Last night Clint Eastwood (at the age of 84) gave a speech at the Republican National Convention. He used a prop of an empty chair as if he was speaking to Obama. Mr. Eastwood's speech was moderated as many elderly people's speech is. And his hair was a little wispy, as many elderly people's hair is. Today he is under attack for the signs of his age!
I fear for a nation that treats their elderly as if they are not satisfactory or are handicapped because age has slowed them down a little. I fear for a nation that ignores the wisdom of it's elders for the slick presentations of youth.
This blog comes not just from this incident with Mr. Eastwood but also the Presidential Candidacy of John McCain in 2008 at the age of 72. He was belittled for his slow speech also and for the lack of mobility that was apparent in his movements. Senator McCain had been a Prisoner of War during his military service and had been tortured repeatedly! He suffered both arms fractured, one leg, his shoulder being broken and ground by a rifle butt and bayoneted. He survived two years of solitary confinement and repeated beatings. Altogether, McCain was a prisoner of war in North Vietnam for five and a half years.
Mr. Eastwood has been an American film actor, director, producer, composer, and politician(as mayor of a California town for 2 years). He has always been well respected for his integrity and accomplishments.
While these examples are brought from political situations this post is not about politics! This post is about our mindset that people that aren't "Hollywood" smooth are not worthy of our time or respect. These two men have been through life and the battles that accompany it. They have gained wisdom at the expense of some of the years of their lives.
Women are standing up and saying that they don't want to be given a physical image of a 14 year old girl model as how the average woman should appear. In the same way, we should stand up and say that just because someone speaks slowly doesn't mean that they are not as wise as a fast speaking person. I have actually always believed that a person that speaks more slowly is measuring their words and is therefore more trustworthy than someone that scatters words quickly.
We don't make fun of a blind person for not being able to see or the deaf for not hearing. We don't ridicule people that are color blind because they don't see the same colors that we see. We accept many variants in each other but we are quickly losing our ability to accept someone's differences because of age.
Our elderly bring a lot of wisdom and understanding to situations that our young, brash people have not had the opportunity to experience yet. Why ridicule someone because their speech lags? We are even at the point where some old people belittle someone else that is slower than them in movement or speech! How sad!
We need to return to simple respect for each other and to allow others to be different from ourselves. What happened to manners? What happened to "respecting our elders"?
Lorna Mercer
Friday, August 31, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Gardening
All who garden and are breaking into an area that has not been yet "tamed" know that there is work in getting the ground ready for growing your selected plants. The ground has many seeds and roots from whatever has been allowed to grow their unmolested. Maybe it was native grasses, maybe weeds, or maybe even a carefully maintained lawn.
No matter what was growing there it will have to be battled to allow the newly selected "crop" or plants to grow. First, you have to dig out all of the old plants, being sure to capture their roots in the effort. If you leave the roots then the already established plant will continue to grow and it does have the advantage on anything you're trying to get started there.
After digging the old plants out and carefully placing your new seeds or plants and watch for growth you'll notice things growing that are not from the seeds you've just planted. That's because the previous tenants of that bit of soil have left behind their offspring to take their place!
So after carefully digging out all of the old roots you'll need to continue to watch and carefully pluck any plants that try to grow and interfere with your new plants. I say carefully because your new seeds or plants are not yet established enough to not have their root systems damaged also if they are stirred around too much.
Recently while hearing a message from our Pastor I realized that a new walk with the Lord Jesus is much the same as the process of changing your garden plants out! We need to root out all of the things of our old behaviour and be sure to not leave any part that can continue to grow. Then as we're planting new habits and patterns we need to watch watch for any of the old things to try to crop up from any old seeds left behind.
Sometimes the root can be a generational root that runs so deeply that we're not even aware of it! It may be something that we just think of as being part of who we are, when in truth it's an old sinful nature that has jumped from generation to generation in our families! I'll share with you here my own old root so you're able to understand what I'm talking about. My family has an Irish background and we've always been proud that we were a "rebellious" bunch! Only after starting to have the Holy Spirit reveal things to me did I realize that rebellion is as divination (witchcraft).
(For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. 1 Samuel 15:23)
Some families have fearful natures, or are sickly, or prideful, or argumentative, accident prone, flirtatious, drinkers, lazy, lying. The list can be quite long, but instead of accepting that that's the way our grandparents were and our parents and so we are , maybe we should examine or question if these are really habits of a godly life? (I know "godly life" sounds intimidating, but it just means a life walking closely with God!)
When we're trying to grow new plants in our life, a new heart for God and a godly walk, God does most of the work for us, but we have to recognize when things are growing that are not part of our new walk and give them to Him to "root out". If we cling to our family traditions He won't make us give them up, but we will never grow in the way we need to because our new heart and new life is having the vitality stolen from it by the old ancestral root sins. And as a lot of gardeners know, the roots of some plants actually put out poisons to prevent any new plants from growing. We don't want to allow old family roots to prevent our new heart from growing! Search your family garden and see if you don't have some "root" that you need to deal with as I've had to with my root of rebellion, through much inner inspection and prayer time.
Yes I've even taken drastic steps of binding and breaking it off and even with that done I can't turn my back on it for a moment because the seeds will still try to crop up. I desire to walk as closely with God as is possible this side of heaven and in order to do that I'm willing to weed my garden, daily!
But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Ephesians 4:20-24
No matter what was growing there it will have to be battled to allow the newly selected "crop" or plants to grow. First, you have to dig out all of the old plants, being sure to capture their roots in the effort. If you leave the roots then the already established plant will continue to grow and it does have the advantage on anything you're trying to get started there.
After digging the old plants out and carefully placing your new seeds or plants and watch for growth you'll notice things growing that are not from the seeds you've just planted. That's because the previous tenants of that bit of soil have left behind their offspring to take their place!
So after carefully digging out all of the old roots you'll need to continue to watch and carefully pluck any plants that try to grow and interfere with your new plants. I say carefully because your new seeds or plants are not yet established enough to not have their root systems damaged also if they are stirred around too much.
Recently while hearing a message from our Pastor I realized that a new walk with the Lord Jesus is much the same as the process of changing your garden plants out! We need to root out all of the things of our old behaviour and be sure to not leave any part that can continue to grow. Then as we're planting new habits and patterns we need to watch watch for any of the old things to try to crop up from any old seeds left behind.
Sometimes the root can be a generational root that runs so deeply that we're not even aware of it! It may be something that we just think of as being part of who we are, when in truth it's an old sinful nature that has jumped from generation to generation in our families! I'll share with you here my own old root so you're able to understand what I'm talking about. My family has an Irish background and we've always been proud that we were a "rebellious" bunch! Only after starting to have the Holy Spirit reveal things to me did I realize that rebellion is as divination (witchcraft).
(For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. 1 Samuel 15:23)
Some families have fearful natures, or are sickly, or prideful, or argumentative, accident prone, flirtatious, drinkers, lazy, lying. The list can be quite long, but instead of accepting that that's the way our grandparents were and our parents and so we are , maybe we should examine or question if these are really habits of a godly life? (I know "godly life" sounds intimidating, but it just means a life walking closely with God!)
When we're trying to grow new plants in our life, a new heart for God and a godly walk, God does most of the work for us, but we have to recognize when things are growing that are not part of our new walk and give them to Him to "root out". If we cling to our family traditions He won't make us give them up, but we will never grow in the way we need to because our new heart and new life is having the vitality stolen from it by the old ancestral root sins. And as a lot of gardeners know, the roots of some plants actually put out poisons to prevent any new plants from growing. We don't want to allow old family roots to prevent our new heart from growing! Search your family garden and see if you don't have some "root" that you need to deal with as I've had to with my root of rebellion, through much inner inspection and prayer time.
Yes I've even taken drastic steps of binding and breaking it off and even with that done I can't turn my back on it for a moment because the seeds will still try to crop up. I desire to walk as closely with God as is possible this side of heaven and in order to do that I'm willing to weed my garden, daily!
But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Ephesians 4:20-24
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Praise Reports
At a church I used to attend there was usually a time that our Pastor asked if we had any Praise Reports to share, meaning that it was a time to share things we were thankful to God for. Usually there were minimal if any things that anyone shared. It always hurt my spirit that we were so detached as to have nothing to praise our generous, loving Father for! I remember one particular time that he asked and ...this time it was on my heart to thank the Lord for lightening bugs.
I raised my hand and shared how thankful I was for lightening bugs! I mean, really! God didn't have to make something so fun as lightening bugs, but He did! What is their purpose? Do they have one? But they do bring joy to my heart every time I see them on a summer's evening. They whisk me immediately to a childlike desire to gather them in a jar and enjoy their lights blinking off and on before setting them free again.
I probably don't need to add that I'm the only one that I'm aware of that stood up in our church and thanked God for lightening bugs. A lot of times there was nobody (not one person!) ready to praise God for anything at all. Isn't that absurd? Shouldn't we have to extend church services to have adequate time to praise God and tell Him thank you for the things in our lives that we appreciate?
Have we become callous to the things in our lives that our Heavenly Father has blessed us with and only bother to talk to Him when we want to lodge a complaint or when He has taken it over the top of glory and beauty? Or saved us just in the nick of time! Let's think, who can we thank that the Earth keeps rotating? Who can we thank for holding together the Universe? Who can we thank that our heart keeps beating? Who can we thank that we have so many material blessings that our closets are crammed and we even(as a nation) have to rent storage units? Who can we thank that if we don't feel well we have a doctor in every city and neighborhood? Who can we thank that our car starts every time we turn the key? Who can we thank that there is plenty of groceries on the shelves in the local grocery store? Who can we thank for air conditioning? Who can we thank that we have comfortable, safe homes to relax in? Who can we thank that we are blessed with good health? Who can we thank for the family and friends that grace our lives? Who can we thank that we have the freedom to worship our Lord? The list goes on and on and really we should never run out of things to thank Him for.
If we run out of the routine, mundane things we can progress to the songs of the birds, the beauty of the flowers, trees and clouds and move on to thanking Him for the joy that lightening bugs bring to our lives!
I raised my hand and shared how thankful I was for lightening bugs! I mean, really! God didn't have to make something so fun as lightening bugs, but He did! What is their purpose? Do they have one? But they do bring joy to my heart every time I see them on a summer's evening. They whisk me immediately to a childlike desire to gather them in a jar and enjoy their lights blinking off and on before setting them free again.
I probably don't need to add that I'm the only one that I'm aware of that stood up in our church and thanked God for lightening bugs. A lot of times there was nobody (not one person!) ready to praise God for anything at all. Isn't that absurd? Shouldn't we have to extend church services to have adequate time to praise God and tell Him thank you for the things in our lives that we appreciate?
Have we become callous to the things in our lives that our Heavenly Father has blessed us with and only bother to talk to Him when we want to lodge a complaint or when He has taken it over the top of glory and beauty? Or saved us just in the nick of time! Let's think, who can we thank that the Earth keeps rotating? Who can we thank for holding together the Universe? Who can we thank that our heart keeps beating? Who can we thank that we have so many material blessings that our closets are crammed and we even(as a nation) have to rent storage units? Who can we thank that if we don't feel well we have a doctor in every city and neighborhood? Who can we thank that our car starts every time we turn the key? Who can we thank that there is plenty of groceries on the shelves in the local grocery store? Who can we thank for air conditioning? Who can we thank that we have comfortable, safe homes to relax in? Who can we thank that we are blessed with good health? Who can we thank for the family and friends that grace our lives? Who can we thank that we have the freedom to worship our Lord? The list goes on and on and really we should never run out of things to thank Him for.
If we run out of the routine, mundane things we can progress to the songs of the birds, the beauty of the flowers, trees and clouds and move on to thanking Him for the joy that lightening bugs bring to our lives!
Monday, August 13, 2012
United We Stand
We moved to our current location a little over a year ago. At that time I had some challenges adjusting to our new home, new schedule and new church, new everything. I had just gone through a season of being in God's ICU and I had kind of grown accustomed to it and was comfortable there!
In ICU God spoke to me gently, individually and often. I was at a stage in my walk where I needed that type of attention, thus the ICU! I was very fragile and very damaged and the attention I received restored my relationship in a quick amount of time to where God was drawing me. (I'm not saying that I am exactly where I need to be in growth, because "we always have room for growth", but I did gain a lot of ground in a short amount of time.)
When we moved it was like I was moved out of ICU and placed in a ward where I was still receiving attention, but I was being weaned away for all of the "critical care" attention I had been receiving. For myself I wasn't sure what was causing this change and didn't really recognize it for what it was until this last weekend! I blamed everything around me(new location, new church, new church family, new praise type, etc.) for the changes, including myself! I thought maybe I had offended the Holy Spirit? Maybe our church didn't worship right? Maybe I needed to study differently, praise differently? All I knew was that things had changed, I wasn't receiving ICU attention and I wasn't sure why!
Recently I had the chance to spend time with my dear sister-in-law Laura, younger than me in physical years, but light years ahead of me in spiritual growth, I shared my concerns with her about the changes in my walk with the Spirit. As we talked about it and I told her about the way things used to be, and that I was worried that I had offended the Holy Spirit she shared some teachings she had heard. I took all she said and filed it for later prayer and thought because Lane and I were on the beginning edge of a conference that was promising to be "very intense".
During the "intense conference" titled Inside Out God was sending a wake up call to His children and even some who are not yet His children, but that is for yet another blog post. Anyways, as we were in the conference and having a time of powerful prayer and anointing, what I was led to understand for the change in how things had changed for me was because I had grown! The teaching my sister in law shared with me now "gelled" in the understanding I was receiving. She had told me that there are different seasons that the Spirit may minister to us in and when the season ends, it doesn't mean anything happened wrong, it was just time for that season to end. So I was shown that I no longer needed ICU, I was no longer in the fragile condition I had been in.
I still have a close, intimate fellowship with my Lord at home in my private study, praise, worship and prayer time and walk in His guidance always, but now during the church prayer and praise time I have graduated to the adults section! Now I am part of the "Body" of Christ! Now I worship as part of a working unit, not just a single person out in the sanctuary doing their own thing. I pray as part of the unit and as the unit prays and praises together we are stronger!
When God has given instructions for battles to be fought and won He has always had a "body" of people to work through. Yes there are a few prophets that are able to deliver messages alone, but those aren't battles like when the walls of Jericho fell! Can you imagine if the people following Joshua were all off on their own doing their own thing? Where would the power of the unity be? There is a strength that comes only from the unity that we as Christians are called to be part of.
You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness. Ephesians 4:4-6 The Message
I am thankful that I have been shown that I am in a new season, time to be a grown up Christian! Thank You Lord that You reach us where we are and bring us to where we need to be! I'm encouraging everyone to step up to their role in the body of Christ. There is much work to be done and we can manage it a lot better if we work together. United we stand, divided we fall.
In ICU God spoke to me gently, individually and often. I was at a stage in my walk where I needed that type of attention, thus the ICU! I was very fragile and very damaged and the attention I received restored my relationship in a quick amount of time to where God was drawing me. (I'm not saying that I am exactly where I need to be in growth, because "we always have room for growth", but I did gain a lot of ground in a short amount of time.)
When we moved it was like I was moved out of ICU and placed in a ward where I was still receiving attention, but I was being weaned away for all of the "critical care" attention I had been receiving. For myself I wasn't sure what was causing this change and didn't really recognize it for what it was until this last weekend! I blamed everything around me(new location, new church, new church family, new praise type, etc.) for the changes, including myself! I thought maybe I had offended the Holy Spirit? Maybe our church didn't worship right? Maybe I needed to study differently, praise differently? All I knew was that things had changed, I wasn't receiving ICU attention and I wasn't sure why!
Recently I had the chance to spend time with my dear sister-in-law Laura, younger than me in physical years, but light years ahead of me in spiritual growth, I shared my concerns with her about the changes in my walk with the Spirit. As we talked about it and I told her about the way things used to be, and that I was worried that I had offended the Holy Spirit she shared some teachings she had heard. I took all she said and filed it for later prayer and thought because Lane and I were on the beginning edge of a conference that was promising to be "very intense".
During the "intense conference" titled Inside Out God was sending a wake up call to His children and even some who are not yet His children, but that is for yet another blog post. Anyways, as we were in the conference and having a time of powerful prayer and anointing, what I was led to understand for the change in how things had changed for me was because I had grown! The teaching my sister in law shared with me now "gelled" in the understanding I was receiving. She had told me that there are different seasons that the Spirit may minister to us in and when the season ends, it doesn't mean anything happened wrong, it was just time for that season to end. So I was shown that I no longer needed ICU, I was no longer in the fragile condition I had been in.
I still have a close, intimate fellowship with my Lord at home in my private study, praise, worship and prayer time and walk in His guidance always, but now during the church prayer and praise time I have graduated to the adults section! Now I am part of the "Body" of Christ! Now I worship as part of a working unit, not just a single person out in the sanctuary doing their own thing. I pray as part of the unit and as the unit prays and praises together we are stronger!
When God has given instructions for battles to be fought and won He has always had a "body" of people to work through. Yes there are a few prophets that are able to deliver messages alone, but those aren't battles like when the walls of Jericho fell! Can you imagine if the people following Joshua were all off on their own doing their own thing? Where would the power of the unity be? There is a strength that comes only from the unity that we as Christians are called to be part of.
You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness. Ephesians 4:4-6 The Message
I am thankful that I have been shown that I am in a new season, time to be a grown up Christian! Thank You Lord that You reach us where we are and bring us to where we need to be! I'm encouraging everyone to step up to their role in the body of Christ. There is much work to be done and we can manage it a lot better if we work together. United we stand, divided we fall.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Giving God Your Hurts~
Prayer Journal
August 8, 2012
Lord,
I bless Your name, I bless You. You, Who is the great "I AM". I praise You and draw close to You to feel Your comfort and love.
I bless Your name, I bless You. You, Who is the great "I AM". I praise You and draw close to You to feel Your comfort and love.
I know that man can not do any permanent damage to me, man can only cause discomfort to my soul and body, but Lord I need help to process that hurt! I've always stuffed the hurt way down and now I believe that may not be the right way? I give the hurt that careless, hurtful words and actions have brought, I ask You to take the hurt and tears and teach me the right way for me to be.
You have told me that what man does to me is unimportant, because they can't touch my spirit. Since all that You tell me is true then these feelings of hurt that I feel are misleading. If I can keep from stuffing the feelings away to fester or from becoming defensive and belligerent then the hurts will heal just like my broken toe? The toe hurts for awhile and reminds me that it is damaged, but day by day it hurts less.
How long do I have to carry the heart hurts before they start hurting less? Each time tears come I will give them to You, Lord. Each time I am hurt I will give it to You also, even when it is the same hurt reminding me of itself. The hurts are no longer mine to hold onto, no longer mine to stuff. Please help me to remember.
You have my heart and You are my hope, my only hope. With my heart belonging to You, my hurts also belong to You. Thank You Father! As a child brings their "owies" to their parent I will bring mine to You. I won't clutch them to myself in Self Pity, I won't become hardened in Self Protection, I won't retaliate in Self vengeance.
I will stay soft, feeling and loving, but Lord, please help me. It will be a while before I can become proficient in handing them all over to You.
In Jesus Name~ Amen
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Fear or Faith? You choose!
Today I was going to read in Joshua where I'm currently studying, but the Spirit took me to the Book of Numbers instead~
This is Caleb's faithful report:
Numbers 13:30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said "we should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it."
But the fearful men with him gave a different report,
Numbers 13:31-33 But the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people for they are too strong for us." So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, "The land through which we have gone, in spying it out , is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size.
...we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."
The reaction of the people, because they listened to and believed a report based only on physical facts, not spiritual!
Numbers 14:1-2a Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the sons of Israel grumbled....
This is where they made their fateful decision to fear instead of trust. If they had only listened to Caleb's report, made through his trust and faith in God and stirred up their own faith! The people would have been able to enter their promised land instead of dying in the wilderness!!
There was a time I was prayed for by a minister's wife and her wise words to me after she was through praying was "don't trust anything except God's words, don't even trust facts! just God's words". At the time I thought that was a curious idea because I had always thought facts were trustworthy, but with reading these scriptures I can totally understand what she meant.
There is so much sadness when we choose to live through our own wisdom or even what we consider the wisdom of others. Do we choose to trust the "wisdom" of men, given through our news reports and articles or our political sphere, or do we trust only God's words?
Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you, He will not fail you or forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6
.."Do not fear or be dismayed! Be strong and courageous, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies with whom you fight." Joshua 10:25
‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ Isaiah 41:10
These are just a sample of the verses that encourage us to NOT walk in fear, but to walk as we should, with courage and strength! God does not like the cowardly! There is even a verse putting the cowardly in with the ones that are abominable to God!
But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, Revelations 21:8a
In our world currently there is a lot of fear being stirred up, I would encourage you to close the door on fear and instead stir up your faith and courage. Beloved, you are a child of God! He is the most powerful force ever! If you are in His will nothing can touch you that He has not allowed and if He has allowed it, you need to trust that it is for your benefit. The only concern you should have is whether or not you are in His will. When we live as His will as His children He is our Protector and Provider. Read Psalms 91 below and consider it, it is yours!
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”
For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper
And from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.
This is Caleb's faithful report:
Numbers 13:30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said "we should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it."
But the fearful men with him gave a different report,
Numbers 13:31-33 But the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people for they are too strong for us." So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, "The land through which we have gone, in spying it out , is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size.
...we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."
The reaction of the people, because they listened to and believed a report based only on physical facts, not spiritual!
Numbers 14:1-2a Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the sons of Israel grumbled....
This is where they made their fateful decision to fear instead of trust. If they had only listened to Caleb's report, made through his trust and faith in God and stirred up their own faith! The people would have been able to enter their promised land instead of dying in the wilderness!!
There was a time I was prayed for by a minister's wife and her wise words to me after she was through praying was "don't trust anything except God's words, don't even trust facts! just God's words". At the time I thought that was a curious idea because I had always thought facts were trustworthy, but with reading these scriptures I can totally understand what she meant.
There is so much sadness when we choose to live through our own wisdom or even what we consider the wisdom of others. Do we choose to trust the "wisdom" of men, given through our news reports and articles or our political sphere, or do we trust only God's words?
God's word says:
Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you, He will not fail you or forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6
.."Do not fear or be dismayed! Be strong and courageous, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies with whom you fight." Joshua 10:25
‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ Isaiah 41:10
These are just a sample of the verses that encourage us to NOT walk in fear, but to walk as we should, with courage and strength! God does not like the cowardly! There is even a verse putting the cowardly in with the ones that are abominable to God!
But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, Revelations 21:8a
In our world currently there is a lot of fear being stirred up, I would encourage you to close the door on fear and instead stir up your faith and courage. Beloved, you are a child of God! He is the most powerful force ever! If you are in His will nothing can touch you that He has not allowed and if He has allowed it, you need to trust that it is for your benefit. The only concern you should have is whether or not you are in His will. When we live as His will as His children He is our Protector and Provider. Read Psalms 91 below and consider it, it is yours!
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”
For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper
And from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.
You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day;
Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But it shall not approach you.
You will only look on with your eyes
And see the recompense of the wicked.
For you have made the Lord, my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place.
No evil will befall you,
Nor will any plague come near your tent.
Or of the arrow that flies by day;
Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But it shall not approach you.
You will only look on with your eyes
And see the recompense of the wicked.
For you have made the Lord, my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place.
No evil will befall you,
Nor will any plague come near your tent.
For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.
They will bear you up in their hands,
That you do not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread upon the lion and cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.
To guard you in all your ways.
They will bear you up in their hands,
That you do not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread upon the lion and cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.
“ Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
“He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
“With a long life I will satisfy him
And let him see My salvation.”
Make your choice, choose to listen to a fearful report brought by man, or choose courage and faith as God's word has instructed us! If you choose God's word as your foundation then start stirring up your courage and that of your fellow believers!
I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
“He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
“With a long life I will satisfy him
And let him see My salvation.”
Make your choice, choose to listen to a fearful report brought by man, or choose courage and faith as God's word has instructed us! If you choose God's word as your foundation then start stirring up your courage and that of your fellow believers!
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
The Spirit's Shield
~~Excerpts from "Make Haste My Beloved"~~
THE SPIRIT'S SHIELD
ONLY in the release of the seen do you lay hold on the unseen, My little one. Heaven waits for those who are no longer bound to earth. The degree to which bondages are exchanged for liberties while still in the flesh is in proportion to the extent to which eternal values are held in higher esteem that worldly success and possessions. I...
THE SPIRIT'S SHIELD
ONLY in the release of the seen do you lay hold on the unseen, My little one. Heaven waits for those who are no longer bound to earth. The degree to which bondages are exchanged for liberties while still in the flesh is in proportion to the extent to which eternal values are held in higher esteem that worldly success and possessions. I...
f a man loves Me, he will hold his soul more precious than his body and will pursue holiness at the expense of wealth; for to follow after that which perishes is to forfeit the prize of the high calling in Christ.
There is no place in the kingdom of heaven for a divided heart. It is in the division that love is lost; and to lose My love, My child, is to lose what cannot be regained. For a loving heart is a vessel of light and mercy. It is a receptacle into which I pour My grace. It is untarnished by avarice and indifferent to the call of worldly ambition.
To be united with Me in total dedication to My highest will protects the soul from forces of destruction. There is no safety in external circumstances. The only shield for the spirit of man is My presence. It is written, "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them." (Psalm 34:7) This is your safe-keeping, My child, and My love is your reward.
Excerpts from "Make Haste My Beloved"
(c)1978 by Frances J. Roberts
Email: kingspress@att.net
There is no place in the kingdom of heaven for a divided heart. It is in the division that love is lost; and to lose My love, My child, is to lose what cannot be regained. For a loving heart is a vessel of light and mercy. It is a receptacle into which I pour My grace. It is untarnished by avarice and indifferent to the call of worldly ambition.
To be united with Me in total dedication to My highest will protects the soul from forces of destruction. There is no safety in external circumstances. The only shield for the spirit of man is My presence. It is written, "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them." (Psalm 34:7) This is your safe-keeping, My child, and My love is your reward.
Excerpts from "Make Haste My Beloved"
(c)1978 by Frances J. Roberts
Email: kingspress@att.net
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