THE DEVIL IS REAL, BUT HE IS NOT THE BOSS OF ME

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. (‭1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭8-10‬ NIV)

During this year of moving forward into my SEVENTH DECADE, I think I will take Sundays to reflect on the spiritual journey on which I am still embarked, look briefly in the rear view mirror (You never know whose following you), and share some of the truths I have discovered as a Christian. I can only go on the Word of God, which is unflawed, and my own spiritual journey, which undoubtedly is, so if you are looking for wisdom take what works for you and leave the rest, but I challenge you to keep seeking for ONE sure fire truth is that if we seek, we will find.

In my sixty-nine plus years I have ignored, misrepresented, denied God and my need for Him. I have doubted, questioned, debated, and disgracefully turned down Jesus more than once. I was actually a baptized non-believer; I was not an atheist…I had neatly arranged God, Jesus, really didn’t even consider the Holy Spirit, the Bible, so that they fit with MY mindset, placed them on a shelf to be addressed when I needed them. I was educated, but incredibly stupid. I was in a word LOST! But you know what there were people who thought I was a Christian. Why? Because I was essentially by human standards a good person.

Then a series of events, numerous and painful, people, Christian and Non-Christian, that brought me to the end of myself and the foot of the Cross. During all the time before and after my conversion, which by the way occurred on the road from Bartlesville, OK to Tulsa, OK…did not involve a blinding light but did involve the voice of God in my mind,whispering “Be Still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10).

While I was recklessly careening toward Hell, there were numerous times God intervened in my life while I was bad mouthing Him to literally pull me back from death. Sometimes I even managed a thank you. The Devil on the other hand mostly left me alone except for those times I leaned in closer to listen to the Christians God began planting around me or when he saw something that would entice me to sin more gravely than I had before or to remind me that I was so guilty and dirty that God wouldn’t want me anyway.

The Devil is real, but he is no match for God. The Devil pretends to be tough, but he runs from Jesus. The Devil hates people for God made us in His Image. The Devil will do everything he can to keep the unsaved from salvation and don’t think he stops when one accepts Christ and opens up heart, mind, and spirit to receive the Holy Spirit into Temple where self once ruled, turning the throne over to Christ. The Devil tries to make the Christian ineffective, fearful, guilt ridden, arrogant, virtually anyway he can.

That is why he runs around wreaking havoc, inside and outside, the Devil has an agenda…Take as many folks to HELL with him as possible. He knows his fate and if he has to suffer he wants everyone he can get to suffer with him.

He may look like a lion, roar like a lion, seek to devour like a lion, but he is toothless.
I need to be aware of his agenda and Know that HE WHO IS IN ME IS GREATER THAN HE WHO IS IN THE WORLD! (paraphrase from 1 John 4:4) This was true the hour I first believed thirty-five years ago and it is true today as I enter my seventh decade.

So here I am trying to stay ALERT and of SOBER mind. Listening for God even when the Devil roars the loudest. RESISTing him by STANDING firm and KNOWING I am not alone, there are others doing the same and some of them are really suffering for the LORD in ways I cannot even comprehend.

Enough for now…need to clean mental, spiritual, and physical closets so we can travel south next Sunday.

October 1, 2016 Hang on, I’ve got you, Girl

For me, these words of Jesus, set me free. Not words of a taskmaster, these. Not words of shame or ridicule or legalistic rules. Words of a lover, a helpmate, a friend. Gentle entreaties, recognition of the ravages of sin, which he conquered at the end. One who sees me beaten, tired, worn out. Who understands me when I doubt. Come, he beckons, try my way out. Watch my rhythms, move with me, place your toes upon my feet. Though the dance floor is crowded, though others snicker as we whirl about, with each burden shed, with each dip and twirl, I hear him whisper, “I’ve got you, Girl.”

Are you tired?

Worn out?

Burned out on religion?

Come to me.

Get away with me and you’ll recover your life.

I’ll show you how to take a real rest.

Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it.

Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.

I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.

Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.””
‭‭
Matthew‬ ‭11:28-30‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Just Saying….

SPEAK TO YOUR MOUNTAIN

Anne Lamott in a Facebook post on March 30, 2015 talked about those moments in our lives when we need to be comforted by more than cliches.  While I flinched at some of what she wrote, possibly because I have been guilty of offering words bereft of any action to back them, rendering them empty.

In the midst of her post she wrote these words that spoke volumes about WHY indeed, we encounter MOUNTAINS in this life,(edits and emphasis, mine):

“So what do I want to hear at a gathering, like church, say, or a random group of alkies?
I want to hear, “Me, too. I have that, too. I know what that feels like.” …. Jesus knew what it feels like, the loneliness, the sadness. The brutality. Jesus often said, “It’s very hard here. Have you eaten? Look–you all stick together, go to the beach and have some fish. Share what you have. We’ll talk later.”

I want to hear, “Wow, thank you for trusting me with that. What a big &%$^& drag. I’ve been through that, too. Let’s file a brief with the Complaints department. Come, we’ll sit down with a nice cup of tea and plan our strategy.”

Jesus said, “In this broken, angry, strife filled world, you will have trouble, but look ahead I have overcome the world…keep that in mind and then Paul wrote in his second letter to the church at Corinth:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (‭II Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭3-4‬ NKJV)

I have never put much stock in the prosperity gospel. WHY? Because my 70 years on earth have shown me that being poor, broken, sick, in bondage, etc. have not a whit to do with one’s faith or lack there of.  I have seen as the psalmist said, ‘Evil people prospering’ and ‘good Godly folks suffering’  If I hear someone tell a terminal cancer patient that all they need is faith to be healed and if they are not healed then their faith is too small, I want to throttle that person.

This world is boken, nothing works right or forever, planes crash, marriages fail, abuses upon abuses  prevail.  I am broken, nothing works right or forever, I crash, I have muddled up more than one a mess of relationship.

Good News!  Read II Corithians 1:3-4 againg.  God comforts us in all our bad situations, SO we can understand and comfort others.  Jesus promised that nothing would be impossible for us (Matthew 17:20).  There is a way through the fire and the raging waters of life;  He goes with us;  He wants us to go through it with others.

Anne Lamott went on to say (again my edits and emphasis):

I heard the exact right thing last week, when a preacher on the radio said, “Stop talking about the mountain that’s in your way–that makes it bigger. Talk TO the mountain. Say, I WILL defeat you.‘” I had to pull off the side of the road, and I glared and looked as scary as an aging black-belt co-dpendent can, and I said to my mountain, “I WILL defeat you, you *&^@$ mountain.” And in the following week, I did.

I want someone to say that against all odds, there is a solution. There really absolutely is. And that it’s not out there–it’s not in circumstance. Circumstances do not need to change to feel peace again or even happiness. It’s not in amassing or achieving. I so hate this. As Lily Tomlin said, the problem with winning at the rat race is that you’re still a rat. The solution is in knowing the truth. The solution is always spiritual, and it almost never has anything to do with the problem. 

I don’t know what your mountain is today, but I do know God has given us the Power to Speak to the MOUNTAIN and say “Get out of my WAY!  By the Power of the Holy Spirit, I WILL defeat you!” Then get out there and HELP OTHERS FIND THEIR MOUNTAIN MOVING VOICE!

THE DEVIL IS REAL, BUT HE IS NOT THE BOSS OF ME

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. (‭1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭8-10‬ NIV)

During this year of moving forward into my SEVENTH DECADE, I think I will take Sundays to reflect on the spiritual journey on which I am still embarked, look briefly in the rear view mirror (You never know whose following you), and share some of the truths I have discovered as a Christian. I can only go on the Word of God, which is unflawed, and my own spiritual journey, which undoubtedly is, so if you are looking for wisdom take what works for you and leave the rest, but I challenge you to keep seeking for ONE sure fire truth is that if we seek, we will find.

In my sixty-nine plus years I have ignored, misrepresented, denied God and my need for Him. I have doubted, questioned, debated, and disgracefully turned down Jesus more than once. I was actually a baptized non-believer; I was not an atheist…I had neatly arranged God, Jesus, really didn’t even consider the Holy Spirit, the Bible, so that they fit with MY mindset, placed them on a shelf to be addressed when I needed them. I was educated, but incredibly stupid. I was in a word LOST! But you know what there were people who thought I was a Christian. Why? Because I was essentially by human standards a good person.

Then a series of events, numerous and painful, people, Christian and Non-Christian, that brought me to the end of myself and the foot of the Cross. During all the time before and after my conversion, which by the way occurred on the road from Bartlesville, OK to Tulsa, OK…did not involve a blinding light but did involve the voice of God in my mind,whispering “Be Still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10).

While I was recklessly careening toward Hell, there were numerous times God intervened in my life while I was bad mouthing Him to literally pull me back from death. Sometimes I even managed a thank you. The Devil on the other hand mostly left me alone except for those times I leaned in closer to listen to the Christians God began planting around me or when he saw something that would entice me to sin more gravely than I had before or to remind me that I was so guilty and dirty that God wouldn’t want me anyway.

The Devil is real, but he is no match for God. The Devil pretends to be tough, but he runs from Jesus. The Devil hates people for God made us in His Image. The Devil will do everything he can to keep the unsaved from salvation and don’t think he stops when one accepts Christ and opens up heart, mind, and spirit to receive the Holy Spirit into Temple where self once ruled, turning the throne over to Christ. The Devil tries to make the Christian ineffective, fearful, guilt ridden, arrogant, virtually anyway he can.

That is why he runs around wreaking havoc, inside and outside, the Devil has an agenda…Take as many folks to HELL with him as possible. He knows his fate and if he has to suffer he wants everyone he can get to suffer with him.

He may look like a lion, roar like a lion, seek to devour like a lion, but he is toothless.
I need to be aware of his agenda and Know that HE WHO IS IN ME IS GREATER THAN HE WHO IS IN THE WORLD! (paraphrase from 1 John 4:4) This was true the hour I first believed thirty-five years ago and it is true today as I enter my seventh decade.

So here I am trying to stay ALERT and of SOBER mind. Listening for God even when the Devil roars the loudest. RESISTing him by STANDING firm and KNOWING I am not alone, there are others doing the same and some of them are really suffering for the LORD in ways I cannot even comprehend.

Enough for now…need to clean mental, spiritual, and physical closets so we can travel south next Sunday.