A word

Today in my time of trial and anxiety, in the mist of my fear, I am reminded of what the prophet Elisha told his servant when they were surrounded by the Syrians: And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. 2 Kings 6:16.  Until the day comes when the Lord opens my eyes that I might see his great host encamped around me I will believe and receive it, I will stand in faith that it is so.  In addition I am standing in faith on the other things the Bible says about us such as: Romans 8:31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these?  If God is for us, who can ever be against us?  If the words of one of God's prophets and one of his Apostles is not enough, then look no further than what God himself says in: Psalm 46:10-11 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.  The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.



 
 
 
 
 

Stand To

One of the things that I learned in my time in the military was that there is a time each night, right before dawn, that is darker and colder than the rest of the night.  This time is also the most likely time of the night that your enemy will try to attack you.  To counter this the military has what they call Stand-To.  During Stand-To everyone is up, has all of their combat gear and are in their foxholes waiting for the attack.  Stand-to continues until dawn, when the chance of attack lessens and you revert back to whatever the normal security protocol is.  Today in our spiritual battle our enemy acts in a similar fashion.  Anytime that God has an increase planned for us, there is always a period right before the blessing where then enemy tries to block it by bringing us into this place where it is darkest before the dawn to try to get us to waiver or even break in our faith that God is bringing the blessing.  Today, I am, like many of you, in my foxhole and it is darker and colder then the rest of the night and the enemy has brought his lies and his minions to attack me once again.  But I know that the dawn is coming that the light of almighty God will come and chase Deceiver and his forces away if I can just hold my position if I will just stand in faith, I know deliverance is at hand.  I remind myself what Elisha told his servant when they were surrounded in 2 Kings 6: 16: "So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."  This is always the case God will show up in a supernatural way if we are willing to stand in faith, remember all of the times that God has pulled us out of darkness, all the time he has come to our rescue.  I know it's not easy, I am struggling with this in my life right now, but I know that if God were to open my eyes like he opened the eyes of Elisha's servant, I too would see that the hillside around me is filled with horses and chariots of fire, that those who are for me are greater than those who are against me.  I haven't had that happen yet, so I am going to stand in faith that God is bringing me the victory and when the Deceiver shows up I will rebuke him with all the times that God has done the impossible in my life in spite of the lies of Satan.  This is where the rubber meets the road as they say, it is so easy to say you are standing in faith when things are going your way, when then enemy comes to challenge your faith you can run or you can hold the line knowing that God is with us, that God is for us and not against us remembering what Paul says in Romans 8:31 "What shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?  I say to you, that I know God is for us and because of that Satan can only win if we give up.

First Fruits

Not 2 weeks ago a prospective client said they would not be selecting us for their health plan.  We have known this prospect for a while, because they are a health care provider, and we've had a really difficult relationship with this practice (they seem to have a preconceived idea that what we do is negative  (in our opinion that's unfair and unfounded)).  It was not a surprise when we got the news, so we accepted it and moved on.  However, we have been praying and believing for God to bring us new business for some time now and recently we've been asking God to bring us business that it's obvious he is the source of.  So, we shouldn't have been surprised (but we admit we were) today when we get the call that this practice is indeed selecting us for their health plan!  It is hard to describe here but there is absolutely no way that this is anything other than God's grace, His mercy and His provision.  What we have been through with this practice, the only way they would have made this choice is from Divine intervention.

Jeremiah 29:11

New International Version (NIV)

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Security

In our business we send a lot of mail.  I have been wanting to make the switch to security tinted envelopes, but have hesitated over the cost which is as much as 2.5 times the cost of non-tinted.  Recently, I made the switch and began using tinted envelopes despite the cost.  I did worry about the increase in overhead but I decided to give it up to God, that since he put the desire to make the switch in my  heart, he would also work out the increase in cost.  Just a few days ago while out shopping, I stopped in the bargain area of our local retailer and guess what I found.  That's right enough tinted, windowed envelopes to last at least 6 months if not longer and priced less than the non-tinted windowed envelopes that we used to order.  Jehovah Jireh, the LORD will provide.

Genesis 22:14
¹⁴ And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide;^[b] as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

I know who I am, I know whose I am

Lying in bed this morning, I noticed the rosary by my bed was getting close to falling off of the lamp I had hung it from years ago.  As I looked at it, I noticed that when I had hung it there I oriented it not toward my side of the bed, but out away from me.  Hung not for my benefit but hung to ward off something, much like the cross I had hung outside of my loft several years ago.  I hung that cross to ward off something that was sent to torment me, something that was never really there unless it was night, and the lighting was low.  Since we hung the cross, it has left me alone, until last night, just for a moment, but it was more defined than it ever was previously.  For a split second, I could feel the fear begin to well up, but it vanished when I remembered who I was and whose I was.  This morning, lying there looking at my rosary I was reminded of the story of the seven sons of Sceva came to mind: 
Acts 19:13-16 ¹³ A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!” ¹⁴ Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. ¹⁵ But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?” ¹⁶ Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered.  It occurred to me that they did not fail because they did not answer the demon correctly, they failed because they (not being Christians), did not know who they were in Christ and what Christ said his followers would be able to do once he went to be with the Father.  John 14:12: ¹² “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. 

On today

When we picked up the mail at the po box today there were several pieces in there for the company whose po box is next to ours.  This happens every now and then and I returned them to the clerk to be put in the correct box.  When I got out to the truck and went through our mail I found 2 more pieces of mail for them and said I'll just drop these in the box on the way out of the lot.  That's when my wife, who is wearing a immobilization boot for a foot injury, offers to take in the mail to the clerk instead.  Normally, she would have no problem with dropping off the mail at the box and when she said that I knew that if she was willing to hobble in on this boot that the right thing to do was for me to take the mail in to the clerk myself, so I did.

Some background; we have been praying for several things that we have been praying for would come to pass this morning, neither of which did.  But as I sat in my truck I realized that God was still with us, still directing our steps helping me to make the right decisions even in the simple matter of how to deal with 2 pieces of misdirected mail.

Plan B

We've all done it, if this doesn't work then I'll do this, we call this making a "Plan B".  I think many of us, definitely myself, even let this thinking intrude in our walk with God.  I heard Plan B best described in a science fiction show my son and I used to watch and it went along the lines of -if Plan B was so good it would be Plan A!  When our Plan A is Almighty God, do we really need a Plan B?  When we make a Plan B aren't we really saying "God, I know you'll take care of this but if you don't then this is what I'll do"?  I tried to do things on my own for a large part of my life and I can say from experience that Plan B sucks!  There is no way I would be where I'm at, even here at all if I had kept doing things my way.  In my life I have decided to make God my Plan A and trust that he knows what is best for me and know that I don't have to do it all, he is with me and watching over me.  Like he says in Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Today I rededicate myself to making God and his plan for my life Plan A.

Land of the Living

When our trial or tribulation first started, I felt strongly that the way out, the way for me to make this right was suicide.  If not for the grace of God, the direct divine intervention in my life, I would not be here today.  God showed me another way, another path and on that path I repented and ask Jesus to be the Lord of my life.  On this journey together He brought me to several scriptures that have been life changing and have helped me stand in faith against the attacks of the enemy.  One that stands out today is Psalm 27: 13 Yet I am confident I will see the LORD's goodness while I am here in the land of the living.

 I have recited this verse hundreds, if not thousands, of times since this began and today it struck me why God brought me to that one.  God is saying that he is in control of the storm in my life and he can and will take what the enemy meant for my harm and use it for my good and he will do it while I am here in the land of the living.  "In the land of the living."  God is saying that he can fix what I have so thoroughly screwed up and he will do it while I am still here in the land of the living. 

Putting God First

Well it happened again, I got a couple of letters from my least favorite agencies.  I have someone that I believe was put into our path by God to help use deal with them so I scanned the letters in and emailed them to him, sure that I would receive a reply later that day.  Normally, that's all the time that it takes, out in the am and reply by the afternoon, this time was different.  No reply came Monday and while it was outside of what we normally experienced with him I tried not worry.  Tuesday came and went also with no reply.  Tuesday evening I was starting to listen to the lies of the enemy and was started to go into a light panic and I knew we needed God.  So I went to my wife and told her that I wanted to start praying again - together every morning and every night before bed like we used to.  She was very receptive and we began to pray before going into work and before going to bed.  Wednesday, we continued praying and went to Bible study after work.  I would not have minded skipping and going on home to watch TV or play video games, I have a lot of experience putting myself first, but I felt that this was the right thing to do.  In addition to praying, I came back to my blog and began writing again but there was still no answer from our man.  Each day the enemy would bring his lies back again and again, no matter how many times we would rebuke them he would wait for another opportune time and would try again.  But we did not give up, on Thursday, we went to another church that had invited our pastor to speak and what a service that was, the Holy Spirit was in the church that night!  But still no reply at the end of Thursday.  Friday morning came and as I sat at my computer and waited for the new email to load, I said that I knew that the reply to our message would be there in God's perfect time and as the messages loaded, there it was the message that we had waited all week for.  The difference between Monday and Friday?  We started putting God first in our everyday lives and it made all the difference.

Instruction Manual

 People complain all the time about not having an instruction book for life, for their children.  The bible is exactly that, if we can live our lives by God's instructions life can be so much simpler.  My son and I have been restoring an old for a couple of years and have many bought many repair manuals to guide us in fixing the broken things.  It occurred to me the other day that the bible is much more than an instruction manual, it is also a repair manual.  When you get off track, away from God it is the perfect "repair manual" a guide for fixing what is broken in your life and relationship with God.

He gives freely

Jesus shows just how freely he heals and forgives in Luke 8:43-48.

43 Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, 44 came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped. 45 And Jesus said, "Who touched Me?" When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'" 46 But Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me." 47 Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. 48 And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace."

When I read it as part of an email from Dr. Rod Hoskins this morning, it struck me that the woman was healed by Jesus when she simply touched his robe.  She had not spoken to Jesus, not asked him for healing first, she simply believed that if she could touch his robe she would be healed and when she did she was healed.  It says that the multitudes throng and pressed Jesus but it only mentions this one woman as being healed simply by her touching Jesus.  Jesus knew he had healed someone but not who, when she revealed herself he tells us what the difference was between her and the multitudes.  Jesus says to her "...your faith has made you well...."  Jesus could have healed her a number of other ways but shhe had faith enough that a simple touch of his garmet healed her, it was her faith that made that work. 

  Before I was saved I was Mr. Doom and Gloom, if a situation came up I would always look at the downside, never the optimist rarely believing in things going my way just on faith.  Recently I have begun a sort of self-censorship, instead of speaking defeat, speaking negative outcomes I speak faith over the situation and over the outcome that I desire.  I have finally learned in my life that there is no profit (spiritual or material) in being negative.  One of the ways that I do this is through scripture one in particular is Psalm 27:13-14  Yet I am confident I will see the LORD's goodness while I am here in the land of the living.  Wait patiently for the LORD.  Be brave and courageous.  Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.  Or as my good friend Pastor Mark would say Come'on Jesus! (this is good both before and after the victory).  (As I write this, good news came in that I had been believing for, Come'on Jesus!)    How did the woman in Luke know Jesus would heal her?  She believed, she had faith that healing would be the outcome of her touching Jesus' robe and that is exactly what happened.



If you ever have any doubt about how God feels about you:
In Isaiah 41, GOD himself says "I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, 'You are my servant.'  For I have chosen you and will not throw you away.  Don't be afraid, for I am with you.  Don't be discouraged, for I am you God.  I will strengthen you and help you.  I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."

Prayer for the unsaved in our lives

Some of the entries in this blog are about a few of the many, many times that I was in a difficult, even life or death situation and was saved but what I can only attribute to the grace of God.  It occurred to me today that I may have neglected to mention that many, if not all, of them occurred before I was saved.  How can that be you might ask.  I asked my wife the same thing, for I now know just how far from God I was during those times.  I wanted to know why would God intervene so many times for someone who wasn't saved but rarely prayed and rarely went to worship.  Her answer was simple, she told me that she had been regularly praying for me for almost 25 years, in addition to that she knew that my grandma had also been regularly praying for me at least since I joined the sheriff's office and that there were others that she knew were including me in their prayers.  I had no idea all of those years that they were doing that for me but it made all the difference.  Are there unsaved people in your life today?  If there are, it only takes a minute of your time to include them in your prayers and speaking as a recipient of prayers of intercession it will make a huge difference in their lives.

Harvest

“I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase and the trees of the field yield their fruit.”

(Leviticus 26:4, AMP) This scripture got me to thinking of something that my good friend Pastor Mark told me during the darkest of my days.  Sow good seed and you will have a good harvest, but if you sow bad seed then the harvest will also be bad.  But since you have started to sow good seed, the bad harvest will come to an end and you will start reaping the harvest that will comes from the good seed you have started to sow.  The bad harvest will not last forever.  I know the truth of these words as I have seen my bad harvest pass and the good harvest return in my life and all I had to do is to accept that my life is not my own, it belongs to Jesus. For me, this is what Jesus meant when he said in Matthew 10:39 " If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it." Ask yourself what kind of seed are you sowing?  It's never too late to change the seed that you sow and begin to reap the fruits of the good harvest once again.