Abandon the quarrel before it starts

Posted by Admin on Apr 5, 2017 in Daily walk | Comments Off on Abandon the quarrel before it starts

“The beginning of strife is like letting out water, So abandon the quarrel before it breaks out.” Proverbs 17:14

Have you ever waded into the breached dam of contention? Before you know it, you find yourself swept away in a torrent of hurt feelings and strife. Family members or friends dear to your heart seem like bitter enemies after such an encounter. Your soul stings with every thought of them; the pain demands resolution, but fear of stepping back into the flood waters of angry words and dredged up past transgressions freezes you into inactivity.

Perhaps you’ve never experienced this. Perhaps you navigate relationships with grace, thoughtfulness, and dignity, confronting every disagreement with wisdom, kindness, and fairness, humbly taking into consideration your own weaknesses as well, bringing every potential conflict to a quick, peaceful, and loving resolution.

I WISH I could say this about myself. I cannot. You see, I have found myself in the tango of turmoil more than once, even after swearing to myself “NEVER AGAIN” and committing to wise and peaceful discussions—or deflections—whichever seems to suit my fellow “disagreer”.

How, how, how, I asked myself recently, do I train myself to abandon the quarrel before it busts down the dam?

Well, the Lord came through for me (yay, God!) with some instruction as I was seeking Him about this. Instruction is good; doing it is better.

Unfortunately, living in this fallen world, I will have ample opportunity to practice. Not sure I’ll be always be proficient; but as a child of the King, He will help me every time I fall to get back up again. It is my fervent desire to grow in this and to put into practice what He has shown me.

Here’s the Scripture the Lord dropped on me as I prayed. First Corinthians 10:13 is a lengthy verse, but it’s enormously helpful. It says

“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”

Standing on the edge of an ill-advised quarrel is definitely a temptation. Your pulse quickens as you think of defending of your honor and exposing how very wrong the other person is. However, throwing yourself into the quarrel sucks you right up the vacuum cleaner—trapping you and your “sparring partner” with all of the other dirt!

As I prayed about this verse, God plopped a four-point flow chart down on the inside of me revealing how to deal with the beginning of strife, any time, any place. As an acronym, the first letters of the words He gave me spells the word “ALTAR”—the very spot you must place yourself at the onset of strife—that is, if you want to invite God’s intervention.

1. ALERT! The Lord showed me that with my most recent quarrel, I had let down my guard. The quarrel had started before I even knew what was happening—and soon enough, I was in the thick of things and his response neither of us were benefitted. Had I been on the alert, I would have recognized the flashing warning signals…and I would have abandoned the quarrel before it started! It is because we live in a fallen, troubled world that we must be diligent to maintain vigilant, prayerful alertness for the signs of impending “tit-for-tat” verbal “slap fights” (which sometimes manifest as “helpful insights” into the other person’s secret motives or varied dysfunctions) before we get swept up in the flood of contention and hurt.
2. LOOK to the Lord. Once you realize that you and your friend are cruisin’ for a contention bruisin’, immediately force your attention to the One who loves both of you. Look to the Lord for help; don’t look to your mental database for a quick list of past transgressions they’ve committed against you. If you will take charge right then—right when the strife starts—and quietly invite the Lord into the conversation, I believe God will arrive on the scene to intervene.
3. TRUST Him. He has answers, solutions, and a way of escape. As you are busy trusting Him, your mind won’t be hashing and rehashing your best comeback to their points against you. Trusting Him to do what He does best—being God—will open the door for Him to step into the middle of your situation.
4. AND (Don’t leave this next part out!)
5. RECEIVE the way of escape. As soon as you are alert to the onset of strife, look to God and trust Him to open up your escape route…and He will. Your next step? Abandon the quarrel, receive the way of escape He’ll provide—and take it…all the while resisting the urge to land one last jab.

I realize this set of steps—ALTAR—seems simplistic. However, the weeks, months, and years of hurt and blame that emerge from the crippling incapacitation of verbal slap fights consisting of dominance-jockeying, recitation of past transgressions, labeling/name-calling, and harsh judgments destroy relationships and send many lives down bitter dead-end paths of sullen despair, callous resentment, or defeated hopelessness.

By no means does Scripture teach that confrontation is always harmful; the Bible calls us to go to the brother who has offended and speak to him about it. It also urges us to go to the people we hurt and apologize. We are even called to bring a word of correction to one who has strayed. However, never are we commanded to jockey for dominance, recite old laundry-lists of transgressions, brand each other with demeaning labels, or hit one another with harsh judgments.

May God help all of us as we navigate the ups and http://sdm.com.my/viagra-super-force-order-online/ downs of every relationship in our lives.

Dorothy

If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.  Romans 12:1

The good fight of faith

Posted by Admin on Mar 17, 2017 in Daily walk, Help from God | Comments Off on The good fight of faith

To turn the hearts of the fathers

Posted by Admin on Feb 9, 2017 in Daily walk, Prayer Perspective | Comments Off on To turn the hearts of the fathers

It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Luke 1:17

One morning toward the end of 2016 as I was keeping my appointment with God, I heard this snatch of a verse: “…to turn the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous.” I looked it up and found it in the book of Luke. It was the angel’s proclamation to Zacharias, John the Baptist’s father, about this yet-to-be conceived child.

I thought about my generation and the swelling tide of disobedience and chaos throughout the earth…particularly in America. I want nothing more than to see an outpouring of hunger and thirst for the things of God and a moving of His Spirit upon every living soul in this generation—including the rebellious.

As I began praying about this, however, I glanced back at the Scripture open upon my lap. In my New American Standard Bible one phrase was capitalized to show it was an Old Testament quote. It read this way:

…TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN…

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from it. I knew God was showing me something I’d never thought about before. And then it hit me: The hearts of the fathers had drifted away from their children, and it was epidemic in our culture and world—and this turning away—this gross disinterest—was responsible for most of the chaos and upheaval surrounding us.

I thought of my dad and his difficulty with showing affection. I thought of his temper and tendency toward punitive actions and belittling words. And yet despite his massive flaws and mistakes I knew his heart was for me…and knowing that had helped to keep me somewhat steady in life.

Then I thought of my days as a camp counselor. We all knew it: you were either staff-oriented or camper-oriented—you either put the kids first or you prioritized hanging out with or flirting with other counselors.

I also thought about my teaching career. I had observed some who consistently arrived to school as late as possible and left right after the buses. There were those who sat in the lounge “chill-axin’”throughout every break; others stayed glued to their computer most of the day; and toward the end of my career, as smart phones worked their way onto the scene, I knew of teachers who constantly texted back and forth to each other while supervising students.

I thought of ministries and para-ministries, men and women in governmental positions (both elected and appointed), business leaders and executives, even those in volunteer roles—and yes, fathers and mothers. In every one of these cases, I could instinctively recognize those who prioritized “my ministry; my office; my position; my career; my needs; my desires; my gifting; my talent; my abilities; my expertise, my insight” above everything else. These were the ones—the “fathers”—of whom the angel spoke, whether they were male or female; whether they had children of their own or not.

These were the ones whose hearts had turned away from the children. These were the ones who viewed with gross disinterest those entrusted to their stewardship . These were the ones whose hearts were stuck on self.

You see, my dad was extremely dysfunctional and often unkind; but he wasn’t stuck on self. There’s a big difference.

And I then I saw it. Our nation doesn’t so much need a spiritual outpouring on the disobedient; instead, what we desperately need is a move of God on the fathers—on every last one of us called to leadership in any capacity—whether to steward, shepherd, teach, nurture, guide, direct, correct, or oversee anyone else. Without such a move, the full outpouring of the Holy Ghost upon the rebellious, the disobedient, and the unpersuadable will be stifled.

The hearts of those in leadership must be broken and redirected once again to genuine care for those under their oversight.

And as for the rest of us? I sense the same is true for both you and me: Consider your ways toward those entrusted to you—whether they be many or few. Is your heart genuinely toward them—sincerely listening, pondering, and probing the Spirit of God on their behalf—or is there some “stick-age” in your stewardship—gross disinterest—stuck on self?

Don’t feel bad if you discover you’ve been stuck on self; all of us have been to some extent or other. But now it’s time for the One who has stewardship over each one of us to correct, redirect, and transform our focus, unsticking our stick-age, and to bring our hearts into alignment with His heart…turning us back in genuine concern for those He’s entrusted to each one of us…eradicating any remnant of gross indifference from our souls.

And I believe that as those of us in any leadership capacity at all will yield to Him and turn in real compassion toward those He’s given us, then “the disobedient and incredulous and unpersuadable” will turn “to the wisdom of the upright” (see Amplified Classic) and be transformed.

Lord, prepare us to follow You fully—even in this!

Dorothy

Make an appointment

Posted by Admin on Feb 2, 2017 in Prayer Perspective | 2 comments

As I was seeking God in December about this year, I was also very aware of some areas of vulnerability in my life. One such shortcoming was this: I was not as consistent in set-apart prayer time as I had been in the past. Sure, I talked to God on and off throughout the day and enjoyed hearing from Him in the surprising ways He would “drop in on me”, but I knew He was re-directing me to a more focused, disciplined pursuit.

And as He would have it, one of those surprise “drop-ins” came as I was wrapping up reading through the Old Testament in the book of Amos. I read

“Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment?” Amos 3:3, NASB

Now this verse is more famously quoted this way: “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (KJV) That’s how I’d always heard it preached—we need agreement with one another to accomplish God’s work; we need to be in agreement with God to walk in His ways.

However, this word “appointment” jumped off the page at me. My complacent lethargy concerning daily prayer was in for a makeover! And it all had to do with making an appointment with God.

Here’s how God directed me. He reminded me that I made appointments with the dentist and the doctor—and that I kept those appointments. I also remembered that when I met a friend for coffee, we would text each other ahead of time to confirm our meeting. Basically, the Lord showed me that most of my dealings with others involved appointment making—and by the same token, the way to return to my first love and zeal for Him simply involved making and keeping appointments with Him.

So here’s what I did: Before I would go to bed, I asked the Lord, “What time tomorrow is our appointment?” and I’d hear a time and would agree to meet with Him then. Simple…yet profoundly helpful.

Are you having difficulty finding time to set apart for God? Then call out to Him, set up an appointment, and then show up. Then do it again the next day.

A funny thing started happening soon after I began those appointments…I seemed to blunder into divine appointments and supernatural unfoldings more and more in my everyday life. And then it dawned on me—I was honoring the appointment part of the verse, and God was showing up in the walking together part!

Now don’t get me wrong—I’ve missed an appointment or two since that verse jumped out at me. But I know how to make my way back to Him quickly and to pick back up: I make an appointment and keep it!

Here’s to walking with the Lord persistently and consistently!

Dorothy

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day: Christmas Series Part 18

Posted by Admin on Dec 25, 2016 in Christmas | Comments Off on I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day: Christmas Series Part 18

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote a song on Christmas Day during a tumultuous time in American history—during the height of the Civil War. We, too, like Longfellow, live in a time of great challenge and can also attest to the fact that hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, goodwill to men.

But, like Longfellow, we can take courage: God is not dead, nor doth He sleep. Truly, we can rest assured that in accordance to the Word of God, the wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, good will to men.

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.”

Till, ringing singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

(Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1863)

As you walk closely with the Child of Bethlehem, the Lord Jesus Christ, He will lead you through this fallen world as a light shining in a dark place. Don’t be afraid; He will be with you wherever you go and will manifest through you the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.

Indeed, because of your connection to the Lord, you are part of a great restraining force that has not yet left the earth. Let Him use you in the days ahead to pray for and to reach out in kindness, truth, and grace to a lost and hurting world. He will lead you; just trust Him and follow.

For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 2 Thessalonians 2:7

Hold your head high this Christmas Day. Your God is alive and well, and your Redeemer lives!

Dorothy

© 2015, Dorothy Frick

To learn more about the circumstances surrounding the life of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow which prompted the writing of this poignant carol, see the following article at the Christian Post.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/i-heard-the-bells-on-christmas-day-111313/

Heaven greets Earth: Christmas Series Part 15

Posted by Admin on Dec 22, 2016 in Christmas | Comments Off on Heaven greets Earth: Christmas Series Part 15

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.” Luke 2:8-9, KJV

Perhaps one of the shepherds had just added wood to the fire; maybe one of the men had just returned with a straying lamb upon his shoulder; perhaps another one had just cracked a joke. Then faster than lightning, they were jolted out of their everyday monotony by a close encounter of the heavenly kind.

Who can even imagine what that must have been like? The sound and smell of sheep, the familiar camaraderie of fellow shepherds, the usual constellations and night breezes, and then, suddenly—Light! Blinding, shimmering, holy light shone all around them—and in the midst of it stood the angel of the Lord. They were terrified.

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”   Luke 2:10

Fear not?! I was less afraid when that lion that sneaked up on us last year! one of the shepherds might have said to himself. But strangely, the odd salutation seemed to calm their jittery nerves. Squinting and rubbing their eyes, they strained to make sense of what was happening. Who is this and what’s he saying about good news…something about all people?

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”  Luke 2:11

Well, I’ll be, someone must have mused. He’s talking about our own Bethlehem! The shepherds stole glances at one another.  A Savior? Born today? Could he be talking about the Messiah? Almost afraid to breathe, they dared not move, intent upon understanding every word coming from the mouth of this heavenly stranger.

“And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” Luke 2:12

Now, there’s something I get—a manger; I’ve filled plenty of those in my time, one of the shepherds might have thought to himself. But who would put a baby in a manger? I don’t get that part at all! Especially if this Child is the Messiah!

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:13-14

Before their very eyes, the sky filled with an enormous company of angels, their voices resounding through the hills, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Hearts pounding out of their chests, the shepherds must have trembled, wept, and stared skyward with mouths agape.

“When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, ‘Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.’” Luke 2:15

How long the angels remained above the shepherds’ encampment is left to speculation. How long before the shepherds could even speak one to another is also unknown. But one thing is perfectly clear; the shepherds knew they had been visited by messengers of the Living God. They understood that they were summoned to witness the intersection of God and Man. Perhaps the old Psalm whispered in their hearts:

“Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him that glory may dwell in our land. Lovingkindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth springs from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.” Psalm 85:9-11

“So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.” Luke 2:16

Maybe the shepherds left one or two of the younger ones with the sheep; nevertheless, it was with great haste that they made their way to town and found the stable. And there was the baby, lying in a manger, just as the angel said.

“When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.” Luke 2:17-19

The small band of rough, plainspoken shepherds related their tale of angels and glory to the mother of the Child and her husband. Others who had already gathered there to see the newborn heard the astonishing story as well. Wonder and awe filled that little shelter; Mary, still a virgin, treasured all that she was hearing as she soaked up everything this motley crew had to say.

“The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.” Luke 2:20

Everyday life beckoned the shepherds back to their post; but as they departed from there, the glory of God welled up within them and they could not help but praise Him for all they had witnessed. Surely God is with men; surely God is with us!

May you, too, experience that God is with you—because He is!

Dorothy

© 2015, Dorothy Frick

Interview with the magi, page 3: Christmas Series Part 14

Posted by Admin on Dec 21, 2016 in Christmas | Comments Off on Interview with the magi, page 3: Christmas Series Part 14

“…we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” …and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.  Matthew 2:2b; 9b-10

[Background: Passed down in my family through the millennia is this interview with one of the magi conducted by my many-times-removed, great, great, great, great, etc., forebear, Dorotheonea Fricknacius who was a young reporter for the Jerusalem Journal around the time of Christ. This is the last page of her three-part interview. If you have not done so yet, please scroll down and read pages 1 and 2 of the interview first before you read this.]

Interview with Harar, magi from the East, page 3

Journal: How could the Journal—indeed, evidently nearly all of Jerusalem—miss such an important birth?!?

Harar (not his real name): My fellow magi and I were bewildered by this lack of knowledge as well. Yet the prophecies, the shepherd’s tidings, the Star—all of these events—gave such witness to the unthinkable: that this little Boy was indeed the Jewish Messiah. We could do nothing less than venerate Him who will one day rule the nations!

J: I heard that you gave Him gifts.

H: Absolutely. It is our custom to present tokens of respect to kings to whom we pay homage. Your King Solomon received gifts from many foreign dignitaries, including the Queen of the South, who visited Jerusalem to view his kingdom.

J: Did you bring a gift to Herod, also?

H: He was not the King to whom we were drawn. No.

J: If you don’t mind, would you let us know the manner of gifts that you gave to the Child?

H: Certainly. We offered gold as a tribute, for as your Scriptures say, the government will one day rest upon His shoulders. We presented frankincense, the precious incense of worship, for as your prophets foretold, this small One is Immanuel, God with us. Myrrh, a sacred resin used in anointing the dead—oh, how His mother drew back when we presented this—was to bear witness to the prophecies that this Child was born to one day die for all mankind.

J: So you really believe then, that this Child could be the One for whom we have been waiting?

H: This Child is the One. Our eyes have seen and our hands have touched Him. He is indeed the One who will conquer sin and death. Yes—He is the Messiah!

J: Surely Herod was not aware of this! He never would have sought Messiah’s death!

H: Be that as it may, that night all of my fellow magi and I were warned in our dreams to depart from that country quickly, by a different route than we came—and not to return to Herod. We left at sun up, and having bid the blessed couple farewell, we kissed the Son and departed.

J: The Child…is He…dead?

H: We sent spies back to determine the safety of the Boy and His family. Indeed, Herod had struck, for our spies returned with reports of unspeakable carnage. Infants and little boys lay gutted and dying in the streets. Women, men, older boys, and girls were weeping, wailing, clinging to small, lifeless bodies on every porch…

J: The Child…?

H: The Child…yes. I get overcome whenever I remember the reports of the senseless massacre of so many innocents…Our spies found the shepherd, who had spoken with Joseph, the Child’s father, shortly after we departed. It seems an angel had appeared to Joseph in a dream as well, warning him to take the Child and His mother and flee.

J: Where did they go?

H: Our sources have located them, safe and sound, far from Judea. We are keeping in contact with them as inconspicuously as possible. We want no harm to come to this Child.

J: But where is He?

H: I am sorry, but that information is confidential. Soon enough, however, He will be revealed to Israel and then to the world at the time ordained by Israel’s God. Until then, pray that your nation will not miss, once again, the day of her visitation. And as for you, young lady—be prepared. When the Coming One appears, will you be found ready?

And so ends the interview between my many-times-removed, great, great, great, great, etc., forebear, Dorotheonea Fricknacius and the magi whom she called Harar.

May the majesty, power, and miracle of Christmas overtake your heart and your mind as you, like the magi of old, seek Him with all of your heart.

Dorothy

(Much of the preceding has been fictionalized. The Messiah, however, who was born to die for all is very real. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through Him.)

Merry Christmas!

Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will release you from captivity…Jeremiah 29:13-14a, Amplified Bible

© 2015, Dorothy Frick