LET'S BLOW OFF THE FATHER OF LIES!
John 8: 44
"You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for her is a liar and the father of lies."
The context of any chapter, of course, needs to be read in its context. I chose to single this out, because I encounter the brunt of this statement in my counseling, and in my life. The friends and family I encounter on a regular basis.
Joyce Meyer was talking about that this morning in her devotion on The Confident Woman. What impresses me the most about this life we all live is that there is the truth and there is the lie. We have that choice each and every day. I truly wish I could give that as a Christmas present to the whole world. The gift of being able to get up each morning and KNOW the truth and live it in ease and style. Confident and without compromise. However you cut it, I can't do that. We can, however, practice and practice and practice the truth. And, how do we do that most of the time? We know the enemy and how he operates. Many theologians and others will argue that if you know Jesus Christ and He is your personal Savior, you never have to worry about the enemy. He can not penetrate your life. I totally disagree. That is why I teach Putting on the Armor - suiting up - being aware, processing the Word, and knowing God.
We need to know the language of our enemy. His lies. How does he get by with tripping us up? We generally understand "free-will", but it still irritates me that Adam and Eve got so tripped up. They are our first step to understanding that it is going to happen to us as well. Know God - Trust His Character. This is our mantra and platform. So, then, when we do get tripped up with a lie it will come easier and easier to BLOW it off. Visualize a powerful leaf blower. Keep it in your tool belt of armor. Test the lie. I John 4: 1/4. God will be there to show you the truth.
DON'T LET THE ENEMY FILL YOUR YARD FULL OF LEAVES (LIES)! Have your tool belt ready at all times. We know he is always looking for a loophole, or place to get a foothold.
I remember JUST ONE OF MANY he pulled on me. Back in 1982 I called the University of St. Francis main office to check how many credit hours I had to go yet. They name it off, and I immediately went into a deep depression. I wanted to quit, go start something else. I was sitting in the top of the Bass Mansion library and I heard God in a small voice say - "GO TO THE OFFICE - do inventory, don't believe this." I did and they had missed 15 hours. I was a first semester senior, not junior. That is just one of hundreds. I have become a veteran of "inventory" and checking lies out.
I promise you I don't spend all my time on that, but I am ready. So can you be ready!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
PERSEVERANCE! Trusting God's Character!
UPDATE: The Winning the Battle excerpt will be next week - November 6th.
II PETER 1: 1-11
This needs to be a series all by itself. Every verse. This will be a preamble to that down the road.
Peter is writing about a very serious intent here. The intent would be to drive us to holiness. In today's world that is a huge chuck to absorb. I realize now, that when I started this book in January ("I Hate It When My Soul Is Crying!") it is really all about Perseverance. I want to connect with women and let them know we need extra supernatural amounts of Perseverance. We have all heard that word and yet, do we take understand what it means for us individually? So, what does it mean? Peter is telling us to be steadfast in everything we do. To have endurance in all life's trials, patience beyond all imagination?
Let us look specifically at verse 6: "And in (exercising) knowledge (develop) self control (develop) steadfastness (patience - endurance), and in (exercising) steadfastness (develop) godliness (piety)." Amplified version
NIV - "and to knowledge; self control; and to self control, perseverance, and to perseverance, godliness;"
Putting that altogether, it says to me; Peter wants us to develop a trust for the character of God. The real question is: Can you hang on long enough to see Him work in your situation and life? Can you exercise, the knowledge and truth that God promises us his protection and deliverance? Can you exercise the self control it takes to endure through, believe and practice His peace for what is going on? All good questions. I talk to lots of people and 2011 has been a rough year. Everything from loss of work, to death, cancer, illnesses, political scares, weather phenomenons etc etc.
God's Word says He hears us. God's Word says, hang on I am coming. God's Word is the truth. So then, I need to take a big breath and TRUST that He goes before me, He marches with me. He never fails, forsakes, or leaves me (us). Endurance and Perseverance means I need to sit back, pray, and trust for His outcome. He never fails. He always loves, He always forgives, He always delivers.
What do you need deliverance from today? Lack of trust, too much fear, too impatient?
Let us look deeply into the character of God and see we can get through anything with Him.
comments can go to:
shirley.faith.souder@gmail.com
II PETER 1: 1-11
This needs to be a series all by itself. Every verse. This will be a preamble to that down the road.
Peter is writing about a very serious intent here. The intent would be to drive us to holiness. In today's world that is a huge chuck to absorb. I realize now, that when I started this book in January ("I Hate It When My Soul Is Crying!") it is really all about Perseverance. I want to connect with women and let them know we need extra supernatural amounts of Perseverance. We have all heard that word and yet, do we take understand what it means for us individually? So, what does it mean? Peter is telling us to be steadfast in everything we do. To have endurance in all life's trials, patience beyond all imagination?
Let us look specifically at verse 6: "And in (exercising) knowledge (develop) self control (develop) steadfastness (patience - endurance), and in (exercising) steadfastness (develop) godliness (piety)." Amplified version
NIV - "and to knowledge; self control; and to self control, perseverance, and to perseverance, godliness;"
Putting that altogether, it says to me; Peter wants us to develop a trust for the character of God. The real question is: Can you hang on long enough to see Him work in your situation and life? Can you exercise, the knowledge and truth that God promises us his protection and deliverance? Can you exercise the self control it takes to endure through, believe and practice His peace for what is going on? All good questions. I talk to lots of people and 2011 has been a rough year. Everything from loss of work, to death, cancer, illnesses, political scares, weather phenomenons etc etc.
God's Word says He hears us. God's Word says, hang on I am coming. God's Word is the truth. So then, I need to take a big breath and TRUST that He goes before me, He marches with me. He never fails, forsakes, or leaves me (us). Endurance and Perseverance means I need to sit back, pray, and trust for His outcome. He never fails. He always loves, He always forgives, He always delivers.
What do you need deliverance from today? Lack of trust, too much fear, too impatient?
Let us look deeply into the character of God and see we can get through anything with Him.
comments can go to:
shirley.faith.souder@gmail.com
Sunday, October 16, 2011
WINNING THE BATTLE!
Ever wonder which battle you should win? Considering that the majority of us are not in a REAL war zone, we do have to consider that our world around us can sometimes be that event. Interesting that I am sitting here pondering the idea - "Don't you ever have anything positive to write about?" Is everyone going through something? Aren't there some people who have a great thing happening; like going on vacation, or going on a missionary trip?
Winning the Battle will be a chapter near the very end of my book, "I Hate It When My Soul Is Crying." It is spearheaded by a guest writer friend of mine. The title is quite a huge one to write about. From my perspective, it is an every day suiting up and putting on the Armor of God! J.E. goes into a deeper realm of reaching women who get displaced in the Jar of life and cover themselves quickly with the lid. That lid keeps things out and also keeps things in. I will be exploring this title from her chapter soon. It is a positive approach because we learn how simple it can be to win the war with the tools we already possess.
COMING SOON!
HAVE A GOOD WEEK - SUIT UP - DON'T FORGET!
Winning the Battle will be a chapter near the very end of my book, "I Hate It When My Soul Is Crying." It is spearheaded by a guest writer friend of mine. The title is quite a huge one to write about. From my perspective, it is an every day suiting up and putting on the Armor of God! J.E. goes into a deeper realm of reaching women who get displaced in the Jar of life and cover themselves quickly with the lid. That lid keeps things out and also keeps things in. I will be exploring this title from her chapter soon. It is a positive approach because we learn how simple it can be to win the war with the tools we already possess.
COMING SOON!
HAVE A GOOD WEEK - SUIT UP - DON'T FORGET!
Saturday, October 8, 2011
REFLECTIONS!
Reflections can mean just about anything. For Dakota it is a reflection of herself in the Lake James water. Her very favorite place. It is taking movies of her getting in the water, so I can look at them later. I do admit, that I wonder each time up there, is this the last time?
It can be reflecting on one's past and making determinations about the special learning's and how you changed. It can also mean "Wow, I still haven't got that!"
It can mean, reflecting on one's future and also wondering what do I still need to learn and will I get it? What is in God's plan for my life? There are a lot more questions there, I believe then about what we have already experienced.
And, without a doubt there is a lot to reflect on when God takes special people away to be with Him. I have been reflecting a lot on John Martin Smith and his wife Bobbie leaving our community at this time. John just had a two hour lunch with John Martin Tuesday, they sat and planned a Carriage House to be built in John Martin's back yard on the farm. How they would move in their summer, and let Thom and Jama take over the Brick. John got right down to business and did a rendering of the Carriage House and had it almost done Wednesday evening. And, then everything changed. a good friend, a gracious kind human being and his good wife Bobbie were taken away. People that brought so much to our community. People who cared about our community. People who changed things in our community because of that love.
In reflecting on the why, and why now, it soon becomes evident. That it is life and things can't always go on forever. I remembered thinking back in 2002 that my parents would certainly go on forever. They had so far. Dad was 90 and climbing ladders to clean out eaves. They went anywhere they wanted and did whatever they wanted. Never ill, never even a cold. And, then it stopped as suddenly as a doctors visit. Out of the clear blue, you realize, this isn't going to last forever.
God brought a peace this week to my heart in remembering that life is for the living, so live it well and always bring glory to God in your living well. John Martin and Bobbie both did that. My last contact with them at the fair, I thought, how gracious and full of life are these two. John Martin with all his ideas and plans. So, now I reflect that it is the bottom line to living your life. It won't change. God never changes. Live your life full and large all to the glory of the Lord.
We can always remember and glory in what these two people brought, how they mirrored life for God. I want that too. Thank You John Martin and Bobbie Smith!
It can be reflecting on one's past and making determinations about the special learning's and how you changed. It can also mean "Wow, I still haven't got that!"
It can mean, reflecting on one's future and also wondering what do I still need to learn and will I get it? What is in God's plan for my life? There are a lot more questions there, I believe then about what we have already experienced.
And, without a doubt there is a lot to reflect on when God takes special people away to be with Him. I have been reflecting a lot on John Martin Smith and his wife Bobbie leaving our community at this time. John just had a two hour lunch with John Martin Tuesday, they sat and planned a Carriage House to be built in John Martin's back yard on the farm. How they would move in their summer, and let Thom and Jama take over the Brick. John got right down to business and did a rendering of the Carriage House and had it almost done Wednesday evening. And, then everything changed. a good friend, a gracious kind human being and his good wife Bobbie were taken away. People that brought so much to our community. People who cared about our community. People who changed things in our community because of that love.
In reflecting on the why, and why now, it soon becomes evident. That it is life and things can't always go on forever. I remembered thinking back in 2002 that my parents would certainly go on forever. They had so far. Dad was 90 and climbing ladders to clean out eaves. They went anywhere they wanted and did whatever they wanted. Never ill, never even a cold. And, then it stopped as suddenly as a doctors visit. Out of the clear blue, you realize, this isn't going to last forever.
God brought a peace this week to my heart in remembering that life is for the living, so live it well and always bring glory to God in your living well. John Martin and Bobbie both did that. My last contact with them at the fair, I thought, how gracious and full of life are these two. John Martin with all his ideas and plans. So, now I reflect that it is the bottom line to living your life. It won't change. God never changes. Live your life full and large all to the glory of the Lord.
We can always remember and glory in what these two people brought, how they mirrored life for God. I want that too. Thank You John Martin and Bobbie Smith!
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