Pursuing Peace

Posted on January 23, 2013 by DearEncourager

What is it that comforts you? Is it food, shopping, television, music, work/busyness, sleeping or even relationships? These are our peace substitutes? We use them to soothe us or drown out our thoughts and emotions because we are disturbed, and … Continue reading →

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PEACE

Posted on December 24, 2012 by DearEncourager

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. … Continue reading →

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CHRISTmas

Posted on December 2, 2012 by DearEncourager
Christmas gifts.

Christmas gifts. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Christmas season is upon us! Or, should I say, the commercialized Christmas season is smothering us. After Thanksgiving, the infamous “Black Friday,” we jump head first into the shop, shop, shop-till-you-drop mode. Getting up early and staying up late to spend money that we really should be saving, and spending money that we will later anxiously be trying to replace. For some, the commercialized Christmas season brings on the anxiety of trying to find monies for gifts, gifts and more gifts. And for others, the more commonly used spending tactic, credit cards, will place us in more unaffordable debt for a year, or more.

The shopping, spending, overspending, and excessive, lavish gift giving, are all so far from Christ in Christmas. I know; we all want to give our children, spouses, friends, and loved ones nice gifts, but wouldn’t something more meaningful like demonstrating the true spirit of Christmas be better. Christ gave of Himself to us. He demonstrated unconditional love. He committed the most selfless act ever, giving His life for us. His very birth was an act of selflessness by His Father. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son….” John 3:16.

This Christmas season let us keep the Christ in Christmas! Let us show our family, friends, and loved ones how to give of ourselves; how to be selfless. Let us reach outside the border of our loved ones and demonstrate the true meaning of Christmas by giving to those less fortunate. Let us be an example that “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35. There are many that would appreciate the gift of a warm coat or blanket. The gift of a hot meal would cause many to be overjoyed.

Let us not be so busy shopping and preparing for Christmas that we fail to honor Christ during this Christmas season. Pay attention to those around you, so that we do not miss an opportunity to demonstrate Christ to those that are homeless, hungry, hurting, and in need.

“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’” “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you failed to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were failing to help me.’” Matthew 25:44-45

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Full — “… my cup overflows” Psalm 23:5

Posted on October 24, 2012 by DearEncourager

In “Expectations,” I spoke about being full of God, being complete in Him. I want to continue that discussion, because we often do not realize that our emotions are, most times, tied to our being full, half full, a quarter … Continue reading →

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Expectations

Posted on October 10, 2012 by DearEncourager

The expectations we place on those we care about, whether it is with spouses, children, family, friends, significant others, or spiritual leaders, are sometimes more than the person is willing and/or capable of actually providing. Our expectations usually come from an area where there is a “need,” and we want that need supplied or that “void” filled. When the need is not met or the void is not filled, we often find ourselves unfulfilled, discouraged, despondent, and sometimes depressed.

I believe God wants us to be so full of Him that there is no “neediness” in our lives. As a result, anything else we receive from others would be “perks” or “fringe benefits.” We are to be totally complete in God.

Ephesians 3:19, “And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.”

Ephesians 5:18, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.”

Colossians 1:9. “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.”

The enemy preys upon our affections and emotions, particularly when we continually reach out to others for what we are needing or lacking in our lives. This causes us to put ourselves on the line to show others love, kindness and consideration. However, when we do this and our affections are not reciprocated, it creates a wound; and we have to go through a healing process. That is why the Lord wants us to be filled with all fullness in Him. When we are full of Him, rejection, emptiness, loneliness, neediness, etc., are not issues; because there is no room for that – we are already full. When we are full of Him, we no longer expect others to fulfill our needs. Instead, we reach out to others from a place of overflow, because our fullness is in God. We are complete in Him.

If we are not full of Him and continually being filled, we will wander around in life just as the children of Israel did in the wilderness, except we will be wandering around in a vicious circle of LOVE-REJECTION-HURT-HEALING-LOVE-REJECTION-HURT-HEALING, and so forth and so on. “Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 2 Timothy 3:7.

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Change

Posted on October 1, 2012 by DearEncourager

We are naturally resistant to change, even when change is favorable. For the most part, I believe, it is because change doesn’t happen how we think it should or when we think it should. Nonetheless, in the midst of challenging times, we have to remember Isaiah 55:9, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  Because, when God is about to bring change in our lives, it may seem as though things intensify, even worsen; everything goes haywire and everybody goes crazy. Fires start popping up everywhere and, sometimes, in the least place you would expect: the child that was usually the “good one” starts acting out; the job climate suddenly turns hostile; a once peaceful home is now chaotic. It is during these times that we must not become weary and tired. However, more often than not, we feel like giving up, throwing in the towel and waving the white flag of surrender. But, what we should do is dig in our heels, close our mouths to anything negative, and hold on till our change comes. Job 14:14, “…all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.”

In 2 Kings 6:24-33, the scriptures describe a great famine in the land. This famine was so severe that one woman tricked another woman into boiling her son so that they could have food (2 Kings 6:28-29). Yet, in the heart of this great famine the prophet, Elisha, spoke a Word that didn’t make sense. He announced that tomorrow all that was going to change (2 Kings 2:1). In the middle of difficult, trying times, when it seems all hope is lost, God will speak a Word and say “…weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5); or He will speak and say, “Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (2 Chronicles 20:15).  Perhaps during a weak stage in your life, He speaks and says you are, “…more than conquerors through Him that loved us” (Romans 8:37). He is speaking Words to us that are not making sense to us because of the situation or circumstance we are in at that time.

How we respond to God when He speaks change during difficult times is very important. In 2 Kings 7:1, as Elisha is telling the king and his party that things were about to change, the scripture states that one of the king’s men told Elisha he didn’t believe it. “Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, ‘Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be?’” (2 Kings 7:2). Elisha’s response to the man was, “…Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof” (2 Kings 7:2). It is important to agree with God for change. It doesn’t matter what it looks like or what it feels like, when God speaks change into your situation, agree with Him. Do not allow your words to cancel out God’s change for you. Let your response be Amen; so be it.

The king’s servant didn’t believe, the king didn’t even believe, but that did not change the Word of the Lord. The Word that was spoken still came to pass. It changed! The famine came to a quick, sudden halt (2 Kings 7:18). But, the king’s man that spoke and said he didn’t believe, saw the change but did not share in it (2 Kings 7:20), just as Elisha had spoken. When the Lord speaks change into your situation, do not resist Him. Answer Him just as Mary, the mother of Jesus, did “…be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38).

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Seasons – To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven Eccl. 3:1

Posted on September 24, 2012 by DearEncourager

Verses 1 thru 8 of Ecclesiastes vividly and emphatically declares that there are seasons in life. Webster’s Dictionary defines seasons as, “a time characterized by a particular circumstance or feature.” There are four set seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. In some geographical locations, the “weather” does not change, but the “season” always changes. For example, in Miami during the Winter (the season), it is hot (the weather) just as it is during the summer (the season). Likewise, spiritually, we have seasons in our lives. Seasons of trials, tests, ups, downs, sowing, reaping, defeat and victory.

As the weather began to cool, the Spirit of the Lord spoke and simply said “the season is changing.” In fact, the season has changed; Fall, or what is commonly called Autumn, is now upon us. I began to thank the Lord for the change of the season, and for the cool morning breeze. Well, that was not the heart of what the Spirit of the Lord was speaking about seasons. He began to explain that just as the natural seasons change so do the spiritual seasons, and just as He has placed the natural seasons on earth, He has also placed the spiritual seasons in our lives. In Genesis 8:22, God declares, “while the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” Daniel 2:21 states, “And He changeth the times and the seasons…” It is indeed God that has set seasons in place, both naturally and spiritually.

He, the Spirit of the Lord, further explained that just as there is a gradual turning of the natural seasons, there is also a gradual turning of the spiritual seasons in our lives. We do not transition from a summer day to a cold day – first the mornings cool, then the evenings cool, and then the entire day is cool and we find ourselves in the season of Fall. Likewise, we do not move from a trial immediately to victory – there is a process, a gradual change and that change takes place within us.

The Holy Spirit warns, however, that the enemy wages war against us when it is time for a seasonal change in our lives. He wages war against our minds, he uses our weaknesses against us, and he also uses those close to us to inflict hurt and pain. The enemy knows that change for most of us is difficult. He knows that we are comfortable with the familiar, so he makes it more difficult for us when God is causing a season of change in our lives.

How do we get through our spiritual seasons? We know how to get through seasons of joy, peace, good health and victory. We know how to shout hallelujah on the mountain top, but it’s those seasons of trials and testings that we find difficult to get through. We must remember that God ordained the seasons, and there will always be seasons in our lives, and remember that it is just a season – it will change. God Almighty designed it that way.

Psalm 16:7 reads, “I will bless the Lord who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.” It is interesting that David would call this time of trouble in his life, “night seasons;” a time of darkness, perhaps caused by disappointment, attacks, etc. David shows us what to do during a night season. He said, “I will bless the Lord.” Why? Because, “He guides me. Even at night my heart instructs me.” David is saying, during his night seasons, his heart will instruct him. David’s heart can instruct him because he has done Psalm 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Knowing and believing what the Word of God says about whatever season we are facing takes us through the season. Knowing that the Word of God says, “…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psalm 30:5); “…let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season, we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9). If we don’t faint, it will change. We need to understand that “due season” is God’s time – not our time.

We have to be faithful to God in whatever season we find ourselves. Paul stated in Philippians 4:11 that, “…I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” We have to “learn” to do the same. I believe what Paul learned was that it was just a season and it will change. Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2, “…to be ready in season and out of season…” We too need to be ready with the Word of God in our season of victory and our season of testing.

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