Cry of Desperation

My heart is heavy this morning. My good friend, Patricia, shot herself yesterday evening. I have not heard anything since 11 last night when her sister sent me a message saying she was not expected to make it.

I got to know her when I started a ladies Bible study in our village shortly after we moved here and she called saying she wanted to join up. I know she struggled and often felt the weight of life's problems overbearing. Sadly. like too many, Patricia pulled away from God rather than turning to Him when she struggled.

Desperate people do desperate things. Hurting people hurt other people. It's a sad condition of the human world. The saddest part of it all is that it doesn't have to be that way. There is no pit of desperation so deep God cannot lift us out. There is no looming situation so dire He cannot step over to reach us. I don't know the thoughts and feeling my friend had in those moments before picking up a gun but I know He was there watching for her uplifted hand or cry for Him. He never left her.

My prayer is that we use whatever time we have left this side of heaven to be sensitive to the Spirit and minister to those hurting and desperate people around us. They are everywhere, we don't have to go far before tripping over many of them. You may not know their desperation is hidden behind a hearty laugh, stoic facade or busy schedule but God does and that's exactly why we need the Holy Spirit to reveal those in need of a hug, a tender word, a prayer of encouragement or even a firm word of wake up. We are His hands and feet. I've said for years I do not know how those without the knowledge and arms of God make it. Truth is many do not.

A Healthy Slice of Humble Pie

Psalm 138:8 The LORD will vindicate me; your love, LORD, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands.

I don’t know about you but I learn a lot more about myself in times of trial and struggle than I do the easier, carefree moments. When I first read the Bible verse above this morning, I chuckled to myself. In the last few days I’ve sent up many prayers asking the Lord to help me resolve the issues with my computer so I could get back to ‘the work of my hands’. It might seem odd to ask God to fix my computer but I believe God can ‘fix’ anything and did not doubt His ability to correct the problems.

I wish this verse had come to me during all that asking and I had remembered He doesn’t abandon the work of His hands, me. I could have rested in peace about getting back to the work of my hands rather than wallowing in frustration and, yes, fear over something like this. As usual, I wanted it done in my timing, my convenience and my way. I allowed myself to get frustrated by my own lack of knowledge of all things techie regarding the computer. I allowed worldly concern about the possibility of having to come up with the money to have the computer ‘doctor’ fix it. I felt out of control over the situation and that didn’t settle well. Bottom-line is that I KNOW better but still looked to my own pitiful abilities rather than resting in Him. It was not the computer that caused all my stress…it was me!

I didn’t stomp around throwing a fit or get ugly or throw my visiting cousin, Beverly, off the front deck or anything else outrageous yet I voluntarily gave up my peace. I can’t blame anything or anyone else. I did it all by myself. It was a humbling moment when I snapped out of my computer-less funk and realized, other than asking God to ‘fix it’, I had left Him out of the equation in my thinking.

So, yes, this verse this morning made me chuckle because my merciful God placed just what I needed to hear right in front of my face. He faithfully does that time and time again. I had to ask for forgiveness for leaning on myself instead His provision. The Instruction Manual for my computer issue is called the Bible. It’s the same Instruction Manual for all issues dealing with human life on earth. It’s the only Instruction Manual we really need. If another is required as a helper, He’ll direct us to it…if we’re listening for His answer and not stewing in our own juices.
 
Thank you, Lord, for putting up with my flawed, childish ways. Your love truly endures forever and You do not abandon the work of your hands! Thank you for fixing me and my computer so I can get back to the work of my hands You gave me to do. Help me to grow in spiritual maturity and decrease in my self-reliance. More of You, Lord, and less of me. Amen

Dead in the Water

Hi Friends.....

My computer & internet are in internet limbo for the last few days so I have not been able to send out the blog. I'm at a neighbor's house just to send this out. Please bear with me & I'll be back as soon as possible.

God bless

Lynn

Living to Honor God

"I expect and hope...to show the greatness of Christ in my life here on earth, whether I live or die." Philippians 1:20

Paul was speaking to the citizens in Philppi when he uttered these powerful words. They served to be not only to be an eye opening and inspiring message to them, but also a serious reminder to himself about his real purpose in life. Have we given much thought to our own purpose in life as a Christian?

Granted, most of us are not as focused and driven as Paul was for the cause of Christ. However, this verse does serve as a very meaningful reminder of how we ought to live as followers of Christ. Essentially, Paul was willing to give his life for the cause of Christianity. He ultimately did at the hands of Roman soldiers.

We don't have to be beheaded like Paul to prove we're good Christians, but we can certainly behave in a way that says to others we have the qualities it takes to be known as one. I am reminded of the way a Christian drive-in restaurant chain owner stated: "I never told anyone I'm a Christian; I just expect the way I live my life to show it." Chick-Fil-A owner, S. Truett Cathy states as the final step in his Five–Step recipe for Business Success "I was not so committed to financial success that I was willing to abandon my principles and priorities. One of the most visible examples of this is our decision to close on Sunday. Our decision to close on Sunday was our way of honoring God and of directing our attention to things that mattered more than our business." That definitely walks the talk.

I’m old enough to remember when all grocery stores and businesses were closed on Sunday, it wasn’t such a bad way to live. Now they are considering lifting the laws that ban hard liquor sales on Sundays for revenue purposes. Guess they don’t share the values Mr. Cathy holds so dear.

That's the kind of stuff Paul was talking about in this verse. So what about you and me? What would people say about our lives? Does it make them sit up, take notice, and see something different? Many years ago, oh say, thirty-two years or so, I was working for a large commercial construction company out of Houston. My immediate supervisor, whose name I cannot remember tho the picture of her face still lives in my mind, sat at her desk every morning before work reading the Bible. One day I asked her why. She told me that by giving God her first time in the morning He made her day better. I was very impressed by that. She also read the Bible at her desk during lunch and breaks. Her obvious calm in the secular world was impressive. The fact that I remember her and her faith walk thirty-two years later says much about the way her dedication set her apart!

One definition of Christian is "set apart.” Do our lives look like we are 'set apart' from the rest of the world? My challenge for us today is to take a serious look at ourselves and carefully answer that question.

"I expect and hope...to show the greatness of Christ in my life here on earth, whether I live or die." Philippians 1:20

Value of Words

A word of encouragement does wonders! (Proverbs 12:25) LB.

A recent study stated that men say close to 20,000 words a day and women come close to 30,000 words a day. With all these words being thrown together, obviously it’s a good bet some words were used in the wrong way. 

Friends, all around us are people ready with a quick one liner to shoot out, often hidden in the name of humor, to put down another for what they believe and stand for. We also get put down for the way we look, act, and for our faith. I believe people are intimidated by that which they do not understand so they make it the other person’s problem and say hurtful things to cover their feelings of inadequacy. There is no question that words are used to inflict pain, confusion and isolation when said in the heat of the moment during disagreements.

Words are also used in the wrong way when purposely meant to mislead others. I’ve known people in my lifetime that could twist and decorate a sentence with words so flowery or sugarcoated, the real message was completely obscured and the listener walked away happy and excited about a message that was riddled with bad news. I’m sure you’ve seen that as well.

On the flip side, loving words can melt a heart, mend an argument, and encourage the brokenhearted. We all need to hear words of affirmation and appreciation. The ‘stock value’ of these words continues to climb as it builds on relationships. I’ve heard it said by ‘experts’ that it takes twelve compliments to make up for every one insult or put down. Twelve! And that is just with one person wounded by words used the wrong way. What are the chances the offender stuck around long enough to issue twelve compliments in an effort to correct his/her words?

Scripture tells us the tongue has the power of life and death. Off that tongue rolls thousands of words a day. I’m sure somewhere someone has calculated the percentages of hurtful negative words to positive uplifting words spoken by an individual in a day’s time. There is always the ‘exception’ to the rule but my guess is more people stack up deficit words used the wrong way faster than those of priceless value.  

 
We really need to be encouragers. Just a few steps out of your way to say something nice to someone at work or in the grocery store, or to write a long time friend a letter to tell them how much your friendship means to you, will definitely be worth its weight in gold. As Christians, we aspire to grow more like Christ. Our words can be a better gauge than the stock market of the value we put on people and relationships and, consequently, serve as a spiritual growth chart. Choose your words carefully, they can enrich your life by adding value or bankrupt your relationships.

Be Careful Little Mind What You Think

We’re still covering the vast subject of taking our thoughts captive because it is a vast problem among believers and non-believers alike. I have a friend that is going through a very rough time in her marriage. She shares with me and there is a well established pattern and habit of negative thoughts spinning in her head. When I bring this up, she dismisses it with a confession of ownership. "That's what I think and I can't do anything about it." The enemy doesn't have to do a thing in her marriage, her thoughts are her own worse enemy; the job is taken! Sadly, she and her husband share this refusal to change the way they think. They are on a two way street to Splitsville because of it.

Thoughts can be cancerous to our lives. Let’s use physical cancer as an example. We ask for healing and deliverance from cancer. If it was caused by smoking and we refuse to give up the smoking, we can’t blame God if the cancer comes back because we gave it a place in our life and access to come back by our continued sin against our bodies. It works the same way in our minds. We open the door with cancerous thoughts and invite sin into our lives.

In like manner, we can cast a devil out of someone, bind the devils operating in their life, but unless they change their system of thinking, satan will soon have the same access back into their life that he had to begin with. When we were sinners, satan owned us. Our minds and world view thinking were filled with landmines that were meant to produce destruction in our lives. Once we are born again, his authority and place in our lives is removed, but he still has a system of thinking placed inside our minds that has to be broken down and replaced. Until we renew our minds with a new way of thinking, we are still giving access to the devil in our lives. We have to be disciplined by the Word and the Spirit to stop getting mad and holding grudges or fighting back and doing/saying things we did before.

It isn’t the first thought that gets us, but thinking on it. It isn’t the first look that produces lust and sin, but the second look. It’s continuing to look that produces lust and sin. It is a process, not one glimpse. James 1:14-15 “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” The first look wasn’t what did it, but being drawn in and giving in to the temptation which entices us leads to sin. If we nip it in the bud by taking our thoughts captive, it will have no power over us. If we immediately yield or submit ourselves to God and resist the devil, he will flee (James 4:7).

These days it is hard to never see that which we shouldn’t because of our society. We cannot watch TV, movies or look at magazines without running into pictures meant to entice. But when we reject the temptation the enemy throws at our minds, we overcome. If we give in and begin to think evil thoughts, we will sin. It doesn’t matter if it is lust, anger, covetousness, or whatever. Wrong thinking leads to sin. Taking our thoughts captive and casting down evil imaginations keeps us from sin. It is simple in theory, but sometimes hard to do.

The reality is that the devil works through our thought lives and none of us are immune or exempt from his efforts. If he can get us to think cancerous thoughts, he can get us to sin. It’s that simple. If someone says something mean or cruel to us or does us wrong, it is natural to strike back, to get upset, and angry. It is godly, spiritual maturity to forgive and let it go, like water off a ducks back. That ability doesn’t just come overnight but takes time, like a child growing up and becoming a mature adult. When we come to Christ, no matter our age, scripture calls us babes in Christ. “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:” (1 Peter 2:2). We have to grow up and learn the ways of God and become mature by renewing the thinking in our minds and learning to shut the devil out of our thought life.

Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:” satan understands this and he cannot do anything in our life unless our flesh cooperates with him. Let us look at the verse before and after so we get the whole context. Proverbs 23:6-7 “Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.” Notice the context. We confuse the person with what they say. We are not what we say but what we think. A man, through guile and subtly can deceive and manipulate as so many wicked men and politicians do today. Don’t confuse what they are saying with who they are. Sometimes men will speak peace with their lips, but war is in their heart. Psalm 55:21 “The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.” Man/Woman can be very deceitful.

What we are thinking on the inside is who we really are. When someone comes up to you and asks, “How are you today?” and you answer “Great, everything is fine” but inside you are thinking, “What a lousy miserable day! Why do you ask, you don’t care anyway?” Now, which is the real you, what you said or what you are thinking? As we think, that is who we are. We must pay more attention to changing the thoughts we think! It doesn’t matter what we say and confess if inside our hearts we don’t believe it. We can confess the opposite until we are blue in the face, but it will not change anything in our life.

Think About This

“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:” Proverbs 23:7.

Yesterday I touched on taking our thoughts captive. It is too big an issue in our lives not to spend a little more time talking about it. Joyce Meyer has a book titled “Battlefield of the Mind” which addresses this. Christianity and living the Christian life is a war that goes on between our ears. And is a matter of our thought life more than it is a matter of the devil and demons and what they do. I’ve said all along the devil gets credit or blame for things we bring on ourselves. He sits back smiling and laughing as we bring turmoil and trouble into our lives with the thought occupying our minds. We have to remember that our flesh is fallen; the will of the flesh is in unity with sin and therefore satan. That is why it is called the sin nature. It is our nature to sin. You don’t have to train a child to sin, you have to train them not to sin, not to take what isn’t theirs until it’s paid for and so much more. Scripture tells us and we know from our own lives, that a man acts and does in accordance with how he thinks.

That is why the battle is in the mind. The devil has worked through the world to influence us to think according to a mindset that is contrary to God and the Bible. We call it a person’s worldview. Wicked men hate God and don’t want to admit there is a God, because they don’t want to be accountable for their actions and lifestyle. To justify themselves, they work extremely hard to train the younger generation to think their way, amoral, immoral, anti-god and try to convince them there is no God. Heaven forbid our children think there is a God and He will hold them accountable for keeping the Ten Commandments. After all, that might affect their behavior. Of course it would! Which is why, generation after generation, more people live with no conscience or morals. It has been destroyed by indoctrination and brain-washing. Those same folks accuse Believers of brain-washing when teaching faith.

2 Corinthians 10:5 “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”  

The Bible doesn’t say “take every demon captive” but “take every thought captive." When we are born again by the spirit of God, we do not belong to satan. We still have mindsets and ways trained by a worldly mentality we need to destroy and replace with a mind renewed by the truth of God’s Word. Only then will we act and think in a manner acceptable to God.  

We have to acknowledge we cannot change our lives by changing our behavior. Dealing with behavior is a temporary change at best. Scripture says, “As a man thinketh…” We have to change our way of thinking and our thought patters if we are going to change our behavior. When our thinking is lined up with God’s Word, satan is sealed off and has no entrance into your life. He will still come with accusations thrown at us, hoping to penetrate our minds and thinking because it is the avenue where he gets power in a person’s life. If we think evil thoughts, angry thoughts, hateful thoughts, vengeful thoughts, lustful thoughts, any thoughts contrary to God’s Word, we act sinfully. We don’t go out and do sinful acts we didn’t first think and meditate upon. We don’t seek out porn without first desiring it in our mind. We don’t take a gun and shoot someone unless there are murderous thoughts in our mind. We think harshly about someone before say hateful things to them. It all starts in our minds. With so much opportunity for sinful thoughts in our heads, the enemy doesn’t need to do more than watch the sin show we provide when we let those thoughts run free.

Why is it that after we “come to Christ” we are still doing wrong things and have bad habits? It’s because when saved, we have been washed by the blood and cleansed from our past sins, but that doesn’t renew our mind, change the way we think or habitual pattern of thinking. That can only be done with 'the washing of the water of the Word.' Until then, we still have an attitude and spirit built by a old system of thinking.

Ephesians 5:26 “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,” and the sanctification of the Spirit as He speaks to them and corrects them,

Isaiah 30:21 “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.”

We can repent and be redeemed, but we are like a fish that has been caught for the kingdom of God. The Lord cleanses us when we change our thinking and renew our minds with His Word and His Spirit. We must allow and desire His correcting us in our daily walk. We have to ask the Lord to teach us “His ways” and show us “His paths” for us to walk in. Here’s the kicker…He is faithful to do His part always; we, however, must do our part as well and it all starts between our ears.