Stand Firm

Gal 4:5-6 ...so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that they might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts crying, "Abba, Father!"

Because we are sons of the most high God, and have the privilege of crying out endearingly to Him, as a child would to his father. We can be provided with strength and utmost confidence in even the most intense times of doubt, pain, or confusion. Because of this hope, cry out to God to let truth resonate in us and give us strength. Why would we question such powerful message as the gospel? But at times we do, we doubt, we forget. Let us therefore be prepared for times like these so that our hearts will naturally cry out to God to help us stand firm when we are weak.

Reference: Eph 6:10 - 17

STAND FIRM! Remember the battle is not against people. Take a stance against: satan's efforts to produce distrust in God, disobedience, being wishy-washy and creating confusion about God's word, being fake, hindering service to God, bringing division, living hypocritically, being worldly, and anything that is contradictory to God's word and nature.

Gird loins with truth - sincerely committed and full of integrity. Tie up the loose spiritual ends that do cause confusion and doubt by searching God's word and standing on it.

Breastplate of righteousness - Pursue God's righteousness by living in obedience. This will protect your heart and vital organs against the guilt and wavering of disobedience. Strengthening and protecting against satan's attacks.

Shod feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace - You can't stand on something you don't know! Know the gospel so you can stand on it in times of struggle. Be ready to speak it and take it with you everywhere you go.

Shield of Faith - extinguishes the fiery arrows of satan. Remember who is shooting the arrows and trust God as our protector. Faith and trust quiets doubt & fear and chokes out the attacks so they don't destroy us.

Helmet of salvation - Hope of salvation. Even a blow to the head can be recovered from when we put our hope in the Lord. Stand firm in your salvation. A preacher, who has now passed, used to say "I've read the end, and we win!" We have victory already. Stand up and be victorious and remember the ending! Even in death we have the hope of heaven and seeing our Lord! This is the glory of our salvation, so live life fully and fight hard!

Sword of the spirit - Ultimate weapon, to be used defensively and offensively. Be prepared by it, strengthened by it, and use it effectively in battle times, growth times, quiet times, hard times, all the time!

Lord, protect us, strengthen us, and let us live our life vigorously and boldly, proclaiming and clinging to the hope we have in you!

Ancient of Days

Thought this was interesting...I'm reading Daniel and he calls God "Ancient of Days" several times. I looked it up in the concordance, and this was the description for what the words mean

Ancient - ancient
Days - day, time

I looked up the other instances in the bible of "ancient" and "days" and the other forms had paragraph amounts of description. The hebrew word for ancient in the name Ancient of Days is only used as the name of God, only three times in the bible, all in Daniel chapt 7 which is about his vision that corresponds with Revalation of Satan & the beasts/kingdoms overturned, Christ returning and having dominion, and God's white throne of judgement.

It's like God is saying He is what He is, no explanation necessary. Kinda like with Moses when He said to tell them "I AM" sent you! I love those words!!

The Ancient of Days, same from Daniel's time, through John's time, through ours, returning victoriously to fulfill His Word!

Hang in There

Do you ever reach a point where you think life would be so much easier if you just went along with the rest of the world? Sometimes I think I think too much and need to just be more laid back.

I'm not saying I follow the scriptures completely or live perfectly, far from, but sometimes when I know I'm following what God has said to do it just doesn't seem right. It seems things would be much easier living by God's word, then at times its not, in fact sometimes its really hard. I hope you don't fall into the trap like I have many times of thinking because things are hard and don't feel right you must be getting it wrong. I have struggled with that some the past couple weeks.

I had Psalms on my mind all week as I was thinking about this but didn't turn there. Yesterday finally I decided to just look at it and I saw what I had been needing all week! Why don't I just pay attention to God immediately!!?

Psalm 1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord and on his law he meditates day and night...

These verses were such a consolation and encouragement to me to keep going, and yes, to think (meditate) about God's ways and delight in following the Lord. Not quit thinking so much or give in and run with world! God wants us to commit our way to the Lord and trust in Him (psalm 37:5) and to consider His ways and meditate on His precepts (psalm 119:13-16)

We really do serve a good God! One who wants us thinking and on our feet. Life is amazing with God, why would I ever really want to just chill and forget about trying to follow Him!? What a clever tactic of the enemy to entice us to think it must be easy to live without considering Him! We know better!!

Thoughts on Faith

I have a plaque in my office that reads “Faith is not believing God can, it is knowing that God will.” It has got me thinking a little bit. What do we KNOW God WILL do? Is that not presumptuous? I think it’s fine if the statement is portraying truths that we know about God from the scripture….He will deliver us, protect us, see us through & have what is best for us, etc. But I’m afraid it can be read in a way that promotes false and romanticized ideas about who God is. Not that I understand Him myself, but I don’t believe we can ask for anything we want or even things we feel we need, pray about it, believe enough that God will do it and have it automatically accomplished for us. This idea puts too much power in our hands and completely takes away the sovereignty of God. 

Even Jesus asked for the cup to be removed from him when faced with the cross. Unjustly sentenced to one of the most excruciating and humiliating forms of death, if there was a way out of it in God’s will he wanted to take it and he of all people deserved God's taking it away, but Jesus did not expect that God would certainly take it away. He knew if God's will was different than his own he would follow it, even to the cross. I think the plaque would be better worded “Faith is knowing that God can, but trusting Him when He doesn’t.” 

There are too many tragedies that God could fix that He chooses not to and too many paths that seem good that He says no to. I would hate to cause a weakening of faith in someone who reads it and portrays it in the wrong light. So, even though it’s cute and matches the color theme of my office and can be read the right way, I think I will take it down. Praise be to God Almighty, the author and perfector of our faith!

Proverbs for Life

I have realized there are things I have been praying for that I may not see changed the way I have been praying for them to. I have really sought God on this and have found that my heart can be at peace even so. He has lead me to Proverbs and allowed so many of those verses to penetrate my soul I wanted to share some of what I have embraced in His Word. I have to trust in God's sovereignty, I have to know He sees and knows and I have to trust Him with my heart and not harden it. I must not lean on my own understanding but acknowledge Him in everything. I won't give up or loose hope, but I will not continue to stay in the same spot and not grow because circumstances have not changed the way I expected. I'm submitting to God, in Him I will be strong, and I will stay faithful to Him even if He doesn't answer my prayers the way I think He should, the way I thought was best.

I have realized a Christian's need to sometimes pray for ourself to change doesn't always mean we are having to change because we are in the wrong. Sometimes we have to change in order to move forward.

The Lord watches our ways. He is our protector, not just over our physical bodies, but over our hearts and emotions and our whole lives. He will be our shield and He will watch over every aspect of our life.

Pray for wisdom and discernment, it is a healing balm to a hurting soul. It provides direction, encouragement, grace and purpose.

^{prov 2:7} He holds success in store for the upright,
   he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
⁸ for he guards the course of the just
   and protects the way of his faithful ones.

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

I'm doing Beth Moore's Believing God study right now and todays scripture was Psalm 139:1-5, 13-18. It discusses how God knows us intimately, He examines our thoughts and motives, and He knows our hearts. He made us in the womb and has all our days planned ahead of time. He knows everything about us. We are fearfully and wonderfully made!

As I read this I thought about the difference it would make if we would view people as God's wonderful creation and always be aware that He has a plan for them too. Initially thinking of my kids and husband, how I want my kids to see and realize how precious they are to God and how He has a wonderful plan and purpose for their life. How I want my husband to realize that too and lead our family down the path God has for us. I truly want to encourage them in that way.

Think of all the people in our life who would be affected if we viewed them and treated them with respect, regardless of the circumstance, due to the significance they really have in Christ. I'm not exactly sure how to do that, but I think a start would be to take seriously the plans and thoughts of our Christian friends when they feel God is leading them a certain way, to lift up and encourage those who may feel a lack of purpose or direction, and have a little patience with others because we know they are so special to God, even the lady who has 40 items in the 10 item checkout line!

Also, be sure of your own significance. God loves you, He has plans for you. He knows where you go and what you do. He knows your thoughts and what's in your heart and He cares about you! Everything about you! Sometimes I need to remember that too. When we are sure of our own significance, we will be happy to help others realize theirs!

Follow My Lead

Galatians 2:11-14 (New Living Translation)

Paul Confronts Peter

 ¹¹ But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. ¹² When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. ¹³ As a result, other Jewish Christians followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

Wow, the implications in these three little verses are amazing. Immediately you can recognize several of them.

1 - Paul, in his devotion, was not afraid to rebuke a brother in love when damage was being done to the gospel and to others.

2 - Human nature is hard to overcome when we precieve our reputations may be at stake.

3 - We are to love those who are different regardless of what others think.

4 - When we don't act as Christians but as hypocrits, people tend to follow and we bring them down.

Legalism will get us no where. Faith is everything and true faith does not discriminate. Let's not get wrapped up in what our church friends might think if they see us hanging out with "sinners", so long as we are doing it out of love of Christ. That's our number 1 command & calling - to love!