Using Scripture as memorial stones

Posted by Admin on May 27, 2015 in Memorials | Comments Off on Using Scripture as memorial stones

For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Romans 15:4

What was the purpose of Joshua’s memorial stones? One purpose, as he himself said was, “Let this be a sign among you” (Joshua 3:10a). The function of the stone pile by the Jordan River was to be a sign of encouragement that the God who parted the Jordan and shepherded the people safely across it to Canaan Land would continue to watch over and provide for all the generations of Israel to come.

You and I, also, have need of memorial stones of our own—those specific testimonies, deeds, and promises of God to which we may gaze as a sign of His faithfulness. One teaming treasure trove of such precious stones is sitting not too far away from you in leather or paper binding (or online!) in your Bible.

I will present five of the memorial stones in the Word of God upon which I often gaze when, like David, I encounter difficulties greater than me and need to encourage myself in the Lord (see 1 Samuel 30:6). These stones—anchored in the pages of the Bible—are not mere tales or dusty promises; they are Spirit and Truth; they are living and active; and they work mightily within the one who believes.

Health.  I have found great encouragement and help in Isaiah 53: “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (verses 4 and 5, NIV). In fact, as I awakened from bypass surgery in the ICU back in 2003, I drew upon this living stone of Scripture. I could literally feel the Lord bearing my crushing pain for me. Two other verses I’ve used as healing stones are 1 Peter 2:24 and Matthew 8:17.

Protection. I have found God to be faithful to protect me in all kinds of situations. When I go on trips or vacations, I typically begin my journey with Psalm 91. As I meditate upon those sixteen verses, I can’t help but be encouraged that I am—in absolute reality—safe under the shadow of the Almighty. Even if a thousand were to fall at my side or ten thousand at my right hand, it would not approach me. As I gaze at that towering structure of God’s promise to me, I know that He has given His angels charge over me to guard me in all of my ways. Even if I do run into opposition from the enemy, this memorial stone reminds me that I will trample the “lion, cobra, young lion, and serpent” under my feet.

Demonic attack. When I sense an uptick in demonic attack against me, the memorial stone I often gaze upon is Isaiah 54:17, “‘No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me,’ declares the Lord.” As I muse on this promise, the specter of the attack does not threaten so ominously; instead I find relief and refuge from tormenting thoughts as I think on God’s faithfulness to overturn every onslaught against me. I feed my confidence with God’s assurance that the attack will culminate with my vindication from the Lord.

Fear. Like you, I’ve faced off with a lot of it, and am I ever glad that the Word is loaded with giant “Fear not” memorial stones! Fear can come in all shapes and sizes, but the Bible is adequate to grant you victory over every instance of it. Two biggies for me when confronted with fear are very different, but both produce wonderful results.

The first is found in 2 Timothy 1:7 and says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (NKJV). I like to run to this memorial stone especially when the fear of man starts to grip me; I know that such fear is not from God and never will be from God. Instead of the fear of man, God has given me a spirit full of power, love, and a sound mind. What a true blessing!

When I am faced with sudden fear—as when things go bump in the night or some similar quick spark of terror hits me—I grab Psalm 56:3 out of my memorial stone holster, pull back the hammer, take aim, and fire: “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee” (KJV). I find this verse hits the bull’s eye every time, helping me to gauge the fear pounding in my chest against the all-encompassing power of the unfailing God in whom I trust. He has always proven to be the Greater One.

When waiting…and waiting…and waiting…for what seems to be forever. Have you ever felt this way? I sure have. The Bible is full of men and women who waited a long, long time for His promise to manifest in their lives. From what I’ve seen in my life and others, this is still the case, far more often than we care to acknowledge. This is why the verse, “Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward” (Hebrews 10:36), is a shining memorial stone to which I turn when I am tempted to give up.

And my go-to “guy” in the Bible—who embodies unwavering patience in the face of a Goliath-sized wait—is Caleb. This godly man returned to Moses with a good report concerning the Promised Land—one of only two who refused to cower in unbelief at the giants in the land—and the Lord said of him, “My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land” (see Numbers 14:24).

Fast-forward forty-five years, and Caleb is 85 years old and still without land of his own from among the promise. When I first really thought about his situation, I pictured Caleb walking into a modern day “faith-filled” church, forty-four years after the word of the Lord to him, testifying how God was bringing him into his land. And I imagined his reception—the looks he might get and the raised eyebrows—as folks shifted uneasily in their seats, shaking their heads at such a delusional old fellow. And I thought about the counsel he might get—brother, check your faith. You know, your current circumstances are likely the result of your own unbelief. You have not because you ask not!

Yet Caleb, undeterred—in the forty-fifth year after the promise was made to him—asked Joshua for his land. And what do you know? He got it; but first, that 85 year-old man had to fight for it—even though it was his by promise—and fight for it he did. Without complaint. And this patient, long-suffering man inherited his promise.

As I gaze on the life of Caleb as a memorial stone, I am able to rise above the defeat-mentality that so subtly attempts to suffocate me, knowing that “faithful is He who calls [me], and He also will bring it to pass” (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

God bless you as you search out the marvelous memorial stones of God’s Word!

Dorothy

© 2015 Dorothy Frick

Memorial stones

Posted by Admin on May 26, 2015 in Memorials | Comments Off on Memorial stones

Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you…Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over ahead of you into the Jordan…It shall come about when the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be cut off, and the waters which are flowing down from above will stand in one heap.” Joshua 3:10a, 11, 13

Yesterday was Memorial Day in the United States. As a nation—ever since the Civil War—we have taken time to commemorate those who gave their lives in the service of our country. We remember, lest we forget.

Our nation is full of memorials for both the famous and the obscure. Every gravestone is a type of memorial; we have the 9/11 Memorial; the Lincoln Memorial; the Jefferson Memorial; the JFK Memorial; the Vietnam Veterans Memorial; the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, the World War II Memorial; and the list goes on and on. It’s important to remember; we must train our young people and their young people to remember. A nation who forgets who they are and from where they’ve come are easily subjugated by those who endeavor to rework and rewrite history.

Joshua, the man of God, knew that truth. He, under the leadership of Moses, had witnessed unimaginable miracles and works of God. He also evidently understood the enormous human capacity to forget. That’s why he asked twelve men from Israel—one from each tribe—to accomplish an unusual task while God displayed His mighty power, cutting off the flow of the Jordan River, piling up the waters in a towering heap. Instead of getting to gawk at the marvelous sight (like I would be doing), they were each directed to take up one large stone from the bed of the river and carry the boulders over to the place where they would camp that night (see Joshua 3 and 4).

Why would Joshua ask them to perform such a backbreaking task? Why not just have them pick up small or average-sized stones to carry over? Since God had moved in such a big and spectacular way, it was fitting that the memorial built to honor His mighty deed be big as well.

Joshua explained the purpose for the pile of twelve stones. He said, “Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ then you shall say to them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever” (Joshua 4:6-7).

This biblical account underscores five components and/or purposes of memorial stones:

1. Build it. Put some effort into remembering and honoring what God has done. If you build it, as the movie said, they will come.
2. Let it be a sign. Don’t hide your light under a bushel; don’t bury the talents God gave you; don’t be ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. When Jesus is lifted up, He draws all men unto Him.
3. Let your kids see it and take interest. The stupidest advice I’ve ever heard concerning child-rearing is to not expose children to “religion”. (Let’s face it—they mean the gospel.) Parents are admonished to let their kids decide for themselves when they grow up. NO! You “suffer not” the children to come to Jesus—you let them come; you let them ask questions; you let them get good and curious.
4. Teach your kids about God’s miraculous power and provision using very real examples. The things you’ve known and heard that stir and encourage you will stir and encourage your children as well. I never had kids of my own, but I’ve probably had thousands over the years come through the classes I taught. I kept a Bible propped up with my personal things where they could see it, and every year as I introduced myself to a new group, I did so using my four C’s (and after heart surgery, 5 C’s): I’m a fanatic St. Louis Cardinals fan; I drink lots of coffee (and often spill it in class); I love cats and have a herd of them at home; I had cardiac surgery (with the eighth graders, I gave all the gory details—nothing like gore to reach a young teen’s heart!); and last, and best of all, I am a Christian who serves Christ. When I told them that final detail, every year someone’s eyes would light up—and some years, multiple eyes across the room would beam at me, heads nodding vigorously in agreement, some even pointing to themselves so I could identify them as my brother or sister in Christ. They knew then and there that my classroom would be a safe place for their personal and precious memorial stones.
5. Keep those memorial stones forever. You need those memorial stones; your children need those memorial stones; and as long as generations continue to produce new generations, they will all need those memorial stones. Don’t be guilty of burying or bulldozing those stones! Don’t let them erode with disinterest or neglect. Keep them front and center.

Dorothy 

Hear, my son, and accept my sayings And the years of your life will be many. ¹¹ I have directed you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in upright paths. ¹²When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; And if you run, you will not stumble. ¹³ Take hold of instruction; do not let go. Guard her, for she is your life.   Proverbs 4:10-13

© 2015 Dorothy Frick, All rights reserved.

Memorial Day

Posted by Admin on May 25, 2015 in Memorials | Comments Off on Memorial Day

Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

Every year on this day we remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice—their lives in defense of our nation. Memorial Day was once called Decoration Day and originated after the Civil War to honor both the Union and Confederate soldiers who died fighting in that conflict. Now on Memorial Day we remember all Americans who gave their lives in service to our country—men and women who laid down their lives for their friends back home—and for you and me.

This is the oath that our enlisted men and women pledge as they enter the Armed Forces:

“I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”

Below is the oath pledged by our National Guard members:

“I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the State of (STATE NAME) against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the Governor of (STATE NAME) and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to law and regulations. So help me God” (see http://usmilitary.about.com/od/joiningthemilitary/a/oathofenlist.htm).

These men and women make a solemn oath first of all to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Secondly, they pledge to bear true faith and allegiance to the same. Third, they pledge to obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of those appointed over them. It is my opinion that the sequence of this oath is not random, but it reveals what is their top priority—to defend the Constitution and its provisions with true faith and allegiance.

Our Constitution has altered somewhat with time. Built into it is a mechanism by which to change or tweak it. This mechanism is called an amendment to the Constitution and requires a well-thought out, specific, sober, and meticulous process to enact.

One way an amendment is introduced is when both the House of Representatives and the Senate approve a joint resolution by a two-thirds vote. If approved, this by-passes the Executive Office and goes straight to the fifty states for ratification. Another way an amendment may be proposed is for two-thirds of the state legislatures to ask Congress to call for a national convention to propose an amendment, although this method has never been used.

In order to ratify an amendment, three-fourths of the state legislatures must approve it. The repeal of Prohibition was an exception; it was enacted first by conventions held in three-fourths of the states—the only time an amendment was passed this way.

Ratification, according to the Supreme Court, must be done within “some reasonable time after the proposal.”  Typically, that “reasonable time” is seven years, but this is not set in stone. Since the writing of the Constitution, only 27 amendments have been ratified, including the ten listed in the Bill of Rights (see http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/usconstitution/a/constamend.htm).

The Constitution, which our men and women in the Armed Forces pledge to support and defend as their top priority, was designed to protect both the rights of the majority of the population and those of all minorities—down to the lone individual with a very unpopular or distasteful point of view. Each man and woman has been endowed by his or her Creator with these certain unalienable rights: Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; when upheld according to the letter of its content, the Constitution defends these rights. This document—protected and safeguarded by American armed forces throughout US history—was designed by its framers to withstand the vagaries and societal conceits that cry for quick, and often, irrational or destructive, change.

May we never forget the brave sacrifice that our military dead have made on our behalf so that we may enjoy life and freedom supported and sustained by the greatest man-made document in history. May God grant knowledge, wisdom, and holy boldness to those He has chosen to continue to ensure that this nation will remain and become again strong, brave, and free.

May the wisdom and enduement of God’s power pour out upon men and women of virtue, humility, and upright desire from sea to shining sea to boldly do their unique part in and for this nation.

May God save and bless America. In Jesus’ name, so be it.

Dorothy

A two-week break

Posted by Admin on May 12, 2015 in Updates | Comments Off on A two-week break

Hi! I am going to take a two-week break to focus on other projects. I plan to return to the blog on Monday, May 25th.

Before I take off, though, I’d like to share two portions of Scripture that I spent some time mulling over today. They are the well-known “redeem the time” references and I’ve posted them in the NASB translation.

• ¹⁵ Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of your time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is (Ephesians 5:15-17).

• ⁵ Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. ⁶ Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person (Colossians 4:5-6).

These biblical references about “redeeming the time” pinpoint two key components of the Christian life.

First, Colossians 4:5 lets you know that you are to redeem the time whenever you are around unbelievers or anyone else who you might consider an “outsider”. You are, as Paul wrote to Timothy, to take pains with your behaviors, attitudes, and words so that you exemplify the Lord Jesus in your life (see 1 Timothy 4:12-15). You never know when you are entering a door of opportunity for the Lord to minister His light to someone; you redeem the time around others by letting His compassion, respect, and graciousness direct your daily interactions wherever you go.

Second, Ephesians 5:15-17 informs you that you are to redeem your own personal time day by day—whether you’re in public, around your own circle, or all by yourself. Pay attention to your expenditure of time; make the best possible use of it.

Matthew Henry, a Bible commentator alive in the 1700s, wrote something eye-opening about time. He suggested that it is a talent given to you by God to use for a good purpose. It is misspent and lost when it’s not employed according to God’s design. Mr. Henry also stated that if you have lost or misused time in the past, you must endeavor to redeem it by doubling your diligence to do what you are called to do from here on out. Why? Because the days are evil. Why? Because as Seals and Croft sang back in the ’70s, “We may never pass this way again.”

Until Monday, May 25, redeem the time!

Dorothy

Pray that they may know—a summary

Posted by Admin on May 7, 2015 in Prayer Perspective, Praying for America | Comments Off on Pray that they may know—a summary

Believers around the world joined with Australia in prayer and fasting for America this past week. Today, Thursday, May 7 is the National Day of Prayer. Prayer is all the more critical now than ever.

Because of that, I’ve been recycling a series of blog entries I wrote last year. Back then, God prompted me to shift my focus as I prayed for the nation. In short, I believe God showed me these four things for which to pray:

• Pray for people to know what to do.
• Pray for people to receive wisdom along with their knowledge.
• Pray for those people to receive the boldness to step out in what they know to do.
• Pray for those people to be filled with boldness to carry out their tasks to completion.

Originally posted last year (last in series):

And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther 4:14b

To know what to do. Men and women desperately need to know what to do in this hour—no one is exempt from that need. You and I are equipped to pray for those who are facing huge, impactful decisions—for secular leaders and for those who have leadership roles in the body of Christ, for the people of God, and for everyone else living in this nation and around the world. It is time to pray for men and women to know what to do.

To receive wisdom. It’s time to pray for them to receive clear wisdom to direct and uphold them as they gain knowledge concerning what to do. You are I are equipped to pray for them to receive that wisdom from God; we are also equipped to pray that they will desire truth in their innermost being, for that is where He will deposit wisdom (see Psalm 51:6).

To step out in boldness. It’s time to pray for men and women, boys and girls who have been granted knowledge and wisdom in accordance with God’s purposes to step out in boldness to do what they know to do. There is knowledge and wisdom from God ready to be deposited across the board, upon all flesh, upon His people and upon those who do not yet know Him—and each one will need the boldness of Peter to “step out of the boat” (knowing full well that as they step, the boat will rock). You and I have access to the throne of grace to request boldness for them to take appropriate steps as they receive the knowledge of what to do.

To be enveloped and empowered by boldness. It’s time to pray for boldness and great courage to envelop and empower those who do boldly step out to do what they know to do. There are many adversaries; those who have been blinded by the manipulations of the deluding spirit of this age don’t want anyone—secular or Christian—to take a stand for true justice, righteousness, truth, or freedom. Instead, the spirit of this age seeks control and to enforce conformity to its agenda—lawlessness and godlessness and ways that spit in the face of God. The spirit of this age inspires a ruthless, reckless fervor in those it saddles to intimidate anyone who acts or speaks off-script—especially when they defy or denounce the godless status quo of our age. That’s why you and I must pray for a saturation of boldness to come upon the men and women called of God to stand—both those who are visible and the ones who are behind the scenes—in arenas of power and impact. They need to know what to do, they need wisdom in it, they need the boldness to step out, and they need the all-encompassing boldness and power of God to carry them throughout their entire assignment.

Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “…but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition” (1 Thessalonians 2:2). Like Paul—who rocked the boat over and over again as he preached the gospel of Jesus Christ—in our day those for whom we pray will also be rocking boats and swimming against the current. And unfortunately, like Paul, those for whom we pray to know what to do will encounter suffering and mistreatment and much opposition as they boldly defy the godless, lawless, spit-in-the-face-of-God status quo. However, covered by prayer, God’s power, wisdom, and ability will envelop, protect, and lead them, and no weapon formed against them will prosper (see Isaiah 54:17). But we must pray for them for this to take place.

You and I, as well—just by praying bold prayers on the behalf of those called of God to take bold stands—are boat-rockers in defiance of the status quo of our age. Because of that, don’t be surprised, as the apostle Peter wrote, “at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you” (see 1 Peter 4:12). You see, as we engage in prayer for people to know what to do with wisdom and supernatural boldness, the devil doesn’t like it one bit. He doesn’t want his deviously-organized strategies and schemes to be hindered, restrained, or undone. He wants to be in control, and as you and I pray, we actually block and thwart his plans. So if you get attacked, mistreated, or face opposition, consider the source. It’s from the adversary, and it simply means you are making an impact in exposing, restraining, and incapacitating his agenda.

Stand your ground as you pray according to the leading of the Lord, and remember—you are on the overcoming team. Because of your prayers, people will know what to do.

Dorothy

The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. James 5:16b