II Chronicles 34:1–33

July 23, 2014

Josiah becomes king at eight years old. By the time he was sixteen, he began to remove all the idols and places for worshiping other gods from the land. He broke up the wooden and metal idols and beat them into powder. He sprinkled the powder over the graves of those who worshiped the idols. (The golden calf the Israelites made while Moses was on the mountain with God was broken and made into powder as well. The Israelites were forced to drink it, and it ended up on the ground—useless.) Josiah rendered the idols useless, dust on the ground—gone. The people returned to dust and what they put their faith in returned to dust. It brought them nothing, totally destroyed and useless.

At the age of 26, Josiah made Judah and the Temple pure again. In the process of doing so, Hilkiah the priest, "found the Book of the LORD's Teachings that had been given through Moses." God's words—lost in His own Temple. God's words that were supposed to be given to each king—lost. God's words that were supposed to be read every day—lost.

When Josiah heard what was in the Book of the LORD's Teachings he was very upset. He wanted to know more. What does this mean? He sent Hilkiah and four other men to, "go and ask the LORD about the words in this book that was found." So Hilkiah and those the king sent with him went to talk to Huldah the prophetess. She was a simple woman, the wife of a man who took care of the king's clothes, yet she was used by God to be a prophetess.

Huldah tells the men that God's word is true. God will do what is written in his Book of Teachings. Accountability for personal actions will happen. There are blessings for those who humble themselves before the LORD; there are curses for those who refuse to surrender their will to His. There are blessings for obedience; there are curses for disobedience. (See Leviticus 26:1 – 27:34; Leviticus 26:1 – 27:34 (Continued); Leviticus 26:1 – 27:34 (Continued); Deuteronomy 27:1 – 28:68; and Deuteronomy 28 (Continued) ) "I will bring all the curses that are written in the book that was read to the king of Judah. The people of Judah have left me and have burned incense to other gods. They have made me angry by all the evil things they have made. So, I will punish them in my anger, which will not be put out." Then, Huldah continued. Because Josiah had humbled himself and sought after the ways of the LORD, God promised to honor him and to not hold him accountable for his ancestors actions. God also told Josiah he would let him die in peace.

God's Word is true—period. He will do what He says—period.  

The men took Huldah's message back to Josiah. Josiah gathered all the people and went to the temple. There he promised to obey the LORD with his whole being and to obey the words in the Book of the LORD's Teachings. Josiah was doing God honoring things even before he knew what was in the book of God's laws. When he found out what was in God's Word (by seeking and searching) he sought to follow hard after the LORD; a blueprint for how we should live our lives. God fulfilled his portions of the prophecy He gave through Huldah.

Seven years ago, Jane (Her Name Was Jane) prophesied, and told us to read Psalm 150, Psalm 140. Jane then prayed a strong prayer of blessing over my life. I never thought of it as a prophecy until I heard my daughter-in-law telling someone that ... and I realized she was right.

I decided to research women prophets in the Bible. There are five listed specifically with the title of prophetess in the Old Testament. A prophetess is a female prophet called by God to be the mouth piece of the One who sends her. She speaks on behalf of the sender. A prophet (prophetess) is considered a seer because God has given them the gift of foreknowledge. God reveals His secrets to the prophet (prophetess). True prophecy is initiated by the Holy Spirit.

I absolutely believe God used Jane to prophecy to us. There can be no other explanation. Her prophecy about praising the LORD taught us a brand new principle/concept. Her prophecy of Psalm 140 describes two kinds of people: 1) people who refuse to obey the LORD's teachings; and 2) those who choose to rely on the LORD for His protection. The same basic principles prophesied by Huldah. Blessings—verses—Curses. Jane's subsequent prophecies of Psalm 1 and Isaiah 30 give the same message. We have a choice. You can choose blessings or you can choose curses. Jane's last prophecy to us was Jeremiah 33—God's promise of restoration. God chose Jane to speak His Holy Spirit inspired words because of her years of faithfulness, her godly character, and her surrendered heart.

Thank you, LORD, for using Jane to be YOUR mouth piece and messenger to us. LORD, Jane spoke words to us that she could not have said within her own ability or knowledge. They were YOUR words, LORD, and we thank you. LORD, we choose to surrender our hearts, lives, and whole beings to YOUR authority. We praise YOUR name LORD, for being the King of all kings and the LORD of all lords. How majestic is YOUR name in all the earth. We humble ourselves before YOU and we claim YOUR promises. Blessed be YOUR name. May all honor and all glory go to YOU for all that YOU have done and will do. Amen.


Next Entry: II Chronicles 35:1 – 36:1 

II Chronicles 11:18 – 15:19

July 12, 2014

The story of Rehoboam.

After Rehoboam became strong and established, he (and the people) became self-reliant. They stopped obeying God, and they abandoned the laws of God. Oh, the dangers of PRIDE and forgetting that it isn't about "I" do. It is, "I can do all things through Christ." Rehoboam forgot (or ignored) the

God

     ↓   

  Man

relationship, and trouble ensued.

The king of Egypt attacked them. The LORD said, "You have left me, so now I leave you to face (them) alone." It is always in that order. We separate ourselves from God; we are left on our own. The LORD never abandons us first.  

When Rehoboam sees what is happening he becomes afraid and repents. The LORD saw they were sorry, so He held back His anger and prevented the king of Egypt from totally destroying them. Even though Rehoboam repented there were still consequences. The king of Egypt stripped them of what they were most proud of; their many prized possessions. Rehoboam "made himself" a strong king. "He did not want to obey the LORD.

Pride → punishment.

Abijah (son of Rehoboam) becomes king. There was a war between him (Judah) and Jeroboam (Israel). Abijah brought 400,000 soldiers into battle. Jeroboam brought 800,000. Abijah stood on a mountain and said, "Listen to me!" You know that God gave David and his sons the right to rule Israel forever, so what are you doing following Jeroboam, the son of one of Solomon's officers? You are making plans against God by planning evil against us. You are arguing against God. You have made yourself golden calves to be your gods. You have gotten rid of who God appointed as priests (the Levites) and you have appointed your own priests. You have left the LORD. "But as for us, the LORD is our God; we have not left him." (Psalm 140:6 - But we say, "You are my God...") "We obey the command of the LORD, but you have left him. God himself is with us...." He is the One leading us. Listen! Stop what you are doing! Don't fight against God! It won't work! You won't succeed!

Jeroboam wouldn't listen. Instead he sent some of his troops to "sneak behind" Judah's army. You can "sneak behind" man, but you cannot sneak behind God. When the people of Judah realized they were being tricked, they cried out to the LORD. They didn't run, and they didn't hide. They gave a battle cry, and "God caused" Jeroboam and his army to run away. "God handed them over" to Judah. The people of Israel were defeated, and the people of Judah won. Why? "...because they depended on the LORD." Jeroboam never again became strong. "The LORD struck Jeroboam and he died."

Accountability. Consequences. Every king that followed Jeroboam followed in his foot steps and did evil. Every single one! They couldn't succeed because they were trying to circumvent God's will. It won't work. It can't work.

Abijah dies and his son Asa became king. Asa did "What the LORD his God said was good and right." The LORD gave them peace because they obeyed the LORD. But then Zerah from Cush comes out to fight them with an enormous army. Asa called out to God saying, "LORD, only you can help weak people against the strong. Help us LORD our God, because we depend on you. We fight against this enormous army in your name. LORD, you are our God. Don't let anyone win against you." (Psalm 140 - "...don't let their plans succeed or they will become proud.") The size of the army doesn't matter because the battle belongs to the Lord. They couldn't do it but God could, and He did. "So the LORD defeated (them)... they were crushed by the LORD."

When you face a battle that is bigger than you, remember this truth: You can't do it, but God can. Don't give up. God is in control. 

II Chronicles 15:2 - "The LORD is with you when you are with him. IF you obey him, you will find him, but IF you leave him, he will leave you."

II Chronicles 15:7 - "But you should be strong. Don't give up, because you will get a reward for your good work."

Don't give up! God IS in control. II Chronicles 15:15 - "They looked for God... and found him."

Jeremiah 29:12–14 - "...then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will search for me. And when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me! I will let you find me," says the LORD. "And I will bring you back from your captivity... and I will bring you back to this place."

LORD, we call out to You. Hear our cries for mercy. Protect us from "the storm." Protect us from those who "have set traps along our path."


Next Entry: II Chronicles 16:1 – 19:3

Revelation 13:1–18 (Continued)

August 09, 2013

In Jane's KJV Bible, Scofield lists the cosmic principles of Satan.

• Force
• Greed
• Selfishness
• Ambition
• Pleasure

They all boil down to one thing: The love of self above the love of God and a violation of God's very first commandment. Self = Master instead of Jesus = Master. 

The love of self and the promotion of self ALL end in naught. Those who refuse to surrender to Christ are in the end forced to surrender to the beast/Satan. Jesus won't force us to surrender to Him. Christ offered Himself as the final sacrificial Lamb and He offers us full forgiveness and undeserved grace. Offers, but does not force. He gives us every opportunity to accept His free gift of salvation, but He will not force us to accept it.

Satan on the other hand will throw everything in your path to keep you from surrendering to Christ. He will appear to be the answer, but later the truth will be exposed and he will FORCE you to become his slave and worship him.

TODAY, while there is still time, change your hearts and lives and surrender your love of self to Master Jesus.


Next Entry: Revelation 14:1 – 15:8

Revelation 7:1–17

July 31, 2013

Yesterday I wrote about the six seals that were opened and the terrible things that were unleashed upon the earth. Today I write about the opposite, people being rescued and sealed for protection by God.

Destruction by wind was going to happen, but God had four angels prevent it from happening until the seal of the living God was put on the 144,000 who were to be protected and saved. The 144,000 came from every tribe of Israel. 12,000 from each of the twelve sons of Jacob.

After this, John looked again and he saw a large group of people who were too many to count. They were from every nation, every tribe, people and language of the earth. They were all standing before the throne wearing white robes and holding palm branches. They were shouting in a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." The angels, elders, and four living creatures all bowed down and worshiped God, saying;

"Amen! Praise, glory, wisdom, thanks, honor, power, and strength belong to our God, forever and ever. Amen!" Revelation 7:12

One of the elders turned to John and asked him where these people came from. John said, "You know sir." And the elder replied, these are the people who came out of the tribulation. They believed in Jesus so their sins were forgiven by his blood and His presence is with them. They will never be hungry or thirsty again. Jesus is their shepherd. The sun or heat cannot hurt them. Like Psalm 23, they will be led to the springs of water, every tear will be wiped away, and they will worship God before His throne.

Only Jesus, the Lamb of God, could open the seals that began the destruction. And only Jesus, the final sacrificed Lamb, can put the seal of salvation on His people. His people—the people who believe and trust Him no matter what—even if it means their physical death.

God's Protection

Psalm 17:8 - Protect me as you would your own eye. Hide me under the shadow of your wings.

Psalm 18:2–3 - The Lord is my rock, my protection, my Savior. My God is my rock. I can run to him for safety. He is my shield and my saving strength, my defender. I will call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise and I will be saved from my enemies.

Proverbs 2:8 - He makes sure that justice is done, and he protects those who are loyal to him.

II Thessalonians 3:3 - But the Lord is faithful and will give you strength and will protect you from the evil one.

It most likely meant physical death to those who came out of the tribulation. It takes dying to self for all of us if we are to gain eternal life with the One and the Lamb.


Next Entry: Revelation 8:1 – 9:21 

James 2:1–26

June 22, 2013

James 2:6–7 - "The rich are always trying to control your lives.  They are the ones who take you to court. And they are the ones who speak against Jesus who owns you."

As believers, we are "owned" by Jesus. The rich (and the wannabe rich and live-as-if-we-are-rich) see themselves as being in control, and they totally disregard the authority of Jesus and instead decide they will be in charge and make the decisions. They view themselves as "owners" and others as subservient. 

I should make a disclaimer here. Not every "rich" person fits this description and there are also plenty of people who do not have great wealth but still live their lives trying to be in control. What God is talking about here is the temptation for the wealthy to rely on themselves and their own capabilities rather than being God-reliant. It is extremely difficult and rare for the very "rich" to remain totally dependent on God and not fall into the trap of self-sufficiency.

The #1 trap for any of us is to become self-reliant instead of God-dependent. Having monetary riches exacerbates the temptation and many will start relying on their own means to get what they want. It isn't just that they have money and so therefore can afford to use the world's court system to exert their control. The problem is they have also developed the attitude of "I am in control... I will get what I want." The problem is "I." I want and therefore I will get! I... I... I... and so they go against God's teachings and do whatever they want. They may not use actual words to "speak against Jesus" but their actions speak volumes. Hebrews 6 graphically describes how their actions "are nailing the Son of God to a cross again and are shaming him in front of others."

God's teachings, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself" means nothing to the self-reliant person. God saying that if you love others as yourself "you are doing right" doesn't matter to them either. God says to never think some people are more important than others. We are all created the same and are equally important.

God says in James 2:4 - "What are you doing? You are making some people more important than others, with evil thought you are deciding that one person is better." If we don't show mercy God will not show mercy to us. James 2:13 - "The person who shows mercy can stand without fear at the judgment."

James talks about faith AND good works. It is not faith "or" good works, it is not faith "because" of good works, and it's not faith "instead" of good works. It is faith AND good works. James 2:14 - "If people say they have faith, but do nothing, their faith is worth nothing. Can faith like that save them?" James 2:17 - "In the same way, faith that is alone—that does nothing—is dead."

Those are strong words. We can say whatever we want, but it is our actions that will show what we truly believe. We can say Jesus is Lord, but if we insist on being in charge and in control, then he is not Lord. We can say we love others as our self, but IF—we do things to harm others so we can benefit ourselves, THEN—we are not only lying to ourselves and others, but we are lying to the God of creation. Our actions reveal the heart of the matter and if our walk does not match our talk, then he is not Lord. We can say we believe there is one God, but even the demons believe that, and they tremble in fear. IF—our actions don't show that we believe there is only one supreme God, THEN—we are worse off than the demons who tremble with fear because we are in effect thumbing our nose at the One and only true God. 

What arrogance. What foolishness! Faith that does nothing is worth nothing! Abraham believed and acted before he saw the fulfillment of God's promises "and his faith was made perfect by what he did." We have no excuse. We have God's Word and we have the benefit of being able to look back and see God's faithfulness and the fulfillment of His promises. We must believe and act. Our walk must match our talk. Talk is easy and walking can be difficult, but walk we must!! James 2:26 - "Just as a person's body that does not have a spirit is dead, so faith that does nothing is dead!"

Faith—AND—Good Works. Not one or the other—BOTH! 

Addendum: 3/24/19 ~ Our value is not determined by who we are, what we do, or what we own. Our value comes from who we are IN Christ.   


Next Entry: James 3:1–18 

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

Hebrews 4:1 – 5:10

June 03, 2013

"By grace of God, I've come to place where I can't work up a worry (rest)." "Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God." ~ Written in Jane's KJV Bible.

Rest. God has offered to us a place of rest. There is of course heaven, a place of eternal rest. But in addition to eternal rest, we have also been offered a "place of rest" on this earth.

"Now, since God has left us the promise that we may enter his rest, let us be very careful so none of you fail to enter. The Good News was preached to us just as it was to them. But the teaching they heard did not help them, because they heard it but did not accept it with faith." Hebrews 4:1–3 

It wasn't the teaching that failed, the failure came from the choices they made. They "heard" the teaching but they refused to accept it with faith. They chose disobedience. The old hymn has it right when it says: "Trust and obey for there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."

Hebrews 4:5 - "We who have believed are able to enter and have God's rest." Our choices determine our life results.

Obedience → Happy in Jesus → Rest

God rested on the seventh day, His perfect work of creation was complete. God made available to us His perfect work of redemption, and as believers, we can rest in that. God provided the Israelites a way of redemption from the Egyptians. They could have rested in His deliverance and protection, but instead, they chose not to trust and they chose not to obey, and as a result of their choices they lived 40 years wandering around in the desert and they never received His "rest." Those who did not obey and did not trust were not allowed into the Promised Land. Not only did they not get the future reward, they missed out on peace and "rest" in the present, their time on this earth.

The writer of Hebrew again says—TODAY. Hebrews 4:7 - "Today listen to what he says. Do not be stubborn." Stubbornness—the root of the problem. That is what keeps most people from surrendering to God and obeying Him. It's not ignorance—it's stubbornness. It's a refusal to let go of whatever you need to let go of (pride, selfishness, the need to be in charge, etc.) and let God be—God. Hebrews 4:10–11 - "Anyone who enters God's rest will rest from his work as God did. Let us try as hard as we can to enter God's rest so that no one will fail by following the example of those who refused to obey."

The phrase "try as hard as you can" does not mean we are working to earn our salvation. To enter God's rest is to finally "get-it"; to fully understand the

God

↓

man

relationship; and to daily live the "God is God, I am not" concept. If you don't daily commit to surrendering your will to the authority and Lordship of God, you will find the sin of self-sufficiency slowly creeping back into your life.

We can attest to what it means to find God's rest while on earth. Oh, what a change there has been in our thinking. Before we learned to surrender all I used to occasionally have "what if" fears about my husband's business. What if the economy goes bad? What if there isn't enough work? What if? What if? Our entire livelihood and our son's entire livelihood depends on this business. What if? What if? Then "the storm" happens, the economy goes bad, and all my prior "what if" fears which at times clouded my thoughts—happened. BUT! It did not bring fear.

What would have earlier created worry, fear, and angst in our lives, now has no power or control in our lives. We are living in God's rest and it is only because of one reason: we have committed to surrendering ALL to God. Oh, what peace (and rest) that gives. When the economy went bad, we didn't frantically go out searching for work—God brought the work to us. When the lawsuit threatened the very existence of my husband's business and took hundreds of thousands to defend our innocence—God doubled our gross revenues. God is in control and we can REST in that. 

We need to "work hard" at surrendering. God does ALL the rest. TODAY don't be stubborn! Listen to what He says! Hebrews 4:12 - "God's word is alive and working and is sharper that a double-edged sword." It convicts, it prunes, it does whatever is necessary to make us as believers more like Him. For the believer, it brings freedom and rest. For the non-believer, it condemns. "It judges the thoughts and feeling in our hearts. Nothing in all the world can be hidden from God. Everything is clear and lies open before him, and to him we must explain the way we have lived." (Hebrews 4:12b–13)

I've often wondered if people would change their hearts and lives if they understood that someday they will stand before Christ and have to explain the choices they've made and the way they lived their lives? Would it matter? Would they care? As believers we will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and have to explain our choices and how we lived, and we will be rewarded accordingly. A non-believer will stand before Christ at the Great White Throne judgment, and they will be held accountable—eternally—for their stubborn refusal to surrender to Him.

Hebrews 5 - Jesus is our high priest, an intercessor between us and God. Because of Jesus we can "come before God's throne where there is grace. There we can receive mercy and grace to help us when we need it." When Jesus was on this earth He prayed to God and "his prayer was heard because he trusted God."

Even though He was the Son of God, He learned obedience by what He suffered. The same can be said about us.We learned obedience because of our suffering, and for that we are grateful. Obedience and full surrender is often learned best during times of suffering.

Addendum: 11/29/16 ~ So many people try to avoid times of suffering by trying to "pray away" their problems instead of surrendering and learning from them. Charles Swindoll in Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life says it perfectly.

"Life is difficult... really very little more than an endless series of problems. Do we want to moan and groan about them or face them? Do we want to teach the next generation the disciplines involved in accepting and solving them or encourage them to run and hide? ... The tragedy, of course, is that the substitute itself ultimately becomes more painful than the "legitimate suffering" it was trying to avoid. And, adding insult to injury, the avoidance of legitimate suffering means we also avoid the growth that problems demand of us. Our determination to push pain away instead of meeting it head on creates a vicious circle. Could this explain why God's wisest saints are often people who endure pain rather than escape it? Like their Savior, they are men and women "acquainted with grief." I recall that Jesus "learned obedience from the things which he suffered (Hebrews 5:8) not in spite of those things. Do you have a problem? You're smiling back at me. "A problem? Would you believe several dozen problems?" If you listen to the voices around you, you'll search for a substitute—an escape route. You'll miss the fact that each one of those problems is a God-appointed instructor ready to stretch you and challenge you and deepen your walk with Him. Growth and wisdom await you at the solution of each one, the pain and mess notwithstanding."         

Well said.  


Next Entry: Hebrews 5:11 – 7:28

Titus 3:1–15

May 30, 2013

Once you've surrendered your will to the will of the Lord, you will never be the same again. You cannot be. With His mercy HE saved us. What we do after that reflects our gratitude to Him. Our works reflect the change in our lives. It is in that order. It (works) never makes the change, works is instead the result and evidence of the change. Titus 3:5 - "It was not because of good deeds we did to be right with him. He saved us through the washing that made us new people through the Holy Spirit."

Now that you are changed, GO—DO! Paul tells Titus to make sure people understand these things. Believers should be careful to use their lives for doing good. Titus 3:8b - "These things are good and will help everyone."

Then Paul adds a qualifier. Titus 3:9 - "Stay away from those.." people who just want to argue and cause division. They focus on things that are not important (useless family histories, the law, etc.) and "stir up war everyday. The poison of vipers is on their lips." (Psalm 140). Their actions do not help anyone. Titus 3:10–11 - "After a first and second warning, avoid someone who causes arguments. You can know that such people are evil and sinful; their own sins prove them wrong."

Someone who loves to argue causes division wherever they go. We have witnessed this first hand. It is the effect of the Peanut's character who has a dust cloud surrounding him wherever he goes. When I was close to my sister, there was division between myself and my Mom, Dad, and my brother. When the ties between my sister and myself were broken, the division between myself and other family member completely disappeared and peace was restored. Sometimes it is only when you step back from a situation that you can begin to see the effect of someone who just wants to argue and cause division.

The forced separation between my sister and myself is one of the things I am grateful for. The lawsuit my sister and brother-in-law brought against us was intended to put us into bondage, but what it actually did was free me from a very unhealthy relationship with my sister. For that I am grateful. Thank you, LORD. 


Next Entry: Philemon 1:1–25

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

Acts 12:1–25

November 29, 2012

Songs running through my mind in the middle of the night:

All the Way My Savior Leads Me

All the way my Savior leads me, 

What have I to ask beside?

Can I doubt His tender mercy,

Who through life has been my Guide?

Hea'vnly peace, divinest comfort,

Here by faith in Him to dwell!

For I know, whate'er befall me,

Jesus doeth all things well;

For I know whate'er befall me,

Jesus doeth all things well.

All the way my Savior leads me,

Cheers each winding path I tread,

Gives me grace for every trial,

Feeds me with the Living Bread.

Though my weary steps may falter,

And my soul athirst may be,
Gushing from the Rock before me,

Lo! A spring of joy I see;

Gushing from the Rock before me,

Lo! A spring of joy I see.

All the way my Savior leads me,

Oh, the fullness of His love!
Perfect rest to me is promised,

In my Father's house above.

When my spirit, clothed immortal,

Wings its flight to realms of day,

This my song through endless ages:

Jesus led me all the way;

This my song through endless ages:
Jesus led me all the way.

Listen to it here.

Jesus Paid It All

Jesus paid it all,

All to Him I owe;

Sin had left a crimson stain,

He washed it white as snow.

Listen to Jesus Paid It All (O Praise the One) here.

There is one more.  I think I could start a Hymnal!  :)

I Love the Lord

From Psalm 116 

I love the Lord for he heard my voice

He heard my cry for mercy

Because He turned his ear to me

I will call on him as long as I live.

I love you Lord for you heard my voice,

You heard my cry for mercy

Because you turned your ear to me

I will call on you as long as I live.

Lord you are gracious,

Lord you are righteous

Lord you are full of compassion

Lord you protect the simple-hearted

When I was in great need

You saved me.

Be at rest, O my soul

For the Lord has been good to you

Be at rest, O my soul

For the Lord has been good to you.

For you O Lord have rescued my soul from death

My eyes from tears

My feet from stumbling

That I may walk before you

In the land of the living.

I love you Lord for you heard my voice

You heard my cry for mercy

Because you turned your ear to me

I will call on you as long as I live.


Next Entry: Acts 12:1–25 (Continued)

Luke 18:1-43 (Continued)

September 19, 2012

"O we are three, you are three, have mercy on us." ~ From And the Angels Were Silent by Max Lucado. A lesson of humility. 

God wants simple humility. A Pharisee (religious unbeliever) goes into the Temple to pray. He stands and prays, "I thank you that I am not like other people who steal, cheat, or take part in adultery, or even like this tax collector. I give up eating twice a week, and I give one tenth of everything I get!"  His prayer was all about himself. I... I.. I.

A tax collector went into pray at the same time. He stands off to the side and would not even look up. He beat his chest because he was so sad. "God, have mercy on me a sinner." He understood the

God

↓

Man

relationship. The tax collector's prayer was heard by God. The Pharisee's prayer was not. 

God is not our servant, nor is He our puppet. He is almighty God. We are the created. The created is never greater than the Creator. Jesus said, "All who make themselves great will be made humble, but all who make themselves humble will be made great." (Luke 18:14)

Life Lesson Observation: "When we pray we must be persistent and humble. Most of all, we can't depend on our own resources to get us through problems. We need to trust God and his strength."


Next Entry: Luke 19:1–48

Luke 7:1–50

August 30, 2012

This chapter is a study of contrasts. Great faith—verses—religious unbelievers. God desire is for His people to have great faith. He gave examples:

• The soldier whose servant was deathly sick. He knew that Jesus only had to say the word and his servant would be healed. He believed. 
• The widow's only son brought back to life. Jesus healed him before she even asked.
• The woman who washed his feet with tears and expensive perfume. She believed. "Because you believed, you are saved... go in peace."

It's okay to ask questions. John the Baptist asked questions. You inquire of the Lord, and then you believe. Luke 7:23 - "Those who do not stumble in their faith because of me are blessed!" Blessed! Blessed are those who believe.

Jesus asked the people a question. He asked the same question twice. "What did you go out to see?" Did you just go out to see the desert? You could do that anytime. "But what did you go out to see?" Did you go out to see a rich man? You knew you wouldn't find that in the desert. You went to see a prophet, and as great a man on this earth that John the Baptist is, he is nothing compared with the least important person in heaven. So, now that you came out in the desert to see a prophet, what are you going to do? Are you going to have great faith? Are you going to believe?

And, then the contrast. Luke 7:30 - "But the Pharisees and experts on the law refused to accept God's plan for themselves." 

Luke 7:35 - "Wisdom is proved to be right by what it does."


Next Entry: Luke 8:1 – 9:17

Mark 15:1–47

August 19, 2012

The crucifixion and death of Christ. It's amazing how the different groups (Sadducees, Pharisees, and Elders) were divided in their beliefs but were united in one thing and that was their envy and jealousy of Christ. They were willing to do anything it required to get what they wanted—His destruction.

It wasn't enough to just get rid of Him by killing Him. No, they went even further. They mocked Him. They spit on Him. They insulted Him. They make fun of Him being "king" by making Him a crown out of twigs and thorns. They put a robe on Him in the color of royalty. They bowed down on their knees "as if" to worship Him. After they have their "fun" degrading Him (typical behavior of someone who is envious and jealous) they strip Him of the robe and crucify Him. They are proud of themselves for what they have done.

What arrogance.They don't "get it". In their pompous, self-righteous, and stubborn refusal to surrender their wills to Christ, they destroyed the physical body of THE Christ. But, man cannot thwart God's plan.

As religious unbelievers they thought they were protecting and preserving God. They were doing neither. Instead they were condemning themselves. The curtain that used to separate the Holy of the Holies (God) from the people was torn in half from the top (God) to the bottom (man). No longer would there be anything to separate us from God. Jesus paid the price. Jesus died so that you and I could have salvation. He made it available for ALL, but we must ask to receive it. Thank you, Jesus for your sacrifice. Thank you, for paying the price for our salvation. 


Next Entry: Mark 16:1–20

His Hands and Feet

August 03, 2012

August already! How can that be? Wednesday we went with a select group of leaders from our church to downtown Chicago for a mini mission trip.  We teamed with Our Savior to put on a festival for the community children. The neighborhood is just north of the downtown hub of Chicago in an area that is largely Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist. There are over 50 nations represented in the school district. Our Savior's focus is reaching the next generation with the Gospel of Christ.

It was very hot and exhausting, but we had a great time with both the people we traveled with and the young kids from the area we played games with. A couple of their little faces are forever stamped into my memory. LORD, may these children come to know you as their Savior. May they know and feel your love. I pray for the leaders of the Our Savior ministry as they work to bring your light to this community. Encourage them and strengthen them I pray. Thank you, for the opportunity to go and to be your hands and feet. Thank you for the leadership positions you have given us. May we always discern YOUR will and follow YOUR ways. Amen.

August 08, 2012

Nanna Camp (#2) concluded yesterday. What fun!. This was Miss "A's" first year. She was so proud to be part of the fun. She was the last one to go to sleep and the first one to wake up. This years theme was all about pirates. They made pirate hats, parrots, and an ocean in a bottle. They had treasure digs, a scavenger hunt, obstacle course, etc. They even got to "belch" at the table. 🙂 We are exhausted but the time spent with the "grands" was well worth it. High on the list for next year: sleeping bags and air mattresses or pads for my husband and me.

*****  

My brother-in-law (husband's brother) got three units of blood on Monday. His leukemia has not responded to the treatments and it is only a matter of time. He just does not comprehend what all is happening. It is so much harder and takes so much more time to go through this process with someone that doesn't have the mental capabilities of understanding. We really need to be thinking about arranging Hospice services sometime soon. It's not time yet, only because my brother-in-law isn't ready yet because he thinks the new medicine is "kicking in." When it becomes clear the new medicine is not the answer we will find a way to talk with him.


Next Entry: Mark 7:24 – 8:38

Mark 5:1–43

July 24, 2012

Jesus sends the evil spirits out of the man who lived in the caves. A couple of things standout to me in this story.

1. "No one was strong enough to control him." There is evil in this world and we cannot by our human power control it. Only God has the power over ALL things. We are to be faithful, but God is the one who will deal with our situations.
2. The Legion of evil spirits KNEW who Jesus was. "Son of the Most-High God." How ironic that they knew, yet the very people who should have known who He was refused to believe in Him.
3. Jesus sends the evil spirits into the pigs and the pigs go down the hill, over the cliff to their destruction. Written in Jane's (Her Name Was Jane) Bible: DOWN to destruction. Satan always leads on a downward path.
4. Instead of being grateful to Jesus for releasing the man from the evil spirits, the local people wanted Jesus to leave. They saw money going over the cliff, so now it affected THEM. They didn't care about the man, they were only interested in themselves.
5. The freed man begged to go with Jesus. Jesus told him no. "Go home to your family and tell them how much the LORD has done for you and how he has had mercy on you." (Mark 5:19) We are not all called to go out and spread the Gospel in far away lands. Sometimes Jesus wants to use us right where we are, telling those within our sphere of influence about who Jesus is; what He has done; and how He has blessed us.

Next Entry: Mark 5:1–43 (Continued)

Mark 3:1–35

July 16, 2012

The Unpardonable Sin.

I remember hearing about this as a child and being frightened by it. What if—I accidentally did this? What if—I committed the unpardonable sin? I carried that "fear" (fear is never from the Lord) in the back of my mind even into adulthood. Because of that "fear" I totally avoided even reading about it, not wanting to even hear or think about it. What foolishness.

What a difference now. Instead of trying to avoid it, I wanted to know and understand what Jesus meant when He talked about the "unpardonable sin." So, this time I read it very carefully (in three different versions) and for the first time, I understood what Jesus was actually saying in a whole new way. Amazing how the Spirit of Truth sheds light upon God's Word and how fear (that comes from the father of lies) is dispelled in the light of Truth. There is freedom in understanding Truth. The verse about the unpardonable sin is not a stand-alone verse. You must understand the context in which it was written. It starts in Mark 3:20 and goes to Mark 3:30.

Jesus was healing many people; people were following Him; and He was teaching them. He had chosen His twelve disciples and now He was returning home. Crowds gathered around Him. There were so many people around them that they couldn't even eat. Jesus' family heard what was happening and went to get Him, "Because they thought he was out of his mind." The teachers of the law (the Pharisees) thought He was controlled by an evil spirit. So, his family thought He was nuts and the "religious" leaders of the day thought He was controlled by evil spirits.

Jesus, knowing what they were thinking, did what He often did; He taught the people by telling stories. He said, "Satan will not force himself out of people. A kingdom that is divided cannot continue, and a family that is divided cannot continue. And if Satan is against himself and fights against his own people, he cannot continue; that is the end of Satan." (Mark 3:23–26) His answer made total sense. How could the Pharisees (religious unbelievers) think He was controlled by evil? Why would "evil" force out evil? How does that make any sense? The Pharisees just refused to accept truth. In order to rationalize and support their twisted thinking they had to take truth and turn it into a lie so they could make the lie they chose to believe a false truth.

Jesus went on, "No one can enter a strong person's house and steal his things unless he first ties up the strong person. Then he can steal things from the house." (Mark 3:27) Jesus has the power to rule over Satan and to use HIS power to force out demons. Satan does not have the power to control God/Jesus/Holy Spirit OR God's followers who have accepted the gift of salvation offered by Jesus and are filled with the Holy Spirit. Jesus was sent by God as a sacrifice for our sins. He was filled with the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:10). He was going about His Father's business, healing and teaching people, and his own family thought He was crazy and the people who portrayed themselves as religious accused Him of having the power of the devil instead of having the power of the HOLY Spirit.

THEN Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, all sins that people do and all the things people say against God can be forgiven. But anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit (emphasis mine) will never be forgiven; he is guilty of a sin that continues forever." (Mark 3:28–29) Jesus isn't talking about accidentally saying something against who the Holy Spirit is; He is talking about people who make accusations against what the Holy Spirit does! The fruits of the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit (through Jesus) was teaching, healing, and spreading the news about God. Instead of acceptance and submission to His authority, He was ridiculed; thought crazy; and accused of being evil. And Jesus says—THAT is unforgivable!

On my! This is serious! This isn't about a "fear" from childhood that I might innocently say something against the Holy Spirit and therefore be forever damned. That isn't it at all!! As believers, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit! What is unpardonable is to accuse someone of being crazy and controlled by evil when in fact they are being led by, controlled by, used by, and inhabited by—the HOLY SPIRIT. Those who make false accusations against the innocent for the purpose of pursuing and furthering their own selfish agendas are committing a grievous and unpardonable sin.

How disturbing. I hope it is only unpardonable until they recognize and repent of their sin. I hope that with all my heart. Because, if you have been reading this journal, you know that my sister and brother-in-law have went to great lengths to try and prove me crazy, a follower of a false god, and to do whatever they could to remove me from my leadership and teaching positions.

Oh LORD, I ask you again to please show mercy and grant them additional time to repent. LORD, I pray that Truth would be revealed to them, and that the Truth would set them free. Open their eyes that they might see, and open their ears that they might hear.  Amen.

Mark 3:30 - "Jesus said all this because the teachers of the law said that he had an evil spirit inside him."


Next Entry: Mark 4:1–41


Next Entry: 

Matthew 23:1–39

June 26, 2012

Jesus exposed the religious leaders for who and what they really were. They had authority and they should have been the example to follow—but they were not. They told people what to do but they themselves were not willing to do it. They put heavy responsibilities on others, but they themselves would not lift a finger. It was all about appearances.

They did good things not because it was the right thing to do. They did them so other people would see them and they could gain prestige. It was all for show. They wanted the best seats. They loved to be the center of attention. Anything to make themselves look good, anything to promote themselves. Instead of being humble and pointing others to God, they used God and their position to bring glory to themselves. Matthew 23:12 - "Whoever makes himself humble will be great." 

Then Jesus starts with the "How terrible it will be" statements. (See Isaiah 3–5)

How terrible for you—You who should be leading people towards Christ are actually turning people away from Christ. Your actions are preventing others from entering the kingdom of heaven and you yourself will not enter.

How terrible for you—It isn't enough for you to be traveling down the wrong path. No, you go out and look for others to join you. You present yourself as a believer when in truth you are a religious unbeliever. Those who follow your ways are on the path to destruction.

How terrible for you—You try to lead people but you yourself are blind. You make up your own rules and want others to join you, but you have it all wrong. You are blind, but you don't know it. You are stumbling in the darkness yet you call it light.

How terrible for you—You are proud of obeying the law about tithing, but you don't obey (and totally ignore) the really important teachings of the law. Things like "justice, mercy, and being loyal." These are the things you should be doing in addition to your 10%. You are blind. You worry about a gnat in your drink, but you swallow a camel.

How terrible for you—You keep up an outward appearance of being holy and of being a believer. But you are instead a religious unbeliever. The outside appears clean, but the inside is anything but clean. You have obtained the things you got "by cheating others and by pleasing only yourselves." You are blind! Clean up the inside. Then the outside will be truly clean.

How terrible for you—"People look at you and think you are good, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and evil." (Matthew 23:28) It's all a facade. You are like a tomb. The outside looks fine, but on the inside it is full of dead bones. The sad thing is you believe your own lies.

How terrible for you—You act like you are different than your ancestors. You show honor to the graves of prophets. But you aren't different at all. Your actions give proof that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets. You are completing the sins that your ancestor's started.

"You are snakes! A family of poisonous snakes! How are you going to escape God's judgment?" (Matthew 23:33) Oh how I wanted to protect you and gather you under my wings like a hen does to her chicks. Matthew 23:37 - "But you did not let me." (emphasis mine) So now you will reap what you have sown.

I was half way through writing this before I realized something. In Isaiah 3–5 it is, "How terrible it will be." A future tense promise. But in this passage Jesus makes it very personal. It is, "How terrible for you." A present tense declaration. This is my fulfilled promise. Another IF—THEN. You could have had my blessings. I would have protected and guided you. But you did not let me. You made the choice to leave me and serve yourself. How terrible it will be for you is a direct result of the choices you have made.

Straight from the lips of Jesus. "How terrible for you." How incredibly sad. It could have been different. It could have been, "Well done thou good and faithful servant."(Matthew 25:21) The "IF" you choose determines the "THEN" you will receive.

(Found out today that our newest grand baby is going to be another boy. :) Can't wait to meet him.

Addendum:  1/1/16 ~  That "little" guy is now three years old!! He has brought so much joy to our lives. 


Next Entry: Matthew 24:1–51

Matthew 18:15 – 19:30 (Continued)

June 06, 2012

Forgiveness—A gift you give yourself. Peter asked, "How many times must I forgive?" And Jesus replies seventy times seven. Matthew 18:15 tells us what we are to do, "If your fellow believer sins against you." In Matthew 18:21, Jesus tells us how many times we should forgive, "When my fellow believer sins against me."

We are to forgive—period. No ifs, ands, buts, (or nasty lawsuits) about it. Whether it is a falsely perceived sin or legitimate sin, there is only one choice—FORGIVENESS. Holding on to bitterness only hurts yourself. Seeking revenge (lawsuit) only hurts yourself. Anger and revenge is a cancer of the soul. 

Jesus tells the story of a man who owed a king a very large amount of money. The king was going to hold him accountable, but when the man begged for mercy, the king forgave him the millions he owed. This man, who was just forgiven for millions went to his servant who owed him a few dollars and demanded payment. When the servant asked for mercy the man refused to forgive him his debt and threw him in prison. When the other servants saw what happened, they went and told the king. The king called him in and said, "You evil servant! Because you begged me to forget what you owed, I told you that you did not have to pay back anything. You should have showed mercy to that other servant, just as I showed mercy to you." (Matthew 18:32) The king was angry and put the man in prison until he could pay everything he owed.

There is more than one kind of prison. There is the physical kind (with four walls) and then there is the prison of deceit, revenge, anger, and control that locks you up and prevents you from receiving the forgiveness and blessings God has for you. Jesus went on, "This king did what my heavenly Father will do to you if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart." (Matthew 18:35) Forgiveness is not just an option, it is a requirement. If we want God's forgiveness we must give forgiveness.

"Forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who sinned against us."  Matthew 6:12

God freely sacrificed His son so we could be forgiven. A gift we did not deserve and cannot earn. How much more we should forgive those who have sinned against us.

Salvation and forgiveness: 
     a gift God gave us.  
Forgiveness of our fellow believers: 
     a gift we give ourselves.

Forgiveness of anyone and everyone is a gift to ourselves and the people we come into contact with.  

Holding a grudge brings poison and toxicity into every situation. Grudges. Anger. Vengeance. All cancers of the soul.

Addendum:  12/17/15 ~  Oh. My. Goodness! How did I miss this before? A flood light went on as I was entering what I wrote about the man who was forgiven millions and then went out and refused to forgive someone who owed him a small amount money. Oh. My. Goodness!

I wrote yesterday about the failed Settlement Conference where my sister and brother-in-law insisted we pay them an absurd amount of money. This was an amount they came up with. This is what they wanted. This was their demand. We don't have access to that kind of money even if we sold everything we own, but more importantly—WE DON'T OWE THEM ANYTHING!!

They are trying to recover from us the losses caused by their own bad decisions. They could have had their entire investment in our joint project back many, many times—but they refused every single offer. They appear to be driven by anger and revenge because the decisions they have made do NOT make any financial or logical sense.

My sister and brother-in-law have now failed at three separate businesses and they can't stand that we have a long-standing successful business. They aren't just trying to recoup a loss, they are also trying to profit off of us. They are continuing to try and force us to pay them a debt we don't owe, even though they were released from the MILLIONS they owed on one of their failed projects!! This failed project had nothing to do with us. They were also released from hundreds of thousands from what they owed on another property (again unrelated to us); and my brother-in-law was not held accountable for the $250k he took for his personal use from our joint project's Line Of Credit which he never returned.

Sadly, I don't think they feel gratitude for being released from such large debts. I'm fairly confident they feel like they saved themselves by being "smart" in sly business practices. But, the truth is they were released from very large debts and now they are trying to take from us what they have decided they want in spite of the fact that we don't owe them anything.

Oh. My. Goodness!! They are walking on very dangerous ground.

LORD, I pray you stop them in their tracks. Remove from them this lawsuit. Force them to release their grip on anger and revenge. LORD, I am not asking you to release us from this lawsuit, I am asking you to remove the lawsuit from them. What they have meant for our harm you have used for our good. What they thought would bring them good is destroying them. LORD, they will not stop on their own. So, in the strong name of Jesus I ask that you do whatever it takes to remove it from them. May the light of your truth reveal the lies, deceits, manipulations, and anything else that would keep them from being able to see truth.


Next Entry: Matthew 18:15 – 19:30 (Continued)

Matthew 15:1–39

May 23, 2012

The letter of the law—verses—the intent of the law. God wants our obedience and not our sacrifices. He doesn't want people who "do" church, He wants people who are the Church. He doesn't want people who go through the motions (religious unbelievers), He wants true followers who are committed and surrendered believers.

The Pharisees had faith in their "religious" systems, instead of by faith accepting God's Christ. The Pharisees asked, "Why do your followers break the traditions of the elders?" I love Jesus' response. He said, "And why do you break the command of God (emphasis mine) for the sake of your traditions?" (Matthew 15:3) Can it be said any clearer than that? Heaven forbid that tradition not be followed, but what does it matter if God's commands aren't followed! Man's traditions—verses—God's commands. They were willing to stake everything on their own ideas and traditions but they weren't willing to accept and follow God's commands.

Jesus said, "Isaiah was right when he said about you:

These people show honor to me with words, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is worthless. The things they teach are nothing but human rules."  Isaiah 29:13

Religious—but—unbelievers. Outward appearances of honor but hearts that are not surrendered. And God hates it.

I Samuel 15:22 - "What pleases the LORD more: burnt offerings and sacrifices or obedience to his voice? It is better to obey than to sacrifice. It is better to listen to God than to offer the fat of sheep. Disobedience is as bad as the sin of sorcery. Pride is as bad as the sin of worshiping idols."

Psalm 51:17 - "The sacrifice God wants is a broken spirit. God, you will not reject a heart that is broken and sorry for sin."

Isaiah 1:13–17 - "Don't continue bringing me worthless sacrifices! I hate the incense you burn. I can't stand your New Moons, Sabbaths, and other feast days; I hate your new moon feasts and your other yearly feasts. They have become a heavy weight on me, and I am tired of carrying it. When you raise your arms to me in prayer I will refuse to look at you. Even if you say many prayers, I will not listen to you, because your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves and make yourselves clean. Stop doing the evil things I see you do. Stop doing wrong. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Punish those who hurt others. Help the orphans. Stand up for the right of widows."

Isaiah 29:13 - "These people say they love me; they show honor to me with words, but their hearts are far from me. The honor they show me is nothing but human rules."

Hosea 6:6 - "They will come to worship the LORD, bringing their flocks and herds, but they will not be able to find him, because he has left them."

Matthew 23:25 - "How terrible for you... You are hypocrites! (religious unbelievers) You wash the outside of your cups and dishes, but inside they are full of things you got by cheating others and by pleasing only ourselves."

Matthew 23:23 - "How terrible for you... You are hypocrites! You give to God one-tenth of everything you earn— even your mint, dill, and cumin. But you don't obey the really important teachings of the law—justice, mercy, and being loyal. These are the things you should do, as well as those other things."

Mark 12:29–31 - "The most important command is this: ...The LORD our God is the only LORD. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second command is this: 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.' There are no commands more important than these."

God wants our obedience. He wants our surrendered hearts. He wants all of us. What God doesn't want is someone going through the motions. Someone who is following traditions made by man instead of following God's commands. He wants us to walk the walk not just talk the talk. Our actions should match what we say we believe. Anything less than that God hates.

I want my life, all of it, to be pleasing to God and to bring Him honor, glory, and praise.


Next Entry: Matthew 15:1–39 (Continued) 

Matthew 10:1 – 11:19 (Continued)

April 27, 2012

There is no way to sum up and adequately put into words what this next section (Matthew 10:16–31) means to us, so I'm just going to rewrite Jesus' owns words and add my thoughts. (See Job 6 – Praise the Lord)

"Listen, I am sending you (His followers) out like sheep among wolves. So be as smart as snakes (Jesus never called His followers to be wimpy and passive.) and as innocent as doves. (Smart and innocent!) Be careful of people, because they will arrest you and take you to court and whip you in their synagogues. (It wasn't strangers, it was their own people who were going to attack them.) Because of me you will be taken to stand before governors and kings, and you will tell them and the non-Jewish people about me. (Because of me! It may "look" like you are a victim of others but you are not! I am putting you where I want you. I want my message out and I am going to use you and the circumstance you are in to accomplish it.) When you are arrested, don't worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given the things to say. (I'm not leaving you alone to fend for yourself. I am with you and I will give you the words to say.)  t will not really be you speaking but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." (What an incredible thought, what an incredible action! Notice there is a requirement: Your Father. You don't receive this blessing unless He is your Father.)

"Brothers (sisters) will give their own brothers (sisters) to be killed, (we have witnessed this first hand. Nothing appears to be off limits to my sister and brother-in-law if they want it.) and fathers will give their own children to be killed. Children will fight against their own parents... (taking advantage for their own gain causing strife and discord.) All people will hate you because you follow me, but those who keep their faith until the end will be saved... (Wait on the LORD! HE will save you.) A student is not better than his teacher, and a servant is not better than his master... If the head of the family is called Beelzebul, then the other members of the family will be called worse names." (You can no longer pretend. God knows. You are what you are. You cannot hide behind appearances.)

"So don't be afraid of those people because everything that is hidden will be shown.  Everything that is secret will be made known. (Vengeance is God's. He does not need our help. He will expose the lies. He will reveal the truth.) I tell you these things in the dark, but I want you to tell them in the light. What you have whispered in your ear you should shout from the housetops. (What I am doing is not just for your benefit. I am using you and your situation to get my message out. SO!! Tell it!! Give me the honor, glory, and praise I am due.) Don't be afraid of people, who can kill the body but not kill the soul. The only one you should fear is the one who can destroy the soul and the body in hell. Two sparrows cost only a penny, but not even one of them can die without your Father knowing it. God even knows how many hairs are on your head. So don't be afraid. You are worth much more than many sparrows." (Praise be to our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. His mercies are new every morning.)

Addendum:  12/4/15 ~ Wow! Wow! A thousand times—WOW! A Settlement Conference has been scheduled. Our lawyer needs to send a summary to the judge in the case. I just found out yesterday what our lawyer wants me to do. He wants me to thoroughly go through a mountain of documents and he wants me to be the one who presents our information to the judge.

What?!? I thought the Settlement was something we obviously would go to but more as observers in the process and not the ones doing much of the talking and telling of our story. I understand our lawyers reasoning, and I think it is wise, but this is not what I was expecting. It's Christmas time! I don't even have the tree decorated yet. This is the time of the year when I have a mountain of end-of-the-year office work to complete. When I found out yesterday what I was faced with, it literally drove me to my knees. How am I going to do this? I KNOW I can't do it, but more importantly I KNOW who can. Philippians 4:13 - "I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me." I can't, but HE can!

Last night I slept well for the first half of the night but then my mind began racing with what I will need to be doing, ideas, etc. The thoughts weren't going away so I decided it was crazy to stay in bed if I couldn't sleep, so I got up and got started on my day. I headed to the loft to begin the day the way I always do—reading God's words and transcribing my journal into this blog. Wow! What a blessing to be reminded of God's words in Matthew 10 and the words I originally wrote on April 27, 2012.  Thank you LORD! Your mercies ARE new every morning. Your promises ARE true. YOU will give me the time, wisdom, and words to say. Our faith is in YOU.

When am I ever going to learn!!! Journal #8 just seemed to take forever to transcribe. I told my husband the other day that my progress just seemed to be slowly progressing and I couldn't understand why. I finally finished the transcribing from Matthew 1 – 9 and then I needed to go back and proof what I had typed, add the labels, and read the corresponding scriptures. I expected that to take quite a while as well but it only took me a few days. I said to my husband, "This isn't taking me near as long as I thought it would." Yesterday I went down to our safe and pulled out Journal #9. I have no idea what is in it. I transcribe one entry and then later that day I receive the email from our lawyer telling me what he wants me to do. I am willing, but I am also overwhelmed. I know I can't, but HE can. And then early this morning I can't sleep so I get up and begin to write.

Wow! Wow! A thousand times—Wow! How many times has this happened? How many times has the words that I wrote YEARS before been exactly what I needed to hear now? The incredible timing CANNOT be coincidental. CANNOT! It has happened too many times. It can only be the Hand of God. We are so grateful. We are so grateful.    

"Look forward to the day when you will no longer be persecuted but will be rewarded for persevering. Let the reality of that reward encourage you." ~ From Life Lesson Application. 

I have written beside it: 4/20/12 - We continue to stand.


Next Entry: Matthew 10:1 – 11:19 (Continued)