Chow-Chow -- No, It's Not a Dog

Chow-chow. Have you heard of it? No, it’s not a dog! We’ve been discussing tomatoes. How does a dog even apply? Chow-chow in the south is a tomato relish. Many will put this relish on their peas, or at least that’s how my daddy eats it. In doing a little research into chow-chow, I discovered in Pennsylvania they make a sweet tomato relish. It’s like chow-chow but sweeter. I might like that.

We are down to the last two fruit of the spirit, and they are sweet ones. They aren’t always easy to come by, but when mastered the sweetness of the Spirit comes through and draws people to Christ.

TOMATO 8 – Meekness

I define meekness as gentleness with humility and submissiveness. This fruit is void of ALL PRIDE. The first time I identified meekness in anyone was when I looked at the life of my grandmother. Growing up during the Depression, her father abandoned her mom, her younger sister and herself to start another life up north. My grandmother, her sister and mother lived in doorways, squatted in abandon apartments, ate in soup kitchens, and when her mother had a nervous breakdown and had to be hospitalized for the rest of her life, my grandmother and her sister were passed from one relative to another. If anyone had a right to be angry, bitter and depressed it was my grandmother, but she wasn’t. She was gentle, humble and submissive. She embodied meekness, and she did so while raising 3 hairy-legged, trouble-making boys with my grandfather. So you can see, why I love the word meekness. It doesn’t mean I am meek, but I had a great example.

So, why do Christians need meekness anyway? Galatians 6:1 says we can restore the wayward in meekness. James 1:21 says we receive the engrafted word in meekness – grafting is what you do when you add a branch to the vine. Grafting makes a branch that was once disconnected now connected to a life-giving source in the vine. Think of it as a way of restoration. 2 Timothy 2:25 In meekness instruct those who oppose – If you are bowed up in pride are people more receptive to you? NO. It’s a turn off, but if you go in meekness, people may be more receptive.

Meekness opens the door to commune with God and to draw others to God. There can be no pride when communing with the Spirit because pride is a sin. We have to put our ego and pride aside if we want intimacy with the Spirit and if we want to lead others to Christ.

TOMATO 9 – Temperance

What in the world is temperance? Sounds like an old-fashion, southern woman’s name, and actually if the southern woman is a steel magnolia they probably need more temperance than most. Temperance is self-control. Some southern women I know need temperance especially over their tongues.

2 Peter 1:5-8 But also for this reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and about, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 There aren’t many verses which use this Greek word for self-control. Maybe because behaviors exhibited in self-control are addressed separately like dealing with anger and the words we spew. I’ve heard people say about their anger, That’s just the way I am or I’ve always been this way. Then what you are telling me is you are refusing to submit to the Holy Spirit. You are refusing to be meek. You are refusing to crucify your fleshly ego and pride. You are not filled with the Spirit because the Spirit-filled believer has the power of the Spirit to enable him to master his passions (versebyversecommentary.com).

Truthfully if you look at the complete list of the fruit of the Spirit, if you have love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith and meekness, there is absolutely no reason why you would lack self-control. If you love someone who is different than you, self-control is needed to know when to speak and what to speak. If you have joy, there’s a time and a place to shout for joy, and there’s a time not to shout for joy like funerals. If you have peace, means you aren’t in turmoil and reacting to every stimuli. If you are longsuffering, gentle, and good, it means your pride takes a backseat to serving and loving others the way Christ loves us. If you have faith and are meek, there would be no need to lose control because you know who is in control. So if you don’t have control over your anger, your impulsive actions or your mouth, then you probably don’t have the other fruit either.

The last part of the verse reads, against such there is no law. The last blog will address the law and the fruit. God revealed something very poignant to me on this. Hope you will come back for one more post.

When Life Hands You Tomatoes Make Salsa

SALSA

• 1 c finely chopped, peeled tomato
• ½ c tomato sauce
• 1-4oz can diced green chili peppers, drained
• ¼ c sliced green onion
• ¼ finely chopped green pepper
• 1 to 2 TBSP snipped cilantro or parsley
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Several dashes bottled hot pepper sauce (optional)

In a mixing bowl combine tomato; tomato sauce; chili peppers; green onion; green pepper; cilantro or parsley, lemon juice; garlic; hot pepper sauce if desired, and 1/8 tsp pepper. Place about half of the tomato mixture in a blender container or food processor bowl. Cover and blend or process till smooth. Stir in remaining tomato mixture. Cover and chill at least 4 hours before serving, stirring occasionally. Store in refrigerator up to 1 week.

        Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book Pg 368

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. Everyone has heard that saying. I’d like to add one along the same theme. When life hands you tomatoes, make salsa. As I’ve written before, my husband once planted 20 tomato plants. They were beginning to rot because we had given them to all of our coworkers, neighbors and people in our small group at church, so my husband decided to make salsa. We had so many jars of the best salsa we decided to give them away as Christmas presents. Homemade goodies are the best gifts in my personal opinion. My mouth is watering for some good chips and salsa right now.

TOMATO 6 – Goodness

If you could can or put goodness in a jar and give it to everyone you come into contact with, wouldn’t you? Goodness is the generous fruit of the Spirit. It comes from an upright way of life and heart. 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.

It’s God’s goodness IN us and work of faith WITH power not WITHOUT power, so Jesus will be glorified in us. Goodness is what you give away, and you can give it away because the Spirit generously provides it to you. You never run out. There's an ample supply.

But before you can put some fruit in a jar, sometimes you have to process the fruit. In order to make salsa, the tomatoes have to be chopped and peeled and blended and mixed with other ingredients like onions, garlic and cilantro. This next tomato/fruit we are going to study may make you will feel pressed on every side, and you may even feel like things are being added to your life and you don’t understand why. This fruit grows on the experience.

TOMATO 7 – Faith

There is a difference in believing in God and having faith in God. Faith results when your belief has been tested. If you have never been tried and have persevered under the hardest of circumstances in which Jesus Christ alone could have delivered you, then what you have is a belief not faith.

I can have faith in God because when I struggled with fertility during my bout of depression, He never left me. He delivered me. He brought me out of the darkness into the light and put me on the path to finding the baby He had chosen for us. I have endured in a marriage for over a decade to a man who would mock me at times for my faith, but praise God, my marriage hit rock bottom and God performed a heart transplant on my husband, and he was saved. When my mom was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer with lymphatic involvement, He showed me His presence in addressing my fears. I write these things not to brag because I promise you I was broken in each of those instances. I write these things because God proved Himself trustworthy and reliable. I know that whatever comes my way, and we have been bombarded this year with all sorts of enemies and battles…I know whatever comes my way God has gone before me. He hems me in from the front and back. He leads me and is my Rear Guard. He never leads me nor forsakes me.

Faith is a tested conviction or truth in Jesus Christ, God our Father and the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen. Faith is the sense for the unseen world of faith like sight is for the physical world. Faith goes beyond reason. Faith goes beyond what you can physically do for yourself. Faith has SUBSTANCE. That substance results in your testimony. Can you testify to anything God has done recently for you? Then testify!

Rotten Tomatoes -- Ranking Bad Fruit

In the last blog on the fruit of the Spirit, we covered tomatoes 1 and 2 – Love and Joy.  Today’s blog we look at 3 tomatoes – peace, longsuffering, and gentleness. There isn’t a rotten tomato in the bunch. Have you seen the ROTTEN TOMATO ranking? They rank how terrible a movie or tv show is by the number of rotten tomatoes assigned. While this list has some difficult fruit none are rotten, and if you attempt to grow them yourself the result will not last. With the Spirit, we know all things are possible.

I read somewhere two of the most popular names for girls when the church was beginning in Acts were the Greek names Chara (Cara) and Eirene (Irene). The English form of those names are Joy and Peace respectively.  I love that, don’t you? New Christians being persecuted chose to name their baby girls Joy and Peace. How can you have joy and peace when you are being persecuted for your belief? For one, be Spirit-filled like the new believers. Some had experienced Pentecost. Some had heard from those who witness Pentecost first hand. When people spoke about their faith, there was passion.

So are you ready to slice up some peace, longsuffering and gentleness tomatoes?

TOMATO 3 -- Peace

The older I get or should I say the more mature I become the more I crave peace…actually peace and quiet. It’s a rarity in a house with a senior in high school and an ADHD teenage son who will be blessed to make 14 at the end of August. Plus, add 2 dogs and a husband, and the only way there is peace and quiet is if they have left the house or they are all asleep. Can anyone relate?

And while I may not get peace AND quiet, I can still have peace and be at peace even when the kids are arguing, dogs are barking and my husband can’t find his wallet or phone. So what is peace? The Greek is Eirene, sounds like serene to me. Peace is tranquility with security. Tranquility WITH security in Christ.

Where joy is the loudest fruit of the Spirit, peace is actually described more as a way or a path. It’s a way of life. Luke 1:79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. Romans 3:17 And the way of peace they have not known. Galatians 6:16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon Israel of God.

A pathway of peace means it’s a lifestyle practiced every day. My favorite verse regarding peace is 1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. God does not intend for our life to be ruled by confusion but by the peace that the Spirit gives. How peaceful is your walk?

Tomato 4 -- Longsuffering

The next tomato really doesn’t have a lot of content. It’s longsuffering. Some people think longsuffering is patience, and they would be partially correct. Longsuffering is patience in the face of conflict or an adversary. Let that sink in for a moment…Patience in the face of conflict or an adversary.

The word patience has a different Greek word than longsuffering. 2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be in season in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. When should you be longsuffering? In season and out of season…are there any other seasons? And when is longsuffering to be displayed – when reproving, rebuking and exhorting. Does this sound like a verse you might know? What is the Word of God good for? 2 Timothy 3:16-17. You can't be longsuffering without the Word of God.

If there is ever a time you do NOT need to be acting or speaking in the flesh, it’s when you are reproving and rebuking someone. The words that come out of your mouth need to be the ones the Spirit puts there. Otherwise, you can do terrible harm, and the goal is to return the wayward Christian to a right relationship with God. Longsuffering should lead to restoration.

Truth is, you shouldn’t be butting your nose into everyone’s business either. You should address the things the Spirit leads you to address. If you’re a busybody, you are part of the problem because you are also a gossiper and have no useful function within the body of believers. Cut it out!

TOMATO 5 - Gentleness.

When you think of gentleness, what physical picture comes to mind? Maybe the way a mom holds a newborn? Maybe the way you hold something delicate? And while those are great pictures of the word gentleness, in Scripture it means moral goodness with integrity or moral excellence.

Romans 2:4  Or despises thou the riches of his goodness and forebearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? Being in the presence of God’s moral excellence, His gentleness is what causes us to repent. In Isaiah 6:1-5, Isaiah is in the presence of God Almighty  with 6 seraphim singing Holy, holy, holy. Their singing was so loud it shook the doorframe. The beauty Isaiah saw and the worship he experienced and the gentleness of God led him to repent.

God’s example of gentleness is to be what you display as well. This fruit draws people to God, convicts, restores and can lead them to salvation, and isn’t that the ultimate goal of the Spirit working in us is that others may see Christ in you? Don’t you want those around us to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ? Then it’s time to let the Spirit do His work and produce fruit in your life.

Fried Green Tomatoes -- Love and Joy

Fried Green Tomatoes is another favorite movie of mine.

Slice tomatoes about ¼ inch thick, season with salt and pepper and then coat both sides with cornmeal. In a large skillet, heat enough bacon drippings to coat the bottom of a pan and fry tomatoes until lightly browned on both sides.  You’ll think you died and gone to heaven!  Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café pg 403

In the recent Facebook post, we made a comparison between the fruit of the Spirit and tomatoes. If you didn’t read that one, you might think it a far stretch, but in truth, it really isn’t. Check out last Saturday's Facebook post for clarification.

In the fruit of the Spirit, tomatoes 1 and 2 would be love and joy. I have to say these are some of my favorite words. As a matter of fact, in my Bible any time I see the word love or heart I draw a heart on top of the word, and when I read the word joy I write joy in my margin. So how about we slice up these 2 tomatoes and see what we can learn?

TOMATO 1 - LOVE

Agape’ love first makes its appearance in the Bible in Song of Solomon. I love this book. It is the best love story you will ever read. It’s a love story between a man and a woman, and it is a picture of how Christ loves the church. So agape’ should be present in Song of Solomon.

“Agape’ love is not emotional love but love that springs from character. God loves us with His character even in the face of our sin.” John 15:12-13, Romans 5:8, 1 John 3:16-17 (Versebyversecommentary.com). When you think of agape, think about this verse, John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

How did Jesus prove His love for you? He died for you on a rugged cross in a humiliating criminal death. That is how far and how wide and how deep our love should be for one another. And 1 John 4:8 says clearly He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. Are you loving the people God puts in your life? Are you loving people with the love Christ has shown you?

And just for the record, the fruit of the Spirit isn’t like the gifts of the Spirit where the Spirit assigns certain gifts to people. The fruit of the Spirit is something all Spirit-filled Christians have. The Spirit gives all of them to believers, so if you aren’t loving like Christ, then you probably aren’t living in the Spirit or you aren’t saved. Spirit-filled Christians can love others regardless of issues, regardless of life choices, regardless of different beliefs. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things – 1 Corinthians 13:7. If you have a hang up about loving someone, better take it to the cross and nail it up because there’s not room for it in the fruit. That kind of thing will be pruned.

Loving people in this sinful, fallen world is hard, and it’s easy to get hurt. That is why it’s important to walk in the Spirit.

TOMATO 2 - JOY!

JOY! Did you know joy has a sound? It’s the only fruit I found to have sound. Shout for joy! Isaiah 49:13, Psalms 5:11. Woohoo! When I think of joy, this is what I want to experience, but this joy is not based on external things. Nooooo.

As a matter of fact, the Bible tells us to count it all joy when you fall into various trials – James 1:2-6. Who wants to endure trials? Nobody. And yet as Christians we are to endure trials with joy. WHY ON EARTH SHOULD WE HAVE JOY IN TRIALS?

Joy is a character quality produced by the Holy Spirit that has a sense of wellbeing knowing that all is well in God’s sovereign purpose in our lives. Versebyversecommentary.com

We can know whatever trial we are going through God is going to handle it. He’s gone ahead of us. He hems us in from the front and back, and whatever trial comes our way has passed through His hands. Nothing can happen to us as His children unless He allows.

Scripture tells us trials will test our faith (another fruit of the Spirit) and will produce patience. Patience enduring a season of testing is called longsuffering.

Let’s look at it another way. If you have hatred in your heart for anyone, you really can’t have joy. The sin of hate, the energy it take to despise someone does not produce joy. You can’t experience the fruit of the Spirit if you are working in the flesh.

Remember the fruit of the Spirit comes from one Vine, and what is dead or non-producing will be pruned or cut off and burned. You either have the fruit, or you are walking in the flesh. Might I recommend slicing up and partaking of the fruit of the Spirit, it’s much sweeter.

If God Can Talk through a Donkey, He Can Talk through You

He can talk through you.

When I was growing up, my sister and I would spend one to two weeks in Longstreet, Louisiana, with our grandparents. There was family next door, so we would play with my cousin Brenda and try to fill the long days of summer because there wasn’t cable and nothing indoors to keep us occupied. One of the things we would do was to go into the back pasture and find Pete. Pete was granddaddy’s donkey. We would get my sister situated on his back because she was the youngest and then Brenda and I would run from behind, plant our hands on his haunches and land on his back.

When you think of a stubborn donkey, what you imagined would be Pete. Occasionally he would take off on a trot, but that was rare occurrence. Most of the time, he would take us into a three-sided shed and go to the back wall and just stop. One time he intentionally ran our legs against the wall of the shed. We were just an annoyance to him I’m sure.

Whenever I read the story of Balak and Balaam, I always think of ole Pete. I also picture Don Knotts or Tim Conway playing the role of Balaam. It really is a funny story in the Bible. If you have any sense of humor at all, read Numbers 22 – 24, and in chapter 22 picture Don Knotts or Tim Conway on the donkey. If you’ve ever seen the movie the Apple Dumpling Gang this shouldn’t be difficult to imagine because they ride a donkey named Clarice. Hilarious!

Regardless of how much I laugh when I read this story, I learn something new every time, so indulge me while I share what I learned this time. And by the way, if you teach kids stories in the Bible when you teach this one, make it as funny and as interesting as it is, please!

Things I noticed during my reading:

1.      Instead of looking for an amicable solution, the king immediately sought counsel from the wicked in order to assure a sound defeat against the Israelites. Since he had heard about the Israelites, sure he had also heard about their God, Yahweh. Given this information, why didn’t he attempt to work things out amicably? What this tells me is that just because people see God working mightily in your life, does NOT mean they are always going to be drawn to God. As a matter of fact, Balak went to the enemy of God.

2.      Words have power so be careful of the words you speak. Balak knew that whatever and whoever Balaam bless, they would be blessed, and if he cursed them, they would be cursed. What do your words tell others about you?

3.      People will often place their trust in those who appear to make things happen. Balak placed his trust in Balaam because he believed Balaam had the power to curse and bless. Balaam had the power to make things happen. Balak’s trust was misplaced. Be careful who you follow or turn to for authority and power.

4.      God can use the wicked. Balaam was a prophet of Baal, and yet God used Balaam to bless the Israelites instead of curse them as Balak desired. There’s nothing too big, too hard or too difficult for God, especially when it involves dealing with the enemies of His children. BAM!

5.      If God can speak through a donkey, He can certainly use you and me. If God gives you a word to speak to someone, speak it. This donkey spoke more eloquently, truthfully and poignantly than a lot of “preachers.” Just sayin’.

6.      God opened Balaam’s eyes when He was ready for Balaam to see. Sometimes we go through adversity not being able to see the root cause of it, but if God so chooses, He can open our eyes.

These are just the observations from Chapter 22. I hope these things have interested you in such a way that you will open the Bible and read it for yourself. You are missing out on so much if you rely on others to tell you what is in the Bible.

An Extraordinary Walk

My daughter did not walk until she was about 14 months old. People kept telling me to stop carrying her everywhere. Truth was, I didn’t. I could put her on a blanket in a room, and she was perfectly content to stay there. At the nursery one day, I watched her through the window because she was my little peek into heaven, and I saw her point to a toy and grunt, and another baby went and brought it to her. Kid you not! The babies in her room would bring her toys!

She did eventually decided to learn to walk. I wish I could describe her walk to you but it defies description. When she was little, her right arm would swing widely back and forth as her chubby little legs toddled to the next location. As she grew, her walk was still very distinctive and her running!? Oh my word. The way she ran cracked me up. My sister says it looks like she is always running up hill even when she isn’t.

My daughter is very vertically challenged. She’s fun size. She’s short, but we can still spot her in a moving crowd because how distinctive her walk is.

Do you know anyone like this?

There is nothing ordinary about her walk. There’s also nothing ordinary about her.

A friend I graduated high school with has a teenage daughter who is a model. She goes to Asia, Europe and New York for jobs. She has a model walk. Have you ever seen a model walk the catwalk? It’s very unique. Personally, I could NOT do it.

This weekend there’s a group of women at the Girlfriend Getaway. If you didn’t get to make this one, I am so sorry. I pray you will make it a priority for the next one, but I’m going to be teaching on having an extraordinary walk.

You would think those who have two working legs and two working feet would all walk the same, and yet we don’t. Some walk on their heels. Some walk on the inside of their feet or outside of their feet. Some drag a foot due to injury or disability. Some have unique walks, and some have model walks. The same applies to our spiritual walk. Whatever you walk through in your spiritual life, shapes your spiritual walk.

There are three things that shape a Christian’s walk, and they are all connected.

1.     LOVE – 1 Peter 1:22, “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart.”

Obedience is conduct, how you behave. If your faith doesn’t produce obedience, then you don’t have true faith. Obeying the truth through the Spirit means the obedience produces change. Obeying leads to purification of your soul, so if you aren’t obeying God, what does that say about the condition of your heart?

Fruit of the Spirit is LOVE. There are some people you can only love if you are filled with the Spirit because they are hard to love, and yet we are called to love fervently with a pure heart.

I love 1 Peter 4:8, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.” The love we can have and give to others only covers the sin. Only Jesus, the Father and the Spirit has loved greater so as to actually remove the sin.

In Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us because if we love those who love us, isn’t that what the unrighteous do? So if you love only as they love, are you doing anything extraordinary?

How you love tells others if your walk with God is extraordinary.

2.     Forgive – Ephesians 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.

God doesn’t ask us if we want to forgive. We are told to forgive. It is a command because God forgave us in Christ.

You must choose to forgive.

Forgiveness doesn’t excuse the person who committed the wrong.

Forgiveness doesn’t mean reconciliation or restoration.

Forgiveness means trusting God to deal with the one who did the hurtful thing (Exodus 34:6-7).

Forgiveness doesn’t have to lead to foolishness by repeatedly submitting yourself in the same relationship over and over again to be hurt.

Forgiveness is ongoing. The deeper the wound the more frequently you have to forgive the offense.

Forgiveness is not easy, but there is freedom in forgiveness.

Failing to forgive means you are living in sin.

Failing to obey God and trust God with your pain will lead to living a life of victimization instead of a life of victory, resentment instead of restoration in God, depression instead of deep growth, and bitterness instead of betterment.

Is your walk ordinary or extraordinary?

3. BLESS – How do you know when you have forgiven someone? When you can bless them and mean it. Luke 6:27-28, Romans 12:20-21 and Proverbs 25:21-22.

Blessing them may mean you pray for their salvation and healing. Blessing them means you don’t rejoice when something bad happens to them. Blessing them may mean meeting a need.

When people look at your life, see the struggles and hurt you have walked through, do they identify your walk as ordinary, or do they see an extraordinary walk full of love, forgiveness and blessing others?

Relationship Goals

In your relationships, do you have a role? Are you the funny one, serious one? Are you the one who leads or one who follows? Sometimes I feel more like a herder than leader. Are you laid-back and easy-going or are you wound a little tight? Are you the chatty one or the listening one? You know what I’m talking about. We all have roles we play in relationships. The roles we play are based on personality, strengths, weaknesses, Spiritual gifts, talents and age of those in the relationship.

You have a role in your relationship with the Holy Spirit. It takes 2 to have a relationship. Relationships take work and communication and time. Last Saturday on the Girlfriend Ministry Facebook page, I posted 14 things the Spirit does in our relationship with Him, and that was not even an exhaustive list.

Now, let’s look at your role in the relationship. What are you supposed to do to maintain the relationship?

1.       Walk in the Spirit – Romans 7:6, Galatians 5:16-25, Ephesians 5:8-11

We are to put away the old self. Die to the old self and exhibit supernatural fruit of the Spirit.

What you feed will flourish. What you starve will languish. Are you feeding your spiritual relationship, or are you feeding your fleshly desires?

2.       Walk carefully, wisely, redeeming the time and be filled with the Spirit – Ephesians 5:15-18

Girlfriends, we have a limited amount of time on this planet. Are you making the most of it for the kingdom of God?

Being filled with the spirit in this verse indicates two things – 1) It’s imperative – it says, “be filled.” It doesn’t say “fill up when you need it or if you want to.” 2) It’s passive tense – You can’t do this yourself. The Spirit has to fill you. You can’t conjure it up. You can’t fabricate having the Spirit.

The verse also says to “be filled.” We are not to get a cup of it here and there. We aren’t supposed to fill in and around the junk we carry day in and day out. We need to die to self, be empty and void and allow the Spirit to fill you completely directing your path as to what belongs in your life.

3.       Live a grateful life – Ephesians 5:19-20

The words that come out of your mouth, are they full of gratitude or whining, griping and complaining?

The words that come out of your mouth, do they reflect that you’ve spent time worshiping God or do your words reflect self-concern, self-centeredness?

4.       Stay in the Word and listen – Ephesians 6:17

The only way you can feed your spitiual side is by being in the Word – Galatians 6:8.

5.       Do NOT quench the Spirit – 1 Thessalonians 5:19

This is the only one I found that said something we were NOT to do in our relationship with the Spirit.

Quench means to hinder the operations of the Holy Spirit when we refuse to submit and obey the Spirit’s prompting by allowing sin to remain in our lives without true repentance. You can’t be a light if you don’t repent, obey and submit to the authority of the Spirit.

            6.  Pray and worship in the Spirit – Ephesians 6:18, Philippians 3:3, John 4:24

Every single prayer of the Spirit is answered because the Spirit has communed with God the Father and searched the deep things of God and then reveals to us.

When we worship it isn’t for show. When we worship in the Spirit, the Spirit moves through us. The Spirit gives us freedom from sin, releases us to worship in freedom and in fullness of joy. Is that how you worship?

How is your relationship with the Spirit? Are you doing your part? Are you living a Spirit-filled life? It will make all the difference in the world if you do.

Are You a Basket Case or a Beacon?

Basket Case or Beacon

Matthew 5:15 says, “Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.”

So, are you a basket case or a beacon in your home?

Just because a lamp or candle is put under a basket, does that mean the lamp went away? NO! Sometimes as Christians we put our light under a basket. Sometimes we weave the basket around ourselves for any number of reasons. Sometimes we weave a basket around us because we are living in unrepented sin. Sometimes we weave the basket one round at a time because we are trying to protect ourselves. Regardless of the reason, our lamp is being hidden under a basket.

God did not create you, did not send the Holy Spirit to you to be hidden. In this verse the light is to be put on the lampstand and give light to all who are in the house. Who comes into your home? Who needs to see light? Who will not appreciate the fact that you are shining God’s light? Because let’s be honest, not everyone wants the light of Christ. The light exposes things that were once hidden in the dark. There’s usually a reason why someone hides something. They don’t want it to be seen.

The reason we should shine the light is so God will be glorified…not us.

I recently read a book written by Francis Chan titled The Forgotten God. It’s a wonderful book about the Holy Spirit. In John 14:16-18 Jesus tells the disciples that the Father will be giving them a Helper, the Spirit of truth. Their current Helper was Jesus Christ who was living with them, but the Father was going to send a different Helper, the Holy Spirit, who would live in them. In the book The Forgotten Book, Francis Chan poses a question I would like to pose to you. The question is this:

If you could choose to have the Spirit in you or Jesus beside you,

which One would you choose?

Jesus says there is another Helper that is like Him, God. “Another” in this instance mean another one of the same, not another but different. The Helper was another of the same as Jesus. The Spirit is God. Jesus says it is better that the Holy Spirit comes. Why do you think that is?

Personally, there have been times when Jesus would be physically present with me. I wanted to hear His audible voice with clear directions of how to proceed with my life. I would have chosen Jesus hands down.

So, why does Jesus say the Holy Spirit is what we need? In order for us to operate in our spiritual gifts and to have the fruit of the Spirit to the supernatural limits, the Holy Spirit HAS to be IN us. When the Spirit leads me to act in my giftedness delivering messages, encouraging, discerning, and prophesying, it is truly amazing what He does. I can only do that if He is in me, moving me, guiding me to act and do and say according to His will.

I want you to think about the disciples for a minute. When Jesus was with them, they made mistakes. They were clueless some of the time. Francis Chan wrote, “Do you want to see a life that was able to experience both Jesus in life and the Spirit in his body? Look at the life of Peter. When he was Jesus, he was clumsy. He put his foot in his mouth. He was impetuous. But empowered by the Spirit, WOW! He preached sermons that drew thousands and many were saved. With the Spirit, he healed and cast out spirits. With the Spirit, he escaped prison.”

When we get done with this Bible study, I will be doing a comparative study because I want to see in detail how the Spirit affected Peter’s life, how his life changed when Jesus entered it and how his life changed when the Spirit entered it.

But to be light, you have to know the Light. It’s a relationship. Relationships take time to develop. How much time are spending in your quiet time and Bible study each week? How often are your praying? Do you talk to the Spirit at all? Are you listening for the Spirit?

The Spirit IS God. 1Kings 19:11-12, we read God’s voice wasn’t in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire, but in the soft whisper. Isaiah 30:21 tells us whether we turn right or left, our ears will hear a voice behind us telling us, “This is the way, walk in it.” The question is are you listening?

Be the Light to Your Family -- Week 1 -- God don't need you to be the light

This series is called “Be the Light to Your Family.”

Your family can be the one you share your blood and gene pool with. Some of have gene pools too shallow to swim in like mine, so family includes adoption. Some of our adoptions are formal and go through the court systems. Some of our adoptions are not formal, but we choose to add people to our family through marriage and just because someone needs to be adopted. Family can be a work family. Teachers have other teachers as their family, but they also have those precious souls sitting in desks who are part of their work family. My work family is scattered in south Louisiana, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Then there’s a church family, and each church is different because they meet a need in being different. So there are many kinds of “families.”

And I’m here to tell you, God don’t need you to be the light to your family. Now some of you may think, well that’s a short lesson, but we aren’t over. Let me explain.

When we study a word in the Bible, one of the first things I do is to look for the first place it is mentioned in the Bible. The word light is first mentioned in Genesis 1. Read verses 1 and 2 and see if you observe what I did.

Who is mentioned verse 2? The Spirit of God. This is important so remember this.

What is the Spirit doing? Where is he? Hovering OVER. This is important so remember.

What is the first thing God ever says? Let there be light.  Light has to be extremely important. AND it’s singular – LIGHT, not LIGHTS

What happened as a result of God speaking? There was light.

God saw the light was _______. Good.

Did God have to create darkness?

Was the darkness good?

And yet God identified the darkness and gave it a name – Night.

Did God create anything to make or sustain the light in these verses for the first day?

How was there light then?

When did God create the sun, moon and stars?

            Genesis 1:14-19

Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;

“and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so.

Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also.

God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth,

and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

Vs 14 – Let there be LIGHTS. Lights are plural, so we know that God is creating things to emit light we will see and identify, and God gives His reasoning behind creating these lights because as we saw in verse 1 there was light without these things, right?

What is the purpose for these created lights? They were for signs and seasons and for days and years. The purpose of the sun, moon and stars is NOT to give off light. God doesn’t need them to give off light.

CHANGING LANES FOR A MOMENT, but I promise it’ll all make sense…

The first time we see the word star mentioned in the New Testament is Matthew 2:1-2

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,

saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

I don’t know if you read the blogs during Christmas, but I talked about the star. The star did NOT show up in Bethlehem when Jesus was born. Scripture shows the star showed up in the East. The angels arrived for the shepherds. The star showed up for the magi in the East.

It was a special kind of star. It moved when they followed, and they followed it to Bethlehem. It is estimated Jesus was around 2 when the magi arrived.

If they were following a star, when did they have to travel? Night. Night was the only time they could travel. They were traveling in the dark after the light.

Now magi loved studying the stars, but because we live in a sinful, fallen world, they used the stars, moon and sun for things that did not glorify God like fortune telling and astrology.

Who created the magi?

Who created the magi with a love, desire for studying the moon, stars and sun?

The star was for the Gentiles. It was the first time Gentiles were told of Christ’s birth.

Now, let’s go back to Genesis 1:14-19. From the beginning of time, God knew He was going to create the magi with a desire for learning, a love of the stars, moon and sun, and God knew He was going to reach them through a star. Did anyone tell them about the Light of the World being born? No. God did through a star.

So, does God need us to be the light for our families? No. I’m pretty sure He can find multiple ways of reaching them.

GOD DON’T NEED YOU TO SPEAK FOR HIM EITHER:

You might say, well He needs us to speak to them and tell them about Jesus’ love.

            Anyone ever hear the story of Balak and Balaam?

Numbers 22 – 24. It is one of the funniest stories in the Bible. If you’ve never read and studied it, you really should. And when you read the story, put yourself as an observer or one of Balaam’s men who would have walked behind him. Hilarious!

In this story the angel of the Lord speaks through a donkey. This donkey speaks more truthfully and eloquently than most preachers and teacher because he only spoke what the angel of the Lord gave him to speak. Otherwise, he could not have spoken at all.

So why are we studying how to be the light to our families? Because Jesus said, “You are the light…” Matthew 5:14. So what does that even really mean? I’m so glad you asked. I invite you to come to Bible study next Thursday at 6:30 pm. Please send us a message if you are interested, and we will provide you with the address. I’m so excited. I hope you come.

Heart Conditions

For about a year now, I’ve been working out at the gym anywhere from 2 to 4 days a week. I’m up to 35 minutes on a cardio machine and about 20 to 25 minutes weight lifting. I do the fat burning mode on the cardio machine, and when the bars spike, I amp up my heart rate. When the activity bar is flat and low, I lower my heart rate by decreasing the speed of my movement. For 30 minutes I am revving up my heart rate and letting it settle then I cool off the last 5 minutes. I sweat like a boar hog. I take a rag with me on that machine because I’m just pouring sweat.

My heart, your heart is a muscular organ that needs exercise. It needs activity. A fatty, lazy heart doesn’t do anyone any good. It’s amazing what can happen when there’s a healthy heart, a heart that beats for Christ.

In Exodus 35 – 36:7, the word heart is used 6 times in my Holman Christian Standard Bible translation.

                35:20 whose heart was moved

                35:22 had willing hearts

                35:26 whose hearts were moved

                35:29 whose hearts prompted them

                36:2 whose hearts the Lord had placed wisdom

…whose heart moved him

Do you know what the hearts of the Israelites prompted them to do? GIVE. They gave to the Lord. The gave to the Lord from their resources, their time, and talent.

And do you know what God gave them? They were given the ability to do the work laid out ahead of them in building the tabernacle. Some received the Spirit from God. Some received wisdom and understanding and ability to do any craft necessary in building the tabernacle. He gave some the ability to teach and instruct others the skills necessary for the job at hand.

Do you know what the result was? MORE.

Every morning the Israelites were bringing offerings, and in Exodus 36:4 it says, The people are bringing more than is needed. The children of Israel had to be told to stop giving. They had to be TOLD to stop giving.

Exodus 36:7 says, The materials were sufficient for them to do all the works. There was more than enough.

If you notice, the willing heart, the prompted heart, and the moving heart were all compelled to act in according to God’s will. These hearts freely gave to the benefit and glory of God and His mission. They weren’t focused on themselves, how they’ve been done wrong, harboring sin, ….

But it started with a willing heart, a heart that was moved, a heart that was prompted. How can God prompt your heart if you are bitter, negative, angry, or simply don’t care. You, my friend, have a heart of stone. If you don’t feel God’s presence, don’t see His hand moving, don’t have a desire to be used by God, there’s a good chance you have a heart of stone. But don’t worry. There’s a fix for that. I love this verse and have prayed it over loved ones. Ezekiel 36: 25-27, “…I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  I will place My Spirit within you and cause you to follow My statutes and carefully observe My ordinances.”

So, what kind of heart do you want? What kind of results do you want in your life? Our Heavenly Father is in the heart transplant business. He is the original pacemaker of your heart. Are you allowing Him to work in it?

Father God,

Thank you so much for loving us regardless of our weaknesses, our stubbornness, our pride, our hardened hearts. Please give us a heart for you. Give us a heart transplant. Give us a willing heart, a moving heart, a heart that beats after you.

We love you,

Amen.

Job -- What Comes Before Restoration

Too often when Job is taught or read, people like to skip this pivotal concept of relationships and go right to the happily ever after portion of the story where God restores Job and doubles his original blessings. To what concept or truth am I referring?

FORGIVENESS.

Let’s face it, Job’s friends were horrible. They made the testing season more painful than it had to be.

·         They wrongfully judged Job.

·         They gave bad instruction and advice.

·         They put words in God’s mouth.

·         They condemned Job.

How could these words and actions not hurt Job or his relationship with them?

Job 42:10, After Job had prayed for his friends… God had confronted Job’s friends and had instructed them to take a burnt offering to Job and ask Job to pray for them. One good point for Job’s friends, they listened to God and obeyed. They had to humble themselves and go to Job and ask for prayer.

In real life, do we always hear an apology from the person who hurt us? No. But does God deal with them? Absolutely. You may never see or know, but you can trust God to work things out.

In Job’s life, his friends asked for prayer. Job had a choice. Did he have to pray for them? No. Proverbs 15:21-22, If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you. If your enemy/one-time-friend asks for prayer or forgiveness, give it to them.

Forgiveness is not for their benefit. It is for yours.

If you never hear the words, “I’m sorry” or “Please forgive me,” you are still commanded to forgive. In the Lord’s prayer, we are to ask for forgiveness AFTER we have forgiven our debtors (Matthew 6:9). Forgiveness does not mean it was okay what the other person said or did. Forgiveness is not a sign of weakness. As a matter of fact, the greater and deeper the hurt, requires greater determination and strength in order to forgive.

You live long enough on this planet, and you will be hurt. You will be hurt by a parent, sibling, friend, coworker, spouse, and/or child. What you do with your hurt shows where you are in your walk with God. If you hold onto your hurt, anger and unforgiveness which turns into resentment and hate, then not only is your walk shallow but you cease to grow in your faith. If you learn to turn over the hurt and person who caused the hurt over to your Heavenly Father, then He can begin the healing process in your heart. There have been times I was hurt so deeply I had to turn them over to God too many times to count, but I knew I didn’t want to swallow the poison of bitterness, hate and resentment.

Let’s look at the last word of that phrase in the verse: After Job had prayed for his friends… His friends screwed up. They weren’t the best of friends, but even still Job called them friends. Forgiveness does not mean we have to continue a relationship with the one who hurt us, but if God leads you to do so, then do it. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to pray for the person who hurt you, especially when that person is close to you. Obedience to God on your part can bring restoration to broken relationships. He had done it more than once in my life. Job 42:2, I know that You can do anything, and no play of Yours can be thwarted.  There is nothing too big for God. He can help you forgive. He can show you how to forgive, and He can restore. Question is, Are you going to obey?

Let’s look at the rest of Job 41:10, After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his prosperity and doubled his previous possessions. The following verses read, All his brothers, sisters, and former acquaintances came to his house and dined with him in his house. They sympathized with him and comforted him concerning all the adversity the Lord had brought on him. The things Job craved from his friends when he was at his lowest, God provided in His timing.

God may have restored Job’s possessions, but Job would never have his children back. There was still grieving to be done, sympathy to be given, and comfort to be provided, and Job’s brothers, sisters, and others came to do just that. God did give Job more children, but it didn’t happen overnight. Restoration takes time. Healing takes times.

If you are going through a testing season, know God has not abandoned you. He will never leave you nor forsake you (Isaiah 42:16). But also remember restoration first requires you to forgive.

Job -- What comes BEFORE restoration?

Too often when Job is taught or read, people like to skip this pivotal concept of relationships and go right to the happily ever after portion of the story where God restores Job and doubles his original blessings. To what concept or truth am I referring?

FORGIVENESS.

Let’s face it, Job’s friends were horrible. They made the testing season more painful than it had to be.

·         They wrongfully judged Job.

·         They gave bad instruction and advice.

·         They put words in God’s mouth.

·         They condemned Job.

How could these words and actions not hurt Job or his relationship with them?

Job 42:10, After Job had prayed for his friends… God had confronted Job’s friends and had instructed them to take a burnt offering to Job and ask Job to pray for them. One good point for Job’s friends, they listened to God and obeyed. They had to humble themselves and go to Job and ask for prayer.

In real life, do we always hear an apology from the person who hurt us? No. But does God deal with them? Absolutely. You may never see or know, but you can trust God to work things out.

In Job’s life, his friends asked for prayer. Job had a choice. Did he have to pray for them? No. Proverbs 15:21-22, If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you. If your enemy/one-time-friend asks for prayer or forgiveness, give it to them.

Forgiveness is not for their benefit. It is for yours.

If you never hear the words, “I’m sorry” or “Please forgive me,” you are still commanded to forgive. In the Lord’s prayer, we are to ask for forgiveness AFTER we have forgiven our debtors (Matthew 6:9). Forgiveness does not mean it was okay what the other person said or did. Forgiveness is not a sign of weakness. As a matter of fact, the greater and deeper the hurt, requires greater determination and strength in order to forgive.

You live long enough on this planet, and you will be hurt. You will be hurt by a parent, sibling, friend, coworker, spouse, and/or child. What you do with your hurt shows where you are in your walk with God. If you hold onto your hurt, anger and unforgiveness which turns into resentment and hate, then not only is your walk shallow but you cease to grow in your faith. If you learn to turn over the hurt and person who caused the hurt over to your Heavenly Father, then He can begin the healing process in your heart. There have been times I was hurt so deeply I had to turn them over to God too many times to count, but I knew I didn’t want to swallow the poison of bitterness, hate and resentment.

Let’s look at the last word of that phrase in the verse: After Job had prayed for his friends… His friends screwed up. They weren’t the best of friends, but even still Job called them friends. Forgiveness does not mean we have to continue a relationship with the one who hurt us, but if God leads you to do so, then do it. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to pray for the person who hurt you, especially when that person is close to you. Obedience to God on your part can bring restoration to broken relationships. He had done it more than once in my life. Job 42:2, I know that You can do anything, and no play of Yours can be thwarted.  There is nothing too big for God. He can help you forgive. He can show you how to forgive, and He can restore. Question is, Are you going to obey?

Let’s look at the rest of Job 41:10, After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his prosperity and doubled his previous possessions. The following verses read, All his brothers, sisters, and former acquaintances came to his house and dined with him in his house. They sympathized with him and comforted him concerning all the adversity the Lord had brought on him. The things Job craved from his friends when he was at his lowest, God provided in His timing.

God may have restored Job’s possessions, but Job would never have his children back. There was still grieving to be done, sympathy to be given, and comfort to be provided, and Job’s brothers, sisters, and others came to do just that. God did give Job more children, but it didn’t happen overnight. Restoration takes time. Healing takes times.

If you are going through a testing season, know God has not abandoned you. He will never leave you nor forsake you (Isaiah 42:16). But also remember restoration first requires you to forgive.

Job -- With friends like these, who needs enemies?

As I write these blogs, speak or teach, I am very transparent and vulnerable, but believe it or not there are times when God deals with me for my own good solely. There are things between myself and God I don’t reveal, and if I do it’s at His direction.  One time God was leading me and dealing with me privately, when a girlfriend of mine caught a glimpse or saw one aspect of what was going on in my life.

After just seeing one small piece of my life, she began telling me how the cow ate the cabbage. If you don’t speak southern, it means she began telling me how I needed to be doing things. Truth is what she said made perfect sense to her, but she had no clue what was going on behind the scenes. She had no clue what God had been revealing to me which was in total contradiction to the words coming out of her mouth.

She wasn’t speaking God’s truth over me or to me. She was speaking her truth. She never even asked questions to dig below the surface. She just started banging me over the head with her truth.

With friends like these, who needs enemies? Have you ever heard that said? That’s what I felt like, and I’m wondering if that is what Job felt like with his three friends.

There are several things I want us to see regarding Job’s friends. I want you to review how you conduct yourself with those around you – family, friends, coworkers, acquaintances.

First off, these three men started off on a good foot. They came and sat with Job for seven days and nights. When they saw Job and the condition he was, they wept for him, tore their robes and grieved with Job. Their initial intent was to sympathize and comfort him.

If those friends did nothing else but sit with him in silence, this would have been more than enough. Sometimes the only thing required or needed from us is our presence. People don’t need our words of wisdom or platitudes. They need to know we are with them and that they are not forgotten.

These friends most likely found Job living at the dump. This is where piles of ash was kept. He had become destitute, and his friends went to where he was at the lowest point in his life. That’s what good friends do. No matter how low you are, they know where you are. They are with you. They may not provide a hand out, money, food, clothing or shelter, but they are with you wherever you find yourself.

Unfortunately for Job, this is where the strength of the friendship ends. You see, these friends felt they had a right to speak to Job, to judge Job, to correct Job, and they didn’t have the first clue of the truth. Each friend has their moment to speak their mind. One even goes as far as to say he was speaking on God’s behalf. What he said was platitudes. What he said was not of God. In Job’s eyes, Job saw how little his friends really thought of him.

After Eliphaz’s speech, Job says in Job 16:2, I have heard many things like these. You are all miserable comforters. When you are speaking with or dealing with a loved one, what is your job? Are you judge? Are you called to correct – and sometimes we are. Sometimes we are called according to 2 Timothy 3:16, All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, to rebuke and correct with Scripture. If you notice when reading through Job, these men didn’t use Scripture.

Job, however, didn’t need correction or rebuking. He was a righteous man. What Job needed was comfort. How often have you spewed words of condemnation, judgment, correction when really your words should have been a balm for their soul? Job 16:5, Job tells his friends what he would do if he was in their shoes, Instead, I would encourage you with my mouth, and the consolation from my lips would bring relief.

Girlfriends, before you speak in reproof, rebuke, or correction, before you speak at all, I pray you are spending a lot of time in the lap of our heavenly Father. I pray the words you speak will be only the ones God gives you. Proverbs 10:19, When there are many words, sin is unavoidable, but the one who controls his lips is wise.  If you say more than the words God gives, you are sinning. If you speak words God doesn’t give, you assist Satan during the testing season of a righteous person. If you speak words God doesn’t give, you may end up having to eat those words.

In Job 42, God speaks to Job’s so-called three friends. He tells Eliphaz, I am angry with you and your two friends for you have not spoken the truth about Me, as My servant Job has. God is so angry he repeats himself – Job 42:7 and 8. I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want is God angry with me and repeating Himself.

These three know-it-alls were instructed to offer a burnt offering for themselves in Job’s presence, and when Job prays for them, God will accept Job’s prayer. Talk about humbling. If you find that you spoke out of turn, without God’s leadership, without God’s word, then you need to make it right. You must go and ask for forgiveness. Matthew 5:23-24, Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. This verse is not a suggestion. It’s a command.

Girlfriends, what kind of friend are you when testing occurs in the lives of others? Let your words be few.

Job - Depression Documented

Christianity and mental health issues tend to be two topics that we do not often hear mentioned in the same conversation. Many of us just do not seem to know what to do with this apparent paradox and how to reconcile the two. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, over 16 million adults in America suffer from depression, at least 18% of Americans report experiencing ongoing anxiety (this is estimated to be as high as 30% because many do not report), and an estimated 5 million are diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in a given year.  Most everyone will experience significant grief at some point in his/her lives. John 16:33 says, “…You will have suffering in this world…” Given this guarantee of some measure of suffering in this life, I think it is time that we broach this subject of Christianity and mental health and shed some light on it to give us all a bit of clarity. There is no better example of this in the Bible than the righteous man, Job.

First of all, it is important to acknowledge that suffering comes to everyone, the righteous and the unrighteous alike. As is obvious in the story of Job, God does not keep Christians from danger and suffering. Matthew 5:45 tells us, “…For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” There are those who preach the “health and wealth” gospel, but this is a blatant lie. The first verse of the book of Job reports that “he was a man of perfect integrity who feared God and turned away from evil.”  This does not mean, of course, that Job was perfect. Only Jesus was perfect. It simply means that Job had a consistent spiritual relationship with God. If bad things happened to a man about whom this was said (and has an entire book of the Bible solely about his life!), why would we presume that we will live a life free of trouble?

We all respond differently to difficulty in our lives: anxiety, depression, grief, anger, and the list goes on. Job experienced all of these emotions, as well. After his children all died in a terrible wind storm, all of his sheep and servants burned up in a freak lightning storm, Job 1:20 describes his grief: “Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head.” These were all symbols of deep grief at the time. In Job 3:20, Job laments, “Why is light given to one burdened with grief, and life to those whose existence is bitter?” Job was suffering that kind of grief that hurts to the bone. It was the type of grief that you can physically feel in your heart and in your bones. “…his suffering was very intense.” (Job 2:13) The worst possible things that he could possibly have imagined happened – all in one day!!! He expressed the understandable emotion of anxiety. He said “I cannot relax or be still; I have no rest, for trouble comes.” (Job 3:26).

He became depressed. Who would not feel depressed at this point? He was scared and felt that God was being harsh and had abandoned him. He said rash things and later admitted that his utter devastation and grief led him to say things he did not mean. I have been guilty of thinking of Biblical characters as being somehow above the rest of us, maybe not quite like normal, modern-day people. This man was depressed! His world as he knew it had been turned upside down, his plans for his life were ruined, and his wife told him to just curse God and die (Job 1:9). Let’s not be too hard on Mrs. Job, though – she had also just lost all of their children and their wealth all in one afternoon. People say and do rash things when they are upset. Then…THEN…his friends come in with all of their self-righteous “wisdom” and make matters worse.

His friends really did have good intentions. Job 1:11 states that, “They met together to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.” They felt compassion and sympathy for him and wept out loud, tearing their robes and throwing dust on themselves. They loved him so much and were so moved by his suffering that they could not help but grieve for him. Do you have friends like that? Are you a friend like that? If not, you should be.

We are not meant to hold things in and go through life alone. We are not meant to plaster on our fake, Sunday morning, Christian smile and pretend everything is OK when, really, we are falling apart. Sisters, we are all SO guilty of holding it all in and not leaning on those who love us. We say we feel like we are “everyone’s rock and do not want burden others.” I call “hogwash” on this. If I had a dollar for every time I heard that in my counseling office, I’d be a wealthy woman! Those who are strong know how to lean on those who care about them Even Jesus leaned on His disciples when He was exhausted and grieving. When we choose to allow others to help us bear our burdens, we find that the burden is much easier to carry!

Job -- This is a test of the Emergency Broadcast System. This is only a test.

This is a test of the Emergency Broadcast System. If this had been an actual emergency…

Do you remember this? Every so often there would be this high-pitched tone come across the television invariably during my favorite program to warn everyone the siren they just heard was just a test. There was no cause for alarm because there was no emergency. Had there been an actual emergency there would have been some kind of instruction come across the screen.

In Job 1 and 2, we see Satan gives Job 2 tests, but personally, if I was Job, I’d call them emergencies.

Satan’s plan of attack:

·         Recognizant:

o   He observes, watches and takes a similar form as his victim. – “From roaming through the earth,” Satan answered Him, “and walking around on it.” Job 1:7, 2:2

o   He takes note of what God has done for his victim.  Haven’t You placed a hedge around him, his household, and everything he owns? Job 1:10

o   He notices God’s protection.

·         Presents his case:

o   Satan goes before the Lord two times. When the first plan of attack did not get the desired results, he tried again.

§  Attack 1 – take away God’s blessings

§  Attack 2 – take away Job’s health

§  Residual effect of Satan’s work – a defeated wife and pompous, self-righteous friends thinking they speak for God

o   Satan stays within the parameters God has place but isn’t satisfied with Job’s reaction and choices. Satan wants his glory.

o   Satan presents psychology to God – Skin for skin. A man will give up everything he owns in exchange for his life. Job 2:4

·         Outcome:

o   Job did not sin. Job 1:22, 2:10: GOD – 1,  Satan – 0

o   Job became destitute losing all of his children, servants, blessings, home, but he didn’t lose his faith. GOD – 2, Satan – 0

o   Job suffers excruciating pain and physical illness but does not sin.  GOD – 3, Satan – 0

o   Job’s wife is defeated, and his “friends” bring additional hurt, but Job spoke truth about God.  GOD – 4, Satan – 0

o   God reveals Himself to Job. Job – 1, Satan – 0

o   Job’s relationship with God becomes deeper and richer as a result. Job –2, Satan – 0

o   Job’s friends had to apologize and provide a burnt offering to Job and request Job pray on their behalf.  Job – 3, Satan – 0

o   God restores Job and doubles his original blessing.  Job – 4, God – 5, Satan – 0

Not that any one’s life is a game, but I wanted to show you who is defeated. It’s not the one who is tested. It’s not the One who allows the test. It’s the one testing.

If you are being sifted like wheat by Satan right now, know this. He is going to lose. If you don’t believe so, read Revelations.

So if you feel as if your life resembled the commercial for the Emergency Broadcast System, know these two things:

·         If you are being tested, know it is not the end. This was a season in Job’s life. It didn’t last forever.

·         If you are enduring an emergency, you have a place to find instructions – the Word of God.

Job -- Begin with the end in mind

There are things in Job you don’t find in any other book of the Bible. A few of those things are a look into heavenly protocol, a conversation between God and Satan, Satan’s plan of attack, Satan’s attack, and God’s relationship with Satan.

Job 1:6, One day the sons of God (angelic beings) came to present themselves before the Lord. In heaven there is a time when the angels account to God. They have a relationship with Him and present themselves to Him. …and Satan also came with them. Even though Satan had been kicked out of heaven, he still had access to God. He had access to God when the other angelic beings presented themselves to God. Do you see how important that is? God did not go to Satan. Satan wanted an audience with God, and Satan had to wait until the angels met with God first.

I bet that was awkward standing in line waiting with the angels he once communed and served with just to have a word with God. I can see it in my mind Satan standing at the back of the line having to wait his turn while the other angels get to have some face-to-face time with their Creator. I wonder if the angels were keeping an eye on Satan.

I also think it’s weird that God would allow Satan to step foot back into His presence again. Am I the only one?

The Lord asked Satan, “Where have you come from?” God knew where Satan had been. This statement appears to be more along the lines of, “You were not invited. What are you doing here?”

Satan’s answer should make the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. From roaming through the earth…and walking around on it. 1 Peter 5:8 says, Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Satan tells us. Peter tells us. Satan is roaming this earth. He’s walking around on two legs among us.

God’s response causes many of us heartburn. Have you considered My servant Job? I don’t know about you but there are times in life when I like to fly under the radar, and this would have been one of those times I would have preferred to lay low. But God chose to raise Job up. 2 Corinthians 2:14, But thanks be to God, who always puts us on display in Christ and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.

God was proud of Job. He loved Job. God claimed Job as My servant. Job was God’s delight. He bragged on Job as a father brags on his son. But still, if God puts His prized servant before Satan, what does He hold in store for me? Isn’t that what you’re thinking?

And of course Satan knew Job. Revelations 12:10 calls Satan the accuser of the brethren, and he lives up to that description. He tells God Job fears for nothing because God protects him. He’s insinuating if God removed His protection and Job was forced to deal with the harshness of life and what Satan can dish out that Job would give up on God. Satan wants God to do the dirty work. Job 1:11, But stretch out Your hand and strike everything he owns, and he will surely curse you to Your face.

God didn’t strike Job. Satan wasn’t in control. God gives Satan parameters in which he can test Job.

So Satan strikes Job. Satan repeatedly attacks until he has taken everything Job had. Rapid firing – 1 messenger escapes the Sabeans to tell Job they took the oxen and donkeys and killed the servants, 1 messenger escapes a lightning storm that kills the sheep and more servants, 1 more messenger escapes the Chaldeans who raided the camels and killed servants, and the final servant escaped a powerful wind storm that collapsed the home and killed all of Job’s children and remaining servants. He gets these messages one right after the other, right after the other, right after the other. No time to breathe. No time to think. No time to let the loss sink in before the next one hits. And this is just the first test.

What was Job’s response? He grieved – tore his robe and shaved his head. He worshiped – He fell to the ground and worshiped. He acknowledged he came into this world with nothing and would leave with nothing. And he acknowledged God was the one who gives and takes away.  Praise the name of Yahweh. To be able to worship and praise God when everything falls apart is without a doubt perfect integrity.

Job 1:22, Throughout all this Job did not sin or blame God for anything. WOW! I just don’t know that this could be said of me if I were in Job’s shoes.

Do you see how this book is different from the others found in the Bible? Do you see how valuable it is? We may not always understand God’s reasoning, but we need to work on our integrity and trust His heart.

 Some think the theme of Job is suffering when according to James 5:11 the themes are endurance and the end intended by the Lord. So keep reading and studying. Endure through the book of Job and let’s discover what the end was the Lord intended.

Job - Counting blessings

Blessings. What do blessings look like? Where do they come from? Who guards them? Have you ever thought about blessings? I don’t know that I really ever have until I listed Job’s blessings.

·         10 grown children – 7 sons, 3 daughters.

I remember studying genetics in college, and I remember being amazed that any child could be born without major defects because even if the slightest gene was altered there were ramifications. If the mother became ill, some diseases could be passed to an unborn baby. And Job and his wife had 10 kids! From someone who couldn’t get pregnant with one, I am at awe when a baby is born. And Job had 10 miracles walking around on two legs, and probably each one had their own personality, their own strengths and weaknesses, and their own gifts.

·         Then these 10 children had their own homes. None of them were living with Job and his wife. His kids were standing on their own two feet and handling their own business. Can I get an AMEN? That’s my goal for my two miracles.

·         Not only did he allow his children to live through puberty, but his children actually LIKED each other. They would have banquets at each other’s homes. There was harmony among them. That is no small miracle! If we were to stop right here, would you agree Job was very blessed? I would. But we can’t stop here because there’s more.

·         Job owned 7000 sheep, 3000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys. Keep in mind he didn’t win the lottery. His kids are grown which means Job is a mature man. He’s worked for these things. He invested wisely and bought wisely. He employed wisely.

·         He had a large number of servants. He employed wisely, and I bet he had a good reputation as a boss otherwise it would be difficult to maintain good servants who cared about doing a good job making sure the flocks were safe and well-fed.

·         God had a hedge of protection around him, his household, and everything he owned. As my daughter would say, mic drop.

If you notice, the blessings listed in Job 1 come AFTER a description of Job’s character. I don’t think that is by accident. Job was looking to up to Yahweh. Job was a righteous man. Job feared God, and God blessed Job. Praisin’ goin’ up. Blessings comin’ down.

When you look at the people and things in your life through the filter of each being a miracle it can help to change what you thought of as a curse into a challenge. A challenge can be overcome. Psalm 18:29, For by You I can run through a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. It would definitely be a challenge for me to get over a wall of any height. There are hurdles in life that are challenges not curses. If you start looking for the miracle, for the blessings, be sure to show your gratitude to God. Tell Him so because we know every good and perfect gift comes from Him (James 1:17).

Job - A lesson on character

I have a friend who will not read or study the book of Job. She has a hard time wrapping her mind around how God could choose a man for Satan to test to the point of being destitute. She’s not alone in cherry picking what she wants to read and study in the Bible. I’ve avoided prophecy for the longest time. But whether or not we stick our heads in the sand regarding prophecy or the book of Job, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen or won’t happen.

Have you ever wondered what the Bible would be like without the book of Job? There are things revealed only in the book of Job. There is a perspective in Job we see nowhere else in Scripture. So, whether we like it or not, Job is critical for understanding who God is, who Satan is, how Satan operates, who is actually in control, and how we as Christians should view adversity.

There is one thing I want to make perfectly clear. Your poor choices have consequences. Whether you are eating out and spending money when you should be saving it, whether you are making unhealthy choices that cause physical bodily problems, or whether your actions and words are ungodly and come back to you – these are on you. A lack of discipline will cause consequences. Job is NOT about a lack of discipline or poor choices, quite the contrary.

Let’s look at Job’s character to see what kind of many he was before the bottom fell out, and he lost everything.

JOB’S CHARACTER:

·         Job had perfect integrity. He was righteous. He was not self-righteous because that involves pride. When God tells Satan in Job 1:8 that Job was a man of perfect integrity then you know it has to do with Job’s righteousness. He did what was pleasing in God’s sight. He brought joy to God.

·         Job feared the Lord. Job was in awe and worshiped Yahweh. He was respectful and revered God.

·         Job turned away from evil. When faced with temptation, Job turned. 1 Corinthians 10:13, No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. Job chose to exit temptation through the way out. He didn’t stick around to see what would happen next.

·         Job was the greatest man among all the people of the east. His reputation and character were well known throughout the country.

·         Job was a spiritual leader. He offered burnt offerings for all of his children just in case they sinned even if by accident.

·         Job consistently practiced his faith and didn’t delay in spending time with God. In Job 1:5 we read he would rise early in the morning to do his burnt offerings. That takes discipline.

·         Job was God’s servant. God calls him that in Job 1:8

·         There was no one else like Job. The way God speaks of Job you can tell He loved Job and took pride in him.

·         Job worked for what he had, and God blessed it (Job 1:10). Job was disciplined. He applied himself. He didn’t expect a handout or inheritance. He worked.

When God looks at you, how would He describe your character? God described Job as a man of perfect integrity, but in Matthew 23:28, Jesus describes a more common type of individual, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Which description fits you best?

·         Do you make your appearance at church wearing your Sunday face, but you talk about people behind their backs, judge others, dwell on how you’ve been wronged, have no patience with those who are suffering, and serve no one but yourself? Then you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Ouch!

·         Are you disciplined in your quiet time, your prayer time, and your worship with God? Do you look to God for guidance in every situation and speak only the words He gives you to speak?

It’s not easy to be disciplined and have perfect integrity. It’s not fun or popular. You will be mocked or teased for it, and sometimes by the people in your own family and in your own church. But wouldn’t it be better to work towards perfect integrity and please God than to please a fickle man?

The reason Job could endure these tests was because his foundation was on Yahweh. He had worked and built what he had on the Rock. What and on whom are you relying when the bottom falls out? Are you relying on the One who spoke the world into existence, the One who holds the stars in place and knows them by name, the One who has your every footstep ordained? Or are you relying on yourself to get the job done? If your foundation is anything but Jesus Christ, you will meet with destruction. Talk to God and turn it all over. It’s not too late.

Facing the Enemy

My daughter was a page for three weeks this summer for the Louisiana House of Representatives. The first few days she got out of the car to go to her first official job as a 16 year old, she was quite nervous and anxious. I rolled down my window as she walked away and said, “Do your Beyonce’ walk!” Erin has this strut she calls the “Beyonce’ Walk” she pulls out when she needs to be all that and a box of chocolate. That girl makes me smile. So when I read, Exodus 14:8 where it says the Israelites left Egypt triumphantly. I wondered what that might have looked like, and I wonder how far that triumphant walk lasted.

We see in Exodus 13:17-18 God leads the children of Israel out of Egypt, and He leads them on a route the Israelites would not have chosen. It’s not the most obvious route. It’s not the easiest route. It’s not the shortest route. It’s not the route with easy access to food and water, but it is a route with fewer enemies and less opportunities for battle. This is God’s way of going before them smoothing out of the rough places and turning the darkness into light (Isaiah 42:16), but I wonder if they were still walking triumphantly.

Notice I said “fewer enemies.” We still have adversaries even when we follow the Lord. The difference is when we are following the Lord, they are His enemies not ours, and He will handle them accordingly.

In Exodus 14, we read how God led the children of Israel to turn back and camp in front of the Pi-hahiroth between Migdol and the sea. They camped in front of Baal-zephon facing it by the sea. This means the children of Israel would be trapped when the Egyptians pursued, and they did pursue. As a matter of fact that triumphant walk disappeared just as soon as they saw the Egyptians pursuing them. The Israelites wanted to go back to Egypt right then instead of dying in the wilderness.

Remember, if God leads you to a place then there is a purpose. If God leads you to face your enemy, there is a purpose. If God leads you out of bondage and into the wilderness, there’s a purpose. Look for Him. Seek Him.

In Exodus 14:13-14 Moses speaks to the Israelites. “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation. He will provide for you today; for the Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you must be quiet.” Many Christians like to quote the last part of this verse because it brings assurance and comfort, but this is NOT the battle plan for every enemy and every situation. Think Jericho – NOT quiet.

But let’s look at the instructions for this battle.

1.       Don’t be afraid – So easy to say, but so hard to do at times. It requires faith and trust in an Almighty God we cannot visibly see but whose handiwork is visible. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves our God is bigger than any Goliath or enemy in our path. Our God is victorious and nothing will thwart His plan.

2.       Stand firm – Don’t run from the enemy. Don’t run back to where you were comfortable. There’s no growth there.

3.       See the Lord’s salvation – Keep your eyes open looking for God’s hand. This means you are expecting for God to show up, and this is why you are to look for the Lord’s salvation.

4.       He will provide for you today – You’ve heard the saying, “If God brings you to it, He’ll bring you through it.” Our God provides.

5.       The Egyptians you see today you will never see again – This is a bit cryptic if you think about it. They didn’t have the Scripture to know exactly what Moses meant. This could mean God was going to take them home, God was going to enable the Israelites to rise up and defeat them. Who at this point would have thought the Spirit would blow such a strong wind as to part the sea for the Israelites to walk through on dry land? That had never been done before.

So often Christians get an idea of HOW God should handle a situation and begin to “help” God to that end, and they miss the miracle God has in store for them. This is why it is important to listen to God and follow where He leads not where we think He’s leading.

6.       The Lord will fight for you; you must be quiet. In this instance God didn’t need any help from the Israelites. He didn’t need their great ideas, their plans, or their strategies. He just needed them to be quiet. Gotta confess there are times during parenting when my kids try to help by giving their solutions when all I want is for them to be quiet. The kids don’t have the whole picture and have even less experience in life. Same goes for us. When God leads you to be quiet then ZIP YOUR LIPS!

What happens when you zip your lips? It frees you to hear others. Stop thinking about your way and listen. It gives you the opportunity to hear from God. It gives you an opportunity to use your other senses to experience God’s deliverance.

Oh the things we miss because we are so busy doing things our way. Oh the miracles we miss because we are helping God to deal with our adversary. Following God means doing things His way not ours. Are you ready to totally surrender your enemy, your adversary, your plans and ideas, your solutions to God? It’s the first step in facing your enemy.

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Name Changed from "Oxen Noggin" to "Consecrated"

My son is fortunate to be 12. He’ll be blessed to make 13 in August. He is all motion and noise. Occasionally, he wants to wrestle or mess with me. I’ll wrestle to a point. Let him think he’s getting one over on me, and then I take him down much to my delight. I know there will come a day he will tower over me, but for now, I’m enjoying this bit of angst. He starts these wrestling bits because he wants my attention, connection and contact with me.

He also likes to arm wrestle me. He’s ambidextrous, so when he can’t beat me with one arm, he tries with the other to no avail. It doesn’t matter how many times I beat him, he comes back for more. He is tenacious.

I’ve been studying and stewing over Genesis 32:24-32 where Jacob wrestles with the Man. I’d like to try to unpack some of it and go deep. Care to come along?

The first four words catch my attention –“Jacob was left alone”. How many times has God pulled us aside, all alone to deal with us? God does not share His glory with anyone (Isaiah 42:8). He wants our undivided attention. He doesn’t want us multitasking during our time with Him.

Sometimes God gets us alone because we have some stuff to work out.  

Then we see a man wrestled with Jacob throughout the night until daybreak. Many believe this man was Jesus. Whether it was Jesus or an angel of God, the man started wrestling with Jacob. Jacob didn’t start the wrestling match. It wasn’t Jacob wanting something. It was the man. What was he wanting?

                Did he want Jacob to surrender his pride, his strength?

Jacob physically wrestled all night. Jacob was tenacious. He was not giving in. He was not giving up. He endured in his own strength. This says a lot about Jacob. Then the messenger from Yahweh has enough and strikes Jacob’s hip socket. Truth is the man could have hit Jacob’s hip socket in the first minute of the struggle. Struggle would have been over and done – BAM! But he didn’t.

Why did he let the struggle continue through the night?

                Have you ever struggled with God?

                Have you ever tried to convince God your way was better?

                Have you ever argued with God? (I won’t go into the whole, “How did that work out?” thing.)

Ever struggle with addiction – shopping, food, lack of discipline, spending, alcohol, smoking, drugs, sex, etc? Ever think, “I got this” or “I don’t have a problem”?

How about pride and being self-sufficient instead of relying on God – ever struggle with those?

Ever struggle with the need to be in control instead of allowing God to handle every facet or every situation?

Have you ever struggled with God when you were in darkness and not in the light?

(Like I said, I’ve been studying and stewing. He’s been walking on my toes, kicking my shins, etc.)

The man tells Jacob, “Let Me go, for it is daybreak.” (v 26)

                There’s only so long God will wrestle with us.

                There’s only so much God will allow before He says “enough.”

But Jacob, being the stubborn one he is, says, “I will not let You go unless You bless me.” Hosea 12:3-5 says Jacob was crying when he made this plea.

“Jacob has been reduced to the place where all he can do is hold on to the LORD with everything he has. Jacob can’t fight anymore, but he can hold on. Not a bad place to be.” (David Guzik commentary – blueletterbible.org)   OH HOW I LOVE THIS! Jacob had come to the end of himself. He had nothing in him with which to fight, and all he could do was hold on to God. If you get nothing else out of this post, this is huge.

Jacob had wrestled with God and lost…like anyone wins when they argue with God. And even though Jacob wrestled with God, He wasn’t angry with Jacob.  He didn’t lose His temper with Jacob. I am so thankful for this.

The man asks for his name. If you were given a name based on your character, what would your name be? Mine would be “oxen noggin” – bull headed. Jacob’s name means con-man, sneaky, cheater, conniving, and boy, did he live up to his name.

Then the man gives Jacob a new name, a new moniker, a new character, a new reputation. He gives Jacob the name “Israel” meaning “God rules.” God had ruled over Jacob/Israel in the wrestling match. He would rule over the rest of his days too.

At some point in our lives, our name changes.

·         Sinner to Saint

·         Lost to Found

·         Convicted to Redeemed

·         Transgressor to Saved

·         Offender to Forgiven

·         Guilty to Glorified

·         Good-for-nothing to Adopted Child of the One true King, coheir with Jesus

·         Reprobate to Rewarded

·         Scoundrel to Consecrated

·         Trespasser to Reconciled

·         Wretch to Converted

·         Evildoer to Born-again

·         Wrongdoer to Atoned

Are you done struggling with God, with the journey He has you on? Are you to the point where you can no longer fight but only hold on to God? Then there’s no better place to be. Now it’s time you take the name you’ve been given by your Abba Father and live out its meaning in every area of your life. Time to get after it. Go.

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