Chaos in control

While watching my kids play this weekend, I had to remind myself daughter about control. She loves to be boss and things to go her way. She gets so frustrated when things backfire or don't go as she's planned.

I gently reminded her, "You'll be a lot happier if you don't try to control every detail." She just gave me her famous, "I know" look.

As I spoke with her, the Lord spoke to me. He said, "People do this all the time. Attempting to control things only I can do & change. This is where faith and trust must walk hand in hand. I am able, but faith is required to trust."

So, I dig in the Scriptures and He reminds me of His truths...

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But without faith it is impossible to pleasehim: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Hebrews 11:1,6

"And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee." Psalm 9:10

We can drive ourselves crazy trying to control the uncontrollable or we can seek the Lord's hand in His help in our letting go. Trading our panic for His peace and walking by faith, trusting He has our best interest in mind. Will we let Him do what needs done?

Food and the flu

Food and the flu

Making up my own recipe today, sausage & rice soup. Key ingredients: sausage, carrots, onion, tuscan garlic, seasoned salt, pepper, thyme, chicken stock, rice & LOVE with a side of crackers.

It's so cool how the Lord uses natural ingredients to cure man's illnesses. Praying these basic ingredients help cure my family of the flu bug! As I sought the Lord for answers in helping my family heal, He not only showed me the above ingredients but also this from His Word:

"Better is a dinner of herbs where love is..." Proverbs 15:17

Please join me in praying for my family! I hope they're able to keep all of God's vitamins and nutrients down.

Costly and Contaminated

A couple cool comparisons ... thinking about this verse ...

"Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:" Isaiah 30:1

Ladies, (who wear or have worn make-up)... have you ever added mascara to mascara? The first time it's applied; it can look quite nice. The 2nd time, it begins to get clumpy. The 3rd time or more it barely looks like accented human eyelashes. Rather, it's more like a sloppy superglue and it looses it's definition, right?

Adding any covering besides Christ's shed blood in attempt to wash away or hide our sin is NO different!  Doing things our own way, resisting God's direction and rejecting the ONLY solution that really works is insane, literally. Why? Because it doesn't work!

It's kinda like telling a lie, then conjuring up another to cover the first one. Then again and again, only each time it becomes a greater tangled web of falsehood.

Fellas, have you ever changed the oil in a vehicle? Adding fresh oil grants greater performance, right? Same situation applies, would it do the vehicle good to run used dirty oil through once more? Absolutely not! Matter of fact, if there's dirt or any kind of metal shavings in that old oil you know it can and will eventually ruin the motor and transmission completely! 

Such simple comparisons, yet bold and profound truths. If we take any advise not written in the Word of God, we choose to seek false "feel goods", that 2 or 3 day old mascara might save some cash immediately but in the long run it will damage the beauty God has placed upon your face. Just the same, taking someone's word that used dirty oil will make your motor run cleaner may end up costing a whole new vehicle!

Truth is, "sin is pleasurable for a time", yes a time. However, that price tag is quite costly in the end. How we choose to live this life here and now determines our eternal destination. Will will live for self in the moment, buying cheap lies that will cost our spiritual lives, ultimately paying the price indulging our temporary pleasures that provoke the Living God to anger, jealously and wrath OR deny the flesh it's temporary dainties in order that we may spend eternity with the King of glory?

Adding "sin to sin" leaves the heart, mind and soul calloused and clumped, corrupt and contaminated... what will the ultimate cost contain for you?

Pass the poop

What would you do if God told you to EAT POOP? Yes, human waste! This is just what He did to the prophet Ezekiel.

"And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man, in their sight. And the LORD said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them. Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! behold, my soul hath not been polluted... Then he said unto me, Lo, I have given thee cow's dung for man's dung, and thou shalt prepare thy bread therewith." Ezekiel 4:12-15

Haha, gross, right!?! Thankfully the Lord changed it for His prophet to cow's dung instead. However, what was His point, His comparison in this? My thought was that is offensive! Then the Lord showed me, this isn't nearly as offensive as our sin, transgression & iniquities are before Him!

Wow! Eye opener there! Another thing He pointed out to me was what He allowed His prophet to experience, to endure and feel due to the rebellion of the people. Do we really think because we belong to Him we should escape "offensive" things?

Correct direction or the donkey?

Good morning! Ever feel like you have 100 roadblocks in the way? One detour after another, right. It's commonplace these days to blame the devil but have we considered it may be due to the Lord’s hand? That He may be displeased and stop you from your own ways...

I've been reading Numbers 22-24. In chapter 22, this is precisely what happened to the prophet Balaam. He was bid by Israel's enemy to curse God's people. Even tempted by this king with earthly stature & wealth (vs 17) he still stayed true to God.

However after asking the Lord a 2nd time to go with this man seeking to curse, the Lord said "...Go with them but the word which I say unto thee, that shalt thou do." (vs 20) Instead of WAITING as the Lord directed, he arose the next day to go.

Needless to say, God's anger was kindled against him! (vs 22) What did God do? He sent the angel of the LORD to block his path! Balaam couldn't see it but his donkey could. Haha, he even got beat up in a sense because the donkey wouldn't push through! After he hit the donkey 3 times the donkey spoke! Yes, the Lord opened its mouth to speak & correct. (vs 28-30).

"Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face. And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:" (vs 31-32

See, he needed to know what he was doing was of his own accord. The Lord went to extreme measures to get his attention. After he realized & confessed his sin, then he sought the Lord’s direction & will.

The Lord still works in mysterious ways. I've experienced His roadblocks before. Thankfully minus a talking donkey, lol! The question is how far will He need to go to captivate your attention?

What if... Would you be concerned? Accountability & the Christian

What IF... Would you be concerned?

What if I began sharing more about my physical attributes than the attributes of God, would you be concerned?

What if I began promoting more sports than Scriptures,  would you be concerned?

What if I became more consumed with fashion than the finished work of Christ, would you be concerned?

What if I began to become more involved with politics and set aside the Prince of Peace, would you be concerned?

What if I began promoting Hollywood and celebrity gossip instead of Christ conquering hell and the grave, would you be concerned?

What if I began sharing horoscopes instead of my trust in the Father above who not only holds me in His thoughts and hands but knows what t he future truly holds, would you be concerned?

What if I began spouting out profanities every time someone stomped on me instead of asking you to pray for them with me, would you be concerned?

What if I began falling for worldly riches and get rich quick schemes over trusting the Lord to provide for me, would you be concerned?

What if I began embracing those who spread hate and deceit over those who live love and speak truth, would you be concerned?

What if I began clubbing & partying while letting my children raise themselves and fall prey to the one who seeks to destroy, would you be concerned?

What if I began a life of constant hypocrisy, living a lie while promoting Christ, would you be concerned?

WOULD YOU LOVE ME ENOUGH TO TELL ME THE TRUTH? This, my dear one is accountability!

What if I began to tell you, much of what I've said here, I see in many of you? ARE YOU CONCERNED?

Jesus said, "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." Revelation 3:15-19

REPENT & RETURN TO YOUR FIRST LOVE, CHRIST!

Victory and the vice

Yesterday I was talking with my Mom about different vices people use & cling to. She asked me to define "vice". I thought a moment and couldn't do it. Lol, I could only give examples. I told her I would look it up and share. This morning, it was one of the 1st things the Lord placed on my heart. 

A vice is, "a moral weakness" or "a specific form of evildoing." How many of us ever thought of a vice in this way?

Immediately, the Lord reminded me of the Apostle Paul. He said, "And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure." 2 Corinthians 12:7

There are many who believe his "thorn in the flesh" was a physical impairment. I believe it was some kind of vice. Looking at the definition of vice, it could be he had a human fleshly weakness. 

Are we to justify ourselves if the Lord is dealing with us in a specific area of our sin nature? Certainly not! This should provoke us to prayerfully ponder if we are allowing our fleshly wants/desires more than pleasing the Father above. After all, there are rewards or consequences. 

"For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." Romans 8:13

In following Jesus, we are to deny ourselves, carry our cross daily and follow Jesus. Despite the "vice", we must live for Christ! 

 "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." 2 Timothy 2:3-4

Are we willing to examine ourselves, and honestly seek the Lord regarding whatever vice we may have. If it's truly evil doing, it is sin! Are we feeding the flesh with our own vice, is it truly a "thorn in the flesh" or an excuse to have as we please?