Short & Sweet: Measure Up

7 Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.

Hebrews 13:7-10

“I’ll have your order up in a moment, Ma’am,”

the hostess said as I waited at the counter of one of my favorite restaurants. I was looking forward to my lunch. I brought a salad to school and I ordered a pint of my favorite aged-balsamic salad dressing. Tangy, sweet and savory all stirred up into one delicious hot mess. I know—I need therapy.

As the hostess approached the counter, I eyed the small container in her hand. Too small. I readied myself for battle. I had been through this before.

“That will be $7.95 for your pint of dressing.”

I said, with utmost gentleness, “Miss, that isn’t a pint. It’s only a cup.”

“Oh no, Ma’am,” she said firmly, “it’s a pint. The cooks measured it in the kitchen.”

“They may have measured it, but I assure you, it is not a pint—it is a cup,” I stated decisively.

“Ma’am, we looked it up on Google (the ultimate authority). It is a pint.”

“I am a teacher. We cover measurements and conversions at school. Plus, I have been cooking for 35 years, I know a cup when I see it. I’d like the rest of my dressing, please.” I was calm despite the twitch in my jaw muscle.

The conflicted clerk then said, “Ma’am, we measure our pints differently than anyone else. This is how we measure our pint.”

#imustbedreaming

I didn’t think I’d live to see the day … pink is the new black. Wrong is right. Up is down. A cup is the new pint. Can we count on anything, anymore?

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The word same in the verse above is derived from the Greek word autos and it simply means himself. No kidding. Jesus is simply, magnificently Himself. Not new and improved. Not updated or upgraded. Jesus. Go back up to the verse and replace the same with himself and read the verse out loud. Hallelujah! We can count on Jesus. He will always be himself (I on the other hand have been several different versions of myself and God is still working on me). He is our rock our strong tower and His word will outlive skinny jeans and boots, your latest tat, selfie sticks and designer cupcakes.

With Christ I don’t need to remake myself every day because He is making me over into the image of Christ. Because Jesus never changes, I know who I am, I know whose I am, I know how to act and I know how to live.

Right is still right, wrong is still wrong. God is on his throne and HE NEVER CHANGES!

Just in case you are wondering, I left the restaurant with a pint of balsamic dressing … old school style.

Life is Sweet!

Short & Sweet: 4 Steps to a More Peaceful Life

“Sold to Mrs. Kane for $150 dollars.”

It was Work Day at our school, a tradition in which the seniors raise money for their class trip by auctioning themselves off to the highest bidder. For one day the seniors become workers, at the beckon call of their bosses. In this case, I purchased my own son. For one day, he was mine. No arguing. No haggling. My word was LAW.

He was my captive.

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
2 Corinthians 10: 3-5

The original Greek word used for captive in 2 Corinthians is aichmal?tiz?. It means “to lead away captive, to capture ones mind, to captivate.” To captivate—interesting.

If something is captivating it draws, it attracts, it appears to offer something desirable to the one who is captive-ated. As stated in the definition, it captures the mind. Once the mind is ensnared, the heart and body soon follow. The perfect trap.

Captivity causes great stress.

Especially when a Christian is held captive by sin. I know. I have been there. My heart knew the truth, but I allowed my flesh to rule my soul.

The price of living in rebellion is the absence of peace. Flesh fights the Spirit. Lies clash with Truth. Man contends with God. And the mind is a battle zone. Stress, anxiety and angst set up shop and begin their dirty work. Like a puppet on a string, our thoughts call the shots and we obey.

How can we regain our freedom and peace?

Know the truth—Jesus. He is the way, the truth and the life. We must bury truth in our heart so we are able to recognize a lie the moment it tries to ensnare us. Once we have the truth in our heart, we use it to tear down the lies of the Enemy. We do this by taking every thought captive to Christ.

How does this process work?

I run every thought that comes into my head through the filter of God’s word by asking one question, “Does this thought comply with the truth of Scripture?” If the answer is no, then I cast it away and replace the lie with truth. I do not allow my mind to be captivated by lies or sinful thoughts. I take every thought captive to the truth of Christ.

By the power of the Holy Spirit, we can control our thoughts—we choose what we think about. The Spirit enables us to tear down opinions and arguments and replace the lies with truth. We are no longer enslaved by our thoughts. Reduce your stress by thinking right thoughts. Right thoughts lead to right actions. And right actions lead to peace. Peace with God, peace with others, and peace with yourself.

It matters what you hear.
It matters what you watch.
It matters what you read.
It matters what you think.
What you allow in your mind goes heart deep.

Today, seek to tear down the lies and take every thought captive to Christ. Stop entertaining fabrications of the world, the enemy and your mind. Your destiny hangs in the balance. Tear down lies with Truth. Walk with Truth and you will live in peace.

Action Points:

Take a quick inventory of your troublesome thoughts.
Memorize scriptures that deal with your trouble areas (If you often complain, memorize scriptures about thankfulness.)
Replace wrong thoughts. Turn your memorized scriptures into prayers. Example: “Lord, Your word says I should do everything without complaining. Thank you I have a washer to do all this laundry.”
Repeat as often as needed!

Life is sweet! Think truth and live in peace.

i hear: green pastures

Rest and relaxation. Everyone needs it, but nobody has time for it. Our schedules are packed to the max and then some. But Jesus calls us to come and rest … not in a spa, not in an easy chair, but in a green pasture. There we will find healing for our souls.

Please click on the play button to listen to today’s i hear: green pastures

Rest in Him. Have a blessed day.

Background music Scott’s Rhapsody by Scott Kane, of In Due Time.

Short & Sweet: 4 Ways to Stand Firm

I love to wake up early in the morning to enjoy the quiet peacefulness of a new day with my Father. After breakfast, I slip on my shoes, grab my Bible verses and take a prayer walk.

One morning the sky was filled with dark heavy clouds.

I glanced at the sky and decided to take a chance. While I was saying my verses, I kept a watchful eye on the sky. About half way through the rain began to fall. A few yards ahead, I saw a dry spot in the road; the overhanging trees offered a little protection from the rain. I hurried to the dry spot and waited. As the rain poured down I thanked God for keeping me dry in my sheltered spot.

I was tempted, as the rain became particularly heavy, to leave my dry haven and dash for home. After weighing my choices—dashing or waiting—I decided to wait. After all, I was barely even wet despite the downpour. While I was passing the time, I could sense God had a lesson for me.

“When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.”

Proverbs 10:25

As of late, my life has been a little turbulent and unpredictable. Usually my first reaction to trouble has been to run from it as quickly as possible.

I’ve spent my life running.

From conflict. From fear. From change. From criticism. I’ve been a runner.

But God wants me to stand firm, to quit running and trust He will work all things for my good. Instead of running from the storms of life, He wants me to stand firm in the shelter of His presence. When I am under His cover the only things that can come to me are things He allows. In His presence I am in the storm but protected from the storm.

As the rain poured down and I stood firm,

I heard my Father whisper in my soul,

The danger is not in the storm but in the running. Stand firm.

Tweet This

“When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.” Proverbs 10:25

In the storms of life, God deals with the wicked and takes care of the righteous. Forever.

4 Ways to Stand Firm

Change your self-talk. Instead of rehearsing over and over how you will fail, fall or disappoint God, talk about how He is helping, strengthening, and leading you.
Memorize scripture. Memorizing scripture will subdue your enemies, your fears and will help you with your self-talk. Speak scripture into your circumstances. Replace the lies of your own self-talk or lies of the enemy with scripture.
Replace worry with prayer. Ask others to join you in prayer. Fill your prayers with God’s Word.
Go forward. Walk by faith. Make no decision based on fear. Think of a person whose faith you greatly admire. Ask yourself What would so-and-so do? and do it. God did not bring this challenge to you so you would fail. And if you do falter, get up and try again.

Life is sweet. Stand Firm.

Short & Sweet: Go and Show

12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

14 So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God,

16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.

Luke 17: 12-16

“And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.”

Often when we think of healing, we think of resting. I sometimes actually enjoy being a little sick, you know, sick enough to stay home from work, but not sick enough to be truly miserable. Lolling on the couch while catching up on Downton Abbey or a favorite book are great ways to rest and recuperate.

Jesus has other ideas about healing.

Unconventional ideas. He had been known to heal people with mud and spit. He healed by a word or a touch. One woman was healed by grasping the hem of His garment. In today’s Scripture, Jesus healed ten men by telling them to take a hike. “Go and show yourself to the priests.” Go and show. A real walk of faith.

As they went, they were cleansed.

Not as Jesus spoke, not as Jesus touched, but as they went the men were healed of the deadly disease of leprosy. Most likely the lepers had walked that road many times before. Why weren’t they healed then? What made this time different?

This time they walked by faith.

There are two parts to every biblical healing: Jesus and faith. And faith always requires work. What if the lepers never went, what if they stayed stuck, dead in their sickness? If the lepers never went, they never would have been healed. Same with us. We can sit in the dust, focused on the horror of our condition OR we can walk with Jesus and be healed as we go.

I have also been healed of a deadly crippling disease—leprosy of the soul. My sin covered me like scales on a leper. Like the lepers my sin was more than skin deep—it was sin deep. And Jesus said, walk with Me. So I went. Some things healed instantly, other things have been cleansed as I went with Jesus.

We are either in one of two places—on the roadside or on the road.

If you are on the roadside, do what the lepers did, lift your voice and call out to Him. Remember, in those days leprosy was a death sentence. Very few people survived the disease, yet still the lepers had the faith to call. The lepers were healed. I was healed. You can be healed too, but only if you call to Him.

If you are on the road to healing and wholeness, keep walking. God always heals us spiritually and sometimes He heals us physically. Other times He uses us disabilities and all. Perhaps we consider ourselves sick or disabled, but can it be we are useful in our present sickness? Are disabilities really tools God uses to great effect for His kingdom?

Keep walking. Whether you need healing from sickness or sin, keep walking.

Action Points:

Ask for healing. No matter how deep the need, severe the sickness, or wretched the sin, lift up your voice and ask for healing. Nothing is beyond God’s ability to heal. As always, pray for God’s will to be done.
Go! Keep walking with Jesus. Walking with Jesus includes: going to church, serving others, using your gifts, praying, worshiping, fellowshiping. As long as you are able, keep serving others, because emotional healing often comes through serving.
Give thanks. Give thanks to God for the healing He has worked in your life. While you are thanking God for His healing, thank Him for the many other gifts He has given you. Cultivate gratitude in your life and pay it forward.

Life is sweet! Go and show others about Jesus.

Copy right 2016

i hear: rest

Rushing and stressing are the hashtags that mark our generation. Ask anyone how they’ve been and they will answer, “busy!” While God is about fruitfulness, He is not about busy. God’s plan always includes margin, space and rest. When He sees we have exchanged His pace for the rat race, He calls us to come, rest and take a load off at the foot of the cross. #restinhim.

Please take a moment to rest in His presence and receive a little grace and peace.

Push the play button below to listen to i hear: rest.

Take time today to rest in Him. He is our peace.

Have a blessed day!

Original music for i hear and i pray podcasts, Scott’s Rhapsody, by Scott Kane from the band, In Due Time.