Greed

I've got to post this before I forget it.  (Only I don't think I'll ever forget it!)  Jodina challenged Liz & I this morning at prayer time by asking us this question, "What would you say 'GREED' is?"  Of course, we launched into our definition of it being consumed with material things---obsessively wanting more.  And then she read this definition to us (get ready for it to hurt):

Wanting more than one needs.  Excessive or rapacious desire, esp. for wealth or possessions.  (Here it comes!)  Wanting one's own way excessively.

OUCH!!  And then she read these verses from Proverbs 28:25-26.  "He who is of a greedy spirit stirs up strife, but he who puts his trust in the Lord shall be enriched and blessed.  He who leans on, trusts in, and is confident of his own mind and heart is a [self-confident] fool, but he who walks in skillful and godly Wisdom shall be delivered."

As we talked and allowed God to touch those now-festering places in our lives, this is the progression we saw: 

GREED > STRIFE > RESENTMENT > DIVISION > WAR > MURDER

This is confirmed in James 4:1-2  "What leads to strife (discord and feuds) and how do conflicts (quarrels and fightings) originate among you? Do they not arise from your sensual desires that are ever warring in your bodily members?  You are jealous and covet [what others have] and your desires go unfulfilled; [so] you become murderers. [To hate is to murder as far as your hearts are concerned.]"

I realized that's what I was battling this weekend.  I was wanting my own way excessively.  I was greedy.  And I also realized I can easily put a spiritual face on my greed.  In fact, I think that's a huge problem in the church.  Think about it.  Lots of people wanting their own way which leads to strife which leads to resentment which leads to division which leads to war and then murder.  (Read this!)  We may not physically kill someone, but we most certainly can do it in other ways. 
In my mind this morning, I saw that we were rallied around a banner of death.  We've murdered one another with our greed.  Tearing down that banner and rallying around Jesus Christ, Who is Life, is as easy as confessing our sin, humbling ourselves, asking forgiveness and letting God restore what's been stolen.

"Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will."  II Timothy 2:23-26

I now have a new definition for greed.

The Truth about Truth

Sometimes it hurts. 

I don't like to be confronted, do you?  And when someone walks up to you and says, "We need to talk," it's usually a precursor to something unpleasant.  And I usually get my defenses up.

That happened to me yesterday.  But you know what?  I'm so grateful I'd spent a week asking God for Truth.   It put me in the right position.  Even though my defenses went up when I was confronted, I tried (tried being the key word here) to not overreact or to be unkind.  I tried to speak the truth in love to the person who confronted me.

There was a "suggestion" given that left me cold.  In fact, I left work crying.  (Alone, thank goodness!)  And I don't cry easily.  Andy let me cry on his shoulder and we just tried to stay busy the rest of the day.  (He's a great listener and defender!)

Last night, we went walking.  I'd worked through a lot during the afternoon and I was now ready to talk.  I asked him how he would handle the situation.  He was giving me some great advice and as he did, new thoughts began to flood my mind.  I believe God was giving them to me....Truth.  I began bouncing them off of him.  I don't believe I would have been in a position to hear them without having asked for Truth.

And you know what?  It wasn't all that far from the "suggestion" that person offered me.   Hmmmm......that is not what I expected.

This isn't the first time God's used Truth in my life this way.  Truth is a great pruning tool.  God uses it to lop off some of the dead stuff in my life.  Pruning can hurt.  But you know what?  It brings freedom.  And it yields new life.   Which is exactly why I'm hungry for it---and it keeps me coming back for more---regardless of the pain!  Isn't it interesting that Truth can be the same tool that cuts away dead stuff and yet births new fruit?  Kind of like a double-edged sword.   I'm grateful for the pain that has made me see something in me that needs changing.  And I'm anxious to see the new fruit and life ahead!

Day 7: Asking God for Truth

This morning as I asked God for Truth, He spoke quietly to my heart:  Listen for me today.  Pay attention to what I'm doing.

Well, I've asked God for Truth for 7 days.  I hope you have, too.  Isn't it amazing how many different ways God shows us Truth?  I've been asking God for Truth for 15 years now.  He never fails me....I might fail Him...but He never fails me.  The reason I think this exercise is so important is because there's going to be a "falling away" in the last days.  I don't want to be deceived.  And I don't want other things to become more important than God to me.  I hope you'll make it a practice to ask God for Truth.

Day 6: Asking God for Truth

MY NAME IN HEADLINES!! 

I hope you can actually read this article---it's all about me, my facebook, my blog---ME!!  What? A little obsessive?   Isn't that what II Timothy 2: 2 talks about?  Well, this is what has slowly been creeping into my spirit (in a good way, not a creepy way).  It just hit me one day as I was on facebook:  "Do we all just like our names up in headlines?"  Methinks we do.  And the Truth is, it's just a fulfillment of scripture.  That's the Truth God showed me today.

*Just so you know, I'm not giving up my facebook account or my blog.  But I'm having to retrain myself to use them as tools and not become obsessive with them.  Or...not to be a lover of myself.  And yes...I wrote the article by myself about myself.  And no...it didn't actually come out in a newspaper--it's an online tool.

Asking God for Truth--2nd post

Isn't it interesting where you find Truth when you start searching for it?  I just happened to turn to a Christian television station and listened to a teacher of Hebrew.  He was actually teaching on the "kings of the earth" who are descendants of Esau.  He took the teaching all the way through Revelation.  But he went to Psalm 2: 2-3 which says, "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us."

I loved what he had to say about the kings of the earth, but when he got to these verses, he said that when it says to "break their bands," it actually means to break their traditions.  And where it says "cast away their cords,"  it actually means to cast away their fathers.
 
Isn't it interesting to think about our generation and what's happened?  The kings of the earth--those descendants of Esau who've set themselves against God--want to do away with our traditions and cast away our fathers.
 
It just seems to me that we've somewhat come in agreement with them.

Day 5: Asking God for Truth

Day 5 of my challenge.

This morning, I read Mark 3.  When I first read the chapter, it seemed to skip from one point to the next in the chapter, with no coherence.  But when I asked God for Truth, I saw a single thread running through it.  Jesus is healing people and the demons cry out, "You are the Son of God!"  Jesus calls the 12 disciples and gives them authority over the demons (among other things).  Jesus' family comes to take him by force, thinking he is out of his mind.  The scribes accuse Jesus of working under the power of Satan.

Do you see the common thread?  Jesus' response kind of clinches it.  He tells them,  "And if a kingdom is divided and rebelling against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  And if a house is divided (split into factions and rebelling) against itself, that house will not be able to last.  And if Satan has raised an insurrection against himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is [surely] coming to an end."  

Jesus didn't want the demonic world to be the one to reveal who he was--he was content to wait until the fullness of God's time.  They  weren't part of him or his kingdom.  Because the disciples were now followers of Jesus (part of his kingdom), he gave them authority over the demons.  Because Jesus' family was divided over who he was, he didn't even respond to their demands.

The last verse seals the deal:  "For whoever does the things God wills is my brother and sister and mother!"

Day 4: Asking God for Truth

Day 4 of my challenge.

Our pastor preached on Gideon this past Sunday and I had to talk it over with my prayer partners this morning.  This is the Truth God showed us.  Gideon was hiding in the wine presses threshing wheat.  Now if you don't know, this isn't the way to thresh wheat.  Normally, they would go to a hill where the wind would catch the chaff and blow it away as they threshed.  But Gideon was fearful of the Midianites.  The Angel of the Lord appeared to him at the wine press and said, "The Lord is with you, you mighty man of (fearless) courage."  The Angel of the Lord was prophesying his future.  He was proclaiming who Gideon would become (and who He would help get there). 

As our pastor was preaching, my eyes fell on a verse later in the chapter that I had underlined.  "But the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon with Himself and took possession of him..."  The Holy Spirit hadn't come to indwell people yet.  But what does that phrase say to you?  It says "power" to me!

But the Truth God showed me was that what happened to Gideon is NORMAL for us as believers!  At the point of salvation, we are clothed in Him--in righteousness and we are filled with the Spirit.  So if it says "power" to me, why am I not constantly living in that power??

It's because we have to appropriate it.  It's like we're plugged in, but the switch still needs to be flipped.  I have to choose to not walk in the flesh, but to walk in the Spirit.  And when I do...watch out!  You're going to want to read about Gideon.  I wish I could tell you he walked in that power every day, but unfortunately, he was human just like me.  And just like Gideon, I need the Spirit's help (power) to get where He wants me!

Day 3: Asking God for Truth

Day 3 of my challenge.

This actually happened a few days ago, but God reminded me of it today when I asked Him for Truth.  This weekend, I was talking to an older godly woman who was struggling with something that had happened in her family.  When I suggested that she pray and fast over the situation, she told me, "God has told me to quit praying about it.  This family member is too far gone."

I waited a moment and then I quietly suggested that she examine if that was God speaking to her.  And she agreed it probably wasn't.

The Truth?  ANY of us can be deceived at any time.

Day 2: Asking God for Truth

Day 2 of my challenge.

I asked God for Truth today and it came unexpectedly.  Our youth minister, Jason Huddleston, is leaving Borger and going to Elgin, Tx as a pastor.  We had a reception for the Huddleston's tonight at our church.  As we were working on the reception--before & after--God reminded me of a truth I already knew.
We have the best church in the world!  We have so many fun, creative, hard-working people who would do anything in the world for each other.  They're the BEST!

Day 1: Asking God for Truth

Day 1 of my challenge. 

I'm reading through Matthew right now and I was in Matthew 26.  So I asked God to reveal Truth to me as I read it.  In verses 7-13, Mary comes and anoints Jesus with expensive perfume to which the disciples respond with indignation that the money she "wasted" could have been used to help the poor.  But Jesus tells them that she has prepared his body for burial.  Here was my question:  Did she get it?  Did she realize that's what she was doing?  Jesus had been speaking plainly to those who were following him about his death.  I believe Mary was part of the crowd that followed Jesus and heard him say that he would be killed.  Was she listening so intently that she was just obeying what God told her to do?  Was hers a response of love and obedience?

And then Jesus tells the disciples that one of them would betray him.  In turn, they each ask, "Is it I, Lord?"  And later Peter challenges Jesus' statement that they would all fall away by saying he wouldn't.  They were following...but were they listening?

That's the Truth God showed me today.  Don't just be a follower...be a listener who responds extravagantly in faith and love.

Truth

One week challenge:

Ask God every day this week to lead you to Truth.  Check back in and tell me what He reveals to you.  I'll be doing the same.

Moses' humanness

I think we hear the wonderful stories of great men of faith so often that it loses its humanness in our minds.  I was reminded of that this past Sunday in Sunday School.  We were studying Moses--at his birth.  (Exodus 1-2)
Think about it.  It was a traumatic time.  All of the Hebrew baby boys were being killed but God gave Moses' mother a plan to save his life.  She put him in an ark and the Pharoah's daughter found him and wanted him for her own.  Enter Moses' sister who offers to find a nurse maid for him--his own mother who was paid to nurse him.
Now move forward 4-6 years, as some suppose.  (Or even 2-3 years--doesn't make it any easier!)  Moses has been nursed and loved by his own mother for those years.  And you have to assume she was teaching him everything she possibly could, preparing him for his next life in the palace.  (And we feel pressure to teach our children enough by the time they're 18 and leave our homes!)  We're not told, but I can only assume he makes regular visits to the Pharoah's daughter during this time to build that relationship.  But then comes the day of the hand-off.  What is that like?  How traumatic!!  Can you imagine handing off your 4-year-old to be raised by another?  Or even your 6-year-old?  Now I have grandsons those ages and I can't even imagine how horrible that would be.  Of course, Moses' mother is weighing this hard option against the reality that Moses could have been dead.  But still...
Do you think this could be the reason that Moses stuttered?  (Exodus 4:10)  That's what hit me in Sunday School.  What kind of emotional damage did it do to Moses when he was taken from one home to another?
But however Satan intended to destroy Moses, God used it in His redemptive plan.  Moses was a man without a country.  The Hebrew saw him as an Egyptian.  The Egyptians saw him as Hebrew.  But God used this man who had been taken out of his home to take his people to a new home--the Promised Land.  That's how God uses our humanness.  That's God's redemption. 
How does God want to redeem what Satan has tried to destroy in your life?  In my life?  His plan is good and it's big.  He's all about redemption!

Flowers

Yesterday, these 2 grandkids were here.  They came along with their mommy and daddy.  Their daddy was going to work on a new computer at Living Water for me.  (That took all of 15 minutes!)

When they walked in the door, they had these beautiful flowers in their hands.

When we were kissing and hugging as they were leaving, I was thanking them for coming and Ryan said, "And thank you for the flowers."  Oh yes, Ryan!  How could I forget???  

THANK YOU for the flowers!  I love them.

Pretense

 

God hates pretense.  This is evidenced in Matthew 21:19, "And as He saw one single leafy fig tree above the roadside, He went to it but He found nothing but leaves on it [seeing that in the fig tree the fruit appears at the same time as the leaves]. And He said to it, Never again shall fruit grow on you! And the fig tree withered up at once."
Because the fig tree had leaves, Jesus expected it to also have fruit.  And because it didn't, he made an example of it by cursing it. 
In Matthew 23:27, Jesus uses this example:  "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you are like tombs that have been whitewashed, which look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead men's bones and everything impure." 
Don't you find it interesting that the Amplified Bible calls the Pharisees "pretenders?"  Jesus says that they are like whitewashed tombs.  That doesn't mean anything to us but this is what I found as I studied it.  God told Israel to stay away from dead bodies or bones.  If they buried someone or accidentally touched a dead body or bones, they were ceremonially unclean for 7 days.  They had to go through the rite of purification in order to be "clean."  As people made their way to Jerusalem for Passover, they could stumble upon a grave and not even know it.  They would be unclean and miss the whole Passover experience.  So people would whitewash the graves so they would stand out and so they could be avoided.  They were also whitewashed to beautify them----much like we put flowers on a grave.
So what was Jesus saying to the Pharisees?  He took a broad brush and whitewashed them.  They may have looked good on the outside, but they were dead bones on the inside.  And by whitewashing them, he was giving instruction that they were to be avoided.
Matthew 23 has some pretty powerful language about the Pharisees.  God is serious about pretense!

Israel

I don't know if you've heard what's going on between the U.S. and Israel, but it's significant and we should pay close attention.  You can read all about the situation here, but just let me say that a line has been drawn between us.  It's all over the issue of whether Israel has the right to build in East Jerusalem.  I know it's all very political and has to do with Palestinian/Israeli relations , but doesn't it just blow your mind that other countries can tell another country where they can build and not build in their own capital?  What do you think would happen if the roles were reversed and Israel told us we could no longer build in Washington D.C. because of political relations with a bordering country who thought our land should belong to them?
There is a war going on against Israel that is not a physical war.  Satan hates Israel because it belongs to God.  If you look at it realistically, it makes no sense why someone would want Israel (or Jerusalem).  There's no oil, no industry, the land isn't strategic....it's all a spiritual battle.
The other thing we should know is God's promise to Israel.  And it should make a difference in how we respond. 

 Genesis 12:2-3 (New International Version)

"I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you."

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.  And you can go here and let the White House know you support Israel.

Fixing Your Husband

I had a conversation with a friend tonight.  We talked about how easy it is as wives to walk into the trap of trying to "fix" our husbands.  Why is that?  We addressed a couple..or three..reasons in our own lives.  You may come up with a few more.
1.  We're "one" and we want him to be a good reflection of us.  (Kind of sick, all spelled out there.  The truth is we're both to be a reflection of Christ.)
2.  Control.  (This whole curse-for-control issue is addressed in the Garden of Eden.  "...and you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you."  Genesis 3:16 NLT  And you do realize that whole curse-thing doesn't come into effect until marriage!)
3.  Pride or flesh...plain and simple.

So my thoughts turned to Proverbs 31.

This thought came to me....how is a woman's control of her husband addressed in Prov. 31?
It's not.
How is trying to "fix" your husband addressed in Prov. 31?
It's not.
How is the woman's attention focused on her husband in Prov. 31?
It's not.   (Taking the chapter as a whole, that is.) 
And yet this chapter is written as instruction to a young man in wife-selection...and written to us, as women, for edification. 

You'll want to read the whole chapter, but here are some verses that stood out to me about our relationship with our husbands.

Proverbs 31:11: The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies on and believes in her securely, so that he has no lack of [honest] gain or need of [dishonest] spoil.

Proverbs 31:12 She comforts, encourages, and does him only good as long as there is life within her.

Proverbs 31:23 Her husband is known in the [city's] gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.

Proverbs 31:28-29 Her children rise up and call her blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied); and her husband boasts of and praises her, [saying], Many daughters have done virtuously, nobly, and well [with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness], but you excel them all.

"Fixing" your husband is a trap.  I just can't think of one place in the Bible where I'm instructed to fix my husband.  In fact, it doesn't even sound like this man needs fixin'!
If I can't even fix myself, why do I think I can do any better with someone else?? But I think letting God fix me is a good place to start. 
Romans 12:1-2.

Book FOUND!

I found it!!!  Whew!  (In the back window of my car---turned on an angle)  I knew you wouldn't be able to sleep another night until you had this information.  And all this before I made that purchase.

Now for the VeggieTales DVD....

Book LOST

I've lost a book!  Not just any book---a church library book.  You don't know how upset that makes me.  Being the former church librarian, I know how much work it is to initiate a new book into the library.  I have turned my house upside down (it got a good cleaning in the process!) to look for this book.  No such luck.  Guess I'll have to go tell my friendly librarian that it's gone.  For good.  The good news is that I just found the same book on sale at CBD for $2.99.  Now that's a bargain!
...wonder what else I need??  (You know...absolutely know...that as soon as I hit "purchase," I'll find this book.)

What's in a Word by Webb Garrison

Do you have someone on your gift list that has everything? This book, What’s in a Word by Webb Garrison, will fit the bill for them! This isn’t a book that you pick up and read all the way through. It’s more of a bathroom book that will keep you well entertained. As I read it, I especially thought of the men on my list who would love this book.


Webb Garrison is an etymologist (someone who studies the history of words) who loves his craft. In this book, you will find words on different subjects such as law, sports and the recent development of words for computers. Mr. Garrison gives the background of the word—where it was first used and how it developed over time. I especially liked the explanation of the phrases such as "by the skin of your teeth."  Each explanation is only about a paragraph long which makes What’s in a Word quick reading.

All in all, I found this an engaging book. Anyone who loves to read would find this book appealing. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. It would have made 5 out of 5 stars if there had been more phrases instead of the short words.

This book was generously provided by Thomas Nelson for my review.

Miracle Camp

BMA Miracle Camp, Ringgold, Louisiana.  Is this a blast from the past for anyone but me???  When I saw this picture, I could smell the pines and remember the emotions that came over me each year.  For those who don't know, BMA stands for Bible Memory Association.  (It's now called Scripture Memory Fellowship)  BMA was an organization designed by Dr. Woychuk to encourage scripture memory.  This wasn't just one verse a week.  Oh no.  I was 8 years old when I started and I believe I was memorizing 5 verses a week then.  We were involved every year after that.  By high school, we were memorizing 13 verses a week.  Each week, we went to our "hearer's" home and recited our verses.  (My hearer was Tom Kelley.)  It had to be done word perfectly.  This was usually a Saturday morning--which insured we got to hang out with friends!  But as you can imagine, it was a little stressful, trying to make sure you knew your verses.  And I remember a few weeks when I didn't memorize my verses until---Saturday morning!  I think there were 12 weeks of memorizing in each book.  Once a month, I think, we'd get to select a reward from a book.  It was usually books that told stories about missionaries.
And then....THEN in the summer, there was BMA camp.  If you finished the program, you were eligible to attend the camp.  There were actually several around the country, but Louisiana was closest to us.  But, of course, you had to have parents or sponsors take you.  It's so hard to believe, looking back, that our family went nearly every summer to Ringgold, Louisiana to Miracle Camp.  We absolutely loved it!  When we arrived, we had to quote 3 chapters of verses (that would be 39 verses in high school) word perfectly in one sitting to be admitted to camp.  I don't know that my dad ever memorized with BMA, but he got a free pass as a driver and a sponsor of a boy's cabin.  Ha!  He always had us worried on our drive to Ringgold--wondering if he'd be allowed into camp.  (I admit, he had me worried!)  And then we stayed in unairconditioned cabins---rustic cabins.  It was hot and sultry.  But oh---so much fun!  We heard wonderful Bible teachers (can anyone name any of them?), learned choruses (I even played piano a few times for camp), fell in love, and used our manners at mealtime.  It was a well-organized camp.  And I learned a lot.  I never got to do this, but I know my older brother did.  When you were in high school, you could apply to be a Whitefoot.  It was a much sought after position, but actually, you were the "help" for the week--or 2 weeks, I think.  Ha!  But it was prestigious to be accepted as a Whitefoot.
I hadn't thought about Miracle Camp in a long time.  What a treasure!!  I was so blessed to be taught so much about the Word by such deep Bible teachers all my life.  Blessed!

Did you hear about this?

 The Atheist Agenda of the Univcrsity of Texas in San Antonio was exchanging Smut for Smut recently.  You could give them your Bible in exhange for pornography.

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them."
II Timothy 3:1-5

Reminder

I needed to be reminded of these simple verses that pack such a powerful punch tonight.  I thought I'd share it:

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Romans 12:1-2

Great Donation Idea!

Do you have a prom dress or wedding dress hanging in your closet?  You would make someone's day by donating it to Living Water!  We usually get some very out-of-style dresses before prom and before summer weddings, but it would be so nice to have some that are stylish available.  Why just let it hang in your closet when you could help someone less fortunate?  (Unless, of course, you're planning on passing your wedding dress on to your daughter.)  There are so many young women who could never afford something really nice.  And hey!  If you have a veil or the shoes that match---even better!!

Haters of Good

I'm disturbed.  Tonight, I was flipping through channels and landed on Fox News and stopped because they were talking about the Focus on the Family ad (above) that the NCAA pulled.  I wish I'd paid closer attention to the woman who was speaking on behalf of the NCAA.  She was from some women's group.  She was praising the NCAA for pulling the ad because "Focus on the Family is only wanting to lure people to their website where they promote their agenda.  These people are homophobics with no thought for diversity, etc., etc...."   I honestly sat there with my mouth open, incredulous that I was hearing someone state that we have a generation that is not open to the things this organization is teaching.  That this generation is diverse and won't stand for the hate that is promoted on Focus on the Family's website.  So...in light of their great diversity, they censored this ad.

The greater battle here is a battle for our voice.  Christians are being silenced.  There is a concerted effort to usher in lies, fear and intimidation to silence us.   (If you want a good picture of this in scripture, look at the life of Jezebel.)  We were told to expect it.  II Timothy 3:1-3 says that "in the last days...people will be haters of good."

I urge you to be a seeker of Truth.  Guard your heart and mind against deception.  Any of us can be deceived.  Don't give in to fear and intimidation. Instead ask God to fill your heart with courage.  And pray.

Philippians 1:28
 "And do not [for a moment] be frightened or intimidated in anything by your opponents and adversaries, for such [constancy and fearlessness] will be a clear sign (proof and seal) to them of [their impending] destruction, but [a sure token and evidence] of your deliverance and salvation, and that from God."

Does it bug you...

...like it does me? I'm seeing more and more people out in public in their pajamas!! I hate it! In fact, yesterday, I was going to Wal-Mart and saw a mother/daughter duo in their matching pajamas. What were they thinking? Now I'm all for comfort, but seriously...pajamas??? Have we quit caring? I heard an employee of Wal-Mart say that our manager had to send another employee home from work to change out of their pajama pants. What???

I'm just wondering what this says about our culture...?

The love of many will grow cold...

I've been stuck on this verse for a few weeks. Matthew 24:12, "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold." The context of the verse is talking about the last days. And we all know lawlessness is abounding. We have no idea what's ahead.

But it's actually the last part of the verse that's been stuck on my mind. "The love of many will grow cold." I've found myself growing cold. Not all at once...I would have noticed that. But it's been gradual. And suddenly, I found myself enjoying being alone more than hosting in my home. I know it's not wrong to want to be alone some...but I've gotten to where it's an ordeal to get out of my box and hang around people. And it scared me.

Then Carl Duso was teaching on Mark 14 in Sunday School about Jesus taking Peter, James & John to the garden to pray. You remember the story---the disciples fell asleep. When Jesus came to wake them up, He said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch for one hour?" Did you catch it? He said to Peter, "SIMON..." Why did he call Peter "Simon?" That was his old name but Jesus had renamed him "Peter." I think Jesus was addressing Simon's flesh. He was saying, "Simon, you're asleep. You're giving in to your flesh and what it wants to do. Wake up!! You don't know what's ahead of you!!" And soon after that, Peter denied Jesus three times.

It's dangerous to be asleep in these days. I don't want my love to grow cold. I know I need the fellowship of other believers but more importantly, I need to be in love with God. I need a prayerful life. After all, I don't know what's ahead.