Tackle the Dummy

If you have ever been on a football field while practice is going on, you inevitable know which is the dummy and what it looks like. Although mostly white looking fabric, it is padded and shaped to look like a person. In those practice times, the dummy surely gets the brunt of all guided attempts to stop him.
He is tossed around, tackled, and then most likely stepped on. The "dummy" is jerked around, is hassled, brought down again and again and when practice is over, probably put with all the other supplies, equipment, pads and such to be used for another day.
What would the "dummy" represent to us we walk through life, sometimes feeling like we too are the tossed around, the stepped on, and the tackled!

In writing on this today, I went on-line and looked or surveyed the Dummy page. I saw the Crash-dummies, and saw some for other uses as well. I saw cheap ones and some really expensive ones. But my thought:"why do they need so many and dressed as well as they are dressed?"

As I write I come back to our daughter who is a "pastor". She is the one who likes the "team huddles". She as the pastor likes to bring all together, exhort them, get them into the game of life and send them off with a "good job there faithful servant"!
She demonstrates faith. She loves people and is always drawn to the expressive ones. She will continue to gather them adding them to her prayer journal. She will think on their last visit together and hold them up before the Lord, holding fast in the Word that if God be for them, then who can be against them.
Huddling together as gathering to meet and actually talk, pray together and maybe sample some food might be on the list of things to do, but foremost it is not tossing "one " around, not tackling them to the ground and give them reasons they failed again or try to jerk them back to normal life, when they have no life. No, those things do not work. Those who love God and are called and know the purpose, it is found in and through the life of Jesus and revealed through the Holy Spirit.

Days of dumbing down to act like the "fun" church", the "will do anything for a laugh church", or that "will out perform their band one more time church" should be gone, done away with forever.

That sound today is the tone of love, it is not forgetting the standard God has in place for righteousness and it is ever mindful of those heading for hell. Jesus did not come to accommodate our culture, He came to set up His kingdom of heaven.

John 18:36
36 Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."
NIV

To us a Child was born and to us a Son was given. He died that we might live unto life eternal with Him. Do we rage on like there is no tomorrow? Do we think we can run our mouths, throw people up against a wall with mouths that shriek horror and expect God to bless our futile efforts? Do we stomp "the future leaders" of tomorrow and expect God to hear our rambling and raving words with no respect at all?
Today, start a habit of speaking positive about others. Today speak one positive thing about yourself. Look at the habits which make you productive and fruitful in your life at home and at work and or church. Persist in seeking out the good. Look for that in others, no matter their race, color or creed.
If  you are busy expect to finish every project. If you are creative, expect to create new things for your home, work or ministry. If you minister, expect to minister life,  not only to your leaders within the church, but the coming leaders within your home. 

When we look at Jesus, He was the Finisher. He finished what He started.
Paul the Apostle was a finisher....2 Timothy 4:7.
Solomon, the wisest man who lived was a finisher. 1 Kings 6:14.
Jesus of course, the Prince of Peace and Cornerstone. Man could approach God without any fear, but could come in peace once and for all. Amen.

God is good and He searches for those who have hearts for HIM. God will hear and will answer prayers of those righteous before Him. But He will not answer that which profanes His very Word. Do not be deceived ........God is not mocked. 

Galatians 6:6-10

6 Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.  NKJV

What will you add to someone today? How will you leave others after you greet them with "a hello"? Is that all? Should they be more to us than someone we tackled to the floor with a loud and vexing scream that we are the unhappy, and our children are out of order, too?
What if we just told someone thank-you? Thank you Candace for what you do to huddle those people together and to tell them about Communion. Thanks Ron for all you do to gather the forces and clean some gutters, mow the lawn and still buy those groceries. How about that young man who pumps the gas for you when you stop at that gas station in Oregon?

We must sow to the Spirit of God to reap everlasting life. Those who do, will in due season reap if they do not lose heart. God is always on time. There is opportunity today to do good to all and especially those of the household of faith. Let's sow to life. Let's sow to giving our best so that we can expect something good ...........not because we want something back from anyone person, no, but because we desire to please our Father Who is watching.

Let's huddle, not slam the Dummy or tackle him till he is in pieces. No seriously, let's think of the other person around us, or within the group but seems to have a hard time to blend in with the talk and activity. When we pray in the Holy Ghost and live to abide in Jesus, we have the joy marked with a boldness that will gather every man, every woman, every race and every nation to God and declare Him to be God alone. Today, let's make the move to bring others into God's household of faith and may our lights shine brightly to the full light of day in Jesus' name. Amen.

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www.godsgoodnessandlove.com

Notice:

The Voice of Prayer  has a new teaching published: 

Offenses, Disipline and Apostles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5bySdU2fMc

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV

Who Are the OPPRESSED?

Galatians 6:7-10

 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.   NKJV

Sowing is God's idea. John 12:24-26
24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
NIV

Sowing a good seed, that is planted as in gardening, will die and bring up a crop....it produces many seeds. Here in this scripture, Jesus was telling them that we are to hate that which is of the flesh.........that life we know so "naturally", but that which is of the spirit will follow Jesus and will live where He does forever!

 And reading on that flesh nature, one would really not want to sow that which is just "trouble".
Romans 6:13-14
13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead ( flesh nature), and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
NKJV

Romans 8:12-13

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

NKJV

For whatever we sow to in the flesh, we will certainly reap. You allow someone to come out of a gas station or convenience store ahead of you who is on the main road, and do that several times...........you find you have a harvest coming to you when you find yourself coming out of a convenience store in 5 pm traffic and the line of cars is too many to count or even see to the end of the line..................and..........suddenly........... an opening appears, the man has paused the traffic, he waves you onto the main road in front of him, and "happy day" you are on your way home sooner than later. Doing good to others is something we need to keep watch over! That means even in situations of someone being ugly to you, calling you names or attacking your character. Jesus was attacked in the same way. The religious folks of that day certainly attacked Him, did they not?
Mark 3:4-6
4 Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent. 

5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus. 
NIV

In writing this today I was shocked by watching a report from this state in which a police officer was being fired because of his handling of a situation involving an 16 year old (or 18 year old). (the news reports changes from channel to channel on the age) Some fifty percent thought he was being violent and the other fifty percent thought he handled it accurately as the teen......considered old enough in most states to know better was told she was leaving school because of bad attitude to teacher and Administrative person. (something about using her cell phone during class time) I could not fathom such behavior toward someone in authority. In the year I graduated from high school, you certainly did not talk back to the Superintendent nor did you speak ill to your teacher. Such behavior was brought up to the parents of the misbehaving student, male or female, and was going to be handled directly by expulsion from school and for some, that expulsion was forever. I would never had thought of doing such an act at school or anywhere else. First of all, I would not have been able to sit for a week, and I would have been made to apologize to those I spoke ill to. Oh, did I mention I would probably had my mouth washed out with lava soap?

I remember a couple different students in the school I attended who were singled out because of their behavior during class time and what was not acceptable,  they were told to get their things together including books and or coat/jacket..........and when that door opened to the hallway, "the" said student was leaving the classroom and the school! Finished, dealt with and the classroom was back to order and the teacher was teaching the class again without any interruptions. What I saw in those days that happened was a defiant student disregarding authority!

For some reason I had this thought as well. Maybe because October is the Halloween craze time! I thought of the Mary Shelley's book on Frankenstein. (you know they show it a lot, and make it available right now) The "thing" that man created was to live by applying electricity. This being created surely walked by that power......was made to live, but became violent because of loneliness. Because the being had no one like them to love them..........and then I thought of this teen........that one a "lonely one"......is there no love?

Immediately I wanted to pray for the entire group of people who were involved in something that cost a man his job............and the teacher and Administrative person to lose authority. This world has certainly turned upside down!

I kept thinking of the scripture of reaping the whirlwind.........Proverbs 1:20-33
20 Wisdom shouts in the streets for a hearing. 21 She calls out to the crowds along Main Street, and to the judges in their courts, and to everyone in all the land: 22 "You simpletons!" she cries. "How long will you go on being fools? How long will you scoff at wisdom and fight the facts? 23 Come here and listen to me! I'll pour out the spirit of wisdom upon you and make you wise. 24 I have called you so often, but still you won't come. I have pleaded, but all in vain. 25 For you have spurned my counsel and reproof. 26 Some day you'll be in trouble, and I'll laugh! Mock me, will you?-I'll mock you! 27 When a storm of terror surrounds you, and when you are engulfed by anguish and distress, 28 then I will not answer your cry for help. It will be too late though you search for me ever so anxiously.

29 "For you closed your eyes to the facts and did not choose to reverence and trust the Lord, 30 and you turned your back on me, spurning my advice. 31 That is why you must eat the bitter fruit of having your own way and experience the full terrors of the pathway you have chosen. 32 For you turned away from me-to death; your own complacency will kill you. Fools! 33 But all who listen to me shall live in peace and safety, unafraid."   TLB


Those who abide in the Lord (John 15), all who listen to the Wisdom of God shall live in peace and safety, unafraid.  My concern here and it goes back to sowing that seed to the "flesh" is that what happens say in a year or two...........what if that school has some  call out for help ........a call out to the police station, but they have none! What if a "shooter" shows up............and those who have spurned counsel and reproof to do their own thing........mock the police and others in authority. then....how long before the table is turned for that which is of the ""bitter fruit".........and trouble comes there, but there is no help for them because of what is going on across this country?  What if they "need" help from some kind of law enforcement and there are none to call on to give the needed "HELP"?

Yes, people have to be treated fairly and expect to be heard, but not at the expense of someone being hurt when being taken from a classroom and not at the expense of someone losing their job.
Scripture tells us in Proverbs 1.......that trouble will come.............to those who have turned away from the life in God to death in the pathway which reveals the flesh creature.........doing our own thing, something we choose because we "want" to do it!

From the blog: BUTTING AND DISTURBING: But God is to be our justice. Sometimes people just rise up to do some "unthinkable" things to get their say, their way and their voice heard for the 15 minutes or such, but we can call on God to hear us when we have some complaint. When we have something going on, then we must take it to God for the answer!

Proverbs 23:29-35....29 Who has woe?

Who has sorrow?

Who has contentions?

Who has complaints?

Who has wounds without cause?

Who has redness of eyes?

30 Those who linger long at the wine.

Those who go in search of mixed wine.

31 Do not look on the wine when it is red,

When it sparkles in the cup,

When it swirls around smoothly;

32 At the last it bites like a serpent,

And stings like a viper.

33 Your eyes will see strange things,

And your heart will utter perverse things.

34 Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,

Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying:

35"They have struck me, but I was not hurt;

They have beaten me, but I did not feel it.

When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink.?" NKJV

What terrible problems that come when we desire or want what we either should not have, or do not need. It is like becoming intoxicated with the thing "we so desire" to have or control, to have "my way" or add to our collection of things we think we need at the time! And being intoxicated with those desires, our want can cause us to start those quarrels that end nowhere, but in the place of many wounds JUST because "we want that thing"! In some respect, some will even go searching for those who will join in with them to agree for that "thing desired". And however good the appearance or the thing may sound at the time of our desire, one will certainly know after some time has gone by, that it can come back to bite you in a big way! 

What we sow to, we will reap!

Yes, seems things have turned chaotic. We certainly need His judgment today and the mercy that comes from and through the Cross of Jesus Christ. I am one person, but I am a praying person, who prays out to God to save our youth today, save them before it is too late, that their lives are not lost forever. I pray out that people who have a walk with God will turn their prayers from we four and no more, to prayers for God, His justice, safety for our youth, for millions not to be blinded by the avalanche that has covered this land.

This entire world is in danger. It is a world gazing upon man and not on God the Creator of the heavens and the earth. 

Again, I look back in the day and time I was raised in the south and attended school. As children, we were all expected to have respect for our parents, teachers, and especially those in authority. We were expected to obey the instructions given us. I certainly know as a youth growing up in the south that when I gave respect to others, I received respect back to me. I certainly saw it in giving it to the elder population in our community of which I lived. And certainly things have changed from my youth and my daughter's youth, with sex offenders and pedophile's making the nightly news. You have all kinds of predators today that did not either exist or just were not made known till now, either way, we need God's wisdom for these situations.

I believe that when we are raised in hearing the word of God, and that can start for any of us at any age, we are setting ourselves, our children and their children to rise above the "things" of the world and move through this life, this journey in victory.

But when we start telling God we do not want Him in our schools or we do not want prayer in the council meetings, we have a problem. Do we not see? Can we not fathom the chaos that will come to light when we continue to lift man's image and his mental knowledge............that he knows more..........than God does?

No, in watching the news today, we can certainly see man being served!
In Proverbs 21:16.........we are told "the man who strays away from common sense will end up dead"! And in Proverbs 21:23...."keep your mouth closed and you'll stay out of trouble".  TLB

God certainly sees.......He watches over the evil and the good. Finding the "good" in all this can seem complicated. The best thing here, is to stay close to God, follow His direction and trust that He is for you. In all that is in heaven, on earth and under the earth  ( Philippians 2:9-11)..........at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow............to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

In closing: Proverbs 15:26.....26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD, But the words of the pure are pleasant. NKJV
Psalm 118:8-9
8 It is better to trust the Lord than to put confidence in men. 9 It is better to take refuge in him than in the mightiest king!
TLB

Those who follow after righteousness, those in right standing with God have pure words that are pleasant! (they are a joy to be around) They will encourage you, love God and always have a testimony of faith on the goodness of God in their lives!

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV