Who can tame the tongue?

James 3

"All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?" James 3:7-12

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. Ephesians 4:15

There are many things that should be said, but there are many things that should not be said. And there are many things that should be said privately and in love and respect for the other person, especially if what you are saying is your opinion and not based on scripture. Who can discern all of that? Who can always have their tongue and the attitude behind their tongue constantly in check? The Bible tells us that no man can. Do we have any hope?

Let's look a little closer at the verses:

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. James 3:7 (emphasis mine)

No man can tame their own tongue. We cannot and will not ever be able to do this in our own strength. We must rely on the Holy Spirit of God to tame this smallest and strongest muscle in our body.

The power of words are truly amazing. I'm sure even as you are reading this you can remember a time that someone's encouragement truly made a difference in your life. I am also sure you can remember when someone harsh words cut you to the heart. As a general rule, words are very important to women. We also tend to use more of them. Let us be mindful of what we are saying, how we are saying it, and who we are saying it to.

But, what if a rebuke is necessary? If we have truly prayed and sought the heart of God and know that He wants us to talk to someone about an area in their lives, then we must go in love. Anything else is judgment, will be seen that way, and ultimately will not be received. The only thing we will have accomplished is wounding another soul with words that cannot be taken back.

Today, spend some time in prayer about your mouth and what comes out of it. Ask the Holy Spirit to make you aware of what you are saying and how it is being perceived. Most of all, ask Him to help you speak everything in love.

Come and Listen to What He Has Done...

Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man's behalf. He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the waters on foot— come, let us rejoice in him. Psalm 66:5-6

Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. Psalm 66:16

All through the Old Testament we find examples of the Children of Israel proclaiming what God has done for them. The crossing of the Red Sea was a pretty big deal! There are several references to them reminding each other and reminding God of what He had done for them there. (See Nehemiah 9:11, Joshua 4:23, and Hebrews 11:29).

We also see the Israelites setting up "stones" or memorials to remind themselves of what God had done for them. They did this so when they came upon the stones or their children came upon them, they could tell them what the Lord God had done for them.

It is so important for us to do the same thing. I did not see God part the Red Sea and I did not walk across on dry ground, but He has done miracles in my life. The very fact that I am writing this today is a miracle - and I know I have said that before, but I am going to keep saying it! Although I know I am forgiven, I never want to forget what God brought me out of. I never want to forget the blessings He has bestowed upon us in ministry. I never want to forget the divine appointments He has given me that later on I have stopped and realized that I was being pursued by the Living God. I do not want to forget the times He has showed up and taught me something amazing from His Word. And, because I remember bondage, I never want to forget that He has set me free.

The Israelites talked about what God had done for them so that on days when they felt like saying, "God where are you?" they would remember where He was. He is on His throne and He is watching over us. But, He is also acting in our behalf.

Today, tell someone about a time when God showed up in your life. Proclaim what the Lord has done for you. And, if you find yourself really wondering where God is, remind Him of what He has done for you and humbly ask Him to do it again.

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.
1 Corinthians 15:10

Taste and See

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8

This has been a favorite verse of mine for a couple of years. Mostly because it was the first verse Joel memorized when he was two. But, I heard this entire Psalm preached on last night and God spoke so clearly to me through this verse. What does it really mean to "taste" the Lord? The Hebrew word used here for "taste" is "ta'am". This word is not used but a handful of times in the entire Bible. It truly means to "taste, indeed taste, discern".

In order to "indeed taste" something or discern what it tastes like we would have to get enough of it to know. When I cook something new for Joel and Caleb so many times they take a bite that is about as big as an English pea! There is no way they are able to "discern" or "indeed taste" if the bite they get is that small.

I believe this is true in our relationship with God as well. If all we are getting of God is church on Sunday and a 5 minute devotional a day, we do not know what God tastes like!! There are so many reasons why we do not spend more time with God, but I believe there is one underlying issue for all of our excuses. We are afraid He will not be enough. As long as we keep our relationship with God at an arm's distance we will never know if He is enough or not. And sometimes we would rather not know than be disappointed.

Oh dear sister, if we could ever stop believing that God is not a man! We are created in His image. He is not created in ours. Let's get in there and truly lay it all down before God and see what happens. Get a good mouthful and then we will all be able to say that "the Lord is Good."

Shut Up and Jump!

"If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand. Psalm 37:23-24

I have heard a story several times about a man that works at the top of a bungee jump. When people get up to the top, out of their nervousness, they are apparently very chatty. So to save time the man just points to his shirt that reads "Shut up and Jump!".

I can relate this to my relationship with God. Sometimes we know what He wants us to do or at least we know He wants us to do something, but we cannot take the first step. For me, I think it is because I am just not sure that I am tied on tight enough. If I jump, does the Lord really have me? Is He really going to catch me or am I going to fall on my face?

We can claim this verse as a promise over our lives. If we are truly seeking God, I believe He is delighted in us. Even if we stumble, He will reel us back in and not let us fall.

Today, let's seek to trust Him in all of our decisions. If you feel the Spirit prompting you to say or do something that you think "I just can't" or you come up with a million excuses - just "Shut up and Jump"!

"Whom Shall I Fear?"

Psalm 27

Never in my life have I felt like I am surrounded by such fear. If I watch the news or listen to the radio to much, I end up scared to death. Our country is facing dark days. How dark they get could possibly be determined by whether or not the body of Christ stands up for the things of God in this next election. Will we sit by and allow our nation to be taken off into captivity or will we stand up and ask God to have mercy on His remnant of righteous people?

Whatever happens, I have to remind myself that God is in control. He is not surprised by the wickedness that seems to be increasing almost daily in our country. And He has also not left us. His promises are still true. He is still my light, my salvation, the stronghold of my life. He will still keep me safe in the day of trouble. And one day we will be exalted with Him over the enemies of God.

I heard David Nasser say recently that "we are not electing a king. We already have a King".
Let us not forget that.

Today, if you find yourself feeling fear over the coming days, open your Bible and pray Psalm 27 over your life and our country.

God Calls You Beautiful

"Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: Forget your people and your father's house. The king is enthralled by your beauty, honor him, for he is your lord." Psalm 45:10-11

I just finished the Bible study Do You Think I'm Beautiful? by Angela Thomas. It was a wonderful study that I highly recommend. I know that God will continue to use what He has taught me in it and I'm sure it will overflow into my writing. One of the greatest things He has taught me in the past 6 weeks is in this verse. Let's read it again:

"Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: Forget your people and your father's house. The king is enthralled by your beauty, honor him, for he is your lord." Psalm 45:10-11

There are two things that I want us to consider in the verses:
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1. Forget your people and your father's house. This point speaks volumes to me. I realize that many of you came from a very godly heritage. Your parents were Christians, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc. That is wonderful! I do not want to dishonor my family in any way in saying this, but I do not bring with me a godly heritage. My mother's side of the family is very godly, but my father's side is not. In a way, I have always carried this around with me feeling like I was unworthy in some way. I found myself always being very envious of people that had their entire family following after Christ.

Even if your family is in church and following Christ, every family has problems. This verse speaks to me and tells me that I do not have to live in defeat. I do not have to make the same mistakes that my family has made. Through Christ, we can change our family tree. I'm not saying we are to forget our earthly families, but our heritage is from God. Our eternal father is God Himself.

2. The king is enthralled by your beauty. Wow! This verse I love. Can we accept this as truth today? Depending on your own personal experiences, it may be easy for you to believe that God sees you beautiful on the inside, but not on the outside. Or it may be exactly the opposite. Can we accept the truth of this verse that God sees us as beautiful on the inside and outside? He truly does! We are his children. When we look at our own children, do we see them as beautiful. They are beautiful to us because of our love for them. Our love on our best day is still frail and selfish in ways. God's love is perfect at all times. He loves us more than we can even imagine and we are beautiful to him through and through.

This may take some time to believe. I am still working on it myself, but I am asking God daily to apply this truth to my heart. What would our lives look like if we really believed this 100% and lived like it? I think we would be amazing women! I think we would be the women God intended us to be.

The God of Heaven calls you beautiful... and its true. - Angela Thomas

God Sings Lullabies

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

I absolutely love to decorate for holidays. The minute it looks like fall might be in the air, I get out all of my fall decor. I decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving. I leave some Christmas decorations up for winter until I decorate for Valentine’s Day. Spring decor at our house consists of St. Patrick’s Day and then Easter. Summer is filled with patriotic decorations! Then, much to my children’s displeasure, I even decorate for back to school! 

Now since Halloween is just around the corner, we have several Halloween decorations around the house and in the yard. Even though we do not encourage the scary part of Halloween, Joel and Caleb really wanted to hang some "ghosts" in our trees. So we got some trash bags and stuffed them with news paper and hung them up. Unfortunately, Caleb (who is 2 years old) got a little scared of the "ghosts". We have told him they are just trash bags, but all the same every night this past week he has cried saying that he is scared.

A couple of nights ago when he was afraid, I told him that he did not have anything to be afraid. Mama and Daddy were right outside the door and that God was right there in the room with him. I told him the Bible says that we do not have to be afraid because He is always with us. He calmed down and I thought he went to sleep. About 15 minutes later I took some clothes into his room and I saw that he was still awake. I gave him a hug and he said, "God is with me". I said, "That's right and He loves you more than anything". Then Caleb said that he was going "night-night" but that God was not going "bye-bye". I affirmed him again, but then he said the most amazing thing. He said, "God is going to stay right here and sing to me". The Holy Spirit immediately brought Zephaniah 3:17 to my mind and I just stood there in awe at the mercy and love of God.

I do not think it is too presumptuous to believe that my two year old was truly experiencing the supernatural presence and peace of God. I truly believe that Caleb heard the voice of God in his little spirit. Even though Caleb has never even read or possibly even heard Zephaniah 3:17, his words affirm that it is true.

If only we could be more like that. God is singing over us. He delights to show us mercy (Micah 7:18) and yet we walk around sometimes like we have no hope. Let us not forget who is in control. Let us allow His presence to calm our spirits in times of suffering or trouble.

Let us hear God sing a lullaby to us.

What can my prayers do?

1 Samuel 1
1 Samuel 7:2-15

The familiar story of Samuel has so much truth for us today. We see in chapter 1 that Hannah was childless and so desired to have a child. Not much has changed in the heart of women. Most women have a desire to have children. Hannah did not give up. She kept bringing her request before the Lord. She was obviously a very faithful follower of the Lord because scripture tells us she and her family went up every year to sacrifice to the Lord. And every year she brought her request to the Lord.

Hannah made a promise to God that if He would give her a son, she would give him back to the Lord. All of our children belong to God, but Hannah seemed to understand that better than I certainly do. She was willing to give the only child she might ever have to the Lord. Her faithfulness amazes me.

God did grant her request and she kept her promise. The Lord then not only gave her more children, but he honored her faithfulness in a way that so touches my heart. God used Samuel, the child Hannah had prayed for without ceasing, to bring his children back to Him. Maybe we all have dreams and aspirations for our children's lives, but God did something through Hannah that I doubt she ever imagined.

The people of Israel were living far from God. God used Samuel to lead them back. He could have used anyone, but He chose to use Samuel. It all started with the faithful prayer of a mother. What will our prayers lead to? Do they make a difference? Let us never cease in praying for our children - biological and spiritual. We can't even imagine what God can do in their lives.

Assurance of Salvation

Jeremiah 17:9, 1 John 5:13, Hebrews 10:23

Because of the overwhelming amount of responses that I received from yesterday's devotional about doubt, I wanted to follow up with some truth about the assurance that we have in the salvation of Jesus Christ.

Since I struggled with doubt for several years, I read anything I could get my hands on about doubt. One of the games that Satan plays is the game of shame and isolation. Many people will never admit or talk about the fact that a doubt has ever come into their heart because they fear what others will think. I used to be afraid that people would think I was "unspiritual" or immature. When I finally sought out some real help from the Word of God and confessed my doubt to a counselor, my life began to change. I was no longer living in the dark. I brought things into the light where they could be dealt with by the Spirit of God.

There are several misconceptions out there about a doubt. I have heard preached from the pulpit by many well-known pastors that if you ever doubt your salvation, you are not saved. I believe this is totally unbiblical and spiritually unsound. I see nothing is scripture that supports that statement. The other misconception is that Satan is always the reason we doubt. I do believe he is one of the reasons, but not the only reason. Foundations, a Bible study about core truths for the Christian life, truly helped me understand why people struggle with doubt.

Whenever a person is not sure if they are saved, there are several possibilities:

• They may be disobelying God; disobedience causes us to lose the joy of our salvation and causes us to wonder if God still loves us.
• The may be experiencing temptation to doubt from Satan, who obviously does not want us to feel secure in our relationship with God.
• They may not be saved.

Foundations 2003 - Tom Holladay and Kay Warren

One of the things I had to realize was that I could not depend on my feelings or trust my own heart. Just because we may not feel saved does not change the fact of our salvation through Jesus Christ. Women are so emotional and we trust in our feelings much of the time. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that our own hearts will decieve us. We may not be able to trust our own hearts, but we can trust the Word of God. If we have trusted in Him, we will not be put to shame. (Romans 10:11)

The last thing I want to do is convince anyone that they are saved. But, I do want to tell you that "anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" Joel 2:32. Our first son is named Joel to remind me that I have called on the name of the Lord. I will see Him face to face and He will hold me in His arms. I pray that you have called on His glorious name for salvation. If you have not, you can right now. There is no right or wrong way. The words are not important; the condition of your heart is. If you have never accepted Jesus as your Savior, I invite you to pray a prayer like this:

Jesus, I believe you are God's Son and I believe that you died to pay the penalty for my sins. I ask you to forgive me for my sins and to be the Lord of my life. I trust in you right now on October 15th to forgive me and save me. I give you my life. Thank you for your gift of salvation. I love you. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

A Bout with Doubt

Luke 7:18-28

This is one of my favorite stories in the entire Bible! I know I say that all the time! I guess I just love the Bible! I struggled with doubt for many, many years and still struggle with unbelief at times. Anytime that I am praying about an issue that I have chosen to believe the voice of the accuser over the voice of God, God reminds me of this passage. How does God feel about doubt?

For years, I literally saw doubt as the unforgivable sin. If I doubted my salvation, I was not saved and I could never be saved because I doubted. Sounds crazy now, but the feelings were so real then. I'm not sure how I missed this passage of scripture for so many years. Let's review a little about John's life before we answer the question about how God feels about doubt.

John's birth was announced by an angel. John was filled with the Holy Spirit from birth. John was the "voice calling out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord". John recognized and baptized Jesus - the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. John's life was all about serving God and preparing the way for Jesus. He had one purpose and he fulfilled it.

But, toward the end of his life we see that he had a bout with doubt. He just wanted to make sure that Jesus was the Christ. Instead of hiding in fear, he took his questions and concerns to Jesus via his disciples. Now, I would expect Jesus to be upset about this question. Maybe even a little hurt. However, scripture shows us the exact opposite. Jesus tells them to go back to John and tell him what is going on. He offers assurance for his friend.

What is even more amazing is what Jesus says next. The King of the Universe then talks about how greatness of John's life. Jesus did not condemn John's questioning and doubting. He answered his questions and even offered encouragement.

God is big enough to handle our questions, our fears, and even our doubts. He is not offended by them. Let us not be afraid to voice to Him what is in our hearts. Bring your doubts, fears, and areas of unbelief to Him. That He can work with.

"Many people in this City..."

Genesis 18:16-33
Acts 18:10

These are crazy times we have been living in the last few weeks. Every time it seems like things are turning around, they seem to fall apart again. I know there is a lot of fear driving most of the decisions on Wall Street and on Capitol Hill. This is very distrubing to me because God has not given us a "spirit of fear". But, I have asked myself during this time, is this the judgment of God? I cannot answer that question because I do not know the mind of God and His ways are so much higher than my ways, but I can know His character and His heart from the scriptures.

I had a conversation with a very wise pastor last week. He asked me, "Elaine, why did God destroy Sodom and Gomorrah?" And I gave the Sunday School answer, "because of their wickedness". He said, "has not the wickedness of America far surpassed the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah?". I had to think about it and say "yes". Then he gave the most thought provoking answer for a time like today. He said, "God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because He could not find 10 righteous men".

The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is always seen as a story about the wrath of God, but now I look at it differently. How merciful is the God we serve that He would have spared the city if He had been able to find 10 righteous men. God brought Acts 18:10 to my mind every day last week:

"For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." Acts 18:10

I am convinced that when God looks down and America, He still says "I have many people in that city". He has not forgotten us. He is not asleep. None of this has taken Him by surprise. We can trust in His Sovereignty and in His plan. He is in control of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Be comforted by that. It is in times like these that we truly realize that we have no other hope except in the name of Jesus. He is the only hope we have or will ever have. Trust Him today and ask Him to calm your fears in these anxious times.

Looking for God

Matthew 2:1-12

I know it is not Christmas yet, but I am already getting excited!! We were reading the Christmas story the other day to the boys and they were especially intrigued with the wise men. They have always intrigued me as well. Where were they from? Who were they? How far did they travel? How did they know that this star was the "Star" that had been prophesied about in Numbers 24:17? These are questions that I have always wanted to know.

However, the other day, God whispered something else into my spirit other than my unquenchable thirst for knowledge. The question whispered to my soul was why did everyone else not see the star? I believe it was obvious to the entire world so why didn't they see it? Actually many people lots smarter than me have spent their lives researching and studying this very topic. (There is a wonderful article from the Institute of Creation Research that you can read by clicking here.)

Even if others saw it, scripture only tells us of one group of people that recognized the star as the sign that the Savior had been born. Literally, God in the flesh. The question my heart keeps asking is how many times have I missed God? How many times have the signs been as clear as that star was in the sky and I have walked right by? How many miracles has He done right under my nose and I did not even recognize them?

Today, let us not miss God. Ask Him for an opportunity to see Him at work. Ask Him for an opportunity to be involved in what He is doing. Ask Him to remove the veil from our eyes that we might truly see His Glory today. Let us not miss out on Him!

Desperate for God

Luke 23:32-43

"...apart from me, you can do nothing." John 15:5

Although the story of the cross is familiar, I hope it never becomes commonplace for us. The fact that Jesus died on the cross, taking the punishment for my sin and your sin, and then rose again is the basis for all of our hope. Aside from that, we have nothing.

We have all heard the story of the two thieves that were crucified with Christ. But, as I was thinking about them today I realized that they truly epitomize the two conditions of the human soul: prideful or desperate.

Both criminals were in a desperate situation. They had no hope whatsoever of being rescued out of their plight. They knew they were going to die and that it was going to be painful and terrible. The first criminal to speak in the scriptures mocked Jesus. I still find this amazing. He had lost everything. He had nothing. He was hanging there naked before everyone and he still held on to pride. He still did not humble himself to the One who had the ability to save his very soul. Although his desperation was visible to everyone, he failed to recognize it.

The other criminal is a different story. He realized his desperation for what it was and recognized that Jesus was the only one who could help him. With absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain, he cried out to Jesus and Jesus answered him according to his Word. "Anyone who trusts in Him will not be put to shame" Romans 10:11.

This truth applies to us as well. Whether we see it or not, we are all desperate for Christ. He tells us we can do nothing without Him. Will we believe that truth and call out to Him in our desperate state or will we hang on to our pride thinking we can get through this one alone?

Right now, one of those criminals is still in paradise with Jesus while the other one is going over and over all the opportunities he had to turn to God. He has probably relived his last moments a trillion times by now. Now he sees his desperation, but it is too late. I hope it will not be too late for you and I.

"Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." Hebrews 4:7

Given Over to a Depraved Mind

Romans 1:18-32

One of the things that I absolutely love about scripture is that if you are struggling for an answer on an issue, you can find it in scripture. Recently, I have really been having a hard time understanding how someone that is a Christian can "give themselves over" to a lifestyle of sin. Not only live in that sin, but believe that what they are doing is not a sin. The times in my life that I have lived in habitual sin, I still knew it was sin. I do not remember trying to convince myself that it was not. I have realized through this passage that God is so merciful and that if I had continued on that road, I would have been given over to a "depraved mind".

This passage deals with many tough issues. Homosexuality being one of them. Homosexuality is always described as a "shameful lust" and "sexual immorality", therefore we can know from scripture that those type of acts are wrong in the eyes of God. However, let us not think that we are off the hook from this passage if we are not a practicing homosexual. Idolatry is the first and foremost sin that is pointed out. When we allow the created to take the place of the Creator in our lives we are committing idolatry. When the place of God is taken by something or someone else, a downward spiral begins in our lives that ends with a "depraved mind".

What exactly does it mean to have a "depraved mind"? I looked up the word "depraved" and it means "corrupt, wicked, or perverted". When a person is given over to a depraved mind, many other characteristics show up in their lives. Slander, malice, envy, gossip - just to name a few. And finally, they end up as faithless, heartless, senseless human beings. The last verse actually portrays the most extreme form of sin. Verse 32 says "...they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." This literally means that they are applauding, rather than regretting, the sin of others.

This is hard stuff! Where do we find "tolerance" in these verses? We do not, but that does not mean that we do not continue to show the absolute unconditional love of God to every human being on the planet.

My prayer for us today is that we would ask God to show us any sin in our lives that He has convicted us of and we have ignored. What do we need to get out of our lives so that we ourselves will not be given over to depravity in that area. I also want us to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ that have chosen a life of sin to the point that they have been given over to a "depraved mind". Let us pray that they will see the truth and that the truth will truly set them free from sin today.

"Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts..." Hebrews 3:15

The Weak-Willed Woman

2 Timothy 3:1-7

At first glance this passage of scripture could sound like what you might have just read in the newspaper or saw on the news. Or you could probably turn on any television show and see most of these characteristics as well. We are in the last days. I am not saying that because I think Jesus is coming back next Thursday at 2:14 pm or anything! However, according to biblical theology, we are living in the Messianic era which is the time beginning with the first coming of Christ. Paul tells Timothy to have nothing to do with the unbelieving and unfaithfulness that will characterize this period of time. Timothy was living in it. We are living in it.

More importantly for me, are to truly study verses 6-7 because they mention a phrase that I never want to be characterized with: weak-willed woman. Now before you close this site thinking "well, that's not me honey!", let's look a little closer at whot the weak-willed woman is and some of her characteristics.

First of all, the weak-willed woman is someone who has allowed all or part of the godlessness mentioned in verses 1-5 to come into her home and set up residence. How and why did she do this? Scripture tells us that the godlessness "wormed" its way in, meaning it came in very subtly. The weak-willed woman probably did not even know that it was happening or that she had a choice to shut the door. The following list of characteristics was written by Angela Thomas. It may not be a complete list of characteristics, but I think it covers a lot ground in our lives.

Characteristics of a Weak-Willed Woman

• Consumed with her fears, eaten up with fear
• Self-absorbed
• Beaten Down - you may even be able to tell by her countenance that she is having a hard time
• Loud and Brash - she may cover up her pain by being this way
• Tells everybody what they should do but does not allow God to show her what she should do
• Is not sure God loves her or that He calls her beautiful
• Has an empty soul - no one has ever come through for her to fill her soul and she is not relying of Jesus to bring satisfaction
• Allows disappointment to become self-pity which can eventually lead to depression
• Harbors a grudge
• Plays with gossip, but is usually an expert at disguising it as something else
• Discretely indulges her obsessions - such as staying on budget while shopping with friends, but buying way too much on the internet. Or having a glass of wine with dinner and then drinking the whole bottle when everyone is gone. Or keeping a filter on the TV or computer for the children but looking at anything she wants to when the children are in bed.
• Very easily hurt or offended
• Critical Spirit
• Spiritually knowledgeable but essentially lost

Angela Thomas Do You Think I'm Beautiful

When I look at this list, I have to admit to myself that I have "weak-willed woman potential". The one that is the hardest to look at is the last one. The weak-willed woman is always learning. She know her Bible. But, she is guilt ridden because of her sins. She is torn by lust and has probably been subject to many false teachers. I never want to be her and I know that you do not either. So how do we not become her?

When godlessness knocks at your door through the form of television or the computer, shut it off. When godlessness knocks at you door through what you hear on the radio, turn it off. When godlessness knocks at your door through the books you read, put them down and get rid of them. When godlessness knocks at your door in your mind, immediately take that thought captive to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Satan comes in many forms. Let us pray that God will make us acutely aware of his schemes and that He will guard our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7).

There is something else that God says we can become... a display of His splendor. Let us allow Christ to make that a reality.

"...and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor." Isaiah 61:3

What does God say about giving up

1 Kings 19

In case this is an unfamiliar story to anyone, let me give a brief background. (HA! Like anything I say is brief!) The people of Israel were worshipping other gods, specifically Baal and Asherah. Elijah was truly the only prophet of God left. He had the king assemble all the people of Israel along with all the prophets of Baal and Asherah which numbered 850. They decided that they would each pray to their gods and Elijah would pray to God. Whoever showed up with fire to consume the sacrifice would be the true God. Well, of course, God won and Elijah slaughtered the prophets of Baal and Asherah. Boy, did that make Jezebel mad! That is where our story picks up today. 

Elijah was afraid and ready to give up. I have asked myself so many times when reading this story why Elijah was afraid. He had just seen the God of Heaven reign down in fire when Elijah asked Him to. Why didn't he just call down some fire on Jezebel? That answer I may never know, but I am sure from what we do see in scripture that Elijah felt very alone. He says to God twice that he is the only prophet left and that the people are now trying to kill him. He felt discouraged, isolated, and ultimately defeated. 

What really struck me this morning as we were reading this story as a family is not what God said, but what He did not say. He did not say, "Oh, get up! What's wrong with you? You have me! Now get back to work!"  He had no condemnation or judgement at all for his servant. Instead he told him that he was not alone and even instructed him who was going to succeed him as a prophet of God. God did not want him to feel isolated or discouraged, and I believe He understood Elijah's real need for companionship and fellowship with another believer. 

Have you ever felt like giving up? I sure have. One of the things that has kept me from giving up is that for some reason God has blessed me beyond measure with people that love me and lift me up in prayer. At the darkest time in my life, actually one of the darkest days of my life, God woke up a friend of mine in the night to pray for me. How amazing this God is that we serve. I hope you know that He has not given up on you and even when we feel like giving up, He stands ready to see us through. 

Satan's Game

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

Sin. It is a universal problem. All of us have sin in our lives. The only thing that separates my sin from the sin of a lost person is the blood of Jesus. Does a Christian have as much sin as they would if they did not know Christ? Hopefully not, but we all still struggle with sin. Attitudes, actions, pride, selfishness, our thought lives, unforgiveness, etc. Can you identify? I certainly can. Have you ever asked yourself 'will I ever be free from this completely'? If you have then I have good news for you. Yes! We will be completely free from all sin in heaven and we can live in consistent victory on Earth if we are dependent on Jesus Christ daily to help us in our weaknesses. But, I want to take it one step further.

We are not meant to live in isolation. We, as Christians, are meant to be a fellowship of believers that lift each other up and carry each others burdens. But, so many times in my life I try to do it alone. Even in the areas where I am depending on Jesus to help me daily, many times I have never told another breathing soul. Why? I do not think it is because I am too prideful to ask for help or prayer. I do believe it is because I have believed one of Satan's many lies. "No one will understand", "you are the only person that struggles with this", "you are definitely the only person at your church that struggles with this", "you will embarrass yourself because they will not be able to identify". Sound familiar?

Although I have believed this in the past, I am drawing a line in the sand. Based on scripture, which is truth, these are all lies. There is nothing you or I will ever struggle with that is not "common to man". So we are not alone. We are not isolated. We can trust someone to help us carry our burdens and lift us up in prayer. But who? This is a hard question, but we must not allow Satan to lie to us again that "no one can be trusted". That is a lie, but it can be difficult to find someone who you can trust completely. However, we can ask God to show us which person in our life He wants to use to help us. We can ask Him to be perfectly clear on who He would have us be able to confide in, walk with, trust. This person is not to take His place. No one can bring the victory other than Christ, but another person can walk with us.

Is there an area you are struggling with that you need to seek counsel of a friend or counselor? I pray that if there is, that today you will stop believing Satan's lies. You are not alone. There are people that will understand. There are people that care. Let's trust God to show us one person we can turn to for prayer and support.

Parenting Prodigals Part 2

Luke 15:11-20

If you missed yesterday's devotion, stop now and read it or today will make no sense! Let's continue on with the last three principles for reaching your prodigal and removing any barriers that would keep them from being able to come back home.

4. Allow sin to run its course.
Everyone must be allowed to live with the consequences of the choices they have made. I remember when I was a young adult and living away from God, a very close friend of mine that was significantly older told me to look in the mirror. When I did she said "that is the face you are going to have to answer to for every decision you make". I remember thinking that she was so right. My decisions were mine and I could not blame the consequences on anyone else. Prodigals must be allowed to face their consequences as difficult as that may be. How can unconditional love and consequences happen at the same time? By telling your prodigal that you love them no matter what, but that "this" is the consequence for their actions.

5. Be willing to guard you words.
This one is so important. We must guard what we say about God, other Christians, and the Church. We must be uplifting about the church and other Christians. Many prodigals have left the church because they or someone they loved and trusted was hurt by the church. When we put down other Christians it only feeds their belief that the Church is all a "bunch of hypocrites".

6. Pray specifically for your prodigal.
There are two specific prayers to pray for the prodigals in our lives. The first one is to ask God to bring people into the lives of our prodigals that have a heart for Him. Now this is where it gets touchy. If God answers our prayer, but the people He brings are not the type of people we would have chosen, we have to go back to number 5 and guard our words. If our prodigal comes back to God and goes to a different church or even a different denomination, we must rejoice that they have come home and not complain that they did not come back to "our church".

The second prayer is even a little more difficult. Many prodigals come home when someone they love gets very sick or dies such as a grandparent, parent, brother, or sister. This lose makes them look at their lives and evaluate their lifestyles. Are we willing to be the one to get sick and possibly even die so that they will come home? Can we truly ask God to do whatever it takes to bring our prodigal home?

I hope this has helped you in some way. It so impacted me I wanted to share it with all of you. If you have no prodigals in your life, first of all, PRAISE GOD! But secondly, when a friend shares with you about their child or grandchild, I pray God will remind you of these truths so that you can have some encouragement to share. To learn more about Parenting Prodigals and Phil Waldrep you can visit his website at www.philwaldrep.org

Have a great weekend!

Parenting Prodigals Part 1

Luke 15:11-20

This past Sunday at my church we had a guest speaker/writer named Phil Waldrep. He has written an amazing book that I truly believe was ordained by God. The book is called Parenting Prodigals. Phil's teaching in this book is truly phenomenal and I wanted to share my notes with you. If you were there, please feel free to add what you learned in the comment section and if you were not I hope this will bless your life and help you deal with a prodigal in your life. We all have prodigals in our lives. They may not be our children, but most of these principles can still apply. You may also have a friend that is struggling with their child. Please pass this on to as many people as you may believe would benefit. The remainder of my blog today will be my notes from Phil Waldrep.

Two questions that parents ask when they have a prodigal child are:
1. What did we do wrong?
2. What can we do now?

Six Principles for reaching your prodigal and answers to the two questions:

1. Learn to live guilt free in your own Christian life.
There are two reasons for guilt: 1. We are all sinners (Romans 3:23). We are all bent toward sin. If we do what is natural, we will all become prodigals. A prodigal child is just doing the natural, human thing - being a sinner. 2. Many parents feel guilty because of Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child..." Since their child is not living for God, they automatically feel that they did not raise their in the ways of the Lord. The meaning of this verse is very complex and there are many different views. However, the Hebrew actually means that whatever you teach your child, they will never forget it. Based on Phil's research, he says that this is true in all prodigals lives. They all told him they knew what they were doing was wrong. When asked who told them their lifestyle was wrong, the answer was always my parents and that their parents taught them what was right.

2. Ask for forgiveness for past mistakes
Many parents know that they made mistakes in their child's life. None of us are perfect parents. If the Holy Spirit has revealed something to you that you need to ask forgiveness for, go to your child and confess your sin and ask their forgiveness. They may not forgive you, but you will have taken down part of the barrier when they decide to come back home.

3. Love your prodigal unconditionally
At first glance this sounds like the easiest principle, but Phil asked some very pointed questions like: Do you ever hope that others do not know that is your child? Are you too prideful to request prayer for your own child that is struggling? Do you ever wish, in the quietness of your own heart, that your child had never been born? Unconditional love is divine love and can only be given to you by God. People in general do not know what to do with this kind of love, especially prodigals. They are used to everyone being mad at them and they can handle that. Unconditional love will be very difficult for them to deal with, but is essential to removing the barrier for them to come back home.

I will post the last three tomorrow. I pray that this has blessed someone who is reading the way it did me. Let us never give up on our family and friends that have walked away from God. They are still breathing so God has not given up on them.

The Most Dangerous Sin

Revelation 20:1-10

I know that most of us do not do a lot of studying from the book of Revelation, but this passage holds a particular piece on interest for me. Pride. It is truly the downfall of man, the root of all sin, and extremely dangerous. It is pride that makes us think we do not need a Savior. It is pride that makes us think we have gone too far and that God cannot forgive us as well. Anytime we think we have found a better way or know more than God, it is pride.

Many times we put everything off on Satan. "The devil made me do it" we have all claimed. Many times that is very, very true. Satan is the father of all lies and if he's talking he is lying (John 8:44). But, this passage digs deep into human nature and shows us that Satan is not always the cause of our failures. Let's look deep into this passage.

In verse 3 we see that after the tribulation, Satan will be thrown into the Abyss for 1000 years to "keep him from deceiving the nations anymore". So Satan is banished for 1000 years and Christ is ruling on Earth. Chist, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is literally ruling on the Earth and everyone knows He is God. According to theologians this will be a time of peace, but it is not heaven. Babies will be born, people will go to work, etc. However, after the 1000 years are up Satan is unleashed and goes out to deceive the nations once more to have one final assault against God. We would think that after mankind had reigned with Christ for 1000 years that Satan's army would be a one man show. But the scripture says that the number that come to fight against God "are like the sand on the seashore" (Rev. 20:8).


Amazing. They have seen the Living God with their own eyes, Satan has been bound, and yet their pride says, "why serve God when you can be your own god". Their own flesh deceives them. How is our flesh deceiving us today? Is there an area of pride that is telling us that we have it all figured out? My prayer is that we will ask God daily to strip us of all pride that we might be of use to His kingdom. Let's not allow Satan or our own flesh and blood to deceive us. Our only hope is in the Lord.

Who Can Satisfy My Soul?

Isaiah 41:21-24, Ephesians 5:18

Satisfaction of the soul. This is a running theme in my life. It comes up in the Bible studies that I teach. It comes up in my daily reading. It comes up when I talk to other women. Obviously, God is still teaching me this lesson. Maybe because this is a lesson that we will have to use everyday. Everyday we have the choice to allow Christ to fill our lives or to allow something or someone else to fill us. The problem is that no one else can.

Although the scripture readings for today may seem abstract, they actually do have the same theme. Over and over we see that the Israelites turned to foreign gods. As a young believer I always thought, "why?". Now when I say that, I hear a Voice from within say, "why do you?".

For some reason or another, we try to fill the empty places within us that is meant to be filled by God with other things or people. In short, these can easily become our idols. One of the best things I have ever heard my pastor, Buddy Champion, say was in reference to Ephesians 5:18 and it had nothing to do with alcohol. He said that so many times we read this verse and get all hung up on drinking when what this verse means is to not be filled or controlled by anything other than God. So, take out wine and put in "work" or "material possessions", or "your children" or "your grandchildren" or "your husband" or "your girlfriends" or anything else that takes precedence over Christ in your life.

Isaiah's wording is a little harsh when we put it in the context of our children or husband, but it is still true. These people can not save us. We are just meant to enjoy life with them and to enjoy their lives. They cannot fill us up not matter how hard we try to make them. Anything other than Christ will still leave us empty.

So, why am I saying all of this again? Because we can see that throughout the history of God's people they fell over and over again into idol worship and God records it over and over again. There must be a reason. We are no different than them. This is a daily or possibly even a moment to moment decision to be filled with Christ instead of with something else. So I ask you today, is there anything you are trying to fill your empty places with other than Christ? If so, can you put it down until lunch? And then can you turn to Christ and ask Him to help you put it down until dinner? And then can you ask Him to help you put it down until bedtime? And then in the morning you might have to do it all over again, but eventually, through His grace, you will be satisfied by the only One who was meant to fill our empty places. I have walked this road (that way in fact) and I promise you, He is faithful and He can satisfy our souls.

Grace and Love in Action

"...From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." Luke 12:48

I had one of the most awesome experiences of my life this weekend. B. J. and I took our boys camping for the first time Thursday - Saturday. It was very exciting for them to get to sleep outside and have a campfire, etc. But, God was up to something even bigger.

We truly wanted to get away and have kind of a "spiritual retreat" for just our family. No TV, no computer, no cell phones. Just our family and the Lord. We had no idea what God had in store through some people that we met on the mountain. When we arrived on Thursday it was already getting late so we had to hurry to get our tent up and get our fire going before it got dark. Our "neighbors" came over and introduced themselves and offered to help us in any way they could.
Their names were Gary and Miriam. As we were talking about where we were from, Miriam said that her "sponsor" was from where we lived. We were a little puzzled, so I just asked her, "sponsor in what?". She proceeded to tell me that she was a member of NA or narcotics anonymous and that this weekend was an annual spiritual retreat for NA. She laughed and said, "Oh no! I can't believe you didn't know! You will be surrounded all weekend by a bunch of recovering addicts!" We just laughed and said, "that's fine with us!". We finished setting up and went on to bed.

Over the course of the weekend, we did meet some more people, but spent a good bit of time with Gary and Miriam. What they had in their lives was truly amazing. All day cars pulled up to their site. We could see them hugging, praying, and encouraging everyone that came into their presence. They brought us ice cream and invited us to breakfast one day. During that meal, I asked Miriam if she would tell me her story. She did and it was an amazing story of redemption and restoration through Jesus Christ our Lord.

I learned something from her. She has so much grace for others because she has been given so much grace and she is so thankful. She has so much love for others because Christ has so much love for her. She said that drugs had taken her to the "very gates of hell" and now she knows what it's like to be rescued from the fire. Thankfulness, grace, and love radiated from her very being. It was truly amazing.

Today, can we ask God to help us be a graceful person? When you get right down to it, we are all recovering addicts. We were all once "sin addicts" and Jesus rescued us and put us into a right relationship with God. May we remember the verse for today and remember how much we have been given and how much it cost Christ. Ask God to fill you with the fullness of His grace and love that it might spill over to everyone around you today.

"...From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." Luke 12:48

The Lord's Call

1 Samuel 3:2-10

This passage of scripture has particualarly touched me this week. I know it is a well known story, but verse 7 really stood out to me this week. You see, Samuel, had known about God his entire life. His parents were Godly people. Then Samuel came to live in the temple and ministered before the Lord under Eli. Surely this was a young boy who knew all about God, but according to the scripture Samuel "did not yet know the LORD: the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him."

But, then God does an amazing thing. He calls on Samuel! Not only calls him, but according to verse 10 the "LORD came and stood there, calling...". I am amazed by that! How precious Samuel was to God that He came and stood in His room and called to him.

What is even more amazing, is that if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, God has done the same thing for us. If you trusted in Him at a young age, you may have a hard time remembering exactly when it happened, but if you know that you have asked Him to save you and forgive you of your sins, it is because He was calling to you. I truly believe He came and stood in our rooms and called to us.

Let us never think that we are without worth. We are obviously God's most precious possession. He sent His Son to die and He reveals Himself to us so that we can be saved. Thank God today for that amazing fact. Ask Him to help you see yourself for who He says you are and not what the world says you are. We are precious to Him, please do not believe anything else.

Going to God First

Daniel 6:10:11, Philippians 4:6-7

Most of us know the story of Daniel and the Lions Den. (In case you need a little refresher on it, click here.) The decree was issued that no one was to pray to anyone but the king for the next 30 days. This decree was meant especially for Daniel because the men wanting Daniel out of the way but, could not find any fault in him. They knew they had no charges to bring against him unless it had to do with his God. So they tricked the king and went in for the kill.

What is amazing to me about these verses is that Daniel was in good with the king. He could have gone to him and argued the decree that was just issued. He could have talked to him about it, but first he went home and turned to his Source of peace and comfort for all the years he had been in exile. Oh, that someone would find me praying over an issue before discussing it with someone else!

Unfortunately, sometimes we tend to talk to everyone except God about an issue in our lives. Sometimes He might even be our last resort! Philippians 4:6-7 has been one of my favorite passages since high school. However, it really became alive to me a few years ago when I was doing a Beth Moore Bible study. She asked us to turn the verses into the negative and read them aloud to our class. Mine went something like this...

Be anxious about anything and everything. Do not pray about anything or petition God, but do talk to all of your friends and anyone else who will listen. Do not give thanks for anything and do not present your requests to God. This way you will have no peace, just more anxiety and your hearts and minds will not be guarded in Christ Jesus.

Sounds pretty terrible doesn't it? But how many times have I done just that? Too many. May we today make a commitment to seek God first in our problems and situations and in just the everyday decisions of life.

Integrity Issues

Psalm 51:6
Other scriptures: Proverbs 10:9, Zechariah 8:16, Proverbs 20:7, Proverbs 28:18

B. J. and I just finished taking Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace course. One of the things that he said, I had a hard time believing. He said that he had interviewed many of the richest, most successful people in the world and that they all had one thing in common. He interviewed their employees, friends, and neighbors as well and still came up with the same quality. Integrity - crazy amounts of integrity. I know that might not seem right. Sometimes all we see in the media are the Richard Scrushy's of society and think that is the norm. Apparently it is not.

I am not saying that if we will use integrity we will be rich, but what I am saying is that God desires for us to use integrity in all areas of our life. God has convicted me of this and as embarrassing as this is to tell I am going to because it has really opened my eyes to how serious God is about truth and integrity.

I am a coupon fanatic. If I do not have a coupon to eat out, we usually do not eat out. I use coupons everywhere and if I do not have one, I ask for one! Expiration dates on coupons annoy me. I have never understood them. Many stores will take their own coupons even if they are expired. They can do that because they own the coupon, but if an expired coupon is used at just any grocery store, the store is not reimbursed by the manufacturer. The store eats the cost. Well, I used to use expired coupons knowing they were expired. If the clerk checked them it was no big deal, but hopefully she would not and I would get my 50 cents off and move on. One day while leaving the grocery store, I knew I had used some coupons that were expired. I was justifying it to myself and God that we were trying to feed a family of four on essentially one income. I needed to use those coupons. Finally, I sensed the presence of God so clearly in my car say to me, "Is your integrity worth 50 cents?". I finally got it. I cried out in repentance, "No, it is worth more than all the money in the world!".

That experience, while it may sound legalistic to you really taught me that God expects us to be completely truthful and use integrity in all issues. I ask Him regularly to show me anywhere I am not being truthful - even truthful with him and with myself. He has shown me many areas where I needed to change. Praise God He is that concerned about me! He "desires truth in the inner parts" - the parts no one but you and God see.

2 Chronicles 16:9 says, "For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." May He find us today fully committed to Him.

The Spacious Place

Psalm 18:16-19

As I was preparing for my Bible study class this week I came across this passage of scripture and it literally jumped off the page to me. I realize that this is a Psalm of David and therefore applies to a circumstance that David was in when he wrote it, but I believe it can still apply to each of our lives today.

If you have accepted Christ as your personal Savior, then God has literally "reached down from on high and [taken] hold of [you]." Whether we knew it or not, we were drowning in our own sin and he "drew [us] out of the deep waters". He has rescued us from powerful enemies, mainly Satan. And when we are confronted with disaster, He is our support. All of this is absolutely wonderful, but the best part for me is the next verse.

"He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in
me."

The picture here is of a place where we are free to roam "unconfined by threats and dangers". No fear of anyone or anything. A place where we are not held captive by any sin or our own minds. The picture is of freedom. Why does God offer this to us? The answer is simply because He delights in us. Not because of what we did or did not do. Not because of what we look like or how much money we have. He offers us freedom in Christ because He wants to. Oh, how I love Him! I have spent my life trying to earn the approval of others, especially God. His word teaches me that I have had it all along. The only thing that stands in the way of us and freedom is ourselves. We must choose to believe Him over our own thoughts and feelings.

It is a fight to stay free. Satan will always try to weigh us down with the things of the world. My mind has been so bombarded lately with the world I feel as if I am digging my way out again. But, we can come to the "spacious place". He offers His hand to you today to bring you there. Will you take it?

Glory versus Suffering

Romans 8:18, Romans 5:5

I would not be telling you anything new to say that the book of Romans is so awesome. If you have not read it in it's entirety ever or lately, please do so. It is so good!

Today, I want us to look closely at suffering and hope. Never before in the history of the Earth have there been so many self-help books. Books on "positive thinking" are bound to hit the New York Times Best Seller list every time. These books have even crossed into the Christian realm. There is nothing wrong with thinking positive, but we must not believe things like "it's all small stuff" or that "life is easy, it's just how you look at it". The fact is, it is not all small stuff and life is hard - period! There is suffering involved in life for all people, but this is not all there is.

Romans 5:5 tells us that "hope does not disappoint us". This "hope" that Paul is speaking of is not unfounded optimism. "Hope" in this verse is the Greek word "elpis" which means "joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation"(Studylight.org). This is eternal hope. It is the hope we receive when we trust Christ as our Savior and "it does not disappoint". I say all of this about hope because we have to have hope to get through our sufferings. And sufferings are part of this life and definitely part of the Christian life.

Jesus talked about suffering, Paul talked about suffering - we are going to go through things that are not fun in this life. I have heard people say that the Christian life is not hard. I guess there is nothing wrong with that statement except that it is just wrong! However, we do not have to suffer as the world suffers - as those without hope. (See 1 Thessalonians 4:13).

This life is going to be our only suffering. This is it. For those in Christ, eternity holds eternal peace and joy with no suffering involved. Paul did not even think that the suffering of this life was worth comparing with the glory that will be in the next. In light of that, can we do this suffering thing with some faithfulness? I'm not saying its not hard and even as I write this I am reminded of how I act when things in my life are difficult. But, let's pray for each other. Let's pray that whatever we or our brothers or sisters are going through (or will go through), that we will go through it with faithfulness. Lets ask that God not only walk with us through the fire, but that He will receive glory from how we walked through it.

The Second Part of Forgiveness

Matthew 6:14-15, Matthew 5:22-24

I do not know about you, but these are not my favorite verses in the Bible. They cause me to have to change. They cause me to have to do something. They cause me to have to be uncomfortable and sometimes even confrontational. Because I talk so much, I always say something wrong. I have started just apologizing after almost all my conversations with people and after all of the Bible studies I teach! I think I'll just start with an apology to save time!

Seriously, the Church has an issue with forgiveness. I have struggled with it and I venture to say if you are breathing today, you have as well. But, God is really serious about this forgiveness thing. In case we have forgotten, He allowed His only Son to be rejected, ridiculed, and murdered so we could be forgiven. That fact tells me He's serious about forgiveness.

What I find so amazing in my own life sometimes and in the people around me is that we will forgive people for "big" things, but struggle to forgive people that hurt our feelings. Words that cut to the heart seem to continue to bleed for a long time. What I want to offer you today about the issue of forgiveness is that it cannot be done alone. Regardless of the offense - large or small - we find it impossible to forgive within ourselves. But, we must. So what are we to do?

Again, let me offer some wisdom from my friend, Corrie ten Boom. Corrie spent much time in prison and concentration camps for helping the Jews during the Holocaust. After the war, she was speaking and saw in the crowd a guard that had been at Ravensbruck, one of the most cruel concentration camps. She recognized this man and realized he had been the one the women had had to strip in front of and walk to the showers. He had been very cruel. Ironically, Corrie had just spoken on forgiveness. The former guard walked up to her and told her he had been a guard at Ravensbruck, but since the war had become a Christian. He told her he knew God had forgiven him, but he wanted to hear it from her. He asked her forgiveness and offered her his hand. Corrie stood there frozen knowing that she must forgive him, but the pain was so deep. Her sister had died in the camp. So here's what she did...

"And still I stood there with the coldness clutching my heart. But forgiveness is not an emotion - I knew that too. Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart. "Jesus, help me!" I prayed silently. "I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling." And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes. "I forgive you, brother!" I cried. "With all my heart." - A Tramp for the Lord, Corrie ten Boom

What a miracle! That miracle can take place in your life as well. If there is someone you haven't fully forgiven, allow God to do it through you. Surely if He can do it through this woman who had been through so much, He can do it through you and I. Also, if there is someone you have offended or hurt and you know about it, ask their forgiveness. This is a vital issue in our lives. I do not want you or I to miss out on what God has for us because we refused to forgive someone. Let's make it right today.

The Forgiveness of God

Hebrews 8:12, Micah 7:19

There is so much written on the issue of forgiveness I doubt that I have very little to say that you have not heard before. However, I have recently learned some new things about forgiveness and definitely felt some new things about forgiveness.

When someone wrongs us we do not have the ability to forget. The phrase "if you haven't forgotten you haven't forgiven" is just untrue. We just do not have the ability to forget. But, we can commit to forgive, give those feelings to the Lord, ask Him to let His forgiveness flow through us to the other person, and move on. We are not to hold the offense over the other person.

Although I knew God's forgiveness was pure and complete, because I still have memories of my own sin, I guess I thought He did too. I thought that even though the Bible says He does not remember them, that He really just did not hold them against me. It is amazing to me how I still take my "truth" and make it into God's truth when it is not. We as humans are so prone to take our experiences and make them into "truth". We must always, always, always measure our experiences and our feelings against God's Word to find the real truth.

I have recently been reading the second autobiography of Corrie ten Boom. In a chapter that she titles "The Blacks and Whites of Forgiveness" she writes the most profound statement:

The forgiveness of Jesus not only takes away our sins, it makes them as if they had never been.

As I read this the other day it was as if the Holy Spirit erupted from within me and filled my entire room. I found myself weeping and just praising God for the truth of His forgiveness. Do you realize what that means? Just let it sink in for a little while and then praise Him for the ultimate gift and the freedom it brings. He has canceled all of our debts and made them as if they had never been.

If you ever find yourself in the depths of despair, this fact alone is enough to bring rejoicing. Share it with someone else today. He is an amazing God.

Making a Way

Acts 1:8, Acts 2:1-41

God will always make a way for us to do what He has commanded us to do. Recently, I was reminded of the miracle of Pentacost during our family devotion time. Joel and Caleb have already learned that when their Bibles show the wind blowing (as if you can really see it!) that is the Holy Spirit. Pentacost truly was a miracle, yet sometimes we get so caught up in the "tongues" issue that we miss it. Let me explain...

In Acts 1 Luke is giving us an account of the last words of Jesus before He ascends to the Father. Acts 1:8 sounds like an almost impossible task. They were to take the Gospel to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth. Okay, Jerusalem they could do. Judea and Samaria would take a little time, but still this was do-able. But the ends of the Earth? How could they do this? Well, they were told to not even start until the Holy Spirit came, but I'm sure they wondered how they would complete such a task. But, God had already made a way.

Pentacost was the beginning to the Feast of Weeks and was celebrated on the 50th day after the Sabbath of Passover week. So there were many pilgrims in the city to celebrate. Jews had come from Judea, Samaria, and all over the Jewish world. When the Holy Spirit fell on the disciples and they proclaimed the Gospel, "the ends of the Earth" were present to hear the message. This wasn't just an everyday occurance. The fact that the Holy Spirit came in wind and fire should not have been missed by any Jew. They knew that this was how God had presented Himself in the past. Everyone that witnessed what happened that day went home telling their friends and neighbors what happened at Pentacost.

3000 accepted the message the first day. You can know they went home to their country and told everyone they knew and the gospel was spread. God told them to be His witnesses and they were. He did it through them. The next time you feel as if God is asking you to do something that you feel is near impossible, remember this miracle and that "nothing is impossible with God" (Luke 1:37)