The Purpose: To Bring Honor and Glory to the LORD!

November 09, 2017

Remember this day! 

Moses said to the people, "Remember this day, the day you left Egypt. You were slaves in that land, but the LORD with his great power brought you out of it." Exodus 13:3

"On that day you should tell your son: 'We are having this feast because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.' This feast will help you remember, like a mark on your hand or a reminder on your forehead. This feast will remind you to speak the LORD's teaching, because the LORD used his great power to bring you out of Egypt." Exodus 13:8–9

"From now on when your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' you will answer, 'With his great power, the LORD brought us out...' This feast is like a mark on your hand and a reminder on your forehead to help you remember that the LORD brought us out of Egypt with his great power." Exodus 13:14–16 (emphasis mine)

When the Israelites left Egypt God did not lead them on the shortest route to the Promised Land. The shortest route would have taken them through the land of the Philistines and it would have involved a battle. While reading this passage this morning, something jumped off the page at me, something I never noticed before. The Israelites expected to have to go through the land of the Philistines to get to the Promised Land. How do I know this? Because they knew where the Promised land was; they knew the logical route took them through the land of the Philistines; they knew what type of people the Philistines were; and they knew passing through that land would involve a battle. So when they left Egypt, "The Israelites were dressed for fighting when they left the land of Egypt."  (Exodus 13:18)

How did I totally miss this important statement all the other times I've read the book of Exodus? The Israelites were prepared for battle!! They were expecting to have to face a battle on the way to their freedom. But, instead of going through the land of the Philistines (a much shorter route but a route which would have involved the Israelites participating in a battle), God led them through the desert toward the Red Sea (much longer and highly improbable route with an impossible obstacle)—a huge body of water between them and the path to the Promised Land. 

When the lawsuit was first filed by my sister and brother-in-law we fully expected it to go to trial. We knew our freedom lie on the other side of "the storm"; we knew a trial was the logical end of a lawsuit; we knew what type of people we were up against; and we knew the lawsuit was going to involve a battle. So, we prepared for the inevitable (or so we thought) battle of a trial. We expected a trial. But less than a year into the preparation, we began to believe there wasn't going to be a trial. We had no concrete evidence, we only had a strong feeling that the journey we were on did not involve a trial. One year passed. Two years passed. And instead of going through the process of a trial (which typically should have happened in a short amount of time and would have involved us entering into a battle), God has instead chosen to lead us on a much longer and highly improbable route with an impossible obstacle—this lawsuit— between us and our freedom. Mediation—failed. Settlement—failed. All offers—rejected. The ONLY thing left in the legal system is a trial. How on earth can we possibly be freed from a lawsuit without a trial?

God led the Israelites the whole way.

"The LORD showed them the way; during the day he went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud, and during the night he was in a pillar of fire to give them light." Exodus 13:21

They didn't travel on the fastest route. God even had them backtrack at times—all for HIS purpose.

"The king will think, 'The Israelites ares lost, trapped by the desert.' I will make the king stubborn again so he will chase after them, but I will defeat the king and his army. This will bring honor to me, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.""

The Purpose: To bring honor and glory to the LORD and prove to everyone that HE is the LORD.

The Israelites "who were leaving victoriously" were chased again by the Egyptians. The Egyptians just absolutely refused to let the Israelites go. The Israelites are trapped with the Red Sea on one side and the entire Egyptian army advancing towards them. The Israelites are discouraged and wish they would have never left Egypt. Then Moses makes an audacious statement:

"Don't be afraid! Stand still and you will see the LORD save you today. You will never see these Egyptians again after today. You only need to remain calm; the LORD will fight for you.... I (the Lord) will be honored when I defeat the king.... the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD." Exodus 14:13–18

By HIS great power!! The angel of God who led Israel's army moved behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of Israel's army to behind them. The pillar or cloud (Brick By Brick!) stood between them, protected them, and kept them apart all night. And then the impossible happens. God parts the Red Sea and the Israelites walk across to their freedom on dry land and the Egyptians who tried to follow them were swallowed up by the water.

"When the Israelites saw the great power the LORD had used against the Egyptians, they feared the LORD, and they trusted him..." Exodus 14:31

The Purpose: To bring honor and glory to the LORD and prove to everyone that HE is the LORD.

A trial in the world's court system is not the answer for our freedom. Even if we were leaving the courtroom victorious, I believe our accusers (just like the Egyptians) would change their minds and like the Settlement judge warned, all they would have to do is file an appeal and continue their pursuit of us. No, a trial is not the answer. I absolutely believe that God has led our paths during this ten year journey. My journals and this blog are a testament to it. I believe the pillar has moved behind us, and brick by brick, a wall is being built to stand between us, protect us, and keep us apart. Some day the impossible will happen, and God will somehow lead us to our freedom on dry land. I'm sure the Israelites could never have imagined in a million years that God would separate the waters of the Red Sea and make a path for them to cross on dry land. I cannot imagine how God is going to free us without a trial. Our backs are against the wall. A trial date is to be set for next year. Our pursuers are coming after us. Only God! Only God by HIS great power can do the impossible.

The Purpose: To bring honor and glory to the LORD and prove to everyone that HE is the LORD.

"I will sing to the LORD,
   because he is worthy of great honor. He has thrown the horse and its rider
   into the sea.
The LORD gives me strength and makes me sing;
   he has saved me.
He is my God,
   and I will praise him. He is the God of my fathers,
   and I will honor him. The LORD is a warrior;
   the LORD is his name.
The chariots and soldiers of the king of Egypt
   he has thrown into the sea.
The king's best officers
   are drowned in the Red Sea.
The deep waters covered them,
   and they sank to the bottom like a rock.
Your right hand, LORD,
   is amazingly strong.
LORD, your right hand
   broke the enemy to pieces.
In your great victory
   you destroyed those who were against you.
Your anger destroyed them,
   like fire burning straw.
Just a blast of your breath,
   and the waters piled up.
The moving water stood like a wall;
   the deep waters became solid in the middle
      of the sea.
The enemy bragged,
   'I'll chase them and catch them.
I'll take all their riches;
   I'll take all I want.
I'll pull out my sword,
   and my hand will destroy them.'
But you blew on them with your breath
   and covered them with the sea.
They sank like lead
   in the raging water.
Are there any gods like you, LORD?
   There are no gods like you.
   You are wonderfully holy,
   amazingly powerful,
   a worker of miracles.
You reached out with your right hand.
   and the earth swallowed our enemies.
You keep your loving promise
   and lead the people you have saved.
With your strength you will guide them
   to your holy place"

"Sing to the LORD,
   because he is worthy of great honor;
he has thrown the horse and its rider
   into the sea."

From Exodus 15:1–13; 21

THEN they will know! Then ALL will know HE is the LORD and HE saved us by HIS great power!  May it be so, LORD.  May it be so.

Brick by Brick!
By HIS Great Power
THEN They Will Know!
The Proof Came—AFTER
The Purpose: To bring honor and glory to the LORD and prove to everyone that HE is the LORD.  

Remember this day!!  


Next Entry: HIS Story

The Proof Came—AFTER

November 07, 2017

I have read Exodus many, many times before, but because of our current situation, I am reading it with new eyes. Moses felt very inadequate for the job God was giving him. God was asking him to go see the king and to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. The problem was (in Moses' mind), he wasn't an important person! How was he—just an ordinary man tending sheep for the past 40 years—going to get an audience with the king? And how in the world was he supposed to lead a group of people who weren't even looking for a leader?

You have to love God's response to Moses' questions. Even though God is a God of details, He didn't give Moses some play-by-play description and written-in-stone proof of how this was all going to work out. Instead, He tells Moses that the proof will come after he is successful and when they are all worshiping God on the mountain.

God said, "I will be with you. This will be the proof that I am sending you: After you lead the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship me on this mountain." Exodus 3:12

The proof came—AFTER! 

AFTER—Moses completed everything God asked him to do; AFTER—the people were set free; THEN—they would worship the Lord on the mountain; and that would be the proof. The proof of God's faithfulness came AFTER Moses chose to believe God's promises and AFTER he chose to follow God's path of obtaining the Israelite's freedom.

The proof came—AFTER.  

There is another "after" referenced in Exodus 3.

But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go. Only a great power will force him to let you go, so I will use my great power against Egypt with all the miracles that will happen in that land. After I do that, he will let you go."  Exodus 3:19–20

Their freedom came—AFTER!  AFTER—God used His great power, AFTER—God did everything He said He was going to do; THEN—His people were freed; and all would know that He is the LORD.

The proof came—AFTER.

We all like to live our lives in the land of "before." We like having concrete evidence of something and knowing exactly how everything is going to come together BEFORE we begin. We like to know everything that is expected of us BEFORE we start. But here God is saying the freedom comes AFTER He uses His great power; and the proof Moses isn't crazy will come AFTER God frees them and they worship HIM on HIS mountain.

AFTER. We have a lot of "after" situations in our lives. The only way to prove we aren't crazy when we say we believe this lawsuit is not going to go to trial—is AFTER it doesn't go to trial. The only way the story of Jane E. Wolfe can be proven authentic—is AFTER everything she said comes true. The only way we will ever be truly free from our accusers—is AFTER God uses His great power to free us. The only way for HIS story to be told and Walking on His Footpath (Following the Master's Lead) or Walking By Faith: A True Story of God's Faithfulness to be made public—is AFTER we are somehow released in a permanent way without any risk of appeal of the current lawsuit or any future lawsuit, which my brother-in-law has already threatened to file.

Why "after"? The answer is found in the first few verses of Exodus 10. God used the Egyptians stubbornness to give them proof of HIS great power. "I have made him and his officers stubborn so I could show them my powerful miracles." I love the next verse. "I also did this so you could tell your children and your grandchildren how I was hard on the Egyptians. Tell them about the miracles I did among them so that all of you will know that I am the LORD."

AFTER—His promises have proven true, THEN—all will know that HE is the LORD. It all goes back to the very first chapter Jane asked me to read and the very first step in understanding why we have been taken on this long journey. Purpose. It is all about HIM. This is HIS story. All honor and glory belong to the LORD.

So, we are going to remain standing on the edge of the precipice even if it means we don't have a safety net or rope to save us should we fall. God has a purpose for this journey we have been on these last ten and one half years. He is either going to fulfill His promises and free us in a miraculous way by HIS great power—or—we are going to look like fools. Either way, we choose to stand firm in our beliefs and we will remain faithful to HIS purpose.

We will wait for—the AFTER.


Next Entry: The Purpose: To Bring Honor and Glory to the LORD!

II Chronicles 32:24 – 33:25 (Continued)

July 22, 1014

After Manasseh suffered, "he humbled himself" before God and he begged the LORD for help. God heard his prayers and let him return to Jerusalem. IF—THEN.  II Chronicles 7:14 - IF my people who are called by name humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, THEN I will hear their prayers and heal their land.

There is always hope, but it first requires personal submission and action on our part in order for God to do HIS part. God is ready, willing, capable, and waiting. He speaks to us through his Holy Spirit, His Word, and others. He provides the ways. We must humble ourselves → seek → and turn. When we do that, HE does the rest.

Hope. There is always hope. But there comes a time when time runs out. Don't wait. Change your heart, mind and ways—TODAY!

Amon becomes king. He does what the LORD says is wrong. Amon does not humble himself or change his ways. Instead, he sinned even more. 


Next Entry: II Chronicles 34:1–33 

I Peter 3:1–22

July 03, 2013

Do your part to get along. Be kind. Be humble. Be understanding. Be loving. Be agreeable. Don't repay a wrong with a wrong. Don't repay an insult with an insult. When others seek to hurt you do not respond with anger.

Christ teaches us to love, and when we respond by following His teachings we are blessed. That doesn't mean the offense committed against you is excusable. It means you understand what Jesus taught when He said (through Paul in I Corinthians 6), "What's wrong with being wronged?" It means you've decided to follow Christ's example of enduring the pain and, "He let God, the One who judges rightly, take care of him." (I Peter 2:23)

Scripture gives such clear guidelines. Do you want to be happy and enjoy life? Then don't say evil things; don't tell lies; stop doing evil; do good; don't look for fights; do look for peace; and pursue righteousness.

The Lord sees the good people (eyes are on them)
     and listens to their prayers (ears are attentive)
But the Lord is against (face is against)
     those who do evil.

I want to live my life so the Lord's face is turned towards me. What a mental picture of the Lord leaning in, interested, and listening closely. I never want to experience what it would be like to have the Lord against me with His face turned away and refusing to listen. What a horrific thought.

When you live your life according to God's teachings who can harm you? No one. You may suffer from those who seek your harm, but they cannot truly harm you, and you are instead blessed. You do not need to be afraid of their threats and you do not need to be frightened by them. Make sure Christ is Lord of your life. Always be ready to answer anyone and everyone who asks you to explain about the hope you have which is found in Christ! Answer in a gentle respectful way. Keep a clear conscience "so that those who speak evil of your good life in Christ will be made ashamed." (I Peter 3:16) There is no shame in suffering because of doing the right things. Christ suffered for our sins so we would be eternally protected from evil. We can (and should) be patient and wait upon the Lord.

Sometimes we wonder... hmm. Why six years? Why has "the storm" lasted six years and counting?

God showed me something new today. In Noah's day the world was evil. Messengers were sent to warn the people that accountability was going to happen. God provided a plan for their salvation. He offered, but He knew few were going to listen. He instructed Noah on what to do. Noah obeyed. And then—God waited patiently while Noah built the boat. God waited for years to fulfill HIS plan to hold the people accountable. He knew what He was going to do; He promised Noah His protection; He warned people to change their hearts and lives; and then—He waited patiently—while Noah built the ark.

Why six plus years? I don't know, but He does. He has promised us His protection. His words declare what happens to those who refuse to obey Him. He has a plan and He is waiting for whatever needs to be finished. At the right time He WILL fulfill it. We will be faithful and wait for Him. It isn't a judge who has delayed a ruling, it is God patiently waiting for something in HIS plan to be completed.


Next Entry:  I Peter 3:1–22 (Continued)

I Peter 1:1–25

June 30, 2013

Praise. Hope. God's Power.

Praise—First, foremost, and always! Praise— to God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. When your life is filled with praise there is hope, a living hope.

Hope—because Jesus rose from the dead. Hope—because God blesses his children. Hope—because those blessings cannot be destroyed or spoiled. Hope—because His blessings are eternal, will never lose their beauty, and are kept secure for us in heaven.

God's power—above all, in all, and through all. I Peter 1:5 - "God's power protects you through your faith...." God's power— protects you through troubles and storms. Through! It does not say prevents troubles and storms, and it does not say helps you avoid trouble and storms.

Like I've said before, the "deep" is not a place to avoid, it is a place to embrace. "Deep" water times come to grow us, change us, strengthen us, and get us ready for HIS service. And while it may be hard, difficult, and at times cause sadness, it is worth every moment. I Peter 1:7 - "These troubles come to prove that your faith is pure. This purity of faith is worth more than gold, which can be proved to be pure by fire but will ruin." And that purity of faith brings blessings beyond measure. And as a result, "You are filled with a joy that cannot be explained, a joy full of glory. And you are receiving the goal of your faith—the salvation of your souls." (I Peter 1:8)

God used the prophets of the Old Testament to teach others HIS truth. God uses us and the situations we are in to grow us, but it is also for the purpose of teaching others what we have learned. I Peter 1:13 - "Prepare your minds for service and have self-control... be holy in all you do just as God, the One who called you, is holy."

We are to live our lives with respect for God. We were bought for a price, a very steep price. We were bought by "the precious blood of Christ, who was like a pure and perfect lamb." (I Peter 1:19) If we believe that and understand that, we cannot live our lives the same again. We are changed and we have no desire to go back to our old life. Our faith and hope are in God, and we make our souls pure by obeying the truth, and love for others flows out of that. I Peter 1:22 - "So love each other deeply with all your heart."

The things we do bears witness to the truth (or lie) about our lives. Words are easy. Our actions prove whether our words are truth or lies. Our lives on this earth are so short. Scripture says we are like a mist that is only here for a short time, or like grass that dies or flowers that fade away, but that "the word of the Lord will live forever." (I Peter 1:25 and Isaiah 40:8) The only things that matter are eternal things.  

How are you doing? How much time this last week was spent on things that are temporary with no eternal value and how much time was spent on things with Kingdom value? Do any changes need to be made? Remember:

Only one life, 'twill soon be past,
Only what's done for Christ will last.
C.T. Studd

Next Entry: I Peter 2:1–25 

James 5:1–20 (Continued)

June 28, 2013

James continues to teach. Be patient. Wait upon the Lord. A farmer plants a seed and then he waits. It has to go through the process. It needs cared for, fed, watered, and the weeds pulled.Then at the right time, the crop comes. We too must be patient, do the right things, not give up hope, and wait upon the Lord. Job went through the fire, but in the end God blessed him beyond measure. DON'T GIVE UP!! 

James 5:11 - "You know the Lord is full of mercy and is kind." Our hope, faith, and trust is in Him alone. No matter what happens in life—go to Him. Having troubles? Praise and pray. Things going well? Praise and pray. Ill? Praise and pray. Confess your sins to each other. Share praises. Pray for each other. James 5:16 - "When a believing person prays, great things happen." Elijah was a human being just like us and his prayers stopped the rain for three and one half years. It wasn't Elijah's abilities, it was his availability. It wasn't Elijah's strength and power, it was God's. Elijah understood that God was God, and he wasn't.

"God's power was seen, not through the ability of the instrument, but through its availability." ~ From Usefulness insert in my NCV Bible

God used a stick, rocks, spit, and man to do His will, and He can use us. We sometimes think that the patriarchs of the Bible somehow had special abilities, and we forget that "Elijah was a human being just like us." (James 5:17)

LORD, we don't have a trove of special abilities, but we are available for YOUR use. Use us however you would like to bring honor and glory to YOUR name.

"If any of you wander away from the truth, and someone helps that person come back, remember this: Anyone who brings a sinner back from the wrong way will save that sinners soul from death and will cause many sins to be forgiven." James 5:19–20

*****

From Jane's KJV:

God never promised to give knowledge, but wisdom. Living faith realizes all trials are permitted of God, designed "just for you" for our good and His honor and glory.

More of Jane's notes written in her KJV:

Humility of James. James 1:1 - not brother of Jesus but servant; a bond (love) slave (Exodus 21:1–6) no pay but all needs met by Master. He exalted Lord Jesus Christ. A Jew writing to Jews in a dispersion undergoing persecution (1st New Testament written), do not grumble in trial. Purpose: to produce steadfastness in our testimony, burn out impurity and become a vessel of praise to His Glory. James, a brother of Jesus our Lord (Galatians 1:19)
Matthew 13:54–56  "brothers and sisters"
Mark 3:31
Luke 2:7 - her "firstborn son"
Matthew 1:18–25
Luke 2:40 - child grew. He understands youths' problems at every age.
Mark 6:1–6 - attitude of people
I Corinthians 15:7 - He appeared especially to James, his brother
John 7
Acts 15 - Peter out of jail, go and tell James
Pastor of church at Jerusalem
Last man to stand up in Jerusalem council and summarize convictions.

"Ask in faith!"


Next Entry: I Peter 1:1–25

Hebrews 5:11 – 7:28

June 06, 2013

Hebrews 7 explains how Jesus is a priest forever like Melchizedek in the Old Testament. God (through Jesus) has done His part. Hebrews 7:27 - "Christ offered his sacrifice only once and for all time when he offered himself." Forgiveness is available to all mankind because of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Hebrews 6 deals with what we do with the sacrifice Jesus gave. Christ's sacrifice was never intended as just a "get out of hell" free card. While freedom from eternal damnation is one aspect (and certainly an extremely important one), the sacrifice Jesus made was meant for so much more than saving us "from" something. His sacrifice should save us "to" something. Our salvation should be noticeable. It should change our way of thinking, our hearts, and our way of life. We are to be continually growing and maturing in Christ.

The writer of Hebrews talks about how the people "were slow to understand." They were still like babies, understanding very little when they should have learned enough to become teachers. Hebrews 5:14 - "But solid food is for those who are grown up. They have practiced in order to know the difference between good and evil." (See Philippians 1:9–11) To not learn and to not grow is to take God's grace for granted. It is an abuse of His sacrifice and puts you in danger of falling away from His true teachings.   

If you are not turning towards God and learning from Him, you are turning away from God and getting farther away from His will. Our lives should be changing to become more like Him. That is not something that just happens. We need to be intentionally seeking Him and following His teachings. Again, if you are not turning towards, you are turning away. Psalm 78:40–43 - "They turned against God... they grieved him... they did not remember his power... they forgot..."

Hebrews 6:4–6 records what I believe to be some of the most disturbing words in the whole Bible. It makes me incredibly sad to read it because I recognize this happening in people I know. May it never be said about me.

"Some people cannot be brought back again to a changed life. They were once in God's light, and enjoyed heaven's gift, and shared in the Holy Spirit. They found out how good God's word is, and they received the powers of his new world. But they fell away from Christ. It is impossible to bring them back to a changed life again, because they are nailing the Son of God to a cross again and are shaming him in front of others."

Wow! What disturbing words to read. They were in God's light; they enjoyed all of God's gift of salvation; but they fell away; they lost it all; and there isn't a thing we can do about it. And because of their stubbornness and refusal to change, "they are nailing the Son of God to a cross again and are shaming him in front of others."

Oh, how that brings tears to my eyes. The choices we make MATTER!! Be careful! There are consequences for the choices (both the good and bad) we make! Hebrews 6:7–8 - "Some people are like land that gets plenty of rain. The land produces a good crop for those who work it, and it receives God's blessings. Other people are like land that grows thorns and weeds and is worthless. It is in danger of being cursed by God and will be destroyed by fire." (See Psalm 1)

Be patient. God is fair. He will not forget the things you have done by helping His kingdom. It is through faith and patience that you receive what God has promised. There are two things that God cannot change:

1. God cannot lie when He makes a promise, and
2. He cannot lie when He makes an oath.

CANNOT! It's not that God doesn't lie or that He won't lie, HE CANNOT LIE! Hebrews 6:18–19 - "These things encourage us who came to God for safety. They give us strength to hold on to the hope we have been given. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and strong."

God has promised us His protection and He cannot lie. We are sure of His promise. We do not doubt it in any way. We are especially grateful for the way He gave us the promise because it was not in a way we could have expected, concocted, or manipulated. We didn't look through the Bible to try and find something we could claim as God's promise. We weren't even anxiously looking for or seeking a promise. That is why His promise was even more special. It was totally unexpected. Who (even in their wildest dreams) could ever have imagined that God, in His Sovereignty, would choose to use an elderly woman with dementia in a nursing home as His chosen way to deliver His prayer of blessing, and His messages of Purpose (Psalm 8), Praise (Psalm 150), Protection (Psalm 140), Provision (Isaiah 30), Path (Psalm 1), and Promise (Jeremiah 33) to us? It was humanly impossible. It could have only been the Hand of God, and we are so grateful.

We didn't know we needed a promise, but we sure have appreciated ALL of the promises HE has given us these past six and one half years. It has been an encouragement just like the writer of Hebrews penned. God cannot lie when He makes a promise and He cannot lie when He makes an oath.  Hebrews 6:18 - "These things encourage us who come to God for safety. They give us strength to hold on to the hope we have been given."

Thank you, Jesus for your sacrifice given once and for all. Thank you for your grace and mercy. Thank you for giving us your blessings and protection. Thank you, LORD, for your promises and for your "rest." For all these things and more—we thank you!


Next Entry: Hebrews 8:1–13

Titus 1:1 – 2:15

May 29, 2013

God cannot lie!

"God always speaks truth. When he makes a covenant, he keeps it. When he makes a statement, he means it. And when he proclaims the truth we can believe it. What he says is true." ~ From Just Like Jesus by Max Lucado.

God cannot lie. His truth is TRUTH. Titus 1:1-2 - "I was sent to help the faith of God's chosen people and to help them know the truth that shows people how to serve God. That faith and that knowledge come from the hope for life forever, which God promised to us before time began. And God cannot lie."

As believers, His truth should be reflected in our lives. You cannot receive God's grace and remain the same. It changes you. Understanding grace means you can never live your life in the same old way again. Grace is not a license to live however you please. Not only is it not a license, it should not be abused and our lives cannot remain status quo. Instead, understanding grace should lead us on a path towards holiness.

That's why Paul again lists the attributes of an elder. Our Senior Pastor always says that you cannot lead someone where you have never been. So true. An elder (leader) is a manager for God, so his (or her) life should reflect God's. A leader in the church:

• Must not be guilty of doing wrong
• Must not be selfish
• Must not become angry quickly 
• Must not drink too much
• Must not like to start trouble
• Must not try to get rich by cheating others

A leader must be hospitable, love what is good, be wise, live right, be holy, and be self-controlled. They must hold onto truth and help others by using true teaching. Their life example and work points out the truth to those who are against true teaching. But even when you live right and do right, you will still run into people who just refuse to acknowledge and accept truth. Titus 1:11a - "These people must be stopped." It's not just that they are harming themselves so ignore them and let them go. They are harming others and hurting the cause of Christ. These people:

• Hurt and upset entire families by their actions and teachings which they do to get rich by cheating people.
• "They are liars, evil animals, and lazy people who do nothing but eat." (A quote from one of the Cretans prophets in Titus 1:12)

Titus 1:13–16 - "So firmly tell those people they are wrong so they may become strong in the faith... to those who are pure, all things are pure, but to those who are full of sin and do not believe, nothing is pure. Both their minds and their consciences have been ruined. They say they know God, but their actions show they do not accept him. They are hateful people, they refuse to obey, and they are useless for doing anything good." That is why they must be stopped. KJV - "They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him. being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate." NIV - "They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good."

So, is this why? Is this why "these people must be stopped"? We have said those very words many times. We strongly felt my sister and brother-in-law had to be stopped because of their actions. Their purpose was to "use" and "abuse," and because of that, we felt "these people must be stopped." So, (as our lawyer commented) we put our heads in the mouth of the lion to do it. But now for the first time, I am understanding more of what "these people must be stopped" means. Us knowing "these people must be stopped" involved so much more than putting a stop to their use and abuse of others and situations. So much more.

It is for the reasons listed in Titus 1:10–16 that they must be stopped. It isn't for the purpose of destroying them, it is for the purpose of restoring them," so they can become strong in the faith." Like we have said so many times, my sister and brother-in-law will either be like the Saul of the Old Testament (destroyed) or the Saul of the New Testament (restored). Once you have known Truth there is no middle ground. You either accept Truth and follow His ways, or you reject Truth (Him) and follow your own destructive, evil ways which will ultimately lead to judgment by the one true and holy Judge.

My sister and brother-in-law's actions did not begin or end with us. It has been a lifetime of choices. I don't know why God chose us to stand up against the lies, but He did, and we will. "These people must be stopped." Not just for the harm they have inflicted on others, but "so they may become strong in the faith." I pray my sister and brother-in-law will choose to surrender, change their hearts and minds, and follow the Truth. Everything we have went through has been worth it because of all we have learned and been taught. How awesome it would be if they would understand this waiting period was their day of Grace, and they would stop and change their ways.

That is our desire and prayer. However this ends, we are grateful for all God has done in our lives, and we are also grateful for the days of grace He has extended to my sister and brother-in-law. Titus 2:8 - "Speak the truth so that you cannot be criticized. Then those who are against you will be ashamed because there is nothing bad to say about us." So live by following the true teaching. Be self-controlled, serious, wise, strong in faith, strong in love and in patience, be holy, be wise and pure, be kind, work hard, submit to authority, encourage others, do good deeds, be honest. In other words: let your walk match your talk.

Titus 2:11–14 - "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to  say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good."

Titus 2:15 - "These, then are the things you should teach.  Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you."

TEACH!


Next Entry: Titus 3:1–15

II Thessalonians 2:1 – 3:18

May 16, 2013

Stand strong and wait for the Lord. And until that happens—be productive and make a difference.

We are living in a sinful world. Evil will happen. And it is going to get worse... much worse. Prophecy tells us that during the end times the Holy Spirit will be removed and Satan and his forces will have full reign for a period of time. As evil as the world is now with the Holy Spirit and Christians still present, it is unimaginable to even fathom what it will be like during that period of time. Thank you, Lord for salvation from sin and from the evil one. II Thessalonians 3:3–5 - "But the Lord is faithful and will give you strength and will protect you from the Evil One... may the Lord lead your hearts into God's love and Christ's patience."

Paul asked the people of Thessalonica to pray for him. II Thessalonians 3:2 - "Pray that we will be protected from stubborn and evil people, because not all people believe." When you stand for something you will be a target from those who stand for nothing. And if you don't stand for something, you are at risk of falling for anything. But when you are the target, God is faithful and He does protect you. II Timothy 4:17 - "But the Lord stayed with me and gave me strength so I could fully tell the Good News to all those who are not Jews. So I was saved from the mouth of the lion."

That is our testimony as well.

• The Lord stayed with me
• He gave me strength
• I need to tell others
• I am saved from the mouth of the lion

God is faithful. Our hope is in HIM.

Addendum: 10/6/16 ~ Another reference to being saved "from the mouth of the lion." The story of Daniel gives us a visual picture of what it means to be saved "from the mouth of the lion." God literally prevented the harm intended for him. I've written before how God totally protected us and prevented the harm intended for us when we put our heads "in the mouth of the lion." But today, as I was writing about Paul describing it as "the mouth of the lion," I started to think about the lion, and what God truly protected him (and us) from.

We've all heard it said that the lion is the King of the Jungle. From a safe distance a lion appears beautiful and magnificent with its large stature and thick flowing mane. But looks can be deceiving. A lion is NOT a gentle giant. A lion uses its size and even its beautiful mane to intimidate those around it. A lion uses its roar (which can be heard up to five miles away) to assert power, intimidate, and control. A lion's claws are hidden until it is ready to attack... and attack it does. A lion sneaks up on his prey; it crouches down; it hides; and it patiently waits until his unsuspecting target gets closer, and then it attacks. A lion is a flesh eating and destroying carnivore. It uses its four long and sharp canine teeth to rip through the skin. The smaller front teeth are used to grip and hold onto its prey while the sharp teeth in the back of the mouth are used to cut through the flesh like a serrated knife. The attack is vicious, relentless, and deadly. Wow! And THAT is what God saved Paul (and Daniel and many others) from, and is an accurate description for what God has us from.

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 mother lion are scattered."


Next Entry: I Timothy 1:1 – 2:15

I Thessalonians 1:1–10

May 14, 2013

Paul's message to the people of Thessalonica (and God's message to all of us): Continue strong; your hope comes from Christ; God loves you; you were chosen by him. You've suffered much, but you've accepted all He is teaching you with the joy that can only come from the Holy Spirit. Because you surrendered your will to His, you've become an example for others and what the Lord is teaching you has spread. Because of this your faith in God has become known everywhere. You've done your part, so now wait. Wait for God's Son to come from heaven. Continue strong. Wait!

"I have found that the casual Christian has little or no influence upon others. I am finding that it is only the Christian who refuses to compromise in matters of honesty, integrity and morality who is bearing an effective witness for Christ. The worldly Christian is prepared to do as the world does and will condone practices which are dishonest and unethical because he is afraid of the world's displeasure. Only by a life of obedience to the voice of the Spirit, by daily dying to self, by a full dedication to Christ and constant fellowship with Him, are we able to live a godly life and have a positive influence in this present ungodly world." ~ From Unto the Hills by Billy Graham  

Addendum: 10/17/16 ~ "Because of this..."  Because is a theme that runs throughout scripture. The people of Thessalonica had a testimony to share because they were faithful and totally surrendered to God's teaching and His Will even though they suffered much. We have the story of Daniel standing strong in his faith because he was betrayed and falsely accused. Because. It is often BECAUSE. It is the same in our situation as well. We have a story to tell because of the betrayal by loved ones and their subsequent filing of this lawsuit. "Because of this..." HIS story is going out in a way I could never have imagined. 

Don't try to avoid the "because" situations in your life and don't waste any time regretting them. It is often those very situations that God uses to bring honor and glory HIS name.


Next Entry: I Thessalonians 2:1 – 3:13

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

Ephesians 1:1–23

April 23, 2013

Paul writes to the people in Ephesus. He begins the letter by praising God. Now that we have begun to understand the importance of praising God (as a believer there is nothing more important!) the passages in the Bible or lyrics from old hymns that mention praise just jump out at me. How did I miss the importance of praising God for who HE is (not thankfulness for what He has done) for so many years? The only explanation I can come up with is this: I was breaking the first two commandments and "self" was on the throne.

Without even realizing it, my husband and I were both definitely too self-sufficient. Why would praising God be a priority when you are independent and think yourself capable of most things? It isn't. That is why I am so grateful for these last six plus years. God put us in a situation that we couldn't fix on our own, and God, (through Jane) very clearly pointed out to us and what was wrong and out of balance in our lives. We weren't purposely rejecting God and trying to remove Him from the throne in our lives, we were trying to join Him on the throne and we don't belong there!! Joining Him is the same as removing Him.

Jane taught us that praise (first and foremost) puts everything else in your life in the right order and perspective. God is God—and we are not. It is an understanding of the

God

↓

Man

relationship. Praise! First, foremost, at all times, and in all situations. Oh, what a difference this understanding has made in our lives. 

Paul goes on and talks about the wonderful grace of God. This must be the passage that inspired the  the song writer of the old hymn "Grace, grace, wonderful grace, coming down from the Father above..." (Now that I have written that I think I have the wrong song and the words are actually "Peace, peace, wonderful peace...") Other old hymns about God's grace and love are going through my mind this morning. My heart is just full of praise. I can still hear my Dad's rich baritone voice singing, "The love of God, how rich and pure, how measureless and strong! It shall forever more endure the saints' and angels' song." Love singing the new songs, AND the old hymns.  

"...It brings praise to God because of his wonderful grace. God gave that grace to us freely, in Christ, the One he loves. In Christ we are set free by the blood of his death, and so we have forgiveness of sins. How rich is God's grace, which he has given to us so fully and freely. God, with full wisdom and understanding, let us know his secret purpose."

Wisdom and understanding. (Someday I want to complete my study I began on the difference between wisdom and understanding. A very simple explanation is: wisdom is the knowing and understanding is the doing.) God is both wisdom/knowing and understanding/doing. "When the right time comes" (Ephesians 1:10) he WILL act and His will WILL be done, and it WILL bring honor and glory to His name.

Ephesians 1:14 - "The Holy Spirit is the guarantee that we will receive what God promised for his people until God gives full freedom to those who are his—to bring praise to God's glory." It is ALL about HIM!  Until that happens, everything works together "so that you will know him better." (Ephesians 1:17)

• (He) gives the spirit of wisdom and revelation— so we will know Him better.
• (He) gives understanding in our hearts—so we will know the hope He gives and we will know our blessings come from Him. We will know His great power.

God is in control. At the right time, He WILL act.

 Addendum: 5/6/2016 ~ As I was reading Ephesians 1 this morning, three words resounded with me. "You will know... you will know... you will know." It's all about HIM. The LORD—He is the One! Ephesians 1:11 - "... He is the One who makes everything agree with what he decides and wants." What assurance!


Next Entry: Ephesians 2:1–22 

Galatians 5:1–26

April 17, 2013

What happened? What went wrong? You started out running a good race. What changed? What caused you to add things to the very clear words of Christ? It isn't enough to believe in Christ and then add your own spin on it. You must be a Christ follower. Being a follower means setting your own desires, wants, and wishes aside, and committing yourself to following Him wherever He leads and whatever He asks. It means following His words ONLY and not adding anything to it or taking anything away from it. You started out that way. What happened? Christ made us free, but that doesn't mean you use your freedom as an excuse to do whatever you please! We are to serve each other, not manipulate others as a way to fulfill our selfish desires. We are to die to self and surrender to God. That is our freedom.

Selfish desires and surrendering to God don't mix. It is like oil and water. You cannot live by following the Spirit (Christ) while following your selfish sinful self at the same time. CANNOT! If you follow the Spirit, "... Then you will not do what your sinful selves want." (Galatians 5:16) You just can't have it both ways. Galatians 5:17 - "Our sinful selves want what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit wants what is against our sinful selves. The two are against each other, so you cannot do just what you please." No wonder there is conflict in this world and among people. One side is pursuing their own selfish desires, and the other side is pursuing the desires of the Spirit. This is why you should not be unequally yoked in close friendships, marriage, business, etc. You are pursuing opposite goals and there will be conflict.

There is no middle ground here. You can't be in the middle of the road or sitting on a fence. You are either going to do what your sinful self wants—OR—you are going to commit yourself to doing what the Spirit wants. Believing in Christ but living how you want won't cut it. You must be a committed follower of Christ.

Paul compares the actions of  the followers of "self" to the followers of Christ. One list is "the wrong things the sinful self does," and the other is what following the Spirit produces.

Sinful Self Results:

• Sexually unfaithful
• Not being pure
• Taking part in sexual sins
• Worshiping gods
• Doing witchcraft
• Hating
• Making trouble
• Jealousy
• Anger
• Selfishness
• Making people angry with each other
• Causing divisions among people
• Feeling envy
• Being drunk
• Having wild and wasteful parties
• Doing other things like this 

Spirit Led Results:

• Produces the fruit of love
• Joy
• Peace
• Patience
• Kindness
• Goodness
• Faithfulness
• Gentleness
• Self-control
• Die to self
• Give up old selfish feelings and evil things "self" wanted
• Have new life
• Is not proud
• Does not make trouble with each other
• Is not jealous of others

The contrasts between the two lists are striking, and you can soon see why the two should not be joined together and cannot mix. Paul said, "I warn you now as I warned you before: Those who do these things (the sinful self list) will not inherit God's kingdom." (Galatians 5:21)

Psalm 1

Happy are those who don't listen to the wicked
   who don't go where sinners go,
   who don't do what evil people do.
They love the Lord's teachings,
   and they think about those teachings day and night.
They are strong, like a tree planted by the river.
   The tree produces fruit in season,
   and its leaves don't die.
Everything they do will succeed.

But wicked people are not like that.
   They are like the chaff that the wind blows away.
So the wicked will not escape God' punishment.
   Sinners will not worship with God's people.
This is because the LORD takes care of his people,
   but the wicked will be destroyed.

Stand strong. Christ has made you free, so you are free indeed.

Addendum: April 2016 ~ It has been eight years since Jane (Her Name Was Jane) spoke her last God-given words to us—"Jeremiah 33." My husband and I will read that chapter together again today. God's last promise of protection through the lips of Jane. The day is coming. The day is coming when God will set us completely free from "the storm."

Early this morning the song Give Me Jesus played over and over in my mind. In the morning when I arise—give me Jesus. When I am alone—give me Jesus. When I come to die—give me Jesus. You can have all this world—just give me Jesus. That is my heart's desire. In ALL things—just give me Jesus.  


 Next Entry: Galatians 6:1–18

II Corinthians 3:1 – 4:15

April 05, 2013

"We can say this, because through Christ we feel certain before God. We are not saying that we can do this work ourselves. It is God who makes us able to do all that we do." II Corinthians 3:4-5 

It is God—and God alone—that has enabled us to do all we have done these past six plus years. And if He asks us to enter the slime and filth again He will give us the strength to do so. I hope God's plan does not include going back into the evil mire of "the storm." We believe God's promises so we believe the outcome is certain. II Corinthians 3:12 - "We have this hope so we are very bold." Throughout these six plus years we have not tried to strategize plans or manipulate things to create scenarios which would point to or prove an outcome that we want. We have simply chosen to believe and to have faith in what we believe God has revealed to us. It has been faith—alone.

After the judge made some rulings last Friday some angst began to set in concerning what time consuming "process" might lie ahead. Then Monday God reminded me who we were waiting on. We aren't waiting on a judge—we are waiting on the Lord—and we returned to believing by faith His promises; even if there is more mire to wade through.

This week has been filled with praise and singing. Wednesday (two days ago) some new thoughts began to form in my mind, thoughts I had never considered before. I've been thinking about the amazing things God has already remarkably done for us throughout this long process. Facts and logical examples we can see with our own eyes, things which are now part of history and are logical and factual proof. As I've said before, we are walking this path God has set before us by faith alone, believing in our hearts what we cannot see and looking forward with anticipation to the fulfillment of His promises. But now, God is beginning to have me consider some of the logical and factual things that have already happened, things we have experienced firsthand and have seen with our own eyes.

Yesterday I listed a few of them. We have walked this path entirely by faith, but now we also have the benefit of hindsight and being able to recognize the reality of what has already happened. And it is clear. Past history of God's protection points to God protecting us in the future. For over three years I have written in my journals that we KNOW (by faith and believing alone) that God is going to protect us and fulfill His promises in Psalm 140 which He gave us through Jane. (Her Name Was Jane) But now for the first time, I realize that we don't just KNOW by faith that God is going to protect us, I now realize that God has SHOWN us what HE is going to do—protect us.

To KNOW something in your heart without seeing any proof of it—is faith. We are now able to look back and realize that God has SHOWN us His fulfillment of His promises through actual events—logical and actual proof. Thank you, LORD, for showing me that you have given us proof. through historical facts. Your promises are true. Blessed be the name of the LORD. We will continue to believe.

Throughout scripture God has a history of protecting and providing for His people. i.e. The Israelites, Moses, Abraham, Jacob, David, etc. to name just a few. He never provided for them most of the way and then abandoned them and/or allowed them to fail at the end. I cannot think of one time that happened in scripture as long as His people stayed true to following His commands. God did not protect the Israelites while they were in Egypt; provide protection during Passover; lead them while they were escaping; part the Red Sea so they could cross over on dry land, only to then drown them when they were almost to the other side. What we believed by faith (how many times did I tell people what we believed had NO logic behind it) now also makes logical sense and has been factually proven.

Why would God provide Jane; why would God provide in such a remarkable way a buyer for our joint project that would have provided a way out following biblical principle; why would God have orchestrated the bank to save us from a debt that my brother-in-law had us alone locked into (one year to the day of Jane saying to read Jeremiah 33); why would God bless our business and family so richly these last six plus years; why would God do ALL THAT and then say—Oh, never mind—I am going to allow your sister and brother-in-law's vile plans and false accusations to prevail; I am going to allow you to be found unworthy to carry on my message; I am going to allow you to be found guilty of what my Word calls evil even though you are innocent; and I am going to allow your sister and brother-in-law, by their deceitful practices, to take from you everything I have given you. How or why would that make any sense? I get it that God's ways are not our ways, but logically that makes no sense at all.

While all of this is interesting and a new thought, I am so grateful that our belief first came from faith and faith alone and had nothing to do with logic. We believe in our hearts that God has promised to protect us from my sister and brother-in-law's false accusations. We believe it with all our hearts, and now we also believe it through intellect. But first and foremost—our hearts.

God keeps revealing more and more to us because we are following HIS ways. The exact opposite is true for those who have not surrendered to His ways. II Corinthians 3:14 - "But their minds were closed... that covering is taken away only through Christ." Without Christ there is a covering over their minds. It is only "when a person changes and follows the Lord, that (the) covering is taken away." (II Corinthians 3:16) Then and only then can we be changed to be like Him. When you follow Christ there is no trickery, no manipulation of His Word, no secret or shameful ways. Only truth and honesty. Then all can KNOW who we are, and they can KNOW what kind of people we are in God's sight.

The only ones that cannot see it are those who are lost because "it is hidden only to those who are lost. The devil who rules this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe." (II Corinthians 4:3–4) See writings and Life Lesson for Proverbs 2. God said, "Let the light shine out of the darkness." (II Corinthians 4:6) Jesus is that light. When we reject Him and His ways we reject the light and therefore are only left with darkness.

II Corinthians 4:7–9 - "We have this treasure from God, but we are like clay jars that hold the treasure. This shows that the great power is from God, not from us. We have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated. We do not know what to do, but we do not give up the hope of living. We are persecuted, but God does not leave us. We are hurt sometimes, but we are not destroyed." (Emphasis mine) "We believe, and so we speak." God raised Jesus from the dead, and He will raise us as well. All of this is being done so that the grace of God will be given more and more and that it will bring "increasing thanks to God for his glory." (II Corinthians 4:13b–15)

We believe with our hearts—so we speak. Our prayer is that God will receive all the honor and glory for what HE has done and for what HE will do.

Addendum: 4/22/16 ~ As I was awakening this morning a song was playing in my mind. Finally the words came to me. Our God Saves It is in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit that there is hope. We come to YOU, Lord. We call on YOU. We fall on YOUR grace. Hear the joyful sound of our offering to YOU. We bow to YOU, Lord. We lift up YOUR name. We will rise with YOU on YOUR wings. And the world will see that OUR GOD SAVES! We give YOU songs of praise, Lord. Thank YOU, Lord. There is hope in YOUR name. Mourning will turn to songs of praise.

LORD, may ALL know that it was YOU who saved us from "the storm." 


Next Entry: II Corinthians 4:16 – 6:13

II Corinthians 1:1 – 2:4

April 03, 2013

God has a purpose for everything that happens in our lives and it is always twofold: 1) for us; and 2) for others.

Paul tells the people in Corinth, "God is the Father who is full of mercy and all comfort. He comforts us every time we have trouble, so when others have trouble, we can comfort them with the same comfort God gives us." Paul goes on, "We had great burdens there that were beyond our own strength. We even gave up hope of living. Truly, in our own hearts we believed we would die. But this happened so we would not trust in ourselves but in God, who raises people from the dead. God saved us from these great dangers of death, and he will continue to save us. We have put our hope in him, and he will save us again. And you can help us with your prayers. Then many people will give thanks for us—that God blessed us because of their many prayers." (II Corinthians 1:8–11)

When "the storm" first started, it felt very overwhelming in many ways. How could a sister and brother-in-law do this? There were physical, financial, emotional, and time requirements. We can now look back at all that was involved with the lawsuit and say "thank goodness for the lawsuit" because while we believe the Lord has promised us His protection from it, the single most important thing He saved us from was self-sufficiency. And that is what Paul is saying, "This happened so we would not trust in ourselves but in God." In our culture we are taught it is a good thing to be self-sufficient, but there is nothing more dangerous or contrary to Scripture than "self" being in charge. We are to be God-reliant NOT self-sufficient. In ALL things—dependence on God.

The greatest danger we faced was ourselves, and God saved us (and continues to save us) from that trap. Our hope is in HIM. He will save us from the trap set by others. I have written, "Tell the story!" by this section. We must tell the entirety of His story throughout this process. I'm pretty sure I have shared this part before, but clear back when we first realized we were supposed to tell God's story, I wondered how in the world it could be done without telling the messy and petty details of the lawsuit. Then a year or so ago, as I was in the shower and thinking about God's story, I literally laughed out loud when I realized HIS story has nothing to do with the details of the lawsuit!!

What an amazing journey this has been!! Our hearts are honest and sincere. (I Corinthians 1:12) We have no ulterior motives. Our consciences are clear. Everything we are and have accomplished is because of God's grace and not earthly wisdom. II Corinthians 1:22 - "He put his mark on us to show that we are His, and he put his Spirit in our hearts to be a guarantee for all he has promised." Amen. Thank you, Jesus.

From Life Lesson: God's comfort and deliverance are certainties, even in the middle of difficult trials. We can confidently rely upon him as we make our plans.

"God is good and all-knowing... nothing catches him by surprise. God knows... he is working." ~ From On Eagle's Wings by Dave Veerman

Next Entry: II Corinthians 2:5–17

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 15:1–58

April 01, 2013

Sunday morning came. Yesterday we celebrated the resurrection of our Lord and Savior. I Corinthians 15 talks about the Good News of Christ. I Corinthians 15:2 - "You are being saved by it if you continue believing what I told you. If you do not then you believed for nothing." We will continue to believe, not only in God's salvation power, but also in the promises He has given us.

Our Pastor spoke yesterday about following Jesus to—LIFE. Jesus wants to move people from Death to Life, and He does that one person at a time. Christ isn't concerned with how many days we live. He is most concerned with HOW we lived our days. Then our Pastor pointed out three truths:

1. He sees your need
2. He feels your pain
3. He helps clean up your messes

God has come to help His people.

Our hope is in the LORD, for this life AND for eternity. Death came because of what one man (Adam) did. Life came because of what one man (Jesus) did. Paul admonished the people in Corinth to not stop believing in the raising of the dead. I Corinthians 15:33 - "Bad friends will ruin good habits." Don't be fooled. I Corinthians 33:34 - "Come back to your right way of thinking and stop sinning. Some of you do not know God – I say this to shame you." Sin and death have NO power over us. Christ has won the victory. I Corinthians 33:57–58 - "But we thank God! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ... stand strong. Do not let anything change you... give yourselves fully to the work... (it) is never wasted."

Our spirits are quieted this morning. As I was in the shower this morning, God reminded me of this truth: We are not waiting on a judge. We are waiting on the LORD!!! It's amazing how God renews your strength when you obey His word and keep putting one foot in front of the other in obedience to Him. Any "angst" we felt—is gone! This is not our problem to handle—it is His. He will give us whatever we need to faithfully complete this path that HE has us on. And we are willing to let go—and let God. Praise the Lord!


Next Entry: I Corinthians 16:1–24

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! 

I Corinthians 12:31b – 13:13

March 28, 2013

A noisy resounding gong, or a crashing clanging cymbal. That is what we are if we don't have charity (Christian love) for our fellow man. We can have all sorts of gifts; we can attain great knowledge; we can possess great faith; but without charity for others—it is worth nothing. We can do outward "good" things by giving to the poor and even offering of ourselves as a way to boast, but again, it is worth nothing without charity for others from a pure heart.

Charity (love) is: patient; kind; not jealous (wants the best for others and is genuinely happy for the accomplishments of others); does not brag (lifts others up, not self); is not proud (is humble); is not rude (is considerate); is not selfish (is giving); does not get upset with others (is patient and understanding); does not count up wrongs (is forgiving); is not happy with evil (rejoices with truth); patiently accepts all things (does not need to assert authority or be in control); it always trusts (is not suspicious); always hopes (thinks the best); always remains strong (does not give up); never ending (is everlasting). Everything else will end, but love remains. We see dimly now but there will come a day when we shall see clearly. Now we see only a part, but then we will fully understand.

A noisy, irritating bell. A clashing cymbal! Fingernails on a chalkboard. All descriptions of someone who doesn't have charity (love) verses the beautiful description of someone who does have charity. I want to be known as someone who is gentle, kind, forgiving, etc.

I Corinthians 13:13 - "So these three things continue forever: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love."


Next Entry: I Corinthians 14:1–40

I Corinthians 4:1–21

March 14, 2013

We are God's servants. I Corinthians 4:2 - "Those who are trusted with something valuable must show they are worthy of that trust." Read that over several times.

We have been trusted with something valuable. We have the message of Christ to spread and we must show we are worthy of that trust. BUT! the only judge we need to be judged by is the LORD! No human court or anyone else has the authority to judge us. We can't even judge ourselves. Only the Lord. I Corinthians 4:4–5 - "The Lord is the One who judges me. So do not judge before the right time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light things that are now hidden in darkness, and will make known the secret purposes of people's hearts."

Our faith is in the Lord alone. It is not in ourselves. It is not in our lawyers. It is not in the court system. And it is not in a judge or jury. Our hope is in the LORD only. It is our prayer and belief that no matter how we are released from my sister and brother-in-law's false accusations and deceitful agendas, it will be apparent that it was by the hand of the Lord and through Him alone—and it will be apparent to ALL!

That is our prayer and our belief. LORD, may it be so.


Next Entry: I Corinthians 5:1 – 6:20