Listen to God’s Words

On this morning after the terrible tragedy at Ft. Hood I wish I could pour out words of comfort to all who have been affected. Words at times are so inadequate. To tell ones we know what they’re going through at this time is a lie unless you’ve lost a loved one this way or had a loved one injured in a senseless way such as this. However, there is One who does know what you are going through, and He does understand, and He is crying with you. Allow Him to say a few words to you:

Deuteronomy 33:12: “Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him, for He shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between His shoulders.”

Phillipians 4:6-7: “Don’t be anxious about anything, in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.”

Isaiah 54:10: “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken, nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you.”

Deuteronomy 31: 6,8: “Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you: He will never forsake you…The Lord HImself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. DO NOT BE AFRAID; DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED.(emphasis mine)”

As I sit her and watch the sun rising these words out of Isaiah still hold true:

“Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear…”

As my pastor Dan Jackson said in a sermon once: “It is not important how far you can see into the future, it is only important how far Jesus can see into the future.”

Rest in His arms and let Him hold you now. He will carry you through this terrible time.

Our Father

Our Father

Originally uploaded by susan.house

As you know, I’ve been dealing with some minor but painful health issues this week. I’ve come to look on this as a real blessing because I’ve learned some very interesting things about my relationship with God and I’ve learned some very important truths about Our Heavenly Father.

First, once again, I needed to reaffirm God is my Father, He is who He says He is, He can do what He says He can do, and I am who He says I am, the daughter of the one True, Living God.

Second, I’ve learned once again, that as my Father, He wants only the best for me. The same way, either our parents or ones of us who are parents want the best for our children. This means even in painful situations if we must remain in the pain a little longer, that’s what will happen. You see, unlike our parental abilities, He knows our future and knows what is best. Attempting to tell Him how to do and what to do will do no good. After all, He created the heavens and the earth, do we really think we can solve the problem better than He can?

Third, I’ve learned it makes no difference if you’re not telling Him what to do or how to fix it or if your family and friends are giving Him the solution; the answer is still the same. God will do what’s best for you and your situation. Remember as children when we wanted to do something with our friends and our parents said no? Then, our friends would ask them and the answer would still be the same. The same holds true here. You are God’s beloved child and no matter what, He is going to do what is best for you.

Finally, once again, I’ve learned it’s in God’s perfect timing. Praise God!!! I’m still in the pain but hopefully, later today the problem will be resolved. Do I know this for sure? No, I will only learn that in God’s perfect timing.

Frog/Fear

Frog/Fear

Originally uploaded by susan.house

What do these two things have in common? Well, looking at the picture, it may seem as though the frog may have a great deal to fear. So many times we have been in the same position as this little guy; seeming to be hanging on for dear life and our future not looking very hopeful. In a Beth Moore study I’m doing on Esther she spent two sessions talking about fear and how to overcome fear in our lives once and for all. Sounds great doesn’t it? Well, it’s totally and completely possible. A relationship with Jesus Christ is the answer. By accepting the salvation He has for you if you’re not a follower and getting to know Him more if you are a follower.

Okay, what does fear and frog have in common. They both deal with our relationship to God and whether we truly believe He can do what He says He can do. You see, they are an acrostic for: Faith Expressed Against Reality and Forever Relying On God. Now, before you tell me I have the first acrostic wrong, this is my take on it. Everytime we are faced with something that creates fear in us, it is because we are not forever relying on God.

Beth Moore stated in her DVD session to create a scenario where you ask “What if such and such happens then what will you do?” She finally points out that no matter what your “what if” is, your “then” will always be God. I truly believe this, when my motor home which I lived in was totalled the answer was God. As my relationship with God has grown closer and closer, I have discovered when my answer is God, my fear is gone. However, the other night when I developed a health condition that would require medication that caused great pain in my knee for several months the last time this happened, fear overtook me. That fear lasted until the next morning when I was in the church sanctuary preparing to listen to Beth Moore when the words “What if, then God” raced through my mind. Once I affirmed that what if the doctor gave me the same or similar medication then God will be there to either prevent the medication from harming me or God will be there to walk me through it; my peace returned. No matter what you’re facing, the answer is God. So, you see, when Faith Expressed Against Reality you are Forever Relying on God.

Pumpkins/Christians

Pumpkins/Christians

Originally uploaded by susan.house

This was sent to me in an email. I know it’s been around and many have seen it, but sometimes we need a reminder. Have a good day!!

A woman was asked by a coworker,
‘What is it like to be a Christian?’

The coworker replied, ‘It is like being a pumpkin.’
God picks you from the patch, brings you in,
and washes all the dirt off of you.
Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff.

He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed.

Then He carves you a new smiling face and
puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see.’

Full Bloom

Full Bloom

Originally uploaded by susan.house

Sorry that it has been so long since my last post but I’ve been touring the Berkshires with my brother and sister-in-law. The color has been absolutely perfect.

One day, we stopped in one of the little towns and after shopping we stopped in a restaurant for lunch. Before we left the waitress asked us where we were going and my brother told her the direction we were headed. She quickly responded, “Oh, that’s good. The mountains are in full bloom in that direction.”
While pondering the “full bloom” statement, it made me question, “Am I, as a Christian, in ‘full bloom’? “Am I flourishing where God has planted me? Am I doing everything I can to help my church be in “full bloom”?

As Christians, it is important for each one of us to do all we can to flourish where God has planted us. Daily time spent with God, studying His Word, fixing dinner for a sick friend, sending a card to a shut-in to let the person know he/she is not forgotten, praying for others, praying for our pastors, thanking Him when we see His hand in our life; these are all ways we can help our churches and ourselves appear in “full bloom”.

I CAN, I DO, I AM

IMG_2664a

Originally uploaded by susan.house

Listening to Satan’s lies, I thought my sins so bad You couldn’t forgive,
With outstretched arms You called to me,
You said those words not one of us deserves,
“I love you, Child, please be Mine.”

With heavy heart and ohl so bleak,
I cried, “I can’t!! I can’t!! You see, I’ve sinned so bad, there’s no hope for me.
If You only knew, You couldn’t, You wouldn’t love me.”
“My child, I know! I can, I do, I am!”

With cautious heart I cried, “I love You Lord! You died for Me;
but, more importantly, You beat death’s sting, You rose for me!”

When everywhere I turn, people say, “You can’t!”
Lord, You say, “You can! You will!
So all will see, ‘I can, I do, I am!”

When the world turns upside down, inside out, and
all around it is so dark, You are the Light that guides us
back from hell to heaven itself so all will see,
“I can, I do, I am!”

Tell the people so all will see,
“I can, I do, I am!”

My Flag ZNP

My Flag ZNP

Originally uploaded by susan.house

2 Chronicles 7:14: “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.”

Recently I’ve been receiving emails using this verse, asking me to pray for our nation so our land will be healed. I’m in total agreement that our land needs to be healed; but, some of the emails I’ve received makes this verse sound like a magic potion. If we pray, God will forgive, and our land will be healed. Unfortunately, it’s going to take more than prayer to heal this land.

Many people believe these words were spoken to the people of Israel at a time when they were rebelling. However, this is NOT true. These words were spoken to Solomon when he had completed the building of God’s Temple and Solomon was preparing to dedicate the Temple. God knew Israel would eventually sin as a nation and He was telling Solomon how the nation of Israel could find redemption. Today, the same thing holds true for any nation or any person. First, we must recognize our wickedness; then we must seek God, confess our sins, “turn from (our) wicked ways”. When we do these three things, God promises us He will hear us, forgive us, and most importantly, heal us.

When my children were little and one of them was misbehaving badly, I would send he/she to his/her room to think about his/her actions; hopefully, see the errors of his/her behavior so she/he could come to me, turn from his/her wicked way, and tell me he/she was sorry. Only then could I tell the child he/she was forgiven and all was well. Little did I know, I was using the same formula God had given Solomon so long ago so each one of us or as a nation so we could fellowship with Him. Our nation will be healed when one by one we recognize the wickedness of our way, seek God’s face, ask forgiveness, change from our wicked ways, and we RECEIVE His forgivenesss and one by one we RECEIVE His healing.

An Empty Chair

An Empty Chair

Originally uploaded by susan.house

Friends, I’ve received another email that just begs to be posted. Jesus taught us using parables. More and more, I can see why He used this method. I hope this brings you the peace, joy, and cause for reflection as it did me:

A woman’s daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray with her mother. When the minister arrived, he found the woman lying in bed with her head propped up o n two pillows. An empty chair sat beside her bed.
The minister assumed that the woman had been informed of his visit. ‘I guess you were expecting me, he said.
‘No, who are you?’ said the mother.
The minister told her his name and then remarked, ‘I saw the empty chair and I figured you knew I was going to show up.’
‘Oh yeah, the chair,’ said the bedridden woman. ‘Would you mind closing the door?’ Puzzled, the minister shut the door.
‘I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter,’ said the woman.
‘But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head.’ I abandoned any attempt at prayer,’ the woman continued, ‘until one day four years ago; my best friend said to me, ‘Betty, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest. ‘Sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair.
It’s not spooky because he promised, ‘I will be with you always’. ‘Then just speak to him in the same way you’re doing with me right now.’ ‘So, I tried it and I’ve liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I’m careful though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she’d either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm.’
The minister was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the woman to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with her, anointed her with oil, and returned to the church.
Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister that her mother had died that afternoon. Did she die in peace?’ he asked.
‘Yes, when I left the house about two o’clock, she called me over to her bedside, told me she loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found her. But there was something strange about her death. Apparently, just before Mother died, She leaned over and rested her head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?’
The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said, ‘I wish we could all go like that.’

Talents

Talents

Originally uploaded by susan.house

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
This summer our church has had the distinct pleasure of having a minister from England share with us for six weeks in an exchange program with a pastor from our church. The last sermon he gave was on the parable of the talents(Matthew 25:24-30, Luke 19:12-27). So why did I use these verses? Well, one, it just appeared like this is what the kitty was saying to the brushes. However, more importantly, this verse always seems to paralell the Scripture on the talents . After all, isn’t this one of the things being referred to when we refer to this parable? Is this not what causes us much consternation and trepidation when we read the parable?

Pastor Derek mentioned most of us relate to the servant who received the one talent and returned the one talent. Pastor Derek pointed out many of us forget God doesn’t give us anymore talents than what we’re capable of handling. He doesn’t give to the person who is able to double his talents only one talent and He doesn’t give the person capable of handling only one talent, ten talents. However, God knows that even the individual He gives one talent is capable of doubling that talent when we turn to God for our guidance as we are the tasks He sets before us. Just like Paul, it’s important to remember, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (Phillipians 4:13)

A Beacon to Guide Us

A Beacon to Guide Us

Originally uploaded by susan.house

We have all had those days, weeks, months, or years where we have felt like we’re floundering. We’ve felt like there is something missing in our life. We’re just plain off-course and we don’t know what’s wrong. Without knowing what’s wrong, it’s difficult to get our lives back on course. For centuries, sailors have been using lighthouses, beacons of light, to guide them into ports of safety or as a tool to guide them back on course when they’ve strayed off-course.

This last week or so, the Enemy has been successfully getting me off-course with my writing. I’ve been totally convinced, my creative abilities had completely dried up. I knew this was wrong because I knew God would never stop using me but I didn’t know how to get back on course. So, I did the only thing I knew how to do, I turned to my Light. I had people pray for me and I turned to the Bible, and I talked WITH God. If you want to hear God talk to you, you have to turn to His Word. And, BINGO, here I am. God is faithful. He tells us “if we remain in Him, He will remain in us”.

Are you lost? Are you off-course? If you have never accepted Christ as your Savior, I hope you will stop and ask Him to forgive you for all you have done wrong. There is nothing too big, too unforgivable for God. Then, I pray, you will ask Jesus Christ to come reside in your heart today, tomorrow, and forever. You’ll never regret you made this move. If you are already a Christ-follower and feel like you are off-course, turn to The Light. Ask your friends to pray for you, open your Bible, read it, and most importantly tell Him how you’re feeling. He will light the way before you. He will show you what you must do. God is real!!! God is alive!! God is faithful!!