Thy Kingdom Come

Ask of Me, and I will give You

The nations for Your inheritance,

And the ends of the earth for Your possession.

~Psalms 2:8 NKJV

I praise the Lord for all the reports of the outpouring of His Holy Spirit across this nation and around the world. I haven't visited any of the publicized meetings but I know the Holy Spirit visits us whenever we invite Him into our presence wherever we are. This awakening is not just for one university or one town. The Lord says to ask of Him, ask in the name of His Son, Jesus and He will give us the nations for Jesus's inheritance. 

Isaiah 11:9 says " They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."

With the advent of technology in the last few years, it is now possible to cover the earth with the knowledge of moment-by-moment happenings. What is our responsibility in these times?

Number 1 must be to cover all that is happening with prayer. With every publicized event, every prayer that goes up, Satan is screaming and yelling "NO!"at the top of his lungs. Case in point, the Grammys. I won't even go there to describe the horrific visuals Satan broadcast to the world. But God gave us wonderful images of people praising, worshipping, and coming to salvation all over the world. 

~Psalms 40:3

Number 2 must be to talk about the Lord and all that is happening to those around us. I was in a thrift shop last week. I overheard friends talking about witnessing to mutual friends who thought they were Christians because they grew up that way. We don't know the conditions of the hearts of others if we are not engaging them in loving, meaningful conversations. I'm so glad these friends were able to lovingly correct the mistaken idea that we can be Christians just because we were brought up "that way".

~Luke 3:8

Number 3 must be to walk the talk. When others see us behave in a dismissive manner, use hateful words, and ignore those in need, we run the risk of being hypocrites. ~Luke 18:11

God wants the world to be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. He isn't willing that anyone should perish and yes, there is a hell prepared for the devil and his angels. However, those who reject Jesus, God's Son who willingly died for them will also be condemned to an eternity in hell.~Matthew 25:41

There has been much talk of a rapture in my lifetime. Let us think if that were to happen, who would it benefit? Only those who know the Lord. However, if we, like our faithful fathers who died as martyrs in ages past, are willing to walk through "the fire" to see our friends, loved ones, and yes even strangers come to know the Lord, how much greater would our joy be in heaven. ~Luke 15:6,7; John 16:33

Heavenly Father, we pray for the vision to see the earth filled with the knowledge of You and of the sacrifice your Son, Jesus, made for us on the cross. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus's name. Amen. ~Matthew6:9

He has shown you, O man, what is good;

And what does the Lord require of you

But to do justly,

To love mercy,

And to walk humbly with your God?

~Micah 6:8

 

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:29

My linen closet is a wreck. My mother’s was always neatly folded and stacked like a picture from a magazine, but Mama only had flat sheets. Unless we made the hospital corners just right, the twists and turns during the night would untuck the whole bed. In between my flat sheets are the matching fitted sheets, all crumpled and twisted, with the corners all wrinkled and bunched. The whole closet may fall on you if you aren’t careful. But when I pull out a set and stretch them, pulling each corner until those fitted sheets conform to the shape of my mattress, I appreciate the design and purpose of fitted sheets. They may not exactly fit in with the rest of the closet but they’re the best sheets in the stack.

As I change those bedclothes it reminds me of how I thought I could fix my life with just a little fold and a little tuck here and there. What appeared great in the light of day was a crumpled, twisted, wrinkled, and bunched mess deep in the dark recesses of my sinful heart. But one day I realized I needed a change. I needed Jesus to conform me to His image through His power of regeneration. Now I am daily conforming to his image, allowing Him to stretch me to new heights, smooth out the wrinkles and fix my twisted thoughts all bunched up in the cares of the world. Christ in me and I in Christ makes life a lot more comfortable than allowing the twists and turns that used to get me all out of sorts. I’ll have to consult Martha Stuart to get the linen closet right, but I’m looking to Jesus to conform me to His image.

Heavenly Father, thank you for daily conforming me to the image of your Son. In Jesus's name. Amen. 

A Snowy Day

Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, who had done many deeds. He had killed two lion-like heroes of Moab. He also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. I Chronicles 11:22 NKJV

A pristine snow covered the ground, covered the snags, and leveled the dips. The sun glistened and sparkled in the cold. Benaiah trudged home alone across the snow. He pulled his cloak close as the wind whipped around him. He had walked since sunup and now the cold was beginning to bite through his whiskers. Perhaps he should look for shelter, but where in this barren land? 

There, a hole in the snow. Perhaps there was a cave. Benaiah moved closer. A thatch partially covered the hole as if something or someone had fallen through. Again, the wind whipped his cloak, reminding Benaiah he needed to find shelter soon or he would succumb to the freezing temperature. He hoped no one or nothing was still in the pit. Grabbing a piece of the thatch he lowered himself into the dark pit. 

A low growl came from the dark end of the pit, growing louder and coming closer. As it entered the light of the hole, Banaiah saw a huge male lion shaking his head from side to side as he continued to growl at the man who invaded his privacy. 

The growl became a roar. Benaiah reached for his sword tucked under his cloak. He snatched the lion's mane before it could lunge for him. In warrior motion, Benaiah swiped his sword across the bare part of the lion's neck, slicing through to the jugular vein. The lion reared back, pawed the air, then dropped to the floor of the pit. Benaiah wiped the blade clean across the fur of the lion before tucking it away. The odor of blood was nauseating. The smell was not unfamiliar to Benaiah who fought many battles for David. He would rest before facing the snow and cold again in the morning. 

It seems odd to find such a story in the middle of the stories of David's mighty men. There was no one involved but Benaiah. His act was one of self-defense. Maybe a closer look will show us the heavenly meaning behind this earthly story. 

When I think of snow, I think of beautiful, quiet, and peaceful. Serene in all its glory, but is it? The snow completely covers the ground causing us to miss the dips and pits that trip us and cause twisted ankles, broken legs, and tragic falls. And so the world looks good. It promises beauty and peace and a prosperous life. When we try to find our hope in the things of the world, it covers the pitfalls and hides the tragedies.  

We often think we can shelter in our families, friends, and even church. We should never let our guard down. For Satan, walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He may lie quiet as a small thing in our lives and homes but his roar will grow in intensity unless we, like Benaiah, are armed with the sword of the Lord. Jesus used scripture to thwart Satan's temptations in the wilderness. We too must be armed and ready to face our lions with the word of God. Though the battle may leave its stench in our memories, through Christ there is rest before we face another day. 

Heavenly Father, help us hide your word in our hearts that we might not sin against you and that we may stay every attempt of Satan to destroy our testimony before others. In Jesus's name. Amen

 

In A Little House

 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, 

Eccle. 9:10 NIV

Has cabin fever set in yet? It sure has around my house. The winter has been wet, very wet with rain upon rain then cold, bitter cold, then more rain. We needed a little bit of a diverson. That's when Annette Whipple's new book arrived. 

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Campanion book is filled with activities, photos, and Family Talk. Come investigate with us for a few minutes. 

The Dig Deeper section is filled with explanations of terms and tools that are unfamiliar to most children of the 21st century. You'll also find photos of the houses where Laura and her family lived in Wisconsin and on the prairie. New York farming is explained in the section about Almonzo. There's also a section about Laura's writing years. 

In the activities section, there are games like Who's Got the Thimble and Cat's Cradle, preserving food such as drying apples, and craft activities where learning to cut paper dolls and make molasses candy is turned into winter fun. The snow may have covered the window, but Laura and her sisters seemed to lack no activities to make the long winter pass. 

In the Family talk section, there are items for family discussions, such as the time Almonzo thought it neighborly to lend the tools, but Laura thought they needed to keep the tools for their work. Your family can discuss when it is best to keep and when you should lend. 

In The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion, Mrs. Whipple gives a wonderful list of resources to explore. I hope you enjoy exploring Laura's books and activities as much as we have this winter. 

Heavenly Father, thank you for the winter days to explore history, activities from past days, and new recipes from the old. Thank you, we can anticipate the coming of spring and the renewal of our hearts and minds. In Jesus's name. Amen