Tidy Up

But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. (Mark 4:17, NLT)

First, please allow me to say this blogpost looks really long. But it should take less than ten minutes to read it in it's entirety. For example, if you are willing to exchange ten minutes of Facebook time to read this blogpost, I believe it will really bless you. Enjoy!

This week has been a very busy week for us. To give you an idea, Thursday my day started at 4:00 a.m. Nuff said.

Last night I laid down on the couch to catch my breath. I looked around the house, which was in need of a little…let’s just say, tiding up here and there.

When I saw the task that lay before me I wondered, how a house gets this messy when we were out of the house most of the week. 

Then it occurred to me. When we are home a lot, we tidy all day as we go. We take every opportunity to put things in their place and keep the house organized. When we are up and out early, then back late, we don’t take time to put things in their places but just drop everything where we stand. And then, we have a pile to clean up. Or in this case, many piles.

This week, I learned a valuable lesson. My spiritual life is the same way. When I take every opportunity throughout the day to visit with God (prayer), keep spiritual matters in their place (meditate on scripture) and keep my spiritual life “organized” (pursue peace and quick to forgive), my life stays tidy. (Matthew 6:33, Deuteronomy 6:6, Colossians 3:13, Psalm 34:14) 

However, when I “drop everything” (everything God has taught me)…life gets real messy real quick.

By organized I mean, quickly dealing with offenses (large and small) as they occur. Jesus said, “Offense will come.” (Luke 17:1) It is wise for us to have a plan for dealing with offense. Ignoring offense will not keep offense from occurring. Suppressing offense is not dealing with offense. Ignoring offense will only cause it to compound in our hearts and on our minds.

For example, hypothetically speaking:

• When I wake my girls and ask them to take a ten minute shower (in order to maintain our schedule that day) and their shower turns into a thirty minute bath…multiplied by two kids.
• My husband stumbles into the kitchen and while his coffee is cooking (or whatever it is that coffee does) checks his work email and has a list of negative things to deal with before he even walks out the door. And his attitude affects the whole household.
• Dads, you are leaders, even if you don't think you are. Where are you leading your family? 
• I am trying to get out of the house at a certain time and my children lolly-gag  and can’t find their shoes. (Of which, said shoes are supposed to be in the shoe bin at the front door.)
• As we pull out of the driveway and in unison my girls say, “I didn’t eat breakfast.” Everything in me wants to scream, “Oh yeah?! Well, it looks like you’re fasting till noon!"
• When making the forty minute drive into work (that turns into an hour) dealing with Honolulu traffic. I get cut off in traffic (at least three times) and at least two individuals wave at me in that “special” way using their “special” finger. Yep, even people in "paradise" fly the bird.
• About the time I think I have safely and almost without incident (Ok a list of incidents but at least alive!) pull into the parking lot at work, I get a phone call saying one of my co-workers got mad and walked off the job. 

All this before 8:40 a.m. 

Remember, we are working with hypotheticals today. *wink*

At this point, I have a choice to make. I can reiterate every offense of my day to everyone I see. Or, I can cast off every offense as they occur.

If a day like this isn’t immediately dealt with by applying God’s Word, all these offenses are going to add up real quick, negatively affecting me and everyone I come into contact with. 

Have you ever had “insider information” on a subject to the point it gave you an edge when handling a matter? Be prepared! I’m going to give you a hot tip that will change your life! 

And have no root in themselves, 

and so endure but for a time: 

afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, 

immediately they are offended. (Mark 4:17, KJV)

Why does offense come? For the Word's sake. 

No matter what happens in our lives, 

we must concrete our relationship in and with God’s Word.

All other areas of my life follow my spiritual life. When I’m doing well spiritually, I do well in all other areas of my life as well.  

How can this practically be applied? At each offense, run to our Father! Take time to visit with Him all throughout the day. And we can add a few simple organizational skills to help the day run smoothly.

Let's revisit the hypothetical list from above.

1. My girls bath scenario.
1. One thing I keep reminding myself is, my girls are 9 and 10 years old. They get distracted. I made them a list of things to accomplish in order to get out of the door and I gave them a time frame. 
1. For example: 
1. shower = 10 minutes 
2. breakfast = 20 minutes
3. pack backpack = the night before (include the shoes!)
1. Then I allow extra time to check on them every 15 minutes or so to insure they are staying on task.
2. My husband's addiction...oh I mean...coffee scenario.
1. Smile and sweetly say, “Maybe you should have your coffee at that coffee joint. That way you could relax and address your emails while you enjoy the aroma and the ambiance.” Ok, forgo the attitude in that last suggestion. Pray for him…yes pray! And ask God, “Lord, I ask in the name of Jesus, please guide my husband today. Quicken him by Your spirit to listen to Your voice. I thank You for directing his path. I thank You his eyes are blessed for they see and his ears for they hear!"
3. Children lolly-gagging scenario. 
1. Please refer to item # 1.
4. The “I didn’t eat breakfast.” scenario.
1. Ask them to open their bibles and each give you a ten minute sermon of the  King James Version of Matthew 17:21, "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” I’m totally kidding. Ok, not totally. There is a number of ways to handle this scenario. Ask God to direct your path in this area. He will give you witty inventions! The night before, have them pack a snack in their backpacks. Snack becomes breakfast instead of snack and it doesn’t hurt any of us to be a little hungry from time to time. It is great motivation to remember to eat breakfast the next day. I now refer you to the Parenting with Love and Logic website at www.loveandlogic.com (A very special thanks to my BFF, Shila for that insider tip!) 
5. The “special” finger scenario. 
1. Keep the praise music turned on and as loud as necessary. Use this time to visit with our Father and ask Him to line out our day, especially the "Honolulu traffic" portion of our day!
6. The co-worker scenario. 
1. “Lord, I ask in the name of Jesus, please guide me today. Quicken me by Your spirit to listen to Your voice. I thank You for directing my path. I thank You my eyes are blessed for they see and my ears for they hear! And I thank You for sending laborers into my co-worker's path to love on them and direct them straight to You!"

Prayer, 

the Word, and 

running to my Father for everything 

(big and small) 

keeps my life “tidy"! 

Let’s do a little spiritual weight lifting with Mark 4:17 and build some strength in this area of our lives.

• And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. (English Standard Version)

Keep on building those muscles!

• But they have no root in themselves; they are short-lived. When pressure or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately stumble. (Holman Christian Standard)
• But they don’t develop any roots. They last for a short time. When suffering or persecution comes along because of the word, they immediately fall (from faith). (God’s Word Translation)

Don’t quit, only one more “set”! We are getting stronger and stronger!

• And they have no real root in themselves, and so they endure for a little while; then when trouble or persecution arises on account of the Word, they immediately are offended (become displeased, indignant, resentful) and they stumble and fall away. (Mark 4:17, AMP)

When we have problems, are persecuted, experience tribulation, are pressured, suffer, have trouble, become displeased/indignant/resentful, that is immediately our red flag to recognize, these weapons have been formed against me to steal the Word and my faith! Stand and declare, "No weapon formed against me will prosper, stand, or prevail!" (Isaiah 54:17) 

Father God, thank You for Your precious living Word! Thank You for never leaving or forsaking us! And thank You for wanting to be in every aspect of our lives! Thank You for being our Father, a father we can run to all day long to get what we need to throw off what doesn’t belong in our lives and to continually put on what does belong in our lives. Thank You for the “great exchange”! In the name of Jesus, I pray for every reader and I ask You to quicken them by Your Holy Spirit and let them know, as they submit to You and Your Word, You will direct their paths and make them straight! 

Hebrews 4:12

Hebrews 13:5

Isaiah 61:3

Proverbs 3:6


Additional help:

If you struggle with offense, Dr. Larry Ollison's book, "Breaking the Cycle of Offense" is a great resource and is available at www.faithman.org

My Lips Openethed Up Wide…again...

He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life; but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction. (Proverbs 13:3, KJV)

Saturday night, my family and I were at a party with friends. We had hotdogs, (ok, they all had hotdogs), chili, special tea (I really like special tea), a hayride and other fall festivities. Near the end of the night, our conversation turned to the time change. Daylight savings time was about to end and we were all reminding each other to “roll the clocks back” and “fall back” an hour. One of my friends made a comment that she was so thankful to have an extra hour sleep. Me, being convinced she had it backwards, told her we were losing an hour of sleep.

She and I (playfully) bantered back and forth about gaining/losing sleep. She was convinced she was correct. I was convinced I was correct. It was getting late, the party was winding down, and we all went home. 

For later purposes, please keep in mind, my husband was paying close attention to our conversation. I knew he heard us; however, I was completely unaware he was taking what I was saying…to heart. 

The next day, I learned I was incorrect and my friend was correct. But Mike hadn’t learned I was incorrect.

The next evening, Mike said, “I am so sleepy. Losing that hour of sleep really got to me.”

Ooooooops…I had "openeth wide my lips” when I should have “keepethed them slammed shut."

To increase that ooooooops…Mike had actually slept longer the night before than previous nights! In other words, not only had he gotten an extra hour of sleep, he had also slept in by at least an hour the following morning. So even though he had had over two hours extra sleep, just because of my words he believed he had lost sleep. Uuuuugh, I should have keepethed my lips shutteth. I am in a King James kind of mood today!

I had to try and convince him I was wrong about losing the hour of sleep. What I had done was not easily undone! He has so much confidence in me, and what I say, it was very difficult to convince him I was wrong and my friend was right.

We have powerful influence over our families and in our “circles". The words we speak are not just idle words. (Matthew 12:36) We can unknowingly (or knowingly) poison our families and friends by merely speaking what, in our opinion may be, words that don’t really matter. I cannot tell you how many times someone makes the following comment to me, “I remember when you said ___(fill in the blank___) and what I said could have been five years ago! At times, their comment makes me cringe! People can change in five years! 

We must "keepeth" our lips!

It is possible, 

to take our own insecurities/issues, 

project them on someone else, 

and 

misguide our family and friends (and others) 

simply by the words we speak. 

Ever observe a mother/stepmother or a wife/mother-in-law (just to name a few) power struggle?

I will give an example of an incident in my own life. Please bear with me because I have since gained the victory over this, glory to God!

There is a powerful evangelist who my husband and friends listen to. Years ago, Mike brought home a cd of this evangelist and told me to listen to it. He said, "This teaching will change your life!" I said, “I can’t. His voice drives me up a wall. I cannot stand to listen to him. I don’t get anything out of his teaching because I cannot tolerate his voice.” 

Since then, God has revealed (through the life giving lips of a girlfriend) I was walking in offense against a man who had hurt me as a child and that man’s voice reminded me of this particular evangelist. I had projected the offense onto an innocent man.

I was refusing powerful, anointed teachings…not in any way because of the evangelist who was teaching…but because of offense. Not only was this offense affecting me, it was affecting those around me through me. 

We do not want to do that!

Please make the following confession with me:

Father, in the name of Jesus, we let our speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that we may know how we ought to answer every man. We have joy by the answer of our mouth: and words spoken in due season, how good it is! We speak good words making us glad! We have a wise heart, teaching our mouth and adding learning to our lips! Thank You Father for teaching us the importance of our words! And thank You for teaching us to keepeth our lips! 

Colossians 4:6

Proverbs 15:23

Proverbs 12:25

Proverbs 16:23, 24

Oh Sneaky Boogah!

Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! (Luke 17:1, NKJV)

After sitting under the leadership of Dr. Larry Ollison for several years and reading his book, "Breaking the Cycle of Offense" (twice, and referring back to it as needed) I believed I was very well educated in offense. I had been very well trained and believed I had a a good handle on recognizing and immediately breaking the cycle of offense. 

A few years ago I was spending some quality time with one of my closest girlfriends. She told me about an incident where a person had wrongfully accused her of something and had attacked her character.

I had a fit! I totally sided with my girlfriend, after all I KNOW her character! Referring to the person who had wrongfully accused my friend, I said, "Excuse her!" Then proceeded to rant about how wrong this situation was and precisely what I was going to do to correct it, etc, etc, etc. In other words, my blood was boiling!

Something powerful and forever life changing happened. My girlfriend (who was really hurt by the attack that really happened) corrected me. She laid her hurt aside, she laid her "right" to be offended aside, and sternly said, "THAT is secondary offense and if you cannot give me godly counsel and pray with and for me when I have a situation then I cannot share things like this with you because I cannot tempt you to stumble".

• HELLO! 
• Jerked up short! 
• Knot jerked in tail! 
• Clock cleaned! 
• Lunch ate!
• Wind taken out of sails!
• Slack jerked out of rope!

I picked up my chin off the floor and said, "Alright, let's start over and biblically handle this. Yeaaaa that's more like it."

Although it may be noble to defend our friends/family, we cannot take a world view on a situation. We have to operate according to Kingdom standards because it's the only way to victory.

My girlfriend and I (after I immediately decided to operate with a corrected and pure heart) discussed the prayer points of the situation, applied scripture to the situation, decreed and declared God's will in the situation, and thanked Him for working all things together for good for everyone involved, all for His glory. (James 5:16, Job 22:28, Luke 22:42, Romans 8:28, Philippians 4:6, 1 Corinthians 10:31)

Praise God for friends and family who love us enough to stand up and tell us the truth according to God's Word instead of jumping on our bandwagon, independent of their feelings! 

I wasn't aware I was operating in secondary offense! I walked by feelings instead of by faith and was overcome by self deception. (2 Corinthians 5:7, 1 Corinthians 3:18, 19) Oftentimes, we can let something said or done to us just "roll off our backs"; however, if someone we love is hurt we can find it quite difficult to "let it roll". Secondary offense can be sneaky, so sneaky! 

Let's go one step further. Wisdom says, when we discuss a matter with someone we must insure we are seeking goldly counsel and not seeking pity and/or looking for someone to "side with us" in a matter. For example, as wives/daughters/sisters/girlfriends we cannot become entrapped by running to our husbands/parents/siblings/girlfriends with an offense. Whomever we confide in, we must make it a safe ground to be corrected by His Word and insure our confidante can handle counseling us and not become offended in the process.

LORD God, thank You for the loving people You have blessed me with. Thank You they stand up for Absolute Truth and correct and counsel me in alignment with Your Word. Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray for every reader right now and declare all offense to be over in all our lives! No. More. Offense. We decide to refuse offense. Secondary and otherwise! We walk in forgiveness as You forgive us! We daily do a heart check and ask You to reveal to us any areas of our hearts that may be harboring offense and unforgiveness. Create in us a new heart and renew a right spirit within us. We submit our spirit to Your Holy Spirit and invite you to immediately prompt us when offense attempts to suck us in. We declare, in the name of Jesus, we are offense free! Thank You Jesus for being our ultimate example in refusing offense. Of all people, You had every right to harbor unforgiveness but instead said, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." Thank You Jesus for coming so that we could have life in excessive abundance! We won't waste one day of the overcoming life You came to give us! Thank You for Your gift of eternal life and being more than a conqueror! We take ahold of it and celebrate it and we thank You for it!

James 1:17

Proverbs 15:31, 32

Proverbs 10:8

Proverbs 12:15

Matthew 6:14

Psalm 51:10

Luke 23:34

John 10:10

John 17:3

Romans 8:37

You are not a Human Ahi!

And (Jesus) said to His disciples, Temptations (snares, traps set to entice sin) are sure to come, but woe to him by or though whom they come! It would be more profitable for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were hurled into the sea than that he should cause to sin or be a snare to one of these little ones (lowly in rank or influence). Pay attention and always be on your guard (looking out for one another). If your brother sins (misses the mark), solemnly tell him so and reprove him, and if he repents (feels sorry for having sinned), forgive him. (Luke 17:1-3, AMP)

My husband, Mike, is a manly man. He enjoys hunting and fishing. He enjoys it so much, he will get out of bed at all hours in the middle of the night to hunt/fish. For example, today, he got out of bed at 3:00 a..m. and went fishing with a buddy. That's hardcore. But, his tenacity constantly pays off in the woods and on the water. Today they caught a really nice yellow fin tuna. Now that's a good looking fish right there. Come to think of it, that's a very long fish right there. Mike is almost six foot five inches tall and as you can see, the fish is almost as long as he is tall! Way to go guys!

Yellow fin tuna, also known as ahi, is a very fascinating fish. It is a very versatile fish. It is used in sushi and sashimi. It is also great grilled and enjoyed with a really nice mango salsa. And, we've eaten ahi in fish tacos as well.

We've been told ahi (Which, by the way, sounds like awww-hee…ok, probably not all that drawn out so maybe more like aw-hee.) is Hawaiian for fire. Thus so named because of several reasons. One reason is because in ancient times, Hawaiians used a bone for a hook, and a rope for a line. Once the ahi took the hook, the ahi would dive down so fast, the rope would catch on fire because of friction between the rope and the boat. 

The website for Kona Fishing Charters (www.konafishing4u.com) tells a similar tale (Hahaha, fish tale pun fully intended).

"Ahi means fire in Hawaiian, in reference to what happened to Hawaiians in olden times when fishing from outrigger canoes. The line would go out so fast over the side, it would smoke the sides of the canoe." 

I am unsure whether or not the rope caught fire or the rope smoked, either way, that is some major friction going on. 

I find it very interesting that ahi dive down but marlin come up. You may have seen marlin jump up out of the water once on the line. but ahi dive down as deep as possible. Today's ahi went down and took out three-fourths of the fishing line that was on the rod by the time Mike could pick up the rod. Mike is very fast but so is ahi.

We've also been told another reason yellow fin tuna is called ahi (Please keep in mind, the Hawaiian translation for ahi is fire) is because once the fish is hooked, it dives down, and fights so hard, it literally cooks inside. Let's pause for a moment and think about that one…the fish fights so hard it cooks it's own insides.

Below is a picture of the ahi Mike and his friend caught today. While cleaning the fish, we cut the darker red colored meat off and threw it away because it isn't good to eat. You can see, the ahi literally burned its insides up by fighting. The darker red colored meat is because of an interior force, not an external force.

Have you ever known anyone who was"cooking their insides"? I do. That. Was. Me. I was a human ahi. Before receiving Jesus, I was so full of offense, frustration, and anger, I was literally sick most of the time. I had over the counter medication in my purse, in my car, at my bedside, and in my desk drawer at my office. I could have been a walking billboard for Tagamet, Tums, and Tylenol!  At one time in my life, I was on antibiotics every other month. Wow, what a way to live…not! (John 10:10)

When I was very small, my Daddy said something to me that I didn't comprehend until much later in life. He said, "Sister, bitterness will burn you up from the inside out." Had I understood that sooner, I could've saved myself so much money on medication and countless doctor's visits as well as prevented several abdominal surgeries. I won't even mention sleep issues I use to deal with! 

But, praise God! Once I was born again, everything…every thing in my life, changed. As I submitted myself to Him, He made my path straight! (Proverbs 3:6)  I believe God led me straight to a life changing book. If you've followed this blog for long, you already know what you are about to read! Yes, "Breaking the Cycle of Offense", by Dr. Larry Ollison. (www.faithman.org) 

God taught me through this book how I was making myself physically ill by living in offense. Here is the kicker…I wasn't even aware I was living in offense. (1 Peter 5:8) 

I thank God I no longer cook my own insides. (2 Corinthians 10:5, Philippians 4:8-9, Matthew 6:14) 

Let's reiterate:

• The ahi is hooked.
• It dives down as far as possible.
• It fights so hard, it literally cooks it's own insides.

Don't be an ahi!

• Don't get hooked!
• Don't get caught up in friction!
• Don't dive down as far as possible!
• Don't fight so hard, you literally cook your own insides!

Do:

• Be a child of God, not an ahi! (Galatians 3:26-27)
• Refuse offense! (Luke 17:1)
• Just say no to friction! (1 Timothy 6:11)
• Look up not down, where does your help come from?! (Psalm 121:2)
• Don't cook, cast. Cast your care! (1 Peter 5:7) 

Some could argue the "internal cooking" is because of an external force, as well as an internal force. For example, what if my bother (or sister/mother/father/friend, etc) isn't sorry? Dr. Larry Ollison would most likely say, "Big woo, forgive them anyway." And I wholeheartedly agree. 

There is a saying, I'm not sure who the quote belongs to, (if you know please give them credit in the comments below), "Forgiving someone is like opening the prison door and setting yourself free". 

Don't get hooked. Be free, today, in the name of Jesus.

A short time back, I was asked, "Okay, I get what the bible says but how do I practically apply it to my life." I am so glad they asked!

Father God, I wholeheartedly forgive and thank You for forgiving me. In the name of Jesus, I take my every thought captive. My thoughts are mine, I have control over my thoughts, I capture each thought and bring every thought into submission to Your Word. I only meditate on whatever is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of good report, and that which is praiseworthy! Thank You for Your peace. I declare I walk in the life in excessive abundance that Jesus died to give me. I will be robbed of nothing…no thing, Jesus has given me. I receive it now by faith. Thank You for Your Son Jesus, thank You for the Blood of Jesus. Thank You for teaching me that nothing…no thing, is impossible for me!

(Matthew 6:14, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Philippians 4:8-9, John 10:10, Matthew 21:21)

Big Doofuss!

Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. (Matthew 18:21, NKJV)

Last week, Mike and I planned an interisland trip, partly business, partly leisure. We scheduled our sitter who just happens to be the best sitter in the world, thank you Julie, we love and appreciate you! Everything was all set and ready to roll and we were so excited.

We had an early plane to catch and had a lot to get done before we left for the day so our house was buzzing. It was crunch time and right before I walked out the door, Mike made a negative comment under his breath, which by the way is one of my hugest pet peeves…ever. If he is going to say something, I say belt it from the rooftop! Well, not from the rooftop, but I’m sure you get the idea.

I took a slow…deep…breath, determined to ignore what he mumbled, and determined to overcome the temptation to scream, “WHAT DID YOU SAY?!” I was home free...almost…when all of the sudden my middle child decided to loudly proclaim what he said!

That's about the time I heard Pastor Larry in my head repeatedly saying, "Choose not to be offended. Choose not to be offended. CHOOOOOSE NOT TO BE OFFENDED." I wanted to scream, "SHUT UP PASTOR LARRY!" But I couldn't because that would be like telling my dad to shut up and I just can't do that no matter how loud my flesh screams!

I remained silent. No, despite popular belief, that is not an impossibility. We were driving down the road and I quietly tried to put on my bracelet which it is a tiny bit too short so I generally ask Mike to help me. But this day, I was determined to do it by myself! He saw me struggling and calmly said, "Do you want me to help you with that?" I softly answered, "No" but he knew what I was thinking. I was thinking, "No! I never want you to help me with anything, ever again!"

That's about the time, I…again…heard Pastor Larry repeatedly saying, "Choose not to be offended. Choose not to be offended. CHOOOOOSE NOT TO BE OFFENDED." Please refer to the previous “Pastor Larry” paragraph.

As we quietly drove down the road and this mental war waged, Mike finally said, "Your eyes are so beautiful, sometimes you remind me of an Egyptian Queen." At which time I wanted to roll my eyes in the back of my head and scream, "OH SHUT UP YOU BIG DOOFUSS!" And, for good measure, also add scriptural reasons why a “compliment” of comparing my eyes to an Egyptian queen’s eyes were totally unbiblical! I didn’t know how, but for a split second I was going to use my phone to research the subject and prove my point!

But...alas…I didn't…for many reasons.

One of which, even though he used bad judgement and made a mistake…he is still the authority placed in my life…by God. I believe God called him to be my husband, this includes imperfections. God didn't give me a "mistake loophole". God has never told me, "Mike is your authority as long as he never makes a mistake." As a result, the way I respond to Mike is between me and God. Mike is affected by how I treat him; however, I answer to God for how I treat him. I chose life over death. (Deuteronomy 30:19)

Secondly, I didn’t want my girls to see me respond to their father (the authority God placed in their life) with disrespect.

So...I purposefully laughed...I laughed really hard! Then he laughed! Then my girls laughed!
(Nehemiah 8:10, Ecclesiastes 3:1,4, Proverbs 15:15, Proverbs 17:22)

See, I had two choices.

1. Break the Cycle of Offense (or)
2. Continue the Cycle of Offense

“you must make the decision that regardless of how you feel, you are not going to be offended”, Dr. Larry Ollison, Breaking the Cycle of Offense (www.faithman.org)

I felt like smacking him...but, I’ve read the book…twice. I continue to refer back to it when needed. Personally, I believe there should be an app for that! The book is life changing when the principles are applied.

• Get it.
• Read it.
• Apply it.

You will be glad you did!

Time to Shut Off

Understand [this], my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear [a ready listener], slow to speak, slow to take offense and slow to get angry. (James 1:19, AMP)

Yesterday, Gracie and I cleaned our refrigerator. That child is a cleaning, organizing machine!

During our process, the refrigerator light abruptly shut off. Gracie said, "Oh no, the light just burned out. We will have to get a new one." I said, "Let's just shut the refrigerator door. Maybe the light got too hot and hopefully shut itself off like a protective mechanism. If so, once it cools, it will turn on again."  

Sure enough, not long thereafter, the light was performing up to par and shining bright once again. 

I thought, "What a GREAT idea!"

I used my refrigerator light as teaching moment. I told her when we are faced with the temptation to get too hot by anger, offense, discord, division, or whatever else may come our way, we are going to:

Shut off (Psalm 4:4)

Cool off (Psalm 119:11)

Recalculate  (Proverbs 3:1) 

Shine bright (Matthew 5:16)

Tell us, what reminds you to shut off until you cool off and recalculate so that you can shine bright again?




Side note: For a fun tip on recalculating, use this link!

http://keytovblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/recalculating.html

Battle!

Resist the devil, and he will flee. (James 4:7)

Ever been hurt? Ever been hurt and what you believed to have happened was truth but as it turned out, you were wrong? And you harbored hurt based on a lie?

Ever been hurt and what you believed to have happened was truth and as it turned out, you were right? And you harbored hurt based on a truth? 

What is the difference between the two when aligned with scripture? Do we have loopholes in scripture? If we were truly wronged, and not operating in a misunderstanding, are we allowed the "luxury" to nurture that hurt until it grows into a full blown root continuing to "bloom" even decades later? Or at least until a new hurt presents itself. And affecting all relationships, present and future.

No, we don't.  We truly have option. Submit to God by obeying His Word.

Of course, there is that other option. Pick up the offense caused by the hurt, hold it, pet it, baby it, feed it for years or even until death finally kills the hurt. After all, some people purposefully hurt others. But I know every person reading this is far too wise, far too full of The Word, and far too led by the Spirit to fall for the enemies schemes by fulfilling the lusts of the flesh. We immediately recognize this as a scheme of the enemy; therefore, we absolutely avoid it. 

How do we do battle against this scheme? I'm so glad you asked! 

First, please understand, we operate in two realms. Natural (what we see which is temporary, James 4:14) and the spiritual (what we don't see which is permanent, 2 Corinthians 4:18). The flesh wants to scream, cry, complain. We must not fulfill those lusts of the flesh. Instead, we must walk by the Spirit renewing our minds daily, having new mercies every day like our Father, and operate in forgiveness. (Galations 5:16, Romans 12:2, Lamentations 3:23, Luke 6:37)

Stay so closely knitted in His Word, there is no room for anything else. And as a result, we lack for nothing. Including freedom from offense. (Matthew 6:33)

We can operate in so much grace, everyone who comes into contact with us is changed! I've been learning a lot about grace lately. I believe one aspect of grace is continually meditating on and operating in the fullest definition of thanksgiving in everything Jesus is and refusing to meditate on anything that everything else and everyone else isn't. At the end of the day, isn't everything we do (including speaking and thinking) all about Jesus? In light of our redemption package, what else truly matters?

The secular world knows offense is poison to the mind, soul, and body. Deadly diseases that manifest in the body can be scientifically linked to an offense(s). How much more must we, as born again believers, avoid obvious traps. Choose life! (Deuteronomy 30:19) 

So somebody we know does something stupid to us...big woo (As Dr. Larry Ollison would say). 


We must spend more time meditating on Kingdom principles than we do on whether or not we are justified in an offense. Failing to do so, is a first step in the wrong direction. Consider this, the next time you are offended, don't tell anyone but Jesus. And then, pray for that person until you are free. That's freedom!

What would happen if we imitated our Father as dear children and focused on the good of others and disregard the negatives. God focuses on the good in us, let's do the same! (Ephesians 5:1)

Doing battle like this in the spiritual realm is not as difficult as some may think. This fight against the enemy is not ours but the LORD's. (2 Chronicles 20:15). My battle and your battle lies in the first part of James 4:7. So place yourselves under God's authority. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you. (God's Word Translation) Hard for him to do battle as he is running away.

How are you going to do battle?