Foggy Sunshine

"Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures and said to them, 'This is what is written: The Messiah must suffer and must rise from death three days later, and in His Name the message about repentance and the forgiveness of sins must be preached to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.'"  Luke 24: 45-47

This morning I stepped out my back door to find foggy sunshine - or sunny fog.  It was still cool enough for fog, but the sun in the east behind the mist promised to evaporate all humidity within minutes.    

The day after Christ rose from the dead, when women vowed they had seen Jesus alive and men still processed the empty tomb, must have been like living in bright fog - or in foggy sunshine.  The rays of hope broke through with 
"He prophesied His death . . ."   
     "He said three days. . .,"  
          "We saw Him with Elijah and Moses. . . "
               "He promised to rise. . .,"  
and began thinning the fog of doubt still clouding their thoughts:  
"He died,"
     "He was guarded," and 
          "Surely, He didn't mean literally . . ."   

Then testimonies of Jesus sightings began pouring in from around Jerusalem until finally, the day came when the last dewdrop of doubt disappeared. The Light broke through their locked doors and minds ajar to stand among them.  The disciples heard, saw, touched, and believed.  Jesus, alive, answered every need. Jesus alive, altered every disciple.  Truth outshone fear and the world began to change. 

Lift the fog of doubt hovering around us Lord.  May we come to You for every need.  Help us see You in every Scripture we read. May Truth rock our worlds and alter us from fearful to full of certainty in You and You alone. 
In the Name of Jesus, the One Who Conquered death


Luke 24:36-49

Tuesday, February 14, (Happy Valentine's Day) 2012: Overcoming Faith

"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them

because the One who is in you is greater than the 
one who is in the world." 
1 John 4:4

     Whenever we drove south from our home in Daphne, Alabama, we passed a church called "Overcoming Faith."  That name describes every believer because it can be read with two meanings.  Obviously the church named themselves "Overcoming Faith" because their goal is to possess the kind of faith that overcomes anything not of God. They intended the word "overcoming" to serve as an adjective, but the first time I saw their sign, I read "overcoming" as an action verb, as if the group's goal was to overcome an addiction to faith.  
     The question we need to ask ourselves is: Do we face challenges to love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control with determination to exert faith in God through Jesus to overcome the challenges and shine? Or, do we allow the Jesus-void viewpoints of the world to erode and eventually overcome our faith foundations?  Every trial is a test. Every day is an opportunity to exercise faith, pass the test and overcome anything trying to overcome our faith in Christ.   

"And I will put enmity between you (the serpent) and the woman, 

and between your offspring and hers; 

he will crush your head, 

and you will strike his heel."  

Genesis 3:15

Jesus' death and resurrection crushed Satan's head (power) underfoot. The serpent can't win, but he can nip at our heels with his annoying distractions and doubts if we let him.  He's like the headless chicken in the barnyard - frightening to see, but unable to do any more damage than we allow.

"If God is for us, who can be against us?" 

Romans 8:3

"No in all these things

 (trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, 

nakedness, danger, sword, facing death see Romans 8:35-36) 

we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." 
Romans 8:37

Lord God Almighty, You've already won the war. Keep Your victory over sin, death and Satan in front of us so none of the above can taunt us. Clear our connections to Your power and may we focus on You instead of allowing distractions to overcome our faith.  Bless every effort we make to trust You.  Forgive our quickness to doubt.  We're weak, but You're Strong. Loving God, fill us with everything You want us to have to overcome our unbelief and doubt.

In the Name of Jesus Who said, "Everything is possible for those who believe."

"'If you can?' said Jesus. 'Everything is possible for him who believes.'

Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, 'I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!'"

Mark 9:23-24