TEMPTATION ON THE VINE

Nothing is better in the summertime than a good ole cold water melon or a slice of sweet cantaloupe with a mess of peas from the garden. With most of our garden now harvested and put in the freezer, my husband and I have been impatiently waiting on our water melons and cantaloupes to ripen. While our little patch has plenty of fruit on the vines, they are not yet ready to pick. We know this because we gave in to our temptations to taste them before they were ready, only to be disappointed to find out that the taste was not worth the sacrifice of the melons. Isn’t it odd how our temptation sometimes can get the best of us, as our eyes glare down deceitfully telling us that what we see is good enough or ready for us to have, when in fact it is not. Yet, when we take the plunge and indulge in it before we should, we find disappointment every time. Even when our first indulgence might appear to be worth it, because our eyes tell us that what we are looking at will be worth the taking. However it is that second, third and even fourth bite that tells us that what sits in front of us lacks of satisfaction and we realize that we made a grave mistake by choosing it before it was ready. We find that the temptation on the vine was just too much for us to handle and its disappointing taste leaves us lacking. 

This reminds me of how we are tempted in other areas of our lives and can end up lacking, when we have tasted that which our eyes tell us that we want but our hearts know that we should not have. The Bible says that in the spring at the time kings go off to war, King David sent Joab one of his commanders out with his men and the whole Israelite army. While his men were fighting, David remained in Jerusalem. One evening during the course of this time, David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. When the man returned he told the king that she was Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite. Out of his lust for her, David sent and had for her brought to him and he slept with her. Afterwards, she returned to her home.  Bathsheba conceived and sent word to David, telling him that she was with child. To try and fix his wrong doing David sent word to Joab the leader of his men to send him Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband. So Joab sent Uriah to David.  When Uriah came to him, David asked him how he was doing, and how the soldiers were and how the war was going. Then David said to Uriah, Go down to your house and wash your feet; with the intentions of hoping that Uriah would sleep with his wife to cover David’s adulterous act by making Uriah think that he was to be the father of the unborn child. Uriah left the palace, but he chose to sleep at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and did not go down to his house. When David was told that Uriah did not go home, he asked Uriah why he had not gone home. Uriah told the king that as long as the ark of God, Israel and Judah were staying in tents, as well as his commander Joab and all of David’s men are camped in the open country he could not go to his own house to eat, drink and sleep with his wife? As surely as you live, he told David, I will not do such a thing! At that point David’s sin began to roller coast into even more wrong choices as he tried to plot and deceive Uriah into getting drunk in hopes that Uriah would go home and sleep with his wife to insure that he and everyone else think the child was his. Yet still, it did not work. Uriah ended up sleeping in the camp with the other soldiers. Upon David’s frustration in trying to cover his sin, he decided to have Joab send Uriah to the front lines where the action was heavy and Uriah’s death would be certain. Afterwards, David was informed that Uriah had died. He was successful in getting rid of the one thing that he thought would relieve his guilt. He thought that he could fix the wrong that he had done by removing Uriah from the equation. However, the Bible tells us that our sin always finds us out. In II Samuel 11 the scripture tells us that David had done evil in the sight of the Lord in his actions and the Lord was not pleased with him at all.

This story however, does not end there. God later told David through Nathan His prophet that while David may have committed his sin in secret, that God was about to reveal His chastisement of David before Israel and the entire world. Although David did repent and was truly sorry for what he had done, the repercussions of his sin cost David more than he had any idea that he would have to pay. God told David that because of his sinful actions, David had given the enemies of the Lord occasion to blaspheme. The repercussions of David’s sin not only cost David his integrity and favor at that point but it also cost his child, his life. I could list for you a number of consequences that David, his family and all of Israel had to reap because of David not being able to resist a temptation one spring day. But instead I want to tell you about a God that forgives and restores when we turn to Him and repent from our sin. While God does forgive we still must face the repercussions of our wrong doing. May we all be reminded that though something may be tempting us to try or indulge in, let David’s life be a living testimony of how sin can destroy our reputations, our favor with God and others, bring harm to our family and even cost us precious lives.

Loving you today,

Bren

PURSUING GOD

What are you pursuing today? Will there be a prize that awaits you, when you have found it? There is no greater reward for human kind than when we move from pursuing something to actually encountering it. While completing a task gives us a sense of gratification, there is a difference between finishing a job or goal because we are ask to do it, than to go after it with great passion because we want to do it. While setting goals and finishing them are always rewarding, pursuing a goal is something different altogether, especially if you are pursuing something that you long to have. Some people pursue fame and fortune while others pursue education, good health or other things. Whatever the pursuit may be, they can lead us to pursue them with passion. When my children were little, I often times played hide and seek with them. However, the hiding was never the purpose of the game. It only served as the opportunity for the purpose, and that was, to be found by my children. Oh what a joyous occasion between us, as they would round the corner to find me smiling and waiting for them as they announced, “got cha!”. What they did not know at the time was, I had purposely hidden myself so that they could easily find me. That is how God hides from us. It may seem as though He hides Himself almost as if He does not want to be found. But Oh friend, He does! His Word even tells us to seek Him. His hiding is for the sheer joy that we receive when we do find Him.

If God seems to be hiding from you today, I can assure you sweet friend, it is not Him that is hiding, but you. Your job is to find out what your hiding from, by perusing Him. If you recall, it was not God that was found hiding in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve had sinned, but the ones who felt they had reason to hide from Him because of their wrongdoing. It is the same with us today. Our wrong doings separate us from God. They separate us from having a relationship with him, they separate our fellowship with Him, they separate our understanding of Him and the list goes on. But it never was or is God’s intention for us to be separated from Him. He wants to enjoy our presence as much or more than we want to enjoy or experience His presence. That is why He made a way for us to come to Him even after the sin which separates us, came between Him and the ones that He created and adores. When God looks at us through the blood of forgiveness and our repented lives, He sees a restored child whom He adores and longs to have a personal relationship with. We cannot do it ourselves, but through His love, by His power and our choice to peruse Him, we are able to encounter the manifest presence of Almighty God.

I was at a wedding recently where the groomsmen had come out from the side room and were all standing on the platform awaiting the brides procession to come down the aisle and bring the bride to marry her beloved. As the bridesmaids came down the aisle preceding the bride to come, I noticed two young groomsmen who had only recently been married themselves. Their wives were also in the wedding and were among the bridesmaids that were shimmering down the aisle. I could not help but notice that those two young men watched their wives with sheer glee! Never once did they take their eyes off their own brides until each one had made her way down and found her spot on the platform. As I watched them, I noticed that those two young men never once looked at the other bridesmaids coming down, but only peered out in the congregation of those attending the ceremony as if to be uninterested, not even noticing as the other bridesmaids made their way down. That resonated with me, as I thought about how the Lord pursues me. Wow, what a feeling to know that the God of the universe looks at me; yep me, He looks at me, never taking His eyes off of me. His desire for me is to encounter Him and know Him better! We are encouraged in the scriptures to run the spiritual race that has been set for us to run. But the key to running it is not to compete with God’s other children, but to run it to win, for ourselves! Are you running in that race today? Do you know Him? Are you pursuing Him, as He is pursuing you? He is waiting on you! His Word tells us that He has a great prize for those who pursue Him with the intentions to win! 

Loving you today!

Bren 

LOVE, FORGIVENESS & REVIVAL

The other night sitting in a group discussion with some women, our topic quickly changed from one thing to another. I found myself surrounded by some women who apparently needed to discuss hurts and relationships. Ironically, I often times find myself  speaking to others concerning issues that are in some way or another related to love and forgiveness. It seems as though, those two topics are always on peoples' hearts and minds and will inevitably rise to the surface of most any conversation. One reason that we so often have heart issues with others over hurts and disappointments is because, we suffer from a lack of genuine agape love. Agape love is the kind of love that God affords to those who are willing to come to Him and receive it. It is that kind of love that enables us to love, forgive and be in a right relationship with others.

One of the many differences between God and us is how, we love and forgive. While we can say that we love, we are not love. God is though! It's like saying that we have a car, but we are not a car. Love is the very essence of God! He loves you and the only thing that you can do about it is accept it or reject it! Like receiving a precious gift from someone, you can misuse it or mistreat it, but in the end, you will have accepted and received it or abandoned it by denying it.  Unlike ours, God’s love is unconditional to us and is not based on our merit or performance. That means that God does not base His love for us on how we perform, behave, respond to Him, treat Him or others and so on, but entirely on His character and Who He is! Paul wrote in Romans 5:8 “that God demonstrated His love for us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us". Our sin was forgiven at the cross and forgotten upon our repentance and salvation, never to be remembered or accounted for again. We cannot earn His love, nor can we forfeit it. Hell itself cannot cause a person to forfeit the love of God, for it is not His will that any man should perish, but that all have eternal life.   All we can do is accept it for ourselves and pass it on to others by showing His love and kindness and sharing the good news concerning Romans 5:8 about His Son. While that verse speaks about God’s love toward us, there is another verse that speaks about our love towards Him because of what He has done for us. It is found in John 14:15, Jesus said,  ‘If you love me, you will obey what I command”.  While we need God's love confirmed to us, we also need to confirm our love to Him and the best way that we can do that is by showing others our love through our forgiveness.

Through the years I have counseled many women who have shared broken hearts over relationships. And in most every situation as we begin to dig deeper, we will find a thread of un-forgiveness. It is those tiny threads of un-forgiveness that keep us bound. When the light of God's love shines on those areas and we begin to compare our love to His love, we will realize that we are not loving the way we should. As His children, we stand without excuse for not being able to get along with one another. We can and should be able to agree to disagree still being able to love and fellowship with one another. It can be done. We just have to be willing to do it.

I have often said that upon entering heaven, the one thing I look forward to the most other than seeing the Lord, is seeing all God’s children finally getting along. I look forward to no more attitudes, pride or predacious towards each other. John 13:34-35 tells us that we are to love one another and it goes on to say that we are to prove to the world that we are His disciples by our love for one another. It is a sad day when folks who claim the name of Christ,  yet hold back their love and fellowship from others because they were hurt and were never able to release or forsake that hurt in order to be close to a fellow brother or sister in Christ, simply because they did not see eye to eye on a thing! Oh friend, it matters not what face we put on when we leave the house. What does matter however, is the face that those that we have shut out of our lives see on us; whenever they reach out to us and we snob and ignore them, because we feel a little more spiritual than what we believe they are. The church today needs revival not because people are dying and going to hell, but because the household of God is bringing Him shame and needs a back porch whipping; and if we are not real careful sweet friends, our name may be called out next to step out and bend over! Don’t you think for a minute that it does not matter how we go around treating one another and representing the Lord God. Oh it matters, we are all just buying our time! We are commanded to love one another and if Christ be in our hearts, we stand without excuse as to how we are putting that into practice. Lord help us all!

Loving you today,

Bren

THE UNSEEN ENEMY

You may not believe it because you cannot see it, but there is an unseen enemy in our world that is far deadlier than any gun or bomb that mankind has seen. As a matter of fact the human eye cannot even detect it without using the proper tool. Without the proper weapons to fight it, this unseen enemy reproduces itself and cannot be defeated. These enemies are known in the scientific world as pathogen bacteria. Pathogen bacteria are insidious and tough. They can be very deadly and are unselective to whom or what they attach themselves to if the conditions are right. Given the right opportunity and environment, they will thrive and spread very rapidly to consume it’s host. Doctor’s and scientist tell us that these bacteria exist whether we believe it or not. With the use of bombs and guns, they must be made and implemented by man. However, with deadly bacteria, one may not even realize that they are infected until it is too late. So very small, yet so deadly.

The Bible tells of another unseen enemy. Have you ever found yourself saying, “I feel like I am fighting an invisible battle in this problem, my hands are tied and I cannot seem to do anything about it?” Well, if you have, you are not the only one that has felt that way. Our battling an unseen enemy goes back to the beginning of time when Adam and Eve first sinned and was cast out of the Garden that God had created and placed them in. A perfect environment! Free from death, storms, battles and conflicts of any sorts. Nothing but peace and tranquility all around them! After the fall and because sin was now in the world; Adam and Eve readily learned that they would be facing the enemy that had portrayed himself as a friend in the garden and his temptations on a regular basis from then on. God has been trying to teach man all these years that there is only one way to resist the devil and that is through His power and by our choice. Spiritual warfare is a war that is taking place on a daily basis in the life of every believer that is in Christ Jesus. It is a war between light and darkness, good and evil, heaven and hell, Jesus and satan. Jesus’ death and resurrection affords us the armor that we need to defeat our enemy. Jesus Himself is that full armor in our defense against the devil. Within our own fleshly strength, we are no match for him.

We need only to learn how to use His armor as our covering in our battles, as we daily face them. While satan is allowed power, it is a limited power that can be overcome by the blood of the lamb and in the end satan will most certainly be banished into hell and the lake of fire for all eternity. Satan’s hope is that if he cannot destroy a believer’s faith, he will try and destroy their integrity before God by a long list of indictments. That's why Revelation 12:10 calls him "the accuser of the brethren." He's going all over the world trying to destroy God’s people. At the same time, he's accumulating information about them, about their sins and about their failures. And he keeps his list in his supernatural mind. Eph 6:13 tells us so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, stand firm. When we understand what warfare is according to Eph 6:10-17 and how Jesus' death on the cross defeated satan and the power that he could have over us as Christians, we will then understand better concerning all those scriptures that talk about things like: Christ is our fortress, our stronghold, our strong tower and refuge in times of trouble. He is the wings under which we have come to dwell. He is our shield and buckler. He is the rock in whom we take refuge. He is our place, a sanctuary, our hiding place or covert. When we are abiding in Him, He is our cover and our protection! The Armor of God is basically applying everything that God teaches us to do and how to live. If we are doing that, then we are always armed and ready for the battles that we will most defiantly face.

Like bacteria, some people may not believe that they battle an unknown enemy such as the devil. Yet that does not make him any less real to those that have battled him and know firsthand of his deadly grip. Our battles are won through our surrendered lives to Christ, and our obedience to His Word. If we are following His Word and striving to do the right thing, then we are under His umbrella of protection and have quick and easy access to His power. The weapons of warfare are simply abiding in Christ, the one who has defeated our enemy already! Live in Him sweet friend, obeying, loving and forgiving showing mercy and grace as we have been shown ourselves! Praying for your Victory today!

Loving on you today,

Bren

WHEN LIFE GETS FOGGY

I read a story once about a young woman who was trying to set a non-stop aviation record. During the course of her trip she ran into a thick cloud of fog that kept her from seeing anything. She tried relentlessly to get someone on her radio, finally a voice came back and began to talk to her. The voice told her that while she might not be able to see clearly through the fog, he could see her on his radar and could talk her through it, if she would listen to him and trust, that while she might not be able to see him, he could see her and would see her to safe landing. Reluctantly, she had no choice, if she was going to make it she knew she would have to trust him. While her eyes did not want to trust, her heart had to. She gained a whole new perspective that night for trusting radar as well as the voice that she heard in her cockpit as she obeyed it. Had she argued with the man and doubted him, she might not have ever lived to tell anyone!

You see God can see us through the fog, the valley the ruts in life, but we must be willing to listen and allow Him to be our eyes and trust that even though we may not understand why those type things come upon us and we may not understand the things that our eyes may be seeing, He can be our pilot through them. What He is not however, is our co-pilot. I recall seeing a tag once that said God is my Co-pilot, and while that may sound sweet and helpful, it is not biblical. God must be the Captain, the Master, the Lord, the One in control, the Pilot of our everything. And no matter what the bumper stickers may say, He is not limited by them. While He may allow us to do the driving through our own life, He will also allow us to be responsible for our own actions and repercussions regarding the routes and roads that we take without His help and guidance.  

While most of us want to live and stay on life’s mountaintops, we will at some point be forced to be schooled in and recognize the beauty in the valleys and the growth that comes from living there. It will also be there in a valley that the fog will dip down to test our faith. You will seldom ever see farmers growing their crops on the sides of the mountains. That’s because it’s only in the valley that the crops can really grow to their fullest potential. While it is possible for them to grow their crops on the sides, they are harder to tend and work. But in the valley on the flat ground, that is where the best of the nutrients in the dirt lay; washed down the mountains with the wind and rain to find rest in the thick rich dirt of the valley.

Sometimes we must endure hardships and foggy times in order to appreciate those mountain top experiences. So often in those foggy times we do not trust because we walk by what we can see and when we do, we become engulfed and captive in our own fears and doubts, that will always lead us to make the wrong choices. If those foggy places makes me more like Jesus, then that’s where I want to be, because I am no stranger to the valley and many times they seem like home to me. May I encourage you today friend to embrace each valley, each pit, each foggy path as part of God’s lesson plan for you that day. Then and only then will you be able to appreciate them and see the beauty that the Lord see as He is brushing off the old man in us to make us more like Him, and as we let go and let God, the valleys become fewer and far between. Remember, don’t argue, nor debate with Him as He gets you through the fog to victory, because He has your best interest in mind and He plans on you being the winner!

Loving on you today,
Bren