The Greatest De-Bait: Taking Authority Over Our Real Enemy, so he Can’t Have Power Over You and Me

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The Greatest De-Bait: Taking Authority Over Our Real Enemy, so he Can’t Have Power Over You and Me

Well, it’s been over a month since I posted on the blog, and it’s been just under a year since I posted the original Great Mask Debate, that, true to its title, stirred up a rather great debate. All in all, it was civil and cordial, and I am quite grateful for the great debate that it was. I do not post things flippantly or insensitively, and if/when I eventually hit “post,” it’s likely been after a time of prayer and reflection. This post is no different. It’s my heart’s response to further reflection on a couple posts I keep revisiting as I continually check my motives and message.

Those posts: The Great Mask Debate and The Great Mask Debate {Revisted}.

Why do I keep revisiting them? Well, I assure you it is not to beat a dead horse, but rather to reassess them in light of new data, new studies, new information, all the while holding them up to the light of the unchanging Truth of God’s Word.

I can’t quite put my finger on why I’ve been silent this past month, but I do know that maybe like a lot of you, words are just plain hard these days, or at least finding the right ones, and when it comes to these sensitive subjects that impact lives (and have literally driven a wedge between families, both in homes and in churches), well, I want to be solely dependent on God’s Word above every other thing I read, see, or hear from any other reputable or non-reputable source.

So, I’ve been directing my feeble attempt at words to God in prayer (the most powerful use of my words) and to my husband in processing (a great filter before I spill them out into the world). Honestly, my heart’s been shattered and my thoughts scattered as I've tried to make sense of all the nonsense, and then it dawned on me…

I’m calling this post “The Greatest De-Bait” because I believe when we truly dig deep into God’s Word, then we’re able to recognize all these debates as the bait of the god of this world. (Honestly, I’ve fallen prey to his tactics more often than not lately, thus the reason for feeling scattered.)

The enemy baits his hook with enticing little lies and wants nothing less than to lure us away from Truth of God’s Word. He distracts us by breeding division, dissension, and confusion among us. He is the father of lies and takes pride in our compromise because it leads to decisions that are unwise — we’re watching this happen before our very eyes! And that is why we must recognize this bait for what it is and engage in the greatest de-bait known to man — exposing the enemies lies by lifting up the name of Jesus and surrendering to His Authority.

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Wheat is Wheat. A Grain by Any Other Name Just isn't the Right Thing. Be the Wheat.

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Wheat is Wheat. A Grain by Any Other Name Just isn't the Right Thing. Be the Wheat.

Wheat is wheat. A grain by any other name just isn’t the right thing. Be the wheat.

There are a lot of different names for a lot of different things these days. Understanding Biblical Truth through the lens of a Biblical Worldview demands that we define our terms, name our nuances, and think critically within the context of the conversation.

We don’t have time to mince words. It’s time to submit to God’s Word, and in order to obey it, we must seek to understand it.

Did you know that true believers are compared to wheat in the Bible? And in every reference and translation, the word is “wheat.” However, there are several “imposters of wheat” or “competitors of wheat” called out in the Word as well, primarily in the book of Matthew.

In Matthew 3, when John the Baptist was preaching repentance and testifying of the fruit that would be produced after true repentance, he said to the Pharisees and Sadducees:

“‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ‘I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’” ~ Matthew 3:7-12 ESV

And again in Matthew 13, teaching through a parable, Jesus said,

“‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, ‘Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”~ Matthew 13:24-30 ESV

(In the KJV, weeds are referred to as tares.)

Chaff, by definition, is the husks of corn or other seed separated by winnowing or threshing. It is likened to trash or worthless things.

Weeds are “wild plants growing where they are not wanted and in competition with cultivated plants.”

And tares were known as “injurious weeds resembling wheat when young.”

Chaff, weeds, or tares. Call them what you want, none of them are wheat. None of them are substantive or useful. They are worthless substitutes that cause harm and are cause for alarm.

And it’s high time, we recognize the danger of being deceived by imposters.

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Sit. Walk. Stand. Start from Rest to Finish Best.

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Sit. Walk. Stand. Start from Rest to Finish Best.

As I went about my routine this morning, I was reminded of the parallel my physical life has with my spiritual life.


I woke up, brewed some coffee, sat on my porch, spent time in God‘s Word, and went for a walk.


As a believer in Christ, I am also called to wake up and be alert, and that happens best when I drink in the Word.


The daily walk is important, yes, but not before we understand true rest...


You see, I’m reading (another) little book this summer (you may recall me reading and posting daily about “A Gospel Primer for Christians” by Milton Vincent throughout the month of June). This little gem of a resource is “Sit. Walk. Stand. The Process of Christian Maturity“ by Watchman Nee. It’s a study guide of sorts through the book of Ephesians (one of my favorite books of the Bible). Like the Gospel Primer, this book is rather tiny, but let me tell you, it sure is mighty!


If you know me at all, you know I love words! Watchman Nee hones in on three important verbs for the Christian life — Sit. Walk. Stand.


If you’ve read my Bible study, CALLED, you’ll recall the middle six chapters are verbs I refer to as “stepping stones“ into all the places God is calling us to go. God‘s Word is a powerful weapon for the Christian warrior, and practical application is key if we are to honor God by doing what it says.


So, this morning, as I focused more on sitting, it reminded me of chapter 4 of CALLED. Called to Be. Being breeds a better doing. We must BE first so we can DO best, or as Watchman Nee puts it, We must SIT before we WALK or STAND.

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God's Standard is Set. We Must Never Forget...

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God's Standard is Set. We Must Never Forget...

God’s standard is set

We must never forget

Our words may fail

His Word will always prevail

I’ve been a little MIA on the blog lately, 3 weeks to be exact, which is the longest breath I’ve taken since I’ve been verbally processing on this platform for nearly a year now. But please don’t mistake my mute for lack of having something to say. Actually, I’ve had far too much to say. I’ve just been processing a little more privately than publicly lately.

Processing all that is going on in the world through the lens of a Biblical worldview, with God’s Word as our standard and His love as our guide, we can never go wrong and never lose our way, because He will never lead us astray.

So, if this world is a little too much for you, too, might I encourage you to pull away. Spend more time reading His Word than you spend reading others’ words. Spend more time measuring your motives to His standard than you do trying to please others, fit in, or not offend.

Honestly, I’m worn out by all the words — especially the vile words being spewed because of the evil being pursued. Did you know the words evil and vile are made up of the same letters, just placed in a different order? And what this spells out to me is that evil is evil no matter how you try to twist or spin it, hide or disguise it.

I’m worn out by the lack of common sense and the disregard for Biblical Truth that’s actually perpetuating the evil (all under the guise of “the right thing” or “the loving thing”). Let me tell you — lying to someone is never right, and it definitely is not loving.

I’m worn out by Christians falling prey to this evil by buying into its lies, all in the name of “love,” when really, loving the world is actually hating God (James 4:4).

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In the War of Words, It's {Still} Time for a Better Word

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In the War of Words, It's {Still} Time for a Better Word

I love words, but I am so tired of them. Seriously, the twisting and manipulating, the demeaning and degrading, it all has me completely worn out.

I wrote a blog post last year entitled In the War of Words, It’s Time for a Better Word, and I guess you could consider this post a part 2, because ironically, I have a few more words to say about these wars our words are waging. The emotional ammunition with which we keep firing back keeps us all raging. It’s a vicious cycle. Ya wanna know why?

Because we keep opening our mouths before we open God’s Word, or rather, we may be opening It, but we certainly aren’t doing what It says.

And since this battle we find ourselves in “is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12), we must “put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, we may be able to stand our ground, and after we’ve have done everything, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:13)

Why are we fighting with our words when God has called us STAND on His Word and SPEAK His Word? It is the only offensive weapon in our armor. We must wield well the Sword of the Spirit if we are to defeat the enemy, the god of this world, the author of lies, the deceiver of souls by taking down his strongholds, dividing his lies from God’s truth, and setting his captives free to experience true victory in Jesus.

Yes, indeed, the very Word of God is sharper than any double edge sword, and It is the only weapon we need to defeat the enemy. Our words are merely weapons against each other and do nothing to defeat the real enemy.

We must stop using OUR words (our explanations and definitions) because they are skewed ever so slightly to fit into OUR point of view, and they will always fall short of the target of the enemy.

Nuance and semantics allow us to say a whole lot while really saying nothing at all. Because without the power of God behind them, words will always fall short. They will always be misunderstood. They will always be used to confuse. They will always be manipulated to elevate one group/person while putting down the next. It is simply the way of the world, and our words will always go that way apart from God’s Word and His Way.

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Obedience, Faith, & Agreement will Accompany a True Believer (and not Just When it's Convenient)

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Obedience, Faith, & Agreement will Accompany a True Believer (and not Just When it's Convenient)

It’s been a couple weeks since my last blog post, so who’s ready for another Sunday sermon recap?!?

Actually, as an introduction, I’m also going to share a couple truths from last Sunday’s sermon as well. Pastor Morris Brown brought a word a week ago about God’s Word, our Absolute Truth, and Pastor Joe Green brought another one yesterday about Obedience, Faith, & Agreement.

The Word of God is not only full of power packed truths. It is the Absolute Truth. The final say. It does not return void. It will not return to the Father in Heaven without having accomplished what He intended it to do here on earth!

So why on earth would we not choose to obey it, have faith in it, and agree with what it says? I can tell you, the alternative doesn’t bode well temporarily and doesn’t end well in light of eternity.

God gave us His Word for a reason. He wants us to read it, apply it, and live by it. And the ONLY way to do that is through OBEDIENCE, FAITH, and AGREEMENT.

What does that mean?!? I’m glad you asked. Here’s an answer through the wisdom I gleaned from the words of Pastor Green...

Honestly, these three words are one in the same. Of course, if you looked them up in the dictionary, the definitions would vary, but hear me out as and you’ll better understand what I’m talking about as we look at a few passages of scripture and dig a little deeper into the meaning of and the power behind these three words.

I’ll start with the same question Pastor Green asked the congregation on Sunday morning:

Do you love love God or do you just like love God? In other words, where is your devotion?

Is your love merely lip service and maybe occasionally attending a church service, or is it all consuming so much so that it has you daily pursuing?

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Unity in Diversity

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Unity in Diversity

We serve a Triune God. Three in one. The essence of Unity in Diversity. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — same Almighty God, yet uniquely different.

This past Sunday, Pentecost Sunday, Dr. Joe Green continued his sermon series on unity as he contrasted the story of the Tower of Babel found in Genesis 11 with the story of Pentecost found in Acts 2.

In both stories, unity was being sought.

In Genesis, they were seeking a prideful unity that resulted in disobedience to God and was fueled by wanting to control unity by their own means. They had one language, but instead of trusting God with their unity, they wanted to “make a name from themselves.” The result: God confused their language and scattered them.

In Acts 2:1-8, this is what we read, “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?”

The Acts account of unity is still unity in diversity, but it’s God ordained, given by the Father, sealed by the Son, manifested by the Holy Spirit. The people were all together in one place, but this time, they did not try to control the unity. They trusted God’s plan that was ushered in by a mighty rushing wind. Just like in Genesis, they began to speak in other languages. This time, however, it did not confuse or divide them, it brought them together and unified them. Verse 5 tells us that devout men from every nation under heaven heard it and came together because of it. They were amazed and astonished because each one was hearing his own language.

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Sometimes People Wear me Out, but All the Time God Fills me Up

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Sometimes People Wear me Out, but All the Time God Fills me Up

Sometimes people wear me out, but all the time God fills me up.

I know that is such a flippant thing to say, snarky in a way, so let me provide some context to help keep the sarcasm at bay.

From what I observe (primarily from online interactions), people might be wearing you out, too, with all their different points of view, and if that’s true, might I encourage you to simply go to the source of all truth.

The Word of God.

It is a well that never runs dry. It alone can satisfy. So, when you’re weary and you’re wondering why, look closely at your supply.

Are you trusting the word of others before going to the Word of the One who is above all others?

Are you allowing people’s opinions and convictions to inform what you do or don’t do, who you follow or listen to, or what you believe about a God you thought you knew?

Hear me out. It is ok to learn from others, in fact, we should be learning and growing in community alongside other believers, but just because someone strongly believes something (doctrinally or otherwise) does not make it true. Only God’s Word can define Truth if you are looking through the lens of a Biblical worldview.

He gave us His Word. He left us His Holy Spirit to help us rightly divide and apply His Word as we live in this world. Others’ words can help or hurt our understanding of His Word. They can support or distort His Word. They can bring clarity or discrepancy to God’s Word, our ultimate authority. But no matter how good or not so good others’ words are, they will always fall short. His Word will never return void.

So, when people wear you out, let God fill you up.

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Good and Hard Run on Parallel Tracks

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Good and Hard Run on Parallel Tracks

When I read this quote by John Woodall, it hit me like a freight train (pardon the pun)…

“Good and hard run on parallel tracks.”

Oftentimes, we can find ourselves in hard places, right? From less than ideal circumstances to life altering events, life can dish out hard on a daily basis and it can put us in rather uncomfortable places.

But did you know, there is always good to be found … even in the hard.

Sometimes it’s harder than others to find the good in the hard, but when you look for it (or more importantly, when you look for God, you’ll find Him), and you’ll realize the good has been there all along, waiting to be noticed, waiting to be the focus.

The good is God. He is good … even in the hard…

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Unity Centered Around You and Me is Not True Unity as God Intended it to Be. Actually, it’s Idolatry.

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Unity Centered Around You and Me is Not True Unity as God Intended it to Be. Actually, it’s Idolatry.

Unity centered around you and me is not true unity as God intended it to be. Actually, it’s a form of idolatry. Any “unity” that calls for coming together while leaving God out will fail. It will fall. God will have no other gods before Him. Man made unity held together by worldly ideologies is a false god. It will will unravel at the seams, because it is far more destructive than it seems.

Disobeying God’s instruction always leads to destruction.

Just look at the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. In verse 4 we see the very reason for their construction of the tower was to protect or control their unity “lest they be dispersed over the face of the earth.” They sought man made unity by “making a name for themselves.” Man made unity will always give a false sense of security. What they created God frustrated. He confused their language and dispersed them.

When we do things our way, we will always be led astray, but when we do things God’s way, He will protect and bless as we obey.

Pastor Joe Green brought a WORD today on UNITY in the first of a two part sermon series centered around Pentecost.

Pastors, your people need you to boldly proclaim God’s truth in a world that is constantly feeding them lies. Today’s Godless culture is nothing new. It’s reminiscent of others that have made brick and mortar towers and golden calves, and more recently, these graven images appear in the form of Godless ideologies and man made philosophies.

Collin Hansen said “Many pastors are trying to have the “both and” mentality in an “either or” world and it’s pulling their churches at the seams.”

We are either for God or we are against Him. There is no “both and” in His “either or” call for devotion and loyalty. He requires an undivided heart. Hot or cold. Not lukewarm. We must choose between God’s way and the world’s. We cannot do both. When we choose one, we must reject the other.

“You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” ~ James 4:4 ESV

So, in the words of Pastor Green, let’s remember these 5 things…

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Motherhood: 3 Valuable Lessons from My Point of View

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Motherhood: 3 Valuable Lessons from My Point of View

I know, I know. You don’t need another Mother’s Day post. There are so many good ones out there chock full of valuable lessons worth a share, and while my two cents may not make a difference for you, these three lessons have made a huge difference for me!

{Disclaimer: these are all lessons I’m still learning, and quite frankly, they’re the three things I struggle with most, so this post is probably more for me than you, but nonetheless, I pray you find value in it, too.}

Motherhood: 3 valuable lessons from my point of view:

1. Don’t do it for them. Do it with them. Show and assure them. It will grow and mature them.

2. Being proactive helps guard against being inactive or reactive.

3. Give yourself grace to begin again.

So, what exactly does this mean? I’m glad you asked…

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Words Have Power

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Words Have Power

I love Winnie the Pooh. I mean, who doesn’t love that “silly ol’ bear” who came to life through the words of A.A. Milne. His words while simple and somewhat subtle, were indeed pretty powerful, too. So much so, a few of them from the movie Christopher Robin inspired this blog post. And if you' haven’t seen the movie, it’s worth the watch. And maybe after watching it, this movie inspired mantra will resonate with you, too!

You do you like Pooh did Pooh.

As a writer, I want my words to matter. I want them to penetrate past the surface and sit with the reader in a deeper place of heart work and life change. Sometimes though, I can find myself trying too hard, worrying too much, and allowing too often the very life and purpose I want my words to give to others to be drained right out of me!

And that’s when I am reminded, “You do you, like Pooh did Pooh.”

So many of Pooh’s ponderings have quite a correlation to God’s promises!

Simple yet profound. Empty yet incredibly full. Small yet oh so big.

My words apart from God’s Word will always fall short, but God’s Word will never return void. (Isaiah 55:11) My words have no power, but they do have the ability to connect others with God’s powerful Word. The only Word that is “alive and active” (Hebrews 4:12) and does have power, authority, and “truth that sets us free.” (John 8:32)

And while these words from the movie, Christopher Robin, spoke to my heart in a whimsical and wonderful way, the Word of God has the ability to speak even more powerfully and profoundly every single day…

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o.BE.DIE.nce

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o.BE.DIE.nce

Obedience seems to be the theme on the blog this week, and I’ve learned from experience, when a word resonates, there’s a reason, especially when words within the word resonate, too. So, without further ado, let me break it down for you. That’s what the Lord did for me, and in order to live it out, it’s so important to understand what it’s all about!


o.BE.DIE.nce.

That word smack dab in the middle of the word — DIE. Die to self so I can live for Him. And then the word that comes just before it — BE. Be with God first, so I can serve Him best.

I’m a doer by nature. The word “obedience” has always appealed to my “doer heart.” God says, “Do this,” I obey. Plain and simple. But, well, it’s not that plain and simple. If I make obedience about a formulaic task, before long, I forget the heart of obedience, and make it more about my work and less about His will. I replace obedience with busyness.

And then before I know it, busyness has stolen the spotlight from obedience. Yep, we all battle busyness (to some degree). It invades every life stage and is no respecter of age. It even creeps in to the slower pace forced by a global pandemic. Busyness isn’t limited to our schedules outside the home, it can creep in to our to do’s lists at home, too!

Busyness manifests itself in the way we relate, respond, and react to others. It affects the way we cope and robs us of our hope. It even masks itself as honorable responsibility, and we wear it like some Medal of Honor around our neck hoping others see significance, when in reality, we are choking trying to make a difference.

We can organize it, categorize it, colorcode it, and try to unload it, but it attacks, fights back, and cuts us no slack. Why does it keep winning? We get a handle on it, scale back a bit, and then boom, it hits us again, this time harder and stronger. How do we battle back?

As I wrestle with it myself, I can’t offer you a tried and true 5-step plan to get rid of it or a foolproof “how to” program to manage it, but I can offer these 4 “r” words as a little piece of advice that always invite peace into my busy life. All four of them reminders of true o.BE.DIE.nce...

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Here Am I for the Great I Am: Making Sense of Obedience

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Here Am I for the Great I Am: Making Sense of Obedience

Recently, my Monday mornings have been spent pouring over my notes from Sunday sermons. When you are given such rich truths, you want to make sure they take root!

Sunday morning, Pastor Joe opens the Word and brings a word. He then challenges us with that word to obediently live the Word so we can give the Word to a world desperate for a word. We know that the only word that can bring a word worth hearing and heeding is God‘s Word, so we’ll start there again today (and every day), as we learn what it truly means to trust and obey...

Genesis 22. I’m sure you’re familiar with this passage. I thought I was, too, until I found out Isaac was much older than I had imagined him when he made the multiple day journey with his father to Mount Moriah to carry out an act of obedience that would be hard at any age or life stage.

I’ve always thought Isaac was this young boy (likely a toddler), walking alongside his dad, maybe even carried by him at times because of the long trek they had up that mountain. But as Pastor Joe recapped this story as he read and reread details from the text, emphasizing timelines and connecting the series of events with the previous and following chapters, he concluded Isaac was likely 37 years old at the time of this journey.

I know. Shocking, right? For those of you to whom this is new news, I’ll give you a minute. Believe me, I’ve taken quite a few myself yesterday and today, dissecting the text, looking for myself, seeking to truly understand that which I cannot fully comprehend.

And that, dear friend, is what Bible study is all about — reading the Word in a way that It can read us, teach us, and beseech us to live according to It. God’s Word is alive and active. (Hebrews 4:12) It changes us, from the inside out, so It’s not just something we talk about, it’s our deepest desire to live it out.

So, when I recovered from the shock of discovering how old Isaac was at the time of this event, I was able to glean these three lessons about OBEDIENCE…

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Stay Brave as You Age. Live to Grow. Grow to Live. Stay Young and Hungry as You Grow Older and Wiser.

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Stay Brave as You Age. Live to Grow. Grow to Live. Stay Young and Hungry as You Grow Older and Wiser.

I just started another round of the Brave Bible Study in my home, and we gathered last night for the first time around my kitchen table to study God’s Word in order to encourage and equip each other to walk out what we talked about.

This group is multigenerational — mothers and daughters, physically and spiritually, and as we gathered last night, I was reminded that no matter how young or old you are...

You will one day be older and wiser, and yet you can still be young and hungry. Honestly, I’m not sure what’s best, but I think it’s probably best to learn from both. Biblically, they both have place and purpose in the family of God, and they both can be powerfully used by God to further His Kingdom.

“Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.” ~ 1 Timothy‬ ‭4:12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.” ~ Titus‬ ‭2:3-5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

So learn and grow older and wiser, but keep growing and learning as you stay young and hungry. In other words, grow in maturity, and as you grow more mature, always be open to learning more. Never think you’ve arrived. Always be teachable, because when you are, others are more reachable. It’s quite a beautiful thing.

Embrace the age you are now. Celebrate where you’ve been. Anticipate where you’re headed. It’s a wildly beautiful process. We experience the best of both worlds when we learn to live in the tension of the two (and when we live to learn from the tension of the two). Don’t despise the one you’re not yet and don’t neglect the one you once were.

Step into multigenerational spaces. No matter your age or life stage, always have someone older and wiser pour into you, so you can overflow and pour into someone that’s young and hungry.

Live to grow. Grow to live. It’s the bravest way to give our lives to Him.

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Aaronic Blessing — a blessing of respect, to guard and protect, and give peace to reflect...

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Aaronic Blessing — a blessing of respect, to guard and protect, and give peace to reflect...

Pastor Joe Green, pastor of Saint Paul’s Missionary Baptist Church, had us sit in the book of Numbers yesterday during his Sunday sermon. Specifically, we not only looked at and read through “The Priestly Blessing” found at the end of the sixth chapter, we also dissected this passage. It is also known as the Aaronic Blessing, a blessing Aaron was instructed by God, through Moses, to pray over the people of Israel. We looked at the original Hebrew words used in this blessing so we could understand the significance it had not only on the people of Israel, but also on our lives today.

So, from God’s Word, through Pastor Joe’s words, by way of my Sunday sermon notes, may these words bless you and keep you as God’s face shines upon you, he is gracious to you, and He gives you peace today...

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Giving God Glory for a Recent God Story

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Giving God Glory for a Recent God Story

Today on the blog, I’d love to share a special God story with you. This story isn’t necessarily mine to tell, but I did watch it unfold, every little detail, and I can tell you it’s a story worth sharing. God stories alway are...

On February 1st, the day after his 18th birthday, Caleb had an interview for an internship. Mind you, this wasn’t some random internship he happened upon. This was THE opportunity he’d been anticipating for about two years now. You see, after he attended Summit (summer of 2019) in Manitou Springs, Colorado, he knew that the summer after his first year of college (2021), he wanted to be a video team intern for the ministry. So, as soon as applications for summer interns opened this year, he submitted his, and prayed God would open the door and make a way to work for a ministry so very instrumental in his spiritual growth — a ministry with a message he was passionate about and would gladly help share through his video work.

Fast forward a few weeks to the end of February when Caleb received the dreaded email — you know the one, “We loved getting to know you. Your resume looks great. You have so much potential, BUT we’ve hired another candidate. We hope you apply again next summer.” Basically, it was the nicest rejection letter ever (and was even followed up with a gift from the guys who oversee the video interns). So, even in his devastation from missing out on the job, he was extremely encouraged by just being a part of the process. He knew then, it obviously was not God’s plan for this summer, and he moved on to Plan B, which he quickly had to figure out since summer was approaching, and in his excitement about Summit, he really hadn’t thought about other options.

He reached out to a local video production company he had job shadowed and interned with while in high school, and was waiting to hear back from them.

And now is the perfect time to talk about God‘s perfect timing…

In September 2020, I was asked to speak at a women’s conference in Travelers Rest, South Carolina at Look Up Lodge, a camp that was very near and dear to my heart. I grew up going there as a camper and then worked there the summer of 1995 while in college as a camp counselor. I’ve always wanted my family to see/experience this special place, and when the invitation to speak was extended to me, it was also extended to my entire family to come along and spend the weekend at Look Up.

March 12-14, 2021 we did just that! We made the 10 hour road trip to Travelers Rest, SC with a stop half way in Lynchburg, VA to pick up Caleb. While we were there, some of the staff members took time to talk to Caleb, show him around camp, and tell him all about a summer staff position (for college students). Caleb was immediately interested because he loved what he saw and experienced during that God ordained, perfectly timed trip to LUL, but he had to quickly apply for the job since the application deadline was the Monday after that weekend!

He was yet again excited about an opportunity God had literally and instantly provided (unlike the waiting and anticipating for the Summit internship). So, he quickly got to work, completed the application, had a zoom interview, and was offered the position. He immediately accepted the position because not only had he already been praying about what he should do this summer, he was also watching God answer those prayers by orchestrating the details that had led him to this point, and there was no denying the hand of God in establishing the work of Caleb’s hands this summer.

And had this God story ended there, it would have been enough — a tale worth telling and retelling, giving God glory for writing such a timely story.

But God. He’s always extra, ya know. More than enough because He likes going over and above…

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How Well Do You Dwell?

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How Well Do You Dwell?

Just a little Monday morning Sunday sermon recap. Pastor Green was droppin’ some truth bombs yesterday at Saint Paul’s Missionary Baptist Church, and I was picking up what he was putting down. In fact, one of the first things he said stuck with me throughout the sermon, and I knew then, I’d keep sharing God’s Word with you because it’s what we’ve been put on this earth to do.

There’s a line in the new Phil Wickham song, House of the Lord, that reminds us to “not stay quiet” and to “shout out His praise.” When we truly realize the gravity and depth of His great love for us and begin to fathom what that love has done for us, we can’t help but be moved to shout it, to share it, to stand up on it and to speak up for it.

As Pastor put it yesterday in his sermon, “Tell your story. Share the life changing truths of God’s Word and what He has done for you! Y’all tell everything else on social media — what you had for dinner, that you passed your test… If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, and you don’t have a desire to tell that to the world by sharing the Gospel and the power of His Word, you aren’t fulfilling what God has called you to do.”

Can I get an Amen?

We know this world is a dangerous place, and without the hope of Jesus, it’s a deadly place. We are on a mission and have been commissioned by our Maker to be disciple makers, and guess what? When this call on our lives seems daunting and impossible, He is a Waymaker. He will never lead us astray, but we must choose to stay — abide and dwell — consciously, constantly, continuously, and consistently.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. ~ Psalm 91:1

The word dwell in this passage implies an ongoing process. It is a constant state of living, not simply in and out when convenient, but steadfast and consistent because you mean it.

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Woke vs. Awake: The Gap is Great

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Woke vs. Awake: The Gap is Great

The gap between the woke and the awake is getting greater and greater while the cost to stay awake is getting higher and higher. The more aware of the difference between the Word and the world I become, the more evident the distance between those who are woke and those who are awake becomes. The gap is growing greater because the two are going in opposite directions.

Let me take a moment to define the two terms I’m using (as I understand their meaning and as I am using them in this post):

Woke — those who are aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice). They typically advocate for reconciliation by extra-Biblical and anti-Biblical means using the framework of ideologies such as Critical Theory and Critical Race Theory, and in my opinion, defeat the purpose of reconciliation by further dividing people by intersectionality (or the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage).

Two quotes I recently read that sum up wokeness pretty well:

Wokeness is today’s religion. Cancel culture is it’s sacrament. — David Benham

Wokeness is a graceless religion. It never forgives past missteps. Its mission is to kill, steal, and destroy. It wants destruction and not restoration. As you stand for Biblical truth, wokeness will criticize you, demonize you, terrorize you, and someday soon, criminalize you. But love... Love keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not dishonor others. Choose love, not hate. Reject cancel culture. — Brian J. Dixon

And now, my take on being awake…

Awake — those who are aware of the enemy’s deception and use of these worldly ideologies to try to confuse Biblical Truth. Those who hold fast to sound doctrinal theology and see things through the lens of a Biblical Worldview realizing God does not show partiality, nor does He want His people to show partiality. (James 2:1, Acts 10:34-35, Romans 2:11, Galatians 3:28, 1 Timothy 5:21, Proverbs 28:21) Those who are awake, in my opinion, are wide awake and well aware of the deception and want to stand up for the Truth they know is the only way to true reconciliation.

The woke want to right the wrongs of the world by their own means and with their own terms and conditions while the awake know only God can right the wrongs, in fact, He already did, and it has NOTHING to do with us and what we do or don’t do and EVERYTHING to do with Him and what He has already done on our behalf.

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