The enemy came in like a flood

Isaiah 59:19 NKJV

So shall they fear The name of the Lord from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.

On Mother's Day this year, after an evening of ministering to a sister in Christ who had fallen to sin years ago and is living there, I awoke the following morning to a flood in my home.  I wrote about the flood in other posts.  However, a dear sister in Christ told me about the above scripture.  I just had to share it with you. 

You see years before when my fallen sister was walking with Christ, she had fallen to sin and my family spent time praying with her to be free.  That evening over a decade ago, I returned home to a flooded kitchen.  HMMM  wonder what that is all about?  Not really!  I know that where the Spirit of the Lord is busy, you will also see the enemy trying to come against it.  Although I didn't want to go thru a renovation and all the mess that comes with it.  If it means that a sister will be free on the other side, I find great encouragement in the flood.  Just like the flood brought destruction to my home, the renovation brought order and great beauty.   I look to the day when my sister in Christ is able to look back at the sin that brought destruction in her life and only be able to see the RENOVATION and beauty the Lord made from it.

I look up again at the scripture and where the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. 

Ready for the good guys to win this one!!!!!  Ready to see my sweet sister in Christ to be back up on her feet and walking hand in hand with her savior, her Christ!

One of my Favorite verses!!

Isaiah 40:31

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.(KJV)

So the joy of the Lord is my strength, and if I wait on the Lord my strength will be renewed.  So I can DO for God all day and be exhausted.  OR I can wait and allow the Lord to DO thru me and I can run and not grow weary and walk and not faint.  HMMM  I choose to WAIT on the Lord!!!!!!!!!

• to wait -  look for, hope, expect, to wait or look eagerly for
• Lord - Jehovah = "the existing One" - the proper name of the one true God
• renew - to change, substitute, alter, change for better, renew, to show newness (of tree)
• strength - strength, power, might, human strength
• To mount up - ascend, rise to be lifted up, withdraw, be exalted, to take up, set up,  to be offered up, be carried away, to soar

So we eagerly look for the Lord and in doing that we will change for the better, and show newness in our strength.  We will be lifted up and carried away on wings like eagles in order to run and walk when needed without growing tired.  We will be able to do all that He needs us to do in His strength.  We can do all things thru Christ who strengthens us!!!!!

If you look at my last post, you will notice the continual flow.  We are filled up by the Lord in order to pour out in our walk/run.  But if we seek Him, He continues to fill us up over and over again.  This is right where the relationship is built with God by our faith in Jesus Christ in the power of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Look at the eagle as it flies.  It does not continually flap it wings.  I opens it wings wide, flaps several times and catches the wind under its wings and SOARS!  The wind does the work. 

John 3:8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

As the eagle gets the wind under his wings he goes higher and higher.  The work for him is holding out his wings and trusting in the wind.

Warning: Construction Zone- Christian under Construction!?!

Looking back over past blogs, I noticed that I had written about having a sick computer and bible study which prevented me from writing here.  Well this has been one of those rides that go longer than you hope. 


I remember when I was a little girl and my family went to Six Flags over GA. for the 4th of July in 1976.  The 200th birthday celebration of the US.  We went to the final ride of the night at closing time.   We all rode the "mo mo monster" which spun around as a whole ride and then each individual bucket also spun.  Little did we know that the fellow controlling the ride was going to be flirting with some teen girls on the same ride.  This ride went on and on and on.   We all felt sick and some expressed that in manners not so decent to share here.  We ended the evening with a LONG ride home from the park to north AL.

The current events have given me flash backs to that event.  I have written regarding the "little flood" we had in our home.  Since then, construction has been ongoing in our house.  The house is a mound of dust and disorganization.  Items are difficult to find and we have had numerous workers in the house daily.   During the renovation and restoration, our family travelled to NC for a soccer tournament.  While there, I attempted to escape the cares that we left back at home.  However, on our 8 hour trip home less than an hour from home, a deer ran into the driver side of our car.  While we were all safe, and we were able to limp home at 9:30 at night, the damage to the car was pretty extensive.  I journeyed once again to the insurance agency to file yet another claim.  I found that many body shops are VERY backed up and it would be about a month before anyone would be able to get to my car.  While small, I was also dealing with issues with a DVD player in the car that has not worked properly for some time.  I discovered that the warranty was just BARELY out on it.  As if this were not enough for the time being, then my Internet connection stopped functioning properly.  In an effort to troubleshoot it, I went from Internet provider, to router company and back.  Each blaming the other and both blaming me.  So here I am up and running again.  I finally contacted a knowledgeable customer service person who immediately identified the issue, sent a competent technician and it was fixed in minutes.  It works better than ever now.  (the problem was a cable connection and a bad modem)


So here I sit today with a new tile floor in my dining room that replaced the damaged hardwoods.  The basement is coming along and looks 10 times better than it did.  The carpet will be installed by Friday and many things that we would not have done to this house for years is now going to be done because of the "little flood".  Am I happy about the flood?  NO!   Can I see how some good came from it?  YES!  


So all this to say, although we never desire trials and difficulties in our lives, much good can come from them when in the hands of the ONE trained and ready to renovate and restore our lives.


As I had mentioned in a previous blog, I spoke in Feb at a ladies gathering.  The topic was about maturing in Christ.  Although since then I have been overwhelmed with "STUFF", I plan to begin hashing out the topics that I discussed.  To begin with, I want to really look at the core scripture.  

•1 Peter 1:22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, … through the living and enduring word of God.

•2:1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander ... 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation

Break down --

You have purified yourselves (HOW)

By obeying the truth (the proof this is happening will be because)

You have sincere love for your brothers, (YOU) love one another deeply, from the heart.

By it you may grow up in your salvation

So we are to grow up in our salvation.  Some of the things to look at will be unity, being built up, getting dressed, being purified by obeying the truth in order to growing up.


Other scriptures to start off with will be from Eph. 4 and 1 Cor. 1:10 .

On the hills of the tornado and my own Little Flood

As I watched Beth Moore this morning on Life Today, I was overwhelmed with the following scripture that she shared on the hills of the Little Flood I had in my own life and the overwhelming destruction of the tornados in Alabama.

Ps 57:1 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.2 I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills [his purpose] for me.

We are blessed when we REALIZE our need for Christ.  We always need Him but when we have trials or become aware of our own sin and short comings we begin to get a REAL glimpse of our need for CHRIST our SAVIOR our LORD.  The trial or sin is NOT a blessing, but the awareness of our need that drives us into the arms of our Lord is!!!!  That is when we receive the love and comfort of GOD!

Trials can bring revival of my soul and my spirit. 

I visited yesterday with folks up in Harvest where I use to live.  I spoke with victims and found stories of hope.  I had one lady tell me that she lost "stuff" (she had lost her HOME)  She said whatever was in her that didn't trust the Lord before, is GONE.  She was praising God.  She was counting her blessing.  She said that there were so many silver linings in this tragedy that she can hardly even see the storm any more.  Can you believe that?  God is real!!!! The stories are such blessings in the midst of such suffering and trials.  The stories of hope, love, trust and renewal.  The overwhelming outpouring of the body of Christ to those in need has been proclaimed OVER AND OVER with everyone I speak to.  Allow this to renew your strength today.  I know it did mine.

Wonderfully timely devotion sent from my sweet Mother-in-law

Sinner or saint, we all fall to worry at one time or the other. I Peter 5:7; Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." Well as Christians, that is pretty easy to understand but as humans, it is a little more difficult. The many cares of the world can quickly overwhelm us and make us think we have to do it all ourselves. We read in Mark 4; "The worries of this life come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful." As Christians, haven't we given our lives to Jesus; the One who is over all Heaven and earth? Matthew 11:28-29; "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Psalm 55:22; "Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall." This sounds so easy, but from an earthly prospective it is hard just to let go of a problem. We all feel we have failed and fallen at some time. But in a Heavenly prospective, in the eyes and hands of God, we may have failed but certainly not fallen from His grace. Romans 8:28; "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Worry can take away our positive thoughts and leave nothing but negative thoughts. We all feel the need to be in control and this makes it hard to turn everything over to God. Well, be in control; just be in control not of the situation, give that to God, but be in control of the negative thoughts. Say, This is God's will and I am God's child! Don't dwell on it, accept it as God's will and a part of His plan for your life. Trust God. It takes humility and that all important ingredient.....Faith.

God can take care of it much better than you or I.

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.