The Battle

I’ve been writing a lot about the battle these past few weeks.  I must admit it is getting pretty fierce. Yet another attack yesterday on a personal level. But I won’t be stopped. I will continue to follow God’s leading.

It’s easy for us here in the states to forget about this battle.  Attacks here are rare because we tend to live our lives in such a way as to nullify the need for them. There’s no need to bring a full-on attack to someone who doesn’t believe there is a battle. There’s no need to bring a full-on attack when we succumb to an arrow now and then. Satan sends a little arrow of hate in our direction and we do the rest of the work for him by attacking ourselves, believing the worst about others intentions, and hiding in a corner to lick our wounds.

But there is a full-blown war going on in every part of the world, even in our very homes.

The good news is that we are not alone in this battle.  We have a warrior king who is sending warriors to fight it.  Like this guy and the host of others behind and beside him:

 ¹² “None of us, my lord the king,” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”

¹³ “Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.” ¹⁴ Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.

¹⁵ When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.

¹⁶ “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

¹⁷ And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. – 2 Kings 6:12-17

When I am tempted to fear the battle, I will stop and pray and look to my right and my left with my spiritual eyes and nod at those who fight with me, strap on the armor of God and stand.

In the battle today, please pray for:

1. The orphanage, the children and the missionaries who serve there – Pray for protection, for wisdom, for strength.

2. Haiti Health Ministries – an EFCA-supported clinic in Haiti. They are in a pitched battle – pray for protection, for favor with the government and that God will supply a lawyer to help them.

3. Please pray for me personally – that as I leave tomorrow, that I will listen to God’s voice alone, that I will depend upon Him solely for my strength, that I choose to gird myself in His armor and that I seek His will and not my own.

I Swear it Was Written Just for Me

Just now, based on a whisper, I picked up my Jesus Calling devotional by Sarah Young.  If you don’t have this great little devotional, stop by your nearest Christian bookstore, Barnes and Noble or buy it online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble or CBD or get the iPhone or Android app. You won’t be sorry.

Here’s today’s entry which was written just for me.

February 29

YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT PATH. Listen more to Me, and less to your doubts. I am leading you along the way I designed just for you. Therefore, it is a lonely way, humanly speaking. But I go before you as well as alongside you, so you are never alone. Do not expect anyone to understand fully My ways with you, any more than you can comprehend My dealings with others. I am revealing to you the path of Life day by day, and moment by moment. As I said to My disciple Peter, so I repeat to you: Follow Me.  Psalm 119:105 and John 21:22

This day’s entry just provides further confirmation that I am following Him. 

I am thankful that because of Jesus, I am able to relate to my God as a daughter does to a loving father and hear Him calling.

 

Waiting and Worshipping

As I wait on the Lord, I am worshipping. I thought I’d share some of the great worship songs I’m using.

Natalie Grant – Greatness of Our God

Hillsong United – You

I’m heading to Haiti on March 18 to be available to jump hurdles that can only be jumped there.  Brian will join me later in the week.

Please continue to pray the hurdles down! Please pray for our children here in the states too, that they would be safe from the fowler’s snare and the arrows that the enemy loves to shoot.

We so appreciate all of you who are praying with us!

 

How Could I Forget So Easily?

The fierce warrior spirit of last Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday fell apart over the weekend and the seeds of doubt started to sprout.

But I’ve been weeding the garden of my faith tonight, forcefully ripping out anything that doesn’t remind me of the God of the Angel Armies whom I choose to serve with my whole heart.

This was the sound track playing in my head as I wrote this post:

But I’ve been weeding in the garden of my faith plucking

Faith Without a Doubt

It’s been a fascinating 10 days since I published my post, “A Call to Prayer.  You can find it here. There have been many skirmishes and one major all out attack, but the overarching strategy is to get me to doubt.  Here are some examples:

• Why would God talk to you?
• Your reputation is on the line.  Don’t you think you should back down a little?
• You were praying for a specific date before, and look what happened then.
• You can’t trust the people you’re dealing with. How do you know the birth mother won’t change her mind?
• Your husband’s reputation is on the line.  You’re both going to end up looking like fools.
• Isn’t your blog just really an attempt to get attention?
• You can’t trust God.

Really the list of lies swimming through my head could go on and on and on and on. And it’s difficult sometimes not to listen, to remind myself that lies are what they really are.

The past two days God has used scripture to remind me that He is faithful, that He is able, that He is trustworthy and that He is mighty in power. To my amusement, He had me finding all of this in the book of Numbers. Why was I amused? I usually pass over this book since in my head, it’s about numbering all the people in Israel and usually that bores (full-blown honesty here) me to tears.

But I read Numbers 10 and 11 yesterday and 12 and 13 today. And here’s what God taught me:

Lesson #1 from Numbers 11:18-23 – God brought each person 60 bushels of quail that day.  Is the LORD’s arm too short?  I don’t think so…..

Lesson #2 from Numbers 13:26-33 – If God says the land is flowing with milk and honey, trust Him, it is….

Lesson #3 from Numbers 14:26-38 – Faith is rewarded – Joshua and Caleb would live to see the day that the Israelites entered the Promised Land because they believed God. Doubt is not rewarded….

Lesson #4 from Matthew 15:21-28, Mark 2:1-12,  Mark 5:25-34, Mark 10:46-52 and Luke 18:35-43 – Bold requests are answered when they are made with absolute faith!

Lesson #5 from Mark 9:14-25

Lord, I believe, help me overcome my unbelief!!!!!

Storming the Gate

When I wrote the post “A Call to Prayer” on Monday, I was reminded of a scene from a movie Brian and I recently watched. It’s a perfect visual of what happens when a stronghold, such as a castle, or a stronghold in the spiritual sense comes under attack. Here it is, albeit missing the battering ram which follows on the heels of this.

We, and our prayers, are that attack on the castle.

Whenever a castle was attacked in medieval times, those attacking could expect archers on the ramparts, a hail of arrows and vats of boiling oil poured out as they approached. There’s a desperate defense that’s deadly.

I knew when I wrote that post that there would be a desperate defense, an attack from the ramparts, that there would be a pitched battle. But we, we will not relent. Though we are attacked, we will continue to pray for the fall of the strongholds.

If you’re praying with us, be sure to gird yourself for battle, because you’re in it.

Ephesians 6:10-18

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loans with truth and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints…

The first arrows have already been shot at us. There have already been counterattacks from the enemy. Put on your spiritual armor and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition.

Pray for protection and against discouragement and despair:

• for the orphanage and the missionaries who serve there –  Jasmine, Greg, Laura, Ayla and Betsy
• for adoptive families all over the US who are discouraged and anxious over their adoptions
• for our prayer warriors, of whom there are many.

I will keep you up to date with how you can be praying.

Thank you for your faithful remembrance! Keep praying for the day when the gate is in flames and the files come flying out…..

At War

There is no war is the subtle-but pervasive-lie sown by an enemy so familiar to us we don’t even see him. For too long he has infiltrated the ranks of the church, and we haven’t even recognized him. (John Eldredge. Waking the Dead: The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive (Kindle Locations 1730-1731). Kindle Edition.)

By the way, if you haven’t read John Eldredge’s book referenced above, run don’t walk to the nearest bookstore, or download it immediately onto your Kindle. As a matter of fact, click here for a link to it. If you’re a Nook owner, here’s your link.

Shortly after the location of the quote above, Eldredge discusses the use of the phrase, “The Lord Almighty” and his research of the meaning of it in Hebrew.

“The Hebrew means “the God of angel armies,” “the God of the armies who fights for his people.” The God who is at war. Does “Lord Almighty” convey “the God who is at war”? Not to me, it doesn’t. Not to anyone I’ve asked. It sounds like “the God who is up there but still in charge.” Powerful, in control. The God of angel armies sounds like the one who would roll up his sleeves, take up sword and shield to break down gates of bronze, and cut through bars of iron to rescue me. Compare “Joe is a good man who is in control” to “Joe is a Navy Seal.” It changes the way you think about Joe and what he’s up to. Why don’t “most readers today” understand about the God of angel armies? Could it be because we have abandoned a warfare worldview? Who sold us that crock of sanctimonious puff-and-fluff?” (John Eldredge. Waking the Dead: The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive (Kindle Locations 1736-1742). Kindle Edition.)

We are at war with an enemy who is out to destroy us. But most of us don’t believe it. Whenever I need a reminder of that, I have only to think of my friends Jasmine and Greg Martinson who live on the front lines of the spiritual battlefield in Haiti or look at my two teenage sons who battle the demons of their past every day or recognize the voice of the thief in my own head trying to get me to agree with him that I’m no good or his favorite lie for me, “You didn’t hear God speaking to you, Satan’s trying to tempt you into believing you’re hearing God speak. Why would YOU think that God would speak to YOU?”

When I am tempted to make an agreement and believe those lies, I listen to a great song by Tye Tribbett & G.A. called “Stand Out”

When I’m in the midst of an attack, I listen to another great song by Donald Lawrence and the Tri-City Singers called Giants.

But we serve a mighty God-the God of the Angel Armies-and we need not fear the attack, but we do need help to stand. Ecclesiastes 4:12 – And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. So, when I’m under attack, I call some friends to pray for me and stand with me. And then I listen to songs that remind me the God of the Angel Armies will rescue me. Here a couple great ones. The first is my current favorite – Northpoint Alive’s No One Higher/The Stand

or JJ Hairston’s Lord You’re Mighty

Don’t stand on your own, you’ll fall. Call some friends, email me, but most importantly seek the face of the God of the Angel Armies and call on His name.

My leaves will always be green!

Today’s Verses: Jeremiah 17:7-8 But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.

These verses were a love letter from my Heavenly Dad who knows every facet of my life. The last four days have left me badly shaken, primarily because I took my eyes off of God and looked to myself for strength. (Unfortunately, I do that all too often.)

The two verses before those above are a picture of how I felt this weekend. But God reminded me this morning that I choose whom to look to for strength and in choosing that I choose to be either a bush dwelling in the parched places of the desert or a tree planted by a stream.

I choose to be the tree by the stream and to let God’s love and strength flow past my roots, so that my life will, in it’s abundance of green leaves, glorify Him.

Rebellion and Arrogance

Today’s Readings: I Sam 14, I Chron 4, II Cor 13

My Scripture Verse for Today:  I Sam 15:22-23 But Samuel replied: does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifice as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.”

Yes, I know, my verse for today is out of I Sam 15, not 14.  I misread today’s assignment and read 15 and 16 instead of 14.  Oops. But you know what?  God met me in I Sam 15 too.

Today’s reading was about Saul not obeying the admonition of the LORD in the destruction of the Amalekites. He was to destroy everything and everyone, but he chose to capture the Amalekite king, Agag, and he and his army kept the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and the lambs back for themselves.  Saul claimed they were for a sacrifice for the LORD, and that it wasn’t he that made the decision, instead he blamed his soldiers.

Two phrases jumped out at me in this passage. Rebellion is like the sin of divination and arrogance is like the evil of idolatry. Both of these are sins of the heart. When I rebel, I am saying that I know better than God what is best for me. I am claiming to see the future, maybe not verbally, but I believe I can see the future outcome of a situation. When I rebel, I am setting myself up as equal or better to the one I am rebelling against.

The second phrase, arrogance is like the evil of idolatry, again is another picture of a heart set against God. Dictionary.com defines arrogance as “offensive display of superiority or self-importance; overbearing pride.” Idolatry is defined in the second definition as “excessive or blind adoration, reverence, devotion, etc.”. Really, arrogance is setting myself up as a god, instead of humbling myself before the one who truly is God.

Both rebellion and arrogance, I, like Saul, struggle with.  But when I camped on these two phrases today, I saw my rebellion and arrogance for the ugly, black things they really are and myself for who I really am.

My prayer for myself today:  Philippians 2:1-4 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also the interests of others.

 

 

Since we have these promises…

Today’s Reading:  I Samuel 1 and 2, Psalm 66 and 2 Cor 7

Today’s verse for  me:  2 Corinthians 7:  Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates the body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

A little bit of something can contaminate the whole, A cup  of coffee is an excellent example.  I love coffee with cream or milk in it and I have in the past, accidentally, poured spoiled milk into a fresh cup. There’s no way I would drink that whole cup of coffee.  I’d throw it out and pour a new cup.

In 2 Corinthians 6:16, Paul writes, “What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?  For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said; “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”  There is no physical temple any longer where God lives, he lives in me, as a Christian, through Christ’s sacrifice.

So, then, when I engage in something sinful, watch something impure, and so on, I am contaminating the temple of the living God.  Since I have these promises that God will be a father to me and I will be his daughter (2 Cor 6:18) and that God will live with me and walk with me, I need to be reverent and purify myself from these things.

Lord, help me to keep this body and mind, your temple, pure.

That’s my journal for today.  What verse did you choose to journal on? How did you apply it?  If you’re comfortable sharing, please leave it in a comment on this post. Let’s learn from each other!