Accurate Information

          I had an opportunity to speak with members of a women’s book club regarding my book Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame. After a lovely lunch and some small talk, we got down to the business at hand of discussing the book. I answered the opening question about my initial inspiration to write the book, and then one of the women asked me about some points I had made in one of the chapters. As I prefaced each of my comments with, “Well, the Bible says…,” I noticed that several of the women were not only quiet, but seemed a bit distant. Soon the reason was disclosed.

         Very politely, one of the women said, “I don’t want to offend you, but I stopped reading the book at page 42.” You see, page 42 lays out the Gospel truth that all religions do not lead to the same God. The book states:

• No matter what name is on the marquee, churches that teach the fundamental truths of the Bible, acknowledging first and foremost the deity of Jesus Christ, are leading their parishioners to the God of Christianity. However, any religion not willing to assert that Jesus Christ is God – and the coming to Him in faith for eternal life – is not leading its followers to the same God we serve.

          A discussion ensued about the veracity of the Bible, the identity of the person of Jesus Christ, and the existence of absolute truth. The question was asked, “How can you say that this viewpoint is “right” and all other religions in the world are “wrong”?

          Again, I pointed to Jesus’ own words. I answered, “In John 14:6, Jesus Christ Himself asserted, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except throughMe.’ By saying this, either Jesus is lying, He’s a lunatic, or He actually is the Lord stating the truth about Himself. And we are responsible regarding what we do with that truth.”

          That comment forced the next retort. “How can you judge everyone in the world like that?”

          My heart was racing now because I realized I was literally on the battlefield for which my book instructed me to suit up. I relished the conversation because I knew that in the armor, I could confidently wield the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and know that each strike would make its point.

          My answer was that there’s a difference between “judgment” and “stating a fact.” I could confidently and unapologetically say that Jesus Christ is the only way to God because that is a fact stated in the Bible. If we believe the Bible to be true, we have to believe all of it. We can’t pick and choose the parts we like – the parts that hold no consequence – and toss out the parts that make us uncomfortable or require us to change. By stating what the Bible says, I am not judging. If people feel judged or criticized, it’s God’s word that’s doing the judging.

          People probably will be defensive at first when they hear the truth of the Gospel clearly proclaimed. John 3:19-20 says, “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (NKJ). However, don’t be scared to share the truth of the Word of God, but do so gently and lovingly. Peter instructs us to have Christ so set apart in our hearts that at any and every moment we should “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks [us] to give the reason for the hope that [we] have. But do this with gentleness and respect” First Peter3:15(NIV).

          Eternity hangs in the balance. Give out accurate information about God.

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©2012 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

 And pick up a copy of Sharon’s new book, Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame, available at Christian bookstores, online, from New Hope Publishers, and from the Life That Matters Ministries’ website.

Week 16, Day 4: Upset About What Upsets God – Hands that Shed Innocent Blood

Hands that Shed Innocent Blood

The third hateful thing to God listed in Proverbs 6:17 is “hands that shed innocent blood.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary explains this phrase as referring to “cruelty and blood-thirstiness.” He goes on to explain that “the devil was, from the beginning, a liar and a murderer <Jn. 8:44>, and therefore, as a lying tongue, so hands that shed innocent blood are hateful to God, because they have in them the devil’s image and do him service.”

Indeed, early on in the Scriptures, we learn the importance of life as far as God is concerned. All of God’s magnificent creation was put in place for the express purposes of sustaining life and being enjoyed by those to whom He gave life. After God breathed life into Adam and made him a living soul, He gave him the earth to subdue, have dominion over, and receive sustaining life from (see Genesis 1:26-31).

Even years after man’s devastating plunge into sin, God continued to teach the how important life was to Him. To Noah and his sons, God said, “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man” Genesis 9:6 (NKJ). Life is sacred and ought to be honored as the most precious gift, second only to our salvation, God has bestowed upon us. We are to treat our own lives and the lives or others with value, respect, and dignity. Murder – the premeditated killing of another person – is the ultimate indignity and a slap in God’s face as it destroys God’s very image that He Himself has placed within every human being. Genesis 9:6 not only allows, but calls for capital punishment (the death penalty) for such acts. One forfeits his own life when he murders another individual. Capital punishment is not murder; it is punishment: the exacting of the just price for one’s wrongdoing. Death by the hands of the justice system is the penalty set by God for murder, and this shows just how much God hates “hands that shed innocent blood.”

All life qualifies to be honored and given the right not to be murdered. This includes the young, the old, the pre-born, the rich, the poor, the nice people, and the low-lifes. No matter how angry we are, how desperate we feel, how hopeless the situation looks, or how unfair another’s actions have been, the answer is not to resort to murder. In most civilizations, laws exist and existed that protected life. The Constitution of the United States, for example, lists “life” as one of the big three basic rights “endowed by our Creator” upon all human beings. However, even when and where laws fail, our recourse is still not to murder, but to trust God as the Judge who is more than able to exact justice.

Cast down those thoughts of murder. Are you seeking to destroy another’s life, career, or character? Rather than seeking to wipe out that person’s life, pray for the mind of God about that individual. How would God have you treat and think of that person? What is His will for him or her?

Prayer of Supplication: Lord, give me your mind and heart about ___________. Change me thoughts about him/her to Your thoughts. Give me the will to treat him/her as You would.

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©2012 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

And pick up a copy of Sharon’s new book, Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame, available at Christian bookstores, online, from New Hope Publishers, and from the Life That Matters Ministries’ website.

 

 

Week 16, Day 3: Upset About What Upsets God – A Lying Tougue

A Lying Tongue

Most parents I know are adamant with their children about being lied to. Although we’ll be highly disappointed, we’d rather have our kids tell us the truth and then deal with the consequences and fallout, then have to find out that they lied and have everyone involved look foolish. Fathers and mothers are known to say, “You’ll probably still be in trouble, but you’ll be in a lot more trouble if we find out you are lying. I can’t help you if you’re a liar.”

The second item in the list of things God hates is “a lying tongue” (Proverbs 6:17). Matthew Henry’s Commentary says of this item, “[A lying tongue] speaks of falsehood, and fraud, and dissimulation. Next to a proud look nothing is more an abomination to God than a lying tongue; nothing more sacred than truth, nor more necessary to conversation than speaking truth. God and all good men hate and abhor lying.”

God stakes His reputation on the veracity of His Word so much so that He identifies Himself in the flesh as “the Word.” John 1:1 and 14 state, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (NKJ). Couple these verses with John 8:31-32, “If you abide in My word [Jesus says], you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (NKJ). Again, here’s God’s word being juxtaposed with the truth. Jesus is God’s word lived out in the flesh, and God’s word equals the truth, so all truth can be found in Jesus. Freedom comes through the truth; therefore, freedom comes through Jesus. Anything opposite from the truth, then, is a lie. That means all that is opposite of or that is opposing Jesus is a lie.

No wonder God hates the lying tongue. All truth is of God; all lies are the diametrical opposite of God, i.e. all lies are of the devil. Jesus had to explain this to the scribes and Pharisees who challenged His authenticity. “Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here… you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies’” (NKJ).

Be especially watchful of yourself regarding lying. When you decide to lie, you are casting your lot with Satan from whose character all lies come. Again, no wonder God hates a lying tongue.

Prayer of Thanksgiving: Thank You for letting me know the character of lying and for providing Your truth that I can live in and speak instead of spouting out falsehoods.

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©2012 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

And pick up a copy of Sharon’s new book, Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame, available at Christian bookstores, online, from New Hope Publishers, and from the Life That Matters Ministries’ website.

 

Week 16, Day 2: Upset About What Upsets God – A Proud Look

 A Proud, Haughty (Arrogant) Look

As we study Proverbs 6:16-19, let’s take a look at Matthew Henry’s commentary on the passage. He states that this passage is “a catalogue of those things which are in a special manner odious to God… God hates sin; He hates every sin; He can never be reconciled to it; He hates nothing but sin. But there are some sins which He does in a special manner hate; and all those here mentioned are such as are injurious to our neighbor. It is an evidence of the good-will God bears to mankind that those sins are in a special manner provoking to Him which are prejudicial to the comfort of human life and society.” Henry goes on to state that we must not only hate these sins in others, “but we must hate them in ourselves” as well.

So specifically today dealing with the first in the list of things God hates, again Matthew Henry’s astute words give us an excellent understanding about what the Bible means in Proverbs 6:17 by “a proud look.” “Haughtiness, conceitedness of ourselves, and contempt of others [is what’s being described here as] a proud look. There are seven things that God hates, and pride is the first, because it is at the bottom of much sin and gives rise to it.”

The idea is this: pride makes us inflate our own value and deflate the value of others. Pride makes us put ourselves first. Why does God hate that? Because by doing so, we are puffing ourselves up above God. How is that possible? Two ways: first, God is not as important to us as we are to ourselves. We’ve adopted the slogan “Take care of number one!” Second, our importance to ourselves makes us better than God. After all, God put the whole world before His own Son; how dare we do anything different. If God can put others first, why can’t we?

Psalm 10:4 says, “The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts” (NKJ). Pride evicts God from our thoughts, moving ourselves into His place. When our first instinct is to do what we want to do, say what we want to say, go where we want to go, think what we want to think, and react the way we want to react, we are acting in pride—we are participating in what God hates. In what ways have we been operating with “a proud look?” Do we hate our pride like God does?

Prayer of Confession: Lord, I have been operating in pride in the following areas: _____________________________________

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©2012 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

And pick up a copy of Sharon’s new book, Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame, available at Christian bookstores, online, from New Hope Publishers, and from the Life That Matters Ministries’ website.

Boldly Enter

“We can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. ²¹ And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house,  let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him” (Hebrews 10:19-22 NLT).

Offer, Order, and Open Your Eyes

As you’ve noticed, I haven’t been as consistent with the devotions lately as I have been for the past 3 years. I set out determined to read my Bible every day and then post a thought to pass on to you that which God had said to me through His word that day. I’d done a pretty good job of that until I was hired at my new teaching position. In an effort to give the necessary hours to faithfully carry out the duties required by my wonderful employer, I’ve found that the hours of my day left to continue my other writing ventures have been severely limited. Due to the distance of the job from my home, I now have to get on the road at the time I used to spend in my early morning devotional reading and writing. Pushing my wake-up time to another hour earlier would mean I just wouldn’t make it through the rest of the day.

I have tried one adjustment, and that is to do my devotional reading and writing in the evening. Over the past few weeks, you’ve seen how well that has worked. Not so much! So now it’s time for my next adjustment. I’m going to still find time to read and pray daily, but I will write more than one devotion several days a week and post them on succeeding days. Now that we’ve begun the year with our weekly themes, I really want to get back on track and get us caught up. Be pulling and praying for me. Right now, we should be at the beginning of week 18, and week 16 is not completed yet.

Has this ever happened to you? You make plans — even really good, Godly plans — and then, for some reason, they fall apart? What do you do when that happens? Some people feel so guilty that they end up falling farther and farther behind because they’re so ashamed to have to pick themselves up, acknowledge their failure, and do the steps to get back into the race. Some of us try to act as if nothing ever happened, but by doing so, we short-circuit our opportunity to learn and grow from our mistake. Others of us just give up.

Well, none of those reactions will do us any good when we fall off of whatever wagon we are supposed to be on. Doing whatever God purposed for us to do is still a good idea; in fact, it’s the best idea. God is not surprised by the fact that life continues to happen. He knew it would when He gave us our assignments. It’s our job to just redirect our thinking, reevaluate the necessities, and restructure our time to get everything done God has assigned. If God’s assigned it to be done, He’ll provide for it to be done.

Psalm 50:23 says, “Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God” (NKJ). I’m praising God today, giving Him glory for the full life He’s provided. I’m ordering my conduct to do what’s right: meet in private with Him daily; be an honorable, faithful employee on my job; and carry out the speaking, writing, and editing ministry He’s placed on my heart. I fully expect that by offering my praise and ordering my conduct, I will clearly see the salvation of God worked out in my life.

So, as you are having your really busy days, put things in perspective. Offer God praise, order your conduct, and open your eyes. You’ll see the salvation of God!

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©2012 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com.

Week 16, Day 1: Upset about What Upsets God

        Jesus was greatly upset when He approached the temple and found the Court of the Gentiles blocked by a bizarre. A bizarre? In essence, yes. Pens holding all kinds of animals crowded the hallways because the people coming to the temple needed them for the purpose of the sacrifices.  Tables for the money changers took up even more space, especially during the Passover, the biggest religious celebration of the year, so the temple was really crowded. People from many different nations converged onJerusalemand they needed to exchange their foreign money to buy the animals to have for the sacrifices. Unfortunately, the buying and money changing had become more important than the purpose of the temple itself, so Jesus was upset.

        As the disciples watched, Jesus “made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.” Then Jesus spoke directly to some of the sellers saying, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!” John 2:15-16 (NIV). Being good students of the Scriptures, as the disciples watched this scene, they were reminded of a verse from Psalm 69:9 which says, “For zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me” (NIV). Jesus’ righteous indignation burned because it upset God that people were being blocked from getting to Him in worship.

        Are we upset by the things that upset God? Do we even know what upsets God? And then once we discover what upsets God, do we fix it in ourselves before we’re so fast to fix it in others? For starters, Proverbs 6:16-19 lays out 7 things are detestable to God:

1. A proud, haughty (arrogant) look

2. A lying tongue

3. Hands that shed innocent blood

4. A heart that devises wicked plans or plots evil

5. Feet swift to run to mischief, that race to do wrong

6. A false witness that speaks lies

7. He that sows discord or stirs up dissension among the brethren (NIV and NLT)

          This week and next week, we’ll explore these things God hates and see if we’re as upset about them as He is.

Prayer of Adoration: God, I honor You for Your consistency. You have made clear to me what you like and what You despise. Your holiness is awesome.

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©2012 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

 And pick up a copy of Sharon’s new book, Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame, available at Christian bookstores, online, from New Hope Publishers, and from the Life That Matters Ministries’ website.