Who you talking to?

Have you ever been included in a prayer circle or part of a prayer group and as you're listening to the person giving thanks to God for His glorious attributes, praising Him for who He is and declaring His promises, out of no where that person begins to talk to Satan?

It's like three sentences in, after loving on God, how are we all of a sudden talking to Satan? Telling him how his plan won't work, how he has been rebuked and cast out? My friend once told me talking to yourself makes you sound and look crazy. But i disagree, I think talking to Satan sounds crazy.

Coming boldly before the throne of grace is a privilege granted by Gods grace (Heb 4:16) and welcoming Satan into that conversation is a contradiction to our act of even approaching God. Approaching the Lord in prayer is an act of submission, dependence, faith. It's crazy to me to change our posture in prayer to talk to Satan.

I remember my mom summoning me when I was younger and inquiring about something I was guilty of and in defense (no doubt out of guilt) I would raise my voice and blurt out some retort. Without skipping a beat, my mother would address the disrespect in my tone and words by using one phrase, "Who you talking to?"

 I envision my time spent communing with God as sacred. The Lord inclines His ear to His children. I see myself entering a private place where only those who know Him are welcome, bowing before Him with humility yet lifting my requests up in confidence and faith. How then would I turn my words offered up to my Lord (while Jesus intercedes for me) and turn a sacred privileged moment into a conversation with my enemy? I sense the Lord raising His eyebrow and with indignation saying "Kim, who you talking to?"

Now I know most people would defend their communication with Satan as a modeling after Jesus' confrontation with Satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4:11). Proving that Jesus used the Word to speak to Satan and so should we. Personally I would rather enjoy communion with and maintain focused interaction with Him who is able to work on my behalf than talk to someone whose sole purpose is to get back at God by attacking my life. I'd rather cling to the one with Power and exercise my faith in His work allowing Him to handle my enemies.

What I do, however believe in, is talking to myself. Galatians 5 describes the brutal reality of the flesh man who dwells inside of us. This enemy is more than enough to destroy me without the help of Satan. Just glance over the obvious things our flesh-man are capable of in verses 19-25. We are easily led away just by our own desires...stop giving Satan so much credit. Yes he's the prince of the world...temporarily. He might even orchestrate temptations but he is not omniscient (every where). Our flesh man is always with us and we (Believers with the indwelling Spirit) are battling our natural desires daily.

I pulled out of my neighborhood and right into traffic. Ironically (or not) I pulled up behind a nice SUV and immediately almost without effort, my mind and desires got to stirring. I began to wish I was driving that vehicle rather than the one I was currently in. Nothing wrong with a natural fleeting thought like that. Had I let it linger, however and began to entertain it, I would have entered into envy (a fruit or evidence of our indwelling flesh). Envy is simply wanting something someone else has, for yourself. I would have begun to complain about my current car (the very one that only a few years ago was a blessing to me) and grumble about why everyone else seems to get what they want expect for me. Envy, complaining and grumbling...sin. Three sins in one thought, with almost no temptation necessarily from Satan. All desires of my flesh.

Instead of dwelling on the desire for a new whip, I chose to say (out loud) "in all things be thankful, for this is the will of God." And "thank you lord for the blessing you provided for me 4 yrs ago, for keeping me in it with good gas mileage and a vehicle sufficient for my current season." It set my perspective back on what's important. Not wanting for more, but being content in whatever circumstance I'm in (Phil 4:11).

So yea I prefer talking Truth to myself (not Satan). It keeps me focused on the importance of meditation of Gods Word, and how critical memorizing it, is for my health. I'm my biggest enemy and if I can speak the Word to myself and keep my mind focused on Him then I stay encouraged. There's a song by Tri-City singers that says "Sometimes you have to encourage yourself..."
Speaking the Word brings healing, it goes on to say. Well Proverbs 18:21 promises we will reap the rewards of speaking Life from our tongues. Who YOU talking to?

What's so "good" about Good Friday?

I remember hearing this question a while back and thinking...

WHAT'S SO GOOD ABOUT GOOD FRIDAY?

• What's so good about a man and a woman taking their relationship to the level of marriage?
• What's so good about rescuing an abandoned animal?
• What's so good about adopting a child who's parents have abandoned them or died?
• What's so good about an adult child taking a leave from their job to take care of their elderly parent?
• What's so good about a mother dying in childbirth only for her child to survive?
• What's so good about a man rushing to the aid of his fallen child and tending to his bruises?

All of these "good" acts are selfless to some degree. One person sacrificing their lifestyle for the well being of another. 

We tend to think that Jesus was beaten, mocked, persecuted and crucified by men. That Good Friday depicts the horrible thing man did to him. What could be so "good" about that?

But what ACTUALLY happened on "Good Friday" or the day that all of these horrific things happened to Jesus is that He was actually ensuring that these things happened TO him. He was seeing to it that the plan God put in place before the beginning of the World was played out to perfection. 

Yes, man was NOT inflicting pain upon Jesus (although at face value that's exactly what it looks like); but Jesus was allowing a series of events to play out, that were already planned. He was seeing to it that every detail fell into place: 

• His arrest (John 18:4 & 9) "..knowing everything that would happen to him..."
• Escaping stoning and instead being crucified (John 18:32)
• His scorning and mocking (Isaiah 53:7)
• The dividing of His clothes (John 19:25)
• He would be given water & with a hyssop (the same branch used to put blood on the doorpost in Exodus which symbolized His sacrifice.) (John 19:28)
• He gave up His own life (they didn't take it) (John 19:30)
• His legs wouldn't be broken (John 19:33 & 36)

Do you see it? The "good" thing? Jesus' suffering was so that I wouldn't have to suffer the eternal consequences for my own sins (inability to be good). Jesus wants us to see that every detail was planned ahead of time. Every thing that happened on that day, was Him LAYING DOWN his life so you could spend eternity with Him and in the meantime experience real true life on earth. He knew we wouldn't be able to consistently be "good" and any'goodness' that happened to come from our lives would fall extremely short of His expectation of holiness, so He took charge of the situation. 

What's so good about Good Friday? That these events didn't happen TO Him, but that He orchestrated them and oversaw them so that they would occur and did that so that God's anger towards us would be satisfied...FINISHED...over!

When this whole ideal of JESUS DYING FOR YOUR SINS moves from a concept that you understand and pattern of thought that you know, to a truth that you embrace it will change your life. You'll realize that you cannot earn heaven; that nothing you can do is good enough for God to 'let us in'. Otherwise we minimize all the things HE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN TO HIM. That's good news. 

Summer Mission Trip

This summer I'm excited to have an opportunity to go on two mission trips. One will encompass me teaching at a Church Conference while the other will involve me singing at a camp in Alabama
Although I obviously have the means to support myself on both trips, I'd be remiss if I didn't extend an opportunity to you, to join in on the work God desires to do in the hearts of those we come in contact with. Supporting others financially allows you to meet the needs without physically attending.

My first mission trip will last from June 12-16 in St. Marteen and cost around $800 for flight and around $700 for room/board.

My second trip will begin June 19 through 22 on Alabama at no cost to me.

I'd love to include you in the support raising process by extending an opportunity to you to donate to this mission. You can quickly and easily give via my PayPal link: paypal.me/StMaartenMission

I'd also solicit your prayers as I prepare my classes and heart to meet and share with those I come in contact with!

 Thanks!
Kim