When GOD Corrects

You know, I really don't like it when GOD calls me on something.  Not only did I get caught, I'm embarassed that I even did that or thought that.  However, I'd much rather hear from Him than satan.  He never condemns me or tells me I'm no good because I did that.  He just says, 'I have something I want you to be aware of that you need to change.'

We deal with the public on a daily basis.  I always try to be helpful, loving, and forgiving.  But if you have to work with the public, you know your patience can wear thin.  And it builds up.

Lately, we've been getting the cheap people.  It comes in waves.  "Is it free?"  "Really, it's $3 for kids too?"  "If it was free I would do it."  And on and on.  It happens once, okay, dust yourself off and forget it.  No big deal.  And then it happens again, it's somewhat more irritating.  Next thing you know, it's several times a day and then all you notice is that it's happening all the time!  You can sense the degree of irritation mounting. 

Well, today I had about 5 or 6 middle school age kids or so come up to the machine and start checking out the rides and picking out what they might all like to do.  I was telling them about the rides and everything.  'Mom' walks up and says, "come on, let's go find the train (OMG, that's for kiddies!), or maybe the jumpy thing (the bungie jump)."  Well, I could feel the back of my neck smoulder, so I said, "We're twice as long as the jumpy thing and half the cost."  At least I wasn't too snippy about it.  She just kept walking.

For one thing, I know I was justified to be irritated in the natural because she was rude.  Godly conduct is a little different.

Proverbs 25:21-22 says, "If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you."  In my mind I remember that it says to be nice to your enemy and that would heap coals of fire on their head.

As they walked away I asked GOD to bless them.  GOD promptly said, "You weren't blessing them.  You were thinking about the coals of fire." 

Busted!  Check your attitude at the door!

Love Your Enemies

Matthew 5:43-48
     "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?  You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

I love you, LORD.  Thank you for pointing that out.  Help me to change how I react to situations in my life.  Let me see again the good in people like you see them.

Pray for Wisdom

I haven't posted anything in a couple of weeks because of several reasons. 

One thing is, I am not going to post anything unless I have something pertinant to say.  In other words, I'm not going to just rattle on unless it has a purpose.  There are several blogs and YouTubes that the people feel the need to put something up everyday and it's boring and wasted time and sometimes wrong information.  For that reason I have unsubscribed from their sites.  I have to get the subject matter from the Lord, I have to pray about it, research it in the scriptures, I pass it by the Lord again, and many times table that thought and start all over again!

Second, there have been several things in my thoughts and prayers this month.  We've been watching the Zimmerman Trial from start to finish and praying for wisdom for the jury.  You don't hear that from ANYBODY.  Some people wanted George to fry because Trayvon was killed.  Some people wanted him acquitted because Trayvon was the aggressor.  Notice everything has revolved around Trayvon and nobody was truly worried about George or the truth. 

And the media has escalated the whole thing.  In fact, they are still covering it as a 'racial case', keeping folks all over the country worked up over it.  Even though the judge, the lawyers on BOTH sides, all the jurors, and the police ALL said this was not a racial thing.  There is something in the air (and we who know spiritual warfare know it is satanic) that is blinding people to the truth and keeping them upset about it, and encouraging them to start to get violent about it.  Therefore, we need to continue to pray for wisdom for all people.  May GOD open the eyes of their understanding and bring peace!

One night last week I came face-to-face (so to speak) with a demon that I rebuked in the name of Jesus several times before it finally left and it was quite violent.  I don't know if it had anything to do with this case or not.

I have been receiving a devotional from Bible Gateway called "Unfinished: Believing is Only the Beginning" and man, is it good!  It has challenged me on several levels to say the least and I have been praying and talking it over with the Lord.  I believe that these are things I need to pray about and work on in my life.  I fully encourage you to go to Bible Gateway and look at his devotionals or maybe buy his book.

I am not going to post just full scriptures anymore.  This has come with much debate with myself and the Lord.  After reading Bible Gateway's terms of service, the copywrite owners of whatever bible it is could have my blog shut down and even removed. 

Because of other circumstances beyond my control, this is the only copy left of my book and other articles.  Until I can print them out or copy them again to my computer storage, I must protect this site.  So that has come to my attention and I need to spend time on that.

GOD is great, and greatly to be praised!  He has always taken care of me, and always will.  He does the same for all His children!

Grand Canyon

Have you seen the Grand Canyon?  It's HUGE!  And it was created by a river of water constantly flowing and ever so gradually wearing off a tiny bit of dirt over a long period of time.

Have you ever thought about peer pressure?  Have you considered all the information and emotions that bombard us every day, not to mention tv shows and movies who create fictional 'realities' for our minds to absorb.  This is what you could call a river also.  It is a constant drip, drip, drip.  And it wears on you.  That is satan's intention!  To wear us down.  Not only is there product placement but other philosophies that are anti-christian and secret government agendas that would keep us "under control".  And it is getting to the point that it's ok to be a deviant in this world but not ok to follow the LORD.  They portray serial killers as 'cool' and more intelligent than the police.  They portray Christians as weirdo's and anti-social. What's bad is good and what is good has been declared bad.

All of this wears on us whether you are conscious of it or not.  It wears on what we know and what we believe.  It seeps into our relationships with each other, and our relationship with our LORD.  It is designed to wear us down and make us ineffective in our war against satan in this world. 

We have to be careful what we allow into our personal database: our brains.  We need to: 1) stay in the Word of GOD keeping a constant diet of what He wants us to learn, 2) exercise with a healthy program of prayer to keep communication lines with the only One who gives us life open, 3) be mindful of what we allow in our lives, garbage in-garbage out (GIGO). 

If we are not careful about what we allow into our thoughts, it can wear down our resolve in our faith in GOD and what we believe.  GOD knows this and warned us to guard our minds in 1 Peter 1:13 (NKJV); "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

Thank GOD it is not our fight but His!  Thank GOD for His Holy Spirit who keeps us and gives us the knowledge and words to say and strength to say them at the appropriate times!  Thank GOD for Jesus's example to be servants and gentle when we need to and fierce when we need to!