GOD'S GIFT TO US, AND OUR GIFT TO HIM

 GOD’S GIFT TO US, AND OUR GIFT TO HIM

I asked Jesus what he wanted for his birthday, and I kept getting the same answer: “For you to be happy.” I thought surely I must have made that up. That can’t really be Jesus’ answer, can it? But it totally makes sense since that was God’s original plan for man—to be happily working with Him, expanding a huge, wonderful, beautiful body, soul, and spirit family throughout the whole earth.

 

But after Adam turned against God, and man seemed to get farther and farther away, “It repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart” (Gen. 6:6). Man’s thinking became so corrupted that “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5). Wow! It’s difficult to imagine people having all evil thoughts, all the time! That means no love for their children or their husbands or wives, no compassion, no mercy for anyone anywhere – yikes!

 

It was so bad that a flood came on the earth, and only Noah and his family survived. Even after the flood, mankind still had sin in his blood. It was passed down through the generations with its proclivity for rebellion against God. This rebellion was inherited from Adam. Man was having a harder time being really happy, because of the sin passed down.

 

So, what about Christmas?  Once Jesus was born, there was one man with uncontaminated, non-rebellious blood. That is a really big deal; no wonder a multitude of angels showed up and were rejoicing! New blood was introduced on earth. Jesus didn’t get his blood from his mother but from God. In the womb, a mother’s blood doesn’t even mix with the baby’s blood. Jesus’ blood was not prone to disobedience, rebellion, pride, or other human failings. The same relationship Adam had with God, in the beginning, was now made available again through Jesus. That gave God peace. When Isaiah prophesied of the coming Messiah, he wrote: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,…The Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6).

 

When a person gets born again, they receive that new blood of Jesus too. In fact, everything is made new by the introduction of God’s spirit to live within us. The old sin nature is wiped out, forgiven, and forgotten. Holy Spirit comes to live on the inside, and that changes every single cell of our bodies if we want it to. As the Bible says in 1 Peter 1:23: “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”

 

Romans 10:9-11 tells us how to be born again, in other words, how to be a spiritual person and not just a flesh and blood person: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from death, then you will be saved. We believe with our hearts, and so we are made right with God. And we declare with our mouths to say that we believe, and so we are saved. As the Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in Him will never be disappointed’ (International Children’s Bible).

 

God told us in 1 Peter 1:23 that the spirit in us starts as a seed. Just like a baby begins with a seed and has to grow, so will the spirit of Christ in us grow. Spirit needs spiritual food. God needs for us to first believe that the gift He gave us is real. Just believing it, gives a boost to the seed. Then the seed needs to increase in faith and be fed the truth from God’s handbook, the Bible. The living seed God gave us will never die, but if we want, the seed can grow up and immerse with our bodies and souls. Taking the responsibility of growing that seed is our gift to God.

 

Christmas was all about God’s gift to man and our potential gift back to Him. God’s gift of Christ’s incorruptible seed to dwell within us, gives God peace when we accept His gift, and gives us peace as well, knowing that we will be with Him forever.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

HIS MERCY IS AMAZING

HIS MERCY IS AMAZING

Today my work friends were on a job where they had to come up with a way of painting some carved rockwork so that a video would show up beautifully on it. It's quite a complicated problem, and they are on a tight schedule. Things that were tried previously didn't work. I'm sure they'll come up with a great solution, but I felt like God was being really merciful to me when my boss put me on a totally different project! There's no cause and effect when it comes to God's mercy. He shows us mercy just because He loves us and understands our dilemmas. Mercy has been defined as divine favor when we don't deserve it.

 

Another time I was developing a technique with paint to make three Masonite boards look like real steel. I decided I had to combine two different techniques to get the right look. It was a rush job; I was scurrying, and I wasn't happy with the final pieces. I was complaining the whole time in my head, but God's mercy was greater than my grumbling. The client loved the pieces.

 

The word "mercy" is used 262 times in the King James Version of the Bible, and the first time is with Abraham's nephew Lot. From what we see of Lot in the Bible, he was not a very spiritual man, and not a very wise one either. When Abraham took him to Canaan with him, they stood up on a mountain and looked down at all the land God had given Abraham. Abraham asked Lot which part of that land he would like to have. Instead of deferring to his elder, he immediately chose the greenest, most beautiful part of the land. He chose Sodom and Gomorrah. Not a good choice for him.

 

Lot wasn't spiritually strong enough to prevail over the evil that had taken over. The practices in those cities and the hearts of the people were so confused and perverted that destruction was imminent.

 

God sent two angels to rescue Lot and his family. Lot happened to be at the gate of the city when the angels came. The news spread fast that there were two strangers that entered their city gates. The angels took on a human form in this situation.

 

"The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed himself with his face to the earth and said, "My Lords, please turn aside to your servant's house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way.'

 

"They said, 'No, we will spend the night in the town square.' But he pressed them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house. And he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

 

"But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot, 'Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.' Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, and said, 'I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly'" (Gen. 19:1-7).

 

The people in the city of Sodom were so depraved that all of them came hungrily to Lot's house to get at these two strangers. When it says that they wanted "to know" the two men, it means they wanted to rape them, and it's translated that way in many versions of the Bible. Can you even imagine a whole city so spiritually and mentally perverted that they all would want to come and see such a thing?! 

 

How could Lot stay in such a place? And he called these men his "brothers." Other translations say "friends."

 

But God obviously had mercy on Lot, and knowing that destruction was coming, He sent two of His angels, looking like men, to get Lot and his family out of there.

 

"But he [Lot] lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. And as they brought them out, one said, 'Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.'

 

"And Lot said unto them, 'Oh, not so, my Lord: Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:

 

"Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there—is it not a little one? —and my life will be saved!' He said to him, 'Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there" (Gen. 19: 16-22).

 

Not only did God have so much mercy on Lot that he let him and his family escape (except for his wife who, of her own free will, looked back), but when Lot pleaded with God to be able to go to a smaller city in the valley, God once again had mercy on him and told him he wouldn't let the destruction come on the city Lot wanted to stay in.

 

God's mercy is enormous. I can't say that I am naturally a merciful person, but Jesus tells us: "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful" (Luke 6:36). God has shown me mercy (favor when I didn't deserve it) and today was a good reminder that I need to be merciful too.

 

"Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us" (Eph. 5:1-2).

 

Love, Carolyn

 

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THE LOVE OF GOD IS THE GREATEST GIFT WE CAN KNOW

 

THE LOVE OF GOD IS THE GREATEST GIFT WE CAN KNOW

We see a lot of chaos in our world right now and a lot of angry people. Many are fighting to change personal environments as well as situations in the world around them to make it a better place to live. But in the midst of anger, mistrust, and confusion, we need to take some time to focus on love.

 

Our celebration of Christmas is in three weeks. This is a time of year to get out of ourselves and get into God. The love of God is still the greatest gift we can know. Romans 2:4 reminds us that it is “the goodness of God that leadeth thee to repentance.” If we don’t exhibit the goodness of God, then who will?

 

The gift of Jesus into our world is the greatest gift God could give us. Jesus being in our lives gives us a forever home, a place of stability and security we can always retreat to. We need to remember that Christmas time is a time to show God’s love to people like God showed His love to us.

 

“But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13:13).

 

Let’s see how Jesus can show us as individuals how to share some of that love.

 

And I’m not talking about giving money to charities for a tax return.

 

I’m mainly talking about showing God’s love to the people who stand with us day by day. It’s those people who we need to be thinking about. They understand how we really feel. They understand when we’re cranky and tired. They’re probably cranky and tired too. So let’s not forget to tap into God’s love and give a little extra of it to those who’ve loved us enough to put up with us this year.

 

Love, Carolyn

GREAT MEMORIES

 GREAT MEMORIES

Every once in a while, I like to reflect on what a blessing it was to visit my grandpa and grandma on summer vacations when I was in grade school.  Remembering all the fun things we did was such a delight and did good for my heart. I hope we all have some of those good times we remember from when we were little. Recalling them brings a sweetness to our souls.

 

Psalm 11:4 says: “He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: The Lord is gracious and full of compassion.” God’s love and compassion is shown to us by a variety of His works: through wonderful loving people, through animals, through sunrises and sunsets, through many aspects of the natural world He created.

 

When we open our eyes and our hearts to Him, there are many amazing and wonderful works He’s already done for us, things that we can get pleasure from if we will remember.

 

Psalm 77:11 says: “I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.”

 

In the Bible, God told people to write things as a way to help them remember. I find that writing things down helps me to flesh out a memory. It helps me to see more of the details of what makes the memory so good. So I did this with visits to my grandparents, and I’ll share it as an example of something you might want to do sometimes, or have your kids do.

 

“Some of my best memories are of gramma and grandpa’s house in Bakersfield, California. Many summer nights were spent sitting restfully under the grapefruit tree, while the blue neon-winged Junebugs buzzed as they hit and clung to the screen door on the porch. That grapefruit tree was huge and widespread, giving shade to all of us (sometimes seven people, sometimes 16), seated comfortably on bouncing green metal chairs. It was delightful, about 70 degrees I imagine, just perfect.

 

The fence around the property was thin twisted metal wire, somewhat protective, decorative, and a nice complement to the freshly cut green grass. I loved that house. Everything was intriguing to me at eight years old, and especially my grandpa’s small round trailer, parked under the slatted wooden shelter. My sister and I would make mud pies and entertain ourselves at the tiny kitchen table in the trailer. There was a drinking fountain outside the trailer that shot way over the basin and onto the brick patio. Half the fun was trying to control the water and retrieve it to use for our mud pies.

 

The grapevine trellis: I don’t remember eating the grapes, but it provided a wonderfully cool resting spot for Midnight, the cat when he wanted to watch grandma and me hanging laundry out on the line. Midnight and I had a special connection of love, unspoken. I loved climbing into the apricot, fig, and orange trees they had in the back yard. My grandma had an orange juice squeezer made of porcelain, just big enough to put half an orange on and twist until the small gutter was full of fresh orange juice. I don’t know if I’ve tasted juice that good in over 50 years, but I’d know it’s distinctive bite if I did, for sure.

 

The fern on the front porch was spectacular: delicate and dangerous! Who could fathom such a conundrum? A soft feathery fern, with very sharp thorns on the long stems. But it was grandma and grandpa’s house after all: mysteries at every corner. I loved it, always an adventure. We’d take trips to the desert to dig up shark’s teeth from long ago, and my grandma would pick up interesting rocks and sticks that looked like birds or animals or other familiar things she thought they looked like.

 

We had all kinds of adventures but one of my favorite’s was Sunday school. I loved the stories of Jesus and I especially like the crafts we did to re-emphasize the story and make them stick in my eight-year-old mind. My grandma was the teacher and I remember the small wooden chairs with metal arms as we sat around a big rectangular maple-colored table, me being enthralled by the Bible stories. Then when I got to sit next to my grandma at the adult church, I sang very quietly so I could listen to her. She had the most beautiful voice. I thought she must sound like an angel.”

 

Those of you who have children or grandkids, I urge you to make your experience and influence on them as memorable as mine was. These wonderful acts don’t go unnoticed, believe me. They are such a wonderful secret gift, never even forgotten by God Himself!

 

Love, Carolyn

 

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A NOSE FOR GOD

 A NOSE FOR GOD

In my neighborhood this weekend, many more houses than usual were putting up Christmas decorations and I did too. Along with my nativity scene, I like to put up Rudolph the red-nose reindeer because he reminds me of how God communicates His insight to us through our spiritual five senses, the sense of smell being one of them. And here’s an example of how they can work:

 

When I was 21, I was a nurse’s assistant in the hospital. I walked the antiseptic-green hallway of the orthopedic floor and smelled that awful odor once again.

 

I was enrolled in a Bible class and just beginning to pay attention to how the Holy Spirit works in me. I could smell cancer. At first, I thought it was just a smell that came with cancer, but when I asked, I found out that no one else could smell it. God was using my spiritual sense of smell to point out certain patients that needed special prayer and compassion.

 

What about our visual senses? Maybe because I’m an artist, but God often will show me a picture, a vision. This morning when we were talking and praying, I saw (in a visual vignette) a tall confident man standing up with a large group of weaker people huddled below him. There was something unusual about this man. He was more like a robot. He had no compassion. The people were like tools. He used them and gave them to others to use, but he personally had no love for them. I’m not going to mention names, but I knew who this man was, and with a little more insight from God, I became aware of the story behind this man and others like him.

 

Years ago, I wanted to buy some new furniture. I prayed about it and I remember getting a mental picture, in color, of three pieces of furniture: two nice dark cherry chairs and a leather recliner in the same dark color. I kept seeing that picture every time I prayed for my furniture. It was the Lord’s way of assuring me that I could have them. In a couple of months, I found all the pieces on sale and was able to buy all three without going into debt.

 

What about hearing? People hear the voice of the Lord in several different ways. He can talk in an audible voice, seeming so natural that the person might look around to see who’s there. When the Lord talks to us from within ourselves it can sound like our own voice or even the voice of someone we know. Often the Lord speaks to our spirit in a “still small voice” from deep within or we get a feeling of just knowing something that we hadn’t thought of ourselves.

 

A spiritual sense of taste? There are times when I've taken a taste of something and though it didn't annoy my regular taste buds, I knew I wasn't supposed to eat it. One time I got the message, but I took a couple extra bites anyway and felt bad all afternoon.

 

As for the spiritual sense of touch, there have been times when I've nearly jumped away from someone who wanted to touch me and pass on something bad, like in the movie “Fallen”. On the other hand, the spiritual sense of touch comes into play often. Sometimes, by the spirit, I know to touch someone’s arm, to pass the love of God to them.  Nothing weird, just compassion and God’s love. I really don’t even think about it too much; I just do it.

 

The Christ in us will guide us and let us know the will of God in every situation. How does this work? Through the guidance of the written word and through the spiritual five senses we receive when we get born again and filled with the Holy Spirit.

 

Hebrews 5:14 tells us:

 

“For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

 

“But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

 

In other words, if we want to grow up, we need to exercise our spiritual five senses; we need to use them. As we practice using our spiritual five senses, we begin to have insight into spiritual things about people and situations. It says in Luke 5:22 that “Jesus perceived their thoughts.” And in Luke 6:8 “He knew their thoughts.” Knowing a person’s motivation, or the source of what they say or do, helps us to get the Lord’s strategy for our part in handling the situation or person. Do we need this? I’d say a definite YES.

 

In a world where people twist words, and they don’t really say what they mean, the Lord Jesus knows already what’s in their hearts. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit in us, it’s easy for Him to let us know the truth of what’s really going on, so we can not only be protected, but help others as well.

 

If we are willing, the Lord will teach us more about what our spiritual senses can tell us and how to listen better. We will become more acutely aware of His presence, live on a higher spiritual level, and be of more real help to people and the world around us.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

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NEW THANKSGIVING

 NEW THANKSGIVING

On this holiday, I like to go back and read the story of the first American Thanksgiving. God did some amazing things to bring it all together. His divine providence provided such a remarkable event, that we continue to celebrate it today. In reading this story, we give God the opportunity to open our eyes to several important life lessons, good ones take hold of and remember. How about reading this to your children, and the people you spend Thanksgiving with, and talking about the new things you learn?

The Pilgrims had the first official American Thanksgiving celebration with Squanto and his newly adopted Native American tribe. This was the Pilgrims’ second year in America. During their first year, half of the 102 Pilgrims died. Of the 50 who remained, only six or seven were strong enough to care for the others. But God had a plan for these people. A Native American man, Squanto, enter these Pilgrims’ lives to teach these new Americans how to survive.

The leader of the Pilgrims was William Bradford. He wrote about his experiences with Squanto. It’s in old English, but we can still understand it:

“They (as many as were able) began to plant ther corne, in which servise Squanto stood them in great stead, showing them both ye maner how to set it, and after how to dress & tend it. Also he tould them excepte they got fish & set with it (in these old grounds) it would come to nothing, and he showed them yt in ye midle of Aprill they should have store enough come up ye brooke, by which they begane to build, and taught them how to take it, and wher to get other provisions necessary for them; all which they found true by trial & experience.

“And thus they found ye Lord to be with them in all their ways, and to blesse their outgoings & incomings, for which let his holy name have ye praise for ever, to all posteritie.”

Bradford added: “Squanto… was a special instrument sent of God for their good beyond their expectation.”

Squanto was a willing teacher. He taught the Pilgrims how to find eels and trap deer. He showed them how to net birds, how to grind corn, and how to find berries. He taught them how to hunt raccoons, bears, otters, and beavers. He taught them how to fish in the bay and along the coast in the summer, and how to cut holes in the ice to catch pike, perch, and bream in the winter.

Squanto’s life itself was amazing; how God took bad circumstances and turned them into good for both Squanto and the Pilgrims. In 1605, a member of the Native American Patuxet tribe, Squanto was captured by an English explorer and taken to England where he learned to speak English. In 1614 Captain John Smith brought him back to America, but he was captured again and taken to Spain to be sold as a slave. Local Catholic friars rescued him and introduced him to Christianity.

He went back to England and got on a ship to his native America. But when he got home, he found that all of his tribe had been killed by a plague. The sudden death of the whole tribe scared the neighboring tribes, and so they never went onto the property, making it available for the Pilgrims. Also because of the odd circumstances of the tribe’s annihilation, the other tribes didn’t attack the Pilgrims, and Squanto facilitated a peace treaty that lasted over 50 years.

With Squanto’s help, the Pilgrims’ second winter in America was far better than the first. William Bradford remembered the habit of the Dutch, who celebrated their freedom from the Spanish with a holiday every October. Bradford decreed a day to set aside so that all the Pilgrims might “after a more special manner, rejoice together.”

The Pilgrims gathered their food to feed the fifty of them, but Bradford sent Squanto to invite the chief of his tribe, who gladly came with 90 of his men, tripling the size of hungry mouths. The chief must have realized they needed more food, and he sent five of his men out. They came back with five deer and started celebrating. They ate deer, turkey, fish, lobster, eels, vegetables, cornbread, berries, pies and popcorn that the Native Americans showed the Pilgrims how to make. They competed in games of wrestling, shooting, and running. The chief had such a good time he and his men stayed and celebrated for three days.

The first harvest feast of the Pilgrims was more than just a time to eat together. It was a whole celebration of God’s blessing. They had survived in this new land, and in their second year, they were beginning to succeed and grow.

Love, Carolyn

If you’d like to read more about this time in America, I recommend America’s Providential History by Mark Beliles and Stephen McDowell and William Bradford: Plymouth’s Faithful Pilgrim by Gary Schmidt.

CLOTHES FROM GOD

 CLOTHES FROM GOD

God sent Moses to the Egyptian Pharaoh with a message: “Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, ‘Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, ‘Let my people go’” (Exod. 5:1). But the Pharaoh wouldn’t do it, so God sent plagues throughout the land, but the Pharaoh still wouldn’t give in. Finally, God told Pharaoh that if he didn’t let the Israelites go, all the firstborn would die. To protect the Israelites, God told them to put lamb’s blood on the top of their front door and on the sides.

 

“For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you”(Exod.12:23).

The blood was like a huge body wrap over the whole house, so that the destroyer would know it couldn’t touch that house.

“And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead” (Exod. 12:29-30).

The Egyptians were so scared, they rushed the Israelites out as fast as they could. “The Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, ‘We be all dead men’” (v. 33). The Egyptians saw that our God is a God of action, and if he could kill all the firstborn, he could kill them too!

Today, the blood over our houses is not that of lambs, but, the blood of Jesus, and it protects us same way the blood protected the Israelites in Egypt. Every day when Jane and I pray, we symbolically spiritually pour the blood of Jesus over our house, our property, our neighborhood, and our bodies.

The protection of Jesus is always close. It’s kind of like the inner garment Jesus wore himself, like a body wrap. It was a special undergarment that was worn next to the skin. It had no seams, so there was no breach in its protection. It was such a unique piece of clothing that even when he was crucified and the soldiers divided up his clothes, they were afraid to cut the inner garment, so instead, they gambled for it.

“Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat[undergarment]: now the coat[undergarment] was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves, ‘Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be’” (John 19:23-24).  

 

In Isaiah 61:1-3, we read this about some clothing Jesus would give us:  “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me. . . to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”

 

The “garment of praise” is a protection from the spirit of heaviness. We put it on with righteous pride like the banner of victory Moses held up for Joshua when he was fighting the Amalekites. We praise God and continue to carry the banner of victory, claiming it high in our minds and in our mouths.

 

“And Moses said unto Joshua, ‘Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.’ So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

 

“And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

 

“And Joshua discomfited [overthrew] Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

 

“And the Lord said unto Moses, ‘Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.’ And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi: 

 

The name Jehovah-nissi means “the Lord my banner, the Lord my victory.” (Exod.17: 9-15).

 

As God promised, He would wipe out all the Amalekites, and though they were not all destroyed in this battle with Joshua, the very last ones were destroyed by Solomon’s sons later in history.

 

Another important part of our attire is the shield of truth.

 

“His truth shall be thy shield and buckler” (Ps. 91:4).

 

The Hebrew word for shield indicates that it is a large shield that covers the whole body. It has fierce, sharp protrusions that are pointed like hooks. It guards by prickliness and is piercingly cold. It’s the “cold truth’ and people don’t like it, but we’ve found out that God’s truth isn’t always the cuddly kind, right? Look closely at the shield in the painting by Steve Gould, that I’ve included here. I think it’s pretty awesome!

 

So what do we look like today in our God clothes? We have the covering protection of the blood, the body wrap of Jesus, the garment of praise in our mouths to keep us from getting depressed, the powerful and prickly shield of truth, and we’re carrying the banner of God’s victory into every battle we enter.

 

Go get ‘em!

 

Love, Carolyn