God's Word Girl

When Good is Not Good Enough

Discipleship 1:3

Photo by Monstera Production on Pexels.com

During my teenage and early 20 something years, I babysat a boy that I practically got to watch grow up. Though I don’t know where the family was spiritually, they did make reference to God often and were pleasant. I frequently took an Uncle Arthur’s Bedtime Stories book to share with Ricky. He asked for them when I came and listened intently to the stories as was proved by his comments and his questions. I did my earnest best to gently share the love of God and his need for Him whenever and wherever I could.

He shocked me, though, when once he told me about an aunt that was a nun; there was no need for his personal salvation as her position gave him an automatic “in” to heaven. I couldn’t have been more floored. In fact, I repeated what he stated, which he confirmed, and asked if he believed it to be true, which he did. Until he made that comment, I didn’t realize that theology, if you wish to call it that, existed. Yeah, I’d battled falling into the performance trap based on my own merit, but never considered that my salvation hinged on someone else’s merit. It opened up a whole realm to me as to why people may take pride in having family members in “religious” service, no matter their faith, and why they may be so lack in nurturing their own spiritual well being. That’s problematic. I put that skewed notion right up there with the fellow student who told my girls that she was a Christian because she was homeschooled. ?! Uh, I don’t think so.

Today’s discipleship lesson is very closely related to something I recently posted entitled Approved and goes into greater detail about my battle with trying to earn God’s favor by my performance. When I was “good”, my relationship with God was “good”. When I fell short of expectations contrived by me or written in the Word, I often put myself into a corner and had a time of avoidance with Father because I felt like I disappointed Him. Wow. That hurt to write but there it is.

Generally speaking, if we ask anyone what one must do in order to be saved and go to heaven, they would most likely say, “Be a good person.” Then they may even go on to list what is considered good based on their own belief system. But in order to have a relationship with God and eventually make our home with Him in heaven, we’d have to have a righteousness that equals His. That, my friends, is impossible and that is what is so amazing about grace.

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, … Romans 3:21-23 NKJV

What does this mean? Man couldn’t nor can we even now keep the Law given through Moses. Our best attempts will never be good enough to earn salvation. The best attempts of those we may attach our salvation to will never be good enough. Only Jesus’ sinless life could put us in right standing with the Father. He bridged the gap. Grace, charis, undeserved favor was extended to us. And how do we obtain it?

“… through faith in Jesus Christ… “

“… and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;… Philippians 3:9 NKJV

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV

If we could earn our salvation be keeping the Law, by being “good”, then Christ died in vain. We cheapen His sacrifice by doing all we can do instead of leaning on what Jesus has done.

I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die. Galatians 2:21 NLT

Maybe it’s humanity’s weakness to lean on what we can do to maintain a good relationship with God. I link that to the original sin: pride. Do any of us really want to be dependent on someone else? I personally know of people who have caused physical injury to themselves because they did not want to ask for help. I myself have often pushed the ticket as to what I am capable of because I didn’t want to ask for help. We are never ever going to be good enough. No one person we may depend upon will ever be good enough. As the tax collector in Discipleship 1:2, we must humble ourselves before the LORD so that we may be forgiven and justified. Salvation comes through faith in Christ alone, period. Salvation is a gift waiting for us to open!

But—When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:4-5 NLT

To get the most out of this study, I suggest meditating on the scripture verses presented until the next post and taking the time to look them up in different versions. If you desire to go deeper, study key words in their original meanings.

At any rate, I hope you are blessed by this and that you will continue to join me. Until next time, blessings!

Our Righteousness: Stink or Aroma?

Discipleship 1:2

(*For our understanding, the simplest definition I have heard for righteousness is right standing with God. Let’s bear that in mind during today’s study.)

Our main text today comes from Luke 18:9-14.

Two men, a Pharisee, (an ultra-religious, “separated one”, person), and a tax collector went to church to pray. I can picture the Pharisee going front and center of the church, standing upright, looking heavenward. “I thank You, God, that I am not like other men,” he prayed. Then he began to pontificate on the reasons why, using comparison to other men. Besides being faithful to his wife, he was holy, just, and he did not use force, threats, or illegal means, to gain what he had. In other words, he was not like the tax collector, (whom we’ll get to), who stood afar off, praying. Oh, and by the way, the pharisee also went without food twice a week and gave ten percent of all that he had to the church. He was all of that, a bag of chips, a mega sized drink besides, and vocalized it. Self righteousness stinks.

Sadly, I can relate to the pharisee. I have looked down on others, especially in my younger days. “I do not go to the booze, drug, and sex parties of my peers. I do not use vulgar language or immodestly dress as they do.” La de da. Okay, reflecting back, I do not think that I was as outwardly as offensive as the pharisee or my peers would have approached me as they did. Ah, but God looks on the heart, and sometimes the inner thoughts of my heart stunk.

The point I’m making is that I have battled the self righteous attitude. I may not have been as vocal as the pharisee, but internally it was still there. What I think the big temptation to do here is compare ourselves to one another. Which, now that I am more mature in Christ, I intentionally guard against; however, I have caught myself, even now, being a spiritual snob. At times I must remind myself that my “comparison” is to be made to sinless Jesus only, period, for all of us have fallen short of the glory of God.

The tax collector felt the weight of his unrighteousness. He didn’t go the whole way into the church, would not lift his eyes to heaven, and smote his breast which is a biblical sign of repentance. There was no comparison to others here; he owned his sins and cried out, “God, be merciful to me — I am a sinner!”

I can also relate to the tax collector. Sometimes I drive myself nuts with the things I think, say, or do that are displeasing to God. But that’s why grace, charis, the free, unmerited favor of God toward people who don’t deserve it, is so wonderful. This was the heart of the tax collector. It is my heart when I have done wrong and have humbly come to God to confess it.

My sacrifice [the sacrifice acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart [broken down with sorrow for sin and humbly and thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise. Psalm 51:17 AMPC

This is when righteousness is a sweet smelling aroma as unto the LORD. So who went home forgiven and in right standing with God? The tax collector of course!

I tell you, this man went down to his home justified (forgiven and made upright and in right standing with God), rather than the other man; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted. Luke 18:14 AMPC

The pharisee was not humble in his “praying”, therefore God didn’t hear him, just as he won’t hear us.

If we say we have no sin [refusing to admit that we are sinners], we delude and lead ourselves astray, and the Truth [which the Gospel presents] is not in us [does not dwell in our hearts]. 1 John 1:8 AMPC

Compare the non-effective arrogant “prayer” of the pharisee to that of the effective prayer of the tax collector.

If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action]. 1 John 1:9 AMPC

I hope you will join me in taking some time to self-reflect. Let us ask ourselves: Is there a bit of snobbishness residing in me? If there is, let us humble ourselves, ask for forgiveness, and repent. And like the tax collector, may we walk away forgiven and in right standing with God. In closing, let’s visit the scripture again:

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9 NKJV

Blessed be the name of the LORD.

For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13 NKJV

The Insanity of satan

On today’s post I am going to veer from our discipleship study, (which we will return to), and write off the cuff.

I have been in tears, praying, and bewildered over the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Bob, a debater himself, would bring him up on YouTube and we would both sit in awe as we listened to his quick wit which seemed to come from an endless bank of stored knowledge and keen wisdom. He was a joy to watch.

Bob, like maybe many others, is angry, questioning God. “Why? God could have preserved him.” It’s true. President Trump was spared, thank God, but there’s no way I’m going to attempt to answer the “Why?” as to why Charlie Kirk was not.

What I am going to present is the insanity of our foe.

Jesus was crucified and something tells me hell was rocking in a party atmosphere. satan figured he’d finally done it, he manged to do away with the Son of God, his archenemy, the One standing between him and all of humanity — which he longed to destroy. Then Jesus rose from the dead and totally messed up his celebration. Now those of us who place our faith in Jesus Christ find it a joy to frustrate the plans of our enemy. To his credit, Charlie must have been messing the devil’s plans up royally or he wouldn’t have been targeted so severely.

satan had Stephen taken out. I bet he felt smug that day as well. “I’ll show those Christians what price they will pay to proclaim the Name of Jesus Christ.” Only, that back fired, too. No, Stephen did not raise from the dead, and we will not see Charlie walk among us here again either. But, in a sense, we will.

What happened after Stephen’s murder is that Christians scattered. They had been a heaping brush fire and suddenly became individual flames, lighting everything up everywhere they went by proclaiming the Light of the World.

What I see following Charlie’s death is precision. I see individual flames coming to together to make an accurate torch, creating an unyielding, unstoppable, unapologetic, united voice that burns rubbish and wickedness and boasts the Gospel of Jesus Christ sweeping across our nation like wildfire. I decree today that God will honor Charlie by loosing a massive revival at college campuses everywhere, creating a reformation the likes of which we have never seen here in the United States of America.

satan did not learn when Jesus was crucified. He did not learn when Stephen was stoned. And he did not learn when Charlie was shot and killed. Precious in the sight of God is the death of His saints. The kernel that falls to the ground, soaked in righteous blood, and watered by God’s very own tears, produces a harvest of incalculable magnitude. It’s coming. It’s already here. satan has overplayed his hand again and God will not waste the destruction of this irreplaceable, priceless life. God will have His way. He will work this for good because Charlie loved Him and was called according to His purpose.

Let us pray.

LORD, we come to You today, humble and grieving. We lean hard on Your Word that says You came to heal the brokenhearted. We wrestle to throw aside the Whys. They do not matter now. What matters is the comfort of Charlie’s family, and Your people, and the legacy that he leaves behind. We say that his life will not be wasted but that we as believers will do all that we can to spread the fire that he carried.

It is apropos that the Turning Point platform that placed him into the forefront of the battle will be a turning point for us as a nation. His death is the tip of the spear and the body of Christ is the force behind it. We will not be silenced. We will not be quiet while our brothers and sisters are martyred, persecuted, and threatened. We will be an unstoppable force to be reckoned with, proclaiming Your love, salvation, and righteousness to the generations. May our love for You and one another, and the anger we feel toward satan, be the energy that fuels Your holy flame; may You use it to thwart the enemy’s plans for this nation. May we continue Charlie’s mission and add souls to Your kingdom on his behalf.

May You bless Kirk’s family. And may You bless the U.S.A.

Thank You. Amen.

The Ultimate Purpose of Salvation

Discipleship 1:1

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

Okay, I admit it. I’m thinking the first lesson is going to be a no-brainer. Wrong! I don’t know if you’ll get as much out of this as I did, but I hope so.

First, let us pray:

LORD, may we enter this study with open hearts, willing to thwart preconceived notions and beliefs that may be contrary to You and Your word. Where we may have trouble comprehending, help us to understand. Shine Your light upon us, help us to receive all that You have for us. Make us blessable so that we may be a blessing to others. Thank You. Amen.

And so we begin…

The bedrock verse for salvation would be:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 NKJV

The thing that sticks out to me, probably most of us, is “not perish”, not spend an eternity in hell. And that is absolutely true! That being said, we’re missing the flip side: everlasting life. Huh? You might say. If we stop at eternal life being the means of being saved from eternal damnation, then we’ve missed the ultimate purpose of salvation.

The night before His crucifixion, Jesus was praying. One of the things He prayed is,

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3 NKJV

Know God, Know Jesus, is basically what Jesus was saying. Relationship. He was trying to safeguard us. Why? Because …

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy … John 10:10 NKJV

I was attending a celebration of life recently and the importance of the focus we present to others was driven home to me. The minister drilled the terribleness of hell to the attendees, as I have heard many well meaning believers do. I’ve done it. I agree that there is a hell to shun and a heaven to gain, no argument here. But what if instead of magnifying the atrocities of hell, we would give heaven three times the accolades? And what if, especially in the light of our first discipleship lesson, we presented Jesus as the answer to our heartaches here?

As the author pointed out in the study I’m reading, it’s no wonder people put off choosing Jesus when salvation is presented as an escape from hell at our demise. He’s not presented as a viable solution to the here and now problems people are facing. What they need is eternal life and they need it now. They need that intimate relationship with the Savior now so that He can direct them into the abundant life here. Life will not be perfect in this broken world in these aging bodies, but we can have life abundantly. If it were not so, Jesus would not have said it.

“… I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10 NKJV

And when do we obtain this abundant life?

He who possesses the Son has that life; he who does not possess the Son of God does not have that life. 1 John 5:11-12 AMPC

Abundant life begins when we choose Jesus, it begins here, on planet earth. And what is abundant life? The exact opposite of what the thief came to do.

I want to live the abundant life promised me now. That is part of the reason why I am studying this, so that I can rise above those things that are holding me down and lift others up as well. If you share the same desire, then I hope that you will continue to join me.

I recommend re-reading these posts and meditating on the scriptures presented until the next lesson. According to Romans 12:2 NKJV, let’s,

“… not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Study well, fellow sojourner.

Discipleship 101

For quite some time now, I have been thinking about Jesus’ great commission to “go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). The thoughts of teaching someone else got me to thinking about my own beliefs, if anything’s incorrect, if anything needs tweaked, if I have what it takes to bring someone else up in the faith. Truth be told, I was wondering how strong my own foundation is. Growing up on a pew doesn’t necessarily mean all the bases are covered. Do I have gaps?

Have you ever given being a disciple much thought? Do you know what one is? I think the simplest definition I have come across is a disciple is one who becomes like his teacher (or master) and spreads the teachings of said teacher.

Maybe, like me, you have been a follower of Jesus for a long time. Maybe you are a new convert or know one. Maybe you are curious about the Christian faith and whether or not it is relative to you. If so, we’re in luck, for I came across a discipleship evangelism course. One of the “new things” that I’ve been kicking around is sharing my bare bones version, here at God’s Word Girl, as I go through the course. I want to continue to incorporate stories where applicable because, well, that’s what Jesus did. Plus, it makes learning much more interesting, don’t you think?

Now that I’ve shared the inner thoughts of my heart, I hope that you will consider joining me and perhaps invite a friend. Journeys are all the more pleasant when shared with others.

A New Thing

Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18-19 NKJV

This has been the LORD’S mantra to me for a couple of weeks now. A new thing, a new thing, a new thing…”

Can’t say I mind it. I’m kind of tired of the old thing. If the LORD spoke this to you, what would it mean?

As I’ve said before, we had a friend who used to say that the physical mirrored the spiritual. It was Laura who cued me in with a simple statement she made while we were at the clothesline one day.

“I’ve seen more butterflies this year than I’ve seen for a long time,” she said.

I was sad for summers prior, yet currently glad, for butterflies symbolize new life to many people.

I have an index card behind my kitchen sink that reads: Things will look drastically different by this time next year. I wrote that last May and looked expectantly for the difference. To my eye, it didn’t come. Did I hear the LORD right? I internalized. Did I hear Him at all? I confess, one day in a fit of hopelessness, I found myself reaching for the index card, to rip it down and throw it away. Then, I paused. A thought suddenly dropped on me: Just because I am not seeing it in the physical – yet – does not mean I will not see it at all. For things happen in the spiritual that I may not see in the physical for some time, but it will have its time.

Don’t believe me? Let’s look at two instances in Daniel. In Daniel chapter 9:20-23, the scripture says while he was yet praying, the angel Gabriel came and told him that as soon as he began to pray, the answer was given and it came straightway. When next he prayed, in Chapter 10, the answer was delayed for 21 days. And yet the LORD told him the same thing: I heard you when first you prayed.

Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; …” Daniel 10:12-13a NKJV

From the first day, your words were heard…

The burden to discern the reason for the delays is ours. We do experience times of resistance from our enemy and spiritual warfare ensues.

Then there is an order of things. In Mark 4:28, we find there is first the blade, then the wheat heads, then the grain ripens. There is a proper succession.

There is also something for our times of desperation, and maybe I have done wrong, but when I felt like I have taken all that I can possibly take, based on Daniel 2:21 and Matthew 24:22, I’ve asked that God would change the season and/or shorten the time of the trial for my sake.

I am sorry if I sound like a broken record, please bear with me. Beloved, has God given you a word? Then hold to it. Do as He says when He says it, and He will do what He said He will do.

“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

“For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace; …” Isaiah 55:11-12a NKJV

The Grace in Waiting

Photo by u00d6mer Derinyar on Pexels.com

Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you;
And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
Blessed are all those who wait for Him. Isaiah 30:18 NKJV

Delays are not denials. Men would pluck their mercies green, thwarting the love and wisdom growing there, when the Lord would have them ripe … “Do not grieve Him by doubting His love. Lift up your head and begin to praise Him even now for the deliverance which is on the way to you, and you will be abundantly rewarded for the delay which has tried your faith….” ~ Adam Slowman “Expectation Corner” reprinted in Streams in the Desert by Mrs. Cowman.

“God is a wise husbandman,…He knows when we are spiritually ready to receive the blessing to our profit and His glory. Waiting in the sunshine of His love is what will ripen the soul for blessing. Waiting under the cloud of trial, that breaks in showers of blessings, is as needful. Be assured that if God waits longer than you could wish, it is only to make the blessing doubly precious….” ~Andrew Murray reprinted in Streams in the Desert.

Wait in the sunshine of His love.

But to you who fear My name
The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings;… Malachi 4:2a NKJV

Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper. 2 Chronicles 20:20b NKJV

Hear the Word of the LORD. BELIEVE. Be firmly persuaded. Believe solidly. Be established in the LORD and you will be established. Amen! — is another way of saying “it” — the thing, the word — is solidly, firmly, surely, verified and established.

Allow me to reiterate with Slowman: Delays are not denials.

In John 11 we find a man named Lazarus who was sick. His sisters sent word to Jesus saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” v. 3

Jesus’ response? “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” v. 4

Let’s look at this:

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. v .5, 6

Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you;…

Be gracious is to be inclined to have compassion or bestow favor on someone. It is an attitude marked by compassion, generosity, kindness and a consideration that will refrain from further wounding the bruised and suffering.

When the days of Lazarus being dead are tallied up, he had already passed when Jesus got the message that he was sick. Jesus already knew that. He did not delay His going so Lazarus would die. He did not delay to punish or ignore the sisters. Then the age old question, Why?

“And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe.” v. 15

His delay was going to produce a greater miracle.

As soon as Martha heard Jesus was coming she went to meet Him. She declared that if Jesus had been present Lazarus would not have died. True. Then she made a profound statement:

“But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” v. 22

Do we have that kind of faith in the midst of our losses?

Even after their exchange, the one in which Martha stated that Jesus is the Son of God, she slightly wavered when He commanded the stone to be rolled away. Mind you, Lazarus had been dead FOUR days. The commentary I read said many resources say that the Jews in that day held the belief that the spirit of the deceased hung around for up to three days looking for re-entry, but four days? That exceeded all reason of explanation. Not only that, there is decomposition to consider.

Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” v. 39

Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” v. 40

Has Jesus said that to you concerning your situation? Do you believe? Are trial and time making you weary? I get it. The things I’m sharing here with you today, they are born of my own wrestlings, of entries in my own journal, and ruminations. I can relate to Martha’s slight hesitation, but I know that if I can hold on like she did, I will receive the greater miracle. And so will you. Beloved, Delays are not denials. There is grace in the waiting, and if we ask, He will reveal it to us.

Apparently she established her belief because they took the stone away. The next part of verse 41 is essential for victory:

And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.”

That is reminiscent of this:

Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against (against their enemies);…and they were defeated. 2 Chronicles 20:22 NKJV (parenthesis mine)

These are the instructions in the great Book:

I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. Psalm 100:4

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Philippians 4:4

“But I can’t,” you say, “I am broken, crushed.”

You would have to read about David to appreciate all that he’d been through and it finally came to this: in I Samuel 30 we find that David’s ragtag army had returned to their city, plundered. Their refuge, burned. Their wives and children taken captive. The men who once stood with David were now talking of stoning God’s anointed.

Now David was greatly distressed,… v. 6a

Most likely an understatement, …

…But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. v. 6b

This was his choice of action before the verse was finished. And how do we strengthen ourselves? The joy of the LORD is our strength! (Nehemiah 8:10) We must refuse to allow our trials to swallow us whole and:

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:2-4 NKJV

May we, like Martha, declare Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, and trust in His love, that He will perform the greater miracle for the glory of God, in His time. And may we, like Jesus, offer thanksgiving first. praise, Praise, PRAISE!

By the way, Lazarus was raised from the dead (v. 44) and, Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. v. 45

Join me in believing in Him . . . no matter how long the wait. Our commandment during the wait?

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NKJV

Approved

“For the law results in (divine) wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression (of it either).” Roman 4:15 Amplified Version

When I was a kid I was exposed to what one might describe as “holiness” or “fire and brimstone” preachers. We had one guy who came for revival on a regular basis that I thoroughly enjoyed. Actually, he kind of put me in mind of a human cartoon character what with being short, balding on top, eyes looking a little googly behind his glasses, and being animated. His voice even sounded cartoon like, what with his southern accent that sometimes sounded as if it was coming out from beneath water. He was engaging and brought humor as well as thought provoking, challenging messages. There was no boredom in the sanctuary when he came to town.

I suppose he did “circuits” when he came to our area but I did not see him outside of our home church, so when the opportunity came to hear him at a camp meeting elsewhere I jumped at the chance. He was still passionate but I came away feeling as though I’d been shot double barrel with condemnation; that hurt. This was not the same humorous, thought provoking evangelist that I revered.

I grew up with a sound, spiritual foundation. I was privileged to sit under phenomenal ministers, worship with congregants who truly loved the LORD, and experienced precious moves of Holy Spirit. Overall, I very much looked forward to attending church. It brought great joy and great examples of people living out their faith in front of me. I would not be the person I am today if it were not for the spiritual upbringing I had for which I am thankful.

This post is not to finger point or gripe but to present a subject that I suspect many people who have grown up on the pew inadvertently wrestle with. I don’t know, maybe this is something all of mankind is prone to, not necessarily those of us who’ve been raised in the church. I just thought maybe more so “religious” — and I’m intentionally casting the net wide with that term — people because the teaching of the Law, and religious rituals, is so prevalent. I welcome your thoughts. Regardless, the quote I’m going to share pertains to our opening scripture and it will make my point plain.

“Those who seek to keep the Law of God for the purpose of being justified in God’s sight will also release the wrath of God in their lives.” ~Andrew Wommack

As an adult, I came to realize that much of the fear I grappled with was because I was performance oriented. I was trying to pacify God and earn His favor and gifts by not sinning, so when I failed, I felt condemned and unworthy. According to Romans 6:14, as a follower of Jesus, I am no longer under the Law, but under grace.

Is that a license to sin? No way! Let’s be mindful of the fact, though, that sin does put space between us and God and gives the devil entry into our lives. But what if we did not let that take precedence in our mind? What if, instead of being consumed with keeping the Law to maintain our relationship with God, we would instead seek to maintain our relationship with God first? We would sin less by virtue of our close proximity to our Creator/Savior. Wouldn’t it be much more liberating to live a life where we are consumed with Love, knowing we’re accepted based on Jesus’ merit instead of our own? I think so. Join me today and ask God if our freedom is being prevented by any legalistic weed that needs uprooted.

Time of Restoration — Unknown

The weather channel said we had a marginal risk of severe weather. The storm came when predicted. It hit hard and fast. It was at suppertime for us. A few minutes before found us scurrying for candles and battery operated lanterns and alternative lights as the sky had grown very dark. The table was mostly set, I was doing a few last minute things, the girls were sitting at the table. When I next looked in, they were standing with strange expressions on their faces. I discovered later that they looked the way they did because of the debris hitting off the dining room window — the window at their backs. Had I not been in the midst of the end of the suppertime shuffle, I would have seen the emergency weather alert on my phone a lot sooner, the one that warned people to get away from windows due to the 80 m.p.h. winds.

The fury of the storm lasted for ten to fifteen minutes. We lost our electric almost from the moment it started, which was kind of bizarre. Normally, the lights flicker first if an outage is on the brink. Not this time. We were out cold. Can’t say I gave it much thought. We have a very good energy provider and our outages rarely last. We blew out the wax candles, placed battery operated candles in the bathrooms and a small battery operated light strand on the banister leading upstairs and went to bed. These things never last long.

I was slightly alarmed to discover our electric had not yet been restored when Bob and I woke to ready him for work. We briefly got into the refrigerator to pack his bucket and make him breakfast. After he left, I went upstairs to use our ancient land line phone to call our electric company and get an update. The phone was dead. That was shocking. That good old standby never failed, not like the cordless phones. I went back to bed. It was dark and I was bewildered. When I rose the second time the girls were awake and had a towel under the refrigerator; not a good sign. I thought of our freezers in the basement; one that contained a lot of farm meats and the other that had frozen produce — the second one was not a big concern to most of my family. My husband, especially, could live without brussel sprouts.

I took my cell phone upstairs and hoped for enough service to call our electric corporation for an update. That’s when it began: “The current expected restoration time is unknown.” That would be our mantra for days.

Instead of focusing on the negative, I listed the things to be thankful for in my journal.

We have not been injured. We have not lost our home or had any property damage.
We have gravity flow water so there was no need to haul water outside of our drinking water. Thank God we could still flush the toilets! (We also have an excellent hot water tank that our energy provider supplied us with years ago. Our water was still hot enough that, used sparingly, we could take a warm, quick shower.)
Our stove runs on propane, not electric, so we could still have hot meals.
It was not peak summer or winter so we could remain relatively comfortable.
Last but not least, my parents who live a mile away and have a different electric company, did not lose their power, thereby making it possible for us to borrow their generator. They were so good to us; providing egg salad sandwiches for one breakfast and Dad bringing us pizza for supper another day.

Despite the generator, there was still a certain amount of stress. Isn’t that the case when our “normal” has been disrupted? All of our needs were met, but life was not “business as usual”. I probably checked at least three times a day for an update but continued to hear: “The current expected restoration time is unknown.” I called less as the days progressed because it was so disheartening to hear. I was grateful to have had the laundry done for the most part before the outage but the hampers were beginning to vomit. And I had to forego using the dishwasher and return to hand washing dishes — one of my very least favorite household chores. It was that chore that tipped the cart during my pregnancy with Rachel and sent me crying outside. Bob bought me the dishwasher shortly after. The clouds parted and the angels sang that day as they shared in my joy.

I got to thinking about how closely related the energy outage is to our spiritual lives. Ever pray about something so intently only to hear “unknown”? I have heard it said that God answers in three ways: Yes, No, Wait. Then Mom made me aware of one that I had not contemplated but it deserves some consideration: Maybe. She had a I-know-everything-Christian argue with her that that is not one of God’s answers. When she explained the situation, it gave me pause to wonder. She had been praying for something and kind of sensed God asking her is she was sure that’s what she wanted. That being said, it wasn’t Yes, No, or Wait; it was Maybe, dependent on, Are you sure that’s what you want? Well, when she returned to her request and looked at it from a different angle, she changed her mind. We’re not puppets, we do have choices.

But that “unknown” message, that’s disheartening. Have you ever felt like you kept seeking and kept getting the same indefinite response? I have. I have just very recently confessed to the LORD that I have been weary in well doing. LORD, I believe, help my unbelief! Sometimes living is so exhausting. But it’s because I make it that way. I loose my grip on the Word and the joyful vision that originally came with it. We must keep the Word stirred and see what it’s creating for us. God created everything that we see with things that we do not see. So we must imitate Him and hold that much is being accomplished in the spiritual realm if we can but BELIEVE, and that we will see it in the physical realm.

My spiritual takeaway during our power outage: For the most part, we kept our spirits up. We kept putting gratitude forward and focusing on what we did have. That made the whole ordeal a lot more bearable and I believe it opened up doors of provision for us. How? My parents did lose their electric for about an hour and a half one night which could have been catastrophic as far as refrigeration is concerned, but God sustained them. We must continue to look unto the hills from where comes our help. And look up, because our redemption draws nigh. We must keep watching and waiting and working until it’s done.

I had gone to bed. We were now moving into the fourth day of no electric. Bob stayed up in expectant anticipation. Rachel, whose room was too warm for her to sleep, joined him in the living room.

“Should we unplug the generator and wrap the cord and flip our house breaker in hopes of our electric coming back?” he asked.

Being exhausted, her response was less than enthusiastic; she just wanted to sleep. Bob continued to watch. Then, about 2 a.m., he saw what he’d been watching for: the outdoor light on the church next door came on. Is it ironic that what alerted him to the return of the power was the church light? He was jubilant, so noisily jubilant in fact, that I was wakened from my slumber upstairs.

Beloved, hold on. Keep asking. Keep seeking. Keep looking for the time of the precious being fulfilled. Hold on. God will not fail. He doesn’t know how to.

A Mayday Prayer

Mayday is a distress radio signal that is repeated three times. From the research I could find, it came from the French word, m’aides, and means, “Help me!” When a close friend of ours requested prayer for yet another relative, I found myself composing a prayer that I want to share with you. Maybe you are not staring down the barrel of a crisis or treading water in a situation that seems to have no end, but you might know someone who is. If so, this could be the prayer for us to pray in the coming week.

LORD, this is the day that You have made, and we will rejoice and be glad in it. We joy today in Your salvation, the salvation of the whole man — body, soul, and spirit. Sickness, disease, poverty, discord — these things are not of You. We rebuke them in Jesus’ name.

Moreover, we rebuke the fear that holds us captive to the enemy’s wiles. We slam shut the door to it and declare today that by Your stripes we are healed, by Your stripes we were healed; we are the head and not the tail; the fruits of the Spirit grow in us. I speak a refreshing of hope and stability of faith and trust in You to move like a tidal wave into our homes. Let Your words, no doctor prognosis, no bank statements, no condemning words from others, be our guides. You are our saving strength.

We trust that as we humbly commit our affairs to You, that You are working Your best on our behalf. There is such a thing as being stolen from, though. Where the thief has come into play, we speak 7 times restitution and better than we could ever imagine answers to our prayers — gifts that fulfill the desires of our hearts.

Like Joseph, may the things that the devil means to harm, turn into good. May our tests become bondage breaking testimonies that bring life and salvation to all who hear it, especially to the unsaved, especially to our unsaved family. Set them free from the enemy’s grip. Loose them to find You and serve You and LIVE.

We no longer want to mourn and weep over what is happening, but we rather choose to sing and dance over what has already happened. You came to set the captive free. We are free. We fight from the place of victory. Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. Let our problems become the pulpits from which we preach the Gospel.

Hallelujah! God inhabits the praises of His people. We reflect Your glory now. We bring the sacrifice of praise and offer it to You in advance as we envision Your deliverance. We celebrate the victory provided for us through Christ alone. Praise the LORD!

I hope that you have joined me in this Mayday prayer and that you soon experience a refreshing and sweet fulfillment of the promises that you hold dear.