Blessings from Brenda

Standing in the Gap

noreply@blogger.com (Brenda Black) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:30:00 +0000

By Brenda Black

Standing in the gap is a privileged place to be. Though my arms aren't long enough to reach from me to thee. My mind isn't big enough to comprehend your worry and grief. But I'm standing in the gap because you need me. I'm praying with tears and praying with pleas. I'm asking for answers to questions that are not easy. Standing, kneeling, crying, praying – because you asked me. I would love to take your burden and sling it far into the galaxy. I would remove it as far as the West from the East to set you free, because you trusted me with your needs.

Standing in the gap has me up in the wee hours of the night when normal people sleep, because your worry makes me restless. So I'll stay up and talk to God and you just get some sleep. That's how standing in the gap works best. And when the day dawns and you face your dreaded trial, I'll know that I have done all I can to lift you to the Lord. And that's enough because His hand can reach you and me when standing isn't really standing. It's falling on our faces and bending our knees.

It's nearly two in the morning and I can't sleep because a friend is suffering. She's scared and uncertain; she's mentally already sat a hundred times in the sterile room she'll enter this day, to receive frightening and dreaded news. I tried to go through my bedtime routines last night, but found myself dripping as wet from tears as from the shower faucet that gushed streams of water. In every drop from the pipes and my eyes I mentioned her name and pushed it through the ceiling and heavenward with anguish as though my force would hasten some celestial intervention.

Prayer is an amazing gift and an incredible burden. Have I prayed often enough or hard enough? How much is really depending on my faithfulness? Will I ever know if it made any difference? There are no easy answers as I await heavenly signals. But there is sweet release and the certainty that my prayers have not fallen on deaf ears. For my God does not slumber or sleep! My God knows every thought and intention before I speak! My God is able!

So I must trust and just keep on praying, for I believe that God has our best interests at heart and He is already at work if we just ask, seek and knock. Silence may be His answer. Healing may be His delight. Death may be His sweet release, but God will do what is right. He is not capable of less. And in the meantime, when we are called upon by those we love so deeply to stand in the gap and pray for His mercy, we keep on praying without ceasing.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord...” (James 1:2-8a)

Standing in the gap takes energy and effort. Standing in the gap calls for surrender, yet a determined grit to dig in and fight to the finish. Standing in the gap is warfare, plain and simple. What we bring to the battle is belief. What we take away is peace.

The alternative is defeat. The word of the Lord came to Ezekiel and warned: “I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.” (Ezekiel 22:30-31)

I think I'd rather stand in the gap and fervently pray so as to draw near to the Holy God than to experience His fierce judgment for being a wind-weathered crumbling brick in a broken wall.

Joyful Noise Should be Heard, Not Seen

noreply@blogger.com (Brenda Black) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:09:00 +0000

By Brenda Black

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” (Psalm 100)

Obviously, Hollywood's version of Christianity is again skewed and condemning. What could have been a wonderful story of transformation in a teen boy's life was reduced to stupidity and crude comedy. Oh, there were a few redeeming moments in the newly released movie, Joyful Noise, starring Queen Latifah and Dolly Pardon. But they were far between and few.
Let me break it down for you. The reviewers on cnn.com call it “a squeaky clean pop-gospel fairy tale” and metacritic touts it as a “funny and inspirational story of music, hope, love and renewal.” I was more offended than inspired. I heard more cursing than gospel in this movie and was terribly disappointed by the hollow performances of nearly every actor.

Crosswalk.com professional movie critics agree. They say “Joyful Noise is a missed opportunity. Despite a decent performance from Queen Latifah—the most sympathetic character in the story, and the one who seems most earnest about her faith—the movie is too often flat, even offensive, when it should have been soaring and uplifting.” (http://www.crosswalk.com/culture/movies/sound-the-gong-for-i-joyful-noise-i.html?p=2 )

I don't normally write reviews, but there are some disturbing assumptions crammed down the audience's collective throat that I'd like to address. Jjust in case you think this movie hilarious, it is never funny to use the Lord's name in vain, to have sex outside of marriage, to manipulate, cat fight, gossip, dishonor, lie, cheat, disrespect or buy your power in the church. Oh, yes, these are the qualities personified in the “spirit-filled” Divinity Church Choir of fictitious Pacashau, GA. And these attributes are assumed normal and representative of all believers. The pastor is portrayed as weak and legalistic. The women are petty and power hungry. There were weird sexual scenarios in odd places and strange side stories that seemed to be just thrown in for shock value.

Only a couple of scenes actually evoked genuine emotion and delivered a morsel of truth. Latifah pulled them both off with believable sentiment when esteeming her autistic son and squaring shoulders with a daughter testing the boundaries. In those brief moments, she taught about a God who makes no mistakes and parents who do their best to live out faith. She also is the one who sings a soulful song of prayer with words “Jesus, fix me,” while the rest of the cast justifies their every sinful move.

While most of the songs are pop-turned-church music and easily get you groovin' in the theater seat, the would-be, take-away message and the beauty of their performance is lost in the shallowness of those singing. It's all twisted - a winning choir singing that it's all about Jesus, features a screaming lead singer who jerks around on the platform like a chicken with worms. That “praise team” is disqualified for hiring professional entertainers. Another contender is comprised of a group of uniformed children and their snappy little lead singer screams out lyrics about humility while he flaunts himself all over the stage like Justin Bieber. Instead of the competition being about praising God, it is about WINNING at all costs!

Just when I thought the choir director might rally her troops into an awe-inspiring moment by turning their hearts toward the real reason for singing – Jesus -- she keeps the movie consistently and ashamedly humanistic and just challenges her choir to kick the butt of the competition because “We deserve this!” Pathetic!

Look, I am quite aware the church is full of sinners. That's why I'm there. I need a Savior. But this movie's baseless assault on Christianity blatantly smacks of another attempt to make Christians look stupid and worldly. If we get nothing else out of it, I pray it compels us to take a hard look at our own behavior. I pray that we remember that it is Christ whose name we bear as we sing or stomp or kick and scream our way in this world. We live for His glory, not our own. Sing for Him and to His beat and don't bother with this movie.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

noreply@blogger.com (Brenda Black) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:20:00 +0000

By Brenda Black

I loved it! I loved the lack of clutter, the clean white background, the beautiful faces of children of every color. I loved the simplicity and the purity of the message. I loved their expressions and personalities. I loved being stopped in my tracks as I was exiting a restaurant, surprised that finally there was commercial worth hearing, seeing and believing. Thank you, Focus on the Family, for broadcasting John 3:16.

By now, you've probably heard the buzz, seen the ad replayed over the internet hundreds of times. Still it doesn't get old. “Wow!” the little doll at the end proclaims. Out of the mouth of this babe comes the most profound of truths we cannot explain. Why God loves us enough to send His Son remains a mystery. Ancient citizens of planet earth despised and rejected the Creator of the Universe. Today they mock and hate Him still. Yet, He gave...and continues to save. Wow! What else is there to say?

It would do this world a world of good if we would stop and listen to the wisdom of innocence. For example, here are a couple of logical kid conclusions to a few over-used adult idioms.

“You get out of something what you..............see pictured on the box.”

“Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and............you have to blow your nose.”

Children are like wet cement, someone once said. Whatever falls on them makes an impression. However, some of our abstract adult concepts merely lay on the surface and never quite sink in. A kindergarten student reveals the assumptions we often make when communicating with children. On the first day of school, the teacher said, “If anyone has to go to the bathroom, hold up two fingers.” A little voice from the back of the room asked, “How will that help?” her request made no sense at all when you think like a kid.

When will we learn that the more complex we make it, the less influence we wield. Kids want the truth, not a bunch of philosophical hogwash tainted by political correctness or radical prejudice. They deserve the truth - free of clutter, clean, beautiful, in living color. We're the adults and we should be teaching a simple and pure message. Our children are worth it!

Children give us unconditional love and brazen honesty. They provide the most glorious sound in the world – a giggle. Kids are insightful and fearless. They are creative and brilliant if given a chance. They give us so much! What are we giving back?

"The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children," says martyred theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. His standard comes from none other than the Christ himself.

“[Jesus] called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.

“'But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin!'” (Matthew 18:2-7a)

If the test of morality is what society does for its children, then the test of the heart is if we'll listen. Jesus took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. Once more, we are the benefactors of God's love through the blessings of children and God's great wisdom and truth delivered from the mouths of babes. Remember that on Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, Jan. 22.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” That's John 3:16 in case you missed the commercial. It's the truth we need to be living if you care about our children.

If It Weren't for that Woman

noreply@blogger.com (Brenda Black) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:46:00 +0000

By Brenda Black

Eve – She was fashioned by intentional thought and loving consideration from the heart of God and the side of man. Her name means life-giver and she was designed to bear the seed that would populate the earth. One would think such a woman so notable would be talked about over and over in the Holy Bible, yet her name is spoken only a handful of times in all of Scripture.

Though referenced in Gen. 3:1-19, she is identified as “the woman” and “his wife,” but never called Eve until the twentieth verse when Adam names her because “she would be the mother of all the living.” He only learns that bit of information when God pronounces the curse. “I will intensify your labor pains; you will bear children in anguish. Your desire will be for your husband, yet he will rule over you.” (Gen. 3:16)

Again she was called by name in Gen. 4:1 when the conception of a child is discussed. And this woman acknowledged that Cain was delivered “with the Lord's help.”

Eve is called by name again in the New Testament, but unfortunately only when temptation is mentioned. Paul says it this way: “But I fear that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may be seduced from a complete and pure devotion to Christ.” (2 Cor. 11:3). And sadly, she is tied again to the dangers and consequence of weak resistance in one final mention in a letter to Timothy. Eve's sins are immortalized; the fall emphasized.

She barely existed before she blundered and the rest of history remembers only her folly. Did she do anything right? Did God not call her good the moment He laid eyes on her? Adam said of this gift from God, “This one, at last, is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh; this one will be called 'woman,' for she was taken from man.” (Gen. 2:23) And remember: “Both the man and his wife were naked, yet felt no shame.” (vs.25)

It started out GREAT! And then it went South! And Eve fell from perfection to the butt of bad jokes passed down for generations. She exchanged her innocence for cruel insolence directed at her name and every daughter of Eve since that time. All because of her own weak will and a deceptive enemy, who was a crafty liar and evil destroyer.

Oh sure, I've been mad at Eve myself – especially during child birth! But I've also grieved for the first woman who made one terrible mistake and went down in history as a failure. We have to remember, God is in the business of redemption. That didn't begin at Calvary, it began in the Garden. God covered the shame of both man and woman. In his punishment, He also protected. And though we never hear how old she was or when she died, I have to believe that Eve was loved – by God, by Adam, by her children and friends she knew and lives she touched. We'll never know her whole story. But I do know, God blessed her from the beginning. He saved her from her sin. I'll get the rest of the story when I see her in heaven.

None of us are perfect. We all give in to temptations through far less threats than coming face to face with that serpent of old. If our names were written for all the world to read, how many times would we be mentioned in shameful terms? How many times would our sins be documented as bad examples? Before we cast the first stone at any other, we should look first to our own blunders that need God-covers.

An Honest Outlook

noreply@blogger.com (Brenda Black) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 21:23:00 +0000

By Brenda Black

Opinions ricochet across the globe, zinging prophecies concerning 2012. Some volley good year predictions while others warn of pending doom. Economic upswing or more market plummets? Depends on who you ask. Global peace? Depends on where you live.

“Syria's government-owned Al-Thawrah says people across the country 'look forward to a new year full of hope and optimism,'” the BBC reports. But that same article, published Jan. 2, goes on to quote political analyst Wang Honggang from a statement published by China's Guangzhou Ribao newspaper. In it he predicts that "the global chain of unrest symbolized by the 'Arab Spring', 'Europe Summer', 'Wall St Autumn' and 'Moscow Winter' will continue to brew and trigger a series of follow-up effects,” making 2012 "more complex and unpredictable" than 2011.

Here at home, the reviews are just as mixed. If you listen long enough, you'll hear both hope and fear, sometimes in the same breath. I've ventured such conflicting emotions myself – especially when I analyze the next generation and their outlook.

I'm hopeful when I spend time with some young friends who are bright and articulate; moral and purpose-driven. They talk of community service and faith and friendship. They love to laugh and they aren't afraid of work. And then, I feel nauseous when I hear of the crass and ignorant rants from people who desecrate property and damn society, blaming everyone but themselves for their own circumstance. Hope and fear. Help and hindrance. Honor and disrespect. That's the difference in the next generation – and when we each look in the mirror at ourselves.

For the record, those who scream “We are the 99%” are not speaking for me! And last time I checked, I sure didn't fit financially into the remaining 1%. If you're like me, you can't identify with such polarized pigeon holes either. Around these parts, we don't lump ourselves into radical movements crying foul and expecting hand outs. Nor do we put buckets on our heads and pretend everything is perfect. We just do the best we can with what we have, which, for the record, we earned the hard way.

I don't have any grand predictions for 2012. Only the Lord knows what is certain in the months ahead. I know I can't afford $5 gas that some are forecasting and I don't think our nation can afford another four years of misguided management. I do know that America is in jeopardy and if we want to get through 2012, we better get on our knees starting now! But my plea is not rooted in fear. It's founded in belief. I believe there is a better way, a higher road, and I will always choose hope over fear and God's wisdom over my own intelligence. And I'll thank Him for every glimpse of decency, civility and morality I discover in fellow humanity.

There is hope this year if you look for it. There is hope this year if you will be it.

It's a New Year - Lighten Up

noreply@blogger.com (Brenda Black) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 01:39:00 +0000

By Brenda Black

From the beginning, God had a plan for our good; for beauty, perfection and paradise. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...” (Genesis 1:1) His plan filled the universe with light and life. “And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.” (Genesis 1:3-4) The plan has not changed. God still wills light and life into each new day and every new year that the earth stays in orbit. He interjects Himself into all of creation, including humanity. And we are called to reflect that radiance in our actions and proclaim His residence within our hearts. We were chosen for glory! So lighten up!

This marvelous beginning begins with you. It starts the moment you choose the life and light the Lord made ready eons ago. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will – to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” (Ephesians 1:3-6)

The Father of all creation determined from the beginning to make a way to make you His own, then He gave you a choice. The first day you commit to Christ, your destiny is illuminated. As a new year approaches, what will you choose? Light or darkness? I suggest you start it enlightened. Be filled with the Light of the World by serving Jesus as Lord and Savior.

“The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God --” (John 1:9-12) You have the right to live righteously if you choose wisely. That's a pretty good New Year's resolution.

Once the Lord is inside of you, let His light shine out of you! Be a beacon of help and hope in a dark and needy world. God separated the light from the darkness not only in the heavenly realms, but right here on earth, where those who walk in light make a brilliant difference. “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9)

Finally, live lightly. “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord. They rejoice in your name all day long; they exult in your righteousness. For you are their glory and strength...” (Psalm 89:15-17a)

He came as light. We are called to be light – every day... every year... until He comes again. “For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)

Lighten Up in 2012! You just might see a gleaming difference!

His Name Shall Be Prince of Peace

noreply@blogger.com (Brenda Black) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:28:00 +0000

(Final in series)

By Brenda Black

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

The Wonderful Counselor points the way to a Mighty God that will never fail and into the arms of our Everlasting Father who watches over us forever. But wait! There's more – so much more! The Babe in the manger came to a world at war to reign as the Prince of Peace!

To better grasp peace, we must consider the anguish it replaces. Go back in chapter 9 of Isaiah and see the contrasts. Darkness versus light (vs. 2); gladness versus burden (vs. 3-4); a yoke verses a staff (s. 4).

Christmas time and light go hand in hand. Strings of glowing bulbs line house gutters as well as businesses, trees, bushes, wood or iron lawn ornaments, porch spindles and even poodles with reindeer antlers and blinking noses. We illuminate stars, attempting to imitate the heavens. Twinkling spectacles transform into laser light shows complete with orchestrated, techno tunes. We light candles and line our sidewalks with luminaries to brighten dark winter nights and present a warm welcome to evening carolers. Light makes plain objects magical and long nights tolerable. The Prince of Peace came as the Light of the World to lead us out of spiritual darkness.

“'The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.' From that time on Jesus began to preach, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.'” (Matthew 4:16-17)

Gladness and burden are equal companions at Christmas. We are happy to give and long to express our love for family and friends through thoughtful trinkets and treasures. Parties sound delightful, but crowd an already over-extended schedule. The burden to bear the expense and find the time to shop among the masses and attend every celebration can become overwhelming. Keep in mind, burdens don't sneak up on you and knock you flat! Burdens accumulate. At first they seem bearable. Then the longer we carry them, the more we add to them, the more cumbersome they become until we can tolerate it no more. Good things, and bad things, like worries, sorrow, fear, financial hardship, and a hundred more weights from the world pile up in our minds and on our shoulders. If we don't lay them down daily, they will waylay us ultimately! The Prince of Peace came to bear our load and show us a simple path to glory.

“But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful...Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” (Psalm 68:4,19)

In the final weeks of the calendar year, it begins. The tidal wave of choking pressure to have the latest, greatest gadget or give the best deal! It's easy to feel swept up by the commercialism of Christmas, hammered by loud, annoying advertisements harping at us to buy, buy, buy or nag, nag, nag until you get, get get! It's really quite disgusting if you think about it. And it is suffocating. This urge to splurge on things unnecessary is like a heavy yoke clamped over your shoulders, forcing you to surrender and follow the herd mentality. The alternative is the calm, quiet nudge of a loving Savior who reaches out with his long, smooth, curved staff and pulls you closer. The same Good Shepherd will also get in the yoke with you and help bear the load. With Him it is safe and meaningful; there in the manger and in the arms of the Messiah. The Prince of Peace came to set us free.

“'Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.'” (Mt. 11:28-30)

“And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

May God bless you this Christmas with His presence in all of its magnificent forms.

2011 copyright by The Word's Out - Brenda Black

His Name Shall Be Everlasting Father

noreply@blogger.com (Brenda Black) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:00:00 +0000

(Third in a series)

By Brenda Black

How can an infant son be the Everlasting Father? The notion is marvelous at its base and mind boggling from that point forward. Just think, He's an infinite infant, blessed forever to reign without end. The third name attached to the Babe of Christmas solidifies the eternal quality of this mysterious deity and gives us a glimpse of this loving and perfect parent that will never leave or forsake us.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” (John 1:1)

Jesus did not begin in Bethlehem. He has always been. While you try to wrap your head around that, don't fret too much. So much of the person of our Lord is beyond our understanding. How can we fathom forever when “[our] days are like the evening shadow; [we] wither away like grass. But you, O Lord, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations.” (Psalm 102:11-12) Yet, God longs to reveal Himself like a loving father wishes to impart lessons for life to his son or daughter. “Call to me and I will answer you and teach you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)

Quite frankly, I don't believe God expects us to get it over the course of a vaporous life that quickly dissipates. This is just training ground for the rest of our days spent in eternity getting to know God completely. “Now we see but a poor reflection; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12)

What's exciting about this arrangement is that even in my limited, finite circumstance, the Everlasting Father sees the big picture. He is yesterday, today and forever the same. He knows my past, He's in my present, He's planned a beautiful future. What a great Daddy! He'll be guiding me forever...if I'll just listen and follow!

Jesus is the Babe. Jesus is the Beginning. He also proclaims in John's Revelation “I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” (1 John 1:l7b-18) Jesus may have manifested Himself fully in the form of a child, fragile and vulnerable to every hardship and evil in this world. But His 33 years here on earth do not negate His royal and powerful standing over all of the universe and everything, everywhere that ever existed or will exist. He has the power over life and death!

“'Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” (Revelation 22:12-13)

The Wonderful Counselor points the way to a Mighty God that will never fail. We are well advised and adequately protected by such a Savior. As believers in this multifaceted Messiah, it is especially good to know that Our Everlasting Father began before the manger to plan for our future. That should bring you perfect peace...We'll talk about that fourth amazing name next week!

His Name Shall Be Mighty God (Second in a series)

noreply@blogger.com (Brenda Black) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:20:00 +0000

By Brenda Black

Last week, we wondered over the Wonderful Counselor. This week we'll discover the power of a Mighty God, feared before He was ever born by those in the heavenly realms who knew that this infant babe came to rule the world. We must never forget “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.” (1 John 3:8b)

The fierce Spartans had a saying: “come back with the shield or on top of it” which meant don’t come back unless you are victorious. The samurai were heavily armed soldiers covered in armor and willing to die for their masters. They wielded a sword sharp enough to slice a man in two. The Roman Legion helped establish an empire that was unrivaled in terms of size and power through discipline and strategy and cruel inhumanity. Some of the mightiest warriors in history banked on advanced weaponry, raw courage, loyalty and wit to win wars and conquer millions. But for all their blood, sweat and tears, the battles fought and won were temporary at best. And the might they expended amounted to a mere drop in the bucket to the Almighty Himself.

Mighty God, El Gibbor – Strong, powerful, mighty, champion, hero! The soldiers of Israel are described as “mighty men of valor” in the book of Joshua and the Lord Himself is called “mighty in battle” in Psalm 24:8. Jesus is a powerful warrior and His army is incited to rise in the ranks and go into battle fearless.

“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” (2 Corinthians 103-4)

To think of an innocent babe in the manger and sing songs of a holy and silent night are soothing thoughts and sounds of Christmas. But what did it sound like in the heavenly realms when Jesus came to earth? Were there swords drawn by demons and angels? Did the holy charge of God surround that cave and create an impenetrable barrier unseen by human eyes, but gleaming and fierce to the glowering orbs of an army of demons kept at bay and powerless? They couldn't stop His birth. They couldn't stop His purpose.

Christ was born. Christ lived. Christ battled the devil himself in the desert and won! Christ gave up His life and took it back again, conquering the grave! That's the Mighty God who was born a baby!

He's a Wonderful Counselor, deserving of our worship and our obedience. And Jesus is a Mighty God, able to protect and defend us. He promises His strength and commands our allegiance. The battle we wage is not against flesh and blood, but against the dark forces and a deceitful enemy. This Christmas, I am glad that my Jesus has already won the victory and that I live in freedom in a heavenly kingdom secured by a Mighty King!

All I Want for Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Brenda Black) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:40:00 +0000

By Brenda Black

I could write of the Christmas hustle and bustle. I could tell you about traditions or share a nifty recipe just in time to rescue you from the 4-dozen cookie exchange coming up this Saturday. We could think together about miracles and charities and benefactors who fulfill Christmas dreams. This space could be devoted to deep pondering over world religions and the ever changing face of American culture where holiday greetings from store clerks incense seasonal shoppers when they don't hear “Merry Christmas.” Or I could just tell you what I really want for Christmas.

Don't worry. I'm not going to itemize a long list of material what-nots to fill my kitchen or bedroom closet. I don't have room for anything more and, in fact, would do well to purge rather than gather another possession. What I truly desire for Christmas can't be bought online or in a department store. You won't find it on special and it isn't sitting in a warehouse in China.

All I want is for people to see Christ as the Savior of the World, not just at Christmas, but always. I want small country churches to be bursting at the seams because “good, moral country folk” realize their good deeds and manners aren't a sure ticket to heaven. They need a Savior and the church needs saints who are faithful and committed and so in love with Jesus that they want to be there and learn and worship! I want to hear about churches in the city that are teaching the Word, not just gathering for a social hour. I want people everywhere to humble themselves and seek His face and stop pretending like good enough is good enough when they, like me, need grace!

This Christmas, I want young families to feel the urgency of teaching the Scriptures to their precious, priceless children more than appeasing them with temporary packages that quickly lose their attention. I want them to know the pleasures of watching their babies grow up in the safe arms of Jesus, especially in a world more and more filled with hate. I long for them to experience the indescribable joy of seeing faith grow through the help and love of fellow believers who nurture and teach and pray for one another as they come together.

On my list are visions of worship where it doesn't matter what position you take or how loud or old fashion the music. Instead, God takes center stage and we can't help but pour out our adoration! I want to see genuine expressions of gratefulness and submission to a Holy God who deserves nothing less. I want to hear praise, not curses, on the tongues of professing Christians who know the difference!

For Christmas, I want to be carried away by a true revival that sweeps across this land and puts the Light of the World back on His rightful throne! I want to live in such a way, that when that great movement begins undulating from soul to soul, I'll be riding the first wave out!

That's all I want for Christmas because Christ is all that Christmas, or any other day of this life, is about! All I want is for my loving Lord, who humbled himself and came to earth, to be honored and worshiped all year long. And for everyone I know to get it – the best Christmas gift of all.

**If you want this gift, I'd be happy to share it. If you've already received it, I'd love to hear what the Lord means to you and how you plan to share Him with others. You can leave a comment here or visit www.thewordsout-brendablack.com and send me a private message.

His Name Shall Be

noreply@blogger.com (Brenda Black) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:14:00 +0000

By Brenda Black

Most of us have one given name at birth. Sure, friends might add a nickname as we grow and take on personality traits. We might become “Zoomer” or “Slam Dunk” to those who know us best. Of course, parents may grant us the “I'll be known by this till my death” pet name such as “Tubs” or “Critter” and use it as a term of endearment until we start dating. Then it becomes leverage to insure their teen observes curfew to the minute. Some will change or lengthen their moniker upon marriage. But, for the most part, we legally and socially claim one name.

Jesus, who endured all things and became all things in order that we might receive redemption, also related to all of mankind by being called a host of names. Though God's angel Gabriel instructed Mary and Joseph to give their Son the name Jesus, He was also called the Christ and the Messiah. Those names and many others defined the roles He fulfilled in history and described His divine qualities. This Christmas season, I think it's fitting to take a closer look at the names Isaiah prophesied of His King: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. When we get to know Him better, we'll want to worship not just the babe in the manger, but the King on the throne.

Wonderful Counselor - The name immediately strikes awe by its very nature. It is the name that best defined the Christ's arrival – miraculous, a marvel. Wonderful indicates something unusual or extraordinary. The Key Word Study Bible explains that, except for one reference in Scripture, every time this word is used it “appears in the context of God's words or deeds.” His name is truly Wonderful. His ways are amazingly Wonderful. His gifts and power and grace and judgment are Wonderful!

“Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced.” (1 Chronicles 16:8-12)

Now some might think winning a $254 million Powerball lottery is wonderful. I suppose it sounds pretty grand, but has anyone noticed that the owners of the ticket only took about a 100 million home after taxes. Kind of kicks the marvelous out of the equation a bit. And do those who plunked down hundreds of dollars for their chance at the ticket still think it is so amazing when the wealthy walked away more wealthy and those desperate for a miraculous break more poor for their investment. No, winning a lottery is not all that wonderful in the big scheme of things. It's fleeting. It is financially complicated. It can become a snare and often leaves people worse off than those who never raked in the mega bucks, after they squander their unexpected fortune.

The Wonderful Counselor has much to say about where we place our trust. It's not in money. And that brings us to the second part of this glorious and marvelous name – Counselor. The Psalmist David explains it this way in the lyrics to his thirty-second Psalm. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.” (Psalm 32:8-10)

When you think you don't have the answers, the Wonderful Counselor rises from within and leads the way to profound truth. “...I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” How wonderful!

One Deserves Thanks

noreply@blogger.com (Brenda Black) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:26:00 +0000

By Brenda Black

“We often forget the Source from which the blessings of fruitful years and healthful skies come...No human wisdom hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God...I therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States...to observe the last Thursday of November as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficient Father who dwelleth in the heavens.” – Abraham Lincoln

Political correctness will tolerate a “God bless you” for there are many adherents to generic gods categorized and defined by the men who claim them. But the God of the universe to whom Abraham Lincoln gives credit is more than a man made entity worshiped when convenient. This God of our nation's history and this God of our very existence is the Father of Jesus and the indwelling Holy Spirit. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. The Source of our salvation and the giver of all things. He is Christ the Lord and Redeemer. This God that answers to no other is Almighty and omniscient. He is holy and just, righteous and perfect. The “Source from which the blessings...come” is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. This God of blessing is Jesus.

“No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was. So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,

'You are my Son; today I have become your Father.'

“And he says in another place, 'You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.'

“During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 5:4-10)

Though perfected in human form through suffering, Jesus already existed in the beginning. You see, God took His only Son, the second slice of His own identity and rendered a flesh-covered offering of Himself for the sake of humanity.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

“Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it...He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or of a husbands' will, but born of God.

“The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1-14)

As Lincoln said, “No human wisdom hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God.” And as the 16^th President of the United States implored the citizens of this great nation to give thanks, I exhort this generation to do the same. Go back to the Source! Remember the Savior! Give Thanks to the Father!

Thanksgiving is not a generic holiday to celebrate false gods and acknowledge all religions. It is a day set apart to worship and revere the One True God who created all we have, provides all we need and loved us to death on the cross by giving up all of Himself. We worship One who conquered enemies in the spiritual realm and enemies on the earth that we might be blessed.

God alone deserves our thanks.

Jesus on a Jersey

noreply@blogger.com (Brenda Black) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:43:00 +0000

By Brenda Black

What would Jesus do? That is the question. Would He be okay with his name initialized in the acronym “WWJD” on the front of a black t-shirt, but intolerant of His name spelled out in block letters on the back of an orange jersey? Some folks think it's irreverent that die hard Tim Tebow Bronco fans have placed “Jesus” above Tebow's No. 15 on their fan apparel. But what does Jesus think?

We could speculate the Lord's take on several ways His name has been linked to otherwise non-religious, worldly goods. Does He think it's cool to see plastered on billboards the dairy council's catch phrase by inserting His own moniker “Got Jesus?” I wonder if the Lord of All is surprised that there are no new ideas on ways to tout His name, it just keeps getting recycled through borrowed ad campaigns.

I've seen Jesus written in yellow cursive like a Peanut Butter cup. “Jesus is my King” takes center stage in the middle of Burger King's logo. Oh, and did you know: “He's the Real Thing.” It's not Coke, after all.

Though some of these may verge on disrespect, I don't think God or Jesus or the Holy Spirit is offended. In fact, weren't the marching orders made to His followers: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

And the Lord instructed in Deuteronomy: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” (Dt. 6:5-9)

What better way to bring up the name! Women wear cross necklaces, men carry cross keychains. Kids where rubberized bracelets etched with the name of Jesus. Those symbols may just speak to someone searching for The Answer to life's questions.

Just let me say, I'd much rather see the name of Jesus emblazoned on cotton than a million other ugly gestures, profane expressions or hideous pictures of skulls and cross bones. I don't believe the fans of Tim Tebow actually think him to be The Jesus. Instead, isn't it refreshing to think our youth have a sports hero who identifies himself with holiness instead of heroine or steroids or wine, women and jail time!

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. There's just something about that name. Master, Savior, Jesus...Oh that the world would believe on His name. Oh that we would be unashamed to proclaim the name. Oh that we would talk about Him, share Him, and do what He would do no matter what we're wearing.

There is one caution to those who desire to be branded with Jesus' appellation: Walk worthy! I do think God takes His name seriously and expects it to be revered by our thoughts and deeds. So if your t-shirt reads “Jesus is my BFF,” act like it. When you are wearing a tank splattered in paint that boldly states “Jesus Loves You,” show it! And if you happen to be in a football stand draped in an NFL jersey with “Jesus” emblazoned across your shoulders, remember he carried a cross to Calvary so that you could bear the name into eternity.

Go, JESUS!

*Thanks to http://www.spottedjesus.com/2011/08/tim-tebow-fans-go-hard/ for spotting Jesus in a football stadium.

In Honor of the Human Spirit

noreply@blogger.com (Brenda Black) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 19:39:00 +0000

By Brenda Black

I watched the little brunette perch twenty feet in the air atop a tower of human spirit. Sturdy men and steady ladies pyramided their way center court to the cheers of college sports fans. The stack of flesh and school pride was even more impressive when I watched the diminutive dare devil flipped down to land on two feet and triumphantly lift one and a half arms into the air! All I could think was that beautiful little lady must have been loved by incredible parents who never allowed a birth defect to stand in the way of anything their daughter wanted to accomplish. Her spirit was never suppressed.

There is a story of a school teacher who asked her first graders to draw a picture of something they were thankful for. She thought of how little these children from poor neighborhoods actually had for which to give thanks. She reasoned that most of them would no doubt sketch pictures of turkeys on tables with lots of other food. She was surprised with the paper that one small boy handed in. It was the picture of a human hand, crudely drawn. The other children tried to guess whose hand their classmate had scribbled. One said it was the hand of God because He brings the food to us. Another said it was the hand of a farmer because he raises and grows the food. Finally, when the others were back at their work, the teacher bent over the child’s desk and asked whose hand it was. "Why, its your hand, teacher," he mumbled. Then she recalled how frequently at recess she had taken this scrubby, forlorn child by the hand. She did it with many of the children and never thought much about it. But that little boy did. You see, she refreshed his spirit and he never forgot it.

The human spirit is remarkable, capable of overcoming all odds to rise to great heights! But the human spirit is impressionable. It can be deeply stirred by simple acts of kindness or just as easily crushed from lack of love. I admire those who model this human quality and those who empower it with love and sacrifice.

That's why I get weepy when our nation's heroes go off to war or return home to the welcoming arms of loving family and friends. I wonder what kind of grit and how much courage dwells in the heart of a soldier. Who challenged them to be all they could be? How do those young, left-behind wives continue to patiently uplift their brave husbands and embolden the children who don't understand why daddy is half way around the world. That amazing human spirit that fights for freedom and lives for others and dies for country astounds me! They deserve my greatest respect, my cheers and my thanks. Yet, I fear that simple gratitude will never be enough compensation for their sacrifices and service. But this Friday we can still try. As individuals, as communities, as a nation, we can pay tribute to the American human spirit at its best on Veterans Day, 2011.

“Today, our Nation comes together to honor our veterans and commemorate the legacy of profound service and sacrifice they have upheld in pursuit of a more perfect Union. Through their steadfast defense of America’s ideals, our service members have ensured our country still stands strong, our founding principles still shine, and nations around the world know the blessings of freedom. As we offer our sincere appreciation and respect to our veterans, to their families, to those who are still in harm’s way, and to those we have laid to rest, let us rededicate ourselves to serving them as well as they have served the United States of America.” (Veterans Day 2011 Proclamation)

Some of these noble warriors began as scared little boys in need of a guiding and loving hand to encourage them. Some have returned home with scars and handicaps they've had to overcome in order to stand proud again. But all give us reason to cheer and look upon them in amazement for the human spirit that dwells within them.

May God protect our troops. May we never forget how blessed we are because of their courage, strength and willingness to go into battle. This Veterans Day, please take the time to express due honor. It will do your own spirit good.

Trust is a Must

noreply@blogger.com (Brenda Black) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:34:00 +0000

By Brenda Black

“In God We Trust” is not just a motto. It's a mindset. It's an action. Over 97% of the House thought voting on a resolution Tuesday reaffirming the statement as the official motto of the United States was important. But unless that motto becomes more than just words engraved on government buildings, their resolution is nothing but worthless lip service to a Holy God that deserves complete obedience and longs for sincere relationship. We better heed the words of God himself, recorded in Numbers 20:12. “But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.'”

Trust is defined as 1. reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence. 2. confident expectation of something; hope. 3. confidence in …

TV host Brian Tracy says “The glue that holds all relationships together - including the relationship between the leader and the led is trust, and trust is based on integrity.”

Lip service or lives of service? Indifference or integrity? What will your motto be? And where will the United States be if we don't rely on the strength, ability and surety of God Almighty? We're toast without His blessing! Said another way, Rep. Trent Franks declared during the 35-minute floor debate over the motto that if the House doesn't believe in God, then “we should just let anarchy prevail because, after all, we are just worm food.”

Indeed we are made of dust and to dust we shall return, but in the mean time, we represent a King here on earth and our duties demand loyalty and love.

“The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates...Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; for the Lord you God, who is among you, is a jealous god and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land. Do not test the Lord your God...Be sure to keep the commands of the Lord your God and the stipulations and decrees he has given you. Do what is right and good in the Lord's sight, so that it may go well with you...The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.” (Deuteronomy 6 selected)

Though we are but a vapor, God has made us eternal. What we do in our breath of life matters forever. I'd rather go down on the side of the Lord than go down in history as one of His enemies. I don't want to be the generation that invited God's wrath on America! I don't want to be counted among the foolish and impetuous people that thumb their nose at a Holy God and tell Him, “We don't need you anymore; we can do this on our own.”

Praise the Lord, He works through remnants – sometimes they number 395. Sometimes they amount to only one. And I, as one, want to stand with those who will trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding. I will in all my ways acknowledge Him so that He will make my paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6). That's my motto and I'm sticking to it!

I will love the Lord with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my strength and with all my mind (Luke 10:27). That's my mindset and I'm thinking it!

In God I trust! That's my action and I'm living it!

The Perfect Family

noreply@blogger.com (Brenda Black) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:07:00 +0000

By Brenda Black

In 1978, Thomas Hansen of Boulder Colorado, sued his parents for $350,000 on grounds of "malpractice of parenting." Mom and Dad had botched his upbringing so badly, he charged in his suit, that he would need years of costly psychiatric treatment. Do your kids ever lay that kind of guilt trip on you?

Maybe it's not the kids, but your husband who assumes your worst is par for the course, as in the case of a lady who experienced a string of misfortunate consequences. A woman was at home doing some cleaning when the telephone rang. Headed to answer it, she tripped on a throw rug and grabbed for something to hold onto, thus seizing the telephone table. It fell over with a crash and jarred the receiver off the hook. As it fell, it hit the family dog, who leaped up, howling and barking. The woman's three-year-old son, startled by the noise, broke into loud screams. The woman mumbled some colorful words. She finally managed to pick up the receiver and lift it to her ear, just in time to hear her husband's voice on the other end say, "Nobody's said hello yet, but I'm positive I have the right number."

In an attempt to perfectly parent or fulfill perfect matrimony, how often I feel that I lose myself in the shuffle and become someone else – someone I don't want to be and barely recognize. I'm left wondering just “Who am I in this mix anymore?” much like the lady whose grandfather married her husband's mother and discovered, "my mother-in-law is now my step-grandmother. My grandfather is now my stepfather-in-law. My mom is my sister-in-law and my brother is my nephew. But even crazier is that I'm now married to my uncle and my own children are my cousins." (Campus Life, March, 1981, p. 31)

While you diagram that on paper, I'll press my case further. I am not the perfect parent nor the perfect wife, nor capable of being all that others expect or demand if I don't know first who I truly am. Actually, not even then! In all of the juggling to wear so many hats and fulfill so many roles, I have to step back and evaluate how am I helping and where am I hindering by forever trying to be perfect. God alone fills those gigantic shoes!

On days like these, when I feel depleted and overwhelmed, I turn to Scripture and read for the thousandth time that the imperfect family of which I am ingrafted is made perfect only by grace from the Lord Jesus.

“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen [me] with power through his Spirit in [my] inner being, so that Christ may dwell in [my heart] through faith. And I pray that [I], being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that [I] may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all [I] ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within [me], to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:14-21)

Insert heavy, deep, breathless sigh here and roll off the self-inflicted burden you bear. Out of God's glorious riches, we are strong. Through faith in Christ, we have power for the long haul. When rooted and established in love, we get a grip on life and the fullness God supplies. And when the family dynamics once again reveal just how imperfect we are, it's good to know God's still at work in all generations and every household where He is worshipped and welcomed.

Proof of Answered Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (Brenda Black) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 18:13:00 +0000

By Brenda Black

I wouldn't have believed it if I had not seen it. That same ghost town of a gas station I visited last week, where I prayed for a clerk with a bad headache, was booming with business on my return trip home the very next day. Before I ever hit the town, I waffled over the notion of stopping to see if my prayers had been answered. I nearly had myself persuaded there was slim possibility that the same girl would be at work on an entirely different shift, when I found myself in the left turning lane and committed.

There were cars at every pump, and five more parked at the store front. I entered the store to find a dozen customers, but my eyes went straight to the register. Quickly I knew this was not the same cashier of the day before and I almost turned and exited, telling myself it was silly to think she'd be here again all alone. But something pushed me to search further. Only then did I notice that not only was there an employee at the counter, there was another one near the door where I first laid eyes on Lisa the day before. And then, toward the coolers, huddled among shoppers, were three more Casey's employees, with clipboards in hand. None of them looked familiar.

I turned to leave after swiftly glancing down each row, when my focus shifted from the far end of the aisle to the candy bar counter. With her back to me, I couldn't be certain, but the young women counting sweet inventory in her Casey's smock came the closest to looking like what I remembered from my 2-minute encounter more than 24 hours earlier.

“Are you Lisa,” I ventured. She turned, a little startled, and said. “Yes,” but did not recognize me. I was not surprised. “I stopped in here yesterday morning and told you I would pray for your headache. I just wanted to see how God answered.”

Her eyes lit up and she said warmly, “Yes, it quit hurting about two. Thank you.”

I told her I was glad she got better and bid her “God bless you.” That was it. I had no particular expectations; didn't really come for the appreciation. I just wanted to hear that God answers prayer one more time. It never gets old - this proof of a loving God, full of grace, documented by one more touch on humanity. Even the most undeserving (that would include all of us) may experience the bliss of God's intervention if we just ask, believing, “for the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.” (2 Chronicles 30:9b)

That statement is straight from King Hezekiah's letter to the people of Israel, calling them to return to the Lord. Remarkably, this grace-filled God to whom Hezekiah pointed the people, is the same God of today who is merciful and forgiving and healing toward sinners.

“Although most of the many people who came...had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, 'May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone who sets his heart on seeking God – the Lord, the God of his fathers – even if he is not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.' And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.” (2 Ch. 30:18-20)

God loves us. God hears us. God runs to us and wraps His arms around us if we just turn and face Him and honestly see how absolutely, completely destitute we are without His grace and compassion. “May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone who sets his heart on seeking God.” You see, bodily healing is but for the moment; spiritual healing is for eternity. The most important prayer God answers will always be “Forgive me.”

Pit Stop Pity and Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (Brenda Black) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 02:56:00 +0000

By Brenda Black

I hesitated to pull into the gas station. No one was at the pump and it didn't look like this particular convenience store was frequented often. I wondered how clean or how safe it would be. But I was desperate. I needed a pit stop!

No one was at the counter and the place appeared empty. I hesitated just for a second and considered retreating back to the parking lot. Then a young woman peeked through a door frame from the far corner of the store, with a wadded towel compressed against her forehead. She dutifully welcomed me with a weary “Hello, Welcome to Casey's.” As I processed her appearance, I pressed my reason for entering and she pointed to a hallway that led to my destination.

When I returned to the main room, I was alone again, but headed to the refrigerator section to select a drink for the rest of my journey. Then, she emerged once more with said towel still pressed to said head. I asked, “Are you alright?” and she replied, “I have a terrible headache.” Though she was in pain, I was a bit relieved that she wasn't being held at gunpoint at the back of the store and had not been rapped on the noggin by some thug.

She briefly shared how often she suffers from migraines and I listened knowingly. Sometimes those awful things can be right down debilitating. I felt sorry that she had to plug on through the day in such discomfort. When I asked her name, she looked at me with wonder? I repeated my query and she answered, “Lisa.”

I called her by name and then told Lisa I was going to pray for her the entire stretch of the road through this town, at least three or four miles and that many stoplights would give me time to plead her case before the Lord. As I prayed, I began to cry, filled with empathy for a stranger I'd known for a mere minute. Not only did I beg for relief from her suffering, but I prayed that she would feel the fiery touch of God and would know it was a direct result of prayer. I asked God to soften her heart and if she knew Him, that this would bolster her faith; if she didn't, it would awaken her hunger!

I'll never know this side of heaven if Lisa's headache disappeared, but I prayed believing! And when I had poured out all of my petition and reached the edge of the city limits, I surmised that the reason for my need to pull off the main road was more about Lisa than about me.

The Apostle Paul instructed Titus in chapter 3, verse 14: “Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives.”

I could have been insensitive and diminished her trouble or demanded better service and expected her to buck up and do her job regardless. But I didn't. I had compassion on a total stranger who was doing her best to serve me under the worst of her own circumstances. Though I couldn't take her pain away, I could pray to the One who is able and I could practice patience and kindness.

How simple, how easy it was to do good and provide for Lisa's immediate need. And how thankful I am that I learned again so much of life is not about me. It's about being God's hands and feet and providing daily necessities in unexpected ways to those in need.

What Will It Take to Awaken

noreply@blogger.com (Brenda Black) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:32:00 +0000

By Brenda Black

"Pastor Nadarkhani has done nothing more than maintain his devout faith, which is a universal right for all people," the statement released by the White House read. "That the Iranian authorities would try to force him to renounce that faith violates the religious values they claim to defend, crosses all bounds of decency, and breaches Iran's own international obligations. A decision to impose the death penalty would further demonstrate the Iranian authorities' utter disregard for religious freedom, and highlight Iran's continuing violation of the universal rights of its citizens. We call upon the Iranian authorities to release Pastor Nadarkhani, and demonstrate a commitment to basic, universal human rights, including freedom of religion."

Nadarkhani is currently the most notorious Christian facing hate-driven persecution, but he is not the only one. Worldwide, brothers and sisters in Christ die for their faith every day! They risk their lives, their families and their homes, yet cling to their convictions. They gather for worship in spite of death threats. They share their faith, knowing it may cost them everything. Four times, Nadarkhani has been pressured to renounce his faith. Four times he defended the cross of Jesus Christ and refused to deny God's saving power in his life.

Could you do it? Would you do it? Christians who live in the “land of the free and the home of the brave” cave under far less duress. Why, we won't say God bless you if somebody sneezes for fear it's not politically correct. Employers at certain retail stores will forbid staff to wish customers Merry Christmas in the days ahead lest some shopper complains. And choose to go to church on Sunday morning? Half of those who profess Christianity won't darken the doors. Not because there is threat to life and limb. Inconvenience or indifference is usually the excuse non-persecuted believers use, as humorously depicted in the following announcement:

To make it possible for everyone to attend church this Sunday, we are going to have a special "No Excuse Sunday": Cots will be placed in the foyer for those who say, "Sunday is my only day to sleep in." There will be a special section with lounge chairs for those who feel that our pews are too hard. Eye drops will be available for those with tired eyes from watching TV late Saturday night. We will have steel helmets for those who say, "The roof would cave in if I ever came to church." Blankets will be furnished for those who think the church is too cold, and fans for those who say it is too hot. Scorecards will be available for those who wish to list the hypocrites present. Relatives and friends will be in attendance for those who can't go to church and cook dinner, too. We will distribute "Stamp Out Stewardship" buttons for those that feel the church is always asking for money. One section will be devoted to trees and grass for those who like to seek God in nature. Doctors and nurses will be in attendance for those who plan to be sick on Sunday. The sanctuary will be decorated with both Christmas poinsettias and Easter lilies for those who never have seen the church without them. We will provide hearing aids for those who can't hear the preacher and cotton wool for those who think he's too loud! Hope to see you there!

The ludicrous hoops the church must jump through to awaken its slumbering body is truly insane! People are dying to know Jesus across this planet and walk for miles to hear the Word preached! People are dying to defend their faith and smuggle the Word in scraps of paper past guarded borders to impart the Truth! People are dying while sharing the message of the cross with hungry, searching souls and count it all loss except for knowing Christ! And we can't get our behinds out of bed into a padded pew for a couple of hours once a week to just let God know we give a hoot! We won't leave our comfortable homes, get in our climate-controlled cars and enter a chapel to worship the One who made every stick and brick and every tire and tank and every steeple and stained glass window possible in our safe, little neighborhoods.

What will it take to awaken our souls? Must we be faced with death that we might express devotion. Though my heart aches for those who endure such abuse for the cause of Christ, I have to wonder if they aren't far and ahead more blessed and more fulfilled than me on any given day I live. For they are closer to God in their trial than I will ever be in tranquility. They are in the company of the saints and martyrs like Stephen, who “full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:55)

Lord, forgive our complacency. Forgive our selfish, misplaced priorities. God help us to risk it all for Your sake and fall before You in worship! May we care enough to gather and praise, to go and tell, to never deny you no matter the risk. God save us from ourselves and awaken our souls.

A good place to wake up is in the Lord's house. Don't wait until your freedom to worship is threatened. Worship now!

Bullish Bravery in the Black of Night

noreply@blogger.com (Brenda Black) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 16:51:00 +0000

By Brenda Black

A phone call late in the evening can mean any number of things at our house. Could be a son who is up late studying and realizes he needs some money in his account by tomorrow morning. Might be one of my advertising clients who frequently calls at ten o'clock at night – the only sure guarantee that either of us is available to talk business. Sometimes it is the troubling news of a member in our congregation who needs the comfort of the pastor. And then, there are the calls that just get you in an instantaneous bad mood. A neighbor calls to report your bull is out.

On one moonless night under hazy, overcast skies, our big, black bull was wandering. To the farm we headed, ill equipped, since there is never a flashlight that really works and the spotlight burned out months ago.

Sure enough, he had covered more ground than we had hoped. We discovered the escapee standing along a ditch on the thankfully seldom traveled gravel road. We convinced him to turn and head north toward a fenced lane that would usher him back to his herd. That part wasn't too difficult since we operated by the pickup truck lights and both of us could push the burly bull with balanced pressure from rear and side. But when he turned down the lane, I was left alone and afoot to keep driving him while my husband returned to retrieve the truck.

By the time the beast and the bedraggled beauty angled down that lane and were headed west, it was eerie dark. A one ton black bull, followed by little ol' me, also dressed in black, moving blindly through the night. I honestly had no idea how far ahead he was or how close I was to him. My only clue was the crunch of gravel from rocks pulverized under the pressure of four hooves hauling one ton of bovine muscle. I'd walk a little, then listen to make sure he was still on the move. Only one thing would signal which way he was facing, the flash of white from his baldy head. By the time the truck whipped in the drive and shined it's headlights hundreds of feet beyond me, I could see what I suspected. There he stood, broadside, looking back at me obstinately.

The comfort and assistance from the beams aided our progress, but one more daring mission awaited the final step. While Alan sped down to the gate, I was left again, persuading the rebellious bull to keep moving the right way. A few cow-cutting steps and a cattle prod convinced him he had met his match and he relinquished pressing his cause. He turned and trotted increasingly faster toward the pen.

I've been around cattle my whole life and have a healthy respect for livestock that large. I prefer to work them in the daylight than in the dark and I never take for granted that one wrong move could be dangerous. As I walked that darkened lane, a bit of fear kept me safe. I would have been foolish to get too close or to run up flailing my arms. I kept my distance and I kept talking so he'd know who was in charge. Even when he stopped, he did not turn fully around and come back toward me. I intimidated him just enough to hold him at bay until help showed up.

So it goes with spiritual strongholds. When dark enemy forces break the boundaries and wander where they hope to endanger me, I call on courage and experience to help me face fear. I keep on moving confidently. I keep on speaking to the enemy. I carry a stick! And, most importantly, I wait for the Light who promises to help me.

“I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.” (Isaiah 42:16)

The more I call the enemy's bluff, the more he has to regard me and move according to my authority. And when the Light of the World shows up, he has to leave!

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:10-13)

If I can turn a one ton bull in the pitch black of night, I know I can face any foe, any time, with Jesus on my side.

Preps to be a Pillar

noreply@blogger.com (Brenda Black) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 17:48:00 +0000

By Brenda Black

“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it.” (Revelation 3:11-12b)

As a graduate of the University of Missouri, I know the significance of the six iconic columns that tower over MU's campus. The Columns once supported the portico of Academic Hall, the first building erected on campus sometime between 1840 and 1843. Hinkson Creek Valley furnished the timeless limestone, hauled to the construction site by ox-drawn carts. When the brick building burned in January 1892, only those charred white Columns remained, and their standing was threatened with removal when the Board of Curators voted to tear them down. After inspection revealed the Columns stood on solid foundations, the Board reversed their decision and agreed to leave them standing.

Pil·lar (plr) n. 1. a. A slender, freestanding, vertical support; a column. b. Such a structure or one similar to it used for decoration. 2. One who occupies a central or responsible position: a pillar of the state. tr.v. pil·lared, pil·lar·ing, pil·lars

The word jumped off the page at me when I read Revelation chapter 3. The imagery painted a picture of God constructing His church with tremendous and ornate detail. I was reminded of the highly specific and intricate blueprints Moses shared with the Israelites for building the Tabernacle. My mind raced from one end of history to the history yet to be challenging me to envision the New Jerusalem, the Holy City, “coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” (Rev. 21:2) God has particular plans. He has had them from the foundations of the world and He will have them for all eternity. He likes His house in order and He has space for every precious piece. Specifically, He is waiting for pillars, the saints of all ages joined together by and in Christ, to take their place in this spiritual temple so that a great banquet can begin.

The called, the elect, the children of God, the church, the bride! Call her what you must, but here in Revelation, God calls her pillars. Not windows to see through nor a door through which to greet. Not drapes that warm a room. Not walls or floors or ceiling tiles. Pillars. Rock solid, integral support. And like the church in Philadelphia, one of only two not rebuked, we pillars of this time period need to “hold on to what [we] have” so we'll be fit for the task.

That's going to take some quality construction. Safety cautions from AllenHousing.org for forging brick pillars may be applicable advice for building stable spiritual pillars as well.

“One of the most important things you should consider during the construction is the weight that the brick pillars will support. They have to be strong enough to prevent the building from collapsing.”

God may be holding the weight of the world, but He only has one plan for winning the world – faithful followers who will pillar in Holy Spirit power and hold up the truth of God's Word. The task is impossible without prayer support. “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.” (Colossians 1:10-12) Since pillars have to be strong enough to prevent the building from collapsing, pray for the strength to stand firm. Pray for other pillars as well.

Caution 2: “The raw materials that you are going to use for the construction should be used according to the specifications. When you are making mortar to use in the brick pillars, make sure you utilize coarse sand. The bricks have to be perfectly burnt and the corners should be faultless.

“When mixing the sand and cement to make the mortar, the ration has to be 4:1. The bricks should also be properly soaked when using them. After you have constructed the brick pillars, they have to be cured for at least ten days to make sure they set well.”

It takes the right ingredients, a little heat, some washing and time to make us fit to stand in heaven and hold up our part of the temple. God isn't looking for ornate decorations though He does see as beautiful. He is looking for obedient disciples. Get into the Word. Get to know the Master Builder who drafted a design for your life. Get ready to be tested. The more you withstand the heat of a brick-layer's oven, the more pure you will become. Be cleansed. “...'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'” (Acts. 2:38) Be patient. The Lord is at work in your life even when you feel like you are just standing still.

May we as the people of Christ, be willing to pray: Lord, forge us into pillars, established on strong foundations so that we might be fit to stand together for you in heaven. Teach us to pray for those still needed to build the Holy City and keep us pure in mind and heart and willing to endure to the end.

A Day for Dares

noreply@blogger.com (Brenda Black) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 21:42:00 +0000

By Brenda Black

One hundred plus two boarded the tiny ship bound for prosperity and adventure. They bundled their dreams among meager worldly possessions and said their prayers. In its treacherous 66 day voyage over rough, storm riddled seas, the crude vessel and those aboard were blown more than 500 miles off course. Only half who braved the trip would live to see a year beyond their departure of Sept. 16, 1620. But those who did survive the Mayflower journey were America's first settlers who, while yet aboard the ship, formulated and signed an agreement establishing constitutional law and the rule of the majority. Their pilgrimage of courage and commitment helped forge a new nation.

On Sept. 16 in 1893, the largest land run in history began with more than 100,000 people pouring into Oklahoma to stake their claims. A single pistol shot kick-started the mad dash of land-hungry pioneers on horseback and in carriages who raced forward to snatch the best acres. Their willingness to risk the dangers in a new and rugged country were due more to personal gain than national duty, but the grit it took still merits wonder for those who raced that day.

Instead of a fight for land, the fight for bragging rights landed Thomas Hearns, the World Boxing Association (WBA) belt winner, face down in the ring. His welterweight opponent, “Sugar” Ray Leonard, World Boxing Council’s (WBC) welterweight champion, came from behind to win the battle in front of 25,000 spectators on Sept. 16, 1981. These two fighters punched their way to glory – for what? National pride, personal gain or ticket sales for the boxing leagues? Still, those were a couple of tough contenders that wowed the crowd.

The motivation behind any courageous undertaking must be weighed heavily. Is it noble or greedy? Is the drive pushed by vision or vanity? Each of these historical moments happened on Sept. 16. There is nothing significant about the date. No time off for government employees or holidays from school. It's just another day, like this Friday, Sept. 16 will be.

But look again. Brave souls risked all they had to find a free place to worship and prosper. Families desperate to pursue the American dream dashed daringly across Oklahoma hills at break-neck speed. And two men of small stature scrapped and bum rushed one another to become the big dog in a brutal battle ring. All on the 16^th.

What are you doing this Friday?

I dare you to do something that impacts this nation for good. Begin a journey where you seek to worship in spirit and in truth. Share your faith with others. Serve in the church. Live like you only have one year to make a difference!

“...live a life worthy of the Lord and...please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might...” (Colossians 1:10-11a)

I dare you to go after a dream. Accomplish something you've long pondered and have never been given permission to pursue. Run for the goal. Race for the finish line. Seize the day with anticipation and enthusiasm, grit and nerve. You just might find you have what it takes.

“...so that you may have great endurance and patience and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.” (Col. 1:11b-12)

I dare you to fight the good fight. Not for vain glory, but to honor God. Fight to the finish. Fight for what's right. Fight for freedom in Christ so that you can say with the Apostle Paul:

“Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.” (Col. 1:24)

Just think, something you do this Friday could go down in history. Will it go down as noble national pride, selfish personal gain or simple crowd pleasing fame? It's up to you how you live this Friday.

I dare you to live it for Christ!

Huck Finn Apologetics

noreply@blogger.com (Brenda Black) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 17:54:00 +0000

By Brenda Black

“Well, I got a good going-over in the morning, from old Miss Watson, on account of my clothes; but the widow she didn't scold, but only cleaned off the grease and clay and looked so sorry that I thought I would behave a while if I could. Then Miss Watson she took me in the closet and prayed, but nothing come of it. She told me to pray every day, and whatever I asked for I would get it. But it warn't so. I tried it. Once I got a fish-line, but no hooks. It warn't any good to me without hooks. I tried for the hooks three or four times, but somehow I couldn't make it work. By-and-by, one day, I asked Miss Watson to try for me, but she said I was a fool. She never told me why, and I couldn't make it out no way.

“I set down, one time, back in the woods, and had a long think about it. I says to myself, if a body can get anything they pray for, why don't Deacon Winn get back the money he lost on pork? Why can't the widow get back her silver snuff-box that was stole? Why can't Miss Watson fat up? No, says I to myself, there ain't nothing in it. I went and told the widow about it, and she said the thing a body could get by prayin' for it was 'spiritual gifts.' This was too many for me, but she told me what she meant – I must help other people, and do everything I could for other people, and look out for them all the time, and never think about myself. This was including Miss Watson, as I took it. I went out in the woods and turned it over in my mind a long time, but I couldn't see no advantage about it – except for the other people – so at last I reckoned I wouldn't worry about it any more, but just let it go.” (from the
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Samuel Langhorne Clemens, 1961)

Contemporary dialects may have changed, but attitudes remain much the same among those searching for truth. Infernal selfishness continues to rant: If it doesn't benefit me directly and get me what I want, when I want it, then I want nothing to do with it. It saddens me like it did the widow who took Huck in and clothed him and loved him in spite of his sins. The selfish motives of modern man and the total disregard for all that the Lord has done reveals a spiritual ignorance that's lingered for decades.

Huck feared spooks and spirits, but did not fear the living God. His resolve to “just let it go” seems to be the same problem today among many folk, both young and naïve and old and worldly. An attitude of indifference excuses accountability for the present. But a day of reckoning is drawing near and like Huck contemplated, there is either the devil to pay or glory and grace.

There's no time like the here and now to define such providential destiny. While Huck scrambled for meaning in life through the questionable wisdom of others, he would have had a far greater understanding of God's loving plan if he had discovered the whole truth. Instead, he settled for hodge-podged tidbits of legalism, spirituality and tradition mixed with a dab of hell fire and brimstone and tempered with harps and angel choirs singing.

No wonder the world is confused when it comes to truth. We all, at times, have derived our own definitions based often on ignorance and well-intending, but ill-informed tutors. Don't just take my paltry explanations. Look it up for yourself right in the source if you want to know the real plan of God. It's clearly shared in the Holy Scriptures and these days you can get it written in languages and dialects that cover the globe. No longer are the Hucks of the world able to “just let it go.” We all have access to the very throne of God through the Word of God and have opportunity to worship the living God in Christian churches on every corner!

But are those outside of Christ hungry enough, curious enough, in need enough to seek truth for Truth's sake? Maybe the fear of not having the freedom to seek Christ will awaken that hunger. That same selfish drive that keeps us from serving others, may be the very thing that drives us to our knees! If a day dawned in this country when Americans were told they could not proclaim the Christ nor enter a house of worship, I believe we wouldn't “just let it go.” I believe we would see churches swell with a renewed commitment by those who have grown Mississippi River lazy and see people clamoring like the rolling river for the right to pray and worship!

I pray it doesn't take that kind of oppression for people to wake up and embrace truth and freedom found in Jesus. For “if you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,.” Jesus told those who believed. (John 8:31b-32)

Those who hunger for the teaching and hold to it can right now be released from the entrapment of ignorance. They can be set free from a prison of confusion. Right now, today – they can escape the enslavement of selfishness, and live free in Christ. And that, folks, is Huck Finn Apologetics.

Rules for Running the Race

noreply@blogger.com (Brenda Black) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 23:26:00 +0000

By Brenda Black

As with any timed event, it matters not nearly as much how you start, but where you finish. But the opposite is true in the case of reigning Olympic and world champion, and world-record-holder Usain Bolt's latest race. The “one and done” false start rule just ruled fleet-footed Bolt disqualified. The very notion of dismissing a runner capable of smoking the 100 meter in 9.58 seconds leaves rule-makers running for solutions and questioning the necessity for such an edict.

Some social scientists contend that rule evasion can serve as a useful tool to promote more efficient policies or alternatives. As track and field judges weigh the prospects of new policies concerning revered runners, they may respond in one of three ways: either effectively ignore the rule infraction, enforce it to a greater extent or revise it.

One jump of the gun and you're done does seem a bit harsh. But there's a lesson to be learned at the cost of Bolt's unbridled bolt. Whoa! Better to be disciplined than to be eliminated. All too well, he has learned that the price can be shamefully high when rules get broken.

But let's not forget “some rules are meant to be broken.” Take for instance a law in Idaho that says it is illegal for a man to give his sweetheart a box of candy weighing more than 50 pounds. Obviously that one needs amending! Some mandates are plain silly. Other sanctions make perfect sense . There's the law in Missouri that says it is illegal to drive with an uncaged bear! I'm thinking that one needs to stay on the books since bruin populations are on the rise in the Show Me State. Sure, it may be fine to see a bear in the cab of a pickup in the Ozark Mountains, but probably not a great thing in the backseat of a cab in downtown Kansas City.

A contemporary of Mark Twain, Charles Dudley Warner, finds the balance between total, blind adherence verses testing the waters: “We are half ruined by conformity; but we should be wholly ruined without it.” In other words: Some rules are absolutely necessary. The truth is “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” (Proverbs 1:7) When reasonable rules are followed, they are for our good to prevent false starts and failed finishes.

Foolish thoughts convince would-be winners that fudging just a little won't cause fallout.
And deceiving oneself with the notion that no one is looking only blinds the one competing. The best qualifying start in life begins in the Word of God where rules are specific and filled with purpose and broken ones bear consequence. There we are told that “...if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules.” (2 Timothy 2:5)

Even if a runner clears the starting blocks fairly, there are some things that can still keep him from officially finishing the race. A stumble? No. A runner can get back up and rejoin the race. A hurdle not cleared? No. Downed hurdles just slow him down, but don't disqualify a runner. Cheating and quitting are, however, surefire precursors for a failed finish. Those are personal choices of which you can blame no other contender, no other circumstances. The consequences for breaking the rules lie squarely on the shoulders of the one who committed the infraction.

Whether the International Association of Athletics Federation sees clear to ignore, enforce or alter the “one and done” rule, may change the face of future race results for high profile runners. Still, it won't repeat races already run. The consequences for those are in the record books.

Great Depression Deliverance

noreply@blogger.com (Brenda Black) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 21:00:00 +0000

By Brenda Black

In the U.S., grit was born out of the Great Depression! The enduring folks who remember those desperate and sparse days have tried for decades to impart prudent wisdom to generations that followed. But have we heeded their advice or their example? Whether you are stubborn and selfish or just careless on matters of money or faith, it's time to get smarter for “wisdom is found in those who take advice.” (Proverbs 13:10) Your deliverance begins with Great Depression guidance.

Gregg Koep, a blogger at “Not Buying Anything” (NBA), summarizes the Great Depression Survivors' sentiments saying that “People who lived through the depression often gained a new outlook on life. Many survivors still hold the same virtues today, so strong were the lessons learned. Generally, they avoid the self indulgence and immediate gratification that comes from easy access to material things. Instead they tend to focus on the important relationships in their lives, like with their families and community.” (http://notbuyinganything.blogspot.com/2011/05/advice-from-depression-survivors.html)

Listen up to more sensible and godly wisdom from the mouths of our own pre WWII citizens:

Pay cash instead of adopting the credit mentality. “Don’t spend money you don’t already have in your pocket.”
Don't make the rich richer by giving them your money. “Don’t pay someone else to provide something that you can learn to do or to make yourself.”
Cultivate traditional values of thrift and frugality. “Only buy what you can’t live without.”
Avoid self-indulgence and self-gratification by immediate acquisition of possessions. “Give yourself a good, long waiting period before making purchases.”
Do not gamble with your money (stock market, real estate speculation, lotteries, get rich quick schemes, etc). “It doesn’t matter how much money you make, it matters how much you save!”
Work is the way to make money. "Don't be afraid of honest, hard work."
Ambition is over-rated. "It is enough to just enjoy and appreciate each day."

This blogger says many depression survivors realize that good can come from bad, and meaning can come from tragedy. I agree. As evidence, take a look at Calvary. Jesus Christ died on a cross -- His suffering horrible, the price exorbitant! He owned nothing. Lived nowhere in particular. Walked everywhere. Ate at the generosity of friends and followers. And yet He lived His life lavishly and gave abundantly! His great sacrifice and self-denial, along with His suffering, resulted in freedom. I'd say that's good coming from bad and meaning springing from tragedy!

Whether enslaved to debt or economic hardship or worse, spiritual depravity, the wisdom of the ages is applicable. “It doesn't matter how much money you make, it matters how much you save!” That goes for dollars and cents, as well as souls. It's really that simple. People who use common sense, common courtesy and turn to Christ in time of crisis are best positioned to survive financial downturns or any frightening circumstance. I call it Great Depression Deliverance!

As the body of Christ we can help one another in the times in which we live by sharing what we have. We can serve one another by bartering skills and goods. We can encourage one another and pray for one another and pull together like family does when times get tough. And we can still embrace each day and just enjoy it. When we employ these attitudes often born out of hardship, we'll be strengthened to face whatever comes down the road and be a valuable witness for the Lord Jesus who paid our debt in full.