Saturday, October 29, 2011

With the LORD you can be the real you.

Peanuts
by Charles Schultz
With the LORD you
can do all things
because He
strengthens you.
Rely on Him.
He is a shield about you,
He is your glory, and the
One who lifts your head.
Trust Him.
Philippians 4:13
Psalm 3:3

Life is tough!

God is with you!  Shout for joy in the morning!

Life is tough.  That is just a fact.  All through our fallen time throughout the ages life is just tough.  If it isn't tough for you, then praise God and draw near to Him.  Tough times will come. 

Having a relationship with the LORD already will be your greatest asset.  Even so, He will draw you to Himself.  Will you allow this?  Will you draw closer to Him in the tough times?  Will you choose to draw near to Him in the good times?

If you are His child then you are filled with the Holy Spirit who is your teacher, comforter, your guide to drawing near to the LORDYou need only to acquiesce to Him.  Written encouragement and comfort is just a page away in the Psalms.  Plan some time with Him today and draw nearer to Him.  It is the best place to be in the good times and the tough times.

Psalm 30:1-5
"I will extol You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up, and have not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD my God, I cried to You for help and You healed me.
O LORD, You have brought up my soul from Sheol:  You have kept me alive, that I would not go down to the pit.
Sing praise to the LORD, you His godly ones, and give thanks to His holy name.
For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; 
Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning."

Let's learn to shout for joy in the morning even in the tough times!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Have you been fooled?

A Confirmed Heretic is on The Watchman's Bagpipes today. 


This world is not our home.  When "christianity" comes in so many flavors it is a danger that we must keep up on.  Don't just go along with what sounds good.  Be a Berean!


Acts 17:11 "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."


But have you been fooled?  If so, then you are not alone!  


Don't feel dumb that you listened to falsehood, but instead Glorify God that you have learned the truth!  Don't remain in falsehoods.  Get in His word and continue to follow Him in truth.  The world is watching and when they see you, don't you want them to see the real Jesus?


Galatians 1:6-10  "I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel..."

You can be deceived

"A cult is a group or relationship that presents itself as friendly, caring, loving, and offers to meet needs, but has a hidden agenda to manipulate, exploit, and abuse."
Wellspring Retreat and Resource Center 


Any person... any intellect, any Christian, any non-Christain, any age person can be fooled, seduced, brainwashed, and led into a cult, a cult-like group or by a cult-like leader.  


We are all susceptible.  We must stay on high alert always.  This goes for where we go to church, what books, media, and DVDs we watch and listen,  but also for our relationships with whom we fellowship.


1 Corinthians 15:33  "Do not be deceived;  Bad company corrupts good morals." 


Let's keep our eyes and ears open for "red flags" in all things and always, always run to the LORD for His truth!

The Fox

Thank you, Cherry, for your excellent post On The Write Narrow Path today.


The Fox In Our Midst--Why Children Need Boundaries


For two days, every time we let our dog out she would bark nonstop.  I kept looking to see what she was seeing, but could not find the source of her obvious anxiety.  Because she is not a dog that barks to hear the sound of her own voice, I am always on the alert when she does bark and my God-given “search engine” goes into high gear.


This morning while we were having breakfast, my son saw our yearling heifer, Honey, running.  He started laughing and stated, “That goofy Honey is out their running!”  I, however, did not laugh; as I immediately knew something was wrong.  Although calves and yearlings will occasionally run for the fun of it, expectant heifers do not just burst into “for the fun of it” running routines.   I went to the window and, sure enough, not 200 feet from our barn, Honey had come to a halt and was staring directly at two foxes playing in the field…oops…make that one fox and one favorite cat (Herbie)…and they were definitely NOT playing!  Herbie is not quite a year old and is rather large for his age.  His youth, feline nature, and size tend to make him think he is ten foot long and bullet proof!  Because he is such a large cat, has a dark orange coat, and his tail was fanned out much larger than I ever thought his short hair could manage, I first mistook him for a fox!  He was hunched down facing the fox prepared for a fight.


Just as the realization of the danger Herbie was in struck me, the heifer ran right between the two and stopped.  The fox took a step toward the cat and the heifer lunged toward the fox.  At that point, I was out on the porch ready to take care of business when the fox bolted toward the neighbor’s pasture.  I called Herbie and he ran toward me with more speed and obedience than that which is common to felines!  When he reached me, he leapt into my arms, his entire body trembling, and his tail remained [comically] fanned for a good five minutes.  (I’m sure he is now devastatingly embarrassed as he realizes the spectacle he made of himself.)


This incident has had me thinking all morning about other “foxes” in our midst and those who, due to youth, think they are as sly as those “foxes.”  Fortunately for Herbie, because of where we live and my desire to protect my chickens, ducks, and cats, I have learned to watch carefully for foxes and always investigate the “red flags.”


Sadly, there are too many parents paying no attention whatsoever to the “red flags” indicating that there are foxes “playing” with their children and the children have not the maturity nor wherewithal to understand the dangers that await them.  The God-given parental  “search engine” that alerts a parent to check a situation out, is all to often ignored.


Parents sometimes succumb to peer pressure from other adults who contend that not allowing children “freedom” is to be overprotective and will damage children for life.  Now, I’m not talking about hovering here.  I’m talking about setting healthy boundaries and changing them according to the “fruit” of the child’s life.  It is important to make boundary decisions based on one’s own child rather than what someone else is doing with their child.  Parents of more than one child can attest to the fact that each child they have must be assessed separately when deciding boundaries, as every child’s needs are different.  We should not raise our children as if they were popped out of a cookie cutter.


When seeking counsel on raising children, it is prudent to first consider the outcome of the children belonging to those whose counsel we would seek (remembering, however, that even some of the best parents have had rebellious children because even children have God-given choice) and then determine whether or not another’s suggestions would be applicable to our own children.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Wonderful, Merciful Savior

As of late I have been greatly ministered to by music.  Gentle instrumentals of all styles and also lyrics of Christian hymns and even Christian "yaya" music lyrics. 

FYI:   Jill's "yaya" music definition:  Personally too rowdy and loud for me normally.

Musical talents, writing talents amaze me.  What a gift music is. 

Thank you, LORD!

Here is today's beautiful gift from Dawn Rogers and Eric Wyse.  I will allow you the opportunity to find it to listen:

Wonderful, merciful Savior,
Precious Redeemer and Friend;
Who would have thought that a Lamb could
rescue the souls of the men?

Counselor, Comforter, Keeper,
Spirit, we long to embrace;
You offer hope when our hearts have
hopelessly lost the way.

Almighty, infinite Father,
Faithfully loving Your own;
Here in our weakness You find us
falling before Your throne.

You are the One that we praise,
You are the One we adore;
You give the healing and grace
our hearts always hunger for.

Glory to God!  May we be found faithful.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Sins of the MInd

Every single one of us begin to sin in our minds first.  Our minds can be a most dangerous place for us.  Don't fool yourself.   Capture your thoughts for Him and seek His wisdom.

Check out  the whole entry at Eternity Matters, October 19, 2011.

Sins of the Mind

..."the most dangerous sins...there is nothing to keep you accountable to them except your conscience...visible sins are always preceded by sins of the mind"

Jesus said:

Matthew 21-22  "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgement.'   But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgement;  whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council;  and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire."...

Advice in digested form:

Confess
Refuse
Replace
Feed on God's word
Avoid evil
Cultivate the love of God

What is God calling you to do? part 2

I Refuse

Sometimes I
just want to close my eyes
And act like everyone's all right
When no, they're not


This world needs God
But it's easier to just stand and watch
I could say a prayer and just move on
Like nothing's wrong
But I refuse

Cause I don't want to live like I don't care
I don't want to say another empty prayer

Oh I refuse to
Sit around and wait for someone else
To do what God has called me to do myself
Oh I could choose
Not to move
But I refuse

I can hear the least of these
Crying out so desperately
And I know we are the hands and feet
Of You, O God
So if you say move
It's time for me to follow through
And do what I was made to do
And show them who you are

Cause I don't want to live like I don't care
I don't want to say another empty prayer
Oh I refuse to
Sit around and wait for someone else
To do what God has called me to do myself

Oh I could choose
Not to move
But I refuse
To stand and watch
The weary and lost
Cry out for Him

I refuse
To turn my back
And try and act like all is well

I refuse
To stay unchanged
To wait another day
To doubt myself
I refuse
To make one more excuse
by Josh Wilson

And Jesus said...

..."Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me." Matthew 25:31-40

Monday, October 17, 2011

As political as I will get

What is God calling you to do?

Our lives are full.  We have so much to do and not enough time to do it in.  In some ways our conveniences have complicated our lives perhaps giving us too much free time which we promptly fill up with other good things to do.

I suggest we routinely think of what occupies our time and make changes for the betterment of our families.   As always...I am speaking to myself also.  

Besides our busy lives~~~What is God calling you to do?

Let's think of our lives as seasons.  When I am a newlywed I am in a different season than when I have 4 children under 8 years old, and then a different season when my children are grown.  Even in each season there can be "sub-seasons".

I do not mean to make this more complicated.  If you are a mother with young children you are very busy with them, but sometimes you can fit in much more of the outside world and other times you can not.  These are the "sub-seasons".

The reason I bring this up is that I think that of all the good things we are doing in our lives I wonder how much we could choose not to do if we stopped---and looked around our own area, our own neighborhood, and fulfilled what God is actually calling us to do right there. 

I am not speaking of taking away from our family times.  Your husband and then your children are always to be first. 

I am speaking of the good things we become involved with---that are good, but could God be using you and your family in other areas to touch the hearts of individual people?   

Is there a lonely older person across the street,  a single mother who is overwhelmed,  parents who have lost their adult child,  a friend who just doesn't seem the same...I could go on and on.

Sometimes just a visit, a plate of cookies, asking to help weed or mow, sitting while a parent cries, coming alongside a friend who never smiles any more, a phone call, a hand written letter, an email...can be a life saver to a wounded, sad person.  You do not have to solve their life problems, but you can be a window through which they can see God. 
So many times we do not "see" these wounded people because we are so busy doing other good things.

And so I ask you~~~What is God calling you to do?

Saturday, October 15, 2011

While I'm Waiting

I’m waiting 
I'm waiting on You, Lord 
And I am hopeful 
I'm waiting on You, Lord 
Though it is painful 
But patiently, I will wait 
I will move ahead, bold and confident 
Takeing every step in obedience 
I will serve You 
While I'm waiting 
I will worship 
While I'm waiting 
I will not faint 
I'll be running the race 
Even while I wait 
I'm waiting 
I'm waiting on You, Lord 
And I am peaceful 
I'm waiting on You, Lord 
Though it's not easy 
But faithfully, I will wait 
Yes, I will wait 
I will serve You while I'm waiting 
I will worship while I'm waiting 
I will serve You while I'm waiting 
I will worship while I'm waiting 
I will serve you while I'm waiting 
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

by John Waller
"I waited patiently for the LORD
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.  
He brought me out of the pit of destruction, 
out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock 
making my steps firm.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the LORD."
Psalm 40:1-3

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Redeemed with the precious blood of Jesus

The last blog post would not put this scripture on with it so I begin another post today  :oD   May you be blessed because of my computer's quirks.

"...Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver and gold from your futile way of  life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ."
1 Peter 1:18-19

Our Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world is Jesus. (John 1:29)  

When you accepted Jesus as your Saviour, your payment for your sins, it was His precious blood in which the Father saw you through.  Jesus was our atonement, our covering. 

The Father no longer sees us,  our filthy rags~~~all our sins, all our works, everything that we may think has merit. (Isaiah 64:6)  

When we have Jesus' blood covering us, the Father sees a new creation.  Brand new.  Clean.  Holy through Jesus' holiness.

Your value goes from zero to priceless because of Jesus' precious blood redeeming you.  The precious blood of the Lamb of God shed for you.

We can not take this lightly, and we must remember even in our darkest day to what extent Jesus' work on the cross did for us.  Even our newest sins do not keep us from our salvation~~~but they sure can point us to Him in a more poignant humbleness as we can truly begin to understand the depths of His sacrifice for us, the depths of His love for us.

Truly we have reason to glorify the LORD every moment.  Do this with your lives, dear ladies.  Find joy in what you do~~~especially the every day things you do.   Live in a humble, thankful way and even the angels will marvel at how you glorify Him.

What is your Value?

Gentle women, what have you done?   Can you explain everything you have ever done in your life and not be ashamed?   And with this confession, at least to yourself, can you assess your value?

How can any of us stand up to these questions?

Don't you know that you have been remade?  He did this for you and for me!

"This is love;  not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."
1 John 4:10

You are More by Tenth Ave North

There's a girl in the corner
With tear stains on her eyes
From the places she's wandered
And the shame she can't hide

She says, "How did I get here?
I'm not who I once was.
And I'm crippled by the fear
That I've fallen too far to love"

But don't you know who you are,
What's been done for you?
Yeah don't you know who you are?

You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.

Well she tries to believe it
That she's been given new life
But she can't shake the feeling
That it's not true tonight

She knows all the answers
And she's rehearsed all the lines
And so she'll try to do better
But then she's too weak to try

But don't you know who you are?

You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.

You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.

'Cause this is not about what you've done,
But what's been done for you.
This is not about where you've been,
But where your brokenness brings you to

This is not about what you feel,
But what He felt to forgive you,
And what He felt to make you loved.

You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.

From the commentary under the You are More utube:
Don't let your past, your wrong decisions, your shortcomings define your worth or who you are, let them be tools in the loving, caring hand of God to refine you. You can always come to God as you are, but believe me- He won't let you stay as you are, He will love you, care for you, heal you, restore you, lead you out into freedom, He will transform you into greater likeness of Christ. Tomorrow is past, today you can bring before God, He will plant in your heart the hope of a better tomorrow.

So what is your value?  

If you are His child.....your are priceless!   


Jesus' precious blood covers you!

Sunday, October 9, 2011

SAFE


by Phil Wickham
To the one who's dreams are falling all apart
And all you're left with is a tired and broken heart
I can tell by your eyes you think your on your own
but you're not all alone

Have you heard of the One who can calm the raging seas
Give sight to the blind, pull the lame up to their feet
With a love so strong he'll never let you go
oh you're not alone

You will be safe in His arms
You will be safe in His arms
'Cause the hands that hold the world are holding your heart
This is the promise He made
He will be with You always
When everything is falling apart
You will be safe in His arms

Did you know that the voice that brings the dead to life
Is the very same voice that calls you to rise
So hear Him now He's calling you home
You will never be alone

These are the hands that built the mountains
the hands that calm the seas

These are the arms that hold the heavens
they are holding you and me

These are hands that healed the leper
Pulled the lame up to their feet
These are the arms that were nailed to a cross
to break our chains and set us free

Don't give up, dear ones!   You are safe in Him!

Friday, October 7, 2011

I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth

Voice of Truth
by John Mark Hall and Steven Curtis Chapman

This song has ministered to me more times than I could ever count. 

Lies can fill your head.   People can lie and lie and lie to you and this fills your head.  

You can know what the truth is, but they have lied so much and so long and loud that your head is so full of lies that the truth is muffled.  The truth is muted.  The truth is morfed into not the truth any more.

But the Voice of Truth!  God is Truth!  He will tell you the Truth!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh what I would do to have
The kind of faith it takes to climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves

To step out of my comfort zone
To the realm of the unknown where Jesus is
And He's holding out his hand

But the waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep telling me
Time and time again, 'Boy, you'll never win!'
"You'll never win"

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
And the voice of truth says "Do not be afraid!"
And the voice of truth says "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

Oh what I would do to have
The kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant
With just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again "boy, you'll never win!"
"You'll never win"

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
And the voice of truth says "Do not be afraid!"
And the voice of truth says "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

But the stone was just the right size
To put the giant on the ground
And the waves they don't seem so high
From on top of them looking down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
When I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
Singing over me...

...Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe
I will listen and believe the voice of truth...

...I will listen and believe
Cause Jesus You are the Voice of Truth.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Do you not know? 
Have you not heard? 
The Everlasting God,
the LORD,
the Creator of the ends of the earth
does not become weary or tired. 
His understanding is inscrutable. 
He gives strength to the weary,
and to him who lacks might He increases power. 
Though youths grow weary and tired,
and vigorous young men stumble badly,
Yet those who wait for the LORD
Will gain new strength; 
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary."
Isaiah 40:28-31

All because of God  :oD 

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Your Name
by Paul Baloche

As morning dawns and evening fades
You inspire songs of praise
That rise from earth to touch Your heart and glorify Your Name

Your Name is a strong and mighty tower
Your Name is a shelter like no other
Your Name, let the nations sing it louder
'Cause nothing has the power to save
But Your Name

Jesus, in Your Name we pray
Come and fill our hearts today
Lord, give us strength to live for You and glorify Your Name






Sunday, October 2, 2011

'Til the Storm passes by

Are you in a storm of life right now?

This morning as we drove to town it was just beautiful with crystal blue skies and the crisp air of autumn. Soon enough we approached the river and we saw looming up ahead of us dense ground fog. Up against the blue sky it was awesome to see. When we became engulfed in the fog we couldn’t see much around and definitely we could not see the sky. Once in a while a touch of bluish sky or a dull ray of sun would peek through, but mostly it was just dense grey fog. Our only knowledge that the sun was out in all its glory was that we had seen the beauty of it moments before. We knew the blue sky was just beyond our sight.

If you have been in a storm of life, you can become so blinded to what life use to be or can be. You can forget what normal life is like. It is easy to become bitter, disillusioned, or fall into hopelessness. You forget that just like the dense fog there is the bright sun and blue skies still out there, but only beyond your reach.

Don’t give up!  God is with you.  He is your strength and your comfort.  He will be with you through it all.  Even if you think and feel that the storm will never be over, some day He will rescue you~~~either here or in glory.

‘Til the Storm Passes By

In the dark of the midnight
Have I oft hid my face,
While the storm howls above me,
And there’s no hiding place.
‘Mid the crash of the thunder,
Precious Lord, hear my cry,
“Keep me safe ‘til the storm passes by.”

‘Til the storm passes over,
‘Til the thunder sounds no more,
‘Til the clouds roll forever from the sky,
Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand;
Keep me safe ‘til the storm passes by.

Many times satan whispered,
“There is no need to try,
For there’s no end of sorrow;
There’s no hope by and by.”
But I know Thou art with me,
And tomorrow I’ll rise
Where the storm never darkens the skies.

When the long night has ended,
And the storms come no more,
Let me stand in Thy presence
On that bright, peaceful shore.
In that land where the tempest
Never comes, Lord, may I
Dwell with Thee when the storm passes by.

Written by Mosie Lister

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Lessons from the cat

In this upside down world which insists we came from goo and then also encourages us to be different, so we can be like everyone else, it is good to hear encouragements to be ourselves.  Check out lessons learned from the cat and let's work on being happy and thankful being ourselves. 

God knows you.  He knows every part.  He loves you.  Cry out to Him.  He will lift your head.

"Submit yourselves, then, to God.   Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and He will come near to you."
James 4:8