Secret Weapon

Here's something completely unexpected-and by unexpected I mean completely expected-when we are about the purpose of God, the devil is getting busy too. So when we encounter temptations, distractions and trials during those times we should identify them as stumbling blocks and treat them appropriately. Problems arise when we see those road blocks as something they are not. At times we may mistake tempting ideas as our own and our pride gets puffed up inside of us and says "I deserve better" or we see our weakness and capitulate when faced with hardship saying "I can't do it". Either way we have lost focus and are now venturing outside the will of God and entering into our limited, sinful and fleshly ways. If God has given us a divine purpose he has certainly equipped us with everything we need. We know this because of the knowledge that God is omnipotent. If he can do all things and he sends us out on a mission for himself don't you thing he would give us everything we need to succeed? Silly rabbit! He loves us enough to take care of us and he is certainly capable of bringing about his good purpose despite us. So we should clearly acknowledge his greatness and sufficiency and thus submit ourselves completely to his leading. At all times in all things. Regardless of the circumstances we may be facing at the moment. As I said the devil will try to distract us with the little things of life. that God told us not to worry about in Matthew 6. Don't worry about what you shall eat or what you shall wear.... seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added onto you.... So why sweat the small stuff? Our financial situation may seem hopeless, but yet we somehow keep on making it, our relationships may be shaky, but God devised a purpose to them as well. God should be seen as the source of everything good. Our misplaced expectations in people bring much disappointment in our lives. We can't expect our loved ones to give our lives meaning and fulfillment. We have to look up to God the father for that. This will take away the strain of expectation from our relationships and with it the permanent struggle to get the impossible. Capitulation is the beauty of the christian life. When we get to the point of relinquishing our prominent position to God on an ongoing basis, living a life marked by our fleshly death and spiritual resurrection we now have all we need to live a victorious life: in the new life of Christ. We have to admit we can't do it and then ask God to take over. Our function is to take cover- and hide behind the cross. We can't but God can. That's the secret weapon in our daily warfare.

I'm dead! Yet alive?

Last year was a year of learning for me.: both externally and internally, if you will. Having had a chance to complete my degree program was a strenuous but rewarding experience. It wore me out, both mentally and physically, but it made up for it in feel good results. I did it! God is good. I would have never tried to get into the program unless he opened that door wide for me and carried me through all the way. He is an awesome daddy!
As far as the internal changes, they were certainly put in motion via my new year’s resolutions. They had been smoldering underneath the surface for some time, but became paramount at that time. You would think that having been on this planet for the last 4 decades I would have had many chances to gain insight into my own soul and straightened out some of the messes that have accumulated over the years. But it seems that my habit of sticking my head into the sand has perpetuated many flawed situations. If you never identify your faults, you will never even think of changing them and of course it will remain as it is. Elementary, my dear Watson! So when I dared to open myself to the scrutiny of close examination by the Holy Spirit, many things were made crystal clear to me by the divine light of God. Seems like a strange out of body experience or a holy trance of something, but it was actually during one of those routine chores I do on a daily basis that these revelations came to me. And after that I felt like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden when they suddenly became very aware of their nakedness in front of God. They knew they were wrong and so did I. It was a freeing experience and certainly very humbling. I knew I was wrong in those areas and I really knew there was nothing I could do to take care of it and make it right. And I guess that’s where God wants us anyway: prostrate on our face like Luther in the movie I saw a few weeks ago (extremely powerful movie). We are nothing and we should feel like that when we are confronted with God’s truth. It’s not a humiliating experience, because there’s love, and there’s hope for help. I surrendered myself to God for remodeling. I am now officially a work in progress-not that I haven’t been all this time, but now I have done the paperwork with the contractor for the necessary work to be done. I asked God to make me aware of my shortcomings before they go too far so that I may be sensitized to sin’s temptation in order to realize when to scream for help. God’s word promises a way out of all temptations. And having started reading “The Normal Christian Life” by Watchman Nee, I understand that I have already been crucified with Christ and his blood has atoned for my sins. I have acknowledged spiritual death in the past, and resurrection with Christ. He has done it all, and all I need to do now is acknowledge it and refer to him for life. And that means I no longer live, but Christ in me. He has already given me the power to overcome. He has given me the peace I need and the joy to endure.
What else is there? God holds primary position in my life. I need to daily reckon myself dead to the old self and alive in Christ and not demand my own way. That’s what it means living out the taking-your-cross-upon-yourself-daily. Crucify those selfish desires that draw me away from God’s purpose for my life. And the process may be very mundane. Like Luther scrubbing floors. That may not be such a bad pastime as a humbling experience and have quiet time with God. Hmmmm, where’s the nearest monastery?   Maybe my floor is right here, where I am. Why is it so difficult to translate knowledge into practice? Why does it hurt so bad to give up self? I guess dying is not easy, even spiritually speaking…

Another year, another resolution?

Not sure, but this new year is the same as the previous years minus last year when I actually made some resolutions. It was a tough year, for sure. Instead of gathering wind in my sails, they appear pretty flacid. The time for dreaming is over, reality has set in. Reality has a way of crushing our aspirations pretty effectively. So, as I enter a new year without illusions, I may as well submit myself to the sobering shot it administered to me intramuscularly (by way of the z-trak method, no doubt)
No, I cannot say this truthfully. My dream has just been delayed until such time, when things will improve. Deep sigh...My resolution is to keep breathing in and out regularly, deeply (without the use of my accessory muscles and without signs of respiratory distress) and calmly. That seems like a good start. And maybe blinking my eyes occasionally to ensure sufficient lubrication of my eye balls. Lastly, my resolution is to raise the corners of my mouth with the aid of cranial nerve VII (I think) to form a smile at least three times daily. And praise God, for He is good, even when things appear less than exciting.

Go Figure...

"I love it when a plan comes together..."
I totally agree with that statement. When we finally surrender and let our heavenly daddy take over he gets things worked out that we spent years trying to solve on our own. The puzzle called life is best seen from a better vantage point that allows a better perspective. And God has that, for sure! And here's the really neat part of it: he can do all things. The RIGHT way! 
He has a patent on EVERYTHING. He kinda made it all in the first place.
Stupid human! Who do you think you are?
God is great and greatly to be praised.
In ALL things!
Amen! 

Jesus re-built my hotrod

I think there’s a redneck in all of us…What do I mean by that? Well, what would you expect to see in the front yard but a non working motor vehicle and the corresponding motor hanging on an engine hoist? So maybe I don’t mean this literally, but figuratively. If you equate your soul with the chassis and the engine with your heart, we’re getting somewhere here with my analogy. Seems to me-and I mainly speak of myself here, feel free to include yourself if anything seems all too familiar, though-that we may realize that we have a heart problem, which causes our souls to malfunction and maybe even try to fix it ourselves at some point, but like that dismantled car, we may never finish the job. We may get lazy and sit on our smelly couch with our six packs and cheese doodles watching our favorite ball game and occasionally glance outside to make sure the car is still there, all be it in pieces and none functioning and go back to what is easier: nothing.
To put this in spiritual terms: we realize that we have a heart problem where we put something or someone else on the throne of our hearts, making that our idol to worship instead of God who should take His rightful place there. When we realize it, we may try to fix it ourselves, by reading self help books, attending classes, and attempting to repair what’s broken. But just like with that broken down vehicle in our yard, we may tire of it and leave it just like it is for decades, maybe even for the rest of our lives. Instead we should call the tow truck and have the master mechanic do a complete restoration of the engine and its component and put it all back in working order so it is useable again, as intended. And actually, this is a hotrod shop so he’ll throw in some nitrous to get us out of trouble as needed. And we’ll need it when temptation creeps up on us. Hit the switch (=call on God) to get us out of there ASAP. So if we would just get over our pride and call the one (and only) who can fix us from the inside out for good we’d be back in business, better than before. Our pride is what keeps us in that broken state we are in. We think we can handle our weaknesses ourselves, we can put on a coat of paint and we’ll look like we’re ok. But underneath everything is crumbling, we are useless and failing. Certainly a far cry from living the victorious life Jesus spoke of. Unless we let Jesus deal with our heart we will never be effective in our Christian walk. It’s a matter of the heart. Visible sin stems from invisible sin. Any sin that people see in us was birthed in a sinful heart. The desire of the heart is where our problem is. And that is where the great physician comes in. God has made a way for us to be restored unto him. That’s the whole idea of grace and salvation. That’s why Jesus died on the cross for our sins, yes; even those that have not yet shown themselves in actions, but only live in our thoughts and desires. Jesus knows our heart, and he is the only one who can fix it. So let’s haul our useless and broken down hearts to him for restoration. Thank you Jesus for being on call 24 hours a day and for footing the bill for the job. There’s absolutely nothing I can give in exchange other than my heart. And that’s all he wants. Man, this is an awesome story, isn’t it?
Who knew that talking about a car on blocks and an engine hoist would get me so fired up?

Amen to that and Yeehaw!

The measure of a man

Lately I have been through some changes at my job and I am trying to adjust to the new setting and people. One person who knew me from before introduced me this way “She is the smartest person I know and a hard worker”… I was struck by that description. Should it suffice to be known for the wealth of knowledge I have accumulated over the years and the work ethics I acquired? My mom always says she does not want this statement to be on her headstone “Her life was work and toil” because it befits a donkey not a person. Does it really matter how smart we are when we pass on? Nope. Does it matter how hard we worked? Again the same answer applies. So what then is the measure of a man? What does it mean to be successful in life? What should we strive to leave behind? A song by Linkin Park deals with that question: “When my time comes forget the wrong that I’ve done, let me leave behind some reason to be missed. Don’t resent me and when you’re feeling empty keep me in your memory and leave out all the rest.” So does it mean being loved is what matters in life? Sure seems nice to know that some people will cry and miss me for a while when I move on. But again, I don’t think that captures it. We are here for a reason. God made us in his image to bring pleasure to himself. We are to make God smile with what we do. Keeping God at the center of everything we do, honoring him with our decisions and obeying him to a point of dying to ourselves comes pretty close to it. So the less we are, the more we are. That’s what Jesus was getting at with the sermon of the mount. Amazing how we little ants try to figure out life when our creator has already put it in writing so long ago. Simplicity is too difficult for “smart” people like us… Thank God for his grace!

"Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man."
Ecclesiastes 12:13
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship."
Romans 12:1
"Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. "
Hebrews 13:20-21

Super-Vitamin P

The funny thing about praise, even, or especially when you don't feel like it, you need it. It's like a super-vitamin, it gives you strength to lift you out of the rut you're in. It is God's way to lift your head as you lift His name up high. It's the true Win-Win situation.
God is awesome that way. He gives us what we need, when we give him what He deserves: our full and undivided attention and worship.
He deserves it. Regardless of our circumstances and of our sinful state. He is God, always and forever and He is the great I AM. He created us, and is not too big to care about our little woes. He cries with us, like Jesus cried for his friend Lazarus. He cares more deeply than any human being ever could. Man, this puts me in a wonderful mood. I love to ponder God's attributes. Makes me smile!


Psalm 8

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%208&version=NKJV


New King James Version (NKJV)


Psalm 8
To the Chief Musician. On the instrument of Gath.[a] A Psalm of David.
1 O LORD, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!

2 Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
4 What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels,[b]
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen—
Even the beasts of the field,
8 The birds of the air,
And the fish of the sea
That pass through the paths of the seas.

9 O LORD, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!