Lying Tongue

Proverbs 12:19-20, "Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment. There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace."

I went to bed last night thinking of the people I know, those who I thought I could trust, but because of their lying, I no longer trust anything about them. If there is anything that can ruin your relationships more, it is the lying we do to ourselves and to others. I have been this person. I have lied to those that I said that I loved. That road was the hardest to repave than any other. It was the lying to myself that I had to face first. We have a tendency to believe what we ourselves say. Our heart always knows the truth, but we can convince our minds to believe it. In Proverbs 6, seven things that the Lord hates are listed. Lying is the second. For when you lie about one thing, chances are you will lie about anything. Then no one can trust you.

Here are a few examples that most anyone can relate to. You (I) have either been this person, or you know them. First, if you have maxed out your credit card, then instead of paying it off, you go out and get another to do the same with; you are not only a lier, but a thief. When we do this we really have no intention of paying for that item, or that trip, or that.... you can fill in the blank. When we do this we are not only lying to the credit card people, but we are lying to those who see us spend money that way. We are pretending to be someone we are not. We become prideful and arrogant. Another example is someone that has gotten a divorce and blamed everything that went wrong on their spouse. The tendency is to blame everything on the other person, instead of recognizing your own sins in the relationship. I think this could be one reason why the bible says not to get a divorce. It is because we have a tendency to go on believing our own lies. For example: If when you are married and you have a messy house and you blame your spouse for that mess, who is to blame if you are still living in a mess when you no longer live with that person? When I was married to my ex I blamed him for my drug use. When he was no longer around, whose fault was it when I was still sneaking around getting high!

We are constantly lying to ourselves and in doing this we remain in bondage. In order to get out of that bondage we must learn to see ourselves for what we really are instead of blaming others and trying to not only deceive them, but deceive ourselves as well. We have been called to walk in truth and light. In order to do this we must first be truthful to ourselves about everything. We cannot blame our spouse for our bad decisions, or our bad attitude. He has called us to be a good example for them no matter what they are doing. Our society has made it very easy for us to walk around as liers. We have Internet and televisions in our homes, so no one can really see what we are looking at. We have credit cards and loans from banks, so it looks like we have more money than we really do. We can easily get a divorce and move on to our next spouse. We as a society have placed the blame on everyone else so much that no one is responsible any longer for their own sins. We no longer even call it a sin, but a mistake. If we do not come out and start looking at ourselves for what we really are, we will no longer need Christ and the cross. It is in seeing ourselves and our sins for what they really are that we can turn to Him and ask for forgiveness. It is in seeing and admitting truth that His truth and freedom reigns.

Eventually no one will believe a word you say, so you must first stop believing your own lies. Look to the truth and the truth will set you free. Anyone who walks in the darkness will stumble, but all who walk in the light of truth will be able to run freely. Can you see where you are walking, or are you walking blind thinking that others cannot see you either? There is only one who is blind in a relationship and that is the lier themselves.

Truth Revealed (Psalm 90)

Psalm 90, "Lord, through all the generations you have been our home! Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God."

This morning I got my cup of coffee and headed straight for my front porch. I sat for some time just soaking in the sounds of the world waking around me. My blanket covered me and the warmth of the cup in my hands kept me from the cold of the crisp mountain air. The longer I sat the more I noticed about the sweet aroma and the sounds of the mountains. Have you ever sat long enough that you can start hearing the different calls of the birds so that they all of a sudden become individuals, instead of a sound of just mixed noises. Oh, how I love my mornings with my Lord. It is in these most precious times that I am awakened to His mighty power and love.

I was lead to Psalm 90 this morning. It starts with the awesomeness of God and His mighty creation. He was here before this mighty creation was formed. He is the everlasting... I woke this morning first becoming aware of Him and His creation. But then the Psalm takes a turn I did not want to see this morning...
"You turn people back to dust, saying, 'Return to dust, you mortals!' For you, a thousand years are as a passing day, as brief as a few night hours. You sweep people away like dreams that disappear. They are like grass that springs up in the morning. In the morning it blooms and flourishes, but by evening it is dry and withered. We wither beneath your anger; we are overwhelmed by your fury. You spread out our sins before you— our secret sins—and you see them all. We live our lives beneath your wrath, ending our years with a groan. Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away. Who can comprehend the power of your anger? Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve."

It starts with the awesomeness of Him and His creation, then it brings us to His wrath. I hate to think about the time of wandering that I have done and still do. I don't like to think of the pain and dryness of this world. Those times when God has allowed me to turn my back upon Him. Those secret sins. "You spread out our sins before you— our secret sins—and you see them all." Nothing is hidden. My heart is always exposed before Him, even when I cannot see the truth in myself- He does. Oh, but when the truth is revealed the joy that He truly desires for me is right there in the morning.

"Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom. O Lord, come back to us! How long will you delay? Take pity on your servants! Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives. Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good. Let us, your servants, see you work again; let our children see your glory. And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful!"

Through realizing the truth about how I act and spend my time, through seeing the truth, I will gain wisdom and with wisdom I can enjoy my life. We are a foolish people for we often turn our backs upon God, but He always takes pity on us and satisfies us in the morning, for each new dawn brings new life. He will give us a gladness that is in proportion to our former misery! If we will allow Him to have our past, He will give us a new day today that far out weighs our sorrow from yesterday. I want to hear my God speaking truth about my life to me. Sometimes that truth does not bring me an instant feeling of contentment, but of rejection. It is when I allow Him to continue to speak to me in the morning that I can make good what He has taught me and my song of joys begin. It is in looking at the ugly truth, that the true beauty is revealed in me, for my body is the Temple of the Most High God. It is in looking to truth that wisdom is born and my children will see His glory. Through His glory I will sing, instead of groan. Through wisdom, this day has a new dawn. Can you sing a new song this day? Can you see the blessings that lay before you? This day He want to give you gladness in proportion to our former misery! This day He can replace the evil years with good.

Oswald Chambers, "If we are going to live as disciples of Jesus, we have to remember that all efforts of worth and excellence are difficult. The Christian life is gloriously difficult, but it difficulty does not make us faint and cave in—it stirs us up to overcome. Do we appreciate the miraculous salvation of Jesus Christ enough to be our utmost for His highest—our best for His glory?... Thank God that He does give us difficult things to do! His salvation is a joyous thing, but it is also something that requires bravery, courage, and holiness. It tests us for all we are worth. Jesus is “bringing many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10), and God will not shield us from the requirements of sonship. God’s grace produces men and women with a strong family likeness to Jesus Christ, not pampered, spoiled weaklings. It takes a tremendous amount of discipline to live the worthy and excellent life of a disciple of Jesus in the realities of life. And it is always necessary for us to make an effort to live a life of worth and excellence."

How I love my new song! How I love the truth that He reveals...

Listening to God Today

Oswald Chambers, "We always have visions, before a thing is made real. When we realize that although the vision is real, it is not real in us, then is the time that Satan comes in with his temptations, and we are apt to say it is no use to go on. Instead of the vision becoming real, there has come the valley of humiliation.
'Life is not as idle ore,
But iron dug from central gloom,
And batter'd by the shocks of doom
To shape and use.'
God gives us the vision, then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of the vision, and it is in the valley that so many of us faint and give way. Every vision will be made real if we will have patience. Think of the enormous leisure of God! He is never in a hurry. We are always in such a frantic hurry. In the light of the glory of the vision we go forth to do things, but the vision is not real in us yet; and God has to take us into the valley, and put us through fires and floods to batter us into shape, until we get to the place where He can trust us with the veritable reality. Ever since we had the vision God has been at work, getting us into the shape of the ideal, and over and over again we escape from His hand and try to batter ourselves into our own shape."

This morning I started my reading with Oswald. I don't usually do this, but this morning I did and in this I was reminded of my vision that God has given me. He has asked me to share with others what I have learned. Most people do not want to share with everyone everything about their life. Most people probably should not share everything, for this is not easy and if God had not asked me to do this then I would not be able to withstand the pressures afterward. But I have been called to do this. It burns within me and I cannot help but to do what I am doing. We all have something like this within each of us. We are here to be of use by God and if we will allow Him to speak to us, we can hear the call within us.

The hard part of allowing God to do His work in His timing. Some may think they have a great vision, but instead of allowing God to work through them, they take the matter into their own hands. This is a dangerous thing to do for like Abimelech in Judges 8:31-9:57, you can become overconfident, power hungry and ruthless. He took advantage of his father's position without imitating his father's character. This is something that I see many people doing. They think that since they have been born into a family that has established a reputation that reputation is theirs, without realizing that they are responsible for their own actions and what they do with their life. Many live on their families vision, without listening to the individual call of God upon their individual life.

Yet, others settle for no vision at all, just like Oswald said, "and we are apt to say it is no use to go on. Instead of the vision becoming real, there has come the valley of humiliation." Or we take the easy road and give our life little responsibility and pretend that doing really nothing to stretch yourself for God is a humble thing to do. This is the easy, yet very unfulfilling walk of most of us.

God never puts a desire within us and stands back and either expects us to go out and achieve it in our own time in our own way, or for us to feel like we are not worthy of this calling and that it is foolish for us to dream. If we are seeking Him and what His desires are, then we will always succeed. We will alway find a fulfillment in this life that nothing else could ever give us in our own searches.

Psalm 25, "O Lord, I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God! Do not let me be disgraced, or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat. No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others. Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love, which you have shown from long ages past. Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth. Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O Lord. The Lord is good and does what is right; He shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them His way. The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep His covenant and obey His demands. For the honor of your name, O Lord, forgive my many, many sins. Who are those who fear the Lord? He will show them the path they should choose."

Has God shown you your path? Are you willing to reach out and to be used by God in every chance He gives you? Are you claiming God's ways, but actually walking in your own? Are we listening to God today??

Recognizing and being set Free from Sin

Psalm 32:1-5, "Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, 'I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.' And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone."

Sin is a weird and wild thing. It can grab hold of us without us even realizing that we are sinning. My sin for some years now has been food. I loved food so much that I was unwilling to eat what I knew I should in order for my body to be healthy. I would even grab something when no one was looking, you know, sneak that delicatessen. That sin was easy for me, for it never showed up outwardly upon my figure, but inwardly I was in pain and my guilt was killing me without me even wanting to see it. It is not that I can never have anything, but those things were controlling me.

Definition of sin-- “Whatever weakens your reasoning, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes away your relish for spiritual things. In short, if anything increases the authority and power of the flesh over the spirit, then that to you becomes sin, however good it is in itself.” (Susana Wesley, RZ)

Here recently I asked God's forgiveness for this sin. My sin was not only cheating and loving those sweet morsels and struggling in giving them up, but it was in treating God as if He did not know. The truth is, when you think no one else knows but you, there is at least one other who knows even more than you do about what you are doing. I think in retrospect, this has always been my sin. I treat God as if He is not omnipotent/omnipresent. I believe in my mind that He does not really care about my everyday life. While my mind is saying one thing, my heart is crying out for something that it knows my mind is missing. This tearing between my heart and my mind is the war within. It has been through my confession and my willingness to listen not only with my mind but my heart as well that I have found the strength, the desire, the ability to change. It is in combining these two resources, instead of them waring within that this past holiday, 4th of July, has not been a totally horrific burden.

Psalm 32:8-11, "The Lord says, 'I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.' Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord. So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey Him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!"

In opening my heart and mind towards God and His desires to show me a new path for learning to love myself, I planned ahead for this holiday with friends and food. I either took something with me that I could eat myself, or I just ate before we left. I did not feel left out and I did not feel burdened. He came in and allowed my mind to see what my heart had been calling out this entire time. I needed to set myself apart so that I could learn to love the unlovable... myself. I have seen His grace, mercy, and patience. Now He is teaching me how to see me as He sees me. In order to see this I must be set free from all desires that are controlling me and restraining me from learning to love myself.

Oswald Chambers, "...In spiritual issues it is customary for us to put God first, but we tend to think that it is inappropriate and unnecessary to put Him first in the practical, everyday issues of our lives. If we have the idea that we have to put on our “spiritual face” before we can come near to God, then we will never come near to Him. We must come as we are..."

What is the sin in your life that you may think no one else knows about? Are you waring within?

Will they call me Happy?

Proverbs 31:28-31, "Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 'Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.' Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate."

I heard a study done by Beth Moore at one time and I keep replaying it in my mind. In verse 28, "Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also..." I learned through Beth that the word blessed is actually the word Asher, which when directly translated means "happy". "Her children arise and call her happy; her husband also..."

When I think of my life, my attitude toward life; I have to wonder would people see me and call me happy. When they think of me, do they see joy unsurpassing? The woman in Proverbs 31 is supposed to be the ideal woman. She is diligent with her work. Her husband, her friends, her children can trust her. She is good with money. She is energetic. "She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs with no fear of the future."

As I look at my life I have to compare myself with this woman. I have to see her and see strength. But, I must also ask myself, what gives her these qualities? When I see certain people, whatever their walk in this life may be, what I notice most is their attitude. Some people have a spring in their step, even when you know their feet are hurting. When I think of Jesus alive and walking on this earth, I think of His smile, even though He was seen in Isaiah 53 much differently. "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering."

Today is my oldest sons 7th birthday. Would he call me happy, or would he call me tired and grumpy? Luckily he is young and I can do better today than I did yesterday. My tomorrow with him will not be filled with sorrows. When he thinks of his childhood, I want him to to rise and call me happy. When others see me, I do not want them to see a woman who is battling physically with MS, but I want them to see a woman who is happy. No matter what my situation may be, it does not matter if my husband is perfect or not (which he is not, no one is); it does not matter if my children obey me right when I ask them to do something or not (which they don't); my situation should never predict my joy. My joy should always predict my attitude about life and my joy should always come from my Lord. "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering." Yet, He is known as the Light of this world and we are to have a joy with Him that no situation can take from us. Today would my husband and children rise and call me happy? Tomorrow when my children are grown, will they look back on their childhood and say that their mother was happy? I say that I am happy. Does my reactions/actions reflect what I think I am, or am I lying to myself?

Oswald Chambers, "If the closest relationships of a disciple’s life conflict with the claims of Jesus Christ, then our Lord requires instant obedience to Himself. Discipleship means personal, passionate devotion to a Person— our Lord Jesus Christ. There is a vast difference between devotion to a person and devotion to principles or to a cause. Our Lord never proclaimed a cause— He proclaimed personal devotion to Himself. To be a disciple is to be a devoted bondservant motivated by love for the Lord Jesus. Many of us who call ourselves Christians are not truly devoted to Jesus Christ. No one on earth has this passionate love for the Lord Jesus unless the Holy Spirit has given it to him. We may admire, respect, and revere Him, but we cannot love Him on our own. The only One who truly loves the Lord Jesus is the Holy Spirit, and it is He who has “poured out in our hearts” the very “love of God” (Romans 5:5 ). Whenever the Holy Spirit sees an opportunity to glorify Jesus through you, He will take your entire being and set you ablaze with glowing devotion to Jesus Christ."

If I keep my focus on Christ and not my circumstances, then others will see me and call me happy!

Lights Freedom

Oh how I love my mornings with my Lord. I love to sit on the front porch listening to the earth wake and see the sky change in its glorious colors. This is my most precious time of day. This is how I prepare for my day. John 1, "In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it." In Him I have light and in Him I am free. I love this and I love that He knows me. Some people may think that I am always down upon myself since I so freely share my struggles, but this is not the case at all. I know myself, for I have studied Him. In seeing Him I know that I can trust Him, but I also see the truth about me when I see Him. And this is okay for He loves me, but He knows not to trust me. Without Him I am weak. Without Him there is only darkness.

John 2:24, "But Jesus didn’t trust them, because He knew human nature. No one needed to tell Him what mankind is really like." He loves me, but He does know that I will never be perfect. He does not trust Himself to me in that way. He knows that I will make mistakes and He knows that I will out right sin against myself and against Him. In recognizing this, admitting this, and being willing to look at myself with truth, this is how I have found true freedom and this is how I will learn to love myself more. He has not called me to save myself from sin and corruption, but He has called me to look to the light of truth so that I can learn to walk closer to Him. As long as I am loving Him and walking toward Him, when I see myself for what I really am I will not find condemnation, but I will find salvation and a wanting to change what He has shown me. I love it when I finally see myself for what is really going on in myself. For when I finally see the truth, that is when I find freedom. And that is why I love my Lord so much.

John 3, "Jesus replied, 'I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.' 'What do you mean?' ...Jesus replied, 'I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life... For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in Him. But anyone who does not believe in Him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”

I am okay with my weaknesses, but I am not content with them. I want to see the truth. I want to know that I am doing the right thing in everything that I do. I want this for that is where my freedom is found.

Oswald Chambers, "We say that there ought to be no sorrow, but there is sorrow, and we have to accept and receive ourselves in its fires. If we try to evade sorrow, refusing to deal with it, we are foolish. Sorrow is one of the biggest facts in life, and there is no use in saying it should not be. Sin, sorrow, and suffering are, and it is not for us to say that God has made a mistake in allowing them. Sorrow removes a great deal of a person’s shallowness, but it does not always make that person better. Suffering either gives me to myself or it destroys me. You cannot find or receive yourself through success, because you lose your head over pride. And you cannot receive yourself through the monotony of your daily life, because you give in to complaining. The only way to find yourself is in the fires of sorrow. Why it should be this way is immaterial. The fact is that it is true in the Scriptures and in human experience. You can always recognize who has been through the fires of sorrow and received himself, and you know that you can go to him in your moment of trouble and find that he has plenty of time for you. But if a person has not been through the fires of sorrow, he is apt to be contemptuous, having no respect or time for you, only turning you away. If you will receive yourself in the fires of sorrow, God will make you nourishment for other people."

http://utmost.org/receiving-yourself-in-the-fires-of-sorrow/

New Life/Freedom Living

Oswald Chambers, "Not being reconciled to the fact of sin— not recognizing it and refusing to deal with it— produces all the disasters in life. You may talk about the lofty virtues of human nature, but there is something in human nature that will mockingly laugh in the face of every principle you have. If you refuse to agree with the fact that there is wickedness and selfishness, something downright hateful and wrong, in human beings, when it attacks your life, instead of reconciling yourself to it, you will compromise with it and say that it is of no use to battle against it. Have you taken this “hour, and the power of darkness” into account, or do you have a view of yourself which includes no recognition of sin whatsoever?"

These past few months I have been looking often at Sodom's sins, mainly due to the fact that homosexuality had been brought to my attention often. But these past few weeks, using these same verses that I had been studying for others, He showed me my own sin. Ezekiel 16:49, "Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness..." Gluttony, that is the one. I never would have thought that gluttony would be my sin that God would ever show me. I am not going to say that it is a sin of excess clothes, money, or whatever most people choose to put in the place of gluttony. I am going to come out and say that I am a textbook definition of a glutton- it's food! I weigh 120 lbs and God has shown me that I, like so many others, struggle with food. Food is my sin.

I recently spent three weeks in Texas seeing doctors for my MS. I have been struggling for some time now with almost debilitating fatigue. I have known that I needed to change my diet for years, but I did not want to. I like my coffee in the morning, but I was drinking too much and now my adrenal glands are destroyed. I wanted to eat like everyone else and I wanted it all to be the easy fast way we as a society have come to enjoy. I felt like God should just heal me without any change from me, for I know He can. I almost felt like He was punishing me or not loving me if He did not take this from me by miraculous healing. Then He led my heart to another verse.

Daniel 1, "The king assigned them a daily ration of the best food and wine from his own kitchens...But Daniel was determined (But Daniel made up his mind) not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods."

We are as Sodom was. What are our sins as a nation? Could they be pride, laziness and gluttony? I want the quick fix. It would be much easier on my flesh if I could just take a pill, get a shot, get a miraculous healing, and all my problems go away. I want the fast food, that quick meal so that nothing is hard or messy. I want to eat my treats like I deserve them, instead of how they were meant, as a treat. Treats are Not something we eat everyday. I am a follower of Christ the most high God and He has called me to live in the world, but not as the world. He has given me my body as His temple. Why would He reward me when I am continually destroying His temple. He loves me! Now it is time for me to start treating myself with the same love He has called me to love others.

I repent of my sin. I am sorry that I abused my body in so many ways. I am sorry that I have not treated my Lord with respect by expecting Him to once again clean up my mess. I am sorry that I have fought against Him and chosen the world instead of following what I knew was best for me and others around me. I will learn to enjoy His treats the way He meant them. I am sorry I have sinned with the sin of gluttony.

It has been four weeks now since my eyes were opened to my sin. It has been four weeks of living as I should. For the first time I am now free. I feel more freedom in this life choice than I ever have. There was no freedom in being a slave of food. Now I have made up my mind as Daniel did and my healing has begun. My soul, my spirit is free! It will be work, but He has not called me to be lazy. Thank You Lord, for opening my eyes so that I could see. Thank You for showing me a new way to live and love myself. Thank You, for giving me the strength today, so that my tomorrow will be even better.

http://utmost.org/reconciling-yourself-to-the-fact-of-sin/