Grace, the Man Healed at the Pool and the U.S. (2nd posting)

By::  angie c tipton

actnow ministries

5.23.2012

 

For the past few months or so, John chapter 5 has been on my mind.  In verses 1-9, Jesus has come into Jerusalem for a Jewish holiday.  Inside Jerusalem, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with 5 covered porches.  Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches and one of the men lying there had been sick for 38 years.  When Jesus saw him, He knew he had been ill for a long time and asked him, “Would you like to get well?”  The man said, “I can’t sir for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up.  Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”  Jesus said to him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”  Instantly, the man was healed!

 

There are SO many items of interest in this passage…the numbers, the Sheep Gate, the meaning of the name Bethesda and even the meaning of John.  What was the purpose for mentioning the porches and is it of importance that they were covered?

 

Numbers have always intrigued me in one way or another, although I’m no math whiz!  As I began looking at John, chapter 5 with 5 covered porches…and in vs. 5 it states that the ill man lying there had been sick for 38 years…the difference in 3 and 8 is 5.  The abundance of 5’s could not be ignored and it didn’t take long to find out that the biblical meaning of the number 5 is grace.  That’s A LOT of grace in the first 5 verses of chapter 5 in the book of John...which, by the way, John means, “Yahweh is Gracious!”   

 

I looked up the meaning of the name Bethesda and was not surprised to find that it means, “House of Mercy.”

 

Now, in vs. 2 it mentions that the Pool of Bethesda is near the Sheep Gate.  The Sheep Gate is the gate where the sheep were brought into the city to be sacrificed in the temple.

 

So, why were there 5 porches and why were they covered?  The definition of Porch is; a covered shelter…or in this case they were porches at “the House of Mercy” covered with grace. 

 

The man who had been ill for 38 years had been lying there for a long time.  I found that the number 38 is found in only a few places in the Bible and refers to slavery.  Yes, slavery…the man was in slavery to his illness…unable to function normally in everyday life.  Anyway, Jesus approached this man and asked him if he wanted to be well.  Notice that Jesus approached him…an act of mercy and grace. And, even though the man made excuses for  why he couldn’t get into the pool to get his healing, Jesus, graciously, looked past all of that and healed the man anyway.  He told him to pick up his mat and walk!  In an act of faith and obedience, the man got up, picked up his mat and walked. 

 

I find all of these things so very amazing!!  Here is Jesus, THE ultimate Lamb, slain for the sins, deliverance and healing of all in the world…near the Sheep Gate…at the “House of Mercy”…that is covered with grace.  He has approached a man who is in “slavery” to an illness that has left him lame, most, if not all of his life and graciously heals him. Because the Pharisees were causing a ruckus about the man being healed and carrying his mat on the Sabbath, Jesus slipped away into the crowd.  He later caught up with the man He had healed and told him not to sin any longer or something worse may come upon him.  There is an abundance of truth in that statement!  When we are made aware of sin in our lives, it’s very important that we turn away from that sin and make better choices for ourselves.  Don’t let that sin back in!  Luke 11:24-25 says this; ^“When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’  When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order.  Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.” This is not just true for the man in this story; this is true for us in the 21^st century, as well!  Close that gate and keep it closed!

 

Now, I want to go back to the number 38 after the man was healed.  Jesus told him to sin no more…basically, don’t add any more sin to your life.  If you add (sin) 3+8 you get 11.  The meaning for this number is judgment and disorder.  Like I stated earlier, if you take away (sin) 3 from 8 you get grace.  I think this is very significant to this story!  I also want to point out the meaning of the numbers 3 and 8 separately.  The meaning of 3 is resurrection, divine completeness and perfection.  The meaning of 8 is new birth, new creation or new beginnings. With this continued sin in his life, it meant disorder and judgement for this man.  With the sin gone it meant resurrection, divine completeness and perfection…a new life, free from slavery! 

 

I don’t believe that any of these numbers, names, places or meanings are in this story are by coincidence.  Nothing that God does is by coincidence! He IS in control of all things and causes all things to work for good for those who love Him.  Romans 8:28   And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

 

Like I said earlier, John chapter 5 had been on my mind for some time…I really wasn’t sure why God kept bringing it back to me.  I kept praying, asking Him to open my eyes, ears and heart to what He wanted me to get from it.  Well, in the midst of Him revealing it to me, He also brought a book to me to read…”The Harbinger” by Jonathan Cahn.  I had known about the book for several months and had even watched a couple of programs about it, but had not read it yet. (Reading IS NOT one of my favorite things to do!) Well, I suddenly felt compelled to buy the book and read it.  When I read it is when I realized why God was showing me all of these things in John, chapter 5.  In the book, “The Harbinger” there is a place where a brief reference to the pool of Bethesda in John chapter 5 is made.  “The Harbinger” is a book about the tragedy of September 11^th and how there are warnings (to Israel in the past and the US currently) all through the happenings before, during and after the September 11^th tragedy.  This is when God showed me that our nation is the “lame one” lying beside the Pool of Bethesda.  That’s right…our nation…the United States.  We (currently) are beside the “House of Mercy,” covered with grace and Jesus is standing there offering to heal our land.  But, instead of the leadership of our country…our Government officials…repenting and reacting in obedience to God, they are turning away from Him…ultimately rejecting His offer of healing, mercy and grace.  Even as our officials look to many other things to “fix” our country (i.e. education, healthcare, military, MONEY), Jesus is still standing there, waiting for us to “pick up our mat and walk.” 

 

Now, in John 5:22-23, Jesus says;  ^“Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,  that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.”  WOW!!  With that said, I don’t believe that our Government is being very honoring (nor have they been for quite some time) to Jesus…the One who is entrusted to judgment by the Father.  I don’t say these things to cause fear.  Unlike the enemy, God Almighty does not use fear to control people.  God does, however, send warnings to let those He loves know that they are on the wrong path…case in point…our country!

 

Grace:: A ~ unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification

B ~ a virtue coming from God

C ~ a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace

 

God wants to continue to bless our country with His grace.  He is waiting patiently for us to respond.  He is love.  He loves us ALL so very much and He wants the best for us…if that’s what we choose.  He is also holy which means that He CANNOT tolerate sin…which is why the warnings are here…now.   I don’t want to think about what judgment will bring to this nation if it doesn’t, as a nation…the leadership of the U.S., turn from it’s ways and come back to God.  This I do know; we, the body of Christ, ARE His!  Even if judgment does come to this country, we have the security of our Savior.  We are His, He is ours…He will NEVER leave us or forsake us.  Choose to pick up your mat and walk…He’s waiting patiently for us to choose.

 

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 Receive Him, receive His grace.

 

By the way, the date this was written was 5.23.2012.   (5).2+3=(5).2+0+1+2=(5)   Grace

 

 

 

    

...simply rest.

…simply rest

angie tipton

actnow ministries

6.30.2012

It’s been unseasonably hot here in Arkansas for the past few weeks, actually shattering records for high temps for the month of June.  That hasn’t stopped me from riding my bike.  But, what I observed about myself is that as I was out and about on my rides (20-27 miles), I found that I was getting extremely stressed on the big hills that we have here and the heat was compounding that stress.

One day as I was in the midst of a huge hill at the end of my ride, I felt the Lord impress upon me to “simply rest.”  I knew that I had the willpower to make it up the hill, but I was making it much harder than it had to be because of the way I was approaching it.  In analyzing myself in this moment, I wasn’t breathing properly.  I was gripping the handle bars as if I were dangling from a cliff, hanging on for dear life.  And, as I would occasionally glance at my destination, the hill seemed to grow bigger and bigger as my pace continued to slow down…not a good thing!

I then made the decision to “simply rest.”  In doing so, that meant to breath properly, relax and stop gripping the handlebars so tightly, and quit looking at my destination.  Those were the things I did physically to change.  I had to make a conscience effort to “rest” in what I knew.  I knew that I had the physical capability to make it up the hill as I’ve done it more times than I could count because if I want to make it home, this is THE only way to get there…there are no short cuts!

One of the most important decisions in simply resting, was my mindset.  I had adjusted myself physically, then I told myself, “You’ve done this plenty of times…rest in the abilities that you know you already have.”  At that point, the ride went much better.  I had been wasting precious energy before…actually spending more energy to get up the hill than was necessary.

I find that this scenario parallels our walk with the Lord.  Do you ever find yourself stressing in your walk with the Lord?  It doesn’t have to be that way!  All we need to do is simply rest.  Rest in what Jesus did for us on the cross.  When He died on the cross, He said, “It is finished!” (John 19:30) He didn’t say that just because his physical earthly life expired.  He said it because He had taken on every sin for every person who has ever been…made a way for every person to be healed and delivered…and made a way for every need that every person who has ever been might ever need.  Yes, it’s true…SO true!  The problem is that we, all too often, don’t tap into what Jesus did on the cross for us.  Once we come to the realization of ALL He did for us on the cross, it makes it easy for us to “simply rest.”  When we’re faced with circumstances that seem so great that we cannot make it, because of what He did on the cross for us, we can rest in Him, knowing that He already has it all worked out.

Now, I’m not implying that we don’t have a role to play in this.  We must do what we can do and then God will do what we cannot do.  He will not do our part of our situation and we cannot do His part.  So, we definitely have a responsibility in whatever our circumstances are no matter how simple or difficult they are.  Simply resting in our part of it will make it much easier.  It will take the stress, anxiety and foreboding out of the task at hand. 

God loves us SO much that I believe sometimes it’s difficult to comprehend!  Do you know how much God loves you? (John 3:16)  Oftentimes, I pray for those around me, including myself, that the strongholds that are keeping us from knowing this truth…His love, will be torn down and that God will open our eyes and ears so that we are capable of seeing and hearing just how much He loves us.  God is not some bully sitting in Heaven just waiting for us to make a mistake so that He can beat us over the head with a baseball bat…NO!  On the contrary…He already knows every mistake we  have made or will ever make…and yes, even knowing that, He still loves us with an everlasting love…TOTALLY AMAZING!!

Now, just because we have accepted Jesus as our Savior doesn’t mean that life is going to be easy. (Acts 14:22) In fact, at times, life is quite challenging as a Believer.  But, if we see this gig through to the end, no matter how difficult, we will make it home…“Home” being Heaven.  With that in mind, there is only one way to the Father in Heaven and that is through Jesus Christ.  He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. (John 14:6)  And, just as in my bike ride to get to my home, there is only one way…no shortcuts!  It’s the same to get to Heaven…only One Way…no shortcuts!  Don’t accept ANY imitation!

So, when life gets tough, remember to simply rest in what God accomplished for us on the cross.  Remember that He is not surprised by anything that we’ve done or anything that has happened to us.  He already knows.it.ALL!  He has already made a way for every situation…yes, every situation in our lives. (1 John 3:19-20)  Be adamant about remembering that He knows everything there is to know about you and how so very much He loves you so that you can...simply rest…the way God intended when He gave up His life (John 10:18) on the cross for us…simply rest.  

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.    Philippians 4:6-8

I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry.  He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock,
and established my steps.  He has put a new song in my mouth—Praise to our God;
many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.         Psalm 40:1-3

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.      Isaiah 40:31

Grace, The Man Healed at the Pool and the U.S.

Grace, the Man Healed at the Pool and the U.S.

By::  angie c tipton

actnow ministries

5.23.2012

For the past few months or so, John chapter 5 has been on my mind.  In verses 1-9, Jesus has come into Jerusalem for a Jewish holiday.  Inside Jerusalem, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with 5 covered porches.  Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches and one of the men lying there had been sick for 38 years.  When Jesus saw him, He knew he had been ill for a long time and asked him, “Would you like to get well?”  The man said, “I can’t sir for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up.  Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”  Jesus said to him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”  Instantly, the man was healed!

There are SO many items of interest in this passage…the numbers, the Sheep Gate, the meaning of the name Bethesda and even the meaning of John.  What was the purpose for mentioning the porches and is it of importance that they were covered?

Numbers have always intrigued me in one way or another, although I’m no math whiz!  As I began looking at John, chapter 5 with 5 covered porches…and in vs. 5 it states that the ill man lying there had been sick for 38 years…the difference in 3 and 8 is 5.  The abundance of 5’s could not be ignored and it didn’t take long to find out that the biblical meaning of the number 5 is grace.  That’s A LOT of grace in the first 5 verses of chapter 5 in the book of John...which, by the way, John means, “Yahweh is Gracious!”   

I looked up the meaning of the name Bethesda and was not surprised to find that it means, “House of Mercy.”

Now, in vs. 2 it mentions that the Pool of Bethesda is near the Sheep Gate.  The Sheep Gate is the gate where the sheep were brought into the city to be sacrificed in the temple.

So, why were there 5 porches and why were they covered?  The definition of Porch is; a covered shelter…or in this case they were porches at “the House of Mercy” covered with grace. 

The man who had been ill for 38 years had been lying there for a long time.  I found that the number 38 is found in only a few places in the Bible and refers to slavery.  Yes, slavery…the man was in slavery to his illness…unable to function normally in everyday life.  Anyway, Jesus approached this man and asked him if he wanted to be well.  Notice that Jesus approached him…an act of mercy and grace. And, even though the man made excuses for  why he couldn’t get into the pool to get his healing, Jesus, graciously, looked past all of that and healed the man anyway.  He told him to pick up his mat and walk!  In an act of faith and obedience, the man got up, picked up his mat and walked. 

I find all of these things so very amazing!!  Here is Jesus, THE ultimate Lamb, slain for the sins, deliverance and healing of all in the world…near the Sheep Gate…at the “House of Mercy”…that is covered with grace.  He has approached a man who is in “slavery” to an illness that has left him lame, most, if not all of his life and graciously heals him. Because the Pharisees were causing a ruckus about the man being healed and carrying his mat on the Sabbath, Jesus slipped away into the crowd.  He later caught up with the man He had healed and told him not to sin any longer or something worse may come upon him.  There is an abundance of truth in that statement!  When we are made aware of sin in our lives, it’s very important that we turn away from that sin and make better choices for ourselves.  Don’t let that sin back in!  Luke 11:24-25 says this; ^“When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’  When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order.  Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.” This is not just true for the man in this story; this is true for us in the 21^st century, as well!  Close that gate and keep it closed!

Now, I want to go back to the number 38 after the man was healed.  Jesus told him to sin no more…basically, don’t add any more sin to your life.  If you add (sin) 3+8 you get 11.  The meaning for this number is judgment and disorder.  Like I stated earlier, if you take away (sin) 3 from 8 you get grace.  I think this is very significant to this story!  I also want to point out the meaning of the numbers 3 and 8 separately.  The meaning of 3 is resurrection, divine completeness and perfection.  The meaning of 8 is new birth, new creation or new beginnings. With this continued sin in his life, it meant disorder and judgement for this man.  With the sin gone it meant resurrection, divine completeness and perfection…a new life, free from slavery! 

I don’t believe that any of these numbers, names, places or meanings are in this story are by coincidence.  Nothing that God does is by coincidence! He IS in control of all things and causes all things to work for good for those who love Him.  Romans 8:28   And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Like I said earlier, John chapter 5 had been on my mind for some time…I really wasn’t sure why God kept bringing it back to me.  I kept praying, asking Him to open my eyes, ears and heart to what He wanted me to get from it.  Well, in the midst of Him revealing it to me, He also brought a book to me to read…”The Harbinger” by Jonathan Cahn.  I had known about the book for several months and had even watched a couple of programs about it, but had not read it yet. (Reading IS NOT one of my favorite things to do!) Well, I suddenly felt compelled to buy the book and read it.  When I read it is when I realized why God was showing me all of these things in John, chapter 5.  In the book, “The Harbinger” there is a place where a brief reference to the pool of Bethesda in John chapter 5 is made.  “The Harbinger” is a book about the tragedy of September 11^th and how there are warnings (to Israel in the past and the US currently) all through the happenings before, during and after the September 11^th tragedy.  This is when God showed me that our nation is the “lame one” lying beside the Pool of Bethesda.  That’s right…our nation…the United States.  We (currently) are beside the “House of Mercy,” covered with grace and Jesus is standing there offering to heal our land.  But, instead of the leadership of our country…our Government officials…repenting and reacting in obedience to God, they are turning away from Him…ultimately rejecting His offer of healing, mercy and grace.  Even as our officials look to many other things to “fix” our country (i.e. education, healthcare, military, MONEY), Jesus is still standing there, waiting for us to “pick up our mat and walk.” 

Now, in John 5:22-23, Jesus says;  ^“Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,  that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.”  WOW!!  With that said, I don’t believe that our Government is being very honoring (nor have they been for quite some time) to Jesus…the One who is entrusted to judgment by the Father.  I don’t say these things to cause fear.  Unlike the enemy, God Almighty does not use fear to control people.  God does, however, send warnings to let those He loves know that they are on the wrong path…case in point…our country!

Grace:: A ~ unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification

B ~ a virtue coming from God

C ~ a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace

God wants to continue to bless our country with His grace.  He is waiting patiently for us to respond.  He is love.  He loves us ALL so very much and He wants the best for us…if that’s what we choose.  He is also holy which means that He CANNOT tolerate sin…which is why the warnings are here…now.   I don’t want to think about what judgment will bring to this nation if it doesn’t, as a nation…the leadership of the U.S., turn from it’s ways and come back to God.  This I do know; we, the body of Christ, ARE His!  Even if judgment does come to this country, we have the security of our Savior.  We are His, He is ours…He will NEVER leave us or forsake us.  Choose to pick up your mat and walk…He’s waiting patiently for us to choose.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 Receive Him, receive His grace.

By the way, the date this was written was 5.23.2012.   (5).2+3=(5).2+0+1+2=(5)   Grace

    

Lift Up or Small Down..It's Your Choice!

Lift Up or Small Down…It’s Your Choice

By:: angie c tipton

actnow ministries

4.24.2012

Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” Mark 6:4

I have to tell you, I have come to embrace this scripture!  When the Lord first brought it to me, I DID NOT want to apply it to my life…mainly because this is Jesus speaking about himself in His situation while He was in ministry mode here on earth.  Really, I thought, who am I?  But, God kept bringing it back to me.  Finally, I caved and realized that there’s comfort in these words…especially for someone with God given dreams and desires that have not come to fruition yet.  Just because we are familiar with someone, doesn’t mean that we know what they can or cannot do in their life.  Don’t let familiarity cause you to judge a person wrongly…just don’t allow yourself to fall into that trap!

I learned, going on 15 years ago, that it’s not my place to judge or decide who can do what in the body of Christ.  I found that I was in a position to help a single mom and her 14 year old daughter.  The mom had fast growing cataracts on her eyes and was rendered legally blind within a few short months.  When God crossed our paths, she had already lost her job and was living on $350/month.  Her rent was $300/month.  I’ll leave the math to you!  Needless to say, they were barely making it.  Long story short, God provided a way for her to have the cataracts removed free of charge, she moved out of the slum that they had landed in, and she ended up with a job at the local Wal~Mart in which she still works to this day.  What a lesson for me in taking care of someone who had literally next to nothing.  I’m not sure who benefitted most…me or her.  Either way, God was glorified through it all!

In the process of all of this, I got to know this lady pretty well and oh, how she loves the Lord.  One day she said to me that it was her hearts desire to head up a soup kitchen for the homeless.  Now, when she said this, I had two different choices…lift her up…or small her down.  I chose to lift her up.  In that moment of milliseconds, the Lord impressed upon me that it wasn’t my job to tell her that she could or she could not ever head up a soup kitchen, just because of the situation she was in at that moment.

I have to tell you, I have had more people, well meaning people, small me down and not lift me up.  In all honesty, this used to upset me.  Also, I was/am always SO surprised at who this negativity comes from.   I’m sure it’s not ever done out of spite or jealously, I’m not saying that at all.  I just believe that people don’t want me to get hurt because THEY don’t believe in the dreams and desires of my heart.  You know, it took me a long time to be able to say this, but…it’s all good!  I believe that God is in control of everything and if He didn’t want me to hear those words, He would have protected me from them.  However, on the other hand, He wanted me to learn from them.  He wanted me to look to NO other than Himself for affirmation.  You see, what is it really going to matter what “SoAndSo” says or thinks when my dream comes to fruition?  Funny thing is, it still won’t matter what they have to say after it happens, because all that matters is what God says or thinks about me.

Now, I say all of this for a reason.  I believe that there are a lot of people out there who have dreams and desires in their hearts, but aren’t going after them because of negative words that have been spoken over them when they were brave enough to speak them out loud.  I say “GO FOR IT!!”  God puts these things in our hearts for a reason!!  He created each of us uniquely.  Maybe your dream is to start a new business, run a marathon or maybe it’s to build a new home or go back to college…it doesn’t really matter what it is.  If it’s your dream, that’s all that matters. God created us to keep moving or reaching forward in Him, not to be complacent.  If you allow yourself to get complacent, life will get boring and stagnate.  Don’t allow that to happen in your life.  GO FOR IT!  And, when you do, don’t allow anyone to small you down.  Even if you do hear negative words spoken over you, just remember that as long as you put God first, don’t give up and continue on until you reach that goal, God WILL bring your dreams to fruition!

Now, on the other hand…don’t be the “someone” who smalls people down.  We, as Christians, need to be encouraging each other…not “smalling each other down.”  And, it’s not just Christians who we should have this attitude toward.  We should be encouraging to EVERYONE around us…EVERYONE!  Who are we to judge who can or cannot do something?

You know, I sometimes think that we get so used to life around us that we forget JUST who the God of this universe is!  Look at all that He has created!  Scientists have discovered that they were wrong about the expansion of the universe slowing down.  They have actually discovered that it is continuing to expand.  What a beautiful example for us to continue reaching and growing throughout our lives!

Of course, we ARE human and unfortunately, negativity is default mode for us.  That’s why we have to purposefully make an effort to lift others up…we’re just not wired that way naturally…at least most of us!  Choose to lift others up in their dreams and desires, don’t small them down.  Just think of the difference you can make in someone else’s life by simply being positive and encouraging them!  It’s easy to encourage someone and I have found that it’s infectious!  As Christians, we are here to serve, not to be served!  I challenge you to make a difference in someone else’s life!   The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I (Jesus) have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.  John 10:10

All these years later, I still see this lady at Wal~Mart and without fail, I always think of her dream of running a soup kitchen.  It hasn’t happened for her yet, but I am still believing in it for her and I look forward to that day when it comes to fruition for her! 

Remember…”Lift Up or Small Down…It’s Your Choice!”

Blow Away the Dead Debris!!

Blow Away the Dead Debris

By:: angie c tipton

act now ministries

3.31.2012

Today I headed out to be of service to a lady in our community with a group from my church.  The task at hand was to give a good spring cleaning to her yard which had leaves leftover from autumn. 

I arrived with leaf rake in hand, ready to go.   As I started in, I realized that I was going to be there for a while.  In the area where we were, there is a multitude of trees which, in turn, leaves an over abundance of leaves…or dead debris!   

After I had gotten into a groove as far as the raking goes, someone approached me and offered up a leaf blower.  I have to tell you, I really didn’t want to use it, but, in an effort to be polite, I went ahead, set down the rake, which is much lighter and much, much more quiet, and picked up the leaf blower.  It took a few minutes for me to get a good feel for it as it’s been a while since I’ve used one.  We usually mulch them all up and use them as a great source of nitrogen for our yard, eliminating the need for raking or leaf blowing.  Anyway, with all of the noise and leaves blowing around, I began to hear that still, small voice speaking to me about the task I was in the midst of.  I have to tell you, I just LOVE it when the Lord speaks to me while I’m in the middle of a task like this.  The analogies that God uses to teach me, just simply “blows me away”…pun intended!  J

So…there I was…in the “sea of leaves” and the Lord began to show me how the dead leaves or “debris” is like the dead debris inside of each of us…you know the stuff that needs to be taken out of us to become more refined…more like our Lord and Savior, Jesus.  As I pointed the blower on the top of the leaves, the leaves would blow away quickly and nearly effortlessly, as they hadn’t had time to get compacted and weighted down.  But, the closer to the ground I got, the more difficult it became to move the leaves.  These leaves had been there for quite some time, were compacted and not as easy to blow away.  This is much like the debris in us.  As a Christian begins to work on the debris that God wants out of their life, the surface stuff, often times, is the easiest to deal with and get rid of.  It’s the debris that’s deeper within us…the stuff that’s been there for a while, that can be challenging to get to and deal with.

 At this point, I was “in the zone”…blowing the leaves, listening to the Lord, when suddenly, the blower just quit.  It had run it out of fuel.  The Lord impressed upon me how, many times, when we Christians begin to get to the “hard stuff” in our lives, we tend to back off or even quit, and sometimes we don’t continue to let the Holy Spirit do his work simply because it CAN BE very difficult to deal with some of the deeper issues in our lives.  The key is to stay focused on Him and know that He will complete what He has started in us…if we don’t “run out of fuel”, so to speak...or rather, don’t stop praying, praising and seeking God regularly.  The joy of the Lord is our strength.

I refilled the tank with fuel and tried to start it.  Because I had run it out of fuel, it didn’t start up right away.  I had to mess with the choke to get it just right to start it back up.  When things get difficult for us in our walk with the Lord, don’t just shrink back…praise Him…even if you don’t feel like it…praise Him…even if you can barely eek out the words, “I praise You.” He WILL honor your praise!  Keep on keepin’ on!  Praise is the “fuel” to keep you going in Christ.  Remember it’s always easy to praise God when you’re on the mountain top.  It’s not as easy when you’re in the valley all alone.  But, I believe that when we do praise Him in spite of being in that valley, we will grow and mature even more. 

So, I went on to finish blowing the leaves and found that even below the compacted leaves, there were dead tree limbs and branches.  Oddly enough, this represented any “skeletons” that may be “in the closet”, so to speak.  Many of these branches and limbs were rotting away.  When we have things in our past that we don’t deal with, it’s as if we have these dead rotting bones there that are serving no purpose in our lives whatsoever.  As I walked around blowing the leaves, I found it to be easy to stumble on the branches and limbs.  So, throwing them out of the way was the best remedy.  We should ALL be constantly asking the Lord to take out of us anything in us that He doesn’t WANT in us.  So often, it’s too easy for us to forget about something that happened long ago and not deal with it, forgetting that it’s even there, or worse yet, living in denial about whatever may be there.  God knows SO much better than we do what is within us, how to deal with it and get rid of it, causing our walk to be easier and perhaps keeping us from stumbling.

You know as I kept pressing forward, blowing the leaves to their destination, I didn’t realize how far I had gone until I looked back and saw that I had made great strides in blowing them away.  I could see all kinds of small plant life that had been trying to grow under all the debris.  Yes, it was growing, but not very well!  Just like with God, once you begin to make progress by getting the debris out of the way, that allows the Son to shine and the growth in your life will be amazing, simply amazing!

So, it doesn’t matter if you’re a new Christian or one who’s been on this path for a while.  Blow Away the Dead Debris in your life!  Not one of us has “arrived” yet!  We will ALWAYS, ALWAYS have something to work on in ourselves this side of Heaven.  Ask God on a regular basis to take out of you what He doesn’t want in you.  He IS faithful!  He will show you what and how to “Blow Away the Dead Debris” in your life.         

Don't Wait To Rebuke the Enemy!!

Don’t wait to rebuke the enemy!

By:: angie c tipton

act now ministries

3.26.2012

Well, today I was out riding my bike around the country side.  I found myself wanting to leave out one of the legs of the 22 mile ride.  The reason I wanted to leave it out is because in this 5 mile stretch, there is a dog that is, let’s just say, “less than friendly.” 

This is the beginning of my 4^th spring/summer to ride through this area.  The first couple of summers, every time I went this way, I was with my bestie, and I guess the dog stayed away because there were 2 of us.  So, I’ve known that this dog is there.  But, I had not seen him chase after people before.  Apparently, he really likes to chase after “lone bikers,” which, I must tell you, is rather terrifying!  The first time he chased after me, I didn’t expect it.  This dog came out of nowhere and I nearly fell off of my bike…and this is not some small teacup Yorkie with “little dog” syndrome either.  This dog is an aggressive Boxer that keeps up a pretty good pace! 

The first time this happened, I felt as if the Lord was comparing the attack of this dog with the attack of the enemy.  You see, this dog caught me totally off guard and yes, I was scared!  I really didn’t even know what to do.  I believe the enemy will and does attack like this.  I have to tell you, I’m not afraid of the enemy because I KNOW that in the name of Jesus, I have authority over him.  But, speaking honestly, I have had moments when the enemy came out of nowhere and caught me off guard and for a brief moment until I got my bearings, I was scared.  If the enemy can get us to operate out of fear, he has won the battle…hands down.  Operating in fear means that you, whether consciously or unconsciously, believe what the enemy is saying, doing or threatening more than what you believe God is saying or doing…Yes, it’s true!

So, when I ride my bike past this house, I have learned to stay totally focused and am totally prepared for this dog.  The thing that amazes me is that this dog does not operate the same way 2 times in a row, much like our enemy.  Take today for instance, I saw the dog lying on the grass.  I kept my eyes straight ahead and paid him no attention…I thought I was in the clear.  HA!! He waited until I was nearly past the house and then came at me from behind.  Still, I held my ground.  You see, through having to deal with this dog, the Lord has taught me some of the tactics of the enemy.  Sometimes he comes at you head on.  Sometimes he comes from what appears to be nowhere. And sometimes, he comes at you from behind.  No matter what his plan of attack is, it is ALWAYS to harm us!  The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I (Jesus) have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.  John 10:10

Now, I have to tell you my husband bought pepper spray for me to use on this dog if I needed to do so.  But, I just haven’t done it…and I don’t really have a good reason for why I haven’t!  I guess I thought that the dog would get used to me and leave me alone…well, that’s just crazy thinking!  I’m beginning to think the dog has me marked and is not going to give up until he has caused me to crash.  Well, he has another thing coming! What I didn’t tell you is that on my ride I have to go past this dog twice…YES, TWICE!  Today was my breaking point!  I decided that I wasn’t going to take this any more and on my way back by, this dog got a healthy dose of pepper spray.  This action, today, was also a lesson on warfare.  Don’t let the enemy mess with you until you’ve had enough and then rebuke him!  Rebuke him or cast him out at the first sign of his appearance!

I know that the enemy, the devil or satan, whatever you prefer to call him, is very subtle at times and we may not even be aware of his tactics at first.  But, as believers, when we are made aware of the appearance of the enemy, we must rebuke him.  Don’t wait to rebuke the enemy!  We have ALL authority in the name of Jesus and spiritual warfare is part of the gig if you’re a believer.  I will even go so far as to say this.  If you are a believer and you find that you don’t have to fight off the enemy, you are probably not doing anything to advance the Kingdom of God.  That may be painful for some of you to hear.  But, it is SO true.  Trust me, the moment that you begin to do something to advance the Kingdom of God, he WILL rare his ugly head. 

¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.  Ephesians 12:12-18 



Be sure to put on the full armor of God, daily!  Plead the blood of Jesus over your home and family, daily!  Everything we need to know to fight the devil is in the bible, but for some reason, it’s not always taught or used.  If you are a Christian, you ARE in a battle!  Be prepared…and don’t wait to rebuke the enemy!  Jesus died to give us that authority…so, use it!

Be Persistent...Press In and Press On

Be Persistent…Press In and Press On

By ::  angie c tipton

           act now ministries

           2.20.2012

Today I was reading the story in the Bible where a paralyzed man was healed by Jesus. In this story, obviously the man couldn’t walk by himself, so his friends carried him on his mat to a house where Jesus was teaching.  The house was so full of people that they weren’t able to get inside.  The men carrying the man on the mat didn’t let that stop them.  They took him to the roof of the house and took away part of the roof and lowered the man down in front of Jesus.  Jesus, seeing the faith of the men, said to the man, “Your sins are forgiven.”  Now, this statement really got the Pharisees all hot and bothered.  Jesus knew exactly what they were thinking and asked them, “Is it easier to say to this man, ‘your sins are forgiven, or stand up, pick up your mat and walk?’” With that, the paralyzed man stood up, picked up his mat and left praising God.    (This story can be found in Matt. 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-12 and Luke 5:17-26)

I want to point out a few of the things that can be learned from this story. 

1:: The man’s friends carried him to Jesus.  How many times have we had someone in our lives that needed to be “carried to Jesus,” so to speak?  Whether it be in prayer for them, time to let this person vent and then pray for them, literally take them to church or another destination just simply because they need a ride, we, as believers, need to step it up and do the right thing.  Let’s not allow our lives to be SO cluttered with “stuff” that we cannot or WILL NOT take the time to do the right thing.  If you notice in the scripture, Jesus healed the man because of “their” faith.  It doesn’t say he healed him because of the man’s own faith.  That statement speaks volumes to me!  Because of OUR own faith, OUR own actions, OUR own persistence, we can have a HUGELY positive affect in the lives of others!  I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to pass up ANY opportunity where I can be helpful in that way to someone else.

2:: The place where Jesus was, had so many people that the men were unable to get  the paralyzed man to Jesus.  Let me ask you this; are you so busy at your church that, if/when someone in desperate need of our Lord and Savior comes in; do you see them, make room for them or perhaps lead them to the place to get the proper help?  I’m convinced that it matters not whether the church we attend has 10 people or 10,000 people, if we don’t make ourselves alert to those around us, we may be missing out on an opportunity to help someone else.  Let’s make a conscious effort to look for those in need, whether they are within the church walls or outside of them.  Let’s choose to BE the difference in someone’s life to either help them or get them to the help that is needed.  I don’t want to be someone who’s eyes and ears are closed to those in need.  You NEVER know what someone is going through and you NEVER know when you may be the last person that they reach out to for help.  As believers, we’re here to serve, not to be served!

3:: The men who were carrying the paralyzed man did not let the fact that they could not get through the crowd stop them.  They were determined to find a way to get to Jesus.  Can you imagine having enough determination to find it necessary to take down part of a roof to get to Jesus?  They WERE determined!  When we find ourselves with obstacles in our paths, we need to press in and press on and be determined that nothing and no one is going to stop us from our breakthrough.  Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ~ Matthew 7:7 ~ This scripture is easy to say, but it is not the easiest to live out.  Sometimes the process of living out these words can take a long time.  I would venture a guess that most folks don’t get their breakthrough because it is not always easy and they give up or they believe the lies of the enemy and give up.  Be persistent…press in and press on.

4:: Now what about the paralyzed man?  Jesus didn’t heal him the moment he saw him.  No, first he told him that his sins were forgiven and moments later he healed him.  I believe this suggests that we are not to just seek Jesus for physical healing, but spiritual healing as well.  First, Jesus forgave him of his sins.  This shows just how much we need Jesus.  We NEED his forgiveness to keep from being “paralyzed” spiritually.  Then, Jesus healed him physically.  Jesus demonstrated his power and authority, not only in that moment, but for us all for all eternity.  It also shows us that we need him for all aspects of life…spiritually, physically, emotionally, etc.

I have to tell you, I have experienced everything that I have written about today in one way or another.  I have been the one who was paralyzed spiritually and emotionally and in turn, it crippled me physically in that I was so depressed that I could not function properly.  When I needed some one to care the most is when I got abandonment and judgment.   But,   I have also been the one helping others to get back on their feet...this is SO important to me to help others.  If you have never experienced the terrible time of depression or suicidal thoughts, I ask you to pray to God and ask for compassion in that area.  The body of Christ could use more people with compassion in this area.

No matter what category you may find yourself in, be persistent…press in and press on.  Honestly, it took me some time to get my head wrapped around this concept, but Jesus has it all figured out already...really…ALL OF IT!  He didn’t die on that cross just so that we could go to Heaven, although if we accept him as our Savior, we will certainly enjoy Heaven.  He took care of our EVERY need when he died on the cross.  Yes, EVERY need.  It’s OUR job to look to him, trust in him, be persistent…press in and press on.  If you look to him for ALL aspects of your life, he WILL show you the way.  He IS faithful and his love for us is SO much greater than we can even imagine!  So, I encourage you to Be Persistent…Press In and Press On!!