The Rattlesnake

Yesterday was a beautiful autumn day in Colorado. The mountains were clear with fresh snow covering the tops of the highest peaks. There were clouds, but that kept it just cool enough to enjoy the opportunity of wearing some of the warmer clothing tucked away in my closet.

I was out and about yesterday. Nothing exciting…grocery shopping. And while I was scooting around town I was listening to Christmas music.

I really was having a pleasant drive until I heard a strange noise. It sounded like a rattlesnake. My heart started racing and became very heavy in my chest.

Now normally, I wouldn’t have even considered the possibility that there might be a rattlesnake in my car, but I had been on a large hay farm the night before. I was helping at a barn dance and dinner that our 50 and Better ministry was hosting for the group.

My car was parked by a grouping of trees and I just imagined that while we were whooping it up inside, a rattlesnake had found a warm spot inside my car.

Now remember, I was still driving. My heart was still racing. Then I heard it again. By this time, logic had regained control of my physical reaction. It was then I realized that it was on the Christmas album.

Who puts rattlesnake sounds on a Christmas soundtrack to enhance the music? Really? It just isn’t natural. So, just to be clear, I did not have a rattlesnake in my car. Really.

I don’t exactly know what I would have done if there had been a rattlesnake in my car. It’s just not something I’ve ever had to think about before. But I do think I will formulate a plan in my head for such an occasion.

I believe we must do the same when Satan shows up in the least likely places. When he wants to turn our hearts and minds away from God. We must have a plan.

Jesus had a plan and it was a pretty good one. Perhaps we should adopt His plan as our own and use His weapons against Satan. So let’s look at Jesus’ plan.

Jesus’ temptations are found in three of the Gospels…well sort of. Mark only shares two verses of this experience, but he does add an interesting piece that I’ll talk about later (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; and Luke 4:1-13).

So here’s the set up. Jesus had been baptized and the Holy Spirit led Jesus to the desert. In the desert Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights. Nothing is mentioned of His day-to-day activities, but fasting in itself denotes spiritual growth time. An opportunity to spend quality time with God during that period of fasting.

So I could only assume that is exactly what Jesus was doing. Spending these last days of solitude with His Father before His ministry turned public.

Then the tempter arrived. When Jesus was physically at His weakest, the temptations began.

Satan tempted Jesus in three ways. First with food. This was only natural since He hadn’t eaten in forty days. The second temptation was to put Himself before God and be attended by angels. And the third was the offer of land if only Jesus would worship Satan.

Jesus heard Satan’s claims. Satan even quoted Scripture to Jesus. And of course, Satan misused the passage he quoted. But Jesus used His weapon of choice when battling Satan. He too, used Scripture. “The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:7 – NIV)

So how can we utilize Jesus’ plan in our own lives?

First we need to understand what we are up against. Mark 1:13 (NIV) says that Jesus was “with the wild animals and angels attended him.” Now I don’t know if Mark meant that Satan was a wild animal, but we certainly can look at him that way. We need to know that the tempter will become whatever he needs to become so that we might fall into his trap. Remember, we are with the wild animals.

Second, we must know ourselves. Are we weakest when we are tired? Does hunger bring you to your knees? Whatever it might be, we must realize in those moments, the tempter will attack.

Remember Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)? Jesus spoke these words to him. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” And then Paul responded with “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10 – NIV) When we are at our weakest, we must rely on Jesus for strength.

Third, we must use Jesus’ example of using Scripture to battle Satan. Now you may not know exactly how the tempter will tempt you, but you certainly can still plan for it. Find passages that will lift you up. Memorize them. If you feel you can’t do that, write them on index cards (remember my Scripture cards?) and carry them with you. Be prepared. Don’t be caught off guard.

And lastly, we must remember that Satan will never give up. Luke’s account ends with these words. “When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.” (Luke 4:11 – NIV)

Another opportunity will arise for the tempter and he will take advantage of that opportunity. Knowing that he could show up at any moment gives me the resolve to be prepared even more. I don’t like surprises that much.

So do you think you might be ready the next time the old devil shows his ugly face? I believe that you will be if you use Jesus’ example and follow His lead. When we allow His Holy Spirit to help us remember these simple steps, we have more than a fighting chance. We will be victorious!

I feel kind of silly talking about a rattlesnake like it’s an everyday occurrence in my world. I’ve never seen one (except on TV and through glass at the zoo). I’ve never heard one (except on TV). But still, the possibility got my attention.

Now, I’m off to get rid of that Christmas CD.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna

October 6

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:14-21 – ESV)

Please pray with me and thank God for the abundant work He is doing through us. Please pray that the Church bring glory to God in all that is said and done throughout the world. Please pray for future generations that they may know the fullness of God’s power within their lives.

Praise God with me for the gifts of abundance He has provided and for the results of ministry throughout the world.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna

October 2

“Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.” (Psalms 29:2 – ESV)

Please pray with me and give God the glory due His Name. Let us worship the Lord with all that is within us.

Praise God with me through a worship song. Your favorite worship song. He will be honored and glorified through your voice.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna

Different

Purse shopping is discouraging. For me, this has become one of the difficult tasks of my existence. I search for the perfect size, shape, texture, and even compartments. And if this isn’t enough, I must find a purse of a color or pattern that I really like because I will live with for months, perhaps years.

I also must admit that I have returned more purses than I have kept through the years. I believe the one purchased will fit the criteria, but as soon as I place all of the purse items into the newest one I find that it really isn’t.

So, recently I went to a local department store to search for a new purse. In the midst of all that were there, I found one that I thought just might do the trick. I headed to the checkout and placed my newest prize on the counter.

The young, almost 20 year-old male cashier looked at my purchase and then to my cart. The newest purchase was a red purse. The purse in my cart was also red. He was confused and asked, “What’s the difference?”

Well of course there were many difference. The size. The shape. The strap. The compartments. The color. I knew these differences, but this young man could not understand the purpose of my purchase.

I have to ask the question, “What’s the difference in your life?” What makes you different from your cubicle mate or your co-worker? What makes you different on the ball field? What makes you different on the expressway? What makes you different in this world?

I can tell you some of the things that make me different from the world. Here are some of them.

My Lord

When I accepted Jesus as the Lord of my life, I had to turn it all over to Him. Everything. Oh there are times I take some of it back and then I mess up, but I’ve learned that it is really much better if He is Lord of all.

My Spirit

God’s Holy Spirit lives within me and because of that, I am able to live more like I should. You see on my own, I allow my sinful nature to have complete control. With God’s Spirit, I have His control.

My Outlook

Because I am a follower of Jesus, I have a beautiful home waiting for me. I have hope that one day I will spend eternity with Jesus in the heaven He has prepared. Yes, this world is not my home. But until then, I will live differently in this world.

My Mission

My mission is Jesus’ mission. To make disciples. To teach His message. To share the Gospel. When my mission is to spread God’s message (of love, grace, forgiveness, acceptance), others will see that I am different from the rest of the world.

My Attitude

As a Christian, my attitude must be like Christ’s. Humble and not self-seeking. I must have a servant attitude. I must not think more highly of myself than I should. By keeping my attitude in check, I am able to serve Jesus to the best of my ability and live differently in this world.

There is a difference. Not just in the purse I purchased, but in my life as well. There are lists of ways for us to live in God’s Word. Sections of Scripture that teach us how to live different lives. If you have a chance, read through these passages and see where you’re missing the mark. Ask God to help you with these areas so that others may see that you are different.

Galatians 5:16-26; Ephesians 4:17-5:21; Colossians 3:1-17; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12; Titus 3:1-11; and 1 Peter 1:13-2:3.

I didn’t return the purse. I have carried it cross-country and I think it might be okay for this season of my life. For that young clerk, yes, there is a difference. I pray that he saw that difference in me.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna

It's Tuesday Morning

It’s Tuesday morning. I’m traveling with my husband. A long road trip from Colorado to Ohio…non-stop. Well of course we have stopped, but we didn’t stop to spend the night along the way.

So today I am going to do something that I haven’t done…I’m going to repurpose a past blog writing. It is “Sunrise, Sunset,” since I’ve been in this vehicle and have seen each of these in the past 12 hours.

So enjoy this repost. I did!

Sunrise, Sunset

Are you a sunrise person or a sunset person? I’ve always been an early riser, so I’ve enjoyed more sunrises than sunsets in my lifetime. I believed a sunrise was more beautiful, but I’m beginning to think that are each beautiful in their own way. For their own purpose.

Our sunrises in Colorado begin in the east, but as the sun rises, it transforms the mountains to the west. The sunrise is as beautiful to the west as it is to the east.

Our sunsets in Colorado have the mountains as their backdrop. I have seen some of the most beautiful sunsets here.

I love that God has given us this type of beauty. Beauty for us to enjoy. Let me share a little of the references in the Bible and what God says about sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise

In the Old Testament, there are many references to the sunrise. Most of them deal with something facing toward the sunrise. A building, an entrance, where the Israelites were to camp, or the direction they headed on a journey.

These accounts can be found in Exodus 27:13; 38:13; Numbers 2:3; 3:38; 21:11; 34:15; Joshua 1:15; and Joshua 19:12.

Also in the Old Testament, David shared that he was a light at sunrise in his world because he followed and trusted God. (2 Samuel 23:3-4)

In the New Testament, we see the scene at Jesus’ resurrection at sunrise in Mark 16:2-3. “Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, ‘Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?’”

It seems appropriate that Jesus appeared just after sunrise. Especially since He is described as the “Bright Morning Star” (Revelation 22:16).

Sunset

In the Old Testament there are references to the sunset. If a cloak was used as a pledge, it was to be returned by sunset. These laws can be found in Exodus 22:6; Deuteronomy 23:11; and Deuteronomy 24:13.

During a battle with the Amalekites, Moses’ arms were held up until sunset so the Israelites would obtain victory (Exodus 17:12).

There are other references in the Old Testament that are too gruesome to mention at this time of day, but you can look them up if you’d like.

Mark 13:2 and Luke 4:40 tell us how Jesus was greeted with sick people at sunset. “At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them.” (Luke 4:40)

I have seen some beautiful sunrises here in Colorado. But I have equally seen some beautiful sunsets. I think these two events, that just happen to occur daily, are a reminder for us to think about our God and how our lives can be changed through Him.

At sunrise we can seek God and ask for His guidance throughout our day. We can know that it is a new day and that we have the opportunity for a “do over.” I guess that is why one of my favorite Bible verses is Lamentations 3:22-23. “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

At sunset we can once again approach God with our daily victories, troubles, struggles, temptations and sins. We can seek His grace and forgiveness and allow Him to cover us with His wings. Psalm 141:2 tells us, “May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.” The evening sacrifice is our lives, lived with God’s power and strength throughout the day.

Through my Christian walk, I can enjoy both sunrise and sunset as seen through Scripture. In Colorado, I can also enjoy both sunrise and sunset. I guess it’s not for me to debate any longer. I love them both!

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna