ministry

Why I Cook on High

With the smoke alarm blaring the girls would all chime in; “Moms cooking again.”

This was the running joke in our home for years.

With my children now in their thirties and multiple grandchildren around, unfortunately they too know that when the smoke alarm goes off at Nana’s house it’s not a big deal, it just means she’s cooking.

Recently I was teaching the 180 Program and had an epiphany as to why I always have cooked on high.

In my teen years, life to me seemed to always be in turmoil. It felt like I was constantly walking on eggshells. You see in any given twenty-four-hour period; I never knew what would happen when it came to my stepdad’s mood and therefore the atmosphere of the home.

For example, if I was given permission to do something on a Friday night, I would do everything in my power to stay out of the presence of my stepdad all week.  If our paths did cross, I would quickly excuse myself from the situation and if that wasn’t possible, I would say the least number of words so it couldn’t be used against me or trigger a tornado to spawn.

When the day of the event would come, I would be as quiet as a church mouse and primarily spend the day in my room.

Watching from my bedroom window, I would wait, not so patiently I might add, for the person to arrive in my driveway.

As soon as I spotted the vehicle, I would as quickly and quietly as possible dart down the hallway. If my stepdad happened to be up and depending upon where he was positioned, I would purposefully take the opposite route to get down the flight of stairs and out the door.

To be truthful how I never went tumbling down the flight of stairs to the landing is truly a testament of God’s mercy. You see this flight of stairs were merely 2×8 piece of lumber and open on both ends. There was no banister let alone a handle. One misstep to the left and I would have landed on the concrete basement floor after another flight of stairs broke my fall. On the other side, one wrong step to the right and I would have landed directly on the basement floor from about 7 feet up.

I was almost free; I hadn’t heard my name yet. A turn of the door handle and I was gone.

“Not so fast. Where do you think you are going?”

So, what does this have to do with cooking on high and my latest epiphany.

I learned very quickly that for me to be allowed to do anything and finish it, I had to do it quickly so as not to be stopped.

Cooking on high was just a manifestation of my learned behavior that you do it as fast as you can, so you get to do it. The challenge for me is that it’s not just about cooking. That’s just the one that gets the most attention because it has an alarm attached to it.  

When my husband has an idea to do something, he takes what I see as too much time preparing, when in fact he could just do it. I feel he is losing out and maybe even missing out. Me not so much. I jump in and let the chips fall where they may. For most of my adult life I have used a Type A personality, Go-Getter, 1st born as my excuse, when in fact, it’s a learned behavior that needs to be changed. What I learned from my childhood was the least number of steps and preparation at least allowed me a chance to accomplish what I was scheduled to do.

Unfortunately, this type of thinking made me find systems to be a four-letter bad word. They bog me down and almost paralyze me in thinking I won’t be able to get to the next item, especially if I must follow a procedure. To me the more steps were more chances that someone could tell me; “You don’t get to do that”.

Understand that this stepfather is in my past, he hasn’t been a part of my life for more than three decades. Even though I know that fact, for some reason, I have never seen it as a fear that I won’t be able to do something because he said so. It is only because of my recent epiphany that I am now totally realizing my need to work through this stronghold in my life that I never knew I had because for years it was categorized as: Type A, First Born. Go-Getter. Driven. I didn’t realize cooking on high and setting off the smoke detector multiple times a week was a bigger problem than just wanting to get dinner on the table faster.

So, what’s next.

As I finish out 2023 and enter 2024 this newfound flaw in my life, business and personal, will be something I work on diligently to get new patterns established. I will also take what I am learning and apply it to goal setting, which is another blog for another day.

If any of this struck a chord or you feel you need help getting off the ferris wheel called “it’s just the way it is”, lets talk.

Philippians

There is a joke that when Paul was traveling from place to place his companions would ask; “Hey Paul, do you think we’ll be able to find out what the accommodations at the local hotel are like this time?” No hotel this time either, Paul is writing this four short chaptered book from his Roman prison cell. We need to remember this was a letter, there were no chapters or verses, and for certain there weren’t subtitles so one could search for their favorite part of the letter.

Jesus hasn’t even been gone from this earth thirty years, when Paul is writing to the Philippians not only to thank them for their gift, but more importantly to strengthen the believers and to talk about the joy that comes from Christ alone. He talks about Christ alone because there were Judaizers, Jewish Christians, who were stating that the Levitical laws of the Old Testament were still binding on all Christians. (Acts 15:1) 

In this letter you will also notice that Paul doesn’t quote a lot of Old Testament, because the church was made up of mainly non-Jews and they weren’t versed in it. Joy versus Happiness. Happiness is equated to the feeling you have when you open presents on Christmas morning. Having a birthday party. Going to the beach or the mountains. Going on a cruise. 

What happens when it’s all done or you get disappointed when it wasn’t exactly what you had hoped for? Happiness depends on happenings. Joy depends on your relationship in Christ. Paul definitely displayed joy. He was in prison and yet he stated (1:12) everything that was happening, was advancing the Gospel. 

I can’t say that when I am having a prison filled day, I am making Christ known, because it is a daily fight against my flesh to find joy instead of always working from a place of being happy. Verse 6 in chapter 1 Paul writes: “being confident of this…”  Paul wants the church to know that God who began a good work, would continue until completion. 

Again this is a verse many like to paraphrase to say, “if God called you to it, He’ll see you through it.” 

Well this verse actually is talking about their partnership to advance the Gospel, not our agenda, church or non-profit. It is the work that God started in us to make Him known. Even though at the beginning of the letter he doesn’t name names, he does in chapter 4. The challenge is that divisions have already occurred, so Paul addresses it. He talked about people who preach out of selfish ambition, rivalry and envy, but he wanted the church to know that “as long as Christ is preached,” he would rejoice. 

He also warned in chapter 3 about the “dogs, the evildoers, the mutilators of the flesh” 

Then, “I plead with Euodia and Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.”(4:2) He names the ladies who are in the church. Many have come to know the Lord through their efforts, but now their broken relationship has seemingly created problems. 

Paul, as he is writing this letter, is not sure he will live or die, so he addresses this and how to die is gain, but he also feels his work isn’t finished. (1:19-26) He does give marching orders next though. Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. 

Chapter 2 starts with a “Therefore.”  And hopefully you know that you need to find out what the “Therefore is there for,” 

Paul starts with the “If you have any statements.” 

Encouragement from being united with Christ.
Comfort from His love.
Common sharing in the Spirit.
Tenderness and compassion.

Then he asks the church to make his joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in Spirit and of one mind. (2:1-4) By verse 5 he is starting to address the issues from chapter 4 with Euodia and Syntyche. “In your relationships with one another have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.”  Verses 6 through 11, gives the mindset of Christ, so just in case you didn’t know or you had forgotten. Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.  (3:1)

I love how Paul uses Old Testament truths, laws etc without coming right out and saying “You know, as you were taught by your ancestors…”, because again they were not versed in the Old Testament law so they wouldn’t have understood, but yet he uses in conjunction to whom they did know or know about, Jesus. 

There is a quote from A.W. Tozer from his book The Knowledge of the Holy.

 The most critical need of this hour may well be that the Church should be brought back from her long Babylonian captivity and the name of God be glorified in her again as of old. A.W. Tozer

This book was written in 1961, but yet Paul in AD 61 wrote the same thing to the Church at Philippi. For as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach and their glory is in their shame. (3:18-19) Paul, throughout this letter is pointing the church back to Christ. (3:7-14) He ends this section with “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ.” 

Everything we do while on this earth is to live a life being content, because our prize is not on this earth, but eternity in heaven. Our job while walking our daily life is to glorify God in everything we do and to make Him known. As Paul ends his letter, the famous verse from chapter 4, actually reads, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” 

American Christianity has turned this verse into I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. It has become a “see God wants me to be happy.” When in reality I think the NIV has the best version which gives this verse new meaning. “I can do all THIS through Him who gives me strength.”

Paul has just laid out that he had learned to be content whatever the circumstances. He knew what it was to be in need and to have plenty. He learned the secret of being content in any and every situation whether well fed or hungry. Living in plenty or in want. It was only because he knew where his strength came from.

As you take the time to read Philippians, I pray that you will do some soul searching. 

Philippians 3:15b says: “…And if at some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.”  

There is a saying, “Be a Berean”. Acts 17:11, “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

As you study and read the scriptures for yourself, I pray you become like the Bereans. 

Daniel Part 2

We are not done with the reign of Darius but chapter seven backtracks and chronologically it comes before chapter five. The first six chapters of Daniel present history; the last six chapters are visions relating mainly to the future, hence the prelude to Revelation.

In this chapter Daniel is said to be in his late sixties and Belshazzar is in his first year as king.

This time Daniel isn’t asking God to interpret dreams for anyone but himself.

His vision had the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea with four great beasts, each different from the others coming up out of it.

It should be noted, when the phrase “four winds” is mentioned in the Bible, it’s usually in reference to some remarkable, unusual, or devastating event and these events are being reported by some of the Lord’s prophets, most often in the form of a vision

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” Ezekiel 37:9

Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the Lord, “for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven,” declares the Lord.
Zechariah 2:6

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree Revelation 7:1

The “four winds” here in Daniel, the reference is Revelation 7:1 which is one example of the phrase being used in the context of judgment. This use of the “four winds” is different from other references because the winds are being held back rather than being sent forth. The holding back of the four winds represents the whole theme of Revelation 7, which is a worshipful respite from the outpouring of God’s judgments. The four winds that had previously represented destruction and affliction on the earth now serve as the most moving and hope-filled promise from God for the protection of His people: “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God” (verse 3), “and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (verse 17).

Daniel goes into great detail of what the beasts looked like, including the fourth beast with ten horns. Daniel says this beast was terrifying, frightening and very powerful. It crushed and devoured its victims and trampled under foot whatever was left. (7:7)

Take special notice to the horns, because as the court was seated, the books (plural) were opened. The book of Life was opened. Will your name be there? If you were judged today what would your sentence be? John also mentions this same sight in Revelation 17

“The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. Revelation 17:12

Many believe the little horn is a future human ruler or the Antichrist

2 Thessalonians 2 says: He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. 2 Thessalonians 2: 4

Read carefully the interpretation of the dream starting in verse fifteen. As much as I want to believe we are watching verse twenty-one play out in today’s society, we are told this isn’t even the worst of it.

As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them.

As you finish chapter seven watch verses twenty-three through twenty-five.

He will speak out against the Most High.
He will oppress his holy people.
He will try to change the set times and laws.
The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time.

Where else do we know about a time, times and half a time (3.5) years? For one Revelation 12.

The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. Revelation 12:14

All this to say Daniel dreamed of four beasts which represented four kingdoms of the world, and of a ram and goat, which depicted two of those kingdoms in great detail. Daniel’s visions reveal that the Messiah will be the ruler of a spiritual Kingdom that will over power and overshadow all other earthly kingdoms. These visions help us see that we should interpret all of history in light of God’s eternal Kingdom.

Chapter eight Belshazzar is in his third year of reigning as king. Daniel clearly states he is having another vision. He tells you in detail where he is and what he saw.

He saw a ram with two horns. One horn was longer than the other, but the other soon grew. Daniel watched the ram charge to the west, the north and the south. No animal could stand against it nor be rescued from its power. It did as it pleased and became great. Then enters a goat with a horn between its eyes, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. This goat charged the ram and destroyed it. The goat became very great but at the height of its power the large horn broke off and four prominent horns grew. Out of one of the horns grew another horn. It started small but grew in power. It grew until it reached the host of the heavens and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. It set itself up to be as great as the commander of the army of the Lord, it took away the daily sacrifice from the Lord and his sanctuary was thrown down. Because of rebellion, the Lord’s people and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did and TRUTH was thrown to the ground.

What does all this mean? Again theologians state that some of this has already happened when Israel was attacked by Antiochus IV Epiphanes in the second century B.C. He overthrew Israel’s high priest, looted the temple and replaced worship of God with a Greek form of worship. But further fulfillment of this prophecy and the powerful horn will occur in the future: The Antichrist.

As we continue Daniel says:

“Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, ‘How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled—the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, the surrender of the sanctuary and the trampling underfoot of the Lord’s people?’ He said to me, ‘It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.’” Daniel 8:13-14

The time period covered, 2,300 days, figures to be about 6 1/3 years. Theologians believe this prophecy was fulfilled before the birth of Christ, during the reign of the Seleucid king Antiochus IV (Epiphanes). Antiochus desecrated the temple in Jerusalem and severely persecuted the Jews from about September 171 BC to December 165 BC. When Antiochus died, the Jews purified and rededicated the temple, just as Daniel had predicted. These events are commemorated in the celebration of Hanukkah.

In Isaiah 46 it says:
I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ Isaiah 46:10

The fact that God can make known the end from the beginning, from ancient time to what is still to come, is what makes the detailed prophecies contained in God’s Word unique among religious texts. He has revealed significant events in the future, counting out the very days of those periods of time.

As we finish out chapter 8, it is looking to the future and what is still to come. The Antichrist.

As I was reading the end of chapter eight, I couldn’t help but have deja vu. With everything that has happened in the past couple of years, some of this is playing out for the world to see.

He will cause astounding devastation.
He will succeed in whatever he does
He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people
He will cause deceit to prosper
He will consider himself superior.
When they feel secure, he will destroy many
He will take his stand against the Prince of princess
Yet he will be destroyed, not by human power.

We don’t know the day or the time for the end times/tribulation but the stage is being set and unfortunately many will not heed the warning and be ready for the Bridegrooms return for His bride.

Chapter nine starts by telling us when this happened. In the first year of Darius, son of Xerxes. Darius took over at the end of chapter five right after Belshazzar was killed because he used the goblets that had been taken from the temple of God.

Daniel understood from the word given to the prophet Jeremiah that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years and he knew it was about to end. So Daniel turned to the Lord and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.

As Daniel prayed for the nation, he confessed his own sin. Even though Daniel, in all of this remained righteous, he didn’t play the blame game when confessing sinfulness and the need for God’s forgiveness. Not only did he pray, he fasted, confessed, and then pleaded for God to reveal his will.

While reading this prayer, it hit me how much I put myself on a pedestal and never remember that I have played a part in this sin ridden world. I love the wording Daniel uses in this prayer.

Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments.

Then Daniel starts in:
We have sinned and done wrong
We have been wicked and rebelled
We have turned away from your commands and laws
We have not listened to your servants the prophets

Daniel reminds God again who God is but also takes the blame for being disobedient.
Daniel continues on that he understands that the curses and sworn judgments have been poured out due to sinning against God.

Daniel then pleads with God.

Turn away your anger and wrath
Hear our prayers and petitions
Look with favor
Give ear and hear
Open your eyes and see

And I love the last couple of lines.

“We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. Lord, Listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my god, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”

How many times do we pray and forget to confess our sins?

How many times do we pray and feel like God owes us?

The last few lines of Daniels’ prayer need to become ever ingrained in my prayer life. What about yours?

Now enters Gabriel. This is the same Gabriel that went to Zechariah and told him that Elizabeth would bear him a son.
The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. Luke 1:19

To Daniel he says:
He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision:
Daniel 9: 22-23

As we end chapter nine I want to touch on the Seventy Sevens.

There are three basic views.

The first is that the prophecy was fulfilled in the past at the desecration of the temple by Antiochus IV in 168-167 BC.
The second is that it was fulfilled in the past at the destruction of the temple by the Roman general Titus in A.D. 70 when one million Jews were killed.

The last says it is still to be fulfilled under the Antichrist.

Matthew 24 says: “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— Matthew 24:15

What is the abomination that causes desolation from Daniel and now Jesus? Some say that rather than one object, event or person, it could be seen as any deliberate attempt to mock and deny the reality of God’s presence. They are saying Daniels’ prediction came true in 168 B.C. Jesus’ words were remembered in A.D. 70 when Titus placed an idol on the site of the burned temple after destroying Jerusalem. In the end times the antichrist will set up an image of himself and order everyone to worship it.

He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. 2 Thessalonians 2:4

Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. Revelation 13: 14, 15

They are all “abominations “ that mock God.

If we go with it is still to come then here is a synopsis according to some commentaries.
Daniel said the agreement to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem will usher in the last 7 years of tribulation, whereby the Israelites will start animal sacrifice but in the midst of the 7 years the Antichrist will stop the animal sacrifice, change laws and stand in the holy temple wanting to be worshiped. This is when the mark of the beast will be made mandatory for buying and selling;
It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. Revelation 13:16–17
Life will be terrible for many to survive and most saints will be killed; the period of great tribulation God will give his followers divine protection;
For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. Matthew 24:21–22
The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. Revelation 12:6
The great tribulation will take 3 and 1/2 years before Jesus returns, it is the same period that the 2 witnesses shall be prophesying, who shall be given power of fire coming out their mouth to kill those who attack them;
And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. Revelation 11:3
If you remember at the end of chapter seven it says

He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time. Daniel 7:25

Again, we can’t say when the great tribulation will happen, but as Christ followers we need to be ready. We need to live out Matthew 28 every day.

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

We will finish the last three chapters in another post because I think studying all six chapters in one sitting can’t do them justice.

Daniel Part 1

Even though the book of Daniel is in the Old Testament and written in approximately 536 B.C It has been called the Prelude to Revelations.  

Daniel was taken into captivity as a teen and he writes not only about what happens but also future events that are still to take place.  It is assumed that Daniel had been around 90 years old when he penned this book. As you read through Daniel you will see God’s divine providence because of Daniel’s obedience, as well the consequences given by God for disobedience by others.

Even though Daniel is only twelve chapters, I don’t recommend reading it in one sitting. I also recommend having a journal nearby to write down all the details of Daniel’s dreams and the dreams he interrupts. You may have grown up with the story of Daniel and the Lions Den or Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, but did you know they had given names from their home country of Judah? There are a lot of details to take in, so read Daniel in short segments.

Daniel starts when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon went to Jerusalem via Palestine to capture Judah. In verse two, here is one of the nuggets of God keeping His promise for disobedience.  

And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God.

Deuteronomy 28 and 30 clearly laid out the rules, the rewards for obedience and the punishment for disobedience.

If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all His commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God:

The chapter goes on for the next twelve verses of blessings for obedience. Starting in verse fifteen though,

However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all His commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come on you and overtake you:

The next fifty four verses put in black and white what will happen if you are disobedient.

Chapter thirty of Deuteronomy talks about when all these blessings and curses had come on them and they take them to heart, they and their children return to the Lord and obey Him with all their heart and souls according to everything they had been commanded, then the Lord would restore them.

This is why I say take the book of Daniel slow, this was just from the first two verses.

Still in chapter one verse six you see that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were chosen based upon the king’s orders to find young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. They were also assigned daily food and wine from the king’s table and were trained for three years. Daniel asked if he could refrain from the king’s food so as to not defile himself, but instead eat vegetables. The chief official allowed (only because the Lord had intervened and caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel) for ten days and then compared the four young men to the rest of the group.

It’s not that there was necessarily a problem with the king’s food, but as an Isrealite there may have been meat offered to idols and or meat forbidden by the Law of Moses. Seeing there were no unclean vegetables, the young men chose to go with a vegetarian diet. This is also where we get the “Daniel Fast” from.

You also may be asking who is Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah? Their new names were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and Daniel was given the name of Belteshazzar.

By the time their training was over they entered the king’s service and in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. (vs 20)

Now on to chapter two. Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. He calls before him all the astrologers, magicians, enchanters, and sorcerers. He wants them to interpret the dream but the catch is, he won’t tell them what the dream was about. Nebuchadnezzar even says that if they can’t tell him what it means he will cut them into pieces and turn their homes into rubble. (vs 5)

Because they all said no human could do what he had asked, the king made a decree to execute all the wise men. As the order was being carried out Daniel, speaking with wisdom and tact, asked why the harsh punishment? Daniel then went before the king asking for time to interpret the dream.

Being given a reprieve, Daniel went back to his home, and urged his three friends to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning the mystery. That night God answered Daniel in a vision, and the first thing Daniel did was praise God. What I call the “praise prayer” can be found in verses 20-23.

The rest of chapter two starts with Daniel explaining that no man can interpret the dream, but the God of heaven can reveal mysteries. Then he proceeds to tell Nebuchadnezzar what the dream was and its meaning. Nebuchadnezzar then falls before Daniel, and said, “surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kinds and a revealer of mysteries.” Because God gave Daniel the vision, now he has been made ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all the wise men. Daniel requested that Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon while Danile remained at the royal court. (vs 48-49)

Just that quick chapter three starts with Nebuchadnezzar making an image of gold and set it for all to see. He then summoned all the officials to its dedication. Loudly the king proclaimed that when you heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music you must fall down and worship the image of gold. The music was played and as you can guess, there were three that did not bow. Some of the astrologers went to the king and tattled. Furious he summoned Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego to be brought before him. Questioned as to why they would not bow and given the punishment, their response was, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it and He will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Nebuchadnezzar, furious, ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter. The three were tied up and thrown into the blazing furnace. It was so hot that the flames killed the guards that threw them in.

Now if you know the story nothing happened to Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego. And actually a fourth person was in the fire with them, the preincarnate Christ. King Nebuchadnezzar called for them to come out and made a decree that no one was allowed to say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego. If they did, they would be cut to pieces and their homes turned to rubble.

Chapter four starts with King Nebuchadnezzar having a dream, Belteshazzar, (Daniel) is called in to interpret it. Even with a warning as to what’s going to happen the king says while on the roof of the royal palace, “is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”

God, true to His word, immediately fulfilled what He told would happen. By the end of the chapter, once again Nebuchadnezzar was praising the Most High. I find verse 37 as a warning to all who feel they have everything because of their own hands.

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

The one thing that I want to bring attention to as we close out chapter four is that many are like Nebuchadneszzar. We watch God over and over provide miraculously and we may even profess that He is God, but that doesn’t alway equate to possession of a personal relationship with Him.

It has been sixty-six years since chapter one and chapter five starts with a new king, by the name of Belshazzar. Again by verse two the king has done something he shouldn’t have and has offended God. Verse two also tells us that Nubuchadnezzar was Belshazaar’s father even though his father was actually Nabonidus. This word in Hebrew means father, but is only used nine times and each time it means ancestor.

During this banquet that the king was putting on he had summoned for the gold and silver goblets that had been taken from the temple in Jerusalem. As they drank from them, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.

Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking. (vs 5-6)

Just like Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar calls for the enchanters, astrologers and diviners. They could not tell him what it said. The Queen, hearing the voices, went to the banquet hall. We know that she would not have been his wife because in verse two it told us that his wives and concubines were with him. So this Queen would have been a queen-mother. Her respect for Daniel is evident from her language. It appears that her position she held was one of influence, for it appears that her advice was accepted.

Daniel is called in, but before he tells Belshazzar what the writing on the wall says, he starts in with a history lesson of the man Belshazzar keeps referring to as his father and what God did to him until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on hear and sets over them anyone he wishes. Read carefully verses 18- 24.

Daniel finishes with, 
“Therefore he (God) sent the hand that wrote the inscription.
Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin.
Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.
 Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.
Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

That night, Belshazzar was killed.

Chapter six you see we have a new king, Darius the Mede. It is believed that Daniel is now approximately eighty years old and working with those who did not believe in his God. Even through all this, he distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities and the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. The others were jealous and knew Daniel wouldn’t do anything to violate God’s law, so they went to the king to set a trap. Once again the decree had to do with worshiping the king. Daniel learned of the decree and what did he do?

…he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

Because of the disregard to the decree he was brought before King Darius, and even though Darius did everything he could to try and save Daniel, Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den.

Darius’s last words were, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”

The stone was placed at the mouth of the den. The king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. It is recorded that Darius returned to the palace, spent the night without eating nor entertainment and he didn’t sleep. At first light, he hurried to the lions’ den,

“has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”

Daniels response:
“My God sent His angel and he shut the mouths of the lions”.

The phrase of His angel is only used twice in the old testament and both times it is in Daniel. Many will say it was a preincarnate Christ.

As you finish chapter six you will see that those who came up with the plan to trap Daniel were then thrown into the lion’s den along with their wives and children. Their fate was not so lucky, as God did not shut the mouths of the lions. This was actually a Persian custom. The punishment was transferred to those who had conspired against the king by provoking him into an unjust action. This also happened in the book of Esther.

You will also see that a decree was issued that in every part of Daius’s kingdom people must fear and revere the God of Daniel.

We are not done with the reign of Darius but chapter seven backtracks and chronologically it comes before chapter five.  The first six chapters of Daniel present history; the last six chapters are visions relating mainly to the future, hence the prelude to Revelation.

Because chapters seven through twelve are intense chapters we want to look at those separately. I hope you enjoyed this overview on the first part of Daniel and you have enjoyed reading it with a new perspective.

Life, God and Your Purpose

I saw a meme on social media that said “He’s a I don’t care how far you’ve run, just come home, kind of God.”

As exciting this news is, and it is true, for the most part, God is also a just God and He does have a limit to our disobedience and will not be mocked.

Recently I attended a workshop with George Barna. He gave us statistic after statistic that most self professing Christians are in name only. Matter of fact he is quoted as saying  “’Christian’ has become somewhat of a generic term rather than a name that reflects a deep commitment to passionately pursuing and being like Jesus Christ.”

During the workshop that I attended he stated that only 7% of the population are actually what he would call “Integrated Disciples”, those who actually are working towards a deeper relationship with, while following the teachings of, Jesus.

Here is my challenge when standing on a promise that has an amazing outcome for us, the person. Remember that there is also another side to the story.  There are plenty of examples in the Bible where God quit calling and gave them over to their sinful desires or destroyed them completely.

Sodom and Gomorrah ~ Genesis 19
The story of following Korah in Numbers ~16, God opened up the earth, they fell in and then he closed it back up.
The Flood ~ Genesis 6
Balaam and the Donkey ~ Numbers 22

I know those examples are from the Old Testament, but Paul talks about it in Romans 1, just 24 years after Christ ascended into heaven.

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts ( Romans 1:24)

Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, (Romans 1:28)

Do we really want to see how far we can run? Matthew, Mark and even the book of Acts talk about that we don’t know the day or hour….

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (Matthew 24:36)

No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (Mark 13:32)

Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority. (Acts 1:7)

So instead of seeing just how long God’s patience really is, remember this verse.

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Not sure about you, but I would much rather be bowing because of the relationship I had with Him and doing the work He called me to with the time I have left.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

What is God prompting you to do today?
Is it time to quit running before it’s too late?

If you don’t know what any of this means or you don’t have a personal relationship with Christ, reach out today to your local church. Reach out to your friend who has a personal relationship. Or reach out to a local pastor or minister. Just reach out before it’s too late.

Jude

In September 2021, Christian Post wrote an article and I wanted to share a few statistics from it.  

176 Million  American adults who identify as a Christian just 6% actually hold a biblical worldview. 

A biblical worldview  means that every decision and action is shaped by the Truth that was from the beginning—Jesus Christ.

What is scary about the other 94% can be summed up by this statement from George Barna, the lead researcher at the Cultural Research Center.  

 “’Christian’ has become somewhat of a generic term rather than a name that reflects a deep commitment to passionately pursuing and being like Jesus Christ.”

Here are some other stats that I want to look at before we get into the book of Jude. 

  • 62% of self-identified born-again Christians contend that the Holy Spirit is not a real, living being but is merely a symbol of God’s power, presence or purity.
  • 61% say that all religious faiths are of equal value.
  • 60% believe that if a person is good enough, or does enough good things, they can earn their way into Heaven.
  • But of those who are part of the 6% that hold to the Biblical Worldview:
  • 25% say there is no absolute moral truth.
  • 33% believe in karma.
  • 39% contend that the Holy Spirit is not a real, living being but is merely a symbol of God’s power, presence, or purity;
  • 42% believe that having faith matters more than which faith you pursue;
  • 52% argue that people are basically good. —

Jude may be the smallest book of the Bible with only one chapter and twenty-five verses, but I feel it needs to be read regularly as part of a healthy walk with our Lord, especially seeing that even the 6% of those who call themselves Christians and believe in a Biblical worldview, are still allowing the world to dictate their belief system. 

Jude has been equated to that buzzing from not wearing your seatbelt. It gets so irritating you find a way to have it disabled. Or the constant chirping of the smoke detector. Instead of trying to figure out why it’s constantly making the noise,  you disable it all together, because it’s just annoying. So we just gloss over what Jude has to say.

Who was Jude? Did you know that he was Jesus’s half brother? Verse 1 says: Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James. Paul writes in Galatians 1:19 I saw none of the other apostles- only James, the Lord’s brother.

It is said that Jude was written between the years 65-80 A.D, This is only 65- 80 years after Jesus was born and Jesus would have only been gone from this earth, 32-47 years. So what does that mean for us as believers almost 2000 years later?  

In 2 Timothy 4, Paul warns Timothy:

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

I think the warnings you will read about in Jude, need to be examined closely in today’s church and the life of a Christian. 

After Jude introduced who he was, and did you notice he left out he was Jesus’s brother? Jude  immediately stated that although he was eager to write about salvation they all shared, he felt compelled to write instead about contending for their faith. 

I think the fact that Jude was not actually written to a specific church, but to a people group,  Jewish Christians, speaks volumes that there is much we can learn from his letter. Jude immediately calls out and says that there are those who have secretly slipped in and are ungodly perverting the grace of our God into a license for immortality and deny Jesus.

Once again Jude goes into “I know you already know this..” and gives three examples that they would have known about.. 

The first is where the Isrealites, although they had been delivered from Egypt, refused to trust God and enter the promised land. Numbers 14:26-39 

The second example is about the angels who did not keep their positions and God put them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment. 2 Peter 2:4

And thirdly Jude used the example of Sodom and Gomorrah. Genesis 19

So we are now eight verses in and Jude says “In the same way…..” 

As I was studying this section of verses one thing that stood out to me was that with Michael, the Archangel while disputing with the devil. It says that Michael did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said “The Lord rebuke you!”  As I studied that further it struck me how we have become nonchalant when it comes to satan. Many say, myself included, “I know how the story ends and satan is defeated.” As true of a statement that is, we still have to get to the end times and before that time, we need to NOT take satans supernatural powers of evil lightly and not become arrogant about how defeated he will be. Even though he will be destroyed  completely, we need to remember that until that time, his job is to render Christians complacent and ineffective. And if he was already using people in 70 AD think how much more he is using people today. 

Verse 11, once again starts by mentioning events from the Old Testament. They have taken the way of Cain. If you remember from Genesis 4 Cain got mad because when he brought an offering before the Lord, it wasn’t looked favorably on but Able, his brother, was from the fattened and first born of the flock. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?  If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

Jude then said they rushed for profit into Balaam’s error. Numbers 22 tells the story how Balaam inquired of the Lord, and when those who were requesting his help didn’t like the answer, Balaam inquired again. The Lord allowed him to go, but got very upset, and this is where the talking donkey comes in. 

The verse ends with “they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellions.”  Numbers 16 tells of this story and how the people had risen against Moses and here is God’s answer. 

As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart  and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions. They went down alive into the realm of the dead, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community.

In verse 12 Jude talks about “Love Feasts” and shepherds that only feed themselves. When this was written the Lord’s Supper was celebrated with a full meal prior to communion. The meal was called a “Love Feast”, it was a sacred time of fellowship to prepare one’s heart for Communion. Unfortunately it had turned into a time of gluttony and drunkenness, while many in the area were hungry.  In regards to shepherds who only feed themselves, once again in the Old Testament there was a warning for this as well. Ezekiel 34. 

‘You shepherds of Israel have only been feeding yourselves. It will be very bad for you! Why don’t you shepherds feed the flock? 

You have not made the weak strong. You have not cared for the sick sheep. You have not put bandages on the sheep that were hurt. Some of the sheep wandered away, and you did not go get them and bring them back. You did not go to look for the lost sheep. No, you were cruel and severe—that’s the way you tried to lead the sheep! “‘And now the sheep are scattered because there was no shepherd. 

 “I am against the shepherds. I will demand my sheep from them. I will fire them. They will not be my shepherds anymore.”

Strong words from the Lord and remember even though this is Old Testament, and it isn’t relevant for today, Jesus said this in Matthew, 

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. Matthew 5:17

And Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

Then Enoch is used as an example. Enoch actually never died. He was walking with the Lord and then he wasn’t (Genesis 5:24, he was 365 years old) 

In the last nine verses of Jude, he is asking the recipients of this letter to fight for God’s truth until Jesus comes back. He warns, just like Paul does in many of his writings, to be mindful in the last days there will be those who follow their own ungodly desires. They will divide the church, they will follow natural instincts and won’t be led by the Spirit, which according to the article mentioned at the beginning, 39% of those who have a Biblical worldview, don’t believe that the Holy Spirit, part of the Trinity, but not a real, living being but is merely a symbol of God’s power, presence, or purity;

But 2 Corinthian 1:21-22 says: Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us,set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

And as Jude closes out his letter, he states

 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

We need to remember it is only through standing firm in the Lord, through our relationship with Jesus Christ that we can stand firm. 

Do You Know the Shepherd’s Voice

Good deeds proper worship

Good Deeds

During my study today in Revelation, it was talking about how all our prayers are incense.

Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people

It cross referenced Psalms which was talking about how we worship

I call to you, Lord, come quickly to me; hear me when I call to you. May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

This then took me to 1 Timothy chapter 2 where Paul is talking about how men and women are to worship.

Therefore, I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

The last part…but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God really spoke to me especially as I have been scrolling Facebook lately.

There have been many posts over the last few months that were related to “since Covid we haven’t gotten our hair or nails done.”  There have even posts that said something to the effect “couldn’t wait to get back in “so and so’s chair” so they could fix our mess.

Please hear me, there is nothing wrong with getting hair and nails done.

But the more I have scrolled it has saddened me how far many have derailed from the truth of scripture. How we have allowed the past 5 months’ tear friends and families apart? The anger. The loss of hope. And just that quickly we now don’t trust each other.

What convicted me was, “appropriate for women who profess to worship God.”

Here we are in the middle of August. We don’t even love our friends who sat next to us in church anymore.  They are the enemy.  The news has become our only source of hope and truth.

Decades ago when I was just beginning my walk in the church, and I say walk in the church because I know now that it was just a lifestyle because where I lived it was a way of life and what was expected, I remember stumbling over the scripture in Matthew 7,

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a FEW find it. (emphasis mine)

Everyone I knew went to church. Everyone I knew was a “Christian”. How could only a FEW find it? But after watching 2020, with church buildings being shut down, John 10 scares me for many who like me years ago, went to church, followed a dynamic speaker, and found my fellowship with other church goers who adorned themselves with elaborate hairstyles, gold, pearls and or expensive clothes, but when push came to shove, there weren’t any good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”

I am afraid many are running to the stranger’s voice because they truly don’t know the Shepherd’s.

On this day…

 

Taking off and going to Wal-Mart, Costco, Publix or any other store by myself.

Meeting a new friend for lunch, dinner, and finishing after the sun goes down.

Going to a stranger’s home for coffee.

Walking to my vehicle alone, even in the noonday sun.

If you had asked me to do any of these items (and many more) after January 2011 and prior to November 2017, I would have politely declined or found a way for my husband to take me and not leave my side.

Even though these things have once again become second nature to me, I have recently found myself being grateful to God that He healed me.

Today as I was scrolling on my Facebook Feed this came up.  Your most loved photo…

Here was the story behind that memory from 2 years ago today.

This picture was taken on the plane on the way home from Washington DC and here was my status:

I am so proud of myself. For those of you who know me, I suffer from PTSD and for the past few years have not strayed too far from Rob….but today I flew to DC by MYSELF to have meetings with 2 Congresswomen. I drove to the airport at 3:30 am and did the park and ride (thank you, Meredith Gabel Pratt, for the referral.)
Before the meetings, I walked around DC by MYSELF and took pictures. And did not get triggered… NOT even ONCE!
For those who suffer from PTSD know how big this is.

I still remember driving down 65 South that evening, calling my husband so excited that I had not been triggered. It wasn’t till a little later that I realized that God healed me that day.

 

As I was continuing to scroll, this was my memory from today 2012, almost two years after my attack and the beginning of my PTSD.

Yesterday I got an amazing phone call… it was from the Prison in Ohio. They want me to come back in the beginning of 2013 to speak to the guys again… Fast forward to today: I am still in Philippians 1 and this is what I read:

“And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear.”

Why do I think this scripture is so cool? Because almost 2 years ago is when I was attacked: I did not see how God could use that for His kingdom. But I was wrong, because of the attack I now have been able to speak to groups in other states about being a victim of gang targeted violence and God’s forgiveness. Without God’s forgiveness in my life, I would never have been able to set foot back in our local jail week after week teaching; knowing that at any given moment he could be sitting across from me.

God wants to use all of our circumstances for His kingdom work. So as you go through your day watch for God to open doors for you to share with either words, a hug or even a prayer with someone who needs to know there is hope and they are not alone.

So how does this apply to 2018? As I have attempted to skillfully navigate my new life in Florida, I find myself in awe of God’s grace and mercy. I cannot tell you how many times over the last year, I have said a prayer of Thanksgiving, that I have been freed. I find myself at least weekly thanking God not only for the freedom from PTSD but that He is allowing everything I have gone through for the past 53 years of life, to be used in some form or fashion in a place I now call home.

What are you holding on to? What has you “stuck” saying there is no way I can overcome that?

I thought mine was PTSD, but GOD!

He is waiting to heal you so He can use your story to heal others.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.  Romans 8:28 (NIV)

My prayer life was much more like a business meeting

“No you can’t go!”

“But they are here to pick me up and you said I could go.”

“So! I changed my mind. You can’t go.”

I knew better than to argue. I would go back to my room and spend my evening alone.

This was a fear I grew up with while living in the same home with my step-father.

I grew up conditioned not to just be on my best behavior, but to manipulate what I needed, so that when I needed something, my guarantee of not just getting a yes but actually being able to go to the “event”, was probable. Now let me explain, because that sounds really bad, but basically if I wanted to do something with friends on a Friday or Saturday night, I knew that I needed to not only be on my best behavior but also to stay “hidden” as much as possible.  I also knew that if I had to have a conversation or be in the same room with “him”, then I needed to be so sweet that there was no way he could hold anything against me.

Here is the problem with that, I took this conditioning not only into my marriage, (which will be a blog/podcast for another time) but I also took it into my relationship with God.  I didn’t realize how bad I was conditioned until the other day, (and yes I mean the other day). I was thinking through a prayer I had and as I was going through a mental checklist that said, “if I do this, then God will give me this response. If I do that, then He’ll really be able to give me this part of the prayer.”

I sat there thinking, going through my mental checklist to make sure I had done and “manipulated” everything in my favor so that there would be no way He could say no.  As I sat there I heard God say, “you do know I don’t work that way, right?

As I have been pondering and thinking through this conversation with God, I realized how much I have made my prayers about what can I get. How can I get it? And what do I need to get it?  Humiliated at the fact that I had reduced God to this earthly idea of a father figure, I found myself praying and asking God to forgive me.

Now understand prayer, for me is a vital part of my daily worship. I journal. I pray. I even pray short little breath prayers throughout the day, but what I hadn’t realized until the other day, is that my prayer life has been very one sided and how can I manipulate my actions to get God through prayer to benefit me.

The other day as I was reading there were 3 examples given for something else but I think it fits perfectly how I have been feeling and man did the lightbulb go on for me. Is your prayer life like going into a business meeting with someone you cannot stand? You are just there because you have to be and to get what you want out of the deal? OUCH!  The second idea was having lunch with a good friend. You share a little but you are still guarded with what and how much you share.  You know you don’t want it out there on the gossip chain encased as a prayer request.

 

And the third was you are in love. You cannot wait to share your day, your life, your everything!

So which one of these describes your prayer life? Are you in a business meeting? Are you having lunch with a good friend? Or are you talking to the person you are in love with and cannot wait to spend time with?

I am a work in progress. I will not be prefect I go home, but while I am here on this earth, I want to make the most of my worship to God, through my prayer time. I want to adore Him, not because of what He can do for me but because of who He is.

 

*** you can also hear this on my podcast 

New Beginnings Podcast

 

Unforgiveness

 

In our 8-week study New Beginnings, we talk about forgiveness right off the bat.  Not only do we talk about forgiving others but we talk about forgiving our self.

When you forgive others, it doesn’t always equate to being friends again. By forgiving others it allows you to move on with your life.  By truly forgiving, you no longer harbor feelings of resentment or wishing ill will.

I started working on the blog/podcast the other day and am finishing it today.  But in the meantime, I had a 6-hour round trip in the car with my husband. During one of our many conversations, I told him that I was still very upset with a situation that happened in July and that I just wished I knew why things had gone awry. I also told my husband that every time this person’s name gets brought up I get sick to my stomach.

Fast forward throughout the day, this person’s name was mentioned a few times in conversations by other people (unbeknownst to them that I was having an issue) and thankfully I was able to contain my emotions.

As I was dozing off to sleep last night, my husband said, as profoundly as he usually does, “Do you really need (that person) to ask for forgiveness or do you need to extend it so that it does not affect you anymore?”

So as I was falling asleep I found myself praying for this person and their family.  I realized that by not extending forgiveness in my own heart that I was allowing satan to steal joy. I was allowing satan to possibly even get a foothold in the kingdom because I was “upset and wanted this person to personally ask me to forgive them.”

What does it matter? In my humanness, I was making it a bigger deal than it was.  In God’s economy I was allowing satan to make change and even prosper.

Forgiveness according to the dictionary means to cease to feel resentment against; to pardon an offense or an offender.

Do you see what it says, to cease to feel resentment against!  This is for you and I.  This is for our well-being.  By not ceasing to feel resentment, I was saying, that I could not forgive.

What if the person you need to forgive is yourself?   Do you find it hard to cease to feel resentment against yourself?

Do you know what happens not only when you don’t forgive others, but you don’t forgive yourself? Satan allows feelings to creep into our lives that reminds us how hurt we were.  What happens when you are hurt? What feeling comes in next? Anger! Maybe just a little annoyance. Maybe we become just a little more curt in our tone than we need to be.  Then before we know it we have hit full blown anger where we are throwing things, slamming doors, cursing, using words to hurt people and unfortunately, those in our paths are innocent people just because we decided we could not cease to feel resentment toward someone or our self.

Also many may not think of this, but if you were hurt as a child, you may have carried these feelings with you into your adolescent years and now you may be directing deep-rooted anger at totally innocent people. You might not realize the true seed from which this anger has grown if from unforgiveness.  These emotional outbursts or angry thoughts and actions are due to feelings that you have not addressed.

It is time to forgive, not only for yourself but for your children. For your well-being. For your marriage. For your relationships.

So what is a practical prayer you can use.

Heavenly Father, I forgive ________(someone or yourself)  I forgive ___________ for:(now write down every past event you need to be forgiven for or forgive someone of) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I ask that You forgive me.  Father I ask that I would lose sight of the offense, and if I am ever reminded of the offense, that I will dismiss that memory as an old, resolved conflict I no longer want to revisit. Father I ask that I would simply forget the incident and move on with rebuilding healthy relationships as you lead me to do so.  Father, please show me how to love myself the way you do. Father, show me how to turn my offenses into concern for others well-being.  Father, I am moved to forgive myself because I desire to be obedient to you and desire for you to be glorified. Father, I ask that you would forgive me for not forgiving myself before now and remove from my heart any consequences or disease from not forgiving myself in the past. Father I confess that I will need your help to live out this forgiveness and I ask you to give me the strength to live true to the forgiveness.  Father, please bless my life in every way and heal me of any emotional or physical wounds that I have caused from suffering so long.

 

As I end I want to share 2 scriptures with you.

Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:23 (NLT)                    

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others Colossians 3:12-13 (NLT)

May you find joy in today as you forgive your yesterday.