Beaten Dragons

I am reading works written by G.K.Chesterton right now.  I like the way he thinks.  Like this quote, “Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”*smile* That's like David and Goliath. There are many stories in scripture of people being victorious against all odds.  Gideon, Jehoshaphat, Elijah.  These stories tell me that dragons can be defeated... more than that they tell me I am not fighting my battles alone. I do need to know that Dragons can be beaten. It's also good to know that someone BIG has my back.

I have had to face some pretty big dragons in my life.  Many were just plain beyond me but somehow, by divine intervention, I made it.

I think about raising kids.  How can a parent keep their children safe?  How can you perfectly protect them from harm and at the same time help them to become self assured and independent?  The answer is... you can't.  Just giving birth brings with it the risk of harming both mother and child.  After raising my children I have concluded that it is humanly impossible for children to reach adulthood alive.  They must be supernaturally protected, it's the only way they would ever make it. After raising children I don't know how NOT to believe in guardian angels.  It's beyond coincidence that my children survived without so much as a broken bone in a myriad of near misses. More than once I watched powerless as their life dangled by a thread of possible outcomes. It's mind boggling.

Hmm then I think,  what else are we protected from?  I once visited the observatory on Kit Peak in Arizona.  They have a small telescope there (well smaller anyway) dedicated to finding meteors that have the potential of hitting earth someday.  I don't know what they expected to find but they found hundreds of possibles and continue to find more every day.  Perhaps we are protected more than we know.  Perhaps the only reason there is life on this planet is because that life is being cultivated, nurtured and protected every day.

We are headed toward what they call a solar maximum.  In 2011 there were only 2 spotless days on the sun.  In 2009 there were 260.  Sunspots are one source of solar flares which often create auroras (the northern lights) at the poles. Most are harmless but some have the potential of effecting our power grid (among other things) here on earth.  In the last year, I have watched as over and over sunspots that were very active while facing away from earth quiet as they turn towards us.  Is that a coincidence or is it evidence of our protector?  I wonder

Christmas

Holidays used to be "Holy Days" but I'm having a hard time finding the "holy" in Christmas this year. The "Salvation Army" used to be ringing their bells, opening doors and offering a hardy, "Merry Christmas!" To passers by. Now they are snubbed by many stores because of their religious bent. There used to be a Nativity Scene at the park. That has been ended for fear of reprisal. We as a nation have been "purifying" ourselves but from what? I remember a song by Paul Stookey called
"Hymn" One verse reads,

"I visited Your house again on Christmas or Thanksgiving
And a balded man said You were dead,
But the house would go on living.
He recited poetry and as he saw me stand to leave
He shook his head and said I'd never find You."

That's how this Christmas feels.  It is no longer a religious, holy-day in this country.  It is a tradition and a sad one at that.  Billions of dollars are spent giving gifts, they once were in honor of the wise men who came to worship Jesus... now they are just... well gifts.  I don't get the draw.

My question is, is there anything I can do to reclaim it?  Really, Christmas started as a pagan holy-day perhaps it has already been reclaimed.  God what is your take? (listening) It feels like a distraction.  I'm thinking of Psalms 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God".  That's really what I want to do this Christmas.  I don't want to go shopping.  I don't want hit the parties.  I just want to turn my focus on Jesus.

Abide in Him

I have been reading the first few chapters of 1 John.  I love 1 John.  It is a small book but so full and rich.  It's a great book to marinate on. Right now I am pondering 1 John 2:27 where it says, "And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him." That passage reminds me of John 15:5 where Jesus says, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." I'm trying to imagine what it means to both have the anointing abide in me and for me to abide in Jesus.  Interesting that it says the anointing teaches us to abide in Him.  Wow, Holy Spirit, please do teach me to dwell in Jesus.  I want to live there!

I crave that kind of "dwelling there relationship with Jesus."  I want to simply be with Him.  Chaos has become the norm around here and just "being" is very hard to accomplish.  But imagine what it means if we are too busy, too swallowed up in the clamor to hear.  If the anointing teaches us all things... especially the true art of abiding in Jesus... is the clamor and chaos keeping us from gaining the most important lesson of all?

What a thing to say, "the anointing which you received from Him abides in you." What does that mean? Who is he talking to? He says in chapter 2:1 "My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin." I'm thinking "My little Children" is referring to those that he had influence on in the Church. This is a letter that was passed around and cherished by the Church of his day and continues to be read and cherished now.  It is written to the Christians who would read it.  It is written to me, and it is written to you.  So listen to it again... "The anointing which you received from Him abides in you." Wow, what does that mean? (listening) I'm looking at verse 20 of chapter 2 "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things" Those are bold statements.  I don't feel like I know all things.  I often feel very uninformed, and bewildered.  What about that God? (listening() Hmmm I'm thinking of Psalms 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God." It feels like a correction, "Peace Child be still"  but also a call, be still and find Me.  Be still and I can be found.  Be still and abide in he stillness that is me.  The bottom line? "Be Still!" God help me! 
 

Lost in wonder

I get so busy.  There are so many ways to be detracted :)  but when I am busy I don't have time to wonder.  Oh I always have questions rumbling around in my head, I mean the kind of wonder you can lose yourself in.  The awe of the stars on a crystal clear night,  The hush of a winter storm, the tiny fingers of a newborn babe.  All these things are full of wonder... wonderful!  I think that word has lost its meaning.

It is cold this time of year in the North.  It hasn't snowed at my house yet but the air is crisp outside and begging to be kissed with white glory.  I love the snow.  It is so beautiful. Sometimes it feels like grace.  It doesn't matter what I have left scattered in my yard, what is still undone, what I didn't manage to store before winter,  when it snows all will be perfect, clean, white and beautiful.

I want to be lost in wonder.  I want to take time to see what's worth looking at and to hear, smell, taste touch.  Psalms 34:8 says, "Taste and see that the  Lord is good."  Wow, that is a wake up call for me.  SLOW DOWN!  Experience Me! Yes, Lord.

Do we hear Him?

I was reading in Ephesians yesterday. The sermon was going one way but my mind was going another.  Checkout Ephesians 4:20, "But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:" Say what? This letter was sent first to the Ephesians, they were not Jews. They weren't taught but Jesus when He was on the earth.  But these are people who have learned Christ, heard Him and been taught by Him just the same.  They were taught through supernatural means.  That is awesome to me.  That means that I too can be taught by the greatest teacher ever known.  I don't have to worry about the message being misquoted as it is passed from generation to generation.  I can get it straight from the horses mouth.  (well you know what I mean)

I have heard warnings from many who fear listening because we might take as God what we want to hear instead of what He is saying.  It's true, we can.  It's right there in this passage. You have not so learned Christ.  I'm thinking they learned something else instead.  But the deal is, God is bigger.  He is bigger than my ability to get it wrong.  He can catch me when I fall down.  I can trust Him to protect me from myself.  He is there to teach me.  I can listen and learn.  How awesome is that!

Day or prayer for the persecuted church

It was announced this morning in church that this is the international day of prayer for the persecuted Church worldwide.  We prayed a prayer of gratitude that we in America can worship without fear.  That we are even given a tax exemption as a church and we prayed for those in other countries who choose to risk everything rather than denounce Christ.  To tell you the truth... it seemed empty and cold. Here there is no real place for pain.  We take pills for everything from headaches to hot flashes.  Surely there is some kind of persecution prevention pill available isn't there? Oh Father open our eyes to really look at what is going on around us.

I don't in any way want to diminish the cost that is being paid by Christians all over the world.  But here, in America, there is a different persecution going on.  I am thinking of Daniel 8:25 where it says,

"Through his cunning
      He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule;
      And he shall exalt himself in his heart.
      He shall destroy many in their prosperity.
      He shall even rise against the Prince of princes;
      But he shall be broken without human means."

The line that jumps out at me is, "He shall destroy many in their prosperity." It reminds me of Rome which fell partly because of it's successes.  People became complacent and passionless.They lost sight of that point of their government system.

I'm sure mine isn't the conventional way of understanding this passage but it says to me that prosperity isn't always a gift, much less from God.  As I look over the crowds of wealthy, overfed, under nourished religious people in this country I wonder if it is our prosperity that is destroying us.  I wonder if instead of thanking God for the lack of violence in this country towards Christians we might consider praying that His people here might be saved from the things that are killing us.

The Sheep did not hear them

John 10:7-10 is an interesting passage "Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." I have read this passage many times but I never noticed that one line, "The sheep did not hear them"

The whole of John chapter 9 is fascinating to me.  There is so much in the story of that man that was born blind that Jesus heals by making mud smearing it in his eyes and telling him to go wash.  Because Jesus asks him to go and wash instead of healing him right there, this man can't identify Jesus by sight, yet he is convinced he is the LORD because he healed him. 


The rift comes when he stands up for Jesus amongst the Leaders of the synagog.  They can not intimidate the healed man or shut him up so they do the next best thing.  They kick him out of the synagog.  That is a much bigger thing than being kicked out of a church in that it eliminated his access not just to fellowship but also redemption. 


But Jesus knowing that he was cast out went to find him and then He says, I am the door.  Which I take to mean He is the one who can say, "You are in." and "You are out".  What a comforting thought but more than that it says whoever came before me are thieves and robbers... BUT... the sheep did not hear them. 


I'm thinking of all the out of order things that are done in the name of God.  Does that passage say that His sheep just blow off stuff that is out of order and not follow it?  Or is it saying that there are filters between His sheep's ears that keep them from hearing a foreign call.  Or is it that we come to know the voice of our true master and we are not distracted by the thieves.  Does this take practice or is it supernatural?


Knowing just what I have seen of God's protection of me over the years I tend to think that it is a supernatural protection.  Sweet!