Do I Help the Enemy?

 "And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people.

Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.

And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them."  Luke 22:2-4

I read these verses today for my devotion, and as soon as I read them, I asked myself, 

"Do I help the enemy?"

As a saved person, the Holy Spirit of God dwells in me, so I can never be possessed by any demonic entity, however, if I am not careful, I can yield myself over to the 'spirit' of Satan.

By carnal living, neglecting God's Word, hanging around the wrong crowd, going places I ought not to go; watching the wrong things, hearing the wrong things, helps the enemy.

Judas was not a saved man, yet the Bible tells us that he was 'numbered of the twelve.'  He was with Jesus the entire time of His ministry.  

This tells me that there are wolves among the sheep.

And then I read that Judas went to the very ones who were seeking to destroy Jesus; he communed with them, and he wanted to help them.

So, again, I had to ask myself, "Do I help the enemy?"

I help the enemy by:

    A poor testimony-

    Sin in my life-

    Gossip-

    Neglecting God's Word and prayer-

    I help the enemy by NOT doing what I am supposed to do, and by doing what I'm NOT supposed to be doing

    I help the enemy when I do not submit to my Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

    

Satan has enough help from the lost-

    I want to make sure I'm not among his Ranks-

                But that's just me!

Adjectives

 "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."  Psalm 139:14

Adjective: A word belonging to one of the major form classes in any of numerous languages and typically serving as a modifier of a noun to denote a quality of the thing named, to indicate its quantity or extent, or to specify a thing as distinct from something else. (Webster)

My friend recently told me that while filling out an on-line application, that APP would not allow her to move to the next page until she listed her pronouns.  You would think that by checking the 'Female' box, one would know which pronouns to use when being addressed.

We live in a world that no longer identifies you as your true-self, but by how you want to be identified.

This world no longer lives in Reality, but Make-Believe.

I began to wonder what I would do if put in that same position; would I complete the form, conforming to the world's manipulation?  Would I decide NOT to complete the form?  Or, instead of inserting a pronoun, how about an adjective?

I decided I would insert an adjective-

    I want to be identified as:

        Friendly-

        Helpful-

        Kind-

        Cheerful-

        Brave-

        Charming-

            Beautiful in the sight of God...

                But that's just me!

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."  

Romans 12:2

"Our stand and witness for Christ must not be determined by what is popular or safe, but by what is right."  Dr. Paul Chappell

Lies

"By mercy and truth iniquity is purged:"

 Proverbs 16:6a

"Falsehood is cowardice, the truth courage."  Hosea Ballou

I lied to one of my best friends.

Now, before you get all hoity-toity on me, I'm pretty sure you have lied too, but let me continue.

Sunday night, after Service, we were talking, and I chose to make an excuse rather than hurt her feelings with the truth.

The minute the words came out of my mouth, the Lord smote my heart.

I came home and had no peace.  I couldn't sleep.  

I wanted to make it right, but Satan whispered in my ear, "She will never know you lied, if you confess your sin to her, she will never trust you again, you will only end up hurting her, just forget about it."

But my Saviour did not whisper.

My Saviour's voice held nothing back.  He gave me no excuse.  My Saviour said, "You lied to her, and you lied to Me.  No matter what the outcome, tell her."

It was a long night.

"If I speak what is false, I must answer for it; if truth, it will answer for me."

Thomas Fuller

After a rough night, and an early morning, I texted my friend and asked her if she could come over for a few minutes to talk.  As we sat in my swing out on the patio, I held nothing back.  I told my friend that my excuse was a lie.  I told her that I sinned against her and asked for her forgiveness.

And she did.

Satan did not get a foothold-

He did not get the advantage-

Sin was called sin-

and it was confessed and forgiven.

This sweet friend is even more special to me now...

        Mercy and Truth will do that...

            But that's just me!

"There is no such thing as white lies; a lie is as black as a coal pit, and twice as foul."

Henry Ward Beecher

Gift-Giving

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."  James 1:17

Have you ever received a gift you had no use for?

Maybe a gift you didn't like so much?

Perhaps you were given a green scarf when your favorite color is blue, and then you realize that you don't even wear scarves at all!

Maybe, your gift wasn't even wrapped in colorful paper, in a decorated gift bag, no ribbons, no bows but just handed to you, late, in passing as an after-thought?

Recently I was given a beautiful birthday bag filled with three of my favorite things.

A notebook, a new coffee mug and a gift card-

but it wasn't the perfect gifts that warmed my heart...

it was the person behind the gifts.

She knew me.

She knows what I like, what I don't like, and what I need.

Gift-Giving is an Art-of-the-Heart, and my friend has this gift.

Do you?

If not, you can.  It takes three simple things:

    1-Time

    2-Interest

    3-Love

Jesus is the perfect example of Gift-Giving.  

    He gives us His Time...

        He gives us His interest...

            He gives us His Love...

                He gives Himself...

                    But that's just me!

Kindness

"And be ye kind, one to another," Ephesians 4:32a

"Our treatment of others is directly related to how we view God and how we fear Him."

Dr. Paul Chappell

The other day, my husband and I were taking an old carpet to the dump, when my husband noticed a neighbor who had made a pile of branches and sticks in his yard.  We did not personally know this neighbor, but my husband pulled the truck over, put his gloves on, got out of the truck and walked over to this man who was working in his yard.  I remained in the truck, but I heard their conversation.  It didn't go as we first expected. 

My husband greeted the man and asked if he would like his branches and sticks taken to the dump?  The man answered, rather gruffly, that he could do it himself and kept working.  My husband said, "Ok then, I just thought that since we were going to the dump we could save you the trip, have a nice day."  As my husband turned to walk back to the truck, the man cried out, "Wait!  You are going to the dump?"  My husband assured him that we were, and the next ten minutes were spent loading these branches and sticks into the truck.

I will be honest.  When I saw my husband's kindness rejected harshly, I thought to myself, "Fine, if you don't want our help then we won't help."  But no sooner had that thought entered my mind that the Lord smote my heart.  I had to confess that thought and then I began to pray.  As I prayed, I wondered, "has this man ever been shown kindness?"

Men are wary.  This world is unkind, hurtful, full of users and takers.  Maybe this man guarded himself from being hurt or used?  He questioned my husband's intent.

This world isn't used to the type of kindness that has no strings attached.

There was a woman at a well one day who thought the same thing.  No one ever helped her or spoke to her; she was mistreated, used, and over-looked.  Why would anyone approach her and ask anything of her?

"Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealing with Samarians."  John 4:9

Not a lot has changed since then.  When someone wants to do something nice for us, we are left wondering, "What's the catch?"

And just like our neighbor who first rejected our help, we do the same to Jesus.  We read God's Word, His promises, His love towards us, and we think it's just too good to be true.  We reject His kindness, His help, believing we can do things for ourselves.

Why is it so hard to accept kindness?  Has it become so foreign in our society that it is no longer recognized?  Has kindness turned into, "What can I get?" instead of, "What can I give?"

All I know is that I want to be known for kindness...

    To help my neighbors, with no strings attached...

        So, they can see Jesus!

            But that's just me!

"The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the greatest intention."  Khalil Gibran

Kindness

by Steven Curtis Chapman

Still, 2022

(excerpt)

What if we lived with a heart of kindness,

What if we loved like we've been loved,

If that's all that we're remembered for,

Well, let that be enough.

Let our hearts be quick to listen,

And our lips be slow to speak,

Let us wrap ourselves in mercy, compassion and humility.

I can forgive because I've been forgiven,

And I can show mercy Because it's mercy I've received,

It's the kindness of my Father,

That brought me back to life,

And it's His kindness that still brings me to my knees.

I wanna live with a heart of kindness,

I wanna love like I've been loved,

If that's all that I'm remembered for,

Then let that be enough.

And I wanna stand and tell the story,

Of Who You are and what You've done,

How your amazing love would bring you here to find us,

To rescue and redeem us in your kindness,

Oh, let my life be,

A reflection of Your kindness.

We can change the world with kindness.

    

Failed, or Defeated?

This Month our church Services are focusing on the Family, and last night's Service touched on the Roles of a husband and a wife.  As our Pastor began to preach on the husband, I sat still in my seat, but thought to myself, "Is my husband listening?"

Then the Pastor began to preach on the Role of the wife.

It wasn't pretty.

At first, I deceived myself into thinking that I had my Role down pretty good, but the longer our Pastor kept preaching, I realized that there were quite a few areas where I missed the mark.

I began to fidget.  I wanted to resist the Holy Spirit's conviction of my sin; I was no longer asking myself if my husband was listening; I didn't want him to listen, I didn't want him to know how I SHOULD be, when he already knows how I really am.

I was embarrassed.  I had failed.

But I was not defeated.  Why?  Because I knew that I did not want to stay the way I was, I asked God to change me.

"For the just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again."  Proverbs 24:16a

Once I acknowledged my sin before God, I knew I had to apologize to my husband; so, I did, and guess what?  He apologized to me too.

I guess we were both listening!

I am human, I will fail...

    But I am only defeated if I quit trying-

        But that's just me!

A Mouse in the House, or a Fox?

"Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes."

The Song of Solomon 2:15

I ignored the first sign of evidence, but yesterday as I sat peaceably in my recliner with a book in hand and a puppy in my lap, a brown fuzzy blur scurried by.

Did I imagine it?  From the reaction of my puppy, I did not.

As my puppy barked frantically, I went to retrieve my husband from outside.  I yelled, 'WE HAVE A MOUSE!"  He replied, "Are you sure?"

"PRETTY SURE!"

So, my husband set a trap while I began sanitizing the path this rodent ran.

A little while later as I began to prepare dinner, I pointed to our corner kitchen table and asked my husband, "Did you do that?"  Our basket of peanuts, cookies and chips that were recently purchased were now scattered all over my white tablecloth.

My husband looked at me and said, "Of course I didn't do that!"  Then he turned his head back to the mess before us and said, "This is war."  (Never mess with a man's snack basket!)

As I watched my husband get into his truck to drive to the store for more ammunition, (mouse traps) I began cleaning up, yet another mess left from this unwanted varmint.

"This IS war!"  I thought to myself as I conscientiously began making a mental list in my head of all the cleaning and sanitizing, I had to do in the very rooms I had just 'Spring Cleaned.' 

But the more and more I thought about this Dirty Rat, I had to ask myself, "Do I ignore the first sign of sin in my life?  The first sign of a bad habit, or a wrong Spirit?"

Is there a Fox in my heart that Satan has subtilty placed there, and I choose to ignore?

Matthew Henry said, " The first risings of sinful thoughts and desires, the beginnings of trifling pursuits which waste the time; trifling visits, small departures from truths, whatever would admit some conformity to the world; all these, and many more, are little foxes which must be removed.  Whatever we find a hinderance to us in that which is good, we must put away.  Little foxes destroy graces."

We caught our mouse, but this little Critter gave me something to think about...

    If I had not ignored the first sign of trouble, I would not have such a big mess to clean up...

        But that's just me!