enemies

Cling to What (WHO) is GOOD! 

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I have the new bug catcher installed in my bathroom – it is simply a little blacklight bulb behind a sticky screen – not a zapper but a catcher – works great so far – and you replace the sticky-ness. And the illuminating blacklight bulb? It illuminates the really good truth of this scripture: “Cling to What is Good” -which is nestled in my metal bathroom medicine cabinet with favorited scriptures, inspirations and kids photos plus some trinkets – like my grandmothers small plastic cross from the 30s or so, sitting in a little glass of crystal and garnets from my cousin… precious stones are one thing but precious memories are the best – cling to what is good... 

The other scripture inspirations are “let your LIGHT shine before men”  – and the descriptions of Prevenient Grace, Justifying Grace and Sanctifying Grace. Just a nice reminder that God has our number and calls us up all the time to SHINE for HIM. Prevenient is God already protected us and called us – Justifying is we realize it and realize we need it – Sanctifying is accepting God’s grace and forgiveness, coming to repentance and moving forward as Sanctified – God “gave-gives-is giving” for us to be with Him Forever. (These definitions are from John Wesley’s traditional teaching – and I like the pamphlet because it reminds me of a favorite pastor who gave it to me years ago.)

Cling to What (WHO) is GOOD! – Yes Sound biblical teaching is so good – and God is the author of the Message – Jesus Himself is the Word.

Psalm 3 is my “go to” psalm today for inspiration – and it is a classic “God will protect” reminder. David was in a tough spot and yeah things had gone bad with his son and well, David needed (and got) protection from the Lord…  “But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.”

When we cling to the good that God put in front of us – we get day-sized chunks of living – not too long and not too short – long enough to get something done – short enough that we get to rest and start fresh. David would write (when being pursued) about having a moment to rest: “I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.”

We probably don’t have people out to get us – but we do have things that brush us wrong – get in our way – unthinking strife – and we do have that devil of meddling messing with us – EITHER WAY let us let the LORD handle it – as the letter to the Romans continued: . If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

SO – in our days today – keep going – keep believing – CLING TO WHAT IS GOOD -and let the Lord do the fighting while we do the living…  Keep your chin up and your head down to dodge the dangers. Watch your steps and your tongue – and keep SHINING the LIGHT so that people will praise God…

AMEN

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Romans 12:9-21 NKJV 

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

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Psalm 3 NKJV

The Lord Helps His Troubled People
A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son.

Lord, how they have increased who trouble me!
Many are they who rise up against me.
Many are they who say of me,
“There is no help for him in God.” Selah

But You, O Lord, are a shield for me,
My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
I cried to the Lord with my voice,
And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah

I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.
I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me all around.

Arise, O Lord;
Save me, O my God!
For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone;
You have broken the teeth of the ungodly.
Salvation belongs to the Lord.
Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah

Back to God’s Word Preparing Us, Jeremiah 11-12

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And the Lord will return…

If life is like the weather report, predictions of events, seasons, living conditions,  then we should prepare. And when God is going to move, He often prewarns us and let’s us prepare. We pray more people turn towards Him. We now get weather foreknowledge down to the hour when the rain drops will start, so we can choose to freakout or breakout the fun rain slicker and boots. We prepare by getting to safe places with supplies in the worst weather. Now tornadoes? To me that’s something different, yet pinpoint accuracy is amazing. Simply take cover and pray, know your safest place. Tis the season of bad weather, it’s something you just can’t totally prepare for but you can try. 

We especially can prepare by knowing that God will get us through this weather of our world. So how about life? Prepare by steadying ourselves in Him. God called to even the furthest wanderers: “if they will learn carefully the ways of My people, to swear by My name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ …. then they shall be established in the midst of My people.“

What would you do if God told you that your life was threatened? Would you freak out? Or would you pray it out… In the case of Jeremiah, he had to TRUST the Lord and just keep doing HIS work, which was to warn the people into compliance. And Jeremiah’s enemies? God said: “I’ve got this. – keep going… (and those people not listening to God in Jeremiah’s time – God said listen to me or you will certainly be threatened not just by your situation but by your non-compliance to return to me).

We don’t seem to have that level of enemies in people, like Jeremiah did, certainly we now witness evils in modern distractions and dangers, especially trying to go it alone. We should surely prepare by trusting God to take care of us. And keep going. Worship over wandering our eyes.

Jeremiah said he did not know he was like a lamb headed into schemes he didn’t know. But he did know there were many walking  away from God. Now, think of what a BIG contrast this is because Jesus KNEW that He was the lamb to be slaughtered. SACRIFICED. And He walked that Way anyway, He even told people why, He was the compassion God the Father sent to heal the people from broken living. Jesus faced the enemy down, said “I’ve got this”, crushed the head of the snake (even if his tail is still wriggling). Jesus wins. In marching forward keeping His mission, Jesus complied the ultimate compliance. Satan knows God wins, he’s just trying to spoil the last bits of time before he is banished forever. Revelations tells of the times he will be gone then gone forever. 

If you see evil in this world, or in your next steps, remember God has got that accounted for in His Plan. He will comfort us by calling for complete trust in Him.

Stand up to enemies of distractions with the power of God’s Might and the enemy will flee. God will walk you through the shadows and into the Light. 

It’s a lesson from this prophet Jeremiah to keep shining the Light of God on all the evil, and keep living. 

Amen 

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Jeremiah’s Life Threatened. Jeremiah 11:18-23, 12

Now the Lord gave me knowledge of it, and I know it; for You showed me their doings. But I was like a docile lamb brought to the slaughter; and I did not know that they had devised schemes against me, saying, “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be remembered no more.” But, O Lord of hosts, You who judge righteously, testing the mind and the heart, Let me see Your vengeance on them, for to You I have revealed my cause.

“Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the men of Anathoth who seek your life, saying, ‘Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord, lest you die by our hand’ – therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Behold, I will punish them. The young men shall die by the sword, their sons and their daughters shall die by famine; and there shall be no remnant of them, for I will bring catastrophe on the men of Anathoth, even the year of their punishment.’ ”

Jeremiah 12 NKJV

Jeremiah’s Question

Righteous are You, O Lord, when I plead with You; Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments.

Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously? You have planted them, yes, they have taken root; They grow, yes, they bear fruit. You are near in their mouth But far from their mind.

But You, O Lord, know me; You have seen me, and You have tested my heart toward You. Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter. How long will the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither? The beasts and birds are consumed, For the wickedness of those who dwell there, Because they said, “He will not see our final end.”

The Lord Answers Jeremiah

“If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, in which you trusted, they wearied you, then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan? For even your brothers, the house of your father, Even they have dealt treacherously with you; Yes, they have called a multitude after you. Do not believe them, Even though they speak smooth words to you.

“I have forsaken My house, I have left My heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of My soul into the hand of her enemies. My heritage is to Me like a lion in the forest; it cries out against Me; Therefore I have hated it. My heritage is to Me like a speckled vulture; The vultures all around are against her. Come, assemble all the beasts of the field, bring them to devour!

“Many rulers have destroyed My vineyard, They have trodden My portion underfoot; they have made My pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. They have made it desolate; Desolate, it mourns to Me; The whole land is made desolate, because no one takes it to heart. The plunderers have come on all the desolate heights in the wilderness, for the sword of the Lord shall devour from one end of the land to the other end of the land; No flesh shall have peace. They have sown wheat but reaped thorns; They have put themselves to pain but do not profit. But be ashamed of your harvest Because of the fierce anger of the Lord.”

Thus says the Lord: “Against all My evil neighbors who touch the inheritance which I have caused My people Israel to inherit—behold, I will pluck them out of their land and pluck out the house of Judah from among them.  Then it shall be, after I have plucked them out, that I will return and have compassion on them and bring them back, everyone to his heritage and everyone to his land. And it shall be, if they will learn carefully the ways of My people, to swear by My name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ as they taught My people to swear by Baal, then they shall be established in the midst of My people. But if they do not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation,” says the Lord.