Being Loud

Do you feel defeated this morning?
All I have to say is to quote some words from a song I heard and I pray that they minister to you….deeply in the Name of the LORD!
The enemy’s been defeated
Death couldn’t hold You down
I’m going to lift my voice in victory
We’re gonna make your praises loud!


Live wholly for the LORD today. Find victory in Him.
In praising Him
In speaking of Him
Speaking to Him
In His Word
Glorifying Him
Humbling yourself before Him
By making His Praises LOUD!!!!!!!

Faithful Friend or Barking Beast?

Do you ever have one of those moments where you look back and wish you would have paid more attention? Well, I had a doozy of one last night. Here in the Eastern U.S., it’s getting dark earlier, the air has turned down right chilly at night, and the eminence of winter is further evidenced by the almost icy rain that drizzled all yesterday, falling upon leaves of various autumn hues.
Now that the scene is properly set, and you can feel the frost nipping your exposed nose, your toes are curling in your warm, fleecy socks and you can see the ice crystals from your breath dancing before your eyes each time you exhale, take a step inside and warm yourself. For, last night, I was not outside doing battle against the change of seasons, but curled happily with our children on warm, comfy furniture, watching a musical - after having consumed a warm and satisfying meal.
The culprit of our story is our poor German Shepherd, Sasha. She seemed intent last night on barking and whining at the sliding glass door. The first few times I would turn on the back spotlight and let her out. She would dutifully run to the end of our property where the woods start and run back and forth barking. After her barking stopped, she would sniff around a little, mark her territory, and come back in the house. Each time this would happen, we would:
stop the show
let her out
look for some intruder
wait a bit
call her back in
wipe her muddy paws
and resume the movie
....only to get back up in a minute or two and repeat the whole process!
This went on several times, till finally, all of us irritated at the continuous pausing of our entertainment, and not seeing anything ourselves, began to ignore Sasha’s whines and barks and pleas to be let out. When that didn’t work, we told her to be quiet. Eventually, she dejectedly contented herself to lying on the rug staring out the window with only an occasional whine.
Now this morning, oh how I wish we would have been diligent in listening to her warnings. Though we know it’s the time of year our large, black, furry friends go on a food frenzy before winter finally takes hold of the hills, we ignored all the signs that we might revel in our pleasures without disturbance. And this morning, we paid the price. The garbage that had accumulated during the week and was ready to go to the dump this very day was scattered in the yard, and we were left with piles of “souvenirs”.
There’s always a lesson in all of nature to be learnt if we will but listen and learn. So take heed you who read. You know it is coming. The signs are all there. Be not caught up in the pleasures of this dying world. For all that is of this world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - is passing away. Be not caught unawares or unprepared as the virgins with no oil when the bridegroom came. Stand firm and faint not...for our Saviour, our God, our King is returning. Will you be ready?
Come LORD, Jesus, come!

Flaky Rolls or Recipe for Disaster?

Mother looked quizzically at the odd shaped lumps she pulled from the oven. What had happened? Beatrice had made the exact same rolls many times without the disastrous results set before them now. The concoction looked more like a science experiment gone awry than an accompaniment to dinner.

“Let’s go through the recipe step-by-step,” Mother calmly stated. “Did you put in flour?”

“Yes,” Beatrice demurely answered.

“What about the salt?”

“Well,” Beatrice hesitated. “I’m not sure.”

Mother arched her brows and looked seriously at her daughter.

“I started to put the salt in, but then a bit got on my cut and it stung,” Beatrice defended. “I thought I would just leave it out this time. Besides,” she continued, “it was only a small amount of salt.”

Mother kindly reminded Beatrice that every little part of the recipe was needed - no matter how insignificant it seemed.

“What about the sugar?” Mother continued.

“Oh, yes!” Beatrice replied enthusiastically. “I was craving something extra sweet so I doubled the sugar!”

“Beatrice! You didn’t!” Mother exclaimed.

Seeing by her daughter’s face that she had indeed tried to increase the bread’s sweetness, and not thinking that was really the cause of the cooking catastrophe, Mother moved down the ingredient list.

“What about the baking powder?” she queried.

“Oh, Mother!” Beatrice cried. “Have you ever tasted that stuff? It was so awful and unsavory, and well - just unappealing that I didn’t put it in either!”

Mother sighed in exasperation.

“Beatrice dear, those things may be bitter and awful and sting. But when thrown in with the others, they create something that is pleasing to the palate. It’s a lot like our life and walk with the LORD. Sometimes we need to face the temporary sting of discipline. Other times, a trial may come our way that we feel is too awful to bear. Or, perhaps an event occurs that is not completely to our likely. But when we trust God and allow the discipline, the trials, and hardships, He will use them to make something pleasing to glorify Him.”

Football?

The air is charged.
The crowd holds its collective breath.
Huddling on the muddy field, fighting the elements, struggling against the attacks of their foe, the visiting football team comes together making a plan to win. There are only a few of their comrades to be found in the jeering, booing crowd. The visiting team has even suffered taunting in the form of flying paraphernalia from the bleachers. Someone stands waving a sign :
“GO HOME!”
Little do they know just how much the visiting team longs to go home - but first, they must defeat this foe...

The whistle.
A collective clap.
The huddle breaks up - the players moving with purpose.
Everyone knows his job, his calling, his part.
Though many different people, they move as one.
Mere moments later, the final play ends and they are victorious!
They’ve won!
They’re muddy, exhausted, battered and bruised but the quarterback - even though he was the coach’s son - had been out on the field the whole time helping them along.

In reality, I loathe American Football (so please forgive me if I use the incorrect terms) but it serves a purpose in my illustration. As a team, they had a definite goal. The end zone. Scrimmages and practices were a daily thing. They learned to anticipate the enemy’s moves. They worked together to achieve a common goal. Despite hardships they did not give up.

Are we doing this in our families? Do we purpose ourselves to spend time with our children? Do we make them aware of the tactics the enemy uses? Do we allow them to make some mistakes - even if it will make us look bad - so they can really learn how to stand, and stand firm?

As a family do we have a vision? Do we all know what common goal we are working towards? Just like a football team recoups and has another huddle after a down, do we re-gather as a family and restate our purpose our vision after a setback?

Do we long to go “Home”?

Are we discouraged because we are playing on a foreign field? Have we been beaten down from the remarks of neighbors, or perhaps even family and friends?

Are we trying to play the game alone or are we playing as team? Encouraging each other’s strengths and relying on each person to do his part?

Perhaps it’s time for a team meeting. Maybe you find yourself in need of some Words from the Coach. He’s always available day or night...just knock and His door will be open to you.

Hebrews 12
1THEREFORE THEN, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us

Thoughts from my rainy morning and a near sleepless night in a tent with my five girls and big German Shepard to keep the bear away...

Break Free.
Break free from your desires.
Break free from the lures of the world.
Break free from your addictions.

Taste and See.
Taste the love of God and see how easy it is to love.
Taste the mercy of the Lord and see yourself as He does.
Taste the forgiveness of the LORD and see how your hurts of years past melt away.
Taste the grace of YHWH and see how little else matters.
Taste the sacrifice of the Saviour and see how you long to live your life
completely,
wholly,
unconditionally,
passionately,
fully,
for the ONE Who gave all for you.

We each have one life.
One life given to us freely.
One life we can spend any way we choose.

One life to live for our LORD,
our God
our King
our Creator
our Saviour.

How are you living your life today?

Of Frogs and Butterflies...

I really enjoy when what I am studying personally comes up in other areas of my life. This week for example, I have been studying about being a new creature in Christ. The Sunday lesson is on being set apart or consecrated unto God. To do this, we need to be transformed - changed - renewed! The children’s devotional this morning centered around that very point!

Frogs and butterflies are amazing creatures. To witness an inching, fuzzy, leaf-munching worm, knowing it will one day fly daintily through the air, sipping nectar from dazzling fragrant flowers is an amazing thought. Frogs are no less amazing, though perhaps less romantic due to their slimy, croaking nature.

The children and I read today that a tadpole is able to change from a water-dwelling, gill-breathing, plant-eating creature to a land-loving, insect-devouring, lung-breathing amphibian. The change is made possible by the energy stored in the tail. But what would happen if the frog-to-be stopped growing? What if he stopped being changed into the new creature he was intended to be?

He would die.

As Christians we are called to be “...transformed by the renewing of {our} minds...” But what if somewhere along the way we stop that metamorphosis? What if we stop becoming what we were made to become?

Like the frog, we too would die.

Not a physical death, but a spiritual death.

We need to daily die to the old self. We need to moment-by-moment take our thoughts captive. We need to remove the garbage in our lives and then replace it with the regenerating Word of God. We need to present ourselves as a living sacrifice unto God while the day is still called “today”. Greatly anticipating that unknown hour when our Savior will return and in a twinkling of the eye we shall be changed!

Prepared?

The air is cool and crisp - quiet, yet not peaceful. A tension fills the air that one can taste. Mumblings arise from temporary dwellings. Those who have stayed awake all night keeping watch are relieved as the sound of a trumpet pierces the void of the eerie quiet.

We are on a battlefield. Each person knows his or her station. Each one purposefully fulfills his or her duty. Each knows that to be off guard is to leave room for the enemy to advance. Each trains longing to be prepared in season and out.

You too are on a battlefield. If you have recognized that your life belongs to God and have surrendered you are on the winning side. But what we battle against is not flesh and blood but spiritual...

When we stay up all night is it in battle waging war with prayer...
Or is it to watch a movie?
When we scour around for that last penny is to buy our favorite drink...
Or is it to support someone on the frontlines?
When we awake in the morning is it with a sense of purpose...
Or do we wander about unaware of the danger around us?

If you belong to the LORD, you awoke this morning on a battlefield. If you have surrendered all to the LORD of the Universe then you will come under attack today from a crafty, cunning, conniving enemy. If you desire a life lived out in holiness - separated unto GOD - then you will struggle this day and the next, and the next, with this enemy until you are called Home. Your flesh will long for one side of the battle but your spirit will remain steadfast in the other.

But praise God! He has not left us orphaned. He has not left us unprepared. He has already promised us the victory! He has promised to be our strength! He is our victory song! He has not dropped us into enemy territory and abandoned us but He has given us armor. Mighty armor to use in battle. It is our job to put it on...

Are you ready for battle?

Ephesians 6:10-20 (New King James Version)
The Whole Armor of God

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[a] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.