Author: jamie

By Posted on Posted in blogging, discernment, God's word No Comments

Started my quiet time this morning by reading this blog post written by one of the founders of  Good Morning Girls (an online accountability ministry). Courtney writes that we need to beware of the world of blogging because it is a great venue for false teaching. Whatever we read on a person’s blog, we must make sure it lines up with scripture, especially if you feel an internal nudge to explore the idea more. The Holy Spirit will tell you if something is awry, but you  must be tuned in to listen. If you come across an idea presented by a blogger that is new to you, I recommend that you look up scriptures to check it out for yourself.

This came as a definite warning to me as a blogger. I need to remember to back up my ideas and perspectives with the word of God. I challenge you to look up the things that I am talking about in my posts and make sure that my writings align with God’s writings. If you ever have a question about something I’ve posted, or think that I might be off a bit, feel free to email me.

The trouble with false teaching is that it can closely resemble God’s truth. Beware “of such men (who) are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ.” (2 Cor 11:13)

The enemy is sure to include enough familiar Christian teaching to make us comfortable, so that we do not detect the false teaching that will slowly but surely draw our hearts away from Christ. That is always the goal of false teaching… to take the focus off of Jesus as the Son of God and Savior of mankind.

I’m mindful of the wacky prophecies made about the rapture occurring this year. We may get a laugh out of the ramblings of an old man, or we might get irritated about his ignorance of Matthew 24:36 (“no man knows the day or hour”), but be assured that Satan made some major progress in discounting the idea of Christ’s second coming.  The world is scoffing… with no concern about being ready for this real event that will come at the appointed time known only by God the Father.

That false teaching was easy to spot, right? Be on your guard against teachings that will more subtly and slowly draw you away from the truth that you believe. Don’t be fooled by the enemy’s masquerade.

It’s crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we’ve heard so that we don’t drift off.   Hebrews 2:1 msg

By Posted on Posted in hearing God, marriage, trusting Him 1 Comment

Isn’t it true that all hell breaks loose on Sunday morning when you’re trying to get the family to church on time? None of us wants to bicker with the spouse or threaten the children through clenched teeth…but it happens. The enemy wants to be sure that we are completely wound up and distracted when we get to church.

It happened to us this past Sunday. One of the worst yet!  There were some heated exchanges in the car and lots of tears.

Later in the day, after the cold silence wore off, I really wanted to talk about what happened. My hubby wasn’t ready. The Lord prompted me to be quiet and wait for a better time to talk. It was really hard! The old me would have pressed and trampled on my husband’s heart…but I gave him time and space to think things through.

Meanwhile, however, I kept stewing on things. I became so self-righteous while creating my long list of wrongs against me. While falling asleep that night, and when I woke Monday morning, it was all I could think about. Rehearsing what I would say and do consumed me.

In the midst of my stewing, the Lord spoke to my heart and showed me something new. When I get upset about something, the enemy often works to convince me that it is SO urgent that I must talk about it and work it out immediately. God reminded me that I have a lifetime to work out some of the recurring issues in my marriage. Very few things are so urgent that I must press my husband to talk when he is not ready.  Knowing that the feelings of urgency were coming from the enemy allowed me to stop and put my concerns in God’s hands. I finally had the willingness to trust Him and wait for the right time.

Later on Monday, I received an email from my husband with his thoughts on what happened on the way to church… and an apology. The very first thing he wrote was about how grateful he was that I gave him space! That was the hardest part, but clearly the most valuable. In the end, I received the communication from him that I wanted. Not by pressing him, but by backing off.

This lesson about false urgency is so valuable to me. When I am overcome with emotions and concerns about something, I really need to go to God and lay it all out before Him. If it truly is urgent, then He will confirm that for me. Otherwise, I will wait on Him and proceed with loving caution.

By Posted on Posted in God's presence, God's word, hearing God, Uncategorized 1 Comment

Remember when some of Jesus’ disciples were walking along the road and He appeared to them after He had resurrected from the dead? Luke 24 says that they walked and talked with Christ, even invited Him in for a meal, but they did not recognize Him until “their eyes were opened and they recognized him” (verse 31). What I never realized until this morning was that just a few verses later in that chapter of Luke, we see something similar:

While they were still talking about (what happened with the disciples on the road), Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”  (After some eating and discussion)  Jesus said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”  Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.  (Lk 24:36,44-45)

There is definitely a theme here. Christ, through the presence of the Holy Spirit within us, has the power to open our eyes and our minds. When it seems that He is absent from our circumstances, He can open our eyes and show us His presence in that very moment. When we are reading the scriptures and we don’t understand, He can open our minds to understand what we are wrestling with. He can open our hearts to receive it and apply it appropriately.

People often ask me how I get such insight from God’s word when I teach or blog. Clearly, it is the Holy Spirit revealing truth to me. I make no claim to great depths of spiritual knowledge. Heck, I doubt my own sanity on a daily basis! If I were to recommend ONE thing to you in regard to studying and understanding the Bible, I would say to read the passage over and over again. Read it in several different versions. (biblegateway.com is excellent for this…you don’t have to buy a bunch of bibles.) When I teach, I read the passage I’m covering probably 50-75 times. Maybe more.

Why do we work so hard to figure out God’s will on our own?  Why do we pound the commentaries and bible dictionaries to make sense of the scriptures? While studying is important and I do it often, we often forget about the most important resource that we have. Christ’s very presence in us through the Holy Spirit. The Creator of the perfect plan for our lives, and the very author of the Bible are dwelling within us. We only have to press in, be quiet, and listen for the still small voice that will surely come.