What a Powerful Weapon

 

(picture from tinybuddha .com)

One of my most powerful weapons is evident in God’s Word. We find it tucked into the book of Philippians, among other places. These are some of my very favorite verses in the Word because of the dark place they lifted me from. I consider them key to opening every treasure in God’s Word. As a matter of fact, I use them as my signature sometimes. They’re even on my address labels.

Philippians 4:4-8.

Rejoicing, no matter our circumstances can change everything about the way we view our lives. I consider this the bazooka in my arsenal. Satan can’t stand against it. There’s nothing he can do about it at all. When he throws his worst at us and sees us rejoicing anyway, he has to know he's a defeated foe. By the way, joy and happiness are not the same thing. Though joy will bring happiness…

It may seem harsh to expect people to rejoice even in their darkest hour, but it’s one thing that allows God’s outreached hand to clasp ours and pull us out. My friend’s daughter was murdered a few weeks ago, and I know the thing that will most effectively help her move forward with God is to rejoice and give Him glory for her life. Of course, I don’t mean to tell anyone they should rejoice BECAUSE OF something that’s happened (or didn’t happen). Or that they should rejoice and be thankful because something or someone was taken from them. But in the midst of those circumstances, we can rejoice in the One Who saw it all from the beginning and knows what to do in the moment and in the next moment. And the next.

picture from wallpaper cave)

I realize you know this. I’m just writing to remind you. No matter how dark a storm gets, Jesus is the brilliant dawn that will arise and take us through tomorrow.

When rejoicing is the last thing we feel like expressing, it’s the best thing to do. It reveals to us (and shows our all-knowing God) that we trust Him, and that we truly do believe He’s good, no matter what’s going on around us. Sometimes in the midst of that rejoicing is where we figure out that we really DO trust Him and that He really DOES love us.

When we’re rejoicing in Christ, I don’t know if it’s even possible for us to worry. For me, once I let the joy bubble up within me, it chases whatever has been trying to rob me of my peace. I think the enemy wants to steal our joy as much as he wants to take our faith from us.

When I read that we’re to let our gentleness be evident to all, I see our gentleness as the opposite of us being defensive; we’re allowing God to defend us, so we can afford to be gentle. Gentle doesn’t mean passive or looking the other way, but actively rejoicing (perhaps quietly, maybe boldly and loud) while we’re trusting that in God, even when our world is falling apart around us. He doesn’t want us to be anxious about anything, but to allow our trust in Him to accompany that joy as it flows out of us to everyone around us. Gentleness includes actively praying and making our needs known to God and doing so with thanksgiving.

(picture from goodnet)

That’s when God’s peace can take us over. By worrying and allowing ourselves to become stressed out and fearful in a situation, we’re actively rejecting and blocking His peace out of our circumstances, leaving our hearts vulnerable for attack from the enemy. God’s peace is above everything and beyond our human explanations. God’s peace actually guards our hearts AND our minds. Those are the very areas the enemy is trying to attack and cause disarray and discouragement and anger and impulsiveness. We need His guard to prevail and overcome.

Whether we’re singing or humming; dancing or laying still under our covers, whether we’re dancing around the room or driving our car – God recognizes our joy. He sees our joy and His peace is ushered into us. Finding ourselves overcome with His peace may even surprise us!  He is always as close as we need Him to be. He never wanders away. He never takes His eyes off of us. He’s never too busy to meet our needs. He never makes us wait for His peace. If we’re not experiencing His peace, we’re the ones denying ourselves that peace by worrying and not trusting Him. He’s right there patiently waiting for our change of attitude. He’s not angry with us because we faltered and doubted. He’s not shaking His head because we’re still trying to do things on our own. His peace is just as patient as His love for us.

(picture from rgb stock)

When rejoicing isn’t spontaneous, we have to ask ourselves what we’re thinking about. What are we dwelling on and mulling over in our minds? Are we thinking on the good things in Life? The good that God is to us? The good gifts He’s given us? His saving grace and immeasurable mercy? Are we thinking about all the provision He’s already lavished on us? Or are we thinking on what’s gone wrong in our circumstances – or what COULD go wrong? Are we mulling over how things could have gone differently, or how we wish we could fix our situation ourselves? Are we imagining the different choices that could have or should have been made? Do we think we’re mentally punishing someone else for something they’ve done? We’re not. If we’re not rejoicing, we’re punishing and hurting ourselves and perhaps making the people who love us feel sad or upset or frustrated with us. This is the ever so powerful verse eight: think on the good things. Simple – but oh so powerful! God’s ways are so much higher than our ways. How can such a simple tool be such a strong tool? It’s so easy to think on good things, unless our heart is intent on thinking on the wrong things. Journal a list of good things to keep on hand to think on when the enemy tries to insist you think on how you’ve been hurt or betrayed. The list will grow longer with time. Thinking on good things and rejoicing go hand in hand; they feed each other.

To me, rejoicing is like the underwear we wear under the full armor of God. Who goes out with their underwear? Who wants armor rubbing on their bare skin? The more outrageous our joy, the thicker the undercovering beneath the armor – making it easier to put the armor on and wear it all day long.

Okay, you already know I’m not a pithy woman. But, I’ll wrap things up.

Joy is contagious. Once we’re rejoicing, even if it’s not blatantly obvious to those around me, they’ll start feeling it, too. They get to choose whether to take it up or run from it, but they’ll know it’s there for the taking. Spread it around liberally. Especially around children. They love it!

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Philippians 4:4-8 (NKJV)

 

Fruit Roll-ups

(fggam.org)

As I was praying over a dear friend this morning, God nudged my memory and I recalled having a discussion with a friend many years ago. This friend was feeling attacked by someone else we knew from church. An illustration came to mind about the precious Blood of Jesus.

This Blood is the only thing that can cleanse us from sin, it’s our “ticket to Heaven”. It provides a whole lot more for us, though. It provides for our every need. The Blood of Jesus fulfills every promise God made to us in His Word. It provides deliverance from spiritual afflictions, brings life to our spirit, gives us physical healing, protects us from the enemy and more.

Appropriating all the blessings this Blood provides is our job. Jesus did the work on the Cross that makes available the blessings of salvation, but it’s up to us to take those blessings and believe they are ours, to walk in them and to apply them to our lives.

If I buy you a brand-new car and drop the keys in your accepting hands, the car won’t do you a bit of good if you never put the key into the ignition, turn the key and drive off. You’ll still have the car, but I didn’t spend my money on a gift you refuse to use...

(choosingchia.com)

So, here’s my strange analogy. Way back when I got this revelation, Fruit Roll-ups were a new thing. Kids and adults alike seemed to love the fruity snack. Supposedly made of fruit juices (I have my doubts), they’re a sticky substance, rolled out into a flat sheet, then rolled up into a roll and packaged for convenience.

In my mind’s eye, I could see my grown friend lying on a huge, spread out Fruit Roll-up, then rolling over and over, folding the gummy, sticky substance over themselves until they were covered completely. To touch them, I’d have to poke through the Fruit Roll-up. Bizarre? Perhaps, but, the image was to illustrate that the Blood of Jesus completely covers us.  The enemy has to poke through the Blood to get to us.

Unlike the roll-up, the Blood of Jesus is strong. There’s nothing stronger. I can easily poke my finger through a roll-up. But though the enemy try repeatedly, he cannot break through the Blood of Jesus. That’s our permanent protection, promised and delivered by God, Himself.

We can feel beaten up and worn down by all the poking the enemy does to us, but he cannot get through.

When we stop spending time in God’s Word and talking with Him daily, we weaken, but the Blood of Jesus is still as strong as it was the day He poured it out for us. Even when we spend time with God, the enemy is still trying to poke through, but His Word encourages us and tells us the truth – that the enemy is lying to us, again.

We need to get it into our understanding that the enemy cannot take us out. If he could, he would have done so already. All he can do is lie to us, hoping to deceive us into believing we’re sick or oppressed or afraid or confused, etc.

Begin to praise God in the midst of your circumstance (and get back into His Word!), believe God. Then, laugh at the mess you thought you were in. God will show you your breakthrough as you praise Him, as you acknowledge His protection and promises fulfilled to you.

Complaining, whether internally or to others, about the negative garbage the enemy is throwing at you will only help it to stick to you.

(wccowboychurch.org)

Trust that bloody roll-up of Love, trust in God’s provision. He’s not a man that He should lie to you. (Numbers 23:19) He’s provided every single thing you need to live a prosperous life; to live life abundantly. That’s what He sent Jesus to do for you!

“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus  Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." -Hebrews 13:20-21 (NKJV)

A Sneakier Kind of Crisis

(quora.com)

What kind of a crisis goes unidentified; unlabeled?

A health crisis might be faced when we or a loved one is given a frightening diagnosis.

An emotional crisis might rise up against us when suddenly a rug is pulled from beneath us; life takes a turn in an unexpected direction.

A financial crisis may loom over us if we lose our job, or if some insurmountable expense is hurled our way.

But, how do we define a crisis we feel sneak upon us, with no tangible beginning and no see-able cause?

Sometimes we just feel as though we’re going through something that rattles us or throws us off course, when nothing around us has realistically changed for the worse, at all.

We might call it depression – or oppression. We might simply call it a case of the blues, or a pity party. We could refer to it as “falling off the wagon” – when we’ve cleaned up a part of our lives for a significant period of time and we relapse. But, how does that relapse happen when we can’t point our finger at an action that caused it; the trigger that caught us off guard?

(stevensstrategic.com)

What about when this “crisis” occurs due to something in our subconscious that we’re not even aware that we’re carrying around with us?

If I was drowning, trapped in a car that was rapidly sinking and filling with water, surely I’d be in a panic. But, the ecstasy I’d experience should someone rescue me would be hard to put into words. So, right here, right now, I won’t look for that description.

My car, so rapidly sinking and filling with water, was my mind. I felt as though I was trapped there, spiraling to the bottom of an abyss too dark to fathom.

(newsongwomen.com)

When rescued, I took on new life.

Even my email address exudes the victory as resqued1. I once displayed a vanity plate on my car which read, FORGVN1.

In my enthusiasm, I allowed myself to believe it was a one-time rescue; that I’d never be trapped in a car like that again.

But, the truth is, I’ve need to be rescued most every day. On the days I seem to sail through without a hitch, I surely ride on autopilot in my own vanity or on the tailwinds of a recent victory of some sort.

Daily, I need to immerse myself in the Living Word of God, or again I’ll begin to sink into a frailty I prefer to leave behind. I sink, not because I cannot swim, but because I have an enemy that would tie a weight around my neck to pull me from joyful freedom, only because he sees God living in me, thriving and lifting up the very hearts of those around me. He hates that.

(allsaintscharlotte.com)

Yet, oftentimes I allow myself to “forget” where my strength and joy comes from. As if I could forget to eat or breathe, no; I’d die. I ponder, how can I have so much disregard for the spirit in me?

Ah, no. I am the spirit in me.

So is this then, a lack of regard for my very self? I am not merely flesh and blood; that simply houses who I am. I’m not only the thoughts I think and beliefs I hold dear or the fears that sometimes seek to take control; that would be my soul, what makes me unique among humans.

Yes, the spirit I am, lives in this mortal house; why do I allow the needs of the house or the soul to usurp my need spiritual need for nourishment?

O foolish Helen! Who has bewitched you? …. How are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? (See Galatians 3:1-5)

Though I exhort you all to remain in the Word of God, how do I sometimes think I can get by without it? Forgive me, Lord!

(pinterest.com)

I am God’s forgvn1 and His resqued1 – but, it’s a daily thing; moment to moment. I need to remain connected to the very Source that gives me life and rescued me. And in this, yes, God is faithful. He will always draw me into His arms and hold me and empower me and forgive me and fill me with His joy. He believes in me, even when I stop believing in myself. He lifts me up and surrounds me, in His Word.

  

(etsy.com)

The Key to the Kingdom Part 2

The devil’s weapons are not great, or gigantic or undefeatable at all. It seems though, that he has the ability to hold a huge magnifying glass before us, so that his threats seem insurmountable. What puny weapon did he wield over me? What was magnified out of proportion so that I shriveled and withdrew beneath it? I’ve seen the weapon, and it is no match for my King. The devil’s weapon of choice was fear. This could be a selah moment, stop and think about the enemy’s weapon of choice in your life. Have you identified it? For me, fear was a tiny word that made a huge impact in my life. Years ago, someone told me that the letters in the word fear stand for; false evidence appearing real - wise words to remember.

As I look back over the years, the fears that enveloped me were pathetic. I was afraid of things that can in no way ever hurt anyone. I, however, was deceptively convinced that they not only could, but would, hurt me. Logic was of no help, because logic would dictate freedom from the lies of the enemy. No, fear sometimes even defies logic. My point is not to share how to overcome fear, that’s another article for another time. It’s been taught before, and will be taught again. It was simply the devil’s weapon of choice in my life.

Of course, when unchallenged, fear grows. It creeps into any area of life it can plant roots and grow. As ridiculous as my fears were, they crippled me and consumed my life. The point of life became that of simply avoiding fear and fearful situations, not even recognizing the enemy behind the fear, or his plans to keep me from realizing that God truly loves me.

More to come......

Ezer Rejoicing

What is the word of your testimony? I hope you’ll share it with me here. In the first chapter of Mark we’re already reading about the miracles Jesus performed. This is one of my favorite testimonies.

Mark 1:40-45 (NKJV) -Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”
Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed." As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.

One day while sitting in the stench of my own sin, I read this and cried out to God, ‘Lord, if You’re willing, You can make me clean, too.’

And with just as much compassion, He said to me, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’

And just as the leper was free from leprosy – I was made clean from my sins.

And just as the leper that was made clean had to share his story, so must I.

I cannot imagine having leprosy. In biblical times, lepers had to announce themselves when in public, calling out, ‘Unclean. Unclean.’ How shameful.
How much more shameful would it be if we had to announce ourselves upon arrival anywhere, ‘I’m unclean, I’m filthy with sin.’

Satan wants us to live in the lonely little corner of life beneath the sign, shame - where so many of us find ourselves daily.

Jesus says that yes, He is able, He is willing and He will make you clean.

Are you willing to ask Him – today?