HEART MATTERS

“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  Philippians 2:9

My youngest son “CJ” introduced me to the concept of  “a boss.”  This term has become the replacement for what we used to call “bad” (as in good) or “the bomb” (lol, I still say this one) but “a boss,” I believe, means even more.  I have to admit I rather enjoy this term because it aptly describes what we admire in so many leader type personalities.  We love that they are bold, no holds bar, and the fact that they just don’t play!

In Hollywood  “a boss” is the character that seems rather unassuming-nice, simple, peaceful and kind-that is until you mess with them.  Prod, poke, or threaten them and/or those they love and you’ll see a side of them that will blow your mind.  In the movies “a boss” shows up right on time, ushers in justice, and always ends up the victor.  Behind that quiet, self-controlled demeanor is entirely different character who possesses amazing abilities and incredible powers. They are the ones who are always treated in some unwarranted or undeserving way, but who will eventually give their enemies exactly what they have coming, exactly what they deserve.  Even when the odds are against them and it seems there’s no way out, a boss will always miraculously overcome.

(Okay so I’m going to date myself here, but…) think of the character Caine on Kung Fu. Because of his meekness the bullies in the Old West always thought they could trample him.  Boy were they ever wrong!  Caine was a real deal boss!  Remember David Banner on the old television series The Hulk?  He worked odd jobs in order to keep moving and make ends meet, but someone always had to go and make him angry (and like he’d always say “you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.”).  David Banner was a boss!  In The Avengers movie series they even let us in on a little secret regarding his character.  It seems he was always mad!  He lived in a perpetual state of self control-containing the beast inside-until the time called for him to unleash the hulk! (I love it!)  In the movie The Matrix, Neo was a boss and didn’t even know it-that is, not until they were trying to shoot him down for the second time and he decided enough was enough.  Everyone loves the part when he put up his hand like “uh-uhn not this time!” and all those bullets just stopped mid-air and fell to the ground.  Rambo was a boss.  Rick and Darryl on The Walking Dead (don’t judge me!)-bosses.  Goku and Vegeta on Dragon Ball Z (that one’s for you “T”)-bosses!  “A Boss” is defined by that characteristic in the main character which makes them a hero and causes us to root for them and cheer them on.  We love them because they seem to be invincible. The fact that they are humble and refuse to abuse or misuse their strengths for their own gain only makes us admire them even more!

Continue reading JESUS IS THE BOSS! →

HEART MATTERS

“…Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.  Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness…” 2nd Corinthians 12:7-9

Do you remember as a kid getting a splinter in your hand or finger?  Remember what a pain it was and how much it hurt?  Remember how you had to stop whatever you were doing and run to mom to make sure the intruder was removed immediately?!  We don’t like anything that sticks or pricks us-anything that causes us pain.  The pain from a splinter is quick, sharp, and intense.  It occurs abruptly and unexpectedly, catching us completely off guard! For a moment we’re taken aback but it doesn’t take long for the shock to wear off and we’re off determined more than ever to get it out.  No one wants a “thorn” in their flesh!  In fact we’re almost always willing to go through the pain of having it removed rather than allowing it to stay and become a source of constant pain.

I remember being pregnant with my firstborn and having some anxiety thinking about the birthing process.   However by the ninth month after blowing up big as a house, being unable to tie my own shoes strings, and just being uncomfortable all around, I couldn’t wait to deliver my baby.  I no longer feared the process or the pain of giving birth.  I was on a countdown eagerly anticipating the day I’d go into labor.  When the time came, I was just as ready as he was!

If we’re sensible, when it comes to pain, the end justifies the means!  We will do whatever it takes to avoid having to live in constant pain.  If a tooth is causing excruciating continuous pain and can’t be saved, we will have it pulled.  If we develop a painful growth or dangerous tumor we’re willing to undergo the knife and have surgery to have it removed. When we’re sick or in chronic pain we’re always hoping for health and healing.

Continue reading The Thorn In The Flesh →

HEART MATTERS

“For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy.  I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.”  Psalms 61:3-4

Since I’m always writing to encourage you to surrender your hearts fully to the Lord I think its only fair I also warn you that as soon as you decide to do so, almost each and every time, with every step forward, you can expect some sort of assault from the enemy in return.  If you find this difficult to believe I urge you to take a little walk down memory lane.  Just revisit all the major spiritual milestones and markers in your journey with the Lord thus far.  I’m sure as you reminisce it won’t be hard to identify the opposition that soon followed.  The anywhere from subtle to vicious attack often quickly follows closely behind any victorious steps we take in our faith walk.  But we shouldn’t be surprised.

Unlike  Murphy’s Law (anything that can go wrong will go wrong), the reality of opposition in the believer’s life is much more than an old adage-its a bankable truth.  1st Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.”

The Bible clearly states that as followers of Christ we have a very real adversary who seeks to devour us. The moment we are born into the family of God we gain a very real and viable foe, an enemy of our souls.  Now I know it sounds a bit scary but The Lord doesn’t want us to fear. He wants us to stand in faith. The Lord wants us to be sober, vigilant, aware-so we’ll know what we’re dealing with; so we don’t fall prey to the devil’s tactics (because boy can they ever be slick). The Lord wants us to be able to recognize the enemy’s attacks so that we can respond the way HE wants us to – by resisting the devil and resting in The Lord.

Continue reading Opposition – An Opportunity to Trust God Even More! →

HEART MATTERS

“And now abide faith, hope, love , these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1st Corinthians 13:13

“Loving you is easy cause you’re beautiful…..”(Minnie Riperton).  Remember that song and those beautiful high notes she hit?  If love could be expressed in a sound I’d say that “ah ahh ahhh ahhhhha” would come pretty close.  Its such a beautiful song.  It also has a ring- of-truth to it.  It is easy to love those we find beautiful (whether inside or out or both)!  It’s easy to love those who are are nice, sweet, thoughtful and kind.  It’s easy to love those in our lives who are fun loving, compassionate, and easy going.  We have no problem loving those who love us just as much as we love them.  There’s freedom in loving our loved ones who are low maintenance and non demanding.  Those who are independent, self-sufficient, not needy. And of course physical beauty can’t hurt!  Those who are lovely all together.  When the Beatles sang “All We Need is Love” they said a mouthful.  However its just not that easy.

I’m sure you’ve also heard the saying “sometimes love just isn’t enough”.  Tina Turner even had the nerve to say “What’s Love Got To Do With It?”(Lol)  Truth be told, love is easiest when it’s easy! Love is easiest when there’s agreement, cooperation, and reciprocation. Love is easiest when there’s mutual respect, consideration and adoration.  However, absent these things, chances are, love won’t be the default setting of our emotions. I’m not saying we no longer love the person or that we no longer feel love in our hearts for them. I’m saying when we have to love someone who is difficult, (for whatever reason), we may really love them but it becomes more challenging for us to show our love to them.  When someone we love is always in disagreement with us or seems inclined towards disregarding our feelings, love usually ceases to be our first response.

Continue reading The Greatest of These Is Love →

HEART MATTERS

“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” 1st Corinthians 10:12 

One of the first scary movies I saw as a child was quite the thriller.  When a Stranger Calls was about a babysitter who after tucking the kids in for the night began receiving menacing calls from a man who repeatedly asks her if she’s checked on the kids.  For some reason she continues watching t.v. and never goes upstairs to check on the children.  But the calls continue.  Eventually they become so troublesome that she decides to contact the police department. The climax of the story happened when the officer called her back to tell her he traced the call.  Anyone who saw the movie (or movies, it was remade in 2006) remembers the sheer horror we all felt as the police officer told the main character the call was coming from right inside the house!  Everyone watching the movie felt the adrenaline and the terror the young lady would have felt in that moment.  Before receiving that unbelievable and shocking revelation she had to have had some sense of security in the shelter of the home.  As she processed that the threat had indeed become viable she must have believed with the doors locked and the police on alert she had a good fighting chance.  After all in order to get to her and the kids the perpetrator would first have to breach the locked doors or windows.  Little did she know the psychopathic murdered was right in the same house with her all along!  He had already started his murder spree and he fully intended on making her his next victim.  Up until that call from the police officer the whole time she thought the threat was coming from the outside.  What made this movie so terrifying was that the young lady’s worst enemy was right there inside the house with her the entire time!

Did you know that all believers have an enemy within?  A serious threat is lurking in really close proximity ready to pounce at any time.  There’s a psychopath made up of all the sinful predispositions and habits of our old man ready to wreak havoc and wreck our lives.  It’s called the sin nature-aka “our flesh” or “the old man.” He hangs in the rafters of our minds and in the crevices of our hearts just waiting for the right opportunity to make himself known.  He ready’s himself for his big reveal when our weaknesses begin to cause us to cave and we find ourselves ripe with a willingness to rebel against our God. Suppressed by the Spirit our sin nature is desperate for his chance to have his way.  Once our nemesis believes the odds are in his favor and everything has culminated according to his liking he steps forward and takes his stand.  Just as quickly as our sin nature appears out in the open the assault occurs.  When we’re able to fight just enough to come to our senses we’re usually shocked and appalled by our Un-Christ-like behavior.  We can’t believe that we-new creations in Christ Jesus-just acted like the devil.  We grieve over the casualties we left in our wake-compromised relationships, loss spiritual fruit, and ruined testimonies.

Continue reading The Sneaky Saboteur-The Sin Nature →