Come Singing

In a good week I am onsite outside the local death-pit twice a day, everyday. Some days I’m there three times a day. Why so often? Well, the sad reality is almost every day at least one new person goes in. That is one new victim, one new collaborator, or one new perpetrator. Many, if not most, of these know only what the propaganda machine has taught them. They believe the lies, and they will continue to unless we are onsite sharing the truth.

There are many ways to effectively get the message across. One way is to hold signs. Another is to call out – both pleading for the children’s lives and proclaiming the truth of Scripture. Prayer works. Praise does, too. Offering a baby blanket has saved many through the years. Even just standing in opposition can turn a death-oriented mother from killing her child.

Through the years I have done all of  know abortion is an evil they should stand against, but they don’t want to. So, they misbehave, but the seed has already been planted. It’s like striking a match and holding it to kindling, the fire is lit, and they will have to work at putting it out.

This is a spiritual battle. If we are to win it, we must bring God to the foreground. Praising Him in song does that. It says, “We are here for You, LORD.”

I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. – Psa 18:3

So, come singing. God is moving. Come be a part of glorifying Him while standing against this pit of hell. Yes, children are dying; but it is far, far better for us to make our objections clear, than to ignore what is done to them.

Blessings,

Betty

How Great is My Fear of You, Heavenly Father!

Why, Lord, do the people not fear You? Why, Lord, do they not tremble at their own disobedience? Surely You are righteously angry, for You suffered and died that we might be forgiven -- not that we might live lives of sin.

Father, I see You. I fear You. I tremble and weep for Your wrath is very great. You look upon our lukewarm hearts with contempt and are reviled at our disregard. I see Your anger, Your disappointment, and I am broken by it.

Father, what  can I do? I am but a little one. The nation does not see that I know of Your heart. They do not comprehend that You have revealed Yourself to one so insignificant. Not even John, who came to prepare a way for the Lord, could reach those who were not given to Him:

To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is give him from heaven." -- Joh 3:27

What am I to do? I drown myself in sorrow and weep until I am weak. I rush to do Your bidding; pleading and begging, speaking and sharing what You have said. Yet, far too many turn a deaf ear and spurn Your rebuke.

You said I would be like Jeremiah, speaking to a people who would not hear. You said we would be judged for preferring our wealth to You. Surely, that judgment is upon us. How we have wearied You! Again and again, You point me to these Scriptures!

You have wearied the Lord with your words.

"How have we wearied Him?" you ask.

By saying, "All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and He is pleased with them" or "Where is the God of justice?"

"See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to His temple; the messenger of the covenant, who you desire, will come," says the Lord Almighty.

But who can endure the day of His coming? Who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in the days gone by, as in former years.

"So, I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud the laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear ME," says the Lord Almighty. -- Mal 2:17-3:5

Because we call the slaughter of innocents a "necessary" evil, we are guilty before You. Because we ignore the truth of Your word, we are guilty. Because we love the liar more than those who tell us the truth, we are guilty. Because we prefer to be entertained more than to be rightly instructed or corrected, we are guilty.

How my heart aches for the children of a nation that is so willfully blind! How I mourn the man of God that has abandoned the pulpit for fame and fortune! How I weep for the mothers who have killed their precious babies! Like Jeremiah, there is no end to my anguish over this arrogant, undisciplined nation! Father, what can I do!

Will You give me some who turn back before it is too late? Will You heed my tears and profit Your word? Will You not have mercy because of Who You are? Have we gone too far? Is it just too late? Father, yet have mercy for there are others like me who seek Your will. I am not alone in pursuit of Your deliverance. I am not alone in the desire to return.

Turn us back, Father, but do not completely destroy us. Rebuke us, Father, but do not remove us completely. Have mercy, Father, not because we deserve -- for surely we do not; but rather, have mercy, dear Father, because we are but dust and You the whirlwind of our destruction. Have mercy for You are just too much for us and we are completely -- utterly at Your mercy. I plead with You, Father. I beg at Your feet. Hear my pleas. Respond to my requests. Do not turn aside. Do not abandon us to our guilt.

In Yeshuah's precious name, amen and amen.

Seven Simple Steps to Peace and Joy in Troubling Times

1.       Acknowledge – This is an extremely important first step and the key to all others. Recognizing God for Who He is sets our priorities in proper place. I like to start the day reminding myself that He is the ultimate supreme Being, not just my personal God, but God of all there is. Literally, I say to Him,

“You are my God and God of all there is.”

or something to that effect as I start each day. It is my way of affirming His authority over my day.

2.       Submit – If you haven’t turned your life over to Christ, now would be the time. If the Prince of Peace isn’t your leader, stop to think who you are following. There are only two sides: His and the devil’s. There is no peace in hell.

          Even if you are saved it serves us well to affirm our submission to Him daily. Like acknowledgement, it says we honor Him first in our hearts. After I acknowledge Him, I tend to follow with:

“I submit fully to You and Your will for my life.”

4.       Commit – Affirm or re-affirm your commitment to Him. If you haven’t done this, you should. Simply stating to Him that it is your desire to be committed to His will in your life will get His attention IF you truly mean it. Be prepared, though, because He will put you to work. (Working for Him is a great source of blessing and peace.) I like to say,

“I am fully committed to serving You as it pleases

You.”

5.       Practice – Continuously seek His will and guidance throughout the day. If you are sincere and faithful, you’ll be surprised at how He’ll lead you. It’s perfectly acceptable to start with the little things:

                   “Lord, what do I do about . . . ?”

for example. The trick is to stay at it. Persistence gets the prize here, because God answers those that keep asking until they get an answer.

6.       Praise – Start every day and end every night with it. To put it practically, praise is our pump’s primer. When we lift Him up, we open the valve, so to speak, to His joy.

          I often wake up singing the songs I’ve written or reciting praise Scripture. For this I suggest memorizing short pieces of praise. In my experience, songs often work best, because it is easier to remember them. However, the 23^rd Psalm is easily committed to memory, as is the first of 103^rd.

                   “The Lord, (You are MY), is my Shepherd . . .”

          In hard times it is even more important that we praise Him. I cannot stress it enough. Praise Him while you’re suffering. Praise Him when disaster seems imminent. Praise Him when hope seems fleeting. As we lift Him up, He fills us up and we are at peace amidst the storm.

7.       Pray – Prayer naturally follows praise. We start with adoration and gratitude, and then lay our requests at His feet. This isn’t the same as “Practice” because practice is about continuously seeking His leadership. So, we practice the attitude of prayer, but come before Him in dedicated prayer.

                   “Merciful, Heavenly Father, how I adore You . . .”

If you are earnestly looking for peace, the only place you’re ever really find it is in Him. But we can’t have peace with Him until He is Lord of our hearts, minds, and lives. That said, it matters not how distressing the times are if we are in Him, because He is God of the times as well and fully able to carry us through.