Do Right

"Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked". (Psalm 82:3-4)

Like thousands upon thousands of you my heart is hurting for those suffering children as we witness the horror of the news unfolding before our eyes at Penn State. In the midst of all this I was blessed to learn that while some students acted out their pain by throwing a temper tantrum (riot) a large number gathered on campus to pray for the children who have grown into young men and their families. The wait for justice was too long for saving. The healing had to begin without it.  Honestly to do the right thing now won't make up for the past but it will guard the future. 

Though we are living in a society of moral decay I think we'd all like to believe that given the same set of circumstances we would have done the right thing for the kids. Judging from hindsight does not really give anyone a clear picture of what it looks like or what it costs to be a person who does the right thing.

In the fifth century (early 400's A.D.) a little monk named Telemachus was led by an inner voice to go to Rome without knowing why. At that particular time in history the Romans held gladiator events that were loved and cherished by the people much like our football is cherished today. Back then the honored sport had grown so much in popularity that it had become a 'god' to the people. Telemachus followed the crowds to the Coliseum.  He was appalled to witness two gladiators fighting to the death.  Moved by his compassion for the sanctity of life Telemachus tried to get between them to stop them, shouting three times, "In the name of Christ, forbear!" Telemachus was stoned to death by the furious crowd, enraged that someone would dare to interfere with their "entertainment."  Because of Telemachus' death, three days later, the Emperor by decree ended the Games.  One man dared to do the right thing. One man who loved God stood for God's Word and evil was squelched.

“The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken". (Psalm 82:5)

A pearl to string: Would a better moral climate at Penn State University and the surrounding community have changed the behavior of an alleged pedophile?....  probably not.  Would a better moral climate at the University and in the community have changed the response of those who saw what was happening? I believe it would have. Do Universities and communities across this nation share in the decline of morality? I believe we all do. Moving away from God is moving into disaster. 

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God". (Micah 6:8)

We're in this life together... We've tried the 'me, me, me' method and it's not working so well.  Each person has to choose who they will serve. For my husband and I and our household, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15)

He loves all of us,

                       Lyndi

Capture Unchecked Thoughts

Ever get something stuck in your mind?  The more it rolls around in your head the more you think on it. All the possibilities and ramifications grow worse the longer you think on it. Wow what was a moehill is quickly becoming a mountain and it is all in my mind. A trickle can do that. If it continues it may turn into a stream, and then a brook, then maybe a river. Before you know it, you’re dealing with an ocean of unchecked thoughts.  Capture those unchecked thoughts.... don't let them roam around in your brain till they drop into your heart. 

Has this ever happened to you? I’d like to say I have it all in hand and I stop those thoughts dead in their tracks, but it took awhile for me to recognize what was going on and then turn in another direction. Sometimes it still does. I depend on the Holy Spirit to alert me. 

A pearl to string:  Scripture has the only satisfying answers for me: "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5) "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he..." (Proverb 23:7) 

I kept this poem framed and hanging on the wall in our kitchen to remind me often how very important our role as parents was to the future of our children.  

Twas a sheep not a lamb that strayed away
In the parable Jesus told,
A grown-up sheep that strayed away
From the ninety and nine in the fold. 

And why for the sheep should we seek
And earnestly hope and pray?
Because there is danger when sheep go wrong;
They lead the lambs astray. 

Lambs will follow the sheep, you know,
Wherever the sheep may stray.
When sheep go wrong, it won’t take long
Till the lambs are as wrong as they. 

And so with the sheep we earnestly plead
For the sake of the lambs today,
For when sheep are lost, what a terrible cost
The lambs will have to pay! -C. C. Miller 

Capture those unchecked thoughts!

You are loved,

                Lyndi

Keep Him

Our culture is changing and growing darker the further away we move the Lord from our way of life.  The late U.S. Senate Chaplain Dr. Peter Marshall used to love to tell the story of the "Keeper of the Spring," a quiet forest dweller who lived high above an Austrian village along the eastern slope of the Alps.

The old gentleman had been hired many years earlier by a young town councilman to clear away the debris from the pools of water up in the mountain crevices that fed the lovely spring flowing through their town. With faithful, silent regularity, he patrolled the hills, removed the leaves and branches, and wiped away the silt that would otherwise have choked and contaminated the fresh flow of water. The village soon became a popular attraction for vacationers. Graceful swans floated along the crystal clear spring, the mill wheels of various businesses located near the water turned day and night, farmlands were naturally irrigated, and the view from restaurants was picturesque beyond description. 

Years passed. One evening the town council met for its semiannual meeting. As they reviewed the budget, one man's eye caught the salary figure being paid the obscure keeper of the spring. Said the keeper of the purse, "Who is the old man? Why do we keep him on year after year? No one ever sees him. For all we know, the strange ranger of the hills is doing us no good. He isn't necessary any longer." By a unanimous vote, they dispensed with the old man's services. 

For several weeks, nothing changed. 

By early autumn, the trees began to shed their leaves. Small branches snapped off and fell into the pools, hindering the rushing flow of sparkling water. One afternoon someone noticed a slight yellowish-brown tint in the spring. A few days later, the water was much darker. Within another week, a slimy film covered sections of the water along the banks, and a foul odor was soon detected. The mill wheels moved more slowly, some finally ground to a halt. Swans left, as did the tourists. Clammy fingers of disease and sickness reached deeply into the village. 

Quickly, the embarrassed council called a special meeting. Realizing their gross error in judgment, they rehired the old keeper of the spring, and within a few weeks, the veritable river of life began to clear up. The wheels started to turn, and new life returned to the hamlet in the Alps. 

A pearl to string: If the powers that be continue to take God out of every aspect of our humanity we will become diseased and sick just like the little village.  I can already see the leaves of anger and the twigs of resentment with the silt of unforgiveness plaguing our society.  What we see is becoming what we get as we use our human reasoning in place of God. 

"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.

But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Matthew 6:22-23)  "Worldly-mindedness is a common and fatal symptom of hypocrisy, for by no sin can Satan have a surer and faster hold of the soul, under the cloak of a profession of religion." Matthew Henry 

We the people need the Lord.

It is His love that keeps us safe,

and gives us eternal hope.....

                                    Lyndi

Un-thrown Stones

Up at a ghastly hour one morning checking out face book for prayer fodder when I hit pay dirt. A gentleman wrote: "I am learning that the term "best friends" often makes its way to the people you thought were yours....People who claim God as their compass are the worst in my experience".  Whoa..... that's thought provoking. I had several different reactions...... I bet you will too and I'd love to hear where this question led you.

First I climbed right into the pain of a "Christian best friend" behaving in a manner that would break hearts. How devastating to have that happen more than once in a lifetime. Then this voice came into my head, what difference does it make if their skin is Christian? Is this a love crime?  People seem to expect the world to act like the Word, but when "members" of the Body of Christ act like the world it sends shockwaves to the soul.

Uh oh, I seem to be moving right into judgment.  I'm thinking if any of us is experiencing a painful situation over and over again then maybe it's not the situation that is the problem. One of my personal struggles in life has been EXPECTATION. I have grown through pain and prayer to give it the 1, 2, 3 punch when my expectations of others goes off kilter.

1. The Law of Power by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend:  “You only have the power to change yourself.  You can’t change another person.  You must see yourself as the problem, not the other person.  To see another person as the problem to be fixed is to give that person power over you and your well-being. Because you cannot change another person, You are out of control. The “REAL problem lies in how you are relating to the problem person.  You are the one in pain, and only you have the power to fix it”

2. Jesus died for my sins…..and He died for those who sin against me.
3. Forgiveness is the perfume that the trampled flower casts back upon the foot that crushed it

A pearl to string: “People do things for their own reasons, not yours” I don't have any stones to be throwing at anyone. Let him who never made a mistake, or poor choice, or stupid decision. or let anybody down...cast the first stone. "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone..." (John 8:7b) "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (Matt. 5:44) do good to those who hate you" (Luke 6:27)

Margaret Lee Runbeck said: "Happiness is not a state to arrive at, but a manner of traveling."  I might add travel well and don't let the baggage block your view.

You are loved,

                Lyndi

Tired of the Ugliness?

by Ron Rose

Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky ...(Philippians 2:15 NIV).

Preparation

I'm tired of the ugliness. The financial struggles this year are ugly.

The 2012 election cycle promises to be one of the ugliest campaigns in history. Public discourse is punctuated with disrespect and foul language. As news breaks from day to day we are exposed to all manner of creative ugliness. In the last few months I have witnessed ugly weather, ugly moods, ugly situations, ugly architecture, even ugly truths.

Uglyism lives! It appears when we least expect it. Instead of staying just below the surface, it's popping above the surface and hanging around. This week, even with your eyes closed, you will see ugliness.

Without trying, you will be exposed to ugly comments, ugly injustices, ugly squabble, ugly arrogance, ugly attitudes, ugly confrontations, and a few ugly messes.

What do you do when faced with ugliness? I see 4 possible options.

  1. You can run; run as fast as you can.
  2. Ignore reality and go straight to Denial.
  3. Condemn the ugliness and talk constantly about how bad it is and how sad it is that we live in this mess.
  4. Become an agent of transformation.

Hidden somewhere in the middle of ugliness is blessing and beauty, put there by the Creator. He continues to allow ugliness so we can get introduced to new beauty. It's there, unseen, but there.

This is not the time to run. It's time to be the story of blessing, to see the unseen beauty growing wild in this culture of ugliness.

Inspiration

One of the most thought-provoking movies in my DVD collection is "The Green Mile." It's a story of ugliness and pain. Most of the movie is set in a death row prison of the 1930s. In a cell, toward the end of the hall, is an innocent large black man named John Coffey. He has few words to say, but he is the reason for the movie.

They say he committed a brutal crime, but as the story unfolds you learn he is innocent. And, more than that, he has miraculous gifts of healing and prophesy. Just by touching the arm of a fellow inmate, he can see the rapes and murders that the man has committed.

Tom Hanks plays the head guard who finally comes to the truth: John is innocent. He asks John if he wants him to fight to get him off death row.

In a weeping response, Coffey explains: I's tired, boss. Tired of bein' on the road, lonely as a sparrow in the rain. Tired of not ever having me a buddy to be with, or tell me where we's coming from or going to, or why. Mostly I'm tired of people being ugly to each other. I'm tired of all the pain I feel and hear in the world ever' day. There's too much of it. It's like pieces of glass in my head all the time. Can you understand?

Tom's character did. Do you?

Motivation

You have a gift, maybe not one of Coffey's gifts, but you have a gift.

The God of transformation has given you eyes to see the unseen, to see beauty when all around you is pain and ugliness. You CAN see the good when it's covered in badness, the hope in hopelessness, the healing in pain. There is beauty in the middle of ugliness.

Now, the question: Do you choose to open the gift, or run with the ugly crowd?

For one week, just one week, try seeing the unseen.

Pray for eyes to see beyond the ugliness, to see hope and goodness and beauty. It's a gift from God. Believe it. Live it, for just one week and you will be transformed. Your mind will be renewed. You will become an agent of transformation.

Look for it!

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  (c) 2011 FaithFitness and Ron Rose <ron@faithteam.org>.

Garden Party

Ever notice what you instinctively do when you are doing something or wanting something that does not line up to what you understand is God's will or plan for you?     Your sin nature replicates the garden party with Eve and the snake whittling away at her resolve. 

Well.... he's still serving apples and people are still going to his garden party.

If you find yourself moving away from God: not reading His Word, not praying, not wanting to go to church or fellowshipping with other believers.  Temptation could be leading you in the direction of giving up your protection.  Perhaps it's a stale mate in your marriage, or mean spirited people in your work place.  You could be overwhelmed with responsibility at home, work, school or all three.  Maybe you are so discouraged over finances that you can't see straight. The temptation to not go Gods way and just take care of your needs your way can lead to a prodigious disaster.

The temptation is not the problem but entertaining a thought against God's ways is the first step in deception.  Misquoting God's Word to yourself begins the justification process towards sin.  You have been tempted but at this point.... right here.... there is a choice to turn back to God's word, His ways for your answers. If you listen to the deceiver you will be as Eve was in the garden of Eden: She was sold. She was mesmerized. She was captivated. It was too irresistible to walk away. She didn't say another word. She didn't ask Adam for advice. She followed her senses right into sin.

A pearl to string: The beauty of God's Word... it's a blue print for living in a fallen world. God will show the way.... when Jesus Christ was tempted by the devil, He quoted Scripture perfectly. There was no discussion, no friendly conversation. Straight Scripture -- the sword of the Spirit. Likewise, the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:11, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” The only way to resist the enemy is with the exact words of God, spoken from an obedient and believing heart.

Keep growing in Him

God is your protection and
you are loved,
                    Lyndi

Adversity Reveals

Do you know where you are?  When I go to the mall I know where I am. There is always a giant sign to tell me, YOU ARE HERE! What a relief I giggle to myself, I am here! I don't know why upon learning, YOU ARE HERE, that we always want to go over there instead.  Ever notice once you get there and check the sign it says, YOU ARE HERE?

Is this a test?  YES, life is a test!

John Bevere says, "that trials and tests locate a person. In other words, they determine where you were spiritually. They reveal the true condition of your heart. How you react under pressure is how the real you reacts."  Yikes!

 God’s ultimate purpose for us is to grow more into the image of His Son (Rom 8:29)
Trials develop godly character, and "suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us” (Rom 5:3-5) "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him" (James 1:2-4,12) God has also assured us that no trial will test us beyond our ability to bear it, and “he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Cor. 10:13)

In Old Testament times, the people of Israel, upon a victory in a battle, or a special event would build of stone a memorial or marker, sometimes referred to as a stele. They placed together stones, or created an altar where they sacrificed an animal as part of a ritual of giving thanks. This was done in remembering what GOD HAD DONE in the lives of His people. They knew He had brought them through the trial and wanted to mark the moment or time.  So years or decades later, the 'history' could be marked that indeed the Lord had been good and brought them through a challenge or delivered His grace and power and might for just the right occasion.

A pearl to string: The horse is a powerful animal, yet with the tug of the reins, nudge of a knee or the tap of a heel, he will submit to his master’s bidding.  On the other hand, a wild stallion that has not been brought under the control of a master is of very little use. I'm not crazy about trials and I've often asked the Lord, "are you sure you have the right address?" but I don't want to be a useless wild stallion. So I memorized Job 40:4, “I put my hand over my mouth” and obey and watch what the Lord is doing. Ok, maybe I kick up a little dust sometimes but I'm growing cuz God is bigger than all my trials..

He is Amazing Grace!

Count your steles

And know you are loved,

                                   Lyndi      

Defiance or Devotion

Do you ever get mad at God because you don't think He is answering your prayers? Do you ever run down a list of what a good person you are in this world and shake that list at God? You know the kind of thing, "I am nice to people, I tithe, I pray, I read my Bible everyday..... hey would you all shut up I'm trying to think in here". 
 

"Well come on... that was annoying they were making so much noise.... Don't I have a right to be a smidge irritable with all that racket going on?"

That was not exactly a gracious demo of the fruit of the spirit. I don't think God is looking for any of us to be right standing with the world or our cultures' ways.  Politically correct is nothing more than communal tyranny.

God's love always happens right where you are and your love needs to happen there also.

Matthew 9:7 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone"?  Oswald Chambers explains the illustration of prayer that Our Lord uses in the Scripture verse is that of a good child asking for a good thing. A good child being one who is in right standing with their Father. We talk about God answering our prayers irrespective of our behavior and our right standing with Him. Are you rightly relating to your wife, to your husband, to your children, to your fellow-students, your co-workers - are you a "good child" there? "

The Lord's not going to change His ways for you.  He's not going to say ok I've commanded everyone to be kind, merciful and forgiving but for you my precious, it's the deal of the day, I'll let you live selfishly, be grouchy, mean, tell lies and cheat others and I'll grant your prayers.  Not going to happen.

 

A pearl to string: I am a child of God only by rebirth, and as a child of God I am good only as I walk in His ways. "Prayer with most of us is turned into pious platitude, it is a matter of emotion, mystical communion with God. Spiritually we are all good at producing fogs". (Oswald Chambers) We need to be honest with ourselves and turn away from wrong living. None of us will ever be perfect that is not the goal ... it's to live as a child of God, following Jesus.  Really it is no use praying unless we are living as children of God.  Then, Jesus says - "Everyone that asks receives."

His mercy is new every morning,

You are loved

                  Lyndi

I Love that Kid!, by Rubel Shelly

 I don't know Josh Ripley, but I love that kid! Let me tell you why.
Sixteen-year-old Josh is a junior at Andover (Minnesota) High School.
He was running a 5K race on Sept. 16 in a field of 261 competitors.
With the race less than half done, the 6-foot-5-inch runner heard a scream and saw a runner he didn't know crumpled against a fence -- holding a profusely bleeding ankle.

The injured athlete was 5-foot-5-inch Mark Paulauskas, a freshman at Lakeville South High. Here is Mark's account: "He just picked me up without saying anything and started carrying me and trying to calm me down. He said, 'It's going to be OK. I'm going to get you to your coaches.' ... I think it's amazing."

Sure enough, with his own coach trying to figure out why Josh hadn't passed the halfway mark, he spotted him. "I was wondering what was going on, why was he so far back," said Scott Clark. "Then I see Josh.

He's got the kid in his arms."

 

Josh Ripley carried Mark about a quarter mile! He handed him off to his coaches and family and then -- dead last in the field of runners now -- sped off to resume his race. He passed 50 kids to finish 211th out of

261 runners. No excuses. No disappointment. No explanation. He just finished what he had started -- only to be asked by one teammate why he had fallen so far behind. "He just humbly says, 'Oh, I picked up a kid,' " said sophomore Simeon Toronto. "And I'm like, 'Dude, you just picked up a kid and carried him?' That's incredible!" Then added Toronto: "It was just so typical Josh."

I love that kid! And while most of the news reports I tracked down cited this as a supreme example of sportsmanship and compassion among athletes, I think they missed the real force at work in Josh's action. The details make it pretty clear that it was the unfolding of a very practical faith that Josh embraces. He does volunteer work at Living Word Christian Center and -- by both Mark and Josh's account -- prayed over Mark as he ran with him in his arms. He prayed for Mark's pain to stop and for him to be all right. He even asked Mark's permission before he started the prayer! And Josh seemed honestly bemused by all the attention being paid to him later.

He insists he did "nothing special" -- but said he was just thankful God let him be there for someone who needed help.

Mark's ankle needed 20 stitches to close the gash some runner's spikes accidentally created. Blessedly, there were no damaged ligaments or tendons. He should recover fully, after he gets out of a walking boot and off his crutches.

Josh has reminded me again that there are wonderful people out there who are always doing kind and good things with no expectation of being noticed or rewarded. Great kids who aren't threatening teachers or doing drugs. People whose faith is not a banner or excuse, but a daily lived reality.

I just love that kid! Don't you? And I want to be more like him.

  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may

  see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16
  NIV).
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  (c) 2011 Used by permission. From Rubel Shelly <rshelly@rc.edu>'s
  "FAX of Life" printed each Tuesday. See Faith Matters for
  previous issues of the "FAX of Life."

The Gift

Author Bill Brant decribes the moment the gift was received: She approached cautiously and her eyes never left it. When her hands touched it, it was a caress, not a grab. Then she bowed, not to me but to the book. I was just the holder; she knew the importance of the gift itself. And I watched as she gently took the Bible in her native language of Swahili and cuddled it against her chest. Then as she sat, she began to read because she wanted to know what was written there. A young woman in Mbeya, Tanzania, not having a Bible before, hungered to know for herself what God says. 

Is that not precious? It brings tears to my eyes. We live in the land of plenty and I'm not sure anyone in America would treasure the gift of Gods Word with such tender  adoration. Yet it is a treasure beyond description.  There are those who have entered the very chambers of His holiness and touched the heart of God. They have walked with Him (Gen 5:24), talked with Him (Exo 19:19) and heard His voice (Gen 15:1). Some have even spoken with Him " face to face" (Exo 33:11).  

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Luke 12:34)  Those who find God as their Treasure will be a treasure to Him: "And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels" (Mal 3:17).  "And the Lord their God shall save them in that day as the flock of His people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an emblem upon His land" (Zech 9:16). 

We've all traveled in the family car.  We have either been the seeker or the recipient of the eternal question: are we there yet? The Apostle Paul reminded Timothy that: From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (II Tim. 3:15-17).   

A pearl to string: God's word is not a bat to be swung at people nor is it something to bean others over the head with... God's Word is a treasure to embrace and learn how to live in this fallen world of ours. God's Word is for gwowing and glowing. Despite all our learning, despite all our experience, we come to two great awakenings: our knowledge compared to what there is to know is so very small and our place in the passage of time is so very short. Both of these awakenings prepare us to turn our lives and future over to our God who longs to bring us to himself.  "We were born only yesterday and know nothing, and our days on earth are but a shadow"(Job 8:9). 

Immānûʼēl (Hebrew עִמָּנוּאֵל "God (is) with us")

You are loved,

                  Lyndi

Did ya miss the suffering?

I get the feeling sometimes that when people are encouraged to trust God to see them thru a drought or heartache in their lives that they expect it to happen without suffering.  And if they suffer the response is God is with you He's not with me.  Really? Un-cloud  that thinking Lord.  

There are many Biblical examples of heroes and they all suffered. Take Joseph for instance.  He was kidnapped by his jealous brothers, thrown in a cistern, sold into slavery, promoted to the man in charge. Life was going smooth when he was falsely accused, thrown into prison and forgotten for years. YEARS! Never doubting God through it all he was released from prison and rose to fame, fortune and ultimately able to save his family that was facing drought doom. (Genesis 37, 39 to 45). 

Who can forget the romantic tale of two sisters and the one man they love. Leah becomes Jacob's first wife and from her son, Judah, comes the line of David and Jesus. The love affair of Jacob and Rachel, as well as the love of the sisters for each other, lasted despite desperate circumstances. These sisters shared a home, a husband, and a history. They must have developed great inner peace to live together for decades. That, in itself, is a tribute to the women who raised the twelve sons who became the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel.  (Genesis 29-35) 

You might be very familiar with those examples and think yes but in reality: Joseph was a bit of a brat, Leah was sneaky,  Rachel pms'd a lot and Jacob had been deceptive in business. Ok those were normal people what about Job? God knew that Job was a righteous man, but satan opted to test his character. After Job was put through the fire, his character was undeniable. Job was able to maintain his faith in God and emerge even stronger and he lost everything. (Book of Job) 

No man in all of time, ever suffered as much as Jesus. He was bruised, beaten, rejected, scorned, and He carried the weight of the sins of the world. God even turned His back on Him, and yet still… Christ persevered. He finished His work. He is our ultimate example of heroism, with all that He endured. 

A pearl to string: Not going to get through this earth life without suffering.  Expect it because the thrill of victory is so quickly replaced with the agony of defeat.  The distance between a great victory and a great defeat is only one step. One sad truth of reality in a fallen world is that we can be riding high on the cloud of some great spiritual success and the very next moment find ourselves in a valley of spiritual failure and despair. The good news is our suffering is temporal and the harvest that suffering produces is eternal.  

“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 5:10) 

Be encouraged

you are loved,

                Lyndi

Anger Hunt

Some Christians can be as mad as a pit bull chewing bumblebees and still excuse their temper by saying that it is just the way they are. They take a perverse pride in being outspoken and honest. One man told his pastor, "I know I have a bad temper. I suppose that is my cross." His pastor said, "That is not your cross. It is your wife's cross. And it is your sin!" 

Anger? Sin? I get angry... am I sinning?  You never think so when it's you spewing bumblebees. I'm going on an anger hunt.  I want to find out what God says about this anger thing because I know He gave us the emotion. I also know I want to take captive any unrighteousness in my life.  I want to be in right standing with God.

Not all anger is sin, but some is. Just as lust is often confused with love, so the two sides of anger are misunderstood. Lust and love are powerful emotions of attraction: one to get something, the other to give something. Anger is a powerful emotion of resistance which also has two sides: selfish and selfless. Both sides, however, are expressed by the same word.

Two Greek words are used in the New Testament for our English word “anger.” One means “passion, energy” and the other means “agitated, boiling.” Biblically, anger is God-given energy intended to help us solve problems not anger involved self-defense, but a defense of others or of a principle.

A pearl to string: As I'm writing self-defense just leaps off the page.  Defending self....hmmm what does that really mean? Someone hurt me.... so I'll get angry?  It's not going my way...so I'll get angry?  That's not how or what I think or believe .... so I'll get angry?  Oh, oh, oh that was disrespectful to me.... so I'll get angry? The culture we live in has so radically changed from my youth.  It's topsy turvy and loosey goosey on every level so I'll get angry?  The government is not doing what I want.... people are not doing what I want..... church isn't doing what I want..... so I'll get angry? Really? Do any of us have a right to self righteous anger?  We have the right to defend ourselves just not in anger.   How can we be 'good and mad'?  Jesus shows us how. Unlike most of us, he was never angry at wrong done to himself. Even while he was hanging on the cross he said, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do". I've got some work to do with the Lord.

 Anger turns to sin when it is selfishly motivated: "...for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life God desires" (James 1:20).

 Oh my, we need the Lord,

                                    Lyndi

Are You Waiting To Be Called?

Pastor David Langerfeld tells a story of when the telegraph was the fastest method of long-distance communication.  A young man applied for a job as a Morse Code operator.  Answering an ad in the newspaper, he went to the office address that was listed.

When he arrived, he entered a large, busy office filled with noise and clatter, including the sound of the telegraph in the background. A sign on the receptionist's counter instructed job applicants to fill out a form and wait until they were summoned to enter the inner office.

The young man filled out his form and sat down with the seven other applicants in the waiting area. After a few minutes, the young man stood up, crossed the room to the door of the inner office, and walked right in.

Naturally the other applicants perked up, wondering what was going on. They muttered among themselves that they hadn't heard any summons yet.  They assumed that the young man who went into the office made a mistake and would be disqualified.

Within a few minutes, however, the employer escorted the young man out of the office and said to the other applicants, "Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming, but the job has just been filled."

The other applicants began grumbling to each other, and one spoke up saying, "Wait a minute, I don't understand. He was the last to come in, and we never even got a chance to be interviewed. Yet he got the job. That's not fair!"

The employer said, "I'm sorry, but the last several minutes while you've been sitting here, the telegraph has been ticking out the following message in Morse Code: 'If you understand this message, then come right in. The job is yours.' None of you heard it or understood it. This young man did. The job is his."

A pearl to string: We are so busy, living in a world that is full of noise and clatter, just like that office. People are distracted and unable to hear the still, small voice of God as He speaks in His creation, in His Scriptures, and most of all, in and through His Son Jesus Christ, God in the flesh.

So I ask you, as I ask myself, "Are we listening, or are we waiting to be called? Do you hear the Lord when he speaks to you?  Is your spiritual ear attuned to Him or are you blocked from hearing His voice because you're focused on all the other voices in your life?

"The sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. (John 10:27) 

In Him you are loved,

                             Lyndi

Take a Love Break

Find a quiet spot, maybe it's just closing your eyes right where you are to shut the world off.  Take a very deep cleansing breath inhale through your nose and slowly exhale through pursed lips.  Willfully release the burdens of your day. As if you could actually hold them all in your hands... open your palms up wide.  Let go of all the unmet expectations that caused the frustrations and disappointments that were like lightening strikes to your soul... let them go.  Take another deep cleansing breath.  Now the judgments that grow into resentment that ignite like a match to a dry forest and burn out of control... give those over... all of them.  Cease striving, "Be still, and know that I am God...". (Ps 46:10)  Just listen to your heart beat and breathe for 3 minutes. Feel your heart beat... isn't it miraculous?  God did that.  He created that heart and put it into every breathing being. 

When releasing our burdens to the Lord we become an empty vessel ready to receive.  Guard your freshly emptied heart.  To complete a love break one needs to fill the emptiness with love.  It just so happens that... God is love.

 
Jesus said, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture said, streams of living water will flow from within him." (John 7:37-38)
 

A pearl to string:  Streams of water -- living water for dying hopes, cool water for parched hearts, refreshing water for those tired and weary. This is, of course, much more than a liquid we can drink with our lips. This is the ultimate water of the soul that God longs to give to us, his children.

 

Let us refresh ourselves with the promises of Jesus.

In drawing close to him, the Spirit will restore our soul.
Now that.... is love,
                         Lyndi

 A few promises to contemplate:

~That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame...for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:9-13)
~You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. (John 15:3,4)
~says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. (Isaiah 1:18)
~being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6)
~Jesus says, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one." (John 10:27-30)

Missing Something?

Have you ever been fascinated  by optical illusion art?  One of my favorite illusion paintings is "Pintos" by Bev Doolittle. It appears to be a beautiful winter scene on a snow splotched rocky hillside but hidden within the scene if you look closely are 7 pinto horses. Beautiful! I love horses. This painting reminds me of the many things God is doing often right in front of my face but I am distracted by my circumstances and don't see.  When Job told the Lord in chapter 42 verse 5, “My eye see You,” he was not saying that he saw God physically. He was referring to the moment when he had a personal revelation of God.  Without a personal revelation of God, the enemy can easily rob pieces of your life from you as you dwell captivated by the circumstance that grip you.

2 Kings 6:15-17 "When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. 'Oh, my lord, what shall we do?' the servant asked. 'Don't be afraid, ' the prophet answered. 'Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.' And Elisha prayed, 'O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.'  Then the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."

 

Those verse from within the infamous Chariots of Fire second chapter of Kings (2 Kings 6:8-23) really encourage those who feel like the enemy has you surrounded and is moving in for the kill.  They definitely had some bad circumstances going on but the prophet Elisha sees things hidden to others... God's army is present and is stronger than satan's forces. 

A pearl to string: Why did Elisha see the Lord's army when others could not see it?

I'm thinking when one walks close with the Lord they are given eyes to see what is ordinarily invisible. Personal revelation from God is the very best protection on earth.  You may feel like the servant of Elisha who saw only the massed forces of the enemy which cause you to feel fearful and defeated.  Lift your eyes -- there is a mighty heavenly host waiting for your eyes to open and see the battle is the Lords,

We are safely in His care,

                                   Lyndi

GOT A MAD GOING ON?

  “For every minute you are angry
you lose sixty seconds of happiness.”
 
“Speak when you are angry – and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret.”  Dr. Laurence J. Peter

When you are angry, your body reacts just like it does to stress. It prepares for fight or flight.  Chemicals are released into your bloodstream. These powerful chemicals cause your body to undergo extreme changes. Your heart beats faster to pump increased oxygen, adrenaline, and sugar into your bloodstream.  Breathing begins to increases and blood is detoured away from the internal organs you don’t use in a fight and moves it to your muscles for strength. Your pupils dilate causing your vision to sharpen and your awareness intensifies.   Your rational mind is disengaged and your thoughts become distorted. You probably want to read that last statement a couple of times.  You may generate negative self- statements. You may begin to believe that no one cares or ever thinks about you. Negative thoughts usually serve to increase your anger. You are now in your anger attack mode and ready to fight. When you face real dangers in the world, this fight or flight response is invaluable to your survival, but when you are in a constant state of fight or flight day after day your health can begin to suffer. The powerful chemicals accumulate and make your body pay a price for being in a constant high energy state. Chronic anger suppresses the immune systems, can cause gastrointestinal problems such as irritable bowel syndrome and ulcers, it will affects your blood pressure and can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

The most common source of anger is frustration. Frustration occurs when you are blocked from doing what you want to do or from going where you want to go.  It is a feeling of helplessness and loss of control.

Another primary cause of anger is disappointment. You are disappointed when situations, events, or people, including yourself, do not meet the expectations you have for them. Threat to our sense of security is also a major cause of anger. Situations that threaten your security like doing poorly on an exam, losing your wallet, or encountering a problem you’re not prepared to deal with can leave you feeling vulnerable and angry.  The common thread that runs through all of these situations is another emotion, fear. These situations all result in the experience of fear. Anger is an emotion of fear. It is a defensive response to the feelings of helplessness and vulnerability that fear produces. While fear is a passive emotion with energy directed inward, anger is an aggressive emotion that allows you to direct energy outwards.

 A pearl to string: We cognitively interpret most of our life experiences; how we interpret a situation influences how much anger we might experience. Most often people try to justify their anger instead of taking responsibility for it but everyone experiences anger. The ability to express negative feelings in a constructive and positive manner is essential to positive spiritual, physical and mental health. 

 The anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (James 1:20 ESV)  A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression. (Proverb 29:22 ESV) , “Those who control their anger have great understanding; those with a hasty temper will make mistakes.” (Proverbs 14:29 NLT).

It's good to count to ten and lean on the Lord

Know you are loved

                         Lyndi

In Between

If you are driving east on the Atlanta highway in Georgia you will pass thru a sleepy little bedroom community called Between Georgia. It has a mini population of 161, least a birth occurred in the last few hours. Perfectly named because it is halfway between Atlanta and Athens. Imagine if you will greeting a stranger at a plaza on that highway and asking where they are from. "I live in Between".... "In between what?" .... "In Between Georgia" .... "In between Georgia and what? LOL being in between anything can be perplexing. I can think of a lot of places I would not want to be in-between: for instance two angry people arguing, a rock rolling off a mountain, a tsunami, a bridge collapse, a wild fire, killer bees or the worst getting caught between my morning and my day without spending time with the Lord.

Morning? Genesis 28 we read that Jacob rose early in the morning to make a vow to God at Bethel.  God told Moses, “Be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto Mount Sinai.” David rose early in the morning for worship, prayer, and meditation. On the first Resurrection/Easter Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb where Jesus had been buried. And that’s where they met the risen Lord!

 Day! wake, shine  up, fix breakfast, drive kids, groceries, fix a flat tire, lunch meeting, run dog to vets, clean house, prepare dinner, make lunches for next day, pick up kids, take kids to practice, pick kids up from practice, serve dinner, clean kitchen, do laundry, over see homework, baths, pay bills, write notes to family and friends, read, watch TV, sleep...... and some people have to go to work facing highway traffic twice daily and contending with grouchy hungry people on the way back home. Yikes I sure wouldn't want to do that day in the nude. Without Jesus I am spiritually in the nude -

 A pearl to string: Where do you meet the risen Lord?  I meet Him at the first breath of dawn each morning before my feet hit the floor. The power of prayer does not depend on me or you but on the One who hears our prayers.

 O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice (Psa. 5:3) You hear when good people cry out to you (Psa. 34:17) you bring joy in the morning (Psa. 30:5) Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul (Psa. 143:8) I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning (Psa. 59:16). Your steadfast love never ceases; your mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness (Lam. 3:22). For this is the day that you have made; let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psa. 118:24).   

And He loves you,

                        Lyndi         

A Sermon Walking

by David Langerfeld

"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." (James 1:22).

In 1953, reporters gathered at a Chicago railway station waiting to meet the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize winner.  He was a big man, well over six feet tall, with bushy hair and a large mustache.

Reporters were excited to see him and expressed what an honor it was to meet him. Cameras were flashing, compliments were being expressed when, looking beyond the adulation, the visitor saw an elderly black woman struggling to carry her two large suitcases.

"Excuse me," he said as he went to the aid of this woman. Picking up her cases, he escorted her to a bus and then apologized to the reporters for keeping them waiting.

The man was Dr. Albert Schweitzer, the famous missionary-doctor who had invested his life helping poor and sick people in Africa.

A member of the reception committee remarked to one of the reporters, "That's the first time I ever saw a sermon walking." 

The measure of any man or woman is not their name, nor their fame, nor what they say, but what they do.  "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says!" (James 1:22)


"I'd Rather See A Sermon"
By Edgar Guest

I'd rather see a sermon

Than hear one any day;
I'd rather one should walk with me
Than merely tell the way.

The eye's a better pupil
And more willing than the ear,
Fine counsel is confusing,
But example's always clear;

And the best of all the preachers
Are the men who live their creeds,
For to see good put in action
Is what everybody needs.

I soon can learn to do it
If you'll let me see it done;
I can watch your hands in action,
But your tongue too fast may run.

And the lectures you deliver
May be very wise and true,
But I'd rather get my lessons
By observing what you do;

For I might misunderstand you
and the high advice you give,
But there's no misunderstanding
how you act and how you live.

And all travelers can witness
That the best of guides today
Is not the one who tells them,
But the one who shows the way.

Though an able speaker charms me
with his eloquence, I say,
I'd rather see a sermon
than to hear one, any day.

A Forever Never

This is such a mean, lonely world for so many.  There is much suffering going on around the world. Some of which I can not even fathom the depth or breadth.  With our grand forms of instant communication we stand witness to the poverty of life but living it is quite another matter.  Don't you just want to shout into the darkness of peoples suffering, "God can handle this for you... believe in Him, trust in Him, relax in Him".

Robert Strand, in his book, Especially for the Hurting Heart, has a wonderful discussion of Hebrews 13:5 in which we read these encouraging words: "God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you!"

Strand asks, "Whatever does never mean?"  He notes that in the original language "never" is really a compounding of five negatives. Not that each negative is added to another. Rather, each negative is multiplied by the other. According to Strand, it really should read, "I will never, no, not ever, no never leave you or forsake you!" It is a synergistic compounding negative. It's a forever never which has no exceptions!

Then he asks, "What does 'leave' mean?"  He says that in the original Greek it means "to leave behind, to abandon, to give up on, to send back."  Well then, so far our verse will read: "I will never, no not ever, no never leave you behind, abandon you, give up on you, or send you back!"

Finally he asks, "What does 'forsake' mean?"  In the Greek it means, "to leave one in a helpless state, to disregard." It also can be further expanded to include "not relaxing my watchfulness over you." To this point, then, says Strand, our verse, in the full, amplified version reads: "I will never, no not ever, no never give up on you, abandon you, leave you behind, cause you not to survive, leave you helpless, nor shall I ever relax concerning keeping my presence with you!"

A pearl to string: Just want to pray His peace into your loneliness, into your pain, pray His healing into your suffering and pray His love surround you completely for I have learned Jesus truly means: "I will never, no not ever, no never give up on you, abandon you, leave you behind, cause you not to survive, leave you helpless, nor shall I ever relax concerning keeping my presence with you!" Hebrews 13:5

May the words of His love comfort you.

You are loved.

                  Lyndi

A Gotchme Gotcha

Have you ever been offended?  The kind of offense that makes you shout, either in your head or out your mouth: "that's it, color me done" and you act on what your anger dictates?  Uh oh that would be a  "Gotchme gotcha".  Who can escape that question? Isn't it amazing how the devil uses our offenses and our "offendedness" to divide and conquer marriages, relationships, the court room, the work place, churches and even entire nations!

We've all witnessed good people using the "you've got 7 offenses before I start swinging" method of forgiveness. A nice try at forgiveness of offenses before "offendedness" sets in. God's Word  reminds us to forgive 70 times 7.....(forgive 490 times) but even that could occur in less than a week these days.  We are living in highly offensive times.  We are not careful enough about the things we say or do and more importantly, we get offended way too easily. We get sideways and go off high and to the right because people do not meet our expectations. 

If you are holding a baby and his little arm swats you in the face, would you take offense to that? Of course not! We know the little guy didn’t intend to hurt us. We respond with “awwww” or laughter or something to that effect. But if it is a friend, a family member or a brother or sister in the church who offends us with a little swat of his words or actions, we are undone. We expect more from them! We become angry and we want to defend ourselves, fight back or leave forever.  Ian Percy said: " “We judge others by their behavior. We judge ourselves by our intentions.”

Jesus said NO! He said that even if someone despitefully uses us, that means on purpose, that we are to respond in love! We as human beings are troubled and sinful. We are not perfect and we should never expect others to be, no matter what their positions are in this life. God is perfect and He is the one from whom our expectations should come — not man.

A pearl to string: Are we living the Christian life or are we mouthing the words? Honestly I can not do this on my own.  If I am offended I am full of emotion. If I am full of emotion I am not nice. I am the classic snapper... off with their heads!  Oh boy! Swallow hard... want to know what Jesus says: "Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!” (Matthew 18:7) Jesus is teaching about causing little children to sin. Isn't that what we adults do... teach our children by our bad behavior?  That alone is enough reason for me to need a Savior.  I thank God for Jesus. I thank God I can give my offenses to Jesus and allow Him to wash over me and heal me.

 

My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. (Psalms 62:5)

Amen,

     Lyndi