Rain, Rain Don't Go Away

The kids were quietly playing as I folded clothes and talked to my nephew. It had been a slow peaceful morning. Suddenly a rumbling thunder disrupted the calm. What joy! To my knowledge that sound has never held so much promise as it did this morning. We need the rain so badly. Unfortunately we still haven't had any.

Have you ever noticed that rain is always a bad thing in cartoons? Its always portrayed as raining and dark when the bad guy takes over, yet its sunny and beautiful when all is right in the world again. Being in a drought will definitely change that perspective. We need the rain to survive. Every person who has attempted to keep a garden this summer will let you know just how dependent we are on it.

My mind went to this verse, "In this way you show that you are children of your Father in heaven. He makes his sun rise on people whether they are good or evil. He lets rain fall on them whether they are just or unjust." Matthew 5:45 (GWT) I used to think of this verse as talking about trials in reference to the rain. Maybe it is, but notice that "He lets rain fall..." There is a popular Christian song right now that asks the question, "what if your blessings come through rain drops?" I believe the answer is yes.

Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 3:3-4 "so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. For you know quite well that we are destined for them. In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know."

James tells us in his writings to count it all joy when we face trials.

I think trials are like rain. We often get tired of them, just as we do rain during the wettest seasons. They often ruin our life plans like the rain ruins our outdoor fun. However, without trials we will not grow any more than our garden grew this year. Sure it grew some, but it, like many others, was stunted and short lived. Conversely, we will end up stunted and short lived if we never face trials.

When you are going through a time of trials remember this verse: "For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God;" Hebrews 6:7 (NASB)

When the time comes, find a reason to be thankful for your trials, and bring forth vegetation to spiritually feed those around you. You will discover that you also reap blessings from God!

Lord, please help us to see the raindrops in our lives as Your blessings falling from Heaven! Thank you, for letting us be rained on in order to produce vegetation for those in you intend us to minister around us. May our trials bring glory and honor to Your Name. Amen!

Save the Drama

Today's post will comes with a warning. God's word is often not for the faint of heart, and today is one of those days. If you are easily offended, you may not want to proceed...

The issue of strife has been on my mind for a while now. I'm not one to tolerate or listen to whining/complaining. God has helped me to tame this somewhat, but I still have no use for it. I will be quick to let you know that "drama" in the sense that its used to describe people having issues all the time is a sin. No way around it. Its sinful and foolish. "It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling." (Proverbs 20:3KJV) I had a guy once try to whine to me about why he was leaving our church. My response? "Well, we'll see you around I guess." Then I quickly turned and walked away.

My question for you today is, at what point do we mature enough spiritually to not need to be coddled and patronized by your church or your family?

I remember finding the following passage as a teenager and being so convicted. I was a Christian, but at that point in my life (somewhat because of my own actions and somewhat because of the people I had surrounded myself with) strife was consuming my world. It was a miserable way to live and required immediate action. I didn't want God to see me as an abomination!

¹⁶These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
 ¹⁷A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
 ¹⁸An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
 ¹⁹A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. (Proverbs 6:16-19 KJV)

I hadn't done the first six, and it felt as though others had done all but shed my blood. However, my guilt concerning the seventh was not something to be ignored. Hurt had led way to anger and my feelings toward those people were not easily concealed. I didn't mind letting others know how I felt. Someone really should have made me memorize the whole of Titus 3, especially verse two which says, "To speak evil of no man, to be not brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men."

The Bible has much to say about dissension and strife, and none of it is good. In fact, strife is listed among the works of the flesh in Galatians 5, and it clearly states that those who practice such works won't enter the kingdom of heaven. (v19-21)

I encourage you today to think about these things. Examine yourself and let God show you if you are taking part in sowing discord. Are you allowing strife to have a place in your life? Let God change your heart and mind and give you a gentle and forbearing love for all people, so that you can be more like him. Remember always that He has forgiven you for all of the wrongs you've committed, and chances are they are much much greater than those that others have committed against you.

St. Patricks Day

I must start with a disclaimer. The following article is a copy of an articel my friend sent me. I didn't write this! I only wish I was a Celtic scholar! We always celebrate in a big way in the Ford/Kennedy houses for St. Patricks Day. My daughter has yet to figure out why we would have school on such an importan HOLYday. lol! It is the combination of our love for Ireland and missions that makes St. Patrick's Day so special to us. I wanted to share a little insight into the importance of this day to my readers.

WIM - Subcriber Articles St. Patrick Was a Pentecostal Fri, 11 Mar 2011 - 2:49 PM CST By Carolyn Tennant

 

As a Celtic scholar, I find it sad that few people really understand St. Patrick. We have a whole day dedicated to him on our U.S. calendars and generally spend it watching people go crazy wearing green, sponsoring parades, cutting out paper shamrocks, and holding forth in the Irish pubs. He would not be pleased. As far as we are able to piece together his life, Patrick was born around 385 A.D. on the western coast of Britain of a Roman nobleman and a Welsh mother. In his teens he was kidnapped by marauding Irishmen. He soon found himself sold into slavery on the west coast of Ireland, working for a druid as a sheepherder. His more privileged lifestyle in Britain undoubtedly made it difficult for him to survive the extreme temperatures he had to endure while living outside in the elements. In his Confessions he explained that he came to a faith which he had not known before and found himself praying "hundreds of prayers" day and night. In a dream 5 years later he was told to walk east and he would come across a ship which would take him away. This occurred - an unusual event really, since he would have had on an irremovable torc indicating he was a slave, and any Irishman would have normally picked him up and returned him to his master during his 200 mile escape route. The ship he found was taking Irish wolfhounds to Europe, bypassing Britain, but they allowed him to come on board after he was first turned away and then prayed that they would change their minds. The sailors could not find the nomadic tribe who ordered the hounds and went in search of them, nearly starving in the process. The ship's owner finally resorted to asking if Patrick's God could save them. After Patrick prayed, a herd of wild boar careened right through their camp, and the whole ship's crew was saved from starvation. That night Patrick said he "fought the devil" in prayer and he stated that he "spoke in other tongues." This is the exact translation. I have looked it up in the original Latin. The fact that Patrick ultimately felt led by God to go back to Ireland is astounding. This can only be the work of the Holy Spirit in his life. He had every reason to hate his kidnappers. But he had learned their language and had participated in their culture, and he had a heart to see them saved. Going back meant that he could very well be picked up and reinstated into slavery. He laid down his life to return. So bold was he that after 30 years of ministry, what started as an unchristian nation was largely Christianized. He established hundreds of churches, baptized thousands, ordained 42 bishops, founded monasteries, developed a native clergy, and copied by hand no less than 365 abgitoria, books of instruction for the clergy. Many healings and miracles were ascribed to his apostolic ministry. Why bother to consider Patrick's life? First of all, it is another example of the world not understanding the things of God. He has now been reduced to fun and games whereas his real contributions were amazingly strong and vital, resulting in the salvation of thousands of people. It has never been particularly easy for the world to understand what the Holy Spirit is doing. Neither is it today. Let's deal with it. Secondly, so often we find ourselves toiling and feeling like nobody knows or cares, just like Patrick when he was a slave. We, too, can be misunderstood and even harassed. But others before us have endured the same lot, and we should not be surprised when we do, too. We need to stay strong and not give up. Prayer and trust must become our mainstays. We also need to put on the strong love for people that Patrick evidenced by returning to Ireland. He preached everywhere, even when he was opposed. However, he was so savvy and loving in his evangelism, so caring and kind, that he won people over. He respected the Celts' culture and allowed them to come to God through their own background, not by becoming romanized first. We must to be ready to go back in, even to those who have hurt us, and accept them where they are. Finally, Patrick was truly a Pentecostal. He was a giant in intercession who was not afraid to move powerfully in the gifts of the Spirit. He was used in signs, wonders, and miracles, the same sort of means that God wants to use today to push back the darkness. I believe God is looking for people who will step out in faith and yearn to see this nation come back to Him. May Patrick's life be a reminder to us that Pentecostals are a bold people. We go where most would think we are crazy to go. We risk our lives and our well being to see people get saved. It's not about green ... it's all about the mighty power of God! No wimps in our camp, women of God!

 

Carolyn Tennant, Ph.D. is an Assemblies of God minister and professor of English, North Central University, Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is also a committee member of the Network for Women in Ministry.

Get 'er Done

Did I get your attention with my Larry the Cable Guy reference? Good! The boys are watching Cars this morning, and it just seemed to fit. I'm ready to get some things done today! How about you?

 Dueteronomy 1:6-8 "The Lord our God spoke to us at Mount Horeb. He said, 'You have stayed long enough at this mountain.  Take your tents down. Go into the hill country of the Amorites. Go to all of the people who are their neighbors. Go to the people who live in the Arabah Valley. Travel to the mountains and the western hills. Go to the people in the Negev Desert and along the coast. Travel to the land of Canaan and to Lebanon. Go as far as the great Euphrates River.
  'I have given you all of that land. Go in and take it as your own. I took an oath. I promised I would give the land to your fathers. I promised it to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I also said I would give it to their children after them.'"

  I woke up this morning feeling so refreshed and thinking of this passage of scripture. The very fact that I woke up feeling so good and thinking so clear was proof that God was involved! My mind has been full this week of the promises God has given me over the years, and with this train of thought, the understanding that He is waiting on me has becoming more and more clear.

I haven't read this passage in a while, but it was bursting in my mind immdeiately upon waking. I couldn't even remember where it was found. I called Jeff to ask him, and he blurted it out before I finished asking. He had just been reading it! It is so cool when God works that way! There is much to be learned from these few scriptures!

If you stop here, you'd think it was a glorious beginning to His children taking the land he'd promised. Unfortunately, that isn't the case. Moses is retelling the story to the children of the people God was originally speaking to because their parents were all deceased and, after 40 years, they were finally going to do what their dads and moms couldn't: Claim God's promises!

Joshua and Caleb are two of my very favorite characters in the Bible. I like to think that I could be determined in my faith like they are. However, I can be a little like the others at times. People tell me the obstacles between me and my dreams are too big, and I listen to them instead of God. I'm tired of wondering around my mountain of doubts! I've heard the Lord and the promises He has given me, and I'm ready to claim them!

Has God promised you things in your life? Is there a dream He has given you, that you are reluctant to claim? Here are some verses to encourage you!

Habakkuk 2:2 "Then the LORD replied:
   'Write down the revelation
   and make it plain on tablets
   so that a herald may run with it.'"
-God is speaking to Habakkuk about what he has just been shown, but it is a good principal to follow. Write down the promises God has given you and the scriptures that go with them.

Phillipians 3:13-15 "Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
-Read what you've written down periodically to help you stay focused on the goal He has given you.

2 Corinthians 1:20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.
-Memorize this verse! Anytime someone tries to tell you that your dreams are to big or that maybe you misunderstood God. Quote this verse. Anytime it looks as though you'll never see the fullfillment of His promises, quote this verse! Anytime you grow weary from waiting, quote this verse! Just quote it as often as you need to until its embedded in your mind and spirit. Never let go of the hope that is found in this promise!!

Be blessed! And remember "Stand firm, and you will win life. " (Luke 21:19)

Sow What?

Galatians 6:7, 8 (AMP)  "Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside.) [He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.] For whatever a man sows, that and ^]that only is what he will reap.     ⁸For he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life."

It's been almost a month since I posted. Between holidays,snow days, and just plain busy days, I've found myself seeking for both God's direction and the time to write a new post.  God dropped this into my spirit over the last few days, so I wanted to share it.

Mandee and I are planning on planting a garden this year.  She was talking to a friend the other day who has already broken ground on her garden plot.  We will be doing the same soon if we have enough warm days and the tiller my mother-in-law just recieved from her uncle works.  In the meantime, our minds turn to what exactly we will plant in our garden.  We both have the usual favorites (ours anyway): squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, okra, green beans. sweet corn.  My question for today is: What are we planting in our lives?

In the Scripture above, Paul is very plain as he reminds the Galatians of the principle of sowing and reaping: What you plant is what you get.  Only, in the garden of our lives, there isn't always a "one-time"planting and harvesting, but usually a lifetime of filling ourselves with either things of the flesh or things of the Spirit.  The idea of these verses is of one who "makes faces" at God and mocks His rules and set them aside, then does whatever he or she wants to in relation to planting the garden plot of his or her life.  This is the person who says, "I don't care what God or anyone else thinks.  This is my money, my life, my choice (fill in the blank), so I'm going to do whatever I want to do."  And in His divine nature and grace, God gives us the freedom to make these choices.  But...these come at a cost and anyone who thinks otherwise is, in the words of the rock group Styx, "Fooling Yourself".  As I read these verses, I thought of someone at the end of their days, money made, friends and family deceased or at least gone, and goals and ambitions met.  This person may feel like they have harvested an abundance, but really, they have harvested things that will one day burn up.  Jesus mentioned this when he talked about laying up treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not corrupt and thieves do not break through and steal.  This is not to mention that this person may have made choices in his or her life that have actually resulted in disease and decay happening to their body.  Either way, the harvest is ultimately one of ruin, decay, and destruction.

Not so with the one who sows things to the Spirit: prayer, devotion to God, ministering to those who God places in our paths/  These will reap a harvest of everlasting life.  In this day to day life, it may feel like you are not harvesting much for your toils, but take heart in the words of Galatian 6:9 (AMP)   "And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint."  God has promises that in His economy, there will be a payment day, and what we will receive in that harvest will depend on what we have planted.

What to sow, what to sow.......

Father,

Thank you for the freedom you give us.  Many use this freedom as an opportunity to sin.  But I want to use these freedoms to sow things in my life that glorify you.  We all occassionally do things that feed the flesh and not our remade spiritual nature, but please help me to make the conscious choice to sow and plant those things that are of the Spirit.  Help me to water these things with your Word and with your Holy Spirit.  I trust that no matter what happens in this life I will one day receive the results of what I have spent time planting.  As the Scriptures say, may I not be ashamed at Your coming, but may I stand with confidence knowing I have planted things that will last for all eternity.  In Jesus' Name, Amen