christianity

Overwhelmed? Cry Out!

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I love the story in 2 Chronicles 14. King Asa had an army of 580,000. The enemy had an army of one million plus 300 chariots.  Verse 11 says, “And Asa cried out to the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude…”

In verse 12 the Lord struck the enemy. Verse 13 says, “…So the Ethiopians were overthrown, and they could not recover, for they were broken before the Lord and His army…”

A great multitude had come against God’s people. He instructed them to praise. 2 Chronicles 20:22 says, “Now as they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people…and they were defeated.”

What is overwhelming you? Cry out to the Lord! Let Him hear the voice of your heart.

Fear Of The Lord~Part One

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I memorized Psalm 111 and then went to Psalm 112. The last verse in 111 and the first verse in 112 were written about the fear of the Lord. This is what captured my mind. Psalm 111:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments…”

Psalm 112:1 says, “…Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments.” Noted are two characteristics attributed to walking in the fear of the Lord. One is that they are doers, and the other is that they are delighting. Both were written about God’s word in an ongoing active sense.

You can read Psalm 112:2-8 for yourself. It outlines the fruitful legacy of the one who walks in the fear of the Lord. Descendants. Generations. We have the opportunity to impact and influence others as we walk in the fear of the Lord. 

Distractions: Frustration

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Years ago the Holy Spirit gave me a definition for frustration. I still use it today as my compass. God intercepting my way in order to redirect me into His way. 

We often get frustrated when our goal is blocked. Anything that we do in our own strength will be opposed by the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:17 says, “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”

I often think of Acts 16:6-10. Paul and his team wanted to go preach in Asia, but the Holy Spirit forbid them. When they tried to go to Bithynia, the Spirit did not permit them. 

What was wrong with preaching? The Holy Spirit blocked them in order to redirect them into God’s way. Be alert the next time you are blocked.

Distractions: Fear Of Man

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We can learn a lesson from king Saul’s failed mission. The crux of his disobedience was couched in excuses. Let’s pick up the scene from 1 Samuel 15.  

God had given Saul specific instructions. Verse 3 says, “Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them…”

Verse 9 says, “But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best…and were unwilling to utterly destroy them…” Saul’s disobedience led to his dismissal as king. Verse 22 says, “…Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.”

What distracted Saul from his mission? Verse 24 says, “…I feared the people and obeyed their voice.” Let us not fall into Saul’s sin. Let Paul’s example influence and fortify your desire to serve the Lord only. Galatians 1:10 says, “…For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.”

Trials Purify Our Faith~Part Two

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Let’s look at Peter’s purifying trial. In Luke 22:31, Jesus told Peter that satan desired to sift him as wheat. Chilling words. Then Jesus assured him in verse 32. Jesus said, “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

Jesus’ words indicated to Peter that he would leave Jesus. Yet in verse 33 Peter boldly proclaimed, “…Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.”

Three times in the following verses Peter denied that he knew Jesus. How does our faith deny the Lord? One way is when we turn to our flesh. Galatians 5:16 is a command. “…Walk in the Spirit…”

Crucible. Refiner’s fire. Trial. Test. The words are synonymous with loss. 1 Corinthians 3:13 says, “…the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.” Trials often expose and reveal what was formerly hidden from our conscious mind.

Sing A New Song! Part Two

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For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the Lord made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before Him; Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples, Give to the Lord glory and strength. Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth.

Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns; The world also is firmly established, It shall not be moved; He shall judge the peoples righteously.”

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the Lord. For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with His truth.”

The Path Of Humility Is Strewn With Grace

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How is the path you are walking on? Proverbs 13:15 Amplified says, “Good understanding wins favor, but the way of the transgressor is hard (like the barren, dry soil or the impassable swamp).”

Here is the result of humility or pride. Proverbs 10:17 Amplified says, “He who heeds instruction and correction is (not only himself) in the way of life (but also) is a way of life for others. And he who neglects or refuses reproof (not only himself) goes astray (but also) causes to error and is a path toward ruin for others.”

What derails us? Our pride! I love James 3:13 in the Amplified. It says, “Who is there among you who is wise and intelligent? Then let him by his noble living show forth his (good) works with the (unobtrusive) humility (which is the proper attribute) of true wisdom.” The moment we fall into pride, we walk away from grace-provision.

The Power Of Crying Out~Part One

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There is only One who is always attentive. Not one iota of our lives is outside of the Lord’s attention. I wrote this to a mentee: Here is a good definition for a mental rut ~ falling into the same negative thought patterns that keep us stuck. 

Case in point. You wrote, “But the fear part of me is still around…” That is rut thinking. We fall into that pattern of spiraling down the moment we are triggered.

Psalm 66:18 says, “If I regard  iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.” Proverbs 4:23 is great admonishment. We need to diligently guard our hearts from falling into the ruts of self-reliance, self-effort, or doing things in our own strength. It is sin.

Psalm 119:147 says, “I rise before the dawning of the morning, and cry for help; I hope in Your word.” Read this cry. Daniel 9:19 says, “O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act!…”

Faith: Rooted In The Soil Of Truth

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Faith is aligning our heart’s belief with God’s will and ways. That is the work of righteousness. Isaiah 32:17 says, “The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.”

The work of righteousness in our trials looks like Romans 5:3 Amplified. It says, “Moreover (let us also be full of joy now!) let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance.” Experiential knowledge comes from tried faith ~ purified in previous fiery trials.

Every trial is strategically designed for our faith’s purification. The intensity of the heat drives the hidden dross to the surface. Dross: hidden fiery dart lies, unforgiveness, resentments, offenses, negative ruts that our mind gets trapped in, etc. Dross is fallow ground in the soil of our lives. It cannot bear fruit for His glory. 

Prayers Not Answered? Part One

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James 4:3 says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” As I meditated on this verse, I asked the Holy Spirit how we ask amiss.

Then my eyes glanced at my cross references and saw Psalm 66:18. I know that verse but I never had connected the two verses before. It says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.”

Slip over to Ezekiel 14:4. Written about Israel. It is about heart idols “…puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity…I the Lord will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols.” Hidden sin is an idol. It takes God’s place as first in our heart.

James 4:8 says, “…purify your hearts, you double-minded.” Double-minded in this sense is wanting to please the Lord, yet at the same time refusing to let go of something that He has pointed out to you.