Isaiah 24

The LORD's Devastation of the Earth

1 See, the LORD is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it; he will ruin its face and scatter its inhabitants--NIV

1 Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty and makes it waste, Distorts its surface And scatters abroad its inhabitants.   NKJV

I was doing an online study with Kay Arthur and chapter 24 of Isaiah was what I was studying the day before the MASSIVE outbreak of tornadoes occurred in Alabama.  I have been struggling with and wrestling with what happened.  Then yesterday, I awoke to my own LITTLE flood.  The kitchen, dining room (both a little over a year old in renovation) and our downstrairs was flooded.  A line to the dishwasher broke loose and we slept right through it.

So in my quiet time with the Lord today, I began to remember a prayer I recently prayed regarding my relationship with Him.  I had felt as if the busyness of life had hindered my time and my walk with Him.  I wanted to be closer to Him.  And THEN the flood.  Yesterday amidst the cleanup and MOUNDS of laundry, I took a break to go see several clients at the fitness center to train, followed by a quick lunch.  While I waited in line at Firehouse Subs, two ladies were being asked in front of me if they wanted to round up their total to give to the tornado victims.  The daughter said you are asking the wrong person.  She just lost her home.  I immediately interrupted the conversation and asked where her house was.  And in common fashion for me, I ended up with a full blown conversation right there in front of the lady waiting patiently to take my order. 

So here is the story I was told.  The lady told me she lived in Anderson Hills.  I told her that I had lived in Harvest (where this subdivision is) back in 95 when the same subdivision was hit.  She said she too had lived thru that tornado as well, but her house was destroyed in that tornado then as well.  My heart was so overwhelmed with compassion yet she was such a blessing to me.  She talked of the goodness of God and said how often does someone GET TO START OVER at 70.   She began to count all the blessing and how good everyone had been in helping her.   I can't tell you how small my LITTLE flood was at that moment.  I asked her for her, her husband, her dog and her daughter's name so I could pray for them regularly.  I saw God's glory in HER amidst great trial.

So as I prayed this morning and as I surveyed the damage of my own home, first I thanked God for my home.  I thank Him that I get to RETHINK my home.  But then as I prayed I began to cry.  I was reminded of my earlier prayer and thought why is it trials draw us closer to Him.  Why is it His glory is so much more obvious in us during the trials.  I began to see the fall in the garden all over again.  It seems in the back drop of the garden we don't full appreciate the wonder, the magnificents of God.  It appears that human nature draws much closer to God in the midst of the storm.  We seem to become more intimate with God and we seem to KNOW Him so much better in the storms of life.

So then, my question is why is it when we pray for our loved ones, we inevidably always pray for the lack of challenge, adversity and pain?  It still doesn't mean that I am praying for hardship on my loved ones, it just means I am pondering this matter and human nature in general.  I want to be close to my Lord in the good times as well as the bad.  I want to fully bask in His glory at all times.  I want to learn to grow in the good times and cling to Him in the absence of adversity.

I sure do LOVE my Lord!

Amen!

Calling all to pray

Today will be short and sweet and to the point.  I am calling you to pray.  Pray for the nation, pray for the church, pray for the individuals in your life and pray for God's spirit to be full in you.  Pray that you will have a growing desire for His word.  Pray that you will allow the word to grow richly in you.  Pray that others will be able to see Christ's reflection in you, and that your life will bring glory (attention to) God.  So that by it, they will want to know Him.  Be blessed today and know that the power of God we have available to us is not at our finger tips, but rather it is just beneath your bended knees.  So for today, GO AND PRAY!!!!!!

This was from Life Today

Disarming Deception


by Beth Moore



Deception is the glue that holds every stronghold together. Let’s reflect on this concept: nothing is bigger or more powerful than God; therefore, anything other than Jesus Christ mastering the Christian’s life can keep its grip only through pretension and deception. Remember, Satan is the father of lies.1 No truth is in him. However, his specialty is twisting a lie until it seems true. The list of lies we often believe when we are held in a stronghold can be unlimited. Consider just a few examples:

I can never be victorious over this compulsion. I’ve had it too long.

I can’t help the mess I'm in. I'm caught, and there’s nothing I can do about it.

It may be a stronghold, but I really need it to get by.

I am absolutely worthless nothing but a failure.

I'm in control here. This is not controlling me.

This isn’t doing me any harm. I can handle it.

I’ll know just when to stop.

After all I’ve been through, I deserve this.

There’s nothing wrong with this relationship. People just don’t understand us.

Everyone thinks these kinds of thoughts most of the time. I'm only human.

God may work for other people, but He doesn’t work for me.

I’ll just have to wait until heaven to get over this. Real victory isn’t possible on earth.

God can’t possibly fill the void in my life. I need something more.

I am too emotionally handicapped to ever be OK.

It’s hopeless. I'm hopeless.



Sometimes we’re very aware of tolerating or even fueling a lie. Other times, we are caught in such a web that we can no longer see ourselves or our situations accurately. It’s not always clear when we’re being deceived, but one sure sign is when we begin to deceive. All you have to do to locate Satan in any situation is look for the lie. How do we recognize a lie? Anything we believe or act on that is contrary to what the truth of God’s Word says about us is a lie. Second Corinthians 4:2 tells us how to respond to such things: “Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the Word of God.” This passage helps us identify four of Satan’s specialties that must be renounced and rejected by the believer in order for him/her to walk in victory: secrecy, shame, deception, and distortion of Scripture.



As you consider each one, you can readily imagine how deception permeates all four and how interrelated they are. Satan’s plans toward the believer are always the antithesis of God’s. Our Redeemer wants to loose us from the closets of secrecy and bring us to a spacious place of joy, freedom, authenticity, and transparency. Satan wants to keep us bound in secrecy where he can weigh us down in guilt, misery, and shame. Oh, beloved, I know from experience that so much of the shame we experience is wrapped up in the secret. In fact, the enemy knows that once we expose the secret places of our lives to the light of God’s Word, we’re on our way to freedom.



I'm not suggesting that the only way to be free is to stand up before our congregations and tell every detail of every sin we’ve ever committed or considered. The King James Version translates James 5:16 far more accurately than several other versions: “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed” (emphasis mine). Some of the other translations say, “Confess your sins to each other…” (emphasis mine). The original word translated “faults” in the KJV and “sins” in the NIV is paraptoma, which means “fault, lapse, error, mistake, wrongdoing.” Contrast 1 John 1:9 where we are told, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” The original word for “sin” in this verse is hamartia, meaning any way in which we miss the mark and any “aberration from the truth.” James 5:16 refers to the confessions we make to others, while 1 John 1:9 refers to the confessions we make to God. Please notice the slight contrast between sharing our faults, weaknesses, and mistakes with others and confessing every detail of every sin to God.



If we’re going to live in freedom, we have no choice but to renounce every single secret place of sin in our lives to God, exposing even the smallest detail to the light of God’s Word. This is the means by which God injects truth in the inner parts.2 I have also found incalculable help and freedom in confessing details of my past sins and strongholds to a few other trustworthy, mature believers for the sake of accountability. There are a couple of people I really trust who basically know every detail of my life.



Living a consistently victorious life takes courage! But this courage leads to a glorious, indescribable liberty! What relief awaits you if you really decide to let God’s truth set you free…then keep you free. Be willing to ask God on a regular basis if you are overlooking or denying a stronghold in your life. Because of my past track record, I’ve had to learn to dialog openly with God about areas of my life that are at risk: areas where I’ve been defeated before or circumstances that suddenly result in anger or insecurity. I also ask Him to help me discern the very first signs of Satan’s deceptions in my life.



Let’s reiterate, however, that the most effective way to veer from deception is to walk in truth. Third John 4 says, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” The wonderful news is: the joy that results from your walk in truth won’t just be God’s. It will be yours, too. As Christ said, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”



1 John 8:44

2 Psalm 51:6



Adapted from Praying God's Word: Breaking Free from Spiritual Strongholds by Beth Moore, © 2000 by Beth Moore, Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Balance

Prov 25:27 It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to seek one's own honor. NIV
Look how it is translated in The Message:   It's not smart to stuff yourself with sweets, nor is glory piled on glory good for you

Live a life of balance.  You notice it is indicating not to OVERINDULGE in sweets.  I believe self-control is the key here.  It is not telling you NOT to eat it.  God gave us honey for our enjoyment, but TOO much is not good for you.  This applies to everything in your life.  Anything can become OUT OF BALANCE.  If you have accepted Christ as your savior, you have the fruit of the spirit in you to include self-control.  You just have to USE it and EXERCISE it.  Just like you have to exercise/use your muscles in order to strengthen them. 


Proverbs 25:28 MSG  A person without self-control is like a house with its doors and windows knocked out.

So let's use MODERATION and BALANCE in all areas of our lives.

Returning to the body

I was talking last night regarding those who know Christ yet are living as if they do not.  For those who have fallen into a deep pit of sin where the consequences of their sin affects those around them deeply.  I began to discuss how I pray against these people.  But what I didn't have time to explain is why.  You see, it is for their good and for God's glory that they turn from their sin.  Perhaps we do not fully realize the detrimental effects of sin.  Maybe we don't accept fully what God says about sin.  He says that sin leads to death! 

If we could REALLY look at sin for what it is, we would be praying harder for those wandering sheep to be returned to the fold no matter the cost.  I know these things seem harsh and unloving.  But honestly it may be the MOST loving thing we  can do for them.  Suffering for a little while for the sake of freedom and relationship with our Lord.  (no suffering can compare to the surpassing glory)  It was mentioned that we would really need to search ourselves when doing this.  I totally agree.  But also feel it is important for me to mention that I am in NO WAY above falling.  I know that I too could give way to a sinful life.  I know this because I did early in my walk with the Lord.  I lived in darkness for almost a decade.  So as much as I am aware of my own fragile state, I know my redeemer lives.  I know that I have been bought by a price and that He can keep me if I will submit to being kept.  I am part of His beloved and I am His child.  I am a victor and I am serving a mighty and awesome God.

Of course I pray for God's mercy on them as I pray that God would do what it takes to return them back and restore them.  I wait with open arms for a loved one who has wandered far away from God.  My biggest prayer for her is that she will respond to His prompting quickly.  I pray that God will open the eyes of her understanding and heart to see how far away she is.  I pray that she will run back into the arms of her savior.

Sin not only tarnishes our ability to reflect Christ it also blocks our ability to see God around us, hear Him and see His perspective. 

So my prayer is for the Lord to get their attention in whatever manner necessary, for them to confess their sin, and to repent*.  Then my prayer is that the broken relationships both earthly and divinely would be restored.  That the land that the locust ate would be restored.
Regarding confession, and repentance (*more simple stated:  God breaks them from turning to the world, they agree with God about their sin, they turn from it and walk in righteousness in Christ)

Delays, delays, delays

Well I have had a sick computer.  Then I have been busy with my girls, work and my bible study with little time to write here.  I have been saturated with various thoughts and insights.  I am going to try to get them down and see if I can make any sense out of them.

First is the verse Psalm 37:4   Delight yourself in the LORD ; And He will give you the desires of your heart.

I heard this a different way when I read this scripture this time.  Basically saying that the desires of my heart will not be my own worldly desires, but that the desires I have will be the desires that the LORD gives me if I will delight myself in HIM.  Totally changed the way I read that verse.

The second verse on my heart is the command for us to GO!  Matt 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  (The translation referring to GO- "as you go".)

And then; Deut 6:6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up

So put these last two together.  As you go, make disciples of every nation baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  (Baptizing - original greek word is baptizo  - to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water, to wash one's self, bathe to overwhelm)

Revelation 19:13 …his name is the Word of God. (Referring to Jesus)

So get this, as you go making disciples, overwhelm them, bathe them, cleanse them, immerse and repeatedly dip them in the NAME of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit.  So we are to TALK about who He is as we go thru out our day (as we ride down the road, as we sit, we need to impress them upon our children).  We are to talk to the nations about the WORD of God.   

So we need to delight ourselves in the LORD, and He will create in us the "DESIRE of our heart" to be for His Word and the people of the world to know Him (to make Him famous - bring Him glory).  He will begin to burn in us a desire for others to be BAPTIZED in the WORD of God.  That they would KNOW Him and that they too would be immersed in His Word as we are. 

How can we hunger for God and His word if we are full of EVERYTHING else in this world.  A man who is full will never seek after food.  A man who is not thirsty will not seek water.  But if we delight in the Lord, I believe He will create in us a HUNGER for His word and an insatiable thirst for His living water.

So as you go about your day, immerse those around you in the Word of God as you sit with them, ride with them or whatever it is your doing.  Not that you get out the bible and begin to read to everyone.  BE a living example, a living epistle of the Word of God.  Not by your own strength but by spending time with the Father thru Christ by the indwelling of His Holy Spirit.

Be blessed today.

False Perfection or True Fellowship

Excerpt from an email I wrote to a friend:

I wrote a letter to a church years ago while listening to a sermon. (I never delivered it just was expressing what was heavy on my heart that morning) It was just flowing out onto the paper. It was about "Would you love me if you knew where I had been, what I had done.?" But then it went further to where we are most fearful of rejection. It became about "Would you love me if you knew where I am NOW, what I am struggling with now?"  It is difficult to talk about where we have been but immensely more difficult to talk about where we are. There seems to be much more forgiveness for our past than our present. But the present is the only place where we can effect change.


We live in a Christian world of pretense perfection. But honestly, life is messy. We present a package so that it is palatable to those around us. We don't have time for the mess in each others lives so we clean it up and keep our distance hoping no one will notice. (so we can enjoy superficial fellowship with one another)  We even busy ourselves in ministry so that we can keep it above suspicion. This is not to condemn any of us in the church it is just what it has become. But this very reason is why the body is not effective in changing lives. It encourages outward conformation to laws instead of a steady diet of inward transformation that comes from being willing to be open, honest and humble. Being open to correction and self awareness. Being vulnerable and real.

You see, I believe the most mature among us is not looking for our own perfection nor to be thought of that way. With maturity we begin to realize that it is our true WEAKNESS that reveals Christ most.   We have to bring our sin into the light of God's word.  
Quote from Life Today:

"Repent while it is still a secret. Do it (repent) because you heard the call." Then they mentioned that NOT MANY do it this way. They repent only after it has become a public spectacle.

Also from LIFE Today

“If God sheds light on a weed, He’s the only one that can remove it. But it must be removed at the root He’s the only one that can do that!” James

Another Good Reason to Get a Good Nights Sleep

Fitness Tip of the Week from WorkoutMusic.com

Are You Sabotaging Your Workout Efforts?

Too many late, sleepless, nights has its consequences - illness, breakdown of muscle and even weight gain. Insufficient sleep can actually make you fat!



Your body produces more cortisol, an adrenal-regulated hormone, which turns on a fat-storing enzyme to increase fat storage, thwarting your best exercise endeavors. Cortisol causes cellular breakdown, depleting the energy stores in your muscles and leaving you feeling weak and tired and can mean you're too tired to exercise. Lastly, sleepless fatigue can activate the feelings of hunger, even if you're not hungry, resulting in cravings for high-carb and high-fat junk food.



So what's the final message here? By day be active and exercise, by night take a break for 7 to 9 hours and sleep the night away.

Flaxseed

Really excited about a new site I found.  So much information available if you want to check it out.

Did you know:

Flaxseeds are high in protein, soluble fiber and contain vitamins B1, B2, C, E and beta carotene. In addition to the omega-3 fatty acid that flaxseeds are also rich in, they contain calcium, potassium, magnesium and zinc.




Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/330229-how-to-eat-flaxseed-with-extra-virgin-olive-oil-for-health/#ixzz1BzemG2MB

Tips for Pursuing Healthier Living

Regarding caloric intake:  Set your calorie intake to be the goal weight times 10 to give you a general idea of the number of cals you should be consuming daily.  Begin to journal your food and record the calories.   (note if you are considerably over that goal weight you will want to do this incrementally- You will not want that to be the calories immediately - reduce the weekly calories as you loose the weight)

Roadblocks:  After doing the above suggestion for a period of time, if you encounter roadblocks, you may need to play with these numbers.  You can take a week where you ramp up the daily calories by 1-2 hundred calories.  Then return back to the original goal weight calories.

Cravings:  After a time, you may develop overwhelming cravings.  It may mean you have cut back on those cals too much.  It is ok if you have a day where you want to eat. You may need to ramp up your caloric intake for several days when cravings come. Be mindful of not being too drastic.  Being too drastic may yield rapid weight loss, but you will have a more unstable emotional state. (also rapid weight loss rarely remains off - you usually gain all of the weight back but it finds some friends to come along when it returns)  Being in an emotional state while trying to loose weight is usually a bad combination and will more than likely lead to failure.

Another factor that may be causing cravings is you are at a certain cycle in your month.  So always be aware of the calendar.   Hormones can drive us. Cravings in themselves are not bad. It is the bodies way of telling us what it needs. So listen to what your body is crying out for.  Ask God to reveal to you what it is your body wants. (scripture says we have not because we ask not)  For example, if you are having this insatiable desire for chocolate, you may need magnesium (there is a low fat way to get that and a fattening way)  You have the freedom to choose which one. If you are craving tons of butter, your body is probably needing fat.  (you can get a handful of almonds -about 5- or avocado is an excellent healthy fat) If you are craving sugary foods you may need to increase your carbs. You can choose multigrains to get that as a healthier alternative to a sugary treat. If you are craving anything at all, there is an underlying biological need driving it. So listen to your body. Is it crying out for a Snickers? You may be needing both the magnesium from the chocolate and the protein from the peanuts the carbs from the caramel. Should you try to satisfy that desire with a healthy choice? You can or just eat the snickers and enjoy it. Record it in your calories and accommodate for it the next day or so. It is not evil and it is not cheating to act on cravings. That is the beauty of this program. You can have what your body desires in moderation and on occasion. You just have to be smart about it.

In this blog, I wrote about focus and how it helps us succeed.  http://on-wings-as-eagles.blogspot.com/2010/10/where-is-your-focus.html  I believe that there are many ways to succeed at living a healthier life.  If you begin to focus on being healthier and educating yourself to make wiser decisions with what, how much and frequency of food consumption, you will find you will succeed.  If you focus on exercise as part of your life, you will find you will succeed.  The good thing about New Years Resolutions is that it gets you focused on the goal.  The problem is that most resolution fail because our focus gets quickly diverted.

Ways to develop this focus is what spurs programs like Weight Watchers, personal trainers, and nutritionist.  They are just methods to get you to focus and to help you stay focused.  The methods themselves are not magical.  They are only effective if you use them and they help you keep your focus.  As for the methods, you use what works for you.  You can get an accountability partner, you can post cards or pictures around your house especially in the kitchen to remind yourself.  You can join a fitness center, you can even find someone to design a food plan for you.  But your most important part of this method is that you remain focused on it. 

Encouraging others to live healthier lives is just part of my passion.  I hope you find encouragement in this today.

Where is Your Focus???

Here is a weapon we have!   FOCUS!!!

I am just reminded today that where we have our focus is the key to what matters to us.  It is the key to how we succeed.  It is a big key to life.

For example, if we focus on our past we live in the past.  If we are consumed by fear of our future or even anticipation for our future, we are focusing on the future.  If we are alert and aware of our present, our focus is on the HERE and NOW!!! The present is the ONLY place where we can affect anything.  You cannot change the past or alter the future.  So if we live in the present and keep our eyes on the present, fixing our gaze on Jesus, we will live a more satisfied, successful, peaceful, and content life.  And we will bring the Father much glory.

Do we focus on our pain, our finances, our schedule, or our sin?  Our focus is SO important.

There is a time to look at our pain, our finances and our sin.  Plus much more.  But my point is that our focus has to be upon the Lord and His word.

Where is your focus?

If we focus on weight loss, getting out of debt, winning a game...  or whatever, we are usually successful.  Why?  We keep our goal before us.  The key to weight loss success is always finding ways to keep the goal right in front of you, whether it is thru Weight Watchers, and accountability partner, a group, or refrigerator reminders.  The method is rarely ever the key to success.  It is that you keep your focus on your goal.

The world is a very distracting place.  There are things demanding our attentions.  If we are not intentional with our focus, we will drown in a sea of busyness and trivial pursuits.  If we want to walk a life that is honoring to God and draws others to Him, we are going to have to keep our eyes SET upon HIM.  Jesus is our goal, to be like Christ.  But it is not to conform ourselves into the image of Christ.  Oh so subtly we can begin to think it is for us to do.  But on the contrary, it is for us to set our eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth WILL grow strangely dim, in the light of His GLORY and GRACE.  (such a great song, but those words cut to the heart of what I am saying)   Listen to me here.  FOCUS on Jesus.  He is our goal.  But it is not for us to do.  As you set your eyes upon Him and your focus is neither to the left nor the right, as you emmerse yourself in who HE is.  THERE is where the work begins inside of you.  It is where the transformation is done.  It is not a difficult mathematical equation.  It is as simple as where you are focused. 

That is why every day we need to seek Christ.  We need to keep Him in the forefront of our minds.  He is always there.  He says He will never leave you.  So as we set our eyes on Him, we become increasingly aware of His presence with us.  As we become aware of His presence we become strengthen, encouraged, and more like Christ. 

I have noticed that whomever I spend the most time with, I begin to pick up there mannerisms and behaviors.  I begin to see things from there perspective and even at times pick up there offenses.  So as we spend more time with Jesus the more we will be transformed inside out.  I want to talk like Him, walk like Him, care about what He cares about.  I want the transforming work of Christ in me.  We need to look at the world from God's perspective.  Ask Him for it.

Daniel 4:27 in the New Living Translation, says "Stop sinning and do what is right."  Focus on that scripture.  Seems pretty straight forward and simple when you boil it down.  But we are able to effectively do this by the enabling power of Christ.  We focus on HIM.  He will strengthen us to stop our sin and to do what is right.

There is a story in the bible of a King who walked a life of focus.  1Kings 22:1-2 "Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. ... 2 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. "

Not turning aside to the right or the left.  Keep your focus directly on Jesus.  I believe it is a key to effective living.