Will Satan talk to me less as I get closer to God?

Bedtime is a special time for me with my kids. It was at bedtime a couple year ago that my now eight year old son asked Jesus to be in his heart. Since that time, our conversations have gone in many directions in regard to who God is and where he is.

My son recently told me he was struggling with prayer. He said it embarrassed him to pray. It seems the embarrassment was related to his comment that it is hard to believe in God because he can’t see him. Isn’t it amazing how Satan can cause even the most sincere child to be uncomfortable with God?

My response was to encourage him to talk to God alone when he thought about it even if he didn’t feel comfortable with it. It’s like a new friendship. The deepest of friendships often begin with some awkwardness especially if one individual has obvious superiority and respect in some area. I assured my son that he would feel more comfortable with God as he spent more time talking to him.

This week, after confirming that talking to God in your mind is prayer, my son informed me with a great deal of enthusiasm that he’s been praying more. He said all his doubts are gone and he feels much closer to God now. Then came the question: “Will Satan talk to me less as I get closer to God?”

That sounds logical but reality is just the opposite. My son and I then entered into the conversation of how to distinguish God’s voice from Satan’s voice. My logical son gave me an example of Satan’s voice – mean and rough with a scowl on his face.

Again, that seems logical but not reality. Satan is called a liar and deceiver. His desire to rule in place of God drives him to use many schemes which most often appear “good” – at least initially or for a “good” cause. How easy it would be to choose God’s way over Satan’s if every “evil” temptation were obviously mean and rough and caused us to have a scowl on our face.

God is not human. The deity of Jesus Christ was not in his humanness, it was in his Godness. The easiest way to get to know God is to read and study his written word – the Bible. Every thought God places in our minds will be in line with his character which is revealed in scripture.

Fortunately, my son likes to read. But the Bible no longer has to be something of dread to read for any age. I still prefer The New International Version for my everyday reading but often go to The Message or New Living Translation when I’m studying a topic or section of the Bible. Christianbook.com has a good article to help understand the large variety of Bibles to choose from today.

I recently bought my son a New Testament called “Magnify”. It has a fun cover and full of games and even has Codes to read with the 3-D glasses included. I gave him the same suggestion I give adults. Start with one book – I recommend the book of John – read it like you would any other book. Read for enjoyment. Stop when something jumps out at you. Meditate on those words and talk to God about them. What do those words tell you about God and his relationship with you?

The way to recognize the ideas of another person is to get to know that person. The Bible is God’s life story. Enjoy getting to know him in print so that you can recognize his ideas planted in your mind.

I would die for you

Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

On my walk with God this morning, I told him I would give my life for him. His response, “Would you give your pride for me?” Ouch!

Until recently, “to die is gain” has been the more attractive option of the above verse. But over the past year or so I’ve experienced a deeper understanding of “to live is Christ”.

It is overwhelming to attempt to comprehend that Christ lives in me. I want everything I do to be Christ’s work not my human efforts. Obviously that is easier said than done. But the concept is wonderful.

I’ve been basking in this new enlightenment for several months. I thought I’d given up my pride because I have stated I am willing to look foolish (in my or others opinion) for the sake of Christ. I’ve stated I am willing to fail (from the human perspective) in order to see God’s perfect power through my failures and weaknesses.

I thought I was over what my husband and I have titled “prideful humility.” That’s the pride that says, “Oh, you go ahead, I don’t need that, you can have it.” Or “I’ll just be unseen; you go ahead and do it your way.” It’s the pride that makes you feel like you have put others first when in reality you’ve simply said, “I’m better than you because I can do without.”

Truth is: without Christ, I am nothing. That truth applies to everyone. When God sends someone in my physical path that thinks they need something more than Christ, am I willing to give up my pride and allow Christ to live in me at that moment?

An issue came up yesterday that greatly irritated me. My prideful humility would say “just let the idiots do it their way and don’t stir up anything that will make them think I need more Zoloft.” But that’s not what I heard God saying in my walk this morning.

Ignorance most often stems from inexperience or just the need to have someone show (not tell) the person how the thoughts apply to their life.

Telling others my thoughts is not too difficult. But, I tend to withhold some thoughts if I sense rejection. Showing takes more time. It takes willingness to listen and understand the experiences of the “ignorant” person (no offense intended). Then I can relate my thoughts and experiences in a way that they will see how it applies to their life and not just mine.

I don’t know exactly what God is leading me to after this. I was pretty proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone a year ago. The pride of that has worn off. I’ve settled into another comfort zone. I guess it’s time to step out again. Maybe I’ll leave the pride behind this time. Oh, that’s a scary thought.

Proverbs 11:2 (New Living Translation) Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

That’s a tougher choice than the Philippians verse. I’m a bit ignorant on true humility but Christ certainly took the time and painful effort of showing what it looks like. Now will I choose to apply it and gain wisdom or stick with my ignorant head knowledge?

Philippians 2:5-8 (The Message)Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death--and the worst kind of death at that: a crucifixion.

In God We Trust

1 Kings 8:27 (NLV) – Solomon’s Prayer
"But is it true that God will live on the earth? See, heaven and the highest heaven are not big enough to hold You. How much less this house which I have built."

1 Kings 9:3
"The Lord said to him, I have heard your prayer which you have prayed to Me. I have set apart this house you have built by putting My name there forever. My eyes and My heart will be there always."

I’ve been in a few conversations recently about the eventual fall of the USA. History tends to repeat itself and one nation does not remain a world power forever. Christians tend to believe this fall will be due to decline of morality in our culture. I agree that in many ways we, as a nation, have turned away from God. However, my trust is in God, not in the power of our nation.

Solomon’s prayer in 1 Kings 8 and God’s response in 1 Kings 9:1-9 give me hope for our nation. Yes, there is the promise that God will remove his Name if his people turn from him. But there is also the promise that God will always be with us. When his people or foreigners turn to him, confess his Name and turn from their individual sin; he will hear from heaven and forgive them.

At the time of Solomon, God put his name on the temple. 1 Kings 8:10 indicates that God’s presence filled the physical temple in the form of a visible cloud.

God’s people are now those who honor his son, Jesus Christ. Our bodies are the temple which carry his name. And his presence dwells in the believer in the form of the Holy Spirit.

Our nation has reaped the benefit of God’s presence because of the large number of individuals in the US who honor and carry his name. In fact, this nation began with leaders who were fully devoted to God as individuals. Their desire was to worship God as God led them rather than as the King of England directed them. The devotion of these leaders is evident in much of their writing and is viewed everyday on our currency.

Yes, our nation began honoring the Name (reputation) of God. But it was the individual leaders who carried that name, not the nation itself. God has given his Name to individuals. It is up to the individuals who know his Name to turn to him and pray; to seek forgiveness for their own sins.

When we speak of our nation’s lack of honor to God, we are assuming that God dwells in our nation as a whole rather than in the individual. Isn’t that the problem our forefathers had with the Church of England? The American rebel is stirred in me when I see those who profess to be followers of Christ acting like the King of England. Our nation was founded on the desire to turn to God and let God draw people to his glory. The intent was to establish a nation of individuals united in God – not united in how they believed. They were seeking freedom to honor God directly rather than through the King.

The strength of our nation lies in the individual believer’s willingness to confess the Name of God, turn from his/her sin and look to God as their leader. Our task is not to force others to seek God. When God’s presence dwells in his temple, his glory will be evident to all – believer and non-believer.

1 Kings 8:59-60 (NIV)
“And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day's need, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other.” (emphasis added)

Sacrifice Isaac? Thats Outrageous!

Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." Genesis 22:2 (NIV)

Why would a loving God test Abraham in such a way? I’ve been taught this was possibly to prove Abraham’s faithfulness to himself. That comes from those who contend that God chooses to know everything. That assumption brings more questions than answers to my mind. But I won’t go there.

I’d like to go into a history of the sacrifice but I’ll skip that too so you will read to the end.

Let’s start with a modern definition of sacrifice. According to The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, sacrifice is the “forfeiture of something highly valued for the sake of one considered to have a greater value or claim.”

Intellectually, any Christ follower would state that God is of the greatest value. In our culture, most would agree that human life is the most highly valued thing we have any control over. But how do we define life? Is it the moving, breathing body or is it something else?

Leviticus 17:11 states that the life of the creature is in the blood and God has given us that blood to make atonement for ourselves. It is the blood that makes atonement for the life. So what is atonement?

Atonement is “amends or reparation made for an injury or wrong.” It is our knowledge of good and evil that makes us aware of our wrongs. But our desire to be like God distracts us from seeing the need to forfeit something we highly value for the sake of God’s claim. Many people want to believe that God is too kind to really expect us to sacrifice anything. After all, isn’t that what Christ did for us? Yes, but he was much more than a kamikaze pilot or suicide bomber.

God’s request of Abraham in Genesis 22 reveals the significance of what Christ did for us.

Genesis 17:15-19 tells us that Isaac was not merely a gift for Abraham and Sarah to enjoy for their own pleasure. God gave Isaac for God’s purpose – for the sake of one of greater value. We may not be the parents of many nations but our children also have purpose beyond our own pleasure.

We fail to comprehend that life is more important than food and the body more important than clothes. (Matthew 6:25) We overlook the truth that the life of the creature (or person) is in the blood, not in the flesh. John 6:63 tells us the Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. Other scripture informs us that our battles are not against flesh and blood. We are to worship in Spirit and truth – the physical entities are not the most significant part of who we are.

Now to the concept of fire and the burnt offering. Throughout scripture, fire represents God’s power. God spoke to Moses in a burning bush. He guided the Israelites by a pillar of fire (Exodus 13:21). God sent fire to consume offerings in Leviticus 9:24 and 1 Kings 18:38. John the Baptist stated that Jesus would baptize with fire and indeed he did. The Holy Spirit appeared like tongues of fire in Acts 2:3.

It seems to me that God was asking Abraham to acknowledge truth. What is life? Is it the joy of interacting with your son Isaac in the flesh? Or is life found in God alone?

We know that in the physical realm, anything left in fire long enough will be totally consumed or melted down to become greater in value. We tend to treasure things that will not withstand fire. Yet God has shown us through Christ that we consist of something not viewable with the human eye that is capable of withstanding the fire of death. Even though Abraham didn’t have the privilege of that insight, he was willing to offer his greatest physical treasure. He feared and trusted God more than he wanted from God.

Are you seeking only the physical pleasures from God’s provisions? What are you keeping from God? Whatever he has placed in your reach is for his purpose. He wants you to participate in his abundant life. But we must be willing to acknowledge the truth that life is in the Spirit and the flesh counts for nothing.

God has given us flesh which we may use and do with as we please. He offers us his Spirit so that we may participate in real life. Do you want control of physical pleasure or do you want life? Life is so much greater than anything the physical senses can comprehend.

Will you submit to his greater cause or will you remain childish and shout “mine” when he asks of you? What do your children or those around you see as your greatest value? Why hang on to toys when you can have the real thing?

The human body as we know it has a short existence. Do you want to go just a short distance? Then continue to use your own power. Do you want to go farther? Be consumed by the power of fire – give up life as you know it and experience real life. It’s not an outrageous request when you discover the true meaning of life.

 

Instruction Manual for Life

Some people like to think of the Bible as an instruction manual. Instruction manuals simplify life and save time. Most parents would appreciate having a manual handed to them along with their first child.

To write a useful instruction manual, the writer must have superior knowledge of the unique design of an item. The user also needs to have some comprehension of the parts and purpose of the item to be able to understand the manual. According to my experience as a parent, the engineering design of children is much too complicated for anyone to write such a manual.

If the Bible is an instruction manual, I’m in trouble. My thoughts and ways are not anywhere near God’s thoughts and ways. Therefore, I don’t have a chance of comprehending the instructions.

I like to view the Bible as God’s autobiography. The most useful parenting books are written by parents suggesting ways to interact with children rather than specific procedures to apply. The Bible is full of stories about God interacting with mankind. These true-life stories allow us to get to know God.

The cool thing is that this autobiography doesn’t have an ending because God is as much alive today as he was in the beginning. We are a part of the never ending story. The Bible shows that God has interacted with mankind in various ways throughout time.

In the beginning, God walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden. After the Garden, he interacted with chosen people through his Spirit. Eventually, God became man in the person of Jesus Christ. He is no longer with us in the flesh of one man but Jesus promised that he would send the Holy Spirit to live in his followers. Not just with us, but in us. That’s a pretty close relationship.

If we view the Bible as an instruction manual, we will go nuts trying to make human sense out of whether we are to annihilate our enemies or turn the other cheek. A friend was once trying to read scripture as an instruction manual and found the “instructions” concerning the mold in her house to be rather humorous.

Everything in the Bible has purpose and meaning. Just as every aspect of my life has made an impact on who I am, we can learn who God is by looking at the various aspects of his life as revealed in scripture.

God’s actions and instructions do change throughout the Bible. His character never changes. Actions that never change are instinct or habit; they are performed without much thought. Actions based on the character of a person change according to the relationship encountered.

If we view the Bible as an autobiography of the Holy Spirit that is alive within us, the entire Bible is much more enjoyable to read. Rather than say, “that instruction doesn’t apply today,” we can ask “what impact did that interaction between God and man tell me about who God is and his relationship with me today?”

Do you want to have a relationship with God or just follow instructions written by one with an intellect beyond the scope of human understanding? He is not made in our image. We are made in his image.

God desires obedience, yes. But it is obedience to his gentle voice which we recognize by getting to know his unchanging character. That character is revealed when we read the Bible as an autobiography in which the main character is God, not us.

May the peace of Christ free you to live in relationship with the Creator of all things.

Perseverance

I really don’t like that word. Wouldn’t it be nice if the important things in life were easy? The definition of persevere is to remain constant to a purpose, idea, or task in the face of obstacles or discouragement.

Obstacles? Discouragement? If the purpose, idea or task is worth pursuing for the common good of all; why would anyone place obstacles in the way? Why would anyone discourage the effort?

Apparently the need to persevere is not new. One of my favorite passages in the Bible is found in the book of James. My study Bible gives this book the theme “Practical Christian Living.” Keep that word “practical” in mind as you read this statement from James 1:2-4

Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Do you want to be mature and complete? Then we must remain constant in the face of obstacles and discouragement. It’s the practical (useful) thing to do.

Maybe you are more like Peter Pan and you don’t care about being mature and complete – or at least that’s what you say. You want to just enjoy life: do as little as possible and only do that which is not met with resistance. Doesn’t sound so bad. Right?

Hang on, you “life is for enjoyment” minded folks. In 2 Thessalonians 3:5-6, Paul prays that those who profess to know Christ would be directed by God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. He goes on to command, with the authority of Christ, to “stay away from any Christian who lives in idleness and doesn't follow the tradition of hard work.” Oh, bummer.

So not only is it God’s desire that we persevere, it is God’s command through Paul that those who persevere through hard work should abandoned those Christ followers who sit idle and take the path of leisure. That doesn’t sound very nice. There must be more.

Like James, Romans 5:3 tells us to rejoice in our sufferings. What emotionally stable person would rejoice in sufferings?

According to this passage in Romans, suffering produces perseverance. Well, that makes sense. We can’t call it perseverance if there are no obstacles to suffer through. Stop there and I think we could avoid perseverance by avoiding suffering.

Let’s read on. Perseverance produces character. Well, character is good but if we don’t care what others think, it doesn’t really matter, does it? Must be more. Digging a little further we find that character produces hope. Now that is worth something.

Hope, the confident expectation of the fulfillment of a desire. Without hope, why live at all?

The desires God has placed in my heart are just past the obstacles. It can be discouraging trying to make my way through what seems to be failures or simple unexpected resistance. Spider webs are easy to get through but when I go through them unexpectedly, they gross me out and slow me down.

Sometimes, it’s just the sense of being alone on an unfamiliar, unmarked path. I’m really not alone. It just seems that way because I’m having to give attention to the obstacles I might trip over. The path is quiet at times because others on this journey are doing the same thing.

It’s ok that the path is unfamiliar to me. That satisfies my desire for adventure. But the path is not unmarked. Jesus Christ blazed the trail. I suffer with Christ by staying on the path he made for us.

Many have been lured into making their own trail or taking easier paths made by others. The truth is they don’t really know where those paths lead. They have no hope because they have no confidence in the fulfillment of their desires. They don’t have a relationship with those who have been to the end of that path. It’s a dead end and it takes an eternity to get there. Their desires are never fulfilled. Even along the path, they are constantly changing their direction seeking for something better, easier. Something that feels good.

I’ve been on that path. It was fun for a while. But the sense of not getting anywhere – no hope – proved meaningless.

Some give up on the path because of the obstacles. Maybe they just sit down where they are and visit with those who are traveling on. They have lost the desire to see the view on the other side of the obstacles. Maybe they think it will be something that someone can bring back to them. Or that someone will pick them up and carry them on. Maybe they will tag along close behind someone else until the path becomes too difficult for their lack of determination.

I’m way too familiar with that type of traveler. You can find my butt print at various places along my journey. Fortunately, I’ve had friends come along and help me up as Ecclesiastes 4:10 suggests. They don’t usually allow me to follow behind them. They walk beside me. Some have even pushed me ahead so they could encourage me from behind.

Others accept the defeat of discouragement and return to a place that is familiar and comfortable. They give up on their desires. They decide they were foolish to attempt the path. They convince themselves that life is about being content right where you are. They may even convince themselves and others that dreams are bad because they fuel discontentment. They strive to just be good to those around them. Peaceful living becomes more valuable than hope.

I’ve been known to fall into that category also. It seems so easy to say “just be content.” Oh, my flesh is willing but my spirit isn’t content to stop at any point for very long.

I’m struggling with perseverance right now. I don’t doubt God’s existence anymore but sometimes I wish I did. [laughing] Growing up in Christ is a lot like becoming an adult.

My kids asked me recently at what age do you become a grown up. I told them it’s not about age. It’s about willingness to accept responsibility.

So why grow up? Why be responsible? Why persevere? Why work? Why labor?

I like the way 1 Thessalonians 1:3 puts it. The work is produced by faith, labor prompted by love and endurance is inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Perseverance simply requires remaining focused on Christ. Hebrews 12:1-2 tells me that Jesus is the author and perfector of my faith. He endured the cross for the joy set before him. He has blazed the trail through all the obstacles. This path is not a disappointing dead end. I am confident that the desires God has placed in me will be fulfilled. How can I be confident of that? Because I have an interactive relationship with the trailblazer.

Do you live with a sense of hope? Are you sitting waiting for a friend to pick you up? I suggest that you pick up your love letter from God – the Bible. Get in relationship with the one who has made it to the other side. His perseverance and love will guide you through.

Hebrews 12:3 (NIV) Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Who am I?

Some days, I don’t know who I am. Ever feel that way?

When I created this blog, I sent an email to a selective group of friends to let them know about the dream God had placed in me. Mary, my best friend from high school, replied assuming I had sent the email to everyone in my address book. She included her maiden name and wrote as if I may not remember her. This friend didn’t know who she is.

Let me tell you how her friendship changed my life forever.

We officially met at band camp my sophomore year of high school. We became best friends almost instantly. Based on what she knew of me, that was a miracle.

Her family was a second family to me. Her mom and dad trusted me. Sometimes I wonder if they really did or if they just said that hoping that would make me behave. It worked. There is nothing greater than being loved and trusted.

I started attending church with Mary. Because of that, I was able to travel with the youth choir one summer. I love to travel. I also was introduced to the couple that would play a major role in my spiritual survival a few years down the road. I met my husband at her church. He is another gift from God. The influence of this church led me to choose a Christian college. The college friends have also been significant in my spiritual growth.

Mary and I went through a rough period my freshman year of college. It hurt me very much. My pride failed to let me see that she was reacting out of the pain from all the stuff going on in her life. She apologized for her part and I verbally accepted her apology but inside I was not forgiving. She appropriately and loving pointed out my lack of true forgiveness about four years later.

I was so obsessed with her offense against me that I didn’t give her a chance to tell me all that was happening in her life. It was many years before I apologized for not being a supportive friend to her during that period.

When I get an email from her, I get excited. I’m very thankful that we do still have some contact. Her friendship continues to be a gift from God. I wish we could be more involved in each other’s lives.

Not remember her? Ha! God has made me who I am today because of the influence of her friendship twenty years ago.

Lessons from this friendship: Be thankful for every friendship. Don’t be selfish in friendship. When a friend hurts your feelings, there’s a good chance that something else is going on in her life. Listen. Always listen.

Mary gave me permission to blog about her with the hope that it may encourage others. I’ll never forget who she is because “a lifetime’s not too long to live as friends.” (Friends – Michael W. Smith)

What friend do you have that doesn’t know who she/he is? Maybe you need to apologize for who you were and thank them for influencing who you are now.

“Wounds from a friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.” Proverbs 27:6 (New Living Translation)