from September 2012: Sharing my heart...

I shared this with the Ladies at EL Church-Forest Hills, Cebu City, during our monthly Ladies meeting in September. A month later, Dan and I left for the States. At the time, I didn't realize that that would be the LAST time I would have the chance to share with those ladies who had become my friends and dear sisters in the Lord. So, reading through this the other day made me sad that things have changed so drastically since then and most of those ladies I will never see again this side of heaven. But, at the same time, I'm glad that I was able to share with them the things that were weighing heavy on my heart and mind at that time, especially about my Mom. I know that all of them looked up to her and I pray that her influence continues through them to be passed down to the younger generations in their families, especially the example she showed and lived as a truly virtuous Proverbs 31 woman!

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On Tuesday, October 30th, Dan and I will be leaving for the States. To say that we are looking forward to being with our kids and grandkids is an understatement. But, before we leave, we wanted to just share our hearts with you. Dan is going to speak with the men today and he felt I should speak to the women.

Just a little bit of background for those of you who weren't here in 2008. Dan and I retired from our well-paying and often satisfying jobs in the States to come to Cebu to help my parents in the ministry. We also left behind our children and grandchildren. Many of our friends and family--on both sides--told us we were NUTS to leave behind our good life in the States. We knew what we were giving up but, at the time, we felt the Lord calling us here because my Dad had been very sick (2005 and 2006) and almost died and my Mom wasn't getting any younger and she was always asking us, "When are you coming?" So, we really did feel like this is where the Lord wanted us to be.

Of course, life never turns out the way you'd like it to. We arrived in June 2008 and by January 2010--18 months later--my Mom passed away. I really did not expect my Mom to die so soon. There are still times when I think about what would have happened if we were here when she had had that final asthma attack in December 2009. Would she still be alive? Could an inhaler have saved her and given her those precious 10 minutes that would have allowed her to reach the hospital in time and not lose precious oxygen? We'll never know, but I still ask myself those questions and it makes me very sad that we weren't here to maybe make a difference during that time.

We know that God has His reasons for allowing things to happen. We know that our birth and our death have been ordained and planned from the very beginning. But, that doesn't make it any easier to accept when it happens to us!

I think that, in many ways, my Mom was the ultimate Proverbs 31 woman. Let's take a look at some of those characteristics:
* Her husband can trust her (vs. 11-12). She will do him good for life (v. 22)--I know this to be true of my Mom and my Dad.
* She is enterprising and industrious. My Mom worked with her hands. She wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty. She loved to garden and work with plants.
* She is an early riser (v. 15). My Mom was usually up before the maids! She managed the kitchen wisely.
* She is hard working (vs. 16-19). She has artistic hands (v. 19). She weaves and sews. She didn't complain about her heavy workload.
* She is an honor to her husband (v. 23). To "sit in the gates" means to be in a position of leadership (Gen 19:1; Prov 12:4). An honorable wife enhances the honor of her husband. This is where my Mom excelled! She took great care of my Dad. She made my Dad look good. She was his best adviser who helped him see the other (more human) side of a situation or a decision. She was my Dad's strong moral compass. I firmly believe that this is the greatest influence we have on our husband--being their strong moral compass.
* She has integrity (vs. 25-28). From my Dad's annotation on this passage, we read: 
  >  Strength and honor are her clothing (v. 25). “Strength” is from oz which means “inner power” (Ps. 63:2). “Honor” is from hadar which could mean "majesty" (Ps. 29:4) or "beauty" (Prov. 20:29). The Hebrew construction should be more literally translated, “honor of strength.” Her honor is her strength.
  >  Her words are words of wisdom and she is bound by the law of kindness (v. 26).
  >  She is not lazy, but is diligent in taking care of the needs of her family (v. 27).
  >  The children have deep admiration for her and her husband has nothing but praise for her (v. 28).
* She excels in all areas of life (vs 29-31). The reason she excels is because she fears the Lord. When favour and beauty are undergirded by the fear of the Lord, then that wife is truly a virtuous woman.

When we leave in October, it's uncertain when we will return. First of all, we have to take care of Dan's physical problems. We don't know what the doctors over there will find out about his condition. So, that's the biggest factor.

Another is the condition of our kids and grandkids. Maybe we need to do our apostolic ministry for awhile... Whatever happens, we want you to know--straight from our lips and our hearts--that we love all of you. We are extremely concerned about what's happening in the church right now We know things are very different now and not necessarily in a good way. We will be praying for you while we're away. Although we feel that we need to go away for awhile, we also want you to know that our absence doesn't mean that we don't care about what's happening here or that we're abandoning you. For now, we just want to be open to God's leading. After all,

He does know what's best for us! 

FEAR NOT for July 27, 2016: Psalm 49:16-17

"Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him."

BACKGROUND/COMMENTARY (Jamieson, Fausset & Brown @ blueletterbible.org): "Be not anxious since death cuts off the prosperous wicked whom you dread." Chuck Smith also from blueletterbible.org agrees: "the rich with their riches cannot redeem their souls, nor can they take it with ...them."

PERSONAL APPLICATION: This is probably one of the Scripture verses where the expression, "you can't take it with you," came from… We all know that, when we die, we "carry nothing away" with us. Even more clear from this passage is the fact that one's riches cannot save a person. When we die, our riches stay behind here on earth for others to either enjoy or squander away. Like my parents always reminded us:  what will count for eternity will be the lives we have impacted for the Lord, especially those to whom we have witnessed and who gave their lives to Him as a result of our witness.

from Oswald Chambers

“Not often, but every once in awhile, God brings us to a major turning point— a great crossroads in our life. From that point we either go toward a more and more slow, lazy, and useless Christian life, or we become more and more on fire, giving our utmost for His highest—our best for His glory.”
~~My Utmost for His Highest devotional

this is for my grandkids who give me millions of reasons to smile every day...!!

10 Warning Signs a Servant Leader Has Become the ‘King’ of His Kingdom

As Christian leaders, we are called to serve others even as we’re completely reliant on God. Too often, though, a leader who was once a servant wrongly transitions into being the king of his own kingdom. Here are some signs that a leader has become the “king”:

1. Even if he invites discussion from church leaders, he does not change his mind. The “discussion” is in name only, as his decisions are already made.

2. He sees everyone else as expendable. If he’s worried about church members leaving, you’d never know it. In fact, he can usually hyper-spiritualize the reasons that others leave.

3. He is seldom, if ever, wrong. Kings somehow convince themselves that nobody can do things as well as they can. Everybody else still has something to learn.

4. Staff members tend to stay for only a short time. Kings are good at recruiting strong staff members, but not so good at keeping the best of them. Kings want dependents more than co-laborers.

5. He seldom allows others to preach. The pulpit becomes his platform, and he rarely gives up that position, even for a single Sunday. He’s most unwilling to share that space with gifted speakers he might perceive as more gifted than he.

6. He treats others as “subjects.” That is, people become a means to an end: tools to help him build his kingdom more than brothers and sisters in Christ.

7. He demands unquestioned loyalty. Even the slightest sign of disagreement is considered rebellion.

8. He expands his kingdom broadly, but not deeply. After all, deeply-developed kingdoms require serious discipleship—and genuine disciples would recognize the problem with a king’s leadership style.

9. Often, those who know him best question his spirituality. That’s not a surprise, though. Kings depend on themselves, not God.

10. He does not consider leadership succession. He might talk about retirement at some point, but it’s often just talk. Kings don’t give up their position easily.

Lest we judge the “king” leader too seriously, though, all of us are susceptible to moving in this unhealthy direction. Pride is always a temptation for Christian leaders.



Chuck Lawless currently serves as Professor of Evangelism and Missions and Dean of Graduate Studies at Southeastern Seminary.

FEAR NOT for July 21, 2016: Psalm 46:2

"Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea"

BACKGROUND/COMMENTARY (from Matthew Henry in blueletterbible.org): "Are we pursued? God is our refuge to whom we may flee, and in whom we may be safe. Are we oppressed by troubles? Have we work to do and enemies to grapple with? God is our strength, to bear us up under our burdens, to fit us for all our services and sufferings; he will, by His grace, put strength into us, and on him we may stay ourselves. Are we in distress? He is a help, to do all that for us which we need, a present help, a help found. a help at hand, one that never is to seek for, but that is always near. Or, a help sufficient, a help accommodated to every case and exigence; whatever it is, he is a very present help; we cannot desire a better help, nor shall ever find the like in any creature."

For another perspective, here's what Dr Gadiel T. Isidro writes in his annotation of Psalm 46: "This Psalm is prophetic of the universal exaltation of the Messiah. Thus, the events depicted here point to the time of the tribulation, especially during the battle of Armageddon. See Revelation 19:11-19.

Psalm 46:1-3--During times of universal tumult, God is declared as our protector. First, the description of God (v. 1). (1) He is our refuge. The word translated “refuge” here in v. 1 is machaseh which means “a refuge in the desert place,” like a rock against the sand storm. See Psalms 62:7(8). (2) He is our strength, from oz, which means “power.” See Psalms 66:3. (3) He is present help. This means He is never absent. “Present” comes from matsa which means “to find” (I Sam. 10:2). Thus, whenever we need God, He is always there. Because of this, we need not fear in times of catastrophe (vs. 2-3).

FEAR NOT for July 19, 2016: Psalm 27:3

"Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident."

COMMENTARY: I like what Matthew Henry has to say about this verse (blueletterbible.org): "Though they be numerous, a host of them, though they be daring and their attempts threatening, though they encamp against me, an army against one man, though they wage war upon me, yet my heart shall not fear.' Hosts cannot hurt us if the Lord of hosts protects us. Nay, in this assurance that God is for me "I will be confident.' He will be confident: That he shall be safe. "If God is my salvation, in the time of trouble he shall hide me; he shall set me out of danger and above the fear of it.' God will not only find out a shelter for his people in distress (as he did Jer. 36:26), but he will himself be their hiding-place (Ps. 32:7). His providence will, it may be, keep them safe; at least his grace will make them easy. His name is the strong tower into which by faith they run (Prov. 18:10). "He shall hide me, not in the strongholds of Engedi (1 Sa. 23:29), but in the secret of his tabernacle.' The gracious presence of God, his power, his promise, his readiness to hear prayer, the witness of his Spirit in the hearts of his people -- these are the secret of his tabernacle, and in these the saints find cause for that holy security and serenity of mind in which they dwell at ease. This sets them upon a rock which will not sink under them, but on which they find firm footing for their hopes; nay, it sets them up upon a rock on high, where the raging threatening billows of a stormy sea cannot touch them; it is a rock that is higher than we (Ps. 61:2).

FEAR NOT for July 18, 2016: Psalm 27:1

"[A Psalm of David.] The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

This psalm is another favorite of many of us and it doesn't need much explanation. But, maybe a review of some of the key words would be good. In “The Lord is my Light," the word "light" is meant to give direction. It is also a common figure for comfort. "Salvation" means God will deliver us. With regards to “T...he Lord is the Strength of my life,” this means that God will uphold us. "Strength" or "stronghold" gives us a picture of security against all violence. This is why, in the midst of dangers that we face, the Psalmist introduces a prayer for divine help and guidance.

PERSONAL APPLICATION: As a child of God, I need not to be afraid, I need not fear, because the Lord is my light, He's my salvation, He is my strength. I will not fear what man might do to me. He that keepeth Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. Because the Lord is watching over me, He keeps me and the Lord keeps you. Praise God! These words are what we can count on to comfort and strengthen us during the trials and challenges we face here on earth on a daily basis!

FEAR NOT for July 15: Psalm 23:4

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."

BACKGROUND/COMMENTARY: This whole chapter is probably one that most, if not all, believers have memorized. Psalm 23 is one of the most comforting chapters in the Bible and all of us can relate to it and even run to it during the ebbs and flows of our life here on earth. According to Chuck Smith (blueletterbible.org): "I shall fear no evil for thou art with me" means I shall not want for courage. His presence dispels all fear. His presence is never closer than in the valley. And when we cross through the valley and come out on the other side, "I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Because this is such a familiar psalm, it's easy to just gloss over these verses. Chuck Smith brings to our attention that we are walking not IN the valley, but THROUGH. That's a very important distinction. Also, it is the shadow of death. Chuck Smith says, "The substance has been removed, only the shadow remains... No one is afraid of shadow. [The] shadow of a dog can't bite. [The] shadow of the sword can't kill. [The] shadow of death can't destroy."

PERSONAL APPLICATION: What comes to my mind when I read this verse is December 2009 and January 2010. For 18 days, my Mom's earthly body was being sustained by machines. Medically, there was no brain activity because she had been deprived of oxygen for more than 10 minutes after she suffered an asthma attack that was followed by a heart attack. This was the 2nd time that this had happened to her, but, this time proved to be the last. I remember that during those 18 days when she lay in the hospital with machines doing the work that her body could no longer perform, my Mom had a serene look on her face. Everyone -- hospital staff and visitors alike -- always remarked on it! They couldn't believe that she could look so at peace. But, of course, we know that she was at peace because she was finally home with her Heavenly Father. This verse is truly a source of comfort to me because I've witnessed it first hand with my Mom. She walked through the valley of the shadow of death and she had NO FEAR because she knew God was walking with her, holding her hand as they made their way to her heavenly home. Someday, I, too, will walk through that same valley and I will be able to experience what my Mom did, walking hand in hand with my Savior and knowing there was nothing to fear ever again!

looking great at 88!!

FEAR NOT for July 14: Psalm 3:6

"I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about."

BACKGROUND/COMMENTARY (david guzik @ blueletterbible.org): According to David Guzik, "The events are recorded in 2 Samuel 15-18, but the heart is recorded in this Psalm." At the writing of this Psalm David was in a great deal of trouble. His own son led what seemed to be a successful rebellion against him. Many of his previous friends and associates forsook him and joined the ranks of those who troubled him (2 Samuel 15:13). David's situation was so bad that man felt he was beyond God's help. Those who said this probably didn't feel that God was unable to help David; they probably felt that God was unwilling to help him. They looked at David's past sin and figured, "This is all what he deserves from God. There is no help for him in God." "If all the trials which come from heaven, all the temptations which ascend from hell, and all the crosses which arise from the earth, could be mixed and pressed together, they would not make a trial so terrible as that which is contained in this verse. It is the most bitter of all afflictions to be led to fear that there is no help for us in God." (Spurgeon)
Starting in v. 3, we see, however, what God did for David: Under attack from a cunning and ruthless enemy, David needed a shield. He knew that God was his shield. This wasn't a prayer asking God to fulfill this; this is a strong declaration of fact: You, O LORD, are a shield for me. God was more than David's protection. He also was the one who put David on higher ground, lifting his head and showing him glory.
Verses 5 & 6 show us the blessings to and from God: "I lay down and slept; I awoke:" David used both of these as evidence of God's blessing. Sleep was a blessing, because David was under such intense pressure from the circumstances of Absalom's rebellion that sleep might be impossible, but he slept. Waking was another blessing because many wondered if David would live to see a new day. God sustains us in our sleep, but we take it for granted. But think of it: you are asleep, unconscious, dead to the world - yet you breathe, your heart pumps, your organs operate. The same God who sustains us in our sleep will sustain us in our difficulties. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people: With God sustaining him, David could stand against any foe. Before it was written, God knew the truth of Romans 8:31: If God is for us, who can be against us?

PERSONAL APPLICATION: In this Psalm, David was in a very dire -- life and death -- situation. Things looked hopeless, but, David continued to trust in God. He knew that God was still on His throne and that He has a good reason for what David is going through. David was "a man after God's own heart" and his life is an example to us. Despite David's personal failures, there was ONE THING that defined him--David knew that God loved him and cared for him. He knew God was his sun and shield. He knew that God would fight for him. That's why David was able to sleep at night: He did not fear what man would do to him because he had GOD on his side. This is a lesson we can all learn from the life of David, a man who loved God above all else!!

yes...

FEAR NOT for July 11, 2016: Nehemiah 4:14

"And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses."

BACKGROUND/COMMENTARY (david guzik @ blueletterbible.org): Starting in v. 1, we see the opposition to the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. Sanballat and Tobiah, in particular, ridicule the work of God. First they were deeply disturbed, then furious, then indignant. All the while, they were mocking the Jews for even thinking they could rebuild the walls!
Nehemiah, however, decides to counter the discouraging attack with prayer. Nehemiah's response is a great example to all of us. He didn't debate, he didn't form a committee, he didn't even deal with the two enemies directly. Instead, he took it to God in prayer. For Nehemiah, prayer was a first resource, not a last resort. When times of opposition come, God wants us to rely on Him - and the purest way of expressing our reliance on God is through prayer. The result after the attack and Nehemiah's defense in prayer: the work continues on with greater and greater strength.
The enemy's strategy, then, shifts gears: they decide to kill the Jews. They realize that the only way they can stop the rebuilding of the walls was to kill the people building them! But, God reveals the enemy's evil scheme to the Jews and Nehemiah goes on the offensive: He organizes the Jews' defense and he reminds them that God is fighting with them. Verses 12-14 tell us what Nehemiah did, but we can also think of what Nehemiah could have done in this situation. (1) He could have done nothing - and even been spiritual about it. "Well brother, we're just trusting in the Lord. We prayed about it, and believe the Lord will deliver us somehow." (2) He could have panicked - and started thinking it was his job alone to defend against the attack. (3) What he did was to wisely and calmly trust God in the midst of the storm, and to do the concrete things God would have him do to obtain the victory. Nehemiah put their mind in the right perspective. The challenge was great but there was no reason for fear. He who was in them was greater than he who was in the world.

PERSONAL APPLICATION: (1) Like most attacks of discouragement, there is a trace of truth in the words of the enemy. As builders, the Jews were feeble. They would not complete the building of the walls in a day. They didn't have the best materials to work with. A lying, discouraging attack will often have some truth in it, but it will neglect the great truth: God was with them and has promised to see them through. (2) Sanballat and Tobiah sought to bring the discouragement through criticism. Charles Swindoll points out that there were many of them together doing the sarcastic, mocking criticism. One measure of a leader is to be able to measure criticism; to not allow one to be run down by the critical, while still be sensitive to God's voice even in the midst of criticism. (3) Discourage-ment is such a powerful weapon because it is somewhat the opposite of faith. Where faith believes God and His love and promises, discouragement looks for and believes the worst - and tends to pretty much forget about who God is and what He has promised to do.
So, when we are under spiritual attack it is easy to feel that just enduring the storm is the victory. It isn't. The attack often comes to prevent your progress and work for the LORD. Victory is enduring the attack and continuing the progress and work for the LORD.

FEAR NOT for July 8, 2016: 2 Chronicles 32:7

"Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him"

BACKGROUND/COMMENTARY (David Guzik in blueletterbible. org): "Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed:" Hezekiah understood that the defense of Israel did not depend only on walls and towers and shields and water supplies; it also depended on the strength, courage, and... determination of their soldiers.
"For there are more with us than with him:" Hezekiah encouraged his people with these words: "We have more power than they have. (These words he quotes from the prophet Elisha, 2 Kings 6:16--"Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.") This was soon proved to be true by the slaughter made by the angel of the Lord in the Assyrian camp." (Clarke)
"But with us is the LORD our God:" "The import of 'Immanuel,' by which name Christ now began to be known amongst them." (Trapp)

PERSONAL APPLICATION: As children of the God of this universe, we really have NO reason to fear the challenges and obstacles that come our way. Sometimes, those obstacles are enemies that appear to be SO large and powerful and we feel truly powerless against them. This attack from Sennacherib that King Hezekiah and the people of Judah faced was one that appeared to spell total defeat for Judah. UNTIL they remembered that they had a source of power that was mightier than anything a mere manlike Hezekiah could put together. That source was the King of heaven and ALL His mighty hosts!! This story reminds us that WITH God, we are victorious! WITH God, we are more than conquerors! WITH God, we have no need to fear what mere man can do to us! The God who was with Hezekiah is the same God who is with us today! Therefore, we have NO need to fear!! So, let's move confidently forward knowing that we have the mighty hosts of heaven on our side who will fight for us!!

FEAR NOT for July 7, 2016: 2 CHRONICLES 20:17

"Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you."

BACKGROUND/COMMENTARY from Chuck Smith (blueletterbible.org):  [This is] "the glorious promise of God. Commanding them to not be afraid or dismayed. "For the battle is not yours, but God's." It's so wonderful when God takes up our part. When God stands up for our defense. David said, "The Lord is my refuge and my strength. I will not fear though the mountains be removed and cast into the midst of the sea" (Psalm 46:1-2). How wonderful when God is my strength. God is my defense, my defender. "Don't be afraid. Don't be dismayed. This battle isn't yours, it's God's. Now you go down tomorrow by the cliff of Ziz where you get the overview of the valley of Jeruel there. And you just stand still and see the salvation of the Lord." And then again, "Don't be afraid, don't be dismayed for the Lord is with you."

PERSONAL APPLICATION (Chuck Smith @blueletterbible.org): " The consciousness of the presence of God is always one of the greatest factors to dispel fear from our lives. I can be extremely frightened until I realize God is with me. Then all of a sudden I'm not afraid anymore. It's only when I lose the consciousness of God's presence with me. It's only when I get things out of perspective and I forget that my life belongs to Him, that this is His church, and I try to start carrying the burdens myself and losing that perspective of God's presence with me. Sometimes I become terrified. As David said, "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? Why art thou disquieted within me?" (Psalm 42:11) And sometimes my soul gets cast down or very disquieted. It's because I have forgotten that it all belongs to God. That I am His, that He is with me. "Hopest thou in the Lord," David said, "He shall yet deliver thee." Hey, did you forget about God? Did you forget that God's on the throne? And how many times we forget that God is on the throne. And we try to take up the battle ourselves. And we try to do things ourselves until we get into the place of despair. God says, "Don't be afraid, don't be dismayed. I will be with you."

AN ASIDE:  The exact same phrase, "stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD," is also found in Exodus 14:13--"And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever."

oh, yeah...

FEAR NOT for July 6, 2016: 2 CHRONICLES 20:15

"And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's."

BACKGROUND/COMMENTARY from David Guzik (blueletterbible.org): 

In verses 1-2, we read that a great hostile army has gathered against  King Jehoshaphat and Judah. "There was certainly a sense in which Jehoshaphat feared the great multitude coming against him. Yet the sense here is that he feared the LORD, and was more awed at the power and majesty of God than at the destructive force of his enemies."

So, King Jehoshaphat did what he knew he had to do:  he bowed before Almighty God and asked for God's help. "This is a recurring theme in 2 Chronicles: the leaders who seek the LORD. We can expect God to do great things when His people, and especially the leaders of His people, seek the Him." "His attitude is summed up by the word 'seek', which occurs twice in Hebrew though it is variously translated.... This is a key word in Jehoshaphat's reign, where it has the basic sense of 'worship', but also means to discover God's will. It shows that Jehoshaphat has a higher trust in God than in his military resources."

(Selman) 

"Jehoshaphat called the nation to express their humility and total dependence upon God through a public fast - that is, abstaining from all food for a period of time (typically a day or more) and drinking only water." "In Mark 9:28-29, Jesus explained that prayer and fasting together were a source of significant spiritual power. It isn't as if prayer and fasting make us more worthy to be blessed or do God's work; it is that prayer and fasting draw us closer to the heart of God, and they put us more in line with His power. Fasting is a powerful expression of our total dependence on Him."

King Jehoshaphat gathered his people to pray:  "Jehoshaphat began his great prayer by recognizing the power of Yahweh over heaven and all kingdoms of the nations." "Jehoshaphat also prayed recognizing God's great works in the past on behalf of His people. The logic is clear: If God had done great things for His people in the past, He can be prevailed upon to do great things for His people at their moment of great need." "The final phrase (of Jehoshaphat's prayer), 'We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you,' is one of the most touching expressions of trust in God to be found anywhere in the Bible." (Selman)  "They said, 'Our eyes are upon thee.' What did they mean by that? They meant, 'Lord, if help does come, it must come from thee. We are looking to thee for it. It cannot come from anywhere else, so we look to thee. But we believe it will come, men will not look for that which they know will not come. We feel sure it will come, but we do not know how, so we are looking; we do not know when, but we are looking. We do not know what thou wouldest have us to do, but as the servant looks to her mistress, so are we looking to thee, Lord. Lord, we are looking.'" (Spurgeon)
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? "Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah … in the midst of the assembly:"  "Out of this huge group gathered together, the Spirit of the LORD came upon one man to speak to the entire assembly. God answers Jehoshaphat's prayer with a promise given through a prophet. This was a spontaneous word of prophecy that came as God's people waited before Him and sought Him." God said, "You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD:" Judah did not need to fight in this battle, yet it did not mean there was nothing for them to do. It was a significant step of faith to position yourselves, to stand still, and to believe that you would see the salvation of the LORD in the face of a large attacking army. The threat was real - there really was a great multitude dedicated to destroying Judah. Yet the command was to not be afraid nor dismayed, because the battle was God's battle. He would fight on behalf of Judah against this great multitude.

PERSONAL APPLICATION:  Here's my take-away from this:  We will NEVER lose if we bow before the Lord and ask for His help with whatever challenges we're facing. God wants us to ask for His help because He LOVES to help us in our time of need. We should never forget to seek Him for ALL aspects of our lives. God will ALWAYS come through for us when we seek His face and ask for His guidance in our undertakings.

i wish i knew who came up with this so i could thank him/her...

FEAR NOT for July 5, 2016

I Chronicles 28:20 "And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD."

BACKGROUND/COMMENTARY (from david guzik@blueletterbible.org): "'Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed:' David here echoes ...God's exhortation to Joshua before he led the people of God into the Promised Land (Joshua 1:5-7). This was appropriate, because Moses was a great leader who could only lead the people of Israel to a certain point - the rest was up to Joshua. The same pattern applied to David and his successor Solomon." "In describing David's plans for building the temple, Chronicles has paid special attention to portray David as a second Moses and Solomon as a second Joshua." (Payne) 
"And do it:" It is easy to see how important this was for David. He had spent enormous effort to prepare the temple but would all be naught unless Solomon did in fact do it. "Do not talk about it; do not sit down, and dream over the plans, and think how admirable they are, and then roll them up; but, 'Be strong and of good courage, and do it.'" (Spurgeon) 

PERSONAL APPLICATION: "Do not talk about it; do not sit down, and dream over the plans, and think how admirable they are, and then roll them up; but, 'Be strong and of good courage, and do it.'"
WOW -- talk about a bulls eye shot!! In recent days, my husband and I have been talking about going back to the Philippines for a few years to make a difference for the Lord in Brookes Point, Palawan. There is a lot that needs to be prayed about before we take this step again, so we're taking our time to really pray about this move. We went back in 2008 -- leaving behind our jobs, our nice life here in the States, our kids, and our first grandchild -- and were there for almost 5 years before the Lord brought us back to the States. It's now been almost 4 years since we returned and there's the feeling -- conviction, really -- that our sabbatical is coming to an end and it's time to once again be involved in full-time ministry overseas. With these words, "be strong and of good courage, and do it," I can heard God's voice and I see this as another confirmation that we should be willing to go out again and that He is preparing the way for us and preparing the ministry that He wants us to do. Our response:  we just need to step out in faith -- JUST DO IT! -- follow Him and be willing to make a difference in the lives of others back in our homeland.