The Promised Land - Breaking Down Strongholds

Series on The Promised Land

So, now we have our spiritual armour firmly in place.  No?  Time to go back and put it on.  Now, time to slay the dragon. Time to drive our personal enemies out of our spiritual promised land flowing with milk and honey.

When Moses was still leading the Israelites toward Canaan, he knew that enemies lurked there and God’s people would have to wage war in order to drive them out of the land that God had promised to them. The first order of business was to send spies to evaluate the enemy territory.

“These were the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Joshua. And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, ‘Go up this way, southward, and go up into the mountain. And see the land, what it is, and the people that live in it, whether it is strong or weak, few or many. And see what the land is that they live in, whether it is good or bad; and what cities they dwell in, whether in tents or in strongholds;” (Number 3:16-19)

And this was the answer the spies brought back to Moses and all the people:

“And they told him and said, ‘We came to the land where you sent us, and surely it flows with milk and honey. And this is the fruit of it. However, the people that dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are walled, very great. And also we saw the children of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south, and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea and by the coast of Jordan.” Numbers 13:27-29

The Israelites faced many enemies who were very well established in the land and who did indeed live in strongholds. A stronghold is “a fortification, castle, or fortified city; a fenced or walled fortress.”

The warfare that was ahead of this bunch of weary travelers, of whom there were no formally trained warriors since most grew up in the desert, save maybe Moses since he grew up in the Pharaoh’s house, but that was 80 years past.

But one of the spies, Caleb, “stilled the people before Moses and said, Let us go up at once and possess it. For we are well able to overcome it.” (Numbers 13:30)

And then were the poo-pooers. “But the men that went up with him (Caleb) said, ‘We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.’ And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched to the sons of Israel, saying, The land through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eats up those who live in it. And all the people whom we saw in it were men of stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, of the giants. And we were in our own sight like grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” (Numbers 13:31-33)

All these men saw the same land, the same people. All of them were certain of heart that they could not wage a successful warfare on these giants. But one man, Caleb, had faith that they could.

But the Israelites believed the majority. They were the majority, so they must be right, right? And once again, they regretted they had not died back in Egypt – the land of slavery from which God had delivered them. And they began to grumble against Moses.

But Joshua and Caleb tore their robes at the faithless response to the Israelites. The two of them spoke to multitudes and reminded them that they were not just rebelling against their leader, they were rebelling against God. God had promised this land to them and the pair knew that God kept His promises, if they would only follow Him.

And even in the rebellion and provocation of the people that God loved so much, He remained faithful to be with them.

So, what did it take to bring down those strongholds, and what will it take to bring down the strongholds that the enemy has long set up in our own minds and hearts that keep us from entering into a spiritually victorious life? Not one always free from attacks, but one in which we dwell with our God in peace with all trust and faith and joy in Him? One that is free of those walls that keep us from fully entering in to a life flowing with milk and honey, flowing afresh daily with the Holy Spirit Himself.

We’ll see next time.

Friday Foodie - The Crabcake

Mmm…crabcakes - tiny, delectable patties of sweet seafood goodness. 

Perfect Crabcakes with Green Onion

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons minced green onion tops

½ teaspoon Chesapeake seasoning, such as Old Bay

¼ teaspoon hot red pepper sauce

1 pound lump or backfin crabmeat, drained and picked over for shells

4 teaspoons milk

10 saltine crackers, finely crushed

6 tablespoons olive oil for frying

lemon wedges for serving

1. Mix egg, mayo, green onions, Old Bay and hot sauce in a small bowl until mayo is completely incorporated, then set aside.

2. Lightly break up crabmeat in a medium bowl. Add milk; toss gently to coat. Add crushed saltines; toss gently to combine. Add egg mixture; gently toss, once again, to combine. Divide crab mixture up into 8 portions and form compact patties. (Can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 8 hours.)

3. Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Carefully add crab cakes; sauté, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

A Well-Worn Heart

What is it about the show Touched By An Angel that gets me every time?  When I think of it I remember how it can be a little on the cheesy side.  But I think I've hardly watched a show that I can get through without a least a tear or two.  This last one I watched was no exception.  In fact, I cried most of the way through it.  Darn their cheesiness. 

It was about a 16-year old girl who was in the hospital and needed a heart transplant.  Another woman, in the same hospital, had just been in a horseback riding accident and was being kept alive by machines.  The doctor and the angels were trying to talk to the woman's husband to explain to him how he and his wife could help this young girl by allowing the woman's heart to be donated.  The man would hear nothing of it.  He couldn't accept the fact that his wife was really already dead and his own heart was broken. 

The doctor's daughter visited the young heart patient and they became fast friends.  At one point, the 16-year old girl, facing her own death, looked at her new young friend and said, "You've done well with your heart."

At that moment I thought, have I done well with my heart?  Have I used it to it's ultimate capacity?  Have I loved all I could love?  Have I forgiven all I could forgive?  And, of course, the answer is no.  I've succeeded many times, but others I haven't.

But I have this moment in time to choose whether to do well with my heart or not.  I pray I choose to do all I can possibly do with my heart with the power of God moving me for the rest of my life.  I have one life.  One chance each moment.  How will I look back on those moments when my life nears its end? 

At the end of the show, the husband is finally able to accept his wife's death, and sees the good in donating his dear wife's heart so that another doesn't have to die.  Sadly, he chose too late.  The young girl received her new heart, but along with a new body in the arms of her Savior. 

The husband had been warned many times not to take too long in his decision.  And God speaks to each of us, too, to choose Christ before it's too late.  God desires to give you a new heart.  Not a literal heart, of course, but a soul-heart, if you will, that is not laden with your own sin, but rather one that has been forgiven of all your sins because of the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for you on the cross.  You can receive that forgiveness by simply telling God that you are sorry for your sins and that you want His Son Jesus Christ to come into your life to be your Savior and your Lord.  Please don't wait. 

If you have any questions, please email me by clicking on the postcard in the sidebar. 

God bless.
Dorci

George Street Testimony

Never underestimate the ability of God to work powerfully through you when you simply do what He has called you to do at this moment.  He may not call you to be a pastor or a well-known evangelist, but He has called you to your own ministry. Whatever that is, whether that's raising children to love the Lord, praying for a neighbor, or sharing the gospel with others, if you'll do it faithfully, in God's strength and to the best of your ability, though you may not see results in this lifetime, He will do amazing things.  This is but one such story. 

"For as the rain comes down, and the snow from the heavens, and does not return there, but waters the earth, and makes it bring out and bud, and give seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall My Word be, which goes out of My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall certainly do what I sent it to do. For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break out before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands." (Isaiah 55:10-12)

Friday Funnies - Whatever you do, don't use your GPS to get to The Dress Barn.

Armour of God - Pray Always

Armour of God series - Part 1, Part 2a, Part 2b, Part 2c, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7


I didn’t want to finish up talking about the armour of God without including the call of Paul to prayer. Each piece of armour – the truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation and the word of God, are all obtained through prayer and will be maintained and strengthened by prayer.

“praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints..” (Ephesians 6:18)

Paul includes the words “always” and “all” four times in this one verse.

“praying always”…Our call to prayer is not just when we feel like it, or when things get really, really difficult, or when we’ve exhausted all other resources. We were given the Holy Spirit so that we could be in constant communion with the One to Whom our battles belong.  We can go to Him day or night, home or away.  God is always listening. 

“all prayer and supplication”…Literally, this means with every form of worship and request imaginable. We should never be afraid to bring anything before our Lord. Nothing is too small, too big and there are no feelings of fear or anger or any other emotions or thoughts we can have that He doesn’t already know about. He wants us to learn to completely depend on Him.

“with all perseverance and supplication”…Don’t give up. You may have prayed about something for years. Don’t give up. You may feel discouraged. Don’t give up. You may think God has forgotten you or your prayer. He hasn’t. Don’t give up. See your request through to the end, whether the answer you are given is yes, no, or wait. Don’t give up.

“for all the saints”…The saints are not those few chosen by man to be put on a pedestal for others to worship. The saints are all those who have been made pure and holy by the blood of Jesus Christ. The saints are all those who have believed in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They are you and I. And we are to pray for all of them – as many and as often as the Lord puts on our hearts.

There is a couple who used to go to our church many years ago, but who moved out of state. I haven’t heard from them or anything about them since they left. But every now and then, God will put them on my heart, and I know I need to pray for them. The next time you think of a brother or sister in Christ, pray for them. You may not even know them personally, but pray for them.

Which brings me to the reminder that Paul gives to pray “in the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit knows of things that we don’t. He knows the needs that my friends whom I haven’t seen in years have. He knows the needs of that person sitting across from you in church. He knows the needs of your pastors and their families. He knows all the needs of all the saints that He puts on our hearts to pray for.

As we sit before Him, entering in to all praise and worship of our God, He will show us how to pray for the members of the body of Christ, and how to pray for ourselves. And as we lift up those prayers and supplications, the peace of God will fill our hearts, and each piece of armour will be even stronger than it was before.

God bless!

Fraturday Foodie - Cheddar Cheese Buttermilk Scones

Yep, Friday's gone, so this week it's Fraturday Foodie.  We had these scones with homemade Chicken Noodle Soup.  The first soup of the fall/winter season.  And then I had one for breakfast this morning.  

And p.s..can somebody please tell me why they have you use unsalted butter and then add salt??  Oh, wait. I think I just answered my own question.  Maybe it's because the amount of salt varies from one brand of butter to another and this way they can be precise about the amount of salt added to the recipes.  Huh.  Well thanks for helping me answer a question I've been wondering for a long time.  Who says you don't help out around here.

Cheddar Cheese Buttermilk Scones

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

2 1/4 cups shredded, sharp cheddar cheese

2 large eggs

2/3 cup buttermilk

3 tablespoons chopped chives

baking spray

milk for glazing

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Lightly spray a cookie sheet with cooking oil.

2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, dry mustard, baking powder, sugar, salt and nutmeg.  Add butter, rubbing in with your fingers to form a course meal.  Add cheese and mix.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk and chives.  Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients; add egg mixture.  Using a fork, toss lightly just until all the dry mixture is incorporated. 

4. Drop by spoonfuls onto the cookie sheet to make 12 scones.  Brush the tops with milk.

5. Bake 9-12 minutes, just until tops are lightly browned.  Cool on a wire rack. 

The Persecuted Church in Indonesia

The focus of the persecuted church this month will be on Indonesia. Indonesia is made up of 18,306 islands, 6,000 of which are inhabited. Indonesia is currently listed as a hostile nation, wherein the government attempts to protect Christians, but they are still victimized with violence because of their Christian beliefs.

The religious affiliation currently in Indonesia is 80% Muslim and 16% Christian. The Indonesian government holds a belief called “Pancasila,” where people are technically allowed to choose the religion they follow, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism or Hinduism, but Muslims are given preferential treatment.

Two families in West Java, Indonesia have recently been forced from their homes because the families converted to Christianity and baptized. A Voice of the Martyrs contact reported that, “They were summoned by a Muslim leader [in the village] and told they should leave the village because Christians make the village unclean.”

The Voice of the Martyrs reports that in May of 2008, Muslim warriors attacked a Christian village, burned the homes and threw bombs. They killed a 47-year old woman and her 6-year old granddaughter, smashing the woman’s skull with an ax, and hacking the girl’s stomach with a machete.

Prayer Request

Some Christians had gathered in Indonesia to pray that the hearts of Muslims would be open to the gospel. A video tape of the prayer service leaked to Islamic organizations and Daniel and 40 other Christian leaders were arrested in Indonesia in April, 2007. Daniel, an evangelist, was sentenced to 5 years in prison.

Please be praying for Daniel and other prisoners who are currently serving prison time or are being persecuted in any way in Indonesia. If you’d like to write a letter of encouragement to Daniel, you can do so through Prisoner Alert.

Please pray for continued growth of the body of Christ in Indonesia, that the Lord will strengthen them in body and spirit to stay strong in their faith, that they will keep spreading the good news of Jesus Christ and that the Holy Spirit will draw many Muslims and people of other religions to the Heavenly Father and that they will be saved.

God bless.