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A small town in Alaska is a different type of culture than the rural area surrounding a city where I live. I have come up here almost every year for over ten years. I stay for a week, sometimes ten days. It is wonderful to be a part of our son’s family for a short time.

One of the things I love is family birthday celebrations with the greater family in the area. We have a cookout with fire grilled hamburgers. Children by the dozens are biking all around, playing ball, laughing, yelling, fighting, falling, and it all is so healthy and family oriented. In the distance are glorious mountains partly hidden by the clouds. The view across the inlet never gets old.

The conversation between everyone is continuous. Is that a huge rock I see out there? Or is it a whale? A boat? How many agates did you find on your beach walk? We share updates on the long winter. Town news is given and everyone knows the people by name.

I am listening to all this banter and I am a part of it as a member of the family and yet not a part because I am not a local. So, I do a lot of listening.

Speaking to everyone is a little tricky in this situation. I start to tell the stories of our biking with electric bikes, the family mountain biking on trails, or stories about our church of 6,000 people. Blank stares, confused looks and no personal connection happens with these kind of tales. Oops! That’s a different culture. Those stories push dear ones away rather than draw them near.

The Lord has spoken to me often about how I use my tongue. One of His corrections has to do with never saying demeaning things about people, even in a joking manner.

This is so hard for me. I fail so often. I apologize to the Lord. I ask Him to help me again. I thank Him for forgiveness because of Jesus’ blood shed on the cross and Jesus’ resurrection.

This is what our walk with God is like. We fail. He still loves. We try again. He forgives again when we falter. Our Heavenly Father is so loving.

Oh give thanks to the Lord for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Psalm 107:1

The best path of all is the listening path. Here’s what the Lord says about it:

James 1:19: “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.”

Proverbs 17:28: “Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.”

Proverbs 10:19: “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.”

If you connect with this blog episode, and desire a freedom in the area of finances, we encourage you to go to Amazon and purchase our book with personal activations and engagements to help you heal and deal with these issues. Financial Healing: A Spiritual Journey by Richard and Jackie Nalos is available in soft cover or Kindle on Amazon.

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If you have an upsetting or confusing dream I’d love to partner with you to ask God for a spiritual interpretation. God gives interpretations to everyone, not only Jesus followers. Request assistance by emailing: helpwithmydreams@gmail.com.

Credit to Pixabay for blog tongue photo.

Breakup

Here I am, sitting on the couch, in a cottage in Alaska. An eagle 🦅 just flew overhead as I write. A stream meanders along, bubbling through our wooded backyard and the lake is our view out the side window. It has been a cold, late Spring here. Even so, the sun was up and shining at 10pm last night. My son said the lakes were frozen last week. This week the ice gradually melted. We call it “breakup”.

However as we came to Alaska to visit we heard about a different kind of breakup. It was in the little local church we usually attend. A church split. 😢

Have you ever been through a painful church split?

When the ice in the lakes and streams breakup and the water flows—that’s a good thing. The salmon can eventually swim up this stream that’s in the above picture, later in the season, because of the flowing water.

What’s the metaphor for the little church? God so often uses His Creation to give us pictures of His wisdom.

The ice is coldness of hearts. Break up the ice cold hearted bitterness and offense. Talk to Jesus about it. Let the Holy Spirit heal our hearts. Let the Living Water flow and cleanse us. Relational restoration. Not necessarily back to the same church? But they will know we are Christians by our love, even when we are in different buildings.

Wounded and bandaged hearts can still love because there is enough of God’s grace to go around for everyone.

God always can do good things with the messes we make. He makes our messes into messages.

The best example is Jesus. Even though He died on the cross for our sins, God raised Him from the dead. God made tragedy into our blessings of mercy and grace. We always remember this—it is our Hope in every mess we make in life. It is our Hope for church breakup and every other kind of split. God will make it into something good for His Name sake and for the Kingdom of God. That’s what He does!

All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

Yes, and I remember when God did that for me. We were part of a little church and because of issues we felt we needed to leave. Our hearts were icy, cold and offended. We went back to a previous church and attended there. (We didn’t know at the time that this actually was God‘s best plan for us.) We were hurting and struggling to forgive. Finally, in a worship service, the Lord spoke and said to go back, forgive, and apologize, and make it right. So my husband, on behalf of our family, did the hard work and met with the pastor and elder and apologized. He offered: “If you would like us to come back, we will return. We want things to be right between us.” The men responded, “We want things to be right between us too, but you do not need to return. Just stay where you are.” And that’s how it ended that year. Fast-forward about two years from then—we randomly met the pastor in a little café. We were surprised, but we invited him to eat with us. As we ate lunch together, the pastor humbly gave a full apology to us for what had happened. He said it had not been right. We were amazed and praised the Lord and learned this truth of “breakup”.

What do you think would have happened if we hadn’t broken up our ice-hearts by God’s grace?

Let the Living Water flow!

By God’s grace!

She’s so mad at me!

Have you ever had someone really mad at you? Angry enough to avoid you? Annoyed, displeased and irritated enough to completely ignore you as they pass by you–even though that person has been a pretty close friend or relative. If we live long on this earth, I believe it will happen to each one of us.

I’m remembering a situation where a wise, older, godly, well known ministry person was so frustrated with me that she wouldn’t talk to me or even acknowledge me when she passed by me. And we lived in the same small town, and went to the same little church!

I was not wise, rather I was young. I had little experience in ministry. I was a mommy of little ones. I absolutely did not know what to do in this experience.

But God had mercy on me and by His grace He gave me a strategy that I’ve kept all my lifelong.

I sensed the Lord saying to “keep a bridge open to her.” So I did. I created the bridge of always saying “hello” so it would never be unusual for a greeting to pass between us. I made a bridge of a smile and as much eye contact as possible, in order that someday face to face would feel normal. The bridge included going toward this lady, not away from her to avoid her. My hope was that in the future all would be settled and well between us.

Well, I did what the Holy Spirit said to do in that complicated relationship and eventually, little by little, all went back to normal. We never sat down and discussed the two sides of the disagreement that caused her anger.

But eerily we eventually were closer to each other than we were before the relationship break.

God is so smart, wise, knowledgeable and understanding. He just knows what to do in each difficult relationship situation. I am so glad I listened to Him and obeyed–at least for that one.

Do you have a break in a relationship? Is someone very angry with you?

What is the Holy Spirit telling you to do about it?

If you need help, here are some Bible passages: Click on the arrow.

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18

If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. Matthew 18:15-17

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 1Peter 3:9

Question for thought: What is the role of forgiveness in this situation?

Credit to Pixabay for blog photos.

Mothers

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers!

For decades this time of year around Mother’s Day was a time for me to think about my mother and my mother-in-law. I did not live near them so it was always about what to send them. What gift should I buy? What cards should I send? What sentiments can I write to encourage them this year? When should I send it so it will arrive in time? So in this last decade of my life, my mothers have both gone on to be with Jesus. I am free from this obligation/opportunity. This release feeling always takes me by surprise. Mother’s Day for me now is all about receiving. I relax and receive any affirmation my ‘children’ would like to give me.

Now on Mother’s Day I give thanks to the Lord for my godly mother. I am grateful also for a lovely mother-in-law who broke the cultural mold of ‘mean in-laws’ for me.

Giving out loud thanks to God for who He gave me as mothers is important to me in these latter years.

Memories are another way of giving thanks for my mother. I remember…..I am thinking of the years when my Mum’s schedule opened up because we had moved and my sisters were out of the house. She spent oodles of time with me. She taught me to skate (with hockey boots!) She played games in the snow with my friends and me. She arranged play dates with friends, took me horseback riding, taught me swimming lessons, and drove me back and forth to youth group events continuously. Thanks Mum! Thank you God for a diligent Mother!

What happy memory of your Mother are you thanking God for?

My husband and I like to watch Korean TV episodes with subtitles when we have a free evening. We are learning a lot about the Korean culture–at least the culture that is portrayed. One aspect is the honor, respect and attachment to parents we are seeing. Children’s regard and love for father and mother seems more heartfelt and passionate than in USA.

While I don’t agree with ancestor worship or with talking to dead parents, the Lord is showing me that it is important to honor, respect and remember my parents in godly ways even after they are gone.

You ask: What about the bad memories? The abuse? The failures? The betrayals? The absences?

Here’s some answers:

For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
    but the Lord will take me in. Psalm 27:10

“Can a woman forget her nursing child,
    that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget,
    yet I will not forget you. Isaiah 49:15

As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us.
Psalm 103:12

When we come and ask God for forgiveness and accept Jesus as our Savior, He forgives our sins. He looks at us “just as if we never sinned”. This is called justification. It is an amazing truth in the Bible. This truth, if we will believe God that it is true, allows us to have peace with God and stand before Him, in gratefulness, humility and love, after we die.

If this is what Jesus does for us, what should we do for others, specifically our mothers?

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Matthew 18:21,22

Let’s ask the Holy Spirit this question: Is there anything that I have not forgiven my mother for?

There are some promises for us, from God, when we honor our Mothers, respect them or their memory, give tribute to them, and give weight to their role in our lives. We do this with all our hearts in obedience and gratitude to God. We are alive because God gave us a mother.

Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land. Ephesians 6:2,3

Promise: God directly promises a longer life. Also He promises a better quality of life, perhaps meaning prosperity and success in our endeavors.

But to the house of the Rechabites Jeremiah said, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father and kept all his precepts and done all that he commanded you, therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Jonadab the son of Rechab shall never lack a man to stand before me. Jeremiah 35:18,19

Promise: God promised this family a lasting heritage and favor because they honored parental wisdom. This is a precedent for us. Honoring maternal wisdom can bring favor and blessing to our descendents.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Ephesians 6:1

Promise: There comes a peace of mind and heart knowing you are doing the right thing that pleases God, the Divine Will, the righteous path of blessing and obedience. This is a right way to honor God and brings blessing on children of all ages. The words “in the Lord” is a qualification for obedience. The escape clause from obedience is when we are advised to do something that is against what God has spoken in the Bible.

Hear, my son, your father’s instruction,
and forsake not your mother’s teaching,
for they are a graceful garland for your head
and pendants for your neck. Proverbs 1:8,9

Promise: The picture promise metaphor is spiritual ornaments bringing beauty and honor to the lives of children of all ages when we honor our mother’s teaching.

Let’s ask the Holy Spirit: Where in my life have I dishonored the godly instruction and teaching of my mother?

Isn’t the Lord wonderful to tell us how we can be specifically blessed in our lives through our relationship with our mothers? He is so kind and loving!

God loves us so much and wants the very best for us!

And yet in our USA culture we have come to focus on the ‘curses’ that have come upon us because of the failures of our parents, specifically thinking today of our mothers. “It’s my mother’s fault.” “My mother never nurtured me.” “I was abused as a child.” “My mother told me I’d never succeed.” These are bitter things to have happened to us and it makes me sad and sorry for everyone who had to endure such things as a child. When Jesus returns, these kinds of things won’t happen.

However as I read God’s Word I’m seeing it the opposite. There are awful curses for us if we are disrespectful and rude to our mother.

I don’t know about you but many of my words were definitely impolite, to put it mildly, to my Mum when I was a teenager. (As an adult I apologized to her.)

What are the curses recorded for dishonoring mothers?

God’s people, the Israelites, were told the penalty for cursing parents was physical death! Exodus 21:17; Leviticus 20:9 😱 (The word cursing included belittlement, verbal abuse, mockery, hatred and disobedient rebellion.)
Dishonoring our mother will result in us losing guidance and we will move toward destruction. Proverbs 20:20
Dishonoring and disobeying our mother will result in violent physical judgment in life situations including physical blindness. Proverbs 30:17

Thank God for Jesus who took all our sins on the cross ✝︎ and God does not remember them!! ❤️ However, for myself, I have specifically repented 😭 to the Lord for each act and word of rebellion against my mother 💔that happened in my youth, as the Holy Spirit brought it to mind.

What can we do in our lives to assure our obedience to God’s mandate to honor our mothers and their memory?

What ideas do you have to express our hearts of honor?

Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to give us hearts of honor for our mothers and their memory, and ask Him for specific ways to walk that out at street level.

Here’s some ways that I’m sensing from the Holy Spirit. Click on the arrow.

Light a candle in honor of our mother on their birthday? Or even on the death date if she was a believer in Jesus who is the Light of the World. Perhaps put a picture beside the candle?

Refuse to tell the funny stories that belittle and mock and make our mothers look small. Instead tell the stories of the things they did well and did right.

Refuse to blame our struggles or faults on our mother. Instead find our mother’s good character quality and talk about it.

Do something wholesome that our mother talked about and loved. Do it because we are honoring her and what she liked. Speak about her and why we are doing this–to give tribute to her.

Take some time in the year to look back at pictures that give good memories of our mother. Enjoy them. Thank God for our mother and those memories.

If we are nearby, put flowers on our mother’s grave or go to the Columbarium and put flowers on the niche as allowed.

Establish a memorial fund or a memorial bench or a scholarship fund in our mother’s name.

Give a freewill offering to the Lord at our local church or charity and tell the Lord this is in appreciation of my mother.

Thank the Lord, many times over, out loud, with a heart of gratitude, thank Him for our mother.

Do you think the commandment, honor your parents, i.e. honor your mother, applies to our mother-in-laws too?

Credit to Pixabay for blog photos.

Betrayal

Last week was a tough week for me. The title of this blog says it all. We went through a trial that felt like betrayal. The ones we trusted were friends, who enjoyed our home hospitality, who we spent close quarters with, who we collaborated and prayed together with, these friends angrily left us with words that did not show love, unity or kindness toward us. 😭 We felt betrayed.

It is interesting that this word, “betrayal”, was given to me about ten years ago at a conference. There was an area where you go could and get some prayer and the prayer people could also share a prophetic word for you, if they received one. These were prayer warriors who heard from the Holy Spirit on a regular basis.

I came up to a lovely young lady for my turn of prayer. She looked at me, and said, “The word that is coming to me is “betrayal”. I was shocked by that word. It did not seem to fit at all. But this last week, I remembered that prayer time from long ago, and sadly the word fit.

Isn’t it kind of the Lord to tell us these things in advance, so when we go through them He’s given us a ‘heads-up’ that He knows, He cares, He is there. ❤️

Does the word betrayal resonate with you? Have you ever felt betrayed by someone?

What are normal human responses to betrayal?

Shock and numbness, emotional freezing to protect ourselves from the pain.
Hyper-vigilance and suspicion with obsessive searching for deception in other places in order to stay alert for protection.
Intrusive thoughts that play and replay the betrayal event, trying to make some sense out of it.
Anger and rage that wants to lash out at the person and get revenge.
Grief and mourning with tears and sadness that this person wasn’t who you thought you knew, similar to grieving a death.
Then there’s more: Betrayal Trauma PTSD; Social Withdrawal; Personal Blame; Physical Distresses and Ailments; Push-Pull/Come close/Stay away responses…

Last week I felt the first three from that list on a daily basis, and also the fifth in the list.

The Bible records that Jesus was betrayed. He had chosen the disciple Judas. He had spent hours mentoring, ministering and living with him. For money, and other motives we don’t know, Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss. The authorities were looking to arrest Jesus but they couldn’t locate him and were confused what he looked like. Judas solved that by bringing them to Jesus’ group and the kiss was not from love but to show which person to capture. Judas betrayed Jesus big time.

How did Jesus handle betrayal?

Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him. John 6:70,71

Jesus chose Judas and allowed him to live, learn and be a disciple, even though God had told Jesus that Judas was the one who would betray Jesus. Jesus showed love to his friend who betrayed and became an enemy.

While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. John 17:12

Jesus submitted to God’s will in His life. Jesus trusted God’s plans for His life. He did not complain or kick against the fact that he was ministering to someone who would eventually turn against him. Jesus was completely secure in the love of His Father so He could love a betrayer.

Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. Psalm 41:9

Jesus let His heart love. Jesus let His heart trust. Jesus let His heart be broken.

I am a Jesus follower. Jesus is my example of how to live life in this fallen and broken world. The Bible records and teaches me the values that Jesus promoted and lived. The Holy Spirit, that is inside me because I’m a Jesus follower, gives me the prompting and the strength to forgive and love even when my heart gets broken.

What are the signs, in a Jesus follower’s life, that show living out love in the midst of betrayal?

I don’t gossip and tell everyone about what was done to me.
I sob and cry tears in the Presence of the Lord. I tell Jesus how awful it was and how much it hurt to be betrayed because He understands. I let the Holy Spirit heal and touch my broken heart.
I pray for my betrayer. Not just once but continuous. That person is on my prayer list.
Can you think of anything else?

Why should I do this?

Why should I go against everything that I am feeling inside of me from that betrayal?

Why? Because I was once a betrayer. I have betrayed God.

I was once an enemy of God. And yet, still God loved me and sent Jesus to die on the cross for my sin, so I could be at peace with God.

For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Romans 5:10

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48

Credit to Pixabay for blog photos.

Credit to AI for list of normal betrayal responses.

Constancy

Cute name! Is this the name of my new girlfriend?

Actually it’s more like a name of God!

I hardly ever see this word constancy. Maybe you are very familiar with it? Maybe not, like me.

Here’s how I came across it.

If you have been reading my blog you know that I support small cottage businesses in Israel by getting a monthly surprise box. In one of the surprise boxes I got a copy of the Psalms, with commentary by a Rabbi. Very unusual for me–never have had anything like this before. Yet it has been a blessing.

While reading Psalm 89 I came across the word “constancy”. The Holy Spirit highlighted this word for me and it captured my attention. Here are some verses where it was used:

You set Your constancy in the heavens. (verse 3)
The heavens praise…Your constancy in the assembly of holy ones. (verse 6)
Your constancy surrounds You. (verse 9)
My constancy and favor will be with him (God speaking in verse 25)
I will not….be false to My constancy. (God speaking in verse 34)

What do you think ‘constancy’ means?

The rabbi’s commentary noted ‘steadfastness‘ and ‘stability‘.

The Collins dictionary says it is 1) the quality of staying the same even though other things change 2) the quality of being faithful and loyal to a particular person or belief.

Merriam-Webster suggests synonyms include faithfulness, consistency, permanence and fidelity.

If you are still struggling with the word constancy, here are some more ideas: click on the arrow. God has these characteristics…

Loyalty & Faithfulness: Fidelity, devotion, allegiance, dependability, dedication, trueness, staunchness, trustiness, true-heartedness, fealty.
Stability & Continuity: Fixedness, permanence, uniformity, durability, endurance, invariability, sameness, changelessness,.
Perseverance & Resolve: Steadfastness, determination, purposefulness, tenacity, doggedness, persistence, resolution, stamina. (Thesaurus.com)
Antonyms (Opposites) God does not have these!
Fickleness
Irresolution
Infidelity
Instability
Variability (Merriam-Webster)

So I scribbled in my Psalms book, “A characteristic of God is Constancy!”

What does that mean to you–that God has constancy?

We all have a tendency in our lives to believe that when things are difficult, when we have super tough life events to go through, that God has maybe given up on us? Did He abandon us? Is He mad at us? God doesn’t love me anymore? I have had this inclination and I know probably you have too.

If those above negative thoughts were true, then God doesn’t have constancy. Therefore those ideas are lies. The truth is the constancy of God. He is there always. He is with us always. We renounce and reject lies and declare the truth, even in trials. Our God has constancy.

Blessed is the man whom You chastise, Lord, whom You instruct with Your teaching to grant him respite in days of evil, until a pit is dug for the wicked. Indeed, the Lord will not abandon His people, nor will He forsake His portion. When I say: My foot is stumbling, Your kindness, Lord, supports me. In the midst of my many troubled thoughts, Your consolations soothe me. But the Lord is my stronghold; my God, the rock of my refuge. Psalm 94:12-14,18-19.

Think of the worst trial you have ever had to go through in your life. What does it mean to you that the constancy of God was there with you in that difficult time?

I’m thinking of when we were working with a mission up in Alaska. The mission plane went down in the ocean with the mission’s CEO, a secretary, a fellow pilot, and our business manager. They were never found nor was any trace of the airplane. These were precious people to us and we all mourned their loss and their families’ losses. In all this, the constancy of God was there. ✝︎ 💔

God’s constancy was there when our teenager had a jet ski plow into her leg at 40 miles an hour, breaking it so badly that it was only hanging by some muscles, ligaments and veins. The leg floated up to her face in the water. Sitting in the emergency room we didn’t know if our gymnast daughter’s leg could be saved. Two surgeries later they found her hip was broken too, thus another surgery. Her college plans were destroyed because of the restriction of three months without weight on that leg. We weren’t sure of what kind of disabilities she would endure in life? Gratefully she can walk and run now and is recovered. The weather does play upon the metal in her ankle, leg and hip. 🙏 ❤️ ✝︎

I’m remembering saying good-bye through tears to two grandchildren, born with unsurvivable severe disabilities. I know I will see them again in heaven yet I must watch their parents mourn, grieve and live with the pain of these sorrows. Even in this, God’s constancy keeps me from being shaken. 💔 🕊 ✝︎

What are you remembering?

Whether these trials work out well, or have sad endings, the truth of God’s constancy keeps us in His love. It is not about our liking or disliking the ending of the difficult circumstances. It is the truth that God cares and is/was alongside us. Jesus’ sacrifice gives us peace with God. He took our punishment for sin so we can experience and trust God’s constancy. We are now God’s child and He will never leave us or abandon us. He is loyal to us. He won’t change.

Oh, Lord, may I never ignore and neglect this incredible truth of Your Constancy!

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

What is the tribulation and frustration you are going through right now? How does the truth of the Constancy of God change anything for you?

Is constancy a high value in your life?

If our God has Constancy, and He says in the Bible, “Be holy, like I am holy,” then how can we have constancy, just like our God has constancy?

Let’s ask the Lord: What does constancy look like in my life in real time actions and motivations?

Credit to Pixabay for blog photos.

Why Should I Go To Church?

I was visiting with a friend a few years back and she didn’t enjoy her church experience. She told me that a church service didn’t do anything for her, but she did really love some of the people. She almost didn’t think that going to a formal public worship was beneficial in any way. I was taken aback when she asked me something like this: “Why should I go to church? Nothing happens anyway.”

How would you answer her question?

What did I respond?

Well, not being quick with replies off the top of my head, I just said that I believed when a community of believers gathered together and worshipped God, that a spiritual shift happens in the atmosphere of that geographical area. Something spiritual does happen.

Now fast forward a few years and last week I was reading and meditating on Psalm 84 just before bed. My eyes opened wide and I sensed the Lord showing me the powerful things that happen when a follower of Jesus, a lover of Jesus, goes to church!! Here it is written out for you if you want to read it first, not later?

Psalm 84 Click on the arrow:

For the chief musician, on the gittit, a psalm by the sons of Korah. (This is verse one in the Hebrew Bible but not always in others Bibles.)

2. How pleasing are Your dwelling places, Lord of hosts.

3. My soul longs, indeed it yearns for the courtyards of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing with joy to the living Almighty.

4. Even the bird has found a home, the sparrow a nest for herself where she can put her young; as Your altars, Lord of Hosts, my King and my God.

5. Happy are those who dwell in Your House; they will continually praise You, Selah.

6. Happy are those whose strength is in You, and whose hearts follow Your path.

7. When they pass through a valley of tears, they make it into a spring. Indeed, blessings cover the guide.

8. They go from one success to another; they will be seen before God in Zion.

9. Lord, God of hosts, hear my prayer. Listen, God of Jacob, Selah.

10. See our shield, God; look upon the face of Your anointed one..

11. For one day in Your courtyard is better than a thousand; I would rather stand at the threshold of the House of my God than dwell in tents of wickedness.

12. For the Lord God is a sun and a shield; the Lord gives grace and honor. He withholds no good from those who walk uprightly.

13. Lord of hosts, happy is the man who trusts in You.

Why do I go to church on the Sabbath, or Sunday?

My soul longs to be there. (v.3)

My spiritual heart cries out for God’s aliveness! (v.3)

My physical body all over cries out for God’s aliveness! (v.3)

Well, after I meditated on the third verse it drove me to a prayer: Lord, please let me feel You in church. Please let me sense and experientially feel You in my heart and on my body when I am in our worship service. So often we are afraid of being too emotional in church. Stoic is better. But the psalmist doesn’t seem to agree with that. This is God’s Word, the Bible. Perhaps God would just love to have me, us, absolutely passionate about being together as christians and feeling and sensing His Presence?

Have you ever been in church and just wished you were at home?

The psalmist says that God’s altars are his home! (v. 4) This would be the prayer, singing, preaching at our christian gatherings. This praises God. These things lift up Jesus. These are my HOME! I’m relaxed, and comfortable in this place. I can be myself.

God’s Presence is in the midst of our gathering together and God is my King and my God. (v.4) He is more loyal than my pets. He created our pets who make us feel at home.

My Mum always talked about how she wanted our home to be a place we could ‘be ourselves’. It was a ministry family and that was important to her. If church is our ‘home‘ then being ourselves is so important. The Pharisees in the Bible put on a show in their synagogue functions. Jesus condemned it.

After my deliverance almost ten years ago, the Lord spoke to me about not participating with religious spirits. I was to ‘dance’ in worship services. He knew that I’m a person who loves music and my family of origin decried dancing as ‘sin’. So Jesus gave me permission to ‘dance’ or move to God’s praises. I do this at my house and in my church–whether or not the people around me are stoic or seem to send disapproving vibes. I’m at home in church.

In my devotions at my house or out in my yard or even in ministry situations I enjoy speaking out the Names of God, thanking Him, singing a new song to Him, or declaring out loud the characteristics of His Wonderful Nature! So I also do this in church. Nobody else is speaking out loud these things but the worship leader has given us permission to do this. I do it because I’m at ‘home’ in church and I can be myself. If people are uncomfortable with this, they easily can choose a different seat, and I think they do.

And there is more–more blessings when we commit to a congregational gathering.

Being in church makes us happy in the long run. (v. 5,6,13)
It keeps us faithful to continue to praise God, even in the trials. (v.7)
It strengthens our spiritual life and relationship with God so we are stronger in God and in our faith. (v.6 and v.7)
There’s a promise for protection, an extra measure of protection when we fellowship together. (v.10)
There’s a promise that our day, that day we are with believers praising God, will go better than other days. (v.11)
Assembling ourselves together to praise God and read His Word enables humility in our lives. When we are growing in humility, pride is decreasing. (v.11)
There’s a promise for guidance, an extra measure of Holy Spirit guidance, when being part of a congregation. (v. 6, 11)
When we don’t neglect meeting together, this psalm promises a blessing of kindness that we don’t deserve. God is Kind so this is an over and above grace blessing. (v.12)
When I’m being a part of a community of faith, God gives me attention, honor and favor from others that would not have been there otherwise. (v.12)
In fact, God gives me all sorts of extra good, helpful things for my life and withholds harmful additions. This amazing promise is spoken within the context of loving the community of faith gatherings. (v.12)
And lastly but not exhaustive, God reduces my fears and promotes my happiness because I’m trusting Him together with others. (v.13)

Can you find the blessings recorded in this Psalm 84 that I have missed?

This is incredible! What amazing promises! Phenomenal things happen in our lives when we love God, love our church community and make ourselves at home in our place of worship.

I came from a kind family but many of us did not. We have ugly things happening in our families. We don’t even want to be with them because of toxic relationships. I remember a testimony of a fellow believer in my childhood youth group. We had a reunion of the youth group and she said that my dad told her that despite the horrors of her own dysfunctional family, the Family of God could be her family if she wanted family. She did and she was blessed and comforted.

For me as a youth, I had no one left at home because my sisters were 12 and 15 years older than me. I felt alone. My church youth group were my brothers and sisters as well as my friends. They meant so much to me, even though no one was perfect.

But Jackie you say, what about all those mean church people who hurt me. I won’t stay anywhere near them. I hate church because of all the hypocrites. I’ll never darken a door of a church again–at least not that church. They hurt me so bad. I will never make a church my ‘home’.

Well, that’s definitely a choice. You can choose that.

I’m just sharing what I am hearing God’s Word say, and promise, about the benefits of choosing Jesus’ Church gatherings–the blessings of going to church.

Credit to Pixabay for blog photos.

Affirmations & the Secret Place Power

Don’t you just enjoy it so much when you get an affirmations from someone who knows you well? An affirmation is:

a positive assertion.
a statement of emotional support
an offer of encouragement
a expression of agreement
a confirmation for the validity and truth of what is going on

Yes! It feels so good to be affirmed by someone we have a long standing relationship with.

Recently I got three affirmations from the One who knows me best! I was so encouraged and so blessed by this! This is the most valuable confirmation. Thank you Jesus!

This was also an answer to prayer. I had asked, “Lord, help me to pray as an intercessor to the best of my ability.” The reason I prayed was a Holy Spirit message that my ministry at this time was to be an intercessor. (I had secretly thought it should be something different.)

For months and maybe even over a year, the Lord challenged me in dream messages. He corrected me. He warned me as well. But when I finally leaned into what He wanted and how He wanted me to minister, then answers came! Affirmation appeared in dreams! Some secrets to prayer were unlocked for me. Thank you Jesus!

Do you think that is because of a thing called surrender?

I’d love to share my affirmations with you. Maybe they are for you too?

You are in an orchestra! The Body of Christ praying, worshipping, using their spiritual gifts. The audience is the great cloud of witnesses–those who have gone before.

Affirmation: Keep doing what you are doing in prayer. It is essential.

God is affirming your search for ancient, old truths in His Word that you can claim in prayer. God is holding them and preserving them, just waiting for you to claim them. Find them! Search! Claim! You are like a detective in prayer.

To speak with a contemporary metaphor, it is like the Holy Spirit has two things: a book and a blog.

The book is the Bible. He speaks to us in His Word. He speaks to our head with the knowledge of the scriptures, and the wisdom that is in the Bible. He speaks to our heart as a spiritual gift by giving us scripture verses and promises that are just the right word for the right time to help us, guide us, affirm us.

The blog is Holy Spirit prompts. He speaks continuous daily guidance and prompts. Sometimes it is in our dreams. Our job is to listen to His blogging and follow Him!

Follow the Holy Spirit daily blog!

The Secret Place Power comes from using our spiritual gifts. We continuously follow the Holy Spirit as He blogs into our hearts and minds. It is not about us having every insight. We just share what the Lord gives us. That is how we do our job well. It is all about God and me. It is all about God and you. We rest in that relationship. No pressure. No performance. Just relationship and peace.

Yes, I understand this is not easy to do. We have to trust that God is giving us a message, speaking to us.

We have to humbly learn how He speaks, what His voice sounds like–the ways He interacts with us personally.

We have to step out in faith, and have courage. We have to be humble and willing to err, to be mistaken. We trust God will solve it. We welcome His correction.

But if we are willing to take that journey, the affirmations will come! They are worth it all!

v.1 I raise my voice to God and cry out; I raise my voice, and He listens to me.
v.2 On my day of trouble, I beseeched the Lord with my hand; at night it flowed without cease, and my soul refused to be comforted.
v.3 When I remember God I moan; I cry out until my spirit becomes faint, Selah.
v.4 You grasp my eyelids; I am agitated and cannot speak.
v.5 I ponder the days of old, the years of long ago.
v.6 I remember my song in the night; I meditate with my heart, and my spirit searches.
Psalm 77

If you would like to read the secrets that the Lord gave me from this Psalm then click on the arrow.

v.1 Cry aloud to God means you are not just sitting still but your body is active and engaged; your voice is loudly speaking; calling for help in distress and need; making an outcry in your secret place of prayer; giving a clamor; in grief yelling out passionately. The prayer ends with “God hears me!” That’s faith and trust that He hears and will answer.

v.2 On the day of my distress I am seeking Adonai: my hands are raised and lifted up; my tears are flowing in the day and at night; I don’t give up; I refuse the comfort of stopping my passionate pleas. I refuse the sympathy of others because I am seeking God’s help.

v.3 I think about holy God and then compare Him with my sinful troubled life and world. I just moan and groan out loud in repentance, sadness, and need. (Moaning includes murmuring, raging, roaring, commotion, boisterous, turbulent, disquieted, in an uproar.) I ponder Creator God and consider how powerful He is and what He wants. (My pondering includes meditating, musing, studying, talking, singing, speaking my thoughts, complaining to God.) I feel helpless and completely dependent on Him. I am without any self-reliance or self-promotion. I have a broken spirit. (My spirit grows weak, overwhelmed, languishes, hides itself, swoons.)

v4. You grasp my eyelids. Even in the night when I wake up I pray, I stay awake in prayer at night because I sense God wants me to pray. I am too troubled to speak. I sit in silence in the Presence of God just quiet before Him because I’m too disturbed and upset and troubled to even speak sense. I just trust that He knows what is going on inside me.

v.5 I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. Now I start remembering the rescues that the Lord did in the past for me, the answered prayers. I bring to mind the Bible accounts of His mighty miracles. I set my mind on these power acts of Almighty Creator God.

v.6 I call to remembrance my song in the night. I start singing the song that the Holy Spirit has put into my mind. I remember the special songs that God gave me in the past that were like deliverances in my trouble. I sing those songs. I start thanking God for all the wonderful things He has done for me. And my spirit makes diligent search. I meditate on the words and what the Holy Spirit’s message to me might be from those song words. I search for a new deliverance song for this season. I go to God’s Word and find a promise that is for me and this situation that I’m praying about. I claim that promise.

Then there comes a time when I leave it in God’s Capable Hands and I trust Him in the timing. I thank God and I rejoice in His Work–in faith, ahead of time. I do this because part of prayer is trusting and confidence, faith in the answer.

Credit to Pixabay for blog photos.

Did Jesus Really Die?

I was talking with a new friend I met in a meal ministry in a low income apartment building in Portland Oregon. It was quite a few years ago near the Easter season. She was struggling with the idea that Jesus really died. Yes, he went to the cross but Jesus would never die. She could not comprehend that and consequently hadn’t really accepted that fact. If you ever wondered about that then here are some thoughts:

Independent secular records record the fact that Jesus actually died. Look up: Tacitus, Josephus, Lucian of Samosata, and The Babylonian Talmud.
Medical professionals who analyze the accounts in the gospels say that crucifixion usually results in death by asphyxiation; the blood and water that came out of Jesus’ side would indicate a death by cardiac arrest; the beatings that Jesus received before the cross would have terribly weakened his body and he would have been in a state of body-shock called hypovolemic or circulatory shock.
The Romans were skilled at crucifixion and they would not have failed to have secured his death; the christians of that time would never create a lie like crucifixion because it was such a shameful type of execution; besides there are so many consistent historical records of Jesus’ death.

So my new friend was, in my opinion, just being emotional about Jesus death. She loved Jesus. She just didn’t want to admit such a horrible thing happened to someone she loved and revered. So the next question I asked her was this:

Why do christians call the Friday that Jesus died, “Good Friday”?

Why don’t we call it “Dreadful Friday” or “Horrible Friday” or “Terrible Friday”?

Why is it good?

My friend didn’t know the answer. What do you think? Why was it good? Look at this picture below. Is this good?

To really understand why Jesus’ death on the cross was good, we have to read the whole Bible and start at the beginning. The Bible says that God created the heavens and the earth and it was all good. God created man and woman. They were created good. They were friends with God. But the enemy tempted them and they chose to disobey God. This brought sin and death into this good world. This is called “The Fall.” Sin and death grew so rampant that God caused a huge worldwide flood and it covered the whole earth. Only Noah and his six family members were rescued in the ark God had Noah build.

God had compassion on man’s dilemma of sin and He created His own nation from a man of faith named Abraham. It was the Jewish nation. God determined to send His own Son into the world through this nation. It would be God’s DNA–God incarnate. This was Jesus. He was God. He had God’s DNA. Because He was God in a man’s body, He could be the human sacrifice for man’s sin. He could rescue mankind so a friendship relationship could be restored between God and man. But it was only through Jesus’ death sacrifice that this could happen.

Jesus’ death makes it possible for a person to have a relationship with the Creator God. This is a gift of God. This gift requires faith in Jesus’ death as a personal restoration. This gift requires us to receive Jesus death as our payment for sin, failure, disobedience and our rudeness to God. Jesus death had to be truth and real for this to happen. Jesus death made such an amazing difference to our lives. It is definitely good to be in communication, friendship and good standing with Almighty God, the Creator of Life.

When you get a gift, what do you say?

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
romans 5:8

We never ever get tired of sharing this message! What a wonderful thing Jesus did for us! What a great and mighty God we serve! He is so kind and loving and faithful! We find endless joy in telling this story of Jesus’ sacrificial love for us. It never gets old.

Credit to Pixabay for blog photos.

Who are you relying on?

Have you ever thought of the concept of self-reliance? I haven’t until recently.

One of the pillars of the culture of the United States is self-reliance and individualism–the self-made man.

Synonyms for self-reliance: Click on the arrow

**relying on one’s own powers and resources

**self-sufficiency, self-direction

**personal independence, autonomy, self-rule

**resilience, freedom, power, strength

** self-support, self-dependence

How did I get started thinking about self-reliance? Well it was a prompt from the Lord. It came in a dream. Now maybe, for you, the Lord always gives you encouraging and uplifting prompts and dreams? In my life, it seems that Jesus is very concerned about my character and making sure that all in my life is going His direction and His path.

That’s how self-reliance came up.

My dream had four scenarios that coordinated with my daily life: family, neighbors, ministry, friends. I was stumped in its interpretation. Usually dreams have one theme/message. This dream seemed to include all domains of my daily world. Praying and asking for the interpretation brought this message:

You need the Holy Spirit's help 
in all situations of your life.
No self-reliance.
Only Holy Spirit's guidance.

It hit home to me. I appreciate the good, kind, care of the Lord to speak into my life!! Yes! It is so true that I need and want the help of the Holy Spirit in every area of my life! Don’t you?

Yet there was more. I sensed it. I delved deeper into the dream picture. It was the bread that I made–it was half-baked! Confusing? Well, in this context the bread was a picture of teaching, words of encouragement and even opinions. It was raw in the inside–half-baked. What does that mean?

I looked up the colloquialism ‘half-baked’. It means immature, silly, foolish suggestions, unrealistic and unlikely to succeed. 😲 And in my dream, people ate the bread anyway. Here’s the additional interpretation.

Self-reliance creates ideas,
words, and plans
that are immature, 
silly, 
foolish suggestions, 
unrealistic 
and unlikely to succeed,
even though, 
when you speak them,
people will accept them 
and do them.

Wait! Are those true words? Maybe it is just my thoughts? Maybe it is the enemy? Are those words from the Holy Spirit? We always temper dream messages by judging them against the written Word of God. God will never speak against what He has written in His Word, the Bible. What does the Bible say about all this?

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5) Quoted by Jesus
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. (John 6:63) Quoted by Jesus
For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. (John 12:49) Quoted by Jesus
And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me. (John 12:50) Quoted by Jesus
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. (John 14:26) Quoted by Jesus
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. (John 16:13) Quoted by Jesus
Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. (John 5:19) Quoted by Jesus

So I’m thinking it is quite clear that this is a serious thing, at least in my life. I am to only do and choose what the Holy Spirit has made clear to me and what the Word of God, the Bible says. When I speak, I must be careful not to give my opinions but share what I’m hearing from the Lord. Even a Bible verse has to be confirmed by the Holy Spirit because we all know in Jesus’ temptation time, the enemy used Bible verses in a deceptive way. Even when I blog to you it must be what I’ve heard from the Lord, not my opinions or what I’d like to complain about or commend.

Forgive me Jesus for all self-reliance. I want to surrender and completely rely on YOU in what I do and say.

Forgive me dear friends and readers where I have posted my own opinions instead of sharing what the Holy Spirit has directed me to say.

Jesus saw (supernaturally) what His Heavenly Father was doing and that is what he did. Jesus heard the Holy Spirit’s voice, and heard what His Heavenly Father was saying and then that’s what He said. Jesus showed us how to live our lives as believers. We are Jesus followers.

It is so easy to ‘follow’ someone on Instagram or Facebook or whatever social media you subscribe to. Just click and look at the pictures or make a quick ‘like’ or comment.

But to follow Jesus–to be a Jesus follower–it is different. We have to take the time to connect with Him and His Holy Spirit and to get to know Him. We find out how He interacts specifically with us as an individual. That’s how we learn to follow Him. We can read the Bible and know what it says but it is the daily following Jesus prompts that keeps us from self-reliance. We do what we ‘see’ Him doing. We say what we are hearing from His Holy Spirit.

Opposite of self-reliance is….click on the arrow.

**dependency, helplessness, impotency, inadequacy, weakness

**incapacity to rely on one’s own capabilities, and inability to manage one’s own affairs

Epilogue: Even after writing out this blog, as I was sitting in quietness outside talking to the Lord about this, the Holy Spirit prompted me to break the curse of ‘self-reliance’ over myself and my ancestors, ten past generations, on both sides of my family, alongside forgiveness of all.

That seemed strange to me, but remember, I need the Holy Spirit’s Help in every situation. If I don’t take that help–that’s self-reliance.

So I obeyed and did that.

Click on the arrow for a sample cleansing prayer?

Heavenly Father, according to my covenant with You, and the death and resurrection of Jesus which has cleansed me from my sin, I humbly come to You and ask Your Help. I repent of all self-reliance. I declare in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth forgiveness to all my ancestors who participated in self-reliance on my father’s side of the family for ten generations and on my mother’s side of the family for ten generations. In the Mighty Name of Jesus I break the curse of self-reliance on my father’s side of the family for ten generations. In the Mighty Name of Jesus I break the curse of self-reliance on my mother’s side of the family for ten generations. I declare that I do not agree with self-reliance and I break all legal rights of the enemy to promote self-reliance in my life–all enemy strategies are broken in the power, the blood and name of Jesus Christ. I rely on Jesus. I am helpless without Holy Spirit’s Help. I surrender my life to God and I desire to live in the strength of my Heavenly Father whom I rely on.

Credit to Pixabay for blog photos.

Credit to AI for definitions and quotes.

My First Blog Post

One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and let’s go!

Speaking and Listening

Breakup

She’s so mad at me!

Mothers

Betrayal

Constancy

Why Should I Go To Church?

Affirmations & the Secret Place Power

Did Jesus Really Die?

Who are you relying on?