I know some of you will never believe this, but there was a time when I was quite athletic.  At this point in my life, I still go to the gym, but only because I must. I’m still waiting for someone to open a restaurant called The Gym, so I can say today I went to the gym!  I’ve been trying to watch what I eat, and I even hired a trainer who works me hard three times per week.  

Early in our pastoral years, we lived in Beaufort, South Carolina, which is where marines are trained. We were young, and we had a vast number of young families in our church.  Additionally, Beaufort was that laid-back, live by the beach, women’s tennis clubs, kind of place.

Though I had participated in other sports, I had never played tennis, so I decided to give it a try.  I took a few lessons.  I was very strong, and I had a long stride.  I had played softball and was a long ball hitter, and an outfielder.  I thought I knew a lot. 

I would play practice tennis matches and get smoked!  How could that be?

Finally, the coach watched me, and he said your problem is where you are standing.  You keep charging the net.  The problem with that is that balls are constantly sailing over your head.  You need to stand at the back of the court, because you can run up on the ball, and you can also play the long ball.  In the back of the court, you will be standing in your strong position.

He said, “I want you to stand here when you play.  Whether you win or not, depends on where you choose to stand.” I put that into practice, and my doubles partner and I became one of the top teams in our league. Success came because I chose where to stand.

Two agendas are advancing in our nation and growing stronger by the day. Some might call it a war between liberals and conservatives. Others might label the situation a battle of social class or generational ideals. But, in actuality, what we are seeing unfold in front of us is an extension of the same battle that has continued since God created mankind.

God has an agenda to save, and Satan has always chosen to oppose God by seeking whom he may devour. Whatever God is doing, Satan will surely be attempting to impose the opposite.

The world today has made it increasingly difficult for many Christians to stand with God. Let’s be truthful, many are following the path of the world’s ever-changing ideals. Too often God’s people continue to change their views and align them with the world on issues such as abortion, sexuality, marriage, gender, holiness, and even if the Bible if true or relevant.

It’s time to stand in God and be strong.  Notice I did not say be mean, be mouthy, be arrogant, be uncaring … not at all!  Be strong and stand in the place that God’s word stands. 

God has given us everything we need to stand against a world system that agrees with the enemy’s schemes. We must find the position of God and stand. Stand with God. Stand by His Word. Stand on His promise that declares He will “fight for you against your enemies to give you victory” (Deuteronomy 20:4, NIV).   Stand on First Corinthians 15:57, “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” There are hundreds of verses to be found concerning standing strong in the Lord and upon His promises.

Today, I once again admonish us to stand in this challenging hour.  I love the way Charles Swindoll said it, “Stand firm when the wicked appear to be winning. Stand firm in times of crisis. Stand firm even when no one will know you compromised. Stand firm when big people act contemptibly small. Stand firm when people demand authority they don’t deserve. Stand firm . . . keep your head . . . stay true . . . endure!”

Stand, child of God. Stand!

“Stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.” – Philippians 1:27-28; ““Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm …” Ephesians 6:13-14 (NIV)

When people tell me that they enjoy working out at the gym, my brain thinks, “Enjoy? What is wrong with you?”  I have never enjoyed exercising, NEVER!  I do exercise regularly because I know it is a necessary part of maintaining good health, but I am not ready to put it on my list of things I enjoy.   

Recently, I hired a physical trainer named Mark to break me out of my exercise rut and push me to newer, harder levels.  It is hard work, but the results are worth it.   Mark turned his garage into a “gym” with lots of equipment and weights.  Mark painted every wall black, put snap together black flooring down, and put a piece of green artificial turf in the middle of the floor.  It looks nice, but make no mistake, it is still a torture chamber!  Ok, I exaggerate!

When I arrive at Mark’s house, he opens the garage door to let me inside.  Since I know that my first twenty to thirty minutes will be spent riding a bicycle, I immediately hop on the bike.  Most of the time Mark is in the gym with me, but `occasionally he will come a few minutes after I have begun my bike ride. 

Recently, when I arrived at Mark’s house, the door to the gym was up, so I went in and began to ride the bike.  Mark will often close the gym (garage) door from inside his house, using the remote.  That is usually when he comes and joins me.  On this day, I hopped on the bike and was riding at a strong pace and sweating!   The door stayed up a few minutes and then went down.  I expected Mark any moment. 

In my garage, the light from the opener stays on long enough for one to exit their vehicle, retrieve any packages, and go inside.   My trainer’s garage door light works the same way. In about three minutes, the automatic light went out, and it was pitch black in the garage gym.  All the walls were painted black, and the garage has no windows.  It was not just dark, it was B-L-A-C-K! Since there is equipment everywhere, I could not get off the bike and walk across the area to turn on the garage light. I found myself riding with darkness all around.

There was no doubt in my mind that all would be well, and eventually Mark would show up in my darkness.  According to my watch, I had been cycling twenty minutes and no sight of Mark!  I called out to Mark.  No answer.  I called out to Mark again.  No answer.  After a while, I cried out loudly to Mark, and the door to the garage opened.  Mark made his presence known, and light filled the darkness!   

While waiting in the pitch-black darkness, what did I do? I continued doing in the dark what I had practiced in the light.

The darkness of circumstances surrounding many families is oppressive today, and it frequently seems there is no light in sight.  As a nation, we are certainly experiencing increasing darkness.  BUT GOD has prepared us for such as time as this.  After walking with God for fifty-five years, my testimony is that God is faithful in times of light, and He is faithful in times of darkness. 

While recently studying, I came upon a scripture that continues to ring in my ears and witness in my spirit.  “Who among you fears the Lord and obeys his servant?  If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the Lord and rely on your God.” – Isaiah 50:10

Faithful people of God are not exempt from experiencing times that are dark, times when we can’t seem to see any light concerning a situation.  Isaiah 50:10 seems to imply that this is not a one-day thing, but that the servant of God is in a season of darkness and cannot see even a ray of light. 

Isaiah 50:10 is encouraging because it is a clear reminder that God sees us when we are experiencing the dark place.  No matter how dark it is, He is never unaware of our plight. Though we might not see Him, He always sees us.  God clearly and concisely instructs the servant who finds themselves without a ray of light.  “Trust the Lord and rely on God.”

On that pitch black day in the garage, I knew that Mark would show up at some point.  I trusted him.  His faithfulness all the other times gave me faith for the dark time.   I knew he would hear me calling out to him.  If that is true of Mark, how much truer is it of God? 

Do you find yourself seeing darkness all around?  Keep pedaling!

“For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and the Gentile” – Romans 1:16. I stand in total agreement with the Apostle Paul!  While there are many who are walking away from the faith, and many who wish to stamp out the influence of Jesus Christ, I am not in that group and never will be. 

As I walk around my home, many times during the day, I will say Holy Ghost!  Sometimes I say Holy Ghost and fire!  Sometimes I say, Holy Ghost, Holy Ghost.  My husband has heard me say this thousands of times.  One day we had a conversation about why I say it different ways on different days.  There is a story behind why I do this. 

Life is difficult.  Some days are filled with all blessings, and some days we wonder where God is.  To walk victoriously, I have learned that I must have the power of the Holy Ghost.  John in his gospel said it this way, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” – John 14:16-17.

I believe in the power that the Holy Ghost gives me to walk this life.  During the day, I remind myself that He is present with me by speaking His Name.  Holy Ghost hears it, and just as important, I hear it. When I say Holy Ghost, I get His attention. 

Gaylon asked why I say fire sometimes and sometimes I speak the Name twice.  Here is the answer. Some days life is wonderful, and I still want to remember I need Him, so I say Holy Ghost!  Some days, I don’t feel very energetic spiritually and I say Holy Ghost and fire! Holy Ghost, keep me fully lit for God.  Some days I say Holy Ghost, Holy Ghost!  On those days, something is pressing in on me, and I need a double portion of His power. 

I am not just saying words.  I am calling on a person who is a member of the Godhead. 

As one of God’s children, stay aware that the Holy Ghost is walking with you through the day.  Speak His Name.  On those days when life is going well, never forget that you still need Him. Holy Ghost! On those days when you feel cold spiritually, tell Him you need your fire back.  Holy Ghost and fire! When life is coming at you hard and fast, call upon Him for a double portion. Holy Ghost, Holy Ghost!

What else do I have to say as I write this.  I say Holy Ghost.  Holy Ghost and fire.  Holy Ghost, Holy Ghost.  ‘Nuff said!

As I sat in Panera Bread recently, I had books, a computer, and a Bible spread over two tables. Panera is the place where I like to write the final draft of messages. As I sat there, I felt pressured to get the job done! Before leaving the restaurant, I needed to finish a blog, finish preparing for a group I teach, and finish three messages for a conference in the New England area. Time was of the essence.

In the back corner of Panera is where I hide out, because in the back corner, there is much less distraction. Before studying, I usually put in my ear pods and listen to a couple of Christian songs so I can settle before the Lord. This really does help with the transition from natural thinking to supernatural thinking.

As I was listening to a worship song that day, I began to heavily sense God’s presence, so I played the song again. I kept sensing this was a moment with the Divine. My brain was reminding me of all the work I needed to finish. My spirit kept saying, “Do not rush out of God’s presence.”   I lowered my head and quietly revered the presence of Almighty God. All that work would be there later, but this moment of sensing the overwhelming presence of God would not be. That encounter with God lasted over an hour, and I was so refreshed, and got all the work done. It was like my pen was anointed as the words poured out.

“How are you doing?”  When I ask people that question, the number one answer by far is, “I am busy. So much on my plate right now.”  Does that describe you? 

There is so much temptation around us, temptation to sin against God. As believers we certainly want to be on guard to not surrender to sinful temptations. Yet, we fall for a different kind of temptation, the temptation of being too busy to sit with God.

Most of us have heard or read the verse Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth!”  Have you ever read the whole chapter and really looked at the context? Context, context, context! Context teaches us so much.

The Psalmist begins by reminding himself and us that God is a refuge (a place to escape for safety) and a very present help. Finishing my messages is a good thing, but it is not my refuge. Having enough money in the bank can be a good thing, but it is not my refuge. Alcohol might numb reality for a brief time, but it is not a refuge. None of these things or other things around us are a place of refuge. All of them will fold at some point, BUT GOD is a refuge and a very present (right now) help always.

The Psalmist continues by envisioning earth, mountains, and waters in an uproar all at the same time. If you were to find yourself in a situation in which all this was happening at once, you would be terrified. And yet – even if this terrible combination of events were to be taking shape around us – you and I can feel the strength and the help of our God who is our refuge in times of distress.

The writer tells us that the remedy is to tell your busy, worried, chaotic emotions to be still! Be still fear. Be still worry. Be still anxiety. Be still perfection. Be still overachiever. All of you emotions, be still because I am sitting with my Refuge. Do not casually read over this. Ponder it. Practice it.

Honoring God’s presence will cause us to realize peace in the midst of stress. Do not rush to the next thing. Be still.

There are times that ministry requires me to fly, but there are many times I drive. I do not mind driving, and I am much less likely to be delayed. The invention of the Global Positioning System (GPS) has become a life saver! No more reading maps that have way too many roads to figure out. No more writing down directions or hoping to find the right streets. Thank you to the inventor of GPS!

My husband Gaylon was with me as I was driving to a speaking engagement in Florida. We entered our destination into the GPS and saw an extensive list of directions and many turns on the map. We began our trip, and it was smooth sailing until it wasn’t. There came a point that the GPS directed us to exit the interstate in the middle of nowhere. As soon as we got to the end of the exit, our GPS directed us to get back on the interstate. We chuckled but did not think too much of it.

About an hour later, the GPS directed us off the interstate, through a small town, and into a small neighborhood, only to direct us back to the interstate again. These unnecessary turns were adding time to our trip, time I did not have to give. I had no interest in all the twists and turns. I just wanted to arrive at my destination! Why can’t the road just be straight?

Have you ever asked yourself that about life – why can’t the road just be straight? How about when walking with God? Why can’t I just take the easy path? Direct paths in life are rare. Can I get an amen!

As I walk with God, I want Him to give me direct paths. No curves. No wrong roads. No dead ends. No long, winding paths. There have been a few times I have experienced a straight path, but I have found that when I walk with God, it takes faith to believe He can get me where I am supposed to be.

As I look back over fifty plus years of serving God, I can honestly say that I am glad there were times that God put a curve in the road, got me off the road, or put up a roadblock. I would not have my wonderful husband of fifty-two years if I had stayed on the path I was walking. I would not have seen my son two weeks before he died, if my speaking engagement in Alabama had not been cancelled. After that cancellation, I scheduled a speaking engagement at a conference where my son lived. God gave me a few days of pure joy with Bryan. I did not know that would be the last time I would see him. Thank God for the detours! I could tell so many stories of how things came up that seemed, at the time, to complicate my life, but God had a hand in them.

Paul wrote to the Galatians, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. … If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16, 25, NKJV). The NIV says, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”  I want to stay in step with the Spirit, don’t you? There is no better way to live than to walk at the Holy Spirit’s pace every day.

In the natural, unexpected interruptions on the path can be frustrating, but God can use them for Kingdom purposes. Are you experiencing an unexpected turn? Invite God to be on the detour with you and trust Him to take You where you need to be. Embrace the detours.

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV

When our children were small, we would tell them stories of what it was like when we grew up.  I could see their eyes get bigger, and I could hear their giggles as I shared my childhood. I had a crazy childhood!

As the youngest child of eight, I had a lot of training in how to find ways to have fun.  We were dirt poor, had few toys, and watched little television. My father ruled with an iron fist, and the television came on at night only if he said it did.  The lights went out when he said they went out, and often that was early.  So, we had to have creative imaginations as kids.

My home growing up was not very nice.  There were two bedrooms in a four-room house, with ten people needing a place to bed down at night.  The kids often packed like sardines into one bedroom. We had to be very quiet because making noise would have made for a mad father. 

Quietly, we waited for our father to go to sleep. Once our dad was snoring hard enough to open and shut the front door, we put our imaginations into action.  We had learned to remove two or three boards from the old wooden floor beneath a bed.  As noiseless as possible, we would slip through the hole and escape from captivity to freedom.  Underneath that old house that sat a few feet off the ground was sand, dirty old sand.  We would crawl through that sand and run out into the field to play.  When we sneaked back to our beds, we were filthy, but we were happy. 

Another story that made children’s eyes get larger was explaining how we played hide and seek when neither parent was home.  When it came time to hide, the older kids would take the younger ones to a great hiding place.  (Being the youngest, I now realize it was amazing that I lived through it.)   I was put in the oven, in the refrigerator when it was empty enough, and a host of other “great” places. 

My children heard so many stories of a childhood that consisted of an over-bearing father, but also creative kids that had fun despite it all. 

On September twenty-fifth, I will turn the ripe old age of seventy-two. I still like to share some of those stories with my grandchildren, but those are not the ones which are most important to me.  Of great importance to me is that my descendants know the story of how my life was rewritten by the Lord Jesus Christ.

When the opportunity arises, I tell them a story of a woman who saw me in my Granny’s front yard and started taking me to church with her.  She treated me like she really cared about me.  She introduced me to Jesus Christ which set me on a journey that recreated my future. 

I have told them of being afraid as I shook like a leaf in a storm when I stood up in my speech class at college.  Standing before that class, with tears starting to well up, I mentally declared that I would never stand before people again.  I kept that promise for many years.  Yet, I can testily to my grandchildren about a God who can empower us and strengthen us through times of fear.

Because God is forever at work in my life, I will never run out of stories to share with my grandchildren!  

As I turn seventy-two, what advice would I give?  Tell your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and others about the God-moments in your life.  Share the marker moments when God brought you through something bigger than you could handle alone.  This is your God-story.  Share it chapter by chapter and be intentional about it. Write down the next chapter you want to share and be ready to tell them about a divine moment when God showed up. 

Don’t preach, TELL.  Tell them of a God who shows up.  Let some of it be old stories, but share current stories of a God who is still showing up in your life.  After sharing the story, pray, pray, pray for God to use those seeds in the lives of your children and grandchildren. 

When my life is over, I don’t want to take all my God-stories to the grave.  Our children and grandchildren are living in a time when faith in God is often ridiculed.  I want them to hear of a God who is real and is present.   Tell your stories.

“Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children to another generation.” – Joel 1:3

The room was packed with women who had no idea what I was about to say.  It was one of the first times to share my testimony of God’s redemptive work in my life.  I am by nature a quiet and private person, so to tell the story of childhood sexual, verbal, and physical abuse was not easy. 

It took years before I was ready to share the healing and rebuilding God had done in my life.  I had fought an intense battle with shame, self-confidence, and worth.  There finally came a point that God began to lead me to share my story so that others might be healed.   I refuse to waste the pain I have endured through the years.  God has brought me through so much, and I am going to use it for His glory! 

As I was sharing my story on this occasion, I saw a woman who was sitting in the audience.  We knew each other, and I was well aware that she did not like me.  (Hey, it happens!)  She sat with the others and listened.  When the meeting was over, she approached me, and I thought that maybe my message had softened her. 

We will call her “Sandra.”  Sandra walked up to me and with a smirk on her face, she said in a babyish-type voice, “Awww.  Did her have a hard life growing up? Boohoo.” Ouch!  I could not believe what she had just said to me.  It was shocking, it was mean, it was immature. Sandra almost made me want to quit standing before anyone.    

All of us have faced times when harsh words were spoken over us as children or adults.  The Bible tells us, “The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.” Proverbs 15:4 (NIV). Words matter. Some people are still under the burden of what someone said to them or about them.   

Sandra’s words brought me to a point of decision. I could allow her to take away my voice, or I could choose to remember God’s words in Romans 8:31. “What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”  Those are words that I have had to tell myself many times over the years. 

The reality is that life throws pretty hard punches.   Let’s be careful that we don’t fixate on the temporary hurts and inconveniences of this life. Take the “ouches” of life to God, ask for healing, and recite, “What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” 

Romans 8:31 teaches us that we will confront opposition, but that our opposition is doomed to failure. In other words, there is no one who could be more powerful than God and no one can destroy us. They might be against us, but they cannot defeat us. 

God is FOR you.  God is FOR you. God is FOR you.  Do you hear me saying it loudly?  GOD IS FOR YOU! I am still telling my story of redemption, regardless of Sandra’s words.  Let God’s words determine your actions. He is for you!

I have walked with the Lord for more than fifty years now, and more than ever I am trying to live a life that honors God.  It’s not because I think God will not love me or will be mad at me.  It is because I love my Savior who died for me, and I want to honor Him.

For way too many of my years as a child of God, I lived a shallow Christian life.  Oh, I read my Bible, taught Sunday School, and even led worship.  What I did not do was grow in the image of Christ. 

I cannot tell you the precise year, but there came a point in my Christian walk, that I realized I did not look very much like Jesus.  Kneeling before God, I repented and set out to die to myself and to be resurrected to a life that was pleasing to God.  While I have not arrived, I am simply not the woman I used to be. 

Not too long ago, I really lost my temper with my husband, and it was over a ridiculously minor issue.  As my emotions began to rise, I knew each moment that I was not reacting in a godly manner.  (Thank God for Holy Spirit who says, “Don’t do that.”) An evening was ruined along with my peace.  I had not allowed the fruit of the Spirit to control the situation – the fruit of self-control and gentleness. 

The next day, I apologized to my husband, took ownership, and repented before the Lord.  He forgave me instantly, but I could not forgive myself.  How could I have been so ungodly!  The voice of the enemy reminded me hour by hour, and sometimes minute by minute what a failure I was.  “If only people could see you now.”  “You should never stand up to teach anyone again.”  “God is really disappointed in you.”  Over and over and over I heard the accuser.  I could forgive others, but myself?  That was a whole different issue. 

Are you struggling with forgiving yourself?  We all have struggled with forgiving ourselves, but we will never have joy if past struggles still control our thinking.  I had to get over myself and look to Jesus, the great forgiver. With His help, I had to forgive me.  I walked around and began rehearsing what God said in His word.  I played music and sang along with it.   A breakthrough came, and I was able to forgive myself.

Many are stuck today because of something in their past.   Struggling under self-condemnation is not the way God wants us to live.  Stop replaying in your mind the old recording of your sin which stirs up guilt. Instead replay the truths of God’s Word. God says in Romans 8:1, 2, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.  And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”    God says in Ephesians 1:6 – “He has made us accepted in the beloved.”   Rehearse these promises when the recording in your mind starts playing.  As you take hold of His forgiveness and release your guilt, you will walk out of that jail of self-condemnation into the joy of abundant life.

Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done that the devil keeps throwing up in your face (lying, cheating, immorality, debt, fear, unhealthy habits, hatred, anger, bitterness, etc.); whatever it is, you need to know that Jesus died to pay the price.  He wants you to know that He loves you and that you are forgiven. The wonderful thing about God is that when you ask for forgiveness, He not only forgives, but He also forgets.  You do not have to be a slave anymore to your past.  Be free!

When I married into the Benton family, I got an up close and personal look at life on the farm.  Comer and Myrlene Benton were two of the warmest, inviting people one could ever meet on the earth.   There was always room for an extra plate at the table for someone who might have dropped by.  Grandma Benton was like Martha in scripture, but with a visible outward joy.

Papa Benton’s calloused hands told the story of what a hard worker he was until his sudden death at age seventy-nine.  Papa loved the land.  He thanked God for his land.

The main crop that Papa grew was peanuts.  He had acres and acres of peanuts.  Each year, as he planted his fields, he had no idea exactly how much he would reap when harvest time came.  He did know that without planting seeds in faith, he would never see a harvest.  He did not worry himself with the harvest, that part was up to God.  He did his part by cultivating the soil, sowing the seed, fertilizing, and asking God to bless the seed every year.  Planting seed takes a lot of work, a lot of faith, and a lot of patience.

Some years the crop was better than other years.   It was exciting when the crop was overwhelmingly bountiful, but that wasn’t every year.  Yet, Papa always planted because without the planting of seeds, there was no chance of reaping a harvest. 

A sower went out to sow begins the familiar parable in Matthew thirteen. “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on a path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. If you have ears, hear!”  -Matthew 13:3-9.

This story has several facets to it, but most often the emphasis is given to the hearer, and that is totally justifiable.  But for just a moment today, let’s look at the sower.

The sower had a generous supply of seeds and sowed them bountifully.  Some produced a zero harvest, and some produced a bountiful harvest.  The sower did not know which seeds would spring forth with a grandiose harvest.  Regardless of that fact, the sower sowed bountifully.

I find it interesting that as Jesus is sharing this parable, He himself is being a sower.  The first couple of verses in Luke thirteen tell us that a large crowd was listening.  Not everyone in the crowd was going to receive what Jesus was saying, but Jesus said it anyway.  The sower continued to dole out the seeds even in places that did not look promising.

Do you ever tire of spreading seeds?  Perhaps the size of the harvest makes the investment seem not worth the effort.  Have you ever thought:  I don’t want to pray one more prayer for this country.  I don’t want to share God’s love one more time with that rebellious person.  I don’t want to give one more dime to help with the homeless.  I don’t want to teach this children’s class one more Sunday.  I don’t want to be kind one more time to that rude person. I’m done!  I see little or no results. 

Friends, as the Bible says, ”Let us not grow weary in well doing.”  That verse does not mean we will never get tired.  It means let us not grow tired of doing that which is right in God’s sight. 

A harvest awaits us, but we will never see it unless we generously sow seeds.  That’s our part.  God will take care of the harvest part.  As Jesus said at the end of the parable, “You know what I’m saying?”  (Well, maybe He said it a little differently.)  Ultimately, the success of the seeds that we plant is not in our hands, but in the hands of the Holy Spirit.  Our role is simply to plant the seeds, and to trust in God’s promise to help them grow. Harvest is coming.

Relocating to another city is difficult and to another state can be even more challenging.  We did just that in January 2004.  Gaylon was a pastor in Florida but accepted a call to be a chaplain in the Birmingham, Alabama area. I loved living in the state of Florida, so moving was hard for me.

We bought a home in the small community of Helena which is about twenty miles from Birmingham.  Prior moves while serving in ministry were easier because my husband was always a pastor.  This meant there were a lot of people with open arms waiting for our arrival.  People were ready to invite me to lunch, show me around town, and tell me about the best places to shop.   Upon arriving in Helena, there was NONE of that. My husband was a chaplain now, which meant finding our own church home, learning our own way around, finding our own friends.

One day as I went out exploring, I saw a store that caught my eye.  The name of the store was “The Spirit Store.”  (Not the one pictured here.) I was about to pass by the store but quickly made a left-hand turn into the parking lot of The Spirit Store.  I was so happy to find a Christian bookstore to peruse. I excitedly walked into the store with great anticipation!  I could hardly wait to see the latest offering of books, music, and art to hang on the walls of my new home. 

As I walked into the store, I quickly knew that this spirit was not the same Spirit that dwelt in me!  There were many bottles of bourbon, whiskey, rum, wines, and a host of alcoholic beverages of which I had no knowledge.  I exited the store very quickly because I discerned the spirit being offered there, was not the Spirit for which I was looking. 

The Bible says, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. – 1 John 4:1

Today, we are in a time when truth is challenged, rewritten, and often watered down. There are all kinds of voices that try to speak into our ears.  John said that we are to test the spirits to see if they line up with the Spirit of God.  How often this principle is neglected!  Someone comes along sounding pious, knowledgeable, and rhetorically gifted, and we do not check to see if what they are offering is from the right spirit store. 

As believers, we are not to be overly critical, but nor are we to be totally gullible.  John spoke to the church about this in a letter because they were embracing all kinds of teachings that did not line up with the true Gospel.  In this passage, John tells us not to believe every spirit because some spirits are liars.

A discerning spirit is a powerful tool in the arsenal of the believer. It can keep us from error and poor decisions. It will keep us from unhealthy relationships. Having a discerning spirit will stop us from being aligned with demonic spirits. (Yes, they still exist today.) As God’s people, we must have a discerning spirit in this critical time in which we live.

The Scottish pastor, Eric Alexander said, “The only way I know to cultivate a spirit of discernment and true wisdom in being able to tell the difference between truth and error…is a concentrated commitment to the study of Scripture.”  He is right.  A solid foundation in scripture and prayer, accompanied by walking daily with the Spirit will give us discernment.

Don’t be lazy.Test the spirits. Be careful what spirit store you frequent.