Shoes Off and Shoes On

As I was reading about God telling Moses to take of his shoes it made me curious. God said the ground was "holy". Consecrated? Sure but also because it was a place of intimacy with the Father. Moses was getting ready for a big battle and he needed that time of solemn fellowship with God.

When we are in our prayer time, that is when we get our instructions for the day. It is the place where we examine our hearts and seek the Lord.  If we are seeking the Lord, He will show us if anything is standing in the way. We are getting ready for battle, getting our peace on by spending time with the Prince of Peace!


Ephesians 6:15 NLT For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.

And Romans 16:20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.

Conflicted, Convicted, Confession, Repentance and Restoration

We have all had those times of "dry spells" in our walk with Jesus. During those times we need to go back to the last place we were in obedience and fellowship.  We are conflicted. There is a spiritual battle going on and the flesh is winning out!*

When we seek the Lord and ask Him to show us what is standing in the way, He will. That will no doubt cause us to be convicted  about  whatever it is needs to be stopped all together or at least get into balance, putting Jesus first. When He does we need to confess it to Him and repent.

After we have confessed and repented our hearts are restored and back into fellowship with the Lord!

*Ephesians 6:12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

*John 16:8 “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:   *Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow;  Though they are red like crimson,  They shall be as wool.

TLC

It is one thing to be staunch in our beliefs. We should know what we believe and why we believe it. But we must remember that we can push people away by forcing our beliefs/opinions on other people, even people of like faith!

We, as believers in Christ may at times still need to agree to disagree on some points. That's okay. We can not compromise on Jesus as our Savior, crucified, buried and resurrected. But even then we can learn from His example. He is called the Gentle Shepherd.  Key word here is gentle. He tells us to come and learn from him because he is gentle and humble.*

The Word teaches us that God is very near to the broken hearted and that a bruised reed He will not break. One of the worst things we can do is sing a loud and happy song to someone who is hurting. That may sound contradictory but it is true.*

*Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

*Proverbs 25:20(NLT) Singing cheerful songs to a person with a heavy heart is like taking someone’s coat in cold weather or pouring vinegar in a wound.

*Psalms 34:18 (NLT) The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

Listening With Our Eyes -The Importance Of Eye-Contact

It sounds strange to think about listening with our eyes and yet we must.  Here is what I mean. The Father is looking for those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth.*(John 4:23)  Jesus said that He is The Way, The Truth and The Life and that no one could come to the Father except by Him.*(John 14:6) He also said that the words that He speaks are spirit and life to us!* (John 6:63)

We must be able to see the word. We can "see" it in many ways.  Blind people can see with their fingers if they can read braille or hear it spoken with conviction by someone "who walks the talk."  The deaf can read or hopefully learn how to sign. For the rest of us we can read and study the Word.

 Our heavenly Father is looking for us.  He beacons us to come to Him!  He loves us so much and He wants us to make eye contact with Him. He wants us to deeply into His eyes like a bride to her bride groom and we do this by, seeking the Lord through prayer and the word of God! *Hebrews 11:6)

 

 

*John 4:23 “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.

*John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.


*John 6:63“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

*Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  

Burden-bearers and Grace-Builders

Who among us doesn't have a burden or concern? There are financial burdens, concerns about salvation for loved ones, there are burdens and concerns about relationships, health issues and the list goes on and on.

There are those who share like faith and it is easier to pray with and for them. When we pray with people of like faith, it is a partnership.


Then their are the grace-builders. Unfortunately we tend to roll our eyes when they present their requests again and again.  They seem so needy. It takes grace to spend time and listen to their problems.

But we are called to share one another's burdens.* We don't have to carry them far, we just need to lift them up. We may not know what to say, but we do know how to pray. (...thy will be don't on earth as it is in Heaven.  See Matthew 6:9-13)

* Matthew 18:9-20 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
*Galatians 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
*Ephesians 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Taking God Out Of The Goodness

Why is it that when we are in a time of need or really want something we are so faithful to pray, but not so much once the need or desire is granted? Guess it's just human nature.  Thank God we don't have to live only naturally. We have the precious gift of the Holy Spirit, His super in our natural!

*James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

If It Takes One To Know One, Who Knows Who?

Jesus said, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, that you love one another." *

I wonder do "all men" see me loving my brothers and sisters in Christ?

Jesus said we could recognize that good fruit comes from good trees.* Wonder what kind of fruit my life produces?  I know that I am drawn to people who demonstrate good fruit. If they are patient, or joyful;(In other words.. positive.)I am just drawn to them.

 

* John 13:35 “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

*Matthew 12:33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his
fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

**Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.***
***Notice that love is listed as the first fruit of the Spirit.
**I Corinthians 13:13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

P.S. Did I mention I really, really like turtles?

 

A Wiggly Mind - Media Over-load

Did you ever try to pour one thing into another?  How important is it for that thing that needs to be filled to be still. If it is constantly moving about it is very hard to pour the thing  that is full into thing that needs to be filled.

Our lives are like that too! We are so busy with other things. Just look around in any public place, you will no doubt find folks using their electronic devices. So much of our time is filled with images that are constantly changing. TV shows have commercials, and computer websites have pop ups. So the things we look at are constantly moving and that means our minds are over-loaded with information.  Jesus wants us  be filled with good things everyday.  We can have joy, hope, peace and most of all the Help of the Holy Spirit who can  teach and remind us of the things Jesus said. He can help us save time, He can help us in more ways than we could ever think of or even imagine. But  if we want those things we must be still. Maybe it's time to set the phone, tablet, or things that vie for our attention down and just be still before the Lord.

Psalms 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God;  I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

John 14:26 “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.

Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

Wise As Serpents And Harmless As Doves

Why do we think of serpents as being wise? It started out in the garden of Eden when the serpent tempted Eve. He is described as being more subtle than any other beast.

So this is where it begins. Subtle means: shrewd, crafty, sly, sensible and yes even prudent. Satan is all of those things.  He appeals to our flesh and our intellect.

I Peter 5;8  tells us to: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

What is  lion like when he's on the hunt?  Lions are stealthy, and strategic and hunt in packs. Lions, like many predators hunt the weakest among other animals. Therefore it is important to be strong in the Lord. There is only one devil but there are demons who cause distraction, temptation, frustration and fear. You can be certain that wherever the devil is ... he has some of his minions with him!  Most of the time a lions are  not successful in the hunt, but they do hunt often and they are out for blood!

Doves on the other hand are not sitting around on the ground just waiting to be a tasty tidbit for a hungry lion! Doves are quiet and observant. They are found in  well lit areas. Doves are gentle. They don't argue, they know when to leave the area.. They are creatures of habit; i.e. for instance they like to drink in the same place, unless they perceive a threat then they are on the move!

 One might say  Satan is an evil genius. He knows the Bible better than you or I and he twists it in his, subtle, crafty ways.

Therefore we too must know our Bible and know it well. Sunday sermons are not enough. We would starve or at least be extremely malnourished if we only ate one time per week!

 

 

Psalms 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,  That I might not sin against You.
 
Proverbs 4:13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. 
 
Proverbs 8:33  Listen to my instruction and be wise. Don’t ignore it.

Resolutions, Phases, Habits and Customs

The New Year has begun.  It's full of promise and projects. Some of us are already to start spring cleaning!  It is also a time of New Year's Resolutions! A New Year's Resolution is a commitment by a person to do something. We might want to lose weight, or quit smoking or start exercising. And we are serious about it.  Some of us by the grace of God keep those commitments and they develop into a phase. 

   A phase is something we do for a short time.  But sometimes what may have seemed  a phase to others,  takes hold and a habit is formed.

We'll use weight loss as an example. We get into the habit of counting calories or carbs. We make ourselves go to the gym. Sometimes by the skin of our teeth but we keep on doing it. Now we've done it long enough that we begin to see some progress. And a custom is born!

 A custom is something that is done almost automatically. We automatically know the kinds of foods to limit and which ones we need more of. We go to the gym on a routine basis and before you know it our whole lifestyle has changed! The way we do things has changed and turned into a custom.

 Resolutions can become phases. Phases can become habits and those habits can become customs!

May this year hold godly resolutions that develop into phases and phase into habits and grow into customs!

Luke 2:27-29 NLT That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required,  Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised.

Luke 2:46 NLT Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions.

Luke 4:16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.