The Church Needs Your Eyes and Ears

By Charles Moncrief

Jack Sheffield is a Priest. He and his wife Anna Marie formed Deep River Ministries (http:www.deepriverministries.org) which, according to their home page, “is an interdenominational healing ministry of Jesus Christ committed to healing individuals, the church, places and situations through the power of the Holy Spirit and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Even though countless healings have occurred directly or indirectly through their ministry, but the vast majority are by human standards sub-newsworthy. (Let’s be honest, in the human economy reduced redness following prayer over a poison-ivy rash doesn’t get equal attention with snatching someone out of the jaws of death.) But my purpose in writing this article is not about spiritual healing, since healing is only incidental to the Sheffields’ overall ministry.

Rather, I want to write about a personal experience while attending their 2011 weekend in Dallas on April 1 & 2. Jack talked about several things on Friday evening, and I’ll describe three of them. But let me say up front, I’m writing something different from what they intended to teach.

The first was a quote from Psalm 24, which I’ll paraphrase as “Lift up your heads, O ye gates! Behold, the King of Glory is coming in!” Now hold that thought, as I’ll get back to it.

Jack told the story of a preacher who interviewed a witch on a TV program he hosted. As he faced the witch and asked several embarrassing questions, all with an accusatory tone, the witch remained silent. Finally, the preacher asked, “Why don’t you say anything?” The witch responded, “I’m not about to say anything, since that creature behind you is at least eight feet tall!”

Jack’s third story, beginning at from 2 Kings 7:4, is why I’m writing all of this on the Time’s Up! blog. The setting of the story is a city in Israel under siege by Syria’s army. Four lepers have reached such a point of hopelessness and despondency, that they leave the city and go to the army’s camp in order to get killed right away. To their surprise, the camp is empty! The passage says that God made the Syrian soldiers hear the noise of a large fighting force descending upon them, and they ran away in such terror that they left everything behind. And of course, the Syrians thought in human terms, attributing a divine miracle to some ridiculous earthly activity. To a modern Bible scholar, the Hittites and Egyptians wouldn’t align with Israel against Syria. But soldiers in ancient Syria didn’t have the benefit of twenty-five centuries to analyze their folly.

Here’s what screamed at me from the two stories. An army of soldiers who hated Israel could hear the thundering hosts from God, but the religious leaders of Israel couldn’t. And the witch could see a godly apparition, but the preacher couldn’t. Neither is there any record of the good folks in the city even asking “What’s that noise?” And neither is anything said by the preacher’s camera crew or stage hands.

My thoughts turn to domestic abuse and other forms of oppressive violence today. It’s disquieting to me that, with infinite supernatural power and support available to victims, is the Church missing this resource? Are abusers able to see the eight-foot-tall armored defenders, or do they hear the thundering hordes of God’s warriors, only to be unbothered by them because the modern-day Church is too “dignified” to notice (or worse, to tap into this power)? Why is it that when church leaders or prayer teams pray that God will give victims strength, support, healing, or even protection, the prayer always seems to contain the unspoken petition “But don’t really do it, because we’re conditioned not to expect miracles today”?

I’m even concerned with the prayer in the Cursillo renewal movement that begins with “Come, Holy Spirit,” because it honestly seems that the next thought is “but don’t embarrass us by really showing up and making us look like Charismatics!”

It’s time for the Church to be open to miracles, and to look forward to the day that miraculous supernatural intervention is the norm rather than the exception. For twenty centuries the Church leaders haven’t been very open to this idea, and a lot of the members have likewise been more comfortable with the status quo.

Now back to Psalm 24. If the King of Glory is going to work in the Church, if supernatural intervention is truly going to be something that victims can rely on, then the leaders of the Church need your help. The King of Glory doesn’t come through closed gates. So will you help the Church and its leaders to see what’s truly available? Will you also be the eyes and ears?

Grace and Peace,

Charles+

Finding Contentment by Killing Comparisons

By Anne Peterson

Being a Facebook user, I love posting prayer requests or sharing photographs with friends and family members. Within seconds news travels through cyberspace, lessening the distance between family and friends. Unfortunately, this also becomes a temptation for comparisons, which lead to discontent.

We log on and see one of our friends has happily posted an achievement. Instead of responding with heartfelt congratulations, we turn a little green.Isn't this the same thing I've labored on for years with few results? Defeated, we log off, busying ourselves with something else.

Learn more through:Psalms: Managing Your Emotions.

What can we do when we are tempted to compare ourselves with others? 

Why is this such an obstacle to contentment?

Making comparisons is nothing new. Cain compared himself to Abel. Jesus' disciples struggled with this too. In one conversation, they tried to determine which of them would suffer in the future, and who would be spared. Jesus asked them, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?" (John 21:23).

When we compare ourselves with others we are not walking by faith. Instead, we are trying to control things. Comparisons get us into trouble for at least two reasons.

1) They can make us feel better than the person we are comparing ourselves to, leading to pride. Remember the publican who thanked God that he wasn't a sinner? The enemy of our souls loves it when we struggle with pride. It was his downfall.
2) They can make us feel worse than the person we are comparing ourselves to, leading to low self-esteem, which still keeps our focus on ourselves. Although it says in James that God is not a respecter of persons, we do not believe this if we believe God is withholding something from us that is rightfully ours.

To be content, we need to swap lies for truth
Sometimes we even compare how God is working now with how he has worked in the past. In this way we bring God down to our level, judging his track record. This is arrogance. God tells us in Isaiah 55:8, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord." In other words, we don't think like God. He wants us to walk in step with his Spirit. That means we are not to run ahead of him pulling him where we want him to be, nor are we to get behind him pushing him in the direction we want him to go. God is immovable.

As much as God wants us to walk by faith, Satan, the enemy of our souls, is determined to point out little things we hold against God. When Satan introduces these lies to us, we need to refute them. The only way we will be equipped to do that is if we saturate ourselves with the truth. The lies he tells us have a little truth mixed in, making them harder to recognize as lies. Only as we learn Scripture can we sort them out.

The world is forever pointing out things that should be ours, creating in us a sense of entitlement. Then Satan points us to those who have attained the things we hope for, pushing us farther down the road of discontentment.

Focus on the Lord when you are tempted to compare yourself with others. David, whom God called a man after his own heart, was given armor to wear when he was going to fight Goliath. The armor was too large for his small frame, but David didn't go searching for different armor so that he could replicate others who went out in battle. Instead, David's focus was on God's character, not on his opponent. God, who had helped David in the past, would continue to help him as he faced Goliath. All of us have had experiences of trusting God. We need to remind ourselves of his faithfulness.

To be content, we need to praise God in all circumstances
God is always looking out for our good. Knowing this about God is essential for us during our times of trial, when some things don't make sense. God is more concerned about transforming us into the image of his Son than he is about how it will temporarily affect us.

The apostle Paul was beaten, imprisoned, stoned, and shipwrecked. Still, in prison chains, he wrote to the church that he was content no matter his circumstances. He tells us to be content in our circumstances, not thankful for our circumstances. When things go wrong, what can we praise God for? We can praise him for who he is. Our circumstances do not diminish his character. He never becomes less than he is.

If we just start praising him, as David did in the Psalms, we will be reminded of other reasons he is worthy of praise. Satan is the only one who doesn't want us to praise God, so he will continually try to get our focus off the Lord. Satan loves it when we focus on what we don't have, what God hasn't done for us, or how God has seemingly let us down. Satan is the original killjoy.

Too often we praise God only when we feel like praising him. Offering God praise has nothing to do with our feelings. Instead, when we are going through a difficult time, our praise becomes a sacrifice to him.

Charles Swindoll says that life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you react to what happens to you. We act as if it's the other way around. The apostle Paul encourages us to rejoice in the Lord always. That is much different from rejoicing in what is going on with us. If Solomon had told us to rejoice, we might have a problem with that. After all, wasn't Solomon the richest man around? But Paul was talking to us with chains on.

To be content, we have to kill the dragons of comparison
I have started challenging myself lately. When I see a status on a newsfeed that ruffles my feathers, I ask God to help me to pray for that person. It makes things easier when I'm honest with God, telling him how I feel. He knows anyway. Then, I begin to praise him.

Try singing to the Lord. When my heart is singing, whether I'm on key or not, my mind moves off of myself. I sing old hymns, such as "Jesus Never Fails" and "How Great Thou Art," because they are loaded with truths about the Lord. A couple of lines into a hymn and I find that I no longer wonder when I'm going to get the thing I'm working toward, but instead am thinking about God and all the wonderful things he has done.

Contentment is attainable, but first we must kill the dragons of comparison. And they will die as long as we keep our eyes focused on the King of Kings, the only one worth looking at.

The stick I made for measuring
I used most every day.
It helped me to compare myself
with others on my way.
I watched all those behind me,
or further down the road,
and I would readjust my pace
or lighten up my load.
The only real drawback
with how I ran my race
was watching everything around,
except my Savior's face.

Anne Peterson is a freelance author, poet, and speaker. To read Anne's blog or to engage her as a speaker, go to http://annepeterson.com/.

This article first appeared in www.christianbiblestudies.com, posted January 31, 2011

You've Got the Power!

By Charles Moncrief

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.
Psalms 23:4 (KJV)

The entertainment industry, in its many forms, capitalizes on presenting its audience with the appearance of one dangerous situation after another. Whether it’s the aerialist in the circus, the chase scene in cinema, or the fight-to-the-death video games, we know that the images are just that: images. They are presented to us as, if you will, mere shadows of death. The safety net under the trapezes and high wire, the special camera effects in the movies, and the animated bad guys in the video games allow us to suspend our sense of reality long enough to experience a change of pace before returning to reality -- or whatever we call our day-to-day existence.

Life differs when we emerge from the circus tent, the movie theatre, and the video game. We find ourselves confronted with the fact that these shadows are cast by something.

A black woman refuses to sit in the back of a bus, and a pastor supporting her cause receives death threats against him and his family -- along with multiple fire-bombings of his house.

A family finds itself in a nightmare when a SWAT team, assembled by the accusations of a lying ex-spouse, breaks down the door to their home and terrorizes everybody, including the children they forcibly kidnap.

A few days ago I read of Susan Murphy-Milano’s quest to expose the lies of the Oklahoma County Medical Examiner’s office, the dehumanizing attitude that cavalierly labels obvious homicides as suicides to protect special interests. When she goes to Oklahoma, a veiled threat (or perhaps a promise) that she will leave in a body bag deserves a response.

I will give a response.

But first, let me mention a couple of significant facts about Susan. She is more than six feet tall, and when she steps through a door into a group of people, she owns the room. Immediately Susan is a threat to anyone whose power comes only from the projectiles that can be launched from a pistol. Each year she saves more lives than most of us will in a lifetime, because she is dedicated to safety for the abused and vindication for those who were killed in the process of protecting a public image.

So I don’t take my response lightly because I don’t take lightly any threats against Susan’s life. Moreover, I don’t make my response directly out of my own thoughts. Rather, the power base for my response is from three excerpts in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures. Since I’m pulling verses out of their textual context, the meaning is obviously different from what the original human writer intended.

My first excerpt is from Isaiah 54:17. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper.
The protection has carried Susan through dangerous situations in the past is nothing less than divinely ordered, and there is every reason for confidence in that continued protection as she fights the corruption in Oklahoma.

My second excerpt is from Romans 8:31. If God be for us, who can be against us?
This is not to say that nobody is against Susan. Rather, this is to provide reassurance that those who do come against Susan simply don’t amount to much.

In writing this I found myself drawn to a scene from T. S. Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral, a story in verse recounting the death of Thomas a Becket. When the king’s soldiers were breaking into the church and his priests were urging him to escape the danger, the Archbishop’s reply was “I am not in danger; only near to death.” While this makes good poetry, it is an ideal removed from reality. The hard reality is that someone is in danger who stands against an established system of evil, and Susan is no exception. But it brings me back to the perspective of my opening verse.

For my third excerpt I’ve chosen all six verses of Psalm 23.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Recently someone pointed out the dramatic shift that the psalm takes with verse 4. The first three verses refer to God in third person: “The LORD,” “He maketh, “He leadeth,” “He restoreth.” Then, as soon as the psalmist faces the shadow of death, it’s “Thou art with me.” And God is referred to in second person -- talked to rather than talked about. As powerfully comforting as this psalm is when we think of God accompanying us when we face death (or even its shadow), suddenly the assuring power of the psalm takes a steep upward turn.

My response to the threat against Susan is my response to every one of you. Possibly you are facing real danger from someone who has abused you or a loved one in the past. Wherever your dangerous walk, God is with you. May you take comfort in knowing that the psalmist had some great insight to share with all of us.

Grace and Peace,
Charles+

A Home of Peace: Psalms of the Pilgrim

By Karen Rae Elkins

When I'm not studying river maps I will turn to a different kind of map, a treasure map most know as a Bible. It takes me to the places I've been to let me know: I am not alone. The words lead me down the roads I've yet to see. They speak to me of my value on this earth. In the dark hours past midnight, I turned to my Bible for direction. The WHY LORD questions have ceased. They've been replaced with Lord, be the light that directs my steps. When I get to where I'm going, the treasure that I will discover is more precious than gold or silver. It's all about the journey, not the destiny. The Bible opened to this passage: Too long have I had my dwelling among those who hate peace. I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war! (Psalms 120:6-7). Some may call the message chance, but I know! that I know, it was one of those divine moments when His words came through. It's a Psalm of special meaning. The enemies of peace will fail. I have the will to defeat conflict.

I desire peace, it's what I've wanted all along. Can I embrace the time of peace with the courage to make difficult decisions? Soon. Sweet peace: to gain enough strength to shape my own destiny, to spend precious moments with my children, to make lasting friendships without fear of their getting caught in the crossfire, to know my co-workers and let them into my life. As it is with most scripture, they were more than words when I decided to look deeper into the entire Psalm. Maybe, just maybe, it is my appointed time to move into a new beginning, a season of dreams, a hope fulfilled, a faithful day when I can say I have won the war against his continued attacks. Yes, I am for peace, but he means war. I can't change him. I never could. He has lost, and I have come to understand, he is just not that important. 

My adversity, the abuse, leaving and continued stalking has been for my life in order that I may share my experiences, my knowledge, my victories. I have given up virtually everything to find my life. You too, my sister in silence, may be faced with the same emotions, experiences and decisions. March on, do what you need to do to be strong in the struggles of domestic violence. Take time for yourself. You are important. Be a survivor from the devil who haunts you. Know that, "The Devil is a liar." He'll tell you that you are less than just to keep his control over you. Most of all, "Be safe".

According to  google, Psalms 120 through the final Psalm 134 are the Psalms of Degrees. Some call it the Psalms of Assents. It is described as the Pilgram Psalm. Anyone who has experienced leaving an abusive situation is a Pilgram of sorts. Each Psalm being a step of divine protection for the oppressed living in bondage, and judgment for those who have enslaved. These psalms are often used during the Feast of Tabernacle, which approaches in September. To the man who hates peace, read the Psalm of what awaits in your future. I don't wish anyone harm. I don't wish him anything. Life is about choices. Me? I'm leaving him behind, like a train wreck in my rear view mirror.

I've been writing blogs for Time's Up for eleven months. As I approach the one year anniversary, my pilgrimage, this is what I've discovered from writing. I'm not ashamed to say I blog against domestic violence. I found dignity in my experiences. It's an opening line, a life line in some ways to the women out there who sit silent in their abuse. Abuse comes in many forms.

I've taught myself to do what I have to do in this life to be happy. Fishing makes me very happy. I've found happiness in helping other women in their pilgrimage to leave abuse. I'm reminded of Kim, a woman who once confessed to me, "I can't leave. I can never take care of myself." It's what he had told her so many times that she believed his lie. She moved away from her abusive husband over a year ago and now owns her own home. Way to go Kim. A home of peace. May he never cross under your front door. She called me the other day frantic because he was going to take the car. I reminded her of how far she has come from the day she told me I can never take care of myself. I told her it was the last hold he had on her and to just go buy a car of her own. She did just that. I am so proud of her!  Pretty Amazing, huh? 

I'm keeping my dreams big and my worries small. I've learned it's my journey not the destiny that adds to my life. I love fishing, all the rest are details. No worries are that big. Life is full of obstacles. It's all about the fish in my boat.  Maggie is a young woman who dreams of fishing. Meeting other women who like to fish tickles me. While in the boat together I learned that in her short time on earth she has only known a life of violence. Her father beat her, her step father beat her, and today, her boyfriend hits her. She said, "Karen, I think I've become comfortable with hitting as a way of life. Am I crazy like they say"?  Pretty sad, huh? No Maggie, you are not crazy, that is just what others want you to think so you will continue to accept their fist. I told her she was strong enough to break the chain of abuse. And then, we just fished. I knew just like the big fish on my line, that I had "got one" in the boat and she is destine to break that chain of violence. How can she lose? She is my fishing daughter.

I'm going to chose a life that mean the most to me, not the life someone else has planned for me. I have to close with the story of powerful Mary, who has helped me. She now lives by the saying, "I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6". I had to think about that one. Her story is one of kidnapping and shear horror. Her ex boyfriend held hostage for 2 days. He told her she was going to die. When she escaped, he shot at her as she was running through the neighbors yard. I can't imagine running from bullets. The ex boyfriend never spent one day in jail for his crimes. That's our justice system and that a blog for another day. Because of the experience and the fact that he is out there free to do it again, Mary now carries a gun with her at all times. She encourages other women to own a gun for protection. She instructs them where to go to buy a gun. She points them to the nearest instruction classes and shooting range. Mary always has one strapped to her, one in the car, and one in her Gucci purse. Pretty protected, huh?

I will have peace as I read more deeply into the Psalms of the Pilgrim. I can relate and listen to the women who are leaving what they know for a land of promise. Life is an adventure of the good, the bad, and the sometimes ugly. Today is a day of powerful opportunity.Peace can be found around every corner. I'm not ashamed, I have the tee shirt and wear it with grace. 

September promises to be a good month for fishing. Until next time, fish steady my friends.

 

Karen Elkins 
John 3:17 for God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

Remember the Universal Law—You Reap What You Sow.

By Pamela Chapman


I settle into my big chair as I begin to write more in depth about what I believe to be the second vital belief for success in 2010. It is not easy. I’ve written to dear Delilah, our Time’s Up coordinator to ask her for a reprieve so that I can ask God how to approach Belief #2: Remember the Universal Law—You Reap What You Sow.


If you follow my blog, you know that I write in order to inspire and bring hope. At least, that is my aim. To give you a glimpse of hope, to give you the strength to carry on: that is my heart’s desire. I write based on my experiences—the good and the bad. So now I sit and I ask, “God, how do I explain to the beautiful people on the other side of this page—those who have been brutalized and escaped like runaway slaves in the middle of the night, leaving everything and everyone behind—that you reap what you sow?


How do I give that message to those precious souls who have lost their children and loved ones by the hands of someone who had no regard for their loved one’s life or their own? Some of you are still seeking justice in an unjust system that is broken and, I believe, doesn’t want to be repaired. Women and children continue to be violated with little or no restitution. How can I say that you are reaping what you have sown?


I know this is a question many of us ask, but I also know this to be a Universal Law. If you are one who believes in Holy Scripture, you know that Galatians 6:7 reads, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” 


Well, that works great for those who have committed heinous crimes. But how do we explain the injustices done against the innocent children and babes? How do we explain a woman being beat to death or strangled until she is unconscious? Why do bad things happen to people who are good? Now I’ll make it personal—why did my only son fall victim to a senseless beating that quickly turned the journey and path for his life of 17 years into a downward spiral?


There is no easy answer to this question, and because I do not want to attempt to write what has already been so beautifully written, may I strongly suggest reading The Shack by Wm. Paul Young? It is a powerful story about this very dilemma. The writer himself experienced great loss as a child and young adult. Here is what Wynonna Judd wrote about this book: “Reading The Shack during a very difficult transition in my life, this story has blown the door wide open to my soul.”


In the meanwhile, here are some additional words that I pray will bring peace to your
aching soul and bring you hope for His justice.


“Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.” Psalm 126:5


“The wicked man does deceptive work, but he who sows righteousness [right doing] will have a sure reward.” Proverbs 11:18


And lastly, “Remember now, whoever perished being innocent? Or where were the upright [for]ever cut off? Even as I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same by the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of His anger they are consumed.” Job 4:7-9


No matter what life has brought to our doorsteps, I pray each of us continue to sow and reap in His love.


In love, light, and healing,
Pamela

You can learn more by attending a free webinar "The Power of Transparency."  To learn more and to register, please go to the link HERE.