A Prayer for Integrity

“O Lord, who may abide in Your tent?
Who may dwell on Your holy hill?
He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness,
And speaks truth in his heart.”
Psalm 15:1-2

“The integrity of the upright will guide them,

But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.”
Proverbs 11:3

May you walk each day in integrity before a holy God.  May you choose truth and honesty above all else.  May your actions and your words mirror a heart in love with your Savior.  May your choices be pure and upright before God Almighty.

I pray many things for each of you throughout each day.  Yes, I pray for health and that God will go before you to provide for you financially and that He will guide your steps each day.  But the most important prayer that I pray each day for you is that you will bow your knee before Jesus and that He will raise you  up before men and kings.  That comes only through a walk of integrity.  Your name, your reputation will be based upon each little choice, each little task that you undertake.  Do all as unto the Lord.

 

Depression

“Be angry, but sin not.”
Ephesians 4:26

First of all, I am not a licensed counselor.  However, I come from a family with both bipolar and clinical depression, so I would be glad to share with you what I have learned and experienced. 

Almost all depression is a result of unresolved anger.  Now, I would never have thought of myself as an angry person.  Rather, I would turn it inwards and was easily hurt.  Hurt and anger are the two sides of the same coin.  My depression was a combination of learned behavior and unresolved anger.  My mother responded to life with depression.  Therefore, I learned that that was the way to deal with life.  Even after becoming a Christian at age 13, I was not discipled to understand that I had a choice! 

Choice is the key word here.  Depression is one of Satan’s weapons.  We are to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.  We do this by taking thought of self abuse, anger, etc… and praying over it and holding it up to the truth of God’s word.  It can be a real battle sometimes!  I still will have days where the thoughts from Satan are coming thick and fast.  I have to choose to stand against them, arm myself with God’s truth, and choose to sing praises even if I don’t “feel” like it.  The emotions eventually line up.  Sometimes, I can’t fight it alone and I need to go to a trusted friend and get their listening ear and prayers. 

Unresolved anger is dealt with by talking it out with someone safe.  For me that was a licensed Christian counselor.  The difference between a psychiatrist and a Christian counselor is very important.  A very astute 18 year old told me that when she went to the psychiatrist and talked things out, it was like digging big holes, but having nothing to fill them up with.  She filled them up with drugs and alcohol.  When she saw a Christian counselor, they had the answers through God’s word to fill in the holes with truth.  Talking out our stuffed down emotions with someone who can deflect them is really important because it normalizes the emotions.  I thought my emotions were wrong.  My counselor often reacted even more severely to the situation than I did and I learned that emotions were okay.

I asked a medical doctor who was a Christian about bipolar or manic-depression once.  He said that he learned through his research that it is 95% spiritual.  That a vast majority of people have the physiological bent towards bipolar behavior, but  only a small amount show symptoms.  I am not one to see a demon behind every bush, but I would definitely get with a Christian counselor to deal with bipolar depression. 

My counselor did prescribe an anti-depressant for me while I was in counseling, but I was not able to take it – they really bother my stomach.  But I was also dealing with depression from childhood abuse, sexual abuse, and self-loathing.  I got through the counseling without medication, but did take some homeopathic remedies and exercised and watched my diet while in counseling.  From what I understand, a trauma can  change the actual formation of brain patterns.  The anti-depressants allow the brain to retrain to better patterns.  I think that medications is really up to the person and their counselor.

As I emptied the emotional bucket that I had stuffed since childhood, I also learned boundaries on harmful relationships and coping skills.  I was in counseling for 18 months.  Now if I get depressed, I call a friend, praise and pray, talk to my husband, etc… I have ongoing physical disabilities so usually the depression is about dealing with chronic and severe pain.  I was finally able to allow Christ Jesus to be Lord over my future and that has brought a lot of peace, although He has to remind me sometimes!  It is a process, and that’s okay!

 

 

A Throne for You

“But God, being rich in mercy,
because of the great love with which He loved us,
when we were dead in our transgressions,
made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved,),
and raised us up with Him,
and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 2:4-7

“But God” Those are important words.  The verses previous talk about our existence in the old nature, the fact that we were children of wrath and sons of disobedience.  “But God… “ He didn’t leave us there.  Because of His great love and mercy, He made us alive through the blood of the Jesus (He quickened our spirit to be alive and able to converse with the Holy Spirit), and raised us up with Him.  Notice that this verb is in the past tense.  It is a done deal.  We have been raised up with Christ – raised from the dead, raised from the former life, raised to the very throne of God!  And, He seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus!  Again, past tense.  Done deal.  We are seated.  That means that even though we are not in heaven yet, that our place is there waiting on us.  It has been decreed.  We are members of the royal household. 

Do you envision yourself seated with Christ in heaven?  You can!  You can sit and talk to God, you can have a discussion where your opinion matters, you will one day rule over angels from those very seats that are already ours.  Notice that God even encourages us that this is reality, but in the ages to come.  We must be patient, living this life as if the next life is a reality because when we get there, God wants to show us the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us. 

Wow!  Hold on a minute!  Do you mean that God wants to be kind to me?  I should be being kind to Him and giving Him glory, honor, praise, adoration, my life, etc… for what He has already given me!  But it is true, God wants to give us even more, if we will just believe in Him and hold onto the grace by which we have been saved. The surpassing riches of God’s grace is ours for eternity.  Done deal.  We may not always look and act like royalty, but we are!

 

Pray for Those Affected by Government Shut-down

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
Romans 8:18

We usually think of physical suffering when we see this verse.  But I believe that it includes all types of suffering including those inflicted upon a people by their government.  Please pray that Lucas will be able to take his FAA test and be able to sign up for his next flight class.  Pray that Aaron and Hannah will be able to get the loan they need to get into their own house.  Pray for Ethan to be able to change his FAFSA so that he can take a computer course for work at TSTC.  Does government affect us?  Yes!!! 

You can be an encouragement to those around you during this time of grumbling and griping.  Let people know that there is a Rock that will not be moved, and that no matter what the government does or our culture, Jesus is truth and His word will stand.  These are changing times.  Go with the flow and trust not in horses or chariots, but in the Lord your God.

 

Grace or Works?

If we live by the Spirit,
 let us also walk by the Spirit.”
Ephesians 5:25

There are several examples throughout Scripture that make it clear that we are in partnership with God.  Psalm 139:15 refers to God skillfully making a human being in the womb of a mother.  He chose to partner with mankind in procreation.  Man and woman would conceive, woman would carry the child in her womb, but God would be fashioning him/her

Another example of this partnership is found in Philippians 1:6 where it says that “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”  But in Philippians 2:12 it says, “ …work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”  So which is it?  Does God work in us or are we to work?  Both!  It is that partnership that is seen in Ephesians 5:25.  We have been taught and it is true that God’s grace covers all our sins and that once we ask Him to save us we are His children forever.  But we are so turned off by the thought that we have to also work out our salvation in fear and trembling.  Isn’t that salvation by works?  Isn’t God’s grace enough?  My question to you is, “Does it have to be one or the other?”  I think that it is both.  We are saved by grace and held in God’s hands by grace, but we show by our actions that we are His.  He should be changing us through the transforming word and we should desire to do good works.  Thus it is a partnership. Thus in Matthew where the goats and the sheep are judged according to their works, it is not work-based salvation, but rather salvation that is revealed through the works of the saints.

Amazing that God would trust us enough to partner with Him!  What a mighty God we serve!

 

Not Free From...

Things that we are not free from:
Our emotions
Our circumstances
Our suffering
Moral code of the New Testament

 Emotions:  We are made in the image of God and He had emotions (anger, compassion, He wept, He loves, etc…)  So emotions are not bad, but they need to be put under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and come behind the truth of God’s Word.  When we choose to walk by truth and not our emotions, then we are truly taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-6)  When we feel depressed, angry, hurt, forsaken, grumpy, etc…, but choose to give praise to God and pour out our hearts to Him and to glorify His name in thanksgiving, then the emotions will flee and we will find ourselves happy, content, and having great joy.

Our circumstances/our suffering:  Jesus never promised to take away our circumstances.  He said instead that in this life we will have troubles and tribulation, but that He has overcome this world. (John 16:33) We live in Satan’s world.  He has authority here for a short time.  It is limited, temporary authority, but for now, we live in his garbage pit, and when you live in a garbage pit, you will get garbage on you!  Jesus reached down into the garbage pit and called you to live above your circumstances.  That means realizing that this is temporary, but God’s relationship with you is eternal.  Sometimes, just because of His great love for us, God will change the circumstances through the faithful prayer of His children.  But sometimes, He chooses not to.  That is His right; He is sovereign.  But He will be with us through anything and everything if we call upon Him, trust in Him, rest in Him.

 Moral code of the New Testament:  We are to be holy because God, our Father, is holy.  We are not saved through our works, but we are to follow the moral code of the New Testament, Jesus’ commandments, after we are saved.  This is our operations manual.  By following it, we declare that we are God’s and that God knows what is best for us.  This can be tough because the world has a different code, a different morality.  God’s commandments lead us further into truth and life and prepares us for the life to come in heaven.  It keeps us able to have a relationship with God.  He knows that we are but dust (Psalm103:14) and has provided a way through confession to be brought back into His fellowship when we mess up.  But to think that we can accept Jesus and not His commandments is a fallacy!  We were sanctified at the cross and we are to continue to be sanctified through good works.  Don’t for an instant think that you have a free “ Get to heaven card” just for believing the facts about Jesus.  It has to be a heart change.  One that displays good worls and obedience.

Free to...

 We are free to…
Have abundant life eternally and now!
Hope!
Love ourselves (God loves us so we are lovable!)
Love God!
Love others! – Now we are filled up and can pour out!
Have joy! – Joy is always coupled in the Bible with being in the presence of the Lord
Rule over our emotions! – They don’t have to drive us!  God’s Word comes first.
Be obedient to Jesus! – Those who continue in my Word (both in study and in action!)will be free indeed!
Choose to not sin!
Give grace and mercy! – God gives it to us in abundance that we might pour it out on others!
Dream – God gives us the desires (dreams) of our heart!
Learn and grow!  We are not stuck, we can move forward!
Let go of old habits, sins, relationships, etc…
Pray and have a relationship with the Creator God!

Wow!!!

Christian maturity does not come from doing; it comes from sitting at the feet of Jesus, reading the Word, listening to His voice, and living in His presence in praise and thanksgiving!

 

Freedom to Surrender

At the cross we can find freedom from self, hopelessness, ignorance, pettiness, performance based love, and trying to conform to the expectations of others.  It all starts with surrender.

Mary gave into total surrender as God told her that she would bear a son out of wedlock: “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.”  What did she get in return besides a beautiful baby boy?  She birthed the Son of God!  She knew intimately, like no other, God as He grew and changed and became a man.  But her journey also included betrayal, rejection, being misunderstood, etc… She held firm and her journey’s end was a glorious forever kingdom with her God and her Son!

What does it mean that Jesus is Lord?  The term “lord” is used for one who is in control and has authority over another.  To say that Jesus is Lord, is saying that you have surrender all (or some) areas of your life to His authority.  You have surrendered or yielded up your right to be in charge over that area of your life.  Surrendering, for most of us, is a process.  It requires many trips back to the cross to let go of things as God brings them to light in our lives. 

What type of things might we need to surrender?  Our money, our control over our spouse or children, our time, our dreams, our expectations, our body image, our status as married or single, our rights to earthly gain, our desires, the hurts of our past, our personality, our pride, our conversation, etc….  The good news is that as we let go and let God take over each of these areas, He has a plan and it is good.  The letting go is the hard part.  It is the circumcision of the heart.  It is surgery, the prying of our hands off of that which we want to hold onto.  Once we recognize the area that God tells us that we must let go of, then we must trust at a very deep level, that God is Who He says He is and that He will do what He says He will do.  We have to trust that He loves us and will give us the best.  Boy!  This is hard!  But oh, the relief and joy when we don’t have to carry those burdens and responsibilities any more!

 I began to surrender my life to Jesus as Lord when I became a Christian, but I didn’t have a clue what that really meant.  There are different times in my life when I look back and see that God called me to let go of different things.  Letting go of my right to correct and control my husband was one of the first!  Then as each child came along, I had to give them up to God to form them in His image uniquely for Him.  This included a back brace for one, broken relationships for some, rebellion for another.  But God was in control, not me.  Sure, I stayed on my knees for each one of them, but the responsibility for them was God’s.  I had to let go of anger and forgive.  This took extra counseling as I was too hurt in some areas to do this myself.  I had to give up praying for a healing of my very broken back (spina bifida).

What did I get in return?  Freedom!  Hope!  Joy!  Rest!  God has worked in my life and my husband’s life and we have an amazing relationship.  My kids are the joy of my life as they and their wives are living out their dreams and lives before God.  The past no longer has a hold on me and I am free to move forward knowing that god loves me just because I am His!  And, even though there is pain every single day, god gives me the grace to move through life praising Him and He is right beside me every step of the way!

 

 

Free from shame

“You know my reproach and my shame and my dishonor…” Psalm 69:19
“In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge;
Let me never be ashamed.
In Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me
Incline Your ear to me and save me.
Be to me a rock of habitation to which I may continually come;
You have given commandment to save me,
For You are my rock and my fortress.”
Psalm 71:1-2

Shame is born out of our old nature, the flesh.  When you asked Jesus to come and save you, to live within you and to be the ruler of your life, you were born again.  “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold new thing have come.”

2 Corinthians 5:17  So shame for any action that you took before you were born again, you are no longer held responsible for.  They are forgiven, you are declared clean through the blood of Jesus.  If you have shame for things that happened after you were a new creation, then you confess, repent, and rest in Jesus. 

Christians who live in shame are believing a lie from Satan.  He speaks in first person, “I’m no good.”  I am unlovable”,  “ I am so stupid”, etc…  It is Satan throwing your past in your face.  You have a choice to wallow in that shame and regret, or to claim who you ar in Christ!  You are a princess, you are the apple of God’s eye, you are holy, clean. Loved, complete, etc… in Christ Jesus.  The past is simply that – the past.  The only way that it can have power over you is if you allow it to.  You can say to yourself, “That whas then, this is now.”  Tell Satan to flee.  “Submit therefore to God .  Resist the devil.  And he will flee from you.  Draw near to god and He will draw near to you….” James 4:7

Shame has no place in the Christian life unless the Holy Spirit is convicting you to confess and repent.  Be quick to repent and then turn again to God.  He loves you.  He is your Papa!

I encourage you to go through the New Testament and make a chart of the characteristics of the Old Nature and of the new Nature.  One is death, the other life.  Claim who God says that you are and stand firm.

Free from Fear

At the cross we obtained freedom from the fear of death.

“Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood,

He Himself likewise also partook of the same,
that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is the devil,
and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives”.
Hebrews 2:14-15

The victory is not to come, but is already ours!  Jesus fought the final battle and the war has been decided!  We win!!!  Satan’s punishment has not been meted out as yet, and we are still subject to his lies and oppression, but know dear brothers and sisiters of mine, that he cannot possess you and you can know victory if you walk according to the spirit and not according to the flesh. 

Fear need have no power over Christians.  If Jesus took away the very fear of death and you believe that He has, then I bet that He can handle anything else that this life can throw at us.  God was in charge when you were born without your help!  He gently led you to the cross and He cares for you still.  If He is Lord of your life, then you can trust that He Is who He says He is and that He will do what He says He will do!  Jesus is still the answer.  We need not fear the circumstances of this life because God allows them to mold us ad make us more like Him so that we will be suited for the heavenly kingdom and the work that God has there for us.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

Fear is not of God.  Don’t let that temptation lead you to sin.  Take every thought of fear captive, lay all things at the feet of Jesus, and trust and rest and wait to see what God will do.  He does not always change our circumstances, but He promises peace in the midst.  And an eternal reward and purpose.

God is good!