What Would Jesus Do?

First of all, I know I'm way behind on my posting. It's been a rather hectic week. So much going on, so many projects in the works. But after looking at OJ's face for waaaaay too long, I figured it was worth the sacrifice of losing a little sleep, just to get rid of him (or at least move him down a bit). B'bye, OJ!

I hope you've all had a blessed week so far. As I said, mine's been hopping. But all in all, pretty good... despite the enemy's intentions. He's sure been after me, no doubt!

Have you ever felt like he was following your every move, jumping into absolutely every good and POSITIVE thing you try to accomplish, wreaking total havoc all around? Well, he's working DOUBLE-TIME on me, it seems.

I suppose I should expect such, after getting up this morning and praying, "Lord, make me an instrument of peace today. Show me ways in which I can build a bridge where there seems to be no way to cross over."

It seems the enemy fights the hardest when we commit to follow the Lord's leading. I had decided just a few days ago that I'd begin my day (every day) praying that prayer, in an effort to reconcile any broken relationships, no matter who was (or is) at fault. I fully trusted God to provide those windows of opportunity, as He has so faithfully done in the past.

Well, one such window opened today, and I was so excited to take that first step, in an attempt to make peace in a rather difficult (even hostile) situation. I prayed, I took action, and I waited.

But then, much to my disappointment, my attempt failed (the other party wasn't receptive of my effort). Apparently, peace didn't want to be found. :(

Typical me, my first reaction was to crawl back into my shell and cry (as I'm accustomed to doing when someone hurts me). And continuing on that emotional cycle, I then thought about getting defensive and confronting the one who'd done me wrong. But no, that wasn't right either, not like that.

So then I began to think about Jesus, and how He responded to those who treated Him unfairly. Did He sit there and feel sorry for Himself? No. Did He lash out at those who accused Him, or to those who spat upon Him? No. He didn't say or do anything in His own defense.

He simply loved them. He died for them.

Now, I'm not looking to physically die for anyone. (He's already done that, for all of us.)

But I CAN love those who would seek to cause me harm. I CAN forgive them (again). I CAN continue praying for them. I CAN continue to pray for peace, and for eyes to be opened to the truth. That's what Jesus did.

So, even though there may be those "impossible" people in our lives, always looking for an opportunity to defeat us, despite our efforts to make peace with them, we should remember how Jesus responded, and use His example to help us do the same.

And as the Bible tells us, He will give us more grace, to carry us through.

Romans 5:20
"...But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound."

James 4:6
"But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble."

We don't have to worry about those who mean to hurt us. He'll take care of them, in His own way, in His own time. We see it over and over again.

Thank you, Lord!

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The Wicked Abased

Isn't it great when you can see the Lord coming through on His promises, right before your very eyes? In my last post, I noted several passages of Scripture in which we have His Word that the wicked (or the proud) will be brought down. Sometimes we struggle with frustration when we don't see it take place in our own timing. But as I tell my ladies in Sunday School, the Lord doesn't always work on our time-schedule. He often has His own timing, which, as proven to me over and over again, is always best. But in His time, He will bring the wicked and the proud down.

I've been absolutely disgusted by one such wicked man, who's been the focus of many news and talk shows recently. In a TV interview I saw just the other day, he was very arrogant, and obnoxiously proud of the fact that he hadn't paid any of the money his victims' families won in a civil suit against him several years ago. He says if he doesn't work, he doesn't have to pay. Therefore, he's not gonna work. He did, however, write a book, telling how he killed his victims, hoping to make millions. (Thankfully, he lost the rights to any royalties from this book.)

It's outright sickening to see how he's been out playing golf everyday, living it up, showing no remorse for his crime, nor for the injustice of his wrongful aquittal. How could this be? Is there no justice anymore?

Well, the court system might fail us, but I'm so glad that God never fails us!

If you're up-to-date on your headlines, you already know that O.J. Simpson was arrested in Las Vegas earlier this week... not for the murders of his ex wife and her friend, but for a slew of other charges, including breaking and entering and armed robbery, which could mean he would remain behind bars for many years.

Whatever the charge(s), I'm thankful to the good Lord that he's allowed this wicked man to be taken off the streets. Hallelujah, I believe we can all breathe easier tonight!

I am reminded of one of the verses I included in my last post...

Obadiah 1:3,4

The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.

Boy, does that ring a bell here!!! Thank you, Lord, for putting an end to this guy's "hay-day"!

It just goes to show, we can't live a prideful life. We must constantly examine our own hearts and pray for God to show us anything that should not be there. And then, when He does, we need to do something about it, lest we fall... or be brought down!

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Who Are We Exalting?

A friend and I were talking the other day, and she asked me about why I don't display or let others know about various accomplishments and/or awards I've received for things I've done or achieved in service to the Lord. My answer was simple. "It's not about me."

If you ask any of my ladies in Sunday School, they'll give witness to the fact that this is my favorite "life truth", because I'm constantly reminding them all the time... "It's not about me!"

I suppose that's why it bothers me, as I sit back and watch and/or listen to folks who lift themselves up, for anything they may do in Christ's Name. It appears they thrive on the recognition they receive, and somehow they even entice others to join in and do the same. I can't go along with that, because the Bible tells us clearly that we're not to exalt ourselves.

Psalm 66:7

"...let not the rebellious exalt themselves."

Psalm 140:8

"Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves."

Obadiah 1:3,4

The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.

Mathew 23:12
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

1 Peter 5:5,6
Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

These are just a few of the many passages of Scripture which show us that we're not the One who should be high and lifted up. No matter what we say or do in life, no matter how great our achievements may be, we need to remember that God didn't put us here to praise ourselves, nor to be praised by others either, for that matter. He created us all to magnify HIM.

I've been guilty of losing focus of that, at various times throughout my life. It took me a long time to realize how easy it is to be caught up in the trap of turning it around and making it, or letting it be about me. Granted, it doesn't start out so bad. It could very well begin with something as simple as someone's appreciation for all the time and energy I'd put into something that meant a lot to them. And there's nothing wrong with that in itself. But, as with anything else in life, it's what we do with it, or rather, how we respond to it, that counts. We can't have a prideful attitude. Just as constructive criticm can lead to destruction, if misinterpreted; the same is true of praise. Sometimes we can get a bad case of "the big head", which then also leads to destruction.

The Bible says in Proverbs 16:18:

"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."

As I explained to my friend the other day, I would much rather be overlooked, even forgotten, here in this life, and be rewarded in Heaven, than to make much of myself here, and be overlooked in Heaven.

There have been times when it bothered me to be excluded from recognition, especially when I put alot into something. But as I said, I've learned that isn't what I'm here for. So now, thankfully, I can honestly say I don't even want recognition, anymore. Instead, I think about my heavenly rewards, which are far greater!

Once again, I'm reminded of our country. I think about how we've seemingly lost all sight of morality. Corporately, we've stopped pledging allegiance to or praying to the One true God. We've embraced many of the abominations He forbade us to defile ourselves with. We've traded our spiritual strength for "living for the moment", which has weakened us. We've become so full of pride, I do believe if it were possible to "stick a pin in us", we'd fly right into orbit.

We can't continue on like this. Yes, God is love, but He is also just. He's not gonna allow much more of our disobedience. I pray we (as a nation) figure that out, before it's too late.

It's important for us to understand that it's Jesus' Name, Whom we should be lifting up, not our own. It's all about our humbling ourselves before Him, proving that we know Who's God, and that we're worshiping Him. For me, personally, I can't say it enough... "It's not about me."

I pray we all stop in our tracks each and every day and examine our hearts, asking ourselves this question, "Who am I exalting today?"

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The Days of Noah

If you've paid any attention whatsoever to the news lately, it should be clearly visible how much trouble we're currently in. ("We", as in Americans... Christians... families) It seems our great country has lost all sight of morality, and even just common decency anymore.
What's happened to us?

It's absolutely disgusting to look at some of the things we see on TV today, and I don't just mean the programming. The commercials, even, have become so explicitly vulgar, that I, personally, am boycotting those products and/or companies for even advertising in such a vile manner.
(I hope you do, as well.)

It seems futile for parents to attempt to regulate what their children are watching, when the commercials are just as bad (or worse) than the shows themselves. I'll give you an example... the new Hardee's commercials. Oh my! I don't know that I can even describe the message this is sending to our young people today, these ads are so perverse!

If you click here, you can view one of the commercials, in which a young girl depicts a sexualized female teacher in a high school classroom doing a stripper-style dance on top of her desk, while male students do a rap song about her "flat buns". They also have another commercial, in which a scantly-clad woman gyrates to a countdown of things she wants a man to do to her. All the time, she is eating a "patty melt" sandwich. Click here to view this one. (Warning: These ads are offensive and are provided here only for the purpose of educating you on this matter. Please do not view them with children present.)

Again, I'm just sickened that this great land of promise now has such an unpromising future!

There's also the 2 stories I read this morning on World Net Daily, one of them being about a certain actress/comedienne who claims that her recently won Emmy Award is now her god. Then, as if that wasn't bad enough, she goes even further (deeper into the mirey pit) by making several derogative comments about, and then to Jesus. (I would sure hate to be her!)

The other story was actually ironic, in that even our enemies are taking a stand against some of the vulgarities they're seeing flaunted in the headlines. Muslim terrorist leaders threatened to cut off the heads of Madonna and Britney Spears, for spreading "satanic culture".

"If I meet these whores I will have the honor – I repeat, I will have the honor – to be the first one to cut the heads off Madonna and Britney Spears if they will keep spreading their satanic culture against Islam," said Muhammad Abdel-Al, spokesman and senior leader of the Popular Resistance Committees terror organization.

"If these two prostitutes [Madonna and Spears] keep doing what they are doing, we of course will punish them. First we will call them to join Islam. But if they keep what they are doing ... we can stone them or even we can kill them if they keep ... tempting men in order to put them far from Islam. ... A prostitute woman must be stoned or must be eighty times hit with a belt."

Perhaps "convicting" would be a more suitable word, for at least they're taking a stand against it! Granted, I don't agree with their methods, and I certainly don't agree with their religious beliefs, but at least they're getting their point across that all this perversion is wrong! My, what if we Christians would be so bold as to stand up for decency! Something to think about.

My Pastor has been preaching on the wicked day in which we're living quite a bit lately, and I'm thankful for that. But I wonder, do we leave the message in the sanctuary when we walk out?
Are we really taking it home, into our homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, to help others see that "the world as we know it" isn't okay?
I hear people commenting all the time about how "that's just the way it is nowadays", or "we have to go with the flow".

Uuggghhhh!!!!

That may be how it is, but we don't have to go along with it!

The Bible clearly distinguishes the difference in how we should and should not live. Just because "everybody else does it", is no excuse for our following suit. (And yes, sitting by and doing nothing is doing just that... it's called the sin of silence. We're giving our silent approval of what we should be shouting from the rooftops is wrong.)

People, we need to get down on our knees and pray for mercy. How much longer do you think God will tolerate this wickedness? If you'll remember, He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because they were living just as we are today. (If the truth be told, I wouldn't be scared to say it's even worse today!)

And let's not forget Noah's generation. Noah preached for 120 years, warning people to turn from their wicked, sinful nature and turn to the Lord, or else be doomed to die in a flood. But they (like so many today) refused to believe. They laughed and mocked.

But don't you think they began to figure out that old Noah was right, when the water kept rising? Don't you think the moment finally came when they realized they were the foolish ones?

We're living "as in the days of Noah" right now. And I, personally, fear the punishment God has in store for us, if we don't humble ourselves, turn from our sin, and turn to Him. God have mercy on us, our great nation, for the killing of innocent babies, for the violence and sexual perversion, for the idolatry and blasphemy that has rooted itself throughout this once-Godly land.

Brothers and Sisters, we need to beg for God's forgiveness, on behalf of those who don't realize their sin... lest we all perish! Yes, if we're saved and ready to go, we'll be in Heaven when death calls. But what about our family? Our friends? Our neighbors? Coworkers? If we're "inactive" in our mission (the Great Commission), we're saying we don't care about them. Could it be true? Do we really not care anymore? Did we ever care?

Something to think about.

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Seeking God

Before we go any further here, let's take a look at a particular verse that's been on my heart lately. In fact, with all the political campaigning and debating going on, I've been outright convicted by this verse, for my own endorsement of a particular political figure over the past several weeks (months).

2 Chronicles 7:14 says, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

If you're like me, you've been praying and asking God to raise someone up that would bring our nation back to the godly principles upon which it was founded. Being disappointed with one presidential candidate after another, I was thrilled when "good ol' boy" Fred Thompson finally threw his hat in the ring. I shouted, in fact, when he officially announced late Wednesday night that he was running.

"Finally," I thought, "here's someone who makes sense. He doesn't talk in circles. He believes in fighting for those things which are near and dear to my heart. He seems to know how to take care of what needs to be done, and not stop short of completing the task. Yes! This is what (who) America needs, this next term!"

I don't know about any of you, but I, personally, can tell when the Lord begins to chasten me. He puts me in the big squeeze, so to speak, deeming me totally incapable of functioning on my own. I get this uneasy feeling, knowing something isn't just like it ought to be. And from much experience, I've come to know it's not good to ignore it. The best (and only) thing to do is to seek His wisdom and guidance in what I should or shouldn't be doing. Sometimes the answer isn't so easy on the ears. This was one of those times.

I've been watching Fred Thompson for several months now, ever since there was first mention of his possibly running for President, which was back in March, I believe. To be honest, he's had my vote all along, although he hadn't officially gotten into the race until this past week. Again, I was elated when it finally came to be!

But ya know, after a few rotten days... days of knowing something wasn't just right within me, I began searching my heart and I soon realized what the problem was. I was "pulling for" this fellow as if this were some type of sporting event, and he were my favorite player.

That isn't God's solution, nor the answer to our prayers!

Granted, Fred Thompson could very well be the one God so chooses to raise up to lead our country for the next four years. That's all well and good, if it's God's Will.

But you see, I had been leaning on my own understanding, making my own assessment of things. And that's where so many of us go wrong, in many aspects of our lives. Rather than look to the Lord, asking Him for His opinion, to give us discernment in a particular situation, we do our own homework and make our own choices, which often results in our own failure. I admit, I failed here. I should have continued to pray and seek God's guidance before endorsing anyone in particular, regardless of how things may have appeared to me.

God wants us, in all things, to seek Him. Whether it's in choosing a mate, or choosing a president, He wants us to look to Him, and again, not lean on our own understanding.

⁵Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. ⁶In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

⁷Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. (Proverbs 3:5-7)

Sometimes it's good for us to be reminded of Who God is, and who we are, in the big picture. As Mama used to say, "Sometimes we need to be taken down a notch or two."

We have to keep in mind Who's God and who's sinful, mortal man. He's fully capable of bringing anything and everything to pass, with or without our help. But we're not capable of anything without Him. (John 15:5b)

If I can be reminded of this, and repent of my wrong-thinking and doing, would you say it's possible for our whole country to do the same? I would say so! But more importantly, God says so. Let's look at that again.

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

Wow! What promise!

If, throughout the remainder of this presidential campaign (and always), our nation would get back to the basics, humbling ourselves before Him, seeking His Will (not our own), and turning from the sick perversions we've grown so accustomed to, He will forgive us and bring healing to us.

Our country is in dire need of healing! So what are we waiting for? Let's all join and agree together to pray for our nation, for it's leaders (present and future), for wisdom and guidance in all things that we may again be a Godly nation, founded on morality and Biblical principles. Let's individually and corporately seek God's face, knowing that He's promised to hear and answer... and to bring healing to our land!

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Calgon, Take Me Away!

Whew! What a busy week! I can't believe I'm just now finding some time to sit down and post! I don't know how I used to ever get so much done! It seems, anymore, the more I do, the more I leave undone. And unfortunately, my blogging was one of the "un-dones" this week. So for those who were waiting, I do apologize. I'll do my best not to let so much time pass betweeen my posts, in the future.

As I said, it's been a really hectic week... getting back into the groove of some of our ministries at church, now that Summer is over... working on several projects/studies I have going on simultaneously... preparing my Sunday School lesson... shopping for and spending time with my husband for his birthday... and that doesn't include the regular tasks of work, laundry, cooking, house-cleaning. (Calgon, take me away!)

My, what ever would we do if we had children???!!!

I know, I know, silly question... the Lord would provide all that was needed, including an extra helping of grace, to make it all work out. :)

He's good about that, isn't He? In my own life, I couldn't possibly count the many times He's made a way for me, when there seemed to be no way. No matter how anxious, or baffled I may have gotten over my circumstances, He's always come through, just like He said He would, even if what I wanted wasn't what I needed. He's always been there, regardless. Truly, He is that friend Who sticketh closer than a brother! (Proverbs 18:24)

Sometimes our brothers (or other family members) forsake us. They turn their backs on us, when we really need to know we can count on them, for their prayers, for their devotion. Those very ones whom we'd like to think would be our greatest support group, all too often, they fail us. And it hurts. But what makes the hurt even greater is if their reason is because we love and serve the Lord.

I've been deeply discouraged by this for quite a while now, in regards to members of our family. There are a few who outright scold and criticize us because we're "too busy in our church". They're very openly opinionated about that, and I must say, it hurts... deeply. My first response was to get defensive about it, and act in the flesh. But I can't do that. What possible good would come from it? What would it do to my testimony? What would it do for the cause of Christ?

So I do nothing... other than pray.

In my frustration, I am reminded of Scripture, where we're told to take up our cross and follow Jesus. It doesn't tell us that the cross won't be hard to bear, at times. The thought of family and friends who don't understand why we serve in the capacities that we do, and therefore criticize us for doing so... they, indeed, make the cross heavy. But should that keep us from carrying it? Most definitely not!

I think that's one of the many ways the enemy tries to trip us up. If we make up our minds that we're gonna serve the Lord, he wants to do any and every thing he can to throw a wrench in the wheel, bringing all our well-intentions to a grinding halt. He'll use even our family members to try and keep us from doing anything that would further the Kingdom of God.

Yes, the cross gets heavy sometimes. Yes, sometimes we may feel like it's too much for us to bear. We get weary in the fight, after facing so much opposition, over and over again. But there again, I am reminded of great assurances in Scripture. Matthew 11:28-30 is one of my favorite passages, because it shows me the Lord cares about the load we carry for His sake.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

I am so thankful for that passage! What comfort it has been to me, time and time again. Isn't it wonderful to know how loving and gracious our Lord is? He cares about our troubles and trials. He's faithful to walk through the valleys with us, never leaving us to face anything on our own. He gives us comfort in knowing we can come to Him and find rest in Him. I don't know about you, but I'll take that over Calgon any day of the week!!!

Dear Heavenly Father, how I thank You for Your love and mercy. Thank You for carrying my burdens for me, when I'm too weak to continue on my own. Thank You for Your faithfulness, for being so good to me, though I've done nothing to deserve such blessings. Thank You for the peace You bring, in every situation that we give to You. Lord, I ask that You work in the hearts of those who don't understand, those who don't support our choice to follow You. Lord, I pray that You show them Your will, and Your way. Thank You for being so good. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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