 I was around 5 years old, sitting at one of many round tables, in a church gymnasium that my granny Joyce brought me to. I remember hearing the gospel & following along the prayer of welcoming Jesus into my heart. It seemed an obvious thing to do – eternal love, protection & forgiveness - a no-brainer, really! Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. Mark 10:15 While growing up, I went to Sunday school & Bible camp with my cousins in the summers. I felt especially connected with God during nature walks on my own & while singing in chapel. As I got older, youth group & church camps gradually became more about boys & pretending not to care about catty, cliquey girl fights, than it was about God. At a Christian music concert, I remember taking a 'pledge of purity' when I was 12 or 13. The speaker explained that sexual activity with another person is like gluing two pieces of paper together. The pages won't come apart without some damage. Later in my teen years, I developed significant concerns about Christianity that remained unsettled for many years. I couldn’t make sense of it being ‘the only true religion’. Now I understand that Jesus is the only way to the Father (John 14:6) & eternal life (John 17:3). Another area of confusion I had back then was about things in scripture that are outdated & no longer apply. For example, it is now understood that the masculine pronoun was used to refer to humankind not just to men. Topics about things such as slavery, sexuality & marriage, I thought were similarly 'old-fashioned'. I didn’t investigate much further or ask anyone to clarify though. While I didn’t outright give up on Christianity, I mostly set it aside & let other things take priority.   Namely, my first boyfriend ('Luke'), became my everything. Compared to Luke, who filled my life with fun & purpose, it was as if I had moved Jesus into the doghouse or stuffed Him away in a box labeled keepsakes stored in the attic. I eagerly gave Luke the spot in my life that God is supposed to have. Jesus tells His followers that we are to love God with all that we’ve got! I am not sure even now what this means or looks like but I know I wasn’t doing it! How exactly are we supposed to do this along side working full-time, having relationships & hobbies etc...?  It's a good thing that young people nowadays are taught about consent. What stands out to me about this acronym FRIES is the word: 'Informed'. In order to make wise decisions, we need to be informed! I definitely wasn’t fully informed. Even though I had some general Biblical teaching & Christian influence in my life, I was far from having a proper Biblical perspective on love, sex & marriage. I thought I knew what it was about - a stuffy, killjoy, fear-based message regarding something very special. I was more so influenced by secular culture than the teachings of my family’s religious tradition. Also, my parents’ marriage wasn’t working, so I knew I had to do things differently from them. I wonder how different my life would be now if I had been more explicitly informed about what the Bible teaches on this subject. I am grateful that I was not feared & shamed by 'purity culture'. That said, if I could go back & have on-going chats with my younger self, I would point out a few important things. I’d say: My dearest Jeannene, please hon, take a breather from 'Luke'! I know he means the world to you & I get how awesome love is – truly, I get it (I am you), but please hear me when I say: it is not healthy to put the majority of your love & attention toward another person. Luke is not your savior. Remember Jesus Christ? He is. I can just imagine my 'wide-eyed' reaction & so I'd continue telling myself: I know you think you two will get married, heck, you already feel married to Luke but you are not married, you are just acting married. There are crucial differences between acting & actually being married. Trust me, I am telling you this, not to hurt you but because I love you & want the best for you. As a Christian, God must be central in your life to make it possible for marriage, as God designed it, to come into your life. I would remind myself: it was like a potter, that God hand-made Adam & then from Adam, He made Eve. The first human relationship was one of marriage between Adam, Eve & God. In Mark chapter 10, Jesus responds to the question: "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? in the following way:   Just as there are many stories throughout the Bible that do not go according to this passage of scripture, my romantic life certainly hasn't either. For years as a teen & young adult, it was a horribly confusing & painful ‘off & on again’ relationship with Luke. When we finally broke up for good, I really had to get over him, give up our foster child & move on; it was brutal. I fought tooth & nail my way out of depression with the help of Psychology, Tony Robbins & The Option Institute, where I eventually worked for two years. My life, already long derailed from Christianity by that point, became about choosing & pursuing happiness. I traveled & had boyfriends & wasn’t focused on marriage. I was most happy being loving & having fun. It didn’t occur to me that I was being sexually immoral. Breaking up was never easy but nothing hurt as much as my first love break-up. As the song goes, the first cut is the deepest. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen. Romans 1:21-25 Being loving kept sex sacred to me, as I’ve always known it is meant to be. The saying: "love is love" is true but love means different things to everyone so therefore, in my humble opinion, it's not enough for 'safer sex'. Requiring a commitment of marriage prior to sexual intimacy makes everything that much more upfront & clear. Looking back, I see that it was pretty much impossible for me to get the right help when I didn’t have a clue I was lost. A sure sign that I was out of alignment with my highest good, was when, at the peak of my life, I got sick with Lyme disease & didn’t recover despite proper medical treatment. I knew something was wrong but I didn’t know what. I searched wide & far for solutions. Ironically, one of things that helped me 'feel better' was engaging in relationships, yet now I see that by not following crucial, Christian principles of sexual morality, I was damaging myself. I've heard it said in a sermon that we don't really break God's commandments, we get broken on them. Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 1 Corinthians 6:18 For years, without knowing, I was causing myself to stumble & it has been like a large millstone were hung around my neck. If anyone causes one of these little ones – those who believe in me – to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. Mark 9:42 With the immoral behavior of elevating non-marital sexual relationships above God, I was acting just like the people of Israel (e.g. the story in Hosea), worshiping idols, cheating on God & thus grieving the Holy Spirit: And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30 The damage being done within me, was spiritual cause for my physical energy literally being 'cut off'. I got to the point of being unable to work & take care of myself. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where “’the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ Everyone will be salted with fire. Mark 9:42-49 I love the metaphor in scripture that refer to us as clay & God as the Potter (e.g. Isaiah 64:8). Consider life with all its ups & downs, as a kiln that solidifies our shape or identity. Most of us become rigid in our ways & about who we are within this fiery kiln of life. However, in Christ, we are 'new creations' (2 Cor. 5:17; Jeremiah 18:2-6) required to give up our own way (Mark 8:34) & become 'pliable' again (reborn) to our Maker. This is not an easy calling; it's like when Peter stepped out of the boat into the stormy sea while reaching for Jesus. (Matthew 14:22-33).  The Bible teaches Christ followers that we are salt (Matthew 5:23 & Mark 9:50) which means we are meant to preserve & purify. "...and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt." Mark 9:49 (NKJV) It wasn't until 5 years ago or so that I was more consistently hearing from God about how to put Him back into my life. I still made sexually immoral mistakes as I was in this process of transformation with the Lord. During this time, passages in the Bible jumped out at me as so very real, it was eerie. God's word has helped my growth in Christ invaluably. These are just two of countless examples throughout scripture: This is my comfort in my affliction, that Thy word has revived me. Psalm 119:50 “Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the LORD. ... For your Maker is your husband – the LORD Almighty is his name – the Holy One of Israel in your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. The LORD will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit – a wife who married young, only to be rejected,“ says your God. “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back...." Isaiah 54:1, 5-7 Bringing Jesus out of the attic & 'back home' from out of the doghouse, has been a major, personal identity renovation project. Part of it involved rededicated myself to Jesus publicly by being baptized in September 2021 (I barely remember the first time I was baptized as a young teen). As well, I've become involved in various church activities.  Seymour River, North Vancouver, BC - September 2021 - Baptism with Pastor Joe from Highway Church & my friend Kathy. In giving up to God my sexuality, as the last vestige of myself I was holding fast, I know I might not get to experience sex in the way God designed. I may have ruined my chances for that but I am pleased to say that even if this is the case, I'd much rather live with that consequence then carry on as I was. I have suffered enough, I am done with sin: Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 1 Peter 4:1 Lord, thank you for making your will so clear to me now: It is God’s will that you be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality. That each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God. Thank you Heavenly Father for rescuing me out of slavery to sin: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me... Exodus 20:2-3 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey – whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? Romans 6:16 Thank you Lord for helping me be content exactly where I am at; as I am when you called me back to you. And don’t be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God’s place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there. God, not your marital status, defines your life. Don’t think I’m being harder on you than on the others. I give the same counsel in all the churches. 1 Corinthians 7:17 (The Message). Through the sanctification process, God has been renewing my thinking regarding sexual relationships. I used to be trapped believing compatibility needs to be 'tested out' prior to marriage. It is not surprising though that in reality, no two people are forever compatible. The best two people can do is commit themselves to the Lord first & foremost, as well as to prayer & working out conflicts when possible. Furthermore, the Bible teaches Christians to put a lot of trust in each other: The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. 1 Corinthians 7:4 The husband takes on a leadership role within the marriage in love & service just as Christ did: Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ love the church and gave himself up for her.... Ephesians 5:25 The commitment of marriage is a high price to pay to those who are used to getting sexual intimacy seemingly 'for free'. I used to think of sexuality as my right, to do with as I please (within the confines of consent). Now however, I see that sex is way better understood as a gift from God given to strengthen bonds & make marriage more appealing. Sexual intimacy devoid of God-witnessed, mutual commitment is like a fire uncontained; it's missing an integral component for it’s full power to manifest safely.  For in Christ all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. Colossians 2:9-10 The book Song of Solomon makes it obvious that Biblical sexuality is not boring or outdated! It is a beautiful mystery emulating the union between Christ & the church. The Bible is a love story. It's God’s love letter to us; He's standing boldly against our rebellion & compassionately calling us back to Him. This is a profound mystery – but I am talking about Christ and the church. Ephesians 5:32 Biblical sexual intimacy has all the ingredients necessary to ignite the most potent, transformative power in the universe. It is where two become one & one becomes three (for baby making & beyond).
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 This is a photo I took in my community of the beautiful, July full moon. Before being called by God to prophesy, Amos was a herdsmen & farmer. He became like the light of this full moon, shining God's warning & wisdom upon his neighbors who were caught up in corruption & spiritual darkness. There are numerous examples through out the old testament showing us what Acts 10:34 tells us: among the wayward & unrepentant, God doesn't show favoritism. His Holiness brings justice upon everyone. His 'chosen' people, Israel, are certainly no exception. Yet, He is patient & gives lots of chances for people to make changes by seeking & returning to Him. It is our choice to heed His messages (scripture) or to not. Whom of those who've read, can honestly deny His ROAR!? Therefore, thus I will do to you, O Israel; Because I shall do this to you, Prepare to meet your God, O Israel. Amos 4:12 God's instruction to His people is not convoluted. It seems to me as straightforward as looking both ways before crossing the street ... so that we may live. For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel, "Seek Me that you may live." Amos 5:4 But even with this simple instruction, I sometimes wonder, what hope do we have here? Given that long ago, while in union with God in the Garden of Eden, we turned away from having all our needs met, unto sin! From this act of rebellion, we fell into conflict & layers of impossibility; obstacles within obstacles. Such is the day of the Lord: Alas, you who are longing for the day of the Lord, for what purpose will the day of the Lord be to you? It will be darkness and not light; As when a man flees from a lion, and a bear meets him, or goes home, leans his hand against the wall, and a snake bites him. Amos 5:18-19 The hardships of life on earth surrounded by spiritual death can lead us back to the Lord if we open ourselves to this possibility. The hope we have comes from following Jesus, who takes all judgement of others out of us because everyone is equally in need of His salvation. I pray for God's justice to keep working its way through each of us unto others & this land, amen. But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Amos 5:24 Justice comes through sharing God's word, which I like to do, hopefully so, in ways that inspire curiosity & awe ('The Spirit') rather than repulsion. As we know from 1 Cor. 2:14 "The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness..." Thank you God for ending my famine for hearing your words. I praise you for filling, healing & strengthening me with the Holy Scripture. I do not take for granted that the Bible is freely available to me. I pray that all who are in need, waiting & searching, many who know not for what they seek, will find you dear Lord Jesus, hearing & heeding your word, amen. "Behold days are coming," declares the Lord God, "When I will send a famine on the land, not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, but rather for hearing the words of the Lord. Amos 8:11  Seeking God's face is all about intimacy with our almighty Creator. It is intentionally bringing God's personal, unconditional love & holiness to shine upon me. Like an eager, tentative child looking to her father for approval as she explores or a spouse's knowing glance from across a crowded room. One of the most accessible ways of seeking God's face is by reading His word. The more I study God's word, the more clearly I see His face. As a blind person knows faces by touch, I feel the magnificence of meeting God's Holy gaze through scripture! He wants us seeking His face in times of joy & also during trouble for support, conviction & correction.  Otherwise, He may turn to other ways of getting our attention & discipline, as the book of Hosea details. For example, chapter 2 verse 6 states that God used thorns & a wall to stop Gomer from her sin of harlotry. Before Jesus became the face of God among us, it seems that seeking Him was more arduous & strict but it was also a much more accepted part of everyday life compared to now. Either way, it still isn't easy to: 1). hear & see God & accept the Gospel. In fact, in our natural state of spiritual death this requires God's intervention; & 2). stay strong on God's path. Now & in the past, the material world compels us; we get distracted from & forget our need to seek God first & foremost. "As they had their pasture, they became satisfied & being satisfied, their heart became proud; therefore, they forgot Me." (Hosea 13:6). Furthermore, many people do not acknowledge their need for forgiveness. People can be morally good & do great things, which is wonderful but without accepting the saving grace of God's son Jesus Christ, they remain spiritually dead in sin. The book of Hosea makes it clear to me that God wants everyone to know that our greatest need is spiritual met by Him alone! "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..." (Hosea 4:6) "For there is no savior besides Me." (Hosea 13:4). My people consult their wooden idol, and their diviner's wand informs them; for a spirit of harlotry has led them astray, and they have played the harlot, departing from their God. Hosea 4:12 Personal happiness is of top priority in this secular, consumeristic world. Reading through the Bible, it seems this has always been the case. When things are not going our way, we're apt to take matters into our own hands & look to other 'gods' that are expertly marketed as more palatable & profitable. All the while, God pleads with us that it is especially during difficult times that we should look to Him even more closely, noticing for instance, the way His eyes weep or sparkle & smile with ours. "So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord." (Hosea 6:3). This is how we grow beyond ourselves.  There are numerous Bible verses that display God's call for everyone to seek His face. Here are two: 1). “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other." (Isa. 45:22). 2). Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink." (John 7:37). If you think you do not belong to God for any reason, may God's intervention change your mind. Hosea 2:23 states, those who used to be considered "not My people" (e.g. non-Jews), are in fact God's people. Furthermore, at least twice, the New Testament records Jesus saying: "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matt. 9:13 & Mark 2:17). Note: 'sinners' means everyone. A wise daily practice it is to humbly confess our blind spots (e.g. "Please my Lord, show me the errors in my way.") as well as sins we’re aware of. Bringing our failures, weakness & brokenness to God almighty is not for the faint of heart. Think of Saul being blinded by the light of God shining upon his sins. "Seek My face" means facing all of ourselves in light of the Father, 'El Roi' (the God who sees me) & 'Galah Raz' (revealer of mysteries). He knows our guilt for sin even before we are born.
Throughout our lives, He works on us, kneading & softening us like clay! Allowing us to feel the wages of sin & thus our need of Him. Graciously He provides us a way back to life with Him, if we so choose it. Within all the frustrations & trials, such a joy-filled sense of relief & gratitude fills me in being set free of death unto life through Christ Jesus. I pray it fills you too, amen.  There are many ongoing theological debates amongst Christians, one of which I've been looking into lately is: can Christians be possessed by the devil, demons & evil spirits? Jim Osman, in his series, Spiritual Warfare: Truth or Territory (American Gospel); Justin Peters Ministries (Christ Alone: American Gospel), Matt Mcmillan Ministries & Doreen Virtue all say an emphatic "No!" & advise against deliverance ministries. Quoting scripture such as: ...having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise...(Eph. 1:13) We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. (1 John 5:18) "...does not sin..." is the key phrase in the second verse (I'll briefly touch on the first verse later). Jesus is the only one born of God who does not sin! Therefore, Jesus is the only one not touched by the evil one. Living in this fallen, sinful world of duality, we can't avoid being influenced & impacted by the knowledge of both good & evil.  While I definitely also have major concerns about large, showy deliverance ministries, I also can't help but wonder & even doubt that those advising against 'deliverance ministries' in general, have contended with extremely painful/limiting & persistent circumstances or experiences not sorted out by other means, either secular (e.g. psychological & medical help) or 'ordinary' Christian practices (e.g. repentance, Bible study, prayer & obedience). The 'out there' intensity of massive healing gatherings at mega churches (e.g. Benny Hinn; Kenneth Copeland & Joel Osteen) demonstrate how greedy, power-hungry so called Christian leaders, take advantage of people who are desperate for health & freedom. We must understand that while it's true that Christians are FREE IN SPIRIT with eternal life in Christ ("...sealed with the Holy Spirit...) we are not yet fully free in body & soul. The Holy Spirit indwelling, works His way into all our dark parts (those damaged by evil & sin) to heal & resurrect us whole, amen! I want to add a contrasting point to what I've said above that I haven't heard from those advising against deliverance ministries: the value of the concept of deliverance. It can be very empowering for people who are ill, injured, disabled or struggling with addiction, to have an external force to fight against to help them overcome their situation rather than let whatever hardship they are going through, kill them. To frame cancer as ‘an attack of the devil’ can help people rally & fight for their life instead of easily becoming too passive to survive in the face of extremely challenging symptoms & medications that makes them feel even worse. These well-known deliverance leaders I've mentioned above are simply 'moving peoples' energy'. By that, I mean they are re-arranging a person's broken pieces, which looks fancy & dramatic. It's possible that a few people get lasting healing from the belief that it will help but what about those who pay large sums of money to bring their dying child but get nothing in return? Backing up a bit, on the other hand, a constant, long term battle against ‘the enemy’ can can be exhausting & demoralizing. How does one reconcile dying in peace if they succumb to being 'defeated by the devil' as Beni Johnson died of cancer last year, for example? Furthermore, we are taught by Jesus to: “…love your enemies…” (Matthew 5:44). Yet it is true that Amos said: “Hate evil & love good…” (5:15). I conclude like Paul (Philippians 4:8) that we must look for, submit to, find, create & focus on God & all that is good, especially in our most challenging situations & by doing this, we resist (squash/minimize the effects of) evil (James 4:7). The evil one, also called ‘the thief’ (John 10:10) & ‘father of lies’ (John 8:44) is not omnipresent (as God is) but he doesn’t have to be to do his work of stealing, killing & destroying. He doesn’t have to possess or even ‘infest’ people to oppress & destroy them. He works by stealing the TRUTH & convincing people of that which brings suffering & quickens death. Using physiological & psychological (somatic) means, he creates "strongholds" which confirm peoples’ worst nightmares. He uses common human experiences of accidents/injuries, illness, bullying/abuse, poverty, isolation, physical & emotional pain (e.g. fear, shame, guilt, loneliness, frustration, & anger) to get us to destroy ourselves by believing lies such as the following (these 'thoughts' come from somatic imprints): 1. This illness will continue because it’s impossible to completely stop sinning (& be untouchable by the wicked one). Biblical Truth that opposes this lie: And His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?" Jesus answered, "It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him." (John 9:2-3) 2. I’ll never be ‘good enough’ to be well or well enough to do enough good. Biblical truth that combats this lie: Thankfully God has given us clear instructions on how to 'overcome ourselves' by inviting Him in rather than by trying to be 'good enough'. The sense of not being good enough runs deep, probably into our DNA, causing all kinds of problems such as working to exhaustion, addiction & other forms of idolatry. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (Eph. 2:8) Now may the God of peace ... equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 20-21) 3. Life isn’t worth living with such ongoing pain. I'm useless much of the time yet taking up God's valuable resources. Biblical Truth against this lie: But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring about as it is this day, to save many people alive. (Genesis 50:20) while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Cor. 4:18 The evil one ‘reminds’ those like me who’ve been sick for a long time that we're 'good for nothing wastes of space' --more lies! Over the course of life, through our experiences, evil & sin plant ‘seeds of lies’ within our bodies & psyches & then can pretty much leave us to it except for checking in from time to time to make sure we stay on their 'program'. Unintentionally, we unfortunately often make some lies come 'true' to some degree. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. (Matthew 13:25) These lies can fester & infect us, especially when we’re caught up in difficult circumstances. And, if we don’t have enough TRUTH already planted, rooted & well established within good soil, these ‘seeds of lies’ grow into massive, invasive weeds (e.g. parts of our personality & more difficult life circumstances such as poverty & addiction), that choke out truth, take over & eventually can take us down & out of life. The ultimate goal of satan's lies is our total destruction. We should aim to hear & know God's Biblical word of TRUTH at least one hundred fold more often as a positive 'counterweight' to the lies of the wicked one. To live from a place of: "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” we must not let our experiences dominate or dictate reality or tell us what is true. Instead, we must renew our mind by letting the TRUTH of scripture inform our experience. For instance, these two Bible verses surely tell us we can & ought to "move mountains" from getting in our way of living a gloriously Godly life. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. (Mark 1-:23-24) Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it (the demon) out?” And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. (Matthew 17:20) Many of satan's ‘seeds of lies’ get planted early in life & most of the time seem harmless or dormant while our lives are going well. They germinate & grow quickly when things don’t go as we hope & especially if we become disabled by pain & other symptoms. Regardless of whether these lies are inactive or wreaking havoc, whenever we get ourselves into harmonious union with God, we are blessed to be having a 'Garden of Eden' moment. As soon as we listen to the temptations (e.g. lies, 'God-doubts') of the evil one & choose to eat whichever 'forbidden fruit' he's selling us, we (once again) fall from the place of deep presence with the Lord. Fortunately, we do not fall out of God's hands or out of His mercy & grace! For we know the TRUTH: ...that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) And we hold fast to: casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5)  The Psalms most certainly are 'a place of abundance' that the Lord brings me to during trials & refinement. To those going through times of insurmountable challenge, reading Thy Word literally releases THE POWER of GOD to deliver us from "the snare of the trapper" (Psalm 91:3) & for many other things. I will spend my eternal life savoring the marrow of The Psalms. Here are just a few of many gems: Encouragement - "For the Lord God is a sun & shield; the Lord gives grace & glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly." (Psalm 84:11) "The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth." (Psalm 145:18) Healing - "Bless the Lord, O my soul ... who heals all your diseases ... " (Psalm 103:2-3) "This is my comfort in my affliction, that Thy word has revived me." (Psalm 119:50) Protection - "On God my salvation & my glory rest; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God." (Psalm 62:7) "God is to us a God of deliverances & to God the Lord belong escapes from death." (Psalm 68:20) Wisdom - "For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime ... " (Psalm 30:5) "Lovingkindness & truth have met together; righteousness & peace have kissed each other. Truth springs from the earth ... & our land will yield its produce." (Psalm 85:10-12) "Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not incline my heart to any evil thing ... " (Psalm 141:3-4) Beauty - "I will awaken the dawn!" (Psalm 57:8) "The stream of God is full of water..." (Psalm 65:9) "Light is sown like seed for the righteous & gladness for the upright in heart." (Psalm 97:11) Nourishment - "And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water ..." (Psalm 1:3) "How sweet are Thy words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (Psalm 119:103) Furthermore, I also greatly appreciate the refreshing 'holistic realness' of David's pleas throughout the Psalms, voicing not only praise but his concerns as well. He shows us the way of authentic, vulnerable worship in declaring his troubles & feeling abandoned by God. Even Jesus, God himself, while on the cross, expressed that He too went through this experience, quoting David (Psalm 22:1) He said: "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" - "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34). "How long, O Lord? Wilt Thou forget me forever? How long wilt Thou hide Thy face from me?" (Psalm 13:1) "Thou hast made Thy people experience hardship; Thou hast given us wine to drink that makes us stagger." (Psalm 60:3) "O Lord, the God of my salvation, I have cried out by day & in the night before Thee. Let my prayer come before Thee; Incline Thine ear to my cry! For my soul has had enough troubles & my life has drawn near to Sheol." (Psalm 88:1-3) Not until we are 'poor in spirit' ("The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken & a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." Psalm 51:17) & humbly ask God: "Lead me to the rock that is higher than I" (Psalm 61:2) do we intimately understand "That power belongs to God ..." (Psalm 62:11) I found this photo from the 80s showing the car that my Granny Joyce loaned to my Mom. With renewed fondness, I remember the bumper sticker on it: READ THE BOOK - love it! We don't know what Godly magic Thy Word will insert into our lives until we read it. Thank you God & Granny, amen.   Dear Lord, I pray for us sinners & for those who some might consider the last to ever come to Christ. Not only the naysayers but those whose hearts have completely hardened, crumbled into dust & blown away. Lost souls...but not forever. Only you can restore such deep chasms, re-form dust & soften stone into new flesh ("I will give you a new heart & put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone & give you a heart of flesh." --Ezekiel 36:26). God, I pray also for all the good & caring people who think God is 'just religious make believe', not possibly true or relevant in "today's world". It takes just a tiny spark of hope (like the possibility of lighting a match) for your flame of warmth, truth & beauty to envelop & bring us evermore fully into your love & understanding. In your sovereignty & justice, I trust in your giving each of us the opportunities ('the matches') we need to step ever closer into your glory, amen.  To move forward, we must first remember Christ. Only in Christ, can we look at our own & others' sins from His purifying eyes & redeeming heart. Made new & holy, forgiven, we forgive & move forward, changed by grace in Christ, amen!
 Balaam shows us that with his mind, he can not see the angel of the Lord but his donkey (which represents his body) not only sees the angel but becomes the voice of the Lord's message. People often stay overly focused on worldly pursuits and ultimately discontented because “The god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:4). So why not read The Word as if you believe and see what happens?
As I consistently commit to God in tangible ways, my connection with His will strengthens. Fairly often this seems slow and invisible, like growing roots of a tree, nevertheless, I feel it. But do my actions & in-actions further God's Kingdom -- whether I'm supporting a loved one, making art or I'm held up by debilitating symptoms, or repenting my sins? Starting each day with prayer "Lord please fill & fuel me with your divine purpose" makes it all for something, sharing God's forgiveness, holiness and eternal life. "... this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." (John 17:3) Amen. |