Tuesday, August 17, 2004

:: The Lord is good and a stronghold

We have been looking at Nahum and 2 Corinthians 11 at Fuel on Sunday mornings. Paul says that the weapons we have for the war we are in are not natural weapons but weapons that are incredible strong in the Lord. These weapons are for the tearing down of strongholds.

Paul being a scholar of his time knew well the story of Nahum and how Ninevah was thought of as a great stronghold in it's time. The walls of Ninevah were 100 feet high and three chariots width wide. The towers went up another 100 feet. The water around the city was 50 yards wide and 60 feet deep. It was said that Ninevah could withstand a 20 year seige.

Yet when Nahum prophecies against Ninevah, He proclaims that the Lord can take down their stronghold like taking ripe fruit from a tree. Historically we know that the Babylonians were able to penetrate the stronghold because of a great flood that caused the walls to have a breach. The Babylonians wiped out the Assyrians in Ninevah and the capital city.

This is the power of God to tear down the strongest weaknesses in our lives. There is hope for us as we think of Gods power over Ninevah.

:: Little graces

This is a trying season for me and my family. There are many financial stresses that we are up against. Yet in all the discouraging things that have happened, I keep finding small graces all along the way.

There was the man who approached the kids and me one hot day while we were mowing a lawn with an ice cold glass of water for each of us. There was the man who stopped and helped me fix the trailer one day when the strut broke in busy traffic.

We found a lawn mower left at a house that vibrated just when we needed another lawn mower on a big job. We were able to change a bent blade and it worked fine for a bit. It lasted for most of that job and then died. It just happened to be the almost exact model of mower I have and I can use parts off of it on my main mower.

Down to one vehicle because my car died, I was able to use Chris and Kristi's truck while they were on vacation and I didn't lose any work.

My aunt had a Ford Ranger pickup she was trying to sell at a price lower than blue book. We were able to get a loan and buy it for a second vehicle.

Friends and family have helped us buy the kids school clothes and supplies. The little graces of God encouraging us to persevere through trying times have done just that.

How does anyone make it through the tough times without an Incredible Father that helps them and encourages them? Thank you father for your little graces.

Thursday, August 12, 2004

:: Mercy is falling

This is a recent prophetic expression given at Trinity church in Lubbock, Texas. I think it speaks to many of God's sons and daughters today.

My children, I speak to you tonight as your Father. You sang, you said have mercy on me. You cannot even begin to understand how much mercy I do have. I want to speak specifically to some of you here tonight, you have in your past a great sin, something that troubles you and you are ashamed of it and you hide it and somehow you cannot let go of it. You cannot believe that it can be forgiven, but in my mercy I have forgiven you a long time ago and yet you allow the devil to remind you of it, you let the devil bring up to you what you have done and you hide it, and sometimes you question whether you are even saved or not. But in my mercy I have forgiven you, I have cleansed you. It is gone. I do not think about it, I just look at you and love you with compassion and I wonder why will you not move on. Why will you not believe and let go of that which I have already cleansed and taken out of your life?

You need to believe what I have said. I have forgiven you, I have cleansed you and now you need to let that go. My mercy is tremendous and I will speak to some of you that you have a sense of shame because you try and try in yourselves and you fail and you fail and you just feel so guilty and so frustrated that the enemy is just doing all those things to you, but to you I will say, I have not left you without power or ability. Did I not say in my Word and is it not true that I live within you. Is there anything that I cannot do? The reason that you fail is because you try and leave me out in what you are doing for me. I have never asked you to do anything for me. What I have asked you to do is to allow me to work through you, allow me to work with you. Work with me.

I would use this as an illustration to you. You are trying to mow an acre of grass with a push lawnmower and right beside you is a tractor that you can drive and do it. The tractor that is within you is the Holy Spirit and I have had mercy in every failure. I have forgiven you, I have cleansed you and I will say to you forget the past, forget the failures, you need to begin to believe for the Greater One in you will enable you. You need to begin to expect to do the things you have been failing to do. If you will trust me, if you will yield to me, and allow my power to flow through you, then you will have success. I am a merciful God, but once mercy is done, I then cover you with love and compassion. I have a plan and desire a goal for each of your lives, your age has nothing to do with it, if you will just trust me and receive my love. So many times you sing and you talk about loving me, but you do not receive my love because you do not believe that you are worthy, that I could love you for any others, that I love you. My love is waiting for you to receive it and walk in all that I have for you.

Monday, August 09, 2004

:: A week of weeks

This has been some kind of week. First of all last Saturday I get home and have a flat tire that is ruined so in a time of financial difficulty I'm having to buy a tire. This was just the beginning. I am learning to say blessed be the name of the Lord in all seasons of life. Monday the strut broke on my trailer, then as I am loading the lawn mower the handle breaks in half. Okay, I am taking another step in learning to praise the Lord in all seasons. Tuesday my wife has a wreck in our Mercury. It's her fault and we only have liability, so now our car is looking pretty sad, but it is drivable. I am glad she isn't hurt. Again I am learning to praise God in all situations.

Of course there are other thoughts running through my head also, like scrap this living by faith deal and get a real job or that voice that says see how God treats you why would you still live for Him? Those are a few of the various and unsundry thoughts pelting my brain. I realize that these thoughts are ones that I have to say no to. I'm hoping there is a rhyme or reason to this week and the past month which emotionally have been excruciating.

Well to give the week an exciting finale, Friday my car just quits. I'm driving down the road and it gives up the ghost. I can hear the suspenseful music in my head that sounds a lot like the theme from Jaws. I'm thinking okay I've got a fuel pump that went out or alternator. My local mechanic gives me the news. Mr. Alvis your engine is done in. The heads are bent. I hear the cymbals crash. I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry or run away in the night to Alaska. I guess this is a great opportunity to see what God will