Deception

All too often we can recognize deception AFTER the fact, like Eve in Genesis 3. Knowing beforehand the tactics of the enemy should give us ample time to stage a sturdy defense in our lives but somehow we have not learned from the mistakes, experiences or even the stories we have heard all of our lives that have occurred in history. We have to know our adversary's tactics and that the territory that he truly is after is YOU.

 You and I are the prized territory or more precisely our relationship with God. He doesn't want to capture our attention out of love or desire...satan just simply wants to keep us away from our Creator. We are all born with a sense of wonder and knowing that there is a God out there who is over us and loves us and the weapon of choice that seems quite effective in sabotaging that is DECEPTION.

 {Read Genesis 3:1-3}

 When the serpent's first attempt at making God seem "unfair" didn't work he moved on to his next test. Eve knew that she was made in God's image and that she was in a perfect and beautiful place so why did she listen to a serpent that was so beneath her in authority?

 1. To keep from being led astray, what could Eve have done differently?
Why was she talking to a snake anyway? Think about that....sometimes we find ourselves in a spot that is so shocking to our selves....how did we get here? Eve knew the instructions given by God regarding the garden and the tree and she should not have entertained the thoughts since that was the door that opened herself up. Stopping at the first thought; knowing that it was not RIGHT and then telling Adam would have prevented it from happening. Accountability with others will keep you going the right direction.  

 2. Do you believe that innocently desiring to defend the Word of God could lead to being deceived? "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by devils". 1 Timothy 4:1. Yes it can. Debating can open your mind to start thinking and believing something that isn't truth...always look to the Bible for truths and not to others opinions...debating never leads to salvation but living out the Word will. 

 3. Have you ever engaged in a religious debate with someone?
 Yes I have and it didn't end well. It is always best to agree to disagree and pray that their hearts will be open to truth. Hostility in debate is the real detriment as well as an attitude that "you are right" that isn't very becoming. I was trying so hard to "unravel" their beliefs and they were debating & using every scripture against me... It is all right to have differences of opinion on the non-essential matters like worship styles or days, pre-trib rapture, post-trib rapture, altars or not. Whether you believe one or the other, do not affect salvation.  Yet far too many Christians use these non-essential differences as justification for division and sometimes even insight anger. When this occurs, the love of God in our hearts is sacrificed to our pride. Instead of saying to one another, "I am right and you are wrong," we should be saying something like, "It is certainly possible that you are correct.  Now, let's work together to glorify God and expand His kingdom."  Perhaps this is too simplistic, but at least it displays an attitude of humility that helps to bring unity.  It is the devil that wants us to fall into division and bickering.

4. Do you believe that someone who is "deceived" can misinterpret the "Word of God"? Yes...deception will cause you to "see" things through a filter that isn't God like...you will know them by their "fruits" and that is usually when you will know that someone is deceived. Using the Word out of context or to prove their point isolating scripture etc.

 {Read 2 Corinthians 11:3}

 Our Adversary will never approach us initially from a point of contention or confrontation but in a place of common ground and in a comfortable or familiar environment to launch his attack. If we lower our guard and let him talk, he has the opportunity to establish a foothold.

 {Read Jeremiah 49:16 & Obadiah 1:3}

 5. What commanalities do you see between these two scriptures?
  The attitude of pride. 

 6. Does pride play a role in deception? If so, how?
Well, Satan is a deceiver. Paul says that, “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14). Satan wants us to think that we’re okay, that it’s others who have the problem. Psalm 36:2 describes someone who is full of pride, saying “For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin.” This is when we start pointing fingers at others and find ourselves out of God's will and no longer being submissive to leaders etc. Oswald Chambers, in "My Utmost for His Highest", says that pride ascribes God-like attributes to ourselves. We make ourselves God. When that happens, “we are always right, always first, always in control, and always the most important. We want everything to revolve around us and to be for us.”

7. How do denial and pride work together to deceive?
Because admitting that you are wrong is a sign of weakness in this world...it is the opposite of having a humble and forgiving spirit that is called of us in the Bible. Having an un-teachable spirit along with pride we will allow a WALL of deceit to be built around us so that we cannot "see" our true selves. Others will try to break it down but we will call it "hurt" but in actuality people in church or family are can see what you cannot.

 8. How can we check ourselves to see if we are self-deceived? Can you face the fact that you have blind spots?
What you see as a personal strength, others may actually see as a weakness! Maybe you see yourself as confident…but others see you as arrogant. Maybe you see yourself as clever…but others see you as sly. Maybe you see yourself as having a strong work ethic…but others see you as neglectful of your family, with warped priorities. I’m also reminded of Matthew 7, verses 1-5: 1 Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.  Verse 5 actually says we should judge others! – “then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”  Precisely because of our tendency of self-deception, we need other believers to gently and kindly bring our blind spots to our attention.  It often seems like the only point that people draw out of these verses is “don’t judge others.”  They read verse one, and stop. They don’t keep reading. Read all the verses. However, to “see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye”, means we must first pay attention to our own sin! Note verses 3 and 4. You can’t help others unless you first look thoroughly at your own life and deal with your own sins without excuses, rationalization, or evasion! When we have been humbled by our own sinful condition, only then are we in a position to help others face their sins too. I think perhaps the main point of these verses is that: As we grow in grace, we should become more severe in the judgment of ourselves, and more lenient in their judgment of others....this is how we can check for self-deceit. Are we constantly finding ourselves pointing our fingers AT others or seeing the negative in others...then that is a pretty good signs that we are in a state of deception. 

The devil is a covenant liar and he misrepresents everything he exchanges in communication and he uses illusion, confusion and diversion to keep engaging us until he can find a loose thread to unravel us. He masquerades himself to pretend something else is going on but in reality it is not; and that is the deception.

 {Read 2 Corinthians 11:14}

 In June of 1944, an exceptional U.S. Army unit went into action in Normandy. It's weapons included hundreds of inflatable tanks and one of a kind collections of sound effect records and it carried out it battlefield missions without firing a single shot. This unit was known as the "ghost army". Their mission was to create a traveling road show to deceive the Germans about the location and strength of American troops on battlefields accross Europe. They staged 20 battlefield deceptions, employing an array of inflatable tanks, trucks, jeeps and airplanes along with sound tracks, phony radio transmissions and even playacting to fool the enemy. Can you imagine the humiliation of the Germans in finding out that they were forced to retreat by blow up tanks and dummy paratroopers? ha. How sad! But we are standing against an enemy that knows ALL the tactics and if we allow ourselves to be entertained we will open ourselves up to great measures of manipulation. We must know that those who have been successfully deceived are quickly held captive by their own desires. Those who have been deceived already are now deceiving others and we need to know and discern that.

 {Read 2 Timothy 3:1-7}

 9. What does verse 6 say about the women who are preyed upon?
The women who are preyed upon by deceptive people are the unstable and needy women. These women allow themselves to be taken advantage of  and are often the ones who are depressed by their sinfulness and then take up every new religious fad that calls itself "truth." They get exploited every time and never really learn.

 10. What weaknesses do they have?
Isolated, unstable, depressed, feelings of guilt, guillable and have never forgiven themselves. For generations women have been viewed by humanity as a whole as the weaker vessel. By looking at the number of childbirths each year, I would say that we are NOT weak in body and by the increasing women CEO's being promoted; we are NOT weak in mind either. Like Eve, women have held a reputation as being "easily overtaken" as stated in the previous scripture , our "weak-will" is the source  of this thought. 

{Read 2 Timothy 3:13-17}

 11. What does the write of Timothy say we should be "convinced of"?
 Not to let it faze you.... Stick with what you learned and believed, be sure of the integrity of your teachers—There's nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 

12. What four uses for the scripture are listed in verse 16?
teaching, rebuking, correcting and training.

 13. What do those four things equip us to do?
1) Teaching: A guide to life and a souce of absolute truth and timeless principles. 2) Rebuking: Conviction of sin in our lives. 3) Correcting: Helps others and ourselves to get back on track when we go astray; help us learn from our mistakes. 4) Training in Righteousness: Helps us grow in our faith and in developing wisdom for living. 

God has equipped women with a natural gift of discernment. When trained by the Word of God this discernment can become our secret weapon again deception! Honing and sharpening this tool will not only add alayer of protection against deception, but also draw us closer to the Spirit of God. Discern defined: perceive or recognize something, distinguish someone or something; "dis"-apart plus "cerne"-to separate. Isn't it just like God to give us a secret weapon against deception that causes the same trauma to the Enemy's camp that he puts on us? The ultimate goal of every attack against us is to separate and his deception is systematic, in hopes of isolating us to destroy us. The spiritual response weapon God has issued us to defend ourselves is discernment. When we possess this gift we will have a "forewarning system" like a radar that will alert the wisdom and knowledge that is in us to speak against the lies in confidence. The Word of God will prevent any firey dart to come against you. Speak the Word over your life and make every thought or word line up with the TRUTH.

 {Proverbs Chapter 2}

 Story Of The Remote Employee

Imagine you are hired to open up an office in Anchorage, Alaska. Your new boss gives you a high-tech looking two-way radio, a policy and procedure manual, and tells you that you will receive instructions once you arrive, and off you go. Upon arrival you hear your boss's voice over the radio, saying, "I will communicate to you through this radio unit. But take note: our competitors, our enemies, also have access to this channel. They will try to impersonate my voice with false messages to thwart our purposes." "Oh no!" you panic, "Then how will I know if it is you or the enemy giving me instructions?" Your boss's voice comes back over the radio: "Three ways. First, considering the situation, check every message supposedly from me against the policy and procedure manual. Since I wrote it, I'm not likely to ask you to violate it, right? Also, if I am not talking, don't focus in on the noise, pretending that I am. If I am not speaking, let the manual be your guide. Don't let any impersonating voice mislead you, or your own overactive imagination." "Second, since the Manual does not cover every situation, you will have to get to know my voice. I know, this will take time, and so I am not likely to ask you to do anything radical until we both have some low-risk successes under our belts. Remember, I understand the situation perfectly well, so I'll go slow at first. A time will come when I will be able to tell you to do the wildest things, and you will know it is me. In the short-term, you must be trained through low-risk experience." "Third, over time, my overall purpose for your work will begin to come into focus. You will begin to see the grand strategy in the policy and procedure manual, and the overall pattern of my true instructions. When this happens, you'll know instantly if what you hear through your unit is 'of me', just your imagination, or enemy misinformation. False instructions will begin to appear silly to you then. So take heart, and get to work." After reflecting on this a few moments, you hear your boss's voice again on the radio unit. "Take all of the money from petty cash and give it the next person that walks in, no questions asked." Hmmm... You look in the policy and procedure manual, and this is specifically forbidden. Besides, you know your boss wouldn't tell you to do something that risky right off. And also there was an certain "twang" to the voice, an appeal to something different within you, and a plan that was not in the long-term interests of the company. So, even though you are on a hostile channel, you are beginning to have hope that you can indeed do this job. ---this is a great example in discerning and hearing the voice of God.

12. End today's study by writing a personal prayer asking God for the discernment He promises in the Word.

 Lord, I pray that you would give me Your wisdom and understanding in all things. I know wisdom is better than gold and understanding better than silver (Proverbs 16:16), so make me rich in wisdom and wealthy in understanding. Thank You that You give wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding (Daniel 2:21). Increase my wisdom and knowledge so I can see Your truth in every situation. Give me discernment for each decision I must make. Please help me to always seek Godly counsel and not look to the world and ungodly people for answers. Thank You, Lord, that You will give me the counsel and instruction I need, even as I sleep. Amen!

---From "When Women War: Common Enemy, Extraordinary Allies" Bible Study

written by Amie Dockery

www.whenwomen.org

Crawfish Time!

Tasty Mud Bug!

"Most people show their tails & throw away their heads"  

                                                                  ---Don Gibson

Yes... a lovely quote from my husband! But it was so funny as we ate dinner tonight that the quote came alive! Seven people dove into 20 pounds of Crawfish at the Crawfish Shack in Crosby tonight, and as shells were flying and fingers being licked I realized that only a fraction of this poor crustacean is truly valued. The tail meat is eaten and then the rest of the creature is thrown into a large pile! There on a towering platter is the body of this mud bug with attached heads with eyes and whiskers sticking out eerily looking at you. It is just so sad! But thankfully no one at our table tried to "suck" the head of the crawfish; which the menu explained: is to "experience the tasty pancreas"! People will eat anything!

What I learned today is that crawfish has to be soaked in water multiple times to get the dirt out of them before cooking. If you miss this step then you have some gritty and dirty food that isn't edible! Then the poor creature is thrown into hot water and boiled with spices, potatoes and corn; if it is a dead crawfish it becomes mushy after boiling and the tail isn't curled up and that is a sure sign that you shouldn't eat it.

God please use all of me! I don't want to have only a small part of me valued and considered useable and the rest of me just tossed to the wayside in a useless heap! I refuse to be one of those people who uses their talents, abilities, voice and brains for things other than for God. I want to be smart, creative and cutting edge and not "lose" my head when it comes to my church, relationships and Godly things. Help us not to show "our tails" as well but be willing to be cleansed and be repentant so that when we find ourselves in hot water we will come out not only clean and useable but tasty for HIS kingdom and service!


Keep Sparkling!

-Jonna

Check up from the Neck Up!!

Depth perception is the visual ability to perceive the world in three dimensions and the distance of an object. Depth sensation is the ability to move accurately, or to respond consistently based on the distances of objects in their physical environment. Eye perception and sensation are very important to a person because without it we just might be running into walls or falling down steps! We have got to SEE things in their true state to work, drive, read or do anything effectively!

Have you ever been out to eat with someone and they didn't have their glasses and they had to hold the menu 4 feet in front of them in order to read it? ha. Thank God I am not there...YET! it is amazing though how our eyes start wearing out as we age. When I turned 40 to the day I started having problems with seeing things at a distance or road signs!  it happened so suddenly and my eye doctor prescribed glasses! 

 ^22-23"Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!"           Matthew 6:22-23 The Message                                                                                       

Most people go to the optometrist to get their eyes checked out on a yearly basis to see if a new prescription for glasses or contacts are needed. Tests such as Visual acuity, Refraction, Visual Field and Color tests are done. The size, shape of pupils as well as overall eye health is examined and assessed to make sure no diseases are affecting eye 
sight or that no infections are setting in. From uncontrolled Blood pressure to Diabetes you can lose your eye sight if your not taking care of your body and unfortunately people do not realize that. In the medical profession the eye issues are considered to be emergencies because without quick action lose your eye sight!

How much more often do we need to go the Great Physician to get our spiritual eyes and body examined? I say daily! If your squinting, having blurry vision, losing sight in an eye or experiencing "floaters" that are affecting the way you see things....it is imperative that you get seen STAT! If you find your self spewing hatefulness, accusing others, jealous or depressed then your body is out of whack and when that happens everything else is out of balance as well. Everyone has heard the saying that "hurting people hurt people". Well it is so true that if you are not living the way you should then your perspective is off and you are unable to live according to Phillipians 4:8 and it will show by your lack of fruits or should we say, "bad fruits". 

 ^8-9"Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies."         Phillipians 4:8 (MSG)                                                                           

Your eyes are the windows to your soul! Everything you "see" in life is filtered through many things that can distort or blur your true perspective. I am not talking about walking around with "rose-colored" glasses all the time because we all know that we have trials and struggles that comes our way that we have to really deal with. But having the ability to look to Jesus in our everyday lives and include Him in every thought and encounter will cause you to truly see things in a happier and more victorious way! You may find yourself stumbling around and doing things today that are so out of your character and not in line with the visual acuity God's Word shows us to live by....stop by the Emergency room of prayer or shout out a 911 to a friend... because we all need a "check-up from the neck-up"! 

Adjust that Crown!

--Jonna Gibson

Cracked Pots!

Humans are like clay pots that are broken; we are imperfect but yet God seeks us to use in spite of our flaws. In ancient times people looked for damaged vessels, that were primarily used to carry water, because they made the best lanterns – the cracks allowed a candle to shine through and light their way at night! I love this! Let me share a story with you that means so much to me.

Once upon a time there was a servant man whose job was to bring water from the stream to his Master's house. The man carried the water from the stream in two clay pots. He hung the pots on each end of a pole, which he carried across his shoulders, to and from the stream many times a day.

One of the clay pots was perfect in every way for its purpose. The other pot was exactly like the first one, but it had a crack in it and it leaked. When the water bearer reached his Master's house, the perfect pot was always full, and the cracked pot was always half full.

The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, and it boasted loudly. It criticized the cracked pot for its failures, and reminded it that despite his efforts, the water bearer could only deliver half a pot of water due to his cracks. The poor cracked pot was ashamed of its imperfections, and was miserable that it could only accomplish half of what it was supposed to do.

One day the cracked pot spoke to the water bearer. "I want to apologize to you. Because of my cracked side I've only been able to deliver half of the water to your Master's home, and you don't get the full value from your efforts."The water bearer smiled at the cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the Master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."

Indeed as they climbed the path from the river to the Master's mansion the cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful flowers along one side of the path, and his world felt somewhat brighter. But when they reached their destination and the water in the half-empty pot was poured out, his sadness returned. "Thank you for trying to cheer me up with the beautiful flowers, water bearer," The pot spoke. " But I still must apologize for my failure."

The water bearer said, "Dear pot, you haven't understood what I was trying to show you. Did you notice that the flowers only grew on your side of the path? That's because of your flaw. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and everyday as we walked from the stream, the water that leaks from your pot has watered them. I could have gotten a new pot, but my daily journeys wouldn't be near as enjoyable and I look forward to gathering the flowers daily because it adds such beauty to the Master's table."

Ohhhh how we all long to be something of beauty in the eyes of our Master, but the weight of sin and trials of life have left us frail and in need of mending. It is in this state that Jesus carefully chooses us and takes us as we are. With tender loving care He dusts us off, seeing great potential. He trusts us with himself and fills us with however much that we allow. He sees the gaps and brokeness and despite our insecurities uses us as containers to shine through and to flow out of. It is when we are willing holders of the glory of God that we are truly the happiest and most fulfilled because it is what we were created for.

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."                                                               2 Corinthians 4:7

Let's Sparkle!
--Jonna

*Out of Gas Again!

⇾God trying to get our attention and speak to us sometimes can be a whole lot like running out of gas. Ask me about how I know. It has happened to me many times (to my husbands dismay). The high-tech console on my dashboard warns me that there are 30 miles left of gas and I quickly figure in my head about how many miles there is to my destination versus the nearest gas station. A few more miles down the road a bright red light flashes next to the fuel gauge again reminding me that my car is in dire need of sustenance! Then a few minutes later a bell softly chimes again trying to gain my attention while I chat on the phone or sing loudly with my favorite CD. Suddenly with total shock and awe I am dumbfounded that my engine is no longer running! I press on the gas and nothing happens. I steer hastily to safety to the side of the road with my heart pounding and panic-stricken at my dilemma!! What can be wrong? How can this be happening to me with no warning? And most importantly....who is going to rescue me?

A whole lot of times God gets a bad rap for our inability to see or hear His voice warning us or guiding us the right way. We know there is a problem but most of us try to solve things in our own time frame and within our own abilities....therein is where the issue lies. Jeremiah 29:11 is one of my favorite passages expressing the plan God has for our lives and it is all for good. But as we are on this ride of life we are so busy doing and being what we feel God wants us to do that we ignore the gentle signs, voices and reminders that are to help us navigate successfully. I truly believe that God does not "give us what we can handle but He helps us handle what we are given". Which gives us a whole new meaning to "Jesus take the wheel!".

God talks to his children in so many ways. He uses his Word and goes into great detail to show us how to act and how to treat others. He uses people to speak into our life as well and to sharpen each other....often times by rubbing each other the wrong way! Our sometimes lengthy lessons are also another way we can hear God's voice and see Him at work and as Joyce Meyer often says, "There is no such thing as a drive-thru break through." Often times when we are contemplating a decision and we don't have 'peace about it' it is actually the Holy Spirit trying to communicate and get our attention. Audible voice is yet another way God chooses to speak and sometimes I'm  surprised He doesn't holler at me! Thankfully His mercy and grace are new every day!

Of course out of all the ways I wish God would speak to me about my life would be in a burning bush like Moses experienced in Exodus while minding his own business, I might actually pay attention then! But unfortunately we have to learn to shut our mouths, turn off the music and distractions and listen to the still, small voice that is there directing, guiding and encouraging us to greatness. We have to take responsibility for what we put or don't put in the "tanks of our lives" so that we have the time to spend with our creator to learn His voice and His ways. Because if we don't get the adequate dose of the word and prayer time that is needed to fuel us we will find ourselves crying out to be rescued continually and on the side of the road of life wondering how we got there. Just a thought =D

--Jonna

Your Canvas

There is nothing more beautiful, yet more intimidating than a blank canvas. The emptiness, the purity, the possibility of it all, makes a painter both glad, and fearful! What can i do or what can i create is the question! Artists love blank canvases! I used to watch my mom oil paint and she would get a new canvas and just stare at it for a long time at different angles moving it around before ever placing any paint on it. It fascinated me because she was seeing something that I couldn't see. 

I am sure you have heard of the world-famous work of art called the Mona Lisa that was painted by the great Leonardo da Vinci. The painting is in fact so priceless that it is not even insured because the value for the painting cannot be assigned a number; it is inestimable. The Mona Lisa incredibly enough is displayed in a $7.5 million room of her own at the Louvre in Paris, France! I personally do not think this painting is nice or even pretty...what actually determines it's value in this world is the artist who created it. 

Even a priceless painting like the Mona Lisa cannot compare to your own worth. Nothing on this earth that has been or ever will be created can match the worth of you! Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” You are a masterpiece created by the greatest artist ever! Some days you may not feel like a masterpiece or may not even be treated as a masterpiece. However, the original artist knows exactly how incredibly valuable you are. Your worth is not determined by how you feel, how people see you, where you come from, how much money you make, how well you perform at certain tasks, how beautiful you are or any other outside factors. You see, you have already been bought with a high price. The ultimate price. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Your worth is and forever will be untouchable but He doesn't want us kept in a private gallery shut out from the world. Some people leave their canvas empty because of fear....they want to keep their life and choices secret. Some have minimum brush strokes on them...they know how to act, what to say & how to look....they are copies or what thy call "prints"....not originals and not out on display. Our life canvas was meant to be filled, colorful and to be out in public. In order to be a light to the World we have to be willing to share our story...the good & bad. To be willing to show the places where we made mistakes and had to repaint or repair; the tears, pains, victories, failures and the things that make us laugh or cry. Our canvases were meant to get dirty. Not with the grime and smudges that I had before, but with the testimony of our life.
 

The “original artist” has His signature all over you. His fingerprints leave an imprint over every canvas he breathes his life into. And interestingly enough the Mona Lisa is not signed or dated like most famous paintings and it's said to be Leonardo's favorite. Since it's first public display around the 1530's it has been stolen, damaged by acid by an angry visitor, hit by rocks, faded by too much cleaning, warped and cracked by years of exposure to humidity and the elements. But still the painting is priceless and millions flock to Paris every year to catch a glimpse of the revered painting sitting in it's home encapsulated in bullet proof glass. How much more does our Father value us....His creations? No matter what your canvas of your life looks like today; even if your dirty, damaged and in need of a do-over.....we are all works-in-progress destined to be a designer original. 


--Jonna

* Have you Seen God Lately?

→Have you ever looked for something and thought you knew where it was but still couldn’t find it? I'm known for losing my keys, sunglasses, driver license....okay....just about anything that is important! I never mean to misplace things...I just put them in REALLY good places for safe-keeping! It can be frustrating to look for something and not be able to locate it; especially after destroying the house and everything in your path in the process. There is one thing thankfully in my world that is easy to find....God is always right there right when I need Him and always within arm's reach.

You never have to call God into your situation. You never have to wonder where He is. You never have to fear when things become too difficult, or wonder if He will abandon you. He goes before you; He walks beside you; He comes behind you. He protects you securely. Just as He sees every sparrow and knows every hair that is on your head, so His gaze is constantly upon you (Luke 12:6–7). He comforts you with His strong presence in times of sorrow and grief. He leads you through the valley of the shadow of death. You never need to fear evil.....as intimidating as evil can be, there is nothing you will ever face that intimidates your Shepherd. He has seen it all and soundly defeated every form of wickedness. Evil never catches Him by surprise. He is always prepared and knows exactly when and where you will experience difficulty. Place your absolute trust in your God because He will protect you and demonstrate His love for you through what you feel is your hardest times.

And the really awesome thing is that no matter how careless you might have been about spending time or praying or even thinking about God.....He is always one prayer away from comforting you and helping you and NEVER has forgotten just where you are at.


Adjust your Crown!

--Jonna

You are So Beautiful to Me

A good friend of mine posted a status on Facebook recently about a question regarding beauty. She asked for her friends to respond in 3 words or less 'what beautiful means to them'. There were various answers to her question and noteably no one put that they thought they were beautiful. Of course none of us would blatantly go around and say that we are "stunning" or "gorgeous' but deep down we all really strive and want to be beautiful!

 I have seen models before and I was left in total jealousy of their "perfectness" but I don't want to have anything to do with the hard work they are involved in! All the days at the gym, eating less than a bird, keeping their skin tanned, waxed and with no breakouts along with keeping perfect hair at ALL times. OH my...that is just craziness! Can you imagine having to do that everyday to please people and conform to what is the current definition of beauty and acceptance? People love to be loved and admired and most will go to great lengths and costs to attain it. 

"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news..."Romans 10:15

God loves us and when he looks at us he sees our HEART...not our new accessories or new hair do!  Thankfully God also has the ability to see what we can become and not so much where we are at in the present. We are God's children (John 1:12) and just like any parent He is proud of his kids and wants us on display. We have a hope and a future in Christ and He only has plans for us that is good. (Jer 29:11.)  Romans 10:5 says that God states our FEET are beatuiful! Wow...I haven't had a pedicure in ages...he might want to reconsider! ha. The thing that most feel are the dirtiest part of the body is what God calls beautiful...I think that is AMAZING! We are all fashioned in His image and I believe there is not one person on this planet that is ugly. We just compare what society says is to be the criteria for beauty and we tend to forget that God's ways are not the world's ways....NO creation of my God's is sub-standard!

"...for the LORD sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart"         1 Samuel 16:7

We have been given worth....we cost something.  Jesus gave his life and died a horrendous death just for us.  Our beauty flows out of our value and we are likened to a very rare jewel.....priceless. When we let go of our past, as well as our sin, we can begin to see ourselves as God sees us -– beautiful. We are not inadequate and we are definitely not lacking in any thing. We are not limited in any way, shape or form. We are made whole in Christ and nothing can strip us of God’s unfailing love. We are God’s masterpieces! We are wanted...and sometimes it seems hard to believe God chose us! 

 So if you haven't been told lately.....God wants me to tell you that....YOU are BEAUTIFUL!

Sweet Expectations

There once was a man who was walking in the jungle. As he got farther and farther in he became somewhat disoriented and unfortunately got lost. The man tried not to panic but the ever-present danger of wild, aggressive and hungry animals lurking in the jungle made him very nervous. As he was trying to find his way out, he began to hear the frightening roar of a tiger.

He started paying very close attention to how far or how close that roar sounded in his ear. Carefully he continued through the jungle trying to zig zag through the brush to try to cover his scent but the sound of the tiger got eerily closer and closer. Hairs stood up on the back of his neck as he felt the wild animal right on his heels. He began to frantically run and scared half-to-death ended up stumbling and falling over the edge of a cliff. As he was falling down the side of the cliff, his hands clawed along the rocks in a desperate attempt to save himself. He managed to barely catch hold of a very small, precarious bush. He grasped on to that bush with both hands and for dear life.

As he held on, he became very concerned as he noticed the fragile roots of the small bush starting to feel the strain of his weight. Above him lurked the tiger that was chasing him and it was drooling with hungry anticipation. With a slight glimmer of hope, he quickly looked below to formulate an escape plan. But just when he thought things couldn't get any worse he noticed another tiger below patiently waiting for the inevitable.

There he was, caught in the middle between the tiger above him and the tiger below him, desperately hanging on to this little shrub that was pulling out at the roots. In the middle of this very scary ordeal, right about eye level, he happened to notice a small indentation on the side of the rocky cliff. Inside that little space, he noticed – to his wide-eyed amazement – a wild strawberry was growing....it was a perfectly formed, juicy, red, and ripe. Letting go with one of his hands while barely hanging on to the bush he hungrily reached out and picked the berry and ate it.

I suspect that many of us come to church and also live our Christian lives by holding on precariously between the past and future; both of them roaring at us, demanding our attention. We can feel hopeless about moments that we experienced from long ago that we may never encounter again or fearing what the future may or may not bring us. If we give all our attention to these two tigers, we can miss the gift of the present moment, the delicious strawberry before our eyes.

Mercy Gate Church I believe is going to encounter things from Heaven that no one has ever seen, done or imagined before. God himself is going to be doing a NEW thing in and through His people. As we go about our busy lives I pray that we watch with anticipation the supernatural provision and opportunities that is being laid before us. In the moments and places that we least expect is when God will lavish us with something so wonderful and extraordinary that it will cause us to laugh in the face of our enemies and believe in the impossible....living life in sweet victory and taking as many people along with us.

'Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new. It's bursting out! Don't you see it? There it is! I'm making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands.'

Isaiah 43:19 MSG

--Jonna

The Sky is Falling, The Sky is Falling!

The sky is falling, the sky is falling....chicken little ran around because he thought the sky was falling...and the May 21,2011 craziness sounds just like that. The story starts out when an acorn inadvertantly falls on his head and he runs all over telling everyone about it and all the while gathering sympathetic followers believing everything he said. Unfortunately this is what I am seeing in the news and media...followers selling their things and predicting God's judgement to all the World with no one truly understanding what is going on!


Although I do believe in the immiment rapture of God's people I do not believe that fear and judgement are going to turn the heart of people towards Christ. Our lives should gather followers wherever we go as we testify of his love by the way we live and love each other. Jesus would not have us yelling at the street corners and telling people that they are sinners....he would have us to testify of what Christ has done for us so that people would come running with hunger wanting the freedom that only Jesus can offer. One day we will hear "well done my good and faithful servant" and it will be because we lived life every day (May 22, 23rd etc) the best that we could with what God placed in our hands...not because of a "nut"!

So if  you find yourself not raptured on the 21st of May 2011, don't panic. It is not because you are a bad Christian, it is because the date is wrong. Remember also that it will be extremely obvious when Jesus Christ returns, like lightning across the whole sky, there is no chance that anybody will wonder if they missed it. 


"However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father." Matthew 24:36


Just a thought!

Jonna

Gossip

" Gossip. I have no respect for justice. I maim without killing. I break hearts and ruin lives. I am cunning and malicious and gather strength with age. The more I am quoted the more I am believed. I flourish at every level of society. My victims are helpless. They cannot protect themselves against me because I have no name and no face. To track me down is impossible. The harder you try, the more elusive I become. I am nobody's friend. Once I tarnish a reputation, it is never the same. I topple governments and ruin marriages. I ruin careers and cause sleepless nights, heartache and indigestion. I spawn suspicion and generate grief. I make innocent people cry in their pillows."

Pay attention to what you say & what you let in your ears. Flee from those who talk about others because if you don't it will only bring you down.

12"Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them."
Matthew 7:12 9 (the message)

We all want people to think the best of us. Sometimes people will judge us & don't even know the whole truth but let God be your defender and in time the truth wins out. Going around & trying to tell "your side" isn't even Biblical. For every life you infect with your story whether you are right or wrong--you will be held accountable for!

I have a prayer I pray--"God make me like a duck"....that things will roll off my back and not permeate me or change my heart. You see....gossip can be painful and can hurt us. It can start a root of bitterness that can grow and choke out any good. God help us to always see the best in people and speak life into our situations. God make my mouth be a launching place for your blessings and my ears to hear only your truths. I pray you have a discerning spirit to see past what the enemy would love to use as a stumbling block in your life. I challenge you to just say "no" to gossip.

Titus 3:1-2
1 Remind your people to submit to rulers and authorities, to obey them, and to be ready to do good in every way. 2 Tell them not to speak evil of anyone, but to be peaceful and friendly, and always to show a gentle attitude toward everyone. (Good News Translation)

Jonna

WAIT! What about Thanksgiving?

I was in the local Wal-mart last week and I noticed all the Thanksgiving items and decorations were 50% off ALREADY! There were two more weeks at least left for people to buy pumpkins, cornicopias and turkey items to decorate their homes with! Unfortunately the shelves had to be cleared for all the Christmas stuff! So there I was with Trey digging through a small section of things just thrown in a random pile trying to find what I was looking for. I was stunned by the realization that Thanksgiving might just be losing it's meaning to some. 

I know that most of us do not have Thanksgiving movies that we gather the family and watch, we don't decorate our yards with pilgrims, no one walks around town singing songs about the season either. There are no trees to decorate with pumpkins and no one buys gifts at Thanksgiving time and there are no people dressed as turkey's at the mall taking pictures with our kids. (thankfully!) Yes...it must be very hard to compete with Christmas! But in the midst of Black Friday ads and the unrelenting Christmas commercials on television there is a very important holiday called Thanksgiving that none of us should consider lightly.

Thanksgiving....is it just football, greenbean casserole and planning our shopping strategies? Well....The original thanksgiving celebration was held by the Pilgrim settlers in Massachusetts during their second winter in America in December, 1621. The first winter had killed 44 of the original 102 colonists. At one point their daily food ration was down to five kernels of corn apiece, but then an unexpected trading vessel arrived, swapping them beaver pelts for corn, providing for their severe need. (Answer to their prayers I am sure!) The next summer’s crop brought hope, and Governor William Bradford decreed that December 13, 1621, be set aside as a day of feasting and prayer to show the gratitude of the colonists that they were still alive. Wow! That puts a new perspective on things...I can't imagine 5 kernels of corn per person to eat a day! We would't make it. We would all have died the first day! ha. 

 If the pilgrims gave thanks and they almost lost half of their population then I think we can show some of our appreciation and gratitude for all that God has given us. After all the name of the season is called "Giving Thanks"-- We should gather with our loved ones and friends and share turkey, pumpkin pie and conversation and despite any sorrows or set backs in our lives we exchange with one another our blessings. It doesn't have anything to do with material things...it has all to do with what is going on in our hearts. Because despite where any one of us are at right now in our lives...you can find something to be grateful for.  And a thankful heart releases a very strong thing in your world.... it releases joy in your spirit and faith in your world.

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Are you a thankful person? Are you thankful for your present circumstances?  Are you thankful for your salvation, your friendships, and your job? Thankfulness is a key to your life. It is the key that turns your situation around because it changes you, your outlook, and your attitude. There is power in a thankful heart. When you are around a person that is generously thankful it is magnetic...you just want to hang out with them all the time! It is because it feels good to be around an encourager and an up-lifting person! Examine your attitude and what is coming out of your mouth and speak out thanksgiving and speak out praise not only to your family and friends but most importantly to God. 

Let me encourage you not to allow this Thanksgiving to come and go without taking inventory of yourself. You can hand the cranberries to your family member and hand over some appreciation as well. There may be people at the table who are irritating but there is something that you can truly say to him or her to make their day! You can also share what God is doing in your life and where He brought you from. Biblical gratitude isn't something that should pass from our minds with the passing of a season either. It's a God-focused response to circumstances that should pervade each moment of each day of each year! 

May you, your family, and friends enjoy a blessed Thanksgiving season...all year long!

❤Jonna

*Following Forgiveness!

⇾How do you respond when someone hurts your feelings? Do you let it rob you of joy? Or maybe your emotions run wild? Luke 6:27, 28 NIV tells us what we should do when people hurt us:

"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."

Can you believe that? We’re to pray something like, “Oh, Lord, I pray that You’d just make them so happy!” I still don’t get that, but I’m willing to do it in obedience and say, “Lord, I don’t know that I really want them to be happy, but I’ll pray that in faith anyway, because You’re telling me to bless them with Your presence.” Luke 6:35 NIV goes further. It says:

"But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked."

A Tip for Following Forgiveness
Now, let’s get practical about how to do this. If we have a coworker who gets the promotion that we’ve been believing God for, the minute we start to feel jealousy and envy, we need to go buy them a gift.

Yes, you heard me right: buy them a gift. It works. When we do it, it breaks the power of the devil because Romans 12:21 says that we overcome evil with good. It’s absolutely true too! I have learned this principle and it has been life-changing for me. When others around you start bad mouthing your co-worker and saying that you should of gotten the promotion; you speak good of the person and stop the jealousy in it's tracks! You will even start believing what you say!

What I Did When Someone Hurt Don and I
For example, a few years ago someone in our church that we respected came to Don and I and said some horrible things about our ministry. He was an elderly and highly respected man and he starting telling Don and I that we were teaching false doctrine and that our kids were going to be cursed! We just sat there on a Sunday morning flabbergasted and didn't know what to say or do! Then Don had to preach and all I did on the front row was try to plan how I was going to wrap his house or key his car! I am sooo spiritual!

At first I got mad and just wanted to tell everyone just what this elderly man had said(via the prayer line of course...like any good pastor's wife!) as well as tell him off personally...in Jesus name. Don held his hand up to me (he must of sensed the spirit of slap) and asked the gentlemen if he was finished and the man said "yes" and left. Don refused to talk about it the rest of the day and it infuriated me....I wanted to talk about this injustice!

Later that day, the Holy Spirit said to me, “You’re not going to do any of those things.” He said, “No, you’re going to do what you I tell you. You’re going to keep your mouth shut and I am going to take care of it.”

Needless to say, I resisted at first. But eventually Don and I decided to smile and not say another word about it; even to each other. The man came to us crying a week later saying that he didn't know what came over him. He got on his knees in front of us and begged for our forgiveness. We all cried together and prayed together right there on the floor of Don's office. The man was so faithful after that and always was a great encourager to all of us; Don had the great opportunity to preach his funeral later and people were saved. Wow...God can turn things around; can't he? If I would of opened my mouth...I could of messed everything up!

What You Must Do When Someone Hurts You
What I remember most about situations such as these is that as soon as I started taking action to do something good for them, it just got so funny to me. I was laughing out loud in my house, all by myself...God was giving me joy and victory over the thing! Of course God did give me a weird sense of humor; he must of known that I would need it!

Listen: When we can look at people who’ve hurt us with compassion and pray what Jesus prayed “…Father, forgive them for they know not what they do,” there’s a party that goes on inside of us. (Even though the first prayer may be "Father let them rot and be exposed for all to see their evil ways!)

I think most of the time people don’t even realize what they are doing. That man who was talking about Don and I had no idea the position that he was putting himself in. I really think he was used by the enemy to ship wreck what God was doing in our church. The enemy will tear you down with bitterness and resentment if we open the door to it!

Why You Must Follow Forgiveness
That’s why we need to pray for them and say, “God forgive them.” In fact, what does God say will happen to us when we obey His Word?

Luke 6:35 states “…and then your recompense will be great (rich, strong, intense, and abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High….” God tells us that we’ll receive a reward. We will get double for our trouble if we will do things His way. (If we do things the Jonna way we will just get temporary satisfaction of showing people that they are wrong....then you feel guilty later and can't take it back!)

The Bible says that love covers a multitude of sins. Do you know what that means? It means that love will even have you making excuses for your enemies. Someone might come up to us and say, “Well, I heard what so-and-so did to you.” You will have the chance to turn that thing around and cause others to stop the talk! God has to give triple rewards for that!

When we really decide to forgive someone and pray the prayer that blesses our enemies, and making the decision that we will not talk bad about them, but instead, cover their fault and their mess, we still might not feel any different. But God didn't say that we would feel great about it...he just said to do it! Like exercise...it hurts and doesn't feel good...the fat cells are clinging and saying "NOOOOO" but if we are obedient and diligent....our lives will be changed!

Now, I believe choosing forgiveness is one of the most difficult things God asks us to do, especially if we believe that whoever hurt us is in the wrong and doesn’t deserve to be forgiven. But God instructs us to practice this and that means you might fail a few times at it. God knows your heart and when we choose to follow the path of forgiveness, we will experience the peace and joy that come through obeying God’s Word. Now who wouldn't want to have that?



Graciously Adorned
Jonna Gibson

*January 2010 MBAG Newsletter

*Declare it!

⇾Your words are actually containers for power and by the words you speak; you literally frame your World! You can use words to speak life, health and blessing to yourself and to others. Just as the Apostle James said "just as the tiny rudder determines the course of the entire ship..." your words determine the course of your life! (James 3:3-5) A turn of the rudder can make a ship avoid dangerous waters and likewise; your words can also grant you safe passage through life if you use them wisely! By the same token, careless or foolish words can be your downfall. That is why you and I have to be disciplined and vigilant with our tongues.

If you allow the words of the enemy or negative people to penetrate your soul then you may lose your joy. There will be times when you want to open your mouth and let loose a whole stream of words that express your anger or your frustration or even your impressions about someone or something. Don't do it! Do not allow your condition to control your words!

Determine that your words are going to be faith-filled from the Word of God. Declare what you have heard from the Lord for your life. Declare what you believe, and it will build your faith. Begin to speak your life as a success, finding purpose and direction under the shadow of God's protective hand. Remember though that the power is not in the words but actually in the SOURCE. God wants his people to open their mouth and speak HIS word!! Here is an example of how you can set the direction and course of your day in a positive way! Read it out loud and you will see that it can and will literally change the atmosphere and your day! God's word is powerful....we just have to use it, live it and most of all....SPEAK it!

Your Declaration!

I set the course of my life today with my words.

I declare today that I will not be defeated, discouraged, 

depressed or disappointed!

I am the head, I have insight, I have wisdom, I have ideas 

and I have authority!

Greater is HE that is in me than he that is in the world.(John 4:4)

The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives 

in me!(Romans 8:11)

As I speak words today, they come to pass. 

My words go before me, they bring the things to pass that I desire

and they stop all attacks, assaults, oppression and fear!

God is on my side today and therefore I cannot be defeated.

His favor surrounds me today as a shield. (Psalms 5:12)

I expect favor today from Heaven and Earth.

I have the wisdom of God today. I will think the right thoughts, 

say the right words and make the right decisions in every situation that I face.

I will not be sick; I will not be sad; I will not be broke and I will not be confused.
My steps are ordered of the Lord. (Psalms 37:23) 

I expect to have divine appointments, to run into the right people

and be delivered from the wrong people!

Any adversity, attacks, accidents, or tragedies that were headed

my way are diverted right now in Jesus' name!

I speak to the raging waters in my life, my mind, my body, my emotions, 

my home and to my family ...."Peace be still!!"

Now I speak to every mountain of fear, discouragement, stress, 

depression, lack or insufficiency and I say, 

"Be removed and cast into the sea in Jesus' name!" (Mark 11:23)

I will only think about things today that are true, honest,

pure, just, lovely & are of a good report! (Phil 4:8)

Now I expect today to be the best day of my life...

because I am more than a conqueror in Jesus & 

I can do all things through Christ who 

gives me strength! (Phil 4:13)

  You are Graciously Adorned
  Jonna

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