John 15:18-20
"If you find the godless world is hating you, remember it got its start hating me. If you lived on the world's terms, the world would love you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on God's terms and no longer on the world's terms, the world is going to hate you.
"When that happens, remember this: Servants don't get better treatment than their masters. If they beat on me, they will certainly beat on you. If they did what I told them, they will do what you tell them.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
I recently watched a program on the Documentary Channel entitled “Save the Farm.” According to information posted at http://www.cinemalibrestudio.com/savethefarm/about_the_farm.html “The South Central Farm (SCF) sprung up on an abandoned industrial area, approximately 14 acres. The land had been acquired in 1986 by the City of Los Angeles through eminent domain from developer Ralph Horowitz for $4.7 million. The land was to be used for an incinerator project, but the community voted it down, and the vacant lot became a dumping ground. After the Rodney King riots of 1992, Mayor Bradley mitigated the land to the community, and Doris Block, the President of the Food Bank, founded the farm. For fourteen years, the farm provided local, organic food and medicinal remedies for 350 families as well as thousands of area residents. At the weekly farmer's market, people could go into the farm plots and tell the farmers exactly what they wanted so that nothing went to waste.”
In 2004, Horowitz sued the city of Los Angeles for breach of contract, and ultimately, he was able to purchase the property from the city for $5 million in a transaction that was not made public. He sent eviction notices to all of the farmers, and he advertised the property for sale at $16.3 million… more than three times the purchase price. Through court injunctions, the farmers were able to hang on for nearly 2 years. By 2006, the farmers and supporters – including many celebrities like Darryl Hannah and Willie Nelson – managed to raise the $16.3 million to keep their land… but Horowitz refused to sell to them. Ultimately, County Sheriff’s department officers arrested some 40 people who were protesting peacefully on the property, and the farm plots were bulldozed.
Aside from the heartless, seemingly evil intentions of this land developer, I was struck most by the heartbreak of the people who watched their food supply – the way they fed, medicated, and supported their families – be destroyed in seconds. Grown men heaved and sobbed at the chain link fence as they watched this unfold. Small children cried out, “Why are they doing this, Momma?” People collapsed from the overwhelming devastation of what was happening. Many chanted and prayed for God to save their land. But in the end, the farm was completely destroyed.
The people have moved on - with help from the celebrities who fought for them and others. They have found other plots of land to farm – though none as close to their homes as this farm. I would bet that many of them would tell us that living on God’s terms instead of the world’s has sustained them. Throughout history, countless people have survived oppression by living on God’s terms. And we can learn great lessons from their struggles.
As I watched this 30-minute story, I was reminded that everyone is going through something. Our outcome will be determined by our attitude… and our faith. We can let the haters of this world… those who are influenced by the devil… get us down. Or we can operate on God’s terms and trust Him to orchestrate our lives… to create outcomes that are best for us and grow us in our faith and courage. We can allow God to use us and our experiences to witness to others - and show them how to operate on His terms, also.
According to information on the website, the land was still undeveloped as of May 2011… and still for sale for $16.3 million. For me, this is symbolic of many instances in life where our “irritant” doesn’t go away… the “hater” or the situation that challenges us may continue to be in our face each and every day, just as this land sits in front of many of the former “farmers” and taunts them. But we can call on God to strengthen us and give us the resolve to rise above our hurts and frustrations… to enable us to say, “You have no power here. I belong to Someone who IS all powerful… HE is meeting my needs each and every day.”
Whatever challenges you face, find your strength and courage in God. Don’t let the godless haters get you down. Don’t throw up your hands and say, “This is simply too much.” Remember, with God, all things are possible. Operate on His terms…and let the “haters” beware. They have no power when Almighty God is present.”
©2012 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label devils influence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label devils influence. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for December 4, 2011
Psalm 141:3-5
Post a guard at my mouth, God, set a watch at the door of my lips. Don't let me so much as dream of evil or thoughtlessly fall into bad company. And these people who only do wrong—don't let them lure me with their sweet talk! May the Just One set me straight, may the Kind One correct me.
Don't let sin anoint my head. I'm praying hard against their evil ways!
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
We have entered the “Holiday Season” – the time when diets are broken and people throw caution to the wind. It’s the Christmas Season, after all… we are supposed to indulge. So go ahead… eat that extra piece of fudge… have too much to drink at the office Christmas party… celebrate with your friends when finals are over… get in the holiday spirit! NOT!!!
We are so easily swayed, and we will use the smallest excuse to misbehave. We want to give our children, significant others, our family, and ourselves the best Christmas possible. So we max out every credit card and blow our entire paycheck on things we cannot afford and truly don’t need. Our lights and decorations have to be as good as – or better than – the neighbor’s, so we blow the budget trying to create the “Clark Griswold Extravaganza” that will leave the town talking! And these are just the things we do in November and December!
Think of the countless other ways we are so easily influenced by peer pressure and the wiles of advertisers. At every turn, the devil is at work using others to make us feel inferior… to tempt us to do things we know we shouldn’t just to create an image that makes us feel good about ourselves and accepted by others.
This passage is so important for us. We simply cannot stay on the right path by ourselves… we must rely on God to keep us headed in the right direction and to correct us when we wander. And the only way to do this is to stay in continual contact with Him. We must always be seeking Him in prayer, Bible study, and through association with others who are seeking Him as well.
Don’t let the devil use excuses cloud your judgment. There is no “free pass” because of the holiday season. There is never a time when it’s okay to let down your guard for even an hour. All Satan needs is a tiny crack, and he can worm his way in and wreak havoc. Stay close to God. Ask Him to guard your heart and your thoughts at all times… then LISTEN for His voice and guidance. Enjoy your holiday season knowing that you are operating fully within God’s will… and both of you are pleased with your choices.
©2011 Debbie Robus
Post a guard at my mouth, God, set a watch at the door of my lips. Don't let me so much as dream of evil or thoughtlessly fall into bad company. And these people who only do wrong—don't let them lure me with their sweet talk! May the Just One set me straight, may the Kind One correct me.
Don't let sin anoint my head. I'm praying hard against their evil ways!
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
We have entered the “Holiday Season” – the time when diets are broken and people throw caution to the wind. It’s the Christmas Season, after all… we are supposed to indulge. So go ahead… eat that extra piece of fudge… have too much to drink at the office Christmas party… celebrate with your friends when finals are over… get in the holiday spirit! NOT!!!
We are so easily swayed, and we will use the smallest excuse to misbehave. We want to give our children, significant others, our family, and ourselves the best Christmas possible. So we max out every credit card and blow our entire paycheck on things we cannot afford and truly don’t need. Our lights and decorations have to be as good as – or better than – the neighbor’s, so we blow the budget trying to create the “Clark Griswold Extravaganza” that will leave the town talking! And these are just the things we do in November and December!
Think of the countless other ways we are so easily influenced by peer pressure and the wiles of advertisers. At every turn, the devil is at work using others to make us feel inferior… to tempt us to do things we know we shouldn’t just to create an image that makes us feel good about ourselves and accepted by others.
This passage is so important for us. We simply cannot stay on the right path by ourselves… we must rely on God to keep us headed in the right direction and to correct us when we wander. And the only way to do this is to stay in continual contact with Him. We must always be seeking Him in prayer, Bible study, and through association with others who are seeking Him as well.
Don’t let the devil use excuses cloud your judgment. There is no “free pass” because of the holiday season. There is never a time when it’s okay to let down your guard for even an hour. All Satan needs is a tiny crack, and he can worm his way in and wreak havoc. Stay close to God. Ask Him to guard your heart and your thoughts at all times… then LISTEN for His voice and guidance. Enjoy your holiday season knowing that you are operating fully within God’s will… and both of you are pleased with your choices.
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for November 8, 2011
John 16:29-33
"This is what I want you to do: Ask the Father for whatever is in keeping with the things I've revealed to you. Ask in my name, according to my will, and he'll most certainly give it to you. Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks!
"I've used figures of speech in telling you these things. Soon I'll drop the figures and tell you about the Father in plain language. Then you can make your requests directly to him in relation to this life I've revealed to you. I won't continue making requests of the Father on your behalf. I won't need to. Because you've gone out on a limb, committed yourselves to love and trust in me, believing I came directly from the Father, the Father loves you directly. First, I left the Father and arrived in the world; now I leave the world and travel to the Father."
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Have you ever played that game called “Gossip?” You know the one. Someone whispers to one person, who in turn tells the next guy, and the “secret” is passed to each person until all have heard it. At the end of the line, the last person repeats what was told to him/her. Most of the time, that “secret” is vastly different from the one told by Person Number One!
Things get distorted when more than one person is involved in the telling. And each person has his/her perspective on what is said or how things happened. So it always is best to talk directly to others about matters where you have any questions. If you want to know what another person thinks or feels about a particular situation, ask him/her… not a friend or family member. If you have a problem with someone, go to that person directly and say, “Here’s what I experienced… is this how you see it?”
Most importantly, talk to God and hear what HE has to tell you. Don’t listen to others who say, “This is okay,” or “God wants you to do/believe such and such.” Study the Bible, pray and communicate with God, and LISTEN… hear what He has to say directly to YOU. Don’t play the “Gossip” game with your relationship with God. Commit yourself to loving and trusting Jesus. When He speaks to you, listen and obey what He tells you. Make sure that all of your decisions and choices line up with His word… not the second-hand messages of someone else.
We are so blessed and privileged to be able to speak directly to GOD! We never have to rely on what others tell us. We never have to try to figure out what was meant by a riddle or generalizations. We get straight talk from God, and it is up to us to hear what He has to say and act on that… and nothing else.
I pray that today you will have a serious conversation with God. Ask Him to open your heart to His messages… and to give you clear discernment when He speaks. Stop being influenced by the small talk of others – about your faith, other people, and your daily living. Take full advantage of the amazing gift that God has bestowed upon you… a direct line to Him at all times… and operate in confidence that you are doing exactly what He tells you in every circumstance.
©2011 Debbie Robus
"This is what I want you to do: Ask the Father for whatever is in keeping with the things I've revealed to you. Ask in my name, according to my will, and he'll most certainly give it to you. Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks!
"I've used figures of speech in telling you these things. Soon I'll drop the figures and tell you about the Father in plain language. Then you can make your requests directly to him in relation to this life I've revealed to you. I won't continue making requests of the Father on your behalf. I won't need to. Because you've gone out on a limb, committed yourselves to love and trust in me, believing I came directly from the Father, the Father loves you directly. First, I left the Father and arrived in the world; now I leave the world and travel to the Father."
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Have you ever played that game called “Gossip?” You know the one. Someone whispers to one person, who in turn tells the next guy, and the “secret” is passed to each person until all have heard it. At the end of the line, the last person repeats what was told to him/her. Most of the time, that “secret” is vastly different from the one told by Person Number One!
Things get distorted when more than one person is involved in the telling. And each person has his/her perspective on what is said or how things happened. So it always is best to talk directly to others about matters where you have any questions. If you want to know what another person thinks or feels about a particular situation, ask him/her… not a friend or family member. If you have a problem with someone, go to that person directly and say, “Here’s what I experienced… is this how you see it?”
Most importantly, talk to God and hear what HE has to tell you. Don’t listen to others who say, “This is okay,” or “God wants you to do/believe such and such.” Study the Bible, pray and communicate with God, and LISTEN… hear what He has to say directly to YOU. Don’t play the “Gossip” game with your relationship with God. Commit yourself to loving and trusting Jesus. When He speaks to you, listen and obey what He tells you. Make sure that all of your decisions and choices line up with His word… not the second-hand messages of someone else.
We are so blessed and privileged to be able to speak directly to GOD! We never have to rely on what others tell us. We never have to try to figure out what was meant by a riddle or generalizations. We get straight talk from God, and it is up to us to hear what He has to say and act on that… and nothing else.
I pray that today you will have a serious conversation with God. Ask Him to open your heart to His messages… and to give you clear discernment when He speaks. Stop being influenced by the small talk of others – about your faith, other people, and your daily living. Take full advantage of the amazing gift that God has bestowed upon you… a direct line to Him at all times… and operate in confidence that you are doing exactly what He tells you in every circumstance.
©2011 Debbie Robus
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