I’ve seen him attack someone I love and in a very short time reveal himself to be a sly and cunning liar.  Jesus called him the father of lies.  His  accusations cut through my sweet loved one with the pinpoint precision of a surgical knife to be of the most hurtful nature possible.  This precious one is still new in her faith and she hasn’t had time to understand about spiritual warfare, much less about putting on the armor.  She was left reeling, fighting the best way she knew how.  She became like him.  She tried to fight fire with fire and of course that just plays right into his hands.  He is the master deceiver, because he’s been studying human behavior for millenia.  He knows her weakest points because he’s been studying her since she was born.  He know how to use her most vulnerable weaknesses against her.  Then she started to believe his lies.  She forgot who she is in Christ – that she is a new creation, that the old has gone and the new has come.  And Satan believed for just a minute he was winning.

But prayer,,,,initially I didn’t know what was happening except this young lady whom I loved so very much was far far away and all I knew to do was to start praying.  And the Holy Spirit began to work.  My prayers became attacks with God’s word against the enemy.  And Jesus – Christus Victor – stepped in to defend my weak little sister.  It took us a little while to realize what had happened, but it didn’t take my LORD long to send Satan slithering back to his hidey hole.

My God is so great.  He is greater in me than he who is in the world.  He loves this little one even more than I do and what Satan meant for evil – He intended for her good and His own glory.  We still have some work to do to learn about living a lifestyle of wearing the spiritual armor, but we now have a healthy fear of who our enemy is and not to take him lightly.  We have a lot of work to do to help her be confident of who she is in Christ.  Because the enemy will return.  He has only retreated he has not surrendered.

In my morning quiet time, I was reminded we should not be surprised by the fiery trials which come our way and we should consider them all joy.  In the margin of my bible in the book of James I have written:  ”we do not endure trials for God to test our faithfulness, but for God to prove His and assure us of ours”.   After this past Saturday night, I am now more sure that my faithfulness comes from the indwelling power Holy Spirit inside of me.  I want to remember to be more reliant on His power.

Praise be to God for His great faithfulness.

In one of the three newest postings found here, Mark Driscoll in his usual witty way describes Reformers as gun-collectors not soldiers.

I can’t believe it.  It seems like forever.  This last week may be the worst yet.  I keep thinking I’ll never make it until Saturday.

I’m not waiting until Sunday because I expect to have to spend some time cleaning up and catching up on all the news.  I won’t have time for that on Easter Sunday.  Easter Sunday is for worshipping the Risen One, alone!

I have learned to do some different things with my time, though.  I’ve called friends on the telephone or texted or sent them an email.  I’ve had real conversations with my husband and my daughter.  I’ve been attentive to the Words With Friends games.  I’ve put up more blog posts

But in reality I think I have learned that I’m not as addicted to Facebook as I thought.  I haven’t really been wasting any more time on Facebook than I waste anywhere else.

And what is wasted time really?  For me, time spent in the frutherance of God’s Kingdom is the most productive.  It’s the only thing that will have eternal value.   And Facebook can hinder or help that goal.

When I first started using Facebook several years ago it was initially to keep tabs on my young teenage daughter.  It very quickly became a way to connect and re-connect with my own friends.  And then I began to see it as a ministry tool.  A way to proclaim the glory of the gospel.  A way to encourage people with the hope of God and the love of Jesus.

Like any other good thing in the world, Satan will attempt to turn it to bad.  I can easily be distracted by bright shiny objects and other people’s supposed “high” lives.  You know the people who seem to always be in a good mood.  The ones who seem to be traveling to exotic places and posting pictures from exciting vacations.  I can become envious of their apparent good fortune.  There’s been a good bit written lately about how we can put on our “facebook” mask and pretend everything is good in our world, when in reality sometimes life just stinks.

So when I return to Facebook I want to continue proclaiming God’s glory.  But I want to prayerfully avoid lusting after other people’s life.  I want to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep (Rom 12:15).

- Speak honestly about what angers you (Matthew 23:1-36).

- Provide perspective to those around you (Matthew 24).

- Reflect on what really matters (Matthew 25).

- Have dinner with friends (Matthew 26:26-30).

- Let those around know how much you love them (John 13:1-20).

- Comfort your friends with hope (John 14).

- Pray (Matthew 26:36-46).

Mark Dever gives a helpful and memorable word about what is a Christian. “The difference between a Christian and non-Christian: When a non-Christian is convicted of sin, he sides with his sin. When a Christian is convicted of sin, he sides with God, against himself.”

My church has daily devotionals written by anonymous members. Monday’s was good.

Now Time magazine has Rob Bell and his book on the cover.   Love Wins, apparently says nobody is going to hell.  Every time I see another post about this guy and his book, I keep thinking, “since this guy thinks people like Nero and Hitler and Mussolini and Stalin don’t deserve Hell, isn’t it grand he could to spend eternity with them??”

This one is actually from a couple of weeks back, but I also keep thinking about him when I ponder Rob Bell’s position about hell and a loving God. It sounds like Christopher Hitchens won’t too much mind spending eternity with them either.  It makes me sad.

Tullian is thinking about spiritual growth and progress.  I truly wish I could get this solidified in my head.  It’s all about the GOSPEL.

Doxology – acoustic guitar and Michael Gungor.

He describes holiness as being separated from sin to God, to be morally blameless.

One thing in the first chapter, I have listened to a third time, so I could write it down.

I won’t quote it exactly, because I was scribbling as I listened, but….

Our attitude about sin is more self-centered than God-focused.  We are more concerned about our victory over sin than that our sin grieves the heart of God. (not King David,see Ps. 51:4)  We cannot tolerate our failure in our daily Christian walk because we are success oriented, not God-focused.  Pharoah, Saul, Balam, and Judus said “I have sinned”.  David and the returning prodigal said “I have sinned against You/Heaven”.

And here was the quotable statement:  Gods wants us to walk in obedience, not victory.

I am pondering that today.  If I walk in obedience, I will walk in victory.  But I am already “more than a conqueror”.  Because Jesus is Lord of my life and He has paid for my sin on the cross, I am already victorious.  My desire for obedience is about me focusing on God.  When I focus on the victory, I’m thinking about how good/smart I am.  When I focus on Jesus, I aim to please Him and not myself and out of that desire flows obedience.

So I shouldn’t think too much about my sin except to confess it and turn away.  When I think too much about my sin, I’m thinking too much about me.  My thoughts must turn to Jesus, quickly.  Away from me and to Jesus.

Listening to this in my car a lot this week.

Col. 3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. (ESV)

HT: JT

A good reason to look forward to the end of Lent and my return to Facebook and Twitter: Homeland Security will let us know when the end of the world is coming. (tongue securely in cheek)

I listened to a podcast interview with Mary Kassian this week and subscribed to the blog in my Google Reader.  She has a book by the same title: Girls Gone Wise.

On March 31 – 7 influential pastors got together and discussed the hard stuff.  Hosted by Harvest Bible Chapel and James MacDonald – it’s billed as The Elephant Room.  The first couple of clips have been released.  #1 Chandler and Furtick.  #2 Driscoll and Noble.   I’m looking forward to upcoming clips from these brothers.

To Show The Magnitude of His Mercy – or Hole In the Head.  Just watch it.

Gungor – “Beautiful Things” - from Amazon for $5 for a limited time…Hurry up…you won’t be disappointed.

And as we approach Easter – Michael Kelly was inspired to wonder “Can Anything Good Come From a Cave?”