Author: Margaret

Christian, justice seeker, truth chaser, freedom walker, word-nerd, self-proclaimed poetess and writer...

The Hope in 2020

Margaret2 Comments
Apple Valley Storefront, Townsend, TN

While the enemy has the free world arguing over whose life matter’s more, God is saying, “Children, draw near to Me.  Seek Me first.  Love your neighbors as yourselves.   Treat others the way you want to be treated.  Forgive.”

It is important to remember that not everyone claiming to be a Christian is, in fact, a child of God.  False teachers will always be among us, and they are well-followed.  Often their ideologies are quite inviting.  If what you are hearing causes even small red flags to wave, compare what you are hearing with what is in the Word of God.   And if it doesn’t line up…no matter how “good” it sounds, shake the dust off your feet quickly, and shun the very appearance of evil.  Not every Bible-quoter is of a pure heart, and often they twist the words just enough to make the wrong way sound enticing.  Know the Word well enough to not be drawn in.

Conversely, Christians make mistakes, say the wrong things, take the wrong action…sin.  Yep.  We sin.  And it rarely goes unnoticed; that alone should make us always aware of how we act and the choices we make.  Others are watching, and we should be light in this dark world.  Forgive others, forgive yourselves, and make the time daily to be in your prayer closet for alone time with Jesus…wherever your “closet” may be!  With more time spent in prayer, we just may find ourselves consistently choosing the right way over the easy, often sinful, way.  

You will not convince anyone else that you are right any more than they will convince you that they are right. We are living in a world where people are confused and deceived, and they do not care about truth or facts.  We can’t fight that…and the battle isn’t ours, anyway, it belongs to the Lord.  Don’t allow yourselves to be drawn into arguments over whether or not black vs blue vs all lives matter…or any other current social debate.  The stench of the world will envelop you if you get involved in the fracas.  Just don’t go there…no matter how hard it is (and keeping our mouth closed can be quite hard at times).   You have to remember that when people aren’t seeking truth, truth will make them mad.  It must matter to us, though, and the one who can pour out Truth is the one we need to be talking to…not the one who is convinced you are a bigot. 

We have an election coming up.  It’s going to be a very volatile time in our country, even more so than it is right now, though that is hard to imagine.   We need to start covering the election in prayer, and I cannot stress the importance of it enough, my Christian brothers and sisters!  The devil is desperately seeking to steal kill and destroy us; and in our mortal bodies, we are useless to fight him, and the greater masses of our population are standing with the devil, not with God.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Ephesians 6:12

I would like to think a godly person already knows who NOT to vote for, but I’d be wrong in thinking that.  Deception is so much louder than Truth!  So while we are praying for an honest and fair election, let’s cover Donald Trump in prayer, as well.  And why stop with him?   Pray for all the candidates…from the local ones all the way up.   This mission isn’t a minute or two a day project.   It requires a real commitment.   Are you ready to commit to prayer for a better, safer, God blessed, Holy Spirit infused country?  

Friends, don’t be distracted by the very things that are put in place by the enemy to divide!   America is in peril, and it does no good to point fingers and place blame on any one person or entity.  We must start doing what God has instructed us to do, starting with repentance.  Then we do those other things He instructed us to do:  Seek Him first.  Draw near to Him.  Do good.  Love others.  Forgive.   It has to start somewhere, and it may as well be you and me.  We cannot change others, but we know the One who can. Pray, Friends, pray! 

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle 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.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.  Ephesians 6:10-18

How Now, 2020 Foul

Margaret6 Comments

How much chaos can we pack in to one year? A lot, it appears! But the better question to ask is, “How can God us this to further His kingdom?” If all of this has hit you particularly hard and it’s hard to see light at the end of the dark tunnel remember, all you need is faith the size of a mustard seed…faith that He is who He says He is. No matter how bad things get, we can find the faith to believe He is who He says He is!

How should we respond to the unrest and turmoil economically, politically, and socially? By remembering what He says…because “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in Heaven.”(Psalm 119:89)

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. (Psalm 56:3)

The LORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.
(Zephaniah 3:17)

FMF Post: More HERE

Tunnel image by jkoch562 from Pixabay

The Shifting…

Margaret2 Comments

When this is all over, when people calm down, businesses reopen, schools are accessible, and the doors of churches are opened again…we will live in a different world.  Everyday life as we know it is shifting, and the weight of prayer will decide which way things shift.  Seek Him first.  Pray without ceasing. Find out what God’s word says…if you are not studying your Bible, get it out and begin reading.   Psalms, Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians, Galatians, all are a great place to begin, or begin with Genesis…just read!  I pray that God opens our understanding so that we comprehend the scriptures!  (Luke 24:45)  May He open our eyes that we may see wondrous things from His law (Ps 119:18)

Today begins Passover.   There is no doubt that Christians need to be praying passionately during this season for our nation that God will lift this plague that has beset us…that He will pass us over.  There is a lot more going on with this virus on a spiritual level, and few of us have taken the time to truly seek God and His thoughts and His plan for where we go from here.

PRAYER for today:
O God, You have cast us off; You have broken us down; You have been displeased; Oh, restore us again! You have made the earth tremble; You have broken it; Heal its breaches, for it is shaking. You have shown Your people hard things; You have made us drink the wine of confusion.

Psalm 60:1-3

I am not saying that God caused this.  But there’s no denying He has allowed it, and He has a reason for all He does.  It could be that His foremost purpose is that we would begin to seek Him.  Could God be gently warning us with how quickly American people and the economy have been shut down? It is not just about a virus or just about America; God’s people are all over the world, and we know the scripture well: “If my people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face…”  (2 Chronicles 7:14) Don’t you imagine that outside of America, God’s persecuted children have been crying out for His return for decades? 

Who can disagree that our politicians and our media made this virus political, and I don’t believe they meant any of it for good. It is imperative that we pray for our leaders.  Even if you don’t like President Trump, put your feelings aside and do what the Bible tells the Children of God to do:  Pray for those in authority (1 Timothy 2:2).  If you don’t know where to begin with, start with his salvation, that he will be a born again, on fire, Bible-believing thorn in the devil’s side.  Pray that God continue to surround him with God-fearing men and women, people who know how to listen for the voice of God in decisions and in advising the President.  Pray for his protection, strength, and wisdom, godly wisdom.  Pray for God to have His way in the life of our president, in the lives his cabinet, and in the lives of all our elected officials.

People are afraid this God’s final judgement, that He is pouring out His wrath on America because we have turned our back on Him.  It is true that God is angry with the wicked every day (Psalm 7:11), but if you are feeling hopeless, anxious, or angry in this time, take comfort in knowing that people have been earnestly praying for America for years.  Remember Abraham’s request of the Lord: “Suppose ten (righteous) are found there?   And He answered, “On the account of the ten, I will not destroy it.”  

God loves justice.  I don’t believe He enjoys pouring out judgment on His people, but if you read the Old Testament, you know that He did, and there were times it was quite harsh.  In His mercy, He is giving us a reminder to turn to Him.  What will you do with your choice?   He loves us all.   Let’s love Him back.

We Shall Behold Him (written by Dottie Rambo, sung by Sandy Patty)

Power Exchange: Part 2

Margaret2 Comments

Before we can fully understand the freedom given to us by Christ Jesus, you must understand the what was purchased on His cross.    When you begin to know the Truth, you will fall deeply in love with the Savior who already zealously and tenderly loves you.  It is at this place that you realize the freedom that is Jesus Christ.

It is not a pretty story, the story of Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified.  He was deeply distressed in the Garden of Gethsemane, knowing He would soon be arrested. He told Peter, James, and John who were with Him, that He was sorrowful to the point of death.  His anguish was so great, Luke tells us, that His sweat was like falling drops of blood.  Three times He asked God to release Him from this mission, ending each request with, “Nevertheless, not My will, but Your will be done.”  Meanwhile, His disciples, who Jesus had asked twice to watch and pray with Him, slept. (Matthew 26, Luke 22) 

When Jesus prayed “If possible, let this cup pass from Me…” it wasn’t as much about the brutal physicality of the cross as it was the heaviness of the sin that He alone would bear, that only He could bear.  The bodily torture He would face was an unthinkable burden to bear, but his grief was about something far deeper than physical pain, more than the knowledge that He would face the cross alone, that Judas would betray Him, His disciples would forsake Him, that Peter would deny Him.  There would be the moment while He hung in agony, beaten (Isaiah 52 tells us that His body was marred more than any man), crowned with thorns, and nailed to an unforgiving slab of wood, that He would become a curse for us.  The depths of Hell would reach up and place on Him the unimaginable weight of all sin, past, present, and future, and He would become all of the vile ugliness of the choices mankind had made and would make, even yours and mine, as he hung gasping for breath on the cross.  With Jesus becoming the sin of all mankind, God cursed Him, and the holy Father would have no choice but to withdraw because sin could not exist in God’s presence.  And God poured His wrath out on Jesus.   For the only time in His humanity, He would be without the Father.  Then, with the proclamation, “It is finished!” He committed His spirit into the hands of the Father, and died an innocent man for our guilt.   (John 19, Luke 23)

With those words, “It is finished,” not one more thing had to be done for our freedom, nothing more from Jesus, and certainly nothing from us.  The full price had been paid, bought with His blood.  Jesus had humbly and obediently completed everything necessary for our salvation and clear the way for us to boldly approach the throne of God’s grace.  The blood shed at Calvary is of much more value than anything we can name or desire, and all that it gives us cannot be fully realized with our human minds. 

When we accepted Jesus as our personal savior, His blood saved us from His wrath (Romans 5:9).  His blood redeems us, providing forgiveness and grace (Ephesians 1:7); and cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7). 

As if salvation wasn’t enough, His blood accomplishes even more!  It sets us free:

  • John 8:36 AMP – So if the Son makes you free, then you are unquestionably free.
  • 2 Corinthians 3:17 NKJV –  Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.  When we turn to the Lord, the veil of blindness is removed (verse 16) and we can see and reflect the glory of the Lord (verse 18).  The glory of the Lord knows no bondage!
  • Romans 8:1 – There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
  • Galatians 5:1 NKJV – Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.  The NLT says it this way: “So Christ has truly set us free, now make sure you stay free…” 

How are we free?  By fully trusting in the cleansing, liberating power of the blood. But how do you do that when you are walking around in chains? We’ll talk about that real soon!

Tulips (University of North Alabama, Florence, AL)