prayer request: elementary school shooting, Connecticut

Please stop with me for a moment to think and pray.

I'm assuming you all heard about the horrible, nightmarish thing that happened in Connecticut yesterday afternoon.  It's hard for me to fathom that while I was blissfully unaware and going about my business yesterday, these six adults and twenty beautiful, innocent little children (under the age of ten) were being slaughtered in that school building by a shooter just a little older than I am (he was 20).  Try to empathize for a moment: imagine being one of the people who discovered that they would never see their child or loved one again?  That would crush me.

How could something like this happen?  What would possess a person to do this unspeakable thing?  A question that a lot of people are asking is  "Why would God allow this?"

For one thing, the Bible says that things like this would be characteristic of the last days on earth.  The fact is that Jesus is coming back very soon to judge.  People need to get right with God.  Please read 2 Timothy 3:1-7.

Another thing (I've said this before): America (for the most part) has forsaken God.  They have rebelled against Him.  They have thrown Him out of the school system entirely, thus making themselves (and all the children in school) readily available to the one responsible for every evil thing: Satan.  What a painful thought.

When people refuse the Lord's presence in their lives Satan will gladly take charge immediately.  That's why a person could commit a crime like this-- Satan is ruling in that person's heart. 

That is also why God allows things like this to happen.  God cannot protect a nation that Satan is actively ruling. 

This is very scary.  I mean, there is no promise that something like this won't happen again tomorrow!

People need Jesus!  If only they would cry out in repentance to the Lord, He would set them free from sin, and from Satan's death grip!

If we are followers of Christ, we need to be out sharing our faith and the love of Christ with these hurting and lost souls-- I mean, who knows?  If someone had taken the time to reach out in the name of Christ to that poor young man who was obviously struggling intensely inside, perhaps this whole shooting event might have been prevented.

Anyway, please stop right now and praying for the families of the shooting victims.  Pray that they would start to seek the Lord because of all this, not pull away.  Pray that they would realize their desparate need for Jesus Christ.

I wonder how many families will start thinking about the benefits of homeschooling after this?

"For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify  Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Professing to be wise, they became fools... and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do things which are not fitting."  Romans 1:20-22,28

Jesus said, "The thief [Satan] does not come except to steal, and to kill and to destroy.  I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

heart of the giver

Christmas is my favorite time of year.  The warmth of the spirit of giving draws people closer together, and the remembrances of Christ's gift for us prepares and strengthens us for the year ahead.

As I searched my exhaustive concordance for verses which had to do with "giving" or "bestowing"  I was blown away... I noticed that most of the verses (and there are close to 1,000 of them!) refer to what God has given us!  He has given us infinite grace, mercy, love, and blessings abundantly-- all of which we, frankly, do not deserve at all.  How amazing...  What an unspeakably wonderful God we serve!!!! (2 Corinthians 9:15)

Anyway, in light of that, when you realize how much you've been given, doesn't it make you want to be a more giving person yourself?  Not that we really have anything worthwhile to give, but when we give what we do have, it is our way of showing the Lord how much we appreciate what He gave us.  If we can see this, and are truly grateful, giving our all to the Lord is not a burden, it's a delight!  It's the least we can do!  (Luke 7:47, Matthew 10:8b)

Something interesting that Jesus points out in Matthew 25:31-40 (please take a moment and read it for yourself) is that "giving to the Lord" often involves giving of yourself to "the least of these"... the poor, the disabled, those in need, etc... those who will never be able to pay you back, or perhaps not even be able to thank you (Ephesians 6:6-8). It involves serving where no one will ever notice you, or even care.  Someone has to take the low positions and the thankless jobs, such as endless loads of dirty dishes or laundry (both of which are awaiting my attention right now as I'm writing)!  And guess what?  If you do them with a cheerful heart, I believe they can be the most rewarding!

Giving, even in its smallest forms, is a sacrifice; but just remember that every little thing you do for others to the glory of God you will be rewarded for one day in Heaven!  Christmas is a wonderful time to practice this, but its also important to keep it up throughout the rest of the year as well.

2 Corinthians 9:7
"So let each one give as He purposes in His heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver."

Luke 6:30
"Give to everyone who asks of you.  And from him who takes away your goods, do not ask them back."

Proverbs  22:9
"He who has a generous eye will be blessed, for He gives of his bread to the poor."

thoughts on purity

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."  

Matthew 5:8

"To the pure, all things are pure."

Titus 1;15

"Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."

1 John 3:3

"He who loves purity of heart and has grace on his lips, the King shall be his friend."

Proverbs 22:11

"Keep yourself pure."

1 Timothy 5:22

What do you think of when you hear the word 'purity'?  I imagine waking up in the morning to find freshly fallen snow, covering the ground with a peerless, perfect white blanket.  It is undisturbed, it is silent, it is crisp and clean... it is PURE.

We, as children of the King of kings, ought to have that same appearance when the world looks on at us.  They should see that our lives are undisturbed by the world's filthy system, our hearts ponder no evil-tainted thoughts, our bodies are sanctified for Christ's holy purposes, and that our hands, strengthened by the power of God, do many good works for His glory.  What a wonderful impression of Christ we can set forth for all the world to see merely by living a PURE life, from the inside out.

A life that looks like what I described above is one that doesn't just happen over-night, if you were wondering!  A pure heart is not a natural or inborn trait... it's supernatural; God-given.  He gives a pure heart to those who desire it and seek after it.  He cleanses our imperfection, covers us in His perfection, His unfettered righteousness, and then empowers us to remain in that purity, which is the hard part.

Moment by moment we make choices, both in our actions and in our thought life.   Our natural tendency is to "just have a little fun" and dabble in things that might seem harmless but by God's standards are carnal, and our choice defiles us.  We must choose to be radical to be pure.  We have to learn to say no.

Thank God for His grace!!!!  His grace does cleanse us if we should err, but the really awesome thing is that it strengthens us and helps us to have victory when we are tempted.  Isn't that wonderful?  Most people forget that part of God's grace.

Purity starts in the heart (Proverbs 4:23).  You begin by filling your mind with God's word, and your heart with His love (James 4:7-8).  You begin to think like He thinks... you love what He loves (righteousness), and hate what He hates (any appearance of evil).   Thus you actions will stem from what has bloomed in your heart-- PURITY.

 "...just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water of water by the word, that  He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish."

Ephesians 5:25-27

Not ashamed to take a stand!

attitude of gratitude

Today I wanted to post some beautiful scriptures I found that talk about having a grateful heart.  Please meditate on them, and tell the Lord about all that you are thankful to Him for.  No matter where you're at in life, the Lord has blessed you in some way-- we truly have so much to be thankful for!
  
 "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise.  Be thankful to Him and bless His name.  For the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations." 
Psalms 100:4,5

"In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
1 Thessalonians 5:18

"Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord, and for His wonderful works to the children of men." Psalms 107:31

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made know to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." 
Philippians 4:6

"...Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ., submitting to one another in the fear of our God." 
Ephesians 5:19-21

"Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with Thanksgiving."
Colossians 4:2

Personal Application:
- Do I remember that God is good all the time, even in the midst of my troubles?
- I can praise Him and thank Him for who He is when I take my eyes off myself and my circumstances!
- I need to thank God for all things (times of rejoicing and times of sorrow)!
- Do I remember that God is always good and always in control, even when trouble appears to be all around?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

the gift of the Holy Spirit

Lately God has been teaching me about the importance of the Holy Spirit's role in our lives... I've got a lot to write about this time so try and hang in there! *smiling*  This is a top priority topic!  We must take time and think about this!

"The Spirit of God has made me,

and the Breath of the Almighty gives me life."

Job 33:4

"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing."
John 6:63

We so often hear and talk about the "Father" and "the Son" but what about the third Member of the Trinity... the Holy Spirit?  It's easy to overlook Him and dangerous if we do. He should be as dear, familiar and vital to us as God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son are. 

Even though the Holy Spirit has been working actively with God since the very beginning of time, it wasn't until forty days after Jesus left the earth that the Holy Spirit was really given to the Christians in a personal and powerful way (Acts 2:1-4).

The Christians received the Holy Spirit and were all given supernatural wisdom in the things of Christ and the ability to speak the gospel clearly and effectively.  The Spirit caused the weaker individuals to become strong and passionate, stirred the introverts to speak up, and those with little evidence of God's power in their lives began to show obvious signs of fruitfulness.  They were tremendously empowered and transformed by embracing this gift!  (Acts 1:8)

 Peter, one of the first to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, was an uneducated fisherman, and was the disciple notorious for messing up, getting overanxious, saying all the wrong things, and when the pressure was on, he became weak and made poor choices.  However, now that He had repented and received the Holy Spirit, He boldly began speaking the gospel in very direct words that convicted the proud and stumped the intellectual.  He became a strong, devoted and useful tool for the Lord's purposes all His life long, even wrote two books in the Bible, and in the end, Peter died among the fearless martyrs for Christ.  I just love the incredible example of Peter's transformation!

I wish I could have been there to see all this! However, the good thing is that I am able receive the Spirit just like Peter and the others of the first century church did.  All I have to do is ask God for Him!  He can do revolutionary things in the lives of anyone who desires it!

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"  Luke 11:13

God gave us the Holy Spirit as a gift.  (He's also called the "Helper", "Comforter" or "Counselor"... what a blessing to have such a wonderful and versatile Friend!)  God loved us and was concerned about us.  He knew that we'd need some extra help to walk worthy of the high calling.  He knows we can't do this Christianity thing alone.   Jesus said, "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-- the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you."

John 14:16,17

Now I want to look at the flip side: what does it look/feel like when a person is Spiritually anemic?

If you ever feel like you are not leading the most victorious Christian life possible, it could be because the Holy Spirit is quenched within you.  Although this is a common problem today, it is a dangerous spot to be in.

 The Holy Spirit is quenched (ineffective) when people grieve Him (Ephesians 4:30, 1 Thessalonians 5:19,20) or ignore and disobey Him when He's trying to talk to them/move them/change them.

How sad God must be when He sees how pathetically neglected His gift of the Holy Spirit is!  It is a sad but inevitable fact that the Spirit has been so stifled by the "church" today!  The fact is that while the Spirit wants to do powerful things with God's people, most individuals are stuck in their comfort zone, and just like to do things in their own way, in their own timing, and are afraid to let the Lord lead them in HIS way.

God's way is hard to fully embrace sometimes.  We know that if we let Him take over, He's gonna make us uncomfortable by trying to change our hearts and by taking us out into the unknown to teach us to trust in Him completely.  We'd have to let loose of our grip on our lives, and just grip onto the Lord and His promise to always love us and take care of us.  

That's really powerful!  It is what a truly Spirit-filled life looks like!

"For God has not given us a Spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of a sound mind."

2 Timothy 1:7

"Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and You are not your own?  For You were bought with a price therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God's."

1 Corinthians 6:19,20

keep your heart

"Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life."  Proverbs 4:23

Your heart is where your dreams are born!  Your heart is where your character and mannerisms are formed.  The things in your heart say who you really are... they lead to the choices you make and how you live your life... they pave the way for the quality of your future.  Ultimately, the things you ponder deep within your heart reveal where you'll spend eternity.

So what's in your heart?  Consider it...

Ask yourself-- do the things in your heart honor Christ?  Do you think of ways to benefit others?  Do you dream of Heaven and the splendor of spending eternity in the Kingdom with your Christian brothers and sisters?  Do you seek to draw closer to the Lord, to feel the warmth of His presence and love?  Do you desire to understand God's word to acquire wisdom and discernment from it?

Or are there thoughts in the secret places of your heart that you would be ashamed to reveal?   

I can't see what's in your heart, and a lot of times, I can't even make sense of what's going on in my own heart, but God always does... He sees and knows.  Ask Him to purify your heart completely.  It's a matter of surrendering it all to Him and desiring to change.  "I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings."
Jeremiah 17:10

The world is full of individuals who are lost-- their lives are void of Christ and their hearts are full of unholy and impure things.  They are suffering... emotionally and often externally as well... Remember, the things you fill your heart with lead to the way you live your life.  (Thank the Lord that He can purify and bring light to even the darkest of hearts!!!!)

So how do you "guard" (or keep) your heart?  First of all, set aside time every day to spend in God's Word.  Fill your heart with good things from the Scriptures (Philippians 4:8), meditate on it as often as possible (Psalms 1:2), and spend time with other like-minded Christians for accountability (Hebrews 10:24,25)  The best way to cause evil thoughts to die is to stop feeding them.  Be very careful about what you're viewing on the internet or TV, what your reading, or who you're hanging out with. If a certain influence is causing you to be tempted in your heart or thought-life, it's time to cut it off.  Instead, if you feed wholesome, productive, purposeful and kind thoughts on a regular basis, that's what will start to thrive.    Furthermore, guarding your heart will begin to characterize who you are-- how you act, what you choose to do day to day.    

Guarding your heart has life-long benefits!

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by your generous spirit."
Psalms 51:10-12