Verse and Message (Week of Sept 20-26, 2009) September 24, 2009

 

Ephesians 4:27

Do not give the devil a foothold.

 

Ephesians 6:10-11; 14-18a

Put on the full ARMOR OF GOD so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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 SHOES OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE. In addition, 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.

  

I have a favorite pair of jeans that I really can’t live without. Ok, well, if I had to give them up I could, but I wouldn’t want to. They are so comfortable, and the crazy thing — I paid for them with holes and fray already manifested within them.

 

Saturday, I volunteered at the ERA / Oxford Realty 8K that Johnny and Liz Montgomery host each third Saturday in September. I decided I would wear my “holy” jeans as I like to call them, because they are truly set-apart from the rest of my denim choices, and I wanted to be comfortable. 

 

The weather here in Birmingham has been anything but dry. It’s possible we have had enough rain in the past couple of weeks to make up for the lack of rain that occurred last year. The problem with consistent rainfall is that there’s a particular insect that thrives in the overwhelming humidity. This insect happens to be one of my least favorite of God’s creatures (which I would be hard-pressed to include a pair for the ark that I considered building). They are a pesky nuisance of the insect family – mosquitoes.

 

I am a magnet to those pests. They will find a place to feast on my body no matter what I am wearing. If there is one mosquito in a room of one hundred people, I will certainly be the target. Well, that wet day at the race, those irritants managed to find the holes and fray in my jeans…and they had a party. I am still scratching those bites….OUCH. 

 

The Lord dropped in my spirit an interesting revelation as I was scratching that afternoon. Mosquitoes attack what is most vulnerable. Mosquitoes have no mercy. Mosquitos suck the life out of you.

 

I realize that there have been times in my journey when I have become complacent and slack in my walk. Such negligence has allowed holes or fray in my spirit for the enemy to set up a tailgate and have a party. These moments can cause so much discomfort that it’s difficult to focus on anything else. We cannot allow ourselves to become vulnerable, lest the devil will get a foothold.

 

We have to protect ourselves with the Full Armor of God, and we must stay alert in order to resist his bites of vengeance. We cannot leave one crevice open.

 

According to Charles Stanley’s words in When the Enemy Strikes, there are four goals of our enemy:

 

1.  To draw you away from God.

2.  To thwart God’s purpose from your life.

3.  To deny the glory of God in your life.

4.  To destroy you in any way he can, including physical health.

–Just a sidenote I recall from literature class–

Would you believe another name for the devil is “Old Scratch?”

 

It’s important to recognize that Jesus overcame the powers of darkness in His work at the Cross, and we have been given the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions…and mosquitoes. The Blood of the Lamb extinguished all demonic powers.

 

Nonetheless, our enemy is a liar and he will attempt to brainwash us into believing that we are powerless against his schemes. The key is to keep our eyes on Christ. When we take our eyes off of Jesus, we are apt to compromise initially….and compromise eventually leads to destruction. On the flipside, the more captivated we are by our Savior, the less sin and temptations will entice us. 

 

We must guard our hearts and minds and we need to be intent on calling on our Body Guard each morning to walk with us. Don’t get “comfortable”….stay alert and wear the full armor consistently.

The most active piece of armor is The Sword of the Spirit. When used accurately, effectively, and consistently the Word of God NEVER FAILS.. Jesus proved it’s effectiveness in the wilderness when satan tempted Him.

 

And, lastly, the enemy’s powers are annihilated if we stand strong in prayer. Prayer provides us discernment and direction, greater awareness of sin that we need to confess, and prayer gives us added energy and strength.

 

Pesky mosquitoes crave blood, but we know that satan shivers at the thought of the BLOOD OF JESUS. The primary benefit of redemption as Christians is that we are covered in the BLOOD OF JESUS. But the POWER OF THE BLOOD is only active when we apply His repellant daily and CLAIM IT IN HIS NAME!

 

The Enemy attacks what is most vulnerable.

IN CHRIST WE ARE PROTECTED AND VICTORIOUS!

The enemy has no mercy.

THE MERCY AND GRACE OF OUR SAVIOR IS ETERNAL!

The enemy will suck the life out of you.

JESUS CHRIST IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE!

SUSIE MC

Verse and Message (Week of Sept 13-19, 2009) September 18, 2009

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

 

I was laughing the other day hearing my son quote word for word several lines in a movie. It’s a hobby of his, and he’s quite gifted in reciting movie lines. Most of us can come up with a couple of movie lines, but why do you think that is something we enjoy? The answer is that we all enjoy what is familiar. We like it when we recognize a quote, a line, or famous saying. See if you recognize the following famous movie quotes…..

 

“Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”
FORREST GUMP 1994

  

“You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
JAWS 1975

 

“Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings”

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE 1946
 

“Toto, I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”
THE WIZARD OF OZ 1939

 

“May the Force be with you.”
STAR WARS 1977

 

“E.T. phone home.”
E.T. THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL 1982

 

“Show me the money!”
JERRY MAGUIRE 1996

 

“You can’t handle the truth!”

A FEW GOOD MEN 1992

 

“I see dead people.”
THE SIXTH SENSE 1999

 

“Life moves pretty fast. You don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF  1986

 

“Go ahead make my day.”

SUDDEN IMPACT 1983

 

“H`asta la vista baby!”

TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY 1991

  

It’s interesting to me how fascinated we are in quoting movie scripts as well as song lyrics. Wouldn’t it be amazing, if as many people who could quote a famous line in a movie or a lyric in a Top 40 music hit could quote Scripture as effectively? Imagine the power in that!

  

I have spoken to people who say that they have trouble memorizing Scripture. How do we memorize movie lines and songs? We play them over and over. We learn by repetition. In fact, my friend Jerry has amused his friends on facebook by quoting famous 80’s lyrics in his status update. He will start a line in a song, and a series of replies by his friends are posted with the rest of the song. Some of the songs he has posted are not highly favored by some, and it never fails for someone to claim, “Thanks, now I am going to have that song in my head for days.”

 

Same concept people. If we study the LIVING WORD OF GOD….if we were to experiment with repetition….Scripture would be so easy to claim in any given circumstance. We could call upon the verse and claim it in Jesus Name……and POWER would PREVAIL. There’s nothing more powerful than speaking the Word of God! His Word never returns void!

 

How do you think hymns and worship songs were/are written? They are taken from the Holy Word. So, if you don’t think you have memorized Scripture, well, think again …if you know any worship music or have dedicated to your memory any classic hymns, you have memorized some of Scripture.

 

The most active piece of the Armor of God that we can utilize is the Bible – The Sword of the Spirit. Try it…….you just might get hooked! If you need some help determining a daily reading plan, go to the following link where you can pull up the One Year Bible that we use at Church of the Highlands. It includes a portion of the Old Testament, a portion of the New Testament, a Psalm, and a Proverb as well as a mini devotional to tie it all together.

http://www.churchofthehighlands.com/oneyearbible/

 

IF YOU ARE HUNGRY, THEN EAT!

CHEW ON THIS….

FEED ON THE LIVING WORD OF GOD….

THE ONLY BREAD THAT TRULY SATISFIES ETERNALLY!

SUSIE MC

Verse and Message (Week of Sept 6-12, 2009) September 11, 2009

 

James 1:2
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.

  

Each day we face all kinds of situations that can frustrate or upset us. We wake up late, we forget to put the garbage out, we can’t find our keys, we get caught in traffic, etc. Little inconveniences that can make living life a strain sometimes will take on a domino effect. You have all heard the phrases, “If it’s not one thing, it’s another” or “When it rains, it pours” or “What else can go wrong?” By the way…don’t ask that last question too often, because it can always get worse.

 

Truthfully, sometimes things do seem to snowball. Something may happen, and we get past it like last week when I got a speeding ticket. I am not saying I wasn’t speeding, but there were a gazillion roadblocks in my day, and when I finally got past all the starts and stops, I was on a mission to accomplish an important task…like taking something to my sons school. He had a “well check-up” last Monday, and we had forgotten to get his doctor’s excuse. I was able to get the “well check-up” doctor’s excuse to the school after being pulled over only to have a repeat doctor’s visit that evening, because Connor came home, YES that same day, with Swine Flu. I remembered to pick up the doctors excuse this time, and then headed to the pharmacy in hot pursuit of Tami-flu (but no speeding this time). Unfortunately, the computers were down. I had several prescriptions waiting but couldn’t purchase them without proper operation of the computer system. I felt like I handled it all pretty well. I felt that God gave me a proper dose of patience…

  + +  +

UNTIL….Thursday night when I was in the process of sending out my verse and message, my computer system went down. It took hours to send my weekly message when I finally threw my hands in the air and asked God, “What’s the deal…here I am serving you, and you are allowing this computer glitch to hinder me from sharing your Word?” He stopped me in my tracks quickly……..He said…..”Consider my brother, Paul.” What an eye opener…..and a clear reminder my friends. Check this out….

 

2 Corinthians 11:23-27 (The Message)

I’ve worked much harder, been jailed more often, beaten up more times than I can count, and at death’s door time after time. I’ve been flogged five times with the Jews’ thirty-nine lashes, beaten by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once. I’ve been shipwrecked three times, and immersed in the open sea for a night and a day. In hard traveling year in and year out, I’ve had to ford rivers, fend off robbers, struggle with friends, struggle with foes. I’ve been at risk in the city, at risk in the country, endangered by desert sun and sea storm, and betrayed by those I thought were my brothers. I’ve known drudgery and hard labor, many a long and lonely night without sleep, many a missed meal, blasted by the cold, naked to the weather.

 

When we are running against the enemy in furtherance of the Gospel, why would we expect it to be a cakewalk? The enemy will do whatever he can to break us down and wear us out. The enemy wants us to throw up our hands and give up the Cause of Christ. And, WHY? Because it’s working….our efforts to share the Love of JESUS is working my friends.

 

Paul risked his life each and every day as he served the Lord. I hardly risk my life….and I was complaining about an internet inconvenience? The good news…. I did get the good news out as God allows each week! Sometimes, it’s important not to take for granted the freedom that we still have to share the Gospel. I wouldn’t have wanted to walk in Paul’s shoes….but more importantly, I will NEVER suffer an ounce of what Christ endured, much less Paul’s experiences.

 

Don’t let frustrations and inconveniences in life wear you down….in other words, don’t sweat the small stuff. Instead of sweating it…give it ALL to the Lord. He wants it all. He wants to lift the burden of everything, whether it’s true tough stuff or minor annoyances you face.  

 

CONSIDER JESUS….HE GAVE IT ALL!

LIFE IS GOOD when you are running with Jesus!

CONSIDER IT ALL JOY, because of the JOY in JESUS set before us!

SUSIE MC

Verse and Message (Week of Aug 30-Sept 5, 2009) September 4, 2009

Archives of my weekly Verse and Message can be found at my blog link: http://susiemc.wordpress.com    Psalm 46:10a (NIV) Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 118:24 (NIV) This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.    Leviticus 19:18 (The Message) Don’t seek revenge or carry a grudge against any of your people. Love your neighbor as yourself.    I got a puppy at the end of May, and several of my friends asked me to incorporate “Lena-Belle” in my verse and message since she has brought me such joy.   In the January 11, 2009 of “Parade” in The Birmingham News there was an article written by The Dog Whisperer on “What Your Pet Can Teach You.” I liked the points, but I have taken a few and edited them to my liking as it relates biblically, and I am using Lena-Belle, my puppy, as the reference point. Check out the following thoughts, and see what Lena-Belle is teaching me!   Live In The Moment Dogs don’t regret the past or worry about the future. I can attest, because when Lena-Belle has had an accident, she sure isn’t worried about it more than a few seconds after the incident. The animal kingdom isn’t so much concerned about past mistakes. We humans are tempted to dwell on the past.. A mistake is simply an “opportunity” to improve our future. If we are too busy looking in the rear-view mirror, we are liable to happen upon a more serious accident….   Celebrate Each Day   For a dog, every morning is Christmas morning, every walk is the best walk, every meal is the best meal, and every game is the best game. If we want to embrace each day with all the joy and favor God gives us, we must seize the moment and be grateful for each experience…the small things, the ordinary things, the big things, and even the tough things.    Nurture A Balanced Life Dogs have no trouble doing the balancing act. They eat, they drink, they play, they love, and they sleep. Balance is tricky for humans, especially in our generation. Balance includes taking control of your schedule, relieving pressure with margin, and doing only what you can do. Balance must include recreation as well as relaxation, and maintaining a healty diet. The best way for me to maintain balance is to surrender my schedule each morning to God. Once I give it to Him, somehow He manages to redeem my time and energy. On the days I fail to consult Him, my day gets rushed, stressed, and I end the day dangerously exhausted.   Trust Your Instincts Animals recognize that what’s really going on in any interaction is beneath the surface. As Christians, we have something more powerful than instinct to get our attention. The Holy Spirit within us convicts us and leads us in our interactions and tugs us when something “isn’t right.” This gift works well when we listen and are obedient to that “still small voice” whenever there is a decision to be made or there is a warning in our midst.   Be Direct and Consistent In Communication Clear and consistent communication builds effective relationships no matter what species. Say what you want, and mean what you say. Let your “yes” be yes and let your “no” be no. Most importantly, speak the truth in love.   Learn to Listen Lena-Belle listens even though she’s not always obedient. Her ears perk up when I talk to her. She knows when it’s time to eat, when it’s time to play or go for a walk, or when it’s time to go to bed. If she sat around barking all day, she might miss out on something important. Many times we bark about things. If we would just be still and take time to listen to God, we might get a bonus, just like Lena-Belle gets a dog treat when she listens. Lena-Belle crawls in my lap, but she doesn’t try to fix my problems…she listens and looks at me with her sweet eyes. That’s love.   Don’t Hold Grudges Sometimes I have to leave Lena-Belle in the backyard for hours while I am at work and Connor is at school. Occasionally, a neighbor or family member will come check on her. However, the days she is left alone, she doesn’t have a chip on her shoulder when I get home…she jumps up and down and licks me to pieces like there is no tomorrow. She forgives and totally forgets.   Understand and Live Out Your Purpose Lena-Belle’s first priority is pleasing her master. She gets selfish sometimes, but when all is said and done, she wants to make me happy. Our purpose should be doing whatever God has called us to do to build the Kingdom, pleasing our Master and fulfilling our God-given purpose. When we find our true purpose, our life develops meaning.   I hope these ideas are helpful as you embrace each day God has given you. It definitely grabbed my attention.    IN THIS DOG EAT DOG WORLD…LET’S FEED ON THE HOLY SPIRIT! AFTERALL…ISN’T JESUS MAN’S BEST FRIEND? SUSIE MC