Crushing The Tents Of The Wicked

Not all battles are fought the same way. And not every battle has the same impact. Some are skirmishes while other battles call for mass troops and heavy weaponry.

But for those private wars that every saint battles, the outcome matters. It matters because our victory or defeat has a profound effect in our relationships. God can speak a wonderful, reassuring message of hope and encouragement. A word to remind us the battle is already won in Christ.

Or He can let the enemy tell you himself.

God tells Gideon to go down to the edge of the enemy's camp to listen to what the enemy is saying about him.

It says, "Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. "I had a dream," he was saying. "A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed." His friend responded, "This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands." (Judges 7:13-14, NIV).

I want to suggest, beloved, these tents represent the habitation of the ungodly and the wicked. David says, "Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked" (Psalms 84:10). We read in Judges 7:12 that the vast army settled like locusts in the valley. Whenever the wicked encroach, they cross a boundary line and try to set up camp like squatters on your property.

But the man goes on to describe in his dream of a barely loaf rolling down the hill so violently it smashes the tent and causes it to collapse!

I want to suggest the bread is the Lord, the Bread of Life, which rolls over our strongholds, those dwelling places where the enemy has tried to set up camp and settle in our hearts and mind. Often these tents can be mindsets, attitudes and lifestyles that are worldly, unholy and a nesting place for the enemy.

How does God do this breaking and smashing of wicked habitations? I believe He does this by the power of His voice. Psalms 29:4-5 says, "The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon" (NIV).

When we allow God's word speak into our circumstances, you can be sure the enemy must flee at the sound of His voice!


The Lord thundered from heaven,
and the Most High uttered his voice.
And he sent out arrows and scattered them;
lightning, and routed them.
Then the channels of the sea were seen;
the foundations of the world were laid bare,
at the rebuke of the Lord,
at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
“He sent from on high, he took me;
he drew me out of many waters.
He rescued me from my strong enemy,
from those who hated me,
for they were too mighty for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support.
He brought me out into a broad place;
he rescued me, because he delighted in me.
II Samuel 22:14-20

The Lowest Hell

Have you ever found yourself in a place where you know you shouldn't have been in the first place only to return again and again? Did you find yourself sinking deeper into the mire of sin, losing your soul to some passing lust? One more encounter. Just one more hit. One last sip. Did you struggle to break free only to resign to a hellish like existence while outwardly appearing as if you have it all together?

No one knows the tormenting thoughts. The memories that mock as if to say, "If only they knew the hideous things you did in the dark." The lies you spun into exciting and attractive stories only to distract people from knowing the truth. The secret places you go for a little relief, an escape from a harsh reality.

Then it all comes crashing down.

You eventually lose control. Too many lies to keep straight. The hidden drinking problem that leads to a horrible car wreck. The wife who discovers something you posted on the internet. You cry out to God but He seems so far away. The only thing you feel is the blast of heat from the hellish torment of being bound by sin and vexed by devils. There seems no way out. You are a captive to your own foolishness.

Beloved, there is a way through and out of the lowest hell. God's mercy is available to those who call out to Him.

Read Psalms 86. A prayer by David who knew something about a hellish nightmare after his sin of adultery and murder. His house was divided and broken. Yet he writes, "For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell (verse 13, KJV).

God is not afraid of your hell, that secret place of torment, where there is no peace. He will walk through the flames to rescue you, dear brother and sister. Stretch out your hands to Him, raise your eyes to the heavens, and ask for His mercy. He will visit you right where you live. Psalms 139:8 says, "If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there" (KJV).

When you invite Him into those darken places, God's presence can only push back the darkness and His light swallows up all the pain, sin and shame. Only because of His presence can the lowest hell become a place of the greatest deliverance and testimony of His mercy to save you to the utmost!

Hope Arises

On the best day things may be going well in meeting deadlines, conversing with difficult customers and tackling project milestones. Outside of work, your relationships are stronger and sweeter even when there is a disagreement or conflict, it almost always gives way to an agreeable atmosphere. Still you can laugh and enjoy the moment together because there is a sense of support and care.

You may be a person who rarely feels down or depressed, but still there is a moment for everyone when the weight of life presses down on your shoulders. Many do well in navigating these times when life feels low and cloudy. Others only sink like a stone to the bottom of murky waters, weighted down by an overwhelming sense of failure and despair.

The Psalmist writes in Psalms 42:1, "Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God."

When we are downcast and find ourselves in a dark and isolated place, we need to ask God to guard our hearts from any accusations of Him abandoning or leaving us on our own to figure it out. While we remain surrendered to His care, He is still at work and in complete control over every area our lives. Take comfort beloved, God is familiar with all of our ways. Not one tear, a hidden sigh in the heart or downcast glance is lost on God. He fully understands what is happening in that moment in our hearts and how it makes us feel.

Our response is to place our hope in Him.

How do you find hope when everything around is failing? Relationships are painful and fear abounds in being left behind? Your job is at stake because you can't keep up the pace? Or spending time in prayer and reading God's word seem almost futile against the raging lust you battle?

To overcome despair is to place our hope in a Person, Jesus Christ. Beloved, let's consider these moments when we are down as an opportunity to finally put to rest there is no other relief, comfort, or answer except in Christ. We exhaust and frustrate ourselves in seeking out some other solace, something to lift our spirits. When we experience sad, stormy weather in our soul, let the Lord be our anchor of hope(Hebrews 6:19).

Behold, the eye of the LORD [is] upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy. Psalms 33:18 (KJV)

When God Knocks

As usual, we drove to the city to attend church. While waiting for service to start, we walked to a favorite grocery store that had a huge selection of bakery items and hot food. We found a table and pulled out the Sunday newspaper rolled up in my knapsack. My wife and I shared a nice warm breakfast when I glanced up from the paper and looked about me.

During lunch the store would be completely packed with standing room only for eating and shopping. It is a challenge to navigate around the chaos of shopping carts, people holding trays of food and store employees trying to keep the place clean and tidy.

I noticed the man beside me or rather the half gallon of milk sitting on the table. He too was busy having breakfast, so I supposed, until I noticed he was talking to himself and his eyes were half closed. He seemed lost in his own world.

Later, we got up to go to church, when the Lord spoke to my heart. Invite him to church. My rational mind said he's pretty much checked out, what would he understand? But the impression grew so strong that I pulled out from my bag a simple gospel track and wrote the name of the church and time. I approached him with a smile letting him know I have something for him to read and if he's interested, he's welcome to attend church. His head bobbed up and down while his questioning eyes were fixed on me. A couple next him suddenly stopped talking to over hear the transaction.

Jesus says in Revelation 3:20, "Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends" (NLT).

I believe the invitation is not just to unbelievers but to the redeemed. God wants to enter into the deepest places in our heart. For the man at the store who had a troubled mind, God knocks. To the Christians gathered at the church, He walks the aisles, stops and knocks at their hearts.

When God visits you, it can be surprising who or what He uses, but beloved, open your heart to Him. The God who can walk through walls can walk right past all the barriers and walls in your heart but He chooses to stand outside and knock. Will you let Him in today?

Christ Our Inheritance

We live in one of the wealthiest counties in New York. It doesn't mean everyone (including myself) has the substantial income or financial means to enjoy luxury. At this time, my wife is without work so we live on a tight budget with most of my income paying for housing, food and other bills.

During our weekend trips (something that only cost as much as the gasoline needed in the car), we drive past by many beautiful and stately homes nestled on a hill over looking the Hudson River or near the coastline with a sweeping view of the Atlantic.

Jesus warns not store up treasure on earth where moth, rust or thieves can break in and steal (Matthew 6:19). Remember those beautiful homes? The taxes for some of these homes are so high as upward to $63,000.00 to over $100,000.00. And of course there are other expenses that come with owning such a home.

While God may have blessed some with the resources to have such wonderful and beautiful possessions, everyone one of us, including myself, is warned not to store up treasures on earth, but in heaven.

Even an inheritance can be depleted for any number of reasons. However, in Christ there is no end or lack to the riches of His inheritance as Isaiah 64:4 describes, “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.”

With our inheritance in Christ, comes a new position. In Romans 8:16-17 we are called heirs and co-heirs. Not only are we an heir who is the first in line of succession, but we are also co-heirs. This means we share in the inheritance of the heavenly Father with (or through) the chief heir, Jesus Christ.

Jesus is called the Firstborn (Colossians 1:15) and so the firstborn son receives a double portion (Deuteronomy 21:17). All said, through Christ we have a rich inheritance purchased by His blood that no one can take from us! An inheritance unlike any fading, worldly goods of homes, lands and other possessions. Christ is our inheritance.

A Living Sacrifice

Paul writes in his letter to the Romans, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" (12:1, KJV).

What does it mean to present your bodies as a living sacrifice unto God?

Think of the various "gates" like the mouth, ears and eyes where we allow things to enter while others things need to be kept out. What is coming out of our mouths? Jesus says it's not what goes in the mouth that defiles a man or woman but comes out of it (Matthew 15:11). Are we blessing and encouraging others or are we speaking foolishly and complaining?

What are we listening to throughout the day? Remember faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Imagine what listening to the world's voice can do by undermining faith and trust in Christ! Are we listening for the voice of the Lord or lending our ears to worldly music, godless talk radio or the seductive voices of materialism? What is our eyes watching? Are we fixated on th the things we covet and lust or is our eyes fixed on Christ seated above?

Paul describes this act of offering our bodies as a reasonable service. It's reasonable when we think of how Christ freely loved us enough to die on the cross. We can't add or take away from the finished work of Calvary by any fleshly efforts. But as an expression of obedience, we can yield our bodies to Him as instruments of righteousness.

Let me encourage you beloved that before you start the day, raise your hands to Him. I make an attempt to do this quite regularly during my time of prayer. Name the body parts you are offering. "God, take my hands let them be used to build and strengthen others by helping them." or "God, I offer my legs to you that I will run to you and will use them to stand on your promises".

Beloved, be very personal with Him when offering your body. Many of us have abused and misused our bodies and there are parts of our body that too often lend itself to temptation.

What does God do when we finish offering ourselves? Like Elijah who prayed after confronting the false prophets of Baal, fire fell from heaven and consumed not just the sacrifice but the altar as well (I Kings 18:38)! So too, God will receive your offering and fill you more of His power, might and strength to overcome the flesh.

Thanksgiving

The thanksgiving offering is one of the few bloodless sacrifices (Leviticus 7:12-13) but it is one of the more challenging because praise does not flow naturally from our lips.

Psalms 50:14-15 says, "Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me" (KJV). Before there is any deliverance, thanksgiving must be offered up to God and when we are rescued, we glorify Him.

And we read in Hebrews 13:5 "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that openly profess his name" (NIV).

Rather most of us complain, grumble, gossip or malign others when things go wrong (or even right but it's not enough!). I would suggest complaining is a form of Satanic worship. Complaining often turns inward and downward with a focus on self rather than an outward and upward worship directed to God.

And complaining can quickly turn into bitter accusations hurled at God. We see this played out in the lives of the Israelites wandering in the desert who grumbled about God's provision of food and water. They wanted to return to Egypt than live out in the wilderness. Sadly, none of that generation saw the Promise Land, except Joshua and Caleb.

As mentioned earlier, when we offer thanksgiving, God will deliver us. Think of Paul and Silas in jail who were offering up praise to God when a mighty earthquake shook the inner prison. Chains were broken and the prisoners were set free (Acts 16:25).

We can remain bound if we complain or we can be free when we open our lips to simply say, "Thank you, Jesus."

When Failure Ends In Triumph

Beloved, in Christ we can't fail. The Lord says, "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (I John 4:4, NIV).

Make no mistake. We do have times when we fail, make terrible mistakes and don't get it right. But a life in Christ is not defined by failure but rather triumph. We read in 2 Corinthians 2:14, "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place" (KJV).

What good comes out failure? Is it simply to learn another lesson of what not to do next time? Is it to show as if by some evidence that we are truly weak? Is it to prove to others we can't help but fall flat on our face when temptation comes knocking on our door?

When there is a crisis or difficulty, I believe the world doesn't want to see a well-polished, happy and bright Christian quoting Scriptures all the day (I'm not saying a Christian can not experience joy and be presentable - I'm addressing the attitude of inauthenticity).

Rather what may be surprising to some is that the world is more drawn to a Christian when he or she fails.

When we respond in peace rather than going to a thousand pieces, it speaks to the world of God's sovereign peace ruling over our hearts and minds. Yes, we are in pain and broken, but not given over to despair and darkness. When the boss is right to correct a mistake we made, especially when he or she comes across harsh and unfeeling, we agree rather than argue. When we fail, we ask for help and forgiveness quickly, we listen and speak less, we pray more rather than dish out our opinions.

Beloved, when we respond rightly in times of failure, we are more triumphant than we know because others are watching and desiring to have the same power, strength and God we serve! Failure will open up doors for those who want to know how is it that you can survive and not die!

Honor Thy Father

There is a promise for those who honor their father (and mother) in Ephesians 6:2, "Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth" (KJV). And in Exodus 20:12, "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee" (KJV).

These promises offer longevity and wellness from honoring the father. The father may be imperfect, difficult or unfeeling, but God's promises are without defect to those who obey His word.

Today my father turned 70 years old. I called him to wish him a happy birthday. I must have repeated his age so many times that he stopped me short. "Why do you keep saying it, now I feel old!"

I thought for a minute before saying, "We have so much to do, letters to write and calls to each other." I swallowed hard. "I just don't want it all end, one day." On the other line there was deafening silence before my father broke in with a some subject on Mom being too old. He let out a hearty laugh, breaking the tension.

My mind went back to that day four years ago. It was early in the morning when God spoke to my heart. Take out a pen and paper and trace your hand. Then send it to your father asking for his prayers. At that time, I was very ill from the side effects of an antibiotic to treat strep throat. Later there was another doctor's report for some other health matter resulting in more illness. So I wrote out my prayer request and folded up the paper with trembling hands.

Sometime later, the Lord said, it's arrived in the mail. It was the night I was flying out to meet my family in Florida to ask for their prayers and to pray with them. I opened the mailbox and inside was a short, white envelope. It was a letter from my father. I wept. 15 years of silence was broken.

Inside the envelope was the same folded sheet of paper with my traced hand when I notice something else. I held the sheet of paper up to the sunlight. There was oil smudges. He had anointed it with oil!

Over the next two years we quietly exchanged letters. Each letter brought more healing and strength. I was learning about a man who was nearly a stranger in my childhood. We could be in the same room, but he was quite absent and disengaging. Now, we write as often as possible. Then one day my wife walks out of the house where I was standing in the front yard, "You got to go hear the voice message." I listened for the first time the sound of my father's voice. "Call me, son."

Honoring my father was the hardest thing to do for someone I'd blamed much of my life's failure and sin until God broke the arrogance and pride in my heart. I'm learning the best way to honor my father is simply be a son. No pretense, no demands, no asking a lot of questions though my heart aches at times, but say simply, "Daddy, I love you." As always there is a long pause, then a voice that bursts over the line with a certain formality wry humor, "I love you, too son."

Blame Shifting

Blame shifting is as old as Adam and Eve. After the fall, the man placed the blamed squarely on Eve's shoulder who in turned pointed her finger at the devil (Genesis 3:12-13).

Even children, we have a way of making blame shifting a fine art after we are caught doing something we were told not to do.

The most common expression when we didn't have someone to blame, "He (or She) made me do it". As if to say, this faceless, nameless individual physically forced me to disobey. What was I to do? I'm a victim of another person's disobedience. Truth be told, some of us wanted to do whatever we pleased simply because it was forbidden, off limits or prohibited. The other excuse, "you didn't tell me" as if to reason away something we instinctively knew was wrong from the start.

Sadly, some of us (including myself) at times have carried this behavior into adulthood which can have a terrible impact in relationships. Fingers are pointed, accusations fly and voices protest feigned innocence to justify sins committed against God and each other. He or she said this or that and that's why I did it. How was I to know when you don't talk to me anymore?

When we shift the burden of blame to God, we cross a dangerous line. Notice Adam and Eve shifted blame to each other, but never to God. Even the forked-tongue serpent was quiet though he had lots to say to Eve but nothing when God was present. This says a lot about the nature of blame shifting. When there is blame shifting, the burden of proof is never in proportion to the truth. We lie, twist and distort whatever we heard or what we wanted to hear to justify blaming another person other than ourselves until we are confronted by the truth.

Beloved, to be free from this sin of blame shifting and excusing our failures as a result of another person's mistakes, we must ask the Lord to reveal truth in the most inward parts.

Psalms 51:6 says, "Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom." When we allow the Word of God to settle deep in our hearts, it matters not what others tell us about their version of truth. Or our desire to tell our side of the truth. We know from the Scriptures, Christ is Truth, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." (John 17:17). God's truth will remain, the only authority, no one dares to blame.

No Hatred

Elisabeth ten Boom (1885-1944) or known as Betsie, suffered along with her sister Corrie Ten Boom in Ravensbruck Concentration Camp, Germany, where she eventually died at age 59 from Pernicious anemia.

After Corrie was released as a result of a clerical error, she would travel the world telling her story, write several books and even have a film inspired by The Hiding Place.

Betsie's life and death was never overshadowed by her sister rather she was very much a part of Corrie's work, having received visions from God to what she was to do upon her release. Corrie faithfully carried out the work until her death in 1983 at age 91.

While there are many quotes taken from Corrie's work, some of Betsie's words still hold a lot of meaning even 69 years from her passing.

One such quote is, "No hatred, Corrie."

It was a warning to her sister not to give into the spirit of the age which ruled so cruelly and wickedly during that horrible time.

The Scripture that freed Corrie from the snare of hatred was Romans 5:5. Paul writes, "And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." In that moment she realized, God's love poured into her was stronger than the hatred in her heart. Only God's love could overcome hatred.

Beloved, for some, cruel and painful things were committed against us. Some of us have not see justice in the way we desire to right the wrongs and for others, justice is too late. But to hate means to remain bound, a captive to the wounding and to the darkness inflicted on us. It means shutting out any life and light of God in those places.

Yes, only God's love can dispel the hatred we battle in our hearts and minds toward people who wounded us (some may not even be aware of it). When we have this revelation of God's powerful love, when God directs, we can extend forgiveness which little or no resistance and difficulty, but offer it freely.

The Song Of Nature

My wife and I visited Bear Mountain State Park. We drove up a steep road to a scenic view point.

At the top, our breath was taken away by the beauty of the mountains. Thick green, leafy trees clothed the mountain peaks, rounding off the rough edges and steep ravines. Then we climbed several flights in a stone tower which gave a 360 degree panoramic view of the mountain and the Hudson River snaking its way along the valley floor.

One of my first impressions was the order of nature. Every tree was accounted for by God. Every green thing in its rightful place and fulfilling its expected function. The mountain heights and depths of the valley long ago was considered and weighed by the Creator. This beautiful canvas was not some chaotic or random mishap. No Big Bang Theory could every have conceived and executed such orderly beauty.

You can't help but feel your spirit lift with such majestic beauty. There arises in your heart a song of worship because all of nature speaks of the glory of God (Psalms 19: 1). But even among such beauty the Scriptures says nature groans awaiting for our adoption (Romans 8:23).

I look at the stately trees and at the strong, immovable brownish-gray boulders resting on the mountain peak. My eyes trace the distant river winding and curving around the mountains. I can't help to wonder if one day nature will break order and worship the Lord, perhaps at His return.

Isaiah says, "For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands" (NIV). And Luke 19:40 says, "If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!" (NLT).

Who Me?

We read in the book of Judges of a man called Gideon.

In Judges 6:11 it says, "The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites" (NIV).

You can imagine Gideon's surprise when the angel says, "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior." (verse 12). Look, he might have said, "I'm hiding in a wine press beating wheat so the enemy doesn't steal it! This is after all the Promised Land, but we are overtaken and starving and you are calling me a mighty warrior? Where is God?"

God sees in us what we can never imagine because we are so fixed on our circumstances. Beloved, sadly, we have limited God in what He can accomplish in our lives because we are ensnared by unanswered questions. We have defined our weakness as being a liability rather than a weapon in God's hand to bring about a great deliverance. We don't fight from a place of strength but from weakness. In our weakness, the power of God is known! Most of us have all but lost hope there could be any lasting change in the world around us even if God was to visit us to welcome us into the battle.

If you read through the passage, God never answers Gideon's questions.

Where is the God that we heard about in the past who delivered us from the Egyptians? (verse 13) God encourages Gideon to go in the strength he possesses. Gideon protests. God, my family is not significant besides we are poor so what difference could I make to save a nation? (verse 15). Once again, God gives him the comfort of being with him and assures Gideon of a great victory (verse 16).

How many questions and concerns do we tell God when He asks us to do something that is beyond our capabilities? Can we push past what we see in the natural and shake off our fears and doubts to see with supernatural vision what God sees?

Sadly, so many believers will demand answers before obeying the Lord and will miss out a special blessing God has in store for them. Gideon's questions are not answered but he does obey the Lord and wins a huge victory.

God is not afraid of us asking questions but only ask that we believe Him. Believe that He is enough even if we go trembling into battle with a thousand questions. Do you think that after winning the victory that Gideon still had questions? No, I believe, as a result of the outcome, those questions were all answered simply by seeing what God accomplished in his weakness.

Think On These Things...Honesty

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines honesty as free from fraud or deception.

Remember Caleb and Joshua who came back with a good and honest report (yes, there were giants in the land), but God has given them into our hands! But the other remaining spies came back with an evil report which resulted in the Israelites not entering into the Promise Land.

They made a feeble attempt by rebelling against God's command not to go up and as a result chased down the hill and defeated. Then God marched them back into the wilderness where an entire generation would die in a howling wasteland, except for Joshua and Caleb.

They could not think on those things that God honestly would do for them to keep His promise to provide, defend and give them victory.

The word honest (or honorable) appears only seven times in the King James Version. All of the entries are in found in the New Testament. Interestingly, of the six, honesty is kalos which means among other descriptions as quality that is beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, precious, useful, suitable, commendable and admirable.

Honesty is attractive characteristic considering we live in a world where pretense, lying, and shaving the truth abounds.

There is a different meaning found in Philippians 4:8 where the Greek word is semnos which means to reverence or venerate (worship), having weight or gravity. Honesty has substance much like gold that has been tried, tested and refined.

An honest person isn't one who has never told a lie but knows in those moments where it's possible to lie, refuses to be dishonest and fraudulent. Lies have a strange way of being exposed and coming back around, especially when the Holy Spirit convicts us to repent and make it right.

When we think on things that are honest, that is free from fraud and deception, it produces in us a spirit of worship. When we are honest with Him, there is nothing we are trying to hide, so we can worship openly and freely.

The Injustice Of Anger

James writes, "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires" (James 1:19-20, NIV). In general, a problem with anger is a more common struggle with men than with women. We have moments when we are displeased even angry but how we respond matters.

After his offering was not accepted, it matter how Cain responded to God who asked him was he was so angry (Genesis 4:6-7). God in His sovereign grace was giving Cain an opportunity to master the anger rather having it rule over him. In the end, Cain rose up and killed his brother.

Where I live they are constantly on the move and will not wait for people to cross the roads even if there is a walk light permitting it. On the way home, I watched as woman take the hand of a little boy and carefully walked across the street. While waiting, a car behind me beep the horn. I became angry and beeped my horn in return and leaned out of my window to see the driver while turning the car. Then I tapped my brakes deliberately as if to dig my heels into the ground. I turned to wife who was frowning, "I can't believe these drivers! Don't they see someone walking across the street? What do they want me to do run them over?"

My wife talked me off the edge with the truth as she spoke softly, "Honey, it's your pride not so much an injustice." I had to agree that I was in the wrong but the anger in my heart continue to simmer followed by a wave of regret for my childish actions.

Fleshly anger never produces life but only destruction. Anger can come in so many different forms, but the bottom line is anger is an attempt to justify one's action as being righteous. It's a righteousness that has nothing do with God's righteousness that always produces peace. We are never to right the wrongs done to us but leave it in the hands of God to vindicate us.

Cain never answered God's question but the apostle John gives this response: "Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous" (1 John 3:12, NIV).


“Even as the angry vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them. Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more? Lord Jesus, I prayed, forgive me and help me to forgive him....Jesus, I cannot forgive him. Give me your forgiveness....And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world's healing hinges, but on His. When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives along with the command, the love itself.”
― Corrie ten Boom, The Hiding Place

No Greater Name

There is no greater power than the name of Jesus. Whisper his name and the storms in your soul will cease. Say it at work with awe and reverence and heads will turn. One day the name will be spoken by all who ever lived as knees will bow under the weight of His glorious presence.

Every voice will utter His Son's name regardless if they loved or hated Him. Romans 14:11 says, "For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God" (KJV). And in Isaiah 45:22, "Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear."

History was forever changed, at the angel's announcement, "she will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21, NIV).

No other time in the old testament history was the name of Jesus revealed though there are many prophecies of a coming Savior. Jesus fully God and man, without sin, walked dusty roads, ate, slept and did His Father's work.

Why is this so important?

Because whenever we say the name of Jesus we know He identifies with us having experience everything we go through in our lives. Hebrews 4:15 says, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet he did not sin" (NIV).

Beloved, say the name of Jesus, when you are weary. Jesus is rest to your soul. When you hold the hand of one dying, say His name aloud. Jesus brings life! When you are shopping knowing there is so little money left, call out the name of Jesus. Jesus is the Bread of Life.

There is only one name above other all other names with no greater power than the name of Jesus!

You Are Not Forgotten

This morning God watched you sit up in bed. He stood beside you when you looked at the bathroom mirror. He watched you study the weary lines and understood the many anxious thoughts racing through your mind. God do you see me? I'm so tired of living.

Across the earth, He knelt beside a mother who cried out to Him for her son to come home. Please don't let my boy die! In the same city a young man stumbled and fell flat on his face in the back alley. He'd fallen into the same disgusting sin that he hated. A sin his mother warned time and time again. But God was protecting him, angels aware of every movement, watching over this poor man.

On a warm summer day a man sat on a bench with a Bible on his lap. The fresh cut lawn and stately trees moving at the slightest breeze couldn't ease the war inside his heart. If only I could see you Lord! I desperately need direction and purpose. From behind him, a bird flutter and landed at his feet and stared up at him, wide eyed with expectation. The man couldn't see the Lord sitting beside him, gently directing the bird, as if to say, see this little one? I care for you more than this sparrow.

God is with us, beloved. He is ever present watching over His word to perform it. God gives us a precious promise in Isaiah 49:15, "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!" (NIV).

God will not forget us though we often fail to remember His kindness. You are remembered like the blind woman who wanted to "see" me. She reached up and gently ran her fingers around the shape of my face, the eye sockets, the lips and the check bones and then her finger tips flowed over the ridge of my nose. Every impress of my face was etched in her memory so when I spoke she saw me standing in the room.

You may not see God but He sees you and He will never, never forget you.

When You Are Overwhelmed

Isn't strange how problems pile up like a multiple car crash? Perhaps you can manage one problem a day (better to have none at all) but to have a series of problems on a single day can be too much!

You try to apply the brakes, so to speak, when your problem accelerates only to be struck from behind by another problem! After so many hits, your emotional and physically well being drops. Your spiritual immunity system, so to speak, is lowered and you become vulnerable. Vulnerable to bad attitudes, corrupt mindsets, complaining etc. Most importantly, you need immediate relief, a little rest to catch your breath.

In the book of Daniel 7:25 it says, "And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time" (KJV). The Hebrew word for weary means to become old, wear out. It can also suggest a weariness of the mind through affliction. Satan will throw anything and everything with the single purpose of wearing you down so you can be weak and vulnerable.

But God gives us a precious promise in Psalms 140:7, "O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle" (KJV).

Also, in Isaiah 4:5-6, "Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory will be a canopy. It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain" (NIV).

Beloved, when you feel your mind compressing from the external pressures of anxiety and weariness, call out to God to cover your mind. The enemy may come to you like a fierce storm, but you are protected in God's shelter. Nothing can touch you or harm you.

Remember the fable of the three little pigs and how the wolf threaten to blow down their houses? Satan will try to puff and huff, but you are surrounded by a Rock - immovable, unchangeable and protective!

The Attractiveness Of Christ

As believers, we don't see God with our natural eyes but perceive Him through faith.

However, we all have an image of God through what we read and understand in Scripture, the fellowship with other believers and by our life experiences.

This morning during prayer, I felt impressed by God to read Isaiah 53 where the image of Jesus, the Messiah, is given a few descriptions.

We read in verse 2, "He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him." (NIV).

Jesus is tender yet breaks through the parched landscape. What greater dry ground is the hearts of His own people steeped in unbelief! Unlike the religious rulers, He didn't come with force, shoving and elbowing His way into the hearts and lives of His people.

He was not considered handsome (as the original language defines) nor was His appearance regal, full of splendor that we should be attracted to Him. Unlike today's culture, where we are drawn to those in the media who are rich or beautiful, to kings and queens and all the pomp, movie stars or other notable figures because of the image they represent.

Then the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart. How many times have I stumbled over what I believe God should look like in certain circumstances? When I'm facing a hard time at work, for instance, I pray a strong prayer of God the warrior to fight my battles. Or when I'm confused or anxious, I see Him as a God of comfort, much like a mother, for example, to soothe my fears. While these may be true of His character, God often comes in a very ordinary and plain way.

I found myself repenting of these images because what the Lord was saying to me was often behind these images is idolatry. There is something in my heart that will not let go of what I expect God to look and act in certain ways when faced with problems and difficult circumstances. How many times did I miss Him because I was looking for a self-made and self-appointed image of God?

Beloved, God may appear today in your life in a very unexpected way. If you are struggling with an addiction to drugs or drinking God will walk through walls and appear to you. Who knows...it can be a knock on the door from an old woman next door bringing you an apple pie that eases your loneliness. It can be a gentle touch from a nurse to steady your nerves while waiting for a Dr.'s report. The touch is God's way of comforting a troubled mind.

Ask the Lord to tear down and uproot these images of Him. And pray as Paul prayed, open the eyes of my heart. There is something very attractive about Christ who appears like a gardener who speaks your name, like Mary experienced. Or on the Emmaus road when the disciples who couldn't tell it was Jesus said didn't our hearts burn when He spoke!

Recovery

David found himself on the wrong side of the battle. He stood in agreement with the enemy that would defeat Israel and kill King Saul and his sons (I Samuel 29). But God made a way out for David when he was rejected to fight with them.

So David and his men returned to their home in Ziklag. As they neared, something was terribly wrong. Dark pillars of smoke ascended to the heavens. The city was burned and all their wives and children were taken captive (I Samuel 30:1-3). His loyal and faithful troops were so distressed they threaten to stone David (verse 6).

What did David do in such a distressing and troubling hour? How should we respond when the precious, sweet and valuable things have been stolen and dragged away by our enemy? Did David blame himself for joining ranks with the enemy because he had no choice? After all he was being chased through Israel's back country by an insane king! Did David look for nearest exit to escape?

How many times have we squandered a moment of experiencing God's victory to recover the lost things or people in our lives because we run away or give way to self-pity and blaming others?

No, listen beloved, it says David strengthen himself in the Lord (verse 6). What does it mean to strengthen yourself in God? Simply recall all the times he's delivered you. Lifted you up, gave you hope and brought peace to your mind. How your prayers have been answered time and time again.

David recalled defeating the bear and lion while he was a shepherd. He recalled when God kept him from killing Nabal who refused him and his men provision. His wife, Abigail, spoke the very words of God that brought him back to his senses (I Samuel 25:39). He thought of how God defeated a giant and won a national victory. David remembered a dear friend given by God who happen to be the son of King Saul.

Beloved, you draw strength from God when you begin to recite God's goodness and mercy. Your eyes are not on the problem but the One who will provide a way through and into victory! When you recall God's history - not your own - you are preparing your heart for another supernatural breakthrough - adding to God's wonderful history of His unending faithfulness.

David must have looked up to the heavens with raised hands. "I know God you brought my life out hell! You set my feet on a rock and put a new song in mouth. You have come through time and time again because You, Oh Lord, are faithful. You never lie! So deliver me now!"

And God answered David in essence, "Go after them - run! run toward the enemy like you did with Goliath. You will overtake them and not fail to recover everything!" (verse 8).

When you strengthen yourself in the Lord, beloved, you have truly recovered a right mind, a right attitude and a right heart for God to work a miracle!

A Love Unlike Any Other

I was at my desk busy at work when the Lord broke through my thoughts.

"I love you, son."

I turned in my seat to face a large window. Outside the trees were lifeless in the hot summer sun. My eyes traced the brick apartment just feet away starting from the top floor up to the majestic, cotton-white spun clouds.

"I love you, Father," I whispered.

Then somewhere deep in my heart, there was a constriction, a mild squeezing then the tension relaxed. It came from a question that often tugged at the corners of my mind, "Why would you love me?"

Some weeks ago, I was walking with my wife into church. At the time she was struggling to walk for nearly every bone in her body was in terrible pain. A woman passed us by and said, "God loves you." I smiled and nodded my head in agreement. She continued to make her way toward the church doors when she suddenly turned her head, "Really," her eyes fixed on me, "He really loves you." It was then I felt my heart constrict very much like at the office.

John 17:23-24 says, "I in them and you in me--so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world"(NIV).

Jesus is loved by the Father and with this same love, He loves us! The love is not condition on my life's story marred by failure, sin or even moments marked by victories and blessings. It's hard to grasp a love so pure, so strong and so unlike what we have experienced through relationships.

Why would He love me and you? The Lord's love toward us is most demonstrated by His death and resurrection as an obedient expression of His love for His Father.

Jesus loves me and you for not what we can bring or do for Him. As He's loved by the Father so Jesus loves us with same measure regardless to our condition. May we enter into the Father's love and for His love sake, love each other.

Strength In The Hidden Place

We need God's strength to pray. Strength at work to excel as a testimony of Christ. We need strength to be holy, stand firm and believe in God's promises.

Scripture tells us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. (Psalms 28:7, NIV).

But what do you do if you are just plain miserable? Nothing seems to go right no matter how hard you try. How do you find the strength to be joyous when your life feels like a train wreck? And how do you find strength when the enemy, similar to Delilah, attempts to lure you to sleep only to steal your strength to be joyous? (Judges 16:19).

Let me suggest beloved that true refreshing joy is found in a life hidden in Christ. The Psalmist writes, "For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock." (Psalms 27:5 KJV).

Too often we take joy in activities, social gatherings, travel and other things. But the joy that God gives is found in the hidden place - out of sight, out of sound and out of reach from the world and the enemy.

As we read in Song of Solomon, "Let us go early to the vineyards to see if the vines have budded, if their blossoms have opened, and if the pomegranates are in bloom-- there I will give you my love." (7:12, NIV). In other words, joy is an intimate and personal expression of God to us. Likewise, we respond to Him by taking delight in Him for sheltering us from the storms of life that wear us down and take our joy.

We can face any storm knowing God has a refugee awaiting for us be at the end of the day or in the middle of the night...joy is abiding in Him - our secret place of strength.

Fasting That Satisifies

Fasting is one of more difficult disciplines in the Christian walk, but one of the most rewarding. While fasting is simply abstaining for a short period of time, namely from food, but very challenging because we live in a food driven culture. How many times did I wanted to start out fasting but there was team potluck at work? Or there was some special sale on baked goods? Or someone offered me something to eat and I just couldn't refuse?

My point is that the moment you fast, every appetite of the human body will scream. The flesh doesn't like to die so easily but as you maintain the fast, the Spirit of God infuses you with supernatural strength. Your spiritual eyes become clearer and your mind more attuned to His voice.

It's the pushing through the hunger for a deep hunger for Christ that fuels the passion to fast. Let me stop here to say I'm not speaking of those who do extreme fasts that endanger the body or try to reach some mystical high. Rather the fast I speak about comes from a heart cry, "I'm willing to do without, just to have more of You in my life. Though my stomach growls and I feel weak, I want to know something of Your power and glory in my life. It's got to be Jesus and Jesus alone!"

And perhaps this is what fasting will do for us in the end. It makes us desperate for God's supernatural power to be seen in the ordinary and the mundane. To once again have God's testimony restored in our lives that will demonstrate to those around us that God is indeed alive and mighty.

Think of Esther who fasted three days before entering into the forbidden throne room (Esther 4:16). Daniel fasted to maintain his purity by not eating the king's choice meat (often dedicated to gods)(Daniel 1:8, 12).

Beloved, we live in desperate times and we need the outpouring of His Spirit. When we abstain and pour out our hearts, God comes with bread from heaven that truly satisfies us. Perhaps, after the fast, we may never return to junk food, sweets, candy and other foolish "foods" that left us empty and hungry.

Seventy Times Seven

Forgiveness is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. It's not in our nature to forgive an offense so easily. There is something inherent in our DNA that desires justice, to be vindicated for wrongs done to us. Too often we take matters in our own hands and make things even more difficult.

Even for those who have an easy going personality which can let offenses roll off their back, there will always be one too many or that one offense too difficult to overlook.

Bottom line, we need to be forgiven and to forgive others as Christ so demonstrated on the cross (Ephesians 4:2).

I believe the expression, "I can forgive but not forget!" comes from an unsettled heart that can't let go of the "barb" or sting of offense still lodged in the heart. If we find ourselves replaying every moment, thinking about how to strike back or say just the right words to cause pain, we may have not truly released the offense to God. It's true we may not forget some very painful things but we can chose not to live on that address in our minds.

The late Corrie Ten Boom, a survivor of the Holocaust, knew the challenges of forgiveness. One of her most quoted statement reads, “There is no pit so deep, that God's love is not deeper still.”

Not to forgive is torment. To understand the love of God who forgave us such a tremendous debt, frees us to drop the stones in our hands and simply walk away - leaving Jesus, the Just One, to do whatever He so desires.

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. (Matthew 18:21-22)

Ordinary People

My wife and I decided to take a little 2 hour trip to Scranton, Pennsylvania. As I crossed the state line, suddenly memories of my maternal grandparents flooded my mind. Elwin and Ginger Brennan served almost 34 years in Brazil as missionaries, raising seven children. My mom was the oldest child. They learned to survive on very little and most of their support came through churches in America. They have since passed away, but their children and their children are still serving the Lord in Brazil and other places in the world. It's a testament of God's faithfulness in very ordinary people. Their faith planted in these lives are producing fruit almost 3 generations later!

God is not looking for polish and perfect people. No, beloved, he's looking for those have prepared their heart to do whatever God tells them do. And in their weakness they launch out into the deep into uncharted waters believing God is leading them onward.

It's the rough, uneducated, and boastful Peter who on the day of Pentecost preached a very powerful sermon excelling the knowledge of the best religious teachers of his day. As a result, 3,000 souls were ushered into the kingdom (see Acts 2:41). It's the cowering and fearful Gideon who required sign after sign before going to war, but God won a great deliverance through him for Israel(Judges 7).

And it's a young Esther, an orphan, who hid the fact she was from a nation in exile, broke the law to step into the king's court. I believe she didn't have much of a plan, but God gave her wisdom. She smiled while feeling the veins in her neck constrict, "What about a party? Oh, and invite Haman, please." (Esther 5:4). As result, the enemy of God's people was defeated. History was changed forever as Esther become a co-regent with the king who help overturned a law. A law that once decreed was pretty much set in cement.

Beloved, if you live your life but restricting your abilities or inabilities because of your ordinariness, you will miss a blessing. The blessing of God taking the foolish, the despised, the weak things and making them into something extraordinary that shuts the mouth of the world and the devil! (See I Corinthians 1:27-28).

(A short interview with my grandparents can be found at http://www.ntm.org/ntmhomes/retirees_archive.php#brennanelwin)

I'll Fight For You

All over the world, as I write this, God says to you my brother and sister, I will fight for you!

Right now, some are afraid to close their eyes because the nightmares will return. Others are living the nightmare. The sounds of heavy footsteps approaching your room terrify you. A drunk husband has returned late at night after promising so many times to stop drinking. You scream into your pillow to muffle the anger and pain.

For others it might mean the phone ringing in the middle of the night. It sends chills down your spine because the bad news couldn't be avoided. When the morning breaks, the thought of facing another day brings on fresh waves of despair and depression.
Your prayers come out in a whimper, "God, I'm sinking, I'm failing! Help me!"

And the Lord responds as He did for Judah when facing a great army, "You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.'" (2 Chronicles 20:17 NIV).

As the Scripture says, we have to take up our position. What is this position? Faith. Faith in a God who is more than able and willing to help us. Faith that looks past the natural and sees a supernatural God at work. And with this faith, we must stand firm on His promises to defend, protect and shield us. Beloved, we will be tested and face a mighty opposition when we stand believing God for the impossible. Some will mock our choices and our own voice may sound foolish. We may not do so well on some days.

But God is faithful! He has not given up on us or given us over to the Enemy. There is not one battle God has lost.

For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands (Psalms 92:4 KJV).

He Hears Your Cry

God is touched by your tears. He hears the sound of your cry and is moved with compassion to meet you in your time of need.

He even hears the voiceless cry, that deep sigh in the heart where the sound has been muted by pain and sorrow. Like the cry of Hannah whose lips only moved but no words escaped her lips. Added to her misery, Eli, the High Priest, thought she was drunk. Her deepest cry was for a male child to call her own. When God granted her desire, she was no longer bereaved. She was so satisfied by God's supernatural miracle, she loaned Samuel to the Lord (I Samuel 1:28).

The cry no matter what sound or form it takes, it's a language God understands. He knows what is really happening in the deep places of the heart. Though your emotions may be impacted by the discomfort, the pain is nevertheless real.

Many years ago, while attending a Bible training school in Scotland, the speaker asked for all the men from the United Kingdom to come forward who have desired to cry. The request surprised me until I learned there was a difference in the American and British culture. I watched as the speaker prayed over them so they can be free to weep before God. Many of them had experienced a lot of pain in their early years but crying was an emotion not to be publicly expressed.

These promises are for us when we go through a challenging season of sorrow. Notice the "time factor" in these verses - only a moment - before comfort and joy follows.

"For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." (Psalms 30:5 NIV). Also, "When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings." (Psalms 84:6, NLT).

And the most precious Scripture, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." (Revelations 21:4 KJV).

In A Strange Land

For the 4th of July my wife and I drove to the capital for an Independence Day festival. She wore a shirt with the American flag colorfully displayed. Though she is not an American citizen, she appreciates this country very much. During our short stay in the city, we heard the announcement of at least 5 individuals who recently became American citizens.

The announcer named the individual then said, "Formerly from the country of...". They were no longer citizens where they were born and raised. Something had changed in their former land that they could no longer stay. It could be war, lack of opportunity, instability with the government or any other number of things.

They became strangers in a strange land only to became its citizen.

Speaking of those who lived before Christ, Hebrews 11:13 says, "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth." (NIV). They understood this was not their permanent address as they look forward to a heavenly place. It is an eternal abode free from all corruption and sin.

Likewise, Peter warns about abstaining from lust that wage war against the soul understanding we are exiles and pilgrims in a strange land (I Peter 2:11).

We may hold citizenship to the country we were born or naturalized, but in God's kingdom, we are citizens of a different place. I believe there awaits another kind of Independence Day. The day the King of Kings returns and takes us home!

What Will Remain?

I sat on a wooden bench facing a beautiful stone church while behind me in neat rows were slate gray-washed tombstones. Some stones were leaning dangerously to one side, others looked like gaping teeth, while other markers were firmly rooted in the soil as if to defy the march of time.

Without reading the inscription, I suppose the deceased stretched back a hundred years ago. Lives that once lived in the local area only to be planted in this quaint New England cemetery. What a different world it must have been, I thought, glancing toward the busy street just a few hundred feet away where cars, bikes and pedestrian moved swiftly along Broadway like an anxious river rushing toward a delta of some sort.

My eyes shifted to a patch work of stone blocks sunk into the ground bearing the names of individuals along with their year of birth and death. Above the blocks was a simple sign that read, "Shepherd's Fold". I did some math to learn most of these people lived to be in their mid or late seventies while a few lived to be in their eighties.

I was reminded of Psalms 90:10 that says, "Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away." (NLT).

For the longest time I took in the summer air, felt the sun dance over my skin and stared at the thick, heavy blocks that made up the solid structure of the church. We are here for just a moment, but what God is doing in and through our lives is eternal.

I pushed to my feet and started to walk along a narrow path around the church.

We know the weight of the day, the pain, sorrow and the highs and lows of life will all cease when we draw our final breath, but in heaven, the richest reward awaits for a life well lived for Jesus. A life that extends far beyond the natural life and into the spiritual lives of those still on earth.

Beloved, each day live for Jesus, be the example of Christ, let His life be lived through this temporary frame, and you'll see one day what an eternal house of glory He is building - His church, His Bride!

The Delight of Surrendering

Surrender may be easier if boxed in and there is no way out. Even to the point of death, there will always be that one ember glowing red hot deep inside that will refuse to bow, give in or obey to any commands the Holy Spirit may express. The war with the flesh and Spirit continues throughout our entire life time.

Make no mistake. The flesh is no match to the Spirit of God though we feel the impulses of the flesh so strongly and the desires roar with heated desires.

Added to this conflict, is our own self efforts. I believe we fight ourselves as much as we attempt to fight the devil. Sadly, we often end up resisting the Spirit of God when He tries to rescue us from our own self-made snare!

We try to manage, cope or wiggle our way out of a struggle, but clearly not bending to the Lord's will. We end saying in essence, "I got this covered, God." or "I got this one card left in my pocket, if I play it just right.."

Pride is the cement that binds the flesh and the Enemy in an almost unbreakable mold. That's why only through submission to the Lord can true resistance work against the devil and the flesh (James 4:7).

True surrender is simple as breathing the words, "God, please help me." It's not so much a confessional but an ending point of our own doings and works to finally agree, "God, I'm done...it's got to be you all the way."

What comes with surrender? Humility. Humility to acknowledge God is sovereign and always in control. And that is not a fearful thing, but of great comfort and strength. Surrender becomes a delightful act!

I Will Help You

What a wonderful God we serve who is willing and able to help us in our times of trouble.

What a foolish expression, "God helps those who help themselves."

No, God helps the helpless and takes great delight in extending strength to those who can't even look up to the heavens.

Think about the tax collector who, "standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!'" (Luke 18:13 NASB). Jesus says in the next verse he went home justified more than one who offered loud, boastful prayers who didn't see their own neediness. These are the ones that are brought low but the humble God exalts or lifts up.

Many times God has to bring us to end of our natural strength. We will toil, labor and sweat to achieve some desire end but God is patient. He waits until we are completely exhausted before we surrender. As it has been said by a beloved pastor, at the admission of our failure, God then comes with the supernatural to do what we could not do in our own strength.

It's true we don't want to feel helpless. There is a sense of losing control. Things seem to slip through our fingers and we are grasping at anything to keep from sinking. Which brings us to Peter who boldly stepped out of the boat and walked toward Jesus. But soon enough Peter's eyes drifted from Christ to the stormy seas and the strong winds tossing the boat. He started to sink but it says in Matthew 14:31, "Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" (NIV).

Beloved, Jesus will not let you go. In our struggle to overcome or get through another day or deal with a crisis we have to come to a place of surrender of releasing it all to God. In that moment, He will help you by stretching out His hand and grasp your tightly. He will not let you go under!