Category: Thankfulness

Guilty  – or Innocent? Today I Rant!

I can guarantee that someone, today, will be offended by this post, and that’s fine by me. Here goes!

  “It is not good to be partial to the wicked and so deprive the innocent of justice.” – Proverbs 18:5 NIV

This is the dilemma we find ourselves in today. There is the “political correctness” crowd, who insist that those who are in prison should be treated with respect and have access to creature comforts such as air conditioning and televisions and radios. They should be allowed to wear their clothes and their hair the way the want, gangbanger style or redneck or white supremacy or whatever. They “deserve” a variety of food and snacks….. 

And right here is where I stand. Prisons should be just that; PRISON. Oh, I know the arguments for their “rights.” I’ve heard them, and I soundly reject them. I also that that if you listen to the inmates, they are all innocent and deserve better treatment…. Right. As a society, we have bent so far over making sure that the incarcerated receive what they are “entitled ” to, that we have shoved the innocent, the victims, to the side and deprive them of justice. Sheriff Joe Arpaio had the right idea, although he let his ego get in the way and hurt the campaign he started for justice. Convicted criminals don’t deserve amenities. Dress them the same (jumpsuits or scrubs and shoes suitable to their job), shave their heads (yep, even the women), give them a cot to sleep on and maybe one hot meal a day, with sandwiches for lunch and dinner. They should be out working on our roads and bridges, picking up litter along the road, and tending the prison farm so that they can eat. Think that’s too harsh? Then explain to me WHY a prisoner should have better living conditions than thousands upon thousands of our veterans and our elderly? I know there are truly innocent people in prison, and I am sorry they are there. I also believe those people are few and very far between.

  “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the Law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load.” – Galatians 6:1‭-‬6 NIV

As a Christian, I am responsible for my own behavior. Even non-Christians must take responsibility for theirs. I am special in that I am a child of the King, but that does not exempt me from being counseled or punished for what I do. It is also my responsibility to help other Christians who may be straying from the path. NOT judging, but GENTLY showing them through scripture and my actions. It is up to me, and it is a responsibility as a Christian to forgive the sinner. Just note that we are commanded to FORGIVE, NOT forget! I have been pushed and prodded and judged by other Christians when I have strayed, and it was often unpleasant and unproductive. When I am pushed, I push back. It was through gentleness and love that I was able to respond, and return to my Lord. That is the ONLY way to Salvation.

I’m not perfect; I’m far from it. I fail every day in my walk with God, but thankfully, He has washed me clean and lifts me up. He is my Strong Tower. Amen.

  “The NAME of the LORD is a Fortified Tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” – Proverbs 18:10 NIV

(Scriptures are from  http://bible.com/NLT) 

Neutral Ground 

  “There is no neutral ground in the universe. Every square inch, every split second is claimed by God, and counterclaimed by Satan.” C.S. Lewis, @CSLewisDaily 

Wow. Just contemplate this statement for a minute. In case you don’t know C.S. Lewis, he was a committed atheist for years before he surrendered to God:

“You must picture me alone in that room in Magdalen  [College, Oxford], night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet. That which I greatly feared had at last come upon me. In the Trinity Term of 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England.” (Source: Wikipedia.org)

Lewis was a scholar and a prolific writer, who took his Christianity seriously and wrote in such a way as to introduce a Living God to unbelievers and believers alike. I think most everyone is familiar with his Narnia series, and it is a wonderful, imaginative and fanciful way to show the principles of Christianity to those who wouldn’t see them, otherwise.  J.R.R. Tolkien did the same thing with his Lord of the Rings books. If you are unfamiliar with the writings of either of these men, I would highly recommend them! This scripture from the Psalms seems to reflect on them: 

  “Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing Your instructions. Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me Life through Your Word.” – Psalms 119:29‭, ‬37 NLT

I realize that fantasy doesn’t appeal to everyone, so rest assured that both authors wrote many other books on Christianity and our relationship with Christ. 

Looking at the term “neutral ground,” I consider the route I traveled the past couple of days, driving from Tucson AZ, back to the Oklahoma City area. Coming up out of Tucson, we (me and the pups) took the scenic route through the Santa Catalina mountains, then on through the Salt River Canyon. One word describes it for me: Breathtaking! Our Creator God took the desert and decorated it with dozens (hundreds?) of species of cacti and grasses and trees in fantastic shapes and colors you won’t see anywhere else in the world. The monsoons began while I was in Tucson, so everything was brilliant shades of green. The trip through the canyon is awesome. Yes, it is a steep grade (mostly 8%) and switchbacks, and if you have never experienced anything like it, well, you should! At the rest stop at the bottom of the canyon, you can walk across the old bridge and watch as the river roars through, and literally crane your neck backward in order to see the top of the canyon on either side. How can anyone stand there and NOT see the Hand of God? At the same time as I am worshipping my God,  I have to stop and think about the statement by Lewis. “…. Every square inch is claimed by God, and counterclaimed by Satan.” God created an incredible, breathtakingly beautiful earth, and Satan turns it around and tries to corrupt it. The canyon is gorgeous  – and treacherous. The desert is the same, full of fantastic plants and animals – which the enemy has crammed with dangerous reptiles and plants which can cause serious damage. It’s like a glimpse of heaven and hell smashed together. 

Coming out of the canyon, you’ll see a completely different kind of desert, then through pines and firs as the road continues into the White Mountains. I love this route in large part because of its contrasts. When you leave the White Mountains and come out into red rock Painted Desert country, there is a whole new world of contrasts. Towering bluffs and mesa after mesa … red rocks and colors stacked on top of each other.  It’s Tony Hillerman and Louie L’Amour country, and it is all beautiful. Anyone who thinks anything called “desert” is drab and colorless hasn’t really looked! Driving east on the interstate goes through so many types of country it would take volumes to describe it all. None of it is neutral ground. Throughput my entire trip, the struggle of the enemy against the Creator is so obvious. I see the beauty God and poured out for us, and I see how hard Satan is striving to make it ugly. For myself, I refuse to let the enemy ruin any of it for me. 

It all comes down to choice. Do we allow the enemy to come into our lives and spoil them, or do we choose God? It will NEVER be easy when you choose God, because the enemy will just concentrate harder on making life miserable. Finding JOY in the pain and the ugly is only possible through God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I choose the ground, every square inch, and every split second, claimed by God!

(All scriptures quoted are from http://bible.com/116/NLT)

Christ’s Love

  “Either way, Christ’s Love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for EVERYONE so that those who receive His NEW Life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, Who died and was raised for them.” – 2 Corinthians 5:14‭-‬15 NLT 

Does anyone else struggle with these verses? It isn’t that I don’t believe them, because I do, complete. I suppose my struggle isn’t really the words that Paul writes, but rather with the people I know who profess to be Christian. I’ve said it before, and I will reiterate it again: I am NOT perfect. I fail miserably at being a Christian, and continually slide into sinful behavior. I want to live for Christ, and I strive to do so. I’ve said that so that I can present my dilemma. If a person professes to be a Christian, and they believe they are a child of the Almighty LORD, how can they curse with abandon, lose their temper, make rude gestures at others who irritate them, and/or continue with behavior that are blatantly un-Christian?

I understand backsliding. Been there, done that; still do it. I also believe that the Gospels preach that we are ONCE saved. There are no do-overs. Once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, it’s a done deal. I cannot become unsaved. 

  “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have LIGHT from the LORD. So live as people of Light! For this Light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Carefully determine what pleases the LORD. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the LORD wants you to do.” – Ephesians 5:8‭-‬12‭, ‬17 NLT

I understand broken people. I believe that our GOD  uses brokenness to show how brightly His Light can shine through the cracks. Once we have fallen into the darkness of the enemy, we crack and fade. Through the redemption of our LORD, we are pieced back together… and He leaves cracks and holes for the new Light of Jesus to shine through. It’s a beautiful sight to see! So where does this leave us, with the professing Christian who lives like any other person instead of striving to let go of the old man and embracing the new? It is not for me to judge, or even to speculate whether that person has been born again in Christ Jesus. That judgement belongs to the LORD. The only way I know to deal with these people is to pray…. and that is a HUGE  thing to be doing. The power of prayer is astounding. 

If you are like me, and you have family and friends who profess Christ but don’t live Christ, I hope you’ll join me in prayer for them to see where the Light is coming from, and realize that they are hiding it from the world with their behavior. “Jesus Loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

  “Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the LORD in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to GOD the Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Ephesians 5:18‭-‬20 NLT  (http://bible.com/116/eph.5.8-17.NLT)

I Am Rich

Every time I read this verse from Matthew, I look around me and see how tremendously God has blessed me! Whether it was my little 600 sq ft trailer in NM, or my beautiful home I’m in now… When I let go and let God, life is good. He provides for me. It’s when I become complacent, and ‘forget’ to put Him first that things start to go downhill. It is so easy to be distracted by all the things around me; the trying to keep up with others.

  “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.  Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.  Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” – Matthew 6:21 NLT 

For the past few days, I have been privileged and blessed to spend time with my Mom. Just the two of us (well, with her AND my 2 little dogs!) It has been a time of remembering and blessing, and a special treat for me because I live far enough away that it is difficult to be here. I have been reminded that our time here on earth may be (is) limited, but we are assured of an eternity  together in heaven. I remember, LORD, that ALL I need is YOU. Your Word, Your Love, Your acceptance. Keep my mind centered on You. Our relationships here on earth are important, but it is the relationship we have with Christ that is MOST important. No matter how strong or how tattered our human relationships may be, here is the one that literally counts for all. This next scripture from the Revelation of John may be the most important thing you ever read. It can change your life – here on earth AND for eternity….
  “I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among His people! He will live with them, and they will be His people. GOD Himself will be with them.  And He also said, “It is finished! I AM the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the Water of Life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their GOD, and they will be My children. But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” ” – Revelation 21:3‭, ‬6‭-‬8 NLT (http://bible.com/NLT)
    Billy Graham – “God says that only those who hunger after righteousness will receive it. God thrusts this heavenly manna on no one. You must desire it, above everything else. Your yearning for God must supersede all other desires. It must be like a gnawing hunger and a burning thirst. Almighty God, my soul is parched and I’m so hungry without the spiritual food You so desire to give me. Take away anything in my life that would cause me not to give You pre-eminence.”

It’s that easy. A simple prayer – God, I know I’m a sinner. I acknowledge that Your Son Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah,  and my only salvation. I open my heart and mind and soul to You, Lord. Come into my heart today. Save me, Lord Jesus. YOU are the ONLY way to God. Amen.

How can we beat an offer like that?

Prayer

 “O LORD, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning. Listen to my cry for help, my KING and my GOD, for I pray to no one but You. Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to You and wait expectantly. But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread Your protection over them, that all who love Your Name may be filled with Joy. For You bless the godly, O LORD; You surround them with Your Shield of Love.” – Psalms 5:1‭-‬3‭, ‬11‭-‬12 (http://bible.com/.NLT)

Thinking about all of the people in my family this morning who are in need of prayer. I know our GOD doesn’t allow us to have any more than we can handle AS LONG AS WE RELY ON HIM. We sometimes joke as a family (well, okay, I sometimes joke) that our family is the “odds” family. By that, I mean that if there is a 1 in a million chance of having a specific medical issue (type of cancer, disease, etc), my immediate family seems to hit it. It can be hard to take. We are currently dealing with several different types of diseases and cancers and illnesses that are either extremely rare or at least unusual, as well as joblessness and other stresses. I CAN’T handle any of it on my own. I have to rely on God and give Him praise and Glory for the blessings that are in my life instead of focusing on the negative. Life is, indeed, hard. Life with Jesus is still hard, but when He through the Holy Spirit is carrying the load, at least we can step forward, even if it is one baby steps at a time. I have many friends who are also struggling.  

With Jesus, and lots of prayer and meditation, life is GOOD. As Elizabeth Elliott said:

HOPE Springs Eternnal

You might hear this phrase frequently in our house. We currently have 2 small dogs who know quite well that they don’t get “people” food, and they definitely don’t get fed from our plates…. yet you can clearly see that “hope springs eternal,” especially from the smallest one. He sits and watches our every move, hoping we’ll relent and give him a bite. (It hasn’t worked yet!) Unlike my little dog, my Hope really DOES spring eternal, because my HOPE comes from God and not mankind.

  Jesus replied, “I tell you the Truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of GOD. … The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit. … No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. … 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. … There is NO judgment against anyone who believes in Him. But anyone who does not believe in Him has already been judged for not believing in GOD’S One and Only Son.” –John 3:3‭, ‬8‭-‬8‭, ‬13‭, ‬16‭-‬16‭, ‬18 NLT (from http://bible.com/116/jhn.3.3-18.NLT)

Where do you find nope in your life? My prayer is that you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, as I have. He is the ONLY way to find true peace and hope in this world, in spite of the curve balls that the enemy continues to throw at us. The LORD knows our frustration and our concerns, and He wants us to give them to Him so that He can deal with them…. in HIS time. He knows how worried I can let myself become since I lost my job over a year ago and still haven’t been able to find a new one. I have to consciously choose to be content and to rest in His Arms, and trust in His timing. For a control freak, I assure you that is no small feat! 

GOD is Good, all the time. He has blessed me beyond anything I could ever imagine. My true treasure is in Him, and no matter how hard life becomes,  I know that He has my back. I can rest assured in Him.

See Me ROAR

There’s a lot to take in and absorb in the following scriptures. Only 7 short verses, but extremely important for us to pay attention to as followers of Jesus Christ. 

  “Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters.  Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies. Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery. Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For GOD has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” So we can say with confidence, “The LORD is my Helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” Remember your leaders who taught you the Word of GOD. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.” – Hebrews 13:1‭-‬7 

There is so much emphasis throughout scripture on how to treat others. Love and honor, being hospitable, respect, learning to be content…. common themes, but how well do we put them into practice? So many people have left the church because of the way they were treated. Maybe we don’t dress correctly, or smell nice; we don’t have the right type of job or we aren’t driving a good enough vehicle or live in the nicer neighborhoods. Could be we’ve done time in prison, or committed adultery or openly lived in sin. Perhaps we have left and abusive relationship, or suffer from some type of disfigurement…. Too many churches are strictly superficial and can’t abide anyone who doesn’t meet their standards. Those churches may have Christians in the membership, but they are not biblical churches. Hypocrites and the pious are not representing Christ, but we have to keep in mind that we are ALL hypocrites who have fallen short! The very best church – in my humble opinion  – is that church that is full of sinners and the fallen; the people who have accepted that they are sinners saved by Grace and God’s Mercy.

As the saying goes, “There, but for the Grace of God, go I.” You may be the wealthiest person alive, but that won’t save you. Money, power, and prestige mean absolutely nothing without the saving power of the Holy Spirit. Yes, I’m getting all preachy, and if you don’t like it, well, it really doesn’t matter to me. The only thing that matters is the Truth of GOD’S Word. I have to take care daily that I am receptive to the Word, and I have to be conscious and vigilant of my thoughts. I fail constantly! Peter reminds us:

  “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.”- 1 Peter 5:8‭-‬9 ( All scriptures quoted are from http://bible.com/116/1pe.5.8-9.NLT)

Whether entertaining angels or ministering to the elderly, widows, or orphans; being respectful to the person you really just want to spit on; remember WHO we represent…. and HELP each other! LOVE really is the answer, when we realize Who Love is.

Beautiful 

Oh, what a beautiful day the Lord has made!

It is written, ” ‘You can be sure that I live,’ says the Lord. ‘And you can be just as sure that every knee will bow down in front of me. Every tongue will tell the truth to God.’ ” (Isaiah 45:23) Rom 14:11

Men, please take this and the next verse to heart. If your women – wives, girlfriends, daughters, and mothers – were treated this way, can you imagine how much better our world would be? Understand, too, that the word “weaker” does NOT mean inferior, or less intelligent, or less important. 

“Husbands, take good care of your wives. They are weaker than you. So treat them with respect. Honor them as those who will share with you the gracious gift of life. Then nothing will stand in the way of your prayers.” 1 Peter 3:7

When you men treat us, the women in your lives, with courtesy and as if we are special, I can guarantee the results will be good! Try it and find out!

Living in the Spirit 

  “​Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.” – Galatians 5:25‭-‬26

God knows how far short of this admonition we fall! It is true that when we follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit, we are better people and better examples to the world. Of course, as we all know (whether we admit it or not!), we have a really hard time hearing the whisper of the LORD over the VERY enticing voice of our enemy. We will sin. That’s a given. It is NOT a given that we have to stay mired down in that sin. God has provided us with a way to get out of the “mud” that is sin, and He has given us a way to come clean. By becoming the Living Water, Jesus is able to wash us so clean that there is no trace of the dirt.

  “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the One who is truly Righteous. He Himself is the Sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of ALL the world.” – 1 John 2:1‭-‬2 

In the United States, we are so blessed to be able to learn about Jesus without the oppression of a tyrant or a godless government. Sometimes I wonder, though, if our freedom gets in the way of God. Perhaps being unable to worship freely and in the open makes the Gift of Salvation all the more precious. Certainly something to think about.

(Scriptures are from  http://bible.com/NLT)