Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Have You Fallen Into the New Age of Reasoning?

God loves mankind but sin separates man from Him. We have all heard that. It boils down to the fact that God is holy and we are not. This really irritates a lot of people and causes them to refuse to even listen. Before we are saved we see God as mean.  Every bad thing that happens in the world is blamed on God not to mention sending your Son to die. This is crazy—unless you are willing to hear truth. Most people pride themselves on their intellect.




How they can reason and “figure things out”. It is a funny thing that people will talk in mysteries and symbols and they are considered intelligent.  









Entire college courses are based on intellectual discussions about the symbolism in novels, the hidden meanings and it is not only acceptable but somehow considered “lofty”.  Art galleries produce critic s walking around talking about what the artist was thinking, what the strokes and colors mean.





But, when Christians talk about the symbolism in the Bible they are considered “kooks” by many of these same intellects.  Talking about the thoughts of God brings derision, disrespect and discomfort to both parties.

This is the work of the enemy of your soul. Children have no trouble understanding God and the message of
the cross. Mentally challenged people understand the cross.












 The cross bridges mankind to God—available for all. We love things that are complicated—it makes us feel important—we hate simple things because then we don’t get the credit.




So many people think that Christianity is dumb so they add this teaching and that rule—Christianity is simple. If people make it hard then they have the control, they think it shows their importance instead of their ignorance.

The acceptance of salvation is simple. Then it is progressive, continuously making you a better person. There will be bumps and curves along the way but God doesn't put them there—the path He gives you is narrow and lighted.




How does this apply to intercession? Throw away all those intellectually confusing twists and turns and just accept what God did for you on the cross then pray others through into that same path……





Sunday, July 28, 2013

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Aretha Franklin wanted us to find out what it meant to her. 

What does it mean to you?

Have you noticed how little of it there is today? 

When I was a teenager everything was changing, Hippies were taking over. The “Father Knows Best” mentality was being run over by a Mack truck of free love, LSD and pot. I suppose every generation of adults feels the same way about the teens. There were the beatniks and the beginning of rock and roll in the generation before me. I don’t know, I think we were worse. Bra burning, flag burning and neighborhood burning seemed a little more severe than weird poetry and finger snapping.

The thing I do know is no matter what was going on in society most of us were taught the importance of respect. I remember thinking at the time how outdated all that was. That “respect” was such an old-fashioned term and only old people cared. Now, when I wonder what ever happened to plain old respect it makes me wonder if I am just old and out dated. I don’t think so.

As parents it is our job to teach our children how to react to God by how we train them to respond to us. If we allow our children to question everything we do then they will question God. This leads to a lack of the “fear” of the Lord which is, after all, the beginning of wisdom. Does this mean we cannot ask Him questions? Of course not. It does mean we need to check our hearts when we question. 

I am always concerned and distressed when I see parents ask their 2 year old what they want to do. Not that I think learning decision making is wrong but when the 2 year old runs the family with their “decisions” it puts a responsibility on the child they should not have to handle. Sometimes He asks us to do things we do not need to need to understand. We just need to love Him enough to obey.

The other thing that happens in these situations is the parents manipulate the child into what they want them to choose. How does this train them in the way they should go?

I see several blockages to their ability to walk with the Lord as adults:
  1. They grow up thinking that what they want is of upmost importance and have no respect for authority
  2. They learn to manipulate to get what they want
  3. They do not learn to fear God which is the beginning of wisdom

Wouldn’t it be better to teach our children how to humble themselves before the Lord? To hear God and be quickly obedient? To fear God and obtain the wisdom that brings? To respect authority?

Deuteronomy 4:9-10  Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade fro your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when he said to me, "Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.

Deuteronomy 13:12-13 Assemble the people--men, women and children, and the foreigners residing in your towns--so they can listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land your are crossing the Jordan to possess.

God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

You probably fall into one of 2 categories: You either know someone who has children or you have children—ok that was a no brainer. 

Are you praying for them? Do you pray for the parents to stand up and be parents? To raise Godly children? Do you pray for the children you know so that they will grow into Godly men and women? 

Find the scriptures on children rearing, memorize them then ask God to show you who to pray for and how. Start declaring truth over their lives. We need a Godly generation to be prepared to mentor and train the spiritual babies.

Psalm 8:2  Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.


Who are you interceding for today?

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Hear the sound???? ZWEEK—ZWEEK

There is always a lot of controversy over the “gun” control issue. I have opinions and they may be different than yours but this is not what this is about. Please reserve judgement and comments until you have read the whole thing. (OK just found out this was the wrong gun--he carried a Glock but the one by the bed was a different one.....)

When we were first married, Mike lived in North Reno, out in the country with his horses and dog.  But, after we were married, after all the business trips, after moving me to Reno, after most of the work obligations were coming to a close, after all the medical tests and doctors’ visits, we actually got to live together we moved to a different house to start our new life together. It was in a neighborhood and I knew it would be difficult for Mike he was used to a lot of space. That was my intercession on our first night in the new house. As we wound down we put the car in the garage and left the truck at the old house so someone would think we were there. Mike and I had a LOT of stuff and this was not going to be a quick move.

I dozed off praying but something woke me up—my adrenaline was pumping. Every nerve was at attention. I listened again—someone was trying the front door. I started to get up and head to the door but realized I was married now so I touched Mike’s shoulder. I whispered that someone was trying to break in. He grabbed his Glock (which was placed on the night stand every night) and headed for the front door.  

(When I met Mike he always carried a gun. I actually liked that. He made me feel safe in so many ways and this was just another one. Nevada is an open carry state. He had also had a concealed weapon permit. The first time we went to McDonald’s to get a diet coke I was standing in line and realized that 6 out of the 8 people in line had holsters and guns visible. I felt like I was in the old west. When I got back to the car I asked Mike about it and he explained the law. That is what God does. We ask him about what is going on he explains how it all works. I am an intercessor. I study weapons. I love military museums. I learn about the war in the natural and God shows me the parallel in the spirit realm.)

As Mike headed to the front of the house I tried to follow. He told me to wait there. I sat and prayed and realized that God had brought me this man and nothing was going to happen now. We were just starting on our journey together. I was at peace and praying. Isn’t that how we are supposed to intercede? At peace and praying? Knowing that what God has for us is what will happen. Knowing that having done all we can stand.

In this move, I had done all I heard to do:

  • I asked God to show me the “pond he wanted us to fish in” before we chose a house. I see everything as a mission field: where I live, where I work, where I shop…..
  • He led me to the house (knowing I was in a new city and had no idea where I was—it was a “turn here, turn there” Holy Spirit guidance).
  • A friend of Mike’s had a house for rent and took us to see it---it was the place the Lord had taken me.
  • We signed the papers.
  • I prayed over the house as I cleaned and we moved in…


Now I was sitting (while “standing in the spirit”) on the side of the bed, waiting on Mike to “handle” the proposed break in.

Every nerve was still at attention while Mike went to the front of the house. Then I heard the lock jiggling again. The next sound was the ZWEEK—ZWEEK of the Glock being engaged. That sound sent chills down my spine and made me feel completely safe at the same time. Apparently it sent chills down the potential thieves also because they took off.

Mike came back to bed. I was amazed at how safe I felt. I rested in safety and fell asleep.

The next day the Lord showed me several things about how all of this had worked:

  1. When he shows us an intercession we need to get all the basic directions about it. 
  2. We have to trust Him to tell us when and where to turn from the direction we are going.
  3. We need to “hear” when God brings our answer instead of having a preconceived idea about what the answer is supposed to look like. 
  4. Commit to the answer,
  5. Pray over ever step as you do what he said to do.
  6. Sometimes it is not what we expected.
  7. Sometimes it takes longer than we think it should take. 
  8. AND after all of that “stand” in the peace that passes all understanding. He is your answer. He has a plan and he will bring it to pass.


How does this apply to intercession? Do you walk away from an intercession easily? If it was someone other than Mike would I have “stood” as long? As intercessors do we “lay down our lives” or are we intercessors of convenience? Do we do “all” and then “stand” or do we do “part” and then “relax”? Do we do what he called us to for the “joy” set before us or do we do what we “have” to so feel accomplished?

I see a lot of intercessors weary, withdrawn, ineffective, confused and plain old selfish…Are you one of those? Do you need to repent? Are you in the safe place of receiving your answers confidently and in peace?

ZWEEK—ZWEEK that sound sent the prowlers running. They did not need to see Mike. They did not need to see the weapon. They heard the sound. They knew that he was prepared to defend what was ours. They knew ZWEEK—ZWEEK was not a challenge, not a threat—it was truth.

The Lord shows more than once in the Bible the enemy running from the sound of the Lord……

Get your ZWEEK—ZWEEK in the spirit going, have your weapons ready in every instance and watch those victories become your portion…..

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Have you RSVP'd?




Two weeks ago I got to go to an Ugandan wedding. Last week Mike and I went to Jerome and Livy’s wedding on Guam and tomorrow we go to Leana and JoJo’s wedding. Add that to Mike and I celebrating our anniversary this week and I found myself spending time with the Lord this morning and reading "The Parable of the Wedding Feast" (Matt 22:1-14). This wonderful story, like many of Christ's parables, makes me think about how loving our God really is and that God’s love for us is so great that it is beyond our comprehension.

God has created a place for us where there is no pain, fear or suffering; a place where only joy, love and peace exist and the price of admission is to just love and obey Him.

God sacrificed His only Son to wash away all our sins and to prove to us that He loves us. As a parent I try to imagine how I could ever bring myself to nail my son to a cross. In your mind’s eye see yourself stretching your child out on a wooden cross and then hammering spikes through their hands and feet. Could any loving parent bring themselves to do such a thing to their own child even if it meant that you could possibly save the life of everyone in the world by doing so? Just the thought of it sends chills down my spine; it is so horrible it is unthinkable.







With that horrifying thought still in your mind try to grasp the depth and breadth of the love that God has for you and me. God loves us so much that He sacrificed His only son who was nailed to a wooden cross, wearing a crown of thorns after being whipped across his back with thirty nine lashes from a bone impregnated whip (the method the Romans employed on all their crucifixion victims) to make it possible for us to live in the love, peace and joy of His Kingdom. 



God’s love for us is so great that it is beyond our comprehension. Unless you can understand how destructive the law is, how much death is connected to the law, how much we need to depend on God instead of our own “good works”, our own intelligence,  or as Frank Sinatra said, the “I Did it MY Way.” Mentality you cannot begin to understand the love that Christ has for us. And all that he asks of us is to love Him, our neighbor and ourselves. How difficult is that? I guess it depends on your neighbor but really not difficult at all. Just ask Him with an open heart and He will show you.



The Parable of the Wedding Banquet Truths related to the Kingdom of God Matt 22:1-14.


 1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

   4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

   5 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

   8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

   11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.

   13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

   14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

This beautiful parable tells us of God’s invitation (to the nation of Israel) to the wedding feast (to enter the Kingdom of Heaven). God had sent two
invitations to them. The first invitation (ministry of John the Baptist) was send long before the event in order to give those invited the time necessary to prepare themselves. The second invitation (the ministry of Jesus and the disciples) to announce that the feast was ready and that all those invited should come now.

All those that had been invited refused to come to the wedding feast (to enter God’s Kingdom) because they were just not interested, they were all preoccupied with the here and now. This angered God and it did not go well for them (as evidenced by the destruction of Jerusalem A.D. 70). Those that had been invited had not prepared themselves to enjoy the feast (to enter the Kingdom of Heaven) because they were not worthy (they had not accepted Christ).

Since the Israelites had ignored His invitation, God decided to openly invite everyone, good and bad (the Jews and the gentiles) to join Him at the wedding feast. Well now the wedding hall (God’s Kingdom) was filled with guests.
God looked around at all the people that had accepted His invitation (to accept Christ and enter God’s Kingdom) and found one man in the crowd that was not wearing a wedding garment (meaning that this man had not accepted Christ’s teaching and His sacrifice on the cross), the man was an impostor  Well, it did not go well for him either. God told his servants to bind his hands and feet and to cast him into outer darkness (out of the Kingdom of Heaven) and back to the pain, fear and suffering of the world.

God invites everyone to join Him in the Kingdom of Heaven but not everyone accepts His gracious invitation. It is a choice that each person must make for themselves. Deciding not to make any choice is still a decision. Make the right decision and you will live in a peace that defies all understanding. No matter what you decide it will be the most important decision you will ever make. 

We have an invitation to the wedding feast. How many people do you know who have not RSVP’s for the wedding? Are they on your intercession list? Do you keep them before the throne?

Time to get busy—the wedding is soon.