30 Day Jesus Challenge - Day 11 Not Smart Enough

The airwaves are full of smart people claiming to be smart.  They mock God and those who believe in Him as weak, foolish, and pathetic.  Richard Dawkings and Steven Hawking are among the most outspoken, perhaps even the most convincing.  This doesn't surprise God, nor is it new.

"For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, "He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness." 1 Corinthians 3:19

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death." Proverbs 14:12

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18

Ask yourself, of all knowledge that has ever existed, how much do you know?  What percentage of everything can you honestly say that you know?

Not Smart Enough

If you are really smart, maybe you said 5%; 5% of all knowledge.  That's pretty impressive.  Now ask yourself this, do you think it is possible that God exists in the 95% that you don't know?

Pray - Jesus I recognize that I am not smart enough to understand you or this faith.  Give me wisdom as I finish this journey.

Random Thoughts on Faith

Abigail and Dolley readers I've been thinking a lot about Faith.   Hebrews 11:1 tells us that Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  The substance is defined in Strong's as the bedrock, the foundation, that footings of a building - thus, faith is something tangible.  It is the evidence of what we can not see.  Thus, faith, in this passage, is in the invisible... Understanding that is a key to why Salvation changed from the Old Testament to the New Testament and why faith will change during the Tribulation and the Millennium.  For it does not take faith to believe when the eyes SEE.

Think about it, if Jesus is on His throne in Jerusalem, ruling the Nations - how much faith do you have to have?  How much faith do you need to have to believe that Queen Elizabeth II is the sovereign of England?  None - you can see it, thus there is no real reward for believing it.  During the Tribulation when angels are flying over head issuing proclamations, do you need a lot of faith to believe?  When prophecy is opening right in front of you in perfect detail, you don't need a lot of blind faith to believe.  If you are an Old Testament believer on Mt Carmel and Elijah calls down fire from Heaven, how much faith do you have to have?

Elijah on Mt Carmel - The Evidence of God

"Blessed are those who believe but have not seen." John 20:29 is the last beatitude that Jesus gives before the Ascension.  Thus, the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives is personal.  Your faith can not be strengthened by the work the Spirit does in me - I can not share with you the ways that He moves in my heart and my life and have that be REAL to you.  Our faith becomes personal - the depth of it our own choice.  He can move and speak to each of us through the wind, through a red cardinal on our porch, through a word a stranger says in passing.  We can share these things with other believers but they remain significant only to ourselves and can be frustrating to share.

In the end, Hebrews 11:6 and without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.  So we press on as this age of faith draws to a close, where the powers of darkness seem to over shadow the Almighty.  Where from what we can SEE the enemy is the one in power on this Earth but by faith we believe in His promises.  We believe in His soon return, we believe in His power and we long for the day when the evidence of our faith is manifested for ourselves and for this unbelieving World to see.

Counterterrorism in the Spiritual Realm

Have you ever considered that evil has a full armor?  Since we are told in Ephesians 6 that we struggle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness in high places, then logically, the armor we are told to don is exactly opposite of what the enemy wears.  To wear the armor as purely a defensive barrier is perhaps an underestimation of the battle.  If you watch martial artists fight, you recognize that the sword is not the only weapon.  You also realize that the expression that there is no armor for your back is a misnomer, because the belt and the helmet cover your back.

(Note this blog was originally published in August 2013)

Pastor Mark Bilitz of El Shaddai Ministries puts forth a compelling argument that the armor of God is not patterned after a Roman Soldier but after the robes of a Jewish Priest.  That hypothesis resonates with me on a very deep level in my soul and has caused me to rethink this important part of Scripture. It is with fresh eyes and an open heart I would like to take a look at the weapons of warfare and those of our adversary, I think the church needs to employ some counter-terrorism strategies.

Garments of a High Priest

If we gird our loins with the belt of truth, the enemy must seek to wrap us with their chains of lies.  We discern lies in our guts.  Jesus says that Satan is the Father of Lies and that every word from his mouth is a lie and that when he lies he speaks his native language; he was a liar from the beginning.  Thus, the first area of attack begins with a lie.  We are faced with lies in the public arena everyday.  The adage of Lenin that if you repeat a lie long enough people will believe it is being played out in spectacular fashion today.  When trying to discern the truth of anything, the first thing you must do is discover the lies that have perverted what you are studying.  (ie if you are looking to astronomy, you have to deal with the lies of astrology.)  Imagine if our belt of truth was similar to Wonder Woman's lasso of truth... what if in warfare we periodically tie the belt of truth around the mouth of the prevaricating enemy?

We put on the breastplate of righteousness, which is the righteousness of Christ - the enemy tries to hang the millstone of sin around your neck.  Knowing we have no righteousness in ourselves we valiantly try to lift our heads but our past keeps our heads bent to the ground.  We can only see the shadow of sin before us, our hearts break and it becomes impossible to breathe the breath of life.

Instead of walking in the shoes of peace, we roll out of bed and put on the slippers of fear.  Our steps are dogged by every type of fear the enemy can throw at us.  Our hung heads watch our fearful feet trudge along the dark paths of our past sins.  Think of the powerful weapon that the shoes of peace are on the body of a skilled martial artist; when you are walking in fear throw a few roundhouse kicks at your enemy, you will feel the fear lift, and your path will once again be one of peace.  In John 14:27 Jesus says, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

The enemy would have us armed with a shield of doubt and disbelief that is but a holey piece of Swiss cheese.  It is not an impenetrable force field of faith, it is not a dome of covering, it is a flimsy excuse of a weapon that does nothing to protect the wielder.  The "Name It and Claim It" false Gospel has been brilliant in disarming Christians for decades of their shield of faith.  By urging baby Christians to "believe God for things" they destroy the fragile and innocent faith new converts bring to bear.  Many folks continue to believe God for the big things of salvation and eternity but fail to have faith that He cares for them.  The twisted gospel takes admonitions of prayer and asking and perverts them into ways to control God.  The wreckage they leave behind is an abomination to God.

The poor warrior who is now chained with lies, with a millstone of past sins hanging from their neck, walking on the path of fear flanked by doubt and disbelief is now crowned with the vise grip of suffering and defeat.  The helmet of salvation and deliverance that would protect the brain and the ears is stripped away and messages of failure, hopelessness, and pain are heaped upon the believers head.  It is indeed a dark and scary walk at this point.

Lastly, instead of the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, we are given the Wisdom of the World.  Everything is backwards in the Bible, look at how you are suffering when those that follow the enlightened path of the World prosper in all they do.  Worldly wisdom, common sense, and "the way things are done" bury the warrior; most submit.

In the depths of the battle, you may find yourself valiantly trying to follow Ephesians 6 and in the end having done all you can, to stand.  Use the weapons that God has given you to fight the enemy.  Recognize the tactics and respond with the correct piece of armor.  In the end, ask God for what you need, even if it is to fall in battle and ask Him to rescue you and fight on your behalf.  God who is faithful and just will hear your prayers and deliver you from the hands of the enemy.  In our weakness, His Grace is made perfect.

No Weapon Formed Against Me Shall Prosper

Forgiveness

One of the hardest thing Scripture tells us to do is forgive people who have harmed us.  This is especially true when the grievance is fresh and the wound deep.  Walking in the Kingdom of God calls on believers to go against our natures:  pray for our enemies, bless those who curse us, and forgive our brothers who sin against us.  These are tough things to do.  The difficulty of forgiveness in the human heart is governed by several factors:  who sinned against you, how much time has elapsed, and the trespass itself.  Alas, all of these are influenced by the degree to which we forgive ourselves.  A human heart that holds grudges against itself will have an even harder time forgiving others. 

Fogiveness for deep wounds is often a daily activity.  I have experienced that lately.  I come to peace about something and find it rears it's ugly head days or weeks later and I have to forgive again.  Forgiving someone does not tell the person that what they did was okay, it just takes away that persons power over you to keep hurting you with their betrayal.  

We, as Christians, are forgiven everything we confess, we must not withhold from others that which is freely give to us.

Saturday Morning Reflections

Abigail and Dolley readers I was very blessed this week to spend time with my dearest friend.  It has been several years since we have seen each other and we sat and talked into the night about the details of our lives.  As we caught up, it was very apparent to both of us that God deals with those He loves in different ways.  We each struggle with an area of our lives that keep us on our knees.  I think if we didn't, we would never be obedient to do the good works He has laid up for us.

I have had an irrational fear that when I get to Heaven, the Lord will look at me and ask, "What did you do for me?"  The terror that strikes my heart is indescribably for I have never really done anything great for the Lord, in my own eyes.  I have never gone on a missions trip, I don't take food to the homeless, I don't minister to people in jail... but on further reflection, does this surprise God?  Does He expect that when I finally come home that my life will have not reflected His love?  Wouldn't a loving God put tasks in front of me that He knows I will do?  The Lord doesn't want me to fail, He doesn't want me to get to Heaven and have nothing stored up...

Now, I am not saying we earn our Salvation or that our motivation for doing good works should only be reward but let's get real here.  We work for pay, we don't work for altruistic reasons.  We are also tremendously short sighted and have no real understanding of eternity, so like a child He must move us along in this life insuring we are placed in situations where we can earn our rewards.

A Bee in a Bottle

Abigail and Dolley readers this is one of those personal blog posts.  I hesitate to write them but feel compelled to share my trials.  In many ways, this blog is my legacy and life isn't always peaches and cream.  In this season of my life, times are tough and they have been for longer than I'd like.  I struggle mightily to stay positive, focused on Christ, and in good spirits.  Some days are easier than others; today was one of the hard ones.  Around lunch time, I went into the prayer closet.  It took a long time to settle my mind and honestly, I don't know if I ever really did.  In spite of my prayer, I emerged troubled and stumbled through the rest of the day.

As I was sitting there, I envisioned myself as a bee in a glass jar; frantically banging up against the sides, trying to escape.  Bees are busy and made for work.  I've never thought of myself as a bee but I guess I am.  I prayed, "Lord, I keep hitting the sides of this jar desperately trying to break out.  I have fallen to the bottom of the jar, exhausted and panting.  I can not seem to make any progress no matter how hard I try."

Bee in a Bottle

Misery, fear, and hopelessness filled my soul and I sobbed, "Lord, I have to move forward.  There are bad things in this jar coming to consume me.  Please, let me out."  He didn't audibly speak to me, but the thought occurred to me that I did not know what was outside of the jar.  What if the jar was not a prison but protection?  I scoffed at the thought, and reasserted that disaster was at hand.  We were quiet for a while.  He then told me to look down.  What I had perceived as inside the jar was actually on the other side of the glass.  The swirling mass of scary blackness that was about to devour me was barred from touching me.  I was safe in this glass jar.

Am I comfortable?  Um, NO.  Am I happy to be here?  NOT!  Would I embrace a change?  You can bet your sweet "patootie" I would.  In the mean time, writing this blog has been helpful and I'm coming to the realization that I AM protected and I AM cherished.  Maybe I simply need to catch my breath, stop banging myself silly, and recognize that I am not out of this jar because I haven't tried hard enough.  I'm not stuck in this jar because there is sin in my life, the jar is not punishment.

We strive on this Earth, in this body, always looking up.  I think the lid is translucent and we see Heaven's light above us.  We don't recognize it as Heaven, we think it is a place we are going to get to on this Earth, in this life.  We think that if HE would just let us out, we would fly right into it and everything will be better.  I don't think such a place exists here.  Some days are sunny, the darkness held at bay.  Even then, there is always something lurking, some turd in the punch bowl.  This life is not Heaven and we aren't made to feel at home here.

I hope that if you are reading this and feel battered against the glass walls of your bottle, you will take heart that you are not alone.  We all go through these times, take a rest, the Lord is in charge.  I'm chillin' out down here at the bottom of my jar, my antennae are all crooked, one wing is jacked up, and that last crack to the head is making me sleepy.  I am going to rest knowing that He neither slumbers nor sleeps and he's watching out for me tonight.

How Do They Make It Through?

Abigail and Dolley readers I have been much less introspective these days.  The lost days of 2010 are retreating into the past and the rebuilding and renewal days of 2011 are coming to a close.  I have turned outward to my country, my friends, and my work.  I am passionate about the up coming electoral season and will work to play my part as a citizen.  Lest I become too absorbed in the world, I am disciplined in my prayer time.

I find myself increasingly burdened for those who are without Christ.  They play across the landscape of my mind, I see their faces, I weep for them in their lost state.  I pray earnestly that they come into a relationship with the Living God.  I wonder how they make it through this hard life without the blessed assurance that they are love, saved, and not alone.  How do the deal with sickness, death, or unemployment?  How indeed?

I pray, "Lord, if you would have me witness, give me the words and the opportunity."  From my human perspective, I want to argue with them, I want to convince them of the truth.  I want to use reason and logic, I want to use history and prophecy.  I want to prove to them the validity of faith and in the end I feel totally ill equipped for the task.  I have been a Christian since I was a child.  I do not believe I have ever helped lead anyone to the Lord.

My husband, on the other hand, has been privileged to lead hundreds to faith and help guide hundreds more along their journey.  Perhaps these folks will be credited to me in Heaven because I have worked very hard to enable my hubby to have that opportunity.  Regardless, the burden for souls does not abate with large successes, you either have it or you don't.  I feel it intensely.

Blogger has added the analytics tab to the settings for easy access to their analysis.  When the blog was first launched, I was very intent to promote it and bring traffic to the site.  Today, I am just thankful that I have this small forum and that I have faithful readers who stop by and have a cup of tea with me every now and then.  Perhaps there are some, who have stumbled upon this blog and been encouraged.  Perhaps there are some, who have been directed here and enjoyed their stay and even learned a thing or two.  I hope I have been a light, I hope that the love I feel for the Lord has come through.  I hope the love I have for our Country has been represented well.  In short, I hope I have been a good and faithful servant,

Bless you all, my Friends.
Dolley

No Longer One of the Statistics

Abigail and Dolley readers many of you know I lost my job in January.  It has truly been one of the most difficult periods of my entire life.  I have ALWAYS worked and have never been out of a job.  It is really tough out there and I am very fortunate that my industry has not evaporated in this Depression.  I feel for the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and construction companies that have seen their business disappear.  Many private companies are surviving only through the patronage of the behemoth Feds.  It is indeed a sad state of affairs and does not seem to be getting better.

Alas, I am happy to report that I have secured another position and began today.  It was glorious to awaken this morning with somewhere to go!  It was wonderful to meet new people and to live outside my own head again.  I have to also give a praise report that the Lord saw me and my family through this difficult time and I am eternally thankful for His provision, protection, and guidance.

God Bless you Abigail and Dolley readers.  Thank you for visiting and for your support during this tough time.