Stinky Pig

Another beautiful moment of “WOW! God You are so awesome!”  occurred in our zoology lesson this past week… and well I just thought I would share 🙂

We were still in the ungulates… discussing even-toed ones now. We talked about cows and camels and buffalo and camels and giraffes and pigs and hippos. There were “wow God You are so awesome”  moments all through this study of his creation but my “WOW!” one was the pig… well it really isn’t a pig… it’s a peccaries.

Peccaries have are smaller and thinner than pigs. Their legs are longer and thinner and their tusks are different from a pig as well. Peccaries also live in herds that include males. Here’s the kicker… peccaries have a powerful musk gland on the top of their rump. Peccaries stink… they always stink.

So you may be wondering right now how a stinky pig would make me have a “WOW! God You are so awesome” moment…

Here it is.

Another huge difference between a pig and peccaries is that peccaries have a spirit of altruism.  Altruism is the principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others.

When a herd of peccaries is attacked a single peccary will step up and be willing to give his life so that the rest of the herd can be saved.

What does this sound like?

Or better yet, WHO does this sound like.

 For you have been called for this purpose,

since Christ also suffered for you,

leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 

WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; 

and while being reviled, He did not revile in return;

while suffering, He uttered no threats,

but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 

and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross,

so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness;

 for by His wounds you were healed.

1 Peter 2:21-24

 

It never ceases to amaze me how our God has woven His gospel through all His creation… this is why He can say as He does in Romans 1… we are without excuse. His truth is spoken loud and clearly illustrated… even through a stinky pig.

This stinky peccary is probably not grabbed up to become a pet. It is probably reviled and ran from and considered distasteful and unpopular… just like our Jesus… but once you get to know him… once you see his spirit and get to know his character… oh I adore this pig… just like my Jesus 🙂

Another thing…

My Jesus put on this stinky flesh of mine… just so He could come and die for me… and for you. He didn’t have to. He was glorious, the Lord of hosts, the King of kings and Lord of lords, clothed in majesty and honor… yet He laid all that aside and took on my filth… my stink… and died for me… so that I might be saved… so that the world might be saved… the entire herd of us.

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood,

He Himself likewise also partook of the same,

that through death He might render powerless

him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

Hebrews 2:14

WOW! God You are so awesome!

Jesus Loves Me

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Yesterday we looked at freeing our mind as we talked about the importance of taking every thought captive as we guard our mind against the schemes of the enemy. We talked about how it’s not enough to just avoid trash intake… you must replace the trash with the Word of God.

 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,

whatever is right, whatever is pure,

whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute,

if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise,

dwell on these things. 

Philippians 4:8

We must be very careful what we allow our minds to dwell on… because our thoughts will become our actions. We must not allow our minds to think or imagine things that go against the Word of God. We are not to fantasize about men that are not our husbands, whether we are single or married.

Now before we go any further let me assure you that if you are married… honey go right on ahead and fantasize about you and your man! (Aghum, that is, as long as no one else is included in the fantasy.) We must remember that marriage is about becoming one. It is about becoming “known”  and we’ll get deeper into the becoming known later in the challenge. Marriage is about intimacy with your spouse and only your spouse. If your fantasy begins to include any extra participant take that thought captive… it is a perversion of what is true, honorable, right, pure, and lovely.

Today we are beginning a focus on guarding our hearts… never forget that as a woman you must guard your mind and your heart… your mind follows your heart. When you emotionally connect with a man (fictional or real) then your mind begins to fantasize about him and then you desire to make your fantasy a reality. However a man, fantasizes in his mind and then seeks to emotionally connect so that he can make the fantasy a reality. Remember men give love to get sex and women give sex to get love.

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Day Fifteen 

Ladies, we must guard our hearts and we must teach our daughters and any other young women in our lives how to do this as well… victory IS possible and it is imperative.

“While the need to love and to feel loved is a universal cry of the heart, the problem lies in where we look for this love. If we are not getting the love we need or want from a man- whether or not we have a husband- we may go searching for it. Some look in bars and others in business offices. Some look on college campuses and some look in churches. Some women look to male friends while others look to fantasy. When love eludes them, some women seek to medicate the pain of loneliness or rejection. Some take solace in food; others in sexual relationships with any willing partner. Some turn to soap operas; others to shopping; and still others to self-gratification.

If you have tried any of these avenues for long, you have likely come to a dead end. Your pursuit has left you longing for something greater, something deeper, something more.”

~ Shannon Ethridge

Are you at that dead end? Honey I have seen it and it is not a pretty place to be… so if you are there or if you find yourself there one day… there is only one thing to do at a dead… turn around! 

 But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 

Therefore remember from where you have fallen,

and repent and do the deeds you did at first;

Revelation 2:4-5

Repent, turn around, head back to your first love… to Christ.

I remember being a little girl and being so in love and in awe with my God. “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so…”

I loved Him, I did.

I didn’t know Him… but I loved Him.

Loving Christ but not knowing Him is kind of like that dream you have for that spouse, for that  husband, you may not have met them yet but you love them… and even when you do marry them… you love them… but you still don’t really know them. Now the test comes when you have to choose to remember your “first love” for them as you get to know them… really know them.

As a little girl, I loved Him, I loved Jesus. Yet, I didn’t get to know Him. So my heart’s void was not filled with my love’s devotion to Him because I wasn’t seeking Him to fill that void… I forgot Him. I turned to other things to fill it. Things I could easily see and touch and feel… you know the things that didn’t require so much trust and work on my part.

I didn’t guard my heart and mind and save it for my Jesus… I gave it away… and my body followed.

I ended up at that dead end. However here’s the awesome and amazing thing about my Jesus, He can be found at the dead end. He doesn’t care how “lost” you are, He will get you turned around and headed in the right direction if you will just listen and fall into His arms. He will lift you up off your feet and carry you out of the muck of life better than any Richard Gere could his Debra Winger.

My First LoveHe took me back. He didn’t care how dirty I was… He didn’t care about all the times I chose to fill His place in my life with cheap worthless things… He still loved me. He never stopped loving me.

If you are at that dead end… remember your First Love and turn around. When you fall back into His arms He will teach you how to guard your heart and to fill any void you have had with Him, the real lasting genuine deal. He will not reject you. He will not leave you lonely. He will not leave you empty. He beckons you to Him so that you can get to know Him… really know Him.

The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying,

 “I have loved you with an everlasting love;

Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.

Jeremiah 31:3

When you remember your First Love and return to Him and begin to fill your heart with His love, it is out of this love, His love for you, that you are now finally able to really love others… including your husband. If you are single it is out of this love, His love, that you are able to say “no” to anything that would pervert or prevent love between you and your future husband.

If we are ever to have the ability to guard our hearts and our minds against the lies of the enemy and the seductions of this world… we must start here. We must start with remembering our Jesus and making peace with our God. “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so…”

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension,

 will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:7

 So today let us just examine our hearts.

Today focus on the oh so great love that Jesus has for you. Remember Him. Take the time today to write a love letter to Him. Tell Him about what you remember about that day you first fell in love with Him. Sing Him a love song. Take the opportunity today to get alone with your Love and dance with Him… Close your eyes and praise Him and use your mind and your heart to imagine His arms around you and His voice whispering His Words of unfailing love in Your ears.

Trust me, you will know He is there 🙂

Grumble, Grumble, Grumble

 

Moses said, ‘This will happen

when the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening,

and bread to the full in the morning;

for the LORD hears your grumblings

which you grumble against Him.

And what are we?

Your grumblings are not against us

but against the LORD.

Exodus 16:8

 

Moses and Aaron have taken the grumblings of the people before God. The Lord says that He will give the people what they grumble for, so that He may test them, to see if they will walk in His instruction (Exodus 16:4). 

Moses and Aaron return to the people and assure them that the LORD has heard them and is going to answer. However, Moses also assures the people that it is not him and Aaron that these people are grumbling against but God Himself. In two consecutive verses Moses tells the people that their grumbling is against the Lord. Any time God speaks in His Word it is something important. So if He repeats himself, we better make sure that we are paying close attention.

Have you ever really realized how much you complain? I know that God has brought me into my own wilderness journey many times to show me this very thing. We, if we belong to Christ, should be filled with peace, love, hope, grace, self-control, patience, and gentleness (Galatians 5:22-23). We are not to be filled with pouting, complaining, huffing, puffing, and grumbling. I have often found myself living in a spirit of complaint. I have found myself allowing the things that are not going my way to overpower every thankful bone in my body. Then I have complained even more because I don’t “feel” God like I used to.

Oh precious one, the snare was laid and I walked… no, I ran right into it. When the enemy gets his foot in the door through our grumbling there is no end to the damage that he can do. He can split churches, destroy marriages, tear apart life-long friendships, and make a canyon between us and our relationship with our Savior. This is not because God walked away, but because we like spoiled children, turn our backs and stomp to our room and scream “You don’t love me!”

Have you ever sat down and examined your heart by examining your words and realized how you must sound to the one who endured the cross for you? Oh my friend, I have and I must admit I was ashamed of myself.

If our praise is a soothing and sweet aroma in the nostrils of our God can you imagine how putrid the smell of our grumbling must be?

My friend, the next time you find yourself grumbling and complaining about what is going on in your life I suggest you take a moment to step back and see who it is you are really grumbling against. Especially when you find yourself in constant complaint about those in leadership. This includes your boss at work. This includes your parents. This includes your husband. This includes your pastor.

All those in positions of authority were allowed that authority by God (Romans 13:1-7), therefore, we are to honor them with the honor that is due them. The only time we are given the freedom to not honor them is when they attempt to demand us to be disobedient to God. Then and only then, do we have the right to refuse their authority over us.

Oh Father,
Forgive me for the times that I have given the enemy a foothold in my life by grumbling. How easily the enemy can convince us that we have the right to complain against those who are in authority over us. Thank you Father, for Your Word. For by it You renew my mind and You open my eyes to the schemes of the one who seeks to destroy me and the ministry You have given me, that You have given all those who trust in Your Son, the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). May my heart always be Yours and inclined to hear Your voice. May I honor You by honoring those You have placed in authority over me.

My Jesus, it is in Your name I pray,
Amen