Forced Simplicity?

Simplicity of life. Maybe this current economy is forcing that upon us. Our country is no stranger to these sort of times. We get used to having plenty and then things change. These times bring us back to the basics of life, to what is most important. I found a blog called Treading Softly that shares thoughts on the economy. It is an interesting piece.

Simplicity of life can bring a form of serenity as we shed our vanity & pride. Those who survive such times learn that true joy is not bound to material wealth. It is in the hard times that we find we do not need all the glitz and glamor. But these days, people do not want to speak of negativity, our ears are itching for only the positives.

For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
~2Timothy 4:3~

We all hope for better times, this is not wrong, but what things are our hearts set on?

THE FEAR OF LACK

There are endless varieties of fear, but one of the tormenting fears that many people suffer from is the fear of lack. They fear that their needs won’t be met—that God won’t come through in time. Hebrews 13:5,6 gives great comfort to those in this situation: Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?

You may be in a situation right now that you’ve never been in before. You may be facing new responsibility that you don't know how to handle. You may have needs that are beyond your resources and the spirit of fear is attacking you and telling you that you aren’t going to make it. You may feel all alone in your situation, like nobody cares. But God cares about you!

When God says in these scriptures to be satisfied with your present circumstances, He doesn’t mean that you cannot desire change. We should be content in Jesus, knowing that He has heard our prayers and believing that He’ll never fail us. We must learn how to enjoy where we are on the way to where we are going.

God is a God of progress. He’s never standing still. Even when it seems that absolutely nothing is happening in our lives, God is working behind the scene on things that He’ll manifest at exactly the right time. God is life, and life must flow otherwise it is no longer life. Dead things stagnate and no longer move, but life is always moving, stirring and making progress.

Beloved, God has a good plan for you, and He’ll manifest it right on time. Fear not! God is with you, and He’ll never leave you nor forsake you. He’ll not leave you without support! If you need financial support, He’ll provide. If it’s physical support you need, He’ll sustain you while you’re waiting for your full manifestation of healing. If you need emotional support, He’ll comfort you with the kind of comfort that only the Holy Spirit can give. He’ll nourish you and bring you back to a place of strength in every area of your life. God is for you. He is not against you. Satan is against you, but God is for you. The greater One lives in you! (See 1 John 4:4.)

From Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

by Joyce Meyer

Thinking on God's Majestic Love

Lift up your heads, O you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.

Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle.

Psalm 24:7-8

God's supreme sovereignty requires a befitting holiness of life and heart in His worshippers; a sentiment sublimely illustrated by describing His entrance into the sanctuary, by the symbol of His worship-the ark, as requiring the most profound homage to the glory of His Majesty.

~Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary~

We need to swing wide the gates of our hearts to let in the King of Glory. Isn't it amazing that the King of Glory wants to come in to us? In all His majesty, He is so humble and full of love.

Thoughts

Legislate morality? This is the question I am pondering. Yes, God did establish government. One purpose of government is to uphold sanctity of life. Another purpose for government is to uphold justice and punish wrong doers. Jesus came to this earth during the time of the Roman government. It was a stable time in history, but the Roman government was not God centered. Yet Jesus did not seek to change the government during his ministry here on earth. Instead he chose to change the hearts of men. I think that is our task as Christians, to do as Jesus did, change the hearts of men through the gospel. When the hearts of men are changed, morality will follow.

Luke 23:13-25

Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.

With one voice they cried out, "Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!" (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)

Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"

For the third time he spoke to them: "Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him."

But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. So Pilate decided to grant their demand. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.

Prophecy

A few nights ago I was flipping through TV channels and came across Benjamin Netanyahu who was giving a speech. I was very impressed with him. He is a very good speaker and I can tell he loves his country Israel very much. Something he said really stood out to me though. He said that for the first time in history radical Muslims have nuclear capabilities in their hands (Iran). That got me thinking about the prophecy in Ezekiel 38-39. Check out this website by Joel Rosenberg that answers questions about this prophecy.

Prayer

"Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). "There is a great difference between prayer and the life of prayer. Almost everyone prays, but very few pray without ceasing. This is the habit of devotion. This is the altar of incense ever burning in the Holy Place. This is the fragrance of a heart that lives in the presence of the Holy One, and breathes the very life of God. This is the deep undertone of a sanctified life. It is from this that the sweetness, the gladness, the holiness, and the helpfulness come. Lord, teach us the habit of prayer, the prayer that springs spontaneously from the heart, and which neither secular duty, satanic temptation, nor the waves of sorrow, can interrupt, but which is only stimulated by the things that try us, until every experience becomes transformed into an occasion for communion and fellowship with God."

A. B. Simpson

Freedom from Pain

I am hoping and praying for a well body. When I had my colostomy I felt completely well once I gained my strength back from having sepsis. The only problem was that I had a colostomy. For the first time in years I was completely pain free in my abdominal area. There is no longer any endometriosis and for that I praise God, but since the reconnection of my colostomy I have some form of pain everyday. It really wears on me and drags me down. I am hoping and praying that I get back what I had. A place where my insides feel at peace. That is my hope and dream tonight.