Don't Rescue Me from THAT!

Psalms 31:1,2, 19-24  Your kindness is so great! You reserve it for those who fear you. Adam's descendants watch as you show it to those[For the choir director; a psalm by David.] I have taken refuge in you, O LORD. Never let me be put to shame. Save me because of your righteousness. Turn your ear toward me. Rescue me quickly. Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me.

Your kindness is so great! You reserve it for those who fear you. Adam's descendants watch as you show it to those who take refuge in you. You hide them in the secret place of your presence from those who scheme against them. You keep them in a shelter, safe from quarrelsome tongues. Thank the LORD! He has shown me the miracle of his mercy in a city under attack. When I was panic-stricken, I said, "I have been cut off from your sight." But you heard my pleas for mercy when I cried out to you for help. Love the LORD, all you godly ones! The LORD protects faithful people, but he pays back in full those who act arrogantly. Be strong, all who wait with hope for the LORD, and let your heart be courageous.

As I am growing in my experiential knowledge of reality, I am always amazed at how little on what I thought to be real was even real.  Yet if you had asked me in the past I would have make definite claims of my certainty.  It is mind boggling! 

So much of God's word is directed to understanding all this.  However, we must live a conscious existence in order to perceive it.  When did we, as a society decide it was alright to blame everything on our subconscious ways?  What has happened to accountability?  And I do not mean finger pointing piety, I mean loving, encouraging wisdom as protection from what would be done out of ignorance.  As a gross generalization I see us all taking a step back in our compassion as we allow others to "live and learn".  How cold and callous we have become.  What if God were like that?  He would be no different than man.  We do not want a God like that so we create a God that allows us to do what ever we want to do in ignorance and wallow in the blood of Christ to try and ease the grieving spirit within us. 

We are made in God's image, we were created to care, give aid, take the steps when rejected to keep caring and to speak up even when we know it is going to be met with strife and hostility.  AND then we are supposed to keep praying for the complete power of God to never give up on them, to press around them and whisper sweet truths till they can't live separated from Him any longer. 

We do not rescue them but when God desires to utilize us, equip us to physically get involved whether it be showing them snares up ahead, exposing false imaginations or simply extending peace, love and charity isn't it the least we can do.  After all He allowed us to reject Him, beat him, spit on him, kill him and then he went to hell and back for us.  And we think we've been through a lot!

I have a favor to ask of you -even if just for the next few minutes you just sit with Christ and tell him how much you love him and how sorry you are for taking him for granite at times - for minimizing what he went through for you / us.  Then just be in his presence with no expectations.  Simply allow him to have a couple of seconds with you to enjoy all he gave up so that he could be with you today.

In love with you all - through Christ,
Kisses,
Candace

Are You Free to be Delivered?

Yesterday we were thinking over the promises made to us through God's word to be rescued.  Think back across the scriptures that speak of  "your faith" being the catalyst for the change to happen.  Today we are going to look at some Hebrew words and be sure we understand the translations of scripture fully. 

Chacah is translated  Refuge - meaning to take shelter

Natsal is translated  Rescue meaning to escape or physical deliverance

Bayith is translated Stronghold meaning physical provision of a structure but also a net, snare or grave to fight for you.

Yasha is translated Save meaning to be open wide or free to be delivered, saved, get help, give victory, to take vengeance or to preserve.

Yasha is also where the word Savior is derived and the word Hosanna is directly traceable to this word.

In the old testament the word pointed to a physical deliverance from a very real enemy or catastrophe.  Later however "save" developed a theological meaning.

As we think over these meanings let's remember that God is concerned about:

• Our physical well being
• Our emotional status
• the salvation of our soul

As we remember these points choose to believe that God has the ability to save us from anything which would harm us.  Tell yourself with faith that "God's love and action IS salvation".

Isaiah 49:6, 52:10

There is none outside Him, it is an everlasting salvation which was coming and is already here.

Is it too small a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel, I will also make you a light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.

It goes on to talk about how we will be brought forward and out of darkness out of lack - God has laid the road before us - His road.  He desires for us to be comforted by His compassion for our condition and circumstances.

God will not force you to accept anything He has laid before you.  That is the reason he keeps beseeching us to choose what is good, holy, lovely and pure.  He wants us to have it but He is not a bully - it's a gift.  You and I free to be delivered from all things......the question is will we see that to be true? 

I know these things to be true and I truly wish I could give you my eyes, mind and heart to see what I see. But I have faith that just as He was able to change my vision, mind and heart He also will do that for your when you allow Him to. 

Even if you don't believe me...please write a little something about your it today  - even if it is your doubt.  I pray that He heals you of any doubt this day. 

With the love of our Christ,
Kisses,
Candace

City Called Deliverance

I hope you all are feeling better by now.  Not to worry we are meeting at a new time to keep us on track.  Because next Friday is "Facial Day!"  Our team of aestheticians will arrive a bit early so don't be alarmed.  I am sending the details of who is scheduled when after I find out your schedules for next week. 

Today and tomorrow I want you to think about "your thoughts".  That won't be difficult 'Cause you already do that all the time!  THIS time however, I want you to write them down.  Don't judge them simply write them.  You can write all of them, some of them, part of them....I don't care.  "JUST WRITE THEM!"

We can be like Dr Seuss - you can write them on a house, you can write them on a mouse.  You can write them on a train......

Seriously though.  We have to at least take a peak at the voices we are giving space to.  So here is a little thing I like to call "City Called Deliverance".  I hope it is a muse for you.

My love to you all and prayers for health, wholeness and joy,
Kisses,
Candace

“City Called Deliverance”




Nothing….
Empty….
Blue….
Where do I go?
What should I do?

Vague whispers surround me….
Do I hear what they say?
“I long to love you; to be by your side”
Why such a battle?
Why can’t you stay?
Where do you run to?
For what do you long?
Why can’t it be me with you?
Why is this wrong?

Inside I am screaming; longing for love
My exterior looks unaffected: complete and whole
Internally yearning, pleading for a touch
For someone who won’t hurt me,
To love me…. no matter what.

Vague whispers surround me…
Could they be true?
Questions start flooding…
Chaos fills my mind.
Do I dare risk it?
Will arms hold - while hands punch?
One more brutal moment
All pieces will fall.

Inside I am screaming longing for love
From someone who won’t hurt me
To love me…no matter what.

Vague whispers surround me…
It is clear what they say
A provision of deliverance
A gift of a new life.
“I long to love you: to be by your side”

Can I trust in this savior?
Does He truly know the way?
He says He will guard me with His Mercy and grace

Inside I am screaming……. loving for love
His promise is before me
Removing the cause of my pain
He’s a lifeline of rescue, clearing my way
Dusting the path to see thing in full
He is still waiting….Calling my name

Vague whispers surround me…..
“I long to love you: to be by your side”
He says he won’t hurt me,
In him I can trust
He promises to never leave me
“To love me…. no matter what.”

My exterior looks unaffected: complete and whole
One more brutal moment – all pieces will fall
His touch is eternally gentle,
His arm there to protect
His hands not bent to harm me
His grip won’t let me slip

Vague whispers surround me…
“To love me…no matter what.”
My defense now abandoned
I’m opened to my Lord
I trust He will love me
My shepherd, shield and sword
In Him I will be vulnerable
For there is no division or strife

Vague whispers surround me …
At times their pain is loud
My exterior seems unaffected
Internally, now whole
God holds me in these moments
The whispers, gentle and true
Wooing me into His family
A shelter for all who come in
Protecting us from the torrents
And debris whistling through the air

Vague whispers surround me….
Speaking guidance I trust
Warning us of the battlefield
Exposing the line that’s drawn

From inside I hear them screaming
Longing for love…..
From someone who won’t hurt them
To love them…no matter what.

Vague whispers surround them….
Do they hear what is said?
“I long to love you; to be by your side”
Why such a battle?
Why can’t you stay?
Where do you run to?
For what do you long?
Why can’t it be me with you?
Why is this wrong?

Vague whispers surround them…..
Will they believe it’s the truth?
Yours is the choice of which you call home
The poison is all around you, venomous bites
The flame upon those arrows, destroys upon contact

Vague whispers surround them….
Will it be clear for them to see?
Come within our walls, there is refuge here
You will not need to worry, the Creator is here
All timing is his, our wars have been won
The groaning is from the doomed
They’re struggling to hang on
Leave them and enter,
They are home by free choice
Our intent is to free you
Be released from their demise
Our door must close tightly, now you must rest
No more can they hurt you,
Make you cry, leave you cold
Our Father’s arms are around you,
His peace, now you’ll know

Vague whispers surround them…
“I long to love you; to be by your side”
With warmth from inside you, never to fade
Encircled by arms longing to embrace
So forever I will keep you, so you will know you are safe.
By Candace Huffmaster

Candace Huffmaster 2006© All Rights Reserved. 

Ministry in Word

Standing Firm
站住

Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.”
摩西对百姓说：不要惧怕，只管站住！看耶和华今天向你们所要施行的救恩。

Exodus 14:13
出埃及記14:13

Facing the Red Sea with the Egyptian military closing in on them, the Israelites complained to Moses in fear. They thought they would die there and then. They forgot totally God's promise to deliver them from their slavery and the miracles of God which forced Pharaoh to let them go. Their excitement of being free turned into fear and despair. Fear incapacitated their reasoning: why would God who was able to deliver them from their bondage not able to deliver them from perishing in the hands of their enemies? Despair muddled their positive outlook of new found freedom into hopelessness. God's answer to this predicament was for them to stand firm. They were to stand firm in their belief, trust, commitment, hope, and love.
前有红海挡路，後有埃及追兵，以色列人在害怕中向摩西埋怨。他们以为会在当时当地死亡。他们完全忘记了神从奴役中拯救出来的应许和那些使法老王释放他们的神迹。自由的兴奋变为惧怕和绝望。惧怕使他们失去他们的推理： 为什么会能从他们的奴役拯救他们的神不能从他们的敌人的手拯救他们？绝望混乱了他们新找到的自由的正面展望变成绝望。 神对这种困境的答复是要他们坚定。 他们要在他们的信仰、信任、承诺、盼望和爱上坚定。

Our Belief
我们的信仰

Standing firm in our belief is to hold on to our understanding of God's attributes, including that He is love, righteous, compassionate, in spite of what appear to be our feeling to the contrary, because at times our feeling could mislead us. As the Israelites took 12 stones from the Jordan River to help them remember God’s act of deliverance, we ought to validate our feeling with God’s past work in our life.
坚定在我们的信仰是坚持我们对神性质的理解，包括他是爱，公义，慈悲，不管我们的感觉看来是相反，因为我们的感觉可能有时会误导我们。 就像以色列人从约旦河拿了12块石头帮助他们记住神拯救的行动，我们应该以神过去在我们的生命中的工作来确认我们的感觉。

Our Trust
我们的信任

The Israelites saw only the raging waves of the Red Sea before them and the Egyptian horses and chariots behind them. They lacked vision and confidence of God’s salvation for them. Standing firm in our trust is to lean on God and not on our understanding of our circumstances, to remain confident of God's goodness and His promise.
以色列人仅看见了在他们面前红海的怒浪和在他们后面埃及的马和战车。 他们缺乏神对他们救赎的异象和信心。 坚定我们的信任是倚靠神和不倚靠我们对我们的情况的理解，保持确信神的善良和他的应许。

Our Commitment
我们的承诺

The Israelites grumbled and complained against God during their journey in the desert. They were always ready to abandon God and return to their slavery life in Egypt. Once they substitute God with a golden calf. Standing firm in our commitment to God is to remain faithful to Him in spite of hardship and challenges, never depart from Him who not only created us but also saved us.
以色列人在他们沙漠的旅途期间对神抱怨并且作反对神的投诉。 他们总是准备抛弃神和返回到他们在埃及奴隶的生活。 有一次他们以一只金牛犊替代神。 坚定我们对神的承诺是不管困难和挑战，仍保持对他守信，从不离弃他，他不仅创造我们，而且拯救我们。

Our Hope
我们的盼望

Standing firm in our hope is to continue to expect the certain realization of things unseen. We have faith that God's promises to us will sooner or later materialize. We continue to hope in our prayers and supplications to God for us and others, and for the coming of His kingdom.
坚定我们的盼望是继续期待未看见的事的肯定实现。 我们神有信心他对我们的诺言迟早将实现。 我们继续在我们为我们和其他人，和为他国度的来临对神的祷告和祈求上盼望。

Our Love
我们的爱

Standing firm in our love is to nurture and grow our spiritual life in Christ, making our Christlikeness the good soil for the seed of faith, harvesting 100 times the crop. Let's first die to ourselves and reappear in our new life in Christ. Then let God multiply the spiritual fruit in us.
坚定我们的爱是养育和生长我们在基督里的属灵生命，使我们的基督样式成为信念种子的好土壤，收获百倍的庄稼。 让我们首先对我们自己死并且在我们基督新的生命中再现。 然后让神倍增在我们的属灵果子。

Then after standing firm, we keep our eyes open to watch for God's deliverance from our enemies. It is His promise to us.
然后在坚定以后，我们保持我们的眼睛睁开注意神从我们的敌人的拯救。 它是他给我们的诺言。

May we stand firm on God’s strength and watch for God’s deliverance.
愿我们凭神的力量站住和观看神的救赎。

Tom and Tehwan Tso
仲谋与德菀

“The outcome of your faith is the salvation of your souls.” 1Peter 1:9

“信心的果效， 就是灵魂的救恩” 彼得前书1：9

Trusting God's Story as Truth

We know from yesterday’s verses that God put the greater and lesser lights in the governing positions. He stated that this was Good.


Let’s break down some of the verses from yesterday and relate them to other scriptures in context in order to go a bit deeper with understanding God’s way of comprehending, discerning and living out or journey’s.

Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake.

Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Yesterday in our group meeting we were speaking about spiritual warfare, speaking God’s truth into our battles and waiting on God to show us the proper plan/ way out.

I would like to support this with Ephesians Chapter 6:9-20 (using GWT).

Masters, treat your slaves with respect. Don’t threaten a slave. You know that there is one master in heaven who has authority over both of you, and he doesn’t play favorites.

Finally, receive your power from the Lord and from his mighty strength. Put on all the armor that God supplies. In this way you can take a stand against the devil’s strategies. This is not a wrestling match against a human opponent. We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world. For this reason, take up all the armor that God supplies. Then you will be able to take a stand during these evil days. Once you have overcome all obstacles, you will be able to stand your ground. So then, take your stand! Fasten truth around your waist like a belt. Put on God’s approval as your breastplate. Put on your shoes so that you are ready to spread the Good News that gives peace. In addition to all these, take the Christian faith as your shield. With it you can put out all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Also take salvation as your helmet and the word of God as the sword that the Spirit supplies. Pray in the Spirit in every situation. Use every kind of prayer and request there is. For the same reason be alert. Use every kind of effort and make every kind of request for all of God’s people. Also pray that God will give me the right words to say. Then I will speak boldly when I reveal the mystery of the Good News. Because I have already been doing this as Christ’s representative, I am in prison. So pray that I speak about this Good News as boldly as I have to.

In Matthew 4 we see Christ utilizing all these principles. Christ went before us to show us: what to believe, how it will help us, and allow us to have the faith to persevere.

Verses 1-11

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." But He answered and said, "It is written, “MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'" Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU'; and ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'" Jesus said to him, "On the other hand, it is written, 'YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'" Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'" Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.

God tells us that we have cloud of witnesses around us. He tells us He will never leave us alone or abandon us. He also tells us that the angels harken after His word. So we should believe that we stand against or up to the evil in our midst as Christ did speaking the truth appropriately. The governing power of this world is darkness, how deep that darkness is I have no idea….and do not care to find out. What I do know is that he comes to tempt us to “choose in free will” to give up, cave in and quit – “lay down like a doormat and let things trample over us- without speaking the power of the Lord God Almighty’s truth. He tries to make us tire out before we pick up our armor. Don’t do it. As Ephesians 6:13 states:

For this reason, take up all the armor that God supplies. Then you will be able to take a stand during these evil days. Once you have overcome all obstacles, you will be able to stand your ground.”

Do I REALLY have to fight?

God so often makes me giggle. Yesterday was a super taxing day for me, just when I want to say "uncle" ..."you win, okay", God steps in and says just take a deep breath...a time out...you'll make it! So that is what I finally did by the end of the day. I laid myself down and said I will just trust you, believe what you have said and rest. Today, I decided to go to an older devotional that I never tired of. I went to their site to pull up their daily devotion.


After a good night sleep, God reminded me "Today, you fight for Me!" I will post that after the devotion.

I pray that in our weakest moments we are broken to our knees so that we can rise in His strength, courage and perseverance. To the God be the honor and glory and power for ever. Amen.

In Christ,
Candace

Go up and Possess It

By Richard Blackaby

Look, the LORD your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the LORD God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged. (Deuteronomy 1:21)

One of the paradoxes of the Christian life is that God’s gifts often require labor on our part. God brought the Israelites to the Promised Land and told them He was going to “give” it to them (Num. 13:2). The gift of the Promised Land sounded great to the Israelites until they realized that, with the gift, came battles against giants and fortified cities! Perhaps they assumed God was going to obliterate the inhabitants of the land before they entered. Ideally for the Israelites, they could then have entered a vacant land with houses and cities already built and ready to inhabit.

Instead, God said they would have to fight for it. They would not have to fight in their own strength, however; God would be present to fight for them. God would bring down the walls of cities, give them strategies to defeat their enemies, and empower their warriors to fight. The Israelites would have a divine advantage over anyone they fought, but they would still have to fight.

It would be wonderful if, when we become Christians, God would fill our minds with a complete knowledge of the Bible and with Bible verses already memorized. It would be easy if God would instill in us a delight in spending hours in prayer each day and a fearless desire to share our faith with others. But God doesn’t relate to us that way. Instead, He gives us the free gift of His salvation and then tells us to “work out” our salvation in fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12b). Are you discouraged because the Christian life is more difficult and challenging than you expected? Don’t be. God’s gifts to you are perfect because, through them, God makes you perfect as well (Matt. 5:48; James 1:17).

Building of Today

If it is my word,
    it is to be today through all known time.
No doubt shall change what is,
    what is known is what shall be.
Faith is believing all,
    knowing what shall come will pass.
Those who are my own,
    are standing sure on what is firming under feet.
Reality is tomorrow,
    not moments fading away.
Yesterday built today,
    the tomorrow which fades to grey.
In what do you know of this reality,
    you so claim to understand?
A mind that I created,
    with limits of a man.
The known is not among those:
    who lavish on themselves,
    to squander and belittle,
    the majesty of His will.
By Candace Huffmaster
© 2006 All Rights Reserved


Not Today!

You will not win, oh heavy spirit of burden "Not Today!"
Today, I fight!

Today ,I fight the good fight,
Today ,I fight the righteous fight.
Today, I overcome,
Today, I lead in battle,
Today, my strongholds are gone.

Today, my spirit stands tall
Today, I hear your voice,
    and today your victory is true
Today, I fight for YOU!
By Candace Huffmaster
© 2006 All Rights Reserved

Let's Give 'em a Hand

Ecclesiastes 4:9, 10,12 (God's Word Trans) Two people are better than one because together they have a good reward for their hard work. If one falls the other can help his friend get up. But how tragic it is for the one who is all alone when he falls. There is no one to help him get up. Though one person may be overpowered by another, two people can resist one opponent. A triple-braided rope is not easily broken.


Psalm 46:1(GWT)  God is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in times of trouble.

When I read these verses I remember when He told Joshua that He would be with him just as He was with Moses. He promised Joshua that He would NEVER neglect him or abandon him. But one thing we must remember is OUR part. What is that you ask? Good question. The answer is to be faithful to God above all else, seek Him diligently, know His word and do as He commanded us "Be strong and courageous! Don't tremble or be terrified, because the Lord, your God is with you wherever you go."

I pray that we believe in Him that is with us not against us so that we will not shrink back to the destruction of our souls. I pray that we forgive those that have opposed us and that we accept His desire to be our cord that is not easily broken.
With love,
Candace

A Good God

Daily Bread an RBC devotional (http://www.rbc.org/)

READ: Psalm 46

The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. —Psalm 9:9

 

When my brother-in-law was a missionary in Mali, West Africa, he was involved in a traffic accident. A man had wandered into the road in front of Chuck’s motorcycle. The cycle struck the man and sent Chuck and the bike sliding along the ground for more than 200 feet. Shortly after Chuck regained consciousness in the hospital, his doctor told him he had been “really lucky.” Chuck smiled and replied, “God is good.”
Later he thought about the day’s events. The man who was struck hadn't received any permanent injuries, and Chuck would also recover from his injuries. But what if one of them had been killed? He thought, God would be no less good.

When we experience tragedy, we may wonder about God’s goodness. Is God always good? Yes, He is. He doesn't promise that bad things will never happen to us, but He does promise to be “our refuge and  strength” (Ps. 46:1). He doesn’t promise that we will never walk through heart-wrenching circumstances, but He promises that we won’t be alone (23:4).
God is good—no matter what suffering we are experiencing. Even when we don’t understand, we can say with Habakkuk, “Yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation” (3:18). — Cindy Hess Kasper

O taste and see that God is good

To all who seek His face;

Yea, blest the one who trusts in Him,

Confiding in His grace. —Psalter

God tests our faith so that we may trust His faithfulness.

Yield to Right of Way

This perfectly reiterates our discussions last Friday on Boundaries and the signs that we post.  This verse from Romans also depicts "Love Angles". If you cannot find the information in the archives to the left, e-mail me and I will send you the notes.

Romans 6:16 (Amplified Translation)
Do you not know that if you continually surrender yourselves to anyone to do his will, you are the slaves of him whom you obey, whether that be to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience which leads to righteousness (right doing and right standing with God)?

Yielding

The first thing I must be willing to admit when I begin to examine what controls and dominates me is that I am the one responsible for having yielded myself to whatever it may be. If I am a slave to myself, I am to blame because somewhere in the past I yielded to myself. Likewise, if I obey God I do so because at some point in my life I yielded myself to Him.

If a child gives in to selfishness, he will find it to be the most enslaving tyranny on earth. There is no power within the human soul itself that is capable of breaking the bondage of the nature created by yielding. For example, yield for one second to anything in the nature of lust, and although you may hate yourself for having yielded, you become enslaved to that thing. (Remember what lust is— "I must have it now," whether it is the lust of the flesh or the lust of the mind.) No release or escape from it will ever come from any human power, but only through the power of redemption. You must yield yourself in utter humiliation to the only One who can break the dominating power in your life, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ. ". . . He has anointed Me . . . to proclaim liberty to the captives . . ." ( Luke 4:18 and Isaiah 61:1 ).

When you yield to something, you will soon realize the tremendous control it has over you. Even though you say, "Oh, I can give up that habit whenever I like," you will know you can’t. You will find that the habit absolutely dominates you because you willingly yielded to it. It is easy to sing, "He will break every fetter," while at the same time living a life of obvious slavery to yourself. But yielding to Jesus will break every kind of slavery in any person’s life. by Oswald Chambers

It is hard when we have to grow through experiences which are intended to show us that we are now safe and do not need to protect ourselves from the people that misused power or neglected to love and protect us while we were vulnerable to their dominance. I know that God loves us and wants what is best for us. Knowing that caused me to try really hard to understand why, when I was doing nothing wrong but protecting and respecting myself were all these bad situations happening. What he loving showed me was that although I had survived bad situations I had tried to handle them in my own strength and understanding. I was in danger and treated unloving at times, however He had rescued and delivered me from that so that I could live a better life. If I had continued to lives as though I were not free from that, I would never have received my freedom. I would have been free and living as a prisoner to those that I had been liberated from.

I pray that we all live in the liberty that Christ has given us.
With love,
Candace

How do you like a bandaid removed? Slowly....or one quick RIP!

Joe Stowell always writes like we talk. He is incredibly easy to relate to. When he talks about his simple understanding of Loving our Neighbor through this experience, I had to shake my head at myself. Guess I was making it a more difficult concept to understand than it really needed to be. Or maybe seeing it so clearly shows how much I still need to grow. It is easiest to walk past someone and smile, ask if they need help, do something from a check list and move on. But if I have to employ thought about how THEY would like me to do it.......now that takes some serious selflessness and kindness. Jesus didn't just say "the man who helped him". The verse in Luke say, the one that was "kind" enough to help him. As I read this verse this morning again through Joe's wisdom, the statement Jesus made rose up in different areas.  Yes we have to be willing to stop, listen and give the help, and God can use that.  However, maybe there is another level we should strive to mature into.  When we employ the fruit of the spirit within our ability to help, say kindness for instance, that brings a new dimension of aid to the situation.  This pivitol point is where the power of the Lord is indwelling within the situation "to bring complete rescue and restoration and deliverance"


I thank God for this day, His mercy and grace to make it through it, His power, strength and courage to miss it and get back up.....and these words of Joe Stowell.

May God be glorified even when we miss it.

With Love,
Candace

Neighborly Love

READ: Luke 10:29-37

You shall love the Lord your God . . . and your neighbor as yourself. —Luke 10:27

It would have been simpler just to buy a new hair dryer. But determined to save a buck, I decided to fix it myself. In order to loosen the screw that was buried deep in the handle, I took out the ultimate handyman’s helper—my pocket knife. As I put pressure on the knife to turn the screw, the blade folded back—on my finger.

I learned a lesson that day: I love myself. And I am urgent about meeting my needs. There was no thought of, “Well, I don’t really have time to stop the bleeding now. I’ll get to it later.” Also, there was a tenderness about how the need was met. I instructed my first-aid team (my wife and kids) to wash my finger gently and then to put the bandage on in a way that would avoid having the hairs on my finger pulled up when it was removed. My thoughts, words, and actions were driven by my love for myself.

To love “your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27) requires the same urgent kind of love. It’s a love that notices the need of another person and won’t rest until it’s been met. It’s a gentle, tender love that thinks and acts carefully. It’s the sacrificial and compassionate love that a nameless Samaritan had for a fallen traveler. It’s the kind of love God wants to share with your neighbors through you. — Joe Stowell

Lord, help me see the heartfelt needs

Of those within my care,

And grant that through my words and deeds

Your love with them I’ll share. —D. De Haan

You cannot touch your neighbor’s heart with anything less than your own.