Who Hears Your Stories?

(emmanuelmti .com)

Who hears your stories?

While reading the other day, this phrase caught my attention:

“And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.” – Mark 5:18-20 KJV

Here, Jesus had just delivered a man from a legion of demons that had tormented him for years; he’d been chained up outside his city repeatedly, only to tear through the chains, terrorizing many. The townspeople were amazed to see him sitting, clothed and in his right mind in front of Jesus, the man Who had just set him free.

Just as there are things about this story that I don’t understand completely, there were many things that confused the townspeople, but their misunderstanding caused them great fear. They wanted Jesus to leave their territory, where as I want only to grow closer to Him.

(pinterest)

But back to this newly set free man, who’s name we don’t even know – he’s forever been referred to as “the demoniac”, sits there in awe of what Jesus has done for him, falling in love with Him.

When Jesus was begged to leave town, this newly freed man wanted desperately to go with Him. God has so impacted MY life, that I always want to be with Him.

But Jesus instructed this man to go home to his friends and tell them how much God loves him and about the great things He has done for him.

The man obeyed and went back to his friends and family a new man. He told them about God’s great love and power toward him – to let them know it was available to them, too. And they marveled. (Who all was in that crowd?)

This is all that Jesus requires of us, as well – that we go to our friends and family and anyone who will listen and tell them about His great love and compassion for us and about all the wonderful things He’s done in our lives. Therein we will fulfill the great commission; we’ll be sharing with them what God has given to us.

With some, we’ll get to share more. Others will merely hear parts of our story.

God wants us to know His love, to share His love and to share the reality that He will meet our needs, delivering us from the corruption of this world and bringing us into His abundant life, here on earth and in the next life.

How hard is it to share? Our parents have been trying to teach us this concept since we were introduced to other children.

Share.

Share what God has freely given you. Teach what He has taught you. Love like He has loved you.

You don’t even realize the impact you’ll have.

Who will hear your stories?

Virginal Innocence, Got It?

(photo from Pinterest.com)

Wise Virgins; 

Our Innocence

The very thought of ourselves being innocent might make us laugh, at least to ourselves. How long has it been since I was innocent? That’s exactly what happened to me when a dear friend referred to me using the term innocent.

Your innocence may have been taken from you at a very young age, or because of a promiscuous youth you may have given away your innocence. But, how does that reflect on you now?

         

Not long ago I confronted these thoughts without warning. When my friend called me innocent, in my mind I instantly roared with laughter, mocking myself with split second thoughts like, “You don’t know me very well, do you? Ha! Me? Innocent? Not in a very long time! You should know the things I’ve done!” But in the very same moment I mocked myself, I heard God speak to me quietly saying, “Are you not my child? Are you not washed with the Blood of the Lamb?” As I drew in a breath of shock, I lowered my head and whispered back, “Yes.” He finished, “Then you are innocent. Now.” I had to push back tears of joy as an overwhelming shock of reality set in. After my friend and I finished talking, I walked away to ponder what God Himself had just spoken to me.

         

Can you relate to what a reality check that was? I don’t know that I had ever thought of myself as innocent. Children don’t walk around acknowledging that they are innocent. And by the time mine was lost, my mature adult brain saw it as lost for good. Boy, was I wrong! I am innocent now! Not because I’m a particularly good person, but because my sins have been washed away by the Blood of the Lamb. It’s a simple truth we all know - but I wasn’t walking in my innocence. I was continuing to walk as one who had been handed a guilty decree, just like the enemy of our soul wanted me to.

(photo from Blog - Universal.org)

The lies of the enemy are subtle, and he’s rehearsed them a thousand times before he whispers them in our ears. And, we listen. And, we believe him. Without even checking out what God has to say about it, we believe the lies of the enemy, and we suffer because of it. We go without, because we aren’t walking in the Truth.

Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

After we have been washed clean, reborn, made innocent by the Blood of the Lamb, we need to tell somebody, often; that would be the word of our testimony.

Determine some of the differences between the five wise virgins and the five foolish virgins Matthew talks about in chapter 25. Into which group do we fall?

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. –Matthew 25:1-13

(picture from emaze.com)

It appears that the only thing that made the foolish virgins foolish, was that they didn’t take any extra oil with them. The wise virgins had oil enough to burn their lamps, even after waiting on the bridegroom for so long a time that the lamps of the foolish virgins had gone out. Both virgins knew about the coming of the bridegroom, both were waiting for his call; it even appears that they were waiting together.

         

Relating this parable to our lives, the oil for the lamps has been said to represent the Holy Spirit; oil in other places in the Bible represents the Holy Spirit. But, the oil has also been said to represent the personal relationship between the bride and her bridegroom, or her faith, or even her works. The bottom line it represents is readiness; readiness for the return of the bridegroom. Are we ready for Christ’s return?

There are many who consider themselves Christians who won’t be taken in the rapture; they have not been washed in the Blood of the Lamb. They are not watching, as we are told to do. Christ will say to them, “Depart from me, I knew you not.” (Matthew 25:13 above)  

Could the oil represent their innocence? Whether or not they had indeed been washed in the Blood of the Lamb? The foolish virgins weren’t realistic about how long their oil would last and they were not ready when it was time to go. Were the foolish virgins living in the reality of salvation through Jesus Christ? Or were they just living under the title ‘Christian’ which many do, even though they have not accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Are we living in the reality of our salvation through Jesus Christ? If we call ourselves Christians, we are either one of the wise virgins, or one of the foolish. We are either washed in the Blood of the Lamb, or not. We are innocent, or we are not. How do we know?

 

(picture from Pinterest.com)

Ask yourself if you are among the innocent. Are you innocent, but didn’t dare to call yourself innocent? Can you say it aloud? Is that being arrogant or proud? Or is it simply the word of your testimony?

Can you look around at your Christian friends and see their innocence?

To be wise, to be ready, ask Jesus into your heart, making Him your Lord and Savior, tell someone, and watch for His soon return. Jesus doesn’t expect you to clean yourself up and then come to Him, He takes you just as you are right now.

The Key to the Kingdom Part 3

What do you do to make your fingernail polish last longer? You apply more than one coat. Fear is like that. The enemy applies coat after coat after coat. The thickest coat was applied the night I was raped. Details aren’t important to the story; suffice it to say that the devil thought he had me right where he wanted me, permanently crippled and dying. But what the enemy intended for my destruction, God used for His glory and my good.

After a few years of depression and even hysteria, medication, counseling, and finally a plan to kill myself to escape the fear of torment, God broke through. He got my attention and rescued me. What did He use to set me free? Not lightning bolts from heaven, not an angelic host singing in my ears, not a magical display of what He can do. He broke through my torment with the still small voice of His Word.

While contemplating suicide that night, I called a military chaplain. I guess that was my pathetic last cry for help. As I told him my plans and after confirming that there was a Bible somewhere in the house, he calmly told me to find it and read from the book of Philippians, chapter 4, verses 4-8. And he hung up. Either he was extremely confident in His God, or he was a fool. After pouting for at least an hour, I found the Bible and sat down on the floor against the living room couch. Not being familiar with God’s Word or how it was written, I had no idea where to find the book of Philippians. It was in fact a minor miracle that I even remembered what he had told me to read!

To be continued…..

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......

The Key to the Kingdom Part 1

The Key to the Kingdom

Imagine the look on Cinderella’s face as she entered into the palace that very first time. Greater still, imagine the excitement in her heart as she married the prince and became part of the kingdom! Okay, so maybe her eyes weren’t exactly on the kingdom at that time, they were totally centered on her prince, her bridegroom.

When I first opened my heart to Jesus, I became a part of His kingdom. But my eyes were totally on Him. I keep my eyes on Him, now, but I realize in part, the tremendous impact of being His bride. I’ve not only entered this phenomenal kingdom, I am part of it!

As a child, I was surrounded with the cloak of religion. The churches I attended were beautiful, the atmosphere was reverent. The rules were many, and the spirit was binding. I learned many ‘facts’ -some even proved to be true. For example, Jesus was born to a virgin and laid in a manger. Jesus was crucified, taking the sin of the world upon Himself. While He walked on earth, He had disciples, He performed miracles, He taught the people who would hear Him. I learned about God’s unsurpassable power. He created the universe, our world and all that it contains. He is to be loved and feared, because He is in control.

As a young adult, I discovered the bottom line of truth. God loves me! That is the golden key to the kingdom. That key was within my grasp all along, but it was hidden from me. God didn’t hide it. God’s enemy hid it. But God did everything in His unsurpassable power to show me where it was. He surrounded me with His beauty. He provided divine appointments long the way. He gave me written instructions! He called me to Himself. What gigantic weapon did the enemy hold over me to keep me from seeing God’s purposes and intents and from embracing God’s love?

To be continued…..

Ezer Rejoicing IV

The miracle in my last post brought me to the miracle in this post. You’ll recall that God supernaturally healed my toddler’s busted lip. It wasn’t an ‘over time’ healing – it was instant and complete.

In the early 80s I suffered ridiculously awful stomach pain. After too many scopes and humiliating tests - the docs told me I had irritable bowel syndrome. (Never thought I’d use the word bowel in a blog post!) I don’t know how anyone can even live a somewhat normal life with such a painful malady, I couldn’t. I must have wrestled with it for at least two or three years.

On our way to church one Sunday night, frustrated because I’d just missed another fun outing because of unquenchable pain, it dawned on me. God healed my baby’s mouth – maybe He’ll heal me too! It was an exciting thought, but did I dare hope for such instant relief?

Before the service started, I approached the pastor, asking him to pray for me to be rid of this horrible ailment. I stood there disappointed after he gently laid his hand on my head and uttered a thirty second prayer, at best. After mumbling to myself on the way back to my seat, ‘A lot of good that prayer will do,’ I noticed a queer feeling - the absence of pain. I marveled in shock for a moment before making my way back to tell my husband what just happened. I don’t recall his reaction, so he might not have been as thrilled as I was. But for me, this was a faith building block of magnificent proportions.

The pain the enemy meant as a stumbling block instantly became my stepping stone!

As phenomenal as the absence of pain was to me, the enemy of my soul still felt the need to lie to me about God’s healing in the upcoming days, weeks and months. But I sit here before you now, healed, whole and happy!

Ezer Rejoicing III

Once upon a time I had a baby boy – this particular baby boy is now more than six feet tall. When I was a young mother of yesteryear I heard about this Jesus and that He not only loves me, but would bring healing into my life. A pretty tall order, thought the girl struggling to maintain her sanity.

But one day as Daddy was at work and his big brother and sister were playing, no doubt quietly, my toddler fell and bumped his face, busting his lip badly. Every mother recognizes the cries of her hurt child. It’s not at all like the ‘I’m tired’ cry, or the ‘I’m hungry’ cry. I cradled him in my arms, rocking him in the rocking chair, trying to no avail to put a cold, wet washcloth on his swollen, bloody mouth. No phone to call a friend or sister for consolation. Almost an hour’s drive from the military base where Daddy was at work with our only car, I listened to him cry with no apparent power to end his pain.

A light bulb burst with illumination in my mind! This praying stuff, try it – tiptoed through my thoughts. It couldn’t hurt. I mumbled a short, humble prayer. Before I even got to the amen, I opened my eyes to see my baby’s eyes smiling back at me. His loud, persistent cries were quieted. I slowly moved my hand off of his, which had been clenched to his face. He slowly moved his hands a revealed his perfect smile. No blood, no swollen lips, no evidence at all that it had just been busted. Oh my God – this works!

Oh yeah – the word of my testimony! This precious miracle led to the miracle in my next post!

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?

RFDS - Part 6 - Conclusion

Part Six - Conclusion

Relating this parable of the ten virgins to our own lives, the oil for the lamps has been said to represent the Holy Spirit, oil in other places in the Bible represents the Holy Spirit. But the oil has also been said to represent the personal relationship between the bride and her bridegroom, or her faith, or even her works. The bottom line it represents is readiness; readiness for the return of the Bridegroom. Are we ready for Christ’s return?

There are many who consider themselves Christians who won’t be taken in the rapture. They have not been washed in the Blood of the Lamb. They are not watching, as we are commanded to do. Christ will say to them, “Depart from me, I knew you not.” (Matthew 25:1) Could the oil represent their innocence? Whether or not they had indeed been washed in the Blood of the Lamb? The foolish virgins weren’t realistic about how long their oil would last and they were not ready when it was time to go. Were the foolish virgins living in the reality of salvation through Jesus Christ? Or were they just living under the title ‘Christian’ which many do, even though they have not accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Are we living in the reality of our salvation through Jesus Christ? If we call ourselves Christians, we are either one of the wise virgins or one of the foolish. We are either washed in the Blood of the Lamb, or not. We are innocent or we are not. How do we know?

When you ask yourself if you are among the innocent, what is your answer? Are you innocent but didn’t dare to call yourself innocent? Can you say it out loud? Is that being arrogant or proud or is it simply the word of your testimony?

Can you look around at your Christian friends and see their innocence? Maybe they too have been living in denial of the Truth that sets us free; that makes us wise. Saying it out loud is the first step to admitting and proclaiming the Truth that sets us free. Say it loud, and say it often - but know it and mean it.