Abundantly Pardoned

a In the midst of this government crisis and banks crashing and bad news spewing at me from every U.S. direction, I’ve got a little FROG setting here in front of me, reminding me: FULLY RELY ON GOD!

One verse truly stands out in the 4th chapter of Daniel: “…the God we serve is able.” (verse 17) Moses felt ill-equipped, but God enabled him to do His work. Jeremiah felt ill-equipped, but God enabled him to do His work. God enabled an elderly, barren Elizabeth to give birth to John the Baptist and a teenage virgin Mary to give birth to the Messiah. God healed me from a malignant brain tumor, partial paralysis and visual problems and used this sinner to write and speak for Him. THE GOD WE SERVE IS ABLE! HE CAN DO ANYTHING! We need never doubt our Lord God Almighty. He who parted seas and raised the dead to life can do anything. Hallelujah!

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This is for all the married folk, and we singles can also work this into our friendships. Dear wives and husbands, there are going to be times in your marriages and people in your lives who will try to cause trouble. They will go to the husband and make false accusations against the wife, or they will go to the wife and make false accusations against the husband. DO NOT LISTEN TO THESE PEOPLE! Whether or not the accusations are false, go to your spouse with them and discuss these things. Tell your spouse you’re discussing the accusation with him or her out of honesty, love and respect for your spouse and your marriage, and most importantly, for God. There will be people who are jealous of your marriage, and those people will make hurtful remarks. This is Satan at work, using people in an attempt to destroy a man and woman brought together by God. Don’t go to other people with any accusations or hurtful remarks. Go to your spouse and to God. Pray together. Talk together. “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment. There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace.” (Proverbs 12:19-20 NIV)

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“Stand Firm”

*Malachi 3:6; James 1:17)         

“But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’” (Matt. 15:18 NIV)

What comes out of our mouths numerous times each day? Each word shows what is in our heart. Oh, to keep this verse in front of us all day each day. Are people saying to themselves, “Is that is what is in her heart? Is she really a Christian?”? We must be careful to say only words that uplift and encourage. We must be careful to say only words that would meet God’s approval. After all, we’re His representatives.

In our Beth Moore Daniel Bible study at church and the assisted living facility we’re learning how to stand resolute and not be friends with this culture. We’re learning how to stand firm and not let this world change us. We live in our own Babylon. Somebody came to mind after the first session: actress Marilyn Monroe. She wanted it all, she got it all, she had it all, and it destroyed her. They changed her name, and they changed her heart. Elton John sings of her, “It seems to me you lived your life like a candle in the wind, never knowing who to cling to when the rains set in.” She didn’t cling to our Jesus. When Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene after His resurrection, she grabbed hold of Him. He told her not to cling to Him, because He’d not yet returned to the Father. Mary Magdalene knew Who to cling to: Jesus Christ. She was no candle in the wind.

Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary defines “captive” as: “held under control of another but having the appearance of independence.” Do you catch that one word that glares like a neon sign: “appearance.” That means we can be held captive by something in our lives and not even notice it, because we think we’re free and able to walk away anytime we choose. Romans 6:16 tells us: “…you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness.” We need to examine ourselves daily to see if we are being held captive by something or some circumstance in our lives. If we are slaves to anything except Jesus (in whom true freedom is found), then we are being held captive. John 8:32: “Then you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.”

I was watching a disaster movie called “Volcano” in which there is a volcanic eruption in the city of Los Angeles. As in all disaster movies there are deaths, injuries, people banding together to help each other, and there is also your usual share of mean people. By the end of this movie everyone is covered with volcanic ash. A policeman is carrying around a little boy as they search for the little fellow’s mother. The policeman asks him what she looks like, and he says, “Look at their faces—they all look the same.” The camera pans the crowd, showing people of various races covered with volcanic ash. Everyone was the same color. Jesus commands us to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). All colors. They all look the same to Jesus.

“But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.” (Colossians 3:8 NIV)

Sounds like Paul had his hands full with the church at Colosse—and he was writing them from prison—Paul, thrown into prison because of his work for Christ, and he continued to do the work from behind bars. Paul knew that bad things were going on at the church in Colosse. Things were spewing out of church members’ lips that shouldn’t have been spewing out of them. They were calling themselves Christians, but not being Christlike. Paul cut right to the chase in his letters. No beating around the bush, because there’s no time for beating around the bush. If we’re going to be representatives for Christ, we need to be Christlike.