Pray for the Healing of our Lands and Waters

There is still a hole in the Earth, crude oil is still spewing from it and there is still, excruciatingly, no end in sight. --- Today's Headline; May 30, 2010. 

In the past, several days the Lord has crush my soul with concern over the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Although I live on the Pacific coast, my heart is broken over what is happening to our beautiful earth. My heart is broken for the people of the coast and the pristine coastlands and marshlands that will never be the same. 

I have been praying for the well to be capped and yet it remains flowing at this very hour. As I talked with Jesus about this disaster, I imagined what he is seeing from His view in heaven. The pictures grieve my spirit. 

   

Today, I am leaving our topic of marriage and I implore to pray. If you stopped by here today, it wasn't by chance. There is a battle raging for our beautiful planet, the amazing earth God gave us to steward. We need to pray as a people for the Lord, Almighty to move now and seal that well. We must pray for the protection of the animals the fish and the people who are living in the wake of this disaster. 

Please take one minute and pray. Pray these words aloud and implore our Lord to turn this terrible disaster, which we created away from us. 

Be blessed, Lynn 

 Lord God, Our Father In Heaven

We as a people, who are called by your name, we humble ourselves and pray seeking your face. Lord, we pray this nation, this world will turn from our wicked ways and we know you will hear us from heaven and will forgive our sin and will heal our land and waters. Lord, we are clueless about the repercussions that we will endure in the years ahead. Our children's children will be dealing with this mess and it will affect our entire world. 

We grieve over the animals in harm's way and the livelihoods that are lost. We pray your hand of mercy to stretch out and cover with both protection and provision. Lord, show us in the days ahead exactly how to pray and what we are to do that will bring about the capping of the well and an end to the flow. 

Jesus, out of this great disaster reveal to us clearly what you want us to learn. Keep mankind from ever letting this happen in the future. Finally, may the entire world see your hand in our rescue and may your name be honored above all else. 

We love you Lord. In Jesus name. Amen.

Weekend Devo — Memorial Day: Remember the Spouses Who Hold Down the Fort

Whether you agree with why our troops are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as other parts of the world, let’s take a moment and pray for these brave men and women serving our country in often brutal conditions. They are answering the call and being obedient, even if they don’t completely understand why. They are an example of obedience even when it’s difficult.

Let’s also remember the ones at home, keeping the family together, taking care of children and parents while their spouse is in dangerous areas. They not only have the stress and worry of their loved one’s safety on their hearts, but the often overwhelming responsibility of taking care of what normally two people would do. They work hard to make the home a peaceful place so as not to add additional worry to their beloved soldiers and to give these men and women in service the reassurance that they will have something precious to come home to. That despite the distance and trials, they are still loved and missed.

According to an article on Veteranstoday.com, thirty percent of U.S. troops returning from the Iraq war have developed stress-related mental health problems three to four months after coming home.

Marriage is difficult enough without extenuating circumstances. Adding in time of war along with being spiritually mismatched add even more stress and trial to the marriage. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is being diagnosed more and more, thankfully, but these soldiers and families need our prayers.

Do you know someone whose husband or wife is oversees, serving in dangerous areas? If so, reach out and thank them this weekend for serving their country, too. Offer to pray for them and their marriage, support them, and if you can, ask how you can help them as they wait for their loved one to return home safely.

These brave men and women deserve our respect, our thanks, and our prayers.
Praying and believing,
Dineen

*Special thanks to author Ronie Kendig for her list of resources on her Discarded Heroes website.

Friendship with a Jealous God

For thou shalt worship no other god: 

 for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. 

Exodus 34:14 

Names mean something, especially in the Kingdom of God. As you read through God’s Word, notice how often we are told the meaning behind the different names people give to their children. God even tells the parents in some instances what they are to name their children. And in some cases He changes a person’s name to represent something significant in their lives. Abram meant “high father” in Hebrew, but when God made a covenant with Abram and promised him to be the father of many nations, He changed his name to Abraham which means “father of many.” Jacob meant “supplanter” however later in his life when he wrestled all night with the angel of the Lord in order to receive a blessing, the Lord changed his name to Israel which means “God contended” or “he struggles with God”. 

I have a bookmark that I use frequently which lists the different names of God and what they mean. The names of God are important because they reveal to us His Character. Anything in this world that is good, is good because it is consistent with His Nature and Character. Anything that is evil or wrong is so because it contradicts the very nature of God. 

 One name of God that I’ve discovered recently though is not listed on my bookmark – El Qanna. That is the word used in Exodus 34:14. God is telling us not only is He a jealous God, but His very name means Jealous. This posed a problem for me the first time I put much thought into it. We’ve been taught that jealousy is wrong. In fact, further down in the Ten Commandments, which this verse is a part of, it specifically talks about coveting what is not yours – being jealous! So then how can one of God’s names (El Qanna) mean Jealous? How can He be named Jealous when jealousy is wrong and we know that anything that is wrong is so because it contradicts the very nature of God? 

As I pondered this question, prayed and studied Scriptures about God’s jealousy (and there are a lot of them!) I began to notice something - two little words that pointed to something huge – the words OF and FOR. When we think of jealousy, the jealousy that is “bad” we are referring to our being jealous OF something or someone. We are coveting what they have or what we perceive them as having. This type of jealousy leads only to hatred and bitterness. Even when it seems to be for something good, for example, when I see a couple praying together and I begin to feel jealous of what they have. Whether I mean to or not, bitterness begins to creep into my heart because I’ve perceived them as having something which I desire. This is not to say I can’t desire to pray with my husband one day as I see them doing, but if I am not careful the enemy will plant a seed of jealousy in my heart that will flower into bitterness and anger – towards them, towards my husband and even possibly towards God Himself. 

However, when God is described as being a jealous God, He is jealous FOR us. You may ask, what is the difference? Beloved, the difference is huge and it is critical. God is jealous for us and the relationship He has with us. When Scripture refers to God as a jealous God, it is talking about His Jealousy to remove anything that hinders the relationship for which He created us. God’s jealousy is a righteous jealousy that arises when sin threatens the covenant relationship we experience with our Creator. 

In all cases where Scripture describes God as being jealous if you look closely you will see this jealousy has arisen because sin of some shape or form has attempted to break the covenant relationship the Lord has with His people. 

One song which has a very strong meaning for me is Nicole C. Mullin’s “Call on Jesus”. The end of the chorus says: 

When I call on Jesus 

Mountains are gonna fall 

Cause He’ll move heaven and earth 

To come rescue me when I call 

This overwhelms me with emotion when I think of a love so great that Jesus would actually move heaven and earth to come rescue me. Think of the bond between a mother and a child and how women have been known to have superhuman strength to rescue their children when needed. God loves us even more than a mother’s love for her children. 

Now add to that a righteous jealousy that burns within His heart anytime something attempts to come between us. I for one am stunned by this. He would do absolutely anything necessary, even dying on the cross to defeat the sin that attempts to destroy the relationship we have with Him. Can you even begin to imagine the love that is behind this righteous jealousy? 

There is a battle going on all around us Beloved – a battle raging because of jealousy. The enemy was jealous OF man whom God loved and created in His own image. This jealousy consumed him until he was filled with anger and bitterness and in rebellion against God he became determined to destroy the very thing that God loved. God is jealous FOR us and will arise against anything the enemy in his anger and bitterness tries to use to tear apart that covenant relationship. The enemy’s jealousy is rooted in bitterness and anger. God’s jealousy is rooted in His righteous love for us, His creation. I am so very thankful to be friends with and loved by a righteous God who is jealous for me. 

As we begin to develop our friendship with God by beholding Him through his Word, worship, prayer, and confession we should also strive to be jealous – jealous for our friendship with God. We should develop a righteous jealousy which arises within us whenever sin threatens to harm that friendship. Beloved, let’s become a people who are jealous FOR our friendship with God.

Angela Smith

(Angela, Dineen and I adore you and thank you for adding your wisdom and love for Christ in this series. You always inspire us to see Jesus and His love in ever amazing ways. BIG hugs, Lynn)

Thankful Thursday

Let us give thanks. It is Thankful Thursday.

This month we are meeting with Laurie at Women Taking A Stand and then in June we will share our thanks over at Iris of Grace Alone. Back here in July.

Well my schedule has slowed a tiny bit and this past week I was able to spend some time in my garden. Wow, things are growing. It is a delight for me to walk through it everyday and watch as God's creation changes before my eyes.

I am thankful for my garden. lettuce, red potatoes, gold potatoes, corn, zucchini, pumpkins, peppers (all sorts) tomatoes (yum, salsa), herbs, sunflowers (seeds). All of it in a small patch of earth. Yipee!

  

Romaine (above) and tomato blossoms. 

 

Corn... It's looking like it will be knee high by 4th of July. (who made this saying up anyway????)

Oh, and that is Doo Doo below in the last photo. He's a hoot! He guards my potatoes. Not doing a very good job of it either as the horn worms are having a field day.

Happy TT. What are you giving thanks for this week? Be blessed, Lynn

Show Me Your Glory, Lord

As we’ve explored our theme Friendship with God this month, I keep hearing God’s quiet voice saying, “Seek me above all else.”

Then that great Third Day song, asking God to “show me your glory” has gone through my head nonstop.

Show me your glory, Lord.

Moses asked God to show him His glory is Exodus 33. So great was God’s glory that Moses was only able to see God’s back as He passed over the cleft Moses hid in with God’s hand over him for protection. To see more would have meant death.

Yet Moses asked. He wanted more than just a pleasant relationship with God. He wanted to KNOW God.

When we ask God to show us His glory, we’re asking Him to invite us into His presence in the most intimate of ways. Worship and confession are key parts to what enables us to be in His presence, but asking to see God’s glory comes from our deepest need and recognition that we can’t live without God. He is our center and driving force. He is our life and breath.

Show me your glory, Lord.

To want to know God is to desire nothing more. The more we learn, the more we hunger to know. We realize how very little we understand about this omniscient God who despite his vastness can be so personal and real.

The story of Moses’ request, and the examples of Abraham and David give a clear view of the relationship God desires to have with us despite our imperfections. His only requirement is that we seek Him with all our hearts. Not just to please Him but also out of His great desire that we know His true being, “I am.” Our desire to be known comes straight from God.

Show me your glory, Lord.

Seeking God and His glory isn’t about us. And yet it is. It starts as the smallest seed that bursts forth with the first taste of nourishment and hungers for more. We break through the soil of our sin and bask in the light our Creator, reaching upward in praise and desire to know the Source. Without His light, we wither and die. Within it, we flourish and become the most precious of flowers, designed to reflect His love and attention to detail.

In the presence of His glory we are flooded with pure joy and completeness that we are exactly where we’re meant to be. Then we are truly His. Then we are truly God’s friend.

Praying and believing,
Dineen

I Am THAT Woman

Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay. – unknown 

I am in an unequally yoked marriage because of sin.  

Most of you know my story. I married my atheist husband during a time of great rebellion against God. I knew better. Raised in a Christian home, I knew what the Bible said in 2 Corinthians 6:14. Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 

I walked away from the light. I thought I knew better than God what was best for my life. I lived in a dangerous and shadowy world of Las Vegas. In the darkness of clubbing and all matter of indulgence. 

I am THAT woman.

John 8:1-6 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

I stood bare before Him. He was well aware of the decision which brought me before Him. My self-justified choices. Decisions that hurt others. Bad decisions. Jesus listened as the accusations flew from those around me. Voices of my past. Hurtful words, I believed were true. 

The accuser arrived shouting:  

     Believing in God is for the weak.

     You are a coward.

     You are a fake Christian. 

     You can't do anything right.

     When will you grow up? 

     You'll never get it right. 

     Why can't you be more like........ 

     You are a cheater and a liar.

     You'll never be a great wife. 

As the shouts came so did my shame. The accusers paraded my sin before Christ in a mad effort to somehow make them feel better about themselves. I looked at Jesus as the accusers finished, "Now what do you say?" 

I hung my head and admitted my sin waiting for the death penalty, which surely would follow. "In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women." 

Time stood still and the universe shifted as Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 

I can't be sure but I think he was scribbling the names of my accusers. Fear, insecurity, loneliness, failed friendships, greed, idolatry, selfishness, wickedness, satan. 

In that moment, brilliant light flooded my heart. Jesus refused to hear the words of my accusers. Instead, He drew all the wrath and attention away from me and placed it upon Himself. 

As the accusers shouted louder, demanding my soul. Christ confronted them saying, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 

He scribbled the sins of the accusers in the dirt. Their lies exposed, they drifted away. 

Jesus straightened up and asked, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 

"No one, sir," 

"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin. 

I looked into the face of Jesus and saw unconditional love. 

In an instant, Jesus redeemed my past. Not a tear wasted. I stepped into a future filled with adventure and laughter. He birthed new dreams that far surpassed my feeble imaginings. He gave me a new heart. 

This is what Friendship With God is all about. 

I AM THAT WOMAN. That very blessed and thankful woman....

My friendship with Jesus is everything. 

Are the accusers shouting at you, heaping the lies upon your soul? Look into the face of our Jesus this very day and hear the words of truth. 

"I have loved you with an everlasting love; 

        I have drawn you with loving-kindness 

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, 

      "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." 

 Be blessed, Lynn

*This post, Inspired by Josh Clark. Sunridge Community Church 5/23/2010

Weekend Devo — Worship: Offerering Yourself to God

I'm finding some awesome devotionals that fit perfectly with our Friendship with God theme this month. Here's a great one from Rick Warren. Have a wonderful weekend and keep seeking Him!
Praying and believing,
Dineen

Worship: Offering Yourself to God
by Rick Warren

So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer.  — Romans 12:1-2 (TEV)

Offering yourself to God is what worship is all about.

This act of personal surrender is called many things: consecration, making Jesus Lord, taking up your cross, dying to self, yielding to the Spirit.

What matters is that you do it, not what you call it. God wants your life, all of it - 95 percent is not enough.

Our total surrender to God is blocked by several things, including:

• Our ignorance of God - not knowing what he's really like;
• Our sinful nature - the desire to be God ourselves; and
• Our misunderstanding of surrender and the trust that it requires.

Can We Trust God? Trust is an essential ingredient to surrender. We won't surrender to God unless we trust him, but we can't trust him until we know him better. Fear keeps us from surrendering, but love casts out all fear. The more you realize how much God loves you, the easier surrender becomes.

How do I know God loves me? He gives us many evidences:

• God says he loves you (Psalm 145:9);
• You're never out of his sight (Psalm 139:3);
• He cares about every detail of your life (Matthew 10:30);
• He gave you the capacity to enjoy all kinds of pleasure (1 Timothy 6:17b);
• He has good plans for your life (Jeremiah 29:11);
• He forgives you (Psalm 86:5);
• He's patient with you (Psalm 145:8);
• He sacrificed his Son for you (Romans 5:8).
• God loves you infinitely more than you can imagine.

Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. — Romans 12:1 (HCSB)

If you want to know how much you matter to God, look at Christ with his arms outstretched on the cross saying, "I love you this much! I'd rather die than live without you."

God is not a cruel slave driver or a bully who uses brute force to coerce us into submission. He doesn't try to break our will, but woos us to himself, so that we might offer it freely to him. God is a lover and a liberator, and surrendering brings freedom, not bondage.

When we completely surrender ourselves to Jesus, we discover that he is not a tyrant but a savior; not a boss, but a brother; not a dictator, but a friend.

Friendship with an All-Knowing God

In my first post for this series I mentioned that one of the keys to any friendship is not only knowing the other person, their character, desires and emotions, but also in revealing your own heart to them. Friendship with God is no different. In fact, in order to truly begin to understand Him and His emotions we must first open ourselves up to Him and allow Him to change us. This is done by pouring out our hearts to Him. However, you may wonder, if God is omniscient, why do we need to pour out our hearts to Him? He already knows our desires, emotions, and character. In fact, He probably knows our heart even better than we do, so why go through all the effort? Isn’t it redundant? 

To answer this I first want to go back to an example that Dineen gave on Tuesday. While talking about confession she used the example of our children. I would like to do the same. Young children are just beginning to discover the world around them, all the beauty and sometimes all the heartache. We already understand many of these things, but as they make new discoveries in this world they come to us with enthusiasm, wanting to tell us all about what they just learned. Not one of us would dream of saying to our children, “I already know that, I don’t want to hear about it.” Instead we listen with rapt attention, soaking in their joy and excitement while describing something to us that we already know. Their reaction actually renews a sense of wonder within us as we listen to them. 

If we love to hear our own children tell us about their discoveries and their dreams (no matter how outlandish), how much more joy do you think our Heavenly Father experiences when we come to Him with the same openness? 

In the same way, our heart goes out to our children when they come and share their fears and pain with us. We long to take them in our arms and comfort them. We are warmed that they trust us without thought to listen and take care of them when they are hurting. I loved Dineen’s post because I felt it truly went along with what the Lord was putting on my heart to write about today. She spoke of confession and how coming to the Lord to confess our sins actually frees us and allows God to show us things in our lives and hearts we may not have seen otherwise. 

Beloved, this is the same for all areas and emotions in your life. Not only the sins that burden your life, but all the hurt and pain, the anger and bitterness and even the joys you experience. Even when these emotions are directed at God, we should be sharing them with Him. 

I know of individuals who are very angry at God for things that have happened in their lives, but because they see Him as their Sovereign Lord they will not share these feelings with Him. They believe it would be a great sin to admit to the Lord that they are angry with Him. After all, He is God! 

What they miss is the fact that God knows their heart, He already knows they are angry with Him. It is true that their anger is misplaced because God can never do anything to truly justify our anger. Our anger always comes from misunderstanding what God is working to accomplish in our lives. We miss the big picture so often and it is usually because we’ve begun to focus on ourselves instead of Him. However, when that does happen, if we go to Him in our quiet time and pretend that those feelings are not there we are really just lying to Him and to ourselves. In doing so, we are shutting off our heart to Him. 

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t agree with going on a rampage, screaming and yelling at God if our focus is just to scream and yell. That does not benefit us at all and is not respecting and fearing our Creator as we should. However, if we go to God with our true feelings and pour out to Him what is really in our heart, we open ourselves up to Him. At that point He can begin a work in us to reveal more of His Heart and He can then begin to heal ours. 

As we begin to honestly share ourselves with God – the good, the bad and the ugly – we actually begin to understand ourselves and Him in a deeper way. We begin to trust Him in new ways. We open the doors to healing and understanding. 

The answer Beloved, is that pouring out our hearts to God is absolutely crucial to being His friend and it is all for OUR benefit. With our earthly friends we share intimate things about ourselves so they can get to know us better. With God we share the deepest most intimate things of our heart in order for Him to reveal our true hearts to us and transform us. 

However, our God is a gentleman and He will not force His way into our hearts. He understands that true love and friendship is given willingly. He is waiting and desiring to be your best friend. He’s just waiting for you to trust Him enough with your heart to willingly reveal to Him what He already knows. 

Trust in Him at all times, O people; 

Pour out your hearts to Him, 

For God is our refuge. 

Psalm 62:8

 Angela

Thankful Thursday

Let us give thanks. It is Thankful Thursday.

This month we are meeting with Laurie at Women Taking A Stand and then in June we will share our thanks over at Iris of Grace Alone. Back here in July.

So many thoughts crowd my mind as I am thinking upon my blessings.

• My daughter's opening night performance in the High School Musical, Bye Bye Birdie is tonight. I can't wait to watch her sing and dance across the stage.
• My husband is crazy busy at work. I am so thankful he has a job.
• My Mom is visiting from Colorado. Wow, we always have the most amazing talks. 
• Life is finally slowing a bit and I hear the Lord calling me to pray with intensity for many marriages. I count it a privilege to stand in the gap.

I am deeply thankful for all these things and so much more. I am thankful for all of you my friends. What are you thankful for this week? Hugging all of you, Lynn

Friendship with God Through Confession

We've covered some amazing ground so far in our Friendship with God series. If you didn't get a chance to read Angela's post on Friday, be sure to scroll down and read it. It will change your outlook. Today I want to encroach on a subject that seems to be overlooked too often, yet is a vital part in seeking God.

Confession.

Now don't run off quite yet. I promise this post isn't a hand slapper, but confession is something we need to talk about here at S.U.M.

Years ago I had a wonderful mentor who helped me move into the discipline of daily time with God. Another discipline she taught me was confession. Not to be confused with condemnation, because we know that there is no condemnation in Christ.

Confession is an opportunity for us to "clear the air." If you're a parent, compare it to a time when your child came to you and confessed something he or she did wrong. Though you're pained by what they've done, your love doesn't waver, and your sole desire is to move your child from this place of guilt to forgiveness (with consequences as needed, of course).

Now take a look at your child. Once the situation was dealt with and you extended that love with mercy, along with the consequences, your child probably seemed relieved. They released themselves from carrying this burden and opened themselves to you the parent for examination.

From my own personal experiences with my children, I find my daughters draw closer to me afterward and our relationship is even strengthened. And that's in an imperfect world with an imperfect parent.

Our God is a perfect parent. He wants nothing to stand in the way of closeness with him, but sin does. Sin is a barrier that clogs communication, and without communication, there is no relationship.

This mentor I had taught me the importance in making confession a part of my daily time with God. I'm not perfect, and I know I fall short everyday. I may not even know it. This part of the time I spend with God gives him a chance to show me where I didn't hit the mark and gives me the opportunity to learn from it. I can confess my selfishness, self-centeredness, self-entitlement, self-reliance—all those "self" issues to God, because in doing so, that allows him to take more residence in my heart. Less of me and more of Him.

And that is a key ingredient to this amazing opportunity to be friends with God. We allow God to shine his light in those dark places in our hearts so that there's more room for Him to live in and through us.

God's Word gives us the promise of the righteousness of Christ.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." — 1 John 1:9

Through confession we can walk in the righteousness of Christ as God’s friend.
Praying and believing,
Dineen