How Trashy are You??????

I used to think I was a trash can for anyone who wanted to dump on me:

Then I realized that God had a different idea when he created me. I emptied all the trash.

As life has progressed I realized I was new:

I recently received an email that was vile--very like a rotten, maggot-filled dumpster.

VILE: extremely unpleasant.

"he has a vile temper"

synonyms:

foul, nasty, unpleasant, bad, disagreeable, horrid, horrible,dreadful, abominable, atrocious, offensive, obnoxious, odious,unsavory, repulsive, disgusting, distasteful, loathsome, hateful,nauseating, sickening;  disgraceful, appalling, shocking, sorry,shabby, shameful, dishonorable, execrable, heinous, abhorrent,deplorable, monstrous, wicked, evil, iniquitous, nefarious,depraved, debased;  contemptible, despicable, reprehensible;

It was not the first email I have ever received that was like this and will not be the last. I realized a long time ago that I am no one's garbage can. What a revelation that was! I re-purposed anything in my life that looks like a garbage can:

Oh God, my heart is quiet and confident. Psalm 57:7

My first response to this email was, “Wow Sally, you must be horrible.” But I decided to reject emotion for logic. I took each sentence/thought to the throne and asked God—is this me? Do I have any part of this? What do I need to change? We have to be willing to hear truth and correct it but tearing down by someone is not God.

We meditate on your kindness and your love. Psalm 48:9

As I was praying I forwarded the email to Mike. I finished praying and figured I would go over it more later and see there was any accuracy. The intent of the email seemed to be motivated by jealousy and hatred with nothing loving involved.

When I was done I called Mike and asked him if he had read the email. He was out on calls so he had not seen it. I asked him to call me when he was done reading and I went back to cleaning or something fun like that. I was praying in tongues when Mike pulled in the driveway.

I asked him what he was doing home, “I heard your voice.”

I have to say I really felt loved at that moment (even more so than normal). We went over the email line by line. Mike pointed out that Jesus was not present—there was no offer of reconciliation, no way to restore or repair. It was vile. Mike responded in a couple of different way but he is always kind and methodical both which is a wonderful mix.

After he left I went back to prayer. I realized how like God this all was…..

The world attacks in the vilest manner possible with nothing more in mind that to hurt you. The enemy of your soul wants to destroy you starting with “feelings”. Just whispering the name of God brings him running to your rescue. He presents truth. He responds on your behalf. He soothes you. He reaffirms that you are loved.

1 Peter 5:7 (AMP)  Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

1 Peter 5:6-7 (MSG) So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.

We do not have to respond in the flesh or in our emotions to anything. We can look at it logically. The purpose of the enemy is to distract you and get you to partner up with him. Don’t do it. Irritated at someone? Hurt by people and their comments? Looking for the right words to respond? Don't do it. Do not be tempted to be negative, hateful or respond like you did before you were born again. 

Romans 12:9-21
Love in Action

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Be intentional about the people you allow to speak into and over your life—surround yourself with people who are growing in God and who build each other up. Even when iron sharpens iron it is a building up of each person.

Partner with God against the enemy—it’ll save you a lot of pain and you can get back to praying.

What Kind of Salt do you Like?

Matthew 5:13-16(NIV)

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot."

I have talked about salt a lot. I have an entire salt cook book and it is HUGE. 

There are so many kinds of salt—German chili salt. Murray River salt. Smoked Welsh flaked salt. Sea salt. Kosher salt. Every salt has a different purpose and I love it all. I have taught and blogged about how important the different kinds of salt are—just like the body of Christ. Every part has a purpose. Every purpose is important. Every person is important.

Have you ever been to a restaurant and salted your food and it made no difference? Then you added more. Maybe you shook the salt into your palm to see if it was coming out of the shaker. The salt was probably old. The flavor either gone or nearly gone.

How about you?

People may talk about you. They may despise your Christianity. They may mock you. They may make you miserable with some of their words and or actions. BUT when they need something you are the one they will run to…..they ask for prayer, they pour out their problem, they ask advice. When they need flavor in their life are you salty? Or, are you like the salt shaker that you have to check because it has no flavor?

What does this have to do with intercession?

The intercessors have allowed themselves to become tired. They are weary in well doing.  Does that describe you? God told us NOT to become weary because He knew we would have that temptation.

We are called to be instant in season and out. We have to be different than the world. Are you ready with the answers? Is the anointing consuming your life? Are you ready to season the world? Are you in the word or the world? Are you meditating and feasting on the word or the “delicacies” the world has to offer?

Are you the fullness of flavor God called you to be?

Hi Ho Silver...

When Jenny was small she was rarely in trouble. She did not disobey but she also did not talk. She and Jason were so close she could just look at him and he would do whatever it was she wanted. Just asking her not to do something could break her heart. She was so compliant and QUIET it was odd. She was also really intelligent. Add all that together and she was never a “little” girl. What I also figured out was that she was such a perfectionist that she did not want to do anything until it was perfect. So for example when she did talk it was in complete sentences.

When she was about 2 we were at my aunt and uncle’s house. My cousins broke horses for a living (at that time anyway).  All the adults were all in the house—Jenny and Jason were outside playing. All of a sudden Jason came running in the house…Jenny was down in the pasture with the horses. She had gone under the fence and down the hill.

I ran outside followed by my uncle and dad. When I found her my uncle said (in his very slow drawl), “That horse will kill her, you better get her back up here. I cain’t go down there or that horse’ start bucking. Better get her out of that pasture.” No Problem was my first thought—Jenny always minds.

“Jenny, come back up here. That horse might hurt you.”

Now, remember, this is my compliant-non-talking little girl, “No, I not. I patting the nice horsey.”

The horse is whinnying and pawing the ground. What the heck? Who stole my daughter and put this disobedient, talking brown-eyed beauty down here?

“Jenny that is not funny. You mind mommy and come up here. You can pat a different horse.”

“No I not. I playing with this horsey and the baby.”

Great, this horse is not only not really broken there is a colt involved. I am not a horse person so I have no idea what I am doing. I start to climb through the fence. The horse starts raring up with hooves pounding the air like Silver in the Lone Ranger show.  All I can see in my mind is one of those hooves coming down on her head. I back out of the fence. The horse stops throwing the fit and backs up a little.

Jenny heads back to the horse with her little hand in the air. The horses head comes down. I have visions of those huge teeth biting her hand off but instead it snorts on her. She giggles away and heads closer to the horse who is smart enough to keep backing up. The only thing wrong with all this is she is getting farther and farther from me.

Every time I start to go through the fence the horse does the “Hi Ho Silver” thing again and then charges up the hill and challenges me. I back out again.

I have had enough. In my firmest voice I say, “Jennifer Lynn you get back here right now. You need to mind me or I am going to spank you.” (Yes that was in the olden days when spanking was done as a deterrent for disobedient children.) For a child you would sob uncontrollably when your voice even sounded a little harsh her response floored me.

“No I told you. I not. I patting the horsey.”

I was livid—when I got her up here…but what if I could not get her up here?

All of this took place in very few minutes. Way less time than it took me to write it and probably less time than it took you to read it. 

“Jenny, honey you have to come up here. We need to go home soon and your aunt and uncle want to see you.” 

She did not even bother to answer that time.

All this time she is trying to pat the horse who was good enough to put its’ head down and let that gentle daughter of mine pat the velvety part of her nose then she would back up and whinney at Jenny, put her ears down, throw her head back, prance around, runoff a short distance stop short and come back.

All of a sudden the horse got calm. “God please give me the wisdom on what to do.” The horse moved very slowly with her head down towards Jenny. As the horse got close she went behind Jenny and judged her bum. Jenny tipped over but this was not a hard push just a nudge. As soon as she stood up the horse nudged her again—this time her head was lower and Jenny did not fall over but moved a couple of steps. That horse nudged Jenny all the way up the hill until I could reach her. I pulled her through the

fence.

All those thoughts of scolding went out of my head. I had my daughter back unhurt. I had my little girl in my arms and she was fine. The horse had taken off racing down the hill. Running here and running there—showing off! I loved it. What a wonderful horse.

I held on to Jenny for all I was worth. My brown-eyed Jenny. Safe. Praise God.

I understand the parable of the prodigal son. How relieved and delighted the father had to be to have him home.

What does any of this have to do with intercession?

Have you ever thought that the Lord was upset with you? Rejecting you? Angry with you because of something you have done?

Jenny was in total disobedience.

Not once did I think, “Well I hope that horse hits her with its hoof so she learns not to do that again.” 

Not once did I think, “Fine, I will just leave her down there to get back on her own—that’ll teach her.” 

Not once.

Why do we ever think that God is thinking bad thought towards us? I did talk to Jenny and let her know that she had to mind me—I told her that one of my jobs was to protect her from danger. That is something God does for us also.

These things also “color” our views of people and how we intercede for them. Don’t do it. Don't judge. If you see someone at the bottom of a hill in danger, pray them back up.

If you know of a prodigal—pray them home. Don’t pray curses on them. Pray them home in love.

It is time to pray in unity and bring the body of Christ together and stop being divisive.  

Romans 15:1-7 (NIV)

15 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. ² Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. ³ For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” ⁴ For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

⁵ May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, ⁶ so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁷ Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

Pray and intercede in the same manner you want Jesus being YOUR advocate.

What Kind of Family are You Dealing With?

What is it about Family????

What is your biggest prayer request?

I am guessing Family.

No matter what our family does (or doesn’t do for that matter) we still love them. They can drive us nuts. We still love them.  They can reject us. We still love them. They can lie to us. We still love them. We can get totally irritated at them. We still love them. They can do pretty much anything and we still love them. We might talk about them but no one else better say anything negative.

 This is how most pastors feel about their sheep. The flock may drive them nuts, reject them, lie to or about them, irritate them or do pretty much anything else but the pastors will continue to love them, watch over them and protect them. They leave a flock to go get the one. They love every variety.

I pray for 3-4 dozen pastors a week maybe more. Pastors have a unique calling.  They also have so many people with “expectations” that are unrealistic, superhuman, perfection oriented and plain old impossible to attain and then they are blamed for not measuring up to those “expectations”.

The main discouragement I hear from pastors is the heart ache over the lack of integrity in the sheep—unfaithfulness in attendance. Listening to the word but not acting on what they hear. The lack of growth. Clinging to sin as a lifestyle.

And yet they run after the "ones" who are lost, who have left the sheep fold...

This is the family of God.

How you act in your church is a reflection to your prayers for your family.

Do you want them saved and walking in the fullness and freedom Christ provided on the cross?

My all-time favorite scripture is Job 42:10. I have heard so many people say they do not pray to “get” from God. If not, quit praying. We pray for results. He gave us promises to find like a treasure hunt and claim for our own.

Job 42:10 After Job had prayed for his friends the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.

Do you want your family walking in the fullness of God's provision, His love and His salvation? Pray for the family of God. Be diligent, be ruthless against the enemy, fall in love with the family of God again and start by praying for the pastors.

Time to roll up our sleeves and get to work. As my pastors say, “Familia, He is waiting to hear your heart.”

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……

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?

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…..