Blisters and Leaves

 

        Today was our annual family 'leave raking' day.  It's a big effort as we have about an acre of tree covered land- and we wait until most of the leaves are off the trees to do it.  We don't bother bagging them as it would cost a small fortune to buy that many bags, and we don't use a wheelbarrow to transport them to the back compost pile because that would mean far too many trips.  Instead, we use a large tarp, pile it high, and drag it to our compost to dump.  Even then, there are many trips.

 

        Of course to start off we have to rake the leaves into big piles.  This year I remembered to begin raking by wearing gloves.  Usually I forget until I the first blister burns my hand as I rake which reminds me to late to wear protective gloves.   So I didn't get any blisters and surprisingly, my hands aren't as sore- bonus!

 

       It is important for us to wear protection when doing certain jobs to keep our sight, hearing, health...  and that is why there is protective equipment.  The Bible also speaks about protective gear.  We have a job to do on this earth for the Lord, but He has also provided protective equipment for us.

 

Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the wiles (trickery, deceit) of the devil.

Therefore stand, having your loins girded about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.  Above all, take the shield of faith, with which you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching to this very thing with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. Ep. 6:11,14-18

 

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Loins girt with truth:  ...I am the way, the truth, and the life... Jh. 14:6
Breastplate of righteousness:  ...And this is His name by which He shall be called, JEHOVAH, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Jr. 23:6
Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace: For He is our peace... Ep. 2:14
Shield of faith: so that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 1Cr. 2:5
Helmet of salvation: (metaphorically protects soul) ...the implanted Word, which is able to save your souls.

                                                                                 Jm. 1:21
Sword of the Spirit:  (...the Word)  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Jh. 1:1 (also v.14)

 

       This is not meant to be a teaching on what each piece of protective equipment means or how to use them, but rather to remind us where our protection actually comes from- the Lord our Savior and God.  He protects us as a shepherd protects his flock, as a Father protects his children, as a husband protects his bride.  So He gives us Himself (and the protective equipment we need) to stand against and oppose the enemy in this wicked world.

 

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world's rulers, of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Therefore take to yourselves the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand (resist, oppose) in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ep. 6:12,13

 

Lord, thank You that You are our protection where ever we may go...

 

 

I will lie down, both in peace and in sleep.
For You alone, Jehovah, make me dwell in safety.Ps. 4:8

Forgotten Step

       There aren’t too many things that I know how to cook well, but people do tend to enjoy my apple pie.  For some reason I may burn carrots, yet my pie crust turns out flaky… go figure!  Anyway, one day I was trying to teach my nephew how to make one and I finished off the crust, showing him how to pinch the edges.  As I began to clean up, I noticed the measuring cup on the counter with the sugar, cinnamon and most importantly, the flour to thicken it.  Off came the crust- carefully- the apples removed and tossed in the mix and the pie finished again.  Without the flour the pie would have been a runny mess.

       Now imagine forgetting a most important step, one that would cost you your life or the life of your child.  That’s scary, but it really did happen, or could have anyway.  Way back in the days of Moses they had the first Passover.  The Hebrews were to kill the sacrificial lamb (a foreshadow of the Lamb of God- Jesus- dying for our sins), then do something very important with that blood.

And you shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip in the blood in the bowl, and strike the lintel and the doorposts with the blood in the bowl. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. For Jehovah will pass through to strike the Egyptians. And when He sees the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, Jehovah will pass over the door, and will not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you.  Ex. 12:22,23

       The dead lamb on its own did nothing; neither did the blood in the bowl.  The people had to apply* the blood to the door posts.  Without the blood on the door posts, the angel of death would kill any firstborn in the house.  Notice the salvation is by Jehovah who sees the blood applied and springs upon the door to keep the destroyer out.

       It is not just that Jesus became our sacrificial Lamb and died for the sins of mankind, but that ‘we apply’ His sacrifice with faith (Ep. 2:8) to our lives.  So even though Jesus Christ has died for the sins of the whole world (1Jh. 2:2), though he wants none to perish, and though He would have all come to repentance (2Pt. 3:9), yet, whether or not we are saved and get to Heaven relies on our choice and action in applying who He is and what He’s done to our lives.

Don’t forget to apply the salvation of Jesus Christ to your life…

                                                               you never know what tomorrow holds.

*Applying required faith/ trust in God.

                demonstrated your beliefs to others.

                acted out obedience to God’s will.

               

Freedom

       These days, on Thursdays I wake up, take my medication, go to the washroom, run on the treadmill in my warm house while watching some dvd show on our tv.  After cleaning up and some stretching I drive my daughter to school, come home to wake up my son, eat breakfast, read my Bible, maybe some news, then drive him to the bus stop- too far to walk.  After that I show up early at my church for a Bible study on Revelation often spending time with my friend afterwards laughing about one thing or another.

       That all encompasses about 6½ hours in one morning.  As today is Remembrance Day in Canada, I would like to remember many of the freedoms I enjoy which some people around the world do not, and I’ll narrow it down into those specific Thursday morning hours.

Freedom:

   to wake up without worry of missiles exploding my house.

   for hubby to have a good job of his choice that has benefits to cover medication.

   to vote for municipal governments which help keep our utilities (like water) flowing.

   to own a house just for our family instead if 50 others vying for the washroom.

   for hubby to have a good paying job so we can buy things that improve our health.

   to have companies that sell us electricity and also provide jobs in the community.

   to heat my house by any method 

      (government approved of course) of our choosing.

   to possess our own house, where we want.

   to watch what I want to watch instead of government 

      sponsored propaganda.

   to go out of my house in pants, a shirt, or whatever I 

      want- as a woman.

   to have as many kids as we want and raise them with 

      our beliefs and values.

   to help my daughter achieve a post secondary education.

   to go to an educational establishment that is open to all 

      races, creeds, cultures.

   to bring my son to a school in a different area but better 

      suited to him.

   to go to the stores I want and buy what I want when I want it.

   to own a Bible, read it when I want where I want.

   to read the news of the local and world when I want to.

   to drive, own  and insure a vehicle as a woman.

   to attend the church of any ‘religion’ of my choice without threat of death or prison.

   to study the Bible openly with others and openly discuss it free from persecution.

   to learn and grow in ways some countries are not able to.

   to meet with friends when I want, speak openly about whatever we want

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       In all of this I am sure there are lots missing even though it was only 6½ hours long.  Imagine all that freedom.  There are soldiers who have done much to protect these freedoms for us here: big thank you one and all!  There are those who fight for freedom to speak, to choose our own paths, to be accepted no matter the ethnicity, to stand up for what we believe in, vote our conscience, etc.  Of course, many have fought hard for the right to believe and practice our own ‘religion’.  The thing is, we should ALL fight for freedom everyday (passively but aggressively if needed) and make sure our kids understand the importance of freedom.

       In all my life I have experienced much freedom thanks to all that have gone before me, and I am grateful to each one who stood against the enemy to keep freedom alive.  Of course my biggest thank you’s go to my Lord and my Savior who has given me true freedom, not just the ones I enjoy in this body, but also frees my spirit- from bondage and a place of eternal death in sin.

Jesus answered them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Whoever practices sin is the slave of sin. And the slave does not abide in the house forever, but the Son abides forever. Therefore if the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. Jh. 8:34-36

Thank You, thank You, thank You for Your great freedom oh Lord!!!

Inappropriate Friendships

       When I was a teen I liked to watch teen movies where character development was the major part of the story.  It always made me sad though to see a relatively ‘good’ person get caught up in a gang, a group of badly behaved teens, or really rebellious group because I knew the grief that would eventually happen, or the person would change for the worse.  “Do not be deceived; evil companionships corrupt good habits.” (1Cr. 15:33)  That is the reason the Bible admonishes us to be careful, but check out with whom:

I wrote to you in the letter not to associate intimately with fornicators; yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then you must go out of the world.  But now I have written to you not to associate intimately, if any man called a brother and is either a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one not to eat. 1Cr. 5:9-11

fornicator- sexual immorality of any kind

covetous- eager to have more or what belongs to others

idolater- given to blind or excessive devotion to something- anything

reviler- scoffer, one who insults, treating others bad by use of words

drunkard- drunk, intoxicated

extortioner- monetarily preying on others, getting money using force or threats

       Notice the difference between intimately associating with the world and our brothers in the Lord.  If it’s the world, God is okay with it because He wants us to spread His Truth, but our brother should be doing his best to live a holy life (ourselves as well).  Having said that, if he is trying but struggling, if he hates his sin but can’t seem to break free, if his heart wants desperately to stop sinning, then I don’t think these verses apply to him for God looks on the heart (1Sm. 16:7).  If he is unrepentant, regularly practices, or doesn’t want or feel the need to stop, then that’s a different matter and whom I believe this passage is talking about.

For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, Hb. 10:26 ESV

Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil… 1Jh. 3:8 ESV

No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. 1Jh. 3:9 ESV (also 5:18)

       When I was a teen, born again, I went with friends to hand out tracts outside a male strip club.  A group of happy, laughing women headed in and we handed them tracts.  They said, “Hey, we’re born again too!” and they meant it.  I couldn’t understand how you could be saved and still choose to participate in such things, so I asked.  They believed as long as you’re saved you could do what you want.  Biblically incorrect.

Yes, we are all sinners, but just where is our heart?  Is it owned by God?…

Oh Lord, please help us all!