Guest Blogger Walter Aiken: The Myth-Understanding

Once upon a time, in a place far away, a story was told.  It wasn’t just any story, not folklore, certainly not imaginary, but a factual account based upon historical events.  Then that story was retold.  Then it was told again, and again, and again.  In Portuguese, there’s a saying that “one who tells one, adds one,” meaning that we all tend to slightly alter stories, rarely intentionally, in the retelling.  

Oops, it happens.

Aesop gave us fables, Puccini composed operas, Robert Frost wrote poetry and I write E-quippers.  With this one, I’m inviting you to think with me on some thoughts that I’ve been pondering for quite a while.

Jesus said, “You do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.” (Matt.22:29)  Mistakes are made when we have “miss takes” on factual evidence.  Beginning with an erroneous premise leads to false conclusions.  Sadly, when flimsy “think-ology” replaces Biblical theology, people are “tossed to and fro, carried about by every wind of doctrine” (Eph.4:14)  

Our roots MUST keep going deep and deeper into God’s Word if we’re to have any expectation of growing deep and deeper in knowing Him.

HOWEVER, there are a few glaring “myth-understandings” of His Word that have crept in among us.  (Let me strongly affirm, avow, declare and emphasize with all confidence that I KNOW God’s Word stands forever!  Not a shadow of doubt, nary even a wisp, about the infallibility of The Bible as given to us by our Savior and Lord.  Questioning a translation, by no means, means i’m questioning Him.)

How many think that young David, the shepherd, killed Goliath, the Philistine giant, with a sling and a stone?  We’ve heard the story time and again, from Sunday school, to VBS, even from preachers in their pulpits and some actually believe it.  (Don’t think I doubt the true account.)  

David DID slay Goliath, just not as some imagine.  If we stop at I Samuel 17:50, then we haven’t read the whole story.  In 17:51, David took Goliath’s sword from its sheath, “slew him, and cut off his head therewith.”  Yes, he “got stoned” but then lost his life by the very weapon he’d planned to use against the Israelites!  JUSTICE.

How many times have we heard of Jonah and the whale?  Innumerable!  The whale encounter happened to Captain Ahab (not in The Bible) resulting in a less than desirable ending.  Jonah was swallowed by a FISH.  

I studied over 50 English versions of Matthew 12:40, finding “fish” (29 times); “whale” (14); “sea monster” (10); “animal” or “creature” (once per).  BUT in Job 1:17, all these 50-plus versions used “fish” to translate the Hebrew word “dag”.  How easily misinterpretations lead to a myth-understanding.

Jonah is factual, actual, historical and the events occurred exactly as God has declared.  Jonah was called to be a missionary.  He attempted to outrun God’s presence.  No soul can escape an OMNIPRESENT Creator.  

The heart of the story of Jonah is not about a fish.  The heart of the story is about God’s heart for lost people who need to hear His message of forgiveness and redemption.  

Another “myth-understanding” – How many believe that we’re saved by faith?  (Please don’t stop reading just yet.) Yes, we are saved in Christ!  And, indeed, “without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God.” (Hebr.11:6)  Good works don’t bring us to faith, yet faith must result in good works. (James 2)  

The Bible’s clear. We’re saved by GRACE (Eph. 2:8).  Saved by Jesus’ gracious sacrifice on the Cross.  When we emphasize we’re saved by faith, then that faith waivers, some imagine that we can lose our salvation.  But we have an incorruptible inheritance, undefiled, never fading, reserved in Heaven, KEPT by the power of God. (I Peter 1:4,5)  Let us not “myth” the truth that our salvation is thru God’s love!

Sometimes we meet folks who “myth-understand” the Great Commission, thinking that Jesus’ words, “Go ye, therefore” are akin to a drill sergeant barking, “A-ten-hut! Forward! March!”  The verbs “going, baptizing, teaching” are present, active, indicative.  To “make disciples” is the imperative.  

“Therefore” refers to the “before” (in 28:18) “ALL authority” is Mine, both in Heaven and on earth.  We understand better when we hear Jesus saying, “Therefore, going . . .”  We’re called to evangelize along the way, wherever we might be.  

Our CO-mission is the mission of making disciples.  Crossing foreign borders doesn’t turn a Christian into a missionary, yet missionaries feel driven to cross borders.  

The commission is NOT just for some, not even for most, it’s for ALL of the redeemed.

How many believe that Saul, going to Damascus, intent on murdering disciples of Jesus, “fell off his horse” when confronted by the Lord?  Okay, read Acts 9:3-9 and find me the animal.  The Bible affirms that Saul fell to the ground, got up from the ground and was led by the hand into the city.  BUT there aren’t any horses!  Even one of my seminary students wrote, “We, like Saul, must fall off our horse for God to get our attention.”  Some folks ride high horses, but I don’t think that’s what is meant here?!

When “tradition” is met by “Truth” we find ourselves in a dilemma of (1) rethink our traditions or (2) rewrite the truth.  The latter option leads only to more “myth-understandings”.  Thus my encouragement is re-read, re-think, re-consider these things.

Thanks especially for reading these thoughts up to this point.  Please understand that my aim was for us to look at familiar stories from their BIBLICAL basis.  It was never my intention to offend, never to cause any doubts about my steadfast confidence in the faithfulness of our Lord.  As Job said, so I affirm that “i KNOW that my Redeemer lives!”  The Lamb of God who offered His life for our salvation is The Lion of Judah who lives and reigns forevermore.  Let us know Him and make Him known, ALWAYS!

“The world passes away, and its lusts, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (I Jn.2:17)

Soli Deo Gloria,

Walter

(The above was excerpted from Walter Akin's newsletter, THE E-QUIPPER 58 – Such a Myth-Understanding! – July 2017. Walter is a Global Outreach in Brazil. You can read more about his ministry with this link: Walter Aiken)

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lease like and share if this blog post has touched your heart. It extends our digital reach in significant ways. Thank you.

In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: Ministry to the Minister

If you feel led to partner with this ministry (US, Middle East, the digital world), here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

Or you can mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line

How Annabelle Became Andy and the Importance of Truth

When my niece, Katie, arrived at dusk with my new pig in a crate, we hauled the crate to the stall and opened the door. New Pig was a little hesitant about the strange surroundings and refused to come out without encouragement. We cajoled and made promises of nice piggy-treats to come. No movement. Finally, we tilted the crate over and forced her out. 

"She's gonna be so happy here," Katie assured me.

"I love this spotted pig already," I announced. "I'm naming her Annabelle." We all agreed it was a great name. We checked the newly-made automatic waterer and feeder and headed back to the house. 

Katie has dealt with farm animals all her life. I assumed she'd checked the gender, so I didn't. She hadn't. 

Annabelle had been here for nearly forty-eight hours when an observant friend said words I didn't want to hear. "I hate to tell you this, but Annabelle's not female."

I looked at Katie. "I thought you said this pig was a girl."

She shrugged. "You're a doctor. Can't you tell?"

I hadn't even bothered  to look. I had assumed that what Katie said about the pig was true.

There are many directions I could go with this, but I'm skipping the obvious and considering the importance of checking facts for ourselves. I believed what was said about the pig. I never once considered verifying what I'd heard.  

For two days, I responded on the basis of the faulty information I believed. It didn't make any difference to the pig, of course. When we embrace faulty information about our fellow humans, however, it can make a bigger difference than we intend.

Rumors can spread like wildfire, taking a few twists along the way. By the time the rumor reaches our ears, what we hear can be so far from truth as to be laughable. 

When we respond on the basis of rumors and innuendo, we risk marking someone with the paintbrush of lies, some of which are worse than indelible ink. The stain they leave behind lasts for years.

What's even worse is to believe false rumors about God. "God wants us to be happy." "He wants us to prosper." "Name it and claim it and it will be yours." "God loves you too much to allow you to be unhappy." Those words all sound good, but they aren't true. We need look no further than the life of Jesus to be sure.

God wants us to be content, holy, righteous. He won't waste suffering, but will use it to make us more like Him. These truths, straight from Scripture, paint a vastly different picture of God and the disciple-life than does the prosperity gospel.

We serve a God who loves us and helps us through the mess sin has made of the world. That's our truth.

Annabelle isn't female. That changes his future, and mine, in ways we'll discuss later. 

Truth will do that. It sets us free, but only if we know it and we let it.

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32 niv 

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Please like and share if this blog post has touched your heart. It extends our digital reach in significant ways. Thank you.

In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: When It's Time to Leave the Snake-Life Behind

If you feel led to partner with this ministry (US, Jordan, the digital world), here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

Or you can mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line.

Living Like We Were Worth It

My son, Ryan, is the most precious human in my life. Every drop of blood, every millimeter of sinew in his body is precious to me. If there were something I could do to keep him safe, I'd do it. I'd lay down my life for him. 

There's no one on earth for whom I'd lay HIS life down, however. 

What I can't comprehend is that God loved us enough to allow His Son to die for us. I don't think we're worth it, but God did.

Ponder that truth for a moment. 

God thought we, a band of sinners, were worth saving, worth the blood and suffering of His Son.

If that doesn't fill you with wonder, read it again.

Peter, writing to the church dispersed abroad, said wise words about this very topic:

"And if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each man's work, conduct yourself in fear during the time of your stay upon earth knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ." 1 Peter 1:17-19 nasb

It cost God more than any of us would be willing to pay to purchase us out of our sin-slavery. We should remember that as we go about our lives, and live accordingly. 

God bought us with the blood of His Son. 

This truth should be burned into our souls so that it's never far from our consciousness. It should inform both our words and actions. Before we speak (or write), we need to consider, "Did Christ die so that I can communicate in this way? Did God give His Son for me to do this? Does it honor Him?" 

If not, then don't do it.

It's that simple.

We were bought with a price. We are to glorify God in all that we do. All that we say. All that we think. 

Christ didn't die for us to live like the world. He died to set us free from the sin of this world. Today, let's let the truth of Christ's sacrifice set the tone for our every word and deed. Let's live as if we were worth it. 

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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: The Simple Truth of How Healing Begins

If you'd like to help support this ministry outreach, here's the link to give: Global Outreach Acct 4841

#truth #Jesus

When the Light of God's Truth Shines on the Darkness in My Own Heart

I read through John 3 several times. It just wasn't sticking this morning. "Lord, what is wrong with me? I can't focus. This passage isn't speaking to me at all. It's the very words of Jesus. I should love this."

I read it again.

Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus. (Leanna paraphrase here) "It's the ones who don't believe Me who will be judged. Now, let me explain about the judgment. I brought the light of God to the world, but men love darkness instead of light."

All we have to do is look around us and that's obvious. We (as a world) love the things of darkness more than we love the light of God. 

The reason for that, Jesus said, is that the light of God shines on our evil deeds and exposes them for what they are. I can agree with that, especially when it applies to someone else. 

The very next thing Jesus said caused an alarm to go off in my brain. "He who practices truth comes to the light." 

If Jesus is the truth, and Scripture tells us that He is, doing what He said to do brings us closer to Him. 

Obedience moves us toward Christ. Rebellion moves us further away.

I read that and thought, "I feel far away from you this morning, Lord."

Rebellion move us father away from Jesus. Those words began to echo in my heart. Then, I knew. 

"Okay, Lord. Where have I not obeyed?"

He shined light directly on my sin. It was an ouch moment. I have an acquaintance who's moody. I never know what response to expect. Friendly and cheerful or grumpy and snappish. 

I find the unpredictability very unpleasant, and I had begun to grumble to the Lord about it. That grumbling had led me to embrace a judgmental, critical spirit.

A judgmental, critical spirit will spread through your heart like wildfire, and the spreading had already begun. I was on the brink of being a grumpy, complaining, critical person myself. If the truth be told, I was already there in my heart, and it was alienating me from Christ.

I sighed and apologized to the Lord, then asked for forgiveness. Most days, I wonder if I'll ever learn to act like Jesus consistently. "What now, Lord?"

"Love your neighbor as yourself."

In this situation, loving my neighbor as myself begins when I quit complaining to the Lord about the moodiness and stop rehearsing the offenses in my mind. 

It means that I overlook the behavior and look for the pain behind it. 

That I'm kind in the face of unkindness. 

Loving in the face of rejection. 

Patient in the face of impatience.

The light of God shone on the darkness in my own heart, and showed me the very sin that had pushed me farther away from my Lord. Repentance brought me closer.

It's not obedience that's caused the distance between us and God. It's the darkness in our hearts. 

Maybe you, too, feel far away from God. Today, let's take a step closer to our Lord by asking Him to shine His light of truth in our hearts and show us the sin that needs to go. 

When He does, let's not waste time by justifying our sin. Let's just agree with God, ask for forgiveness, and choose light instead of darkness. Truth instead of lies. Christ instead of the world.

Want to move closer to God? Repent and obey.

"He who practices truth comes to the light..." John 3:21 nasb
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In case you missed the story of Sam's project, here's the link: Sam's Project: Rubber Boots for Barefoot Rwandan Children
If you'd like to give to help buy boots for the barefoot school children of Rwandan, you can go directly to the project page here: Help Sam's Kids. 

In case you missed yesterday's post, here's the link: Beautiful and Broken
#sin #truth 

Typos, Miscommunication, and the Doc that was a Dog:

Sam met me at the mailbox as I returned home yesterday. "I've got bad news for you. My dog has started killing your chickens."

"Are you sure? How did that happen?"

"He followed me over to the barn, saw the chickens, and took out running."

"Are you sure? Did you see him with a chicken?"

"No, but I bet he killed one."

"Did you see a dead chicken?"

"No, but I thought he was probably gonna kill one."

I didn't think we should credit the dog with the kill unless we were missing chickens, but Sam was worried. All the chickens were out, so Sam went to the barn and closed the door to the chicken house. I was a few minutes behind him, on my way to fill the feeder and put out fresh water.

"Sam, did you close the door to the chicken house?"

"Yeah. I didn't want the dog to get any more chickens."

"But the chickens are outside. They aren't in the chicken house."

"Them roosters was in there."

I didn't argue. I just sighed, opened the door to the chicken house, and waited for the chickens to go back inside. At dusk, I went back to the barn. I don't know what happened to them for sure, but two chickens were missing.

I texted Ryan (my son). "Looks like Sam's dog killed two of my chickens."

A little while later, Ryan replied. "His doctor killed a chicken? That is so crazy!" He waited a few seconds and replied again. "Is that true?"

Ryan's reply shocked me until I realized that there was a little typo in my text. I thought I had written "dog" but I had typed "doc". I laughed out loud.

Communication is a beautiful experience, until it's confused by miscommunication. One little c in the place of a g made a vast difference in what I meant to say.

In a world that's filled with confusion and misunderstanding, there's one place where clarity and understanding are still available. God's word. Truth, love, and grace reside in the pages of our Bibles. If we want to know what God says, we need look no further than Scripture. 

Today, let's take our questions to the One who has answers. Clear, sensible answers. Let's open our Bibles and study to understand what God wants us to know.

"Thy Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path." Psalm 119:105 esv
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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: The House of God in Us
Here's the link to the prayer guide: The Prayer List

Here's the link to my Global Outreach page (where you can support this ministry as God leads): Leanna Hollis MD
#truth

Do We Want to Feel Better or Be Better?

In case you've ever wondered, wailing is not my favorite. Lamentations, a book of wailing, is not my favorite, either. It's mighty glum reading. 

Lamentations was read annually by the Jews to remind them of the fall of Jerusalem and their captivity in Babylon. 

It begins with a heart-wrenching personification of Jerusalem. She sits, weeps, grieves, and is comfortless. 

Judah gets a turn, as well. In exile. No rest. Overwhelmed. Mourning. Bitter. Hungry. Even the roads in Zion mourned. It's not a pretty picture. (Lam.1:4)

Lamentations 1 calls repeatedly for God to take note of their situation. "See, O, Lord..." It goes on to say, "See if there is any pain like my pain..." No one, the writer believed, had ever had it worse, and it was all God's fault. (Not in so many words, but the intent is clear...)

Three times in the first chapter, the writer said he wept because "there is no one to comfort me."

There's genuine sorrow over their circumstances, but there does not appear to be sorrow over their sin. It brings to mind a line from Gone With the Wind... (The Leanna Paraphrase coming up.) They were not at all sorry they had sinned, but they were very, very sorry God had called them to account.

What the people wanted was not cleansing from sin, but comfort in the midst of their sin. They didn't want to change. They wanted to feel better about business as usual.

I'm afraid that sometimes describes me, as well. Eager for relief. Not so eager for change. What about you?

If we want comfort in the midst of our divine discipline, we need to do more than whine and wail. We need to repent and turn from our sin. In fact, it's the best way to prevent a stint of divine discipline. 

God's not in the business of making us feel better. His agenda is always for us to BE better. 

"For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." Hosea 6:6 esv

Today, let's ask ourselves one very important question. Do we want to feel better or be better? If we only want to feel better, we will never please God. If we want to be more like Christ, our Lord is happy to help us along that path, and He will. 

There's a choice to be made. Let's choose wisely.

"And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His image with every-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18 niv
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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: What About Me?

Here's the link to the prayer guide: The Prayer List 
Here's the link to my Global Outreach page: Leanna Hollis MD
#Christian #DailyDevotional

Truth that Matters: God sees

Job's friends meant well, I suppose, but their "encouraging words" were anything but encouraging. Even worse, they had just enough truth in their soliloquies to make them dangerous. 

Eliphaz claimed that clouds are a hiding place for God. The clouds, he believed, hid The Almighty and prevented Him from seeing us. 

Job was not convinced.

For Job, being in the midst of his suffering was like being trapped in a dense fog. 

No matter which way he turned, Job could not see the hand of God. In the midst of his pain and sorrow, he felt separated from God and alone in his suffering.

Job understood, however, that his feelings and his reality were not the same. 

Job knew that His Redeemer lives and he knew that His Redeemer sees. 

"He knows the way I take..." Job 23:10 nasb

God had not lost track of Job. Suffering and grief had not obscured God's vision. Job's response to his suffering and grief had not cut him off from God. He was not alone.

God sees.

Just as Hagar found, when she was sent away into the desert and separated from all she knew, God was there. He saw her and met her, right where she was. She understood, at last, that Jehovah is the God who sees.

El Roi

We, too, can easily feel separated from God by circumstances or by sin. It's common to feel isolated in our suffering, but we are not. 

We serve a God who sees us, no matter where we are, no matter how far away from Him we roam.

We may be controlled by our feelings, but God is not. He is. He sees. He lives. Whether our feelings tell us so, or not.

Take heart, then, in the truth that God sees us in our suffering and distress, regardless of how we feel. He sees and He is nearer than we realize.

He is here. 

We are not alone.

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photo courtesy freeimages.com

In case you missed one of this week's posts, here are the links:  A Matter of Perspective, Living in Goshen: God's Best, Embracing Our Personal Gethsemane, What is the Point of Suffering: Extracting the Precious, Mamie and the Ink Stain, The Blizzard That Was Not, and The Truth That Matters Most: My Redeemer Lives.

Be sure to check out my new Amazon Author Page.

#Job #Godsees #truth #ChronologicalBible #Christian #faith

The Truth That Matters Most: My Redeemer Lives

Poor Job.

That's what I always think when I read the book of Job. He had so many things wrong. His friends had so many things wrong. 

Job thought God had caused his suffering. It was true that God allowed Job's suffering, but He neither initiated it nor caused it. 

Job's friends thought secret sin was the root of Job's problems. They were wrong, too.

Today, I came to that pivotal passage where Job correctly stated the one thing on which he had staked his life and his sanity.

"And as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,

And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.

Even after my skin is destroyed, 

Yet from my flesh I shall see God."

        Job 19:25-26 nasb

Job had this truth right, and it was the one truth that mattered the most. 

He knew without a single doubt that His God lived and would, in the end, be victorious over every foe. 

Job knew that his faith in the Holy One was not in vain. 

Job's faith was, ultimately, the most important possession he had. His faith was not dependent upon prosperity or loss, health or sickness, welfare or calamity. His faith was anchored in unshakable truth and nothing his misguided friends said could shake him.

Nicole C. Mullen wrote a song that expresses this beautifully. I thought you might enjoy hearing her version of My Redeemer Lives today, so click on the the link to listen to her "official video". (It opens in a new tab. You'll have to listen to a few seconds of an ad.) I've excerpted part of the lyrics below. 

Who taught the sun where to stand in the morning?
And who told the ocean you can only come this far?

And who showed the moon where to hide til evening?

Whose words alone can catch a falling star?

Chorus:

Well I know my Redeemers lives

I know my Redeemer lives

All of creation testifies

 This life within my cries

I know my Redeemer lives

Yeah

The very same God that spins things in orbit

Runs to the weary, the worn and the weak

And the same gentle hands that hold me when I'm broken

They conquered death to bring me victory...

                                 From My Redeemer Lives by Nicole C. Mullen 

We, too, can live with the same certainty Job had if we place our trust in the One who set the stars in the sky and put the earth in orbit. He knit us together in our mothers' wombs. He knows every one of the hairs of our head and every second of our lives. 

Our Redeemer lives and will, one day, take His stand on this earth. 

Every knee will bend. 

Every head will bow. 

He knows His own and they are never forgotten.

He will return for His church. 

He will return for you, so put your trust, your hope, your live in the hands of the One who holds everything in His loving, no-slip grip.

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In case you missed one of this week's posts, here are the links:   The Sermon Without Words,  A Matter of Perspective, Living in Goshen: God's Best, Embracing Our Personal Gethsemane, What is the Point of Suffering: Extracting the Precious, Mamie and the Ink Stain, and The Blizzard That Was Not.

Be sure to check out my new Amazon Author Page.
#Job #myredeemerlives #truth #ChronologicalBible #Christian #faith

Praying for Peace

I wanted to write a "touching story" today. A Maggie story or a farm life story. I long for a dose of fun, easy brain candy. Today, however, is not one of those days. I promise I will write something fun this week, so please don't abandon me.

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As I was pondering what to write this morning, I decided to check the news, just in case something immense had happened.

Something immense has happened. 

France has launched fresh airstrikes against ISIS in retaliation for the Paris attacks and acknowledged that they are at war. Russia has launched airstrikes against ISIS in retaliation for the bomb that brought down their Russian airliner. Israel has called for Arab nations to join with them to defeat ISIS. The Pentagon is calling for a "global coalition" to defeat ISIS. 

It has started. 

I fear that World War III, though yet unacknowledged, has begun. 

This enemy must be defeated, but I am frightened by how the coming months and years will go. I've read Ernie Pyle's book, Brave Men. This daring war correspondent climbed into foxholes with our soldiers, ate the rations they ate, slept on the ground as they slept, went unwashed as our soldiers did. He experienced war first-hand and described the conditions of war in clear terms. It's horrible. 

I'm not sure we, in this country, understand war enough to fear it. Those who have had war in their streets, occupation forces in their cities, bombs falling on their homes understand war in a deep way, and they fear it. They run from it. 

This time, ISIS has vowed to bring war to our streets, occupation forces to our cities, destruction to our homes. When they are finished, we, too, will understand war and evil enough to fear it at the core of our being.

Since ISIS took over Fallujah in January 2014, their progress has been relentless. Their gains have been immense. I reviewed the timeline of WWII this morning, as well as a timeline of ISIS activity. The similarities between the rise of the Nazi's and the rise of ISIS are frighteningly similar, as is the pull into world war. 

If you haven't reviewed those facts lately, I encourage you to do so. My intent is not to create fear but to create an understand of the immense need for repentance, humility, and prayer.

God is still in control.  

He was in control before ISIS was formed. He will still be in control after ISIS has been annihilated.

Is there nothing we can do to protect ourselves? Yes. There's plenty we can do, and no political platform is required. Here's three steps you and I, from the comfort of our homes, can take to help end the tyranny.

There is great freedom in truth, so seek it. 

In fact, it was Jesus who said, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." (Of course, He was speaking of the truth of the gospel, but there is freedom in truth. John 8:32) I encourage you to learn the truth about current political events. Don't go to "opinion" blogs or news sites. Search for unbiased truth and unvarnished facts.  

There is great power in repentance and prayer, so do it. 

2 Chronicles 7:14 offers a promise for those who will sacrifice to obtain forgiveness and healing. "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

There is great protection in righteousness, so hunger and thirst for it. 

Psalm 9:9-10 promises a stronghold for those who put their trust in God. "The Lord also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble; and those who know Your name will put their trust in You, for You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You."

There is no need to fear, for God is still in control, but there is a need to act with humility, repentance, and prayer.

Today, let us pray for ourselves, to be the kind of disciples Christ intended us to be, to be the salt and light that adds the flavor of Christ and brings the light of His Spirit into a dark and perishing world. 

Pray for us as a nation and for our world. Pray that the reign of the evil one will come to an end. Pray that, as a nation, we will seek God's face, his forgiveness, his healing and, in so doing, lead the world in repentance and healing.

Pray for peace.
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Photo courtesy of freeimages.com
In case you missed any of the past week's posts, here are the links: Loss of Power, Grateful Heart: Veterans, Grateful Heart: Laughter and Grateful Heart: Worldwide Kindness,  Remembering Paris,  Persevering for Paris, and Resisting Evil.

The most viewed post of the last week was Remembering Paris
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#Prayers4Peace #ISIS #disciple #JesusChrist #saltandlight