Tag Archives: Israel

Did Me Good

This from the Fly Lady did me good this morning. Perhaps it will you as well.

Finding Peace in my Home and Heart
flylady, 11/16/2012 3:18 am

Dear Dear FlyLady,

I live in the part of the world characterized right now by violent conflict, armed struggle and terror. Lots of terror. So what a gift to have found you and to have found you now. You have helped my to create a haven on the inside to where everyone can enjoy a welcoming and loving place to come home to.

Used to be, as soon as anyone walked in the door, they were greeted with a long list of complaints and chores to finish up, get on with and do better. Thank God you taught me that housework done imperfectly still blesses your family. I’ve learned that I can do fifteen minutes a day, and develop healthy and effective routines to lighten our load, and make the day to day life around the house less stressful, no, even nice, pleasant.

There is no need to pressure anyone else to do the chores, because most days I get them done myself. In fact they hardly feel like chores anymore. And when I get up off my franny and stop yelling at everybody else to get things done, they pitch in far more than I expect. I have six kids, aged 3 – 19, work at a demanding payrolled job with ridiculous hours. I came home the other morning after working all night and found my sinks shining??!!  

But what I really need to thank you for today goes even further than all of that. In our current situation I have grown to regard my enemy with hate. Nothing more nothing less. I saw this message, and thought how could I possibley begin to pray for my enemy. I want to hate them. They are horrible. But then I thought, if I continue to hold on to hatred, my kids will probably hold on to hatred, and their kids will, and so on, and it would never end. I figured that everything else that you say makes sense, I’ll give this a try. So I began to pray to God to soften the hearts of my enemy. To make them see my good side, to endear me to them. To let them want peace. I don’t know what its doing for them, but Suddenly I find that MY heart has been softened. My hatred is melting, I am able to see their good side.

Thank you sweet FlyLady for helping me let peace into my home and into my heart.

Starting to get off the ground in Israel.

(emphasis above is mine)

Matthew 5:43-45

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

via Matthew 5:43-45 NASB – “You have heard that it was said, – Bible Gateway.

Blessings of Joy and Peace,

Permission To Speak

Permission to Speak Freely. I understand it is a military term spoken to a Superior Officer for leave to be candid with said Officer.  (Please correct me if I am wrong.)

I believe there is a Sect of People with such an attitude (a belief system) toward Christians, and I might add, only Christians. To all others such demand is not applied.

I have some good news! We have Permission to Speak Freely from the HIGHEST AUTHORITY in the Universe. Actually more than Permission; rather a privilege and a command.

8 Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples.
9 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; speak of all His wonders.
10 Glory in His holy name; let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.

via I chron 16 NASB – A Tent for the Ark – And they brought – Bible Gateway.

4 And in that day you will say, “Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; Make them remember that His name is exalted.”
5 Praise the Lord in song, for He has done excellent things; Let this be known throughout the earth.

via Is 12 NASB – Thanksgiving Expressed – Then you will – Bible Gateway.

1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples.
2 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders.
3 Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.

via Ps 105 NASB – The LORD’S Wonderful Works in Behalf – Bible Gateway.

Allow me to call your attention to

MAKE KNOWN HIS DEED AMONG THE PEOPLES.
SPEAK OF ALL HIS WONDERS

Make known His deeds among the peoples;
Make them remember that His name is exalted.”

Let this be known throughout the earth.

We have permission to speak without apology and without PERMISSION from ‘Man’.  Our Father has NOT called us to arrogance. He has NOT called us to obnoxious-ness. He has NOT called us to offensiveness. Albeit to the unrepentant and unbelieving our message and our commission may be offensive; even as was our Savior, JESUS THE CHRIST, perceived offensive by the ‘religious’. That has not changed. Even so we have Permission to Speak Freely.  Moreover we have the privilege and command to do so.   Now is the time.  Would you agree?

One more caution.
One more admonishment to myself and to you.
WAIT before and upon THE LORD for HIM to empower you so you can speak this message with and IN HIS LOVE, knowing you may be perceived as offensive, until the soul who hears chooses to repent and then it shall be the BEST NEWS  s/he has or ever shall hear!

18 When I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.
19 Yet if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself.

via Ez 3 NASB – Ezekiel’s Commission – Then He said – Bible Gateway.

ABBA, seal this in my heart least I forget and at the appointment time come to You with blood on my hands. Let that not be, ABBA. Let it not be. In JESUS name let that not be.

We are accountable,

Still

I’m just not much in a writing mood. Not sure why. Just not. BUT I am in the mood to share other folks writings.  Like my You Version devotion for this morning. Take a look.

THE WAVES

Dr. Norman Vincent Peale told of a trip he took on a sailboat in the Near East. The skipper told him, “The ocean is a tremendous force, and our ship is only a small force. But, we know how to make our little engines adapt themselves to the timing of the waves so we are practically carried along by the sea.”

Praying could be defined as adjusting ourselves to the plans and timing of God. When Sennacherib threatened Judah, Hezekiah first went to God (2 Kings 19:14-19). There was a childlike simplicity in the king’s faith. He took the threatening letter and spread it out before God to read. It is as if he said, “Okay, what do we do about it?”

This same childlike faith should be ours in this modern world. Our frustrations and anxieties should be spread out before God for His direction. As we adjust our lives to God’s plan and timing, we find we are carried along by His power. This puts to highest use the forces of our own lives to meet the battles of life. Hezekiah and his people were delivered, and so shall we be.

Is that good or what?

And if you have some more time for reading, please go visit my Friend Elaine. The post is entitled: The Woman I No Longer Need to be . . .

You might find yourself on the page. 

ABBA, perhaps some sisters are not much on doing what they usually do, whatever good thing that is that seems to have lost some luster – guide us I pray. Guide us to coming to Peace with who we are now and resting in Your promise that You are not finished with us yet. Yes. Israel. America. The Election. Truth to prevail. Evil to be exposed. Repentance. Dori. Kerri. Pam M. Pam K. Sharron and Others.  As a dear soul used to say, ‘take a reading on our hearts’, ABBA. See what’s there, see the needs and meet them. See the love and concern for others and express it through us. See the need to love others and the need to express Your love and change us to do it. Safety and protection. Transformations for That One and This One. And let our hearts be not troubled but believe YOU, LORD JESUS in all things.

Blessings to you Dear Friends    +++

Remember YOU have the God-given RIGHT to do right in this wrong world!

Music

I am checking in with you again this morning with my YouVersion devotion selection for today. It is really good and I think you will like it. You might even find it helpful as you interact with people who deny our faithful and glorious GOD.

Blessings to you Dear Friends    +++

Remember YOU have the God-given RIGHT to do right in this wrong world!

WHERE IS THE MUSIC?

A cynical French astronomer once bragged to J.W. Hawley, “I have swept the universe with my telescope, and I find no God.” To this, Hawley simply replied, “That is as unreasonable as for me to say I have taken my violin apart, have examined each piece, and I find no music.” Hawley’s words were wise and silenced the skeptic. Most of the time, we have to notice the subtle causes and effects of life to see God. However, there are times when He makes His presence known most dramatically.

Elijah had spent his life trying to convince a straying nation to come back to the one true God. Now it was time for a showdown. Gathered on Mount Carmel, the helpless prophets of Baal danced and chanted all day for a display from their god. After they exhausted their resources, Elijah told them to step aside. In his brief prayer, Elijah called on God to show Himself as the true God. God did so, and revival broke out (1 Kings 18:20-39).

In our day, God is again displaying His power in the world. These are times of great revival, and we are seeing dramatic miracles in ministry. Pray with us today that God will continue to move that men may know. Let it be known this day that You are God in Israel.