FAITH FILLED FRIDAY! Wallow or Follow?

“And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate…” Luke 15.15
Viva LOST Vegas
Yeah,forbidden fruit can cause many jams.That's what happened to the prodigal.Ungrateful,selfish.Here is a picture of a guy that has given up.Settling for the temporary.Excuse me, but I would rather have the corn on the cob,than the cob.This guy is in serious need of a faith lift.
Mr.P took his inheritance and headed for Lost Vegas. A few days of the swallowing and wallowing will change a guy’s tune. Jonah got “swallowed” whole and it brought him back to his senses and then he followed God's will. The same happened to the prodigal after a few days feeding porky. Soon the enemy convinced him that he could do no better. Wallowing becomes disastrous to self-image and identity. The boy squandered the inheritance.Big city life costs more than green acres, you know. Sin pays out a demeaning paycheck. Soon he had lost all respect for himself. The smell of the pig lot got in his beard, his clothes, his nasal passages. He probably tried to wash and maintain former hygiene at first but the relentless condemnation of the evil one battered his self-esteem. Tide could not take it out.Finally, I believe the barrage took its toll and the guy gave up. That’s what happens to an unshaven, unclean, unkempt wino, for instance. The passerby sees him wallowing in it. Wallowing in the self-pity, the grief, the bitterness and unforgiveness,depression.Its my pity party and I'll wallow if I want to.

Pity Party Pig Pen
We are too blessed to remain depressed! Diana and I just arrived back in the state from our mission trip to Chemax Mexico.A remote place on this planet where the people have everything to complain about but happily live their lives without.No self pit,no pity party.The pity party is the loneliest party we can attend. No fun,no games,and it really stinks.There’s a wide chasm between following and wallowing but wallowing can happen even to Bible-toter's. The sore festers. The old pain of he said/ she said rises up again and next you’re laying awake counting offenses instead of counting sheep. The prodigal wallowed in the hog pen begging for husks “and no one gave him anything”. That makes it clear, there is no profit in sulking, not so much as a hog’s husk. Some wallow in regret. They rehearse the past instead of letting God reverse the past. You can’t unscramble an egg and it takes a few broken ones to make an omelet.The judge said the divorce was “final”. What part of “final” don’t you understand? Get over it and get on with it. "That's easy for you to say",you might retort,But I have been there done that and I would much rather be at Fathers House than wallow with the pigs or for that matter live with one.Understand and get it in your brain that God stands in your future and waits there for you with open arms. When you’re wallowing you’re not following. See Peter warming himself by a fire? See Elijah sulking under a juniper tree? Some wallow in grief. Sure it hurts and everyone needs recovery time. But something is not right about a wound that oozes and never heals. Let the cut breathe.Arise and follow and say "ba-de ba-de-ba-de that's all folks" to the pity party pig pen..........

A Royal makeover
Our current culture is wallowing in filth and indulgence. Paul predicted that “perilous times shall come, for men shall be lover of their own selves…” (2 Timothy 3:1) It is one thing to makeover the body, quite another to make over the heart and let me say a change of mind doesn't necessarily alter the heart's condition,but its a start. From MTV to the covers of magazines at the grocery check-out, it is clear that America has been baptized in moral debauchery. The prodigal could only bear so much wallowing. He made a decision, “I will arise and go to my father…” The backslider and cold christian have tasted just how un-nourishing the husks are, and they want to come home. Well, the Father’s door is ALWAYS open. The key is still there on the ledge, son.daughter,friend. The prodigals’ problem was that he was still wallowing in regret. “How can Dad ever let me come back after all that I’ve messed up?”He changed his mind to come back to Father,but the heart hadn't changed....yet.As when he neared the home gate his father ran to him, embraced him and kissed his son. He traded husks for hugs. There was a restoration, a picture of justification. No mention was made of the past. Dad never mentioned the squandered inheritance or the nauseating odor.He gave the kid a royal makeover. He suited his son with a new set of clothes and a restored family identity.The son traded his self pity for peace.A pity party for a cookout feast.Wow! Speaking of feasts,among a hard week of labor God did give us a levity break every now and then.Came across a family where a couple was celebrating their wedding anniversary and the mans gift to his wife? A fat pig! God wants to throw us a party too if we can pick ourselves up and get back to Dad's house. Its time to wake up, rise up and come back to Father...Get motivated!


Nuff Said,

TURN AROUND THURSDAY A Turn of Events

“...for the turn of events was from God, that the Lord might fulfill his word, which he had spoken…” (2 Chronicles 10:15 NKJV)

The old King James says “the cause was from God”. James Moffatt translated, “This was a turn of things brought about by God”. New Revised Standard Version called it a “turn of affairs”, NASB and NKJV, “turn of events”. There is not room here to discuss all that happened to cause the people to shift allegiance from Rehoboam to Jeroboam. Suffice to say that things happen. The ball bounces the other way,realities shift,perceptions change,worlds collide, circumstances converge. The pivotal moment comes and a fork in the road appears.The tide turns.What God doesn't prevent,he step's in and stages intervention.He can turn events in our favour within minutes. Some call it coincidence, some mere incidents or accidents, but we know it’s divine providence.

In the faith-life there are lots of turns of events. God never leaves a calling card but the circumstance is often so remarkable that no thinking man would question who was behind it. He knows how to work all things together for good. The reason for the intervention is “that the Lord might fulfill his word, which he had spoken…” God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). If He has to split the Red Sea for Moses or make the sun stand still for Joshua to validate His promise He’ll take whatever measures are necessary. Whatever it takes.How does a turn of events occur? Eternity intersects. You cross paths with someone who can help you, the right person at the right place at the right time. In Rehoboam’s case the turn of events was negative. Contrariwise, by faith we look for the positive, the serendipitous. We expect favor. We expect miracles.

God is up to something. I don’t know how but He can make the sundial turn backwards like He did for Hezekiah, if He has to. He can still make an ax head swim like He did for Elisha. Joseph would never have taken Mary to Bethlehem for Jesus’ birth had Caesar Augustus not required everyone under his reign to return to their hometown to be taxed. Think that through. Micah 5:2 said the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. God turned the wheels of the whole Roman Empire to move Mary to Bethlehem in order to execute prophetic fulfillment. Talk about a turn of events! There are a lot of “but God” verses in the Bible – “Ye thought evil against me; but God meant it for good…” (Genesis 50:20) The other Joseph was sold into slavery “but God was with him” (Acts 7:9). Jesus was nailed to a cross “but God raised him from the dead” (Acts 13:30). Blessed turn of events! This text revives hope. No situation is beyond His control. God is the chess champ. He sees the whole board where we only see limited moves. Leave strategy with Him. Relax. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Your disappointment is not a mis-appointment. The bend in the road is not the end of the road. Your steps and your stops are in the divine design. One guy would have been in the Trade Tower on 9/11 but he misplaced his car keys, another had a flat, another got caught in traffic. Each had a turn of events and each had a miracle though it made no sense while changing the flat tire or sitting in the traffic jam. “The turn of events was from God and it can happen even on a Tuesday…”

Nuff Said,

THINK ABOUT IT TUESDAY Freezing Simon Peter

Peter stood with them and warmed himself”
(John 18:18)
When the going gets tough the tough take off running? At least that’s what Peter did after Jesus was arrested and taken away. A few hours earlier, Peter boasted that he would never deny the Lord. Too bad, he hadn’t considered the warning that those who think they stand need to take heed lest they fall (1 Corinthians 10:12). Peter denied the Lord. In fact, he vowed cursing and swearing that he didn’t know Jesus. How becoming, a cussing preacher! It was the coldest day in his life and  interesting that the same night Jesus was sweating blood, Peter was shivering at the enemy’s fire. Christ was hot enough to sweat; Peter was so cold and backslidden that he shivered like a shaggy dog left out in the rain. The text says, “…the servants and officers…made a fire of coals, for it was cold…and Peter stood with them and warmed himself”.

Notice he stood “with them”. He hoped to “fit in” rather than stand out. It is the square peg’s attempt to fit in a round hole that doesn't work. Be care who you choose to stand with.Next notice, he “warmed himself”. Believers are supposed to find their warmth in fellowship, prayer, worship, evangelism and so on but the carnal casual Christian forsakes worship and tries to warm his soul with earthly fires,like cars, cash, casinos and cocktails, etc. Obviously the mixture doesn’t jive. Peter had been warned, “Deny yourself or you will deny me” (paraphrase Luke 9:23), but it didn’t soak in. He slept when he should have wept. While Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, Peter napped. Then when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, Peter grabbed a sword and lopped off the high priest’s servant’s ear. You can't win a spiritual battle by using fleshly weapons (2 Corinthians 10:3,4) especially if you have been asleep.The next downward step was that “Peter followed afar off” (Luke 22:54). The distance is widening. Then came the denials; then came the coldness...............

Though a chill filled the air, the love of Jesus remained as hot as ever. Peter may have denied Jesus but Jesus would never deny Peter. First, he anointed a messenger with a prophetic word. Oh, not your typical preacher. He used a rooster. “While he was still speaking, the rooster crowed…So Peter went out and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:60,62). Jesus told the over-confident Peter that before the rooster crows he will have denied Christ three times. Now I’m not an expert on rooster language but I think “cocka-doodle-do” can be translated as, “Chicken!” or "Yes you do too" Peter chickened out and his heart broke in repentance. While Judas’ bowels gushed out in suicide (Acts 1:18), Peter’s heart gushed in sorrow. After the resurrection Jesus made it a point to instruct Mary, “Go tell the disciples and Peter” that He is risen from the dead (Mark 16:7).That was to let him know that Jesus had not given up on him. He still believes in you and calls you by your “new name”, the surname of your new identity, “Peter”, which means, “a rock”. Peter acted like a reed but Jesus called him a rock. What a marvelous example of How God pursues the backslidden cold Christian.He doesn't give up.His goodness and mercy will chase you down...They are in hot pursuit for the duration. Peter's restoration was clinched in a post-resurrection rendezvous, we don’t know where and we don’t know what all was said, but the Bible records, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon [Peter]!” (Luke 24:34) I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall to hear that exchange.Jesus prayed for Peter and stayed by him and a few short weeks later Peter became the blazing mouthpiece of Pentecost preaching the birthday sermon of the church. He changed from fear-filled to fire-filled. Peter who was sifted and lifted became gifted. Have you grown cold?What earthly fires are you using to warm your soul? Money,drugs,power?Warm up to Jesus and turn a cold shoulder to the world otherwise you'll find yourself freezing like Simon Peter did.

Nuff Said,

The Top 10 things Noah Might Say

By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household…” (Hebrews 11:7)

Been Experiencing quite a bit of rain lately,Time to dust this one off.

Hey Noah, could you impart a little age-old wisdom? Well, if he had a talk show- Letterman style what might make his top 10? Here's a good guess.

1. We’re all in the same boat. Pentecostals,Charismatics,Assemblies of God,Covenant,Church of God,We all use different oars but we are all in the same boat and there's an odd smell in here-I think its coming from the Pentecostals.

2. Plan ahead;Its good to have a Home Depot credit card in your wallet. After all, it wasn’t raining when I built the ark.

3. Stay fit. When 600 years old you reach look as good you will not.Hmmm? You may be asked to do something really big like save the world? If I could do it, YOU have no business pouting about crossing the fifty hump.

4. Don’t listen to critics. Everyone in town thought the Ark idea was a big joke, certainly a poor idea. Too bad for them Michael Phelps wasn't around.

5. For safety sake, travel in pairs. Jesus sent His disciples out in pairs. I brought in the animals in pairs.It seems to be working for the Mormons and JW'S.Two are better than one,We is stronger than me.

6. Snails got on board with the cheetahs. Doctrine and Speed isn’t the issue, faithfulness is.(He that endures to the end) Inch by inch even the inchworm made it in time. there's room enough for everyone-Except for the Pentecostals-they have their own boat

7. When stressed, float awhile. I couldn't’ change the trajectory of the storm outside but I could trust God and adjust my sails.Try to control the environment inside (except for that smell!) If you can't, then just play phase 10.

8. The ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals. (Cue Celine Dion) Christ’s salvation is simple; not elaborate. Sometimes a raft serves a better purpose than a submarine. Simplify....and don't be afraid to get wet.

9. Woodpeckers inside are a greater threat than the storm outside. Be careful who you invite on board because you’ll have to put up with them the whole trip.

10. God really does have a sense of humor, considering what a platypus looks like.

If you are at your wits end don't worry,there is a rainbow coming after the rain. No matter how severe the storm God comes through with signs to steady and assure the heart. Tomorrow is bright. Noah knows. His story is one of great faith. After he had done all he was commanded to do then God took over and did what he could not do. Sure being on the Ark was tough with a lot of responsibility.A lot of mouths to feed.Maybe even lonely at times.It seemed the storm might never end.Dry land no where to be found.Be faithful,trust God,you will land where God wants you and when you do he will open the doors to your future. Make sure friend that you are “in Christ” because the only security we have is found in Jesus. Pharaoh sunk like led to the bottom of the sea but Noah’s faith, like a bulging inner tube, lifted him and his family up above the cresting waves. The cream always raises to the top and so do people of faith. The only question however that I want to ask Noah when I finally do get to see him is, why did he not squash those two mosquitoes? Maybe the insects survived on their own? At least he needs to explain why he let that pair of squirrels on board.Maybe to spark a revival? Oh I know, he had to obey everything he was commanded but did that have to include saving the the platypus's? In that he is the Marlon Perkins of his day and a perfect model for faith. In this hour when another catastrophic storm seems inevitable and talk shows are a dime a dozen we could sure use a few more men like Noah.........

Nuff Said,

Is it "Walmart Or Church? Hmmmmm"?

 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord” (Psalm 122:1)

Saturday is usually Walmart day for the Shiflett household.What's so great about wally world? For one thing, Walmart has “Glad” bags. Gladness is missing in a lot of churches today. Where's the beef? Remember that commercial? I was perusing the shelves at our Super-Walmart in Romeoville...(its not just Walmart anymore) and thought how is it I can get a burger at Walmart and Target when some churches fail to deliver a meaty inspired sermon on Sunday Morning? The pulpit is now used for stylish infomericals.Look how great we are. We believe in giving back to our community! while people sit on the pews starving to death spiritually? Shouldn't be so! What's happened to the beef? Have we become spiritual vegetarians?Afraid to use our teeth? Afraid to take a bite or get bitten? Once bitten,twice shy? No doubt, you've seen the commercial about the filthy fifth-grader who came home with mud and grass stains on his jeans. His mother threw the clothes into the washing machine announcing, “I guess we’ll have to Shout it out!” If you have a tough stain Shout it out! Joshua authored that slogan some 2,500 years before the grocery clerk knew anything about it. Marching around the walls of Jericho, he cheer-led his troops with the words, “Shout for the Lord has given you the city” (Joshua 6:16). David echoed the Shout commercial. He believed in voice and volume – “O clap your hands all ye people, shout unto God with the voice of triumph” (Psalm 47:1)Uh not in some churches. Of course I also use “Sure”. Remember the line? – “Raise your hands if you’re sure!” If we’re going to sing “Blessed Assurance” we ought to be sure about our sureness! We are definitely blessed,but not totally sure. Peter warned us to “make our calling and election sure”. That is one reason why people in churches today don't lift their hands in praise; their not sure. Of course some get embarrassed, just like the commercial used to say, “Sure, not sure; sure, not sure…” Undecided today?

 

You can also go to Walmart and purchase “Dove”'Cheer", “Icy-Hot”…now there’s an oxymoron. The Christ in the midst of The Revelation Candlesticks demands that we be “cold or hot” (Revelation 3:15). He promises to spew loose, lazy, lethargic, lackluster Laodicean lukewarmness out of His mouth! Try saying that 10 times! Next, you can find “Bounty” down the Super Center aisle. “Bounty”, you know, is the “quicker picker-upper” and boy we could sure use a pick-me-up in church? I'm not talking about a beer summit after service,some might consider that an "Obamination".How about a "Cheer" party during worship? Some outreach programs could use some "Miracle Gro" and "Gain" Walmart or K-Mart,Target, any of those one-stop-shopping-sources, beam with religion.

So Walmart or Church? Well Walmart has great parking, but so does the church; great prices and great products. We too have all these things going for us, but there’s one problem, the parking lot at Walmart is always jammed while the parking lot at some churches is usually disgracefully empty. Why don’t we attract more traffic? Do we lack “Joy”? Where is your joy, under the kitchen sink? Nehemiah voiced that “the joy of the Lord is your strength”. Joy attracts. Oh, and I can’t forget that Walmart has those fabric softener sheets; you know the ones, they call ‘em, “Bounce”! We bounce when we shop. Why do some have to sit like wooden statues at church? Gotta close. I noticed there is one product missing at Walmart that we used to use on wood furniture at the Shiflett house, “Glory”. The corporate giant has no Glory! That is the one product we have sole rights over – “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than the former, saith the Lord…” (Haggai 2:9) So where is the Glory? Joy? Bounce? Cheer? Are we consumers that would rather be entertained than truly give our "All"?? As the world turns we need to get with it because we only have One life to live and The days of our lives seem to be too young and restless for God's Guiding light into Another World but that's a sermon for another day.....

PB-

TERRIFIC TUESDAY! "Unmasked"

We refuse to wear masks and play games. We don't maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes. And we don't twist God's Word to suit ourselves. Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open, the whole truth on display, so that those who want to can see and judge for themselves in the presence of God. (2 Corinthians 4.1,Message Bible)


Is there an area of your life that you keep secret? Under wraps? Refuse to let people take a peek? Its a difficult life to live a life of secret identities.And no one knows what goes on behind closed doors.Remember that song? Diana and I just hosted a party where we gave access to everyone every area of our home.For me,that takes courage,Some might mistake it for bragging or boasting but its the soul's transparency that allows people to have a peek.Some soul's beg for an intimacy where masks can be removed, differences celebrated rather than questioned or condemned,where recognition is complete, acceptance total, admiration mutual and both parties complementing instead of the guarded cautiousness we label as "discernment" and tend to hide behind.Not hiding,being truthful with others involves integrity.Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions. Integrity can be regarded as the opposite of hypocrisy, in that it regards internal consistency as a virtue, and suggests that parties holding apparently conflicting values should account for the discrepancy or alter their beliefs.Honest hearts produce honest actions but hurting people "hurt" people.Our first parents’ intimacy was easy, natural, and honest because Adam saw his own reflection in her eyes. No secret identities-no lies....When Eve walked through the door it hit him – “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh…” (vs 23) People connect because they see something of themselves mirrored in the other. A covenant was made – “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother, and cleave to his own wife…” (vs 24) There would be leaving and cleaving. True friendship can be liberating.

For better or for worse accepts the blemish, the scars, both skills and the lack thereof, morning breath and shifting moods. It tests patience for sure but at the same time allows unrestrained access. Continued friendship is now not a matter of performance but of invitation. I allow you to be you; will you allow me to be me? No judgement and total forgiveness engaged.No one is more vulnerable than the unmasked. There is no oneness without transparency.If life doesn't strip us from all masks and facades then our enemies will do it for us. When trust is broken it can be restored but that takes work and effort.Super Heroes wear masks to conceal identity,to protect themselves and the ones they love from reprisal.Who are what are you protecting today?

Repentance is the deliberate undressing of the soul. It restores wholeness to our life. In this context, inner and outer integrity is the sense of "wholeness" deriving from qualities such as honesty and consistency of character. As such, one may judge that others "have integrity" to the extent that they act according to the values, beliefs and principles they claim to hold.Our job is to expose our every weakness so we can depose that weakness. The greatest of ministers are those most transparent. Those that are hospitable.Hospitality is a requirement for transparency.“Behold, you desired truth in the inward parts…” (Psalm 51:6) Truth in the inward can't help but flow outward.Its the same with the invited God into our fleshly residence.Most though keep the sign on the door-no trespassing.Until we are comfortable with our own nakedness we will never be able to open up in intimacy with God. I’m not talking about nudity, rather nakedness. There is a huge difference. Jesus hung on the cross exposed for our sins. He held back nothing, could we say, bared all.Jesus the Son of God-Unmasked. So that is how we should come to Him, spilling it out and spelling it out. If only friends and family could be as accepting of the bare facts as our forgiving Lord and if only we could become as vulnerable. Anyway, that is the cry from the inside. It longs to be known on the outside...........Transparent,Real,True,Unmasked......................

Nuff Said,

2 Hospitals,A Lego and an Engagement......

Originally Posted June 18,2008..In celebration of our 3 year anniversary engagement,I am re posting this devotion today!


"The peg driven in so firmly shall be wrenched out and give way, till everything that hung upon it shall come down" Isaiah 22.25

Stormy winds
What is the main Lego that holds the world in place? What holds your life together?.Each having their little house. Isaiah prophesied a day when the master-Lego (peg) would be wrenched loose and once expunged the whole society would drop like ten-thousand cables on a suspension bridge snapping at once.Do you know what is holding your life together today?What are your hopes pinned on? Diana and I had quite a week leading up to the "Official" engagement this past Sunday.What was to be an awesome day could have been disastrous.Our big day arrives and I wake up to stormy weather, get disturbing news that my best man had a heart attack late Saturday night, and on my way to pick Diana up for service,I get a second call that my house maybe burglarized.Oh yeah,and then there's my bloody ear,don't ask..please don't ask.Nothing in our world is stable or sure unless it has a secure foundation. Our master Lego has a nebulous name called God. Some see it as a higher power, morality, Law, perhaps truth but whatever name you give “it”, actually “Him”, we are all aware that there is a central “something” that holds it all together. God certainly held us together while it seemed everything and everyone was falling apart around us last Sunday.

What doesn't make sense
Does anything make sense without God? An atheist has been described as “a man who has no invisible means of support”.We had a wonderful move of the Holy Spirit Sunday at church.An awesome time of fellowship afterward and while on our way to visit Ed in the hospital we get a call that our beautiful little niece Mallory had lodged a Lego up her nose!...again don't ask ,please don't ask! When the going gets rough we need an unseen anchor. No matter what happened Sunday, what made Fathers day special is that our Father God was the center of our fathers day holding us together. If God isn't there, then we have no framework, no star to steer our little boat by, and we are tossed from wave to wave of inane and meaningless existence, with no star, and hence no harbor.Everything else is a house of cards and fallen Lincoln logs.Is everything that hung on your original Lego starting to fall? Your hopes,your dreams? Look at your life today,your relationships and center them with the foundation of the Father's perfect love.

A Rainbow Connection
David asked, “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3) Foundations.Our forefathers took the mallet of freedom and drove the Lego of righteousness into its hole and hung the hopes of a new world upon it. Our new world is held together by our Heavenly Father and this is his day! When we get a secure footing on biblical truth and learn to trust, fear, obey and love God; Our Dad's hand will hold our life secure . Rousseau said, “If there is no God we would have to invent one to keep people sane”. Well there is a God and He alone can keep us sane and centered when all else is seemingly crumbling around us. As we fellow shipped and prayed with Ed,(who will be ok by the way) We get the call Mallory and the Lego are no longer symbiotic.Crisis averted! Oh,and no one broke into my house,it was just one of those Romeoville wind's that unlodged the garage door.The ear is fine,again I would appreciate it if you didn't ask! Please don't ask.On Fathers day-Engagement day God proved to be the master Lego himself holding us and everything together.Romans 8.28 with a lemon slice at Chili's.In the end,we had a rainbow connection.Our Father's day ended with sunshine and pizza.He even arranged for Diana and me to get a free Starbucks...............
What a mighty Papa we serve!

Nuff Said,

Just Drop It

“The woman then left her water pot…” (John 4:28)

Ever meet know someone who is constantly living in the past? The kind of person with a rear view mirror mentality.Can't let things drop? Jesus was such an attraction that when people met Him they had to drop what they were doing, they dropped what was in their hands, dropped everything to follow Him. It was impossible to do both. His magnetism was so strong that it summoned all faculties. Earthly concerns were weakened and cancelled out. Peter, Andrew, James and John let their fishing nets drop. “They immediately left their nets and followed him” (Matthew 4:20). That would include net worth, net gain, net income and all other nets.Our hands have to be free to receive heavenly gifts.

The Samaritan woman let her water pot drop. She had returned empty to Jacob’s well day after day after day. Married five times and living with the sixth she knew how momentary and unsatisfying earthly thrills were. Her bucket was symbolic of her life. She would leave full but return empty. Drugs, booze, pleasure, money, sex, boats,cars,they all are like the water pot. Hebrews says the pleasure of sin is at best “for a season”.Yeah sin can be a blast for a moment,but what happens (cue BB king) "When the thrill is gone'? Jesus offered her “living water” that would be in her “a well springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14). She came with a empty bucket but left with the whole well. With new energy, excitement and a new lease on life she let her water pot drop and ran to town proclaiming, “Come see a man that told me all things that I ever did”. If you want to be well, you have to let your past drop.

Another character, Bartimaeus, let his beggar’s garment drop. He didn’t need that identity any longer. “And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus” (Mark 10:50). Elisha did the same when he took his clothes “and tore them into two pieces” (2 Kings 2:12) in preparation to receive Elijah’s mantle of power. To receive the new we must discard the old. We can’t gain the new life while clutching the old life. Let it drop. The disciples had to drop old methods. Before they caught fish, now they would catch men,The Samaritan woman had to drop old habits and living patterns. She had trekked the trail to the well in Sychar same time, same route, same routine, for probably years. It is difficult to drop a bad habit.But we have to let our water pots drop.The things that enslave us,the sin,the weight that does so easily beset us. Try letting go of your coffee pot. That will prove the dominance of daily routine. When circumstance, perceived reality, the cynics and skeptics and even your own self sees you as a blind beggar, you become a blind beggar. The prejudices you hold on to, the fears, the security blankets, nets, water pots and acquired mindsets must be dropped. Pry your fingers loose if you must like the woman at the well: Jesus saw something in her, that made her see something in Him.His living water can’t be embraced with the water pot of the past still in your hand.............

PB-

FAITH FILLED FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Buried Between Zorah and Eshtaol

"Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took Samson, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol " (Judges 16.31)

Slaying thousands upon thousands of Philistines Samson was a one man wrecking crew.The bible version of the Incredible Hulk except he didn't turn green and it wasn't gamma rays that made him strong.Most of his life was lived "between Zorah and Eshtaol" and that would be his burial place as well .Whats the significance? Read on. As a boy I remember watching the Cecile b Demile 1949 epic version of Samson and Delilah.It starred Victor Mature and Hedy Lamarr.Based on bible story right out of Judges chapter 16. Some of the dialog, although not biblically recorded rings true to this day.

Delilah: I hate him.
Delilah's Father: Because he's a Danite?
Delilah: Because he's a fool!
Delilah's Father: Most men are, Delilah. There's nothing you can do about it. Delilah:Sometimes a bee can move an ox.

The little foxes spoil the vine.Solomon was not referring to Victoria Secret models.We Christian singles are not to be unequally yoked (2 Corinthians 6:14) A yoke is only effective when the yokeese (is that a word?) are moving in the same direction.Don't be unequally yoked or the joke will be on you and you'll be walking on eggshells instead of sunshine. Samson’s presumption was his greatest danger. He’d gotten off scot-free so many times. He would play games with the Philistines then rely on his strength to get him out of a tough jam. Fatally, Samson told Delilah the secret to his strength, she lopped off his lovely locks then when he woke up from a nap on her lap, the jig was up.
When I was a boy my Father would take me for a haircut.The day of the dreaded,abominable military style CREW CUT! No Fantastic Sam's,no Super Cuts,It was always the same old guy that smelled like Old Spice aftershave...yuk I still hate that aroma.As my curly locks hit the floor my eyes would water.."Old Spice the Barber" would give me a lollipop and the sweetness of candy made up for the fact that I looked like Curly from the 3 Stooges.The next day I was subjected to teasing. Somehow praise God I made it through,no permanent damage.Now I know why I was always being saluted.

Because Samson was a lone child and “special” his parents didn’t put any restraints on him. Electric chairs are seldom needed where highchairs are properly used.The downward spiral of Samson's life began when he failed to take the Nazarite vow for himself. Don't live on your parents convictions or hairstyles.Settle sin issues or you will find yourself between between sin and the sting of its consequence or between a rock and a hard place...well, you get the picture.Whatever pleased Samson was what Samson got. Soon the lust, near disaster, escape, repent, start over, lust, near disaster and escape routine began to spiral out of control. Just because Samson was “special” didn’t mean he enjoyed a special set of rules. Sin's stinger pricks and is painful to extract.The first forty steps in the dark are fine but then there is the cliff. The unthinkable happened to Sammy, the young man had to pay the piper. He could no longer pull off a Houdini.He lost his sight – the blinding, his freedom – the binding, and his dignity – the grinding.If you are dealing with sin's sting in your life,God's grace will restore your strength and heal the wound.God could have raised up another Samson;He didn't because the call of God never left Sam.He left the call of God and wound up buried between Zorah and Eshtaol " A Strong woman and a Hornets Nest".......


Eshtaol in Hebrew means "strong woman"......
Zorah was a valley "full of wasps"

Nuff said,