The Cooking Pot

Over the years I’ve had many cooking pots.  I have no idea how many meals of soups, stews and other savory delicacies were cooked in them.  These meals were made for family, friends, or whoever happened to be at my table.  Most of the time, a pinch of love was thrown in the pot for good measure. On rare occasion, a little bitterness or anger were stirred in and brought to a boil.  The amazing thing about it was the anger and bitterness never lasted and neither did the pots.

A few years ago, I bought a new aluminum cooking pot.  It seemed a foolish thing to do, because my children all had their own homes.  However, the pot didn’t cost very much and it made me feel good, bringing back memories of times when my table was full.  I never used it, but every time I opened the pantry door, there it was - my shiny security blanket.  Somehow, the cooking pot made me feel as if I had a purpose.  I wasn’t quite sure what the purpose was, other than it had something to do with my family.

Family life today is certainly different from what it was in the fifties and sixties.  Families were drawn together on a regular basis. Almost every Sunday after church, my husband and I, along with four kids and a dog, would pile in the car and head for my parents home.  They lived about an hour away.  The drive passed quickly with the chatter or singing of the three voices in the back and the little one in the front.

The picturesque little town where they lived lay peacefully in a valley, and as we broke over the crest of the hill that sloped down into the town, one word always rose in my heart - home! When we walked into Mother’s bright, yellow kitchen, delicious smells would be coming from the bubbling pot on the stove.  One Sunday, it might be chicken and dumplings and another, beef and noodles.  It gave me a feeling of security; still under a mother’s care.  My children grew up going ‘home’ to Grandpa and Grandma’s, where the cooking pot always held enough for whoever happened by at mealtime. 

My father died many years ago, but Mother’s cooking pot still welcomed family and passersby.  Then, when my mother went to be with the Lord the cooking pot faded into a memory. Things would never be the same again.

Time changes many things.  I, like many other homemakers began to work outside the home.  After my children were grown with families of their own, I wasn’t often home.  All of us were very active in ministry and Sundays were some of our busiest days. My grandchildren didn’t know what it was like to go ‘home’ to Grandpa and Grandma’s on Sunday.  They didn’t know what it was like to walk into the kitchen and be greeted by a cooking pot cheerily bubbling on the stove.  What is it that makes the cooking of food so important to a family?  Going back in history, some of great Bible stories portray important events that transpired around a cooking pot. 

            Isaac had two sons - Jacob and Esau.  Jacob was a ‘con man’ from the beginning, while Esau was an outdoorsman; a mighty hunter.  One day Esau came in from hunting and was starving.  Jacob had a pot of stew cooking and sold his hungry brother a bowl of stew for his birthright.  A birthright meant the inheritance of the father went to the eldest son.  Esau cared nothing for his birthright, but Jacob wanted it and got it.   (Gen. 25:29-34)  On top of that, with help from his mother, Jacob deceived his aged and blind father into giving him the blessing reserved for the eldest son.  (Gen 27:1-29)

            When Moses led the Israelites through the desert, God sent them ‘manna’.  The people gathered the manna everyday and cooked it.  We read in Num. 11:7-8 (Amp. Bible), “The manna was like coriander seed and its appearance was like that of bdellium (perhaps a precious stone).  The people went about and gathered it, and ground it in mills or beat it in mortars, and boiled it in pots, and made cakes of it; and it tasted like cakes baked with fresh oil.”  God supplied manna to his people for forty years.  They could not have survived without it.  Can you imagine the number of cooking pots boiling away everyday, over the campfires of a million or more people camped in the wilderness? 

           We read in 2 Kings, 38-44, where Elisha went to Gilgal and there was a great famine in the land.  He was meeting a group of prophets and had his servant put a large pot on the fire to cook food for all the prophets.  The servant gathered wild herbs and gourds for the stew and served it.  Apparently, what was cooked was poisonous, so Elisha put flour in the pot and it became good to eat.  God gave them a miracle in a cooking pot. 

            We find biblical history being shaped in the cooking pots of the patriarchs of old. What security do we see in this?  Esau was saved from starving.  God made provision for the Israelites, his chosen people; Jehovah, Jireh.  Elisha and the prophets experienced a miracle. If the Bible was written today, it would probably say that Jacob took Esau to McDonald’s when he was starving.  Perhaps the wandering Israelites were fed by the Red Cross and surely Elisha and his group of prophets gathered at the local restaurant where bad food was served them.  It doesn’t sound right, does it?  Somehow, families or friends gathering in a public restaurant don’t give warm fuzzies.

            Not long ago, we moved and while unpacking, I pulled out the shiny cooking pot - still new.  It was then I made the decision to use it for making memories, as generations before me had.  I invited my children and their families to begin coming ‘home’ one Sunday a month. They all thought it a great idea and so began another generation responding to the cooking pot.  I rinsed off the dusty pot stored away in the pantry and began thinking of things I could cook to feed a lot of people.  At first, it all went pretty well, but I found my new cooking pot was too thin and scorched some of the food.  I also received a nasty burn from it one day. 

            Then a wonderful thing happened.  My son-in-law, Dave, who is a chef, surprised me with a new stainless steel cooking pot.   This is a very expensive pot, and the great thing about it, it cooks evenly, doesn’t burn food and the handles are not too hot to touch. This gift gave me a message I needed to hear.  Without the words, my son-in-law was telling me, “I care about you and it matters what you do.  I’m there for you and I like coming ‘home’.”  I didn’t know he felt that way, although in the past he has been my encourager in difficult times.  What it all boiled down to (not a pun), he showed me I still had a purpose.  My family needed me!

            There is something quite miraculous about this pot.  God is in it! He adds the flavor of Love and Mercy, the Salt of the Gospel, Bread of Life, the Wine of the Spirit and a Sweet Savor to everything that is cooking.  It brings our family closer together, heals wounds from the enemy and serves encouragement in times of trouble.  It causes laughter and at other times dries up tears. 

            I have come to the conclusion that everyone should have a big cooking pot that draws family and friends together.  As a matter of fact, I believe it’s almost scriptural.  After all, Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.  (Matt. 18:20)

"Let Me Entertain You"

“Let Me Entertain You” is an old song and goes back as far as vaudeville days, when live theaters were in every city across the United States.  For 50 years from 1875 to 1925, vaudeville was the popular entertainment of the masses. It consisted of acrobats, comedians, dancers, singers and even performing animals.  Life was hard for these performers, but the excitement and applause were worth it all. Vaudevillians wandered around the country with a smile and a suitcase.  With their flamboyant manner and flashy clothes, accompanied by gaudy women and brash men, they brought excitement to the places they visited. 

When radio and talking pictures came into existence in 1927, vaudeville began to wind down and in the 1930’s its popularity ended.  Then ‘Technicolor’ came to the silver screen and a few years later television began to invade homes across the nation. Entertainment was in full bloom.  Today, television is in almost every country in the world and rakes in billions of dollars a year. This money comes from showing violence, crime, sex, perversion and the occult.  What effect does all this have on the Christian?

Sadly, many Christians continue to watch things on television and the big screen that are spiritually damaging to themselves and others.   How much leisure time is wasted in front of the “idiot box”?  How many times do we decide to watch television instead of reading God’s Word?

Television and movies can be great tools for evangelism, but most of the time they are used by Satan to drag people more deeply into the world.  We can become ‘TV Junkies’ hooked on soap operas, pornography, nudity, and course language. Some people are fascinated by violence and after a long period of time become insensitive, even to real life violence. 

What others see us watching has a great effect on our witness.  Can you imagine sharing Jesus with someone and then inviting them into your home to spend the evening watching an R-rated movie?  Many Christians do this, but don’t realize the impact this may have on a new Christian.   “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.”  (Rom. 14:13)

Today, we think we don’t have to deal with , “eating things offered to idols,”  as Paul wrote about in 1 Cor. 8:7-12.  However, isn’t this the same as sitting in front of the idol (television), and partaking of forbidden things?  These forbidden foods consist of sinful cravings, lust and evil desires. The Bible is very outspoken when Paul writes, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world.  The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”  (I John 2:15) 

How do we know when we have stepped over the line and have entered into sin while being entertained?  “You are happy if you have no qualms about what you allow yourself to eat.  Yet if a man eats meat with an uneasy conscience, you may be sure he is wrong to do so.”  (Rom. 14:23)  [The New Testament in Modern English, J.B. Phillips].  The Holy Spirit will check us and use our conscience to let us know what is right or wrong.  If you have doubts about what you are watching, don’t do it, or you will be sinning.

There are other types of entertainment and one that is adding much to the moral decay of Christianity is gambling.  Our government promotes it, some churches use it, and various organizations depend on it for money making projects.  What began as a child’s game and now takes in billions of dollars a week all over our country is Bingo.  Now that casinos are popping up, you can bet (pun) more money will be poured into them in one year, than our national debt.  Dice, cards and slot machines are not the only things that bring in big money.  Gallons of booze are consumed nightly by the patrons who are there to be entertained.

I personally know of families who have lost everything because of their addiction to gambling.  Christians are being sucked into this type of entertainment.  Does playing an occasional game of Bingo make you a sinner?  No, but it opens you up to an addiction that could end up costing you everything you have. “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many grief’s.  But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.”  (I Tim. 6: 9-11) 

Gambling appears to be a quick way of getting rich, but those who win never seem to be able to hold on to it.  It was no different in Old Testament times.  Proverbs has much to say about getting rich quick: “Wealth from gambling quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows.”  (Prov. 13:11 TLB)  It also gives advice as to what we should do with our money: “The good man’s earnings advance the cause of righteousness.  The evil man squanders his on sin.”  (Prov. 10:16 TLB)

Isaiah asks a challenging question:  “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy....? (Isa. 55:2 TLB)  Perhaps we can ask ourselves the same question today.  Do we always need to be entertained, by wasting our money on things that don’t last?  Some years ago we took our grandchildren to see the latest version of Walt Disney’s “101 Dalmatians”.  Having not been in a theater for many years, I was greatly surprised at the cost; not only the tickets, but of the popcorn and drinks. I don’t even know the cost today, but it must be much more.   Once you walk out of the theater, its all over.  Yet on the good side of it all is perhaps this is the only time you have ‘family time’.

There is another type of entertainment we cannot leave out.  It’s called, “Christian Entertainment”.  The Christian entertainment industry is to Christians, what Lady Gaga is to the lost. The only difference is they don’t call it entertainment; they call it “Ministry”.  Believers fork out millions of dollars a year to be entertained by Christian artists, like Amy Grant, Carmen or Sandy Patty.   Most of these artists won’t even come to a church for under $5,000 to $10,000.  TV preachers go to the same hairdressers and exclusive clothing shops as movie and soap opera stars. They have all the trappings of the ‘rich and famous’.  After all, who will watch them if they just stand up and preach the Word of God.  In order to draw a following, they have to be skilled in dramatics, be able to sing,  laugh, or cry at a moment’s notice, or do all three at once. 

We now have Praise seminars to teach believers how to praise God.  We have praisers, dancers and banner bearers, angels flying from wires, musical extravaganzas, big screen teachings, Christian television, and the list goes on.  “Let Me Entertain You” in the name of Jesus, is to the tune of billions of dollars being poured into ministries.  You can buy accompaniment tapes, records, CD’s, sheet music, recording artist tapes, videos, etc., so we can be entertained from morning to night.  With all this entertainment, when do we find time to spend with God?

We all want to go to a church that is known for great entertainment.  This is where the praise team is jumpin’ and jivin’, the soloist is sure to bring out the Kleenex and the pastor is a stand up comedian and Shakespearean actor all at the same time.  The ushers march in like little soldiers, the dancers all look and move like angels, and the orchestra is a combination of rock, pop, country and Mozart. By the time we get past this, we know we’ve been entertained, but the question is, “have we been ministered to?”  What happened to “the good old days” when people wept at the altar for repentance and salvation? When did it change that, “the priests, who minister before the LORD, weep between the temple porch and the altar. Let them say, 'Spare your people, O LORD. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?''  (Joel 2:17) 

            God help us; we’ve changed, but You haven’t.  “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”  (Heb. 13:8)    We can read in the Bible what God says about himself, “I the LORD do not change.”  (Mal. 3:6)  He still wants us to spend time with him; quiet time.  How often do we hear people say, “Where is God; I don’t hear from him.”   God has made us a promise that he will answer when we call, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” (Jer. 33:3) The reason is, we are so busy being entertained we aren’t listening.  The prophet Jeremiah warned us (48) times in his book, to ‘LISTEN’!

Try to grasp a picture of the average home in the late afternoon.  Mom and Dad arrive home from work and the children from school.  The radio is playing in one room, the teenager has a CD going full blast in his room, and Dad is listening to the calls on the answering machine.  Mom turns on the computer to look for E-mail while turning on the television to watch the latest session of her favorite ‘soap’ she recorded earlier.  Dad moves on to the family room, turning on the big screen to catch the day’s news.  Meanwhile, Mom moves on to the kitchen to put dinner in the microwave, set timers, running the can opener and food processor at the same time.  Little Johnny is playing Nintendo with the sound turned to ‘deafening’ and Mary is learning to play Jingle Bells on her own keyboard.  The washer and dryer are already churning and chugging away in the laundry room and all the phones keep ringing and ringing.

It isn’t that God doesn’t answer our prayers, his answers fall on deaf ears.  All day long we’re bombarded with sounds of entertainment and pleasure. “To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.” (Jer. 6:10)  As long as we know God hasn’t changed, it must mean that we are the ones who need to change.  We must set aside time in our busy lives for Him.  Even Jesus had to set himself apart, “And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.”  (Mark 6:46) 

“Let’s Take Time to Wait upon the Lord, Lets Take Time to Listen to His Word”, should be the song of our heart, not, “Let Me Entertain You”.  When the frills and chills of entertainment are stripped away, we find but one thing remains; “You shall love the Lord thy God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”  (Luke 10:27)

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh, My!

The first movie I ever saw in color was “The Wizard of Oz."  I was very young and the scene of Dorothy, the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow going into the forest, saying, “Lions and tigers and bears, oh, my!  Lions and tigers and bears, oh, my!” terrified me.  I knew something horrible was going to jump out and get them. Suddenly, a ferocious lion appeared.  They tried to hide, but there was no place to go, so they had to face the lion.  Dorothy began to yell at him and suddenly, the lion broke down and started to cry.  It was soon discovered he was the Cowardly Lion of Oz.

As with Dorothy, most of our fears are unfounded.  As children, we experienced the fear of something frightening under our beds waiting to reach out and grab us. Doubtless, if we had looked, we would have found nothing there.  We felt defenseless and cried out to Mommy or Daddy for help.  When they came to our rescue we felt safe and filled with peace. Even as adults we are often filled with fears and feel defenseless.  At times we are surrounded by adversity and don’t realize the help that is available.  We may wander through the jungle of life for years, crying, “Lions, tigers and bears, oh, my!”  If we cry out to God for help, just like a child, God will be swift to answer and come to our aid.

There are several ways to combat fear.  First, we can “Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.  Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (James 4:7 & 8).  Secondly, we must, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and he will come near to you” (1 Peter 5:7-8).

We also need to understand what fear is,  “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”  (2 Tim.1:7).  We must recognize there is a spirit of fear and this spirit comes from Satan, not from God.  Satan uses all his tactics to cause fear to enter into the hearts of believers. However, God puts within us a spirit of power, love and a sound mind.  The amplified Bible explains 2 Tim 1:7 in greater depth. “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.”   The forces of good and evil are at work within us. Therefore, we need spiritual weapons to combat the fear that overtakes us.

“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests....” (Eph. 6: 11-18)

Let’s examine the weapons of warfare that God has made available to us.

 1.        The Belt of Truth:  Your enemy is the father of lies-- John 8:44

                        Jesus is truth -- John 14:6

                        God’s Word is Truth --2 Tim. 2:15

                        The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth -- John 14:16-17

2.         The Breastplate of Righteousness

Your Accuser is Satan–Rev. 12:10

Christ is your righteousness –1 Cor. 1:30

There is no condemnation -- Rom. 8:1

3.         Shoes to spread the Gospel of Peace:

Your enemy is “The Adversary”

As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things”-- (Rom. 10:15)

4.         The Shield of Faith: 

The enemy sends fiery darts of sickness, financial troubles, marriage problems, anger, depression, fear

Be covered with a shield of faith that compasses us.

For thou, LORD, will bless the righteous; with favor will thou compass him as with a shield.”-- Ps. 5:12 

5.         The Helmet of Salvation:

The enemy is a deceiver -- he will question, deny and then lie.

He wants your mind “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” -- James 1:8 

 “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” --2 Co. 2:11 

 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus”-- Phil. 2: 5 

6.         The Sword of the Spirit -- the Word of God:

The enemy is a tempter: God wants us to know and to remember His Word, “Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”-- (Ps. 119: 11)

He also desires that we realize the power of His Word; “For the word of God is quick, and  powerful, and sharper than  any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of

soul and spirit.”-- (Heb. 4: 12)

7.         Prayer: The enemy wants us to be distracted and will anything he can to keep us from prayer.  We need to be: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.--  (Eph. 6: 18)

Friends, we are more than conquerors, (Rom. 8:37).  Just like the Cowardly Lion of Oz, we can know we are able to overcome fear with God’s help.  Dorothy followed the yellow brick road that led to the Emerald City. We also need to follow the right road, for it leads to the Holy City, the new Jerusalem (Rev. 21:2)  "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it.  (Matt. 7:13-14)

There will come a time when the believer will not have to be anxious for anything.  The Wicked Witch of the West, (Satan) will be defeated forever.  There will no longer be “lions, tigers and bears, oh, my!" and “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” will not be a song of dreams, but of reality.  Put aside your fears and begin to trust God today.  “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”  (Heb. 12:1)

Lions and Tigers and Bears

The first movie I ever saw in color was “The Wizard of Oz."  I was very young and the scene of Dorothy, the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow going into the forest, saying, “Lions and tigers and bears, oh, my!  Lions and tigers and bears, oh, my!” terrified me.  I knew something horrible was going to jump out and get them. Suddenly, a ferocious lion appeared.  They tried to hide, but there was no place to go, so they had to face the lion.  Dorothy began to yell at him and suddenly, the lion broke down and started to cry.  It was soon discovered he was the Cowardly Lion of Oz.

As with Dorothy, most of our fears are unfounded.  As children, we experienced the fear of something frightening under our beds waiting to reach out and grab us. Doubtless, if we had looked, we would have found nothing there.  We felt defenseless and cried out to Mommy or Daddy for help.  When they came to our rescue we felt safe and filled with peace. Even as adults we are often filled with fears and feel defenseless.  At times we are surrounded by adversity and don’t realize the help that is available.  We may wander through the jungle of life for years, crying, “Lions, tigers and bears, oh, my!”  If we cry out to God for help, just like a child, God will be swift to answer and come to our aid.

There are several ways to combat fear.  First, we can “Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.  Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (James 4:7 & 8).  Secondly, we must, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and he will come near to you” (1 Peter 5:7-8).

We also need to understand what fear is,  “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”  (2 Tim.1:7).  We must recognize there is a spirit of fear and this spirit comes from Satan, not from God.  Satan uses all his tactics to cause fear to enter into the hearts of believers. However, God puts within us a spirit of power, love and a sound mind.  The amplified Bible explains 2 Tim 1:7 in greater depth. “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.”   The forces of good and evil are at work within us. Therefore, we need spiritual weapons to combat the fear that overtakes us.

“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests....” (Eph. 6: 11-18)

Let’s examine the weapons of warfare that God has made available to us.

 1.        The Belt of Truth:  Your enemy is the father of lies-- John 8:44

                        Jesus is truth -- John 14:6

                        God’s Word is Truth --2 Tim. 2:15

                        The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth -- John 14:16-17

2.         The Breastplate of Righteousness

Your Accuser is Satan–Rev. 12:10

Christ is your righteousness –1 Cor. 1:30

There is no condemnation -- Rom. 8:1

3.         Shoes to spread the Gospel of Peace:

Your enemy is “The Adversary”

As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things”-- (Rom. 10:15)

4.         The Shield of Faith: 

The enemy sends fiery darts of sickness, financial troubles, marriage problems, anger, depression, fear

Be covered with a shield of faith that compasses us.

For thou, LORD, will bless the righteous; with favor will thou compass him as with a shield.”-- Ps. 5:12 

5.         The Helmet of Salvation:

The enemy is a deceiver -- he will question, deny and then lie.

He wants your mind “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” -- James 1:8 

 “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” --2 Co. 2:11 

 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus”-- Phil. 2: 5 

6.         The Sword of the Spirit -- the Word of God:

The enemy is a tempter: God wants us to know and to remember His Word, “Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”-- (Ps. 119: 11)

He also desires that we realize the power of His Word; “For the word of God is quick, and  powerful, and sharper than  any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of

soul and spirit.”-- (Heb. 4: 12)

7.         Prayer: The enemy wants us to be distracted and will anything he can to keep us from prayer.  We need to be: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.--  (Eph. 6: 18)

Friends, we are more than conquerors, (Rom. 8:37).  Just like the Cowardly Lion of Oz, we can know we are able to overcome fear with God’s help.  Dorothy followed the yellow brick road that led to the Emerald City. We also need to follow the right road, for it leads to the Holy City, the new Jerusalem (Rev. 21:2)  "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it.  (Matt. 7:13-14)

There will come a time when the believer will not have to be anxious for anything.  The Wicked Witch of the West, (Satan) will be defeated forever.  There will no longer be “lions, tigers and bears, oh, my!" and “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” will not be a song of dreams, but of reality.  Put aside your fears and begin to trust God today.  “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”  (Heb. 12:1)

CAUGHT UP IN THE PAST

“Somewhere In Time," starring Christopher Reeves is a movie filmed on Mackinac Island.  It’s about a young man who was able to put himself into a deep sleep and travel backwards in time.  He met and fell in love with a woman before he came back to the present.  In a desperate attempt to get back to her, he became caught somewhere in time. 

Many Christians are in the same situation by being caught up in the past.  Their day by day existence is not directed at the present, or to the future, but deals only in the past.  They blame their unhappiness on someone, or something that happened earlier in their lives.  They are in bondage to the past and cannot seem to break the chains that bind them to it.

I have heard many Christians say they believe they are under a ‘curse’ brought on by previous family members.  I’ve also heard well-known Christian leaders preach and teach about the brothers and sisters being under a curse.  That’s nonsense and it’s also an excuse for not letting go of the past.  The Christians were redeemed from any curse when Christ died on the cross.  “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.  But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.”  Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.”  Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”, that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” (Gal. 3:10-14)

There are certain genes passed on from generation to generation and may cause us physical problems; certain behavioral problems that surface may be due to how we were raised.  However, these are not curses.  We may not have control over the physical, but we certainly do over our behavior.  We all have the freedom to make choices; either good or bad, and can control our behavior. 

Being caught up in the past is an inspiration of Satan and a devilish tool to deceive the Christian.  Jesus warns us of the dangers of falling into this hellish pit.  “Jesus said to him “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”  (Luke 9:62)  You have been bought with a price and sealed with the Holy Spirit for the day of redemption. (Eph. 1:13-14 & 4:30)  This means that from that day forward, everything in your past has been wiped out and you have been sealed so it can never come back to you.  The Lord tells us in Isa. 43:25 “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.”  Praise God, we are free from the past! 

Don’t continue to look back.  If you are born again, you don’t have a past; it’s been blotted out.  Forget what happened to you before.  Forget what someone did to you.  Forget what you did to someone else.  Live today as though it were your last day on this earth.  You have a future with Jesus Christ and that future is secure.  “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.  I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God  in Christ.” (Phil 3:13-14)  If you continue to dwell in the past, it will destroy you.

 In Genesis we find the story of Lot, who lived in Sodom with his wife and two daughters.  God was about to destroy the city, but sent angels to help Lot and his family escape first. The angels warned the family to escape to the mountains, and above all, not to look back.  As they fled into the mountains, God rained brimstone and fire on the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.  Lot’s wife was disobedient and turned to look back and the Bible says she turned into a pillar of salt. (Gen. 19:17-26)  Why did she look back?  She did not want to let go of the past and in that sense was longing for her old life, and therefore, died. 

Joseph was another person in the Old Testament whose past was tragic.  His mother died when he was quite young and then his brothers, because of jealousy, sold him into the slavery of Egypt.  While there, Joseph trusted God in all things and God blessed him making him one of the greatest men in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. Due to a famine, Joseph’s brothers came to beg for food, not realizing that he was their brother.  After a time, Joseph gave them food, but was not ready to forgive them.  He finally revealed that he was the brother they sold into slavery.  He then kissed them all and wept over them, telling them not to grieve for what they had done, for the Lord’s hand was in all that happened.  (Gen. 45:1-15)

We see from these two accounts, both Lot’s wife and Joseph looked back.  The difference was that one became bitter and the other better.  Dwelling on the past is a form of bondage.  You were once set free from bondage, like Lot’s wife who was delivered, but turned back to destruction.  Gal. 5:1 says, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Give it up before it destroys you as it did Lot’s wife.

Joseph, on the other hand, chose to serve God the best way he could.  He could have become bitter over what his brothers did to him, but he CHOSE to forget and forgive the past and become better.  Because of it, God blessed him many times over and Joseph’s name was known over the land of Egypt. 

Those who are caught in the past cry and complain that God doesn’t do anything for them.  How can he?  They are so bound up in bitterness and bondage; he can’t get to them to bless them. They feel life isn’t fair because of everything that happened to them.  They are caught somewhere between the past and the present; not looking toward the wonderful future God has planned for them. 

There is only one difference between those who are blessed and those who aren’t.  They may both have a tragic past, however, one chooses to not look back, but press forward and serve God. The other, although their hand was once on the plow, chose to look back and was soon lost in self pity. 

"Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8: 36)  The chains of the past that have you bound can be broken easily, while freedom is already yours.  Even God doesn’t want to be caught up in your past. "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." (Heb. 8:12)  If God doesn’t want your past, what do you want with it? 

Joshua challenged the Israelites, asking them to make a choice of whom they would serve; the gods of their fathers (their past), or the Lord God Almighty?  “And if it seems evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)   How about you?  Are you serving your past......or your future?

This being a new year seems to be a great time to put the past behind you for good; let God take care of it.  You can’t change what was done, but you can make plans for a better future.  With God guiding your footsteps it can only become better. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)