The Cost Of Obedience

Has God ever asked you to do something, that lit a fire under you; only to loose or fail? Well… it looked like you had lost or failed, in the eyes and ears of your family, friends or peers.  The emotional and spiritual devastation is amazing…

You were so sure you were doing what God wanted, that you sacrificed everything, gave up a career, or even let that relationship walk away. 

90% of the time, God does not reveal the miracles and victories you uncovered, and lives you touched, while obeying, loosing or failing at a task ordained by God… yet judged by culture, community, the church, family and peers.

Then, like a steam roller, the health, finances or relationships are crushed;  right in front of the world; adding fuel to the condemnation and judgment of others.  It isn’t long before you are getting sick of “You just have to…” whatever.

My favorite is, and its said in many ways…“God is punishing you, so I am stepping away until He has finished, and you are prospering again”.  Oh yes… I’ve been there… and lived it… it is amazing, the horrible things people say, and even make up; after the great fail or loss. At least in their eyes, it is a fail or loss… but great battles and victories were achieved during that time, that no one knows about… yet. 

Then every sort of evil, comes out of the woodwork, to kick you, while you are down. You want to runaway, get away from everyone that knows about this.  But that still small voice says, Stay Put… We are not done yet… But the devil can see the impact you are having, just being there.  He will do everything imaginable to get you to run… heck, your own humanity will start screaming RUN get out of here. I cannot take it anymore…  But the Holy Spirit says STOP… stay put… we are doing far more than you realize. 

Well, I guess I’m suppose to stop there.  Please read on, to the devotion that inspired this… or lit my fire this morning.  

I receive these devotionals on a daily bases, and every once in a while, one jumps out at me; and I am compelled to forward it or repost here. It is usually something that has already been on my mind, and I had not written it down.

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The Cost of Miracles
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Sunday, December 30 2012

"Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit'" (Matt 1:19-21).

There is often a cost associated with a miracle. Mary carried a miracle in her belly. No other woman in history had the distinction of birthing the Son of God. It was a one-time event in history. However, for 30 years she was viewed as a woman who was often judged, shamed by public opinion, rejected by her own, and thought to be an adulteress by her townspeople.

I can only imagine her cries at night, "You are God, you can help them understand I am not an immoral person. I am doing the will of God! Why must I be shamed and judged the same as a prostitute!" God's silence must have been difficult. She would not be accurately viewed for years to come. In many ways, she was called to the same path as Jesus was. He was rejected by His own people too.

Her finance Joseph was going to break off the engagement when he discovered she was pregnant. Had he not had a visitation from an angel, he too would have rejected her. However, he married her and also carried the stigma associated with a pregnancy that most assumed was immoral.

Sometimes we are called to experience rejection for the Son of God living in us. When we carry the cross of Christ, the world and even our families sometimes look at us as though we have a few marbles out of place. Jesus said that He did not come to bring peace. Even our families would judge us and think wrongly of us.

Yes, a miracle often has a cost. But that miracle is the seed for something imperishable. It is the seed of eternity in our hearts.

Divorce - THE TEN STAGES OF GRIEF

 

THE TEN STAGES OF GRIEF

The grief process must be pursued within the heart and cannot be
hurried. It takes a great deal of time; even a year or more. Here is
where a great many get caught on the rebound. They look for someone or something to silence that pain. This always ends up in disaster.

Jumping into another relationship only hides the grief for a little
while. It will surface again and must be dealt with, sooner or later.
Second marriages are destroyed by this process. One or both
parties have not permitted the grieving process to run its course.

This may be the worse pain you have ever had to endure. The death of a relationship (divorce) has been found to be the most stressful and painful experience known. It is not an actual death, where one can finalize the grieving process and they never see the person again. The death of a relationship is as painful as loosing a loved one except
they are still around as a reminder, and fuel negative emotions like
bitterness, Unforgiveness, fear, hate and so on. Naturally this
knowledge will not lessen the pain, or minimize your grief. What it
does do is assist you in giving yourself up to it, giving you courage
in knowing it will one day be over with. Giving yourself up to it
is the only way to start the healing and obtaining a complete healing.

This is where Jesus comes in.
God will walk you through this extremely painful and trying ordeal in
grace and love. He gives a peace that goes beyond anything you can
imagine. Going through this process is a given; you need to complete
it, in order to save your sanity. Responding favorably will cause you
to grow stronger than ever. Either way you will be a new person.
Positive or negative is up to you.

I. Shock
Some never go through a prolonged stage of shock and are able to
express their emotions immediately. Others will say, "I feel numb"
without any real emotional expression. This could be a type of denial
and is very destructive. Eventually it comes out one way or another,
positive or negative. Children will bury their shock, because they do
not want to believe the two people they love and trust the most, hate
one another. It can come out in the form of bedwetting; silence;
diminished appetite; withdrawal; or sleeplessness.

II. Emotional Release
This is where a person begins to feel and hurt. Many people start
here. Grieving in tears is good; possibly the greatest relief, because
tears wash the heart. If a person, particularly a child, isn’t able to
express these emotions, they will manifest in another way, either
physically or emotionally. Unfortunately, many partners blame the
emotional pain children feel on the other partner, which only builds
more unhealthy feelings in the children. The children know better and
it will backfire one day.

Some need to be induced to cry or express themselves. This is
particularly true with men and male children. If this is not expressed
in a controlled way, later on in life it might be expressed in an
uncontrolled way, causing everyone around them to experience their
grief inappropriately. Generally the parent they’re with is blamed for
the pain, because they are viewed as the one that would not allow them to grieve. Here we can see how years later another relationship is destroyed.

In our culture men are not allowed to cry, but it should be
encouraged! Harboring Unforgiveness magnifies everything and delays the recovery process. It numbs the guilt and makes sinning easier, and it fosters bitterness.

III. Preoccupation With The Ex-Partner
Try as you might, you may find yourself preoccupied with thoughts of
the other person; unable to shift your thoughts. This will get better
as time goes on. Thinking negatively through resentment could be very damaging and can cause deep wounds that take forever to heal. It can even destroy future relationships.

Forgiveness is the key. What you do with those feelings will determine the kind of person you become. It will contribute in determining what kind of people your children will become.

Some people feel married for long periods of time after the divorce,
which is normal, because they have bonded. Most even feel an elevated love for the ex-spouse.

IV. Some Symptoms of Physical and Emotional Distress
These symptoms or distresses may come in many forms; in waves, lasting anywhere from several minutes to even an hour or so.

The most common are:
Sleeplessness
Tightness in the throat.
Choking, with shortness of breath.
A need for sighing
Empty hollow feeling in the stomach.
Lack of muscle control (bedwetting)
Digestive disorders
Lack of appetite
Uncontrolled eating.
Hyperactivity

Note: Watch for these symptoms in children and see if they last longer than a few hours.

Associated with the physical distress may be certain emotional
anxieties.

The most common are:

Slight sense of unreality.
Feelings of emotional distance from people (no one cares)
Feeling “shadowy” or very “small”
Panic
Self Destruction
A desire to run away

Feelings like this can cause you to think you’re losing your sanity,
or approaching insanity, but they are all normal. Its how you deal
with them that counts. Children experience the same feelings that
adults do; watch them, especially teenagers. It isn’t uncommon for
children to attempt suicide. Be very careful not to contribute to
their justification for such a thing.

V. Hostility
These feelings can be surprising and inexplicable. They can make you
feel like you’re going insane. Anger may be directed towards the other partner; their lover; the children; family; even God, but this is very normal. It is what you do with the anger that counts.
Understand that the other partner is going to go through this, as well
as the children. Children can “lock up” emotionally and it will come
out in other areas of their lives later on; possibly in their own
marriages. It must be expressed.

VI. Guilt
There is always some sense of guilt in this process; thoughts of,
“could I have done something different?”, or, “its all ‘their’ fault.”
Its tempting to relieve the guilt by converting it to blame, but
remember; two people cannot live together without some hurt being
done. Feeling guilty is normal, but converting it to “blame” is
disastrous. It halts the healing process; stops it dead in its tracks.

VII Depression
Many feel total despair; unbearable loneliness; hopelessness;
detachment. Nothing seems worthwhile. These feelings are far more
intense for those who live alone or have very little family support. A
good support system is extremely important (support groups, church,
clubs, etc.). This type of depression seems awful, but is actually a
part of the healing, and will do a wondrous work within you.

VIII. Withdrawal
Some withdraw from social activities and relationships. Daily routines
are severely disrupted. This is normal but not healthy. It becomes a
place to hide; a fortress of solitude. Once the walls are up they’re
very difficult to penetrate. Most need a lot of encouragement to leave
their solitude.

IX. The Light At the End of the Tunnel
Time and the Holy Spirit will finally produce a better situation.
Suddenly there is light. The dark cloud of gloom dissipates; life
comes back into focus, and you begin to move forward. This only
happens if you have been honest with yourself; only if you’ve resisted
the temptation to take a big mental, emotional, or spiritual step
backwards.

X. Times of Readjustment
There will be moments and seasons where you will feel a touch of the
grief again. I call this a wave. This is very normal and will diminish
as time passes. It is important to express your feelings.

To get to the last two stages, you must experience the first eight,
but people try to avoid the extreme pain of the grieving process and
inflict permanent deep wounds that may never heal. They come out later in the form of bitterness; Unforgiveness, and hate for the ex-partner.

These very same effects manifest in the children. In turn, bitterness;
Unforgiveness and hate become a part of their character. This is very
unfortunate. They learn to hate and run instead of to love and
forgive.

In walking through this process, you will emerge a better person.
Allow it to complete its work and you and your children will grow in
leaps and bounds.

Jesus will be there with you, if you allow Him.
His love and grace will cover you like a warm blanket.

By Greg Ewert / Copyright 1996/All Rights Reserved

The Isolation

I receive these little devotionals form Os Hillman.  Some of them ring out like a big church bell in the night. When I get that urge to repost, I know this message is not for me alone…

The Isolation Chamber
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Friday, October 26 2012

"Be still and know that I am God...." Psalm 46:10

There is a time and place in our walk with God in which He sets us in a place of waiting. It is a place in which all past experiences are of no value. It is a time of such stillness that it can disturb the most faithful if we do not understand that He is the one who has brought us to this place for only a season. It is as if God has placed a wall around us. No new opportunities--simply inactivity.

During these times, God is calling us aside to fashion something new in us. It is an isolation chamber designed to call us to deeper roots of prayer and faith. It is not a comfortable place, especially for a task-driven workplace believer. Our nature cries out, "You must do something," while God is saying, "Be still and know that I am God." You know the signs that you have been brought into this chamber when He has removed many things from your life and you can't seem to change anything. Perhaps you are unemployed. Perhaps you are laid up with an illness.

Most religious people live a very planned and orchestrated life where they know almost everything that will happen. But for people in whom God is performing a deeper work, He brings them into a time of quietness that seems almost eerie. They cannot say what God is doing. They just know that He is doing a work that cannot be explained to themselves or to others.

Has God brought you to a place of being still? Be still and know that He really is God. When this happens, the chamber will open soon after.

Serve Where You Are

By Greg Ewert – March 19, 2012

I cannot count how many times I’ve written and spoke on this subject.

We are all called into service, but not all of us are called into the fulltime five fold ministries.  You would be surprised, at how much you do for God, walking the kids to the bus stop; singing those little worship choruses, as you load the dishwasher; taking that walk in the park.  You would be amazed at how much you change, by moving from point A.. to point B.  And on the job.. Whoa!  if you could see into the spirit realm, you would be shocked at what God is using your presents to do. I hope you enjoy the devotional I placed after this. 

Thank You For Visiting my blog… Greg 

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This Portion is Reprinted With Permission –

This was my Morning devotional, I felt compelled to share it with you.

The Fallacy of Full-Time Christian Work
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Monday, March 19 2012

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." -
Colossians 3:23-24

"I didn't know you were in full-time Christian work," said my close friend as we were driving. "I didn't realize that," she went on. I responded, "Every person who has followed the will of God in their life is in full-time Christian work." God calls some to the mission field, others to be accountants, and others to be advertising executives, and still others to be construction workers. God never made a distinction between sacred and secular. In fact, the Hebrew word avodah is the root word having the same meaning of "work" and "worship." God sees our work as worship.

We have incorrectly elevated the role of the Christian worker to be more holy and committed than the person who is serving in a more secular environment. Yet the call to the secular workplace is as important as any other calling. God has to have His people in every sphere of life. Otherwise, many would never come to know Him because they would be separated from society.

I learned this lesson personally when I sought to go into "full-time" service as a pastor in my late twenties, only to have God thrust me back into the business world unwillingly. This turned out to be the best thing He could have done for me, because it was never His will for me to be a pastor. He knew I was more suited for the workplace.

We are all in missions. Some are called to foreign lands. Some are called to the jungles of the workplace. Wherever you are called, serve the Lord in that place. Let Him demonstrate His power through your life so that others might experience Him through you today and see your vocation as worship to His glory.

 

Thank You !

Unwanted, Abandoned, Or Rejected

This came in my morning devotionals and I felt compelled to share it with you all.  And Thank You, once again for being patient while I updated the website.

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If You're Feeling Unwanted, Abandoned, Or Rejected,
It's Time To Rejoice!

By Rick Renner

And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen.
-1 Corinthians 1:28

Have you ever felt unwanted, abandoned, or rejected? If your answer is yes, I relate to your feelings entirely. There was a time in my life when I felt very inferior to everyone else, even though I had no reason to feel this way.

Because I was sick for a prolonged period of time when I was in junior high school, I missed a great deal of school. I especially felt the pain of this loss when it came to the subject of mathematics. As a result, I missed all the essential elements of mathematics that my fellow students were learning. When I finally returned to school, I was far behind everyone else.

As I started my first algebra class in junior high school, my teacher ridiculed me for not understanding the basic elements of mathematics that everyone else in class seemed to understand. I tried to explain my situation, but she responded by calling me "Stupid." In fact, every day when she called the roll, instead of calling my name, she'd say, "Stupid Renner," and I'd always answer, "Here, Ma'am."

My teacher's words negatively affected my self-image when I was a young junior high student. Other students laughed at me and thought it was funny to call me "Stupid." Outside of class, they started to call me by the same name until, finally, the word "stupid" became my nickname that many of the kids used that school year when they spoke to me. Everywhere I turned at school, people yelled out, "Stupid...hey, Stupid!" I allowed this petty name-calling to create feelings of inferiority in my life that affected me for several years.

Everyone remembers feeling unwanted and rejected at some time or another in his or her life. Some people recover from these experiences; however, the devil has used memories of rejection to keep others in an emotional prison for the rest of their lives. These are the people who never feel wanted and accepted, nor do they feel like they can measure up to other people.

It could be that I'm describing something you have experienced in the past. Perhaps it is a recent event that is still very fresh in your memory.
Personally, I am thankful that what happened to me had no long-term effect on my life; in fact, today I even laugh about it. However, I know many people who were devastated by rejection at some point in their lives and never recovered from it.

I've had many other opportunities to feel rejected since my junior high years. For instance, after my family and I moved to the former Soviet Union in 1991, we poured our whole lives into this land. We invested our monies, energies, and nearly every ounce of our strength into establishing churches, broadcasting the Word on television, and enriching the lives of the people in this region of the world. But time and again I've been shocked by the editorials and newspaper articles that accuse me and our ministry of being criminals, cult leaders, a dangerous sect, and so on.

Regardless of who we are, we all deal with these issues from time to time. Therefore, it is essential that you and I make a decision about how we are going to react when something occurs that makes us feel unwanted, abandoned, or rejected. Personally, I have always turned to First Corinthians 1:28 when I've felt tossed aside by friends, by the world, or even by the Church. This scripture has always been a source of strength to me, for it says, "And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen."

When Paul wrote that verse, he was writing to the Corinthian believers, who were being ostracized and deemed stupid by the unbelieving community in the city of Corinth. The unbelieving citizens didn't understand the Christian faith. But instead of trying to understand, they just decided that Christians were stupid and out of touch with society. In fact, their disdain for Christians was so intense that Paul said they "despised" the Corinthian church.

The word "despised" is the Greek word exoutheneo. This Greek word means to make light of, to despise, to treat with contempt, to disregard, and to neglect. It pictures someone low and detestable whom others perceive as hideous, disgusting, despicable and nauseating. In fact, this word describes a person who is such an outcast and so low in other people's opinions that they don't even consider him worth recognition.

People just want to shut their eyes and pretend this person isn't there - to ignore him and to go their own way. But notice the end of the above verse: It boldly announces that the people whom the world rejects are the very ones whom God has chosen!

First Corinthians 1:28 could be translated:

"God has picked out people who are laughable, and through them He is confounding those who think they are high and mighty. Low-class, second-rate, common, average, run-of-the mill people - those so low that the world doesn't even think they're worth the time of day - these are the ones whom God has chosen."

Have you noticed that the lost and unbelieving world still tries to ignore believers and pretend they're not there? This is nothing new. In the verse above, the Greek tense indicates that the lost world's terrible opinion of Christians will continue to prevail.

In First John 5:19, the Bible explains why the world refuses to acknowledge those of us who are believers: "The whole world lieth in wickedness." As long as the world lies in the grip of wickedness, we may as well accept the fact that the unbelieving world will mock and make fun of us, no matter what we do to try to change their opinion. It's just the way a lost world is going to act!

Rather than let other people affect your self-image and confidence, you need to know who you are in Jesus Christ and hold your head up high. You have no reason to be embarrassed or ashamed. From the beginning of time, the lost world has ridiculed, made fun of, sarcastically accused, and debased the people of God. There is nothing new about this at all.

The devil may try to use your friends, your family, your business associates, or your school teachers to make fun of you and drag you down, but you don't have to let the devil's plan work against you. In times like these, remember that Jesus was also "despised and rejected of men" (Isaiah 53:3).

You are in good company with Jesus! So if the world makes light of you or treats you with contempt - if it disregards, neglects, and overlooks you - take heart! You are exactly the kind of person God wants to use! He has big plans to use you as a demonstration of His almighty power to your friends, to your family, to your business associates, and to the unbelieving world!

Lord, I am so thankful that You chose me! Even though the devil has tried to use people to tell me that I would never be worth anything, You wanted me and sought me out until I finally heard Your voice and surrendered to Your call. I am so grateful that the opinion of the world about me wasn't true. I'm so glad that You pursued me with such a mighty love and that You refused to give up on me. What else can I say to express my heart to You? I can only say, "Thank You, Jesus!"
I pray this in Jesus' name!

Renner Ministries | PO Box 702040 | Tulsa | OK | 74170

Being Community Ready,

by Greg Ewert  November 6, 2011

Are You Community Ready?
In today's economy, thinking about emergency preparedness is low on just about everyone's list, of priorities. Being prepared isn't about the destructive power of an earthquake, flood, tsunami, or tornado; alone.

Being prepared isn't about a giant emergency, its about a sudden unexpected loss of services (electricity, communications, medical, food, transportation ect..)

Its about you and your neighbors being prepared to face the unexpected; things that will affect everyone on your street, building, or cul-de-sac.

This is especially true if you live in a community of people on fixed incomes. One persons hardship can quickly become a community event... one can quickly become two, three, four... and so on. Networking and Sharing are the keys to peace of mind. Sadly, some actually think that their landlord will come to their rescue. They are so institutionalized, and dependent on the housing authority and social services, that they have lost the ability to think and/or plan on their own.

Their landlords are under no obligation to help them in any way, and their landlords have no plans to assist them in organizing for a disaster or helping them afterwards; I know because I asked them.

When preparing, it is a lot easier to not think about a particular natural disaster. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard these words; "Oh sure, I remember Y2K and its all a bunch of hysteria and propaganda". But we have seen the devastation of the mighty hurricanes and tsunamis over the last decade. We have witnessed, for ourselves, the heartache and even death, brought on by those who were not prepared, and thought Uncle Sam or Big Brother was coming to the rescue.

Before Hurricane Katrina, we were told that the mighty FEMA or our military would come to our rescue. We seen it in movies, all over the Internet, and in the news. After Hurricane Katrina, we were told that you need to learn to survive on your own for up to three days. But even that is a stretch. In most cases, federal emergency responders will not arrive for weeks.

In places like the Pacific Northwest, Oregon and Washington, you can't go anywhere without crossing a bridge. And a moderate earthquake will make 90% of the bridges in the Pacific Northwest impassible.

In researching this subject, I asked a lot of people in low income housing, how they were prepared in case of a natural disaster in Oregon. All but a few said they were going to go to a relatives. So I asked them, how many bridges do you cross getting to your relatives? almost everyone had to cross at least three bridges to get to where they think they will be safe.

Odds are, those bridges will not be there after an earthquake.

Some of the people I talk to are pretty well-to-do. What will you do after a big earthquake and how have you prepared. I was amazed at how many have property up in the mountains that were fully stocked and ready for an emergency. Yet they had done little to nothing to prepare to stay where they are. I asked him the same question, how many bridges will you have to cross to get up to your cabin, and how many big trees are along the road? Not a single one of them had thought of that.

When I questioned local emergency responders about what they were going to be doing after a big earthquake, every single one of them responded with...

"I already have a place picked out, where I will take me, my family and my gun, until the chaos is over".

When planning and preparing, it is best to do so as a community, a neighborhood. You will be the first responder in your community, and your community will be your first responder. As we look at the natural disasters of the last few years, here in the United States; we always hear, my neighbor had to dig me out of my house, apartment, or grocery store. It was always, hours, days, or even a week before emergency responders arrived.

Now you consider the amount of damage that will be done over three states, Oregon Washington and California, the responders will be spread really thin. The smaller communities may never see, FEMA or the military come rolling into their community. These people will be told where to go to find emergency help, it's not going to come to them; or you.

Get to know your neighbors, and have a potluck.  Get to know each others skills, needs, what you have as a community.

Thank You All For Visiting

Greg Ewert

Stepping up to the fight

 

As children, the Holy Spirit guards and protects us. Here is where we establish our relationship with God. However, after years of milk and cookies, the sweeter things that draw us near to Him, we are expected to learn how to feed ourselves. We are expected to learn how to prepare a meal, set the table, and serve it to those around us.

Then… There comes the day, when hiding and waiting for God to fight our battle, doesn’t work anymore.  There comes a day when we are expected to fight for what has been placed in our custody. 

I meet people all the time that are being beaten by the Devils cohorts. They retreat to isolation, and they are even held captive, in the many prisons of our enemy. In our walk as believers we are expected, at some point, to grow up, to strap on the armor, and fight.

Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. {12} For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. {13} Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. (Eph 6:11-13 NLT)

No… God does not expect us to dive into the mix alone; not always.  There are those times we must stand, with our armor and battle face. 

I had a dream, years ago:

I was standing on a big rock, overlooking some blank rolling hills of sand.  I was a Watchman… standing guard over a territory I was responsible for.  Every now and then, something would pop up over one of those little hills, and I would see a fiery dart heading in my direction.  Bang… Bang… Bang… those darts hit my shield; sometimes more than one or two at a time.  The enemy got really good at disguises, and would get pretty darn close before opening fire; POW! they hit my shield hard and yes, a few got by my shield. My armor saved me, but it hurt. 

After a barrage of darts and arrows, I heard something new.  Like a storm off in the distance… a faint roar at first…

It got louder and louder.  I stood tall, up on my toes, looking out over the rolling hills.  With my eyes strained on the horizon, I caught a quick glimpse of something on fire and coming fast.  It was hugging the surface… disappearing behind the hills, only to pop up  again, as it got closer, and closer. 

Suddenly… there it was.  I could see it clearly.  It wasn’t a dart, an arrow, or a spear.  It was a missile, a rocket of some sort. I barely had a second to raise my shield when it hit.  The explosion was deafening, and there was fire and smoke; but I was still standing. 

One by one… several more rockets hit.  They were not hitting my shield every-time. They were hitting the rock I was standing on as well. Then I noticed, just before the rockets hit, the sky filled with arrows. More and more of these arrows and darts were getting past the hills, the rock, and even my armor.  After a while I was on my knees, my shield was battered, burnt, and full of holes.  My armor was smoldering and I was in pain. 

The roar was louder than before and I couldn’t tell which direction it was coming from. I stood up, and scanned the horizon. I spotted one, two, three… There were four rockets coming from four different directions.   I pulled my shield close and in the back of my mind I thought this was the end. 

I closed my eyes and a few seconds later…  BOOM!… A giant cloud of fire, smoke, and fragments went everywhere.  Stunned, I realized I had not felt the impact.  I opened my eyes to see my friends, they were standing all around me, with their shields acting like a wall.  One by one they turned to me and winked.  As the rockets, exploded and air filled with arrows.

It was only a few minutes, but it seemed like hours, before silence and a cool breeze cleared the air.  Hurting, like I never thought possible, my friends tended my wounds. 

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I tried to keep this story short and have left out a lot of details. One lesson to be learned here is…

Well.. there might be more than one lesson here. 

 

Greg Ewert

The Prison of Un-forgiveness

You have prayed and prayed, yet things are not turning out the way you hoped… And it seems the promises of God do not apply to you. Why!?

The chains, or prison, of Un-forgiveness can hold both people in bondage. By maintaining Un-forgiveness you could bind God’s hands; if that person is in someway a part of your life; and it will inhibit your prayers.

Look at (Matthew 6: 14-15): "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

If You do not release your brothers trespasses, God cannot let go of yours. This takes us to Matthew 18:22-35. Notice that the forgiven servant did not forgive. Because he could not forgive and held another in bondage; in prison; he himself ended up in prison right beside him where he was tortured, until he had forgiven or paid his original debt. The only way he had to pay his debt was to forgive the man that he had not forgiven. The torturer or as some translate it, "the tormentors" are there to discipline us, or even as a punishment to turn us away from our Un-forgiveness.

This does not happen because our heavenly Father is a big bully waiting for His chance to club us. It happens because He loves us. He knows the destructive power of Un-forgiveness and seeks to remove this bondage as quickly as possible. The prison of Un-forgiveness is not a fun place to be; often referred to as Gods Wood Shed. You are constantly tormented by the thoughts of revenge or the uneasiness you must endure every time this person is present, either physically or in thought.

The destructive power of Un-forgiveness is greater than any other violation or sin known to either God or man. When you hold someone in this prison you hold them in bondage to the very thing you seek to see changed in them. You can pray until you are blue in the face and it will not do a bit of good (Mark 11:25).

Forgiveness is An Action Word

Be it forgiveness or Un-forgiveness, we are talking about an action word. While praying and seeking God’s wisdom before writing this, the Holy Spirit kept comparing forgiveness to love. Un-forgiveness is the exact opposite of love; practically its mirror image.

Forgiveness is a verb, in relation to one person forgiving another. It comes from the Greek word “hiemi” meaning to let go, suffer or yield up. A paraphrase would be to let go of or release the offense; or cancel the debt. So, to forgive someone would mean you are releasing them from bondage, thus releasing yourself from bondage, or prison.

Our heavenly Father forgives us "as" or after we have forgiven. After we have forgiven then He can deliver us from the evil one; the tormentor. Until we have forgiven, the tormentors have a legal right to torment us.

Love and Un-forgiveness can be compared to nuclear power. Nuclear power’s negative side would be a bomb. Take that same power and apply it positively and it warms homes and families. It supplies lighting and energy that can run many homes.

Love and Un-forgiveness are equal in power and strength. One can utterly destroy and the other can bring healing and warmth. Love can conquer and wipe away Un-forgiveness. Un-forgiveness can conquer and wipe away love. 

Inhibits Our Prayers

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses." Mark 11:25

Here we see how and why our prayers are inhibited. Have you been standing in faith for something; and never seem to see any results? King David said it better than anyone has ever said it: "Search me, O God, and know my heart;...see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Ps. 139:23-24).

Here we see the heart of David. "Search me..." Have you asked God to search your heart for what might be forgotten or misplaced Un-forgiveness? Could there be a wall between you and the very thing you have been praying for?

Sometimes forgiving is harder than giving up your hand. You would much rather loose your dominant hand than forgive his person for what they have done to you. When it comes to an intimate relationships, the littlest things can hurt deep. The hurt goes so deep it strangles the life (love) out of you.

Forgiveness is not a feeling, It is a decision to write off a debt.

Does forgiving mean you have to trust this person? No it does not. Once trust is broken, it must first be repaired and then earned once again. Forgiving someone is very hard and sometimes begins with the willingness to be willing to forgive. Only God can take you to that point. He can help you reach the point of wanting to forgive, if you ask him. Forgiveness is washing his car... not wanting to run over him with it.

The tiniest acts of love can tear down that Un-forgiveness. Your smallest action of love might start with a little prayer for this person. A little "bless them Lord" pulls the tormentors whip back. Then one day you might wrap your arms around them in total love. God reaches down at this point and He personally removes the tormentors from your lives. The healing is well on its way. Now you can work on the trust again. Some get through this process faster than others.

Are you willing? To be willing?

In Prison Over A Lie

Another point and one that has cropped up more and more is: the person who holds onto Un-forgiveness towards another person for something that was never done.

Are you in prison? Holding onto Un-forgiveness on the grounds of a story you made up to bring validity to your testimony or justification? Are there any stories like this in your life? Did you begin to believe the story yourself? Have you been imprisoned over false testimony; your own?

Exaggeration is all a part of the anger and hurt that goes along with separation and depression. Have you exaggerated; do you have anything that you need to make right, so you can enjoy freedom and peace of mind once again? Do you want to be free?

Repeat this little prayer:

Lord, please forgive my Un-forgiveness.
Help me to forgive and release me and (_________)
from the prison of Un-forgiveness. Bless (_________)
and open a door for me to show your love to (_________)
Thank You Lord for hearing my prayer. Amen.

Thank You For Visiting

Greg Ewert

God… And being prepared

When it comes to being prepared for an emergency event, Christians seem to be the hardest ones to convince.  Getting ready or being prepared is almost an act of heresy and/or hypocrisy; and a denial of ones faith in a lovey dovey god; a god, or image,  that does not exist. 

When we look at all the stories and parables in the bible, or any religious documents written about God through the Holy Spirit, we do not see lovey-dovey anywhere.

Jesus, the son of God, gave us a stern warning:

Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me." (Mat 10:34-38 NKJV)

Earth, is a temporary situation. Even our scientists have proven, at least 4 extinction level events in human history. Does this mean we all head to the mountains and wait for the next event; to wipe out 95% of all humans on earth?  Of course not !  That is just plain weird. 

Throughout the bible we see how God warned His people, through dreams and the prophets, of upcoming disasters. His people were always told to prepare.  God could have waved his hand and POOF! caused food to fall on his people, but that is not in Gods character on a national level. 

In Genesis 41 we see how God warned Egypt of a severe famine; and told them how to prepare for it.  The story of Joseph is one of my all time favorites.  And it is only one example of how God, through His Holy Sprit, warns His people of upcoming events that will seem devastating to us humans.   Being prepared is always in Gods plan; and it is His will for His people to be prepared.

I find it amazing how people are more concerned about their image, than they are about people.  I am referring to the “faith image”.  When it comes to being prepared for disasters or loss of services, I get the these words thrown at me on a regular basis: “ Where is your faith brother”…  “what will people think of you and your walk in faith, going around telling people to prepare”.  And the only ones to push me away and isolate me are… the christians.  Or those who go to church and call themselves Christians. 

Jesus Followed up the words above with:

He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward. (Mat 10:41-42 NKJV)

And for all you Lovie Dovie people getting your hate mail started.  When was the last time your preacher preached from Matthew 11. 

Then He (Jesus) began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:

Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.

And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you. (Mat 11:20-24 NKJV)

Now that didn’t sound to lovie dovie, did it?
Something to think about. 

Thank You for Joining me Here
Greg Ewert

Stupid - The Pandemic of 2112

There seems to be a pandemic that is spreading across the world as I write this. I look at the headlines this morning and all I can do is shake my head. 

Stupid, seems to have spread at an astronomical rate across the planet.  That's right, a deadly pandemic of stupid.  It's the only word that comes to mind when looking at the choices and decisions people are making right now. 

Have things changed? Or is technology making it possible for us to monitor humanities stupidity in real time.  With the use of technology, something stupid can spread like a deadly virus from a little town in Kansas, to the Kremlin, in just a few seconds.  And then someone grabs the stupid and passes it on. 

What Happened To Common Sense?

These poor young people, as old as 30, using technology to be as stupid as possible, on the Internet, where it will be forever, for anyone to find, for the next 50 years. As long as 5 years ago, I started seeing how people were being denied jobs, for their stupid fun on the internet; and I started to send out the warning.  

It amazes me, how a women, who are looking for a good man, can think she's going to find a “good man”  by posting pictures of her and her girlfriends half dressed and drunk at the local bar or nightclub.  News Flash ladies, good men, will not consider anyone in that picture as a possibility, when it comes to long-term relationships like marriage. 

And the guys are just as bad.  They Get Drunk, take off their shirts, and wrap an AK-47 around themselves… Oh! Wow!  Look! now here is a guy I want to raise my children. 

Lets use some common sense.  You just might grow up one day and/or want to get on a plane.  One day you might have kids, and they will find them old pictures and videos. Or you finally get that one in a lifetime opportunity and guess what…  they are finding those pictures and comments you posted last week-end. 

And should you end up in court for whatever reason, that private account will not be private anymore.

Believe me… one moment of stupid can cost you your dreams.

Thank You For Stopping By

Greg Ewert