Skunked!

       A good friend spoke to me about a recent problem that arose.  Her dog was sprayed by a skunk (ewwww!), and her daughter thoughtfully bathed the dog many times with various potions but with little improvement.  The smell was still strong when my friend went home but she managed to stay in the house anyway.  In the morning she returned to work unknowingly smelling like skunk as her nose was partially desensitized.  The skunk smell was strong enough in her house that it absorbed into the fabric of her clothing and other items she carried.  I didn’t realize it would do that!

       Lessons learned from life are always the most intriguing, so as I pondered my friend’s situation I started thinking about what else in life is as bad as skunk spray.  There are certainly many possible parallels but I would like to write on only three.

       Bad attitudes can be like skunk spray.  If you are around someone who is spewing verbal garbage about others or just continues in negativity time after time, it can start leaving it’s scent on you and pretty soon you start ‘smelling’ too by speaking poorly of others.*  We must be cautious of this.  Pray for the person with the attitude, and if you are able and you think the time is right, you could try to speak to them about it.  Perhaps they don’t even realize what they are doing.

       Sin can be like skunk spray.  If you are hanging out with people involved in specific sins, you may find these same sins may absorb into the fabric of your life.  We must be careful to love and accept all people, but not tolerate their sin.  Unfortunately, sometimes we don’t even understand that it has gotten into our lives until it is too late and we are thoroughly caught up in it.**  The sin attaches to us like a bad smell.  Sometimes we need to avoid certain people and that would include those who continue to cause stumbling blocks in our lives.

       Worldliness can also be like skunk spray.  This one is probably the most difficult to detect as it happens.  We spend time with friends and family because we love them and want to be with them.  Slowly, the scent of the world starts to permeate our ‘clothing and personal items’ (lives, personality, behaviours) and we don’t notice.***  Soon we are not spending the time with the Lord that we should though we know what is happening on our tv shows.  We speed a little more because it’s not hurting anyone (we don’t consider the Lord), we pray less, eat more, hold back on offerings since it’s been a bad month, buy ourselves more toys, and our Bible begins to gather dust.

       In the end, the lesson derived from this is to try not to get sprayed to start with.  We need to exercise care in our lives and listen to our Shepherd’s voice when He tells us something.  We need to learn to say no- to have boundaries with others and not allow the ‘smells’ of bad attitudes, sin and worldliness to permeate our lives.  But when we do get sprayed we have the best 'Skunk Out' available in Jesus Christ, for His blood cleanses us white as snow. (Is. 1:8)  He is able to save, heal and deliver us, and He brings liberty to our lives. (Gal. 5:1)

*Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. Rom. 13:8

** For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. Jam. 2:10 

*** And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind… Rom. 12:2 

Our Acts

       Jesus knew He was to leave the earth, so He told His disciples He would send someone of importance to be with us. (John 16:7) It was the Holy Spirit.  Soon after their baptism in the Holy Ghost promised by Jesus (Acts 1:5) they received the promised ‘power’ (Acts 1:8) and became witnesses.  Witness means: Testimony; That which furnishes evidence or proof; A person who knows or sees any thing- an eyewitness.  The disciple’s lives would never be the same again.

       First recorded in the book of Acts after their baptism is that they spoke testimony of what they had seen in Jesus and His life.  At the same time, this spoken testimony- given by many disciples- was accompanied by a gift previously unheard of- speaking in other languages which must have been seen as somewhat miraculous.  This astounded the listeners, and made them believe what was being spoken.  It is no wonder that 3000 became believers that day given the testimony with the power of the Spirit evident in it.

       The rest of the book of Acts is just what it is called, the Acts of the Apostles and other believers- in other words, the things that they did.  See, we are not meant to be fed more and more Bible truths only to keep it unto ourselves.  Instead, we are to act upon what we learn by putting it into practice in this dark world thus shining His light into the darkness.

       We are to give testimony by our words, our actions, our behaviours and morals, even our motives and intentions.  When people see the good changes in us or find us to be of good character showing the love of God continually and our lives filled with the power of the Spirit, they are more likely to desire what we have, and they just may want to know this Jesus of ours.  Increasing our knowledge does not necessarily increase our actions upon it.  We need to act on the knowledge we already have.

       The Word of God, the testimony of Jesus in our lives and the power of the Holy Spirit combined make for a persuasive witness to the truth of who Jesus is and can be in the lives of those around us. The world will want what we have when we start ACTing the truths in the Word and they see His power in our lives. 

You are Loved

       If there were one thing I would want everyone to have a genuine understanding with head and heart, it would be that God loves you.  Though you woke up on ‘the wrong side of the bed’, you cursed at the drivers on the way to work, grumbled at a co-worker, messed up at the job, ate fries loaded with gravy for lunch breaking all your diet rules, arrived back at work late, missed an important deadline, went home and yelled at the kids and spouse just because you were mad, kicked the lego across the floor, and took out your frustration on the internet by spewing gossip around, the Lord still loves you.  His love is not conditional upon what you do, but who you are.  If you reside in an earthly body, you are His creation and He loves you. 

       His love for you is strong, steady and unfailing.  Whether you believe He exists, or does not exist, He still loves you.  If you are His child because you are ‘born again’ and you think He turns away because you are doing wrong, He is always waiting for you with open arms to return.  Why?  Because He loves you.  The Word of God is the Truth and speaks of God’s great love toward you.

but despite all this, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ who loved us enough to die for us.  For I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love.  Death can’t, and life can’t.  The angels won’t, and all the powers of hell itself cannot keep God’s love away.  Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, or where we are- high above the sky, or in the deepest ocean- nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ when he died for us.  Rom. 8:37-39 TLB

We love him, because he first loved us. 1Jn. 4:19 

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1Jn. 4:10 

The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love... Jer. 31:3 

Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death… S.of S. 8:6 

And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Eph. 3:19 

And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Rom. 5:5 

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Jam. 1:17 

       Jesus loves you this I know, for the Bible tells me so…

Thanks Giving

To God be the glory.  Great things He has done.

To Abba, our Father, who loved us enough

to make a plan to save our wretched lives.

Glory and honour and praise.

To Jesus who gave up His beginning to come as mortal man,

to suffer and die while innocent all for our guilt

be glory and honour and praise.

To the Holy Spirit who comes to abide with us,

the frail, weak, and temporary flesh of man,

be glory and honour and praise.

We thank You and praise You and love You always!



 

In Matt. Redman’s Words

          Once Again

          Jesus Christ, I think upon Your sacrifice

          You became nothing, poured out to death

          Many times I've wondered at Your gift of life

          And I'm in that place once again

          I'm in that place once again

          And once again I look upon the cross where You died

          I'm humbled by Your mercy and I'm broken inside

          Once again I thank You

          Once again I pour out my life

          Now You are exalted to the highest place

          King of the heavens, where one day I'll bow

          But for now I marvel at Your saving grace

          And I'm full of praise once again

          I'm full of praise once again

          Thank You for the cross

          Thank You for the cross

          Thank You for the cross, my Friend