Fight Back

Revelation 12:10-11
10Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…

2 Corinthians 10:3-5
3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

The timing of the Breads is always interesting. I’m actually a week behind, so this Bread is being written in “real time”—meaning I’m writing this the day before you read it. Which is good, because the Lord gave me a refresher course on a very important message this morning.

Several weeks ago, I was having persistent heart palpitations and shortness of breath. On the urging of my pastor and some friends from church, I went to the emergency room, where they concluded it was a “harmless” condition. Since I don’t have any medical insurance (or any savings), I applied for Medi-cal coverage. As I was driving to work this morning, the hospital called with the bad news: I’m only covered for charges in excess of $2,313, and I owe just about that amount.

I can’t say that news didn’t hurt. And it did bring tears to my eyes for a moment. But then I fought back. I started “calling out” God’s promises, like Phil 4:19 (My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus) and I Peter 5:7 (casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you). I started thanking Him for supplying everything I need to pay off those bills, and I told the Lord I am trusting Him to pay them off.

Then the Holy Spirit made a countermove against the enemy. Randy called and started praying for me over the phone. Then he asked me to share my testimony with Maria, a lady he had just witnessed to at the laundromat, about the power of God’s promises and praise. I did, and it totally restored my peace.

That made me wonder, how often do I “bury” myself with my own defeated thoughts? But if I speak out God’s promises instead of whining about my rotten circumstances, things begin to happen. I know something happened in the spiritual realm today when I shared my testimony with that woman. No, I don’t have the money yet. But I do have the confidence that God will supply it, JUST AS HE PROMISED.

Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” No matter what my circumstances, GOD IS GREATER.

If you’ve been “bumped” by the enemy today, pull out your sword (Hebrews 4:12), share your testimony, and fight back!

Your fellow soldier in Christ,
Cathleen

Mind the Checks

1 Kings 19:11-13
11Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; 12and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

Isaiah 30:21
Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.

Several years ago, I read “The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life,” by Hannah Whitall Smith. I only remember one thing she wrote (and I hope that was where I read it!). When someone asked her how to consistently be happy as a Christian, she said “Mind the checks.”

Do you know what that strange phrase means? It means to be sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit—and OBEY what He says to do or not do. So often, we ignore that small voice and drown it out with our own desires or reasoning.

A case in point is Eugene, a dear Christian friend from my church. He would be the first to tell you God called him clearly to be a preacher many years ago, but he has yet to answer that call. He has survived several life-threatening situations, including having an ice pick plunged into his brain and being delivered from severe drug addiction. Now, that’s a testimony!

Eugene is a very hard worker. He works long, hard hours delivering the mail on foot in a large city. About a month ago, he developed pneumonia and ended up in the hospital. When he recovered from that, he says the Lord told him clearly not to work any more overtime. But then Eugene began to worry. How would he make the car payments, the rent, and all his other bills? So when the post office offered him more hours, he accepted.

Within a few days, Eugene ended up in the emergency room, this time with an infection throughout his entire body, to the point where he couldn’t even walk. We prayed for him, and within a few days he was in a convalescent hospital. When I visited him, he said he knew God was trying to get his attention. In fact, the Lord had told him to take a year off from the post office, and He even showed him how he could do it financially. Eugene seemed to be doing well, but a few days ago his fever returned, and they sent him back to the emergency room.

I know Eugene is under attack because Satan doesn’t want him to obey God’s call into full-time ministry. But Satan isn’t as powerful as we make him out to be. He can only attack us if God allows it, and God allows it if we open a door. When Eugene drowned out God’s still, small voice about not working overtime—when he didn’t “mind the check” of the Holy Spirit in his spirit—he opened that door to be physically and spiritually attacked.

Do you know what a shepherd does with a wayward sheep? He breaks its legs and carries it in his shoulders. The Holy Spirit will tell you which way to go in life, but He does not shout. We have to ask for guidance, and then we have to listen. If you are in the habit of ignoring that voice, it will be hard to hear at first, but it’s there.

Cathleen

A Suckling Lamb

I Samuel 7
3Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If you return to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines." 4So the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only.

7Now when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had gathered together at Mizpah [to fast, pray, and confess their sin], the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines.

9And Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. Then Samuel cried out to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him. 10Now as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the LORD thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel.
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In the days of Samuel the prophet, the nation of Israel had fallen into idolatry. Because of their disobedience God’s protection was lifted off and them, and they were faced with a fierce and powerful enemy: the Philistines. Samuel called them to repent and serve God only, so that He would deliver them from the Philistines.

That should’ve worked, right? But the moment they obeyed, the Philistines gathered to attack. So Samuel took things a step further: He offered a suckling (baby) lamb—a perfect sacrifice without blemish, as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. As he was IN THE ACT of offering the lamb, the Philistines closed in, and it seemed like things were worse than ever. But the Lord so confused the Philistines with loud thunder that they were overcome before Israel and did not come into their territory any more. The cities the Philistines had taken were restored to Israel, and there was peace between Israel and another enemy, the Amorites.

So, what does this have to do with us today? If we dip this story in the Holy Spirit, it gives us picture of how the kingdom of God operates in our lives.

Even as Christians, we allow things to creep into our lives that are not pleasing to God. In some cases, they become more important to us than God, and that is when they reach “idol” status. You might think there aren’t any idols in your life, but is there someone or something you spend more time with than God? That you compromise your beliefs for? That you don’t mind “sacrificing” prayer time, Bible study, or church for? When this happens, it opens a door for spiritual attack. I’ve seen it time and time again, even in my own life. The attack can be against a relationship, your health, your finances, your children or someone you care about. It can also be an attack against your character or reputation.

If you are under attack today, how do you stop it? The only answer is first, to repent and remove that idol from your “temple.” Replace the space it occupied with more of the things of God. It’s a tough remedy, but it’s the only way to stop an attack. The alternative is to watch your life spiral out of control.

Second, you have to “offer up” yourself as a living sacrifice--a “suckling lamb,” a “whole burnt offering” to the Lord.” Make a decision today that you will obey Him no matter where He leads you or what He asks you to do.

The moment you do this, it will seem like the enemy is closing in on you. Satan wants you to quit, but THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO GIVE UP. As one Bible teacher put it, “If you are determined to stand forever, it won’t take very long.” If you stand firm in your decision to serve and obey God no matter what happens, He will send confusion on your enemies and miraculously deliver you from their power. Not only will God turn your circumstances around, He will restore ground taken by the enemy and bring peace between you and those who oppose you.

TODAY IS YOUR DAY. Dump the idols, be a “suckling lamb” on the altar, stand firm in your commitment, and watch what God does for you.

Cathleen

Stop Putting on the Brakes!

Isaiah 1:19-20
“If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the good of the land;
But if you refuse and rebel,
You shall be devoured by the sword";
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

A few weeks ago, I had to have my rear brakes replaced. A week later I had to have my front brakes replaced also. While I was waiting for them to be done, Randy showed me the rotors. There were deep grooves in them, and my previous brake pads had literally been reduced to dust. “I hear God talking to you, Cathleen,” he said. “He’s telling you to stop putting on the brakes!”

I thought he was joking, but then I felt that conviction of the Holy Spirit, and I knew instantly what it meant. I sensed His small voice saying, “What have I been telling you to do that you haven’t done yet?” I didn’t have to think long to come up with the answer.

You see, whenever I sense the Lord is prompting me to do something outside of my comfort zone, I instinctively start listing all the reasons it couldn’t possibly work. I asked Him to make me more sensitive to his voice, and I promised I would stop “putting on the brakes.”

The following Sunday that promise was put to the test. I’ve been singing at church for over a year now, and some of my friends there have literally been begging me for months to record a CD for them. Joanna asked me again that day with tears in her eyes. “You HAVE to record those songs for me!” I felt convicted, but my mental response was immediate. “I can’t afford the studio time, Lord. And I don’t sing that well. Who would want to hear me?” But the memory of my disintegrated brake pads and “engraved” rotors convicted me. So I said, “OK, Lord. If this is really YOUR idea, you’re going to make it happen.”

A man at our church owns a small recording studio. I went up to him and asked, “George, how much would it cost to record a CD?” He said, “It would take about two hours to do four or five songs and, since you’re doing Christian music, I would only charge you $25 per hour.” “There you have it, Lord,” I said silently. “I can’t spend money on that right now.” And that was true. I’m living in a transitional apartment building where I meet with a case manager every week and have to account for every penny I spend. Recording a CD was definitely not in my budget.

So I went back to Joanna and explained that I had talked to George but couldn’t afford the studio time. Without a second’s hesitation she said, “I’ll pay for it!” Joanna is a single mom with four children who lives with her mother because she can’t afford her own place. “But Joanna,” I answered, “you can’t afford that!” (Do you hear the brakes squealing?”) She said, “It’s worth it to me, I really want your CD!” So the following week I recorded my first demo CD of 5 songs. It wasn’t as good as I had hoped—I only had two hours of sleep the night before and lost my voice and started coughing in the middle of the third song, but the Lord allowed me to get through it. I recorded five songs that gave me hope to keep going when my life was falling apart. I make a few copies every day and give them away to people. And to my amazement, they are blessed by those songs. And that blesses me immensely!

Is there something God has been asking you to do that you’ve talked yourself out of? You know what to do.

Cathleen