Holy Spirit

Lord God of Heaven’s Armies

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David , Ready for Battle

I have a son named David. When he was little we would read to him the Bible stories of David. He loved to hear how David wrestled a bear and killed a lion. My son would go through the house doing air motions of fighting the imaginary enemy at our door. In his mind, he was not only David our son but for that moment he was David who slew Goliath. Moms of boys can totally relate when a son puts on the superhero outfit or picks up a slingshot he is instantly transported to that battle and all enemies are defeated easily with one fail swoop. 

Victory!

As adults victory against the giants in our life may not come so easily. The battle is real. Satan does not want to wound us, he wants to kill and destroy us. Our heart aches from hurts and wounds inflicted during battle. This is even more true as we move from 2020 to 2021. The events of the past year and the effects of social isolation, unrest, anxiety, and fear have begun to take their toll. Many churches and individuals begin the new year with prayer and fasting. Typically this involves seeking God’s direction regarding whether to change jobs, buy a house, change a behavior, etc. It typically is a time of renewal and expectation. For 2021, your prayers for this year may have switched to addressing the deeper issues of faith, grief, loss, anxiety. We are not asking whether to buy a new house or car, but are asking “Where is God?” For many of us, as we face the upcoming year and what lies before us, we feel less like victorious David going into battle and more like wounded soldiers looking for a retreat. We need to be reminded where our hope and help and strength comes from. 

It is time to remember who Jesus is and who is fighting our battles. 

When David faced Goliath, Goliath taunted the Israelite army. He called them the armies of Saul. The Israelites became fearful. Why? Because they identified themselves as the armies of Saul. When David faced Goliath he did not see himself as a member of Saul’s army but rather as someone coming into battle with God’s full complement of the regiment. He was ready. 

1 Samuel 17:25 You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies-the God of the armies of Isreal whom you have defiled.

David’s identity was with God. He knew that victory would come not because he was good at using a slingshot, but because God is bigger than anything we face.  Victory would not come because he had battle training or any kind of talent or expertise. Victory would not come because he was a special person from the right family or social position. Victory would not come because of who is in political office. Victory would come because David had God’s army with him. Victory would come because of who God is.

David knew this because he had a relationship with God. He knew who God was and what He had done. He had spent days praying and singing praises to God as he watched the sheep. Today, along with prayer, we have the Bible to learn who God is. I am reminded even more how it is important to pray and read the Bible daily. Romans 8 reminds us that tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, peril, sword, life, death, principalities, things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing are able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. It doesn’t say that these things will not come and try to separate us because they will. It says that they are NOT ABLE to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The battle is real, so be purposeful. Find a ‘Battle Plan’ for what you are facing. Discover who Jesus is. Discover who is on your side. Remind yourself that no matter how bad the battle is, nothing can separate us from Jesus. 

2 Samuel 5:10 And he became more powerful because the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies was with him.

In 2 Samuel 6, David several times refers to God as the Lord Almighty. The word “Almighty” comes from a Hebrew word that means “hosts, organized army for war or battle. ” This army is organized and ready for the war campaign to begin. Their commander is God himself.

So, as we enter the New Year and are praying and fasting, remember who goes before you. 

Battle Plan Ideas

Here are some suggestions for Battle Plans:

  1. Make a list of scriptures that pertain to what you are praying about. Sites such as You Version and Blue Letter Bible are a good resource for this. You can type in the topic and they will give you a list of scriptures with that word in it. Here are the links:
  2. Daily Bible reading plans and devotionals can be found on websites and Apps. I like the You Version and the Bible Project.
  3. Many churches are praying and fasting for the New Year and have scriptures listed on their sites as well. World Outreach Church has one called the “Battle Plan”, for example. There are many others as well.
  4. There are also books, such as Prayers that Avail Much or the Power of a Praying Mom by Stormie Omartian. You may have a favorite already.
  5. If you like to journal, I suggest creating a prayer journal. You can use a journal notebook or there are Prayer Journals with specific sections already there for you to comment on. Pick one that inspires you. A missionary nurse friend of mine gave me these: Daily Gratitude Journal with Bible Verses and the Prayer Map for Women.
  6. There are Bibles with sections for journaling and prayer. Personal comments in the margins are good reminders of how Jesus has been there for you. My other son, Nathan, gave me this one for my birthday. My creative side is loving it! the NIV Journal the Word Bible. There are lots others to choose from.
  7. The names of Jesus. I am always encouraged when I review the names of Jesus. It reminds me of His character and who is on my side. Tony Evans wrote a book, Praying Through the Names of God. Ann Spangler wrote a book entitled Praying the Names of God: a Daily Guide. There are others. Remember we need to know who our God is that goes before us.
  8. On this blog, I have past posts regarding prayer, praise, and the full armor of God. I pray these will encourage and inspire you as well.

What is your Battle Plan? Share with your fellow warriors.

Virtual Learning: Embrace the Season…

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Virtual school, Zoom school, Blackboard, Google Classroom, Seesaw, internet, wifi, bandwidth are now part of your everyday vocabulary. Take your child to work day is suddenly every day!

Unlike families who chose to homeschool their children, who had time to pray, plan, and prepare, this new adventure has been thrust upon many families. Suddenly your season has changed,  your routine is turned upside down,  you have added another plate to the many you are already spinning in your life. You may be feeling the weight of the responsibility and questioning your self as a mom. I want to encourage every one of you in this new season. Your children will soon be grown. The picture below was taken years ago. In amidst the chaos, cherish the moments you have with your childern.

Embrace this season as an opportunity to embrace your children. Be purposeful. Be proactive. Involve your children in your life more and you in theirs. They will learn as much from helping you with what God has called you to do as they will from a book. Pray, plan, and then prepare to act. God is actively working in this new season of your life. The Holy Spirit will guide you, give you wisdom, give you discernment, give you strength, give you patience. When I was homeschooling my children, God used that time to teach me things about myself and my children. Lessons learned then have carried over into other areas of my life.

While homeschooling I learned to:

1) Pray for insight. Pray that my heart and eyes would be open to seeing the strengths, gifts, talents that Jesus has given my children. “I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.” (Psalm 139:14, NASB)

2) Pray that God knew what He was doing when He God gave me this child. He knew my strengths and He knew the child needed them. He knew my weaknesses. It is not by accident they are in my family. “For this child, I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.” ( 1 Samuel 1: 27-28, KJV)

3) Pray to know God’s plan. Pray that God does have a plan and He will reveal His plan to you if you seek to know it. The situation is no surprise to God. You may not see how you are going to make this work. How can you juggle work, kids’ school, family, and friend responsibilities? But God knows how to make it work. There will be adjustments along the way. The Bible says that God will light your path and guide you step by step. The adjustments may seem too big, too hard, but as you go through them and get on the other side of them you will see God’s plan and purpose was there all along. ” Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119: 105, KJV)

4) Pray for wisdom. Pray that God will give me, as the parent, supernatural wisdom, and insight into my child’s needs and abilities. He will show you how your child learns and give you ways to instill knowledge into them. Pray for wisdom. “For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Proverbs 2: 6, NASB)

5) Pray for understanding. I prayed for understanding regarding not just the academics, but understanding regarding my child’s temperament. I prayed that I and my children would have an understanding of things of God; an understanding of the word of God. “Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law and keep it with all my heart.”

6) Pray for peace. Peace in the home. Peace in your heart. Peace in their heart. Pray for strength to get rid of the areas and obligations in my life that don’t bring peace. “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” (John 14: 27, NASB)

7) Pray for unity. Lock arms with your child to tackle this new method of education. This is new to them as well as you. Let them know you are on their side.  “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1- 3, (NASB)

8) Pray for anointing. Even you don’t have an education degree, God will anoint you for the task at hand. He is not unaware of or surprised by your knowledge and abilities. As you pray you may find that God has been preparing you all along. The lessons you have learned are for such a time as this. “As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.” (1 John 2: 27, NASB)

9) Pray for favor. Favor with your children. Yes, I know this may sound odd. but favor opens the doors for dialogue and understanding. Don’t be afraid to say I don’t know, but let’s find out together. Pray for favor with your children, family, friends, teachers, and coworkers. “May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands.” (Psalm 90: 17, NIV)

10) Pray for grace. This may be hard to comprehend, but yes you may have days that ‘you blow it’. I had many days like this. It is times like this that I needed grace for my self and for my children. Grace that was beyond my ability to bestow. God would take times like that to remind me of the big picture, that He was not done loving and guiding my children or myself. Grace can only come from God. “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (1Corinthians 1:3, NIV)

11) Pray for strength. Pray that the Holy Spirit will strengthen you for the task at hand. I quickly realized that I could not forsake the time I spend praying and reading God’s word. No matter how busy the day. I knew that I needed to take the time each day to pray, read the word, and be still and know that He is God. Allow your children to do the same. Just as the Holy Spirit will comfort and quiet your heart and soul, He will do the same for your child. “He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10, NIV)

12) Pray for teachable moments. These are times when God shows you something ‘outside the box’. These are times when He shows you His heart. It may not be in front of the computer, it may be in a walk with your child or a moment at the kitchen table. Look for them, embrace them. These are things that build character and relationships. “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night.” (Psalm 1: 1-2, NIV)

13) Pray for positive relationships. I realyzed that we are in this together. Pray that God will bring people in your life who will support and encourage you on this journey. Pray that He will bring people to say just the right word or offer a suggestion that brings a solution to a problem. “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (3 John 1:4, NIV)

14) Pray for joy. This was difficult on days when computers aren’t working, your child is in tears because they don’t understand something, and you can ‘fix’ the situation you are faced with. It was days like this that I realyzed that I needed joy that can only come from my relationship with God. I would take a deep breath and pray, show me where I can find joy. Why did I need joy so much? Because the joy of the Lord was my strength to be patient, to persevere, to find peace, to find love. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15: 13, NIV)

15) Pray scripture over yourself, and your children. I learned to personalize the word of God. See examples below.

Are my children perfect? Am I perfect? Is my family perfect? Did they learn everything and still able to recite pages of education? The answer to all of these is ‘No‘.

Did my children see me model how to handle stressful situations? Did my children see where my strength comes from? Did my children see the love of God walked out before them every day? Maybe.

Did God see my heart? Did I learn that God is patient? Did I learn that Jesus loves me? Did I learn that Jesus is always there guiding, loving, forgiving, strengthening, healing? Did I learn to humble myself before God and seek HIs wisdom? Did I receive healing, peace, love, joy, patience that is not dependent on circumstances but because God is a loving God? YES!

Will God love, forgive, strengthen, teach, heal, anoint, guide, protect, embrace my children as He did me? YES

Prayer Scriptures

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you__(insert name)_____________ with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you ___________(insert name)____may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: _________ (insert name )_____bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you_______(insert name)______ may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you ____(insert name)_____ to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. ” (Colossians 1:12, NIV)

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you ____________(insert name)______will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phillippians 1: 6, NASB)

Is your jello sticking to the wall yet? Psalm 32:8 Part 1: Instruct

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Are you adding your own nails to make i
stick? How is that working for you?

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. ” — Psalm 32:8 (NASB)

Do you feel like you are trying everything and nothing is working right? Are you like me and you want to know where to go next, what to do? Am I on the right path? These days we have Google Maps to talk to us and to say turn right or left in 1.1 miles. But what about our life? Are you throwing jello against the wall to see what sticks? Are you adding your own nails to make it stick? How is that working for you? Are you are going in all directions, picking up everything you can, to see what works. Is the stress relieved, has peace and joy returned? Don’t you wish you had someone to tell you in 1.1 miles decide to do this or not to do it? Psalm 32 tells us that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit will do just that.

Psalm 32 reminds that God will instruct, teach, and counsel us.

Instruct means to provide understanding, insight, show what to pay attention to, show what you need to focus your mind on. The instructor is passing on his wisdom, knowledge, expertise, skill in order for the person to be successful in what they are doing. The concept of the expert instructing the apprentice is illustrated here. The expert imparts not only knowledge, but skill and wisdom. It denotes the concept of the instructor being circumspect or seeing everything in all directions and being able to tell you what you need to highlight and/or give attention to. The one instructed will become wise, prudent, skillful, have incite regarding the situations, and be able to discern what to do and when to do it, This wisdom and knowledge is not from the person but is a result of the instruction.

Do you feel like you are flying blind? Have you gotten somewhere and don’t know how to land?

Have you ever put something together and ended up with ‘spare’ parts(scary!)? Or tried to skip some of the instruction steps in a Lego build only to have take it a part and backtrack to where you went off on your own? Do you feel like you are flying blind? Have gotten somewhere and don’t know how to land? Now I know sometimes we try to ‘shortcut’ the directions. But what usually happens is we have parts left over or we reach a point where we need to redo to make the parts fit properly. Either way, we have wasted time and energy. The finished product may not work the best or worse yet, not work at all. I usually end up with frustration, stress, disappointment, anger (lot of negative thoughts!). When someone instructs us it is like reading the directions. If only I had followed the directions. If only I had humbled myself to receive instruction.

“But when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.” — Proverbs 21:11 (NASB)

The word ‘wise’ is the same word for ‘instruct’ used in Psalm 32. It is a verb, “sakal”, which means there is ‘action’ required. There is also a link to the person doing the instruction and the one receiving instruction. There has to be a relationship. God knows just how to instruct us, but we need to be willing to be instructed. God is the only one with complete circumspection of our life. Without His instruction we are throwing the jello against the wall. Without God’s instructions we tend to focus in all directions, with no purpose. We lack understanding and knowledge of what is going on in our life and why things are happening to us. All our efforts are in vain. We may feel like our thoughts are overwhelming us to the point we cannot “think clearly’. Without clear instruction, energy is spent to keep the ‘plates spinning’ in our life with no victory in sight. We tend have the same dramas repeated over and over in our life.

“When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.”– Psalm 32:3 (NASB)

The result was forgiveness, preservation and
deliverance. God’s living waters of forgiveness
could flow in his life.

David wrote Psalm 32. It is described as a ‘contemplative happy’ song. However, in the beginning David is not happy. David describes how sin was ‘heavy upon me’. The weight of the sin was draining his ‘vitality’. He describes his body as ‘wasting away’ . It wasn’t just because of sin, but because he ‘kept silent’ (Psalm 32:3) If you keep sin silent and hidden, it will devour you physically, mentally, and emotionally. David describes how blessed and fortunate he was when he did not keep his sin hidden, but acknowledged it to God. (Psalm 32: 5). The result was forgiveness, preservation, and deliverance. God’s living waters of forgiveness could flow in his life. This forgiveness opened the doorway of David’s heart and soul to be instructed by God and the Holy Spirit.

Sin made it so that David could not hear, understand, and obey God’s clear instructions. The relationship was blocked. The same is true of us today. When we have sin that we have not confessed we cannot hear God’s voice clearly. We are numb to the gentle promptings of the Holy Spirit leading and guiding us to Jesus Christ. We cannot hear instructions clearly. We read the Bible and lack understanding.

God sees what we are facing in all directions in our life and He knows what is ahead of us. God created us and knows our talents, strengths and weaknesses. He knows how to instruct us. The Holy Spirit is leading and guiding us to Jesus and His forgiveness. When we confess our sins and ask for the forgiveness that Jesus Christ provided for us through His death on the cross and resurrection from the grave, the relationship is fully restored. The sin that was blocking the flow of God’s instructions in our hearts and minds is removed. The relationship between the instructor and the apprentice is restored. Jesus becomes not just our savior, but the Lord of our life. The word of God, the Bible, becomes our blue print, our instructions, that we can understand and receive in our hearts and mind.

Where are you looking for instructions regarding your life? Who is instructing you? Do you have ‘hidden’ sin that is blocking your relationship with Jesus?

Prayer:

Dear Jesus

I acknowledge my sin (___________________) to you. I acknowledge my immoral thoughts and actions. I confess my transgressions. I confess that my heart has rebelled against you and your Word. I ask for forgiveness of my sins. I ask for you to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9). I accept the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on the cross to cleanse me from sin. I desire Lord Jesus to have my relationship with you restored. Holy Spirit please guide me in the instructions of God’s word. Bring to my remembrance all that God’ has instructed. (John 14:26) I pray that my heart and spirit will be sensitive to the Holy Spirit guidance and conviction of anything that is hindering my relationship with Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 1:5) Amen

But God

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But God……..

But God, I want….

But God, do this…

But God, shouldn’t we do…

But God, this is the situation…

But God, why?

When we hear these words or see them written, they are usually followed by a cry of God help! I need_____________. I want________________. As a mom we here similar cries from our children. They usually occur when we tell our kids, “Hey we need to go do such and such”. Or “time to clean your room.” Or “time to do your homework.” Then becomes the all too familiar cries that sound like a crying animal, “BUT MOM!” In desperation they begin to plea their case of what they need and want. The pleas also come up when your child wants to go someplace, with some people, and do something. Mom says no and then hear comes the cries, “BUT MOM!” I recognize that throughout my Christian life, I have had times when I had similar cries to God. But maybe just maybe, I should have not concentrated on my cries, or the part after my plea. Maybe I should be concentrating on “But God.”

What does But God ….. mean?

The word ‘but’ is a conjunction that joins to things. So what are joining with God when we say “But God?”

In the Old Testament the words ‘but God’ was a phrase where the 2 words stood for one meaning. The phrase was usually used to describe times when man or rulers thought they were in control. Jacob was working for Laban. Laban changed Jacob’s wages ‘but God’ kept him from harming Jacob.(Genesis 31:7)

The word for God used here was specifically the name ‘Elohiym.’ Elohiym is first used in Geneses 1:1 “In the beginning, God…” The name ‘Elohiym’ for God includes God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. In other words, Jacob had all the power of the trinity working on his behalf in these two small words “But God”.

In the New Testament, God is ‘Theos” the Greek word for Elohiym. The words for ‘but’ change depending on the comparision. “BUT” can show a comparison. It also showed a exponential comparison.

I know that people have written books about telling how their life is different because of God. God intervened and changed their life from one path to another. I can’t imagine what things would be like without God in my life. What if I had not accepted Jesus into my heart and His forgiveness on the cross. Even with this acceptance and forgiveness, as a Christian we still go through struggles. It is usually during these times of struggle that my tone is one like our frustrated children. So maybe it is our tone we should examine when we cry out ” But God”. I usually have a complaining attittude… But God why do I have go do this now. But God why is life so hard. Or maybe you are like me and just say the words with a pleading voice of the frustrated toddler “But God I want this” Or “But God I was good right so let me have this or change that or I promise never to do it again.” So much can be communicated in 2 simple words.

Maybe I should concentrate on the ‘But, God.’ rather than my situation. No more words, no more dots for etc. Just (deep breath) ‘But, God’.(deep breath out) (period). Allow the full impact of who God is to permeate my heart, mind, body, spirit. Allow Him to be God in full power and glory in the situation and in my heart and mind. Recognize that without God, nothing can occur. Recognize that though I face what looks like like an impossible situation, God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit in all their power and glory are working in the situation. “But God” is with me, “But God” goes before me, “But God” loves me beyond all understanding. Recognize that when I look at the odds, I need to remember the “But God” factor which trumps all my mental rationalization of the situation.

Resurrection Egg #9: The Feet of Jesus

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Baby feet
“Now, What are we to do with these? “

When I think of feet, I immediately think of cute baby feet. I remember when my kids were born the first think I looked at were the hands and feet. You know ten fingers and ten toes. They were so cute! I still remember my daughter at two and three years old moving her feet back and forth so the nail polish would dry. So cute with her hair in a pony tail and denim dress on. Oh the memories! Then they grow up and the feet aren’t so cute. Then we are not concerned about how cute they are but where are those feet taking our children in life. Where are they going physically, emotionally, spiritually. In the Bible, it seems that feet bring peace but also have the ability to tread over the enemy.

Feet Shod with Peace

He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay; And he set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. (Psalm 40:2)

Luke 1:79 states that Jesus will guide our feet in the way of peace. The word guide used means to not only make our way straight but also to remove any hindrances in our path leading to God. The shedding of blood from His feet removed the hindrance of sin that separates us from God.  Ephesians 6:15 tells us that our feet are to be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. It was said that the lame, blind, etc were laid at Jesus feet and He healed them (Matthew 15:30).

Redeemed our Authority

Nails feet 2It is hard to imagine that Jesus had cute baby feet also. He was a baby first. I wonder if Mary was remembering kissing those baby feet as she watched them nailed to the cross. The shedding of blood from Jesus’ feet removed the authority of sin from keeping peace out of our life. 1 Corinthian 15 talks of Jesus putting all authority and our enemies under His feet. Luke 10:19, Jesus says that He gives authority to overcome all the power of the enemy, “nothing will harm you”. The concept of ‘under feet’ is that we are now under the authority and covering of Jesus Christ. It is not our authority that fights our battles, but Jesus’ authority. Praise God!

Prayer

I pray :

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto (Insert name) a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him; having the eyes of (Insert name) heart enlightened, that (Insert name) may know what is the hope of (Insert name) calling, what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to that working of the strength of His might which He wrought in Christ, when He raised him from the dead, and made Him to sit at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,which is his body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all. (Ephesians 1:17-23)

Resurrection Egg #9

Resurrection Egg #7: Crown of Thorns

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 The Great Exchange: Victory in our Mind

I love this picture. It simply shows what God does. It is the Great Exchange (Resurrection Egg #3) He replaces something that is dead and ugly and painful with something new and beautiful. Jesus was given crown of thorns by man. Crowns typically signify royalty and authority. The thorns, however, did not signify either. Christ bled from the head so that we could have healing and peace of mind. He replaced the crown of thorns with a crown that gives us authority over the sinful fruit our mind; worry, anxiety, pride, depression, lust, greed. Jesus promises to replace the crown of thorns with a crown of life, a crown of glory that will not fade and an everlasting crown. Jesus’ crowns give us authority to have full access to His kingdom.

 

crown

Crown of Thorns: aka “PLANTZILLA”

The thorns were supposed to have been two inches long and when placed onto Jesus’ head they cut into His head as they encircled it. As a nurse, I have seen just how the smallest head wound can bleed, much less multiple lacerations that went deep into Jesus’ scalp. The blood would have poured down.

Thorns are considered fruit of branches. (UGLY!) They represent the curse of the earth. The Greek word for thorns that refers to the crown of thorns is the same word that descibed the thorns that choked out the word of God in the parable. If  you have ever had to kill  or remove a vine with thorns. First of all, those vines are insidious. Even with the harshest of weed killers, they seem to thrive and spread. They flourish as they wind themselves around bushes, trees, buildings, anything in their path. They eventually kill the plants they are covering. You can cut them back and they come back with a vengeance. At the beach in North Carolina we have such a vine. I have talked to several people regarding how to remove it and kill it. The only way is cut it back and spray weed killer every year until eventually you can find where the root is. Then you did up the root bulb ( which by the way can be the size of a soccer ball). This process can take 5-10 years to completely remove it. Then you are constantly spraying every year to keep it from returning. It is a very labor intensive process that takes patience and diligence. It is battle between you and PLANTZILLA! Just when you think you have it under control, it shows up on your back deck!

Battling PLANTZILLA

Well, through this battle with PLANTZILLA, God has taught me some things regarding battles of the mind.

  1. PLANTZILLA wants to cover you and strangle you so that you can’t see the sunlight. When our mind is bombarded with thoughts of “you are not worthy”, “what is the use”, “everything you touch is bad”, “you don’t deserve anything but this”, etc. Our mind is so shrouded we cannot see the light of the Word of God. The Word of God says that “We are fearfully and wonderfully made”, “God desires above all things that we prosper and be in good health even as our soul prospers”. People who are depressed talk about being in a ‘dark place’. Jesus wants to move us from that dark place into the light.
  2. PLANTZILLA likes to come back every year. We have sinful patterns in our life that like to repeat themselves. These patterns begin with our thought patterns. These thought patterns govern our actions which determine our results. Ever heard the definition on insanity (another ‘mind’ word). Well, it is repeating the same thing over and over and expecting different results. To get different results we need to replace the thought pattern. This comes from daily reading the word of God.
  3. PLANTZILLA has a root cause from which it springs. Ok, without God, we may be able to trim back PLANTZILLA and hold him at bay. We may be able to start listening to positive thoughts and positive people in our life and change what is going on around us. Which is good. But not great. The only way we will have complete victory is to remove the root bulb. That is going to take Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It will take prayer and fasting and getting into the Word of God. It will take sacrificing some time for ourself. It will take changing what goes into your mind. What are we reading? What are we watching everyday? It is choosing to listen to God’s voice and we will have victory.

 PLANTZILLA is now plantzilla!

Jesus gave us the power and authority to control our thoughts. We are no longer slaves to them. We are no longer a victim of sinful patterns in our life. Now we can capture every thought and replace them with the Word of God.  We now have the freedom to make right decisions. We have the ability to produce good fruit and not thorns in our life. We have peace of mind. 

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.                 ( 2 Corinthians 10: 3-6, KJV)

Resurrection Egg #7

 

Resurrection Eggs for Adults # 5: Jesus Bled for our Shame

BlairCreekmore

Guilt says : “I did something bad.” the feeling of “doing something wrong

shame pictures of girl
Shame says: I am bad

Shame says: “I am bad.” the feeling of “I am wrong.” Our whole sense of self has eroded. 

Do  you feel flawed or defective? Unworthy of love or belonging or relationships? Feel like an embarrassment? Feel like you are in a dark hole that you cannot escape from? Do you struggle with addictive behaviors such as alcohol, drugs, sex, food? What about feelings of anger or anxiety?

It seems to me that we struggle with guilt and shame more than anything. I admit that I did not have a full understanding of ‘shame’ before researching this Resurrection Egg.

We sin and then we feel guilty. We may ask for God’s forgiveness, but the shame of the sin still lingers. We feel like we can’t reach out to help others, teach others about the gospel of Christ, or “be used by God” because of the ‘shame’ and humiliation that we feel.  “We are unworthy of such honors,” we tell ourselves.

Especially in women we feel shame for feeling shame and the cycle continues. Men get angry for feeling shame and the angry shame cycle continues.

Shame is generational. It is passed from one generation to the next.

Shame is not productive It does not bring repentance or change in belief or behavior. Why?

Because shame is how we View ourselves

Remember the novel, the Scarlet Letter? We may feel that wherever we go we have a Letter A on us just like the girl in the novel, Scarlet Letter.  Shame seems to me to follow sexual sins and indiscretions the most. Hence why Nathaniel Hawthorne’s book the Scarlet Letter, reaches people on many different levels. Hester Prynne, is caught pregnant out of marriage, she is forced to move out of the village and live on her own. She also wears a scarlet letter ‘A’ on all her clothing. ( OK, I read this in high school, so it has been awhile).

shame-652499_960_720

Today, sexual sins and addictions are  rampant. We like to think that there is no consequences in our souls or how we see ourselves. Sex and addictions may be a temporary fix for the loneliness we feel.  A way to establish relationships and fill the dark hole of shame in our life. But then how do we feel about ourselves? The shame is temporary gone, but only to return once the high has gone. Then comes the feeling of defective and wanting to escape. This leads to facing what happened last night which leads to loss of control. When we are caught in sexual sins specifically, we feel like everyone knows or everyone is seeing us as ‘that girl’. Our life is not what we had planned. We wanted something different than our friends or family.  Eventually that letter ‘A’ is not just on outside clothing but has moved to our very core of our being. We are wearing it on our heart and soul. The ‘A’ becomes our identity and pervades our decisions.

Praise God Jesus bled for our Shame!

“I (Jesus) offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting. Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. (Isaiah 50: 6-7, KJV) (Matthew 27:30)

Jesus bled from beard

Isaiah was prophesying regarding what Jesus would experience. In Matthew 27:30, Jesus was beaten in the face, mocked, spit upon. Jesus bled so that we are not controlled by the shame. He did not hide his face in shame so we don’t have to! We now longer feel unworthy or lack a sense of belonging. Jesus did not see us as unworthy. He loved us so much that He went through the beating. He bore the shame we may feel.  Jesus did not shun us. He accepts us and forgives us unconditionally. Jesus will be with us and help us and we will not be disgraced. We are not alone. We can trust Jesus and we will not be put to shame. Jesus is our identity!

Resurrection Egg #5

 

 

In due season…..Easter

BlairCreekmore

Easter images

Resurrection Eggs for Adults

I love Easter. To me it is the first hint of spring. Of new life, of a new promise. To me, Easter is not a celebration of bunnies and chocolate, but the celebration of the  resurrection of Jesus Christ. Knowing the end of the story it is easy to celebrate. Jesus is risen and the tomb is empty, our sins have been forgiven. Amen!  It is easy to forget the sacrifice that Jesus made, the shedding of His own blood for our sins. My husband reminded me that sacrifices in the Bible were pretty gruesome stuff. The Romans perfected crucifixion to be excruciatingly painful. In fact the word “excruciating” was a word originally used to describe the pain of crucifixion. I have been a Christian for long time, but studying the cross and Jesus’ sacrifice for us, opened my eyes again to the mercy and love God has for us. So I thought I would share some of what God has shown me about the cross. I am not a theologian, just a mother of three with a love for Jesus and His word. I am calling these thoughts:

resurrection eggs numbered

Resurrection Eggs for Adults.

(Resurrection eggs are plastic eggs filled with a symbol of the Passion Week. Each day your child can open them and read a scripture and learn about events leading up to the Resurrection of Christ).

My prayer is that you enjoy these posts, but mostly you will grow in deeper understanding of Jesus for the blood of Jesus is one of spiritual weapons along with the name of Jesus, and the Word of God. It is our firm foundation that everything else rests.

Resurrection Egg #1 (1)

When we think of the cross, what do we think about? Blood, cross, Jesus, sins, love??? Probably all of the above and more. The cross is pivotal in many ways. Historically it divided time, BC and AD. Spiritually it unites us with God. Ultimately it is a picture of unconditional love. To understand the cross, you need to understand Covenant and the importance of the blood.

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that make an atonement for the soul” Leviticus 17:11.

Life is in blood. In our bodies the blood supplies nutrients, removes impurities. It cleanses. The sin that came with Adam is passed down with the blood. God had given Adam a choice and he chose to give it to Satan Genesis 3:15 but God said that He would send someone to bruise his heel or to bruise his authority. Jesus is that sacrifice. He took the authority so we could have victory not just in heaven but here on earth. He overcame the devil (Revelations 12:11).

 “We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”– Ephesians 1:17

 “We are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ.”–1 Peter 1:19

Time Out

BlairCreekmore

fantasy-football

Ever watch football? At my house we have put together a fantasy football team,  connecting my family which is stretched from coast to coast. It has sparked a whole new interest in football for me. With a house full of boys, it was bound to happen. If you have watched football, you will notice that there are times when the coaches or the players call for a time out. It is a time when the commercials are played. But mostly it is time for the players and the coaches to say we need to refocus, renew and rejuvenate. They get out of the game and mingle on the sidelines. The players then come back into the game and you can see it in their faces. They have a plan, they are focused, they are strengthened.

What would happen if they stayed on the sidelines?

In life there are times when we need to be like the players and call a time out. For me it usually involves coffee. I like to sit on the porch with a cup of coffee and drink in Jesus’ word as I read from the Bible. Sometimes, my time outs last a few days, sometimes a few months as I withdraw to the sidelines to confer with my coach. OK, God, why am I here? We are stuck in the middle of the field and the offense is strong. I am barely able to hold the the line. Tried throwing and it got intercepted. Tried passing it off and it got fumbled. What is the plan?

That is when I hear a voice telling me:

“Do you not know? Have you not heard?  The everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth, does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary and to him who lacks might, He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait on the Lord, will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”—– Isaiah 40:38-31

Jesus is saying, ” It is time to get back into the game.” This time with My understanding, with My strength, with My might, My power. Jesus will give you new strength, you will run and not get tired, and will walk and not become weary, but you have to get off the sidelines, the buzzer has sounded, get back into the game!!

time-out

Game Talk:

What is God telling you? What is your game plan?

I have all the equipment….. What’s the plan?

BlairCreekmore1 Comment

I have all the equipment– I just need a plan

Do you spend all your energy on getting the equipment, but have no plan? I have a friend who has multiple gym memberships and she actually uses all of them! Well, she is helping me with a workout plan. In planning to start an exercise program, I took inventory first:

  • Elliptical-check
  • Free weights- check
  • Exercise ball- need to get out of the garage but check
  • Exercise mat- needs cleaning but check
  • Cute exercise outfit-definitely check

By nature most of us, including myself, feel constricted by the word ‘planning’. It means that we may have to carry it out! It takes time, energy, and commitment. However, we also realize that to achieve anything, planning needs to occur. We plan our vacations, we plan our career goals, we plan our day. I admit some plan more than others, but we usually have some idea. Like most of you, with the New Year, I have been praying and setting all sort of goals. I have begun to realize that this desire to plan comes from God.

God is a planning God. He had a plan when Jesus was born in the manger. Thankfully, God had a plan for our redemption and salvation. In the very beginning, with the story of creation, we can see that God has always had a plan.

From the story of creation, there are seven things we can learn about plans.

7 Plan Concept

  1. Plans usually fall apart unless God is in the center. Genesis 1 says that “In the beginning was God… ” God was at the center of creation. Are you doing what you want or what God has called you to do? Even if you don’t have a plan, God does.
  2. Plans don’t constrict…. they release. I used to think that plans inhibit creativity. God is a creative God. God’s plans saved time because there was no ‘do overs’. He created fish after He created the oceans. He created birds after He created the sky. Because God had the environments in place, He was free to be creative in the embellishments. Like decorating a room, once the walls are up and painted, you can get to the fun part.
  3. Plans need a date on them. Something about the concept of time motivates me to act. God added the time concept when He created the earth. On the first day…on the second day…. on the third day…
  4. Plans require action. Plans don’t do any good sitting on a shelf. God in creation spoke it into being. He took action. The Spirit of God moved…..
  5. Plans need to be flexible and stay on point. Planning can be boring. Having flexibility to enjoy the journey is needed, but don’t loose sight of the ultimate goal. The end result is not the only goal. The goal also includes the things learned and created along the way. God said after each day, “He saw that it was good”.  God did not stop until His plans were completed.
  6. Plans require partnerships and accountability.  God walked with Adam in the garden of Eden. God brought the animals for Adam to name. God made Eve to be Adam’s partner. Neither could do it alone. God partnered with Adam and Eve. Who are you partnered with? Who are you allied with?
  7. Rest comes when the plans are complete. On the seventh day, after all the work was done, God rested. He did not rest until the plan was done. God had the strength and power to complete the task and finish strong. We will also if we turn to Him.

Ok, Now where in the garage did I put that exercise ball?!?