Recognizing Love!

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. I Corinthians 13:4-8 NIV

Not only do we know how to recognize love, we know that in the absence of love--hate reigns and consumes and devours--eats away desire for compassion, common sense and logic and drowns the soul in bile and venom; hate blinds to truth and integrity and hope.

Love attempts to see the best in everyone and ignites hope in the hopeless, not despair.

Love soothes hurt feelings and seeks forgiveness for any perceived wrongs committed against others.

Love is consumed with doing what is best for all people.

Love is considerate and patient--does push itself on people, but waits for acceptance and even when love is not returned, love keeps loving.

Love does not brag about self, but will boast about the accomplishments of others and credit all their own achievements to God who led them in all they do.

Love embraces wisdom from God and knows all good things come from Him.

Love is thoughtful and disciplined; it is not thin-skinned and easily angered.

In the absence of love--hate opens doors for evil to walk in and then is amazed that they too are ensconced in the evil planned for others.

In the absence of love--self is the center of attention and no one else matters for no one else is considered worthy.

In the absence of love--one thinks their brain is so great they don't need to listen to anyone else and certainly not God.

In the absence of love--hunger for power to destroy exists and delights in hurting others.

In the absence of love--there is no hope; only despair, hatred, and bigotry and fear.

In the absence of love--there is no light to see truth, only darkness.

In the absence of love--hate--like a fungus grows in the dark places--the voids where love should be--waiting for someone to take the first bite and be poisoned for life.

LOVE never fails! Perfect love--the ability to love all unconditionally--casts aside fear and embraces truth, honor, integrity.

When we know how to recognize love and know by what we see and hear when love is absent, we know who has received the love of God into their hearts and who has not.

Lord Jesus, pour out--in abundance--more love from on high; fill our hearts to overflowing so we will have more than enough to share with others in all we do and will know how to resist the evil from without, never giving any place in our hearts for hate to exist. Remove the scales from the eyes of those blinded by bitterness, despair and hopelessness and fill them with the joy of The Lord, restoring hope and trust in You!

When Evil Is Plotted!

You who practice deceit, your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor. Psalm 52:2 NIV
A troublemaker and a villain, who goes about with a corrupt mouth, who winks maliciously with his eye, signals with his feet and motions with his fingers,who plots evil with deceit in his heart— he always stirs up conflict.Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant; he will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy. Proverbs 6:12-15 NIV
A scoundrel plots evil, and on their lips it is like a scorching fire. Proverbs 16:27
Whoever plots evil will be known as a schemer. Proverbs 24:8 NIV

Whenever anyone plots to do evil against another person, they risk a Hamanesque result in the process.

Some would say, karma--has a boomerang effect.

Others might say--if you dig a hole for someone, you just might be the one who falls into it.

I'm saying, never start a fire you're not prepared to extinguish.

And of course, when Haman plotted evil to get rid of Mordecai, the gallows he constructed for Mordecai, became his final gasp for breath.

Plotting to do evil always has dire consequences for the person doing the plotting, thereby igniting the Hamanesque result.

We cannot be foolish enough to think that God does not know the evil that lurks in our hearts when we plot for the destruction of others. When our actions--whatever they are--attempt to undermine or destroy others--we open the door for a turn-around effect--especially when we have lied about our own behavior and yet attempt to manipulate truth to destroy others. God is not mocked and His Word is true.

The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly. Proverbs 15:4 NIV

“If you play the fool and exalt yourself, or if you plan evil, clap your hand over your mouth! Proverbs 30:32 NIV

A dream comes when there are many cares, and many words mark the speech of a fool.Ecclesiastes 5:3 NIV

Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding. Proverbs 17:28 KJV

Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool— how much worse lying lips to a ruler! Proverbs 17:7 NIV

There is so much more that could be said, but if we allow Holy Spirit to fill our hearts, then whatever is in our hearts will be heard when we speak.

If evil fills our heart, then that will be heard when we speak as well.

We all have choices to make in life and I prefer making my choices align with the Word of God rather than in opposition to it. For if we support a fool and his foolish ways, what does that say about us? Are we, too, plotting evil? If we are, then we put ourselves in a position for our plots to turn on us.

If we must plot to do anything--let's plot to spread love and promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ wherever we go, with whoever we meet. That is the only plot, I'd love to see turn back on us--the circle of love, rather than a continuum of hate, bigotry, and evil.

What goes around, will come back around and if we are the ones who start a fire without an extinguisher, we're bound to get burned.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!

Sitting In Darkness!

This is what God the LORD says— the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. Isaiah 42:5-8 NIV

Darkness--a void--without light or hope
Understanding only what is told--to fear,
Keeping the scales in place over eyes,
Undermining what was once held dear.

Darkness has no power to drive out light,
But light reveals what's held in darkness,
Whether it attitudes or skeletons in closets,
When light is shown upon self, then others,
Or others shining light for all to see--
What really are the hidden discrepancies,
 Keeping us from seeing, knowing Truth.

While in darkness we once walked,
Committing sin, living ungodly lives,
When The Light entered our hearts,
He changed our minds and how we talked.

The Light, the Bright Morning Star,
Looked down through the years and saw
Our struggles in life with sin, He determined,
Thinking back and from afar, that love and light,
Expels darkness and sinful desires, beating flesh
Into submission, igniting faith and desire to please
Him and only Him, so darkness would not prevail.

Come out of the darkness--that dark hold of despair,
Into The Marvelous Light and do what Jesus does,
Love and in His Love, there is none who compare.

It's Time To Repent!

Then the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the LORD will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry. I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.’ “Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices! Ezekiel 14:2-6 NIV

The Word of The Lord!

If we keep our focus on Him--the Sovereign Lord--and worship only Him, we would not need to repent of detestable practices, but since we don't--we need to repent!

But many will say, "Repent of what? I've done nothing wrong."

When men and women see themselves as the only authority in their lives, then there is a need to inspect what they do, measure it against The Word, and see if what they're doing is based upon The
Word or their own desires. Once they realize--how out of order they are, they need to repent--turning away from whatever they're doing that is not like God and turn to God and do things God's way.

So, here's the list of things we need to repent from:

We need to repent from lying and spreading falsehoods just to make a point.

We need to repent from supporting, endorsing, and enabling those who are doing ungodly things.

We need to repent from promoting fear, hatred, and bigotry to win people's hearts with an ungodly strategy.

We need to repent from worshiping people.

We need to repent from doing ungodly things.

We need to repent from trusting people more than we trust God.

We need to repent from seeking the news media outlets for truth rather than seeking God's Wisdom and His Truth in His Word.

Once we repent from doing all the things that we know are not like God, and ask Him to forgive us, then we will see restoration--of civility, and the promotion of love and the establishment of peace.

Without repentance--totally turning away from ungodliness and a complete turn to God--there is no forgiveness. God knows our hearts and insincerity has no place in our lives when we are seeking God to guide us.

Believers know or should know the heart of God and His desire for all to love and live in peace. It's time for us to repent of any wrongdoing--according to God's Word--and do things God's way. We are His ambassadors--the example of who He Is--but if we are living in opposition to His Word--the world will never know who He Is and how much He loves all who come to Him.

Beware The Gallows We Build...

Then Haman told them of his great riches, the multitude of his children, everything in which the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and servants of the king. Moreover Haman said, “Besides, Queen Esther invited no one but me to come in with the king to the banquet that she prepared; and tomorrow I am again invited by her, along with the king. “Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits high, and in the morning suggest to the king that Mordecai be hanged on it; then go merrily with the king to the banquet.” And the thing pleased Haman; so he had the gallows made. Esther 5:11-14 NKJV

And Esther said, “The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman!” So Haman was terrified before the king and queen. Then the king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden; but Haman stood before Queen Esther, pleading for his life, for he saw that evil was determined against him by the king. When the king returned from the palace garden to the place of the banquet of wine, Haman had fallen across the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, “Will he also assault the queen while I am in the house?” As the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. Now Harbonah, one of the eunuchs, said to the king, “Look! The gallows, fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke good on the king’s behalf, is standing at the house of Haman.” Then the king said, “Hang him on it!” So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s wrath subsided. Esther 7:6-10 NKJV

The evil we plan to do for others,
Will reach the heart of The King,
And whatever we devise for them,
Will be what is done to us.
Be it a digging a ditch with a wide hole
Or a gallows on which to they could hang
Or a plot to disgrace and cause an uproar
Thinking we can intimidate or bully to control
The outcome of what God has already planned,
Nothing we do can thwart the fate that awaits,
Our own plan to do evil and cause others to hate.

Believers, it is time to take a stand against all the forces of evil so we might enjoy the peace of God and not incur His wrath by encouraging the falsehoods that are lies and promoting hatred and bigotry simply because others don't agree with us. It is time for us to act like we are Children of the Most High God--defending the rights of the poor and the needy, not helping the corrupt and the greedy--giving them license to do whatever they want--abusing, misusing others at a whim--stealing the joy of others because of their celebrity.

Yes, God is good, merciful and forgiving, but before forgiveness is granted, there must be repentance, a complete change of heart--turning from the evil that so easily besets us when we do not want to concede--without Him in our lives, we are absolutely nothing.
 
Choosing to live for The Lord up above and living the life He has outlined in His Word ere below, is a demonstration for all to see just how much we love Him, who loves us for all eternity. 

We should never get caught up with pointing fingers at others without cause or alleging anything that cannot be proven with credible evidence. For if we do, we must remember that though we point one finger at others, there are three pointing back at us.

Don't dig a ditch or build that gallows before reflecting upon your own life and what may happen if your life is exposed for all the world to see.

When We Learn!

But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin. Hear this, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel, who despise justice and distort all that is right; who build Zion with bloodshed, and Jerusalem with wickedness. Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they look for the LORD’s support and say, “Is not the LORD among us? No disaster will come upon us.” Micah 3:8-11 NIV

In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. All the nations may walk in the name of their gods, but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.Micah 4:1-3, 5 NIV

How quickly we seem to forget The Word of The Lord through the Prophets of Old

How soon we remember when brought to our knees by the evil that lurks

Reigning, abounding in the hearts of those who will not learn from history.

There is nothing new under the sun, nothing unknown to God, nothing He cannot see

Before we think--anything--He knows it; whatever we mutter He hears

For He knows our thoughts from  afar, He knows what's in our hearts

And from the abundance of whatever lies within, the mouth speaks for all to hear.

If we think we can fool God, we do not know God; nor can we fool man for long

For whatever is hidden shall be exposed--for all the world to see,

By those with a heart and desire to serve The One True God--His messengers.

Waffling like a wave on the sea, roiling back and forth, revealing instability,

Promoting fear and hate and bigotry, trying to make nothing be something,

And ignoring what is--the reality of truth versus the delusion of lies,

Fed from within and believed by those who can see through the smokescreen,

The emperor has no clothes and the dictator no power, just gruff and anger.

But all hope is not destroyed, though there be many who try to kill it,

When we learn to trust in The Lord and live His Word, Hope remains

Love turns the tide for all who were in despair for fear and hate cannot abide,

In the nooks and crannies where love will thrive and joy survives.

No matter what things look like--God is yet in the business of taking care

Of His children, everywhere--no matter their skin tone or beliefs, their gender

Or economic status--He is One God--Who Created All, without Him, Nothing would exist.

Though there are some who will persist--hate rules the day and evil in others,

Projection--allowing things from within to color what we see in others,

And Delusion makes us believe our own lies to the point where we cannot see truth,

But truth and love will save the day, when we learn to do things God's way.

God Uses Those Who Are Willing!

Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein. Hosea 14:9 KJV
Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. 2 Corinthians 8:11,12 NIV

POLITICS ALERT!

Ron Kenoly wrote a song and I danced to it, "If You Can Use Anything, You Can Use Me" was a line in the lyrics. Every time I heard that song, and danced to it, I was moved to want to do more for God. There is yet a willingness in my heart to be used by God and I will.

I read a comment this morning about "God can use anyone" (in reference in Trump) ignited by a CNN commentator and there were many comments refuting this claim and supporting it. God can and will use anyone who is willing to be used. He always has and He always will, but the person has to be "willing" to be used by God.

If a person has not demonstrated any knowledge of God--especially in this election cycle--there is little chance that they have offered themselves, "willingly" to be used by God. And I know there are scores of people ready to defend Trump's race to the White House, but I have to ask again--"How do they justify support of a man who obviously does not know God?"

I know God used harlots in the old testament to save the spies--they were willing to be used and understood The God these men served. Trump--has pretended a conversion, but there is no external evidence of a conversion of his heart and nothing anyone says--no matter what their position in a church or anything else --will ever convince me that God is using Trump against his will. I know how God operates and He does not make anyone do anything against their will. I believe that those evangelical organizations who are promoting this lie do so at their own peril and I will not support it or be a part of it.

For those who think I can intimidated--guess again. The Lord is the only one who guides what I do and nothing you think or do will deter me from doing what God has put on my heart to do. Support of Donald Trump means support of hatemongering, fearmongering, bigotry, misogyny. And for those who think supporting a pro-choice stance is a problem with God--you don't know God since He gives us choice and we have to deal with the consequences of our choices.

The argument about who Supreme Court Justices "might be" is a smokescreen to support discrimination against those who have been discriminated against for centuries and a fearmongering tactic.

And since I believe God uses anyone willing to be used, I'm going to trust God to speak to the heart of Hillary Clinton and guide her in all she has to do.

Calling Hillary a liar and attempting to convict her of things already litigated is a sign of complete blindness refutation of the justice system. If people cannot see the lies that Trump tells--consistently, on a daily basis, about anything and everything (proven to be lies by videos)--it is because they choose to be blind.

I am neither blind or foolish and as long as I have breath in my body and can hear Holy Spirit when He speaks, I will not concede to the dictates of foolishness and ungodliness in supporting someone who acts in total opposition to God's Word.

For anyone reading this who disagrees with what I've written, it is your choice and I respect your choice, but I will not allow your choices to deter or influence me. I have to stand before God and give an account for myself, not others and that I will do with a confident heart in hearing, "Well done, daughter" since that is truly all I want to hear from God.