The Picture of a Man Out of Fellowship With God

August 13, 2010January 9, 2015 RefreshHer3 Comments

I love the descriptions that are painted for us in the Scriptures. We are often given little details that really give us a mental picture of the person in that passage, or of the situation as it unfolds. Yesterday I read I Samuel 22 and was enamoured by the clear portrait of a man who was out of fellowship with God; the man was Saul.

In this chapter Saul learns that David has slipped out of his fingers once again and had even been aided by the priest, Ahimelech. Saul is so angered by this that he pulls his men together. He is standing underneath a tree giving his men a lecture all the while the Scripture says, “having his spear in his hand.” I wonder if he was showing the sharpness of the blade while he spoke his angry words to them. Was he threatening them with this gesture? My speculation is that he was.

I won’t take the time to describe the whole story, you can read it here. But what I saw as I read the passage was what a person acts like or looks like when he’s out of fellowship with God. I’m not sure if Saul was truly a believer, but even if he was, the first sign of a man out of fellowship with the Lord is that he:

imitates an unbeliever

becomes self-sufficient vs. 6

judges incorrectly and jumps to conclusions vs. 7, 8

is selfish vs. 8b

will try to persuade others to join their ungodly ways vs 8c

will have close companions that are also ungodly vs. 9, 10

will be arrogant vs. 11

will not listen to the truth or be reasonable vs 14, 15

will make poor/ungodly decisions Vs. 16

will despise godly people and will do anything to avoid them. Vs. 17

A person doesn’t have to have all those characteristics in their life (as Saul did) to be out of fellowship with God. They may have only 2 or 3 of the ten listed. We need to look at our own hearts carefully and see of any if these are a part of our lives at this time. If so, we can repent (I John 1:9) and be restored before we begin to look like this description. If someone read this list, would they think of me? Of you? Or would they find us in this list…

Love

Peace

Long suffering

Gentleness

Goodness

Faith

Meekness

Temperance

Oh, may it be so!

Have a great weekend and I’ll look for you in church!

Christian Life

Five Things You Need To Know

August 11, 2010March 30, 2021 RefreshHerLeave a comment

One night while in Kentucky, I saw the 10:00 news. They have a segment entitled, “Five things you should know before you go to bed tonight.” The stories were ridiculous. One “thing” they shared was about a woman attacking a McDonald’s worker at the drive through window (she got out of her car!) because she couldn’t get chicken McNuggets at that time of the morning! Another story was about a man who thought he had cancer, then come to find out he had a pea plant growing in his lung! Let me tell you, I slept so much better knowing those important facts!

Though the stories were definitely nothing I needed to know, I did like the title of that segment. It made me think about five things everyone really needs to know before they go to bed. What would those five things be? Here’s my list:

God loves you and sent His Son to die for you so you could have fellowship with Him and a home in heaven!
This world has nothing to offer you that is lasting or fulfilling. Satan is a liar and will try to make you believe otherwise, but only Jesus can satisfy your soul.
The Word of God is absolute Truth and has the power to change your life if you’ll read it and live it.
There is nothing too hard for God. He is all-powerful and able to do more than we could ask or think. You need to surrender to Him all that’s burdening your heart.
Jesus is coming soon and you need to be ready. Trust Him as your Savior if you haven’t done that. Live for Him, tell others about Him, and look for Him in the eastern skies!

Now, you can go to bed and sleep! 🙂

With my love,

Christian Life

Protection from No-see-ums!

August 6, 2010January 9, 2015 RefreshHer1 Comment

Pests! They are so annoying. How dare they ruin a summer day! Bees, wasps, and flies would all be under the category of pests, but have you heard of the No-see-ums? They are tiny insects that you cannot see. Not only do you not see them, but you can’t even feel the bite at the time. It’s the next day that you find welts that itch like crazy. My poor dad has fought a battle with them the last couple of summers. He’s done all he can to ward them off, including wearing rubber bands around his pant legs and sleeves, and wearing bug spray. Still, he will invariably come in only to discover a new bite. He’s under attack every time he steps out the door! I told him that those bugs sound an alarm when they see him coming out the door…”Hey, everyone, here comes supper!”

There are times that he’ll make a quick dash out the door to do a little job without taking any of his protective measures. The results are an even greater number of bites that show themselves later in the form of huge red welts. No fun!

How many of you would say that right now you, too, feel under attack? Oh, maybe not by No-see-ums bugs, but by another enemy that we cannot see who is as a “roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” I Peter 5:8 We would be foolish not to be very aware that he is there, waiting to pounce.

We must spray on the repellent – the Word of God – to be armed and ready. We must always be on the alert, taking precautionary measures – walking in fellowship with the Lord, reading His Word daily and being in much prayer. It’s on the days we think we can make a quick dash out, and fail to do those very things, that we are attacked even greater.

This whole illustration came to my mind yesterday while my dad was talking to me on the phone about those pesty No-see-ums. I have a couple Christian friends for whom I am very burdened right now. They are doing things they would never have considered a month or two ago. They didn’t see their own guard being let down, but it was, and WHAM! The greatest deceiver attacked them. How my heart is hurting for them, but I know that “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.” I John 4:4 Victory can be theirs, but there may be a scar, because we pay when we choose to sin.

No-see-ums are reminders to you and me. We must protect ourselves at all times and be on the lookout for the attack that our enemy, the devil, is sure to make. Let him that thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall. I Cor. 10:12

Spray on some bug spray before you go outside, but even more importantly, take the measures necessary to fight off Satan’s attacks! You might not see him, but he’s looking for you. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. I Cor. 15:57

Under His feathers,

Christian Life

Help Others To Listen

July 30, 2010January 9, 2015 RefreshHer4 Comments

I mentioned earlier this week that I usually always sit in the front of the church during services – greatly because of my lack of being able to stay focused. When there are lots of people in front of me my mind often wanders.

Well, Wednesday night in Prayer meeting I got “caught” toward the back of the church when the service began. I’d been chatting and catching up with folks when the song service began, so I promptly found myself a place near where I’d been standing. A friend and a follower of my blog turned and said something like, “Oh, you’re in the back!” She probably remembered my post and wondered if I’d be drawing pictures or be taking mental attendance instead of paying attention to the message! However, I did stay focused, and let me tell you how my friend made it even easier for me to do so.

While my husband was teaching, she was focused. He would make a statement or ask a rhetorical question and her head would nod in agreement. At one point a child up front went out, but rather than letting her eyes follow the child’s movement, she remained intent on the preaching – as though no one was moving about.

What a lesson she was to me. As I sit up in front of others, my participation, focus, and discipline will help those behind me to be less distracted. I can encourage them to listen intently by my doing the same. On the other hand, if I wiggle around, get up and leave and come back again, fiddle with my purse and other belongings, or talk to those near me, I’ll only serve as a huge barrier to those around me who came to hear from the Lord.

As you go to church this Sunday, be mindful of those behind you, and help – don’t hinder them from being able to stay attentive to the Word of God as it’s being preached.

See you in church,

Christian Life

Nothing Wasted

July 23, 2010January 9, 2015 RefreshHer3 Comments

I love this box. As my daughter would say, it just makes me happy!

This is one of many crafting boxes. This one holds things for rubber stamping. I found most all the stamps in here at Big Lots for $1!
Perhaps you have better success than I, but it’s so hard for me to go into a card store and find a card that says exactly what I want to say…and for less than a fortune! I got so disgusted with trying to find cards that I decided I was going to buy a pack of plain cards and make my own.

I went to Hobby Lobby and found this pack of 50 cards for$10. The package says “note cards”, but they’re a nice size; they’re 6 1/2″ x 5″.

I paid $2 at Marshalls for the flowered box of ribbon and $1 at Big Lots for the box of silky Martha Stewart ribbon. I buy most all my scrapbooking materials for next to nothing at Big Lots. I have a nice supply of things to choose from when embellishing my cards.

I love to sit down and just have a crafting afternoon and make several cards at once. I made this card for a friend who’s having a special birthday. The paisley paper was a piece I saved from another project. I will type up a special note and print it out on Velum, then glue it to the inside of the card.

Another one using more of my saved scraps of paper and some ribbon…

Here’s the stamped message on the inside…

Scrapbookers and card makers learn quickly that you don’t waste anything – every little piece of paper or ribbon can be used as an add-on. It doesn’t take but just a little something to embellish a card. Everything is used to make something beautiful.

That reminds me of the quote – “God doesn’t waste pain.” To me that means that physical pain, emotional turmoil, relationship difficulties, etc., are all things that God wants to use to make me more like Christ. He can use the smallest “scrap” to embellish my life. Sitting alone, the little piece of paper or ribbon is nothing, but when it’s added to a card it is turned into an enhancer. When you and I look at that thing is happening to us, it’s not attractive. As a matter of fact, it’s painful and ugly at times, but God doesn’t see that as a separate part of our lives. It’s all connected to make a person that looks like Christ.

Whatever you’re experiencing that you wish you could toss out, look at again. God will not waste your pain; He will use it to mature you into Christlikeness. No, nothing’s wasted!

With love,