September 2007 | Posted in • Featured Content | (0) Comments |

One of the lessons we learn as we navigate through life in a fallen world is that many good things can in excess harm you. Fire is useful in a controlled environment, like the burner in my gas hot water heater, or the gas furnace in the crawlspace of my home. I like hot water in my shower, and I enjoy warmth on a cold December day.

But I'll never forget the day I looked out my window as a three-year-old to see my neighbor's house burning to the ground! Their gas heater had exploded, and the fire was no longer in the controlled, confined environment.

Sex is a wonderful gift of God for men and women. Used properly in the confines of marriage, it's a beautiful expression of the love a husband and wife have for one another. And it results in the human race continuing to populate the planet.

But used in the wrong way, sex can ruin a healthy life, bring destruction to an individual, divide a home, and bring a curse on a nation. So let's examine the right and wrong uses of sexuality in our lives, and bring some much-needed balance to a subject that is demoralized in just about every way conceivable in our day.

With the fall of man, basic human desires have become tools that are exploited by the world, the flesh and the devil. Sex was originally created by God for the propagation of the race and for the enhancement of marriage.1

After the fall of man, basic human desires and drives became selfish and need-centered instead of God-centered. Sexuality was meant by God to propagate life and to enhance the love relationship in marriage. Now, sex is used to bring sin, shame, and hurt to millions. And Satan uses it as a tool to destroy human life and to banish human beings from the presence of a Holy God. So let's bring the subject of sexuality into the twenty-first century, and bring into it the balance of scripture.

Psychologists tell us that the two strongest drives in the human are preservation of life and sexual expression. Innately within us comes the desire to preserve our lives: to eat, to clothe ourselves, and to shelter ourselves from harm. And the second strongest desire in a human is the sexual desire.2

This desire is not sinful in itself, for God is the one who gave us the sexual desire in the first place.3 Used according to His plan, sexual expression is a normal part of the way God created us to live.

"Now let's get real. Any sex outside of the confines of marriage is forbidden by a Holy God. His will is that a person remains a virgin until marriage, and then once married, God's best is that a couple remains married for life!"

Notice that men and women are unique in creation. All of the male and female animal species were created individually from the dust of the ground. But the woman was formed from the body of the man.4 I believe this was because of the unique sexual relationship that God ordained in marriage. Animals copulate with any other animal within their species. But God created marriage for the human race and intended that a man and woman enjoy a lifelong relationship in marriage. God wanted one man and one woman to stay together for life. That's the reason the woman was taken out of man. And this unique creation was to indicate a monogamous sexual relationship in marriage for life.5

God created sex as an experience only to be engaged in within the confines of marriage. Hebrews 13:4 states God's intentions clearly: Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed6 undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. The Message Paraphrase states it well: Honor marriage and guard the sacredness of sexual intimacy between wife and husband. God draws a firm line against casual and illicit sex.7

Now let's get real. Any sex outside of the confines of marriage is forbidden by a Holy God. His will is that a person remains a virgin until marriage, and then once married, God's best is that a couple remains married for life!

These standards are being challenged in every way in our day, but scripture gives us the ultimate best that God has for us! Understand that fornication8 (any act of sex outside of marriage), adultery9 (sexual relations with anyone other than one's spouse), lesbianism,10 homosexuality,11 bestiality,12 and pederasty13 (sex with children), are all forbidden by God.14 History provides detailed clues for the curious as to what happens when a culture loses its morals. Rome once ruled the world but fell into ruins because of the lack of self control among its citizen. Reading the literature of that day will show that sexual promiscuity was engaged in without conscience, and was one of the factors that led to the demise of that civilization.15

God told the Israelites not to associate with the Canaanites in the Promised Land because of their gross immoral idolatry. If fact, Joshua was commanded to kill the inhabitants of the land, including fathers, mothers, children, and even animals, as they conquered city after city.16

According to Dake's Annotated Reference Bible,17 the heathen nations surrounding Israel were involved in idolatry that involved Baal worship with depraved forms of sexual immorality.18 I mention this to show that demonic forces are involved in immoral sexual behavior. And Satan has increased the sexual emphasis worldwide in our day because he knows the damage it will do to civilizations worldwide.19

God's standards of holiness for believers are clear, and are for our protection and wellbeing. Notice 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 (Phillips Translation): God's plan is to make you holy, and that means a clean cut with sexual immorality. Every one of you should learn to control his body, keeping it pure and treating it with respect, and never allowing it to fall victim to lust, as do pagans with no knowledge of God. You cannot break this rule without cheating your fellow men. Indeed God will punish all who do offend in this matter, as we have plainly told you and warned you. The calling of God is not to impurity but to the most thorough purity, and anyone who makes light of the matter is not making light of man's ruling but of God's command. It is not for nothing that the Spirit that God gives us is called the Holy Spirit.20

Paul wrote a letter to the believers in Corinth and told them not to incite a flame of sexual passion in the opposite sex.21 He encouraged self-control and marriage as a way to deal with God-given sexual desires.22

The bottom line is that if we compromise in the area of sexuality, we break fellowship with our Father, open ourselves up to demonic attack,23 and plant the seeds for the destruction of our nation! I want to give some simple guidelines here that will aid the believer in remaining pure and sexually moral before God.

"Make your marriage affair-proof or adultery-proof by observing the following simple guidelines: Never engage in friendship with the opposite sex alone without your spouse."

First of all, make a decision to control the sexual appetite until marriage. To begin with, make a choice daily to stay away from lust-filled media, from sitcoms with all their innuendos to the internet with its loads of lustful fare for the flesh. Make a covenant with your eyes,24 and refuse to look upon impurity. Remember that what occupies the eyes and ears fills the heart and controls the person.25 If you sow to the flesh, you reap fleshly desires. If you sow to the spirit, you reap desires for the things of God.26 And remember that you sow with your eyes, your ears, and your thoughts.27

We are to avoid all appearance of evil.28 That means it's important to make a decision to never be alone with the opposite sex if you're single. Plan activities with a group, and refuse to go alone to each other's homes. Christians sin more at night and when they are tired than at any other time, so go home at a decent time. Remember that we are witnesses with our lifestyles, and people are watching us when we least suspect it. You may think going into the home of a person of the opposite sex is innocent, and you may be innocent in your intent, but others around you think carnally. You plant the wrong impression by going into the home of a person of the opposite sex alone! And you are asking for temptations of the flesh to resist! Be wise and don't be alone!

Another wise choice for the single believer is to make a vow of purity before God until you're married. When I was young, I asked the Lord to keep me sexually pure so that I would have a gift for my wife. I was 13 or 14 years old when I made this consecration to God, and He helped me honor Him in my teen years with abstinence before my marriage.

It's also wise to hold yourself accountable to a friend who is a strong believer. An accountability partner can provide a strong incentive for purity if you'll meet with that person weekly.

The second guideline for remaining sexually pure before God is that once you're married, commit for life. Never allow the "d" word, divorce, to come out of your mouth as a way to solve problems that arise. Keep the lines of communication open, and be aware that you're bought with a price, and you're not your own. You now belong to Jesus and your spouse. You are responsible before God to meet the needs of your spouse in natural ways, mentally, emotionally, and physically.29

Make your marriage affair-proof or adultery-proof by observing the following simple guidelines: Never engage in friendship with the opposite sex alone without your spouse. At work or church, keep your conversations with the opposite sex away from personal issues. These should be discussed with your spouse. Refuse to eat out alone with a person of the opposite sex. As a married person, refuse even to ride in a vehicle alone with the opposite sex. It's just too intimate. Refuse to correspond over the internet with the opposite sex, except with strictly business information. Keep clear of personal relationships carried on in cyber space with the opposite sex. These precautions can save a life from ruin. Read Proverbs 5, 6, and 7 as an incentive for purity in your life. The results of immorality are too clear to overlook in these passages.

The third thing that you can do to remain pure and moral before God is to daily commit to Jesus' Lordship over your life. Commit your mind and emotions to Him. Commit every part of your being to Him, and ask Him to help you with the human desires He gave you.

Refuse to be an idolater.30 Someone said that idolatry is meeting a legitimate need in an illegitimate way. Don't use satisfying your appetites, whether physical hunger or sexual, as a release from the pressures and stresses of life. Submit every part of your person to Jesus, and talk to Him in exact detail about your life and lifestyle. Honor God with your body and with your spiritual life. Therefore, since these great promises are ours, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates and defiles body and spirit, and bring our consecration to completeness in the reverential fear of God. (2 Corinthians 7:1, Amplified)

Remember, whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.31

July 2007 | Posted in • Life | (0) Comments |

Recently my son Brandon and I were discussing our upcoming summer vacation to Disney.  It was exciting to talk about our time of family fun, relaxation, and fellowship.  We talked about all the activities that would be available at the resort, the adventures that Mickey Mouse had to offer, and what we would do while we were there. We decided that the whole family was ready to go and have some fun together.

A few days later, I realized the impact of our conversation. Out of the blue, Brandon asked me how many days we had left. “Until what?“ I asked. He responded, “You know, Disney.“  I told him that we had a number of weeks to go until vacation, and to emphasize my point, I said that it would be after the end of the school year. 

Well, obviously the school year wasn’t my best choice for a time reference, because suddenly he no longer wanted to go to school.  I attempted to point out all the good things about school, and the need for him to go, but it no longer mattered to him. He hated school. School had become the enemy keeping him from getting to his “Promised Land.“

I explained to him that he still had things to learn from his teacher before the year ended, that his friends would miss him if he left before the end of the year, and that the vacation would come in due time.  In response to all of my adult explanations and tactics, he stood his ground.  He decided that his teacher couldn’t teach him anything else, that he didn’t need his school friends anymore, and that the end of the year couldn’t come fast enough.  In his mind – what’s the big deal?  Why can’t we just skip ahead to the fun, the play, and enjoy the sweet life, at Disney?

I found it amazing that not only could I understand his point of view, but I could also relate.  As adults, we can act the same way about our promised lands. But, we justify our actions, because my “Promised Land” holds a greater life purpose than just a Disney vacation.  It is the promotion, the new job, the new house, the new plan, the new phase, etc.  We look at the blessings and promises of God as if they were instant potatoes. Just add water and poof!!! Let’s eat the good of the land!  How many times have we tried to skip the wilderness, go around the giants, or bypass the desert’s hard places in order to bask in the land of milk and honey sooner? 

I am not attempting to say that any of these is a great place to hang out and visit for a long period of time, but they each provide plenty of opportunities to see not only who we are, but also how much of Christ is really shining through us. In Proverbs 16:9, it says, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.“

There are times when we will go through challenges in life, both in the natural and in the spiritual. This is when we really learn that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.“ (Gal 5:22,23) As we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us through the challenges, renewing our minds with the Word of God, the junk of our souls is decreased, and we gain our strength and endurance through Christ living in us. It is in the tough places that we are forced to grow.

God will, at times, give us a visionary glimpse of the future, or a word of knowledge about a shift that is to come into our lives. But we must not act like it is some magic wand that will change our lives in an instant.  Most of our blessings come when we do as the Word of God instructs, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.“ (Prov. 3:5,6)  Often it is on the path to the “Promised Land” that we learn to press into God.  We must allow the Lord to direct us in each step, making sure not to get ahead of Him, and to do the homework that is divinely assigned, even when it doesn’t make sense to us or seems too hard.

As for Brandon, after a lengthy conversation about priorities and the fruit of the spirit, he decided that it really was in his best interest to finish out the school year, with a good attitude. Then he would be able to enjoy his summer vacation at Disney, knowing he had accomplished the task laid before him. He would also know that his attitude and actions were pleasing to his Heavenly Father, and to his parents.

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I was raised in a denominational church and frequently heard this prayer: Lord, heal so-and-so if it be Your will. Then, if the person who was sick didn't receive healing, the inference was that, in that particular case, it wasn't the will of God for that person to be healed. So you could never really know whether or not it was the will of God for you to be healed if you got sick. And since faith begins where the will of God is known1, you could never really have your own faith in God to heal you. The will of God for healing was somehow measured on a case by case basis and determined by the outcome.

In this lesson, I want to help you understand the will of God concerning your healing, and I want to help you get yourself in line with God to receive healing from Him if you are sick.

God's Word is His will, just as your word is your will. When a person makes out a will, they are placing in print what they want to be done with their personal property and belongings. Well, the Bible is God's will for us. To know God's will, you will only find it written in His will, the sixty-six books we call the Bible. God's will for our health is not found in circumstances, but in His Word!

I want to establish, first of all, that healing is always the will of God for the believer! It is the perfect will of the Father for every believer to be healed of sickness and disease. What we must do is learn to get ourselves in position to receive God's best for our lives. 2

It's the will of God for us to be healed because God is as interested in our bodies as He is in our spiritual nature. We are made in the image of God: spirit, soul, and body3. Our bodies, as well as our spirits, belong to the Lord4. We are made in the image of God, and this image refers to our bodies as well as to our spirits5.

The body is included in our redemption in Christ. We are to bring glory to God in our bodies as well as in our spirits6. He wants us to present our bodies to Him as a living sacrifice7.

There is a close relationship between the spirit and the body. What affects one will affect the other. Emotional and mental stability can contribute to physical well-being, or our minds and emotions can hinder our health. A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy, and wrath are like rottenness of the bones8.

Our whole being was affected by Adam's sin. In fact, all of creation has been affected, and the cure for the spiritual, physical, and natural effects of the curse are all found in the redemption provided by the death and resurrection of Christ9. We have spiritual and physical needs as a result of Adam's sin. Just as surely as it is the will of God to forgive all of our sins, it is equally His will to heal all of our diseases10.

"Most people would admit that God can do anything He wants to do! But faith begins when you are really convinced that God not only can but wants to heal you."

God's will for the healing of our bodies is clearly seen by understanding the origin of sickness and disease. Sin and sickness have their origin in the fall of man. Everything was perfect in creation11 until the introduction of sin and disobedience. When Adam sinned, Satan gained a legal foothold on the earth and on man, and only through redemption in Christ is this legal foothold removed. Time and time again, sickness is directly referred to in the Word of God as a work of Satan12.

To have faith in the Father to heal you, you must first of all be convinced that it is His will to heal you. As mentioned earlier, faith begins where the will of God is known. A person must be convinced that it's God's will for him to be born again before he can have faith to be saved. And, likewise, we must know that healing is God's will before we can have faith in the Father to heal us.

Faith for healing rests not only in God's ability to heal us, but in His willingness to heal our bodies. Most people would admit that God can do anything He wants to do! But faith begins when you are really convinced that God not only can but wants to heal you. A man with leprosy approached Jesus as He came down a mountain, and said, Lord, I know that you have the ability to heal me if you only want to. Jesus immediately showed that His willingness equaled His ability to heal him by saying, I will, be cleansed! And the man was healed of leprosy. If it was Jesus' will to heal this man, it has to be the will of God to heal us, or Jesus shows partiality. And there is no partiality with God.13 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 14

We know God's will by looking to His Word. Paul prayed that the believers in Colossae would be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding15. He was really praying that God's Word would be revealed to them, so that they would know God's will.

In his book Christ the Healer, F.F. Bosworth says, "If sickness is the will of God, then every physician is a lawbreaker, every trained nurse is defying the Almighty, every hospital is a house of rebellion instead of a house of mercy, and instead of supporting hospitals, we ought to do our utmost to close every one." 16

The will of God in healing can also be seen in the seven redemptive names of God. God's redemptive "Jehovah names" express His will that continues through successive generations. Jehovah literally means the eternal, self-existent, unchanging God! Each of God's Jehovah names reveals His unchanging will through time.

God has been and always will be Jehovah Jireh our Provider17, Jehovah Nissi our Victory,18 Jehovah Shalom our Peace,19 Jehovah Raah our Shepherd,20 Jehovah Tsidkenu our Righteousness,21 and Jehovah Shammah our personal Presence.22 The last of His covenant names is Jehovah Rapha our Healer.23 If God never changes in the first six covenant names, then why would He change in His seventh name as Jehovah our Healer?

Healing is also found in the atonement of Christ24 for our sins. Healing is clearly revealed in what we call "The Great Redemptive Chapter," Isaiah 53.25 Notice Isaiah 53:4-5: "Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed."

The Hebrew word for griefs26 is literally sickness, and the Hebrew word for sorrows27 is pains. Jesus literally took our sickness and pains on His body and bore them for us so that we could be free from them, in just the same way that He personally bore our sins so that we could be free from them!

The words borne2and carried2refer to the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement bearing away the sins of the Israelites. According to Leviticus 16, on the Day of Atonement, the priest would offer two goats as a sin sacrifice. One goat was slain, and its blood was placed on the mercy seat30 on top of the Ark of the Covenant to atone for or cover the sins of the Israelites from God's view, as His presence hovered over the ark in the Holy of Holies.

The scapegoat was the second goat which was not killed, but was led into the wilderness. There the high priest laid his hands on the goat and symbolically confessed and transferred onto the goat all of the sins of the Israelites for that year. Then the goat was released into the wilderness to bear and carry the Israelites' sins to an uninhabited place, typically removing the sins to a place where they were never to be found again!31 So, just as Jesus bore our sins, He likewise bore or carried our sicknesses for us so that we could be free from them.

Matthew 8:16-17 is a divine commentary on Isaiah 53:4. "When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.'" I think that God must have known that religious people would seek to spiritualize Isaiah 53:4 and say that it refers only to our sins. But it's obvious to any thinking person, in the light of the Hebrew words in Isaiah 53:4, and of the reference to healing the sick in Matthew 8:16-17, that God was showing us clearly that Jesus bore our sicknesses at the same time that he bore our sins! That same sacrifice takes care of both the sin and sickness problem!

Once you've established in your own heart that it's God's will to heal you, the next step is to put yourself in position to receive healing. In this lesson, I want to show you how to receive healing by exercising faith in God's Word.32

Since faith begins where the will of God is known, once you know it's God will to heal you, it's then necessary to get yourself in position to receive the healing that's been provided. Since faith comes by hearing God's Word,33 the first step in receiving by faith is to get God's Word about healing firmly planted within you! In fact, the order in Jesus' ministry in the four gospels was teaching, preaching, and then healing.34 Please notice that in the four gospels, Jesus usually didn't minister healing until the seed of God's Word was planted through teaching.

The best way to plant the seed of the Word in you for healing is to find scriptures concerning God's will to heal you and meditate35 on them. Meditation in the Word builds the capacity for faith. The Word will build a knowing, a conviction within you, that God will heal. Once that conviction is strong, it's time to act on the Word!

The best way I've found to act on the Word is to go to Mark 11:23-24,36 and use these verses as a basis to initially exercise your faith. It's worked this way for me for over 30 years now. Whether you have someone pray and lay hands on you, or you just pray on your own, the important thing is to believe you receive. Once the command of faith has been spoken to the mountain of sickness, you must begin at that moment to believe you receive your healing. That is, you believe that you have already received the healing before there is any change whatsoever in the symptoms.

Faith must have corresponding actions to work as it should.37 If you believe that you receive, then do all you can to act as though you believe you receive. Talk like you believe you receive. If someone sees your symptoms and asks you how you're doing, tell them you're fine, and that you believe you receive your healing.

I find ways to act my faith when I'm believing I receive. I'll grunt through the discomfort, and I'll do the things I would do if the manifestation of the healing were there. Faith acts. Be pragmatic and practical, but find ways to demonstrate your faith.

Believing you receive is one of the most challenging things you'll do as a believer, because we are programmed by the world to believe only what we see. But we are to look at the things that are not seen by focusing our attention on the Word.38 Let every thought, word, and action affirm that you believe that God has already answered your request. Your job is to believe you receive; God's responsibility is to manifest the healing in response to your faith.

Remember, if you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.39 Meditate in the Word, then release your faith by believing God has answered while the symptoms still rage, and then act your faith in practical ways. God honors His Word. He watches over it to perform it.40 It will not return void to Him.41 He longs to heal you, because healing is provided in your redemption in Christ!

Resources & Endnotes

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When we talk about tithing, what are we really talking about? As born again believers, we are taught to give 10% of our income to the Lord. Do you think the Lord needs this? Do you feel you will get a “That a boy!“ when you get to heaven? It is time the church has a heart check. The tithe is not about ten percent of your income; it is about trusting the Lord 100%.

When you trust the Lord 100%, you know that the 90% of your income will produce more than all of it together. One of my favorite verses is Malachi 3:10: “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.“ The tithe is about trust. When we tithe, we show God that we put Him first place in our finances, so we honor and worship Him with the first 10%.

When I first started tithing, I was inconsistent. I would tithe for a while and then question whether or not we should give before or after taxes. If I gave a gift to a ministry, I would count that as part of the tithe. That is not being a good steward of the tithe, which belongs in the local church.

The Lord does not need your money. His needs are met. We need to give so our needs are met.  Isn’t it amazing how, when you are finally hooked up with the love of tithing, the car seems to need fewer repairs, and the electric bill is not quite so high? The tithe shows God that you love and appreciate Him, and that you want to spread the gospel all over the world.

I know that some people just can’t understand how they could tithe if they can’t pay their bills. They wonder, “How on earth could I do it if I tithed?“ I have been there; I understand. However, we the church need to start living in the supernatural, not the natural. The natural way of thinking says that tithing is crazy. People have told me I am crazy.  I don’t take my council from people; I take council from God.

The church should not be deceived by Satan, the ruler of the natural world. Galatians 6:7 says, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.“ The principles of seed time and harvest were created by God and are always at work in the earth. The tithe is a starting place that puts these principles into motion for your finances. 

Galatians 3:14 says, “that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.“ Jesus died on the cross so that we can receive the blessing of Abraham. I don’t know about you, but I want some of that! It all starts with the tithe. Trust the Lord 100%. I dare you to start tithing and see the power of God move in your life!

SCRIPTURES TO MEDITATE ON:

• Deuteronomy 8:18
• Mark 4:8
• Deuteronomy 28:2-8
• Matthew 6:33
• Psalm 112:3
• Luke 6:38
• Proverbs 3:9-10

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This story, which was actually received as a vision, was related by Cathy Lechner, a guest speaker at an EFI women’s conference in the mid-1990’s. It is retold using the author’s own wording and comments.

The Vision

She had known the battle was coming, and was thoroughly prepared. So she thought. Intense interims of prayer brought forth a knowing, not a dreading, but a sure knowledge of the coming warfare. How would she fare? What would be the outcome? All she could do was trust the Shepherd. He never failed.

And so it came about that one dawn she found herself in a vast armory. Swords to the right, swords to the left, a seemingly endless array of grandeur in cutlery. Each one oiled, sheathed, and ready.

The Lord had led her here to choose a weapon. But such variety!

Curved blades, straight blades, colored scabbards, jeweled hilts, flared handles, every size and weight ..... her head spun. So she stepped back for a moment to peruse. That’s when she saw it.

Beautiful. Almost luminous, it seemed to glow with a light all its own, somehow flowing from within. Could a sword pulse with life? Scanning the rows of weapons, though placed in the middle, she sensed it stood apart.

Gems were so intricately set in the hilt that they were almost hidden, rendering it even more stunning with the marked absence of gaudiness. The blade, bold and true, slimmed to infinitesimally thin edges. The lightest touch would sever. Such craftsmanship, such power. Oh, such a weapon! Did she dare?

“This is the one I want, Lord!“ He was there and nodded encouragement. Eagerly grasping the hilt, she began to withdraw the sword from its scabbard. Suddenly, pain shot through her hand! Instantly she cried out and released the heavy sword, as it slid back into its holder.

The edges of the handle were so sharp that they had cut her hand! Stunned, she clutched her bleeding palm and stared aghast at the Lord. What?!

Warm eyes met her gaze. Inside she knew, without Him uttering a word out loud, that this was the sword He had chosen for her.

“Lord, I can’t use this sword. It cuts my hand!“ Unthinkable. I must have misunderstood. The Lord knows no one can fight with a sword like that!

And so up and down the rows she meticulously searched. Trying this blade, then that one, choosing carefully, for the battle still loomed, and the right weapon was critical. It must fit her perfectly.

Finally the choice was made, and it did fit her perfectly. Light, easily wielded, with a comfortable hold, balanced in her hand, the blade seemed designed specifically for her. Ah, such movement, such freedom it allowed. Surely the enemy would fall quickly before this sword! Armed with her choice, she emerged from the armory to confront the enemy. And the battle began.

For most of the day she stood her ground, and for most of the day she fought. Oh, how she fought! She lunged, feinted, swerved, lunged again; hour after hour she thrust over and over. But after all the effort, all her maneuvers, all the agonizing energy she had poured into the long battle, the enemy remained.

Now frantic and exhausted, she withdrew and fell on her knees before the Shepherd, crying desperately, “Lord, I have fought so hard, please tell me, how does the enemy remain?“

In the sun’s slanting rays, the Lord gently led her back into the armory and silently pointed to that sword. “Lord, you can’t be serious! I can’t use that sword; it cuts my flesh. I won’t be able to fight with it!“

Those warm eyes did not offer an explanation, only a promise ... His Presence. And the assurance of what He wanted her to do. Reluctantly releasing the sword she had chosen, she walked to the one the Shepherd still indicated ... and grasped it. It was just as sharp, and as her hand closed around the hilt, its edges slit the flesh of her palm once again. Struggling, she just managed to slip the heavy sword from its scabbard.

Wearily stumbling outside, she once again took her stand on the battlefield. Now as the daylight waned, using every particle of her remaining strength, fighting to maintain her hold even as blood slid down her arms and she shook with fatigue, she was just barely able to raise the sword .......  and the enemy took one look ......... and fled.

The Challenge

Are we ever insistent on fighting life’s battles OUR way? Will we take the challenge to submit to the Lord’s choice of weapons for us? How boldly do we declare, “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their testimony ...“ So true! But the verse continues, “and they loved not their own lives even unto death.“ (Revelation 12:11)

Is it possible that we can become partial to certain Scriptures, perhaps ignoring others, maybe the ones that cut the flesh? God’s wisdom for living life is found in embracing the beautiful balance of the whole counsel of His Word. We must both “Submit yourselves to God” AND “Resist the devil” before “he will flee from you.“ (James 4:7)

I challenge myself foremost, along with you - Let’s open our hearts and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal blind areas in which we have disregarded His wooing, perhaps unwittingly. We can be certain that discovering the results will be an adventure!

May 2007 | Posted in • Family | (0) Comments |

The other day my daughter Vanessa was telling me a story about our 2½-year-old granddaughter, Rivers.  Vanessa was in her kitchen, preparing a dish to bring to a family gathering of ours. As she was feeling the rush to get done, she heard this gentle, sweet voice from the living room say, “Mommy, Jesus is my friend.“  Is there anything more precious than a child speaking the words of God?  What had been put into Rivers came back out. 

When we hear our children say things, we often do a Joe McGee impersonation, “Where did that come from? Who taught you to say that?“ If we will take time to evaluate our comings and goings, we may be surprised at what we have put inside our children.  Many times we do not realize how much what we do or say influences them, until the appointed season of time that it is revealed. 

“‘This is My covenant with them, My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,‘ says the Lord, ‘from this time and forevermore.‘“
- Isaiah 59:21

I remember a time over eleven years ago, when my two youngest children, Dave and Elizabeth, were 4 and 5 years old.  During that season, I had been spending every opportunity possible in my closet praying, often late into the night when everyone was asleep.  At times during the day, if there was someone available to spend time with them, I would pray. 

One day, after this had been going on for quite a while, my 19-year old, Vanessa, came to me and said, “Mom, Elizabeth has been going and sitting outside your door when you pray. She asked me what were you doing, and I told her, ‘praying in tongues.‘ Elizabeth wants to know how to pray in tongues like you. You may want to talk with her.“ 

I had been given the opportunity to put inside of my 5-year-old daughter what was inside me.  Parents, we never know when our children are watching us.   I was surprised, excited, and apprehensive. My 5-year-old daughter wanted to experience the Baptism of the Holy Spirit!

Earlier that year, by herself in her room, Elizabeth had accepted Jesus as her Savior. She then came downstairs and announced her decision to the family. Even so..was she old enough for this?  If Holy Spirit could draw her to sit by my closet door and listen to me pray, putting the desire inside of her, then she was ready to have her own prayer language.

However, Holy Spirit did give me wisdom to wait and not rush things, allowing Him to bring it about in His timing. The day came. We were riding in the car when, without warning, Elizabeth said, “I want to pray in tongues.“ My son David chimed in, “I do, too.“ I suggested that she wait until Sunday and let the Children’s Ministry Director at that time pray with her , but she would not hear of it. 

When we arrived home, I took her and David into the bedroom. We jumped up on my bed, and there we three sat, looking at each other. I have to be honest; as I looked at them, I was a little afraid.  “What if this doesn’t work? . They are so young,“ I thought.  But immediately the Word came: “God did not give us a spirit of fear”  So I began by explaining the what, when, why and how of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

David is outgoing and ready to jump in and make things happen. So, when we prayed, he immediately began to speak in tongues; in fact, he took off like a rocket praying, just like his personality. 

Elizabeth, however, is my deep thinker, slow to speak, but great in understanding the things of life.  She processes life differently than David, as she did with praying in tongues. She did not pray in tongues immediately.

I sent David out to play and proceeded to encourage Elizabeth.  “You believed, you asked, and you have received your prayer language. It’s inside of you, waiting to come out.“ She understood what I was saying and also went to play.

The next day, I was in the laundry room folding clothes.  Behind me, I heard her gentle voice saying, “I got it, I got it.“  As I turned around, I saw my Elizabeth with a radiant smile on her face.  In her bedroom, by herself with Holy Spirit, she began to pray in tongues, just as she had done with accepting Jesus as her Savior.  We were so excited!

I knew my Father God would take care of my little girl, that He would not disappoint her.  She believed, she asked, and God isn’t a liar.“did He not say, will He not do?“  Yes, He did!! 

God has given us parents a blank canvas in each of our children; we begin filling it the moment they are born. We create in their hearts what we have in our own hearts.  I encourage you to feed on the Word of God every day.  Ask God for guidance as a believer, as an adult, and as a parent.  It’s not easy being a parent, and none of us will do it right all the time.  But, if we have a heart after God, and as we are willing and obedient to His word, we will put good stuff into our children. And they in turn will with our grandchildren.  And on it goes