Hammer on Anvil '

Good evening everyone! It has been a wonderful day!

What do you do when you encounter a nonbeliever? Do you enter into a debate with them hoping to change their minds? Do you get angry and become argumentative with them? Or maybe you are quite and say nothing at all. No matter how you handle it, you have to know what you believe. Your faith has to be strong and you must be sure of what you believe. The enemy is smart and he knows your weaknesses. He will use the nonbeliever words to place doubt in your mind.

How do you protect yourself from this kind of attack? In my church we always say, 'Stay prayed up'. That means that we always need to be in constant communication with our Heavenly Father. Ask Him to show you the pitfall of the devil before you fall into them. Stay in His Word. Read your Bible everyday, more than once a day. It is the food for your soul. Fellowship with our believers. Seek counsel from other children of God, we are here to help each other. These are the things that will protect you from the enemy.

You must know what you believe, or you will fall for anything.

Have a very blessed weekend everybody!
Cheryl

Sporting fans everywhere have been up in arms about the recent holdout of the NFL referees.  Fans as well as the general public have become increasingly aware of this labor dispute, as the replacement refs have been put under a microscope.

I find it somewhat amusing, yet somewhat disturbing as many people have come unglued about this topic.  Just bring up the replacement refs with about anyone and you will surely get some opinion about it.

I enjoy sports as much as the next guy, but come on... it is still a game, right?

I love making spiritual analogies.

In the story of creation, God creates and it is good.  The bible is a love story between God and man.  We messed up and created separation between us and God.  The only way to approach Him is to be perfect.  We needed a replacement.  Watch this - Romans 5:6 - At just the right time, when we were hopeless and powerless, Christ came and died for the ungodly!

We got a replacement, who is perfect!
Walk in that truth today!

Depending on when you get up, either something great will be happening this morning or it has already happened. If you have kids in school, chances are, you were up before. If you are a college student and do not have classes til this afternoon, then you may have missed it. What is it I am talking about?

It takes about an hour and a half to mow our acre lot in the country. I often take advantage of the time to worship and pray. During one recent mowing, I was interceding for the persecuted Church -- in particular for two situations that had recently been in the news. In mid-August, a pastor's family in Sri Lanka was attacked, and their home nearly destroyed. About the same time, a pastor in Nigeria was attacked by Muslim extremists.

I was interceding in earnest, when suddenly God stopped me. He said, referring to the persecuted Christians, "These people KNOW Me; they are willing to give their very lives for Me! You need to pray for people in America who have been lulled into a false security by a watered-down gospel. Millions who think they are going to heaven don't even know Me!" Along with this grave word came an awful sense of dread and urgency.

As I prayed, God elaborated on the state of the American church:

• They embrace a gospel of convenience and comfort, rather than being willing to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Me.
• They run after false gods to titillate them and give them pleasure, rather than finding their joy in Me.
• They prefer messages that tickle their ears, rather than craving My Word.
• They espouse "cheap grace," desiring to be saved from hell, but not caring to give their lives as a living sacrifice.
• Instead of showing the world they are My followers by the love they have for one another, they bicker amongst themselves and their pride goes unchecked.
• Many churches are "white-washed tombs" -- elaborate structures full of dead men's bones.
• Many pastors lead their flocks astray. In an effort to be relevant and to attract more people, they refuse to preach My Word boldly. They preach abominations like a gospel of prosperity or a gospel where there is no absolute truth.

In the midst of all this hung the haunting Scripture:

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' (Matthew 7:21-23)

Ever since that day, I have prayed about what to do with this word. I didn't know if it was simply a call for me to intercede more urgently, or if it was something I was to share. Obviously since I am blogging about it, I feel like I am to share it with whomever has ears to hear.

Please, please, please...pray for the Church in America.

• What are we really doing to show the world that we are Christ-followers? 
• What by our actions, our words and our love show others, that being redeemed by him is beautiful & freeing instead of withered and hindering?
• How are showing love to the un-loveable and the poor, widow and the orphan and our family?

      “Jesus' command speaks to us whose lives have perhaps become humdrum, whose discipleship has turned into a business or a chore.  We who are preoccupied with nets and boats and hired servants.  Jesus speaks to us who have forgotten the power of the One who calls.  He also speaks to those of us who do not yet know the radical change of life that is promised.  The LIFE that is waiting for us, if only we will follow.

      Jesus' command, "Follow me.  Now!"  is not asking us to add another task to our already packed to-do lists.  Instead it promises us something, and the promise is amazing.  Following Jesus gives us a whole new identity, a whole new way of thinking, a whole new way of BEING.  Following Jesus is not something that is done in an instant.  It is a process.

      It's like jumping off the high dive and then swimming for all you're worth.  It's flying by the seat of your pants, not knowing for sure where you will land, but flapping your wings as hard as you can.  It's like falling in love, making promises you cannot begin to understand, and then living into them.  It is embarking on a path you cannot see.  Like taking on the care of another human being, with all its ups and downs, its joys and sorrows.  It is a process that begins in a single leap, but takes a lifetime to unwind.

      The gospel tells us Jesus called them so they might BECOME fishers of people.  It is a process, the becoming.  Jesus calls us as well, so we might BECOME so much more than we are right now. So we might BECOME more loving, more giving, more joyful, more spirit filled, more than we can ever be when we are just minding the family business, or our own.  So that we can become, and so that we can invite others to become as well.”

May we follow him now, and follow him well!

Good evening everyone!
I pray you all have had a great weekend!
I always marvel at those people who direct, produce and star in their own films! They do it all!!! It got me to thinking about God and the role He plays in our lives. He wants and deserves to be the Star in our lives, He wants to be front and center. But He is always working behind the scenes as well. Working things out in our favor, He does it all!!!
He is the Star in my life and I'm happy to report that He continues to work things out in my favor everyday! I'm so thankful that He saved me almost 30 years ago. I am still being edited and He continues to reveal my script to me everyday! One day I will receive my Oscar, meeting the author and finisher of my fate!
Good night, sweet dreams and God bless!!!
Chery

On a rare, impromptu visit to my grandparents' house last evening, I got a rare opportunity to see something I wasn't sure was possible outside of the church realm. There's a new program on Game Show Network called, "American Bible Challenge". Hosted by Jeff Foxworthy, teams of three compete on behalf of a chosen charity to see how much they know about the Bible.

The contestants are given an opportunity to tell their story in the opening sequences of the show. In the pilot episode, viewers were treated to the story of a man who was given a new life by heart transplant, a woman who was experiencing God's mercy through a child with extreme scoliosis, and a group of strong men and women who use their muscles in a mission around the country.

In a culture riddled with 'me first' messages, this is such a breath of fresh air. I mentioned to my grandparents that I was surprised this show was even allowed on television outside of the religious channel. We found ourselves challenged and riveted as we watched the contestants test their knowledge of the Bible.

I intend to encourage everyone I know to check out this program. Watch it with your children or your parents. Challenge each other to be able to answer the questions week to week. Maybe this mix of game-show fun and Bible study will be a shot in the arm to our spiritual walk!

Psalm 23 is one of the most beautiful psalms.

My wife and I have two children. One boy who (the day this post goes up) is 3 months old. He has been smiling now for a couple week and he is now learning to laugh. Hearing that gives me one of the best feelings in the world.

Our other child is also a boy. He just turned two last week, and let me tell you, he is all boy! He runs around, yells, climbs, slams doors, puts on costumes, and is always active. He loves to get on the couch and then look at my wife or I. He will start counting, "two, two, two..." (the only number he knows) and acts like he is going to jump off (I think it actually scares me more than it does Jenny).

His entire world is playing. He learns by playing and it is good for him. One day though, there will be less play, and a little more real living.

It is the same in our spiritual growth and walk with Christ. Paul even describes us as children when we become Christians. We need to be nurtured and guided like a child. Then there comes a time when we grow out of the need for a liquid diet and begin eating solid food and living like a "grown up Christian."

In Luke 7:31-35 Jesus ran into a problem of people who should have been acting like adults but instead were being children.


Instead of welcoming John and the Savior with praise and following their teachings, the people of the day, most specifically the religious leaders, were acting like children. They became angry that John and Jesus did not play their religious games and were becoming more popular. They wanted to be in control and wanted John and Jesus to jump through their hoops.

So instead of following, what was their response? The religious leaders came up with lies. John abstained from certain foods and actions so they called him demon possessed. Then Jesus came along, partaking in the things John did not and they called Him a glutton. There was no pleasing the religious leaders. They acted childish and without wisdom.

Neither Jesus or John let their false accusations keep them from living the life they know God was calling them to live. It should be the same with us.

Jesus said that people will persecute us because of Him (Matthew 5:10-12) but that does not excuse us to stop living the life we have been called to. It should encourage us knowing they did the same to the prophets, the Apostles, and even Jesus. We are in some good company there.

Keep up the fight. Do not let go of wisdom to play the childish games of those who are threatened by our righteousness (the righteousness we have because of Christ, not from ourselves). Do not be led astray by those running around trying to make you stumble. Keep your eyes on Christ.

At the same time, do not let yourself be one living foolishly, trying to get someone off the path God has called them to. Many times our churches become too legalistic. Maybe we have members called to minister to the girls in the strip club and we begin to spread rumors that they are living promiscuously (if we find they are falling to sin then we need to approach them about it, not spread rumors, true or not).

Maybe someone knows God is leading them to lead those living on the street with substance abuse problems  out of that sin. It would be wrong for us to be a stumbling block to them. We sometimes feel uncomfortable by another person's devotion to Christ and their willingness to follow.

Instead of feeling uncomfortable and then trashing their name, let's find where it is God is leading us, and follow Him and not be worried about what others are saying.

Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet (John 13:14).

This scene has to be one of the most poignant in the entire New Testament. Knowing what is about to befall Him, knowing the excruciating death that is imminent, Jesus reclines at table with His disciples to share their last meal together. Suddenly He arises, removes his outer garment, and wraps a towel around His waist. He pours water into a basin and begins to wash the feet of His disciples.

Though foot washing was a common practice in the ancient world, it was generally done by slaves. It would have been appropriate for the disciples to wash Jesus' feet, but for Him to wash theirs must have seemed nearly blasphemous. Peter strenuously objects, revealing his love for Jesus -- but it is a defective love in that it lacks humility. Peter is responding from a worldly perspective.

According to a commentary, the verb used for Jesus removing His outer garment was not the usual one for this action. Rather, the verb was more frequently used to illustrate laying down one's life. Similarly, the verb used for taking up His garments following the foot washing (in verse 12) was used to describe Jesus taking up His life again.

Imagine. The Son of God taking up a towel and washing feet. Not only was He willing to do an extraordinarily menial task, but He did it with incomprehensible love.

How are we at doing menial tasks? We may not think it takes much to clean a toilet or bus dishes or scrub the floor. But can we perform these tasks with the incredible mind-set with which Jesus washed His disciples' feet? Think of the depth of love and servanthood and humility!

The things Jesus did were of the most menial and commonplace order, and this is an indication that it takes all God's power in me to do the most commonplace things IN HIS WAY. Can I use a towel as He did? (Oswald Chambers in My Utmost for His Highest, emphasis mine)

As I meditated on this beautiful act, I realized I needed an attitude adjustment. How often have I thought some menial chore was beneath me? Or how often have I performed such tasks with a poor attitude?

Father, may we not only desire to do commonplace things, but to do them with extraordinary love as unto You.

"What if we were just living as if the Bible were the truth, and Jesus is exactly who He says He is? What if we stop using apologetics on ourselves and simply lived like we believed what the Bible tells us?" Brian Hardin, Daily Audio Bible, August 23 (paraphrased)

The human race has been on a quest for knowledge since time began. God created us with an innate curiosity that has allowed us to develop medicines and technologies that have changed the course of history. Our curiosity becomes dangerous, though, when we allow fear into the mix. God never promised to give us all the answers, and the unknown frightens us.

In response to fear, we begin to search for comfort. We adopt a spiritual position that doesn't change, and we spend all our efforts poring over the Bible for reassurances that it actually contains truth, and that God really is on our side. Prayers become rote, and contain pleas for personal success and safety. In other words, our Christian lives become all about us.

Let me say that I don't believe there is anything wrong with wanting to know we are loved. In order to grasp the power God wants to give us, we must be convinced He wants to give it to us. Nor is crying out to God in our anguish to be considered selfish; King David gave us a large number of Psalms to prove that.

When we let the world into our hearts, we become insecure. In the face of ridicule, we begin to doubt. When we hear of some new scientific discovery that potentially hurts the credibility of the creation theory, we believe it. Advertisements that tell us we need a certain something to make our lives complete give us a sense of urgency to fulfill a perceived need. The world is no place for a Christian without the armor of God!

What would change in your life if you were living like you believed what the Bible says? 

I want to share a few verses out of Psalm 19 today.

God’s glory is on tour in the skies...The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together. ...God’s Word is better than a diamond, better than a diamond set between emeralds.  You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring,better than red, ripe strawberries. ... Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!   Keep me from stupid sins, from thinking I can take over your work."

What incredible words by the psalmist here.  

Live today, watching for his glory - it is all around you!  

There are some days when I'm reading my Bible when I just don't comprehend what I'm reading until later. It seems like I go throughout my day and then all of a sudden a passage comes back to me. It's like God grabs me on the shoulder, turns me around and says "Check this out!"

Today was one of those days. I was reading a devotional. It wasn't centered on the words Jesus said to Nathanael in John 1 but it included that story. Here, let's read the passage:

Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church (Colossians 1:24).

I have often read this verse and wondered what it meant to "fill up in my flesh what is lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions." What could possibly be lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions?

Christ took the sins of the whole world on himself, and nothing can be added to the atonement He provided for us. One commentary suggests this verse refers to the affliction that all Christ followers must endure to truly be His disciples.

According to Oswald Chambers, every time we insist on our own rights, we hurt the Son of God -- but we can prevent Jesus from being hurt if we remember His honor is at stake in our lives, and respond accordingly. "Filling up what is lacking" means not doing merely your duty, but going above and beyond. It means, "If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also" (Matthew 5:39).

Chambers says, "To the saint, personal insult becomes the occasion of revealing the incredible sweetness of the Lord Jesus." Anybody can respond in knee-jerk fashion when they are insulted, but it takes the Spirit of God in a person to overlook the insult and respond as Christ would have responded.

Instead of insisting on our own way and demanding what we perceive to be "our rights," let us humble ourselves before God and one another. Chambers notes, "The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is 'Never look for justice, but never cease to live it.'"

Good evening!
What a marvelous day!! Every morning when we get up, most of us go to the bathroom and take a look in the mirror. I know I look like I just got out of bed!!! Sorry, trying to be funny! But I start examing my face. That line wasn't there yesterday, where did that spot come from? I see everything that is wrong with me. But how does God see me? The Bible says that we are wonderfully made, in His image and He sees me as beautiful and perfect.

It is difficult to see ourselves the way God sees us, but we must begin to believe that we are who God says we are. We have to start seeing ourselves and our lives through His eyes. When we do, things will dramatically change in our lives. We will begin to truly live for God. It won't matter what is going on around us, we will be at peace. We won't look at ourselves and see all the flaws, but we will see the beauty within us! We will be able to live our lives the way He intended for us to. Amen!!!
Have a very blessed night everybody!!!
Cheryl

This past week I had the privilege of preaching at Stokelan Drive Christian Church where I serve as the Student Minister. I always enjoy being able to get up and present God's word in that way.

My sermon was out of the Old Testament books of Ezra and Nehemiah. These two books are tucked nicely away in the Old Testament and sometimes I overlook them. But as I was studying up for the sermon, I found so many amazing applications. I was blown away.

If you don't know, the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, although found before the middle of the Old Testament, they take place at the end chronologically. The people of Israel had not heeded the warnings of God to turn from their wicked ways. They mocked and ridiculed God's prophets and finally God had the nations of Israel and Judah taken over.

The people lived in exile for 70 years and then God had the Persian Kind, Cyrus, send the Jews back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. It was a time of celebration for the Jews and they began their journey and started rebuilding.

You see, the most important thing was not the houses for families to live in. The most important wasn't even a wall to protect the city. The most important thing for the Jews to rebuild was the temple. This was where they would encounter and worship God.

The temple was the place where God would reside, and God wanted to be with His people.

"Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw  fit." (Ezekiel 16:49, 50 NKJV) "For Jerusalem stumbled, And Judah is fallen, Because their tongue and their doings  Are  against the Lord, To provoke the eyes of His glory. The look on their countenance witnesses against them, And they declare their sin as Sodom; They do not hide  it.  Woe to their soul! For they have brought evil upon themselves." (Isaiah 3:8, 9 NKJV) “I overthrew  some  of you, As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, And you were like a firebrand plucked from the burning; Yet you have not returned to Me,” Says the Lord." (Amos 4:11 NKJV) “Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel; Because I will do this to you, Prepare to meet your God, O Israel!” (Amos 4:12 NKJV) "If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV)

Good evening everyone!!! What a glorious day this has been!
Thank God for the much needed rain! Please pray for my church as we have a leaky roof and had some water come in since the rain started.
Sometimes we forget who we are. Things happen in our lives and people hurt us so badly that we begin to believe that we deserve what we are getting. Don't believe the bad stuff! We even beat ourselves up for the mistakes that we make. It is an old trick of the enemy to get us to stop believing what God tells us in His word. God sent His only Son to die for our sins, we are Redeemed. God paid  for our sins by sending Jesus Christ. I'll say it agian, Jesus The Christ was sent by the Heavenly Father to buy our souls back with His prescious blood. "His Blood still works and I'm glad to report that it never lost it power. Yes It works, I've been redeemed by the Blood of The Lamb!" So, stop with all the self hate and remember, you have been redeemed by the One and Only Jesus!!! Thank God redeemed...
Have a very blessed Labor Day weekend everybody!!!
Cheryl