II Chronicles 19:4 – 21:3

July 16, 2014

NCV - "You won't need to fight in this battle. Just stand strong in your places, and you will see the LORD save you... don't be afraid or discouraged, because the LORD is with you. So go out against those people tomorrow."

NIV - "You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you... Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.

KJV - "Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you... fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.

The reference for that verse is found in II Chronicles 20:17 and it is our prayer. Oh LORD, may it be so. May ALL know that it is YOU who saved us from "the storm." We have done all You have commanded us to do. We have taken up our positions. We are standing strong. We are putting our faith and trust in You. We are Walking by Faith, first and foremost praising Your name. Hear our prayer. Save us we pray. Amen.

Jehoshaphat repents for getting off track. He goes back to Jerusalem. He again does what he can to turn the people back to God. He appoints judges to settle disputes. He tells them to, "watch what you do..." the job you are doing is not for people, it is for the LORD. He says again, "watch what you do..." God wants you to be fair and he doesn't want your decisions to be influenced by money. He goes on to tell them, "You must always serve the LORD completely, and you must fear him... have courage. May the LORD be with those who do what is right."

Jehoshaphat is doing what is right and minding his own business when the Moabites, Ammonites, and some Meunites banded together and set out to make war against him. It was unexpected and Jehoshaphat was afraid. "So he decided to ask the LORD what to do." He gathered all the people together to ask the LORD for help. Jehoshaphat prayed. "LORD, you are God... you rule... you have power and strength... no one can stand against you... you forced out the people... you promised... you gave this land... IF trouble comes upon us we will come before you... we will cry out to you... THEN you will will hear and you will save us." LORD, here is the problem: people are coming against us. It is people you allowed to remain! Now they have come to force us out of your land that you gave us. "Oh God, punish those people." We have no power against those who are coming to attack us. "We don't know what to do, so we look to you for help."

Then Jahaziel stood up to speak. "Listen to me... the LORD says this to you:

'Don't be afraid or discouraged because of this large army. The battle is not your battle, it is God's.' "

Then God gave specific details. "Tomorrow go down there and fight those people. They will come up through the pass of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the ravine that leads to the desert of Jeruel." And then the promise found in II Chronicles 20:17 -

"You won't need to fight in this battle. Just stand strong in your places, and you will see the LORD save you... don't be afraid or discouraged, because the LORD is with you. So go out against those people tomorrow."

All the people bowed before the LORD in worship. Then some Levites stood up and started praising the LORD. (Psalm 150) The next morning the army headed out. Jehoshaphat stood before them and said, "Listen to me. Have faith in the LORD your God, and you will stand strong. Have faith in his prophets (the words He gave us through Jane), and you will succeed." And then Jehoshaphat did an amazing thing. He listened to the people's advice; he chose men to be singers of praise to the LORD (Psalm 8); and he put them in front of the army. As they marched out they said:

"Praise the LORD: for His mercies endureth forever."

And when they began to sing and to praise God, the LORD took over the battle and secured the victory. II Chronicles 20:22 - "As they began to sing and praise God, the LORD set ambushes... and they were defeated." They praised the LORD before the actual battle was won. They believed in God's promises. They praised the LORD before and after the battle... and ALL knew it was the LORD who secured the victory. (Psalm 140:12 - "I know that the LORD secures justice....")

Addendum: 11/14/14 ~ "You won't need to fight in this battle. Just stand strong in your places, and you will see the LORD save you..." I believe this. I truly believe this.

Addendum #2: 6/22/16 ~ HE will secure justice. HE will protect us. HE is the answer. HE is the One. What does the end of "the storm" look like? I have no idea. But it will be in HIS time and in HIS way. ALL will know it was the LORD who secured our justice. (Psalm 140:12) We absolutely STILL believe this.

Addendum #3: 4/26/18 ~ See the following updates:

By HIS Great Power
The Purpose
Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow!


Next Entry: II Chronicles 21:4 – 24:27

II Peter 1:1–21

July 10, 2013

We have everything we need for life and godliness IF—we know Him. We have the very words of God available at our fingertips. It is through His words that we have knowledge of Him and we can receive His power and promises. THEN—we have everything we need to live a successful godly life. He has made it ALL available to us.

For too many years I didn't take full advantage of His Words. I wish I would have because:

• We have these things—because we know Him.
• Through these—He gives us promises and power.
• With these—you become more godly.

Our protection from the world's snares come from KNOWING Him, and the only way to truly KNOW Him is to be carefully reading HIS words.

II Peter 1:5 - Because you have these blessings, do your best to add these things to your lives: Faith (it all begins here)  →  Goodness (virtue)  → Knowledge (of God) → Self-Control (temperance) → Patience (perseverance) → Service for God (godliness) → Brotherly kindness (no selfish motives) → Love (Charity; Christian love)

It all begins with faith IN Him, knowledge OF Him, and action THROUGH Him. 

II Peter 1:8 - "For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." If you don't have these qualities growing in your life, then you are not effective and you can no longer clearly see truth and are instead blind to what truth is, your faith experience is in the distant past, and you are in danger of falling away. If you follow God's plan "you will never fall" and you will be able to do great things for Him and by Him, and you will be welcomed into eternal heaven by Jesus with a "well done thou good and faithful servant."

Prophecy—God showed Peter what lay ahead for him. His life was going to end in martyrdom. Peter didn't moan and groan. He spent his time building up fellow believers and doing as much for the cause of the kingdom as he could in the time he had left. He saw the greatness of Jesus with his own eyes and he was forever changed. He heard God tell Jesus that He loved him with his own ears and it increased his faith. He stood strong, and he continued on.

God sent a light in the darkness. He did it with the prophets in the Old Testament, the apostles in the New Testament, and He still does it today.  II Peter 1:20 - "Most of all, you must understand this: No prophecy in the Scriptures ever comes from the prophet's own interpretation. No prophecy ever came from what a person wanted to say, but people led by the Holy Spirit spoke words from God."

Jane can be explained in no other way.


Next Entry: II Peter 2:1–22

II Timothy 3:1 – 4:22

May 28, 2013

What a contrast between II Timothy 2 and 3. II Timothy 2 talks about what kind of life we should live, how God can use us, and what it looks like to be a worker who is pleasing to God. Then in II Timothy 3, Paul describes the person who is not a follower of God, and whose actions bring much trouble.

• Lovers of themselves
• Lovers of money
• Want what others have
• Brag; are boastful
• Proud
• Abusive
• Say evil things against others
• Will not obey (honor) parents
• Are not thankful
• Are not filled with gratitude
• Refuse to be the kind of person God wants
• Without empathy; does not love others
• Holds grudges; refuses to forgive; truce breakers
• Slanderous; false accusers
• Without self-control
• Cruel; brutal; fierce
• Despises those who are good
• Traitors; will turn against their friends
• Rash; acts without thinking
• Conceited; high minded
• It's all about them, not about God
• Will act as if they serve God, but do not

II Timothy 3:5b - "Stay away from those people. Have nothing to do with them." Paul goes on: These people are always learning new teachings but they are never able to understand truth fully... because "these people are against the truth. Their thinking has been ruined, and they have failed in trying to follow the faith. But they will not be successful in what they do... everyone will see that they are foolish." (From II Timothy 3:8–9. See Psalm 1 as a Cross Reference.)

Paul's description of the person who is not a follower of God is an accurate (in my opinion) line-by-line description of the person I now know my sister to be. I didn't fully come to terms with the truth until the carefully constructed facade cracked and the truth was slowly revealed from late 2006 to today. My sister is in her sixties, yet she is still holding grudges and still falsely accusing and still seeking to harm innocent people. You don't "grow" out of sinful behaviors. The exact opposite is true. The more you don't change your ways, the more ingrained into you the evil behavior becomes, and the more it becomes part of your DNA.

I hate writing the word "evil" and relating it to someone's actions (especially my sister's) but her actions exactly mirrors Paul's description of one who is against God. The truth is the truth whether I want to face it or not. I recognized some of the actions on the list prior to the blow up in late 2006. My response was almost always, "Oh, that's just ______ (my sister's name)." I was wrong to overlook and excuse her actions away. Sin is sin, regardless of how much you love the person, and I should have called it that and confronted her about it years before. When I finally did try to speak up about her obsession with my brother it did not go over well, and my bringing up her obsessions became part of the final breakdown in our relationship.

Scripture says it very clearly. "Stay away from those people. Have nothing to do with them." I am grateful to God for the forced separation their lawsuit and "the storm" has caused. It would have been really difficult for me to break free on my own. I would have felt like I was abandoning my sister and I would have tried to hang in there and "fix" the problem. I now understand that I can't fix it. There is only one thing that can fix it, and that is true personal repentance which brings about a new way of thinking, and a changed heart and life.

Our prayer for my sister and brother-in-law remains the same. LORD, may they understand that without you they are nothing, and may they desire nothing but you.

As believers we will experience hurt. Paul suffered, but the Lord saved him from his troubles and the message of Christ still went out. II Timothy 3:12–13 - "Everyone who wants to live as God desires, in Christ Jesus, will be hurt. But people who are evil and cheat others will go from bad to worse. They will fool others, but they will also be fooling themselves." How incredibly sad to think you are wise, when in reality you are not aware, and don't know or understand what truth and true wisdom is.

But for you who believe—continue on. You know what truth is. You know that salvation is found through faith in Christ. You know that you have everything you need in God's scripture. II Timothy 3:16–17 - "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, correcting, rebuking, and training in righteousness so the man of God can be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

We have everything we need to navigate living in this world—and that is the Bible. Paul used his life as an example and tells Timothy:

• Preach the Good News
• Be ready at all times  
• Tell people the Truth about what is right and wrong
• Encourage others
• Have great patience
• Teach carefully
• Control yourself
• Accept troubles
• Do the work
• Tell the Good News
• Complete ALL the duties of a servant of God
• Give your life as an offering to God
• Fight the good fight
• Finish the race
• Keep the faith
• Receive the crown

Paul finishes his letter by telling about the people who helped him. Then he talks about Alexander the metal worker, who did many harmful things against him. II Timothy 4:14b - "The Lord will punish him for what he did." It is up to God to deal with those who wrong you. It is not your (or my) place to avenge or seek revenge. II Timothy 4:17–18 - "The Lord stayed with me and gave me strength so I could fully tell the Good News... So I was saved from the lion's mouth. The Lord will save me when anyone tries to hurt me, and he will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. Glory forever and ever be the Lord's. Amen."

And I say—Amen. God has saved us from the mouth of the lion as well. And, He will continue to save us.

Psalm 22:21 - Rescue me from the lion's mouth.
Psalm 58:6 - God, break the teeth in their mouths! Tear out the fangs of those lions, Lord!
Job 4:10,11 - Lions may roar and growl, but when the teeth of a strong lion are broken, that lion dies of hunger. The cubs of the lion are scattered.
II Thessalonians 3:3 - But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.


Next Entry: II Timothy 3:1 – 4:22 (Continued)

Colossians 4:2–18

May 13, 2013

Continue praying. Keep alert. Be thankful to God ALWAYS!

Still in deep waters? Continue praying, keep alert, and be thankful to God ALWAYS. Heading out into deep waters? Continue praying, keep alert, and be thankful to God ALWAYS. Back on shore with no storm in sight? Continue praying, keep alert, and be thankful to God ALWAYS. No matter what the situation or circumstance in your life, the advice is the same. Continue praying. Keep alert. Be thankful to God ALWAYS!  

Paul closes his letter by asking them to pray for him.

"...pray for us that God will give us an opportunity to tell people his message. Pray that we can preach the secret that God has made known about Christ. This is why I am in prison. Pray that I can speak in a way that will make it clear, as I should." Colossians 4:3–4

That is my plea as well. Pray for us—not that we will be released from this lawsuit. No, pray for us—so that God will give us an opportunity to tell His message and that He will "enlarge our territory" and our sphere of influence. Pray for us—that we can clearly share with others what God has taught us. We are convinced this is why we are in the prison we are in. We are not being punished, we are being taught. Pray for us—I am not a speaker or writer, so please pray that I am available for God to get His message out; that I remain totally surrendered and committed to telling the amazing story of Jane (HIS story); and all HE has taught us as we have followed HIM on HIS footpath.

Colossians 4:5 - "Be wise in every way... making the most of every opportunity... When you talk, you should always be kind and pleasant so you will be able to answer everyone in the way you should."

LORD, I pray you will give us the opportunity and the words to tell YOUR story. Enlarge our territory, keep us from evil, and may we harm no one. May YOUR name be glorified. May YOU receive all the honor and glory. LORD, let us know when you are ready for us to tell your story. Give us YOUR words. We will do whatever it is YOU ask us to do.

Addendum: 9/28/16 ~ How interesting to be reading this today. Our daughter just asked me yesterday if we would be willing to share our story with the people in their Connect Group this coming Sunday evening. The answer is—Yes! We never turn down an opportunity to tell HIS story. It is HIS story—it is not ours.

LORD, thank you for this opportunity. LORD, I pray we could clearly communicate what you have taught us throughout this journey. LORD, I pray you take the words you give us to say and speak truth to those who will hear them. We are available.We will do whatever you ask.

When this journal entry was originally written (May 13, 2013) we were praying for the opportunity to tell HIS story. We could have never imagined God's plans. Never.

See:
LORD – What Am I to Do?;
The LORD Answers!;
I Didn't Know—BUT GOD DID!!


Next Entry: I Thessalonians 1:1–10

Philippians 4:1–23

May 08, 2013

So, what are we as Christians to do? Stand strong!  No matter what is going on around you—STAND STRONG! Not in your own strength and power. Stand strong in the LORD.

Paul lists how we should live:

• Stand strong
• Be joyful in the Lord ALWAYS!
• Be gentle
• Be kind
• Do not worry about anything
• Pray often
• Ask God for what you need
• Be God-reliant not self-sufficient
• Give thanks ALWAYS

And the result of living the way Christ wants us to live? Peace! God's peace. Peace that only He can give. Philippians 4:7 - "And God's peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

Think about these things:

• What is good
• What is worthy of praise (GOD)
• What is true
• What is honorable
• What is right
• What is beautiful
• What is respected

Think—and then DO! God will give HIS peace to you.

Paul concludes his letter to the people in Philippi. He thanks them for their help. He tells them what all he has learned during his walk as a follower of Christ. What Paul learned (and what each of us can learn as well) can only be learned by totally surrendering to God. Paul learned it during the hard and difficult times in his life.

The "hard times" is often when we are the most open to learning what God wants to teach us as well. It is during those times:

• We can learn to be satisfied with what we have 
• We can learn to be satisfied with whatever happens
• We can know how to live when we have plenty
• We can know how to live when we are poor
• We can learn the secret of how to be happy—no matter what
• We can learn our circumstances don't determine our happiness—whether there is enough to eat or there isn't, if we have more than we need or if we don't have enough

 We can learn all those things when we learn this:

"I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me." (Philippians 4:13)

It is not our strength—it is HIS. 

I vividly remember a time when I was on the brink of a breaking point. I was absolutely buried under the paperwork of the lawsuit. Buried. It was overwhelming and I felt like I was drowning in "the storm." (Part of the plan of my sister, brother-in-law and their lawyer was to overwhelm us with their demands during the discovery process.) I was driving home from making copies of (and numbering) literally thousands of pages of documentation. As I was driving, I KNEW I could not in my own strength handle the demands placed upon us. This verse came to my mind and I said it over and over and over again. I would emphasize the next word in the verse each time I said it.

I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me. I CAN do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me. I can DO all things through Christ who strengtheneth me. I can do ALL things through Christ who strengtheneth me. I can do all THINGS through Christ who strengtheneth me. I can do all things THROUGH Christ who strengtheneth me. I can do all things through CHRIST who strengtheneth me. I can do all things through Christ WHO strengtheneth me. I can do all things through Christ who STRENGTHENETH me. I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth ME.  

I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENETH ME. Over and over all the way home. The peace of God came over me and I KNEW I could do it. Not because of my strength because my strength was gone. I couldn't do it—BUT GOD COULD! And He did.

Tears come to my eyes. Partly because I am remembering some of the painful details from that time in our lives, but the tears are not only because of the pain. The tears are also in recognition of what all God did to carry us through that extremely difficult time, and the joy, peace, and contentment He has given to us both then and now. He has taught us so many things, and it has been worth it all.

Paul explained an important truth to the people of Philippi and that is the importance of "giving." Life is not about "getting," it is about "giving." What pleasure there is in giving to others from an open hand as opposed to having a closed fist. God knows what we need. Philippians 4:19–20 - "My God will use his wonderful riches in Christ Jesus to give you everything you need. Glory to our God and Father forever and ever! Amen."

It truly is ALL about HIM!

*****

Philippians is over. I can't believe how fast the books are flying by. There isn't much left.  It is almost scary. I can't imagine being done with journaling through the Bible since it has been part of my everyday life for almost three and one half years now. I will probably be done by the end of summer.  I wonder what will be next?

Addendum: 9/21/16 ~ Now it has been almost seven years since I started reading through the Bible and writing my thoughts. It turns out I wasn't "done" when I finished writing in my journals. Instead, it was The Beginning. And here I am today, once again finishing up with Philippians, and once again feeling like time is flying by with only one and one half journals left to enter into Blogger.

I know at least a portion of what is "next."

See:
LORD – What Am I to Do?;
The LORD Answers!;
I Didn't Know—BUT GOD DID!!

I don't know the when. I don't know the how. I only know that God has it all under control. We will follow Him even if our next steps are not clear. He will make the way, and we will follow. 


Next Entry: Colossians 1:1 – 2:5

Philippians 1:1 – 2:30 (Continued)

May 06, 2013

Paul was in prison when he wrote this letter to the people of Philippi. Even though Paul was in prison he was still doing the right thing. Even in his time of trouble, Paul continued to tell others about Christ and encourage them in their own walk of faith.

Paul said, "What has happened to me has helped to spread the Good News." (Philippians 1:12) Paul's crime? He was a believer in Christ. That's it. He had done nothing wrong, but the trouble he was in gave him a platform to reach many people with the news of Christ. The purpose of putting him in prison was to stop him from speaking truth, but the exact opposite happened. It didn't discourage the other believers. It instead strengthened their faith, and others who were not believers were exposed to Truth for the first time.

Paul said because prayers were being said on his behalf, and because the Holy Spirit was helping him, "I know this trouble will bring my freedom." (Philippians 1:19) True freedom, not just freedom from jail. Living Paul's life took courage. He knew that. But standing strong did not come from his own strength and power. It came from the Holy Spirit  Because of that he could say, "I expect and hope that I will not fail Christ in anything but that I will have the courage now, as always, to show the greatness of Christ in my life on earth, whether I live or die. To me the only important thing about living is Christ, and dying would be profit for me." (Philippians 1:20–21)

Psalm 73 talks about people "looking for profits" on this earth. Paul was looking to please Christ and bring honor and glory to HIM and heaven would be his profit, the ONLY profit that matters. What is the point of gaining the "profits" of this world if you lose your soul? Take this whole world, just give me Jesus. That is the profit I want. It is the only important thing.

"Be sure that you live in a way that brings honor to the Good News of Christ... standing strong with one purpose, that you work together as one for the faith of the Good News, and that you are not afraid of those who are against you. All of this is proof that your enemies will be destroyed but that you will be saved by God. God gave you the honor not only of believing in Christ but also of suffering for him, both of which bring glory to Christ... when you do things, do not let selfishness or pride be your guide. Instead, be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves... think and act like Christ... do everything without complaining or arguing. Then you will be innocent and without any wrong. You will be God's children without fault. But you are living with crooked and mean people all around you, among whom you shine like stars in the dark world. You offer the teaching that gives life. So when Christ come again, I can be happy because my work was not wasted. I ran the race and won." From Philippians 1:27 – 2:16

There will come a day when "every knee will bow to the name of Jesus—everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. And everyone will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and bring glory to God the Father." (Philippians 2:10–11)

Every-knee-will-bow. I choose to bow now, serving Him with all my heart now. With no regrets, I choose to surrender all—NOW!

*****

Jane died five years ago today and tomorrow it will be two years since my Dad died. My Mom (who is 84 years old) decided she wanted to prepare a meal and bring everyone back home for a family dinner one last time. So, yesterday that is what we did.

Fifteen of us gathered at Mom and Dad's farm. We reminisced and talked about Dad and his many "isms" and sayings. There was a lot of laughter. The great grand-kids fished, went for walks around the farm, and played in the creek. We took lots of pictures. Mom gave my husband and me the old iron farm hay rake my Dad had and our son loaded it up to take to our place. Dad certainly was missed, but his memory lives on in all of our hearts.

I am so grateful for Dad's life and for the time I got to spend with him during his last days. What a blessing. I am happy for Mom that everyone could come since this was so important to her. (How sad to realize "everyone" does not include my sister. By her own actions, my sister has estranged herself from our entire family. It is equally sad to think about how much fun, unity, and laughter there was because my sister was not there. How sad!)   

It was a lot of work for Mom to get the house and all the food ready. There was an over abundance of food (as usual). Mom made everyone's favorites, even making our son's favorite chocolate ice cream cake roll! Mom had a great time, everyone was relaxed and we all enjoyed our time together. What wonderful memories she and her kids, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren have of that special day. Thanks, Mom!

*****

The following comes from Jane's hand written notes in her KJV.

Philippians 1:21 - Death to a Christian is gain because it means:

• Heaven
• Holiness
• Heart's desire
• Him

Hallelujah! Psalm 16:15 - "I shall be satisfied when I awake."

Culture—that which comes into being whenever man begins to interact with his environment. Christian culture becomes a reality when Christian people give themselves back to Christ (Romans 12:1–2) mentally, intellectually, spiritually—"bodies" the particular package by which that total being comes into the world. Our Savior must become center of all our pursuits.


Next Entry: Philippians 3:1–21   

Philippians 1:1 – 2:30

May 02, 2013

Philippians 1:9–11 - contains the prayer I prayed for our daughter during her time away from God's will for her life. It also became my prayer for each one of the 6th and 7th grade Sunday School girls I taught over the years.

"This is my prayer for you: that your love will grow more and more; that you will have knowledge and understanding with your love; that you will see the difference between good and bad and will choose the good; that you will be pure and without wrong for the coming of Christ; that you will do many good things with the help of Christ to bring glory and praise to God."

It's just the perfect prayer. It covers everything. I'm so grateful our daughter's life is back on track.  Philippians 1:6 - "God began doing a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again."

God is always faithful to us. We are the ones who don't always live our lives in a pleasing and faithful way to HIM. I think that's one of the reasons I love this prayer so much. It is all about personal responsibility—our part of the equation. To grow in love, knowledge and understanding; to have discernment between right and wrong; to choose to do what is right; to be pure and without wrong until our last breath or until Christ comes again; and to do much for God's honor and glory and the furthering of His Kingdom—ALL in praise to Him.

May my life be such that it reflects this prayer. Then no matter what, my life will be an honor to Him.

Addendum: 9/23/16 ~ It took ten years before we saw the answer to our prayers for our daughter. Ten long years. No matter what, we kept praying. We didn't know if we would live to see the answer, but we were not going to quit praying.

When you are faced with this type of situation, there is nothing you can do but pray, and wait. If we would have known it was going to take ten years we would have known the end was in sight and counted down the days. But it doesn't work that way. It is by faith alone that you continue on... and continue on... and continue on. 

If you are praying for a wayward loved one, don't give up!! Keep praying for them. Keep asking God what He wants to teach you while you are waiting. No matter what, don't quit praying. 


Next Entry: New Beginning: Wait for His Justice

I Corinthians 16:1–24

April 02, 2013

Paul finishes his letter to the people in Corinth:

"Be alert. Continue strong in the faith. Have courage, and be strong. Do everything in love." (Verse 13–14)

A few verses later Paul also includes a warning:

"If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be separated from God—lost forever! Come, O Lord!" (Verse 22)

What a contrast of statements. What a difference in realities. What we sow we reap. What we receive in this life and the hereafter is a direct result of the choices we make.

 

Blessings—verses—Curses 

I've just went back and re-read Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus 26. You can read what I wrote about those chapters here: Deuteronomy 28; and Deuteronomy 28 (Continued); Leviticus 26; Leviticus 26 (Continued); and Leviticus 26 (Continued). Why would you ever choose to live on the "curses" side of the equation? The simple answer all boils down to one thing: selfish pride and a refusal to surrender to God's authority. The rich young ruler obeyed the horizontal (relationship-to-man) commandments (5–10), but he could not bring himself to surrender to the vertical (relationship-to-God) commandments (1– 4).

While someone is still alive there is always hope. 

"But maybe the people will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors; maybe they will admit they turned against me and sinned against me... if these disobedient people are sorry for what they did and accept punishment for their sin, I will remember my agreement... I am the LORD." Leviticus 26:40–45

Hope.  Until the final breath there is hope.


Next Entry: II Corinthians 1:1 – 2:4

I Corinthians 14:1–40

March 29, 2013

Speaking in tongues: Between you and God; does not build other people up; and is a witness for non-believers.

Prophesying: Spirit led for the purpose of building up people. It is for people who believe.

"I would rather speak five words I understand in order to teach others than thousands of words in a different language." I Corinthians 14:19

Prophecy is meant to give strength, encouragement, comfort, build up the whole church, and to reveal new truth or new knowledge, which is an accurate description of what Jane E. Wolfe (Her Name Was Jane) did for us. I never thought of it in that way until I heard our daughter-in-law say she had told someone about Jane prophesying—and I realized she was right.

God used Jane to prophecy words of strength, comfort, hope, encouragement, and new truths and knowledge. We have said from early on that the single most important thing Jane taught us was the importance of praise—first and foremost. We (my husband and I) have been part of the church our whole lives. We were both saved by God's grace as children. Yet, we had either totally missed or didn't understand the full concept of "praise." Praise is ALL about WHO God is. It is not about what He has done for you—that is thankfulness.

Next time you are in a church setting listen carefully to the "praises" people give. They most often sound something like this: "God has done such and such for me"; "God answered my prayer for _______"; "I'm so blessed", etc. Me, my, and I. The "praises" are really about us. There is a difference between thankfulness for what he has done for us and praising Him for who HE is.

Praise is exemplified in Psalm 150 and Psalm 8. In Psalm 8 it says that God "ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger." In this world we are going to have troubles and opposition. We will have foes (enemies that are many times hostile) and avengers (someone who tries to get revenge for themselves and seeks to punish others). Because of what God knew we would face, HE ordained (ordered; fixed; decided; appointed; decreed; prescribed) PRAISE as a way to silence those who attack us. This is a HUGE concept. When someone sets out to attack you, as a foe and avenger, they want two things: 1) harm you now; 2) harm you later. They want to inflict punishment NOW and then ultimately cause destruction as soon as they can down the road. PRAISE prevents that from happening. It blocks (silences) their evil intentions.

We have been the targets of my sister and brother-in-law's attacks for over six years now—BUT—because of Jane teaching us this new truth/knowledge, the attacks they have sent our way have not harmed us. Nothing they have thrown at us has stuck; everything has literally rolled off of us. PRAISE THE NAME OF JESUS!! He is our ROCK. He is our COMFORTER. He is our SHIELD. He is our DELIVERER. He is our LORD. He is our SAVIOR. Psalm 8:1 - "O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth."

LORD, thank you for Jane's faithfulness in serving you. Thank you, for her words of encouragement, hope, comfort, strength, and revelation of new truths and knowledge. May YOUR name be praised forevermore.

Addendum:  4/7/16 ~ Praise doesn't stop the foe or avenger's actions. Instead, PRAISE stops the intents of their actions. Their intent is to put you in bondage to them and their threats, but man CANNOT put into bondage the one whom God has set free. PRAISE reminds you of whose you are and that understanding silences their actions and frees you from their intentions. The poison from their arrows cannot penetrate and harm you because PRAISE becomes the shield from which God forms a protective barrier between you and them. They can hurl anything they want—but as long as you remain focused on WHO God is—fear and anxiety CANNOT take hold. PRAISE keeps your heart and mind balanced, focused, and gives you perspective and peace. When you even begin to grasp who HE is, who or what the avenger is attempting becomes irrelevant.

John 8:36 - "So if the Son sets you free you are free indeed."


Next Entry: Sunday is Coming! 

Romans 16:1–27

March 01, 2013

Paul ends his letter by giving thanks to all of those who helped him and to those who have worked to further the kingdom of God. He also gives them one last bit of advice. 

"Brothers and sisters, I ask you to look out for those who cause people to be against each other and who upset other people's faith. They are against the true teaching you learned, so stay away from them. Such people are not serving our Lord Christ but are only doing what pleases themselves. They use fancy talk and fine words to fool the minds of those who do not know about evil. All the believers have heard that you obey, so I am very happy because of you. But I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent and what is evil." Romans 16:17-–(Emphasis mine)

Good advice.

Romans 16:27 - "To the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ.  Amen."  


Next Entry: I Corinthians 1:1–31 

Romans 8:1–39 (Continued)

February 12, 2013

Our future glory, and the hope we have in Christ Jesus:

"Everything God made is waiting with excitement for God to show his children's glory completely." Romans 8:19

E - V - E - R - Y - T - H - I - N - G! Everything was made useless so that ONLY through the blood of Christ "everything God made would be set free from ruin to have the freedom and glory that belong to God's children." (Romans 8:21) God's promises give us HOPE. Romans 8:24–25 - "If we see what we are waiting for, that is not really hope. People do not hope for something they already have. But we are hoping for something we do not have yet, and we are waiting for it patiently." The Spirit himself helps us. He goes to God on our behalf. He "even begs God for us with deep feelings that words cannot explain." (Romans 8:26)

If that doesn't bring tears to your eyes then I don't know what will. What a gift! What an unfathomable gift of love. God knows what is in people's hearts. HE KNOWS!! If your heart is pure—He knows. If the heart is wicked— He knows. The truth will reveal what God already knows. And because of that, we have hope! Romans 8:28–34 - "We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him... so what should we say about this? If God is with us, no one can defeat us. Who can say God's people are guilty? No one, because Christ Jesus died, but he was also raised from the dead, and now he is on God's right side, begging God for us."

Romans 8:35 - "Can anything separate us from the love Christ has for us? Can troubles or problems or sufferings or hunger or nakedness or danger or violent death?" NO! A thousand times—NO! Nothing can separate us from Christ's love! Not a sister's anger, deceit and relentlessness, not lawsuits, and not lies. NOTHING can separate us from God's love and the hope we have in Christ—NOTHING!

Romans 8:37–39 - "But in all these things we have full victory through God who showed his love for us. Yes, I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else in the whole world will ever be able separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

What a vivid description:

EVERYTHING—God has provided EVERYTHING we need.

NOTHING—NOTHING can separate us from what God has already provided for us.

There is no room for a misunderstanding in that description. You cannot argue against "everything" or "nothing." ALL we need HAS BEEN provided and no "one" or no "thing" can remove use from His love.

Addendum: 3/30/16 ~ Romans 8:21 jumped out at me while reading this passage today.  "Everything God made would be set free from ruin to have the freedom and glory that belong to God's children."

Set free from ruin!

The lawsuit my sister and brother-in-law filed against us is ruinous. There is no other way to look at it. They were offered so many opportunities to recoup their investment and they turned down every single one without even the slightest hesitation or any discussion. The sale of the entire project; our offers to buy them out for their actual and legitimate investment; our offers to sell to them; all flatly turned down.

If the courts award them a large settlement my sister and brother-in-law would see it as a win-win. They can ruin us by "making us pay," while "winning" money to rebuild their house of cards that crumbled because of their own bad choices. Our lawyer said it best when he said their attitude is, "We win, you lose—you choose." There has never been even the slightest hint of any kind of sincere negotiations. None. Their goal is to ruin us and nothing less then total ruin will satisfy them. (Actually, our total ruin wouldn't satisfy them either. They only THINK it would satisfy. NOTHING outside of God can fill the void in their lives.) They believe they are in control, but they are not. They are laser focused on revenge and our destruction.

BUT GOD!! God is a God of justice. His will—WILL prevail. We believe their ruinous plans will come to naught. We believe in HIS promises—and that is enough. Romans 8:21 - "Everything God made would be set free from ruin to have the freedom and glory that belong to God's children."


Next Entry: Romans 9:1–33

In Rememberance of a Brother

Eulogy I wrote for the funeral of my husband's younger brother.

I've known _____ (my husband's brother) for over 40 years, but it was the last one and one half years of his life that impacted me the most. For it was during the difficult times of illness that I truly came to understand, appreciate, and to love him.

____ was devoted. He loved his family, and his family was the most important earthly thing in his life. Because of his love of his family, he was determined. For three and one half years he faithfully did everything he could to beat his leukemia. At first it appeared that the treatment was working. But in September 2011 it became clear that his body was no longer responding to the treatment. The doctor's in Indy only gave him several months to live. But God's plan for his life was not yet completed  For the next sixteen months, _____ went in for blood transfusions every two weeks and new medications were started. Then early last summer, he developed an extremely rare complication to the leukemia for which there was no medical answer. But still he was determined and hopeful, even though his body was getting weaker. A few weeks before Christmas, as we sat together waiting for the doctor to come into the room, ______ said, "It will be good to go home." Then he said, "I am looking forward to seeing Grandpa B, and as we sat there he told me stories of his Grandpa and how much he loved him. He was beginning to accept the reality of his situation.

Christmas came, and _____ was excited to be able to spend time with his wife's entire family and then later with his own extended family. He knew... he knew this would most likely be the last time everyone would be together on this earth and it was so important to him to see everyone again. _____ wanted to live, but he was not fearful of dying. He knew where he was going. He understood that surrendering to God's will for his life did not mean he was giving up. It meant he trusted God's plan for the "number of his days." His body was failing him, but his spirit was strong. Just three days before he died, he told the Hospice social worker that he had hoped he would have more time— but he was ready to go. The day before he passed, I was singing some old hymns and praise songs to him, and even though he was no longer capable of responding or speaking, he would occasionally move his lips as if to try and sing along. I had just finished singing, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus... there's just something about that name" when he clearly spoke and said three different times,"I want to see him; I want to see him; I want to see him."

_____ had struggles in this life. He wasn't "first" in many things. But it turns out he was first in the only thing that really matters. He is the first to see Jesus. Psalm 116:15 says, "The death of one that belongs to the Lord is precious in his sight." While we grieve our loss, we celebrate with joy his gain. _____.... your home. You lived well. You loved well. Blessed be the name of the Lord.


Next Entry: Romans 4:1–25

Acts 21 – 28 (Continued)

January 04, 2013

As Paul was saying all these things, Festus spoke up and accused Paul of being crazy. Everything Paul was talking about and explaining to them was totally foreign to Festus. Paul replied, I am not crazy. Everything you have heard me say is true and sensible. King Agrippa, what about you? You've heard about these things. I can speak freely to you. Do you believe in what the prophets wrote? I know you believe. The king replied, "Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian in such a short time?" And Paul said, "Whether it is a short time or a long time, I pray to God that not only you but every person listening to me today would be saved and be like me except for the chains." (Acts 26:29)

Then everyone who was gathered in the room—all the important people—stood up and left the room. Talking to each other they said, "There is no reason why this man should die or be put in jail." (Acts 26:31) They could have left him go free, but Paul had asked to be heard by Caeser. God's plan was not yet done. Remember what God said to Paul when he came and stood beside him? Acts 23:11 - "Be brave! You have told people in Jerusalem about me. You must do the same in Rome." It was not yet time for it to be over—Paul must go to Rome. Look at all the people who were hearing God's message because of the situation Paul was in. From outside appearances, it looked like Paul was being punished by man. But contrary to what it looked like, Paul was in the center of God's Will and he was being used by God to further His Kingdom purposes.  

On 11/27/10, I was reading in Ezra 6. The Life Lesson Exploration verses included Acts 26:17–18. "I will keep you safe from your own people and also from the others. I am sending you to them to open their eyes so that they may turn away from darkness to the light, away from the power of Satan and to God. Then their sins can be forgiven, and they can have a place with those people who have been made holy by believing in me." I read those words at the exact time we were preparing to send to my sister and brother-in-law over 450 handwritten pages of this journal.   

The reason we had to prepare and send my journal was because the judge reopened discovery for a short time and "journals" were included in the long list of discoverable items. I'd never kept a journal before and was wishing I wouldn't have started one when I realized it was part of what was discoverable. I began keeping a journal in 2009 after feeling strongly led ("pressed in the Spirit") to chronicle my thoughts and prayers while reading through the Bible. The thought of sending our enemy my very personal writings, prayers, and thoughts was nauseating. (I paused when I wrote the word "enemy" because it seems like a such a strong word. But what other word do you use to describe someone who is actively trying to destroy you? We do not have enemy thoughts towards them, but there sure is enemy actions from them.) 

Oh, how I did not want to send my journals to my sister. I knew she would parse every word and every thought would be analyzed to see it they could find something to use against us. But, even though it was very upsetting, I was not going to go down a path of lies, whether by words or by omission. So, I told our lawyers about my journals and I went against my fear, pride, reluctance—whatever it was—and sent over 450 handwritten pages to them. At that time my journals covered Genesis to II Chronicles 11:17.

My journals were full of my personal thoughts; our prayers for my sister and brother-in-law; the story of Jane (Her Name Was Jane); and what God had taught us during this time. But most important of all, it was full of God's Word. At the exact same time as when my journals were being prepared, I am reading (and writing) about Ezra 6, and the Exploration Verses send me to Acts 26:17–18.

"I will keep you safe from your own people and also from the others. I am sending you to them to open their eyes so that they may turn away from darkness to the light, away from the power of Satan and to God. Then their sins can be forgiven, and they can have a place with those people who have been made holy by believing in me."

Wow! Wow! A thousand times—WOW! God gave us a voice and a captive audience even though the world would say we are the captive ones. His Words went out. Their response to His words is not determined or controlled by us. (See tomorrow's journal entry.) Their initial response was like that of Festus towards Paul. They basically accused me of being crazy and homicidal. They said they were fearful of me and would seek a restraining order against me if they lived closer to us. Their lawyer followed suit and said he was fearful of me as well and if we ever needed to meet it would have to be in a secure location where I would have to be searched and go through a metal detector.

What I KNOW is this: God sent me (my journals) and we are protected from our own people and others!


Next Entry: Acts 21 – 28 (Continued)

Acts 21 – 28 (Continued)

January 02, 2013

Felix made a sign for Paul to speak. It was Paul's turn to defend himself. Unlike the lawyer, he did not start out with long lines of flattery. There was no manipulation on Paul's part. He simply said, "I know you have been a judge over this nation for a long time. So I am happy to defend myself before you."

Here was Paul's defense:

• You can learn for yourself that I went to worship in Jerusalem only twelve days ago
• Those who are accusing me did not find me arguing with anyone in the Temple
• I was not stirring up the people in the synagogues or the city
• They cannot prove the things they are saying against me now
• But I will tell you this: I worship God and am a follower of the Way of Jesus
• I went to Jerusalem to worship and help my people

Paul had done nothing to warrant their anger or their pursuit of him. Their pursuit was based entirely on their own sins of envy, revenge, anger, and refusal to surrender to the Way of Jesus.

Paul continued on:

• When they found me in the Temple I had just finished the cleansing ceremony
• I had not made any trouble
• No people were gathering around me

Paul was minding his own business inside the temple while the leaders were outside the temple working themselves up into a frenzy over what Paul "might" be doing until they convinced themselves to believe their own lies. There was no stopping them. Not facts; not reality; and not truth. Acts 24:5 - "We have found him to be a trouble maker."

Paul was not afraid or ashamed. The accusations were false. Acts 24:20 - "Ask these people here if they found any wrong in me when I stood before the council in Jerusalem." Paul was saying this isn't about what I have done. This is about who I am—a believer and follower of the Way of Jesus. This was a battle between evil forces and good, and it was an attempt to block the message of Christ from going forward. Felix understood much about the Way of Jesus. He stopped the trial and said he would give his ruling when the commander of the army came.

Paul was taken back under guard but was given some freedom even though he was still a prisoner because of their continued false accusation against him. Paul's friends were allowed to bring him what he needed. The support of his friends was an encouragement to him, and his steadfastness was an encouragement to the fellow believers who were watching. 

Because Paul was in prison he had many opportunities to share his faith in Christ with Felix, his wife, and anyone else who would listen. Felix was interested (his wife was Jewish so he had some knowledge of Jesus), but he was also afraid. He really didn't want to hear about living right, self-control, and the reality of God judging the world. Felix would often send for Paul so he could listen to him and talk with him, but he had an ulterior motive. He was hoping Paul would pay him. But ulterior motive aside, God's plan was working. He was hearing about Christ.

Two years passed. Felix was replaced as governor. Festus was now in charge—and Paul was still in prison. Felix found no wrong with anything Paul had done but left him there in prison to please the Jews. Even after two years the Jews did not give up in their pursuit of Paul. Their desire to "get Paul" did not wane, it only increased.

All of this "appeared" disastrous for Paul, but it was actually God's plan at work.


Next Entry: Acts 21 – 28 (Continued)

Acts 21 – 28

January 01, 2013

A new year—2013. As I write on this first day of this new year, I'm going to do something that I've never done before in my three plus years of writing in this journal. What I've always done in the past is to read the passage for each Life Lesson as listed in my New Century Version Bible; read the same chapter(s) in Jane's (Her Name Was Jane) KJV and NIV one day; and then write my thoughts the next day. Last night as I read I should have stopped after reading Acts 21, but I couldn't stop reading, and I read all the way to the end of Acts. And then I knew, instead of taking the eight separate Life Lessons one at a time, I'm supposed to write about the whole story from Acts 21 to Acts 28.

First the background to the story. Acts 20:22–24 tells us that Paul knew he was supposed to go to Jerusalem. He didn't know what to expect when he got there, he just knew he was supposed to go. And so, committed to the cause of Christ, he started on his way. People tried to warn him not to go. In fact, they begged him not to go. They knew there was most likely trouble ahead for Paul, but Paul was steadfast. No matter what—he was willing and ready to go. When they could not persuade him to stay, they quit begging him and said, "We pray that what the Lord wants will be done." (Acts 21:14) There was a quiet acceptance of God's will—no matter what.

Paul travels to Jerusalem and goes to the temple. And just like that, the trouble began. People began to falsely accuse him, assuming he had done something which he had not. They gathered other people with them and led an attack on Paul. They grabbed him and drug him out of the temple immediately closing the doors behind him. They tried to kill him, but the commander of the army heard about the commotion and ran to the place where the crowd was gathered.

When the crowd saw him coming they stopped beating Paul. The commander arrested Paul and had him bound with two chains. He asked the crowd who this man was and what he had done wrong. Some in the crowd yelled one thing and some yelled another. Because of all the confusion the commander couldn't determine what their problem was, so he had Paul taken to the army building. The soldiers had to carry him up the steps because the people were determined to hurt him. The crowd was yelling, "Kill him!" Paul, thinking he could explain himself and reason with the crowd asked for permission to speak to them.       

Paul said, "Friends, fellow Jews, listen to my defense to you." (Acts 22:1) Paul went on and told them his life story, how he himself had persecuted believers; how he was blinded by the light; how he said, "What shall I do Lord"; how the Lord said to "Get up and go" and he went; what Ananias said to him; how he could physically see again; but more importantly, how his spiritual eyes were opened. God had chosen him to be a witness to all people, "...telling them what you have seen and heard." He told the people (his accusers) how God led his life telling him where to go and when to go. When the crowd heard Paul say that God had told him they would not listen to truth, they again became furious and shouted for his destruction.

The commander did not understand what was going on. He told his soldiers to take Paul inside and beat him so Paul would say why the people were so angry at him. As they were tying him up and getting ready to beat him, Paul asked, "Do you have the right to beat a Roman citizen that has not been proven guilty?" (Acts 22:25) They were shocked to find out he was a Roman citizen. Because he was a Roman citizen they did not beat him.

The commander was still trying to figure out why the Jews were so angry at Paul. At first he thought maybe Paul was the Egyptian who had caused trouble. But that wasn't it—so what was the problem? He called the leading priest and council and arranged a meeting with Paul. Paul looked at them and declared his innocence. The truth made them angry and the high priest ordered that the men standing next to Paul should hit him in the mouth. Paul exposed the hypocrisy and called him "a wall painted white." A fake. A religious unbeliever. He was accusing Paul of breaking the law when he was the guilty one.

Paul tried to defend himself, but more arguing broke out and it turned so violent that the commander was afraid some evil people would tear Paul to pieces. So, he told his soldiers to go get Paul and to put him in the army building as a way to protect him. Paul appeared to be captive, but he was actually being protected. I love what happens next. Acts 23:11 - "The next night the Lord came and stood by Paul." The Lord said, "Be brave! You have told people in Jerusalem about me. You must do the same in Rome." (Acts 23:11) God had a plan and anything that came against it was thwarted. Some of the Jews were so determined to get Paul that they vowed to not eat or drink until they were successful at getting him. But their plan was exposed and Paul was safe.

The commander was still trying to figure out what was going on. Why are they so against this man? He sent Paul to Felix and sent a letter with him. The letter said: "Some of the Jews had taken this man and planned to kill him. But I learned that he is a Roman citizen, so I went with my soldiers and saved him. I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him before their council meeting. I learned that these people said Paul did some things that were wrong by their own laws, but no charge was worthy of jail or death. When I was told that some of them were planning to kill Paul, I sent him to you at once. I also told them to tell you what they have against him." (Acts 23:27–30) Felix decided to hear his case "when those who are against you come here too." So, Paul was kept under guard in Herod's Palace.

Five days later the high priest and some of the older leaders show up with a lawyer. They had come to make their charges against Paul. Paul was called into the meeting. The lawyer starts out in typical  lawyer fashion, flattering and praising Felix for the things he had done and how thankful they are for him... blah, blah, blah. Then he gets into why they are there. Their Plan A attempts to get rid of Paul by killing him was thwarted so now they went to Plan B and attempted to "get him" by manipulating the law against him in front of the Roman Governor Felix. The lawyer tells Felix, "But not wanting to take any more of your time, I beg you to be kind and listen to our few words." (Acts 24:4) And he starts in.

Acts 24:5–8 - "We have found this man to be a troublemaker... stirring up trouble... he was trying to make the temple unclean... but we stopped him. Ask him questions yourself, you can decide if all these things are true." His clients (the high priest and other leaders) all agreed with what he said. All the accusations they made were false but that didn't matter to them. They were out to get Paul and they were determined to do it. They were breaking the same laws they were accusing Paul of breaking but they didn't care. They were tunnel visioned and laser focused.

But remember, while all this was happening, Paul was exactly where God intended for him to be, and the LORD was standing beside him. 


Next Entry: Acts 21 – 28 (Continued) 

Acts 10:1 – 11:30

November 28, 2012

The story of Peter (a Jew), and Cornelius (a Gentile)—another divine appointment. God prepared both of them. Acts 10:3–4 - "Cornelius!... What do you want Lord?" Then God gave very clear directions. Acts 10:5–6 - "Send some men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon, who is also called Peter. He is staying with a man, also named Simon, who is a tanner and has a house beside the sea."

When we listen, God directs us in a very clear way. ("Why is this stuff still in here?") So, Cornelius obeyed and sent the men. At the same time, God was preparing Peter. In a dream the Lord lets Peter know what was once unclean is no longer unclean because God has made it holy. Peter would have never went to a Gentiles' house if God had not first prepared him. God's timing is perfect and meticulous.

The men arrive as Peter is still trying to figure out the dream. The men ask if Peter is staying there.  (Imagine traveling that distance; walking up to a strange house; and asking for a specific person; all based on what was "told" someone.) Faith is believing and action. While the men were downstairs asking for him, the Spirit was preparing Peter upstairs. Acts 10:19–20 - "Listen, three men are looking for you. Get up and go downstairs. Go with them without doubting, because I have sent them to you."

Have you noticed how many times God says, "Get up and go?" It is not enough to just hear, we must act. Get up—and go. Faith is belief and action or it is just words and worth nothing. Peter obeyed and Cornelius and his family (Gentiles) were saved and baptized. When Peter returned to the other followers they were concerned, but Peter explained. Salvation was for the Jew and Gentile. The hand of God was with them, and many believed and turned to the Lord.

Believed and turned. Faith requires actions. You have to turn from—your own selfish desires, and turn to—the Lord.

Get up—Go!

Believe—Turn!

Obey the Lord with all your hearts and total surrender!

It was during this time that the followers of Christ were called "Christian" for the first time.


Next Entry: Acts 12:1–25

Acts 6:1–15

November 21, 2012

The group of followers had grown so large that it was becoming difficult to govern. It was decided to select a group of seven men to help with the logistics so the apostles could focus on the praying and teaching. One of the men chosen was named Stephen, "a man with great faith and full of the Holy Spirit." Stephen "was richly blessed by God who gave him the power to do great miracles and signs among people." (Acts 6:8) Stephen wasn't someone out to promote himself. His life was about "whose" he was not "who" he was. The words used to describe him all point to God. Great faith; filled with the Holy Spirit; richly blessed; power from God; the ability to perform great miracles and signs; the hands and feet of God.

"But some people were against him" and they came to argue with him. They were trying to stir up trouble. Acts 6:10 - "But the Spirit was helping him to speak with wisdom, and his words were so strong that they could not argue with him." When their first tactic didn't work, they resorted to a second—false accusations. Stephen was forcibly taken and brought before the leaders and teachers of the law. Those who were against him brought in people to lie about him. The people in the meeting were watching him. What they did not see was someone fighting back, full of anger, revengeful or frightened. What they saw was "that his face looked like the face of an angel." The battle was against God—not Stephen himself—and God was the one defending him.   

When we face battles and false accusations it is God's battle, not ours. He is the One who "secures justice and defends the cause..." (From Psalm 140 - Her Name Was Jane)  Praise the LORD!


Next Entry: Acts 7:1 – 8:1a

Luke 21:1 – 22:71

September 29, 2012

"This will give you an opportunity to tell about me." (Luke 21:13 - NCV) "And it shall turn to you for a testimony." (KJV) "This will result in your being a witness to them." (NIV)

We have witnessed first hand the truth about these verses. Jesus is talking about His followers being falsely accused and treated cruelly. He talks about being betrayed by family members. And Jesus says, "This will give you an opportunity to tell about me." 

"The storm" situation we are in—the betrayal by family members and subsequent lawsuit—has given us so many opportunities to tell others what God has done for us. Jesus says, "Make up your minds not to worry ahead of time about what you will say." (KJV says - "settle it in your hearts") "I will give you the wisdom to say things that none of your enemies will be able to stand against or prove wrong." (Luke 21:14–15)

We are ordinary people who believe in and trust an extra-ordinary God. It is not about us! It is only about Him. Luke 21:15–19 - "I will give you... none of these things can really harm you. By continuing to have faith you will save your lives." None of "these things." These things ________ (fill in the blank). Not betrayals, not lawsuits, none of these "things" can harm you.

HE is in control. The KJV says to have patience. The NIV says to stand firm. Our job is to stand firm, be patient, and continue to have faith.


Next Entry: The New Beginning: Keep Moving Forward

Luke 17:1–37

September 17, 2012

"AS they went..."

Ten men with leprosy meet Jesus while He is on the way to Jerusalem. They call out to him, "Jesus! Master! Have mercy on us!" ("But we say, 'You are our LORD; Hear our cry for mercy..." Psalm 140:6) When Jesus saw the men He told them to, "go and show yourselves to the priests." Jesus was telling them to do what the Law of Moses required. When you were healed of a skin disease you were to present yourself to the priest and the priest would confirm and declare you healed. Jesus was telling these ten men to go and present themselves to the priest while they still had the disease. They had to believe; they had to have faith; they had to proceed as if it had already happened. They didn't say heal us first and then we will go. "AS they went they were healed." They obeyed, and then they were healed.

Jesus has told us that we are protected in court. We believe Him. It is finished even though the lawsuit is still pending in the court system. By faith, we have stepped out and have continued on the path God has sent us on. Last week I sent a letter sharing our story to someone who is facing a very serious health situation. I shared a verse with him. Isaiah 66:9 - "... 'I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born', says the LORD."

Yesterday the phrase "new to be born" hit me as I was re-reading the letter. "New to be born" → New Beginning. Since July God has been directing us to look towards a NEW BEGINNING, and here is the promise: "I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born." I knew God wanted me to use that verse when I wrote the letter. Now I know God used my obedience in writing the letter to remind us of His promise to us.

I would be remiss if I didn't continue the story of the ten lepers. Walking by faith is important, but our response to God fulfilling His promise is even more important. And that response should be—Praise. Only one of the ten came back to praise God and give Him the honor and glory. Only one. It's not about who the promise is given to, it is about who gives the promise.

I've said this many times before but it just cannot be stated too much. The single most important thing Jane (Her Name Was Jane) taught us was—PRAISE! It sounds insignificant, simple, and minor compared to God's promise. But it is NOT! Praise is above ALL else. Praise for who God is! Praise keeps the order correct.

God

 ↓

Man

It is not about us, it is about HIM!

Psalm 150 - Praise the Lord stated in every single line.

Psalm 8 - O' LORD our Lord, how majestic is YOUR name.

Next Entry: Our Testimony: The Journey So Far

Luke 5:1–39

August 26, 2012

"It is not yet time... but that time is coming soon... it may seem like a long time, but be patient and wait for it, because it will surely come; it will not be delayed." Habakkuk 2:3

What Jesus asked the disciples to do made no sense. They had been fishing all night and caught nothing. Jesus told them to take the boat into deep water and they would catch fish. Deep water. I wonder if that was where they would typically fish? I would bet not. It's the "deep water" situations in our lives (times where we can do nothing to help ourselves), that God either shows up or we fail.

Jesus told his disciples to go out in the deep. Peter's response is important. It doesn't make sense Lord, "but you say to put the nets in the water, so I will." He was willing to Go! → Follow! → Do!—even if it didn't make sense. And the result? God blessed them beyond measure. They caught so much fish they had to have others come to help them. Both boats were so full they were almost sinking. When God sends you into deep water situations and you obediently follow, HE blesses you beyond measure.

We are experiencing those blessings right now, and it is beyond measure. It is an amazing thing to watch the Hand of God work in ways that you KNOW has nothing to do with you other than your obedience. I'd rather be where God wants me, even if it is in deep water, where only God can provide and rescue, than to be self-sufficient and in (what we only think is) control.

It is not yet time...but it is coming soon. 


Next Entry: Luke 6:1–49