Tail or Tongue Wag

Today I was grievously reminded of tongue ownership! I wag my tongue, and have wielded it weapon like, drawing invisible blood from those I have condemned in my mind and heart, and man alive, Matthew Henry brought me to the point of suffering for my shameful sin this morning. God owns all souls, and tongues too. Jesus could have used his tongue to speak devastating words of destruction to literally cut and slash his accusers, mockers, and usurpers, while hanging from the cross, but alas, he spoke mercy instead:

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots (Luke 23:34)

Jesus is the King of glory. The gates of heaven were open when the Lamb was slain for the sake of sinners. His pure blood was shed, so ours does not have to be spilled, and yet, we do not live as though we owe him our lives, our being. 

Do you have a dog, dear reader? I had two up until last year. One of the things I appreciate about dogs is the tail wag of delight. If you are their master, and they see you after you have somehow disappeared from their perpetual and vigilant watching over you, they will wag their tail end until it hits their sides ... the occasional whimper lets you know too, that your presence was missed. I have often wondered, how wonderful it would be, if we all greeted each other similarly!

Okay, I admit, I have greeted people this way in the past, people that make me very happy, people that I can't believe I get to hang out with, people that make me feel like I am in a personal private heaven, just me and them. It is an adoring feeling, a mutual appreciation ... I may be their pet, or they may be mine ... it is a sweetness to have affinity, isn't that so?

What then, when aversion is present, when there is dissimilitude, dislike, and antipathy? What do we do with these sentiments? I am learning what I must not do, and I am learning what I would really like to do and who I want to be like ... I would like to be just like Jesus, interceding on behalf of wrong doers, enemies of Christ, enemies of his people. Today in my broken state, I prayed in earnest for wisdom and then, miracle of miracles, I prayed in earnest for all those that I do not want to be damned that have done me harm! Phew, Jesus answers prayers I tell you. Saints cannot stand their own sin, whether it is ancient history, or yesterday's debacles: it pains us to no end to know we have insulted our Father in heaven. 

Not long ago I got kicked off of LinkedIn, for the second time. I knew I had pushed the community limits, and I also knew that I could not continue engaging in what was a fruitless endeavour, of which is trying to convince worldly people that they are caught in the snare Satan has set for them. Only God can detangle, and cut a person loose from their state of stupor. I am no match for the wiles of the devil, AND God Almighty is the power, the might, the fight we need to do battle for us daily. Getting ousted from LinkedIn freed my mind to focus on what is valuable to God, and I really don't take too much notice anymore, of what the wicked are up to. They are the naughty children I do not want to play with ... no tongue or tail wagging for them! 

I will always see the evil, and I will always grieve it too. In my Bible studying, in my prayers, in my weeping, I will petition for souls, that, dear reader, is the work of saints; we have been given a ministry of reconciliation, and those whom God will save are those whom God will save. We know not who or when, but then again, that is none of our business!

I tell you this: the more time I spend with God, learning who he is and how much he loves us, the more I am at peace. Grieving isn't a sign of peace-less-ness, it is a signal that we understand the gravity of our circumstances, and that we feel the suffering all around us, and wish somehow we could/can alleviate it. We can't, but God can, and that, dear reader, is why we pray. 

It matters not to me what someone has done. What matters to me is that people go to God. I don't think I write amiss when I say, that as long as we admit to our sins, confess them to God, repent and trust in Jesus as the gate through which we enter heaven, that we can have the peace that surpasses all understanding while we wait for the joy of eternity with God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost. 

Sinners saved, that is the ultimate goal, to the glory of God, through Christ our Lord. 

Amen 💖

NOTE: If you look closely, my dog Dot is curled on top of my feet, and my dog Cesar is looking up at me hoping I will drop some food ... if only humans loved with doggie trust and devotion! 

Tainted

Would you consider your body to be an alarm system, dear reader? Think with me: if there is smoke, there is fire, and if there is fire near a smoke detector that has a working battery installed in the device, then it makes sense, that a beeping alarm will sound to warn a body, or many somebodies, that danger ensues. 

I recall the first time I inhaled smoke on purpose. That initial hall on a cigarette made me cough. Determination and stupidity had me going back for more, because I wanted to be a smoker. Same thing with the deliciousness of alcohol. One sip burned, but out of sheer persistent desire to finish the job, I consumed, and each tip of the glass got a little easier with the liquid smoothly, almost unnoticed, passing my lips and tongue and eventually, warming my innards. Funny how we can anaesthetize ourselves, turn off warning signals, mute alarm bells and beeping. 

I don't smoke, or drink very much either, because both activities make me so sick, I can't even cope! This makes me very, very happy, dear reader. My body has always been a detector for what is harmful, but overriding the system was something I did out of rebellion, against God. Self-harm seems a common everyday event for the masses, and I am ever so grateful that each human has a built in conscience: mine shames me mercilessly when I sin, and it is my punisher when I deviate from God's will ... when people do what they ought not do, over and over and over again, they effectively take the batteries out of their internal smoke alarms, or cover their ears to block out the sounding off warnings. Do you, do this, dear reader?

Over time, a person can taint themselves to the point of living an endangered existence, where the voice of reason is no longer heard, and the soul cares not what is done to the body, and visa versa. The Bible describes this as a seared conscience. This verse is taken from 1 Timothy 4:2

Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron

A person can lock in their own juices, and whatever marinates in the mind, in the heart, in the soul, will eventually, leak out and coat that very same person with whatever yuck was previously, perhaps privately, contained. Sin is insidious: 

● Do you know someone you recognize, but they are not at all the person you met and liked years ago? 

● Is it odd to you, that what comes out of their mouth, or how they behave, is foreign to you in its distastefulness, and yet you have to deal with them daily, as though you are trapped in a cage of your own making?

● Have you often thought, I wish I could just get away, or they would somehow leave? What if I told you, they are thinking the exact same things?!

Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Amos 3:3 

Divergence is that crossroads moment in time, when you go your way, and I go mine, because we cannot walk side-by-side in agreement. This can be a painful experience, a grievous experience, a change your life forever experience. 

● Perhaps you dismissed the warning, or withdrew those alarm batteries, ignoring the DON'T DO it messages you were getting, and now you have consequences to deal with. 

● Perhaps you were hoodwinked by a master manipulator, and innocently did what they recommended, and got burned. 

I don't know what your circumstances are, but I do know that integrity can and will, save your soul. Integrity is that honest and wholesome part of you that wants nothing more than for you to speak and live the truth. Truth makes us free, from our own wayward inclinations and ways, because the conscience is given full permission to speak godly wisdom to our very spirit, and when we listen and abide, God's will is done.

Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Amos 3:3

We can walk together, dear reader, when we are agreed. Agreed on what, you ask? Everything God commands and lovingly dictates. He doesn't ask, he tells. He isn't looking for our casual commitment, he is looking for, Yes Father, obedience. We can't just go about our business and pretend we haven't been warned, when we have been told over and over again, to sin not, to repent, to turn from our wicked ways, and to believe in the One whom God hath sent! 

Come on now, walk with me, with Jesus leading The Way 💖

If you find yourself forced by circumstance (and we have all been there at one point or another), to walk with someone that has a completely different gait, start earnestly praying for God to change said circumstances, to match his will for you and the other person too. You will be astounded by the incremental changes that occur, over time. 

Here is the command that helps me immensely:

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7)

Pray for God's will

Supplicate earnestly and humbly beg and ask

Be thankful for a God that loves and hears you, and generously provides

AND

The peace of God, which is beyond understanding, shall keep your heart and mind through the Prince of Peace, Christ Jesus 💖

Beauty for Ashes

Isaiah 61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

I read today, "God's Gospel church is called the Israel of God", can anything be more marvellous, dear reader? How better to be marked as God's people, than to be known as those that mourn in Zion? And what more satisfaction can we possibly ask for, than to have our ashes become beautiful, our mourning become the oil of joy, our laden grievous spirit to become garments of praise, so that we might be called trees of righteousness, planted of the LORD, that he might be glorified?!

In 2017, my life lay in ruins. It didn't show on the outside ~ I didn't share what was happening in my life with many people, I carried on, business as usual ~ but there were times when I lay face to the floor, plastered there, sobbing and begging God for redemption, a hint of healing, a drop of hope for the changes that were necessary for my family to be rebuilt and restored to his will, his way. God does not ignore the repentant, he will not refuse those that plead for forgiveness, and restoration, and a return to his family. I knew I had to confess my sins, understand the sins of those that had come before me through blood lines, and those of my former husband too ... the cumulative sin was noxious, and the sins of the fathers, and mothers that we call ancestors, really do, impact offspring, mine included. 

When I look back, I see myself prostrate but it is only now, that I recognize no matter where I wept, face down and unseeing, Jesus was standing before me. Bit by daily bit, incremental change occurred. I was a half-ling, a semblance of my former confident and perhaps cocky self, and God gave me insights into my flawed character, where I had relied solely on my own strength and sometimes silly beliefs, and he filled me with a hunger and thirst to be holy, as he is holy. As long as I live, I will desire this type of food and drink more than anything else in this lovely world. The Holy Spirit satisfies the soul, and as my good friend Lanie spoke to me just yesterday, he is redeeming my ashes for beauty. 

While I share in writing, dear reader, I remain a rather private person. I will not divulge who and what and how, people in my life have been transformed through the power of prayer. Those closest to me already know my story, and prayed as only the saints can do in time of turmoil and trouble. I am glad to be called a family member of the Gospel Church, known as the Israel of God. He saved me long before I drew my first earthly breath; saved me and my family in 2017, and saves me still, from one day to the next ... and it is prayer, humble, meek, seeking, finding, grateful for all the blessings prayer, that is a gift from God that I will always treasure and cherish. 

Are you troubled? Does it seem as though the tide has turned on you, and as the water rises, you have no escape, and will simply drown in your sorrow? Have the circumstances gotten to the point that you have exhausted all your emotional and even physical resources, and you are so spent as to not want to get up off your face from that floor? Pray, dear one, pray. Get out your Bible, read it, soak it up, and feel the rush of certain hope, knowing God loves a repentant and pleading child and that he will exchange your ashes for beauty too. It may not look like you had planned, but your life will be better than you anticipated, all for the glory of our God, through Christ our Lord.

Amen