Category: Protection

Jehovah Nissi - The Lord is My Banner

6/27/2015

He is still Jehovah Nissi today. He fights battles on our behalf and provides the victories. What are you battling today? Drugs, sex, abuse, anger, unforgiveness, fear, a false sense of identity? Whatever it is, God will fight this battle with you and give you victory. Do you trust Him? Are you willing to surrender control of your out-of-control life, and place your battle into His hands?

I'm writing about the game Capture the Flag, Sgt. York, and Moses over at Laced With Grace. I invite you to join the conversation over there.

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The Hard Prayers to Live and Die By

5/27/2015

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My heart breaks for those suffering persecution. Would to God I could rescue them all. But they already have a rescuer, a redeemer, who has not abandoned them even though it may appear He has to some who have suffered for so long.

Having a daughter and her family serving as missionaries in a third world country, I find myself continually surrendering them to God, asking Him to protect them, and to also give them (and Mike and I) the grace they need should He call them to give their lives. It's a hard prayer, a prayer for grace to live and die by.

And that is my prayer for all Christians everywhere. That we would be given the grace to stand - to live for Him even if it's to kneel before the enemy and be beheaded...then Lord, grant us dying grace. The world is moved by the testimony of the saints as they point to the Savior. May God grant us all grace and peace in the midst of horror, and perseverance in the midst of persecution (and mounting persecutions in our own country.) We simply must fix our eyes on Him, the author and finisher of our faith. He calls us to action, and so we do what we can amidst evil and corruption, but we can't rely upon human governments to fix the world. At best they can put a band-aid on it. This battle has been going on since the fall of man. Some are called to be martyrs, but they are not redeemed by their martyrdom, nor are they capable of redeeming others through their heroic act of courage. There is only One who can redeem the world.

Here is the hard truth...

Jesus came to rescue and redeem EVERYONE! Not just the ones we deem as worth saving.

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

Try to wrap your mind around the full essence of truth found in this verse. He bore the sins of the world...the WHOLE world. Those people doing all that persecution of Christians around the world, groups like ISIS...He died for them. God is grieved by sin, He abhors it. And yet He desires all men to be saved and made it possible through His Son, Jesus Christ. Me, I'm ready to send every last one of them to hell.... how self-righteous of me! Those politicians that we can't stand because they're making a mess of our country....we criticize and get angry at them, we ridicule, point fingers and place blame. Yep...He died for them.

I just can't fathom His fathomless grace.

Mark Mosley is a Christian inspirational speaker. He shared a humbling reminder of just how vast His infinite sacrifice for all mankind is.

Jesus bore the sins of the Assyrians, who gloated over the captives they had skinned alive; the sins of SS troops, machine-gunning women and children running from burning synagogues with clothing ablaze.

Jesus bore the sins of child molesters, making sure their victims never have to testify; the sins of the Pharaohs, sacrificing thousands of laborers' lives, to build themselves deifying tombs.

Jesus was tossed about in these endless storms: enraged fathers beating toddlers to death; pimps seducing runaways into lives of drugs and prostitution; church ladies cannibalizing other church ladies over coffee; Canaanites throwing their children to Moloch, their sun god; impoverished parents in China selling their children into slavery.

Jesus bore the sins of embezzlers; gangsters; bullies; rapists; liars; the indifferent; the sadistic; the self-righteous Bible-believing leaders praying long and loud, while their wives sat in back pews praying that heavy make-up covered their bruises.

It is a scene of unbearable horror and unspeakable madness. He is the accused for us all, bearing the weight of abused children; families destroyed by adultery or apathy; civilizations decaying; wars ravaging victims. Yet, through it all, deep in the terror of hell, He keeps His eyes wide open.

He is not just a bystander caught in the accident; He has come deliberately. He will accept it all, absorbing the full force of this storm of wrath in His body, His mind, His heart, and His soul, until there is nothing left to feel.

Finally, the tumbling will slow a bit; the storm will slacken, and Jesus will lift Himself on His nailed feet to snatch a gasp of air and force His swollen tongue to shout, "It is finished—I've come; I've seen; I've paid for it all."

Won't you join me in praying for the persecuted church? Here are some helpful prayer points to lead us in praying effectively for them...and their persecutors.

I would add to that last line, "And I have borne all this for them." The mercy that God expended upon mankind at the cross was immeasurable. Christ died for the worst of sinners, and loved the most hateful of enemies. What a powerful reminder of God's enormous love! Christ bore our sin and our punishment so we could bear His righteousness and His reward.

I'm humbled...perplexed...overwhelmed by His grace and mercy. What an amazing grace.

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Remember to Remember

5/25/2015

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Visions of Memorial Days past are running through my mind. Marching in or standing on the curb watching patriotic parades in honor of our fallen soldiers, flags waving, Veterans saluting as Old Glory passes by. Homes decorated in patriotic buntings of red, white and blue and the smell of charcoal grills filling the air with the aroma of well done burgers and hot dogs.

It’s a day off, giving the benefit of a long three day weekend. Some travel to the beach or the mountains as a way of kicking off the premature celebration of Summer. Local swimming pools fill with children that don’t seem to mind the chilly water temperature as their parents soak up the sun’s warming rays. It’s a time of gathering with family and friends and enjoying being able to get back outside together for a leisurely picnic.

But all of this came at great expense. Men and women sacrificed their lives on battlefields and in the trenches of war, fighting for the privilege of freedom that we so nonchalantly enjoy. Their bodies lay lifeless and cold in cemeteries across America and around the world, the price they paid so we could continue to enjoy life freely.

May we all pause and remember to remember the valiant deeds of soldiers past and present, and pay homage and honor by acknowledging their sacrifice. Let’s remember to remember to pray for the families that are still reeling from the loss of a husband, a wife, a father, a mother, a son, a brother, a daughter, a sister. Their long weekend is yet another series of long days marking the passing of their loved one, their hearts screaming out, “Don’t forget my loved one not only died, but he had a life. I want you to know my loved one. Ask me about his life, talk about him. Remember to remember him. Please don’t forget him!”

How easy it is to forget sacrifices made for the sake of freedom. Perhaps that is why we were given the instructions as a body of believers to observe communion regularly. We are to be stirred up to remember to remember the sacrifice Christ made, the shedding of His blood so we could be free from the penalty of sin and enjoy a life lived in honor of Him. We’re to remember to remember to proclaim His death until He comes again.

“And when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, ‘
This is My body, which is for you;
do this in remembrance of Me.’
In the same way He took the cup also, after supper saying,
‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”
1 Corinthians 11:24-26

This Memorial Day, examine your life. Are you remembering to remember our fallen soldiers? Are you remembering to remember the sacrifice of our Savior? What are you doing to honor those who have paid the price for your freedom?

Father, it’s easier to forget than it is to remember the sacrifice You and others have made for me. Help me to remember to remember, and to live a humble life that exemplifies a heart of gratitude towards all that have paid freedom’s price. I love You.

Your Humbly Grateful Daughter.

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Saint Patrick's Breastplate

3/17/2015

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In 1999 my husband and I took a trip to Ireland for our 25th wedding anniversary. It’s green rolling meadows lined with ancient stone fences mesmerized us. We fell in love with the people, the culture and the food. We both dream of being able to return some day.

One of the places we visited was St. Patrick’s Cathedral. It is believed that at this location St. Patrick baptized early converts to Christianity. (His approximate dates were 385-461 AD.) There is an amazing stone cover over what they think was his baptismal pool. Of course the large, majestic stone cathedral is not the original building. It was a meager wooden church at that time. It has long since been replaced.

Over the years I've researched the life of St. Patrick trying to sort out the true stories and the legends. The truth is an amazing story of a young man stolen from his home in Roman Britain by slave pirates, served as a slave of a Druid Chieftain for six years and then escaped back to his family in Britain. The call of God upon his life to return as a missionary to the heathens of Ireland, to the very ones who enslaved him, and the phenomenal founding and growth of the church is an amazing testament of God's grace upon His life. I have a great admiration for his life and ancient writings.

One of the most famous writings that is attributed to him is now called “St. Patrick’s Breastplate”. Whether or not he actually wrote it is debated today. Some believe monks influenced by St. Patrick's words wrote it. That is more than likely the case and explains why you will find variations of the prayer. Apparently the Apostle Paul's letter to the Ephesians had an influence as well. There are undertones of the book throughout the prayer. Either way, I'm inspired every time I read it. This is the translation I enjoy meditating on. Its words are a beautiful prayer of protection to pray for ourselves and our loved ones. It actually reminds me of Ephesians 6:13-17. It makes me ask myself, "Is your armor on?"

Saint Patrick's Breastplate

I arise today
Through a mighty strength,
The strong name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One, and One in Three.

I arise today
By the power of faith and
Through the strength of Christ’s birth,
His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion and burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection
and His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of Doom.

I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptations of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in multitude.

I summon today all His power to stand
Against all Satan’s spells and wiles,
Against false words and heresy,
Against the knowledge that defiles,
Against the hear’s idolatry,
Against the wizard’s evil craft,
Against the death-wound and the burning,
The choking wave, the poison’d shaft,
Protect me, Christ, till Thy returning.

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ in breadth,
Christ in length,
Christ in height,
Christ in quiet,
Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty name,
The strong name of the Trinity,
By belief and confession of
The Three in One, and the One in Three,
The Creator of creation.
Eternal Father,
Spirit Word,
Praise to the Lord of my salvation:
Salvation is of Christ the Lord.
O Lord, be ever with me.

Amen.

If you would like to print a copy of St. Patrick's Breastplate, I've created a printable pdf over here.

Michael W. Smith with Leeland Mooring
Christ Be All Around Me

Please feel free to stay and worship with me through this beautiful rendition of the Breastplate by Michael W. Smith.

Father, I only want to be bound to You and You alone, the strong name of the Trinity. Protect my family and equip me so I may give them aid in knowing how to equip themselves with your armor.

In the Strong Name of Christ, Amen.

As a postscript, "A St. Patrick's Day Devotional" by the Irish Christian Band, Rend Collective is a great short read. It's a story about St. Patrick I've never heard before.

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Jehovah Nissi - The Lord is My Banner

The Hard Prayers to Live and Die By

Here is the hard truth...

Won't you join me in praying for the persecuted church? Here are some helpful prayer points to lead us in praying effectively for them...and their persecutors.

Remember to Remember

Saint Patrick's Breastplate

Saint Patrick's Breastplate

Michael W. Smith with Leeland Mooring
Christ Be All Around Me

As a postscript, "A St. Patrick's Day Devotional" by the Irish Christian Band, Rend Collective is a great short read. It's a story about St. Patrick I've never heard before.

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Jehovah Nissi - The Lord is My Banner

The Hard Prayers to Live and Die By

Here is the hard truth...

Won't you join me in praying for the persecuted church? Here are some helpful prayer points to lead us in praying effectively for them...and their persecutors.

Remember to Remember

Saint Patrick's Breastplate

Saint Patrick's Breastplate

Michael W. Smith with Leeland Mooring Christ Be All Around Me

As a postscript, "A St. Patrick's Day Devotional" by the Irish Christian Band, Rend Collective is a great short read. It's a story about St. Patrick I've never heard before.

The Muser

Categories

Archives

Have each new post to this specific blog page emailed to you, or use your own RSS Feed Reader.

Please Respect the Muser's Work

Michael W. Smith with Leeland Mooring
Christ Be All Around Me