OUR SURRENDER TO GOD. . .

ALWAYS PRECEDES HIS MOST SIGNIFICANT WORK IN OUR LIFE!


Let's take Abraham for example.  Gen. 22:  All of it, but in particular 1/3.   Everyone has heard some version of this story at some point in their life.  I was always struck by the immediate obedience of this patriarch.   God command him to take his son up into the hills to be offered as a living sacrifice, a burnt offering.   No back talk, no questioning, no doubting took place.  You know I don't have children, so I can't speak to that moment in time.  However, many of you can.  Would you have immediately taken your servants and your only son and gone to the place as marked?  He surrendered any thinking or doubts.  He must have believed and trusted that God would do something at the last minute to save his sweet and only son. After all, Isaac was a special gift from God.  God wouldn't do that to him or Isaac.  Right?  

This week, after many weeks, I decided it was time to do the same.  I took two pieces of paper.  8 1/2 by 11.  One was on Business stationery.  One was a plain piece representing my personal life.  In the center I put letters G O D.   All around the edges I put ME.  I surrendered my blank pages to God and said, okay, you have my attention.  Here is my life.  Psalm 25: 1  Unto You, O Lord, do I bring my life!  You write on them and I will do whatever you write.  Trust me, it isn't that simple.  Its been nine months in the making.  Ooops!  No pun intended.  I have been praying since Jan. 1st.  Some of you might remember MY ONE WORD this year was Surrender.  It has taken a whole lot of events, physical pain, emotional disappointments, family disappointments, pride upsets;  but here we are.
Here I am!

Each one of us has their own way of relating to God and wondering what in the world is going on here?  I get up each morning now and say, okay sure I have things written on the calender but it is your page to change and rewrite what you want.  How can I bless someone today and bring glory to you.  How can I respond to surprises, good news, bad news and bring glory to you, Lord?

I do want His significant work and His perfect peace in any war, crisis, drama, or trauma.  I claim it, how about you?

Get in and swing to Surrender!

PRACTICING THE PRESENCE!

SET YOUR MIND ON THINGS ABOVE AND NOT THINGS OF THE WORLD!

Col. 3: 2

Easier said then done.  What is the first thing you think of each morning.  Do you set your mind to the negative or the positive.   Only symbol I can think of is the one heard once that concrete is impressionable and flexible before it SETS UP!  Don't let your mind set on the trauma, dramas and crisis's of life.  Or get to it before it sets.  What are you tempted to think about!  Be prepared to NOT do that, know that you do that -  STOP!  Do not allow outside forces to get you going while the concrete is drying on your negative feelings.  God's Word is clear here.  Set your mind on things above.

Each one of us has some sort of thing going on whether it is family, physical things, emotional ones, worries, etc.  Nip it in the bud!  Its the first day of fall and God's sky and landscape is going to have colors we can't even duplicate.  Look up!, Stay Up, Don't set up unless its on the heavenly things!

SO WHAT'S THE SNARE?

Footholds versus Strongholds?  Are they the same?  Why or why not?

All these years, and I had never thought about that question?  How does our enemy Satan send distractions, influences, footholds, strongholds our way?  How can we know the difference?

I will be teaching a class  this fall at County Line on The Full Armor of God!  And, out of the blue today I see something - a fine line I had not seen before.  You could say,  "which comes first the chicken or the egg?"

Joyce Meyer pointed out this morning in one of her devotionals that Satan likes introducing footholds to us in order to turn them into strongholds.  They were one and the same to me before that.

Eph. 4: 27 . . .and do not give the devil a foothold!   Bingo.  Sure.  In Corinthians we learn about how to take CAPTIVE every thought so it does not turn into a sin.  Psalms 25: 15.  Mine eyes are ever on the Lord, for only He releases my foot from the snare.  Light bulb moment! 

Okay, okay, so you already knew that.  Good for you.  I understand all about taking captive every thought.  We don't always do that very well.  An attitude about someone can enter in.  A new perspective can float by and you grab it.  Did you check it out.  Did you ask God about that attitude, idea, or temptation?  There is the snag.  Cause if you didn't, it turns into a Foothold.  Satan celebrates and whamo bammo it is a stronghold a waiting.  The first time a person turns into the porno site just to see what it is all about.  Thought/looksee + Foothold = Stronghold!

Good Stuff.  Make a commitment to EVALUATE every thought.  It is God's Word and commandment, II Corinthians 10: 5.    The mind is a very unloyal part of our mind and body, folks.
Tame it - Test it - Repent - Move on.  Think - Test it - Keep it - Foothold.  Think it - Test it - (I John 4: 1) Throw it out if its bad and Move On.   No Footholds - No Strongholds.    Takes too much time you say.  Tough!  I guarantee peace of mind 99% of the time if you just take this serious.  God is awesome - Its a gorgeous day today - Live to the fullest - Live in Peace of mind no matter what is going on around you.  Test it!

A New Day, A New Dawn!

Yep, John wouldn't get in the picture.  I wanted to remember what a stunning day it was.  AT that time it was our 43rd anniversary and we had a great dinner at the I.G.  The weather was superb.  WE did have to say goodbye to Jack Randinelli earlier, and I didn't have to go to a custody hearing because they settled.  My arm wasn't asleep and I had no pain.  Best day of the summer for me, so forgive me for wanting to put my own picture up there.

Today, is a new day, a new dawn.  Fingers are asleep, and I have no energy today, so I am taking a break.  They say working at the computer aggravates stuff in the neck.  Going to take up a book and read.

I will return.