A man prepared a great feast and sent out invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests. Come, the banquet is ready. But they all began making excuses. Luke 14: 16-18. NLT.

I mentioned before that I host a Life Group (small group) in my home. It is a privilege and blessing to grow together with these dear sisters. Some of them have some mobility issues. There is a two step concrete porch that leads to my front door. I felt a bit hopeless and frustrated as I watched these ladies navigate the steps with walkers and canes. I often heard, “I wish there were hand rails”. I didn’t know what to do.

When my home was built in 1969, there were no handrails installed. I just thought, I am sorry. I can’t install handrails into concrete. This was my legitimate excuse. After a few months, I thought, maybe they do make a product. how do I really know they don’t. So, I googled it! I was surprised to discover they make such a product. To top it off, I can get them from Amazon Prime. So there went excuse #1. But how expense would this be? Quickly excuse #2 went, because they were in my budget! But then excuse number #3 began swirling around in my mind. Suppose they look bad and it detracts from my homes value? I am not a “visualizer”…so in my mind I could not imagine what the final product would look like. So I procrastinated.

Excuse #4. I asked my friend and contractor, Kenny, if he knew how to install them. He said yes, and he would do it. But excuse #3 was still standing strong, would it be worth it?? One Sunday, our pastor preached a sermon about “love going beyond”. I realized that moment if I loved these women, as I claim, I must buy them and have them installed. Love took away every excuse about this project. I would feel terrible if one of them fell. Or worse, if they chose to quit coming because they didn’t feel safe. Especially since I knew there was a solution.

In the parable of the great feast, Jesus tells, none of the excuses were legitimate. One bought a field, and wanted to inspect it. I am sure that field wasn’t going any where. Another, bought some oxen and wanted to “try” them out, again it could have happened at another time. Even the one who got married, could have chosen to come. When God asks us to do something, do we remember He understands all about our life? Or do we make our flimsy self-centered excuses? The excuses usually involve our time, effort or money. Each one of the “excusers” were focused on themselves, they did not consider the expense or effort the one who did the invite had gone to. I think we are often guilty of the same thing.

Luke 14 sets the stage for this parable. Jesus is at the home of a Pharisee, and some other religious law experts. They were watching him, but he also was watching them! After asking them if it was permitted to heal on the Sabbath, he healed a man. He then watched them vie for more prominent places at the table–which led to an exhortation about humility.

We then find Jesus encouraging the host. He tells the host not to invite those who could invite him back. Instead, he should go out and invite the lame, the poor, the blind, and the crippled. Embedded in verse 14, he gives us a clue to the why and what our perspective should be. And then you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just. Luke 14:14 ESV. In other words, it is another way we can sow our treasures in heaven. We make the wrong choice when we focus only on this life. We make decisions based on time, effort, or finances for the present rather than for heaven’s sake.

Oh my friends, watching the ladies enter and leave my home last night was a blessing. They thanked me for the installation. I am trusting God about any changes to my home value–I’m not planning on moving anytime soon anyway!

Remember, when God asks something of you, He remembers your frame. He knows everything about you–even in the asking. So if you don’t see a way, ask Him to make a way. If you are afraid of the outcome, tell Him that. Ask Him how to move forward, because His ways are always best. Let’s get rid of our lame excuses and just get on with it!

Father, help us do your will. Freely, joyfully and faithfully. Thank you for helping us deal with our excuses, no matter how big or how small. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. Psalm 116:15. ESV.

The word the Lord gave me this year for our family Christmas sharing, was legacy. I felt to encourage all of us, but especially my grandchildren, that they are actually developing their legacy right now.

When most people think about leaving a legacy, they think about money and possessions. But as a believer, we have an opportunity to leave an even greater legacy. This legacy can influence many, not just our own families. I discovered in my biological family missionaries went in the 1800’s to what is now Senegal, very close to where Darryl and I ministered in Ghana! Did they pray for future generations to influence the region? We won’t know till we get to heaven.

We found out that some of our relatives founded a college for freed slaves They also established it for their children. It is now Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina! Their heart was for education. I wonder if my heart to teach came from this DNA? Is it a coincidence that our oldest grandson graduates in May, with an education degree?

I just finished watching some of the memorial service for our 39th president, Jimmy Carter. What a legacy he and his wife left, not only for our nation, but also for the Kingdom. I admit

, Darryl and I were so isolated (no TV, no radio) that when he ran for president, we had no clue who he was! We realized weren’t being good citizens at that point. How could we pray for our country if we didn’t even know what was going on? There is a stigma upon “one-term” presidents that they somehow “failed”. He did not let that stop him from living an impact full life. He left office at 56, in 1981 and by 1982 they founded the Carter Center which continues touching lives all over the world. He came from a small town in Georgia and continued to champion small towns and villages around the world. Each speaker mentioned his faith. He was a man of character. He not only verbally shared his faith with others, but he lived it. I found myself praying for those in attendance, that they would embrace this man’s faith and change their world.

So my friends, if you are reading this, you are still breathing. If you are still breathing, then you are still forming your legacy. One of my last conversations with my father involved money. He said, “Martha, you and Darryl will never have any money”. I said, “when did you teach us?” We are open to anything you want to share. He said, “well, stay in the lane God has given you. I only lost money when I tried to step out in areas God did not anoint me to do (like oil or gold mines)”. So we took that to heart and stayed in God’s calling, ministry.

I have tried to be wise with my finances, so my children will not have to care for me. But I admit I am more concerned for my spiritual legacy. I want to exemplify what it means to love the Lord. Serving Him is the best life you can lead. It is my heart that they discover their own relationship with Him. Jesus instructs us in Matthew not to store our treasures on earth. Instead, we should lay them in heaven where moths and rust cannot destroy. There is a balance we need in stewarding our finances here on earth, while focusing on heaven as well. God give us Your wisdom, please!

Oh my friends, another area of legacy is our character. Are we gracious? Hospitable? Or are we difficult to please and get along with? Do we seek to let the fruit of the spirit be tasted by everyone, or only those we deem worthy? Are we short-tempered and focused on ourselves? If you are in a later season of life, it may be difficult to change your financial legacy. But, we can always change our spiritual and character legacy. It is in our control.

Paul exhorted all believers in so many of his letters about behavior issues. Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good. Romans 12:9 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32. Therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. Colossians 3:12-14. Many people read over these verses (at times, me included) without applying them to their own lives. Even after such an encouraging and uplifting memorial, the commentators quickly judged and criticized. They focused on the difficult relationships the current living presidents have with each other. I don’t know if they realized they were sowing seeds of division. This happened right after listening to stories about how the man they were honoring sought to bring people together!

Thinking about my own life and those who have impacted me the most, are those who have applied Paul’s exhortations. They took the time to be gracious and kind. They encouraged me to seek our Savior even more. My parents taught me the logistics of hospitality, but I learned the heart of hospitality from a home church I attended as a student at the University of Washington. I am still learning how to do this. It’s not easy to change, but with His help we can.

Cartoons make fun of the grumpy old men and the “Karen’s” of this world. Unfortunately, they are based on reality but this should not be the case with us believers. Christians get mocked in the media because of hypocrisy. Let’s not give them fuel for the fire. President Carter, according to his grandchildren, lived a genuine Christian life, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, so can we. Thank you, Jimmy Carter for your legacy that we can learn from.

Father, help us leave Your kind of legacy, but we need your help to do it. Show us our short comings, and help us make any change necessary. Forgive us for messing up. We are so grateful your mercy covers a multitude of sin for us, let us make sure we share that mercy with those we meet. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. Ephesians 6:10-11. NLT

Oppression is one of Satan’s subtle tactics that can sneak up on believers. Sometimes it is like a mist that rolls in. It goes unnoticed until it thickens into a deep fog. This fog can cause confusion and disorientation. Years ago, while living in the Rogue Valley in Oregon, we experienced a weather inversion. There was no wind for days and the fog became thicker and thicker. Because the fog obscured normal landmarks, people lost their way.  The government issued health alerts because the air quality was so bad. This went on for days. Normal, peaceful people became angry and frustrated much more easily because of the pollutants in the air. This went on for days.

We got used to it. We didn’t really understand the scope of the problem until we left the valley and drove back into the sunshine. The difference was shocking! Oppression is like that. It starts very subtly, and if we don’t deal with it, it gets worse and worse. It clouds our thinking and makes it hard to see clearly. It targets our emotions. As a result, we find ourselves dealing with anxiety, fear, and a lack of peace in an ever increasing manner. Self-pity draws us inward, and we isolate.

To be honest, I started noticing some of these symptoms a few weeks ago. Lack of confidence, insecurity which led to uncertainty started creeping in, in areas I normally had no trouble with! Life felt hard, and joy was hard to find. I first made excuses. Life hasn’t been easy for our family and I just blamed those things. But, I am so grateful for the Holy Spirit. He whispered, “oppression”.

Oppression? I suddenly felt freer, just knowing the truth of what I was fighting. The enemy tool had me focusing on what was wrong with me. He tried to get my focus off of the Lord and His workings, and onto myself. And, I admit, it worked for a while. Since then, I have noticed others dealing with some of the same things!

I would like to remind you, God has given us His armor. Paul’s exhortation to put on the whole armor, not just part of it, is invaluable. The helmet of salvation is so key to protecting our mind. Satan delights in targeting our thoughts with his condemnation, fear, and hopelessness. This can lead to self pity, which is never helpful for anyone. Forgetting to access this helmet opens us up to his lies and deception. We wander through life feeling like we are all alone, without help and hope. What a lie! As you put on this helmet, remind yourself of Philippians 4: 8. And now dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. It can take effort to do the “fixing”, but it is so worth it. Praise and worship are excellent tools to shift our thinking away from our own puny selves and onto Him.

Wearing the helmet reminds us who we belong to. Every time a sailor or soldier puts on their uniforms, they remember their commitment to Uncle Sam. I know that, in the Navy, sailors refer to their hats as “covers.” What a wonderful reminder. When we put on the helmet of salvation, we are covered. We are protected by Him. Beginning your day with Him, in His Word and prayer, is essential. Walking together closely with other brothers and sisters is also essential to walk in freedom and clarity.

My friends, oppression can make it difficult to ask for prayer. Lies and condemnation can lead to shame and discouragement. I would like to remind you, every believer is a target for Satan. If you need prayer, ask for it. I did. What a relief when the oppression lifted. Sometimes we need the two or three standing together to break its hold on us. That’s why God adopted us into His family, so we wouldn’t be alone.

Please take the time to re-acquaint yourself with the whole armor of God found in Ephesians 6. 13  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. ESV.

Satan’s plan in using oppression is to make us useless for God’s Kingdom. He wants us to feel powerless, hopeless and weak. But this is not who we are. We’ve been given power over every wile, strategy, or scheme of the enemy. Stand strong my friends. No matter what you are facing right now, God has a solution. Remember: God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and a self-discipline (sound mind). 1Timothy 1:7. NLT. Take the authority God has already given you to speak freedom and life into your circumstances. He is the way maker and will show you how and where to walk through whatever valley you are in. Remind yourself of the price He has paid for you. He will take care of you at that expensive price! It doesn’t mean we won’t face hard challenges. It means He knows the outcome and is working them together for His good plan. No matter what it looks like, He is worthy of our trust.

I was thinking about believers who are in prison today for their faith. Comparing their life to mine is foolish, but also sobering. I pray for them.  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5. ESV. When we face oppression or afflictions, we must walk with faith. We must have faith in our Lord. Having faith in His purposes in and through our lives is crucial. It is essential to living a fruitful life in Him.

Father, I thank you for breaking the spirit of oppression that is affecting any of your children reading this post. Remind us to put on the whole armor of God, you have so freely given to us. Help us stay alert to the wiles and strategies of the enemy. Guide us not only for our protection but also for the sake of others. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad. Proverbs 12:25 NKJV

Everywhere we look we can find stress producers. Finances, relationships, politics, health issues can definitely generate stress in our lives. We know it is not “healthy” to live with chronic stress because God did not intend us to live that way. Lately, as I have been praying for myself and others about anxiety, I realize more of Satan’s devious plan is at work.

First, his goal is to get our eyes off the Lord and onto ourselves. When we “feel” anxious, our natural response is to turn inward. We become self focused rather than others or God focused. When that happens, our faith level drops and there is often a struggle to get out of our heads and into His thoughts. Then Satan employs his next level of strategy, hopelessness.

Hopelessness can begin subtly. Remember, Satan is here to steal, kill, and destroy. So he tries to steal your hope, making you feel smaller than you are. Could you tell me why you should even pray, because….(fill in your own blanks). Some of those blanks may get filled in with you not being worthy enough for God to answer, you are a disappointment to God, or even you don’t have enough faith to believe for that prayer to be answered. So he subtly steers us away from even beginning to pray! Have you ever had Hebrews 11:6 thrown back at you when you tried to pray? But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. Condemning thoughts show up, just about the time you start to pray: “you don’t really believe he is going to answer your prayer because you haven’t been diligently seeking him, have you???” His goal is to deter you from coming to the Lord you love. This is condemnation, my friends, not something our God does. A condemned man has no hope, but that is not us! Our sins have been forgiven and we have been set free.

Once your focus is distracted, he moves on to the size of your problem. He works to diminish the power and authority of our God, and magnifies the magnitude of the PROBLEM. As the problem gets bigger, your stress mounts–which again, clouds our vision of our loving Savior. We start to feel even worse and begin to look at how to get away from those stressful feelings.

This is Satan’s really sneaky attack. He suggests your right for relief. So instead of praying to the God who can change things, he tempts you with ways of escape. “Remember that pint of ice cream in the fridge? Go ahead, it’s ok. Or just turn on the TV and binge watch that show you like.” Now, neither of these things are wrong in themselves, but if they interrupt you from praying to peace, then you have been hoodwinked. He stole from you the opportunity to receive God’s true peace.

Satan then attempts to draw us into outright deadlier distractions. Alcohol, drugs and porn are powerful temptations. One glass of wine can turn into two or more, a prescribed anti-anxiety pill dose can be doubled, pornography can be substituted instead of fixing relationship issues. All of these temptations can lead to even more costly consequences. Every addiction began with the first step. When stress and anxiety are running high in our hearts, it is much easier to fall for these “quick fixes” rather than deal with the root issues. What started as a “relief escape” now becomes a trap, pushing the person farther and farther from the Lord and His correct solutions.

My friends, counseling and prescription drugs can be helpful. But the most important way to deal with stress is going to the Lord first, or in the middle…or even if you think it is the end. He always has a way out or a way through. God has given us tools in His Word for us to use in times of anxiety. Don’t forget to use them!

We have so many promises from Him. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16. Don’t let Satan steal your confidence in the Lord to respond to your every need with His mercy and grace. It is always there, no matter if/when we mess up. Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. Psalm 57:1. Stay close to Him, learn to hide and take refuge in Him. He is a strong tower we can run to.

By following His teachings, we can avoid many stressors. Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6.

Turn to Him with gratitude and thanksgiving, even before the answer is evident. Rehearse what He has done before. Remind yourself of His faithfulness in the past, which makes Him bigger than the current situation. The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust Him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. Psalm 28:7. The next time you are feeling stressed, I challenge you to burst out in song! It breaks the hold hopelessness, stress and anxiety have on us. If need be, put on worship or praise music and sing along. My family used to sing this song when we were children. It is still one of our go to songs when things are rough: “My Lord knows the way through the wilderness, all I have to do is follow. Strength for today is mine all the way and all I need for tomorrow, all I have to do is follow, my Lord knows the way through the wilderness, all I have to do is follow.” It is quite simple, but it always brings breakthroughs and hope. Google it, if you don’t know it.

My friends, we don’t have to let the stressors of this life rule and reign in our lives. Our God is the God of Hope. Jesus is the Prince of Peace as we allow Him to rule and reign in our hearts, we can live in that peace. Don’t settle for less, it’s not worth it. Satan really would like to enslave you in his addictions, don’t let him win. We don’t have to let stress run or ruin our lives.

Father, I ask You to open our eyes where we have let stress and anxiety rule and reign in our hearts instead of your peace. Anxiety can have a loud voice, but Your quiet one shuts it up quickly. Open our ears to hear Your wonderful words of life and hope, in Jesus’ Name, amen.