Category: Assurance

Promises, Promises

Our lives are full of broken promises. When I turned 5, I was supposed to get a pony for my birthday…. in my mind, at least! Instead, my Dad accepted the pastorate in a small town miles away and we had to move away from our little farm. How dare he! I’m very proud of my Dad for doing this, because he had to stand up to hisparent’s very strong objections. I didn’t get my pony; I got a father who had courage and conviction and a strong faith. People continued to disappoint me as I grew up. My first boyfriend went away to college and ended our relationship. At my college, my first roommates lied and snubbed me – I was naive enough to believe that they were going to welcome me and we would be friends. Not a promise, per se, but definitely an expectation. I broke, have broken, more than my share of promises. A marriage vow is a promise, and I went into my first marriage having received the promise of a faithful husband who would care for me, protect me, and stand by me.

With those promises all broken, it broke me, for many, many years.

Look at Cain and Abel, Noah, Enoch, Abraham and Sarah. (Read Hebrews 11 for the background). Issac, Jacob, Esau…. Job. The list continues, through the entire Bible.

“All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. ….. It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command. How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets.” – Hebrews 11:13‭, ‬23‭-‬23‭, ‬32
(http://bible.com/116/heb.11.13-32.NLT)

God has promised that anyone who believes on the LORD Jesus Christ will be saved from eternal damnation and the fires of hell. Why should we believe that God will honor His Promises? The next time it rains, look for the rainbow. God created the rainbow as a sign to signify His promise to Noah that the world would never again be completely flooded, and it hasn’t been. God promised the prophets of old that He would send the Messiah to bear our sins, doing away with the need for a blood sacrifice. He sent Jesus, His Son – His SON – as the Messiah to die for the sins of the world, and to conquer death forever.

When I finally got sick and tired of being sick and tired, I accepted that I couldn’t fix me. I had to let Jesus and the Holy Spirit into my heart to begin the healing process. I’m not “fixed” by any measure, but I am getting better. In this world, I accept that life will continue to be a struggle, BUT I know, through faith, that whatever happens here, I will spend eternity with Jesus and many loved ones.

It’s HARD to keep our faith during struggles with broken promises. Broken marriages, lies and cheating, test our faith. Bosses and friends who lie and backstab, betrayal from all sides… these things are so difficult to see past when they are happening. All I can tell you to keep faith is to look UP, not down and certainly not around, and place your trust in God. We will be hurt in the life. We will be lied to and cheated on and betrayed by other people. We will lie and cheat and betray people at some point; it’s inevitable as humans. (Thanks, Adam and Eve!) The LORD will never let you down. He doesn’t lie or cheat or betray us – those honors go to the enemy, Satan.

Be thankful for the little things. Do you have food to eat? Toilet paper? Plenty of things to be thankful for if you just look. Pray. Pray often, praising God for our blessings (remember, LITTLE things count!) Pray, Praise, Thanksgiving.

EVERY Person

This might be the absolute best, most exciting verse in the entire Bible!

“But EVERYONE who calls on the Name of the LORD will be saved.” Acts of the Apostles 2:21 (http://bible.com/116/act.2.21.NLT)

Not just the elite of the world. Not only kings or queens or politicians. Not just the most wealthy or the smartest or the most educated. EVERYONE; ANY one. You. Me. The poor, the helpless, the hapless. The worst of the worst criminals can do it. It doesn’t cost us anything, so economic status is irrelevant. It doesn’t require any physical strength or ability, making Jesus available to the weak and the ill and the impaired. Skin color, age… non of these things matter. I’m human, and wildly imperfect, and it really bothers me that vile, wicked, inhumane people can be forgiven and saved. Pedophiles, adulterers, cruel people. They should be glad that GOD is their judge, instead of me. I know we all be judged according to our lives, and frankly, it’s a scary thought. I don’t pretend to understand how it will all come down; I rely on scripture to explain the Judgement of the LORD. We will all pay for our sins. Every person and every sin, from the the smallest sins of omission to the most egregious sins of commission.

“And I saw a Great White Throne and the ONE sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from His presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before GOD’S Throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. ….And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:11‭-‬12‭, ‬15 (http://bible.com/116/rev.20.11-15.NLT)

How can we get our names into that book? Call on the Name of Jesus. Accept Him as your Savior and acknowledge Him as the One True God.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (http://bible.com/116/jhn.3.16.NLT)

“Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to Life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at GOD’S right hand, pleading for us.” Romans 8:34 (http://bible.com/116/rom.8.34.NLT)

Victory

“O Victory in Jesus, my Savior, FOREVER….”

“But you belong to GOD, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” 1 John 4:4
(http://bible.com/116/1jn.4.4.NLT)

Yes, VICTORY. Floods and famines, drought and earthquake, fire, mudslides, none of these disasters can separate us from our LORD.

“And I am convinced that NOTHING can ever separate us from God’s Love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the Love of GOD that is revealed in Christ Jesus our LORD.” Romans 8:38‭-‬39 (http://bible.com/116/rom.8.38-39.NLT)

We need this reminder, sometimes.

Irony

I am enjoying what may be the most pleasant morning we’ve seen in central Oklahoma for this entire summer…. while the state to our south is enduring the remainder of the worst hurricane to hit the U.S. in at least 12 years. In fact, I don’t remember an August quite like this one for its weather. So far, it’s the 3rd wettest August on record – and we have a chance for more rain before it is over. It has been the coolest in 20 years, and last year, 2016, was the hottest August on record, EVER, for the entire earth. Climate change! Oh no! Call Al Gore and the climate police! Call PETA and the ACLU and all the “Save the world” campaigns. (Sorry, couldn’t resist a little poke.)

Seriously. Look at the history of the earth. It began from a formless void, and was fashioned by the Creator into a living entity (NOT sentient; LIVING) to support life as He created it. Over the millenia, the earth has changed in a myriad of ways. First, God created the creatures of the sea, then the land, and finally man to watch over and protect it all. From the tiniest organism and the most minute cell structure, to the largest creatures, He created it all, and called it good. Read Genesis 1-2 for a full account. It’s quite beautiful. God created the creatures we call dinosaurs, and He created dragons. You have to realize that all myths are based on fact.

The problem with the earth, and all of the climate changes across the eons, are ultimately our responsibility. Starting with being thrown out of the Garden, we have been on a destructive bent ever since. Because of bad choices made by humans, the enemy of everything good, Satan, has been released to create havoc on and in the earth. Through his fury and desire to take everything good and turn it into evil, not only have humans suffered, but all of the plants and all the creatures suffered; even the earth itself is being brutalized by the enemy. Is it our fault the earth has gone through ice ages and worldwide drought? Is it our fault that the entire earth was covered in water, drowning anyone and anything that was not on Noah’s ark? Are hurricanes and tornados and floods and drought our fault?

Ultimately, yes. It does all rest on our shoulders, and the world is a heavy burden to carry. (Theme song of “The Twilight Zone” plays….)

“And to the man [Adam] He said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.” ” Genesis 3:17‭-‬19 (http://bible.com/116/gen.3.17-19.NLT)

Sounds all gloom and doom, doesn’t it? Fortunately for us, and for ALL of creation, this is all temporary. The phrophet Isaiah foretold it: “Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore.” Isaiah 65:17 (http://bible.com/116/isa.65.17.NLT)

John, the Apostle of Jesus Christ, also foretells us: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone.” Revelation 21:1 (http://bible.com/116/rev.21.1.NLT)

We have a responsibility to take care of, and manage well, this pile of dirt and rock and water that we live on. We carry that responsibility for every part of this world, plant, animal, and human. I’m not an advocate for the extremists who scream that we shouldn’t eat animals or use ridiculous schemes to prevent us from using the earth’s resources. We are here to manage and maintain. As any true conservationist will tell you, animal flocks and herds have to be managed, and that entails culling to maintain and do balance. God gave us the earth and did and drill that is within it to oversee. Since we gave the job of overseer to the enemy, we, and all of creation, are suffering. That’s irony. We gave the job that God gave us to the worst thing possible, the one being whose existence is the opposite of God.

The first step to save the world is to submit ourselves to our Lord Jesus Christ. Only then can we began to see how to truly care for the beautiful people and creatures, and the earth itself. Ready for real climate change? Look to the Savior. Start with prayer and thankfulness for the incredibly diverse world He has given us. Love God, love His creation.

Beautiful

Beautiful rain. Life giving, the element (water) second most vital to our lives – air being the first. Life giving, and life taking. Floods, flash floods, undertow in the ocean and dangerous currents in rivers and lakes can claim a life in an instant. When we rely on Jesus Christ, we can rest assured that He will not let us drown in the eddys and whirlpools and dangerous undertow in life.

“The Lord is my Shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; He leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to His name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me. Your rod and Your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely Your Goodness and Unfailing Love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the House of the LORD forever.” Psalms 23:1‭-‬6 (http://bible.com/116/psa.23.1-6.NLT)

Like this shepherd, Jesus protects us, His sheep, against the enemy. He takes us to good water where can drink our fill without fear. When we follow Him, He makes sure that we don’t get caught up in the thorns and the dangerous waters. He protects us, sometimes from ourselves, by using His staff to move us away from the danger; danger we either can’t see, or that we go towards anyway. Did you know that a shepherd uses his staff to break the leg of a lamb that continues to stray? Then he will carry the lamb until it’s leg is healed so that the lamb knows who it’s shepherd is, and will follow the shepherd willingly after that. That is, MOST lambs learn…. while others (guilty!!!) require multiple lessons. Trust me when I tell you that learning the lesson the FIRST time is by far preferable to having to go through it again and again….. and again. Some of us are very slow learners!

Are you the lamb who learns quickly, or the slow learner? Either way, the answer that is ALWAYS right there is Jesus. Just JESUS. I’m thankful He never gave up on me!!

Sing to the LORD

“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Ephesians 1:2‭-‬3 (http://bible.com/111/eph.1.2-3.NIV)

Grace and peace; praise and blessings. We should be shouting and singing and dancing over our salvation for the eternity we get to spend with our LORD! Instead of rejoicing, we let the mundane creep in and take over. Anger and frustration are what fuels us, and depression slides into our minds because we don’t have the earthly goods or status we decide we “deserve.” Let me assure you, my brothers and my sisters, if God were to allow us to have what we DESERVE, we would most likely want to be in hell instead as a reprieve from what we deserve….

“Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight; so You are right in Your verdict and justified when You judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” Psalm 51:4‭-‬5 (http://bible.com/111/psa.51.4-5.NIV)

“There you will remember your conduct and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil you have done.” Ezekiel 20:43 (http://bible.com/111/ezk.20.43.NIV)

I am among the most guilty of men and women, thinking I deserve better than what I have received in my life. Someone asked me recently what I would do if I were handed a check, tax-free, for $500,000.00. I replied that I would pay off all of my debt and then help my family. He seemed startled by my response, and said that the first thing he would do is take his family on a long cruise. My reasoning is nothing noble. I believe that God created the family unit so that we would have a built-in support system. We have bastardized the family so much that it is barely recognizable any longer, and it is a rare family (in my experience) who reaches out to each other to help in need. I thank God that for the most part, my birth family is one of the rare ones. We have our issues, and we have been (are!) extremely dysfunctional, but we know that in a pinch we can count on each other. For that alone, knowing that my family loves me in spite of my past, should be enough to be singing God’s praise!

It is through Christ alone that we can love each other. If you don’t have a family – blood or otherwise – that you can rely on, oh, my heart goes out to you. Did you know, once you have been adopted into God’s eternal family, you’ll never, NEVER, have to go through the rest of your life alone?

“In Christ alone

my Hope is found

He is my Light, my Strength, my Song

This Cornerstone, this Solid Ground

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of Love, what depths of Peace

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease

My Comforter, my All in All

Here in the Love of Christ I stand!”

My Shelter in the Storm…. What AMAZING Grace!!

Burn Out

I think I’m burnt out from a lifetime of stress and worry and poor – no, let’s be REAL, here – BAD decisions. My brain is tired, and my body is, too. Sound familiar? I’ve been on an R&R, of sorts, for the past year and a half, since I involuntarily left my last job. I say “of sorts,” because I am blessed to have a partner who is able to supply us financially, although it causes strain to be dependent solely on him, and bills have to wait to be paid sometimes (and that stresses me out). Even with the strain, we’ve been able to make a few trips to visit family, and for me, that is the best R&R there is. I am grateful to be in the relationship I’m in; I’m incredibly thankful that he is so generous and that he loves me.

God loves me, too. His Love puts any earthly love to shame, simply because there is no way that we can possibly match it. I’ve said before that I believe that animals, especially dogs, are made to give us a glimpse of that indefinable, expressive, and limitless love God has for us. Remember, “dog” is “god” spelled backwards! Before you get all crazy, please note: I do not believe that dogs (or any other animal) is equivalent to or somehow worthy of worship. I DO believe that God put them all here for a reason, and that there is a lot to be learned from animals about love. Think about it. Dogs simply adore humans. Take a look at rescue dog who was taken from an abusive situation, and, with few exceptions, they will grovel at your feet, looking for just a little bit of caring on your part….

I think that describes us humans pretty well, too. We absolutely CRAVE a relationship with someone human who will love us as we are, and that is, unfortunately, rare. True abiding love isn’t something that comes easily for us. We are so distracted by “shiny things” (i.e. the temptations of earthly living) in our search for something and/or someone to fill that God-shaped hole in our hearts, we often forget to look up; to acknowledge the One Who stands with us. I believe burn out happens because we forget Who is really Number 1. It isn’t me, or you, or your spouse/significant other. It isn’t your family or your job, and it isn’t our animals. All of these things are important to help define who we are, but without the LORD of the Universe, the General over Heaven’s Armies, the REAL “Boss” of our bodies and souls…. we are nothing. Ooh, did that statement offend you? It did me! I want to be the boss of my body! The reality, however, is that we are NEVER the boss of our bodies or our souls. We aren’t the boss and never have been. The only thing that we are “boss” of is our free will. Every day, every minute, every second, we are free to choice our “boss,” and there are only two to choose from. One of the choices is NOT ourselves.

Just as Adam and Eve chose, we are free to choose, and so much of the time we choose poorly…… leading to more burn out. Choose wisely!

“The Lord will be King over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and His Name the ONLY Name.” Zechariah 14:9 (http://bible.com/111/zec.14.9.NIV)

Oh, My Aches and Pains

My body hurts. Well, not really; at least, my WHOLE body doesn’t hurt. My joints ache, especially when I do physical activities I’m not conditioned to do (like running and jumping and lifting heavy weights, and mowing and weedeating. Ugh!) Sometimes my lower back gets so tight I can barely move, or my upper back will spasm so it’s difficult to breathe.

I’m NOT complaining! If I hurt, it’s usually because I’ve been doing something physical. I’m thankful, instead, that I am ABLE and CAPABLE of doing those things, even when the end result is lineament and ice packs. I’m thankful, because I saw my Grandma and my Dad reach a point where they were unable to do even simple physical tasks, and, at least for now, I can still work. I have friends who have been crippled by abuse and who are unable to do seemingly simple tasks, and I am grateful that despite the things I have dealt with in my life, there is still much I can do. I know people who have such severe disabilities that they are confined to a wheelchair, unable to take care of their most basic needs.

I am grateful for my aches and pains. I may complain, and I certainly get frustrated when I find that I am unable to do a physical task that was easy for me a few short years ago. I am envious of the woman who can still grab a 100# bale of hay and load it in the pickup; who can climb onto a roof carrying heavy buckets and roofing material, dig post holes, or work in the garden. It frustrates me that it takes me days now to complete a task that only took a few hours before. But still, I am thankful! Even though I can no longer do what I was able to in the past, I am thankful, because when Jesus returns and I get to join Him and my Dad and my Grandma, and all the others who have gone before me, the aches and pains will be GONE. I will see Z and Lexi, J and C, and all my friends and family who are restricted on earth by physical issues; all of them running and jumping and praising God with perfect bodies and perfect voices. What an absolutely glorious life to look forward to!

“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.” 2 Corinthians 5:1 (http://bible.com/111/2co.5.1.NIV)

Here’s the kicker. Do you KNOW you’ll be there with us? It’s very simple to make sure.

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20‭-‬21 (http://bible.com/111/2co.5.20-21.NIV)

“For GOD so Loved the world that He gave His One and ONLY Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life….. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the Name of God’s One and Only Son. John 3:16‭, ‬18 (http://bible.com/111/jhn.3.16-18.NIV)

ALWAYS, and in EVERYTHING…..

“…. ALWAYS giving thanks to GOD the Father for everything, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:20 (http://bible.com/111/eph.5.20.NIV)

and AMEN!

Waste Not – Or, Let Me Offend You Today….

“God blessed them {That means US, His human creations} and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground. I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground – everything that has the breath of life in it – I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.” Genesis 1:28‭-‬30 (http://bible.com/111/gen.1.28-30.NIV)

“When they had all had enough to eat, He said to His disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” ” John 6:12 (http://bible.com/111/jhn.6.12.NIV)

I’ve had this conversation so many times. As Americans, we are so wasteful that at times I am ashamed to be called one. When I had the opportunities to go to Europe, I was able to see firsthand how restrictive their laws are regarding waste. The result is that people are much more aware of their habits. Rather than throwing everything into one trash receptacle, it was sorted by what could be recycled, what could be composted, and what could be fed to the chickens. My grandma taught me that we should respect the earth, and her garden and root cellar were a wonderful place for a kid. I realize that really, very few Americans get to experience the beauty of rich earth and growing things, and it is such a shame. We grow up watching television and glued to social media, with ads shouting at us that we “NEED” all of these things…. shipped in from other countries, wasting resources. Yes, this is my opinion. We are horribly wasteful. When I moved into my house, the city provided me with two – TWO – large waste bins, and one small recycling bin. ONE recycling bin. Isn’t that a little backward?

Think about what you trash that could be recycled. Paper. Actually, shredded paper is an excellent mulch… but we would rather trash it and create more waste to dispose of instead of sending it to be recycled. Plastic! Oh, I could rant for hours on plastic, but I won’t. It is one item that is easily reused and recycled…. but it’s EASIER to just throw it away. I’ve been told (quite strongly, actually) that it is the JOB of the trash men to sort out the trash. Maybe that was true years ago, but not any longer. I remember going to the dump and seeing where the appliances and other usable items were put out where you could retrieve them, if you were so inclined. Watching the trucks lined up at the modern dumps – excuse me, “landfills ” – you can see how impossible that would be now.

Do you know that you can take in your aluminum and get paid for it? Also other metals?

Then we have glass. I love glass containers. They are non-reactive, so anything can be stored in glass safely. I’d love to see the deposit put back on glass bottles so that we could exchange them. We have a new shop here that sells spices, and she’ll use your glass bottles to put them in for you. Pretty cool, because it saves us both money, and eliminates waste.

Finally, let me touch on water. Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink… how dependent we are on water! Without water, there is no life, yet we squander it daily as if it is limitless. There is another water that we desperately need, too, even more than we need the water that flows from our taps. I’m talking about the Living Water of Jesus Christ. Do you know that water?

“In GOD, Whose Word I praise— in GOD I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Psalm 56:4 (https://psalm.bible/psalm-56-4)

We can only reach this fearlessness the psalmist talks about by accepting Jesus’ Living Water. To do that; to never be thirsty again, we have to believe and receive the gift Jesus is offering. Just like the woman at the well, we have to be willing to take it.

Jesus told her, “If you knew the Gift of GOD and Who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you Living Water….. Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the Water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the Water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to ETERNAL Life.” John 4:10‭, ‬13‭-‬14 (http://bible.com/111/jhn.4.10-14.NIV)

Rant over.