Echos in the Wind

Have you ever heard a passage of scripture repeatedly? You know what I am talking about. First you hear it on the radio, then perhaps while watching television, the next thing you know your pastor might mention it. When that happens we need to pay attention!

The prophet Isaiah said that the “spirit” of the Lord was upon him to preach good tidings to the poor.  If you study the word spirit in that context it means breath. (See Isaiah 61:1)

Breath can only flow in one direction. Test it out. Take a deep breath and blow as if you are going to whistle. See what I mean?

Jesus told the disciples that the words He spoke were spirit and life! He also said the Holy Spirit would bring His word to our memory. So listen carefully; you just might be hearing the echo of the Holy Spirit!

* Isaiah 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

 *John 14:6 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

*John 6:63 The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

Forgiving and Forgiveness

As believers in Christ we are instructed to be kind and forgiving. Jesus said that we were to forgive seventy times seven. He also  said that we are to forgive and we will be forgiven... by the Father.

As much as it depends on us we are supposed to live peacefully among all men.  Once we have done our part, that is all we can do. Even though we may not feel free, we are free. He that the Son sets free is free indeed.

However, others may not grant forgiveness and we need to be prepared for that. Disagreements can seriously and permanently affect our relationships.  (*Proverbs 18:19 An offended friend is harder to win back than a fortified city. Arguments separate friends like a gate locked with bars.)

 
*Ephesians 4:32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

* Matthew 18:21- 22 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

*Mark 11:26 “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

For further study on the topic see:
Genesis 13:7-11
 There was strife between Abraham and Lot. Though they reconciled, they separated.

I Samuel 24:18-22
King Saul pursued David ruthlessly until finally he saw that David was no threat to him. They were no longer at strife but they still went their own ways

Enemies - Gotta Love Em'

We all have enemies. Sometimes it takes a while to be aware of them, but believe it or not there are those who hate Jesus! And Jesus said... "If they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you also."

Yet Jesus never did anything to harm his enemies.  He never raised his hand against them.  And He instructs us to do good and even pray for ours! Though it may be difficult and seem contradictory, it is a formula that God, the Father honors!

Proverbs 16:7  When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

As believers our code of conduct is found in I Corinthians 13:4-8 Love is patient and kind, it is not rude or touchy or selfish. Love bears all things, hopes all things and endures all things. Those are just a few of the definitions of love.  We are to speak the truth with love and be forgiving. If we are not forgiving to others, we will not receive forgiveness from the Father.

John 15:18  “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.
 Romans 12:18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

 Luke 6:27 “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you.
  

Matthew 6:14-15 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

   

"I Just Get So Wrapped Up In It!" - Strongholds

Have you ever found yourself getting so wrapped up in a book you became sleep deprived?
Were ever so wrapped up in something that you lost time? Do you ever find yourself so involved in the affairs and issues of your own live, you lose concern for other folks?

Jesus sort of addressed that when he was teaching us about things to look for before his return:

Matthew 24:37-38 “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat.

In other words people were caught up the activities of day to day life. We are so apt to do that! Our lives are important to us, but when we fail to keep our eyes on the Lord and spend time letting Him give us His perspective on all things we become stagnant and ineffective to the kingdom of God.

There is an old saying that moss never grows on a rolling stone and there is a lot of truth in that! We need to be careful, lest like a stationary stone becomes covered with moss, we also get so wrapped up in our own things we become trapped by them!

Philippians 2:4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
Isaiah 55:9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Do-overs

Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.


We are going to mess up so many times!  In fact we have messed up many times already. But the good thing is we get, "Do-overs." 

Have you ever noticed that most of our trials involve people. Anger, grief, joy, gladness, these are all examples of how people affect our lives. And unless we live under a rock, we all must deal with people, and other folks have to deal with us! The Bible teaches us that there is none righteous, no not one.  (Romans 3:10)

We have many opportunities to make things right between us. Even the Apostle Paul struggled with people and situations. "Do-overs" if you will. We have arguments with our spouses, family, friends and co-workers . (II Corinthians 12:17, Romans 7:19)

It is the Lord's will that we live in peace as much as we can. When in difficult situations, we need to ask ourselves, "What would Jesus do?"  Jesus always did those things that pleased the Father.

*Romans 3:10As it is written:  “There is none righteous, no, not one;

*II Corinthians 12:17 even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.

*Romans 7:19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.

Hang On! - The Secret To Getting Prayers Answered

Did you ever feel like your prayers didn't reach Heaven? Jesus said, “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7 NLT)

Daniel's prayers didn't seem to be answered and yet the answer to his prayers were on the way from the time he began to pray. (Daniel 10:12 Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer.)

What is the secret? It is praying God's will. If we take a look at Matthew chapter 7 we can see clearly that Jesus was first telling us to examine ourselves, before we made our requests.

Daniel's prayer was on the way, because he was praying constantly confessing sin and seeking God's wisdom. (See the book of Daniel). God supernaturally saved Daniel and gave him favor with kings.
Why was that? In at Proverbs 16:7 When a man’s ways please the LORD,  He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

King Solomon was blessed beyond his wildest dreams. Why? Because he sought the Lord for wisdom to rule the people. I Kings 3:9-14 But there was a condition for those blessings. I Kings 3:14, And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.”

The key is obedience to the word of God and praying His will. Remember the Lord's prayer? In Matthew chapter 6 Jesus is giving us an example of how we should pray. In verse 10 He sums it up, Your kingdom come.  Your will be done  On earth as it is in heaven."

See God has promised to meet our need and not our greed. The Father knows what you need. He knows what is best for us. We need to know His word to know His will. We might need a car, but we don't need a Lamborghini!

Philippians 4:19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

If we seek God, and pray for wisdom, and His will our prayers will be answered every time! Some times it may take longer than we think they should but hang on... the answer is on its way!

Happiness - The Key To Moving Forward

When we mess up, we often get under condemnation and struggle with guilt. Satan plays on that and can put thoughts in our mind, "You aren't good enough," "God won't forgive you," "So and so will never forgive you," "You are worthless," "You can't be a good Christian."Sometimes those very words can be spoken by people.  Remember Satan can put thoughts over us, but he can NOT read your mind! It is up to us whether or not we receive those comments.  When we do, we become depressed and oppressed! Our hearts become troubled and we lose our joy.

Jesus said to us, "Do not let your heart be troubled."(John 14:1, 2)

John said, "When we confess our sins God is faithful to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  And if we say we do not sin we make God a liar. (I John 1:9-10)

The Lord calls us to Him when we sin. He doesn't shove us away. He says, "Come now and let us reason together. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red as crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)

A wise man said, "When you mess up, 'fess up and get up."

We can't move forward if we constantly look back.

As believers there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ and walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. (Romans 8:1) How ever people can be another story. But as much as is possible we are to strive to be at peace with all people. (Proverbs 18:19, Romans 12:18)

Once we confess it to the Lord and make an effort to be forgiven by the person we offended, we are free! And if the Lord sets you free, you are free indeed!(John 8:36)

"Arise and shine for your light has come and the glory of the Lord is upon you." (Isaiah 60:1)

You will no longer be oppressed! You can move forward! A new sense of joy will flood your spirit and you can do your happy dance!

Pleas- Are You Looking For The Answer?

Do you ever ask Jesus about things throughout the day? "Oh Lord, where did I put that?", or "Oh Lord, please help me with ..." Do you mean it when you say these things? Are you watching for Him to answer your little pleas?

When we walk with the Lord we need to be aware of His presence. He is omnipresent. That means He is everywhere all the time. (Psalms 139)  He is that friend that sticks closer than a brother. We can and should talk to Him as if He is right here with us, because He really is.

Not long after I received the Holy Spirit, a strange thing happened. As I was going about my day I began talking to the Lord. The conversation went something like this: "Lord, I don't really feel spiritual right now but I know that You are here with me and I want to acknowledge Your presence." (I had just memorized Proverbs 3:6 which says, "In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths." ) Our apartment had colonial style window panes, and as I looked out my  window, instead I saw a map. And the Lord said to me, "Do you see the big lines?" I answered, "yes." He said to me, "Those represent all of the major decisions in your life, which you do pray about. Do you see the little ones? Those are your little decisions and if You will inquire of Me I will direct those also."

That was so precious to me! I cherish it and I try to practice His presence every day. So  I challenge you today. When you say a little prayer, watch for the answer. You will be amazed at how much the Lord loves you and cares about all of your little pleas.

Psalms 37:4 NLT Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires.

Negativism - One of Satan's Weapons

We often talk about the whole armor of God. What awesome  armor it is! But do we ever think about Satan's weapons? To be honest I hadn't until very recently.

When Satan gets one foot in the door, immediately we become distracted. His chief objective is to sabotage our walk with the Lord. He is terrified we might win others for the kingdom of God! He is a relentless foe and he tries everything to keep us from shining our light and sharing the love of Jesus.

I am a big fan of the late, Karen Carpenter. She died of anorexia nervosa.  In essence she starved herself to death. Why? Because in her youth someone called her chubby! That one, critical word ultimately killed her! Death and life is in the power of the tongue.

There is another saying, "Hurt people, hurt people." And here's one," Misery loves company." There is a lot of truth in those sayings. Being negative hurts.

Jesus said a good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things and an even man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil things. Matthew 12:35

Miserable people spread that misery around, sometimes without even realizing it. It should be a wake up call to us when we begin to complain.

Misery comes from many things. The death of a loved one, loss of home or income. But Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit! The comforter! He reminds us and teaches us what Jesus has said. Thank You Lord for giving us your precious Holy Spirit!

But one thing to note: The Holy Spirit is gentle, He can be wounded and quenched.

Lord help us to realize when we are becoming negative. Help us listen to the gentle words of the Holy Spirit. Teach us to be kind to others. Let our words and our thoughts be pleasing in Your sight. Amen.

Ephesians 4:30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

I Thessalonians 5:19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 12:35 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart.

A Life Without Joy

The joy of the Lord is my strength!

There are so many things that are joy-killers.  But stifling the joy that we have as believers is putting our light under a basket.

Maybe I am wrong, but I just can't see Jesus without a sense of humor.  He is that friend that sticks closer than a brother.  I don't have any natural brothers but I have wonderful sisters and we share not only our sorrows and frustrations, but we share so much laughter!

Jesus ate and drank with sinners. To be sure their lives were changed after their encounters with Jesus, but can't you just hear some of the stories that might have been told around their tables!

Here's the thing we all have our share of sorrow, but He's turned our mourning into dancing! (Psalms 30:11)

Jesus said we needed to come to Him as little children. (Mark 10:19) Children giggle and laugh. He said that if we believed in Him out of our bellies would flow rivers of living water. Bubbling brooks? ...Just a thought.

The point is a life without joy is like a life without breath! Conversely sometimes we have to make a decision to be happy. Get your praise on! Nothing dispels darkness like praising God! Find some time to do something that you enjoy! Sing your heart out! Dance like nobody is watching! Be true to your own heart. And when your heart belongs to Jesus there is joy. It just might be buried under something.

Here are some passages that I am finding comfort in:

Nehemiah 8:10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
.

Psalms 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalms 30:11 You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,

Psalms 126:2 We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said,
“What amazing things the LORD has done for them.”

Ecclesiastes 3:13  And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.

Fire and Ice- It's still Anger

Anger is one of those really passionate emotions. It's hot and can burn. It can make us flare up and even get red in the face. Or... we can give someone a really cold shoulder!  It is still anger and it has to be subdued by the Holy Spirit.

There are different kinds of anger and most of the time it is a work of the flesh. (Galatians 5:19-21) We get angry for many reasons and some, folks just have angry or hateful natures. (Proverbs 22:24)  But what happens when some one you love drives you crazy? You seem to give it all you've got and still it just isn't enough. It seems like any compliment, comment or suggestion is met with words that are grievous.

 It is natural to get angry. Natural not spiritual. Perhaps we should consider the "why" in that anger.  You know that the offender loves you. You know that you love them, but you just don't see eye to eye. That's why it hurts so much! 

We can't afford to let anger get the best of us.   I just want to turn my head and roll my eyes!  I want to say a snarky comment or just shake my head! And sometimes I do!  (I have a confession to make.I have learned how to do the dishes with my eyes crossed! I am not proud of it but it is the truth never the less.) Lord help me! The best way to handle it I think is to walk in love. So easy to say, so tough to do! What would love do though? What would that look like?

Love would be patient and kind.   According to I Peter 3:4 It is a quiet and gentle spirit. And to be sure... we can't do that unless we pray without ceasing!

This kind of quietness is not the cold shoulder. It's gentle and kind. Think of a lamb. Remember Jesus said as you do this to the least of these, you do it unto Me.

This is a lesson I am definitely learning. It is a continuing lesson and I am sure it's gonna take some time for me to get it right! How about you?


 (Romans 12:18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.)

Relativity

It's hard when someone says something and you know the answer. It seems you are just bursting to make a comment, yet to do so will bring on a contest. For some of us breaking the habit of "one upping someone" takes time. We don't even realize we are doing it until we notice other's doing it and it gets on our nerves! Everybody has there own opinion. Many times we want to offer advice, even though we weren't asked for it. That is where discernment comes into play.

We must realize that everything is relative! For instance one person's pain level may be very high, while another's is low. Which is which? No one knows for sure.  Some folks just aren't happy unless they vent. They are sure their situation was the best or the worst or the most painful, etc.  During those times it is best to keep your cool and speak a kind word. That is where self-control and prayer comes in.

Remember, Satan uses people to get to you. He wants you to have flares of anger. He wants to destroy your peace and joy. We are constantly in spiritual warfare, and our battles must be fought by the spirit and not by the flesh.

*Proverbs 17:28 Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.
*A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.
*Galatians 5:22-23But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
*Ephesians 6:18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

The Prosperity Gospel - Is It Need or Greed?

Do you struggle when you come across preachers who press the crowd for big donations? Sometimes the need is great. During those times it is essential that we know the speaker and their philosophy. Are they preaching any other gospel except the gospel of Jesus?

If we aren't making Christ our focal point, we are merely subscribing to self-help or how-to get rich quick schemes. The apostle Paul talked about preaching anything but Jesus a few times. He even considered all things except the gospel dung!


We can take a lesson from King Lemuel: Proverbs 30:8-9 First, help me never to tell a lie.
Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.

Doesn't God want us to have some enjoyment?  Of course he does. Here is a key verse: Ecc. 2:24

Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God. But notice there is one key word there. It is that we should enjoy life in our labor, our work.

*Philippians 4:13 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

*I Timothy 6:10  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

*III John 1:2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.