God can seem a little topsy-turvy at times. Things are not always as they would appear because God’s kingdom is an upside-down kingdom. Here are just a few of the kingdom principles that seem a bit “upside-down” from a worldly perspective:

• The first shall be last (Matt 19:30; Matt 20:16; Mark 9:35; Mark 10:31)
• Give and you will receive. (Luke 6:38)
• Die to yourself in order to live for God. (Phl 1:21; 1 Pet 2:24)
• Love your enemies. (Matt 5:44)

When we read God’s word with an open mind, God will show us the unseen world. It’s a world of angels and demons, light and dark, heaven and hell. And though this world is unseen, it’s as real as the world we’re living in right now. All that we now see is temporary and will one day be gone, but the unseen world will last forever. One day you will live eternally in the unseen world. The question you need to ask yourself is will you be a part of the light or the dark, of heaven or of hell?

If you want to find out more about the “unseen world”, put on your God glasses and read God’s word with eternity in mind. And God will show you more and more of the unseen world so that you can fix your eyes on what is unseen. Because when you focus on God He will give you His eyes to see the unseen.

*All scriptural references are from the NIV unless otherwise noted.