Where are you on the “at rest” scale, with ten being at total rest, and zero, of course, being completely unnerved, twitchy, can’t settle your thoughts in one place, and restless? How about the “peace scale”? Are you feeling a little untied to a stable place? Peace, not just every now and then, that’s just people, but as in everyday, most of the time being at peace.

In today’s society, considering the vacuum of truth in our midst, i would imagine peace and rest are a “hard to come by” commodity for many.

Let me encourage you: do something good for yourself and embrace them both, peace AND rest, don’t let them get away! In fact, don’t just get rest and peace, live in it so they are a constant, not just a momentary thing that fades until next time.

Isaiah 57:2, “he enters into peace; they rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness.” That is “peace” as in shalom peace, a quieted soul even though the storm rages outside, and “rest” as in “laid to rest our inner turmoil” or absence of outward or inward busy activity which prevents one from being present and in the room.

Listen and believe this – God keeps an eye on his friends, His ears pick up every moan and groan, He even hears you when you sweat. The Hebrew word for rest literally means to live untroubled, to live in a sense of calm that is not dependent on outside sources, breathing in His uninterrupted passion and love for us who are the object of His affection, standing in the never ending eye of the flaming love of God. That is extravagant, i know, but from God’s perspective, that is a visual of His heart for us.

Matthew 11:28-29, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

If you are a friend of Christ then you are at rest in Christ. It seems it would be a good question to ask: who specifically are God’s friends? Are you a friend of God? How can you tell? Do you think that being a friend of God would be something you might be interested in? Do you think the Lord will let those who do NOT love Him, come and stay at His house and be part of the number He considers His family? Would you be glad to share your family name with someone who doesn’t like you, only wants what you’ve got, and wishes you were anyone other than who you are? Neither does He. But if you’re willing to change bloodlines, and change your name, then the Lord has more than you need, forever.

He’s got peace, shalom peace, full in all His pockets. Really, really. i fully believe Jesus has e-x-a-c-t-l-y what you need. Peace and rest. Let me add, in order to get the rest and peace we so desperately need, we’ll have to let go of some old things. Our shadows follow us around where ever we go, waiting to be unfolded. If we’re not willing to deal with shadows from our past, we may just end up shadow boxing with ourselves.

God can make right character bloom like fragrant flowers with rest and peace abounding far beyond the moon that fades from view every day. He can give you peace that will rule in your heart from sea to sea, from the River to the Rim. My friend, that’s worth having, don’t you think?

There was a man God raised up. He was a friend of God and God loved him so much. For a period of time though, the man did almost everything wrong: he loved his money too much, he greedily took another man’s wife, he dreamed wrongful things, acted so foolishly with no thought of tomorrow, and when he spoke, out of his mouth came poison water, at least that’s what he heard. All that plus he talked too much, his mouth had very little reservation about anything.

But above and through it all, he never let go of hope that God would have mercy on him. In the end, the Lord did exactly that, and God’s peace and rest ruled supreme in the man’s heart, mind, and body. Eventually he died, and he died at rest, in peace. Can you relate to any of that? Maybe you can or not. Either way, the need for rest and peace in the hearts of people is overwhelming, whether you’ve always been brother Big believer, sister super Christian, or a minimal believer, only calling on God in times of desperation. i’d say these are desperate times for everyone, and becoming more-so every day. Now is the time to call on Jesus. i’d like to be well practiced at being at peace and living in a state of rest, so i’m not overwhelmed in the day of trouble. Wouldn’t you?

John 14:26 “The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught.”

Jesus gives us His rest and peace, and if anyone, anywhere, has them, it’s totally Gods domain. And i don’t mean peace as in a lack of violence, with everyone thinking we’re wonderful with hundreds of likes on FaceBook. i mean when the world swirls around us in chaos and dysfunction, in our hearts we are at peace like still waters and at rest because we have ceased from strife. We easily have rest because we trust God more than we fear what our eyes see and ears hear. Rest and peace. God designed it, God owns it, it is His to do with as He does.

Rest my friend and be at peace, in the name of Jesus. Considering the times, it’s a very valuable commodity. Do the right thing, let rest and peace bloom in your life like a field of wild flowers.

i’m Social Porter for Living In His Name.

Ever been in a relationship with someone where you felt if a new model came along, they’d gladly trade you in for a new one? I often hear from married couples how one partner or the other thinks and feels their spouse doesn’t have their backs. If they haven’t accomplished the task of leaving their father and mother and holding fast to each other, that especially stands out to me.

This whole thought about obligation to someone verses being obligated by someone is central to the My Gain–Your Pain game. The person playing this game makes sure the rule of obligating others to them instead of being obligated to others stays on course to get the win. They must be the “main man,” they n-e-e-e-d to win at all costs.

i met a man at jail who had been incarcerated on 40, or more, counts of burglary, pick-pocketing, breaking and entering, along with selling stolen goods. He was a nice guy, or at least he seemed so, yet was so over-confident it was just in-your-face arrogance. He was grotesquely swollen with hubris. He told me, with a smile, how he’d gotten into people’s houses, jimmied locks, lifted wallets right out of people’s pockets, all without the anyone knowing he had been there and stolen their stuff, or knowing their wallets had just be stolen. He seemed proud of his achievements. i asked him what he thought was at the core of his infamous career of thievery. He said he thought it was the feeling of being smart, what he meant was “not just smart but smarter than you because you are so stupid”. Yea, he left off that part. Then he asked me what i thought it was. Ok, he asked. i said “arrogance”. He asked how so? i said, “i bet you think you’re soooo slick, you could steal the glasses off my face and i wouldn’t even know they’re gone.” He laughed and said “You’re right. i do.” i said, “There you go, case in point.”, and his face fell at the realization he’d been caught. He loved having leverage over others, obligating them to himself, in a way which made them think they “owed him, big time.” He had no concern for the pain of loss he caused other people. He found the thrill untameably exhilarating, and thrilled at his being able to lie so well nobody could catch him being intoxicated at his ability to manipulate others. He was willing to do whatever it took in order to get the con over on others. It was a classic case of “run, run, fast as you can, you can’t catch me i’m the gingerbread man. My gain, your pain.”

Whatever this game player does is reckless. They’ll do dangerous things even if they know others could be hurt. They know how not to do things and pull on people who will do what they won’t do. i have read that the best con job is when someone presents a problem, then waits for the other person to offer to resolve their problem. That way the con man can say “I never asked for your help. You offered and i took you up on it. It’s not my fault things didn’t go well for you.”

Here’s how children play the game with their parents. “Dad, is it alright if I stay overnight with my best friend?” Dad says “No.” Then the child starts acting like they’ve been victimized by the parent, maybe even traumatized at being denied their request. “You just don’t want me to have a life!” Come to find out, that overnight deal was already established by the child and their best friend as a sure thing, but dad got in the way of their goal. The result? The parent gets the pain. If permission isn’t granted the kid is out of there with an egotistical bitterness that says if I can’t go, then you can’t be happy either. Pretty exciting stuff huh?

Jesus never played that game. When it came to being responsible even if it was unexciting and unsatisfying, He was committed to the relationship for the long haul.

Out of love, he actually obligated himself to us. It was His pain-our gain; a risk on His part, because He couldn’t guarantee He’d be loved back. No one controlled or victimized Him. He was in control of his choice.

In minding the gap for a My Gain-Your Pain game, what thoughts would you share about obligating ourselves to people instead of obligating them to us?

This was written by Jerry Price

Thank you for listening, i’m Social Porter for Living In His Name Ministries.

I won’t accept when things go wrong and to someone else, the blame belongs. That’s the blame game by choosing to be a victim for reasons of an agenda.

When conflict comes our way, for those who play the “blame game”, before things even get difficult, we’re already thinking about blaming someone or something else so we can stay out of trouble. Recently, i lost some files from my computer. At first i was thinking, “stupid computer, yet once again, you’ve lost my files.” Shortly, i had to laugh at myself and said out loud, “No, it wasn’t the computer’s fault, you simply didn’t save your work.” The responsibility for saving my work was on me, not the computer, and i was so ready to curse and be angry with the computer, when really, it was me all along.

I know there are genuine victims – those are the people who had no choice when unavoidable harm came their way. It’s hard to admit because we tend to think surely something could have been done to avoid the injury. The thought of being out of control is unacceptable so we fight the use of the very word – victim.

Sad to say, some people actually like the idea of being a victim, and even when they are or aren’t, somewhere in their thinking they are choosing to live as one. Their victim-mechanism is always running in the background somewhere, just humming along, ready to get geared up and put into play. As preposterous as that sounds …. I mean that really happens, more often than we think! Those who seem to like the idea of being a victim see it as an opportunity to spring into something irresponsible but wouldn’t unless they can believe they are victims. Then, the game is played to get the win. For abusers, often it’s a mechanism to divert attention away from their abusive actions or trying to gain sympathy and support. Manipulators often play the “poor me” roll too, lobbying sympathy from someone to get something from them. They play on those who have a conscious and are compassionate. One time, a felon told me with a self-congratulating grin, “i played that old lady like a fiddle string.” i’ve seen alcoholics who are well schooled at playing the victim ask for constructive criticism, allow themselves to be rescued, and even go through some small regimen of recovery, all the while feeling very enabled as attention getters, keeping well meaning people coming back to help, over and over. At the end of the day whether abuser or manipulator, it’s all about control. Most who play their victim card know very well what has happened, but often, there they sit, like a crumpled piece of paper, asking with downcast eyes, “Would someone please tell me what i did wrong?”

Is it premeditated? Yes. Does it feel like it’s premeditated? No. This game seems to be all about feeling but it’s really about how they think and power. Everything is done by the game player to keep their victims from discovering that fact, and you can believe, if their twisted thinking and power manipulation is uncovered, big dramas result. A true victim, someone who was in an unfortunate situation at no fault of their own, differs from the manipulator playing a victim by not ignoring their ability to improve their situation. The victim role-player makes no quick move to change their situation, using it for all it’s worth to get attention, just loving the high drama of it all.

When does the blame game stop? Let me confirm what you probably already know. It stops when the person playing the game decides to be responsible for themselves and their choices, when they understand how this game hurts others plus themselves and start to care about people.

Jesus was firm about this throughout the New Testament and demonstrated how important it was to take responsibility for our actions. He was not a Blame Game Player. We can see an example of this in John 18 even when false charges were trumped up against him. He never hedged about who he was and what he came to do. He was a victor and though treated badly, he loved.

The blame game needs to be exposed early in life or else it will be a tough habit to break. Let me leave you with a question: What do you feel when this game is played on you and does it help you to know the game is premeditated?

TThis was written by Jerry Price

Thank you for listening, i’m Social Porter for Living In His Name Ministries.

11.06.2024

Let the vision play. See this… Imagine yourself on a long stretch of highway and you’re driving. It’s a two-lane black top road. See yourself driving across mountains and valleys, wide places and desert places. One day, as you’re driving through a long dry valley, although it’s a very nice valley, suddenly the road comes to an end. It’s not a bad place it’s just that there’s nothing there. No houses, no cities, no towns, no gas stations… it’s just in the middle of nowhere and it’s the end of the road. You stop the car as you ease to a stop, put it in park, turn the engine off, and get out slowly like someone who has been driving all day. Stretch, then go stand at the front of the car. The wind is soft, it’s a warm, mild, and clear day. As you lean against the car, you take a minute to study the end of the road and think how odd that it is paved this far and just seems to stop. Looking right to left you see high mountains, the valley continuing straight ahead and more mountains to the left. Still standing at the front of the car, you turn your head and look at behind you to see where you have come from and all that’s incurred in life thus far. !But, when you turn your head back around suddenly, where the road ended now there is a new road. Still a two lane black top, but a much improved road, wider with nicer shoulders.

Janine – Behold, the road runs on.

And it runs on towards the mountains and winds it’s way up to the high places. As the first voice spoke to John in Revelation 4:1 saying, “Come up here”, meaning come up here to a higher place so you can see better (my paraphrase), the Lord is saying to you “Come up here, to a high place where you can see better”.  In those high places I see there are communities you have not been to yet. In a park like recreation place, there is a covered cookout area, a man with rolled up sleeves is unrolling some blueprints. The Lord wants you to know that He’s taking you to a place you have seen in glimpses but not in it’s fullest. He has a plan, a really good plan, in fact, the best plan, not just “a” plan but THE best plan. There Is, for you, power to move and operate, there is vision, provision and preparation there for you. There are some neighbors that may seem a little distant at first but they’re really good neighbors they are just careful. Take your time, you’re not in a hurry. It’s not entrenched pain, it’s only transition and transition takes time. Use your fruit of the Spirit “patience” and “longsuffering”. Persist, persist, persist. You can do this. The Lord says to encourage you to continue your “everyday walk around conversation” with Him and with all of your “everyday walk around integrity” and to continue to wear your “I love Jesus” t-shirt. It’s okay it’ll turn out just fine. You’ll be ok. And the road runs on where it looked like it just ended, the road runs on. Turn the page, new chapter, it’s not the end but the beginning. Behold, the road runs on.

w.c.whitaker

Sometimes examples of communication can be ridiculously funny.

The Massachusetts Bar Association Journal printed the following questions that were actually asked of witnesses during a trial. Were you alone or by yourself? Was it you or your younger brother who was killed in the war? You were there until the time you left, is that true? Hmmmm. A bit silly sounding if we are paying attention. With questions like that i can’t help but wonder what kind of response the attorney expected.

How we communicate can make all the difference in the world with listening being one of the keys to success in a world full of trouble. Many times it’s not what was said but how we said it. As we all know, or at least we should know, an unpleasant word can be spoken with such kindness that the other person is more receptive to hearing, or, even a simple thing can be said so sharply that an angry reply is eminent. i suppose we need to decide if we want to resolve the problem or simply put our foot on someone’s neck, if you know what i mean.

Proverbs 15:1, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

Someone came up with this listening formula of three main points for building successful relationships – something I could put into more practice myself.

1. Listen to the other person’s story.
2. Listen to the other person’s full story.
3. Listen to the other person’s full story first.

James also addresses the baggage believers bring into their relationships with other believers.

James 1:19-21, “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”

He discovered they were using inappropriate expressions of anger, which didn’t bring about the righteous life God desired. In fact, he called that communication style a “moral filth or evil” to be rid of. Being quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry is James’ approach to a healthy method of operation. When we take the time to hear what is being said to us, even if we disagree, tends to seriously put a damper on anger and arrogance that prevents us from hearing the Lord. When we are presented with words of disagreement, criticism, and even someone condescendingly dismissing us as if we are worthless, it’s all too easy to feel justified in returning an angry response. Our angry responses do NOT generate a righteous outcome typically. In fact, they usually make our position worse, and may even discredit our declaration of faith in God. i think it would be much better to trust God to defend us as opposed to spitting out sharp words made in anger. Of course, that’s easier said than done. An angry man told me once that some people need slapping really bad, but he knew from experience that not only was it the wrong response, but chances are good the action would permanently defeat any future possibilities of resolution.

Erik Wiehenmayer reached the summit of Mt. Everest on May 25, 2001. 90% of the climbers who attempt this feat fail. What makes Erik’s climb amazing? He’s been blind since he was 13! The reason he succeeded is because he listened well. He listened for a bell tied to the back of the climber in front of him. He listened for instructions of teammates who would shout directions to him. He listened for the sound of his pick jabbing the ice to know whether it was safe to cross. He made the summit because he listened well.

Clearly, James wants us to listen to the familiar bell of God’s Word which can keep us from deep internal resentments and inappropriate expressions that break down a relationships. To have the listening skills of an Erik Wiehenmayer is a good thing, right?

Thanks for listening, i’m Social Porter for Living In His Name Ministries.

Philippians 3:13-16, My friends, i’d like you to know that, although i have left and am definitely on my way, i don’t count myself as having arrived, nor do i think of myself as being at such level of spiritual maturity as to sit above anyone else… but i can, with all confidence say this, i’m learning to let go of those things which are behind, and consistently, calmly have drawn the conclusion i will reach forward, everyday, to those things which are in front of me. Sometimes i can’t see it, but there’s the solid faith in my heart which says i know that i know, I’m bearing down on the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. i think of it as a goal and the ultimate prize. As a result, be encouraged…. let us, as many as are spiritually mature, have this determined mind set. If in any way or variance from our determined course, you think otherwise, rest assured God will reveal the deviation of your path to you. The Lord is very good at getting our attention when He needs to. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already gained a sure footing in Christ, let us all walk by the same rule, let us all be of the same mind. Let us carefully give attention to those who reflect the example Jesus set for us.

There are 2 words which, of late, i have come to greatly appreciate, “But God”. “But”, meaning on the contrary, or except for the fact. The world tells us one thing, then there is “But God” that is to the contrary. The devil persuades us one way, then there is But God, which tells us the truth which is on the other hand from the world or the devil. Eph 2 says that we were once the offspring of anger, malice, hate, and vengence, but God made us alive in Christ.  In Psalms 73 “My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”  “Many wander in despair, “But God has called us to peace.” (1Cor7:15)  Also, 1Cor1:27 says not many wise or noble are called, “ But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise…”

i heard a preacher say once that the enemy has fully set his will against us and wants each of us to concentrate on how far we have fallen, rather than how far we have risen. the devil, who has been defeated, wants us to focus on our pasts instead of our futures, and how far we still have to go, rather than how far we have already come. He wants us to think about how many times we have failed, rather than how many times we have succeeded.

But God wants us to focus on our strengths and not our weaknesses, our victories and not our losses, our joys and not our problems. Not that we all don’t have weaknesses, losses, or problems, but God tells us repetitively in scripture that those things are not our focus. Philippians 3 tells us that God wants us to press forward and respond to His upward call and forget what lies behind us. Respond, responding is a big deal! Do we actually respond or do we tend to sit and stare? Let go of what is behind. There is no regret in this world which will ever allow anyone to relive it all, making it something other than what it was. Let it go. Do not believe the lies of the devil. Pay attention to what God is doing, where God is working, focus on what He has given to you and respond. Magnify the works of the Lord!

“But”, meaning on the contrary, on the other hand, except for the fact. We were once children of wrath, “but God” made us alive in Christ. There are many opinions, “but God” is one. Man boasts many things, “but God” is faithful. Many wander in despair, “but God” has called us to peace. Many sow & water, “but God” gives the increase. Men forget their promises, “but God” remembers. Mankind may leave us, but God stays with us. The enemy of our soul works always works toward our demise, but God does not allow us to be given into his hand. 2 Samuel 14:14 says that we must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God will not take away life, and he devises an imaginative plan so that the banished one will not remain an outcast. People won’t listen to the weeping of our heart, but God always hears even our faintest cry.

At an absolute minimum, “but God” occurs at least 43 times and that’s not including all the variations. The Lord wants us to know He is on our side, and there’s no kidding around.

Thanks for listening, i’m Social Porter for Living In His Name Ministries.

We love to say, “We are living in a culture of honor at our church,” and it’s highly likely, at least on some level, that’s true. But after having spoken to quite a few people about what their idea of honor is, more often than not, it seems their practice of honor is more about having the admiration of others, rather than actually being someone of honor.

“Honor”, as is mentioned in Genesis 34:19, is the same word used for “glory” in many places. So, what’s up with that? i always thought glory was glory, and well, to be transparent about it, i didn’t have much of an idea of what honor was. Oh, sure, i’m surrounded by people who throw the word honor around left and right, but truthfully, upon further inquiry, i’ve found they don’t really have much context for what God means either. Although, to use that word in church surely does make us sound awfully spiritual, doesn’t it?

To my surprise, as i said, it is often the same word for glory except there’s a bit of a turn in how it’s used to convey what we perceive as honor. i think it’s also a necessary mention that three times in Proverbs, the Lord says humility is before honor. Humility first … THEN honor. How many people say they live in a culture of humility? Yea, i’d guess not many. Listen though, from God’s perspective honor doesn’t simply mean that everyone havs value, but is honor as something of the Lord which lives in us which gives us our buffed to a high luster good looks.

God’s intent is that every son walk in “kabod”, which, in this case, we’re speaking of “honor”, not just glory as “glowing grandeur, and weighty presence”, but more something we possess as a refuge for hope, safety, care, and assurance for others, which are attributes of “valor”. A “mighty man of valor” was someone who was willing to bleed for a cause, and the Lord is highly honored and demands the greatest respect as someone of the highest valor. He is our standard of someone who walks in the highest honor, commands the greatest respect, and always acts in righteous valor. The opposite of “honor” is when the “refuge is violated”, meaning betrayal. When honor tips over into dishonor, or a “violated refuge”, what was once glowing and weighty character becomes Hebrew “qalal”, a curse, weightless and thinner than a shadow, and is a common traveling companion of dis-esteem, no respect, and disdain. Dishonor breeds contempt, and causes others to think in terms of scorn as an action. Malachi 1:6 speaks of treating the Lord without proper “respect” as in they did not “honor” Him, with “respect” being a subset of honor.

Is it moral for believers to look to be honored? We must decide these things if we’re going to pass out titles. On one hand if someone is elected to public office, we have no problem addressing them as deputy, counselor, judge, senator, or any other title which comes with the election. But it’s odd how, within the church, many quickly run to get a title, and how others play down having a title. Consider again, humility precedes honor. Let us consider carefully, Jesus totally blamed the Pharisees for loving the first places at feasts, the first chairs in the synagogues, loved being recognized in public, and getting titles of honor for themselves. He told His disciples not to be called Rabbi, Father, or Master, like the Pharisees; the greatest among His disciples should be the servant of all; whosoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and the one who humbles themselves himself shall be exalted.

In my efforts to understand honor, i kept seeing the term “high-mindedness”, an archaic term meaning arrogant, or haughty. If we practice high-mindedness, thinking more highly of ourselves than we should, in truth, it can’t actually be a virtue, but only implied virtue…it is merely an outer shining which intensifies our own glowing exterior. Real honor is grown in us by the Lord and is a glow from the inside out. An authentic honorable person is someone who is humble first and never hides themselves away simply to maintain the exterior glow. Giving legitimate and authoritative honor is when we extend recognition of another’s worth or station. As a result we show honor to someone by giving them their title if they have one, and by raising our hat to them, yielding to them a place of precedence.

Is where you fellowship, the people you hang out with, are you safe there? To be someone of honor means, in our character, God has worked steadiness that others would see us as a well established pier to stabilize the body. Being the people who tell the truth even if it’s to their own hurt; the people who are the same in the house and out of the house; the people who are known for their exemplary conduct, character, and conversation; the people who know they are connected to Heaven by the nails of the cross; and those who have taken Jesus as their crown of a good name. Honor.  Fearlessness, and compassion are to honor, as holiness and righteousness are to God. The breath of God imparts honor, and honor imparts inspiration to those who live life at a pinch point.

What do you think?